The Franco Sensi AS Roma 2013/14 Season Thread

That’s been a good display against a team very much in form. Hopefully the second half will continue in a similar manner. Pjanic has been immense tonight, lovely footwork, speed of thought and some beautifully improvised back heels and flicks Totti would be proud of. Gervinho has been troublesome too but his decision making and final ball has let him down. Destro was becoming visibly frustrated before the goal due to a combination of lack of balls being put in the box and the two that did go in resulted in him being fractions away from scoring but he took his goal superbly. He now joins Strootman, Benatia, Totti, Florenzi, Gervinho and Ljajic on 5 Serie A goals this season.

Jesus, the whole BT European football show tonight is all over the place without Richardson. Ginola presenting it, car crash TV.

Great free kick from Pjanic makes it 2-0.

Maicon seems to have picked up an injury and is replaced by Romagnoli. Looks like a hamstring injury which is not good news. :frowning:

Romagnoli to left back and Torosidis to right back.

Destro with a smashing finish to make it 3-0. He is now our top scorer in Serie A this season.

How do you like them apples, @Bandage?

De Rossi for Benatia who appears to have picked up a knock.

Destro’s movement and predatory instincts are of the highest calibre. Hopefully he’ll get a good run of starts now.

Gastaldello sent off for a second yellow when it was Okaka that was the culprit.

Bastos replaces Destro who was superb tonight.

Really solid performance and a great response to the midweek collapse. Destro and Pjanic were superb.

I’d stick with that midfield three for the next few weeks, they are the trio that offer the best balance and urgency but I would still expect De Rossi to come back in. Romagnoli looked very comfortable at left back and is probably a better option there than Bastos.

I see certain elements of the other thread are pretending to have watched tonight’s game and using the reports from this thread to comment on the game.

Embarrassing for Bandage as he has slaughtered Anthony Stokes and Mattia Destro in the past week and they have rammed his words back down his throat.

[quote=“Rudi, post: 904434, member: 1052”]Destro with a smashing finish to make it 3-0. He is now our top scorer in Serie A this season.

How do you like them apples, @Bandage?[/quote]

Nine goals?

He only returned to action in December though and has 6 goals in 5 starts this season in Serie A.

By my calculations Destro is averaging a goal from open play every 76 minutes in Serie A since returning from injury this season. I can’t believe some of the criticism he has come in for over on the other thread. He is our top scorer in Serie A this season and has only started 5 games. When he joined us from Siena two summers ago he was the first Italian striker of his age to hit 12 goals or more in a Serie A season for nearly 40 years (Berardi looks on course to better that this season). For me, Destro is a pure striker and probably the best striker Italy have brought through since Christian Vieri.

Some people obviously haven’t a clue if they don’t think he is Roma class.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEsz9WHa-P4

Pjanic was asked about his future at Roma after last night’s game and his response was “We’ll see”.

I’m beginning to get very concerned about his contract situation -he is absolutely integral to our team at the minute and with him entering the final year of his contract next season and the interest surrounding him it would be very difficult to keep him unless he signs an extension before the end of the season.

Bit worried about tonight’s game as we have major problems in the full back positions as Dodo, Balzaretti and Maicon are injured and Torosidis doesn’t start tonight - I’m not sure if he’s in the squad but he had been struggling with an injury during the week. Taddei and Romagnoli start at right and left back respectively. Totti misses out with injury again while Strootman is rested.

Destro, Florenzi and Gervinho in attack.

Peter Drury just said Destro has the best goal per mins ratio of any player in the European big leagues this season.

@Bandage doesn’t think he is Roma class though. :smiley:

Florenzi rolls over on his ankle.

Great effort from Destro hits the inside of the post and spins off wide.