How to set about the new season. Despite cup successes last term, I'm very disappointed by the complete lack of league form displayed. Looking back, it's not even that I was losing against the big sides. I took points off all the bigger sides, including 4 points against Roma, which is unheard of. It's the useless teams that play absurdly defensively that I can't beat.
Venezia and Udinese have been constant thorns in my side and Atalanta and Bologna have had decent success lately despite having sides without quality, as they play very defensively and bag 1-0 wins all over the place. But my frustration against these sides is dwarfed by my teams useless efforts against the absolute worst teams in the division. Teams like Perugia, Ternana and Piacenza. They're crap and they get relegated, but they always take points off me.
So what to do? Do I change personnel? Do I adapt my tactics? Do I prioritise the league ahead of the cups?
Well, my squad is good, very good, so I'm gonna keep faith with them. Apart from the central midfield, which is forever a problem area. I add 2 young players here, Jamie Lowe for 9 million from Chelsea and Constantini from Napoli on a Bosman free. Both look like quality signings and spell the end of Caca's Foggia career as he departs for 725k. I also add Joao Pedro Sergio (FC) from Porto, who I've had an eye on for some time, on a free transfer.
Tactics against the smaller teams are gonna change. I'm going on the offensive in an effort to stop drawing games. As for prioritising league ahead of cup, I should have enough squad depth not to have to choose between them, but if I do, the league will get the nod. Fingers crossed...
Monday, May 12, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Season 8 - Cup Success!
So a newly settled and happy squad commence the season in familiar fashion. League forms OK, marginally better than last year, and 4th is the spot occupied by Christmas. A bit of a worry is the distinct lack of goals. An early season injury crisis sees me sign 2 center backs on loan, and they both become permanent additions after impressing, Patrick de Jong (DRC) in January and Jerome Robin (SW/DC) at the end of the season.
Cup-wise, I'm laughing. The UEFA Cup and the Italian Cup don't throw any difficult obstacles my way before the mid-way point of the season and I progress sans problems.
Zvonomir Deranja returns to Hadjuk in January, he's a good player, but I have so much competition up front that he's not getting a go. I make 3.6 million, and he was a top dude, so I can't complain.
The second half of the season sees my league form become ever patchier and it quickly becomes evident that although I'm not gonna drop out of the top 6, Champions League football is yet again out of my grasp.
Still, I have the cups. Roma in the Semi's of the Italian Cup is a toughie, but I overcome 2-2 on away goals. The UEFA Cup throws me Arsenal in the 4th Round. A tough one, but a hard fought and entertaining 4-3 aggregate win is deserved. I play Guida up front for the first time, and he makes the difference.
After these ties, the rest of my season becomes a huge struggle. League form remains crap, and now my cup form goes to the dogs. I beat St. Pauli on away goals and Rennes 3-2 in unconvincing victories against none too impressive opposition. I'm fortunate to claim a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the Italian Cup final against Inter. Very fortunate.
A sequence of 7 games without a win convinces me to change my style in order to try and claim a cup to salvage my season. It's risky, but I start using my all out attack formation at the start of games. And it works, I come from behind to defeat Rennes, destroy Juventus in the league 3-0 and even beat Roma in the league 3-2.
Then my first taste of a big trophy. The Italian Cup is claimed with a 5-2 aggregate win after an impressive second leg performance. A few games later, the UEFA Cup is added with a far less interesting 1-0 win against Club Brugge, Fans Player of the Year Bruno scoring the winner. To Madeira ends the season well to be my top scorer, but 16 isn't a great haul. I have to figure out how to score more goals next year.
I finish 5th for the 3rd year in a row, and I'm not happy. My squad is really good and I have excellent strikers. But they won't bloody score. I'm kinda stumped.
My BIG gripe this season is the ridiculous number of red cards I get. I now appeal all of them because SO many are getting overturned because the refs are useless. Nelson Akwari got 3 red cards (again) but this time ALL OF THEM had their bans retracted because of poor decisions. It doesn't bloody help me win! Especially the game against AC Milan where I committed 7 fouls and had 3 players sent off. I still only lost 2-0 and both goals were penalties. Grrr...
Cup-wise, I'm laughing. The UEFA Cup and the Italian Cup don't throw any difficult obstacles my way before the mid-way point of the season and I progress sans problems.
Zvonomir Deranja returns to Hadjuk in January, he's a good player, but I have so much competition up front that he's not getting a go. I make 3.6 million, and he was a top dude, so I can't complain.
The second half of the season sees my league form become ever patchier and it quickly becomes evident that although I'm not gonna drop out of the top 6, Champions League football is yet again out of my grasp.
Still, I have the cups. Roma in the Semi's of the Italian Cup is a toughie, but I overcome 2-2 on away goals. The UEFA Cup throws me Arsenal in the 4th Round. A tough one, but a hard fought and entertaining 4-3 aggregate win is deserved. I play Guida up front for the first time, and he makes the difference.
After these ties, the rest of my season becomes a huge struggle. League form remains crap, and now my cup form goes to the dogs. I beat St. Pauli on away goals and Rennes 3-2 in unconvincing victories against none too impressive opposition. I'm fortunate to claim a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the Italian Cup final against Inter. Very fortunate.
A sequence of 7 games without a win convinces me to change my style in order to try and claim a cup to salvage my season. It's risky, but I start using my all out attack formation at the start of games. And it works, I come from behind to defeat Rennes, destroy Juventus in the league 3-0 and even beat Roma in the league 3-2.
Then my first taste of a big trophy. The Italian Cup is claimed with a 5-2 aggregate win after an impressive second leg performance. A few games later, the UEFA Cup is added with a far less interesting 1-0 win against Club Brugge, Fans Player of the Year Bruno scoring the winner. To Madeira ends the season well to be my top scorer, but 16 isn't a great haul. I have to figure out how to score more goals next year.
I finish 5th for the 3rd year in a row, and I'm not happy. My squad is really good and I have excellent strikers. But they won't bloody score. I'm kinda stumped.
My BIG gripe this season is the ridiculous number of red cards I get. I now appeal all of them because SO many are getting overturned because the refs are useless. Nelson Akwari got 3 red cards (again) but this time ALL OF THEM had their bans retracted because of poor decisions. It doesn't bloody help me win! Especially the game against AC Milan where I committed 7 fouls and had 3 players sent off. I still only lost 2-0 and both goals were penalties. Grrr...
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Season 8 - Preview II - Vincenzo Guida
OK, the board won't expand the stadium so I'm gonna spend some cash. After 7 seasons, I've spent 22 million and recouped 21 million, never before have I been so good monetarily. Why have I been doing this? To make Foggia's board rich? NO! So they expand my stadium, but no dice.
So it's time to blow some of that cash on a player who I've wanted for a while. Vincenzo Guida (FRC) from Napoli. 20 years-old, great stats for a winger, attacking midfielder and striker. Looks great. I was also prompted to bid because Lazio went after him. After a brief bidding war, the signature is mine for 13.25 million, blowing the former transfer record out of the water. The fans are delighted with the big name signing.
And that still leaves me with over 20 million in the bank. Smooth.
So it's time to blow some of that cash on a player who I've wanted for a while. Vincenzo Guida (FRC) from Napoli. 20 years-old, great stats for a winger, attacking midfielder and striker. Looks great. I was also prompted to bid because Lazio went after him. After a brief bidding war, the signature is mine for 13.25 million, blowing the former transfer record out of the water. The fans are delighted with the big name signing.
And that still leaves me with over 20 million in the bank. Smooth.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Season 7 - Portugal and Season 8 - Preview
It's becoming obvious that I really don't care that much about international management. Portugal is easy, a simple qualification process is completed with a 100% record, but my hearts not in it.
I guide the team through a Euro 2008 group including Russia, hosts Switzerland and England with 7 points, finishing 2nd to England on goal difference. Ukraine are comfortably dispatched in the Quarters and then my woefully unfit squad are slaughtered 5-1 by France in the Semis. And I still don't care. So despite the FA being very happy with the performance, I resign to concentrate on Foggia.
The season 8 pre-game has a few big outs for me in a bid to restore dressing room harmony. Adolfo leaves for Atalanta on a Bosman. I rid the club of all 4 trouble makers. Plato drops into Serie C1B with Fidelis Andria for 100k, Seedorf is sent packing on a free to no-one, Barzagli goes to Napoli for 1m (which is far less than he's worth) and the one that I really didn't want to go, Oguchi Onyewu, leaves for 8.25m for Inter. Two other notable departures are Emeka Mamale at the end of his contract and Kaka who was solidly cack for 2 seasons for 3.1m to Salernitana.
But with all the goodbyes, in come some good-buys (aha - shoot me). Or at least I hope they'll be good buys. I snatch a young Italian center back by the name of Massimo Frezza from Inter for a mere 1.1m and he looks as good as Onyewu, but younger. I sign welsh winger Gary Roberts from Leeds for 2m after missing out on him 2 years earlier for 50k. In comes another Italian youngster, this time from Udinese on a free in the form of Riccardo Ferrari. Also, Cafu-esque right midfielder Camaro (another of my names) is bought in for nothing.
So the squad's happy and still has a lot of depth (apart from in goal) so once again, I'm confident of Champion's League qualification. We'll see. Board expectations are slightly lower, this time a serious title challenge. But this time I think top 4 is a must. If I lose the UEFA Cup Final again...
I guide the team through a Euro 2008 group including Russia, hosts Switzerland and England with 7 points, finishing 2nd to England on goal difference. Ukraine are comfortably dispatched in the Quarters and then my woefully unfit squad are slaughtered 5-1 by France in the Semis. And I still don't care. So despite the FA being very happy with the performance, I resign to concentrate on Foggia.
The season 8 pre-game has a few big outs for me in a bid to restore dressing room harmony. Adolfo leaves for Atalanta on a Bosman. I rid the club of all 4 trouble makers. Plato drops into Serie C1B with Fidelis Andria for 100k, Seedorf is sent packing on a free to no-one, Barzagli goes to Napoli for 1m (which is far less than he's worth) and the one that I really didn't want to go, Oguchi Onyewu, leaves for 8.25m for Inter. Two other notable departures are Emeka Mamale at the end of his contract and Kaka who was solidly cack for 2 seasons for 3.1m to Salernitana.
But with all the goodbyes, in come some good-buys (aha - shoot me). Or at least I hope they'll be good buys. I snatch a young Italian center back by the name of Massimo Frezza from Inter for a mere 1.1m and he looks as good as Onyewu, but younger. I sign welsh winger Gary Roberts from Leeds for 2m after missing out on him 2 years earlier for 50k. In comes another Italian youngster, this time from Udinese on a free in the form of Riccardo Ferrari. Also, Cafu-esque right midfielder Camaro (another of my names) is bought in for nothing.
So the squad's happy and still has a lot of depth (apart from in goal) so once again, I'm confident of Champion's League qualification. We'll see. Board expectations are slightly lower, this time a serious title challenge. But this time I think top 4 is a must. If I lose the UEFA Cup Final again...
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Season 7 - Groundhog Day
Expectations are high evidently. I hope for a Champions League berth and silverware.
After a fairly poor start (stupid Roma away as game 1 doesn't help) Foggia float around the regular 4th-6th place slots for the first half of the season. No-one really sets the world alight, but it's fairly solid. The UEFA Cup progresses nicely with a succession of relatively easy ties.
Come January, a predictable Quarter final exit in the Italian Cup has occurred, but I'm 5th and looking forward to a 2nd half of the season with new signing Bruno, picked up for a mere 2.4 million on a minimum fee release clause. He looks good.
However, elsewhere in the squad there are problems. Long standing one club man Oguchi Onyewu is being tempted by mighty Inter, and is letting the press know about it. New signing Andrea Barzagli doesn't like this and starts being a bit of a twat. 2 reserve team players - Chedric Seedorf and Plato (a nickname of my creation) go AWOL. Long story short, squad disharmony is rife, at it's worse, about half the squad is unhappy. Also, Kaka is still shit.
This for me, is the downfall of the season. Inconsistent league form takes over, although somehow, 5th place is retained. Atalanta's absurd unbeaten run collapses with 5 defeats on the bounce, and 8 games without a win, but they still keep me out of the Champions League.
The UEFA Cup is all too easy. I cruise to the final with style where I meet Athletico Madrid. Once again, the entire team doesn't turn up. There's 18 minutes to go and I'm 3-1 down. I go all out on the attack, chucking Maxi Lopez and Cherno Samba on. It works! And at full-time I'm back at 3-3, Bruno delivering a last minute equalizer. Unfortunately Fernando Torres has other ideas and completes a superb hat-trick to take the game on golden goals. Another final defeat.
Mourad Meghni wins Fans Player with a great season from center mid. My top scorer is Sokolov with a paltry 11 goals. One of 7 players in double figures, but no-one was outstanding.
So I'm left exactly where I was last year but with a more pissed off squad. Surprisingly, the board isn't unhappy. Perhaps they weren't being completely unrealistic after all. Still won't expand the stadium though...
After a fairly poor start (stupid Roma away as game 1 doesn't help) Foggia float around the regular 4th-6th place slots for the first half of the season. No-one really sets the world alight, but it's fairly solid. The UEFA Cup progresses nicely with a succession of relatively easy ties.
Come January, a predictable Quarter final exit in the Italian Cup has occurred, but I'm 5th and looking forward to a 2nd half of the season with new signing Bruno, picked up for a mere 2.4 million on a minimum fee release clause. He looks good.
However, elsewhere in the squad there are problems. Long standing one club man Oguchi Onyewu is being tempted by mighty Inter, and is letting the press know about it. New signing Andrea Barzagli doesn't like this and starts being a bit of a twat. 2 reserve team players - Chedric Seedorf and Plato (a nickname of my creation) go AWOL. Long story short, squad disharmony is rife, at it's worse, about half the squad is unhappy. Also, Kaka is still shit.
This for me, is the downfall of the season. Inconsistent league form takes over, although somehow, 5th place is retained. Atalanta's absurd unbeaten run collapses with 5 defeats on the bounce, and 8 games without a win, but they still keep me out of the Champions League.
The UEFA Cup is all too easy. I cruise to the final with style where I meet Athletico Madrid. Once again, the entire team doesn't turn up. There's 18 minutes to go and I'm 3-1 down. I go all out on the attack, chucking Maxi Lopez and Cherno Samba on. It works! And at full-time I'm back at 3-3, Bruno delivering a last minute equalizer. Unfortunately Fernando Torres has other ideas and completes a superb hat-trick to take the game on golden goals. Another final defeat.
Mourad Meghni wins Fans Player with a great season from center mid. My top scorer is Sokolov with a paltry 11 goals. One of 7 players in double figures, but no-one was outstanding.
So I'm left exactly where I was last year but with a more pissed off squad. Surprisingly, the board isn't unhappy. Perhaps they weren't being completely unrealistic after all. Still won't expand the stadium though...
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