AC Milan (possible sidenote Serie A discussion)

[Insidious]

How the Mighty have fallen.

In a League where the money isn't quite the same as the Premier League, AC Milan are the embodiment of the sense of "what went wrong?" for Serie A. Yes, Juventus manage to remain relevant in Europe by being one of the top sides and yes, Antonio Conte's arrival at Inter is shaking things up a bit that may rejuvenate that League, but in the grand scheme of things it's all rather falling behind - and Milan represent the decline more than most.

This is their seventh (?) year without Champion's League football and a 14-point gap separating them from 4th-placed Roma (Dzeko is amazing for them by the way) suggests that the barren spell is set to continue. The iconic San Siro may well be demolished by 2026 to accommodate a new stadium but truthfully I don't see Milan having much of a side to work with by then to benefit.

They look a spent force for the foreseeable future and given their place in the echelons of History I must admit to finding it a bit sad, especially when you consider that they are seeking aid in the form of a 38-year old Zlatan Ibrahimovic to help them.

If ever a side needed a good crop of young players and an excellent coach, it's them - wonder if there is someone out there to do the job.

Fiorentina and Sampdoria happen to be perilously close to the relegation spots as well - it isn't such a long time ago (big picture) that Fiorentina were giving Liverpool a very hard time in the Champion's League - would be a shame to see them slip to Serie B.

Parma at least is a nice "Phoenix from the Ashes" story.

[redebreck]

The San Siro is currently used by both Inter and AC Milan, I believe?

[dicko1969]

I watched serie A in the late 80s early 90s and enjoyed watching that AC Milan side.

Van basten, Gullit, Rijkaard, at AC along with players like Desailly, Papin, Weah, plus Baresi, Costacurta, Donadoni.

v Inter with the German players; Lothar Matthaus, Brehme, Klinsmann.

Des Walker, Gascoigne, Platt.
Plus other foreign players.

Sunday after roast dinner, my portable telly and snoozing on my bed.

These days I'd play football Saturday afternoon then again on sunday morning.

Later on in the mid 90s sky premier league took off.

One of the characters Giuseppe "Beppe" Signori scored some spectacular goals.

I've been to the "San Siro" once for a game.

I was always impressed seeing it on the tv. The walk up to the stadium has an impressive graffiti wall of footballers.

Also outside the ground has many stalls serving delicious foods.

[Insidious]

The San Siro is currently used by both Inter and AC Milan, I believe?

Have done so since 1947.

[Crimson Dynasty]

How the Mighty have fallen.

.........., but in the grand scheme of things it's all rather falling behind - and Milan represent the decline more than most.

This is their seventh (?) year without Champion's League football and a 14-point gap separating them from 4th-placed Roma (Dzeko is amazing for them by the way) suggests that the barren spell is set to continue. The iconic San Siro may well be demolished by 2026 to accommodate a new stadium but truthfully I don't see Milan having much of a side to work with by then to benefit.

They look a spent force for the foreseeable future and given their place in the echelons of History I must admit to finding it a bit sad, especially when you consider that they are seeking aid in the form of a 38-year old Zlatan Ibrahimovic to help them.
......

A traditional league powerhouse looking at 7 years (and counting) without Champion's League footie, and facing a prolonged decline?

(*....looks towards Old Trafford.........*)

Sounds tasty.

But seriously though, I hope they do recover sooner rather than later (but not before we catch up with their Champion's League wins tally, and overtake them), but I can't say this is that much of a surprise.
They have been badly mismanaged by meddling ownership, terrible spending, firing managers they should have held on to, and just the usual living on fumes from the past that we tend to see from clubs at this stage of decline (**looks again at Old Trafford.....).
I don't think the Mancs are going to be anywhere near this bad in the near future, but they might just remain in that nowhereland of just good enough to be mid-table and give the fans hope that glory days are around the corner, but yet perpetually bad enough that they'll never really get there again.
Which in the grand scheme of things might be worse.

Sometimes it takes falling all the way to rock bottom (or close to it) before you can undergo a real and proper recovery, just like us when we were close to administration not that long ago under those two cowboy clowns.

[Joetan991]

Used to have Dida, Cafu, Maldini, Nesta, Seedorf, Inzaghi, Kluviet, Ronaldinho, Stam, Emerson, Pirlo years back, great to watch

[Aldo1988]

Fuck Milan and their scum coward fans. Been in the San Siro away end, will never go back, horrible cunts and I'm not ashamed to call them that. On another note, the Diego Maradona doc is eye opening.

[Balinkay]

Fuck Milan and their scum coward fans. Been in the San Siro away end, will never go back, horrible cunts and I'm not ashamed to call them that. On another note, the Diego Maradona doc is eye opening.

Do you have a link for that?

[Aldo1988]

Do you have a link for that?

I watched it on an app my IPTV provider sent me, think it was a film to be honest. They were showing it in the cinemas over here not long ago. He even call the Italians racist back when he played for Napoli, the whole of Italy were against them and gave them loads of stick, well worth a watch.

[teesred]

Fuck Milan and their scum coward fans. Been in the San Siro away end, will never go back, horrible cunts and I'm not ashamed to call them that. On another note, the Diego Maradona doc is eye opening.

What were they doing? Was it for a Liverpool game?
Cant think of when weve played them in a game aside from 05 and 07 finals.

[Steveo]

Must be this one - surely..? The latest instalment.

https://youtu.be/f1es2E9eYGY

[Aldo1988]

What were they doing? Was it for a Liverpool game?
Cant think of when weve played them in a game aside from 05 and 07 finals.

It wasn't a Liverpool game. Went with a group of mates back in early 2000's. We were behind the goal on the left of the dugouts, they were pelting us with coins, bottles of piss and whatever they could get their hands on! After the game we were walking back to the city centre and got jumped on by a group of them with chains and pipes. Fucking cowards, they were even pleting the tram we got on and caught a few of their own folk.

[Aldo1988]

That's the one!

[Balinkay]

I watched it on an app my IPTV provider sent me, think it was a film to be honest. They were showing it in the cinemas over here not long ago. He even call the Italians racist back when he played for Napoli, the whole of Italy were against them and gave them loads of stick, well worth a watch.

Cheers!

[Balinkay]

Must be this one - surely..? The latest instalment.

https://youtu.be/f1es2E9eYGY

Double cheers!

[teesred]

It wasn't a Liverpool game. Went with a group of mates back in early 2000's. We were behind the goal on the left of the dugouts, they were pelting us with coins, bottles of piss and whatever they could get their hands on! After the game we were walking back to the city centre and got jumped on by a group of them with chains and pipes. Fucking cowards, they were even pleting the tram we got on and caught a few of their own folk.

Scumbags. Notorious for it.

[Kev0909]

Italy use to be a top league, how the mighty have fallen

[dicko1969]

Didnt they also manage to throw a moped / vespa onto the away fans.

[Balinkay]

Didnt they also manage to throw a moped / vespa onto the away fans.

How?!

[dicko1969]

https://youtu.be/L_Nu6HKVSmk

[dicko1969]

Inter v Milan the friendly derby

[ianlfc]

They've just signed Zlatan and pinning their hopes on a player well over the hill. That says it all about them.

[Balinkay]

https://youtu.be/L_Nu6HKVSmk

What the ever-loving fuck?!

[Steveo]

Waspish bunch.. :D

[ianlfc]

Going back to 2005. I've just heard Sam Hyppia say something on Bein sports about that night I've never heard before.
He said he thinks the reason none of the Milan players wanted to exchange shirts after the final whistle , was because they had put on champions t-shirts under their tops at half time.

[justincredible]

Going back to 2005. I've just heard Sam Hyppia say something on Bein sports about that night I've never heard before.
He said he thinks the reason none of the Milan players wanted to exchange shirts after the final whistle , was because they had put on champions t-shirts under their tops at half time.

Dopey barstewards, lol......

[teesred]

Going back to 2005. I've just heard Sam Hyppia say something on Bein sports about that night I've never heard before.
He said he thinks the reason none of the Milan players wanted to exchange shirts after the final whistle , was because they had put on champions t-shirts under their tops at half time.

Megalolz. I can well imagine it being true.

[Insidious]

Juventus just need to see out this match against Parma to get themselves a 4-point lead in the Serie A.

It's normally a given that Juventus win the League, but they will be desperate to get themselves a little cushion. Ronaldo was purchased to give them the extra edge in the bid to win the Champion's League again and they will be well aware that the peak of his career has a serious time limit on it.

[Insidious]

Atalanta have scored 51 goals this season in 21 games. They could reach 100 goals.

When they are on it they are really on it - two 5-0s this season and a 7-0 today.

Breath of fresh air.

[Insidious]

Ralf Rangnick rumoured to be heading to AC Milan.

Lazio look like they have a serious title shot.

Immobile the definition of a "fit for Serie A, not other European Leagues" player.

[dicko1969]

Inter buying every has been premier league player .

[Insidious]

Inter buying every has been premier league player .

Premier League teams used to buy Serie A talent in the Autumn/Winter of their careers and in a few instances it worked out alright and probably laid good long-term foundations.

Would be intriguing to see more players view Italy as a viable option if a couple of their clubs can modernise a touch - the Champion's League knock-out stages could do with more of an Italian influence outside of Juventus.

[dicko1969]

Premier League teams used to buy Serie A talent in the Autumn/Winter of their careers and in a few instances it worked out alright and probably laid good long-term foundations.

Would be intriguing to see more players view Italy as a viable option if a couple of their clubs can modernise a touch - the Champion's League knock-out stages could do with more of an Italian influence outside of Juventus.

Hasn't worked out too well for youngsters in Italy

It's more a life style than football

[Insidious]

Hasn't worked out too well for youngsters in Italy

It's more a life style than football

Fair.

I would be intrigued to see more of the "older" players go out there mind.

Imagine what players like Lallana could do out there.

[dicko1969]

Lallana would be perfect there
(Plus he is white :( )

[Nineteenx]

It's a farmers league, who cares

[dicko1969]

Juve have won the league 35 times

Inter & AC 18 times

Genoa 9 Bologna and Torino 7

Roma only 3 times

[Nineteenx]

It's a farmers league, who cares

I was joking about farmers league btw Dicko, pulling your leg as you got riled the last time it was said ;)

[Kev0909]

I was joking about farmers league btw Dicko, pulling your leg as you got riled the last time it was said ;)

Lazio and inter milan would challenge for the top 4, perhaps even making it, and obviously juve but that's a given.

at least we don't know who will win for sure yet, unlike our one sided league (joking)

[dicko1969]

Juve have won 7 in a row
PSG idk
Bayern 4 or 5
Barcelona the last 3 I think

What about Scotland; what is lower than a farmers league ?

[Insidious]

Ibrahimovic has scored in a Milan Derby in 3 different decades.

[dicko1969]

But didnt you say that we are into the next decade until next January

[Clungeman]

I watched the Milan derby last night, really decent game as it turned out.

For someone who started watching italian football back in the 90's (Saturday morning Gazzetta, Sunday afternoon live games) it's sad to see this Milan side at the moment. They are such a pale imitation of what they used to be - none of the current set of players would come even close to the team of the 90's or 00's. Maybe Donnarumma, but even the best keeper in the world can't make too much of a difference if he has the Keystone Cops as the defence in front of him.

I wouldn't even know where to start to fix this current squad - there is such a lack of quality in every single department. For all that Zlatan is an astonishing player, bringing in a 38-year old striker whilst having offloaded Piatek and Cutrone in the last 8 months does not smack of long-term planning. Suso (remember him?) was actually one of their more creative forces and they've shipped him off. The defence had Simon fucking Kjaer in it last night (who I was sure had retired back to Denmark) and the midfield is made up of an interchangeable set of headless chickens who run around until they're exhausted without ever threatening to touch the ball in a meaningful manner.

[Nineteenx]

the midfield is made up of an interchangeable set of headless chickens who run around until they're exhausted without ever threatening to touch the ball in a meaningful manner.

I didn't think the filthy had a game yesterday

[Clungeman]

I didn't think the filthy had a game yesterday

Interesting comparison really. Both clubs are in a similar state at the moment in terms of ownership, management, and playing staff - neither set-up seems to be fit for purpose in any department. The only real differences are that Milan are at least two or three years further along in their decline, and they don't have the finances that Man Utd do (at present).

[CCTV]

But didnt you say that we are into the next decade until next January

That was CD - who should comeback soon imo - been missed in the matchthread !

[Insidious]

The only real differences are that Milan are at least two or three years further along in their decline, and they don't have the finances that Man Utd do (at present).

To be fair those are big enough differences - United have the potential (and it is only that just now - potential) to be the Bayern Munich/Juventus of the Premier League if they can run more effectively due to years of commercial might and the big stadium - it will take a while for this to dissipate.

However if it does we are in for some fun as it is a terribly bloated club.

[Insidious]

Lazio!

Would be Healthy for that League if the Monopoly was broken.

[Nineteenx]

Lazio!

Would be Healthy for that League if the Monopoly was broken.

I'd love it if Lazio win Serie A, it would be brilliant if we win the Prem and Lucas wins Serie A with Lazio this season

[Insidious]

I'd love it if Lazio win Serie A, it would be brilliant if we win the Prem and Lucas wins Serie A with Lazio this season

Indeed - would be wonderful - and the Roma fans would also go slightly doo-lally which might provide a chuckle.

Really annoys me that their Ultras are the way they are - I have intermittently found myself having soft spots for Roma footballing sides over the years but a portion of their fanbase are everything that Football no longer needs which severely taints it.

[Insidious]

Atalanta. What a breath of fresh air they continue to be.

Scored 70 goals in 25 games.

In five of their matches (that's 20% right there) they have scored FIVE times - and in three of those matches they notched up SEVEN goals.

SEVEN hat-tricks as well. To put that into perspective, the rest of the League has a total of five hat-tricks spread across all of the other sides.

If we aren't to be the ones who win the Champion's League this season, I would wish them the very best. Seeing them or Dortmund win it rather than City, Real Madrid or Barcelona for example would really mix it up.

Would be worth studying some of their attacking patterns of play!

[Insidious]

Notching up the goals against Valencia too.

A hard team to stop once they get going!

[Insidious]

https://www.football-italia.net/154901/report-juve-agree-80m-arthur-valuation

Ehhhhhhh.......okay then?!?!?!

[Balinkay]

Why are Barca selling him? To fund Dolphinmar?

[redebreck]

Who?

[justme]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B0ubLxwNHw

2:15 onwards Its Arthur, classic comedy

[Insidious]

Why are Barca selling him? To fund Dolphinmar?

They're seemingly trying to get Pjanic.

Because if Barcelona need one thing, it's another player who is 30-or-over, who will have little to no resale value.

[Balinkay]

They're seemingly trying to get Pjanic.

Because if Barcelona need one thing, it's another player who is 30-or-over, who will have little to no resale value.

"Goood. Gooooood. Let the desperation flow through you."

God I hope they implode.

[Steveo]

He is getting on now - I guess it does seem madness but - IF you are Barca and you don't live on resale and you haven't replaced iniesta - why not - the guy is pure unfiltered class.


https://youtu.be/PrmhuYsNIdo

[Steveo]

And... If all the value is in youth.. well ? :D. :D. Sorry I know you shouldn't laugh at your own jokes.. but WTH


https://youtu.be/gfnh3Ku8KkQ

[Insidious]

"Goood. Gooooood. Let the desperation flow through you."

God I hope they implode.

Estimated €700m debt and a core of players with limited resale value isn't a good mix. They need to get their transfers bang-on over the next 3-4 years and they haven't exactly been great at that recently.

Suarez - 33
Turan - 33
Pique - 33
Vidal - 33
Messi - 33
Rakitic - 32
Busquets - 31
Alba - 31
Neto - 30
Griezmann - 29

- that isn't a particularly sustainable looking blend in an increasingly energy-reliant Footballing landscape.

[Insidious]

Rangnick the new AC Milan manager.

[dicko1969]

He is getting on now - I guess it does seem madness but - IF you are Barca and you don't live on resale and you haven't replaced iniesta - why not - the guy is pure unfiltered class.


https://youtu.be/PrmhuYsNIdo

Remember watching him for lyon. Young, soft touch.
But has progressed into a fine player.
His free kicks looks like he has been influenced by Juninho

[Balinkay]

He's a top top player. Just a bit old. Not sure about this one for Barca.

[Steveo]

Remember watching him for lyon. Young, soft touch.
But has progressed into a fine player.
His free kicks looks like he has been influenced by Juninho

He has a photographic memory of the players on the pitch. Always seem to know where the right pass is. Top notch - wouldn't work for our setup BUT could end up being a real bonus for an ageing Barca. Rarely loses the ball and draws many many fouls - we know what happens in that scenario at the Camp Nou..

Well worth the punt.. IMO


https://youtu.be/-qsxAlAxxYg mmm tasty

Just can't help myself

[teesred]

https://www.empireofthekop.com/2020/07/09/ac-milan-chief-admits-we-have-been-talking-to-liverpool/
AC Milan have been in discussions with LFC about how the club was turned around.

[Steveo]

https://youtu.be/QDCcK5Fqcg8


Don't tell em Pike...


Keep it zipped... :D

[Balinkay]

"Ok, so first of all, you need home-grown talent. Maybe a big striker to bring in the goals and a pacy winger with a good cross."

[Insidious]

Atalanta have scored 93 goals this season in Serie A.

93 - with FIVE games left.

Sides in the Serie A just don't score this many. It might even be the 1950s since it last happened.

They are an absolute joy.

[Insidious]

Juventus limping their way to the Serie A title.

Hopefully Atalanta can get it next season.

[Insidious]

31 goals on 32 games for Ronaldo.

He is 35.

Imagine our front three stayed in excellent shape to that kind of age - bonkers!

[Kev0909]

31 goals on 32 games for Ronaldo.

He is 35.

Imagine our front three stayed in excellent shape to that kind of age - bonkers!

Would be impossible

Ronaldo is brilliant, doesn't need super pace etc can finish very well

Mane salah all reliant on pace.... Salah more... and getting 100 chances

I'll change your question to imagine having someone CLINICAL in are team haha that young dortmund lad would score 50 in this team

[Insidious]

Possibly Kev.

May be interesting having a dig into the xG of the shots Salah is taking on.

In terms of "eye test" or "feels like" I think Salah has been having more shots from positions that are less likely to yield goals - tougher angle/further out/bodies in the way. Which I guess makes sense as we have more possession now and thus teams are often penned in a bit by us. Might Google some stats/articles/info some time this week.

[CCTV]

Possibly Kev.

May be interesting having a dig into the xG of the shots Salah is taking on.

In terms of "eye test" or "feels like" I think Salah has been having more shots from positions that are less likely to yield goals - tougher angle/further out/bodies in the way. Which I guess makes sense as we have more possession now and thus teams are often penned in a bit by us. Might Google some stats/articles/info some time this week.

A very quick google... brought me here
https://one-versus-one.com/en/compare-players/Mohamed-Salah-vs-Sadio-Mane

Mohamed Salah’s has the following offensive skills. He has 19 goals and a total of 60 shots on goals. This results in a goal conversion rate of 15.08%. He had a total of 61 big chances. Expected goals can only be provided to logged in users.
Sadio Mané has the following offensive skills. He has 17 goals and a total of 35 shots on goals. This results in a goal conversion rate of 23.94%. He had a total of 42 big chances.

Regarding the passing and playmaking skills we can see the following picture. Mohamed Salah has a total of 10 asssists, 25 key passes (these are passes leading to a shot on goal) and he created a total of 35 chances.
Sadio Mané has a total of 7 assists, 20 key passes and he created a total of 27 chances.
Another important metric to measure the players performance is the pass completion rate in general and more importantly the pass completion rate into the opponents box – because this is where most goals are made. Mohamed Salah has a pass completion rate of 75 % and a rate of 27.27% for passes into the box. Sadio Mané has a pass completion rate of 81.2% and a rate of 66.67 % for passes into the box.
Expected goals, expected goal build up and expected goal chain value are only visible to our logged in users.

Lets have a look at Mohamed Salah’s and Sadio Mané’s defensive skills. Mohamed Salah has a total of 1 blocks, 7 ariel duels and a total number of 79 tackles.
Sadio Mané has a total of 0 blocks, 43 ariel duels and a total number of 103 tackles.

(It has Sadio on 18 goals so these texts at the bottom of the page probably come from before newcastle)

Whoscored -
PL......Mane v Salah v Bobby

Shots per game: 2.2 v 3.9 v 2.6
Goals: 18 v 19 v 9

Key passes pg: 1.7 v 1.8 v 1.4
Assists: 7 v 10 v 8

Tackles: 1.3 v 0.5 v 1
Intercepts: 0.4 v 0.2 v 0.2

[CCTV]

Whoscored - Ronny:
6.2 shots per game - 31 goals

1.5 key passes pg - 5 assists

Tackles 0.4 pg
Intercepts 0.2 pg

[Insidious]

Can see Sarri getting sacked and Pochettino coming in.

[Insidious]

Sarri does indeed get sacked, but PIRLO comes in having been given the U-23 job just a week prior.

[Insidious]

Ronaldo's debut season for Inter yielded 34 goals and is the highest tally for a debut season with the club.

Lukaku sits on 33 with a Europa League final left to go.

[Insidious]

Anyone any thoughts on Suarez and Ronaldo being in the same side?

Can't help but feel (age profile) that their midfield will have to do a lot of work. They probably do well in the League again, but the Champion's League, the one they really want, might see them being out-worked?

[Steveo]

One big mahusive 'turd-in-the-pants' of the defence that has to deal with those 2 in tandem though... Bloody heck - that is some serious firepower if it gels.

[dicko1969]

Rush
Suarez
M. Sissoko

Anyone else done liverpool/ Juve ?

[LEGS]

Rush
Suarez
M. Sissoko

Anyone else done liverpool/ Juve ?

Big Emre

[Insidious]

Dzeko to Juventus seemingly imminent.

[Insidious]

4 wins in 4 for AC Milan, topping the Serie A.

9 goals scored, just the 1 conceded.

It probably won't last, but it's good to see them show signs of recovery. They're a side you associate heavily with Champion's League Football and their absence is a loss for the tournament.

[Steveo]

Seems like that Zlatan fella is not quite as over the hill as some believed.

[dicko1969]

Just how far it has fallen.

It seems on a par with Scottish football.

Except Juventus are 1000x better than Celtic.

[Insidious]

AC Milan seem to be doing well again and have *shock horror* a very youthful-looking side overall.

Prandelli is now back at Fiorentina. There was a time when he was linked with the Spurs job and on a pure "footballing curiosity" level I would have loved to have seen that.

[Insidious]

8 League games played.

6 wins, 2 draws.

The chance to go 5 points clear tomorrow.

Still a long way to go, but it looks like AC Milan could very well finally be back in the Champion's League next season - they might even win their bloody League after a long spell of Juventus dominance - that would be a refreshing change.

[Insidious]

Mandzukic joins AC Milan until the end of the season.

[Insidious]

Inter have won the Serie A, ending the 9-year reign of Juventus.

Plenty of sides will be after Conte's signature in the coming seasons. League titles occur where he goes - poor European record though.

2nd, 3rd and 4th all sitting on 69 points just now.

[fagin]

Jose returning to Serie A,as Roma are delighted to have hired him on a 3yr deal

[skyebo]

Jose returning to Serie A,as Roma are delighted to have hired him on a 3yr deal
Good luck in his quest to knock Juventus off their perch.

[Insidious]

Jose returning to Serie A,as Roma are delighted to have hired him on a 3yr deal

Oh my days that is hilarious!

[fagin]

Oh my days that is hilarious!

To be fair he did say he wouldn't be out of work for long !

[Nineteenx]

Jose returning to Serie A,as Roma are delighted to have hired him on a 3yr deal

Although he has mostly won everything he has after Porto with the luxury of having the most expensively assembled team and squad in his league and as most of us expect Guardiola would, has failed miserably at clubs with lesser resources in which he really has to earn his crust and prove himself a great manager, he did win the Champions League with Inter when they were a lesser side than many others in the competition, beating Guardiola's Barcelona 3 times en route to the final

[Insidious]

To be fair he did say he wouldn't be out of work for long !

It's completely the wrong pick for what we traditionally associate Maureen with.

In October their finances showed a €204 million loss - only two other clubs lost more in the "Pandemic era" that I'm aware of and they aren't in the Champion's League next season.

Why on Earth they have gone for Mourinho and why he has decided to go to a club so poorly suited to his desire to splash the mega-bucks is beyond me.

Will be a fun one to watch at least.

[Steveo]

Agree Sid but perhaps even ‘the special one’ knows he has to take whatever job he is offered. Looking every bit the busted flush now .

[fagin]

Agree Sid but perhaps even ‘the special one’ knows he has to take whatever job he is offered. Looking every bit the busted flush now .

I don't believe you'd mind as all others would being the busted flush for the millions upon millions he makes as opposed to us

[Steveo]

Indeed don’t feel sorry for him financially- but money really isn’t everything.

It’s a strange concept I know but it really isn’t.

It cannot buy happiness or love or anything others than material things - oh and UEFA sanctions. :D


Jose is a deeply sad individual - and I am good friends with people who know him intimately. He is a human tragedy.

[teesred]

Indeed don’t feel sorry for him financially- but money really isn’t everything.

It’s a strange concept I know but it really isn’t.

It cannot buy happiness or love or anything others than material things - oh and UEFA sanctions. :D


Jose is a deeply sad individual - and I am good friends with people who know him intimately. He is a human tragedy.

Whys that? I always thought he seemed a pretty sound guy when not in manager mode.

[Steveo]

Whys that? I always thought he seemed a pretty sound guy when not in manager mode.



I believe he is a sound guy just not a very happy one. At least that is what I am told by friends of mine in Setubal. It might just be the envy of locals talking but those who knew him well suggest he was always a desperately lonely fella.

I don’t know him personally, he seems to come alive on camera - an act??? but his general demeanour off camera does seem pretty dour.

[Insidious]

Notorious bottlers Napoli could go 4th if they win their match tomorrow.

"No big deal" I hear you say - but if they achieve the feat, Juventus would be knocked down to 5th spot, with only one League match left to play.

In short, there's a very real possibility of Juventus being without Champion's League football next season.

[reddownunder]

Notorious bottlers Napoli could go 4th if they win their match tomorrow.

"No big deal" I hear you say - but if they achieve the feat, Juventus would be knocked down to 5th spot, with only one League match left to play.

In short, there's a very real possibility of Juventus being without Champion's League football next season.

I felt it was a bizarre decision to sack Sarri and give Pirlo the job at the time and it has proven to be a disastrous decision.

[Insidious]

I felt it was a bizarre decision to sack Sarri and give Pirlo the job at the time and it has proven to be a disastrous decision.

Indeed.

They're in a very iffy spot financially and apparently within the last 48 hours have asked players to accept their salaries 4 months late as cash flow is that big an issue.

If they do go on to miss out on Top Four they could really struggle. Not indefinitely of course, they're too big a club, but the repercussions would certainly be felt. They're certainly unlikely to be able to justify Ronaldo's wages and you'd imagine he wouldn't want to play in a side without Champion's League football anyway - he wouldn't be alone either.

I'm curious as to how Fiorentina play against Napoli. Their fans have hated Juventus for years (a lot of ill feeling stems from the Roberto Baggio transfer even now!) and it wouldn't really shock me if Fiorentina didn't exactly "play out of their skins" in a situation where they could trip Juventus up in such drastic fashion.

[justme]

Problem with Juventus is the age of the team. The likes of Ronaldo. who scores loads of goals. But the facts his legs have gone and he doesnt run anymore. doesnt help the team same with other players..

[ianlfc]

The Italian league seems to be the graveyard for aging footballers. It's not what it used to be.

[Insidious]

The Italian league seems to be the graveyard for aging footballers. It's not what it used to be.

Indeed.

There are glimmers of hope though. Ibrahimovic aside, this AC Milan side is mostly a young squad and Atalanta have a good balance age-wise plus can play some of Europe's best Football when it's clicking.

[Steveo]

Absolutely. Never recovered from the fixing scandal IMO.

Ripped the guts out of it in truth.

The Italian league was once the envy of the world - but now it is a bit of a joke. It will always attract top players in search of La Dolce Vita but might take a generation or two to get back to its former glory.

Think football has taken a back seat too - huge problems in cutting off the many tentacles of organised crime which literally run the state.

[Insidious]

Napoli are 2-0 up against 10-man Fiorentina with just 15 minutes to go.

It's out of the hands of Juventus now, bar a crazy finish to the end of the game.

Will Napoli win their last game?

[Insidious]

4-0 up against Bologna, Juventus are doing everything in their power to qualify for the Champion's League.

AC Milan are currently 1-0 up against Atalanta though, which puts it out of Juve's hands and the live table means that, as it stands, Juventus would miss out - which would be a disaster with their aging squad and in the face of the financial hit that came with the Pandemic.

[Insidious]

Napoli draw their game against Verona (1 win in their last 10) and thus allow Juventus to scrape fourth spot.

Napoli have a reputation for "not quite" and bottling things - they have out-Spursed Tottenham today.

[Insidious]

1 draw and 2 losses to start the League season for Juventus.

They've started a season slowly before and been absolutely fine, but in a shifting footballing landscape, they could do with getting themselves dusted down and into gear.

[Insidious]

It's a long road they're on to get back to anything like their former glory and we outclassed them this evening, but what a treat to have them back.

That was a proper game of football and I am so keen to see us play at the San Siro, it should be a cracker. Hope we can win there to add another notch in our belt.

Their game against us aside, wish them all the best going forward - especially against Roma, now that they're managed by Mourinho.