Totti Today #47: Do the Dzeko

The Bosnian Batistuta. Is it exaggerated? Too much pressure on the guy? Maybe. The reason why I didn’t mention Borriello is because Marco is a class above (on a modelling level anyway) and he’s not very tall compared to a Toni, Dzeko or Crouch. Don’t know why I just named Crouch, the man’s a walking selfie stick instead of a footballer. And (f)A(t)driano was a left winger back in his Roma days. Obviously, duh.

Back to the Bosnian. For the first time since long Roma have a shot on a famous centre forward. A star name. No Borini, Osvaldo, Bojan or Destro. This name comes with a bunchload of goals and promise. Edin Dzeko, 29 years. Target man for Wolfsburg and Man City. Approx. 66 goals in 4 seasons in Germany. A very respectable 50 goals in 130 appearances for City. The man’s a scoring machine ala Luca Toni and has already proven himself in two different leagues and won titles in both countries as well. Eat that, Lionel Messi!

Who knows, a third league might be closer for Edin than we think. While Germany and England usually promote free-flowing football and goals, Italy is a different beast altogether. Trainers use tactics there, teams are build starting from the defence. The pitch is more packed, very frustrating sometimes. Whether Dzeko finds his Wolfsburg form in Italy or not, we don’t know. But it’s sure worth a shot in my eyes. A player like Miralem Pjanic, his countryman, will help a lot during his acclimation. Once Edin feels at home and confident, the goals will follow. Strikers are a special breed. Some guys have that scoring instinct, others don’t. Simple as that.

Dzeko’s numbers are sexy, sure. But especially the physical aspect of this move makes me yearn for a guy like Edin. 1m93 (about 6 feet 4 inch for the Americanos). Boom baby. What a presence in the box. Just examine the current crop of attackers in Rome, the ones from the past season included: Gervinho, Iturbe, Totti, Destro, Florenzi, Doumbia, Ljajic… And now Falque. What a bunch of midgets. Don’t get me started about Ibarbo’s stature, the man falls easier than Greece’s economic system lately. Roma desperately needs a breath of fresh air in that department and Dzeko is a type we should be monitoring closely.

If everyone’s is so proud and craving about our varied midfield (workhorse, creativity, experience, youth, defensive cover, tireless runner,…), then why not strive for the same potency in our attacking lineup? We already have speed, brilliance, tireless workers. A tall striker is highly welcome and could have given Roma a handful of extra points in 2014-2015. And sorry to burst your bubble but Zlatan ain't happening, it was always going to be a pipe dream. Sometimes it's foolish to try too hard. Know your boundaries, keep it real, this is Roma. Life is hard enough as it is. #DareToDzeko

So, would  Dzeko put Francesco’s place in danger? No, because Totti is just what Edin needs to finish off those chances. Does it mean stepping back from the 4-3-3? Not really because there are a lot of variations for it during the game. It’s about giving Rudi more options, more possibilities to work with. It’s easy to shift to a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-2-1, with the right players of course. The fullbacks need to bring their A game. Unfortunately, Maicon and Torosidis won’t work. Too bad Montoya already went to Inter.

A contract of five years seems a bit too much but I’m sure Sabatini can work something about. A prestito con diritto di riscatto perhaps? Juve got Mandzukic, Milan got Bacca. Roma can’t risk falling behind. It’s not mere economics, it’s also about making a statement. ‘We qualified for the Champions League, we were Italy’s second best team. And we tend to keep it that way for a long time.’

Edin’s basically just the start. July’s finally here. Time to get rolling, Walter.

Oh and Miralem, work your magic on Edin.