Happy Birthday Fabio!!

Fabio Quagliarella turns 28 today and I knows he wishes he could come back and help Juventus, because God knows they need a proven goalscorer like him. He thinks he was cut down in his prime, but I think this 5ft 11 striker who has a knack for scoring the unconventional goals still has much to offer.

He started his career at Torino, so you can see he was destine for Juventus. Financial problems meant that Torino was relegated to Serie B and many player left the club for free, he then joined Udinese in the summer of 2005 where he flourished for four glorious year, where he developed a budding partnership with Antonio Di Natale and were affectionately known as the " goal twins". And in his marvelous career at Udine he scored 25 goals in 73 appearances. He later went on various loan spells to Ascoli and then Sampdoria before signing for Napoli in 2009. And after scoring 11 goals in 34 appearances, he wanted to go back to where his heart truly belonged, he went to Turin and signed for Juventus in 2010.

But before I go on, I would like to give a moment to his international career but more recently the debacle of South Africa 2010, where he was the one glimmering star. He had only made a measly 45 minute appearance in the final qualifying game against Slovakia. He made an immediate impact and almost helped the Azzurri qualify. He was partnered up with Di Natale where they played like they did at Udinese. Italy were knocked out, but it begged the question what could have happened had they started with him?

He had proven to be a wise investment, and in only 16 appearances he score 9 goals and there is no doubt in my mind that if he had not picked up that horrific injury against Parma, he would have scored a lot more. But after getting his foot stuck in the awful pitch, he twisted his knee meaning that we will be without fabulous Fabio for the rest of the season.

I wish him well and I hope and pray for a speedy recovery...and remember what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger.

Juventus-Udinese 1-2 All Goals Highlights 30-01-2011

Juventus V Udinese..

.. Don't panic!!!! Now is the time to remain calm and show unity.

Things are not going as this Old Lady would want, first crashing out of the Coppa Italia and now this, chances of Juve getting their hands on any silverware are slipping away. One has to bear in mind all the injuries the Bianconeri have, this was a team that obviously weren't used to playing with each other, and that lack of familiarity leads to mistakes which the opposition team can then pounce on.

Chances were aplenty and it was evident both teams wanted a win, but just because you want it, doesn't mean you will get it, as Juve were painfully made aware. It was end to end stuff,Udinese played very attacking football and shown no sign of giving way. But it was Juve that struck first with a magnificent volley by Claudio Marchisio, he had also scored in the 4-0 drumming of Udinese earlier in the season.

However celebrations were cut short as Zapata had equalised for Udinese and the fight was on yet again. The match was getting very heated and it began to sizzle when Alexis Sanchez put Udnise ahead. And lo and behold frustration reared its ugly head, and in the 87th minute Leonardo Bonucci was sent off. Juve were down to 10 men but they didn't suffer any disadvantage, because just a minute later Alexis Sanchez was sent off. But Juve could not conjure up any kind of fightback and it ended with Juve being booed off.

Juve know sit seventh with Palermo to play in midweek an if they want to stop this free fall, they will have to do something about their defending, they can't back off and give them space, they have to keep tight and remain focused!!

Pazzini an Inter man...

.. Well I can't hide my disappointment,I was hoping that Juve would get a proven goalscorer since that is where they are sorely lacking through a run of bad luck. But Inter swooped in with the courage to sacrifice one of their promising players in Jonathan Biabyani and a significant amount of cash, areas where The Old Lady could not compete.

It's no secret that Juventus have been going through a rough patch lately, but injuries to Qualiarella and than his replacement Luca Toni did not help their cause, not to mention the lack of European football means lack of money coming in. This can all way heavily on their psyche, this is one things the so call fans don't appreciate, the pressure for them to succeed and the backlash they receive on a daily basis when they lose. They need time and they need to try a stop this so called free fall down the table.

It would have been so encouraging if they had managed to get Pazzini's services and it would also be good for him, as he would be in the starting 11 as Juve need a goalscorer and Inter have the likes of Eto'o and Milito and many more. I believe he made a mistake and that he will not get as much playing time at Inter as he would have at Juve.

Catania VS AC Milan 0 - 2 All Goals & Highlights [29/1/2011]

Catania V Milan

... A debut for Van Bommel that ended in a negative fashion, everyone knew what they were going to get with him, I mean you just have to remember the World Cup in South Africa, the man had some kind of spell that let him get away with so many fouls. It was partly this reputation that got him the second yellow and then left Milan with 10 men. There was no doubt about the first card but the second one was a bit harsh, but he wasn't given the benefit of the doubt.... it's sad really, how you are always stuck with this tag of "bad boy", I mean aren't the refs meant to be impartial.

However this injustice seemed to be the impetus that led to the goal. It was a free kick in an area that Pirlo would be perfect for, but he's also on the ever increasing injury list. So Zlatan knew he had to hit it with power and hope that the keeper spills it, he got his wish and the ever alert Robinho smashed it into the net. Yet the Rossoneri were not home and dry as they were against a fiery Catania side. But a side also that lacked the quality and skill to finish their attacks. As was so very evidently by the stats, 54% possession, 15 shots but only 1 on goal.

And they were taught a lesson in the art of finishing by Milan giant Swede, Zlatan Ibrahimovic who scored the second goal in the 85th minute. So Milan remain top dog but one does question for how long as their injury list continues to grow, now added with Captain Ambrosini.

Can they really keep up this momentum?

Happy Birthday Gigi!!

A great man was born on this day 33 years ago and his name is Gianluigi Buffon, or as he is known affectionately by fans as Gigi. Having spent 10 glorious years at Juve, he is more than a mere keeper, he is a leader who commands respect from everyone around him and he is a great keeper.

He started his career at Parma youth academy at the tender age of 15. A mere 4 year later he got his Serie A debut against the Mighty Milan, now an ordinary player may find this to be daunting but not Gigi, as the game ended in a 0-0 draw. In his second full season in Serie A, he had cemented his place as the first choice keeper for Parma and went on to make 200 club appearances in all competitions. In his fourth year at the club he won the UEFA cup ( now Europa) and he attracted the attention of Italian heavyweight, Juventus. They paid a record £32.6 m, which even today is still considered to be a record fee, especially for a goalkeeper. But like I said before, Buffon is not just a keeper, he was and still is very special and integral part of any team.

Buffon was immediately thrown into the starting eleven and made 45 appearances and won his first scuddetto in the black and white of Juventus. The following season he helped Juve to the final of the UEFA Champions League and lost out to fellow Italian club AC Milan in a penalty shoot out. Eventhough they didn't win it, his excellent performances were recognised when he won the UEFA Most Valuable Player award and Best Goalkeeper. He would continue to pile up on the accolades, but none were more valuable than the FiFa World Cup in 2006 where Buffon was phenomenal and went through the who competition without conceding a goal from open play ( except an own goal from Zaccardo).

He further cemented his name in the hearts of every Juve fan when he decide to stay with them when they were relegated to the second division. Buffon helped the club to third place on their return to the top division but after that Juve's season went from bad to worse, and last season was the worst as they finished the season in seventh and only had the Europa Cup to play for.

There were rumours that Buffon was going to leave Turin for a Premiership club, however this is totally untrue and the best keeper in the World has signed a contract keeping him at the club till 2013. Buffon has only just returned from a back operation that ruled him out for seven months. And throughout his long lay off Marco Storari has put in an admirable performance, but we all can honestly say that we all miss the imposing and extremely vocal man, that is Gianluigi Buffon.

Coppa Italia...

.... Victories for the two Milan clubs while The Old Lady ends with a whimper. It dawned on me from the start that this was going to be a game that started off slow but eventually got better, it may have got better, but not for me. I should have known from the start when Del Neri decided to put Melo and Sissoko- two defensive midfielder on, and he left the creative spark of Aquilani and Krasic on the bench and the latter was introduced in the second half, but the problem with Juve remain the same- they have no pace up front.

Alex Del Piero will always be thought of as a true legend, but his legs are not as quick as they once were and he can't do it on his own!! Hint, hint, Amauri and Iaquinta need to move!! The time when a game was won with a big target man is long gone, now is the time for finese, skill but above all, a hunger to chase down every ball and make it into a shooting opportunity. Juve maybe only had a handfull of shots on goal, and there is a very obvious reason for this.... they have no pace or creativity upfront. What was glaringly obvious was that even with the introduction of Krasic in the second half... he had no one who could match his speed hence he had no on to play off, and was ultimately ineffective.

The first goal was an obvious defence error, why, in Gods name did Marco Motto back off Vucinic and gifted him the opportunity to get a shot on target?! The funny thing was that just moments earlier Borriello tried a similar move, but Chiellini blocked it by not backing down, okay, sometimes it might go wrong, and I don't blame Motta entirely, he didn't want to give away a free- kick in a dangerous area... but if done right, it can save the team. And I don't think it's right to blame Storari and say that if Buffon was there he would have gotten it. That's not fair as Vucinic should not even had a chance to score.. if the defence had held up.

Juventus crash out of this tournament but let's just hope that they use this as an impetus to get the league form back into shape. I like to think the glass is half full.

AC Milan vs Sampdoria 2-1 Full Highlights Coppa Italia 26/01/2011

Femme Fatale...

Should female officials be allowed to referee major games?? Well that is the question and the answer in my humble opinion is leaning more towards no. I believe they can do the job, it was evident after the Liverpool game, after she had made a very important decision, that they can..but should they. I mean the evidence is all out there..that when they are introduced the game focus tends to shift towards them, whether or not they know the rule etc, and the female ref tends to be the main focus of discussion and not the game.

Just look what happened, Andy Gray was chatting off air and he said something that has been way out of proportion, no matter what he said he is still allowed to have opinions and he should be able to talk about them in private.... afterall this is a free country, isn't it? If females are brought in everyone will have to tip toe around them and the banter between commentators would shift and it will ultimately make women seem weak and in need of extra protection. Is that what we really want?

Games of week 21...

... So far the New Year has brough very mixed fortunes, some good, some bad but ultimately all very surprising. I have to confess, upon hearing how Inter were thrashed by the fiery Udinese, a sence of glee overcame me. Inter are getting stronger as everyone is getting better, but they still have weaknesses that can be exploited and new boss Leonardo may be sending out hugs and kisses, but he is still very inexperienced.

Onto Leo's former club, AC Milan. They had a frustrating game but ultimately you knew that with the likes of Ibrahimovic, Robinho, Cassano and Pato the result was always going to be a win For the Rossoneri. However Cesena did give them a run for their money and it seems that Nesta has fallen victim to the " Seahorses", and is now out of action. With Milan's backline crumbling, are we going to see the fall of the Rossoneri? We might see the fall sooner rather than later as Zlatan continues to ruffle feathers. He is doing fantastic, there is no question about that but his constant criticising of fellow player may find his own teammates despising him. This can lead to the goals starting to try up.

The Old Lady of Italian football had my stomach in knots, I was frustrated to say the least and as the score remained goalless, I feared some one would sneak it in the end and take all three points. Del Piero did have a chance to win it at the death, but his shot went way over the goal. But it's not entirely his fault as the pitches in Italy are awful, and the ball bobbled infront of him.

A valuable point then, as Juve remain out of the top four, but they have not fallen down the table...yet. Onwards and upwards as Juve face an even bigger battle against Roma on Thursday.. LET THE BATTLE COMMENCE!!

AC Milan V Bari- Coppa Italia

What a match, I felt sorry for Bari as they are currently propping up the table in Serie A, I had wanted them to win this. I know how absurd that sounds but one can always hope for a surprise shock. But was never going to happen especially with the way Milan played yesterday, it was a little intimidating to say the least!

Although at the start of the game a certain " bean poll" AKA Zlatan, did look rather frustrated and he did look like an unhappy bunny. However that all changed in the 19th minute, when a moment of brilliance by the gigantic Swede provided the opener. From then on out it was all Milan with a few brief stints from Bari, Alexander Merkel, the young German gave the Rossoneri some extra breathing space when he got on the end of a Robinho pass and was left unmarked to strike it in the back of the net. But his debut goal was marred by controversy, as it was evident that Robinho was in an off side position, but that wasn't what all the Bari players were complaining about. Before the move got started, it was apparently helped by Zlatan tripping a Bari player, and they were understadably upset by the decision to not give a foul. But all said and done, they were 2-0 down at half time and had a lot to think about.

Milan finished the game 3-0, thanks to a goal from Robinho, who had been threatening all through the game however Andrea Pirlo's return to the game seem to have been short lived when he hobbled off near the end of the game, leaving Milan temporarily down to 10 men, However I don't think Bari could have scored anyway.

So Milan are through to the 1/4 to face Cassano's old side Samp while Juventus have to face Roma.. ahh the Gods can be so cruel...

Bunch of Pansies!!!

Does anyone else feel that some people should just stop being such crybabies or is it just me? And you know what turned these people so fragile...it was all this PC malarkey, people can't take anything anymore, even if it is just the truth, because they have been wrapped in cotton wool and protected all their lives!! Too much has been made of the antics of Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes, I didn't watch it to be honest because I find award shows to be dull, but watching clips of him and what was branded as unacceptable behaviour by those fascists, I just found it all the more refreshing, he didn't say anything that wasn't known anyway, so I really don't see the problem.

The US has a culture of backbiting and saying things behind peoples back, so when Ricky dared too say it to their face... o the outrage, give me a break! Just one example is E fashion police, to all the stars on the red carpet they were kissing their arses and saying how stunning they looked, but as soon as they retreated to the safety of the studio..let the bitching commence. On the red carpet they were saying how stunning Natalie Portman looked, and on their show they were making fun about how she was dressed like a Barbie doll!

Another thing was about Robert Downey Jnr, everyone knew about all his scandals because they were plastered all across the media and we were bombarded with images, so what makes what Ricky done any worse? The hypocrites and double standards is one of the many reasons I will NEVER visit the US. Ricky Gervais did what anyone else would have done, if they weren't all cowards. Mr Gervais is a genius and should be given a medal!

Claudio Marchisio ¬ Born to be a Legend

Happy Birthday Claudio!!!

Marchisio is 25 today but he doesn't look a day over twelve.. well maybe the beard! What a great player, he's hardworking, energetic, versatile and can score a goal or two, and not to mention his tremendous humility and willingness to do whatever it takes to help the team.... which does sometimes mean that he picks up the odd yellow card! Luigi Del Neri still needs to figure out his best position but that doesn't stop him working himself into the ground.

Marchisio was born in a small Province of Turin and has black and white running through his veins. His passion towards Juve was a family affair as his family were season ticket holders and he started his career as a ball boy at the Stadio delle Alpi. He started his playing career at age 7 and has never stop playing. He is a true product of the youth system and has been the rare gem that is still with Juve today, unlike Sebastion Giovinco who was unfortunately loaned out to Parma in the 09-10 season.

Always being a hard working and tenacious midfielder has helped him secure first team football and also win his place in Juve supporters hearts as he has been named on numerous occasions as "Man of the Match" and " Man of the Month". His ability to shot with both feet and his excellent reading of the game have often drawn comparisons to Marco Tardelli.

He begun his Juve journey as a second striker, modeling himself on Alessandro Del Piero but was then switched to the role of midfielder at age 16, which he now continues to play in. Marchisio was often called to train with first team players under Fabio Cappello, but he only became a permanent first team player when The Old Lady was relegated to the second division. There he had the opportunity to master his skills. Juve were quickly promoted to Serie A and "Il Principino" was thus loaned out to Empoli to get some experience. He returned to Juve in the 08-09 season and has been an integral part of the game ever since and was rewarded by a call up for the Azzurri.

His early Juve career has been interrupted by niggling injuries that have interrupted his game but after his surgery on his knee at the beginning of October in the 09-10 season. He came back with a bang when he scored a fantastic goal in the Deby d' Italia, he showed incredible balance and composer to dink the ball over a stranded Julio Cesar.

One can only imagine what this "little Prince" can do to help Juve achieve, along as he stays injury free and can refrain from getting suspensions, the future looks bright with him in it.

Fab Antonio..

... Well he's certainly not the same Bari Brat we once knew, could it be.... he's actually maturing. He has calmed down and works well for his team.. so far. But like Cassano said in his first press conference, this is his last chance saloon, if he blows it, his career will end.. and what a tragic end to a promising career. However his performance at Milan thus far have been encouraging and he has struck up a good relationship with Zlatan, so all is good in the Milan camp....

I think not, Alex Pato has begun to show his arrogance, it was obvious after the match against Lecce when Gattuso and him reportedly got in a argument and Seedorf had to play peacemaker. The problem with Pato is that he knows he is good and he has this air of superiority about him. And will Gattuso is not one to take it from a snot nosed kid! Pato has only just returned from injury, so it may all be down to frustration, but Milan have to get a handle on it before he turns into a Cassano of the past, you know, with all the tantrums!

Whe a player's ego becomes bigger than the team, that is when you should begin to worry. He needs to have someone like Kaka' to keep him level heade and working on honing his skills, ahh how we all need a Kaka' in our teams.

Juventus vs Bari 2-1 Full Highlights and Goals 16/01/2011

Juventus v Bari..

The first game of the season was against Bari and they lost 1-0, so it was not a surprise that I feared the worst given their growing injury list. They have lost Quagliarella, Toni, De Ceglie, Grosso, Amauri, Ianquinta, Marchiso and Melo through suspension, so it was of no surprise that I would be nervous. And even though Bari are currently propping up the table just meant that they were going to be tricky, because when you are so low in the ranks no one expects you to do anything and that is often the best time to strike.

To my relief, Juve won by 2 goals but it wasn't as easy as they thought it was going to be and some of the youngster began to show their inexperience. This was evident as Edgar Alvarez managed to brush aside Sorenson and had the space to put in the cross where Rudolf got the best of Buffon and scored the equalize that put them back in the game.

Juve's first goal was a sublime free- kick from Del Piero just before half time, but one has to think why couldn't they score in open play?? I mean it was only Bari, and why did it take Aquilani 79 minutes to score the winner. This can be worrying because how would they have done against a better team?

Now I'm delighted with the latest wins but lets not get ahead of ourselves, The Old Lady has shown some frailties and some lapses in judgement, so put the celebrations on hold for a while, because after all it is a long season..

Juventus vs Catania 2-0 Full Highlights and Goals 13/01/2011

The goalkeeper headache....

... The return of Buffon is suddenly not as simple as once thought. Marco Storari has done an excellent job between the sticks and does not deserve to be benched.. however Buffon is already established as a great player and a solid fan favourite, but he has been out of action for seven months. There lies the dilemma that Gigi Del Neri must face. Goalkeepers are largely different than outfield players, one cannot simply decide to change there keeper half way through a game, like you would do to a normal player. Yet Buffon has been out for 7 months, like I mentioned before, so it might be good practice to bring him out slowly for him to get familiar with everything. He is rumoured to be playing in the game against Bari, this could be the perfect opportunity to establish himself as a great.

You do have to feel sorry for storari, after putting in great performances that made people think that Juve could once again be title contenders- to being left out of the side. My hope is that Del Neri finds a way to keep both keepers happy but that may be the case in the ideal world, but in the ruthless game of football, anything goes... and it may well be storari.

Juventus V Catania

.... Brought the return of Gigi Buffon. And even though he didn't have much to do, his presence in the team was vital to concentration and confidence, I know I was glad to see him back between the sticks. This game also had something they lacked when they played Napoli... the had Felipe Melo. I haven't been his biggest fan but even I know that he made a difference in the game. He has an aggression and power that was sorely lacking when he wasn't there, whether we like him or not, he brought a certain amount of stability in the midfield.

Krasic is another player who has grown into his position almost from the start. The thing that had impressed me most in his game was how he was making an effort to stay on his feet. We all know that he is a good enough player to stay on his feet, however there were occasions in the game against Catania where he was shoved to the ground or clipped and the foul wasn't given. From the one incident against Bologna has haunted him so to speak and even when he's a good boy he still gets ill treated by refs and players.

Del Piero was magnificent and really rolled back the years as he orchestrated the first goal and scored another, but it was then wrongly scrubbed off as off- side. But he did cause a scare when he scored the second goal which was then disallowed, he was clearly in pain, which brings me to my next point... is it fair to expect so much from a 36 year old, one cannot expect him to be the guy to carry the team. But as Juve's injury list grows with the added blow of Luca Toni, who is now out for a month and Quagliarella out for the rest on the season... I fear this may be the case.

The FiFa Ballon D'or...

..... And it remains where it was last year, in the possession of Lionel Messi. He is one player that I can say without a shadow of a doubt, truly deserved to keep hold of it. He is a pure genius in his play, he has phenomenal ball control, it almost seems as if the ball is superglued to his feet and eventhough he may not have won the World Cup, he still shows how important he is to the team.

And with his low centre of gravity, he has the agility and speed to turn the opposition players inside out before going for goal. And to think he's only 23!!! He is only going to get better. Messi has a good way about him, he's not arrogant and he remains humble, unlike some people!! I think his personality goes in his favour and that's why everyone loves him. He always works hard for the team and is always striving to get better.

In my humble opinion, the Ballon D'or for best coach should've gone to Del Bosque. He has accomplished so much more than Mourinho, with winning the Champions League, the Euro's and the World Cup! But Jose' is now the "it" name at the moment and the more popular choice.

How to breathe life into The Old Lady?

We all have to admit that the start of this season didn't get off to the best start, with a 1-0 loss to Bari, and well ... I was kind of dreading the worst and though that the demons of last season were still there. It could be seen that Juve were still a work in progress, but there was a moment when they teased their supporters by climbing steadily up the table an we began to hope... maybe a little to soon, as they have fallen again. Maybe the former disgraced Juve Directer is right, when he says that Juve don't need strikers, they need defenders. I still believe they need mobility upfront but they also have to take a serious look at their back line. Juve have conceded 7 goals in 2 games since the restart of the season, there is no point in getting a boatload of strikers when you can't stop goals from leaking.

Juventus have to put serious thought to this, as this could help them significantly to get back into title contention..

Milan-Udinese 4-4 highlights goals 09-01-2011

Weekend games- round 19

Juve's downfall- what can be said about the game versus Napoli, only that it doesn't surprise me that they lost but only by how much...3-0?! Some of this can be attributed to the fact that they've lost Quagliarella for the rest of the season, but most of it can be attributed to Melo's stupidity in the last game and his aggressive presence was lacking in the middle. The game went from attacking to defending far to easily and completely bypassed the midfield. And not to mention Juve's defending of the first goal by Cavani was poor to say the least! The Old Lady lacks the pace to put up a decent fight against a fiesty side like Napoli.

Aquilani was their in brief parts, while Marchisio had a cameo appearance, and after spending so long in praising Marchisio, I was made to look like a fool. Pepe also didn't look comfortable in his role, he didn't influence the game at all, albeit in brief flashes. He did seem out of place, and it did occur to me that at Udinese, he had a more forward role and played the part of a second striker rather than a midfielder.

Krasic had little affect on the game and any dashing runs he made were usually wasted because of the lack of mobility upfront. Toni did make a surprisingly good debut, even though he didn't get on the scoresheet, but Juve now suffer further by having two rather large forwards who don't move at all! Not to mention that Juve's game was getting rather predictable, all they ended up doing was getting the ball to Toni and hoping that he would do something of worth. This was getting predictable and hence the Napoli defence would just smoother him, making it hard for him to move.

This was becoming all to familiar, as last season Juve also started well but finished the season in 7th place, and now they've dropped to 6th.. Deja' Vu anyone?

Inter V Catania- Under the former Milan boss they have seemed to pick it up. But a cynical person would say that with those players, anyone could win and Leo is just fortunate that all the player have returned healthy and 100%. The other half of Milan are showing signs of frailty, with their late 4-4 draw with Udinese. They have all the attack but there crumbling defence is starting to let the down, and they will be hoping that the likes of Nesta and Andrea Pirlo will return- sooner rather than later.

All that can be said about the weekend... is it was eventful and that the title race is far from being sown up.

Juventus vs Parma 1-4 - HQ All Goals & Full Match Highlights - 06/01/2011

Italia.... How I miss her beauties....

I have such an admiration for Italy that certain people ( you know who you are!) cannot understand why I get offended when they compare it to parts of London.

London may have certain streets that are alright but they are just for the really rich and most are owned by Arabs like Knightsbridge! But as soon as you turn a corner you see what it really is... a shithole!

How absurd is it to compare the beautiful architecture, climate, landscape, people and the history of Italia.. to London? London is dirty, overpriced, overcrowded and full of rude people and not only that, is there anything decent to look at or to do? While Italy has history and character and the people actually have pride in the way they look and where they live.

My whole love of Italy started very young, when I was about 10 we studied the ancient civilisations and Rome was one that fascinated me the most. How the people were controlled by the emperor and how law was passed and followed and also how deeply religious and superstitious they were but more importantly .. the monuments they built were simply awe inspiring, compared to London where things are built last week and are truly shabby!

Most of these details have faded from my memory, but new loves have replaced them, like their love for life, the architecture, the food and especially their passion towards the game of football, which is unrivalled.

They understand what life is all about, life is not about work, work is just something we all must do in order to continue doing the things we love, unlike here, where people just work until they die. Now I am not so naive that I don't realise that no matter how much I love Italia, it is still very corrupt and political unstable... but the good out weighs the bad and I will always love it and it pains me to be away from it.

Is it all over?

News just in.... Fabio Quagliarella is out for the rest of the season after twisting his knee, but does that really mean that Juventus' title hopes are over? I mean a great team should be prepared for this kind of setbacks and have a plan in place to move forward.... shouldn't they??

Juve is slightly different then other teams, they don't rely on one player to score the goals, goals come from everywhere, and even though I'm praying that the injury to Quagliarella is not going to rule him out for the rest of the season, I'm sure they can still solider on without him.

Having said that, the game against Napoli has me slightly worried as they are very attack minded. But like I always say, if they spend so much time on attack, they will inevitably leave gaps at the back which if Juve were smart, they would exploit. After the thrashing they received against Inter, they will be angry and looking for revenge but so will we. Let the battle commence on Sunday- however I am still very curious about all this sudden interest in Luca Toni,I though his best years were behind him... people thought that of Del Piero, yet he has gotten better with age, like a fine wine....

Cagliari V Milan

This match hailed the return of Alex Pato, well he may be considered to be fit to play but he did seem rather rusty as he wasted a number of chances to go ahead. Milan were without Ibrahimovic and I have to be honest, I didn't believe they were able to win the game without him. It seemed as though they were so used to having him there to close the game, that they couldn't do it without him. Not to mention they were also without the muscle of Kevin- Prince Boetang, who could be seen as a replacement for Rino Gattuso.

Milan had 60% of the possession however they lacked the quality upfront. This statement may seem strange as they have the likes of Robiho and Pato upfront but the two Brazilians didn't look comfortable playing together and as I mentioned before, Pato seemed out of practice. But this is a resilient Milan side and in the 85th minute Rodney Strasser got his debut goal with a little help from Cassano... and what an important goal it was, the celebrations afterwards made that clear. So Milan stay on top while Juve slip to 5th and Roma take 4th spot.

Whomever said Italian football was boring and predictable, clearly doesn't watch Serie A!!

Revenge of the Ex- Juventino...

Juventus V Parma.. A game that just had disaster written all over it. Within the first three minutes, Fabio Quagliarella was down with what looked like a very painful hamstring injury, I know all the supporters will hope that it's not as serious as it looks because that would just be disastrous for Juves' title hopes. But one wonder how and why Juve players are so prone to these kind of injuries and questions have to be asked about their training programs.

Quagliarella's injury was the first blow but thing were set to get worse for the Bianconeri as Felipe Melo was sent off in the 17 minute for kicking a Parma player in the face. I had hoped that the days of the Brazilian lashing out at players were long gone as he had made a positive start to the campaign- minus this! Juve then had to play the game with 10 men, and they did well to hold off the attack that was until the 41 minute, when pint sized Giovinco( a former Juve man) scored the opener. We all had to admit that it was coming and with Parma keeping 62% of the possession with 20 shots on goal by the end of the game, you had to admit, they deserved the lead.

More devastation was yet to come, when soon after the restart the "Atomic Ant" struck again. You could now see the Juve players were shell shocked and all hope seemed to be lost but then from a set piece on the other end, Juve cut the deficit, when an unmarked Nicolas Leggrotaglie got his head to the ball to score a thumping header. But this was not destined to last very long, as Parma went straight back on the attack and Herman Crespo was brought down by the evergreen Chiellini. In my opinion, it was the faintest of touches but Crespo made a meal of it and scored from the resulting penalty.

The final nail in the coffin came in the 90th minute when Raffael Palladino another former Juve player made it 4-1. Not a great start for The Old Lady, some injuries and one very volatile player to try and keep under control!!

Movie review..

..... Alice in Wonderland, after getting warnings from friends not to watch it, I didn't at first but when it came on TV i found myself watching it and it wasn't half bad. I don't know what all this negative press surrounding it was, it was a rather good film it dealt with serious issues such as; oppression, sibling rivalry, the politic of fear and how it can only be used so long before the people rise up and you got a revolution on your hands. It also deals with this obsessive need to conform, and how yourmade out to be a villain for being different. This is show at the beginning of the movie when Alice is going to the party and how it is usually the older generation who have this obsession with being " proper", but it is also alive in the Queen's court, where everyone is so scared of being different they make peripatetics so that they look like the queen.

What was glaringly obvious was that even though the Queen had everyone scared, she still didn't have complete control, as one act of kindness by Alice made the giant cat turn on the Queen and help Alice escape. This is because people who have been abused so much will have a certain amount of anger and resentment towards you. This was actually quite sad, and Johnny Depp was sublime, his interpretation of the mad hatter made you feel for the character, and let's face it we've all got a little mad hatter in us. 4 out of 5

Buffon don't leave us!!!!

.. There are these dark rumours going around that Gianluigi Buffon may be sacrificed to balance the books, but let me warn you if you do this you will surely lose in the long term. Buffon has a wealth of experience and not to mention his cat like reflexes and he has an authority that in my opinion at least, no on can replicate.

This man has given up so much for the team, when Juve got demoted to the second division, he rejected offers from prestigious clubs to stay with the Bianconeri and help them back to the top. He has shown where his loyalties lie.. and this is how you repay him when he has to take time off to recover. I'm sure if he could, he would have returned sooner. But he couldn't because guess what, anything to do with the back is serious!

The only reason he didn't come to watch live games or visit the team is because, he is a sportsman and it is in his DNA to try and help the team, and he couldn't do that because he was still recovering. He has been with the club since 2001, not many players on the team can say that, so don't reward that kind of loyalty and dedication by throwing him aside just to make a quick profit.

A goalkeeper is more valuable than strikers, in my opinion at least!!! Especially this keeper, he give a sense of calm and confidence to his defenders, which Storari with all due respect couldn't do. As great as he was, he will never be as great as Buffon. We all have to admit that without a decent keeper, no matter how much money you save by selling him will not cover the massive amount lost due to him being sold. Hear me out... you'll end up losing games because the replacement will not have the experience or respect that Buffon has and he will inevitably need time to adjust. That will then mean they will drop down the table and thus out of Europe, which will mean they will lose that money and eventually they will lose their reputation and they will have trouble attracting new players and keeping hold of old ones.

This will lead to a domino effect of poor games and poor review, which will not be good, so please DON'T LET GIGI GO, WE STILL NEED HIM!!