Roma 2014-2015 Season Ratings: The Goalkeepers

We jumped so quickly into transfer season that we glossed over our traditional season reviews. We won't rehash the season holistically; you were there, you know what went wrong, but on the balance of things, we can't complain too much about a second place finish and an automatic berth into the Champions League group stage next season. So, rather than taking the view from 10,000 feet, let's weigh up the squad man-by-man, assessing their season match rating style.

First up, the goalkeepers; ratings will range from 1 to 10, or in other words from Mauro Goicoechea to Gianluigi Buffon. Ostensibly, Roma had four keepers on their roster this season, Morgan De Sanctis, Lukasz Skorupski, Gianluca Curci and Bogdan Lobont, but the latter two didn't play at all, so we'll set them aside for now.

Morgan De Sanctis

Stats: 39 appearances (all comps), 16 clean sheets, 2.54 saves per goal, 0.74 goals conceded per match

MDS turned in another solid season, assuming his usual role as starter between the sticks and Roma's most vocal leader on the pitch. Even at 38-years-old, De Sanctis remains one of Serie A's best keepers. For the second straight season he trailed only Gigi in clean sheets, keeping opponents scoreless in 45.7% of his league starts, the league's third best mark. De Sanctis conceded a goal, on average, every 121 minutes, second only to Buffon's 149 minutes per goal conceded. His 3,150 minutes played was fourth in the league, some 200 more than Buffon.

All in all, his performance wasn't that far off his remarkable 2013-2014; the clean sheets were down slightly and he conceded more total goals, but his total saves and saves per match were actually higher this season. Honestly, those differences can probably be chalked up to the absence of Mehdi Benatia and Leandro Castan as much as they can any age-related deficiencies in his game.

Point being, despite our clamoring for a keeper of the future, Roma's man in the moment is still quite good and most definitely deserved that one year contract extension. De Sanctis will turn 39 next season, so there's no telling when the wheels will fall off, but his Roma tenure has been nothing short of spectacular and, at the very least, he won't cost Roma any matches next season.

Rating: 7.0

Lukasz Skorupski

Stats: Nine appearances (all comps), One clean sheet, 0.6 saves per goal (League) Two saves per goal (CL/EL), 1.67 goals conceded per match

Young Lukasz had a decent season, given how inexperienced and seemingly irrelevant he was. He went from making two total appearances last season to nine this season, including six appearances in European play; so if nothing else, he gained some valuable experience. At this stage in his development, there is still so much for him to learn. From positioning, to reading an attack as it unfolds, to simple distribution (he averaged nearly 25 meters less per distribution than MDS), Lukasz has a lot to learn, but his merits remain the same; the kid is a freakish athlete, particularly for a keeper. If he can infuse that brute force with a more nuanced understanding of the position, Roma might have themselves a gem, so hopefully his time at Empoli will be formative.

Rating: 5.0

Areas of Need for Next Season

This past season was essentially the Morgan De Sanctis Age Defying Tour 2015, as MDS was more than up to the task and was once again a steadying influence on what was basically a patchwork defense. Now that Skorupski is out on loan and Curci has been relegated to a forgotten man, the goal on the transfer market remains the same: barring a blockbuster acquisition like Hugo Lloris or even Mattia Perin, they need to get a keeper to bridge the gap for a three to five year stretch, as well as a suitable backup, barring some leap forward from Curci.