THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi I

[Zoff82]

[pocari_fenrir]

[pocari_fenrir]

[Totti_10]

[maro]

[maro]

[maro]

[Carlo Romano]

maro, today I'm on limited time so I can't as I'd like to, respond to your entire post.

I've debated the point with a number of people that Matteo Brighi is not Roma standard. Not a starter, nor even a sub as far as I'm concerned yet we extended his contract. You and I for the most part are of like mind on him, also that Vučinić deserves a hell of a lot more credit than he gets because he proved more than once last season he is a gifted ball player and has much more to offer as Mancini's replacement than if used as a centroavanti.

I once debated the point of the Vooch not being worth Lecce's asking price with a certain loud mouthed self opinionated member of your old XFF group started a poll just before Christmas inviting us all to all but condemn Vuci to the gallows. Il Mister moved him out to the left and it worked. After the first CL match with Madrid I edited the poll by adding the option Should Vučinić be kept as a wide forward and all of a sudden the result was reversed...you too, clearly agree with my assessment of his talent.

I'm concerned for our right flank. Esposito is no real cover for Taddei which is why I'd have loved Iaquinta as a right sided forward but not at the expense of losing Aquilani who if today's reports are true will sign his extension within a week. As for Cissé all I can say is that he is very typical of our Roma's bargain basement shopping and Silva won't come to us...sadly!

[maro]

Carlo, who was this certain XFF member? Surely not one of our loyal little band. I mean, the fact that he was still at XFF at Christmas would be enough of a sign, but then you mention that he's also opinionated? Clearly not one of us then.

[romawi]

Hey I was against us getting Vucinic in the beginning. It was around the time we were linked with Suazo too. I'm extremely happy to say now that I was completely wrong. The guy is amazing.

[marco]

[maro]

[vtec]

[marco]

i agree completely. this transfer season has been the most frustrating in recent memory. i really dont understand how we can come off one of the best (in terms of financially efficiency, quickness in resolution and appropriate selections) to one of the most rediculous. i'm not exactly sure how difficult a transfer campaign can be since i'm not privy to the various challenges they face, financial or otherwise, but from the outside our management really comes off as being absolutely incompitent, especially compared to their peers. even though it's hard to put blame (again from what i see/read as an outsider) on prade and co. for how things went down with mutu, i still do fault them for not assuming any proactive contingency plan. it just seems that they sit there spinning their wheels over one option and then continue to waste time and energy sulking over the situation when they fail to secure the player. not only is it a waste of time but it also makes them look desperate by dwelling on it rather than just cutting their losses and moving on...quickly. i look at juve recently when they were trying to land alonso. attempts were made and when the door was closed on them, they proceed to sign an alternate in poulsen within days. obviously there was a backup plan in place which appears to be a foreign concept to our management. i realise that will and grace (and conti) ultimately call the shots on the transfer targets but there has got to be a lacky or two within the management team that help do the legwork by doing some initial enquiring, scouting, etc. so that the management team can operate on more than one front simultaneously. at least you'd think there would be......

[maro]

[stefano]

[SPqR]

[maro]

Yes, I have to say, I agree strongly with Populusque. I've refrained from venturing among the grumbles about our lack of a back-up plan. No doubt the Avvocato knows more than he [can] let[s] on, but for me the proof of the pudding will be, if you will, in the eating. Of course you guys are right that it would be nice for any new players to have full pre-seasons with the squad - like Ronaldinho, cough cough - but so much of the preseason is, really, about fitness rather than about tactical nuance and subtle combinations. For me, if the club will have moved in appropriate and exciting ways by the time the end of August comes round, I will be happy enough with their 'contingency plans'. Clearly the Mutu deal has thrown them, but were this the other way round, I'm sure I'd be criticising our club for a lack of professionalism and so I feel inclined to do the same towards Fiorentina. No doubt some of the warm irons were allowed to cool in those two or three days when Prade et al suddenly thought it was all on for Mutu, but if they make the right moves now, I shall be happy enough. To be sure, having the resources and the power to make one's moves in June is clearly the ideal. I don't think we have that kind of luxury, though, so if waiting until August saves us pennies and allows us to make additions we wouldn't otherwise have been able to make, then I'm content to live with that.

I suppose my biggest grumble is actually with the media - I would do well, no doubt, to steer clear of romanews and ilromanista (which now seems to be working for me, for some reason). They feel obliged to pump up news when there really is none. I'd rather silence - and a sense that things were being quietly and effectively done in the background - to this constant noise of players linked and links denied.

[Carlo Romano]

maro, to answer your question, no, certainly not one of the good gentlemen of the existing Serie A group...at one point he was even un socio dentro crimine to the character who runs the forum in question and in his time he had a variety of user handles!

Not a particularly pleasant fellow unless things were going exactly his way with an over rated expertise on matters of il calcio...put simply, it's not Cannuman, Roma 08 or Carlo D we are talking about. You know who is left!

[maro]

His nick didn't rhyme with Capitan Zotti by any chance, did it?