THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi I

[vtec]

yeah, not a bad selection, though i would put buffon in for casillas (although it's hard to argue against a keeper who won the league and the euros in his last season), i'm unsold on clichy, and as much as i like diego capel, i don't think he is quite there yet, though i have no doubt that he will be in a short time. also, i think kaka deserves a spot up front there somewhere, maybe instead of benzema.

[stefano]

Messi needs to be in there too.

[vtec]

yeah, true. probably more so than kaka. definitely more so than ibra and benzema.

[red]

[marco]

[red]

[marco]

[red]

[marco]

[marco]

[stefano]

[Italiamia]

[stefano]

[Zoff82]

Oh man Romanisti in NY and nobody bothered to let me know?? Tsk tsk!

[giallo-rossi.ie]

GGGGGGGGOOOOOOOAAAALLLL!!! Panucci. My stream died when it was scored so I don't know how he scored, but he did.

Is it just me or has Panucci and De Rossi scored all of our goals this season?

[giallo-rossi.ie]

Menez is havin a stormer out there. Great play from the little Frenchman

[giallo-rossi.ie]

YYYYYEEEEEEAAAAAAAAASSSSSS!!!!!!! WWWOOOHHOOO!!! We are back!!

Sublime Totti-like pass by Aquilani out to the left to find Menez, who knocked it across the box to Vuc who finished first time.

Roma 2 - 0 Atalanta

[maro]

Bazza, I'm not sure I quite share your enthusiasm, though certainly I'll take the 2-0. Two critical deflections, two goals. Lots of work-rate and energy from the boys and some nice link-up play, almost invariably between Aquilani, Menez, and Vooch, but it's been mostly pressure without too much bite. We're playing what's really a kind of 4-3-3, which leaves Rodrigo looking like a bit of a fish out of water at times, but has simplified the game for Menez. At the same time it's making it hard for our fullbacks to get up and beyond the wide players (though Riise should probably get the assist on Vooch's goal) which is making our movement pretty predictable. Still, it's solid at the back and when you have enough pressure you can expect something to fall your way. dibdib, defensively that was probably the best half I've seen Cici play for us, though he did make two slight mistakes and we were lucky we weren't made to pay for them. Still, in the first 30 minutes he was defensively top-notch and showing a real hunger in defence which is just about the most important thing with him. Menez has been busy, and no doubt people will be raving about him a bit, but like Vooch he's not really created anything, in part because our movement's just a bit short. And, indeed, because I think he'll be an awful lot better when he has players like Totti and Pizarro pulling strings and creating space around him.

[giallo-rossi.ie]

He's off now Maro anyway, with Virga coming on instead. Haven't seen Virga in a good few years. I wonder if he has matured.

Compared to the way we played against CL Cluj (or whatever the fuck they're called), this is much more convincing. We are in a rut, and at least now look like coming out of it. Some posters were saying that they would settle for a draw in this game. When was the last time a draw at home to Atalanta would be taken as an encouraging result? All things considered, I think we are doing quite well out there.

[maro]

Yes, Bazza, I totally agree - it was a very solid performance and a very important three points. Indeed, it was one of the better performances defending a lead we've seen from this team. Of course it made the second half pretty turgid to watch, but defensively Atalanta never really looked like getting back into the match and it's not often we've been able to say that. Mexes was superb, of course, and not only for his own performance but also for the fact that he gave Panucci and Cicinho so much more confidence.

Anyway, I was really just quibbling with the "we're back" comment - I think there are some good signs and once we do get Totti and Juan and Pizza (to mix little things with great) back, then the efforts these boys have been putting in will yield some rewards, too. Without our injuries we'd be in a much better position with points on the board, but Menez would have seen many fewer minutes and I think he and Vooch and Aquilani have taken on plenty of responsibility in Totti's absence. It will be nice to see their movement and work-rate and technical quality on the ball with Totti alongside them pulling some of the strings. I should imagine that with Totti, too, will come the best of Cicinho and Riise - Riise was pretty ordinary today, but that's got a lot to do with the way Vooch and Menez over-load that left side and, also, are both very direct and so less good at allowing players from behind them a chance to get involved in the play. Anyway, without Pizza, Totti, and DDR, we were hardly going to see a dazzlingly elegant performance, so a hard-won and totally deserved three points is more than enough. Thank you boys. Another win mid-week and three more points next weekend and we'll be able to consider the ship at last properly restabilised. Not that I ask much.