Genoa Per Noi

By: salvatore | November 17th, 2008

Some thoughts from yesterday’s game:

Carrizo has made the adjustment to Serie A. It’s a few games now where he’s seemed much more comfortable between the sticks, and is looking like the animal we were expecting. He took a big risk playing with the ball at midfield in the second half, but given that we would have lost either way (and that Brighi can only shoot properly on Fifa 2003…he’s the highest rated player in that game, strange but true), what difference does it make? JP has taken some deserved criticism so far this year, mostly of the, “Is he really as good as advertised?” variety, but I think he’s turned the corner…much to our benefit.

Lichsteiner, meanwhile, continues to prove he was a great fucking buy. The Zarate Kid is clearly the flashiest of Lotito’s offseason pick-ups, but the Swiss full-back has been just as consistent and important to the team this year. Light years better than Valon Behrami, he’s becoming a very big obstacle to Lollo De Silvestri’s starting hopes.

Not as good was Delio Rossi, who I’m starting to think is out of his mind. Obviously, the personality conflict he had with Pasquale Foggia a few years back has not been resolved, because I find it hard to believe that Mauri, Dabo and Meghni deserved to be in that game more than Foggia…especially when we needed a goal. We all know that Mourad has tons of skill and technique, but there’s very few players in the league who can impact a game off the bench like Foggia can (and has so far this season). He did pick up a knock in training the other day, which would help justify his absence, but all indications were that he was ready to play. So what gives Delio?

Rossi should also take some shit for keeping Ledesma on. Cristian was playing with at least some semblance of heart, but there were astronauts in space who could see that he was going to get himself ejected. A substitution should have been made, and once again, Foggia should have got the call.

Thing is, if Delio doesn’t trust Pasquale, you have to start wondering what’s going to happen come January. Will there be another acquisition? If so, what happens to the bodies we have? A healthy Matuzelem could help everything, but it could also just make things more confusing. For now we know that something needs to change, because there’s a definite problem in the link-up between the mostly defensive midfield Delio prefers, and the trident.

Speaking of which, no one can fault Pandev, Rocchi and Zarate, both for their effort, and for their ability to cause panic. That said, I couldn’t help wonder if the team needs a clear-cut target man. We saw again yesterday how each of these three (and the trio together) can create opportunities out of nothing, but I wonder sometimes if they’d be better served with someone (better than Simone) who can just bury them.

I don’t feel as if we were beaten yesterday. We beat ourselves. So chalk it up as a learning experience for new faces, a mostly young team, and a coach still experimenting with what he’s got.

Onward to the next challenge: Genoa.