Comments on: Julio Baptista Takes France

By: UL

UL — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:38:24 +0000

I agree with you maro, but I don’t want to see Aquilani in any other colours.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:19:13 +0000

Guys I know this is late and may have already been mentioned but I love the way La Bestia went over to the Roma supporters/Ultras pounding his hand on his chest after his second goal. Another foreign born Romanista in the making?

By: maro

maro — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:37:40 +0000

It’s interesting, I think, UL, that almost all of the tactical ‘innovators’ of the past 4 or 5 years have moved firmly away from a 4-4-2 to formations based around at least one true anchor-man (I’m thinking here, for instance, of Benitez and his 4-2-3-1 with an Albelda or a Mascherano; of Mourinho with Makelele; of Capello with his two cement-footed holding players; of the way Wenger and Ferguson have their sides playing in Europe; and then of Spags). I suspect it’s a reflection of the athleticism of the modern game and of the defensive organisation of sides which makes the counter-attack even more devastatingly effective. I think, then, that a 4-4-2 with an axis of DDR-Aquilani would be less likely to work than it might have been 10 years ago, though I quite agree that that’s the formation which seems on paper to suit those Romanisti two the best. Take Totti out of the equation and they could flourish, too, in a 4-3-3 or with Aquilani as true trequartista in a 4-2-3-1. As it stands, though, this side is built around Totti’s qualities and Perrotta’s movement and Pizza was brought in as the perfect complement to those two. I also think that people tend not to appreciate quite how hard that regista role is. No doubt Pizza misplaces a few passes every match, but I’d be interested to know the stats of how many passes he averaged in 90 minutes last season and how many, say, Aquilani or Brighi do when playing alongside DDR.

By: UL

UL — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:20:52 +0000

I’d like seeing a modified version of a 4-4-2 where DDR-Aquilani have the central spots. I think Aquilani would flourish in the situation and perhaps we will get to see this for Italia.

By: maro

maro — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:19:30 +0000

Sorry, UL, perhaps I needed to have been clearer. In our Totti-Perrotta-based 4-2-3-1 we need a regista, I believe, all the time. Totti as striker needs a trequartista whose natural instinct is to get beyond him rather than to spend his time playing on the ball behind him and with that kind of trequartista you need a regista who can control the play and get on the ball all the time. With a more conventional play-making trequartista, you don’t need a regista in quite the same way.

Of course we can play different shapes and different styles – I seem to remember posting something about Aquilani’s strengths speaking to a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3 or a 4-1-4-1. In a 4-2-3-1 with Totti, though, we need a regista.

By: UL

UL — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:16:46 +0000

I’m not claiming the man is horrible or cannot contribute to the team’s success, but when it mean sacrificing the playing of players such as Aquilani, it does bother me.

Not to mention when we play other less-physical players like Cicinho in the line-up and we’re using our WBs to aggressively attack, we need more cover than just DDR and our CBs against top-notch opponents, something Pizarro cannot provide.

By: UL

UL — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:12:09 +0000

maro,

Who says that we require a regista all the time? That our formation will not adapt and change to use other’s players abilities to fulfill those needs?

No one here to my knowledge ever considered Brighi or Aquilani as regista, so you must not put words in people’s mouths.

Slowing down the tempo of a match and speeding it up is very important in football and I am not discrediting the role in the game, but I am looking at the qualities of the player we have that is to fill that role.

By: maro

maro — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:08:00 +0000

Jose, you’re right: in our ‘old’ 4-2-3-1 based around Totti and Perrotta, then it’s a no-brainer. The formation needs a regista and as regista Pizza is so far ahead of Brighi and Aquilani it’s not even funny.

By: maro

maro — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:06:30 +0000

A bit sensitive today are we, UL? I imagine it’s hormonal. Do Pizza’s misplaced passes bother me? Naturally. Do I think our formation is fluid? In some ways yes and in some ways no. It is certainly based around a lack of fluidity in the two ‘holding midfielders’ and loads of fluidity further up the pitch. Do I think Pizza’s role in slowing down play at times is important? Absolutely. It strikes me as a critical part of the regista’s ability to read the game.

As for your knowledge of the game – as I said, I shall be delighted if it stretches beyond a few well-known platitudes. There’s little fantastically smart-ass in that observation, I trust.

By: jose

jose — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:06:04 +0000

Maro you really have a fetish for lil chilian boy looking like man childs.

seriously i see what u mean a bit. but when it comes to assessing his contributions to his negative play, too often his negative play is in the lime light. Hes an ok player starting Brighi and Aqualani above him is a no brainer. you have to understand everything is relative my boy.

Keep up the good work Chris. ur killin it