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Free Weekly Episode - Unstoppable Inter Milan Conquer Roma, AC Milan Deepen Napoli Crisis, Atalanta On Fire, Lazio Legend Immobile Hits 200 In Serie A, Champions League Preview & Much More (Ep. 398)
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From Theo Hernandez the hero for AC Milan who deepen toothless Napoli crisis, unstoppable Inter Milan conquer Rome against a good Roma, King Charles De Ketelaere renaissance for Atalanta puts them in good spot to secure Serie A top 4, to Salernitana sack Filippo Inzaghi looking destined for drop as Davide Nicola looks to repeat miracle with Empoli, and preview of Champions League clash when Lazio host Bayern Munich 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 Call for New Editor
00:00:00
Speaker
Hello everybody and welcome to another episode of the Italian Football Podcast. I'm Carlo Garganese, joined as always by Nima Tavalli. No music intro today because our editor is off this week on holiday, so you're straight into the voices of myself and Nima. Just before we start though, Nima, we're actually looking for a new editor, aren't we?
00:00:28
Speaker
Yes we're looking for someone who can edit sound, edit video, edit images and stuff like that because the person who's doing it for us is we love him and he's been doing a great job but he he can't do it anymore because he's got something else coming up so if you are interested in joining the Italian football podcast then please
00:00:46
Speaker
contact myself or Carlo on social media on Twitter or Instagram. You can go to at itafootpod and you can find myself and Carlo linked on Instagram and Twitter there or send us a message on Facebook. Use the DM function there.
00:01:11
Speaker
Yeah, we'll have to hear from you. Yeah, absolutely.
Serie A Highlights: Milan vs Napoli & Roma vs Inter
00:01:14
Speaker
So so yeah, big show for you today because we had two massive games in that's in Serie A at the weekend. Milan against Napoli on on Sunday evening and which Milan won 1-0 and Roma into which was a thrilling match on on Saturday, which six goal thriller won by Inter 4-2, which
00:01:38
Speaker
strengthens their their hold on the Scudetto this season even more and so we'll be we'll be reviewing those games all the other teams fighting for the top four Atalanta with another big big win they're looking so impressive right now Bologna
00:01:54
Speaker
Thrashe Lecce 4-0, Fiorentina also with a big win, Lazio getting a good win ahead of their game against Bayern Munich, plus the relegation race, Pippo Inzagi has been sacked, Fabioli Varani in after Selenium Tanner lost to Empley, and of course it's the return of the Champions League this week with Lazio playing against Bayern Munich,
00:02:17
Speaker
And so we'll be previewing that game. Also, we're going to react to the potential introduction of blue cards. And that's going to be fun. I want to hear what Nima has to say about that.
Podcast Subscription Benefits
00:02:31
Speaker
And we'll have Badgeo, Primface and Serias of the week.
00:02:39
Speaker
So for all our first time listeners, this is our free weekly episode that we do every Monday, reviewing the weekend Seri action and all the biggest talking points in Italian football. If you want to support the Italian football podcast and receive all of our content that we do throughout the week, including a weekly Q and A episode every Tuesday where we answer all
00:02:56
Speaker
of the questions from our patrons, plus the weekly Thursday midweek review show, plus interviews, post-match reaction, and much, much more, then go to patreon.com, slash TIP, and become a subscriber for just $2.99 a month, plus VAT. And now you can also sign up to be a paid subscriber on Spotify. We'll provide the link in the description for the same price and same terms. And for all of you who listen on Spotify, Apple, and iTunes podcasts, we'd really appreciate it. If you give us a five star rating, give us a follow and a like.
00:03:23
Speaker
We're also on YouTube, give us a follow there, and it all helps to really help us grow and do more content for you guys. Okay, let's get into today's show.
Analyzing Milan's Performance Against Napoli
00:03:34
Speaker
So, Milan Napoli, the Sunday evening game. Massive, massive game, more so for Napoli than for Milan. But let's start from the Milan point of view. Milan win this game 1-0, and they continue their fantastic runner form.
00:03:53
Speaker
Milan. After Inter, they are the most in, well, in Atalanta, I guess, those three are the in-form teams in Serie A. And Milan have now won seven, drawn two of their last nine in Serie A. They're only one point behind Juventus, although we recorded this before Juventus play on Monday evening. So Milan win.
00:04:17
Speaker
Teo Hernandez scores the winner from a brilliant, I mean I thought this was a brilliant, brilliant goal and in a fantastic team move started by Teo Hernandez to Giroud, to Liao, the third man run from Teo Hernandez and then the first time finished. Awful goalkeeping from Galin, he opened up his whole mere post but
00:04:40
Speaker
a fitting goal to win what I thought was actually a pretty high quality game.
00:04:49
Speaker
I agree. I thought it was a high quality game too. I thought it was a very tactical game, especially in the first half. I thought Milan were, were, were containing Napoli, um, very well. Um, I was really impressed by Milan. They were, they were, they, they, they acted very mature. I mean, we've spoken a lot this season on this podcast about how immature Milan can sometimes be and a little bit too frantic and a little bit too open here. They were the exact opposite. I thought they were very calm, very controlled.
00:05:20
Speaker
They contained Napoli, they knew, I mean Peoli knew what Matsari was going to do, he knew how they were going to attack, he knew how they were going to keep, you know, build possession and so he allowed them to have possession in very safe areas.
00:05:37
Speaker
and didn't really allow Napoli to create much except for that one chance when Clara got around the right side and played it into Cholito Simeone who blasted it over. But other than that, Napoli didn't really create that much
Napoli's Struggles and Champions League Concerns
00:05:51
Speaker
this game. It was safe possession. And the reason they had safe possession is because
00:05:57
Speaker
Pioli had completely read Mazzari's number and had his team really, really well prepared. I thought they were defensively very solid, not just the defenders, but also defensively as a whole. I thought the midfield had the right balance from midfield and down. Mignon was good. He looked switched on. They all looked
00:06:23
Speaker
It was a really solid defensive performance. I know Milan fans aren't too happy about the attacking performance, but I think that, you know, when you're playing the reigning champions, and even though they're not having a good season, they're having an atrocious season, you still have to respect them and they're attacking power. And I think you have to adapt to that. And I saw a stat from Opta Paolo.
00:06:45
Speaker
who we will have reason to get to again this season where it says that Milan won 52 points after it's the third time that Milan have had 52 points in the three-point era after the opening 24 games in the Serie A they only did better in 95-96 with 53 points and in 2003-2004 with 61 points
00:07:10
Speaker
So Pioli's doing really well. He's got this Milan in terms of results. He's delivering the results and Milan are now, there is no doubt that they are finishing minimum third now.
00:07:21
Speaker
um and they're actually starting to look to uh they're looking upwards the table more than downwards they're looking at yuva and trying to overtake them in second spot because they're on 52 points one game in they've played one game more yuva have a game in hand we're recording this on a monday so they you were playing tonight against urinesse but yuva are on 53 so yuva have to start looking down more than looking up as well um
00:07:48
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. If Milan continue the form that they're on, as I said before, I mean, they're going to get a lot of points. They're going to finish the season with a very good points tally if they can maintain this. They're on fantastic form in Serie A. They've been in fantastic form in 2024, only that defeat in the Coppa Italia, of course, which is... Yeah, but who cares? I mean, to be honest, for Milan, I mean, they don't really care about this tournament and they haven't even since, you know,
00:08:15
Speaker
the only one no but but they they'd have to win a trophy they can't go two seasons without winning a trophy i think that's a that's a failure for a team of milan's uh you know tradition and you know not to go another season without winning so i think it was a disappointment we can't we can't move away from it was disappointed it was an objective but but um that's uh you know apart from that they've been
00:08:37
Speaker
in fantastic form in 2024. And yeah, like you said, the defense was very, very good, very good. And I thought Gabby Gabby has been very good actually, since, since returning from his, from his very difficult time in Spain, we barely, barely played. And he's been very, very good. He reads the game very, very well, apart from that,
00:08:57
Speaker
when he got done by Clara on that semi-only chance. Apart from that, I thought he was pretty much perfect. I thought defenders were brave, they were throwing themselves in front of the shots from the edge of the area, which is all Napoli really had, shots from outside and in the edge of the area. Florenzi, when he came on for Calabria, of course, had to be another injury from Milan in this game. He put in one amazing challenge and he almost celebrated it. And I thought Teo Hernandez, as well as his amazing goal, were often critical of his defensive side because he's not naturally
00:09:25
Speaker
good defender I thought he was excellent defensively in this game as well so they defended really well and then going the other way yes they were playing a containing game and they weren't
00:09:37
Speaker
being that expansive with their play. They weren't throwing that many men forward but they were the more dangerous team. They had double almost the XG of Napoli and they were dangerous on the counter attack and Rafael Liao was of course the biggest threat, him and Teo down the left and a great assist from Liao. He went on some brilliant runs on the counter attack and
Milan's Consistency and Rafael Liao's Finishing Issues
00:10:02
Speaker
fantastic but there is still one big thing missing from his game and it is starting to become very concerning and that is just how bad his finishing and shooting is. I was just about to say that what his finishing which I always thought was one of his biggest strengths there's been a decline this season I think it's too soon to say whether this is just temporary and because sometimes players have really bad seasons right
00:10:26
Speaker
and they can recover and then that happens and also usually that happens when players when teams change how they play like Milan have but I do think his finishing this season well listen to this stat which was read out on TNT last night when I was watching the game
00:10:44
Speaker
Raphael Liao has had nine shots on target this season. That is insane. Yeah, that's bad. Nine shots on target. How many games? All season in the Serie A. All season, nine shots. Milana played 24 games. How many of those games has Liao played?
00:11:02
Speaker
I mean, I think pretty much most of them said nine shots. And when we look at almost one shot, one shot, how many games has he played? Let's have a look. I'm looking at it now. He's played 21 games. 21 games. He started nine shots. Yeah. He started, he started 19. He's played 21 and he's had nine and he's got an X. Yeah. He's, he's only scored three goals. His expected goals is 3.44. Um, his goal. Yeah. His shots per game though. This is the, how do they,
00:11:31
Speaker
Yeah, shots on target per game is 0.5. Yeah, so like a shot on target every two games, basically. And his shots per game, both on and off target is 2.0. Yeah, that's... That is a bit concerning, because even though I think that... Yeah, I know, even though I think Milan want to... are using him differently, and he's becoming more of an assist man on the wide roll, which is fair enough.
00:12:00
Speaker
that those numbers are too too too low there's no doubt about that of course he's basically getting so he's averaging like 18 shots on target for the season i mean to be honest though i think there's i think there's a mitigating factor here if he's only like if he if he's not getting into as many positions and he's you know i it would be
00:12:19
Speaker
would be more worrying if he was just not if he was getting into positions and missing them all but it seems to me that he's generally this season not getting into positions as much which suggests to me that it's more a structural pioli issue than of course a
00:12:35
Speaker
Rafael Liao. I think it's a bit of everything. I think it's a bit of everything. Also, like when he has had the chances, like the one where he placed it wide, trying to do kind of like a Terry Henri snooker shot into the corner, Henri would always find it. Henri would find the bottom corners every time with those, and he put it wide.
00:12:59
Speaker
But there was another opportunity in the last few minutes where I think he was off-site, it wouldn't have counted anyway, but he tried to pass it instead of shoot himself. And then that is a sign that it's getting to him in terms of his confidence and his mentally, it's affecting him now. Or that maybe he's just, yeah, that could be that, but it could also be all that he is kind of understanding this new role that he's got and he wants to fully adhere to that.
00:13:26
Speaker
regardless the numbers are too low but i don't want to criticize him too much because i thought he was really good last night i thought he was really good but you know those scoring numbers are just uh no no the goal the goals and the shots are nine shots on target all season it's just not good enough there's no chance you can say that's good too that's good enough
00:13:44
Speaker
um which it would just yeah but let's talk about from Napoli's point of view now because this is the biggest talking point really is that you know their top four chances can we say that can we say they're over now they're seven points away from fourth Atalanta who will come to on absolute fire they're unstoppable Atalanta they're going like a train now um i mean seven points i think now
Napoli's Top Four Chances
00:14:07
Speaker
and even I don't even know if they're going to get fifth. They're going to have to rely on Serie A getting an extra place in the Champions League this season in order to have a hope of getting into the Champions League. Do you agree with that? Is fourth place over now for Napoli?
00:14:21
Speaker
I don't think it's over, but it's hanging on by the slimmest of threads. Um, it's, it's not looking good at all. I thought one of the things I liked about, I thought Napoli in the first half, that three, five, one, one, I was thinking, well, if Ossiman, an Ossiman in form in this position with Quada kind of roaming, which he's allowed to do if he's one of the two strikers in the three, five, two, I think that can be really useful.
00:14:49
Speaker
But the problem is that Napoli make, it's so typical of a team that is unbalanced and have bad confidence and are a little bit confused, which is just textbook of where Napoli are as a club right now.
00:15:08
Speaker
They do these brain-dead mistakes for the goal, and then they don't recover, because after that, Napoli were just sterile. They created nothing, and they didn't create much before, but they had a zest about them when they played. After Mila scored that goal, that's pretty much game over then. They couldn't create anything. There was no movement, they just had safe possession.
00:15:34
Speaker
and made life very easy for it for me. I think it's pretty simple to analyse this game. I actually thought Napoli played pretty decently in terms of the game. I don't think they played badly in this game. They just lacked any punch or attacking potency. I think, in fact I'm certain, they were the better team until the Teo Hernandez goal and they had a decent chance at 0-0 with the Simeone chance.
00:15:58
Speaker
which was their one real chance of the game. And then they went to 4-3-3 at halftime. And for the second half, I thought they played some really lovely patterns. Some of it was, I'm not going to say it was like it was last season, but some of their build-up playing, the way they kept position, the way they dominated the territory, the way they won the ball back quickly.
00:16:17
Speaker
the way they were doing the little triangles and building it up to the box, I thought was some really, really lovely stuff. But then once they got up to the penalty box, there was just no punching attack within the only exception being Kavadot Skater, who I thought was brilliant. He was going on some amazing runs. He was beating players for fun. I mean, he went past Gabbier for the Simeone chance. He went on one fantastic run.
00:16:39
Speaker
No, two fantastic runs in the second half where he went past his man, went past Kiaia as if he wasn't there. He was, I mean, Clara was on it, but that was it. It was just him individually. As a team, there's no punch in the attack. They don't get enough players into the box. And as I said, the only real chance in this game was the Simeone at 0-0. Simic almost scored an own goal in the last minute for Napoli to score and he hit the post.
00:17:07
Speaker
But apart from that, I mean, Manon, I don't think he didn't have a difficult save to make. Or he had one where he tipped it over and straight at him.
Criticism of Walter Mazzari's Coaching at Napoli
00:17:15
Speaker
That's it. Napoli end this game with an XG of 0.58 in a game in which I thought they actually played pretty well, but they have no...
00:17:24
Speaker
threat they have no attack into it that's all on Matsari we know that we know that is all on Matsari I mean the number of scoreless games now under Matsari 16 games Matsari has been in charge 9 let me just say that again 9 of the 16 games 9 of the 16 games Napoli haven't scored
00:17:44
Speaker
I mean, it's a joke, it's an absolute joke. And, you know, I've said it, I mean, at how many times I have to say it, you want to keep Walter Matsari in charge? This continues. Napoli don't get finished in the Champions League. It's simple as that. So you want to carry on with Matsari? Carry on with Matsari. This will continue. Because even in a game that Napoli play well, they just don't create chances. Well, that's the thing, though. I think, I think I'm with you until, like I said, I'm with you until that Napoli play well until Milan score. But then after they score,
00:18:14
Speaker
And Milan really shut Napoli down. To me, I'm not sure if Napoli played well because it was safe possession. They couldn't create anything. There was nothing there. Milan allowed them to have the ball in those areas and those spaces. And Napoli just could not have any profondita. They had no depth. They had no bite. There was nothing. Zero zilch.
00:18:37
Speaker
And that is on Mazzari. It is. Because this is classic Mazzari. Mazzari always, even back when he had a good, when he was, you know, in his prime, quote, unquote, he, he was a guy who provided the solid defensive framework. And then he had the three tenors up front, Lavizzi, Hamshi, Cavani. Here, guys, you resolve it. He's doing the same now with Kvara and, well, when Ossimian comes back, he'll, he'll obviously be a huge strength to that.
00:19:06
Speaker
he'll strengthen that but it's still it's such an archaic form of coaching because football today now all the top sides even the mediocre sides have an attacking identity they just don't have that they not only have no attacking identity under mazzari and to to think that this is going to change magically it will i mean sometimes you know they will start winning games because of the quality will show
00:19:34
Speaker
But is it good enough to make it to the top four? I have serious doubts. I really do. Because when I look at the others, I look at Atalanta, who have a clear attacking identity. I look at Romano de Rossi, who also have an attacking identity. Fiorentina, for sure. But.
00:19:55
Speaker
or have an attacking plan. Napoli don't. They just don't. Sarri as well. All the other teams fighting for top four have a clear plan. I'm not sure I agree on Sarri with Lazio this season. I disagree there. But I agree on the overall point there. Lazio's problem isn't that they don't have an identity. Lazio's problem is that
00:20:17
Speaker
That series has even worse than Napoli's. I'm not talking about the stats. I'm talking about the identity of how to attack. Sarri's teams always have an identity. Whether or not they are able to execute it is something else. With Matsari, there's nothing there. It literally is, give the ball to Quara, inshallah.
00:20:35
Speaker
That's what it is. There's no, there's no, there's no, there's no goal threat at all from, from, from Napoli at all. It's just, it's just hope that Colorado Osseman was pretty good. Last season, I think they had a record number of players scoring. It was coming from all over the pitch and Napoli this season. You just, you just think, well, if Colorado Osseman don't score, then then who's going to score? It's very easy. And then contrast that with how Bologna played, I watched them against Leiteche.
00:21:06
Speaker
And what a clear attacking patterns of play identity tactics they have in both phases. Napoli have none of that despite having levels better attacking players. Yeah, of course. That's what I said. Walter Matsuri. Some people still want to stick with him because they seem to think there's no one better out there. Well, OK, keep believing that. Let's move on to Roma Inter.
00:21:32
Speaker
massive win for Rinta, 4-2. This was a fantastic game, it was a great watch. Chaos. It was neutral but it was a complete chaos. Chaotic weather, I mean it was a deluge in Rome over the weekend.
00:21:51
Speaker
horrific conditions to play in. It was an amazing game to watch for the neutral but it's a huge win for Inter who now goes seven points clear with the same number of games as Juventus now. Obviously, Juventus will play on Monday and that will give them a game in hand but seven points clear.
00:22:14
Speaker
We said it last week after the win over Juventus, just how important it is. It is literally inches to throw away now. They've got a great lead. They're playing fantastic. As I said, they're on course for 98 points, as I said in the Thursday pod.
00:22:30
Speaker
And the run of fixtures for the rest of the season is so kind in Syria. The only tough away game they now have to play after winning this is Bologna in the rest of the season.
Inter as Serie A Favorites
00:22:41
Speaker
All the other big teams they have to play at home. There's just no way I can see them giving up eight points on Juventus. And that's if Juventus are perfect. It would have to be some collapse now, wouldn't it? No, there's no doubt. There's no doubt. I've said all throughout the season
00:22:58
Speaker
that if Inter come after arrive post-Roma away and have a minimum four-point lead over the second spot, then that's it. And they are no longer the favorites to win the scoretto, they are champions-elect of Serie A. Now it becomes an issue of containment, of managing
00:23:20
Speaker
This lead and not squandering it and and and if they throw this away, it's the biggest bottle job ever Maybe in football certainly in seria Because when you take into account the the games they've got left, okay, you got Atlanta Mila Lazio, but they're all at home and happily and the only difficult away game is Bologna and
00:23:49
Speaker
You can't throw this away. If you do, you... I don't know what to say. It's a giant choke job. So, you know, it's as simple as that. I mean, Inter have... I mean, just look at this run of fixture. Lazio Napoli Fiorentina Juve Roma. There are five last games in two competitions. Five wins. Five convincing wins.
00:24:15
Speaker
And it's just only conceded two goals in those five games, scored 10. I mean, it's just, there's no discussion here. They are cementing their position.
00:24:33
Speaker
as the champions electo serian and now it just now it becomes a situation where because from friday and onwards they it's it's a game every three days until the 16th of march when interplay napoli and then it's the international break but in between then it's salanitan at home, atletico at home, leche away, atalanta at home, giano at home, bologna away, atletico away, napoli at home, empoli at home
00:25:00
Speaker
sorry, in Iannapoli, I hope. Then it's the international break. And now they go into this tour de force that Simon Inzagi loves to talk about. And they have to contain that. All of those games, Sala, Nitana, Lecce, Atalanta, Genoa, you have to win those. Bologna away, I don't think they're going to win that because it's become some sort of a boogie team, but they can't lose that. They have to draw that at least.
00:25:24
Speaker
and then you've got the two games against Atletico Madrid and then of course Napoli at home. So look, it goes into a different kind of form of containment now and they are really good. And what I loved the most about this game against Roma was the reaction in the second half.
Inter's Tactical Adaptability
00:25:44
Speaker
because the first half was atrocious from Icte's point of view. They were poor. Icte are a passing team. They're a possession team that likes to pass the ball. And when you're playing, when you're on a waterlogged pitch, the passing doesn't work and it kind of throws Icte off their game. They didn't, they looked confused. They lost their shape. They lost their concentration. They were cranky, made stupid, simple. And as a result, they made stupid, simple mistakes, but they adapted at halftime. They rectified it and came out there.
00:26:15
Speaker
and scored two quick goals and, you know, game over. But it was, I have to, I mean, I thought it was the way that inter-reacted, again, is what I wanna praise. And also, of course, Marcus Taram, who is becoming, is he now the best free transfer signing that we've ever seen?
00:26:43
Speaker
I mean, seriously, I can't remember very many people who have signed on a free transfer and have been this good that he has been. Like, just walked right into the team and just had this impact, especially just in big games. I mean, you know, there's probably an argument. I mean, in the first seed intro, we've had a lot of great free transfer signings to be fair over the last few years. Um, but cambiaso cambiaso is the only one I can think of both long and short term.
00:27:13
Speaker
who was outstanding in terms of when he came from Real Madrid and when he gave to Inter.
00:27:18
Speaker
But Taram in recent times in the last decade, I can't remember anyone who's had such an incredible impact. There's been some great free transfers over the years. From Juventus' point of view, Pierlo, of course, he turned them from a joke into where it wasn't just him. With Antonio Conte complaining that he couldn't play in his team. The impact that he had. Taram has been amazing.
00:27:43
Speaker
What's so incredible about Taram is that the main criticism of Taram when he joined was that he wasn't clinical enough. I mean, he's over way over his expected goals and expected goals and assists this season. I mean, he's over performing in that respect massively.
00:28:03
Speaker
And yet he has underperformed an intern in terms of clinical, like he has missed chances, like clear chances still, but yes, he's improved. Yes, he's improved. He's improved, but recently his finishing has been fantastic. I mean, he's putting everything away at the moment, but also he's decisive. Look at him in the big games he's telling him. And that was so funny in the game in which
00:28:26
Speaker
he's playing against Romelu Lukaku on the other side. Lukaku, who is without doubt the biggest big game flop of the last decade, and it was shown again in this game, he missed another sitter in this game, one-on-one, fluffed it. In the game against the biggest big game flop, Taram scores
Marcus Taram's Impact for Inter
00:28:42
Speaker
in another big game. In this season, he's scored two against Roma, two against Lazio, one against Napoli, one against Benfica, one against Milan, a goal and assist against Fiorentina, assist against Juventus.
00:28:52
Speaker
as good as a goal really, it was an own goal, the own goal for Getty. Well then it becomes one goal and an assist. Yeah, if you want to call it that, yeah. Because the assist he played for Lautaro. Lautaro's got in the first game, yeah. Well okay, let's call it another assist then really. I mean at the least, I mean he forced the own goal. Yeah, he did. And then assist against Bologna. I mean that's...
00:29:12
Speaker
I mean, that's insane. Those are the top seed, those are the top seed. And they've still got to play all those teams again, most of them, before the end of the season. So, I mean, it's, you know, it's been absolutely brilliant. No, he has. He really has. He's been one of those fantastic signers. Also, in this game, Inter as a whole, again, a criticism under Inzagi in the first two seasons, especially the first season when they lost a league to Milan is how many chances they used to miss in games.
00:29:39
Speaker
and that used to be the big criticism the attack is so clinical now and you know they had less than under one xg in this game and in terms like 0.9 or something in this game and they score four goals i mean they're so clinical now inter with their with their finishing at the moment and so they keep this up
00:29:59
Speaker
I mean, yeah. They can win anyway. That's what makes them in any scenario. And like you said, they're so mentally strong now that they react. There's no weaknesses in this inter. The only weakness in this inter team is their backup attackers. That's it. That's the only weakness that this inter have. And that's the only thing that, I mean, it's not going to stop them winning Serie A, but that's the only thing that could maybe
00:30:25
Speaker
come back to bite them in the Champions League because those kind of things might, you know, are important later on. You need some attackers that can come on and maybe make a difference. That's the only weakness. That is the only weakness. There's no doubt about that. But I would be very, it would be dishonest if I didn't say that Arnautovic in this last game and Alexi Sanchez have big looked much better. Much better. They are starting to show
00:30:55
Speaker
they're starting to be decisive and important moments i mean when it when that four-two goal came that's you know that that starts that attack starts by by alexis sanchez and the assist is from mark arnold so they have started to show better form you know we have to be honest and we have to be fair but yeah it is weakness there's no doubt about that i mean the drop off between lautaro turam and alexis and arnold is is like we're talking grand canyon levels of drop off
00:31:24
Speaker
But they have started to look better. There's no doubt about that. Yeah, absolutely. Before we talk about Roma, I want to talk about the acherbi goal. And before all the basement dwellers start having a go at me and I'm saying, it should have been disallowed, blah, blah, blah. I just want to make it clear. I'm not talking about whether the goal should be disallowed. I'm talking about
Debating the Modern Offside Rule
00:31:44
Speaker
the offside rule today in modern, the modern interpretation, or the modern law. You can, the modern, yeah, the modern offside law. Modern offside law as a whole, which anybody that's been following me for over a decade now, in fact, I first got angry about it, I think, in
00:32:05
Speaker
the Euro 2008 when Van Nistelroy scored against Italy. That's when I first started kicking off about it and I've been angry about it ever since basically. So this isn't a recent thing. I've been writing about this. I wrote an article about this 10 years ago, which went viral. And so I've been complaining about this for a long time. I hate the modern offside rule.
00:32:30
Speaker
So anyway, what happens with this is Taram is offside when a chervy heads him, and he's sort of behind the goal. He's got his hands on the goalkeeper a bit. He's not really touching him much, but he is touching him.
00:32:48
Speaker
You're going to correct me if I'm wrong here. I think I saw Lukam already say that the goal is good because by the modern offside rules, he's deemed to be not interfering with the goalkeeper. If you look at law 11, it basically talks about if he's trying to play for the ball in an offside position, if he impedes a player,
00:33:06
Speaker
in an offside position, if he's in the field of vision, in an offside position. And that's kind of the definitions of impact play. Generally, I agree that this is kind of what... I mean, you do get some where they will give this, but generally, they give these goals. They generally interpret. I think De Rossi said it best. I mean, he said there's no way on earth that this is offside. His criticism was, however, that
00:33:34
Speaker
he what he's talked about was that inconsistency yeah that's what he was talking about i don't think anyone can have any complaints about what he's saying because the lack of consistency is a huge problem yeah yeah but so just to clear that up generally the modern and this is what i have the problem with generally the modern interpretation is that this is not interfering with play and you've read out the law there
00:33:56
Speaker
and and and it's a goal that's not my issue you know in fact when I tweeted it out and I had all the basement the weather's complaining oh you'll be dancing and stuff you know I actually tweeted it out when Roma were 2-1 up so it had zero impact on the game anyway even you know so anyway just to put that aside my issue is and I've said this
00:34:15
Speaker
There is no way an attacking player can be offside and touching the goalkeeper and be deemed as not interfering with play. I'm saying that this should always be offside. If you are touching the goalkeeper, you are interfering in my interpretation. Also, in this incident,
00:34:33
Speaker
Mancini is the one that actually generally impedes Rui Patricio. Watch Mancini's movement. He moves towards Taran after he's impeding him to mark him because he's looking around for Taran.
00:34:49
Speaker
Then that means that Taram is interfering with play because Mancini is looking around for Taram. The goalkeeper also is going to sort of know that the Taram is around him. So there's no way that that shouldn't be interfering with play. I mean, my interpretation, not everyone will agree with it, is that we should go back to the offside rules where it's simple. It's black and white. Anybody who is offside,
00:35:18
Speaker
Anybody who is offside is offside because you can make the argument that anybody is, I mean, the one, the modern offside rule that drives me mad the most is the passive offside rule, which allows players to be offside in the first phase of the attack and then score while onside in the second phase. And the biggest example of that was what Reed van Nistoroy used to do. Reed van Nistoroy used to stand about 20 yards in front of the offside line, right?
00:35:46
Speaker
then a ball would get played out to the wing, to a winger, the winger would then cross it first time into the box and van Nistelroy would be onside. Now the modern offside law tells us that rude van Nistelroy is not interfering with play.
00:36:03
Speaker
which is absolute bollocks. How can you not be interfering with play if you then score a few seconds later? I think it's absolute bollocks. I don't agree. I think one of the few things they've actually gotten right in the modern game is this new offside root law because I think they've managed to tweak it. I hope they don't change it. Just leave it as it is. This does not need to be changed because
00:36:27
Speaker
They've basically acknowledged and enhanced the point that it's the ball that decides whether or not it's an offside or not. They've really underlined that point.
00:36:38
Speaker
But the player's position is always dependent on where the ball is and when the ball is played and in which direction the ball is played, and so on and so forth. I think that correctly shows an understanding of the game of football, because it is the ball that decides always the position of the ball, the timing the ball is played, the direction the ball is played. That decides whether it's an offside. So I think they actually got this right.
00:37:04
Speaker
I just think that you can show me any incident of a player being offside in a supposedly passive position or supposedly a position where he's not interfering with play and I can come back and I can show you that
00:37:22
Speaker
that he is actually interfering with play. Because even if you take the most extreme example, the most extreme example, let's say a player is standing way out on the touchline in an offside position and you say, well, he's not interfering with play and the ball gets put in the box.
00:37:43
Speaker
At the very, at the, I could argue back to that, this is an extreme, this is an extreme one. I could argue that the very least, that player is taking up the attention of a defender who's having to watch him. So that defender, it moves away from the, from the action.
00:37:59
Speaker
And that player is then out of position and the ball gets put in the box. That player is focusing on the player that's in an offside position. And as a result, the attacking team scores because of that. That is interfering with play. Yeah, but that's the thing though. You have to understand what interfering with play means and how it's defined.
00:38:20
Speaker
and it has been defined now. Well, I have a problem with how it's defined. That's my issue. Yeah, I know. I think they've actually got it right. I think this is one of the few things that IFAB have done, which I actually agree with, because the emphasis of offside is now more on the position of the ball, where it is, when it's played, the direction it's played, and the players have to kind of focus on that more than just
00:38:47
Speaker
you are in an off-section. Then we're not marking players anymore. We're just marking the ball. Everybody's just ball-watching them, basically. No, it's partly ball-watching, but it's also awareness, split vision, which is the difficult part of football and raises the skill and requirements. For me, there's way too much benefit now towards the attacker. And this is what has killed the art of defending. When people complain, we complain more than anything.
00:39:16
Speaker
For me it's tackling, it's the tackling that, that's more, the fact that they basically outlawed tackling. They outlawed tackling, the biggest reason why the art of defending has died is because of the offside law, that's the reason, it's impossible, impossible to defend, it's impossible, you cannot defend anymore with the passive offside law, it's impossible. No you can, no you can, it's the problem is the tackling, they've basically banned tackling.
00:39:41
Speaker
i mean we we've gone from a situation where the salt was okay on a football pitch which was ridiculous one extreme to another we're now the tackle i mean back teams would be able to play the offside trap you can't play the offside trap now it's impossible i mean melanne the the greatest defense we've ever had melanne
00:40:01
Speaker
with Barrezi and Costa-Cursin, Tazotti and Maldini. They used to charge the cavalry up, play the offside trap and catch defenders, catch attackers offside. That's impossible. They couldn't do anything like that nowadays. It'd be impossible. It can see tons of goals. To be honest, I think it requires the skill set of the defenders, the read of the game, to improve. And I think that has happened. My problem with
00:40:30
Speaker
with defending is how you're not allowed to tackle basically anymore in football. Every single challenge is now scrutinized and prohibited because they want more goals. They want the messies of the world to shine. And I get that to a certain extent. Again, like I said, in the 80s when Maradona was physically assaulted every game, that was an extreme.
00:40:54
Speaker
I mean, what's his name, Gentile in 1982, set a world record of the time, how many times he harassed Maradona in like 44. Yeah, but we're talking about individual defending. I agree with Tacklin, but what I'm talking about team defending.
Historical Perspective on Offside Rule
00:41:08
Speaker
Team defending is as a unit. I mean, it's killed defending. He's absolutely killed it defending the offside one. This is just another example. I mean, I'm going to just before we finish here, I'm going to go with Vladimir Putin to Tucker Carlson and give a little bit of a tissue.
00:41:23
Speaker
give a little bit of history of the offside of the offside. I knew you'd like that. So I'm not going to go back to 800, 800, 800, eight century. But listen, between 1925 and 1990, the offside law was that any player level with or ahead of the second last defend that was offside, regardless of whether they were active or inactive. Now, I'm even going to admit that this is too far.
00:41:53
Speaker
come on just to clear be clear that that means that if a player was if a player was level with the last defender um he would be offside you actually had to be behind the defender that was until 1990 then they changed it after 1990 World Cup that the players level with the last defender or the second last defender if you if you include in the goalkeeper were on site now that was perfect for me that is where it should have stayed they should have kept it at that
00:42:21
Speaker
uh and and continue but then from 1995 onwards they that's when they they started rewriting the laws in order to just to basically kill defenders and they they brought in this this passive of side law and and then there was
00:42:36
Speaker
multiple revisions after that 2003, 2005, 2013 until we got to kind of where we are today and there's been a few revisions since then but basically where yeah you can be passive and you can be deemed to be not interfering with play and even if you're offside they will allow that go and that is what I have a problem with because I feel that
00:43:00
Speaker
you can show me any scenario on the pitch where you can say oh that player wasn't interfering with play and I will argue that there he is interfering with play because at the very very least he's occupying a defender or he's taking the defender out of position or you know so I have a problem with it I have a problem with with the passive offside law and
00:43:21
Speaker
Yeah, this this this incident yesterday highlighted it. And I just want to finish off on a quote from Franz Beckenbauer, the late Franz Beckenbauer. And he said, this was about 10 years ago, in my time, the offside law was very simple. Offside was offside. It didn't matter where the ball was. It's nonsense. Now the active and passive offside is too complicated. We have a problem. We should stay away from complicated expressions and go back to making it simple. Okay, Boomer. Okay, Boomer. Like, come on, stop.
00:43:49
Speaker
Like I, I, no, no, like things evolve, things change. No, no, no, no. It's not evolution. No, it is. It's deliberate sabotage in a game by Ifab. It's deliberate sabotage. Yes. Come on. It's not deliberate sabotage. This is, this is Ifab wanting there to be more and more goals, more and more chaos because it sells to neutrals and what I call four year fans who never watch football, that only want to tune in and see loads of goals. So they, they want to kill the actual, they want to kill the fans.
00:44:19
Speaker
I think this is one of the few things they've actually gone right because I think again it shows an understanding of the game.
00:44:25
Speaker
It shows that the ball is the main thing, it's not the position of the players only. There was too much emphasis on the position of the players before. Now it's more showing an understanding of the game of football, that it's the ball, the position of the ball, when it's played, it's relation to the other players, that's what is the most important thing and it requires the players to improve their skill sets, their awareness, their split vision. So it's raised the quality of the game actually, I think, in both phases.
00:44:52
Speaker
I think this is one of the few things they got it right. My issues are with stupid things like blue cards or banning tackling altogether essentially and every single challenge is, oh, I don't know if you're allowed to do that. That's what I have a problem. Okay. Well, you've mentioned blue cards. We might as well talk about it now. We're going to talk about it after. So this is the news that broke on Thursday or Friday, the IFAB, the International Football Association Board, who basically introduced the new rules.
00:45:17
Speaker
laws of the game that they were they were looking into introducing a new blue card as part of trials of basically symbols in football like what we have in rugby and ice hockey as well and ice hockey I don't know how long it is ten minutes in rugby how long is it in two minutes unless it's something really serious in ice hockey then you can get like five minutes and ten minutes okay
IFAB's Blue Card Proposal Controversy
00:45:41
Speaker
Well in rugby it's 10 minutes, I think the plan was to do the same in football and it would be for arguing with the referee, like being offensive to the referee and also for cynical fouls, so fouls like what Keolini did to... I hate that. I hate that.
00:46:01
Speaker
I hate this. This is a stupid, stupid idea. And it is even more ruins defending. Look, it's if you sometimes you just kind of have to accept like there's an aspect of it of the game that I don't want to change. This is, you know, making cynical fouls that aren't dangerous or reckless should be allowed.
00:46:22
Speaker
It's just as simple as that. It should be. The law as it is today is really good. If you're, you know, dogso, the dog solo, I really like it. You know, it makes sense because, you know, you shouldn't be able to do, to do, to do. Denial of a goal screwing up. Yeah, exactly. And also what Louis Suarez did against in the World Cup in South Africa against Ghana, like that red card penalty, like all of that is good. There's no need for this. This is stupid.
00:46:51
Speaker
It's just, it's more the- But it's been widely mocked. I mean, all the managers have come out and said it's a joke. They've turned them into a circus. This is circus level. This is again- This is just an extension of what I'm saying about, you know, the passive of solo. They want to make the game as chaotic as possible. They want to kill defending because they want more goals. They want more chaos. It's simple. This is more-
00:47:13
Speaker
This is what they want in football. They don't want teams to be able to defend and they want they just want chaos. And also the other thing, which is clear, is the other thing I've been saying about IFAB, who I detest, by the way, is IFAB have to justify their existence. And then and the only way to justify the existence is they have to change the rules if we get there to make changes to the game and change the rules. Because if we had the perfect set of rules in football, which we could easily have, by the way, we could easily have
00:47:41
Speaker
what would be the what what just ifab wouldn't be able to wouldn't need to exist if you create the perfect set of laws in football which you can do you might need the odd little tweak here and there now and again but if you could set the the perfect set of laws in in football ifab wouldn't exist there'd be it wouldn't be able to exist it would it would go bankrupt
00:48:01
Speaker
There'd be no funding. There would be no, it wouldn't be exist. So they have to justify their existence by creating new, stupid new rules. And then they make mistakes with their rules. And then they have to change the rules. They've made mistakes. Yeah. Like the handball rule. Like they've done with the handball. They've ruined the handball rule. There's complete chaos and confusion now with a handball rule. And it just, or the law, and it just, it drives me mad. And it's, I just think this is some of the dumbest things I've ever heard in my life.
00:48:27
Speaker
the blue card. Just take it away. I don't want to hear about it. Stupid. There was this nonsense. There was a talk about making an orange card or something between, you know, the red and the yellow. That's fine, but you can clarify those lines, right? Those between yellow and red, straight reds and yellow. You can clarify that. You can make that even harsher, but blue cards and
00:48:52
Speaker
you know, five minutes out and 10 minutes out, that's just nonsense. And the game already is already two stop start, as it is. I mean, already, like, if you actually look at the number of minutes that the ball is on the field, it's not about 60 minutes, like the third of the game of games are the balls out of play, you know, when it goes out for throw ins and corners and stoppages and things like that. So then you add substitutions, which they've now extended to five substitutions. I know it's still three.
00:49:19
Speaker
is still three times in the game that each team could not. I think that's a fair balance. You add the substitutions. I know, but it still takes extra time for five plays to come on rather than three, even if it's in three instances, it still takes, still, still, it's still increasing the number of the stoppages. So you've got that. Then you've got the VAR and there was a, there was an incident yesterday, which was a complete joke in the Atalanta game. It took five minutes.
00:49:41
Speaker
for them to to decide that was a trick you've got all these stoppages already and now they want to include in uh introduce symbols i mean stop start stop start i mean what is what what is it is there's the super bulb i mean we're gonna have no but if we're gonna have uh we can have uh uh uh adverts after every five minutes and yeah and we're gonna have um janet jackson flashing uh in the in you know halfway during the game i mean i mean what are we do you know what i mean it's just this is
00:50:09
Speaker
This is just a joke, he says. No, I hate the blue card thing. I think it's a joke and I think it just needs to stop. I can't imagine they will actually do this. You know, it's also possible to have blue. There's no need to have
00:50:24
Speaker
the same laws of the game at professional level that you have at semi-professional and amateur level. I think blue cards at amateur and semi-professional level might actually be a good idea because the referees are so exposed. But they are doing it in amateur level. Yeah, that's good. Keep it there. Keep it there. There's no need to put it into professional. Keep it down there because the referees down there need that help. Oh yeah, they get assaulted basically. They get assaulted and harassed and attacked.
00:50:50
Speaker
You know, we have to understand that there is a difference. I would never have been on the field if they were pretty fast. You see, you just proved my point. I think I got set off about five times just for insulting rest. Yeah, well, you see, this is what I mean, like at the lower league level, at youth team level, I think it's a good thing to
00:51:12
Speaker
to teach younger players discipline, not to insult the referee and all that. Use it as a tool in those areas, but there's no need to go anywhere near professional, senior level football with
Roma's Performance Against Inter
00:51:22
Speaker
this nonsense. It's ridiculous. I do want to talk about Roma though. Yeah, let's discuss from the Roma point of view. I thought it was a good performance from Roma. De Rossi said before the game that he wanted Inter to come out of this game knowing that they'd been in the game.
00:51:37
Speaker
and who Roma was, he said, we all know who Roma is, and they did. Roma created chances, they competed, they had spells of dominance in the game, in the first half especially, but also a spell in the second half, even though Inter were clearly the better team, they rallied for a good 10 minutes in the second half when Lukaku had that huge chance.
00:51:58
Speaker
I thought they showed some good attacking patterns again, attacking patterns that we definitely never saw under Mourinho. There were lots and lots of positives. Obviously, you know, they're not quite there. They defensively, they weren't good and they made mistakes and they weren't able to keep it up consistently for the whole game, which has probably been the biggest problem under De Rossi so far that they've been good for like
00:52:23
Speaker
45 minutes of games, but they haven't been and then they've been not so good and then the second 45 minutes We've seen that in three of the games now But I thought there was lots of lots of positive when you when you take into account just how strong the opposition is I thought I think Roma should be should take a lot out of this game for the rest of the season in the top four race Absolutely and also Pellegrini
00:52:45
Speaker
as a left-center mid, as a mitzala to the left. That's his position now. He needs to play there. I thought he was, up until the point where he was substituted, I thought he was the man of the match, although he was outstanding. The way that he dictated the midfield, the tempo of the midfield controlled the midfield against Inter.
00:53:04
Speaker
is it's just you know tip you know tip your hat well done yeah it suits them when they're playing passing passing gate passing football isn't it Pellegrini like keeping the ball and and Luciano Spalletti must be over the moon yeah because with Tonali gone with with with with Giorginio and Verratti well Verratti's pretty much an ex-player now um with with all the problems they got on midfield having Pellegrini show that he can play
00:53:32
Speaker
as a left-center midfielder in the middle of the pitch. And being effective as well, that's important. He got two assists in this game? Yeah, he was too. He could have had a hat-trick. He had three goals and an assist already in the first three games. In four games under De Rosic, he's got three goals and three assists, I believe. That's fantastic.
00:53:51
Speaker
it's really good and he was just starting to show what a player, what quality he has and I'm thinking for the Euros he has to play regardless if you play a 3-5-2. We've got a question on that in the Q&A which I really want to get into. But I mean regardless if it's a three-man midfield and Pellegrini has to play left center mid, Barilla to the right, Locatelli as a registrar, that
00:54:13
Speaker
to me, is the cornerstone from which Italy should build, whether it's a back three or a back four. I love Pellegrini, I thought he was just, wow, he really blew me away. I thought El Schirawi was excellent again as well. He's played really well under, and he's a really important player for Roma as well, because with Lukaku and Di Bala, as we said, you're going to get no defensive
00:54:41
Speaker
work great or pressing or anything like that with those who else are always got the energy and he runs and he's you know he's he's uh he's yeah he's he's been effective as well himself he scored a really good goal and he went closer as well earlier in the game and and i thought he was really really good he's very very busy he works so hard and he tracks back uh he's he was really really good i mean he's
00:55:04
Speaker
I'm not sure. He's showing leadership qualities on the pitch and he wants to be the leader at Roma and he's showing that he's mature enough to be the leader at Roma and qualitatively moving forward, I think he was really good. Now, this has been the perfect thing for Pellegrini, the de Rossi appointment. It's really unlocked him and it's kind of very typical Roma, isn't it, to have one Roman
00:55:34
Speaker
you know, hero, you know, unlock and unleash the future of Roma in Pellegrini, you know, it's, you know, every club has its identity and this is Roma. Roma needs to have a local Romanista who's come up through the youth ranks at the club that the fans can identify with. They used to stand in the Corvassu, they used to stand outside of, you know, the training ground.
00:55:58
Speaker
and want to have photos with him. I think he's got more goal contributions in the last four games under Rossi than he had for like a year under Mourinho. Yeah, but I mean in the identity of Roma. Yeah, no, no. I'm hoping for them to have Pellegrini, someone like Pellegrini. Yeah, for sure. Just on the negative, two negatives for me.
00:56:18
Speaker
First of all, I mean, as I said before, he's finished. I mean, I said it last week. He's he's it's over for him. I mean, you've seen it's not just this last week. It's for months now. He looks like an ex player. He did start the season. Well, but yeah, he's been bad. He's on bad back and he seems to find reality seems to finally have caught up with him, too, because he was was it a couple of weeks ago and was talking about how Saudi Arabia is the next, you know, is the next frontier and bigging up Saudi Arabia as everyone was leaving Saudi Arabia.
00:56:47
Speaker
So I think reality has set in there and he understands that his time at the highest echelons of European football is over. Even when he was in the upper echelons of European football, he was always a flop in big games. Always a flop and this is another. Honestly,
00:57:05
Speaker
I don't know, even though in the history of the game, there's been a bigger big game flop among supposedly top players. I'm not going to say he wasn't a top striker. He was a top striker. He's got one record. He's a top scorer in Belgium. He was. But when it comes to big games, my God, there's never been his record has never been a top player with that's been with a worse record than Dukaku. He is the I think I'm going to say he's the biggest big game flop in football history.
00:57:31
Speaker
Find me another one. Anybody listening, find me another one that was worse in big games than new kaku. I don't think there is one.
00:57:40
Speaker
Because Ibrahimovic, they used to call one, but he used to do it in, domestically, he was always, he used to perform in the big games. He used to flop in the big games in the Champions League, but domestically, Lukaku flops in all big games. Flops. Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Sweden was hardly a big game flop. I mean, look at the goals he scored against the big teams, international. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, in the Champions League, of course, he was very disappointing. There's no doubt about that. I think he'd be the first one to admit that.
00:58:08
Speaker
But no, I can't remember anyone off the top of my head that you say about Lukaku, but it does really feel Lukaku.
00:58:17
Speaker
is it's it's not even you can't defend it anymore um it's and now he's look i think you know now that his body's looking cooked as well like he looks finished and i think the reason why he does that is because again i think a big guy like romelu if you've you've played 15 years 16 years first team football with a big body like that putting so much which requires so much out of your body
00:58:45
Speaker
He's made of flesh and blood. He's a human being robot and that is going to take its toll So I think it's it's it's it's that simply and yeah. Yeah, he's he's leaving raw mothers and also really patricio We've said it before me the worst goalkeeper in the league. He's a disaster. He never makes any saves anymore He lets everything in xg of under one in this game because he's four goals. That's basically him philosophy below I mean, I don't know. I don't even know whether I'd get rid of him and put in the second goal. He's that bad and and
00:59:14
Speaker
For everything I said about the offside, I mean, he still, I mean, he lets in a really basic looping head like that. I mean, that's his fault as well. I mean, it's awful goalkeeping on that goal. Yeah, awful. We have to move on. We're on an hour. We're going to have to zoom through the rest of the show. So Atalanta first, they march on. They thrash Genoa for one, it finished.
00:59:39
Speaker
Super performance, scored four, created loads, some great goals. There were three amazing goals, three amazing left footed goals in this game from Doketeler, Malinowski, Kukminers. Doketeler, he's on fantastic form, another great goal. Kukminers, what a free kick. He's scored. El Bilalatore comes on.
00:59:57
Speaker
I forgot about him completely forgot about him. You know that he was the big really the in many ways a big exciting summer signing along with Schimacher. He comes on on his debut and he scores. It could have been more and Martin has made some ridiculous saves in this game for Genoa Atalanta on fire. It was three world class goals. It was, you know, Malinowski's rocket, Kugmeiner's free kick.
01:00:22
Speaker
And Charles de Kettler. I mean, what a goal. That was truly special, that finish. And his overall play was good as well in this game.
01:00:37
Speaker
It's interesting. I'm so happy for him because I've always believed him. I always thought there was a player there. I just think that move to Milan was too soon, too much, too quick. It was too big of a step. And now he's in a situation, he's at Atalanta, where they're allowing him, it's not as much pressure, they're allowing him to
01:01:04
Speaker
to kind of come into his own. And look, you know, he's scored 10 goals across all competitions now and made six assists. In fact, he is after Bukayo Saka, the youngest player in Europe's top five leagues to have scored six goals, made six goals and six assists in the leagues. So now he's having a wonderful season and he's recovered really, really well. And above all,
01:01:33
Speaker
I mean, if there ever was any need to prove how important confidence is for any athlete, Lukaszal De Kettler now just was just four months ago is night and day. He looks like he looks light when he moves. He looks happy. Whereas four or five months ago, he looked like the weight of the world on his shoulders. He's relaxed. And, you know, that that goal.
01:01:57
Speaker
And he scored, I mean, Gasparini was applauding him even, even cranking bastard, like Gasparini's made him happy. Yeah. So rest of the top four, I'll read through the other top four related games. So Sasualo won, Torino won, a result that doesn't really do good for either team. Fiorentina thrashed, frozen on a fine 5-1, Gallo Bellotti's first goal for Fiorentina, screamer from Nico Gonzalez, and Fiorentina get a first win of 2024.
Fiorentina's Victory Over Frosinone
01:02:22
Speaker
because he's more than anyone in Serie A, no surprise there. Bologna, Thrash, Lecce, 4-0, excellent game. Also, Lini, two goals. Odd guard with a debut goal. And Zixi, unplayable. Unplayable. He's unplayable. Oh my God. I was going to ask you, does his first touch
01:02:45
Speaker
of the ball is one of the best first touches I have seen. It didn't used to be either. It's like what the hell have you seen what he does? His first touches is a joke. It's ridiculous. The way he and it doesn't matter in what position he is as well. It's just the way he
01:03:08
Speaker
takes on the ball and in one foul sweep, one move, when he receives it, he can do whatever he wants, whether he shifts his low center of gravity. Are we getting to the stage now where we're confident in saying he's ready for Milan into Juve? Based on this season for sure, maybe the goal scoring isn't high enough. Yeah, I think his shooting needs to improve. He doesn't hit the ball cleanly enough.
01:03:33
Speaker
But I think you can, I mean, if it took Laotaro a few things. But then all the things Laotaro didn't either necessarily. Neither did Laotaro for a couple of seasons. I look at him now, now, but this guy is just, his first touch, his link up play, his vision.
01:03:47
Speaker
I wonder if, if, uh, if Bayern just don't take him, just take him back, just take him back, like pay the whatever and just take him back because he is, he's, he's, he's ridiculous. He's playing at a ridiculous level now. He's ridiculous. I mean, there's lots of comparisons always seem crazy and they probably still are, but I mean, there really really is, does remind you of Zlatan the way that defenders, just about like the way he protects the ball and, and,
01:04:16
Speaker
And he's incredible. He's unplayable at the moment. He really is. And Lazio win 3-1 at Caliari. Really important win for Lazio, head of the buying game. But the big story is Immobler, who becomes the third. Well, he scores his 200th Serie A career goal. He's really good in this game as well, actually, by the way. His movement was fantastic.
01:04:36
Speaker
he becomes the third fastest player in history to reach 200 seria gods in 341 games which is pretty amazing he joins a very select group of players that are on 200 gods and that makes him the i think he's is he eighth now in the the all-time list
01:04:55
Speaker
I believe he is. There's only eight players who achieved a feat of 200 goals, so yeah. Yeah, Kuthamlin had 190 Serie A goals. I mean, Kuthamlin had 190 Serie A goals and he was a ninth. So yeah, he should be eight.
01:05:11
Speaker
But yeah, I mean, look, 200 goals in 341 games only in terms of the third, you know, the third quickest, fastest forward to reach this, I mean, slow, just just said me out saying Gunnar Nudol reached 300 in faster, in fewer games. It's that that's just, you know, that's where football was was still amateur level without with all due respect to me outside Nudol. But
01:05:39
Speaker
When you do that in the modern era, that's so impressive. You take into consideration that he's done it playing for Gino, A Torino and Lazio, that it makes it even more impressive. No, you got to give. He deserves more respect. And I keep repeating this point every time we talk about Giro immobile. I keep saying this and I really firmly believe this.
01:06:02
Speaker
I think he is one of the unluckiest players of all time because if he had been born 10 years earlier and he'd been playing in an era where the number nine role was different to what the number nine role is when he played and had his peak, he would have played for the best teams in the world. He would have scored in the Champions League. He would have probably had a Champions League
01:06:22
Speaker
title to him but because of the fact that he played in an era where the number nine role was different and he can't play in a soul striker role I really don't think he can but with a two in a two-man attack
01:06:35
Speaker
As was pretty common back 10, some 10 years earlier, then I think he would have had much more respect. I really, really believe that. Yeah. You said that you have said that before. Um, and the relegation race, the big relegation game, Solani Tano one, empathy three and Davidina cause making
Salernitana's Coaching Change
01:06:50
Speaker
miracles again. But the big story is in Zaki people in Zagi sat and Fabio Liberani is in Monto and nil Verona nil. But, um, I mean, I think Solani Taro have gone and you can't really blame them for get rid of in Zagi. I mean, he's, he's, yeah.
01:07:05
Speaker
he was unlucky at the start, like they were very unlucky for a while but now things have fallen away now really. This was Last Chance Saloon, I said it I think on Thursday in the patron only pod that this was Last Chance Saloon. They needed three points against Empoli and they got zero and now they're on 13. They've got six points up to safety and it's not a lot but it's
01:07:28
Speaker
for them. It is if you're a relegation team. Well, exactly. And you have to overtake Cagliari, Urinese, Verona, Sassolo, you know, all these teams who are there about. I think we can count Salah in it. And it's only two spots now. And it's going to be between Cagliari, Urinese, Verona, Sassolo, Empoli and Frosinone, I think.
01:07:47
Speaker
I think Solonitan and Calliore are. I can't see them staying up. But who knows? But if they're honest, the up is just wow. Yeah. Okay. Champions League back this week. Only Lazio playing and Europa League back as well.
Lazio's Champions League Preview
01:08:04
Speaker
Last 16 Champions League first leg in Rome. Lazio against Bayern Munich.
01:08:14
Speaker
I think they can win it even by one goal, like that can happen, but the problem is there's a return leg in Munich where
01:08:23
Speaker
you're going into a centrifuge. I mean, I think in order for not having some issues right now, they lost 3-0 to Levesque for the weekend and they were horrible. They got battered in that game and they might not even win the Bundesliga this season. Well, they've won it 11 years in a row. I mean, at some point that's quite far. I am enjoying all the mocking of
01:08:45
Speaker
how Harry Kane and Derek Dier join and they turn Bayern into Tottenham. The history of the Tottenham is so strong that it even kills Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. No, but look, I think Lazio could even possibly theoretically win this game by 1-0 or 2-0. I think if Lazio are to go through, have a prayer to go through,
01:09:10
Speaker
they need to win this game. They need a three goal cushion going to. That's not going to happen. Well, exactly. So, so I think, I think, I think they could potentially potentially could get drawing this. I, I, I, yeah. But then again, you know, buying.
01:09:25
Speaker
buying and not, you know, they've got gaps in the team. Their defense is not good at all. I mean, if this hope Eric Dyer plays again, and he keeps the board in someone's face, his own player's face. What that signing makes. So basically, they bought him because he's Harry King's BFF, right? I mean, that's how it comes across. Yeah, it's like, you know, Harry needs a friend in Munich, he doesn't really speak the language too well. So let's bring in his friend. So he's got someone to talk to. Yeah, that's how it that sign in feels like.
01:09:55
Speaker
I'm sorry, but it does. Listen, you can't tell me that Eric Dyer actually is good enough to play for Bayern Munich. Harry and Eric. Harry and Sally. Thank you, Sally. Harry and Sally. And in Europa League, Europa League, we've got fine old Roma on Thursday in the first leg of the Europa League knockouts round playoff. And that's in Holland.
01:10:18
Speaker
And then Milan Ren also at San Siro. And these are going to be tricky games because both of those two teams final. Ren are arguably the most informed team in Europe. They've won eight games in a row. That looked like a really great draw at the time for Milan. And now they've won eight in a row. But, you know, Milan are in great form as well. So, so, yeah, we need, Milan have got to go through that. And final, final difficult. I thought they were good at the start of the group.
01:10:43
Speaker
and really dominated Lazio. And they're in good form as well. They're a tricky team, but obviously Roma have had their number in recent years. So, big, big games. I think that's going to be chaos. Roma, Fiorente, Feyenoord. The Feyenoord fans are absolutely insane. But Roma, Feyenoord has turned into this weird little tie and the energy between them is mad.
01:11:08
Speaker
So, and now, you know, Mourinho used to, you know, he used to spark things up before the game, but now De Rossi has just opened the floodgates. I think this could be one of those crazy games, complete batshit crazy games. We could be high scoring 4-4 or whatever. So, yeah, watch out for that. Milan Ren, look, yes, Ren R in form.
01:11:29
Speaker
come on, Milan have to get to at least a semi-final. I mean, that I do expect from Milan. I really do, especially given their position in the Serie A, where they are comfortably third, they're in, you know, they're safe. So I really want them to go for this. Yeah, me too. Okay, let's finish off with Badjo, Premfe, and Serie A of the week.
Sebastian Haller's Inspirational Return
01:11:48
Speaker
So Badjo, first of all, and who have you got for Badjo? I've got Charles de Kettler,
01:11:54
Speaker
That game, Genoa Atalanta, the goals in that game are mad. Nico Gonzalez, fantastic. But I have to give it to Sebastian Elliott, who comes back from cancer, testicular cancer, and scores the winner in the in an Afghan to win it for Ivory Coast, less than 12 months after receiving treatment for for testicular cancer. Like that is just that is an unbelievable achievement. Yeah.
01:12:23
Speaker
Yeah, fantastic achievement. And that brings me on to prem face because I'm going to say that whichever Roma fans were abusing a chair be about his testicular cancer and calling for him to die. Well, yeah, you're you're the serious of the week, let's say, as well. So a chair be responded to you in in a fitting way. Let's say sticking his middle finger, middle finger up at you. Yeah, but they say yes, but the serious of the week is also up to Paolo on Twitter.
01:12:53
Speaker
or ex. Listen to the, I mean English grammar is my passion. Stefano Pioli equals Arigosaki as the fifth AC Milan coach with the most benches considering all competitions. I must have a big house. He collects furniture now. I mean they just literally just translated that verbatim from Italian.
01:13:19
Speaker
collects the most benches so why is he collecting benches benches yeah that was just like i was dying um and then gotha means i don't know it was weird it was but they always like opt for some reason this has been going on quite a long time with them they they just google translate stuff and and it's just like come on a big company like opta surely they can find someone who can maybe they got the same guy that runs the seria account
01:13:49
Speaker
He runs them both. Love it. Love it. Yeah. I love it. Prem face Joe Biden saying that Mexico is on the border. Yeah, that was a mix up the Canadian and Mexican presidents. The Mexican president Assisi. I love that. Yeah, that was very funny. And Gary Neville's little rant.
01:14:10
Speaker
uh with Roy Keane and who else was it who was a Rio Ferdinand there as well or was he not somebody else I can't remember who it was I can't remember who it was it wasn't Rio no we were saying that Italian teams he played against were they there were some Italian teams we played against that we felt were doped up uh but we can't you can't go around accusing people after he just went around accusing people
01:14:35
Speaker
Um, and it was just, it was just so, it's such an incoherent word salad. Um, and it's like, those bloody Italians again, eh? Like it's just not the energy around him and Carriga was there, I think. Yeah. Cause Carriga was the one who said, of course Carriga was there. I mean, I mean, those two, they're not Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb, aren't they? Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber. Uh, it's, it's, it's, uh, no, anyway.
01:15:03
Speaker
Let's leave it at that anyway. We will be back on Tuesday for the Q&A. We've got some really good questions this week and then later on in the week we'll have a Thursday show reacting to Lazio in the Champions League against Bayern Munich.
01:15:21
Speaker
Big win for Lazio coming up. Yeah, come on. Let's hope Ciro. Ciro, the hero in Europe. Let's hope Eric Dyer is playing. He just jinxed him. He's got a score now, isn't he? There's no witchcraft powerful enough to get Eric Dyer to score. Let's say that. Well, your witchcraft and Patrick Kendrick's witchcraft is powerful. I'd say you're very powerful witches.
01:15:45
Speaker
The Anglo Neapolitan witchcraft energy is very powerful. I mean, it's crazy to me. He said before the game to me privately that Acherbi was going to score and the Inter were going to win 4-2. No way. Yes, he did. And that is mental. So he is a witch. He is a witch. So yeah. That is right. Should have put a bet on that, everyone. Big money. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Right. We'll see you in the week. Have a good week, everyone. Ciao. Ciao.