GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE Q&A
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!
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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. Today's Q&A focuses on Roma's sporting director, as Beppe Costa provides another question:
Q: Role of Monchi at Roma? It seems obvious to say he was brought in to discover talent as was seen at Sevilla. Though it seems he will be used at Roma to flip players, something Pallotta has been doing since his arrival. Every year he sells a couple of his stars to then reinvest in potential which are then flipped once again. There is no long term strategy to build a strong team. From Marquinhos, Lamela, Pjanic and so on the merry-go-round never stops. Under Pallotta, Roma are a selling club while he uses as little of his own cash for investment. Monchi is performing poor as his buys are not performing. Apart from Kolarov whose arrival is due to Dzeko, not Monchi, all his purchases are poor & inexperienced in Serie A. Monchi is no match for Sabatini, whose contacts are well established in Italy with agents and Monchi is better placed in Spain. A: It’s too early to make a judgement; he’s only had one full transfer window with the club and it’s practically impossible to make the desired impression in just one window. That means it’s also too early to make comparisons to Sabatini. Let’s not forget that not all of Sabatini’s purchases were successful either. He made some good signings that we are still benefiting from, such as Alisson and Nainggolan, but he also made some poor purchases, like Doumbia, Iturbe, etc. Monchi’s first mercato was a mix of both good and bad signings - no different to Sabatini’s legacy at Roma as a whole. The point you make about Monchi's contacts being good for Spain is, to some degree, valid. For example, the rumours that have linked Roma to Guilherme Siqueira today illustrate this - Siqueira would be a good signing for a Spanish club, but isn't what Roma need right now. A similar example from the current squad would be Hector Moreno, who was successful in La Liga with Espanyol, but, for whatever reason, hasn't hit the ground running in Rome. However, it takes time to make the necessary connections. Monchi hasn't been in Italy that long, so naturally he won't have many contacts in the country. Over time, this will start to increase, and the benefits will follow. Is Monchi here to sell players? When he arrived, people were excited because of facts such as: he signed Dani Alves for just €550k - which is remarkable. What they may have overlooked is: he sold Dani Alves for €35.5m. Profit was made at the end and the player moved on, although they did get six years of his playing career. This is longer than Roma kept any of the three players that you mentioned. Bare in mind, Sevilla also won trophies in that time. Perhaps that is the best policy - the club wins trophies, and makes a profit for future investments. Now we will have to wait and see how long the team keeps hold of the likes of Cengiz Under and Lorenzo Pellegrini, or if they will be sold for profit in the future. Also, will they become part of a Roma team that wins trophies? We might not know the answers to those questions for a few years yet. What do you think? What is Monchi's role at Roma? Will he be able to build a successful team in Italy? Have your say with a comment. The focus on UK Roma fans on the Q&A this week continues with another question from GialloRossiLupo.
Who is a better manager at press conferences? EDF or Spalletti? I prefer EDF, think he handles the press so much better than Spalletti ever did! In my opinion, Di Francesco deals with the press better. Spalletti produced a negative atmosphere at the club, and that was mainly through his press conferences. He appeared frustrated at journalists for doing their jobs and asking the tough questions. He didn't find a way to manipulate the press, but instead let their questions get to him. Whilst there is a negative mood among some fans at present, this hasn't been created by Di Francesco's poor performances at press conferences - it is merely from their own views on him. EDF gives measured responses to the questions he faces. When I mentioned about Spalletti not being able to manipulate the press, I think EDF can. Take his pre-Atalanta conference, for example. A controversial decision was made for that game (leaving Nainggolan out of the squad), but EDF addressed it before any journalist could question him about it. That way, he was able to give the answer he wanted to give, and assert his control over the situation. Later in the conference, he showed he had prepared for it by incorporating statistics into his answer. This shows that he is very careful about what he is saying and his responses are well thought out. In fact, just reading back over that press conference again, with this answer in mind, I'm very impressed by the amount of knowledge he demonstrates. These are the responses of a man comfortable talking to a difficult Roman media. He also defends his players well when questions hint at criticism of them, which is part of his character as a good man-manager. Spalletti also did this to a decent extent. Overall, I think EDF is handling the press better than Spalletti did last year. But that said, we don't know how he would've performed when asked the kind of questions Spalletti was bombarded with about Totti, so in some ways it's a difficult comparison. Which of the two do you think handles the press better? Share your opinions with a comment. Thanks to Joe Costa for providing today’s question.
Another trophy-less season beckons with owners once again selling best players to fund transfers. How many coaches will Roma go through before one realises stability is key? Look at Aurelio De Laurentiis with Napoli & Sarri. Keep your team together & build on squad depth. Time for Pallotta to sell? I can understand fans’ frustration at the poor results recently, but if there was ever a season calling for patience, it was this one. We began it with a new coach and a new sporting director, not to mention it’s the first season without Totti since some of us have been alive, which surely has some significance. It was always going to be a transitory season. It perhaps shouldn’t be too much of a surprise that we aren’t in line for a trophy. We sold Salah to meet Financial Fair Play guidelines; I’m sure the club would’ve loved to keep him. Sure, we’ve sold some of our better players in the past, which is frustrating. But in some of those situations there wasn’t much we could have done about it. Now as a team we have to focus on what we do have, rather than what we don’t. The point you make about stability is exactly why fans should stop getting on Di Francesco’s back. It’s his first big job, and he’s shown more than a few glimpses of doing well in it so far. As you say, we should build on what we have, and that includes getting behind EDF. We’ve touched on the issue of Pallotta selling on here before, and I think that now Stadio Della Roma has been approved, he should see through that project. Stability also goes for the ownership as well as the squad. His decisions may not always be the most popular but we have to trust him. Him selling the club might end up as an unnecessary distraction for the players, further affecting performances on the pitch. So, I don’t think it’s the right time for him to sell the club. The right solution to our current situation, in my eyes, is to build on the squad’s quality by making a couple of good signings - not having the owner put the club up for sale. Leave your views on the topics discussed by posting a comment! Today’s Q&A comes from UK-based fan Ben, asking about the club’s potential decisions in the transfer market.
If we were able to sell Strootman for €40m, and Radja for €50m, and bring in Badelj, Barella, and a winger (my choice would be Bernard), would you take it? I would. Radja will be 30 at the start of next season, Barella is a future star, Badelj showed against Inter just how good he is, and we are crying out for a winger to replace Salah. I think I would actually be open to selling those two players. As much as I appreciate what Kevin and Radja have done for the club, the money we could bring in from selling them could be used to improve the quality of the team. I know some fans are angry about us always selling our best players, but €40m for Strootman would be a great sum of money given his struggles this season. I would definitely be open to that, if we found a proper replacement. As for Radja, it’s a shame to say this, but maybe it’s time for us to move on. He’s not been as effective this season, and as you say, age is not on his side. His New Years’ Eve antics certainly didn’t do him any favours, and it could be time to offload him. There won’t be a shortage of interested clubs - we just have to make sure we don’t undersell him if we come to that decision. Obviously, these sales would have to be replaced with quality. As you mention, bringing in a winger should be a priority. Bernard is a gifted player, but I’m not sure he’s the type of player we need - he’s right-footed, and we’re in desperate need of a left-footer. In midfield, we’d need experienced replacements, which is why Badelj could be a good option. Barella is young but talented - he could have the ability and maturity to make an impact at a big club. However, I would potentially be more willing to look at experienced signings, as the two players who would be sold are experienced, and this is important to the team. We’d also have in-house replacements for the midfield such as Alessandro Florenzi and Lorenzo Pellegrini (if he stays, which I’m hoping he does). So, as long as we reinvest the money wisely, I’m okay with selling those two players. I’d miss them, for sure, but if it’s for the best of the club then why not? Would you sell Nainggolan and Strootman in order to fund new signings? Have your say by commenting on the article. The next UK Roma fan to submit their question this week is Paolo Campbell, who asks about the future of Roma head coach Eusebio Di Francesco.
A lot of noise around some fans wanting EDF to leave already, good or bad decision? Bad decision. Getting rid of Di Francesco midway through the season would create instability, which is not what we need. Yes, the performances have been poor since the start of December, but that doesn’t mean changing coach is the best solution. How much can EDF take the blame for players underperforming? You could say he needs to change his tactics - something I would support - but nonetheless, some of the players who aren’t doing so well this year are experienced enough to be playing better regardless of what the tactics are. Strootman, Gonalons, Dzeko... the coach can’t be held fully responsible for the way these players have played in recent weeks. It may be the case that in the end, we discover Eusebio Di Francesco isn’t the right man for the job. But, in my view, he hasn’t had anywhere near enough time for us to have reached that decision now. He has every chance of turning it around before the end of the season, certainly if his squad is strengthened in the January window, so it’s too early to call for his sacking. Do you agree or disagree? Would sacking Di Francesco be a good or bad decision for Roma? Join in the discussion by commenting below. This week on the Q&A, there’s a focus on Roma fans in the UK providing the questions. The first comes from Tom Woods, who is from the north west of England.
With no Coppa Italia, another bad result in the league and virtually zero chance the Champions League trophy will be coming to Rome in May - is the season pretty much over? I wouldn’t go as far as saying the season is over this soon. Yes, we’re all disappointed about how the team have been doing recently, and it’s highly unlikely we’ll be bringing a trophy home this season. However, whilst this is disappointing, it doesn’t mean the season is over for us yet. We have a very good chance of matching our best ever performance in the Champions League (since it changed from the European Cup), and this would be an incredible achievement. The Round of 16 tie against Shakhtar is something we all have to look forward to still. It’s not as if we don’t have anything to play for in the league either. I think the Atalanta result put the nail in the coffin for our Scudetto chances, but we still have to ensure we finish as high in the table as possible. It’s vital that we finish in the top four again, and this means the team have to play well and with a lot of effort over the remaining months. If our season was over, this wouldn’t be the case. On the flipside, if we lose to Shakhtar and happen to continue the poor run of form in the league, I think the season would then be over. Then it would be written off as a poor campaign. However, if things can start to click on the field again, then hopefully we won’t find ourselves in that situation. Let’s see how we react after the winter break. What are your thoughts? Is Roma’s season over already? Or is there still something to play for? Leave a comment to share your views! The first question of 2018 comes from GialloRossiLupo. Let's start the New Year well with a big discussion!
Now the transfer market is open and seeing rumours Roma are after Simone Verdi, Federico Di Francesco or Domenico Berardi, would another Italian player be what Roma is looking for, or is it time to follow Juventus and Inter and spend money abroad? At this stage of the season, I think it would be best to buy Italian. Whilst I would usually say it doesn't matter where a player is from as long as they're of the required quality, in January we need someone to come in who is already familiar with the league and the language, as they are more likely to make a good impression and hit the ground running. If we look at someone like Cengiz Under, who was signed in the summer without any knowledge of Italian, we can see it takes time for foreign players to make themselves at home in their new league/country. This is fine when it's in the summer, as the player has an initial time to settle in. However, in January, clubs already have momentum in the current season and they need players who can complement that; players who can come in and start well immediately, as they are already familiar with the requirements of the league. Perhaps even more suitable would be someone that the coach has already worked with - for example, Berardi or Matteo Politano - as they wouldn't need time to get used to new ideas. This is what would be most beneficial to the team part way through a season. Whilst I am open to the possibility of foreign players joining to strengthen the team, it's important that anyone arriving makes as smooth a transition as possible into the squad. And, I believe, this is more likely to be the case for an Italian player than a foreigner. Now it's time for your say. Do you think Roma should buy Italian, or from abroad? Join the discussion in the comments section and use social media to help get more people involved! |
SamueL BannisterEnglish Roma fan and sports journalist. Archives
February 2019
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