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Free Weekly Episode - Rafa Leao & Milan DESTROY Napoli, Lukaku A Disaster, Kean Continues Juve Win Streak & Much More (Ep. 311)
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From a vintage Rafael Leao performance as AC Milan destroy woeful Napoli, Romelu Lukaku disasterclass costing Inter by missing sitters, Moise Kean the hero when Juve win 5th straight Serie A match, to Maurizio Sarri's Lazio favorites to secure Champions League football next season and Tammy Abraham-José Mourinho bromance at Roma potentially over, Nima and Carlo break down all the talking points from an absolutely jampacked weekend of action in Italian football.
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Transcript
Introduction and Overview of Italian Football Podcast
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian football podcast. Hello, everybody, and welcome to the Italian football podcast. I'm Carlo Garganese here, as always, with Nima Tavalli. And what a show we have for you today.
Napoli vs Milan: Key Highlights and Analysis
00:00:17
Speaker
Luciano Spelletti's seemingly unstoppable Napoli side absolutely destroyed in Naples by Milan for nil.
00:00:25
Speaker
Rafael Liao back to his best formulan with two goals will be analysing that stunning result and then all the fallout. What effect will this result have on the Champions League quarter-final between these two teams starting next week?
00:00:40
Speaker
Once where Inter's crisis goes on, it deepens, as they lose at home to Fiorentina, Simonian Zaghi is now not only at risk of not being at Inter next season, but he's at risk of not even finishing the season. As Inter fall out of the top four, they face Juventus next in the Copa Italia on Tuesday, the first leg of the semi-final. We'll be previewing that game, as well as discussing Juventus' latest win. They're on fantastic form. They beat Verona 1-0.
00:01:08
Speaker
Also Roma, Lazio, Atalanta all winning the top four race, getting really excited now. So we'll be discussing those games and all the other matches in Serie A this past weekend. We'll have Badger and Prem face of the week as always. It's going to be a really, really big show today.
Support and Engagement: Patreon and Ratings
00:01:24
Speaker
This is our Monday show and for all our first time listeners, this is our free weekly episode, which we do every Monday, reviewing the weekend Serie A action and all the biggest talking points in Italian football from the week before.
00:01:35
Speaker
If you want to support the Italian Football Podcast and receive all of our content we do throughout the week, including our weekly Q&A episode every Tuesday, where we answer all the questions sent in from our Patreons, plus our 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 VAT.
00:01:59
Speaker
And for those of you that are listening on Spotify, on iTunes, on Apple Podcasts, et cetera, we'd greatly appreciate a five-star rating. And give us a follow and subscribe to us as this really helps us to grow and to spread the gospel of Syria. Okay, right. Let's
Milan's Tactical Masterclass Against Napoli
00:02:18
Speaker
get started. Only one place to start. Milan, destroy Napoli.
00:02:22
Speaker
So then, the study on Maradona, Napoli nil, Milan four, a shock destruction. Let's say nobody saw this coming. Milan were absolutely sensational. Where to start? There's so much to go through here. There's so much to talk about. I don't even know where to begin. Let's start from Milan. Yeah, let's start from Milan's point of view. I mean, they absolutely outplayed Napoli.
00:02:51
Speaker
off the puck. For me, this is Stefano Pioli. This man not only has more lives than a cat, than a Cheshire cat, but he embodies the mythological bird Phoenix. Every time he's in trouble at Milan, he magically just rises from the ashes and is
00:03:17
Speaker
his Milan is better and bigger and better than it was before the crisis. It's crazy. It's the third resurrection. We should be calling him Jesus, not Padre Pioli. The man resurrects completely over and over and over again. The fact that he decided to throw a spanner in the works, playing a 4-2-3-1, going back to that,
00:03:39
Speaker
Napoli were completely shocked. They didn't know how to handle it. Spalletti hadn't even thought of Milan playing like that. They were nowhere to be found. Yes, Napoli were bad. We're going to get to Napoli as well. But this was, for me, more than anything. Lots of heroes. I thought all Milan players were great, but there are some who stood out. But above all,
00:03:56
Speaker
The way they moved, the way that the game plan worked perfectly, this was for Pioli's win. Tactical win from start to finish by Stefano Pioli, who just... I'm making a vow here now. Never ever counting Pioli out at Milan again. I don't care. He just always manages to find a way. It's crazy. But I mean, if we get away from that, it also shows
00:04:22
Speaker
that he has a united group behind him. When a manager can do that time and time again and turn the tide, that shows that he's got all of the players behind him. Wouldn't you agree? Oh, absolutely. I don't think that was ever in doubt, actually. Even during the tough times, there was never any doubt that the players were with him. And I think that's obviously helped things now that they've
00:04:48
Speaker
I would say shortly after winning 4-0 that they're through because the mini crisis had returned before this game, which is why it's such a shock that they've gone from what we saw before the international break when they lost to Udenezer, wasn't it, in their last match, to suddenly putting on not just winning, but just
00:05:09
Speaker
just everything about this performance as a team individually. I mean this was Milan, this was not only the Milan that won the Scudetto last season, I would actually go further and say this was the best performance in Stefano Pioli's time at Milan since he arrived at the club. You can't find me a better performance because you've got to look at who they're playing. They're playing an Napoli team that is running away with the Scudetto, one of the greatest Serie A Scudetto teams that we've had in modern history.
00:05:36
Speaker
and they didn't just win, they absolutely destroyed Napoli. They battered them in every single department on the pitch. I mean, from a tactical point of view, I've said from day one, I didn't particularly like the three-man backline and I wanted them to go back to a back four. And I also said that I think the best way to beat Napoli is to play with a back four. I don't like playing a back three. I know into beating them with a back three, but
00:06:05
Speaker
I think Pioli actually said that himself after the game that he thinks it's how you had to go to a back four to beat Napoli, but I just think it worked perfectly. Everyone seems so much more comfortable in their roles and their positions, how to move individually and as a team, everything was really fluent.
Napoli's Tactical Errors and Milan's Triumph
00:06:20
Speaker
we both of us have been calling for months for Milan to play three sentiment fielders now it wasn't necessarily a 4-3-3 which is kind of what we've been calling for but it kind of was in the sense that Beneser, Tonali and Krunich all played and they were all helping each other out and they seemed to kind of they seemed to kind of alternate the three of them between who was the most more advanced who pushed forward into that kind of
00:06:46
Speaker
let's say attacking central midfield role and who was a little bit deeper. They're kind of all old tonight. There's even Benisair was pushing into that area. But I just think that having that extra man in central midfield, as we've been saying, it's what has been missing from Milan throughout this year for certain.
00:07:10
Speaker
they've been too open in the center midfield and I just think having that extra center midfielder gave them greater solidity, it gave them greater balance when they were both attacking and particularly when they had to defend but when they had to press, when they had to just just hold. I mean you know when you only have two in that area and then you have say Brahim Diaz or Diketeler or someone else is the attacking center midfield ahead in a 4-2-3-1.
00:07:35
Speaker
you're much more open. And I think that Pioli has now found his ideal system. I think he should play those three all the time. Krunich basically being, I guess, what Kessier was. I know Kessier was more advanced last season, but basically play all three of them and alternate like he did in this game. And this is the way forward now. I know we're going to discuss the Champions League time afterwards. We've got a segment on kind of like
00:08:00
Speaker
how this affects that quarter final. But I think from Milan, they have found the perfect system and they executed it perfectly. And in front of the central midfield three, he had Raphael Liao and Brahim Diaz, who were just causing havoc and Napoli could not live with that. I just got to pick up on Brahim Diaz. Milan have to keep this guy.
00:08:20
Speaker
Again, a young player they brought in without much fuss that was bloomed and flourished under them to being a potential player who works perfectly in the system. The reason why I keep saying that Ricky Massara is the best school sporting director in all of Italy is because of this look at the sheer number of youth and young players that came to Milan that weren't famous, that weren't big and have now bloomed and blossomed under them. It's just
00:08:48
Speaker
He was, I thought that was the best game he's ever had in his life, Brian Diaz. I thought he was magical. There were things he was doing that was just, you know, I stood there with an open mouth at times. Like, who am I watching? I mean, even Alexei Salomikas looked like Messi for crying out loud. So it was one of those nights. But Diaz, for me, is just, Andrade Krunich, again, wow.
00:09:14
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, Brian Diaz just just to step in on Brian Diaz. I mean, the skill that build up to the first on the touchline, the book. He made the book look really stupid that he embarrassed him. He pulled down his pants. We call that in Swedish. He pulled down his pants in Swedish. We say when somebody does that to someone, it's like you're pulling down their pants or you dribble them up onto the to the stands to the to the to the hot dog guy and say, yeah, that's a lot. And he's like, yeah.
00:09:40
Speaker
That's the Swedish thing. He said about Stefan Hensho, he said, I went right, he went right. I went left, he went left. Then I went right and he went and bought a hot dog with ketchup. That's right. Well, that's what he did to Lomotko. He said to the hot dog stand. There's no doubt the talent is there with Braheem. We don't see enough of it always.
00:10:01
Speaker
He has been key in some big games now, certainly recently. I mean, you said this is probably his best game. I thought he was outstanding against Tottenham as well in the away leg against, I was going to say White Hart Lane, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. I thought he was brilliant in that game, but he scored the winner in that tie against Tottenham, scored against him. He scored against Juventus, didn't he, as well, earlier in the season. So he's been doing well in the big games, Brahim Diaz. So that obviously shows that he has some personality about him.
00:10:32
Speaker
Rafael Liao, of course, if we're going to single out one player in particular, Rafael Liao.
00:10:39
Speaker
Raphael back. This was him. This was the second half of last season, Raphael. This was the best player in the league, Raphael. This is the 100 million euro, Raphael. I mean, he was he was unstoppable. He was just in the mood. And, you know, well, that's the problem. That's the problem with him is in the mood. I still stand by that he Milan will sell him in the summer and that he won't extend because of the sporting thing like.
00:11:06
Speaker
because of the fact that he owes sporting. Is it 17 or 18 million euros that he has to pay? I think for Milan, they have to sell him in the summer because he's not going to extend with them. It's just not going to happen. He wants that payoff to pay off that debt. It's as simple as that. Milan can't afford to pay that debt for him because that'll be taxed as an income, meaning it'll cost Milan 34 million euros to pay it off, like twice as much to pay gross net. So it's not going to happen.
00:11:34
Speaker
But looking more closer to today, we asked on our last show, how do Milan get Rafael Liao back to his best just to rescue the season? By playing like they did. Whatever they did, and obviously the formation I think comes into it. I don't see Rafael Liao in a 3-5-2 personally. I think he's better from the left. I think Cristiano Ronaldo earlier in his career was better coming from the left.
00:12:01
Speaker
When he still had the legs, because in ways you've actually got more freedom playing from the left because that's your starting position, but then you can roam in, you can go inside, you can go outside. Whereas when your starting point is in the center, then you're actually easier to mark. So I think that, yeah, this was his best role. And I mean, he was sensational. I mean, the finish for the first goal was beautiful. It was absolutely delightful.
00:12:26
Speaker
Well class. And then obviously he was fantastic for the second goal. I thought it was terrible goalkeeping from Merritt, but he was still the way that he took it and finished it against Rachmani. And there was also a devastating, I actually thought his best moment in that was the devastating counter attack at 2-0 when Giroud just put it wide.
00:12:48
Speaker
he was absolutely, I mean, it was scary watching him, watching him in full flow. That was like, watch him, you know, when Ronaldo, the Brazilian Ronaldo, or Ronaldinho, or Messi, or, you know, when they're in absolute full flow, Maradona, and you're just scared, that was like, it was absolutely scary. Just about five minutes into the second half, he was electrifying in this game, Rafael.
00:13:13
Speaker
and so that that's great to see for for man because i mean he'd gone so long without scoring what was it 11 games without without scoring a goal you know and he got two and he was he was magnificent now for me as i was talking about Radekrunić i keep saying that i you know i if we're gonna play a three four three four two one how important he is for Milan's defense
00:13:33
Speaker
But he's just he's just so important for Milan, period. Now, again, even Krunic is basically is delivering the goods for Milan. Now, salamakers is delivering everybody was brilliant. Everyone. I mean, salamakers, I couldn't believe what I was saying.
00:13:48
Speaker
What was that? I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was definitely the messy. What was that? I mean, it was crazy. He was dribbling past everyone. He had so much pace and intensity. The Milan players looked so well conditioned. They looked so fit. There was so much intensity, the pressing. They were so fast. Every player looked half a yard faster than they usually do.
00:14:13
Speaker
So whatever they did to condition the team before the game, I don't know if they hired Bangsbo or some other people to coach the team, but whatever they done. I thought when John left, we'd never be worried about being sued again with the Bangsbo digs. I'm joking, of course. They were so well conditioned for this game. They were so much sharper than Napoli. And yeah, everyone was great. I mean, we haven't even spoken about Sonali.
00:14:43
Speaker
yeah i mean he was he was everywhere but this was more of a four three three wasn't it more than a four two three one wasn't it and that's kind of what we were talking about yeah i mean it was four three and then
00:14:54
Speaker
Liao and Brahim Diaz with kind of license. 4-3-2-1, I guess you could say. It was 4-3 and then Liao and Brahim with the license to roam around and then Giroud is the one. Basically, if I look at this tactically, and I was thinking about this yesterday, I've got it in my notes, I feel like in a way Pioli kind of mirrored what Napoli did on the Spalletti in the sense that they'd shift between a 4-3-3 and a 4-2-3-1 in games.
00:15:19
Speaker
Obviously without Osseman, Osseman's movement and physique and pace and Osseman's general presence on the pitch allows Napoli to be much more fluid between the formations. I thought what Pioli did was something similar but with the players available to him. Like you said, with Brahim and Liao having the
00:15:40
Speaker
the license to Rome, making that their movement was not just, they weren't wingers, they weren't really number 10s, they weren't inverted wingers, they just were everywhere in that area. And the rest of Milan was so well-balanced, Kirounic, Tonali. Every one of them was so well-balanced and so disciplined, and Teo Hernández as well.
00:16:01
Speaker
Like you said, we haven't even talked about him. Tonali was everywhere. He's pressing, he's harrying. You don't see Napoli's midfield outplayed like they were. They're all wonderful. I think me and I should start. I've been saying the next step is 4-3-3. I think, and I stand by that, I really think Krunic Ben-Asert-Tonali is the way forward now.
00:16:26
Speaker
Well, listen, they have to keep this. Listen, you're not changing this formation. They found their formation now. They found their system. You don't win. We'll come to Napoli and how they underperformed. You don't do that.
00:16:38
Speaker
unless you're doing something right yourself, they found their right system, they have the key. Absolutely. And mentally as well, that's the other point. And we'll come to that when we talk about the Champions League game, but they were so up for it. They wanted to show, I think Selemaker said they wanted, I mean, I saw people be taking the piss out of him the way that he was holding his badge, you know, the Scudetto badge and everything, but they wanted to show that Selemaker said that they were the champions. That's the thing. They raised their game to prove.
00:17:05
Speaker
Yeah, Milan played with a point to prove. And Napoli, I mean, if we're going to go to Napoli now. Yeah, I mean, what the hell happened? Yeah, I think I think it's it was a combination of many things.
Impact of Milan's Victory on Champions League
00:17:22
Speaker
I think they had a bad night like they had against Inter. In many ways, this performance reminded me of an Napoli where they lost to Inter, where Inter dominated them. But since Inter can't score goals, they scored once when they should have scored four.
00:17:39
Speaker
This is, it reminded me of that, and that is that Napoli weren't switched on. Individual, especially Angouissard looked, again, he looked tired and lethargic. Kim and Jay had a shocker. Lobotkin and Zielinski were nowhere to be found. You can't just say awesome and didn't. It's not just awesome. It was all of them. Karatskhelia was a shadow of himself.
00:18:01
Speaker
We have to remember, this is a young and inexperienced Napoli side. I think some of us, myself, I'm definitely guilty of this. Because of how good they've been so consistently this season, we kind of forget that they're not there yet. This is their first season, these players, at this level, playing like this. And there's going to be dropped moments where they show that lack of experience. And I think this was one of those. And also, Spalletti.
00:18:28
Speaker
I think Luciano Spalletti got completely destroyed tactically by Pioli. He got schooled and he was annoyed by that. You could tell that after the game when he was having a go at Liao for the way he celebrated and Maldini came up and said, look, what are you talking about? You're going to win the league. Stop busting balls. Be happy with that. I don't know if you saw that.
00:18:52
Speaker
Yeah, it was a half time. Yeah, a half time. So it was, you know, I think, I think Spaletti was pissed that he was he got tactically outplayed, outclassed. And the fact that he got the game plan wrong, he didn't expect Milan to play the way they did. He just didn't occur to him. He was shocked and he couldn't stop it. And and of course, also massive. We're talking about the best striker in the city. So I think, you know, that obviously played a role.
00:19:20
Speaker
I think that, listen, everybody, in modern football, when you're playing 50, 60 games a season, you can't win all 60 games and be great every 60 games. You're going to lose some games. I just think that I've not seen Napoli this bad, this open and this vulnerable this season. I mean, yes, they have lost other games. They lost to Liverpool. I mean, that was a dead rubber, so we can chalk that one up. But they lost to Lazio and they lost to Inter.
00:19:48
Speaker
Yes, Inter with a much better team, they outplayed and they deserved to win, went in to beat them. But Napoli weren't open, so open. They didn't get torn apart and stretched like they did in the Inter Milan game. And the Lazio game was really a smash and grab. It was Lazio defending with 10 men behind the ball, playing Catanaccio basically. And then they scored with a wonderful goal. We live an upside down world when Sarri goes to make pulls and wins, we didn't get the natural.
00:20:13
Speaker
Yeah, so I mean, those games, like, there was nothing to get alarmed about, I think, in those games, you know, the intergame came off of the World Cup after a long period out. And clothes failure wasn't wasn't that fit as well. And it was way off this match fitness and that game as well. So, you know, those those results can happen. But I think it's the nature of
00:20:33
Speaker
this defeat. You know, Spelletti said himself they were completely outplayed. That's what I think was concerning. I mean, you know, the team, if you look at the team structurally with Spelletti, the team is always very close together to use the old famous
00:20:51
Speaker
Saki line that the team always has to be, you know, the defense, the midfield and attack all needs to be within 10 meters or 12 meters of one another. They all have to be very condensed, you know, to stop the spaces. You know, there was gaping holes between the attack, the Napoli attack, the Napoli midfield and the Napoli defense. And there was so many times that, you know,
00:21:12
Speaker
there were balls being played and there was just such massive gaps between the department, between the lines. And I've not seen that before. And that was alarming. And like I said, they were stretched out so much. I mean, seeing Rafael Liao and Theo Hernandez and going on these long runs and there's not a Napoli player within 10 meters of them. I mean, that's what concerned me, the structural issues. The Napoli press,
00:21:42
Speaker
usually smothers the opposition but Milan were really were breaking through the press all over the pitch really really easily and you know I've used the example of Brahim Diaz getting away for La Boca for the first goal and then like that run of course that Liao went on I mean they were it was just very easy so maybe physically
00:22:01
Speaker
Napoli weren't at their sharpest, and if you're not quite at your sharpest, that can play a role. And I think Spoletti said that Kim and Jay Zielinski, they came back. I mean, Kim actually said on an international duty that he was exhausted and it actually angered a lot of people in South Korea because he basically said, I just want to concentrate on Napoli because I'm
00:22:19
Speaker
So, I don't know whether that played a role because a lot of individual performances were bad. I mean, Kim was terrible. I actually thought Rachmani was even worse. Rachmani was shocking. Rachmani was to blame for two of the goals. He was to blame at least. He got done for two of the goals. So, you know, Lebokka, that's the worst performance I've seen him on the Spelletti in an Aplisha. He was completely outplayed, bullied by Tenali.
00:22:42
Speaker
I actually just, the one thing I disagree with you is I thought Karak Skyler played all right. I thought he was the only Napoli player that, you know, actually faced up to Milan, but he just obviously, you know, Simeone, there was, you know, he didn't do anything and Politano struggled as well. And I thought Raspedori had a few couple of bright moments off the bench, but apart from that, I mean, yeah, there was shockers all over. Merritt had a shocker as well. The third goal, awful kind of third goal. People won't talk about that because they lost 4-0, awful for the third goal.
00:23:12
Speaker
So I think it was one of those nights where Napoli were just, as I said, it was all of the above. They had a really dreadful night. They had a crappy night. And I think it's all of the above. It's not just one thing. I wouldn't be worried for the Serie A because I think I look at the games they're coming up. I think this is a wake up call for Napoli going into the Champions League, in my opinion. Yeah. Well, let's move on then to the Champions League. So the big question is,
00:23:40
Speaker
But one, psychologically, how much will this 4-0 result affect both teams going into the tie next week? First leg is in Milan, isn't it? San Siro, the first leg. Am I got that correct? And second leg in Naples. So how much will this affect that tie psychologically?
00:24:00
Speaker
The question I want to ask you is, do Milan have Napoli's number ahead of this Champions League title? Is it just a style issue? Because, I mean, they've beaten them, and they've not just beaten them, they've absolutely battered them. Well, yeah, they did batter them. If you rewatch the game earlier on in the season, Milan would have a much better team in that game. People forget that. But Napoli got the win. They were just very lucky to win that game, Napoli. Milan outplayed Napoli for a lot of that match at San Siro.
00:24:30
Speaker
early in the season. So is it the case of like a boxing match where they say in boxing styles make fights and certain boxers are suited to certain other boxers? I'll take your word for it because I know absolutely nothing about boxing. I'm not interested. So you could literally be telling me a bunch of lies and I'd just be nodding because I know nothing about it.
00:24:51
Speaker
Okay, well is it a case? You can tell me, you know in boxing they say marshmallows are, you know what I mean, you just can make shit up. I wouldn't be able, I wouldn't know how, I wouldn't know. Okay, well in boxing you get certain fighters that are just, just their style suits another fight, just suits another fight. Yeah I know what you mean, yeah I get it. So is it a case here with Milan that does their style just suit Napoli's style?
00:25:13
Speaker
I think that there could be an element to that as well, but the fact that, like I keep coming back to wake up call, Napoli will, they will, the Spaletti won't exactly have much difficulty getting these guys back to earth, getting them to realize that they're not the best team in Europe, actually they've got quite a bit of work to do, and that they've got a Champions League tie next week,
00:25:38
Speaker
that they're going to go away to Milan to play a Milan who absolutely smashed them. So that in and of itself will be a wake-up call and a concentration. So I think from that aspect, it's good for Napoli because they will come out at that game concentrated, having a point to prove. For Milan, it's absolutely an advantage in the sense that, well, we have their number. Look what we did to them just last week, not months ago, just last week.
00:26:08
Speaker
So, I think it will have an impact, but who will benefit more from it? I think that's impossible. It's got to be Milan. It has to be Milan, surely. I mean, again, I go back to the result. Psychologically, I'm inclined to agree with you, yes. It has to be. That's it. It's the battering. If it was a 1-0, I think it could be more minimal.
00:26:32
Speaker
You know, if it had been like Inter beating them or Lazio beating them, I think it's not the biggest deal. I still think it's important psychologically, but it's not like 4-0. I mean, these kind of heavy defeats, I mean, Saki said it post-match as well. You know, these kind of heavy defeats, they can weigh heavily on you. And I'm looking at, I mean, yesterday I was covering the Manchester United game against the Newcastle.
00:26:56
Speaker
Newcastle beat them 2-0. They absolutely battered them. They totally played north of the park. United looked like a shell of the United that we saw just a month ago. Since they got hammered, United were flying. They won the cup, the league cup.
00:27:13
Speaker
Then they got hammered 7-0 by Liverpool at Anfield. Since then they've been absolutely horrible. They've not scored in three games in a row in the Premier League. They're now fighting for top four. There's the very real risk now. They might not even get in the top four. Everything is concerned now at Man United.
00:27:32
Speaker
And that 7-0 has had such an effect psychologically on them. And this is a team that has been, let's be honest, since you count out those first two games, they've done so well on the 10-hug. He's the 10-hug, the best manager since Ferguson.
00:27:47
Speaker
you know they're running for all the cups you know they're going to get in the top four they're really building something next year they're going to possibly win the league you know and now all of a sudden they look broken and you know so i'm not saying that's going to happen with neply because you know neply have always bounced back this season um you know they bounced back after insta they bounced back after after latcio and they've always gone on long runs after every single uh but this is the biggest test yet because they haven't been battered and just
00:28:14
Speaker
destroyed off the path as they have you know early on in the season so you know that is uh yeah it's a test for them it's definitely a big test for them uh and the other thing i would say Nimra is they need to keep their heads because this is the first time you know even with those other losses the first time i've seen Napoli look rattled you know not just on the pitch but
00:28:34
Speaker
you know, off the pitch as well. I mean, that Rafael Liao celebration, you know, the clown celebration he did. I mean, he's wound them up. Why are they getting wound up by that? You know, like Maldini said, they're going to win the league. Why are they letting that get to them? You know, why Spiletti? I have to criticise him. Why is he getting involved? Why is he causing a
00:28:51
Speaker
causing a problem out of all this. That's the old Napoli mentality or the old Roma mentality. The mentality of the teams that are not befitting of a Juventus or Milan or Inter that's always held back the teams like Napoli and Roma from winning more trophies in the past. They don't have that
00:29:11
Speaker
I hate to say it because I hate corporations, but you know that corporate kind of side to them. Do you know what I mean? Why, why are they getting rattled? So, you know, there's that and also Nimble, we have the racist, the Napoli fans shot themselves in the foot. What the hell are they doing at such a pivotal moment of the season? Why are they, why are they doing a protest, a silent protest and they're fighting with each other as well? I mean, I think the fans have shot, shot themselves in the foot as well.
00:29:36
Speaker
Well, I mean, they were upset at the ticket prices. That's why they were doing that. And I think that they were, you know, it was the ticket prices, they were pissed off with that. And that's something that's always gone on between De Laurentiis and
00:29:52
Speaker
and the fans. If you remember, everyone who subscribes to the pod is a patron. Last summer, we had Vincenzo Credendino from local Naples TV and Calcianapoli. They were ready to revolt last summer. Then, before they signed all those players, they had a good Mercato, and then they went on on this thing. There's always been a little bit of bad blood between the fans and the Laurentiis.
00:30:20
Speaker
I think, I don't know if they shot themselves in the foot. I think it was just, it's not exactly code. Adrian Del Monte, I've got a good friend, was at the games covering this match and he said, I've spoken to him and he said that Milan fans, only the Milan fans could be heard during the game. So it was basically
00:30:39
Speaker
basically a home game for Milan. Now, I just think, listen, I'm all for protesting. You know me, I'm the most anti-establishment, anti-authority person you'll find in the whole world. I'm all for protesting and fighting the system.
00:30:56
Speaker
I'm totally for protesting, but there's ways about protesting and be bloody smart about it. You've got Milan in the Champions League in 10 days. You're playing Milan. Think psychologically. Do not give your opponent any kind of psychological advantage at all. Don't even give them a sniff. Go in for the kill.
00:31:19
Speaker
do not be silent against Milan and give Milan the initiative. Now, Milan might have won this game anyway, even with the club, but it would have been a hell of a lot harder with that, with that, with the whole 80,000 Maradona, you know, intimidating them. I can be sure for, I can be certain of that. So I think they've made a huge, huge own goal here. And then you had the fans fighting, fighting with each other as well. But we don't even know, we don't know what that is about. Apparently it was over how to protest.
00:31:47
Speaker
If that's true, that is the most important thing I have ever heard in my life. Let's have a fight amongst ourselves about how to protest. I love it. I love Naples. I really love Naples. I love the South of Italy. It is my kind of people. This is the chaos. I just love it. I absolutely love it. I love that.
00:32:09
Speaker
No, it's funny, but I mean, I just think it's stupidity for the Napoli fans. Why didn't they just wait? I mean, you know, or if they wanted to protest, protest for, you know, I don't know, protest for five minutes if you really want to do it during the game, or protest before the game, or protest at the training ground, or I don't know, you know, wait till the skiddo is won, or wait, or do it in a game not against Milan, against your opponents that are coming up.
00:32:31
Speaker
I think that's why they did it, to show that they've got power and the influence they've got. And I think now, if De Laurenti has a bit of diplomacy in him, he doesn't go like a bulldozer and declare war on them, but instead... But if Milan go out in the Champions League now, you know, Napoli fans have to accept some responsibility. It might only be minimal responsibility, but they have to accept some responsibility, because Napoli have got smashed here. They've given Milan all the confidence in the world going into that game. And, you know, the Napoli fans helped Milan win the game.
00:33:02
Speaker
No, I wouldn't go that far. I really wouldn't go that far. Like, to me, that is a little bit too much. Like, I wouldn't say they helped me, but they didn't help Napoli. Same thing, really, isn't it? No. You play at home, you want your fans to help you. That's your advantage of the home fans playing at home. I just think it's ridiculous. No, I thought the timing of it was a bit silly.
00:33:27
Speaker
I think it was one of those nights when everything... I always say on this pod that with Naples, when things go well, they fly off into space, and when things go to hell, they go straight down to Satan's balls. There's no in-between with Napoli. That night, everything went right to Satan's testicles.
00:33:47
Speaker
Like they were, that's how bad it went. And that's Naples in a nutshell. And you have to be able to handle that. And Spoletti so far been able to really, really channel that and handle that madness and that energy really well. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt before saying too much. I want to wait and see how they, how they.
00:34:04
Speaker
One thing, the final thing I would say though is I do think that Napoli absolutely need Osman back for the champion. I mean he seems to think he will be back but I mean, you know, we'll see. We don't really know. He obviously faces a little bit of a battle to be back for it but they absolutely need him back.
00:34:23
Speaker
No, he's pivotal. He's the best striker in the league and one of the best in the world this season, based on his performance and form. Anyone who misses one of the best strikers in the world would be weakened. I also think they might need the first goal in that tie as well, because if Milan get the first goal, psychologically again, that could be good. And Napoli opening themselves again and getting stretched. No, you're right.
00:34:44
Speaker
Yeah, no, absolutely. Right. Let's move on to another team that have psychological problems.
Inter Milan's Struggles: Inzaghi Under Pressure
00:34:51
Speaker
And that is crazy. Inter lose one nil to Fiorentina interludes their 10th game in Serie A game of the season, which is insane. And there's still 10 games left to go. They now drop out of the top four. And the question the big question is,
00:35:12
Speaker
Does Inzerghi not only risk not being there next season, but does he risk the sack before the end of the season? Before the end of this month? Is he in trouble, Nimr? Oh, he's very much in trouble. This has reached the point now. The wheels have come off. They're not coming off. The wheels have come off now.
00:35:36
Speaker
And Simonin Zaghi is a dead man walking. I think it's a question of when, not if.
00:35:48
Speaker
They've said three games, meaning Juve in the first Copa Italia game, Saler and Itana, and then Bemfica. If he doesn't get a result in all three, he's out. There's no doubt. And they're going to give it to Kivo, apparently, which is essentially just saying, we're clowns. We're throwing away everything. Which, to be fair, is how Inter has been run like a clown show for the last three years.
00:36:13
Speaker
So it's completely consistent. They're consistent from that angle. But they have to do something. They have to do something. And I think at this point, what do you do? Because you look at the game against Fiorentina, Inter have an XG of 3.14 and without a penalty.
00:36:33
Speaker
I mean, just to explain to people how high that is, because you get a certain amount of points per chance you create. 3.14 XG is insanely high.
00:36:47
Speaker
Without a penalty. Without a penalty. That is mental. That is so crazy that you manage to not score once when you have a 3.14 XG. That is just boom. That means that you literally have, you can't score. You just cannot score sitters. And in the missed sitters,
00:37:08
Speaker
And I know Bergomi was talking about yesterday how on Sky Group Culture that Lukaku looked really good in terms of how he played in the game. I don't care. I'm with Karesa and di Kanyo here when they said, Beppe, come on. Those misses are shocking. It's unacceptable. There's no saving grace here. You can't miss those chances. And it's not just him. Nicola Barilla was unlucky to hit the post.
00:37:35
Speaker
Denzel Dumfries, look, it's gotten to the point now, honestly, I was talking to a friend on Twitter, on Spaces, about this. I don't even get angry anymore when he gets the ball and he screws it up. I laugh because I'm expecting it. Every time he gets the ball alone, I know he's going to do something stupid and comical. He's got to fall over it. He's going to step on the ball. He's going to hit someone in the head with it. He's going to hit his own foot with the ball when he's caught. It's a joke now.
00:38:04
Speaker
This guy can't start ever again for Inter. It's as simple as that. I wonder if somebody just doesn't loan him with an option to buy. That's how bad he's been. We knew he was technically limited, but this is getting... He's turning into one of the worst players I've ever seen play for Inter. That's how bad it's getting now.
00:38:25
Speaker
I mean, the open goal miss in the second half was difficult. Listen, this is what you said last week. Is Lukaku back? And I said no.
00:38:35
Speaker
He's not bad, because he's never going to be that player again. He's never going to be a world-class striker. I actually agree with Burgamy in that I actually thought he's overall game. I agree with that as well. It was the best we've seen. It is. But it's eclipsed. But it doesn't matter. It's eclipsed. When you miss sitters like that, it doesn't matter. All of that flies out the window, because it's unacceptable. You cannot miss that chance.
00:39:02
Speaker
Well, no, there was two in particular. There was the one where he was squared across to him and he cut inside onto his right foot and made a mess of it. And then there was the two one-on-ones, I mean, Pestravillis quick. So, you know, I don't, I can kind of forgive him there. But, you know, it's, it's.
00:39:17
Speaker
Lukaku, it reminded me of the Belgium game in the World Cup. I remember the game in Croatia. That's what Dicagno said. Dicagno said it looked exactly like the World Cup. And I agree. I agree. Look, this is a problem. If you look, I mean, I saw someone on Twitter taking the piss out of, call it the Inter Milan Striker Starter Pack. It was essentially just a thread of Lautaro, Jeko and Lukaku missing sitters.
00:39:40
Speaker
This is where we are. I blame Simoni and Zaghi for a lot of things. For example, Belanova, which I think we should talk about, because I think from now on, not starting Belanova is a disaster by Simoni and Zaghi, and that's on him.
00:39:55
Speaker
Raul Belanova showed that with the characteristics he's got, with the player he is, the mentality that he's gone past that empathy thing, he's stronger now mentally, he should start. He's the only player with pace and that can dribble with pace. So he needs to start in attack. But overall, moving past that,
00:40:15
Speaker
Simone and Zaghi, what are you going to blame him for this game? 3.14 XG and they don't score. If Inter had barely created anything, I'd say crucify him. But when they create so many chances and they can't score, tap-ins, open goal, tap-ins, they're missing.
00:40:36
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, listen, I think that there's a lot of reasons why Inter have lost 10 games this season and why they're, I mean, they're struggling to even get in the top four now. They face a fight now to get into the Champions League. There's a lot of reasons. There's a lot of reasons. There's a lot of reasons for that. And we could be here all day discussing them. But I do think that the biggest issue of all
00:40:58
Speaker
has been Inter's finishing. I really believe it. That might sound simplistic. That might sound a really simplistic thing to say. But when you have an XG regularly this season in the games that Inter have slipped up in where they've had XGs of over
00:41:15
Speaker
three over two and over three continuously. Then you know that the problem is your attack is your attackers not putting the ball in the back of the net. It really isn't. Talk about practical issues or structural problems. Like you said, when you create this many chances, but you cannot, your, your strikers are unable to score. Yeah.
00:41:37
Speaker
But I agree 100% with that. I agree 100% with that. I mean, I'm looking now. I'm looking now. So 3.14 XG against Bierantina. Lose one nil. Against Spezio. Where's the Spezio game? 3.47 against Spezio. Yeah, that was even worse. Lose 2-1 in that game. Let's have a look at your other losses. No, it's...
00:42:07
Speaker
It's, I mean, if Bologna, they barely created anything. But look, no, I'm looking at pretty much, in the Lazio game, you had 1.6 to 1. So you had a higher XG, you lost to Lazio. Against Milan, you had a higher XG, you lost 3-2. Against Roma, you, okay, no, that was fair. Juventus, you had the same XG as Juventus, 1.52 each, you lost 2-0.
00:42:34
Speaker
against Emply you had 1.4 to 0.85 and you lost 1-0. Okay, these are not high, high XGs, but they're higher than the opposition and you lost, you know, in pretty much all of these cases. Even against Bologna, which you were dreadful, you had a slightly higher XG, 1.15 to 1.07. So, you know,
00:42:55
Speaker
you're seeing a consistent trend throughout the season that you've had games that you've lost where you've had an incredibly high XG and you've had games that you've lost or drawn in which you've had higher XG than the opposition, but you've lost or drawn. So that again, that comes down to the same issue that your attack is not doing the job. So I think that is very simplistic and there are lots of other problems this season, but
00:43:21
Speaker
the bad finishing your attack the attack has let into down they have let let everyone down they all have let into down and it's become a thing now where they're starting to doubt themselves and and it's only natural but as far as this goes i mean i i honestly feel i feel we're watching i i feel this is going to be i i when i watch inter now the
00:43:47
Speaker
Anxiety is almost palpable. You can almost touch it. And Inter don't handle that well. And you need to have, in this situation, a dictator. You need to have a Hitler like Konta to make it worse. No, but seriously, you need to have a straight up fascist who comes in there and yells at them and basically says, idiot number one, you go there. Idiot number two, you go there.
00:44:17
Speaker
What? So talking of the Kanye. No, no. No, but seriously, you need at this moment, you need a Jose Mourinho, you need a Trappatoni, you need Antonio Conte. Simone Zag is not the right guy at this point. He's not that guy. What is available?
00:44:34
Speaker
Well, pot you well, yeah, of course. But no, I honestly think if, you know, and I think Marotta's realized that, that this is, every club is different. And this is what Inter needs. If you build a, you know, Konta was treated them like idiots. And that's when they, you know, basically told every single one of them how to eat, sleep, shit, piss, walk, talk, breathe. And they were good. But
00:45:01
Speaker
he didn't leave anything to chance. And they need it. They need someone to wipe their butts. Unfortunately, this is where we are. And Simon Inzagi isn't that guy. He just isn't. Well, we'll come onto the preview in a minute. And so you enter this preview and you can expand on Inzagi's future there.
Fiorentina and Lazio's Strong Performances
00:45:20
Speaker
But just a quick
00:45:22
Speaker
note on Fiorentina, we have to praise them as they've got eight wins in a row now and 10 wins in 11. I mean, they are the form team in Serie A by quite a distance now. I mean, they've absolutely hit form at the right time. They were fortunate in this game, let's be honest, to create a lot of chances. Fiorentina did create quite a few good chances themselves as well. You know, they had chances to score other than the goal they scored.
00:45:48
Speaker
But, you know, that run of results doesn't come, you know, by chance. And, you know, they're just outside the European places in Serie A. They're still in the Coppertalia. They've got the semi-final against Clemonerze on first leg on Wednesday, and you back them heavily to get to the final there. And they're in the quarterfinals next week against Lech Pozna in the conference league, and you back them strongly to go through to the semi-finals there, where they'll probably play Nice.
00:46:17
Speaker
They're in great form, and at Bonaventura I thought was really great in this game. Obviously scored the winner, but Castro Villi I thought was outstanding as well. I love him. I love that player. Even defensively. Even defensively. No, I love that player. He made a couple of big challenges. Mandragora, him, Amrabad, that midfield is absolutely lovely.
00:46:39
Speaker
They've got really really lovely but the midfield is that definitely their strong point of your team because they're very good at keeping the ball but I do want us did want to single out Castro Villy because absolutely because you know you had their serious injury and you know I'm a big fan of the plan.
00:47:10
Speaker
Was you know, he's a bit of a free spirit on the field. He's not very tactically disciplined He kind of just floats around does what he wants And I think the Italiano as a system coach has been really trying to drill has been trying to drill that into him And so to see him kind of put in the yards and do the defensive work as well I think that's really really important and I hope that yeah, I hope because I do believe in this player I think he has the ability to play for a big club. I think he has the natural one hundred
00:47:13
Speaker
I'm a huge fan of him.
00:47:38
Speaker
to play for a big club. But it's how he develops from here, how he recovers from the injury. But it was great to see him in this game to play so well. So that's good, also for the Italy national team. Couldn't agree more. Couldn't agree more. Yeah, just before we go on to the Juventus into preview, just very quickly on Juventus, they beat Verona 1-0. There's not really much to talk about this game. Juventus have been doing better recently. I mean, they're in a great run of form. Five wins in a row, eight wins in nine.
00:48:07
Speaker
This was a terrible game. They also cost me my bet, Juventus. The last time I ever bet on Juventus, because I bet plus 1.5 goals. I don't know what I was thinking. Why would I bet on an Allegri team to score more than 1.5 goals? What is wrong with you? I know I'm mad. I'm absolutely mad. That is such a waste of money.
00:48:32
Speaker
I had a 12 team accumulator. I've won my last two bets. I've won. I've been on a bit of a roll. I won my last two accumulators. All I needed was the Juventus versus Verona. I needed plus 1.5 goals, so either team could have scored, but I needed two goals in the game. I don't know why I did it. It was absolute madness.
00:48:52
Speaker
Yeah, we're not, we're not condoning betting here. We're not saying, you know, if you've got product, I need to do these like disclaimers before we get like some, some, some algorithm puts us on like some. No, I just, I just do it just for a bit of fun. I don't bet a lot of money, but it's just, you know, if you have a problem with gambling, there's help to get, please check your local listing. Yeah.
00:49:14
Speaker
But yeah, I mean, I guess there's three things that I want to mention. Number one, Kean scored the winner. He's actually got eight goals this season. So, you know, he's not the best player in the world, but he's proven reasonable. He does what Allegri wants him to.
00:49:30
Speaker
And Allegri builds a system where they just, you know, it's it's all coming together for him, isn't he? I think they're going to win the Copa Italia. I said it before the season. I still stand by that. I think you were winning the Copa Italia. I think they're going to be Fiorentina in the final. And that's going to be their title for the year. And they'll secure European position that way. I think what we're going to see, I mean, this was just another, you know, I understand that UVA fans aren't happy, but you know what?
00:49:59
Speaker
I would swap for being bored when watching Inter. I'm tired of this as an Interista having my heart but jumping out of my nostrils from rage and stress and nervousness. I want to be bored, man.
00:50:19
Speaker
Like your second individual. No, I'm not. I get up on this other stuff. Oh, it's so lovely. The best thing I know is to watch, it's a Sunday afternoon when I was growing up, when I used to watch, like, Catanacho games, you know, with like, with a uve or Mila I'm playing, and it wasn't exciting, and they just, you know, they played an Empoli or a Monza, and they won 1-0, and I used to snooze in and out. I miss that. I miss that.
00:50:49
Speaker
Just watch paint your eye and be like, oh, this is amazing. I just love this.
00:50:56
Speaker
OK, well, the other two things. Locatelli, I thought, was man of the match. And he's been playing really, really well. And we have to point that out because, you know, a lot has been said over his first 18 months of the event is how the player had not only completely stagnated but had actually regressed quite a lot. And that was actually quite damning on Allegri and his ability or inability to develop players. But he has hit form, Locatelli. Like the last month, we've actually started to see
00:51:23
Speaker
the locatelli that we remember from the Euros and the locatelli that I still believe in. I've always believed in a locatelli. I've never written him off. A lot of U.N. fans have written him off and said, I've always believed in him. I've always believed there's a player there. So I hope that he can continue because I thought he was really good and I think he should have been called up for Italy in the international tournament. Without a doubt. I don't understand what Martini was doing.
00:51:46
Speaker
I just thought he just needs to add some goals to his game now because I think he hasn't scored for like a year, over a year. But yeah, it's good to see him playing well. And also, just as a word of praise to Allegri, I mean, a reason for this poor performance, and it was a poor performance, it was a terrible game. Allegri rotated his squad, he rested Blauovic, Kostic, Di Maria from the start, they came on, Rabio suspended. And that brings us on nicely really to the Coppertalia preview. And I think that Juventus, as a result of Allegri's rotation, go into this Coppertalia semi-final.
00:52:14
Speaker
in better shape, obviously they're in better form than Inter, but they got in better shape to physical shape. They're going to completely dismantle Inter, is what I'm expecting, because Inzaghi is going to continue wrote his madness. He looks like a deer, he's got this deer in headlights look.
00:52:32
Speaker
He's going to start Samir Handanovic, which is going to piss people off. Should the Inter just throw away the cup and just say, you know what, let's focus on Serie A and let's focus on the Champions League and forget that? Without a doubt. Without a shadow of a doubt. The problem is that the Italian mentality isn't this. They look at it as a title. You're not allowed to do that.
00:52:57
Speaker
And when I interviewed Bergomi, he was crystal clear. Paliuca, same thing there. You have to go for the Copa Italia. Personally, I'd send in the Pulcini, not even the Primavera. I'd send in the Pulcini, the six-year-olds, the nine-year-olds. You know, let them play against Juve and then go home and focus on Salernitana and Benfica. That's what matters to me. Top four. There's two issues here with that. Number one is it's Juventus. It's your bitter rivals that you hate. Don't care. Pulcini.
00:53:26
Speaker
Pulcini. Send in the Pulcini. They're already destroyed. But this is the thing, Carlo. They're not going to beat you there.
00:53:41
Speaker
But the thing is, so you start your best players and break them even more in a competition that you've already won that doesn't really matter to you that much, and it shouldn't matter to you? Like, the Coppa Italia only matters, and the Super Coppa as well. Yes, they're important, they're trophies, but they only really matter as a saving grace when you've had an otherwise disappointing season.
00:54:01
Speaker
And Inter won two Super Copa, one Copa Italia under Simon Enzagi. No one cares. His job is to get Inter into top four and the semi-final of the Champions League minimum, because they got a fantastic shot. And if he doesn't, no matter what, even if he were to win the Copa Italia, he'd be a failure.
00:54:21
Speaker
It's really that simple. It's a tough one for me. I see both sides. Obviously nine games in 30 days this month. Obviously they played the first one. It's such a lot of games. Something has to give and you feel like
00:54:33
Speaker
It's going to be one. It has to be the Coppertalia. Of course. But the thing is, the Juventus are in a better place. I do see the psychological point of view as well. I do see that. So it's a different one. Send in the kids. I don't mean the actual children. If it were possible, I'd literally send the children.
00:54:56
Speaker
not even the young youth team players. I'd sell actual eight-year-olds and nine-year-olds and ten-year-olds. They didn't have the time of their lives. Can you imagine that? Sending the nine-year-olds to play against Juva, that'd be brilliant. They'd have so much fun. They'd use, like, a hundred nil, but they didn't hire themselves. And Inter can focus on what matters because, and this brings us nicely to the next point, Latzio of top four wrapped up. We have to give a shout out to Maurizio Sarri. What a fantastic seed. What a job he's done this season with them.
00:55:28
Speaker
Yeah, 2-0 win away at Monza. That puts them, consolidates, increases their lead in second. They're now four points clear of third place, Lazio. And they've got a five-point gap over fifth place. Although, of course, well, no, they have to have a fifth point, even if Juventus get their points back, because they're five points ahead of Inter. Inter and Roma are joint four, if I should clarify what I said before when I said Inter are out of the top four. But they're out of the top four if Juventus get their points back. And they will get their points back. Yeah.
00:55:57
Speaker
Well, we'd expect that, yeah. So, I mean, yeah, it's looking good for Lazio. There's only 10 games left. They don't have any Europe. Look at what they've got left. Look at what they've got left. Okay. Juve at home, Inter away, Milan away. But other than that, Spezia away, Torino at home, Sasolo at home, Lecce at home, Udinese away, Cremonese at home, Empoli away. No, no, no. Sarri and Lazio are finishing
00:56:21
Speaker
And the last four games of the season as well, when the pressure's on, let's show you Danese Krimenezi-Empoliou. You couldn't ask him about it. He's going to get them back into the Champions League. He's done an absolutely fantastic job with them. He's shown that he is serious about having coaching.
00:56:40
Speaker
Pedro, what a legend, what a legend Pedro is. And Milinkovic Savage, fantastic free kick from SMS. We have the praise of defense as well. They've gone six Serie A games now in a row without conceding. It's been two months since Atalanta won at the Olympico that they conceded in Serie A. And they've actually, this is a great stat that I saw. The least number of goals conceded in the first half of matches
00:57:08
Speaker
in the top five leagues this season. They've conceded four goals. That's insane. Insane. Four goals in the first half of matches. What can you say? Anyone who complains about having a squad that's not deep enough, et cetera, just look at what Saadi's done. I disagree with how he sacrificed the conference league because I think a tight trophy matters, but
00:57:31
Speaker
Well, that brings me on to this question I want to ask you, Nima, then. Is it good for Serie A, Lazio getting the Champions League? Because for two reasons. Number one, will they treat the Champions League seriously? And two, Sarri said it himself, that they're not equipped. And also mentality-wise, he says subconsciously at the very least, but he pretty much admitted consciously as well. They basically just literally gave up on it. They didn't even try in Europe this season, both in the Europa League and the Conference League.
00:58:01
Speaker
So is it actually good for Lazio if they get in the Champions League? Or is it better that one of the other teams gets in? No, I think that will be so unfair. I know Lazio fans are going to be listening to this. I think that's unfair. But this is a question...
00:58:22
Speaker
They're obviously going to treat the Champions League better than the Europa League and Conference League. There's no doubt about that. Sarri has won the Europa League already. He knows that the Champions League is as Paletti said when he was at Inter. That's the promised land.
00:58:36
Speaker
If they get there, they're guaranteed revenue and they can actually strengthen because last summer they actually really strengthened. Lazzio on a rising trajectory. So then he could strengthen his court some more.
00:58:50
Speaker
There's no doubt in my mind that he's going for, I don't think Lazzio finish in the top four next season, because I don't think they have the ability to compete on both fronts. I do think he will focus entirely on getting through to the round of 16, which guarantees more revenue. The problem is, can they keep
00:59:08
Speaker
top four in the Serie A and that's what's been Lazio's problem. Well, the five and a half years they had under Simon Inzagi, where they played in the Champions League of the Round of 16 and won trophies and were constantly there for fifth, fourth, stuff like that. That's the problem for Lazio. But I think... That's looking good.
00:59:32
Speaker
Yeah, that's still looking good. We have to move on because we're going way over as usual. Just a short segment on Roma. They won as well. They beat Sampdoria 3-0. There's not really much to say about that game in general, but I do want to talk. The Champions League race though, it's crazy.
00:59:50
Speaker
Yeah, they are. And it's very tight. But listen, I want to talk about this Mourinho versus Abraham situation.
Mourinho's Remarks on Tammy Abraham's Mentality
00:59:58
Speaker
Two parts. Mourinho said before the game that I read out his quotes, both Abraham and Bellotti worked well in training to tell the truth. Il Gallo has a special mentality as he played a couple of days after surgery in his hand. Tammy doesn't have the same strong mentality as Gallo, but he is technically gifted. I just think that
01:00:18
Speaker
You know, this kind of sums up Tammy Abraham's decline and the decline in the kind of Mourinho and Abraham relationship as, you know, those two were so close, like brothers last season, and there just doesn't seem to be that same special relation. I'm not saying the races are broken, they don't get on with each other or anything, but there isn't that same special bond between them, and that includes between Abraham and I think just Roma in general, like the magic has gone, and Abraham's stats this season.
01:00:47
Speaker
just not good enough. Seven goals, five assists in 39 games. Only six goals in Serie A. Only one goal in Europe from nine games. That's just not good enough. It's not good enough. He's now got 11 matches without a goal. Only one assist in that time. Number one, Abraham's going to probably leave, isn't he, at the end of the season? And two, what do you think's happened to him this season?
01:01:11
Speaker
I think that I do think he's going to leave at the end of the season, but I don't think anything has happened as such. I think this is typical Mourinho trying to wake up his players, isn't it? Like, this is how he does. I mean, unless it's poor Karsdorf, who I think he's bullying him, to be honest, what he's doing to him. But I think he's just saying that to kind of get a right. This is how Mourinho does. He does this, you know, gives small jibes at them to
01:01:33
Speaker
to get them to, you know, snap out of it and get concentrated. But yeah, no, I do think that it's probably likely that Tommy Abraham returns to the Premier League after staying two years at Roma and for two years that I think he will that have definitely improved him. But I mean, to be honest, I think he's a decent player, but I never thought he was going to be a superstar or a super talent that was, you know, going to win the World Cup for England as a starter or
01:02:02
Speaker
win the Champions League as a starter. Do you know what I mean? I have to say that when Roma brought Abraham, this was more the Abraham I was expecting. I thought he'd scored more goals than he saw this season. He's been really bad this season. He's way underperformed. For a team the size of Roma fighting for top four, seven goals and 39 games, they're not all starts. That's just not way off it. That's just not good enough.
01:02:26
Speaker
I thought it would be a little bit better than that, but this is closer to the level that I thought because I wasn't the biggest fan of him at Chelsea. I always saw him as more of a box player, but he had an excellent season last season and he won me over a lot. I look at it like this. If you take last season and this season, add them together and divide by two, that's where I think Tammy Abraham's level is.
01:02:53
Speaker
And that's why I see him. I don't think he's a bad player, but I don't think he's a world-class player, nor will he ever be. That's the only thing. And that doesn't mean I think he's bad. Because I know when we say stuff like this, oh, you're saying you're shit. No, I'm not. Life is not so black or white. There are nuances. We don't only have bidone and foriclase. That's just not how it works.
01:03:16
Speaker
No, I agree. Right. Rest of the weekend match calendar, Criminazie 1, Atalanta 3. So Atalanta are back in the top four race. Yes, they are. And it's very, very tight. So Napoli obviously running away with it. Then you've got Juventus, if they get their points back, will be second with 59 points. Then you've got Lazio currently second, but will be third with 55. Then you've got Milan and 51.
01:03:39
Speaker
So that will be the top four if Juventus get their points back. Then you've got Inter on 50, Roma on 50, Atalanta on 48. So, I mean, it's so, so tight. Even if Juventus don't get their points back, they're not that far away, you know, as well. So, I mean, it's going to be very, very exciting end of the season for the top four. Polonia three, Udinese and Niels, so the Tiago-Motta terrain goes on. Well, it's the hipster Darby. He wins it emphatically.
01:04:06
Speaker
He wins it clearly, and they were really, really good. Moussa Barro continues to shine. Look, you know me on this part how, you know, rest his soul, Sinisa Mihailovic, but when he was alive and in charge of Bologna, I was very critical of how I didn't think he was getting the most out of that squad, and I really rate Bologna. I think what Thiago Motta is doing, he's getting the most. I think he's over-performing a little bit as well.
01:04:34
Speaker
But I like Bologna Squad. I think they've built something interesting there for quite some time. But, I mean, he's getting what I expect from them. 9th, 10th, 8th, something like that. Yeah, no, agreed. I think he's definitely one to watch. And Speccia 1, Selena, Tana, Juan, and tonight's games, we're recording this on Tuesday, Emperly Lecce. Monday, you mean.
01:05:09
Speaker
And of course, there's the Coppa Italia, semi-finals, first legs, Juventus against Inter... Who's at home, Limma? Are you at home? Juventus and Inter... Are you at home? Okay, and then Cremonese against Fiorentina on Wednesday. Let's finish off with Badjo and Prim Face of the Week. Okay, Badjo, anyone from Milan, the whole world from Milan, but certainly Rafael Liao.
01:05:21
Speaker
We're recording this on a Monday. We're recording this on Monday, I don't know what that is.
01:05:36
Speaker
And also, Mourinho asking his fans to stop with the abusive racist chants against Ejan Stankovic. I don't know if you saw that. I thought that was beautiful. Yeah, I saw that. Yeah, he did. And I thought that was classy. Yeah, that was classy by Mourinho, the way that he did and the way that he handled that diplomatically. He can when he wants to be. I thought that was a nice touch for sure. Yeah. Yeah.
01:06:01
Speaker
Great. Okay. Prem face. Prem face. Do you have a prem face? Well, it's a good, I mean, Tim Sherwood is becoming a mainstay now, isn't he? Yeah. Yeah. It should just be Tim Sherwood of the week or just Tim Sherwood. It's as if he's like, he's not going to be out crazied by Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher and Joel Cole and all these other guys. And he's like, hang on a minute, give me my crown back.
01:06:25
Speaker
Yeah, it's a simple act of penphrasing. We've seen it many times before that every single time England goes to a World Cup or Euros that they are the best team in the tournament. They are the favourites. Everybody else is rubbish, basically. I mean, we're still a year out. My favourite is Rafael Varán is unproven because he hasn't played with Joe in the Premier League.
01:06:49
Speaker
Was that Sherwood as well? No, no, no. That was, oh, what's his name? No, that was a Sherwood. I can't remember. I think it was Agbondler. I don't know. Yeah. Well, his Sherwood said, every manager at Euro 2024 will want the England squad rather than theirs. France are not great. England is not great. What? France are not great. What are you talking about, you nitwit?
01:07:17
Speaker
Everyone would kill to have Francis squad, literally everyone would. Maybe they're baffling everyone with science, maybe.
01:07:28
Speaker
They're baffling everyone. Tim Sherwood is baffled, and so everyone is baffled. Oh, dear. Dim Sherwood. Dim Sherwood. Dim Sherwood, yeah. Yeah, Dim Sherwood. So yeah, England are the best team in the world, everyone. But they are a good team. This is what annoys me. We've never heard that before. No, but seriously, this is different, though. I actually think England are in a good position to win the Euros. And I've said that for quite some time. You know that I have. And I think with Jude Bellingham, they've got a player that they've not had in, well,
01:07:53
Speaker
since I can remember, since I was a kid pretty much. And I think England are our favorites, one of the favorites to win it, together with France. I mean, if we're talking now. But this notion that if they don't win it, they should be ashamed of themselves is ludicrous. It's ludicrous.
01:08:15
Speaker
And I think that's why people laugh at it and mock them and don't want England to win. Even though I actually like Gareth Southgate a lot and I like this group of players, I think it's a really likeable group of players, all of them, generally speaking.
01:08:34
Speaker
And I want, you know, I have nothing against them. I've got nothing, and I've got lots of friends who are English. Nothing would make me happy to see them win a tournament once in their lives and be, and, you know, enjoy and make memories for life. I mean, for crying out loud, I wouldn't deny that to my friends. Or, you know, so, but it's just this nonsense. Well said. Yeah. That's it. You've summed it up in a nutshell. That's how we all feel, I think, when it comes to the England national team.
01:08:58
Speaker
Right. Okay. Let's leave it at that. We'll be back on Tuesday for a Q&A episode. Then we'll be back on Thursday for midweek review, but let's say you've entered into Copa Italia. Yeah, not so good. The Copa Italia will preview the weekend and all that.
01:09:16
Speaker
Yeah, preview the Easter weekend. Before we let you go, remember the Q&A pod is out tomorrow for patrons only, and the Thursday pod is for patrons only. Go to patreon.com slash T-I-F-P for $2.99 x VAT a month. That's it. That's it. Okay, we'll see you on Tuesday, patrons. Until then, ciao ciao.