Six points off the drop with six games to go, but a shocking run of form and a hefty impending ban for Francesco Totti could still send them into Serie B.
Roma woe
It's all going wrong for Roma right now.
Well, so much for the daring breakaway. Just three days after Juventus pulled three points clear of Milan at the top, it's all back level again; Wednesday saw Milan best Chievo at the freshly-singed San Siro while Inter beat Juve in Turin.
Of note in Milan's game was yet another wrongly disallowed goal by Pierluigi Collina, who used to be the world No1, you know. Meanwhile in Turin, Gianluigi Buffon wasn't at his best either for Inter's one shot on target, allowing Julio Cruz's header to fly past his outstretched fingers for the game's only goal. Zlatan Ibrahimovic - who could have been sent off for a first-half head-butt on Sinisa Mihajlovic - was again the main man for La Signora, but between the woodwork and an exceptional night from Inter's Francesco Toldo, he and Juve never found the equaliser.
Inter's win leaves Juve and Milan tied at the top, like a tramp's trousers, while the Nereazzurri themselves grabbed a five-point cushion in third. Sampdoria remain favourites for fourth place over Udinese and Palermo (all three drew on Wednesday) but with two spots up for grabs in the UEFA Cup, all three look guaranteed of European action.
So far, so neat and tidy. Further down, however, the big news is that Roma have now officially joined the relegation battle.
Think I'm exaggerating? Wednesday saw the former champions defeated 2-0 at home by Siena - and this just three days after losing 2-1 in Rome to little Reggina. Roma have now clocked up six defeats and one draw in the last seven matches, plunging them down to just six points off the drop with six games to go. Frankly, at the rate they're going, that may not be enough to save them.
Wednesday was typical of recent Roma performances, with the Giallorossi starting well and hitting the woodwork twice in the first half with shots from Christians Panucci and Chivu. Shortly after half-time, however, things began assuming their usual pear-like appearance: a Roma attack broke down, and while Francesco Totti and Mancini stopped to whine at the referee over a suspect clearance, Do Carmo Nieto Alberto hammered 70 yards up the other end to set up Massimo Maccarone for the opening goal.
Totti promptly lost his rag. Having already picked up a yellow card for a scuffle with Siena's Igor Tudor (famously taunted by Totti in Roma's 4-0 win over Juve last season), the Roma captain then got sent off for kicking Francesco Colonnese, whom he then gave a clip in the face for good measure as he left the field. Ten-man Roma gamely stuck on an extra forward, and a grateful Enrico Chiesa made it 2-0 shortly after.
"Roma have some great players", marvelled Siena manager Gigi De Canio afterwards, "but maybe they're not up to a relegation battle. Everybody else down here certainly is." And therein lies the problem; Roma have some great players (Totti, Antonio Cassano, Chivu, league top-scorer Vincenzo Montella) but sod-all discipline. While Fabio Capello kept them in line through all last year's financial woes and even challenged for the title, no sooner had he left than all the old bad habits came roaring back.
This year's Roma is a lazy and presumptuous side, often expecting to win games by sheer flashiness. When things go wrong, it's the fault of the referees or a top level conspiracy - the famous 'winds from the North'. Just this week Totti was fined £10,000 for blaming a recent loss to Juve on 'playing against 14 men'.
With three managers running screaming from Roma HQ already this season and a managerial debutant now in charge, it's little wonder the Giallorossi are looking more lost and confused than ever, just as they enter the crucial final straight. Worse still, they'll face a sizeable chunk of the remaining games without their captain; Wednesday's red card was Totti's second in four games (the last was for kicking Milan's Massimo Ambrosini) and he's expected to receive a ban of three games or more.
Given that Roma rarely win anything without him, it should make for an interesting run-in. As should the list of teams they'll be facing; four of their direct relegation rivals (Brescia, Parma Chievo and Atalanta), a Sampdoria side battling to maintain fourth place, and of course, cross-town enemies Lazio, a side that's always especially keen to help out their neighbours.
One thing is for sure; Jude's not the only one to risk his A-list status after playing with Siena. See you Monday for all the news on Sampdoria-Roma, Juve's trip to Lazio and the rest.
From The Guardian
Roma woe
It's all going wrong for Roma right now.
Well, so much for the daring breakaway. Just three days after Juventus pulled three points clear of Milan at the top, it's all back level again; Wednesday saw Milan best Chievo at the freshly-singed San Siro while Inter beat Juve in Turin.
Of note in Milan's game was yet another wrongly disallowed goal by Pierluigi Collina, who used to be the world No1, you know. Meanwhile in Turin, Gianluigi Buffon wasn't at his best either for Inter's one shot on target, allowing Julio Cruz's header to fly past his outstretched fingers for the game's only goal. Zlatan Ibrahimovic - who could have been sent off for a first-half head-butt on Sinisa Mihajlovic - was again the main man for La Signora, but between the woodwork and an exceptional night from Inter's Francesco Toldo, he and Juve never found the equaliser.
Inter's win leaves Juve and Milan tied at the top, like a tramp's trousers, while the Nereazzurri themselves grabbed a five-point cushion in third. Sampdoria remain favourites for fourth place over Udinese and Palermo (all three drew on Wednesday) but with two spots up for grabs in the UEFA Cup, all three look guaranteed of European action.
So far, so neat and tidy. Further down, however, the big news is that Roma have now officially joined the relegation battle.
Think I'm exaggerating? Wednesday saw the former champions defeated 2-0 at home by Siena - and this just three days after losing 2-1 in Rome to little Reggina. Roma have now clocked up six defeats and one draw in the last seven matches, plunging them down to just six points off the drop with six games to go. Frankly, at the rate they're going, that may not be enough to save them.
Wednesday was typical of recent Roma performances, with the Giallorossi starting well and hitting the woodwork twice in the first half with shots from Christians Panucci and Chivu. Shortly after half-time, however, things began assuming their usual pear-like appearance: a Roma attack broke down, and while Francesco Totti and Mancini stopped to whine at the referee over a suspect clearance, Do Carmo Nieto Alberto hammered 70 yards up the other end to set up Massimo Maccarone for the opening goal.
Totti promptly lost his rag. Having already picked up a yellow card for a scuffle with Siena's Igor Tudor (famously taunted by Totti in Roma's 4-0 win over Juve last season), the Roma captain then got sent off for kicking Francesco Colonnese, whom he then gave a clip in the face for good measure as he left the field. Ten-man Roma gamely stuck on an extra forward, and a grateful Enrico Chiesa made it 2-0 shortly after.
"Roma have some great players", marvelled Siena manager Gigi De Canio afterwards, "but maybe they're not up to a relegation battle. Everybody else down here certainly is." And therein lies the problem; Roma have some great players (Totti, Antonio Cassano, Chivu, league top-scorer Vincenzo Montella) but sod-all discipline. While Fabio Capello kept them in line through all last year's financial woes and even challenged for the title, no sooner had he left than all the old bad habits came roaring back.
This year's Roma is a lazy and presumptuous side, often expecting to win games by sheer flashiness. When things go wrong, it's the fault of the referees or a top level conspiracy - the famous 'winds from the North'. Just this week Totti was fined £10,000 for blaming a recent loss to Juve on 'playing against 14 men'.
With three managers running screaming from Roma HQ already this season and a managerial debutant now in charge, it's little wonder the Giallorossi are looking more lost and confused than ever, just as they enter the crucial final straight. Worse still, they'll face a sizeable chunk of the remaining games without their captain; Wednesday's red card was Totti's second in four games (the last was for kicking Milan's Massimo Ambrosini) and he's expected to receive a ban of three games or more.
Given that Roma rarely win anything without him, it should make for an interesting run-in. As should the list of teams they'll be facing; four of their direct relegation rivals (Brescia, Parma Chievo and Atalanta), a Sampdoria side battling to maintain fourth place, and of course, cross-town enemies Lazio, a side that's always especially keen to help out their neighbours.
One thing is for sure; Jude's not the only one to risk his A-list status after playing with Siena. See you Monday for all the news on Sampdoria-Roma, Juve's trip to Lazio and the rest.
From The Guardian
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