Just seen the match, what a lackluster dispaly

I don't even think they played that well, i don't want to say their goals are 'anomalies' but a FK and a penalty really isn't that reflective of our defense, the ref was atrocious yeah, the penalty was a bit dubious (Roma cleaned that ball well, don't think it was a pen) and i think he was harsh on Ely (though the yellows were justifiable) did both did well when they were on together in the beginning though, they just need a bit more game time to function properly. MDS seems like he hasn't changed from last season, personally prefer Abate to start until he gets his shit together, and, of course, DL was great, saving us from Ninja's lovechild.

In midfield, Bertolt was crap, i thought i'd vest some faith in him coming in with that price tag, but he was underwhelming. Jack and Bert, as a pair, don't function properly as a midfield unit imo. NDJ can slot in easily in any midfield style, but those 2 have very distinct characteristics that i don't think should be employed deep in a formation, 1 in midfield i do not mind, but both and your inviting the opposition to overrun us. It was clear that Honda was dropping deep to help out with the passing. Even before Honda was subbed out the movement and cohesion of the midfield was bad. As for Bacca and LA, can't say much about them when you deprive your forwards

At least Juve and Napoli lost and Roma drew, i wouldn't take this loss with me to the oven, as i'm sure most of you know, the first game of the season is hardly indicative of what is to come. I'm happy that Sinisa recognized the crap midfield after the match, hopefully he changes something there.

Finally had a chance to watch the match but I'll keep my comments brief.

Sinisa himself mentioned that we lost this game in midfield and it's certainly true to an extent. With the way we are structured defensively, we can not shut out our opposition and hold our line when no pressure is being applied on the opposing side within their own half. Fiorentina played as any team should against a diamond midfield. Able to bring the ball out of defence to the half way line with relative ease they effectively used Alonso and Gilberto to push up the flanks and drag our midfield across and allow Ilicic in the first half and later Bernadeschi after Ely's dismissal to drop in behind De Jong or into the space between De Jong and Honda to pick up the ball. Too often they could pick up the ball either facing goal or able to offer a quick pass back to Valero to quickly switch play.

We for our part allowed Fiorentina to dictate the game. We at times showed glimpses of promise but we did so infrequently. When put under pressure in their own half, Fiorentina on several occasions cheaply surrendered possession and were made to look vulnerable but these were not the result of sustained pressure throughout the match. When we were direct and got our fullbacks involved in the attack, we created opportunities. Shortly after Kalinic had wasted the first clear cut chance of the game, Bonaventura should have buried a simple free header after a chaotic scramble on the right that had been instigated by a long switch of play out to De Sciglio's advanced run. Antonelli was similarly involved in several excellent moves, such as when Bonaventura's direct ball to the top of the box was aided on by Bacca, to enable Luca to cross in search of Adriano.

There was no consistency however. In midfield we felt deeply Montolivo's absence. Though I understand his omission as he's further behind in his physical preparation at this stage of the season than those who began the match, this game highlighted why he is still a vital part of our team. Too often we gave up the ball cheaply and the side was unwilling to pass its way out of pressure, particularly in the second half when we were a man down. None of De Jong, Bonaventura or Bertolacci make the movements or have the passing range to control a midfield. The fact that there is no logical reserve playmaker is troubling given Riccardo's injury problems, particularly given the lack of a stand out AM who might compensate for this. Honda, though only given a short run out in the end, was starved of the ball and unable to contribute. It would be unfair to judge his ability to play a part under Sinisa on the basis of a game in which we had little control however.

On the manner of individual performances, Diego Lopez and Romagnoli were both excellent. The latter must of course be criticised for conceding the penalty. There is an argument that he got the ball but it did not look good from the referee's perspective. He made many excellent interventions and used the ball well, though he was at times frustrated by the lack of movement in midfield and was forced to go long rather than playing out as his his style in the end.

Ely had a poor debut and as Cas has pointed out, he simply lacked the pace to recover after a mistake. Though more clumsy than malicious, he can have few complaints about his dismissal. He should never have put the referee in such a position and he was within his rights to show a second yellow. Zapata, in his place, was excellent throughout. Alert to danger, firm in the challenge and possessing the pace to annul Kalinic, it was a very professional performance from the Colombian.

In midfield, Bertolacci had a poor debut and it does not reflect well on him that Nocerino looked more likely to impact upon the game in a surprisingly effective cameo. He was a nuisance for Fiorentina to deal with and got forward well to support the side however I was still shocked to see him brought on with the options remaining on our bench. His desire is undeniable but he has no real future with us.

In attack our forwards were valiant and made the most of what came their way. They held up play and brought their team mates into the game well, rarely wasting the ball but they simply weren't given the opportunity to see it enough in order to turn the game around for us. Both Bacca and Adriano can hold their heads high after their league debuts however.

I wanted to discuss Bonaventura last. In attack, as you would expect, he was his usual self, the only one to provide any real link between our lines. He must face criticism for his glaring miss but he was involved in the making of several promising chances and deserved a penalty after an obvious foul by Rodriguez on the edge of the box. Despite this, I am averse to Bonaventura starting in midfield. I do believe he is best suited to a deeper role where he can receive the ball facing goal and where he provides a unique ability to dribble and drive into space through the centre but defensively he looks out of place and he often left Antonelli stranded. I still think Jack's an important player to have in the squad. I think he's the perfect impact substitute for our midfield but, certainly against the best sides in the league, I would prefer us to give Bertolacci a run at LCM.

This was a disappointing loss however every game in the league is worth the same three points and we've plenty of time to make up for such a defeat. Last season we started with a bang then got progressively worse. The main thing this year is that we continually improve. Sinisa has barely had any time to put his mark on the squad at this stage and this is not the time to be passing judgement, either on the players or the coach. A poor start doesn't matter if you finish well.

To me the fact the Sinisa actually started with Ely-Roma is pretty impressive in itself. Sure, it didn't work out and one could argue that it cost us the game, but it shows that he is willing to take risks. I like that.

Also, his post match comments were spot on. It's nice to see your coach actually recognize where things went wrong. Whereas in the past they've generally been along the lines of "we are lacking in match fitness and the other team had 3 more days of pre-season..."