2008-09 Transfer Report Card: How Good Were Roma’s Signings?

Given the current economic climate and the ever-growing financial weight of Premier League clubs, it’s not easy for Italian sides to do business in the transfer market these days. The situation is ten times worse for Roma, as the Lupi are gravely in debt and cannot afford to splash out over €30 million on a superstar like they did with Gabriel Batistuta back in 2000. Oh, good old times… Nonetheless, last summer director of sport Daniele Pradé was given more than enough funds to plug a few holes. It was a disaster…

IN: Julio Baptista (Real Madrid), Jeremy Menez (Monaco), John Arne Riise (Liverpool), Simone Loria (Siena), Vincenzo Montella (Sampdoria), Artur Moraes (Siena), Pietro Pipolo (Potenza), Filipe Gomes Ribeiro (free agent), Marco Motta (Udinese), Souleymane Diamoutene (Lecce), David Sugar (Bellinzona).

OUT: Aleandro Rosi (Livorno), Ahmed Barusso (Siena), Gianluca Curci (Siena), Mancini (Inter), Ludovic Giuly (PSG), Vitorino Antunes (Lecce), Alessio Cerci (Atalanta), Matteo Ferrari (expired contract), Mauro Esposito (Chievo), Simone Palermo (Treviso - Pistoiese), Marco Andreolli (Sassuolo), Edgar Alvarez (Pisa), Stefano Okaka (Brescia), Leandro Greco (Pisa).

Julio Baptista: E

A toothless Beast, to say the least. Roma paid €9 million to secure his services from Real Madrid and he landed in Italy with high expectations. Baptista was supposed to be the cherry on top of the Lupi’s summer market campaign, but he downright flopped. Aside from a few moments of brilliance, such as a stunning scissor-kick strike against Torino, the Brazilian has done very little to help Roma’s cause in a difficult season and the Olimpico’s screams after he missed a sitter against Arsenal in the Champions League still echo through the Eternal City…

Jeremy Menez: E

The Frenchman has wasted more time complaining about Francesco Totti’s cult image in Rome than trying to live up to his reputation after strolling into the Italian capital with a burdensome nickname: Le Petit Zidane. A bunch of good performances and two goals are not enough to justify his hefty transfer fee (€10.5m). His qualities are undisputed, but he seems too immature to handle the pressure of the Roman environment. Time is on his side, but his Roman holiday could come to an abrupt end next summer.

John Arne Riise: A-

Many people laughed off Riise’s arrival last summer and not just outside Rome. He was regarded as a has-been who had not much more to give after being shown the door by Liverpool. But after an understandable settling-in period, the Norwegian has passed the test with flying colours. And he almost single-handedly kept the Giallorossi afloat in the Champions League last 16 return leg clash with Arsenal, as the defensive department was decimated by injuries and was also deprived of Juan during the match. Riise was forced to switch into a central position role and didn’t miss a beat. A true and indomitable gladiator.

Simone Loria: F-

I was surprised to see Loria come in seventh in the not-so-coveted Golden Bin award race last December. Sure, no one could compete with 25 million euro boy Ricardo Quaresma, but a top-three finish was well within his reach, and rightly so. Suffice to say his biggest contribution so far was a meaningless goal against Juventus. But you would even expect that from a man who wrote his name in the Serie A history books by netting a fabulous bicycle-kick goal two years ago. What you don’t expect is to see a coach flinching at the mere thought of playing a central defender at the centre of his defence... Abysmal.

Marco Motta: B

Motta was brought in at the 11th hour in January, but has quickly established himself as a first-team regular. Admittedly, it was more down to the spate of injuries that have plagued Roma in recent weeks, but he has waltzed into the side with the determination and experience of a veteran at the tender age of 22, so much so that Italy boss Marcello Lippi bumped him up to senior level for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers. One for the future.

Souleymane Diamoutene: C

The Mali centre-back joined on loan from Lecce in January and did his duty when called upon, most notably against Arsenal in the Champions League, but is unlikely to be signed permanently next summer.

Filipe Gomes Ribeiro: C

The 21-year-old Brazilian playmaker was thrown a lifeline by Roma after a knee injury nightmare and featured against Siena and Juve. He is technically gifted, but it’s hard to make a definitive judgement at the moment.

Vincenzo Montella: E

‘L’Aeroplanino’ has made just 10 substitute appearances, but his killer instinct has evidently faded away and it goes without saying that his footballing days are numbered.

Artur Moraes: D

The Brazilian goalkeeper has deputised for his compatriot Doni on a few occasions, but looked dodgy and the Giallorossi are expected to look for a more reliable understudy in the summer.

Others

Pietro Pipolo: N/V

The 23-year-old custodian returned from a loan spell at Potenza, but never got a look in this season.

David Sugar: N/V

The Croatian moved to Roma on loan from Swiss side Bellinzona in January.

FINAL GRADE: E

Despite their growing debts, Roma have poured around €40m into the transfer market this term, taking into account the €12m paid to sign Mirko Vucinic from Lecce on a permanent basis. It was the largest investment since the successful 2000-01 campaign which led to the third Scudetto in the club’s history. And yet the Giallorossi were already out of the title race just a few weeks into the season and now risk missing out on a lucrative Champions League place.

A few questions need to be asked: why gamble on a 32-year-old journeyman defender [Loria] untested on the big stage and give away a promising midfielder, Daniele Galloppa, in the deal, while losing Matteo Ferrari on a free transfer? With Totti spending more time visiting treatment rooms than locker rooms these days, Spalletti had explicitly requested a natural-born finisher to get by. Was Baptista supposed to be the answer? Or was it Menez? Mr Pradé & Co should be more than happy to pass with an E…

Vince Masiello, Goal.com