THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[p_maldini_3]

am i the only one not too surprised by roma's form?

i've always said that you guys have one of the best teams on paper, you were just lacking a decent coach. a coach that not only has his footballing strategies right, but can also motivate the players in the right way.

[DavidP]

yeah, looking at last year's squad it was pretty clear that a good coach would get us results - but so well, so quickly, and after so much negativity? this is more than just the effect of a 'good coach'. 5 shots fired at the san siro, 3 goals. compare that to the numbers of last year. frankly rudi has changed more in the last 4 months than i thought was possible. this isn't the roma i know.

[DCGweez]

[Lupa]

I know that Roma's schedule was a soft start, but those are exactly the type of games where Roma usually drop points. I just don't recognize this Roma. It will indeed be interesting to see how they handle adversity.

[RomaShield27]

/ Martedì 08 Ottobre 2013 / 08:48 / VALERIA META

Dai proverbi francesi di Garcia alle telefonate tattiche con Bompard, passando per l’erba di Trigoria, i tweet di Leonardi e le urla di De Sanctis: il "sette su sette" dalla A alla Zanzi.

APPETITO Vien mangiando, dice Garcia. Ha ragione. Questa Roma mette proprio l’acquolina in bocca.

BIABIANY Non Palacio, non Milito, nemmeno Gabbiadini, Diamanti e Toni. L’unico a poter dire di essere riuscito a fare gol alla Roma è il laterale del Parma, per il quale Sabatini aveva anche provato un sondaggio in estate. Dopo sette giornate, la miglior difesa del campionato resta quella giallorossa, che non prende gol da 411 minuti. L’ultima volta che la Roma era riuscita a non predere gol per quattro partite di seguito è stato con Spalletti, nella stagione 2008/09, fra la dodicesima e la quindicesima giornata.

CHIESA Quella riportata al centro del villaggio, come da proverbio francese diventato ormai una metafora cara ai romanisti.
DERBY Come uscire a riveder le stelle. Come ricominciare a respirare. Come Federico Balzaretti.

ERBA Quando Garcia fece chiamare i giardinieri per far tagliare il prato di Trigoria alla stessa altezza di quella dell’Olimpico, più di qualcuno sorrise e disse che certe cose solo Mourinho. Come cambiare la disposizione della sala stampa per farci entrare il doppio delle persone e proibire le bevande gassate (acqua inclusa) nel ritiro di Riscone. Chissà se ridono ancora.

FRED, PRONTO? Un allenatore che parla al telefono in panchina in Italia non s’era mai visto. In Francia sì, e infatti Garcia era caduto dalle nuvole quando dopo la partita con il Livorno gli avevano fatto presente che la sua telefonata con il vice Bompard poteva costargli una squalifica. Se l’è cavata con un ammenda e ha ripiegato sul walkie-talkie. «È solo perché dall’alto si vede meglio la tattica - ha spiegato il tecnico -. Ma quando ci confrontiamo nell’intervallo, la maggior parte delle volte ci troviamo d’accordo».

GERVINHO Ricapitolando: l’Arsenal non vedeva l’ora di liberarsi di lui, Wenger non lo rimpiange, corre ma non segna, non può sostituire Lamela, non può sostituire Osvaldo. In realtà: l’Arsenal ha accettato una minusvalenza pur di non cederlo in prestito, Wenger ha fatto la figura del rosicone, Lamela nelle sue prime sette partite con la Roma ha segnato un gol (e a proposito, aspetta ancora di giocare una partita da titolare in Premier), Osvaldo al momento è più facile trovarlo su Twitter che nei tabellini. Su una cosa avevano ragione: corre, Gervinho. Ogni mattina in Africa una gazzella si sveglia e pensa che magari corresse come lui.

HOTEL Questa Roma non è un albergo. Forse qualcuno sta cominciando a capirlo.

INTERNAZIONALE "VII en chiffres romains", titolava domenica l’Equipe. I numeri e soprattutto il gioco della Roma hanno fatto stropicciare gli occhi a tutto il meglio della stampa europea che, dagli spagnoli Marca e El mundo deportivo fino al britannico Guardian, in questi giorni ha celebrato la squadra di Garcia. «Se devo essere sincero, tutto questo clamore mi sembra un po’ troppo» ha detto il tecnico. In fondo non è successo niente, no?

LEONARDI Non contento delle proteste nel dopo partita, il giorno dopo Parma-Roma il ds gialloblù pubblicava su Twitter una foto dell’istante successivo al passaggio per Totti a dimostrazione della presunta posizione di fuorigioco del Capitano. È proprio vero che i laziali sono ossessionati da noi...

MAZZARRI Il futuro che non è mai stato presente si è dovuto inchinare al presente che non è mai stato previsto. La sua Inter ha giocato fino alla fine, ha pressato, colpito un palo e fatto vedere belle cose dal centrocampo in su. Ma la Roma è stata ancora meglio, e gli episodi non c’entrano.

NON È SUCCESSO NIENTE «Abbiamo vinto solo sette partite» (cit. virtuale Rudi Garcia, nel senso che non l’ha detto ma farà di tutto per convincerne la squadra).

OSVALDO Chi?
PAURA Il vangelo secondo Rudi comincia da qui: «Io non ho paura di perdere». Argomentazione: «Io non penso mai che possa andare male, così i giocatori vanno alla battaglia con lo spirito giusto». Riguardatevi Roma-Inter e chiedetevi se mai, anche solo per un minuto, avete avuto paura.

QUARANTAQUATTRO Il minuto dell’azione del gol di Florenzi contro l’Inter. Conviene guardarla bene, perché la Roma sta tutta lì: Totti gestisce in palleggio elegantissimo poco fuori dall’area giallorossa, vede Strootman alla sua destra e lo serve sulla corsa. L’olandese parte per 50 metri di volata solitaria. Nel frattempo dalla parte opposta del campo scatta Castan: si fa 70 metri sapendo che il pallone non gli arriverà mai, ma costringe un avversario a corrergli dietro. Risultato: l’Inter fa il ripiegamento con un uomo in meno, Strootman finisce la sua corsa lasciando a Florenzi, diagonale di collo pieno sul palo lontano e il resto sono abbracci. Totti al limite della sua area. Il vuoto a rendere della corsa di Castan. Ecco la Roma.

REGISTI Chi in estate diceva che con l’arrivo di Strootman la Roma avrebbe avuto il centrocampo più forte d’Italia andava incontro alla derisione generale. Chi adesso non lo dice viene guardato con sospetto. Il centrocampo di Garcia si regge su tre registi da Oscar: De Rossi playmaker a mettere ordine davanti alla difesa, Strootman intermedio a sinistra con licenza di inserimento e fiato a volontà, Pjanic a destra a battere il tempo. Non potrebbero essere meglio assortiti e infatti non sono andati in difficoltà nemmeno contro la foltissima mediana di Mazzarri. Se la difesa è un bunker, il merito è anche loro.

SUD Quella dell’Olimpico e quella trasferita a Parma, Genova e Milano. La scenografia del derby vale un premio alla Biennale di Venezia.«Questa è la Roma di tutti» ha detto De Rossi. Questa è la Roma della Curva Sud.

TRECENTO Non c’entrano Sapri e Sparta, anche se probabilmente Garcia avrebbe in simpatia Pisacane e Leonida. Con la doppietta di San Siro, 300 sono i gol che Francesco Totti ha segnato complessivamente in carriera. Un bel modo per festeggiare l’onomastico con un giorno di ritardo e per ribadire, qualora ce ne fosse bisogno, che lui non vuole giocare fino a quarant’anni per fare la figurina. «Tutto è possibile», ha detto lasciando Milano. Con un Capitano così, sicuramente.

URLA De Sanctis si sgola in allenamento, in partita prima o poi devierà un pallone a colpi di decibel. Il pirata Morgan è uno che si fa sentire, in area piccolo come nello spogliatoio ed è anche per questo che è stato scelto. Insieme a Maicon ha portato a Trigoria esperienza e anche quell’autorevolezza che aveva fatto difetto alle squadre di Zeman e Luis Enrique.

VENDITORE DI TAPPETI Alias Mehdi Benatia, come da battesimo di Francesco Totti. Anche qui c’è da ricapitolare qualcosa: Marquinhos era il più forte del mondo, lui non è all’altezza, ha giocato sempre nella difesa a tre, lui e Castan sono troppo lenti per giocare insieme. Bilancio provvisorio: Marcos al Psg sta andando bene quanto Mehdi a Roma, lui e Castan sono la coppia più forte d’Italia e dove non arrivano loro arriva De Rossi. Quanto alla storia della velocità, si consiglia ripasso dell’azione dell’1-0 alla Samp. Roba da supereroi.

ZANZI Roma-Bologna non è stata solo una lezione di annichilimento, ma anche un esempio di come è possibile vincere il proprio nome. Infatti Zanzi (Italo, CEO giallorosso) ha battuto Zanzi (Roberto, dg rossoblù). Per tutto il resto, vedi G.

[DavidP]

for shehan:

[p_maldini_3]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blo ... sso-jersey

i love how red's been saying for the past 3-4 matchdays that teams will start playing tighter against roma/gervinho. not saying he's wrong, but i'm still waiting for it, and i don't mind it one bit.

[RomaShield27]

Nice piece on Gervinho. I was waiting for the butt of the joke line, the inevitable "perhaps he's doing well because Serie A is a weaker league", but it didn't come.

I'll be the first to admit that I was wrong about Gervinho and he has exceeded all expectations (which wouldn't have been hard) and made an exceptional start to his Roma career. I didn't like or want him, and the only thing which didn't turn me completely against the move was the fact that Rudi Garcia had history with him. He was pretty terrible last season with Arsewipe, and he really was a laughing stock and a cringe sort of player which everyone joked about, even Arsewiper fans, yet I remember a friend of mine said he really does have some good quality and he just needs a chance to shine. A change of scenery and a bit of faith can work wonders for any player. How long it can last is another thing, but Garcia knows how to manage him well, which is another bonus for him.

So, Totti at the World Cup? I've been largely ignoring all the talk about it up to now, but I suppose with the international break and the positive sense and feeling around the Azzurri at the moment, the issue of a Totti return is raising its head a lot. While everyone is getting excited about it, and with the spectacular form he is in at present, I have to say I would still be against Il Capitano coming out of retirement for it. While there obviously would be some excitement at seeing him take to the world stage once again and perform his magic and prove his doubters wrong again (make no mistake, there are still doubters), there's still a part of me that thinks no. Hard to really say why, but I guess its the obvious stuff: those 37-year-old legs; the chance of a serious injury the more he plays; the chance that he may not be in as good as form the time Rio roles around; not resting the body over the summer months; the effect it could have on the following season. Plus, there is still the lingering feeling, as hard as it may seem and as difficult as it is to express, that may not be a guaranteed success, football legend and mastermind that he is. The pace of the modern game, the tough tackling nature of international sides defenses, the win at all costs approach at a WC, plus the more obvious stuff of the Azzurri not being his Azzzurri, much like how Roma is his Roma, how its built around him. I don't know, it is a tough one, but I think it be best for him not to go.

[red]

[DCGweez]

"This season's start? I'm always an optimistic guy but in truth, I did not expect this. So far Roma has been fantastic." - Ljajic
"Scudetto? I said it when I arrived, the only team stronger than us is Juventus."
"Napoli? They are title contenders & have great players but if we play as we did in the first seven games we'll surely beat them"
"In Florence I started a lot of games in the centre of the attack but it is not my preference. I prefer to play on the left."
"Am I Lamela's replacement? Let's stop the comparisons. We are different. You haven't seen what I can really do."
"Kaka and Sasha Ilic are my idols."
"Fiorentina did not want me anymore but he (Montella) asked me to stay. He was the first coach to understand me."
"Garcia and Montella are similar. Garcia is a great coach...he makes every one of us feel important."
"Rome? I like the city even though I don't know it too well. I'm living with my brother. Soon the whole family will arrive."
"I've been most impressed with Jedvaj so far. When I see the things he can do, it reminds me of myself...I will help him."
"Pjanic, Jedvaj and I all speak the same language so we're close. Politcs? I don't care."
"Regrets about not joining Milan? I'm happy with my choice. Just look at the league table."
"Playstation or Nutella? Without these two I would find it hard to live."
"The release clause? It was discussed with my agent and Roma. If it were up to me, I could stay here for 10 years."

[RomaShield27]

International Round-Up: Kevin Strootman Scores In Netherlands Rout
/ Saturday, 12 October 2013 09:43 / Anthony Wright

Kevin Strootman shone in Netherlands' 8-1 demolition of Hungary in their World Cup qualifier, scoring one and claiming an assist for Jeremain Lens, as the first set of senior international matches was played out on Friday.

Daniele De Rossi had to return from the Italy squad due to an Achilles problem, but Federico Balzaretti took part in the Azzurri's 2-2 draw in Denmark as Alessandro Florenzi watched on from the substitutes' bench.

Miralem Pjanic set up Edin Dzeko as Bosnia-Herzegovina beat Liechtenstein to keep their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup alive, while Vasilis Torosidis and Bogdan Lobont both completed the 90 minutes for Greece and Romania's respective wins.

In Africa, Gervinho's Cote d'Ivoire face Senegal in the first leg of their playoff on Saturday, and Mehdi Benatia took part in Morocco's 1-1 friendly draw with South Africa on Friday.

Miralem Pjanic (Bosnia-Herzegovina)
11/10/13 (WCQ, Zenica): Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 Liechtenstein. Pjanic set up Bosnia-Herzegovina's fourth goal before being substituted just after an hour.

15/10/13 (WCQ, Kaunas): Lithuania-Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Gervinho (Cote d'Ivoire)
12/10/13 (WCQ, Abidjan): Cote d'Ivoire-Senegal.

Vasilis Torosidis (Greece)

11/10/13 (WCQ, Piraeus): Greece 1-0 Slovakia. Torosidis saw out the 90 minutes as Greece kept pace with Bosnia-Herzegovina in Group G.

15/10/13 (WCQ, Piraeus): Greece-Liechtenstein.

Federico Balzaretti, Alessandro Florenzi (Italy)

11/10/13 (WCQ, Copenhagen): Denmark 2-2 Italy. Balzaretti played the whole game while Florenzi was an unused substitute.

15/10/13 (WCQ, Naples): Italy-Armenia.

Mehdi Benatia (Morocco)

11/10/13 (Friendly, Agadir): Morocco 1-1 South Africa. Benatia played 75 minutes of Morocco's friendly before being replaced by Mohamed Bemammer.

Kevin Strootman (Netherlands)

11/10/13 (WCQ, Amsterdam): Netherlands 8-1 Hungary. Strootman scored the Oranje's second and set up the third in their rout of Hungary.

15/10/13 (WCQ, Istanbul): Turkey-Netherlands.

Bogdan Lobont (Romania)

11/10/13 (WCQ, Andorra la Vella): Andorra 0-4 Romania. Lobont kept a clean sheet in Romania's 4-0 win over Andorra.

15/10/13 (WCQ, Bucharest): Romania-Estonia.

[RomaShield27]

International breaks are really boring. But they're made all that much worse when the club releases official videos like this. Look at DDR's face at 15'. Get me out of here.

[romawi]

Those are for Halloween, no?

[DCGweez]

Gervinho won a 5th minute penalty, scored in the 14th minute, and assisted on Salomon Kalou’s 50th minutes goal for the Ivory Coast

[DavidP]

[Lupa]

I think I'm on the same page as Shield on this one. I love the fact that Totti is getting appreciation and credit that he deserves, but let's wait a few months. His legs are fresh, and the season is long, although the fact that Roma only plays in Serie A plays in his favour in terms of wear and tear. If he's in scintillating form in April, then, sure they should take him because why wouldn't you take one of the best Italian players ever? For sure I don't see him playing full games, though. I think Rudi is working out how to use him gracefully, (starting, but not full games) and we should all be thankful for that.

Mainly, I'd love to see Totti win something with Roma and if it means conserving his energy for that, then so be it.

[RomaShield27]

/ Monday, 14 October 2013 // 1:25 Pm

AS ROMA NEWS – Giallorossi sporting director Walter Sabatini talked to Radio Anch’io Lo Sport.

Does playing on Friday bother you?
“Very much to tell the truth, because both we and Napoli are very busy with international players around the world, all of them will report back at the last and it is not something that helps us. It ‘s a fact, it has happened and let’s move on.”

Surprised by this start to the season?
“Of course when you do things, you build something, you do it always thinking about the best. Here there is evidently some exaggeration because no one might have expected a 7 -game winning streak, but above all nobody expected the way in which AS Roma won the games. So we are very satisfied but not fulfilled at all.”

Can AS Roma play on equal terms with Napoli and Juventus?
“They are doing it, they will. We had a very precise need, which was to raise the morale of our supporters because we came from a kind of psychodrama, a collective drama tied to another game played in the month of May. Now we are happy to have re-established harmony within the city and our fans. We are very happy and proud of this.”

Is Garcia your revenge?
“I do not consider him a revenge but a plus for the team, a choice that was made for a reason. I’ve known him for a long time because by choice I watched Le Mans a few years ago as Palermo where I worked signed a player from that team – not me, but Rino Foschi – and then I followed him in the work he had done there. So I saw this coach work and set the games, I have always followed him at Lille. Today I have to say it has been a very lucky choice.”

Didn’t you expect this quality?
“No, I was expecting it, of course, I hoped for it more than anything else. But football is no luck, you follow a player and you think he is right and then he’s not , maybe not getting along with the environment, no affinity with people. Rudi Garcia is beautifully placed in this environment, as if he had always worked here, he brought his ideas and values​​, a way of being and working that we are very very satisfied with.”

The youth teams?
“AS Roma have always worked very well relying on the population density of the city, the youth sector does and has always done so with Bruno Conti, great quality and many merits. We pay close attention to this aspect, we have very strong players: Romagnoli is now Under 19 an Capradossi is Under 17. They are very, very strong and we expect them. Romagnoli has already played and scored for the first team, Capradossi will do it soon.”

Were you only interested in Garcia or also in his staff?
“I must say that I have appreciated the staff later, I appreciate now to see them work, they are all very active and competent guys. The diamond, however, was and is Rudi Garcia. Why not an Italian? We have taken several paths, Italian and a little more exotic ones. But he struck us because he is a man who knows how to transmit ideas and I must say he was very consistent for how he has presented and for what he is offering to AS Roma.”

Is a three-year contract extension ready for him?
“We do not have this deadline , he has a two-year contract. Then the contracts in football have also a quite relative value. He has two years to work with us, then we will face later on, maybe in spring. But now we do not have any kind of need.”Totti?
“Francesco is enjoying a loud and beautiful state of the soul, he is okay with this coach and very well with his team-mates, so this has led him to have some sort of incredible muscle toning. Today, and I always say it, the strength and the responsiveness the expresses in matches and in trainings I do not think he had it two or three years ago. Truly ‘victim’ of a new youth, sentenced to play football for a long time. He has a contract as a manager after his 40 years, but if he continues like that he will be able to take some penalty kick in three years.”

The criticism after this summer’s transfers?
“We had to make choices in partial contrast, not in total contrast but in partial, to give a little more strength and charisma to the team. We came from a defeat from which we would never get over, so we made those choices in the direction of even Maicon and De Sanctis to give this psychological structure that perhaps was lacking. But then we went ahead with our choices, we got young players: Strootman born in 1990, Ljajic in 1991, Jedvaj in 1995. There was not a total contradiction in what we did , but surely a kind of mediation.”

Did you have the impression Garcia was familiar with Italian football?
“I did not take this aspect of a thorough knowledge of Italian football, but of football in general, his relationship with football is very – how can I say – light. Then I must say that he is a man who came to me in the first days of June in Milan with a translator. He has come back to Rome ten days later speaking already a bit of Italian, this is an act of humility and respect offered to all the people of Rome. Just as he immediately wanted to speak Italian, he immediately fell in Italian football, he studies 7-8 hours a day and today he is spoken of as a coach who has worked for 15 years in the Serie A. Perfect.”

Was the defeat in the derby really a disgrace?
“It was lived so, it was not so. AS Roma came to the derby in a favorable trend, however, had gained 62 points and the path that we had designed looked as though somehow realizing. That was a fatal defeat in the collective imagination and in what were the hopes of the fans.”

Concerned about the behavior of AS Roma and Napoli supporters?
“I’m not worried because I am sure that Napoli fans are enjoying what Napoli are doing. Napoli have marked a lightning shift after releasing Mazzarri, Cavani, Campagnaro. They made immediate and very profitable choices with an international feel. I believe that Napoli fans feel this thing that De Laurentiis and Bigon have managed to do, working and living together in joy and in any case sportingly. This also applies to the AS Roma. We can not serve again repeated blackmails going on for 25 years. Truly a reprehensible thing.”

[RomaShield27]

http://theclassical.org/articles/the-lo ... d-prufrock

[p_maldini_3]

[RomaShield27]

/ Thursday, 17 October 2013 // 1:05 Pm | @buccinomarco

AS ROMA PRESS CONFERENCE - On the eve of AS Roma vs Napoli match after the international break, coach Rudi Garcia holds a press conference in Trigoria’s press room at 12:30 PM.



What has Benitez meant to you?
“He is a great coach, he is an example, and has won so many trophies, for me he is an example, he is a good coach, an intelligent one, it is a pleasure to speak with him a bit before the game and a bit more later.”

Dodo or Torosidis on the left?
“You know how it works, I will choose tomorrow, I have the choice on the left, on the right, Torosidis has done well, I have the possibility of lowering Marquinho or to make Romagnoli play, all players who has come in have done well, nothing changes, the level of the team is the same, no matter who plays.”

Can compliments be a danger?
“I hope they can be topical after the game, the problem is that in these two weeks, without the squad in its entirety, you can not work on the game, we did it today, however, it is an interesting time to work on some players, but it’s better to have the whole squad. “There is a small problem with Kevin who has a pain in the heel and even Gervinho, we still have tomorrow to choose, Adem has done a very good week and he can make the difference, it is better to have to make a difficult choice than to have no choice.”

The match against Napoli?
“Certainly a great game, but it is only the eighth matchday, there are not more than three points in this game, I do not forget that Napoli have been built to win the title, it is a team built to play the Champions League, it means that they have two teams on the same level, but we will try to beat them, it will be nice if it happens.”

Could you also accept a draw?
“We always play to win, home or away, no matter the opponent, we must always play to win, then it depends on the game, if there is an opportunity to win we must do it, otherwise we shall see.“It would be important to extend the streak, it helps players to move forward, it is a practical thing. We do not need to think about the standings, just think about playing well and give our best. I hope it will be a spectacular game and I hope that at the end our fans will happy.”

Being a foreigner was an advantage for you?
“I do not know, here in Italy there are a lot of high-level coaches, Juve had 6 wins and a draw like Napoli, Inter have made ​​a good start to the season, I do not know if anything changes, we will see at the end of the season. Today is not Benitez against Garcia, but AS Roma vs Napoli.”

No team lost the championship after eight wins in a row…
“It is a good question, it is easy to give an answer, just see the Liga, where Atletico Madrid has won eight games in a row, but Barcelona and Real Madrid are favourites, here there are Juventus and Napoli. It can be a goal to make the final sprint with the favourites for the championship.”Could the results of the national teams have given enthusiasm?
“There can be a load of extra enthusiasm, I see it on the field and in the locker room. For Miralem and Florenzi something important has happened and it’s fantastic, it can definitely help to be more motivated.”

Do you fear the risk of having to deal with a negative situation after the game?
“No, I do not think about it, I hope that the best team will win, I hope that we will be the best team in this match only. “Playing at home I hope it will be an advantage: there are so many great players on the field, surely a great game can come out, it’s hard to say it before, it can be a boring 0-0, but I do not think that this will happen, it will be a good game.”

Dodo?
“He has had a very, very important injury, but now the important thing for him is that since the beginning of the season he has been able to train normally: I see him work on the physical level, we worked on different levels, defensive and offensive, and he has talent, he will be a modern full-back, has a great talent. “This injury to a young man like him can give a little more maturity, he is quieter and more secure in his mind, he is a good player who I like as a boy, I like his way of being.”

How to play this game?
“With everything, with the head, with the desire. I have seen this morning that the players have trained with great enthusiasm, this break may be negative because it can make us forget the match against Inter: I did as if we had played the game yesterday, we are ready for tomorrow.”

May AS Roma change attitude during the game?
“I’m not worried, we have shown that we can do several things, normally we have a game of possession, against Inter we saw that we can go fast to attack, we work well on the defensive side, Napoli have a lot of talent on offense, a good balance and a good goalkeeper that plays well with his feet, for example, it will be nice to see how they will behave, we’ll see. “For me there is always a moment in a game where there is a chance to win, we have to take it, we have to be very focused to win this game, it will be important not just the head, but also the pace and the enthusiasm.”

Who does the change of date favour?
“It does not change anything to play on Friday, it is the same, not playing or playing in Naples would have definitely been worse, we have players who have played for the national teams like them, they have a very important game on Tuesday against Marseille, they can not make mistakes in the Champions League’s next game, however, that’s the next, I have no doubt that they will play this game at their best, like us.”

Who do you fear the most in Napoli?
“The whole team, if Higuain doesn’t play there’s Pandev, very strong, the same with Insigne or Mertens, they have a squad to play every three days, some players may change without lowering the level, they are favoured. I think about my team, if we play our game we have more chances to win.”

Is there anything where you can improve?
“No, the perfect team does not exist, it is a car that runs fast for the moment, but we must not forget to put gas in, but for the moment all the lights are green, we must do our best to keep things this way.”Napoli stronger despite losing Cavani?
“It’s a complete team , they are strong and fast attacking on counterattacks, but they can also keep the ball, it is a team that knows how to do everything, it is still better to play against a team like Napoli, we know that if we win we win against a wonderful team.”

You or the players, who has affected the most?
“It’s easy, it is the work of everyone: I have already said that the important thing was to work first on the game and on the field, make clear to players what I expect from them, how we work, let them know the identity of the game. “During the training camp and the preparation I saw important things, I knew that the road was right, it always works like that for me. Trust is the key, a player who has talent, but has not trust does not play well: for example, De Rossi, that is not normal to play well with the national team and not with his club. “The new players have not experienced the last season, things have changed slowly, early in the season there were small positive signs of progress which have arrived.”

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Asroma.co.uk PREVIEW: http://asroma.co.uk/news/match-previews ... oma-napoli

Lega Serie A Roma v Napoli pre-match media pack PDF: http://cdn.legaseriea.it/c/document_lib ... upId=10192

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BENATIA
BRADLEY
BORRIELLO
BURDISSO
CAPRARI
CASTAN
DE ROSSI
DE SANCTIS
DODÒ
FLORENZI
GERVINHO
LJAJIC
LOBONT
MAICON
MARQUINHO
PJANIC
RICCI
ROMAGNOLI
SKORUPSKI
STROOTMAN
TADDEI
TOROSIDIS
TOTTI

(asroma.it)