THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[maro]

Davit, the standard English turn of phrase escapes me, but the sentence is essentially saying he wouldn't want to prejudge the case and the possibility of sanctions. He doesn't want to speculate, if you like, or pre-empt any decisions.

[maro]

My other takes on Wednesday would be that the defensive shape of the side, without DDR and Strootman, is still very wobbly - despite (or because of) the magnificent attacking play and the wonderful result. Keita is a very elegant footballer, better on the ball than DDR, I'd venture, and probably still more mobile (when he stretches out he eats up the yards), but he doesn't have the instinct to be in exactly the right place in front of the back four. That meant that so often we had no protection in front of the back four, who then had attackers with a direct run at them - a recipe for ruin. CSKA could easily have scored three or four in that game (and even that wouldn't have been enough).

The other take would be that we seem to be getting many more midfield runners getting beyond the front three - Niggernoolan and Pjanic were the furthest forward on numerable occasions in a way we didn't see last year. That meant lots of keep ball but also a new incisiveness and a new vulnerability at the back.

On De Sanctis, Davit's right, of course, that he is a bit of a walking calamity-in-the-making, but 1-vs-1 he's miles better than any keeper we've had this millenium.
Niggernoolan is so much better than Bradley because of the responsibility he takes when we're going forward.
This squad is pretty damn well put together - no DDR, no Strootman, no Castan and instead of Taddei and Romagnoli or Toloi filling in we have players of a quite different ilk.
And the deals for Astori and Iturbe, in their different ways, continue to strike me as the two most remarkable we've seen since the arrival of Cassano, let's say. Nonda and Kuffour aside.
Oh, and I wasn't surprised to see that Pjanic covered the most ground of any of our players. For a silky, gifted attacking player he sure can put in a shift. If Pjanic and Manolas have excellent seasons, this team will do okay.
Oh, and Maicon makes Rosi and Motta look defensively solid.

[FedaynULTRA83]

[DCGweez]

For all Maicon's frailties this team looks completely different without him on the pitch. Behind Gervs (this may change with Iturbe) and Totti i'm not sure Maicon isn't the third most irreplaceable player in the squad.

[maro]

DCG, yes, I quite agree - that was, in fact, the other half, really, of my earlier comment on Maicon (as some kind of dialectic). It is what Maicon offers going forward that shows so starkly what Cole can't and never could (and what Dodo, in fact, did). I have been bemused by the Italian pundits who seem to think that Cole's weaknesses for us will be defensive.

fU, with most of that, I entirely agree and was trying to say the same thing in my own way. The Pjanic comparison remains to be seen - Pjanic has the potential to be even more important, but we'll see if he delivers on that potential.

[DCGweez]

Seems that Astori and Iturbe are both out for weeks. If Castan can't make it back from Injury seems we'll face Zeman and City with Mbaye-booga booga or whomever he is and Manolas.

The thought of Florenzi in for Iturbe doesn't bother me one bit given his work rate and desire. I think he's been good this season so far. He's certainly less danger but seems to find the spots to run into. I see a little Simeone in him which is a good thing.

Speaking of little things in people did anyone figure out which Maicon rumor was true?

[maro]

lacist.

[p_maldini_3]

That's like the teapot calling the kettle a nigga.

[DCGweez]

Oh, that wasn't me being racist. I just don't remember the guys name.

I like all black people, i think every white guy should own at least one.


Now that is racist.

[DCGweez]

Just kidding of course, i abhor racism. Only "black joke" i like to tell is, "What do you call a black guy who flies a plane?"


"A pilot you fucking racist."

[Italiamia]

This Lotito thing has really got legs. This is going to be the running joke for a while

[Italiamia]

Sophia is 80.

[Lupa]

Roma: De Sanctis; Maicon, Yanga-Mbiwa, Manolas, Cole; Nainggolan, De Rossi, Keita; Florenzi, Destro, Gervinho

[RomaShield27]

Just seen the game. A solid if uninspiring win, we were hanging on a bit too much at the end, but it'll do. What did Destro do when he was subbed off? He seemed to throw his bib? What happened there? And who was captain when DDR went off, we had none?

http://asroma.co.uk/news/interviews/ite ... -situation

[Italiamia]

I have a new follower on Twitter: Incontri Roma.

@escortroma69: #incontri #escort #sesso #roma http://t.co/00jdZTqKK4 Anche per i più timidi, indecisi o prima esperienza sarà facile arrivare @escortroma69

I would say that the description is applicable to some of you boys around here.

[maro]

Menez: 'Al PSG giochi se sei straniero e se ti fai bello sui social network'


23 settembre alle 14:15

E' un Jeremy Menez al vetriolo quello che ha attaccato il Paris Saint Germain a 360° nel corso di un'intervista a France Football. Il neo attaccante del Milan ha parlato di concorrenza sleale e di scelte dettate da fattori poco tecnici da parte di Laurent Blanc, oltre a confermare la frattura in vari gruppi all'interno dello spogliatoio: “La concorrenza non mi fa paura, ma deve essere sana. Invece oggi è meglio essere stranieri per giocare nel Psg. E soprattutto curare la comunicazione. Lucas è lì da due anni, ha segnato meno di me, ma è costato più caro ed è brasiliano. Io invece sono francese e parigino, non ho né un account Twitter né Instagram per postare belle foto o messaggi. Non faccio il bello sui social network. Questo però non significava che non amassi il Psg, semplicemente non fingo. Mentre ormai molti giocatori agiscono diversamente. Anche al Milan c'è molta concorrenza con Torres, El Shaarawy, Pazzini, Honda, Niang, ma qui il posto si guadagna lavorando duro”.

Sulla posizione in campo nella quale rende meglio: “Ancelotti capì tutto e mi diede molta libertà. Con lui giocavo sui lati solo quando non c’erano alternative. Il mio vero ruolo è da punta centrale o dietro l’attaccante. E’ in quella posizione che mi sento e mi esprimo meglio. E anche se non sembra, a me piace correre. Inzaghi? E’ stato un grande attaccante e mi ha fatto capire che mi voleva davvero, come tutti al club. Ibrahimovic e Thiago Silva mi avevano parlato sempre bene del Milan e adesso li capisco”.

Quite a lot in there that a few of us will nod at approvingly.

[Italiamia]

http://www.football-italia.net/56422/ff ... -and-inter

[RomaShield27]

[Italiamia]

[RomaShield27]

This is a good piece from Gab Marcotti explaining the latest on FFP:

http://t.co/7ZCuJZMqc6

http://www.espnfc.com/uefa-champions-le ... and-others