Friday Afternoon Newsy Briefs

By: chris | April 11th, 2008

Frank

Dr. ~~Bozo~~ Brozzi has said that the next few hours will tell whether or not Francesco is able to take the field at the Fruili on Sunday. Sounds like even if he is capable of going he’ll be at less than 100%. I gather we’ll only find out his status once the squad lists come out, because if he’s only available for bench/spot duty, I strongly doubt he’ll be flown up. If he’s available to play some serious minutes, he’ll be there; if not, they won’t risk him.

Then again, this is the most important game of the season remaining……so you know what that means: I know nothing.

Injuries

Mark Cass: Same injury he suffered against Inter (you know, when he got a yellow card despite Captain Fuckhead elbowing him in the face and Mark was called for the foul) and he’ll most likely be out for Sunday’s matchup.

Mirko Van Basten: Lower back is alright, he’ll be good to go.

Aquilani: Somebody has a KA voodoo doll and has been poking away at him gleefully this year. I suspect it’s the Pizaman. And think about it for a second. The only prolonged stretch when KA was truly healthy was the beginning of the year when Pizarro was injured himself and couldn’t play. Since then? Can’t get healthy, can’t stay healthy. So it’s either that or Piza’s not so secret lover, Spuciano Lalletti, keeps kicking him down the stairs at Trigoria so that Piza gets more PT. I think I’m on to something here.

Anywho, it’s hopeful he’ll be available for Sunday. If he is, likely to see sub duty again.

A few minor injuries to Taddei and Ludovicious, but nothing to get your Giallorosso panties in a bunch over.

And I don’t think I’ve anticipated a squad list this much all season. This is The Game, one which may dictate the final standings, and we can only pray You Know Who is available. I’ll take a guess that he is, and predict an early lineup:

Doni;
Cicinho, Juan, Mexes, Max;
DDR, Piza;
Taddei, Perrotta, Vucinic;
Totti.

(Non) Transfer Stuffs

I) I didn’t even get to finish proclaiming my undying affection for Palladinho in hopes that he’d wind up in Giallorosso next year and he’s done gone and moved himself inches away from a deal with Sampdoria (reportedly). With Talentino having agreed terms and Sampdoria simply needing to decide a fee with Real (don’t think for a second they just can’t wait to get him the fuck off their books)………good gawd. Palladino and Cassano running rampant at Luigi Ferraris is quite a frightening thought.

II) Peter Crouch’s agent thinks that Roma would be a “step down” for his client.

a) That’s true, he’d get a helluva lot less PT in Rome than he’s getting in sunny England.
b) If Peter Crouch does not wake up every morning, drop immediately to his knees and thank the good Lord for giving him a chance to play for a club even in the vicinity of Liverpool then he doesn’t understand how ridiculously lucky he is or stupid Rafa Benitez must be. My broomstick has more athletic talent than he does. (Then again, he may actually be my broomstick.) I’d rather park a 53 year old Bomber on the bench and hope that he never does the robot dance. Hell, I’d rather play my grandmother as prima punta than Peter Crouch. Wanker.
c) I just realized I’m writing about Roma and Peter Crouch has entered the conversation and I just threw up in my mouth a little bit.
d) Thus this will be the last time you ever hear Peter Crouch, mercato and Roma in the same sentence anywhere ever again in the history of time. Ever. @#$%ing louse.

(I dislike Peter Crouch a bit.)

III) Amauri is supposedly a done deal to Juventus according to Corrierre dello Sport. Wake me up when the media gets something right and maybe then I’ll pay attention.

IV) Toto Di Natale isn’t going anywhere. Right.

V) Since Carletto has now given his thumbs up to a return for Andriy Shevchenko - subject to change 8,562 times before the actual opening of the mercato - it seems like Roma’s chances of nabbing him are nestled somewhere between none and none. Ah well. Life goes on.

Arouna Kone

This is one of those rumors which either has some serious legs or the media deserves a good slapping around for completely reading the situation wrong. Arouna has been spotted in Rome this week, but some reports are saying that’s been for a doctor’s visit, rather than just hangin’ out with Bruno and Rosella. Could he just be in Rome for a doctor’s visit? Sure. Could there be more to it? Sure. Do I, and all my magical powers, know? Hells no.

The guy quite simply hasn’t been getting much PT in Sevilla this year - 15 games in La Liga and just 7 starts - so it’s not unreasonable to think he’s either been told he won’t fit into the system or he wants out. Then again, he did miss the entire month of November for what I’m guessing is an injury and he did miss the entire month of January and then some for the African Cup O Nations. Could be simply first year on a new team in a big league (came from PSV) coupled with missed time making this a relatively lost season - just two goals in all competitions to show for his efforts too. Also, rumor has it Diego Capel and Luis Fabiano will be on the outs during the summer as well. They’re all different players, but that’d be a lot of attacking talent to lose in one summer (plus Alves, who surely must have already flipped out on his agent and said “get me the @#$% out of here already”).

I’m siding with the media being idiots here (you’re shocked, I know), but if he is in Rome for other reasons, I don’t need to tell you why. Nice fit he’d be:

* - I’ll have more transfer stuffs after the game, preview tomorrow, plus the Soros crap, which has my head spinning. All I can really say is read this post again.