THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[ASR1927]

From football-italia.


The last six months of Ranieri.

Roma have high ambitions for this season with the club still competing in all three major competitions – Serie A, the Champions League and the Coppa Italia where they take on Lazio this evening. However, one thing now looks certain, come June and Claudio Ranieri will no longer be in charge of this team.

It may be strange to say that just before another Derby del Cupolone in which Ranieri holds an impressive record, having always won since his appointment back in September 2009. But despite this, Ranieri has failed to win over the hearts of the majority of fans, as well as the directors and – most importantly – the players.

Once again in his career, Ranieri finds himself to be a lonely man in a big city. First in Madrid at Atletico, then London with Chelsea, Valencia, Turin while at Juventus and ultimately Rome. Wherever he goes, he ends up in the corner with people against him. Despite some impressive achievements on the pitch, he is simply unable to establish himself for what he is supposed to be – a great Coach.

But what is it that doesn’t persuade fans and pundits that Ranieri is the man for the job? His tinkering is of course doing him no favours because most of the time, Ranieri looks like a tactician who doesn’t have a clue about what he is doing. So far this season, his tinkering has only hurt the team and cost them dearly in terms of points. His persistent changes in formations are the result of a confused strategy, which sometimes works – remember when he took off both Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi at half-time? – but most of the time ends up irritating his own players.

So is the Tinkerman a genius or a fool? Perhaps he is just average, but players at Roma seem to have a different opinion. No inside information from the dressing room is needed to see how the likes of Totti, Mirko Vucinic and Marco Borriello are having a stressful time. Er Pupone was even forced to say that he is a happy person at all times except when he is in Trigoria. Competition is the key to success if you have a boss capable enough to handle it, which is something Ranieri apparently cannot do.

The former Chelsea manager has been in conflict with almost everybody in the dressing room, he even managed to upset the quiet ones – David Pizarro and John Arne Riise. Indeed, the last incident with Totti, after he was called off the bench to play the last four minutes of the Sampdoria game, clearly highlighted the little power Ranieri has at the club and in the city.

While the Coach should have had some support he was attacked by almost everybody, players and directors included. It was grotesque considering that he is the guy who is giving Totti so much playing time when in reality Vucinic and Borriello are arguably the best starting duo Roma could have. Furthermore, this Totti dilemma is probably going to haunt him until the end of his days at the Olimpico.

It is not all so tragic though because at the moment there is something which is keeping Roma together and may keep them going for a while – hope. That hope is related to the new potential owners who should soon complete the deal for the club. That very same hope is also linked with the future of Ranieri. It is no secret that many of the players are just waiting for Ranieri to get the axe, but they know they will have to wait for it to happen.

Would it be bad for Roma? Not if the successor is someone like Carlo Ancelotti with Franco Baldini taking charge as the sporting director. The Giallorossi would indeed see what it is like to have a great manager, although they have had a few world-class ones over the past decade like Fabio Capello and Luciano Spalletti. The Tinkerman is simply not in the same league.

Replacing Ranieri with Ancelotti would automatically turn Roma into serious competitors for the title because looking at the starting XI they have enough to challenge Milan and Inter. Like in the past, Ranieri will have to clear his desk sooner or later and sadly for him, despite being a Romano de Roma, there will be very little the Giallorossi will miss about him.

[red]

Don't know if you lot have heard, but Juve apparently approached Roma the other day about getting Vucinic in exchange for Amauri and cash.

Roma, sensibly, told them where to go.

[maro]

What's Vooch worth? 25 mil, say? Or Amauri plus how much? 40?

[red]

Aye, something like that.

I can see Amauri staying at Juve for the rest of his contract, because no other club is going to be daft enough to give him one anything like as lucrative.

Unless, of course, Roma have the urge to fill the gargantuan void on their bench left by Baptista's departure...

[maro]

I don't quite understand what's wrong with him. Did he lose a yard of pace during his move from Palermo? Is it that teams generally defend in a different way against Rube and he's not quite good enough when teams sit deep and crowd space? Or is it that Rube have never really figured out a way of playing with the right players alongside him? I was sure that if Rube had had a couple of wide players who'd attack space then he and Diego would have come good in a 4-2-3-1. Not that I'm complaining, of course. I do wonder if he mightn't have enjoyed playing alongside Borriello too, or someone who's a bit more of a prima punta.

[red]

He had a very good first six months at Juve, but then got injured and has never recovered form.

I don't think Juve have used him incorrectly, though he is more suited to playing with someone who moves more than The Waterboy does.

It's mostly a loss of confidence, I think. When you see the timid way he plays now compared to the player launching himself at crosses and knocking defenders out of the way to score it really is astonishing.

[RomaShield27]

Amauri has really turned into the worst striker in Serie A. I think I'd rather Bennardo Corradi in my team, and thats being serious. Vucinic's shorts are worth more than him.

Looking forward to the match tonight. Its a nice bonus Derby to kick the fuck out of the biancazzurro bastardo. Looks like Cassetti is an so looks like Rosi is going to get his chance, and its a good game for him to get it. Oh and apparently the lazie scum have been .

[maro]

Vooch's shorts? From what I've seen he tends to prefer not to wear any.

[stefano]

Just the way Edzo likes him.

[maro]

thredzo's heard Vooch is pretty good at keepie uppie.

[RomaShield27]

Yeh, your moglie told me he was alright.


Roma-Lazio: PROBABILI FORMAZIONI Gioca Adriano, Vucinic in panchina
– Mercoledì 19 Gennaio 2011 19:59

L'ultimo dubbio di formazione sciolto vede Adriano in campo e Vucinic in panchina. Il tecnico giallorosso rischia il brasiliano dal primo minuto, riservando il montenegrino per l'ebentuale protrarsi del match.
PROBABILI FORMAZIONI

ROMA (4-3-3): 27 Julio Sergio; 77 Cassetti, 29 N. Burdisso, 4 Juan, 17 Riise; 16 De Rossi, 30 Simplicio, 20 Perrotta; 94 Menez, 22 Borriello, 8 Adriano. A disp.: (32 Doni, 87 Rosi, 25 G. Burdisso, 5 Mexes, 23 Greco, 33 Brighi, 9 Vucinic) All. Ranieri

[RomaShield27]

Well that was a rather terrible first-half. Few tasty challenges but thats about it. But what else can we expect with the line-up Ranieri put out? Very strange. Adriano has probably played the worst 45 minutes that any player has ever played for us, ever. A sack of spuds could of done better (and would have more mobility). He was putting his body on the line but he couldn't win or hold on to anything, and I think he was even physically hurt by a few farts which happen to blow his way. Mexes is a rock, his challenge on Hernanes was the stuff of legend. Pretty uninspiring stuff, we'll almost certainly need to look to the bench to win this one.

[pocari_fenrir]

so we win... summaries tell me Juan fucked up a couple times

[romawi]

[pocari_fenrir]

I heard Juan hit a terrible back pass again at some point too

The thing with Menez is, his legs are never fit to play the full 90. He lacks the conditioning to play at that level constantly, so it's right to start him late or take him off early. It's a toss up as to whether he does better coming off early or coming in midway.

Totti was suspended, so he'd have to do the cheering from the stands

[RomaShield27]

Was Totti in the stands? The camera didn't show him once, that I can recollect, which is odd.

[maro]

I love the ratings from Il Romanista:
http://www.forzaroma.info/rassegna-stam ... diani.html
Totti watched the last derby from home, didn't he? He claimed it was because he thought the atmosphere would be too intense for him at the ground but actually I think it's because he's selfish and a bad leader.

[RomaShield27]

– Giovedì 20 Gennaio 2011 10:11

(Corriere dello sport - P.Torri) - Mirko, ripensaci. Allontana quel la pazza idea di andare via da questa città e da questi colori. Resetta la tua voglia di Roma e della Roma, anche se potresti ave re i migliori motivi per dire addio a que sta avventura. Hai visto, per esempio, co me, dopo pochi minuti, con Adriano dolo rante alla spalla, i tifosi ti hanno applaudi to quando ti sei alzato dalla panchina per andare a scaldarti? E hai sentito, pure, il sospiro di sollievo quando, all’inizio della ripresa, finalmente Claudio Ranieri ha de ciso di mandarti in campo insieme a Me nez? E’ cambiata la Roma, è cambiato il ri sultato, è arrivato il quarto successo con secutivo contro la Lazio, è arrivata un’al tra notte romana e romanista. Come fai Mirko a lasciare tutto questo? Ha sorriso quando glielo abbiamo domandato e poi, correndo o quasi, ha regalato la sua gioia: «Io non ho mai perso il sorriso, a volte può capitare un minuto di follia, devo riuscire a controllarmi meglio, ma poi tutto passa in fretta. Sono contento per questa vitto ria, ormai so quanto vale per i tifosi un successo nel derby, adesso l’importante è continuare su questa strada in tutte le ma nifestazioni in cui siamo impegnati. Al l’esterno possono continuare a dire ciò che vogliono, ma il gruppo c’è ed è forte, se qualcuno viene a Trigoria cinque minu ti si fa tante risate. Tra di noi ridiamo e scherziamo sempre. La Roma si ama, Ro ma è amore, lo dice la parola stessa».



– Giovedì 20 Gennaio 2011 10:11

La Roma e Philippe Mexes sono pronti a trattare il prolungamento del contratto. Le ultime notizie circolanti vogliono infatti il difensore giallorosso aver convocato il proprio agente e i vertici societari per discutere il da farsi. Le sensazioni vogliono le parti in gioco disposte serenamente al prolungamento dell’accordo ma nel contempo, qualora quest’ultimo non dovesse essere siglato, nessuno screzio e nessuno sgarro. Mexes è sempre stato chiaro nei confronti della Roma e i vertici giallorossi hanno fatto altrettanto verso il proprio difensore. I capitolini, inoltre, sono consci del fatto che il nazionale francese ha il contratto in scadenza e soprattutto del forte interesse del Milan. Il Diavolo è da sempre una società amica e i rapporti fra le due si sono consolidati nettamente la scorsa estate quando nell’ultimo giorno di mercato Borriello ha lasciato San Siro per trasferirsi all’Olimpico. Due sembrano i possibili scenari. Il primo, un addio a gennaio di Mexes verso Milano; il secondo, un prolungamento del contratto con possibile tentativo rossonero in estate quando Borriello dovrà essere riscattato. Non va infatti dimenticato che la Roma deve ancora 10 milioni di euro al Diavolo, guarda caso, l’attuale valore (euro più, euro meno) del centrale transalpino.

[vtec]

[romawi]