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Free Weekly Episode - Raspadori Napoli's Juventus Killer, Roma's Dybala On Fire, Milan's Okafor Wins Battle Of Rome, Bologna Stun Atalanta, Drug Cheat Pogba & Much More (Ep. 401)
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From Napoli star Giacomo Raspadori once again the Juventus killer, Dusan Vlahovic squandering chances as Federico Chiesa impressive, Paul Pogba doping ban, refereeing clownshow as AC Milan beat Lazio who lose their heads, Atalanta come up short in Champions League race to Bologna who make it 6/6 in Serie A, to Paulo Dybala on fire as Lorenzo Pellegrini revival under Daniel De Rossi continues at Roma, only 2 points separate Lecce in 13th with Cagliari in 18th in crazy relegation battle, and Champions League, Europa and Conference League previews, as well as Baggio, Premface and Serie Ass of the week and much, much more when Nima and Carlo break down all the main talking points from an action-packed weekend in Italian football.
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Transcript
Introduction and Serie A Overview
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian football podcast. Hello everybody and welcome to the Italian football podcast. I'm Carlo Garganese joined as always by Nimat Tavalli and on today's show we will react to the weekend
Napoli vs Juventus: A Tactical Analysis
00:00:15
Speaker
Syria action. Napoli finally ignite their season with a thrilling win against crisis hit Juventus. Giacomo Raspidori is the hero again in this fixture.
00:00:25
Speaker
Milan win a controversial and fiery clash in Rome as Lazio have three players sent off. Bologna continue their fairytale by winning again six game winning streak, beating Atalanta in Bergamo to really lock down fourth place in the race for the Champions League. Paolo Di Bala is back to his brilliant best after a stunning week for Roma in the wins against Torino and Monza.
00:00:51
Speaker
Sassuolo and Italy have been rocked by the news that Domenico Berardi has ruptured his Achilles tendon which ends his season and the Euros as well and the relegation race is even tighter now after some really big head-to-heads this past weekend, much to the delight of Nima. We will also have our usual Baggio prim face and Serie A as of the week.
00:01:14
Speaker
For all our first time listeners, this is our free weekly episode that we do every Monday, reviewing the weekend's serial 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 we do throughout the week including a weekly Q&A episode every Tuesday where we answer all of the questions from our patrons.
00:01:30
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 become a subscriber for just $2.99 a month, plus V-A-T. You can also sign up to be a paid subscriber on Spotify. We'll provide the link in the description. Same price, same terms.
Strategic Insights: Napoli's Champions League Aspirations
00:01:45
Speaker
And for all of you who listen on Spotify, Apple, and iTunes Podcast, we'd really appreciate if you give us a five-star rating. Give us a follow and a like. We're on YouTube also. It really helps us to grow and do more quality content for you guys.
00:01:58
Speaker
Okay, let's get into today's show. So we'll start off with the Sunday evening game. Napoli against Juventus, always a massive fixture because of the rival between these two teams. Napoli win 2-1 in a really exciting and thrilling game with a thrilling ending. Giacomo Raspidori wins the game in the closing minutes of the match. 2-1 Napoli. Let's start off Nima talking about this game from the Napoli point of view because it's been a really great week for Napoli. They thrashed Sassuolo 6-1
00:02:27
Speaker
and now they beat Juventus, and it's this, I think, finally, this can ignite their season. It's a win, a massive win against their rivals, and if there is one result that can ignite their season, it is this number, isn't it? Oh, without a doubt, and I think there's so much I take away from this. I've got lots of notes that I've written down that I want to talk about. First thing is, Napoli are back in the Champions League race.
00:02:56
Speaker
There's no doubt about that. And they're going to fight Roma tooth and nail, because I think Bologna will. They're a little bit, you know, they're a little bit too far ahead for Napoli, for Napoli to catch up with eight points ahead of them. But it's not impossible. But Roma Roma on four points ahead of them at fifth and that fifth, we all know there's like one ninety point seven three percent chance that the Serie A will have
00:03:26
Speaker
five teams in the Champions League next year. And no, that's not a percentage I just pulled out of my rectum. That's actually a percentage that they've calculated based on the teams that are left, the number of points Italy have accrued so far in Europe, the teams below Italy and so on and so forth. There's a 91% chance that Italy will have five teams in the Champions League next season, which is very high. So I think Napoli
00:03:51
Speaker
That fifth spot is all but certain going to provide Serie A with another Champions League spot. And so Atalanta Roma Napoli, I look at Napoli and look, we've always said that Napoli's firepower alone up front should be enough to get them into the Champions League. Roma are looking really good as well. Atalanta have been impressing with the results all season. But I wonder if
00:04:17
Speaker
or if Napoli just won't just edge them all out.
00:04:23
Speaker
Well, I think what I think we've definitely seen Kalzona make a difference. It's only been 10 days, which is not a long time, but four games in those 10 days, two wins, two draws, should have been three wins in a draw. They should have beaten Callery. But the last two games we've certainly seen, we've seen the difference. We've seen an improvement there. I mean, if I'm honest with you, I think they did ride their luck in this game in terms of the chances.
00:04:52
Speaker
If you look at this game just on big chances, Juventus don't deserve to lose this game. But if you look at this game in terms of the overall play, you can see that, I mean, Napoli were clearly the better team in terms of overall play, but you can see within that overall play that Napoli identity is back and Calzone has definitely made a difference in that respect. They've got their identity and their philosophy back in terms of
00:05:13
Speaker
dominating the ball, the possession. I think they had 72% possession in this game. The patterns of play, the little triangles, the little position where to move on the field. You know, they didn't create loads. But in terms of the, you know, the philosophy is back and they can build on that. It's only been 10 days. So, you know, Kazona said that I've only had 10 days to work with these guys and I haven't even really had much time to work with these guys because it's just been game, game, game, game. You know, haven't had much time on the training ground to kind of
00:05:42
Speaker
you know, put the, you know, the kind of the police positional aspect into, you know, into play. They, you know, they're still probably considered in a few too many chances, I think Juventus did create, create maybe a few too many in that respect. But there's definite impact from Calzone, they're showing more fight now, you know, they can see that Pia is a goal, they go straight down the other end and, and get the penalty and score the winner. So
00:06:06
Speaker
you know, we'll see if the results continue. They still have, you know, work to do to catch up, but they are now in a position where they can fight for that Champions League, that fifth Champions League spot. And there's still 11 games to go, so there is time. So it's been a very good start, I think, from Paozong. It has. And for me, it's the body language that I see from someone like Sri Chakvaratriya, who just looks happy again.
00:06:35
Speaker
He he's looked like he's been in his he's looked miserable all season. But now he looks like creature. He's he looks relaxed. It's like his it's as if like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders, the way he moves. He's he's the kind of guy that you can see on his body language and his face how he's feeling. He's not very good at hiding that.
00:06:56
Speaker
If he's feeling well, he just relaxes, he looks so much more relaxed, he looks so much more composed when going into chances, he looks more fired up.
00:07:11
Speaker
He looked like that against Juva yesterday. And against Sassuola. He was incredible against Sassuola. They're a disaster right now, but he got two goals and assists there. No, he was brilliant. And for me, the thing that I take the most from this is this is no longer Victor Osterman's Napoli.
00:07:30
Speaker
This is free check for a truly as napoli and i think we've seen that i was a little bit disappointed with us in his performance against against you and he won the penalty but i was clara clara was the man yeah and and and it's quite obvious i think on the pitch as well between them that,
00:07:47
Speaker
You know, everyone knows Victor Oseman is leaving in the summer. I think it's kind of become very clear as well on the pitch that Fritja is the main man. He's who Napoli will look to in the future. He's who they're going to build around. I think he's going to get a new contract and very shortly, if not in the summer, and they're going to build around him this new Napoli, whatever it may be and however it may look.
00:08:10
Speaker
And I think it was very evident against Juve that it's Kvychha that they turned to. It's Kvychha. Last season, it was Oseman. It was the Victor Oseman show. Well, not anymore. And you can even see that Victor Oseman is kind of OK with that as well. He's kind of handing over the leadership role.
00:08:27
Speaker
in attack to feature. He's shouldering it. And this is the thing with great players, in order to become great players, how you handle adversity, how you handle difficult periods. And it's been an absolutely horrible season for Napoli, making no mistake about it.
00:08:50
Speaker
But the way you come out of it on the other side, if Napoli were to pull this off and finish fifth, get to the Champions League.
00:08:59
Speaker
and kind of, you know, move away from the season. And even now, more importantly, which is the final point I wanted to talk about, the Barcelona game. Napoli can beat Barcelona. If they're going to play like this against Barcelona, they will destroy them. They've given themselves a chance and Barcelona got two key injuries last night as well. Frankie de Jong and Pedro, who I have to say on Pedro,
00:09:24
Speaker
Barcelona and Spanish football have absolutely destroyed this guy. We talk about Italian players, Zagnolo, Chiesa, you know, getting bad luck. You know, you can call that bad luck. What Spain have done with Pedri, just like overusing him the way that they overused him. They've burned him out. They've killed him. They've burned him out completely. He's definitely out. Looks like De Jong is going to be out as well. So, you know, looking at the way that the Napoli midfield
00:09:52
Speaker
played and controlled the game then yeah yesterday i mean i i think yeah i think they're they're they're i still make Barcelona favorites they're at home but i do think that that Napoli are right in there now where i wouldn't have really given them a chance
00:10:05
Speaker
Without a doubt, no, I see Napoli as slight favorites even, because I really don't like this Barcelona side. I think they're atrocious and I've felt that all season. And I think Napoli are looking energised, they look fired up, they look to have... Well, just look at the winner, look at Raspidori, who again is the hero in this fixture after he scores, just look at how, I mean, this is damning on Juventus as well, who we'll come to, but three Napoli players get to that.
00:10:30
Speaker
get to that ball on the rebound from Osseman's penalty. And if you look at when the penalty is taken, you see that they're about a yard outside of the box, each and every, each one of them, all three of them, like when Osseman is just about to hit the ball, the Raspadori and all these other guys are at least a yard behind the Juventus players, but they're coming in with such pace and ferocity and this kind of assertive energy.
00:10:55
Speaker
They wanted that win. And that's again, another sign of kind of the impact that Calzone has made that, you know, they're now fighting and they haven't got the fetus attitude. No, they don't. And it's a positive attitude as well. It's a very positive attitude. And you can tell that they know Calzone and they enjoy being with him. It's a little bit, you know, going back to the good old days, you know, he's a reminder of something very positive for them and they're enjoying their football, which is something we haven't been able to say about Napoli all year.
00:11:21
Speaker
Yeah, that's important. Yeah. Well, I'll tell you who isn't enjoying their football right now. And that is, of course, Juventus and Juventus fans aren't enjoying the football that Juventus play. So let's talk about this from the UVA point of view. I have to start off by saying I think that if you base this, as I said before, on the chances created in this game,
00:11:41
Speaker
Juventus don't deserve to lose this game. No way do they deserve to lose this game. In fact, if anything, they maybe even deserve to win this game. Without a doubt. I mean, they've created three big chances in the game for Blauwitsch. He just fluffed every single one of them. He should have had a hat trick by the 37th minute. It really is disappointing. I'm really disappointed with Blauwitsch. We've given him praise this season for coming back in his 15 goals in the Serie A. That's good. He's going to end up on 20, which is very respectable.
00:12:10
Speaker
despite the difficult season that he's had. But he should have had three goals. It's as simple as that. He absolutely fluffed and squandered three chances in the opening 36 minutes alone. Okay, the finish that hit the post is unlucky because that's a fantastic finish, but the rest, for goodness sake. The third one was the worst. That was the worst one. The first one, it's a header, a cross comes in, it can happen. The second one,
00:12:36
Speaker
was a little bit of an angle and he's very unlucky with it. It's a fantastic finish by Vlovich, the angle, to find the angle, and that's unlucky. But to me, at least one of those chances have to go in. Yeah, absolutely. It's just not good enough. And I feel Juventus throughout this game created far the better chances. Yes, they did. They did. On big chances alone, Juventus definitely deserve a draw at the very least. If anything, I mean, if you look at the XG,
00:13:05
Speaker
I think the xgs were quite little quite even but most of napoli's expected goals come from the penalty miss and then the penalty yeah and then the rebound score you know you've answered that and there's no doubt about it even if people have to understand about it she that it's a cumulative meaning that at the end of the game.
00:13:21
Speaker
it's 0.1 plus plus plus plus plus. So if you just look at the, look at the XG overall, it doesn't really say anything. You have to look at the actual chances of penalties. You have to see where they, where the XG come from. Most of Napoli's came from most, from the penalty miss, which is like 0.8 plus. Then after that, they had the rebound, which was a high level chance as well. So most of Napoli's chances, most of Napoli's XG come just from that alone. Um, otherwise, you know, you remove that. I think, yeah, Vince has definitely,
00:13:49
Speaker
No, I think it would describe him as a chance as well. And then Rugani had a half decent chance at the end as well. On chances, there's no doubt about it. Juventus don't deserve to lose this game. The issue is, once again, the overall play of Juventus, which is pathetic. 28% possession.
00:14:10
Speaker
I mean, again, no passes of play, no sustained pressure, just counter attacks, picking up on loose balls. I mean, even the chances that Juventus create, if you look at, I mean, Kiesa will come to, you know, it was individual moments from Kiesa to create the chances for Vlarevic. It's not through any kind of
00:14:29
Speaker
patterns of play or team build up to get there, is just picking up on loose balls, pouncing on mistakes, like the third chances, is just the same crap in terms of overall play that we've seen for three seasons. There's no progress at all in terms of the overall play. The midfield completely dominated and outplayed, as is always the case every game. The Juventus midfield is just incapable under a legory of controlling a game of football. And the defence
00:14:56
Speaker
just inviting pressure and crosses. And that's what happens. You invite pressure, you give away penalties like they did for the winner. And they were lucky event is not to give away a second penalty as well. I mean, that is that in the first half.
00:15:12
Speaker
Especially there was there was a body check essentially on feature, which I don't understand how they don't give the penalty there. So you were lucky. I mean, I mean, I've repeated myself for three years. I don't want to just repeat myself over again, but you cannot succeed playing like this in twenty, twenty four. It's an outdated, completely outdated style of football. And, you know, yes, on this game, on chances created, you know, you mentors are unlucky to lose this game. If you're looking at the bigger picture,
00:15:40
Speaker
in terms of how a team plays to create success over the course of a season, you cannot play this kind of football, 28% possession, inviting pressure, not being able to control the ball or control the midfield, and just trying to hit on counter-attacks and picking up on loose balls and creating for individual moments like Kieso did in creating the chances and pouncing on mistakes, like the third ball, that kind of football does not succeed. So that's what I'm taking from this game in terms of the bigger picture. If I'm looking at this game,
00:16:10
Speaker
Honor alone on the chances you don't deserve to lose this game and so there's two is two different. Points to make it and both of them can be true at the same time. With a yeah i mean look i think it's i think if you have a game like that where you went to school i don't think they create the chance of the event is created weren't.
00:16:31
Speaker
like out of mistakes from Napoli, there were chances Juventus created. The third one for Blaubich was. That was a mistake. Well, yeah, fair enough. But the rest of them weren't. And even towards the end,
00:16:41
Speaker
Juva created and they did so via their play. It wasn't, you know, it wasn't, it wasn't David Moyse football, you know, just blob it up to the tall guy up front and hope for the best. That's just not, no, there were patterns of play. You just don't like those patterns of playing. You don't like the low, low percentage of ball possession and you don't like the fact that they invite pressure and counter attack. Fine. That's taste. But that's Juventus, if Laovich had a better evening, should have at least scored.
00:17:11
Speaker
twice. And then they draw this game. And also, for me, the most important thing, I think, I liked what I saw from Federico Chiesa. I think he needs to get over himself. He needs to understand that he can't play as a winger, he has to play as a second striker. He's
00:17:29
Speaker
That way he can actually have a world-class career. I thought he was brilliant. Some of the movements he does. I love the opportunistic finishing. As soon as he gets a little site on goal, I mean, the goal was an example of that. It wasn't even a chance. And he just knows that the ball is there and places it through there. I really, really think here's I need to understand that he's not a winger. He can't play as a winger anymore after the injuries. If he wants to have a top career,
00:17:57
Speaker
he needs to play as a second striker in a two-man attack. That way he can showcase his fantastic talent that he still has and express himself on the pitch with the brilliant technique that he has and he's fairly ambidextrous, he's good in the air, he can still dribble. I thought he was outstanding in a two-man attack and I really hope he understands that this is where he needs to play and Allegri was right again on this.
00:18:24
Speaker
It's as simple as that. Well, I don't think he could say his leg was right based on one game. He was outstanding. It wasn't just one game. He's been saying it for two and a half years that he should play as a, as a, as a, as a second photographer, basically the whole season because he has one good game. You can't say, no, I think it's not just one game. I've been saying it for two and a half seasons too, but you know, I think he should play that. I think he, I really think that the killer instinct he has, uh, in the box, this, this kind of, he's got a very
00:18:50
Speaker
assertive directness towards goal that he's always had like a like a heat seeking missile sometimes when when he were on the wing now after the injury he doesn't have that kind of explosiveness about him but he still has the intelligence the technique and the quality in the box therefore use it play he should really accept that he should play as a second striker i really think so i think it's a mistake if he keeps someone around him needs to basically tell him some hard truths that look
00:19:16
Speaker
You're not the player you were before the ACL, you're never going to be. But what you do have are some very, very specific tools that are unique in football. And you can still have a fantastic career. Play, accept your role, and embrace the second striker role.
00:19:30
Speaker
He was definitely fantastic in this game. He had a great game. He, especially after all the criticism that he's got, he really responded to that. It was a great goal. He had two great assists for the Vlauvits chances. He also went past his man for the chance that Cambiazo had. He showed that the quality is there in the right settings. He still has quality. And he also had a much better attitude here, just drawing on that point. He wasn't moaning and negative. He was applauding his teammates even
00:19:59
Speaker
I remember one pass, I think it was by Moretti, we over hit it by about 80 yards and most people would have lambasted him for that when Kiesa was three and he applauded him. He wasn't being the stubborn Kiesa of just hogging the left touch line because that's where he wants to play. He was trying to actually carry out the
00:20:22
Speaker
the more of the responsibilities of a, of a, of a second attacker. Um, so he was brilliant in it. He was fantastic. And you can't, you can't, couldn't really ask for much more given the way I'm looking at the euros. He needs to do this consistently. He hasn't, we know he doesn't like the role. We know he still thinks he's a winger. Um, and he hasn't had, you know, we cannot, but we cannot sit here and say, you know,
00:20:50
Speaker
He's an attacker, he's a second attacker just because he has one good game. For most of the season, he's been awful in the role. So we can't just say because he's just because he's had one good game, he's failed in the role up until now over all of the Allegri's career. He's failed in the role just because he has the odd good game. Well, no, not against Chelsea when they beat Chelsea at home. I thought, you know, when Allegri literally said that this is his role. Yeah, but these are the exception. This is the exception. He's failed in the role over the course of Allegri's. But we'll see if he can do it.
00:21:17
Speaker
I still have my, you know, I'm not sure. I know that he'd rather, I think the issue is, I think he, you're right in the sense that he has the quality, he has these qualities in, you know, even in tight spaces, which we can make use of. And I'm with you on the sense that since he's come back from the ACL,
00:21:37
Speaker
he isn't able to rinse his man although he did beat his man for the cambiezo chance but he doesn't have that serum pace to get away from players anymore but that doesn't mean that he can't play as a winger I think he needs to be
00:21:55
Speaker
In the right setting in a leg routine is not going to be right for him because in a leg routine you're gonna be playing more counterattacking and over long spaces in top in with space in front of me he doesn't have that pace and that acceleration to get away from his man so that doesn't suit him playing the same a wing going on a leg routine.
00:22:14
Speaker
Playing as a winger in a Spoletti team, where you're dominating possession, where you're going to be close to your box every single time Kiesa receives the ball, there's no reason he can't play as a winger in that system because he's going to receive the ball in situations where he can do what you're saying about. You know, he can go left, he can go right, he can get the ball out and take a shot, he can just make half a yard, put the ball in. There's no reason, but I think it's more, less about the position, it's more about the settings that are given to him by the way that the team plays.
00:22:42
Speaker
and I think the Allegri's football doesn't suit him as much. Having said that though, he was fantastic last night. He was brilliant. He was brilliant. I'm looking for the Euros if Italy are going to play a 3-5-2, which I hope Spaletti does, and he needs a
00:22:59
Speaker
two-man attack then then this is one of this well this is a bit this is a big positive this is a big positive also for Italy this performance because uh you know we've lost Berardi and for the euros now not that Berardi's ever been amazing for Italy but given the lack of options that Italy already have in attack it's a blow for Italy so the fact that Chiesa can can play this game we also need to see Chiesa now play a consistent run of games he's shown since his comeback from his ACR that he can't seem to be able to play
00:23:28
Speaker
two, three, four games in a row without breaking down again, you know, and you need that in tournaments. But he looked, he looked different against Napoli. His attitude was better. I think someone spoke to him and said, look, you can't behave like this. You can't, so you can't put your head down. You can't moan at your teammates. You can't just keep hugging the left touch down just because you want to play there.
00:23:49
Speaker
play the role, just play the role. If you play badly, you play badly, but do what you, do you know what I mean? So I think that, I think that that was good. You grow up, essentially, like a little bit, like stop sulking like a child and do what's right for the team in your career. And who knows, it might actually be good for you. Yeah. No, no, I think it's, I really liked what I saw. Yeah. I mean, that's the positive from this game was Kiesa for sure. I mean, I thought Allegri subs were bad again. His substitutions recently had been really poor.
00:24:18
Speaker
Really really poor for someone who generally is usually very good usually quite good over his career with his in-game changes Really really bad. I don't understand why he took cambiaso off when what soon as cambiaso came off. I
00:24:30
Speaker
Juventus did nothing really, other than the Chiesa goal. They lost their impetus. It's clear now, Weijer is a flop. I don't know whether you can call a flop someone who you know is going to be a flop. We should call him a flop, but he's a mid-table player at most.
00:24:50
Speaker
George Weyer. Not George Weyer. Certainly not George Weyer. George Weyer, no. George Weyer was a Ballon d'Or winning genius. No, but seriously, I don't rate him either. And Nanjay, I have to say that that's poor management from Allegri. You don't take off a kid 10 minutes after bringing them on just because they give away a penalty. That's really poor. That's how you destroy a kid. And he's a really talented kid as well. He's got talent described. He's got the ability there.
00:25:30
Speaker
sending out a message, are you mentally tough enough to take it or not? That is that's vintage old school Italian. Yeah, well, coming from an outdated coach that you do something like that to a kid. You don't do that to a kid. I'm sorry. It's bad. But yeah, you then just, you then just run lucky to lose. But you know, they've got to be careful that their form is is really bad. I mean, they're plummeting a three defeats in a draw.
00:25:47
Speaker
that's old school Italian
00:25:56
Speaker
in the last five games. There'll be 15 behind the end. I mean, they need to just forget about it now, but you know, the start of March, I mean, you know, and I mean, you guys are so lucky that there's there's only 11 games left.
00:26:08
Speaker
because otherwise they would be looking over the shoulder. Milano, one point behind. Now, Bologna are only six behind. They're on complete fire in fourth. They've got a good little gap there to Atalanta in fifth, so they should be all right, but they need to be careful. They've got Atalanta coming up next. They have to be careful because this level, this form continues, and Juventus do have a tough run of games coming out because they've had their easy fixtures go.
00:26:34
Speaker
you know, then then they they they know they have to be careful. They're leaky, like we've seen some leaking goals now that no clean sheets and six, which is what they built their success on in the first season. And that's despite playing for relegation teams. And as we said again before, you know, they're not defending well. And that the best example of that is the
00:26:53
Speaker
the reaction to the save from Chesney on the Ossiman penalty, the way that three Napoli players could get there before Bremer, Sandro and somebody else. I mean, that's poor defending. That's really poor defending as well. I mean, you've got to be, you've got to get, you've got to be there first. No, Juventus are not there. I mean, also, as I said, they were lucky enough to give away a second penalty or a first penalty in the first half.
00:27:19
Speaker
because the body check for a feature was insane. They are defensively. There's something not clicking. Chesney was poor as well, by the way, just to add that, like I think he could have done better, should have done better on the goal. I know it took a slight nick of Cambiassa, which made it difficult for him. But he should have done better on the first goal. But the second goal, the second penalty for me is a mistake from Chesney. That's an error from Chesney because Osseman's penalty is pathetic.
00:27:48
Speaker
It's an easy save. He's there. And I think Legri actually said it after the game, rightly so. Legri said it. You've got to push that to the... You've got to push that to the side. Yeah, I agree. You've got to push that to the side. Rebound straight out. Exactly. Like, rebound straight out at you unless we're talking about a Thundercracker award.
00:28:03
Speaker
Yeah, if it's a shot that's to the corner, or it's a shot that's really powerful, you can understand it. This was a weak, this was a central penalty that you had all the time in the world, you've got to parry that out so that for a goal kick for a corner or just out to the side, so you don't have a rebound. That's that's a for me, that's a mistake from from Chesney, that he pushes it right into the center for for the rebound. Yes, Juventus defenders should be there first, but it's also it's on Chesney as well. Yeah, no, and also,
00:28:31
Speaker
just finally Osseman and Lautaro with penalties, my God. Osseman, especially, Osseman, he should not take another penalty again. Ever. No. I don't get it. I think it's partly with Osseman. I think it's also partly because he's got quite, I don't want to dare say,
00:28:56
Speaker
that he's not coordinated, but his frame is a little bit like one foot, second foot. It's not the most streamlined and smoothest of techniques and running techniques, should we say, running styles. And I think that when he goes up and approaches the penalties, he's not the smoothest. Do you know what I'm trying to say? I don't think he
00:29:21
Speaker
I just think it's a mental thing. No, I just don't think he's taking it seriously. I think he's natural striking the ball from a dead position. You wouldn't imagine, he doesn't take three kicks either, probably for the same reason. He doesn't have that natural technique for running up to a dead ball and then striking it. I think that's partly it, but he should take penalties. Him and Lautaro should just not take penalties anymore.
00:29:47
Speaker
They are fantastic strikers, but my God in heaven do they suck at penalties. We have to talk about Paul Pogba. It was announced on Thursday that Pogba had been banned for four years for doping, Italy's anti-doping tribunal.
00:30:04
Speaker
handed Pogba a four-year ban. He, of course, failed a doping test in August after the opening Serie A game of the season against Gudeneza, which he'd been on the bench for. DHEA, which can raise the level of testosterone was found in Pogba's body. And then he had a repeat test, a second sample that also tested positive in October. That led to him being suspended provisionally. And now he has been banned for
00:30:34
Speaker
for four years and so a few things to discuss in them are first of all starting from the Juventus point of view and I think as you said last week and I said also I wrote a feature about this a few months ago this now confirms that this is the most disastrous return in football history isn't it never I can't think of anyone that's any any worse return I really can't think of anyone who's returned back to a club and it be
00:31:01
Speaker
more disastrous than what we've seen here this time around, honestly. It's absolutely atrocious. Everything that has gone wrong has gone wrong. Everything. We'll look at the numbers now. I really don't even know what else to say. It's just everything that could go wrong has gone wrong. His body has completely deteriorated. He was barely fit before the doping suspension and then that came.
00:31:31
Speaker
It's just been an absolute mess. And if you take into consideration how much they paid for him in wages and how much he's cost them,
00:31:38
Speaker
It's just been, it's a waste, a complete waste. Well, he's played just 214 minutes of football for Juventus since, since showing in. I mean, that's less than, that's two and a bit games, you know, in total. He's scored no goals. And he came last summer, not this summer. That was the summer of 2022. Yeah. Scored no goals, just the one assist. He only started one match.
00:32:02
Speaker
in his entire second spell at Juventus, a game in which he limped off from injured against Cremonerza in the first half. The way that Juventus have handled this as well, his injury and Paul Pogba as well, they've messed the cock up. I've learned that more on Pogba, but the injury, he came with the injury, he tried to get fit for the World Cup, he refused to have an operation, which Juventus wanted him to have an operation, he refused. He wanted to try conservative treatment,
00:32:29
Speaker
that failed. He then was forced to then have an operation which basically ruled him out for almost the most of the season. He came back towards the end with a few kind of substitute appearances and then got injured again. I blame that more on Pogba, but yeah, Juventus certainly are responsible. They shouldn't have signed him in the first place. I said it at the time. It was a
00:32:49
Speaker
crazy decision because they could see his injury record that many united in his last two to three years there was which you could see this was a guy that was broken physically then they give him a contract of 10 million a year on a four-year contract um so he's been very expensive um they're only positive for you then so this is that now with this this dopant test which is i mean they won't admit it publicly this is actually probably a good thing for you then so because they've only been paying him 2400
00:33:14
Speaker
euros a month since the provisional doping ban. So they don't have to, even if they keep him on his books now for the rest of his contract until 2026, they won't have to, they just paying peanuts until then.
00:33:29
Speaker
so they release that financial burden, which would be important. He's almost certain he'll be released now. They just need to be legally secured. They'll make sure legally that they're safe. I think they'll terminate the contract by mutual consent in the summer. I think he's going to appeal now the four-year contract,
00:33:53
Speaker
sorry, the four-year suspension and we'll see where it goes and if it goes down and how far it goes and so on and so forth. But I don't... I mean, it's obviously very sad, though, isn't it? I mean, we have to look... I just don't see Paul Pogba putting on a Juventus shirt ever again. But it's not just Juventus shirt. I mean, this is his top level career over. I mean, even... Well, to be fair, it hasn't even been over. Listen, if it's a four-year ban, and let me just say, I do think the punishment is very excessive. For a first offender for DEHEA, four years is way too severe. But I mean, I'm sure it will get
00:34:22
Speaker
Cut on appeal, but even if it's a two-year ban, that's his career done. If it's a two-year ban, he'll be back in September 2025. He'll be 32 and a half. No, that's his career. To be fair, if we're perfectly honest, his career has been over for a few years, in my opinion. Essentially, after France won the World Cup, his career was over.
00:34:46
Speaker
you know. He's been the mess that was at United as well, wasn't he? That he was there and everything that happened then. And it's a shame because he was a fantastic player when he was at the first bell.
00:35:00
Speaker
It was what he provides so unique. And that Uberside that he played under him in Diwala was just unbelievable. Yeah, I just think that, you know, in terms of when we look back at his career, obviously he'll be seen as partly an unfiltered talent, even if he still had a, you know, look at the first half of his career, still did so many fantastic things that many players could only dream of doing. It's sad in the sense that
00:35:28
Speaker
his reputation has now been tarnished. I mean, yes, when we've spoken that Dopin is rife in football, many more superstars that have never been named publicly Dope, but Pogba has been caught. This is a stain on his career. And he is, I think he's got to be the most high profile convicted Doper in football for
00:35:46
Speaker
you could even potentially say 30 years since Maradona. I mean, maybe, I mean, certainly 20 years since Guardiola and like the Dutch players like Stam, de Boer, Davids, when they all got, when they all got done. I mean, since Guardiola, he is the most, I can't think of anybody else that, that is a bigger name than Polka, an international name. So, you know, this is always going to be a stain on him. It is, isn't it? And I think that's sad, I think. I think that's sad. It is sad, of course, especially since he
00:36:16
Speaker
It was clearly not, you know, the way when you read more into it, it was a stupid mistake. It was more... Well, Juventus didn't know anything about it, which I think is what's killed him here, because, you know, he's clearly gone off and he's done this with his... He's gone to a doctor who's not been in, like, the whole, there was no... Well, this is his defence, yeah.
00:36:37
Speaker
Yeah, but it's it doesn't matter because you're always responsible for what you put your body in. And that's just how it is. And that's how the doping rules are built up. But if you look at it, it's not like he's gone in and tried to, you know, Ben Johnson his way. This was this was something stupid. This was a mistake. And again, he's responsible for it. But it just it just reminds me of, you know, when
00:37:03
Speaker
when players are desperate and they they're so they're so desperate to get back to what they were that they they kind of lose focus a little bit of and become a little bit frantic in how they want to get back and it's sad but there's no doubt that his career is over now even if he gets a two-year ban like okay so what is he going to do jog on the sidelines for two years and then come back to who was going to take him at 32 33 no i think you're right i think you're spot on i think it was a cry of desperation that he couldn't accept that his body was breaking down and
00:37:32
Speaker
and he couldn't do it and he couldn't accept it. And it's probably like someone that's getting old and goes to plastic surgery and botches it up even more. Or like Alexei Sanchez that can't understand that he can't run as quickly as he used to do and still refuses to accept that he's no longer 25, but doesn't understand that time waits for no man.
00:37:58
Speaker
And that you have to adapt. I mean, one of the greatest reasons that someone like Ronaldo or Zlatan were able to play or Maldini were able to play as long as they did is because they understood that they were getting older and they relied on other things and they adapted their game accordingly. But with Pogba, with someone like these guys, they just can't accept reality. And when you can't accept reality,
00:38:21
Speaker
you become desperate. And that's what I'm a little bit worried about, what's going to happen to Federico Chiesa, which is what I was referring to, that he needs to accept that he's no longer a winger. He can't do that anymore, in my opinion. And I don't want to see him piss away the rest of his career. Yeah. OK, let's move on now. Let's move on to another controversy.
Controversial Matches: Milan vs Lazio
00:38:40
Speaker
Lazio against Milan. Milan win 1-0 in Rome. Lazio having three players sent off.
00:38:47
Speaker
There's only one place to start. We had to talk about the refereeing. Because all three Lazio players that were sent off, it was very controversial. Lazio very, very unhappy with the refereeing. They also had a goal disallowed. Certainly, no doubt, a referee who lost control of the game, totally. So from a refereeing point of view, Nima, let's go through each one because I think this was a terrible advertisement for Serie A.
00:39:13
Speaker
Let's go with the penalty. When the Bell Lord loses control of a game, it looks like this. It's like when things go bad for him, they go bad for him. And this was...
00:39:25
Speaker
just astonishingly poor handled. But yeah. Let's go with the penalty. I've seen Rocky talk about this. I haven't seen what Morelli said. They thought it was one that could have gone either way. You mean the Manion? The Manion one, yeah. For me, that is the one that I find
00:39:48
Speaker
the most strange, but in Di Bello's defense, because I was talking to Alessandro, who trains referees, and I asked him if I could read this up. And he says, and I asked him about it, because in my opinion, that should be a penalty regardless of the clumsiness. But the way he's explained it is really good. He says, look, first of all, I've never seen a dynamic like that.
00:40:08
Speaker
The defender passes to his keeper, who is sliding towards him. That's got to be the weirdest and dumbest thing I've ever seen. But also, it's the whole point of it. Manion gets the ball, who was passed to him from a teammate, then slides into an opponent who's moving towards him. There's actually no challenge in there, so it's an accidental contact. With fouls, we look at challenges, i.e. a player without the ball challenges one with the ball.
00:40:31
Speaker
That is not the case. It's literal bad luck. If Mignon missed the ball and the Lazio player was challenging for it by running towards it, then it would have been a PK. But the dynamic would have been completely different. It's a very small but important nuance. I also think you can see Mignon slightly pulling up his shoulder when the Lazio player jumps over him, which made me think about it. However, in my opinion, the Lazio player initiates the contact because he knows the ball's gone and he tries to get lucky.
00:40:57
Speaker
Look, I disagree with the way that he described the situation. I don't think there's any intent on Mignon and I think it is an accidental contact. But the fact of the matter is, it doesn't matter for me. Accidental or not, that is a foul. It should be a penalty.
00:41:14
Speaker
Yeah, I think I agree with Rocky. I think it's one that could go either way. It's one of those, you know, it's I don't see the big scandal. Put it that way. I don't see scandal either. It's a clumsiness. This came to me that the big decisions that went against Rocky or against Ibello
00:41:34
Speaker
are out of some of the most insanely clumsy, stupid, comical, clown circus things I've ever seen. That entire situation is weird. What are Milan doing? What are Mignon doing? What's the defender doing? It just slides into... It's like the soundtrack to that situation should be the Benny Hill song, where everyone's chasing each other at the end.
00:42:01
Speaker
Did it did it did it did it just complete circus. Let's go to the red let's go to the red cards now the first red for pella greenie i think by law the ref makes the right call me is an idiot it's it's this is the second thing i wanted to talk about water more on.
00:42:20
Speaker
Yeah, he's, look, it's, it's, he's trying to push a wee shepherd on the ball out of play, right? It's, yes, it's shit house three and maybe a little bit of bad sportsmanship from Pudacic, but it's also really naive and stupid from Pellegrini, as Pioli said at the end of the game.
00:42:37
Speaker
Just kick it out of play. If you want to stop the play... Then kick the ball out. And also... Why is he accepting it? What was the point of that? Punicic has every right to go after that ball. Has every right to go under the laws of the game to go after that ball. What Pellegrini is doing is absolutely a yellow card. And he's already on a yellow card. So that's like, there is nothing wrong with that decision at all. It's Pellegrini who has no brain.
00:43:06
Speaker
That to me is a complete, like, what are you doing? So I don't even understand what the scandal is here. If you're going to get angry at someone, you should get angry at Pellegrini, who is trying to, his logic is so stupid. He's basically saying, I'm trying to play at the ball out. Why are you going, I don't, what? I'm allowed to challenge for the ball. You're not allowed to do that.
00:43:28
Speaker
And especially if you're on a yellow. I think it's, I do think, I do think it's a bit shithousery from, from Pulisic as well. Like he should, he should understand that there's a player line on the floor and leave it as well. Like, like I think a good sportsman would, wouldn't, wouldn't chase after that ball. But at the end of the day, Pellegrini, why internally just, just kick the ball out? Sorry, but when Lazio, when Lazio scored against Inter last season, when DiMarco was on the floor, all those bets are off. There's no such thing.
00:43:58
Speaker
You play the ball out if you want. If you don't want, you don't play. I'm sorry. I'm not buying that for one second. Pellegrini made an arse of himself. He got, Pulisic has no obligation whatsoever at all to let that ball go out. And if Pellegrini wants the ball to go out, then just kick the bloody ball out. No, I'm sorry. Pellegrini embarrasses himself there. Completely embarrasses himself there.
00:44:20
Speaker
I think he just shows how stupid and naive he is. I'm sorry. That's not on the referee, that's on Pellegrini. Okay, second red for Maricic. We don't know what he said. Well, he said something. It's a straight red for the set. Yeah, he said something. I'm not sure what he said, but you know... If he said something, then he said something. We can't really comment on that because we don't know. Yeah, we don't know. We don't know. It's difficult to comment on that one. Because it was obviously something he said and that's what... Exactly what it was.
00:44:49
Speaker
The third red for Guendouzi I think is ridiculous. I think it's ridiculous. I don't even want to call it harsh. I think it's a joke of a decision. Poodle sitches all over him. Guendouzi is trying to shake him off and get rid of him. He really barely does anything. He gives him a little push to the ground after trying to get rid of him at the end. I think the ref needs to use some common sense there. There's no way that is a straight red card. It's a yellow at the very most and VAR has failed there too. You're punishing the victim.
00:45:15
Speaker
rather than the perpetrator. Alexander agrees with the one, and he says, on Gendouzi, I completely disagree with that red. Yes, he man handles his opponent a bit, but that is no way a straight red card. You give a yellow card on that. That's his position on that. And after thinking about it a little bit, I think I agree with that. I think a red card is straight red is far too excessive. But by then, he'd completely lost
00:45:44
Speaker
the game, Dibello. And I think he just looks at how Gendazi reacts as well, instead of actually looking at what the actual challenge, quote-unquote, was. But it's a mess. It's a mess.
00:46:05
Speaker
Yes. Okay, let's move on to... Let's talk about, I mean, there were two goals disallowed. Yeah, this one was a roughly disallowed goal. Look, you know my position on this. I don't like these millimetre precision offsides, which seem arbitrary to me on the semi-automatic because
00:46:22
Speaker
Look, I've seen Lautaro be offside on one. I've seen Wlowicz been onside and it all looks the same. I don't understand which part, if you're going to draw these millimeter perfect things when you publish it, then where does the line go? Like where is it? Where does it go? Because it looks like literally it's the shoulder. Sometimes it's on, sometimes it's off. And the images all look the same. Nobody understands anything.
00:46:49
Speaker
and it just creates a complete mess. They need to improve that graphic, they need to improve their communication, because right now it just feels arbitrary. It's also stupid as well, because the technology is not able to capture the exact moment to the millisecond of where the officer plays it. There's basically a margin of error.
00:47:08
Speaker
Yeah, so that makes it look stupid. But my issue here is that it brings up the whole talking point about the offside law again, which everybody knows I hate the offside law. But I've said before that I believe that the offside law should be judged by players feet. Simple as that. Stop doing parts of the body, armpits, hair,
00:47:33
Speaker
Cox, just do it. Just be, just be, and keep it simple. Some simple as that. If you're, listen, head and foot. I think yes. Head, I can, I can probably. Head and foot, I think make it easy. Cause those are the, those are usually our people score. Yeah. I can accept head.
00:47:53
Speaker
Head and foot, I agree. I think just change it to bums and shoulders and where does the shoulder begin and end and, you know. These armpit offsides and stuff like that. They drive me mad. They drive me mad. You time your runs with your feet. I mean, I would just make it feet. You time your runs with you. You time your runs. I mean, I'm going back to my childhood. You know, you're always taught. You time your run with your feet.
00:48:18
Speaker
You know, I think feet and head. Stay behind the line. Time your run and you're just timing your run and you keep making sure your feet are behind the line. Oh, make sure that your shoulder or your chin is pulled. And also where does the shoulder begin and where does it end? But look, for me, it's the head and the face altogether, like just under your, where your jaw ends. Like that's the head.
00:48:40
Speaker
for me. It's just that it makes a mockery of everything. You don't understand what's going on. What's the other call that you wanted to talk about?
00:48:55
Speaker
No, no, no, I'm happy there. This game alone was, I mean... Well, if we talk this from Lazio's point of view, we have to criticise them within this, even though they are unlucky, certainly with the Guentusi one, and the other ones, you know, went against them as others, some of those other incidents went against them. You have to criticise Lazio for losing their discipline. You don't get three red cards.
00:49:21
Speaker
and five yellows in total without having a discipline problem there. And it's not just the players, you know, between Sadie and Lottito, you know, going at each other during the week. You know, there's no control and togetherness this season at all between, from the top down to the players, between the coaching staff and the players, between the coaching staff and the president.
00:49:46
Speaker
and then that then plays out and spills out in the pitch. It's a bit like what we used to say about Mourinho, isn't it? I was just about to bring that number up. Your identity of your players comes down from up above originally, doesn't it? You know, you know, Letito moaning before the game, Sari moaning about transfers. I mean, this is what ends up happening.
00:50:04
Speaker
doesn't it, in the end, creates a tense atmosphere and Lazio lose their heads and they lose and they completely lose their heads. And and I'm glad you brought the marine example up because that's what I've got on my notes here. I think it was reminiscent of that. They, Lazio are all over the place. They're just not in balance. And it's all because of that Lotito and Sarri, they hate each other. I mean, that's the vibe you get. And I feel there's no doubt that Lazio Sarri is going to leave in the summer. I think there's no doubt about it.
00:50:34
Speaker
Even if they beat Bayern Munich and pull off a miracle, I think even more so Saadi will be like, I'm done with this. Yeah. Yeah. No, I'm in total agreement with you. I don't, I don't see how, how they cause it, but I mean, it's a shame. I think, look, I think this, I think that that's your needs.
00:51:09
Speaker
a restart.
00:51:11
Speaker
Even after going down to 10 men, they created big chances. I mean, Immobler missed a sitter at 0-0. He missed another huge chance to equalise it. I thought Zucchini was actually very lively. I thought he was really impressed with actually Zucchini. I'm really interested to see if he plays against Bayern. Luis Alberto was good. One nutmeg he did was beautiful.
00:51:31
Speaker
Um, you know, so I think that they played well and they were actually just quite, actually quite very unlucky to lose this game. And unfortunately that's all been overshadowed now by the fact that, or they've lost them because of all this. Um, the top four that I think we can say is definitely over now. Um, you know, successive defeats to fear and see an alarm, ninth position. I mean, 11 defeats in 27 games just confirms what you said, you know, they need a restart. Yeah. I think they need to.
00:51:58
Speaker
completely rebuild that squad from scratch with a coach, with a new coach, with a new identity. I think they need to just start over. But from Milan's point of view, don't nim up. I mean, it's a great win, but it wasn't a great performance for me. I thought they were actually quite poor, actually. So first half, they were very poor. They were so off it. They just weren't there at all in the first half. They got a bit better in the second half.
00:52:27
Speaker
You know, they got a clean sheet, probably undeserved clean sheet, which is a positive because they haven't had many. Um, apart from that, there's not, I don't really have too many positives to take that off before, I guess, you know, you've got the winner. And again, he scores again. Like he has become this guy. Like he, every time he comes on and plays, he's a substitute. He always scores, wouldn't he? Yeah. I think he's useful. I think he's a useful player. I think there's potential there. He's got some good attributes and he's got a goal threat. He's got the pace. The injuries are the big thing though, isn't it? With off the ball, he's a bit of a chaser.
00:52:57
Speaker
in that he just breaks down all the time constantly but but but that's um yeah this this not much else to say about my life it was it was a weird game this was not this was a weird weird strange game this was not representative of a big game in the city i had all this was just one of those instances where
00:53:18
Speaker
It was just farcical. Everything that could go wrong went wrong and it just all and a referee that was not in control of the situation or what was going on the pitch. Comical mistakes that I don't think I've ever seen. I honestly have never seen anything like that Mignon situation in my life, not even in Swedish third tier. Have I seen something as stupid and comical as that?
00:53:42
Speaker
Pellegrini, same thing there. I mean, it was just one dumb thing after another. So just let's forget about this game. Let's hope it never happens again. Yeah, it's a good win for Milan. They're one point behind Juventus now. I think they're going to overtake you, but I think they're going to overtake you. I'm looking at their next fixtures. Yeah.
00:54:01
Speaker
I mean, they've got Slavia Prague, they should easily win that first round game. Then they've got Empoli and then they return leg. And then Verona, Fiorentina, Leccin, Sassolo. The only thing that can stop them is if, you know, the Europa League takes precedence and they rest some players, but yeah, it's a good win for them. It's a good win for them. But regardless, they've got Empoli, Verona, and then of course Fiorentina and Leccin, Sassolo. So they have an easy, easy run. They've got a good run of fixtures, yeah, and you meant to have a very tough run of fixtures.
00:54:25
Speaker
Yeah, so I think they're going to overtake Juve over the next couple of weeks and I think they will finish second because they're going into matchday 34, 35, they'll play into 33, they'll play in the Derby and then by then the scurrata will be over. They still have to play Juve as well, but yeah. Okay, right. Rest of the top four race now, the massive, massive match for fourth place, Atalanta versus Bologna.
00:54:49
Speaker
in Bergamot. This was a game of two halves. Atalanta was so dominant in the first half. There was only one team in the pitch in the first half. I have to say, as much as I've been Bologna's biggest supporter this season, I didn't see that turnaround coming in the second half and they completely
00:55:08
Speaker
completely turned it in a second half and dominated themselves in the second half. From Atalanta's point of view, it's been a really bad week for them. After the draw with Milan, which they didn't deserve, hammered by Inter, they lose here, they fall out of the top four, well, they haven't fallen out of the top four, they've moved down to six now, Roma have overtaken them. I think that this probably shows that
00:55:37
Speaker
this last week that they are still a little bit short.
00:55:42
Speaker
compared to the big teams, their performances against the big teams. They may be missing something compared to the very best teams in Syria, which is kind of, I think, how we rated them at the beginning of the season. I remember us both saying, you know, at Atlanta, they're a good team, but they're probably just missing something compared to the big teams. And then they surprised us. They went on this fantastic run. But now that they've had the big fixtures and they have a crazy, tough run of fixtures. I mean, Milan into Bologna, who they played with, and they got sports in Juventus, sports in again.
00:56:11
Speaker
Fiorentina, Napoli, the Coppa Italia. This is where it was the make or break part of their season. So far, they've fallen short in these matches against the big teams. And maybe that's a sign of maybe where they're at, Atalanta.
Atalanta's Performance: Challenges and Opportunities
00:56:27
Speaker
I think that's spot on. That's exactly how I see them. I think they're on their way to where they want to be, but they're not quite there yet.
00:56:37
Speaker
They're a good way on their way, but they're not there yet. And I think they they showed it. They're showing it as well. They're they're not. It's it's a work in progress, you know. And I think this last week proves it as well. So but Bologna, the reaction was just fantastic. And Joshua Zirksi, where where does he go? Like by Munich, why did they spend that money on Harry Kane? Seriously, if you're going to have a number nine that can link up as well as this kid does,
00:57:06
Speaker
They should have just brought Joshua's exe back.
00:57:10
Speaker
Well, I don't think anybody could have could have predicted at the beginning of the season that he would do. I mean, you wouldn't. There's no way buying away. But he would have said that in August, this guy, this guy is going to do what he did. But I think in this game, I think it was Salah makers who changed the biggest influence in this game. Come on at halftime. Sounds crazy. He changed the game, you know, and again, I have to give credit to Motta. I mean, yeah, that's the way that he's able to change matches, the way that they were so bad in the first half.
00:57:40
Speaker
No one could have seen this turnaround come in. He makes two changes at half time. Cellar Makers comes on for Orsolini and Bologna are a totally different team and then they turn it around. That's Motta. He's able to judge matches while they're in progress and make little tweaks and that's a sign of a top coach. No, he is a top coach. There's no doubt about it. He's going to have a top career.
00:58:07
Speaker
We just have to wait where that is and how, how, you know, where does he go and how does he, you know, where do we go from here? And a great guy by Ferguson, who's well, who, yeah, I was going to say that's a lot of people, a lot of people say on, on, on line, um, that, you know, he's, he's, yeah, maybe he's somebody that we don't, we don't talk about enough, uh, Ferguson.
00:58:28
Speaker
I'm not sure, I mean, I know the Juventus have been very heavily linked to him. I'm not sure if he can get to that play at that level, but then maybe we're under-rating him. I don't know. He certainly is a goal threat. He's got a good shot. He gets into good positions. I mean, that was a fantastic, I thought it was a fantastic goal. But I think Motta knows how to use him as well. Motta's just getting the best out of everybody. He's maximising the potential of everybody, Motta is.
00:58:56
Speaker
And I just have to say one more time, um, Calafiori, I just, someone needs to, someone needs to like, I really, as I was saying last week, that I hope that they're now that they're going to get to the Champions League. And I do think they will get to the Champions League now that they're going to, I hope they can keep, keep everyone. But I, I seriously doubt.
00:59:24
Speaker
that they will be able to keep Calafiori. Defenders like that, when you play like that, you're an Italian defender, you don't stay at Bologna, even if Bologna are playing in the Champions League. And I think that will be a mistake. That's the concern of whether, as an Italian football fan, whether I want Bologna to get to the Champions League, because I'm just scared that they're going to lose Motta, they're going to lose their best players and then you think, well,
00:59:52
Speaker
And you're right California was great in this game as well I think after after Ferguson seller makers, and you know I think he was the best player on the pitch You know you're worried that they're gonna lose too many of their players, and then it's kind of like well It's a wasted team for seria in in the in the Champions League And that's the concern because I think they're in they're in a great position now to qualify six wins in a row Which I believe is the best run
01:00:19
Speaker
for over 60 years by Bologna. And they're also, you know, they haven't even been in the, I mean if you discount the Intertoto Cup.
01:00:27
Speaker
which some of the older listeners may remember. They've not been in Europe this century, you know? And they could be in the Champions League. I mean, it's miraculous what they've done this season. And their record against the big teams is incredible. They've beaten Atalanta twice now, Lazio twice. They've beaten Fiorentina. They've beaten Inter in the Coppa Italia.
01:00:52
Speaker
They've drawn with Milan, Inter, Juventus and Napoli in Serie A. They've only lost one game to one of the big teams in Serie A this season, and that was Milan on the first day of the season. Since then, all the big matches against those big teams, which I've read out, they've either drawn or won. I mean, that's the start. I mean, Juventus and Inter or Milan would be proud of that record, let alone Bologna. So, I mean, they've done fantastic.
01:01:21
Speaker
No they have. There's no doubt about that. There is no doubt about that. Talking about fantastic though.
01:01:28
Speaker
Paolo Di Bala.
Player Highlights: Dybala, Chiesa, and Pogba
01:01:30
Speaker
Paolo Di Bala is back to his brilliant best. What a week Paolo Di Bala had. Hat-trick against Sereno in a 3-2 win and then run the show again in this game against Monter. Brilliant free kick. 4-1 win for Roma. Assist for Lukaku. He also did an assist for Disalad. Isn't it beautiful in an age, Nima, 2024 that we're in, where we don't have, we always cry about how, you know, we don't have any many individual
01:01:57
Speaker
stars anymore in football. It's all just robots, pressing robots, no specialists, no fantasy players, magical players. We just don't have many of these players anymore like we used to have when we were kids growing up in the 90s. But then you have Pablo Di Bala come out and do that half the week he's had and scoring free kicks and scoring like wonder goals and fantastic shots from outside. We have to cherish these players, I'm telling you, because there's going to be even less of these players, you know, as the years go. I mean, he's a dime
01:02:27
Speaker
I mean, I want to say that he's a, he's a braid that's probably dead now. He's on, he's, he's at the end now. You know, he's 30. I mean, it's, it's, we don't get players like this. And it was, it's been a joy watching Di Bala in this last week. It has. It really has. And it's been a joy watching Lauren Topellegrini as well, because
01:02:47
Speaker
He look, give him the number 10 for the Euros. Like this is where I'm at with him. If he's going to play like that, the link up, the passing, the goal scoring, the class. He's if you're going to play with a three man midfield, Lorenzo Pellegrino has to be the Mitzala to the left and he needs to have the number 10. He takes all three kicks corners with that foot. He's just wonderful. He's playing the football of his life and and it's nice to see.
01:03:17
Speaker
You know, it's I was just blown away by him. Yeah, he's been reborn under Rossi. He's been the biggest success story of the biggest winner from the Rossi coming five goals, three assists in nine games. And I mean, we have to say that the influence of the Rossi has been magnificent. Fifth winning seven right back in the top four race now.
01:03:39
Speaker
And they were in fifth place. He moved above. He's done. Let me put it to you like this. De Rossi has completely blown me out of the water in the sense that I did not think he was going to have this impact because he was dreadful at Spal. There was nothing to suggest that he was going to be to do anything like this after he, you know, when he was appointed after what he went through at Spal because it was dreadful. But.
01:04:04
Speaker
he's proven me wrong and he's been really, really good. He's Roma or a balanced side. Tactically, I think they're also pretty sound. It's not just him, you know, being the professional player and that he was and the good person, the gentleman and correct player, that person that he was, it's actually looking pretty solid tactically as well. They're playing some modern passing football, they're looking
01:04:33
Speaker
They're looking cohesive and it's looking really good. I don't know how much of it is left over from Mourinho and how much of it is him, but he has over-performed my expectations, even if Roma don't get to the Champions League.
01:04:51
Speaker
Well, all the issues that we had with Mourinho, he's turned around already. And, you know, in six weeks or so, he's been there. I mean, you know, they're scoring, they're creating lots, they're scoring lots of goals, which they weren't doing under Mourinho, despite the talent they have. He's getting the most out of the attackers. I mean, De Balla, Pellegrini.
01:05:12
Speaker
Lukaku's still not quite there, but he scored here. We'll see if he can have a good end to the season now. He's been a breath of fresh air and positivity. He's brought positivity. It was all negativity, negative, negative, negative. Mourinho, red cards all the time from the players and the staff, always complaining in the media. It can get too toxic. It was toxic. And Mourinho always playing down.
01:05:40
Speaker
the abilities, you know, always, Marino is always, you know, he always has to come up with excuses and, you know, well, you know, with the players that we've got, you know, we can't expect to do more than this. And, you know, he might be right. But, you know, De Rossi is trying to turn that around and say, you know what, we've got Di Bala, we've got Pellegrini, we've got Lukaku, you know, we've got quality players here, we can do something, you know, he's taken it, he's, he's span it that way.
01:06:08
Speaker
And as a result, you know, they get in good results. They're playing really good. Modern passing football, which again, unlike Marina, who's who has more of an update. Well, he does have quite an outdated style of football in that sense. And, you know, he's getting I mean, he's even Paredes is playing really great. He's been fantastic recently. You know, even his panel. I'll tell you this much. His penalty taking has been fantastic. He is that that that penalty is unstoppable. She's one of the best penalties I've ever seen. Yeah, it's crazy. Yeah.
01:06:37
Speaker
But no, he's been playing well as well. He is. No, it's like the weight has been lifted off their shoulders. It's like it's like it's like Roma was in an abusive relationship and now the toxic person has been removed and everyone's happy in the family again. The kids are smiling. It's just it really is that kind of vibe around Roma. And, you know, so. So, yeah. Yeah. OK. Yeah, Monza not so good. They were they were pretty poor. Can I just say one point on Monza, Kalpani.
01:07:07
Speaker
He's really disappointed me in the second half of the season because he started really well. He showed some promise. He's really fallen off badly.
01:07:18
Speaker
And also Djuric, I thought was a very strange buy for the January market. Rest of Serie A results. We'll go through these quite quickly, but there are still a few buddy talking points here. So Torino Neil, Fiorentina Neil, Nima, Ivan Djuric threatening to slit Vincenzo Italiano's throat. I'm sorry for laughing, but it's just, it's insane. I don't even know it.
01:07:48
Speaker
Who talks like that? Oh my God. This guy, when he loses his temper, he... He's the most Balkan human being on earth. When he loses his shit, he loses it like Yugoslav dads I grew up with. Like my friend, like, do you know what I mean? Like he just, he has no filter whatsoever. And it's very, very, very, very amusing. Unlike most Yugoslavs I know, he doesn't hold a grudge. Like, honestly, I'm telling you,
01:08:18
Speaker
Like, all the people from the former Yugoslavia that I know, they hold grudges for years. Nobody holds grudges like the Yugoslav people. I'm telling you, I can tell you that because I know a lot of them. They never forget. But Euryd, to be fair to him, he made up with Vitaliana, didn't he? During the first conference, they hugged it out, which I thought was hilarious. Well, that's the thing which was just insane as well, because the thing is, I've always said that I think when it comes to swearing and cursing,
01:08:48
Speaker
I think the former Yugoslav republics are not just world champions, they're intergalactic champions of swear words. The stuff that you hear is just, it's not even swearing, it's poetry. You know what I mean? Like it's some of the stuff that I've heard like through the years, it's like that's art.
01:09:06
Speaker
There's a few that are good. I think the Turks are great here as well. The Turks are fantastic. The creativity that you hear. Even in the Spanish. Some of the Spanish, yeah. Fair, but no, no, no. Balkans are definitely ranked the number one ranked. I mean, the stuff that they come up with, some of the curses that I've heard when you translate it, it's like, that's literature. Do you know what I mean? That's so creative that it's no longer just a curse, it's actual literature.
01:09:35
Speaker
And it's hilarious. And he, you know, he gets very bulk and dad angry. And then immediately he goes over and they hug it over. And it was just insane. I mean, to me, that's serious. I mean, we should really laugh. Of course he is. What do you think? What do you think? You can't say that.
01:10:01
Speaker
Of course, he's going to get banned for it. Okay. And then there's the one Salernitana one. Diya refusing to come on, I mean, right off of a season. Salernitana, speaking of serias as, Salernitana or seria as FC, between Sabatini, did you, I mean, it's been a couple of weeks now.
01:10:26
Speaker
Yeah have you seen it it's like it's like a really low budget mafia fill the sitting there with this oxygen tank next to him and he's making racial puns on a press conference about live around me who he loves in the new coach appointed.
01:10:42
Speaker
And that entire scene looks like if Stanley Kubrick was still alive and wanted to make a parody on a Scorsese Mafia flick, that would be the stage. That would literally be it. The sporting director of Sala Anitana, barely able to breathe, making racial puns about the new coach that they were pointing to. He's like the Mafia boss who's like, you know, let's just say his health is really, really bad and he's still making the calls from his hospital bed.
01:11:09
Speaker
It reminded me of, I don't know if anybody's seen Breaking Bad, one of the mob bosses in Breaking Bad who has the wire through his nose because he's dying and he's still making the
Relegation Battles and Serie A Drama
01:11:27
Speaker
calls. Exactly that. That's exactly how it comes across as. It's just batshit. All of it is batshit.
01:11:34
Speaker
No, he screwed up. Hector Salamanca in Breaking Bad. That's who Sabatini is, Hector Salamanca. It's insane. The entire salamitana going down there. It's not a good idea though. I mean, that all started with Gary O'Neill doing the wolves coach, wolves manager, basically tapping him up publicly and that turned his head. But I have to say though that everybody loses from this because
01:12:02
Speaker
because Badia basically just refusing to, you know, I mean, he's been, he hasn't even tried. You talk about Fiesa, I mean, he's just thrown the towel in and refused to play. He's just been pathetic all season. I mean, he loses. Selenetana lose because he's their best player. But he also loses that because if he wants to get summer move this season, well, you know, summer move at the end of the season. I mean, people are looking at this and thinking, well, do we want to take a play like this, a play that's not even played? You know, so I think everybody loses. Selenetana are going to go down.
01:12:28
Speaker
Sassuola also risks going down. They lose one. Well, they are going down. I mean, they've lost. I know. And I mean, can they stay up without Piradi? I mean. Well, to be fair, if I'm looking at the run of fixtures, they got frozen on at home. Roma way would it is at home? Salani Tana way. Milan at home. Let's at home. Fiorentina way. You've entered at home. Genoa way. Caliari at home. Lots of way that those are direct rivals for the for the for the relegation scrap. So they do have a chance.
01:12:58
Speaker
But I think they're going down. I think they're going down. Yeah, I feel that I feel the same. Because Empoli have 25 and they won and... No, Empoli lost. Oh, sorry. Yeah, yeah. They lost at home to Callery.
01:13:12
Speaker
Yeah, they didn't. They can't fight like the others. That's the other thing about Saswala. They don't have that fight. They're not fighting teams, especially without Berardi's quality. It was Verona, that one, sorry. Yeah, for Prossinani one, Lechay one. So two points separate, Lechay in 13th and Kadri in 18th. So that there is, and then he got Saswala in 19th, three points for the bat. So let me turn her down. I think we can all agree there. So yeah, Nima, you're going to enjoy yourself in the next couple of months.
01:13:36
Speaker
This is unbelievable. Like this is going to be insane and they all play each other now as well. Cause I thought this was going to be over. I was worried. If you remember in January, I was a bit worried that we're not going to have a relegation scrap. It's turning out to be even better.
European Competitions Preview
01:13:48
Speaker
This is turning into the best thing ever. Like we got six teams.
01:13:52
Speaker
potentially even seven, all fighting to avoid two places, and they're all going to play each other over the next couple of weeks. It's mad, it's mad. Right, Monday is fixture into Genoa, into win, they go 15 clear. We're recording this before that game. Champions League and Europa League and Conference League fixtures this week. So, Bayern Munich, Lazio on Tuesday, Lazio lead 1-0 on the first day of the game, he's been playing in Munich. Both teams in very bad form.
01:14:21
Speaker
Bayern drew 2-2 at the weekend against Freiburg.
01:14:24
Speaker
their camp is in disarray, we're talking about Lazio's camps in disarray, they're both in disarray. I'm so happy they didn't sack Tuchel so that Lazio can like, before the Lazio game, that's all I have. I mean, listen, I think that we both say that you still got to back Bayern heavily. Of course. But Lazio have a glimmer of hope where they once had no hope. I think that's the best way to describe it. Lazio had no hope when the draw was made, even up until a month ago. Now they have a glimmer of hope because Bayern
01:14:53
Speaker
You know, they're failing to beat teams that are of the same level or worse than Lazio in the Bundesliga. So by that alone, you have to give them some hope. And they do have some injury problems as well. We have to see which their players are going to be back. There's some injury doubts, the likes of Napri and Sane. And they've got both their right backs out. So Kimic is going to have to play right back.
01:15:17
Speaker
and upa meccano was probably a good thing he suspended you know so they've got a bit of a they've got a glimmer of a hope and sari you know sari we know what he can do we saw what he did in the first day so we can we can hope he's gonna i think buy him i back buy him to go through but
01:15:35
Speaker
Yeah, so have a prayer. They do. Europa League, sporting the Atalanta on Wednesday, Roma be Brighton on Thursday, Milan versus Slabia Prague on Thursday. Dzerbe versus De Rossi and Dzerbe and De Rossi's daughters are friends. Yes, they're both in London, is that correct? Yes.
01:15:58
Speaker
and they they talk and they both support roma apparently as well so um that's that's gonna be yeah that's gonna that's gonna be fun we'll talk more about that about these games on on next monday show um head of the second legs and then europea conference league uh yeah good luck to virantina right um badjo prim face and serias of the week
01:16:18
Speaker
Right Bad Joe is simple, we've spoken about him already, Paolo Di Bala, magical, magical, magical, magical, magical week from Paolo Di Bala. Prem face of the week, do you have anyone? No, I have to nominate myself. Karl from Bedford with Virgil van Dyck being the greatest defender of all time.
01:16:39
Speaker
The thing is with primfaces, there's so many over every day that I can't even discern anymore what day of the week they could arrive at. But then again, last week with the Van Dyck nonsense. Take your pick, basically. It was like a fruit salad of stupidity that never ended. It was one dumb thing after another.
01:17:06
Speaker
But yeah, no, I don't think you will carve from Bedford is hilarious. My thing is this. I think you got your drama teacher. I remember you saying that your drama teacher said you were shit when you were a kid, which in and of itself is hilarious that you talk that way to a nine year old. Yeah.
01:17:21
Speaker
But, I mean, your school, that is amazing. But he's actually, or he or she, or wrong, because you fooled people, actually, into thinking you were serious. So clearly. I did get quite a few people, like, having a go at me and saying, you were a disgrace, how could you think like this?
01:17:40
Speaker
I couldn't stop laughing. I was like, how do people see that this is obviously a windup? It was very, very, very funny. So Karl from Bedford, go check out on our Instagram page and Karl's Twitter page for the video of Karl from Bedford's latest outburst.
01:17:55
Speaker
Well, Serias of the Week is actually Primface of the Week. So let's combine them so that we do actually have a proper one. Yeah, that's true. So the Seria official Twitter account is both Primface and Serias of the Week. So after Michael Coyote scored for Fiorentina against Lazio last Monday, they put out a tweet and the tweet said, African champion Coyote nets his first ever Seria goal. African champion Coyote. I can't stop laughing at this.
01:18:23
Speaker
I know I shouldn't, but it's... I don't know whether
Critiques and Closing Remarks
01:18:31
Speaker
to laugh. I just want to say one thing. Michael Keode on the 16th of July, 2023, he scored the winning goal to win the Under-19 European Championship for Italy. Like, it's not even been a year.
01:18:49
Speaker
And secondly, he's of Nigerian descent. They didn't win the AFCON. They got him mixed up with Kuwame, his teammate. If you're in Tina. That's it. And it was up there for... I just... I don't know.
01:19:07
Speaker
Well, let's hope they mix him up with Kwame. No, of course they did, because he's from Ivory Coast, isn't he Kwame? Kwame is, but I mean, I don't know. Yeah, and they won the AFCON, so that's what it's got to be. Well, you'd think so, but honestly, I wouldn't put anything past him. No, I honestly think they mixed him up with Kwame. I really think so. I honestly think that's what it was. Did Kwame even go to the Africa Nations? No, I don't know if he was in the squad. I don't think he did. I don't think he even went to the Africa Nations.
01:19:37
Speaker
I'm not sure. I'm not. I'm not. He's just had malaria. I think he's just recovered from malaria. Let's have a look. Ivory Coast squads. Oh no, he was. He was in the Africa. He was in the squad. Well, that's good that they, you know, at least he, they got that part, right? African champion, Coyote Knits his first ever Serie A goal nine months after he scores the winning goal for Italy against Portugal in July to win the European. Right. My other Serie A ass of the week is that these are, these are fast becoming a regular now.
01:20:07
Speaker
on Serias of the Week. That's Napoli's Twitter account, or the Napoli social media account. So this was a week after they put out, and this was the winner last year, last week of Serias of the Week, was a post they did of Peaky Blinders. They had Simeone, Lindstrom, and Ostigard dressed in suit jackets and jean shirts, and for some reason they used a caption of Peaky Blinders for it, which made no sense at all.
01:20:34
Speaker
This week they had a group of Napoli players playing in the rain and they used the caption, it's raining men.
01:20:46
Speaker
It's so cringe. It's so bad and it's so cringe and it makes no sense. And I just love it. You cannot tell me that whoever runs that account is a year younger than 52. The person who runs that account is a boomer without a doubt.
01:21:11
Speaker
It's it's just oh my god. I don't know. I don't know what to pick anymore Anyway, I love that account. I really I hope that Aurelio de la rentes is somehow involved. That's what I hope
01:21:25
Speaker
because it will be funny. Well, it gives us plenty to talk about, that's for sure. Let's leave it at that anyway. Thank you everybody for listening. We'll be back on Tuesday for the Q&A and then we will have Thursday, we'll do a midweek review of the Lazio Bayern game, also Atalanta Sport and also Inter against Genoa. So we have quite a bit to talk about in terms of matches on Thursday. Okay, have a good week everybody. See you next time. Ciao ciao.