RSS
ATOM
advertisement
Roman Soldier: Complacency Will Not Win Roma The Derby Against Lazio
The Derby della Capitale beckons and ‘Roman Soldier’ Vince Masiello fears the Giallorossi will take the struggling Aquile for granted…
| Bet: | Returns: | Siena £32.00 | Draw £32.00 | Roma £22.50 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Siena £33.00 | Draw £31.00 | Roma £23.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Siena £32.00 | Draw £31.00 | Roma £22.50 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Siena £31.00 | Draw £32.50 | Roma £23.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Siena £29.00 | Draw £31.00 | Roma £23.00 |
|
Dec 2, 2009 1:00:50 PM
It’s derby week in Rome, but I can hardly feel the vibe that traditionally envelops the Italian capital before Roma and Lazio lock horns.
Far be it from me to speculate about the feelings around Formello as the D-day approaches, but I’m sensing a relaxed atmosphere within the Giallorossi camp. Perhaps too relaxed.
Just look at that happy smile on Claudio Ranieri’s face. He conveyed a sense of security after Sunday’s hard-fought win at Atalanta that was a rarity, to say the least.
Why was ‘Er Pecione’ so gleeful? Was it because he feels he has finally managed to rev up the rusty Maggica engine? Probably.
Or was he just basking in the misfortunes of his old club Juventus who mercilessly kicked him out the door last May and are now already picking up the pieces of a shattered season? Also likely.
And the Lupi’s inebriated mood was there for everyone to see on Monday as captain Francesco Totti launched his new official website in a lavish ceremony that was attended by Ranieri and Daniele De Rossi.
Amid all the razzmatazz, I could barely discern any kind of giddy anticipation for admittedly the biggest footballing event in the Eternal City.
Sure, Totti was sucked by the famished media pack into aiming some sort of petty jibe at Lazio’s current woes and their star striker Mauro Zarate in an attempt to add some spice to the derby build-up.
“Lazio are favourites…” laughed ‘Er Pupone’. But he seemed more keen to entertain questions about his impending new contract or his potential return to the national side rather than to issue a war cry and inspire his comrades to avenge last April’s 4-2 debacle in the Stracittadina.
Am I making a mountain out of a molehill here? Am I wrong in hoping that Roma get some perspective to finally bring some balance to their seesaw season?
Ten points from the last four games is certainly a commendable achievement that has allowed the Giallorossi to sneak into more familiar surroundings, but that doesn’t mean the storm has passed. Far from it.
Ranieri may have somehow squared the circle up front by pairing fantasy duo Jeremy Menez and Totti with a reinvigorated Mirko Vucinic, but his efforts to plug Roma’s leaky defence have been to no avail.
And after watching Atalanta’s Fabio Ceravolo bamboozle the hapless Juan on Sunday, I suppose the last glimmer of hope Ranieri had of keeping a single clean sheet in Serie A this term ultimately faded.
That is exactly why I find this apparent new-found euphoria hard to understand, particularly in the crucial week of the Derby della Capitale, the one game that can make or break your season around here.
Of course, the halcyon days when this clash used to be a Scudetto decider are a blurry memory now, and as Inter maintain their tyrannical stranglehold on Serie A, the Rome derby has gone decidedly parochial.
But extra significance is and will always be attached to this match in the Eternal City and the affront of defeat is an unbearable burden to carry until at least the next one.
We all know how derbies are unpredictable by nature and I refuse to believe Roma are going to take this clash lightly. And yet my gut feeling tells me there is too much overconfidence around Trigoria and Roma might be in for a tough awakening on Sunday night. Let’s call a spade a spade: Lazio may be comatose and without a win in over three months, but that counts for nothing when the city’s bragging rights are at stake.
“The Biancocelesti are beatable, but I don’t trust them,” has in fact warned the more practical De Rossi.
“They will be fired up. It’s always the same story: they struggle and then give the performance of their lives against us.”
If nothing else, the words of ‘Captain Future’ should knock some sense into the team.
Besides, De Rossi has an extra incentive to win this weekend: he is hoping to complete a family derby double over Lazio after his father guided the Primavera side to a 2-0 win over Lazio on Monday. Does a good beginning make a good ending?
Vince Masiello, Goal.com
Far be it from me to speculate about the feelings around Formello as the D-day approaches, but I’m sensing a relaxed atmosphere within the Giallorossi camp. Perhaps too relaxed.
Just look at that happy smile on Claudio Ranieri’s face. He conveyed a sense of security after Sunday’s hard-fought win at Atalanta that was a rarity, to say the least.
Why was ‘Er Pecione’ so gleeful? Was it because he feels he has finally managed to rev up the rusty Maggica engine? Probably.
Or was he just basking in the misfortunes of his old club Juventus who mercilessly kicked him out the door last May and are now already picking up the pieces of a shattered season? Also likely.
And the Lupi’s inebriated mood was there for everyone to see on Monday as captain Francesco Totti launched his new official website in a lavish ceremony that was attended by Ranieri and Daniele De Rossi.
Amid all the razzmatazz, I could barely discern any kind of giddy anticipation for admittedly the biggest footballing event in the Eternal City.
Sure, Totti was sucked by the famished media pack into aiming some sort of petty jibe at Lazio’s current woes and their star striker Mauro Zarate in an attempt to add some spice to the derby build-up.
“Lazio are favourites…” laughed ‘Er Pupone’. But he seemed more keen to entertain questions about his impending new contract or his potential return to the national side rather than to issue a war cry and inspire his comrades to avenge last April’s 4-2 debacle in the Stracittadina.
Am I making a mountain out of a molehill here? Am I wrong in hoping that Roma get some perspective to finally bring some balance to their seesaw season?
Ten points from the last four games is certainly a commendable achievement that has allowed the Giallorossi to sneak into more familiar surroundings, but that doesn’t mean the storm has passed. Far from it.
Ranieri may have somehow squared the circle up front by pairing fantasy duo Jeremy Menez and Totti with a reinvigorated Mirko Vucinic, but his efforts to plug Roma’s leaky defence have been to no avail.
And after watching Atalanta’s Fabio Ceravolo bamboozle the hapless Juan on Sunday, I suppose the last glimmer of hope Ranieri had of keeping a single clean sheet in Serie A this term ultimately faded.
That is exactly why I find this apparent new-found euphoria hard to understand, particularly in the crucial week of the Derby della Capitale, the one game that can make or break your season around here.
Of course, the halcyon days when this clash used to be a Scudetto decider are a blurry memory now, and as Inter maintain their tyrannical stranglehold on Serie A, the Rome derby has gone decidedly parochial.
But extra significance is and will always be attached to this match in the Eternal City and the affront of defeat is an unbearable burden to carry until at least the next one.
We all know how derbies are unpredictable by nature and I refuse to believe Roma are going to take this clash lightly. And yet my gut feeling tells me there is too much overconfidence around Trigoria and Roma might be in for a tough awakening on Sunday night. Let’s call a spade a spade: Lazio may be comatose and without a win in over three months, but that counts for nothing when the city’s bragging rights are at stake.
“The Biancocelesti are beatable, but I don’t trust them,” has in fact warned the more practical De Rossi.
“They will be fired up. It’s always the same story: they struggle and then give the performance of their lives against us.”
If nothing else, the words of ‘Captain Future’ should knock some sense into the team.
Besides, De Rossi has an extra incentive to win this weekend: he is hoping to complete a family derby double over Lazio after his father guided the Primavera side to a 2-0 win over Lazio on Monday. Does a good beginning make a good ending?
Vince Masiello, Goal.com
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power for a free bet up to £50 |
|
Thank you for your comment!
Please enter your name
Please enter your location
Please share your comment!
12 Comments
Advertisement
Inside Goal.Com
-
Capello remains one of the greats of the game
After tasting success wherever he had gone previously, the coach will look upon his time at Wembley as an incomplete job rather than a complete failure
-
Can Suarez repeat Cantona's grand comeback?
The divisive Uruguayan can look to history when he starts against United on Saturday for the first time since receiving an eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra
-
Key battles: Manchester United v Liverpool
The former Reds defender believes that the Uruguayan must put controversy to the back of his mind when his team face the champions
-
The importance of Champions League qualification
The Ruhr side's remarkable run in Europe's elite tournament saw their revenue unexpectedly soar last season, but some teams are structured to depend on such results to survive
-
Cartoon: Capello's managerial merry-go-round
Goal.com cartoonist Omar Momani gives us his unique take on the football news of the day ...
Advertisement
Advertisement
