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[FM11] Messi? Nah...


SnakeXe

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150px-ACR_Messina.png

Name: A.C.R. Messina

Nickname: Peloritani/Giallorossi

Founded: 1900, 1972, 1997, 2008

Stadium: San Filippo, 40,200 capacity

From Wikipedia:

Associazione Calcio Rinascita Messina is an Italian football club based in Messina, Sicily originally founded in 1900. The club has spent most of its history in the lower Italian football leagues. They last competed in Serie B in 2007–08, this following three consecutive seasons in Serie A. On July 2008 Messina were excluded from professional football due to financial issues, being later registered into amateur Serie D, where they are currently playing.
As part of the Big Euro Nation: Small to Big Club Challenge, my alter ego Alessandro Serpente has taken control at Messina, newly promoted to Serie C2/C. The potential at the club is huge, as evidenced by the massive, modern stadium. However, the stadium also has the potential to cripple the club, with upkeep on such a large ground surely impossible with Serie C2 crowds.

You can follow me on Twitter, @SnakeXe, and some of our best/most important goals may end up on my YouTube channel.

The Aims:

(Graded, so I can check them off)

  • Win promotion to Serie C1
  • Win the Serie C Cup
  • Win promotion to Serie B
  • Win promotion to Serie A
  • Have an Italy international at the club
  • Win the Coppa Italia
  • Win the Europa League
  • Win the Super Cup
  • Win Serie A
  • Have an Italy international come through the youth academy
  • Win the Supercoppa
  • Win the Champions League
  • Win the Club World Championship

Analysis of the squad to come, please let me know any other screenshots you'd like to see. Also, anyone who gets the thread title reference is awesome :D

150px-ACR_Messina.png

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The Squad: 2011

Goalkeepers

Mauro Vigorito - GK - Italy - A new signing this summer, he'll be first choice.

Daniele Lorenzini - GK - Italy - Already at the club, started the season in nets due to Vigorito's injury. Looks solid enough.

Defenders

Duccio Innocenti - SW/DRC/WBR - Italy - Aging but really quite good fullback. A shame he's not a little better going forward, but that's less important than at this level.

John Thomas Adano - DR - Italy - Fantastic name, decent back up to Innocenti on loan.

Rosario Licata - D/WB/ML - Italy - One of my best signings over the summer, great attacking fullback, offsetting the defensive stability of Innocenti on the other flank.

Damiano Nori - DL - Italy - Very competent backup to Licata.

Gonzalo Maulella - DRC - Uruguay - Solid looking centreback. Unusual for a foreigner with no ties to Italy to be playing at this level, but I'll take him.

Igot Latte-Yedo - SW/DC - Ivory Coast - Another bizarre nationality to find here, but a great player for the level.

Giuseppe Alizzi - DC - Italy - Good back up, if a little poor in the air for a centreback.

Dani Verruschi - DLC - Italy - Great athletic centre-back, is back up now but may force his way in.

Midfielders

Guglielmo Vilardo - AMR - Italy - Decent stats for an orthodox winger.

Luca Genovese - AMR - Italy - Decent backup for an orthodox winger.

Aboubaka Fofana - AML - France - I actually signed him back on CM03/04 when he was a hot prospect, seems he never made it, but nice to see him still in the game nonetheless.

Andrea Parachi - AMLC - Italy - A tidy loan as backup for Fofana.

Matteo Lombardo - AMRL - Italy - Solid enough backup for both flanks.

Davide Carrus - DM/MC - Italy - Another one vying for the title of best summer signing, a great all-rounder for this level.

Alessandro Sabatino - DM/MC - Italy - Not great, almost certainly won't renew his contract.

Gioacchino Giardina - DM/MC - Italy - Ditto Sabatino.

Ighli Vannucchi - AMRC - Italy - An excellent player to inherit, shame he's so long in the tooth.

Matteo Della Ventura - MC - Italy - A bit rubbish like the backup DMs, hopefully Vannucchi and Carrus will stay fit.

Forwards

Arturo Di Napoli - ST - Italy - Technically outstanding, I'm using him as a deep lying striker who receives accurate passes from central midfield to feet, and pings them in behind the defence for his partner.

Mario Artistico - ST - Italy - The final contender for signing of the summer, the perfect partner for Di Napoli really.

Antonio Cherillo - ST - Italy - Adequate enough backup.

Ayube Dine - ST - Morocco - Similar to Cherillo.

Overall

Decent enough, some outstanding players in there, we should definitely make the playoffs if they all stay fit and play well.

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I have got FM11 but will be carrying on with FM10 saves for some time yet.

First of all, I have my Saints save. As we've only just got into the Premier League, I'll definitely be continuing on for some time to come!

Then, I also have my calcio career - currently at Hellas Verona - and I would like to go back to that at some point. I have unfinished business there, for sure.

So it's going to be quite a while before I load up a new long-term save on FM11. When I do, it'll probably be a European journeyman save, I think.

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Di Napoli is crazy good for the level, the extra quality around the penalty area he gives us is really useful! Artistico is the star so far though, 6 goals from 7 starts, including our very first goal of the month which you can see on my YouTube channel :)

I'm already enjoying this save quite a lot, top marks to SI, FM11 is excellent

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Season 1: Winter Break Update

Having put together a pretty good squad over the summer, I was feeling fairly confident about being at the right end of the table, especially having won all four of our friendlies, with a 3-0 demolition of Serie A Livorno the pick of the bunch. Even all that didn't prepare me for what happened - a 12 game winning streak to kick off my FM11 debut!

The final match in the winning streak was a 5-1 annihilation of Serie C1 side Ternana in the Serie C Cup 1st Round, and I have to admit I was feeling a bit complacent about not only this season, but the next as well, as we were so obviously superior to a side in the league above. Things came right back down to earth with the next game, losing 1-0 away to our nearest rivals, Avellino. That match also featured an injury to our top scorer, Mario Artistico, which precipitated a failure to score for three matches.

Another win over Serie C1 opposition in the next round of the Serie C Cup put us back on track, and we settled into a good pattern of results over the next few matches, not quite the early season form, but more the sort of thing I expected before the season started.

Qualifying for the Serie C Cup semi-final from a Third Round group containing two Serie C1 teams was excellent for the club, and we have to believe we can win the trophy now. We're also sitting pretty, four points clear at the top of Serie C2/C, with half of the season gone. Things couldn't really have gone much better!

Results 1 - Results 2 - League Table - Squad

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SnakeXe's Messina - Season 1 - 2011/12

Story of the Season:

Serie C2/C - 2nd, Playoff Finalists

The league position graph tells its own story, we should have won the league comfortably. Unfortunately we fell apart after losing the Serie C Cup Final and Taranto put together an unbelievable run of 14 wins from their last 15 games to pip us. The team's confidence was shot going into the playoffs, but we somehow got to the second leg of the final at home with a 1-0 lead from the away leg at Avellino. It wasn't to be as we lost 2-0 to shatter our dreams.

Serie C Cup - Runners Up

Stormed our way to the final, blowing away Serie C1 competition left right and centre. A creditable draw at home in the final first leg against AlbinoLeffe, who were clearly a lot better than us, wasn't enough in the end, as we went down 3-1 away from home. The result probably ruined our season ultimately.

Results 1 - Results 2 - Results 3 - Squad

Transfers - £8,500 profit

Free transferred a whole lot of dross, and got a decent £9k for a below-par winger. Broke our transfer record of £0 to sign Nei for £500, who was a decent acquisition.

5 Most Important Players:

5. Ighli Vannucchi - AMRC - Has great quality in the midfield, but probably should have performed a bit better.

4. Duccio Innocenti - SW/DRC/WBR - Good performances at fullback, but getting on a bit.

3. Davide Carrus - DM/MC - Made a good partnership with Vannucchi in the centre.

2. Igor Latte-Yedo - DC - A shame he was so injury prone, our best defender by far though.

1. Mario Artistico - ST - Fantastic free transfer, unfortunately seemed prone to sulking when he wasn't playing well, which contributed to us losing both the Serie C Cup Final and the Playoff Final.

History:

Season    League                  Position  Achievements                   
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12   Serie C2/C              2nd       Serie C Cup Runners Up, Playoff Finalists

Messina 100 Club:

A list of those Messina players who make 100 or more appearances for the club under my management.

Name                Pos        Era                    Apps   Goals     AvR
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next Season:

Win promotion at all costs.

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The Squad: 2012

Goalkeepers

Mauro Vigorito - GK - Italy - Actually didn't play all that often last season because Lorenzini kept about 7 or 8 clean sheets in a row at the start whilst he was injured. Got his place at the end, and will be first choice this season.

Daniele Lorenzini - GK - Italy - Great start to last season tailed off, and he's second choice now.

Defenders

Duccio Innocenti - SW/DRC/WBR - Italy - Great season last year, will probably keep his place for this year, doubtful whether he'll cope past then due to his advancing years.

John Thomas Adamo - DR - Italy - Did alright on loan last year, so I brought him back again.

Rosario Licata - D/WB/ML - Italy - Should be a lot better than he is, I'll be trying him in a wing-back role this year to see if that helps.

Damiano Nori - DL - Italy - Competent backup, only stayed at the club because we didn't go up though.

Gonzalo Maulella - DRC - Uruguay - Still just about first choice, decent player.

Igor Latte-Yedo - SW/DC - Ivory Coast - Has dropped in stats quite badly since last season, now a backup.

Luca Tedeschi - DC - Italy - Great signing on a free, unbeatable in the air.

Alessandro Bassoli - DC - Italy - Signed as a backup, much better than our previous backup though.

Midfielders

Guglielmo Vilardo - AMR - Italy - Did ok last season, lost his place to Genovese more often than not, but we couldn't get the latter back so is now first choice.

Matteo Tassi - AMRL - Italy - Backup for Vilardo, signed because he was reasonably good and wanted reasonable wages.

Aboubaka Fofana - AML - France - Lost his place to Parachi after injury and never really got it back. Keeps getting injured this season too.

Andrea Parachi - AMLC - Italy - Brought him back on loan only for him to get crocked almost immediately.

Davide Carrus - DM/MC - Italy - Started the season with an injury, will still be an important player.

Alessio Tranchina - DM/MC - Italy - Loanee starts the season in the side due to Carrus' injury, looks good enough.

Danilo Varone - DM/MRC - Italy - Brought in to cover injuries, seems alright.

Davide Dall'Oglio - MC - Italy - Loanee to cover Vannucchi, promptly tore his calf muscle, prompting Varone's signing.

Ighli Vannucchi - AMRC - Italy - Plays some great passes around, possibly should be thinking about a switch to a 3-man midfield if I want to keep playing him.

Forwards

Mario Artistico - ST - Italy - Top scorer by a mile last season, keeps moping at the moment so Scorza is keeping him out.

Nei - ST - Brazil - Recommended by an agent, liked what I saw so I took him in January last year, very nice player. Our record signing of £500.

Enzo Scorza - ST - Uruguay - Like Artistico but better, for the moment anyway. Signed on a free in the summer.

Davide Testa - AM/ST - Italy - Replacement for the Di Napoli role, we had him on loan last year, persuaded him to sign when his contract at Palermo expired.

Leavers

Giuseppe Alizzi - DC - Italy - Contract expired, no great need to keep him.

Dani Verruschi - DLC - Italy - Made his way into the first team last year, would have brought him back on loan again if I could.

Luca Genovese - AMR - Italy - Ditto Verruschi.

Matteo Lombardo - AMRL - Italy - Ditto Alizzi.

Alessandro Sabatino - DM/MC - Italy - Pretty rubbish really, would have gotten rid earlier if we had any backup for Carrus.

Gioacchino Giardina - DM/MC - Italy - Didn't even make an appearance.

Matteo Della Ventura - MC - Italy - Was good enough - not good enough for the contract he was after, however.

Arturo Di Napoli - ST - Italy - Really sad to let him go, but he was on £4,200 per week, a ridiculous amount when our whole wage budget is £18k.

Antonio Cherillo - ST - Italy - Covered injuries well, but I'm much better stocked in the striking department this year.

Ayube Dine - ST - Morocco - Scored on his debut, got a horrific injury, sent him home.

Overall

Much smaller squad than last year, so I'll probably ditch the cups as early as possible to concentrate on promotion. Overall quality is good, and we should be up there again.

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To be honest, I hadn't even entertained the thought that we'd fail to win the league until Taranto beat us towards the end of the season. Shows what complacency can do I guess!

Well, we're predicted 1st this season, so I guess the pressure is on to take it ;)

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Season 2: Winter Break Update

Putting the ultimate disappointment of last season behind us was important, and we started well enough in the league, picking up wins at home and on the road (although losing a couple on the road). My plan to ditch the cups and concentrate on promotion worked perfectly, as we exited the Italian Cup and Serie C Cup at the first hurdle, to Serie C1 sides Ternana and Nocerina respectively.

After the penalty loss to Nocerina, we really kicked on in the league, with 7 wins from 8 games to wrest first place from San Marino. The last 3 games before the winter break were a win, loss and a draw, slightly poor, so we're glad of the break I think. Hopefully before the next fixture, against San Marino away from home, we'll get a few more players back to match fitness, and begin the next half of the season strongly.

Comparing to last season, we've played one game less for some reason, and have 3 points less, so roughly the same sort of return. Hopefully the fact that our form has been more uniform this time around means we're more likely to keep it up to the end.

Results 1 - League Table - Squad

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SnakeXe's Messina - Season 2 - 2012/13

Story of the Season:

Serie C2/C - 1st, Promoted

Finally got the promotion we deserved last season, storming to a record points total. The difference from last year was we built from the back, conceding far fewer goals than anyone else, always giving ourselves a chance of a result even when playing poorly. Of course, Enzo Scorza wasn't exactly goal-shy himself. If last year's defining result was the 3-1 loss to AlbinoLeffe in the cup final, this year's was the 4-1 demolition of nearest rivals San Marino away from home. From then on, it was ours to lose, and luckily for my nerves, we didn't.

C2 Super Cup - 3rd Place

Urgh. The first match was a farce, our keeper broke his arm after 15 minutes, we had two players sent off, they scored 3 absolute flukes (including a 30-yard volley from their centreback :confused:) and we still nearly got something from the game. Played out a draw in the second game - not that we had much option to try and do otherwise with half our team suspended or injured. Gutted we didn't win it, as I don't plan on coming back to get it again.

Serie C Cup - 1st Round

Slightly failed in my attempt to go out at the first hurdle in that we took it to extra time, but we lost on penalties, so it all worked out in the end. Will give it another crack next year as we should be good enough to stay up comfortably enough.

Coppa Italia - 1st Qualifying Round

Also managed to take this one to extra time, but we successfully shipped 3 goals during that period to bring our non-challenge to an early end.

Results 1 - Results 2 - Squad

Transfers - Broke Even

Got rid of some more rubbish, along with (unfortunately) Arturo Di Napoli, whose £4,200 weekly wage was crippling us. On the plus side, his wages freed up the space for us to sign Scorza, Testa, Tedeschi and Amodio, all of whom were key.

5 Most Important Players:

5. Nicolas Amodio - DM/MC - Joined quite a way into the season, but gave us bite and tenacity in the midfield. Quite why he was still clubless when we got him I don't know!

4. Gonzalo Maulella - DRC - Formed an excellent partnership with new signing Tedeschi to make solid the base of our team.

3. Luca Tedeschi - DC - Outstanding centre-back for the level, don't think he lost a single header.

2. Davide Testa - AM/ST - Di Napoli's replacement put the old guy to shame, scoring and assisting.

1. Enzo Scorza - ST - The reason Artistico only made 3 appearances all season. Is also a bit moody, but crucially still plays well even when he is throwing his toys out of the pram. My big hope for next season.

History:

Season    League                  Position  Achievements                   
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12   Serie C2/C              2nd       Serie C Cup Runners Up, Playoff Finalists
2012/13   Serie C2/C              1st       Serie C2/C Champions, Promoted

Messina 100 Club:

A list of those Messina players who make 100 or more appearances for the club under my management.

Name                Pos        Era                    Apps   Goals     AvR
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next Season:

Will be interesting. I probably won't be able to strengthen too much, but with the goals of Scorza (and possibly Artistico if he pulls his finger out), we should be good enough for mid-table. The performances in the Serie C Cup last year certainly suggest so anyway!

Forza Messina!

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The Squad: 2013

Goalkeepers

Mauro Vigorito - GK - Italy - Won his first team place properly last season, did well enough to keep it this, despite a couple of gaffes (catching the ball behind the line being the biscuit-taker).

Vincenzo Re - GK - Italy - Comes in on loan after Lorenzini decided he'd rather play first team football elsewhere, looks good backup.

Defenders

Duccio Innocenti - SW/DRC/WBR - Italy - Another great season for the veteran, brought in Cavanda for some younger legs, but he'll probably still play a few games.

Luis Pedro Cavanda - DR - Belgium - Offered to me by an agent, he looks a very decent option.

Rosario Licata - D/WB/ML - Italy - Still doing alright at fullback, this level is probably his limit though.

Matteo Domizzi - DL - Italy - First decent player through the youth setup, he allowed me to lose Nori. Perhaps he'll progress to be better than Licata, but is second choice for now.

Gonzalo Maulella - DRC - Uruguay - Really played well last year, under severe pressure from Marino for a first team place though.

Antonio Marino - DLC - Italy - Very tidy free transfer, looks a good partner for Tedeschi.

Luca Tedeschi - DC - Italy - Untouchable right now as our best centre-half.

Alessandro Bassoli - DC - Italy - Still decent backup.

Midfielders

Guglielmo Vilardo - AMR - Italy - Is now probably third choice due to Tassi's good development last season and the signing of Ragusa.

Matteo Tassi - AMRL - Italy - A bit of an after-thought as a signing, he's turned out well.

Antonino Ragusa - AMR/ST - Italy - The new signing goes straight in as first choice.

Andrea Parachi - AMLC - Italy - Signed him permanently after another decent loan spell.

Aniello Cutolo - AMRL - Italy - Pacy and good on the ball, very decent winger at the level.

Davide Carrus - DM/MC - Italy - Starts this season as he started last, injured. Crucial squad member though.

Nicolas Amodio - DM/MC - Uruguay - A great midseason acquisition, best midfielder at the club.

Joao Paulo - DM/MC - Brazil - Offered around by his agent, looks very tidy.

Davide Dall'Oglio - MC - Italy - Made the loan permanent after he dovetailed nicely with Amodio at the back end of last season.

Juan Pastore - AMC - Argentina - New signing should be first choice, but Dall'Oglio will be on his heels.

Ighli Vannucchi - AMRC - Italy - Can't really afford his knackered legs in the first team engine room any more, but seems useful as an advanced playmaker in a 3-man midfield.

Forwards

Mario Artistico - ST - Italy - Top scorer in my first season, barely played last due to Scorza being much better and less of a sulk.

Nei - ST - Brazil - Good backup for either striking position.

Enzo Scorza - ST - Uruguay - Fantastic player, really happy to have signed him. If he can score in Serie C1, we've got a shot.

Davide Testa - AM/ST - Italy - Excellent season supporting Scorza last year, let's hope he can keep it up. If I'm honest, he might be a little limited for this level. We'll see.

Leavers

Daniele Lorenzini - GK - Italy - Decided he'd rather be first choice elsewhere than backup here, I can understand that.

John Thomas Adamo - DR - Italy - Got himself sent off in the farcical Serie C2 Super Cup match, didn't do a lot else.

Damiano Nori - DL - Italy - Leaves due to Domizzi coming through, went to another Serie C1 club though so he must be better than I thought.

Igor Latte-Yedo - SW/DC - Ivory Coast - Retired after not playing many games last year.

Aboubaka Fofana - AML - France - Played well enough but I had a surplus of wingers and he was on big-ish wages.

Alessio Tranchina - DM/MC - Italy - Did well as backup to Carrus before Amodio joined. No need to keep him though.

Danilo Varone - DM/MRC - Italy - Actually ended up on the right more than central midfield, did quite well actually.

Overall

Quite a large squad this time, hopefully that'll help us compete in the cups as well as the league. Quality seems reasonable enough, my hunch is a season of consolidation, maybe a meaty cup run somewhere.

Forza Messina!

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Season 3: Winter Break Update

Well, despite being up into Serie C1/B, one thing remains the same from last season - out of both cups at the first hurdle. A 2-1 loss against division rivals Latina in the Coppa Italia was a little hard to stomach as it was slap bang in the middle of our preseason. The 2-0 defeat to Triestina, pace makers in C1/A, in the Serie C Cup was a little less painful.

As far as the league goes, we started off quite shakily, with just 2 wins from our first 7 matches. Thankfully, 4 of the remaining 5 were draws, so we stayed comfortably in midtable. The Serie C Cup exit seemed to galvanise us, though, and we stormed to 7 wins from the next 8 matches, the odd one out being a weird 1-0 loss at home to close rivals Andria.

This left just 3 matches left to the winter break, and we were well placed in the playoff spots. 2-0 up at home against bottom of the league San Marino, I thought the run was set to continue, but they battled back to an undeserved 2-2 draw. Next, we were embarassed by fellow playoff challengers Foligno 3-1 away, and I was starting to worry, especially as the last game was away against 2nd placed Crotone.

The players had other ideas though, pulling off a memorable 2-1 win to bunch up the top of the table ahead of a well-earned break! 3rd place, just 3 points off top, is far more than I expected from this season. Hopefully we have the squad to keep up the playoff challenge, although it wouldn't be a tragedy if we didn't, as we certainly don't have any Serie B standard players.

One very positive omen for the future is the signature of this lad, rated as Serie A potential by my best scout. Can't wait to get my hands on him :D

Results 1 - Results 2 - League Table - Squad

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Just read through this after your [/blatantplug] in my thread, SnakeXe :D Excellent progress so far despite the dreadful pun in the title :thup: Hope Cassano turns out to be a good player, and a little less mental than his namesake Antonio :D

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SnakeXe's Messina - Season 3 - 2013/14

Story of the Season:

Serie C1/B - 5th, Playoff Semi-Finalists

After a great start to the season up to the winter break, sitting in 3rd place and just 3 points off top spot, I was pretty optimistic going into the second half of the season. I shouldn't have been. We were rancid. A 3-0 win over title rivals (and eventual winners) Foggia seemed to signal the start of a surge towards glory, but we only won 5 more games all season after that. Despite this, we somehow found ourselves just 2 points off the title with 2 home games to play, everyone seemingly choking simultaneously. Whilst other teams got their act together, Foggia and Crotone winning both their remaining matches, we imploded, losing both in horrendous style. With absolutely no hope of winning the playoffs with the squad in their current state of mind, I organised a morale-boosting friendly against the Under 20s.

We lost. To the Under 20s. 1-0.

I arranged another against bottom-of-Serie-C2 Milazzo, who we beat 2-0, but it was too little too late. We lost the semi-final 3-1 on aggregate to Crotone, who went on to lose 5-3 in the final.

Serie C Cup - 1st Round

Tried to win this year. Failed.

Coppa Italia - 1st Qualifying Round

Dismal.

Results 1 - Results 2 - Results 3 - Squad

Transfers - £150k Profit

Signed and sold attacking midfielder Juan Pastore for a tidy profit, as well as Nei, who was good, but never really fit into my system. £5k on Diego Cassano was £5k too much, as my scout who'd said he was Serie A potential was taken out behind the stadium and shot.

5 Most Important Players:

5. Nicolas Amodio - DM/MC - Was alright, not up to last season's quality.

4. Aniello Cutolo - AMRL - Least worst midfielder.

3. Davide Testa - AM/ST - Didn't make the step up at all well, that he's 3rd in this list shows how poor we were.

2. Enzo Scorza - ST - Let me down in a big way when he went missing in the second half of the season.

1. Luca Tedeschi - DC - Even our best player still embarassed us with a red card in the first of those crucial last two games.

History:

Season    League                  Position  Achievements                   
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12   Serie C2/C              2nd       Serie C Cup Runners Up, Playoff Finalists
2012/13   Serie C2/C              1st       Serie C2/C Champions, Promoted
2013/14   Serie C1/B              5th       Playoff Semi-Finalists

Messina 100 Club:

A list of those Messina players who make 100 or more appearances for the club under my management.

Name                Pos        Era                    Apps   Goals     AvR
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rosario Licata      D/WB/ML    2011-Present            113       1    6.89

Next Season:

The weird thing is I'd have taken this season's ultimate result (losing in the playoffs) before we started very gladly. Our form in the second half of the season makes it feel like a massive failure though. Next season's aim, therefore, is to play at least moderately well all season, and not lose in the first round of both cups.

Forza Messina!

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Cheers, it looks much better on paper than it felt to be honest! If we'd had the good results spread across the season I'd have been very happy, it was just the horrendous collapse in the new year that rankled.

I'm considering a tactical reshuffle over the summer, it's pretty plain that teams have discovered that if they shut down Testa (which isn't that hard to be honest), we've got very little attacking threat. Might try and bring in another Di Napoli type to play a trequartista-ish role. Depends who the scouts throw up I guess.

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The Squad: 2014

Goalkeepers

Mauro Vigorito - GK - Italy - Some truly terrible displays interspersed with some adequate ones, but he's still the best we've got.

Vincenzo Re - GK - Italy - Did ok on loan, best we could get again this season.

Defenders

Gianluca Comotto - DR - Italy - The ex-Fiorentina veteran looks a great player for this level despite his age. Good replacement for Innocenti.

Luis Pedro Cavanda - DR - Belgium - Did ok last year, probably understudy to Comotto this time around.

Rosario Licata - D/WB/ML - Italy - Longest serving player, but had a bit of a terrible year last time. May well lose his place to Domizzi this season.

Matteo Domizzi - DL - Italy - The youth product has really developed his game over the past year, pushing Licata hard for a first-team place.

Gonzalo Maulella - DRC - Uruguay - Didn't really play very often as Marino and Tedeschi were decent.

Antonio Marino - DLC - Italy - Played well enough last year.

Luca Tedeschi - DC - Italy - Best player last year, but still not quite infallible.

Massimo Tartaglione - DC - Italy - Replacement for Bassoli on loan, not great but the best we could get.

Midfielders

Matteo Tassi - AMRL - Italy - Good backup still. Cheap wages are a big plus.

Antonino Ragusa - AMR/ST - Italy - Did ok last year, needs to kick on this year if he wants to keep out Tassi.

Andrea Parachi - AMLC - Italy - Decent backup.

Aniello Cutolo - AMRL - Italy - Probably the best of the new signings last year, could have done better though.

Nicolas Amodio - DM/MC - Uruguay - Decent enough season, again could do better.

Joao Paulo - DM/MC - Brazil - Didn't play much last year, hopefully he'll get a few more this year.

Mario Ortiz - DM/MC - Spain - Midseason signing last year, cut above what we had.

Julio Duque - MC - Spain - Ditto Ortiz

Forwards

Mario Artistico - ST - Italy - Came back into the first team fold slightly, scored a few useful goals.

Enzo Scorza - ST - Uruguay - Did well, but sulked A LOT.

Davide Testa - AM/ST - Italy - Didn't really step up, backup to Unai now.

Unai - ST - Spain - If he's the targetman I hope he'll be, we should get a 20 goal season out of Scorza.

Leavers

Duccio Innocenti - SW/DRC/WBR - Italy - Retired.

Alessandro Bassoli - DC - Italy - Left on a free after being refused more playing time.

Guglielmo Vilardo - AMR - Italy - Contract expired, needed to cut costs.

Davide Carrus - DM/MC - Italy - Getting on a bit, on big-ish wages.

Davide Dall'Oglio - MC - Italy - Never got a look in after permanent transfer.

Juan Pastore - AMC - Argentina - Sold him for a £150k profit.

Ighli Vannucchi - AMRC - Italy - Retired.

Nei - ST - Brazil - Never quite fit in, getting on, big wages.

Overall

Cut down the size of the squad a lot, couldn't sign anyone new because the board cut the wage budget. They want promotion. :rolleyes:

Forza Messina!

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Season 4: Winter Break Update

I planned the friendlies a little better around the Coppa Italia start this year, so we actually won our first game in the competition under my management, 3-0 against Serie C2/B side Cavese. Not that we had a massive impact on the competition anyway, losing to Serie B Torino in the 2nd Qualifying Round.

A slightly slow start, with just 3 wins from the first 7 matches wasn't entirely unpromising, as we played well despite the results sometimes. A 4-1 loss to fellow C1/B side Foligno in the Serie C Cup 1st Round wasn't really part of the plan, but it kicked off an 11 game unbeaten run in the league that would take us up to Xmas. 5 draws and 6 wins perhaps isn't title winning form, but it was welcome after the polar opposites of last season. Finishing with a 5-2 demolition of Ternana was a great way to sign off the half-season, though :D

Surprise story of the season so far has to be Atletico Roma, newly promoted to the division and riding high at the top of the table. However, their form seems to be declining quite seriously, having been 12 points clear at one point, and I don't think they're real title rivals to be honest. For that you have to look just 4 points and one place ahead of us to our conquerors in the playoffs - Crotone.

Like last season, we're in 3rd, within touching distance of the top. I have to feel slightly more confident about our chances of keeping it up though, with our form seemingly less dependent on Scorza's luck/form/mental state. If you put a gun to my head, I'd say we're going to finish in the playoffs, but finishing much stronger than last year - I think the title is just a bridge too far.

Results 1 - League Table - Squad

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SnakeXe's Messina - Season 4 - 2014/15

Story of the Season:

Serie C1/B - 2nd, Playoff Winners

After an adequate first half of the season, we were looking to challenge for the title in the new year. We never did manage to get ahead of Crotone, despite winning all but 4 of our last 18 matches. To put this season in context, last season 64 points was enough for the title - this year, that would have put you fourth. Still, a solid 2nd place left us well-placed in the playoffs, and hopefully we could put our previous two disappointments behind us to take promotion.

The first playoff tie was away against Barletta, a decent team who'd signed a number of our cast-offs over the last season or two. To lose to them would have hurt. The match was finely balanced, until their top scorer Godino was sent off for hacking down our fullback! Surely it was our opportunity to put ourselves in a great position. No, we conceded a sloppy goal and couldn't score, a terrible result.

I was still confident about the home leg though, our league record meant we only needed to tie it up on aggregate to go through. A storming drive from Amodio after 8 minutes put me at ease, but they got a goal back soon after. Licata headed in another to put us back on level terms on aggregate 6 minutes later, but straight from the restart they scored again! I was starting to get nervous about our defensive frailty as we had conceded twice from two attacks.

Half time came and went and we still hadn't scored again - then disaster struck. Barletta got a third goal, putting themselves 4-2 up on aggregate with just 25 minutes left to play. Alcalde came up with another crucial goal 5 minutes later though, to put us back in the frame. The minutes ticked past until, with 6 minutes left, Enzo Scorza burst through on goal... surely? YES!!! He stuck it low past the keeper's flailing grasp to put us ahead by the slenderest of margins. Could we hold on? Easily.

That epic comeback got us through to the final, where Sorrento surprisingly were waiting for us, having beaten Atletico Roma. The away leg was a very cagey affair, with chances snatched at by both sides. As the minutes ticked down, a stalemate seemed most likely - until we won a penalty in the 90th minute!

I couldn't watch as January signing Alcalde put the ball on the spot and paced out his run-up.

He rifled it into the net, putting us in a great position for the return match!!

For some reason the board decided to have the home leg as a fan day. Never mind, we won comfortably :cool:

We also had a board takeover by a local businessman towards the end of the season. Unfortunately he wouldn't be investing, but he did take out a £1.5m loan to wipe out our overdraft.

Serie C Cup - 1st Round

Difficult draw, but no excuse for that.

Coppa Italia - 2nd Qualifying Round

Finally won a match in the competition, but it didn't help much as Serie B Torino showed us their quality.

Results 1 - Results 2 - Squad

Transfers - £6k Profit

Had wage problems all through this season, as the board decided to reduce the wage budget below last season's despite expecting promotion, so I had to get rid of a few players in order to be able to renew the contracts of some key men. Artistico's departure was a blessing in disguise, as the squad seemed to have more togetherness without his disruptive influence. On the incoming side, Alcalde was a great signing as he contributed some important goals in the second half of the season.

5 Most Important Players:

5. Nicolas Amodio - DM/MC - Much better this year, in a better team.

4. Luca Tedeschi - DC - Another great season from the centrehalf.

3. Unai - ST - Had a great season supporting Scorza, shame it doesn't look like he'll sign another contract, will be tough to replace.

2. Aniello Cutolo - AMRL - Finally, a winger worthy of the name.

1. Enzo Scorza - ST - A return to form for the main man, I think he appreciated having a few other players contribute to take the load off.

History:

Season    League                  Position  Achievements                   
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12   Serie C2/C              2nd       Serie C Cup Runners Up, Playoff Finalists
2012/13   Serie C2/C              1st       Serie C2/C Champions, Promoted
2013/14   Serie C1/B              5th       Playoff Semi-Finalists
2014/15   Serie C1/B              2nd       Playoff Winners, Promoted

Messina 100 Club:

A list of those Messina players who make 100 or more appearances for the club under my management.

Name                Pos        Era                    Apps   Goals     AvR
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rosario Licata      D/WB/ML    2011-Present            145       3    6.92
Mauro Vigorito      GK         2011-Present            128       0    6.82
Davide Testa        AM/ST      2011-Present            121      40    7.04
Enzo Scorza         ST         2012-Present            106      69    7.38
Luca Tedeschi       DC         2012-Present            105       8    7.16
Nicolas Amodio      DM/MC      2012-Present            103       7    6.97

Next Season:

This great season, a shame we couldn't take the title I felt we deserved, but to finally win through in the playoffs is a great feeling! A great season next year would be to finish comfortably in mid-table, and if the step-up to Serie B is similar to the one to the Championship in England, it'll be a hell of a challenge.

Forza Messina!

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Serie B next year! Well done on promotion. Hopefully Unai signs the contract, he looks like a good player.

About the overhead kick, lovely goal, it's funny how quickly the player stands up again.

Thanks, I'm looking forward to it! Unfortunately Unai wouldn't sign and has left the club :(

You made impressively short work of the lower leagues but now comes the big challenge. Serie B will be a step up, that's for sure!

Good luck! :thup:

Cheers crouchy, I think I'll need it!

Nice overhead kick goal :)

Good Luck in Serie B :thup: At the rate you're going it should be 2 seasons until you're in Serie A

I watch the matches on 2D so I was wondering why the commentator was going nuts over it, then I watched it again in 3D!

I think I may be breaking my 2-season streak with Serie B, just taking a look around and there are some very good teams...

Great read, feeling this might turn into a new classic. Scorza looks amazing for Serie C: if he was a little less lightweight he'd be the real deal!

Well that'd be nice if it did! I'm glad people are enjoying it, and I'm enjoying playing/writing about it myself, long may it continue.

Scorza wants to leave as well now, I'm considering letting him, as I'm fairly sure I could find someone better now I'm in Serie B.

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The Squad: 2015

Goalkeepers

Mauro Vigorito - GK - Italy - Still seems to be hanging on to the number 1 jersey, could probably use being replaced now.

Flavio Lazzeri - GK - Italy - Latest loanee backup goalkeeper.

Defenders

Gianluca Comotto - DR - Italy - Was very solid last year, hopefully his legs are up to one last hurrah at this level.

Luis Pedro Cavanda - DR - Belgium - Decent enough backup for Comotto.

Rosario Licata - D/WB/ML - Italy - Retained his place in the first team with a good season to help us to promotion. Probably will lose his spot to Del Grosso this year, though.

Matteo Domizzi - D/WBL - Italy - Has developed even further, but probably won't ever be first team quality unfortunately.

Cristiano Del Grosso - D/WBL - Italy - Looks a very good signing.

Antonio Marino - DLC - Italy - Great performances last year, but probably will lose his place.

Luca Tedeschi - DC - Italy - A great season from our leader at the back, will face a tough battle with Kiko and Nicolas for a starting spot.

Kiko - DC - Spain - Serie A quality centre-half, no idea how we managed to sign him.

Nicolas - D/DM/MC - Spain - Serie A potential centre-half, no idea how we managed to sign him.

Midfielders

Matteo Tassi - AMRL - Italy - Still hanging in as a backup player, probably his last year though.

Antonino Ragusa - AMR/ST - Italy - Stepped up his game and showed his quality at striker when we had injury problems last year.

Diego Farias - AMRLC - Brazil - Looks a great signing, much better than our other wingers.

Andrea Parachi - AMLC - Italy - Ditto Tassi.

Aniello Cutolo - AMRL - Italy - Had a fantastic season last year but is on the wane, and Ruben is the future.

Ruben - AML - Spain - Already looks pretty good, and has great potential.

Nicolas Amodio - DM/MC - Uruguay - Has been one of my best signings, has been first choice from Serie C2 to now.

Joao Paulo - DM/MC - Brazil - Played a few decent games last year filling in for Ortiz when he got an injury.

Mario Ortiz - DM/MC - Spain - Excellent player, provides a very stern test for opposing midfielders with Amodio.

Julio Duque - MC - Spain - Didn't play as much as I thought he would, but still a useful player.

Forwards

Enzo Scorza - ST - Uruguay - Did well, but sulked A LOT.

Francesc Alcalde - AMLC/ST - Spain - Much better version of Testa, scored some incredibly important goals last season, high hopes he'll continue this year.

Diego Fabbrini - AMRLC/ST - Italy - Quality backup for Alcalde.

Ferdinando Sforzini - ST - Italy - Replacement for Unai, don't think he's quite as good though unfortunately. Let's hope the experience makes up for that.

Leavers

Vincenzo Re - GK - Italy - Was a decent backup, couldn't get him back this year.

Gonzalo Maulella - DRC - Uruguay - Kiko and Nicolas meant his days were numbered, great servent though.

Massimo Tartaglione - DC - Italy - Didn't play much, wasn't great when he did.

Mario Artistico - ST - Italy - Sold him off to free up wages. Glad I did.

Davide Testa - AM/ST - Italy - Scored some more important goals last year from the bench, but not really good enough for Serie C1 so definitely nowhere near Serie B.

Unai - ST - Spain - Last year I said if he played well Scorza would score 20 - he did, and he got 21. Really sad to lose him, just wouldn't sign a new contract though.

Overall

Evolution rather than the revolution we probably needed, but hopefully the togetherness of the squad will make up for the lack in quality. Lower midtable, here we (hopefully) come!

Forza Messina!

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Season 5: Winter Break Update

The season started with the Coppa Italia again, and we made short work of Foligno, a side we'd left behind in Serie C1/B, with a 6-0 demolition. Combined with our later entry into the competition, that meant we were guaranteed our best finish in the competition. It wouldn't get any better though, as we lost 2-0 away to Serie B rivals Grosseto in the next round.

This meant that we were starting the campaign having never won a game against a Serie B opponent. Needn't have worried though, as we stormed to a 4-0 home win over Ravenna in our first match. We continued with decent enough form, not pulling up any trees but consistently picking up points. The only dodgy run we had was 3 losses in a row, but with 9 games left until the winter break we had time to turn it around.

4 wins, 4 draws and just 1 loss later, and we were sitting a very respectable 8th for Christmas! Whilst we're doing fantastically right now, I'm still quite concerned, as we're only 6 points above the dangerzone of 18th place and below. We may be closer to the playoffs, but I doubt they're a possibility without some serious strengthening in January.

Results 1 - Results 2 - League Table - Squad

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SnakeXe's Messina - Season 5 - 2015/16

Story of the Season:

Serie B - 12th

All in all a very successful first season in Serie B! We only had a couple of really worrying runs, losing 3 in a row around 10 games in, and then again in the last 3 matches of the season. In between, we picked up most of the points against teams in and around us, with the odd upset against a far better team, and we were unbeaten (a win and a loss) against fierce rivals Reggina - can't really ask for much more.

Looking at the table, we were at the tail end of the group of sides just outside the playoffs, which is an excellent position to push on from. I'm very confident we can push on next year with some smart signings - two of which I've set up already. The playoffs have to be the target, due to the fairly low standard to get into them, but I wouldn't expect us to win them.

Also celebrated my 200th game in charge this year :)

Coppa Italia - 3rd Qualifying Round

Another win-loss record this year, but by virtue of joining the competition a round later, we record our best ever result under my management! Still rubbish though, haven't had a single proper cup run since the first season.

Results 1 - Results 2 - Results 3 - Squad

Transfers - Broke Even

Moved a lot of players in and out for no money. Notable players were Unai, who wouldn't sign a new contract, and who scored twice against me in the league this season for new club Cosenza, and my management's most capped player, Licata, who was just out of his depth at this level. Best incoming transfer was probably Diego Farias, a right winger.

5 Most Important Players:

5. Luca Tedeschi - DC - Still our best defender, but only just. Nicolas and Kiko are the future though.

4. Enzo Scorza - ST - Contributed well until I got sick of his tantrums and went to a 1-striker formation, still did damage off the bench though. Supersub might be the best role for him.

3. Ruben - AML - Excellent prospect, scored some important goals too.

2. Diego Farias - AMRLC - Probably empirically our best ever player, could do with the ratings to support that though.

1. Francesc Alcalde - AMLC/ST - Last year's midseason signing was fantastic, scoring nearly a goal per game. Shame his injury problems and indiscipline limited his appearances.

History:

Season    League                  Position  Achievements                   
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12   Serie C2/C              2nd       Serie C Cup Runners Up, Playoff Finalists
2012/13   Serie C2/C              1st       Serie C2/C Champions, Promoted
2013/14   Serie C1/B              5th       Playoff Semi-Finalists
2014/15   Serie C1/B              2nd       Playoff Winners, Promoted
2015/15   Serie B                 12th      

Messina 100 Club:

A list of those Messina players who make 100 or more appearances for the club under my management.

Name                Pos        Era                    Apps   Goals     AvR
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mauro Vigorito      GK         2011-Present            165       0    6.82
Rosario Licata      D/WB/ML    2011-2016               146       3    6.92
Enzo Scorza         ST         2012-Present            139      79    7.28
Luca Tedeschi       DC         2012-Present            133       8    7.09
Nicolas Amodio      DM/MC      2012-Present            128       9    6.95
Davide Testa        AM/ST      2011-2015               121      40    7.04

Next Season:

Amazingly successful season, really happy to have stayed up in quite some comfort! We're not very far from the playoffs, and I think it'll be fairly easy to address the areas we need to improve in order to make them next year. I wouldn't want us to get promoted though, we're very far from a Serie A side right now.

Forza Messina!

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Great start to life in Serie B...you are flying up those leagues. Great start to FM11. Enjoying readingabout your save, keep it up

What do the board want next year?

Thanks, yeah it's going much better than I thought it would! The board gave me "Avoid Relegation" as a minimum, so I took that, as I've often had second season syndrome coming into the Championship, so best to anticipate the same here I think.

Great read so far. Cracking overhead kick. I must have believed for a good while that you didn't actually ever see an animation for an overhead. :D

Cheers :D yeah I don't remember ever having one on FM10, so I was pretty excited to see it!

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The Squad: 2016

Goalkeepers

Mauro Vigorito - GK - Italy - Still number 1, just about. Ramon is a real threat to him though, he'll have to play well.

Ramon - GK - Spain - First backup goalkeeper I've signed permanently in a couple of years, has the potential to surpass Vigorito.

Defenders

Luis Pedro Cavanda - DR - Belgium - Still backup, still capable.

Stefano Avogadri - D/WBR - Italy - My new record signing at £80k, fantastic fullback.

Cristiano Del Grosso - D/WBL - Italy - Good signing last year, settled quickly. Getting on a bit, so Lopez Gomez will get a few matches.

Jose Antonio Lopez Gomez - D/WBL - Spain - Plenty of potential, not far off a first team spot.

Antonio Marino - DLC - Italy - 4th choice, but a good 4th choice.

Luca Tedeschi - DC - Italy - Just about came out on top in the battle for a starting place, but Nicolas is very close now.

Kiko - DC - Spain - Great signing, shame he's hesitant about a new contract because he's very very good.

Nicolas - D/DM/MC - Spain - Loads of interest in co-ownership deals for this guy, rejected them all as I want him long-term.

Midfielders

Diego Farias - AMRLC - Brazil - Second best player in terms of performances last year, probably best in terms of stats.

Carlos Alvarez - AMRC/ST - Spain - Decent backup for Diego Farias on loan.

Ruben - AML - Spain - Good season last year, probably backup for Rossi this time. Good potential.

Fausto Rossi - AMLC - Italy - Great free signing, experienced at this level too.

Nicolas Amodio - DM/MC - Uruguay - Perhaps not quite first choice any more, but a vital squad member, and the new captain following Comotto's retirement.

Joao Paulo - DM/MC - Brazil - Good player, never first choice though.

Mario Ortiz - DM/MC - Spain - Improving even at this stage of his career, will partner Magnanelli.

Francesco Magnanelli - DM/MC - Italy - Excellent signing, the right age for this position, and very experienced.

Julio Duque - MC - Spain - Same as Joao Paulo really.

Forwards

Enzo Scorza - ST - Uruguay - Sulked again, but still a good squad member. Probably super-sub this year, depending on Alcalde's fitness.

Francesc Alcalde - AMLC/ST - Spain - Our best player by quite a way last year, but had far too many problems with injury and suspension.

Diego Fabbrini - AMRLC/ST - Italy - Very good backup for Alcalde, slightly different kind of player though.

Francisco Alcacer - ST - Spain - Former AC Milan youth player, wanted him on loan for a while but he never wanted to come - jumped at the chance to sign him.

Leavers

Flavio Lazzeri - GK - Italy - Didn't even play a game.

Gianluca Comotto - DR - Italy - Retired, great servant.

Rosario Licata - D/WB/ML - Italy - Good player for us, but he was just out of his depth.

Matteo Domizzi - D/WBL - Italy - Not good enough unfortunately, hope he has a good career.

Matteo Tassi - AMRL - Italy - Excellent signing for us, value for money, but just not good enough.

Antonino Ragusa - AMR/ST - Italy - Had a good season as backup, but he wanted first-choice wages.

Andrea Parachi - AMLC - Italy - Got rid of him to ease the wage bill, not really good enough.

Aniello Cutolo - AMRL - Italy - Too old, not quite good enough, decided to retire when we tried to sell him.

Ferdinando Sforzini - ST - Italy - Wasn't great, his first touch for us was an assist, did almost literally nothing else.

Overall

Quite a large turnover in the squad, but a good proportion of it happened during last season, so hopefully we'll keep the harmony, whilst benefiting from the general improvement in talent. The board allowed me to be pessimistic in saying we'd just survive, but my private aim is the playoffs.

Forza Messina!

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Season 6: Winter Break Update

From the first competitive match of the season, a fantastic smash and grab away win against AlbinoLeffe in the Coppa Italia, it was obvious we were going to do much better this season. In the league we were asserting ourselves on matches much more than we did last year, where we'd often play reactive football to sneak a draw or win even against teams around us. Proactive football is much more enjoyable, and to be honest the half-season has really flown past!

In terms of the results, we general deserved something from every game - except 2. Sassuolo and then Livorno away towards the end of the half were really tough, and we got schooled 4-0 and 3-1 respectively. I'm glad we'll have them at home next time around. A few more dropped points here and there are part and parcel of the game, and we can be really proud of where we are right now - 2nd, in an automatic promotion spot!

Still, ever cautious as I am, I upgraded the expectations to merely "Top Half Finish" as I don't want to jinx it. The playoffs are still the private target, and we have a nice buffer of 9 points to the first non-playoff spot. I also changed the system a little this year, moving to a 4-3-3 from our traditional 4-4-2 due to the strength of my midfield and the relative paucity of strikers, due to form and fitness so far. We may move back to 4-4-2 again at some point.

I wasn't going to mention it, but the "P" word has entered my mind. It would, however, be a very difficult season next year if the "P" word were to come to pass!

Results 1 - Results 2 - League Table - Squad

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