THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[AS Collie]

Maro, I agree with you to a certain point there on both Dodo and AA. But I don't think Dodo destabilised the side, I think AA did. Now, perhaps AA did it to the benefit of the Brazilian, but the blame for it should lay with the coach and not the full-back. It was his physicality that impressed me though, along with the aforementioned movement. It could be that in the Brazilian full-back tradition, he's just not that great at defending and the advanced position suited him.

With regard stabilising the ship, AA deserves credit for taking a difficult job. Teams almost always show a slight improvement after a manager's been sacked, largely I think because the players are keen to prove that it wasn't their fault and/or impress the new man so that they might get more time on the pitch. If he stuck to one formation, things might be different, but he hasn't, which suggests to me that he's unsure of himself and of the squad. There's also no getting around the fact that losses to Chievo and Palermo and a dismal draw with Pescara are completely unacceptable for a team like Roma. They've only looked really comfortable twice since he's taken over, against Parma and Siena.

[maro]

It was Dodo's movement going forward that fooked the team mechanism, Collie, not anything to do with his defending. He didn't once show the awareness or cleverness to get in behind his opposite fullback - he runs in straight lines with great pace which can be devastating, but look how many times Piris and then Florenzi asked questions down the other flank simply through the timing of their runs and the sense of their starting positions. And then Dodo too often didn't hold his width - and if you're going to play Totti down the left (or Osvaldo), then holding your width is a must. Pjanic had a poor game - he was completely redundant, really, in that formation, since I could have kept the ball in midfield in the way he ended up doing, without making any really incisive passes. One of the reasons for that, though, was that Dodo didn't ask the questions he should have done, didn't make options, create space. It may just have been that he was scared of getting caught wrong side of the ball and getting hammered for not doing the defensive side of things, but his movement in behind the fullback and off his shoulder was woeful. Well, to be fair, it wasn't woeful so much as non-existent.

[maro]

I said at halftime that there wasn't enough width high enough up the pitch. That, I should think, falls overwhelmingly on Dodo. Piris didn't get a lot of joy, but at least he was asking the right questions.

[AS Collie]

[red]

I'm not sure I'd blame Andreazzoli for changing shapes or not being certain of his best team.

I think I've said before this season that I can't figure out what Roma's best team is because they are a player or two short for pretty much every system.

Remarkably tough to come up with a good, balanced eleven from the current Roma squad.

[DCGweez]

Lol that was funny.

Although I agree with Maro as well. Dodo's inability test the fullbacks collapsed the backline on our 2 CFs and allowed the MF to push Totti up the pitch.

That said, AA has outsmarted himself 2 or 3 times this year and often against inferior opponents. That's when you go traditional and trust your sides superior quality to shine through.

[maro]

Not to mention he didn't have any say at all in the construction of the squad.

[AS Collie]

[Italiamia]

http://www.repubblica.it/sport/calcio/s ... -58285421/

[RomaShield27]

AA does deserve great credit for the work he's done since he came in. He managed to steady the ship and get us back on track and in contention for a European spot (although tonights games could push us out again). The best compliment you could pay him is that when he came in he was a temp but since then he's put himself into a position to stay full time. That said, he's now over 14 games into his reign and no one is sure what our best formation or line-up is. We seem to change formation every other game and the first few minutes of games is spent trying to figure out what way the team is lining up. AA seems to be overcomplicating things tactically, if thats possible, and shown he's fairly limited and inexperienced in certain situations. His role as a leader and as someone having a strong influence and air of authority about him to manage the team is up for debate, I think, as too often we've seen the team looking unprepared and unfocussed for games like last nights. He seems to have a good report with all the players (hugging Totti etc), which is good, but in football a manager has to be more than that and has to be the man who the buck stops with, a figure with complete authority and respect. AA may have those things, or may grow to have them, I don't know, but right now at this point in time I'm not so sure and not sure he's the right sort of manager we need to bring this team forward.

Looking at the remaining fixtures, with two games to go (for us) – away to Milan and home to Napoli – what are our chances of making EL now? Inter v Lazio and Palermo v Udinese is tonight. Two home wins in those games is clearly best for us as we'd stay in 5th. A draw with Inter v Lazio would be ok, too. The weekend's fixtures don't favour us, though, we're going to need to get a result in Milan.

[AS Collie]

[Italiamia]

[maro]

I didn't think the team looked in the slightest unprepared or unfocused last night; I've not seen much sign of confusion over tactical variations either - as AA has said a number of times, the formation has often enough changed within games too. On that basis they seem well prepared - unlike the team earlier in the season which suddenly went to an unpractised back 3 an hour before the match. If anything, AA's not shown enough attacking ideas - the famous 'schemes' that Italian coaches like to work on. There's not enough guile in the movement up top, but that could simply be because he's had to focus on other rather more glaring problems first.

[AS Collie]

[AS Collie]

Toby Alderweireld. Interesting.

http://metro.co.uk/2013/05/08/toby-alde ... r-3733902/

[RomaShield27]

Is it a done deal? I seen something about it on forzaroma earlier ("bloccato"), but ignored it and thought of it as just more mercato nonsense. He's not a free, either, they're saying about €10m for him? Never really seen him play, but heard him described as very similar to Vertongen.

[Bagg10]

[DavidP]

[RomaShield27]

This piece echoes what some of us have been stressing. Baldini and Sabatini want a "drill sergeant" type manager, someone who is able to assert himself and manage our "difficult" squad. Have to say I agree with that. Mazzarri and Allegri still the main contenders, with the former the more likely.

I find it curious there's no mention at all of Ancellotti, who's future is quite uncertain at PSG. I thought he'd fit the bill of what we're looking for nicely (your strong type), but maybe its that he's out of reach completely? Madrid have been linked with him, and there's going to be a number of big jobs available in England (in fact there could be quite the managerial merry-go-round), but still, with his Roma connections I thought he'd be a runner.

The article also talks about AA: "the only thing certain is the departure of Aurelio Andreazzoli at the end of the season. Regardless of the outcome of the Coppa final he won't be the bench next season: the blatant slip-ups against Palermo, Pescara and Chievo are too heavy."

Sad for AA. What are the chances of him staying in his old role, as coach? None? Would he be willing to go back to an assistant under whoever the new manager will be, or will he look to continue his managerial career elsewhere?


Roma, sergente di ferro per imporsi sulla squadra
giovedì 9 maggio 2013 11:11

/ La Roma è al bivio. Quale allenatore scegliere per il futuro? La società ha individuato il profilo giusto per la nuova guida tecnica della squadra ma non ha ancora scelto su chi puntare in maniera forte per dirigere la squadra nella prossima stagione. Allegri e Mazzarri restano i nomi più gettonati ma i due tecnici continuano a nicchiare sul proprio destino e la Roma non può aspettare troppo considerando che a livello di mercato è necessario già muoversi per puntellare un gruppo che necessita solo di qualche ritocco.

SERGENTE DI FERRO - Baldini e Sabatini comunque vogliono una figura precisa: un sergente di ferro in grado di imporsi su un gruppo che quest’anno ha dato, in più di un’occasione, l’impressione di essere difficilmente gestibile. In ogni caso le ultime indiscrezioni vogliono il tecnico del Napoli più vicino alla panchina della Roma rispetto ad Allegri che sembra aver “sgelato” il suo rapporto con Berlusconi. L’unica cosa certa è l’addio a fine di Aurelio Andreazzoli. Indipendentemente dall’esito della finale di Coppa Italia il tecnico giallorosso non siederà sulla panchina dei capitolini nella prossima stagione: i clamorosi passi falsi contro Palermo, Pescare e Chievo sono troppo pesanti.

[DCGweez]

Hey Ed, the graphics you put up incredible. You're very talented. Nice work.