Funny, I'm quite confident about it. If we lose, we lose because of our own making. If we win, that will end more than one winning streak. Besides, the first derby doesn't matter as severe as the second one, when both teams are finishing up on their league run. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif) We'll see.

Hey, we're not in last place!

You're confident about a win?

Don't worry, we'll be there tonight

I want to lose our first four matches, and then start winning from the derby, all the way to the league title. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I certainly wouldn't want that to happen.

Blog: The Odd Couple

Diego Maradona is expected to join Inter as a consultant, prompting James Horncastle to question the Italian champions’ judgement

I wonder if Inter President Massimo Moratti was reading Diego Maradona’s autobiography earlier this summer when he decided to invite the Argentine legend to talk about working for the Nerazzurri, possibly as a scout or consultant in South America.

In El Diego, Maradona discusses his time at Napoli and, ever the braggart, goes to great lengths to describe just how he helped the Partenopei win their only two Scudetti and much more. Those who think the Pibe de Oro’s powers were confined to the pitch are told, in no uncertain terms, to think again.

“These teams weren’t built by the directors, they were built by Maradona,” he explains. To illustrate his point, Maradona reveals just how inspirational he was in bringing Bruno Giordano to the club from Lazio in 1985. “The first time I saw Giordano I realised he was a player for us… And I confronted him: ‘Giordano, please, come play for us.’ And he said: ‘Whenever you like.’

“Lazio asked [Corrado] Ferlaino [Napoli’s President at the time] for $3m for Giordano, and the guy was crying all over me, saying he didn’t have the money. ‘Make the effort old man,’ I said to him.” And Maradona didn’t stop there. According to him, he also convinced Ferlaino to purchase Andrea Carnevale, Alessandro Renica and Claudio Garella, who would prove vital to Napoli’s success.

“I’d asked Ferlaino to buy Carnevale from Udinese and, since he knew by now that I never let him down when I got what I asked for, he bought him for me.” Quite the talent spotter our Diego, isn’t he, and a wheeler-dealer to boot. So is Moratti right to call Maradona aboard the Inter juggernaut?

Well, pen hasn’t been put to paper yet, but it appears to be quite a shrewd move on Moratti’s behalf, because Maradona looks as if he’ll be as influential as anybody in determining the future of Sergio “Kun” Aguero, the Atletico Madrid star, widely regarded as the best player in the world at the moment.

Aguero is expecting a baby by Maradona’s daughter whose name, Giannina, is written on his boots. Is it too far fetched to see Inter using Maradona to get the man they reportedly bid £20m for this summer?

Surely not as much as the theory peddled by Diego’s former teammate Salvatore Bagni who believes Inter are already thinking to the future and waiting to see if Sergio and Giannina’s child turns out to be a boy. What with genes from the Aguero and Maradona tribes, he’s bound to be a star!

Sergio “Kun” Aguero, the Atletico Madrid star, widely regarded as the best player in the world at the moment.

Sergio “Kun” Aguero, the Atletico Madrid star, widely regarded as the best player in the world at the moment.

And that coming from a "ultra-defensive" coach like Mourinho... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Couldn't watch Milan match, they've only broadcasted Inter for obvious reasons.
It wasn't an easy task for them, specially because Lecce played with 8 defenders.

Apparently Jose has been labelled disrespectful in Italy after he didn't attend his post-match press conference. He sent his #2 instead. I don't see the problem, Steve Clarke was his #2 at Chelsea, and it was Clarke that did all the post macth stuff. Not disrespectful at all!

I don't find it disrespectful myself but (while I have no idea how it stands in England) I know that in Italy it's like an unwritten law that the coach must be there...