Don’t Worry, Be Happy

By: chris | October 22nd, 2007

Roma – Sporting Clube de Portugal

Now that the festival of goals is somewhat behind us, it’s time to move on to bigger pastures, namely the Champions League with Sporting, aka Sporting Lisbon, aka Sporting Clube de Portugal, aka Joao Moutinho & Friends. So, Those Portuguese Guys come to the Olimpico, where – at least recently – goalkeepers and defenses come to die. Enjoy your stay.

Roma’s last few games have been a mix of contentment, complacency and utter disappointment. They performed well in the haunted hallows of Old Trafford despite losing (when ManYoo players admit you deserved points, you deserved points), then grabbed a quality 3-0 victory away from home against Parma going into the break, which had everyone’s spirits high. Unfortunately, Napoli was a mix of frustration and ecstasy. Four goals is awesome any day of the week. Giving up four goals? Not so much. More of the same with Roma failing to go for the kill when they had their bleeding opponent on the ground in front of them. With a Sporting team which has shown little success on foreign soil and against Italian teams, now is their chance to right their wrongs and go looking for blood.

Standings

Group F
ManYoo 6pts (+2)
Roma 3pts (+1)
Sporting 3pts (0)
Dynamo Kyiv 0pts (-3)

All teams have played two games, all have played one at home and one away. It’s early yet, but Roma is in good position with even as little as a draw, because they still have Dynamo Kyiv to look forward to and ManYoo will be traveling to Rome – and the difference between OT and home cannot be emphasized enough (notably the refereeing). However, we’re still factoring this under should win.

Last Five

Roma: DLLWD

Sporting: DDWWL

Squads

Roma: Antunes, Barusso, Bertagnoli, Brighi, Cassetti, Curci, Cicinho, De Rossi, Doni, Ferrari, Giuly, Juan, Mancini, Mexes, Panucci, Perrotta, Pit, Pizarro, Tonetto, Totti, Vucinic.

Sporting: Keepers: Rui Patrício e Tiago;

Defenders: Had, Polga, Ronny, Tonel, Gladstone e Abel;

Midfielders: Paredes, Adrien Silva, Izmailov, Vukcevic, Miguel Veloso, João Moutinho, Romagnoli e Celsinho;

orwards: Purovic, Yannick e Liedson

Probable XIs

Roma:

Doni;
Panucci, Mexees, Juan, Tonetto;
De Rossi, Pizarro;
Mancini, Perrotta, Vucinic;
Totti.

I really think Vucigol will get the start here, especially if Spalletti watched any of Ludovic Giuly’s game tape from Napoli. Other than that, a bunch of the usual suspects, though we may have a Matteo Brighi or Ahmed Barusso sighting at some point.

Sporting:

Tiago;
Abel, Polga, Tonel, Ronny;
Veloso;
Vukcevic, Moutinho, Romagnoli;
Liedson, Djalo.

Rumor has it they like the 4-1-3-2.

Key Injuries

I can’t find the words to properly convey how badly this team needs Alberto Aquilani back, so I’ll let the numbers do it. Goals conceded with each player on the pitch:

Aquilani: Three in 647 minutes (A goal every 215 mins or nearly 2.5 games)
Pizarro: ELEVEN in 404 minutes (A goal every 36 mins or nearly 3 per game)

They were on the pitch together for one goal, the second Viola goal where David threaded a pass to a purple shirt which started the counter attack that ended in the penalty. Feel free to factor that in (or not factor that in) to Alberto’s total – which would make that roughly a goal every 3 games. Concrete numbers only, Pizarro & Friends concede 6 goals for every goal Alberto’s XI concedes.

That’s not a coincidence. The disparity is far too wide to just ignore it at this point. Pizarro should not be seeing meaningful pitch time when Alberto comes back. Stop with the “tempo slowing, time consuming, pretty passing, long ball dropping, swell turning, game organizing” arguments and start…watching..off…the…ball (welcome to Scouting 101). He shouldn’t be playing against any team above 12th on the table. I’d rather see Matteo Brighi get Alberto’s starting spot for now.

* – No, they aren’t all David’s fault, but his play has a major impact in the massive chasm between his and Aquilani’s number, and the impact is also indirect. There is no counter argument against those numbers, don’t try. It’s done. And this isn’t about me winning the argument – there is no winner here.

As for the other injuries, Marco Andreolli is still nursing something and he hopes to be ready in time for the knockout rounds in 2010, and Taddei will be in the stands, still licking his wounds. Same for Mauro Esposito, while Simone Perrotta tweaked an ankle, but should still be ready to go.

(Feel free to rip me apart or discuss in the comment thread, but I’m still alarmed by those numbers. When I first added the totals I just stared at the screen attempting comprehension, and I still haven’t managed to wrap my mind around them.)

Key Matchups

Sporting v The Long And Lonely Italian Road: In their last 7 away games in the group stages of the CL in the last 3 years, Sporting has one win, one draw and 5 losses. Methinks they don’t like leaving home. Add that to the fact that Sporting have won once in their last twelve games against Italian squads (1-0 over Inter last year – nice job, Mancio, real nice) and this game is being put up on a pedestal for the Romans to take. The fans can buoy Roma and put Sporting out of their element, and hopefully the game, early with some swift, hard and efficient attacking.

(Also, on Saturday Sporting lost to a second division team at home in their domestic cup. To say that they probably won’t have a positive outlook going into this game is an understatement. However, to keep it fair, they may have been resting the big players in anticipation of tomorrow’s game…confirmed, per Greg at the Portugal Offside. Check his page tomorrow for the Sporting preview, and also more of my home movies)

Roma v Back-Up Keeps: This is where a team which has scored 7 goals in their last two games starts licking their lips, especially considering a couple of boys found their finishing boots over the international siesta. Sporting’s starter, Vladimir Stojkovic, is being left at home, and it will be up to Tiago to stop one of the most potent attacks in Europe – even if they can’t hold a lead. This is the type of gift a team like Roma needs to take and use to their advantage. Score a few goals, go into full on preserve lead mode and build up some confidence for the weekend seance with Milan.

Roma’s Rather Porous D Of Late v Sporting’s 97-Headed Attack: Or so it seems. Despite losing “I’m Hot. I’m Hot. I’m Hot” Nani over the winter, the attack still remains pretty good in Portugal, spearheaded by wunderkid Joao Moutinho (and their 21 year old captain). First of all, if you’re wondering who Moutinho is, think Diego, but younger and more mature. So, he’s decent. Then add in Izmailov, Romagnoli, Liedson, Djalo and Vukcevic and you have the makings of a dangerous attack. Luckily, some have not exactly been up to par or on form thus far, which is always nice. On the other side, the Roman defense will want to have a little bit of pride after giving up 8 goals at home in the last 2 games. If Max can get back to his old self, the return of Panucci and Juan should bolster the team immensely, with always reliable Philou locking down the middle. Keeping Sporting from starting up a fluid attack should be priority numero uno. Now, the remainder will rely upon DDR in midfield, which brings up this…

Daniele De Rossi v Sporting: Goals will be nice, the defense needs to perform well, but the undoubted key to this game is the performance of Daniele De Rossi. Not only does he have to fulfill his own duties on both offense (less) and defense (more), but he’ll also have to take on Little David’s defensive duties, because DP is going to get absolutely eaten alive by Sporting’s attack. Too many individually talented players capable of making runs and one-two touch passes exposing any weakness in the middle. DDR needs to own the midfield, which he is more than capable of, but it will nevertheless be a large task for Rome’s Other Chosen One. If DDR can sit back a little more and Pac-Man any balls coming through the center of the pitch the game should run smoothly.

Game

I feel like I could just cut and paste this section every game. Roma will attack, maybe score a couple goals, look susceptible on the counter-attack, have their play and concentration drop off in the final quarter and leave us all disappointed in the end. Let’s hope things start to change. Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a sense of urgency from TGIP when this team is showing something much more dangerous than poor form or inability to finish: mental indifference. It’s been mentioned time and time again, but much has to do with TGIP and his in-game damage control, which, in the last few years, we have yet to see much or any of. The team needs to hit out on the attack early and take Sporting out of the game mentally. They need to control possession, keep the ball off the foot of Sporting’s young guns and not allow them to get one ounce of confidence or momentum, which is ultimately the first nail in Roma’s coffin. No more late game back-peddling, and no more late drops in focus. Otherwise, qualification comes into jeopardy.

As far as the actual on the field stuff, it will be interesting to see the pairing of Mancini and Vucinic rather than just one or the other. Amantino’s ability to take defenders on himself, hold up the ball a bit and allow others to get in position or make runs may give Mirko a little help in catching balls on the fly (provided he stays onside). If you remember the Fiorentina game, the trio of Lulu Gulu, Mirko and Mancini played exceptionally well off each other. Substitute that Totti guy for Giuly and they could very well dazzle on the way to a few early goals. Look for this trio to get Sporting on their heels early and often.

Outside of that it should be more of the same. Slick passing, consistent buildup and many chances on goals. Sporting, on the other land, will look to try to find some space in the midfield to get its attackers through, and Velose, a DM, has some pretty slick passing skills to boot. The key here is to continually keep Sporting’s midfielders out of their ideal attacking positions and consistently force them to give some defensive help. David holding up the ball may help here, but once the ball winds up on the foot of a green and white striped shirt it’s good night nurse and God help us all as we await the counter attack – you know, that thing which every Roma opponent relies on because it remains the great Achilles heel when Alberto is up in the stands.

I dare say if Good Roma shows up, the game should be won and with a little bit of oomph and that ‘middle fingers to the world’ mentality (not necessarily in the same fashion as a Belichick “Fuck You” TD, but close). If Bad Roma shows up, especially after the 70th minute, it becomes a difficult game and a draw is a very real possibility. As usual, Roma’s biggest opponent will be themselves and the key will be keeping things calm, controlled, fluid and focused for a full 90. With the inclusion of both Old Man River and J-Smoth to the back line, I think we can feel confident that Good Roma will show up – both on the pitch at the same time should be enough to keep the back solid and they can build from there.

Predictions

Score: 3-1 Roma
Goals: Totti (21), Vucigol (38), Liedson (52), Totti (77)
MOTM: DDR, and he needs to be. (Yeah, I know I predicted 2 Totti goals, but regardless, it needs to be DDR)

When: 2050 CET, 2:50 US EST
Where: Stadio Olimpico, La Citta Eterna
Forecast: 17°, partly cloudy with a 20% chance of rain. Now back to Jim with the news.

Streaming: Here.
US TV: No ESPN, typical. But you can watch it on uefa.com for a small fee. The quality is supposedly an improvement over many streams, but the jury is still our regarding whether or not it’s just better to use the just-this-side-of-legal streaming or pay for uefa.

FORZA ROMA

Some Related Roma Posts:

Category: Champions League, Daniele De Rossi, Game Previews, Team News

« A Disappointing Draw: Reduntant Redundancy | Home | Veni Vidi Vuci »

Daniel

I'm convinced they'll score every time Pizzarro loses the ball, which is nearly every time he has the ball.
roberto

jesus you guys are animals at this blog... god it pains me to say this but well done (again)chris -- now where's my hatorade...
Daniele

He does not want to miss Milano tho.
Which means he might play.
Traian

Totti needs to rest his body anyway. He's not 20 anymore...We should do fine with Milan without him. Let him get ready for the Derby.
chris

Tarek, where were you as Rosella's voice of reason during the summer?

Relatively good news for The Captain, but he might miss Milan, which is tough. More Vuci.
Daniele

No he is worth 12 remember?

Non lo credo.
Tarek

I doubt the Tiago-DP swap would work out, especially since Juve just stated that they would see Tiago leave for 13 million Euros. I don't think DP is even close to that in worth.
Daniele

Padginho,

This buds for you.

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De Rossi explains penalty debate Wednesday 24 October, 2007

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Daniele De Rossi has revealed how he discussed whether Amantino Mancini should take the spot-kick against Sporting Lisbon.

“We were both on the ball and wanted to take it. Mancini is a very good penalty taker with an excellent record,” explained the Roma midfielder.

“We spoke to each other and decided he should go. He was unlucky, as it was a decent effort.”

As Francesco Totti had gone off with an ankle injury, the Giallorossi were without their regular penalty specialist.

Coach Luciano Spalletti confirmed that De Rossi, Mancini and David Pizarro were to discuss between themselves who should take the kick.

Mancini won the exchange of ideas, but Tiago saved it and turned the ball on to the upright, but Roma later went on to win 2-1.

“This match and the one against Napoli were completely different circumstances. We went so close to winning that one too, but this Champions League tie was much more important, as it puts us within touching distance of qualification,” continued De Rossi.

“I am also particularly happy to prove once again that Roma are a real squad. We have often won 4-1 or 5-1, earning headlines and praise for the quality of our football. Yet the moment we draw a game people say we’re lazy and superficial.

“We play at a consistently high tempo and we often do feel it in the second half. It is something we maybe need to work on.”

The capital club had to deal with several injury problems for this game, as Simone Perrotta, Rodrigo Taddei, Mauro Esposito and Alberto Aquilani were sidelined.

“I spoke to Alberto and he says he’s working well, so I hope he can be back for the second leg with Sporting Lisbon on November 7. This is a team that needs all its components and Aquilani had a great start to the season.”
Padginho

Why in Gods name wasnt Danielle de Rossi taking the penalty, come to mention it all Roma penalties, I cant remember him missing one ever
rickard

Chris you mentioned Cerci, do you have some news on Okaka Chuka?
Xelius

First of all LOL at 200+ comments. I still think we didnt play to the best of our ability but definite sidenote....Did everyone rejoice when TGIP took off Giuly for Brighi I WAS LIKE OMG TGIP must have gone back to the drawing board and read substitutions 101!
Kshitiz

Another admirer of Roma, would love to have him
http://goal.com/en/Articolo.as...
elmi

how bout returning pizarro for suazo?
Justin

great great..
i had to work again.. and i could not even see some minutes of the game..

when i saw 2-1.. well.. awsome..
when i saw vucinic.. i thought.. even better..
better play this guy as a striker.. then we'll get a golden boot again..

anyone got a youtube or something of his goal.. or any highlight?

thanks in advance
maro

Well, there was I thinking that I'd just seen the Pizza play probably the worst game I have ever seen a professional footballer play but think what I may the result drowns it out and so I have to accept that he must actually have been a key contributor to a hard-earned win.
Kshitiz

Did anyone see Vucinic Catching Conti in mid-air as he celebrated on the track??
chris

I think he meant someone providing both offensive and defensive capabilities, he wasn't insinuating Pizarro could defend a brick wall.

Also, I completely missed that Nazi thing. So am I Hitler here? Is Pizarro taking the weight of the Jews in the Holocaust all on his tiny little shoulders?

Anyways, it all falls on deaf ears. Argue all you want, the results drown it out. Those you can't argue with. At this point, he is a better player for the opposition than for Roma, no matter how well he can set up the attack.
The_tuna

"AND good defensive capailities"
What good defensive capabilities are you talking about. I, understand, and I really do like what this guy brings to the team offensively. When hes on his game hes a good player to have on the field, as opposed to today where you could have had him in a sporting jersey from the amount of times he passed gave them the ball. But please don't bring up his defensive capabilities, unless you're talking about his lack of defensive capabilities, then please by all means do.
chris

Well, the thing is they want Pizarro, and have for a long time. So it's not like they'd be forced to improve a rival. It makes sense for both teams (well, from the majority's Roman vision - the great deterrent would be Spal's man crush).

I still doubt it, too much of a fantasy.

elmi, I think that's a logical reason, and probably part of it. It still could've been prevented by picking up a striker in the summer on the cheap, which many are expecting in January. (And there still is Delvecchio, who I'm predicting will get a shock run out in The Derby and score a hat trick)
Inara

Anyone who loves Tiago as much as I do is my BFF. I would be thrilled to see him at Roma, but I doubt Juventus are that desperate that they'll sell them to a hated rival. Or they might demand an absurd trade like Tiago for Aquilani.

I just hope someone rescues Tiago from the hellhole that is Claudio Ranieri's world.
elmi

but i think i know why spalletti refuse to play with 2 strikers... because we don't have enough depth in that position... any injury to either totti or vucinic will hinder that formation... and worse still if both of them get injured... do you guys remember the season when totti and montella had long-term injury and we were forced to play mancini as a lone striker yet we still manage to get respectable results? thats just why i just so love our roma... pure inspiration, not to make any hindrance a reason for us to fail...
chris

A 3-2-3-2 doesn't put Perrotta on the bench. Nor does a 4-3-1-2, though it limits width. Also a 4-4-1-1, or even a 4-4-2.

What I'd like to see, though, is a 4-3-3 with Mirko and Mancini flanking Totti. So when Totti drops back to retrieve and hold up the ball, he becomes the "1" in a 4-3-1-2. Which allow for Simone to make his runs to both ends, flank him with two fantastic CMs, keep width if they want it, and even allow for some protection for David if he begins to improve and earns a spot rotating with the three.
john

piz-Tiago would be nice. when i saw tiago play for lyon he looked solid. he woudl fit right in at roma. i think we may have to look into the effectiveness of perrottas position compared to playing a two man forward line titti-vucinis

the only logical position to eliminate is perrotta one if we wanted to start vucninic. whats your thoughts on perrotta being on the bench???
chris

Just to bring it back to the domestic side for a moment, Cerci scored again.

This kid is making quite the compelling argument.
chris

No doubt. Unfortunately, along with massive talent comes a massive ego. The great ones know how to use it to their advantage.

I actually wonder how firm that Spanish speaking rule is for Riquelme. Even though if it was flexible, I doubt Spalletti would take him. Everyone says the same thing: It's JRR's world and the rest of the team is just living in it.
elmi

i was just thinking of that since i read in goal.com milan offered $8m for roman, and now that his supposed mentor diego maradona said he should go to italy

too bad huh chris, these things with cassano, roman & their kind, they have what it takes... just their personality blow it up for them
chris

And Riquelme should get a helluva lot more than 5m, plus he's said he only wants to move his fam to a Spanish speaking country. Also, he's a head case, and his ego couldn't fit in the same locker room as Il Captano's.

But I do think it's time to start looking for buyers for David. He's completely wrong for the makeup of this team, and he's limiting the impact of some of Roma's most talented players.

I suggested this yesterday on Martha's blog: I am expecting to hear, even if it's complete media BS, Tiago-Piza swap rumors leading up to January. Juve has wanted David for umpteen years now and he'd fit much better there than here. Tiago's on the out. And I would love Tiago - one of my 3 favorite players. Perfect fit for this team.
chris

I agree Pizarro's place is elsewhere, but I'm not sure he has the athleticism or the physicality to play as a trequartista. In fact, I'm sure of it. Especially in this system.
elmi

i agree with chris and i also agree with jcs, last night and in a few previous games pizarro just sucks... he was very generous with the ball... And I recall this happen even as he plays well... the only difference is its compensated by his ability to open play... but i see jcs point's too spal should have played him in a different position... can't he just see how lil'piz struggle in the dm? really i wish i don't ever see him play in that position ever! maybe he should play further up in perrotta's position (as a second choice of course...

So, to sell or not to sell him? for the right price, I say Sell! :)

the replacement: another striker and [insert suspense music] requilme... why roman? 1. he can supply the creativity when totti is not around 2. i have wet dreams of joga bonito when roman play alongside totti 3. have you guys heard how he can lock and kill a game down?

will it happen? no.

he's not the ideal player for spalletti i supose, and he's 30... but if we can sell pizza for 12m and get him for 5m i would beg spal to consider the option.

No, i don't think dp is worth that much now though...
chris

No keeper in the world was stopping either one of those goals.
Lukas

Roma was lucky Vladimir Stojkovic didnt played cause stupid couch suspended him.He already stoped Roma when they played Red Star and also saved penalty like Tiago.The score was 3-1 for Red Star.
Marco420

Oh yeah and i've already come accustomed to Juan playing like a World Champ. The guy's a Monster 6.8M$ !?! THAT'S A BARGAIN!

(need i remind anybody the prices Real and Juve pid for Pepe and Andrade?)
Marco420

Vucinic finally plays in his natural position and there you go
1 amazing goal and a won penalty, not to mention a body that actually looks threatening in the Box.

I like Giuly better as a SUB to run at tired defenses.

One last thing, Cicinho cost 11 M$ so let'S fuckin find a way to play him

Cassetti looked great but Cicinho should play that position...
Dolita

ps:
As much as I love the beautiful free-flowing football of Roma's early weeks, I like them getting effective wins too.
Dolita

I'm starting to think Spaletti is too stiff with his tactics. I mean, he should have plan B / C when things go wrong. He also needs to make best use out of the talents at disposal, instead of forcing them to play out of position. And why can't he have 2 strikers system with Totti and Vucinic upfront?

A little quote from Bruce Lee, “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless - like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

and

"When the opponent expand, I contract,
When he contracts, I expand,
And when there is an opportunity,
I do not hit--it hits all by itself."
john

if u look at pizzaros stats as you pointed out to me yesterday chris you see how they can be misleading. surely he is not a good defensively as aqualani n aqualani is a better player but ur comparing playing time to goals conceded. yes, they are starteling state the difference between aqualani n pizzaro in this catagory but look into them. aqualani played palermo, siena, regina and dynamo. pizzaro played against juve, fiorintina, inter, man u, napoli. there are also other aspects to look at in those states such as pannucci taddei and perrotta less so) all being fit for aqualanis game and not for pizzaros. those players are solid and are undoubtedly more defensive than cicinho and giuly.

i didnt see the game today so (very depressing) saw highlight tho. but last game against napoli i thouhg pizzaro was one of the most dynamic players on the field.

maybe he would be utilzed better if put into a perrotta roal where hes not as liable on d.

im playin devils advocate more than being a pizzaro fan. but i do think hes getting too much of the blame. sometimes things just dont go your way. i think we went though a period like that we will overcome it n hopefully challeng for serie a. im aributing our poor run to more extrinsic reasons not as much our personal. come on we have has some shitty luck.
ordeal_rules (JCS)

well, it finaly happened, as was the Nazi slogan a lie said 100 times turns into reality, I don't know what Pizarro has done to be in so many of your hit lists, many of you haven't even seen the last games or seen him play and are willing to sell him... the truth is Roma could not aford any other player that has his same offensive qualities and let a lone a player with his offensive flair and qualities AND good defensive capailities, Roma just can't afford it and there are VERY few players like that I can only Name Pirlo, Emerson, Gago and Deco... all above our reach...

I know that Pizarro is not good defensively but it is not entierly his fault that he is left in the positions he is where he NEEDS to defend like a player that can, that is more Spalletti's doing, he should not be leaving those responsabilities on hi sholders, but I can say without much subjectivity that PIzarro is the BEST offensive playmaker we have on the team after Totti and he needs to play since he opens up play beautifly, holds up the ball like only Totti can on the team, has a great long shot, and a wicked dribble his only liability is that at times his long balls do get intercepted and it is not at serious as Chris sais because it happenes to every player on the team and Chris just enfasises it on Pizarro because he hates him god knows why... he just needs to be given less defensive responsabilities, it is liek playing Totti in his position, of course he is not going to be a good defender especially when De Rossi goes forward so much...

by the way, I don't even like pizarro much he is not even in my top 5 but I know what he brings to the table and that he makes the team work best offensively with his passes, he is responsible for letting Mancini get so many balls out wide and for Totti to be able to play more up front... Aquilani canot do that I am sorry and I liek him much more than Pizarro but I can say it, Aquilani is not the man for the job, he can score goals with more easy than Pizarro and do some good short passes but he has very limited Dribbling and long passing abilities

peace out
Slim

Honestly guys i think Mancini had a good game until he missed that penalty so lets not blame him and start making up things about him now. And he always have that look when he's on the bench and the reason is that he wasn't happy with his own performance that's all
Vin

Ezio, those are some funny pics, dude.

Guys, I totally missed this match. Why the hell did I think it was on WEDNESDAY? I guess it's time to extract my head from my arse.

Since I was F'n clueless about today's match, the only Roma business on my mind today had to do with the Di Natale rumors:
http://www.serieamerica.com/bl...
I reeeeeeeally hope we can get this guy.
rickard

The thing with Pizarro is that he's playing like a high-risk trequartista from the position of a regista. When Spal has pushed him up in the field after bringing on Brighi in the past few games, the risk-reward ratio of those risky passes and dribbles is suddenly turned on its head. When Pizarro plays as trequartista I think you have to look for a long time outside of Roma to find a better player in tha position.

As a regista I agree he's just too hazardous and I don't know why Spal played him there at Udinese and keeps playing him there at Roma.
Daniele

All Hail Spal

Spalletti: It's all about enthusiasm Tuesday 23 October, 2007

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Luciano Spalletti admits Amantino Mancini and Roma depend on confidence and gives an injury update on Francesco Totti.

The Giallorossi seemed to be floundering after Totti went off injured and Mancini had a penalty saved, but they got back on track to beat Sporting Lisbon 2-1.

“There are moments like that in a match. We were not afraid at all. Perhaps a little insecure, but determined and with real quality,” said the Coach.

“Unfortunately, with a side with our characteristics if we are not supported by a wave of enthusiasm, things become more difficult.

“I was confident we could turn the game around, as in fact we did, as we just needed a little bit more time. We had unlucky moments, as Totti was injured on a free kick in our favour, Sporting scored with their first real attempt and the penalty save hit the post.”

Roma’s lead lasted just three minutes after Juan’s goal and a late solo effort from Mirko Vucinic secured victory.

“I thought the squad was compact right from the start. As our choice we allowed Sporting a little more of the initiative, as after some games in which we conceded a few too many goals, we tried to rein in our attacking approach a little.

“We didn’t rediscover Vucinic, he’s always been here!” continued Spalletti.

“I didn’t give him much space because we had a certain balance that did not need to be shifted, but once you give players a little more confidence it can make the difference. He showed today what we already knew, that he is an excellent forward.

“In the second half we pushed up more and it was thanks to the way the whole side was reading the game, not just because Vucinic came on.”

Due to injuries, Spalletti experimented with Marco Cassetti on the right side of a supporting attack trident, but in the second half he switched him to the left with Max Tonetto pushing up.

“When the match started to flatten down and we needed to shake things up, I decided to make this change. Last season Cassetti played this role very well and so did Tonetto, so I was glad to see they had not forgotten. It would have been wrong to maintain that system when we were at a numerical disadvantage in some areas of the field.”

Roma risked falling apart straight after the restart when Vucinic earned a penalty and Mancini saw his spot-kick saved. He was clearly upset and struggled to get back on track.

“Mancini was tense and I preferred to leave him further upfront as a striker so he could run into space when Sporting were unbalanced. I didn’t feel it right to force him to come back and defend at that point,” explained the tactician.

“It is a positive and deserved victory for us. Clearly Mancini lives off the enthusiasm of the squad, as is often the case with players who are very creative, but they too are inevitably the first to be affected when things aren’t going well.”

With Totti off the field, there was some debate over who would take the spot-kick and Spalletti confirms he was not involved.

“One does not force a player to take a penalty. These are delicate matters and they can talk to each other at that moment to decide among themselves who feels ready to take it. Daniele De Rossi and David Pizarro are also penalty takers and I think Mancini was a little unlucky, poor thing.

“We thank the Curva Sud for sticking by us and they contributed to this victory by making themselves heard.”

It was a bitter blow when Totti limped off with an ankle injury and it is not yet known how bad the damage is to his right ankle.

“We’ll have to wait and see tomorrow what the tests say after a few hours. His ankle and foot have been bandaged, but thankfully it is not the one that underwent surgery.”

This was a crucial Champions League tie, as with Manchester United running away with the group on nine points, Roma are three clear in second place on six. The trip to Lisbon on November 7 will also be decisive.

“Sporting are forced to get a result and we were forced to win this one. They are a technical team who play at a high tempo, so we had to be careful tonight. We know this double confrontation is the decisive one for qualifying and we go to Portugal with confidence.”
Daniele

Looks like Dnaiellino is growing his hair back out,.

I still think his shaved head look is bad ass.
Daniele

Ezio!!

HAHAHAHA

I loved when De Rossi knocked Vuci in the face twice after he scored... grande vuuuuuuc

De Rossi is the real deal.
Ezio

And some of this for good measure...

http://www.gazzetta.it/Fotogal...

I'm sorry, he just cracks me up in this picture, for some reason he makes me think of a happy Quasimodo (even though the man is at least 6'2"...)
DB

yup ezio...just no fire from too many players (especially Mancini)..even Mexes..at the beginning of the year he was focused..last few weeks, he seems like the Mexes from a couple years ago
Ezio

What we need is a lot less of this:

http://www.gazzetta.it/Fotogal...

and a lot more of this:

http://www.gazzetta.it/Fotogal...
Romanista SA

Guys, those Cicinho rumours came from Tribalfootball as I recall.

I wouldn't believe them if they said that Britney Spears has put on more weight, or that the sky is blue.

BUT

Having said that, why the heck did Cassetti get the nod in midfield ahead of Cici.

Smoke? Fire, anyone?

Can anyone confirm these rumours?
Romanista SA

I am an emotional wreck!

The first half was probably the most uninspiring rubbish I've ever seen in my life. No motivation, lack of team spirit, guys walking and not running.

We looked like the away side in a friendly match.

Spalletti must've pulled a Fergie and kicked a boot into someone's face (unfortunately not David Beckham, although our own David would've worked for me).

Better in the second half, and we played well after missing the penalty.

AND WE DEFENDED A LEAD!!

Pizarro was rubbish. If the ref didn't give a freekick everytime he dived, we would've been in all sorts of trouble.

Mancini seemed to want to take the whole team on everytime he got the ball.

De Rossi and Juan were fan-f/cking-tastic.

Giuly and Doni should swap positions, cos Doni clearly wants to play outfield.

We were rubbish for large parts of the game. If we played against a big team, we would've gotten destroyed.

Who cares though?

Not me. I'm just glad we didn't draw again.

And yes, I must agree, there seems to be trouble in the dressing room.

And why the hell did Cassetti start the game ahead of Cicinho, AND why the hell did he not get subbed at half time?
Daniele

This win will help the lads.

And the dressing room situation..
chris

Well, maybe all that "laundry" has more to it than originally thought. Panucci, then Mancini, now reportedly Cicinho. Maybe Spal has lost the locker room.

And, unfortunately, there is only one remedy for that.
chris

Thank you thank you.

So I see everyone else is jumping on the anti-Pizarro bandwagon. I had like two friends with me in June (oine of the first was Corey from Real), while everyone else was verbally stoning me, now everyone's aboard. Good to see.

Gabriella, I tried that also but it didn't work. I think something was actually wrong with my internet connection, because every single page was taking eons to load. Murphy and his laws have just been kicking my ass all day long. But thank you anyway.
Jeff

Yeah I'm a little worried about the mood of the team. Things don't seem right.
DB

Something is up in that lockeroom. Not sure if all the new guys are getting along, if they have lost confidence in Spaletti, or are just feeling sorry for themselves after throwing away points this year...who knows, but for the first 65-70 minutes the team looked dead.

Vucinic brought energy to the team and I'd like to see him get more opportunities upfront..either drop Totti back or play a 4-4-2. Mancini is either trying to get sent away in January or he is just an emotioinal mess who spends his free time talking with Adriano. He needs to get his shit together.

Doni...i just dont have faith in him. We need a solid veteran back there. (Is it true that Peruzzi might come out of retirement and join Roma or Milan in January?)

We need Aquilani and Taddei back (although the Taddei from last year)
Ezio

Well, that alone doesn't say much. Where they winning the ball without fouling? How many shots did they put in? How was the ball possession distribution? I mean, it could be that Sporting only attacked 20 times and we fouled them half the time and got the ball away without fouling the rest of the times. Since I didn't actually see the game but only followed it on 3 different play-by-play sites, I can't judge that. But I know that in addition to the 2 goals, we hit a crossbar, missed a penalty, and had many a scoring opportunity missed (as usual), which would tell me that we tried hard (within our current limits, at least).
Daniele

Grazie Roma.
Gabriella

Chris,

TVAnts disconnected me in the middle of 1st half so I installed Sina Player... it is Youtubeish... anyway the quality was good.

Mind you the installation was in a language I cannot even recognize but just pressed the buttons that were highlighted and it worked but only under IE.
Jeff

Your right just dreaming.
Daniele

Why would Palermo want Piz?

For Amauri?

LOL
Traian

5 fouls the first 55 minutes, 10 for the game...that's lack of motivation.
Jeff

In a trade for Amauri
Jeff

Si Si and I think we are all in agreement that come January Pizarro needs to go.
Daniele

Standing O for you Chris, without this blog we would be yelling in front of our screens and telling our girlfriends about the match. lol

This is the best place to come and talk about our beloved squad.

So grazie mille ragazzo!!
elmi

phew... that was close... I feared the most ever since scp equalize... we were unlucky to miss that penalty, and vuci's goal was fantastico! anyway, kudos to tgip for sealing it this time... and by now i have to agree that dp IS a defensive liability to our team... he give the ball away in too many occasions... so i'd prefer brighi over him especially against teams like milan in the future... pirlo will just freaking rip us apart if pizarro is playing against him... and i do have a question for you guys who get a clear view of the match (my streaming was to blurry and choppy to enjoy the game)... since panucci is playing rb and tonetto is on lb, where is cassetti playing? it's just impossible to recognize anyone with the picture quality i'm getting... when vuci scored i thought it was giuly :X

All in all, great win... i know roma can win big games like this, even under pressure... losing totti, missing penalty... i especially applaud spalletti for bringing in brighi to close the game down... forza roma!
chris

So, uh, I hear Pizarro had an awesome game? Caught the last 25 with intermittent buffering, always swell, and Vucigol looked spledipulous on that goal. Other than that, I hope Spalletti takes some serious time to think before the trip to the San Siro. His lineups are not getting it done (even though KA and Taddei are missing), and the motivation looks to be severely lacking. Anyway, a needed 3 points.

If anybody finds a youtube-like embedded player with the game at some point I'd love to have the link so that I can watch the full 90.

Also, you guys shattered the comment record, and by the time I'm able to put out a new post I feel we may venture into unchartered territories. Standing O to you. Group hug.
Daniele

Yes hopefully Juan stays healthy.

A little tough love from Curva Sud for Mancini.
He needed to finish that.

Grande Vuci, keep it up.

Milan is next.
Gollum

Agreed, Juan was solid all game
Chico

Vai!!! an ugly win was what we needed.

Pizarro and Mancini looked awful.

Juan and De Rossi the best.

Vuci...finally
Traian

Uffff...very important win. I would rest Totti this weekend. His position is very tough. He gets a lot of pushes, fouls and other tricks...and it's wearing strikers out. I would love to have him going back to basics (midfield and feed Voooch with assists!). Remember, Delvecchio would have been NOBODY without Totti's assists.
FORZA RAGAZZI!!
rocco

grande mirko!!

otherwise MOTM - Juan
Tim

Yeah not the best game, but when was the last time you thought Roma could get a CL win without Aquilani, Taddei, Perrotta, and essentially Totti? A couple years ago, a win vs. Ascoli would be a serious doubt without players like that.
Gabriella

yes yes yes!!!!

I was so afraid to post how pleased I was to see Brighi and that we even managed to waste time a bit...
Finally we've ground out a result and defended it.
Hope Totti is alright!
We need him, Taddei and Aquilani back, pronto!
ricci

anybody see arsenals goals? walcott with a cheeky one and for the 7th a nice samba across the line
Daniele

A win my friends, is a win.

Onto the next.

Milano.

I pray Totti is OK.

VUCII!!!!
AS DeGuilio

That's 1 now Milan and Nazio left to go
DB

i dont know how we got 3 points...but ill take'em

but they better shape up real quick though...Milan is going to be tough...they are due for a home win...and Lazio..well anything can happen in a Derby
Ezio

Yes!
Gollum

So that's what an ugly win feels like... interesting
Eric

big win
DB

mancini seems to only want to play these days when he can get the ball and run at defenses...and try to be the next c.ronaldo
Ezio

Shit, this is only the group stage, I don't know that my coronaries could make it much further at this rate...
Eric

Seemed to me like the fans got on Mancini a little bit when he was subbed off. His head is definitely not right though
Daniele

doni
you gave me 4 heartattacks during this game

thanks
rickard

Now 4-4-1-1 with Cicinho on the midfield. Chris will be happy.
DB

did anyone see that shot of Mancini on the bench after he came off? UGH...his head is somewhere else...looked like he was thinking "maybe i need a manicure tomorrow? hmmmm"
Daniel

Vucinic to start next one.
Please.
Ezio

Cicinho in for Mancini
Jeff

BUILD A FUCKING WALL!
OLD SCHOOL ITALIAN STYLE!
Daniel

I'm convinced they'll score every time Pizzarro loses the ball, which is nearly every time he has the ball.
Ezio

Arsenal is out of control...
Dynamo scored another one, 2-4, maybe they can tie... and I can be the next pope...
Eric

was anyone else convinced that they were going to score off that pizarro giveaway?
rickard

It's not 5-3-2, Max slotted up to the midfield. It's more like 4-3-1-2 with Mancini playing very far up with Vucigol, Pizarro as fantasista and Tonetto-De Rossi-Brighi as work horses.
Traian

Noooo, let them push and get them on a counter.
Marco420

Spals is playin a 5-3-2!
with CAssetti PLaying Defense to
Daniel

Roma, defend?
No chance, methinks.
To be honest I think our best hope is to push on for another goal.
Daniele

ooooooooooo
mancini and vuci.
Traian

Someone put the bus on the goal line!!
Jeff

LOCK THE FUCKING DOOR NOWWWW!!!!!
Daniele

POSSSESSSIIONNEEEE RAGAZZIIII
Daniele

Defense por favore.
Brighi for Lulu.

HOLD THIS ROMA!!!

Loved to see Bruno jump into Mirko!!!

PricelessQ!!
Gollum

omg its a substitution! Could Spaletti be learning?