THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[RomaShield27]

Happy enough with Panathinaikos. Could of been worse, could of been a lot better. Cisse and Silva and Karagounis aren't what they used to be. It will be difficult traveling there to play them, and i expect fireworks, but at least we have them at home in the second-leg.

[maro]

I fear what the combination of the two sets of fans might come up with, nedzo. It could be a pretty feisty tie.

[RomaShield27]

Yeah, thats what I was thinking alright. On the pitch, however, we should have more than enough for them.

Last 16 draw was also made:

Hamburg or PSV Vs Athletic Bilbao or Anderlecht
Rubin Kazan or Hapoel Tel Aviv Vs Villareal or Wolfsburg
Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray Vs Everton or Sporting Lisbon
Hertha Berlin or Benfica Vs Marseille or Copenhagen
Panathinaikos or Roma Vs Standard Liege or Salzburg
Lille or Fenerbahce Vs Liverfekkin'wankscum or Unirea Urziceni
Ajax or Juventus Vs Fulham or Shakhtar Dontesk
Club Brugge or Valencia Vs Twente or Werder Bremen

So we'll (presumably) play the winners of Liege or Salzburg. Nice.

[Deini]

Drama yesterday when I went to see Ajax. And now they drew Rubentus.. Awesome. Gonna be tough for Roma in Greece I think but we should do them in at home. Ah Roma gonna win the Europa League.

[maro]

I really do not give a fuck about the Europa League. I think it's a pile of shit. I will watch our games because I am a stupid Romanista who strangely enjoys watching Roma but I really couldn't give a fuck what team Ranieri puts out each week. Panathanaikos? Fucking great. Who gives a shit? I don't; some do. Let them wax thoughtful about the draw.

How's that, edzo? A good contribution?

[RomaShield27]

Sorry?

[maro]

Apology accepted.

[RomaShield27]

Didn't you see the question mark?

[maro]

I took it as an expression of timorous reverence. Was it not?

[RomaShield27]

No. Thats why there was a question mark. Are you mentally challenged today?

[maro]

I thought you were being so apologetic you weren't even sure that your apology would be quite sufficient and acceptable in the face of my mighty wrath.

[Italiamia]

[Lupa]

[stefano]

[RomaShield27]

Trigoria: l'As Roma apre la porta ai disabili. Domani Menez-Vucinic-Totti
www.forzaroma.info – Sabato 19 Dicembre 2009 10:10

Il Comune raccoglie l’invito dell’A.S. Roma Calcio e contribuisce alla buona riuscita di un indimenticabile momento di solidarietà.

Oggi alle ore 11.15 il Centro Sportivo di Trigoria ha aperto le porte a un nutrito gruppo di ragazzi disabili - tra i 14 e i 18 anni - appartenenti al territorio della Asl Rm E, che assisteranno a una partita di allenamento della squadra e scambieranno gli auguri di buone feste con i calciatori giallorossi. Referente per il Comune è il professor Adolfo Panfili, delegato del sindaco per la Roma E, mentre Alessandro Cochi, delegato allo Sport, ha portato i saluti del primo cittadino della capitale, Gianni Alemanno. Il gruppo è composto da 28 studenti, 53 giovani pazienti e 21 accompagnatori provenienti dal reparto oncologico del policlinico Gemelli e dai Centri terapeutici riabilitativi della Asl Rm E.

L'ALLENAMENTO - La squadra scende in campo alle ore 11 per il consueto riscaldamento. Gli assenti? i Soliti. Mexes e Tonetto, che effettuano cure in palestra. E' la seduta di rifinitura in vista della gara di domani contro il Parma, fondamentale per il raggiungimento del quarto posto.
Il lavoro prosegue con esercizi di circolazione palla e schemi su calci piazzati, durante i quali Totti realizza un gol. Vucinic prendendolo in giro commenta la rete in stile Caressa urlando Francescooo...TOTTII 1-0!. L'umore a Trigoria è alle stelle: un tifoso arrampicato sul muro mostra uno striscione con la scritta TI AMO. Ranieri prova il quartetto d'attacco con Totti punta di riferimento, Menez e Vucinic larghi sulle fasce e Brighi 'incursore', in sostituzione di Perrotta squalificato.
L'allenamento si chiude con i tiri in porta.

LA PROBABILE FORMAZIONE:
ROMA (4-2-3-1): Julio Sergio; Cassetti, Burdisso, Juan, Riise; De Rossi, Pizarro; Menez, Brighi, Vucinic; Totti


Check out some new threads in the Roma forum:
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[maro]

So, Taddei rather than Menez, it seems. That's a big call - and a strange one. Unless Ranieri's looking to compensate for the loss of the balance Perrotta brings or, perhaps, wants a bit more profondita, since Taddei might play a bit wider and run away from the ball a bit more. Or do Parma pack an especial threat down the left? A curious call, I think, unless Menez isn't quite 100% fit.

[maro]

How the hell are we not ahead? It's like the second half against Samp again - some cracking build-up play but with the final pass not quite in the right place. If Vooch would just pull his finger out he could have settled this game for us already. We're playing with a great tempo too - much better than it's been for ages. The boys just have to keep battering away - and if it doesn't come, then a bit more technical quality and power through the middle with Menez and then Okaka and Baptista should see us home.

[Lupa]

Well, it's nice to go to the break on a positive note, except that Italiamia reports that Totti has gone to a clinic for testing on that wonky knee. It's not easy being a Roma fan, as it often seems that the positives come with a cloud (like the good news/bad news scenario about the fact that it's always good to see the team do well, but there's less pressure on Rosella)

For some moments in the first half I thought I was seeing Spalletti's Roma side. Lots of attacking, lots of pressure with nothing to show. It was the first time I watched Parma this year, and if this was an example of their play I'm frankly surprised that they're so high in the table.

[Lupa]

http://www.romanews.eu/news.asp?newsID=56&pag=60&spag=1

Il comunicato della Roma sulle condizioni di Totti
"L'A.S. Roma Spa rende noto che nel corso della partita odierna il calciatore Francesco Totti e' stato costretto a lasciare il campo in seguito ad uno scontro fortuito di gioco. Gli esami diagnostici effettuati hanno evidenziato esclusivamente una contusione a carico del vasto mediale associata ad una infiammazione dell'inserzione quadricipitale della gamba dx".


I suppose that's not as bad as it could be, and the winter break comes at a welcome time.

[maro]

Well, good old stop-gap seems to be having an effect - though I guess those 'return' games against Genoa and Rubentus will offer a more precise measure of sorts. We've clawed our way back to fourth, are on an impressive run of good results, and he's even got us playing some good football again - the second half against Samp and the game yesterday were as good as it's been for a long while: fluent going forward, dominating possession, and hardly suffering at the back. What is it - a bit of luck? a return of confidence? getting Juan back, who's been imperious at the back over the past three or four games? a few tactical re-adjustments?

He seems to be taking us back towards the 4-2-3-1, though against Samp we played with a bit more width than we did against Parma and so Vooch was able to get into more central areas more often. I thought our tempo (or ball speed) yesterday was much better - I watched 15 minutes of the Inter-Lazio game and the difference was pretty acute - Inter were moving the ball so slowly it was like watching stodge.

The one thing I can't make sense of is what he's doing amid the inconsistency of his selections - Taddei was good again yesterday and perhaps his inclusion was some kind of cover for Perrotta, but given Menez's performances it seemed pretty harsh to omit him and, especially, not even to give him a run out. Where have Guberti and Faty gone? And what's going on with Cerci? I can't see any real coherence developing in his use of these players. There's not a clear hierarchy, if you will, which shows he knows how he wants to use these players with the squad.

Riise's engine is ridiculous - I'd love to know how much more ground than Cassetti he covered yesterday.

Here's hoping Aquilani looks to leave Liverpuke next summer - in pursuit of Champions League football and a chance to play with or against Roma there.