THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[RomaShield27]

Spalletti > Ancelotti > Ranieri ... Enough said.

[p_maldini_3]

i bet if ranieri had totti from 2-3 years ago, roma would be playing much differently.

[romawi]

[Giacomo]

The only great things left about Totti - his passing and shooting - have deteriorated alarmingly this season. Unless things change, I expect him to retire at the end of the season.

[RomaShield27]

I don't think that will happen, Jamie. I have been critical of Totti this season, and while I do agree to an extent Totti is no longer the same player he was two or three years ago – he has gotten slower and his fitness is not what it was, and as a result he naturally has lost other aspects of his game (his strength, stamina, ability to get into scoring positions) – but he still is only (recently turned) 34 and still has plenty of magic left in him. He only signed his last contract this time last year and the playing part of that doesn't expire until 2014 on his 37th birthday, at which time he will then take an undecided role within the club, and while he said recently he doesn't want to be sitting on the bench and wants to go out on a high sort of thing, I think he'll still have an important part to play for us next season.

Some of our boys were involved in another charity with Virtus Roma and also players from Lazio.





More pics: http://www.corrieredellosport.it/foto/b ... o+a+basket

[RomaShield27]

Some good news, the Baptista to Malaga move could be back on, although only on loan:

Baptista edges towards Malaga move
– Tuesday 14 December 2010

Julio Baptista is moving closer to the Roma exit door as talks with Malaga have reached an advanced stage, according to Corriere dello Sport.The Brazilian striker has not been in Claudio Ranieri's plans all season and has only played seven times in Serie A. Roma have been keen to sell him in order to get his substantial pay-packet off the wage bill, and moving back to Spain has always seemed like the likeliest option. Malaga director Antonio Fernandez worked with Baptista during his days at Sevilla, and the pair know each other well.

Fernandez looks set to have persuaded Baptista to return to Spain and join Malaga. The relegation threatened club are expected to take Baptista, 29, on loan until the end of the season with an exclusive option to buy him outright if they stay in Spain's top division. Malaga denied they were interested in the former Real Madrid player on Saturday, but it has now been revealed that the two parties are in negotiations regarding the transfer.

[Carlo Romano]

Rumours today and just a very few facts which are our Coppa Italia match with Lazio is scheduled for January 19...

...and according to Il Romanista, although Signor Claudio is preoccupied about how to best contain the "stratospheric" Ibrahimovic in Milano on Saturday, he considers that if we win, it can be a big step taken toward making this a very interesting campionato. Also today, Jon Riise has stated his wish to play against Milan.


As for the rumours, I haven't taken the time to fully translate this piece from Forza Roma because even the gist of it appears to need reading between the lines, and at best, it really only seems to reiterate Francesco Balzani's statement of yesterday in Leggo.

When they say "Confirmations" have arrived that Ancelotti will be on our bench next season, I'm thinking they perhaps mean confirmations our club wants him. They mention the fact Carletto is no longer on the best of terms with Roman Abramovic who is apparently already thinking of Pep Guardiola for next season. They also mention what many of us have suspected for a time now, and phrase it as "the worn out relationship which exists between Ranieri and some of our players."

The point is there's nothing definite but we can hope.

Original Italian text: http://www.forza-roma.com/24334/ancelot ... o-conferme



Forza Roma and Mediaset both seem to think that despite recent stories to the contrary, Malaga do want il bestione Baptista and that he will go to them in January. There is no mention of it being a loan move though, as in Ed's above post. Anything is possible with our management. We shall see what transpires...

[red]

When Ranieri's Juve played Ibrahimovic, Chiellini was tasked with doing a man-marking job, rather than leaving Ibrahimovic to wander freely around the park.

None of Roma's defenders have Chiellini's ability to match Ibrahimovic physically, but I would still say man-marking is the best way to keep him quiet.

I would also recommend that Roma consider punching Ibrahimovic in the face, like Chiellini did:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQpwnVRXyZU

[Carlo Romano]

No problem, Andrew. Ranieri will get Burdisso to put a piece of razor blade in the toecap of his boot. One tap on the Achilles tendon and it's "Goodnight, Camel Face!"

Seriously, I agree with you. Mexes and Burdisso both will have to stick to him when the need arises. They daren't take it beyond that though because it only opens the door for the others in the Milan attack who will then think it's their birthday!

[red]

I would also suggest that De Rossi should play pretty deep to try to be a barrier in front of Ibrahimovic to cut off longer balls to him.

Make Milan work to get the ball to him, rather than allowing them to fire long balls to his chest.

[Carlo Romano]

[romawi]

[Italiamia]

[Carlo Romano]

[Giacomo]

Having released Toni, but recalled Okaka, signed Adriano and bought Borriello, why would Roma revert to playing with one striker?

If that is not improbable enough, then the idea of building an attack around Totti - especially at this stage of his career and after what we have seen from him this season - would be absurd, even if his performances have been affected by playing alongside another striker.

Evidence that Totti's passing and shooting have deteriorated is available every time he plays, and also statistically because he has only scored once so far this season except for penalty-kicks, while his amount of assists numbers 2, as far as I can recall.

[Carlo Romano]

James, one avenue of thought is, this is Roma and Totti is what he is. Were it anyone else...

Perhaps I can make a better point by again suggesting, "Who knows just what a new management may decide on?" Again too, just which management? Let's for now assume they hire Ancelotti as head coach. Maybe one question to ask is, how will Carlo react to Totti if he is not happy with Totti's play in whichever position?

From his earliest coaching days we know he isn't impressed by the reputation of what was, just what currently is, and he is not known for changing his tactics to accomodate any one player...remember he refused the chance to sign Baggio when he was allenatore with Parma. Zola had to leave because there was no real place for him either in what was then his chosen 4-4-2 module. I could continue but I'm sure you already see where I'm going.

Again I quote Gio on Totti's ego. I don't want for now to even consider the future negatives. We still have this season's fight to win and our Capitan' is very much a part of that.

[Lupa]

Yeah, I've said for a few years that when the time comes to limit Totti's role, *some* manager is going to have his hands full. I had hoped that it would be Spalletti (meaning I was hoping he would stay, not that Totti would be limited by now!)

I think Totti is struggling with the new role. The game he was most impressive in that I recall was a match where Perrotta was there running into open spaces. I can't even recall who that was against.

I hope the loan/sale of Baptista to Malaga works out.

[p_maldini_3]

[pocari_fenrir]

Sorry to cut into our debate on Totti, Ancelotti and our trip to Milan but i promised i would get this to you guys. Here are the youth pages from Facebook (oh and Shield, we dont really need an FB page). Also, there arent much to the pages themselves. They're kinda just there for the sake of it.

Marco D'Alessandro (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marco-DAl ... 3189914638)
Paolo Frascatore (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Paolo-Fra ... 8012758045)
Ibrahima Bongoura Thiam (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ibrahima- ... 2652033203)
Amato Ciciretti (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Amato-Cic ... 7304791068)
Mirko Pigliacelli (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mirko-Pig ... 4771395735)
Simone Perilli (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Simone-Pe ... 5458513119)
Louis Jerome Dieme (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Louis-Jer ... 9096403423)
Alessandro Florenzi (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alessandr ... 7601449139)
Stefano Sabelli (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stefano-S ... 7339961146)
Giammario Piscitella (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Giammario ... 9714268039)
Gianluca Caprari (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gianluca- ... 4991424944)
Federico Viviani (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Federico- ... 8645090375)
Alessandro Malomo (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alessandr ... 6284250237)

if for whatever reason you want a full list, use this page here (http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/10-TOT ... 0256002913) and go to Favourite Pages on the bottom right. Some of these names are fairly familiar like Malomo, D'Alessandro and Frascatore for those of you who have tracked our transfers.

[Carlo Romano]

Maldini, I could have picked better examples but I thought the extremes made my point more. Really, what I'm trying to get across is Carletto isn't impressed by what was, only by what is. That hasn't changed from his early coaching days to now, which is why he didn't recently think twice about dropping Didier Drogba, his star striker!

It seems some Chelsea fans now consider Ancelotti has run out of ideas. This happens to many coaches no matter where they are and it doesn't stop me from wanting him at Roma. He isn't the first to leave a job having gone stale and won't be the last to come good again with another club.

His book Preferisco la Coppa, or "I Prefer the Cup" is something else in meaning...as it has been out for over a year, I've read a couple of excepts from it in articles on the internet. His intentional word-play on the word "coppa" that translates as both "cup" and a type of cured cold pork is an example of his humour. I must confess I hadn't known before now that all sales moneys will go to the Fondazione Stefano Borgonovo for the funding of research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Now that I do know, I will buy one. So, you've done me a favour, Maldini.

I remember well enough Stefano Borgonovo, Roby Baggio's old strike partner from when they were both with La Viola. It's sad to see Borgonovo now as he is, unable to even speak. The last I saw of him was at the "testimonial" match Milan held for him. Baggio never moved from his side.

Carletto may have a harsh streak but he has a tenderness when and where it really matters. Hilarious...is he? Maybe so and I wouldn't take all he says as in being his most sincere thoughts. It wouldn't at all surprise me to find he isn't in the least sorry over turning down Baggio, and as far as Zola is concerned, while he is head coach of Chelsea he could hardly say anything other than that he regrets having let Zola, a Chelsea mega-legend go from right under his nose at Parma...strange that no-one ever seems to point the finger at Napoli who released him in the first place!


btw, interesting piece on this link regarding Carlo at Chelsea:


----------------------------------------------


Well played, Pocari!