Re: The Official Roma Thread

[M99]

Thoughts on your new signings? (Kluivert, Pastore, Olsen etc)

[McLewis]

Kluivert - Is on a similar trajectory as Under before him. I think we'll see a lot of him after the winter transfer window.

Pastore - Far too injury-prone for my liking, but when fit and in the mood, he's a credit to the midfield, especially on the creative end.

Olsen - Rock solid so far. The derision he experienced when we signed him is wholly unfounded. He's not Alisson and will never be Alisson and that's really ok. He's been just fine back there for us and that's down to learning Italian at a near lightning pace.

Marcano - I want to believe there is more to him than what I'm seeing, because he does not look comfortable at all in that back 4. That performance against Bologna was dire. With Fazio out of form, this is his chance to really stake a claim on a spot alongside Kostas. He's whiffing at that chance right now.

Coric - Has not played much at all so far as that's down to being so far down the pecking order in midfield. It was always going to be hard to play his way into the team, even with Strootman and Nainggolan gone. He's immensely talented so a loan is really needed for him at this point.

Nzonzi - Quickly establishing himself as undroppable as part of the pivot with DDR. Not at all surprising as he was signed specifically stabilize the midfield. He's doing just that.

Cristante - I see why we signed him and I see the potential of what he likely will bring. He's not quite there yet and I think that might be more down to EDF's tinkering than the player himself. Would love to see what he can do behind Dzeko, but Lo. Pellegrini's in good form right now. Gonna take more time to figure out just where best to play him in this new setup.

Santon - Looks like a he has a new lease on life. This is exactly what I believed would happen with him. I said it when we signed him to much derision that we've developed a knack for revitalizing careers of players once believe to be beyond redemption. This is my favorite story arc of the season so far. Very happy for him. Looked very impressive against Lazio and Empoli.

Zaniolo - Not on his bandwagon yet, but he has shown glimpses of what he can be. I consider him a similar player to Pellegrini, just much more raw. Looking forward to seeing more of him as the season wears on.

Mirante - Hasn't been needed at all with Olsen finding his feet well. This is exactly what should've been expected when he was signed.

Fuzato - Same as Mirante. Will likely get more time with the primavera or on loan.

Feels like a new signing -

Luca Pellegrini - This kid is special and has looked every bit of the player we thought he could be. He's a Raiola player though so I don't think he's ours to keep beyond the next couple of seasons if he continues on like this.

Rick Karsdorp - Clearly a talented player and his return was supposed to really lift us in the RB department and allow Florenzi to return either to the wing or midfield, but a falling out with EDF and unexpected form of Santon have relegated him to 3rd choice RB. Now he's staring at a return to Feyenoord, which may be good for all parties at this point.

Patrik Schick - Has yet to really find his confidence in front of goal for us, a problem that many a striker who have come before him have struggled with. The man in front of him in the pecking order, Dzeko, knows all about that. I'm still not on his bandwagon either, but I do believe that once he does finally get that much needed goal, we're going to see some excellent form from him. He seems to be doing it with decent regularity at international level. He's just unfortunate to be behind the most important player in the squad right now.

[McLewis]

As brutal as that SPAL result was, it was deserved. It was a classic Roma performance against a relegation side. We approach these games not with confidence, but with arrogance. As if we're entitled to the result without putting in the requisite effort. It's maddening. I don't think that's an EDF problem. That's a player problem.

I'm glad he's still our coach. He has a way with this team that I have not seen with previous coaches. That and the replacement options frankly suck. The talent is there in both him and the team and I believe he's found the right formation and setup. He's just got to find a way to keep these guys motivated in-match. That shouldn't be a problem that this team has, yet it is.

The hill that I'll die on is always giving a coach the chance to right the ship until he gives up on his players and quits or they give up on him and force him out. Neither scenario has happened so he should be allowed to continue.

[McLewis]

Good win against CSKA. Proves that our heads were already in this game when we were losing to SPAL.

Dzeko in the CL is a completely different player from Dzeko in Serie A these days.

The biggest reason why I think EDF should stay? Our excellent home record in the CL. We remain unbeaten at the Olimpico with him in charge. That's unprecedented success for a team that lost 7-1 to Bayern at home just a few short years ago.

[rincon]

Napoli, Fiore and CSKA, all away, then home with Sampdoria. Let's see how focused Roma can be with this schedule.

[McLewis]

I see 4 points out of 9 in those Serie A fixture. I think we get the win against Samp. I don't see it happening against Napoli or Fiorentina.

CSKA away always a tough one. We've beaten them away before though so it's not uncharted territory.

[McLewis]

Shareholder slams 'useless' Roma
By Football Italia staff

Roma investor Fabio Palma has slammed James Pallotta and Monchi for not attending the club’s shareholder meeting and ‘buying useless, lazy players’.

The pair were notably absent from Friday’s assembly to approve Roma’s budget and in an explosive segment by Palma, the shareholder accused Pallotta’s [pictured] board of not performing well enough and Monchi for wasting money on Javier Pastore and Patrik Schick in particular, while hitting out at the Giallorossi’s policy on young players.

“For the umpteenth time, our dear President has missed the opportunity to come here,” he said.

“Not because his presence invigorates the team but because at least it can bring a little respect to us who represent the Giallorossi fans.

“Football doesn’t exist without us fans and it’s something that’s being forgotten. Directors and players forget that they exist because we exist.

“Without us, the players may not have such good lives. We’re commenting on a budget that’s perhaps too triumphalist.

“I expected better because of last year’s performance. We’re reliant on one result: either we qualify for the Champions League or the doors of tragedy open.

“We made €205m in revenue. Is that not correct? When it’s convenient for you, you veer away from the question.

“The question is always this: we sell our best players, but then we buy other players and frankly I wonder: if a player isn’t good enough for PSG, are they for Roma?

“What’s our policy on young players, since we either sign them for a high price or buy them back?

“Not only do we invest in youth, but then we turn them over to other teams: we don’t get anything out of those players.

“Instead, we sign players for high prices, even those who are older, without results. And if we don’t qualify for the Champions League this season, what happens? Do we sell everyone?

“It would be difficult to get rid of players like Pastore, Nzonzi or Marcano if that happened. We’d have to sell young players instead.

“We’re not Manchester City, we don’t have their revenues. We’ve taken on skilled sporting directors to discover champions.

“I’d have liked to see Monchi here to explain some of his choices. The only thing these players can do is say they’d like to go to Manchester City or Real Madrid.

“We signed Schick, whom everyone described as a champion. We haven’t seen it. Instead, we’ve seen a player who has no desire or even enthusiasm. And we want to build a Roma with these players!

“Why do we give away youth products like Pellegrini and take them back for €10m? Maybe here in Trigoria, there are characters and coaches who are no good.

“Evidently here, we talk a lot about technique and not tactics. We just buy useless, lazy players.”

WOOF. That's quite a hot take.

[iftikhar]

It pains me to see Roma (the board/management) has taken the same (disastrous) path of Pre-FSG Liverpool or Newcastle.

[McLewis]

Ehh I'm not too worried at this point. Palma's got skin in the game so I understand his frustration.

Can't help, but think he's spot on about both Pastore and Schick though.

[McLewis]

No DDR today against Fiorentina so that's a huge blow. Young starlet Luca Pellegrini is out too.

With no DDR, EDF is probably reverting back to a 4-3-3, with Nzonzi deep and Cristante/Lorenzo playing further up. Could be either Florenzi or Under out on the right or Florenzi/Santon at RB.

Would love to see EDF try a 4-3-1-2 though and play one of Cristante or Pellegrini behind Dzeko and Schick with.

Got a feeling we're in for a rough match today. La Viola aren't playing around this season. They look really good.

[McLewis]

Struggling to consider that point at Fiorentina today as earned.

Finishing was woeful.

[McLewis]

So it looks like Monchi is gearing up for Phase 2 of his overhaul.

The following players are expected to be made available for loan in January:

Ivan Marcano - Next to no minutes and has not looked like the former Porto captain we thought we signed.

Ante Coric - Very difficult to get into this midfield right now. Needs minutes and playtime to have a real shot. A midtable team could make real use of him.

Diego Perotti - Such a good defensive player out on the wing, but simply not as good as SES, Kluivert and Under to be in contention for a starting spot.

Rick Karsdorp - Failed completely to acclimate and settle. Was always a risk considering we brought him already injured.

William Bianda - Still quite young and just needs minutes consistently to have a chance of getting in this XI. Serie B beckons.

Rumored incoming:

Gianluca Mancini (Atalanta) - We're just one of quite a few that are in for him. Is on a hot streak with his scoring since being shifted to LB.

Matija Nastasic (Schalke) - Probably the most readymade player that we could pick up in January. Schalke won't let him go easily though.

Ozan Kabak (Galatasaray) - 18 years old and would very much be a signing similar to that of Bianda.

Hector Herrera (Porto) - Current captain and we've been linked with him for forever, it seems. Would be an ideal pick for a pivot player next to Nzonzi though in this current set up.

Donny van de Beek (Ajax) - He's repped by Mino Raiola and we already have a former teammate of his in Kluivert so relations are good so far with both club and agent. It's possible.

Matteo Darmian (Man United) - Another one that we've been linked with on and off for ages. Would be just what we need on either flank.

Maxwel Cornet (Lyon) - Has struggled for playing time this season so he's one to look for. A loan for the rest of the season with aim to buy wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

Eduardo Salvio (Benfica) - A player of this calibre certainly improves the squad over Perotti. He'd be very much welcome. I don't see it happening though.

Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Moechengladbach) - Would cost quite a bit and with 7 goals and 4 assists in 11 games so far this season for BMG, would likely be worth every penny. This is probably more a summer target than a winter one, but one can dream.

Source: Francesco Balzani (Leggo)

[Arquitecto]

Huge shame Marcano could not work given he has been a highly overlooked pillar of consistency for a long time and one of the best aerial ball defenders I've seen in a long time. Needed more time to assimilate in my opinion.

Karsdorp even a bigger shame as talent wise he has the highest ceiling of all fullbacks but given his face just reeks of spoiled and nurtured it is a shame he failed to live up to the challenge but Italian pragmatism never seem to favor such volatile players who can light up the pitch as it is.

[McLewis]

I had high hopes for Marcano just as I had for Moreno before him. On paper, picking up a defender like him should've provided a stabilizing influence on the backline, but instead he's getting benched by Juan Jesus of all CBs

As for Karsdorp, that one reeked of risk from the off. I can't think of too many clubs at or above our level shelling out double-digit fees for a crocked, but promising full-back. A big gamble that just didn't pay off. I think he only became more isolated when we sold Strootman.

[McLewis]

More names for Monchi's Black Friday shopping list:

Gian Marco Ferrari (Sassuolo) - I know very little about him other than he's 26 and an absolute stalwart in their defense. He's valued at 10m apparently, but it's highly unlikely Sassuolo will let not only let him go for that sum, but at all this winter. If he keeps on this way, we'll probably need to pay 5m+ more come the summer.

Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham United) - This has all the workings of a classic mid-season Roma signing. He's 30, avail on the cheap and is surplus to requirements at West Ham. Reminds me a lot of where Fazio was near the end of his Spurs stint before we got him for pennies. This is one to watch for sure in January.

Sandro Tonali (Brescia) - Who isn't linked to this kid is a better question. He's the en vogue name as far as Italian youngsters go and even has the edgy hair cut to go with it. Personally and unless he can immediately help us, I think this is someone better to be pursued in the summer (Brescia are unlikely to let him go mid-season anyway). Right now, we need someone who is ready immediately to step into a deep midfield pivot and make sure we don't miss DDR when he's out having a breather. I don't think this young'n is that player.....yet.

Rafinha (Barcelona) - Speaking of midfielders who could immediately help us. This one actually appears to have name-dropped Monchi as the next person he'd be playing for. I'm not sure how much of that I believe, but what I do know is that he's not a perfect fit for the deep pivot alongside Nzonzi, but we'd be silly to not try and get him anyway. I personally think him too similar to Cristante and Pellegrini nonetheless, but I think we'd do well to find a place for a player like him, especially if Barca don't charge an arm and leg.

[halamadrid2]

I have to say ever since Olsen moved to Roma, he has been excellent for the NT. More confident on the ball, great 1v1, commands his box better and more confident going out to claim balls

[Arquitecto]

Olsen is quite simply a GOOD Goalkeeper.

He gets a lot of stick and odd rumours of his poor performances and highlighting some glaring mistakes but he has been solid for Roma and a towering presence.

Why? Just like Ahn Jung-hwan who was part of the Korea team that (cheated) Italia out of the 2002 World Cup; and let it be known Olsen was part of the Sweden team who (legitimately) knocked out Ventura's terrible Azzuri.

So he is bound to have a little bitterness to him given he was stellar for Sweden in that campaign.

Not an Allison but nowhere near a failure.

[Robespierre]

I agree
He received some criticism for his beginning , but Serie A Is still a tough league for foreign players - about the adaption... But anyway after the first 3 bad matches, he has played good... Since that 2-2 against Chievo ...where he saved Roma from an incredible defeat... He's been solid
Other signings look lke a failure - I mean Javier Pastore. Just those two brillaint heel goals to deceive everyone about his return ... But he was so poor and constantly injured (on line with his Paris experience). Not surprised if he leaves Roma in January. Furthermore after Pellegrini developed in his place

[McLewis]

Our goalkeeper coach is amazing. He just won the top award in the league for his work with Alisson and now Olsen.

He deserves a ton of credit for how both have performed, Olsen especially given the boots he has had to fill.

[rincon]

Szczesny too, he improved a lot with you guys

[halamadrid2]

Don't know about Allison and Sczezny (sp?) But Olsen now compared to what he was just 2 years ago is like night and day. And it's all due to joining Roma. Every single part of his game has improved from his distribution to his ability to command his box. He made an excellent career move

[McLewis]

Szczesny is a good shout so Rincon is right. Shouldn't have forgotten about him. He still had a stigma of being error-prone when we got him and by the time Juve got him, he was much more solid and that reputation on the mend. The fact that he is trusted enough to replace a titan like Buffon is proof enough of how far he's come.

As for Olsen, I still am salty at the hate he got from my fellow Romanisti when we bought him. We were absolutely spoiled by Alisson and a lot of folks just couldn't see past that. Olsen has been exactly as advertised: a safe pair of hands and a presence in goal. Everything else he's added to his game since joining us has been an unexpected, yet welcome bonus. For me, it was never a doubt that he would meet the expectations laid out for him.

[McLewis]

The loss today further confirming that EDF is firmly focused on the CL. We've never been particularly good after international breaks, but that was a rough display to take in. The line up told the story and Udinese had a clear plan that was executed flawlessly.

With Madrid getting thumped by Eibar as well, one would think they are ripe for the taking, but I think it's a certainty that they're probably not going to let that happen against us on Tuesday. I expect a much more motivated Madrid team taking on a much less distracted Roma one.

[rincon]

EDF sacked after the Inter match if he loses? He was already on the line, Monchi has been under heavy criticism and some media reported that he would quit if EDF is sacked.

It's really not his fault that the squad got shuffled around like this but he seems to have lost confidence on his players, and also the confidence of his players. A change is probably for the best. Borrowed time for about a month now.

[McLewis]

Yeah I think he's largely underwater at this point. The players are no longer responding to him no matter what he says and that's never good. Beating Inter would only put his head above water and nothing more than that.

Sad because I think the players deserve far more blame than he does. His ideas are good ones and his philosophy is definitely the right one. I love that he's not afraid to try new things and he largely reacts well on-the-fly. It's the players that just aren't buying in fully. No fire in the bellies.

Despite the number of signings in the summer, our strongest XI still largely resembles the one Spaletti took to 2nd after Garcia's sacking. That's where the blame aimed at Monchi comes in to play as he was expected to insert more direct replacements for some of those players, and I think they will be in time, but they haven't exactly had the expected immediate impact. It's clear at this point that Sevilla's Monchi =/= Roma's Monchi. 2 very different sporting directors. I think he's on the right path honestly, but Rome is a pressure cooker of the highest order and we have so many delusional fans that expect Sevilla-level results right out of the gate. It's even worse when those fans happen to also be members of the Roman media who are relentless (and ruthless) with their pressure the club leaders.

So EDF will probably be gone by year end and it won't even be his fault. It wasn't Spalletti's fault, it wasn't Garcia's fault. Hell I wouldn't even blame Luis Enrique at this point. This team has a serious pyschological block when it comes to playing consistently good football and the super fickle (and largely local) fanbase and media do not make it any easier on them. The CL run last season was a taste of what it can do when liberated from the loser mentality it's developed, but it's far too easy of a mentality to fall back into, as seen this season. And yet the same mistakes keep getting made by firing the one guy who has the ability to fix it if given enough time.

[McLewis]

Today’s edition of Corriere dello Sport reports that the match on Sunday between Roma and Inter at the Stadio Olimpico will be decisive for the future of Giallorossi manager Eusebio Di Francesco. Reportedly, the club hope not to be tasked with having to sack their manager, however, should Roma lose the clash against the Nerazzuri – the possibility of Di Francesco leaving the club will become more than a hypothesis. Should Di Francesco ultimately be sacked, the newspaper reports that Monchi could resign. As for substitutes, the name of Paulo Sousa is one that does not excite or convince Roma’s hierarchy.

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