Advantage England?

Well, not a single goal for a Serie A side in the Champs League this week. What are their chances of progress after such a drought? I am not entirely sure.

1) Inter. There are two ways of looking at their display. Either they cannot possibly be as poor again or they will be destroyed at Old Trafford. They were very fortunate to come away with a goalless draw but that is exactly what they did. An away goal from somewhere would put them in a very good position. If they get through, Mourinho looks even more "Special".

But why on earth did he play Rivas at the heart of the defence? It almost cost him very dear. And Muntari was woefully short of quality. I would give my highest marks to Julio Cesar with pass marks for Cambiasso and Zanetti. The jury is out on the rest. Where was the Maicon and Ibra magic?

2) Juve. The unluckiest of the Italian sides. They had some decent pressure at Stamford Bridge and lost a goal that might easily have been avoided. An away goal would have been particularly useful. However, they must have a strong hand when they get back to Turin. Chelsea looked eminently beatable.

3) Roma. I didn't see much of this game but the positive - like Inter - was that they were not mauled more severely. 1-0 can be overturned in the Olimpico if they turn on the style. But they will need to up the performance level a significant number of notches.

Boring, boring Inter

Is it just me or has Jose Mourinho succeeded in making Inter really boring? I suppose that is always a criticism of winning teams but some have done it in more style than others. Sunday night's Milan derby victory was another example of the result being much better than the performance.

I am sure he does not care - nor did the Interisti celebrating at the end of the game. But I can't help feeling this is short-sighted. With Man Utd on the horizon it surely won't be enough to pack the team full of hard-working, physical players plus Ibrahimovic for a slice of magic.

I hope I am wrong but I have been less than enthused by the boys in black and blue of late. We shall see what happens come next week.

Beeb to show Beckham!

I can't quite believe it but it is entirely true. Italian football is returning to British screens on Sunday night and with the BBC.

Not a main channel, granted, a Match of the Day special on the Milan derby on BBC3. Just the same, it represents something of a breakthrough after the demise of Channel 5's coverage with the lovely Laura Esposto. Could it be the start of something beautiful?

Well, probably not, since it all relies on Mr Becks. Unless Milan can secure a deal with LA Galaxy his participation in Serie A will come to an end next month. And that will almost certainly kill stone dead any interest the Beeb might have in our games.

On the other hand, if they could keep the Spice Boy it might make Italian football more appetising for next season. And surely they wouldn't just make it a dedicated Milan Channel? Maybe we might see the occasional game involving other sides.

The only thing for certain is that it is good to get more exposure for Serie A - even for just one game. Hopefully the derby is a cracker and whets the appetite for more among the British viewing public. Tell your friends to tune in to BBC3 to ensure it gets good viewing figures and makes a strong case for more matches in the weeks and months to come.

I wish Chelsea would sack me

Oh to be the Chelsea manager, even for just one day.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7887463.stm

I would happily let them sack me for much, much less.

Botched against Brazil

It was only a friendly, of course. They looked more motivated, it's true. But just the same, it still stings to lose to Brazil. Especially when the Azzurri were so poor for the first half.

Yes, we could have had a goal in the opening five minutes when Grosso's strike was ruled out. After that, however, the lights went out a bit. A slip by Legrottaglie and Pirlo dwelling on the ball cost us two goals. Montolivo failed to command the midfield and we struggled to get possession for any length of time.

The second half was a bit better. Zambrotta fought like a lion. If we had had 11 playing like him we might have had a chance. Not as downhearted now as I was last night but it was still a bit of a wake-up call for everyone.

Milan fluff their lines

It should have been a great derby night in Milan next Sunday, it may well still be, but the Rossoneri missed the chance to put a bit more pressure on Mourinho's men. A draw with Reggina was never going to be enough as Inter cuffed Lecce to slip further clear at the top of Serie A.

There was more bad news for Carlo Ancelotti as Juve sneaked back into second place with a hard-fought win over Catania. Their task was made even more tricky by daft old Vincenzo Iaquinta scoring a goal and then getting sent off in the opening few minutes. Still, they ground out a precious three points.

Fiorentina, meanwhile, should erect a monument to Sebastien Frey. He produced a string of stunning saves to keep Lazio at bay and, with minutes to go, Alberto Gilardino applied the coup de grace to take all three points. Even I must admit the Biancocelesti were mighty hard done by.

Finally, Roma's recovery continues apace with a confident drubbing of high-flying Genoa. Is it really too late for the Giallorossi to mount a serious challenge for top spot? Probably. Just the same, they should have been Inter's main antagonist this season. Maybe they can give us something to smile about in the Champions League. Second place in Serie A should not be beyond them.

Because he's worth it

Marcello Lippi always seems to know the right thing to say. He has come under pressure of late to call up Paolo Maldini for a farewell performance in an Italy shirt. "Not for the game against Brazil," said the Azzurri Coach. "But maybe we can arrange something."

What a wonderful idea. Not since Roby Baggio's swansong has a player more deserved a final cap as icing on their career cake. Imagine what kind of crowd you would get at the San Siro for such a friendly - no matter who the opposition were.

I for one would want to be there for a player I have watched and admired since he was a boy. In truth, it's a shame they couldn't have given him 30 seconds in the last World Cup just to let him add the winners medal to his collection - about the only thing he is missing.

Still, it spices up the friendly fixture list for the months ahead. Indeed, I will have to keep an eye out for cheap flights to Italy just in case there is a chance to pay my footballing respects. Other players may be great but Maldini is, well, Maldini...

Gila ties with Del P

Good to see this is a patriotic blog. Gilardino ties with Del Piero in my survey on who is Serie A's top striker. None of this Amauri or Pato nonsense.

A propos of Amauri, quite glad to see him pick Brazil in the end. I know he is a strong player but if his heart is with the Verdeoro I for one don't want to see him in the blue of Italy. Now we have to prove he made the wrong choice at the Emirates next week.

Finally, David Beckham. He's proved me wrong so far, much better than Ronaldinho. He gives Milan something they have been missing - shape. He seems to find acres of space to deliver the crosses we all know he can produce. No wonder he doesn't want to go back to the Galaxy...

The Lord spoke to Kaka

On the third day, the Lord spoke to Kaka. He saw his child was troubled, there had been much wailing and gnashing of teeth. He asked his son what it was that tormented him so.

Kaka explained his predicament, how he knew the difficulty of the rich man gaining access to heaven. How he feared that taking such a sum of money would constitute a sin. How he was unhappy to turn his back on his long-time friends.

The Lord considered all of this. He spent 40 days and 40 nights in the desert before returning to his troubled child. He handed him a tablet of stone with a simple message of what he had to do.

"Manchester City," it said. "Thou art having a laugh..."

Midwinter madness

It used to be the summer that was filled with these crazy transfers stories but now we get them in the middle of winter too. God bless the January transfer window for the following...

Kaka to Manchester City - For all that is good in the game, and even what is not, don't let this happen. I know money talks, but surely not that loudly. This is Milan, glorious, legendary Milan. And they are Manchester City.

Kris Boyd to Lazio - This must be made up. Unless they are looking for something less mobile than the Colosseum in Rome.

Ah, the joys...

Beckham watch - Part One

I have never been a big Becks fan but he did a bit of work to address that issue last night. I thought he played a decent game for Milan against Roma. And, more to the point, he lasted 88 minutes (more than Ronaldinho).

There was nothing flashy about what he did and he showed his usual limits but, just the same, he did not look out of place. He put in some good crosses - as you would expect - and also showed some good positional sense.

Yes, he was outshone by Pato's wondergoal - but who would not have been? I am still dubious about his value to Milan but, on this game anyway, he was not the waste of space some might have suspected...

Italy v England - Part I

I have a feeling I may write about this a few times but, just the same, for an Italian Scot the Champions League draw was mind blowing. I knew there was a good chance of Serie A going head to head with the Premiership in at least a couple of ties. But all three? It is a truly awesome prospect.

Certainly, it will answer a lot of questions. Last season there was plenty of crowing about how well the English performed - justifiably so. However, now our boys have a chance to hit back in style. A 3-0 triumph would be too much to hope for, would it?

The pick of the ties is Inter v Man Utd. Italy's undisputed best team for the last few years against Europe's reigning champions. At least the Nerazzurri have Mourinho's supposed hoodoo over Sir Alex on their side. However, having watching Inter in action against Siena, I struggle to hold out that much hope. Still, if anyone from Italy was going to knock out Ronaldo and company it would surely be the Special Uan...

There is plenty of intrigue to the Juve v Chelsea clash. Of course, Claudio Ranieri goes back to the club that ditched him because he could not win enough. How sweet it would be if he could rub their noses in it? I don't know if the Bianconeri are ready for the challenge but they showed against Real they are no pushovers.

Finally, Roma take on Arsenal in a match it is hard to know what to expect from. Which team will show up for either side. In their pomp both teams are irresistible. Unfortunately, they don't always turn up in the best fettle. I liked the fact that the pundits seemed to think Roma were the easiest of the Italian sides to draw. That can only play in their favour.

Forza Serie A!

Who is around the corner?

All eyes will be on the urns on Friday as our brave Italian sides look to make progress in Europe. The question is, who would be the best teams for them to land. Here I make my usual pathetic attempt to forecast what will happen.

There has to be a good chance that Inter go English. Either that or they might land Barcelona, Bayern Munich or Porto. My natural inclination would be that the Portuguese would be the best draw. However, a shot at Man Utd or Liverpool might do them good.

On paper, Roma and Juve should have a better chance of an easier draw thanks to winning their groups. The fates have thrown the Giallorossi and Real Madrid together plenty of times in the past but they would probably like to dodge them this time - along with Lyon. Villareal, Atletico and Sporting Lisbon look more tasty or even Arsenal. And how about Juve v Chelsea to cap it all off.

Who knows? Friday will have the answers...

Big week in store

Roma, don't mess it up now. The hard work has been done, a glorious victory over Chelsea secured and a revenge mission completed against Cluj. Please, get the point you deserve and need against Bordeaux.

Inter and Juve, don't do it Italian style. Win your last group games to proudly enter the later stages of the Champions League rather than going in with a whimper. I know you don't need a victory or even a point but, just the same, give us something to cheer. (Inter, you owe us on that score. Juve, no pressure, you did great deeds against Real).

And finally Fiorentina, my little Fiorentina. You may be out of the CL but how about setting the record straight in the UEFA Cup? Last season's elimination to Rangers still sticks in the craw. It might be a meagre consolation but make sure you don't mess it up against Steaua...

Pretty, precise and pointless

I like to think I am more open minded than some of my more extremist relations. My first love will always be Italian football but I am willing to look at other options. So, when people keep raving about Arsene Wenger's baby Gunners, it is only natural that I would have a look.

Unfortunately for them (or for me), I picked the night they walked into a brick wall in the form of Burnley. Adolescent Arsenal started the game full of hormonal vigour but when they got clean through on the keeper a major problem emerged. They couldn't actually stick the ball in the net.

Credit the home goalkeeper, a man who looks like he swallowed Angelo Peruzzi whole. He made some fine saves but some of the shooting was fairly feeble. Having missed their opportunities, the boys from the Emirates were made to pay.

I read somewhere recently (I think Champions magazine) that this team will win the Champions League by 2016 (that's Arsenal, not Burnley). But on this evidence I have my doubts. It looked like the youngsters lost heart and were often out-muscled by solid, hard-working professionals. It all sounds reminiscent of Emmanuel Adebayor's recent admission that the team couldn't be arsed against lower level opposition (I paraphrase slightly).

That, it seems to me, is Arsenal's biggest problem. They seem to believe that teams should lie down before their beautiful football - but they don't. Instead, they fight them by every means possible. Maybe this new generation will have the toughness for the battle but, from what they showed on Tuesday, it was far from evident.

Anyway, enough of this English stuff. I feel like Udinese tonight! Udinese tonight!

Waking the dead

Why did it take three goals conceded to wake Milan from their slumber on Sunday night? The Rossoneri were bossed out of the game for most of the match at Palermo. They only started to push their pink opponents back when the fixture was way beyond them. Don't they realise there is a Scudetto there to be won?

It was so lacklustre from Carlo Ancelotti's men without Kaka. Clarence Seedorf tried his best but they were crushed by the best Palermo performance of the season. Fabrizio Miccoli sparkled, Fabio Liverani pulled the strings and big Mo Carrozzieri looked unbeatable at the back. Not to mention some brilliant saves by Marco Amelia. Hats off to Palermo for a great display but, really, was this the best Milan could muster?

Elsewhere, Inter continue to win without really putting their stamp on the championship. They are now six points clear but have yet to look totally convincing. They were too strong for Juve but then they lost at home to Panathinaikos. It is starting to appear the old conundrums of the Mancini days have not been resolved by Mourinho.

Finally, Roma's revival continued thanks to an impressive second half against Fiorentina. I thought my boys were going to do something after a decent first 45 minutes but they fell back as the game went on. There are still too many elementary mistakes from the Viola to become real title contenders. The Giallorossi, on the other hand, look like they could be set for one of their famous winning streaks. However, they must have let the leaders get too big a gap already.

Feel my pain

Fiorentina tumbled out of the Champions League - not through lack of effort but rather through lack of clinical finishing in front of goal. They lost at home to Lyon in a game which underlined their main failing in Europe - not turning their chances into goals.

It was a good game and the French were a good team but I felt the Viola were worth at least a draw. The trouble is they shunned opportunities with too much regularity. Zdravko Kuzmanovic, in particular, hit one shot nearer to the corner flag than the goal when put clean through.

It is a skill which Fiorentina have lacked all season. They can put the opposition under pressure for long spells but (apart from the second half against Udinese) fail to turn it into goals. Against a sharp finishing side like Lyon it was always going to spell trouble.

So, there is only the UEFA left to play for. It seems a little hollow. However, until we get more experienced and battle-hardened in the Champs League it is probably about our level. Unless we lose to Bucharest, of course, in which case there is nothing...

Juve - the Real deal?

It is never easy for those of a purple persuasion to write about Juventus without bias. The old enemy has caused us so much hurt over the years that it is impossible to put to one side. Any sort of dispassionate analysis becomes difficult.

However, I think it is fair to ask the question - having come through their mini-crisis - just how good are the Bianconeri? Their fans have lurched from despair to downright delirium in the past few weeks. Back to back wins over Real Madrid and a massive league recovery have put some of the old swagger into their stride. Heck, they're nearly as loathsome as they used to be.

It is hard, of course, to dislike Claudio Ranieri. He is such an amiable chap that it is impossible to grudge him his success. His critics brand him too nice to succeed. That may be true. At the moment, however, he is doing a pretty good job with a team which - I would argue - is not really all that good.

Yes, Del Piero has found pinpoint precision with his free-kicks. Yes, Pavel Nedved is up for the fight - when was he ever found wanting in that regard? And, yes, big Amauri has proved an astute signing. But what about the likes of Molinaro, De Ceglie, Chiellini, Marchionni, Sissoko and the rest? Don't try to tell me they are world class.

Still, the proof of the pudding is out on the field of play. For all my reticence, Juve are going great guns. If they beat Genoa on Thursday night they could pull level with Inter. Then, no matter how much I might dislike it, the Hunchbacks will be back on top of the belltower where they feel they rightly belong.

Grazie Roma Part 2

We take our pleasure in small victories these days. Italian football has become like the annoying yappy little dog at the heels of the English Super Debt League. We know that the war will be lost, but there is still the odd glorious battle. Like last night in the Stadio Olimpico.

Despite the global millions poured into the game maybe some national characteristics do hold true. Roma were written off, derided and on the ropes. Then they produced their best performance of the season. Remind anyone of Italy 1982 or 2006?

That they defeated Chelsea was truly sweet. That it was Christian Panucci - old "Mad Dog" himself - that scored the opening goal was joyous. That Francesco Totti gritted his teeth to captain the side was admirable. That Mirko Vucinic skipped away from Jon Obi Mikel was a delight.

So many Giallorossi revived their reputations it would be impossible to mention them all. But I thought Matteo Brighi had one of his best ever games for the club. And even the sometimes annoying David Pizarro was in fine form. A night to remember.

Of course, let's not get too carried away by one win. The collective spending power of the We Owe Billions League is unlikely to be defeated in the long-term. However, that doesn't mean we should not savour these tasty little treats every time they come along.

Let's go against Montenegro!

These are the unglamorous games that make a World Cup qualification campaign. Home to Montenegro in October is a far from attractive fixture. Three points, however, would be a major step on the road to defending our title.

The opposition are not without their stars. Young Stevan Jovetic of Fiorentina and Roma's Mirko Vucinic are familiar enough faces to Serie A fans. Vucinic in particular will be well known down Lecce way having played there for a while. Italy's record against sides from the former Yugoslavia is also a cause for concern.

Lippi has turned to his "quality" men - Alberto Aquilani and Toto Di Natale - to unlock the visitors' defence. Certainly the Azzurri looked more solid against Bulgaria than they have recently. The time has come, however, for a bit of a show of force and a really convincing victory.

Let's hope, also, that the fans behave themselves. I am getting tired of the reputation Italian supporters are getting around the world. It looks like some eejits have stuffed up my plans to travel to Ireland next year and watch Trap O'Toni's boys take on the Azzurri. We shall see...