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Roman summers are stuffy affairs. The heat weighs heavy on everyone, making even the most active of citizens lethargic. People escape to the beach and don’t return until the end of August, by which time they are rested and ready for the challenges in front of them. Francesco Totti and Roma do not have that luxury though. They have to prepare for the new season now and according to Totti preparations could be going a lot better.
“If we want to compete with Inter, Milan and Juventus, we need two important acquisitions,” he said. “At the moment, we are in fourth place.” La Gazzetta dello Sport described the 31-year-old captain’s outburst as a wake up call set to shake Roma’s transfer marketeers out of their summer slumbers. Have the Giallorossi really slipped so far behind their rivals just 59 days after coming within a hairs breadth of winning the Scudetto? Let’s consider the facts.
Roma director of football Daniele Pradè has not been sitting under a sombrero, having a siesta since last season ended. He has, after all, landed Liverpool’s Champions League winning left-back John Arne Riise, Siena’s sturdy centre-half Simone Loria and goalkeeper Artur. All three add depth to the Lupi’s squad, but the former is the only one likely to play regularly, which makes you question Pradè and Roma’s transfer strategy.
Pradè has received a lot of credit for the Giallorossi’s recent success. However, his signings have contributed very little to it. Last year, he bought Ludovic Giuly, Mauro Esposito, Cicinho and Juan. Only the latter can be considered a real triumph. The others have either left of flirted with other clubs.
To make matters worse, Roma suffer the annual humiliation of having to watch one of their players defect to Inter. First, Cristian Chivu, then Amantino Mancini, it’s a little galling to see two good players up and leave for your rivals especially when the Giallorossi are in debt and can barely afford to substitute them with top class replacements. All the while, neighbours Lazio are strengthening their squad at a rate of knots.
That said Roma are close to being the finished article. They are compact, have great team spirit and an identity encapsulated in the Roma three – Totti, Daniele De Rossi and Alberto Aquilani. A sense of their own strength is, perhaps, discouraging them from getting involved in an arms race with Juventus, Milan and Fiorentina. They, after all, are the ones playing catch up.
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