Season 12 - A New Dawn

That's a crap title, but I'm struggling for inspiration.

A pre-season tour of China is in order, and the day before it starts I secure a striker - Collins Osunwa, a Nigerian international from Lens for 5 million.

The season proper starts against Foggia, and it isn't too pretty. They dominate the game. But somehow I emerge with a 1-0 win courtesy of an Osunwa debut goal and an imperious performance from goalkeeper Ivan Pelizzoli. Foggia's new manager is Alberto Malesani and he crowbars them into a 442 with some useless, useless full backs, but it seems to work against me...

League form starts well, and progress in the UEFA Cup is assisted by favorable draws. I add another Foggia striker to my squad, the never before mentioned Alessio Marchioro for an absurdly over inflated 7.5m. He wasn't mentioned previous as he came through the youth setup last season and is only just becoming a talent.

Up to Christmas and I'm 2nd and nicely placed. I face QPR again, sweeping them aside 3-0. And not playing Foggia in the Italian Cup QF is a disappointment.

January sees the beginnings of a slump of sorts in the league. 6 draws in 7 games and a reluctance from my players to score goals. In fact it's the old heads doing the best work. Rossini is top scorer and Samuel looks unbeatable at the back. I'm down in 5th and CL football is looking dodgy. Foggia rear their ugly heads in the Cup Semi and I'm defeated by a last minute Cherno Samba thunderbolt.

League form improves a little, but draws are still ridiculously frequent. I lose just 4 league games and somehow sneak into 3rd place. Man Utd are defeated in the UEFA Cup 4th round, and after that no decent opposition comes my way. Portsmouth (of Division 1) are my opponents in the final and they don't muster a single shot in my 2-0 victory.

Antonio Cassano is Fans Player, with 13 assists from behind the strikers, but I would've given it to Samuel who was brilliant and who I hope to coax into another year at Roma. Rossini finishes as top scorer but was losing it at the end of the year, so will probably go. Much to be done before next year, but a solid season to start with.

Season 12 - Preview - Part 2

They make a decision in 2 days. The decision? Tash. Good choice.

I take a detailed look at the squad and do the traditional firing of dead wood. 11 players are immediately released on a free transfer. And a week later another 7 follow, including the 35 year-old Francesco Totti who refuses to sign a contract for 100k a week.

I see why Capello retired. He'd won a lot, but 6th place last season with an aging squad looks like the end of the road. I have a mere 7m to spend and I need lots of players. There are old players here including Walter Samuel, Rio Ferdinand, Lucio, Harry Kewell and Fausto Rossini who all look likely to be facing their last season at Roma too, but I'm gonna have to keep them as I don't have much wonga.

I feel the need. The need to raid Foggia for some cheap players. De Jong (DRC) and Robin (SW/DC) are both fine defenders and will provide squad support for the old hands for now. And for 2.3m for the pair, good business. In my desperation for a striker I sign Maxi Lopez for 1.6m. The Roma squad actually contains a couple of my old players, Kaka and Jamie Quinn, the latter being one of only 2 central midfielders in my whole squad.

I bolster this section with Enzo Guerra DMC (250k), Anthony Blanc DMLC (1.9m), Enzo Maresca DMLC (free on a one year contract) and Simone Cardinale MC (free). Dan Lukic MRC comes in for 1.3m as back-up to Kaka.

I need more strikers, and hope the season ticket money will help me out here, but I'm gonna have to wait. First game? European Super Cup against Foggia...

Season 12 - Preview - Part 1

Well. I try to get the Milan job, but they give it to Prandelli. Bizarre decision, he's never won anything, and I just won the lot. My only theory is that they aren't willing to pay compensation to Foggia or something (clutching at straws here).

Further reason to leave Foggia (as if I needed one) is that the players refuse to be happy. Winning the treble is apparently not enough for some. Jamie Lowe refuses to sign a new contract and is snapped up by Juve for a cut price 4.3m. Balls. Milan sign THREE of my players who aren't happy. Vanilson Andre, Mourad Meghni and Flavio Pereira leave for the combined total of 26.25m. I sell Joao Pedro Sergio back to FC Porto for 3.5m, he just wouldn't settle. Mo money, mo money. And it looks like I'm gonna have to stay so I start the rebuilding process with the 1.1m signing of Didier Grondin, an impressive looking CM.

Then something great happens. Fabio Capello retires from Roma and football. Great news, a new job opening. Although on closer inspection, Roma's squad is old, completely lacking in depth of any sort and they have little cash. Well, I'm up for the challenge, their stadium is huge, so it won't take long to build up some cash reserves. I quit Foggia and apply. Fingers crossed...

Season 11 - Wait, What?!?

Yeah, this was probably the weirdest season I can remember for some time...

To start with, I'm in the World Club Championship. Weird qualifying criteria they must have. I guess a couple of UEFA Cups got me in. And what a stupid trophy it is. Although, if memory serves, quite the money spinner, so I take it pretty seriously. And I win it easily. Footballing heavyweights (sarcasm, just in case my tone is too dry for some) Sundowns and Kaiser Chiefs (both from South Africa) and Japan's Reysol are put to the sword. Diego Maradona's Independiente and Atalanta are the only reasonably challenging games, the latter dispatched in the final 2-0.

Then, perhaps more bizarrely, I lose a Super Cup! Outrageous. Roma beat me 3-2 completely against the run of play.

League form and CL form are both good, the only blip is defeat to Lazio. The weird stakes are raised again by QPR being in my group...

Up until the Christmas break, I'm great, wins everywhere in all competitions. Including the least weird match up of the season, everyone's favorite tie - the Italian Cup Quarter Final vs Roma.

Everingham is out, sold back to Brazil. He cannot get in the team. Late January to early March in the league is ugly. Perhaps cockiness on my part. Napoli, Milan, Juventus and Verona all beat me, and I'm starting to sweat. After progress is secured to the knock out stages of the CL things improve though, and my form before Christmas gave me a bit of a cushion. The CL Quarter Final victory over Man Utd 3-3 on away goals is crucial. Somehow, of the 4 teams remaining, I am by far the best. FC Copenhagen are swept aside to secure a final berth.

The Serie A title is secured with 2 games to go, with a completely unglorius 2-1 home win against Modena, Sergio Amaya sealing it. Despite being 2-1 down, I play the reserves in the 2nd leg of the Italian Cup Final against Lazio, and against all odds, they secure a fantastic 2-0 away win to take the trophy.

Then the big one, the CL Final for an unbelievable treble after last season's complete shambles. FC Porto are destroyed, almost single handedly by Bruno who bags 2 in a comfortable 3-0 win. He sweeps the board stat-wise, earning his 4th Fans Player award to boot. Onyewu continues to astound at centre back, making Inter look silly.

So, do I stay or go? A great season no doubt, but I'm sick of Foggia. It's time to go, but where?

Season 11 - Preview

Following last season's lousy showing, I am determined to improve, if only so I can leave Foggia. The board annoy the hell out of me, unhappy despite going from Serie C2 to the Champions League and they won't even consider expanding the stadium. Sod 'em. I need a league win and/or a Champions League win in order to secure one of the big jobs.

Significant outs - Ben May to Bologna for 6.5 million, Bojan Djordic to Man Utd for 3.4, Camaro to Venezia for 1.6, Jamie Quinn to Roma for 2.9,

Significant (I hope) ins - Ricardo Quaresma AMRL (free), Martin Seedorf DMRC (free), Ulisse Prete DRC (2.5m), Fredson MRLC (2.1m) and Sergio Amaya who looks like a hell of a prospect up front on a glorius Bosman free transfer.

Everingham has until Xmas to prove himself. He started reasonably well last season and was among the assists. But he down right refused to score after November. Perhaps he's more like the new Christopher Wreh than George Weah...

Season 10 - Bugger

My squad is actually a little smaller, although the previous post doesn't show it too well. A number of players leave who are barely worth noting, including the very annoying Gary Roberts, a fine left winger who couldn't settle in Italy and is sold to Hearts for 675k.

Anyhow, enough of that. The season's immediate start is good, both Super Cups retained with victories over Milan in both. Qualification for the Champions League is assured with a 5-1 aggregate win over Rosenborg. Then my league form completely tanks, worst start for a while. Perhaps it is my increased rotation due to European football, as my Champions League form is good, and progress is relatively simple in a reasonably tricky group including PSV and Sporting Lisbon.

I'm 5th at Christmas, and unimpressed. Also dealt a horrible 2nd group in Europe, with Valencia, Man Utd and Ajax. Although in the Italian Cup I hold a 1-0 lead in my Quarter Final against, yes, you guessed it, Roma. Again! I sign Kim Kallstrom for 1.7 million in an attempt to get more assists and goals from midfield. An idea which fails completely.

League form stays crap, and successive away defeats to Valencia and Ajax spell doom for the Champions League. However, as soon as I'm officially out of Europe, my league form turns on it's head and I start beating everyone and their mothers. And well too. The Italian Cup is retaken, Inter fall before me 4-2 on aggregate, but invincible late season league form is only good enough to salvage 4th. At least it's Champions League. A poor season that I am completely underwhelmed by.

My board is showing signs of disgust, and at no point in the season do I gain any sort of rapport with the fans. There's always next year.

Bruno has another impressive season, top scoring from behind the strikers and winning Fans Player again. Oguchi Onyewu returns with the best average rating. I'm becoming dispirited.

Season 10 - Preview

My squad's a little large, and there are a few players seeking fresh challenges or starting to fall short. As a result, there are quite a few players leaving prior to this season.

Players falling short include; Benja, Mascherano and Isaksson. Some bigger loses amongst the seemingly unending number of irritated players. To Madeira leaves for Juventus for 6 million, Massimo Frezza to Fiorentina for 4.3 million and Claudio Constantini back to Napoli after just a season for 2.8 million.

Despite this, I still need to bolster the squad a little ready for Champions League football. Nikita Baranov comes in as back-up keeper, the strikers are bolstered by Phil Everingham (the new George Weah) and Nicola Sacchetti (who breaks my transfer record with 13.5 million) and I reacquire Oguchi Onyewu who has inexplicably fallen down the pecking order at Inter, for a million less than I sold him for. Finally, I am tempted into the bargain purchase of Flavio Pereira for 825k, a Portuguese central midfielder of some class.

Season 9 - Guida Out!

Grrr. Vincenzo Guida is a git. Not only has he vastly underperformed during his stay, but early on in season 9 he starts throwing the toys out of the pram. About nothing. He's a smeg-head and when Manchester United offer me 7.5 million, I snap their hand off. 40 games, 4 goals and 6 assists, from a dude that looks like a legend. I lose money, but I'm rich. I don't care.

Results wise, the season starts very well, both Super Cups are captured against Roma and Milan respectively and my league form sees me comfortably positioned in the top 3 throughout the first half of the season. I get a tough UEFA Cup 1st Round draw, but Chelsea are overcome 5-2, and progress is easy. The Italian Cup is no challenge until the traditional Foggia vs Roma Quarter Final, which I shade 4-3 on aggregate.

The transfer window is quite quiet for me, Johan Buhn leaves along with Bruno Moraes, a talented young striker who will make it elsewhere, but the prospect of a 5 million profit on a player that can't get in the team is too enticing. I bring in 2 wingers in an attempt to raise midfield productivity - Vanilson Andre on the left and Alessio Lorini on the right.

A February slump (which extends into March) sees any prospect of a title challenge disappear, struggling through a UEFA Cup tie with Nurnberg on away goals and a 3-0 deficit established against Milan in the Italian Cup Final. But on March 11th I embark on an unbeaten run which will last for the rest of the season.

It's not enough to salvage the Italian Cup, but the UEFA Cup is retained after impressive victories over Real Madrid and then Juventus in the final. And I avoided 5th! Hoorah. A solid 3rd place, which was so nearly a 2nd. Still, Champions League football is the important thing.

Bruno is Fans Player again, as well as my top scorer. Jamie Lowe has a great season from central midfield with 15 assists and Gabriel Milito in defence is a revelation.