GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
Roma's unbeaten start to pre-season continued on Wednesday with a 3-0 win over Gubbio, who represented a step up in level of opposition.
The last two friendlies, against Tor Sapienza and Trastevere, saw Roma hit double figures, but the match against Serie C side Gubbio was played at a higher intensity, which Paulo Fonseca's side had to adapt to. Gubbio could have caught Roma out on a couple of occasions, but were often unluckily beaten by the offside trap. Nonetheless, there was some concern to be drawn from how they could get in behind the backline. Goals from Federico Fazio, Mirko Antonucci and Javier Pastore, however, sealed the victory, as we learned several more things about how Roma are setting up under Fonseca. Diawara debut The new signings are starting to be integrated into match contention, and the Gubbio clash gave Amadou Diawara his first outing in the red and yellow jersey. The midfielder impressed in his 45 minute cameo, dictating the tempo of the game with his impressive range of passing. Equally comfortable at rotating possession with a simple pass or clipping an aerial through ball into the channels, he was a positive force from the middle of the park. He was seen in intense dialogue with Fonseca during the drinks break, and the coach told Roma TV after the game that he has "much to improve in his playing style", but if anything, that should be taken as a symbol of the coach's high demands. Cristante contrast Diawara's debut was so refreshing when contrasted with the performance of midfield partner Bryan Cristante. The number of occasions the Italian put his teammates under pressure or gave the ball away when playing a forward pass was difficult to keep count of. Perhaps this can be attributed to Gubbio's intense pressing game, which admittedly caught Roma by surprise, but this has been a regular theme with Cristante, even in competitive games. Unlike Diawara, he simply does not have a creative kind of long ball in his locker. He broke up play relatively well, but in reality, that's not what he's there for. Especially given the arrival of Jordan Veretout adding more competition in his position, Cristante has much to improve. Zaniolo eager on return Also making his first appearance of pre-season was Nicolo Zaniolo, who had been away with the Italy U21 side. He looked eager to prove himself, and caught the eye with an incredible first touch to control a ball from the air on the edge of the box, beating a defender in the process and letting fly with an admittedly weak shot. However, the same problems he had last season resurfaced - an over-eagerness to impress and win the ball, leading to needless fouls being committed. Had it not been a friendly, he would have been booked for one memorable cynical challenge. His enthusiasm is good, but he needs to learn when and how to use it. Precise Pastore from deep Another player eager to make an impression, and someone who has more of a point to prove, Pastore put in a second positive display of pre-season. Against Tor Sapienza, Pastore roamed freely about the pitch, getting on the ball as often as possible. The pattern continued against Gubbio, where again he dropped into a deeper position, occupying one of the two defensive midfield roles. It's an interesting use of the Argentine, who struggles last year were mainly tactical in Eusebio Di Francesco's 4-3-3 system. He has always been a number 10, but Fonseca may be trying to reinvent him as a regista. It certainly appears to be working, as he contributed a goal and an assist. Fonseca sending messages? Two more decisions from Fonseca caught the eye - that to hand Edin Dzeko the captain's armband in the first half, when it has normally been worn by Diego Perotti (who, coincidentally, didn't match the level of his other performances in pre-season so far), and to deploy Alessandro Florenzi, who assumed the armband in the second half as usual, as a right-back. In terms of the Dzeko case, is it a message that the striker is part of his plans, amid heavy interest from Inter? Or perhaps it was an effort to make Inter raise their bid; by showing he is still important to Roma, maybe that could increase his value, prompting the Nerazzurri to get closer to Roma's €20m demands. As for Florenzi, who has been impressing as a left winger, maybe it was a sign to Gianluca Petrachi and the board that a right-back needs to be signed, or Roma risk their captain being used out of position again. That may be an over-analysis, as Fonseca is still getting to know his squad and may have just wanted to see what Florenzi was like at right-back, but most people would surely prefer the 28-year-old on the wing after his struggles in defence in recent seasons. Perhaps the club will act on this signal and make a move for wantaway Napoli man Elseid Hysaj. Player Ratings: Mirante 6; Santon 7; Mancini 6; Fazio 5; Spinazzola 7; Diawara 8; Cristante 6; Defrel 5; Zaniolo 6; Perotti 6; Dzeko 6 Subs: Lopez 6; Florenzi 7; Jesus 6; Capradossi 6; Kolarov 6; Nzonzi 7; Pastore 8; Under 7; Antonucci 7; Kluivert 8; Schick 5 Man of the Match: Diawara
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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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October 2019
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