THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[Carlo Romano]

I have only a little more to add...

Last night was too ugly at times but there were a few high points, and at the end it was nail biting. I was reminded when Leandro Greco came on, of how back in the summer I had seen him score a couple of clinically finished goals in our pre-season friendlies. While I understood the groans from some of you over his being sent on with his lack of experience, I found myself just waiting to be proven correct in realising this boy has an eye for goal and it happened exactly as I had hoped it would!

That's the benefit of viewing so-called "meaningless friendlies." You watch and learn. Completely meaningless? Seldom ever!

But I don't kid myself though we are still alive. We are in second place, with six points from two victories and two defeats. 23/11/10 we will play Bayern in the Olimpico who top the group with twelve points, a full quota. Our last game is away in Romania against Cluj, 8/12/10. Unless we can shake off our injury problems and more of our "ailments," we could yet be in the EL by Christmas. As a typical Romano, I live in hope that we can somehow survive in Europe, one way or another. Without hope what else is there?

The better answer may be that as we are, it would most likely be more profitable to continue in the EL, much as I'd rather have the "Big Boys" competition!

Table: Bayern Munich (12) Roma (6) Basilea (4) Cluj (4)



An update from Romanews on the offers from buyers received so far...

Unicredit insists on a minimum price of €130mil up front with a further €70mil to follow. It would appear (for the time being) that Sawiris the Egyptian, the Russians of VimpelCom, the American investment group and the Italian consortium of Clessidra have dropped out of the race but there have been up to now, six more offers. Two are Italian sourced, the remainder are not.

Read more from these links:

http://www.romanews.eu/news.asp?pagID=74&newsID=8840

http://www.romanews.eu/news.asp?pagID=74&newsID=8839

[Deini]

So 4 foreign and 2 Italian offers? Angelucci is one but who or what is the other Italian offer? Read today that Clessidra isn't out yet, just waiting in the wings. Hopefully the future will be sorted out soon.

Glad to see we took the three points who were much needed. Now onto the derby. Forza Roma

[RomaShield27]

I didn't really see the second-half in all that much detail due to dodgy streams (I'm downloading the match now – its in the ), but it did seem like we were fortunate to escape with the win (le pagelle from the game ). There is also still a lot of work to do to qualify from this group.

Interesting to hear Eto he nearly joined us a few years. Baptista was a much better choice.

We were also discussing in the SB during game time if Federer was a Roma fan or not. This confirms it:

Tennis ace gives Totti and Roma his full backing
– Thursday 04 November 2010

During Wednesday evening’s crucial 3-2 Champions League victory against Basel, the Giallorossi had an unlikely ally in the stands. Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer, who was playing in a tournament in the city, told the Corriere Dello Sport that he would be attending the game to support his friend Francesco Totti and his Roma teammates stating that: “I know Francesco from my time playing tournaments at the Foro Italico in Rome, he is a champion”.

Federer continued by explaining how he found he became a supporter of the club: “Last time I was there I gave him one of my rackets and he game me a Roma jersey and from that day I have been a Romanista”. He did explain that there was only one thing standing in his way from getting to the stadium for kick-off: “I have a match to play at six so I hope to beat my opponent quickly so I get to stadium to see Francesco and the boys play”.

[ASR1927]

Roma have up to six offers on the table for the takeover of the club after investors scrambled to meet Wednesday's deadline to present an offer.

Il Corriere dello Sport claims six bids were made, two from Italian investors Giampaolo Angelucci and pharmaceutical magnate Francesco Angelini.

There was also one from Egypt, two American offers and another from China.

All offers are in the region of €140 million, with Unicredit, who took over the club from Rosella Sensi as part of a debt resettlement package, starting the bids with a reserve of €130m.

Reports suggest the club will end up in Italian hands, but the feeling around fans at Trigoria is that they want foreign investment.

[Deini]

Where that coming from? Aabar also made an offer but they are not listed there.

Anyway, Morganti will ref the derby this sunday.

[ASR1927]

It's from Goal.com so take it with a grain of salt. Though they claim to get it from Corriere dello Sport.

[Deini]

[ASR1927]

Things just aren't meant to be straight forward for us Romanistas!

[Giacomo]

Would Angelucci be the best Italian?

[Deini]

[RomaShield27]

So are there two Italians interested or just one? From Deini's post, Il Messaggero are saying there is only one (Angelucci), but from Jeff's post Il Corriere dello Sport are saying there are two (Angelucci and Angelini). Which is more reliable?

[Carlo Romano]

[Bagg10]

Francesco Totti: Lazio Will Beat Roma In The Derby

Roma have no chance against Lazio as Francesco Totti shows a lack of belief ahead the Derby della Capitale.

Roma captain Francesco Totti believes Lazio will enjoy the city bragging rights at the weekend as he writes off his own side.

Totti will not play any part in the derby of Rome as he is suspended. And he is clearly annoyed.

"The derby? I will watch it from home because I would suffer too much if I was at the stadium," he told Mediaset Premium.

"Who will win? Lazio and [Sergio] Floccari will score from a penalty."

Roma picked up some confidence following their Champions League win over Basel - a new route to expansion.

"We want to turn our season around, we are all on the same side," he added.

Daniele De Rossi was also relieved as Roma gain belief.

"We suffered against Basel. There are no easy games. Of course, we have to be more incisive in front of goal," the midfielder told Sky Sport Italia.

"Lazio? We need to be perfect. They are the team of the moment and everything is going well for them. It will be very tough."

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/86/italy ... -the-derby

[Carlo Romano]

Bagg, as you are usually serious about your football, I can only imagine you regard that as being as big a piece of shit that I do...

Hell, if Goal.com was a newspaper it would be hanging in an old fashioned outdoor toilet waiting to be used for what it's best fit for!


That said, appreciate my artwork...it's far more appropriate!

[maro]

Scaramanzia, Carlo (I can't remember if that's the sense in which I can use that word or if that's the familiar mistake). All of those comments from Totti were reported in Italian on Forzaroma and Romanews earlier in the week (last night, maybe?). Totti always says Lazio will win and the Floccari comment's clearly a joke and a jibe.

[maro]

Totti: "Il Derby? Lo vince la Lazio. Segna Floccari su rigore"
Mercoledì 03 Novembre 2010 23:24

Ecco le parole di Francesco Totti alle radio, Mediaset Premium, Sky e Roma Channel

"Il risultato positivo abbiamo cambiatio la classifica e ora siamo più tranquillo.- le parole di Francesco Totti alle radio - Il rigore? Simone mi ha detto vai tranquillo. I calci? Ne ho presi abbastanza.



E’ una vittoria che aiuta in classifica ma anche moralmente. E’ la prima volta che vinciamo due volte consecutive. Speriamo che non c'è due senza tre. La crisi? Non è finita, ma la forza di questo gruppo è l’unione,. Tutti remiamo dalla stessa parte e ci aiutiamo. Io? Sono sempre sereno. Mi dispiace a non partecipare alla partita a cui tengo di più . A livello fisico? Sto bene , al 70 per cento. Inzaghi ha seganto due gol? Allora i vecchietti stiamo ancora bene. Totti-Vucini-Borriello? E Menez? Tre di questi la squadra li deve sostenere per forza così ci aiuta a vincere più facilmente”

TOTTI ai microfoni di Mediaset Premium

Quanto mancava questo gol?
Un po’ pesava, per l’attaccante fare gol è un po’ tutto ma mi mancavano più i risultati di squadra

È passata la nottata?
Abbiamo la voglia di cambiare la stagione anche se è lunga. Cerchiamo di dare sempre il massimo.

Domenica ore 15 quanto pesa non esserci?
Domenica starò a casa sennò soffro troppo però tiferò da casa.

Chi vince?
Loro

TOTTI ai microfoni di Sky

Cosa significa e quanto importante questa vittoria?
E’ importantissimo vincere fuori dopo aver perso con il Basilea in casa

Sollievo dopo essere tornato al gol?
Tanto, ma importante era tornare a vincere

Hai pensato a quando avevi esordito in Europa proprio in Svizzera?
Sì, sono ricordi bellissimi. Il gol? ora speriamo di continuare anche perchè ho tantissimo tempo davanti a me

Il Derby? Lo vedrai allo stadio?
No, lo sento troppo. Starò a casa

Chi vince?
La Lazio e segna Floccari sul rigore…

TOTTI A ROMA CHANNEL

Partita difficile su campo difficile e abbiamo ribaltato una classifica in cui tutti ci davamo per spacciati.

Il derby? Mi mancherà tanto, essere romano e romanista e giocare contro di loro mi da tanti stimoli e successo quello che è successo e starò a casa.

Con questo modulo non ci abbiamo mai giocato quest'anno, siamo contenti di quello che abbiamo fatto, abbiamo visto una buona Roma e venire qui a fare tre gol non è semplice.

La classifica è ancora aperta, dovessimo vincere contro il Bayern la strada sarebbe in discesa.

[Carlo Romano]

Lo so, il mio amico, lo so...

Yes, it's our Capitan' Francè excercising his usual "reverse physchology" and it's something I've never much cared for, any more than the fact that in his early career he would put a condom inside each boot as a good luck charm so he wouldn't fire blanks at goal...

I'll never get used to his humour and neither will quite a few others which is why he drops himself right in the brown, time and again!



Maybe the nerves are just a little too raw for comfort right now!

[maro]

If you "know it," Carlo, then why do you respond by commenting on goal.com's reliability rather than by starting off saying you think Totti's joking might be out of place this time?

[Carlo Romano]

Tommaso, Goal.com is what it is. Other than Carlo Garganese or whatever the dude's name is...I can't even remember because I long since gave up going in there just to look for an odd piece of sense from his journalistic talent amongst all the tripe.

What the hell difference does the order make? I didn't purposely choose not to open with saying Totti might have thought better this time to leave well alone. It just happened that way. Big deal. Let it go already, it's not even worth a discussion beyond that one post.

[Giacomo]

An article I read about Roma - which has general relevance for Serie A - supports Italiamia's point about not treating and developing youngsters properly, which I think is linked to the continual under-performance of Serie A teams in CL/EL:

- Roma invests in almost exclusively in foreign players who are not young;

- this season Roma shares with Milan the oldest squad in Serie A (average age of squad is 28.8 years). Youngest are Sampdoria (average age 24.7), Palermo (25.4) and Fiorentina (26.9)

- last season, after the 2009 summer mercato, Roma reached a record high average squad age (29.25), the highest in its history. The acquisitions of Adriano (28), Simplicio (31), Paolo Castellini (31) and Borriello (28) helped maintain the highest average age with Milan this season.

- younger players Roma produce don't get much of a look-in these days. The number of foreigners at Roma has risen considerably, now standing at 18 ( Lobont, Cicinho, Juan, Mexes, Pizarro, Adriano, Vucinc, Taddei, Antunes, Riise, Baptista, G. Burdisso, J. Sergio, N. Burdisso, Simplicio, Doni, Pena e Menez), a record for Roma. In 2006/2007 their were only 12, in 1996/97 9. In 2000-2001 - the season of Roma's last lope lope - there were 12 ( Cafu, Zago, Assuncao, Aldair, Nakata, Emerson, Zebina, Batistuta, Samuel, Balbo, Guigou and Candela).

My conclusion: too many older players and too many over-valued and over-paid foreigners are big parts of Roma's and Serie A's problem - especially in CL/EL - and is why the clubs are not getting value for money.