AK22 Posted August 25, 2014 Author Share Posted August 25, 2014 some good signings there, definitely an upgrade on the fullbacks.do (or rather did) Bastia have a particularly good side or is it just a coincidence that you spent £18m on 2 of their squad? It's a bit of a strange one. I don't have the French league loaded, so the squads are not full, and, with Bastia being in the second tier, it's quite peculiar that they would have two really good players in their ranks. My scout did well to find them! You own TIM. I keep him in my wine cellar Viveros looks like a great deal. Hopefully so. He's started well, anyway, with three goals and a couple of assists. An excellent season AK and this season looks as if you could go one better and claim the Champions League. Possibly. That's the aim, anyway, although I'm not convinced we're capable of consistently competing with the major powerhouse teams, considering our budget, infrastructure etc. You also need your fair share of luck to lift the Champions League, so only time will tell if we get it or not Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted August 25, 2014 Share Posted August 25, 2014 Easy so far!! Any decent regens in your academy? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted August 31, 2014 Author Share Posted August 31, 2014 Spain - December 2030 Update On the international front, there's not been much meaningful competition, with just two of the five games played since the World Cup contributing to our Euro 2032 qualifying campaign. That said, we've already had a hiccup, with the draw at home to the Czech being a very disappointment result, and two points dropped in a group we're expected to easily qualify from. The top two qualify automatically, and six third-placed teams too, so it would take a right royal balls-up for us to miss out. The Danes and the Czechs should push us hard, but I still expect us to top the group. Team of the Year | All Time Best XI Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted August 31, 2014 Author Share Posted August 31, 2014 Easy so far!! Any decent regens in your academy? Ha, don't be daft I've not had one graduate yet, but this guy has a decent chance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidBeckham Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Good luck for the qualifying campaign mate! Win the game in hand and you should be fine Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted September 1, 2014 Share Posted September 1, 2014 Ha, don't be daft I've not had one graduate yet, but this guy has a decent chance. He looks happy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted September 6, 2014 Author Share Posted September 6, 2014 Cosenza - March 2031 Update After convincingly topping our Champions League group, it's pretty bad luck to draw the defending champions, Arsenal, in the following round. They finished behind Stuttgart, in a tricky group also containing Atlético and Basel, so we shouldn't assume they are any less of the side that beat us in the Champions League final last season. We went to the Emirates with a plan of shutting out and frustrating them, which worked perfectly, except for the two corners which they scored from, where we fell asleep at the near post both times. Plenty of chances were created by us too, so it's extremely disappointing, and unlucky, to return to Italy two behind, and without a vital away goal; I know we're not completely out of the tie, but we'll need a total swing of luck if we're to progress any further. Back in Italy, everything is going quite swimmingly, with our Serie A campaign ticking along nicely; we're still unbeaten after two-thirds of the season, and looking hot favourites to make it four in a row. There has been one blot, though, being the abysmal performance away to Napoli in the Coppa Italia. By no means was a first choice eleven picked, as we play a lot of games in January, but I was expecting a much more spirited performance than the dirge that was dished up. The second leg was a huge improvement, although overturning a four goal deficit was always likely to be a huge ask; a valiant effort was given, though, as we made Napoli sweat for the final half an hour of the match, as we endeavoured to level the tie. One winter transfer of note, with Ewan Grant joining us from Man City for a bargain price of £1.2m. He'll add a bit more cover to the central midfield position. I think this has been one of the most one-sided campaigns for quite some while (possibly since Juventus won by 19 points in 2025/26), with us sitting top with a fourteen point advantage over the nearest side. I don't really foresee anyone getting within striking distance now either, with both Milan and Juventus drawing far too many games to get themselves back into contention. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if our advantage has increased by the end of the year, providing we don't get too disinterested and complacent; I'd love to score 100 goals too! Excellent news off the pitch, with further infrastructure improvements. The obligatory record was broken after the stadium expansion. Luis Martinez missed out on the Ballon d'Or (with it going to Alan Roberts of Arsenal), but it's pleasing that he made the World Team of the Year. And another landmark surpassed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted September 6, 2014 Author Share Posted September 6, 2014 Good luck for the qualifying campaign mate! Win the game in hand and you should be fine I'm not really worried about the slow start; I'm sure we'll qualify. I'd definitely be sacked if we don't! He looks happy. I'm sure he's smiling inside Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted September 7, 2014 Author Share Posted September 7, 2014 Cosenza - May 2031 Update Invincibles! That has a nice ring to it. Our fourth Serie A title was sewn up with half a dozen games left to play, secured with the 1-1 draw away to Bologna. Since then, we've just done enough to maintain our unbeaten status, although, with very little to play for, it's not been the barnstorming performances from earlier in the season; some of the players have very much gone off the boil, with one eye on their summer break. The Champions League could have gone better, though, as only reaching the last sixteen was a huge disappointment, and nowhere near the expectation set at the beginning of the year. We do have a justifiable reason to feel aggrieved, though, after being knockout by Arsenal on penalties, courtesy of a quirk in the game. Arsenal had a player sent off in the second half of extra time, meaning that when it came to penalties, according to the regulations, one of my players should have been excluded from taking a spot-kick, in order to even up the numbers. However, what happened, when it came to the eleventh kicks, was that my goalkeeper took our penalty (and missed), and Arsenal's first penalty taker was allowed to take another, which of course he scored from. We totally bossed the second leg too, so, to be screwed over like this, wrangles with me somewhat. A twenty point advantage does very little to flatter us, as we've been clearly the best side in the division this season. I would have liked to reach the three-figure mark for goals and points, which were definitely attainable targets, so we've still got something to aim for going forward. We're pretty good now Another couple of records tumble. Palyukh finished on 28 league goals, eight off Gino Rossetti's Serie A record. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenzar Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Bear in mind you wouldn't have been able to exclude your 'keeper from the shootout - the rules say the removed player can 'play no part'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Il invincibiles Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted September 9, 2014 Author Share Posted September 9, 2014 Cosenza - End of Season Review 2030/31 Another excellent season domestically, although we should be doing better in the Champions League. That said, the Gods were definitely against us this year, so I expect a much better performance next time around. Serie A TIM: 1st TIM Cup: Semi-Final UEFA Champions League: First Knockout Round Average Attendance: 50048 (up 1607) Transfer History | Finances There's very little room for improvement in the first team squad, as we have a strong group of 25 players all capable of chipping in throughout the season. The concern is, though, that there is very little coming through the ranks, with the youth intake being poor year-after-year; no-one was deemed decent enough to be retained in the most recent crop. Due to this, it's likely that I'll have to look elsewhere to secure the signatures of some of the most promising youngsters, spending a bit of cash in the process. Top Goalscorer: Gennadiy Palyukh (35 goals) Most Assists: Luis Martínez (18 assists) Highest Average Rating: Radoslaw Galinkski/Ciprian Farcas (7.54) Fans Player of the Season: Gennadiy Palyukh Other Notable Contributors: Pep Costa (24 goals, 10 assists), Rodolfo de Bartolo (21 clean sheets), Filippo Giannini (13 assists), Alfredo Belotti (AvR 7.27), Giovanni Viveros (7 assists) Serie A Team of the Year | Cosenza Best Eleven Once again, it's the usual suspects picking up the main accolades, with Palyukh being the top scorer in Europe too. The increased stadium capacity has helped here. Only Man City, Arsenal, Man Utd and Barcelona are above us in the coefficients. We'll need another successful season in Europe to stay there. As per usual. Brilliant news, I'm sure you will agree, but why name the stadium after a right-back who played in the side that earned promotion from Serie C? Sure, he's listed as a club legend, but what about the manager who's taken the club through the leagues and won four Serie A titles?!?! 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 2026/27 Cosenza Serie A 3rd Champions League Quarter Final, TIM Cup Winner 2027/28 Cosenza Serie A 1st Champions League Quarter Final, TIM Cup Semi Final 2028/29 Cosenza Serie A 1st Champions League Quarter Final, TIM Cup Runner-Up 2029/30 Cosenza Serie A 1st Champions League Runner-Up, TIM Cup Winner 2030/31 Cosenza Serie A 1st Champions League Last 16, TIM Cup Semi-Final Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted September 9, 2014 Author Share Posted September 9, 2014 Bear in mind you wouldn't have been able to exclude your 'keeper from the shootout - the rules say the removed player can 'play no part'. Indeed, but at least my 'keeper would have been up against there's, and not their premier penalty taker. Il invincibiles Grazie! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamilton162 Posted September 9, 2014 Share Posted September 9, 2014 Shame about the Champions League, but an unbeaten season definitely eases the pain 3 years is a long time to wait for a new stadium though! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Possums Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 What a snub on the stadium name! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted September 10, 2014 Share Posted September 10, 2014 That's some stadium you're getting! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted September 11, 2014 Share Posted September 11, 2014 Bigoni rolls off the tongue more for the Italians. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted September 14, 2014 Author Share Posted September 14, 2014 Cosenza - Pre-Season 2031/32 With four league titles under our belt, and a new stadium to look forward to, it's very much happy valley at Cosenza. That said, after ten years at the club, I'm starting to get itchy feet, and can't say I'm fully committed to seeing through the club's move into Bigoni Park; I'd love to win the Champions League before moving on, but wouldn't rule out a change of scenery if a good opportunity comes my way. Media Prediction: 2nd Title Odds: Evens (Joint favourites with Juventus) Serie A TIM: Title Challenge TIM Cup: Not Important Supercoppa di Lega TIM: Not Important Champions League: Semi Final Transfer Budget: £145m Wage Budget: £1.5m (spending £1.26m) Season Ticket Sales: 28668 (up 495) Unusually, it's been a tricky summer for us, with tycoon-owned Fulham intent in signing some of our biggest stars for ridiculous sums of money. Initially, I rejected their approaches, hoping to maintain our squad; however, there was no stopping them, and their continuous assault, unsettling the players in the process. In the end, there was no other viable option except for negotiating a large price and letting the deals go through; it's excellent money, and leaves plenty of cash to play with in January if the new signing don't do the business. My main concern is that with both Palyukh and Costa gone we won't be as prolific in front of goal (they scored 59 between them last season); Salvador's going to be a great player, but is no means the finished article yet and may take time to settle in Italy. Key Players: Luis Martínez (AMC), Salvador (ST), Maguila (DM), Christer Fors (DC), Tomás Soares (DC), Rodolfo de Bartolo (GK), Giovanni Viveros (MC), Ciprian Farcaş (DR), Davide Nocciola (ST), Ewan Grant (MC), Luciano Volpe (DM), Vincent Lawal (DR) Some off-field news, as it looks like we'll be taken-over soon. Thankfully, this didn't hold up any of the summer transfer business. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted September 14, 2014 Author Share Posted September 14, 2014 Shame about the Champions League, but an unbeaten season definitely eases the pain 3 years is a long time to wait for a new stadium though! Yeah, it is. I'm not sure if I'll still be here when it's complete, either, as I think I might need a new challenge sooner rather than later. What a snub on the stadium name! That's some stadium you're getting! It's certainly top of the range, although I'm not convinced it will sell out very often. Only Milan average over 70,000, and rarely sell-out their home games. Bigoni rolls off the tongue more for the Italians. Perhaps so, but King is still pretty easy! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted September 18, 2014 Share Posted September 18, 2014 I'd be worried if it was King. I've just remembered that there's a law in Italy preventing buildings being named after people who are still alive (and probably for a certain period after their death), which might have been a post-fascist measure but I don't know. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidBeckham Posted September 22, 2014 Share Posted September 22, 2014 Good luck for the new season ahead! it's a pity that the takeover wasn't successful Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted October 25, 2014 Author Share Posted October 25, 2014 Cosenza - December 2031 Update Hardly the storming start we've been used to recently, but still a competent enough return of points when you consider the changes to the squad this summer. The new strike-force was always likely to take some time to bed in, so it's no real surprise that four of our five opening Serie A games were drawn (two of which were 0-0), although Salvador appears to have got his eye in more recently. We were handed a fairly easy Champions League group, with the final fixture away to Spartak Moscow likely to be the biggest challenge we'll face. However, with top spot already secured, it's likely that the team will be heavily rotated in order to keep the squad fresh for the league commitments either side of this fixture. Hopefully, this time around, we'll also get a decent draw in the First Knockout Round. Despite the slow start, we've slowly made progress up to the summit of the Serie A table. Thankfully, our defence has been rock solid, which has been crucial due to the initial lack of goals, and has allowed us to grind out results when needed. I'm sure our form will improve over the rest of the season, so it will be interesting to see if the rather large chasing pack can keep us with us. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted October 25, 2014 Author Share Posted October 25, 2014 I'd be worried if it was King. I've just remembered that there's a law in Italy preventing buildings being named after people who are still alive (and probably for a certain period after their death), which might have been a post-fascist measure but I don't know. That does rule does sound familiar, so you're probably right. I'm not certain this has been replicated in FM, though Good luck for the new season ahead! it's a pity that the takeover wasn't successful Yep, it's still rumbling on, but no progress yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted October 25, 2014 Author Share Posted October 25, 2014 Spain - December 2031 Update What a difference 18 months make. From World Cup finalists, to scraping through a European Championship qualifying campaign, courtesy of a playoff victory over Belarus. We've been nothing short of abysmal, with points dropped against all bar Faroes Islands, and definitely deserved to finish no higher than the third position we did. Somehow, I'm still in a job, although I have considered resigning more than once. I will lead this Spanish side into the Euros, but I imagine a poor showing there will definitely see me heading out the door (voluntary or otherwise). Cyprus were close to pipping us to the playoff place, and would have done if they hadn't had a goal questionably disallowed in our match in Nicosia. We've been drawn against Denmark (again), Slovenia and Ukraine in our Euro group - I've absolutely no idea if we'll qualify for the Knockout Rounds or not! Team of the Year | All Time Best XI Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Bit mediocre, definitely need to step up again for the Euros. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted October 25, 2014 Share Posted October 25, 2014 Poor effort with Spain. Usual high standard with Cosenza. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Cosenza - March 2032 Update Pretty much business as usual in the Champions League, with a scrappy 1-0 victory over Spartak Moscow finalising our group campaign. Following this, the draw for the Last 16 was a lot more favourable than last year's, with Debrecen being selected as our opposition. Despite expecting a comfortable victory over the two legs, the first game was a lot tighter than I had anticipated, and we've only escaped Hungary with a slender advantage. That said, we're still in control of the tie, and I very much expect us to finish the job off back in Italy. Domestically, we have another Coppa Italia final to look forward to, after a tricky run of games against the likes of Atalanta, Juventus and Fiorentina, all of which are competing well this season. In the league, though, things have gone off gone off the boil recently, with the defeats to Atalanta and Sampdoria slightly disrupting our route to another Serie A title. Unfortunately, at times, we're still struggling for goals, and lack the cutting edge from last season; we're definitely not going to break the 90-goal barrier this time around! We're still in control of the situation, with a small advantage and a game in hand, so I would guess we're favourites. That said, there's a group of teams behind us on waiting on us slipping up, so we need to remain focused on the task ahead. Hopefully, with seven of the remaining games being at home, which is a favourable run-in, we'll get enough points to cross the line. The lack of goals are worrying me, so Damiano Aliboni was recruited from Inter Milan (for £20m) to add to our strikeforce. The takeover has been rumbling on for quite some time, so I'm glad the uncertainty has now cleared. I will miss Zak, though - he pretty much supported any request I made, and has really improved the infrastructure of the club. I wonder if Fabio will do the same... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Bit mediocre, definitely need to step up again for the Euros. Definitely, although I don't think we have it in us. One way or another, I really don't see me in charge after the Euros. Poor effort with Spain. Usual high standard with Cosenza. Sums it up nicely. I should abbreviate my updates Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted October 31, 2014 Share Posted October 31, 2014 Concise is the way forward. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted November 2, 2014 Author Share Posted November 2, 2014 Cosenza - May 2032 Update A goal within three minutes. Two red cards. An equaliser in the final minute of added-on time. Extra time. AND a penalty shootout. Now that's a Champions League final. Unusually, the Germans missed two of their first three penalties, giving us an excellent opportunity to lift our first Champions League trophy. And it was midfielder Filippo Giannini who slotted the deciding spot-kick into the back of the net to secure victory. There's been plenty of good shows along the way to the final too, with a masterclass performance at Old Trafford putting Manchester United on the back foot after the first leg being the best of the bunch. Not a bad way to knock out the defending champions. Back in Italy, a fifth consecutive Serie A title was secured in fairly convincing fashion, after the chasing pack failed to keep up with our pace during the run-in. Due to our congested fixture list, with two games most weeks, I had expected us to drop more points than we did, which would have led to a closer fought title race; however, excluding a couple of blips, we kept our momentum going, while the following teams tripped up over each other. Unfortunately, though, we couldn't add another Coppa Italia to our trophy cabinet, with Napoli taking revenge for their Champions League Semi-Final defeat; I think this was just one 'big game' too many for us, in such a short period of time. It's still annoying to lose a final, nonetheless. Not as many as last season, but a ten point advantage is still pretty commanding. I'm also pleased how robust we've been defensively, which has been especially important as we've been less prolific going forward due to the changes in personnel upfront. Still, we were only one goal off being the league's top scorers, so it's not a major concern as long as we remain tight at the back. Delirium! We're a very combative team, and topped the disciplinary charts for the season too. Nine red cards is high, though, and caused a few problems with suspensions, so we may need a slightly more cautious approach going forward. The first thing the new Board did was agree to upgrade the youth facilities, so they're already in my good books. It's still another two years until the new stadium is ready, where I expect further records to tumble. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted November 2, 2014 Author Share Posted November 2, 2014 Concise is the way forward. Yeah, I'm considering a change of format for my FM15 save. I don't have enough time to type up a lot of narrative any more Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted November 2, 2014 Share Posted November 2, 2014 A disciplinary record for the new Hall of Shame perhaps? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidBeckham Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 You love a 2-0 win don't you? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted November 8, 2014 Author Share Posted November 8, 2014 A disciplinary record for the new Hall of Shame perhaps? Perhaps so. I will investigate! You love a 2-0 win don't you? One of my favourite results. We comfortably won, with a clean sheet Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted November 8, 2014 Author Share Posted November 8, 2014 This may be the end of this, as I've now commenced a new save on FM15. Watch this space! Thanks for all following/comments Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted January 8, 2015 Share Posted January 8, 2015 A stellar career AK. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 Thanks Nobby This feels like a distant memory Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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