Starting from the bottom, and working up to glory. A geographical misadventure

[scousevasey]

Meet Sanchez Asambani, a young man from Tijuana, Mexico who has decided to go on a footballing odyssey in Europe with the aim of reaching the top of the footballing world

Unfortunately Sanchez is not a wise man, or a man with any natural talent as a manager.

But he has decided that he is the man to reach the pinnacle of European football, armed only with his trusty map of Europe, a copy of Rothman's 1992, and a battered second hand Panini sticker album from USE '94, containing only 17 lonely stickers.  His view is that football can't have changed much in his lifetime, so he should be okay with this.

[scousevasey]

Asambani doesn't quite understand how football works, or which league are any good, assuming that the top of the map is highest, his quest is limited by his poor geography, and out of date information

His plan is to stick to dry land, and work his way as high as he can make it.  Unsure if he can pass into the Communist supporting Eastern Europe, and nervous of the Greek isolation in this sense he has a plan.

Start in Italy.  Aim to reach Denmark.  Having worn through the VHS tape that summarises the Euro '92 tournament, twice, while occupying himself after school from the age of 6, his view of football is clouded by the Danish triumph.  He never did finish the USA '94 sticker album so didn't get round to watching the games, instead seeing the players listed as a guide to the up and coming stars of the game.

In the modern world his path has not changed much, but due to a lack of brains (and a desire to reinvest in Dukla Prague if that becomes an option), the plan is to move from Italy, through either Switzerland or Austria on to Germany and eventually Denmark.

Ideally Sanchez Asambani will only move northwards in his quest, but his lack of skill with a map means he may not manage this, although if sacked I will aim to move him southwards if possible.  If he goes via Austria, then stopping off in the Czech Republic is an option.

Out of the box leagues only, with each one as far down as is available.  To avoid getting sidetracked, only the countries Asambani can manage in are loaded.  In terms of players, international players on every continent are loaded, plus those in the European continental competitions

[scousevasey]

Asambani has started unemployed, hoping to find a club who are looking for a young innovative foreign influence who might be taken in by his smooth talking in an interview

Only two options available in Italy at the start of the game, where the waiting for an offer begins

[scousevasey]

It took until March for any offer to appear.

Sanchez had taken to looking at the Gazetta, and scouring the league tables for teams near the bottom of the league.  He doesn't speak any Italian, so can't work out which clubs need a manager, but took the route that if he was seen nearby, in his tracksuit and holding a bag of balls and a pile of cones they may get the hint.

He hastily hurried through the opened door, hoping it was an interview, but also wary he was being warned off the club

It is close at the bottom, with some interesting rules.  Three go down.  20th is automatically down.  If 16th is nine clear of 19th then 19th goes down, if not they play off for the relegation.  Same between 17th and 18th.  The gap is small at the minute, so Cavese have eight games to get out of the relegation playoff spot

[scousevasey]

Clearly laying out 10 cones, each with a football on them, and smashing them out of the open window wasn't the best idea to persuade the board that Asambani was the man for the job.  Especially as there wasn't an open window when he started.  There were seven when he finished...

[scousevasey]

2 hours ago, scousevasey said:

Clearly laying out 10 cones, each with a football on them, and smashing them out of the open window wasn't the best idea to persuade the board that Asambani was the man for the job.  Especially as there wasn't an open window when he started.  There were seven when he finished...

Even better is that Cavese ended up 19th in the league and lost the playoff rounds

 

Currently still waiting for further interviews or interest to pick up

[deltablue]

I guess we should be glad he doesn't think Austria-Hungary still exists

[scousevasey]

Euro 2020

Surprising to see Poland and Portugal as the only 100% teams in the group stage, with groups C, D and F  being particularly tight and providing 3rd placed qualifiers as a result.

Holland missing out on the knockout rounds is a bit of a surprise, and there are a couple of group orders that might not be expected but nothing too odd so far

Denmark scraped through the groups then hand Portugal their first loss, whereas Poland go a round better but fall to Croatia.

Italy vs France replicates Euro 2000 with the same winner at the end of it all

Some big jobs opening up after the tournament, including winners France as Deschamps resigned victorious

[scousevasey]

5 hours ago, deltablue said:

I guess we should be glad he doesn't think Austria-Hungary still exists

He is slightly more up to date with geopolitics, but not much more.

[scousevasey]

Asambani learnt from his previous interview and wore a tie this time.  Still with the tracksuit, but he was trying to bring smart-casual to the situation.  He also took a bag of bibs in addition to the cones this time, aiming to add in something to his presentation. 

Unfortunately due to translation issues these were bibs for babies, with an additional scoop to catch dropped food.  Back to the planning for the next interview

[scousevasey]

Monopoli you say.  Tracksuit, Top Hat and Cane it is.  Asambani couldn't find a monocle or pocket watch at short notice, but surely that wouldn't be a problem.

He outlined a clear vision for the team.

1) If a player gets a double rating (6.6/7.7 etc) they get to play again next week regardless

2) Any indiscretions, they head straight to jail, getting a one game internal ban

3) Free parking for fans in the stadium car park

4) Each player gets a bonus for making it through each month.

5) A vision to upgrade the stadium to have hotels in each corner

It turns out you can only learn so much from a board game...

[scousevasey]

A Mexican, managing Latina.  Surely this is a no brainer.

So much so that Asambani rocked up without preparing.  First question, can you speak Italian.  What is this nonsense?

Asambani is not happy.  They appointed an Italian.  Wandering the streets after getting this news, Asambani was shouting abuse at any passer by he could find, spoiling for a fight.

Latina...surely it was perfect

[scousevasey]

Asambani is now wondering if his translator is trying to replace him and is not answering the questions properly.  Unfortunately he can't start learning the language until he has a job...

Two opportunities to start off in Serie C (C)

Two more failures.

 

Most job opportunities go one of two ways

Apply - get rejected early for not being qualified/experienced/of high enough reputation

Apply - get an interview - get rejected for not being 'the right person'

[scousevasey]

Just now, scousevasey said:

Asambani is now wondering if his translator is trying to replace him and is not answering the questions properly.  Unfortunately he can't start learning the language until he has a job...

Two opportunities to start off in Serie C (C)

Two more failures.

 

Most job opportunities go one of two ways

Apply - get rejected early for not being qualified/experienced/of high enough reputation

Apply - get an interview - get rejected for not being 'the right person'

Lather, rinse, repeat

[scousevasey]

Lather, rinse, repeat

[scousevasey]

I know it goes away from the plan to start at the Bottom of Italy, but....

Tempting

[scousevasey]

Two seasons in the book, and Asambani is still waiting for someone to agree to his suggested training methods

Two more Italian interviews

Two more failures.

There also came news from Prague

Asambani had heard of the failed Mike Vitie experiment, and while in Prague on a stag do (he wasn't invited to it, but just tagged along with a coach tour), popped his head round the door to see what was available

Back to Italy, with no new ideas, no new job, and waiting for something to happen

[scousevasey]

Lather, rinse, repeat

Or not...

A job offer.  Asambani is not smart enough to work out how much he is actually being paid, but he is getting a job offer.  To be an actual Football Manager.  Of an actual team

It may only be the start of November (2021), But Asambani has already sent out this news item as his Christmas cards.  Without a message.  Just a news clipping, with the words Merry Christmas stamped across it

Yes.  Deco.  As in that one.  In the Italian 3rd division.

Not a lie.  See.

He is one of the best staff at the club, mainly because he is one of the only ones at the club.  But he can judge a player, so will be asked to organise recruitment

Not a huge amount of quality at the club.

The coaching team consists of a U18s Manager who moonlights as a HoYD with JPA and JPP of 6.  And a fitness coach.

Deco is basically running the show

[scousevasey]

An introduction to Avellino

I am not sure I trust the coaching staff with this.  What stands out is there are five players in on loan, but Maldini doesn't show in the best team list.  Bit of a worry that he has been loaned in and can't usurp anyone but we will see

The aim is to avoid relegation.  Ideally without needing the playoffs.  The wage budget is £36k, with £33k being spent, so we need to move some players out before anyone comes in to improve the team.

There are 46 expiring contracts, so the chance to more some on in January is there, but they won't fetch much of a fee.  Asambani will be looking at who is likely to contribute, and who is earning lots to hang around, and will look to thin the herd as soon as he can

No budget to improve the squad, but if there is money to be made there may be money to spend.  If not it is a case of seeing who is hanging around without a team and if they can step in.  Hopefully Deco still has friends at Porto, Barca and Chelsea

14th isn't too bad, but that is the same points as 16th and a relegation playoff spot.  With seven points to the playoffs there is a chance if Asambani can get on a winning run of making the fight for promotion, but the first aim is to open a gap up to the teams in the playoff spots

Edited December 14, 2019 by scousevasey
Unfinished post

[scousevasey]

Avellino - A team in need of guidance

 

Asambani has introduced two tactics on his first day.  The 4-1-4-1 is aimed to be 'fancy football' in his terms, with the 4-4-2 for when he needs to structure the players more.  He is not a tactical genius, instead he found a tattered copy of the Gazetta dello Sport underneath on of the legs on his desk that had the suggested formations for a game played in 1996.  Much more advanced than is Euro '92 knowledge so he decided that was the way he wanted to play.

Although his desk is now wonky, and creaks every time he touches it.

But to play these formations he needs players.  And Avellino are not short of players.  Quality is questionable, but they definitely have players

[scousevasey]

Avellino - A squad bursting at the seams

Five goalkeepers.  Just in the first team squad.  Five.

Avellino called Deco just to check there weren't any crazy rule changes meaning he could play more than one at once, but no, only one at a time.

Ravaglia has been the long term starter but earns more than the other four put together.  Abbrandini doesn't seem to be too far away from him in terms of quality, so the plan will be to be get the fitness of Abbrandini up in the reserves before looking to hand him the gloves in January.

It may not happen depending on player moods and squad dynamics

It is easy to see who has been playing due to their fitness levels.  Any changes will need players to build up to being ready in the reserves.  This is not a quick fix.

Loanee Oliveira should be a fixture, and using the agreed playing time as a guide he should be partnered by Laezza.  If he cannot perform then Asambani will look to end the loan in January and find a better option

Colpani looks to be key at DM, but also at MC, which may cause problems.  Asambani has tried to solve this by trying to work out if playing a weaker player at DM or MC creates the biggest hole.  If he can't work out the answer then he will remove the question by going with the 4-4-2

De Marco will come back at AMR, so two of the Regular Starters at MC will likely play elsewhere.  Who else wants to play, and will show it in training

De Marco stands out on the right, with Maldini making an appearance on the left.  Not sure why he wasn't listed as the best ML, but he will start.

More attacking than his father.  Hopefully he is as consistently good.  Asambani has seen the name Maldini, contracted to Madrid and wants him to play DL, but Deco is trying to persuade him that Paolo is retired.  It may not work out, we shall see

A lot of strikers for a one up top formation, but some questionable attributes mean that there isn't the depth that is there at first glance

 

Outside of the main squad, there is not too many players (they are all in the main squad)

Tozzi will move to the main squad to play at DM, freeing up Colpani to play at MC.  Stojkovic may be able to break into the starting line up, but positionally isn't suited to Asambani's plans. 

Some possible players for the future, if the coaching ratings are accurate.  If it is Deco, then they are likely to be good.  Anyone else at the club is basically throwing darts at a dartboard, blindfolded, after spinning round in a circle ten times.

None of these will move up straight away, but may in January depending on if anyone leaves

[scousevasey]

November 2021

The first month of a managerial career is an interesting one.

For Asambani, without a staff around him, and with a team who are lacking confidence  as they sit just above the relegation zone it is not an easy one

Four games, against teams in and around Avellino is a nice way to start.  Catania should be challenging for the title but are struggling, so that will be tough, but there are points on offer elsewhere

Four games, four points.  A reasonable start, but one in which Asambani hope for much more.

 

A game in which the free flowing ideas of the rookie Mexican looked to be paying dividends.  But a poor penalty, plus a drop in fitness and concentration at the end cost points.  Asambani spent the evening dreaming of what could have been.

 

Asambani had asked Deco for assistance, in finding players who could step in and do a job for the team.  Peeters came in on a trial, impressed, signed and then started the first game he could at DM allowing Colpani to shore up the MC position.  A goal on debut is a good start for the the man.

Asambani was not happy with this result, as Avellino had chances, but struggled early.  So he went back to his tactics, and asked his STC to push up more, no longer a F9 but a Poacher instead.  Hopefully this puts him in the box more, and instead of relying on the AML/AMR to provide the threat it should make a difference

 

The first game for Grubac due to him recovering from injury at the start of the month then going off on international duty for the second game.  He replaces fellow loanee Pinto, and along with the tactical tweak is much further up the pitch.

The change doesn't show through in the result, but it does mean that Sanchez Asambani has his first point as a manager.  All of his family and friends will be getting a gift subscription to the Gazetta dello Sport this Christmas so they can read of such glories.

 

Not as controlled in terms of shots, possession and heat map as previous games, but four goals.  In one game.  And Avellino only conceded after Asambani thought the game was over.  The 4th official signalled for 4 minutes of added time.  Asambani realised that the game hit the 95th minute, so when the ball went out for a Sicula Leonzio goal kick he called his players over to start the celebrations.

Deco later pointed out that it is a 'minimum of', so hopefully it doesn't happen again.

Games played against 11th, 7th, 16th and 10th.  Avellino sit 14th.  Not bad to get four points from that.

The two early losses did drop Avellino into the relegation zone but they are back where they started the month.  And slightly better off.  Still 7 from the playoffs, but now a full point ahead of the playoff places.

December brings two teams that rejected Sanchez Asambani, and he will be keen to show them they were mistaken.

First up is the team at the bottom of the table, before it is time to break out the top hat and cane again.  The end of the month brings the toughest game, with Virtus Francavilla sitting second in the table.  A draw, or even a well fought loss will be a good marker for what can be achieved in 2022 and beyond

[Minuy600]

Interesting to see that it took so long to get a job. All the more realistic though compared to previous FMs. Good luck in the Serie C, looks like a fun league to try your hand at.

[scousevasey]

Building for the future

An interesting first insight into our intake.

Clearly we will be scouring for offcasts from Serie A and B, plus some loans to help cover gaps

[scousevasey]

December 2021

Not a good month all told.  Although the result against Virtus is better than what was expected after losing to Monopoli

 

A dominant performance against the bottom side, and one which vindicates the formation.  A bit of a shame that 11 shots on target only resulted in two goals, but three points is three points

 

Asambani clearly spent more time on his fancy dress costume than he did on preparing for this game.  And it showed with Avellino being overrun.  The worst performance in the Asambani regime so far.

With a game against 2nd placed Virtus next up, Asambani changed the mentality to Cautious, with the aim of snatching a point

 

A much better performance, and a point would have been fair, but it was not to be.

Avellino end 2021 in 15th, four points ahead of the playoff points, and importantly 9 ahead of 19th, which is the magic number to decide if the game takes place.  They have fallen to 10 back from the promotion playoffs, and the focus of the season is really all about finishing above 15th.

With a short break between games on the 19th December and 9th January, Asambani is turning his focus to removing some players from his wage budget to allow him to find some replacements

De Marco, Laezza and Ravaglia are all starters, although Ravaglia may be eased out soon.

Casoli is not playing currently, Celjak is on the bench while Colpani is a key figure in the team.  The first two are 30+ so the aim is to move them on, but that may not go down too well.  A chance to see what Deco can do.

He will also have a chance to move on some of the influential players.

[scousevasey]

January 2022

Another mixed bag of results.

There was a debate between Asambani and Deco about being Cautious against Casertana but they decided against it and it backfired.

 

Two good wins, that were fairly dominant in key stats.  Bit of a shame that Grubac missed out on the hattrick but three points is three points

 

A fairly even game, where a lack of quality downed Avellino

 

Better against Rende who are underperforming this year.  Not the best performance, but a point is useful at this stage of the season

With 13 games to go Avellino are still hanging in 14th so it looks like there has been no progress, but there is now a five point gap to the playoffs, and 13 points to 19th in case they get caught.  10 points from the promotion playoffs is too far to bridge at this stage, so the aim will be to just cement the place in Serie C, judge who should get contracts for the future and prepare for 2022-2023

Five games, four of which are against teams in the top 7.  Cautious will be the default in February, with Oblia being targeted for points.  Three from there plus two others would help with the aim of staying clear of the relegation playoffs.  Any more is really a bonus

 

[scousevasey]

Transfers

One player left the team, and for a fee.  His contract was running down so to get a fee is a positive here.

Unfortunately non of the geriatric players were able to leave, although one has signed a pre-contract deal for July so won't look to stick around.  

Six players arriving, though they are not all for now.  Gori is a punt for the future.  His Fiorentina contract runs out this season, so I have nabbed him on loan until then, with the aim of persuading him to sign with us permanently.  It might not happen, but there is hope.  He will rotate with Grubac, with Gori getting more time if I can wangle it to give him more incentive to stay.

[scousevasey]

February 2022

1 hour ago, scousevasey said:

Five games, four of which are against teams in the top 7.  Cautious will be the default in February, with Oblia being targeted for points.  Three from there plus two others would help with the aim of staying clear of the relegation playoffs.  Any more is really a bonus

My conservative aim was five points.  Asambani doubled that, and it could and should  have been more

The tactic went back to Balanced for the Olbia game, and it produced a loss against a team that is now tied on points.  Maybe playing conservatively is the way forward.

  

Three smash and grab raids against the teams fighting at the top of the table.  Confidence is a wonderful thing

Tighter against Teramo and in a poor game there wasn't a chance converted.  This is a result that would have looked great based on the prediction of five points.  Doesn't look as good, but a point is not to be rejected

 

A real struggle in the final game of the month.  The only change was to move back to Balanced.  It sent Asambani back to the drawing board about the best way to approach the remaining eight games

The league table is a bit of an oddity currently, with Catanzaro clear at the top, then Bari in 2nd through to Palermo in 9th covered by 13 points, before a gap of 6 back to the final playoff place.  That heads a logjam with 10th to 14th covered by three points, then a huge 10 point gap back to 15th and the teams aiming to avoid relegation.

With eight games to go it is possible that Palermo, Casertana and possibly Virtus and Potenza can be caught but it is unlikely.  That leaves Paganese, Sicula, Monopoli, Olbia and ourselves fighting for the final playoff spot.  Depending on how March goes, there may be a need to look up tiebreakers and playoff rules.

A gap back to 16th of 11 points should be enough, and 19 points back to 19th means that even if we slip there is a cushion that means we can avoid the relegation playoffs.

The biggest issue is that the squad don't like Asambani.  The board won't let him go and get a qualification, so it is difficult to improve that.  Hopefully a strong end of season, then a bit of a clear out will bring a team that is more agreeable to the ways of the mercurial Mexican.  Even with their dissatisfaction the overall grade is good.  The real worry would be if results weren't up to scratch.

March brings four games, against runaway leaders Catanzaro and Potenza the mentality will return to Cautious.  Messina should be brushed aside, so Balanced will be the order of the day.  Asambani is still undecided about the Paganese game.  It is a home tie, so performing for the crowd is on his mind, but it may all depend on the league table before the game and how the rest of the month has gone for the teams around Avellino in the table

[deltablue]

Good luck trimming down that squad

[scousevasey]

8 hours ago, deltablue said:

Good luck trimming down that squad

It would be easy if they were split between a good core and a rubbish bunch who could easily be discarded, but there is so much general abjectness that it is going to be a pain.

 

The one real advantage is that 40ish players are out of contract in June, so I will only keep those who have been regulars for me (starting or knowingly on the bench [with 12 spots available there is a random mismatch of dodgy players filling part of the bench, but there are too many to sort out properly in season]).  That should whittle it down a bit, and then I will raid the free agent market to fill gaps/find quality before trying to top it up with some decent loan deals

[scousevasey]

I am not sure I trust the press

This came through after we finished the 34th league game, and 20th of the Asambani regime.  This game guaranteed survival for next season, and still in with a shout of the playoffs with four games  to go

Not the best statistics, but 10 wins for the untested manager, and 34 points gained in that time is not a terrible start.

 

It may be that Sanchez Asambani will be heading north sooner than later

[scousevasey]

March 2022

Ten points from four games is a good haul, especially considering that three of them came away to the runaway league leaders

 

A bit of a scrappy game, with the late goal giving more of a gloss on the result than should be deserved.

 

A poor performance against Potenza but managing to scrape a draw in such a performance is a good thing.  Playing with the Cautious mentality may not have been ideal here, but it had performed well in the previous tough fixtures.

That all leaves Avellino just two points away from the final playoff spot, and only five of the heights of 9th.  More importantly after the early dalliances with the relegation playoff spots, Avellino have pulled to 17 clear with 12 points left to play for.  Safety achieved, and a tactic that is working bodes well for next season

Facing 2nd to begin the final month, and denying them the points will end their title challenge.  A tasty game is at hand here.  Bisceglie are fighting to avoid the relegation playoff, and need points to keep their gap ahead of Messina, so it will be tough.

The game circled on the calendar is against Sicula Leonzio as they currently hold the final promotion playoff spot.  A key game in the run in, with a positive result a priority.  A final game against Arzachena could be a gentle way to finish the season, or a furious fight to improve goal difference and secure 10th.  If there is no chance of promotion at this point, then a rotated team will play focussed on PPA

[scousevasey]

2022 Youth Intake

Not as important as it would be in a youth only save, but still worth a look

Nothing brilliant long term, but if potentials are reached there may be some back up players.  (22f) Pellicano is not too far away from challenging for a start, but that says more about the quality of the squad in general.

The players with a (22x) tag have been offered a contract with the others free to move on.  Ideally all would be signed, but the wage budget is tight and the club finances are terrible

I need to hide £300 p/w to keep the board happy, but with only £20k signed up for next year we have some room to manoeuvre in the summer

Not all the fault of Asambani, but it is a steady decline.  Promotion will be needed in the near future otherwise there will be bigger issues at hand

[scousevasey]

Sanchez Asambani is livid.  Saturday, followed by Sunday.  Utterly stupid

Two games back to back.  For a third tier side.  How is he meant to get the points he needs?

Even the protestations from everyone at the club saying it is just what is done in the league do nothing

Just because everyone plays two games in a weekend doesn't mean it is right

[scousevasey]

The start of the run in

Having glanced at the schedule for last season, the league games ran until May, so the congestion is clearly getting prepared for an earlier start and then a World Cup break.  Not that we will miss any players during that time but still.

Anyway, April is getting tense, so updates will come in sections,

First up - 2nd placed Catania

 

This ended their title challenge, and handed the title to Catanzaro with three games to go.

But more importantly we had an extra point, yet fell away a little in the race for the playoffs as others around Avellino won.  The gap to 10th is now 4 points

Next up - 16th placed Bisceglie

 

Asambani went back to the balanced mentality against a weaker team, and it paid off.  A little suspect defensively with two shots, both hitting the target and one being a goal, but it is a win, and three more points.

Two games to go.

Two playoff places still to be decided.

One point the gap.

One day to recover.

One place separating Avellino from their next opponents Sicula

 

Palermo have a tough game against Catania, before an easier one against Bisceglie

Sicula face Avellino in a vital match before finishing against Juve Stabia, who while they sit 5th with two games to play could reach as high as 2nd.

That means both Catania and Juve Stabia will be fighting for points until the final game

Monopoli sit just behind Avellino and face Foggia and Casertana.  Foggia are fighting to avoid the relegation playoff, while Casetana sit 6th, but tied on points with those in 7th and 8th so will be looking for points to help their playoff draw

 

It looks like a case of beat Sicula and then a playoff spot is in hand

[scousevasey]

The penultimate game of the 2021-2022 season.

A day after a good win against Bisceglie. Against a rival for for the promotion playoffs.

Asambani went with the balanced mentaility, and the team struggled to get out of their half in this game, with Sicula's heat map being a near mirror image of the Avellino one

But Avellino took their chances.  With all four goals coming from players on loan, there is a question about what happens next year.  Gori is out of contract in the summer but doesn't want to sign.  Depending on who is available for free, Asambani may be looking to get some of these back to see if they can reproduce their form in the next campaign

Palermo drew.

Monopoli drew.

Avellino now have 9th spot in their hands.

Would a draw be enough?

Results between teams is the key deciding factor.  If Avellino draw then while Palermo can go above them, Sicula can only draw level.

And Avellino have the tiebreaker.

Meaning there is one game to go.  Avellino face the bottom of the table team who are guaranteed relegation who have gathered up 13 points in their preceding 37 games.  And a draw will be good enough to guarantee a playoff spot.

Not bad for half a season's work.  Maybe the board will support Asambani going on a coaching course on the back of this...

[scousevasey]

Sicula lose, meaning that Avellino are guaranteed a Playoff spot

Palermo win.  Avellino need to win to get 9th, otherwise they come 10th

 

A dominant performance, but poor in front of goal.  But the important thing is three points and a playoff spot secured

Bisceglie avoid a relegation playoff by virtue of being 11 clear of Messina which is nice for them.  Picerno and Rende will fight to stay in the division.

Avellino use a solid run of form to end the season to secure a playoff spot

Asambani took over after 14 games, with club having won two games back to back.  A tough couple of games to start with tweaks to the formation and roles, but once the team settled they worked their way up the table.  From being 18th when the previous manager left, to 9th at the end of the season is a really good result.

And the media have recognised that despite being sceptical earlier in the season.

Not sure yet if the playoffs are run in the regional leagues until the quarter final or an open draw, but with 2nd getting a bye until the quarter final, there will be a merger at some point.  Four teams come down from Serie B, being replaced by the winners of each of the regional groups of Serie C (A/B/C) and then one overall playoff winner.

Once the draw is done, there should be more information about what is to happen

[scousevasey]

Serie C Playoffs 2022

A busy May if we make it through, with single legged ties in the first two round, before the third round onwards gives the opportunity to play home and away.

June has a final listed, as does the last week of May, so that looks to be two legged as well, if we make it that far

The first round is done in terms of regional groups, with us facing Casertana first who came 6th.

If we make it through that we get to stay in region, but there is some switching of groups in the second round

Fitness may be an issue with a few games in close succession, but the biggest thing on Asambani's mind is whether to set out as Cautious or Balanced

[scousevasey]

 

Our poor early season cost us with Casertana going through as the higher seeds

They were eight points clear of us in the league, so not something to complain about.  So that brings a close to the season, with the next task on the horizon being a revamp of the squad.  During the run in Deco has been busy chasing the signatures of players who are being released from Serie A clubs as their youth contracts come to an end.  They are not world beaters now, but are between 17 and 19 so have room to grow.

When we hit the end of June he will be scouring the free agent market for some players in the 23-27 range who can come in and make a difference, as well as trying to find any suitable loans to help cement our promotion push next season.

The board are relatively happy, with us reaching the playoffs a real bonus this season

The only issue is that there was a new target of reaching the third round of the playoffs which we failed, but it shows that while it is required it is not being judged.  We shall see what happens as the calendar flicks over to June and the official end of season

[anagain]

Very enjoyable write up. I love the way you tell the story of senor Asambani. Commiserations on losing the first play off round despite a strong season.

Maybe I missread something you wrote, but did Casertana win the round purely because they were the seeded home team, meaning the unseeded team has to win away to progress?

[ManUtd1]

Loving this and all the detail!

[scousevasey]

1 hour ago, anagain said:

Very enjoyable write up. I love the way you tell the story of senor Asambani. Commiserations on losing the first play off round despite a strong season.

Maybe I missread something you wrote, but did Casertana win the round purely because they were the seeded home team, meaning the unseeded team has to win away to progress?

I am trying to move past just the facts of the story, inspired by @ManUtd1 and his stories. Not at that level of crazy shenanigans but it adds a little to the story

 

The playoffs, at least in the first two rounds when it is one legged, the team that finished higher in the table gets a couple of bonuses. First the game is at home, and second they go through if there is a draw.

Quite a nice way to reward league position in a long playoff format.  Hopefully next year we will skip this and go up as champions

1 hour ago, ManUtd1 said:

Loving this and all the detail!

Just trying to provide an insight into the save, and a level/league that I don’t know about that seems interesting and useful

[scousevasey]

Remaking a squad

After failing in the promotion playoffs focus turned to contracts, who should stay and how best to build for the future.

Asambani was still holding a grudge that the players didn't rate them, but left a subtle dig at them by constantly referencing the number 18 in the end of year awards speech.  Unfortunately the reference missed the spot and the players thought that the annual club fundraising bingo had started early.

While the players, fans and the rest of the staff put their eyes down for a full house and prize kitty consisting of a large jar of Nutella, as the town is known for its hazelnuts, and a tub of Neapolitan ice cream donated by the manager due to the nearby big city of Naples, and a hankering for cheap sugary food, Asambani and Deco convened to work out who to keep, who to release and who was available to them.

The one advantage they had is the board had ruled out a transfer budget due to the club being £2million in debt, so that instantly narrowed the player pool

Losing 20 players who weren't up to scratch is a good start.  Plus four of the older players decided that sitting on the bench, or worse being given a runaround by youngsters in training while the first team played, was not what they wanted and retired.

But Deco had been working his magic trying to build a functional squad, so there were players who turned up ready to start in return

So much for working with a smaller squad this season.

Asambani told Deco to hold off on signing new players before there was time to judge the remaining players at the club.  That would allow them to work out where there were issues, and who to go after in the loan market.

So Deco went and was offered another job instead.  Asking him to stay didn't work.  Sanchez could soon be left without any help in this foreign country.  Which will be interesting

[scousevasey]

Off Season Squad Review

June started with a message from the board

No criticisms.  Asambani took down the photos of the players that have now retired, carefully removing the darts from the back of the cupboard door where he had vented his frustrations earlier in the year.

But only a C+ at the minute.  How can they only be satisfied with the tranfers.  There is no money to use, so Deco is scouring the scrap heap.  Idiots.

De Marco, Laezza and Barlocco should still be key to the team.  Ravaglia was resigned for one more year, mainly due to 18 clean sheets, and his high standing, but ideally he will be moving along in the near future

Ignore Colombo, his trial is not leading to a contract.

Ravaglia will start as the main keeper, but this year Abbrandini will get some playing time.

Pone and Ciccariello will man the reserves with Rosa and (22h) Lauri in the age group teams

Not a huge change here but a solid area of the team

Alcides Dias has been signed this winter but is better elsewhere, and Laezza is better elsewhere too, leaving Tedesco as the starter.  Quite a few players looking to fight it out as backup, but that could be filled by one of those mentioned above.

Aside from Laezza at 28 this is a young group with plenty of room to develop.  Deco will be asked to find loans for a few of these faces

Barlocco was one of the key faces last season so will start the season, but Dimarco will be rotating in with the aim of him claiming the position by the end of the season.  Zanoni is too old  for the age group teams so may go out on loan.

Laezza will anchor the defence, with Sottini and Alcides Dias fighting out to parnter him.  Riccio might be a useful rotation option, but Asambani is mindful of playing time and would rather promote one of his younger options if there are injuries.  With a 12 seater bench he will be able to keep them in the main squad all season too

At DM Peeters came into the club and made the position his own, with Badjie and Bertini both looking to back him up as required.  Two views shown one focused on defensive attributes and the other on midfield ones.

De Marco will be at AMR, but Rossi really came on last season and will start if he is fit.  Lots of people able to partner him and back him up, so there will be a bit of competition in preseason.  Colpani's loan ended and while there isn't too big a gap to fill, there is no clear choice to step up.

While Ballabio could play a role, at a position with lots of options he won't be signing on

De Marco is still the best option here, with lots of players who are versatile enough to swap sides, or drift up front.

Haskic and Pechetola are the best options to back him up.

Sene could be useful, more so than Catapano but again neither will be invited to stay

Maldini was a star last year, and Deco has asked Milan if he can come back, but if not Bilal could well be a star.  He was released by Sevilla, and spotted by Deco as a possible option.  He doesn't want to drop to Serie C, but has agreed to a trial so there is hope.  If he signs he will be the immediate starter.

Otherwise Zalewski is the best option with a few others playing out of position or the potential of Contini as back up options.

Asambani is very keen on Bilal, so much so he is willing to negotiate the contract himself instead of leaving it to Deco.  Maybe leaving the former international star to negotiate is a better ploy, but Asambani thinks that the manager taking the time to collect him from the airport shows his importance.  It didn't help when they arrived at the training ground and Bilal asked Asambani to carry his bags and let the manager know he has arrived, but the idea was good on paper.

De Simone could be the star here, with Haskic and Peschetola backing him up from AMR too.  Gori who was brought in on loan last season won't sign, and Grubac is still under contract.  Deco is still looking to see if there is a quality option he can arrange a loan for

[scousevasey]

Transfer manoeuvrings

Asambani was scouring the pages of the Gazzetta again and found two players who interested him, to go alongside Bilal

He still doesn't want to sign, but at least has turned up to see how the club looks

Rasmussen won't come on a trial of any length.  He was let go by Fiorentina having not made the grade in Italy.  If he sticks in the country then there is a chance he will wear down and sign, but he is equally likely to return to Denmark

Moreno was at Juventus, but played mainly in the U23s, who play in Serie B.  Not prolific in any way, but he could be an improvement on what Asambani has at his disposal.  He, like Rasmussen won't join for a trial or discuss terms, but Asambani will keep trying

So much so that he let the press know he was interested in all three.  All three didn't commit, mumbling about getting a decent contract.  Yeah, we get it, footballers will play anywhere if the cash pile is big enough, but this is Serie C, don't get your hopes up.

Milan also came back and said that Maldini needs to play with better players.  So that sucks.  Unless Bilal signs, then we won't care

Deco has gone.  To Serie A, so not surprising.  Asambani is going to send a scout to watch Sassuolo and see if Deco will do him a favour by sending some decent players his way.

Hopefully there will be some decent options applying.  Who knows, they may have 'contacts' that can be exploited.

[scousevasey]

A mixed bunch of an update.

Sanchez Asambani put out an advert for a new DoF, but his chairman moved quickly to add a random dude.  Asambani has snuck an advert in the back pages of the Gazzetta to see if he can get a name he recognises, or who has some decent contacts.

There is no way Avellino could spring to £7.5k a week, so they lose out on Bilal, and Milan won't send Maldini back at the minute, so there is a drop off in quality on the left this season

Rasmussen refused to even sit down to talk details, but again is out of the price range of Avellino.  With an instant value of over £1m, Asambani is wishing Deco had stuck around to work some magic

Moreno did come on trial eventually, but wanted £4k per week, and wouldn't negotiate down to the max £2k that Avellino could carve out

Slightly gutting to see he then signed at the Serie C level for less than £1000 per week.

Instead Asambani had to look outside his major targets

Steffe knocked on the training ground door, holding his boots and asking for a trial.  After being sent to set up the cones on the first day, he controlled the centre of midfield and was offered a contract.  A bit steep, but a level of quality that has otherwise been missing.

Olsen comes in on loan, and again is a step up from the MCs around the club before hand.  at only 17, he could well be a star in the future, and Asambani is looking to play him, and then claim the quality is down to his coaching as he tries to wangle a better job

Langer was send to Avellino by Deco, and will lead the line.  With Avellino until 2024, so two seasons, when his Sassuolo contract ends, he is a player that Asambani will look to be signing if possible

 

While all of this transfer shenanigans was taking place, there was a draw for the cup

Avellino came out first, but as Arezzo came 3rd in Serie C group B, compared to Avellino's 9th, they got the home tie.  Yet another reason to perform in the league this season

 

Fitness was a bit of an issue, as was the fact there were lots of new faces in the starting 11, with only three players surviving from the previous season.  This is not as extreme as it sounds because three more were carrying knocks from friendlies, but it did mean there was a lack of coherence.

It does mean the board are not best pleased currently, but a good season in the league may help them forget about the cup.

£15k available in the wage budget, originally reserved for Bilal, Rasmussen and Moreno, but now sitting dormant.  The only player Asambani is looking to bring in is Maldini if he can work a deal, so there will be plenty of space left, keeping the board happy.

That should make up for the cup failure

The club finances are still poor, so hopefully the savings in the wage budget can make a difference.  Asambani is desperate to have a nice certificate showing he can coach to have framed on his desk, but the board aren't willing to splash out on the fee currently.

To reach the aim for the league it is top 10 again, but after the seedings for the playoffs cost Asambani last year he is aiming to get a bye at least, so needs top 4 if he can make it.  The bookies reckon 6th , but it is close in terms of odds all the way down the league so good performances are a must

[scousevasey]

Early season preview

A mixed bag of friendlies, with Nice and Sporting being a level or two above Avellino, with the result against Sporting particularly promising.

Poor game against Arezzo which helps build pressure on Asambani, but he is looking to focus on the league this season

Eight games to open the season.  Two teams expected to be battling relegation to open up, before Juve Stabia provide the first real test of the season.  Unless anything major happens in August, there won't be an update until the end of September, which includes tough games against Benevento, Palermo, and Bari in a run to end the month.  If morale drops here there could be issues for the rest of the season

[scousevasey]

Final Transfers

Asambani and friends snuck a couple more transfers in while preparing for the deadline

Calo and Angeli are two young DC options who may well make a difference in the first team squad next season, but are for the future

Cinque is a GK option who is one for the future, who may well make it to 2nd choice during this season

But the big signing is the loan of Monzialo from Frosinone, of the Serie A.  A good deal to get him for 30% of his wages and he will instantly make us better

Coming in at AML, the space vacated by Maldini.  As the deal was only confirmed on deadline day he wasn't at the club for the three games in August, but arrives match fit so will go into the team for September

[scousevasey]

August and September 2022

Three games in August, and the results were as expected, although Asambani hoped for a draw away to Juve Stabia.  A home tie would have been expected to be a draw instead.

 

The early penalty may have led to a different result if it had gone in, but that is life.

Asambani is slightly worried about the lack of a heat map spot for the STC, but is wary of tweaks to limit the effectiveness of the formation

Five games in September, with a poor draw against Sicula, and then a loss to Monopoli away who were unbeaten at this stage.  Because Benevento were expected to top the league Asambani dropped from a Positive mentality to Balanced for that game, but the stats were out of his favour so he abandoned it against Palermo and Bari, going back to positive and stopping the streak of four games without a win.

It is still a little early for a league table, but having played the teams in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th and 10th already Avellino are fairly well placed only four games back from the top of the table.

Six games in October highlighed by the game against Rende who are currently the highest placed opposition in 11th and three points behind Avellino.  This is a chance for Asambani to cement his promotion challenge, and begin the hunt in his quest to reach the top of Europe

[scousevasey]

October 2022

Subtitled, a man who brags, is destined for a fall.

19 hours ago, scousevasey said:

Six games in October highlighed by the game against Rende who are currently the highest placed opposition in 11th and three points behind Avellino.  This is a chance for Asambani to cement his promotion challenge, and begin the hunt in his quest to reach the top of Europe

Sods law that points get dropped, with two draws against teams who were in the relegation zone.

Awful play really

 

Fairly even, but it required a red card and a late late goal to salvage a point from the game,  Virtus were bottom going into the game.

  

Outplayed away from home.  Casertana were lurking outside the playoff places, but really this should have been a game that Avellino were looking to win

 

An awful heat map, where Avellino were basically afraid of the ball.  This game marked the first game for Cinque, trying to give a boost to the squad by rotating a couple of options

That leaves Avellino in 6th, only a point off 5th, but a full nine from the top.   The seven point gap to 11th is a bonus, but with 7 points thrown away in October Asambani was not happy.

But the Club Vision gave him a boost

The player support is now positive, and growing, having cleared out the deadwood this is now his team

The wage budget is $40,720 per week, and we are spending £27,532, so there is plenty of room to sign players, although each month the team is losing money so spending too much is a risk.

But more importantly the rest of the club vision has changed, and instead of being expected to continue to reach the playoffs, the board have switched off and just want to sell up.  In one way that gives a cushion to underperform, but a new board may want more to be achieved, and with Asambani out of contract at the end of the season, there is a risk he will be asked to move on, and not necessarily up

Asambani can't worry about the long term, when he has to face up to November

A cup game, which the board are not that interested about followed by four league games.

Olbia is the easiest game of the month, with Bisceglie and Foggia being the two teams directly above Avellino in the league.  This is a month where a good run will be important

Edited December 27, 2019 by scousevasey
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