Shot cleared off the line and a header into a turn and shot for Ferguson in the highlights
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Shot cleared off the line and a header into a turn and shot for Ferguson in the highlights
That would have been some goal (around 1:50)
Starts v Lecce. 5pm KO.
Game is on DAZN.
Corrie Ndaba on the bench for Lecce. Not sure two Irish players have ever faced each other in Serie A
That's a good goal. Great reaction from ball deflected to him. Well done Evan.
https://streamin.me/v/302f6b9a
He’s been very good in this match so far. Much more mobile and confident.
He's up for player of the match too.
5 goals in the last 10 games - and maybe more importantly he's started 5 of the last 6. Would be great if this is the start of his resurgence
Was a shame to see him taken off on the hour mark. He was much less influential in the second half after a great first half.
That's 3 starts in a row and he looked comfortable leading the line. I'm not sure what the most amount of games in a row he's ever started is but I don't think it'd be much more than 3. Hopefully he continues starting games and the goals keep trickling through. His aim has to be to be Roma's top scorer this season.
I’ve been critical of his hold up play but his first half was basically a perfect target man performance with an excellent finish for his goal. Ran out of gas on the hour mark but he seems to be turning the corner. Hopefully he can tough it out and help Roma compete for a title.
Interestingly, his replacement, Dovbyk, was taken off injured 25 minutes later. Might mean less competition up front in the coming weeksQuote:
Originally Posted by yurt
Theyre 5th at moment, 3 points off the top having played two games more, so don't think they are in title race, don't seem to be playing particualrly well either at moment. Gasparini rowing with club over transfers and blanked media after game last night. They will be doing v well to challenge for CL place.Quote:
Originally Posted by irishfan86
Local media in Rome now reporting that Ferguson's recent for for Roma has brought about interest from...Roma.
https://romapress.net/ferguson-to-st...emain-at-roma/
It seems like a pretty weird situation in Roma at the minute. Gasparini seems so desperate to sign an alternative to Ferguson/Dovbyk that he is actually not happy that they've started to turn a corner form wise in the past few weeks.
Refusing to do media after both of them scored because of the lack of funds available to sign a striker isn't a great sign. He's just starting to gather starts and goals/form but it feels to me at least that his manager doesn't really want him to succeed.
Hopefully he can get another 80+ mins and a goal or two tomorrow and Gasparini might start to see the solution to his problems are already in front of him.
Italian football is beyond Machiavellian at times, particularly when it comes to transfers. Gaspareni might know something about the situation involving both that the fans do not. Sure wasn't it Hurzeler who said only a couple of weeks ago that recalling Ferguson could be an option for him - which his CEO has said is not an option!Quote:
Originally Posted by yurt
I could be wrong but the time he was most critical of Ferguson, I believe, was when Capello asked a question with implied criticism of Gasperini. Something like “Ferguson was excellent, why haven’t we seen more of him?” To which Gasperini did a Martin O’Neill
Subbed off in the first half of Roma's game this evening. Can only assume that's injury-related - and just as he was staying to find a bit of form too...
Took a knee to the back early on in the game and didn't recover.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
Bad (intentional) knee to the back/arse from the CB, was struggling with it and then.
Then 20 mins later, he was pulled to the floor and landed awkwardly on the same point
As long as he didn’t slip a disk, which you can do there, but yen it shouldn’t be anything serious or long term
That wasn’t a disc/back injury. Looks like a glute (butt) strain. Was trying to play through it then stretched for a volley and landed hard on the exact spot he’d been favouring since the knee in the ass.
Definitely a muscular injury.
What a pain in the hole
In fairness, he could do with a kick in the arse after last season
The timing is awful though. He played brilliantly last match, even beyond the goal. And with Dovbyk injured this is a moment where he could have really nailed that place up top down. Hopefully not out too long but really gaining a reputation for not being that durable.
Doesn't sound too serious:
"He was unlucky. They are painful blows that semi-paralyse you and prevent you from playing. He took more than one. I feel sorry for him.
"We'll see tomorrow but I don’t think it’s a muscular thing that will take days."
Their new striker off to a flyer I see. Wouldn't be surprised if Ferguson is not a Roma player by the end of January.
Well Roma do have an obligation to buy unlike with Ferguson where it is an option. So its guaranteed that Malen will be a Roma player at the end of the season.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
Malen is a good player and was probably sold by Villa because of their financial situation. I do think Gasperini seems to favour older players and be disparaging about a perceived lack of maturity with younger players. Malen is six years older than Ferguson but still only has a slightly better goalscoring rate over his career (outside Holland where good strikers can score a lot of goals) - about one in something less than four games (over six seasons and in a much better situation than Ferguson - i.e. without the mistreated injury and a coach that doesn't know how to use him) - to Ferguson's a little less than one in four.
If Ferguson leaves Roma I suspect there will be quite a few suitors - Betis and Napoli already mentioned and I wouldn't be surprised if Villa came in for him to replace Malen. I've seen Celtic mentioned but I think that would be a waste of five months.
Would it though? it revitalised both Robbie Keanes and Craig Belamys careers. If he goes to Celtic he will play and score goals, I think going to Napoli under Conte would be a disaster and definitely a waste of 5 months. Even Betis he would probably be back up to Cucho Hernandez.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jolly Red Giant
Given Hearts' link to Brighton it may not be possible for him to go to Celtic anyway.
I would. I'd be absolutely stunned if Villa looked at Ferguson as a direct replacement for Malen. Or at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jolly Red Giant
On from the start tonight at home to Stuttgart in the Europa League
Having a terrible game from what I've watched. I'd be surprised if he isn't taking off at half time. Unless he's following instructions or is still injured, I can't really understand his game plan. He looks exhausted
Edit: Roma just scored and Ferguson's run played a part in creating the space but still...he always does something decent when I post a criticism so maybe I should keep them in reserve until the march game 😂
Really poor first half from him. Always seemed to be wherever the ball wasn't. Absolutely no sign of any energy or willingness to chase down lost causes. Often just standing still as the ball was played around him. Teammates frequently seemed to be looking for him to make a bit of space so they could try a ball in but he wasn't doing it. Hasn't looked particularly fit or mobile, but then he hasn't looked fit or mobile since he was about 18.
Roma have scored - the best you could say from his point of view was that he had a great view of it. So there may be some more space for him in the second half if he is kept on beyond half time.
Interestingly Gasperini was full of praise for him after the match. He did take a knock to his ankle yet again, it's looks like he's going to have a persistent injury there for his career. Apparently it's already been decided he'll be on the bench on Sunday
He did improve in the second half it must be said and he did stay on for the whole game but I'm still surprised by the managers reaction. Maybe he was working to a game plan that wasn't so obvious to the audience
I only saw the last 10 minutes and I thought he looked alright. He won a couple of free kicks. He awkwardly did well to assist the assist for their second goal. Good to see him playing full matches too
Malen didn't do himself any favours against Milan tonight, missed a number of decent chances when played in before being taken off, so Ferguson should be able to return to the starting XI if/when he's fully fit again.
That's assuming he's still at the club to do it.
Ferguson included in Roma's Europa League squad for the knockout stages
There was a link with Galatasaray earlier in the week (Turkish transfer window closes tomorrow), but that should be the end of it
https://www.asroma.com/en/news/74821...e-second-phase
That does leave open the possibility though that his second half of this season ends up a lot like his second half of last season where he is out on loan but plays very little club football.
Seems to have recurring ankle problems. That can't be good.
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2026...-ankle-issues/
"Every time he changes direction the ankle sprains". That maybe explains why all he's done all season for Roma is run in straight lines up and down between the centre circle and the opposition penalty area - he potentially doesn't trust his body to do anything more than that.
Unfortunately, him retiring by 25 due to persistent recurring injuries is a real possibility at this point. He's miles away from the player he was when he first broke through and seemed to have all the attributes needed to go right to the top.
A largely irrelevant side story, but I can actually relate a bit to this. I had recurring ankle problems for years playing football as well. Got over them in the end through a combination of wearing special ankle protectors over my socks and an absolutely ridiculous amount of stretching them out in every possible direction before every game, which I still do to this day. It did stop the problems I had, but I'm guessing Ferguson's ankle issues are a lot worse than mine.