Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Romelu Lukaku & Napoli soar, Inter Milan & Juventus stall, AC Milan end crisis (Ep. 455)
2.8k Plays2 months ago
Carlo is joined by special guest Uncle Sharma as Nima is stuck at the airport. Together they discuss Serie A matchday four as a Romelu Lukaku-inspired Napoli thrash Cagliari 4-0. A sterile Juventus and Inter can only draw, Milan end their crisis, while Ademola Lookman returns with a bang for Atalanta. Roma throw away two points in injury time, and we preview matchday one of the Champions League. We also have our usual Baggio, Premface and Serie Ass of the week and much, much more.
Every Monday episode of The Italian Football Podcast is free for all. To NEVER miss an episode of The Italian Football Podcast (and support the show), go to Patreon.com/TIFP or Spotify to become a Patron for only $2.99 USD per month (excluding VAT).
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to the Italian Football Podcast
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian Football Podcast. Hello everybody and welcome to the Italian Football Podcast, the official podcast of Football Italia. I'm Carlo Carganese. Today, Nimr is not here. He's stuck at the airport apparently in in Dubai. They wouldn't let him through security. So substituting him is another Interisto. So he's a good friend of the show, Rahul Sharma, better known to everyone as Uncle Sharma, which is the the name of his his fantastic show on on YouTube. It's one of the best inter-channels around. So um if you haven't checked that out, do check that out, but very grateful charms for you stepping in today and to to be
Serie A Weekend Highlights
00:00:45
Speaker
with us. um On today's show, together, we will react to all the weekend Celia action as Celia returned after the international break. It was the Lukaku Kvara show in Sardinia as Napoli made it three wins in a row to
00:01:00
Speaker
to go top of the Serie A, at least briefly as we're recording this before the ah Monday evening games. They move above Juventus and Inter, who were both ah pretty sterile in their in their draws against Empoli and Monza respectively. Milan, Rafael Liao and Theo Hernandez ended their crisis by thrashing Venezia. Roma throw away two points at Genoa, despite Artem Dobbic's first Roma goal.
00:01:24
Speaker
Atalanta end their losing streak in ah in a five goal thriller with Fiorentina. We also have the first match day of the Champions League phase, some some huge games against the Premier League teams, and we also have our usual bad joke, prem phase, and Celia asks of the week. For all our first time listeners, this is our free weekly episode that we do every Monday, reviewing the weekend Celia 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,
00:01:51
Speaker
include in a weekly Q and&A episode every Tuesday day where we answer all of the questions from our Patreons, plus the weekly Thursday midweek review show, plus interviews, post-match reaction and much, much more, then go to patreon dot.com slash TIP and become a subscriber for just $2.99 a month plus VAT. You can also sign up to be a paid subscriber on Spotify.
00:02:11
Speaker
ah Links in the description. It's the same price and terms and for all of you that do listen on Spotify Apple and iTunes Podcast We'd really appreciate to give us a five-star rating. Give us a follow and a like and also subscribe to us on YouTube It and our channel is really growing quite nicely over the last few months and all that ah Helps us to do more quality content for you guys Okay, let's get into today's show.
Inter's Current Challenges
00:02:37
Speaker
Okay, so um as we have Uncle Shama on the show, I think we should probably start with with Inter. um Of course, as I said before, shot Uncle Shama has a fantastic show, one of the best ah channels on Inter, on YouTube. So Rahul, what did you think of Inter's match against Monza? For me, it was um
00:03:03
Speaker
pretty sterile performance for for from in so pretty comparable to to Juventus is the the previous night against emply is that how you you would say it yeah i think sterile is probably the right word to describe it um first of all thank you for having me on the channel as well to to replace Nima the podcast for many many years since you guys started and i always look forward to it when When I'm driving, especially when I have long drives, my head office is down in Reading, so I have a couple of hour drive and I always look forward to the pod if it's coming out right but before my drive. So thank you for inviting me on. Thank you. Thank you, mate. Intersterile, as you said, is the right word. There was a bit of rotation, which I agreed with. I saw there was a bit of controversy in the Interfan base, um especially my post-match reaction. A lot of people are blaming Inzagi for rotating, but I think
00:03:59
Speaker
You know, Wednesday we're playing Manchester City away at the Etihad, which actually I'm going to, um, to that game, looking forward to it. They had to be rotation. Um, and, you know, it wasn't like crazy rotation. I think it was four, four guys coming in for a tezi coming in, a slani coming in, Carlos Augusto and DeVry coming in. So everyone else was, uh, was a starter and, you know, on paper, I don't know if you agree with me, Carla, but that, that team is.
00:04:28
Speaker
way good enough to beat Monza. This Monza team that is not as good as has been recently. But the rotation clearly did affect the inter. They didn't look very fluid. There was not much chemistry going on. The midfield, of course, Fratesi coming in for Barela. He just doesn't have the same technical and passing ability. Aslani, we know, is a drop down and level from Hakan. But, you know, even outside of the rotated guys, I thought the worst performers were actually the starters. Taram, Lautaro Martinez, Martinez especially, he's still not scored any goal at the start of this season now. He's starting to get to that level where we interface. No, he he goes on these droughts usually and we're already, he's already in this drought at the moment. I had to get worried. um Why do you think, just to stop you on Lautaro, why do you think he has been so slow starting this season? Well, he does have an excuse this year.
00:05:25
Speaker
He came back late, obviously, because he had the Cop America with Argentina and actually came back early, yeah ah one week earlier than he was supposed to, which I actually thank him for, because he started against, it against general, first game of the season. He had no preseason. So I gave him, or I think we can give him the first couple of weeks as like a, you know, a good excuse, because he's definitely behind everyone else in terms of his fitness. But now he was away with Argentina. He did play with Argentina.
00:05:55
Speaker
in the international break. So physically he's getting there. Obviously those long flights back that long jet lag is always an issue for the Argentinians, especially all the South Americans. So again, there's maybe a little excuse there, but he was very ineffective. You know, he had a half chance, a header that he, um, didn't get on target. And then in general, he was very ineffective. So we know about his inconsistency issues. So maybe.
00:06:22
Speaker
Yeah, he's hitting that drought. we We know he has that drought at least once a season and maybe i'm hoping that this is the he's getting this drought out of the way at the start of the season now. Yeah. No, yeah I think that's fair. I think that's fair. I mean, on paper, Inter should have had enough to beat this Monza team. and Total control, Inter, in this game. I mean, Monza never looked like scoring. I mean, their their their goal came really out of nothing. and I remember looking at one point in the second half and Monza had a 0.08 xg going into maybe the last half an hour or something like that so I mean like Interwin never looked like they were going to lose the game and then then they nearly did and they they did of course show show good recovery there at the end. A little bit lucky with the deflection going into that but yeah that's what Inter do you know and so but yeah I mean
00:07:11
Speaker
Nim has spoken about this. do Do you feel like Inter inter might focus more on the the Champions League this season? And that might actually give Juventus or Napoli, who will come to, maybe more of a chance because of that? Yeah, I think you know at the beginning of the season, there was hints from the like last year, there was that obsession about, you know, we need to get the second star, Scudetto, Scudetto, everyone was saying it was like, you know,
00:07:37
Speaker
an obsession from everyone but this year there's been yeah a bit more mention of you know honoring the other competitions so and the yeah I think Man City in general I think in Zargi has got you know a bone to pick or maybe a bit of a vengeance mission for that Champions League final so I don't blame him. I think it's gonna depend on game to game like last year I went back and looked at the lineups we put out in the Champions League and the first game against Sociedad Nzorgi completely rotated the team away, associated that, and we drew 1-1 away to them. um So I think depending on the difficulty of the team, we might see rotation. like I think if we if we had the Milan Derby yesterday, I don't think he would have rotated as much. I think he would have kept the starting 11. But because it was Monza, I think you know it gave him a little bit of belief that he could rotate. So I think, yeah, we're going to see
00:08:32
Speaker
some rotation for sure. then And then they have to, like, I don't really see the criticism for the rotation. Like, you guys just spoke about it on the pod, these guys might end up playing, you know, 55, 60, depending on the 70 games this season. The rotation has to start now um to keep these guys going until the end. um And then, you know, in the media, I'm sure you've seen a call, but there's been this whole, you know, thing about Frattezi, you know, he plays really good for for Italy. How does he not start for Inter? But I think we see why he does That was my question. That was going to be my exact question to you. I had two more questions. One was about Flatezi. He was fantastic in the international break.
00:09:12
Speaker
what Why do you think it is he he does play better for Italy? than and but then we say When we say he plays better for Italy, he didn't have a good Euros. He's he's had two good games for Italy, so maybe that is like exaggerating a little bit. He is the top scorer on the Spoletti. Well, that's true, yeah. It's not hard. not hard Spoletti seems to like him more than in Zag he likes him. Let's say that. why Why do you think that is?
00:09:41
Speaker
Yeah, I think Nima spoke about it. I've mentioned it as well. My channel, he sees him as maybe the modern version of Perrotta. He's always had that one attacking midfield as Pelletti in his formation. And he's like, Naingolan for Roma was that guy that you know was the marauder into the box, Perrotta before. It's kind of like a very Spelletti thing to do. So I think that's why he likes him. And I don't think anyone else in the Italy squad has got this natural goal scoring ability from from midfield But for Inter, in Zorgi's midfield, you have to be a lot more rounded. You have to do a bit of everything. You have to come back deeper and pick up the ball. In this game, I'm just looking at stats now. Usually, you've pointed it out. I do like it to make fun of his passing stats a lot of times. He even been completed 89%, so that's pretty good. That's a record for him. Yeah, probably the best ever he's done. But it's I don't know. this There's either two things with Fretes. He either doesn't know
00:10:38
Speaker
how to move off the ball to find space, which is bad, if that's true. Or the other thing is that he doesn't want to, because he just doesn't make himself available as an option um when we're building up. And I saw yesterday a lot of criticism to Aslani that he wasn't passing forward. ah you know But Fratesid, when you watch him, he joins you goes next to Turam and Martinez. like He's one of the strikers when we see him in the build-up. He doesn't exist in the build-up.
00:11:06
Speaker
And even DiMarco yesterday was going really high up. So the options weren't really there for our midfield. So that's the thing with Fratissi. I think that's one of the reasons why Ndagi doesn't start in my line. I think he is going to continue being a super sub for Inter. OK. And my my last question for you about Inter. I mean, this is something that's probably better for Nima to answer as he's Iranian. But Mediterremi, I mean, what what do you what do you make of what we've seen? I know it's still very, very early days. It's just that I know he's had a ah really, really good career, but I was looking at his stats before he came to Inter and he only scored six league goals last season for Porto. I know he knew that he was leaving, so maybe that played ah played a part in that. And I know his his record for Iran has remained fantastic over the last year, but you know he's 32 years old. I mean, are you confident that he's going to be a useful player for Inter? Yeah. um
00:12:02
Speaker
In regards to his last season, I i had a ah Portuguese football expert come on the channel to preview or like to give like a scout report on Taremi when he, when we signed him. And yeah, he did say that because of his contract situation in the final season, Konsei São, the club kind of started to phase him out a little bit. So that was one of the reasons why his record wasn't as good last season. um But before that, when you look at his record before that, he was scoring comfortably 15, 20 goals every single season. And i am um thinking I think he is a great signing. I think he's going to turn out to be very useful. Even yesterday, he came on in a weird 3, 4, 2, 1 formation that Enzagi played at the end. And he goes he always tries to make things happen. He always you know comes back a little bit deeper, like a bit of a try to be the Jekyll role. And I still think i think he's going to get the 10 to 15 goals in all comps. And I think that will be a good return.
00:13:01
Speaker
Yeah, it certainly would. Okay, we're talking about a good return.
Napoli's Rise and Lukaku's Impact
00:13:06
Speaker
Let's move on to Napoli then, who who go top of Serie A. Thanks to Well, partly thanks to Romelu Lukaku. He's made such a fantastic impact since joining Napoli already. They thrashed calorie 4-0. The star of a show was undoubtedly Romelu Lukaku. He scored one, he made... Did he make one or did he make two? I'm thinking he maybe got two assists. Did he get two assists? Yeah, I think he got two assists because I haven't made him a fantasy team.
00:13:41
Speaker
Yeah, well, yeah, that's ah that's the dream player. I mean, he's, he's basically had no preseason, he was just training by himself in preseason. Conte even said off the game, like he's barely 50% fit, really. And he's already had such a fantastic impact.
00:14:00
Speaker
on ah you know on this on this Napoli team. um i What I want to talk about is I want to talk about first of all and and you can you'll you'll know a lot about this but what what is it about this Conte Lukaku relationship like I mean they are they the best I put out a tweet I mean are they the best player manager duo in football that they must be? Probably yeah probably um they're just this connection that they have on and off the pitches, you know, we saw at Inter, but even before, Kante mentions, you know, he's been trying to sign Lukaku even when he was, you know, before at Chelsea, when he was ah when he was younger. It's been a connection that's been there for most of Lukaku's career. And it's just still continuing. And clearly, it's not just about footballing reasons. They must, you know, get on off the pitch as well as a
00:14:58
Speaker
as people. um So that must help. And they must have an understanding. And Conte, I think, knows exactly how to use Lukaku. I think he's the only manager that really knows how to use him, how to get the best out of him, when to criticize him, when to, you know, when to use the caro, when to use the stick. He just knows his mentality inside and out. And Yeah, maybe he might be the best player manager during football. You know, I saw some of your examples. You had Pep and Messi, Sarri Jorginho, but I also thought of Mourinho's likes, similar in terms of he likes to bring him back. Guys that he loves like Matic, he brought him at Man United and Chelsea, Cavalli and Paulo Ferreira, his Chelsea boys and Porto boys, or I think Cavalli was Real Madrid and Chelsea.
00:15:49
Speaker
Drogba brought him back after he left as well at Chelsea twice. Fellaini and David Moyes to a lower level. Well, Mourinho liked Fellaini as well, actually, yeah. well yeah yeah Hammes, Rodriguez and Ancelotti, those are some of the ones that came ah ki to mind. Mourinho even tried to sign Cavallio for Inter as well. Yeah, before Lucio. I remember that, yeah. Yeah, so they were supposed to be him.
00:16:18
Speaker
yeah he wanted to assign carvalio and deco a thing and then he ended up with luco and schneider which yeah wasnt wasn't too bad in the wasn't too bad no no yeah i mean i think that the difference i mean these these are all great examples i think the difference with with lukaki and knte is that all these other players also had great you know, played great for but other managers as well, or other clubs. ah Whereas Lukaku, I mean, if you're looking at the the top top level, when Lukaku was a player who was a laughing stock at United, I remember it, like living you remember it living in England. I mean, he yeah gets a meme yeah he became a meme, like his first touch, everybody used to just mock that first touch, how bad it was.
00:16:57
Speaker
Conte made him instantly into one of the best in the world together at Inter. And then, again, since he left Inter in his first spell, he's, I don't want to say looked washed, but he's looked past his best. And now he's 31. When you look at him at Chelsea, he was bad. Back at Inter, he was so-so. And then Roma last season, some good and some bad, but certainly past his best. And now, OK, it's still early days. It's still only two games or one and a bit games.
00:17:27
Speaker
already. I mean, you've seen that the impact that but he's made. um I mean, the difference. Yeah, we gave Laotaro the excuse of the no preseason, but Lukaku has even had less of a preseason and he's got two goals and two assists.
00:17:40
Speaker
Exactly. Exactly. I mean, his record under Conte is ridiculous. 66 goals in 97 games under Conte. 18 assists as well. But it's just the the way that he makes everyone around him play better and everything comes through him. I mean, that the whole duck role, we're going to talk about Juventus after in Vlauvic, but he is an example, Lukaku. If Vlauvic can look at one player,
00:18:03
Speaker
look at Lukaku, the way that he he he uses his body to protect the ball and the way that players can play off him and and really, you know, Lukaku and Kawada, I mean, I think i think that there's everything there for this to be a really, really fantastic partnership this season. I mean, Lukaku scored from a Kawada assist, Kawada scored from a Lukaku assist And they they look like I think they they're going to do some damage this season. And I mean, if you've got those two playing like this together, I mean, you have to say Napoli are going to have to have ah have to be a challenger for the Scudetto if these two are going to be playing like this, aren't they? Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely. And Cavara in this kind of he's got a bit more of a free role now on the Conte, because, you know, he's not stuck out on the wing. He kind of gets to come inside. And I think
00:18:54
Speaker
That's go to is giving him a new lease of life because I think it got kind of predictable on the wing when it was just a 4-3-3 and he was just on the wing. Now he's coming inside, coming central, combining. Sometimes it even looks like just a 3-5-2 with like Quara and Lukaku just combining. And is yeah, he's looking really good. He's looking really, really good. But going back to your point about them being title challenges, I agree to a certain extent.
00:19:22
Speaker
But at the same time, they still look quite susceptible at the back. I mean, they conceded quite a few chances. A couple of headers that Merritt made massive saves on, they hit the crossbar. I think Kyleri, if they had maybe a better striker, maybe not Pekuli, I think they could have potentially got something out of this game. Because Luvumbo and the the others were kind of creating things around him, but Pekuli just couldn't the ball was sticking to him and then the couple of half chances he had just completely misfired. Yeah, I agree. I think Napoli did ride their luck a little bit in this game and Merritt really did come up big and made some some some fantastic saves and then when they were really on top and they looked like they were going to equalise, there was the sucker punch with Corrada and then Napoli ah dominated afterwards. And the goal was quite lucky that the Lorenzo goal was well
00:20:13
Speaker
That's very lucky. Yeah, I mean, yeah, huge, huge, huge luck there. But, um, but yeah, I just think that especially we're going to come on to the event is like, when you've got two, two attackers like Clara and Lukaku, like you can be having a game where you're you're not at your best. And I don't think Napoli were in the early state or in even the first time. I don't think they play the play particularly well, but when you've got those two upfront, you know, you can win games that you're playing badly because they can score out of nothing. Can I feel like,
00:20:43
Speaker
Juventus probably don't don't have that right now. And iner inter Inter do have it, but Inter were very sterile ah like as we as we've discussed. I think na Napoli, like they're always going to have a chance in games because of these two.
00:20:58
Speaker
yeah And that I think that would be a big strength. um Just before we move on, yeah, there were some unsavory scenes as well with with the fans, um which was quite amusing that it apparently started because Napoli Ultras started mocking Callery, Sardinia, which is known as ah as a place for for for sheep farming and they they placed a banner uh on the ferry as they arrived hunting sheep and then it all went from there they were doing sheep noises in the stadium and that's where all the all the the problems started apparently um and then yeah then it did get unsavory there was
00:21:42
Speaker
a lot of missiles were thrown and and fireworks and smoke bombs and and yeah it wasn't a good scene. I just think that also in general um this was a bad week this was this wasn't a good weekend for the number of delays that they were in multiple games this season for different reasons. This game with the problem with the fans there was a VAR check for the Roma goal which which was about six or seven minutes long and when you see the replay of the goal um El Shirawi's onside by a mile and I was like, what are they how did it take them six minutes to check that El Shirawi was onside? And there was some up there was another that there was at least another delay that I'm forgetting. So that I think that wasn't a good look for Serie A, just all these delays, especially with the TV situation going on at the moment. The calorie pitch was awful, by the way. Yeah.
00:22:32
Speaker
the Like Inter, as I said, very sterile performance. They draw nil-nil atte at emply. The worrying thing for Juventus, I think, is the fact that they were almost at full strength in this game, like with all their new signings basically playing.
00:23:07
Speaker
ah four new signings starting for the for the first time, Kalulu, Koop Miners, um Gonzalez and Douglas Luiz. Those four all started for the for the first time.
00:23:21
Speaker
and the But they looked, certainly in the first half, Juventus looked like a team who had never played had never played together. So I think that we can probably let Juventus off a little bit for that because because it was, you know,
00:23:37
Speaker
the the chemistry clearly isn't there. So I think that we shouldn't be too harsh for them for for that reason. But I think looking further ahead, and this is something that I've said, I said when Motta joined, and and and I said it last week, actually, after the Roma game, I said that the biggest weakness in for Tiago Motta, and I think it's a fantastic coach, I think he's going to be, you know, one of the best coaches in Europe over
Juventus' Struggles and Defensive Strengths
00:24:01
Speaker
the next decade. But I said his biggest weakness as a coach where he needs to improve,
00:24:06
Speaker
and I'm sure he can, he's smart enough, is and we saw this at Bologna, is that his football can be a bit sterile at times because that they they dominate possession. His teams dominate possession but often it's very safe possession. He doesn't like pushing men forward, getting men too many men in the box, too many men in front of the ball, leaving leaving the the tacticos on Twitter, call it a rest defense, basically having your players in a position where if you lose the ball, you're not going to be open for transitions and counter-attacks. And Moss is always very wary of that. And that's why Bologna was so good and conceded so few goals. And Juventus haven't conceded a goal this season. But sometimes it can make you a little bit sterile and a little bit easy to defend against. And I think that was
00:24:52
Speaker
in a Michael Cos and that was this game really I felt for Juventus like total control possession I think they had 65-66% possession but I mean they barely created anything just one chance from open play um which was the the one-on-one for Vlawovic and and then the header from Gattia for corner and that's it in fact Empoli had as many big chances as Juventus in this game so I think from Mota's point of view that is what what he needs to improve I think yeah No, 100%. His Bologna team, as you said, was similar as well. But I think what they're missing compared to the Bologna team is someone from the back that can carry the ball. Like they had Calafiori, who would do these marauding runs from the back, or even Lucumi to a certain extent. So when these defenses are, um like Emply, big credit to Emply by the way, they played really well defensively this game. But when teams are playing against events like this, they don't really have, Gatti's not going to
00:25:51
Speaker
carried the ball out from the back. Bremer's definitely not going to do that. Kambiyazu, I think, was doing it to a certain extent. He was causing trouble coming to the central areas, but maybe I was somewhere like Kalulu, or someone needs to step up and do that a little bit more um if you were going to get any joy. Because, yeah, that the way they play, it reminds me a lot of Arsenal or Teta or Mota in the way that he is very pragmatic. And he's he's changing the captains around, isn't he?
00:26:21
Speaker
like quite often. Am I correct? oh Gattie was captain. Gattie, you've got me there. I'll have to check. I know Gattie was captain for the last two games. Gattie's actually been your best player this season so far. He's actually been fantastic to be honest, but in a defensive, like defensively, but I agree. I made the same point maybe a couple of weeks ago. I think that when, you know, when you when they're when games are blocked, that's where the defender creates the overload coming into the field and Calafuri, I mean we saw it for it the best example for Italy against Croatia, you know, that game was totally blocked. It keeps Calafuri coming forward that created the overload that created the space for Sakani who then scored and he was doing that for Bologna all last season as well and Juventus just don't have have that, certainly not for the sense of that at all. Kombielo did that one amazing run and then he passed it to Fagioli and Fagioli
00:27:18
Speaker
shot it and he's probably the only one that can do that at the moment. no And like the fact that the way that, you know, it's the build up style, like, you know, this kind of almost the way that Zerbe does it. I think Juve are expecting, well, maybe a Bologna, because it was Bologna and we saw it with the Zerbe and Sasolo where like, maybe because you're a smaller team and teams do come out impressive, but you are Juve now and the kind of inviting possession this area, especially in smaller teams doesn't work because they just won't press you.
00:27:58
Speaker
actually feel like motta might have more joy against teams that come at them because they create those spaces for his patterns to work, whereas when you sit back that's where the sterility is is really seen. And I think Emily did that in this game, they were very well organized, much better organized than I expected from a team who on paper, you know, don't look, I mean, on paper, I think Emily are probably a relegation team but yeah look they look that in defense they were very good comfortable i thought all the defenders played well frankly uh is my i thought was outstanding but even bitty and the georgian lad um new signing who was really good as well i thought against yeah he was very impressive yeah you just didn't never didn't do anything i think just once he got away from him and and that was it but i think the other problem the other big problem
00:28:45
Speaker
or the big question that Juventus need to answer and Motta needs to needs to try and get get a solution for if Juventus are going to be you know realistically challenging and having a really, really great season is Wlawicz. Wlawicz is a big problem. He was he was awful here. his his Some of the basic touches and basic passes that he messes up often like unforced errors, like not even under pressure. I mean, his passing accuracy, we're talking about Francesi before his passing accuracy in this game was 60%, 20 passes, 12, only 12 hit the target. And like I said, a lot of those misplaced passes were unforced.
00:29:28
Speaker
and he's just so mechanical. He moves in in straight lines, which makes him very easy to mark. he he's He's not very fluid. You know, I make fun of like Declan Rice in midfield for like moving in straight lines. I always go fun of that like i feel like Vlalvic is like the striker version when he receives the ball. He moves and he's very, very easy to read how it when he gets the ball and his movement is probably not good enough, certainly with his back to goal. Like we said before with Lukaku, the way that Lukaku protects the ball, he protects it, he takes it in and then players play off him. Like Vlauovic just isn't doing that well at all and it's a problem because
00:30:14
Speaker
when Juventus are already a little bit sterile because it's kind of the way the team plays, you know, you need your striker to unlock games and to be a difference maker or at least be like kind of like an added value, I would say. Vlautovic is not at the moment. It's it's a big problem for you, though. Yeah, yeah, especially now that, you know, it shouldn't really matter, but, you know, these things do matter to a certain extent. He's the highest paid player in the Serie A now by quite a big margin, even more than Lautaro.
00:30:43
Speaker
And I was trying to, I was working out the other day. I think and if you, if you play as every 90 minutes or less divided salary, so total of 24 million by 30, I think it's around, it costs you, it costs you about 600 K or something, 700 K per game. wow So, you know, just because of that, he has to step up a lot more than he has in the past, because if he continues performing like this, you know, you've, uh,
00:31:10
Speaker
they're going to have to get rid of him because they can't, that salary is, especially with the new way of working, the new salaries and cost cutting that Junthali's done. I can't see him staying long at UVA if he's going to continue playing like this, unless they renew his contract at a much lower salary. Yeah, no, I agree. I mean, in the looking ahead, I mean, his contract runs out in 2026. So we're in that situation now where you know, they're going to have to make a decision like Kiesa really the same position Kiesa was in kind of this time last year, really where, you know, you're in a position where it's either we renew in the next kind of nine months or, or, you know, he has to be sold, but they could be facing a similar situation to Kiesa in the sense that, well, which big clubs are going to come in and well, first of all, pay the money as a transfer fee that
00:32:08
Speaker
that Juventus want. But secondly, who the hell is going to pay that that that that salary that Wlawicz is asking for? You know, um right now, obviously, it's early in the season, and he doesn't have the injury problems that Kiese has. And but and Motta can hopefully kind of improve him. But right now, like he's, it just seems like those same problems um that we saw under Allegri are still there. Yes,
00:32:37
Speaker
He was okay the first two games of the season. He scored, but yeah, he's not doing enough. And if we're looking at the short term and Juventus this season, this, this is, if, if Belau which continues to play like he has like these last two games, then, then he's really, that is really going to hamstring, uh, Juventus into how well they can do this season. Yeah. It's going to be your backup is Millik. Yeah.
00:33:04
Speaker
Yeah, Milik. I mean, that's it. Yeah. Or you play a false nine. Maybe you play like Niko Gonzalez, who was who was really bad in this game apart from the the great pass he did for Tovaovic. But some yeah, is is it's weird, isn't it? Because I think coming into the season, everybody was thinking, actually, Juventus' strength will be their attack.
00:33:22
Speaker
and their weakness is going to be the defence, you know, with Gatti playing and and, you know, Cabal, there was some question marks, is he a good sign? I mean, he's actually done all right, but, you know, so far, Juventus haven't conceded a goal. ah barely created con see that They've they've conceded maybe one or two chances in those four games.
00:33:40
Speaker
and but it's the it's the attack that's that's that's now you know two two goalless ah games in a row it's the attack that looks like it might actually be the the weakness it's just just funny sometimes isn't it how things work out but what did you make of coop miners as debut Yeah, not not great. I don't think he was as bad as everyone made, but I think he's he's not fully into his rhythm. I don't i don't think he's fully fit. um He's not in tune with his teammates. Disappointment was probably some of his some of his crosses so and were over here. and Some of his shots were really poor. yeah that that those That was a little bit disappointing because that's a technical thing. But in terms of like, yeah, fitting into the team, yeah, he's not he's not quite into the rhythm.
00:34:25
Speaker
And so obviously we're hoping him for for better. I thought, I thought Nico Gonzalez was horrendous in the first half. Like literally every touch messed up everything. He lost the ball every time, but then and he did an amazing pass. I mean, that was, that was a world-class free ball to Blauwitsch. So, you know, and he did play international break as well. And and he had a bit of an injury. So kind of can go, but I thought Kaluli was okay. I thought he did okay.
00:34:50
Speaker
and defensively. um But yeah, um certainly some questions on the event has got PSV now and they need to yeah need definitely need to to get a win. I mean, the positives, though, are another clean sheet. No, no, no conceded. And I thought that the midfield, like, Douglas Luis has got a lot of criticism, Koop minus has got a lot of criticism. But I always feel like when you dominate, when you have 66% of possession, you've won the midfield, I feel like you shouldn't be overly critical when you when you win the midfield. Yes, okay, what do you do with the ball? I feel like Juventus, at least they're playing like like ah like a top team now in that they're trying to dominate the game, they're trying to dominate possession and territory. Now it's just what they can, they need to try and move on and and do something with it. um
00:35:39
Speaker
But the other positive, I think, Gatti, he's been a really huge surprise. He was a monster. He's been a monster this season. It's a huge surprise. um And he made a goal saving block at the end from Jazzy as well, whereas Emply would have won the game. um I know there was there was a bit of controversy with the Pelagri head, but I don't think it really would have affected the game.
00:36:01
Speaker
um I mean, for me, it's probably a red. I mean, if you buy the rules, it wasn't it wasn't loads in it, and it was definitely over exaggerated. But I think that generally, if you do that movement so towards someone, you should probably should be a red. Definitely.
00:36:18
Speaker
Bugatti himself has got away with similar ones, hasn't he? Well, that's it. I actually think that's probably what's gone against him, you know, because he's he's got away with quite a few of those. And and yeah, it's a bit like the the boy who cries wolf, isn't it? I guess. Yeah, no, but Emily, though, just just one quick note on Emily, I thought they were definitely I was pretty confident they'd go down this season, but Are they still unbeaten this season? I think they are. I think they are, yeah. I think they're still unbeaten. Obviously, they've been to Roma, they've drawn with Juventus. Yeah, they've done... They look organised. They've played as a team, so they maybe they have a chance. De Versa is a good coach. I mean, he only got fired from the leche, because he had bite someone. That's right. Yeah, so he's not been on the bench the first few games. I can't remember how long his suspension is, so Salvatore Sullo.
00:37:12
Speaker
is number two has been taking all the games still in the start of the season. That's right yeah yeah yeah well done to them. Okay let's move on to Milan. Milan enter or end rather their crisis. Thierry Hernandez and Rafael Liao answering the the criticism. um After all that criticism of course after the the calling break controversy against Lazio they combine after 90 seconds to to to open the score in a great flip from the li and and in teo scores or it was terrible goal keeping so to be fair
00:37:45
Speaker
ah liao won a penalty after and he should have should have probably scored a a goal himself um so that The eased on Fonseca, two points in in three games. and And now that they absolutely had to win this game, um especially now that they've got big, big match, big, big week ahead, Liverpool in the Champions League and then of course the Derby against Inter. So, yeah, crisis over for now. What what did you make of this, Rahul? Yeah, this is gift wrapped by Venezia. I mean, when they scored a second minute, um they were scored and then afterwards it was just gift after gift. I mean,
00:38:27
Speaker
two penalties and yeah, the goalkeeping is, was really bad. Um, I'm not too familiar with your own, ah your own in the goalkeeper, um, finished goalkeeper, but yeah, I don't know if he should be the starter. I know maybe it's in Tobias, but Philip Stankovich is on loan to them. He did quite well in Serie B last year for Sam Doria. Um, I don't know if they,
00:38:49
Speaker
need to test out other options because he was really, really bad, every single one of the goals. And and the and the penalty, he spilled for the penalty, Abraham as well. yeah Yeah, really bad. And then in general, yeah, Venezia, I mean, they were my favourites to go down and nothing's changed my opinion on that at the moment. They just look really bad at the back. But then going forward as well, they just don't seem to have much of a ah cutting edge. um Yeah, quite disappointing that they didn't really do much in the in the transfer window. um <unk> ago I didn't see that actually. I stopped watching after a half time because it was 4-0 half time and I stopped watching the game. But what did Nicolas de Cavillia get sent off for?
00:39:30
Speaker
I stopped, I stopped watching as well. I'll be honest with you, I pretty much stopped watching because I will come to it afterwards. It's really difficult to watch games and in the the UK for familiar with with this TV rights joke that that there is. I'm not sure. I mean, I think this c sentiment field is not too bad, actually, even next year, because they've got um is dun du duncan Duncan and Cavillio is not bad, I think. Cavillio actually always did okay for Juventus when he put the rare occasions that he played. He he he did all right. I think the problems is are more the defence is shocking, so open. and I mean, that's partly Di Francesco as well, but he's just not good enough man for man. And then like you said, there's nothing in ah in ah in a attack as well. And when you've got a goalkeeper that's gifting goals away like that, I mean, I know Di Francesco is at risk at the moment and but apparently they're going to stick with him.
00:40:19
Speaker
for now, but I honestly think that it doesn't matter who the coach is, like, yeah with with this with this this set of players. No, I don't think even David Nicola could save this team. Yeah, I don't think so. But I mean, from from Milan's point of view, I mean, I guess this was the best game for them to to get over there that their crisis. um and Yeah, I saw that, like, um I think Reinde's kind of swapped position with Loftus' cheek. It seemed like he was playing behind Tammy rather than Loftus' cheek.
00:40:49
Speaker
which is what a lot of Milan fans have been saying that this midfield really is made for a 4-3-3 really because they don't really have a number 10 like Loftus cheek is not a number 10 and he played it a lot better I thought in that slightly deeper role Loftus cheek um so I think that's something to look fon seca moving forward potentially yeah because i think that one of the big problems milan of of hat for a while now is they don't have discipline in center of midfield don't have a unit like they're all quite especially rinders rinders i think is a fantastically talentanted player but i never quite know like what his role should be because he's, he's, he's a bit in discipline.
AC Milan's Tactical Shifts
00:41:30
Speaker
He kind of vacates his position a lot and wanders around and makes these runs forward and, and, and, you know,
00:41:38
Speaker
He's a Mizzala. He's a Mizzala, you know. He's not a disciplined Mizzala. Do you know what I mean? He's not a Barela Mizzala. He's even pre-disciplined to help the team. He kind of like, and then, you know, obviously Ben is injured now and he hasn't been the same player for a couple of years and they haven't had that holding midfielder, but now they've signed for Fana. So I think that will be important. So I do think that that is something they could potentially look at.
00:42:03
Speaker
and But I think they were positive. Abraham got his first goal after winning the penalty. Morata got a run out to get himself fit for Liverpool. so yeah I think that's going to be an interesting game against Liverpool because Liverpool lost at home to Nottingham Forest. and If Milan can win that, then you know that that's it. that you know They can really build. i mean They're only now for as bad as start a start season they've had. They're actually only three points behind Inter and three points behind Juventus. Napoli a little bit further ahead, but they're still in the... in the you know they that They could be level with Inter if they win the Derby. Do you know what I mean? In fact, if they were to lose these two games, then the crisis is is right back on for Fonseca. He's not out of the woods yet, I don't think. But there were moments that I saw that Venezia didn't create nothing from it, but you can still see defensively
00:42:54
Speaker
that this team is fragile, that any decent team could get at them. And I think the Liverpool game and the Derby, I think will be a big test to see if whatever has been worked on last couple of weeks is actually going to work. Because defensively is where the big issues are. I mean, I think they're always going to score goals, but yeah, defensively is where I think the season is going to be made.
00:43:18
Speaker
Yeah, I agree with that. We're talking about dodgy defences, two of them here, Atalanta and Fiorentina. I mean, have you seen them? I mean, starting with the defences, Atalanta can see the 10 goals in five games so far this season now. And Fiorentina... They're doing worse, right?
00:43:35
Speaker
that might yes well you might be right actually i haven't yeah uh i'd have to double check that but Fiorentina conceded 10 in 10 in six in in in all competitions that is but for both of them because obviously uh atlanta played the super cup against madrid and and Fiorentina had two games in the in the the conference league um as well as against an art academy as as ah as i call them push press academy um i mean first of all though for i mean this was an amazing game to watch amazing such Yeah, such I just double check. Sorry. Atlanta have to join worse defense alongside Venezia at the moment. It goes both. Amazing. Amazing. Yeah. I mean, this was an amazing game for the neutral, but yeah, I was watching alongside the North London Derby and actually I was
00:44:20
Speaker
preferring this game. to dog Yeah, North London Derby was good for like the flashpoints. So there was loads of yellow cards and like it was kicking off all the time like Vicario before he did. but but By the way, just what we're talking about Vicario, all those that were calling for Vicario to start ahead of Don Aruma, just just ridiculous. just I mean, the guy on corners and crosses is just horrendous. Like he doesn't can't come off his line on crosses at all. He doesn't got that um yeah presence the on corners and pieces.
00:44:49
Speaker
but But yeah, coming coming on to Atlanta, I mean, they i mean look we start with the positives.
Atalanta's Attack vs Defense
00:44:55
Speaker
They they had to win first. They've lost two in a row. Obviously, they've had a really difficult summer with the transfer market, with with injuries, the ACLs, the Skalvini and Skamaka. And they went behind in this game. And if it's three losses in a row,
00:45:09
Speaker
with the Arsenal coming up next actually, oh you know, yeah it's really almost crisis timing, you know, things that really are falling apart. um But they come back and um they they turn it around. I didn't think they played well in the first half. I actually thought Fiorentina were the better team in the first half, but they they they scored twice in the 44th and 45th minute. And I think Rettaghi and Lukman show that they're probably going to score a lot of goals between them, aren't they, this season, those two?
00:45:38
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. That connection looks like it's going to be one of the best ones in the league. And it's good to see that Lukman back now after all that drama that went on in the summer. He's basically like a new signing for them, isn't he? Well, it was all, you know, with the Skamakas injury and all the different issues that they had over the summer. so And that, the the touch that he did for the goal he set up for Etegi, that was just amazing. Amazing. Like just take, he did have something similar in the,
00:46:08
Speaker
the Europa League final that touch around the defender and yeah he's he's a special player lookman they're definitely going to need him and it was good to see um and that's right individual goal as well i mean he's yeah his winner well it was the winner in the end yeah brilliant as well yeah that was really good but yeah David De Gea speaking of bad goalkeepers early talking about Europe and David De Gea was very questionable for um yeah especially the lookman goal Yeah, I agree. I agree. Although he did make some fantastic saves in the second half to keep it to 3-2, but he, yeah, he kind of, he dived out of the way really, didn't he? With that, with that, with that one goal. Yeah, yeah. Mathalanta though, yeah, looking good. They got their centre backs back, you know, they've been missing key centre backs is all we have to say. One of the reasons why they've conceded a lot of goals, Kalasanich was back, Chien was back, even though he got injured.
00:47:03
Speaker
gym city has been kind of holding the fort and then the rowan had to go play centre back after he and came off so i don't know if they've got a few injury prone centre backs that's one of the things to look at for atalanta yeah i actually thought they were better and i mean i thought defensively the first half they they were awful. The defending on the goals for Atalanta was embarrassing. I mean, look at the defending on the crosses, just completely unmarked. I mean, Hien for the second goal, just so weak but to allow the cross in. And then, Collazin, Akshan and Ruggieri for the second goal, just just marking no one, just watching, bull watching.
00:47:41
Speaker
And yeah he and even even they went off and closing it I thought they were both terrible in this game I actually thought that that when the room went sense about that's when they they kind of sorted themselves out They actually had someone a little bit more a bit more organization or I know that we can send them a feel That's something that we we've discussed on the pod that they don't really have other than Deron and Edison, they don't really have any other natural sentiment fielders, other than Suleimana, who I don't, well, he wasn't even including the Champions League squad. So there's probably doubts on him. But, but yeah, I think that they they were better then, but they they need to sort out this defence because they conceded an average of two goals a game now. And that can't continue if they're going to have a ah good season, but they're certainly going to score a lot of goals and Retticki,
00:48:25
Speaker
I've said it already a number of times, I don't want to repeat myself, he's surprised me and just how good he's been. I didn't think he he i didn't think he he had it in him to be as an all-rounded player as he's been. We know he's a fantastic finisher and and that was a clinical, he's fantastic in the air as well and that was a great header, clinical header, just buried it. And Lukman, yeah, joy to watch. There's not many players like Lukman actually anywhere really in football that just run at players, beat them. yeah We don't get that in football much anymore, individuals. He's also a team player as well. you know he's he's He's really the full package now. Look, man. Yeah, same on Rategi. I agree with you. I was surprised that he's got this all-around game to him. Yeah. Yeah. Good for Italy. Very, very positive for Italy. Fiorentina, though, they've still not won under Paladino. Six without a win. I mean, five of them have been draws.
00:49:18
Speaker
But quite a lot of them have been really on paper, quite easy games, including those two against Puskas Academy, in which they were lucky to go through. They deserve to go out, in my opinion, in that in that in that tie. um I did think, and Paladino actually said this, I actually think in the first half, or Paladino said it was the best performance, best half of the season. I actually agree with him. I thought they played really well. They were just let down by some stupid defending. And I thought in all-round play, they were the better team. um But again, the defending, I mean,
00:49:50
Speaker
You can't defend like that and expect to have a good season, can you? No. um There's two teams I'm very worried about in Serie A at the moment. One is Fiorentina and the other one is Bologna. I guess we'll get to them, which is, funnily enough, both related to Vicinzo Italia. But um yeah, just defensively, every time Atalanta put up any decent attack, it looked like they would be in on the like in front of the hair. It was very worrying.
00:50:17
Speaker
And that midfield, he tried to think change things up, Palladino this time, because he put Eduardo Bove. He was still a 3-4-2-1, but with Bove as one of the ah two guys behind Keene, it was basically like a 3-5-2 at times with a bit more cover with Bove. But that midfield is just not providing much protection, Kataldi, Mondragora. And Kolpani at the moment is looking like a fish out of water. yeah He's just not doing anything. He was you know supposed to be one of the star signings this summer. Obviously he worked with Palladino before in the same formation. So I don't rate him that highly, but I'm quite surprised that he's offering really nothing um in this team. So I'm got i'm quite worried about Fiorentina at the moment, and the the somewhat window at the moment, and apart from Mois Keane and Gossens hasn't really um provided much of an impact because Gudmundsson is still injured and also has got his off-field issues. And yeah I don't know if you saw actually what Gudmundsson
00:51:16
Speaker
hey The lawyer that he turned up to court with in ah in Iceland, did you see the picture? No. Oh my goodness, I have to show it to you. right His lawyer literally looks like a character out of a better court soul. Like he had some crazy aviator glasses and then he had like a leather jacket. but like He did not look like a lawyer, it looked like Gudmundsson was he his lawyer.
00:51:40
Speaker
Oh my gosh. yeah Well, if you're on senior season, actually we'll rest on the outcome of that of that court case because if it if it's a you know if if the goes badly and and the and that I think they have some kind of clause in the deal that um that they can they won't sign and that they'll send him back, but either way, obviously he'll be unavailable. um so So I think they need him. um because I actually think that Goodmanson and Keene will actually be a really, really good and dangerous partnership because I think Keem's been really, really great so far. I think it's good in this game as well. Yeah, similar to what you said to Rategi, really good for Italy. His hold-up play has improved so much. They launched the ball at him and he just holds it. He's got so much strength. I think he's learning how to use it now. Finally, he's growing into his body. He's always been blessed athletically, but I think he'll learn how to use that.
00:52:34
Speaker
those muscles as like you can't move. And once he gets those feet planted, um, you always either wins a foul or gets a little flick on now. It's really good to see. No, yeah. Scored again, hit the post. I mean, I don't know. I, I would have kept him at Juventus. I know there's a financial aspect to it that Juventus needed to make money in order to make the signings. I totally get that. Um, but I mean, like when I look at how loud it is playing now, can can anybody on it, can you want anybody honestly sit here and say that,
00:53:03
Speaker
thatlauitch that Kien wouldn't have done, the way that we've seen Kien playing, Kien wouldn't do a better job than Vlawicz right now for the team. I mean, even if he's not scoring for Juventus, at least making the others around him play better, I don't know. I think it's a question to be had, but it's good for Italy anyway.
00:53:19
Speaker
that he's that he's doing well. um Let's move on to Roma now. Roma, like Fiorentina, still haven't won this this season. and They get pegged back in the 96th minute. They draw 1-1 with Genoa. i think Roma will be kicking themselves in this game. i mean I thought the first half they played really, really well. They moved to a 3-5-2 formation.
00:53:42
Speaker
and they played Di Bala and Dobbic in the front two. Conae and Pizzilli starting at St. Smithfield and I thought they were they were really, really quite outstanding actually first half. They they created so many chances, they scored a goal, Dobbic scoring his first goal for him. He could have had a hat-trick in this game.
00:54:02
Speaker
And they were really, really good. Second half, I thought Genoa came back more back into it. Without being that dangerous, Roma still definitely deserve to win this game. But they, you know, the Genoa just, I don't know what it is about Genoa. They just... never say die. They've got such team spirit. They never give up under Girodino and their record, as I've said so many times in this, but their record against the big teams under Girodino this season at last is absolutely insane. They've basically, they've hardly lost to any of the big teams in the last two seasons. So yeah, starting from Roma though. Yeah. Do you think the 3-5-2 is the way to go for Roma?
00:54:52
Speaker
I didn't watch this game. This is the one of the games. I didn't see all the others, but I think in general, that's the only formation I can see debba working balance. Yeah. And the Bala mainly. Um, but then where does Sule play in the three, five, two, that's the issue. The big summer signing. I mean, me and you agreed on this, like women in our um group chats, we talked about, it was some about the de Bala conundrum that, you know, in modern football.
00:55:18
Speaker
right That's the only really, the only formation that fits in the three five two. Um, but Dov, but I don't really see the connection with Dov big. The problem with Dov big, he's like, it's kind of similar to what we talked about with, um, Blauwitsch earlier, he's kind of she seems to struggle to kind of really connect with his teammates or hold up the ball or have like play one twos. He looks, yeah, he doesn't look like the guy type of striker that the baller can combine with if you know what I mean. Um, so that's the issue.
00:55:50
Speaker
at the moment and he's the big summer signing of course, not big. It's good to see him getting his first goal, but this team just doesn't seem to get any type of chemistry moving forward, which was actually when the Rossi first came in last year, it seemed like he was really good on the attacking side of things and defensively is where maybe he was lacking, but he seems to have sorted them out kind of defensively at the moment, but they just don't really do much going forward. I don't see any type of patterns. I don't really see any type of ideas. Um, yeah, there's a lot of work to do for the Rossi.
00:56:27
Speaker
Yeah, I think is Roma have a real problem here with fitting all of their their summer signings into the same formation. And that is a damning indictment for me on their on the transfer market. yeah and but because And this is the criticism that I had for Juventus for a few years under Peratici. And this is one of the biggest strengths of Marotta. When Marotta does transfer market, he always has in mind fitting them into a certain way of playing or a certain system.
00:56:55
Speaker
and it doesn't necessarily always mean buying the best players, but it means do they fit into that system. um When when Yuparatici was doing all his damage at Juventus, he would do a transfer window where he would buy five four players. Two of them could could only play in one system and the other two could only play in the other system and they couldn't all play together in the same system. like For example Douglas Costa, you buy a winger and then you have Di Bala who can't play in a winger system, you know like for example, something like that.
00:57:23
Speaker
And again, they've got the Di Barlo problem again. whereas this So this summer, they've bought, you know, they bought Sule, who clearly, I don't know how you fit him and Di Barlo in the same team, unless you play 4-3-2-1, which they tried in the first kind of game or two, and it didn't work at all. um Then you've got Dodd-Bick, who needs crosses into the box. That's how he scored all his goals at Girona.
00:57:44
Speaker
um And then in the first two or three games, you you don't play you don't play wingers, so you don't have any crosses going into the box. And then you've got three-five-two, which you know actually more crosses were put in the box in this game, and Salamakers actually played quite well before he got injured, and put it you know in a wing but playing as a wing bat. But it's like I don't see how all these players fit fit in the same team. I think that's that's going to be a problem over the course of the season for for for De Rossi. Having said that though, they they played well in the first half, they created a lot of chances, they deserved to win and I thought that Conae especially was a big positive, he was really really good and he's actually looked, even against Juventus when he came on, he looked really good against Juve as well. So the hope is that, you know, he brings along with the youngster Pizzilli some much-needed kind of
00:58:37
Speaker
intensity and legs and physique to the team, which is something I think that that Roma definitely looked like they were lacking in the first couple
Roma's Youthful Midfield Potential
00:58:45
Speaker
of games of the season. So I think that's a God. That's a part of a parade. There's Christante and Pellegrini. There's no legs. No, exactly. Exactly. And then Diabala up front as as well. And Sule is not really the most physical guy either. And you know, so I think I think that will help. um The defence was good, though, in this game until that last gasp. I don't know what happened. They they just went to sleep. De Winter kind of got into the middle of Undika, who was outstanding. He was perfect until then. And Hamozzo, who came on as ah as a sub.
00:59:23
Speaker
and and and the equals, but apart from that, you know, Genoa really, they they didn't do they didn't do anything at all. and man They got the results somehow. It's mad, Giulardino, what he's doing. Well, they are they're a tricky team, as you said, Giulardino, this Genoa team at home. That's why I wasn't too sad about getting the draw in the first game for Inter, because it's it's a difficult place, um the Marasi and the Giulardino.
00:59:51
Speaker
Yeah, it is. um Also some trivia Stephanos Cipitas, the tennis player was randomly was warming up the goalkeepers, general goalkeepers before the before the game. he He was really good. He was hitting some proper nice shots. Top corner. Yeah, top bins. A couple of his a couple of his shots. Yeah, he's yeah he's a general fan.
01:00:11
Speaker
General he told the story that he he'd become a general fan because he used to play FIFA or pro evo on video game and and and him and his brother and and they they had to choose a team and he chose genoa because he liked the the kit or the logo or something and and so yeah, that's um That's this that's who he that's who he chose. Yeah, um, right just ah quickly the other two seria fixtures from the weekend so como two Bologna too. Late comeback from Bologna, who were 2-0 down. Illing Junior with a great injury time. Equalizer, both teams also haven't won. There's quite a few teams in Serie A, haven't won yet. A lot of draws so far in Serie A this season. What you wanted to just say about Bologna quickly, that you're you're a bit worried about them. Yeah, I predicted them, I think, to finish like eighth or ninth. But I think once the Champions League starts, they're going to even
01:01:06
Speaker
They're going to be even worse because they're not going to be able to cope with those double weekly fixtures. They're looking really susceptible at the back and they're not even looking good going forward. Like even the goals they scored were just kind of, I think the first one was kind of off a bit of a rebound and then healing junior, just a brilliant and individual moment. So yeah, Bologna need to watch out.
01:01:28
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. they had ah They had a disastrous transfer window and they lost half their team and and the players that come in were all much weaker. The other game was Torino, Neil, Lecce, Neil, which which i and I didn't see any of that any of that game. um Still to play on Monday, we have Parma, Udenezi and Lazio Verona. So Napoli will be top of Serie A unless Udenezer win at Parma, which is going to be quite hard, I think, away at Parma. Imagine the Udenezer top.
01:02:03
Speaker
Udeleza top would be mad, it really would.
Upcoming European Matches for Italian Teams
01:02:07
Speaker
Okay, right, so Champions League this week, it returns, first match day of the season in the new Champions League, Inter Milan, Juventus, Atalanta and Bologna, five Serie A teams in the new Champions League format, 36 team league, eight fixtures for each team in the league phase. For those of you who haven't listened to or watched it yet, ah Nima and myself produced a Champions League preview show preview in the new season, like how the new format works, analyzing all of our five serial teams, the squads, the probable 11s, their fixture lists, strengths and weaknesses, the predictions really of how they'll do and the predictions for the tournament. So do check that out. It came out last week. You can listen to it on any of our podcast apps or watch us on video on our on our YouTube page. We also, on our YouTube page, we did three special match previews on the three big games, the
01:02:59
Speaker
the Anglo Italian games Milan against Liverpool, ah City versus Inter and Atalanta versus Arsenal. So do check those out on our YouTube page. and But we'll we'll go through very, very quickly. I just want to get some predictions from you, Shams, on on these games. So the five games are Juventus versus PSV. and What are you thinking for that one? I'm going to go for a draw Yeah, it' it's not, you know, yeah, I'm a little bit worried as well. I think it'll be, it'll be a one goal game, I think and for if Juventus are going to win it. ah Milan against Liverpool.
01:03:42
Speaker
I'm going to go for a Liverpool win. Yeah. Yeah. yeah ah Yeah difficult one Liverpool start the season really well won their first three games and then um lost at home to Nottingham Forest and played really sterile again sterile is the word of the day really sterile against Forest they barely threatened but obviously Milan aren't going to be disciplined like like Forestar and sit back and and and and defend so it'll be a different game I think but so Yeah, we need Rafael Liao and Teo and the big guys to step up for that. Bologna Schachter. I have no idea who Schachter are these days and love the coaches, but the way Bologna are playing. But they might be actually, they might be one of those teams that might do awful or they might even like get relegated in Serie A, but then maybe Italiano. We've seen Italiano's football has worked well in Europe, hasn't it? It does.
01:04:39
Speaker
So I'm going to go for a win for Bologna. Yeah, I've just got a feeling they're going to win. not no there's no there's there's There's no logic behind that prediction. I just feel they might might get it. Apparently, Shach have got a new Madrid, apparently. I don't know whether that's good or bad, though. that's and ah City Inter, which you're going to. So what are your feelings ahead of this one for Inter? I watched some of the City Gaming against Brentford. They went 1-0 down.
01:05:09
Speaker
very early and then afterwards, Holland is just a monstrous form. But I think there's a fact that I think that we're going to play our strongest lineup. I think we're going to get, go there and put up a good performance and get a draw. I think, um, yeah, I think Gonzorgi wants to get a good result out there and I think we will ah draw. And I think that'll be a great result for us to get the Champions League campaign started.
01:05:34
Speaker
That would be fantastic. I mean, Sitzi are looking really, really good this season, but they did give up chances against Brent. When they went one nil behind that Brentford were going for them. And Harland obviously is on fire, but a Cherby, I mean, he's a bit older now, but a Cherby really like didn't give him a kick in that Champions League final. So hopefully assuming a Cherby plays, that is, that he can Yeah, he can pull out another performance against, against Harlan. And then Atalanta versus Arsenal. This is a, this is an interesting one. This is because Arsenal have quite a few injuries and Saka, I don't know. and he he He went off injured, um, against in the, in the North London Derby. Odegard's already out. And so if Saka's out as well, I mean, do you think Atalanta have got a chance here? What would you reckon? Yeah.
01:06:23
Speaker
I think they do. ah And who else is when they're missing someone in midfield as well? Maybe not, but he's he hasn't he was never he hasn't even made his debut yet. Rice was suspended, but he'll be back for the start. Yeah, I think Atalanta is again, I think one of those teams that their style of football is probably suited to European football. um I think yeah ah think they can sneak a draw here. I think that would be a great result for them.
01:06:49
Speaker
Yeah. Arsenal are a pragmatic team, like you said, yeah so a bit motor-like. I agree with that comparison. so that they Atalanta have sometimes struggled against against those kind of teams. I think Atalanta like it when teams press them and come at them. We see that with like Liverpool, didn't we, and Leverkusen as well. So it might count against them, but we'll see. Europa League match day one isn't until next week, and Conference League match day isn't until ah October the third. Okay, let's finish off with Badjo, Prem Face, and Selya Ass of the week.
01:07:23
Speaker
Okay, so bad Joe of the week I have oh well I have one proper bad Joe and that is Baladansi for his hat trick for it to the other 21s against Norway was a stunning hat trick like The goals were were were were incredible. um all All of them, actually. All great, great goals. He's got a wonderful left foot, has Bal Dansi. I just hope that he isn't one of these players, a bit like what we said of with Di Bala, like, is there a position for him in modern football? That's my only concern with Bal Dansi. De Rossi's trying to play him as a mezzala. Do you think that's something that can work? What what do you think of his future?
01:08:02
Speaker
Yeah, I think that's the only way in modern football. um that I've spoken similarly about Karboni, the boy that went to Marseille alone. He's this kind of number 10. You just have to you have to decide whether you want to be a second striker or a medzala. That's the only real position that you have these days if you're not an athletic winger type. So that's potentially the future for him.
01:08:32
Speaker
Yeah, I agree. Shout out to Sven Gorneriksen. We said our final goodbye to him. It was his funeral on Friday. Absolute legend. So rest in peace to Sven. And the final one, I don't know whether this really counts as a bad joke, because this is kind of glorifying shit-houseery. It was so funny. It's actually over a week old now, but it's come to our attention after we recorded the last pod. I don't know if you saw this. Italy's sixth division, the Promozione. It was a game between Pontasieva and Subiano. And what happened was um the home team were on a counter-attack, basically going to be through on goal. And then the Subiano coach, the visitors' coach, run onto the pitch.
01:09:20
Speaker
to to tackle the player and stop the counter attack. It was just gold, absolute gold. him he got yeah he got He got sent off, but there the club refused to sack him. It was cool for him to be sacked. That is just Italy, that is. so this There's nothing more Italian than that. Brilliant. Love that. Did you have one?
01:09:44
Speaker
Yeah, I had the going back to the calorie and happily match the, so, um, after they lost for nail calorie, of course, you know, when there's a bad loss, you usually have to face up to the, um, to the Corva or to the ultra or whatever. And for some reason this time around the the club of mascot decided to join in with the players and it was just taking an abuse alongside the players. I don't know why. And it's like a massive, I think it's a flamingo. I forgot what it's called. It's got like a silly, you know, mascot name.
01:10:14
Speaker
And it's just this seven foot flamingo standing alongside the players, getting the abuse of the Ultras dying. I love that. Yeah, that was a great site. Primphase. And I've got some some belters this week for Primphase. It's been ah been a it's been a an infamous week for premfacese So first of all, the British media, um during the international break, obviously Eric St. Hag was under heavy pressure after the latest terrible starts of the season for United. So all the English media are all going after him at the at the moment. They did though win at win at the weekend, but this was before that. um So they reported that he coached his former signed Utrecht in a testimonial match.
01:10:54
Speaker
and for ah for a former player. Now all the the the mainstream media in England, they all reported, it's The Sun, The Daily Mail, TalkSport, Daily Mirror, basically all of them, they all reported that Ten-Hag had lost again. He'd lost another game. ah They'd lost 2-1. He can't even win ah testimonials and then they kind of used that as and as a stick to beat him with and just to basically take the mick out of him.
01:11:18
Speaker
uh even more and the problem was that he'd actually won the game 2-1 and it was this was easily like searchable just go onto the Utrecht official website they had to score there in big letters and the highlights that they'd won the game 2-1 it's all over the media the mainstream media they've lost the game so that i thought that was a that was a good example of just just terrible journalism really like just copying each other which is what a lot of them do they just copy each other without even going to the original source um so that's number one uh the number two this is brilliant was this is something that we've seen uh you probably would have seen as well like having worked done some work in the like in the italian media writing stuff and the it was the irish editors of the the match program for the game between island under 21s and latvia under 21s
01:12:09
Speaker
Now, for some in an inexplicable reason, in the match program, they put the the entire Latvia squad through Google Translate rather than just print their actual names. No way. It resulted in some of the most bizarre names, hilarious names that were listed on the match program for those who went to the game. Now, listen to some of these, right? In midfield, Latvia under 21s had a player called Robert the Liar,
01:12:38
Speaker
too And then the three forwards they had was Gleb liked it one of them Bruno the black but oh but how they didn't see these names and not realise they're wrong. And then the other one, which I love, Dario Shit. These were the three Latvian attackers when they were on the 21. So everyone who went to the game saw this on their on their match breakdown. The Irish FA have since issued an apology to the Latvian FA. I mean, there's nothing more Irish than than than that, I don't think. Final Prem Face of the Week was a story in The Guardian who were printing a story on the news that Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentonkur, former Juventus midfielder, is facing a 12-match ban for making an alleged racist remark about South Koreans while he was on Uruguayan TV.
01:13:39
Speaker
So he was appearing on a show when he was going on TV and he was asked for a Tottenham player's jersey. And he he replied, Sonny's like, do you want Sonny? But Son, Son Hyung Minh. And Benteke then added that it could be Son's cousin, too, because more or a quote, more or less, they are all the same. So he was making an alleged racist remark that all South Koreans are the same. So the Guardian print this story, but they then they were When they use the image that they use on the story is of Christian Romero Instead of instead of Benson curse So it's just the irony of using an image of the sub wrong South American on a story about a South American being charged for saying all South Koreans but the same I mean You just have to you just have to laugh at it. Yeah, I had ah I had one from Big Sam I think I posted in the group chat. Oh, yes. Yeah go So he was um
01:14:38
Speaker
I think it's only his podcast, which is called no more tippy tappy football, which already that should be prim face of the year, just for the name of that podcast. And then he was saying that, um, playing out from the back basically is like, I'm losing, I'm losing my marbles. Is this your tactic playing out on the back? Even if it don't work, he was just going on a two minute tirade about.
01:15:05
Speaker
You know, how modern football, everyone plays from the back. And then even if it doesn't work to actually add to a certain degree, I kind of agree with him to kind of some coaches can just kind of force it, but the way that he does it and it's just like, you know, peak.
01:15:19
Speaker
boomer just being mad at modern football now. leaving you not Enough of this white nonsense, yeah as ah Martin Samuel would say.
UEFA Warnings and Stadium Issues
01:15:28
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it's big sad, isn't it? There is something alluring about him when he... when he does that. Seria Ass of the Week, and I have got one and this dates back to something and that we've been talking about for quite a while and which is the the stadium situation and and and what a mess it is in Italy. So UEFA director Miguel Ulva has warned that Italy
01:15:54
Speaker
risk ah losing the co-hosting rights to to Euro 2032, because the only stadium which is which of of the state, I think it's five, I think, that are due to host games for Euro 2032 in Italy, only one of them, the Allianz Juventus Stadium, is is is up to scratch. He says, Italy needs five stadiums up to Code Viewage, 2032, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. A year has passed since the hosting rights were assigned. And there has been not been much progress. They've basically done nothing in a year. And we've seen all the problems with you know trying to renovate or rebuild a new stadium for Inter and Milan or
01:16:37
Speaker
You know, we've seen with Roma and and and all these other stadiums that it's just the same old same old all the time and I mean, it's just yeah, I've already ah I've already been told from someone else that that is it San Siro as fast as it's supposed to get the Champions League final aren't they is it? 2026 I think yeah, apparently they're gonna lose that almost certainly now it's gonna be pushed back officially it's gonna be pushed back another year because but but It's because the they're not going to be able to host it, basically. It just sums up really the problems, one of the many problems in turning football.
Broadcast Challenges for Serie A Fans
01:17:18
Speaker
I actually have one other one actually, and which I forgot I put down here. So the the TV crisis, which weve we' we've spoken a lot about around the world, are the lack of Serie A TV rights,
01:17:31
Speaker
just Serie A fans not being able to watch Serie A. The problem is is, there's a big problem in England still at the moment. um they they They basically divide, they divide in TNT in England, TNT show two games a weekend. The other eight, you have to go onto onefootball.com or download their app to watch the other eight games. um But there was rumours that they were going to be doing like a season pass where you could pay, I think the the word was £99.99, so £100, and you get to watch all the game all the other eight games eat that CNT don't have.
01:18:13
Speaker
each weekend or you could buy a ah ah team pass for I think it was $79.99. And none of this is advertised. This has just come through through others in the industry that have reported this. So the advert has been terribly promoted or there's been no promotion. But um I went onto One Football to try and see if I could watch any of the games or to see if I could actually buy the pass and it's not even available. So we're in match day four and you still the only way you can watch games on One Football is to pay four ninety nine for each game so if you want to watch all eight games this past weekend. Instead of yeah you don't have had to pay basically forty pounds plus if you want to watch the other two you don't have to have a TNT subscription so.
01:18:57
Speaker
I mean, this is just England. It's a complete mess. And it's been terror it but there's just been no promotion or or any explanation um to to to anybody in the UK that wants to watch the watch the matches. It's just embarrassing. And I believe that still it hasn't been sorted in. Is it Malaysia as well, that they haven't got the rights there still? So it's it's a mess. I saw France as well. France is still not sorted.
01:19:23
Speaker
Yeah, France, yeah France, no rights in France. ah Yeah, there's a lot of markets that they that they that they haven't sorted. Yeah, total mess. Okay. um Right. Let's leave it at that. Thank
Uncle Shama's YouTube Channel and Future Content
01:19:37
Speaker
you. Thank you so much to Rahul, to Uncle Shama for joining us, for for substituting Nima. and Once again, um do check out his his channel. ah Uncle Shama is called on on YouTube. It is one of the best channels around for for covering. So he does lots of content ah during the week, pre-match and post-match as well. It's really good. i
01:20:00
Speaker
I always check it out before I before i do the pod to you to to know what's going on with Inter. Thanks a lot, Uncle, for coming on.
01:20:15
Speaker
I think he's gone. So we'll leave it at that. and We will be back on, and I'm going to say Tuesday, but for the Q and&A, but I honestly don't know when Nimr is going to manage to get out of Dubai. So it might end up being Wednesday that we do the Q&A. It's too busy on Nuzarete getting out of his throat. yeah Yeah, he's at Nuzarete having a yeah um in a golden steak. And so yeah, we will we will have a Q and&A episode as well this week. It might be Wednesday.
01:20:45
Speaker
We will also have a a review of the Champions League games. Our midweek show will be back and I'm thinking that will be Thursday, but it might potentially be Friday because Arsenal are playing at Atlanta. We'll see how our schedules align for that. So thank you everyone for listening. See you next time. Ciao ciao.