Summary: With many national teams at the halfway point of qualification for EURO2016 a number of important developments have signaled a sense of change with an expanded format and some hopeful countries now in control of their destiny while some of the giants are suddenly facing a combination of early failed attempts and perhaps overdue self-examination of their credentials. Joining us to explore these matters is commentator and pundit Paul Sarahs on the evolving fortunes of some surprising performances as Matchday Five came to a close for many of the nations aiming for France and how some giants in world football are suddenly feeling the pressure of failed projects or the limits of expiring resources. We explore a number of the emerging favorites to go through, a couple of the troubling signs and look for some trends in regards to how some smaller nations have been able to restart and produce with a more wide open landscape. In segment two, Italy comes into focus as a tumultuous two weeks came to a close in the aftermath of an Italy-England friendly and David Amoyal of GianlucaDiMarzio.com helps us unpack the many storylines that spilled into the sports pages and turned up the emotions at nearly every juncture - the use of Oriundi in the national team, the end of days for the criminal aspect of Calciopoli in Italian courts and a constant full court blast of innuendo surrounding Antonio Conte, Claudio Marchisio and Juventus, with a heaping does of Carlo Tavecchio and the FIGC thrown in for extra measure. In our final segment, Football Collective contributor Oliver Martin joins from overseas to discuss the matter of Liverpool as a key fixture with Arsenal awaits at the weekend with all kinds of downstream ramifications with respect to top-four, what is sure to be a very important off-season and the speculation surrounding the transfer market and a brand new contract for Raheem Sterling.
