Terrace Talk

With the first half of the season completed, it is now time to analyze how well Roma have performed during the campaign thus far. Overall I am happy with the quality of their performances. They have achieved their main objectives, not leaving much to be unhappy about, except a few incidents which may be a minor cause for concern.

It was clear from the start of the domestic season that competing with Inter for the title was going to be a difficult task, and so far it has proved impossible considering Inter have not lost a match. They have dropped a minimal number of points to weaker sides but this is expected as you cannot win them all. Roma got through the difficult part of their schedule very well. They also dropped points but this was against much stronger competition consecutively including the likes of Juventus and Fiorentina to start the season. Currently Roma are 4 points behind Inter and though the task may seem like an uphill battle, the Scudetto race is not over. With crucial Champions League matches still ahead and also the Coppa Italia, fatigue will become play a role and Inter are bound to drop points somewhere sooner or later. The real question is whether Roma are ready to take advantage of Inter’s slips considering they have just as difficult a schedule. Winning the Serie A title may be a long shot but Roma must still fancy their chances. If they pull themselves together and do not drop points against weaker sides they still have a chance.

Roma did what they were expected to do in the Champions League group stages: finish second behind Manchester United. They did not get their revenge but they can still be happy with their results. Roma drew Real Madrid in the Champions League’s first knockout round and it definitely is shaping up to be an interesting encounter. It was not too long ago that they met each other in the tournament and if presented Roma will be ready to take their chances to punish Madrid. Last year’s fixture versus Lyon proves this and they should be considered a force in Europe as they can beat any side on a good day.

Only one match has been played by Roma in the Coppa Italia this season which was away to Torino. The fixture was a disappointment. Losing 3-1 away puts Roma in a tough position but if they line up their biggest stars in January and take Coppa Italia seriously they should still have a fighting chance to advance.

Injuries have also made Roma’s life much more difficult as many starters were out for a month or even longer, at some point so far. They were missed but they should be back for the New Year and Roma should finally have a chance to see their best players lined-up together on the pitch.

Of the new signings Roma have brought in Juan has been the most impressive. He knows what he has to do in defense and has done it quietly and effectively. He has been worth every penny paid for him. He has also been an aerial threat in the opposition’s box. I believe Roma can also be happy with Giuly, Antunes and Cicinho even if they haven’t been in the best form of their careers.

Giuly has received the most playing time of three and has played fairly well, nothing special but worth his place in the team.

Antunes is still young but certainly has the potential. He has made two appearances so far and has played well in both however he has yet to start in the Serie A. His time will come though, he deserves it.

Upon his arrival there were high hopes for Cicinho but so far has not managed to live up to the hype. When he has played he has been good but his defending still leaves a lot to be desired. There is no doubt about his quality in attack but he needs to improve his defending to become starter for Roma.

Barusso, another new signing, has been disappointing. He is a true fighter but he has poor technique. He works hard and is really strong, like Essien or Viera, but he just needs a boost in confidence to work miracles for his play. He definitely has potential.

Esposito should go straight back to where he came from. Just terrible, awful, horrible etc. You get the drift…

It is now finally time to highlight the best players of the first half of the season. One of the contenders must surely be Doni. Besides the blunder he had with Mexes in Lisbon, he has been outstanding. He has saved Roma more than once with his superb reflexes. Juan deserves mention as well. As stated before, he does his job quietly and effectively, and has become one of the most important players in the team. De Rossi has done a good job as always, nothing special though. Aquilani had a great start to the season but picking up an injury has changed all that. I feel for the lad, every time he is in great form he gets injured. Pizarro has shown his quality yet again since his return from injury. He is a very under-rated player who organizes all the Roma attacks from the midfield and whose clever passes have caught the opposition’s defense sleeping more than once. Vucinic has been both good and bad. In the times that Totti was out he saved Roma with his goals but then again managed not to score in some matches despite having numerous chances. Totti started the season well but then injuries caught up to him. He rushed back to play but had to spend an extra week away from the pitch as a result. So far, Cassetti has been wonderful. He started the season as one of the best players and took over the right-back spot form both the veteran Panucci and new signing Cicinho. Unfortunately he also got injured and had to spend some time on the sidelines. After he came back he has performed just as well, a solid fighter who never gives up and always plays with his heart, giving all for the team. Even if his technique isn’t the best he still manages to be one of the best players on the pitch in my opinion. He does not stand out as much as some of the other or get much attention but there is definitely a reason why Spalletti trusts him so much.