GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
Last week, I made a thread on Twitter asking Roma fans what they thought the club should do with their current squad.
For each player, there was a poll with the option to keep them, loan them out or sell them. For loanee Jonathan Silva, I asked whether fans wanted to sign him permanently, or send him back to Sporting. The final results are now in, and here are the most interesting conclusions. Florenzi to stay Alessandro Florenzi is currently the subject of negotiations for a new contract, with several other clubs interested in him. The Rome-born player has had an underwhelming season, but that hasn't stopped the majority of people voting for him to stay at the club. 79% voted in favour of keeping Florenzi, despite his high wage demands. Time already up for Gonalons and Defrel Two of Roma's worst performers over the season, summer arrivals Maxime Gonalons and Gregoire Defrel, have been granted little sympathy by fans. 64% of people want Defrel to be sold after just one season at the club. Gonalons, meanwhile, was more of a divisive figure. In the end, the 53% of people wanting to sell him outweighed the 41% who wanted to keep him. Silva to sign The most popular poll in the thread was that relating to Jonathan Silva's future - although it should be noted that the results may be a little skewed, as several Sporting fans voted in it out of curiosity. Whether the results are reliable or not, just under two-thirds of voters said the left back should be signed permanently by Roma. El Shaarawy more popular than Perotti It appears that one of Stephan El Shaarawy and Diego Perotti could leave this summer, as the club look to upgrade the left wing role. In the thread, more people wanted the former to stay as opposed to the latter (although the most common result for both was to keep them). 72% want El Shaarawy to stay, compared to 63% for Perotti. Radja to remain Despite being another player who endured a frustrating campaign, capped off by his omission from Belgium's World Cup squad, Nainggolan is still very popular with the Roma fans. 87% of people want him to stay, the third highest margin in the thread (behind Cengiz Under and Daniele De Rossi). Skorupski splits opinion Lukasz Skorupski was one of the closest polls in the thread, after a season in which he featured only twice. One-fifth of people believe another loan away from Roma would be the best option for the goalkeeper, although at the age of 27 this is perhaps unlikely. The final decision was just edged in favour of his departure, with 41% saying he should be sold, in comparison to 39% wanting to retain him. Loans for Capradossi, Antonucci and... De Rossi?! 'Loan out' was the result of only two of the polls, those of Elio Capradossi and Mirko Antonucci. They are two young players who have shown promise when called to the first team this season, but may not get enough opportunities next season. A high proportion of people also voted to loan out Luca Pellegrini, Gerson, Andrea Romagnoli and Patrik Schick, although the final result for each was to keep them. The two people who voted to loan out Daniele De Rossi, meanwhile...
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As reflections continue on the 2017-18 season, it's time to look back at the performances of Roma's midfield during the campaign.
Each player is given an average rating, based on all their Giallorossi Yorkshire match ratings from the season (a rating counting double if a player was chosen as GY man of the match), and a season rating for how they did overall. Midfield was in general a weak area this year, with creativity and energy lacking. Who were the worst culprits, and who did well enough to avoid criticism? Radja Nainggolan Average Rating: 7.13 Man of the Match: 4 times Season Rating: 7 At times this season, Nainggolan came in for some unfair criticism. Other times, he really was that bad. Fans had to grow accustomed to seeing him play in a deeper role than last season, and he did alright as a central midfielder. His energy and tackling make him better suited to the role than the attacking, number 10 role he took last year. However, his lack of goals was a crucial missing piece of the jigsaw for Roma. He couldn't find the target in the same way he could last year, leaving the team over-reliant on Edin Dzeko to get the goals. Kevin Strootman Average Rating: 6.09 Man of the Match: 0 times Season Rating: 6 Throughout the season, Strootman looked tired and uninspiring. He is not the dynamic player he once was, and finds himself at the top of most fans' lists of which players should leave if Roma have to sell in the summer. It's a shame to see, as he has been the victim of tough injuries, but the rhythm from his game has all but disappeared. Lorenzo Pellegrini Average Rating: 6.95 Man of the Match: 2 times Season Rating: 6 Returning to his hometown club having grown as a player at Sassuolo, Pellegrini had a really good opportunity to make an impact at a top side. For whatever reason, it hasn't quite worked out so far. Sometimes he has looked like Roma's most creative central midfield player, but he's often made poor decisions in attacking areas, which he will need to iron out in future. Daniele De Rossi Average Rating: 6.79 Man of the Match: 1 time Season Rating: 7 De Rossi continues to be the beating heart of Roma's lineup. His legs may not move in the way they once did, but his leadership has been fundamental in his first season as club captain. He has also created chances with his forward-thinking passes. However, it's likely he'll need to be rotated in and out of the lineup next season, to protect him physically. Maxime Gonalons Average Rating: 5.3 Man of the Match: 0 times Season Rating: 3 When he was signed in the summer, people thought Gonalons could be the solution to help De Rossi rest and add quality to the team. That has definitively not happened. The Frenchman has been really poor, contributing little to the team. He doesn't move well, makes defensive errors and doesn't look like the experienced player that he should. 2017-18 has been a write off for Maxime Gonalons. Gerson Average Rating: 6.29 Man of the Match: 0 times Season Rating: 6 Gerson's Roma career now consists of two years, and it's still hard to know what to make of him. Opportunities have been more frequent than under Luciano Spalletti, but still rare. He obviously has talent, but hasn't been able to find a permanent role in the team. Positionally he has fluctuated between a central midfielder and a right winger. For his own benefit, it might be time for the young man to find a new club. Which five Roma players make today's team on Five-a-Side Friday? Take a look here.
Name: Thomas Lloyd Morgan Location: Middlesbrough, England Team: Alisson Becker - Been in imperious form and has more than stepped up the the plate with strings of top class saves. Looks like Roma have unearthed a gem in a top top keeper. A position which we have been lacking for a while now. Aldair - Solid defender, World Cup winner with Brazil, fifth most apps in the colours of I Giallorossi. More than deserves a place - oh and did I mention he's in the Hall of Fame! Daniele De Rossi - What more could you want in a midfielder than De Rossi? Hard working, crunching tackles, can read the game like nobody else and an eye for goal. The complete package. Maybe not the world beating player he was in his younger years but age has not stopped him being an important part of a Scudetto chasing Roma for the last four seasons. Also pretty crucial player in getting us into the semi finals. As well as two Coppa Italias and a Supercoppa. Gabriel Batistuta - The second of three Scudetto winners in this side. He had it all, a compete forward, quick, skillful and an eye for goal that was shockingly brilliant. Not much else you can say. Francesco Totti - Don't really need to say much about him to be honest do I, we all know this name and what he means, not just to the Romanisti, but also to the world and how he influenced the modern role of a number 10. A true living legend and dare I say it the greatest player, without a doubt, of his generation. He could have the trophy cabinet to prove it if he did make the move, like Cassano, to Los Blancos. But his name and what he stood for makes up for that. Il Bimbo de Oro would get a mention in any Roma 5-a side. Giallorossi Yorkshire's season review continues with a look at how Roma's defenders did this season.
As with all player reviews in this series, each defender gets an average score, by taking into account their GY ratings out of ten from games this season, and a season rating, as an overall judgement of how they did. If they were named man of the match in a game, their rating for that match counts as double. Here's the lowdown on how the backline did. Juan Jesus Average Rating: 7.14 Man of the Match: 2 times Season Rating: 7 After being chosen as Roma's most improved player in last season's Giallorossi Yorkshire awards, Jesus continued his progression at the club with a string of solid performances. He adapted well to Eusebio Di Francesco's 4-3-3, despite previous claims that he was better in a back three. He did make mistakes throughout the season, but proved himself to be a capable back up option. Aleksandar Kolarov Average Rating: 7.65 Man of the Match: 6 times Season Rating: 9 Starting the season so well that Emerson Palmieri couldn't find a way back into the team, Kolarov showed the world that his best years were not behind him as he became a force to be reckoned with down Roma's left flank. At times later in the season he appeared fatigued from playing so much football, but he was playing so well that he simply had to be picked. He had a really influential first season at Roma. Elio Capradossi Average Rating: N/A Man of the Match: Once Season Rating: N/A Returning to the club in January following a loan spell at Bari, Capradossi waited for his opportunity and took it. Making his debut for the club against Cagliari in May, he impressed enough to be named Giallorossi Yorkshire man of the match. The young centre back was also given a cameo in the final game of the season. Federico Fazio Average Rating: 7.33 Man of the Match: 4 times Season Rating: 8 He wasn't quite as good as he was last year, but Il Comandante was still an imperious presence at the back. What he lacks in pace, he makes up for in his reading of the game. In 2017/18, he was able to continue his successful partnership with Kostas Manolas, protecting Alisson's goal with some top defensive work. Alessandro Florenzi Average Rating: 6.5 Man of the Match: 0 times Season Rating: 5 Oh dear, Alessandro Florenzi. This season he just wasn't the same player that the Roma faithful have grown to love. With the arrival of Rick Karsdorp in the summer, it appeared that Florenzi would finally be able to vacate the right back spot and return to his more natural midfield position. Sadly, the injuries to Karsdorp meant Florenzi had to play as a full back again, and he had a really difficult season. The fundamental qualities went missing, as he misplaced passes and crosses, and got caught out by wingers' attacking runs. One can only hope that he won't have to play at right back again next year. Bruno Peres Average Rating: 5.69 Man of the Match: 0 times Season Rating: 6 With Di Francesco immediately casting doubt on Bruno Peres' credentials upon his arrival, things didn't look good for the Brazilian in the summer. He had been woeful the season before. This season wasn't a great deal better, but he did improve in some aspects. His crucial block on the goalline against Shakhtar, for example, was a decisive moment which helped Roma in their Champions League run. Rick Karsdorp Average Rating: N/A Season Rating: N/A A wasted season for Karsdorp, who was the unfortunate victim of injury in his first season in Italy. Making just one appearance, the right back missed out on his chance to impress. He will be hoping that his injury troubles are behind him now, so that he can revive his Roma career next season. Jonathan Silva Average Rating: N/A Man of the Match: 0 times Season Rating: N/A Signed as an alternative for Kolarov at left back in January, the Sporting loanee didn't get many opportunities to prove himself. He was clearly brought in solely as a back up, and Kolarov was too good for Silva to see the pitch often. Kostas Manolas Average Rating: 7.11 Man of the Match: 3 times Season Rating: 8 Manolas rediscovered his best form this year after a slightly underwhelming 2016/17. The Greek centre back is a long-serving member of Roma's backline, and showed his passion for the shirt on numerous occasions. He made important last ditch challenges, and at the other end had his best season in front of goal in Roma colours, weighing in with four goals. The most memorable was surely his decisive goal against Barcelona, to eliminate them from the Champions League. But in that match, as well as many others, it was his excellent defending that set him apart from the rest. Manolas can be proud of his season. Roma's season has finished with the team amassing 77 points in the league and reaching the semi finals of the Champions League.
Now it's time to look back at the campaign and evaluate how each player did. This review series will follow the same format as last year's. Each player on the squad will be given an average rating (the sum of all their match ratings from the season divided by the number of games considered) and a season rating (the lowdown on how they did overall). If a player was chosen as Giallorossi Yorkshire man of the match in a game, their rating for that game counts double. Players must have started at least five games to be given an average rating. Following the individual player ratings, there will be a series of Giallorossi Yorkshire awards handed out to the top performing players from the season. Kicking things off is the breakdown of the goalkeepers' seasons. Alisson Becker Average Rating: 7.18 Man of the Match: 3 times Season Rating: 9 Alisson was so good between the sticks this season that it's become hard to think of new superlatives to describe him. He is a goalkeeper who exudes class, with top notch reactions, great distribution and comfort with the ball at his feet. Many of his saves have been crucial to the outcome of the game, helping the team accomplish what they did domestically and in Europe. Fans will be hoping they get to see him in a Roma shirt again next season. Bogdan Lobont Average Rating: N/A Season Rating: N/A Once again, Lobont's experience and mentoring for the other keepers in the squad has been important. He may not have played, but his personal qualities hold great value for the team. So much so, in fact, that he earned a recall to the Romanian national team at the age of 40, to help teammates on the international stage again. Lukasz Skorupski Average Rating: N/A Season Rating: N/A After a successful loan spell at Empoli, Skorupski returned to Roma this season to try and find success at a higher level. Due mainly to the form of Alisson, however, Skorupski was limited to just two appearances. He is clearly frustrated at his lack of gametime, and may be pushing for a move elsewhere in the summer. Francesco Totti. Daniele De Rossi. Giuseppe Giannini. Agostino Di Bartolomei. Bruno Conti.
When it comes to producing youth talent for the first team, Roma have had more success than a lot of teams across the globe. As seen from the players listed above, the athletes who graduate from the club's Primavera squad often go onto become not just top professionals, but club legends. Because of this rich history of homegrown players, Roma fans are always keeping half an eye out for who could be the next in the list. Sunday's final of the UEFA U17 European Championship in England gave a good hint. Italy may have lost out on penalties to Netherlands after a 2-2 draw, but the two Roma youngsters playing in the side impressed. Midfielder Jean Freddi Greco was the only Italian who scored from the spot, as the Azzurrini lost the shootout 4-1. And one of his teammates impressed even more. Meet Alessio Riccardi. Riccardi was named as Italy's captain for the tournament, and donned the number 10 shirt. Not a bad start for a player who cites Totti as his idol. The 17-year-old played as a left-sided forward for Italy. He is right-footed, athletic, and has great technique. This was exemplified in the second half of the final, as Riccardi put his side 2-1 up with a phenomenal finish. Receiving the ball on the left wing, he turned inside and sent the ball flying into the top corner with an expertly curled finish. It was a goal worthy of winning a tournament, and his teammates celebrated emphatically with him, thinking that would be the case. It didn't turn out to be, as Holland equalised late on, but that takes nothing away from Riccardi's finish. It was the best goal of the game. Riccardi had also scored in Italy's opening game, against England. Again, this strike came from outside the box. The youngster arrowed the ball right into the bottom corner from a similar position, leaving the opposing goalkeeper helpless. It wasn't just the goals that impressed about Riccardi though. In the final, he wore the captain's armband well. As Italy's first two penalty takers missed their 12-yard efforts, Riccardi walked towards them as they returned to the half way line, wrapping his arms around each player to console them. It's little acts like this that stand out at youth level, showing which players are mature beyond their years. Eagle-eyed readers may recognise Riccardi's name. He was called up to Eusebio Di Francesco's senior squad for Roma's 5-2 win over Benevento in February. Although he did not feature in the game, the experience he gained from being around great professionals, and potential future teammates, will have been invaluable. He also got to play around four minutes as a substitute in the September friendly against Chapecoense, and has featured heavily for Alberto De Rossi's U19 side this season, predominantly as a midfielder. Appearances in the UEFA Youth League have also been awarded to him. This is a young man getting big opportunities at a tender age. In total, he has played 25 times for the Primavera in the league this season, scoring seven goals - despite being one of the youngest members of the team. Those 25 appearances are more than Mirko Antonucci, Rezan Corlu or Andrea Romagnoli have managed, for example. In fact, only five players have featured more than him. And his seven goals have been bettered only by Zan Celar, with 11. So, can we expect big things from Riccardi in the future? It's important not to heap too much pressure on a young player by talking about potential, but he is progressing at a very good rate. He is clearly impressing his coaches at club and international level. As he continues to feature for the Primavera, he will progress under the tutelage of an excellent youth coach. De Rossi has had a hand in the development of many great young players, and his expertise will greatly benefit Riccardi. He is a player with great talent, and is one to keep an eye on as he rises through the ranks and tries to emulate the paths of his role models. Remember the name of Alessio Riccardi. The season finally comes to a close tomorrow, with Roma facing Sassuolo to wrap things up.
Avoiding defeat will secure third place for Roma in Eusebio Di Francesco's first season in charge. The task will have to be done without Alisson Becker, who will miss a Serie A game for the first time this season. The Brazilian shotstopper misses out with a minor muscle injury. Returning from a major injury, however, is Rick Karsdorp. The right back was signed in the summer but injuries have limited him to just one appearance this season. He has now recovered, and is part of the squad for the trip to the Mapei Stadium. Radja Nainggolan will not be involved after being sent off last week. Consequently, Kevin Strootman could return to the starting lineup in midfield. Sassuolo have had a mixed season, recovering from the loss of Di Francesco to Roma. They only confirmed their survival in Serie A this month, and will finish either 11th or 12th. Their key player this year has been a Roma academy graduate, Matteo Politano, who has scored ten league goals from the wing - double his tally for last season. His form has seen him linked with a return to the club where he grew up, so he will be looking to have an impact tomorrow. Beppe Iachini's side have finished the season well, with only one defeat in their last ten games. They have taken points from some strong sides as well, drawing with Napoli and Milan, and beating Inter last week - a result which confirmed Roma's place in the top four. Sealing Champions League qualification has been an important milestone for Roma, and they will be hoping to end the season in the right way tomorrow to put the icing on the cake. Check out this week's team on Five-a-Side Friday, courtesy of a fellow Roma fan from Yorkshire.
Name: Barry Goulding Location: Barnsley, England Team: GK - Alisson Becker: He has the eccentricities of a Brazilian goalkeeper, which sometimes give you heart palpitations but he has been a matchwinner on more than one occasion this season. DEF - Cafu: Loads of pace and attacking flair, did no one tell Brazilian defenders that those attributes are not in a defender's job description? Cafu was one of the best. DEF - Kostas Manolas: I love this guy's passion. He wears his heart on his sleeve. We have seen better defenders but THAT goal against Barcelona and the subsequent celebrations was something I will never forget. MID - Radja Nainggolan: Tough and uncompromising, with the ability to dictate games, on his day he is up there with the best, capable of defence-splitting passes and he knows where the goal is. FW - Gabriel Batistuta: It took a lot for me not to have the King of Rome up front, l am sure he will find his way into many teams. Instead I have continued with the South American theme and chose Batigol. He was instrumental in the team that won the Scudetto and l think that earns him his place in my 5-a-side. A goalless draw was the outcome of Roma's final home game of the season, as they couldn't break the deadlock against rivals Juventus.
With both sides claiming a point, Juventus wrapped up their seventh straight Serie A title. Roma are already guaranteed to finish in the Champions League spots. It wasn't the finest encounter between the two sides, but both had their share of momentum in an intriguing battle. Three key moments contributed to the result. Pellegrini's poor pass Roma were the better side in the first half and had a couple of chances to take the lead. Perhaps the best came when Lorenzo Pellegrini ran towards goal with the ball, and squared it to Edin Dzeko. The execution of the pass was not good enough, as Dzeko had to take a touch to control it, forcing him onto his weaker left foot. Pellegrini should have played the ball in front of Dzeko, so that the Bosnian could run onto it and shoot first time. It was a huge missed opportunity. Dybala's disallowed goal For the past few seasons, Juventus have made a habit out of winning when not playing at their best. Their deadly attack cannot be afforded a single chance, because they are clinical enough to take them most of the time. This was highlighted when Paulo Dybala had the ball in the back of the net in the second period. The Argentine pulled off a wonderful finish on the volley, but was ruled offside. It was a warning sign for Roma's defence, showing that you can't afford a single lapse in concentration against the Bianconeri. Nainggolan's red card Roma had to play the last 22 minutes of the game with ten men after Radja Nainggolan was sent off for a second booking. It was a needless challenge from an experienced player, who should have known better. There was no way he was going to win the ball from behind, and committing the foul is such a dangerous position was asking for trouble. The red card killed the momentum of the game, with Roma opting to protect their clean sheet rather than go for the win thereafter. Eusebio Di Francesco takes charge of Roma for the 50th time on Sunday night, aiming to give the Olimpico faithful something to shout about for one last time this season.
Juventus will be looking to start another party in the capital when they visit Roma tomorrow. The Old Lady were celebrating at Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, when they beat AC Milan 4-0 in the Coppa Italia final. Now, they return to the same venue, hoping to wrap up their seventh consecutive Serie A title. A point is all they need to confirm their status as league champions, and they will want to achieve it tomorrow. Roma will be the obstacle standing in their way. A win for Di Francesco's side would seal Champions League qualification for next season, so both teams have a strong motivation to get the victory. They have been two of the most consistent sides in Serie A over the past few seasons, with Roma often finishing just one spot behind Juventus in the table. It is Roma's final home game of the season, and they will be hoping they can end it well. Having lost six league games at home this season, it hasn't been the ideal campaign on home turf, but a win over a familiar foe would ensure it would end on a sweet note. In his pre-match press conference, Di Francesco confirmed starts for Stephan El Shaarawy, Edin Dzeko, Alessandro Florenzi, Aleksandar Kolarov and Daniele De Rossi. Juve's Mehdi Benatia, Wojciech Szczesny and Miralem Pjanic will be returning to their former home, and it would be a sour sight for Roma fans to see them celebrating with their new club. Benatia scored the solitary goal in the reverse fixture in December. Both teams' focal points in attack have scored the same number of goals this season, reinforcing their reputations as lethal strikers. But will it be Edin Dzeko or Gonzalo Higuain adding to their sixteen league strikes tomorrow? After Elio Capradossi's impressive first appearance for Roma last week, there will be another debut tomorrow night. This time, Roma's slick new home kit will be worn for the first time. Roma will hope it can be the armour that can lead them to success against Italian football's dominant force. |
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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