THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi I

[edge_xeno]

The conclusion is as much as i admire Gourcuff, who could be our solution for the Totti-less Roma and i would love to see him in the Roma shirt, i would never sacrifice Mexes for him, and i think all of us share the same view.

[p_maldini_3]

as chris said earlier, i think that right now bordeaux have the best chance of keeping him. but at the same time, the biggest factor in this is the players will. gourcuff said earlier in the season that he will only return to milan under certain conditions, aka more playing time. thats fair enough. but right now, carlo has not made it clear whether or not gourcuff will be a major part of next seasons team. i think if carlo can slowly start coaxing gourcuff into becoming a major squad member, gourcuff will reject a permanent move to bordeaux and eventually return to milan.

but ofcourse, carlo has something against gourcuff, i have no idea why. but what galliani said today is a step in the right direction from our management to make gourcuff want to come back to milan.

[stefano]

perhaps it matters more if gourcuff is rijkaard's plans for next year than carlo's.

[p_maldini_3]

[stefano]

[stefano]

[stefano]

Aquilani has another muscle problem? Unbelievable.

[Jamoldo]

True Grasso, but the Bundesliga is a different animal when compared to Serie A. While Bayern always do quite well, to my scant knowledge (correct me if I am wrong) it's not like Serie A or EPL or even La Liga in which the top 3/4 is usually a foregone conclusion. A look at this season's table shows that a number of recently strong teams are outside of the top 3/4 and in mid table. This seems to shift quite a bit (ie. it seems more competitive than the afore mentioned leagues).

Podolski is 23 (one of the reasons I'm a major proponent of trying to snap him up) and I think if he can replicate something resembling his NT form in Cologne, and they manage to make some smart buys, we'll have a legitimate competitor in the Bundesliga.

[Pauly W. Nuts]

[Pauly W. Nuts]

[Pauly W. Nuts]

[Carlo Romano]

[RomaShield27]

Roma on the march under Luciano Spalletti
By William Gray, 7:57PM GMT 13 Jan 2009 – www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football



Roma coach Luciano Spalletti is feeling positive ahead of his team's clash at home to Sampdoria on Wednesday.

Roma will move up to eighth in Serie A if they win the match which was postponed in October due to a waterlogged pitch. Roma have finished second in each of the last three seasons but their title aspirations were over just 10 matches into this campaign after they won just two of those, losing six including their first five away games.

That left them hovering just above the relegation zone but they then embarked on a five-match winning run that propelled them back into Champions League contention.

Three points against their Genovese visitors will leave them just six points off fourth-placed Napoli in the final Champions League qualifying position. And following their pulsating 2-2 draw at home to AC Milan on Sunday night, Spalletti believes his team have left their early season troubles firmly behind them.

"That was a great match and we did what we needed to do. We could have won at the end, as could have Milan," he said. "I think the supporters appreciated the attitude of our players. We did take some risks and left too many spaces at the back. "But after a difficult period the team has proved they know how to play football while we've got some important players back from injury too."

Club captain Francesco Totti is not yet among those although he did start running again on Monday following a muscular problem picked up against Catania on Dec 21, the last league match before the three-week winter break in Italy. But in Totti's place Montenegro forward Mirko Vucinic has been intermittently brilliant and scored twice in the Milan game.

"Vucinic can play on his own up front but also just behind the striker," said Spalletti. "He's a player I like very much. He did very well for his second goal [against Milan], pulling away to the left and finding the right position."

Sampdoria, led by former Roma forward Antonio Cassano, have likewise had a difficult beginning to their campaign despite qualifying for the Uefa Cup last season. However, victory would put them back in European contention as it would move them to just one point behind Roma and pull them away from the bottom three. They currently sit 14th, five points above the drop zone and 12 points off the European qualification places.

Totti is planning to return from injury later this month and get a month of action in before facing Arsenal in the Champions League. "I hope to be on the field in Napoli on the 25th," Totti wrote in his newspaper column. "The new tests I underwent showed the result I was hoping for, and I'm starting my recovery programme."

It has been an injury-filled year for Totti. He began 2008 by tearing a leg muscle in March, then injured his right knee a month later, had surgery and missed the end of the season. In his first official game back – the Italian Super Cup on Aug 24 – he was forced out again with a bruise. He has appeared in only three Serie A matches this season.

Roma faces Arsenal on Feb 24 and March 11. Totti's stated goal for this season is to lead Roma to the Champions League final, which will be played in Rome.

[Italiamia]

If that quote from Spalletti to Mexes is accurate, then why would he remain at Roma. I surmise that the objective is to win something. I am sorry to disappoint you guys but I don't see us winning anything in the forseeable future. Unless the team is sold of course.

How about our winter market. Is it not great to have a person in charge like Medusa Sensi. While other teams are looking to strengthen their squads, we are worried about building the Franco Sensi museum. But don't tell anybody, it's 'top secret.'

[romawi]

Whats annoying is that this can win something in the near future, with two or three right moves, but they won't. This ownership is standing in the way of that.

[maro]

What are those two or three right moves, Tuna? Messi, Aguero, and Bovo?

[stefano]

You mean that Cicinho and Baptista weren't two of them?

[maro]

lol. Chewna's two quick steps to making our side world-beaters - sell Cicinho and Baptista. Hell, why sell them when you can just give them away? And replace them with Maria and Rosella on the bench.

[romawi]

Maro, those players would definitely be a step in the right direction. I don't know if we would win them, but I'm sure we would have a shot. Seriously though, I've said before that this team would probably would win if they addressed three positions: RB, striker, and CM. All needed to be starting quality. It doesn't look like they'll be addressing them any time soon either.

grasso, those two were clearly steps in the wrong direction.

[Carlo Romano]

Tuna, I too said those same 3 players but now I'm adding a starting quality centre-back and a genuine winger...

Professore, if Maradona has his way Messi will go to Inter if he comes to Italia at all!

Steve, I agree on Cicinho and Baptista. Sadly, we need them tonight and what's sadder is if they do a job for us, someone amongst our management is gonna think they should stay...