GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
It's time for the next installment of the Giallorossi Yorkshire season review of 2016/17 - how did Roma's midfield perform?
You probably know the drill by now - the average rating is all the player's ratings over the season added together and divided by the number of games considered (man of the match performances counting double), and the season rating is an evaluation of the season as a whole. Let's start with Roma's new captain, Daniele De Rossi. Daniele De Rossi Average Rating: 8.04 Man of the Match: 5 times Season Rating: 7.5 Midfield general De Rossi had another superb season in the Roma shirt, the only one he has ever worn. At the age of 33, his experience shone through across the campaign, guiding the team with his impeccable knowledge of how to win football matches. He was consistent as usual, marshaling the team from the heart of the pitch where games are won and lost. The Italian international even enjoyed a goalscoring flourish towards the end of the season, netting in three consecutive matches for the first time in his lengthy career (form he has also carried into international duty post-season, with a goal against Uruguay last week). De Rossi was one of Roma's standout performers in 2016/17, and he will continue to lead the team positively and passionately over the next two seasons. Radja Nainggolan Average Rating: 7.83 Man of the Match: 6 times Season Rating: 8.5 Wow. What a season. Radja Nainggolan emerged as one of the best midfielders in world football thanks to his great form in 2016/17. A player who has historically attracted interest from the Premier League's top clubs, the Belgian showed why he is so highly regarded with a string of fantastic performances in an advanced midfield role. He polished some of the finer aspects of his game; for example, in previous seasons, his long-range shooting has, on occasion, been wild, but this season he scored some amazing goals. Notably, his volley against Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia was breathtaking, and his effort from the edge of the box against Inter Milan was chosen by Roma fans as goal of the season on the club's official website. Nainggolan rarely had a bad game during the season, and is rightly beginning to be spoken of in the same breath as some of the world's best midfielders. Kevin Strootman Average Rating: 7.80 Man of the Match: 5 times Season Rating: 8.5 Kevin Strootman became a real source of pride for Roma last season. Once tipped as a potential great, and being the subject of links to elite clubs, disaster struck and he spent two years on the sidelines with injuries. This was his first full season back at the top, and he showed no signs of losing the talent he had possessed pre-injury. He was a consistent, dynamic performer, and ensured his name was one of the first on the team sheet. Strootman was so impressive, you can expect a full article about his season on this website soon. But in summary, he returned to the top and showed his tremendous value, being rewarded at the end with a new five-year contract. Leandro Paredes Average Rating: 6.54 Man of the Match: Once Season Rating: 6 Leandro Paredes' season was a real mixed bag. Returning to the club after impressing on loan at Empoli the season before, he was occasionally sublime (at the back end of 2016, he drew praise from former Roma midfielder Simone Perrotta, and who can forget his stunning goal against Torino?), but in other games he was ineffective. His pass completion stats are impressive (an average of 89% over the season according to www.squawka.com), which shows his talent on the ball and confidence in recycling possession. However, with a Financial Fair Play deadline looming, he may be sold to bring in cash - Juventus have been linked in the Italian papers this morning. With the imminent return of Lorenzo Pellegrini in his position, his gametime may be limited again next season, but he may have shown just enough to suggest he is worth keeping hold of for the post-De Rossi future. Gerson Average Rating: 6.75 Season Rating: 5 When a club like Roma spends in the region on 15 million euros on a South American player, of whatever age, big things are expected. Big things did not come from Gerson. True, this may not have been his fault - he was given few opportunities by Luciano Spalletti, and played reasonably well when he did get a chance - but his season was still disappointing. A loan move to Lille in January fell through, meaning he did not get the minutes he needed to develop. This was touched upon in a Giallorossi Yorkshire article in April (http://giallorossiyorkshire.weebly.com/blog/the-mismanagement-of-gerson). Overall, Gerson was underwhelming in 2016/17, putting his long-term Roma prospects in doubt. Clement Grenier Average Rating: N/A Season Rating: 5.5 The only signing Roma made in a very quiet January transfer window, French playmaker Grenier also had relatively few chances to impress in his first season in Serie A. His campaign was slow - both before and after his arrival - and he did not see many minutes on the pitch. Like Gerson, he did okay when he did play, but his gametime was just too limited for him to have a serious impact. Roma's option to purchase Grenier at the end of his loan was not exercised, meaning he should be playing at Lyon again next season. As a whole, the midfield was possibly Roma's strongest position in 2016/17. Some players showed they are genuinely world class, as they took charge of the engine room to power the team to Champions League qualification. Should the unit stay together, they should ensure Roma's progression in that competition, and domestically, next season.
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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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