Spanish surely aren't likely to stitch up Italy

IT'S the type of scenario that must make Alanis Morrisette stop whinging about her ex-boyfriends for five minutes and concentrate on warming up the vocal chords again.

Italy, the home of the carve-up, could be eliminated from their second European Championship out of the last three by two of their rivals shaking hands beforehand and playing out a nice and convenient 2-2 draw.

At least that's what they'll be fearing in Italy, where the 2-2 draw would be a 1-10 shot if that's what both teams needed in a Serie A match.

As it is you can get much bigger odds than that over here, but I'll still be steering clear.

Eight years ago Sweden and Denmark were two evenly-matched teams who had a proper go at each other before inevitably calling a truce when the score reached 2-2.

Spain and Croatia are in no way evenly-matched, and the only way we'll get to 2-2 is if Spain go easy on them - not likely when they've got so much quality in reserve that virtually all of them are playing for their places.

Italy can do their job by thrashing the inept Irish.

I've had to change my way of assessing Ireland with every match. It started off by working out where they would probably finish in the Premier League. Then in the Championship. Now I reckon they'd do well to survive in League One.

Richard Dunne achieved the seemingly impossible feat of making Fernando Torres look like Usain Bolt as they clung on to a 4-0 defeat against Spain - but for Shay Given it could have been 40.

Italy should cruise past Trap's boys and will be pleasantly surprised to discover they haven't been stitched up after all.