Roma’s summer spending spree continued last week with the capture of midfielder Erik Lamela from relegated Argentine giants River Plate in a 20m Euro, five-year deal. The 19 year-old playmaker becomes the club’s fourth signing since American businessman Thomas DiBenedetto acquired the club in April and continues a strategy that has seen them invest in young, highly-rated players this summer. Already, they have snapped up 20 year-old Bojan from Barcelona, Loic Nego (also 20) from Ligue 2 Nantes and 21 year-old José Ángel from Sporting Gijon.
The arrival of left-back Ángel has already had a knock-on effect; reports indicate John Arne Riise’s Serie A stay is nearing an end, with a move to Fulham on the verge of completion. The Norwegian started 31 league games for Roma last season, the most of any player, but Roma’s focus in youth this upcoming season means he is set to end a three-year Premier League exile and become the second signing of new Cottagers boss Martin Jol, following on from Hungarian goalkeeper Csaba Somogyi’s move to the club.
Fulham’s defence was the foundation to a successful campaign that saw them finish eighth under Hughes- they conceded just 43 goals, the joint-fourth best defence with Arsenal, with only the top three conceding less. Going forward, however, they were less impressive; Fulham managed 11 Shots per game, but scored just 49 goals over the course of the season. Liverpool, Everton and Bolton all averaged the same number of goal attempts, yet found the opposition net with greater frequency
Jol is renowned for his attacking philosophy and with such a stable defensive platform to build upon, has promised a less cautious approach to Fulham’s play next season, saying:
“They are capable of playing good football, but you will see in the next couple of months we will try to change. I would always try to do something on the flanks and try to play nice attacking football – for the fans as well because you play for the supporters”.
Riise’s arrival will not only offer Fulham plenty of proven Premier League experience, his eye for goal will increase their threat from the flanks; he scored 6 or more league goals in three of his first four seasons at Anfield and is clearly the type of player Jol is looking for. The left-back position was a real bone of contention for previous boss Mark Hughes in 2010/11; though Sparky’s central defensive pairing of Aaron Hughes and Brede Hangeland were a mainstay in the first XI -making 36 and 37 appearances respectively- the former Fulham boss tried as many as six players in the position without ever being convinced by any.
Here’s a look at how Riise fared against Roma right-back Marco Cassetti last season and how his stats stand up against Fulham’s current left-back alternatives:
Cassetti managed more Tackles per game than Riise (3 to 2.2) but in every other of our selected categories, the Norwegian came top. From discipline in the tackle (0.4 Fouls to Cassetti’s 1.4 per game) to Pass Accuracy (84% to 82%), from Shots (0.6 to 0.3) to Key Passes (0.7 to 0.5) Riise beat the right-back comfortably.
While the likes of Daniel de Rossi and Mirko Vucinic made 3 and 2 Assists respectively, Riise’s 5 Assists made him second top for Roma, behind Francesco Totti on 8, an indication of his creative worth to the side. Clearly, he’s still more than capable of performing in Serie A and it’s only the new owners shift in emphasis to youth that has proved the key reason behind his departure, as opposed to poor performances.
A comparison of Roma and Fulham’s team stats from last season shows that, despite the difference in playing styles and league environments, both clubs were identical in key areas- 21 Tackles, 18 Interceptions, 14 Shots Conceded, 11 Shots, 5 Shots on Target, and both in defence and in goal threat, it’s therefore easier to see how Riise will adapt.
Chris Baird played 8 games at left-back last season but is likely to be the first-choice right-back. Baird offers more defensive solidity (2.6 Tackles and 4.2 Clearances) but Riise’s stats are stronger in every other area bar Goals, with Baird scoring twice. Stephen Kelly and Matthew Briggs made 11 starts between them and the pair will be likely back-up to Riise and Baird. Both were poorer than Riise defensively, while Kelly didn’t manage a Shot over a total of 10 appearances. Kelly was better in the air than Riise (67% to 61%) but both players fared poorly in Passing Accuracy (71% and 67%) and neither scored or assisted in their games under Hughes.
Carlos Salcido is the player most at risk by Riise’s arrival. He played most times at left-back (22) and his defensive stats are similar to Riise’s; 2.6 Tackles slightly edge Riise’s 2.2 but Riise makes half the number of Fouls per game (0.4 to 0.8), is far superior in the air (61% to 48%) and more assured in distribution (84% Pass Accuracy to 77%).
They both offered the same goal threat (0.6 Shots per game) but Riise has a clear creative edge over the Mexican; 0.7 Key Passes per game brought about those 5 Assists compared to Salcido’s 0.5 and 2 respectively. Given that the featured full-backs picked up a mere 3 Assists between them, Riise’s ability to create chances will be a welcome addition to Jol’s first XI, as the Cottagers look to entertain this upcoming season.
