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Milan Derby DRAMA | Angelino Denies Napoli | Kolo Muani Saves Motta | Deadline Day & Much More (Ep. 492)
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From Stefan de Vrij equalizer at the death after frustrating Inter Milan performance, Sergio Conceicao has turned AC Milan into a team, Napoli draw to Roma at the death a missed opportunity or a point won discussion, to Randal Kolo Muani leads Juventus second half comeback after ghosting opening 45, Atalanta continue to drop points in the Serie A after Torino goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic saves a Mateo Retegui penalty, and Moise Kean magic when Fiorentina tight back in top 4 race, Bologna impress, Hellas Verona, Lecce and Udinese record important wins, winners and losers of 2025 January transfer window, as well as this week's Baggio, Serie ASS and Premface of the week plus much, much more when Nima and Carlo break down all the main talking points from Match Day 23 of the 2024/2025 Serie A season.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:04 Inter Milan: Frustrating Performance But Stefan De Vrij Equalizes At The Death
24:54 AC Milan: Sergio Conceicao Has Instilled A Team Spirit
37:59 Napoli: A Missed Opportunity Or A Point Won?
50:27 Juventus: Randal Kolo Muani Leads Second Half Comeback
01:01:00 Atalanta: More Dropped Points & Gianluca Scamacca Injured AGAIN
01:03:34 Torino: Vanja Milinkovic-Savic Penalty Heroics
01:05:34 Fiorentina: Moise Kean Magic Puts Viola Back In Top 4
01:09:13 Best Of The Rest: Fabio Pecchia Parma Crash, Hellas Verona Fundamental Win, Udinese 5 Goal Thriller & Bologna Impress Again
01:12:23 Deadline Day: Transfer Market Winners & Losers January 2025
01:37:12 Baggio, Premface & Serie ASS Of The Week
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Transcript
Inter's Dramatic Match Against Milan
00:00:05
Speaker
hello everybody and Welcome to the Stephen DeVry scored four minutes into injury time for Inter to divide Milan in a dramatic Milan derby. Napoli blew their chance to open up a lead in the Scudetto race as Angelino also scored deep into injury time to secure a draw for Roma. Randall Colomuani possibly saved Thiago Motta's job as Juventus launched a second half comeback to beat Empoli from behind.
00:00:49
Speaker
Atalanta's poor Serie A form in 2025 continues while Fiorentina and Bologna keep up their top four chances with with
Serie A January Transfer Window Review
00:00:59
Speaker
victories. It's deadline day today on Monday and so we will be doing a winners and losers of the January transfer window for Serie A clubs and players and all related and we also have our usual Baggio, Primface and Sadia ass of the week.
00:01:17
Speaker
For all our first time listeners, this is our free weekly episode that we do every Monday, reviewing the weekend Serie A 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 of the questions from our Patreons.
00:01:34
Speaker
plus the weekly Thursday midweek review show plus interviews, post-match reaction and much, much more, then go to patreon dot.com slash TIFB and become a subscriber for just $2.99 a month plus VAT. You can also sign up to be a paid subscriber on Spotify. We provide the link in the description. For all of you who listen on Spotify, Apple and iTunes podcasts, we really appreciate it. If you give us a five-star rating, give us a follow and a like.
00:01:58
Speaker
Also subscribe to us on YouTube as well. All of that really helps us to do more quality content for you guys. um You can also become a patron on YouTube via YouTube memberships. Go to our YouTube channel on youtube dot.com slash at ittafootpod for more details.
Inter's Tactical Challenges and Performance
00:02:16
Speaker
OK, let's get into today's show. So, we'll start off with the Milan Derby, a dramatic Milan Derby. Stephen DeVry equalising four minutes into injury time after Milan had taken the lead before half-time through Reinders and the game finishes 1-1.
00:02:37
Speaker
um I mean, incredible game, dramatic game. um Let's talk about this first from the inter-point of view, Nimr. I mean, it's incredible because if you look at the both games, injury time has played a huge ah huge part in the Skeleto race because there's a three-point swing in injury time between DeVry's equalizer and Angelino's equalizer. So, I mean, it's a huge it's a huge goal for Inter, that DeVry equalizer.
00:03:07
Speaker
it's ah It's huge for them in the sense that they avoid a third consecutive defeat. um And it's kind of been a... These Milan dobbies this season have been very similar in stature in many ways.
00:03:21
Speaker
and how the games played out. The first one in September, Inter didn't turn up. Milan were very disciplined, played deep. um And you could say to some extent that's kind of what happened in in Saudi Arabia as well. um They've all looked the same, ah these games, regardless, despite the fact that there were two different managers in charge of Milan conducting them. um And it's it's it's frustrating, Inter. It's obvious that it's gotten under their skins.
00:03:51
Speaker
It's an inter who turn up after that fantastic performance and that attitude, above all the attitude and tempo and um cohesive pressure pressing and and and everything they did so well against Monaco, turn up to gaming against Milan where they did none of that. They didn't play at that that capacity at all, in fact.
00:04:16
Speaker
they They played decently in the first half, but as Simon Inzagi so correctly said, they lacked profondita in atako, which means they lacked that depth or bite in attack. um And then in the second half, they were static for large parts of it. It's not difficult to to to defend against a team that passes sideways without moving. And that's what you did for large parts of that half.
00:04:42
Speaker
um and And this is a little bit a continuation of what we've seen Inter do in the Milan Derby this season. um I think even the most ardent Milan fan will admit that Inter were better than Milan, even playing at 60-65% in this game. That's simply the way that they are able to take over games, even when not playing well.
00:05:11
Speaker
They created, they hit the post three times, had three goals disallowed, and that's that's based on an inter that wasn't concentrated, that wasn't switched on. Those two offsides, especially, are a perfect example of that. Barella and Lautaro, in particular, who are the leaders of this inter, when they can't be so cool as to time their runs and stupidly run into offside, um when they when they just need to hold off for a second,
00:05:40
Speaker
and their onside, that tells me that Milan have rattled them. um It's clear that there is a psychological issue there and that goal is very important to break that cycle. They get rewarded for for the chance creation because it would have been a very difficult loss to take after you create that many chances and you hit the woodwork three times.
00:06:04
Speaker
But the fact of the matter remains that this season interlac consistency in their performances. um And this season overall reminds me a lot of Inzaghi's first season in charge. I say remind, not say identical, but reminds me in the sense that You have a game postponed due to something that was out of Inter's hand. That time was Bologna. This time it's Fiorentina. You play twice against Milan. You only pick up one point. And in one of those games you are so much better. You absolutely you squander when you grab draw from the jaws of victory. You you youll do the draw away to a team that's going to get relegated. Then it was Genoa. This time it's Monza.
00:06:52
Speaker
you You can't impose yourself. and you You miss penalties against Napoli at home this season, against Atalanta at home that season in a draw. There's a lot of similarities um but the diff in the in the in in in the lack of consistency of of performances. And that's why what what I don't like about this this season, they're not there's not this this kind of inevitability about them that we saw last season in the Serie A is just not there. And I think we can say that on the 3rd of February.
00:07:22
Speaker
after 33 games having watched them. um And the reason for that is that the depth, just like then, is there is no depth in midfield. You don't control games in midfield. um you don't You are unable to create chances by dominating the midfield like you did last season and just like you you know and that season as well because with Then you had Vissino and Galliadini. This season you have Aslany and Flotezi, and they don't really work in this system. They work in one-off games, but they don't work overall, and that hinders you because Chalanoglu was not fully fit. um He lacked match tempo. He was decent. He was important.
00:08:07
Speaker
But he's obviously he loses the ball ah for that goal, which happens. um But again, you can't just rely on three starters. um And that's that's the main thing. and and and And to me, this was like a little microcosm of why I don't think Intel will win the score.
Scudetto Race Predictions and Inter's Hurdles
00:08:25
Speaker
I'm looking at the games from here until the end for Napoli and Inter. I'm counting on Inter to reach the semifinal of the Copa Italia, as well as the quarterfinal of the Champions League.
00:08:36
Speaker
And I look at the the number of games and and who the opposition is, and i i I see this, despite Napoli dropping a point late to Roma, that this is a squareto that Antonio Conte will win now. um because they needed that boost that adobe wing gives them and they're 0 for 3 and if i look at the games against yuva if i look at the home games against yuva and napoli and i look against one of you can you know regardless of which one you count as a home game i see three points out of nine where it should have been nine
00:09:10
Speaker
You know, these direct encounters last season, Inter would have won all of these three games. In the last 15 minutes to Juva, they piss away a two-goal lead, they miss a penalty against Napoli, and in this game, they create, even in playing at 60-70% of their capacity, they create more than enough chances to win, but they just can't do it. That lack of consistency suggests to me, this is an Escurrito winning team.
00:09:32
Speaker
I think there's i think i mean there's a long way to go and we'll talk about Napoli and the Scolletto race when we get to their game. But um I think in this game in particular, I think Inter's weakness was also their strength or vice versa. And that's how I look at this game because Inter did hit the post three times. They did um have three goals disallowed, so fine margins on all of those. um But at the same time, ah until the latter stages of this game, when they were piling on the pressure,
00:10:02
Speaker
they actually struggle to create from open play and that's a strength as well as a weakness because and I'll explain why because all of their chances basically came from set pieces and if they weren't set pieces they were crosses and that's how they scored the goal at the end as well which is a strength.
00:10:22
Speaker
But it's also a week it's also a little bit concerning, um ah as well, how how they really struggle to create in in ah in open play. and And that credit also goes to Milan and Consti's cell for the way they set up and how good they were defensively, which we'll come to.
00:10:37
Speaker
um But that's also a strength in this in the in the sense that, as you said, and this is what makes Inter the best team in Serie A, whether they win the Scudetto or not, is, and so they're such a complete team, even when they're not playing well, even when they're struggling to create, you know, you can play and and the play is slow from side to side, as you said, and it and they look comfortable, the opposition defending them.
00:11:00
Speaker
they still create a lot of chances and they still score goals because they can force goals. They are so strong aerially, crosses into the box. They're monsters aerially, whether it's from set pieces, whether it's from crosses from open play. And and that's why that's why this' that's what makes them such a special team. If you compare that to Milan, if you compare that certainly to Juventus who have no aerial threat at all in their game,
00:11:27
Speaker
I think nap and Napoli do and that's probably why they're they're going head to head. You have to be able to score goals and create chances from different ways. You can't always create from from playing pretty football, from pass and move, through through balls, through cutbacks, you know all this kind of stuff.
00:11:44
Speaker
Sometimes you just have to force goals and that is putting crosses in and having players that are good in the air and can and and couldn and and you know that is what makes into that's what got into a point in this game and and you know, they're they're so good in that side of the game and They never say die. They're so strong mentally as well. They you know, they never gave never gave up You know most teams up there after hitting the woodwork post three times with a foot where it's just not our day today.
00:12:09
Speaker
you know And there's that chance at the end as well when Mignon makes a fantastic scene from Dumfries already deep into injury time. You miss that one and you think, but it's definitely this is definitely not interstate. They still keep going and they force a goal right at the end. And it is a deserved equalizer. Inter did not deserve so to to lose this game.
00:12:27
Speaker
you know it's a it's a weird one it's a weird one because yes they did struggle from open play but then they still created all these chances from uh from crosses and set pieces so it's um yeah it's a it's a strange one but um i think the uh it's a different dynamic yes it's you know into would have wanted to win this game but when you equalize that far into injury time um and you saw the way they celebrated it that that does definitely give you a I would see this mentally that gives that's definitely more that will give into more going forward than if it had been the other way around, you know, if they'd have been in the lead and then gave up a goal or a late goal. So I think Inter will still take a lot from this, especially as they might play Milan in the in the Champions League as well. There's a very big chance that they'll meet them in the in the in the quarter of in the last 16.
00:13:18
Speaker
um so So, yeah. I mean, the thing is that if they do play Milan in the last, around the last 16, Simonin Zaghi has to adapt now because you can't, you know, the definition of insanity doing the same thing and expecting different results, as Einstein put it, you you know that you're better than Milan.
00:13:46
Speaker
So why on earth do you not, like, why do you why do you give them, why do you play into their hands? Give Milan the ball. Play deep, play like against Arsenal and City. here Here's the ball, you do something with it. We're going to counter attack. Like, do you understand? Like, I don't understand why in to do this and fall into Milan's trap time and time and time again and gift away points like this.
00:14:17
Speaker
You know, sometimes you just have to play a way that maybe doesn't suit you, or you don't want to do it the way you do it. You know, you play in a way, you just got to treat it like a cup final sometimes, some games. And he he he doesn't, you know, three derby this season, he hasn't done that. And that's very, very frustrating to watch.
Tactical Analysis of Milan Derby
00:14:37
Speaker
um And so that that's something that he needs to understand. I mean, I'm not, I think Milan will get to Milan.
00:14:45
Speaker
They, you know, they they have to, you know, every team plays according to their resources and and try to get the best best results they they can. But it's, it's it's I mean, from an inter perspective, Inzagi needs to just simply understand that some games, sometimes, just like when you play Arsenal, just like when you play City, you do that too in in Italy. And that's, there's no shame in that. There's no, you know, there's nothing wrong with that. You you have to get the result.
00:15:12
Speaker
I think the two two the two last points I want to make on Intel before we move on to Milan, ne from the negative point of view. um First of all, um I thought tactically, until probably the last 20 minutes, half an hour, ah I thought Inzaghi got the better of Inzaghi on a couple of, well, one in particular tactical note, and that is um Konsi Sal went 4-4-2 in the first half anyway, and then he went 4-5-1 in In Zaghi, you could see him really shouting the touchline, he was frustrated, he couldn't couldn't seem to get his but he couldn't work out what to do and couldn't get his players
00:15:52
Speaker
and his players were were frustrated by this as well, that Milan were getting two on one down the flanks, and that's where the goal came from, even though it was a mistake from summer. and They were two on one, because this is the weakness of any 3-5-2 system. um you know It's not rocket science, you know you have one wing back going up the flank, and if a team plays a 4-4-2, or even a 4-3-3 that's a well well thought out 4-3-3, you're gonna have two on one um on the on the on the wing back.
00:16:19
Speaker
And in particular, in the first half, and this was definitely a console sell plan, you know, they were going two on one down both flanks, but especially down the down into his right on the left. And that's where the goal came from. They overloaded and this good. So that was, yeah, that's just something just to bear in mind um going forward. um And secondly, um we saw We saw that not that any more proof was needed, but the fact that Inter are chasing the game, they're a goal down. And Inzagi brings on five of his subs and not a single one of those five subs that comes on is an attacker. Well, that just underlines, again, what I've been saying you know for 18 months that
00:17:02
Speaker
you know, inches depth in attack is, is well, it's non-existent. And it's got to the point now where you're chasing a game and you're behind, but Nzagi doesn't even trust any of the attackers to bring on a game, you know, like this. and So, you know... I look at those subs and the reason that he brought on, be he brings on Pavard, Carlos Augusto, Zelinski,
00:17:25
Speaker
for it is in Zalevsky is because he wants to control the the midfield. He wants to do exactly those things because DeMarco failed. You know, one of the things that, yes, it's true, they created two on ones, but one of the ways to play past that is when you have Chalanoglo playing those long diagonal first-time balls and you can run past them using, you know, playing behind their the Milan backline, which we interdid time and time again in the first half. But in those important moments, when you've created those, you know, when you're in behind, the final pass, the final touch
00:18:02
Speaker
was awful. DiMarco in particular had a very bad game yesterday. um And Barella, who usually is the one pushing teams pushing to forward, was a bit timid in decisive situations.
00:18:20
Speaker
And again, it just underlines when after Milan scored their goal that Inter got a little bit anxious. but they're They're anxious by Milan and that's not that' that's not a good thing. When Bizic comes on, when Agusto comes on, when Zielinski comes on, they regain that control which they had not had until that point.
00:18:38
Speaker
And they're able to create that pressure because they have, even though ah I think Zelensky didn't exactly have the most fantastic performance either, but he gave them what they needed and stability in midfield. um and And I've got to say, Zelensky in particular,
00:18:54
Speaker
i I really like this transfer because I know he has his weaknesses defensively, but in a team, as you said, that is so dominant aerially, if you can have a player who knows how to deliver crosses in that find his teammates, you're going to you have an extra weapon.
00:19:15
Speaker
And you saw that, Dumfry's header in the post, that was a Zalevsky cross, Zalevsky's assist for the for the equalizer. like he he His positioning and his interpretation of that wing back role in this system will be very useful to Inzaghi. And I think Inzaghi will be able to, if Inzaghi can or not be able to, I think if he can rather, if he's able to improve Zalevsky defensively, this is a good signing.
00:19:40
Speaker
And he will offer more than Tejon Buchanan did, who I think his career at Inca pretty much ended after that after he broke his leg last summer. So but ah so that's the positive from it. um um And I think the substitutions Nizagi did were spot on. I wouldn't have brought on an attacker in that situation because I wanted to have control.
00:19:58
Speaker
um which they didn't were unable to have for large parts of that game. So to me, that's but those are the main things to take away. yeah i just just Just a couple of things I want to say on the on the penalty, which is the Pavlovich, or not Teo.
00:20:14
Speaker
um Yes, of course, it's a penalty. Everyone sees that it's a Pavlovic trips to Ram. That's not really the point. But the fact that Inzaghi went out and said what he said is very important from a football political point of view, because this is Italy. You have to speak out. If you don't, they screw you over. Konta has meltdowns over not getting throw ins and as such, nobody messes with him, regardless of what team he's in. Inzaghi has taken the gentleman's approach for four years. Yesterday he had enough. I think that's a good thing. You have to put pressure on on them and basically say, no, I'm not accepting this. I'm defending my club. I'm defending my players. I'm defending my team. You do better. So I'm glad he did that. um But I don't care about that penalty. And I'll tell you why I don't care, because
00:21:04
Speaker
Like I said, when you don't play, if you turn up to three Darby's and you're unable to play at 90% of your capacity, I don't care about penalties not being given. That's on you. An inter who plays at 65-70% of their capacity hits the post three times, scores three offside three goals disallowed. That's an in inter that if they play at their capacity, beat me uncomfortably.
00:21:30
Speaker
So for me, um and the fact that they have three out of nine points against direct rivals, three six points they threw away, that's not because of the the the referees. So it's it's it's like separate discussions here. Yes, that's a penalty. Yes, it's a mistake. VAR should have intervened. There's no doubt about that. But ah I don't want to listen. And I'm glad that Inzaghi pointed it out because it's been a little bit too many incidents now. But regardless,
00:21:57
Speaker
you shouldn't you should be the masters of your own destiny you're that good and the fact that you're not is not the referees for that's on you no yeah i hear you i mean listen it is a penalty the only reason the reason
Controversial Referee Decisions in Serie A
00:22:09
Speaker
why they haven't given the penalty i mean there is no excuse for not giving it is a clear trip um is because tayo's come come through and and cleared it and i i reckon that they probably looked at the tayo tackle rather than the the public Yeah, it's a mistake. listen the refer Equally, I got to say before. No, I want to say that the referees referees had a bad terrible weekend this this weekend, not just this one. Juventus' first goal, they can see it, is absolutely ridiculous as well. they like There's a play standing right in front of... How is that not offside? It's ridiculous. I don't understand that. It's mad, isn't it? It's absolutely insane. I've watched that from so many angles and I'm like, that is definitely... and like He's literally in front of Park. of the goal keeper.
00:23:18
Speaker
he is sort of off-balance though when he does it So it's one of those, but I think there's at least a debate there, is there enough contact? There is definite contact on the knee and on the foot, but it is there enough contact? like i I don't see that as scandalous. I think that's one that could be given, that could that could not be given. What is scandalous though? He gets a yellow card. i mean that he exaggerates that you know yeah He exaggerates the impact. I think everyone sees that, but it's definitely not a yellow card for diving. It's embarrassing. and And for me, that's a penalty. I think Napoli should have had a penalty there. i saw When I was watching that, I was like, yeah, VAR is going to intervene, and they didn't.
00:23:52
Speaker
um and it's yeah they've had a bad weekend so yeah it's it's it's just it's frustrating from an inter perspective to have watched that but I do disagree with you like I don't think is ever an excuse to say oh we should have won anyway because these kind of incidents do change games you know if interscored that penalty there's enough time for them to go on and win the game. you know like I get you, you're right. But at the same time, like there's never an excuse for, for because you know especially in tight games, you know these these kind of incidents to decide, and I'll include the Napoli one there, you say you think it's a penalty, I'd say maybe could have gone either way. But again, you know these are the kind of incidents that decide in games, decide championships. you know So there's never an there's never an excuse really for the referee to say, oh, but we missed all these chances. I agree with that, but I'm talking about a separate point. The separate point is,
00:24:39
Speaker
You there is it's inexcusable to turn up to a Derby and not be a hundred percent And if you do it three times in a season, I don't know what to tell you because That's not on the referees, but it doesn't change the fact that the referees made a mistake like again. Yeah, I agree I agree. We're in agreement. Let's let's move on to Milan point of view. So ah Milan so close so so close they'll obviously be gutted not to win also because you know for all of inches, you know Merit and getting that equalizer, you know at the end the day Jimenez makes that but mistake on the clearance. It's a terrible It's a bad clearance. If he clears his line properly, they don't get the chance to put that cross in and and and score so, you know It's first of all from that point of view, you know, they they they they made a mistake, you know, even if it was a mini mistake it's a mistake and and they and they were punished and but
00:25:33
Speaker
I think overall, if you look at the overall game, I think Milan have to take the positives. you know We saw, yeah know we've been criticising Milan, or what I have in particular, all season for saying this Milan lacks team qualities. They don't play as a team. and that you know Team qualities, what are team qualities?
00:25:51
Speaker
Well, first of all, you want to see the spirit of a tape ah team, a team playing as a collective, so you know, with the spirit. And we saw that they were all up for it. They all the work great of all the players was, was, was great. I mean, Abraham, he was exhausted when he come off, he worked running to the ground, you know, so many of them were nonstop running Musa, Pulisic. I mean, they ran, ran, ran, they matched into Physically maybe not aerially because I think into her on another level, but physically, you know, you know, they they really did I mean Pavlovic even though he got lucky obviously with the penalty I mean, I think he symbolized it, you know, he's he's he's become almost a symbol of what what can say so once Tomorrow I thought Pavlovic and tomorrow were both really really great car Walker I thought had ah had a really really good debut and he he symbolizes kind of you know, what what
00:26:38
Speaker
Milan needed to bring it, you know, in that respect. and But they also showed, you know, tactical discipline in in this game, something that's been completely lacking this season, especially from a defensive point of view, you know, they they were compact, they were united, the the unit they played as units, especially in defence, but all over the field, they were a unit, you know, Inter didn't have those spaces to get in behind them, to have that profundita, like you said, because they also because Milan made it, didn't could we give them those spaces.
00:27:08
Speaker
um And, um you know, they I thought they were great. And I thought tactically, until the latter stages, what Conseil brought was working. You know, I mentioned it before, you know, he went 4-4-2 in the first half. It was kind of 4-4-2 slash 4-3-3, but it was more of a 4-4-2. And they created these two-on-ones down the flanks when they attacked. And Inter didn't have the answer for it.
00:27:33
Speaker
As I said before, they didn't know what to do to counteract it. would Did Pavard come out, which he often did, um and he had to make a couple of last scar brilliant last-gas tackles, Pavard actually, otherwise Milan would have been in, but they didn't know what to do to to stop it. and that's thats you know That was working. The second half, they went more to a 4-5-1.
00:27:54
Speaker
And I'm a little bit critical on Ponce's effort. I think he went a little bit too defensive and he gave as much as you say that the subs changed it. I think also Milan probably gave into a little bit too much of the initiative if we're looking at it from from Milan's point of view. but But in terms of what we can take positively from this game, I think we saw um we saw a team. We saw a team. ah And yes, Interim, man for man are better. ah better and But you know Milan almost won this game because they played as a team and defensively as well i thought they were excellent and they've been a shambles all season really defensively and as recently as the team the mozagreb a few dino zagreb game a few days earlier um you know they as i said before they conceded very very little almost nothing from open play until really those last kind of five to ten minutes all the chances were from set pieces and if they weren't from set pieces they were from crosses they never got opened up
00:28:50
Speaker
And that's a credit to Concy-Sal, that's a credit to the defence. If they play like this compact, then then yeah, they they they can finish, they can have a good really you know positive second half of the season.
00:29:02
Speaker
No, I agree, I agree. um I think the fact that they are they they are a team, Consisto, doesn't allow people not to be a team. When they aren't, he does what he did to to the players that prevent the team being a team, like Calabria, like Morata, they're no longer there.
00:29:21
Speaker
That's just how he operates. Like I said last week, this was the outburst was more than just a spur of the moment. He knows exactly what he's doing. And within a week, Calabria is out. Morata is out. That's just con se sa. This is how he operates. This is how he he he doesn't He stamps things out and Milan will thank him for it um because he doesn't allow disruptive behavior in a dressing room. He sees that as a almost like a virus and he wants to nip that in the bud. and well Now he's got two players out that he didn't feel was working for him.
00:29:58
Speaker
that were a root cause to to whatever issue he was. um And he's got players there that will allow him to get this team working as a team. Everyone fighting to the last drop of sweat. That's how he builds his teams. That's how he builds a unit. And and you saw that in the Derby, despite a very turbulent week. Milan turn up to this Derby, very organized, very disciplined.
00:30:24
Speaker
um solid solid and dying for one another. um And that's what you want to see ah from from, you know, from from from your club, from your team that you support. and And he was, you know, after the game, he said, look, a draw is probably, you know, that's the fair result overall, but it does annoy us that we didn't win at the end, that we conceded that goal at the end. And I think that, you know, that goes to show the kind of character he is.
00:30:52
Speaker
You know, he can't accept things. He needs to win. He's addicted to winning. He has an insane winning mentality. He does. But if I just stop you on Konsi's sale because I thought some of his quotes were quite interesting because there has been some murmurings in the last few days in the media um from some decent sources as well. So I don't think that there isn't some smoke here. And that is that some of the players are not happy with Konsi's sales methods. They named three in particular. Those are Murata.
00:31:22
Speaker
Who they say actually left partly for this reason? Morata, Pulisic and Teo Hernandez are unhappy with with conse cells methods I'm not sure exactly What it is they're unhappy about is it the training methods that are too severe? Is it his personality the way that he talks and treats the players because he is so demanding and and so I mean that's just something you know just to keep an eye on because because you know it is important um and you know maybe it's part of the personalities of the player i would say with morata and tayo i'd be pretty sure we know morata is a very sensitive person and he has suffered from depression and he's probably
00:32:07
Speaker
doesn't quite like managers that are a bit, you know, tough like that. Maybe that's part of it. um Teo, I think, is probably because he's just more laid back and and doesn't like to to sweat and struggle, maybe. um That's partly partly it. um I don't know, but it's just something to keep an eye on because, you know, again, this is an issue that we've had with Milan for a long time now that these players haven't wanted to so put in the hard graft and they've lacked that that side of of of things. We saw it in this game. so that you some you know you People will say, well, they did it in this game, so that's all that really matters. But it's just it's just an it's interesting because we know what Concy sounds like. We know what he wants. We know what he demands.
00:32:53
Speaker
you know and he but you'll have to have the players on his side to be able to do that otherwise once the results start going away from you if they start going away from you then it can unravel very very quickly so yeah well so you think the thing is i i think that he's you know milan have made it clear that they're gonna you know everyone's under exam that at this they're all always are everyone's always has to everyone has to always deliver as you as as is the case at in inter milan uber right including conseco But I think Milan have been very clear here. They've backed their manager and they have to back their manager at this point. They can't second guess him. um But and also, I think Konstantin Sal's too clever and shrewd diplomatically and football politically to to allow this to get out of hand. um I think the way that he's targeted Calabria and Morata was a very clear message. And now they're both gone.
00:33:52
Speaker
It's that simple. I think from now on, you'll see he'll try to be the more charming man that he because he's a very charismatic person. I think he'll try to he'll be much more charismatic. He'll be much more, you know, the the the charismatic and charming console that builds a team and a unit um around this now that the transfer window is over, now that he's got players that he likes or more players that are suited to his style of football and and what he wants them to do.
00:34:21
Speaker
And um you know i you know nothing I think as the results come, he will he will bring more like the group will accept him more. I've got to be honest with you, I'm not too happy about these rumours and then they name players like that. I just find it a bit... Well, you're not going to name the source because you're not going to out your source. So the the thing becomes, it just becomes a little bit not serious, if you know what I mean. He's not happy. She's not happy. Well, how do you know, unless you come out with with something tangible, I think it's nonsense reporting, really, um because ah it's just, you know, then the play, you know, if the players come out and deny it,
00:35:04
Speaker
then they kind of validate this nonsense. If they don't, then everyone sees this. Like I said, all I can say is it's based on this performance, they were definitely playing. So, yeah you know, that's all. That's what we can say. and But, yeah, Morata leaving definitely. Morata leaving is definitely a very, very interesting one.
00:35:21
Speaker
Marietta and Calabria, it's obvious, those he he he made a point out of singling those two out and they're both out. So but you know that that's that's fair enough. but Final point on... Well, first of all, yeah, Ryan does scores again. I think he's been Milan's best player um this season. Scored, had another shot, tipped over. Maybe he should have done better with a chance in the second half when when he shot straight at the keeper. um so So, yeah, fantastic again.
00:35:48
Speaker
um you know, top four is is going to be tight between the Juventus and Milan. there's There's no doubt about that. So you know I think it's not two points dropped. It's not one point gained. It's kind of neither one nor the other kind of thing. It's it's going to be tight. um But the only other thing is kind of Milan.
00:36:07
Speaker
And the equalizer doesn't change this. Milan in the big games this season have actually been pretty good. They record in the big games. I mean, like you said, they've beaten Inza twice, and now they've drawn with Inza. They've beaten Juventus in the Super Cup. OK, they lost in the in the in the league earlier this month. They drew the other game against Juventus earlier in the season.
00:36:28
Speaker
they They lost to Napoli, but they actually played well in in that game. They beat Real Madrid, of course, ah in the in in in the Champions League. you know So in the big games this season, they've they've actually done better than probably most of the other Serie A teams, actually, top Serie A teams. They've probably got maybe one of the better, if not the best, record out of the big teams in Serie A, in the head-to-head. So you know is some it's ah it's a strange one that they they just lacking consistency and and seem to do worse against the small teams. I think there probably is a tactical element to that as well in that when teams open up against them and they can play on the counter attack, it gets the best out of the likes of Teo and Rafael Liao. and
00:37:13
Speaker
and you know, rinders and and some of the others who were so good, you know, a sort of quick and so surging into space space and it opens up the gaps for them. um Maybe it is partly that um and they struggle against teams that ah sit deep and they don't have the spaces to play into and then they de defenses then they're defensively picked apart. um So yeah, that's something that obviously now they need to sort out going forward and because that's what's needed if they're going to get in the the top four and and so make this sixth season you know not a failure. um So that's the last point I wanted to make. but so let's Let's move on, shall we, to Roma Napoli, which was played after this 1-1 draw in the Milan Derby.
00:38:00
Speaker
and um napoli had a had a great chance so to really ah make a you know ah big Scudetto blow against against ah Inter and open up a gap of, well, five points, but Inter obviously would have had the game in hand. And it looked like they were going to do that. They were 1-0 up.
00:38:22
Speaker
and they can see the goal deep into injury time from from Angelino and um they draw and so it's kind of where we were and if it's to win the game in hand um against Fiorentina which is this this midweek then they take they they're level um they're level at the top so As I said before, yeah a three-point swing with injury time goals in both games it could have been six points clear with the game in hand and then it was going to be at least five and now it's only three. so um yeah I think from Napoli's point of view, yeah they'll definitely be gutted for that. Conte, you can see his frustration um at the end.
00:38:59
Speaker
um I, you know, I've been, I've praised Conte a lot and I think he's done an incredible job. And I think if he wins the Scudetto with this squad, amazing. But I do think in this game, I am a little bit critical. I think that they, they didn't push enough for the second goal and they went too deep. They, they they went too early.
00:39:19
Speaker
too early they went too deep ah just holding out the lead and they invited cross after cross after cross into the box and eventually they paid the price for it so you know they they they were a little bit too defensive um I thought they should have defensive line should have been a little bit higher up they were too, they they made it clear that they just wanted to hold on to the lead. and And as a result, Ranieri was able to to bring on multiple attackers. I mean, at the end, they had, how many attackers did yeah Roma have on the end? because Because they saw that Napoli were just defending and they took off, you know, they went defensive bringing on like Mazoki for Neres, for example. and And, you know, if they've held on, some would have said, well, it was the right thing to do, but
00:40:06
Speaker
I think that they they overdid it, I thought in this game. Yeah, I suppose that's fair, given how ah the game looked.
00:40:17
Speaker
um But I just, um you know, I'm surprised. I was a little bit surprised that Roma equalised. But i I do feel that it's a little bit two points dropped more than 1.1, for Napoli. But regardless, you know, when you're on a seven win streak in the Serie A,
00:40:37
Speaker
um you know, a way, a point, a way to Roma is not the end of the world, especially with Udinese, Como and Lazio coming up. I mean, Lazio away, Lazio have been a little bit of a bogey team for Napoli. ah They've lost both of their games to them this season. That's going to be a game, that's going to be a very important game for them. But I expect them to beat Napoli, sorry, Udinese and Como before that match against Inter, which If I know my Antonio Conte, that's the game he wants to end. He wants to deal the blow to Inter and that title charge in that game at home at the Maradona. That's just how he's wired.
00:41:18
Speaker
direct encounter, knock them off the perch at home in front of your fans, end the discussion then and there. So that but that's what he's... gay you know I think Nirma, and I think Conte said this, i said look they've had a difficult run of fixtures, they've played Atalanta away, Juventus home, Roma away.
00:41:40
Speaker
if somebody has said to me, you're going to take seven points from nine at the start of that run, um and you'll still be, you know, level with intellect, say, if they win their game in hand, I think, you know, they would have been happy with that. They would have taken that right then, um especially with Claret Scalia leaving with the injuries to Buongiorno and Oliveira. They definitely would have taken that. But I think the way that the manner that that it happened with a deep into injury time when you could have opened up a gap, especially after Interred,
00:42:09
Speaker
equalized as well. That's three point swing. You know, I think that they they will be, you know, there is a blow in the Scudetto. It's obviously like you said that they're in a they're in a very, very good position. and The next month is going to be crucial. That's your way in a fortnight then enter at home.
00:42:25
Speaker
and at the beginning of March and I think they've got Milan a couple of weeks after that as well so the next month is going to be is going to be crucial but um if we take a step back you know I think that they they're in a good position. um i though do I have to say though um and we'll speak about this when we do the transfer market winners and losers I have to say that i if I'm Antonio Conte if you see his pre-match quotes where he he, you know, said how unhappy, he basically said you how unhappy was the way that Napoli have not replaced Kvarat Skadia. He has every right to be unhappy because Napoli right now are in ah are in a ah really real, even with this these drop two drop points,
00:43:09
Speaker
they're in a really, really good position to go on and win this, to go on and win this Scudetto. And of course, you know, Inter are a great team and Inter might win that win in the Scutto, but Napoli are in a great position where they've got rid of three of their tough games. They've got mostly home games against the tough teams apart, I think apart from Lazio in the in the the rest of the season, they're playing once a week. They're in a wonderful, they're playing well, they're in good form, they're in a wonderful, wonderful position.
00:43:33
Speaker
and they've just received 75 million for their best player, Claret Scavia, and they haven't replaced him. We're recording this on the morning of Monday, it's deadline day. They're still 12 hours to go and the dead in the in the market. They might ah go out and, who knows, surprise us and sign some big names. I don't think they will, not in attack. It looks like Alan Saint-Maximin, who's a Fenebachi backup player,
00:44:01
Speaker
rotation player and who hasn't had a particularly good season there is is going to replace Claire at Scalia. If I'm Antonio Conte and they go to the end of the season now and they don't win the Scudetto, then I'm sorry, but I am absolutely furious if I'm Antonio Conte. In fact, I might even walk out. In fact, you probably yeah probably will walk out because you've you've got 75 million. You're in a great position to go on and win the Scudetto.
00:44:25
Speaker
Well, we'll go and win the Scudetto in the market now, bring in those players, bring in a top. For starters, you've got to bring in a top replacement for Colorado and then do some more. You've got the money to to go with. um And because ah honestly, ni I have to say, if he wins the Scudetto with this squad,
00:44:42
Speaker
what an achievement um yes okay yes i know they're playing once a week if he does it i say yeah i know i know playing once a week is is it's a huge advantage i know that even in this game there were dealt a huge advantage when ranieri played half his team um you know but um It's, you look at, I'm sorry, but their squad is way off in depth. Look at, look at them at the midfield. If something happens to one of their three midfielders, it's Billy Gilmour or Philip Billing coming into the team. He's played this, this month with Juan Jesus at center back with spin at Zola, you look completely past it and finished. Somehow he's managed to get him into form and he was, and he's been really good the last few weeks. it's Got a great goal in this goal. Great lock. Um, but you know, in a attack,
00:45:26
Speaker
Okay, they've got Raspidori, they've got Simeone, they're serviceable, you know, they're ah you they'll do a job. But I'm sorry, you know, even in this game, you know, what a difference it would have made in this game if you could have taken off David Neres and brought in a a really top, top attacker or claret scalia to come on. Then I'm sorry, this they win this game, they've got that threat on the counter, and they they probably they probably score a second goal and win, but instead, he he doesn't have those top options and attacks, so he goes to a Mazocki, he tries to hold on.
00:45:55
Speaker
so The point I'm making is I'm very unhappy with Conte. I think he showed that. He said, we're not a big team. This this proves that we're not but not a big team. And I think he's right. Well, Arello de Laurentiis has to be careful. There's a couple of things I want to say here. Arello de Laurentiis has to be careful here. um this is In these situations is when Conte can blow a fuse.
00:46:17
Speaker
and really blow a fuse. So you have to handle this very calmly um and you have to handle it delicately because this is an unbelievable... Konta is not stupid. he He understands. If he wins the Serie A with this team, it's his greatest achievement. It will cement his position as one of, if not the greatest league coach in modern times in Italian football, then definitely one of them.
00:46:42
Speaker
he and He understands that, and he he has the ambition and the ego to match of that, to to achieve that, and and he wants to achieve that. um However, I also understand the Laurentiis. They spent a lot of money last summer.
00:47:00
Speaker
um and The Napoli are not a team that historically under De Laurentiis does that much in January. They don't like doing that. They like doing their business in the summer. They don't like fiddling too much with the squad.
00:47:14
Speaker
um in January. And I can understand why there is a very limited transfer window for especially for Italian clubs with a limited budget. So I do kind of see both sides here. But at the same time, I do understand Conter's frustration. I do understand his, you know, and this builds up. And when he doesn't win, this builds up even more. And he's not exactly known for being able to regulate his emotions very well.
00:47:43
Speaker
So, you know, this this is a very delicate situation and and it needs to be handled and and and you need a sporting director who can kind of maintain the peace of the house. We've got two of rather volatile characters in that house. um So it's ah it's it's it's it's a little bit, you know, delicate, but i still I still look, like I said, I look at the fixtures Napoli have got left. I see that I expect Inter to get to the semifinal of the Coppa Italia and the quarterfinal of the Champions League.
00:48:13
Speaker
And I'm looking at match day, I tweeted wrongly that I think Conte will secure this on match day 34 because I thought that's when they were playing away to Lece. It's match day 35, they play away to Lece. I think at Lece away via del Mare with Napoli hosting, that's when he secures the Scoredetto. That's what I'm looking at. I did a bit of comparing the games left and and I think he will because now after a draw like this,
00:48:44
Speaker
Konta is obsessive. He will he will detail Udinesse going into next weekend like he is playing 1970 Brazil in the World Cup Final. He will dismember them into atoms in how they play and his players will turn up to that game knowing exactly what happened. This is how he will approach every single game until the end of the season.
00:49:10
Speaker
And given that the fixture list that Inter have with playing Fiorentina twice and then Juventus away just this week, just these next two weeks, I think he's going to build up a rather comfortable lead. And given that Inter are going to have four more games in March, April,
00:49:26
Speaker
I think he's fine. um And matchday 35 at Villar del Mare, his hometown, Lecce, that's when he's going to secure this. I think, yeah, obviously the playing once a week is Napoli's advantage, but at the same time, given that squad and the like they really It's a really poor deck in that Napoli squad. Napoli are also going to have to be fortunate not to get injuries and obviously it's easier to avoid injuries when you're playing once a week but if something happens to Lukaku who has had a lot of injury problems in the last few years and his body has been breaking down and somehow they've managed to keep him quite fit actually this season. If something was to happen to Lukaku or if something was to happen to Neres
00:50:10
Speaker
or even more, something happens to so to to one or two of those midfielders, Napoli are going to they're going to drop points because their team's not going to be good enough um at all. so yeah They're going to need to be fortunate to keep basically keep most of their team fit. and so that is yeah That's something that that's always um a risk for them. um Let's move on to Juventus, who in the end thrash emply for one but that doesn't tell the story um of this of this game because Juventus are go behind early they lo they go behind to to a goal from Desilio at that time the first thing that comes into my mind when Desilio scores this up scores is this really just sums up Juventus' banter banter era week let's so let's let's let's say you know in the space of a week we've gone from
00:51:03
Speaker
ah getting thrashed in the Champions League with Weston McKenney as captain, with three midfielders playing in defence, with ah with Lloyd Kelly being signed for 22 million ah from from Newcastle reserves.
00:51:18
Speaker
and then Desilio, who's kind of been a banter-era player for Juventus in the last few years, then scores to to to to scores to to give Empoli the lead, and that's what I've beaten. And honestly, for the first 20 to minutes of this game,
00:51:34
Speaker
This was banter era on steroids from Juventus. It is the most pathetic, embarrassing 20 to 25 minutes I think I've ever seen from from from a Juventus team. Certainly the worst 20 to 25 minutes of the of this season. It was so bad. Everything they that Juventus did, they were given up chance after chance. There were players passing the ball, Vega, the new signing, passed at one point, passed the ball straight out of play.
00:52:00
Speaker
um they were They couldn't string two passes together. It was ah so, so bad. They conceded a penalty to go 2-0 and they're fortunate that the penalty gets gets overturned. I think it is the correct decision, but they're fortunate there because it was it was a ah handball in the build-up to the penalty being given. They should have been you know at least two behind.
00:52:26
Speaker
um And then they they somehow kind of they work their way into the match um and and in the end actually play played pretty well in the end, Juventus, and they deservedly turn it round. And Collo Moani obviously is the man that that really made the difference. He scored um you know an excellent finish for the first goal, very lucky goal for the second, but he he really has, um yeah, he he really saved Motte because at half time, mutters 45 minutes away from possibly the sack never, don't you think? Yeah, I agree and and that's why I tweeted it out, not because of the result per se, but when a team behaves like ghosts, invisible, like Juventus did, especially in those opening 25 minutes, that's when managers get the sack. But, conversely and equally, when the team reacts the way that they did, and I think no one else
00:53:24
Speaker
embodies that better than Kolomwani. Let's remember, this is a player who's not who you end who's not going to be at Juventus longer than six months. like <unk> he's he's not you know He doesn't need to go in and die for you by the way that he does.
00:53:40
Speaker
But his attitude and his his desire, he shows more that there in in in in these couple of games he's played than Douglas Lewis has done all season, somewhere like him. um And it's that coupled with a Juventus that imposes themselves that look like they care, they actually react. That suggests to me that, no, Motta hasn't lost a dressing room and that they're still behind him.
00:54:07
Speaker
And that's that's a good sign for you for you of it because they can't like a Mid-season coaching change is the last thing that you ever need right now on top of all the other of all the other nonsense going on and the crisis well just on Moani just as just a Build on your money point. I think that you know, he's had a really good start three goals and two games And, but what what I like about him from what I've seen so far is he has some life about him, yeah which is what you may need. You may have just lacked life. look love And i'm not I'm not talking just about, you know, the physical condition, which which which is true. I don't think physically the condition of the players hasn't been good enough this season. And that I think is on Motta and the physical, the preparation. I don't think it's been up to scratch. and But, you know, he he looks fresh.
00:54:58
Speaker
He's got life, and but also from a tactical point of view. And I hope he doesn't get this coached out of him by Motta. You know, everything about Juventus this season has been so like, almost like it's remote controlled offensively by Motta. Players are inhibited. um They're repressed because Motta has such a specific system-based play in terms of his build-up and his patterns. and And players are not free to express themselves properly. And he seems to have life and freedom the way that he plays. And and I think that that's shown.
00:55:31
Speaker
by the way that he doesn't, you know, he's not overthinking things, he's just playing freely. Even with the way that he did his finish, which wasn't an easy finish actually, the first scar, it was a really good finish at the near post. So, you know, I hope that he continues like that because if you are to rescue the top four, it's going to be very difficult because, you know,
00:55:55
Speaker
There's a lot of problems there in this Juventus team and club. Moani is going to be crucial. He's he's going to be crucial. He really is. He saved them um in this game. there's there's There's no doubt about it. um and yeah i mean I thought that the other positives were there there was some good pressing.
00:56:16
Speaker
in this game after the after that horrific kind of first 25 minutes, half an hour. For the second hour, for the the last hour of this game, I thought Juventus actually were ah winning it back, locked turnovers, um they were aggressive and they were I thought that side of the game was was was much, much better. They showed more fight, like you said, more life.
00:56:38
Speaker
um and they were less like i said almost with luck with muani They were less tactically remote controlled. less they they they they they kind of you know it was They just went out and played and just tried to win the game you know freely.
00:56:54
Speaker
not you know not consciously thinking of every single thing that that they were doing. You know, let's be in this position. Let's do this pass here and this, but they just played. They just went out and played. And sometimes, you know, against smaller teams, that's often enough. You know, so um yield is, I thought was, was great. um His, his Zidane turn, his little roulette before the Moani second goal was magical, absolutely magical, brilliant.
00:57:21
Speaker
um And Wlawicz scored off the bench with a brilliant goal. To be fair, it was a great, great strike. I'm still going to be critical, though. He should have passed it. It was four on one. If he doesn't score that goal, then he gets crucified for that because Juventus are four on one. He should have passed it for an easy goal. He takes a shot, which is a low, very low XG chance of scoring. But fair play is an amazing strike. It's a brilliant strike. So yeah it's an no strike we can't criticise him for scoring.
00:57:51
Speaker
um So fair play to Vlovich and Konsi Sal scored off the bench as well. I've always said with Konsi Sal, he's a better player off the bench than he is as a starter. He's somebody for the last 20 to 30 minutes where teams are tired and he can run at teams and that's how I would use him going forward with Konsi Sal. Don't start him, have him as an impact sub.
00:58:11
Speaker
You mean Thiago Motta? Oh, okay. Yeah, sorry. yeah well it was I misunderstood what you said. Firstly Sal's son, let's say. mostly sub junior yeah was i was My head was on Sergio. Yeah, you know, I think that's true. I think given that he's a very technical 1v1 and he's not he's a little bit diamond in the rough kind of thing. So yeah.
00:58:34
Speaker
There's still lots of worries for me, though, because yeah even at 2-1, the goal for 2-1 was lucky, but you know Colombo goes inches wide at 2-1 to make it 2-2 with around 10 minutes to go, something like that. And then Esposito has a goalbound volley that gets blocked that could have been it. You know, I mean, they're defence. The defence is a state.
00:58:57
Speaker
um and now so i mean They're now signing Lloyd Kelly. We'll come to that um when we talk about we do the transfers, winners and losers, which is just embarrassing. Juventus' overall state is not good at all, and that's going to impact there their top four ah definitely. But you know this was a must-win game for Motta to save them, but also for the top four.
00:59:20
Speaker
um it's going to be a real, real fight to try and get in that top four. There's no doubt about it. and And when I look at the state of that defense, um yeah, I'm not really, I don't really have lots of confidence, but they know they got the job done. An emplying crisis, two points two points from eight games now, and they've lost Ismaili and Andrew into injuries. They lost those two plays at 1-0, which also helped Juve, I must say. If Ismaili hadn't got injured,
00:59:49
Speaker
Who knows if they would have broken them down, but so those are two big injuries. um So, Empoli, I think theyre they're in they're in a bit of trouble now, and maybe the manager needs they need to be looking at the manager as well. Yeah, we'll see. we see but it's um I think Empoli will be fine. i think they I know that they're in bad form, but I think they'll sort it out. I think they compared to the others in the bottom, I think they've got enough quality to stay up.
01:00:15
Speaker
um so yeah but but it's it's um For Juve, if you look at that situation, i mean in a weekend when you know Dean Heuzen has been outstanding, but they sold him, um and now they're chasing a defender. If you look at Hans-Nicolusi Cavillia scored a magical free kick for Venezes, had a really good season. Ravella's been excellent for Lazio.
01:00:36
Speaker
There's a lot of players who they've sold, young players who they used to control, that they have been scrambling now for Lloyd Kelly when they had Hoisin. Do you know what I mean? like it well were come to that i want to talk about that It adds insult to injury as to what to how bad juntily is big. Yeah, he's a disaster. But I want to talk about that. And don't worry, Nima, I'm going to go to the transfer market section at Atlanta, though. um Bad result for them for Atlanta on a weekend where they could have maybe got half a foot back into the skeletal rates given.
01:01:11
Speaker
given the the points dropped by both Napoli and Inter, but I think we can we've already said that definitely there's Skeletos over. This is two bad drop points against Torino. um Bad, bad first half from Atalanta. Piled on the pressure in the second half it and definitely deserved the win. They actually ended up having the next G.
01:01:29
Speaker
of over three in in in this game which sounds a bit too high based on their performance but I think it comes from from a multitude of chances kind of later on in the second in the second half. but so but guilty they missed as well and the penalty yeah the penalty radicalically missed Yeah, for sure, yeah. But the form hasn't been good in 2-2025. I mean, they went on those 11 straight wins, but and they only have one win in Serie A this year, and they only have two wins in nine games in all competitions. So, yeah, it's not the best form for Atlanta, and they're starting to get injuries, which is a bit concerning. um You know, think also thinking ahead to the Champions League as well. I mean, they've lost three players to injury in this game.
01:02:12
Speaker
um and, you know, Kalazinac, Karnacecki, and then Skamaka, who returns from his ACL, gets injured straight away, and he's going to be out for a while. Not related to the ACL, though. um And they've already got Lukman, Lukman's out for the next month or so. Skalvini and Kostanou, their seasons are pretty much over. So these injuries are piling up, and it's a little bit, yeah, it's a little bit concerning, um I think, but for Atalanta.
01:02:41
Speaker
No, I do think so. um But I don't know. I feel like they're so comfortable in third. um I think he's he's focusing more on the Champions League and the Copa Italia, if I'm honest with you. I think he views his chances if he can win a Copa Italia trophy on top of the Europa League trophy. you know that That's big for Atalanta. And if he can go far in the Champions League as well.
01:03:05
Speaker
where they're football they play a style of football that pays higher dividends in the Champions League in Europe than it does in the Serie A. I think that's that's their focus, if I'm perfectly honest with you. um And they are loved by everyone in Europe.
01:03:19
Speaker
um so it's ah no I think he's fairly happy. Atalanta just basically looking at this third spot and trying to hold on to that and qualify for the Champions League next season. and Yeah, fair enough. I want to say one thing though. Milinkovich Savage, Tarina's goalkeeper. This guy is, and've we've been praising him a lot already this season, but this season he's faced three penalties in Serie A and he saved all three of them. um Actually his second penalty save from Atalanta. He's actually cost Atalanta four points this this season.
01:03:59
Speaker
um Well, three points eight points. Let's say three points. He's taking steps this season. yeah ah just It's just remarkable. He's been one of the one of the three best, I think he might have been made more spectacular saves, but he's really taken a step forward.
01:04:16
Speaker
ah vana milkoitavvi and the he's He's a mentality monster and he just you can just the way that he was taunting the crowd as well. and he lives and breathes off of these things. He's the kind of character who loves to, ah you know, he's he's a fiery character, and he's been he's been very, very good. um and And on penalties this season, especially, like, I think I think i checked, he's only had four penalties in his entire career, three have come this season. It's crazy. um So it's, ah you know, Torino, Torino fight back valiantly. um And and they're they're a tough side to break down. And they have that monster in goal as well. So
01:04:54
Speaker
No, it was a rather entertaining game. I don't know if Ritegi missed or if more than Vanya Milinkovic saves, but I do have to say I think it's a little bit concerning that Ritegi is turning missing penalties into habit now. I think he's missed like two or three this season. I didn't like the fact that he did a little kind of pause before taking it. I hate that.
01:05:16
Speaker
Nonsense. it gives yeah You lose momentum and and and and it gives the goalkeeper the the the momentum. I don't really do that. Agreed. Unless you wait for the goalkeeper to move first, but not when you don't. I don't like it. Yeah, so same. Burentina, very quickly, um they beat Genoa, um but it's the the story is Moisakan with a brilliant goal.
01:05:42
Speaker
Absolutely fantastic. Came over his head, watched it and then flicked it in on the volley on the turn with the outside of his boot. Brilliant, brilliant goal. Magnificent. um And he he's now got 13 goals, which is is is equal best season of his career. That's the number of goals he scored.
01:06:00
Speaker
for PSG when he was there, um and and we're still in the start of February. um It's also the third Fiorentina player on his debut season to score 13-plus goals at this stage of the season. and The other two are Luca Toni and Alberto Geladino. Moisakine, great.
01:06:22
Speaker
um big big win for Fiorentina in the top four race. They're in a really excellent position and and if they beat Inter, obviously it's a big if, but if they beat Inter in the mid-week rearranged game, they'll actually go above Juventus and level with Lazio, assuming Lazio beat Caliari. They're doing really, really well.
01:06:48
Speaker
Overall, I don't think they played particularly well in this game, and I think Genoa probably deserved at least a point, but it's a big win for them, and Moisakin, fantastic. Yeah, look, Moisakin's finish is what we remember from this game. It's stunning. It's absolutely fantastic. And I think he's equal with Marcus Taram now on 13 goals in the Serie A, top, you know, Cup of Canonieri. And he's coming there like a little dark horse, isn't he, in the sense that no one's thinking that he could win it. And I still don't think that he will. I still think I think he will.
01:07:17
Speaker
But he's definitely in there, and and I think this is excellent for the Italian national team. You've got Retegi and Ken together scoring 29 goals in the Serie A alone. That's very, very good. um So they should be starting together. and This is great news for Paletti. But yeah, it was an important win for Fiorentina, who maintained after a little bit of a dip after the Bove incident, and and of course, Palatina's mum passing away.
01:07:42
Speaker
they They, you know, which would destabilize anyone. They're now, you know, back in in the race for top four, top five. And I think it's going to be top five because I expect it be Italy to to secure the fifth spot. Well, they had a bad, bad week and in Spain have virtually caught them now last week. So it's, yeah, like I said, last week, it's it out of Italy and Spain. um And the fact that Italy didn't get, um only got one team into the into the last um into the last 16 automatically, that's a big big blow. If Juventus don't beat Feyenoord and if Milan lose to pay PSV and Atalanta don't beat Clobrige, I don't know what to tell you.
01:08:27
Speaker
is is is It's 50-50 now out of Italy and and Spain. the Spain have caught Italy now because of what happened last week. It's 50-50. And the problem is is that one of Milan and Juve are going to go out, or Aninto are going to go out in the last 16 as well. So we're going to lose one team there.
01:08:44
Speaker
You know, so there's the risk. Let's say you could play Roma um as well in the last 16 50 50 chance of that happening. If Roma go through, so we're going to lose one of those. And that's a big blow because we were banking on Roma and that's you. It was a terrible week. It was a terrible week for Serie A teams last week in comparison to Spain. We need Spain to lose some teams. I'm i'm worried now about that top four, to be honest with you. That's fair. You know, we'll see the next the next ah two rounds, I think will be will be important.
01:09:12
Speaker
um Let's do, oh, just before, the rest of the weekend fixers, I'll read out the results. So, Palmer1, Lecce3, Pekya has to go, surely, he has to go. He's grossly underperforming with Palmer um and that result, I'm surprised he hasn't gone already that after that result.
01:09:32
Speaker
Yeah, Kristovic has a wonderful game in that game, and but the defending again and the way that Parma Honda for four, they're in a relegation battle, I don't think they should be. Pekya, I think, is really a dead man. I'm feeling vibes of... Frosinone vibes of Parma. They've got lots of quality players, autistic, creative, attacking quality players that are going to be good enough for big clubs, but they have a dreadful defence. They have a two-open game and they don't have the fight for a relegation fight. They're not a battle-hardened team.
01:10:15
Speaker
I think that's fair. I think that's very, very fair. Not with Pekia anyway. <unk>s No, no, no. you don't You don't want to go to a relegation dogfight with Fabio Pekia. You don't want to go to war with Fabio Pekia. No, you don't want to be led by him. yeah But especially after Hellas's win, um that that was Yeah, Monza 0, Hellas 1, and then Udenezer 3, Venezia 2, thrilling game there. And then Bologna 2, 1-0. So Bologna are right up there. Bologna are the most actually the most consistent team out of the teams going for the top four at the moment. And people are sleeping on them, ah you know.
01:10:52
Speaker
And they've changed.
01:10:57
Speaker
Italiano is, I don't know yet if it's the residue of Mota or if it's actually in terms of Italiano that has matured, but they defend and behave under Italiano this season like such a more mature team, like in the sense of an Italiano team. It's not this man-marking across the pitch, ah high pressure, no no you know just gung-ho. it's it's actually The press is intelligent, they know when to fall back, they know when to push forward.
01:11:30
Speaker
they mix between man marking and zonal marking in a very smart way um that his teams haven't before. But I don't know if it's this is the residue from Mota or if it's actually Uncenzo Italiano who's matured. I hope it's the latter because ah It would be great because that that means that he's constructing a ah career for for bigger, better things. um So I hope so. And Bologna are a fun team to watch. um Just that five-goal thriller, Udinese Venizia.
01:12:04
Speaker
Hans-Nicolas Kavilya's free kick is just one of, I mean, that is beautiful. Like, just go watch that. I don't know how many times I've watched that free kick. You don't see free kick goals anymore, so whenever we see them, I get, like, really excited, and and especially that one was stunning. Mm. Loved it.
01:12:21
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. um Okay, let's move on to its deadline day today, recording this on Monday. So there are still some transfers that that that will go through before the close of Monday, but let's do our transfer market.
01:12:37
Speaker
winners and losers for Serie A this January. and What I think is the easiest way to do is let's work through each of the each of the major teams. um I'll quickly run through what business they've done and then we'll let's give a grade out of 10. Some of these teams will be harder to give grades for but some we can go to more detail, in particular Juventus, which I will be going into a lot of detail on. So let's start off with Inter.
01:13:03
Speaker
um They've brought in one player, Zalevski, on loan from Roma. They've got rid of two players, Palacios to Monza on loan and Buchanan on loan to Villareal with an option to buy, I believe. um So that's that's their business. not Not much to go on, really, Nima. So do you want to try and give a rating out of 10 for that?
01:13:28
Speaker
I don't know what to say. um They've not done anything. I mean, it's it's it's just, I really don't know what to say. I mean, yeah what do you give? I don't know how to read. but Probably just six out of 10 because it's a standard, like haven't done anything, haven't, haven't, you know, it's just so let's keep up a cannon really.
01:13:47
Speaker
Yeah. And Palacios wasn't even really part of the project. They sent him on Monza and he was actually pretty good. people you know he he He was a bit slow for the goal, but overall that was a decent performance by Palacios against Hellas. And I'm glad that he's out there because You know, he's a big guy and it's going to be interesting to see what he does. So Levsky is probably slightly more useful than from Buchanan. In that respect, let's give it a 6.1 out of 10 rather than a 6 out of 10. It'll be slightly more useful than Buchanan. No, as I said in in the intersection, i think that he's going to be I think he's potentially a really shrewd signing. He's young.
01:14:29
Speaker
um Defensively, there are issues, but look, if Zagie can make DiMarco work, i defensively, I don't see why he can't improve Zalewski. He's a young player. What I do like about Zalewski is that he's a good crosser.
01:14:44
Speaker
And we saw that. I mean, he's in a team like into that is something very useful. And and it was a good great start, the assist and also the cross for dumb freeze. Yeah. um And he's easy. He can play on both wings, which which exactly likes. No, I think it's a I think that'll be a shrewd signing. OK, Napoli now. So so far, and there is going to be a lot of.
01:15:07
Speaker
stop happening on deadline day. Napoli players they brought in Scuffet, on loan from Callery, Hassa from Lecce, Billing on loan from Bournemouth. The players that have gone out are Mario Rui, released Caprille on loan to Cagliari, follow Unshow to Fiorentina, Zedbean on loan to to to Venezia, and of course the big one Kvych Kvaadat Scalia to to PSG for $75 million. and
01:15:38
Speaker
um now there will be stuff happening on deadline day. ah Napoli actually wants to sign a defender, a midfielder, an attacker. They are in talks to bring Komuzo from Fiorentina, which will be a good sign in for the future.
01:15:56
Speaker
and and for now they need it they need a they need a ah backup um at centre back and and and he's and he's you know he's had a very good season until the last few weeks where he's been a little bit disappointing for Fiorentina but that's also the kind of signing they need to try and refresh and build for the future because this is an old team that I think is going to maybe struggle next season unless they they ah address that so that will be a decent signing. Midfield we'll see if they bring anyone in um but the failure to properly replace Kvara at Scalia, um which which as we discussed earlier on in the in the podcast, Conte is very unhappy about and was critical of in his pre-match press conference at the weekend. um that's ah thats That's a huge ah huge failure.
01:16:43
Speaker
by by Napoli in that they've got a great chance to go on and win the Scudetto and if they don't win the Scudetto, Conte has every right at the end of the season to blame the failure to properly spend the Cavaro money and and replace him properly um as ah as a big reason why. um So i for that reason, alone Nima, I'm going to give for now, I'm going to give this a five 4.5 out of 10 but if they bring in Komutso I'm gonna give it only give it 5 out of 10. Yeah I don't know it looks like Komutso is staying um and and also this Saint Maximan player like I don't particularly rate him but if Konta is given the green light and he thinks he can work with him
01:17:33
Speaker
Look, I've seen Konta turn win league titles with Padouin and Jacarini and Victor Moses and Ashley Young. So, you know, i if Konta's given the green light, then I'm sure he'll do fine. I mean, he very rarely fails with with signings because he's such a system manager and he knows exactly what he wants.
01:17:55
Speaker
So I still maintain that Napoli shouldn't do anything. I think it's the wise thing to do in terms of finding the amount of money they spent last summer. And also <unk>s there's more things to do in in next summer. Yeah, but point the point the point is that I think you can only justify not doing anything.
01:18:10
Speaker
if you don't if you win the Scudetto. If you win the Scudetto, then it's justified. If not, then then you've blown a rare chance to win the Scudetto because they're not going to get another chance, I don't think, to win the Scudetto. No, I don't think so either. They won't because next season they're going to be in the Champions League and Conte or no Conte, I'm sorry, this team is not winning the Scudetto next season. I don't this is whatt with that many number of games i think I agree with you. I think this is the golden challenge. So this is why I think that they should have they should have taken this opportunity. and They might go another 33 years without winning a Scudetto. Like I said, matchday 35 at Villa del Mare in his hometown, where he is pretty hated because of his connections to Bari and Bari and Leccia, there's a rivalry there for those who don't know.
01:18:55
Speaker
for him to come back to his hometown and i just he's gonna win it and let's move on to atalantta so so far they're gonna be doing business on deadline day they brought in daniel maldii and they've let go godfrey to ibpsswich town alone sopi on loan to ah loanne um But they've had some really bad news as we're speaking and Scamaka is going to be out for quite a while again. so we i mean I don't even know if if we can write off his season given he's coming back from an ACL. There's other injuries which we said earlier in the spod.
Transfer Market Chaos and Club Strategies
01:19:29
Speaker
So they I think they're going to sign an attacker for sure, strike another
01:19:34
Speaker
um They need a defender as well. They've got nothing in defence now. They're absolutely decimated in defence. They don't even have enough defenders. They're going to have to play their own pretty much every game in defence. I think they will sign another defender. Right now, Zagnolo is going to Fiorentino. His loan contract has been terminated.
01:19:59
Speaker
Yeah, i don't think it's been a good market for atlanta but you know they they have to try and rescue it on on deadline day so right now as we speak i'm probably gonna go five out of ten. Yeah, but I, that announcement video of Daniel Maldini, Maldini is a Nerazzuro. Nerazzuro fits better. I mean, it's just, that's elite trolling. Like, I i giggled a lot when I saw that. It was hilarious. um But yeah, no, I think you're right. i They didn't do, they needed to do something in defense and they didn't.
01:20:34
Speaker
Yeah. And midfield as well, and in my opinion. Now, for me, it was more about the defence, I just don't think. Midfield, to send a midfield, as you said, like, you know, they don't have anything other than Edison. Yeah, Edison is is a problem that they don't have anything to back aside, you know, if he if he were to be injured or suspended, I think that's an issue. But but the defence for me, I mean, if if if you, I'm not talking about buying, you know, Bongiorno, that's a little bit mike might be a little bit out of the league.
01:21:04
Speaker
but they should be able to have better defenders than Jim City and Toloy. They really should. Yeah. Lazio. So they've, they've been quite busy. They, they brought in Ibrahimovich from Bayern Munich, um, Prostgard from Velier. And they've just sorted out a deal for Bella Hian from Verona who's been marked by a lot of big clubs. Um, Kastrovili and Akpa Akpro both going to Monza on, on loan. Um, I look at this for, for Lazio as Lazio, basically.
01:21:36
Speaker
working for the future. that they They really are doing a really good job in in buying younger, developing players and creating a the next team. of latu which is They've done such a great job because we thought that they were going to struggle for for a couple of years. we did we We spoke about it a lot on the pod and I think that was a logical thing to say, looking at how old their team is and the way that they've managed to to so quickly create ah actually quite a young team we ah with a lot of upturn. and They would try to sign Casade, they obviously missed out on him. um so that's ah That is the most ridiculous transfer soap opera I think I've ever seen. A friend of mine was a Laziale, he's a patron on the part, David, he he messaged me saying this this this ridiculous soap opera, it's like we're trying to sign Neymar, not Cesare Casade, it's ridiculous.
01:22:25
Speaker
back and forth between him, between Torino and Lazo. It's done. It's not done. It's done. It's not done. It's it's just been a complete shitshow. But again, to to your first point, Lazio and Lottito are good at building this first step. They're very good at years year zero and year one. They always fail when they go higher up.
01:22:41
Speaker
um and And that's just how it is with Lottito. He's very good at rebooting and building something from scratch. But they have done it faster than I expected. Much faster. That's why I'm very impressed with what I've done. I hope to go on and win the Europa League.
01:22:57
Speaker
I'm pissed off that they can't play Roma in the final, um because that would have been one of the most beautiful, amazing things ever. But yeah, I hope they go on and win the Europa League. Whoever wins Roma, Lazio... I think they can still. I need to work it out, because there's not they're not guaranteed to play them in the last season. It's 50-50. If they don't meet them, I'm not sure where they go in the draw. If they go on the other side of the draw and miss it, I'm not sure. I need to i need to work that out. But it's a 50-50 chance they can meet in the last 16.
01:23:26
Speaker
um
01:23:31
Speaker
Welcome to the Juventus Big Bitch Fest. Juventus are undoubtedly the losers of the of the transfer market. There's no doubt about that. um And that isn't just in reference to the now, today and this season, but more so, I think, for what it represents for the Juventus project as a whole, what it represents for Juventus building for the future and what their team is going to be like for next season.
01:23:58
Speaker
what it means not just for the sporting side, but also for the financial side of the club. It's an unmitigated disaster in in the hole, if we look at it like that. So the players they've brought in so far are Columuani on an expensive loan from PSG to the end of the season, Albert Costa from Vittoria Guimaraes for around 15 million euros, ah Renato Vega on an expensive dry loan also from Chelsea of around I think four and a half to five million.
01:24:28
Speaker
and then Lloyd Kelly from Newcastle for 22 million. Do you say it was such disgust that people got his name? Well, of course. It's not his fault. So far, zero sales. Can't sell a life jacket on the Titanic. Can't even give away a life jacket on the Titanic. Oh, Cristiano Gintli. Let me first of all,
01:24:51
Speaker
let me first of all just just comment on the Lloyd Kelly signing 22 million euros in total plus a sell-on fee as a sell-on fee so that even if you went to sell him on Newcastle are going to gonna get some of that I mean this is such a horrific deal. i just I just cannot believe it. Again, this is nothing against Lloyd Kelly at all. I hope he he he's a successful sign-in for Juventus. I hope he is and it wouldn't be the first time where you know you know we we, as in everyone, has been critical of ah of a sign-in and they've proved us wrong. I hope he proves us wrong. I hope he's fantastic. I hope he turns into and so Bobby Moore. you know It would be great. But
01:25:33
Speaker
I mean, it's absolutely shocking that, you' first of all, from a defensive point of view, Juventus knew since the beginning of October that they needed to sign a centre back to replace Bremme, who had done his ACL. And they had three months going into January. It's now four months now, basically, since since since his injury. um And they've had all that time to prepare. um It was obviously heightened by the injury to Cabal as well.
01:26:01
Speaker
and it's come to the end of the final days day of the transfer window and the Juventus are scrambling around slaming around making a panic buy so by pay 22 million for a Newcastle reserve who left on a free transfer last summer I mean, it's it's just to embarrassing. It's absolutely embarrassing to pay that amount of money on a player who probably is not even going to, well, he's not even going to be a first-choice Juventus player because the first-choice pair, ah when they're fit, are going to be Gatti and Kalulu. You're paying 22 million?
01:26:37
Speaker
I mean, it's shocking. It's absolutely shocking. And, you know, you could have, if you're going to buy a backup centre back because you're so desperate, just keep Danilo to the end of the season. Keep Danilo as a fourth choice in the back and don't pay anything. From a financial point of view, when you're already struggling, I mean, it's it's absolutely, it's absolutely, it's just unbelievable. It's got to this.
01:26:59
Speaker
It's crazy. It's crazy. And that's just the center back. Then you look at everything as as a whole. I mean, how much money has Jun City spent this this January? I think um somebody else did the maths. It comes to about $45 million in total, the amount of money that he spent this month when he add up all the loan fees. um Two of these loans are not they're going to lose at the end of the season. So that's dead money. um Albert Costa, who they've signed,
01:27:26
Speaker
you know, hasn't played ah hasn't played a minute yet. Alberto Costa hasn't played a minute yet, and he's clearly a player that they're going to be developing. um butno And you know, so I mean, Colomani looks like he's going to be a good buy and hopefully will.
01:27:42
Speaker
we'll get them you know into the into the top four. But you know the Juventus won't have him next season because because it's only a loan. So it's just this is just no way to so build a team. It really isn't. it And it just it's just another black market in what's been a disastrous season.
01:28:04
Speaker
and for for him in the transfer market. Going back to so last summer, which we've we've spoken to death about you know how much money he wasted, 145 million euros on three flops in Douglas Louise, Cook Miners, and Nico Gonzalez. um He's gone six months with only one striker.
01:28:22
Speaker
He's created a defense that's so shallow that against Benfica last week, they had to pay three midfielders in the back four. Now you add on to that, that they've they've spent 22 million on Lloyd Kelly. They spent 50 million on Douglas Louise instead of signing Calafuri. They've tried to sell Cambiaso.
01:28:40
Speaker
ah He hasn't been able to sell anyone and you know, it's just is it's just <unk> just just embarrassing really. He really is. He's like a band so banter club, a banter-era club with with the way that they handle this transfer market.
01:28:59
Speaker
Yeah, it's it's not been good, um and it reeks of desperation. ah It really does reek of desperation. and But the proof will be in the pudding, if you know depending on how it goes and so on. But it does feel like does feel ah very much like someone one who is scrambling, who is backpedaling trying to save his own butt after after After a of dreadful ah summer so far, because again, no Italian club can afford to spend $140 million.
01:29:43
Speaker
And all those three players so far have been dreadful. I'm not saying they're going to be. I think Koopbeiners and Nico Gonzalez will still probably come good. But i Douglas Luis is just, it's an embarrassment. Like that you can't afford to. And every single three of them so far has been has been dudged so far.
01:30:02
Speaker
But we're told you vendors have no money, and they don't. um But they then they spend 22 million on Lloyd Kelly, who's going to be a backup defender at most. you know fourth and Maybe fourth choice defender. we're told you know So where's that? That 22 million is going to have to come from. somewhere It's going to come from a sacrifice.
01:30:18
Speaker
They're trying to get rid of Fajoli on deadline day, which is fine, okay. But you know they're going to get less money for Fajoli then then what they pay him for than what they're paying for for Lloyd Kelly. So that doesn't make any sense from a financial from financial point of view, trying to want to save money. And when and and repeat this, you could have just if you're going to sign Lloyd Kelly because you've got no debt in the tax.
01:30:42
Speaker
you could have just kept Danilo as a fourth choice. Can't get me wrong, I think Danilo is way past his best, he's not good enough for you, but if you're talking about, you're now got to the desperation stage where you just need a body, you just need someone to be the fourth centre back, you could have had Danilo and not spent a penny. Or you could have just kept, or you could have just kept in person.
01:31:02
Speaker
who was doing a fantastic job at Pournemouth. Your pain is telling you more for Lloyd Kelly than you got when you sold Huyton. This is the whole problem, though, because I mean, there was a reason for selling Dean Huyton in the summer, and that was to try and fund their summer transfer market, you know, bringing in the other players, which have ended up being a failure. Right. But the point is that this is this is the whole issue that I've had with Juventus' transfer markets for a long time, way predating predating Juntly into the time of paratogy, where it's just one player in, it's just constant firefighting. is we have to We have to sacrifice this player in order to be able to one, balance the books, but in two, in order to bring in this player that we need to fill in this hole.
01:31:44
Speaker
And it's just constant firefighting. So it's we have to we have to sacrifice spin at solo, we have to sacrifice can sell it in order to bring in this place, you're getting rid of ah of ah of ah of ah of a good player, a player that's weakening your team in order to bring in a player in another position, you know, we have to sacrifice Dean Hoisin, because we want to sign, ah you know, Douglas Louise, or we have to sacrifice can be so in January, because we need a centre back, and we're going to sign a centre back with Cambiasos money. like This is not how you build. this is It's just putting one fire out, you start another fire. You put out one fire, you start another fire. This is not a way, a competent ah top director. It's not something you would ever see a top sporting director to do. And this is this is that this is the problem Juventus have had ever since the ronaldo ever since the Ronaldo deal. It's been sacrificing one player, top player, in order to pay for another one.
01:32:38
Speaker
and and it's just no way to build a team. And this is why Juventus are i'm not going to build a successful team with this with this strategy. No, you're scrambling. It's not looking good, but um yeah. night So for me, it's a so one out of 10. Or zero out of 10. Zero point five because Columwani.
01:33:00
Speaker
Follow Moani has been... So dramatic! yeah no It's not... You can't give it a zero! Zero out of ten. Oh dear. Zero out of ten. um Milan. I'd say four. and so That's very generous. Milan. So Milan milan are bringing in Kyle Walker, ah brought in Kyle Walker and Santi Jimenez. Calabria and Marratta have gone. um There is a potential of a late deadline day deal. Jelph Felix is a possibility. Ocophur could leave as well. Atalanta are looking at him. So so yeah, Milan. um
01:33:39
Speaker
I think Milan have done well. I think Milan have done well. They've they've they've strengthened. yeah That's all you can ask. ah this Is the team stronger through their signings? Yes, the defence is definitely stronger with Walker and Jimenez.
01:33:52
Speaker
i mean maratta even if Jimenez is not good, he can't be worse than Maratta, so his time will tell if he's a success, but Maratta was not offering anything. So I think it's a deal they had to do. We'll see if it works out. So I think Milan has been good. It's a player they've wanted for a long time. I'm glad they got that over the line. I think seven out of 10 for Milan. I think they're a stronger team. They're stronger forward. I think that's fair. I think that's fair. I think that's fair.
01:34:22
Speaker
Okay, um who who we missing? Fiorentina and Roma to finish off. So Fiorentina have been quite active actually, Fiorentina. They still will be on it. So they brought in Valentini and from Boca Juniors, Fola Rincho from Napoli, Pablo Marie from Monza, Cher and Duof Vashita, Zani Ola from Galatasaray, Out, Ikoneta Kormo, Martinez Cuarteta, River Plate, Christenson, Sillintan and Coyote to Brentford.
01:34:52
Speaker
they're still trying to do some business and on deadline date as well. Vaggioli, someone they're looking at, although Marseille are ahead at the moment. um So yeah, I think pretty good. Coyote obviously is a bit gutting because he's someone for the future for them. But I think that Paula Rin shows a good sign in for them. Zanyola, if they can get the best out of him. Pablo Marie. As long as they don't lose Komutsu, which you you said you think is going to stay now, i I would give them a seven as well. Agreed. I think that's i think they've done good business.
01:35:27
Speaker
and i think they they they're already in a good position. um So yeah, I think six and a half seven is is fair. Yeah. And finally Roma. um So Roma have, let's have a look who Roma brought in, in the January transfer. So they bought him wrench from Ajax, Bellini from Atalanta. And they are going to bring in a centre back. It looks like Nelson.
01:35:54
Speaker
from Galatasaray, who you know about, it was going to be Gochlidze, who then who came on ah he was left out of the team for the Empoli Juventus game because he was about to join Roma, was forced to come on in the second half because because as Miley got injured, had a disastrous substitute appearance, and Roma decided from that substitute appearance not to sign him and sign Nelson instead. So probably a loser of the window is Gochlidze from Empoli, who lost his move to to Roma because of playing in it as a sub in a game in which he wasn't supposed to play. And if he hadn't have played, would have moved to Roma. So that's a quirk. So yeah. And then out, Lefé to Sunderland, Ryan to Lanz, Himoso to Lebakos and Anzalevski to Inza. So limited business for Roma in this market. It's probably not really easy to give them anything other than a six, I would say, really.
01:36:46
Speaker
Yeah, and also it's it's a Roma that need to kind of get rid of the nonsense that happened last summer and bring themselves to this summer, but the next summer, coming summer in some sort of a stability so they can actually restart a serious project. um So they're basically trying to get rid of players that is just are not part of anything. And so I think six and a half is is fair.
01:37:09
Speaker
OK, right, let's finish off with Badjo, Prem Face and Celias of the Week. So Badjo, Nima, um do you have a Badjo? I've got a couple. Hans-Nicolas Iqbalio's free kick. Kenan Yirides' roulette. Mois Ken finish. I mean, Kristovic's goal. it's it's it's been It's been a good weekend for nice goals. Yeah, great header for Kristovic, for sure. Prem Face of the Week. um I've got a couple here. So first of all, Alejandro Balde for Barcelona, who didn't even know who Gasparini was in the pre-match presser before Barcelona's game against Atalanta. You don't even know the coach of the team. Nothing sums up the the younger generation, does it? They're better than Alejandro Balde.
01:37:57
Speaker
Totally ignorant. Completely ignorant. I don't care. Proud of it, too. Yeah, he was. That was prem facer, isn't it? Proud to be done. Proud to not know. You know what I mean? Like, it literally is that embodiment of Chris Rock saying, you know, that skit he does about, I don't know that shit. Like, you know what I mean?
01:38:17
Speaker
like Keeping it real. Yeah, keeping it real, real dumb. Like, it's it's, you know, being proud of being stupid is, is just, is, and being ignorant is, yeah. Yeah, mad. And Samuel Luckhurst, the Manchester United journalist, who said that Colby Manu, my new, reminded him. I've got the tweet here.
01:38:39
Speaker
I've said for ages that Koby Mainu reminds me a bit of Iniesta with how he operates on the ball and that he could move from midfielder to playmaker, shows promise further forward in the first half and he stepped it up this half. is Who was the half against?
01:38:52
Speaker
I can't remember, they were in the Europa League. Yeah, it was Stalbuquarest, wasn't it? And we're not talking about Stalbuquarest 1986. I was going to say, we're talking about Stalbuquarest 2025, ravaged by by the West. That's what we're talking about. Right. And this other guy, the Euro, I don't know what he's called, Alex or Eurokid or whatever, who said that this most sensible move that Everton can make is signing somewhere le Ricci. And it's like,
01:39:22
Speaker
Yeah, um it you know what would be sensible for IFK Gothenburg, my IFK Gothenburg to do? They have offensive problems to bring Lionel Messi in perfectly. I mean, it's, you know, can we be realistic here? Do you know what I mean? It's sensible. there's nothing It's like, no, Richie is not going to David Moyse.
01:39:40
Speaker
to play in his midfield. Anyone with... I want Moyes to show in another young Italian side of that. Sensible move. it's like You just tweeted the most ridiculously unrealistic, non nonsensical thing ever, and you're trying to pass it off as sensibility. it's like I get that you're maybe trying to educate your audience, which don't watch anything outside of the ah most championship, but it's not... Sensible. What a word. Sensible. It doesn't really sell it well, does it? Sensible signings.
01:40:10
Speaker
Sensible should never be used with football unless it's sensible soccer, which is one of the oh my god I love that game one of the greatest football games ever right Saria ass of the week. I have This is I can't believe this actually happened So when like when the Lautaro Martinez scored the hat trick goal for Forinta in the in Champions League against Monaco brilliant hat trick as well the Saria official Twitter account Wrote and tweeted this Lissandro Martinez scored a hat-trick for Inter in the Champions League. Lissandro Martinez. um Yeah, that is just chef's kiss. But Rocco Comisso admitting that he used anonymous Twitter accounts back in 2017 to insult US FA
01:41:04
Speaker
and MLS directors is one of the most hilarious things I have ever read. um when he was in twenty-ev he he was in yeah I think he still got them when he was the president of the NASL.
01:41:21
Speaker
he he he he He used anonymous Twitter accounts to ah cat attack the directors of the people who run the the america the US sought you a soccer and MLS. It's hilarious.
01:41:39
Speaker
good old uncle rocco It's so on brand. It's so on brand.
01:41:47
Speaker
Love it. Final one. I want to get your opinion on this because I'm talking to a few people and I really don't get it. I don't understand why he would say what he said. Because he's talking shit. That's why. So this Riccardo Trevezani, he's a great commentator, by the way, um he was describing the goal from Truccoese that won the game for Milan against Panama last Sunday, Sunday before. And um For some reason, like, he said, gole, gole da nigga. But what did he mean by it? Like, did he mean, gole da nigga, the, the centre back, but he put plays for call for karma, which makes no sense. Or was he saying something racist, gole as in, gole, score, da, from, in Italian, nigga.
01:42:40
Speaker
like what and But then they're laughing at it and then the the guy next to him is laughing as if he says something like, I don't get it. I don't understand. They're making racial puns as they like to do. Of course he is. What other logical explanation is there? Golda Niga plays for Como. What's that got to do with Paramah Milan and with Chukweza scoring the winner? yeah It's the worst excuse since Eddie Murphy's raw stand up. It wasn't me. What was his excuse?
01:43:09
Speaker
That's exactly it. He goes on the on on on on on on social media and says, my brain didn't even think like that. I was referring to Golden Aniga from Cornwall. And it's like.
01:43:22
Speaker
how what he's got nothing he's makes no sense oh makes no sense yeah you like you're talking shit i'm sorry but you're chatting absolute that has to be the only explanation like you said because but then it's also weird because he uses two italian words and then he uses an uh an english Yeah, because he's making racial puns like Black Friday and all that nonsense we saw a couple of years ago. Yeah, fair enough. Yeah, I think you're right because it doesn't it doesn't make any sense why it's pathetic. It's pathetic. And look, it's it's just ridiculous. The excuse is worse. I think what makes it worse is the excuse. You know, I understand that the N word is not an Italian word, but
01:44:08
Speaker
you do live on this planet and you are aware that that is a racial term, that is a racist term, right? So, and you will make its goal is Italian, da is Italian. And you saw some, you know, and you tried to use the N word to make it some sort of ah like a pun. It was just in bad taste and stupid, unnecessary and gratuitous. But what's worse is I can't stand these non-apologies.
01:44:36
Speaker
I'm sorry if someone was somewhere was offended. No, just, you know, own it. Just own it. And Trivisani is a good commentator. He's one of the biggest names in Italian football. Which is what makes it sad, yeah.
01:44:50
Speaker
It's just it's pathetic. It's just pathetic. like these these These excuses that they come up with are even worse than the transgression, I think. It's it's just it's it's just stop it. Dog ain't my homework stuff, isn't it? Yeah, it literally is Eddie Murphy skit in Raw. His stand-up wasn't me. But I saw it wasn't me. like Worst excuse ever.
01:45:13
Speaker
It's like, stop it. just Just take, you know, everyone can make mistakes. And this, you know, just say, you know what, I know i had a mental meltdown. I said something really stupid. I shouldn't have. I'm sorry. Finished. Yeah, for sure. OK, let's leave it at that. and We'll be back later in the week for the Q and&A. And yeah, so have a great week, everybody. and We'll see you next time. Ciao ciao.