TwoFootedTackle.com: writers wanted

There comes a time in the life-cycle of every blog when time and desire for growth simply don't match anymore.

Were I to present a cavalier estimate, I could possibly post on this here humble weblog five days a week as an absolute maximum. That's five posts a week in a field which moves at a ridiculously fast pace, changing hour by hour. Globally. In other words, I don't feel I'm giving this blog the attention it deserves, or the kind of input required to achieve its full potential. Then again, I am but one man.

I am, therefore, looking for writers to bolster (nay found) the TFT editorial team. So if you can write, if you love football, and if you have something interesting to say, here's your chance. Make your voice heard and showcase your writing ability.

Fancy the challenge? My email address is over there on the sidebar, don't be afraid to use it.

Thanks, and have a bostin' weekend.

Chris

Azzurri: next stop UEFA Cup

SSC Napoli in the UEFA Cup in season 2009/10? Okay, so it's ambitious. But it must surely be the target.

And for a club with a recent history as battle-ridden as Napoli's, that's a mighty impressive spot to be in.

Truth be told, there's not much to say about the end of the Serie A campaign for the Azzuri that hasn't been said in this superb post from our friends over at The Offside's Napoli Calcio Blog. Fortunato's in-depth analysis of the squad shows that some players really shone last season.

Paolo Cannavaro is described as a 'rock' at the back, with Maurizio Domizzi holding similar sway but weighing in with a few goals too. There's no cult hero quite like a defender who knows how to take a penalty - unlike John Terry (yes, I'm still laughing).

Zeke Lavezzi is, quite simply, brilliant. He's shown the skill, awareness and finishing we'd expect of an Argentine striker, and he's one of those players who gets the fans off their seats in anticipation of what he's going to conjure up. I'm hoping for big things from him next season. If Napoli can bring European football to the San Paolo, Lavezzi will be key.

But it's the Azzurri midfield where there's a pair of absolute gems to be found. Walter Gargano has stated his case for a berth in the centre of midfield for years to come with a great contribution to the season. He gives his all in every game (sometimes too much, see Parma farce), and if he remains settled in Naples we could have one of the best players of his kind in Italy on our hands.

Marek Hamsik, in contrast to Gargano, is spectacular in the extreme. The dude even looks striking, with his ever-so-slightly concerning spikey 'do'. Hamsik has the world at his feet - and I'm aware of what a huge claim that is. He knows how to score a goal, occasionally a breathtaking one. He can pass, beat his man, and his balance is astonishing. I'm no poet, but I think the only word which adequately describes Hamsik's style of play is 'elegant'. Well, elegant or...Nedvedish. But I bet he hates hearing that.

And so the attention turns to the summer transfer market, and rumours have been rife for weeks now. There's a few exits which appear to be assumed by Napoli fans currently, while others might well be on their way. Domizzi could be on his bike, Mirko Savini, Gennaro Iezzo and Sam Dalla Bona almost definitely will be. Whether the likes of Capparella and Calaio will follow them out of the door remains to be seen.

Of course, a good number of the possible departures will depend on which players Eddy Reja can tempt to the San Paolo in the next few months.

There's a few mouth-watering signings perched tantalisingly on the horizon. Udinese striker Toto Di Natale could be on his way to his hometown club despite interest from Roma, and a signing like that would really set the benchmark.

After a fantastic season under Laurent Blanc at Bordeaux, Argentine striker Fernando Cavenaghi has been linked with Napoli on several occasions in weeks gone by. His scoring record is incredible in Le Championnat this season, so I'd even forgive him being ex-R*ver if he joins the Azzurri over the summer.

A couple of spicy moves have been touted on the left hand side. Napoli Calcio Blog suggests a swoop for Marek Cech, Porto's left back, could be on the cards with a little help in the form of a good word in both directions from fellow Slovakian Hamsik. Catania's Peruvian Juan Manuel Vargas (pictured) is a player I've seen Napoli linked with many a time recently, and he tore the Azzurri apart in Walter Zenga's first game at the Angelo Massimino.

Who do I want at Napoli? Well, Di Natale would be the obvious one, but Cavenaghi looks like a smart buy too. Personally I'd be delighted if Vargas made the move to Naples, so fingers crossed for that.

Forza Napoli!

6 + 5 = ?

Sepp Blatter talks a lot of crap a lot of the time.

Every once in a while, however, FIFA's head jester stumbles across a proposal which isn't complete nonsense. I'm not saying I agree with him on the proposal which spawned this post - far from it - but at least it's grounded in some kind of sense.

If you haven't heard of Blatter's '6+5' proposal, you soon will. The idea, its future implementation and FIFA's head-on collision with the European Union are all set to be big news.

Should you be one of those lucky souls able to concern themselves only with on-the-pitch events rather than such trifling matters, allow me to nutshell-ify things. Blatter wants all football clubs to have a quota of foreign players imposed upon their starting elevens. First, they must start with four home-grown starters, then five, and eventually - by 2012 according to Blatter - six.

Six home-grown players, five foreigners. But there's a snag. The European Union is looming large halfway down the path to Blatter's destination. With its desire for free movement of workers throughout the Union, it was always going to oppose such a plan. "Discriminatory" and "unlawful" were two terms used by the European Parliament on May 8th to describe the proposal.

Sepp Blatter remains determined to make 6+5 his legacy to football, and intends to lobby political authorities in order to get his way. But let's be honest...that's politics, and we're interested in football. So what's the story?

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 24 hours, you'll have read that the number of England-qualified players starting games in the Premier League has dipped to 170 for the season just past. Make no mistake about it, this is a hefty piece of news - notwithstanding the BBC's questionable use of a graph whose Y-axis begins at 160, making the drop look more serious than it is.

That's not to say it's not an issue. Fabio Capello, leading England out at Wembley tomorrow against the USA (ticket safely secured, thank you very much - can't wait!), has inevitably been involved in the coverage of this story today. For many, the primary concern here is that it creates a worrying dearth of talent for the national side. The Premier League is - for now, anyway - the heart of Capello's pool of employees.

As the number of English players decreases, so Capello's options follow suit. It's simple mathematics. Or at least it would be, were there a solution to the equation.

Of course, this has an effect on English players too. Another oft-quoted argument is that the increased number of imports has damaged the long-term career prospects of young English players. As the top-flight teams have gradually filled up with foreign stars, English talent has sunk to the bottom, dropping into the lower leagues. Again, simple maths without a simple answer.

The fans, not that we matter, seem to be split on this issue. Blatter would play on the idea that foreign players lack empathy with the traditional supporters, the men of the terraces. How can they share our passion without knowing our experiences? How can they care as much as us, the fans? What does our team actually mean to these players?

These questions can never be answered, and each foreign player will differ. Some will match the fans' passion: take Gianfranco Zola, Peter Schmeichel, Thierry Henry or Olof Mellberg. Some will...not.

There's a more direct effect on football, too. Our domestic cup competitions have deteriorated in recent years because, apparently, foreign imports lack the knowledge and experience of, and passion and desire for, the FA Cup and the League Cup. There's certainly a case for such an assertion.

On the other hand, the Premier League is the best league in the world, right? Well...no. I'd rather watch Serie A or the Argentine top-flight any day of the week. But it's a popular view, and a logical one given the money and prestige involved. It's also a view which is backed up by English clubs' recent success in the Champions League (not so much good fortune in the UEFA Cup, but that's a whole different argument).

With Manchester United defeating Chelsea in this year's final, and Liverpool's incredible record in the competition, the Premier League is fast developing a reputation in Europe as the very best. Is that true? The best perhaps. It's certainly not the most entertaining. But it is a money-making machine, and that's what it's really all about. It's why we need foreign players, it's why foreign players want to sign up for Premier League clubs. Money, as always these days, is at the centre of English football.

There are fan benefits, despite the negatives. We get to see the world's best players every single week. It makes our football more entertaining (than it was, not than other leagues), and it encourages the growth of the 'cult hero'. We all love one of those, and some of the middling foreigners in our league are absolutely rife for cult hero status.

Not really enough, though, is it?

Nobody knows yet if Blatter's 6+5 proposal is the answer, but we all have an opinion on whether an answer is needed at all. What we can be absolutely certain of even at this stage is that each club will fight its corner based on its own situation. The BBC graphics show that Arsenal would be most affected, and in fact a complete change in strategy would be necessary. Who knows whether Arsene Wenger would be anywhere near as effective given such constraints?

West Ham and Aston Villa, on the other hand, average over six home-grown players in their starting line-ups already. Perhaps their approach will allow a continuity four years from now which propels them into the top four? It's an intriguing time for English football, and for European football as a whole. Either way, I look forward to Sepp Blatter locking horns with the European Union.

It'll be an interesting battle.

Bournemouth boys fire themselves into the Championship

Tragedy reigns at AFC Bournemouth these days. The club is in administration, and Gerald Krasner, famed for his time as administrator at Leeds, is coming under fire from Bournemouth fans as a chaotic summer of takeover speculation shows no sign of resolution.

The Cherries were relegated into League Two after a magnificent effort at another great escape, evoking memories of Griffin Park and Shrewsbury at home in the mid-90s.

Things, to put it very simply, aren't going so well. Former chairman Jeff Mostyn is the man heading up the most likely takeover bid, which hardly provides the fans with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. Of course, administration means a loss of control, as the administrators talk cash with creditors, and manage the comings and goings at the club. At the end of last week, Bournemouth's greatest fear came to fruition.

In truth, striker Sam Vokes would have left the club this summer regardless of the administration situation. The teenager, from Lymington, netted 16 goals in League One last season. It was a valuable contribution to an ultimately unsuccessful campaign, but it meant that Vokes was always likely to leave his local club.

The big clubs were sniffing around. Rumours about Aston Villa, Celtic, Everton and Newcastle United being interested in Vokes were replaced by more concrete news about Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the rest was inevitable. In the club's situation, Krasner had no option. Sadly, it does mean the 'undisclosed' price paid for the striker is likely to have been 'peanuts'.

It's a cracking signing for Wolves, that's for sure. And it's a great move for Sam, too, though he won't be there that long. Keep an eye out for this kid, he's very special. Superstar in the making.

While Sam Vokes has taken the express route into the Championship, fellow ex-Cherries goal machine James Hayter has been playing a slightly longer game.

Born on the Isle of Wight and the scorer of the fastest ever Football League hat-trick (versus Wrexham in February 2004 - I had a ticket for that match, but it was postponed and I wasn't in Bournemouth for the rescheduled game), Hayter followed Bournemouth legend Sean O'Driscoll to Doncaster Rovers when he moved north. James O'Connor and Brian Stock made the same move, and now they're in the Championship.

James Hayter moved to Doncaster in May 2007 with big expectations. One year on, he wrote himself into Rovers folklore with a thundering diving header to sink Leeds United in the League One Play-Off Final at Wembley. It was a fitting goal for the occasion, and it couldn't have been scored by a more deserving player.

In August, the Championship season will kick off with a slew of former Cherries involved: Vokes at Wolves, Hayter at Donny, Wade Elliott and John Spicer at Burnley. No doubt there's a few more knocking around that I've forgotten. It's little consolation at Dean Court, but it could just be a glimmer of hope.

If and when a takeover happens on the south coast, it may be that Bournemouth can finally begin to hang on to their talent. And there's been plenty of it coming through in the last decade.

From the Trinity: Barry dilemma overshadows silly season

That's right, folks, silly season is here.

In between working pretty damn hard, laughing my tits off at John Terry and worshipping at the Church of Boca (laugh ye not, they'll probably build one to match the graveyard), May to August is the time when I get bombarded with rumour, in-the-know posturing and mediocre signings.

But this summer, things are a little bit different at B6. The usual rumours are there to an extent. Diego Forlan's been seen in Birmingham. Crouchinho's on his way back to Villa. We're signing Nelson. Some kid or other is going to be snapped up from the lower leagues.

You know, the expected.

While we endlessly debate the merits of signing Richard Dunne, Steve Sidwell or (please no!) Scott Carson, more important matters are engulfing Villa Park.

You see, it's been so long since we've had a talisman that most of us Villans have all but forgotten what it's like to lose one. The man of whom I speak is, of course, Gareth Barry. The England midfielder has become an institution at Villa, a symbol of what it means to be Villa. He's blasting through his fourth century of competitive Villa matches, despite having a good several years left in his career.

He's stuck with Villa through some very sticky times, when he's had many opportunities to leave. He's played under 67 England managers, once for each. Unfortunately, Barry has had his head turned, and in the most despicable way.

Rafael Benitez is even more of a festering cretinous boil than his facial hair suggests. He tapped up Barry via the media, and timed it deliberately to unsettle the team. Why? Unsettle the Villa, rob them of Europe, pick up their disillusioned captain. The war of words between the fat piece of pondlife scum and Martin O'Neill has grown ever more vicious, with Benitez making himself look like more of a pile of filth with every press interview.

A few weeks ago I was absolutely certain that the seeds had been sewn and Barry was off. Having given the lion's share of his career to Villa, it seemed the skipper was ready to jump ship and join Liverpool to play Champions League football. He's close friends with Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, and they'd make a bloody good midfield partnership. Nailed on, right?

Thankfully, one or two doubts have started to creep into my mind. Liverpool Football Club is, amusingly, up shit creek - and one of the fans has pinched its paddle, la. I know it. You know it. Barry knows it. Everybody knows it. Villa, on the other hand, have the best off-the-pitch set-up in the country.

Then there's Barry's celebration after scoring at West Ham, which was a superb moment and one which will live fondly in the collective Villa memory if he leaves. He gave his all against West Ham, a startling contrast to the exits of Dwight Yorke and Mark Bosnich.

Of course, the question is what does Barry's silence mean? Is he leaving? Or is he simply choosing not to dignify Benitez's conniving deeds with a comment? Sadly, I suspect the former. And to be honest I'm in two minds about how I'll react when it happens.

TFT Editorial: Premier League season in review

2007/08 will go down as one of the better seasons of recent times, despite the apparent solidification of a top three as the big boys pull away from the rest.

Liverpool would dispute my assertion that there is an established top three, but I believe Liverpool are a lot more catchable than they seem. With a different manager, maybe, they'd be well away. Then again, without Fernando Torres...

The reason this season will be so memorable is that almost everything - Champions League qualification being the only exception - went down to the last day.

The title was won on the last day by Manchester United, after a rampant fightback by Chelsea which just faltered in the final few weeks of the season. Everton and Aston Villa went into their last games with their sights on the UEFA Cup spot in fifth, and Everton held their nerve to beat Newcastle United to book their place in Europe.

For Villa's part, they took the Intertoto Cup place which in turn was still available come game 38. Blackburn Rovers were the other team eyeing the spot, and they fell 4-1 at Birmingham City.

That Birmingham win leads us on nicely to the relegation battle. With the worst team in the Premier League's short history, Derby County, already relegated, Fulham, Blues and Reading were fighting it out to claim the one safety berth on the final day. Amazingly, all three won, meaning Birmingham and Reading join County in the Championship next season.

So what's the story of the season? What will we remember?

A season is defined by its Champions, and Manchester United won it in some style - second placed Chelsea would not have been able to say the same. We finally saw the apparent demise of Louis Saha's United career, and Sir Alex Ferguson's shunning of a natural 'number 9' role has led to some wonderful movement. Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney buzzing around up top has been a pleasure to watch, and is the reason I was delighted United won the title ahead of their cynical, negative, boring West London rivals.

Ronaldo has put forward a case for a story of the season on a solo basis. He's scored countless goals, put in some stunning performances and nabbed a winner's medal. If anyone's grabbed a season by the scruff of the neck and made it his own in a more convincing manner than Ronaldo, nobody flagged it up to me. This season simply had his name on it.

We've had Chelsea's revival as Jose Mourinho's team pulled together to allow Avram Grant to manage them on cruise control. We've had R*fael Ben*tez rotating his side and successfully winning...nothing. There's been the farce at Manchester City, Derby's record-breaking season, the exciting relegation battle. And what about Everton's qualification for Europe with a combination of businesslike grit and determined attacking.

Of course there are plenty of other stories, indeed each team has its own. All in all, it's been brilliant. Roll on August.

Bosteros: Los Xeneizes down River and eye Libertadores

First thing's first. While it's fresh in my mind, I'd like to mention that I saw Diego Maradona playing a charity match on the TV this morning, and the man looks in fantastic shape.

Given his health issues in recent years, it's great to see Diego able to run smoothly, look healthy and stick away a nice penalty. Excellent work, Maradoo!

As for El Diego's beloved Boca Juniors...mixed fortunes pretty much sums up the previous few weeks. With 14 played in the Clausura, the Genoese sit back in sixth place, staring up enviously towards Estudianes and arch-rivals River Plate at the top, four points ahead.

Meanwhile, Boca are storming through the Copa Libertadores. Defending Champions, they dispatched Brazil's Cruzeiro in impressive style last time out. Next up is the quarter-final, with Atlas of Mexico visiting La Bombonera tomorrow evening. Come on Boca!

Despite indifferent recent form, Rodrigo Palacio thumped in a breathtaking opener in the second leg against Cruzeiro, while the customary header from Martin Palermo led to the defending champions winning each leg 2-1. Juan Roman Riquelme and Jesus Datolo netted for Los Xeneizes in the first.

Domestically, a 2-1 win over Newell's was cancelled out by defeat to San Lorenzo at the end of April.

May 4th, however, was a golden day for Carlos Ischia's side - Maradona was in heaven. Boca's superclasico record of late has been abysmal, despite River Plate struggling to get a foothold in the Primera Division. Typically, in the same month as River hit the summit in the league, Sebastian Battaglia floored them at La Bombonera. Party time in La Boca!

Defeat against Estudiantes on Sunday, however, took the shine off a great win over River.

So all in all things aren't looking too bad, though El Diego retains plenty of ammo in his war of words with Ischia. The league form isn't up to scratch, and even at this stage it will be difficult to catch Estudiantes and River at the top. But the fight for the Libertadores is fantastic, and Boca are fast becoming favourites. Here's to Los Bosteros holding onto that title, even if we'd love to win the Closing tournament too.

Fabio names final squad of the season

Let's face it, you can read about the Premier League on any football blog in the blogosphere right now. There's nothing I can add, except to say that my trip to Upton Park today was massively enjoyable, and Olof Mellberg is a Villa legend.

Manchester United held their nerve and pipped Chelsea to the Premier League title. The Champions League places were already done and dusted, but Everton stood firm in fifth to take the UEFA Cup spot (yes, the one spot - disgraceful), leaving Villa to take the Intertoto Cup spot ahead of fellow applicants Blackburn.

At the bottom, Derby had already dropped, but amazingly the three teams battling it out to avoid the two spots in the relegation zone all won. That means that Birmingham City drop, sparking dramatic scenes at St. Andr*ws, and Fulham's stunning escape was completed late on, sending Reading to the Championship.

But you already knew all that.

After today's games, England boss Fabio Capello weighed in with a news story of his own, naming his squad of 30 for our upcoming friendlies against the United States of America (May 28th) and Trinidad & Tobago (June 1st).

The call-ups of note are plentiful. Joe Hart of Manchester City is included in goal, and rightly so. Boro centre-back David Wheater keeps his spot, while Phil Jagielka (Everton) and Stephen Warnock (Blackburn) are also called up. Spurs man Tom Huddlestone and West Ham striker Dean Ashton are also there. Liverpool goalkeeper Scott Carson is not.

That squad in full, nicked off TheFA.com:

Pundit Watch: Stanley Victor Collymore

In this, the second post in my new series, I thought I'd try to balance my anti-Tyldesley venom with something positive. This time around, the pundit under the spotlight is something of a controversial figure. His punditry, however, has been a pleasant and refreshing surprise.

Stan Collymore, BBC

Stan Collymore has hit the headlines in a big way over the years. As a player, his scoring record at Nottingham Forest shot him to fame. At Liverpool, Collymore's involvement in those stunning 4-3 matches against Newcastle United will long be remembered as exciting, talented and, dare I say it, world class performances.

At my club, Villa, Stan came in as the local hero, the final piece in the puzzle. Things didn't turn out so well, and a man who should have become a legend has instead gone down in history as a disappointment of unprecedented proportions.

The really negative headlines, though, have surrounded Stan's private life. There's no need to go into detail about Collymore's attack on that horrible tart off Gladiators, or his sexual habits. We all know what's happened to him and we know that only Stan is to blame for the less-than-sympathetic response of press and public.

Given his history, I'm sure he'd forgive me for not expecting him to stray into the world of punditry. But I'm glad he did.

Self-tortured genius on the field, measured and sensible pundit off. His appearances on Radio Five Live are generally interesting and informative - and there's not many pundits capable of winning that accolade from me.

The thing with Stan is that when you listen to him, you learn something. He knows the game, and he knows the industry. Refreshingly, he also knows the fans. Collymore was one of the first 'insiders' to really come out in 100% opposition to the Premier League's ludicrous Game 39 proposal.

The pundits that really impress me are the ones who know the game outside their own position. Tony Adams, though monotonous, knows the theory of the striker's art. Likewise Stan and defenders.

It's a depth of knowledge which eludes the likes of Andy Gray and Alan Hansen. As a lifelong fan, I know my football. But I fully accept that sometimes those with more experience have more expertise. Stan is a rare gem, and I just hope he is given the opportunity to do more - and that he keeps himself focused on where he wants to go.

Pundit Watch verdict: B+

Quick Hits 7th May 2008

• Ronaldo is not even a little bit gay (Sniffing the Touchline)
• Capello sets himself a big target (BBC Sport)
• Villa sack idiot Berger (Guardian.co.uk)
• Grant applies for mental asylum (Football365)
• Cambridge face Exeter at Wembley (BBC Sport)

National Team Update: Owen targets century

Seems a while since England played France, doesn't it?

Fear not, though, England footy fans, for the national side's next game is looming large on the horizon.

On 28th May, the United States of Amerikhastan visit Wembley for a post-season shindig against Fabio Capello's charges.

The England boys, of course, will be winding down after another long season. The representatives of Chelsea and Manchester United will be looking back on a close-run title race and a presumably epic Champions League final.

The Liverpool lads always seem to be whining about being tired at the end of the season - it surely won't be any different this time around.

In truth, the whole England squad has been fighting individual battles all season. The same goes for the USA internationals playing in Europe, while their home-based compatriots are currently in week seven (I think) of the Major League Soccer season, a season expected to mark a noticeable rise in quality of a league which is much criticised.

In theory, this should be the friendliest of friendlies. Plenty of the States squad plays in England, the rest have domestic concerns. The England players will mentally be on the beach. The countries have a special diplomatic and strategic relationship, the most important pillar of the UK's foreign policy. Then of course, there are the cultural links which arguably are demonstrated by us limeys adopting American trends three or four years after they hit big in the streets of the federation.

Except for ghostridin' da whip. That's just f***ing silly.

Long story (sorry) short: this is going to be a nothing game, and we might just see a draw.

Oh captain, my captain

The USA tie is Capello's third game on the England bench. In his previous two, Steven Gerrard and Rio Ferdinand have been awarded the captain's armband. Capello is testing out his possible skippers, and it'll be interesting to see who ends up being the main man.

Given the consistent poor conduct and attitude of John Terry, one would hope that disciplinarian Capello's distaste is such that the Chelsea player has thrown away his chances of being England captain. Then again, Ferdinand's wall-kicking won't have done him any favours.

Other names mentioned include Villa captain Gareth Barry (whose brain was last seen somewhere on Merseyside) and Wayne Rooney. Surprisingly, I see the logic behind making Rooney captain, but I don't think he's the best man for the job.

The post, according to Capello, is up for grabs. He's told his players to show they're worthy and, intriguingly, stresses the importance of off-the-pitch behaviour. That seems to rule out some of the top candidates. Whatever happens, it promises to be a fascinating story. I expect Gareth Barry to lead the side out at Wembley at the end of this month. I also expect it to be his last act as (technically) an Aston Villa player, seeing as he's been tapped up by the evil parallel universe version of Rafael Benitez.

The only double any Newcastle player could achieve

One other possible captaincy candidate is Michael Owen, back among the goals and targeting a couple of records in his international career.

Owen is currently sitting on 89 England caps with 40 goals for his country to his name. That makes him 11 games short of a century, and 9 goals short of Sir Bobby Charlton (a tosser, by the way). Owen tends not to go on about these records, but they're both in his sights now.

I reckon he'll manage it, too.

Azzurri: Coke and ice

What with this being a brand spanking new column, it's kind of difficult to know where to start the retrospective.

As it sticks in the memory, though, I'm going to look back as far as Napoli's 3-0 spanking at Catania.

Spiderman 3

Seems ages ago now, but Walter Zenga's first Serie A management assignment provided painful watching for Azzurri fans, Catania powering to an early lead within 16 minutes with goals from Giuseppe Colucci and Gionatha Spinesi exposing a disturbingly lacklustre Napoli defence in Sicily.

From that moment, it was game over. As the sun shone down on the Spiderman's debut, it was Catania's day. Zeke Lavezzi struggled to get a foothold and the middle of the park belonged to the Sicilians.

The frankly stunning performance of Catania's Juan Manuel Vargas - that day playing a more advanced role than many are used to seeing him in - was capped by the third goal, reacting well when his shot was parried by Gianello. Napoli later created some chances, but the damage was done.

Back to winning ways

The Azzurri then hosted Atalanta, and ran out 2-0 winners. Eddy Reja's men grabbed the lead in the second half at the San Paolo, having had the better chances in the first. Walter Gargano tested the Atalanta 'keeper from a good 35 yards, before Marek Hamsik pounced on a rebound from Lavezzi to give the Azzurri the advantage with a tap-in.

The game was sealed when Napoli's Argentine connection combined to secure a second. Hamsik laid the ball out to the left wing and Roberto Sosa provided a sweetly delivered cross for compatriot Lavezzi to scramble home.

Following that comfortable win came a victory so unexpected that it helped net me £130 from a £3 stake in an otherwise fairly comfortable treble. However, controversy reigned.

One goal down, itself from the spot, Napoli saw their opponents reduced to ten for a professional foul on Lavezzi. Spot-kick specialist defender Maurizio Domizzo blasted in the penalty to draw the Azzurri level.

The Blues created chances after the break, and Reja's (pictured) men were unlucky not to have led earlier. The goal eventually came in style, the wonderful Hamsik's cross met brilliantly by Mariano Bogliacino who tucked the ball into the back of the net for 2-1.

Then, Lavezzi was victimised by Parma, the Argentine taking a good kicking which kicked off the end-of-game spice. Parma fans won't thank me for saying so, but the whole thing was rather unsavoury. Two more reds went their way, and Gargano found himself clean sooner than he'd have liked too. All very messy.

Most recently, Napoli disappointed in a goalless draw with the far-from mighty Siena, so I'll happily gloss over that one.

So what's the status?

Well, there's not a whole hell of a lot left to play for, but the season's gone pretty well. 35 games gone, Napoli are 9th with 47 points in the bag. No Europe, but no relegation either. Comfortably. All in all, it's been very respectable, with a few very memorable highlights. Of those, reading about Santacroce and Lavezzi lobbing ice and Coke cans at one another is not one.

Fingers crossed Napoli manage to steal Vargas, what a cracking player he is.

Next up, Napoli travel to Turin to face Toro on Saturday. Come on you Blues!