Re: The Official Roma Thread

by McLewis Fri 27 Sep - 21:37:54

I don't think either of those factors matter when there's little to no chemistry. I mean how many players have come in over the last 2-3 season who have said these words - "I came to Roma to win trophies". Yet no trophies. I don't think it's from a lack of effort, determination or hunger. I'm sure these players want to give their all, but every season the ones who stay are at an disadvantage because they see players they've built a rapport getting sold and having to start over with their replacement.

I really don't understand how anyone can expect glittering champagne football under such conditions. I truly can't think of a team anywhere in Europe's Top 5 leagues that chops and changes so many players every single summer. I think we're the only club that makes such wholesales changes with that type of frequency.

It's like building a car 50%, getting mad that it won't drive like a Ferrari, scrapping it, and then starting over again...and again...and again...and again...it's maddening.

by rincon Fri 27 Sep - 22:32:44

I'm McLewis, it's just too much change.

I said back then that the team that reached the seminfinals of the CL didn't need to get blown up. Everyone got mad at Monchi for a reason, drastic reduction of expectations by making such wholesale changes.

Thinking of how many good players Roma sold over the last 3 years constantly is crazy.

Salah, Alisson, Szczesny, Manolas, Nainggolan, De Rossi, El Shaarawy, Romagnoli, Lu. Pellegrini, Strootman, Emerson, Paredes, Rudiger, Rui, Pjanic, Politano, etc.

The problem besides just replacing all these players, was replacing them with a bunch of kids or has-beens in the last couple of windows.

The kids do look exciting at least, makes Roma fun to watch. There is a lot of talent.

by iftikhar Sun 29 Sep - 19:58:18

McLewis wrote:It's like building a car 50%, getting mad that it won't drive like a Ferrari, scrapping it, and then starting over again...and again...and again...and again...it's maddening.

There's huge and fundamental error in your example.

It's more like selling whichever part that starts working nicely. Then getting new parts just to see if those will work will be worthy for a bit as well.

Yes, it's damn maddening.

by McLewis Mon 30 Sep - 12:03:56

Yeah that makes the analogy work better, for sure. Either way, we'll never win anything if we keep chopping and changing the squad. That's my overall point.

I can't think of a single team that was assembled completely from scratch that went on to win a title of importance within that same first season of playing together. It takes familiarity and chemistry to build the type of togetherness that can lead to winning titles.

by McLewis Tue 1 Oct - 16:31:09

So Pellegrini is out for 2 months joining Perotti, Under, Zappacosta, Cetin and now Mkhitaryan, who is also out for 3 weeks.

So that means our creative responsibilities now fall to Zaniolo, whose the only player left who can play in that 10 role behind Dzeko. He's a very different player to Pellegrini in that I don't think his decision-making is as good and I think his overall on-the-ball play is slower centrally so the tempo might suffer. Now Pastore is also an option here, but he has had a lot of injury issues as well. I expect him and Zaniolo to split time in the hole between the Wolfsberger game on Thursday and Cagliari on the weekend.

More worryingly, we're short on wingers too and with Spinazzola still having fitness issues, Florenzi may not be able to fill in further up field. So Mirko Antonucci may get some playing time to show what he can do, especially against Wolfsberger.

Fun times, as always.

by iftikhar Tue 1 Oct - 17:41:50

by McLewis Fri 4 Oct - 19:55:27

As expected, Roma have announced that Chelsea loanee Davide Zappacosta damaged knee ligaments.

Zappacosta broke down in training on Friday, and it was reported shortly after that he had torn an ACL.

Roma have now confirmed that the 27-year-old sustained the rupture in his right knee.

He had managed just 12 minutes of football for the Giallorossi so far this season and was about to return from a calf problem.

His season-long loan does not include an option to buy from Chelsea but does contain a break clause in January.

It may be the case that he is sent back to Stamford Bridge without starting a single match for the Lupi.

Zappacosta becomes the 15th Roma player to tear his ACL in the last five years after the likes of Alessandro Florenzi, Kevin Strootman, Antonio Rudiger and Emerson Palmieri.

He also becomes the club’s fifth major casualty this term after Lorenzo Pellegrini, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Diego Perotti and Cengiz Under.

Sky Sport Italia is forecasting a layoff of 4-5 months for the ex-Torino and Atalanta wingback, who has 13 Italy caps.

@kick, come get ya fullback, bud. We're done with him.

Seriously though - I know of no other club in world football that have had THAT many ACL tears strike their fullbacks.

The worse thing? No one knows why it keeps happening.

by iftikhar Sat 5 Oct - 0:09:13

Have Roma changed tried changing its medical staff? I remember we used to have chronic and serious fitness issues in the early years of FSG. Perhaps the Roma management doesn't even bother?

by McLewis Mon 21 Oct - 23:26:53

Kalinic and Cristante both out for 1 month and the rest of 2019 respectively. Dzeko is playing with a busted face as well. Apparently Zaniolo is being tested up front as a forward while we still have no one to partner Veretout in midfield. Pastore filled in as best he could against Samp, but he's not at all a DM and it showed. I'd prefer to see Florenzi try that role.

That's 8 major injuries now. Practically half the squad.

by Kick Tue 22 Oct - 0:09:15

McLewis wrote:
As expected, Roma have announced that Chelsea loanee Davide Zappacosta damaged knee ligaments.

Zappacosta broke down in training on Friday, and it was reported shortly after that he had torn an ACL.

Roma have now confirmed that the 27-year-old sustained the rupture in his right knee.

He had managed just 12 minutes of football for the Giallorossi so far this season and was about to return from a calf problem.

His season-long loan does not include an option to buy from Chelsea but does contain a break clause in January.

It may be the case that he is sent back to Stamford Bridge without starting a single match for the Lupi.

Zappacosta becomes the 15th Roma player to tear his ACL in the last five years after the likes of Alessandro Florenzi, Kevin Strootman, Antonio Rudiger and Emerson Palmieri.

He also becomes the club’s fifth major casualty this term after Lorenzo Pellegrini, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Diego Perotti and Cengiz Under.

Sky Sport Italia is forecasting a layoff of 4-5 months for the ex-Torino and Atalanta wingback, who has 13 Italy caps.

@kick, come get ya fullback, bud. We're done with him.

Seriously though - I know of no other club in world football that have had THAT many ACL tears strike their fullbacks.

The worse thing? No one knows why it keeps happening.

Feel really sorry for Zappa, he got sucked in during our worst transfer window in years, barely played because of the change of manager and now has an ACL when he was looking to get back to playing.

It'll be hard to shift him on now, so I imagine he'll join the loan circuit once he is fit.

Roma having a tough time of it, too.

by McLewis Tue 22 Oct - 0:36:30

I truly believe he would still be fit if he hadn't joined us. I am not at all a spiritual or superstitious person, but I truly believe our training ground is cursed.

by Kick Tue 22 Oct - 0:40:01

McLewis wrote:I truly believe he would still be fit if he hadn't joined us. I am not at all a spiritual or superstitious person, but I truly believe our training ground is cursed.

Not much can be done about it now.

Will be interesting to see if Roma take him back when he is fit?

by McLewis Tue 22 Oct - 13:42:19

It's touch and go on that really.

We didn't really see enough of him to determine if he'd be a good pickup and now that we know he has a bum ACL, picking him up after that is very risky. The only player still with us after an ACL injury is Florenzi and that's largely because he's Roman and can play multiple positions. It has not worked out for pretty much anyone else so that doesn't bode well for Zappa from a Roma perspective.

by McLewis Fri 25 Oct - 3:36:46

Today in WTF random transfers....

Jack Rodwell will undergo his medicals tomorrow with AS Roma. He can sign as free agents - Roma need midfielders after many injuries. If medicals will be ok, Rodwell is going to sign until June 2020. #transfers
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 24, 2019

by Kick Fri 25 Oct - 6:57:21

McLewis wrote:Today in WTF random transfers....

Jack Rodwell will undergo his medicals tomorrow with AS Roma. He can sign as free agents - Roma need midfielders after many injuries. If medicals will be ok, Rodwell is going to sign until June 2020. #transfers
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 24, 2019

Err what?

by rincon Fri 25 Oct - 10:43:14

Roma works in mysterious ways

by Arquitecto Fri 25 Oct - 16:50:40

Since Roma are really going in that route I see their winter transfer picks between these:

Adam Lallana
Jack Wilshere
Tom Cleverley
Kyle Naughton
Tom Ince
Ryan Bertrand
Daniel Sturridge in case Dzeko is injured.

by rincon Fri 25 Oct - 16:59:58

Really pointless. Might as well use their academy, play Antonucci, play Florenzi and Perotti as midfielders.

by iftikhar Fri 25 Oct - 17:11:29

Arquitecto wrote:Since Roma are really going in that route I see their winter transfer picks between these:

Adam Lallana: Don't think Klopp will sell him if he is fit/in form. If neither, he isn't going to serve any purpose. For Roma that is.

Daniel Sturridge in case Dzeko is injured. He is in Turkey and this lazybone will not (fortunately for Roma) be arsed to switch to what will require significant amount of effort.

by McLewis Fri 25 Oct - 19:04:29

Buchel, Rodwell undergo medicals: today the auditions https://t.co/EMEonarzb8 pic.twitter.com/UzwNG9W5Ng
— RomaPress (@ASRomaPress) October 25, 2019

Roma midfield casting begins: ex-Leeds midfielder Vurnon Anita has also been proposed to the Giallorossi https://t.co/G7HXmND9Wi pic.twitter.com/0xc5ivP0Eo
— RomaPress (@ASRomaPress) October 25, 2019

by M99 Fri 25 Oct - 19:54:01

This is probably the strangest transfer of the year.

Fuck it, let them also get Ravel Morrison (Lazio legend), Andros Townsend (British Suso), and James Ward-Prowse (El Nuevo Beckham).

by McLewis Fri 25 Oct - 21:12:57

If signing Smalling was an eyebrow raiser, signing Rodwell would cause permanent muscle damage.

by M99 Fri 25 Oct - 22:20:37

I think Roma's directors are playing FIFA 11 career mode with a Premier League team.

by McLewis Fri 25 Oct - 23:04:38

I appreciate what Petrachi's trying to do overall. He recognizes that with only 1 fit midfielder in the squad, we can't hold out until the winter window for a proper replacement so he's looking everywhere for a warm body to fill that slot so we don't have to play someone out of position and potentially lose them too to injury playing there.

If Rodwell ends up being that player and doesn't nothing for the squad, then we've neither gained nor lost anything. If he actually excels, like Smalling, then we've got an answer until at least the winter mercato. Either way, it's low risk for us.

by McLewis Thu 31 Oct - 17:03:43

So a comprehensive win yesterday against a very poor Udinese side. That's probably Tudor done and dusted. He clearly doesn't have the support of those players anymore.

As for us, obvious the mentality of the players is what's most impressive. I can't think of too many (read: any) previous Roma teams doing what this team did today, given all of the injuries and poor ref decisions. It certainly helped that Udinese didn't really test us until late on in the game and even that pressure wasn't really all that strong.

The 3rd goal, scored by Kluivert, is probably the highlight of the 4. It was a perfectly executed counter. While Pastore's pass to Kluivert (Zaniolo was in acres of space as well so he was really spoiled for choice) gets all the plaudits, it was Mancini, a CB playing as a makeshift DM/CB hybrid after the red card, that actually started the move with super composed movement and dribbling. His part in that goal is the most impressive for me and it was crucial as well. Never seen that kind of play from a Roma CB before and I've quite a few pass through this team. That was special from the youngster.

Chris Smalling is getting quite the plaudits (well deserved, of course) yet this wasn't even his best performance. In fact, it might actually be his worst. He was not at all assured at the back with his passing and his positioning looked quite shaky. Still he just enough to keep Udinese at bay and continues to settle in so well.

One player who really looks out of sorts in this new setup is Ale Florenzi. He got about 15 minutes of action in this one and it was just unmistakable how many of Udinese's best moves came down his flank and were often started with his poor passes. I love Ale and he's such a passionate servant to the club, but he looks very much out of his depth in this setup. He's an example of the dangers of being a jack of all trades, but a master of none. Spinazzola and Santon (and increasingly, Cetin) look better at RB. Zaniolo looks to have the RW position and given that Fonseca prefers a CB in Mancini over him in the pivot alongside Veretout really tells the story for me. That 15 minute cameo, more than anything that has happened with him throughout the last few seasons, told me that as great a servant as he is to the club, I think Ale is really suffering under the weight of being club captain. He is Roman, but I don't think he's a leader. He lacks the grit and sheer will of DDR to lead through inspiration and he lacks the overall technical ability of Totti to lead through his play. I'm just not sure where he goes from here. He's still one of my favorite players in this squad, but Fonseca is entirely right to keep him out of the XI, even with so many injured.

by Guest Sat 2 Nov - 22:25:04

lol Roma plays way better with first team injured.
seriously though pellegrini / cristante or both shouldn't play in starting lineup. with them roma was leaking so much goals and get caught easily in counterattack but now they are rock solid in midfield with mancini pretty much doing the job.

Zaniolo is hitting top form also but roma is playing really well as a team.

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