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Posted on 7/3/12 at 1:31 pm to Keys Open Doors
quote:
Aside from DeRossi, who is a guaranteed holding mid starer
I'd have to say Pjanic is a guaranteed starter
Posted on 7/3/12 at 1:40 pm to SuperSoakher
Yeah, I agree. It seems like Roma has a great midfield with some weaknesses in defense. Not sure I really want Bradley going there from a PT standpoint.
Posted on 7/3/12 at 1:40 pm to hendersonshands
*Obligatory appearance*
Posted on 7/3/12 at 1:41 pm to SuperSoakher
quote:
I'd have to say Pjanic is a guaranteed starter
Can play in the hole. Also, De Rossi plays more of a center back for Roma in a 3-4-3. Call it a center half. But there's midfield positions available, especially in the center.
Posted on 7/3/12 at 1:41 pm to hendersonshands
It seems I have a new Serie A club every season.
I followed Udinese briefly, then Napoli in the early 00's when they had Carlos Pavon. Then it was Cagliari when they came up from Serie B, and David Suazo was scoring goals at will. Last year I jumped back on the Napoli bandwagon due to them being so much fun to watch.
Looks like its AS Roma now.
I followed Udinese briefly, then Napoli in the early 00's when they had Carlos Pavon. Then it was Cagliari when they came up from Serie B, and David Suazo was scoring goals at will. Last year I jumped back on the Napoli bandwagon due to them being so much fun to watch.
Looks like its AS Roma now.
Posted on 7/3/12 at 1:42 pm to Keys Open Doors
Well, I forgot Enrique is gone. Not sure if Roma will keep up the 3-4-3.
Posted on 7/3/12 at 1:45 pm to Keys Open Doors
quote:
Totti, Simplicio, De Rossi, Perotta, and Gago all playing
Depends on how they set out. Perotta played some right back last year, Simplicio played very little, and Totti played CF.
Apparently Zeman is a huge proponent of 4-3-3. So I'd imagine De Rossi is holding, with Pjanic leading the triangle and Bradley competing foremost with Gago. Pjanic could play on a wing (not likely) and open up a spot, or De Rossi could play CB, as well.
This post was edited on 7/3/12 at 1:47 pm
Posted on 7/3/12 at 4:44 pm to Stewie Griffin
The tactical implications of Bradley moving to Roma by Will Parchman
I know this article is very long but I'm sure those of you who have been asking about how Bradley would fit in at Roma will find it to be a great read.
I know this article is very long but I'm sure those of you who have been asking about how Bradley would fit in at Roma will find it to be a great read.
quote:
I've been a Roma fan since the fourth grade. In the midst of an enthralling elementary school history class, my parents whisked me away to Rome for a 10-day jaunt in the Eternal City, and something in me never left. While visiting the piazzas and the ancient landmarks and being doted on by accommodating Italian restauranteurs and doing whatever else it is that 10-year-olds do in European cities, I came across my first Roma scarf at an outdoor bazaar on the cobbled stones of the Piazza Navona. For an American kid, it was a strange concept, fashion meeting sport like this, but I bought it and soon had it hanging in my room, where it still hangs today (well, technically in a man cave now that it doesn't fit my fiance's design aesthetic, but I digress). The Giallorossi soon came to be my favorite color combination, and the dreaded Biancoceleste grew into a mythic sort of repugnance.
So I've seen a lot of Roma matches over the years. I cut my teeth on the revolutionary false nine with Totti during the Scudetto year in 2000-2001, marveled at the roiling mass of the Curva Sud during Roma derby matches and still curse a horrible scoreline against Manchester United in the 2008 CL. So as the fortunes of the club began a steady, inexorable decline under Rosella Sensi's ownership, the DiBenedetto ownership group and the subsequent Luis Enrique 4-3-3 era was met with enthusiasm from not only a rabid group of Romans but me as well. It seemed to augur something positive.
Of course we know now the season ended without note, and Enrique was quietly replaced in early June by Zdenek Zeman, another proponent of the 4-3-3 and the coach who essentially paved the way for Fabio Capello's success in the early 00's. And here we find Michael Bradley entering the discussion. The transfer from Chievo is not final, so Bradley's destination is technically still TBD, but all signs point to yes for the Bradley-to-Roma move, which means I am qualified to speak a bit about what that might mean for Bradley and for the club. Allow me now to touch on a few salient points.
Firstly, it is unknown exactly how Zeman's 4-3-3 will differ from Luis Enrique's and how the particular pieces end up fitting together. Every coach is different, and in a sense, the tactical nuances won't be evident until things settle down several months into the season. But we can extrapolate a few similarities between the two based on past experiences and current strengths, thereby making some educated guesses on how Bradley fits into this scheme. A popular worry I've seen popping up on message boards and in discussions is Bradley's use as primarily a holding midfielder with license to get forward as is required. This, of course, has been Daniele De Rossi's primary role for years. Nominally, Roma played something loosely resembling a 4-1-3-2 under Luis Enrique with some combination of Bojan, Pjanic, Gago, Perotta, Greco, Viviani and Lamela in midfield, Pablo Osvaldo or Fabio Borini up top, Totti going essentially wherever he wanted between the attack and midfield and De Rossi holding deep in front of the back line.
But in reality, the formation looked nothing like this. As games wore on and Luis Enrique's pass-and-move style began to find its place, the formation morphed into something almost indefinable, and I can liken it to Jurgen Klinsmann's tactical ideal. The back line almost invariably morphed into a three-man shelf, with center backs Juan and Gabby Heinze (or Burdisso/Kjaer) folding outward to make room for DDR as a sort of sweeper in the middle. This allowed fullbacks Jose Angel and Aleandro Rosi to essentially serve as auxiliary wingers. The two lived in the opponent's half, providing rampaging runs and serving up swinging crosses for a midfield that expanded and contracted like an overworked lung in a congested middle. This is a holistic system that, given time, I think can become a boon for Roma if given the space to breathe and tailored more to forward-thinking soccer. Last season was always going to be a work in progress, and the hiring of Zeman represents a sort of concerted continuation under a different banner on the part of Franco Baldini.
Knowing this, the fear that Bradley's and De Rossi's roles will overlap is more or less unfounded, assuming this scheme retains any sort of its previous shape. Of course things could change under Zeman, but my guess is that they won't change much structurally. Under Zeman in the late 90's, Roma was famous (or infamous, depending on which side of the Roma-Lazio divide you fall) for employing fullbacks Vincent Candella and Cafu in attacking positions, unshackling them from their defensive responsibilities and allowing them to live in dangerous positions. Zeman hasn't always done this, but when the personnel allows it seems to be his MO, and both Rosi and Jose Angel allow him to live dangerously at the back with De Rossi blowing up attacks.
Which brings us round to Bradley. Zeman has never been afraid to roll the dice on youngsters, and it seems he'd take a shine to Bradley's hard-nosed approach. Roma gorged on finesse players during last year's window with names like Jose Angel, Lamela and Pjanic, all of whom have flair for days but lack grit. As Gago returns to Madrid this summer, the side is greatly lacking the punch that men like De Rossi can provide but that few else on the team possess. Bradley fits this workmanlike profile better than almost anybody Roma has targeted this summer. He can effectively sit in front of De Rossi (or to the side of him, depending on how Zeman plays it) and be the conduit between il futuro capitano and il capitano himself, the aging but gifted Totti who still prefers to drop into holes like a false nine and create attacks through others. Bradley, it seems, would be a willing beneficiary.
The 4-3-3 is a fluid system, and playing in Zeman's iteration of it will help Bradley down the road. Instead of Luis Enrique's ponderous horizontal possession game that bogged down Roma considerably and opened up yawning chasms at the back, Bradley would be under the guise of Zeman's direct, rapid-fire 4-3-3, which fits the American ideal like a glove. It's still unclear as to whether or not Bradley makes a Roma jump, but there should be no doubt that were he to do so, it would be a clear opportunity for an American to play and start consistently at a higher club level than any American in history.
Posted on 7/3/12 at 5:40 pm to BobLoblaw
Update from Seltzer
quote:
I apologize for bumping Will's Michael Bradley-talk off the top, but I have some updates.
- The new offers have apparently bumped the price a little, and Roma may be adding or exchanging Matteo Brighi or Adrian Stoian into the deal package.
- Palermo are not giving up. I don't know if that means they have made a new bid (or will), but they are at least hanging around to see what happens.
- Meanwhile, Roma are striving to complete the transfer before they head to their Riscone preseason camp on Thursday.
Trust me: in this window world, you learn patience.
This post was edited on 7/3/12 at 5:41 pm
Posted on 7/3/12 at 5:50 pm to BobLoblaw
Good find. I've only followed Roma for two years, but last year I probably watched about 15 to 20 matches and agree with most of that post, with the exception of the nominal 4-1-3-2. That was never the case, but the fluidity of the 4-3-3/3-4-3 was correct. The best way to describe it was really a 3-4-1-2, where Totti dropped deep and played into Borini and Osvaldo up top. Bradley would pair well with Pjanic or Gago centrally, because those are both passers and dribblers with little grit and less affinity for a long diagonal.
Posted on 7/3/12 at 10:44 pm to Stewie Griffin
Lot's of great posts!
I agree completely with Stewie about the shape under Luis Enrique as being more of a 3-4-1-2 with Totti coming really deep (and generating about 75% of the goals the entire season on through balls).
I otherwise agree with the article with one caveat: his assumption that Jose Angel and Aleandro Rosi will be the LB and RB. Angel may well be back in Spain or on loan and Rosi on the bench. I agree that both loved to get forward and simply stayed in opposition half. However, neither were particularly effective and that's why you saw Perrotta, Taddei and Marquinho playing there even though none had ever done so before.
Rumors are that Roma will spend around €25-30 million this summer and a big portion of that may go toward upgrading LB/RB as well as CB.
About Bradley's competition in midfield:
I imagine that Bradley deal being finalized will result in Roma immediately declining the buyout option for Gago. Bradley will also assure that the midfield isn't as fey as last year when De Rossi is out of the lineup.
At that point, the expected MF would be between the four of De Rossi, Bradley, Pjanic, Marquinho (note: Marquinho was the revelation of the season last year. He is competition for Bradley but more in a sense of how "attack" oriented the mf would be for a given match. Bradley is a much, much better defender than Marquinho was a revelation in the attacking third for his understanding with Totti and De Rossi on runs into the box and was an excellent finisher.
I would be shocked to see Pjanic moved forward. He had a bit of a tough time last year but he's obviously in his element in the midfield and Roma is pretty stacked up top anyway. Lamela is going to be a star and soon.
As I had posted before, though, Zeman is above all taked with developing a loaded system of young talent and Roma has a number of MFs that may see action. Also, there are rumors that he desperately wanted Veratti as regista and is supposedly very high on the 21 yr old attacking MF Tachtisidis from Hellas Verona.
I wouldn't be shocked to see another young midfield prodigy brought in.
Still, it's hard to see a scenario where Bradley wouldn't be playing a lot. Even if he were to fall in line with another midfielder for time, Zeman's style really makes Bielsa's look sluggish and there will be considerable squad rotation.
I agree completely with Stewie about the shape under Luis Enrique as being more of a 3-4-1-2 with Totti coming really deep (and generating about 75% of the goals the entire season on through balls).
I otherwise agree with the article with one caveat: his assumption that Jose Angel and Aleandro Rosi will be the LB and RB. Angel may well be back in Spain or on loan and Rosi on the bench. I agree that both loved to get forward and simply stayed in opposition half. However, neither were particularly effective and that's why you saw Perrotta, Taddei and Marquinho playing there even though none had ever done so before.
Rumors are that Roma will spend around €25-30 million this summer and a big portion of that may go toward upgrading LB/RB as well as CB.
About Bradley's competition in midfield:
I imagine that Bradley deal being finalized will result in Roma immediately declining the buyout option for Gago. Bradley will also assure that the midfield isn't as fey as last year when De Rossi is out of the lineup.
At that point, the expected MF would be between the four of De Rossi, Bradley, Pjanic, Marquinho (note: Marquinho was the revelation of the season last year. He is competition for Bradley but more in a sense of how "attack" oriented the mf would be for a given match. Bradley is a much, much better defender than Marquinho was a revelation in the attacking third for his understanding with Totti and De Rossi on runs into the box and was an excellent finisher.
I would be shocked to see Pjanic moved forward. He had a bit of a tough time last year but he's obviously in his element in the midfield and Roma is pretty stacked up top anyway. Lamela is going to be a star and soon.
As I had posted before, though, Zeman is above all taked with developing a loaded system of young talent and Roma has a number of MFs that may see action. Also, there are rumors that he desperately wanted Veratti as regista and is supposedly very high on the 21 yr old attacking MF Tachtisidis from Hellas Verona.
I wouldn't be shocked to see another young midfield prodigy brought in.
Still, it's hard to see a scenario where Bradley wouldn't be playing a lot. Even if he were to fall in line with another midfielder for time, Zeman's style really makes Bielsa's look sluggish and there will be considerable squad rotation.
This post was edited on 7/3/12 at 10:57 pm
Posted on 7/3/12 at 10:49 pm to wm72
Not complaining/criticizing but every one of your damn posts is akin to reading a book.. 
Posted on 7/3/12 at 10:56 pm to ohiovol
quote:
How do fans there feel about Bradley?
There's kind of a mixed response but the majority are optimistic as long as some big money is splashed on defense.
Most of my friends follow closely enough to be optimistic after seeing Bradley play so well against Roma last season and Italy in the friendly.
However, there's a sizeable minority saying he's being signed to sell jerseys in America and won't be much better than Greco, ie, a good player for a mid table club but merely club depth for a scudetto contender.
Unfair as it is, if he were European and had achieved about the same thing at Chievo some people would be more excited. There's still a stigma or stereotype that American players won't do well in the upper echelon of technical leagues like Serie A where defenders close down so closely.
Posted on 7/3/12 at 11:01 pm to wm72
quote:
However, there's a sizeable minority saying he's being signed to sell jerseys in America
3.5 million is a lot of jerseys.
Posted on 7/3/12 at 11:03 pm to Jumbeauxlaya
quote:
Not complaining/criticizing but every one of your damn posts is akin to reading a book..
I may be accused of lacking quality but never quantity.
Posted on 7/3/12 at 11:05 pm to wm72
I definitely enjoy seeing your different perspective, especially on all things italian
Posted on 7/3/12 at 11:14 pm to Jumbeauxlaya
quote:
I definitely enjoy seeing your different perspective, especially on all things italian
Thanks.
I really enjoy this board. The other couple I read or ever post on are Italian AS Roma sites and a majority of my best friends who follow soccer are Italian as well.
It was when I moved to Italy in 1997 that I really started following club soccer closely so Serie A is mostly what I know.
This board is great for all the different directions people follow and also interesting that most of us are originally either from the south or live there.
Posted on 7/4/12 at 12:34 am to wm72
Yep, I guess I'm on the bandwagon. I will say, I have always liked Roma's color scheme.
Posted on 7/4/12 at 9:32 am to AUin02
The Latest from Seltzer:
Giuseppe Rossi could be heading to Roma
Terrible news, lets hope this doesn't happen as it would make it a lot more difficult to support Roma.
Giuseppe Rossi could be heading to Roma
quote:
I've been told that the Michael Bradley transfer to Roma should be hours away from completion, but that's not why I'm here now. While Mikey appears on the verge of becoming the first New Jersey native to join AS Roma, there may not be a long wait until the second. The same birdie informed me this morning that the Giallorossi are taking a long look at recovering Villarreal forward Giuseppe Rossi.
And, yes, I realize many of you wince at the mention of his name, but I figured you'd want to know anyway. So... wince away.
Terrible news, lets hope this doesn't happen as it would make it a lot more difficult to support Roma.
quote:
Let's catch you all up on the latest developments in the nearly completed transfer of Michael Bradley to Roma:
- The package going to Chievo has been jostled a bit, with a little less cash, half-ownership of Adrian Stoian and a Leandro Greco loan on the table last. Why the offer shuffle? I'm not 100% certain, but I do know that competing offers tend to force a bump up.
- Also, Roma technical director Walter Sabatini just spoke to reporters about the negotiations for Bradley. And what did he say?
"Bradley is close. He's not a marketing operation. I know some of you think this. The field will show how pragmatic, secure he is. He's a winner. If we will cut the deal, I will be proud."
This post was edited on 7/4/12 at 9:33 am
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