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Forza Roma Sempre!
What Is Gasperini's Coaching Style?
Relational and Positional Schools of Football
I read a question the other day: what could Pioli build that would be better than Gasperini? I'll offer a perhaps strange thought: I want the team to adapt its game rather than build a system. This is the great dialogue between the relational and positional schools of football.
The relational school says: the most important things are the players and the circumstances. You need to establish patterns, for example, creating an overload in a specific zone, using "magnet" players, or employing one-twos and overlapping runs. But these patterns shouldn't replace the inherently fluid nature of the game. Football is chaos; it's fundamentally impossible to measure and calculate, but you can adapt to this chaos and transform it to your advantage.
Within the relational framework, you must build from the players and their abilities; "magnet" players are especially valued. A prime example is Messi with the Argentina National Team. He draws both the ball and his teammates, who are ready to play off his creativity. Or Paulo Dybala at Roma. It makes no sense for them to memorize when to shoot from a certain situation or where to make a cross; they'll figure it out on their own. Ideally, a team has several "magnets" with synergy between them, which is when things get really exciting.
In the relational school, the team's play must change depending on the circumstances. Did your "magnet" player in the number 10 role get injured, but you have a couple of fast wingers? Now, instead of playing the ball on the ground to the creator, we'll switch to diagonal long balls from the defense! This is the strength of relational football, and also its weakness. Not every player can interpret the game and switch between different scenarios.
With the positional school of football, things are simpler. There, the system is made absolute. In relational football, you can't tell where your teammate is with your eyes closed. In contrast, in a well-drilled positional system, you must know. You must understand how many yards to run to make a cross, and you know exactly where to deliver it for a teammate to be there. This is a powerful concept with sufficient preparation: the team won't be disorganized. But its downside is predictability: if the opponent shuts down your practiced schemes and is disciplined enough not to make mistakes, you'll hit a wall.
Within the positional school, you must build from the system. You lose flexibility, but you gain rigidity. System-based football is easier to implement if the team lacks outstanding "magnets." In it, players have the role of functions, which is why it often happens that in one system a player is an indispensable cog, and in another, a fifth wheel. On the other hand, there's less risk: even if a significant player is sidelined, it will be easier to replace him than to rebuild a relational model. System-based football often looks monolithic and produces carbon-copy goals; it's a signature style.
I am a proponent of relational football; my favorite coach is Luciano Spalletti. I genuinely admire other relationalists: Ancelotti, Ranieri, Pioli. At the same time, I respect the brilliant coaches of the systemic school: Conte, Guardiola, and Klopp are top-tier, and that's not up for debate.
And I watched with pleasure as Roma acquired players specifically to create a powerful relational team. Dybala is the obvious one. But we also have Soule and Baldanzi to develop for the future. We have Angelino. We have Pellegrini (if he can sort out his mental game). We had Paredes. Kone is a versatile player who never looked lost. And I wouldn't call the rest of them "functions" either: our players are capable of interpreting football at the highest level. That's why Roma took flight after ditching Juric's system and being given freedom (and psychological support) by "Grandpa" Ranieri.
I am not arguing that we need a 100% relationalist coach; moreover, just as in politics, any radicalism is temporary. Both the far-left and the far-right would gladly drown the world in blood for their ideas. And I support, for example, having elements of a system in the defense. But we have players capable of executing precisely this relational style of football (as Ranieri proved to us). Gasperini, however, is an ultra-dogmatist, and he wears it like a badge of honor. Roma will have to go through a long and painful process of building a system. I just don't understand why we would now try to fit our entire accumulated base of creativity into one of the most rigid systems in Italy. Moreover, when Gasp leaves (in about 3 years), this system will have to be rebuilt all over again. Unlike relational models, systems rarely outlive their creators.
P.S. Whenever we played Atalanta, I was impressed by how much they ran for all 90 minutes. It felt like all their players had an extra pair of lungs, and the numbers are impressive as well: Atalanta conceded only 13% and conceded 34% of all their goals in the last 30 minutes and 14% in the last 10 minutes. Well, I hope this season we will have the privilege of being on the other side. But do not expect it from the first game of the season, it will take many more months to condition all players.
Transfer News
Roma has loaned Saud Abdulhamid to Lens. Lens will cover the player's entire salary, and at the end of the season, the French club will have an option to buy for €2-3 million. Roma has also included a buy-back clause. The club will save €1.8 million on his wages.
Loaning out Saud is the obvious decision after the signing of Wesley. But I'm happy that a buy-back clause was included. Saud wasn't given a chance at Roma, but he could flourish in France, and then it would be great to either bring him back or sell him for a higher price.
Talks continue that Dovbyk could leave Rome this summer. Filippo Biafora reports that the player does not have a mutual understanding with the coach and that Roma would like to sell him if an offer of €32 million arrives. For now, there are no active negotiations. If Dovbyk is sold, Roma will look to sign either Nikola Krstovic from Lecce or Fabio Silva from Wolverhampton.
I would prefer Artem to stay for at least another season, but he seems to be some kind of prima donna (sees himself as a star, while he isn’t) to me, which, if true, almost guarantees clashes with Gasperini.Roma has sold Ola Solbakken to Nordsjælland for €1 million. Solbakken joined Roma as a free agent, so the entire fee will be recorded as plusvalenza (pure capital gain). Roma was spending €900,000 per year on the player's wages, but for the past couple of years, those costs were covered by the clubs that took him on loan. It's an inglorious end to the Scandinavian's adventure in Rome. When he first joined, there was hope that even far from his native fjords, Ola would show his quality. I think his attitude (vacation instead of joining the team right after signing the contract) shattered his image in Mourinho’s eyes, and he never received the chances he deserved.
The story surrounding Claudio Echeverri is attracting a lot of attention. Manchester City would like to loan the talented player to their sister club, Girona, where he would be developed according to Pep Guardiola's specifications. But Echeverri himself is pushing for a move to Roma; he has already spoken with both Dybala and Soule. The main problem is the formula of the deal. City does not want to lose control over Echeverri and is only prepared to agree to a "dry" loan (a loan with no option to buy), and they also hope to receive a significant fee for it. Roma wants an option to buy, but the "Citizens" are not ready to discuss this seriously. Negotiations remain complicated.
Biafora claims that neither Marash Kumbulla nor Mario Hermoso are considered part of the first-team plans, and the club wants to sell both this transfer window. If both can be sold, Roma will try to sign another defender; preliminary talks are underway for the young Polish player Jan Ciolkowski from Legia Warsaw. I can't say anything specific about him, I don't follow the Ekstraklasa at all, but the Roman media are comparing him to Dean Huijsen.
The latest rumors speak of a possible attempt to sign Tyrique George from Chelsea. My friends who follow Chelsea have described him this way: George is a very raw player, but he is versatile and can play on the left, on the right, or as a second striker in attack. At the same time, George is a player who loves to drift out to the touchline, which doesn't quite fit Gasperini's game - his attacking players are usually positioned more narrowly, with the wing-backs occupying the flanks. However, George is young and talented; he can certainly be molded into a player to meet any need.
Next week I am going to write more about our newest signings, i.e., Fergusson and Ghilardi, I think they deserve more coverage. The start of the season is in 17 days, and I think we will see some of the new names on the pitch.
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