Another ridiculous start to the Serie A season then and it’s the unlikely underdogs Salernitana that sit top of the table after 8 games. Conceding a miserly 4 goals is a foundation many a success has been built on here in Italy but there’s an awful long way to go indeed. Meanwhile, defending champions Bologna and their succession plans are very much in the mix. With Roberto Baggio surely coming towards the end of his mightily impressive career, manager Dave Black has to find a way to replace the Divine Ponytail at some point. Will he find a solution or continue to spend lavishly on Premier League has beens? Either way, week 9 looks to be a big one as the top two go head to head.

Here is that table before we start…

As Jimbo said, it’s an early top of the table clash and luckily for us, Leandro has one of his unstoppable games. If he could just bring that level of consistency every week we would be well clear.

Not very often you get the champions of Finland in the group stages and predictably they aren’t up to much. Clean sheets continue to allude us but we are here to entertain.

We make really hard work of this game. Mr Hanke saying howdy ho upsets our rhythm for a bit but old man Baggio scores a free kick and Rob Page prods in a winner.

Another struggle here but a comeback win keeps our Coppa Italia hopes alive. The Icelandic regen has not hit the heights as of yet.

That’s a tricky looking trip to Florence. An interesting last 8 here.

Oh look he’s at it again. That’s a 4 game ban but fortunately it doesn’t effect the result thanks to Shalimov’s brilliance.

Benfica away always looked like it might cause problems and so it proves. Poborsky gets sent off for arguing his hair is better than Baggio’s. An obvious lie that refs are clamping down on. Still, it takes a last minute goal from the former Sporting man to salvage a point, which I’m sure would please the locals.

We haven’t had the group all our own way and there’s still work to do.

Baggio is in top form and he sets us on our way against Lecce.

A first defeat in absolutely ages comes at Udinese. Amoroso is a nuisance.

This unconvincing point against Rosenborg means we go down to the final game.

Eek.

Two clean sheets in a row! There’s very little pattern to what we achieve.

I forgot this would be two legs so taking an away goal and a draw is a good result.

What a state this is. 3-1 up against 10 men but where there’s Ronaldo there is hope.

Some versatile reinforcements arrive.

Chelsea are having to play Dean Sturridge in goal. Their keeper is injured and they have a full squad with no backup. I feel like it happens to Chelsea a lot.

As you can see, it’s working well.

So close to blowing another healthy lead, the forgotten Nevland gets what turns out to be the decisive third. We are through but only just.

A draw would have knocked us out, possibly? Not sure if 10 points would be enough.

Dortmund could be worse I suppose.

Nevland’s got a taste for it now.

We should win this.

Ouch. Former striker Kenny Andersson sticks the knife in as we suffer a rare home defeat.

Fiorentina brushed aside here.

And now we will sign Edgar Davids.

His debut against his former employers goes well.

Parma used to be good. Not at the moment.

Ravenna are no match for us.

Molnar leaves in a book balancing exercise. £3.3m is a healthy profit.

Let’s sign Tommy. Allll the lads.

Clean sheets are everywhere now Edgar is in front of the defence.

A disappointing first leg score leaves us with a job to do.

Pescara are no such problem.

All of that leaves us 13 points clear and looking well set to retain our Serie A crown.

Here’s an update on the now superstar squad.