THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[RomaShield27]

Yes I agree, but what I am saying is we should be able to beat them with our B team. 'Should be able' in a perfect world – we are Roma, they are Fulham, like seriously, say that a few times – but I suppose Roma this season couldn't be any further away from that perfect world if we tried, so yeah sure, it is a must win game, so field a full strength side. But still.

[maro]

edzo, personally I think that's a load of horseshit. Fulham are in this competition because they did pretty much exactly as well in the Premiershite last season as we managed in Serie A. And I don't think we have any reason to think that Serie A is markedly the stronger league of the two. I find that attitude to Fulham an exact mirror-image of the arrogance in the British press whenever a smaller Italian team comes over and has the temerity to beat one of the English sides. Fulham play nice football. They did stunningly well last season against all expectations. They come into the match on the back of some good form. At home, I think we should have enough to beat them, but I can't see it being anything other than a bloody hard-fought game - and that's without even taking into consideration our injuries and instabilities within the club.

[RomaShield27]

Yes, I suppose it is an exact mirror-image of the arrogance of the brits toward lessor Italian sides, like you said, but is that going to make me stop doing it or feel bad for doing so...? Fuck no, fuck Fulham the insignificant arsehole of a club, they aren't fit to play our primevera team, never mind la grande magica AS Roma. I know how Fulham play and watched them all last season, but I certainly wouldn't say they play nice football. They are your typical long-ball, up-and-under, never-say-die, fight-them-on-the-beaches, shitty-stadium, boring-fans, nothing-players, English-ran, foreign-owned club. AS Roma should be able to just lift its left arsecheek a little and fart this club off the pitch, at least in an ideal world, which is what i was saying. But now things have changed for us, we are no longer as we once were, and we are gearing up for a big European night with the mighty Fulham (and I and others fear they might beat us). Do you not see what I mean?!

[maro]

Yes, edzo. I see what you mean. Stop being a dick. Do you see what I mean?

[RomaShield27]

[RomaShield27]

OLIMPICO, SEGNALI DI PACE
– pubblicata giovedì 5 novembre 2009

Corriere dello Sport - La Roma non tira più. Per la partita di stasera contro il Fulham ci saranno al massimo venti mila spettatori paganti. Ieri c'è stata un'impennata nella prevendita, ma l'affluenza sarà nella media delle precedenti partite di Europa League. Andò molto bene alla prima contro il Gand, quando c'erano 40 mila spettatori ed era luglio. Contro il Kosice si toccò il limite negativo, con appena 12000 paganti. Meglio contro il Cska, con 23 mila tagliandi venduti. I segnali che giungono dalla Sud e dai gruppi organizzati sono di distensione. Questa sera si dovrebbe tornare a fare il tifo dagli spalti perchè la Roma deve vincere a tutti i costi. Molto dipenderà dalla squadra ovviamente, ma è possibile che si giunga ad una tregua: la situazione appare tranquilla, ma la Digos continua a monitorare, il pullman sarà scortato da Trigoria allo stadio anche se non si tratta di una forma di sicurezza legata a ciò che è successo domenica (lancio di uova e sassi lontano dallo stadio) perchè è sempre prevista una presenza delle forze dell'ordine. I tifosi inglesi saranno 1700, per loro sarà riservato il settore dei distinti nord.

They're expecting no more than 20,000 in the Olimpico tonight, including 1700 Fulham fans. Obviously recent form and tensions are likely big reasons for this, but still quiet a poor turnout.

[maro]

Yes, edzo. Now stop being a childish dick-warbler.

[RomaShield27]

A childish 'dick-warbler'!?! Ok. But only if you stop being a boring old dick-smacker.

Roma-Fulham, probabili formazioni
– Giovedì 05 Novembre 2009 10:16

Ecco i ventidue che dovrebbero scendere in campo questa sera allo Stadio Olimpico, alle ore 19.00 per la delicata sfida tra la Roma e il Fulham di Roy Hodgson.

ROMA (4-4-2): Doni; Cassetti, Andreolli, Mexes, Riise; Taddei, Pizarro, De Rossi, J. Baptista; Vucinic, Menez. All.: C. Ranieri. A disp.: Julio Sergio, Cicinho, Motta, Guberti, Brighi, Perrotta, Okaka.

FULHAM (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Kelly, Hughes, Hangeland, Konchesky; Riise, Greening, Baird, Gera; Zamora, Kamara. All.: R. Hodgson. A disp.: Stockdale, Pantsil, Smalling, Anderson, Duff, Dempsey, Nevland.

ARBITRO: Kevin Blom (NED). Assistenti: Patrick Langkamp e Nicky Siebert (NED). Quarto Uomo: Danny Desmond Makkelie (NED).

Claudio Ranieri potrebbe lanciare Julio Baptista dal primo minuto. Il brasiliano sembra aver recuperato gli acciacchi che lo hanno tenuto fermo nei mesi scorsi. In avanti ballottaggio Okaka-Vucinic con il montenegrino che potrebbe anche partire dalla panchina.

ForzaRoma seem to think Baptista is in good enough shape to start from the off alongside Vucinic and Menez, which would be interesting, if extremely adventurous from Ranieri. I think it would be good to give Baptista a run as he needs game time to regain some confidence and form. Presumably Menez then would be down the left? Unlikely to happen but would be good.

[maro]

There's nothing boring about the way I smack dick, young man.

[maro]

Anyway, I can't see Ranieri starting all three of those guys. The piece I read this morning made it look more as though it might be Baptista rather than Vooch up top alongside Menez. We shall see.

[maro]

Resting Pizarro and playing Menez at the top of the diamond might be interesting, though.

[Deini]

Ah I see Blom is the ref. Not a good thing. Horrible ref IMO.

[RomaShield27]

ROMA-FULHAM: Le probabili formazioni
– 05.11.2009 15:43 di Patrizio Ciprari

Queste le probabili formazioni di Roma-Fulham, gara di Europa League in programma questa sera alle ore 19.00 allo Stadio "Olimpico" di Roma.

ROMA (4-2-3-1): Doni; Cassetti, Mexes, Andreolli, Riise; De Rossi, Pizarro; Taddei, Baptista, Perrotta;Okaka.
All. Claudio Ranieri

FULHAM (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Paintsil, Hughes, Hengeland, Konchesky; Dempsey, Greening, Etuhu, Gera; Zamora, Nevland.
All. Roy Hodgson


Baptista and Okaka...? Interesting. Going to miss the game tonight as ive football.

[SPqR]

Taddei, Baptista and Okaka? Really.

[maro]

I think it's a good choice. Taddei can't play on the weekend so he may as well play and give others a rest. As you know, I think it has to be Okaka or Vooch to give us profondita' and Vooch has been carrying an injury. And Menez has also been struggling with injury this week. Personally, I think Ranieri should start Okaka every game - I think he's the most natural partner for every one of our other forwards who are all more second strikers than prime punte. I think Vooch, too, would enjoy playing alongside Okaka.

[Carlo Romano]

I'm sad to see Roma struggle like this. I thought our first half was poor because even in possession our midfield couldn't impose itself, and Fulham looked somehow more purposeful. At the back, hurry back Burdisso, our defence needs you! Bad and all as we can be at the back, there were a couple of times we should never have been pulled all over the place. I've read elsewhere we were unlucky not to equalise when Mexes headed Cicinho's cross past. I however say he should have at least got the damn ball on target!

Even though we needed to up the pace in the second half, for me we didn't start to convince until Fulham went down to 10, though even then it just wasn't our Roma. But...I knew we would eventually score because Fulham, for all the talk of how well they have done, are not exactly earth shattering top drawer opposition! As for the controversial decisions, I agree that Andreolli gave away that penalty and had we got one at the other end it was one of those decisions where some refs give and others don't. Under present Uefa rules, Nevland and Konchesky had to be red carded for tackling from behind.

I was startled to see Guberti substituted by Menez...not that Menez played badly once on, but because Guberti had been our most consistent player throughout the 65 mins he was on. I guess we should be used by now to Ranieri's sometimes seemingly strange substitutions. But now we are in second place and if we can beat Basle in l'Olimpico we are guaranteed to qualify for the next stage as I have every confidence in the Swiss also beating Fulham!

Did anyone notice our presidente visibly in tears after Riise equalised? I hate her for continually blocking the sale of our club but in a humanitarian sense I was moved by her distress and obvious relief. That said, her tears won't save her if Unicredit are going after Italpetroli's assets following the seizure of the two Sensi owned hotels, «Filippo II» and «Subay Park» as per Deini's post. We are waiting for you, Signor Angelini...

[ASR1927]

It is sad Carlo. But I hope with each win Roma gain confidence and return to the Roma we love. Despite all that this was a big win. Psychologically for the players and to keep our hopes in Europe alive.

Plus to top off the evening Lazio are getting HAMMERED by Villareal!

Daje Roma Daje.

[Carlo Romano]

Daje Roma Daje.

We haven't seen that around here for a while! It's badly missed!

[RomaShield27]

Daje Roma Daje. Good result. But not a good performance, by all accounts?

At least now that we've won this massive game we can rest our players for that micky-mouse fixture at the weekend.

[RomaShield27]

I see this prick is moaning again. I haven't seen the red cards yet so I can't comment. Taken from a fine english rag:

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson bemoans Roma 'injustice'
– Published 21:31 05/11/09

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson believes his team suffered an "injustice" in their 2-1 defeat to Roma in the Europa League at the Stadio Olimpico. The Cottagers felt some of the decisions by referee Kevin Blom greatly hindered their chances of progressing in Europe. Having taken a deserved 1-0 half-time lead through a Diomansy Kamara penalty, Fulham had substitute Erik Nevland shown a straight red card early in the second half after his foul on Daniele De Rossi.

Roma then punished the English club with goals from John Arne Riise and Stefano Okaka to inflict Fulham's first defeat in the competition. There was additional agony for the visitors as Paul Konchesky was sent off late in the game while they chased an equaliser.

"You cannot be happy in the face of injustice," Hodgson said. "I accept the situation because the referee makes the decision but I'm not happy. I think the two red cards were very harsh. I didn't speak to the referee. I only spoke to the fourth official. To play in the second half down to 10 men is a bitter pill to swallow. But what can you do but accept the referee's decision because it doesn't change anything."

Fulham had gone into the game on the back of a 3-1 triumph over Liverfekkin'wankscum and looked impressive in the opening half, just as they had been at Craven Cottage in their 1-1 draw against Roma a fortnight ago. "It was a fantastic performance from my players in the first half," Hodgson said. "We have been better than Roma when playing 11 against 11 in both games."

Roma coach Claudio Ranieri, meanwhile, felt the red card for Nevland was justified. "The sending off benefited us for sure," Ranieri said. "But I believe it was a red card as Nevland made the foul in a Roma counter-attack. Fulham deserved the lead in the first half but my team did better after the re-start and we never gave up and we were rewarded."

The outcome allowed Roma to leapfrog the Cottagers into second in the group, two points clear of the Londoners with two games remaining. Hodgson believes his team's chances of progressing in Europe are now slim.

"This defeat leaves us struggling in the group," Hodgson said. "Every time you get players sent off you have players suspended for three matches which means, at this rate, I would need to have a squad of 60 players. Unfortunately, this defeat takes things out of our hands a little bit. We could win the last two games and still not qualify."

Hodgson, whose side travel to Wigan this weekend, expects his team will learn from the trip to Rome. "It has been an interesting experience," Hodgson said. "We will become stronger and bounce back."

Ranieri feels Roma now control their own destiny. "I think now we have a good chance to progress but there are still two games remaining and we face group leaders Basle in the next round," he said.