End of the season awards

So I'm taking my queue from the podcast I'm listening to right now (+1 to il Principino).

I wanted to wait a bit after the season ended, let the rumor mill churn out, and then reflect back on the season we had.

The questions are simple, pick the best and worst from our season this year. And you MUST have a reason.

I'll lead it off.

Goalkeepers:

Best - Julio Sergio

Any keeper that's sustains a bad injury, man's up and stays between the sticks, fighting back tears, gets my eternal gratitude and respect. Julio Sergio is such a keeper. This was a farcry from the season he had a year ago, but he's had his moments of magic and that's enough for me.

Worst - Doni

Don't think there's a Romanista out there that will be glad to see the back of this guy. I won't forget what he did for us back in 2008, but he's erased all that good with poor performances in the seasons after that. He never instills any kind of confidence and he's plain to see that on the faces of the defenders in front of him. His anticipation his horrible, his judgement inexcusable, and his overall ability just not up to Roma standards. Good riddance. One the guys on the podcast put it best " It's like Doni is night and Manuel Neuer is a bright, bright day."

Defenders:

Best - Philippe Mexes

Say what you want about his transfer to Milan and about his reasons for it, but you can't question Mexes' ability at the back this season. He was simply immense for us when we had no other defender back there who was at their best. His awareness of what goes on around him, his reading of the runs and his pure will to win 50/50s saved us on countless occasions. He's always been among my favorite Roma players so it will truly be sad to see him playing against for the first time in his career.

Worst - Juan

Some will call it harsh, but it's got to be said. His implosion when we needed him most is inexplicable and frankly inexcusable. Every time a forward got past Juan, we were almost certainly punished by a goal we could ill-afford to concede. That's the curse of being as great defender as he is. For so long, we've heralded him as the best defender overall in our ranks and if we're going to go on overall form, he still kinda is, but we have to hold him to a higher standard because of that and that's why I chose him.

Midfielders:

Best - Fabio Simplicio

Always there to provide an outlet. Gives his all. Never quits and is has the knack of being at the right place at the right time to score timely and often crucial goals. Arguably, it can be said that Simplicio has been our best signing. One of the guys from the podcast christened him "A much better Perrotta" and that's not far off honestly. If it comes down to us selling him or Brighi, then it's Matteo that should be packing his bags.

Worst - Daniele De Rossi

Where do you start with him? He's lacked drive, he's lacked passion, and worst of all, he's lacked self-control. Yeah he's endured a truly horrible year with the death of his father-in-law and the divorce from his wife as well as the fact that he had played nonstop for almost 2 years, but that's the life of a footballer. The mark of a good footballer is when you don't let stuff like that affect your play, your passion for your club and I'm sorry to say, but it really got to DDR this year as a result, he went missing when we needed him most. Unacceptable.

Forwards:

Best - Francesco Totti.

Single handedly kept us in the hunt for the Champions League all the way to the end, enjoyed a historic personal season that has seen him better the goal tally of the legendary Roberto Baggio. Totti has enjoyed one of his best seasons in recent memory and has looked every inch the captain that he is. Physically, he has very little problems now and has even managed to lose about 16 pounds, giving him a sleeker and far more toned look and has shown as such many times this season. He may be getting on at 34, but his brain is still fully intact. His guile, creativity and vision simply cannot be understated.

Worst - Jeremy Menez

The potential is definitely there. No question about that. It's his attitude that earns him this nod from me. When at his best, Menez has proven to be simply devastating and borderline unplayable. But as we saw, when he doesn't get his way, he's one of the biggest primadonnas in Europe. It ruins his image, it nearly ruined Montella's and it hurt Roma's. He's player that wants to be the focal point of the team and when you play in the same side as Francesco Totti, that simply ain't happening. He's either gotta conform under Enrique, put his head down and work his ass off for this club or he needs to leave. He's a good player, but he's not irreplaceable, especially when we have money to spend now.

Best player of the season (Overall)

Francesco Totti easily. You do hit the heights that he's this season and not be recognised as your club's best player this season.

Worst player of the season (Overall)

Doni easily as well. Just imagine what we'll do with a great keeper at the back and it justifies this pick all by itself.



Goal of the season

It's got to be that goal from Vucinic against Inter back in September. It was pure class. De Rossi's cross was immaculate and Vuci's run and his ability to get head to the ball and direct it past JC was just out of this world. His celebration made it all the better. My favorite goal of the season.




Best match (Serie A)

2-0 over Udinese.

I picked this match simply because of what it began. This was looking like the toughest fixture left on our schedule besides the trip to Catania. Udinese had been sensational home this season ( that 3-1 mauling of Inter comes to mind) and while they had begun to tail off a bit, we were expected to concede quite a few goals at the Friuli. Football's a funny game that way. Not only did we score twice on them, but we kept a precious clean sheet as well. It was as fine a win as I could've asked for.

Best Match (Europe)

This will undoubtedly be everyone's pick, but yes it's the 3-2 win over Bayern. Arguably our finest performance in all competitions. This was Ranieri's brand of football at its best. We indured a miserable first half that saw Bayern go up 2-0, but unlike so many times this season, we came I renewed and rejuvunated. We played him off the pitch in that second half, scoring 3 unanswered goals to will our way to victory. It was a famous victory and one that will live long in the memory.

Worst match (Serie A)

As easy to pick as the above match. That dismal 4-3 loss to Genoa. Murphy's Law was in full effect there. Everything that could go wrong for us, did go wrong. It was utterly shocking that Genoa, a team who has often failed to score in many matches, could put 4 past us in 45 minutes of football. Ranieri rightfully stepped down. You just don't stay coach after games like that. One of the poorest matches I've ever seen us play in Serie A.

Worst match (Europe)

With some certainty, it was definitely the 3-2 capitulation to Shakhtar. I have all the respect in the world for that team and how they play, but we should've beaten them and we could've beaten them. The podcast guys were quite correct in that we simply underestimated them and they played us off our own pitch. Riise was absolutely abysmal and deserved the sleepless nights he suffered because of the mistake he made. We never really had much hope in the CL, but this was a totally winnable game against a really beatable side and we didn't take that chance..

So there we have it. I've said my piece.

How about you guys?

I listened to the Podcast on the way back from work today, and found myself agreeing mostly with what Alex was throwing down.

Goalkeepers:

N/A

I am undecided on this, but much like the host's selection of Pizzaro for the best midfielder this goes to J.Sergio by default for me. None of our goaltenders were good at all this season. Doni was the worst of the three though for sure.

Defenders:

Best - Mexes
Is it even debatable? All three guys said Mexes on the podcast unanimously, and its just a plain fact. Mexes was MOTM more often then not for the first half of the season, shuttin' down fools like no ones business. I liked Alex's dish on Burdisso though. You really have to give him some props. Was a first choice player last year, relegated to the bench this year, but when he came on he led by example and slotted in admirably.

Worst - Riise
Hand's down our worst player in the first half of the season, imo. Juan tried to take that title away from him with his play in Napoli and his countless back pass own goals, but it wasn't to be. This title was Riise's from the moment he returned from the head injury.

Midfielders :

Best - Simplicio

I'm with McLewis on this one. Everyone on the podcast I believe picked Pizzaro by default, but I really thought they overlooked Simplicio's contributions. He was the catalyst in the derby this year, scoring decisive goals, taking headbutts from Laziales, and in general bringing that spark we needed when Pizzaro was ""injured"".

Worst - Brighi

Brighi sucked big time this year. Didn't spell off DDR who had an atrocious season by his own standards. When he was on the pitch he looked like a headless chicken who didn't instill confidence into me let alone Ranieri or Montella. Pound for the pound this biggest disappointment for me. Sell to Napoli asap try to recoup some of that 16 million we spent on him.

Forwards:

Best - Totti

Does it really need an explanation? Left a lot to be desired early on but really picked it up once he was given his role back by Montella. He put the team on his back, and almost brought them to CL single handedly. I was surprised to learn he lost 16 pounds from the podcast. He definitely had more stamina and his running was allot better in the second half. This is obviously the reason why. Full credit to the captain, still our best player.

Worst- Vucinic

Missed chance after chance when we needed it. 5 sitters in 5 games to end off the season. That alone is the definition of failure.

Goal of the Season:

Serie A:

I echo your sediments on the Vucinic goal McLewis, If I had to pick another one, it would probably be this one by everyone favorite whipping boy, Jeremy Menez. This game went on to be our 7th consecutive triumph at home.



Europe:

There was two contenders for this one for me. I'm undecided on which is better.

There is the Borriello goal from the comeback against Bayern...



Great run by Menez, beats two defenders with a even better finish by Borriello. Also this goal is memorable (for me) for the Jack Sparrow goal call from Zampa, sadly I can't find it .

and this goal by Menez...




Best Match:

Serie A - Roma 3 - Bari 2

I nearly lept as high out of my seat when Rosi scored as the Vucinic goal against inter earlier in the year. This goal meant more though in that it kept our faint CL hopes alive against a team we were supposed to beat (this is usually where we run into trouble). My favorite game of the year, with a masterclass performance by the captain.

Worst Match :

Serie A -Roma 2 - Palermo 3

Really, this sealed the season. Only match this year I turned off. With Loria on caught out of position , Abel Hernandez scored a deflating goal late in the game, with another one coming 10 minutes later that I didn't see. Vucinic pulled one back in the last minute of extra time with one of his better efforts as per usual in a game that was over.

The European matches I completely agree with McLewis and the guys on the Podcast.

One thing about the podcast that kind of made me laugh is their reasoning behind a D being a 4/10. I'm sorry but 4/10 is a "F" fellas. I didn't think on a whole we were deserving of a D grade...We really overachieved last season.

Thus starts a new chapter. Good show though, and thanks for the link il Principino!

as i was reading mc's post for the worst forward i knew the second post is gonna be by narbez and the worst forward would be vucinic lolol

vucinic got into double figures while menez just got two goals :p

dont agree on mexes also because he played only the first half of the season and half of time he was likin ac milan's ass as for burdisso he slogged his ass covering up for lowly players like casetti.. best defender NICOLAS BURDISSO

p.s.- MENEZ OUT NOW.....plzz

Menez worst? Yeah right. Vucinic was the fail of the season... even my dead grandfather knows that

Goalkeepers

Best: Julio Sergio

Not so much for the performances which were below-par compared to last season, but for his courage against Brescia, staying on the pitch despite carrying a painful injury. He could have easily left the pitch and handed his gloves to an outfield player. But he played through the pain, in tears, in one of the most emotional incidents I have ever seen in a football match. Any player who does that, and he's one of the very few aside from the great Giacomo Losi nicknamed "corederoma" for a reason, is a hero in my eyes. I can't go on to describe this incident because the images say it all.

Worst: Doni

Lobont barely played, so it's Doni by process of elimination and rightly so. He didn't instill any confidence in our team whatsoever. His handling was quite poor and he didn't show up when we often needed him. Set to be sold this summer and will not be missed.

Defenders

Best: Marco Cassetti

My pick ahead of Mexes and Burdisso. Despite how unpopular this pick will be amongst you guys, Cassetti was Roma's most consistent performer this season. In the few games that he did not feature, he was truly missed, as Rosi couldn’t make up for his absence at right back and Burdisso just doesn’t fit the bill to make a good full back. Mexes played well and was often a rock at the back, but his injury took him out for a large part of the season. He did well in the 22 games that he did play, but to me Cassetti contributed more to the team despite any shortcomings he may have. As for Burdisso, he had a terrible start to the season, but I'll give him credit for stepping it up in the final third of the season when we needed him most. His aggressiveness and motivation really showed when push came to shove.

Worst: Juan

Had a really poor year, his worst since his arrival. He just seemed to lack the concentration he usually has. The first match against Sampdoria pretty much sums up his year, in which he single handedly gifted Sampdoria the 3 points. Lacked focus and just seemed out of shape. Hope to see the Juan we all know and love next season.

Midfielders:

Best: Fabio Simplicio

The Brazilian gets the nod ahead of Perrotta just because of his performances in the derby. He came out big when we needed him and in one of the world's most heated affairs. Scored against Lazio in the Coppa Italia, won us two penalties against them in Serie A; the first which nearly broke Lichtsteiner's arm, the second which led to Totti's memorable brace. Unfortunately though, he sometimes went missing, which is why Perrotta deserves a mention as well since I was debating between these two; clearly one of the most dedicated players on this team and Luis Enrique did well to point him out as being one of the examples to follow. Covered so much ground and gave it his all, will be an important part of the so-called "New-Roma".

Worst: Daniele De Rossi

I hate to say it, but it's true given the fact that we expected so much more of him. Of course, he had more than his fair share of personal problems to deal with and hasn't had a break since the summer of 2007. His lack of concentration cost us though and that elbow for which he got suspended was pretty much a sum up for his season as well, just like Juan's performance against Sampdoria. Having said this, should we even consider selling him? Absolutely not, I'm sure he will bounce back next season and make a case for being one of the best midfielders in Serie A once again.

Strikers

Best: Francesco Totti

Our best player this season without a shadow of a doubt. "The King of Rome is not dead", Richard Whittle said it best. The only light in what was a very disappointing season for the club. Carried the team on his shoulders, especially after Montella was appointed coach. Wonderful brace in the derby to silence his critics, along with a late-winner against Udinese in a heated contest and another brace against Fiorentina to hit the coveted 200 mark. 15 goals in the league at 34 years of age, something to be very proud of. A true example for all youngsters everywhere due to his dedication, passion and sheer class. Now 207 goals and counting for Il Capitano, watch out Altafini and Meazza!

Worst: Jeremy Menez

Just edged out Adriano, remember him? I've criticized Vucinic too, but the man did score 10 goals this season. Menez, on the other hand, has no desire to do well for this club and if he wants out, we should let him go. Sorry Narbez, the guy has loads of talent, which is exactly why I'm picking him for the worst striker of the season. He scored only 2 goals in Serie A, missing many scoring occasions due to his inability to properly strike the ball. He is capable of so much more, but he can't simply get his head down in work. He had many chances, even under Montella, but he didn't take them. If he wants to stay and is willing to shapen up his game, then I'm fine with keeping him on the team. If not, I wouldn't mind selling him for as much as we got him.

Best and Worst Matches:

Neal got it spot on with the worst matches and the best match in Europe. As for our best match in Serie A, I’m going with the last derby. The matches against Udinese and Bari were good, but looking back, those matches didn’t really matter all that much. In contrast, our 2-0 win over derby marked the end of Totti’s goal-drought against Lazio and was a real boost of confidence for our captain. It was a hugely anticipated match which saw absolutely everything, from a penalty shot to a red card. Our players suffered on the pitch; Simplicio was on the receiving end of an incomprehensible head but, while Totti was brutally stepped on by Matuzalem in a gesture that inexplicably went without punishment by both the referee and the league. Nonetheless, Totti made nearly every journalist in Italy put their foot in their own mouths by being the hero in an unforgettable match.

Goal of the season

I agree with what’s been posted so far. I’ll just add in these two which I feel were quite good and important as well. The first is Totti’s late winner against Udinese; a nice touch to beat Handanovic first time. This one is special just because it came in the 94th, just seconds before the final whistle.



The second one I wanted to add was Borriello’s excellent goal against Cluj. A brilliant strike off the volley to beat the keeper, excellent technical ability from Marco (Mexes’ goal that match was also very good).



Assist of the season

Just wanted to show this wonderful assist by Totti to Borriello who then beat the Basel keeper. I can’t believe Totti was being criticized at the time despite putting in wonderful touches like this one. It wasn’t the first time we’ve seen an assist of this sort by our captain, but we can never get enough of them, that’s for sure

Neal ,Matt and Mike i just wanted to say great posts guys i really enjoyed reading them ...Kudos guys..