[FM09] A 2010 European Adventure...

A 2010 EUROPEAN ADVENTURE

This is just a bit of a fun adventure that I'd like to keep y'all updated with without actually turning it into a real story as I really don't have the time for it at the moment. That said, the updating of this page may be somewhat erratic, and for that I apologise profusely in advance. Thanks for taking the time to read!

I'm playing on the latest patch, with my database updated to the beginning of the 2009/10 season (I can't remember who made the database though!!!)

Leagues loaded are:

Belgum, Croatia, Denmark, England, Italy, Scotland, Spain, Sweden (all to the second tier)

My manager is English, with an automatic reputation. My favourite team (as in real life!) is Barnet, but as England is only loaded down to the Championship that is unlkely to have much impact on the game!

The plan is to start unemployed, and essentally to be a nomad, wandering round the various leagues, spending a season or two at each different club, and aim to win all the trophies (well, not exactly all; a second tier title, a first tier title, the UEFA League, the Champions League, and two different domestic cups!)

So, I applied for a few of the jobs that were available (including Antwerp, of the Belgian Second Division, and the delightfully named Hadjuk Split). They all turned me down, preferring more experienced managers, but I did recieve an offer from a club who I hadn't even approached.

That club was...

Padova...

Padova were runners up in Serie C1/A in the 2008/09 season, and were therefore promoted into Serie B. They are predcted to come 17th out of the 22 teams, although I reckon with a few additions to the squad we can push on into safe midtable, perhaps even the top half.

The club have no history of success to speak of - third place in Serie A back in 1958 and runner up in the 1967 Coppa Italia are the closest they've come to major success. More recently, they featured in Serie A in the 94/95 and 95/96 seasons, before spending a further two years in Serie B, then suffering successive relegations to find themselves in Serie C2. A season of consolidation followed, before they were promoted the following year as champions. Seven years of top half finishes in Serie C2 followed, including the runners up finish that got them promoted last season.

I started off by replacing well over half of my backroom team, replacing some incompetent unknown Italians with some more competent unknown Italians.

I also made radical changes to the playing staff, reshaping the squad in order to more accurately fit my vision of a workin 3-5-2 formation. Out went five players who either couldn't play a role in the formation or I just didn't feel had the required quality, and in came seven new players, making a profit of £75,000 and cutting the wage bill. By July 1st, the squad looked like this:

Goalkeepers:

Federico Agliardi would figuratively wear the number one shirt this season (although he actually preferred the number 26). The former Palermo keeper was amongst the best in the division, and hs backup, Andrea Cano, was much weaker, and seven years his elder.

Central Defenders

We had Matteo Darmian on loan from AC Milan U20s, but he would at best play a supporting role. I decided to keep him as backup as they were paying his wages! My first choices were Trevor Trevisan, a delightfully named Italian we had pinched from Pisa, Vasco Faisa, a 29 year old from Portugal, and Samuel Kuffour, a former Bayern Munich and Roma player who had notched up 95 caps for Ghana. The man who would be warming the bench would be Cesar, our resident Brazilian who had spent the last ten years playing in Italy.

Wing Backs

On the left we had Francesco Renzetti as first choice, and despite being only 21 he is clearly one of our better players. His backup is Tunisian youth international Salim Ben Djemia, who is on loan from Genoa. Gennaro Volpe is the first choice on the right, and my most expensive signing, although this is still one of our weaker positions. His backup is 35 year old Ferdinand Coly, only good for a season, so I'll bring in a replacement as soon as I can find one of the required quality at a reasonable price.

Central Midfield

The first choice to play this position is Ricardinho; the veteran Brazilian was my most high profile signing, and would easily be able to play in Serie A. Alongside him will be more defensive minded Vincenzo Italiano, who played in Serie A last year. Backup to these two will be Italian-Indian William Jidayi, a defensive player who lacks a little in the physical side of things, and veteran Lukas Jarolim. This is probably my strongest position, although the fact that the best three of the four are the wrong side of thirty isn't great.

Attacking Midfield

The other player that I paid money for, Gabriele Paonessa, would start in this role; the Italian youth international, now 22, looked pretty good and was rapidly improving. Flavio Lazzari, his backup, was quick, and had a decent football brain, but his technique lets him down.

Strikers

Up front, we had four players competing for the two roles. Club captain Andrea Soncin would probably start most games, and 34 year old veteran Francesco Flachi would partner him when available. Flachi was technically very good, and still had enough pace to do a job in Serie B, but I wonder how long his legs would last. Edgar Cani also looked good, a 20 year old Albanian international on loan from Palermo. Despite having the number 9 shirt, and a name that just rolls off the tongue, Massimilliano Varrichio was most definitely the weakest of my four up front, and a possible candidate for replacement.

Summary:

Not a bad squad, and definitely one that can achieve better than the seventeenth place predicted for me. However, there a couple of positions that could do with strengthening; in particular I could do with another striker and a right wing back. A major problem is that most of my best players are over thirty - with the journeyman career plan, I may take this team as far as it can go and leave just as the stars begin to wane. Not nice, I know, but needs must...

July & August 2009

Pre-season began OK; we managed two draws and a win against lower league Spanish opposition. However, it was surprisingly cut short by a qualifying round for the Italian Cup. I had played the last of my first batch of friendlies on the Friday, and a cup game suddenly appeared on the Sunday! We would face Crotone, a team tipped to finish near the bottom of Serie B.

We got off to the ideal start, when new signing Paonessa picked up a through ball from Edgar Cani, left his marker for dead, and cooly slotted under the onrushing keeper after just seven minutes. Vasco Faisa doubled the lead with a header from a corner just seconds after the break, and that was how it finished.

The next friendly was against Pistoiese, and they were dispatched by eight goals to nothing. We managed to carry the momentum forward into the next cup qualifier against Ascoli, tipped to be promotion contenders from Serie B this season. A first half double from club captain Andrea Soncin put us in a strong position, strengthened by Ascoli hitting the post with a penalty. They pulled one back on the hour mark, but we held on to go into the fourth qualifying round, where we would face the only remaining Serie C team, Rimini, away from home.

Our Serie B campaign began on the following Saturday, the 22nd, and we faced relegation favourites Citadella. We took a two goal lead inside the first half hour again, Trevor Trevisan headed home from a corner before Ricardinho converted a penalty won by Francesco Flachi. Carteri pulled one back moments before half time, and the dreary second half ended goalless to give us three points in the opening game.

We played rivals Vicenza in the next game, this time away from home. Things looked ominous when Zanchi gave them the lead halfway through the first period, but Francesco Flachi's first goal for the club brought us in level at half time. However, Bjelanovic gave them the lead ten minutes into the second half, and Brazilian striker Fabiano struck on the counter to guarantee our defeat.

We ended the month in eleventh place, after two of forty two games. There was one final bit of action in the transfer window - on deadline day we brought in Luigi Castaldo to replace Massimilliano Varrichio as backup striker. He departed for Piacenza.