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Juventus Humiliated, Bologna Rising, and Italy’s Next Test (Episode #46)
36 Plays1 month ago
Vos, Motts, and Logs are back to break down all the action from Match Week 29, where Inter took care of business with a solid 2-0 win over Atalanta. Gasperini’s side played right into Inter’s strengths. Bastoni was a rock at the back, but Dumfries’ injury could be a concern moving forward.
Fiorentina shocked everyone with a 3-0 dismantling of Juventus after switching to a back three, allowing their wingbacks to run wild. Mandragora, Fagioli, and Cataldi provided perfect balance in the midfield, while Gudmundson continues to prove he might be the among the best finisher in the league. Bologna absolutely embarrassed Lazio 5-0, pressing them off the pitch and once again showing that they’re more than just a surprise package.
Milan edged Como 2-1, but the newly promoted side gave them a real fight. Reijnders was a bright spot, and Nico Paz is showing why there’s so much hype around him. Roma scraped past Cagliari 1-0, but losing Dybala to injury could be a huge blow for their top-four hopes. Elsewhere, Genoa picked up a 2-1 win over Lecce, Verona grabbed a crucial 1-0 victory over Udinese, and Monza and Parma played out a hard-fought 1-1 draw.
The crew also looks ahead to Italy’s upcoming Nations League quarterfinal against Germany, with the first leg at San Siro on March 20th and the return leg at Signal Iduna Park on March 23rd. We break down the squad list, highlighting key omissions like Di Gregorio, Fagioli, and Chiesa.
Finally, it wouldn’t be a Calcio Culture episode without a little betting action. Can we hit big? Tune in to find out, and don’t forget to follow @calcioculturefc on X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube!
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Transcript
Introduction and Hosts' Day
00:00:06
Speaker
Marzano, we're back. Another episode of Calcio Culture coming in hot on Monday, March 17th. Match week 29 in the books. inter Inter Milan are clear at the top of the table.
00:00:19
Speaker
Three points in command. i would say this is the first time they've been in command in quite a bit of time. Three-point cushion. It's going to be very hard to catch Inter. But nonetheless, we're going going through a whole bunch of things today.
00:00:31
Speaker
ah This is Bost. We got Logues and Mods on the horn as well here. Motz is yawning. I he had a busy day at work. ah ah it's on No, i no, no, no, no busy day at work for me. I was coasting did a two and a half hour lunch with the uncle who is ah flying back from Australia today. He had some time to kill.
00:00:51
Speaker
So we hit the local pub and St. Patrick's day. There was a bagpipe marching band walked into the pub. They were ripping. So yeah, pretty unproductive day at work for Motz.
00:01:04
Speaker
Baizan's happy St. Paddy's Day. Big day for our Irish followers. a Big weekend in Syria. like Like Vo said, we've got a clear number one now.
Serie A Highlights and Inter Milan's Performance
00:01:13
Speaker
That's a big three points to overcome.
00:01:16
Speaker
And a couple of big points coming from the bottom of the table, might I add. Yeah, a lot of good shit going on this weekend. ah But today, guys, we're taking through match week 29. And then in addition to that, we got an international break, unfortunately, but also kind of good because it's going to be Nations League quarterfinals.
00:01:34
Speaker
So we're going to be highlighting a little bit of a Zori action. We're going to be talking what's going on there, talking the call-ups. A couple interesting decisions from Spalletti. I'm looking forward to that discussion. But like we said, Inter Milan are up at the top of the table at this point. So there is one place to start.
00:01:50
Speaker
Inter hosted Atalanta and pretty much it happened again. And Zagy got the best of Gasparini. He's got it down to a science at this point. They won two to nothing.
00:02:00
Speaker
at It was at Atalanta, not at the Sun Zero. I apologize. In Bergamo, Inter win courtesy of Lautaro Martinez and Carlos Augusto. Two big guys for this team that stepped up.
00:02:12
Speaker
And once again, just Atalanta does not have the the formula down to beat Inter. Like at the end of the day, it was a better scoreline than last time, but Atalanta, they just don't have it to beat this Inter team. We're so structured in a way to stop that lethal counterattack realistically.
00:02:34
Speaker
Yeah, Atalanta, for whatever reason, just doesn't know how to learn their lesson against Inter. Happens again. They had a decent first half, a couple of opportunities here and there. But at the end of the day, Inter too strong, Inter too focused this game.
00:02:47
Speaker
These are the games that really show the experience of Inter. They were able to come out and put this game away in the second half after just staying pretty sturdy for the first half. Unfortunate on the first goal,
00:03:00
Speaker
They come off an extremely long break. Yeah, that was where... The fan in the stands, unfortunately, had ah had a medical incident, but Atalanta comes out in that corner and completely forgets to mark every single man in the box. Carlos Agosto, great header, puts him up 1-0, and then I think they just lost their heads going into the end of the game there. Ederson with a red card.
00:03:21
Speaker
um Gasparini also got sent off, and so Latar Martinez takes advantage of that, and he puts the second one away to put the game away. My bad. had Had to come off you mute there.
00:03:32
Speaker
Mats was sleeping like on the corner. Yeah, I've actually yawned three times already. He's crazy. But this was probably one of the only games I've seen Inter concentrate for a full 90, which is good on them, right? It seems like they only concentrate for a full 90 in like the massive games even. But then again, they don't because Napoli was bad. Juventus was bad. Milan games were bad, but I really thought this was a ah masterclass by Nzaghi again. Inter are so good at sitting deep and allowing teams to come in, but not allowing to be broken down.
00:04:13
Speaker
right they they They do such a good job defending as a unit. because when enter Inter got up 1-0, and Atalanta, obviously when you're down one nothing you're you're you're on the attack, and Atalanta was applying a lot of pressure, and Inter was just absorbing that pressure.
00:04:32
Speaker
And when they had the ball, They were like, we're just going to pass it around them, not really try to score too many opportunities. But we know that Gasparini is going to tell his men to just start pressing like crazy, start sending guys forward, and they're going to make a mistake and we're going to capitalize.
00:04:51
Speaker
think you just made it yourself back. so What? Yeah, can't hear you. Did Oh, my bad. Well, so that's what I said. all That's when they got their second and played football.
00:05:03
Speaker
Lots going on. need yourself here, bro. What is... I'm not doing anything. What is going on? All right. I won't touch anything. But, okay. So, they got the second goal. It was all on Atalanta for overcommitting. And they they basically played right into Inzaghi and Inter's hand.
00:05:20
Speaker
I also think that... Inter did a very, very, very good job of just nulling the game to sleep, essentially. like it almost it it felt like a a very Rodri-esque performance by Hakann, just being able to just say you know get me the ball and i will we will not lose it. We won't really go to attack, but we also will not lose the ball and we'll just pass it around them for 25, 30 minutes until they make a mistake and then we'll go score.
00:05:47
Speaker
So I thought this was a really, really good game by him. uh, Inter, obviously. And and like you said, both, uh, Gasparini just cannot, for whatever reason, figure out how to beat the Inzaghi system. I mean, ultimately ah what you're both saying here is this is kind of the performance we've been crying out for from Inter all year.
00:06:04
Speaker
Very mature, focus, kill the game off by death by a thousand passes, which we've been saying they did so well last season. And we finally got in here in a game where they couldn't create a ton of chances, although they did create some really good chances in this one.
00:06:17
Speaker
They weren't willing to expose themselves at the back, which is what we've seen against some of the worst, the worst teams in the league, giving up those late goals too. And if this is a sign of what's to come for the rest of the season, it's gotta be tough to beat enter because when they're all on the same page with that maturity that Hakan showed,
00:06:35
Speaker
And also, I think separate this, Hakan has slowly been getting really good over the last couple of weeks. He was quiet the entire season and now he's back up to speed. And it's made a huge, huge difference from the Sindromal team.
00:06:47
Speaker
But other than that, I don't really have anything else to say in Inter. This isn't anything new. just the complete Inter that we saw last year. We're kind of starting to get into here. And Lataro Martinez with another big goal when he needed it. Yeah, Latarro seems to be coming up in in big spots a couple of late goals the past couple weeks.
00:07:03
Speaker
I mean, just just kudos again to Inzaghi. They were able to keep their formation against a team that is quite erratic at all times. And so to keep that patience was good to see.
00:07:16
Speaker
One thing on the Atalanta side, they have so many goal scorers, but from this game specifically, their quality of chances was not the same that I've seen in the past. I mean, their XG was sub one, but they had 16 shots.
00:07:28
Speaker
So that that to me shows that they got a little desperate there. They didn't find the quality that they usually do. Service may not have been there throughout the game, but Inter was able to take advantage, find the quality chances.
Napoli's Struggles and Recruitment Issues
00:07:40
Speaker
They had almost 3XG, which you don't typically see out of Inter against a good team like this. So this might this might have been a new leaf for Inter and it comes at a time when we've been saying these last 10 games are where everything really shows.
00:07:53
Speaker
Last year, Juve went no wins the last 10 games and they dropped a bunch of points. And so this is where the difference can can made. And this is where Inter is going to show up. And I think that we can finally say that they they may pull away here.
00:08:05
Speaker
The business ends of the season. the other thing The other thing with Inter, Inter's upcoming games, Udinese at home, away to par out Parma, Calgary at home, away to Bologna, that's a tough one, at home against Roma, then Verona, Torino, Lazio, Como. So grand scheme of things could be a lot. of wait, but wait, you forget.
00:08:26
Speaker
They got Ciampo and they got Coba. Yeah, that's right. You got to play those games in. You got middle the week, big competitions. Who playing first, Inter, I think in Champions League?
00:08:39
Speaker
Bayern. Bayern, yeah, Inter's playing Bayern. They're playing Bayern, and then obviously they've got back-to-back at San Siro. So, ah yes, interleague play, not as tough, but they still got to manage their men. And with a couple of injuries, that might get they might get in a little bit of trouble there.
00:08:56
Speaker
Yeah, big on the injury front. ah Dumfries got hurt in this game. I don't know how long he's out for. And Federico DiMarco is still hurt. That's a very big loss, especially with... Bastoni now being suspended in the league.
00:09:08
Speaker
Carlos Augusto has filled in nicely since he came back from injury. But now when you lose Bastoni again, you're kind of back in the same spot. From an Atalanta perspective, this was kind of a game you needed to get points out of.
00:09:20
Speaker
they To stay on pace with Inter, do you guys think that? Like, They're going to kind of have to win out now and hope that Inter drop against somebody. But over the next four weeks, Inter could realistically very much grow this lead if they win all the games that we say they quote unquote should win in the league.
00:09:38
Speaker
And it's going to be very difficult for Atalanta going into probably their hardest month of the season. Yeah, this is the... My bad. No, being three points off is completely different at this point in the season than being six points off. And so they had a little bit of the advantage of a of you know their destinies in their own hands.
00:09:56
Speaker
I don't think so anymore. I was going to say this is the classic Mourinho quote game. Like if you can't win it, just don't lose it. Like do whatever you can to draw it They obviously didn't do that. It definitely is going to set them back. But I'll kind of just echo what I said last episode.
00:10:16
Speaker
For whatever reason in this this season in the Serie teams just stumble. And so maybe these guys will stumble or Inter will stumble and Atalanta will take advantage of it.
00:10:30
Speaker
I don't just feel good about it. No, I don't either. Like how you just said it, Atalanta don't really have a way to win where like They don't have that gear, right? That's let's not lose. they The gear is either go 100% to score million goals or it's then that there is nothing else. That is the only option is really the problem, which is which is an issue when you get into situations like this where you can't game plan for just getting points. And I guess that's why theoretically they've been a really good tournament team.
00:10:59
Speaker
And that doesn't quite translate to league, which we're seeing year over year over year. Right. And I think the one bright spot here is that when you look below them, they're pretty clear to stay in, to stay in the top four.
00:11:16
Speaker
um But their running mate also dropped some points this week, which is huge for them to stay to stay within them. But at this point, second or third to me, doesn't really matter. Before we move on, I just want to quickly give a somebody shout-out.
00:11:29
Speaker
A Cheruby played very well this game. I don't really understand. like he The past two, three seasons, like he's been one of the best centerbacks in this league.
00:11:41
Speaker
and like When he was on Lazio, was he good? Sure. But he wasn't like a move or a needle mover. Now he consistently, when he plays a A physical up front number number nine, he typically puts them in his pocket. He did it to Haaland in the Champions League final.
00:11:59
Speaker
He's done it to Lukaku time and time again. He's done it to Dusan. He did it in this game Rategi. So very good game from a Cherby, I thought. The other piece on that I will say is pretty much every center center back in the Inzaghi system has done extremely well. Pretty much every center back. I don't really think, I mean, dar we saw Darmian come in and do real really well.
00:12:21
Speaker
Milan Skrinyar was at the beginning of the Inzaghi era, and he was arguably one of the best defenders in the world at that point. So I think it's partially a product of the system and being so covered, like you kind of always have a numbers advantage.
00:12:34
Speaker
But not in the game. He's been very good. I agree. And I'd say even in like a Cherubi when on the Lazio days, he wasn't that technical, not that he is, but he's very much in the inter-system, in the design system, in the buildup where he's sometimes in the box finishing moves or putting the final pass in.
00:12:52
Speaker
Obviously, he doesn't do it at the level of a Bastogne or Prevard, but he does do it. yeah And it's very impressive that he's added that to his game at this late age. So he has aged like fine wine.
00:13:06
Speaker
while While we are giving out flowers, one more flower since I've been shitting on for a while. Varela, I thought had a great game. Definitely more noticeable this game and certainly one that he needed to be noticed in because of the strength of the midfield from the Atalanta side.
00:13:19
Speaker
So Shasta Varela, way to step up and actually show that were on the field this time. Cool. Keep it rolling. The other team that's fighting for the Scudetto right now, Napoli, another one, dropped crucial two points.
00:13:32
Speaker
um They went to Venezia and played that one to a nil-nil drop. We see Venezia now going back to the team they were at the beginning of the season, giving a lot of people trouble in Venice. And we saw with Napoli, granted, they probably created enough opportunities to win this game.
00:13:47
Speaker
Just couldn't put them away, which has been an issue with this team throughout the year. We've said it. They don't really have a pure finisher anymore. Lukaku isn't that guy. Raspidori obviously isn't that guy. We saw Scott McTominay pick up the slack for a while.
00:14:01
Speaker
But they're always going to be kind of starved for goals. Billy Gilmore and Lubaka were still the midfield duo in this one. And they couldn't quite get it done. And this is one they're going to look back at if they do end up losing this race.
00:14:13
Speaker
This is the three points that they needed to have. It is so, so unfortunate, but this whole Raspidori era. He is, and again, we said it last time, allergic to scoring goals.
00:14:25
Speaker
Had a beautiful shot. I think it was in this in the first half, which would have made a completely different game, essential especially with this Napoli team, who's happy to sit back if they're up. He had a beautiful left footed shot from inside the box and hits the the woodwork and goes out for the touchline. I mean, it was just super, super unfortunate. It was a great shot.
00:14:45
Speaker
Should have gone and deserved to go in. Completely different game if that's in the net. But they they are just hurting, hurting, starving for goals and they can't find them. They literally cannot buy one these days.
00:14:58
Speaker
This is, i keep going back and forth with Napoli. I mean, the last two weeks, they tied Inter beat Fiorentina. I was like, oh, they're back. But if you really now zoom out and you look at the last seven weeks, they have one win.
00:15:14
Speaker
That's not going to get it done at all. Right? So,
00:15:19
Speaker
i I predict that they're going to have a ginormous bounce back game against Milan because Conte knows how to kind of relate to the players. Like this is a game that we need to win if we want to win the Scudetto. But like, how do you put out this performance against Venezia, which I i know so can be tough to go get three points in Venezia, like we've said all season.
00:15:41
Speaker
Look, you got to go get this game. I mean, you guys, for for the how you played and how everybody, each individual's performance, everybody on Napoli played very well, right?
00:15:53
Speaker
And they created a lot of chances. you have to be You have to go put this game away. And I and you would i would have assumed that this was a game that Napoli would, in the end, go grab. This is like a Conte game, grimy 0-0, fight it out, and then we'll go get that game-winning goal and we'll sit back and and protect it.
00:16:13
Speaker
Obviously, didn't happen. The Venezia goalie, there I mean, let's give him flowers. he He saved a lot of chances. He played very, very well. But if you're Conte and you're Napoli, this is just the theme of the season for them. it's They're overachieving, and every once in a while, you're going to see who they are because of their quality on the team.
00:16:34
Speaker
And Conte is doing a great job with just relaying them and getting them amped up. And so they're overachieving. But this is what you get from a team up that has the quality of Napoli. Yeah, I think part of the other issue with this, and it it comes back to the squad building realistically, is when you need to get a goal, like it's getting late, they don't really have anybody to come off the bench and like drive it forward. Gio Simeone is kind of like your goal scorer, but I'm not going to say that that's the guy to do it.
00:17:03
Speaker
Zombo came off the bench in this game, but even Zombo isn't like that creative force that's going to create the goal necessarily. So you don't have any way to turn to be like, oh, OK, I'm going to switch things up, get a really offensive player on the field.
00:17:16
Speaker
And that makes it difficult. And if inters in this situation, they're rotating the strikers, they're rotating the midfielders, they're getting attacking players on there to go and get that win.
00:17:26
Speaker
And I think there's a number of other teams that are in this group, even Atalanta, Bologna, we've seen it now that have that squad depth to make a little bit of changes. And Conte doesn't have it. And i I think you nailed it on the head, Motts.
00:17:39
Speaker
They're overachieving. And this was expected at some point, really, in not getting the results where they should be getting them because they're just not good enough yet. I have a question here.
00:17:50
Speaker
So obviously, Cavada left and they were linked to Granato, Eddie Yemi, some other players. Do we think if they got one of those guys,
00:18:02
Speaker
they have, they're tied with Inter, are they beating Inter? Where do we think they are if they replace Cavada with obviously not somebody of his caliber, but one of the guys that they were linked with? I certainly think they're better off.
00:18:15
Speaker
We didn't plan for David Neres to be hurt for so long, so he's been obviously a non-factor. But Noah Okafor is not the answer from that window. So to everything that votes just said, that's exactly where they are. They don't have the depth. They don't have they bring up the bench to go after a goal.
00:18:33
Speaker
And i think they have been better off. Do I think that they're tied with Inter? I don't think so. But they're only three points off. So if that if one guy was to make a difference...
00:18:44
Speaker
I think that have been a really big storyline, but that would have huge expectation for a guy like Arnachio or Adeyemi to come in and and play that guy, that be that guy. I don't even think... Adeyemi could have done it. I don't think Adeyemi would have... They would have been level with Inter. I think Adeyemi's very good.
00:18:58
Speaker
But even beyond that, they didn't even need to bring in somebody. They should have just kept full of Ranshu. just to have the depth. That's not the guy, though. i know, but they literally don't have a winger to bring off the bench. They actually do not have one.
00:19:12
Speaker
good for him.
00:19:16
Speaker
Okafor is worse than Fuloranchu. And it's just so odd to me because Fuloranchu seems like such a Conte guy to me and what I've seen. And obviously he's he got hurt on Fiorentina. So this is assuming that did not happen.
00:19:27
Speaker
Just keeping him would have made such a difference because you just have another option of a guy that puts in the hard miles and come on late, get a little bit of spurt of energy. He's a very aggressive player, likes to drive the ball.
00:19:38
Speaker
If you keep him and then maybe add a Garnacher and add a Yemi, Those are guys that are so explosive. If you give them 20 minutes, just off of pure physical ability, they're going to get ba past a couple guys.
00:19:51
Speaker
And if they had that, it would have made a difference. i think if they had one player that was a good attacker in this league that they could bring off the bench that wasn't even a starter every like a weekend week out starter it would make such a difference sateel that would have been beautiful signing for this team just to throw in the game meaning we need 20 minutes out of you go play wing being aggressive winger and they don't have that and it's a major major issue and it's part of the reason that spin at zola now is playing needing to play much higher up the field than that they originally have wanted him as more of like a traditional left back in the four
00:20:28
Speaker
And he's he's not really that guy. Right. Like he's always been a creative player, but not really a goal scoring talent. And they they need the goal scoring talent. I keep coming back to it. And that that circle.
00:20:40
Speaker
We need to cover something because i it's not being questioned enough, nor I don't think it's even being questioned. But they have a guy. They have a guy. Big Rom.
00:20:52
Speaker
Lukaku. At what point do we start questioning Lukaku's ability to be a leader, to be the goal scorer? He is one of the best nines historically this league has ever seen.
00:21:04
Speaker
where what At what point are we like, my guy, you need to start putting in goals. You need to go out there and make it happen. It's not like he's completely washed. He's been doing it in this league for years and years and years on multiple different teams.
00:21:17
Speaker
At what point are you like, hey man, Take the game over. Go do it. I don't, I would say that if you told me at this point in the season, when they got him 10 goals, eight assists, I would have taken that all the way.
00:21:32
Speaker
The eight assists is ridiculous out of him. And I think 10 goals is kind of in line with what we expected out of him with what do we have eight games left. If he gets another five, which is pretty realistic.
00:21:44
Speaker
If big ROM comes with 15 goals, 10 assists on the season. mean, you cannot ask him to do more than that. Well, but the problem is you have to. that I mean, it it goes full circle in everything we just talked about, but you do have to ask them of that. This guy is a perennial leader of every single team he's been on.
00:22:05
Speaker
And yes, 10 goals to this point of the season is great. I do agree with that. there's I do not want to take anything about away from what he has done, but knowing who he is, where he's been, who he's played for,
00:22:16
Speaker
you He should know that. i need All right, Kavar gone. I need to step up. I need to be this guy. I need to i need to pick it up. I can't just be the holdup guy and to facilitate because no one else is putting it is putting in goals.
00:22:27
Speaker
I would say that. my I have to say that I am going to now question where does he step up? Where does he fill in the gaps that they so clearly have now? But yeah I would even say that part of the issue is that when he was at his best,
00:22:40
Speaker
He was playing in a two with Lataro Martinez. That was the best season he ever had in his entire career. And he's playing. he just started playing with Giacomo Raspidori, who isn't going to be very helpful. We know that because Raspidori, I wouldn't say is a creative.
00:22:56
Speaker
He doesn't create chances for other people. He gets into spaces to score himself. But they he doesn't do that piece, which Lukaku kind of means. Because if Lukaku is going to be the suck everybody to me guy, which is really what he is, like he's a big physical presence.
00:23:11
Speaker
He's going to do that link up play further down the field. The back to goal stuff that we we were talking about is doing well. And if Raspidori isn't the guy to receive that, let Big Rom make his run and get it to him.
00:23:24
Speaker
Where are the goals going to come from? yeah i think That's what I'm saying. yeah At some point, you need to adapt. I know, but Romelu Lukaku has never been a takeover the game kind of guy because he doesn't have that built. Like Erling Haaland isn't a takeover the game kind of guy.
00:23:38
Speaker
He's very good at finishing. It is a physical powerhouse, but he isn't a guy like, oh, let's just get him the ball because he's going to create. Romelu Lukaku is not that and you can't. go to that nor expect that out of him because he has none of the traits to do that.
00:23:52
Speaker
The guys that have traits to do that are like the Kovaritskelias who are capable of taking on one, two, three guys shooting from distance, creating him an incisive pass. And that isn't Lukaku. And I literally, i don't think you can ask any more of him.
00:24:07
Speaker
Like he needs help. Yeah, I'm kind of Bosa's side here. I think this goes back to bill building your team, getting replacements. bringing When they signed Lukaku, I think we all said what you're the most you're going to get out of him is 20 goal contributions total, right?
00:24:26
Speaker
I mean, we all know Lukaku's been on a downward level. Not spiral, but he's been a down downward tread trajectory thank you trajey and since he left Inter the first time. right Last season at Roma, for the league, he scored 13 goals and 3 assists. So he's already outperforming his league play for Roma.
00:24:50
Speaker
you add in the Europa League and everything, he did have 21 total goals and four assists, but that's a different competition, obviously. So I think that Romelu, I'm with those. Lukaku has done, I think, more than I've expected him to do at this point in the season.
00:25:07
Speaker
I think he'll get a couple more. He'll probably finish with 12, 13, 14 goals, maybe two assists. He'll have 25 goal contributions. That's outperforming what i bury what I thought that they were going to do with Lukaku.
00:25:17
Speaker
And so that goes back to me, De Laurentiis, building the team that Conte can use and the players he has at his disposal. You need to get some backup so he can he can go to somebody else that can be effective if Lukaku's not.
00:25:34
Speaker
You need to replace a Cavada once Cavada leaves. You need to do all these things in order to win that Scudetto. And Time and time again, I think you're seeing De Laurentiis is the reason why Napoli might not be able to get this done. And Conte, being the the master class that he is, is constantly overachieving what De Laurentiis keeps trying to... Like, De Laurentiis tries to shoot Conte in a toe.
00:26:00
Speaker
And, like, at this point in the season, Conte's got, like, four toes left. And he's still dragging the squad to the finish line. Well, the other the other thing with that with when you go back to the squad building, for the amount of money that they spent, they basically spent 30 on David Neres, 30 on Lukaku, 30 on McTominay, 35 on Banchorno.
00:26:21
Speaker
You go around the league of what other teams did with that kind of money. Why wasn't Goodmanson here? like he it Goodmanson makes sense when you look at when you think about what Conte wants to do, the kind of players he wants. like There was guys around the league That would have made sense.
00:26:38
Speaker
And just with their recruitment, kind of questionable with the actual player selection. Because with the amount of money they spent, 30 million euros, you can get a lot of players for that, especially in this league.
00:26:49
Speaker
You've got to pick guys. I mean, that gets you a tag. Moise Keene. Yeah, and there's there's a lot of things. And at the beginning, like Rettegi wasn't like an unknown commodity. When he went to Atalanta, the first thing I said was, this is my pick for Golden Boot.
00:27:03
Speaker
So I don't know why he wasn't on Napoli's list. I don't think if he's in, if Rettegi goes to Napoli, I don't think he's doing this. No, I don't think he's doing quite. He's doing what would Napoli need in terms of just a little bit more goal scoring. Yes.
00:27:17
Speaker
and Listen, i just want to make it very clear. I'm not dogging Lukaku for what he's done up to this point. I just have expectations for a guy who's had this much experience in the league to try to figure it out and especially against Venezia, especially against a relegation team. That's my that's my point here.
00:27:37
Speaker
I'm not saying 10-8 is not a good stat line. that's I mean, that's leading AC Milan by miles. I just think that as a guy who's been there for so long, There's something to be said about maybe you need to change something up while you're on the field.
00:27:50
Speaker
You're also talking about a guy who misses open nets in World Cups, blocks DeMarco's goal to tie the Champions League final, puts a ball over the goal inside the six-yard line, shoots it right. like he's he This is who he is. like he i did I had to stop myself from saying that his experience on Belgium should be something, but then I go back and think about his experience.
00:28:14
Speaker
his World Cup last time and he was absolutely horrific. This is who he is. like and And he he obviously over or performs the best under Conte. Conte's got a ton out of him.
00:28:25
Speaker
And I think he's had a great season. But this is who Lukaku is now and kind of have has always been besides that one season on Inter. I mean, it just comes back to it was so obvious when they got out of Kabata that they needed to add a creative winger and they get it.
00:28:41
Speaker
ah that's That's it. At the end of the day, they need to. These guys should be hiring us. I mean, it was. ah don you understand like I don't know. The writing was on the wall. Who or didn't see this is the question that I have to know.
00:28:55
Speaker
There were so many guys to go get and they did it. They did it. They got none of them. They got Noah Okafor who couldn't get minutes for AC Milan. What I really think this is, Raspidori really good in training because Spalletti keeps taking him for Italy. He's his son. but Oh Raspidori is, Di Laurentiis loves Raspidori. So did everybody at Juve. They just couldn't get him.
00:29:18
Speaker
Conte clearly likes him. Everybody loves this guy. Like he's got to be great in practice. I get it. But he in the yips. You have the yips. He's just not good to be at this level.
00:29:30
Speaker
A top team. He should go on loan. No, they need him because they have players. Well, next season, he's not a loan player. He's not a loan player. No, he needs to just go to a different team to reignite his career.
00:29:42
Speaker
Speaking of other teams that need to reignite their entire career, I would say. Wow. Florence.
Fiorentina vs. Juventus and Managerial Criticism
00:29:50
Speaker
We have the Viola Fiorentina hosting the Bianco Neri Juve.
00:29:56
Speaker
And this is a little bit of the apprentice has become the master. Fiorentina's biggest rivals, Juve, took it to him. 3-0 Fiorentina. Robin Gozen scores.
00:30:09
Speaker
Albert Gudmundsen scores. And one of the revelations of the season, Mondragoro with another great hit. i don't know I don't know where this came from. This is a huge bounce back game for Fiorentina.
00:30:23
Speaker
And this is what we saw from them at their peak this season, I think. This is the first time I think we've seen it in probably four to five months. But this goes to show Palladino thinking in different ways. They went back three in this game.
00:30:39
Speaker
Dodo, Gozins, they're guys they relied on all year getting it done. they Both of them put in an absolute shift. And then a midfield three that we haven't really seen much of in Cataldi, Fagioli, and Mondragora, which was a very industrial three with a little bit creativity from Fagioli. And Mondragora has just become better and better as a creative force and scoring force.
00:31:02
Speaker
And as soon as I saw the lineup in this game, Moise Keane, Albert Kumanson up top and with a back three threw money on Fiorentina. That is such an electric duo up there, dude.
00:31:13
Speaker
That is so problematic to deal with. And I just knew they had it. And from a Juve perspective, garbage for Florence terrible awful what do you have to say for yourself but a couple of things before we get into it but number one I'm just realizing now why Logan's wearing the short teenagers i did two I did not put that together ah the second one is another little statistic for you Fajoli had two assists as well so couldn't play for Juve but against Juve he can he can have two assists um
00:31:46
Speaker
Now, I know Vos talked a little bit about the Fiorentina lineup. Let's talk a little about the Juventus lineup. you yeah yeah You look at this the lineup card, and we we're playing a 4-2-3-1, and you see that you have Locatelli, Taram, Weston McKinney, and Coop Miners in in the game.
00:32:05
Speaker
That's four center mids. I don't know what position Coop Miners played this entire game. He was on the right wing. He was on the left wing. He was doing his right back, left back thing.
00:32:17
Speaker
He was playing sometimes as the number 10. He was all over the pitch. Not in a good way. In a terrible way. But I don't even want to go player by player. i just wanted to say that little statistic about Coop Miners in the lineup.
00:32:33
Speaker
Also, Nico Gonzalez not playing the right position again. Lloyd Kelly, terrible. Okay. Number one, I almost didn't want to do this episode because all of Juventus boycotted the team.
00:32:44
Speaker
They did not travel to Florence. There is one fan in the stadium for the Juventus section. And so you need to have a reaction. you This is after a game you got blown out for nothing in home.
00:32:59
Speaker
How are you not... Dying on the pitch for this badge and saying this is the most important game of the season. We just got fucking embarrassed to Adelante at home.
00:33:10
Speaker
How do we not respond? There was no, no desire, no mentality. And so that obviously Mata gets a lot of blame for that. But I'm going to go even higher.
00:33:24
Speaker
the June to Lee is a has done a terrible job that this entire summer. No, I'm going list them. I'm goingnna list them. He sent away Dean Hoisin for 15 million dollars.
00:33:35
Speaker
Dean Hoisin did an interview and he said, yeah, they told me I'm leaving. He sent away Sule. Sule wasn't ready. Conce Sal's ready, right? He bought Lloyd Kelly for more than he sold Dean Hoisin for.
00:33:50
Speaker
Lloyd Kelly should be on Verona. yeah that's the That's the level of play that that player is, right? Lloyd Kelly was terrible. He's terrible. ri all he's terrible he he He's dog shit.
00:34:02
Speaker
He cannot play against a team that's better than a a Verona or ah or an Empoli. But ah then then you have Chiesa. They made it their job to kick Chiesa off the team.
00:34:18
Speaker
And then they replaced him with Nico Gonzalez. Nico Gonzalez can't dribble by a cone. He cannot dribble by a cone. He is so bad. And then to top it up, you play him out of position. So...
00:34:30
Speaker
And you just and every way you look at it, the players that Juntali has has decided are Juventus level are nowhere near the Juventus level because the Juventus level that I grew up on that I fell in love with is we do not lose a game. Juventus used to be feared in all of Europe.
00:34:50
Speaker
Juventus is now not even feared in Italy. You go and you go play Juventus and it's like, oh, we're going to beat these guys. They, that, so there's that. they were They used to be feared in all of Europe. Now, they used to be like, we cannot lose a game.
00:35:04
Speaker
Now it's like, hopefully we get a draw. Like, what are we, and and that comes down to the mentality, and I don't think it's just on Mata. That's the mentality of the management in Junetele.
00:35:15
Speaker
That's the mentality with Thiago Mata, and then that's the players, but Juntali is not he is not evaluating the players good enough for the Juventus DNA that do not allow a loss that will die on the pitch that I've grown up on.
00:35:29
Speaker
I don't and and I'm not I'm not done yet. I'm not done yet because Juntali went to the press and said, hey, guys, don't freak out. This is only the second loss and of the season in a row. Like we we haven't really lost a lot.
00:35:44
Speaker
That is that shows me Junetili's mindset. That's a fucking terrible mindset. Sure. We've only lost twice in the league. That was an embarrassment. Those two games. No, in the league twice.
00:35:55
Speaker
No, that was the third three. Third loss. Oh, that was. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You're right. So but two losses of that embarrassment is what he was saying. However, the Empoli game was an absolute embarrassment.
00:36:07
Speaker
The Champions League ah knockout against pans PSV was an absolute embarrassment. And the worst part about all of this, the worst part about it all, is after all of those, there yet did we win games? Sure.
00:36:20
Speaker
There's been no reaction to the players, by the players. There's been no desire, no will, no nothing. They're scared. We were... And once again, and this then I'll let you guys go.
00:36:31
Speaker
Juventus were technically in the Scudetto race. and I said that we they don't have a chance, right? But they were you they were four, five, six points off, number one, before the Atalanta game.
00:36:45
Speaker
So granted, the Juventus project was always top four, which I think in and of itself is bad, right? Juventus' project should always be win the league, win as much as you can.
00:36:57
Speaker
However, if you find yourself close to possibly winning the Scudetto at the end of the season, you should not, as a manager, come out and be like, we don't, we don't, that's you guys. That's the media that's saying we can win it.
00:37:11
Speaker
Our objective is top four. That's, That shows the players that you don't believe that you can go win the Scudetto. But then to to take it yeah and a step further, the players are just, they they look scared to win the Scudetto. They don't even want to be top four.
00:37:28
Speaker
There is nothing in the game on anybody that says, I want to win this game. Let me try to go grab this game and and grab it and go win it.
00:37:38
Speaker
Like all the players... are scared of the moment. They don't know how to win. They don't know how to play. There's no mentality. There is nothing good about Juventus players.
00:37:49
Speaker
Thiago Mata hasn't made any of the players look good. They look worse. And then Juntali also, I think, has done a terrible, terrible, terrible, but terrible job. So I think everyone, clean house.
00:38:00
Speaker
Clean house. like Do you want to start? you want me start? Because I have a couple layers I only have one comment, so go ahead. you want play your comment? I was just going to, mean, it is a light comment coming off the back of that rant, which was totally deserved.
00:38:15
Speaker
But it's just another frustrating sighting from Juventus. And it kind of had semblances of the Allegri days where they just have such useless possession.
00:38:26
Speaker
There's no direction. It's useless. I mean, they they won the possession battle here by a mile. Controlled most of the game, aside from the fact that every time they gave the ball, Fiorentina was clinical.
00:38:38
Speaker
clinical And so I just, i don't know. i don't know what fixes this U A team. I think and they need a summer. They just need to take it off. Fair. Okay. So Moths, I think we have to do a reality check a little bit because at the beginning of the season, were saying how good of a job Junetele did assembling players that I think more or less everybody agreed upon. Like this is a good team capable of competing for the Scudetto. Maybe not going to win it because it's going to take some time.
00:39:05
Speaker
Did he whiff on Dean Hoisin? Yes. I would say the Kiesa one is still kind of fine. He hasn't done anything since he left. We've been saying that Stoulet hasn't been great and he's finally getting to form now.
00:39:17
Speaker
But i think the team is still the right team. And super, super important that we still point out. Bremer's hurt and Juan Cabal are hurt, who we thought were probably both going to end up being starters this season. Well, Bremer, obviously.
00:39:30
Speaker
But Juan Cabal was kind of the logical left back that was were to be used. What I don't like is we haven't seen Savona in a really long time after he was probably their best right back for a massive part of the season. And I get that.
00:39:44
Speaker
What I don't like is there has been no progress from a tactical period. So I'm i'm okay with everything Junitoli's done. taking this step by step.
00:39:54
Speaker
I mean, dude, at at the end of the day, the the people that he brought in to get this done were Toon Coop Miners, who was arguably, when it happened, the best signing of any Italian team in the league.
00:40:07
Speaker
Coming into the season. We all thought Nico Gonzalez was going to be good. Like proven. i didn't like that. I didn't. I like the Coop Miners one. I did not like the Nico Gonzalez one. Okay.
00:40:20
Speaker
Concha Sal has still been good. Kefron Taram has been phenomenal. Di Gregorio has been great all year. i i still like the move. And I think the core group that can win a Scudetto is here.
00:40:33
Speaker
What I don't like about Mothra, what I was just saying, there hasn't really been a lot of progress tactically. But what we do see is they do one thing exceptionally well, which is keep the ball. Granted, they haven't built upon that, but it took Italiano several years to build on that and get that across to his players.
00:40:49
Speaker
So I'm still in the boat that... stay behind Mata because i I don't know what the the next step is. And then the third thing is it also has to be on the players.
00:41:00
Speaker
The players, this is unacceptable from a Juve perspective. Like you are not worthy of wearing the shirt right now. Apart from the couple of guys who have maybe had the hardest time because of who they are in Locatelli. I see game in and game out.
00:41:17
Speaker
He wants to win. He for the position that he plays and what he's good at. He isn't capable of going and winning games, but you can see him wanting to drive. He's actually I think he's gotten better throughout the year and trying to play forward.
00:41:29
Speaker
Kefren Teron has it. And then beyond that, these guys have the Milan syndrome. We think we're the shit. We can go through the motions and get things done. And they're not good enough to do that.
00:41:40
Speaker
So it's, I don't want to say it's clean house because these players are good. And the manager is a good manager. And JunTali has done a good job. They need somebody could crack the whip.
00:41:55
Speaker
And they don't have that guy. Because it's not... Realistically, it would be like Gatti, but Gatti hasn't been around long enough or is good enough to be that guy. Cristiano Ronaldo was probably that guy. And that's when they probably... The last time they were really good.
00:42:08
Speaker
We have guys like Cristiano, Chiellini. They don't let your level drop this low. And they don't have anybody that is capable of doing that. Yeah, I mean, we definitely don have a leader. So to the... i Like, I don't want to sack Mata because then we're back at square one, right?
00:42:28
Speaker
But it's getting hard to defend him when you're losing a game 2-0 and your first three subs are defenders. Like, it's getting hard to defend him when you... and None of the players have gotten better from the start of the season to the end of the season.
00:42:44
Speaker
None of them. They've they've gotten worse. So it's hard to defend him when he makes the wrong... reads in a game like he how it's like three strikes and you're out man number one there for Mata also there's rumors that like the locker room is divided they all hate him but obviously they do because we suck
00:43:04
Speaker
The possession, like, yeah, sure, we have possession, but it's... We didn't have a shot on target this game. Like, it's the same type of thing that I saw it with Allegri, where, yeah, we didn't have possession, sure, but we also we don't get shots on target. So we have possession, but we still don't get shots on target, so it's wasted possession. It doesn't make sense. So tactically, it's terrible on him.
00:43:26
Speaker
The players... ah Like, Locatelli... i don't i don't think i'm sorry I don't believe in him anymore. like he Does he want it? like You can see he wants it on the field, but he can't impact the game. Fajoli could impact the game. Fajoli very much impacted his game two different times.
00:43:46
Speaker
Locatelli isn't pulling those strings like Fajoli did, and Juntali and Mata had him in the building and they were like, go, you can leave. And you see what he does when he left. Like, that's my whole point is there they're making wrong decision after wrong decision.
00:44:01
Speaker
Yildiz is another one. Mata barely plays him. And when he does, he plays him off the right. We're playing Nico Gonzalez over him week in and week out. Right. Like, and and and the only reason why is because Nico has a good work rate.
00:44:16
Speaker
terrible It's terrible. It's awful decision making every which way. And you're definitely right. They don't have the guy who is going to step in and be like, these decisions and on every level are terrible. The players mentality is terrible. We don't have a leader.
00:44:29
Speaker
We have nobody. La Viola looks. Awesome. Laviola's great these days. Listen, going back to the back three, Italiano learned very quickly that that was, I'm sorry, Palladino learned very quickly that that was they their best formation.
00:44:49
Speaker
It's so clear that that's the case. Camuso didn't play this game, which was ah A little bit of a change there. But the biggest part of it was that they brought the wingbacks back and were able to put them in places where they're dangerous.
00:45:00
Speaker
And Robin Gosin's man the match, that guy's phenomenal. Dodo wasn't on his best game, but he's still extremely effective off the right. And Boz, mean, you nailed it. The midfield three was phenomenal. Fajoli with two assists.
00:45:12
Speaker
Madragora with an absolute clinical finish. One touch on the through ball. And even though Keane didn't score, was everywhere. over All over pitch. And if you're not going to score as nine, that's exactly what you need to do. Just be an absolute animal.
00:45:25
Speaker
I know you're going to talk about Goodminton a second, but this Fiora TN team is really good. I don't, this is not, you know, they haven't had the exact results or enough of a run to keep them in conversations for Europe. I mean, there will be couple points off here and there. We'll see how they end up for the last couple of games the season.
00:45:41
Speaker
But I'm looking at next year. And what they've started to build here is absolutely promising. I don't know. I don't even, well, i don't know if De Gea is coming back, but he's been such a strong point for them.
00:45:52
Speaker
I'm not sure who how many of these guys are on loan, but the buys that they have had have been great additions. And I think that this Fiorentina team is now presenting themselves as a destination. It's no longer, hey, I'm going to go there and try to restart my career.
00:46:06
Speaker
This is a place that i'm going to go join a project that's actually going in the right direction. And I wouldn't be surprised to see this team top four next year. I agree. I think Paladino is a manager that players are looking at. I want to go play for him now.
00:46:17
Speaker
And in and a stark contrast, what we saw with Tiago Mata, flexibility in formation. They played 4-2-3-1 when they were at their best earlier in the season.
00:46:29
Speaker
Different guys got hurt. Gudnason came back and now he has switched it to a back three and every week they can change and be successful. The other thing is balance.
00:46:41
Speaker
There are so many managers that do not understand how to balance a team. And Palladino has balanced his team. It's just logical. We play some really good defenders in the midfield and we play one really creative player to help get the ball to our two best goal scorers.
00:46:57
Speaker
And our two best goal scorers are our furthest players up to pace. They don't do anything crazy in their four, two, three, one. They don't do anything crazy. They just put the right guys in the right place to go on and succeed.
00:47:08
Speaker
He makes subs when guys aren't playing well. He gets new legs in there when they need to. And i agree, Luggs. This is the start of a very good project. And Palladino is learning. And we've seen it throughout the season when he struggled.
00:47:24
Speaker
It was a long patch. They went through another patch in the last couple, I would say in the last four weeks, they've had some problems. He's tinkered with the squad, tried different gro guys, tried different formations.
00:47:34
Speaker
This formation didn't work last week against Napoli. They got played off the park. What do they do? They go right back to it, to a team that dominated possession and were able to get it done. And it just shows as they can play in different ways. Palladino learning, love everything going on Florence.
00:47:49
Speaker
I also just think it's it's a it's a great place for Palladino to be. And it almost makes me think that maybe Mata shouldn't have made the jump so quickly. When Juve comes calling, you're going to go to Juve. That's, i mean, it's a no brainer.
00:48:02
Speaker
But you almost think that maybe he took one two step too large. I was literally about to say that. lyn I think it's something that other other managers have done the same in the past. Graham Potter going from Brighton to to Chelsea.
00:48:15
Speaker
i mean, De Zerbe tried to avoid that going to Marseille, but he obviously failed out of there. But I think Palagino made a great move here by not taking too much of a jump. It was not the easy.
00:48:26
Speaker
Don't get me wrong. This was not an easy job to step into. Italiano had big shoes to fill that he left behind, and they had a bunch of new players come in. A lot of the other teams, you look at Juve, you look at Milan, they brought in a ton of new guys and they haven't gelled at all.
00:48:42
Speaker
Palladino has figured it out to get these guys on the same page and very quickly. And so I think it was a great jump for him to to get to this. Brennulli was a mid-table team, you know, just outside of the European competitions.
00:48:53
Speaker
And obviously when when Conference League came in, they they're the kings of the Conference League. But I think this was a great, great stepping stone. And I would hope that he stays another season because I do think that he's building something that he could potentially turn into a perennial powerhouse.
00:49:09
Speaker
Yeah, I really like the take about the the the jump. And that like I said, I was going to say that. like he He kept Monza, who currently have 15 points. He had them for two years in a row at the number 10 spot.
00:49:24
Speaker
Manza didn't lose a whole lot besides Copani and him, and now they're about to go down. So he is there he's like the next guy up, and hopefully Fiorentina can't keep him around for a couple of years because they loved they looked they just looked energetic and like they wanted to win.
00:49:43
Speaker
Now, granted, you're playing Juve, so it's pretty easy to look like energetic and wanting to win. But every 50-50 ball, Fiorentino was the first on it, right? They were they were pressing Juve.
00:49:56
Speaker
They were doing everything, and that's yeah it's the reflection of your manager. So he did a great job of relaying the mess the the importance of this game. And this this game has... kind of propelled Fiorentina back into realistically thinking, hey, we can get a conference league spot or maybe even a Champions League spot at the top four because we're only five points out of that.
00:50:21
Speaker
So huge, huge win for them. And the style in which they did it is also huge, right? Because In football, you can you can win a game and take more negatives out, and you can lose a game and take more positives out.
00:50:36
Speaker
These guys won this game, and there was any way you spin it, it was positive Fiorentina, right? Defended well, possessed it well, counterattacked well, had good set pieces, ran to or were aggressive...
00:50:50
Speaker
the way more aggressive team. They wanted it. Like in every way you spin it, this was a positive takeaway. So this is the type of game that can propel you to higher finish at the business end of the season.
00:51:02
Speaker
Question for you guys now, because I think the Paladino staying creates an interesting conversation that I haven't really thought about much this year. If you're Paladino, what if you're offered a job that's available Like, is there one that you go to?
00:51:16
Speaker
Like, I think they're in just as good a position as Roma, maybe. Like, are you really going to take... Like, you aren't they're building a new stadium right now. They're clearly investing in the team. Is Milan more attractive right now?
00:51:28
Speaker
Not sure. Roma, not sure. Lazio, don't think so. Juve, I don't even know anymore. Listen, I think that I agree, like, scenarios or situations might not be attractive. But for whatever reason in football...
00:51:43
Speaker
players, coaches, they all give so much so much, they care so much about the history of the place. Also, granted, with the bigger clubs come bigger contracts, you get paid more, obviously, but they care so much about the history and the name of it. So a good example, right, is when a player hears that Manchester United is interested in them, they immediately say, oh, I want to go there, even though we know Manchester United has been an absolute dumpster fire since 2018.
00:52:11
Speaker
Sir Alex Ferguson has left, right? ah Juventus is in the same boat, but once you hear that that name and that lure of of the of the history, it gets hard for guys to say no.
00:52:25
Speaker
So I do think... in the situation that Florence and Fiorentina is in, what he should stay. But like if Milan come calling or if Juventus come calling, it's very hard for somebody to say no to that because of the weight of that position. And if he's the guy that like turns him around or brings back glory, like,
00:52:46
Speaker
he'll be loved in that city. You know i mean? So it's just hard to say no. But I would if I'm him and I have a choice, Fiorentina or Juventus, I'm sticking with Fiorentina like it doesn't make sense.
00:52:59
Speaker
What in I think it's I think as of late in the season in particular, it just goes to show that you shouldn't just go get that job just because it's the big name in the history and in the big money, because you could easily be out of a job three months in.
00:53:13
Speaker
Milan now threw two coaches, Roma threw three coaches, Mota on the chopping block. I would not want to be in that position as a younger coach and derail my career after a bad performance on a big team with huge expectations.
00:53:26
Speaker
I'd rather build myself up continue to work through the ranks. I go from Monza, keep them up for a couple of years, go to Fiorentina, build a new project, become a powerhouse, and then make the final jump.
00:53:37
Speaker
If at all, if I even need to, who knows? if you aren't I mean, let's not get this twisted. Fiorentina has a bit of history here. this I mean, this is ah this is a perennial Serie A team that I'm not sure, i don't know the last time they were and they were relegated, but I mean, there they're building something strong here.
00:53:51
Speaker
They have a great core. They have players that love Palladino. They have a city that loves the team. And i wouldt i would hate to see Palladino go and ruin himself just to pick up a big contract and and go to a big name team. you Agreed.
00:54:04
Speaker
Got to keep it rolling out. Another big manager, Vincenzo Italiano in Bologna, hosted Lazio at the weekend.
Bologna's Victory and Lazio's Squad Issues
00:54:13
Speaker
Absolute demolition here. Bologna won five to nothing. Lazio are spiraling without Tati Castellanos, and that really showed this game.
00:54:22
Speaker
A lot of different goal scorers in this one. ah Simone Kasper scored. Dan and Doi scored. My thing's not loading, but there were you get the idea. five They had five different goal scorers. I mean, it was... Monts must have been having him.
00:54:35
Speaker
Oh. Orselini scored. Orselini. Orselini and then the the midfielder. Bode yard, yeah. Orselini should have two or three, honestly. He he was buzzing. It was Endoin.
00:54:46
Speaker
Endoin was killing him. I mean, I think everybody killed him. I think the difference, and this is actually a really good comparison to Juve, because on paper, they're also playing a 4-2-3-1. The difference with the Bologna players is every single player is trying to score a goal of the whole game.
00:55:03
Speaker
And like it starts from the back, it works to the midfield, and works to the attacking line. Roman Froehler and Lewis Ferguson are not out there to just facilitate play. They're out there to go get their goal when when the opportunity arises.
00:55:16
Speaker
And every player in the system does that. And this is finally at Italiano ball kind of perfected. I think it's better than we ever saw Fiorentina playing. And what I particularly loved about this game, and this kind of explains the bad part about Lazio, is...
00:55:32
Speaker
Italiano recognized Lazio hurt you through Gunduzzi and Ravella. And basically, they just went man to man and just nullified them from doing anything.
00:55:43
Speaker
I would probably say that 50% of the time Lazio were in possession. It was in and around their box because they just couldn't progress play because of this man to man marking that they were doing. It was absolutely destroying them.
00:55:57
Speaker
And Bologna were countering quickly. They had a bunch of spells of possession where they played well. And Bologna is quickly looking like the maybe the best team that's competing for that fourth spot. I think a lot of teams would struggle to play with You go to Roma maybe, but Bologna just seem more controlled than Roma have been in recent weeks in my mind.
00:56:17
Speaker
And this team very, very dangerous. Simone Castro played out of his mind again. He did so much off the ball stuff well. And you go through the whole team and that's everybody. Everybody did so much off the ball.
00:56:30
Speaker
And it was to the point where i I was watching it and I couldn't say anybody on Lazio was playing bad. It was just what Bologna was doing was just not allowing them to do anything that they wanted.
00:56:41
Speaker
And it was it was a tactical masterclass, period, from Italiano. Well, and Juan Miranda had an absolute fucking game. I don't know if anybody really noticed that, but he was playing in some absolute peaches into the box for two assists.
00:56:55
Speaker
But another sneaky stat here, I know the headline goes to Roma for leading the top five leagues in points in the last, don't know how many weeks. Bologna is fit. fifth most points across all top five leagues in the past couple of weeks.
00:57:09
Speaker
So they're obviously hot. I am eating every single word I said about Bologna. They are a good team. They're a good club. And all of their players are getting hot right at the right time here. It'd be, I think it would be,
00:57:22
Speaker
If they don't finish top four at this point, I think that that's a devastating outcome for them. I think they should be they need to be gunning for top four right now, especially just given the form that a lot of the other teams in that same position are in.
00:57:36
Speaker
So Bologna has, I believe, one point more than where they were last point in the season under Mata, right? um But they played six or seven more games with the Champions League.
00:57:49
Speaker
Now, I'm going to kind of stick with my theme and give more of the credit to the sporting director of Bologna, Giovanni Satori.
00:58:03
Speaker
He used to be the Atalanta one who was able to build up this kind of Atalanta project to what it is and how they identify lesser costing players that fit very well in a system or a team because but but yes, Bologna did lose.
00:58:23
Speaker
ah Obviously there are two powerhouses in Califiori and, Zerg say last year, but they did, they replaced them with a couple of players, Castro being one of them.
00:58:35
Speaker
And he's, he just does such a good job of identifying players that fit well in a system and can play well together. He's done it before. He's doing it again. And to your point, both about how Bologna have the ball and Juventus have the ball, a pretty similar amount, but Bologna is looking to score more.
00:58:54
Speaker
I just think these players understand how to play to with each other. They understand their role. They know where these guys are going to be, where they're supposed to be. Juventus don't have that. um And I, yes, Italiano is doing a great job, but I think it's just these players having experience with each other.
00:59:10
Speaker
And just at the end of the day, like, having a lot more quality than what people give them credit for because they were only bought for seven, eight, 12 mil and they're on Bologna and they're not necessarily in the Champions League or anything. But these guys are just flat out good.
00:59:27
Speaker
And they're just they they play together, play very good together as a team. And they've been together now for two, three years. So they know how to play it with each other. So i I do think Italiano is doing a great job, obviously.
00:59:39
Speaker
they're doing pretty similar to what Mata did last year. So that's that to me and and seeing what Mata is doing with Juventus and also Palladino with Fiorentina. To me, that's kind of just says like these Bologna, but like it wasn't really Mata. These Bologna players are just fucking good is what it comes down to. And I think that that's Satori being, doing a good job identifying and getting them.
01:00:03
Speaker
Latio perspective. I think it, Squad's not quite there yet. The other problem is I hated, they played at Vachino as the kind of second striker cam and that that hurt them pretty heavily.
01:00:15
Speaker
Ordinarily, we see Castellanos and Dia there. Dia was playing as the more advanced striker. A big part of their buildup was Dia's really good about releasing and going to pick up the ball a little bit deeper and playing as that advanced striker really hurt them.
01:00:28
Speaker
So I think they have some squad buildings doing the summer. I still like the project, but they need some support. Letito players. We'll see. But you know what i will say? And I've i've obviously always shat on Lazio, and i I still will. And I think that they'll finish lower than Roma, like I said. which i don't Did we but do we bet on that, Bo? No, don't think we did, but that is looking very good.
01:00:49
Speaker
What I will say is that their manager, i always forget his name. What's his name? but Barone. He walked over, made the team walk over to the Lazio fans that came out to support Bologna and basically just like apologized to them and said, that's not acceptable. We will never do that again.
01:01:09
Speaker
This is on me. Do not blame the players fully on me. i wasn't able to motivate them. I set up, I set us up wrong on me. Do not get mad at them. we This will not happen again.
01:01:20
Speaker
i appreciate that. I like that. Good manager right there. Love him. um We got to keep rolling here. We got to go quick because we got to talk about Zori. So just quickly, Milan hosted Como, won that game 2-1.
Milan's Narrow Win and Tactical Concerns
01:01:32
Speaker
Logs, you have a couple of comments there, just a couple.
01:01:34
Speaker
Because i I don't think it's anything new. i I thought it was a terrible win. They got lucky that they won in my mind. I thought Como played them off the park. I think Como had one or two goals called off. One of them was extremely harsh, which I think is a tale of tape.
01:01:49
Speaker
Yeah, i'm I'm apathetic at this point the season with this Milan team. I'm not sure where we go from here. It was great to see that Pulisic and Reinders can kind of pull us through there. It's another story that Leão and Teo, we don't need Leão and Teo to win games.
01:02:02
Speaker
We shouldn't have won this game. ah Como is a good team. They play pretty football. Trey Fabregas has done a great job with this team. This is not, they're not going anywhere. Don't, everyone needs to get used to this Como team.
01:02:14
Speaker
Nico Paz, beautiful assist. Listen, I'm hot on Como. I love this Como team. I wish I was a Como fan. I may be at the end of this, but in in any case, this Milan team kind of just needs a reset.
01:02:28
Speaker
ah Again, I'm very apathetic. I'm not even mad. I'm not even, I'm not happy. I'm not mad. I'm just, we're almost back to the same same ways where I was with Pioli, which is why I was so out on Pioli for a while.
01:02:41
Speaker
that we just, when we win games, there's there's no reason that we should have won those games. And it gets extremely frustrating that we come out with three points and everyone on the surface level is like, oh it's great result.
01:02:52
Speaker
you know, we're still in it. We still have a chance at some European ball. We do not. We do not have a chance. This team is nowhere near where it needs to be. i don't know what Compton South is doing. I don't know why Moussa continues to play. He's not at the level that he needs to be.
01:03:06
Speaker
He has shown promise here and there, but that that can't be the midfield two in a game that we need to win. Bondo is a new player and maybe he could be good, maybe he's not, but that's, where is Fofana? where Where is Fofana? I don't, you spend money and he's your biggest signing and I don't know where he is in the pitch.
01:03:22
Speaker
He's not playing. i don't know why you're not starting him. We made a couple of of key changes at halftime. Take Teo out, Alex Jimenez comes in. I still think he's a good player, but again, I don't really have a ton of comments here just because i just don't,
01:03:35
Speaker
I almost don't care. I almost don't care about this Milan team because this doesn't feel like the Milan team that I came into this league loving. There's no heart. There's no soul.
01:03:46
Speaker
And it's it's really sad to watch. I have a quick rant, but I think Mon said something to say, too. I just really quick was going to say, who has said Milan's getting a European spot? love I think everybody's been out on that for a long time.
01:04:03
Speaker
And me, I have a quick rant and I, I think country South should listen to me. Genuinely. I genuinely think this Santi Jimenez, Santi Jimenez, Santi Jimenez needs to get benched.
01:04:18
Speaker
Tammy Abraham, Absolutely needs to be playing. He came on and completely changed the game and he's done that the entire year when he's played. The way Contra Stav was wanting to play, it makes sense to play Tammy Abraham.
01:04:30
Speaker
They're not getting goals from their striker. He's a playmaking forward at this point in his career. He presses really well. He does a lot of work from the team. Santi Jimenez is doing none of those things. I don't know what justifies him playing.
01:04:41
Speaker
The other piece of this is what I saw from Willy Bondo. He needs to be playing every game. And a big part of Milan's issues in the past have been that Fofana is the deepest lying player.
01:04:53
Speaker
And he really is chaotic. And I don't think he that's his best position, nor should it be because he is so prone to running up the field, trying to drive the ball, trying to make really aggressive passes that I think that the midfield pairing should be Bondo, Vofana,
01:05:08
Speaker
Rinders, and I think it would make a big difference. I think it would solidify the core spine of this team. We saw them at their best when Vanassar was playing. They had kind of like a spine guy. That's the other thing I really want to see. There's a lot of problems with the defense that we can talk about forever.
01:05:21
Speaker
Those are two quick things that I would like to see happen next year. I don't think Contra style is going to be the guy to do that. And the last thing is Ruben Loftus-Cheek came back in this game, and we saw some sparks of what he's capable of doing, primarily in winning the ball on defense and then driving it very quickly and kind of beating a man.
01:05:39
Speaker
So it's good to see him back. I'm not sure where he works into the team with the guys that have come in around him, but there's a player in there, and somebody's going to benefit from having it at some point. We've always been hot on Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and I'm glad to see him come back.
01:05:54
Speaker
And your point on Fofana is well taken and is true. You need somebody to kind of hold him down. I will say do I do disagree with the Ben Assertic. He was horrible towards his end. I didn't mean this year. I meant like when Milan was been at the press. Yeah, but he always said he always had a good partner. That's why I think Bondo, Fofana, Reinders work really well.
01:06:13
Speaker
I think Reinders is a very good eight, not composed enough to be your lone six. That's the way I think about it. I... Don't want to talk about it. I we think we could talk about it another episode. I'm just going to say this.
01:06:26
Speaker
I'm so out on the 4-2-3-1 formation. I cannot stand it. Just go four three three play a number six, have two eights, have one of them be box-to-box and one of them more creative. I i cannot stand this 4-2-3-1 double pivot nonsense.
01:06:44
Speaker
Hate it. Thank you, Mons. I also, i I like like a lone six. I agree with you. i don't like the double pivot with the defensive mid-shelder or whatever you want to call them, twin eights with a 10. I don't love it either, but that's another, that's another, whole other discussion.
01:06:59
Speaker
Keep it rolling.
Serie A Results and Italy's International Prospects
01:07:00
Speaker
Roma beat Calgary, one nothing. Got it done. At the end of the day, that's all it was. Got it done. Notably, Carlo Diabolo got hurt. I think that was up for a mom. He was crying. He was very upset it. was up for at least a mom. That was inevitable.
01:07:13
Speaker
Other games that went on. Genoa beat Lecce Implications bottom of the table here, guys. Verona beat Udinese 1-0. Parma drew Monza 1-1. And Torino got it done once again against Empoli. And i thought of this today in my sneaky pick of the summer is Roma hire Vinoli.
01:07:30
Speaker
I think it's going to happen. Dude, why wouldn't they just keep Ranieri? He doesn't lose. He doesn't want to stay. But the other thing I do like about this Vanoli thing is he's playing he plays back three, and he's getting a lot out of this Torino team after they started slow.
01:07:47
Speaker
And I think that would be a very interesting appointment. I think it's risky. but I think Roma need a bigger name. Somebody more proven. No comment, Luis.
01:08:00
Speaker
I mean, Ranieri, doesn't want to leave. He just is going to fade away. He's 58. 94 the bench. All right. That wraps up. That wraps up Serie A. We just want to take you guys through the Italy call-ups at the weekend.
01:08:15
Speaker
Or on Thursday, we have Italy playing the first leg of the Nations League quarterfinal against Germany and at the Sun Zero. And then I think it's on Sunday. I wrote the wrong days here. On Sunday, they're playing in Germany for the second leg of that.
01:08:27
Speaker
I feel good about this Italy team. I like a lot of the call-ups here. i like how it's most likely going to play, especially with the midfield group. What are your guys' thoughts quick there? Then we can go through the call-ups. First, I'll give you a first little statistic.
01:08:41
Speaker
First time since, I don't remember the year, but it's a long time, that Napoli is the most represented team in the Azuri. I think they got like six or seven guys called up.
01:08:53
Speaker
First time in like 20, 30, 40 years. That was all a little. I actually don't think it makes sense. I think they have too many players called that personally. But what we're going to talk about that, I guess.
01:09:05
Speaker
Yeah, i mean, it's it's the forwards. I don't know why they're I don't know why they're there. All right. This this this Italy team don't sleep. Don't sleep. I think this is going to be me sleeping some a little bit old school Italy where they're just never going concede a goal is what how I think this is going to get set up.
01:09:20
Speaker
Honestly, they're just they have so many good defensive players. I'm going to start with GK's. Not a lot of drama here. We know who the goalie is going to be. One of the hottest goalies in the world, Gigi Dottaruma.
01:09:31
Speaker
Also, probably the best goalie to have in a penalty shootout yeah because he just takes up easily the entire net. Like if he if he dives the right way, I think he saves it like 98% of the time. Like he just needs to guess the right way. He's massive.
01:09:47
Speaker
Yeah. He's gigantic. And it's bloody could not go without. I told you, but I told you not go down his bench, buddy. That's good. That's a crazy take. But fucking Marat stay full of this. And sorry, team.
01:10:00
Speaker
The other thing is are we had a discussion about this. I think we're at absolutely deserves to be on the scene. He's had a phenomenal year, has been good with his feet. I don't think Diego Gorrillo has seen enough action. ah I would take no yeah as a lady has. He has. No, I would. I would. demo you Moret has earned his spot for sure. This isn't just because yeah what he wants to smoke cigarettes with more. Like marat has had a good season.
01:10:24
Speaker
I would say that. And then the last guy that took was Vicario, who i I honestly have not watched any Tottenham, but I know they've been bad. So I was a little bit surprised by this one, especially when you have two Italians in Syria, which I know it doesn't really matter.
01:10:38
Speaker
But like you like to take some guys there, especially for the third goalie. I would have liked him to take Di Gregorio or Karnaseki. Just like those are kind of like future guys that are going to be a part of this team.
01:10:49
Speaker
One of the two of them, realistically. Not going to make a lot of news. It's not really all that much drama. It's just preference, I guess. I mean, it literally doesn't matter because Donnarumma is still like 22.
01:11:00
Speaker
Yeah, Donnarumma is... He's going to be there for forever. Yeah, Donnarumma and he's so informed. Kicking it on. Oh, I should separate this. I didn't do yet. We'll go center back group. Right? We'll go center back. yeah Presumably Bastoni, Bongiorno, Calafiori, Comuzzo, Federico Gatti, possibly Gio DiLorenzo, depending on what they do.
01:11:22
Speaker
any I don't think there's any any question marks about who this should have been. I think this group makes sense. Kamutso is the only guy, I think he's had a bad month of football, which is, I think, part of the reason why he did not play at the weekend.
01:11:33
Speaker
But it's good to get him he's definite He's definitely better than the Leicester guy that keeps him. Yeah, that's true. he That's definitely true. um So I think that would make sense. The other thing with that is he is the only righty in this group that has consistently played in a back three.
01:11:50
Speaker
De Lorenzo sometimes plays in the back. That leads me to my point. We saw De Lorenzo in the Euros. he's He's only older. He can sort of do it on Napoli because in the Serie A, there's not as lethal people on the wings attacking you. But when you when he goes up against a quick fast guy he can't do anything i just stopped taking him right add somebody add a younger guy and let that younger guy get the experience in this competition rather than having a 32 33 year old di lorenzo who we saw get absolutely barbecue chicken by anybody in the euros and
01:12:31
Speaker
And that goes back to the the the constant problem that is Italy. This is a great opportunity to let in a young right-footed center back in this competition get his feet wet. And what what does he do? He takes his son.
01:12:44
Speaker
Stupid. I would have liked to see Gabby go here. I know he hasn't been great, but just for the long-term development of the of the team, I think it would have made sense. and gi lo rano Even Empoli's got some young right-footed center backs that haven't been having a D.C.
01:13:01
Speaker
here. Let's just try somebody else out than somebody we already know what he is. But listen, if this is a back three, i think Camusso fits in extremely well there, yeah especially given the fact that no matter if you put Bongiorno or Bastoni next to him, he's got a ton of support.
01:13:16
Speaker
or tell Or Cal Fiore. I don't think I don't think Cal Fiore is going to be the center center back. But if you put Bongiorno or Bastoni there, you're goingnna make Camusso feel extremely comfortable. yeah it'll be it'll be in you He plays with Pablo Mari right now. so i can't i mean It's got to be a better than that.
01:13:31
Speaker
i want I want three left-footed center backs. I want it so bad. i wanted so Play Bastoni there. He could do it. Bastoni is so good. did say that.
01:13:41
Speaker
Bastoni could play on the right side. He could totally do I think they should leave Bastoni as the center center back. He was so dominant in the year I was there. He was. He had a great year, but Bastoni's so good. like you can like And we've we've always talked about how the center center back is the least... like You can hide a center center back in that...
01:14:00
Speaker
and that ah position like the right the right center back and the left center back have slightly more duties to take care of and that's why I think best Stoney he could do it because he's so smart he's tactically good he's defensively a monster play him at right center back pay Bongiorno play Cal do it do it do it and It would be nuts. Okay, let's go into the wingback group.
01:14:24
Speaker
Presumably wingback group. There's a little bit of things that can appear. ah Important to know, we forgot to mention this. Cambiasso got called up. He was considered in the wingback group. He got hurt. It looked really bad in the Fiorentina game.
01:14:35
Speaker
the the the The tests, early tests say nothing. So there's there are people on Twitter that say Kambiasso. Hey, kid. Did that so the feed? Which is terrible. I'm assuming Kambiasso isn't going to be playing. ah So the other guys they brought...
01:14:53
Speaker
Not a lot. They must be going back four because if we include DiLorenzo in that group, Matteo Regueri from Atalanta, left wing back, who I thought been great, and Destiny Udogi, another left wing back.
01:15:06
Speaker
So it's interesting here because presumably now it's DiLorenzo as the right back in a back four. And then your left back, they've been using Udogi in the past.
01:15:17
Speaker
Cal Fiore can run. He's been playing yeah back a lot for Arsenal. It depends what he does, right? If he goes back three, this looks really different. If you back four, it's two completely different lineups. Which I'll say this about that.
01:15:29
Speaker
That's not a good, not you don't want that. You need to know your lineup because what we saw from, I know DeMarco is hurt and is not in yet. or is not in this lineup, but what we saw from DeMarco when we were playing a back four in the Euros was terrible. he was almost non-existent.
01:15:43
Speaker
Couldn't do it. And DeMarco is such a good player that you need to have him on the pitch. So in my opinion, Italy should be going a 3-5-2. And if they're going to go a for a four back in this competition, why are you going a four back in this competition to then switch to another formation? I get it maybe because the personnel, but...
01:16:03
Speaker
It's just going to confuse the players, I think. Yeah, I agree. And de mar DeMarco is hurt. I think we forgot to mention that. DeMarco is hurt. I actually don't hate this because in my mind, back four is Cal Fiore off the left and Bellanova off the right. And then in possession, in possession depending on what side. He didn't take Bellanova.
01:16:20
Speaker
Fuck, I knew he didn't yeah that. Should have taken Bellinova, but that would have made a lot of sense because if you when you have the ball, depending on what side it's on, either California or he joins the midfield next to, assumably, Ricci, or if the ball's on the right side, Bellinova's now the wingback and you have the the right wing just cut in.
01:16:35
Speaker
I mean, my... I don't know. We're going to see what he does. i would I would like to see back three. I think we have that our best defensive players are the center backs and our best outside backs are our wing backs. We have arguably the best wing back group in the entire world and arguably the best center back group in the entire world.
01:16:53
Speaker
So I don't know why you wouldn't get all of them on the field. But I do want to talk about the the notable omissions here because the guys that I have listed were Bellanova, Zappacosta, who's having maybe one of the best seasons of any wing back in the world.
01:17:04
Speaker
And Spinazzola. I think Spinazzola's maybe done enough to get back into this team. He can also play on both sides. For me, the Bellanova one, i I can't wrap my head around. He's been he he's been like this for the last year and a half where he doesn't really want to take him.
01:17:18
Speaker
I have zero idea why. I think Bellanova's been amazing at Atalanta. I think the other thing that he can do that these other wingbacks can't do is play as a traditional right back when need him to.
01:17:29
Speaker
He's like six two extremely athletic. I don't know. I think he should be the starting right wing back. I think the problem is that it's a combi also as the right way or right wing back.
01:17:39
Speaker
And Bellinova is a very different player from that. And they want to go more offensive out of that zone. But for me, it's an absolute sin that Bellinova is an on this team. Maybe I'll look into this. I'm not this much. This could be completely fabricated.
01:17:53
Speaker
Maybe Villanova said no. There's no way Villanova said no. Maybe Villanova said no. no They're in the middle of Scudetto race. They didn't take Zappacost either, who have been playing phenomenally for Atalanta. They took Gary.
01:18:06
Speaker
He's the backup. I think they've been splitting time. I like how... I like how... I think that they could have used one of them, especially on the right side, because they don't have much. But I like how they didn't take Spin Solo and Savakosta, because like I just said with DiLorenzo, old...
01:18:26
Speaker
Let's get more fresh legs in. Let's get people ah getting used to international play, getting getting used to playing with these players so that they can do it in the actual tournament. So I kind of like those two omissions. But yeah, Bellinova makes sense.
01:18:41
Speaker
I think it's because he is very similar to Di Lorenzo and still refuses to do it. don't know, that's just me. Moving on, the midfield group. Absolutely love that this midfield group. There is one very common denominator role all of all these guys, but to take you through them, Nicola Barella, Cesare Cassadet from Torino, who we've been talking about as being very hot. I think this might be his first call up.
01:19:06
Speaker
I think so. i was surprised he got called up. I'm not. He's been so good. um Then we got Davide Fratezi, Samuel Ricci, Nicola Ravella. I'm so thrilled about that one. And Sandro Tonali.
01:19:16
Speaker
For me, this group that he took screams we're going defensive solidity and that's how we're going to approach our competitions. Really, the only guy that's presumably like an attacking midfielder is Davide Fertesi.
01:19:28
Speaker
And notably, we did not mention Pellegrini in that group who's been kind of the perennial attacking midfielder for this at Suri team. I love this group. I don't think I can't think of anybody else that deserves to be in over any of these guys, really.
01:19:44
Speaker
Kasada is the only one that's kind of a question mark, but he's played with Ricci. Maybe he wants to experiment with playing both of them at the same time at this level to see how they do as an option.
01:19:54
Speaker
I'm okay taking him. He's another guy that's probably going to be a staple of this team going forward. So it it makes sense to me. Two things. One, ah congratulations to my beloved Sandro on the on the trophy on the Carabao Cup. Congratulations, Newcastle, first time in 25 years.
01:20:13
Speaker
25 years? No, it must have been longer. It was like 25,000 days. Something crazy. Nobody cares about the Prem. That Newcastle has won a trophy. So congratulations, Sandro. You have now equaled the amount of trophies that Milan has gotten since you've left.
01:20:26
Speaker
But number two, I love at least the setup of this going into a World Cup because we literally have two lineups. It's like the Kentucky of old when they when they could just sub in five guys.
01:20:38
Speaker
We can start Sandro, Barella, and Ricci and then basically have the same exact tactic and just bring in for Tezi Cassidy and Rivella. I mean, that's you love that out of what tends to be an arduous process, either at the World Cup level or even just these two games against Germany.
01:20:55
Speaker
So we're certainly be well rested whether he needs to rotate the squad or not. I think that Italy... when italy performed well in the Euros and won the Euros, their midfield three, it was you knew who was going to be every single time.
01:21:10
Speaker
And I think that we have two of that two of those players in Barella and Tonali that you know it's going to be them. So whether he's doing the 3-4-2-1, the three five two you know like those aren't those two are going to play. If he goes 4-3-3, then it's just, all right, who are we going to pair with them?
01:21:29
Speaker
And I think the only other guy that would maybe make sense would be Fagioli. I'm okay that he didn't take him, right? Because he has taken Fagioli before. Fagioli hasn't been playing that much ah since he just got to Fiorentina.
01:21:43
Speaker
So you have that option as well. But I like giving the new guys go and test them out with the two pillars that you know are going to be in your midfield in Tonali and Barella.
01:21:54
Speaker
So whoy who is your third guy right now for both of you? I have mine, but I'm yours is Rovella. Obviously, we're not rala but but but i will what I will say about rev i just want I just want to expand on this really quickly.
01:22:05
Speaker
He has been playing as a defensive midfielder all year. He does a ton of defensive work and he also does a lot of offensive work, which is why I like him there. When you compare like a Ricci who is, I would say Ricci is more Jorginho in terms of offers a lot offensively, a little bit less defensively.
01:22:24
Speaker
I like the defensive tilt in a guy out of that role. When you have Barella and Tonali who are going to have to contribute a lot offensively and, The other thing with Tonelli is his best trait is that he gets into the box and you have to let him go and do that. And you kind of need a guy that's willing to cover to allow that.
01:22:42
Speaker
Barella also can cover as I would say for me, I would go Rivella as well. He's a little bit more experienced than Ricci. He's been in more competitions. He's been around the block a little bit more. Now, granted, not necessarily in the Azuri jersey, but in terms of just experience under his belt, I would go him.
01:22:59
Speaker
However, if we're talking World Cup, like you like Euros, like this is who I want, I want to to see Fajoli in that position. um But I do think Ravella does a lot more defensively than Fajoli.
01:23:12
Speaker
But I think Fajoli can control the game a little bit more than Ravella. Is there any way that you play Richie Rivella at the same time? No. Yeah, Fajoli can play up, ah but like then you've got to take Tonali or Barella out. yeah which You can play him at the same time, but you shouldn't. you don't like and And that would have to be latter half of the game, 80th minute. Maybe you're in extra time and you're taking one of those guys out, but I doubt it.
01:23:36
Speaker
But you can do it. I'm going to say it. The diamond is alive. Dude, the diamond is actually... They're not playing a diamond. They can play the diamond? I don't know the last team that's played a diamond.
01:23:50
Speaker
What? Answer the question. They're not playing a diamond. I would like the diamond, but they're not going to do it. I'm going to go Ricci.
01:23:58
Speaker
and we have fire i just I mean, the the athleticism in those three is just ridiculous. Before we move on, I think great omission by to not take Locatelli. I understand why Spalletti made the call when he did way back when.
01:24:12
Speaker
Pellegrini, same thing. Hasn't been it Those guys, yes, they're good, but they are not having good seasons. i like not taking them. A couple of them. I just want to talk through the omissions really quick.
01:24:24
Speaker
Really quick. Really quick. Fagioli, I think, is to really hard time getting back into this team because it appears that the area he's going to be playing in on Fiorentina is a little bit higher up to field.
01:24:35
Speaker
We saw him playing as like a pure 10 when he first got there. He's now playing as like an 8, but a very high 8, which is kind of difficult because Tonali and Barella are going to hold those positions. And I'm not sure that's Fagioli's best position.
01:24:48
Speaker
And there are some guys out here that are a little bit better than him in that. The other two guys wanted to throw into this list that are omissions, I think Mandragora is starting to put together case to make this team as one of the aides, especially as a guy that's going to come off the bench and just get shit done.
01:25:05
Speaker
I mean, if you want if you're up in a game and Barella or Tonali are hurt, I think Mandragora is a great option. And then the other guy that I i think long-term is, Looking ahead to World Cup, who is absolutely going make this team is Pizzilli.
01:25:18
Speaker
I think he's very similar to both Barella and Tonali, and he is continuing to get better ah entire year. And I think he's going to be one of those backup eights very quickly. Yeah, I think that the Mondragora, Mandragora take is a little bit premature.
01:25:37
Speaker
Yeah, I would say almost very premature. Certainly had been good for Fiorentina, but people forget that he's been in this league now five or six years. Maybe he's a late bloomer, maybe not, but I think it's a little premature, but I do like the shout.
01:25:49
Speaker
Pizzili has a long way to go, but that's going to be a guy who's right. He's going to be neck and neck with Fagioli the next next time around. Matz, I have a question for you. Before we hopped on here, Lowe's thought that Baldanzi was better than Pizzili. just want to get your thoughts there.
01:26:03
Speaker
me I like Baldanzi. I think that's such terrible take. I think Fitzsilly is so much better, but Roma roma boys. Yeah, I love the Frascos.
01:26:15
Speaker
ah The games I've watched of Roma, I used to see Baldanzi is like a little ball of energy. He just wants to score. Yeah, he to he's just egypt he's so chaotic, dude. He's too much Raspidori for it.
01:26:28
Speaker
and he's He's just more flashy. I mean, he's going to be in your face a little more than Pizzili is. Yeah, that's true. But i whose ceiling is higher, whose potential is obviously Pizzili. Yeah.
01:26:39
Speaker
All right. Last group of guys. I'm not going to break this out into strikers and wingers because it's a little bit muddled. But Moise Keane, Lorenzo Luca Fremudineze, Danny Maldini, Matteo Politano, Giacomo Raspidori, Matteo Rattagi, Mattias Zakani.
01:26:55
Speaker
That's the group. This is it. Very diverse group of strikers, right? He got everybody that could do a little bit of something. So like Keane, Rategi, and Luka are like the pure nines.
01:27:07
Speaker
Politano, Zacania, Raspidori more so the wingers, but can play as second strikers. Same with Maldini. Listen, I don't hate this group. I really like Keane, Ritteghi. I think those guys have to be the starters.
01:27:20
Speaker
I didn't love seeing Lorenzo Luka, but it makes sense because if you want to take out Keane or Ritteghi but still have a big nine, you have Luka there, right?
01:27:31
Speaker
I think they're slightly weak on the wing, so if he does do that 3-4-3 or 2-1, of... three or two one kind of clips his wing because even the ones that we took like Paul Tano, I don't think can give you a full 90. I think Zacanya is obviously good, but there is a drop off. Like, i think he's more of a rotational piece, not a starter.
01:27:52
Speaker
But overall, I like this group. I just think like when it push comes to shove, whether he's playing or not, like Kiasi needs to be in this lineup. Yeah, three things for me. One, I like that this forward group is starting to finally fill itself out. less Last international or over the summer, we kept talking about how was easily the weakest group. And I think we finally started to see some guys come through in Syria that are now to show themselves the international front.
01:28:16
Speaker
Number two, Lorenzo Luca, agree. Monson Vos and I talked about this before we got on that that was a questionable one. I do think that he is a humongous body. I like him because he's just like Vau.
01:28:28
Speaker
He's a dick horse, but he's Italian. um But two two two guys that probably should have gotten a show maybe over him at this point right now. Pinamonte out of Genoa and Bacoli out Cagliari.
01:28:40
Speaker
Maybe not far long far enough along in their careers and maybe Spalletti doesn't even know who their names are. But I think those guys are probably more value adds than Lorenzo Luca is at this point. And then number three, it's just an absolute travesty that Orsolini is not in this. Yeah, that is. I think the...
01:28:55
Speaker
i think the people that make the decisions on who the lineup is like orselen is like blacklisted because he should he could have made it the euros he never ever makes the team and it's just like what does this guy have to do he consistently has scored 10 goals in the syria for like three or four straight seasons like yeah what what else do you need to see from him yeah he hasn't played for napoli like that's the only reason politano's on the team Orselini is just way better version of Fulton and there's no reason not to include him.
01:29:28
Speaker
I think on Logan's point, what I don't like about taking Lorenzo Luca over maybe a Pinamonte or maybe a Piccoli is he has he's a little scamaka for me. where he's not going to put in the hard miles and presumably he's coming off the bench.
01:29:44
Speaker
And in those guys, you need them pedal to the floor for 20 minutes a game. And Lorenzo Luca definitely isn't that, which is what worries me. And I don't know what the purpose of bringing him is.
01:29:57
Speaker
the like i On the flip side, I think I really like that Skamaka take because I think Lorenzo Luka can not finish like Skamaka, but he's more of a pure finisher who can who can in the the the next third the last 10, 15, 20 minutes go get you a goal where the other two might not be able to do. i don't know. I think Panamante would be an interesting one.
01:30:20
Speaker
Pinamonte is Skamaka 2.8. The only reason they're not taking Pinamonte is because he's on Genoa. And yeah I think he deserves to be on the team more than Lorenzo Luca. I think he he meshes better. that My question for you guys... Go ahead, Luz.
01:30:34
Speaker
No, was just going to say, if you bring Lorenzo Luca, you might be seeing the Italian version of Haji Wright. Yeah, worried that exactly. He just stands... He doesn't really run hard, and I don't like that out of a bench player. um But my question for you guys is, do you think we see Keane Rettegui playing together?
01:30:50
Speaker
You have to. Those have to be the starting to have i think you i want three by five two. to. want 3-5-2. 3-5-2. You got Ritteggi and Keane are this the starting strikers.
01:31:02
Speaker
DeMarco, Cambiasso, right wingback, left wingback. I'm going all three left centerbacks or left-footed centerbacks. And then i want I'm going Brarella, Tonali,
01:31:14
Speaker
and probably Ravella, but I would like to see Fagioli in and the Ravella role. I mean, who's to say that Fagioli doesn't, down the road, make the team and play as that 10? Because right now the 10 is kind of just Perteschi.
01:31:26
Speaker
But if you go to Marco, I don't think that's his best spot, though. I think Fagioli is so good at just kind of and like Pellegrini-esque where he just understands space, understands.
01:31:37
Speaker
Like, he can play the 6, the 8, the 10. He can do box-to-box. He could do it all. He's just not as... His work rate's not what, like, a Ravella is or as good defensively. But what he does with the ball at his feet, I think, is so underrated.
01:31:51
Speaker
And I think you can play him in any and any one of the spots and he'll be... will thrive. Here's my last notable omission that I think plays into that, like can fill a lot of roles to play wing, can play six, eight, ten, not six.
01:32:04
Speaker
8-10. I would have liked him to see Spalletti take Moretti. I think that he would have offered you a little bit off the wing and maybe to play as that 10 when you're not really bringing any true 10. I think Moretti would be the closest.
01:32:17
Speaker
And i again, it's the same thing, Genoa. And it's just lower down the table. They don't feel like creative and you're not willing take somebody from a team like that. If Moretti isn't on loan and he's on Juve and he's doing what he's doing on Juve that he's doing on Genoa, he's in the squad for sure.
01:32:33
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I guess the only maybe what you could do, you've seen you've taken Maldini a couple of times. Maybe give Maretti a look there. Right. But I'd say Maldini is probably doing a little bit more than Maretti is right now. Although, since he made the transfer, he's kind of fallen off. Yeah.
01:32:49
Speaker
Yeah. But he made the gap to yeah or he made the jump to Atalanta. So it's like, oh, this is a bigger club, bigger, more games, yada, yada, yada. I would just like see Spalletti put a little bit more thought in some of the picks. Like he goes for all the flash. He gets comfortable. yeah He gets comfortable.
01:33:03
Speaker
and goes He goes for his his kids. hes yeah He has kids. He has people that he has to take or else his wife will get mad at him. Right. So it's DiLorenzo, Mourad, Raspidori.
01:33:16
Speaker
Yeah. So he's got he's got kids he needs to take. Andy Maldini's becoming his child now. Yeah. A lot of them. All right. Well, that wraps it up for us, guys. We got an international break.
01:33:27
Speaker
Don't know what we're going doing next week, but we're here for now. Aroma fans, let us know your thoughts there. pici balonszi I think that's an interesting conversation to be had. And bugs i Logs has an a international Colby that he wants to share. really quick, really quick. I couldn't go one more week.
01:33:42
Speaker
I couldn't go one week break without having a Colby here. I'm absolutely stuck in my account. FanDuel, DraftKings, Fanatics, I'm all over the place. I had to get you guys involved. We got an international Colby de Luna for you guys.
01:33:54
Speaker
Listen, this one's juicy. We got plus 1331. That's $100 down. your game You're getting $1,431 back. That's just how the math works.
01:34:05
Speaker
And this is how you make money. Italy money line, Spain money line, Portugal money line, all three to win. All three teams, I believe, are away.
01:34:16
Speaker
But these squads are strong. They're playing their best ball these days. This is why you continue to bet the Colby plus 1331. You heard it year first.
01:34:28
Speaker
is ah did Did you guys see Spain took Lavinia Mal? What is it in Dune Again, Logan, that we were saying? Yeah, did they take him? Because he's balling for a 17-year-old. I mean, i didn't even I didn't even think to check because I'm almost certain. Are you fucking kidding me? You guys, they have to take him.
01:34:50
Speaker
Well, you know, it's not like, I mean, it's not. He was their best player in the game. Yeah, yeah, but once again, though, it's not like the Nations League. It's not like a real trophy. Like, I'm sure Barcelona might be like, he's not going anywhere. They fucking took Laminya Mall. I'm checking, pretty sure, but there's literally no way that we can see that you're asking this question.
01:35:12
Speaker
Laminya Mall for a 17-year-old. know we're a Couch or Cereal podcast. He does. i mean, I think he's better than what Messi. I know he's better than what Messi was when Messi was 17.
01:35:24
Speaker
He is like he plays like it's a video game. like He actually is insanely good. And he's 17. Well, he grew up on FIFA. Messi didn't. That's probably what's going on here. He's got braces still.
01:35:37
Speaker
And he's dogging 30 year olds. beast yeah he's really good but in any case paisans thank you once again a beautiful episode we're going to international break we'll see you guys on the flip side but in the meantime you know where to find us on all the socials x instagram youtube tiktok at cultural culture fc and on all your favorite podcast sites apple pods and spotify
01:36:09
Speaker
Juve, take us away. We're boycotting them. We're going to move that to the front part, though, right, Logs? That's what we talked about. Yeah, meant to say that at the beginning. So for for all the paisanos still listening, we appreciate it. Hour 30 in, one of our longer episodes.
01:36:25
Speaker
But we love it. We love doing it. So as always, do not be gaguz in Forza Calcio Culture.
01:36:49
Speaker
Thank you.