THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[maro]

[Lupa]

[maro]

[maro]

[Lupa]

[SPqR]

[RomaShield27]

[Carlo Romano]

Hell, but we got out of jail today. Again! Catania, a team themselves in poor form were able to deny us space much too often and we are lucky they are as they are because as we saw, we were caught cold at the back two or three times. Another team would probably have punished us. On the goals...both were scrappy but they all count!

Ranieri made the excuse yesterday that too many players still need to let go of the old Spalletti ways of working. He can't make that excuse for ever and I fear he has more work to do than he thought to fix our broken Roma! I'm no defeatist I promise you, but we will do very well to finish within the top seven and I hope we can! Those who were talking of fourth place after Fiorentina just can't read beyond the moment! Damn, but I'd love in this case to be proved wrong!

On Cerci...what a sullen expression he had on his face when waiting to come on. I'd say, one would think he'd be grateful for the chance but clearly he felt he was being chucked into something he resented being part of.

A shame the match degenerated into spilled over frustration at the end. It was an ugly enough show without that!


Ed, all the best for your new apartment. Having suffered several moves in my life, I know what you're going through. Luckily, for most of us, it's worthwhile work in the end!

[maro]

I don't think it was sullen, Carlo - I think it was determined. Lupa, to be honest, what southern Italian city isn't close to some wonderful Greek temples? Magna Graecia and all.

[maro]

Enjoy the move, edzo. I presume this is the ex-ex's idea? I can't imagine you'd mind continuing to live in that rat-infested dive close to the Bulmers depot.

[Carlo Romano]

Tommaso...maybe I'm too used to seeing someone making a show of coming on. Time may tell what Cerci really feels and what he can do.

I've never visited Sicilia. I wish I had more time to read of it's heritage at least. It seems to have been occupied by the Spanish, the Greeks, the Moors, and others. Even those cannibals from Carthage left their mark...

Mario Puzo's excellent book "The Sicilian" tells a lot of the culture and Chris Lambert's fine performance in the movie about Giuliano, the real life Robin Hood is one of my absolute favorites.

A shame we're not more of a book orientated forum or I'd open a thread in La Curva. Like cooking, reading books is becoming a dying pastime!

[maro]

Not a book-orientated forum, Carlo? That is a curious comment.

[maro]

And did you not see the way Cerci put himself about when he came on? He was desperate to get involved. That didn't look like the effort of a disgruntled player.

[Carlo Romano]

A truthful comment, Tom! Most here would prefer a more hi-tech pastime! They say so...

On the other hand I can't imagine you not enjoying a good read. I can also imagine that applies to certain other personalities here, but we are in the minority.

Yes, Cerci had to get involved but I'm not convinced it was a situation he enjoyed being part of.

[stefano]

If we aren't a book-oriented forum what are we?

[Carlo Romano]

Steve, if you asked everyone here to be completely honest and tell just how much time they spend on books as opposed to reading internet articles, or magazines, or even playing for example all these games we see spoken about in La Curva, what do you think the answers would be?

It's not my intention to criticise. Each to his own. But I've seen nothing posted here to suggest we book readers are in the majority! Not that I'm an expert on books but at least I'm wise enough to realise the learning process never ends unless one wants it to...and I know in my case reading is as close as I'll ever come to a number of things in this life.

[maro]

Carlo, I don't think anyone would be too worried were your intention to criticise. I just think it's a strange call since I'd have thought in the wider scheme of things we do actually spend a surprisingly large amount of time talking about books and literary matters. One need only observe the Avvocato's sequence of signature quotations to make the point, no? Of course one can't expect such things from the illiterate Rubentini - that'd simply be absurd. And the collection of Aussies we have as members clearly also drags the collective literacy levels down a bit. Still, the boys are often recommending books of one sort or another to one another. Why don't you start that thread in the Curva and let's see how much attention it draws?

[stefano]

I'm not sure whether or not we are book readers in the majority, but I think you'll find more book-related discussion here than one might expect on a calcio forum.

[Lupa]

Of the Italian cities I've visited, Salerno and Catania have to be the least beautiful places, and that's harsh in a country so full of beautiful places as Italy. Thankfully Salerno doesn't have a Serie A team, but neither do Catania to be honest.

*Tomasso - the temples in Paestum are among the best still available to visit.

[maro]

I thought you probably meant Paestum, Lupa - but why didn't you stay somewhere nice on the Amalfi Coast? And so I was wondering about Taranto too.