After 10 years with FM, my first career update

[trman73]

October 29, 2020 - Serie A: Torino (4-3-2, 15 pts., 6th) vs. Roma (5-2-2, 17 pts., 4th)

Salah's back for this match and we're at full strength outside of goalkeeper. But I've opted to make a lineup change, subbing our left winger Gerson for Dejan Dragic, who I brought in during the offseason. Gerson has not played even close to the level he gave me a year ago, and depending on how he does in this one, this may be a permanent change.

We're the last match of the week, so we know that if we win or draw, we move up to third. With the full three points, we'll be just a point back of Atalanta for first, as they overtook Sassuolo with a win this week.

Not a good performance in this one. We give up a goal 30 seconds in, and despite tying it midway through the first half Torino is clearly the better team on this day. They score twice in the first 20 minutes of the second half to put it away. We get a PK from El Shaarawy late, but they score in stoppage time and we fall, 4-2.

[trman73]

A quarter of the way through the season, here's where we stand...

Things are bunched up at the top of the table, and despite sitting in eighth we're in decent position to make a run toward the top in the coming weeks. El Shaarawy is the league's leading scorer, assist man, and the leader in highest average rating. He's been phenomenal. The big thing for us has been goalkeeping. Alisson was great before going down and we were one of the best defensive teams in the league. Since then, we've given up 10 goals in four matches. He's on the shelf for 2-3 more weeks, but we play some weaker competition during that stretch, so if we can keep up our scoring I think we'll be in a decent position by the time he returns.

November 2, 2020 - Serie A: Roma (5-2-3, 17 pts., 8th) vs. Perugia (0-1-9, 1 pt., 20th)

I don't care who's in net for us, we should dominate this match. Perugia was promoted last year but it certainly looks like their stay in Serie A will be a short one. Once again we are the last match of the week, so we know that we will definitely move back into the top four with a win.

For the first time in the last four matches we strike first, with some great passing leading to El Shaarawy finding Strootman right in front of the net for his first goal of the season just three minutes in. It's a good day for guys scoring their first goals of the year, as later in the half Gerson scores to put us up, 2-0. But then Lamanna gives up yet another soft goal, Perugia scores another right before the half, and we go into the break tied, 2-2. I can't believe how bad Lamanna has been in net for me.

Despite Perugia tying it, I'm not that concerned, and feel like we can get another couple goals in the second half. That's exactly what happens, as Bernardeschi scores midway through the half, then Strootman adds his second late to put it away. We win, 4-2, but we shouldn't be playing games like this against teams like Perugia.

Unfortunately, both of our forwards go down in this match, and afterwards we learn that El Shaarawy will miss the next three weeks with a back strain. Salah suffers a bruised thigh and will miss the next match but no more.

[trman73]

November 7, 2020 - Serie A: Udinese (2-2-7, 8 pts., 18th) vs. Roma (6-2-3, 20 pts., 5th)

We've got two weeks off after this match, which means it's our last game without Alisson in net. We should also get El Shaarawy back after this one, and Salah is actually okay to go in this match, so if we can just beat a bad Udinese team, we will have survived some injuries to still be close to the lead in Serie A. Once again we're just a point from the top, so a win and some help could vault us to the league lead.

We've been really good on corners this year, and we open the scoring in this one with a goal off a corner from Nainggolan. We dominate the first half, and lead 1-0 at the break. In the second half Salomon Rondon, our replacement for El Shaarawy, scores to make it 2-0. After Udinese closes to 2-1, Rondon puts in a second, and it's a quality 3-1 win for us in our best overall performance in at least a month. We move up to second and are tied with Sassuolo with 23 points, with a big match at home against fourth-place Atalanta in two weeks. Two straight wins, two weeks to get healthy, and I'm feeling good.

[trman73]

November 21, 2020 - Serie A: Roma (7-2-3, 23 pts., 2nd) vs. Atalanta (6-4-2, 22 pts., 4th)

Despite all my complaining, and despite allowing 13 goals in his six games, we actually went 4-0-2 in our six matches with Lamanna in net. Still, it's great to get Alisson back for this important match against a quality Atalanta team that's probably overachieved in the first third of the year. We don't get El Shaarawy back for this one, but if Rondon can play the way he did in our last match against Udinese, we'll be fine. These next few games could really be crucial in creating some separation between us and some of the other clubs near the top of the table. This is our biggest match of the season thus far.

Just a quick update on my former club, Santiago Wanderers. They hold a one-point lead with one game to go in the Chilean First Division season. They still start five guys who were there during my tenure, and I'd love to see them finish this thing off and win their league.

Unfortunately getting our starting keeper back doesn't bring an end to our recent defensive leakiness, as Atalanta scores to goals in the first 30 minutes to go up 2-0. Rondon brings us to within one with a massive strike from way out there, but we don't find the net again and lose 2-1. We're not playing well against teams at the top of the table, which is disheartening. This loss drops us to fifth.

 

Edited May 21, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

November 29, 2020 - Serie A: Empoli (4-3-6, 15 pts., 14th) vs. Roma (7-2-4, 23 pts., 5th)

After the loss to Atalanta I just want to get right back to action, and we're favored in this match against Empoli. Once again it's a high-scoring first half, with Empoli scoring, then us answering (Bernardeschi), then them scoring again, and us answering (Gerson). It looks like it'll be 2-2 at the break, but we get our first lead right before the break when Salah scores on a nice pass from Nainggolan. Up 3-2, I decide to park the bus, and we shut down Empoli's attack in the second half and collect the 3-2 win. The victory pushes us back up to third in the league.

[trman73]

December 2, 2020 - Italian Cup, Fourth Qualifying Round: Roma vs. Benevento

With the board not placing any importance on the cup competition, I decide to play more than a few reserves in this match against a Benevento team that's sitting in 14th in Serie B. I'm resting six starters for this one, including Strootman, El Shaarway, and Bernardeschi. At home against this team, our reserves should be enough to take this game.

Instead, this turns out to be a crazy match. Nainggolan does us no favors in the 18th, getting his second yellow card, and we're a man down with more than 70 minutes to go. Eight minutes later, Benevento scores to take the lead. Trailing 1-0 at the half, we go into attack mode, and we get a goal from Bernardeschi to tie it in the 62nd. Regulation ends in a 1-1 tie, and we head to extra time. The first frame sees no decent chances, and with five minutes to go in the second period, we lose another man, left back Antonio Barecca, to a red, and we're playing with nine men. Despite some quality chances from Benevento in the final moments, they don't score.

So we go to penalties. After each team's first four players score, in the fifth frame the Benevento taker hits the crossbar, and we have our opening. Juan Jesus steps up and nails his kick, and we advance to the first round proper of the cup.

One thing I've learned about this team this year is that we play to the competition. Once again we let an inferior team hang around, and do just enough to win. We sure made this one difficult for ourselves. Regardless, we're in the round of 16, and we'll face Inter next in late January.

[trman73]

December 6, 2020 - Serie A: Roma (8-2-4, 26 pts., 3rd) vs. Sampdoria (4-7-3, 19 pts., 12th)

After its third-place finish in Serie A two years ago, Sampdoria has really fallen off, and they've very mediocre this season. With just four points separating first from seventh this season, we've got to beat the second-tier teams, and this is one of them. Our full starting lineup is back and ready to go.

This is just a good, solid defensive game. Sampdoria controls possession, but we get most of the good chances, and in the end neither of us can convert anything and we settle for a 0-0 draw. The loss drops us back down to fifth, and we've got a tough match next week at Inter.

[trman73]

December 13, 2020 - Serie A: Inter (7-6-2, 27 pts., 6th) vs. Roma (8-3-4, 27 pts., 5th)

Inter struggled early in the year but has really come on, going 5-1-0 in its last six Serie A matches. This will be a tough test for us, and we're without Nainggolan, who is out due to yellow cards (he's actually got the most yellows in the league with 10). This is one of those games where I just don't have a good feeling, even though we're playing pretty well right now.

Boy was I wrong about this one, and I'm glad I was. We absolutely steamroll these guys. Salah scores five minutes in to give us a 1-0 lead, and that opens the floodgates. By the time the first half whistle blows, Salah and El Shaarawy each have two goals and we are absolutely cruising, 4-0. We play it safe in the second half, and then in stoppage time El Shaarawy collects his hat trick. It's a 5-0 rout; easily our best game of the season, and probably the best overall outcome of my career. We remain in 5th position, but once again we're just one point from the top of the table.

[trman73]

December 20, 2020 - Serie A: Roma (9-3-4, 30 pts., 5th) vs. Palermo (4-5-7, 17 pts., 14th)

We're 4-1-1 in our last six Serie A matches and we've got very winnable contests coming up against Palermo and Lazio before closing out the first half of the season against Juventus. Prior to this match our backup center midfielder, Stefano Sturaro, goes on a tirade to the media complaining about playing time. He started in place of Nainggolan in our destruction of Inter, and I see his point as he's got a 7.45 rating in his three league appearances and played well in his start in the cup as well. But I can't reward this behavior, so Nainggolan is back in the starting lineup for this one. Someone who isn't is right back Davide Calabria, who is out due to yellows. We brought him in to the defense on a transfer this year, and he's been really good, starting each of our games thus far with a 7.18 rating in the league. He'll be replaced by French youngster Kelvin Amian Adou, who is also new this year and has played well in limited duty.

My God we are on fire. El Shaarawy scores three minutes in, then adds another in the 16th and a third in the 23rd, and he's got a hat trick (his second straight) less than a third of the way into the match. Not to be outdone, Salah scores in the 30th, and Bernardeschi adds one to make it 5-0 at halftime. That's nine first-half goals in our past two matches.

I bring in three Sturaro and a couple guys who never play for the second half. Palermo gets one back to end a nice shutout streak for us, but Bernardeschi scores late to put us back up five and the game ends 6-1. We're back up to third, and we've got a two-week break before coming back after the first of the year to face Lazio.

 

Edited May 22, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

January 7, 2021 - Serie A: Lazio (5-4-8, 19 pts., 14th) vs. Roma (10-3-4, 33 pts., 3rd)

As the calendar rolls over to 2021 we're playing our best football of my tenure at Roma. We've gone 6-1-1 over the last two months and are far and away the most potent offense in Serie A. We're one point off the lead, currently held by surprising Torino, and have a chance to make a real statement in our final two matches of the first half of the year. If we can keep the goal-scoring juggernaut going against Lazio here, we're likely to clinch a top-three position heading into the second half of our season. For the second straight week, six of our players are named in the Serie A Team of the Week.

On December 27, we get absolutely horrible news. El Shaarawy breaks his foot in training and is out for three months. This is the worst possible injury we could suffer - worse than losing Alisson again, worse than anything. If it's truly a three-month injury, that's 13 matches, and he'll be back for the final two months of the year. Wow. Devastating.

So we've got to pick ourselves up and see who can fill that void. We'll go with Rondon in the deep lying forward spot. He's been really good in limited duty this year, but El Shaarawy has literally been the best player in Serie A this season.

We do get a bit of good news on New Year's Day, as Mohamed Salah wins the 2020 African Player of the Year award. Great honor for him. In addition, six of our players are named to the Serie A Team of the Month for December - goalkeeper Allison, defender Barecca, Manolas, and Jesus, and the two forwards, Salah and El Shaarawy.

So after an eventful 17-day break, finally, we've got a match...

And it does not go well. We fall, 3-0, and our streak of great play is over. There's not much to say here - we were just terrible throughout, and the score absolutely reflected our performance. Once again we miss out on a chance to climb to the top of the table, and we're back to fifth with Juventus coming to town in four days..

 

Edited May 23, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

January 11, 2021 - Serie A: Roma (10-3-5, 33 pts., 5th) vs. Juventus (9-7-2, 34 pts., 2nd)

We close the first half of the Serie A campaign against the defending champs. Juventus was treading water early but is now right back where it usually is - at the top of the table. If they win this match they will vault into first, and if we win we'll be tied at the top as well. We're without another key player for this one as our left back, Barreca, is out, and we shuffle our defense a bit, moving Juan Jesus to the left and bringing the youngster Adou to play in the center.

I've actually had pretty good luck against Juventus in my time at both Genoa and Roma, and that good luck continues in this one, as Rondon scores just a minute in to put us up 1-0. A minute later he strikes again, nailing a long shot that bounces off a Juventus defender and is called an own goal. Less than three minutes in, and we're up 2-0!

It takes just 10 minutes for us to give the lead up, as Juventus scores in the 7th and the 12th minutes to make it 2-2. This one is obviously shaping up to be a goal-fest. In the 27th we take the lead back as Bernardeschi finds Salah for a pretty goal, and it's 3-2. Just two minutes later Bernardeschi steals a pass, makes a great move past a Juventus defender, and scores on a phenomenal individual effort to make it 4-2. What an incredible first half. We're not done, as Gerson hits Strootman on a great counter attack and it's 5-2. Then a pass from Salah finds Rondon, and it's an absolutely unbelievable 6-2 lead for us at the halftime break.

We know Juventus isn't going down without a fight, and sure enough they score five minutes into the second half to cut it to 6-3. Then we go defensive and the game slows down. We add our seventh goal in the 74th on Rondon's third of the match, and then Salah adds another to make it 8-3. I simply cannot believe we've scored eight goals against Juventus. We're just a point off the lead once again halfway through the Serie A season.

Edited May 23, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

Roma 2020-2021 Midseason Report

First, the facts:

Serie A: 11-3-5, 36 pts., 3rd

What a great season in Serie A thus far, as just three points separate the top seven clubs. We are absolutely dominating this league offensively. Our 51 goals are 11 more than anyone else in the league. El Shaarawy, before going down with his unfortunate injury, was leading the league in goals, assists, and average rating. Salah is tied for second with 12 goals, and we have the top three assist men, with Bernardeschi joining the two forwards to lead that category. Obviously the highlights of the first half were some dominant wins: in a stretch of four games we beat Inter 5-0, Palermo 6-1, and in the most shocking result of the Serie A season thus far, destroyed Juventus 8-3. With the exception of the weird loss to Lazio, the rest of our losses have come against teams in the top seven. Obviously we've been pretty inconsistent, and at times downright poor, defensively, but for now we'll take a third-place position and a 102-goal pace. Grade: A-

Italian Cup: Advanced to First Round

We haven't been particularly impressive in our two qualifying wins, and needed penalties to beat an inferior Benevento team with essentially our reserve squad. But we're in the main draw, and face Inter in a couple weeks for a trip to the quarters. Grade: B

First Half MVP: F Stephan El Shaarawy

There's not much else to say about his performance this year. He's been the most dominant force in the league, and was well on his way to the Player of the Year Award, before his injury. Obviously we've got a lot of offensive firepower on this club, but he's been the main catalyst and has been the best player in Serie A. Runners-Up: F Mohamed Salah can make the case for being the second-best player in the league thus far, and makes the loss of El Shaarawy sting a little less. And after a slow start, AMR Federico Bernardeschi has been incredible, collecting 10 goals, eight assists, and a 7.30 rating in all matches.

Overall Grade: A-

The board expectation for us was to qualify for Euro Cup this year, which means a top six finish. But halfway through the year, I really think that with so many teams bunched up at the top of the standings, we can challenge for the title, and anything less than a top-three finish and a trip to Champions League will be a disappointment.

Edited May 23, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

January 17, 2021 - Serie A: Roma (11-3-5, 36 pts., 3rd) vs. Sassuolo (10-4-5, 34 pts., 7th)

I forgot to mention in my first-half recap that both our Under 20s and Under 18s are in first place in their respective leagues. So there's that.

Sassuolo sat atop the standings for longer than any other team during the first half, and they embarrassed us in the season opener. But we're at home for this one, and they've won just one of their last four matches, so we've got to be the favorites here. Barreca is back so our starting defense is intact after a couple of poor defensive performances. With Atalanta facing Inter and first-place Torino going against a Juventus team that will be looking to rebound from our thrashing, six of the top seven teams are facing one another this week, so we've got a chance to create some distance. But we haven't taken advantage of these opportunities when they've come this year, so we need to step it up and continue our good run.

We establish dominance early and control play for the entire first half. Salah scores in the 15th and Gerson adds one in the 34th, and we're up 2-0 at the break. Sassuolo never really challenges, Salah adds another late, and we win in a very impressive performance, 3-0. Torino and Juventus play to a scoreless draw, and 20 games in we are at the top of the Serie A table.

[trman73]

January 23, 2021 - Serie A: Pescara (7-5-8, 26 pts., 11th) vs. Roma (12-3-5, 39 pts., 1st)

we're at the top of the table and now we've got to stay there. We smothered Pescara 4-0 at home in our first matchup, and we should defeat this team again on the road. With second-place Inter hosting Empoli in an easy home match this week, we've got to assume they'll win, and we need three points to stay at the top. Nainggolan is suspended once again for this match, so our malcontent midfielder Sturaro gets a chance to show me what he's got.

Once again we score early, with Salah finding the net on a nice pass from Bernardeschi in the 9th. What follows are 75 minutes of defensive football, and Pescara doesn't look like it's going to mount much of an offensive threat. But they wind up tying it on a cross that we really should have defended, as both Juan Jesus and Barreca stand there and let a man slip by them. Pecara ties it 1-1, and that's how it ends. It's a disappointing result, and by the time all matches are played we're now two points behind Inter.

[ManUtd1]

Slowly reeling Inter in! Nice!

Love all the attention to detail in here.

[trman73]

January 27, 2021 - Italian Cup First Round: Inter vs. Roma

Well this is a nice little treat: the top two teams in Serie A facing off in the round of 16 of the cup. We've got a couple players suspended for this one, including Barreca and (once again) Nainggolan. I'm going to bring in another couple reserves as well, as I want this team rested for the stretch run of the season and the cup really isn't high on my priority list.

This is a really entertaining match. We open the scoring in the 10th on Penaranda's first goal in a Roma uniform. Much like our last match, we then go into defensive mode and clamp down on the Inter offense, holding the 1-0 lead deep into the second half. But Inter ties it in the 80th, and then has a goal called back on a very, very questionable offside call just a couple minutes later. We remain tied after 90 and head to extra time, where Bernardeschi scores in the 104th. We hold them off for the second overtime frame, and score the 2-1 win that puts us into the quarters.

Despite the win, all is not well in this one as Giacomo Pace goes down. Normally our fifth forward getting hurt would be nothing, but with El Shaarawy out and Rondon picking up a minor training injury, we're now down to just Salah and Penaranda at forward for our next match. Still, we'll savor our second straight win at Inter and prep for the quarters against Palermo next week.

[trman73]

Thanks ManUtd! I'm really feeling good about the rest of this season.

January 30, 2021 - Serie A: Roma (12-4-5, 40 pts., 2nd) vs. Verona (6-5-10, 23 pts., 15th)

There's simply no way we should get anything but three points from this match against a reeling Verona team that has won just twice in its last 13 matches. We've got to take care of business over the next few weeks as we play a number of weaker teams. We're still dealing with suspensions as for this match Juan Jesus is missing, and Rondon is not back from his strained wrist so we'll start Penaranda along with Salah up front.

This is an easy one. Strootman scores four minutes in to put us up, then Gerson gets fouled in the box in the 28th and Strootman converts to make it 2-0. Verona actually plays well, but we're just way better than them. Strootman gets his hat trick in the 60th to essentially end it. We do exactly what we need to do in this one, and collect a workmanlike 3-0 victory.

[trman73]

Prior to our next match is transfer deadline day, and I go ahead and list Sturaro. He's unhappy here despite our success, and I hate when players who are clearly backups start whining when our team is playing well. He's valued at more than $30 million, so let's see what we can get for him. I also list backup winger Dejan Dragic, who just hasn't impressed me. Surprisingly, our starting keeper, Alisson, asks to transfer to Monaco, a request I reject. I don't get adequate offers for the two guys I list, and I stay completely quiet during the window.

February 4, 2021 - Italian Cup Quarterfinal: Roma vs. Palermo

I continue to field some subs in the starting lineup for this cup match, as we're heavily favored against Palermo. After their shocking third-place finish a year ago they've tanked are are 16th in the league this year. We should win this one, and I'd like to do it without going to extra time for the third straight Italian Cup match. If we win this we actually get a Serie B side, Spezia, in the semis, so I see a path to the Cup Final here, where it's likely we'd face Juventus. They are in the semis and will face a B team, Chievo, in the next round.

We get a big advantage in the 17th minute as Palermo has a man sent off with a straight red on a foul right outside the box. We start to dominate a man up, and in the 34th Bernardeschi scores. I decide to park the bus and we completely shut them down for the remainder of the match, even with Nainggolan getting sent off in the 75th for his second yellow. Palermo never gets a shot on goal in this one, and we win, 1-0. We're on to the semis against Spezia.

Edited May 24, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

February 8, 2021 - Serie A: Napoli (7-4-11, 25 pts., 14th) vs. Roma (13-4-5, 43 pts., 1st)

We've lost just one match since November 29 and are 9-2-1 in that stretch. We should continue our string of results against a Napoli team that has lost four straight.

All four of the teams right behind us in the standings win their matches, so we need to win to remain in first. If we lose, we fall to fourth. Prior to the match Alisson takes ill and can't go, so Lamanna's back in goal for this one. We're going to need to score some goals here.

This is a tense and close game throughout, with each team having numerous chances and us coming back from 0-1 and 1-2 deficits to tie it. We get two goals from Strootman (one on a penalty), and hold on for a 2-2 draw. We fall to second and are in a three-way tie with Juventus and Fiorentina, each of us a point behind Inter.

[trman73]

February 14, 2021 - Serie A: Roma (13-5-5, 44 pts., 2nd) vs. Cagliari (7-6-10, 27 pts., 13th)

Illness sweeps through our club this week, with Gerson, Giacomo Pace, and Lamanna all taking to their beds with the flu. We are down to our third keeper for this one, a 16-year-old youth keeper named Giuseppe Aiello. Cagliari should be a team we handle, but we're (once again) going to need a fair number of goals to do it. We need a win to keep pace with Inter and Juventus, who each win the day before our match.

In the early moments Juan Jesus tries to block a cross and winds up putting it in our own net for an own goal, and we're down 0-1, which is the score at halftime.

(NOTE - I got up at halftime of this game to go to the kitchen, and tripped over a cord. I go flying and wind up scraping my foot on an exposed corner of tile on a step leading to the kitchen, and absolutely gash the hell out of my foot. I spend the next two and a half hours at the ER, getting seven stitches. It's my first trip to the hospital in more than 20 years. Good times.)

Anyway, it would be completely unacceptable to lose this match, and I let the team know that in the locker room. It takes until the 58th minute, but Bernardeschi ties it. Then in the late going, Bernardeschi's corner kick bounces right back to him. He secures it, makes an incredible move to shake a defender, and scores on a brilliant effort that I'm guessing will be one of the top three finalists for Serie A Goal of the Season. We add a third goal in stoppage time by Penaranda, and recover to win a 3-1 match that is interrupted by the real-life clumsiness of our manager.

Edited May 25, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

February 21, 2021 - Serie A: Genoa (8-5-11, 29 pts., 12th) vs. Roma (14-5-5, 47 pts., 2nd)

We get Alisson back in net for this match against my former club. We drew with Genoa in our first meeting, but we've lost just once in now 14 matches and we should take care of business.

There's no drama in this one. Salah scores 10 minutes in, Rondon adds one right before the half and we are up 2-0 at the break. Genoa barely makes a peep offensively until a surprising goal in the 89th. But Rondon gets it right back in stoppage time, and it's a second straight 3-1 win that sees us keep pace with Inter and remain in second.

Edited May 25, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

February 28, 2021 - Serie A: Roma (15-5-5, 50 pts., 2nd) vs. AC Milan (13-7-5, 46 pts., 5th)

Our next two league matches are big ones as we're home to fifth-place AC Milan and then on the round at fourth-place Fiorentina. This will be a tough one as we've got three of our four midfielders out: Nainggolan and Strootman due to yellow cards and, in a really big blow, Bernardeschi to a calf strain suffered late in our last match. That injury will keep him out for a couple weeks, and I'm regretting not shoring up the winger position during the transfer window.

We bring in Sturaro, Drazic and Alessadro Bordin to fill these spots, and we'll take our chances against a Milan team we beat in an exciting 4-3 match on the road early in the year. Inter and Juventus play each other this week, so we've got a chance with a win to put ourselves in a good position here.

We play a terrible first half in this one, as Milan scores in the 12th and then in the 24th on an own-goal by Barreca, and we're down 0-2 at the break. But Barreca atones in the early moments of the first half, scoring for the first time this season. Salah then ties it in the 61st, and I need to decide to pull back from attacking mode or try to net a game winner. I decide to go for it, and in the 81st I pay the price, as Milan scores the tiebreaker. We have some good chances in the closing moments, but lose, 2-3. Our seven-match unbeaten streak in the league is over, and we fall to third in the league, five points back of Inter and a point behind our next opponent, Fiorentina.

[inthisspace]

Ouch on the injury. Wish you a speedy recovery, both in real life and in game (17 match unbeaten streak)! 

[trman73]

Thanks Inthis. I felt like a total idiot when I went down. I could just see it all happening in slow motion. Is this the beginning of the end? Next up: broken hip.

On the plus side, it's a five-day weekend for me. So...

March 2, 2021 - Italian Cup Semifinal, Leg 1: Roma vs. Spezia

We've got just a two-day turnaround before the first leg of our cup semi. At home, I choose to start a number of reserves and take my chances. I need the main squad to be ready for a huge match at Fiorentina this weekend. Spezia must be feeling great to just be here in the semifinal, but I aim to put their chances away here in this first leg.

That's not what happens at all. Spezia scores first, but we tie it on Giacomo Pace's first goal for us and it's tied 1-1 at the break. But we come out flat in the second half, and Spezia scores twice. We get one back to pull to within 2-3, but in the closing moments they put another in, and it's a shocking 2-4 home loss. We certainly can come back against these guys on the road, but this was not what I had in mind for the opening leg.

Edited May 25, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

March 7, 2021 - Serie A: Fiorentina (14-9-3, 51 pts., 2nd) vs. Roma (15-5-6, 50 pts., 3rd)

We head into our biggest match to date on a two-game losing streak. Fiorentina, meanwhile, is rolling and is on a six-game unbeaten streak. We're without two starting defenders, Manolas and Barreca, due to suspensions, and neither Salah nor Bernardeschi are recovered enough to go in this one. We've been excellent on the road lately, but honestly I don't have a good feeling about this match down five starters.

Juan Jesus gashes his head in training the day before the match, but he's got to play through it as I can't be down three starting defenders. Ugh. The injuries have come fast and furious over the past couple months.

Well this one's not good, and we've now lost three straight. We give up a goal just two minutes in, and after allowing another we're down 0-2 at the break. We catch a break on an own goal in the second half, but after going into overload mode in the final ten minutes we give up the killer third goal, and fall 1-3. Strootman gets hurt, we're down to fifth in the table, and we need to right the ship immediately with just 11 matches left.

[trman73]

March 14, 2021 - Serie A: Brescia (3-10-14, 19 pts., 19th) vs. Roma (15-5-7, 50 pts., 5th)

Brescia should be the cure to our recent woes as they are just terrible, and it will take a miracle for them to stay up. Both Bernardeschi and Salah are back for this one, so they can get their feet wet in game action here. We're without Strootman for this one and also El Shaarawy, who should be back in another three weeks or so. Inter and Fiorentina each draw their matches this week, so we can make up a little ground here. And Sampdoria is nipping at our heels for fifth and is just a point behind us after winning. Things are getting tense.

The season is officially turning into an injury nightmare. Four minutes into the game Salah goes down with a knee injury and I have to take him out. This would be an incredible blow if he's out for an extended period. Then Bernardeschi goes out with an upper body injury in the 15th. Good God.

As for the game itself, we give up an early goal but tie it on a questionable PK after a foul that certainly appeared to be outside the box. After dancing around for most of the second half and not doing anything, we get a nice late goal from Rondon and win, 2-1.

But my excitement is ruined by the news that Salah is out for five weeks, and Bernardeschi for three. We are really down to bare bones here, and both our center midfielders will miss the next match due to yellow cards.

[trman73]

Three quarters of the way through the season, here's where things stand in Serie A:

We're still the best offensive team in the league by a significant margin (14 more goals than Fiorentina), but we're without our three best offensive players for the next few weeks. Fortunately, we play a free-falling Torino team and then bottom-dwellers Perugia and Udinese in our next three matches, so if we can navigate our way through those we'll have El Shaarawy and Bernardeschi back, then Salah back a couple weeks later. It's officially crunch time.

March 21, 2021 - Serie A: Roma (16-5-7, 53 pts., 4th) vs. Torino (12-8-8, 44 pts., 9th)

Torino was actually in first place for a portion of the season, but has gone winless in its last six matches. Still, with so many key players out, and after struggling to beat a terrible Brescia team last week, we cannot assume anything. I piece together my lineup for this one, and we're ready to roll.

This is an entertaining but ultimately frustrating match. We go down early, but then get goals from Barreca, Pace and Rondon to go up 3-1, and it looks like a rout. But Torino scores a minute after Rondon's goal to make it 3-2, and they score the only goal of the second half. We settle for the 3-3 draw and really left points on the pitch here. We're back down to fifth in what now looks like a five-team race.

 

Edited May 25, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

April 3, 2021 - Serie A: Perugia (5-7-17, 22 pts., 19th) vs. Roma (16-6-7, 54 pts., 5th)

We get a 13-day break, which these days is just a chance to collect more training injuries. We do suffer one injury, to backup left back Luca Pellegrini, who will miss most of the rest of the year with a double hernia (yuck). But the bigger news is who's back with us - Stephan El Shaarawi, who returns after a  three and a half month absence. We played well with him on the shelf, going 8-3-4 in all matches, but it's great to have him back. Bernardeschi will be back after this match and Salah will miss another 10 days.

Perugia is terrible and we should defeat them soundly. But we've played down to subpar competition in a number of matches this year. We're the last match this week, and all four teams ahead of us have won, so not much needs to be said here.

We win this game 1-0, but honestly the outcome was never in doubt. Even after a scoreless first 70 minutes I knew we'd score, and we do so on a goal from Kostas Manolas off a throw in. We park the bus after that and complete a quality defensive match to keep pace with the leaders. We have an eight-point lead over sixth-place Sampdoria, and at the very least it looks like we'll meet our board's goal of qualifying for continental competition next season.

[trman73]

April 6, 2021 - Italian Cup Semifinal, Leg 2: Spezia vs. Roma (Spezia leads, 4-2)

I have a choice to make here - rest key players and basically take my chances with a reserve team that lost to these guys at home, or go all out and try to advance. There's not much question - we're going for this. El Shaarawy, Bernardeschi, they're playing. We'll take our chances and see what happens.

What happens is that we're out of the cup. We give up two first-half goals and basically raise the white flag and tip our hats to Spezia. We lose 2-1, 6-3 on aggregate, and we've got eight crucial Serie A games left in our season.

[trman73]

April 11, 2021 - Serie A: Roma (17-6-7, 57 pts., 5th) vs. Udinese (6-5-19, 23 pts., 18th)

We've got to have this one against a Udinese team that is in legitimate danger of being relegated. Juventus suffers a shocking loss to Pescara the day before our match, which opens the door for us to pass them in the standings with a win. Aside from Salah we've got our full starting lineup today.

On a day where a number of teams ahead of us fall, we play to a frustrating 1-1 draw. Udinese scores right before halftime, and we really struggle throughout to create good chances. When Strootman misses a penalty kick in the 75th, I start to get a sinking feeling. But Rondon finally puts one in the net in the 80th to salvage a point for us. Fiorentina, Juventus, and Inter all lose, and with seven games to go we remain in fifth, but are just four off the lead and three back of second.

[trman73]

April 18, 2021 - Serie A: Atalanta (13-9-9, 48 pts., 9th) vs. Roma (17-7-7, 58 pts., 5th)

This is a huge game for us as Atalanta is the toughest opponent that any of the top five teams will face this week. But the day before our match Juventus suffers an incredible 3-0 home loss to Verona, so once again the door is open for us to make a move up the standings. We're just 2-2-2 in our last six league matches, and are lucky that our competitors are not running away with it. We remain just four points off the lead. Atalanta ended a six-match winless streak last week by surprising Fiorentina.

We need El Shaarawy and Bernardeschi to get back to their previous form, as neither has been particularly good since their return from injury. 

We score first as Atalanta gets called for a penalty in the 30th minute and El Shaarawy converts for his first goal since returning. But Atalanta ties it late in the half, and in what proves to be a tense and exciting second half, they net another in the 72nd. We go into full-on overload mode, but don't convert on a handful of legitimate scoring chances, and lose. It's a really devastating blow as a win would have put us in second place. Instead we're now seven points behind Inter and the dream of a Serie A title is slipping away.

[trman73]

April 25, 2021 - Serie A: Roma (17-7-8, 58 pts., 5th) vs. Empoli (8-6-18, 30 pts., 17th)

Salah is back for this game. We need a win and a good performance against a bad team. Nothing else to add.

We're in free fall. Sturaro gets sent off early in this one, and in the 77th Empoli scores the only goal of the match. This is totally getting away from us, and we're now tied with Sampdoria for fifth with a match on the road against them next week.

[trman73]

Five games to go, here's what we're looking at:

Our last five games are:

• at Sampdoria (6th)
• vs. Inter (1st)
• at Palermo (13th)
• vs. Lazio (15th)
• at Juventus (3rd)

Obviously there's still a chance to move into the top three, and of the teams ahead of us only AC Milan is playing really good football down the stretch. But we've been straight-up poor for the past month, and need to rebound right now, in our next match, or risk what seemed incredible just a few weeks ago: missing out on continental competition next season.

The day before our match our Under 18 team draws with Sassuolo to officially clinch the league title. There are quite a few guys on that team that look like they have bright futures with the big club, so that bodes well.

May 2, 2021 - Serie A: Sampdoria (16-10-7, 58 pts., 6th) vs. Roma (17-7-9, 58 pts., 5th)

Sampdoria has come on strong and is tied with us for fifth. We drew with them our first time out and have a big goal-differential advantage over them, so a win would essentially give us a two-game lead for fifth with four to go.

Maybe the key to our success all along has been Mohamed Salah. In his first full game back, he's on fire. He scores in the fourth minute on a nice pass from Gerson, then El Shaarawy hits him twice in the next 20 minutes for two more goals, and we're up 3-0. Sampdoria gets one back on a PK after a foul in the box off a free kick, but just a couple minutes later Bernardeschi scores on a free kick of his own, and it's 4-1. We're playing like we were early in the season. Sampdoria scores right before the half, and we're up 4-2 at the break.

In the 60th mintue Nainggolan gets sent off with his second yellow, and we're down a man. Sampdoria scores 10 minutes later, but we park the bus after that and hold on for an absolutely crucial 4-3 win that puts us in fourth with four games to go.

[trman73]

May 8, 2021 - Serie A: Roma (18-7-9, 61 pts., 4th) vs. Inter (20-8-6, 68 pts., 1st)

The reality is, even with a win in this match, we're probably not going to catch Inter, as seven points with four to go is just too much. But we're just three back of AC Milan for third, and the final Champions League spot for next year. That's our goal. We destroyed Inter 5-0 on the road early in the year and it appears our offense is back on track, so I'm feeling mildly confident heading into this really important match.

This is just a good, solid game that we draw 1-1. We score first, with El Shaarawy netting one in the 10th. Inter answers immediately less than a minute later. For the rest of the match it's a back-and-forth affair, with each team generating chances but no one breaking through. I needed points from this match and we got them; I can't fault the guys' effort at all.

[trman73]

May 16, 2021 - Serie A: Palermo (12-8-15, 44 pts., 12th) vs. Roma (18-8-9, 62 pts., 4th)

Prior to this match our Under 20s also win their league title, so we're two for two with our Under 20s and Under 18s.

For the big club, we've got a chance to move up to third with a win, as third-place AC Milan travels to Juventus the day before our match. Of course we end the year at Juventus, so we'll have a tough test there as well. But for now, we just need to win at Palermo and home vs. Lazio, and let the chips fall where they may. Sure enough, Juventus beats AC Milan to retake the league lead, and we're three points back of Milan with the tiebreaker advantage. With Juventus' win we are officially eliminated from title contention.

We break through first, with a league-leading 21st goal of the year from Salah in the 26th. That score holds for much of the game, until Palermo pulls even in the 78th. It looks like we're going to blow our opportunity to pass AC Milan, but in the 82nd we get the first goal of the season from Drazic, and we hang on for the 2-1 win! We're in third (and Champions League qualifying position) with just two games to go.

[inthisspace]

Great to see you persevere despite the poor form. I might have quit at some point and not touch this game for sometime! 

Taking cue from what happened irl in this season's English Championship, I say the title is far from over. Good luck! 

Edit: oops, just seen that you are now mathematically out of contention. 

Edited May 27, 2017 by inthisspace

[trman73]

A quick look around Europe...

There's no drama in any of the major leagues this year, as Man United has clinched its fifth straight Premier League title, Bayern its fourth straight Bundesliga crown, and Atletico Madrid has won La Liga. The big news is in France, where PSG is 29-8-0 and is one match from an undefeated season. They did lose in the semis of Champions League to Man United, who will face Atletico Madrid for the continental championship.

In Serie A, with two games to go Juventus is back on top...

For us it's simple - two wins and we're in Champions League next season. But after a home match with Lazio, we finish at Juventus and they are likely to be trying to clinch the title in that match. So ideally, we beat Lazio and somehow Sassuolo upsets AC Milan this week, and we clinch third.

May 23, 2021 - Serie A: Roma (19-8-9, 65 pts., 3rd) vs. Lazio (9-12-15, 29 pts., 15th)

Lazio does have something to play for here as they are not out of the relegation woods yet. But we've rebounded after our rough stretch and should be able to handle these guys, putting the pressure on Milan to keep up with us.

Once again we're the last match of the day. Milan wins its match, so we need three points to remain in third. Just a point will clinch fourth for us and put us in group stage of Euro Cup, and board expectations will be met. (Technically we've clinched Euro Cup due to tiebreakers, but still... let's make this official, shall we?)

We go down early after a Lazio goal in the 24th. But we proceed to dominate the remainder of the half, and despite being down 0-1 I'm confident we'll break through. We do, in the 49th, on a long-distance goal from Strootman. A draw clinches 4th for us, but we want more, and in the 71st El Shaarawy gets it for us. We hang on for the final 20 minutes, and win 2-1 to set up a huge final match with Juventus.

Edited May 27, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

It's safe to say that the eyes of the Italian football world will be on our closing match with Juventus. Here's why...

Lots going on here, but the basics are...

1. Inter controls its own fate due to a draw and a win in its two matches with Juventus. Since head-to-head results are the first tiebreaker, if they beat Udinese, they win Serie A.
2. Obviously that means that Juventus must win and have Inter draw or lose (or draw and have Inter lose), to win its ninth title in the last 10 years.
3. For us, a win and we're in Champions League as the third-place team. And with a win we completely eliminate Juve from title contention regardless of what Inter does.
4. For AC Milan, if we falter and they don't, they move into that third slot, and we fall to fourth and the group stage of next year's Euro Cup.
5. And at the bottom of the table, no fewer than five teams can still fill one of the final two relegation spots.

Wow. Exciting final day of the season.

In terms of personal accomplishments for our players, Salah is in a three-way tie for the league lead in goals, and is tied for average rating with Pol Lirola of Juventus. And amazingly, Salah, El Shaarawy, and Bernardeschi are all tied for the league lead in assists. So some individual goals can be reached here along with team goals.

May 30, 2021 - Serie A: Juventus (21-9-7, 72 pts., 2nd) vs. Roma (20-8-9, 68 pts., 3rd)

I can't help but look back at our maddening April 25 loss to Empoli as the reason we're not right in the thick of the title race. Had we won that match, we'd be a point behind Inter and Juventus and this game would be absolutely enormous. But as it stands, this is still a huge game for us. I can imagine Juventus' manager is bringing up our 8-3 win over them in our first meeting during his pre-game talk. We know we can beat these guys, but we also know what they are capable of.

The season ends in 90 minutes. Let's do this.

It's a free-flowing, open match in the early going, and in the 12th minute Salah hits El Shaarawr as he streaks toward the net, and he scores to put us up 1-0. But in the 18th Juventus comes back to tie it, and we may be heading to another goal bonanza like the one in our first match. But the game settles down a bit and it's 1-1 at the half. AC Milan is winning its match 2-1, so with 45 minutes to go in the season, we're in fourth position.

Early in the second half Juventus has an easy chance right in front of the net, but Alisson makes a point-blank save. Right afterwards, Salah scores his 22nd of the year and we're up 2-1! But Juventus ties it right back less than five minutes later, and we head into the final 30 minutes at 2-2. Five minutes after that, Salah scores off a rebound from a missed Bernardeschi shot, and we're back up in what is shaping up to be an epic match. Milan is cruising in its match, so we've got to hold on here, and after the goal we go into defensive mode. But Juventus' attack is relentless, and they have no less than three great chances in the next 15 minutes without scoring. We can't hold them off, and they tie it in the 79th on a defensive mistake by Juan Jesus. The tables are now turned, and we need to go into all-out attack mode.

We can't get that final goal. We tie, 3-3, Milan defeats Pescara 4-2, and we finish fourth in Serie A. Inter draws its match with Udinese, 3-3, and wins the league title.

An exciting end to the season. Salah wins the scoring title, finishes with the highest average rating in the league, and ties with his two teammates for the assists lead.

 

 

 

Edited May 27, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

Roma 2020-2021 Season Recap

It's awards season and we dominate, taking the following awards:

• Despite missing 15 games, Stephan El Shaarawy wins the Serie A Player of the Year Award
• Mohamed Salah wins the Top Goalscorer Award with his 23 goals
• Salomon Rondon wins the Goal of the Year Award (which I predicted) for his goal against Atalanta on April 22
• Federico Bernardeschi wins the Italian Media Italian Player of the Year Award
• Salah wins the media's Foreign Player of the Year Award
• Salah also wins the Italian Fans' Player of the Year Award
• Finally, Salah, El Shaarawy, and Kevin Strootman are named to the Serie A Team of the Year

As for our internal awards...

I'd argue that Salah was actually our most important player of the season, as when he went down we really struggled, while we were able to maintain pretty well without El Shaarawy. But this is a fair list.

Serie A: 20-9-9, 69 pts., 4th

The Empoli loss on April 25th haunts me. Had we won that match, who knows what might have happened on that last day of the season. At the very least we would have clinched third prior to the last Juventus match, and we would have been playing for a chance at the title. Oh well. So I'm torn as to our grade here. On the one hand, we were vastly improved over a year ago. On the other, frankly Roma should not be too excited over a fourth-place finish. This team finished in the top three for seven of the previous nine seasons, so really, what did we accomplish? But the fact is we met the board's expectations, and they are pleased with my leadership, so I'm giving us a grade of... B+.

Italian Cup - Knocked out in semifinal by Spezia

Same thing here. I suppose it's nice to make the final four of the cup, but really losing to a Serie B team, and losing pretty badly, isn't something that Roma should be doing. So again... B+.

Overall Grade: B+

Season MVP: F Mohamed Salah

There are really three candidates for this award, and to me Salah was the player that we struggled without the most. He finished the season on top in goals, assists, and rating, and was absolutely dominant for stretches of the season. So he takes it. Runners-Up: F Stephan El Shaarawy won the Player of the Year Award for the league, but to me, he just missed too many games to get this award. And AMR Federico Bernardeschi was just what we want from an attacking midfielder, racking up goals and assists. It's really shocking that there wasn't a spot for him in the Serie A Team of the Year.

Offseason Priorities

There is absolutely no reason to believe this team can't qualify for Champions League next year and challenge for the league title. We need to get a better backup keeper, need a central midfielder to replace 33-year-old Nainggolan, who will not be re-signed, and we need a better left back and backup wide attacking midfielder. But the core of this team can definitely challenge both in the league next year and in Euro Cup.

[trman73]

Roma Offseason Report

Our first move of the offseason is a decision to let a starting player go. Radja Nainggolan was a really weird player for us. He was effective in the center midfield, and collected a 7.12 average rating last season. But he led the league in yellow cards and missed an incredible seven league games due to suspensions. He's also 33 years old, so we let him go, and he winds up catching on with Watford late in the summer.

Our transfer moves begin with us signing a guy I took a long look at during the midseason transfer window last year. We bring in 28-year-old Vincenzo Grifo to give us more depth at the attacking midfielder spots. He can play both the right and the left sides, and will pair with Drazic as our backups. We sign him from West Brom, where he played just two games last year. We pay $4.7 million for him and sign him to a salary of just over $2 million.

We make another move to offload a player who had some really good performances last year when we transfer list forward Salomon Rondon. Teams come out of the woodwork for him, and we wind up selling him to Hauxia Xingfu of the Chinese Super League for $4.3 million. He's 31 years old and we've got a lot of depth in our attack, and it's time for some of the younger guys, like Penaranda and Pace, to step up.

Our big move of the offseason is our replacement for Nainggolan. We target Adrien Rabiot, who is coming off back-to-back outstanding seasons at Malaga, and land him for $21 million and a $5 million salary. He's a great playmaker and will pair with Strootman in the midfield. I'm really excited about this signing.

On July 1 our starting keeper, Alisson, announces his desire to leave the club for Monaco, and gets the team behind him after I reject his initial request. I'm torn about this guy; Monaco offers $28 million for him, and we can easily grab a fantastic replacement for that cash. He's a good keeper, but also spent chunks of the last two years on the shelf with injuries, so I accept the offer, and he's gone.

We replace him with Geronimo Rulli, who played the last six years for Real San Sebastian in La Liga, and played well. Two years ago, he was the World Team of the Year goalkeeper, and had just as good of a year last year. This is an upgrade at goalkeeper for us.

Finally, we dump two central midfielders who weren't seeing any playing time - Stefano Sensi goes to OM for $3.5 million, and Andrea Marcucci is sent to Watford for $5 million. These guys were surplus, and I was happy to get those fees for them.

We've got quite a few young guys who are going to see time as reserves on the big club this year, so I feel really good about these moves. I think we've upgraded at goalkeeper and midfield, added depth at attacking midfield, and are a better team than we were two months ago.

Our news guys:

[DodgeeD]

Just caught up with this thread over the last couple of days - always fun to follow a journeyman career

I like the idea of using the random generator to select your starting place - might give that a go in the future!

[trman73]

Thanks Dodgee! I've actually had a few people message me that they like this method of picking a team. I don't know what possessed me to do it years ago. Probably because when I first started the only league I knew was MLS, and I wanted to see what else was out there.

Thanks for reading!

[trman73]

I'm a teeny bit concerned about, of all things, our depth at forward, and put in a bid for a 28-year-old Egyptain from Galatasaray, Hassan. I need my deep-lying forwards to have good passing ratings, and neither of our main backup forwards, Penaranda and Pace, have that rating (while Rondon last year was a really good passer), so I think this guy may fill that void. But I also have six forwards at my disposal (including two 19-year-olds who appear ready to get some game action), so despite my bid being accepted, and his reasonable salary demands, I pass on Hassan and will keep him in mind for the midseason window if need be.

Pre-Season Friendly Report

We play five friendlies this year...

• Latina 0, Roma 2 - We dominate this Serie B team throughout.
• Fondi 0, Roma 4 - Ditto for this Serie C team in what is basically a training session.
• BMG 1, Roma 4 - This is a good one. We roll this quality Bundesliga side in front of almost 50,000 people, with Bernardeschi, Salah, and El Shaarawi all netting goals.
• FC Red Bull Salzburg 0, Roma 0 - Solid defensive performance but we just can't break through despite good chances.
• Roma 3, Anderlecht 1 - Our only home friendly is a tight match until we score twice in the final eight minutes to pull away.

So that's 4-1-0 in our five friendlies against two domestic softies and three teams that are of the quality of competition we'll face in Euro Cup. We also emerge with a healthy and happy team that looks ready to roll for the start of the season.

Edited May 29, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

Roma 2021-2022 Season Preview

I don't want to jinx things, but I'm feeling great about our team heading into this season. Let's take a look at the squad.

Goalkeepers - Geronimo Rulli is, plain and simple, one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He also has not missed a game in the last four seasons with Real San Sebastian. If he can allow, say, seven fewer goals than we allowed last year, that could equal five or six additional points for us. The need to upgrade from Eugenio Lamanna as our backup went out the window when we brought Rulli in, so he returns as the backup.

Defenders - The starting four of Davide Calabria, Juan Jesus, Kostas Manolas, and Antonio Barreca return. Calabria was a great signing for us last year and should continue to improve, while I basically know what to expect from the other guys. I'm confident in our backups, particularly right back Kelvin Amiam Adou and center back Riccardo Marchizza.

Central Midfielders - Newcomer Rabiot looked good in our friendlies, and Kevin Strootman was named to the Serie A Team of the Year last year, so I think this will be a strong pairing. Backups Mattias Kranevitter and Stefano Sturaro would start for most teams in the league. Solid group.

Attacking Midfielders - Bernardeschi and Gerson return, and I love both of these guys. Backups are Drazic and newcomer Grifo, and we've got three 19-year-olds who look hungry and ready to move up in case of injury. This is the strongest positional group on our team.

Forwards - Salah and El Shaarawy combined to score 42 goals with 26 assists last year. If they stay healthy, we're potent. If they don't Giacomo Pace and Adalberto Penaranda will step in.

Season Expectations

Serie A - Board Expectation: Qualify for Champions League; Media Prediction: 3rd - There are no excuses this year. I'm in the final year of my contract, and the mission is simple - it's Champions League or bust. With what I see on this team, I completely agree with the expectations that have been set for us.

Euro Cup - Board Expectation: Reach Semifinal - Whoa. That's a pretty ambitious goal, but again, it's put up or shut up time.

Italian Cup - Board Expectation: Not Important - We enter in the first round proper so we're already in the final 16. We'll get Palermo or Benevente in the first round at home, which should be fine. But awaiting us after that will likely be Juventus, so that may be a tall task, as they've won the last two cups.

My Predictions: I think we're a better team than we were a year ago. I think we top 70 points by going 22-9-7, and finish second behind Juventus. In the Euro Cup, it's obviously going to be a crapshoot since group draws haven't taken place yet, but we're the sixth highest-rated club in the competition, so I say we win our group, advance to the quarterfinal, and who knows from there. And in the Italian Cup, I'll say a first round win, a surprise win over Juventus in the second round, and ultimately a trip to the final.

I'm really excited to get rolling with the 2020-21 season.

Edited May 29, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

August 22, 2021 - Serie A: Roma vs. Lazio

We open the season at home against a Lazio team that had a down year a season ago but is predicted to finish eighth this year. We've got three very winnable games to start the year before a stretch of three games that includes road matches at AC Milan and Juventus. We fell hard in our opening match at Sassuolo a season ago, and I don't want a repeat of that.

We dominate the first half of the match, particularly after Lazio has a man sent off in the 17th with a straight red. But we can't break through, and it's 0-0 at halftime. The second half is much of the same - we control possession but can't find the net. In the closing moments of the game, Lazio crosses a ball into the box and Stefano Sturaro fouls in the box for a penalty. They put it past Rulli and win 1-0. I can't believe we lost this match. We'll pick ourselves up, but this wasn't the start we wanted.

[DodgeeD]

7 hours ago, trman73 said:

Thanks Dodgee! I've actually had a few people message me that they like this method of picking a team. I don't know what possessed me to do it years ago. Probably because when I first started the only league I knew was MLS, and I wanted to see what else was out there.

Thanks for reading!

FM is a great way to get into other leagues. For a few years (CM4 up to FM07) I only really played in England but since I joined the forums, I have managed in numerous nations and leagues, MLS included. One of my favourite saves over the years included a stint at Toronto, where we managed to win the Club World Cup! Great days

[trman73]

Prior to our next match a couple things happen. First, we get a $27 million offer for backup center defender Riccardo Marchizza. They'd been chasing him for over a month but I kept raising the price, and now it's a take-it-or-leave-it offer. I take it for $16 million up front, $4.9 million over the next 12 months, and an additional $6 million deferred based on appearances.

Also this week is the Euro Cup Group Stage draw. We're one of the 12 first seeds and we wind up in Group J. (For the record, I love watching draws in this game.) OM, Liverpool, and Braga are the three teams left from the second pool, and we get Braga, probably the most preferable of the three. In the third pool, it's SK Rapid Wien of Austria, and the final team in our group is Norwegian side Rosenborg. So again, it's...

We'll open at home against Rosenborg, then visit Rapid Wien, then it's the home-and-home with Braga, a trip to Norway, and home against the Austrians to close it out. We should win this group, and only a disaster will prevent us from advancing to the knockout stages.

August 29, 2021 - Serie A: Crotone (1-0-0, 3 pts., 5th) vs. Roma (0-0-1, 0 pts., 16th)

Recently promoted Crotone went on the road and beat Genoa in its opening match, while we're still smarting after the disappointing opening loss to Lazio.

Our offensive woes continue through another scoreless first half. We're getting good chances, we're just not converting them. Finally in the 57th we get our first goal of the season, as Salah gives us a 1-0 lead. But 10 minutes later Crotone ties it, and the game ends in a frustrating 1-1 draw. I envisioned getting nine points from our first three matches. We've got one point in our first two.

[trman73]

At the transfer deadline we go ahead and make a move, bringing in 25-year-old striker Gabriel Barbosa from Inter. He scored 12 goals with 10 assists while on loan at Sassuolo last year. And it's a good thing we bring him in, because during the international break Salah goes down with a sprained ankle and will be out 3-4 weeks.

September 12, 2021 - Serie A: Roma (0-1-1, 1 pt., 17th) vs. Palermo (1-0-1, 3 pts., 10th)

We need to win this match and get our season on track. And we respond just the way we need to, by blitzing these guys in the first 20 minutes of the match. Kostas Manolas starts it three minutes in after Strootman hits the crossbar with a shot and he's right there for the rebound. Then an innocent long cross by Gerson bounces off a Palermo defender for an own goal, and in the 22nd Palermo is called for a penalty that El Shaarawy converts, and it's 3-0.

Check out this image of the PK...

What the hell is going on in the stands? Wow.

We trade goals in the second half and secure a 4-1 win, our first of the young season.

[trman73]

September 16, 2021 - Euro Cup Group Stage, Game 1: Roma vs. Rosenborg

Rosenborg has finished either first or second in the Norwegian Premier League in each of the past four seasons. That league is the 21st rated in Europe, so they aren't exactly a pushover, but this is without question the fourth-best team in our group, and a team we should defeat at home without issue. I'm starting the regular lineup for this one as I don't want to take any chances here and want to get off to a good start. We've got two matches a week for the next three weeks, so we will have to rotate over the next few games, but not today.

We do exactly what we need to in this one, scoring twice in the first half and three more times in the second for a dominant 5-0 win. The big story is we get a hat trick from defender Kostas Manolas, who has scored three goals for us in the last two seasons. He scores once on a rebounded shot, once on a corner, and once on a PK (our second of the game). Needless to say, he's the man of the match. A good, solid win to open the Euro Cup campaign.

[trman73]

September 19, 2021 - Serie A: AC Milan (1-2-0, 5 pts., 5th) vs. Roma (1-1-1, 4 pts., 9th)

Milan had a midweek Champions League match (which it won over Villareal), so we're in the same boat here. This is the team that leapfrogged us for third on the final day of the season last year, and it's a team we need to get results against if we're going to make that leap to Champions League qualifying next season. So this is a big, early match. We've also got Juventus next weekend, so this is a big stretch for us.

We give up the first goal in the 7th minute, and trail 0-1 at halftime, but I still feel okay as the team is playing well. We bring Penaranda in for an ineffective Gabriel Barbosa, and two minutes later he scores to tie it. Honestly, I'll take a road draw at Milan, but that becomes unlikely when they score in the 82nd on a shot Rulli really should have stopped. But just two minutes later, Penaranda scores again on a great pass from Gerson to tie it. We hang on for the 2-2 draw. We'll take it.