CSKA-Roma, from Diawara to Kumbulla the reserves at the last exam before the goodbyes
The last time the Rome he traveled to Europe ended up male. It was last October 21st. There was snow and lots and lots of cold in Norway: Bodo, who seemed to be an unpleasant opponent, gave the Giallorossi six goals. Six, many, one bite that hurt. Mourinho that evening he had seen fit to upset the team, sending the so-called reserves onto the field, those players who usually, especially since he’s been around, have often been sidelined. Villar, Diawara, Kumbulla, Darboe, Reynolds, Mayoral, never or almost never protagonists, that evening were negative. A performance to a minimum, after the defeat, all punished and the field saw little.
This time we return to travel to Europe, the first place seems compromised (Bodo should not win in Ukraine and Roma beat CSKA) and the championship does not wait: in Sofia it is cold, not like in Bodo but almost. The risk of a fool is always around the corner, because Mou on the field must again bet on some reserves. He can’t do without it, given his league commitments. For many, the exam is back in front of the Special which, as is well known, does not forgive.
It will be a special watched afternoon for the various Diawara, Kumbulla, then maybe it will be the turn of the others who have lived more on the bench than on the pitch. One above all, Daniel Fuzato, Rui Patricio’s deputy: for him today is his seasonal debut. He had never before played either in the league or in the Conference League. Mou needs to rest his “loyal” Rui Patricio, always present since the beginning of the season. Fuzato reserve was and reserve will be back from tomorrow. But then there are players who are passing through, like Villar, who has never been employed in the league, will pack his bags in January, after having played and a lot as a starter last year. In Europe Gonzalo was employed for 171 minutes, but hardly ever convincing. Not to mention Borja Mayoral (17 goals last season), who in the Conference, including the preliminary in August, was on the pitch for 88 minutes: a sort of disappeared.
Who knows if today – at least during the match in progress – there will be a cutout of space for him too, given that Mourinho is forced to play a lot of Zaniolo (disqualified for the match against Spezia in the league) and Abraham (who always missed Inter. because stopped by the sports judge).
The real exam is for Kumbulla, paid by Rome twenty-eight million from Verona two years ago and until now he has never shown that he is up to it. Mourinho used him more than the other bench colleagues, but he never considers him a starter and he too could leave for other adventures in January, avoiding making a loss. Darboe also disappeared from the radar: he had to be the young man of the future, the man who took the place of Diawara (who was supposed to leave last summer but then did not like the various options that are presented to him), instead after a good start disappeared. In between, Mou trusts only Cristante and Veretout and sometimes Diawara.
In Sofia he should still Amadou, who is also always little considered but compared to the other reserves it took longer, 280 minutes. How many of them will we see again in February? If the sports director Pinto is good and manages to satisfy Mopurinho, the answer is none: otherwise they will still be in Rome, even if they have failed. Mou sees the Primavera better, to whom he has often given away pieces of matches: the last to make his debut, Volpato, directly from the Totti team. Already seen the various Bove, Volpato, now aggregated to the first team. On the list, for Sofia, Mastrantonio, Ndiayè and Voelkerling.
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