midlothian Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 Maybe the headline is a tad harsh on this charming little club but still: they have played three seasons in Serie A - and finished bottom each time. My aim is to change this depressing trend although of course A.C. Legnano are currently far from the top flight: they are competing in the humble Serie C2/A, the Italian fourth division. I am using FM 2010 with the patch installed, all Italian leagues and the top two Spanish divisions loaded with a large database. The game is played by the LLM guidelines (no editor, relying on scouts and staff advice, using the job centre etc.). I have two seasons completed so the first updates are on their way. Yeah, I see, everyone's so excited. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 2009/10: AC Legnano - Serie C2/A Board expectation: promotion Media prediction: 1st (almost fainted when I realised this...) It was a fairly crappy squad that was supposed to win this division so there were lots of ins and outs as we were inadequately equipped in, well, in most positions. Fortunately we had two excellent loanee attackers already at the club so I set out to strengthen the central midfield, the defence and the wings. Transfers Now I had a squad which was ready for a promotion push and we started well, only to be wildly inconsistent all season. We leaked goals left, right and centre and were probably one of the least creative teams ever but somehow finished as the league's top scorers as the front two kept banging them in from everywhere. Yet a minor miracle was required to reach the playoffs: we were 8th with 5 games to go. Won those five (God knows where that kind of form came from, I have no idea) and finished fourth. Won all four playoff games to get promoted! League table Key players: Although I'm obviously a fantastic manager (OK, the fans said I was and that's good enough for me), the footballers also did their part. And the following men were the best of the bunch. Antonio Gaeta (FC): This loanee striker overcame adversity and his own lack of real talent to finish as our top goalscorer. He was unstoppable and no distance was too far for him to score. Denis D'Onofrio (ST): Another loanee, another brilliant striker. On paper he's the better player of the two; on the pitch he was second best to Gaeta. But when the stakes were highest (in the promotion playoff) he was our best player. Anthony Fabri (MC): The French central midfielder was a signing of mine and he fully repaid my faith. Capable of scoring spectacular goals as well as providing some protection for the defence he was a very important part of the team. As you can see his technical skills put him somewhat short of the Zidane/Kaka/Cristiano Ronaldo category but he was good enough for us. Machote (DL): He is prone to giving away penalties but otherwise a reliable, solid full-back. A bargain, and a much needed one as we had one half-decent left-back before his arrival. Vinh Long Willemin (DR): On the other flank we had an even better player and full credit to my useless assistant manager for spotting this guy. Awesomely consistent, made fewer mistakes than any of our players. And that was the first season. The second coming up soon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted November 4, 2009 Author Share Posted November 4, 2009 2010/11: AC Legnano - Serie C1/B Board expectation: reasonable league position Media prediction: 8th Gaeta and D'Onofrio flatly refused to return to us and I wasn't satisfied with the contribution Fofana, my starting AML so I had to rebuild the attack from scratch. Also there was an urgent need to strengthen the defence and the centre of the midfield where we were too soft last season. Transfers As you can see we cut a lot of deadwood and brought in quite a few players. The gap in quality compared to Serie C2 wasn't exactly massive and we were 4 points clear at the top after 20 games. Things went downhill in the second half of the season as we won only one away game in the 2011 calendar year. Could have still won the league but a dreadful one point taken from the last three games saw us slipping down to fourth and into the playoffs again. We beat Virtus Lanciano home and away then in the final we battered Ternana at home - the 2-0 scoreline did not reflect our superiority - and we withstood a bombardment away to lose only 2-1 (we had very good chances to achieve a more comfortable result but we missed them) and get promoted. It's the first time I managed to achieve consecutive promotions in any version of CM or FM. League table Progress graph Key players: as I said the gap in quality was rather small, so the best players of last season (those who stayed here, obviously) were up to the scratch while my new signings were reasonably successful. Below I listed the best players of the campaign. Anthony Fabri (MC): Again, he was crucial. His technical abilities are still crap but he's still one of our most useful players. Wilker (FC): The parent club agreement with Genoa got us this gem on loan and he was a revelation. Top scorer, capable of leading the line on his own as well as providing support from deep... wonderful little player he is. Rudy Carlier (ST): His strike partner was none too shabby either. The Frenchman, picked up on a free, is a very reliable goalscorer. Rarely does anything spectacular but he's there when you need him. Jose Vega (AML): The replacement of Fofana was ultimately a huge success even though he endured a difficult first few months - as reflected in his average rating. After blending in to the squad he became a fearsome winger flying past full-backs for fun. Hopefully he'll be able to keep it up for a few more seasons. Louis Parfait (DM, MC): Another played loaned from Genoa, another huge success. A model of consistency, he brought some much-needed bite and steel to the midfield. Thomas Phibel (DC): A Guadeloupe international, he missed plenty of games due to injury or international commitments. But he's a very reliable centre-back and did what we expected of him. Tommaso Romito (DC): He was, if I recall correctly, another finding of the assman and I'm eternally grateful: the Italian defender was an absolute revelation, our Alessandro Nesta. His experience was priceless throughout the campaign. So, Serie B, here we come! I expect a long, grim struggle against relegation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMister Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Congratulations Midlothian. 3 in a row? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted November 5, 2009 Author Share Posted November 5, 2009 We're predicted to finish 22nd so it's unlikely Had a look at the squads in Serie B (just to see the strength of the competitors) and well, it's frightening really. I went on another great shopping spree and we're equipped to survive but everything above that would be a massive bonus. Fortunately, Wilker returned to us on a free transfer and Genoa loaned out Parfait again - I was dreading the loss of these two. A day after the registration window had closed, my scout found an awesome, unattached central midfielder... that's my luck. Gonna sign him anyway though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted November 5, 2009 Author Share Posted November 5, 2009 8 points from the first 5 games, not a bad return. Looks like we're good enough to stay up. We owe a lot to Valentín Brasca: we picked him up from Spain and he's excellent so far. Edit: Five straight defeats, including a particularly painful home reverse against relegation candidates Empoli, and now suddenly I can't see ourselves staying up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted November 5, 2009 Author Share Posted November 5, 2009 After 18 games we are 20th, we just lost to hapless, bottom-of-the-table Arezzo and they created seven clear cut chances. Fofana, their Legnano-reject AML, provided three assists, my keeper got a rating of 3.6. It's the bottom. We could not even keep the draw after equalising in the 80th minute. Total disaster and I have to say that FM10's biggest problem makes a relegation fight almost impossible: it's dreadfully, incredibly difficult to come out of a slump in form. Once you start losing, you'll keep losing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMister Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Pull yourself together man! Show some character Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted November 6, 2009 Author Share Posted November 6, 2009 I would but my team don't. A 4-0 thrashing of high-flying Taranto gave me hope - then we were outclassed at home by 18th placed Frosinone and 21st placed Triestina. I calculated 6 points from those two home games, we got nil. With 15 games to go we are 4 points behind even the last relegation playout place and we conceded 53 goals in 27 games. Nothing works, just nothing. The only thing I don't understand is how could we start the season so well. But I'll have a good squad for Serie C1. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted November 6, 2009 Author Share Posted November 6, 2009 "David Pino doesn't understand manager's fury. The winger revealed he personally hadn't seen much wrong with how the team had played" I'll show you the wrongs at Monday's training then, you cheeky tanned metrosexual! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted November 9, 2009 Author Share Posted November 9, 2009 We put up a couragous fight, collecting 8 points out of the last four games but got relegated. Football is so fickle though: had left winer Jose Vega been able to simply square the ball to my totally unmarked striker Ádám Szalai in the 88th minute of our penultimate league game, we would have finished 19th and got into the relegation playout. It wasn't to be. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMister Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Bad luck, Midlothian. Maybe it'll go better when you come back up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Hello Midlothian. A lot more detail than a LLM update. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted November 10, 2009 Author Share Posted November 10, 2009 Yeah, that's why I posted a thread here. I have this burning desire to share my experiences for the good of the world! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted November 10, 2009 Author Share Posted November 10, 2009 The new season started and despite having the best squad in the league and a tactic which fits the players we find ourselves 11 points adrift of leaders Cavese after only seven games - the promotion bid is all but over. It is extremely disappointing and puzzling. Last game was at Potenza: we had 15 shots, they had 1. Care to guess the result? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 You lost 2-0? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshpmilton Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 I was going to go for a 15-1 victory? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 I factored in an own goal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted November 11, 2009 Author Share Posted November 11, 2009 It was 1-1. Since then we suffered even more stupid, pathetic defeats and I just can't figure out what's wrong, the whole thing feels totally random since the patch. In the demo I felt I had control over my team's performance - now I don't have that. I'll persevere until I'm sacked but it's quite clear that this save is going nowhere. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 I got back to this save after a lengthy absence - and it gripped me again. I had a very, very testing season, I'll update soon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GioGio85 Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 this is good stuff - keep it up! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 As testing as The Krypton Factor? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 At least we would have looked unique there with the light purple shirts. Throughout the season, though, my players seemed to be suffering from effects of kryptonite - assuming that they are Supermen which is never in doubt for a manager like me, one with the utmost faith in his players. 2012/13: AC Legnano - Serie C1/B League table It was tense stuff, I tell you: after an indifferent start, things got worse, we barely won any games even when we dominated and I was baffled. A tactical switch at the final stages of the campaign helped to put together an unbeaten run but going into the final day we needed both Monopoli and Rodengo to slip up. We won our game against Alto Adige and as both our rivals managed to lose, we were safe! Not bad from a team that should have been promoted, really. Players Needless to say, not a lot of them emerged with any credit after this dismal run. Experienced DC Tommaso Romito helped keeping things together at the back. Cameroon central midfielder Louis Parfait actually had an average rating above 7 (7.01 but still), which made him the best player of our campaign. Ádám Szalai (Hungarian ST) scored nine and provided three which is unremarkable enough but he reserved his best form for the final stages of the campaign. That's it, really. I barely made screenshots as the season was so dismal I wanted to get over it quickly and start building from the scratch again. I've already completed the next season as well, it will be up soon with more detail. And yes, that is a threat. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 Squeaky bum time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted February 24, 2010 Author Share Posted February 24, 2010 2013/14: AC Legnano - Serie C1/B League Table League Graph I added a lot of players to the squad, including two exciting signings from France, a DC and an ST. I feared that we would be inexplicably bad again but I vowed to stick with the tactics I devised at the end of the previous season, with three central midfielders supporting the attacking trio of an AMC and two STs. We opened the campaign with six straight wins and never looked back. Finally, the team had shape, had a style, they played as I wanted them to play and we eased to the league title. We played very good football and had a rock-solid defence. Serie B, here we are again! Players Don't worry, I won't post screenshots of all of the squad but only the most important players. Marco Bonassi: the young goalkeeper was solid, consistent throughout but even though he played every game, he wouldn't renew his contract. A shame. Left at the end of the season on a free transfer. Marcin Kikut: the Poland man was my first-choice right-back for much of the season. He's a very good player, his passing was excellent. Emmanuel Milite: My first ever really good youth product. He's destined for a great future I think though all my coaches think he's playing at close to his full potential. But a very good player anyway. Ewen Duhamel: I don't know how long I'll be able to hold on to him as he was brilliant. He had been signed from Bordeaux and I had high hopes for him but he surpassed them. The rock of our back four. Jacky Blin: Duhamel's partner-in-crime, he was loaned from Basel and though you can clearly see he's not exactly a force to be reckoned with in the air, he was excellent in breaking up attacks and intercepting passes. Jaume Costa: He was sulking throughout the season as he wanted a move to a bigger club but this did not stop him from playing excellently. Will be a loss when I eventually cash in on him. Lukasz Tralka: Intelligent deep-lying playmaker, whenever he was fit, he was in the team. An essential player. Louis Parfait: He can pass, shoot, tackle, he's good in the air, he's quick enough - one of my favourite footballers in the current side. Tomas Jirsak: My brilliant attacking midfielder, the creative fulcrum of the side. He scored goals, provided assists and was generally magnificent throughout. Dare Vrsic: His substitute, also capable of playing in central midfield, was not as good as during the previous season but chipped in with a few useful performances. Osael Romero: He's the most "exotic" player in the side but even though he should be a flashy performer, he was actually quietly consistent, excelling at passing. Vincent Acapandié: The big disappointment. With his abilities, I expected him to tear up Serie C1 but he scored two goals in more than twenty games. Both came in the same match, actually... off at the end of the season. Ádám Szalai: My compatriot performed a lot better and I mean a lot, even though he wasn't exactly prolific. But he was leading the line well, holding up the ball, linking the play, doing the donkey work for his partner. Wilker: And his partner was grateful for it: he won the league's top scorer award, he was our player of the season. He's on his way to becoming a club legend, for sure. That's it. I strongly felt that we were much better equipped to compete in Serie B than the last time but of that did not stop me from bringing a whole load of new players before the season started. We'll see how it goes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Well done and good luck in B. You're brave signing two Frenchmen though. The Italians hate the French. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 That's why I barely have any Italians 2014/15: AC Legnano - Serie B I was in such a hurry to complete this season that I did not make screenshots, you'll have to take my word here. I signed as many as 9 players on loan and though three of them barely even played, the others went on to be key contributors. We had the youngest team in the league so perhaps it was natural that we started horribly: it was, I think 3-5-8 after 16 games. However, a change to a radical attacking philosophy did the trick and in the remaining 26 matches we amassed 49 points - but not because of our free-scoring forwards as our top scorer scored 12 goals but because of the mean defence: we conceded 41 goals, the 6th fewest in the league. This solidity meant we could afford to lack creativity in attack. We ended up seventh, four points from the playoffs but we were never in a playoff place so it wasn't really a promotion push, more a comfortable mid-table finish. League table Players There were a fair few of them but it's easy to single out the most significant ones. Lucas Ferrari (GK): Brilliant name, solid young keeper, loaned from Juventus. He was very, very consistent despite his age and he'll return to us next season, on loan again. Emmanuel Milite (DR, MR, DM, MC): The youth product got better and as his positioning and physical stats increased he became an important asset for the team at right-back. Ewen Duhamel (DC): The French centre-back was inspired again, he only missed one league game all season and again he was the bedrock of our defensive solidity. Moussa Cissé (DL): Mali left-back, on loan from Liverpool. He was another fantastic acquisition, completing an almost flawless season at left-back. Will return next season. Lukasz Tralka (DM, MC): Our experienced Polish DM did not disappoint: he chipped in with goals and orchestrated our football from deep. Fans' Player of the Year. More of the same please. Alberto (MC): 29-year-old Spanish MC, snapped up on a free from Mallorca. An up-and-down season for him, with a fair few injuries. Hopefully he'll kick in next season. Also, he won the dubious award of the Biggest Miss of Our Season as he failed to hit the empty net from 3 yards out against Bari in a crucial home game. Louis Parfait (DM, MC): Played fewer games this time but did not disappoint. A pretty good season from the Cameroon man, he's also a full international now. Davide Polizzi (DM, MC): 19-year-old midfielder, supremely talented, signed on a free. He got upset in the first month of his Legnano career when I rejected a co-ownership offer and sulked through the season with mediocre performances. Still, he had his uses... Elliott Martelli (AM RC): Another loanee, from AC Milan, he had a solid season at AMC. Scored a few, assisted a few but his lack of experience was clear. Still, he's incredibly talented and should be a superstar in a few years' time. He won't return next season. Tomas Jirsak (AMC): Due to injuries he could not figure as much as last season but still scored 6 goals and provided good passing in midfield. Signed a new contract at the end of the season. Osael Romero (AM RLC): Outrageous dives in the box apart, he was solid and chipped in with goals as well. A contract extension was his reward. Franca (AM/FC): A tall, powerful but quick striker, secured for the meagre fee of 27K, he was the man to lead the line. Did it relatively well after an indifferent start but scored only 8 goals. Must do better next season, especially with rivals coming in. Bernard Durand (AM/FC): He's not coming back though. The Frenchman, loaned from Lens, was our top scorer with 12 goals from the deep lying forward's position. Capable of brilliant goals as well as astonishing misses. Wilker (AM/FC): Our club captain was on the fringes of the first team but never moaned and always chipped in with good performances when called upon. He'll be the 5th striker next season but I wouldn't dream of letting him go. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 First game of the new season: recently relegated Ascoli, away. We take the lead in the 49th minute but as both of our strikers are forced off with injury we cannot keep the ball too well up front and are under constant pressure. They scored in the 86th and in the 90th minute to win the game, with the kind of attacks that make you want to scream at your defenders about their positioning. Could have opened the campaign with a massive statement of intent, instead we have of course lost. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Blimey, you didn't half stay up there. No Castel di Sangro esque scrapping for every last point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 I had brilliant loanees: Durand, Martelli, Cissé, Marzouki (the other DR), Ferrari are all Serie A quality, though they're young and therefore inconsistent. Transfers - summer 2015 There were a few. Back came Lucas Ferrari and Moussa Cissé for the two most problematic positions, both on loan of course. But finally, I had money as well, not least because of some very good sales. Transfers out First, regrettably, off went Emmanuel Milite. The youth product was snapped up by parent club Genoa: stupid chairman accepted their offer of 2.3M which included no sell-on clause. I hastily offered him out to every club for 2.5M plus 50% of next transfer and there were tons of suitors but he accepted Genoa's offer. Well, at least I can be proud of him: a youth product of ours has been signed by the reigning Italian champions. Davide Polizzi also left: he didn't want to sign a new contract despite my best attempts so I sold him on for 1.5M plus 50% of the next transfer. Not bad for a freebie. Ewen Duhamel left us, too: he became unhappy after I rejected a co-ownership offer for him and immediately afterwards the chairman accepted Lazio's offer which included no sell-on clause. I offered him out, just like Milite and just like Milite, he accepted the first offer so he went to Lazio... Transfers in I had good money available (the board gave me 1.8M and I raised it with sales). First I signed Michel, a 16-year-old Brazilian AMC for 1.4M - he's an outrageous talent but he won't join for another 18 months as Brazilians under the age of 18 are not allowed to sign for other clubs. Still, I could not resist getting him. We parted with 1.2M for Massimilliano Domenghini, a very quick, 19-year-old D RL, an Italian U20 international. Huge talent, he's our starting right-back for the season. I paid 700K for Dalibor Stevanovic, a 30-year-old attacking midfielder with plenty of creativity and excellent passing. I know, a lot of money for a player of his age but he looked too good. There were several free transfers: first came Gerardo Molina, a 21-year-old Spanish striker from Barcelona who's rated as having Serie A potential. He's very quick and is an excellent finisher, I expect big things from him. I also signed Alex Quillo, a 28-year-old AM LC from Spain to add pace and creativity to the midfield. Massimo Iozzia (DC) was signed from Juventus, he's an average defender, he'll be the 4th for the position. And of course the loanees. I've already mentioned Cissé and Ferrari. For up front, I brought Tony Pattison from Aston Villa: he's a big strong target man who'll fight with Franca to get into the team. Adriano Boscolo came from Genoa to provide cover for Domenghini on the right; Rodrigo Palacio came in from Genoa - I just could not resist the name. He's 33 and probably won't be a starter as I want my own players to gel instead but still. Luca Bernardo (DC) arrived from Inter, Devis Serratore (D RC, DM, M RC) came from Liverpool, they will be my first-choice defensive partnership. Edoardo Felci (DC), another one from Juventus will provide additional cover. I have a big, strong squad now and I'm fairly confident, especially as we won four in a row since the Ascoli defeat, without conceding a goal. 5 goals scored in 4 games, 3 of them own goals... it's quite funny so far. I might provide some screenshots later. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gio Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 Really enjoying this! Some good signings there, though its a big risk spending that amount of money on a pleyer who won't join for 18 months... Having said that, I think you made up for it with the signing of Molina - strikers with pace always seem to do well in FM. It's a shame you can't add a loan-back clause into transfers as it would have been in everyone's interests in the case of Milite. Good luck in Serie B. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 Thanks, yeah, Michel is a gamble but he's really talented and two-footed. After the loss at Ascoli we went on a crazy 10-game winning run and then had to visit Bologna, one of the relegated teams who were three points behind us in second. We scored early on, they turned the game around and though we had plenty of chances, we could not equalise... Right until the 78th minute, when Molina picked up the ball about 78 miles offside and he slotted home his second of the game. The flag stayed down, we got a priceless point. Sometimes I love this game Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gio Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 I know the feeling well! Didn't see he was two footed - looks like a right old player, great spot. Are you able to scout Brazil even though you're in B? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 Yeah, I can scout Europe plus Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. I don't know what the board have against Colombia or Paraguay but I'm not complaining Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatski Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 I've signed Acapandie many a time, thinking he'll be brilliant. And he has never failed to disappoint me... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted February 26, 2010 Author Share Posted February 26, 2010 I just could not get him to perform, I don't know why. I'm not very good with strikers since 10.2, somehow the advanced forward barely scores for me. Before the patch, it was different... but the current tactic works and I don't intend to change it just for the sake of the strikers Secured a massive, unexpected and fully deserved 1-0 win at Torino (Bernardo scored the winner from a corner) who are 3rd at the moment. We are eight points clear of them and that's the gap that matters as the top two are promoted automatically. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted February 26, 2010 Author Share Posted February 26, 2010 We've just lost in the 98th minute of a game which was supposed to have five minutes of added time... and that five was because THEY kicked OUR players off the park. Three injuries per game is the norm these days and we always miss about a hundred chances. The chasing pack reeled us in and we're in serious trouble. If the injuries keep on piling up like this throughout the season, we'll be lucky to make the playoffs. EDIT: Next game, home to Bari. They score with their first two shots, we miss several chances, hit the bar, I have to substitute three players because of knocks... We end up with a shot count of 16-5 and a result of 1-2. We are falling apart while our rivals are flying. Screw this, while I was writing, totally desperate, we equalised. Dramatic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted February 26, 2010 Author Share Posted February 26, 2010 And with that Bari game, we're halfway through our league campaign. League table Would have accepted this before the start of the season but only five games ago we were eight points clear of third place. Injuries have been cruel, FM has been even more cruel. I just made a quick count: we dropped points in 8 games and we were COMFORTABLY the better team in six of those. And there were no lucky wins this season, all of them were deserved. Defence has been disrupted by injury and is not as solid as it should be but at least Molina is flying: 11 goals and 4 assists so far. Next game: Cremonese, home. 17 shots against 4, we hit the post, missed three one-on-ones with the keeper and lost 1-0. I guess the realistic aim is 10th place from now, I'll be lucky not to get dragged into a relegation fight if things keep going like this. Next up: Ascoli, home, a sure loss. EDIT: We have beaten Ascoli 3-2, we were 2-0 up with 60 minutes gone, with a shot count of 10-0 but their first two efforts resulted in goals (of course) and we had to be grateful for a late Molina winner. Of course the victory came at a price: number one keeper Lucas Ferrari got injured for 2-3 weeks and as his number two is still a couple of weeks away from returning after a groin injury, I'll have to play a 16-year-old Danish prospect... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted February 26, 2010 Author Share Posted February 26, 2010 If I once again see the news item "Legnano made to rue missed chances" I'll throw the computer out through the window. Seriously, I just made a quick count and we won 7 games out of 19 since that opening 10-game winning streak. And we should have won at least 5-6 more with the amount of chances we missed. Right now we're still second as the failings of others keep getting us out of jail but I can't see us getting promoted. We haven't even scored in the last three games, all played without Molina and it's beginning to look desperate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted February 26, 2010 Author Share Posted February 26, 2010 Benevento-Legnano 1-1 Shots: 1-16 Legnano-Albinoleffe 1-2 Shots: 19-5 Livorno-Legnano 2-1 Shots: 4-11 I'll change to a bog-standard 4-4-2 and I will cruise through the remaining games. I just don't care anymore. EDIT: Erm... things are happening at the moment. Squeaky bum-time, indeed. Three games to go... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted February 27, 2010 Author Share Posted February 27, 2010 2015/16: AC Legnano - Serie B Well, well, well. This was some season. Sometimes I was on the edge of nervous collapse, sometimes I was just giddy to see us playing so well. Yet the horrible luck and all the injuries left us in sixth with 7 games to go. That's when I wrote I don't care anymore which was patently not true, though, cause I wouldn't have changed the tactics then. I did and though switching to a quite traditional 4-4-2 hardly makes me a revolutionary genius, it did the trick: over the next six games we had a record of 6-0-0, with a goal difference of 11-0 and that was enough for automatic promotion! We lost the last league game at Bari despite 4 clear cut chances but I could not care less, I was as chuffed as ever. League table Highlights of the season: - Promotion - Doing the double over champions Torino - Our watertight defence Low points of the campaign: - The three winless runs (each lasted four games) - Constant injuries, especially at the back Players Below you can read about the 18 footballers who made the biggest impact on our season. Lucas Ferrari (GK): The loanee goalkeeper was essential in maintaining our excellent defensive record. He was the GK of the Team of the Season, i very much hope Juventus don't want him for the next campaign... Germán Aguirre (GK): His understudy is not exactly a huge talent but he's solid enough. Barely played though, as you can see. Massimiliano Domenghini (DRL): None of the scouts told me he was so prone to injuries. Hasn't become the key player I expected him to be but he's been solid enough when fit. Adriano Boscolo (DR/WBR): Very, very good throughout. Near the end of the season he had to play MR which he's not supposed to do but he was excellent there, also scoring an important winner at Mantova from a direct free-kick. Devis Serratore (DRC, DM, MRC): A wonderful player but missed months due to injuries. We could have been even better defensively had he been fit all season. Luca Bernardo (DC): He had a good season and he's joining us on a free on July 1. He also had his share of injuries. Edoardo Felci (DC): A goal machine - OK, maybe not, but six goals from a centre-back is a very good return. He is liable to commit stupid mistakes on occasions but generally he's a very promising defender. A Team of the Season member, too. Moussa Cissé (DL, WBL): I would love to sign him on a permanent deal but he would cost way too much and his Liverpool contract doesn't expire until next year. Fingers crossed I can get him on a loan again. Osael Romero (AM RLC): Still going strong at 30 and I'd like to think he can cut in the Serie A as well. He's a brilliant provider and a cool and composed penalty taker as well. Lukasz Tralka (DM, MC): An average season by his high standards. Age getting to him? Perhaps but he deserves a chance at the highest level. Daniel Kofi Agyei (DM, MC): He ousted Tralka from the starting line-up for the second half of the season and finally became a key player for us in his third season here. Has a really good eye for the killer pass. Louis Parfait (DM, MC): The Cameroonian will have even less opportunities next season, if I keep him. Nothing special this time around. Dalibor Stevanovic (AMC): The Slovenian should have been a key player but injuries prevented him from really excelling. But he showed glimpses of his creativity. Alex Quillo (AM/FC): Played more than I expected him to and he was very good, sometimes kept the ship afloat on his own. But he also had a tendency to disappear completely. Tomas Jirsak (AMC): He's leaving for Livorno at the end of the season - I could not reject an offer of 1.4M for a 31-year-old. I'm grateful for his contributions to the last three seasons, he chipped in with a number of important goals. Gerardo Molina (ST): Captain of Spain U21s, he flourished for us. Has a tendency to miss when it's easier to score but in full flight he is unplayable. I have my concerns about his ability to play at the highest level though... Tony Pattison (ST): The advanced forward did not score much but scored important goals and led the line well. They developed a good understanding with Molina. Franca (AM/FC): He was the most important backup striker (Wilker, Palacio and Anier barely played) and he scored and assisted a few. Will keep him for next season, see what he can do in the Serie A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dees-Blake Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Oh Molina you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind Molina! I love all of your regen's faces. Anyway, congratulations to promotion to the top flight.. hopefully you can defy history by actually staying up in the Serie A this year. Good luck. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Superb Midlothian. Now for the conquest of Serie A... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted February 27, 2010 Author Share Posted February 27, 2010 We're going down No, really, we have no chance at all. I could not sign a good keeper, good defenders or good strikers so all we have is a competent midfield. Therefore we match most teams but lose because of bad finishing and horrendous mistakes at the back. A case in point: we outshot Torino 15-6 in our last game but lost with a goal that stretches the bounds of credibility. One of my midfielders, for no apparent reason, passed the ball back to our full-back, who, again for no apparent reason, passed it back to the goalkeeper from the halfway line. He punted it out and amazingly, he found our central midfielder and I let out a sigh of relief. He must have heard it: he turned around and lobbed the ball back towards our DC who was under pressure from their striker... you can guess the rest. I don't mind losing in Serie A, I did not expect anything else with the squad we have but these mistakes which really defy the most basic common sense are really taking away from the enjoyment. These are irrealistic, such goals just do not happen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share Posted February 28, 2010 OK this is ridiculous. We've just recorded our third victory of the season - 20 league games gone we have a record of 3-4-13. And if the season ended now we would survive. This is surely the poorest Serie A season ever? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 You did put in the thread title that Legnano are the relegation experts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 True but their expertise seems to be in vain: no matter how hard we try to be absolutely, indescribably, unbelievably bad, there are three worse teams. 25 games gone, we have 17 points - and we are three whole points clear of the relegation zone. As things stand, around 25 points will be comfortably enough for survival. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 2016/17: AC Legnano - Serie A A few lessons learnt this season, that's for sure. - it's incredibly, frustratingly, astonishingly hard to create chances at the top level. - it's impossible to defend at the highest level, especially if your centre-backs are not up to scratch - corners are now the AI's deadliest weapon - once you start losing, you'll keep losing as the significance of morale and confidence is grossly overstated in FM2010 - and it does not only affect the human player Oh, were you interested in how we did this season? Well, as I said, the quality was quite poor... League table I'm wondering where the improvement will come from because I've been told that there is no chance that the local council will ever allow to expand the stadium due to lack of space. So we ended up bleeding money all season as match day income was insufficient to cover the wages needed to compete in Serie A. Our little stadium had a 6700 attendance for every home game - which means that every single seat or spot on the terraces were occupied. And still it wasn't good enough. I'd welcome a tycoon because we're not really in a position to build a new stadium. Key players Well, there were very few who could emerge with any credit at all but there were bright spots on the gloomy horizon. But beware: below you won't see the bright side only... First, the best, our reliable first choice keeper, Vito Mannone. He had a rating of 6.95 which isn't bad for someone who conceded 68 goals. Without him we would have reached triple figures. Santos was a new signing, the young Brazilian DR was extremely inconsistent and his positioning is horrible but he has plenty of room for improvement. Massimo Domenghini (DRL) played little but he was solid and consistent and improving. I'm sure he'll soon be a full international. Rui Marques (AM RC), our record signing, moaned at first about too much competition for places but settled and became a fine player. A long-term injury damaged his chances of making a real impact. Jefferson (MC) had a very promising first season and as he only settled in at Legnano near the end of the season, he should be much better next year. Gerardo Molina had a wretched season, a contribution of 5 goals and 7 assists was extremely disappointing. He began moaning at the end of the season so I accepted an offer of 8M + 50% of next sale from AC Milan. Will have to replace him but surely no new signing will perform worse... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted March 1, 2010 Author Share Posted March 1, 2010 Hmmm. I signed a few very good players in the summer but now the average age of the ten outfield players of my first XI is under 20. It will be interesting Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
midlothian Posted March 2, 2010 Author Share Posted March 2, 2010 No, it's not interesting. It's excruciating. We've lost our first six games, four of them against other relegation candidates. Of course I won't be able to figure out anything until SI sort out the series' biggest problem: you still can't see what's wrong with your tactics. If you're experienced enough, you know that your players act as snails who just had their brains removed because the tactics are wrong. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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