The marquee match of the Serie A weekend comes to us from the San Siro, where Internazionale host Juventus at 2:45 p.m. ET / 7:45 p.m. BST. 

Inter come into the match in third place in the league table, but they have dropped points in each of their last two domestic contests. A loss to Fiorentina and a draw with Sampdoria have set the Nerazzurri back a bit, but a win would launch them back into first place. 

Juventus are still working on correcting their early-season struggles, as they sit 14th in the table on eight points through seven matches. A second consecutive victory in league action on Sunday would catapult them into the top half of the table.

Our live coverage of this Serie A showdown begins an hour before kick-off when lineups are released. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

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As domestic football resumes following the international break, Serie A throws up one of the continent’s most hostile fixtures as Juventus travel to Milan to take on Inter. The two clubs have a longstanding rivalry, dating back to the 1960s when their meetings became known as “the derby of Italy.”

Having started out the 2015/16 campaign with five consecutive victories, the Nerazzurri are vastly improved from last term, and coach Roberto Mancini told reporters at a recent event what he expects on Sunday evening, per Football Italia:

I’m sure it will be a great evening between two great teams. Now we have to play like Inter. We’ll prepare as we always do, it’s a historic match, which automatically brings motivation, and also the Derby d’Italia has become very unique in recent years because of all the controversies which have broken out.

We have to be well prepared, because it brings particular pressures with it.

For their part, Juventus appear to have turned a corner after their own poor start to the campaign. Comfortable wins over Sevilla and Bologna have them back on track, and it will be a vital match for Hernanes to show his quality.

The Brazilian midfielder moved from Inter to Juve just as the summer transfer window closed, and he explained his reasons for the switch in a question-and-answer session on the club’s official website. His importance to the team was discussed in this previous post, and three points against his former team will be vital as the Bianconeri look to climb the table.

Currently in 12th place, continuing their current run while taking points away from one of the early leaders would be a hugely significant result. Coach Massimiliano Allegri will be aware of Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Borussia Monchengladbach, but the focus must solely be on taking care of business in this encounter.

Date: Sunday, October 18, 2015

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST (2:45 p.m. ET)

Venue: Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan

TV Info: BT Sport Europe (UK), beINSPORTS (USA)

Live Stream: BT Sport App (UK), beINSPORTS Connect (USA)

Form Lines:

Last 5 domestic results:

Probable Formations

Inter (4-3-1-2): Samir Handanovic; Davide Santon, Jeison Murillo, Joao Miranda, Alex Telles; Fredy Guarin, Felipe Melo, Geoffrey Kondogbia; Ivan Perisic; Mauro Icardi, Rodrigo Palacio

Unavailable: Dodo, Danilo D’Ambrosio (both injured)

Juventus (4-3-3): Gigi Buffon; Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Patrice Evra, Sami Khedira, Hernanes, Paul Pogba, Juan Cuadrado; Alvaro Morata, Paulo Dybala

Unavailable: Martin Caceres, Stephan Lichtsteiner (both injured)

Key Battle

Looking for the matchup that will decide this clash is fairly straightforward. Mauro Icardi has scored six goals in five career appearances against the Bianconeri, stemming back to his time with Sampdoria.

The 22-year-old was Serie A’s joint leading scorer last term, following up his tally of 22 league goals with another two goals already this term while also becoming the Nerazzurri captain. His ability is undeniable, and Giorgio Chiellini will have his work cut out stopping the deadly Argentinian on Sunday evening.

The Juventus defender has been in good form, but he will need to be fully alert to the danger Icardi poses if his side are to emerge victorious at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.

Player to Watch

While Inter’s young Argentinian striker is key to their hopes, the visitors will be hoping Paulo Dybala can continue his own impressive form. The 21-year-old—who weighed in with 13 goals and 10 assists in 2014/15—has made a good start in Turin, netting four times in his first eight appearances.

Alvaro Morata and Mario Mandzukic may miss this encounter through injury, which will only serve to heighten the pressure on Dybala, who made his international debut earlier this week.

Yet the player himself is far more concerned with the result rather than his own impact, as he told reporters shortly after Juve’s win over Bologna. “There’s a great togetherness in this group,” Dybala said, per the official club website.” We simply want to win, it doesn’t matter who scores.”

Odds (via Odds Shark)

Away win: 211-100

Home win: 147-100

Draw: 219-100

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Arsenal will reportedly do everything they possibly can to keep hold of their talisman Alexis Sanchez, despite rumours swirling that he’s a target for Real Madrid.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes.net (h/t George Bellshaw of Metro) Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is to do everything to prevent a transfer coming to fruition.

It’s been claimed recently that Alexis will be offered a new contract with the Londoners that will see him become the top earner at the Emirates Stadium, per Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail.

The former Barcelona man has taken the Premier League by storm since departing the La Liga giants for Arsenal in 2014.

After a slow start to the current campaign, he has burst into life in recent weeks, as we can see here courtesy of Squawka Football:

Naturally, he’s become a big fan favourite at the Emirates, but links to teams as illustrious as Real Madrid will come as something of a concern to Arsenal fans. After all, the club do have a history in moving on prized assets, with the Gunners cashing in on the likes of Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Alex Song down the years.

However, Alexis has insisted recently he his enjoying life with the Gunners and doesn’t want to go anywhere. “I’m very happy at Arsenal,” he told Spanish publication La Tercera (h/t ESPN FC). “I don’t think about leaving.”

As we can see here courtesy of Arsenal Mania, the forward seems intent on make the Gunners more popular with his compatriots, too:

Sanchez is emitting the aura of a player contented at the Emirates. He’s a footballer who seems to be at his best, whether for Arsenal or Chile, when he has big responsibility on his shoulders.

While the prospect of a move to Real Madrid could earn him more chances of winning top honours, at Arsenal, he has the perfect foundation to become one of the best players in the world.

Anyway, where would he fit into what is already a star-studded Los Blancos attacking lineup? While the best offensive players in the game will always be linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu, there are other facets of this squad that need much more immediate replenishment.

Jese Linked With Loan Switch

Real Madrid winger Jese Rodriguez has been linked with a surprise loan switch to Premier League strugglers Aston Villa, with the 22-year-old finding minutes hard to come by under the tutelage of manager Rafa Benitez.

According to M.A. del Pozo of AS, the Midlands club are hopeful of taking the winger on a temporary deal in January, but they are likely to face stiff competition from the likes of Inter Milan and Napoli. Arsenal have also been linked with Jese, per Peter Martin of Sport.

Here’s a glimpse at what he could potentially offer those teams should he join on loan:

Jese has only played a meagre 134 minutes of La Liga football this season, which is far from ideal for a youngster who needs regular playing time after some awful luck with injuries.

The Los Blancos starlet has found it tough to get into the team with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema taking the front three spots. In addition, quality footballers like Isco, James Rodriguez, Lucas Vazquez and Denis Cheryshev are also vying for places in the attacking areas of the team.

As noted by Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe earlier in the year, Jese hasn’t quite lived up to the potential he showcased when he first burst onto the scene a couple of years ago:

Madrid won’t want to lose him permanently. After all, the squad is short of players who have been schooled by the club’s academy and Spaniards in general.

Should he rediscover his best, Jese is a player capable of giving Los Blancos a coveted local identity.

Villa are a team who would certainly be able to give Jese time on the field, and the robust nature of the Premier League, while tough to adapt to quickly, would improve the winger in the long-term.

However, you suspect illustrious options such as Arsenal, Inter and Napoli would be more tantalising should Jese get farmed out for the rest of 2015-16.

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One became two, two became four, four became eight, and on Saturday, Luka Modric made it nine. Real Madrid, says Marca, have “their fingers crossed.” But maybe they need to do more than that. 

Right now, Real Madrid’s players might be well served by wrapping their lucky coins in their favourite handkerchiefs and, after being careful to put on their left shoe first while steering clear of mirrors and ladders, go four-leaf clover hunting at night in a field devoid of black cats in the hope of standing under a shooting star.

Any Carlos Kamenis would probably be worth avoiding, too. 

For Real Madrid, the international break and the renowned “FIFA virus” proved particularly savage this time around. After Karim Benzema suffered a hamstring strain in France’s victory over Armenia last Thursday, Modric was substituted at half-time in Croatia’s meeting with Bulgaria on Saturday with an abductor complaint, becoming the ninth Real Madrid player to succumb to injury already this season. 

Significantly, five of the nine who’ve been injured still are, Real Madrid now significantly depleted ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Levante. It could be the same story for the following week’s meeting with Paris Saint-Germain, too. 

“Rafa Benitez will have to get to work on his blackboard,” was the summation from Marca. 

Perhaps most concerning about Real Madrid’s nonet of injuries this season is not the number, but the nature of them. The collision injuries aside, Benzema, Modric, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez have now all suffered the sort of soft-tissue problems that, when repetitive, raise questions about a club’s training procedures and management of workloads. 

Under Benitez, a known advocate of sport science, it’s somewhat surprising; his methods theoretically guard against problems of this kind. Evidently, though, something isn’t quite working at Valdebebas. 

If there is a small positive in such a situation for Madrid, however, it’s that the club’s supporting cast has an opportunity to show Real’s squad depth isn’t an illusion. 

During the summer, much was made of the way Los Blancos compiled almost a secondary XI through their transfer activity.

In defence, Danilo and Kiko Casilla were signed; in midfield, Casemiro was recalled from Porto and Mateo Kovacic was bought from Inter Milan; in attack, Lucas Vazquez and Denis Cheryshev returned from stints away. Additionally, the likes of Jese and Nacho had another year of progression behind them. 

Though the first-choice XI was largely left intact, the bench was given a reality program-like makeover, the idea clearly to give Benitez tactical options and the ability to rotate. Basically, Real Madrid would no longer be sticking to a rigid XI and using Isco as a sort of 12th man—as cover for, well, anywhere. 

But here’s the thing: Numerically, Real Madrid’s depth this season is no different to last; the feeling of greater depth is tied to a perception of quality rather than quantity. 

Thus, what we have is a belief rather than a fact. The strength in depth isn’t actually real until it proves itself to be.

And that’s now the supporting cast’s task. 

To date, Kovacic has looked bright in series of encouraging performances, while Casemiro already looks every bit the sort of midfield anchor this team has needed for some time. But in attack, genuine depth remains a somewhat uncertain commodity. 

In Jese, Vazquez and Cheryshev, Real Madrid have an attacking trio in reserve that initially strikes you as extremely useful.

Two seasons ago, Jese exploded on to the scene; last season, the latter two enjoyed breakout campaigns themselves, albeit elsewhere. What’s more, as a trio, they cover all three areas—down the middle, right and left—and with all in their early 20s, they’re close to their physical peaks as well. 

On paper, then, it looks ideal. But in practice, well, no one’s quite sure. 

Jese has started two games this season, and Real Madrid failed to score in both. In Vazquez’s only start, Madrid scored once, and that was against Granada, of all sides. 

In total, the three attacking back-ups have played 289 minutes between them in 2015-16 and have been directly involved in just two goals in that time. For comparison, Rodriguez on his own has been directly involved in three in just 124. 

Admittedly, the new season is still young, and Real Madrid’s collective displays against Sporting Gijon, Granada and Malaga when Jese or Vazquez started were hardly fluent—the misfiring didn’t just occur because of them.

However, the early signs must not become a trend for the squad’s second-string forwards. For Real Madrid to triumph this season, the team must be able to cope with both injuries and Benitez’s rotation, and that means maintaining dynamism and potency even when the grand-daddy XI isn’t in use. 

Essentially, there can’t be a colossal drop off when Jese is used instead of Bale, or when Vazquez is used instead of Rodriguez. The back-ups have to make an impact, and Saturday’s clash with Levante is an immediate chance to do so. A chance in which they must.

For such games, with Champions League nights that quickly follow, are also the sort of outings in which Benitez will look to rotate his squad even in the absence of injuries. At the end of October, the visit of Las Palmas is another, sandwiched between a trip to Celta Vigo and the visit of Paris Saint-Germain. 

All summer, Real Madrid made strengthening the supporting cast, their depth, a priority. Now that supporting cast must prove the strength in depth isn’t just a perception, but that it is in fact real.

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Schalke 04 defender Benedikt Howedes has hinted he would be keen on a possible move to Liverpool, revealing he wants to sample English football in the future.

The commanding centre-back is rated as one of the finest defenders in the Bundesliga and was also a vital, understated component in Germany winning the World Cup in 2014. But it seems as though the 27-year-old may be itching for a new challenge, per Bild (h/t Tom Davis of Goal):

A move abroad excites me. England would for sure be an interesting destination. Currently I am with Schalke. There are no deals sorted. But of course, for a footballer there are some clubs that are more interesting than others.

English football is very fortunate to have someone like Klopp in the league, Liverpool is a club with great tradition and values.

One of the key factors new manager Jurgen Klopp will have to address in the early months at Anfield is the defensive side of this team. After all, the Reds were never consistently cohesive under the tutelage of Brendan Rodgers, despite spending big money in an attempt to shore up the back four.

Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe took a look at what other issues the German coach will seek to sort in the infancy of his tenure:

Howedes is a versatile defender who could potentially add some steel to the Liverpool team. At Schalke and for Germany, he has played across the back four but excels when at the heart of the defence. His aerial dominance, forceful tackling and astute distribution would certainly put him in a strong position to thrive in the notoriously robust Premier League too.

The Anfield Chat thinks Howedes would be an excellent acquisition for the Merseyside giants:

Still, Schalke wouldn’t be keen to let him leave the Veltins Arena given just how important he is to the cause. Howedes, according to Davis, has also recently turned down advances from Arsenal and AC Milan, suggesting that despite his ambitions to play abroad, he has a strong affinity with his current employers.

Liverpool Looking at Andrea Ranocchia

According to Gazetta dello Sport (h/t Aaron Flanagan of the Daily Mirror), Klopp has turned his attentions to Inter Milan’s towering defender, Andrea Ranocchia, in an attempt to bolster his defensive options.

Flanagan writes that Klopp was keen on signing the Inter man during his time as Borussia Dortmund boss, and after not starting a game for the Serie A side this term, the centre-back could well be available for a bargain price in the midseason window.

Although he’s been much maligned in recent seasons, as we can see here courtesy of Squawka (h/t Bleacher Report’s Adam Digby) the defender’s statistics aren’t actually too bad:

A fresh start could potentially be to Ranocchia’s huge benefit. He’s never quite been able to nail down a consistent starting spot at the San Siro, and while he’d surely have to earn his stripes at Anfield, Klopp has a knack for making players perform above themselves. For someone with all the fundamental attributes to be a quality centre-back, that could be the making of Ranocchia.

Liverpool’s defensive issues were seemingly unsolvable under Rodgers, and after impressive youngster Joe Gomez was ruled out for the rest of the season with an anterior cruciate ligament issue, this facet of the squad does look short. Therefore, if he’s available for a cut-price amount midseason, then Ranocchia could be an ideal acquisition.

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Abandoning the Premier League schedule in midseason is an accepted annoyance.

International fixtures must be played for competitions across the globe, and no football lover would forfeit the World Cup or European Championships, but consequences loom for the intrusive matches.

Clubs pay on the back end for international pauses—and the most recent spell in Premier League action has cost some of England’s key top-flight contributors. From top to bottom, the list of players likely to miss at least one EPL match is extensive.

Managers desire options. Injuries kill options. Therefore, managers hate injuries. Moreover, club managers despise having to release their players and forfeit ideal environments plus the responsibility of training.

Newcastle’s Tim Krul, on an artificial pitch in Kazakhstan, suffered a season-ending knee injury with the Netherlands. His boss, Steve McClaren told reporters, via ESPN FC: 

I spoke to [Krul] on the morning of the game, he wasn’t playing and, selfishly, I thought that was good, because then he would be fit for us.

Then I got the news, the severity of the injury, and how he did it—and it’s a massive blow.

Newcastle own the worst injury, but clubs with legitimate title credentials have endured as well. Four injuries to important components happened over the break.

We investigate further…

David Silva, Manchester City 

Arguably the best playmaker in England, David Silva—just recovered from injury—played with Spain and picked up an ankle sprain. The Guardian suggests Silva’s knock from the game against Luxembourg, will take “two or three weeks” to heal.

While losing a player of his quality is never a great thing, Manchester City planned ahead for such matters of inconvenience. Buying Kevin De Bruyne from VfL Wolfsburg for £58 million this summer, the Citizens own the perfect answer to the Spaniard’s setback.

De Bruyne will move centrally, and Jesus Navas will play out wide. City boss Manuel Pellegrini has little to stress about with regard to his “No. 10” role depth.

Another injury to an attacking midfielder and there would be massive cause for concern, but the current Premier League leaders could just barely survive with one missing piece.

Barely.

Sergio Aguero, Manchester City 

In the striking department, however, Man City cannot afford to lose their talisman—but they have.

Sergio Aguero, flying after a five-goal performance vs. Newcastle United, suffered a hamstring injury with his native Argentina. According to the Guardian‘s Jamie Jackson, “Kun” could miss “Manchester City’s next seven matches,” hopefully returning vs. Liverpool on 21 November.

A once-boisterous City strike force has dwindled. Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko left the club, John Guidetti’s contract expired this summer and Stevan Jovetic left on loan to Inter Milan. Wilfred Bony is the only senior member at Pellegrini’s disposal, other than Aguero, with Nigerian starlet Kelechi Iheanacho a distant third.

Losing their best playmaker and goalscoring threat puts the league-leading side in peril. They can withstand the loss of Silva, but losing both your best playmaker and chief goalscorer is a critical blow.

Depending on timetables, and considering their other pieces, Man City should scrap together competently, but their room for error has been severely dented by the international break.

Bastian Schweinsteiger, Manchester United 

Third-place Manchester United will not care too much about their cross-town rivals’ injury woes. Any advantage on the Citizens must be celebrated by the 19 other clubs, but the Red Devils have a slight issue on their hands.

Manager Louis van Gaal was already down Michael Carrick in midfield (and did not have space to lose another forward-thinking central midfielder), so Bastian Schweinsteiger’s thigh strain, which occurred with Germany, puts the Dutchman on thin ice.

German manager Joachim Low elected to rest the veteran and send him home, but having not trained, the 31-year-old could miss United’s clash with Everton at the weekend. This leaves Ander Herrera and Morgan Schneiderlin as Van Gaal’s preferred central-midfield pair.

Looking past the upcoming round of matches, Schweinsteiger’s age compounds any lost Premier League ground. The former Bayern Munich stalwart—when compared to his contemporaries—has a limited amount of time to comprehend the EPL, then use that information to become a productive midfield presence.

Any arrest in that transition period (i.e. injury or suspension), and the learning curve might be a bridge too far.

Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea 

Speaking of bridges, Stamford Bridge’s fortress-like quality has all but evaporated.

Chelsea have lost two home games under Jose Mourinho in the space of two months. They had only lost one match under the Portuguese in virtually five seasons of Premier League play before 2015/16 started. It boils down to their defence.

Once Mourinho’s calling card, the Blues have regressed hopelessly. As the league’s defending champions last year, they conceded 32 goals. This term, in eight games, the number is already 17.

It is unacceptable. Ask around and most Chelsea supporters would place a majority of the blame at the feet of Branislav Ivanovic (and/or Mourinho’s blind faith in the struggling right-back). That contingent will receive around three weeks of evidence as the Serbian defender has been ruled out with a hamstring problem, via the Daily Mail‘s Simon Jones.

Kurt Zouma could be installed at right-back, but the preferred move is putting Cesar Azpilicueta at his natural position while testing 21-year-old, Ghana international Baba Rahman at left-back.

If the issue was indeed Ivanovic—and he is the primary reason Chelsea are in 16th—then Mourinho was blessed. If not, the west Londoners are royally, well, you know.

Follow @danieltiluk

*Stats via WhoScored.com; transfer fees via Soccerbase where not noted.

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Juventus star Alvaro Morata suffered what looked to be a serious foot injury during Spain’s UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier against Luxembourg, casting serious doubt on his immediate availability for the Italian champions.

Continue for updates.

Morata Stretchered Off Against Luxembourg

Friday, September 9

The 22-year-old appeared to injure his foot coming down after an aerial challenge and immediately reached for his calf. After some lengthy treatment on the pitch, he was taken off on a stretcher and replaced by Paco Alcacer, per SPORT English.

Morata was just starting to find his form, scoring in both of Juventus’ UEFA Champions League matches and adding one goal in Serie A, per WhoScored.com. The former Real Madrid man has been Juventus’ most in-form striker, and he played a pivotal part in the Bianconeri’s solid run of late after their dreadful start to the season.

Mario Mandzukic has been struggling with injuries as well and was recently sent back to Turin after he was unfit to play for Croatia, per Goal’s Tom Webber, and with Fernando Llorente now plying his trade for Sevilla, the Italian champions are suddenly short on available target men.

Simone Zaza could be in line to start alongside Paulo Dybala in Juventus’ upcoming matches, and with pivotal clashes against Inter Milan and Borussia Monchengladbach on the horizon, the Bianconeri better hope the 24-year-old can overcome his inconsistent start to his Juventus career.

While it’s too early to speculate on the extent of Morata’s injury, the fact the youngster needed a stretcher to leave the pitch is an ill omen. It’s yet another blow to Juventus’ chances of winning a fifth consecutive Serie A title, and the upcoming visit to the San Siro stadium couldn’t come at a worse time.

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Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has responded to former England manager Fabio Capello over his assertion the Portuguese had “burned out” his players.

According to the Guardian‘s Dominic Fifield, Mourinho told Gazzetta dello Sport: 

I think a coach with his story in the game is better talking about football without commenting on the work of his colleagues.

I could have commented on his job as coach of England, or of his work with Russia, but I never did. Because I prefer to respect the negative moments of my colleagues. I prefer to talk more of Fabio Capello in the many beautiful moments of his career, those that were full of extraordinary success.

The Blues were rampant for the first half of last season, dominating in virtually every match, but they saw their form drop in the latter half of the campaign as they resorted to sitting back after taking the lead.

Chelsea’s outstanding defence and little challenge from elsewhere allowed them to comfortably and deservedly take the Premier League title, but a summer off has done little to rejuvenate the players, who have kicked off the new campaign in dreadful form.

Currently 16th in the table and a full 10 points behind league leaders Manchester City, the Blues already appear to be out of the title race and are even at risk of missing out on a Champions League place.

Midfielder Cesc Fabregas has been particularly poor and already appeared to be running on fumes at the back end of last season. The Spaniard racked up a stunning 19 assists in the Premier League, but only four came after January.

A solitary assist is all the 28-year-old can boast in the league this season, and with the likes of Eden Hazard, Nemanja Matic and Branislav Ivanovic all seriously underperforming as well, there could be some truth in Capello’s comments.

Further, the squad’s lack of strength in depth also increases the strain on the first team, as Mourinho has few quality alternatives to the stars already on the pitch and therefore can’t do as much rotation as he might like to keep them fresh.

The manager was also prompted to give his thoughts on Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri, who was his predecessor at Chelsea in his first spell. The 52-year-old took the opportunity to mock the Italian’s grasp of English and trophy record.

Per Fifield’s report, he said, “He has lived for five years in England and still has trouble saying good morning and good afternoon. He is almost 70 [Ranieri is 63], and he has won a Super Cup and another small cup. He’s too old to change mentality.”

Ranieri enjoyed a four-year spell at Stamford Bridge and went on to coach the likes of Valencia, Juventus and Roma before returning to English football in the summer to replace outgoing Foxes manager Nigel Pearson.

With Fiorentina, the boss won the Copa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana, and he also lifted the Copa del Rey in his first spell with Los Che.

Mourinho is known for his mind games, most notably his repeated attempts to get under Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger’s skin, demonstrated by BBC Sport, and he previously branded then-Roma boss Ranieri a “loser” during his time at Inter Milan, per ESPN FC.

The affable Ranieri has firmly endeared himself to Leicester fans and neutrals alike for overseeing their magnificent form on the pitch, as well as for his promises of pizza and hot dogs if his players can keep a clean sheet.

As the Blues are not set to face Leicester until December and are not direct rivals to Chelsea, the timing of the jibe is strange.

However, the club’s controversial boss is enduring a torrid time and is most likely on edge because of the club’s current standing, so perhaps the comments aren’t so surprising after all.

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