B.W.G Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Congrats on winning Serie B,best of luck next season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 Cosenza - Pre-Season 2023/24 Now, I'm really expecting a tough season ahead, as we've reached Serie A a lot quicker than I had planned. I'm sure we'll give it our best shot, but, realistically, I'm preparing myself for the worse, as we come up against some of the best teams in Europe. Of course, the results against the likes of Juventus and Milan won't determine if we stave off relegation; we'll need to ensure we pick up points from the teams in the bottom half of the table if we're to be successful. Due to uphill struggle ahead in the league, friendlies were organised against teams I was confident of easily beating. At least this means we enter the early league fixtures with morale at a decent level. Media Prediction: 20th Title Odds: 2000-1 (Joint 17th favourites. Juventus 4-5 favourites) Serie A TIM: Avoid Relegation TIM Cup: Fourth Qualifying Round Transfer Budget: £20.5m Wage Budget: £230k (spending £76.2k) Season Ticket Sales: 10465 (up 6868) It's been quite a battle securing the signatures of the players we needed to improve the squad, as due to our back-to-back promotions our club reputation hasn't risen as quickly as I would have liked. This has led to potential transfer targets often choosing to join a team in Serie B, simply because they are a 'bigger club'; we're playing in the top flight, you morons! I think I've erred on the cautious side in the transfer window, deciding against maxing out the budgets, and, in the main, signing young players who have the potential to improve over time. The reasoning behind this is that I don't want to screw the club financially, meaning that if we get do end up getting relegated, we'll still be on a sound financial footing; I don't want to do 'a Leeds'! That said, it's obviously apparent we have one of the poorest squads in the league, and are likely to regularly struggle, but we may still have just enough to avoid finishing in the bottom three. Key Players: Vitor Matos (DC), Kevin Fortugno (MC), Rosario Esposito (ST), Bernardino Austoni (DM), Nassim Wagner (MC), Gian Marco Maldera (DL), Rui Faria (GK), Carlos Hernández (DC), Dani Collado (DC), Cassio (ST) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 Could be tough in Serie A after back to back promotions. Indeed. Almost mission impossible, as we're severely out of our depth. Unreal progress It took me by surprise too! So...17th is the aim? Pretty much. Although, as long as we don't embarrass ourselves, I'll be happy. Well done on promotion mate Good luck for next year Congrats on winning Serie B,best of luck next season Thanks chaps! I'm going to need all the luck in the world Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 Cosenza - November 2023 Update It was always likely to have been a baptism of fire, so I can't say I'm surprised by our run of results. That said, it could have been a lot worse, as we've been very hard to beat at times; the hard earned point at home to AC Milan proving that we can be a hard nut for some teams to crack. Unfortunately, the main concern is the lack of goals. Bertolino and Esposito have chipped in with half a dozen each, but, when they have an off day, there are very few goals in the rest of the team to get us out of jail. Due to this, we've been struggling to win games that we've controlled, often settling for bore draws - see the results against Torino, Pescara and Catania. These three teams are currently our main relegation rivals, and we really could have done with taking more than a point from each of these matches. We are averaging a point per game, at the moment, which may just be enough to avoid relegation if we can maintain it for the rest of the season. The bottom half is very tightly packed, though, so everything could change very quickly with a couple of good results. Despite us not being among the most prolific sides in the league, at least our currently good defensive record has ensured that the goal difference hasn't got out of hand yet; this is almost worth an extra point. Our first full house of the season saw the club attendance record broken. This is good news, and the board have now agreed to improve the infrastructure further. A nice landmark to reach. Despite battling away at the foot of the table, I'm more than happy to sign an extension to my contract. I'm also listed as a club icon now Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted February 22, 2014 Share Posted February 22, 2014 That is quite a decent start to be fair, some good points against Milan and Lazio could make all the difference at the end of the season as I suspect they are games you'd write off as defeats before you played them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted February 22, 2014 Author Share Posted February 22, 2014 Cosenza - February 2024 Update Come the winter break, it was not going great, with results still not going our way, as we slipped into the bottom three. Thankfully, we returned to action in January with renewed vigour and a favourable fixture list, winning three consecutive home games. This pulled us away from the drop zone nicely, and, by the time we had beaten Torino away, we had entered the top half of the table; the Board were bordering climax point! Since then, we've had some very difficult games, and results have taken a turn for the worse again - sitting through the Juventus game was particularly excruciating, and definitely one of the lowest points of the season. However, with these fixtures now out of the way, we only have to play three sides from the top half in the final third of the season, which means we have a great chance of beating the drop; destiny is most definitely in our hands. There were a few new signings made in the January window, with Mame Fily Sall, Simone Scuffet, Ercole Ciaprini and Simone Zaza all joining the club. They're all good players, who should add to the squad. We're not out of the woods yet, but, with a three point advantage over Torino, it could be a lot worse. I would say anyone from Genoa downwards are in danger of being sucked into trouble, although they're only likely to battling to avoid just the one relegation spot, with Pescara and Catania now looking cut off from the rest. I must have been mad to reject this, but reject this I did. It was a fantastic opportunity to manage a top European side, but I would have felt terrible abandoning Cosenza mid-season, even more so if they had ended up being relegated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted February 22, 2014 Author Share Posted February 22, 2014 That is quite a decent start to be fair, some good points against Milan and Lazio could make all the difference at the end of the season as I suspect they are games you'd write off as defeats before you played them. I agree with you to some extent, although I would have much rather lost these games, instead winning some of the games against our relegation rivals that we dropped points in, i.e. Torino and Catania. However, we're doing well enough still, so I don't think it has cost us too much. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 Hope you're rewarded for staying with survival. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted February 23, 2014 Share Posted February 23, 2014 I echo what Deltablue said, Fiorentina would have been a good job I feel but you've put so much in to Cosenza it's probably right that you should at least see the season out with them. Doing pretty well so far, hopefully you can pick enough points up in the next 12 games to survive Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
P O\'D Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 good choice in staying and your doing great so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 You still have a decent chance... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 Cosenza - May 2024 Update It's been a bit unconvincing at times, but, in the end, we had more than enough in the tank to ensure we stayed well clear of the drop zone. March, in particular, was another shaky month, with the victory over Pescara coming at just the right time to stop a run of five games without a win. However, as encouraging as this result was, we reverted back to type in the following game at home to Reggina, where we failed to score against one of the league's worst defences. Having lost to bottom side, Catania, we entered April hovering just four points clear of the bottom three, and in severe danger of being sucked into the relegation dogfight if we continued in that vein. Thankfully, a change in fortune followed, which saw us win four of our following five games, moving us well up the table and clear of danger; talk about hitting form just at the right time! We still don't have a dependable goalscorer in the team, but it's been good to see that we've been able to pose enough of a threat to get the goals needed to avoid relegation. With a fifteen point advantage over the bottom three, it looks as if it was fairly comfortable survival in the end. I suppose it was, as the relegated teams were extremely poor this year, having failed to get anywhere near enough points to make it interesting for the clubs above them. That said, a top half finish does flatter us somewhat, as I don't think we've been particularly consistent, and there are a lot of better squads than us in the league; it's likely to be a struggle to match this performance next season. What is pleasing, though, is that we finished higher than Fiorentina, the team that tried to poach me earlier in the year; it seems as if everything is still not right in Florence yet! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 Hope you're rewarded for staying with survival. I think I was I echo what Deltablue said, Fiorentina would have been a good job I feel but you've put so much in to Cosenza it's probably right that you should at least see the season out with them. Doing pretty well so far, hopefully you can pick enough points up in the next 12 games to survive good choice in staying and your doing great so far. Thanks! I don't see me moving on yet' date=' especially as we're only likely to get stronger now we've maintained our Serie A status. I'm sure there'll be a glass ceiling eventually, but I don't see us hitting that for at least another couple of seasons. You still have a decent chance... Easy in the end Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 Cosenza - End of Season Review 2023/24 Finishing eighth was a major over-achievement, and a feat that we are unlikely to match next season. Still, it's a great start to life in the top flight, and marks another very good year with Cosenza. Serie A TIM: 8th TIM Cup: First Round Average Attendance: 24258 (up 12509) Transfer History | Finances The squad is severely lacking in some areas, so it's quite surprising what we've been able to achieve considering the number of players we have that are barely good enough for top flight football. In particular, it's in the attacking third where things are failing to click, and, despite Esposito's 16 goals, we're struggling to make the most of the chances we are creating; a new striker will be high on the list of priorities in the summer. We'll also need to strengthen in central midfield, as we don't have any players that are good enough to cover Wagner or Fortugno if they were to get injured; I'm hopeful for a decent transfer budget, so we should be able to bring in at least half a dozen players to improve the squad. Top Goalscorer: Rosario Esposito (16 goals) Most Assists: Rosario Esposito/Adriano Bertolino (9 assists) Highest Average Rating: Mame Fily Sall (7.18) Fans Player of the Season: Gianluigi Caricato Other Notable Contributors: Carlos Hernández (4 PoMs), Riccardo Gambelli (AvR 7.13) Serie A Team of the Year | Cosenza Best Eleven Further off-field developments mean we'll be able to get the best out of our players. It's hardly surprising we've broken these records, considering this is our first year in the top flight. I'm not sure what Juventus fans think of this, but we'll take it gratefully Season Team League Finish Cups ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2014 Polis DRM Liga Premier 5th Astro Piala First Round 2015 Polis DRM Liga Premier 3rd Astro Piala First Round, Piala Malaysia First Round 2016 Hougang Utd S.League 5th S.League Cup Semi Final 2017 Hougang Utd S.League 6th* * Resigned after 23 games (October 2017) 2017/18 Gateshead Skrill Premier 4th* * Promoted via Playoffs. Took charge October 2017. 2018/19 Gateshead League Two 12th FA Cup 1st Round, Capital One Cup 1st Round 2019/20 Gateshead League Two 1st FA Cup 3rd Round, Capital One Cup 1st Round 2020/21 Cosenza Serie C Group C 2nd Serie C Cup 1st Round 2021/22 Cosenza Serie C Group C 1st Serie C Cup Winner 2022/23 Cosenza Serie B 1st TIM Cup 1st Round 2023/24 Cosenza Serie A 8th TIM Cup 1st Round Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Wow, now that was a great surge up the table! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 Cosenza - Pre-Season 2024/25 The question on everyone's lips is will we match the top half finish from our debut season in Serie A? I would say it's unlikely, as we significantly overachieved last year, but I also think we have enough to ensure we stay well out of the relegation battle. Quite surprisingly, this is all the Board is expecting, so at least there's no real pressure on us to match our previous top half finish. The friendlies have all gone pretty much as expected, with the 11-0 thrashing of Badolato being a positive morale booster. Media Prediction: 15th Title Odds: 200-1 (Joint 15th favourites. Juventus Evens favourites) Serie A TIM: Avoid Relegation TIM Cup: First Round Transfer Budget: £25m Wage Budget: £300k (spending £234k) Season Ticket Sales: 11038 (up 573) It's been a pleasing transfer window, with the majority of my transfer targets all agreeing to join the club. We've really strengthened in all positions, and I now can say with confidence that we have at least two good players in every area of the pitch; this should now give plenty of substitution options if we need to change things. Despite the signings, we still have the youngest squad in the division. On a positive note, this means that the team is only likely to improve further over time, as the players reach their potential, but the lack of experience and strong leaders are concerns; we all know that you never win anything with kids. Key Players: Peterson (AMC), Leandro (ST), Martín Virriel (DC), Rosario Esposito (ST), Simone Scuffet (GK), Carlos Hernández (DC), Hugo Costa (DC), Kevin Fortugno (MC), Gianluigi Caricato (DR), Umberto Armento (ST) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 Wow, now that was a great surge up the table! Yep, it certainly was! And completely unexpected too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Brilliant end to the season Well deserved for your loyalty too because most people would have took the Fiorentina job. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DazRTaylor Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 What about this season? If it appears you will struggle to match last year (I think you may exceed it), will you look to move? Surely a Champions League side will be in for you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cerud Posted March 2, 2014 Share Posted March 2, 2014 Just read through the entire thread, AK22. Great career so far! Some brilliant work in Italy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 Cosenza - December 2024 Update What a difference a year makes! This time last season, we were scratching around for points, having won only two of our opening thirteen games, and really battling to find any consistency. Fast forward twelve months, and you'll see a much improved team, a side that won three of it's opening four games, and has taken points off Roma, Napoli and Juventus so far. In fact, in the Juventus game, we were 3-0 up, and only half an hour away from pulling off the shock of the century. Of course, the defending champions rallied round in the final 30 minutes, bombarding us from all directions, and levelled the match with very little time left to play; it was one of the unstoppable moments, where you know what's coming, and no matter what you do the inevitable still happens. Still, it's a good point against Serie A royalty, and shows the improvement we've made this season already. There's been a slight tweak to the tactics, which was necessary after the mauling at the hands of AC Milan. Basically, since the new patch, my regista was getting forward a lot more, and, that coupled with my attacking wing-backs, started to leave the centre-backs more exposed than previously, often being left two-on-two with the opposition strikers. Due to this, the regista has been changed to either a deep-lying playmaker or anchor man, depending on the opposition and how adventurous I want to be. This still allows us to play the narrow diamond, with the fairly interchangeable front three allowed to mainly focus on attacking, but also ensures we provide a bit more cover to our defence. It seems to working satisfactorily for now, although there may be the need to refine things further as the season progresses. Yep, we're in fifth place, just five points off the lead. A slight slide down the table is inevitable, with teams like Roma and Napoli likely to get their acts together sooner rather than later, but the early signs are encouraging and I'm hopeful that another top half finish could be achievable. It's also likely to be one of the openest title races for quite some while too, as Juventus are not storming the league in the manner they have done in recent years; they may still be unbeaten, but, having dropped points in almost half of their fixtures so far, it's allowed the two Milan sides to get themselves right in the mix. With eight goals already, Leandro's been the signing of the season so far for us. At 30 years old, he may have already peaked, but his experience has been invaluable in such a young squad as ours. Ticket prices have gone up this year, so a full house rakes in more money! Good news, although further developments are still required. We're ticking over at a handy monthly profit, so I'm pleased I'll be able to reinvest this come the January window. To be honest, I may decide against rocking the boat with any new signings and stick with the squad we have, but it's good to have the option, though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 Brilliant end to the season Well deserved for your loyalty too because most people would have took the Fiorentina job. I'm really glad I didn't, as their replacement manager, Roberto Di Matteo, has been sacked already! Very high expectations there! What about this season? If it appears you will struggle to match last year (I think you may exceed it), will you look to move? Surely a Champions League side will be in for you. To be honest, I'm not sure what the future holds yet. I'm quite content with Cosenza, at the moment, and would quite like to see how far I can take them. This is my fifth season in charge, and I'm far from getting bored, but there's always likely to be a time when I'm ready to move on. I would expect to have plenty of options too, when I do move, with the next logical step likely being a big European side. Just read through the entire thread, AK22. Great career so far! Some brilliant work in Italy Thanks cerud! Most enjoyable so far too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Great first season in Serie A. That's a lot of pre season friendlies you just played. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 8, 2014 Author Share Posted March 8, 2014 Cosenza - February 2025 Update Who needs draws? They're overrated, right? It's been an intriguing winter period, which has seen some strong results against the likes of Milan, Genoa and Juventus, in addition to some pretty abysmal showings against teams near the bottom of the table (see Sassuolo and Udinese). The victory over AC Milan has certainly been the pick of the bunch, but I've also been delighted with our run in the Coppa Italia too. Unfortunately, Juventus were too good over two legs, denying us a place in the final, but the dream was most certainly on at one stage, especially after taking a lead with us to Turin. It's difficult to find fault when we're beating expectations as comfortably as we our, but, if I'm to be picky, we still need to find the net more regularly. Esposito and Leandro have 26 goals between them, which isn't a bad return, but we are still drawing a blank in far too many games; potentially, a few more goals would help to turn those defeats into draws. There's been no transfer activity of note to report, as I've decided to stick with the squad I have for the rest of the season; I guess we've done alright so far, so there's no need for reinforcements until the summer. Champions League contenders? It's unlikely, but, as we're only three points off fourth place, we're certainly in for consideration. Realistically, though, I still think matching our top half finish from last year is what we're aiming for, especially when considering we have some very tricky fixtures coming up (we play Sampdoria (A), Inter (A) and Juventus (H) in three of our next four games). We're edging closer to the £1m mark for full house ticket sales. Maybe next year we'll hit the seven figure mark. Doesn't time fly when you're having fun. I'm listed as a club legend now too Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 8, 2014 Author Share Posted March 8, 2014 Great first season in Serie A.That's a lot of pre season friendlies you just played. Thanks, Nobby. Yes, it was a lot of friendlies, and a few more than I would normally schedule. The problem occurred when my assistant decided to arrange some more after I had organised arranged half a dozen or so; still, it was good for match fitness, and the team's morale, going into the new season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
P O\'D Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 good start to the new season after a great finish. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 You could always cancel some. I let my Assistant arrange my friendlies, then cancel and add the odd one or two if I see fit. This next pre season in my save, he's arranged home friendlies against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United. I would have kissed him if he were real. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 Cosenza - May 2025 Update As I had anticipated, March was a tough month, which produced just the two points, and put our top half finish in severe jeopardy. That said, it was an exceptionally difficult run of fixtures, against some extremely reputable teams, so it's not a lot worse than we expected; I did, however, fully expect us to beat Lazio, though. Despite this bumpy patch, we were still on the tails of the teams above us, and chasing down a European place was a very realistic aim if we could put together some good results in our run-in. And, indeed, we did just that, ending the season with a strong finish, which included five wins from our final six fixtures. In fact, with just one game to go, the table looked like this, and a Champions League finish was still a possibility if results were to go our way on the final day of the season. We held our end of the bargain, defeating Genoa in a close game, but, unfortunately for us, Fiorentina convincingly dispatched Sampdoria 5-1 (away) to ensure their fourth place finish. Once again, Juventus were just too good for everyone else in Serie A, comfortably winning the league by an eleven point advantage; they also added the Champions League and Coppa Italia to an incredible season for them. Following the treble winners, the two Milan clubs were easily in a league of their own, battling out for the runners-up spot. However, what followed the top three was an incredible tussle for the remaining European qualification places, with eight teams all pretty much in contention for the whole season. What is also worth commenting on, is the meagre point total that was necessary for fourth place, and the final Champions League spot; Fiorentina were extremely lucky, bettering the record for the lowest points total for a team finishing fourth. We had to wait until the final game for this to be confirmed, but what great news it was; it will be interesting to see how we cope with the additional commitments that European football brings! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 You could always cancel some.I let my Assistant arrange my friendlies, then cancel and add the odd one or two if I see fit. This next pre season in my save, he's arranged home friendlies against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle United. I would have kissed him if he were real. Very lucrative indeed! Every penny helps Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Especially when your ground holds less than 10,000 in the Championship. Well done qualifying for Europe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
P O\'D Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 well done on making the Euro Cup Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDR Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Just read through. Great stuff at Gateshead and Cosenza - taking Gateshead to League 1 before leaving was a great kiss-off to the idiot chairman. KUTGW. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 15, 2014 Author Share Posted March 15, 2014 Cosenza - End of Season Review 2024/25 Another magnificent season of major over-achievement, one that has earned us the right to compete in Europe next year. Of course, it was disappointing to miss out on the Champions League by just a point, as that would have been incredibly lucrative for us, but the experience of being in the Europa League should still put us in good stead. Serie A TIM: 5th TIM Cup: Semi Final Average Attendance: 25182 (up 924) Transfer History | Finances I'm happy that the squad is now starting to take shape nicely, although there is always room for improvement, and will likely need reinforcements in midfield in the summer. Up front, Esposito and Leandro have formed a solid partnership, contributing 33 goals between them, however, this is unlikely to maintained for the long term as Leandro has just turned 31, which will mean a likely decline in his ability sooner rather than later; I might be able to get one more season out of him, but a long term replacement will definitely need to be acquired soon. Top Goalscorer: Rosario Esposito (17 goals) Most Assists: Rosario Esposito (15 assists) Highest Average Rating: Gianluigi Caricato (7.26) Fans Player of the Season: Gianluigi Caricato Other Notable Contributors: Leandro (16 goals), Peterson (9 goals, 12 assists), Simone Scuffet (14 clean sheets), Gian Marco Maldera (AvR 7.03) Serie A Team of the Year | Cosenza Best Eleven More work being done off the pitch, although I'm yet to be convinced of the benefits of under-soil heating, having never had a fixture cancelled. Again, the records continue to tumble. It will soon to be time to start thinking about a stadium expansion and/or new stadium. It's two years in a row that we've won this award. And there's a personal accolade for me too. I've managed to negotiate a decent payrise too, as I extend my contract up to the end of the 2027/28 season. Season Team League Finish Cups ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2014 Polis DRM Liga Premier 5th Astro Piala First Round 2015 Polis DRM Liga Premier 3rd Astro Piala First Round, Piala Malaysia First Round 2016 Hougang Utd S.League 5th S.League Cup Semi Final 2017 Hougang Utd S.League 6th* * Resigned after 23 games (October 2017) 2017/18 Gateshead Skrill Premier 4th* * Promoted via Playoffs. Took charge October 2017. 2018/19 Gateshead League Two 12th FA Cup 1st Round, Capital One Cup 1st Round 2019/20 Gateshead League Two 1st FA Cup 3rd Round, Capital One Cup 1st Round 2020/21 Cosenza Serie C Group C 2nd Serie C Cup 1st Round 2021/22 Cosenza Serie C Group C 1st Serie C Cup Winner 2022/23 Cosenza Serie B 1st TIM Cup 1st Round 2023/24 Cosenza Serie A 8th TIM Cup 1st Round 2024/25 Cosenza Serie A 5th TIM Cup Semi Final Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 15, 2014 Author Share Posted March 15, 2014 Especially when your ground holds less than 10,000 in the Championship.Well done qualifying for Europe. well done on making the Euro Cup Thanks chaps' date=' should be a good adventure Just read through. Great stuff at Gateshead and Cosenza - taking Gateshead to League 1 before leaving was a great kiss-off to the idiot chairman. KUTGW. Ha, I'd forgotten about my moronic chairman at Gateshead! It feels a lot more than five seasons since I was managing up in the North-East. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 Yay, Cosenza in Europe. Definitely worth staying after all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason the Yank Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 So how far behind Fergie are you? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 21, 2014 Author Share Posted March 21, 2014 Cosenza - Pre-Season 2025/26 There's a bit more being asked of us this time around, with a mid-table finish being requested by the board. Still, this is not the most demanding of requests considering we finished in the top six last season. We also have our first ever venture into Europe to look forward to, with us already guaranteed a spot in the group stages of the Europa League; we're likely to be seeded lowly, though, so it will be interesting to see if we can meet the Board's expectation of reaching the second knockout round. Media Prediction: 10th Title Odds: 50-1 (10th favourites. Juventus 4-5 favourites) Serie A TIM: Mid-table Finish TIM Cup: Quarter Final Europa League: Second Knockout Round Transfer Budget: £24m Wage Budget: £475k (spending £363k) Season Ticket Sales: 12403 (up 1365) A good few new players have joined the squad this summer, all of which will add to the squad depth, ensuring that we shouldn't burn out due to our Europa League commitments; two games per week is something that we are not particularly used to. Out of our new recruits, the arrivals of Nardi, Tenorio and Serge are the individuals who are the main improvements on the existing squad members, and should all add a bit more talent and skill to the team; I'm certainly looking to try and score a few more goals this season, anyway. Key Players: Peterson (AMC), Rosario Esposito (ST), Simone Scuffet (GK), Carlos Hernández (DC), Hugo Costa (DC), Kevin Fortugno (MC), Luis Enrique Tenorio (AMC), Juri Nardi (MC), Gonzalo Cardini (DM), Claude Serge (ST), Simón Villanueva (DL), Paulo Dybala (ST) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 21, 2014 Author Share Posted March 21, 2014 Yay, Cosenza in Europe. Definitely worth staying after all. Most definitely! We've been drawn with Sporting, Southampton and Eskisehirspor, so a fairly decent chance of progressing out of our group, I would say. So how far behind Fergie are you? Oh, just the odd 4000 hall of fame points. Should be a doddle Interestingly, Antonio Conte has just replaced him as the most successful manager ever, having won fourteen Serie A titles and four Champions League trophies with Juventus. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Getting better each year here Sounds like getting past Juve will be tough though Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
greekgeorge Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 Really impressive stuff allenatore! That was quite a rise for Cosenza. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 29, 2014 Author Share Posted March 29, 2014 Cosenza - December 2025 Update Shall we start with our European adventure first? It's hardly been particularly riveting, with the fans witnessing just a total of six goals from our five games so far, all of which have ended in a draw. Still, this means we're unbeaten, and still have a chance of qualification if we can beat Southampton in our final group stage fixture. To be honest, though, it's disappointing not to be home and hosed already, as we should have easily beaten Eskisehirspor both home and away, which would have comfortably secured our passage to the knockout rounds. Back in Italy, we are just about coping with our increased fixture list, although some of our performances and results have not been as good as I would have hoped. That said, there's been some brilliant matches in which we've overturned some of Italy's greats again; winning in Florence was particularly special, as was the convincing victory at home to Milan, who sacked their manager shortly after. We are kind of where I expected us to be in the Serie A table at this stage of the season; not quite in the race for the title, but comfortably within the second group of teams challenging for the European qualification spots. I'm pleased that we have seemed to have tightened up defensively too, although there is still work to be done if we can consider ourselves a side ready for Champions League action; hopefully another top six finish is on the cards, though. Again, another rise in ticket prices has helped here. We now have superb training facilities, but these can be further improved. We're still making a nice monthly profit, so there's money to spend in January, if required. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 29, 2014 Author Share Posted March 29, 2014 Getting better each year here Sounds like getting past Juve will be tough though They are ridiculously good! It's going to take something major for any team to catch them, let alone us! Really impressive stuff allenatore! That was quite a rise for Cosenza. Grazie! We may plateau somewhat this season, though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 Cosenza - February 2026 Update It's all been a bit hit and miss over the winter period, with results being just as unpredictable as the weather. In Europe, we finalised our qualification to the knockout rounds with a truly magnificent victory over Southampton, a game that was a lot more one-sided than I had banked for; Claude Serge had a field-day against the opposition's shoddy defence. This meant a second place finish in our group, and a draw against one of the other group winners in the next round. Getting Heerenveen was one more of the favourable options open to us, and meant that we stood a decent chance of further progression. The first leg pretty much went to plan, although a late away goal gave Heerenveen a sniff for the return leg. And they took full of advantage of their sniff too, taking a three goal lead before we pegged one back just before the final whistle, which took the tie into extra time. We just about held our nerve, scoring again in the additional 30 minutes, eventually winning the tie on away goals. Domestically, it could have been better, as the points dropped at home to Lazio and Udinese were not expected, and would have meant a strong position in the top six if we had won both games. That said, though, we're still ticking over nicely, with the recent victory over Fiorentina showing that we still have the quality in the team to continue our push for successive European qualifications. It's quite possible that a seventh place finish would be enough to qualify for the Europa League, although I would not want to risk this, and much prefer a finish within the top six. This is still very much on the cards, with us being level on points with Roma, and with a fairly favourable run-in to come. AC Milan are still having a shocker of a season, and may only just finish in the top half! It feels like longer! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenzar Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Amazing to qualify from a European group with just 1 win - never seen that many draws! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 Cosenza - May 2026 Update We finished the season with a terrific fourteen game unbeaten streak, winning all but three of those matches too. This run catapulted us up the table, right into the mix for Champions League qualification; something that really wasn't on the agenda earlier on in the season. Some of the results have been nothing short of outstanding too, with the wins away to Roma and Milan ranking high; however, it was the 3-0 victory over league champions, Juventus, where the team showed their underlying class. Our European run came to an abrupt halt against Stuttgart in the Europa League Second Knockout Round, even though we still gave it a good go. Things were kept tight in the first leg, with our German rivals nicking a slim one goal advantage. This meant we had to score in the return leg, so we set up to attack from the off. Unfortunately, this played into Stuttgart's hand, who picked us off three times on the break, and put the tie to bed in convincing fashion. Overall, it was a decent effort from us, but, ultimately, Stuttgart were just too good. This point was proving by the fact that they went on to win the Bundesliga a few weeks later. We were in serious danger of finishing second at one point, with the momentum of our run continuously moving us up the table. However, the draws against Ternana and Sampdoria put pay to this, so we had to make do with third, which we secured on the final day of the season against Lazio; Champions League football awaits! This is an astonishing achievement, which will mark another revolutionary chapter in my Cosenza career. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 Amazing to qualify from a European group with just 1 win - never seen that many draws! Indeed, it was pretty unique! We're difficult to beat Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 Cosenza - End of Season Review 2025/26 Champions League football is coming to Cosenza; what a great season it has been! Having finished third, we are already guaranteed a place in the group stages, although we're likely to be one of the lower seeds and will face tough opposition. Serie A TIM: 3rd TIM Cup: 1st Round Europa League: 2nd Knockout Round Average Attendance: 26031 (up 849) Transfer History | Finances The squad stood up to the vigour of European football well, although it's clear that we still need to strengthen in many positions if we're to sustain a challenge on both fronts; we just don't have enough quality to rotate the team for two games a week. There are several contracts due up in the summer, which will free up a considerable amount of the wage budget, and should allow us to bring in a small handful of new recruits; understudies for Claude Serge and Peterson are high on the list, as when I have to rest our two most offensive players, we can often struggle to break down the opposition. A robust, creative, central midfielder wouldn't go amiss, either. Top Goalscorer: Claude Serge (24 goals) Most Assists: Peterson (16 assists) Highest Average Rating: Claude Serge (7.29) Fans Player of the Season: Claude Serge Other Notable Contributors: Paulo Dybala (11 goals, 10 assists), Rosario Esposito (10 goals), Carlos Hernández (4 PoMs), Gianluigi Caricato (3 PoMs), Simón Villanueva (3 PoMs) Serie A Team of the Year | Cosenza Best Eleven This is good news, as the intakes seem to be pretty irregular; maybe one promising youngster every three seasons, at the moment. We're still not quite selling out every home game (capacity 27879), but, with Champions League football on the horizon, it's likely to happen more often from next season. I wonder how much this will influence our seeding for European football next season. Not much, I'd imagine. I've won these awards three seasons in a row now. Season Team League Finish Cups ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2014 Polis DRM Liga Premier 5th Astro Piala First Round 2015 Polis DRM Liga Premier 3rd Astro Piala First Round, Piala Malaysia First Round 2016 Hougang Utd S.League 5th S.League Cup Semi Final 2017 Hougang Utd S.League 6th* * Resigned after 23 games (October 2017) 2017/18 Gateshead Skrill Premier 4th* * Promoted via Playoffs. Took charge October 2017. 2018/19 Gateshead League Two 12th FA Cup 1st Round, Capital One Cup 1st Round 2019/20 Gateshead League Two 1st FA Cup 3rd Round, Capital One Cup 1st Round 2020/21 Cosenza Serie C Group C 2nd Serie C Cup 1st Round 2021/22 Cosenza Serie C Group C 1st Serie C Cup Winner 2022/23 Cosenza Serie B 1st TIM Cup 1st Round 2023/24 Cosenza Serie A 8th TIM Cup 1st Round 2024/25 Cosenza Serie A 5th TIM Cup Semi Final 2025/26 Cosenza Serie A 3rd Europa League 2nd KO Round, TIM Cup 1st Round Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenzar Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 To Europe's premier competition! Are you looking to win a Scudetta or two before leaving? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
P O\'D Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Brilliant season again. Serie A title not far away now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Champions League here you go... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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