Quite a list of injuries and suspension for pescara INDISPONIBILI 88 Terlizzi (incerto 14ª), 16 Brugman (incerto 15ª), 18 Colucci (incerto 14ª), 95 Savelloni (incerto 16ª), 26 Blasi (incerto 17ª), 17 Weiss (incerto 14ª), 3 Crescenzi (rientro 14ª) SQUALIFICATI 2 Zanon (1), 5 Capuano (1)4 Cascione (1) We can really win here by big margin. I am looking forward to watch Quintero of Pescara, who is being rated in high.
The problem is Destro is useless playing in that position. We saw this again last night when he came on for Totti, but was continuously in the middle and kind of colliding with Osvaldo. Destro deserves to play, but I'm convinced that Destro can ultimately only give his best if he plays for Osvaldo. I think the dynamic of who plays for Lamela will also be affected by the midfield. If Nico Lopez plays then you might have Pjanic and Lopez on that flank, neither of which are really good at returning. So perhaps in that scenario having Destro, who showed a good deal of sacrifice in the defense phase might be a more balanced solution. Zeman could also do something bold and play Pjanic instead of Lamela and perhaps introducing Marquinho in the midfield, or bring back Tachtisidis and move Bradley into the intermedio slot. I also will say that goal aside I don't think Pjanic did so well last night. He's just not adapt to playing in a Zeman midfield and running without the ball. I noted last night in the match thread that Pjanic seemed to come to life after Totti was substituted. In many ways I feel that is evidence of it because at that point he played much more as a trequartista. Wait to receive that ball, move forward, and try to play through the strikers or other midfielders. You look at how Bradley interprets the role and you look at how Pjanic interprets the role and there is a world of difference. This game should be a walk in the park. We will go to a friendly arena where Zeman is a deity. However you just can't get away from the fact that Sabatini managed to put together the most un-Zeman group of players ever assembled. It's a fact that I can't let go of, and I can't understand how it happened considering how well known Zeman's 4-3-3 is in Italy.
Pjanic is the highest rated player from yesterday's match according to who scored.com.By the way we really can score some goals considering the fact that Pescara has the worst defence and attack in the league...and some injuries.Hope Lazio lose the match so that we can take the 5th place.
I put as much stock in player ratings from websites as I do a roll of toilet paper. Watch the game and formulate your own opinions.
He was our best player after Totti was subbed. That's a fact. And whoscored uses the same system to rate all the players. And Pjanic got the best rating, that must mean he did something right.
Perhaps you should read what I wrote ... Totti came out the 64th minute which means Pjanic played well for an entire 26 minutes plus recovery. Yet according to WhoScored.com he get's a better rating that Marcos. Who played like a champ for 90 minutes and made some goal saving recoveries. Hmmmm ... what magic formula is used here? Osvaldo was all around crappy last night and wasteful, yet their rating system seems to give him a higher rating that Bradley. A player who last night, might have slowed our attacking phase down, but provided our defense with a much needed stability boost. Which player was more influential in our positive performance? If you accept anything you read then you have to say Osvaldo since he has the higher rating. However if you think on the game, and think on their contributions then I think you just might come to another conclusion. Especially considering all Osvaldo did was score a penalty, beautifully by all means ... let's be clear, but a penalty that could have been scored by number of other players. That's how I see it, if you want to take the opinions of a writer whom you don't even know as the word of god then by all means feel free. Me ... I tend to find player ratings incredibly skewed. It's just the nature of it. They are skewed towards the biases of the writer. For example I like an attacker like Lamela more than a Osvaldo type, it's a personal preference. But that might come through in my ratings. Perhaps WhoScored.com gives you an extra 1 point for scoring a goal, but doesn't give you squat for lowering down field and covering the defensive line.
It's one thing if you make an argument around certain factors. One can say that Pjanic scored a goal, he made key passes late in the 2nd half that could have been converted in goals. These things are tangible and can be discussed. One can then go on and look at it in more closely. One can ask if Pjanic would have made those key passes if not for the penalty which forced Torino to open themselves more. One can ask if without the penalty Pjanic's inability to play without the ball on his feet would have continued to be a hinderance. That leads to a useful analysis and discussion. But to say he's the best player because so and so said so ... well I'm sorry but that's just useless to me.
I would like to see the midfield and attack be: Pjanic-Destro-LopezFlorenzi-Tach-Bradley Future is now.
Should be an easy win I think lads, I'll be disappointed with taking home anything less than 3 points - so I expect a Roma collapse and a Capari hat trick to rub salt in the wound
For how excited I was with the addition of Ballz to the squad in the summer, I dont know how much longer his legs are going to hold up. I want to see more Dodo, I think in the short time we have seen him his interchanges with Totti have been fantastic.
Yeah,but i still feel Pjanic was the man yesterday.There were some good players on the pitch who played very good like Castan,Marcos,.. but Pjanic was the man for me.Everybody has their own opinion.
I wish we played with more midfielders because at this point I really want Marquinho to get a start. But at the same time I think we might just need to stick with Pjanic. He isn't perfect in this system, but neither was Lamela a month ago. Might just have to deal with his slow play and hope he can adapt eventually. He's too good to just banish to the bench every week. And Destro is completely lost out wide. Even though Osvaldo isn't great out wide either, if Zeman is going to play them both I think Ozzy can at least hold his own out there. Destro really needs this game and a goal or two.
I really like Marquinho as a player. I appreciate his runs, directness, energy, etc. I loved him at LB last year under Enrique, and I thought we could have put him at LB instead of worrying about that over summer. However, in this team, I think he's found his perfect role as a major impact sub. I think he would lose a little bit of his magic and impact if he was to start and wear down with the rest of the players. He's great at coming on and blitzing an opposition that's a step slower by that point in the game.
http://asromanewsinenglish.blogspot.com/2012/11/wednesday-afternoon-training.html training this afternoon
I to hope Marquinho starts. He deserves it and his qualities can often be over looked. He is potentially a top class player. On the whole squad, the only player I can't understand why is not given a shot in a position that is crying out for him as a possible major option. Left wing back. Remember when Zeman put him on, on the right of the front three against Aris and we watched awkwardly, we could see he had not the style to cut inside. He is all about driving down the outside. Now I know he adds great power and running from left centre mid but left wing back and he is a potential starter, rivalling Balz
You are totally right here. What changed the game for Pjanic was not really the fact that Totti came out, but the penalty which made an already tired Torino to open up, and leaving spaces for Pjanic to run with the ball. When the defensive formation of Torino still was intact, he could barely get through, and lost a lot of balls. Pjanic is a very talented player, but playing him in this system will be hard, when both De Rossi and Taxi will be back. And I don't think right now he has what one needs to play a quazi striker on the left instead of Totti, and personally I don't think he ever will. There, he would be marked differently. He is a trequartista, but one cannot play well without the ball being on his feet constantly. Lamela is a different case, he always had more attacker in him. A midfield of De Rossi and Pjanic will slow down the game and play horizontally.