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Calcio Debate: Marco Borriello’s Arrival Means Roma Admit The Great Adriano Error
If the Giallorossi had any faith in the overweight Brazilian they wouldn't have signed the Milan man, writes Michael Yokhin...
| Bet: | Returns: | Udinese £25.00 | Draw £31.00 | Milan £26.50 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Udinese £25.00 | Draw £32.00 | Milan £28.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Udinese £25.00 | Draw £32.00 | Milan £28.80 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Udinese £23.50 | Draw £31.00 | Milan £28.50 |
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Sep 1, 2010 10:30:00 AM
By Michael Yokhin
It seems Adriano’s injury, which left the Brazilian forward unavailable for a month, proved to be a blessing in disguise for Roma. Or maybe even a blessing without disguise.
Signing Marco Borriello on a loan deal from Milan, at a very low price, gives Claudio Ranieri an interesting option in attack, and he was able to push for it without admitting his error regarding the infamous Brazilian. If the ex-Genoa star makes an instant impression at the Olimpico, Ranieri will have less trouble explaining why Adriano remains on the bench despite being fit to play, and that’s what every Giallorossi fan must hope for.
Lack of centre-forwards is not a new problem at Roma, although some might say they don’t really need them. Luciano Spalletti produced some great results playing attacking football without designated strikers at all, in a somewhat ridiculous but attractive and flexible 4-6-0 formation. When Ranieri arrived in his place exactly a year ago, he found just one established player comfortable playing as a penalty-box predator, namely Mirko Vucinic. That’s why signing Luca Toni on loan from Bayern Munich was a matter of top priority in January, and it paid dividends. Vucinic is more effective when given more freedom to roam around as a second striker, and Toni, even though not fully fit, made some important contributions to Roma’s Scudetto challenge scoring 5 goals, including the winning strike against Inter.
Unwilling to sign ageing Toni on a full-time contract, most probably because of his high wage demands, Roma went for a wilder gamble. Handing Adriano a chance to rehabilitate himself in Serie A, after years of alcohol and depression problems, is one thing – after all, when sane and fit at the beginning of his career with Parma and Inter, he was one of the best strikers in the world. Signing him on a three-year contract with a €5 million annual salary is another matter entirely. Even though he scored at will at Flamengo, Adriano’s mental and physical state was a complete mystery, while chances of him upsetting an atmosphere in the dressing room were always present.
In pre-season, Ranieri understandably stood by his man, claiming: “I hope Adriano becomes the biggest hit of the summer transfer window”. However, after watching an overweight and undermotivated Brazilian arriving in Italy, he became more than concerned. The coach shouted at Adriano, demanding him to move quicker and be more concentrated. “You look like you don’t know what to do with the ball” he sniped. Adriano was left on the bench for the Supercoppa Italiana game against Inter. And then, of course, he was injured.
In the meantime, Roma’s attack hardly made a good impression in a goalless opener against newly promoted minnows Cesena. Vucinic and Francesco Totti weren’t sharp enough, and Frenchman Jeremy Menez, immensely talented but hugely inconsistent, didn’t have the best of games. Ranieri knew he must act quickly before the transfer market closed, and promptly snatched Borriello who wanted out of Milanello following Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s arrival. Although certainly not a world-class striker, Borriello will be a very useful option, whether as a starter or as a super-sub, and will definitely score a goal or two with his trademark semi-overhead shots.
As for Adriano, Ranieri must hope Vucinic, Borriello, Menez and Totti do enough for him not to be mentioned too often. And there is also Stefano Okaka, a good prospect who is never respected, and scored his most brilliant goal for Roma, an exquisite back-heel against Siena, just seconds before departing on loan for Fulham last January. It’s about time Roma give him more opportunities to prove himself, before he becomes a new Sebastian Giovinco.
Speaking of which… Parma are looking a very promising outfit after a fruitful and wise summer campaign. Acquiring Giovinco on loan might be the bargain of the season, buying Valeri Bojinov on a permanent basis is a great success, signing an experienced and solid utility player like Massimo Gobbi for free is an amazingly good piece of business, and Pasquale Marino’s side looked bright in a 2-0 opening win against Brescia. With Antonio Candreva, who very nearly made Marcello Lippi’s squad to South Africa, arriving on loan from Udinese after a useful spell with Juventus, Parma will be even stronger. Expect them to fight for a Europa League place, at the very least.
Signing Marco Borriello on a loan deal from Milan, at a very low price, gives Claudio Ranieri an interesting option in attack, and he was able to push for it without admitting his error regarding the infamous Brazilian. If the ex-Genoa star makes an instant impression at the Olimpico, Ranieri will have less trouble explaining why Adriano remains on the bench despite being fit to play, and that’s what every Giallorossi fan must hope for.
Lack of centre-forwards is not a new problem at Roma, although some might say they don’t really need them. Luciano Spalletti produced some great results playing attacking football without designated strikers at all, in a somewhat ridiculous but attractive and flexible 4-6-0 formation. When Ranieri arrived in his place exactly a year ago, he found just one established player comfortable playing as a penalty-box predator, namely Mirko Vucinic. That’s why signing Luca Toni on loan from Bayern Munich was a matter of top priority in January, and it paid dividends. Vucinic is more effective when given more freedom to roam around as a second striker, and Toni, even though not fully fit, made some important contributions to Roma’s Scudetto challenge scoring 5 goals, including the winning strike against Inter.
Unwilling to sign ageing Toni on a full-time contract, most probably because of his high wage demands, Roma went for a wilder gamble. Handing Adriano a chance to rehabilitate himself in Serie A, after years of alcohol and depression problems, is one thing – after all, when sane and fit at the beginning of his career with Parma and Inter, he was one of the best strikers in the world. Signing him on a three-year contract with a €5 million annual salary is another matter entirely. Even though he scored at will at Flamengo, Adriano’s mental and physical state was a complete mystery, while chances of him upsetting an atmosphere in the dressing room were always present.
In pre-season, Ranieri understandably stood by his man, claiming: “I hope Adriano becomes the biggest hit of the summer transfer window”. However, after watching an overweight and undermotivated Brazilian arriving in Italy, he became more than concerned. The coach shouted at Adriano, demanding him to move quicker and be more concentrated. “You look like you don’t know what to do with the ball” he sniped. Adriano was left on the bench for the Supercoppa Italiana game against Inter. And then, of course, he was injured.
In the meantime, Roma’s attack hardly made a good impression in a goalless opener against newly promoted minnows Cesena. Vucinic and Francesco Totti weren’t sharp enough, and Frenchman Jeremy Menez, immensely talented but hugely inconsistent, didn’t have the best of games. Ranieri knew he must act quickly before the transfer market closed, and promptly snatched Borriello who wanted out of Milanello following Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s arrival. Although certainly not a world-class striker, Borriello will be a very useful option, whether as a starter or as a super-sub, and will definitely score a goal or two with his trademark semi-overhead shots.
As for Adriano, Ranieri must hope Vucinic, Borriello, Menez and Totti do enough for him not to be mentioned too often. And there is also Stefano Okaka, a good prospect who is never respected, and scored his most brilliant goal for Roma, an exquisite back-heel against Siena, just seconds before departing on loan for Fulham last January. It’s about time Roma give him more opportunities to prove himself, before he becomes a new Sebastian Giovinco.
Speaking of which… Parma are looking a very promising outfit after a fruitful and wise summer campaign. Acquiring Giovinco on loan might be the bargain of the season, buying Valeri Bojinov on a permanent basis is a great success, signing an experienced and solid utility player like Massimo Gobbi for free is an amazingly good piece of business, and Pasquale Marino’s side looked bright in a 2-0 opening win against Brescia. With Antonio Candreva, who very nearly made Marcello Lippi’s squad to South Africa, arriving on loan from Udinese after a useful spell with Juventus, Parma will be even stronger. Expect them to fight for a Europa League place, at the very least.
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