ponsaelius

It also doesn't help that pretty much all positions of power in Italy are dominated by old men. The decision making at the Corriere dello sport and the FIGC is lead by those well into pensionable age - leading to the kind of truly embarrassing incidents of the last month.

Certainly not racist, but there is definitely a bit of cultural relativism which happens when people view completely different countries through their own societal standards which have been forged through their own very specific history. Italy as a nation and an all-encompassing national identity has only existed for circa 150 years, and before that existed for 1500 years as a collection of smaller regional states. Even between towns this sense of difference is still pronounced, with entirely different dialects existing miles apart. This creates a culture which is regional, parochial and small-minded in many ways to this day. The modern formation of Italy also means that its colonial history is minimal. There was never an influx of people of colour who also shared the same language and culture - as was the case when Britain or France accepted post-war immigration. Immigration to Italy of people of colour has pretty much always been framed through the prism of Africans crossing the Mediterranean. Therefore as a country Italy has simply never really gone through this process of assimilating people of colour into their cultural identity. Germany has a very similar history (founded in exactly the same year), and honestly from my own personal experience with teutonic culture there is a weird way of dealing racial differences (I'm talking an awkwardness, rather than racism). The major difference between Germany and Italy is that Germany (at least in the old FDR) went through a thorough process of introspection after Nazism to create the modern, liberal, borderline apologetic nation it is to today. Italy simply never went through that same process after Mussolini and its own experiences of fascism, at all. All of this creates a society that is openly xenophobic to otherness without ever really understanding why its considered racist. If I can make fun of a Venetian, or a Neapolitan, then why can't I do the same to a black person? This is the genuine thought process you will get from an Ultra, and without a history to explain why this is not acceptable, it continues unrelenting. It's undoubtedly a major issue, and vehemently unacceptable through modern western standards, but like anything can't really be explained nor fixed without really understanding context.

A significant percentage of Italians simply don't really 'get' racism. Particularly the kind of geriatrics who pull the strings at the FIGC.

Atalanta have a wagebill which is less than every PL team except Norwich. They're a great little club who are punching well above their weight at the moment, outperforming the Milan clubs on their doorstep. Having been to Bergamo for a game in November I came away with a great impression. In the city itself you simply don't see kids wearing other clubs' merchandise. It's a proper hardcore, parochial support - in a good way. That said, there's a definite truth that the CL has been completely (both by circumstance and by design) monopolized by the larger nations which is pretty much to the detriment of European football as a whole. Although that seems to be what people (the TV viewers) want to see.

The technicality that seems to stop us getting a mention is 'progress to the knockout round after losing first 3 games'. We went to a second group stage - which seems utter nonsense since it was still a last 16. Delighted for Atalanta though. Great little club who are punching well above their weight.

I gave Celtic and Rangers the benefit of the doubt because although on paper I think their squads objectively are both clearly worse than say - Watford - they are big clubs and do compete well in Europe. I would say borderline Champ/low PL is fair.

He’s doing well but it’s questionable how much he’s at fault for Sunderland’s predicament and the standard of league he’s in is way worse. If he bought that team then it’s on him, but it’s seriously one of the slowest, most unbalanced sides I’ve ever seen. The simplest thing to do in that league is build a side that is aggressive, fast and hungry and they’ve got none of that You reckon the SPL is worse than League One? Based on what I watched yesterday I'd have to disagree with that. Not really comparable as there is a significant spread. Rangers and Celtic are arguably lower PL sides in terms of quality (this is generous, particularly for Rangers). The rest of the division ranges from lower Champ to League 2 standard.

It was weird watching him in the flesh on Thursday in actually starting a game. He really has no mobility whatsoever these days. I know he's never really been a speed merchant but he could certainly get around the pitch back in the day and cause havoc. He must have treated his body appallingly over the last 9 years or so. When we didn't have the ball his pressing was simply non-existent and this is a major issue with starting him. The benefit in him being on comes from him doing something from long balls, but it's very rudimentary and you have to have some more mobility around him if you do so.

A truly awful game but one that was certainly more enjoyable there than I imagine it was on TV/stream. A good laugh. Sheffield low-key a pretty cool city as well. First NUFC game since Fulham away last season for me and I have to say, the average age of the away end seemed very young. You can see clearly that many are not bothering anymore and tickets are being hoovered up when the points drop.

Good excuse to tick off a new ground either way, will be making sure to get me hands on a ticket.

Absolutely love that Cerri header at the end for Cagliari. Hell of a run they're on.

Alnwick Perch Saylor Campbell Lazaar Obertan Smith Colback Riviere De Jong Joselu

22/22 with 1:20 to spare.

7 goals in 8 games despite playing Gibraltar home and away is pretty special.

Well not really, you have to win at least 2 games to qualify (semi and a final).

This is the best England team I can remember. There's a system that works, they play to keep the ball and score goals. The defence and midfield doesn't look as star studded on paper as previous decades but in attack there's loads of pace and quality. I'm amazed there are people still negative about watching them.

Mancini has done a great job with Italy so far to be fair to him, playing good football and pretty much committed to the young players coming through. It moreso highlights what an atrocious job Ventura did.

Passing, tackling, leadership? He has 80 caps for his country which he captains. He cost Arsenal £35~ million. He's clearly a good player who would do well at most Premier League teams. Whether a player in that position is a priority is another question.

He would clearly be our best midfielder.

'Awful'

Aye. All the 'host' nations know which group they're being put in if they qualify. It's gonna be an interesting experiment. Can't help but think it will lose a lot of the feel of a tournament you get with it being in one country. Some interesting cities though, will definitely be applying for tickets when the next batch are released.

The only thing that could be maybe said is that in Europe you generally get more games against said minnows, through the nature of regular qualifying for Euros and WC completed through a single group stage for each competition. In Asia and CONCACAF there is more preliminary rounds to eliminate smaller nations, and they merge their WC and Continental Competition qualifying together. However the latter systems are usually pretty terrible for the smaller nations' development. Doesn't give them regular games against decent sides and results in players not even bothering to go and play for their national teams (see somebody like Leverkusen's Leon Bailey trying his best to not play for Jamaica). For all the whinging about 'pointless' qualifiers there's no doubt that being able to play regular games against a wide range of quality sides is great for smaller nation's development, and in part why even the likes of Iceland have been able to have success.

Not sure about that like. Probably only true about South America where you don't get real minnows to play and even the weaker sides require playing matches in stupid altitude. I'd put the likes of Luxembourg and Andorra as quite comfortably stronger than Asian minnows. Iran beat the Maldives 13-0 in September.

Phil Parkinson to be appointed.

He had a knee injury for that season. Letting him play for a wanker like Pulis was undoubtedly a poor decision, maybe too much confidence in a fellow professional. Regardless Wenger was always a fan of Gnabry and ended up letting him go as it was the best thing for his career and because the player himself pushed for it.