THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[AS Collie]

[DCGweez]

[DCGweez]

[RomaShield27]

[DavidP]

1. judging from both players' + andreazolli's comments after the game the penalty incident was blown totally out of proportion from the minute francesco handed him the ball.

2. now that everything is done and dusted, it seems that the fans didn't just boo him, there were threats and that was when he decided to get the fuck out.

none of those are the clown's fault. this one's on the tifosi.

3. you're telling me that not every irish dude hates Liverfekkin'wankscum more than they love their mum?

[RomaShield27]

Some interesting stuff in Saba's conferenza stampa yesterday alright (didnt have much time to digest it yesterday). He is a good character, he doesn't hold back and he always has some interesting stuff to say. Although can't help but get the feeling his is covering a lot for his employers, i.e. our American owners, which is of course part of his job so you can't really blame him for it.

Although it sheds more light on the whole mercato and explains its a bit, it still doesn't get away from the reasoning that the club did want to cash in on Lamela and pushed for the transfer (as his mother confirmed in her tweet – was it really Lamela's oul' wan?! Odd). Yes, there was interest in him from home and abroad, and his entourage may have been pushing for a better deal for him as a result, but those stories can easily be quashed and rejected with a few firm denials and messages of 'Lamela is a Roma player' and 'not for sale', etc. He wanted to stay with us, I think that much is clear, it was only when the rumours grew and grew instead of being denied to the extent that a transfer looked inevitable.

I also don't like what he confirmed about Ljajic's contract clause: "to keep wages low, sometimes you have to accept these sort of requests". Clearly that implies that Ljajic himself – or likely his agent, which is the same thing – wanted this low release clause in order to have the chance to move to a bigger club in the future if and when the time is right. Not much dedication or long term commitment there. Sabatini did say "It's not like it's €15m", but then how much is it? Can't be much more than around €20-25, I'd say.

Still, some good stuff there, too. He has a good sense of humour and says some funny shit, like when he mentioned Dodo and said he really believes he can become a good footballer. Gas man. He talks positively of Garcia, and of De Sanctis and Maicon, too, who he feels can become really important players for us, and not just on the pitch. The wage bill is an issue, too, 4th highest in Serie A and almost €100m (and no European football for years to help financially), but they are taking measures to combat it. Although I'm not too sure his comment of selling Pjanic next summer "as an example" to help the finances went down too well. Qualifying for Europe this season may be more crucial than it has been for years.





/ Friday, 13 September 2013 17:39 / Anthony Wright

As promised by the club during the transfer window, Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini spoke at length about the Giallorossi's transfer activities in a press conference on Friday after the club had refused to comment on transfers during the mercato.

As expected, the sale of Erik Lamela was at the head of the questions and Sabatini explained that circumstances beyond Roma's control had eventually forced their hands into selling the Argentine to Tottenham Hotspur.

"No one made me sell him, it was my responsibility. It was a difficult transfer market, coming into it in a complicated psychological state after the 26 May. We had to quickly pick what remained of ourselves up and try to rebuild", the director mused.

"It wasn't without interruptions and it was very difficult, but we ended the market satisfactorily. You'll come to see what I mean. We're sure that we've built a competitive squad. I said this last year and the year before, and I must continue to do so because I'm acting in good faith, as I was in the past.

"We've made different choices compared to those that we may have made in other circumstances. Calcio is an ever changing game, because every day can bring stress or circumstances that could not have been predicted the day before.

"We've reflected, we didn't think at the start that we'd sell Erik but new factors that didn't depend on us entered the picture and we then considered the possibility. We didn't take it lightly, we suffered and this was felt across the club. But it was a decision we had to make, his circumstances had changed - partly because of a major offer from another club that we couldn't match and - most of all - we didn't want to match.

"We had to keep the player's mentality in mind, it would have been difficult to renegotiate his contract in that situation. It wasn't so much Lamela's mind that changed but rather the intentions and desires of the people around him. Rather than fight a battle we were unlikely to win, we preferred to accept the offer. If we had carefully put something together a month beforehand, we would have sold Lamela for a higher price.

"Something changed that could seem ephemeral, but it isn't. Lamela was approached by an Italian side who made a stupendous offer, a net salary of €3.5m for five years and a large commission for his father, I think it was €2m. When this happened, we lost the player. He wasn't the player we had before, our idea for him was to raise his €1.2m salary.

"The thing that he suffered was all sorts of people came to him, trying to push him into negotiations with Roma on these terms. When this happened I spoke with him and his agent, I said that we were willing to raise his salary a bit and to increase his wages significantly for the coming years, but they weren't happy with our offer and when I saw his state of distress, I thought he was done.

"I didn't think he'd be able to completely recover at our club, where he should have been happy. No player in his situation takes to the pitch to win. This didn't reduce my pain in having to sell him, but events were triggered that had to be taken into account.

"The fact that Tottenham have signed players who we were also looking at is no surprise. Franco [Baldini, former Roma general director and friend of Sabatini] has done well, he has only added players who we believed were available. He has acted in a loyal manner, just as Roma were loyal to him. It's not been a bother to me, he is working a long way from here.

"I feel freer without Baldini at my side - he is a great friend, and he and I both shared and supported each others decisions. I am freer by myself, I live better. I even prefer to have my right hand side free at the dining table. Baldini is a wonderful person and my friend, but sometimes when we did things together we did them in the wrong way. I do better by myself and it's the same for him. I've noticed this at Tottenham, where he has been rejuvenated by my absence!"

Despite the sales of Lamela, Marquinhos and Pablo Osvaldo, Sabatini still feels that this year Roma are a better team under Rudi Garcia and insists that the emphasis on youth has not been lost after he brought in the likes of Morgan De Sanctis and Maicon.

"We've sold a piece of the future, not the future itself. The future is now at Trigoria. We've a great set at Trigoria, represented by [Miralem] Pjanic for example, or [Mattia] Destro, [Alessandro] Florenzi, hopefully by [Tin] Jedvaj and [Alessio] Romagnoli, and by [Kevin] Strootman who we didn't sign for nothing, we made a big investment for him.

"I forgot to mention Dodo as well - none of you believe in his potential yet, only I do and I really believe in him. I also hope to be extolling another player who is having difficulties - Mattia Destro. He's a good player who has a problem that we are evaluating every day, but in two months time he'll be ready to play and be better than before. I don't have to remind you of the 11 goals he scored [last season] in the Coppa Italia and the league in difficult circumstances, this is the mark of a great striker.

"One day, when I've rediscovered my sense of humour, you can tell me why a strong and well liked player should find himself made fun of in the press.

"This is a strong Roma, and a very different one compared to last year. Last year we thought that talent would be enough for us to go the distance. There was a lot of talent but we have to look very carefully at the fact that nothing important was achieved, that the squad did not get off the ground and we could not produce a result that matched the expectations of the fans. We failed and we have gone back to start again.

"Experienced players like De Sanctis and Maicon have come in, youngsters like [Adem] Ljajic and Strootman, and players in their prime like Gervinho and [Mehdi] Benatia. There's been no major change [from the youth policy], we are still us. We still have young players like Destro, Romagnoli and Florenzi.

"I don't see this as a complete destruction of what we've done so far, we have just tried to put particular characteristics onto the squad. I think we're creating a different internal dynamic, there's been a great reaction between the old players and the new ones and this helps a lot. We've brought in Maicon, and in some ways this incites fear into opponents. We wanted people who are used to winning and I believe we've achieved that".

Sabatini also rejected the notion that Roma are set to become the next Udinese by buying players on the cheap and selling them for higher prices, while not achieving anything of note in the league.

"The squad's results determine the value of the players. If the question is whether Roma will become a selling club comparable to Udinese, who work to build something good then sell, then the answer is no. We are working with the objective of making the squad competitive. This doesn't mean to say that this aspect of the market will not happen, for instance it could be that Pjanic is sold next summer after we identify someone else who will cost less.

"This helps the wage bill, which is a problem. We're trying to adapt. Lamela was made available only when Roma realised we could buy a player of equal talent, with different characteristics, on better terms. In this way Roma accepted the sale of Lamela when effectively we had Ljajic in hand.

"[Selling Pjanic?] I just picked Pjanic as one out of many valuable players that Roma still have. I didn't say we would sell him. In fact we must still sort out his contract. I said him because he's very well regarded at an international level. What did I say? I wanted to reassure people, I don't think I've succeeded. Despite the excellent sales, we've made deliberate choices with certain players, knowing that we have others that are ready to make the step up. The coach knows he has a more than decent squad, and he is happy with what he's got".

Asked whether he was making a point by appointing Rudi Garcia as coach, who he has long been a fan of, Sabatini replied that the choice was an educated one and believes that the Frenchman can take Roma back into the Champions League.

"I wasn't making a point, it was a calm choice that I made after a long and extensive search of the market. I knew him from a technical point of view but not a personal one. He has rhythm in how he does things, ideas and the know how to carry them out without invading other peoples' territory. He wants to see things through.

"While we were talking, I asked him about the rapport he intended to have with the team. He looked at me wide eyed, thinking maybe I'd asked him an improper question, and he replied "I love my team". There's nothing sentimental about this, a great coach must have this emotion to his team to protect it, help it and understand it.

"I've been fortunate to since see what he meant - he knows everyone's problems, he follows the players with excessive attention, he knows how to talk to each of them, how much to fine them if something goes wrong, how to improve the internal competitiveness. He's consolidating a squad into one that wants to achieve something. He's great.

"On his objectives, I have to say something that will condemn me to public ridicule for some time. I think the squad has the resources to compete for the top positions and I think that Roma can and must compete for the Champions League places. I don't say this because of the two little games that we've won, but I have seen that the internal dynamic has changed.

"Without offending anyone, if someone like Maicon is pissed off when he comes back into the changing room, it's different compared to when one of last year's players did it. It has a different effect. These sort of things have changed and lets me say that the team can fight for the Champions League".

Sabatini was also looking to bring in Fabio Quagliarella from Juventus to boost Roma's chances of reaching the top three, but when the deal fell through he felt that selling Marco Borriello without having the time to bring in a top quality replacement would have been a mistake.

"[The squad] would have been incomplete if we let Borriello go without buying another forward. Borriello is a great forward, his problem was that at this time he wanted to try his luck at Genoa, who were guaranteeing him a place in the starting lineup which is something that Roma cannot do.

"There was the possibility of doing the three-way transfer late on - I wanted to bring Quagliarella to Roma, with Borriello going to Genoa and [Alberto] Gilardino to Juventus, but this didn't happen. I don't think this means Roma are incomplete though, you've seen that Garcia plays with three mobile forwards who attack and take shots on goal. Between the different types of forwards we have, including Borriello, we will have the answers".

Finally on the subjects of Ljajic and Osvaldo, the director revealed that the Giallorossi did yield to Ljajic's request to have a release clause in his contract while there are also goalscoring bonuses in Osvaldo's contract at Southampton.

"On Ljajic, there is a clause [in the contract], but it's important to note that it will be difficult for anyone to match it. It's not like it's €15m. To keep wages low, sometimes you have to accept these sort of requests - it's part of modern football.

"Osvaldo's problem, as you know, was that we bought an extraordinary player who never found harmony in himself or in his environment. I'm sorry that things degenerated so much, particularly in the relationship between him and the fans. He never did anything serious, but he did some stupid things and repeated mistakes, and got himself into a tunnel that had no exit.

"But we know that he's a fine guy, we've seen it. He's an important player, he scored 28 goals at Roma. We hope that he does the same at Southampton, because we have some bonuses to collect!"

[RomaShield27]

Preview: Parma-Roma
/ Sunday, 15 September 2013 15:47 / Anthony Wright

Roma return to action after the international break on Monday night as they travel to Parma for the final game of matchday three of Serie A.

Rudi Garcia's side have started the season well, winning their first two games against Livorno and Hellas Verona, but the trip to face the Gialloblu will be the Frenchman's first real test of the campaign. Although Parma have not really got up and running yet in Serie A (one point from two games), Garcia has pinpointed Antonio Cassano, Jaime Valdes and Amauri as key players that his side will have to do well to contain.

Roma will also be without Michael Bradley after the midfielder sprained his ankle while on international duty with the USA, while Mattia Destro is still sidelined. Bogdan Lobont has also picked up a calf injury that will keep him out of action for around two weeks. Alessandro Florenzi has recovered from fever, and Tin Jedvaj has finally been included in the squad for the first time after being forced to miss the first two games of the season due to FIFA bureaucratic processes.

Parma will be without Daniele Galloppa and Gabriel Paletta, but Walter Gargano is likely to be available despite returning from international duty with Uruguay suffering from fatigue. Should the former Napoli man not start the game, Marco Marchionni could start in central midfield.



PARMA-ROMA: LAST 10
ROMA LAST 5
Season Comp Result Scorers Hellas Verona Home Serie A Won 3-0
2012/13 Serie A Lost 2-3 Lamela, Totti Livorno Away Serie A Won 2-0
2011/12 Serie A Won 1-0 Osvaldo
2010/11 Serie A Drew 0-0
2009/10 Serie A Won 2-1 Totti, Taddei
2007/08 Serie A Won 3-0 Totti (2), Mancini PARMA LAST 5
2006/07 Coppa Italia Drew 2-2 De Rossi, Pizarro Udinese Away Serie A Lost 1-3
2006/07 Serie A Won 4-0 Montella, Perrotta, Rosi, Aquilani Chievo Verona Home Serie A Drew 0-0
2005/06 Serie A Won 3-0 Mancini (2), Perrotta Lecce Home Coppa Italia Won 4-0
2004/05 Serie A Lost 1-2 Cassano
2003/04 Serie A Won 4-1 Cassano, Emerson, Totti, Mancini

[DavidP]

roma and liverpooI are the only teams across europe's top 5 leagues to not have conceded a goal yet. fuckin american ownership.

[romawi]

[AS Collie]

[RomaShield27]

We've played the might of Livorno and Verona, relax the bleedin cacks. Thowin' out the stats. Jasus, if we win tonight you'll have muppets going crazy and calling for a scudetto.

I for one welcome our American Overlords. I have an A1 poster of Zanzi on my wall. I think my feelings on it are pretty clear.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1772 ... ss-to-roma?

Nice piece on Lamela's departure here by some dope. I agree with most parts, although I don't think Ljajic has anywhere near the same amount of potential as Lamela. Also, I believe we had already "balanced the books" before the sale of Lamela.

Nice throw in about Caprari and an all-Roman front line, too.

Another preview for tonight:
http://serieaworld.com/seriea/parma-rom ... jbHO-25f0c

[AS Collie]

[AS Collie]

Oh and Caprari ... we can all dream!

[RomaShield27]

Ljajic is good, don't get me wrong, and I think he can be very good player, but I'm not totally convinced he can go on to be the next big thing ala Messi, Ronaldo, Bale etc. Lamela, on the other hand, has that sort of potential, I think. Of course, he just as easily could never reach those heights at all and remain a very talented if frustrating player. But you never know. I don't see that with Ljajic in the slightest. As an immediate replacement Ljajic does the job quite nicely, as he probably fits into Garcia's set-up more easily then probably Lamela could, but long term I don't think they compare.

I also don't think we Ljajic for cheap or for a good price at all. In fact, quite the opposite. He was refusing to sign a new deal at Fiorentina and basically had them by the balls. He was becoming quite close to being frozen out by Montella. Milan and Galliani – cheapskates that they are, and I've criticised them enough for it – knew what they were doing by offering a very small amount (about €8-9m?). Its common enough to offer way below a players market value when his contract is expiring (look at Christian Eriksen). And Ljajic would be available for free come January. Galliani knew this. Then along comes Sabatini with a nice €15m offer, not to mention that release clause. I know we needed an immediate replacement for Lamela in order to push that sale through, but it was not the great transfer deal which everyone seems to think it was.

[AS Collie]

[DCGweez]

footballitalia: Roma XI to play Parma: De Sanctis; Maicon, Benatia, Castan, Balzaretti; Pjanic, De Rossi, Strootman; Florenzi, Totti, Ljajić

[RomaShield27]

ROMA (4-3-3): De Sanctis; Maicon, Benatia, Castan, Balzaretti; Pjanic, De Rossi, Strootman; Florenzi, Totti, Ljajić

Subs: Skorupski, Torosidis, Burdisso, Jedvaj, Romagnoli, Dodò, Taddei, Ricci, Marquinho, Gervinho, Borriello, Caprari.

-----------



http://www.whoscored.com/Matches/758014 ... Parma-Roma

I just noticed that says 'Rossi' is playing in midfield. Must be some new primavera kid.

[AS Collie]

This team kinda picks itself. I like that.

[RomaShield27]

No, the manager picks it, actually. Thats what he's paid for.

[forzaitalia]