Alex Rolfe Posted November 22, 2004 Author Share Posted November 22, 2004 Sampdoria – Echos of 1991 Recent History In the 1990/1991 season Sampdoria, the perennial underachieving Genovese club, did the unthinkable and won the Scudetto. The team that year included the legendary Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Mancini. The following year they reached the final of the Champions Cup (predecessor of the Champions League) only to be beaten in extra time by Barcelona. Save for a third place slot in the league and winning the Italian Cup in 1993/1994, things have been on the slide ever since. Chairman and benefactor Paulo Mantovani died soon after and then the unthinkable happened, at the end of the 1997/1998 season Sampdoria were relegated. After four years in the wilderness and with new financial clout in the form of oil baron Chairman Riccardo Garrone, Sampdoria returned to the top flight in 2003/2004. After a season of consolidation it is time they moved forward. A cup and a place in Europe are achievable (if not easy) targets. From there the e ultimate goal would be to emulate the achievements of the 1991 team although with the likes of Juventus, Roma and two Milan teams looking strong this will be no mean feat. That then is my challenge. The Squad:– Goalkeepers Francesco Antonioli – joined from Roma in 2003 and has been first choice ever since. At 34 he is coming towards the end of his career but will keep his first choice place for the coming season. Emanuele Bianchi – promising young keeper who will gain experience in the reserves this year. Luigi Turci – another veteran who will act as back up to Antonioli Right Full Back Diego Brembilla – young defender who is not up to first team standard. Transfer listed and relegated to the under 20 team Cristian Zenoni – Classy player with big time experience at Juventus. First choice. Left Full Back Marco Pisano – solid performer with youth on his side. Will be the back up player in this position. Stefano Bettarini – ageing and not of a standard that will cope with the rigours of Serie A. Transfer listed and in the reserves. Maurizio Domizzi – another solid looking player currently on loan at Brescia. I will monitor his performance for the time being. Max Tonetto – signed recently following an impressive season with Lecce. Will be first choice. Central Defender (right sided) Marcello Castellini – with good defensive qualities he could possibly perform but his lack of passing skills are a problem and he is therefore transfer listed and placed in the reserves. Filippo Amoroso – poor quality. Transfer listed and in the reserves. Stefano Sacchetti – another player unlikely to make the grade in Serie A, transfer listed and in the reserves. Claudio Labriola - poor quality. Currently on loan at Olbia. Transfer listed. Ivan Artipoli – very young but with strong developing qualities. Placed in the Under 20 squad for the time being to see how he develops. Fabrizio Cacciatore – another promising looking youngster. As above. Moris Carrozzieri – unlikely to feature so placed in the reserves and transfer listed Giulio Falcone – with solid attributes he will be the back up in this position Simone Santoni – poor player currently on loan at Rosetana. Transfer listed. Jacopo Zunino – another young prospect put in the under 20 team to develop Maurizio Damonte – poor player on loan at Savona. Transfer listed. Valerio Di Maria – yet another youngster with no future at the club. Transfer listed and relegated to the under 20 squad. Central Defender (left sided) Simone Pavan – solid if not spectacular defender who will be the back up in this position Right Wing Aimo Stefano Diana – pacey winger who will be first choice in this position Thomas Job – interesting prospect from Cameroon currently on loan at Pescara Sid Ahmed Bouziane – poor player from Morocco on loan at Chiasso. Transfer listed Left Wing Biagio Pagano – exciting prospect who will be the back up player in this position Bruno De Araujo Fonseca – disappointing Brazilian on loan at Giugliano. Transfer Listed Cristiano Doni – Experienced ex-Italy international who will be hoping to recover his good form. First choice. Central Midfielder (right sided) Marco Donadel – solid youngster on loan from Milan. Back up player Angelo Palombo – excellent looking defensive midfielder who will be first choice in this position Ondoa – poor player from Cameroon. Transfer listed and in reserves. Francis Ze – another Cameroonian lacking quality. On loan at Chiasso. Transfer listed. Central Midfielder (left sided) Mark Edusei – solid if uninspiring back up player Segio Volpi – good quality midfielder who will be first choice Denis Cocco – poor quality youngster. Transfer listed and in reserves Vincenzo Iacopino – weak midfielder. Transfer listed and in reserves Striker (right sided) Vitaly Kutuzov – pacey young striker from Belarus. Back up. Ikechukwu Kalu – poor quality young Nigerian on loan at Pisa. Transfer listed. Fabio Bazzani – strong first choice Italian forward with some international experience Corrado Columbo – slow average striker on loan at Livorno. Transfer listed. Davide Girgenti – weak player. Transfer listed and in reserves. Fausto Rossini – as above Striker (left sided) Francesco Flachi – excellent looking player. First choice. So that’s the team. I have a few positions to fill. Most importantly there is a big hole at the centre of my defence. I need two quality players who can come in and quickly form a strong partnership. In addition I need cover at right back, right wing and on the left side of my front line. To add to the challenge I only have just under £4 million to achieve this. I have two weeks until my first friendly (against Excelsior), the fans are unhappy with my appointment and the media are sceptical that I will be up to the challenge. Let's get to it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Sampdoria – Echos of 1991 Recent History In the 1990/1991 season Sampdoria, the perennial underachieving Genovese club, did the unthinkable and won the Scudetto. The team that year included the legendary Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Mancini. The following year they reached the final of the Champions Cup (predecessor of the Champions League) only to be beaten in extra time by Barcelona. Save for a third place slot in the league and winning the Italian Cup in 1993/1994, things have been on the slide ever since. Chairman and benefactor Paulo Mantovani died soon after and then the unthinkable happened, at the end of the 1997/1998 season Sampdoria were relegated. After four years in the wilderness and with new financial clout in the form of oil baron Chairman Riccardo Garrone, Sampdoria returned to the top flight in 2003/2004. After a season of consolidation it is time they moved forward. A cup and a place in Europe are achievable (if not easy) targets. From there the e ultimate goal would be to emulate the achievements of the 1991 team although with the likes of Juventus, Roma and two Milan teams looking strong this will be no mean feat. That then is my challenge. The Squad:– Goalkeepers Francesco Antonioli – joined from Roma in 2003 and has been first choice ever since. At 34 he is coming towards the end of his career but will keep his first choice place for the coming season. Emanuele Bianchi – promising young keeper who will gain experience in the reserves this year. Luigi Turci – another veteran who will act as back up to Antonioli Right Full Back Diego Brembilla – young defender who is not up to first team standard. Transfer listed and relegated to the under 20 team Cristian Zenoni – Classy player with big time experience at Juventus. First choice. Left Full Back Marco Pisano – solid performer with youth on his side. Will be the back up player in this position. Stefano Bettarini – ageing and not of a standard that will cope with the rigours of Serie A. Transfer listed and in the reserves. Maurizio Domizzi – another solid looking player currently on loan at Brescia. I will monitor his performance for the time being. Max Tonetto – signed recently following an impressive season with Lecce. Will be first choice. Central Defender (right sided) Marcello Castellini – with good defensive qualities he could possibly perform but his lack of passing skills are a problem and he is therefore transfer listed and placed in the reserves. Filippo Amoroso – poor quality. Transfer listed and in the reserves. Stefano Sacchetti – another player unlikely to make the grade in Serie A, transfer listed and in the reserves. Claudio Labriola - poor quality. Currently on loan at Olbia. Transfer listed. Ivan Artipoli – very young but with strong developing qualities. Placed in the Under 20 squad for the time being to see how he develops. Fabrizio Cacciatore – another promising looking youngster. As above. Moris Carrozzieri – unlikely to feature so placed in the reserves and transfer listed Giulio Falcone – with solid attributes he will be the back up in this position Simone Santoni – poor player currently on loan at Rosetana. Transfer listed. Jacopo Zunino – another young prospect put in the under 20 team to develop Maurizio Damonte – poor player on loan at Savona. Transfer listed. Valerio Di Maria – yet another youngster with no future at the club. Transfer listed and relegated to the under 20 squad. Central Defender (left sided) Simone Pavan – solid if not spectacular defender who will be the back up in this position Right Wing Aimo Stefano Diana – pacey winger who will be first choice in this position Thomas Job – interesting prospect from Cameroon currently on loan at Pescara Sid Ahmed Bouziane – poor player from Morocco on loan at Chiasso. Transfer listed Left Wing Biagio Pagano – exciting prospect who will be the back up player in this position Bruno De Araujo Fonseca – disappointing Brazilian on loan at Giugliano. Transfer Listed Cristiano Doni – Experienced ex-Italy international who will be hoping to recover his good form. First choice. Central Midfielder (right sided) Marco Donadel – solid youngster on loan from Milan. Back up player Angelo Palombo – excellent looking defensive midfielder who will be first choice in this position Ondoa – poor player from Cameroon. Transfer listed and in reserves. Francis Ze – another Cameroonian lacking quality. On loan at Chiasso. Transfer listed. Central Midfielder (left sided) Mark Edusei – solid if uninspiring back up player Segio Volpi – good quality midfielder who will be first choice Denis Cocco – poor quality youngster. Transfer listed and in reserves Vincenzo Iacopino – weak midfielder. Transfer listed and in reserves Striker (right sided) Vitaly Kutuzov – pacey young striker from Belarus. Back up. Ikechukwu Kalu – poor quality young Nigerian on loan at Pisa. Transfer listed. Fabio Bazzani – strong first choice Italian forward with some international experience Corrado Columbo – slow average striker on loan at Livorno. Transfer listed. Davide Girgenti – weak player. Transfer listed and in reserves. Fausto Rossini – as above Striker (left sided) Francesco Flachi – excellent looking player. First choice. So that’s the team. I have a few positions to fill. Most importantly there is a big hole at the centre of my defence. I need two quality players who can come in and quickly form a strong partnership. In addition I need cover at right back, right wing and on the left side of my front line. To add to the challenge I only have just under £4 million to achieve this. I have two weeks until my first friendly (against Excelsior), the fans are unhappy with my appointment and the media are sceptical that I will be up to the challenge. Let's get to it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wag Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Yay, always like a good Samp story Good Luck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 23, 2004 Author Share Posted November 23, 2004 In the weeks prior to the first friendly I manage to fill two of the playing positions available. Firstly and most importantly I fill one of the crucial centre back positions; Nicola Legrottaglie joins us from Juventus for £625k on a four year deal. Legrottaglie has had a torrid time at Juventus. Joining in time for the 2003/2004 season after earning his spurs at Chievo he found chances in the first team somewhat limited. In and out of the side he never got the chance to establish himself. As the new season approached he was never going to be a part of new manager Fabio Capello’s plans. At Sampdoria though, I have high hopes that, given the chance to shine, he will be a stalwart in our defence for year’s to come. The other signing is right winger Antonio Fillipini. At 31 many believe that the ex-Brescia and Palermo player has seen his best days but I am confident that he still has something to offer and that he will challenge Diana for a first team place. At just £150k he could prove to be a real bargain. Saturday 7th August 2004 Excelsior v Sampdoria So a quick jaunt to Holland to get the pre-season underway. The Dutch side are, on paper at least, no match for us in terms of both playing staff and available resources. This, however is pre-season and with both sets of players lacking fitness this was just the kind of challenge the club needs, neither too gentle nor too taxing. Things start well, less than five minutes in Flachi turned his marker on the half way line and played a reverse pass to set strike partner Bazzani free. The resulting shot was well taken. I can only hope that their equalising goal minutes later was down to a lack of fitness and match practice and is not an omen for defensive problems to come. Legrottaglie was far too late in closing down attacking midfielder Sequeira. Even so the resulting shot straight at Antonioli should have been an easy save. Mysteriously (and more to the point worryingly) however the ball seemed to go straight trough him and into the back of the net. With the game not yet a quarter of an hour old, the fussy referee made a ridiculous decision. Their defender Mulder brought down Flachi just outside of their area. Whilst the mistimed tackle could well have resulted in a yellow card in a competitive match, the fact this was a friendly match would have made this harsh. It was therefore absolutely absurd that the defender should have been sent off for a straight red (there were at least three defenders between Flachi and the goal). Should the Dutch team appeal the decision they can count on my support. Nevertheless the extra man should have given us the opportunity to go on and dominate the game. Excelsior though, obviously fired up be the injustice of the situation, had other ideas. We took the lead a few minutes later, Bazzani scoring again, this time from a beautifully weighted cross from Doni out wide on the left. On twenty minutes we were 3-1 up, Flachi beating two defenders before calmly stroking the ball past the keeper. On 35 minutes however they began to fight back, forward Mounir el Hamdaoui beating Pavan and firing into the net. Into the second half and we spurned a number of very good chances before the Dutch team eventually equalised. Right back Rene van Dieren making a late run into the area to head home a glorious cross from Kolk. With both sides making a number of changes the rhythm of the game was lost and this proved to be the last significant action of the match. Final Score: Excelsior 3 – Sampdoria 3 On balance, this was a game we should have won. Excelsior are not a strong team and were down to 10 men early in the match. On the other hand we were away from home, the players were using a new system introduced by a new manager and were plainly lacking fitness and match practice. With this in mind we can at least take consolation in the fact we didn’t lose and that we scored three goals. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 25, 2004 Author Share Posted November 25, 2004 On our return from Holland we make another new signing. Somewhat of a risk this but Anthony Vanden Borre a 16 year old prodigy from Anderlecht will walk straight into the first team as cover for Zenoni. Wednesday 11th August Napoli vs Sampdoria The demise suffered by Sampdoria during the late 1990’s pales into insignificance when compared to that of Napoli. Since the heady days of Maradona and Scudetto success in 1987 and 1990 the most successful southern club in the history of Italian football have fallen on hard times. Amidst rumours of mafia connections and a desperate financial situation they have dropped first into Serie B and then, last season, into Serie C. The gulf in class in terms of player between the two clubs is evident as early as the second minute, Flachi beating his marker with ease and then lobbing the on rushing keeper to score. For the second match in succession we had an early lead, would we be able to hold onto it this time? On 26 minutes we doubles our lead, this time it was the other striker Bazzani who beat his marker before advancing a sliding the ball in just as it seemed he had advanced to far towards the goal line. Early in the second half we got the third. After a trip on Bazzani in the penalty area, Claudio Terzi was sent off for a professional foul. Although by appylying the letter of the law the decision was right it still seems harsh in a pre-season friendly. Flachi converted the resulting penalty with ease. From the restart we scored again, Volpi taking the ball of the foot of the opposition striker in the centre circle and setting up three way interplay between Bazzani, Flachi and Volpi himself. The move was finished by Flachi, powering a shot past the keeper to complete his hat trick. Our fifth again came from the penalty spot, Max Tonetto this time finishing well. The sixth and our final goal came from a corner, Legrottaglie heading in. There was still time for them to get a consolation goal their defender Savino popping up on the edge of the penalty area and scoring with a powerful shot. Final Score: Napoli 1 - Sampdoria 6 I am of course delighted with this result and particularly with how well Bazzani and Flachi are working together. If I can keep them both fit and on form they will form a dangerous partnership in the fast approaching season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 25, 2004 Author Share Posted November 25, 2004 Sunday 15th August 2004. Gava vs. Sampdoria The first of four games against Spanish opposition and another strong showing. The partnership between Flachi and Bazzani continues to flourish with both getting on the scoresheet. Legrottaglie also scores, once again a header from a corner. Encouragingly, Kutuzov, on for Bazzani for the last 20 minutes, gets 2 and shows plenty of flair in the process with a series of run, dribbles and fancy flicks. Their goal came from a mistake by Pavan but in reality they never looked like getting anything for this match. Final Score: Gava 1 – Sampdoria 5 Thursday 19th August 2004 Caudal vs. Sampdoria The second of the Spanish games took much the same shape as the first although the result was even more emphatic. The strikers all did well, Bazzani getting a hat trick, Flachi getting one and Kutuzov, again on at the end for Bazzani, also scoring. Legrottaglie continued to show his knack for heading in corners, scoring twice. Encouragingly. Both central midfielders, Volpi and Palombo, also got one each. Final Score: Caudal 1 – Sampdoria 9 Prior to the Lorca game we finally fill the other vacant position in the centre of our defence as experienced left footed centre back Dmitry Sennikov joins from Locomotiv Moscow. Sunday 22nd August 2004 Lorca vs. Sampdoria The penultimate game of the short Spanish tour is once again a strong display by the team. Although Flachi does not score he plays well. Partner Bazzani does get on the score sheet. Kutozov again comes on and scores, Legrottaglie scores a customary header from a corner and both Diana and substitute Donadel get one. Final Score Lorca 0 – Sampdoria 5 Tuesday 24th August 2004 Barakaldo vs. Sampdoria The final match concluded what can only be construed as a good tour. On the night both strikers, Bazzani and Flachi got two goals each. Although we have not come up against any quality opposition, I am pleased with the way the team have adapted to my tactics and of course by the number of goals we have scored. We can go into the season proper with some confidence. Final Score: Barakaldo 0 – Sampdoria 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 25, 2004 Author Share Posted November 25, 2004 Just prior to the transfer deadline at the end of August I filled the last remaining place in the squad. Riccardo Meggiorini, a highly rated 17 year old joins us on loan for the season from Inter. He will act as back up to Francesco Flachi. Sunday 12th September 2004 Sampdoria vs. Siena The new season dawns at last as we face the relative minnows of Sienna. Things do not go to plan in the first half. The team look nervous and fail to get a grip on the match, beaten to every ball and generally out passed, we go into the break one nil down. In the eighteenth minute the legendary Chiesa popped up completely unmarked on the near post and scored with a simple tap in. Some harsh words in the dressing room and a tweak to the tactics (the wingers told to push up against their full backs) seemed to do the trick. Minutes into the second half we were level, Bazzani heading in Flachi’s cross. Despite plenty of pressure, it was not until the 75th minute that we actually took the lead, Flachi beating defender Cirillo and then placing the ball past the helpless keeper’s right. Our third, just three minutes later, was the most controversial, a penalty after substitute Kutuzov went down easily from a nudge from Colonnese. Volpi had no problems with the spot kick. To round things off, Legrottaglie did what he has been doing all pre-season and headed in a corner. This was the final action of what was ultimately a very satisfying first game of the season. Final Score: Sampdoria 4 – Siena 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 25, 2004 Author Share Posted November 25, 2004 Sunday 19th September 2004 Udinese vs. Sampdoria After the impressive second half performance last week, this was a disappointing affair. Udinese scored early with a perfectly placed free kick from Iaquinito after seven minutes. On 25 minutes they struck again, another free kick, again beautifully placed but this time taken by Jankulovski. Their best, however, was their last. Brazilian right back Alberto picking up the ball on the halfway line, beating first Volpi and then Pavan before delightfully chipping the keeper to make it three nil. That is how it ended, although none of the team played well, Doni and Pavan had awful games aand their places are now seriously under threat for the next game at home to Milan. Final Score: Udinese 3 – Sampdoria 0 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 25, 2004 Author Share Posted November 25, 2004 Wednesday 22 September 2004 Sampdoria vs. Milan Milan are, without a doubt, one of the best teams in the world. Their pedigree is in Italy at least is pretty much unrivalled, only Juventus come close. They have players in their team that I can only dream about and I therefore approached this match with trepidation. The result against Udinese was a real blow, I was really hoping for some points there whereas against Milan I didn’t really expect much. I changed my tactics so that we had only one player up front and had a defensive midfielder in the middle trying to break up play and stop them over running us with the sheer class they have in this area off the pitch. To some extent this paid off, they had few chances throughout the match. Our lone striker Flachi (just getting the nod above Bazzani) played well, getting into good positions and making chances for himself. In the end the match ended goal less (we had one shot on target, they had two), in the circumstances a good result for us. Final Score: Sampdoria 0 – Milan 0 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flipsix3 Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 Nice stuff Alex, and a couple of interesting results to test the new man's popularity with the fans Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 28, 2004 Author Share Posted November 28, 2004 Sunday 26th September 2004 Lazio vs. Sampdoria Lazio are without doubt a team on the decline. Since the team managed by Sven Goran Eriksson won the Scudetto in 2000 they have been on the decline. Forced to sell their best players in order to manage spiralling debt and an out of control wage bill, they are not the threat they were once. That said, they are still a force to be reckoned with and should certainly not be taken lightly. With this in mind I decide that I will continue to use the tactic I employed against Milan. This time however, Bazzani is given the opportunity to prove himself as the lone front man. The policy of containment seems to be paying off and after 25 minutes we even manage to take the lead, Doni blasting a shot past the keeper’s right. On 65 minutes however they equalise, classy Brazilian winger picking up on a loose ball that had broken on the left of the area and firing into the bottom right hand corner. 1-1 was, on reflection, a fair result. Final Score: Lazio 1 – Sampdoria 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 28, 2004 Author Share Posted November 28, 2004 Saturday 2nd October 2004 Sampdoria vs. Lecce Reverting to the familiar 4-4-2 formation we are faced with two enforced changes for this match. Goalkeeper Antonioli has picked up a groin strain and will be out for approximately 2 weeks whilst winger Diana has a sprained wrist that will keep him out of this match but probably not the next. Experienced reserves Turci and Fillipini come in. The match does not start well. Their young prodigy Bojinov plays the ball past Legrottaglie, skips around him, rounds the keeper and scores, an excellent goal. It takes us until the 56th minute to get the equaliser. Flachi showing good skills on the edge of the area to turn inside a roll a perfectly weighted ball across the area to leave the onrushing and unmarked Doni a simple tap in. We leave it late, and are in truth fortunate, to get the winner. Their defender Stovini is penalised for jumping unfairly against Bazzani in the box. What Volpi’s ensuing penalty lacks in placement it makes up for in power, blasting literally through their keeper. With just 2 minutes of normal time left it seems as though we have it sewn up although Lecce still manage a number of promising attacks. In the end we just do enough. All in all a good if lucky result. Final Score: Sampdoria 2 – Lecce 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 28, 2004 Author Share Posted November 28, 2004 Wednesday 6th October 2004 Chievo vs. Sampdoria Let’s be frank about this, we are not going to win any awards for the style of our play at present but we are getting the results. My hand was somewhat forced here by the fact that by the fact that Bazzani was unavailable having gashed his leg and therefore needing a rest. Bearing this in mind and that our only attempt to play 4-4-2 away from home resulted in the three goal drubbing from Udinese, I went once again for the lone striker option. We spent the majority of the first half desperately trying to spoil their attempts to play attractive passing football. Until the 45th minute when their striker Cossato took advantage of our inability to clear the ball and fired home. Four minutes into the second half and it seemed as if it was all over when Edusei was sent off, a second yellow card issued after an argument with the referee. The team however had other ideas. The star of the show was undoubtedly Flachi, working alone up front he constantly harried their defenders and gave us a precious outlet. This hard work paid off in the 56th minute when he fired a rocket of a shot from the edge of the area past their despairing keeper. The winner came on the hour, Flachi, again impressing, this time foraging on the left wing sent a crossfield pass to the criminally unmarked Fillipini. The winger kept his cool to advance and chip the onrushing keeper. A good result. Final Score: Chievo 1 – Sampdoria 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 28, 2004 Author Share Posted November 28, 2004 Sunday 17th October 2004 Brescia vs. Sampdoria Not one to mess with a winning formula, I stick with the lone striker tactic for this match. We are obviously getting more comfortable with this style of play as we limit their chances throughout the match whilst still managing to create plenty of opportunities. The breakthrough comes on 31 minutes. Pagano getting his first for the club when a bad clearance falls directly too him. He immediately volleys the ball straight past the keeper. The second, on 70 minutes, is also the result of a poor clearance. This time their keeper Chimenti weakly clears only for it to land directly at Bazzani’s feet. The striker calmly chips the keeper to score. The only downside is that in between the two goals Flachi receives his marching orders. For the second game in a row we lose a player due to a second yellow card, this time the player was booked both times for diving. Flachi will therefore miss the next game at home to Calgari. Final Score: Brescia 0 – Sampdoria 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 29, 2004 Author Share Posted November 29, 2004 Sunday 24th October 2004 Sampdoria vs. Cagliari The fact that this was a home game against relatively lowly opposition meant that we reverted to our original formation. This is likely to be a common aspect of the way we play this season. There is a good side and a bad side to this. On the one hand it will make it difficult for teams to predict how we are likely to play but on the downside it will mean that our team is constantly changing and we may lose something in terms of consistency. Despite the fact that we play with two strikers, it is a defender and a midfielder who score the goals, both from corners. Sennikov scores the first on 22 minutes with a header whilst Volpi gets the second at the death, this time a volley from the edge of the area. One other positive form the match was the introduction of Kutozov towards the end. Replacing solid but uninspiring youngster Meggiorini, he looked like a tricky customer beating defenders and creating chances. We also managed to restrict the opposition throughout, they never had a shot on target. Another good result. Final Score: Sampdoria 2 – Cagliari 0 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 29, 2004 Author Share Posted November 29, 2004 Wednesday 27th October 2004 Fiorentina vs. Sampdoria The recent history of Fiorentina is an almost exact mirror to that of ours. Perhaps the only difference is the sharpness of their decline and the speed of their recovery. Like ourselves, with new financial backing they are now most certainly back and represent a real challenge to our recent good form. For the first time the lone striker option fails to get a result, our wingers look out of their depth, the centre of our midfield are outplayed and Flachi fails to get the opportunities he has been thriving on recently.. Their first goal comes on 24 minutes, their impressive striker Rigano getting beyond Sennikov and showing good composure to place the ball to the keepers right. The second is completely down to a mistake from Antonioli, his skewed clearance reaching only Miccoli who blasts the ball straight back and into the net. They round it off with a free kick, expertly taken by Maresca. A forgettable evening. Final Score: Fiorentina 3 – Sampdoria 0 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 29, 2004 Author Share Posted November 29, 2004 Sunday 31st October 2004 Sampdoria vs. Messina After a defeat there is no better reply than to follow up with a convincing win. We do just that. Reverting to a 4-4-2 it takes us just five minutes to get under way, Legrottaglie playing a wonderful ball from deep to find Diana in space on the right wing. Taking the ball almost to the touchline he rolls the ball back to Bazzani in the penalty area who has little left to do other then score which he does. Legrottaglie scores himself ten minutes later, once again heading in from a corner. The third is a penalty, Flachi converting after Doni is pushed in the area is pushed by Raffa in the area. Half Time and 3-0 up. The second half continues in the same vein, Doni getting the fourth after a delightful cross from Diana, literally passed into the net. Flachi follows this with a real gem in the 63rd. Using what strength he has to hold off three defenders and under a lot of pressure he still has the presence of mind to chip the keeper. Flachi then turned provider thirteen minutes later his cross reaching Diana whose performance throughout the game merited the well taken goal. There was still time for Flachi to complete his hat trick. With the clock running down he picked up on Legrottaglie’s free kick, beat his marker and sent the ball whistling past the keeper’s right. The best possible reply to the midweek defeat. Final Score: Sampdoria 7 – Messina 0 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soup Posted November 29, 2004 Share Posted November 29, 2004 Looks like good goings then. KUTGW Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gino Posted November 30, 2004 Share Posted November 30, 2004 Great start, I'm a big fan of this style of writing at the moment! Simple but very effective! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 30, 2004 Author Share Posted November 30, 2004 Sunday 7th November 2004 Reggina vs. Sampdoria Given the nature of our victory over Messina, I make a decision to play 4-4-2 away from home, the first time I have done this since the debacle against Udinese back in the middle of September. The gamble seems to pay of in the eighteenth minute when our two strikers combine to give us the lead, Flachi dancing past the defender on the left hand side of the box and cutting the ball back to Bazzani who neatly finishes. We extend our lead in the 37th minute, Doni scoring with a well taken free kick from the very edge of the penalty area. At half time and leading 2-0, I decide to play safe and move back to a 4-1-4-1 formation, Bazzani being sacrificed for Donadel. It appears I may have made a mistake however when, in the 63rd minute, Tedesco scores, again directly from a free kick. For a very short while things look tense until the 67th minute when Diana sends a lovely cross field ball to his opposite winger Doni who strikes a powerful shot to restore our two goal advantage. Once more we have managed to pick up three points on our travels. Final Score: Reggina 1 – Sampdora 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 30, 2004 Author Share Posted November 30, 2004 Wednesday 10th November 2004 Sampdoria vs. Chievo (Italian Cup 2nd Round 1st Leg) For many teams in Serie A, the cup represents an unwelcome distraction. For those teams that have European commitments the sheer number of games the first team players are expected to turn out for means that it is often the case that the superstars are rested for these games. Likewise those at the bottom end of the table need their best players to give it their all in the league. For Sampdoria however, the chance to grab a European place is too tempting and whilst it is possible that our league position may be enough, it is by no means guaranteed. We play, therefore, with a full strength team in our attacking 4-4-2 formation. It takes until the 38th minute for us to get off the mark, Bazzani getting off the mark when Legrottaglie plays the ball directly back into the box after a corner is half cleared. It looks as though we will have to settle for this scoreline until near the death. On 84 minutes Bazzani scores again, getting onto Diana’s cross and controlling the ball well before slotting home. 4 minutes later Bazzani gets his hat trick, a header this time from substitute Pagano’s cross. Having scored three and not conceded a precious away goal we have set ourselves up nicely for the return leg in six weeks time. I only hope that my players do not feel the effects of tiredness too much in the coming weeks and months. Final Score: Sampdoria 3 - Chievo 0 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 30, 2004 Author Share Posted November 30, 2004 Sunday 21st November 2004 Sampdoria vs. Livorno Again adopting the 4-4-2 tactic, we continue our run of good form with another home win. The first half is a dull affair with both sides cancelling the other out. We come out in the second half however with a flourish, Bazzani scoring with a well taken shot under pressure before the opposition have a chance to even touch the ball. We secure the win in the 69th minute, Flachi scoring with a well taken if slightly unusual free kick, using his right foot when facing the goal from the right side. We do suffer one setback however, Palombo being dismissed for a second yellow card after a foul on Vigiani. Final Score: Sampdoria 2 Livorno 0 Whilst we have not played any of the top teams other than the nil nil bore draw against Milan and bearing in mind that we have played more matches than our immediate opposition in the table, it is still somewhat of a feat that we currently lead Serie A, the table looking like this: 1. Sampdoria P12 W8 D2 L2 26 2. Milan P11 W7 D4 L0 25 3. Juventus P9 W7 D2 L0 23 4. Fiorentina P12 W5 D5 L2 20 5 Atalanta P10 W5 D3 L2 18 Our next match is against Inter away, time for us to see just how good we actually are. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 30, 2004 Author Share Posted November 30, 2004 Sunday 28th November Inter vs. Sampdoria It’s all over by half time as Inter absolutely destroy us. Stankovic scores from two free kicks (although it has to be said that the first had a wicked deflection), young prodigy Martins gets one and Sampdoria old boy Veron shows some of the class he has been missing since his ill fated excursion to the English Premier League. The second half is not so much of a one sided contest and they only get one more, their other exceptional striker Adriano scoring a beauty. At least we know where we stand now. Final Score: Inter 5 – Sampdoria 0 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted November 30, 2004 Author Share Posted November 30, 2004 Saturday 4th December 2004 Sampdoria vs. Roma For the second time in as many weeks we face top quality opposition, this time in the form of Roma. Things start badly, Cassano, possibly the best of the current crop of young Italian strikers, showing his class as early as the second minute. Receiving the ball from a long kick from his keeper, he easily beat defender Falcone (playing as a result of Legrottaglie being suspended for picking up five yellow cards so far this season) and left the keeper no chance with his well placed shot. When their other young striker Corvia found space between the two central defenders and scored with a powerful shot in the tenth minute it seemed like it was all over. To their credit, the players never gave up and Bazzani got a consolation in the 85th minute. However, after losing two on the trot we need to pull together and try to get something out of our next match away to Atalanta. Final Score: Sampdoria 1 – Roma 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted December 1, 2004 Author Share Posted December 1, 2004 Sunday 12 November 2004 Atalanta vs. Sampdoria The two defeats in the previous games have seen us drop form top spot to fourth place. In fifth are today’s opposition, Atalanta. Should they beat us they will leap frog us in the league which would be disappointing as, if anything, their pre-season prediction would be worse than ours. For over an hour we hold out although it has to be said that the better chances fall to them. On 65 minutes however they score, Pazzini making the most of Legrottaglie’s failure to clear effectively to pick up on a loose ball and slot past the keeper. The second ,on 87 minutes, which kills off the game once and for all, falls to Pazzani as well. This time the young striker (who undoubtedly has an exciting future ahead of him) heads in form Inacio Pia’s well weighted cross. Final Score: Atalanta 2 – Sampdoria 0 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Rolfe Posted December 1, 2004 Author Share Posted December 1, 2004 Saturday 18th November 2004 Sampdoria vs. Bologna After such an encouraging run of good form our recent slump continues as we fail to beat Bologna a team who have been underperforming all season. Over the course of the gane we have 24 shots, 10 of them on target, we hit the woodwork twice and Max Tonetto has a penalty saved by the outstanding Italian ex-international keeper Pagliuca. In contrast they have one shot, off target. A deeply deeply unsatisfying result. Final Score: Sampdoria 0 – Bologna 0Saturday 18th November 2004Saturday 18th November 2004 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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