FM14 A.S. Roma - Mezzo giallo e mezzo rosso

• Well balanced and tactically flexible squad
  
• World class, homegrown, and beyond passionate players such as Daniele De Rossi, Francesco Totti and the emerging Alessandro Florenzi.
  
• Fantastic facilities means that young gladiators to match these will undoubtedly pop up and their development will be aided in everyway possible. In addition, there are already a number of very promising young players in the team!
  
• Some of the most devout fans in the world.
  
• Lots of room to overachieve, with the board only asking for Europa League qualification.
  
• No European action in the first season, meaning that you can concentrate on getting Roma back to where they belong in Italy.
  
• Despite all Roma’s history, trophies have never consistently flowed and the cabinet is as of yet relatively bare. Win them the trophies they deserve!
  
• The challenge of matching the brilliant accomplishment of Rudi Garcia and the current squad in breaking the Serie A record for most matches won in a row right from the start of the season.
  
• The genius that is Totti is growing older (not that he shows it!), and his career more than deserves more trophies. Win him the European trophy to put the cherry on top of the greatest ever footballer to wear the Giallorosso.
  

I’m only going to talk about the most interesting parts; if you’d like to read more then the Wikipedia article on the history of Roma would be a good starting place.

After a so-so end to the millennium, with Fabio Capello guiding Roma to 6th in his first season as manager of the club, everything seemed to click in the 2000-2001 season for Roma. With a fantastic team including a younger Totti and other heroes such as Vincenzo Montella and Aldair having been bolstered by new signings Walter Samuel, Emerson, Jonathan Zebina and Gabriel Batistuta, who scored 20 goals in the season, Roma managed to win their first Serie A title since 1983 (only their third ever, and their last currently). There’s a very nice article about this team written on Zonalmarking, if you’d like to read it.

Despite the signing of Antonio Cassano (when it looked like he would definitely become Italy’s next fantasista) among others, Roma were beaten to the league by just one point, with the title going to Juventus. This was the first of many second place finishes in the first decade of the 2000s. The next season however, Roma came 8th and only got into Europe because of being runners-up in the Coppa Italia. They then returned to form the next season, finishing second to the team who had defeated them in the Coppa Italia final last year, A.C. Milan. The following season saw much change, with the departures of key players Emerson and Walter Samuel, as well as Zebina and Candela. Simone Perrotta and Philippe Mexès, who would both play key roles in coming seasons, did join however. One of the biggest change was Fabio Capello leaving for rivals Juventus before the start of the season, bringing Emerson with him, betraying Roma in the hearts of the fans. Managerial instability plagued the season, with the board unable to find a single manager to take charge and going through 3 managers and a caretaker.

Luciano Spalletti, on the back of a wonderful season with Udinese in which he took them into the Champions League for the first time ever, was then brought in for the coming season. He started off with defensive tactics which did not bring success, eventually switching to the attacking tactics which he has become known for. Despite winning eleven games in a row, thus breaking the old record, Roma could only finish 5th, therefore failing to qualify for the Champions League… or they would have done had the Calciopoli scandal not broke out; after the punishments had been dealt out to the offending teams, Roma ended up in 2nd place. They remained in this place for the next two seasons despite pushing Inter hard for the league, before slipping to 6th in the 2008-09 season.

After seeing the squad due to financial problems over the past few seasons, Roma started the season poorly and Spalletti resigned, eventually going to Zenit in Russia. Roman Claudio Ranieri immediately took charge, and quickly began to fire Roma up the table, eventually taking top position with 7 games to go. However, the season ended in heartbreak with treble-winning Inter winning the league by two points and then defeating Roma in the Coppa Italia final.

2010-11 started off disappointingly, and Ranieri eventually resigned in Feburary. Montella became the caretaker manager and guided Roma to a 6th place finish. He was not kept on, however, and Luis Enrique was appointed with a view to instilling a style similar to Barcelona. The season was a failure however, and Roma missed out on European competition, finishing 7th. Luis Enrique was then sacked, being replaced by Zdeněk Zeman coming in for his second spell.

While Zeman was lauded for his attacking football, bad results and the upsetting of Daniele De Rossi led to him being sacked. Long-time assistant manager Aurelio Andreazzoli came in as interim manager. Roma then made it into the 2013 Coppa Italia final, but this was a disaster as they were defeated by arch-rivals Lazio. The fans were livid, and Andreazzoli was not given a further contract.

And that’s where you come in!

other info: Excellent junior coaching

Established youth recruitment

100% of transfer revenue made available

A decent amount of money, with Europa League being more than attainable. I think you should be looking to challenge for the Champions League spots this year without a doubt, though. That said, it’d probably still be best to just tell the board that you’re aiming for the Europa League to be on the safe side.

After the uncertainty in this spot last season due to Stekelenburg falling out of favour, Roma finally have a solid goalkeeper to hold the spot and do it well: Morgan Batman! While his low composure could be a bit worrying, I’ve found that he’s a very solid keeper and will happily fly around your box for the first season. Unfortunately, on my save he declined very quickly such that I had to replace him in the second season, so keep an eye on him. As for backup, experienced Bogdan Lobont is on low wages and would make a decent tutor so it’s worth keeping him around for the first season at least, while Skorupski looks serviceable and has a bit of room to grow. He’ll never make it into the first team though, and if you do find a good young Italian keeper willing to come then don’t hesitate to replace him.

You’re well stocked in this area: on the right, summer signing Maicon should probably be first choice. He’s very good attacking wise and has nice defensive stats as well; the only problems are his fairly low concentration, age, and massive wages, which may lead to it being best to sell him after the first season. Vasilis Torosidis is great backup and I’d definitely make sure to give him the odd game against lesser opposition as he can be a tidy player and on my save performed very well whenever he played, even scoring a few goals! He’s also a bit old, though, meaning that it would probably be best to buy a youngster when possible.

As for leftbacks, Balzaretti is very solid and can perform any role well. His low composure can let him down occasionally though, and his PPM of ‘gets forward whenever possible’ could be harmful at times. He’s another player whose age means he’ll have to be replaced fairly soon. Luckily, Dodô is a younger leftback who could have the potential to replace Balzaretti in a few years. He’ll need games though, which could be a bit precarious due to his bad defensive stats. He could well be retrained to play on the wing if you wanted. Personally, I don’t think he’ll ever make it due to his inability to defend but I’m sure he could do a decent job if you gave him the opportunity. Finally, Leandro Castán can cover at leftback is needed, but this isn’t too advisable since you don’t have too many centrebacks as is and he can’t attack too well.

This is a position that is generally quite sparse, with only Nicolás Burdisso for non-youth backup. Despite the lack of depth though, you’re fairly well stocked due to having a great central defensive partnership and two wonderkids who can come into the side in a few years without a doubt. Mehdi Benatia is your best centreback and probably one of the best in the league, with relatively low wages. His Jumping does look a bit low, but his height of 6’2” should make up for that. Leandro Castán is fairly similar, with mediocre jumping but good stats. I found him to be a fantastic player on my save, getting very high average ratings and nabbing a few goals as well. His wages do seem a bit high for a player of his calibre, but they’re nothing exorbitant… unlike Nicolás Burdisso! Burdisso looks fairly decent but it’s clear that he’s coming to the end of his career and his stats of 10 for both composure and concentration are a little bit worrying. He can still do a job as backup and makes a very good tutor, but the main worry is that his wages are through the roof (double Benatia’s!) and so it may not be wise to keep him. That said, his contract does expire at the end of the season so you may be able to bargain him down, he’s an experienced head, and this position is sparse as is, so if sold you’d have to replace him. Then we have two exciting youngsters: Alessio Romagnoli was on the fringes of the first team squad last season and is homegrown. His report is also very promising, and I can confirm that he develops extremely well: in the first season, without playing him too much, he came on leaps and bounds for me and now looks like this! Tin Jedvaj is a recent acquisition after playing 13 games for Dinamo last year, and he too is very promising. With some work on his strength, he could break into the first team very soon, but I’d advise you to be careful with him. What I’ve done with the two of them is kept them in the squad the first year and then loan them out in the second season, with Romagnoli training on Central Defender (heavy, although if you don’t want to risk injuries/unhappiness this isn’t essential, I just did it because a fair few of his stats need work) all year round and Jedvaj starting off working on his strength before also switching to role training. I think that they’ll both break into the first team in the third season on my save.

Centre Midfield is another area which looks good, with a variety of types of players and generally a youthful outlook. Daniele De Rossi, although he’s been downgraded from last year’s game a bit, is still a world class player and an absolute legend for Roma. Never sell him. Michael Bradley is also a great player, willing to run around the pitch for 90 minutes like a madman. He’s very good defensively and, while not the creative type, can still keep the ball decently enough. He can make some rash challenges with his 9 Composure though. Alessandro Florenzi has changed a huge amount since FM13, but he’s still a great player with the potential to blossom into one of the best midfielders in the world. Expect to be turning down offers in the region of £25 million for him fairly soon into the game (and you will turn them down, because he’s Roman ) . He can play almost any role you ask him to, but he seems most comfortable as a Box to box midfielder. Kevin Strootman has just joined Roma, and he looks like a very solid midfielder who can pass the ball about and keep the play ticking over as a Deep Lying Playmaker. Composed and a good passer, he still has room to grow and could well become a world class player (indeed, I sold him for £30 mil in the summer of the second season!). Marquinho is solid backup but nothing more, and his agent owning a large stake in his contract will become annoying since you won’t be able to make lots of money of him or play him until you buy the stake out; the stake only appeared in the second season for me and I can’t even work out how to buy it out! He’s not essential in the slightest.

Adem Ljajic is a very good Inside Forward on the left with potential to fill, although he’s a natural striker. He’ll run rings around your opponents’ defense, and should grab his fair share of goals as well. Florenzi can also play on the wing, but he’s only accomplished at MR and ML, so if you want to play him at AMR or AML you’ll have to retrain him a bit (he’s currently competent at both). Gervinho looks quite bad on the game to me: he can dribble, but that’s about it and he has some horrific mental stats. He’s a candidate for selling to me. Gianluca Caprari, a wonderkid on last year’s game, can no longer play upfront which makes him less good, and his stats have also gone down a lot so I don’t think he’ll reach the heights that he did last year. Nevertheless, he’s still a Roman and has the potential to become a decent player, although he’ll need work on his mentals.

Rodrigo Taddei is a stalwart of A.S. Roma and, while his pace is going, he can still do an ok job as backup winger or attacking mid and he’ll never let any ball go. He’s a good influence on the younger players and a good character to have in the dressing room, and so I’d probably keep him past the first season if you can get him to agree to a cheaper new contract.

Miralem Pjanic is the main man here, and he’ll make a great player who can play the key balls for years to come. A few of his mentals could do with improving though. To be honest, I think he’s underrated in Football Manager, but oh well.

There are no other natural Attacking midfielders, but Ljajic, Totti, Taddei, and Marquinho can all play there so you’ve got more than enough backup for Pjanic.

You’re fairly well set up front, although until Destro returns from his 3 month injury you don’t have to much backup. Francesco Totti is, well, Totti, and he has a few years left in him. Treasure Il Bimbo d’Oro and try to draw his amazing career to an end with glory! Marco Borriello has a very nice moustache and some good attacking stats, but his wages are ridiculous and so he’s a candidate for sale… if you can get anyone who’ll take him. Personally I stuck with him after Udinese wanted me to pay him 73K a week until his contract ends and he played fairly well for me, getting close to a goal every two games in Serie A. He’s also a good tutor. Ljajic doesn’t look like a striker to me and to be honest I think you’d be better off playing him somewhere else, but with work on his finishing he could definitely do a nice job in a creative role when Totti’s injured… or retired . Mattia Destro’s very highly rated by the coaches but I don’t see him making it in such a way… he can definitely make a decent poacher, but not world class. His creative stats have been toned down since last year, which is a shame since he was a great Trequartista on last year’s game.

Areas where signings would be appreciated are: a younger GK, a younger RB, maybe one more CB, perhaps another AM, better wingers, and another striker could be good. Good GKs include: Viviano, Consigli, and Francesco Bardi. If you can convince him and don’t mind an older goalkeeper, signing Victor Valdés on a free would be a coup and it is achievable, since I got him on mine, but he will want big wages. Gino Peruzzi would be a perfect signing, but he won’t come cheaply.

The classic CB signing would be Éder Álvarez Balanta, but he would take up close to all your budget and you don’t need a young centreback as much as a current backup, so you could look to bring an older head such as Marko Basa, Andrea Costa or Vasily Berezutskiy in or someone from the loanlist (perhaps Gabriel Tamas or Henrique from Bordeaux). There are lots of good Attacking midfielders in the Good Youngsters thread, and you can get Keisuke Honda on a free in January if you're quick. As for wingers, Nicolás Gaitán and Eduardo Salvio are normally available, and Simone Pepe could be an option if you don’t mind Juventus players. Upfront, Ignacio Scocco has an Italian second nationality and looks good and fairly cheap, but he might not show up on all games. Other options would include Seydou Doumbia and Leandro Damião, while Alberto Cerri, Luciano Vietto, and Domenico Berardi are all nice options with more room to develop.

This is the tactic I eventually ended up going with. The complete wingbacks provide great width which makes up for the lack of wingers (which I decided to go for after seeing the dearth of great wingers and nice attacking fullbacks), while Daniele De Rossi is a reliable halfback, dropping between the defenders as they spread wide akin to a three at the back formation. Ljajic came in instead of Pjanic because I wasn’t impressed with Pjanic’s performances, but I’d probably give Pjanic a go if I were you. The tactic is very attacking and does concede its fair share, but it scores a lot as well. I was able to win the league in the first season with this.

A fairly standard possession based 4-2-3-1 could also be an option, although I think you’d need to replace Gervinho and playing Totti up top on his own could be a bad idea. I’m sure that my roles/duties aren’t perfect since I haven’t played with this, maybe having so many players on attack wouldn’t be a good idea.

This tactic is my attempt to recreate the football Rudi Garcia is currently playing. Again, I’m sure the tactic could be worked on and improved; I haven’t used this.

Very nice write-up shnen! I'm not sure if I'll get the game myself, but I will check this thread regularly.

Are you also planning a small post about the players in the youth and reserve team? I think a lot of people would be interested in seeing that, especially how you've handled all of the players returning from their loans.

Edit: Just saw the way Romagnoli developed in just one season, might have to get the game after all then!

Was just about to start as Roma and saw this!! A great help which made my mind up to take the plunge!! Will keep you informed of my progress! Forsa Roma!

Not sure how Roma (and this thread) isn't a popular choice this year considering their amazingly good form. Anyway, great OP!

Nice reading. Thank you man. Could you please upload your tactic please?

Very nice write-up shnen! I'm not sure if I'll get the game myself, but I will check this thread regularly.

Are you also planning a small post about the players in the youth and reserve team? I think a lot of people would be interested in seeing that, especially how you've handled all of the players returning from their loans.

Edit: Just saw the way Romagnoli developed in just one season, might have to get the game after all then!

thanks!

that's a good idea, I'll look to add that in somewhere in the next few days although to be honest I don't see anyone other than Alessio/Jedvaj/Caprari making it... there are a few others with good reports though. The players who are out on co-ownerships i.e. Bertolacci and Nicolás López are also very promising (although genoa are asking for a fortune for Bertolacci!)

Was just about to start as Roma and saw this!! A great help which made my mind up to take the plunge!! Will keep you informed of my progress! Forsa Roma!

glad to see someone coming on board! Daje Roma maggica!

Not sure how Roma (and this thread) isn't a popular choice this year considering their amazingly good form. Anyway, great OP!

I'm hoping that this thread grows decently well also; Roma are a fantastic team to play as this year. Thanks!

Nice reading. Thank you man. Could you please upload your tactic please?

Is the 4-1-2-1-2 formation the default one or you moved the FBs into WB positions?

Interesting proposition and I like how it looks.

thanks!

that's a good idea, I'll look to add that in somewhere in the next few days although to be honest I don't see anyone other than Alessio/Jedvaj/Caprari making it... there are a few others with good reports though. The players who are out on co-ownerships i.e. Bertolacci and Nicolás López are also very promising (although genoa are asking for a fortune for Bertolacci!)

as for Bertolacci, I decided I wanted to have him in my team from the very start, to give me more options in midfield and so that I could train him in a couple of ppm's, so my only transfer in in the first window was to pay genoa £2m for there 50%

I have my FM 2014 already but my pc is old and Imma buy me a new pc in a week. I'll start with AS ROMA asap.

I have started with Roma as my first proper save with FM14

Just to say I'm in my second season with Roma, I promoted Alessio played 28 games last season and has improved alot, I got him tutored etc and he is now my first choice CB.

Capradossi I have promoted this season and has already played 3 games, has performed well in all three.

Regarding Capari I use him as backup to a few of the players and in cup games, again does the job has pace which can stretch the opposition, movement is good (moves into channels) and always gives the full back a hard time.

Again regarding all these I have tutored them.

I've started a Roma save too! Always loved the history around the club and the way they've gone about their football this season has just been amazing.

Only a few games into the season as I spent a fair bit of time clearing out the reserve and youth teams, but so far unbeaten in 6 - struggling to get the team scoring enough though. Swear Gervinho has to be one of the most frustrating players around... beats 3 defenders with skill and speed only to blaze it straight over the bar from 10 yards out. Although to be fair that's a credit to the game, as it's pretty much what he's like in real life.

How's everyone playing Totti? I'm trying to recreate his false 9 role that he played so well against Inter: http://www.zonalmarking.net/2013/10/08/inter-0-3-roma-totti-drags-inters-back-three-out-of-shape-to-prompt-quick-attacks/

I don't like Roma... I can't bring in my own staff as they are only allowed 9 people, and have 15 currently.

Blergh.

I don't like Roma... I can't bring in my own staff as they are only allowed 9 people, and have 15 currently.

Blergh.

I know right. Annoying as. And they're all on contracts until 2016/17 so mutual termination costs a fortune... getting rid of a physio was going to cost me 700k!

On a semi-related note, I'd love to know why the Head Physio has a physiotherapy stat of 11... did he sleep with the researcher's wife?

In January at the moment and unbeaten!! Top of the league by 11 points playing the fulcrum tactic which suits Romandown to the ground! Not scoring loads but defence has been a rock! Signed Honda on a free and just got balanta! Should of tried to get a forward but I'll wait till the close season! Highlight was beating lazio 2-1 after player was sent off after 5 minutes! Forsa Roma!

In January at the moment and unbeaten!! Top of the league by 11 points playing the fulcrum tactic which suits Romandown to the ground! Not scoring loads but defence has been a rock! Signed Honda on a free and just got balanta! Should of tried to get a forward but I'll wait till the close season! Highlight was beating lazio 2-1 after player was sent off after 5 minutes! Forsa Roma!

Awesome, looks like you're doing well.

How's Honda going? Debating whether to try and get him or not. What are you playing him as?

To be honest is too early to tell, he's only played 2 games so far as I'm in January! He's been fine so far, I play him as a mc plAymaker, he's cover for pjanic!

Is the 4-1-2-1-2 formation the default one or you moved the FBs into WB positions?

Interesting proposition and I like how it looks.

I moved them into the WB positions

interestingly, deuce81, both of your signings were also my first two! Honda played pretty decently for me in every role that I played him (DLP, BBM, and AP). Balanta's also a nice buy; he managed to play Castan out of the team despite how well Castan was doing for me... I felt a bit guilty but I couldn't really drop either of them if that makes sense and Balanta clearly has more potential so I decided to keep on playing him

Ok really need some help here! Just won double in 1st season. Then right at end of season Man City bid for strootman! He's been a semi starter for me as a b2b player starting around 24 games this year, was going to be making a push for a full time starting place next year. City bid 17m (his value at end of season) I decided to negotiate 44m thinking they would just go away, then they accepted! Typical city! Any advice? This just wasnt part of my pre season plan! Could start to fund my champions league push for next year but then again he suits my formation well!

Any ideas guys?

You can just go to the transfer centre page and cancel the deal by clicking the little red x button

I've got to Jan first season and the board has taken 400k a week out of my wage budget and expect me to make up the difference from player sales! I've sold Castan and renegotiated de Rossi down to 100k a week which has put me back in the black, but the financial situation is still pretty precarious. Has this happened to anyone else? Anyone got any advice? I guess it's my own fault for putting Champs League qualification as my expectation and maxing out the wage bill

I've got to Jan first season and the board has taken 400k a week out of my wage budget and expect me to make up the difference from player sales! I've sold Castan and renegotiated de Rossi down to 100k a week which has put me back in the black, but the financial situation is still pretty precarious. Has this happened to anyone else? Anyone got any advice? I guess it's my own fault for putting Champs League qualification as my expectation and maxing out the wage bill

Not quite there yet, but I'm in November and 2.5mil in the red, so thinking something similar may happen. Future projections show the situation only getting worse, so looks like Roma's finances are going to be an issue

I moved them into the WB positions

interestingly, deuce81, both of your signings were also my first two! Honda played pretty decently for me in every role that I played him (DLP, BBM, and AP). Balanta's also a nice buy; he managed to play Castan out of the team despite how well Castan was doing for me... I felt a bit guilty but I couldn't really drop either of them if that makes sense and Balanta clearly has more potential so I decided to keep on playing him

How has it worked out?

I've had a long save with AC Milan on every version of FM since 2007, however, I tried them out this year and they just don't appeal to me anymore, a lot of the players I love have left/retired. So, after signing Florenzi for my Man Utd team, and him being brilliant(along with my never ending love for Totti), I've decided to start a save with Roma.

I will start properly tomorrow and will be sure to post updates.

Finding it difficult to get established as Roma in the first season and I think I know why - Marco Borriello.

Any suggestions for a nippy striker who would join from the get-go to improve the mobility of the front three?

Really nicely presented thread, interesting to me as my debut save will be with Roma once the opening patch is released. I really like the dichotomy between excellent young talents (Jedvaj, Ljajic, Pjanic, Romagnoli) and the ageing stars (Totti et al). Think it will be fun to try and remodel the team, particularly as they are not considered a 'top side' to start with.

Couple of questions; firstly, how do you get your screenshots? On old versions the old 'print screen' button on my keyboard worked just fine, but now all that happens is it prints whatever my desktop is displaying. The actual 'print screen' on the FM menu just saves an HTML file. Probably a simple explanation, but I haven't figured it yet!

Also, where did you get your player facepack? I tried downloading one on here, but the main packs are in 15 parts and downloading so slow it was not worth while (15 hours for one part!). On FM12 it was about a 15 minute process and done.

Any of you guys point me in the right direction?

I use 4-2-3-1 and don't know how to use Totti. I don't like him as lone STR and AMC isn't his best position. What do you recommend?

Finding it difficult to get established as Roma in the first season and I think I know why - Marco Borriello.

Any suggestions for a nippy striker who would join from the get-go to improve the mobility of the front three?

Domenico Berardi, you can buy out is 50% share from Sassuolo.

Simone Zaza whom you can also buy out his 50% share from Sassuolo.

Carlos Fierro plays for America (MX) I think

Gabriel Barbosa from Corinthians

Alberto Cerri from Parma <<<(He is a must buy, becomes 10x better then Alexander Mitrovic)

Luciano Vietto from Racing Club

Gabriel Iancu from Steau Bucharest

Lorenzo Insigne from Napoli &

Zakaria Bakkali from PSV

All of which are relatively cheap. More expensive ones are Insigne for €15M, Iancu €11M, Bakkali €10M and Berardi(But with Berardi you have to get in there early otherwise he'll sky rocket).

And Timo Werner from Stuttgart, he may not be entirely ready for first team but he's one you must get.

Also look at Alex from Gremio and Ze Roberto from Flamengo. They may be 35 and 37 respectively but their stats are incredible. Good for 2 seaons max. Both of which can cover a lot of positions.

And Timo Werner from Stuttgart, he may not be entirely ready for first team but he's one you must get.

Also look at Alex from Gremio and Ze Roberto from Flamengo. They may be 35 and 37 respectively but their stats are incredible. Good for 2 seaons max. Both of which can cover a lot of positions.

Thanks man. Have opted for Michy Batshuayi of Standard Liége. Cerri was snapped up by Inter after rejecting Sabatini's contract offer and I'm not too enamoured by either Zaza or Berardi's Juve ties. Michy's pace, finishing and composure should help him to make the most of through balls from Totti and Pjanic. That's the plan at least!

Thanks man. Have opted for Michy Batshuayi of Standard Liége. Cerri was snapped up by Inter after rejecting Sabatini's contract offer and I'm not too enamoured by either Zaza or Berardi's Juve ties. Michy's pace, finishing and composure should help him to make the most of through balls from Totti and Pjanic. That's the plan at least!

True I agree with you being anti Gobbo..... As am I, can't stand the B&^%$#*S !!!!!!!!! But having said that, they may be "Owned" by them, but neither are true Juventini. Just like the rest of their Italians. They purchase them when they are young and because they play for Juve that means they automatically play for Italy. Like Bonucci and Giacherini. Ok Giacherini is good now but he was good enough at Cesena and his name was never mentioned let alon being chosen. As for Bonucci............ Can't believe he's anywhere near the Italian set-up. Any who's off topic, LOL................

Ahhhhh just trying to think, perhaps Michu from Swansea, may not be pacy but damn good nonetheless. If it's Italian, Diamanti of Bologna, Gilardino of Bologna or Andrea Petagna of Milan.

Elio Capradossi season - 2015/16 - http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/PeterPistola/media/Screenshot2013-11-18at114528AM_zps40f2d380.png.html

Matteo Adamo season - 2015/16 - http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/PeterPistola/media/Screenshot2013-11-18at115143AM_zps5f389eb8.png.html

Daniele Rugani season - 2015/16 - http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/PeterPistola/media/Screenshot2013-11-18at114841AM_zpsc4eba303.png.html

Alessio Romagnoli season - 2015/16 - http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/PeterPistola/media/Screenshot2013-11-18at114601AM_zps746c5da4.png.html

Alberto Cerri season - 2015/16 - http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/PeterPistola/media/Screenshot2013-11-19at44645PM_zps91eaf2cc.png.html

Nicola Murru season - 2015/16 - http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/PeterPistola/media/Screenshot2013-11-19at44702PM_zpsbc1f3234.png.html

Andrea Petagna season - 2015/16 - http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/PeterPistola/media/Screenshot2013-11-19at44731PM_zpsad496d2a.png.html

Is Borriello good enough to start with? I also don't know what to do with Totti.

I've got to Jan first season and the board has taken 400k a week out of my wage budget and expect me to make up the difference from player sales! I've sold Castan and renegotiated de Rossi down to 100k a week which has put me back in the black, but the financial situation is still pretty precarious. Has this happened to anyone else? Anyone got any advice? I guess it's my own fault for putting Champs League qualification as my expectation and maxing out the wage bill

Similar situation with Inter - negotiated players down but were still listed as "cash strapped" in media articles. By the start of the next season, I was given 78 million in TV rights. Ride it out dude

Borriello is great for me whenever I bring him on as a sub but he's not going to cut it as a starter (IMHO). Totti as a false 9/trequartista up top with inside forwards outside him is the way I'm going at the moment (not to much success).

Just finished my debut season with the Giallorossi.

Pre-Season

Content with the balance of the squad, I decided to eschew spending the limited amount of money available, an opportunity for all players to impress. My initial plan for this file is to look foremost to the youth team and Italians where feasible, building a core home-nation side to add to and eventually replace stalwarts like Totti and De Rossi. I concentrated on the staff, retaining almost all coaches and physios, whilst badgering the board for more Scouts and Coaches. Ramped up the scouting department to 10, including old favourites like Alexandre Ceolin, Bojan Krkic and Romeo Jozak.

In addition, decided to Romanize the coaching department with former players Christian Panucci and Simone Perotta. Not at all the best available, but it brings an element of realism that I like, former stars beginning their post-career in familiar surroundings. Other notable changes witnessed Roma legend from the late 70's and 80's, Franco Tancredi, take up position as Reserve Team Manager, assisted by one of my favourite players as an early teen, Uruguayan technician Ruben Sosa.

That done, time to organise the tactics:

Tactical Outlook

I always roll with a flat 442 at home, a steady, easy to code tactic that has served me very well over the years. The only difference is that I eventually switched out my usual attacking playmaker in favour of a ball winning midfielder, and switched one of the wingers to a wide midfielder. That was mainly for personnel reasons; short on decent wingers, I decided to use Pjanic out wide and give more opportunity to the plethora of central mids.

On the road I really wanted to try out a role I have rarely experimented with; the sweeper. Cue a 541 'box midfield' creation. That lasted three games. Disliking the dichotomy between the defence I decided to switch to another new role, that of the halfback. This proved really sound defensively, but the tactic struggled to make an impression offensively. One of the AM's was switched to a two-man attack but still we struggled to make it happen, unable to get enough bodies forward. In hindsight, the tactic is set up to play defensively, on the counter, with wingbacks raiding forwards, rather than the balanced and standard approach I favoured.

Eventually I switched to my usual 451. I have read numerous posts from managers failing to get it working, but it balances well for me. In essence it is an anti-tactic, relying not on positional manipulation and a raft of instructions, but instead a simple shape which is a balance between being able to press an opposing defence and midfield high, yet also drop back to provide a barrier.

August to January

Early season was tough, an opening day victory over Bologna soon overshadowed by four defeats in the next five. The injury situation was a huge hindrance, with Boriello, Totti and Pjanic missing tracts of the early season, in addition to defensive injuries. At our lowest we sat 17th, board unhappy, speculation over my tenure as manager. Harsh, but that is modern day football eh..? However, with players returning we embarked on a 13-game unbeaten streak. Too many draws in that, but it was enough to rise up to 8th in what was an incredibly tight division from 2nd to 12th.

January Transfer Window

Keisuke Honda was the main arrival, agreed back in September, a free transfer too tempting to resist. He was followed by Andrea Bertolacci, the opportunity to add a young Roman to the squad too good to pass up. With Nicolas Burdisso out of favour and on ridiculous £71k wages, the Argentinian was sold for a nominal fee, Brazilian Betao replacing him to add temporary depth to the backline as I had loaned out Alessio Romagnoli for 1st team football to PSV. Finally, I also added Simone Pepe on a free, another former player and whose 20 work rate and off the ball ideal for the newly-created wide midfielder role in the 442. I immediately started training him as a rightback, contemplating a future change of position.

January to May

The second half of the season began much as the first, defeat to Juventus and Napoli and also an embarrassing 3-3 penalty loss in the Cup to nobodies by the name of Latina. The away 'box' had failed, the 2-man attack that succeeded it still failing to remedy a lack of goals. Totti had been missing all season, unable to make any impact on games at all. Same with Ljajic. After 11 road games we had won a solitary one, drawing six, losing five. Eventually I switched to the 451 as aforementioned. That rescued the season; immediate wins at Livorno and Udinese the spark that had been missing, and we rounded out with four wins, a draw at Fiorentina (on the final day, to relegate them no less) and two unlucky defeats at bottom-feeders Verona (did everything but score) and Milan (two corners!).

That was enough to just about overcome a very competitive group of teams and finish 4th, enough for Europa League qualification. I was in the hunt for a Champions League spot until a 1-2 defeat at the Olimpico by Atalanta on the penultimate day, but I'm happier with a Europa position. Sffects the future finances negatively, but means I can give more opportunities to the development squad.

Favourite game of the season? This....

Lazio did not like the Capital derby!!

Performance

Marco Boriello and Michael Bradley were the two unexpected performers, in addition to the class of Daniele De Rossi. Boriello netted 16 in 24, finishing only behind Llorente and Denis in the Golden Boot, and also won the Miglior...something award. Bradley put in a succession of commanding performances as the ballwinning mid at the Olimpico. De Rossi was fantastic as the halfback on the road. Castan also netted a crucial six goals from the back, generally sniffing out loose balls in the box. Florenzi was excellent from January onwards.

Creatively we spread the load; Ljajic the top assist maker on 9, with Pjanic, Totti, Gervinho and Florenzi all very close.

Post-Season Plans

I'm currently in a -£17.2m hole, and I'm really hoping that the revenue stream is significant over the off-season. It has been a long time since I've managed in Serie A, so I'm not sure what to expect. Having used the Bosman market, I'm keen not to go too deep with free transfers. Nevertheless Benoit Costil will join, a very solid competitor for the ageing Morgan De Sanctis, allowing Lukas Skorupski to move on loan next season. It will very much be a case on playing it by ear after that; if finance improve and I get a budget, it will be aimed at bringing in another talented striker. And I wouldn't mind a dual-sided fullback, with eyes on Marcos Rocha.

The main goal will be solidify tactically, having suffered too many defeats and inconsistent displays; the 451 made a big difference and finally brought into play the creativity of Totti, Pjanic and Ljajic, but I'm also working on the 4th formation in the image above. Inspired by some NFL defensive schemes, the 'shell' has been gaining familiarity as the season wound down. The basic premise is a two man backline supported by two DM's, in turn flanked by two defensive wingers. A bowl, or shell defensive structure where the middle of the park is conceded, but opponents struggle to break the two defensive ranks and wide midfield workrate. The central of the 3 DM's will be a regista, given the scope of the field ahead of him to affect play and link to the two attacking midfielders.

Also toying with the idea of making the central DM a halfback, as it worked well in the 541 box, pushing the two CD's wide and keeping the bowl structure, but utilising both wider DM's as registas. Less convinced about this idea, perhaps a little too much without shape, and whether two registas would interfere with each others movements and passing range is debatable. Looking forward to trying out the formation in pre-season though, as the squad is top-heavy with ballplaying, DM-able mids.

Borriello is great for me whenever I bring him on as a sub but he's not going to cut it as a starter (IMHO). Totti as a false 9/trequartista up top with inside forwards outside him is the way I'm going at the moment (not to much success).

Is anyone still playing with Roma? Seems like the thread was dead for a few weeks until Falahk bumped it.

I've (re)started a save myself and I'm now at the end of preseason. My only transfer in was Antonio Adán, but I also bought Genoa's 50% share of Andrea Bertolacci for £2M.

I only sold Bogdan Lobonț, who went to Al-Hilal for £250, and loaned Lukasz Skorupski to Parma to get his wages off the books after Adán came in. Additionally, I released most of the youth team, only keeping those that have decent potential or were in a position which absolutely needed cover.

The team now looks like this:

GK: De Sanctis, Adán (GK-D)

RB: Maicon, Torosidis (FB-A)

CB: Benatia, Jedvaj (CD-D

CB: Castán, Burdisso (CD-D)

LB: Balzaretti, Dodô (WB-S)

DM: De Rossi, Bertolacci (DM-D)

CM: Florenzi, Bradley (CM-A)

CM: Strootman, Marquinho (AP-S)

RW: Pjanic, Gervinho (IF-S)

LW: Ljajic, Destro (IF-A)

ST: Totti, Borriello (DLF-S)

However, most players are able to slot in elsewhere in case of an injury crisis or tactical necessity. I'll be playing the first Serie A game, against Udinese, tomorrow. Hopefully we can get off to a nice, winning start.

with 2 games to go (Bolonga and Cagliari) I was top on results between teams and I was also in the cup final vs Milan, while Napoli had to play both Juve and Milan

so what happens? I draw 0-0 vs Bolonga and lose the cup final 0-1, weeeehoooo no titles

Sickener Falahk. Finding Roma in this year's game surprisingly harder than previous seasons. That's despite a far stronger midfield and defence. Go figure!

Roma is a challenging save indeed. I find myself to be a pretty good FM player during the years. But for some reason Roma is very hard to manage with there expectations, ageing team and finances. Ive always had niche for creating Italian teams with 90% Italian players and i might just start a Roma game and try and get one going. Especially due to the great youngsters Roma usually have. Also because there seams to be a wealth of talented Italians around.

Sickener Falahk. Finding Roma in this year's game surprisingly harder than previous seasons. That's despite a far stronger midfield and defence. Go figure!

id say its about as hard this year, and in fm terms the squad is of similar ability compared to last year, even if the defenders stats look better, they really aint better on fm, the lack of jumping reach is a big problem here, and most of the players are just as inconsistent as they always have been

Great to see this thread... like always even I have started a Roma save and sold - Burdisso & Lobont and got in - Éder Álvarez Balanta, Alberto Cerri & Luciano Vietto. Did offered contracts to Honda, Reveillere and Antonio adan but they all chose EPL clubs over Roma.