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Free Weekly Episode - Napoli Scudetto Party Ruined, Max Allegri Loses Juventus Dressing Room, Inter Are BACK, Roma-Milan Madness & Much More (Ep. 319)
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From Napoli's Serie A title celebration party postponed after Salernitana party poop, Juventus draw to Bologna but reports of Max Allegri in conflict with Federico Chiesa, Dusan Vlahovic and Angel Di Maria dominate new cycle, and AC Milan and Roma offer drama at the death to draw, to Inter outplay Lazio who risk missing out on Champions League football next season and much, much more as Nima and Carlo break down all the talking points from an absolutely action packed weekend of Italian football.
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Transcript
Introduction and Hosts
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian football podcast. Hello everybody and welcome to another episode of the Italian football podcast. I'm Carlo Garganese, here as always with Nima Tavalli.
Napoli's Scudetto Delayed
00:00:16
Speaker
So it was supposed to be the weekend that Napoli celebrated the third Scudetto of their history
00:00:23
Speaker
The first, it should have been in 33 years. It was all set up for them after Interbeat Lazio. They only had to beat Salerni Tana, but they could only draw 1-1 and the party was spoiled. The party was put on hold. It was going to be the craziest party ever. Some of the things that were planned were going to be absolutely amazing.
00:00:42
Speaker
But it was spoiled and it's only been put on hold. It will happen later this week, but it was very, very disappointing. But there's plenty more to talk about in the show today.
Inter and Roma's Dramatic Matches
00:00:52
Speaker
There was that inter-win over Lazio. There was a crazy ending between Roma and Milan. Two goals scored deep into injury time.
Juventus' Ongoing Crisis
00:01:02
Speaker
And of course there was Juventus failing to win again at Bologna. Their crisis goes on and it really is a crisis with Max Allegri facing a very, very broken dressing room. A lot of crazy stories coming out about players, important players, unhappy with him.
00:01:19
Speaker
And that's Atlanta winning as well to make the top four race really, really tight. So it's, yeah, it's going to be a big show again, as always today. And this is our free weekly episode, which we do every Monday, reviewing the weekend's area action and the biggest talking points in Italian football. If you want to support the Italian football podcast and receive all our content that we do throughout the week, including our weekly Q and A episode every Tuesday, where we answer all the questions sent in from our patrons.
00:01:47
Speaker
plus the weekly Thursday midweek review show, plus interviews, post-match reaction, and much, much more, then go to patreon.com slash T-I-F-P, and you can become a subscriber for just $2.99 plus VAT. And for all of you that are listening on Spotify, on iTunes, on Apple Podcasts, we'd really appreciate a five-star rating, and give us a follow and subscribe to us. It really helps us grow. We're also on YouTube as well, so check us out there. Okay, Nima, let's get straight into it.
00:02:15
Speaker
So let's start off with Napoli. I had a really big show planned today to talk about this amazing Scudetto. It was it was going to be really good, but we've had to put it all on hold. So we'll talk about it on Thursday instead. That's what we've got to talk about. Yeah, we'll see. We'll see. We'll see. Because I mean,
00:02:32
Speaker
Like I said at the top, Napoli only had to win against Lelyntana to win the Scolleto. They could only draw, but they will still be champions on Wednesday if Lazio failed to win against Sassuolo. If Lazio were to win against Sassuolo, then Napoli need to get a draw on Thursday against Udenezer. Which I think we'll see. I don't think Lazio will beat Sassuolo. I think they'll draw Sassuolo because Sassuolo are in pretty good form and Lazio look a bit
00:03:02
Speaker
out of it. But we're going to talk about that as well because it's crazy to think they were 10 points clear of Inter just a week ago and now it's down to six. Sorry, four even, sorry. Yeah, so but Napoli, yeah, it was an anti-climax and I for one was really, really disappointed because I was really looking forward to all the celebrations. I know I've heard of some guys that some people that I know out there about some of the stuff that was planned and it was going to be absolutely incredible.
00:03:29
Speaker
A friend of mine and a listener of ours was there and he sent me videos of what was going on. He didn't have tickets, of course, to the game, but he was just around the city and he said that the atmosphere was insane. It was not like anything he'd ever seen. And he said, actually, even though they drew, they weren't disappointed. They were more like,
00:03:51
Speaker
OK, well, we'll do it on Wednesday then. I mean, like it wasn't they weren't too upset about it. And they know that they're going to be champions. But this is a this is a percorso, as they say in Italy. I felt it would have been better yesterday, though. I feel like it would have been better on a Sunday, Sunday afternoon, mid-afternoon. Of course. Of course, it would have been better.
00:04:13
Speaker
And now, if it happens on Wednesday evening, late at night, obviously they're playing away from, well, they're not playing on Wednesday, but even if they were to win it on Thursday, they're playing away so the players won't be there, there'll be an oud in there. I mean, this was just perfect. They had it all planned, it was all prepared, it was all ready to go in the light.
00:04:37
Speaker
Yeah, it's a shame. It's a shame. I mean, it's it's a bit of a like it's it's it's it's a shame. Yeah, but it's not like I don't Yeah, it would have been it would have been the perfect story book ending but I don't think they I mean, they're going to be champions They know they're going to be champions whether or not how and when it because they're going to celebrate it for six seven months at least it's Naples we're talking about and
00:05:01
Speaker
They don't do things in moderation, good or bad. So it's going to happen. It's just an issue of when and how and blah, blah, blah. And I don't think they really care. I mean, of course, it would have been nicer to do it on Sunday, but it would have been like more and more of a beautiful image. But, you know, who cares? They're going to win the score for the first time in 33 years.
00:05:21
Speaker
I think they're going to win it without even playing on Wednesday night. The game against Fiorentina is when they will properly coronate it. It would have been nicer this Sunday, but I don't think it's too much. I don't think people who've been waiting 33 years for this are too fast. But I mean, broader point, I actually think this is a little bit of a
00:05:48
Speaker
lesson for Napoli, this Napoli side, young side. None of them have won anything of importance, really, except for Di Lorenzo, who has won a European championship and I think a Coppitale or something like that with Napoli. But none of them have won at club level anything of this big. And so I think it's really, really, this is part of the growth, meaning
00:06:10
Speaker
You have to win. No one's going to hand you anything. If you want to become the champion, you're going to have to push your way through. You have to run across that finish line yourselves. And you not expect people to lay flat for you. And I think that's part of growth for a Napoli side or for any team, not just Napoli, for any team that is young and inexperienced and is trying to learn how to become champions. I think this is part of that growth process.
00:06:39
Speaker
and to learn that you need to handle these games. This is what Juventus and Milan and Inter, especially Milan and Juve, were always through the years so well known for. There's no way that Juve or Milan in that situation lose that 1-0 win. It's just not going to happen. Understanding how to
00:06:58
Speaker
to handle these situations. It's a new situation for Napoli and they will learn from it. And I think that in the long run, this might actually be a good thing for them to not take anything for granted. Well, yeah, of course, you always grow from winning, from winning title and winning trophies. I just think that it was just symptomatic, this game of just kind of how Napoli have run out of steam towards the end of the season. And, you know, the game as a whole, again, they weren't great in this game. I mean, they probably still deserve to win.
00:07:28
Speaker
just. But this wasn't the same as it has been for the last month since the beginning of April. This hasn't been the same Napoli that we've seen all season. And I think they just have run out of state. Yeah, I think it's part of it. Yeah. And I think as well.
00:07:43
Speaker
I think that is part of running out steam is mental energy and physical energy. But you know, they've won two of their last seven games. And of those two wins, one was a lucky win against let's say, and the other one was a 93rd minute winner against Juventus where certain episodes went their way as well. So I mean, it's you know, the home form has deserted them in the last month, they've not won any of their last four home games, which is really, really strange, given you know, how formidable they've been at home
00:08:08
Speaker
before that, and they lost Thalaxio in March as well, remember, the 4-0 hammering by Milan. So the home form has deserted them. But, you know, again, I think maybe this is, like you said, a lesson for learning how to, you know,
00:08:24
Speaker
but also how to pace yourself throughout the season. I mean, you can say, okay, well, it's worked from this season. They blitz the rest of the opposition away, the rest of the league away. So it doesn't really matter if they run out of steam now. But if they wanted to say, go further in the Champions League next season, then you can't run out of steam in April. No, you've got to preserve your energy both mentally and
00:08:46
Speaker
energy-wise in terms of under pitch and learn to... There's also aspects of this in terms of the squad, the technical side, they need a deeper squad, which I think they will have, because I think they will invest in that squad to make it more competitive irregardless of who leaves and stays. Obviously, El Ciman would be a huge blow if he left, as we've seen.
00:09:11
Speaker
But regardless of that, I think that this is part of the growth process. And I think they will look at this and Spalletti will revel in some way in this and talk to them about this. He was already talking about it yesterday, saying, look, it just means that the party is going to last longer.
00:09:30
Speaker
The other thing I wanted to say about their performances recently and again in this game is I think it will be interesting going ahead into next season like how Spelletti adapts to teams starting to find Napoli out and maybe some of this is down to their time and physically and mentally but at the same time you know you watch how teams are playing Napoli now and they're not you know they're not even trying to go toe to toe that they're all playing the same kind of way with the
00:09:57
Speaker
with a reasonably low block like milan like latcio did you know the growth process and finding you can get found out the teams study with all the science and the analytics and the stats available you can see and predict
00:10:18
Speaker
very easily how teams play, the heat maps, the way players individually go, how credit failure always cuts inside, for example, and how he's been not found out, but teams are starting to read him recently more, knowing their movements. So then it's down to the manager. That's where the manager comes in and his team to work out a way to slightly tweak the formation, tweak the movements, tweak the positions, little things like that. To counter it. Yeah, to counter it. And that's where it's going to be interesting for me to see how Spoletti
00:10:47
Speaker
Well, that's the development. That's the growth process I'm referring to as well, taking the next step. Once you are the champion, everybody wants to knock you off your crown. Regardless of the mercato or the transfer window, it's a skill in and of itself to retain your crown, to retain your title, to push further in Europe and so on and so forth.
Salernitana's Performance
00:11:11
Speaker
No, I think it's all part of the growth process, and I think it's both for Spalletti and this team, and I think once they've won the Scurretto, they will always be champions, and I think just that hurdle, that mental block will clear a lot of things in their heads because of always being perennial losers, always the bridesmaid, never the bride kind of thing that Spalletti himself has always been the embodiment of. All of that will disappear because he will have won everything in Italy.
00:11:41
Speaker
when he becomes the oldest coach to win the Serie A title. And then the question begins to take the next step and to retain, it becomes a new development, it becomes a new journey they go on together. And that's something that I'm very keen to see how they handle it.
00:12:06
Speaker
Yeah. Just a quick, quick word on, on Selena. Big, big result. Big, big result again for them in the, in a relegation race. They're now nine games unbeaten under Paulo Sousa. He's done a really, really good job because I think many people
00:12:19
Speaker
were really huge fans. I have to be the first one to admit that I did not see him coming in there and tightening them up defensively because when we last saw him in the Serie A there was anything but defensive tightening. He's come in there and he's got them so organized, so disciplined, so
00:12:37
Speaker
So cohesive as a unit in the defensive phase, I was incredibly impressed by them. I loved the mentality they showed. I loved the attitude they showed. They were no pushovers. They were not going to come in there and allow Napoli to bully them and run them over. They came there to win a point because there was no flu card because we've seen how consistent they've been. During this run, they've gone unbeaten to Napoli, Milan, both away from home.
00:13:05
Speaker
and then at home to Inter, okay, they rode their luck in the Inter game. But, you know, it's no fluke when you take points off all three of those teams. So you have to give it to Paolo Sousa. His managerial career was probably on a downer and maybe on his last legs and now he's really, well, he's re-found himself now. No, he has. I think he will, I mean, if they can give him a proper transfer window and he can have a proper pre-season, you know, with the squad they've got,
00:13:34
Speaker
And if they get to keep some of their players and not have to sell, then I think they could even maybe be a mid-table side. But I do expect Boulaye Diat to be sold to a top 16 in the Serie A, because he has been outstanding this season. He's been one of the signings of the season. I would put him in my top five, maybe even top three Serie A signings of the season. He's been incredible. I mean, he's scored 12 goals this season. None of them are penalties. Only two players in Serie A.
00:14:03
Speaker
have more goals than Bulidea this season when you exclude penalties and that's Osseman and Lautaro Martinez and that's Lautaro only because he got a couple.
00:14:13
Speaker
on Sunday, managed to move ahead. So yeah, he's fantastic. And I feel lucky. Yeah, he's just got a bit of everything. He's tall. He's got the physical side of things. He's quick. It's technical. Technically very good. It's awesome. And I mean, he makes awesome and dribbles two players. And then... Yeah. And with his left foot as well. I mean, he has both feet. I mean, he's got... That's a player who's going to end up in the top six Serie A team, if he stays in the Serie A, if not,
00:14:41
Speaker
I remember when he moved to Villareal, there was a big hope to him for Villareal, but it never worked out for him, but he's been absolutely brilliant. And I think he's definitely grown and he's definitely worthy of a bigger club.
00:14:54
Speaker
third or fourth choice striker at one of the big clubs potentially. But leading the line for a Europa league team, I'm sure he has the tools to do that.
Juventus' Internal Struggles
00:15:04
Speaker
Fantastic. Okay, right. Let's move away from Napi. Let's move on to Juventus. A huge, huge story that broke on Sunday. And it's not just one story either. It's a few stories that have broken over the weekend. And first of all, it started off with
00:15:23
Speaker
with Dusan Vlawovic a couple of days ago with Lastampa. And I've seen another report in Italian media today from another newspaper that backed this up, that Dusan Vlawovic is very, very unhappy with Allegri. And he basically is more than considering leaving Juventus in the summer if Allegri stays next season because he feels like Allegri has ruined his career and is ruining his career. And that was the first story. Then we had...
00:15:53
Speaker
On Sunday morning, we had Gazetta, and I've forgotten the journalist, her name now. It's the one that had the argument with Allegri on Saturday. But basically, one of if not the top Juventus journalists right now inside. And I've totally forgotten her name, everyone would know. Yeah, me too. It's so annoying, because I know who you're talking about. It's really annoying. Is it Fabiana? Yes, thank you.
00:16:19
Speaker
Oh, what's her name? Fabiana? Fabiana, anyway, from Gazetta. It's on the tip of my tongue. I've totally forgotten. Anyway, she reported, she came out with a story that basically Di Maria had refused to play against... Fabiana de la Valle. And she's fantastic. She's got proper inside knowledge. She's got a mould in the dressing room, basically.
00:16:43
Speaker
to put it that way. And yeah, De Maria refused to play when he wasn't going to be in the starting 11 against Bologna. And as soon as he found out that he wasn't in the starting 11, he suddenly told everyone that he told the management he had an injury and that he couldn't be on the bench. And that there was never an injury. He'd been training and everything. So
00:17:05
Speaker
So yeah, put two and two together, make that what you think. And she wasn't the only one. Tutor Sport and some others also backed this up. And I've spoke to a few people as well who supported this that basically Di Maria basically didn't want to play. And also has a bad relationship with Allegri. Then we had on Sunday evening after the game, our friend of the show, Adrian Del Monte,
00:17:30
Speaker
who reported that Federico Chiesa is deeply unhappy with Max Allegri and is also considering leaving the club in the summer. If Allegri stays, he's unhappy with how he's being used, not being played in this correct position, just basically how he's being managed. I've known about this story for over a month, but I've had to keep quiet about it. You've probably heard me hint that I knew something about Chiesa. So I've known about this for a long time, that how unhappy he is with Allegri.
00:18:01
Speaker
So you've got three there. You've got basically the whole front line, the whole first choice front line. And just to add to that, I've also been told that I can't name who it is. I've also been told a very senior player at the club. Oh, you know who it is. It was all over the internet yesterday. Okay. Well, I'm not going to say, if you want to say, there's a very senior player at the club who is
00:18:26
Speaker
who is leaking, who licked the Dean Maria story, but is leaking stories to the press about his anti-allegory and his leaking stories to the press. That does not take a lot of... Yeah, I mean, it's pretty obvious. I mean, everyone knows that he knows his character. You know the problems he's had with allegory in the past as well.
00:18:44
Speaker
Okay, you might as well bloody say it in your mouth. But it's all over the internet on Twitter, so it's not hard to... Allegedly. Allegedly, yeah. Always gets you out of trouble, doesn't it? You can say the most libelous thing and just put allegedly at the end of it. Oh, it's all all right.
00:19:07
Speaker
No, but seriously, though, I mean, I mean, this isn't good. Well, of course, it's not good. It turns out that you need a sporting director. You need a management. You need a CEO. You need actually to have a sochita. You can't just run a football club like you don't like you like you run, you know, like like a family business that you just opened up a little hot dog stand with and selling hot dogs at the corner. No, Juventus are a big club. They need to be run professionally. They don't have any structure at that club whatsoever. They only have a coach and he's the one being hung out to drive for everything.
00:19:37
Speaker
It's embarrassing. It's embarrassing by Juventus standard. What is going on? And yesterday, what was that pre-matched, ridiculous thing about we might not even bring in a sporting director? Seriously?
00:19:50
Speaker
What is it, what's going on in this club? Like seriously, what are you doing? Sounds like Manchester United, do you remember when that was like, we need a transfer direct, we need a transfer direct. You need people who run the club. Juventus have been the most organized club, whether you like them or not, like we don't need to go into all that, whether you like them or not, they have always been the most organized, well-run oiled machine in Italian football. And now there's just nothing there. There's literally nothing there.
00:20:17
Speaker
And I wonder why it's happening now. Well, gee, the saying when the rats, when the cats away, the rats, what did they say? When the cats away, the mice dance on the table. We'll hear the rats are moonwalking on the table.
00:20:33
Speaker
you know it's it's ridiculous yeah but i mean it's it's i mean that's the bigger picture but you know we're talking here we're talking here about players who are unhappy with the with the job of a football director to keep the players happy to manage the peace to do all of these things to to manage the relationships to keep everyone happy to keep that guy's agents happy to keep that one's wife's happy that's what they do that's part of the job and there's nothing there and instead it's just allegory this allegory that what do you want him to he
00:21:03
Speaker
can't do all of those things. It's not his job. That's all true. Imagine the relationships. That is all true. You're spot on. But we know we're talking. I mean, we're in the case of certainly in the case of Laovich and Kiesa, they're unhappy because of the way that they're being used as players and the style of football and how they've been, what is going on on the pitch is. And we've seen we've seen what's happened to their careers under Allegri. I mean, they've completely, I mean, they've completely their careers have gone completely off the rails.
00:21:32
Speaker
They've turned from two of the most exciting young players in European world football to just shells of themselves under a leg. So you can understand why they are so unhappy in the way that they're being used to. I think he needs to look a little bit in the mirror as well, as we've said before. I think there's a little bit of self-reckoning there as well. With Kieza, I think it's different. Kieza's frustrated, but he just came back from an ACL, didn't he?
00:21:59
Speaker
He was always going to be managed slowly back after that series, and I'm happy that Allegri has done that, because he is the future star poster boy of Italian football. Everyone agrees on that, and I don't want him to go the Zagnolo route with another ACL, which would effectively kill his career.
00:22:17
Speaker
That's fine though. That's fine with managing his minutes, but we're talking about how he's being used positionally and he's being used to help position all the time. That's another story. That's the issue that Kiesa has and that's why he wants to leave if Allegri stays.
00:22:33
Speaker
But yeah, it's just, it's a mess. I mean, he's clearly lost the dressing room. I mean, that there is no, there's no doubt about that. He's not, maybe not the entire dressing room, but he's, he's lost important sections of the dressing room. He's lost, he's lost the frontline, which probably helps explain why Juventus just, I mean, as bad as Allegri's teams are at scoring and creating chances. I mean, it's, it's, I mean, it's horrific. The last eight games have scored five goals. And, you know, that helps explain why the attack is, is, is also
00:23:03
Speaker
those three are underperforming, they're all three of them are in dreadful form, dreadful form, all three of them. And, you know, I just, when you lose the faith of the players, it's all over for the team in terms of getting good results. And again, it helps explain that the terrible form that the Juventus are in. And, you know, that leads me to the conclusion with Allegri is, you're not getting the results, one winning, one winning eight games and complete fruitful, you're not getting
00:23:32
Speaker
Stability. So all this, it just makes a mockery of this idea when people say, oh, but Allegri's bringing stability. Well, he's the only one there. What stability is he bringing? What stability can he bring, Carlo? He's the only one there. Well, he's not bringing stability then. No, because there's no one else there. He's the only one working. There's no one else there. He's literally, it's the nuclear bomb has gone off. He's the only one there trying to clean this mess up. Well, they do have others in positions now. They do have others in position. It's not like they don't have a, you know, they have a chief. It's all inquiry.
00:24:02
Speaker
It's all incorrect. There's nothing coherent there. They don't even know if they're going to be in the Serie A next season. They don't know anything. And this notion of Allegri being the culprit for that is utterly bizarre to me. It makes no sense. I'm not saying the football package. He's not bringing stability though. He is bringing stability. He's not bringing anyone there. The whole dressing room is
00:24:24
Speaker
It's not the whole dressing room. It's, it's, it's Vowice and Kiesa and Di Maria. Di Maria has been, well, let's be honest, he doesn't even really want to be in the room. And the most senior member of the dressing room that is leaking stories to the press. That he's always had an argument with for the last decade, that he literally has chastised publicly in, in, in, in, in, I don't know, press conference after press conference. Come on, let's be, let's have some measure. Let's be measured here, right? The, the, the results on the pitch are, of course, he's, he is to take responsibility for that as well.
00:24:53
Speaker
If your entire attack hates your guts and you've lost the dressing room, you've lost the team. You can't win with the whole attack against you. I mean, what do you want? I mean, this is the problem. Allegri's not getting the results. They've got one winning eight games and they're in free fall.
00:25:13
Speaker
He's not bringing no stability to the team when he's got so many plays in the dressing room against him. And he's not, as I've shown in recent shows, he's not getting any improvement either. So there's not any kind of, oh, let's hope for the future with him because his points average, his goals average, they're now the same as last season now after this draw against Bologna and they're much worse than PLO. So there's no improvement there that you can say, oh, well, let's stick with this coach because there's an improvement there.
00:25:41
Speaker
ignoring the entire shitstorm that's happened this past year. A complete shitstorm, unprecedented, the biggest crisis in Juventus history. And we're just going to ignore that because he doesn't play like the Zerbe passing in triangles. I mean, come on. No, I'm saying it totally negates the argument that's been used multiple times about you should keep Allegri because he's improving.
00:26:04
Speaker
because he brings stability. You have to look at the entire picture and the picture is Juventus are a complete shit show. They're a dumpster fire off the pitch and on it as well to a certain extent. But putting that all on Allegri and talking about
00:26:22
Speaker
I don't know that all of this is on him. Well, if you sack him, who are you going to bring in and what do you think is going to happen? That is literally the only person building from the old, the only link between the old Uwe, what is the winning Uwe, and this new, whatever this new Uwe is, is Max Alegri. Now, I'm not saying he's going to stay there after this season. I doubt he will. I think he might be exhausted of this as well, to be perfectly honest with you, because this is not what he signed up for.
00:26:47
Speaker
Well, Calvo, the idiot, incompetent idiot, that's the chief football officer, basically confirmed him before the game. Yeah, but you know as well as I do that, that count, I'll take that, I'll throw that as far as I can carry and throw an elephant. I don't believe anything. Well, the thing is, Nima, even if you accept, but my understanding from the people I speak to him is he has complete support of the club and they're planning to go forward next season.
00:27:11
Speaker
That's what you say good but no because it's good for you but no it's good for you but the last thing the first thing they can do is actually bring in a sporting director bring in a structure a director of football a ceo something to help you vent look towards the future cuz none of that exists right now what i'm not saying keep a leg I'm okay let him go in the summer if that's not what the new directors and the new leadership of you will want to do.
00:27:38
Speaker
but there's nothing there. The plan is, the thing is that if the plan is to get rid of him or if the plan is that he's going to leave in the summer, which is hypothetical, but if that is the case and you're saying you're, I mean, you, you seem to be in favor of getting rid of him in the summer anyway. I'm saying, I'm saying that this cannot continue. No, what I'm saying is there is not, my focus right now is trying to salvage the rest of the season in terms of trying to win that Europa League.
00:28:03
Speaker
try and win the Europa League, try and get in the top four, even if there's a points penalty, try and salvage the season by getting in the top four and trying to win the Europa League. The best hope of doing that is by sacking him and getting in the caretaker. I profoundly disagree with that because it's thanks to him, despite all the sideshow and the circus going on on the sidelines, he's got them with the number of points he's got on the pitch and he's got them to the semi-final of the Europa League. I think attacking him at this point would be literally just
00:28:32
Speaker
or would be insanity. It's insanity. If people are unhappy, they can be gone and they'll be unhappy in June too. He's giving you that. The thing is, we know what we're getting from Allegory by keeping them. I said exactly the same thing last week. They're in freefall, Nima. They've won one in eight games. They're not in freefall. They're not in freefall. They're in bad form like every teamwork. One win in eight games.
00:28:51
Speaker
are in bad form. They've got one win in eight games. The whole attack in the dressing room is against him. I mean, just bring someone in, get someone a caretaker until the end of the season as a child. Yesterday, against Bologna, he did exactly what you wanted him to do. He played a 4-3-3 that had a what? 2.68 XG. Milik misses a penalty. Sule misses sitters. What else do you want him to do? We'll come to that because Bologna had a very high XG themselves, but we'll come to that in the next segment.
00:29:19
Speaker
the point i'm making is if you then just keep a leg you know what you're getting you've seen it in the form that they're in and you've seen the way that the players are towards him bringing bringing someone just as a caretaker to the end of season give them a joke they can't do any worse than the leg with a leg where you know they can
00:29:37
Speaker
You know they can finish out of the top four and they can crash out of the top four. The difference is that Max Allegri has the experience to handle this situation and he's doing, I think, a pretty okay job. This is hysterical, this hysteria. Oh, Keirza's unhappy, he's unhappy. What? I mean, if Juve were run by Juve fans, you'd never win a title.
00:29:59
Speaker
You don't win with unhappy players. You don't win when you've lost a dressing room. You'd be surprised. Lots of former legendary players have spoken, who I've interviewed through the years, off the record, talking about how many players in legendary winning teams despised each other, but they managed to put all that aside. Not just each other, but even the coach.
00:30:22
Speaker
Yeah, there's a difference between despising a manager, but not playing for the manager and not but not trusting and believing the manager and they clearly these players don't have any faith in the manager anymore. I mean, that's obvious. These attackers have no faith in the manager. They have no trust in him, which is why they want to leave. It's nothing to do with hating them. There's a lot of men. Capello was hated by most of his players. You know, there's lots of managers that have been really hated. Conte as well. There's a lot of
00:30:47
Speaker
a lot of players that hate conse I mean look how we look how powerful and playful it's not necessarily about not disliking and hating the manager it's about do you have the faith and the trust in the manager and they they've lost it there's no no one has the players don't have the trust in the manager
00:31:01
Speaker
They bring in someone else, they'll play for that manager just for a few games. Then in the summer, try and sort out the whole mess of the club. But it seems, like I said, from people I've spoken to, he still has the support of the club. And I don't just take that from the public. No, no. And the people I've spoken to, they believe in it. They believe in him.
00:31:18
Speaker
Yeah, and that just goes to show that Juventus fans are lucky that Juventus is not run by them, but is run by people who look a bit, who think with a cold head and not a hot head, and they'll do okay. They'll finish in the top four. What happens off the pitch is not Allegri's fault. If the points deductions, that is not on Max Allegri.
00:31:40
Speaker
And we'll see what he does in the Europa League. I mean, given Roma's injuries, I wonder if they even reach the final. I mean, they're completely decimated. So we'll have to wait and see.
00:31:51
Speaker
Yeah, okay, right. Well, let's move on to the analysis of the match. The performance, the one we'll draw against Bologna, the performance. Offensively, Juventus were better in this game. They created plenty chances to score more than the one goal that they never seem to go over anymore. But if I jolly had a double chance, Milik penalty will come to that.
00:32:14
Speaker
Illing, Illing, Junie and Sullo both missed good chances in the second half. That's sicker. Locatelli passed when he, when he, when he, when he should have shot. You know, so offensive, they were, they were, they were good. They had a, you said 2.6, they had the 2.4, 5 was the XG that I, I, not mine, but they, you know, they bear a little bit of the XGs.
Juventus' Tactical Challenges
00:32:34
Speaker
But they, but they conceded almost as many big chances. They had an XG of two against them, and Posh,
00:32:40
Speaker
He had huge chances for Bologna. It was better offensively, but they conceded almost as many chances. They had a mix against them of 1.9 and they had 2.68 themselves. I mean, that's a lot. But then again, let's remember this is Bologna. Bologna are a good side, especially at home.
00:32:59
Speaker
They beat Inter, they drew Milan, they will cause you problems at home. It wasn't a serie ci site that you were playing, they were playing a decent site and a decent site whose in form and especially at home. It was always going to end in a draw, I think. I would have been incredibly surprised if you ever had won this game because I think Bologna at home are really good.
00:33:27
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I think the issue that I have with Juventus in this game is they only ever play well in small patches in games. And it was the same in this game. They were really, really good for about 10 minutes in the first half. And that's when most of their chances came. And they were really, really good for 10 minutes in the second half after Illing Junior came on. And he completely changed the game when he came on because the game was completely going away from them. And then he gave them an injection.
00:33:52
Speaker
but Juventus just can't maintain consistency for long periods over games, or even extended periods over games. It's always just a short burst here, a short burst there, and that's it, and let alone hold consistently for a whole game. And this has been a huge problem for UVA over the last two years. Bologna, after that 10-minute spell after Illing came on, Juventus were really good, and you thought, right, Juventus are going to go on and dominate the rest of the game now and win this game.
00:34:19
Speaker
they had that 10 minute spell and then Bologna came back into it and were all over them and Bologna created three huge chances after that and it's just like why couldn't Juventus maintain that physically but also just in terms of their actual play and yeah this again this is the issue that I have with with with Juventus in this game is that it wasn't like they played well for the for even a long period this game it was just a couple of
00:34:43
Speaker
you know, short periods of the game that they had all their chances, really. And yeah, it's, it's, I mean, it was the hundredth, this was the hundredth allegory game. Yeah, I saw that report. And really, that is so disingenuous. Okay, they make it sound like he's played 100 different, like, tactical formations. And that's absolutely not true.
00:35:05
Speaker
He's never played the same team twice in a row, twice in a row. He's changed a player or two a hundred times, yes, but that's not the same. They made it sound like he played a hundred different formations, which is mathematically impossible when you've got 10 players on the pitch, unless he lost his mind and played a 2-4-6 or some shit like that. You know what I mean? 2-2-6 or some crazy shit like that, that he's not done. I mean, it's just this... No, it means the players. It's becoming... It means players.
00:35:31
Speaker
Yeah, we're talking about personnel change and I don't think that he's the only one who does that. If we look at the top four teams and if you look at one player in and out over the last two years, I think you might be surprised as to how many teams that would constitute, to be honest. If you look at when Allegra came back and
00:35:50
Speaker
how the top teams, how many changes they've had in line-up personnel, I think it's not just Allegri. The way they worded that, the way they reported it, it made it sound like you've done a hundred different formations in two years, which is just...
00:36:05
Speaker
But to not play the same line-up twice in a row, not even once. That is very telling and it's no surprise really that there is no patterns of play. There is no rhythm. Gazzetta did a report yesterday that the constant line-up changes have left players confused and frustrated and affected their performances. That's just natural. That is natural when you change the team. But it's not just the players actually though, it's their formations.
00:36:32
Speaker
Allegories change formation so many times and it is impossible as a player when you're changing lineups so much, you can't get any kind of identity or rhythm or work your passes of play or your movements on the pitch and where you do your little one twos and your little third runs and your little give and goes and your little triangles. When you're changing systems and players all the time, it's impossible to do that. I think there is definitely truth in that.
00:37:00
Speaker
I think to a certain extent, yeah, but the way that that was presented, I think was incredibly disingenuous. And I remember reading that going, well, agenda's gonna agenda. It just felt ridiculous to say that, because yes, he's not played the same lineup, meaning personnel-wise twice, maybe. But
00:37:19
Speaker
the way that that was reported was just the critics. The other negative, the other negative just to get the negatives out of the way is the defense wasn't good again. And you, you were very critical. Yeah. You were, you were critical. You events as defense against into, I didn't think the events as defensive as into was as bad as you, as you know, I thought I was more disappointed with the, just the non-existent attack against, against inside rather than defense. Uh, I didn't think the defense was, I didn't think the defense was horrific against into the guy.
00:37:45
Speaker
Except for the goal. The goal was bad, but apart from the goal, I didn't think it was that bad. But in this game, they were, I mean, I understand it was partly because they were trying to play the higher line. They were trying to push. You are going to concede more, but the issue is, the issue is here because I know you're going to have a go at me and you're going to say, well, what do you want, Carlo? You know, he's trying to attack in this game.
00:38:04
Speaker
No, I'm not going to say that. I'm not going to say that. You will be right to the extent in that he has tried to attack and take the game and tried to play with a high line, tried to be a little bit more progressive. And you're right. The problem is, though, it's not just about doing that. It's about being able to execute it well. And this is the problem in which Allegri hasn't been able to adapt to modern football. And he's outdated.
00:38:29
Speaker
when you play a high line and when you play with a high press and when you try and be more aggressive and when you play a 4-3-3, you know, I've been crying out for him to play a 4-3-3, you've got to be able to execute it and interpret it in a way that will make it successful. And Allegry has shown himself, certainly during these two years,
00:38:53
Speaker
that he's unable to play that kind of football and execute it because he just doesn't know how to do it. His comfort zone is playing the low block, the defensive counter-attacking game. That's how he knows how to set up a team. When he tries to do what we're crying out for, Juventus fans, which is to be more modern, he doesn't know how to do it. And I think we saw that in this game, that yes, Juventus created chances, but
00:39:22
Speaker
they were leaving themselves open because they don't really know. Allegri doesn't really know how to set his team up to be effective enough, if you know what I mean. I know what you mean. But the thing is, for me, the defensive issues is not, yes, to a certain extent, yes, when you push up higher, you're going to expose yourself.
00:39:43
Speaker
I'm surprised at the lack of organization in defense. That's what I'm surprised at. There is, and I saw it against Yuvinter, and I saw it against Polonia, and that to me is, that's Allegri. That's all on Allegri. I blame and hold him 100% accountable for that, because that is something he knows how to do. And the fact that they don't have that at this point, almost two years into his tenure, that's all on him. That is entirely all on him.
00:40:09
Speaker
There are no, there's nothing to save him there. Nothing zero. And Chesney saves you from that loss. He was outstanding. He was the man of the match for you, I thought, Chesney. He was absolutely fantastic. He made save after save after save. He was very proactive. I thought he was brilliant yesterday. Yeah, it's the ones where they're left at the back post is probably what you mean by the lack of organization, isn't it? We saw quite a few, didn't we, when there were players left at the back post completely free.
00:40:39
Speaker
Yeah, I think that's another myth of allegory that's been shown up this season, but certainly recently is that the two arguments for keeping allegory has been one, he brings stability,
00:40:56
Speaker
which you know given the issues in the changing and i just don't think you can you can you can't you can't claim that he's been i know there's reasons that it's very very difficult to bring stability stuff going on i understand that but the argument that he is bringing stability is just untrue but number two is the idea that everything is relative.
00:41:15
Speaker
everything is really compared to what would be if he's not there then then yes he is bringing stability but of course it's not we don't know that we don't know that i think we can safely say well of course we do because the unknown who who are using andrea peter law would bring stability to this uv
00:41:32
Speaker
Seriously? Well, the players were much happier with peer learning. So is Juventus a social club or a professional football club? Because I mean, it's like, it makes no sense. Well, you need a happy dressing room, Nima. You can't win with a dressing room. Anyway, listen, the point is, that's number one, the stability thing has been proven to be untrue. And number two, the idea that he sorted out the defence is just, again, it's not true. I mean, 100 games have conceded 100 goals. Now, I'm not saying that's not terrible.
00:42:00
Speaker
No. You know, considering one goal a game, it's not terrible. It's not terrible, but it's not good. It's not good either. You know, you're not. No, but it's also it's also a product of of bad management. Why was Bonucci the Bonucci situation and getting rid of the lift and bringing in Bremmer and then deciding that, oh, we don't know if we're going to play it back for you or back for because we know that Bremmer isn't very good at playing at a back for, you know, I mean, it's just it's again, it goes back to bad planning. You know, it's it's just
00:42:29
Speaker
Juventus are in trouble and they are trouble on many levels and I think hammering Allegri and not Agnelli and Paratici and the rest of these idiots who put Juventus into the in this position to begin with. Well to be fair we've done that haven't we? We did that to how we went into we did that so the cows came home when they were still here. I mean you know Paratici my life I mean how many times did I use that light? I used that light more than
00:42:56
Speaker
No, but it's just to me, I find the situation, it's like, I find it a complete mess. And I can tell you that if you're in this situation that Juventus are in, I would rather have Allegri than anyone else. The last thing I want is someone coming in there thinking they can play Jogabonito. And, you know, keep the players happy. I don't care if you're happy, deliver. You're adults.
00:43:21
Speaker
I mean, it's just it's ridiculous. This is a mess. This is the biggest crisis. Juventus have been in their history. They just need to be professional. That's all they need to do. All I want is I just want Juventus to finish in the top four and I want Juventus to. I think they will. I think they will finish in the top four. And I want Juventus to try and win the Europa League. I feel like to win the Europa League, Juventus are going to have to fluke it with a legroom. The way they're playing, they're going to have to fluke it.
00:43:42
Speaker
They flew against sporting, completely flew against sporting. Anyone that says any differently needs to rewatch those games. They went through. Anyway, if we're talking about positives though, I do want to give a shout out to Illing Junior. I think he made a really big difference off the bench. As soon as he came on, helped set up the equalizer, he nearly scored himself. He just snatched at the finish, which was a big shame. Much, much better than Kostitch. Kostitch is someone who's really gone off form. He's nine without an assist or a goal. I mean, I know most of the players have thought their form has completely gone off, including the attackers.
00:44:12
Speaker
Kostich as well has been one of the most productive players in terms of goal contributions and he's really lost his way. As soon as Inning Jr came on, he was taken on players, he was unpredictable. He was kind of like played with freedom. And yeah, so I mean, I want to see him get a few more chances between now and the end of the season. But we do have to mention Milik's penalty. Nimr, is that the worst penalty you've ever seen?
00:44:42
Speaker
I don't know what to say. It's just so symptomatic of where you are right now, isn't it? What was that? Can you explain to me what that was? Because I don't know what I watched.
00:44:56
Speaker
I still don't, I feel dumbfounded. I hate it. It looked like, you know that feeling when you were in like in school and you're like
00:45:12
Speaker
your parents try to dance and be cool. That kind of cringe movement, like, no, why are you doing that? That's not you. That's not who you are. Stop doing that. You know what it's like? It's like when you've never danced in your life and you go to a dance class and someone tries to show you a move and someone says, go on, give it a try, give it a try. No, no, no, no, no, I don't want to do it, I don't want to do it. Don't do that. Just give it a try. Then you finally give it a try and it just comes off like mimics.
00:45:41
Speaker
Hop, skip, jump. It was so uncomfortable, and he should not be doing that. And where you ever are, in decisive moments, hop, skip penalties, no. Just no. Big no.
00:45:55
Speaker
We also have to just mention quickly the penalty that Bologna got. The VAR not working again. What is going on? What is going on? I don't know. How did the VAR monitor not working? I mean, this is a joke. I was laughing. I'm not going to lie. That to me was like peak Serie A problems. Do you know what I mean? I mean, what is this technology? Only Serie A. Only Serie A. I mean, I know the internet is not good in Italy, but I mean... Do you reckon?
00:46:24
Speaker
I mean, I know the internet is so bad that Dazon worked about 2% of the time in Italy. No, it's so funny. So funny. I mean, who supplied? Who didn't charge at Dazon? I can't remember. Was it Inter's game against Empoli? I think it was last week when, what's his name? The referee's mic didn't work and we had to go and change all the bloody time.
00:46:46
Speaker
I don't know, the technique not working for them. I'm not for one second going to use this as an excuse for Juventus not winning, because when we mill it, we saw what you did with the other penalty. But again, I thought that was a terrible decision. How you can make the decision to
00:47:11
Speaker
It depends on what the referee saw. There's a reason why these laws are called laws of the game because the words are to be interpreted in the way that words are interpreted in the legal context. What that means is
00:47:23
Speaker
that a clear and obvious error does not mean like it does in everyday language. It means what did the referee see? And if in communication with the referee, the referee gives his side and what he says that he's seen does not correspond with what is being shown on the screens, it automatically falls into the remit of clear and obvious error and they have to call him back.
00:47:44
Speaker
The point is I watched that 10 times and I can't tell whether it's a penalty or not. That's another discussion. That's another discussion. But what I'm saying is what we don't, since we don't know what the communication between the referee and the VAR room.
00:47:57
Speaker
That's just, you know, that's the protocol. That's how it works. I know. I'm just saying if you're going to change the decision and make it a penalty, you know, for me, I've watched it 10 times. I can't tell if it's a penalty or not. So you shouldn't be changing that around, especially when the referee can't even go to the monitor. The monitor not working. Do you know what I mean? So, I mean, I'm not going to use that as an excuse. I'm not going to use that as an excuse for Juventus not winning this game. You know, I'm just saying I thought it was, I thought again, it was just an
00:48:20
Speaker
really weird position and just an imperative all around.
Inter's Victory and Lazio's Risk
00:48:25
Speaker
But anyway, let's move on from Juventus. Let's move on to... Yes, the Winge Fest. The Allegri Bitch Fest is over. Well, somebody, you know what, somebody, a friend of mine sent me your Twitter space at half time. When I was angry, when I was yelling. He sent me a 10 second clip. I was yelling, I was screaming. You shouted out.
00:48:46
Speaker
They just send them all to hell. Yeah, I was not. I said, send them. I said, I think I put them all on a spaceship and send them to the moon. I just sell them all. And apparently, apparently it was much worse before that. I was fuming. I was absolutely fuming because I thought, well, we're going to get to that. But you know, I thought it was unfair because I think they were playing so good.
00:49:09
Speaker
and they were so much better than Lazio. It was a thoroughly deserved win. They played Sarri's midfield off the park for 60-70 minutes. Yes, Correa is an idiot. He doesn't know what he's doing. The timing of that run is stupid. Any half decent footballer would time that run better.
00:49:31
Speaker
But it's it's the acheribi thing just drove me off the walls, but it literally because you you're playing so well against a team that is known for playing so well. You can complete control. You're dominating them. You're dictating the tempo. Brilliant opening 25 minutes of football.
00:49:49
Speaker
And then, for no reason whatsoever, you just do something as stupid as that. I mean, he even acknowledges it. I mean, he apologized, saying, you know, he basically said, I shouldn't be doing that at this moment of the season. And that's what I lost it at. He slipped three times. He nearly, he conceded another big chance to make it 2-0 when he mobily had his shots back.
00:50:12
Speaker
fuming at because it's unacceptable you're supposed to be the experienced guy of this team and it's and you just drop kick your teammates mentally right in the balls his footwear must be to do it because he slipped three times like that and it's just that's what sent me off because it's like and it's been like this all season it's like integers don't allow themselves
00:50:32
Speaker
to build momentum, and they just don't... And in such shockwaves... It was an outstanding performance. Very impressive. I didn't think the first half was as good as Utah, but I thought the second half, they were absolutely... Well, the first half was ruined for Inter after the 25th minute, when Nacherbi did that, and they scored the goal, then the rest of it was just damage control. But the opening 25 minutes were brilliant. And what I liked the most is the reaction in the second half.
00:50:58
Speaker
Absolutely loved it. Finally, we saw an inter that came out and just brushed off whatever was going on, like the shockwaves that a stupid mistake like that sends through this team. They brushed it off. Inzaghi's substitutions were absolutely spot on. Finally, I got to see Chalanoglo Barela and Brozovic together and Lula, Lula, Lula, Lula.
00:51:24
Speaker
You know, Romelu Lukaku will never score 30-35 goals a season again, but if he's going to play like that, then this partnership is fruitful, especially now. It's so good because those two assists. I mean, anyone who listens to this part, I think he's incredibly underrated as a crosser of the ball. His left foot delivers brilliant crosses.
00:51:45
Speaker
with his left foot and for Gorsens was another example of that. But also the way that he uses his body to cover and then plays in Laotaro. They were brilliant. I was very, very pleased. I thought Lukaku was the man of the match, even though he didn't score two.
00:52:00
Speaker
We got two assists. Yeah, he got two assists. He didn't score twice, but, you know, he didn't score, but I thought he was, for me, was a man of the match. I said it, didn't I, last week that, you know, even though it's not, obviously it's not the same with Lukaku, but he is, he is becoming more and more decisive now. I mean, he's got eight goal contributions in his last eight games. And in since the Udinese game in the middle of February, which is when Lukaku kind of was, was sort of like properly back from his injury troubles, he's got 10 goals and four assists for club and country. But
00:52:29
Speaker
I mean, that's, that's pretty good from the middle of everyone. We're talking about what, two and a half months, 10 goals and four assists, 14 goal contributions in two and a half months. I mean, you do that. That's decent. It's not amazing, but it's pretty good. It's pretty good. You know, so I mean, Lukaku is being effective now. He's not necessarily, I mean, I thought he was good in this game, but he's not necessarily playing great every game, but he's becoming
00:52:52
Speaker
effective and you know that's that's I think that game that game that performance that the football that Inter played it made me fall fall in love all over again in Simone Zagi's football because this is what I mean like just go and watch that game how how well Inter prepared how well prepared Inter were how well they executed it I mean
00:53:16
Speaker
in terms of executing the plan. The problem is, of course, that Joaquin Correa is useless and Denzel Dumfries is not a football. It is what it is. But if you look at how they come to those decisive situations, the patterns of play that you always go on about, the movement, the idea. You say it was such disdain. No, I don't. I don't. No, but seriously. How dare they have patterns of play, eh?
00:53:40
Speaker
No, they do have patterns of play. They have an identity, and he's got them playing some really good football. And the way that they control and dominate teams, it's just nah. The thing is, he's not a sexy name, because he's not going to come out there and say something cool for the cameras. He's an old-school kind of guy. He doesn't change his tone when he wins. He doesn't change his tone when he loses. He says the same things. And in today's game, that's a little bit outdated, and it doesn't get the headlines.
00:54:07
Speaker
And but overall that the football that he plays is not outdated.
00:54:11
Speaker
And of course, you know, I mean, they had another two point eight three XG. I mean, I mean, there's so many, so many games this season have been in and around or above. Yeah. XG. Football is outstanding. They create lots of chances. And he said it. Lautaro said it at the end of the match that Inter have found the form at the right time. And they have. They've got three wins in a row. It's really four wins in a row. I'm counting the three, three against three because a win. They stopped playing all the best players at the end because they knew they were through. I'm counting that as a win. They won that game.
00:54:41
Speaker
They just gave away the cards at the end because they were pissing around. So I think Inter are in great shape for the head of the Milan. But we have to be honest. We have to be honest. Look, if you look at the run-ins, Lazu have the easiest one. They got Sasso and Milan. Those are tough games. But after that, Lece at home, Udinese at home, Cremonese at home, Empoli away.
00:55:01
Speaker
I'm thinking 12 points minimum. I think 13. Let me just ask that, basically. Laxio, we're 10 points ahead of fifth. Now it's down to four, two four feet in a row. Do Laxio risk
00:55:18
Speaker
Bisson out on the top four. They absolutely do. They absolutely do. Because they are risking it. I still think they'll manage it because I think they'll beat Lecce, Udinese, Kremunius and Empoli. And that's 12 points. And I think they'll draw against us all. That's 13 points. And 13 points plus the 61 I think they've got now.
00:55:38
Speaker
That's 74. That should be enough to finish. I think Lazio make it unless they throw it away themselves. Lazio have to throw it away. Even though they've obviously lost two games in a row, they've still got a four-point advantage and they have the easiest running out of Lazio Juventus. Lazio Juventus, Inter Roma. Sorry, Lazio Juventus, Inter Milan Roma. Six teams. I mean, it's crazy.
00:56:06
Speaker
of six and they all play each other this weekend like this coming weekend which we're talking about let's let's you have the easiest run let's you have Sasolo at home Milan away let's hit home with an easy way criminals the home and play away easiest running they have the four-point advantage they have no Europe
00:56:21
Speaker
All the other five teams are playing in Europe. Juventus have got Lecce at home, Atalanta away, Crimenezi at home, Empoli away, Milan at home, Udenezi away. So they've got two tough matches out of the six. And I would say Udenezi away is not easy for Juventus the way they're playing either.
00:56:36
Speaker
Inter for me have the toughest running. They've got Verona away, Roma away, Sessoa at home, Napoli away, although the Napoli game might be easier now because they've got nothing to play for. Atalanta at home. I wonder if Napoli even turned up to that game. It's not a bad time to play Napoli. And in what state do they turn up to that game? Will they be sober when they turn up to that game? Those are the questions I'm asking.
00:57:02
Speaker
Milan have got Criminase at home, Lazio at home, Spetsio away, Sampdoria at home, Juventus away, Verona at home. Milan have got a good run. I mean, for me, they've got 12 points or a gimme there. They've got four of those games of gimmes. They're going to get 12 points. I think I'm favouring Milan to get the top four purely because I think they've got a really good run. And also, Milan at home to Lazio. You, Milan, usually do well there.
Roma and Milan's Struggles
00:57:27
Speaker
Yeah. And Lazio don't look too well. Roma. Roma's is so-so. Yeah, but they're decimated. They've got Monza away, Inter at home, Bologna away, Selena at home, Fiorentina away, Spezzu at home, and then Atalanta, who are well back into it, back into other great winning experience, Spezzu at home, Juventus at home, Selena at home, Firona at home, Inter away, Monza at home. So again, they're kind of, you're looking at four good, good, uh, fixtures and then two tough fixtures. So,
00:57:55
Speaker
Roma are decimated. Kumbula, Llorente, Dibala, touch-and-go, Winaldum, touch-and-go, Chris Smalling, we don't know. The Fed is decimated. I think the European Games as well are going to take their toll for all the teams, obviously Milan into everyone's focusing on, but let's not pretend you've entered some Roma.
00:58:17
Speaker
are going to have tough fixtures as well. So it's going to be fascinating. But let's talk about Roma and Milan before we round up this area weekend.
00:58:31
Speaker
I mean, this wasn't a great game. It certainly was a great ending. I mean, it seemed like it was destined for a draw. It seemed like it was destined for a draw. I mean, for me, it was a bad, very bad first half, slightly more entertaining second half, but few real chances. It was an attritional game, wasn't it? Lots of bad challenges, really bad challenges, actually. It just seemed destined for a nil-nil. And then it just, out of nowhere, it just came to life in injury time. Abraham scores 93rd minute and Sailor Maker scores
00:58:59
Speaker
95th or 96 minute never it was and it finishes 1-1 and It was bet it was a fair result though. I think in the end. I Think a fair I think 1-1 was for the fair result and two things I take away from this is Milan and scoring at the far post and the way that they overload the far post they do there's a couple of things I've noticed now a couple of weeks now that every time I
00:59:24
Speaker
Milan, that ball always goes at the far post and they always put bodies at that far post and overload it and create a numerical advantage. And that's just an interesting thing. That's all purely, that's all tactical. That's clearly something they've worked on.
00:59:40
Speaker
And they keep doing it. They did it against lecture, they did it now against Roma. No, I think Milan, yes, I understand Milan fans were upset that they didn't really create much. It was very much a stalemate, like you said, a traditional game.
00:59:58
Speaker
Look, at this point of the season, you have to treat every single game like a cup game. It's as simple as that. And Milan are not deep enough, squad-wise, to be able to compete for a scoretto, compete for a Champions League. They're just not. Neither of none of the Italian teams can compete on three fronts, really. Which is why I'm so annoyed that they're so broke when they actually have... It would be nice to see them with a bit of money and see them compete on all fronts.
01:00:27
Speaker
But it is what it is. You've got a cut with a cloth, you're dealt. And they're doing the best they can, and I understand the frustration, but I look at Roma and Milan the same kind of ways. A point is not the end of the world.
01:00:41
Speaker
I think Roma's best chance, again, to get into the Champions League is to win the Europa League. I really think so because of how decimated they are. I mean, Kumbula is an ACL, I think. Llorente, Mourinho said his season is over as well. Vinaldum has had a dreadful season in terms of injuries. Chris Smalling, who is fundamentally important for them. We don't know when he'll be back.
01:01:06
Speaker
And Diwala, we don't know. Sometimes he's fit, sometimes he's not. I think Bellotti cracked a rib. I mean, it's just mess. It's a mess.
01:01:16
Speaker
Yeah, defense certainly, because we were already short on defenders, like they came into this season, too few centre backs in my opinion, if you're paying a back three. But yeah, I mean, I think Milan showed heart again to respond straight away. I think it was important for Milan psychologically to lose that game in the 93rd minute would have been a big, big blow for them, even going
01:01:37
Speaker
or going into the in again next week, you know, it would have been a big psychological blow. But to then equalize straight after I think, you know, was is huge for that. Psychologically, we see with Napoli, we saw what happened to Napoli after that four nil to Milan, we've seen how just little, little psychological moments can can really
01:01:57
Speaker
determine your season or your next few games. And it's important to keep that up. And I think that was very, very important. And there isn't really that much else to talk about on this game. I'm struggling to think of things to talk about. I mean, Liao got a great assist at the end, so he keeps up his good run of form. But yeah, like we said, the top four, it's going to go to the wire.
01:02:23
Speaker
No, it's absolutely gone to the wire and it's six teams and like I said, next weekend they all play each other. Milan play Nat Lazio, Roma play Inter and Juve play Atalanta. It's just...
01:02:36
Speaker
Mad. Absolute madness.
Serie A Relegation Battle
01:02:39
Speaker
This league is never short on drama, that's for damn sure.
01:03:06
Speaker
and Fiorentina 5, Sampdoria, Neil Stankovic offered his resignation at the end of the game. This relegation race, I've been saying it for a while, I think it's best you're in a lot of trouble. Yeah, I think they're in deep trouble. And that draw, I mean, Verona would have ideally liked to have won that because I think if they had won that, they would have been in a much better position. But now they're on equal points and
01:03:32
Speaker
They both midweek will play, I mean, Spezio travel to Atalanta chasing a top four and Verona host Inter at home. And at home Verona are good. They are these, they trouble teams. They're a difficult side, a heavy team to play against.
01:03:49
Speaker
They're in good form as well. They're in good form and Speccia are not in good form. No, they're in free fall. I mean, if we're talking free fall. I mean, I think even Empoli and Lecce, they're not out of it. And Empoli are in really bad form
Napoli's Impending Victory
01:04:02
Speaker
as well. They've lost three in a row. So, I mean, I think Selena Turner will be okay now. I've got a good gap. I think it's out of Empoli, Lecce, Speccia and Verona for that last spot. And Lecce won against Odunese, which was a monumentally important win.
01:04:17
Speaker
Now they travel to Juve and they will look to try to steal a point there, but I doubt that they'll succeed. But we'll see. We'll see. Yeah, we certainly will. Okay, right. So we have a midweek match calendar. It's going to be very, very busy now, between now and the end of the season. So on Wednesday, we have Atalanta Spezia, Juventus Lecce, Sampdoria Torino, Solenitalina Fiorentina, Verona Inter, Lazio Sasuolo, Monza Roma,
01:04:44
Speaker
Milan, Cremonese, and then on Thursday we have Empoli Bologna and Udinese versus Napoli. So we think, and let's say we hope,
01:04:56
Speaker
Napoli will be champions on Wednesday because then we can do a big show on Thursday to celebrate. I think so. I don't think they're moving the Lazio game. I don't think Lazio or Sassola will want that unless they move it forward. The Lazio should still beat. To be honest with you, apart from Roma, I think all of the teams fighting for top four should win. I think Roma away to Monza is in this physical state they're in.
01:05:22
Speaker
is a tough game for Roman. They could easily drop points in that. But, I mean, Verona, Inter, Juventus, Lecce, Milan, Cremonese, and Lazio Cessuola, the top four teams should or win those games. They should. I think Roman, Lazio have the key. And Atalanta Spezia. Sorry, and Atalanta Spezia as well. We forget that, Atalanta, don't we? We're not ignoring them. No, we're not. We're not ignoring them. I promise we're not. I think, I mean, the fact that they're still about is really impressive, but it also goes to show how
01:05:50
Speaker
how what a weird set he are this team this year is in the sense that the top teams lose so much. I don't feel like Atalanta have played anywhere close to well enough this season to actually be only two points out. So the top four, I kind of can't believe they are the way they played.
01:06:08
Speaker
and how inconsistent they've been. But that shows you, the teams above them, how... Well, that's the thing. Teams two to seven have all been inconsistent. I mean, the number of losses on all of them is insane. Oh, it's insane. I mean, Lazio second to seven losses. You enter third with eight, into fourth with 11 losses. 11. I mean, it's just mad. Milan seven, Roma nine, Atalanta nine. I mean, it's... It's a lot. It's a lot. It's a lot. It's crazy. It really is.
01:06:33
Speaker
Yeah, it is. Okay. Right. That's all. No, we have Bad Joe and Prim Face of the Week still, don't we? Right. Let's do Bad Joe and Prim Face of the Week. Okay. Bad Joe of the Week. Nima? I don't know. For me, it's... The Gamora character. You sent me a message of him. I thought you were going to pick him. Who?
01:06:54
Speaker
The character from Jimmy, from Gamora, the Neapolitan... No, you mean Roberto Saviano, the journalist? Oh, was it? Sorry, I've raised a guy. No, that was... He's one of my favourite writers, journalists and authors. He wrote something before the game about growing up in Naples. And if you don't know what Roberto Saviano is, he's a writer and journalist who lives under constant police protection for exposing
01:07:22
Speaker
organized crime in Naples and he lives under constant death threats. And of course, you know, he's from Naples and he wrote something on Twitter that was, I just love the man's pen. It's so, so beautiful. He writes so, so beautifully. It's worth learning Italian just to read.
01:07:40
Speaker
his poetry, almost, because it is so poetic when he writes, and it was just absolutely beautiful. I spoke about it. That's why I thought Gini, because Roberto Saviano, he's the guy that created Gamora. Yeah, he is. Which is what is Salvatore Esposito. He's a huge, huge Napoli fan. For some reason, I thought it was him that wrote that. No, it was beautiful. It was a beautiful message, and I think probably on Thursday, if they win it, I'll read it to you.
01:08:09
Speaker
I'll translate it properly and read it to everybody because it's incredibly beautiful. Okay, so who do you have as Bad Joe of the Week? No, I was going to go. I mean, for me, that was beautiful. But yeah, I think this week I
01:08:28
Speaker
I think Romelu Lukaku deserves it because of how he was so good. I was so impressed. I did not expect him to be this good. And he needs to be this good for Inter to have any chance. So yeah, I thought he was really, really good. And yeah, so for me, it's probably Lukaku. Do you have anyone?
01:08:52
Speaker
I'll go Roberto D'Zabi just to annoy you. 6-0 win despite resting all his best players, despite resting Quesado, Mutoma, Macalester, basically rested all his best players and still won 6-0. Jurgen Klopp said it was the best performance he's ever seen in his career. Oh, stop. He did.
01:09:17
Speaker
You did? I'm not making it up. No, I know. I know you're not making it up, but Jurgen Klopp and Guardiola, just the shit that comes out of their mouth sometimes. OK, prim face of the week, talking about shit coming out of people's mouths, prim face of the week. Come on, take this away. That was bizarre. That was genuinely a bizarre experience for me because I did not like I don't follow Gary Lineker. In fact, I've muted him because I'm not interested in the stuff that comes out of his mouth. I think he's just such a
01:09:42
Speaker
He's just...
Twitter Drama with Gary Lineker
01:09:44
Speaker
I'm not interested. I think I find him boring. I find him mind-numbingly dull and inane in everything he says. So I've muted. I don't follow him. But our prem face hunter, Sam, he tagged me in a post because I think UEFA put...
01:10:08
Speaker
UEFA put a tweet out saying that, basically, which defender of all time would you choose to bring up Mark Ellinghoreland? He went with Paul McGrath and Sam tagged us both and said, I expected Gary to know better. I replied, I didn't.
01:10:39
Speaker
Um, and then our good friend, Jamil Shmihali, who actually really rate both as a person and as an analyst and is a very professional, lovely guy. He said, well, he has a point. I played a game against him. He's the guy's really good. And I replied, Oh, absolutely. Paul McGrath is really good. But I don't think that out of all the defenders to play the game, he would be the first name on the list of people I choose to mark Adeling Horland.
01:11:04
Speaker
and to which Janus said, very true. And then that was that. And then Gary decided to respond like an insolent little child and write five Z's as if he was bored and sleeping, and to which I replied, yeah, I agree. I find you boring. I think you're boring.
01:11:21
Speaker
And then he replied, what if you really flawed me with that comeback? And I said, I doubt I flawed you worse than your two dives or your dives against Cameroon in Italian 90, to which he said, oh, you're lying now. And then he blocked me like a child, which I think is hilarious. And the whole exchange was completely bizarre.
01:11:41
Speaker
So yeah, that to me is a big one. I played Varis during this whole exchange. Yes, you did. And I told Nima to mention the penalty. Because if you ever, and everybody that's listening, if you ever want to trigger Gary Lineker, just tweet to him that he dived against Cameroon in Italian 90 and he loses it. And he'll block you straight away. So if it's important to you not to get blocked by Gary Lineker, don't mention his dive against Cameroon, because
01:12:07
Speaker
I did it once during lockdown when they were showing old World Cup games over here in the UK on TV and they were showing England vs Cameroon and I tweeted out during it that Gary Lineker, his dives against Cameroon were so blatant and he replied to me really angry and really upset like saying it was basically GPH
01:12:27
Speaker
and I thought he was kind of like half joking and I said well it was actually you know it was actually worse dives than Gary Lineker that and then he blocked me and I thought wow like you know so yeah if you ever want to wind up Lineker just talk about his dives against Camarind
01:12:45
Speaker
No, it was just bizarre. I found the whole exchange utterly bizarre because it was over. The thing was over. And like I said, I didn't follow him. I'm not interested in what he says. I don't care what he says. I find him to be completely, like I said, incredibly boring. And he just got nothing of interest that he says. I don't follow him. I've muted him. I'm not interested. And so I didn't say anything. We just had a little discussion about Paul McGrath, who I actually rate. I think he was a great player.
01:13:15
Speaker
I just don't think he was one of the greatest defenders of all time to put jumps off the list. On top of the list of defenders, I'd like to mark Eiling Horland. I'd rather go with Gentile. I'd rather go with Lucio, Japstam, Maldini, Barrezi. There's lots of players you could, Samuel. I could go on all day of players that I would rather have. That's not taking anything away from Paul McGrath.
01:13:44
Speaker
But I don't think that Paul McGrath himself thinks he's as good as those names I've mentioned. So again, that's why it makes it such a prim face exchange because he said something trying to be a bit edgy. And then I was like, yeah, in my opinion, those players I mentioned are better than Paul McGrath. And he got triggered. And the whole thing is just and then he just it's childish.
01:14:08
Speaker
childish. But yeah, prim face for the week. Gary Spodflogger, Lineker. Yeah.
Upcoming Episodes and Italian Football Insights
01:14:17
Speaker
Okay, right. We'll be back on Tuesday for the Q&A episodes. And then we'll be on Thursday for the midweek review show. Huge calendar in midweek. And hopefully we will celebrate Natalie's Scudetto win. And
01:14:36
Speaker
It will be hopefully a historic week in Italian football. It will be. Okay, right. Let's leave it at that then. Enjoy the week. Enjoy the football. We'll see you on Tuesday. Until then, ciao ciao.