Atalanta: Celebrating Suspect Facial Hair

Has he learned his lesson?

No, he hasn't.

The last these two danced, Stefano Colantuono decided to attack Roma. Silly, silly man.

There are ways and means of setting out to successfully play against Roma, and doing so with inferior pieces is not one. The successful methods include:

i. A mafioso, a blunt object and Daniele De Rossi's knees.

ii. See i.

iii: See ii.

iv. A slight breeze and someone within arm's distance of Simon Kjaer in the penalty box.

v. Simon Kjaer on the pitch.

vi. In the words of Big Tommy DiB, pahkin' the bus.

There are a number of holes in this Roma team at current, with a long road of potential ahead, but leave gaps in and around the back against Luis' front eight (tactical fact) and they'll shred you like an unsuspecting beefsteak in a late-night infomercial. Attacking Romam with inferior individual pieces or cohesive system which is anything less than very good will be met with a bitch slap from Pablo Osvaldo, so long as Erik Lamela doesn't get in the way first. Colantuono & Co. went about playing this team the wrong way the last time around and got burned.

Fool me once...? Or a rethink in plans? Wait and see.

Beyond missing Totti, little should change on the Roman side of business. Or: ditto to 'wait and see'. However, with a proposed reshuffling of the lineup planting Pjanic up top, this leads to a smattering of intriguing possibilities, including such hits as BojanTime! and Pjanicanywherebutcentralmidfield* and Fabio spills a jellystick from his trousers**. Early rumblings of a Marquinho sighting which can be best considered by these words: _______________________.

* - Not because he'd be poor elsewhere, but rather because that's where he thrives.

As for Atalanta on a personnel level, let's just call it how it is:

German Denis hasn't scored in 2012 and German Denis is about to line up against Associazione Sportiva Roma.

Notch up a -1 to start for the visitors and pray for Borini.

Projected XI

Stekelenburg

Rosi,, SIMON KJAER, Heinze, Taddei

Gago, DDR, Marquinho

Pjanic

Borini, Osvaldo

Pretty soon, rattling off Italians in the starting lineup is going to become like Sesame Street. One, two, three....THREE!

RomaNews has Kjaer in the starting XI, by the by. I am most certainly nothing but the begrudging delighted messenger. Be honest: it's a lot more fun when he plays - what else would you bitch about?

Plus Marquinho is one poor outing from netting a Queen Ho' nickname. This all sounds like a win-win.