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Totally football show, European edition. Today, Champions League League phase, we pick out the juiciest week one match-ups. Syria, a big weekend for Inter and Napoli, and grosso misconduct with our first manager, Ferd. France called it League, um, believable, as Monaco beat PSG. It presents now a point off the drop. And Spain, where Troy Paradise Real Madrid most talked about Troy's setback since Matt Damon and that horse, etc. And we'll be running up all of that and more in this Toby football show. Hello, it's Monday, the 7th of September. And on the European show today, hey, James Hongcastle. Hello there. James just come back from the airport, from Italy. I have, yes. Yeah. Somewhat, uh, troubled flight, troubled journey. But he's here now. There were no snakes on this plane. No, well, just hangry passengers. Angry. Angry. Tom Williams is here. Hello, David, Tom. Yeah, less, less dramatic than James Hongcastle's much so far anyway. But I mean, I'm very pleased that he's shared with us, pre-show the full details of the, uh, the airplane-based beef that he witnessed. It's always, it's an interesting thing to witness. People are going on planes. It's just the stress away it is. The thing flying, even if you think it's not, it is a stretch of being an, people do things that they will know that come to regret, regret in a court of law afterwards and stuff like that. Populous is with us. Hey, Paul. Hello, how are you? Yeah, I'm well. Yeah, nothing. How are you, Jimbo? I am, I am. How could I not be because it's the Champions League? The Champions League is back. And across three nights this week, Tuesday Wednesday Thursday, woof a smorgasbord of top continental set twos. And, uh, I mean, we'll have a moment of the week in a second or two. But, Paul, what's the game? What's the one game you're really looking forward to this week? I'm not going to be any original. I'm sorry, guys, but I'm going to go to Real Madrid in Dermilano. Yeah, um, which, yeah, is one of the headline games of the, of the week, and especially after what happened in the weekend with like Real Madrid, the first defeat, um, how the thing is starting to kick on the atmosphere around Real Madrid. As in, oh, they lost the game. What's going to happen? How are they going to react? And putting in turn into that mix. And Moreno and the Bernabéu for me is, uh, it's a game that we can not miss, basically. Hmm. Where you heard a very special press conference today, you know? Yeah. Yeah, lovely one to see. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll touch on all of that. We'll sprinkle that into the show. Yeah. We certainly should. James, would your game this week also be into a, a go to Real Madrid Inter? Or have you got your eyes on something else? Uh, um, no, I think it is Inter. Um, what are the other games? I tell you what, we'll run through the fixes in a second or two. And then we can all pick one out. Tom, unless you've got one ready to go right now, what's going for slight hipsters? Nice. I thought we'd go for Leal Rail Betis. Wow, it's hipster top. Leal who are going well and a W.D. and Shilotty in Liga. Yeah. Two wins in a draw. A draw that was almost a win over Paris Saint-Germain. Yeah. We tend before that. Paris Saint-Germain. You couldn't even beat Paris Saint-Germain. I mean, what are they, what are they doing with themselves? And Rail Betis is obviously just beating Real Madrid, you know, plenty of Premier League legends in the line-up on the bench, Manuel Pellegrini. I'd have to bear in your aunties, you know, whoever else. When's that on, Tom? Tuesday. Good. Probably Tuesday for you right now, listen, isn't it? There you go. All right, well, I've kind of done things out of order, but now let's have a moment of the week before we get onto that Champions League stuff, Paul. Yeah, so basically, I'm going to Liga Rail to speak about the guy that you might know him and I'm going to say the name that he's being mentioned by kids around here. It's nothing, it's not something I'm proud about using right now, but he's named Pierre-Emerick Oramayang right now because of the sort of goals that he's scoring. Who's it? Yeah, basically, who's come up with this name, Paul? Kids in Spain. They call him Oramay. It's like golden. Ora, like this word that the kids are using, like, ora. Oh, he's overfarming. Exactly. Oramayang, yeah. Oramayang, basically, yeah, yeah. Okay. So, Oramayang, four goals in four games. Trying to put into that to assist. Deportiva la Coruña, play the kids Villarreal on the weekend, Villarreal got up two times. Deportiva la Coruña, equal life to two times. Thanks to two assists from Oramayang. And then two minutes before the end of the game, concert act, Deportiva were basically attacking Oramayang on his own. He bids one defender and he bids the goalkeeper with a nice, a bit dinked finish. Yeah, he basically scored a winner. He is a fan favorite. He is among the top goal scorers in La Liga, just to goals beyond Rafaña, who has six goals in four games. And everyone lost him at Deportiva la Coruña, which I'm going to warn it is possibly one of the coolest teams in La Liga this season. For the type of players they have, young talent that they have recruited. And then old school legends, so just Oramayang, he made it. Like at Letico de Madrid center backs, he joined them on deadline day as well. So it's a really nice mix. I really love letting him to watch. And they have this sort of look of a project that is on his way up. You also have a young goalkeeper called Lucas Roman Wicelme. Yeah, exactly. Which, yeah, Leo Roman. He's known as Leo Roman, but basically he was called Leo and Roman, because of Leo Messi, and because of Roman Wicelme. Oh, that's nice. Oh, but no relation. No relation. No, it's like the lead's boys, formerly lead's boys were Neldo or Vieira. And there was his brother was called Romario. Romario, yeah. Leo Roman, that's a decent combo, isn't it? Yeah. Although he is a Spanish, and he's been to Spanish colops in the past, but yeah, he has a background in Argentina. Okay. Um, deputiva la cuironia, probably the kids are calling them in Spain. Jesus. Yeah, maybe. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Your moment of the week, Tom. Going to go for a poignant one. This week, just like when Seb picks an injury. Just when Seb picks a terrible career-ending injury and just totally kills the mood in the room. I thought with, in Seb's absence, someone should do one of those. Is this going to involve acupuncture? Because I want to get some notes if so. Sudden up. Okay. Nice playing Le Mans over the weekend. It's 10 years on from the terror attack in Nice. Oh, right. That left 86 people dead. And that anniversary was commemorated in a really moving ceremony prior to kickoff. About 20 minutes before the game began, they cut off all the lights in the stadium and they asked all the supporters to illuminate the ground with the lights on their phones, which they all did. And there was a group of children and young people standing around the center circle. And one by one, the names of the victims were read out over the loudspeaker. And these kids around the center circle held up a light for each one. And then when they'd finished doing that, they played Nissella Bella, like beautiful niece, which is kind of like the unofficial anthem of the city of Nice, written in the local dialect. And then about halfway through, they cut the music and the supporters just carried on singing it, Acapala, and you see these moments before football matches. And I tend to think that a football stadium is uniquely well suited to those moments of commemoration. And I think this is up there with the most moving things I've ever seen in a football stadium. Wow. So yeah, a fittingly touching tribute to some. It just sounds zero. There was a banner from the Interultras commemorating it. Nisse, always with your head held high. Yeah. Yeah, because that panel's on there, I think the Interultras, the Nissell. I, um, after the Hillsbury disaster, I remember San Serracing and you'll never walk alone. That's always been one of my kind of all-time, like, oh my goodness, that's kind of extraordinary. But yeah. Yeah. Very good. Oh James, you'll come over to the week. Is it the couple fighting on the plane? Because I really hope so. No, or just in case you're curious, the couple had booked business, but we're seated outside of business. But given business treatment, well, we're then turned down. Oh, did they? Because they wanted the moral high ground. Yes. But there was one moment where one of the passengers um, when told that the meal options for her had been limited, because for example, it got like to the 8th or 9th. Sure. 10th row. So some of the dishes that were on the menu were no longer available. Um, the passenger then blanked the steward. Basically just turned around quite childish like and just refused to engage. Wow. Tremendum. So. Um, so yeah, no, that was, that was not my moment of the week. Being, being two rows behind them. Um, but, um, my moment of the week was, um, I was in Turin sort of trying to persuade someone to give me an interview. So, uh, I wasn't in the press stand at the event stadium. Um, and whilst I was, um, having something to eat, um, I noticed that there was someone on the table next to mine. Right. And it was Eros Ramazov. No. No. No. So. And you were saying, and the movie sees how it was. Um, his mind, uh, a child. Right. And his mind, it was a child. That's a big responsibility. Eros, but honestly, he, did you could not sit down because, um, the number of people coming up to. Right. For, um, and the other they're like, oh, they're not dead. And I kept hearing his sort of classic sort of damper. Damper. But there were other people in the room. Uh, Bernouche was there. Bernouche was there. No. But everybody wanted a selfie. How's he looking now? He's, I mean, great. Sensational. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that was, that was, that was brilliant. Son of Mani's situation. Honestly, every time I looked up, whilst I was having my meal, he was, he was, he was, he was where, uh, let's say, Seb would be right now. Right now. If we're in Hamburg. I mean, he might be playing it. He might be in Hamburg at that. If so, yeah, hamburger folk. Get along to see him. Yeah. Okay. Woof. Well, that was a vintage edition of moments of the week. Something for everyone. Heart-tugging. Other things. Anyway, let's get on to the Champions League. So it's match day one with the Champions League league phase. And there's some, but they've got some great fixtures, hey, for this opening round of matches. Real Madrid against Inter, which you mentioned, Paul, Porto against Man City, Barcelona, up against Feinord, and their former defender, Juvenile Broncos, Napoli Arsenal on the Wednesday, which, there could be a tough one for the home fans, that. I was going to say, I don't think that is going to be as intimidating a place to go for Arsenal as it would have been in the past. Yeah. Yeah. Liverpool, up against that, let's go that same night. There's no Pep this year. Yeah. Have you seen that picture, though, which kind of illustrates the Pep legacy of the Champions League? Basically, there's four Man City defenders, and they are circling a Barcelona midfielder during a Champions League clash from, I think, 2014. All four Man City players are now coaching in this season's league phase. You've got Collarov, who's the assistant manager at Inter, Yeyatori, who's Slovak and Bratislava manager, and will be debying in the Champions League against... Paris Saint-Germain. Paris. No wins. Paris Saint-Germain. Unless you count the Supercup, which you're not. Well, okay. Yeah, yeah. Since the Supercup, no wins. Third Man City player is Vincent Company, who's very much by a Munich manager. They've got Bodo Glimt on Thursday. And the other Man City player is Martin Dima-Kaelis, who is now manager of RB Leipzig, and here's the thing. He is going to be managing against combo, who are run by the Barcelona player in that picture. Says Fabregas. So everything is quadriol. Everything is quadriol. Being Pep Guardiola. Yeah, excellent. So, James, a couple of other matches that are taking place I haven't mentioned. All Man United, Saba and other ones. I like the story of the Lithuanian coach who started out, because he won... Well, he didn't go far in the Lithuanian version of who wants to be a millionaire, but his winnings were enough to bring him to England where he did his coaching matches. Really? Yeah. This is the Saba manager, is it? Yes. Really? Yeah. That's a great story. Hmm. All right. I mean, Michael Carrick against a former who wants to be a millionaire winner. Bring it on. Bring it on. Excellent. Tom, you gave us a great pick of it, a kind of left field choice. Is there one of those games that you think is going to provide an early season upset? I mean, I'm sure one of them will. Yeah, you want me to take one? I'm just saying, is there one that's... I mean, I think expectations are going to be a little bit... Yeah, I mean, I'm curious to see how PSG get on against them about Saba, but they're probably winning, but just given that their domestic form has been so underwhelming, there are, you know, a few question marks around them. Yeah. Need to show up at some point. Looking forward to chat about PSG later on, because it is beginning to get... Hmm. Interesting. A bit head scratching there for the folks. Paul, what do you think? Are we going to see an upset somewhere real bettis going to turn over our friends' liel, or what are you looking forward to? Is it going to be an upset if, like, we're all about this winning and thrilled? Probably not. No. I mean, it could be like something that could happen. I'm not sure about what to say, because I was about to say another game that I'm waiting for, is to be able to let it go and Madrid, but I don't see an upset happening in there either. But I just can't wait to see Julien Albert at the starting for the team, basically, because he's expected to start. And see how he does. But yeah, in terms of upsets, I'm not really sure. I think I'm quite conservative indeed. What? In this fictus. What are the chances of interest, do you think, piling on more misery for their former manager, Maurinho, into who are off to a brilliant start in Syria, and came from two goals down at the weekend, two defeat in Napoli to stay on top of the table, a fixture they will feel most keenly, you'd think. Yes. I mean, they went to the Bernabéu in 2010, won the treble. I could say, highest point of interest history, even with the teams from the 60s, coming up against Joseph, who was in that clinch outside the Bernabéu with Matarazzi, got into a car to go and see Don Forantino. So, yeah, and obviously, Christian Kivu, the intercoach was a member of that into treble-winning team. Maurinho, whilst he was at Inter, he had loads of soundbites, and one was Rumoradelli Nenechi, which is like the noise of your enemies. You can always hear them chatting behind your back and that sort of thing. Maurinho, whilst he was at Finabatio, whilst he was out of work last year, who's a bent figure. He said something about how these young coaches, sort of come into the game, get big jobs, too soon, and he didn't mention anyone, but like this was put to Kivu, and he didn't like it, and he said it was the Rumoradelli Nenechi. It's nice, friend. It's a great friend. Yeah, and so, Joseph was asked about that today. I'll say if you heard from Christian, if you've been in touch with him, and Joseph was like, have you been in touch with your mum today? Have you been in touch with your mum today? No, you're my mum, I'm just straight from the beginning. In a quite funny way, he was like, I shouldn't tell you how I've been on the phone with today. You're going to tell me who you've been on the phone with today. Anyway, Joseph promised that you would embrace Christian. I'm sure. Again, you're right into having been looking good. They've sort of been trying to gradually phase in, some of their three lions. Curtis Jones came on at the weekend and did quite well. Yeah. Mr. Bit of a sitter, but also sort of involved in one of their combat goals. And yeah, got a real sense of the belief in this entity and to come back from 2-0 down, which Napoli hadn't lost from a 2-0 lead since 1942. So, okay. 1942. Yeah, I mean, this is the encouraging thing if you're an Arsenal fan preparing to go to Naples. Right. Is that what worked for Allegri in the past was like, we're 2-0 up. I'm going to go 3-0 at the back. Yeah. That's 15 minutes. Yeah, but he did this time. Well, he put baddie a chile on. He brought on another centre-back. But they didn't shot the way you'd expect, and Napoli did. And in Allegri's side, they shipped 3-0. And so, I knew as soon as that substitution happened, I was like, it's Napoli in trouble now. Right. And I mean, I could have scored four or five. And this was, they had 29 shots on the day again, which is not something you associate with. And Allegri's side does not concede 29 shots. So, so speaks to a bit of the firepower that Intel have got, but this will be quite a test. I don't know what Paul made of Madrid's defeat to Betis with him back at what missing a penalty. Yeah. And they had looked good up until that game. I scored a lot of goals. So, that's very much the meridian narrative that there are sometimes you lose a game and you can't really say, port-a-care. Port-a-care, he does point to a couple of things, which, to be fair, I think Real Madrid were a little bit unlucky about in this game. What do you think, Paul? Yeah, no, I mean, if I'm honest, I think that drama played well enough to win the game. It missed a lot of chances in the first half. They were really on top of the game. Vinicius missed basically an open goal and Bappe missed another open goal into attempts. Basically, to Betis defenders saved the goal in the line, in the, like, under the post. And yeah, I think that they were really on top of the game just to, yeah, get it back, get like the 3.5 back home. And then, the end, the second half, they were a little lucky. It's true that they lost a bit the grasp of the game and that they still have the middle problem that they sort of had last season, which is in a way why Barcelona fans celebrated that much that they signed Brodery and not Real Madrid, because they just took away what they needed, basically, what their enemies needed. But they still have a problem. And then, at the end of the game, they were lucky with the, this allowed goal, which, of course, was off-site, so there's no denial in there. Then the penalty, I don't know if you've seen the penalty that Enbape missed, that Marc Barter basically jumps into the box, but as he's on the air while getting into the box and Enbape kicks, kicks like his penalty. So basically, it doesn't count that he's inside the box because he's in the air. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So even if you enter the box, aerially, you're not encroaching. And so he touched the turf. No, no, so basically, that's something that, so this became a thing a couple of seasons ago in Spain, in the promotion play of Tula Liga, again, between Obedo and Mirandes. So basically, Mirandes defended that. He jumped into the box because he read the rule book before, like, the game, or, like, beforehand. And he knew that he was in the air. It doesn't count. And like, Marc Barter basically did the same. And in a post-match interview, I think it was to the zone, to the broadcasters. He basically said that he has a close friend, and that he's a referee in, like, the third division of Spain. And he told him that he could do that in a penalty. So sort of timed, like, the run of, of, like, in Bappe going to the penalty, and jumped into the box. And then he was in a privileged position to, basically, after the discipline of a keeper kick it out. Players are going to be running, starting their run-up on the halfway line, launching themselves, like, a handful of players. Oh, close to the take of the penalty. Can you get, I mean, the air? Yeah, machine possible. Absolutely. Can you do this with off-sides as well, Paul? With that count, if you were to jump off-side, with them, I think that it's not the case. Well, like, the ball is in, is in, like, his motion. So there is a set-play. So all the way to the ball. So his third division referee, friend, is laying him down there. Well, yeah. Jumping, as he tries to rate the off-sides, at the time I draw the line, where's he gone? Where's he gone? Where's he gone? So, but there you go. Anyway, the upshot was that Real Business ran out one-nil winners, the goal scored, as you know, that hurt by Troy Parrot. Mm-hmm. Troy Parrot, it was his first goal for Real Business. Against the manager who gave him his professional debut back in the day at Tottenham Hotspur. So, yeah, there you go. But, yeah, they perform well, and it otherwise been a good start to the season. So, Real Madrid, the favourites, would you say, Paul? I would say so. I would be surprised if Real Madrid do not win this one. And if he don't do, I think that, I'm not going to say pressure, you're going to pay a lot, but more noise is going to pay a lot. I don't think that Maurinho will be questioned, Paul. Yeah, there will be a lot of talk. There's already noise around Bini and Mbappe and the lack of defensive work. A bit of the same problems that we heard last season. Maurinho still has not taken them off in a game. So, there's a bit of this feeling that they are untouchable, and that if they don't have a good game, Madrid might have problems, because they seem untouchable to some extent. And that might not fit with the balance of the team, and what the team really needs. Oh, this entirely new narrative for Real Madrid, Tom. Well, Mbappe in the pretty much press conference today was asked about that, about criticisms of him and Vinicius Jr. not doing their fair share of defending, compared to Barcelona forwards, for example. And then Bili, as well. And sorry, Raffinho and then he's been there, Bili. And he said something like, well, I could flip it around and say, why on all the other players scoring as many goals as me? But I won't say that. So just like he didn't mention that. I could also say that would be childish. He also said that he sees himself as in a good position to win the ball and don't. Right. That's what he thinks is that he can... He's in a good deal doing the ball and don't. All right. Then he and Bappe, they're like, couple, aren't they? Not being sat in the... They better be sat in. Oh, yeah. That's the last three business you would hear about it. Yeah. What do you think James about Inter's chances? Look, I think this is a big game for Kibu, because Inter obviously have reached the Champions League final twice in the last four years. And in his first year, he did the double and people thought maybe that team was at end of a cycle. So that was already seen as an achievement, but they were a big disappointment in Europe. Particularly because going to the final four games of the league phase, they were in a really good position in the top eight. And then they got a bit unlucky in some of the big games. There was that Florian Bert penalty against Liverpool, which was never a penalty. There was the... There were a few other... Athletico, they lose top edge time. But there was a sense that in the big games, they would just come up short, and this is a big game. So I know from a kind of ownership point of view, it's really important that Kibu went into do well in Europe this year. And that doesn't mean win the thing, but it means not pass up opportunities. I presented themselves like last year, when even when they fell into the playoffs, they had Bodo. Yeah. They went out to Bodo. If they'd beaten Bodo, they would have got sporting. There should be sporting. And then they would have played Arsenal in the quarterfinal. And if you go out to Arsenal in the quarterfinal, so be it. But I think it is important for them to show progress in the Champions League this year. Interesting. We mentioned Napoli's game with Arsenal. One of the reasons that that looks like a tough fixture for them is the fact that Scott McTomoney is very much not available. Scott, having a heart surgery, essentially, they're describing it as a minor, intervention, but still it's going to keep him out for a while. But he'll be all right to come back. He will be all right to come back, providing everything goes well. In Italy, they're particularly sensitive to these things. They have a different procedure for kind of signing off on a medical. Then we do here in the UK. It's why plays we've had far worse heart problems than the one that was detected with Scott McTomoney. I've had to leave Italy. Christian Erickson and Erickson, and Edward Abovo, playing for it, because they've had a pacemaker fitted. I don't think that's going to be the case with McTomoney. I think it's, as you said, something more minor. But this long international break, three weeks, kind of gives them an opportunity to do the operation now. And he should theoretically be back in October. Okay, everything goes well. He'll be lacking a bit of match for his fitness from that time, because obviously, I would imagine he wouldn't be able to train. But, yeah, Napoli were also talking about wanting to extend his contract as well, and that sort of thing. But it means, yeah, he will not be involved. He was not involved at the weekend in the defeat to enter. And, yeah, he's this, yeah, we've had Paul talk about aura. Scott has had, he's got a lot of aura about him. So he's a big main character energy. Well, it's a condition that he's been aware of for a long time, but there's been signs that it needed to be attended to. So it's great that it's being taken care of before anything more serious comes of it. I'd like to go Madrid against Liverpool. I'd like to go, who themselves have been off to a good start. This weekend coming a cropper in spectacular fashion, Paul, what do you feel about their chances that I am filled? Yeah, I know. I mean, I still think that they are as to them. Atlético, yeah, they got a bad result on the weekend against Atlético club. They have a problem. They don't have a nine, basically. And that's something that Simona has been pleading for weeks. Just basically to bring him a nine, because Julian Alderman has been not really in Paul. What are you talking about? Yeah, but Jonathan David, he was injured. That thing in the first game, he couldn't play. He was not on the match squad. I don't know if he will be against Liverpool. But yeah, I'd like to go, but it had problems like salary limit wise to bring in play. That's why they did a loan last minute with Jonathan David. And this lack of balance, I think, that has had an impact on the performances in the start of the season. And that's why he's been practicing before that game with Julian Álvarez in the starting lineup. Cuti Romero is also expected to make his first start as an Atlético player. So these are the two main tweaks that Simona is just planning for this game. But yeah, they certainly need a bigger present up front, because it was Ademola Lugman, who was playing as a number nine. He was not happy about it. And like Simona basically, he apologized to Lugman for using him in there, because he knew that he was not making him a favor. But yeah, let's see how it works for them. Kangin Lee, the PSZ player, is right now one of the biggest threats that Atlético, the mother, did have, are playing as a sort of number 10. And yeah, a bit of a team in the process of being built in what can be a critical year for Simona, because he's on his last year of contract at the club. And let's see what happens in there. Very interesting. I came coming up with a thing, so I don't Wednesday that game. This midway. Yes. This midway. Very nice. All right. Wednesday, Wednesday, very good. We'll talk more about La Liga and what's going on there. And of course, La Liga, uh, very shortly. But let's start with Europe's most open top division, Serie A. All sorts of teams could be bidding for the title in Serie A, the Scudetto. This season, to them, faced off this weekend, entered against Napoli. We touched a little bit on Inter's performance. And I guess on Napoli as well. But to what extent are they, the amount they've already fallen off the features at home by Como, this to feet here as well? Do you still see them as, uh, in that title picture this season? I think it's a very interesting mix, um, Max Elegria and Napoli, um, because, yeah, Napoli have been built over the last few years to play, you know, very attacking football, make what you will of contest style. But he, this time last year, was trying to change during, they were playing four to four, Spaletti, you know, very attacking coach. Like to usually have wingers and tens. This isn't who Max Elegria has been the last few years. He's played, um, with a back three. He's been someone who likes playing a low block, play on the counter-attack. And, uh, I think that's actually quite hard for these players. They're not used to playing that way. They're used to having more of the ball, um, they're used to having, uh, rehearsed attacking patterns. Uh, and, uh, at the moment, they don't, they don't really have that. And Kevin De Bruyne has not started a single game. So far this season, some feeling that that's because, you know, he came back from, from the World Cup, as others did, he's, he didn't have a fourth preseason, bloody bloody blower. Um, but, um, I can't imagine he would enjoy playing in, in a, in a team that is practicing the style of football, um, at the moment. And they did very little business in the summer as well, because, um, they spent a lot last summer. And then Conte looked at the players that, they signed last summer and was like, don't like any of these guys. Um, it's sort of no-a-lang Lorenzo Luka, you know, please go to Galatasaray and Forrest. Um, and in the meantime, buy me some new players in January. And then Luka and Lang returned in the summer. And they've got all the players that they bought in January as well, like Giovanni and so, Allegri has got like nine attacking players. And he's not, and especially attacking coach. So it's a strange mix at the moment. And, um, certainly, hey, he's got, he's got a lot of work to do because you could say it's been a tough start playing coma, playing into and now playing Arsenal. Um, but at the same time, this is Napoli's centenary year, they want to win something. Right. Uh, currently down in 12th place. Yeah. Centenary year for Fiorentina, they commemorated that you were mentioning a week ago by losing at home to Julie, promoted frozen only 3-0. They previously been beaten 4-0 by Roma. This weekend, they went ahead against Treno, but still ended up losing as a result of which Fabio Grosse has become the first managerial casualty of the season. Good see of your friend. Does it be Camisa? There you go. I was watching him. You're right. Extraordinary. Just extraordinary. How do you not prep me for this? I would have assumed it was, I don't know, Antonio Albinese doing his laces, Pet Sonadro, but just a magnificent compelling protagonist. Yeah. So, but basically, yeah, Fabio Grosse are already out after three games. Yeah. And there were some great photos of, uh, Giuseppe Camisa, like, Commodus, kind of higher, in the stands looking on, disgusted. Sort of not waving his tongue out, and that sort of thing, but clearly, disapproving on the showing that Fiorentina we're giving. But I have great deal of sympathy for Fabio Grosse, because as they've signed, I think, at least 13 or 14 players this summer, four of whom arrived on, on Deadline Day, Willignanto, Pedro González, NG. There was another one. And, yeah, that is a really difficult situation to be in. Because it's like, you walk into that football club and you think, well, where is my core? You know, who are the people in this dressing room who understand what Fiorentina is, what Florence is, what it means to represent this club, and that sort of thing. And it feels like there's none of that. And so, Grosse's quote last week about, sort of, having lots of nice pictures to hang the walls on which to hang them. I think, was was absolutely right. And they brought back Palavano, then you know, you kept the club up last year. After Palavano, he went on a podcast last week and was like, I don't know why I got fired. I should have been given enough chance. And here he is. He's got his chance. So, you know, that's great. It should mention, from Torino's point of view, another great go from Che Adams. Che Adams. And how about that Mandragana strike, woof. Yeah, Mandragana who left Fiorentina on the final day of the transfer window, joined Torino. First game is back in Florence and scores one of the goals of the weekend. Stronery strike. Very, very nice. You also went on to Yves and their one-on-draw with Milan, or at least you were in town for that, but I think in the restaurant with Erich, but Amazotti at the same time. I was at the stadium. Oh, you were at the stadium? No, we were in the stadiums. Oh, right. That was just. All right. It was Yannick Sinner was there as well. I'm trying to think of, they're quite a lot of, I mean, attracted a lot of big Italian names. Nice. Big game. Or it used to be, used to be. And it saw Milan take the lead through their remarkable 19-year-old pronounces name for me. I think that's right. I think that's right. I've had Josie say. Who's been the great news of their start of the season? In two of their first three games, plays on the left wing, loves to go inside, takes chances, takes players on, takes risks. I had a great year last year in Cedibiu, Catanzaro, and the tutelarger of San Alberto O'ahuilani. And as a promising young Italian player, the expectation is that he will be in Roberto Mancini's first Italy squad back, which is, yeah, he's very, very encouraging. I mean, a lot of interesting things in Cedibiu, the debate at the moment is games like we had, for example, the internappily game, or even Como Geno on Friday night were Como. Danieli Lossi said was the best team he's ever coached against. Really? In Cedibiu. Geno went a goal up, Como came back and beat them four-one. Yeah. And people in Italy are saying this is because the referees have been told to take a lighter touch and let it flow. And so fewer fouls are being whistled. We saw in the internappily game on one of Inter's combat goals, Rachmani, it's an aptly sent back, sort of down in the peltier for like 30 seconds, and they play on score. And it's this kind of relaxation of the rules to to mean that games are played at sort of higher tempo, more football is played. And yeah, on Skytally last night, they had the effective time, so ball in play time. And it's like up five minutes on last year. Good Lord. But that's good. And so there's a feeling that we're getting these exciting endings as we had in Roma Attalante as well. And thank you for mentioning that. Yeah. Yeah. Roma Attalante followed Internappily and it was almost as good. Yeah. So Roma were a goal down in the 80s, seventh minute and ended up winning two one with yet more late strikes. It's been their way sort of other season. Debalas now up to four assists is he the difference, the fact that he's fit? Is it? Yeah. And the first panic last week because he'd started the season really well, Patrick of assists in his first game. And then there was there were reports of muscle fatigue during last week. And I'm like, oh no, here we go again. He's not going to be available. And he started. And you know, as a Jose, I used to say when Palo de Bala starts, now that I'm music guys, different different music when it's when I know the departures play. Indeed. Come on. We'll be hearing the Champions League music for the first time when they take on RB Leipzig this midweek. Yeah. I hadn't clocked the fact that Robert Sanchez had joined. We've seen the photo of him. He moved on Deadline Day. Right. And everyone always seems really happy to join Como. Because you might get to live by the lake. And his photo shoot seems to be a very angry man holding a very old ball in a vintage Como shirt. Almost like he didn't expect Chelsea to sign. Right. Emmy Martinez and then bundle him off to Como. There you go. All right. Well, Como, I'd be like to say one of the treats from the Champions League. We're going to have a extra totally football show on Wednesday morning to run up Tuesday night's action. And then of course on Thursday we'll be doing our regular show featuring the Wednesday games. For now, unless there's anything else from Syria, let's move on. Tom, should we go to Liga next Friday it was the big PSG Monaco game. PSG off this terrible start the season Monaco top of the table. But here was the chance for PSG to put things back in order. And you went along to see what happened. What happened? Yeah. I mean, it's the kind of performance that we have got used to seeing from PSG in the early stages of the season in recent times in that they completely dominate. They create a hat full of chances and yet somehow manage not to win. And on this occasion they actually ended up losing. And it should have been a sort of a glorious night for PSG. It was their first home game of the season because their first game against Ren, which should have been put at the part their prance had to be relocated because of the problem for the pitch. And just before kickoff, they announced that not only Lewis and Rika, but a whole bunch of first team players, Jean Nevesch, Fabian Ruiz, William Pat, show a couple of others, had extended their contracts. They're all, you know, kind of celebrated pre-kickoff. Marquinhos is showing off the UEFA Super Cup. And PSG have got a very strong team out. You know, dominate the opening exchanges. Go ahead through Marquinhos after about half an hour. Early in the second half, they hit the crossbar through Magnus Aclyush playing against his former teammates at Monaco. And you thought, OK, well, this is a matter of time. PSG, you're just going to get this sorted, get this done. And then as they sometimes do, because they've not taken their chances, they kind of eased up over to slightly, Monaco punished them, equalized to a young Portuguese left back called Flavio Nazimio. And then with about 20 minutes to go, Monaco break again, and Stanisio Dumbo takes the ball, past Marquinhos, bludgeoned a shot towards Matvei Saffanov's near post, and Saffanov can't keep it out. And this is becoming a bit of a theme when we were talking about him on last week's part or the pod before. You know, it's slightly peculiar that PSG have decided they are happy to go through an entire season with Saffanov as they're starting goalkeeper, because, you know, he obviously is a little bit erratic. We saw in the Champions League final, the Kai Havett's goal. He has a weakness at his near post. He can see did a goal against Monaco in very similar fashion. And so, you know, fingers are starting to be pointed. And as a consequence of losing, PSG now find themselves seven points off the pace, down in 12 or 13th position. 13th spot. I think can they one point off the relegation place? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's got to be considered down. I mean, can you imagine? Can you imagine? Can you imagine? Can you imagine if Monaco would have stay on top? How, how for real are they with their exciting Philippi Louise in charge? Yeah. I mean, they rode their luck as you have to do if you want to get a result against PSG. They only had two shots on target, and they scored with both of them. But the last kind of 20 minutes, it was, you know, PSG were pushing, but it wasn't, you know, a complete siege. There was one fantastic save by Lucosudexky, the Monaco goalkeeper, deep into stoppage time. Usman Dembele, who'd started on the bench and come on, picks the ball up on the right hand side, cuts inside, and curls a shot with his left foot, curling into the top left corner. Redexky dives across and kind of saves it with his top hand. But yeah, Monaco were looking good and, you know, had a very complicated week in the transfer deadline day on Tuesday, you had the whole following Balagun Lameen camera saga. Balagun wasn't present. He is officially still working his way back to fitness and to the world cup, but probably working his way towards a hillow or similar. Quite possible. He's been left out of their conference league squad, generally not a sign that the club are, you know, planning to use all that heavily. But Lameen camera started, had a bit of a shaky first top, but then really grew into the game. It's difficult to imagine Monaco staying the distance, unfortunately, because they are under a load of salary restrictions that the DNCG, French football's financial watchdog announced at the end of the last season, hence the desperate need to get players out of the door during the window and hence the slightly desperate scenes that we saw at the end of the transfer window last Tuesday. And so they have a fairly thin squad, but yeah, so far three wins at a three and sitting pretty at the top of the table. Piers G, by the way, the last time they failed to win any of their opening three league matches was the 2012-13 season when they went on to win the league by 12 points. So, yeah, Aino Ancelotti's first season. Aino Ancelotti's first season. Anyway, Monaco top of the table. Monaco at the top of the table, behind them, four teams are level on points, Leon, Leal, Ren and Liam Resenius, Paris FC, who went to the velodrome this weekend and beat Marseille 3-2. They did the Sunday night fixture. And, yeah, came out on top, opened the scoring inside 24 seconds or something like that. Lassine Cignoco, who's one of the players they brought in over the summer, scored a hat trick, Marley International Center forwards, previously with Ozea, scored a couple of goals. Amiga Wiri cancelled out each of them, but then right at the end of the game, C.J. Egan Riley, English center back formerly of Burnley was penalised for a handball, slightly unfortunately. Cignoco tucks away the penalty, and yeah, Paris FC riding high, and most clubs in Liga are really struggling financially, even the bigger clubs. Marseille haven't signed a single player over the summer transfer window. Leon not qualifying for the Champions League has meant that they've not really been able to spend that much money, either other traditional heavyweight, like Monaco, they're not spending much. But Paris FC have got these super wealthy owners, and they have been able to spend in a way that some of the other kind of league table and European aspiring clubs have not been able to. Lassine Cignoco is one example of that. They also brought in a guy from L'Oreal, called Pablo Pagice, and they signed a couple of really excited young, really exciting young central midfielders, Rudy Matondo, who came in from Ozea in January, and a guy called Patrick Zabby, Ivorian centimed, who came in from France this summer, and it looks like one thing that Paris Saint-Germain have been criticized for quite a lot is their inability to bring through young players. I think Paris FC see that as a way that they can assert a kind of, you know, a new identity for themselves. And yeah, you know, so far under Liam Racine, it's all going pretty well. Brilliant, they're currently level with Leon, as I say, behind Monaco, and it is Leon who they will be facing next Saturday in that Liga. Tom, you've got a head off now. Patrick Beachwatch. Oh, yeah. Be remiss not to mention, buddy, Patrick Plage. Not so good this week. Oh, they lost six to home to Strasbourg. He was too early to be on the beach. Yeah. Yeah. Too early to be on the beach. I mean, if anything, it is, it is beach weather, albeit, sadly not for him. Yeah, he was directly at fault for the fifth goal, kind of bold the ball out to Samuel Amel Améor, English-winger, playing Australia Strasbourg, who cuts in and scores. And he got a three out of ten from the keeper. Oh, he was the flop of the match. The flop, de la flotte, de la flotte, de la jaune. You're on May. Wolf Beach. So, yeah. Yeah. Crikey. Well, bed of luck next time to Patrick. Tom, thank you so much for being with us. Hope whatever it is you're about to head off and do goes very well. We, Paul, are going to be heading towards Spain. Quick check on events elsewhere in Europe. PSV went to Iaxe and beat them three one this weekend in the Eradavisi. Look like they're making a big challenge. And they're not the only ones because they're Ruben Van Bommel. That name sounds familiar. Yes. Marx. Sun. The Marxman. The Marxman. And, yeah, similar playing style, absolutely incredible challenge that he puts in, described as like an assassination on Dutch commentary. Which one? Ruben. Yeah. Ruben. Oh, he picks up a yellow, but Paul, have you seen this? Yeah, yeah. I was about to come in another thing later. Oh, yeah. No, go for it. No, I mean, I was going to, yeah, I know I was just going to go buy a bread for me. Then like mention Ronald Cumanson. Have you seen that? Ah, Ronald Cumanson. Yeah, two goals, no? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Being a goalkeeper is the penalty tag off his team in the second division of the, in like the Netherlands. Could you give us a little bit more detail just for anyone who's not seen this story, Paul? Yeah. So, so basically, Ronald Cumanson, he's the goalkeeper of a Telstar team in the second division of the Netherlands. And Telstar, basically, they draw two to their game against Kambur. And the two goals that his team scored were like from the penalty spot. And it was revealed in the game that the number one penalty taker of the team this season is the goalkeeper, Ronald Cumanson, who basically took the two penalties and scored. Well, I mean, his that was pretty good at penalties. I mean, he's one of my dad's heroes as a bar as a fun growing up. And he was really really with a penalty. Yeah. Could have three kicks as well, of course. Very nice, extraordinary stuff. In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich are in sixth place. Yeah, they played Schaucko, who are back up, of course, this season. And they drew Neil Nell with Laurie's carriers pulling off a worldie of a one saving particular on Harry Kane right at the death, but keeping a clean sheet against Bayern Munich. And yeah, well done, Paul. And yes, there they sit in sixth place, remarkable. Also remarkable, Elvesburg, who we took about last week, who also just come up and come from a tiny little bird of 13,000 people. You remember, last time out, they'd beaten by Levykuz. And this time, they played Berusha Munchen Gladbach and beat them for three. They were three one down in the game. Who are these kids, these Elves? Yeah, incredible. Anyway, that's all well and good. But what about La Liga? Paul, you told us about the misadventures of the true Madrid sides, but you this weekend went to see Barcelona as they put five goals past yet another hapless victim. Third time already this season that they've scored five. This time it was against Valencia, who looked like they are in a world of trouble. Tell us more. Yeah, so basically the Barcelona who failed to sign the number nine and lost Robert Lundowski and and and and Ferranturras in the summer transfer window, a combined figure of 47 goals. So they basically they can't have enough goals, basically, which is difficult to explain. They they have scored 17 goals in four games. They're playing with Rafinha as a sort of number nine. He's thriving on it. He's really good. The sort of movement that he does. He dips in as a midfielder. He plays as a quarterback then runs into the box, crashing to the box and scores goals for fans. Basically, Anthony Gordon on the left wing being really good as well. La Mindyamaal with back to bra back to back braces, scoring four goals in the last two games. So yeah, they are doing pretty well. This sort of thing was playing with them with a false nine is doing wonders for for Flick and you wonder if they really need the number nine. If they really need to to San Juan Alvarez, which is something that they will try to do again in January. I'm letting you know that. But yeah, and then like watching the game, you you felt sorry for for the volunteer players, because I know that we've spoken a lot about all the problems that they have in the club, the fan base against the property against the ownership against their own manager against the players. They put what I saw at Miss Talia on the weekend, for me, was like a new low. Just seeing the fans going against their players against like asking for Carlos Corovera and the manager just to resign and just to leave the club. The current club owner, he went, he went to the game, Keat. Keat, I don't remember the surname of Jesus. Lim Lim Keat Lim. Went to the game for the first time in two years. And well, he will remember the game because he basically they sunk every sort of thing against him. And you could sense that the players played with fear, with fear just to lose the ball, just to make a pass, something and they were just battered by Barcelona from the first minutes. And yeah, let me get my score after three minutes in. Keat, this is a loud gold, eight minutes in. So you could see from the very start that it was going to be a one-sided game and he ended up being that boy, yeah, Barcelona. It's difficult to see another team right now with the Liga so well assembled as them. They play by heart. It's the third year under a hunch of licking, although they have processed the idea of playing and what they want to do really well. Plus, Brodery made his debut as a starter as well, which is pretty handy just to have a player like Brodery in your team. 17 goals they could in four Liga matches. The only team that looks close to matching them is Alavez. Alavez who put five pass also soon of themselves in a second in the league. It's just amazing, just amazing. I mean, if you would have asked me three weeks ago, I would have put Alavez at one of the biggest candidates to relegate the decision. And what they are doing is just, yeah, they deserve this praise. They have a team which is quite fun to see as well. A lot of shiny names like Mariano Diaz. Do you remember him? Like former Real Madrid player, he played that all in Piqulione. A quarter-25 goals in Lincoln. How long has he known? Yeah, I mean, he might be below 30, I think. Wow. Lucas Boyet. Lucas Boyet as well. He's a player that really loved, I mean, he's a really good center forward. I mean, he doesn't tend to be prolific at like scoring goals, but this we can. He really was, because he's called a hat trick. If you can see, I think it was the second one he's called, a caller like from 30 yards just, yeah, a stunning goal. And yeah, Alavez doing really, really well with Kiki Sanchez Flores as a manager, which again is a bit of a throwback to the Barclays days, maybe. And yeah, a lot of legend in this team and a good thing for Alavez, which in my opinion, one of the best stadiums if you want to visit in La Liga, one of the best atmospheres, a really tiny stadium, a lovely city where you're going to drill well. So one of my favorites away trips in La Liga. It's all right. You kind of think you eat in Alavez. And you have to go for the pictures. You have to go for either like steak or feature, really good, like the basket cuisine is one of my favorites, one to be honest. If you go there, go and do a cholaton. Go go and do a cholaton and you will never miss. Perfect. Paul, that's magnificent. A brief round up there of La Liga. Anything else you want to add? I would possibly highlight as well athletic club, because they deserve some praise. I know that they mentioned that they beat athletic club, three, three meals, but it's an ed-in-terrorist site, which I don't know if we are really aware of that. It's quite weird to have ed-in-terrorist managing athletic club. I think that they are doing really well. The first two results weren't particularly good at all, no? Yeah, but they were lucky, I think. In the first game, they got to play a cent of ten minutes into the game in an unlucky situation, and they went to the Cam no, which you're always going to lose. But after that, I think that they've played really well. He's been able to revive. Players that are really good. Nico Williams is looking a bit sharper, or Jensan said, an amazing footballer. If he had some of the big issues a bit more settled, he would play anywhere he wanted to, because it's really good, and he's doing really well. So, yeah, praise for them, because they scored three goals past the athletic club, and they look on their way up. Perfect. Paul, I hope you enjoy the midweek Champions League action. We're going to be seeing you in Wednesday's show, actually. I believe alongside Duncan Alexander and Julian Laurent will be joining us for that, so I can wait for that. Watch out for a totally Champions League extra on Wednesday afternoon. That'll be video, I would think. Listener, for now though, I think that wraps it up for today's show. So, many, many thanks as I say to Paul Tom. Obviously, to James. Just harrowing journey. Pretty so shabby. And you, of course, for turning up and listening to us, do all of that. We'll be back with more as the week progresses. Hope you'll join us for it, and how it's goodbye. The Totally Football Show podcast is available three times a week, bringing you all the football news you can reasonably be expected to care about. We've got views, we've got stats, we've got analysis, we've got some of the best football writers around, and the whole thing is absolutely free. So, have a listen on Spotify or Apple Podcast, all the usual places by clicking on the link below.
