GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE Q&A
As fans look ahead to the second Derby Della Capitale of the season, Giallorossi Yorkshire wants you to get involved in the discussion.
In preparation for Saturday's showdown with arch enemies Lazio, it's time to reflect on Derbies of the past. This fixture always brings a unique mix of nerves, excitement and drama. But what has been your favourite Derby Della Capitale memory down the years? Read my choice below, then leave a comment with your answer to share your own memories. What has been your favourite Derby Della Capitale memory? The match I recall most when thinking about the Derby Della Capitale is the 4-1 win from the 2015-16 season. It's always a great feeling to win the Derby, but often the games tend to be more cagey than we'd like to admit. However, this game was different. It was a great performance and a huge win - Roma's biggest victory in the Derby in 14 years. That made it even more special than an ordinary win. Roma had such a great team that year - players like Mohamed Salah, Miralem Pjanic, Radja Nainggolan, Antonio Rudiger. The game started positively with Stephan El Shaarawy opening the scoring inside a quarter of an hour. Edin Dzeko doubled the lead in the second half, before Marco Parolo pulled one back for Lazio. Shortly after, came one of the most beautiful goals I have seen from a Roma player. As the ball was headed out from a Roma corner, it fell into the path of Alessandro Florenzi. Captain for the day, he smashed home a volley across the goal from outside the box. The passion in his celebration was a joy to behold. It was his first ever goal against Lazio. Scoring a decisive goal for the team you support against their biggest rivals, wearing the captain's armband - who doesn't dream of that? Diego Perotti rounded out the scoring to make it 4-1, with then-Lazio boss Stefano Pioli losing his job that very night. It was one of Roma's most emphatic wins against their rivals in recent years. You never need to be reminded just how important the Derby is, but the emotion seen by all - especially in Florenzi - made that victory particularly memorable. Now, it's over to you. Leave a comment below with your favourite Derby Della Capitale memories!
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Today marks one year since Francesco Totti made his 786th and final appearance in a Roma shirt.
After 25 years playing for his hometown club, Totti finally called time on his career, with his last game for Roma coming against Genoa on 28th May 2017. But what if? What if he hadn't retired and was still playing for Roma? Would he have had an impact on how the team did this season? Here's my take on what Totti could have brought this season. Make sure to leave a comment below with your opinion, and share on social media so we can widen the discussion. Would Roma's season have gone differently if Totti had still been playing? All sentiment aside, I genuinely feel like Totti could’ve helped Roma on the pitch this season. Yes, he wouldn’t have played in every game, but there were many times this season when creativity was lacking, and he could have offered what was needed. I don’t think having Totti playing would’ve changed our position in the league. But I do think we would have recorded a higher points tally. Why? Because there were several games where we dropped points by not breaking down defences. Even at the age of 41, that’s something Totti can still do. He did it in his last couple of seasons and he could’ve done it this year, turning some draws into wins or losses into draws. Anyone who watched him play in Pirlo’s testimonial would’ve seen that his footballing brain is still there. Had he been training with the squad all season, he would be in really good shape as well. Therefore, he still could’ve had an impact at the top level. I think he’d have worked well under Di Francesco as well, given that they were former teammates. I really do believe that Totti could’ve done well as a player for Roma this season, and I’m not just saying that because it’s him. His qualities and attributes could've made finishing third a simpler task. What do you think? How would Totti have done this year if he was still playing? Have your say below. Reports have been growing linking Mario Balotelli with a summer move to Roma.
The Nice striker is out of contract at the end of June, and Roma have been suggested as potential suitors. But would this be a good signing for Roma? See what I think, and leave your opinion with a comment. Would it be good for Roma to sign a striker who's scored 31 goals in the past two seasons? A player at his prime age of 27? And to get that player on a free transfer? Yes. What if that player was Mario Balotelli? I'm torn. Balotelli seems to have calmed down a bit in his time in France, whilst maintaining his goalscoring output. But there are never any guarantees with him. He's an eccentric character, and one that could disrupt harmony in the squad. Bare in mind that Roma already have Edin Dzeko and Patrik Schick in the centre forward position. The former is a world class striker who has been invaluable to the team both this season and last. The latter is a hot property for the future, who could achieve big things next season. 2017-18 hasn't been the easiest beginning to Schick's Roma career, but now with a couple of goals under his belt, he could kick on in 2018-19. Bringing Balotelli in could disrupt that progress, and that would be bad considering the investment the club made in Schick. Therefore, it could point to the departure of Dzeko, something I wouldn't be too happy about, given the Bosnian's all-round quality and passion for the team. Balotelli has revitalised his career at Nice, and would probably score a lot of goals if he signed for Roma, but only at the detriment of a player already at the club. I have too much faith in Schick and too much appreciation of Dzeko to fully get behind this move. What do you think? Would you be happy if Roma signed Balotelli? Leave a comment to share your opinion! A question from supporter Barry Goulding, from Barnsley, Yorkshire. Get involved and have your say with a comment.
Do you think we have progressed this season? Champions League semi finalists (at the very least) and top four in Serie A isn't a bad season by any means but do you feel we are capable of more? I think with a little luck and more tactical nous we could have been competing with Juventus & Napoli. In some ways it's hard to measure progress this season, as it has been a bit of a transitional season. Being our first season with Eusebio Di Francesco and Monchi, there's not much we can compare it to. Prior to this campaign, we didn't know what EDF's Roma would be like, so it's hard to say how much we have developed. What can be said is that Di Francesco has progressed certain aspects of players who were already at the club. Under him, we have acquired a defensive stability that wasn't always seen before, so we have progressed in that regard. However, what we have gained defensively, we seem to have lost offensively, with little creativity in attack and an over-reliance on certain players to score goals. As a club, our performances in the Champions League have shown great progress. This has helped us to develop not only on the pitch, but off it as well, growing the club's worldwide reputation. Reaching the semi finals has shown that we have gained a stronger mentality, another thing that can be accredited to Di Francesco. We wouldn't have approached the likes of Chelsea and Barcelona with such confidence in previous seasons, so that's an exciting sign of progress, and hopefully one that will be carried over to future seasons. As a coach, I think EDF has progressed too. His recent switch to a back three for the Barcelona and Lazio games showed he is developing as a coach, becoming more confident with new systems, and that can only help the team in the long run. He is becoming more tactically mature and is therefore growing as a coach. Could we have competed with Juventus and Napoli this season? As you say, luck hasn't always been on our side, but I'd say it was always going to be difficult this year. Those two have been brilliant all season, whilst we had to start from almost a clean slate in the summer. Challenging for the Scudetto would have been tricky. Instead, I think we have set the foundations for a good challenge next season. A couple of strong additions in the summer, and I think next year will be the season that we really start to see what progress we have made. Now, it's over to you. Do you think Roma have progressed this season? Leave a comment below and then share on social media to widen the discussion! Today Giallorossi Yorkshire is celebrating its first birthday, and as part of that, it's time for you to get involved.
On the Q&A today, I want you to leave your thoughts about the blog's first year by answering these questions in the comments: What has been your favourite thing about Giallorossi Yorkshire so far? And has there been a particular article that you can remember enjoying? I set this blog up with two main goals in mind: one, to practice my writing in order to develop before I started my Sports Journalism course at university, and two, to connect with fellow Roma fans. Both those aims have been accomplished. My favourite thing has definitely been engaging with other supporters through the site. I've been really pleased with how many visitors the site has had, and the positive feedback I have received. I've enjoyed seeing what people have had to say on the Q&A page in particular; it's been a great way to see what views other Romanisti have, and I've been able to forge connections with people from all over the globe. The site has allowed me to virtually meet some great people. In terms of the articles I've enjoyed writing, there's a lot of strong contenders. I enjoyed making a countdown of Francesco Totti's top ten Roma goals in the wake of his retirement. I remember writing a piece on why Daniele De Rossi should be given a new two-year contract at the end of last season, which ultimately became the case. And I remember writing a piece at the start of this season about why a back three would suit Roma, which was proven on Tuesday night. I also enjoyed researching Primavera player Riccardo Cappa after his involvement in the club's first pre-season friendly of 2017, knowing I was writing something that would've helped develop people's knowledge of a player. Writing a piece that could help people learn more about something they probably wouldn't have known much about: this is something that brings great satisfaction. Thanks to everyone who has supported Giallorossi Yorkshire in its first twelve months. I'm looking forward to seeing your comments on this post about what you've enjoyed on the site so far. The Giallorossi Yorkshire Q&A returns, with AS Roma North UK posing the question.
Q: What can we do to sort right back in particular? We can only hope Karsdorp hits the ground running and actually performs. I doubt Jonathan Silva is going to be our saving grace either. A: It's a difficult problem to solve, and to be honest, I don't think it will be solved this season. There will be an awful lot of pressure on Karsdorp when he returns from injury to perform, but it will take time with him. He can't just return from an ACL injury and play every game, and be guaranteed to play well. Let's hope he does well when he comes back, but we can't rest all our hopes on him. The two players being utilised at right back at the minute simply aren't good enough for the position. First and foremost, I will discuss Alessandro Florenzi. It should be clear by now that he cannot play as a right back. This isn't a kneejerk reaction to his abysmal display against Shakhtar - I thought he was poor against Udinese as well. In fact, he's not looked the same player he once was for over a month now. I feel he did quite well in his first month or so back from injury, but since then it has gone downhill. Perhaps it is another question of fatigue, but even so, playing him at right back is a liability. For all the criticism he has had, I believe Bruno Peres should start the next game, and the majority of games until Karsdorp is back. He's never been outstanding at Roma, and is one of the biggest disappointments in recent years. He equally struggled against Shakhtar, but I think he's slightly better defensively than Florenzi. This is no long-term solution, but it's all we've got in the short-term. The only other idea would be playing someone like Elio Capradossi at right back. It may turn out to be a bit of a baptism of fire for him, but as a natural centre back, he may be more switched on defensively than Peres or Florenzi. That could be an alternative idea if he can adapt to the role. It's an issue that should have been addressed in January, but, for whatever reason, was ignored. It could potentially cost us points over the remainder of the season, and an improvement will need to be signed in the summer if we want to challenge. Unfortunately, we have to make do with what we have at the minute. For me, that means predominantly playing Bruno Peres as right back until the return of Karsdorp. What do you think? How can Roma address the problem at right back? Join in the discussion with a comment below! With three goals and one assist in his last two games, Cengiz Under is certainly the hot topic of conversation for Roma fans at present, and he is the basis of today's Q&A, supplied by Craig Bannister.
Have Roma finally found the man to replace Mohamed Salah? It's certainly starting to look that way. There's been a tremendous lack of inspiration down the right hand side all season, but Cengiz Under is starting to put an end to that. The lack of goals or assists from other players deployed on the right wing, coupled with the Egyptian's superb form in the Premier League, made Salah's departure even more noticeable and frustrating. But with Cengiz, it looks like we have found an exciting solution. It's no coincidence that Cengiz's upturn in fortunes have coincided with the coach placing more faith in him. He's now started four consecutive games, and he is producing some fine displays for us. There's a strong argument to suggest he's been our best player since the return from the winter break, which I wholeheartedly agree with. I had spotted the signs that Under could accomplish great things from brief moments of skill in the matches against Sampdoria, which prompted me to write my article about him for asroma.com. Small things that he did well convinced me of his ability to have a more significant impact on games. And my arguments were vindicated to a level I couldn't have imagined. Less than a minute into the game against Verona, he got his first Roma goal, and some goal it was. This is what has been lacking from the right wing all season, but Under took responsibility despite his young age, and delivered for us. The next week, against Benevento, he did it again. For me, he was the man of the match, thanks to his two great goals and his superb assist. Without him, we might have been embarrassed and not won the game. But he produced three moments of special quality to help turn the game in our favour. Salah is so missed because of the influence he had in creating and scoring goals. Look at how frustrated Edin Dzeko has been without him this season. Cengiz Under is now starting to replicate those contributions of Salah's, and that is critical to the success of this team. It also appears that Cengiz is better with his weaker foot than Salah was, which is going to add another dimension to our attack. Under is only young, but his performances are seeing him become a key player for this side. In my opinion, he should be starting a lot more games before the end of the season, even against some of the bigger sides. And perhaps the most exciting thing about Cengiz is that he is still defined in terms of potential. He still has some things to improve, but he is beginning to outweigh them with the things he does well. As he improves further, I see no reason why he couldn't become the perfect resolution for our right wing. What do you think? Can Cengiz Under become the ideal Salah replacement? Join in the discussion with a comment! The Q&A returns with a contribution from Kris Pucci.
Once we are back at full strength (no more injuries), will we still need to bolster the squad? If so, what position needs the most help? With the exception of Rick Karsdorp, we are approaching a full-strength, injury-free squad. Obviously, it will take time to reintegrate Karsdorp back into the side after a lengthy layoff, but he is just one name who has the potential to strengthen the current side next season. Right back has been a problematic position, with Bruno Peres continuing to struggle, and Alessandro Florenzi either in need of a break, or a change of position. So, with Karsdorp's return, the right back area will be reinforced. If we could swap Peres in the summer for a better right back as well, that would be an ideal move. One area that still may need to be bolstered is the defensive midfield role. Neither Maxime Gonalons nor Daniele De Rossi are having their finest season, so this is a position that may still need improving. However, the switch to a 4-2-3-1 may alleviate the need for change. Playing as a defensive midfielder in this formation is slightly different to being the holding player in a 4-3-3, as you have another player alongside you to cover in a partnership. On Sunday, we saw Kevin Strootman and Lorenzo Pellegrini start in those roles, neither of whom would naturally be the holding midfield player in a 4-3-3 (although Strootman has played there). Therefore, if Di Francesco decides to stick with the new system that we saw on Sunday, there may be no need to strengthen that position after all. I'm happy with most other areas. The wings are fine; Diego Perotti and Stephan El Shaarawy are good enough as starters, and hopefully Cengiz Under's goal will have given him a new lease of life. As his agent said the other day, hopefully he will get more chances now as well. Perhaps one more player out wide would be ideal, but that player could easily be Gerson, from the current squad. The only other possible position that may need reinforcing is at centre back, although I'm interested to see what opportunities are given to Elio Capradossi there, now he has returned. If he does well enough when called upon, we may have found a suitable solution, without the need for entering the market. I'm not saying that the current squad is perfect. Some of them are still underperforming, and I wouldn't be against those players leaving in the summer. However, I'm working on the assumption that those players would be replaced with better players in the same positions. And once those replacements come in, there wouldn't need to be many additional signings on top of what we already have. The Giallorossi Yorkshire Q&A is heading to the States this week, with the next question coming from Joshua Shapiro. Thanks for the question!
Q: I’m fine with selling Dzeko at his peak value. I’m down with Monchi rebuilding the team in his image. He’s proved that he can build a team that wins silverware. That being said, I know nothing about what Monchi did at Sevilla. Based upon his past transfers, what do you think are some realistic transfer targets for Roma in January, but more importantly, in the summer? Thanks! A: Looking at his previous deals, it seems that his best contacts are in South America and Spain, so we could be looking at players from those locations being the most likely. For example, I read recently that Villarreal’s Mario Gaspar is a potential target. Gaspar is a Spanish right back who’s getting towards his prime years now. I think, if possible, it would be a good deal, as it would improve that position for Roma. Another good La Liga player who could be a good signing is Jose Luis Gaya. Certainly if/when the Emerson sale is completed, he would be a good replacement at left back. He’s experienced despite his young age, and will only go on to develop towards better things. It’s just a suggestion, but I think that’d be a realistic target, and a player of the required quality. Perhaps he will look at some other experienced La Liga players as well, ones who perhaps aren’t getting as much gametime currently. Aleix Vidal has been linked, and given that he brought him to Sevilla, I could see Monchi signing him for Roma. Maybe he could go for someone like Dani Ceballos or Mateo Kovacic in midfield, but those options may be less affordable. Perhaps Gerard Deulofeu at Barcelona; he did quite well in Italy at Milan, and has been rumoured to be of interest to Roma. Could Nico Gaitan be an option for the wing as well? A couple of years ago that would’ve been unrealistic, but now maybe there’s a chance. There’s also Nicola Sansone, who wouldn’t have any problems returning to Italy. Neither would Franco Vazquez, who Monchi also took to Sevilla. Please bare in mind these are just names I’m suggesting, and I haven’t seen anything concrete linking them to Roma (apart from Deulofeu and Vidal). Monchi has also signed some talents from the French leagues in the past, such as Geoffrey Kondogbia and Seydou Keita. I don’t know as much about Ligue 1 as other leagues, so can’t strongly suggest many specific names, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a player brought in from that league. I wouldn’t want to short change you though, so I’ve done a bit of research! Taking into account Monchi’s reputation for signing young talent, I’ve looked into some younger players in Ligue 1. One player I’ve come across is Issa Diop. He’s a French centre back who is tall and athletic, and his playing style almost reminds me of Antonio Rudiger. If Monchi wanted to sign a young defender, then from the videos I’ve watched, Diop could be an interesting idea. Also in the French league is a midfielder called Houssem Aouar. He’s an agile dribbler, although he looks a little bit raw at the moment. He’s getting decent gametime (and goals) at Lyon, which is a good sign of his progress. Finally, from elsewhere, there’s Dinamo Zagreb’s Ante Coric, who unlike Diop and Aouar, has actually been linked with Roma in the media. Dubbed the next Luka Modric, he’s a creative midfielder with good feet. He always looks to get on the ball. That’s a deal that could happen. So there’s plenty of names there, and I’m sure Monchi will already have a long list of ideas. Whether they crossover with mine or not, there’s no way of knowing yet. But I think any of the names here could be realistic options (more likely to come in for the summer, I'd guess). And they’d all have the potential to improve Roma’s squad, either now or in the future. Get involved below by suggesting which players you think Roma could realistically sign, as well as your thoughts on any players suggested! This week, Roma fans in the USA have been asked to get involved with the Q&A, the first of which is seen today.
Thanks as always to Amos Fiocchi for providing today's question. Q: Despite being hopelessly optimistic, I still know something has to change at Roma. Whether that happens with the same personnel or not, what is the next step for this organisation? A: As you can probably tell from our previous discussions on the Q&A, Amos and I are in very much the same boat. "Hopelessly optimistic" is a very good way of putting it. However, something just isn't right at the minute, and that means changes are required. Here's what I think should change, and what shouldn't. As mentioned before, Eusebio Di Francesco has my full backing until the end of the season. As the negative results continue, that becomes harder and harder to sustain, but I still think he deserves his chance. If we don't qualify for next season's Champions League, then I'm afraid his time will be up. Another figure at Roma who divides opinion is the president, James Pallotta, but I'm behind him as well, more for stability than anything else. Stadio Della Roma is an important project for the club, and Pallotta needs to oversee its progress. As for Monchi, we know it will take time for him to build the team, and therefore fans shouldn't be panicking about his ability as a sporting director right now. The club must keep hold of Monchi and allow him to help the team grow. Which leads me onto my next point. I think several members of the playing staff need to change. Some players just aren't carrying their weight this season - and that includes some experienced first teamers. How many of them can really hold their head high and say, to date, that they've had a really good season on a personal level? These players need to be replaced with quality and experience, and players who are adaptable to different systems. If any area of personnel needs to change at Roma, it's the players. They're the ones I've felt let down most by this season - more so than EDF, Monchi or anyone else. The next step for Roma as a club? It may be a bit of an aside, maybe not, but we need to get a shirt sponsor. Certainly with the club not owning their own stadium, sponsorship is a crucial source of income, and the front of the shirt is one of the strongest forms of this. If a deal can be negotiated with a large brand willing to back the club, this could be a very important development for AS Roma. It may not make all the difference, and it won't have any effect on how the players do their job, but it will allow the club to invest more money more wisely. Perhaps I'm overestimating the impact it would have - it depends on the size of the deal - but it is worth emphasising how important it has the potential to be. It would be at least one step in the right direction for Roma and should be high up on Pallotta's list of priorities. What do you think? What needs to change at Roma? How can the club develop as an organisation? Have a say in the discussion below. |
SamueL BannisterEnglish Roma fan and sports journalist. Archives
February 2019
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