Not So Manic Monday
By: chris | August 13th, 2007
Your Daily Cicinho Update:
Nothing new here. Rosella is holding out for a loan move with an option to buy while Real wants big money right away, because apparently they need about €50m more to throw at Dani Alves and then another €75m more to throw at Cristian Zaccardo. (anybody else remember when Ajax was holding out for €12-15m for Wesley Sneijder like, oh, a month ago. Real got absolutely hosed - again.) The rumor has it pegged at Rosella willing to pay or the loan plus a buyout option of €8m, making the total investment €10m (trust me here). Or, she’s willing to hand over €7m immediately for a full purchase.
In this instance, I agree with Rosella’s thrifty ways. Cicinho has done nothing to show he has tripled his value in the last two years - even if Rafa Benitez really thinks he’s worth €12m (that figure is being thrown around in the media so much that I’m starting to think Mijatovic & Co. may have accidentally on purpose leaked that “info” in an effort to drive their bargaining stance and price up). Roma has two fullbacks to buy most likely, in the event that Marco Cassetti is not called in to fill in on the left, and every euro saved will go towards the other guy. So if she needs to procrastinate and pinch pennies to up the quality of the squad, then by all means, do so.
Ole Bronzy balls will be meeting with Madrid and Milan regarding that dirty @#$%ing scumbag Emerson and then move onto negotiations with Mijatovic regarding Roma and Cicinho. Whether or not it’s today I’m not sure, but nobody seems to be running around like the world will end if this doesn’t get done by 2053, so I’d guess tomorrow. Bronzetti has seemed to work out well for Roma so far this summer with the Ludovic Giuly deal and the completed Chivu to Real negotiations, at least until he decided to eschew life in Madrid for a fatter paycheck in Milan. The deal will get done, it’s just a matter of when and how much.
An enjoyable Cici video to brighten up the mundane Monday:
News, Notes and All Around Bosh:
I) Valencia decided to get serious about this whole Alberto Aquilani thing and offered up 16m. To which Rosella immediately replied, “No soup for you!” Actually, the reply: “Untouchable.” And somebody start printing out generic offer denials for when Real Madrid and Chelsea come a calling in a year or two (Chelsea has already been knocking on the door).
II) August the 19th will be the deciding day for the status of Matteo Brighi. Which I suppose means The Grand Imperial Poobah & Co. will decide based on his performance against Inter whether or not they want to sell him to Napoli. I suppose this takes the phrase “trial by fire” quite literally; because if he doesn’t perform up to snuff, he’s out it seems. Even if I doubt it’s that simple.
As far as letting Brighi go, I don’t get it. The central midfield is not exactly bustling with depth, and all 3 starters missed the last preseason game due to supposed injuries. Moving Matteo leaves Roma with Aquilani and Ahmed Barusso as the two backups, with a few Primavera players in the mix. Aquilani will be fine (if he stays healthy), but the rest are really a toss up. Even Barusso; as much as I like him and his physicality, has never player above Serie B. I suppose now would be the time to cry out for that Euginio Corini-like Token Old Guy On A Free. But I don’t think he gets moved. We know Spalletti likes him and they aren’t exactly dealing from a position of supreme depth.
III) Guess who one Milan fan - the only one that matters here - is predicting to win the Scudetto. Just guess.
And while I may not have the fortitude to make a bold statement like that, if this squad can gel and show some consistency (meaning, not dropping points against teams like Siena, Torino and Craptastic FC), I can totally see Roma winning it. If they can weather that Week 4-10 storm they have two things irreplaceable in Serie A: Francesco Totti and Luciano Spalletti.
IV) In honor of Antonio Cassano’s likely return to the boot - as well as the fact that there is nothing going on today - just thought I’d give you a little reminder of what was and what should have been. A Roma squad with Antonio would have an entirely different identity and would no longer be considered a second-tier squad. Goddamnit Antonio, get your act together and get your ass back here.
And Cassano is probably going to make his Italian return to the Olimpico December 23rd. What a nice Christmas present.
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now i’m off to down a couple of ‘dungeon’ beers.
Posted from
Canada
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Fair point about a much improved Ferrari, Marco, however I suppose that Sunday will be the last trial that Spaletti can give to a guy like Panucci before he rules him out of CB service. Either way, enjoy those dungeon beers (if that’s at all possible without having one’s head firmly planted up his/her ass and 1/4 the way up their small intestine)…cheers bro!
Posted from
Canada -
Roberto and Lorenzo, I don’t think there’s any doubt that Totti has a very influential say in the way things are run at Trigoria and I don’t think there’s any doubt that in the past he’s had too much influence and both he and the club have suffered at times for it. Whether that’s the case now is more debatable. Regardless, there are three simple answers to the claim that Spags plays this way because of Totti’s demands to be accommodated as the striker.
First, as JCS says, how did Totti start to play as the lone striker? When was it and why? Totti was asked to play there as Spags had to improvise to cope with so many injuries and the result was almost at once that wonderful record-breaking winning streak. The football the team played was magical and successful.
Secondly, did you notice that at the beginning of last season, Spags tried to play Totti as the trequartista once Monty had got himself fit? Clearly Spags was trying to find a way of getting Monty and Totti into the side together. The results were poor and the universal comment was that without Perrotta as trequartista the side was imbalanced. Regardless of how poorly Monty himself contributed, the effect was radically to change the shape of the side. Totti clearly doesn’t offer the same mix of attack and defence as Perrotta; therefore the wingers have to play more as midfielders than as trequartisti (fifteen yards further down the pitch), and the effect was at once to stop the boys playing the beautiful football we’d got used to.
Thirdly, the key figure here is Perrotta, as Chris has mentioned in one of his blogs in the past. The team’s shape isn’t designed just to accommodate Totti’s strengths, but Perrotta’s too. And don’t come back with that nonsense that Perrotta’s also being played out of position and is naturally a holding midfielder. That’s rubbish. Everyone, surely, can see the mix of qualities Perrotta brings to this team. If you can’t, just watch the game at Old Trafford again.
Posted from
United Kingdom -
Marco, I didn’t see the Rube game but certainly against the Hammers when he played at CB in the second half Panucci was again very poor - he didn’t look interested up against the much bigger Ashton in the air and it was his dash forward and out of position which actually led to the break which produced the Hammers’ second goal.
However, I think you’re forgetting that it’s hardly as though Panucci needs to be learning a new position here. He’s played at CB for us plenty of times over the years. I don’t remember him playing there all that much last season, but he certainly filled in the season before - indeed, he was actually ahead of Bovo in Spags’s pecking order. I guess it was when Kuffour was away at the African Nations Cup or was it when he returned injured? Anyway, when we also lost Chivu or Mexes for a match or two, it was Panucci who was asked to fill in.
Don’t you think it was actually as a centre-back that Crapello brought him to the club in the first place? Admittedly it was then as a centre-back of a back three, with Cafu outside him as a true wingback. And, of course, Crapello quite quickly modulated that into more of a back four with Cafu playing as a true right-sided midfielder. Regardless, it’s not a new position.
Moreover, I don’t think it’s just to do with keeping him involved if Cicinho comes in. I should think that it’s likely to be where Panucci plays much of the rest of his career if he continues to play for another season or three. Clearly the model here in recent times is someone like Maldini and we’ve seen it too with Zanetti playing more centrally last season. Everyone raves about Panucci’s professionalism and fitness levels, so it’s hard to see him not having a few more years in those legs. However, it’s hard to see him having too many more seasons as a fullback. The moment he loses a little bit of pace, then, I should think he’ll look to adapt to a more central role where you’re less exposed one-on-one.
My suspicion is that he wasn’t actually all that up for the friendlies in which he was asked to play in the middle. Of course that’s not entirely to his credit, but against Ashton, certainly, I got the feeling he didn’t really want to cop a stray elbow or three against those London jokers. And certainly when he was caught out of position for the second goal it looked to me like the stuff of an irresponsible kid having fun - there was a chance to dash forward like a fullback with Tonetto, the actual fullback, outside him. Yeah, it cost us a goal but it was worth a punt . . . So, switched on in a big game it’ll be a different story. I don’t think he’ll particularly enjoy playing against Inter where he’s likely to be matched up with someone a fair bit bigger than him and he may get exposed in the air a little bit. On the other hand, let’s not judge Panucci’s ability to play that position on the basis of three halves of friendly action. Crapello signed him, no doubt, as a player who could play wing-back, fullback, and centre-back; it may take him a few more matches to get his positional play right, but I should think we’re going to get used to thinking of him as a centreback sooner or later.
Posted from
United Kingdom -
Maro - good point. But Perrotta didn’t play in the Old Traffford beating… His yellow card in the first leg set that up.
Posted from
Denmark -
aight sonn. first of all roma got this schedetto. why so cocky u ask. well we got every ingredient that we needto win this shitt we got depth (eventhough itsnotlookin good preseason) we got quality (totti, mancini, de rossi, mexas). wegot balls, we got belief, we got spirit we got what we need to win somehting already. we have gone to many years with out winning anything andthat about to fuckin change.
im expecting a season of some glory. u may say that were not the favorits to win it but we deff got whatit takesin the heart and in the quality. forza roma. totti goalllllllllllllllll…
ps CICINHO n modesto could be the diference between winning the schedetto and comming in 3rd
Posted from
United States -
breaking news from the capital…Juan has a muscle problem and will miss the match sunday against inter as well as the opener against palermo
Posted from
United States -
“Maro - good point. But Perrotta didn’t play in the Old Traffford beating… His yellow card in the first leg set that up.”
Exactly - a bigger endorsment of Perrotta’s value to this team couldn’t be concieved of than that game where we missed him beyond comprehension.
Posted from
Sweden -
Oscar, I really couldn’t agree with you more. Sure we were without Taddei as well, and SHITFACE (Chivu) was playing the worst game ever, but we were missing Perrotta. How can that man still be underrated. He is perfect in his position. Sure Totti played it more elegantly, but Perrotta is the biggest work horse out there. He disserves way more credit than is given to him!
Posted from
Denmark -
the only thing perrptta misses is his finishing- one to one with the keeper where i have noticed he has missed quite a few ones.. which is his only “mistake”( forgot which word i should use here:))
otherwise i think he is great because he is both defending and attacking and i do not think you find a better attacker than totti with the way we play!.Posted from
United States -
plain and simple. roma is a very good team that can challenge for the scudetto and in my opinion champions league.
although, we do need a right back (cicinho) a left back (modesto) and also another center back. mexes juan as starters is awesome as for the backups, ferrari is fine but we need another, andreolli doesnt cut it. look at the scenario right now, juan and ferrari are injured and thus who plays, pannucci, kuffour (no chance), andreolli; in my opionion, pannucci, his experience is worth much more than what andreolli can offer right now, no matter how talented he is.
from the middle and up, i am happy. as so we should.
we have plenty of players from the middle up. we need defensive help. modesto is a very good defensive player, thats what we need. when we need offence we will use tonneto. on the right,same story, when we need to defend we will use panucci, when we want to attack, we use cicinho. plus when cicinho plays, taddei can help out with the defending.
forza roma
and as for the great francesco totti, he should play striker or wherever the else he wants. he is the reason roma is in contention right now, if he had left us a few years back roma would be at best an uefa cup team, at best!! plus, if striker means totti plays for a few years longer, then im all for that!!!
Posted from
Germany -
anybody notice that no sports book is giving odds on the inter-roma game? whats up with that? somethings cookin’
the game is in 5 days and no odds???
Posted from
Germany -
George, you’ve got your tactics spot-on there, I reckon. Spags has to have two different teams - one for offence and one for defence. When we’ve got the ball, he subs in the offensive unit. When they turn it over, off come Max and Cici, Totti, Vooch, and Mancini and in go Modesto, Panucci, Brighi, Barusso, and Andreolli. That way you also keep guys fresh so they can go the full 90 minutes and there’ll be more time for ad breaks so we’ll be able to demand more cash from our sponsors.
Posted from
United Kingdom -
for those of us that live in europe, lets talk satellite.
i hear serie a games are going to be on art sports this year, anybody know anything?? art sports is also good for watching champions league games but no premiership this year, it went to over to showtime. oh well, i want serie a and champions league so im looking at art and al jazeera.
al jazeera is also going to have serie a just like last year.
any other ideas?
Posted from
Germany -
If you didn’t know I’m in the “Totti belong up top” camp, even if I would like to see him have a partner every now and again (ahem, Vuci). It really is hard to argue with performance, but much of what he does as the only striker plays to his abilities as both a goal scorer and a maestro. The term “waves” is thrown around so much by the media and pundits, but I think it fits more aptly to Roma than most other squads. There is so much overlapping in attack that the true formation switches up so often that it can become negligible at times. Totti’s ability to drop back and become the playmaker is really one of a kind amongst strikers and invaluable in a system like Spalletti’s. He has proven without a shadow of a doubt he is a phenomenal goal scorer, as well as a true maestro. What’s so wrong in using him in a position that will play to both of his strengths? Not to mention keep him around a couple more years?
As far as Perrotta goes, his plus plusses (in the scouting world) really play off Totti well and make him somewhat indispensable to the team (there are only a couple players in the world I thought could possibly replace him - Bodmer was one). His ability to go goal line to goal line is undervalued and hugely important in an attack minded system which calls for nearly the whole team to push up at times. His finishing may not rival that of Titi Henry but he is a vital cog nonetheless.
Posted from
United States -
“there are only a couple players in the world I thought could possibly replace him ”
How about Cassetti? (Typing this with a big big grin.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWMhxF-YRBkOh and I want those damn armbands that Perrotta is wearing, with XX on one side and 20 on the other. Didn’t see them anywhere on romastore. Same goes for Spalletti’s tie!
Posted from
Netherlands -
I have read that Cicinho was introduced in the Alves/Sevilla/Real M. equation. It would be a disaster for us.
Posted from
United States -
Chris, I stumbled across this today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJhywTiCEco&mode=related&search=
About the 7:40 mark comes Mancini’s goal against Lyon with a bit more of the build-up than I’ve seen in any of the other clips. It still doesn’t do full justice to Pizza’s role in the goal, but it gives a little bit of a sense of his composure under considerable pressure. It should be compulsory viewing for everyone who asks what it is that Pizza brings to the Roma table.Posted from
United Kingdom -
Boy, you love the little man, don’t ya?
I know what he brings to the table. I also know he brings nothing else. The composure comes greatly with experience. Aquilani will get there, I can promise you that much. He won’t be the pure sit-on-the-ball playmaker that Little David is, but he’ll take his spot for sure. This season or in the near future.
And I didn’t take you for a Fabri Fibra fan.
Posted from
United States -
All right, Chris, check out this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-o86MVoNCA&mode=related&search=
There’s a bit right around the 45-second mark which I think you may enjoy. I hadn’t realised that Pizza and Totti were quite so close; nor can I figure out why Pizza’s maglia doesn’t have a number on it.Posted from
United Kingdom -
Oh, and for CMP’s sake, that last post had a hint of irony to it - really I don’t think that’s Pizza holding Totti’s hand. Just thought we better clear that up right from the start.
Posted from
United Kingdom -
Maro, no need for clarification. That kid easily has 12-15 centimeters on David. Only a fool would think it’s the same person.
Posted from
United States -
Don’t be stupid, Chris. Pizarro’s short but he’s not that short. That guy’s just a kid.
Posted from
United Kingdom -
I absolutely love irony - i’m full of it. It actually does look surprising like The Pizza Boy (i’ll refrain from using the word man here - height does say a lot). If Sevilla end og snatching Cicinho from under our noses i’ll go apeshit. Not sure Rosella or Prade would care however, which makes me quite sad. But nevertheless - a huge fiasco, that the deal couldn’t be closed, should it be the case.
Posted from
Denmark -
Check out this great quote from CDS:
Ciò non toglie che il giocatore, dopo quella del Manchester City, abbia ricevuto una seconda offerta dall’estero, questa volta dal Lione campione di Francia. L’infortunio di Cris ha portato i dirigenti francesi a contattare direttamente il giocatore (la Roma al momento non sa nulla).
i love tha last part
Posted from
Canada
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