GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
So, Monchi is now officially Roma's sporting director. Let's take a look at the five best signings he made for Sevilla in his 17 years there.
5. Gary Medel - signed in 2011 Plucked from relative obscurity in South America in 2011 for €3m, Gary Medel went on to become a consistently performing defensive midfielder. He spent two years at Sevilla, becoming a regular for his country Chile during that time. He secured a move to the Premier League after that, and now stars in Serie A for Inter Milan. 4. Geoffrey Kondogbia - signed in 2012 Geoffrey Kondogbia joined Sevilla as a 19 year old from Lens. The midfielder quickly developed, and although he only spent one season in Spain, the club made a profit of around €17m on the player. He now also plays in Serie A for Inter. 3. Federico Fazio - signed in 2007 Now here's a familiar name... Federico Fazio has been a colossus at the back for Roma this season, and is a definite contender for the club's player of the year. The man to bring him to Europe? Monchi, of course. Signed from a second tier Argentine side as a 19 year old, Fazio went on to become a starter in Sevilla's first team, before he ended up at Roma (via Tottenham Hotspur and a return to Sevilla). So already, we have someone at Roma to thank Monchi for. 2. Ivan Rakitic - signed in 2011 A player who has gone on to be a regular in one of the best teams in world football, Croatian international Ivan Rakitic was bought by Sevilla for remarkably just €2.5m. Technically gifted, he became captain of the club in 2013, two and a half years after joining. He went on to move to Barcelona in 2014, the club again turning a massive profit on the player. 1. Dani Alves - signed in 2002 For quite some time, Dani Alves was the best full back in world football. He is the quintessential modern day full back, an attacking threat and also competent and fit enough to not let his team down defensively - but that's enough praise for a Juventus player on here for now! What is astonishing is that Alves was signed by Sevilla from Bahia in Brazil after being spotted by Monchi's scouting networks - for just £468,000. Scouting a world class player for not even half a million is some achievement. Alves is now the holder of nine European medals - only Milan legend Paolo Maldini possesses more - and is the most expensive full back of all time, after Sevilla's sale of him to Barcelona in 2008. During his time at Sevilla, he helped the club win the UEFA Cup twice and the Copa Del Rey once. Hopefully, with Monchi's input, Roma will be able to pick up similar bargains to help the side win the equivalent trophies again - and hopefully that elusive fourth Scudetto. This is a time of great optimism for Romanisti, and Monchi's arrival is a real statement of intent from the club.
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If you're a sports fan in England, it's almost certain you will be confronted with heaps of messages of praise for Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante in the media. And the praise is warranted; he is certainly one of the Premier League's best central midfielders. However, I believe the Kante hype train has been going just a little too fast recently, with people beginning to discuss him as the best midfield player in the world.
I don't wish to personally criticise specific pundits, but those who have been saying such things about Kante don't appear to heavily watch much football from abroad. So how can they know who the best midfielder in the world is? Radja Nainggolan, Roma's number 4, has been in shining form this season. For the reasons just mentioned, I can't commit to saying he's the best midfielder in the world; that would be hypocritical. But I believe Nainggolan deserves more praise in the non-Italian sports press than he gets. Here are my three main reasons why I believe Radja is a better player than Kante. 1. Tactical Versatility Nainggolan has flourished in an advanced midfield position this season, which has allowed him to score 12 goals in all competitions to date. On the other hand, goals are not something frequently associated with Kante, who plays in a deeper position. This gives a clear reason behind Kante's lack of goalscoring, but it should be remembered that Nainggolan has also featured in deeper midfield positions in his time at Roma. Nainggolan has shown he is capable of performing in whichever position he plays in (doing so with tremendous work rate and energy), and can adapt to slight tactical tweaks efficiently, a mark of a true great. 2. Leadership This work rate of Nainggolan's has seen him become captain material, donning the armband from the start in eight Serie A matches this season. Whilst a lack of leadership does not make you a poorer player, being able to lead by example can give your team an edge and carry them forward in the biggest games. Nainggolan's thirst for success has seen him contribute to the team as a leader in such games this season, and his passion has really come through. 3. He's Done It On The International Stage Radja had a breakthrough Euro 2016 campaign for Belgium, scoring two goals, including an amazing long range strike against Wales. Kante meanwhile has been taking a little longer to cement his place in France's midfield. Players need to compete and perform in international matches to be regarded in the highest degree. Nainggolan has done that over the past couple of years, becoming a driving force in a strong Belgium team, and that can only help to establish his reputation as one of Europe's best midfield players. In summary, I believe Nainggolan can do everything that Kante is praised for - the hard graft, the covering of distance, the completion of crucial tackles - and also adds other aspects to his game. In this sense he may be seen as a more 'complete' midfield player. A team with both of the players in would be a frightening sight for any opposition, but let's hope the perpetual rumours linking Radja to Chelsea don't come into fruition, and that he continues to become an emblem of Roma. When Gerson was named on the starting team sheet against Juventus in December, it came as quite a surprise to Roma fans. In one of the most important matches of the season, Luciano Spalletti opted for one of the youngest and most inexperienced members of his squad. It was only his second start in Serie A this season. To this date, he has still only made the two league starts for Roma.
In the Juventus game, he clearly looked out of his depth - winning only one of his four duels - and was consequently substituted off at half time. However, it was perhaps equally surprising as him starting, that that would be his final start for Roma for a very long time (also considering that he has not been injured). When featuring in the Europa League, often in a defensive midfield role, he showed glimpses of being a decent player. He seems to have a range of qualities, such as ball control and passing, with Roma general manager Mauro Baldissoni describing him on his arrival as "the most promising U20 midfielder in the world." But for someone at such a young age, with decent potential, better management this season would have been key. It was Gerson's personal decision this year not to be loaned out, so that he could learn from Luciano Spalletti and ply his trade among some of the best players in Italy, getting to understand the coaches' methods and to train with his future teammates. His situation reevaluated in January, it was again suggested a loan may be beneficial for him if the right option came about, but this did not materialise. Now, Roma are looking towards a 2017/18 season with a different manager at the helm currently held by Spalletti. How wasteful it seems then, that Gerson has spent a year learning the methods of a coach who will, should the player stay at Roma, likely not be his coach next season. His game time has been limited where a loan spell would have increased it, making only 4 Serie A appearances in comparison to 29 at Fluminense in his native Brazil last campaign. Game time is essential for young players' development (just see how former Roma academy product Lorenzo Pellegrini has performed at Sassuolo this season with the benefit of increased minutes on the pitch). Gerson, although initially due to his own decision, has been denied this, and his progress has thus been stinted. He remains a talented player, and one that Roma should keep hold of for the future, but whoever is his manager next season should consider how many minutes of first team football he plays, and whether this could be increased if he temporarily turns out elsewhere. I have been asked by many people in the past why I support an Italian club when I live in England. It is seen by some as unusual, unnecessary – perhaps even wrong. I have been ridiculed by some for my choice of team at times. Fortunately, though, I have also met many people who support the reasoning behind my choice of team.
I won’t bore you with the details. After all, there is an ‘About’ section of this website which tells you why I support Roma. But put briefly, my support for Roma exists because of my experience of the club; the passion I felt in the supporters when I attended my first Roma match; the unforgettable atmosphere in the stadium when the Curva Sud is full. That first Roma match I went to was genuinely a life-changing experience for me. Perhaps, though, more defences need to be offered as to why it is acceptable to support a foreign team. I have plenty. Some people believe it is irrational to support a team from abroad. However, many people support teams in their home country that are not from their hometowns or cities (mainly the case for successful teams). I personally know Liverpool fans, Manchester United fans, Tottenham Hotspur fans and others from my local area, yet none of those three clubs are within 40 miles of where those fans are from. Yes, they may be accused by some of being a glory hunter, but many still accept their choice of team, as part of their identity, not to be questioned. So, if they can support those teams, what is the difference for sides from foreign countries? Many people do indeed support the team from their town or city. But hometown loyalty seems of little importance to football support these days when you consider the lack of homegrown players at professional clubs. Rarely is it the case that a club will have a large number of players, as well as coaches and owners, from the local area, at a top flight club (Athletic Bilbao in Spain albeit being a clear exception). So, it does not seem fully true that by supporting your local professional team, you are supporting your local area – at least not as true as this might have once been. Real loyalty in these cases would more appropriately relate to non-league football, where players are more likely to be local to their clubs. Maybe the most sense supporting your local professional team makes is for ease of accessibility; but should that really be the main reason to support a team (or to support anything, for that matter)? I believe there are more important factors that should be considered first. So why do we choose the football teams we do to support? Are we obliged to follow in the footsteps of our parents and adopt their teams as well? This tradition is the case for many, and is not an illogical reason to support a team. (I personally will always have a soft spot for the team my dad supports in England). But support should be about personal choice, free from external influences. It is for the fan to weigh up the reasons behind his or her support, on a direct, personal level. It is nice, perhaps ideological, for all families to support the same team. But it doesn’t have to be the case. Another line of argument is from our other interests. We all have favourite bands, films, books and so on, and these often come from foreign countries. Why should it be different for football teams? Support for a team stems from interest in them, for whatever motives. The fan may be attracted to the team’s style of play, for example, just as a music fan may be attracted to a band’s style of music, or a literature fan may be attracted to an author’s style of writing. Style in this sense knows no boundaries of location. It transcends national borders, reaching out to whoever the appropriate audience is, wherever they are. If a football fan likes the style of a team, then they have a good reason to support them, regardless of location. People may also find partners from foreign countries and enter happy relationships. In many ways, this is similar to the relationship between football club and supporter. It is one of mutual adoration. And yes, it is more common that two partners will be from the same country, but there are many cases of relationships that have blossomed between partners from two different countries. Football support is equally a love, and it can work in the same way across nationalities. The fan simply finds the best partner, the best club, for them. My purpose here has not been to criticise those who do support their local professional teams, or the teams that their parents do, and I have definitely not intended to say that everyone should support a foreign team! But to those who do, I have tried to show that their support is perfectly justified, and they are not wrong in their support. And that is the purpose of Giallorossi Yorkshire. For there must be several other Roma fans in non-Italian countries. The club’s online presence is offered in many languages, and this is for a reason. Roma – our club – know that it is perfectly normal for people in other countries to support them. And we are lucky that we belong to a club that recognises that. |
samuel bannister
Founder and editor of Giallorossi Yorkshire, who is also a columnist for Roma's official website about the women's team. Categories
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