Roma's win over Siena on Sunday is simply more proof of an inconsistent side with an extremely puzzling, mercurial striker. After all that has been said about Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, I guess it was fitting that he would have a stunning performance against the relegation-threatened Bianconeri, bagging three goals to bring his team back in contention for next year's Europa League.
The conclusion to the Osvaldo Saga remains elusive. It has been a strange journey, from Roma seemingly finding that perfect mix of power and technique for a striker, to waiting for the moment to cash in. After today's performance, they will again have to question what has to be done with the erratic Italian International.
Roma supporters all thought that the search for a center-forward had finally ended when Marco Borriello arrived in 2010, but for one reason or another he wasn't to last for long. Osvaldo seemed like a perfect replacement, certainly superior on the ball to Borriello, if perhaps lacking that killer instinct.
He furthermore won supporters' hearts when he took on both Batistuta and Totti's famous goal celebrations. However, as has been the case in recent years with the Italian Giants, there was a catch. Turns out Osvaldo is unpredictable and eccentric. Perhaps it was a sign when he punched teammate Erik Lamela that the road ahead would be a difficult one.
The best way to understand Osvaldo's personality is by knowing that he has a life-size statue of Mick Jagger in his home (hopefully Mick as a young man, although young or old would make for a pretty scary sight…the Rock and Roll legend is certainly no David).
And okay, this is not the same level of crazy as perhaps Balotelli with his commissioning of a statue of himself in full bronze, but it's still pretty darn strange.
On April 11, Osvaldo returned to Rome from London and said, "Here they don't love me" (Italian). He seemed surprised by this hostility, however, even after he picked up an unnecessary suspension that caused him to miss the derby against rivals Lazio a few days earlier, before leaving for London instead of staying to watch the match.
When it seemed he'd be bringing back his best following an incredibly courageous game against Juventus back in February, lackluster performances continued to the point where he was being whistled by fans every time he touched the ball (which was not very often).
Meanwhile, fellow striker Mattia Destro was going through a period of revival, scoring the all-important goals to bring Roma through to the final of the Coppa Italia.
With Destro out against Siena, Osvlado just may have won back his fans with his first hat-trick for the club, stating after the game that he is happy in the Roma kit (Italian). It is safe to say that the talent is certainly there, and when Osvaldo is enjoying his football, he can score in just about every way. Let the stats do the talking.
Despite what has been a very difficult season for both him and Roma, he has still managed to score 12 goals this season in Serie A. However, finding how to keep the man happy might prove to be not worth the effort. Unless, of course, the Rolling Stones solve the problem themselves by playing for him before every game.
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