No Florenzi... I told you not to take it....
YOU TRAITOR
YOU TRAITOR
Santiago Cañizares - A Managerial Journey
Rescuing Roma
Good luck at Roma! It's a great team here, and I hope to bring the trophy stink after 2 seasons!
I wouldn't have accepted the offer...but good luck in Rome!
2014-07-25 08:25#186232 AAN : I wouldn't have accepted the offer...but good luck in Rome!Well, I've got my reasons for it
1. Roma is my favourite club irl
2. As Valencia was also a "rescue mission", I decided to continue trying to rescue clubs
The First Weeks in Charge
Fixtures:
Review:
Roma were under the reigns of Cañizares for the first time in an away meeting with Sampdoria. Roma quickly took the lead, as Tello rounded off an incisive counter attack. In the 38th minute, Costa got sent off, and the fans were even more confident of a win. A couple of minutes later, Gervinho scored his first goal of the campaign, and Roma went into the break with a solid 2-0 lead. Young Italian striker Manolo Gabbiadini scored the 2-1 in the 71st minute, but it was nothing but a consolation goal for Sampdoria. This meant that Cañizares led his team to their first victory in 8 matches.
The next match was undoubtedly the most important match in Cañizares’ first season, the derby between the two clubs of Rome – the Derby Della Capitale. The Olimpico was sold out, and full of enthusiastic Romans who wanted their side to win. AS Roma were considered underdogs, as Lazio were in form and in first, but a defeat could see them drop down to 2nd, so this made the match even more important for the red side of Rome, as they of course didn’t want Lazio to win the Scudetto.
The most eye-catching name in the line-ups was the name of Rafael Tolói, a central defender for Lazio. He isn’t popular with AS Roma fans, as he used to play for the club, but joined their rivals Lazio. He received many boos from the home fans when stepping on the pitch.
AS Roma started the match brightly, and after some passing play, the ball reached Gervinho. The Ivorian winger crossed the ball, and Destro headed the ball into the goal at the near-post. The Italian striker ran to the crowd, who went crazy: their team, massive underdogs, were 1-0 up against their arch-rivals.
This 1-0 score was still standing at half-time, and Cañizares’ team made a good impression in the first half: they didn’t look like conceding any moment that first half.
In the 55th minute, German striker Miroslav Klose got a chance to equalise when he was 1-on-1 with the keeper, and he didn’t fail: 1-1. AS Roma had to start all over again, as a draw wouldn’t be enough to open their hunt on a Europa League spot again.
A couple of minutes later, Totti played Adem Ljajic through with a great ball, but the young Serbian striker didn’t keep his composure and smashed the ball wide.
After 69 minutes, ex AS Roma-player Rafael Tolói got sent off: he received his second yeollow card of the game after a dumb foul on Gervinho.
In the 76th minute, after a bad pass by Ljajic, Filipe Anderson took over play, and his cross flew over Morgan De Sanctis, into the goal: 2-1 to Lazio, although Roma were still the better team. Fans were getting worried, as time was running out to get an equaliser.
But after 85 minutes, Il Capitano, Francesco Totti, scored the equaliser after Lazio couldn’t clear the ball. The Giallorossi fans were ecstatic, as they knew it was too late for Lazio to get an equaliser.
2-2 was the final score of the match, and the AS Roma fans went home pretty happy, as pundits expected Lazio to win. This draw meant that Cañizares was still unbeaten as Roma manager.
Player of the Month(s):
Gervinho has made a good start under Cañizares. The Ivorian winger has scored one, and has assisted another goal.
Serie A table:
Two good solid results and you will get the team back on track, even without Florenzi 
April 2015
Fixtures:
Review:
April started off with a really hard match for Roma, as they played Inter at the San Siro. Inter were 6th at the moment, not a great position for the Italian giants. But Roma showed no fear in playing fresh, attacking football: Roma dominated play, and were just passing around the ball as if they were playing at home. After 19 minutes, Destro scored the 1-0 after a cross by Gervinho. The whole match, Roma dominated, but didn’t finish their chances. They had to pay the price for that, as Vargas scored in the 68th minute. But Roma then woke up again, and straight from the kick-off, Gervinho gave Roma the lead again. After 78 minutes, Totti scored the final goal of the match, and this meant Roma climbed to the 9th place.
The next match was a home match against Torino, who were in 7th. A tough match was expected, but Roma were 2-0 ahead after 8 minutes. Carruzzo scored an own goal and Gervinho, who has flourished under Cañizares, scored the 2-0. In the second half, Roma were a complacent, and they let Torino score the 2-1. But not long after, the goal scoring machine Destro scored his 16th goal of the season. The match finished 3-1, and it was a dominant display from AS Roma.
Another really hard match was next for Roma: an away match against league leaders Napoli, the so-called Derby del Sole: the match between the poorer south (Napoli), and the richer north (Rome). After 19 minutes, Gervinho put the Romans 1-0 up, with his 4th goal in 5 games. The first half didn’t have any big chances, and the second half also didn’t have many highlights until the 80th minute: Benatia got his second yellow card, meaning that Roma had to hold on to their lead with 10 players. Roma held on very well until literally the last second, when José Callejon scored an undeserved equaliser, and the match ended 1-1.
The last match in April was a home match against Chievo Verona, who were 13th. After 12 minutes, Roma were 2-0 ahead through goals by Tello and Gervinho. This 1-0 was also on the scoreboard in Olimpico at half-time, and it was another confident performance from Cañizares’ team. In the 60th minute, Strootman scored and made sure the Roma fans went home happy. Destro and Lustig completed the rout with Roma’s fourth and fifth goal, in the 80th and 81st minute. Chievo also finished the match with 10 men, as Rigoni got sent off by referee for getting his second yellow card. The match finished in a really convincing 5-0, and Roma’s football throughout the match raised several smiles on the stands.
Player of the Month(s):
Bosnian attacking midfielder Miralem Pjanic has once again shown the world that he is one of the best creative midfielders around, with 5 assists in 4 games.
Serie A table:
Very interesting to see you move to Roma, what will be even more interesting is to see if you can rescue them!
After the month you had though, I can certainly see you doing so, very good month and update too
After the month you had though, I can certainly see you doing so, very good month and update too
Holy shit Lazio are running away with it! I didn't realize I was manager in your story! Good luck with Roma though mate!
Good luck with Roma though mate!
Great results so far!
End of 2014/2015
Fixtures:
Review:
Three more matches were left for Cañizares in his first season, a season where he wouldn’t be judged on results: Roma were 13th, and Cañizares’ job was simply to guide them to a safe mid-table spot. Pallotta already said: “Next season we will start to judge Cañizares on his performance, as then he has got a whole season, instead of a couple of weeks.”
The first match was away against Parma, who were on the brink of relegating, as they were 18th. Things didn’t look good for Parma, as Pjanic volleyed home the 1-0 after a cross from former Barça man Tello in the 8th minute. 12 minutes later, Destro tucked away the 2-0, after a great ball by Pjanic. After 33 minutes, Algerian striker Belfodil got one back for Parma, but Roma kept their lead till half-time. In the second half, Roma dominated and never really looked like conceding to a weak Parma. In the 91st minute, Jedvaj volleyed home a Pjanic corner to make the final score 3-1 to Roma.
Roma-Bologna was the second to last match of the 2014/2015 season, a season that was everything but successful for Roma. After former Lazio manager Petkovic got fired due to really bad results, Santiago Cañizares took over from him and the team flourished: the current 7th place, two matches before the end of the season, is the result. In this match against Bologna, Roma also displayed exquisite football, and eventually they won 3-0, due to a Gervinho hat-trick.
The last match of the season for Roma was a hard away match against Fiorentina. If they won,the sixth place was still possibly, but then Inter had to lose at home against Udinese. After 29 minutes, Fiorentina took the lead through a Giuseppe Rossi goal. After 77 minutes, Jedvaj equalised, and gave the Roma fans some hope on a good result. In the last minute, Dzemaili scored a cracker to give Fiorentina three points.
Player of the Month(s):
Centre back Mehdi Benatia has been a constant factor at the back this whole season, and the last three matches were no exception.
Serie A table:
This season’s results:
Well done on moving up 6 places in your short tenure You are reading "Santiago Cañizares - A Managerial Journey".
