THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[Lombardiamia]

Seems like a kinder-garden discussion between 2 kids accusing each other who started first…

[Italiamia]

[ASR1927]

[Frenchesco]

[RomaShield27]

SERIE A TIM 2009/2010 – Roma-Cagliari – Domenica 9 MAGGIO 2010, ore 15.00
www.asroma.it

1 BOGDAN LOBONT
3 MARCO ANDREOLLI
4 JUAN SILVEIRA DOS SANTOS
5 PHILIPPE MEXES
7 DAVID MARCELO CORTES PIZARRO
10 FRANCESCO TOTTI
11 RODRIGO FERRANTE TADDEI
13 MARCO MOTTA
14 RICARDO FATY
16 DANIELE DE ROSSI
17 JOHN ARNE RIISE
19 JULIO CESAR BAPTISTA
20 SIMONE PERROTTA
22 MAX TONETTO
24 ALESSIO CERCI
27 JULIO SERGIO BERTAGNOLI
29 NICOLAS BURDISSO
30 LUCA TONI
33 MATTEO BRIGHI
94 JEREMY MENEZ


So no Mirko for Cagliari. Huge blow. He hasn't fully recovered from a knock to the ankle which he suffered toward the end of the game against those bastardly blue and black butchers. Mexes was also in doubt but should be fit, although I think we might see Motta at right-full considering Ranieri will want a little more threat from that side going forward. Totti and Toni it will be upfront.

[Carlo Romano]

Ed, I don't like to think of losing Vuci either, especially as the whack he took on the ankle came from that big prosciutto Materazzi whose next crap, I hope, is a hedgehog!

On Motta...because the boy has hardly played, this may well be why his crosses on Wednesday were not what we would normally expect from him. It's a shame Ranieri hasn't taken him more seriously and reading recently that our upper office staff don't feel inclined to buy out Udinese's 50% of him, we have to think we are looking at another promising Italian boy being discarded in favour of second rate imports just because they are established names. Grrrrr!

I see il mister has promised two wins from our last two fixtures...much as the prase too little too late comes to mind it would be sooooo sweet to steal il titolo from Inter on the very last day!

[RomaShield27]

The Vooch is a big loss alright, considering he is easily our most dangerous forward at the moment. Totti will need a big game but it will be interesting to see how he reacts to all the negative media surrounding him at the moment, and if it will effect his game. Luca also needs a big game. To be honest, I've been quiet disappointed with Luca the last few games. He hasn't scored since his winner against Inter in the league eight games ago, but more than that, for me he hasn't done enough in his role of prima-punta up top in terms of winning aerial ball or holding it up for a lay-off etc. He works hard, but he seems more intent trying to draw a foul and looking for a free which is disappointing. I can't see us buying him outright at the end of the season, and to be honest I'm not sure we ought to, unfortunately (sorry Gio).

I think Motta has to play tomorrow if he is to have any future with Roma. Ranieri has to show faith in him now more than ever and if he's on the bench again I think thats that for him. Menez will also need to play behind Totti and Toni, I think, to add a bit of extra pace and creativity to that final third.

http://www.football-italia.net/may8l.html
http://www.football-italia.net/may8q.html

lol, Ranieri and Mourinho have been continuing their little spats today in their respective press conferences (links above). Its fascinating to see the difference in the two men and how they react to all the controversy. Ranieri tries to be graceful and calm the storm and show some dignity while Mourinho goes on the offensive, calling Ranieri a loser for his time at Chelsea. I mean like what the feck has that got to do with anything? And he also says that Ranieri made the Roma players sit down and watch Gladiator before the Coppa finale, which I'm not sure if I believe. He's nothing if not entertaining, is Jose, despite the blatant lack of dignity that surrounds him.

[maro]

Entertaining? I suppose if you're entertained by that kind of thing. I'd be more impressed by Moaninho were he somewhat wittier. It's only because the world of football is so full of complete ejits that the sort of drivel he comes out with at times is lapped up for its character and humour. In the wider scheme of things, I can't say I find it particularly entertaining.

I would rather see Motta sit tomorrow than Mexes, however much I dislike seeing Burdisso at fullback. And I agree that Menez might be needed to inject a bit of pace behind that front two - though I don't see why a 4-2-3-1 with Menez-Perrotta-Taddei behind Totti isn't also an option at this point.

Luca was pretty awesome in terms of holding the ball up against Parma, thredmund.

[ASR1927]

Tom,
I agree abut Mouninho. His bullshit was honed in and is taylor made for English football and their media. They lap his shit up like it is pure genius. He belongs back there. No doubt he will end up back there.

[edge_xeno]

If a miracle happened and we won the scudetto, i will be happier seeing Mourinho loosing it than Roma winning it, what an arrogant prick!

[red]

[Carlo Romano]

Andrew, I never did get the way some people sit and watch a team or teams they hate on tv in the hope of seing them lose.

I wonder if they realise they are actually taking time out of their lives to do that? Then, if that particular team should win, those people have not only wasted their time but they have their day or evening ruined on top of that. My attitude is kind of like the American expression "I could care less" as opposed to the British "I couldn't care less." The first implies you do care at least somewhat, whereas the second clearly states you don't care at all.

If I don't want a certain team to win a match, it's highly probable I won't even bother checking out the result until such time as it suits me to.

[maro]

"I could care less" is about as spupid as the English sports commentator's habit of saying "he just about got across to make the save" to mean "he did, in fact, just manage to get across and make the save." ejits.

Whispers have it it's a 4-4-2 with Totti and Toni up top, but no Menez in behind them - rather, Taddei down the right, Simone down the left, and Pizza and DDR through the middle. Motta in, presumably to offer a little thrust down the right, and so no Mexes. I'd like to see Burdisso sitting this one out and Taddei in a 4-3-1-2, with Philippe alongside Juan. Clearly one can wish all one wants, right?

[maro]

Oh, and don't mention the cricket to dibbus.

[Carlo Romano]

Tommaso, Sky Italia are saying Ménez will start in place of Taddei and it's good to see Motta will play again...

All in all I think Signor Claudio is performing to the best of his ability but I can't say I'm too impressed with his recent policy of mind games over team selection. It seems we now have to actually wait until the official team sheet is handed in to see who will start which makes sense for certain games...but it's not necessary for them all.

[maro]

Indeed, Carlo. It seems Claudio's taken a little late advice from Supercoach Maro. Let's see how it pans out.

[maro]

Some nice football in the first half. I prefer it when Totti comes away from the back four and lets Luca lead the line while Totti plays between the lines. Towards the end of the half, though, they ended up playing alongside each other too much. I was surprised we didn't get a few earlier balls into Luca, too. We're short of width, inevitably, since neither Motta nor Riise is really pushing on and DDR and Simone aren't getting forward in the channels (as you'd expect given their starting positions). I suppose Ranieri could go to 4-4-2 and ask Simone and Menez to play down the line more, but we're probing and all we need, really, is a goal for it to open up further.

[maro]

Oh, and the officiating's been a bit strange - a couple of times we've got away with what were surely, clearly offside players and 99 times out of a 100 Totti gets penalised for that little collision when Menez smeared it into the stands. I was quite pleased Menez missed that, to be honest.

[maro]

And if we don't get the three points today at least it'll make next Sunday a much more relaxed occasion, no?

[maro]

Well, that wasn't as easy as it might have been, but we got what we deserved in the end. Two posts and a crossbar, but Cagliari could have sealed the game before we got a chance to come back. JS played superbly; Motta had a very good game, though he was at fault when Matri got in behind him when he was caught terribly square. Other than that - and for Ranieri that might be all he focuses on - he was excellent. Totti was shocking and excellent in just about equal measure. It was a nice game to watch - nice football from both teams.