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Imagine where Manchester United would have finished without De Gea and Ronaldo this year? Probably 15th or so
 
eth-dog said:
Imagine where Manchester United would have finished without De Gea and Ronaldo this year? Probably 15th or so
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I try not to imagine anything where ManU is concerned
 
 
Howard Moon said:
dont think ive been less excited for a world cup - ever

this whole thing stinks.
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There will be crazy viewership because it’s a World Cup, but there will be plenty of reputations destroyed by it

Tim Cahill for one aligning himself with Qatar is a bad move
 
VelvetSledge said:
There will be crazy viewership because it’s a World Cup, but there will be plenty of reputations destroyed by it

Tim Cahill for one aligning himself with Qatar is a bad move
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surely players in the big leagues will be pulling out of games in the next few weeks for risk of getting injured pre tournament - not like its in off season like normal times
 
Also, happy to read that Newcastle is doing well.

Sure it's propped by by Saudi money but at least it's a real big club and not some fake, lightweight masquerading as a big club on the back of oligarch money.
 

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Howard Moon said:
2 goals, 2 yellows

a slow burn..

old mate volpato has chosen the azzurri it seems
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I seem to recall whichever idiot is coaching the Australian team saying that they wouldn't hand Volpato a start, after the first time he scored against Verona...a kid in the Roma youth academy given time by Mourinho. That academy is arguably the best in Italy.

He looms as the only truly world class player Australia has produced since Kewell/Viduka. There have been good players but guys anyone else in a serious league is actually worried about?
 
BrunoV said:
I seem to recall whichever idiot is coaching the Australian team saying that they wouldn't hand Volpato a start, after the first time he scored against Verona...a kid in the Roma youth academy given time by Mourinho. That academy is arguably the best in Italy.

He looms as the only truly world class player Australia has produced since Kewell/Viduka. There have been good players but guys anyone else in a serious league is actually worried about?
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Hilarious he was released by both Sydney FC and Western Sydney along the way...just goes to show this feeder league has no business actually identifying talent. Least the old NSL had euro money feeding through it to bring up our golden generation
 
VelvetSledge said:
There will be crazy viewership because it’s a World Cup, but there will be plenty of reputations destroyed by it

Tim Cahill for one aligning himself with Qatar is a bad move
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It’ll get mad viewers purely by virtue of the timezone Qatar is in, cuts middle ground between Europe and Asia.

One of my mates is making the trek over, reckon he’s a dead set monty to end up in jail for the rest of his life.
 
Howard Moon said:
Not alot of Serie a players I ever bank on transitioning to the prem but I reckon Rafael Leao would/will carve it up, proper powerhouse
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Serie A is a different beast these days.

Played at a higher tempo and much more attacking. The better sides are high tempo/pressing teams. In any even Leao would kill it anywhere.

The italians have fallen behind financially which is why the gap still exists. Juventus is still stuck in the time warp despite being one of 2 clubs that can compete financially. Inter just qualified in a group with Bayern and Barca.

Napoli is flying the flag at the moment. Milan is building something long term as is Roma to a lesser extent. Lazio is looking really good, too.

The league is great. They might not ever have the money but I'd back depth of the top 7/8 sides.

Your boys Palermo are one to watch. They are still in serie B but that is a tantalising combination of Mafia connections and City group money.
 
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BrunoV said:
Serie A is a different beast these days.

Played at a higher tempo and much more attacking.

They've fallen behind financially which is why the gap still exists. Juventus is still stuck in the time warp despite being one of 2 clubs that can compete financially.

Napoli is flying the flag at the moment. Milan is building something long term as is Roma to a lesser extent. Lazio is looking really good, too.

The league is great.
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Still lacking a certain something, think it's Berlusconi's bunga bunga parties
 
BrunoV said:
Serie A is a different beast these days.

Played at a higher tempo and much more attacking.

They've fallen behind financially which is why the gap still exists. Juventus is still stuck in the time warp despite being one of 2 clubs that can compete financially. Inter just qualified in a group with Bayern and Barca.

Napoli is flying the flag at the moment. Milan is building something long term as is Roma to a lesser extent. Lazio is looking really good, too.

The league is great. They might not ever have the money but I'd back depth of the top 7/8 sides.

Your boys Palermo are one to watch. They are still in serie B but that is a tantalising combination of Mafia connections and City group money.
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We were actually talking about it the other day, I said I knew koulibali would be a putrid signing at Chelsea, it's not often a Serie A centre half can make it in the prem, coming from a more technical league to the manic epl...other than el monstro who is an anomaly, we could barely name one. Rudiger was probably all I had. You get the likes of Chellini and Bonucci playing til they are old men (in the image of Maldini) ibra and Giroud still scoring Into old age, but I definitely see the new breed coming through at Milan and the next gen Azzurri so it's coming along
 
So how quickly is this Volpato situation going to get embarrassing?

On with 30 min to go in the derby v Lazio last night. Played okay from what I saw (with half an eye on the game).

It appears Mourinho genuinely believes in him. Maybe we never had a chance once he left Australia. But I dont believe a kid washed up in the Australian system seriously thinks he's a chance of playing for Italy which has just won Euro.

All while we haven't produced a genuine world class player in 25 years.
 
BrunoV said:
So how quickly is this Volpato situation going to get embarrassing?

On with 30 min to go in the derby v Lazio last night. Played okay from what I saw (with half an eye on the game).

It appears Mourinho genuinely believes in him. Maybe we never had a chance once he left Australia. But I dont believe a kid washed up in the Australian system seriously thinks he's a chance of playing for Italy which has just won Euro.

All while we haven't produced a genuine world class player in 25 years.
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Reckon he's just being led astray by his manager Totti and to an extent Jose, no manager wants their player traipsing to the antipodes every other month to play minnows...

Plus anyone who's a descendent from anywhere else knows... everybody calls you an immigrant at home, then when you go back there, they all call you a foreigner anyway. You end up being a weird transient

If he ever 'made' it, he'd still be that dirty little Aussie kid to them when it came to any 50/50 selection calls
 
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I've only followed from afar in recent years but Italy has been naturalising largely shithouse players for a long time. I'm thinking here of Cameronesi and Iaquinta more than a kid who emigrated and grew up in Italy.

Black Italian players have been a thing for a while, Italy was probably the last big European country, as have guys with Arabic/North African names.

I reckon the Aussie with the Italian name wouldn't even be noticed these days.

It may be that Volpato doesn't have the clout to play for Australia until he is established. That doesn't mean he has to choose Italy, though.
 
BrunoV said:
So how quickly is this Volpato situation going to get embarrassing?

On with 30 min to go in the derby v Lazio last night. Played okay from what I saw (with half an eye on the game).

It appears Mourinho genuinely believes in him. Maybe we never had a chance once he left Australia. But I dont believe a kid washed up in the Australian system seriously thinks he's a chance of playing for Italy which has just won Euro.

All while we haven't produced a genuine world class player in 25 years.
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Is the issue that it would be a potentially career limiting move committing to Australia before you’re an established starter? Players having to travel halfway across the world for WC qualifying against the Equatorial Philippines is usually frowned upon.

Edit: looks like this point has been made.
 

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