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Calhanoglu Inter Milan's Hero & Villain, Roma SACK Juric, Weah & Rafa Leao Shine For Juve & AC Milan & Much More (Ep. 471)
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From Hakan Calhanoglu the hero and scapegoat for Inter Milan, Alessandro Buongiorno outstanding for Napoli, insane Scudetto race as top 6 teams separated by 2 points including Atalanta, Fiorentina and Lazio, crisis worsens after Bologna loss as Roma sack Ivan Juric, Tim Weah the hero when Juventus beat Torino, Rafael Leao brace and Gabriel Zappa in insane match as AC Milan and Cagliari draw in 6 goal thriller, to Lecce sack Luca Gotti and appoint Marco Giampaolo, and preview of Belgium vs Italy in UEFA Nations League, as well as Baggio, Premface and Serie Ass of the week, plus much, much more when Nima and Carlo break down all the main talking points from Match Day 12 of the 2024/2025 Serie A season.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian Football Podcast. Hello everybody and welcome to another episode of the Italian Football Podcast. I'm Kylo Garganese joined as always by Nima Tavalli. On today's show we will react to the weekend's set of matches.
Inter vs Napoli Tactical Analysis
00:00:18
Speaker
The big game of the weekend saw a high quality tactical affair between the champions and the league leaders finishing 1-1 with Akanchalanoblu scoring the screamer but then missing his first ever penalty for Inter which would have won the game. The biggest story of the weekend though was the most expected. Ivan Urich was sacked following the the dismal 3-1 defeat.
00:00:42
Speaker
to Bologna. Roberto Mancini is in talks to take over Roma. Juventus win the Turin Derby with Timothy Veya continuing in his his great run of form. Rafa Liao's renaissance also continues with two great goals but Milan's defence implodes in ah in a 3-3 thriller at Caliari.
Supporting the Podcast
00:01:02
Speaker
Atalanta, Lazio and Fiorentina all continue their incredible winning streaks which creates the most crazy top of the table ever, two points separating the top six in Serie A after 12 matchdays. It really is unbelievable. and We'll also preview Italy's UEFA Nations League match against Belgium this week. It's now an international break and we'll have our usual bad show, Premface and Serie A of the week.
00:01:29
Speaker
For all our first time listeners, this is our free weekly episode that we do every Monday, reviewing the weekend's cellular action and all the biggest talking points in Italian football. If you want to support the Italian football podcast and receive all of our content that we do throughout the week, including a weekly Q and&A episode every Tuesday where we answer all the questions from our Patreons, plus the weekly Thursday midweek review show, plus interviews, post-match reaction and much, much more, then go to patreon dot.com slash TIP and become a subscriber for just $2.99 a month.
00:01:56
Speaker
Plus VAT, you can also sign up to be a paid subscriber on Spotify. The link is in the description. For all of you that do listen on Spotify, Apple and iTunes podcasts, we'd really appreciate
Inter vs Napoli: In-Depth Analysis
00:02:07
Speaker
it. Give us a five star rating, give us a follow and a like. Also subscribe to us on YouTube as well. and All of that really helps us to do more quality content for you guys.
00:02:17
Speaker
Okay, let's get into today's show. So before we talk about the the crisis at Roma, let's start off with the big match of the weekend, the Sunday evening game at San Siro between the Champions Inter and the league leaders Napoli. It finishes 1-1. Let's start off by talking about this from the Napoli point of view as the league leaders and it is the the story of Antonio Conte returning to Inter and finding a way to mastermind a very organised, tactically astute defensive performance from Napoli and they they come away with a 1-1 draw-nimmer? Yes, I think he, well in the first half for sure. um I think in the first half the game was exactly the way
00:03:08
Speaker
Napoli and Conte wanted it. um Let's remember that Conte's Napoli conceded three goals at home to Atalanta. They were very lackadaisical, defensively, very sloppy. And so it was obviously going to not be like that when he travels to Inter, but definitely not after a defeat. um And he he they they were really, really solid. They they allowed Inter to have the possession.
00:03:38
Speaker
They didn't want it. They wanted to sit back deep. It was clear they wanted to counter-attack. They wanted Inka to maintain possession in certain areas of the pitch, which they thought were safe. um And Inka were unable to to impose themselves the way that they did it midweek against us at all, in the sense that they didn't the passing tempo was low, the movement wasn't as fluid, the tempo was low, um the the there was too many unforced errors and in the sense of not crisp enough passing, which made life very easy for Napoli.
00:04:18
Speaker
And even though Napoli didn't really create that much um or didn't create anything um until the 93rd minute, they they were able to lull into to sleep and then took the lead via a corner, which is was definitely something they had worked on before. that that I mean, that that that to me, to to play that ball, that low in that position,
00:04:46
Speaker
And then he but flicks it on and he runs it. That was a move. That was a scammy. There's no doubt about my about for me at all that that was a scammy. That was completely planned. That was completely right off the training ground. And that's what he does, Conte. He's so, so good at organizing um teams in in in these situations. and And they took the lead.
00:05:09
Speaker
um And then in the second half, Inta came out and really took the game to them. I thought the the second half was one of was was one of Inta's better this season. um And they struggled. They really suffered, Naapoli. And they struggled to to keep keep up with Inta.
00:05:30
Speaker
um and but they But this is the kind of thing, like like I said about Inter when it came to Arsenal, knowing how to suffer, knowing when to suffer, and building confidence from suffering and getting out of it. And in the end, Simeona had a chance to win it at the very death, which we'll talk about again, is a very, very big problem for Inter, again, conceding a chance like that at the death.
00:05:55
Speaker
But overall, I think, you know, I think there were lots of positives. McTominay again continues to score important goals for Napoli. It's very important.
00:06:06
Speaker
And above all, Alessandro Bonjorno was fantastic. yeah After two games in the Serie A where he was poor, especially against Atalanta, the Milan game, he got lucky. But this was, Bonjorno just snapped out of it and was a leader in that defense. And he needs to be a leader in that defense for Napoli to continue this title charge.
00:06:32
Speaker
Yeah, yeah and I think that's a good summary of the game. I thought um ah thought that I thought Inter overall with ah with a better team ah in this game, definitely in the second half, like like you said, and the overall play in terms of control of the game, the dominance of the game. But I think if you break it down to the number of chances in the match actually didn't really create that much in terms of clear chances. They only had a non penalty XG of 0.73 and Napoli's XG was I think 0.5.
00:07:06
Speaker
um so So only really a slightly higher number of chances really created from inside. I think they limited, ah certainly defensively, they limited Inter in this game but very well. And I think it became clear as the game went on that Napoli were happy with the point, like in the second half.
00:07:28
Speaker
they were they you know they had chances to just play forward balls and they would just keep the ball even in the last like even in the last five minutes they had chances to put crosses in the box they didn't do it other than that one right at the death and which Simeone missed um ah mr you know missed a decent chance really to win it there um but I think that yeah at the end of the day I think Napoli will be happy they would have snapped up a point before the game they're still top They've now played that the big three in Serie A this season into Milan and Juventus, all the way from home, and they've not lost any of them. They've only conceded once in those in those three matches, and that was ah kind of a miracle shot from miles out, which I think the keeper should have saved, will come to.
Lukaku's Form and Napoli's Strategy
00:08:10
Speaker
um but so So I think they'll be they'll be very happy, and they now you know have the advantage, obviously, of playing once a week. They have the advantage of playing the big three at home in the second half of the season,
00:08:21
Speaker
um So I think that i think listen, we'll come to Conte and his anger when we when when we talk about the penalty and the intersection. So I want to like just part that for the moment, but I think deep down Conte, even if you didn't show it, I think deep down Conte will be delighted to to be in the position they're in to come away from this from this game with a draw. And like you said, to move on to the individuals,
00:08:44
Speaker
Yes, Tominee has, you know, he's proven to be yeah a really inspired sign in, hasn't he? I mean, that's his third goal this season. He's such a goal threat, isn't he, with his kind of his late runs in the box. He's got good kind of high IQ in being in the right place in the right time. He's got a good shot. He's a good finisher. ah He's great in the air. And as we saw with the goal, he's he's a massive threat on on set pieces and I think that he should be aiming for 10 goals this season. I mean, he's he's been a little bit unlucky. He probably should have more than three goals based on some of it you know some of his shots, like hitting the hitting the woodwork and being unlucky on a few finishes. But I think he should be aiming for 10 goals. I think he will get 10 goals. I think given how this Napoli is and given how
00:09:34
Speaker
If we're talking negative, Romelu Lukaku, my Christ. like he ah Between Lautaro and him, I don't know who looked like the bigger, fatter uncle. Like, who was more middle-aged? Between him and Lukaku, Lautaro and Lukaku, I don't know who looked more like the middle-aged uncle.
00:09:55
Speaker
Well, I think it's a bit worrying now with Lukaku, because this is this form has been going on for for well over a month now. he Really, he had that really fantastic impact when he joined, when he was probably about 30% fit, when he'd had no pre-season. And he came, and he was just like, he was incredible. You know, he came on in that game then against Parma, and he basically turned that game around. Then he scored in the game, his first game after that. And and he looked really, really fantastic. and then and then he started to look kind of slow sluggish a bit old actually very old and he looks old and that's but the thing is you can still win with him man because again his back against the goal now he's not going to play acherbi every week and i think acherbi just again showed
00:10:43
Speaker
When it comes to man marking Italian defenders, there is no one better than him right now. Again, another big striker, big name erased completely. And this was a Shelby's first game back from injury in a month, at least.
00:10:59
Speaker
And he just erased him. um And that that that guy is that is just impressive by a Cherby. But Lukaku isn't going to play a Cherby every week. He's going to play other defenders. And so if the you know it's clear that Compton knows this. And he's like, I'm just going to use him for the build up phase. Because still, with his back towards goal, holding the ball off, playing off, he can do that. He can still do that very, very good. In fact, I think it's the only aspect of his game that if it's not world class, it's world class adjacent or tangent.
00:11:29
Speaker
And he can do that, playing the system that Kante wants him to play. But its this is very much now a player on the decline, a player who we do I doubt if we see in the Serie A or in Europe within the next one or two years.
00:11:49
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, the fact is that he's having a week to prepare for these games as well. Yeah. So, and he's still putting in performance like this. I mean, the Milan, he did, let's, let's, let's, let's be honest though. He was, he was excellent against Milan, but that's, that's one game out of maybe the last five or six. It might even be more than that, actually, in which he's been really poor. That Milan game is the exception to to, to what has been really poor form.
00:12:13
Speaker
And this has been while Napoli have been winning and and playing well or doing well. you know and and he was and And also like you know what you say is true, but actually in the last two games, and and I know these are excellent physical defenders, but he's been physically bullied as well in the last two games by Ocebi and by Hien in the match before. So um I know he kind of barged Pavlovic to the hot dog stand you know in the in the in the game against Milan, but he's he's you know he Even that side of his game, he you know you ah you very rarely see that Lukaku being physically out-muscled. And he has been in the last two matches. So this is a concern for Napoli because if they are going to go and win the Scudetto this season, they can't have Lukaku, they can't carry Lukaku the way they have been in the last month and a half, I don't think.
00:13:04
Speaker
ah think they can But then they need Clara to score the goals. They need McTominay to score 10-15 goals. they need They can use Lukaku as Petanya that they can do. Basically giant lump, hold up the ball, play off to those who can run. It's not exactly the most beautiful and difficult football in the world, but they can do it and they can win the league doing that because I think the quality that they possess in playing this football is is is very easy. It is there to for the taking, so to speak. um and so But you need Clara to step up. ah You need McTominade to score those 10-15 goals. You need Politano to score his 5-10-15 goals. You need those other players to step up.
00:13:48
Speaker
um I think they need LaBocca back as well because Gilmour struggled against against the Atalanta and in the second half especially he was getting overrun in that second half. I mean i thought he was did okay in the first half but went in to put their foot on the accelerator. He just couldn't keep up. Yeah, like Atalanta did last week. He couldn't he couldn't keep up. He hasn't really got the but legs or the the physical stature or qualities to to really match against the big, big teams, against that the kind of about the big opponents. I think he was starting to struggle. when labo came on
00:14:25
Speaker
it calmed down a little bit. ah car that that you know inss you know into a really really I think they were on the brink of scoring actually and then Gilmore came off and and it calmed it down a little bit. So I think Lebokka returning is is massive for Napoli
Merit's Performance and Napoli's Defense
00:14:41
Speaker
as well. the The only other negative I would say for for Napoli was was the Merit um merit mistake on on the Czellanogli goal, I think he should have done better. so I mean, listen, we'll come on, we'll talk about Czellanogli. It's an incredible strike. The power, the swerve, it's a rocket, it's an unbelievable, it's a world-class strike of a ball. It's absolutely, I'm not taking anything away from Czellanogli. It was amazing. um But it's the end of the day, it's nowhere near the corner. ah And, you know, I think a good goalkeeper saves that. And Merritt, Merritt's not a top goalkeeper. He's a good goalkeeper and I actually think
00:15:18
Speaker
ah other than that he actually had a pretty good game. He made he made some saves, he made a save from a Cherby, he made ah another save in the second, of I think it was from DiMarco. No, that hit the post actually, he didn't save it, that's why it was a goal. yeah no no yeah yeah Yeah, no, I meant the other one. I meant the other one. I meant the one from the left, you know, when he shot from the left-hand side. I mean, he should have saved it, but you know what, I mean, what I'm saying is he made a few other saves in the game, like apart from that mistake, I think he did okay, but you know, he makes, you know, he he he he lets in goals merit that the top goalkeepers save. And I think that's the difference really. And, and yeah, you you shouldn't use a top goalkeeper saves that as brilliant as a goal, a brilliant as a shot it was, it was amazing. But it's nowhere near the corner. And and and it goes through him. Yeah, I mean,
00:16:07
Speaker
Excuse me. I think I think it's I think there is an element of making a mistake by merit. There's no doubt about it. But if you look at that, the the trajectory of the ball, it's like it it picks up speed. It doesn't look like a very hard shot when it leaves his boot, but it accelerates, accelerates, accelerates. And then it wobbles in the air and it's hard. So I don't want to criticize and crucify merit it too much because It's a difficult ball and it's going so fast and it accelerates more and more and more towards him. And yes, it is in his corner, but he barely has a chance to get his hand up, let alone stop it. It's it's it's semons it's it's a very, very difficult shot that Chana Noglu pulled out.
00:16:52
Speaker
Yeah, i'm not no no one's saying it's easy, and but I just think that you get beaten from that distance. It was a long way out. i mean this must be weight It must be about 35 yards.
Conte's Critique and Defensive Praise
00:17:01
Speaker
You get beaten from 35 yards um with a shot that's nowhere near the corner, then then that's so that's on the goalkeeper um as hard and as swervy as it was. i just think and Also, you know he's in he's still in the Italy squad as the third goalkeeper.
00:17:16
Speaker
He's not the third best goalkeeper in Italy. I mean, de Gregorio, Kana Secchi are not in the squad. They're both better than him. I would even say Perin is better than in him as well. He he should not be the Italy's third goalkeeper. Not that it really matters because the third goalkeeper never plays, but, you know, he... he The third goalkeeper is for vibes. I mean, it's just, it's literally... Has he really vibes though? Yeah, well, I mean, Smolletti coached him in Napoli, so he knows what kind of character he is. I think it's more that.
00:17:40
Speaker
um The third goalkeeper is either a young one to learn or someone who makes everyone happy. like Orlandoni did for like five, six years. atinta He was just everyone's favorite. Good luck. Pinzoglio does. Vibes. Exactly. Vibes. yeah yeah Having said that though, um again, this is on Gilmour. This is the thing that Conte will be furious about. They didn't they didn't close the channel at all. And that's probably Gilmour's job because his job was to screen challenge. So that is where you can definitely, Conte will definitely be furious.
00:18:13
Speaker
about that. But yeah, overall, yeah, I thought, apart from that, I thought that defensively, Napoli were were excellent. um Echoing what you say about Bonjourno, he was, he was absolutely outstanding. He did one amazing goal-saving challenge on Pavard in the first half. when dumb Yeah, that was world-class. That was brilliant. He did a great, class world-class challenge. And he's becoming just as good as we all knew he would when Antonio Conte was appointed, because that's what Antonio Conte does with defenders. He makes them take the the next step. um It was, it was truly, truly. Physically also, you like, you know, like again, like Taran, not many people can match Taran physically. There was one challenge in the second half where Taran went flying. Like that's how strong physically, the only but other person I've seen do that to Taran is Bremmer this season for his injury. So, you know, that shows that like physically he's, he's got it. He made one error in this game where he he got, a he actually did get a bit lucky. He stepped up.
00:19:11
Speaker
and the ball came into the box for Lautaro, and Lautaro had a bad control, which I know we'll come onto, and that avoided basically what would have been a certain goal, it would have been an easy finish, and Lautaro mis-controlled, it was in the second half, cross came in from the left, might have been DiMarco that put it in.
00:19:28
Speaker
and Lautaro miscontrolled it. um Otherwise, he he probably would have scored. That was but John was felt, he stepped up and he got his timing wrong. But apart from that, he he but he put in a perfect performance. He was fantastic. And and it would be good to see him play for Italy this week, seeing as Califuri's out as well. Because I want to see, I think he's proven now at Napoli that he's a top class centre back in.
00:19:49
Speaker
this system in the in in the back four, but also um with the line of a defence where it is. And now with Spoletti plays a slightly higher line. And I think that's the only thing he's got left to prove now. But can he do it with a slightly higher line? He's not the quickest. So that's that's all he's got left to prove, I think. And and I want to see him. I want to see him tested this this week with Italy. like But yeah, fantastic. Ratnani was good as well. The Napi defence was so well drilled by Conte, so well organised.
00:20:20
Speaker
So yeah yeah, excellent for Napoli. But let's let's move on to Inter though. Inter, as I said before, I thought they were the better team. um But yeah, ah they still didn't create enough for me in in this game considering their kind of control of the game. you know As I said, non penalty XG of 0.73. And I think if we start with the negatives with Inter first, I think you you have to look at the two attackers.
00:20:43
Speaker
ah toam and lataro especially we're really shut down by bonjono and rakmani and la toro was very sloppy with his touch as i said that chance that he wasted there with a miscontrol and i know that lataro seems to be getting a lot of criticism from interfern especially well because his first touch and his touches are worse than denzil dumfries And he's not supposed to have a first touch worse than Denzel Dumfries.
00:21:06
Speaker
We have one Denzel Dunfries on the team, and that's quite enough. And Nzagi has mitigated for it, and we we have a system to mitigate for that. You can't have Lautaro Martinez running around fumbling balls, can't receive the ball, can't turn, miss hits, miss kicks.
Inter's Attacking Challenges
00:21:22
Speaker
I mean, listen, this is this is not about him being overplayed. This is his unfit. Go look at him last season. At this point, last season, same number of games,
00:21:36
Speaker
and compare his movement, his ball touches, and everything about him to this season. He is unfit. He looks heavier, he looks slower, and that is on him. that's not on the That's not on him being overplayed, that's not on the fixture list. I'm talking his, he looks unfit, and he hasn't managed his his fitness in a way that is good enough.
00:22:05
Speaker
And it looked better against Arsenal. It looked better, better you know, we saw an upward trajectory against Empoli, Venezia and Arsenal. And then we saw against, we saw someone that looked hungover. looks he He had the same energy as someone who was lying on the couch eating pizza in front of the TV hungover. That was his energy level against Napoli. And it's just unacceptable, completely unacceptable.
00:22:28
Speaker
it's it's just you know Is there an element of him being tired? then tired lack of rest If he's tired, why is he so swollen then? Why does he look like he literally looks fatter than he did a year ago, about a stone heavier than he did a year ago?
00:22:43
Speaker
it's not it's not it's it's not his movement it's not the fact there is an element of tiredness i get that everyone's tired i't but everyone else is not a stone heavier he's a stone heavier but that's quite easy to remedy and to just just get him get his weight what what not feed him for a week i mean like seriously like what are we doing here the guy's 27 28 years old this should not be happening and it already happened last season it's No but listen, it's Correa's fault, he's coming along to Inca and doing his barbecues. and No but seriously we saw this last season as well in March when he suddenly swole up mid-season. In the middle of the season he swole up and it was like ah what's going on? And it's like I don't understand what's going on, this is on him, he needs to sort it out.
00:23:29
Speaker
You know, it's it's <unk>s it's it's unacceptable for him for him to to to return to Inter and look like this in mid-November. He's the captain of the team. It is completely unacceptable. You know, first few games, okay, but we're in November now. And he he he he looks he looks like first day of pre-season. And it's it's just unacceptable.
00:23:55
Speaker
And I'm not talking about not being informed. That takes time. I get that. And I'm OK. Players have up and up and down informed dips. I get that. No problem. I'm talking about his fitness. That is unacceptable. And that's completely on him. And you you know, we have eyes. We have these crazy things called videos where we can actually go back and look, compare how he moves and how he looks one year ago at this stage.
00:24:22
Speaker
to now. He's a stone heavier. he he's he he He can't control a football because of it. His balance is screwed up. What the hell's going on? And it's it's it's just it's unacceptable. And then you have Marcus Taram, on the other hand, who has saved Inter, who is many times this season, has been man of the match a couple of times, scored important goals. I think he's on seven goals in the league.
00:24:52
Speaker
And he doesn't seem to understand how to work with Lautaro now because they're not working together as a unit like they used to last season, but instead he's he's he's on this kind of thing where he wants to do everything on his own and dribble and then and dribble past everyone himself does not play players into his decision making is awful and he's he's become so greedy and thinks he's the main man at Inter when he shouldn't be I mean there was a there was a child there was a situation twice not one two situations yesterday on the counter when he's driving the ball up and instead of playing it wide or going
00:25:32
Speaker
trying to pull Bonjourno away, he just tries to dribble him and instead barges into him and loses the ball. Like, this is this is unacceptable by both of them. The attitude from Turan, but I'm not too worried about Turan because he's not, you know, he's fit. you can You can sort that out with a player. You can talk to him, you can resort, but the fitness that Laotaro is showing is just my Christ. Like, what the hell are we doing here? And the the two of them,
00:26:02
Speaker
And Inzagi is basically trying to bully Lautaro by playing him every single game 70, 80, 90 minutes into form. And it worked for three games. But the fourth game, it was as a it just he looked like he'd eaten a bucket of KFC before he came on the pitch.
00:26:21
Speaker
I mean, Jesus. Listen, I think that it's been going on for too long too long now, i can expect this season, for it to just be you know just a bad period of form. is' There's obviously something, whether it's the tiredness, whether he's not in physical shape, whether it's a bit of both, um you know he probably could do with a rest, a good period of rest as well. The problem is, Inter just don't don't have anyone to come in for him and do a job. you know Well, I don't agree with that. I think it's time for, for you know, if Inzagi keeps talking, you know, he played Paremi in the midweek. I think he needs to start rotating those two as well. He needs to start showing them, just similarly to what Fonseca did with Liao, that... No, this is not good enough. You're the captain of this team. You cannot go around looking this unfit in November. you know and and And he needs to start rotating more, much more, and and basically you know laying down the law that way. because And of course, together with the dietists and the you know backroom staff, they work on his fitness. But this is this is just not on this is just not on it's uh what do you do do you give you do you give like taremi a run of starts now you have to you have to what otherwise what's the point of having an out of it taremi in the squad what's the point of you know like he did in midfield he's rotated heavily in midfield he's rotated heavily in defense he brings off bastoni every game in the 70th 75th 80th minute like he needs to do that
00:27:50
Speaker
And I guess we'll see if they if they're up to it. I mean, how many goals they got? I mean, I think Teremi's got one goal this season. I'm out of it. Yeah, but how many minutes have they played? I mean, that's another thing. like you you They can't, they're not going to score goals off the bench, sitting on the bench, are they? So you're going to, you're going to have to... I mean, Teremi started five games this season and, you know, so... Yeah, but you have to also look at the the role that he's got and which games he played against Arsenal. It was a game where Inter worked as a unit and they looked really, really good. And if we're talking about negatives, this is something that I just, I'm not happy about it as well. And this this thing, there's two things that really drive me insane. Yes, I think the game against Napoli was a step forward compared to other games of the season, but
00:28:33
Speaker
it It wasn't a game. Last season we saw an Inter that played 10, 12, 15 games in a row at a very high level from minute one to minute 90. We've not seen Inter string two consecutive good games in a row this season. The best games this season have been ah Arsenal, City, Atalanta and Napoli.
00:28:54
Speaker
The rest have been atrocious. Now, ironically, two of those games where they played well, they drew um the other games they won. And that's in and of itself a sign of strength that you win when you play badly. And that's fine. So there are positives to this. But it is concerning that Inter don't create enough chances. Like you said, the non penalty XG and also that long shot, Inter did not create enough chances against Napoli, even though Napoli in the second half were there for the taking.
00:29:23
Speaker
um The fact that the the strikers or Laotaro is physically unfit, that Turram somehow has been seems to have turned into this, like, I want to be the main man, and Inter, which is fine, but he's not. It's Laotaro. And if Laotaro is unfit, and they need Turram to be the main man, then you need to bench Laotaro until he's fit. Do you see what I'm saying? like you need You can't just keep giving them you know free reigns.
00:29:50
Speaker
And the that's what I want from Zaggy. And I think that now that he's given them enough chances, um I think he will, because he wasn't happy yesterday. He said, look, we've played 10 games with one 8, but we should have won all 10. And that's exactly what I wanted to hear from him.
00:30:06
Speaker
last night because I agree with that. Those two draws against Napoli and Juba were winnable, to say the least, if you look at the games. But they didn't because they didn't kill off their chances, the efficiency, and the attackers are shooting blunts. They're shooting blanks. yeah the shooting they're they're They're firing blanks.
00:30:28
Speaker
they're not They're not anywhere where they need to be. And they probably smoked blunts. Lautaro did before eating a bucket of chicken. but regardless ah But regardless, there is going in foral nice it's it's unacceptable. We're not talking about a 30 year old player. We're talking about a player who's supposed to hit the peak of his career.
00:30:46
Speaker
We're talking about someone who, after the Ballon d'Or, came out and basically said, you know, we know how these things go. I should have i should have finished better than seventh. ah Sweetie, you're lucky if you finish top 40 in this form.
00:30:59
Speaker
Like, get out of here with that nonsense. Okay, well, moving on for a little bit. If we look at positives, before we talk about Chalanoglu and the penalty, the positives, I think the defence, right? I think that, as you said, a Cherby, I thought was was was the best, Linz's best player. for he was he was outstand and I thought I thought Pavard and Bastoni were pretty good as well. I think it's this defence really conceded very little, didn't they, and this in this game. just just the goal from the corner which which can happen sometimes and and then you have that chance at the end really for Simeone apart from that I mean I can't think of Napoli doing anything in this game and there was one counter attack which Lukaku messed up
00:31:40
Speaker
and when they were kind of three on three. And I think that might be an offside anyway, actually, I think it could come from an offside position. But apart from that, I can't think of I can't think of anything. So I think that I think that into we're pretty good um ah in defense. I thought Barela was very good, actually. I thought he was really, really good. He had some lovely touches and some great little balls from the outside of his foot. One really fantastic first time shot, which just went wide in the first half, which was so smart to hit it that early.
00:32:09
Speaker
I thought Borrello was really good. And then I thought, yeah, of course, Chalanogli. I mean, yes, it was a top keeper, maybe would have saved it, but it's still an unbelievable. It's a goal and a shot, which only a handful of players in the world can score that goal, can hit a shot like that. um Is there a better right, is there a better right footage long range shooter than Chalanogli in world football? Maybe De Bruyne or maybe? and That's probably about the only other player I would say really, isn't it? I mean, he's he's got to be the best in his in the in the world now in his
Penalty Controversy and VAR Debate
00:32:44
Speaker
role, hasn't he? Now that Rodry's injured, he's got to be the best in the world for his position, I think, Chalanogli.
00:32:52
Speaker
He's also he's he' scored um he scored two outside-the-box shots against Napoli now. to gain If I'm not mistaken, the the first one last season as well was unbelievable away at the Maradona. And he missed his first penalty in the Serie A, not just for Inter, but in the Serie A. He scored 17 consecutive um ah penalties in in the Serie A, and that includes his time. At 19 consecutively for Inter. ah yeah well I jinxed it. I said after the the game against Arsenal that he hasn't missed a club penalty for eight years.
00:33:31
Speaker
you know Everyone's been banging on about that thing, and I think sooner or later he was bound to miss, and it's not really a bad miss. i mean its He hits the post. He struck it well. He struck it well. I just wish he would have hit it more centrally, because it was obvious that Mehret was going to dive like he did against Arsenal. But like he did look nervous. He did look like he was weighing on him. um But you know it's not the end of the world. ah He missed a penalty. He hit the woodwork.
00:33:57
Speaker
we you know We move on from this. But overall, all I think you know this season reminds me a little bit of the first season when Inzaghi was in charge. But there's a very important silver lining. In the beginning of that season, Inzaghi's first season in charge, Inter played really well. But they failed to win games. They missed penalties. They missed sitters. Inter, this time around, are not playing well. But they win. They draw the top games.
00:34:25
Speaker
against that they won last season, but they're they're games where they should have won, but it's not really working either. There's something not clicking. That's the silver lining in the sense that if you win when you're not playing well and you've got eight wins and two draws in 10 games, that's that's good. That's 80% win rate. That is very, very good. If you continue this, of course you're going to win the league, right? You're going to go far in the champion's league and you're going to win the league.
00:34:52
Speaker
80%. If you win 80% of your your games, that's that's that's very, very good. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. But i just one thing, though, that they have to fix is we saw it against Venezia. We saw it now today against Napoli. We saw it against Juve where they didn't get away with it. This conceding of chances at the death, when you're either at a draw draw or just leading by a goal, is something they need to address. They've improved the defence much better and Acherbi was brilliant and thank God he's back, he looked fantastic. And De Frei showed against Arsenal that against those kinds of strikers he should start. but And that gives Unzagi options and he'll be very grateful for that.
00:35:40
Speaker
But regardless, this thing where they go sleeping in the 90th minute, 90th minute, 95th minute, 97th minute, that needs to stop because you can't keep counting on the striker missing. Sooner or later, you were lucky against Venezia that that goal was disallowed, it was correct, but you were lucky, you can't keep counting on that. You need to kill off games and you need to focus all the way to the end.
00:36:06
Speaker
that's something that they need to do and these these late goals conceded which they barely conceded last season is yes it is just not for sure um let's talk about Antonio Conte and the and and the penalty i have to say well it was proven wrong i have to say i was glad that the penalty was missed because i didn't want a massive controversy over the was it a penalty wasn't it a penalty after the game but um And he couldn't say, put that to bed, didn't he? By going absolutely berserk about it. And harassing himself really by essentially acknowledging to the whole world that he doesn't understand how the VAR protocol works.
00:36:45
Speaker
Well, i think I don't think that was his issue. I think his issue was that was his issue and what does it mean what does it mean is it an error an error his issue was his issue was that the protocol was wrong. It shouldn't be like that. It should be, you know, if there's a mistake, it the VAR should intervene.
00:37:05
Speaker
that was his that was That's not how it's written. It's written literally clear and obvious error and it's been like that for everything. He thinks that should change. He should think if it's an error, if it's an error, it should it should be corrected because it's a penalty or a red card. I agree with him. I have to be honest. I agree. I think if it's a mistake,
00:37:22
Speaker
and it's for for a big, big incident like a penalty or a red card, the VAR should overturn it because it's too important for a game. It can it can it can decide again. I agree with him. you know The protocol is the protocol. When Luca Morelli explained and he said, look, it's like contact, but once a penalty of that kind is called,
00:37:42
Speaker
it's not revoked by VAR. It's true. That is the protocol. But I agree with Conte also that, you know, if it's a mistake, the VAR should. I don't think it's a mistake. You can't say it's a mistake. Dunfries comes in a high, comes in a pretty high pace. Anguisa is a little bit late. There's contact and he trips over him.
00:37:59
Speaker
is it Is it a situation where you can say you can give it, you can't give it? Of course, you can say that. But you can't tell me that it's a mistake. It's not like they invented a penalty. I think i think it's a very soft penalty. i you but You know, in my opinion, it drives me mad that we get penalties given for this. It's is it's not enough. Given the handball that was not given and the VAR didn't even look at, I think Antonio Conte should just be quiet and be happy with the point he got because that That that was a you know, I think in basketball you call that like traveling or what do you call it? Like what do you call that when you grab the ball by the hands and walk three four steps? You have to bounce it like that's that's and he bounced it with his hand. You can't do that. but which it position which and I'm talking about when Lautaro when the ball bounced off Lord Lautaro things are a money.
00:38:46
Speaker
who bounced the ball, literally hand on ball bounced it, like he's a handball player going forward, bounced it. When fighting for the ball with Lautaro, he pushes his arm in front of Lautaro, the palm of his hand hits the ball, the ball bounces up and goes out to a corner kick, I think it was. So that was the Stonewall penalty. So I think Conte should just pipe down. But regardless, I have to see that. Can you send that to me? I haven't seen that one. For me, this isn't a penalty. It's very soft. I think he puts his body across a player to be goalside. The concept is so, so light. The problem is that when you slow-mo it, the contact always looks more. But when you see it in real time, it's just Well, he saw it in real time. He didn't go to the VAR screen to see it. He saw it in real time. No, I'm saying when us as viewers see it back, it looks worse when it's in slow motion. Anyway, it was academic in the end because he missed it, but it's never a penalty for me.
00:39:55
Speaker
i think And I think Conte's right. I think Conte's right. I do. I think the protocol needs to change. If it's a mistake, it's a mistake. It should go to the VAR and they should ask them simply, is this a penalty? Yes or no? And and if it's if it's not a penalty, then then you change it. Not this, you know, well, we can't change it because because there's been some contact and there was some contact that that the the protocol says that if there is some concept, you cannot change it. Even if it's the lightest concept ever, you cannot change the rule. I think that protocol's wrong. And and I agree with that. I've said it since the first season when they first imposed VR. I loved it the first season. I thought it was fantastically imp imposed and and used in this area.
00:40:39
Speaker
ah But then they changed it and reinterpreted the real the clear and obvious everything. And then since then we've had this shitstorm. So yes, I've been consistently saying, I think if it's a mistake, it's a mistake. It should go to the VR, the VR should correct it. um'm I'm 100% for that.
00:40:54
Speaker
but The fact that he's talking, macoza signufia causza signifan and he's like sitting there yelling and shouting like a school child over, what does that even mean? What does this mean? It doesn't mean anything it's you know he's you know if marelli had a little bit you know marelli was smiling at him and didn't say anything. He should have
Serie A Title Race
00:41:14
Speaker
told him back. like Are you saying you don't understand how real and clark clear clear and obvious it works, Antonio? Is that what you're saying? You're paid six and a half million a year, one of the top coaches in the world, and you don't understand the laws of the laws of the game and you don't understand how the VAR protocol works? What's your point?
00:41:29
Speaker
Because he was it was it was just he was embarrassing. that But it's classic content. He always, always does this. And he knows why he's doing it as well, because he wants to send out a clear message so that next time, ah when when it is a penalty for his team or against his team, they they think twice because they don't want this you know rabid dog barking at them at the end of the game. like He knows what he's doing. It's it's not you know it's it's just it's the usual.
00:41:54
Speaker
contest stuff and it's part of, that's why he's paid the money he's paid to do it. So, you know, it's what it is. Well, we're interested to see if they do what they do, how they react to us, not just in terms of terms of the political, but I mean, he did go absolutely berserk about it. So I think you might get some punishment for what he did. No, I don't think so. He didn't say anything wrong. He was yelling at Marelli. He was yelling at Marelli. I don't know why. I think, yeah, I mean, I agree that he didn't need to cover Gopin. Morelli said it wasn't a penalty, and then he went absolutely berserk at him. I thought that was... No, because Morelli explained why it wasn't. Yeah, i know I know. I understand that, but I just think that he's having the wrong person. No, because Antonio, look, is it is it really that out of character that Antonio Conte doesn't know the details of things he's not interested in?
00:42:44
Speaker
yeah is Is anyone really surprised by that? no I'm not. no i know This is completely in character for Antonio. We have to move on though because we you know we we've spent half the show on this. But just just quickly before we talk about Yurich,
00:42:59
Speaker
um but youre it um What a crazy title race we have because this draw now means that the top six are separated by two points after 12
Roma's Managerial Turmoil
00:43:09
Speaker
rounds. We've got Napoli on I mean, this is absolutely insane. nimma I mean, wow. I mean,
00:43:23
Speaker
I don't think we could have expected it to be this tight between six teams after 12 rounds, could we? I mean, what a Serie A season this is. mean We wanted, didn't we say, we before the season in our Serie A preview, we want a proper title race to the end. Well, we got what we we asked for, didn't we? If you basically take into consideration if Milan win their game, they've got 21 points, so you've got five points between one and seven.
00:43:48
Speaker
um So, yeah, ah but yeah, two points between one and six is mad. um And it's just it's ah it's it's really congested up there. And I think I don't think Fiorentina and Lazio are going to be there till the end. i think Juve Inter Atalanta, Juve Inter Nacoli, maybe Atalanta, um potentially potentially Milan, as we, you know, once they qualify from the Champions League and they can focus more on the league. um So yeah, no, it's ah it's it's crazy. it's um It's very, very entertaining. ah you know And it's just like just like the Milan Cagliari game.
00:44:23
Speaker
I think I tweeted it out. Serie A is the most exciting and most entertaining league in Europe. ah It's absolutely bad. It is. If only they could sell something that is actually so sellable now. I mean, two points separating the top six. I mean, this is this is a dream to sell to the league if you had competent people. We'll come to that we comes for that later. I've got a good point on that in the Serie A as of the week. and But let's move on to a team that are not fighting at the top of the table. No, they're actually looking over there behind them at the relegation zone right now and that is Roma who have now sacked Ivan Urich after they lost again 3-1 at home to Bologna four defeats in the last five Serie A games for Roma and Urich and that is the end of him and to be honest with you it was expected and it was pretty clear before the game that he was going to be sacked and this was his last game he knew it as well he he didn't even turn up to media duties before the game and after the game because he knew he was
00:45:21
Speaker
he was going to get sacked. It concludes what has been a really, really sorry reign for Djuric, almost from day one. i mean his His record reads 1-4, drawn 3, lost 5, scored 15, conceded 17.
00:45:41
Speaker
Roma at real risk of not qualifying for the Europa League next round. um It just yes sums up. in Florentine Gisolfi, the Roma ah Direct, Water Director, Transfer Chief admitted after the game that they basically made a mistake firing De Rossi and hiring him. um is's just It's been awful, isn't it? And it's even's worse than that it's even worse than that. Skye reported something that really pissed me off.
00:46:11
Speaker
And that is that they're not even considering any, that's what, this is Sky's report. They're not considering any Italian coaches, but want a foreign coach. Oh, really? Yeah. So where does that leave Robert? I thought Roberto Mancini. No, well, that's what Sky reported. And they're saying Terzic or Lampard. When was this reported out of interest? Sky, yesterday, yesterday. Like Terzic or Lampard. And at this point, well, the Friedkins are just,
00:46:38
Speaker
What did I say? American owners, they're like the Milan owners. they they just want No, they're not, because me this is I'm glad you said that, because there's a vital difference. Milan have a have a structure in place where they're looking for a specific identity of a coach and someone who's ready, and they were talking in talks with Thiago Mota, who is Italian, and he had already given his word to to to you, the Sweden goder. This is throwing shit at a wall and hoping something sticks. Mourinho, De Rossi, Jurec, Lampard, Tertic.
00:47:07
Speaker
What are we doing here? What do these guys have in common? Other than that, they are coaches and middle-aged men. What do they have in common? it's it's it this what it was This is the definition, regardless of who they appoint, this is the definition of an ownership that knows absolutely nothing about football. They appointed a sporting director and apparently, according to Sky, they're using ah this this ah this ah firm, CAA, to hunt ah a new coach.
00:47:38
Speaker
Like this agency. I mean, nah, the freakins are just. Well, we'll see how it plays out. I mean, I have seen other sources, I don't have any personal information, but I've seen other sources say that Mancini has held some preliminary talks and is among the candidates. And now just sorry sorry now just came out, Frank Lampart has been excluded. Thank God for small people. Yeah, Coventry City coventary city are are in the race to to to a point here as well.
00:48:11
Speaker
It's gone from Rome to Coventry. And Gisolfi wants De Rossi back. and nights but To be honest with you, Nimmer, I mean, who the hell would would take that job? Honestly, if I'm Roberto Mancini, I wouldn't take that job. If I'm if i'm any top coach, I mean, Allegri's been linked as well. But I mean, who would who the hell? Allegri ain't going anywhere new. the hell Who the hell would take would take this job? Honestly, I mean, it's it's a complete mess.
00:48:40
Speaker
a total mess. I mean, just just on on the pitch. Forget about all the off-the-pitch stuff, which is complete chaos with the free kids, like you've explained, and then them now buying into Everton um and and the you know the the the CEO, what happened with the CEO. I mean, they don't even have a structure there because they they they haven't got the people in the positions, have they, ah in the the management. But then just on the pitch, the actual team you're having to go there and try and coach this team. Well, you haven't got, as I've said thousands of times in this pod, there that that team hasn't been is not a workable team. You can't fit that a formation and fit that team with a style of play because the players are just not ah not ah not there to create one style of play or one one formation. They don't fit together. And and so whoever goes in there is has got one head of a job. I think the only way that this can be rescued
00:49:33
Speaker
or sold to a coach is in the January transfer market, we're gonna go out and buy X, Y and Z to create, to give you an actual workable squad and team. Otherwise it's it's not. they can't They can't use the set of players they have now and fit that together into ah into a workable system. They can't. The players are just not there. They can't play a winger system. They don't have any wingers. They only have Soulay and that's it. So they can't play wingers because he's the only one they've got. You can't go the whole season with one winger.
00:50:02
Speaker
then you know you you play without wingers where you've got no pace in the team, you've got no width in the team, um this there's no pace, there's no width, there's what you do you It's a mess.
00:50:17
Speaker
i wonder i mean aegy won isn't gonna
00:50:22
Speaker
They're not gonna, Allegri's not gonna take that job. There's no chance. um Mancini, I wonder if Mancini... Well, really, Gus, you're supposed to be right up there as well. Yeah, what can possibly go wrong? Nah, listen, it's it's embarrassing. They've messed everything up. Graham Potter's in the mix as well. Yeah, why not? Why not? Why not give Graham Soonness a ring as well? I mean, it's like, or Gary Neville, he might be up for it. I mean, it's just, it's embarrassing. it's It's embarrassing this. It really is embarrassing. Who would, I mean, Yurich showed that taking that job was a huge mistake for his career. He shouldn't have done it. I think that burned his bridges now.
00:51:01
Speaker
I think he's going to get another Hellas Verona job next, unfortunately. And I think that's a shame because I would have loved to have seen him take a little step upwards from Torino level club and do something and have a proper preseason. He made a mistake. He made a mistake. He made a huge mistake. I'm not saying that he's obviously not been capable and I think the way that he handled Humwalt's situation was really bad. Not just not playing him, just the whole way that he handled it.
00:51:29
Speaker
was unaccepted, making him warm up and until the 88th minute and then not using him. Cassano's quotes were were hilarious. Telling Hummels that you should pin Urich up on the wall against the wall. brilliant that i mean i don't I don't think he did a great job either, but i mean like I said,
00:51:52
Speaker
What can you do? like The club is a total shambles. You know what sums up the situation at Roma Best? There's ah there's a ah photo of the Roma psychologist that's gone viral and he just looks dead. He looks like he's just had all the life beaten up on him off from him and he's the psychologist. And it's just like, what i mean what do you do? What do you do?
00:52:17
Speaker
No, it's it's um it looks exist it's ah it's a and it's unnecessary and they've handled it really poorly. And I hope for Roma's sake that the freakins leave Roma because this is just not it's just not working. And they are clearly clueless as to how to run a football club. They're good at the business side. Don't get me wrong. I think they've done really good things. They've invested a lot of money. They invested. They put their money where their mouth is. ah They've done lots of good things getting Roma off the stock market, which they spent a lot of money on.
00:52:46
Speaker
um you know They have invested money, but they don't understand football. they don't understand how to They don't understand the football side of it. They've brought in a sporting director and they're effectively just not trusting him to do his job.
00:53:05
Speaker
And I think that's a mistake. I think you should have, I think one thing that we've seen both at Juve and Inter and to some extent at Milan as well is you put a sporting directorship in place who are experts in their field and you give them the mandate to run it. And if they fail, that's when you deal with them. You know't over you don't like completely run over your directors and handle it yourself because it just undermines the entire organization and structure. And that's what they're doing. I mean, what what what power does Gisolfi have? They've essentially said, this guy is just a clown. They're not following it. They're not letting him do his job. And and that's a mistake. That's a huge mistake.
00:53:53
Speaker
You know, he is he the sporting director or is he an advisor? If he's an advisor, that's fine. Go with, you know, that's fine. But he's the sporting director. You appointed him as a sporting director. Let him do his bloody job then. Even if things don't look well, don't be reactive. And they fall into this trap of owners who
00:54:13
Speaker
Marmorati was famously criticized for this back in the day where you spend a lot of money and you expect results immediately. It doesn't work like that. Football is an organic sport. It takes time. And you need you need to have patience. Sacking De Rossi after four or five games was idiotic. You basically alienated the whole city against you when you did that. And now you're scrambling and you have no friends. Everyone hates your guts.
00:54:40
Speaker
it was It was just so stupid. and and And they don't understand the politics of it. They don't understand where they are. They're not in they're not in England. They're in Italy. They're in Rome. Rome is special. It's a special place. It has a special fan base. It works in a special way. were Right or wrong, that's how it is. Certain things you cannot change. And they need to come to terms with where they are and what club they currently are in charge of.
Juventus vs Torino Analysis
00:55:08
Speaker
And until they do that, this this thing is gonna just become more and more of a farce. Yeah, yeah, agreed. Okay, well, yeah, let's let's let's move on to Juventus now. Not too much to to talk about this about this game. It was ah just an efficient performance from Juventus. Kind of what we said in the last two matches back to the UVA. The last three games we've seen the UVA return to the kind of performances ah from the start of the season, which is,
00:55:38
Speaker
very solid, um not conceding any goals, not conceding any chances, not creating particularly much but never in danger really, not running too many risks. and The defence back to being in being very solid, I mean they didn't concede I don't think barely a chance in in this whole game. I thought Kalulu was brilliant in this game. He won all his duels. He was getting in front of his man to to make interceptions, very strong physically. So that was a big, big, big positive um as well.
00:56:10
Speaker
um And yeah, I think Juventus got the job done and I thought there were some good individual performances. Cambiazzo was superb. oh I mean, what a run that Cambiazzo went on for Weijer's goal. He goes past three players. um he's ah He's an outstanding player. He's turned into such a fantastic player. He really is.
00:56:31
Speaker
He's so multi-dimensional, right foot, left foot, positioning tactically the way he inverts. He can go you can move positions, play in center midfield, he can start moves and and and he's ah he's just such a dream of a player. I think he's Motta's favourite player, the way that Motta wants to play the game. um He's turned into a fantastic, fantastic player. He really is, can be, I say. um he was he was He was brilliant.
00:56:56
Speaker
um and And yeah, and Weijer as well. um He's been a very good runner for me. He started, he scored again. three goals in his last four games, four goals for the season, he also had a goal disallowed, he's becoming quite quite useful, actually, and for Juventus. He's not someone that I would probably start, but he's somebody that certainly you know is somebody that can be used in rotation or or you know off the bench, he can play quite a few positions as well. he he's actually yeah He's actually been been doing doing some good things for Juve this season.
00:57:30
Speaker
um So yeah, good. Conte Sal as well, off the bench, quality cameo, got got the got the the assist for Yildiz who scored on ah and ah Alessandra Del Piero's 50th birthday and he and he and he dedicated the goal to to Del Piero on his birthday. But yeah overall, not too much to too much to say really from this game, just ah the Juventus from the beginning of the season is has been has been back.
00:57:58
Speaker
Yes, and I think we have to talk about Team VR becoming quite the important player at this UVE under Tiago Mota, because I'm not exactly the biggest fan of Team VR.
00:58:13
Speaker
But I think the way that he's being used by Tiago Motta shows what an intelligent coach he is and how to get the best out of what he's got at his disposal. um And I thought everything you said about Cambia, so there's nothing more to say.
00:58:28
Speaker
um But yeah, Yildiz and Veyar, these are the players that he's making work and they're looking so, so good. And Veyar particularly scoring important goals. And that's, you got to tip your hat to Mota for making it work. I thought it was a, this was a potential pitfall for Juve. These Darby's are always hard fought, but then again, you know,
00:58:50
Speaker
Torino aren't really a derby anymore. It's just basically Juve go there and collect six points every season as when Torino are in the Serie A. But it was it was like you said, it was back to basics for Juve. It was a Juve that basically shut the game, scored once in each half and the game was over. There was not much to talk about really.
00:59:13
Speaker
back to basics, boring, boring Juve, you know, like that kind of. la borring arsen Yeah, exactly. George Graham's Arsenal. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the only negatives, the only negatives I would say is, yeah, it's just that like Juventus are still not creating enough. um I mean, even if you look at the way a goal, which don't get me wrong, was an amazing run by Cambiaso, but the way that it felt, okay, it's good play from Weyer to come in, but the way it fell to him, you know, it wasn't,
00:59:40
Speaker
You can't really call that a 100% creative goal, can you? Because it kind of, you know, Cambieza came in, he hit the ball in and and and then it it felt away. Do you know what I mean? It wasn't like he was perfectly crafted. ah And, the you know, after that, Juventus really created really virtually nothing until until the yield is go. I mean part of that is because you they weren't really pushing they had the lead they didn't need to push and Wotta wanted to minimize the threat ah you know of the text but you will still see in that is the event is that for me that they're still not really creating enough and and that's definitely it's definitely going to hold them back for Blauwitsch was really calling this game after after a decent performance a again against against Lille so
01:00:23
Speaker
so yeah um yeah That's the negatives, but in the days it's a good way to end before the international
Milan's Performance Against Cagliari
01:00:28
Speaker
break. and The last three matches have been more positive after that bad run and they are now kind of like back in there in the mix, aren't they they? They would fall in a little bit behind and now they're two points off the lead and they're in that 16-pack.
01:00:42
Speaker
and they have Milan next after the international break, which is going to be huge. That is going to be so interesting to watch. yeah Like that game is going to be so, so interesting. But it's going to be interesting because Milan games are thrilling at the moment, aren't they? I mean, 3-3 against Calorie. First of all, before we talk about Boring Boring Juve, he'll have fun fun. Well, let's just say what a game this was. This is this is unbelievable game. like one I mean, this isn't far off Juventus since a 4-4. This is this was unbelievable. Like this game had everything. It had chances, great goals, terrible mistakes, missed chances, disallowed goals, VAR.
01:01:20
Speaker
I mean, it was, wow, what a game this was it was. It was a joy, a joy to watch. It really was. and really really well I mean, let's start off with the positives from Milan, just so that we're not always negative towards Milan. Roughly, Liao, definitely back. I mean, he put in a great performance. It was so nice to see. yeah It was so, so, so nice to see Liao.
01:01:42
Speaker
looking happy, you know smiling, looking relaxed, not being the sad the sad guy we've seen recently. it was It was really nice. It was really, really nice.
01:01:55
Speaker
um I thought that he looked clinical. He looked like he was enjoying his football. He looked like he was were trying to adapt himself to the system. um And I think the the though not just the reindeer's pass, but for Fana's pass as well. Like two fantastic balls for Liao.
01:02:23
Speaker
both the equalizer and the one that Mila took the lead in, they were they were stunning passes. And if they can use Liao like that, they're going to they're going to score lots of goals. Because you know if he can time his run and they can deliver these these balls, then you know congrats Mila they're going to be a complete threat because we know Will Liao on the counter attack is just lethal. Yeah I love both of his goals I thought they were both fantastic finishes but I particularly love the second one because
01:02:55
Speaker
the way that he rounded the goalkeeper, it's it's great to see someone round the goalkeeper because you just never see it any day. Players, footballers don't round the strikers and attackers just don't go round the goalkeeper anymore. You don't see it. They all just slide it past, hit it first time with it or they cut it back to somebody else. like They never go round the goalkeeper. like you know Both of us, we grew up on on the best goal best players in the world when they were one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
01:03:22
Speaker
the best players would always try and take on the goalkeeper. That was kind of what it was. I mean, I remember, I think I've told this story before, you know, when I used to play, like if I had a one-on-one with a goalkeeper, I would always try and take it around him because I felt like it made me a worse player. If I didn't try and take it around him, it was like, if you just slide it past the goalkeeper, that's just what a normal foot player would do. So I wanted to go around the goalkeeper because I'm going to go, you know, watching, you know, the player, my favorite players and the best players and all, they would always try and take it around the goalkeeper, you know, Badgeo, Ronaldo,
01:03:52
Speaker
bili ah carreka you know, these players, they would always take it round, they would always take it round the goalkeeper, maraddonna you know, and so that that that, I thought that was great. I thought it was, it was so, so elegant, so devastating. Very elegant, very, very elegant, as was Tijani Reindeer's little chip flick path over the top. that but i couldve tell That was unbelievable. So that was, that was genius. Again,
01:04:18
Speaker
again, something you never see in football. You don't see these kind of chipped through balls anymore. It's very, very, it's very rare because they they they're very difficult to execute in in modern football because of the balls, because the pitches are more plastic and they run they come off the surface more, the goalkeepers come out more, so you don't have that space to to do those chip passes. That was genius. And he's on great form, four goals in and his three previous games before this, and then he gets that assist.
01:04:46
Speaker
No, look, I think it's this game has so much individual skill. Reinder's little chip pass, um that pass by Fafana, I don't think that gets enough credit. like eighty s and He's just outside his own area, plays this hot knife through butter pass down the middle to Liao, who times his run excellently, uses his pace to go past two two ah defenders and the goalkeeper. And then, I mean, like you said, I thought that was beautiful as well. But the delicacy of the game was Zappa's volley finish. That was fantastic. I mean, what a goal. And of course, Zappa being former Inter primavera captain,
01:05:33
Speaker
you know, go going up and so on. Now look, defensively there are mistakes, there are questions, but there was individual skill on display. There was lots of individual top class skill on display and it was truly, truly wonderful.
01:05:47
Speaker
It was, um but aside from the ah fantastic individual ah performances from from these Milan players that we mentioned too, and also it was nice to see Camada come on to become the youngest Serie A starter ever. um i think he had quite a tough, well tough first, I thought it was a bit better in the second half before he came on, he set up a nice chance for chookaways and he had a headed chance where he didn't have enough power. and but But it's still good still good to see, I want to praise Fonseca for giving him that opportunity and hopefully he will get more more opportunities because that will help him grow. But apart from those those positives,
01:06:26
Speaker
there's a lot of negatives on Milan's defending. It's not good enough. nima I'm sorry, but that I mean, it is you can't defend like this and and have ambitions to to be to be challenging at the top of the table and forget about the Scudetto because i mean we could we can I mean, defending, I mean, let's go through the goals. I mean, defending on all three goals are terrible. but defending on the Zortaya on the first goal. I mean, where was the mark in the back post? i mean they're they're He's not the only one. They were queuing up at the back post. No one's picking him up from a corner. Players just standing there like Chukwezi. Watch Chukwezi on that first goal. He's like he's it's like he another on another planet. He's like he's daydreaming. And then
01:07:05
Speaker
catastrophic mistake by Fofana for the Zappa equalizer, the mix-up with Pavlovic and then the non-existent marking again at the far post for the for the third goal um as well. i mean Milan letting in two goals in this game where players were at the back post um teo I mean, I know Teo Hernandez got the criticism. I mean, Fonseca even singled him out, the criticism, but they were on his on his side, on the left side, left back post. They let in two goals with at the back post. Calorie players are just queuing up there, completely unmarked. One of them in the first minute, one of them in the last minute. And Calorie also had a goal disallowed on the stroke of half time, where again, Zappa was completely unmarked on the on the back post. And it got the the tiniest ah of offsides. It got chalked off.
01:07:54
Speaker
um So they're defending on crosses and corners and the marking and Fonseca actually said they lost 69% of their aerial duels in this game. I mean, they the defending and the marking was was Sunday league pub defending in this game.
01:08:12
Speaker
Now that it was horrible and Teo particularly pissed me off as well. I thought he was his defender. He was not good defensively. None of Mila were, but I expect more from Teo because he's supposed to be a leader here and and he wasn't good enough defensively. No, there's no doubt about it. There's there's a problem there defensively at Mila.
01:08:30
Speaker
um and that's kind of what we predicted was goingnna was going to be a problem for them defensively. I don't think they're defensively solid. I don't think Fonseca is good at structuring them defensively as well. um and And I think that, of course, you can have players make individual mistakes. There's no doubt about that. But this was this feels more like confusion. yeah We still agree are in a place where Fonseca hasn't been able to communicate to the players what he wants from them defensively. And that's a problem.
01:08:59
Speaker
Well, to concede this, to concede three goals and this number of chances, I mean, Picoli could have had a hat-trick, missed an open goal. Zorteja could have yeah could have orte hatrick zapa could had a a hat-trick. They briefly had three players that could have had hat-tricks in this play. That is way too much. they they concede To concede three goals and this number of chances to a team like Callery,
01:09:21
Speaker
who had the the second worst attack in the league before the game. it Before the game, it only they'd only scored nine goals in 11 matches before this game. And that's the concerning thing. I mean, it's one thing considering this number of chances to an Inter or an Atalanta, but to concede this number of chances and goals the team might carry. Well, what's frustrating about this from a Milan perspective is this comes off the back of a very good win against Real Madrid.
01:09:43
Speaker
And it's it's it's that that's a problem because you don't you know These kinds of things can create doubts in the minds of players and mentally destabilize a club with the squad in the sense that You take a really important win in the Champions League and the ground is there for you to finish top eight You're in a good place mentally and then you go to Calyani and you just fall apart defensively That's not a good place to be in And that I do think Fonseca should carry the majority of the blame here, but I'm also starting to question whether this Milan has enough good defenders.
01:10:24
Speaker
Yeah, i think the problem part the you what i mean like i agree I think part of the problem is a lot of their defenders are individualists. They're not team defenders. I've said this many times and I include Tamori in that. I include Pavlovic definitely as an individual defender. He doesn't defend in a unit well enough for me. Teo Hernandez 100% is not a team defender.
01:10:47
Speaker
He's not really a defender at all. He's more of a more of a attacker really, isn't he? He's more of a ah wing guy. I'm thinking if Milan should focus more on the next window. No, in the in the window, in the transfer window, they need to rebuild that defense. The problem is though i think true problem is that Ponceco doesn't even know what his best defense is either. Well, that's exactly my point. he's He's playing, well, certainly in the center of the fence. like he's That's what I mean. There's four center backs that he's rotating there. I don't think any of them are really guaranteed first first team starters right now. so So who do you play? And that's not good because the center backs need to create partnerships. It's very important to create partnerships and they don't they don't really, you know, so forget creating a unit as a four, how are you going to create a, you can't even create ah a center back partnership. So yeah, I would play Gabia.
01:11:36
Speaker
and because yeah Because I think that he's the one that creates stability. He's a steady defender. He is a team defender. Yes, but he's also a defender who can't play very well. He usually struggles when they play with a high defensive line, which is what Fonseca wants to do. My question is, they they probably need to go into the market i and and do something there. I think they should focus on the central defense because I think when at this point, when you keep rotating the central defenders like this, because you don't know who's like, that's not a good place to be in.
01:12:06
Speaker
I don't think Pavlovic, I'm not ready to write him off, but I don't think he's what Milan need. I'd rather have someone who's quicker. I mean, Cabal, for example, if for all his individual mistakes, if you're going to play with a high defensive back line, you need someone with physical presence who makes life difficult for, for attackers. And I don't feel any of these guys do. Yeah. Yeah.
01:12:35
Speaker
And um that's what I mean. like I think the central i think i would re I would rebuild that central defense because a lot of the times you look at Mignon and it's like, well, okay, he has a problem with the with a ball buried in his corners, but a lot of these shots shouldn't even be allowed to be made.
Winning Streaks of Atalanta, Lazio, Fiorentina
01:12:55
Speaker
agree ah agree it's like spot on it yeah is it's not it's not it's After that Madrid game it's not it's not the result or the performance that that Milan won. It's not good enough. The um result is good enough, it's two points dropped and nor is the performance ah good enough, certainly defensively. um But there were some positives to take but it's definitely It's definitely points dropped. And now it makes the Juventus game massive. i mean they I don't know a single Milan fan that's happy with that game against Caliari. In fact, every single one were furious. They were just angry. And I get that because it just completely stops, starts the season. You can't get into a rhythm. You know, you at this point you want to get into a rhythm.
01:13:36
Speaker
yeah and Milan just can't seem to do that and that's frustrating. It is. Let's move on to the three teams. I want to condense this all together now because we're going way over. Atalanta, Lazio and Fiorentina all together, all three of them win. They all continue their they're incredible runs of form. Atalanta have now got ah six wins in a row I believe and Lazio also have six wins in a row and Fiorentina have in Serie A
01:14:09
Speaker
they have a winning streak as well of six wins in a row. So all of them on incredible winning streaks. They all win again this weekend. Atlanta come from behind to win 2-1 against Udenezer. Lazio win 1-0 against Monza after a a fantastic Zacanico a la Del Piero. And Fiorentina win 3-1 against Verona with Moisakine in brilliant form, scoring a hat trick, he's now got eight, he's the second top scorer in Serie A, eight goals and 11 in 14 in all competitions. um I mean, what what do you say about all three of them? I mean, they're they're they're all having, they're all in amazing form and they're they're all really doing well this season.
01:14:52
Speaker
They're all doing really, really well. Atalanta expected ah because we know who how good Atalanta are. But Fiorentina and Lazio are wow. Especially Fiorentina. I've got to give it to Paladino. It didn't look good when he took over and he said he wanted to play with a back three this time and the other. He goes to a back four.
01:15:10
Speaker
It starts getting the best out of Mois Ken. We've never seen Mois Ken this good. We've never seen Mois Ken this good. He's already smashed his best season in Serie A. But it's not just the goals, it's the overall play, it's the confidence, it's the it's the way that he his decision-making. He looks absolutely unplayable right now. And Paladino has unlocked him. That's how it feels when you look at him. And it's really, really impressive.
01:15:35
Speaker
um And then you go to Lazio and Baroni for me is probably just like, what is he doing? It is wow. Lazio are so good. I really hope they win the Europa League. Like they they have a good chance of finishing first in the league stage of it.
01:15:56
Speaker
because they're barely concealing goals. They're rotating and they're winning and playing well. yeah and And it's like they they're they're in Europe as well. And I i really hope Barone wins the Europa League. i I can't tell you how much I would wish that for him. ah Given the amount of shit he got when he was appointed, except from Marotta, who congratulated Lazio. And one of the few times you hear him comment on other clubs and what they do, he made a point out of congratulating Lazio on appointing Baroni. And that is, you know, that's the when Marotta speaks, you listen, um but you got to hand it to him.
01:16:35
Speaker
but on his unbelievable job. And for Atalanta, Atalanta were a little bit lucky in this game because he elbowed the ball. There should have been a penalty there. They also got Udonator to dominate the first half as well. And they they had chances to to go 2-0 up and they didn't play well at Atalanta, but they they showed, and this is something all three of the teams have shown, they're all showing good mental strength.
01:16:57
Speaker
heart, you know, Atalanta turned this around, not really on performance. Villanova's introduction, I think, was really changed the game. Both goals came from the right hand side. So he did well, but yeah, they didn't play they didn't play well in this game. Atalanta played very well. I want to give praise to them. They were excellent. Camaris got a range goal. Lovely goal, lovely goal. Some really great goals as we can say, Cany's goal was brilliant. Lazio have definitely got that mental strength as well because we saw that against Porto in midweek. They scored at the last kick of the game, Pedro, to win 2-1 right at the death.
01:17:30
Speaker
and And yeah, as for Moisakin, absolutely. I mean, I've said it, I've said Juventus made a mistake, getting rid of him. I think that's been been shown already. and Big, big mistake, Juve, getting rid of him. He would have been very, very useful for them um this this season, for sure. But so but yeah, all three teams are are flying. The other results in Serie A are Genoa 1, 1.
01:17:55
Speaker
Venezia 1, Parma 2, and then Lecce 1, Empoli 1, with Luca Gotti sapped, which is, I think, was to be expected. and but Possibly Marco Gian Paolo coming in. Just made official that it's Gian Paolo who's taken over. So, yeah, I know it's Marco Gian Paolo taking over from Luca Gotti. um And it's, I think,
01:18:25
Speaker
I don't know how I feel about that. But then again, I think Gianpaolo going to Milan was just wrong on every level. he's not ready He wasn't ready
Lecce's Challenges and Italy's Nations League
01:18:32
Speaker
for that. and that's That's a little bit out of his league. um But I think hes he's ah he's a decent coach. I just hope he can help. Let's avoid relegation because it's looking very, very grim. um i don't I look at that team and I i wonder where the goal is going to come from. where's what like you know Where's the defensive stability going to come from? where where where's Where's everything going to come from? It it scares me. um And I'm not happy about this at all from ah from a lecture perspective. ah Their form is dreadful. They got Venezia away, which after the international break, which is a must-win game, then they have two really difficult games against U of A, Roma. So yeah, but at least now Gianpaolo has two weeks to prepare.
01:19:23
Speaker
Yeah, for sure. um Let's just before we finish off with Bad Gio, Prem Face and Sadie as of the week. It is international break now. It is the UEFA Nations League, the final two match days. Italy going away to Belgium and then playing against France on the the final game.
01:19:41
Speaker
of the of the of the Nations League group stage. um italy The current stand-ins are Italy on 10 points, France on 9 and Belgium on 4. So, Italy need a point from their final two games against Belgium and France to to qualify for the the quarter-finals. So, they they played Belgium this Thursday, 14th November, at 2045 CET in Brussels at the King Badouin Stadium.
01:20:10
Speaker
match day five, um so Italy only need a draw from this game in order to to to qualify ah from the group and eliminate ah Belgium from from the chances of qualifying for the quarterfinals. So let's preview this game and Italy's squad first, there might be the odd injury, ah the odd player pulling out as is usually the case after these squads get named. Richie is somebody that got injured during the Turin Derby and we have to watch watch him for certain. But it's the squad. donaroomma vicario meret
01:20:43
Speaker
at the goalkeepers. The defenders are Bastoni, Buongiorno, Cambiasso, Komuzzo, Di Lorenzo, Di Marco, Gatti, Okali, Savona, and Udoji, and midfielders are Barella, Fratese, Pizzilli, Ricci, Rovela, Tonali, and then the forwards are Moisakan, Maldini, Raspadori, and Rettaghi.
01:21:02
Speaker
In terms of the putting the new players in, or the the noteworthy players in, three new call-ups, first call-ups for Nickolo Savano of Juventus, Pietro Camuso, a teenager at centre back at Fiorentina, and Nickolo Ravella from Lazio. What do you make of those first-time call-ups?
01:21:22
Speaker
I'm really happy for Ravella. I think that's well deserved. I think all three are well deserved. I think Savona's been so good that this is this this this is what he should be rewarded with. Komuzzo as well, been outstanding for Fiorentina, and Ravella's been brilliant for Lazio. So no, i'm i'm I'm happy that he he um he does this. Spalletti.
01:21:45
Speaker
I think he's, I think what he's doing is, I think Spelletti has... I mean, he's he's what, 20 years old? i mean yeah I mean, he was in the last squad, but I mean, I think i think that what Spelletti's doing is is quite clear to me. He has a core.
01:22:00
Speaker
which he's certain of and they they're pretty if you know presuming we qualify for the for the World Cup. They're already on the plane for the United States and North America, but then he has these kind of kind of probably more so backup positions or just a few other roles where He's not sure. And what he's doing is he's using these nation's league games to call up as many of these players, which he wants to look at and get a look at. And and that's what's happened. So I think that we're seeing that with certain positions. We're seeing that with, for example, the backup to can be also on the right wing back position. So we've seen a lot of different players being called up there. And, you know, Bella Nova was was the last one. Now we're seeing Savona getting a call up there. He wants to see backup
01:22:47
Speaker
ah players at defensive centre midfield, you know, Richie's probably kind of like the the number one starter there at the moment. So the last times he's he's tried he tested players like Pajoli, for example, who I think struggled in the last last last ah international window this time he's having a look at.
01:23:08
Speaker
at Rovella who has been fantastic and then at centre back he's still looking at right centre back so he's he's tested a few different players there and now he's now he's testing now Komuzo there as well so I kind of see the theory behind it and and I think they they deserve it. Komuzo has been really outstanding for Fiorentina in this in this in this in this run that that they're going on. So yeah I think that's the theory behind it. And then I think we would add the same to Pisilli and Maldini, who were in this as their second international window. They made their debuts in the last one. And he obviously wants to take another look at them in this and this international window as well. And Gatti returns as well after injury.
01:23:53
Speaker
Yeah, he does. um No, I think it's a decent, I like the squad and I'm glad that he's rewarding great form with spots on the team, especially to young players. I love that Ravella's there. I think it's fully, fully deserved.
01:24:06
Speaker
um i I want to see Barella Tonali Ritchie play together. and that's That's like in my dream midfield. When I play football manager, that's my midfield for Inter and Italy. So I want to see those three together.
01:24:23
Speaker
um I don't think we will. and And in the absence of that, I'd love to see Ravella, because if Ricci is going to pull out, um because I think Ravella is deserved, I think he's been so good for Lazio. And of course, up front, it has to be Retegi and Keene.
01:24:40
Speaker
like Moiskeen has been outstanding at Eretegi, is the top goal scorer to 11 goals in 12 matches? Yeah, be that will be interesting. i We'll come on to the Pro Bowl XI in a second, but the players that are out, ah the injured players are Callifuri, who would have definitely been in Gabbier, who was that right centre-back I was talking about and that got caught up last time, and Kieza, who is getting close to righting off now. um And then from the last squad, players that have been have been excluded that we're in the last squad. Ah, Diggri Goria, which I'm a little bit surprised of. And not that again, as I said earlier in the show, not that it matters that much. Certainly would have him ahead of the head of merit. Bela Nova, who has that strange, he's not doing enough for me. But he was very, very good. And he was decisive for it. He needs to be he needs to grow. He needs to start delivering putting in the string of good performances and having consistency. Yeah.
01:25:35
Speaker
Yeah, but that's what I mean. These impact games, these impact things like, he like no, not good enough. He wasn't good for Italy either. I think on ah in possession of the ball, he needs to improve a lot. He's good, kind of making breaks, making those bursts. He's devastating in space. um But, you know, when you're in possession, um he's he's a little bit too limited and his final ball is still really not not not good enough. Having said that though, he he was very, very good for Atlanta at the weekend, so we need more performances of that, like that. Fagioli's gone off the boil and he was poor for Italy in the last international break. he He has like these amazing games where he looks like a world-beater, like against Leipzig and then
01:26:13
Speaker
games where he's he's he's quite poor, so he's been he's been dropped. Pedegrini's suspended and for the first game and he hasn't been called up for the second, but I'm i'm in favour of that regardless of the suspension. I'm i'm happy to see him dropped. I want to see some others given a chance. Zagnolo and Luca as well. Zagnolo got injured for Atalanta, by the way. He's got another, I think it's a muscle injury. So like Kiesa, Zagnolo and Kiesa are having a nightmare really.
01:26:38
Speaker
Fagioli, Pellegrini Zagnolo have no business in this Italy squad. Di Gregoria would have called up. I think Luca, I would have rather had him than Maldini. um And Bela Nova needs to show that Show consistency. Yeah. The the last one though, the the one player that isn't there that I want to discuss, still know Manuel Locatelli. And it'll be interesting if Richie pulls out of the squad with injury. i don't I don't know how serious the injury is. If he pulls out with with then out of the squad, then Spelletti is going to have to call up another player and that is in Locatelli's position. It'll be very interesting to see. If something has happened between them that we don't know,
01:27:18
Speaker
But I don't think it is. surely i No, I think he just doesn't believe in him. I think he just doesn't believe in him. And if he doesn't believe in him and he doesn't doesn't want to like it, then he shouldn't call him. but You know, my position on this, you can't it's the national team. You have to make it work and you can't call players who you don't believe in.
01:27:36
Speaker
And and if that's the case, then that's that's what he has to do. you And if he fails, he'll have to face the music. That's simple. Yeah. um But if and unless there has something less an event that has caused a problem between them, if it's just a shelter technique, then you got to trust the coach. Otherwise, what's the point of having a coach?
01:28:00
Speaker
yeah Yeah, it's very strange. It would be nice to see an explanation for it. but you know Yes, it would be nice. It would be very very nice with with with an injury and with with ah with ah with an explanation as to what happened and what's going on and who and why. and Explain talk to people yeah is a shelter technique I'm sure he will be asked about it and then and then he will have to say if it's a shelter technical then fine Okay, that's your that's that's well within your right people can discuss it. Whatever. Yeah, but but it's not Yeah, agreed agreed Belgium's squad. I'll run through these very quickly. So Castile's cells van de Vought the goalies defenders Amina Al Dakhli Castania the best decoiper phase
01:28:46
Speaker
Says, smacks, all the tiats, stop laughing, all the defenders, the midfielders. I love the question tone in your way of pronouncing it. I think I've done quite well so far. Phase? You ask me or I'll read it. Labia, mangala, onana, baka yoko, doku, forfana,
01:29:14
Speaker
Lukibacchio, Lukaku, Openda, and Trossano. So the plays that are out are T. Levens, Bourneau, and Connie Da Vinta are injured. ah that Kevin De Bruyne asked not to be included, so he won't play again. ah and He didn't play the last game. But the the big returns are Romelu Lukaku, who didn't play against Italy in the first match in Italy, Aldaki, and Chelsea's Romelu Lavia um is is back, and Seis earns his first call up. Here's the thing, you I would not put Bastoni against him. I would play Bastoni as the left center back in Bonjourno in the middle and the Lorenzo to the right. Like at this point, given that you're not going to call up a Cherby, which I understand, he's too old, you want to move on, I get that, but you got Lukaku and you can't put Bastoni on Lukaku.
01:30:01
Speaker
You just can't. You play Bastoni as a left center back, you put Bongiorno in the middle, you put Di Lorenzo to the right. That's your back three. Because Bongiorno, I think, well, given that he trains with Lukaku every day, would know how better to handle him than, and also he's a much more physical player, he's better in the air.
01:30:19
Speaker
i think they will I think that will happen, no, never. I think that will happen. I hope so. I think Bajona will play in the centre and Bastoni on the left. I think there's there's only been, they've only been playing Bastoni in the centre because Callifuri's been playing. Do you know what I mean? So I think now that Callifuri's out, I think that's what happened. i mean but now the caif But even if Calafiori would have played, would have rather played Calafiori in the middle than Bastoni against him. Do you know what I mean? Like I would rather yeah have someone more physical against, the because he's not very quick Lukaku anymore. no So you need to anticipate, like Achebe showed, he he basically laid the ground, relayed the blueprint for how you stop Romelu Lukaku. He's done it again. He did it against Holland twice. He's done it against Austin.
01:31:00
Speaker
he's He's showing all the kids how to defend. He's teaching them. He's giving lectures on how to um outmark good world-class strikers. um and And I think I hope the kids are listening. I agree. I would play bongiorno against Kukaku.
01:31:19
Speaker
That's a very interesting battle. I'm definitely going to be looking at that. Was it Kostakurta that called Bonjour the heir to Kilini at the weekend? I think so. He's not the first time I've seen that um seen that said. yeah yeah um well Let look at the probable teams. We're recording this on Monday, so that this could change. But I think we know roughly what the Italy team will be. So it's going to be a 3-5-1-1 or 3-5-2 formation. So John O'Rimmer in goal.
01:31:45
Speaker
The back three, I think, are pretty much guarantees. It will be Di Lorenzo, Buongiorno and Bastoni. The wing backs will be Cambiazzo and Di Marco. And then the sentiment field, I think Barrella and Tonali should be pretty much guarantees.
01:32:04
Speaker
and then Richie, it really depends on his injury situation. like Nothing's come out yet about that. So if he's fit, Richie would start, but if not, then someone else is going to have to come in for him. And that's going to be an interesting one. I mean, do you play, say, Flatezi and then move Barella back, Ortonali back into a more of a deeper position?
01:32:24
Speaker
or do you go from more like to like, like Povella, throw him straight in, or? I would love to see Povella, I would love to see Povella, surrounded by Tonali and Povella, it would be very interesting. Yeah, and then the front two, I mean Retiki I think will certainly start,
01:32:45
Speaker
Ben, it's a question of whether does he go for two kind of out and out number nines, in which case he goes with form and plays Ken, who absolutely deserves to start based on he scored six goals in his last three games for Fiorentina, definitely deserves to start. Or do you go with with more of a second striker, in which case you go for ah a Raspadori or Maldini? So that's the question. That's the balotagio, basically. I think the big balotagio is... is who i want to see I want to see Ken and Retegi together.
01:33:14
Speaker
Yeah, possibly. I really want to see them together. I think they can work well together, to be honest.
01:33:22
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it's a different dynamic, isn't it? Of course. It's a different dynamic, and yeah, we'll see. As for Belgium, we're looking at, you know, they play 4-2-3-1, so we're probably looking at Castile's, then the defense, we're looking at maybe Castagna and Tiata's, the defender, there's the full backs, and then FaZe and DeBast, but DeCoipa, who played really, really well, actually,
01:33:46
Speaker
ah could could potentially, Milano looking at him, could potentially go to left back and then Thiats goes into centre back, we'll see. um And then the midfield, we're looking at probably Onana and and Lavia, maybe, as the as the as the two sentiments of Thielemons is out. And then in terms of the, the the the wing, the trepotiste, we're probably looking at De Kettle and Dokku, for sure.
01:34:13
Speaker
will play it will be two of the three behind Lukaku and then yeah the other one ah we're looking at maybe Trozad or Bakayoko or Lukabaki are probably one of one of those but Lukaku I think you'd expect to start unless they play Openda who's been doing quite well for Leipzig so there is a possibility they could play Openda and Lukaku could maybe play the second game for for but Belgium we'll see.
01:34:42
Speaker
So that's the that's the probable 11s. Prediction time, Nemo. What are you thinking?
Napoli's President's Unlikely Congratulations
01:34:48
Speaker
um I think Italy will win this game. I think Italy are better than Belgium. Honest to God, I think Belgium are in this kind of a generational rebuild, you know, in with the old and out with the old in with the new. And I think they're they're they're decent squad. No doubt about that. But I just think Italy are better. And if Italy come up to normal level, I think they'll win this by two goals, one like two, three goals, even I really don't think
01:35:17
Speaker
And what happened last time around was, was just inviting them into the game. But I think they've learned from that Italy. And I want to see a solid 90 minute performance and I hope they will. I think they'll win this game by two, two, three, one, two nil, something like that. I think they will win maybe by the odd goal.
01:35:33
Speaker
um providing they don't get a red card like they did in the in the first game. That's what I mean. When they were 2-0 up and Pellegrini then then bodged it all up and ruined that game as a spectacle as well. But sam yeah i'm i'm confident I'm confident that we can we can get the result and if it's not we don't get the win I'm confident we can get the draw and and qualify for the quarter-final which would be great and that means we can then hopefully use that France game to to do a bit of rotation and to try out a few more players which would be nice wouldn't it.
01:36:01
Speaker
Yeah, it would. And it would be... I'd rather... I would like it if Italy won that group. I think it would be good for their confidence if they win the group. Yeah, for sure. And if they can avoid losing. Yeah, for sure. For sure. Okay, let's finish off with Badjo Premfes and Celia Ass of the Week. So, Badjo of the Week. The one I've got is a non-cereal one. I want to praise Pedro Porro, the Tottenham player, for donating his salary to the Valencia flood victims. I saw this.
01:36:30
Speaker
come out and I thought that was a really, really nice gesture. I wish that, and I hope that more footballers do this you know do this kind of stuff. So yeah, Pedro Porro for me. It has to be Zappa's goal. I mean, you what a goal. Chalanoglu's rocket. We saw some beautiful goals this weekend. The pass from Tijani Reinders to Liao, Fafana's pass to Liao. Like it was, it's just, it was full of wonderful, wonderful moves and goals and individual skill this weekend in the Serie A. Yeah. So yeah, some screamers. Kamada, Zakanyi.
01:37:06
Speaker
some fantastic goals for sure. Prem face of the week. We've got a few. So First one what I've got is Gary Cottrell, the Sky Sports journalist, basically demanding that Ruben Ammarim, the new Man United manager as of today, at the time was the sport management manager in a press conference ahead of his last ever champion league game with sports in Lisbon before the game against Manchester City. um It'd been ah said before that the questions would all be in in Portuguese out of respect to the sport in Lisbon, sport in Lisbon fans.
01:37:42
Speaker
There'd be no questions in English. Gary Cottrell turned up and demanded that Ruben Ammarim answered a question in in in English. And and when Ruben Ammarim, or when the press officer politely told him that, you know, for the umpteenth time that you can't, he then went off on a a big rant about how basically how he should be answering in English because, you know, this is England and and this's the the English is the the main language and and all this bollocks. No, but the thing that pissed me, like the thing is there's some context here as well, and that is that they'd they'd apparently been in contact with one another. They had spoken in English. And I think for me, it's not that he wanted the question to be answered in English, it's the incessant badgering
01:38:27
Speaker
that annoyed me. It's this non-stop time continuing after being told we want this press conference to be done in Portuguese. At that moment a normal human being backs off but he just continues to badger and continues belaboring the point to the point where he's being rude and there's no need to be rude.
01:38:51
Speaker
I don't have a problem with him wanting a quote in English from someone he knows speaks good English. That's fine. That's his job. But not respecting when they explain to him that this is not the right format for it. That to me is also 2024. And 2024. And he could have asked the question in a in in a in Portuguese and then just use subtitles. You know, I mean, you what but I know what he I'm not I get that. No, no, but I'm only one like he know he wanted you know Gary Cottrell wanted a quote in English. That's fine. But when the person asks you and informs you that this is not the right moment for that, we don't want to do this.
01:39:34
Speaker
a a so a normal human being backs off. this isn't the This isn't a Senate hearing. You're not holding a politician to account. This is this is this is a simple press conference where a person is telling you, ah glad I don't want to talk in english to speak to you to speak to anyone in English, this.
01:39:53
Speaker
Do you know what I mean? like yeah you You then respect other people's boundaries. you know yeah that's It's the incessant, continuous, belaboring the point, going at it, which became just embarrassing, cringy, and frank quite frankly, very unprofessional, and rude, very rude. Yeah, and talking about being rude, um the Sun- This isn't rude, this is being clueless. The Sun journalist, Neil Custis,
01:40:18
Speaker
who if you take a look at him um you can see he looks like the love child of like physically he looks like the love child of Jabba the Hutt and Peppa Pig, the cartoon. like that That's how Neil Custis looked like. I call him Neil Custard and he was fat shaming Joshua Zirksi. That's what I mean. like if you if you if you I think that if you were to do like one of those BMI exams on him, I think he would be he would have the same fat percentage as a pork scratching.
01:40:50
Speaker
Neil Custis. I think biologically he is more similar to a pub snack than a land mammal. And as such, if you then fat shame an elite footballer for no reason, talking shit, I'm sorry, but that's embarrassing. Do you not possess a mirror at home? Like, what are you talking about?
01:41:10
Speaker
It's just, it's, but it's the sun and we don't expect more from them. No, for sure. And then finally, can you, can you do this one? Cause this one's absolutely brilliant. So oh but after, I don't know of the Interbeat Arsenal 1-0, one Arsenal fan went viral.
01:41:23
Speaker
co nima He was, I don't know if this is Badio of the Week or Brimfess of the Week, because there's a sense of, there's just this this this kind of ludicrous brilliance to it, like insane genius. He's moaning about Arsenal, he's upset about Arsenal losing the game and somehow segues into how Italians drive and somehow says that how you drive a car is a reflection of your personality, which makes zero sense to me. And how that's got to do with football. And it was weird. It was weird. And you it was that's what I'm saying. Maybe it is Baju of the week. Maybe this is some sort of level like genius level of logic that is just, you know, so supersedes the mere intelligence of us mortals. I loved it. I loved it. I love so much. i love so much
01:42:17
Speaker
Seria as of the week, this has also made me laugh a lot, Aurelio De Laurentiis congratulating Donald Trump. why what like It's so out of the blue too, like why would like what's he got to do with it? like For me, it's like, you're not a politician, you're not the leader of a country, you're a moot you're a former movie producer, I think he still does movies,
01:42:39
Speaker
who runs a football club. And this is what he says. SSC Napoli president. So he's tying Napoli into this. SSC Napoli president Aurelio dell'Arrentis would like to congratulate Donald Trump on being president elected president of the United States.
01:42:56
Speaker
What? Why? Where's the correlation? like No other football club did this. No other the football club does that. Italian clubs and and and like for me, it's it's more this, it's more that than anything. It's like, why is it with Italian football and Donald Trump? Do you remember the insurrection? There was ah the guy with the Italian football. The inter-shirt. Yes.
01:43:21
Speaker
The image of the guy standing outside the the the door to to to the to Congress, like banging on the moon. And the face of the insurrection, his name was Anjali, as well.
01:43:33
Speaker
<unk> yes it ah that that is That is just, you can't, you just can't. It's undefeated. It is undefeated. like football Italian football fans are just, it's just of And of course, one of you know what happened in Amsterdam, one of the guys who was involved in in in this thing, and in in in the in the clashes, was a Juve fan. His Twitter account literally said Juventino.
01:44:08
Speaker
a moroccan yuve what you always wearing Why are they always wearing an Italian shirt? I don't know why it's cultural fans. It's always Italian football fans. I don't know. I don't get it. like it's just It's hilarious to me. Cultural Twitter and cultural fans and crazy political situations, are just they they go like hand meets glove. like I don't understand it. and It's always.
01:44:36
Speaker
and and I remember that um on January 6th with the guy in the intershirt and I remember scream laughing because he was wearing one of the most sought-after intershirts as well, the black one with the yellow and the red, like a really nice one. It's just, it's Yeah, I don't know what to tell you. The fans are as crazy as the league. What can I tell you? like It's just hilarious. andlar The other Serie A's of the week are one football who are the Serie A rights holders ah in the UK. They show eight games a week. in in i'do I'm actually doing some promotion for them here when they don't do any promotion themselves. but Nobody in the UK even knows that they that they they that they show the football games. you have to
01:45:19
Speaker
You have to go online to to to watch them. um And anyway, Interversus Napoli this weekend is the biggest game in Italy, the biggest game in the world at the time. And they did no promotion. They've gone to their Instagram post and they're doing all kinds of posts about the Premier League, about the Women's Super League, Crest swaps, and and even a post on Flamengo, on Philippe Louise at Flamengo. Nothing on Interversus Napoli, even though they are the rights holders of Serie A.
01:45:48
Speaker
in the UK, nothing about you know how incredible it is that six teams are separated by two two two points, um just pretty much sums up the marketing of Seria, not just in England, but in you know the world. Yeah, but but my favorite thing is that that this event they hold, were they in England? Do you think that if you're promoting an event in England, you are doing it to promote it to the English speakers?
01:46:15
Speaker
So why on earth is everything that has been shown on social media from them from that event in Italian?
01:46:23
Speaker
yeah I can't like it's just they held they held ah a promotional event one football held a promotional event in London last week or the week before and basically trying to promote Serie A and that the the fact that they they in English in English In England, in two later they don't have the Serie A rights, basically. try and sell Try and sell their product, basically. Try and sell the rights. Part of the problem is that that was they actually did no promotion of it. like it was but that No one even knew about this event in the in the first place, unless you went onto their website. And it's terribly promoted, just like they they don't promote the Serie A at all.
01:46:58
Speaker
um And, but then at the event, they had the the infamous, that woman Anna Guanerio, who was the chief of the Serie A rights, who's made such a bodge up all over the world but of selling TV rights everywhere. And she's given interviews in Italian to publicize one football, showing Italian in football in in in England and i was it was supposed to be a promotional event and it was they talk i mean they didn't even i mean they didn't invite the the biggest English language show on Serie A there. That's us, by the way. Biggest English language show on Serie A is us. We weren't even invited and to this event. So, you know, um there you go. But so yeah, who care the viewing numbers are are horrific on one football for Serie A. I mean, charging people $4.99 a month
01:47:47
Speaker
so a fullnight sorry four ninety nine again to game to watch Seriam. And who's going to pay for that? And that's if you know that they're showing them the games, which you don't even know. So we've we've probably done the most promotion for them here. <unk> yeah Yeah, pathetic. and but But for me, it's just like you do an event in England to promote the league in it's an English speak, what you'd assume is a predominantly English speaking audience. And everything you put on social media is in Italian.
01:48:16
Speaker
I love it. I love it. it's It's hilarious. It just makes me laugh so much. And it just goes to show that for one football, is this this was not a big financial sacrifice, it seems. It was just something that got really, really cheaply and easily. And so they're they're not picking it too seriously. They're like, oh, look at us. We can, we can, you know, we've got this league too. No, people, people that most people don't even know that they have the serial TV rights, those that do know pretty much everyone I know, and I'm you know i'm from Bedford, which is... ah No, are you from Bedford? you have me I'm from Bedford, which is a massive Italian population, like one in three or one in four of at least partial Italians. It's a huge Italian population. here
01:48:55
Speaker
huge football, loads of football fans here, Italian football fans, you know, many of whom listen to this pod. And honestly, like, you know, the majority of them don't still now don't even know that one football have to have the Serie A rights. And these are massive football fans. These are, these are kind of like diehard football fans, right? like That's your base, isn't it? That's the people they should be knowing, like that they should have it, like should know. Those are the ones that that you almost take as a given.
01:49:22
Speaker
Do you know what I mean? Those are the ones where if you want to to be successful... Yeah, but all of them have like, they all of them have like, you know, satellite issues. Well, why do they have it? yeah A lot of them. And I know a lot of people that have that have got IPTV and have got these dodgy boxes because they're not able to. And I mean, the ones that do know that one football show in the games are refusing to pay the money because it's such a rip off and who the hell would pay for that, you know, and and have to watch it on the on their on the on the internet or on the on the on their phone.
01:49:50
Speaker
And so they're the ones that know. As for the ones that you're trying to sell to a new audience, to neutrals, to those fans that, do you know what I mean? They don't even know about it. And how would they when you're doing promotional events like this? It is what it is. It is what it is. What can you do? It's never going to change. And they don't take it seriously, so neither will their partners.
01:50:16
Speaker
It is what it is. I've given up like I'm sorry, but I have like it's just I have zero hope No, no, and it's not bitter I mean it might come across as business. Oh, we went no absolutely no i just don't come honestly I wouldn't have even have gone to the event if i'd been born no but now i could not give a poison If you're trying to sell a product right you go to you go to to You know you would come to someone like us because we've got a big audience of Serie A listeners in England, you know, that's one of our biggest areas. And you don't even come to us, you know, we could talk about that, we could promote that. I'm not saying we would have done it. We could have promoted it, you know, and they didn't even come to us, they didn't even invite us to their promotional event. To be honest, I'm kind of happy they didn't because I wouldn't have gone because locking me up, I saw the guest list and I think that's a really, really bad idea to put me in a place with some of the people on that list.
01:51:07
Speaker
um So I actually think that was a good decision. Well actually that would have sold it. one one of That would have sold it quite well. You had a fight and everybody would have known about it and that would have been the best way to promote it. No, I think i think it would it would it it was a wise decision on their part, one of the more intelligent decisions they made. So, ah no, that that doesn't bother me at all. I'm more annoyed of the fact that they can't even get to, that they can't even, that one football and CDR can't even reach their own target audience. that That's more concerning. but that's the But then again, like I said, I've given up. of It is what it is. You just laugh at it, you move on.
01:51:42
Speaker
Life goes on. like Yeah, whatever life goes on and the pod will not go on because well for today because It was two hours. Yes as always. Yeah, we will We'll be back this week on on well we at Nimr doesn't even know about this I'm going to tell him after the show we actually have a really big guest lined up for the show it's just been confirmed while we're recording and I'm about to tell Nimr after the show and he's going to get incredibly excited when I tell him. Interesting. So we've got we've got an we have I have a suspicion. I'll do you.
01:52:18
Speaker
OK, OK, well, we'll see. So i willll we'll have a big guest on the show and this week at some point. And we'll also i'll do the Q and&A as well. And we're going to do, of course, a Thursday pod about reacting to yeah okay yeah yeah yeah Italy as well. I mean, we're going to have to react to Italy in some way. Maybe it's not a full show. Maybe it's a match post, match reaction. But we we' we're going to have lots of shows. We're going to have Q and&A this interview and we're going to have Azzurri reactions. Whether it's a full pod or a match reaction, we'll have to yeah iron and out. yeah Brilliant. Okay. Let's leave it at that. Uh, we will be back. Um, the late, the latest Wednesday, the latest Wednesday for our next full patrons. Until then.
01:53:00
Speaker
socha