shantebellum Posted October 30, 2015 Author Share Posted October 30, 2015 C.F. Os Belenenses | 2016/17 | MarchLuís FigoFor god's sake, the man scored seven goals in a month - just let him have the award We've struck gold with early goals, as four of our eight goals scored in March are done so in the first ten minutes of play. After Danilo Pereira opened the scoring against Estoril we let them score two in quick succession, but eventually managed to get all three points. There's no sunshine without rain though, as Wescley was carried off after 70 minutes with a hamstring injury and it looks like he'll miss the rest of March. Really unlucky for him, because he was absolutely magnificent for us in February. We then welcomed Académica and again took the lead in the first half through Fabio Sturgeon, but somehow couldn't score more. We kept piling on the pressure, but the last touch just wasn't there. Miss after miss made us impatient and in the end they capitalized on it, scoring an equalizer in the 70th minute. We had 24 shots in total, but only 6 of them were on target - maybe the absence of Wescley really rattled us. Another swift start, this time against Beira-Mar, saw us going up by two goals by the fifth minute. I was hoping for a complete annihilation at that point, but we weren't able to break down their defense again. Beira-Mar slowly crept back into it and this time around, Matt Jones was the right man for the job, keeping numerous of their chances from ending up in the back of our net. This included a great penalty save, but in the end, he was finally defeated in the 90th minute by a rather unfortunate backpass by Ronaldo Alves. We finished the month with an important away game at Madeira, who are challenging us to the last Europa League spot. Fabio Sturgeon scored a rare headed goal to give us the lead, but as we have proved on countless occasions, defending a lead is our biggest shortcoming. It took Nacional only ten minutes to find the cure and with the scoreline back to square one, they took control of the match. Defensive midfielder Rodrigo Dantas got himself sent off and Nacional scored from the following free kick, but luckily our boys still managed to come away with a point thanks to another header by Deyverson. A tough month, but at least we went undefeated this time.The top four are really running away with it and there's no real chance of catching them. We are, however, in competition for the fifth and final Europa League place - but we will meet four of the five teams currently above us in the league standings in our remaining seven games of the season. No easy games left, but even if we are going to leave sunny Portugal, we absolutely want to get the Blue Fury back to the Europa League. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawyenara Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Sawyenara - welcome to the forums and good luck with Torino! Thanks bud. Love your work. So far so good for Torino. I've hit the ground running. The boys are playing some good football. The Figo effect eh? Including pre sesaon, I've gone undefeated in 13 (9 wins, 4 draws). I've got the boys playing a tight 4-4-2 a la Simeone. It's offering me great balance and it's so good to be able to set up your team and have the players do as you wish. I would love to post a 'Career Story' as you have. Where would be the best place for that? In this Career section on the forum? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted October 31, 2015 Author Share Posted October 31, 2015 Yes, the FM Career Updates section is probably the right place to start your thread, as FM Stories is only meant for text-based posts which read like a serial novel of sorts. Alternatively, you might want to check out the Good Player & Team Guide in FM Game Help Forums, where you can either post in or create a specific Torino thread - have a look at what's going on there, as well. I'd still recommend the Career Updates section - some very nice people here Have fun mate! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Yep, this is definitely the right place Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawyenara Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Yep, this is definitely the right place Yes, the FM Career Updates section is probably the right place to start your thread, as FM Stories is only meant for text-based posts which read like a serial novel of sorts. Alternatively, you might want to check out the Good Player & Team Guide in FM Game Help Forums, where you can either post in or create a specific Torino thread - have a look at what's going on there, as well. I'd still recommend the Career Updates section - some very nice people here Have fun mate! Thanks guys. I've just posted something that is waiting for approval I believe. It's nowhere near as good as yours Shantebellum but I tried Give it a read when it comes online! Cheers guys. Happy managing! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Thanks guys. I've just posted something that is waiting for approval I believe. Already done Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawyenara Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Already done Thanks mate. That was quick Go easy on me lads haha Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted October 31, 2015 Author Share Posted October 31, 2015 It's nowhere near as good as yours There's absolutely no such thing as a better or worse thread. People enjoy various things, some like to see more pictures and backstory; others like being presented with only results and less frequent updates, etc. If you take a look at the threads here you'll see that everyone finds their audience - just keep posting and you will find yourself becoming more confident and developing your own style. I'm certain you're going to have an interesting career, good luck! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted October 31, 2015 Author Share Posted October 31, 2015 C.F. Os Belenenses 2016/17 Youth intakeIt's the youth intake day!!! This is one of my most anticipated moments of any season - when I see that message popping up in my inbox and I click the 'view youth candidates team', it feels just like scratching a lottery ticket to see if just maybe we've won the jackpot this time Thankfully, good youth players appear far more often than lottery wins.Osvaldo Mane (DR)Osvaldo Mane is a pretty good addition to Belem's youth squad. His great physical abilities, paired with defensive skills and a high work rate may just mean that he will be the replacement for Clayton Sales, if he decides to leave the club someday.Jerson Tecelão (MR/AMR)With no apparent short passing ability, it's amazing how he still manages to be a better crosser than most of our first team players. Rated two and a half stars, the quick winger has an eye for pizzazz, but it's hard to imagine him making a big impact among the Belem first team. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted October 31, 2015 Author Share Posted October 31, 2015 C.F. Os Belenenses | 2016/17 | AprilLuís FigoWescley was back in the starting lineup against Guimaraes and it put a visible string in our boot. We went into the away match knowing they are a very difficult opponent, because they were four points ahead of us in the table. It turned out to be a turkey shoot. Miguel Rosa gave us another early lead thanks to a lucky goalmouth scramble. The boys looked hungry for more goals, so we let them roam wild, which proved to be the right decision - Wescley got on the end of a Clayton Sales cross, giving us a two-goal lead. In the dying seconds of the first half, Filipe Ferreira headed in his first of the season to put us up three at the half! Mesmerizing stuff from the boys in blue. The onslaught continued at the very moment the ref started the second half, as Miguel Rosa played in a perfect ball from a central position and Wescley blasted it into the net ftom 18 yards. Only a minute later the roles were reversed, Wescley laid the ball off and Miguel Rosa put it into the top corner. Five-nil, bish-bash-bosh. We couldn't keep a clean sheet, as Rodrigo Alves committed a foul in the box and they scored from the penalty spot, but Fabio Nunes made it 6-1 just a few minutes after coming off the bench. Definitely one of our best-ever performances and I was thrilled with the lads afterwards. Normal service was resumed against Rio Ave, as we had a thousand chances but only made one count. We also didn't benefit from Ronaldo Alves getting sent off after only 35 minutes - he's been not up to his standards recently and we probably have to bring in Nelson Santos again. We got the obligatory three points against Boavista in a match that saw Nuno Pala starting for the first time. Wescley and Tiago Silva both scored and assisted each other, Danilo Pereira converted a penalty won by himself. Against Braga we just didn't show up. The boys were definitely gassed, because a week earlier we played in the Portuguese League Cup Final - but it still isn't an excuse to a four-goal trouncing. Just an awful game all around.How is our league form even remotely related to a match that happened nearly two years ago? Funny little tidbit that.A great season from the top four, but we've finally made it to fifth place in the standings. There are three games to go and two of them are against both Sporting and Benfica. Can Figo end his Belenenses stint with taking them to Europe for the third time in a row?Next up: the League Cup Final coverage, the 2016/17 wrap-up and the big decision time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noikeee Posted October 31, 2015 Share Posted October 31, 2015 Looking good, slowly moving up the table. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted October 31, 2015 Author Share Posted October 31, 2015 It's not the league or even the national cup, but it's a title nonetheless. What a magnificent group of players this club has on its hands and they deserve to win this trophy fully. It's also a great swan song for Figo, although there is still a handful of games to play in the league. What a buzzing night not far from the Restelo! Disclaimer: I had actually planned a separate post for Figo's send-off, as I didn't really believe that we were going to win this (with us losing 0-6 in the last time we played in a final, you could say that it was a fair guess) However, it turned out far better than expected, so you are saved from another off-topic backstory post! Hooray! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 Good to leave on a high. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noikeee Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 pfffft that's just a plastic cup (it's what us Porto fans say because we've never won it ) well done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted November 1, 2015 Author Share Posted November 1, 2015 Good to leave on a high. It absolutely is. Now I know for certain that it was the correct decision not to join Sampdoria in the middle of the season. pfffft that's just a plastic cup (it's what us Porto fans say because we've never won it )well done. Haha, it definitely lacks the grandeur of the national Cup, but at least we've won something cheers mate! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted November 2, 2015 Author Share Posted November 2, 2015 C.F. Os Belenenses | 2016/17 | MayLuís FigoIt all went downhill after the League Cup win, as we lost three of our final four games in the league. I was determined to give Belenenses another season of European football before we left the club, but it didn't happen this time around. We weren't bad against Sporting and had a couple of good chances, but in the end we were outmuscled by the eventual league champions. Now the game against Paços de Ferreira is one that I won't forget easily. It was Figo's last home game in front of the Belem faithful and as it later turned out, a win would have meant that Belenenses would have played in the next season's Europa League. Fábio Nunes scored 13 seconds into the match, the fastest goal in Primeira Liga history, and it looked like we were absolutely flying. Unfortunately, this did not turn out as the first attack of the game might have suggested, and we were already 1-2 down by the half-time. The second half saw us frantically searching for an equaliser, but we couldn't find one until the 85th minute, when Fábio Nunes finally brought us level. That proved to be the last goal of the match, which meant that if we were to qualify for the Europa League, we would have had to defeat Benfica away in the last match of the season. We were far from it, again allowing four goals past us and losing convincingly. Figo's tenure at the club comes to a close in a bit of a downer, as we had the chance to qualify for Europe in our hands, but just weren't able to make it count. We still managed to win the League Cup though, and I guess seventh place in the league is not that bad in the grand scheme of things, but we definitely could have finished the league season much better.We were the second-highest goalscorers this season, but after a rather good start to the campaign in this department, also conceded nearly a goal and a half per match. Last season we lost only six games in the league, but this time around we lost 14 With the acquisition of Danilo Pereira and Wescley, we had a slight change in tactics as well - this season we played a slower tempo passing game, trying to keep control of the ball and make short sharp passes round the opposition's box. It worked to some extent, as it definitely brought out the best of Pereira and Rodrigo Dantas, who both played in a regista role; as well as Wescley, who scored nearly 30 goals in all competitions from a false nine position. We also tried to get defenders more involved, giving Ronaldo Alves a ball-playing role and using Fernando and Clayton Sales as overlapping wingbacks a la Barcelona, but our abilities were probably not quite on par with the intent, which obviously is 100% a fault of mine, not the players. As I said - seventh place is not that bad, but it certainly was a drop-off from our previous season. Maybe Luís set the bar just a bit too high for himself next up - end of season review and a new adventure begins! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted November 2, 2015 Author Share Posted November 2, 2015 End of season reviewC.F. Os Belenenses | 2016/17Luís FigoLeague table | All Fixtures | Finances | Board confidenceLuís Figo's third season as a manager sees his Belenenses finally lift a trophy, but perform sub-par in the league. The Europa League Knockout Stage proved yet again to be a tiny step too far, but the summer transfers were definitely worth the money. So all in all, a bit of this and a bit of that - some things were good, others not so. I believe that at least player-wise, we've built up a good nucleus in the club and it will be interesting to see what the next manager of Belem will be able to achieve. Highlight of the seasonFinally a cup win, which is a nice way to end Figo's three-year tenure at the Lisbon club.Low point of the seasonWe couldn't mirror the successful league season we had in 2015/16 and help Belem to a Europa League spot.Player of the yearDanilo Pereira (DMC/MC, av. rating 7.37)He was a perfect fit for the deep playmaker spot and proved to be integral to our season. Just like goalkeeper Matt Jones, Pereira played in all but one game during the season. A masterful tempo controller, he provided attacking players with inch-perfect passes and knew when to join the attack himself. Definitely a great buy and hopefully he will remain one of Belem's key players for a long time.Young player of the yearNélson Santos (DC, av. rating 7.17)The 18-year-old broke into the first team this season and showed flashes of dominance whilst there. A physically menacing (194 cm/90 kg) defender, he won many key aerial duels and bossed many experienced strikers around. He still needs to work on his composure, but the potential is definitely there.Around the leagueA clean sweep So yeah, we've completed the three year-deal that Figo was given, but it's now time to move to bigger and better things. It's still kinda sad to leave Belem, because I really like the players they have here - hopefully they can keep themselves afloat with a new manager. I'll be checking on them from time to time, but right now we have to choose our next destination Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidBeckham Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Great job so far mate! What are the available jobs on the market? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 Not really interested in the first two offers, but Napoli, Fiorentina and Deportivo are all exciting. Napoli finished the season 8th in the Serie A, with Fiorentina just behind them in 9th. Depor barely escaped relegation in La Liga, finishing 17th. We'll wait and see if we get more offers, but I think a move to either Florence or Naples is on the cards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Good set of offers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted November 3, 2015 Author Share Posted November 3, 2015 I won't lie - I was hoping to get the job the moment I saw the interview pop up in my inbox. Napoli is such a frantic place with one of the most passionate fanbases in the whole world, so hopefully we'll be up for the task! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidBeckham Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Great job for Luis! Who are the key players still playing at Napoli? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 S.S.C. Napoli | 2017/18Luís FigoSocietà Sportiva Calcio NapoliFounded: 1 August 1926Nicknames: Partenopei; Gli Azzurri (The Blues)2016/17 League table | Transfers before 2017/18Ground: Stadio San PaoloCapacity: 60 240Stadio San Paolo is the third largest football stadium in Italy after the San Siro and Stadio Olimpico. The San Paolo is an absolute cauldron of frenzy and passion, revered like a church by the natives of Napoli. Even with the team languishing in the Serie C, San Paolo attracted an average of 51 000 people to the home games. Yaya Touré described his emotions after a Champions League game between Napoli and Manchester City effectively: "In the morning we went to the San Paolo to warm up, Carlos (Tevez) was telling me about this stadium, but I've played for Barça so I said to myself, it can't be that big of a deal! Yet when I set foot on that pitch I felt something magical, different. In the evening, when there was the anthem of the Champions League, hearing 80,000 people whistling us I realized what a mess we were in! I did play some important matches in my career, but when I heard that cry for the first time my legs were shaking! Well, it was there that I realized that for those people this is not just a team, it is a visceral love, like the one between a mother and a son! It was the only time I remained on the pitch after losing a match, just to enjoy the show."Recently, however, Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis made his feelings about the disheveled ground clear with a statement threatening to build a new stadium somewhere else, if the city of Naples would not cooperate on modernising the menacing stadium.The ClubNapoli is a proud and historic club with long traditions - there's absolutely too much to speak about in just one post.This kind of debt is nothing new in Italian football - I'm rather more excited to see those great kit sponsorship figures! These kits are actually from the 2012/13 season, but I like the look of the away kit - we'll play one season with these, after which we'll design new away and third shirts.The PlayersAn awesome team all-around. I absolutely love the depth of the squad, but there are some players we would like to sell and quite a few I have in my mind to sign, in order to make the team even better. Napoli have sold a few of their biggest stars during the three years Figo was the manager of Belenenses, namely Higuain, Insigne and Jorginho, but there are still some great options here.GoalkeepersSalvatore SiriguThe first choice keeper of both Napoli and the Italian National team, Sirigu is one of the best players in the club. I love having internationally experienced keepers between the sticks and I'm sure he will save us some points by himself.RafaelPretty good option for a backup keeper, but his wages are a bit too high for my liking. I'd rather have a youth player as a backup, as Sirigu is definitely the number one option and I'd rather give Cup games etc to my own youngsters. DefendersNicola MurruA quick and hard-working full-back, Murru will probably start the season coming off the bench and providing valuable cover for Stefan Radu and Santiago Arias. Frederik SorensenThe Dane will be our first-choice centre back, but his low aggression worries me a bit. Still, the best option in that position right now.Stefan RaduHe will be the starting left-back, but his crossing and passing abilities are in my opinion not good enough. I like my fullbacks pressing forward and Radu might not be the right man for that, if he's going to give the ball away. 30 is also pretty old for a fullback, so maybe we'll look further into it, with Murru being the obvious choice of being Radu's intra-squad replacement.Carlos ZambranoA brilliant marker and tackler, the Peruvian will start the season off the bench, as Sorensen and Albiol are slightly better than him.Raul AlbiolHopefully he and Sorensen will form a great pairing in the centre of our defense. He's got the experience and mental stats, fingers crossed that his form will be as good.Santiago AriasHad an amazing season, which culminated in him being named the Serie A Defender of the Year runner-up and the starting right-back in the Serie A Team of the Year. If he can keep his great form going this season as well, he will be a key player on the right-hand side.Davide ZappacostaAnother good backup option, who could be a starter in quite a few other Serie A teams.MidfieldersMohamed El NenyThe versatile Egyptian deep playmaker will have a hard time to get playing time among the likes of Hamsik, Banega and Krychowiak.Claudio YacobGood defensive attributes might mean Yacob gets quite a few games under his belt this season, but he is our second-highest earner and I'm not sure he is worth all that money.Ever BanegaThe flamboyant playmaker didn't have the greatest of seasons last year, but he will still be integral to our plans this campaign.Grzegorz KrychowiakOur best option in the defensive midfielder position. José CallejónThe 30-year-old winger is coming off a great season, but I'm afraid his physical attributes will only deteriorate. We could still get a lot of money for him, if we'd think about selling - but he'll definitely get his chance before we decide anything.Gökhan InlerNot sure how much playing time he will get, but he's still definitely an important part of the dressing room.Dries MertensLike Callejón, Mertens is 30 years old, but at least Mertens gets a half of his wages. He's a set-piece specialist, but his low stamina is quite worrying for us.Marco FabianLooking to offload him, as his attributes don't justify his large wages. Carlos CarboneroThe Colombian might prove to be a useful player off the bench.Jonathan De GuzmanAnother player who might very well leave Napoli during the summer, as he's just not good enough for the team.Marek HamsikOh captain, my captain. The key man bleeds blue and is nearing to the Napoli all-time appearance record. He's still 29, so hopefully we can get at least three great years out of him before we have to start thinking of replacing him.ForwardsVictor IbarboNot quite sure what he has to offer besides his explosive pace, but we'll grow more accustomed to him during the offseason. Alvaro MorataGood with both his head and his feet, Morata still has some potential left in him to improve even further. He wasn't a starter last season, coming off the bench 18 times in the league, but his versatility speaks in his behalf.Simone ZazaProbably just a bit better than the other two strikers, Zaza poses a threat to all defences in the league. It's going to be difficult, because I usually play a lone striker as a rule - but there will be possibilities to everyone to prove their place in the team.This great club deserves a FourFourTwo styled article of its own, just like we did with Belenenses. That will take some time though, so I'll get the season underway and post the Napoli backstory sometime during the 2017/18 season - fans of Maradona, overwhelming fan cultures and Italian football in general; keep your eyes open Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 Absolutely devastating piece of news from the preseason. The loss of not only captain, but also a key man can shatter a team's morale and put a real spanner in the works. Can they remain focused even in Hamsik's absence? They better do. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noikeee Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Love it. Good luck at Napoli, that's definitely a good enough squad to improve on that 8th place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nie jem frytek Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Sorry for a bit of offtop, but I agree with noikeee. You are doing great job with the graphics Luis... pardon shantebellum. And I know hom much time it does consume as I once did this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dllu Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Totally agree on the visuals. Cheesy but in a good way! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 Love it. Totally agree on the visuals. Cheesy but in a good way! Cheers, guys! It's a niche market, that's for sure I know hom much time it does consume as I once did this. Yeah, I know what you mean - those little things can sometimes make a whole lot of difference. I mostly work on the visuals just so I wouldn't rush through the months without taking time to review each achievement etc, but there should always be a touch of humour to it so it wouldn't get too serious! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted November 9, 2015 Author Share Posted November 9, 2015 PreseasonS.S.C. Napoli | 2017/18Luís FigoPretty reasonable, if not even underwhelming expectations. Napoli finished fourth in 2015/16 season with only four points behind champions Roma, but the last campaign was disastrous for them. I believe this team is definitely good enough for a spot in the Champions League. Summer transfersWe offloaded a lot of deadwood and also sold De Guzman and Töre to offload some of our wages. I wasn't planning on selling the Danish centre back Sorensen, but Chelsea came in with a pretty good offer and I already had my eye on Rugani, so it was more a question of perfect timing rather than anything else. I also decided to sell Ibarbo, because there just would not have been enough room for Zaza, Morata and Ibarbo in a one-striker system. Torino offered a decent amount, I would have wanted something like 12-13 million for him, but we took the offer anyway. As for incoming transfers, the season-ending injury of Hamsik was the catalyst behind the signing of Lucas Silva. We had our eye on other players as well, most notably Emre Can, but Lucas was just too good of a deal to turn down. Pavel Savitskiy (ML/AML, Belarus)Who need new signings when you have players like Pavel Savitskiy coming back from loan? He couldn't break into the Napoli side last year, so Rijkaard decided to send him to Torino for some valuable game time - and boy was it a great decision. With Torino, Savitskiy had a magnificent season, winning the Italian Cup and crowning off the year with placing third in the Serie A Midfielder of the Year voting. Now he's back in Naples and it looks like he's a completely different player. Can't wait to see him in action! Lucas Silva (DMC/MC, Brazil) He's on a massive wage, but I'm certain he will be an integral part of our midfield. He was valued £23,5 million, but wanted to leave PSG which made it possible for us to get him for £14 million. His all-roundedness makes it possible to use him in different roles, which will come in handy. Daniele Rugani (DC, Italy) The young centre back is hopefully on the verge of making his Italy debut and I'm certain he'll develop much further than his potential ability currently portrays. Preseason friendliesWe were a bit shaky against Frankfurt and lost heavily to Real Madrid, but you should never look too much into the preseason games. Zaza looks like he's really up for the season, as well as Inler.This is probably fair, as I believe we probably have the third-best squad in Serie A behind Juve and Roma. The only question is whether the players can bounce off the last seasons eight-place finish under a new manager. Creating confidence and freedom is key to a successful campaign and I think not having to play European games during our first year is definitely a good thing.Our new club is pretty high in the list, whereas Belenenses improved from 140th to 103rd. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted November 9, 2015 Author Share Posted November 9, 2015 S.S.C. Napoli | 2017/18 | August & SeptemberLuís FigoI think calling this a dream start would be an understatement. We've won all six of our opening games, including matches against last season's first, second and fifth placed teams in Juventus, Internazionale and Roma. We were just a bit off defensively when we started the season, as evidenced by the four goals conceded in our opening two matches. It was a tough game against Sampdoria and I was a bit worried that the team was not familiar enough with the tactic as we went down by two goals by the half-time whistle, but the players managed to turn the game around in the second half. Simone Zaza and Pavel Savitskiy scored only a minute apart and substitute Carlos Carbonero's goal gave us a 3-2 victory. It was laborious, but maybe just what the players needed, as we welcomed perennial title contenders in our second game of the season. Ever Banega's long range effort gave us the lead, but Roma equalized through their summer signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Is there any top team in Italy where the big man hasn't played? After Callejón was brought down in the Roma box after an hour of play, Savitskiy converted the penalty and five minutes from the end ensured us the win with his third in two games. Roma managed to pull one back in stoppage time, but we had thankfully done enough. By the third game against Lazio, it was evident that our defensive tactics were sorted out and players accustomed to what Figo was asking of them. We kept a clean sheet with Sirigu making some crucial saves, but most importantly, kept our good run going thanks to goals from Callejón and Zaza. At this point I realised that the trio of Savitskiy, Callejón and Zaza were absolutely on top of their form and we had to make sure we get the most of their appearances. With making Callejón a raumdeuter on the right wing, we gave him even more room on the right-hand side of the pitch and it proved to be a good decision, as he assisted Zaza and scored one right at the end of our next game against Milan. We then travelled up to Milan to play against Internazionale and controlled the game throughout, finishing with 60% possession and a brilliant game winner thanks to Zaza, who skinned two opponents before calmly slotting home from twelve yards. At this point we were five from five, but the biggest test of Figo's opening month was to come - a home game against Juventus, who were crowned the Italian champions just a couple months earlier with sixteen points differentiating them from second-place Inter. We went into the game very defensively, trying to prevent them from scoring and it started off great. Gökhan Inler scored an absolute screamer from nearly thirty yards out and we were ready to go into half break one-nil up, but Juve managed to equalise with what was practically the last kick of the first half. We started the second half with a couple of tactical alterations, namely bringing in another striker in Morata. With seven minutes played from the second half, Simone Zaza headed in a great cross from Callejón and we were back in the lead. For the next forty minutes we mostly tried to run off the clock and neither team had very good chances - except for the last five minutes when Juve absolutely bombarded us with crosses, long shots and other elements of the game worthy of the name of an artillery barrage (they made 8 shots after the 85th minute). The boys stood their ground and held on to a massive victory - we've now won six games in a row to start the season!A great start to life in Italy - can we keep this run going? October looks relatively easier than September was, but if we start the month with that mindset, we'll be in a lot of trouble soon. How about all the goals scored in the opening month in Serie A - and they say it's supposed to be a defense-minded league Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nie jem frytek Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 Luis Figo storming Serie A!k Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted November 10, 2015 Author Share Posted November 10, 2015 S.S.C. Napoli | 2017/18 | OctoberLuís FigoWe have to thank the previous managers of Napoli for this sudden influx of cash As hoped, Rugani makes his senior debut for the Italian national team. His good performances in the league last month definitely helped and if we can keep our form up, he will soon be an Italy regular.No Hamsik, no problem! We continued a great start of the season in October with two victories and a goalless draw. I'm especially happy with us not conceding any goals, as this was a major problem when we were at the helm of Belenenses, but it looks like we've sorted out our defense this time round. Simone Zaza is a man possessed right now - nine in his opening nine! Callejón and Savitskiy are also in magnificent form, as all three of them are currently averaging a rating over 8.0. Lucas Silva has adapted well into his role of a deep lying playmaker with Banega beside him, Santiago Arias and Nicola Murru are both great overlappers and distributors, Salvatore Sirigu has made some great saves and played a big part in us conceding only six goals thus far. It was a bit disappointing to not defeat struggling Catania, but it was not for the lack of chances - Zaza and Callejón both rattled the crossbar and their keeper made some astonishing saves to keep them in the game. As said, I'm very pleased with our start to the season. The results have been great, but even more importantly, the players have adapted to Figo's gameplan and his vision really well. Everything seems to be clicking right now - let's see how long we can keep up this unbeaten run! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shantebellum Posted November 19, 2015 Author Share Posted November 19, 2015 I haven't posted for some time due to a more than hectic schedule at Uni, but I've now got more time to myself. Let's keep the wheels rolling! S.S.C. Napoli | 2017/18 | NovemberLuís FigoJust a month after Daniele Rugani, Nicola Murru also makes his Italy debut. I wasn't expecting this to happen so soon, so it's a pleasant surprise.8 goals in four matches for Simone Zaza in November sees us win three games in style. We started the month with a game against Bari and Zaza scored two identical goals in the first twenty minutes to give us an easy victory. An especially pleasing win as we rested many of our regular starters, namely Lucas Silva, Ever Banega and José Callejón. We then faced Pescara and came away with a rather disappointing draw, after having taken a two-nil and three-two lead. I take the blame for the result, as I should have tweaked our tactics after the two-goal lead, but I started the second half exactly as I did the first. Can't keep asking my players to be 100% concentrated when my own head is not always in the game . The guys bounced back in great fashion though, as we overcame a tired Parma side in the last fifteen minutes, ending the game 5-1. Zaza had a hat-trick and added two more in the last game of November against Livorno, one of which was a beautiful solo run from almost inside of his own half. Him, Savitskiy and Callejón have formed a menacing trio up front, scoring nearly all of our 32 goals between them. Zaza currently looks like he's the heir successor to Pippo Inzaghi's title as the greatest Italian poacher of his time - his playing style under Figo looks so similar to Inzaghi's and the goals keep coming from situations where you wouldn't normally predict them. Still on top thanks to the unbeaten run, but Juve close on our heels. Milan is having an absolute stinker, I know they're far from their glory days, but nor should they be anywhere near the relegation zone. Not really complaining, though - everyone from the North is our rival Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noikeee Posted November 20, 2015 Share Posted November 20, 2015 That's an insanely good start, Figo is definitely enjoying Italy.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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