GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE Q&A
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!
9 Comments
Giallorossilupo
2/1/2018 10:40:23 pm
Thanks for the answer !
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Samuel Bannister
3/1/2018 10:44:13 am
Good point; hopefully any player signed would be creative enough to not be predictable. Mahrez would be a good solution, however his performances in recent weeks may have upped his market value slightly, possibly complicating the chances of a deal being completed. We know from the summer that Leicester hold a tough stance when negotiating so he may not be the most economical option, although his quality would definitely improve the team, and I would expect a player like him to be experienced enough to make an impact fairly quickly.
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Great report Samuel.
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Samuel Bannister
4/1/2018 03:34:08 pm
Thanks Alfredo. I think maybe some of the names listed could supplement what the squad already has to see us through to the end of the season, and maybe it will be next season that we make a real push for the title by bringing in a major signing.
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Bob
4/1/2018 03:16:20 pm
For me then buy the best available regardless of nationality, although I'd always want there to be a core of Romanisti at the heart of the team
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Franco Ficetola
4/1/2018 03:47:55 pm
Like many others, I'm not particularly concerned about the nationality of new purchases. It would be great to get the hands on Juanfran as he would bring some experience that we still seem to lack sometimes, and I don't think that his being Spanish would really influence his performances in Italy.
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Samuel Bannister
4/1/2018 05:00:30 pm
Juanfran would be a great addition, he has quality and experience in a position we need to strengthen. The only negative that many people have observed is that he wouldn’t be available to use in the Champions League this season, but that’s only a short term issue.
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Amos
4/1/2018 04:57:38 pm
Anyone who has seen my comments before, knows that I wholeheartedly agree with Sam's point. We need players that are familiar with the league and don't need a whole year to settle in. Historically we have been a club that thrives on foreign players. Predominantly we've thrived on Brazilians, done well with Bosnians, and most recently have a very popular Serbian despite him being a former Laziale. If Kolarov's case taught us anything, it is that nationality is not necessarily the most important point, but being familiar with the league and Rome, is. I have no problem with a player who has played in Serie A before even if they are a foreigner. The only current exception to these points, might be any right winger. I think we are in a difficult enough position, that any player the quality of Mahrez would make an impact. There is however, in the back of all of our minds, the fear that we could spend good money on them and they not fit in for a whole year. Moving on to a similar issue, I think we as a club would do better if we could set ourselves up to where we could keep our best players when big clubs come knocking. Hint, hint, please keep Allison. Great question today.
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Samuel Bannister
4/1/2018 05:33:15 pm
Kolarov has done so well because of his familiarity with the league as well as his character and professionalism. We need more players who have a similar mentality to him. As you say, we have to be careful with spending big on players who may not make an impact. I think Mahrez has enough quality to be successful here if he was signed for big money, but you never know. That’s partially why I said a loan for Politano could be a shrewd move. Decent quality, knowledge of the club, coach and league, and a player for whom a loan could be a feasible idea. Hence, less concern about spending a large amount of money that isn’t repaid with good performances.
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SamueL BannisterEnglish Roma fan and sports journalist. Archives
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