GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE Q&A
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!
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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. |
SamueL BannisterEnglish Roma fan and sports journalist. Archives
February 2019
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