0 Roma – Lecce: il commento zampato (video)
0 Roma – Cagliari: commento zampato (video)
0 Weekly review
Seven minutes of ordinary madness. The season of Roma collected in a handkerchief wet with tears and blood. A tumble that you do not expect. The most unlikely. An achievement within the achievement itself.
For seventy minutes Roma ruled, Juve just really little thing, lit only by a flick by Dybala for the goal of the momentary equalizer, but then the situation is settled in the second half with the goal of Miki and the jewel of Pellegrini on a free kick. We are ahead three to one and in total control, with Tammy’s opening goal that immediately unlocked the game at the start. Then something happens.
Allegri makes the changes of desperation, Mou responds with a simple alternation, which unfortunately will be fatal. With the exit of the young Felix and the entry of Shomurodov, the light suddenly goes out. The team stops, stops playing, defensively they fail, they don’t fight, we leave spaces, open fields. We take one hit, two hits, three hits. Stunned. Like a boxer on the ropes.
In 7 minutes we are incredibly down 3-4. Then we get up, incredulous, a reaction is triggered. A chance to catch her again, despite everything, with another 10 minutes plus injury time, theoretically there would also be time for a possible counter-reversal. And instead our history, very much Romanista, says once again that we are not cut out for these things, that it is not in our DNA to straighten certain matches in this way.
And here is yet another crucial penalty wrong with so much lightness and naivety. Mourinho is right, on the pitch he lacks the strength to react, charisma, personality and leadership. This team does not reflect in the slightest with what our coach is, our true leader. Our only hope that we can see this club move to a higher level. Investments in players of a very different caliber will be needed, it is now clear. Many players have obvious limitations, both technical and temperamental.
This team wouldn’t make it even if Klopp or Guardiola came along. We are missing a lot of points due to referees, true, maybe now we would also be above Juve in fifth place. But this does not change the current scenario. In the squad we have five-six players with excellent potential, but the others are good only for the bench. To make the leap in quality you need investments, right grafts with a right mentality, in the image and likeness of the technician, therefore at another level.
This team needs to be remodelled, it will take a couple of years to compete with the first four, a three-year project as already set out. Even Inter and Milan took years to return from the dungeons of some time ago, if anyone remembers. Calling another coach like Fonseca or an emerging one makes no sense, if the ambitions are different.
Josè Mourinho is the only hope to be able to return to the levels that compete with us, this is a challenge for him too, which is different from everything he has done so far. Rome is a place famous for its fans and the city it represents, certainly not for the trophies to showcase. So why come here to ruin a reputation with a team, let’s face it, poor, almost the same as last year which finished seventh? Because there is a project, with an ambitious ownership, because he knows that winning here would be different, a unique taste.
And then, we must try to be patient, now we are neither from the championship nor from fourth place, but maybe we will be. Let’s help him instead, instead of calling him obsolete or whatever … if anyone, he’ll be someone like Allegri, overpaid too, but with other availability and demands, but beware to say it around or make fun of him, thanks to the press.
Here we need a strong figure, a strong club and maybe one day even a strong press, as they have it in the North, who can put their face to it, to defend us from wrongs, from those who attack us, from those who do not respect us. Then a Totti, De Rossi, Boniek or Nela are welcome too, a Romanista to lend a hand, who goes in front of the TV to when they put their feet up on our heads. This is, if we want to be ambitious and grow seriously, otherwise we are open to young people, let’s take people like Italian, De Zerbi or Dionisi, or bring back Andreazzoli too, with the good game of Empoli or Sassuolo. But the results won’t change. Always Forza Roma.
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Two goals down after only 17 minutes for a penalty awarded by the Var followed by a mistake by Ibanez. Game immediately uphill. Some dodgy decisions once again by the referee quite questionable. Two reds for Karsdorp and Mancini. Milan v Roma would seem all enclosed here. And instead in the middle there is also a performance below expectations, despite the almost complete team with a Milan instead decimated by very important absences.
The referee certainly influenced the progress of the match at some point but this time Roma are the main culprits for this defeat. As Mourinho says, the quality seen on the pitch was of a very low level, with approximate gameplay, many errors in the assists, not good enough when try to finalize the opportunities. We expected a very different desire and determination.
On the contrary, Milan made a ‘virtue’ of necessity’, with a bench that is obviously of a much higher level. We are as disappointed as the draw at home with Sampdoria before the break, Sampdoria who promptly lose at home against a battered Cagliari. Another opportunity thrown to the garbage bin, to make that qualitative leap’ and to stay attached to the fourth-place train. But at this point it is reasonable to think that the squad is not competitive enough, that we need reinforcements of a very different depth, which Mourinho perhaps expected more at the beginning of the season.
The January transfer market will bring a couple of players on loan like Maitland-Niles and possibly Sergio Oliveira. Not just two good players but potentially ready to play. The first is a very versatile player of level, from the Premier League, even if this year he played little as a starter at Arsenal, but who can certainly make a difference in Serie A. He will be very useful, and not only to make Karsdorp catch his breath but also in midfield. As well as Oliveira, great with the ball with a lot of stamina and personality, even if he was not all the time at Porto, however he is what is needed at the moment. Waiting for Juventus at the Olimpico, we need to raise our heads immediately, but we will need another head. Always Forza Roma.
0 Milan-Roma: il commento zampato(video)
0 Popolo Giallorosso – puntata del 24/12/2021
0 weekly review
From euphoria to depression. From heaven to hell. All in just four days. The great victory against Atalanta had awakened the Giallorossi fans. In these four days nothing else has been talked about. Roma were back in the fight for fourth place, then we see, perhaps with some insertion in the transfermarket, with the direct clashes for the resumption of the league in January, with a favourable calendar to follow, here is already the great “catch up”. And instead here we are to comment on yet another step back and not forward.
A badly prepared and worse game played, which leaves a bad taste in the mouth. A tie that none of us had budgeted for. A huge disappointment. Perhaps Bergamo’s performance now needs to be reviewed and perhaps even resized. Perhaps we have taken some credit beyond what is due, considering what Atalanta has done in Genoa. Perhaps Roma play better when they don’t have to lead the match, also given their recent home form. Perhaps Roma is a team where they perform better when attacked, strong on the counter, with Zaniolo, Abraham and co. Perhaps Roma are not yet a team capable of competing at certain levels, and as Mourinho says, this is the place we are in at the moment, from fifth to sixth place.
Having said that, Sampdoria did a bit like Roma in Bergamo, but without the same quality , therefore not able to come here to win. But in defense they played a great game, with Yoshida and Colley amazing, a little like Smalling and Ibanez in Bergamo. Certainly, but the regret remains, also because after the advantage we had at least a couple of good opportunities to go 2-0, badly not exploited. And now maybe we were talking about something else. But the blame cannot be given to the young Felix, guilty of having failed an easy goal, rather to players like Mkhitaryan, who has never made a difference even as a playmaker.
A Roma team that had sprung up as it had been against Spezia up to a certain point. And then we must take note. This team is not yet equipped, in personnel, gameplay and attitude. You have to build it with a couple of pieces at a time to take it to a higher level and then try to compete, hopefully in one or two years. Jose Mourinho knows this well and only he is able to make us grow to bring us to that level. Now it is up to the Club to make further efforts, if that is the goal.
The arrival of Grillitsch or whoever for him, with a deputy Karsdorp and perhaps another central that can guarantee continuity and solidity as deputy Smalling, given that Kumbulla is not really a favorite of Mou. All the more reason. The englishman is a certainty when he is well, the whole department plays better with him on the pitch. With the return of Pellegrini and co. and Spinazzola on his return there are the conditions to do something good again. There remains the Italian Cup and the Conference League, two real targets, much more than the fourth place, now faded away. Waiting for the new year, a wish for everyone. Happy Christmas. Forza Roma!
0 Roma – Sampdoria: il commento zampato(video)
0 Popolo Giallorosso – puntata del 20/12/2021
0 Weekly review
The promise. We are going there to win. And he won. Mourinho sensed something before departing to Bergamo. The players responded on the pitch. The best performance so far. The first against a big team. Roma looked sharp and focused like never before. Compact and solid in defense thanks to a magnificent Chris Smalling, once again on the scoresheet. Mancini and Ibanez also play better alongside the charismatic englishman. Since coming back from injury things have improved big time at the back.
In the middle Cristante and Veretout worked very hard to fight tight against their opposition, while on the flank Karsdorp and Viña blocked any avenue for the nerazzurri. Miki moved up and down to help out in both directions, with Zaniolo breaking through the lines with Tammy to attack deep. Yet, all helping each other tackling anywhere to stop Atalanta anytime moving forward. The team played as a team. Mourinho prepared his game tactics in the best possible way.
And it worked. Roma thrashed Atalanta scoring four goals with only 23% possession. A record. Atalanta retained the ball for most of the match but without creating much in 90 mins. Rui Patricio made a couple of saves but always with confidence. Their goal came late for a deflection. The backline was perfect, the attacking force was lethal on the break. Their other goal was correctly disallowed as per clear game rules for obstruction offside.
Nothing else to declare, as Roma cruised to victory with overwhelming force. Well deserved. If it is a turning point must be seen. It is a good sign, waiting for Pellegrini and Spinazzola coming back, we must think positive for the second part of the season. First of all, let’s beat Sampdoria in midweek to end the first run. Not quite close but getting there. Forza Roma.