16 Jan 2018 12:55:42
Ed001 if you have time can you let us know what sort of keeper Allison is? What is he good at?

I don't know anything about him other than he is a big guy around 6 foot 4.

Thanks.

{Ed001's Note - off the top of my head I couldn't, as I was not watching him as such when I was watching Roma, I was watching the midfield, he just stood out like a sore thumb as their best player. I would need to sit and watch him closely to refresh my memory of what was good about him as I was not giving it any thought to be honest. I was concentrating on other players and I wouldn't want to give out a false impression. Goalkeepers are such a specialised position that you really do need to sit and just watch them to get a real feel for what makes them stand out. It was the same with Pickford when I wrote a profile on him, I had to watch a bunch of games just watching him to see why it was he unsettled me as a keeper when everyone else was raving about him.}


1.) 16 Jan 2018
16 Jan 2018 15:07:13
Ed01 watching Roma’s midfiled 😎😎😎. Now that’s interesting!


2.) 16 Jan 2018
16 Jan 2018 15:08:14
I'll have a go if you want mark. I've seen him play a few times.

First off, I've not seen him play loads because although I've been following Roma for a few years now, he's only just been made 1st choice this season.

He is a big bloke, but it doesn't hinder his agility like it does with keepers like Forster. He is still very agile but he is exactly the type of keeper i like. If a long range shot is hit, most keepers tend to set themselves on the spot ready to launch into a ridiculously over exaggerated dive. Alisson is very light on his feet though and will just shuffle across to make saves look easy, rather than pose for the cameras. If he has to let fly though, he is more than capable of clawing a pile driver out of the top corner at full stretch.

This speed and agility is what Alisson' game centres around. He is very good at sweeping up behind a high line because of it, but the speed at which he can readjust, and move along his line as earned him a reputation for making some unbelievable saves. There are times where the ball has ricocheted around in the box and when the shot finally comes in Alisson is already on the move to be in the right position. His reflexes are very impressive. He's a bit like De Gea in this respect because of his tendency to save shots from such close proximity and make everyone say "wow". The only difference is that Alisson tends to spread himself differently. De Gea is the master of stopping a shot with his feet, but I've not seen that skillset from Alisson so far. He smothers shots from what I've seen, rather than getting a strong foot to them to fire them away from danger.

The big one of course, is crosses. Alisson is very quick to make up his mind and that speed and agility i keep banging on about, usually sees him get to the ball first. His height helps too of course! He is very comfortable on crosses, thank God.

One of my slight concerns is his distribution. There is plenty of distance to his kicking, but considering he has some big players to aim at in that Roma side, a lot of his kicks give away possession. He is plenty comfortable with the ball at his feet, it is just the accuracy of his kicks that needs work.

Lastly, i think vocally he needs to improve. However keep in mind he is young for a keeper and very new to the first team XI at Roma. Therefore he may just need a bit more confidence to fully open up and be vocally dominant. I highly doubt he speaks a word of English though so this is an area which will need to be prioritised if he were to join.

Overall, he is a very good goal keeper, and destined to be one of the top 10 in the world one day in my opinion. I highly doubt we'd need to revisit the position for years to come. Not yet the finished article, but he is very close to it, and he makes saves he is not entitled to make which should keep the ex-Liverpool player witch hunters happy. Like all keepers, he makes the odd mistake, but as long as he saves us more points than he costs us, that's all that matters really!


3.) 16 Jan 2018
16 Jan 2018 15:07:13
Ed01 watching Roma’s midfiled 😎😎😎. Now that’s interesting!


4.) 16 Jan 2018
16 Jan 2018 15:12:47
Thanks for the response.

Were you watching Nainggolan? I was told he was their best player and I was really surprised the other day when I read he might go to China.

{Ed001's Note - I was and he is but he is also a troublemaker with a dreadful attitude.}


5.) 16 Jan 2018
16 Jan 2018 15:45:10
Ed001 next time you watch Roma, keep an eye out for Florenzi. He is the closest thing to Zanetti in the modern era mate.

He can play Right back, left back, right wing, left wing, defensive midfield, or centre midfield. Though he is predominantly an attacking right wing back.

He's had a torrid time the last couple of years, but he's fought back strong and if he can string a couple of seasons together, I'd rate him as the best right back in world football. He's one hell of a player, and we're after a right back in the summer! So get Edwards on the phone mate, and start dropping hints! Seriously, this Florenzi guy is special!

{Ed001's Note - I have seen him play but he never really shone.}


6.) 16 Jan 2018
16 Jan 2018 16:52:43
He had a really bad knee injury Ed. Prior to it, he was bordering on world class. This is his first full season back and I've git my fingers crossed he has recovered fully. I am slightly biased though as he's been one of my favourite players at Roma along with Totti and De Rossi!

{Ed001's Note - I know mate, which is why I would not consider him as any player who has had a serious knee injury should not be an option. It is always a risk afterwards.}


7.) 16 Jan 2018
16 Jan 2018 18:57:36
Good shout there, MK on Alisson as I have never seen him play consistently other than a couple of games with Brazil. I did see a mashup of his saves on youtube (I know) and I agree with you that he is lightning quick off his line and and had good reflexes on the saves I saw for both his Brazilian club and Roma. Either way, he will still need to adapt to the PL and there will definitely be growing pains.

I for one, don't care if a new GK in the PL, makes a mistake cos that is part of life. What I hate is for our fans to keep projecting their false narratives on a GK and always comparing him to DDG, Courtois and all that and if he is not that way from the off, then he's crap and needs to go. Meanwhile, they forget that it took time, belief, patience and good coaching and surroundings for these GK's to where they are today.


8.) 16 Jan 2018
16 Jan 2018 21:17:09
Thanks MK for the profile on Allison. (I can't understand the 4 thumbs down for that) . I had read that as well about him only recently getting a chance to play as first choice in the league games.

It worries me about him not being a vocal presence, that would be very high on my list if I was choosing a keeper. Then again a keeper who is first class at his own job will do just fine.


9.) 17 Jan 2018
16 Jan 2018 21:49:03
Did Romas Pelligrini stand out to you Ed001?

{Ed001's Note - I have only seen him play once, but he did look very good yes.}