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My Greatest Challenge: Knocking Fergie Right Off His ****ing Perch. And You Can Print That

AK22

By AK22,
in FM Career Updates

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AK22

AK22

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Good run there.
Nice unbeaten run :thup:
A good way to start your Italian tenure :thup:
Going well AK.
Nice start mate, nice change in Italy good luck

Thanks all. It's a good start, but I can't say I'm all that confident we'll keep it going; the team aren't enjoying my management style/teamtalks at all!

That was 2 frustrating seasons in Norway to come so close and drop the ball in the final matches both years! Nice step up now to a team with proper ambitions, even if it's a 4th tier I believe Taranto is a much bigger club and you're in a nice place to get that promotion. Although the board seems very harsh there, I'm assuming the previous manager was sacked which would've been harsh for being so close to the top?

Yeah, you're right, they sacked him. The club was sat 8th in the table, which is some way off their expectations, but with there being only six points covering the top eight, it does seem on the harsh side. I hope that's not an omen!!

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Taranto FC 1927 - January 2015

OK, so the honeymoon period is officially over, as I've come to realise that meeting the board's expectation isn't going to be the cakewalk I half hoped it would be. In particular, the draw against Mantova has given me the largest concern; 3-0 up after 20 minutes, and strolling the game, we then contrived to undo all our good work, allowing the opposition to score three goals in the second half, and almost conceding a last minute goal to confine us to defeat. Following this, I gave the players a proper bollocking, and now the majority don't like my management style. It could be a very fractious few months, at this rate!

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Having being beaten by Lecco, we lost the opportunity to move up into the automatic promotion places. However, Pavia, the runaway leaders, have had a poor month (worse than us, anyway!), and look like slipping down into the pack, so everything is still very much to play for.

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Next Time...

* We travel to Pavia, so will have the opportunity to move above them in the table. We'll also play three more league games, against mid-to-lower table opposition.

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Taranto FC 1927 - February 2015

As great as the victory against Pavia was, it's been a poor month overall. Two home defeats against lower league opposition is not really the results of potential league champions, so I've come to the conclusion that it's very unlikely that we'll win the league, which means that we probably won't meet the board's (high) expectations. I wish I could put my finger on the reasoning too, as we're not playing too badly except for a couple of infuriating minutes where we completely shut off at the back and allow the opposition in. If only there was a 'concentration' option on match preparation!

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Lecco are starting to open up a gap at the top now, and we'll need to go some to close it down. There's nine games left to play, so it is still mathematically possible, but given our recent flaky results, I say we're going to have to settle for the playoffs.

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Next Time...

* On paper, we have a relatively easy month coming up, with only the away fixture to Savona looking like any kind of stumbling block.

* I'll get my first Italian batch of youngsters coming through my youth intake. Maybe I'll see the next Baggio, Del Piero or Lombardini materialise!

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Taranto FC 1927 - March 2015

Another mixed bags of results this month, although I'm pleased that the defence is starting to look a bit more resolute; we may have conceded twice against Savona, but since then, we're now three games without conceding. If we can keep that kind of record going, we may still sneak into the second automatic promotion place.

The youth intake's been pretty encouraging, with Antonio Quintavellehttp://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee368/AKAK22/FM13 Career/Taranto/201415/AntonioQuintavalle_OverviewAttributes.png[/img]"], Antonio Borghesehttp://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee368/AKAK22/FM13 Career/Taranto/201415/AntonioBorghese_OverviewAttributes.png[/img]"] and Sandro Allevihttp://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee368/AKAK22/FM13 Career/Taranto/201415/SandroAllevi_OverviewAttributes.png[/img]"] looking the most promising of the bunch, although none of them look like troubling the first team yet. That said, the majority are a huge improvement on those currently in the U20 squad.

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I think it's safe to say that Lecco will be crowned champions, but surprisingly, everything else is still extremely close. Pavia have had another poor month, and even though we're not firing on all cylinders still, there's just the one point separating us and Salernitana in second place. Oh, and we have to play Salernitana next month, too!

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Next Time...

* The run-in starts with games against Gubbio (H), Pro Patria (A), Fano (H) and Salernitana (A). A solid month, including a victory against our rivals, Salernitana, could quite conceivably see us take the second automatic promotion spot.

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Taranto FC 1927 - April 2015

Well, well, well, what a month April has been! We've been brilliant, and finished the month off in style with a very credible victory away to our rivals, Salernitana (courtesy of two headed set-piece goals from our centre back). It's finally starting to feel as everything is clicking into place, just when we need it the most, and will go into the final round of fixtures with great hope that we can get over the line unscathed, achieving promotion to Serie C1.

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Of course, though, promotion is not quite signed, sealed and delivered yet, as even though we're above Pavia and Salernitana on head-to-head results, we've still got to do a professional job in our final fixture. We've just got to match the others results, but I'll still be going all out for the win.

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Next Time...

* We'll find up if we can consolidate our second place, taking automatic promotion in the process. We're at home to Alessandria, with Pavia away to Aversa Normanna and Salernitana away to Gubbio.

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Taranto FC 1927 - May 2015

So after looking like favourites to snatch the last automatic promotion place, we then went and completely ballsed it up by losing against Alessandria. Coming into the game on such a good run of form must have been our downfall, as we were lacklustre and complacent throughout the match; nothing could I do to try and rouse the players, who all played like a team far too cocky for their own good.

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This all meant that Pavia secured automatic promotion, and that we would need to battle through the playoffs if we were to follow them up to Serie C1. In the end, we did it, but not without adventure in both ties; the second leg against Savona looked like going to extra time until Davide Baiocco fired in an injury time thunderbolt to send us through. The final was extremely close too, with two extra time goals needed to see off Castiglione; we may have done it the hard way, but we still did it!

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End of Season Summary

Thank god we got promoted, as, if we didn't, I've got a feeling that I would have been sacked for failing to meet the board's league expectations. It's been a tough six months so far, but with a full summer ahead, I'm feeling confident that I can shake the team up sufficiently to ensure they are competitive enough at the higher level. Unfortunately, the club's finances are starting to look a bit shaky now, so I'm hoping that playing in the third tier will see a decent revenue increase to help level things out.

2nd Divisione Girone A - 4th Place (Promoted via Playoffs)

TIM Cup - Not entered

Coppa Italia Lega Pro - 1st Round (Knocked out prior to my arrival)

Finances | Transfer Summary

Topscorer - Giorgio Noviello (17 goals)

Most Assists - Simone Motta (7 assists)

Highest Average Rating - Simone Motta (7.28)

Fans Player of the Year - Daniel Bello

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I'm pleased to say that Simone Motta ended up winning Miglior Giocatore dell'Anno (Player of the Year), in addition to two other players (Noviello & Bello) being named in the Team of the Year. I've also picked up third prize in the Manager of the Season stakes, so it's been quite a successful year for personal accolades at the club.

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You're welcome then! Obviously I should feel grateful just to be here... That said, it's my first promotion, and the first step towards my Fergie-aims.

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Season     Team              League                     Finish    Cups                             
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013       FK Vidar          Oddsenligaen Avdeling 3    4th       Cupen 1st Round
2014       FK Vidar          Oddsenligaen Avdeling 3    2nd       Cupen 2nd Round
2014/15    Taranto           2nd Divisione Girone A     4th       N/A

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Cheers everyone!

The board reaction is a bit OTT, but I'm not 100% convinced it's a bug though. Maybe they're just a sensitive bunch here in Italy? :D

I will monitor it, though, as normally a manager brought in half way through a season would probably get a bit more breathing space in their first few months than I did.

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Taranto FC 1927 - Pre-Season 2015/16

A new season, a new league, a new challenge; let's hope we step up to the mark! Everyone else seems to think so anyway, with a media prediction of 6th place, and title odds of 6-1 (joint second favourites), so we'll need to keep up with the pace from the off if we're to deliver. Thankfully, the board seem to be slightly more realistic, as they only want a respectable league finish. In fact, they have seemed to forgiven me for last year's 'disappointing performances' and have offered a new contract, extending my existing terms by another year, with a payrise of double the previous amount (now £2.4k pw). Of course, I've happily accepted this, as I do see a future here at this club.

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I can't say I'm too fond of having a Coppa Italia match so early on in the summer, as it really doesn't give me enough time to integrate any new signings into the club set-up. Due to our defeat in this competition, to Poggibonsi, I've already disappointed the board, who wanted us to go two rounds further. However, asides from this, the pre-season's gone very well, and we'll start the new season on fine fettle, having won five of our seven friendly matches.

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Loads of transfer activity this summer, as I've had a great opportunity to overhaul the ageing squad and bring in some players of my own. I was actually given a transfer budget (of £21.59k), but decided to plough all investment into the wage allowance, which now stands at just over £50k per week; a very decent amount for a club playing in the third tier.

Daniel Ciofani - Should be a diamond of a striker at this level, and will easily be the first name on the teamsheet.

Daniel Onescu - Being right-footed, he should fit nicely into the inside forward role on the left wing of our formation.

Robert Gucher - This Austrian will be the anchor of the midfield. He looks like he can pick a pass too!

Davide Bottone - Some grit and determination, which should help to win the battles in the middle of the park.

Albert Rusnak - Another promising midfielder.

Sandy Fayolle - Won't be an instant first-teamer, but should improve a lot as he gets older. Definitely one for the future.

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Good luck pleasing those ungrateful ******s with survival.

Thanks DB, although I think we should be aiming for slightly more than survival. That said, with only 16 teams in the league, midtable is 8th, and I'd happily take that!

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Taranto FC 1927 - September 2015

It's been a steady and competent start by the team, although it's quite obvious that the new players don't quite have a full understanding with each other yet. Due to this, we scraped through the opening of games with a couple of draws, before starting to find our way in the match against Benevento; once we properly get going, I think we'll have another solid season. The biggest success story so far has to be Daniel Ciofani, who has settled the quickest of the new signings, finding the back of the net four times.

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Avellino have established themselves as the initial pacesetters, starting with a 100% record, so there's no real shame in our only defeat being to them. However, what is interesting to see, is how poorly pre-season favourites, Lecce, have started their push for promotion. There's only the one automatic spot, so they'll really need to get a grip if they're to close the 11 point gap, and reclaim their place in Serie B.

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Next Time...

* Having beaten Real Spal in the 1st Round, we'll then host Monza in the 2nd Round of the Coppa Italia Lega Pro Cup.

* We'll play four league matches, including difficult away trips to Lecca and Perugia.

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Taranto FC 1927 - October 2015

Asides from the defeat to Lecce, it's been another strong month for the team. Ciofani's still in good form too, with another four goals; he's now the league's topscorer, although I can't see it lasting for too long. I'm also delighted to have beaten Monza in the Serie C Cup, as we've now qualified for the group stages. Fair enough, the board don't give a damn about this competition, but I'm quite keen to give it a good go and go as far as possible.

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The table hasn't changed much from last month as we still sit in fifth position, and just within the playoff spots. After their immaculate start, Avellino's bubble has finally popped, as they've dropped points in three of the four games they played. They're still in a good position, but it's now Livorno who have seized the initiative for now; the race for that one promotion place is on!

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Next Time...

* In our Serie C Cup group, we've been drawn against Livorno and AlbinoLeffe. We'll kick off the group stages against the latter, next month.

* We'll play five league fixtures, including a trip to the leaders, Livorno, as well as a trip to Virtus Lanciano, at the bottom of the table.

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Congratulations for just about nicking promotion last year, and looks like you're backing that up with a strong season so far in the 1ª Divisione.

Italian lower leagues were some of the most fun I've had in the last few FMs and I'd love to go back there at some point, so am following this with interest.

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Solid month :thup:.
Great work so far, looks like you're playing pretty consistently. And if you can sneak a playoff place, that would be very impressive.

Thanks! A playoff spot is still very much on the cards, but there's plenty of time for that to change!

Congratulations for just about nicking promotion last year, and looks like you're backing that up with a strong season so far in the 1ª Divisione.

Italian lower leagues were some of the most fun I've had in the last few FMs and I'd love to go back there at some point, so am following this with interest.

It's fun down here, especially as it's all really close between the teams. I also like the fact that it's only a 30-game season, so you're almost guaranteed being involved in either the promotion or relegation race for most/all of the year.

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Taranto FC 1927 - November 2015

It's been a pretty eventful month, and all-in-all, fairly successful. It's just a shame we couldn't remain unbeaten until the end, having been beaten by Latina in our last league fixture of the period; once again, after sticking a nice unbeaten run together, complacency was the word of the day as we had another poor day on the road. There's been plenty of goals too, including the six we put past bottom side, Virtus Lanciano, with several players all getting in on the act.

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Still, compared to the end of last month, the league table looks very similar, with the main protagonists all still being in contention. In fact, we've slightly improved our chances now, by reducing the deficit to four points, due to a poor month from Livorno, which has allowed Avellino to return to the summit. However, a poor run of form could easily see us slip down the league, with all of the top ten only being separated by just ten points.

LegaProPrimaDivisioneGironeB_OverviewStages-3-1.jpg

Next Time...

* Another Serie C Group Stage match, against Livorno.

* Three league fixtures, including a trip to promotion-chasing Andria.

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Well done, not bad for a team with a logo of a dude doing dubious things to a dolphin!

Dolphin-fiddlin' is the new rage in Italy, didn't you know?! :D

This is fantastic mate glued to it! You were right to shove it up those Norweigan arses & great first season in Italy, good luck

Thanks Ollie! Glad you're enjoying it!

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Taranto FC 1927 - December 2015

Not quite the month we would have wanted or needed, but at least it's a month of being unbeaten. Unfortunately, the goals have dried up a bit, and asides from the victory over Andria, it's been a bit of a struggle to watch at times; we need to get Ciofani firing again! Thankfully, we took a point against Livorno, and have now qualified for the knockout stages of the Serie C cup, so at least that's something to look forward to in the new year.

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Football is a funny business, isn't it? Even after only winning one game this month, we're still right in the hunt for the playoffs, and have actually moved up a place in the table! Unfortunately, Avellino are starting to get away from us, having opened up a seven gap over the chasing pack, and will be difficult to close down.

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Next Time...

* The transfer window opens, so we might add a couple of new faces to the squad.

* After the winter break, we'll resume our league campaign with five league fixtures, including a match at home to league-leaders Avellino.

* And there's a takeover on the horizon too...

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You have more patience than me.

If I had been managing Taranto and I was told they were disappointed in me after a promotion, I would tell them to shove it up their backsides.

Great reading though :thup:

Ha! :D It did cross my mind, although after walking out in a huff from Vidar, I didn't want to get a reputation of being a hot-head!!

And talking of Vidar... they've only gone and got themselves promoted this season! I think it's only right that I take partial credit for this :brock:

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