Articoli Stefano Sale

0 Cagliari 2-2 Roma “Unicef “

9 dicembre 2018
Stefano Sale
· As Roma Corner

Two players, one manager, and one goal up. Min. 97. Only 40 seconds left. Roma have the ball. Ask me how, but Cagliari equalise, one man alone against a backline of 5 defenders. This is a new Guinness record for sure. A game that was in the safe, done and dusted, 3 points in the bag. Cagliari had already given up. But this is “Unicef Roma”, we do charity to anyone. And when we don’t do charity we don’t win for bad luck or referee mistakes.

Roma are back to what it was back three months ago. Only 3 out of 18 points, all lost against Atalanta, Chievo, Bologna, SPAL, Udinese and Cagliari. We are far away from the 4th spot that would guarantee Champions League football next year. And Roma cannot miss on that if want to carry on to try to chase the big boys out there. So, this was a big disappointment, probably the biggest so far.

Cronic problems, as we said thoughout the campaign. Mental, physical, and even environmental. A team that is not able to capitalise, not able to finish off, not able to keep stable or even keep the head up. What kinf of pressure you have when you are 2 nil up with 10 minutes to go, with the opposition already in the dressing rooms?

Roma hinted that it was now up to Cagliari to get a chance – please come forward and try, we can help – the message. So, they did pull one back with a few minutes left, and then the bad foul on Robin Olsen, two red cards for two Cagliari players, a red card to the coach. 1 minute left. Roma have the ball. All you needed was going to the corner flag and keep it, like Totti used to do. Game over? Not. Cagliari with just one man against five manage to score the equaliser. Crazy stuff.

Di Francesco can be criticized, no problem. “Everyone is held responsible here. Club, manager, players, back staff. But one day you are a genius and another you are just a dumb”. That is what Eusebio told us back in September in a Madrid hotel before Champions League clash with Real. Eusebio is a great coach and a lovely person. Maybe too nice. Maybe this club needs a tough sergeant to aspire to anything. Modern football history says that only Nils Liedholm and Fabio Capello have succeeded here. Both had won scudettos and Cups with big clubs like Milan and Real Madrid. Only two profiles were matching these: Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte. One is an old Romanista but gone to Napoli, the other one is a Juve faithful but free. Will EDF eat the pudding at Christmas?

0 Roma 2-2 Inter “Eyes without a face”

4 dicembre 2018
Stefano Sale
· As Roma Corner

A great match turned sour – thanks to the blind boys Gianluca Rocchi and Michael Fabbri. Eyes without a face.

Intensity and excitement. Magnificent game of fooball. Both sides created plenty of opportunities. But it was Roma who went closest in spite of missing several players.

The young team delivered, especially Nicolò Zaniolo. A revelation. Pity about Florenzi hitting the post following a fantastic move with the maverick backheel by Patrik Schick. Yet, utter shameful is the penalty incident on Zaniolo himself. Not only was not given or reviewed by the VAR, but also gave Inter the goal on the counter attack. Unbelievable.

Cengiz incredible blast and Kolarov’s penalty later gave Roma the deserved equaliser in the end. But the initial clear mistakes by the match officials penalised Roma heavily. A game changer.

Totti went on TV to say that loud and clear. Straight to the point. “This cannot continue. We put VAR into place for a reason, to allow referees to review missed episodes. Why didn’t they utilise it tonight? What was Fabbri watching? “Referees and Var officials say things at meetings but then they don’t implement”. “The same referees have penalised Roma before. It’s evident. Obviously they cannot referee anymore”.

Hard talk by the Captain. And righly so. Enough is enough. Always the usual story. We have no evidence of bad faith or else. But lots of side thoughts. If Inter and Milan will need to go all the way to finish in the top four, fine. But no way we get this kind of treatment.

Irony. The same referee Rocchi won best of last year at the Italian football awards last night in Milan. With another Roma “friend”, ref. Orsato. A joke. Definitely voted in some northern quarters. They are the best, as long as they don’t disrupt their own game.

Roma must fight on against the usual Italian football rulers, the politics based in Turin and Milan. Until the end. This Roma team showed to have balls at last. With his new barrister defender. Totti. And a future. Zaniolo. Forza Roma. Sempre.

0 Roma-Real 0-2 “Un-Real”

29 novembre 2018
Stefano Sale
· As Roma Corner

After the crash with Udinese we expected a reaction “Champions” style, given the previous games. In the first half we saw a good Roma despite the many absences and young people in the field. But then when you miss opportunities like that of Under, you inevitably succumb to the greatness of the likes of Real Madrid.

This is how it went. A Real Madrid team with belly full of trophies, in crisis of results for quite a while. Florentino Peres will do a revolution, many will leave the white jersey in the summer. Despite this, Roma has not been able to take advantage of it, giving way to the second half. With De Rossi, Dzeko and Pellegrini in the field probably would have been another game, but it is always easy with hindsight.

Rome has highlighted the usual problems, needless to remember them. Chronic. In the general context continues the ordeal of Fazio in defense, while the self-esteem of Zaniolo grows, once again he demonstrated great personality and technical – tactical maturity. To review Kluivert, Under and above all Patrik Schick, yet again a fish out of water. Kolarov instead took the team in hand, as opposed to N’zonzi, too slow and predictable when it comes to building the action. Olsen confirms that he is an excellent goalkeeper and that Alisson is now only a faded memory.

Despite the defeat, Roma still go through the round in the Champions League thanks to Plzen who won in Moscow. Now the game next. On Sunday Inter’s Spalletti and Nainggolan arrive in Rome. One will receive a pile of whistles, the other only applause. But we are interested only in one thing: the three points, at this point essential for the continuation of the season. Daje.

0 Udinese-Roma 1-0 “Black Saturday”

25 novembre 2018
Stefano Sale
· As Roma Corner

“Everytime we try to get things our way, swiftly they go the opposite. It’s not just bad luck. It’s no confidence, no will power. Sorry to say but Roma aren’t a great team”.

These are the words of Eusebio Di Francesco after the latest setback. Bloody International break! I remind myself. Another loss against a weaker team, on paper. Again unexpected. Hard talk by EDF. He’s disappointed. I am disappointed.

Why we lost? Lots of possession, poor finishing. Players looked too casual. The usual anonymous performance by Patrik Schick. But also by many others including Cristante, El Sha, Kluivert not great either. And the rest. For sure Dzeko on the bench is no longer an option.

Once again the Roma world is looking for a culprit. Players, coach, club. All responsible when you win and when you lose. Collectively. Team tactics, lazy players, transfer market mistakes etc. Today is EDF’s turn. Should he quit? Or get fired? Ok but let’s face it. Could Roma win the league this year? Given Juve’s form so far probably not. So, Roma only goal is to finish 4th, at the very worst. Not a great expectation, I know, but this what is it at the moment. No one can challenge Juve.

Once again time to move on. The league is gone terribly wrong so far. Ok. However, still a long way, same as last year. We all remember the difficulties before Christmas and the great run from February onwards. Champions League. Can we win that? Probably not. But play on. Same as last year. Real Madrid look beatable, beaten by minnow Eibar. And Roma can do another u-turn, maybe. But Udine has left a bad, bitter taste. Hard to recover. We will be there, as usual. Forza Roma.

0 Roma-Sampdoria 4-1 “El-Pharaoh show”

13 novembre 2018
Stefano Sale
· As Roma Corner

One of the best performances seen this season, with our talented youngsters leading the pack. JJ’s, Schick and El Sharaawy’s double gave Roma an emphatic win. Well deserved.

The Pharaoh’s lob was an absolute gem. We recommend watching that again. JJ’s goal clearly belongs to Bryan Cristante, his header was going in, then tapped in. Great Jesus in defense, Cristante on the rise. Then Justin Kluivert, an absolute menace on the right flank. Schick started and scored, too. Great to hear that. But his performance still needs to be bettered.

Pity Roma did not keep a clean sheet, with Defrel still finding the goal in the end. Then, of course, it was another VAR decision. This time by cancelling the referee mistake to award Samp, but then rightly so. Never a penalty. Coach Giampaolo must be living on a different planet if he thinks so. Certainly, we can say it was another day of debatable VAR interventions also elsewhere, but we still think the one given to Fiorentina was a disgrace.

Overall, Roma gained a few points back thanks to Inter badly losing at Atalanta and Lazio drawing at Sassuolo. With this victory, Roma leaps back into 6th place With 19 points from 12 matches. Not great but it’s a long way. Now we have the International break for two weeks. Good or bad, time will tell. Time to rest mind and body. Next, Udinese away. Then Real Madrid at home. It’s arrivederci for now.

0 Player Profile: Cengiz Ünder

9 novembre 2018
Stefano Sale
· As Roma Corner

Comparisons between Cengiz Ünder and Mohamed Salah are so easy to make that they would inevitably have popped up irrespective of their validity. After all, Ünder was signed ostensibly as Salah’s replacement, a fellow right-winger who thrives when cutting inside onto a preferred left foot. Both have flourished at Roma, sufficiently impressive to attract the gaze of Premier League giants. Roma may have a difficult decision to make in the next transfer window, weighing up whether it is preferable to have Ünder ‘s talent or the considerable fee that it would command.

Ünder was snapped up for €13.4 million from İstanbul Başakşehir last summer, a paltry fee even for a player that mostly represented untapped potential. Roma may have been bemoaning their willingness to sell Salah to Liverpool for €42 million, with Salah’s subsequent form making that fee look like a bargain. Hindsight is, of course, a wonderful thing, but then foresight is pretty useful too.

Roma’s scouts have been blessed with foresight when uncovering future stars, with Ünder certain to warrant a much more substantial fee than the one that brought him to Italy. This is where the comparisons with Salah are their most useful, as Roma’s negotiating position will be strengthened by the ability to refer to the success of the last winger they sold to the Premier League.

Manchester City and Arsenal have long been rumoured to be sniffing around the Turkish international, with the former in particular representing an attractive option. While Ünder works well with the tactical philosophy of Eusebio Di Francesco, Roma are well off the pace in Serie A and, barring a miraculous run, are unlikely to challenge for the title. This mediocre start to the season is reflected in Serie A betting where Roma are 150/1 to win the title with bet365, whereas it’s fair to say that Manchester City have a better chance of becoming champions in the Premier League this season.

Ünder has time on his side, so there is no need for the winger to rush into a big move in order to sit on an illustrious bench. A relatively experienced 21-year-old in his fifth season of professional football, Ünder’s development has been consistent and shows no sign of abating. It is level-headedness borne from experience that encouraged Ünder to elect to join Roma over City in the summer of 2017, with the English champions set to loan him out to Freiburg while Roma offered a clearer pathway to first-team football.

There would be no such loan planned if Ünder moves in January or in the summer. Voted Roma’s Young Player of the Season last campaign and central to the club’s strong start in the Champions League this year, Ünder is going from strength to strength in the Italian capital. The player himself has stated that he is not agitating for a move in January, although the right transfer bid will prove impossible for Roma to ignore. The speculation surrounding Ünder is far from over and is set to continue as long as the winger keeps delivering the goods on the pitch.

0 CSKA-Roma 1-2 “Shiny European “

8 novembre 2018
Stefano Sale
· As Roma Corner

These days Roma look more European than Italian. Definitely more focused and determined to deliver. It’s a team that somehow retains a different approach in Europe, that Champions League feeling. Moscow was rather cold but Roma raised the heat immediately only after 3 mins with old pal Kostas Manolas, yes, once again rising high in the air with another crucial header. Oh, that Barcelona feeling!

Roma were in control for most of the game, conceding some chances alright but seemed never in real danger. CSKA early second half eqalizer was a big blow with Roma dominating the game. Then game changer when CSKA were left in 10 men, so straight afterwards Pellegrini put Roma back in front. Deservedly.

Yet again, Roma inability to bury the game remains a weakness. Too many chances squandered for excessive desire to score, especially by some of our youngsters. Kluivert and Zaniolo the culprits this time, selfish to allow CSKA to try to grab it in the last few minutes. Luckily they didn’t.

Overall, Roma were convincingly the winners, now in a great position to progress in the group with Real Madrid. Only a massive disaster situation will prevent Roma to advance. We can look forward to focus on the league again. Roma must show the same approach and determination against Sampdoria. We need this Europen version to quickly convert into a top Italian team, once again. Daje!

0 Fiorentina-Roma 1-1 “Reeling back”

5 novembre 2018
Stefano Sale
· As Roma Corner

Never a penalty. Olsen gets kicked in the face. The referee makes a mistake, and that’s ok. What is not ok is the Var system protocol. And how it is used. It’s disgusting the method of discretion applied by the officials.

Two weights and two measures. An unfair system that has already favoured some clubs over others. Roma were dead right to complain but to explain another disappointing result we need to go further on.

Roma still looking to become someone on the pitch. Too many players unreliable. If Chievo, Bologna and Spal are getting thrashed elsewhere by anyone means we have a serious problem. The same not seen in the Champions League.

Meanwhile, Napoli, Inter, Milan and Lazio are convincingly winning and moving forward. We are losing ground big time. We need to wake up soon with a winning streak or might be too late to catch up for fourth place. Next stop Moscow. Then Sampdoria, who got stuffed at home by Torino by 4 goals. Now, it’s up to you Roma.

0 Napoli-Roma 1-1 “Too shy”

30 ottobre 2018
Stefano Sale
· As Roma Corner

No one could imagine Roma to near victory at the San Paolo stadium in Naples with only 1 minute left to play. Yet, many could imagine Roma to concede a goal with only 1 minute left to play.

So, we know it ended all square. Beyond the obvious. Napoli were a thorn in the side for most of the 90 mins, Roma defending on the barricades after taking the lead and missing some golden opportunities to bury the game.

Overall we can say we take the point with a smile, nevertheless always hurts to concede right at the end when you think you have it in the bag. Life goes on, as usual. We have Fiorentina next, away again. If we are serious we go away with 3 points. But only if we are serious. Forza Roma!

0 Roma-CSKA 3-0 “Head up”

24 ottobre 2018
Stefano Sale
· As Roma Corner

We had said it after SPAL. We reiterate it today after the resounding victory in the Champions League with CSKA. Roma confirms to be a bipolar team that seems lazy and indolent with the small and that finds concentration and right motivations only in the big games. And that’s unacceptable, because needless to say that every match must be faced with the right approach, all-round professionals, with the same commitment against any opponent, give everything and get out with the sweat shirt after 90 minutes. And all this should start with the senators, a good example for new and young people who try to fit in. If the indolence starts from the old then it is clear that the whole team receives the wrong message.

We think that the departure of Strootman has left a gap in this sense, a charismatic leader, motivator in the field and inside the dressing rooms. Roma needs its leaders to keep the tension high. Edin Dzeko has shown that when he goes into the field motivated and focused the whole team runs in another way. He is the real heart, the team’s hourglass, more than De Rossi, Kolarov or Manolas. When up for it the whole team wakes up. Edin had a great game yesterday, he came back to help behind and he let the team up, then scoring two goals. We never saw him come back to help with SPAL, he missed goal opportunities, and the rest of the team followed.

That said, yesterday’s performance was encouraging but not exciting. An emphatic 3-0 scoreline, but not a massive performance. The defense still stutters, midfield must speed up. Some elements still show psychological and mental limits, like Cristante and Schick. We hope that the former Atalanta man will soon make the leap like Lorenzo Pellegrini did, until a few games ago in his same situation. Just a flash, as he had in the Derby. The Czech forward is in a situation where it will be difficult to get out of it, as long as Dzeko retains the No. 9 shirt in Rome. But he has quality, cannot waste 40m investment like that.

Overall, we take 3 points, now we are top of the group with Real Madrid , important not to lose in Moscow. But we need continuity also in the league. Napoli arrives at the right time. A great team to keep the tension high. Opportunity to measure yourself and show that we are here too. Confidence.

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