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What Thomas DiBenedetto has to do to make Roma title challengers
With American tycoon taking over the Serie A giants, major changes are expected at the capital club, but what is needed to make the side Scudetto challengers again?
21 Apr 2011 11:48:00
It's been since the disastrous 2004-05 season that Roma have been struggling like this. The season with the disappointing derbies and of Antonio Cassano's goal in Bergamo that steered the club away from the relegation zone.
The situation was actually completely different in January of this year: Roma were still in the race for the Scudetto and things were looking good in the Champions League after being paired with Shakhtar Donetsk.
Marco Borriello had no problems finding the net, Mirko Vucinic and Jeremy Menez - if fully match fit - were capable of deciding a match with their individual class, Philippe Mexes was back to his usual best and things were only to get better with the return from David Pizarro and Francesco Totti finding his best form again. Instead, the team collapsed in the first weeks of 2011 and the only thing that keeps the fans going is the prospect of better times under new owner Thomas DiBenedetto.
The American businessman, perhaps unaware of the impact of his words, immediately started talking about winning the Scudetto and collecting trophies, thus raising expectations of the fans. DiBenedetto wants to win Serie A, but there's still plenty of work to do before thinking of the title.
Winning mentality
It's already been said plenty of times and there are little things that are more true: Roma lack the winning mentality. This has proven to be the case time and time again in recent years and has resulted in several runners-up positions.
At the key moments, Roma simply fail to show that they're a big team and that's been the key reason behind their lack of success. Last year's Serie A campaign was exemplary for their inability to win anything. The Scudetto seemed to be all Roma's, but Claudio Ranieri's men collapsed and handed the league title back to Inter.
This is where Roma need to start their project. It would already be a huge step toward bringing home a trophy if the squad showed some more determination at the key moments. Bringing is big signings is of lesser importance.
Structure at the top
Instrumental in Roma's ambition to become a top team again is having some good directors. A direction that is respected throughout the field and with clear ideas.
In a footballing world where the media is becoming more and more important, it's crucial to have good lines of communication. It would therefore be good to hold on to Gian Paolo Montali, who is always ready to have his say after a loss, without ever getting too much involved in squad business. Another name to keep at the club is Bruno Conti, who is crucial for the balance at Roma. The club could use some fresh faces to take care of the dealings in the transfer market, though.
Daniel Prade's work hasn't exactly been impressive, even though it's true that he's not always had the resources to do his job. The signings of Julio Baptista, Adriano and the failure to hold on to Philippe Mexes are all considered to be unforgivable, especially at a club like Roma.
Walter Sabatini seems like a more than adequate solution to this problem and the return of Franco Baldini would be the icing on the cake. Roma's sporting director during Fabio Capello's spell in charge has the experience and knowledge to get the results needed and has excellent connections in the footballing world.
A true leader
A third area where DiBenedetto has work to do is the position of head coach. Vincenzo Montella made an encouraging start, but his lack of experience is slowly starting to show. Coaches like Pep Guardiola, who learned everything a top tactician needs to know in a short space of time, are pretty rare and Roma can't afford to run the risk.
The club needs a coach who can bring the right attitude to the club and Carlo Ancelotti appears to be the dream candidate. Roberto Mancini is also believed to be in the frame for the job though. Might Roma decide to go for a relatively unknown name, why not give Lille coach Rudi Garcia or Porto's Andre Villas Boas the chance to prove his worth.
The right mix
It's also crucial to invest in players who are capable of making a difference or who have the potential to achieve great things. The club can't afford to solely focus on promising youngsters who lack the experience of playing at top level.
It's better to have an experienced 29-year-old in your team than a 22-year-old who's tipped for stardom, even if they come at the same price. The perfect case would obviously be to sign a youngster who is already capable of playing at the top level. Someone like Javier Pastore, who has been on everybody's lips in the past few weeks. The urge to sign talented youngsters shouldn't prevail though. It's more difficult to help a player develop into a star than to sign someone who is a star already.
Keep the fans happy
The final thing that the new owners will have to take care of: keeping the Roma faithful happy. Supporters have been very understanding regarding the club's difficulties in recent years aside from a few jeers after the last couple of games. They never stopped supporting the club, even though they had plenty of reasons to do just that.
There's little doubt that even the Roma fans will at some point lose their patience. This year has been a season to forget for the Roma faithful and there will be no more excuses next season. As always, the fans will stand by the team again right from the start. The arrival of the new owners has raised expectations and the fans' love could turn into hate if things don't go as expected.
The Roma fans have proven to be a great ally, but there's no thing worse than betrayal. It's up to the new owners to stay true to the club's heart; the fans.
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The situation was actually completely different in January of this year: Roma were still in the race for the Scudetto and things were looking good in the Champions League after being paired with Shakhtar Donetsk.
Marco Borriello had no problems finding the net, Mirko Vucinic and Jeremy Menez - if fully match fit - were capable of deciding a match with their individual class, Philippe Mexes was back to his usual best and things were only to get better with the return from David Pizarro and Francesco Totti finding his best form again. Instead, the team collapsed in the first weeks of 2011 and the only thing that keeps the fans going is the prospect of better times under new owner Thomas DiBenedetto.
The American businessman, perhaps unaware of the impact of his words, immediately started talking about winning the Scudetto and collecting trophies, thus raising expectations of the fans. DiBenedetto wants to win Serie A, but there's still plenty of work to do before thinking of the title.
Winning mentality
It's already been said plenty of times and there are little things that are more true: Roma lack the winning mentality. This has proven to be the case time and time again in recent years and has resulted in several runners-up positions.
At the key moments, Roma simply fail to show that they're a big team and that's been the key reason behind their lack of success. Last year's Serie A campaign was exemplary for their inability to win anything. The Scudetto seemed to be all Roma's, but Claudio Ranieri's men collapsed and handed the league title back to Inter.
This is where Roma need to start their project. It would already be a huge step toward bringing home a trophy if the squad showed some more determination at the key moments. Bringing is big signings is of lesser importance.
Structure at the top
Instrumental in Roma's ambition to become a top team again is having some good directors. A direction that is respected throughout the field and with clear ideas.
In a footballing world where the media is becoming more and more important, it's crucial to have good lines of communication. It would therefore be good to hold on to Gian Paolo Montali, who is always ready to have his say after a loss, without ever getting too much involved in squad business. Another name to keep at the club is Bruno Conti, who is crucial for the balance at Roma. The club could use some fresh faces to take care of the dealings in the transfer market, though.
Daniel Prade's work hasn't exactly been impressive, even though it's true that he's not always had the resources to do his job. The signings of Julio Baptista, Adriano and the failure to hold on to Philippe Mexes are all considered to be unforgivable, especially at a club like Roma.
Walter Sabatini seems like a more than adequate solution to this problem and the return of Franco Baldini would be the icing on the cake. Roma's sporting director during Fabio Capello's spell in charge has the experience and knowledge to get the results needed and has excellent connections in the footballing world.
A true leader
A third area where DiBenedetto has work to do is the position of head coach. Vincenzo Montella made an encouraging start, but his lack of experience is slowly starting to show. Coaches like Pep Guardiola, who learned everything a top tactician needs to know in a short space of time, are pretty rare and Roma can't afford to run the risk.
The club needs a coach who can bring the right attitude to the club and Carlo Ancelotti appears to be the dream candidate. Roberto Mancini is also believed to be in the frame for the job though. Might Roma decide to go for a relatively unknown name, why not give Lille coach Rudi Garcia or Porto's Andre Villas Boas the chance to prove his worth.
The right mix
It's also crucial to invest in players who are capable of making a difference or who have the potential to achieve great things. The club can't afford to solely focus on promising youngsters who lack the experience of playing at top level.
It's better to have an experienced 29-year-old in your team than a 22-year-old who's tipped for stardom, even if they come at the same price. The perfect case would obviously be to sign a youngster who is already capable of playing at the top level. Someone like Javier Pastore, who has been on everybody's lips in the past few weeks. The urge to sign talented youngsters shouldn't prevail though. It's more difficult to help a player develop into a star than to sign someone who is a star already.
Keep the fans happy
The final thing that the new owners will have to take care of: keeping the Roma faithful happy. Supporters have been very understanding regarding the club's difficulties in recent years aside from a few jeers after the last couple of games. They never stopped supporting the club, even though they had plenty of reasons to do just that.
There's little doubt that even the Roma fans will at some point lose their patience. This year has been a season to forget for the Roma faithful and there will be no more excuses next season. As always, the fans will stand by the team again right from the start. The arrival of the new owners has raised expectations and the fans' love could turn into hate if things don't go as expected.
The Roma fans have proven to be a great ally, but there's no thing worse than betrayal. It's up to the new owners to stay true to the club's heart; the fans.
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| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £50 in free bets! |
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