squirmy: Can't believe I scammed myself into paying €8 million per competitive goal for this massive flop of a striker

Frenchman Clement Grenier paved the way for Roma's success this January, pitching in no less than six goals and three assists in the jam-packed start to the new year.

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ROMA 2-1 SASSUOLO (COPPA ITALIA)
Sebastian Giovinco (x2)
Sebastian Giovinco

ROMA 3-0 HELLAS VERONA (SERIA A)
Miralem Pjanic, Adem Ljajic, Sebastian Giovinco
Ricardo Rodriguez

INTER 1-2 ROMA (SERIE A)
Miralem Pjanic, Clement Grenier
Miralem Pjanic

ROMA 3-0 ATALANTA (COPPA ITALIA)
Clement Grenier, Andrea Bertolacci, Nuri Sahin
Nuri Sahin

ROMA 3-0 EMPOLI (SERIE A)
Clement Grenier (x2), Alvaro Morata
Alvaro Morata

CAGLIARI 2-2 ROMA (SERIE A)
Miralem Pjanic, Clement Grenier
Clement Grenier

ROMA 3-0 BOLOGNA (SERIE A)
Miralem Pjanic, Clement Grenier, Andrea Pirlo (pen)
Sebastien Corchia

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As Francesco Totti, Director of Football Walter Sabatini, and the rest of the backroom staff worked on negotiating the transfer of Domenico Berardi and the sale of Jordan Rhodes, the players were out on the pitch in a seven game January, grinding out some impressive results and cementing Roma's spot atop the Serie A table and surging forth in the cup.

The first Coppa Italia fixture was against Sassuolo, right in the middle of transfer negotiations for Berardi. The Neroverdi were determined to prove themselves and gave the home side a tough fight, but a brace from diminutive Sebastian Giovinco sealed the way through. An inspired Nuri Sahin led the Giallorossi past Atalanta in the quarterfinals, scoring one and assisting two en route to a 3-0 win. Roma will now play SS Napoli in the two-legged semifinals.

In the Serie A matches, Clement Grenier and Miralem Pjanic ran the show week after week. Grenier exploded into form, scoring 6 goals and adding 3 assists; nobody was able to contain the young French attacking midfielder. His Bosnian midfield partner Pjanic continued to impress as well, stamping his authority on the tempo of every match.

The team's only stumble came against Cagliari, when the capital city side conceded twice in the opening fifteen minutes and had to fight back to a 2-2 draw. That match wrought more disaster for Brazilian fullback Dodo's season as the youngster suffered yet another knee injury, ruling him out for another month of action.

The transfer deadline is now looming, but Roma's squad looks just about set. Next month kicks off with two straight matches against SS Napoli as well as a return to UEFA Champions League football against Celtic, all of which will be crucial matches. Until then, however, the Serie A table looks as follows:


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win win win win win chuck a draw in there somewhere we have another bergomi on our hands

Super month Neal

Very impressive month Neal!

fzemdegs: Actually, we lost 2 Serie A games this year, which is more than Bergomi lost in basically his entire Serie A career

AaronHJFT96: Thanks mate!

Griffo: Some good results, cheers

Roma reject bids for two defenders and release Maicon on deadline day

Two Premier League clubs had offers rejected for French fullback Sebastien Corchia

Manchester United also saw a bid for Croatian youngster Tin Jedvaj turned away

Veteran Maicon had fallen behind Corchia and Darmian in the pecking order and has mutually terminated his contract with the club

In a hectic deadline day across the world and especially Italy, AS Roma have stayed relatively quiet. Having already made their major incoming transfer earlier in the month, the Giallorossi had to spend most of their energy on deadline day fending off interest in their star defenders again from the same teams that were interested in the summer.

Sebastien Corchia was high on the list for both Manchester City and Arsenal. The 25 year fullback has enjoyed a brilliant first season and a half in Italy after coming to Rome for €5 million from Sochaux-Montbe, quickly dominating the starting role for AS Roma and breaking into the French national team setup.

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Sebastien Corchia is being hailed as one of the best defenders in the Serie A this season and, despite EPL interest, will be spending at least the remainder of the year with AS Roma.

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Two Premier League clubs emerged as the favorites to land Corchia. Manchester City and Arsenal both submitted massive €30 million bids for the right back but both were quickly rebuffed. With just a few hours left in the transfer window and a title challenge to continue, Francesco Totti was certainly in no mood to be selling his stars.

As if to confirm Corchia was staying, the Giallorossi mutually terminated Brazilian veteran Maicon's contract. The 34 year old has made only 3 appearances in all competitions this season, falling behind the earlier mentioned Corchia and Italian defender Matteo Darmian in the pecking order. Maicon is expected to return to Brazil to find a club to close out his career at over the coming years.

Premier League clubs did not rest after failing to sign Corchia, however; Manchester United was heavily interested in signing 20 year Tin Jedvaj. The Croatian central defender has struck up a great partnership with Samuel Umtiti this season and is considered one of the brightest young defenders in world football.

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Due to injury problems with Mehdi Benatia, Tin Jedvaj (above) has become the number one central defender at AS Roma alongside Samuel Umtiti, forming a formidable partnership.

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Thus, David Moyes's United made a €20 million bid for the youngster. Without a second's hesitation, Totti rejected the deal, claiming Jedvaj to be the future of Roma's defense for the decade ahead. Having made 51 appearances already for Roma in a roughly two seasons, it certainly seems that young Tin has a brilliant future waiting.

So, there you have it. Much like the summer transfer window, Francesco Totti signed an Italian and spent the rest of the time fighting off heavy interest in his star players from big names clubs, especially in England. Yet again, Totti has succeeded, and the remainder of the season now looms for the capital city side.

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Naise

Premier League clubs are just pests. Hope Roma can stick on to their best players over the years.

You aren't truly successful unless other clubs are chasing your players, good stuff!

AaronHJFT96: Thankz

Ducksworthh: They're always trying to sign our stars, but as you say we will do everything we can to keep our best players at the club! We aren't Arsenal

Griffo: True, actually, never thought about it that way!

Great update! Awesome writing.

squirmy420: Thanks buddy, took a lot of work, glad you're enjoying it

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The Coppa Italia, Italy's domestic cup competition, has a rather strange format; every round is single elimination, except the semifinals. The semifinals are two-legged affairs, terse and exciting as each time fights for a place in the final. This year's competition brought together two great rivals, AS Roma and SSC Napoli, in a Derby del Sole clash.

The First Leg

The first tie of the aggregate affair took place at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Pundits were expecting a very tight game between the two relatively evenly matched teams, especially due to the midfield struggle of Roma's diamond and Napoli's five flat.

Just four minutes into the match, however, it was the home fans raucously celebrating. Miralem Pjanic's free kick swerved over the wall but struck the post, bouncing clear inside the box. Italian midfielder Andrea Bertolacci was the quickest to react, pouncing on the ball and poking home a chippy finish past Rafael to make it 1-0.

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Andrea Bertolacci's early goal proved vital as AS Roma dominated the match from there on out, leaving their opponents to chase the ball most of the 90 minutes.

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The rest of the first half passed without much incident, but in the second half the match truly sprung into life. Jeroen Zoet was forced into a brilliant save to deny Ricky Van Wolfswinkel, and just moments later Alvaro Morata had slotted through Miralem Pjanic to easy slot home. The Bosnian, who was once again enjoying a brilliant season for the Giallorossi, celebrated his goal with an acrobatic frontflip, and it was 2-0 Roma.

Things weren't all rosy for Francesco Totti's men, however. In the 90th minute, left back Ricardo Rodriguez picked up his second yellow card in just eight minutes and was sent off, meaning he would miss the away leg. It was a very stupid last eight minutes for Rodriguez who surely felt the wrath of his manager in the locker room.

FIRST LEG FINAL SCORE: AS ROMA 2-0 SSC NAPOLI

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The Second Leg

The Partenopei welcomed Roma to the Stadio San Paolo a week later knowing that their work was well and truly cut out for them. They did know, however, that the capital city side had dropped nearly all of its points on the road and that this was their final chance to make the Coppa Italia final.

Yet again, AS Roma stole the show early. Adem Ljajic, restored to the starting lineup for this match, made a delightful run down the left flank and chipped a cross back to the top of the box toward superstar Miralem Pjanic. The attacking midfielder took a moment to survey the ball coming toward him before leaping into the air and delivering a deadly scissor kick into the bottom corner, surely the goal of the tournament. Just seven minutes in, last season's runner-up was 3-0 up.

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Miralem Pjanic's beautiful 20 yard scissor kick silenced the San Paolo faithful and almost surely guaranteed the Giallorossi's passage into the final for the fourth straight year.

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Later in the first half, Valon Behrami sealed Napoli's fate. The clearly frustrated midfielder lunged in on Miralem Pjanic with two feet, earning him a straight red card and leaving his team down to 10 men. To further the ignominy of the situation, Pjanic stepped right back up and netted the free kick in the top corner, his second of the game and his third of the two legs, making it 4-0 on aggregate.

Late in the second half, the home side did pull one goal back for pride's sake. Gonzalo Higuain had found himself in space on the right and curled a ball into the box. Tin Jedvaj, hassled by Ricky Van Wolfswinkel, ended up running into his own goalkeeper; Zoet, not expecting the contact, dropped the ball, which rolled into the net. However, it was too little, too late.

SECOND LEG FINAL SCORE: SSC NAPOLI 1-2 AS ROMA

SEMIFINAL AGGREGATE SCORE: AS ROMA 4-1 SSC NAPOLI

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In May, Roma will play rivals Juventus in the Coppa Italia final. The Old Lady just about managed a 1-0 aggregate victory over Inter Milan to make it this far, but the Giallorossi will be an entirely different test; Roma are the all-time most successful club in the Coppa, having won it ten times already, and have reached their fourth straight final, winning two years ago.

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Neaaaal.

I like this update.

Oh and it's San Paolo, not Sao Paolo. Fgs get it rite fgt...