American Calcio - Padova FM 2008 *repost*

[tenthreeleader]

Friday, February 1

The turn of the month means my monthly meeting with the board and with Sestaro.

Today, though, there was an extra agenda item; my ongoing battle with the local media. This was a concern to my chairman, who obviously wants everything to be wonderful to boost attendance.

My philosophy has been that winning will boost attendance more than positive press. You can’t put spin on the table, and as long as we’re at the top of it, that ought to mean something. Even the most cynical of reporters have a hard time convincing people how bad things are when there’s nobody in the league with more points.

Yet understandably, my chairman is concerned about how the press coverage will affect the club. My suggestion, which I thought was equally understandable, was to meet with Emiliani and his editors.

“As you know, I’ve already done this to tell him that certain areas of coverage are personally unacceptable to me,” I said. “This has nothing to do with how he reports on the club. I’ve done my level best to keep Calcio Padova out of it and have made it clear that I expect to be judged on my results as any manager would be.”

“I appreciate your discretion, and especially in your telling me when you invited him to speak with you,” he replied. “Of course you understand the club’s needs in this area. Why didn’t you approach me when this first became an issue for you?”

“Because I didn’t feel it was a matter that needed to involve the club,” I said. “The article I found so offensive had nothing to do with this club and everything to do with a personal choice I have made. To drag you and the club into a personal dispute is quite far beyond the boundaries I should think you want set.”

“Correct,” he said. “However, your happiness is important to the club and it’s also important to me. I want my employees to enjoy working for this club and to be totally focused on helping it succeed. I should not like you to lose sight of that. And furthermore, I don’t need to remind you that I reserve the right to make determinations on propriety for myself.”

“Of course,” I said, my ears stinging from his rebuke. “And I haven’t lost sight of results. They’ve been good.”

He corrected me. “Results have been excellent, on all fronts,” he said. “The board is pleased with your management. So we do feel an obligation to help you if we can. Would it be best if I met personally with the reporter and his editors?”

“If you would do so, I’d be most grateful,” I said. “I know you have an obligation that goes quite far beyond me. You need to do what you have to do, and I won’t say a word.”

“Then I will arrange it,” he promised. “Keep doing what you are doing and keep helping this club grow. That will be the best service you can perform. And also, focus on what will keep you motivated and happy. That means when you are not performing your duty, you should enjoy life in an appropriate way. I think you are already doing this.”

It was nice to have permission, anyway. Even if I don’t really need it.

# # #

Saturday, February 2

Sestaro moved quickly. My chairman met with Emiliani and the editors of his paper today and when the group emerged from the meeting this afternoon, there wasn’t a smiling face in the bunch.

I sat in my office at Euganeo working on the team sheet for tomorrow when the group filed past walking from the board room, Emiliani first and my chairman last. I looked up and noticed that the reporter wouldn’t look at me.

The group passed and then Sestaro stuck his head into my office.

“He won’t bother you anymore from a personal standpoint,” he promised. “Now go and get us some results.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Sunday, February 3

Padova 2-1 Cavese

Result number one has been obtained, but the hero of today’s game wasn’t one of our red-hot players.

It was Rabito, restored to the lineup as a late substitute, and he made his return count by scoring the winning goal with the last kick of the match before a delighted crowd of 5,905 at Euganeo.

The attendance was the highest of the season, so I was very pleased to send them home happy. To send them home happy in such dramatic circumstances may bring some of them back.

Having a solid scouting report on Cavese gave us a sense of optimism, but it didn’t stop us from making the first key defensive mistake of the match. Daniele Scartozzi made a great play to find space between Sacchetti and Faísca to head home a solid cross on 23 minutes, where the latter defender was slow to pick up his man.

Sometimes, despite all the training you do, the other guy just makes a great play. The Cavese party exploded with emotion at stealing a march on the league leaders and it was down to me to motivate my players to steal it back.

Thankfully, they didn’t need much motivation. From Cavese’s goal, they dominated their opposition, creating a series of quality chances through Gentile, Baú and Varricchio until Baú finally seized the game by the scruff of the neck.

Ten minutes after Scartozzi’s goal, Eder did what he does so well – use his vision to create a chance for us. His seeing-eye cross from the left flank fell right at the feet of Muzzi, who had a simple finish to get us level on 33 minutes.

After ten hours without a goal, Roberto is suddenly the man in form, and his reaction to a second straight game with a goal showed that he’s feeling good about himself. The equalizing goal led to more pressure from us, and we had seven shots on target by the time we broke for half.

I was confident too. I liked what I was seeing and reinforced my high hopes with the squad. “Keep playing like that and you’ll get the points,” I promised. “Don’t forget, let’s get the ball into space and use our pace on these guys. You’ve shown you can score on them, now it’s time to do it again.”

In the second half, it was purely one-way traffic. It may have been our best 45 minutes of team football of the entire season – but we couldn’t find a way past Pierluigi Frattali and his traveling gymnastics show in the Cavese goal.

The keeper was brilliant, making full-stretch saves in both directions within a five-minute span midway through the half. First, a dive to his right robbed Caputo and then a lunge to his left tipped Varricchio’s goal-bound header around the post. It was one of the best reflex saves I’ve ever seen at any level, and after we had received the corner, all Varricchio could do was applaud.

The thought of a second draw with Cavese after dominating the proceedings didn’t appeal to me. With our visitors not showing a whole lot of spark, I moved us to 4-3-3 for the last ten minutes and introduced Rabito looking for a winning goal.

As I brought him on, I had to grab Andrea’s arm to get his attention. “Get forward, make something happen, and play under control,” I reminded him. “Play off the strikers and look for space.”

He nodded and sprinted onto the pitch as soon as he received permission from the referee. He was ready to play and his high-octane approach paid dividends.

The fourth official put up his board for three minutes of injury time and we were still buzzing. Music was also on as a substitute and was percolating nicely in the left of midfield. He stole the ball deep into injury time and turned ahead, flicking a lead ball ahead to Baú.

Eder raced in, knowing he was fighting the final whistle, and saw Rabito breaking through the middle. He crossed the ball, and the substitute volleyed past Frattali well into the third minute of extra time.

While Rabito went tearing off toward the corner flag and everyone in our colors jumped around like crazy men, two thoughts went through my head: first, the goal had come well past the third minute of injury time and second, Rabito was unquestionably offside.

Yet, the flag stayed down, the goal counted, and we had a victory we had earned by our play but not by the actual goal we scored. The Cavese staff and players were understandably fit to be tied, creating quite a scene as everyone left the pitch. Manager Renato Cioffi wasn’t taking the loss well and neither was his staff.

Under such circumstances, it’s hard to extend or accept congratulations without some sort of scene being made, but my attempt to make a sporting gesture to the Cavese bench was met with derision. I hadn’t made the call, for crying out loud – I was just trying to do the right thing.

I ought to have realized that there are some things in football, as in life, that simply aren’t meant to work out. That gesture was evidently one of them.

Frowning, I headed to my changing room, not feeling quite as guilty about the winning goal as I had been a few moments before. I gathered the squad around me and spoke simply.

“That is the kind of play that gets you promoted,” I said, with a huge smile. “You overcame adversity, dominated the match and stole the points at the end. I am very, very proud of you. Enjoy it – day off tomorrow and we’ll start at 9:30 Tuesday with video of Legnano.”

# # #

“Yeah, I thought it was offside.”

My frankness in the post-match media gathering was startling to the onlookers. It wasn’t supposed to be like that. I was supposed to claim victory and damn the consequences.

Only I didn’t feel right about doing that, so I chose the more direct route. “Don’t get me wrong – I feel we were much the better side and we deserved three points,” I said. “But yes, I do think the goal was dodgy. Andrea Rabito might not like to hear me say it, but the goal counts and it can’t be changed now.”

“You generated 25 shots at goal,” a slightly shell-shocked Emiliani said. “How on earth did you manage that?”

“Well, we aren’t completely bereft of talent here,” I said. “Caputo and Baú worked very well together and they aren’t shy about swapping spots on the pitch. They give us new ideas just about every trip down the pitch and even if they don’t all wind up in the goal, they give our opponents something to worry about. I’m very pleased with them.”

“Muzzi has found his form,” another reporter said.

“I don’t know that he had lost it, and I thought I made that clear a couple weeks ago,” I said. “I don’t mean to sound harsh but he was performing other roles when he wasn’t scoring goals. Now that he has found the net twice running, he’s even more valuable to us.”

“What did you say to Renato Cioffi after the match?”

“I tried to tell him that I thought his players played a brave match,” I said. “I guess my opinion wasn’t too welcome.”

“I should say not.”

Then I got an impish smile on my face. “You’d have thought I told him Rabito was offside or something.”

# # #

There’s plenty more to be happy about tonight. Paganese came up with a big victory, 3-2 at home over Venezia – which means our lead over them has grown to four points.

Sassuolo is suddenly much more pliable as well, as they managed just a 1-1 draw at Citadella, holding down 15th place in the table. So they now trail us by six, and we are starting to open up some space. As we have consecutive home matches in the league now, with the second one coming this Sunday, we have a chance to open up some real room at the top. I don’t want us to waste that opportunity.

Novara plays at Pro Patria tomorrow on television. I’ll be watching.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Monday, February 4

I am quite stiff and sore this evening. I helped Patty move into her new apartment today and while the rest of the squad enjoyed a day off, I did some heavy lifting.

Chairs, furniture and clothing, to be exact. The things I do for a relationship.

The hard work had a more important purpose for me, though. It allowed me to spend time with Patty, without pressure, and most importantly without anyone else in the way. She told me where she wanted things in her bright, sunny new place and I obliged her.

And along the way, I watched her move gracefully around the place. Finally, I put down a box of her dishes and admired her for a moment.

She was putting a set of wineglasses into a top cupboard and was standing on tip-toe to do it. Her red hair fell in a delightful little spill over her shoulders and she turned back to look over her shoulder when she noticed my silence.

“Sorry, honey, I was just looking at you.”

She finished her work and turned to face me. “I can see that,” she teased. “But I’m very glad you did.”

I opened my arms and she came to me, nestling softly against me. “Patty, I’m so sorry I didn’t do what I had to do to keep you the first time,” I said. My emotions were starting to take over and I held her tightly to me.

“Please, don’t dwell on it,” she replied, as she squeezed my arms softly in reply. “I have a few things to be sorry for as well. I could have believed you. What I regret the most is that it cost us time and it hurt us both. I just want you to be happy.”

“I want us to be happy,” I said, as she raised her chin, closed her eyes, and offered herself to me for a kiss. She melted against me and we stood in the middle of her kitchen. Nothing else mattered.

I looked down at her, and slowly her beautiful green eyes opened wide with emotion. “I am not leaving you again,” she promised. “I said some things about staying with you before and didn’t live up to them. I feel terrible about that and I want to be what you deserve.”

# # #

It took quite a bit of doing to leave her arms, but we had to get her moved in, so reluctantly I did. She rewarded me with a wonderful dinner in her newly setup kitchen, followed by getting to watch the Novara match after I had hooked up my housewarming gift to her – a home theater system.

“Now this beats that 19-inch television I was watching,” she smiled as we snuggled on the couch. “The least you should get for this is to watch the match.”

“Maybe I should ask about the most I should get,” I teased, and she cuffed my arm in response. I grinned, and rubbed my injured bicep as she leaned her head on my shoulder.

“This is nice,” she said, as she turned on the set. “A nice, cozy little place, an overstuffed couch and I’m in your arms. This is how it should be.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” I answered, as we settled in for an evening together.

# # #

As much as I loved the thought of being with Patty for the entire day, Raffele Rubino put the only damper on things.

He raised his goal total to an amazing twenty in all competitions with a brace tonight, as Novara crushed Pro Patria 4-1 thanks to a blistering second half. In a 1-1 draw, he simply took over the match and now Venezia has company four points behind us.

His listed value is €360,000, but if I could ever afford a natural finisher like he is, I’d be in hog heaven. His level of understanding with Sinigaglia is first rate, but he has a touch around goal that is absolutely devastating. He’s also having a career year and I understand that, but he would look wonderful in our colors.

He’s on my shortlist of players to consider if and when the financial situation improves. Scorers like Rubino don’t come around often at this level and obviously his club knows it.

Patty lay peacefully in my arms while we watched the match and every now and then she would gently get my attention with a squeeze of my arm or a soft nuzzle of my cheek.

“You do know I’m trying to do my job,” I teased, and she smiled at me from her contented position against my chest.

“And you know I’m trying to distract you,” she whispered. I couldn’t argue. It was working.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Author's note: This entry is based upon an actual internet piece written the day before the diary post below. Those interested in viewing the article may find it here.

---

Tuesday, February 5

“Empires of the future are empires of the mind and if we dream they do become built.” – Colin Murphy

I had the opportunity to gain a touch of England today by the Internet and I have to admit I’m a bit inspired by what I read.

Surfing the Telegraph’s website today, I came across a marvelous article from yesterday’s edition by reporter John Inverdale regarding the lost art of writing for the match program.

As manager, I do get to write comments for the weekly program, and I for one actually write mine. The article I read today talked about whether the big-time managers really do (they don’t) and how bad writing really shows through.

To contrast, he used the words of onetime Lincoln City manager Colin Murphy, who was in charge of the club in the 1970s. Today’s public relations-minded, non-controversial comments are the stuff of pablum, but Murphy wrote his own thoughts and wrote them quite well.

One phrase Murray used, related by Inverdale, stuck out in my mind. So it’s at the top of today’s entry. “Empires of the future are empires of the mind and if we dream they do become built.”

I read that phrase about a dozen times. That must have been a hell of a match program because those words impress me to no end. What I want to create, both with this club and hopefully with my own career, is an empire of the future. I can see it in my mind’s eye and I’m not afraid to dream it. I may well never get there, but I’m going to dream it and see if it can’t get built. If not here, then somewhere.

# # #

My dreaming over, we returned to training today as well, and are preparing for the visit of twelfth-placed Legnano to Euganeo on Sunday.

The bookies have installed us as a prohibitive favorite – we are 1-4 to get the result. I’m not at all sure I care for that, as the expectations will surely provide a double-edged sword for my players. And I’m not being positive.

The one edge will be expectation and the other might well be overconfidence, as we performed quite well indeed last weekend after going a goal down. Neither one is pleasant to contemplate. If we aren’t careful we’ll fall on our swords and take both edges at the same time.

We started, as we always do, with video and scouting on the first day back from a day off. Legnano hasn’t been a huge threat in front of goal this season so the defenders are pretty confident, and the video we saw bore out that confidence for the most part. I don’t see them doing a whole lot of damage myself, but the priority for us is to turn that optimism into a clean sheet.

We do have this to consider as well: three of the top four sides in the league this week are all playing lower-ranked opposition. We host the twelfth-placed team in the table while Venezia hosts 15th placed Ternana and Sassuolo hosts Pro Sesto, who are 14th in the league.

Am I starting to look over my shoulder? How can I not? For me, though, the goal is to make it look like I’m not.

Today in training, I tried to create a light mood. That was easier to do with a four-point lead, of course, but players read the papers too and Emiliani hasn’t written anything nasty in nearly a whole week.

I spent the better part of the afternoon session trying to settle down Donadoni, who didn’t react well to some of the happy things I said after Sunday’s match. Players can be notoriously fickle regarding those sorts of things and it’s a real source of frustration to me that some of these players won’t let me be optimistic.

You can’t crack the whip with modern players and you can’t coddle them if you want to keep charge of your changing room. The alternative is to say nothing at all and media won’t let you get away with that. So what I’d like to see is a mature approach to praise and criticism from the players under my charge.

The best way to do that, in my view, is to win something and see what that does. I’ve had a couple of teamtalks that have gone over well but I don’t have the reputation yet that I need to have if the players are going to start reacting to comment the way I want them to. That’s just how it is. Winning things is the only way to change it.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Wednesday, February 6

Today’s hot topic of conversation was the FA’s warning to Cavese and manager Renato Cioffi – not over the complaint he made about the officiating in Sunday’s match, but for how the post-match handshake was handled.

They were pretty strident about their opposition, and I understood it since I thought Rabito was offside as well. But they chose to take it out on us and even though I didn’t complain, Sestaro did.

I understand that emotions run high in this game. I’ve been pretty upset at officials at times myself this season. Still, simple statistics show we can have few complaints about how the officials have treated us this season, at least from the penalty spot.

Where we haven’t gotten much joy is in the cards we see each week. We aren’t a dirty team but at this point we are still a fairly undisciplined one in terms of emotion. I have players, like Gentile, who really shouldn’t be allowed to tackle an opposing player. I think if I just gave Andrea a scythe to carry around he could do the same job on the pitch and never have to leave his feet.

Today the media wanted my reaction to the Cavese announcement and I was nonplussed. “Renato and his staff were showing emotion but I don’t hold that against him,” I said. “I would have preferred a little better ending to the game between the teams if for no other reason than we hold nothing against them.”

“Your chairman said he received an apology today.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Fair play is important and even though there are times when every team feels hard done by, you just have to dust yourself off and move on. I wish them the best of good fortune.”

# # #

“You are way too gracious, do you know that?”

Patty smiled at me from my couch, where she was curled up reading the afternoon edition of the paper. “Sometimes I think I’d reach over and slap some of the people in this game if they said things like that about me.”

“What things?” I asked, looking at her with a happy smile.

“Oh, today’s story mentions a comment in the Salerno press about an American who likes Northerners being not much to write home about. Or words to that effect.”

I frowned. “Cori contro”, I sighed, and she looked at me quizzically.

“Come again?”

“It means to sing against the opposition,” I said. “They love it here. Look, you’re an NFL fan, right?”

“You know that,” she said. “You know I love the Chicago Bears.”

“That can be cured at birth now,” I joked, and she gave me a playful scowl. “So what’s the best thing that can happen on a Sunday if the Bears don’t win?”

“The Green Bay Packers lose,” she immediately answered.

“There you go. Cori contro,” I said. “You don’t always root for your team as much as you root against your rival. And here, north-south is about as hot as it gets sometimes – hotter even than some derbies. The south doesn’t care for the north much and vice versa. You have to be careful how you talk about it sometimes. It’s like wearing the wrong colors in the wrong part of town. You know better than that, right?”

“You bet I do,” she answered.

“Good for you,” I replied. “Because now that you’re here, and now that you’re with me again, you need to be careful how you go back to Venice and with whom. There are people who will make comments.”

“I know. I don’t want to leave you again and believe me, I have no intention of doing that.”

“That’s great, but you do need to be careful,” I said. “For both of us.”

# # #

Thursday, February 7

Muzzi’s recent cold spell set tongues to wagging in our media. Now they have a new target.

Varricchio, who has been our leading scorer all season, hasn’t netted since the Venezia match a month ago today, so his performance is now under scrutiny.

Most players go through criticism at one time or another due to dips in form, and players handle it differently. Muzzi handled it with boisterous confidence. But Varricchio, who as I mentioned earlier has been a terror on our away day poker days, is much quieter about it.

I’m curious to see how he handles it. He has been quite successful on the pitch but he doesn’t possess Muzzi’s skill set. He works his tail off for everything he gets. I also handle his personality differently than Roberto’s. I can be more direct with Varricchio since he handles plain talk a little better.

Muzzi has been places in this game that make him special on our squad. As more of a blue-collar player, Varricchio has a different mind-set. He handles things differently and I talk with him differently. He knows he’s under the gun now but I told him today that if he keeps working hard, he’s going to pull through.

“Don’t let Emiliani get you down,” I said. “If I did that, I’d be flat as a pancake by now.”

He didn’t get the American euphemism, but when I slapped the palms of my hands together, he got the message.

Today’s training was interrupted by cold rain, which cut things much shorter than I had hoped. We have reasonably good training facilities but they aren’t big enough to handle 45 players like we have on the senior and youth sides. So I had a choice - either send the u-20s home, or interrupt senior squad training. I don’t like either option but today I had no choice but to let the u-20s be dismissed for the day so the senior squad could work on elements of the game plan for Sunday’s match.

So we worked indoors – short passing was about all we could manage but that didn’t bother me since I’d like to do a better job maintaining possession anyway. That is part of the plan, especially when we play at home.

Technically, we are getting better each game. Tactically, we are doing better each game. However, we still aren’t firing on all cylinders in the attacking third and that’s the last thing we have to fix. We aren’t going to be able to play like Arsenal and pass the ball until we can walk it into our opponents’ goal. We’re going to have to be able to take our chances sooner or later. It has been a season long problem.

Legnano is a club we ought to be able to handle. We still know it.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Friday, February 8

Today I sat down to write a brief commentary for the match program. Perhaps Colin Murphy’s words written so long ago provided some inspiration.

Or, perhaps not. I’ll leave that up to the reader to decide, I guess. My whole point is that I’d like to reduce expectations on the players from outside Euganeo, even while I myself ratchet up a bit of pressure to perform in front of goal.

I should be fair, though. We really haven’t had many of the kinds of ‘soft’ goals that other clubs seem to get. We’ve really had to work for everything we’ve gotten from open play this season. Those kinds of breaks can make all the difference in a season and unlike things such as officiating, they don’t always “even out”.

Clubs can go weeks and even months without getting the friendly roll of the ball or the bounce off the post they need to break a losing skid or win a game in the dying moments. You can’t pressure players to get breaks, of course. But you can work with them to execute and that’s taking up a lot of my time nowadays.

I wrote, to try to get more than one message across at the same time:

Welcome to Euganeo for today’s home match against Legnano.

The last few weeks have been comparatively kind to us as we try to stay top of Serie C1A. I don’t need to tell you that today’s match is important, but you should understand today’s match in context.

Today’s match is our 22nd league match of the season, placing us two-thirds of the way through the fixture list. We are in an enviable position but to stay there will require more work than we have contemplated to date.

We have received criticism of late for two perceived flaws in our game: first, a maddening tendency to draw and second, an inability to score at certain vital points in our matches.

The context in which I would like you the supporter to view today’s match is simple: one of 34. While we have not been able to obtain the desired result in each of our matches, there is one category where we have a lower number than everyone else in our league: losses.

This team has shown resiliency in a number of ways throughout this long season, most notably in the ability to drag results – yes, even draws – out of places it could not have done even one year ago. Those who have criticized these players seem to be of the opinion that we should score two or three in the first ten minutes of each match and pull away slowly.

Obviously, that’s not always possible. While I would like to see our future growth highlighted by strong attacking play, the development of this club is predicated on more than simply filling the other team’s net with goals. Novara has tried that approach and it has not been enough to stay ahead of this team in the table.

The process by which the board expects this club to be a significant force in our league was expected to take two seasons to bear fruit. So far, it has taken two-thirds of my first season here to have a degree of success. This is down to a variety of factors.

The players deserve credit. And as we prepare to host Legnano today we need to take fair stock of what we have done. We’ve become an organized, cohesive team from the goal outward. We are very hard to score against and this is what really does win championships.

The players know I expect better from them in front of the opposition goal, but we have met and exceeded expectations in front of our own. That is our most important task because it leads to points in the table.

We have to dream. If you don’t dream, you shouldn’t be in this business. Our dream is to get back to Serie A with this club and we realize that before that can happen, we have to grow.

Everyone at this club – from players to coaches to board members to office staff – needs to dream about where they want to be, and then think about what they will do to make it happen. We can do it. But we have to think big. We will encounter setbacks along the way but the joy of victory comes not always from the winning, but from overcoming the obstacles set in your path.

It starts today. We relish the challenge.

# # #

Saturday, February 9

The favorites for tomorrow’s match just got even heavier. Our odds have been lowered to 1-6 for Legnano and it seems rather amazing to me that enough action was placed on us at the old odds to make them lower still further.

I worry about things like that even though I should try not to. Still, if football managers didn’t ulcerate themselves the night before matches, none of them would ever leave the business to do something sane, like run away to join the circus. That would mean fewer job opportunities for people like me. So I guess I should be grateful, right?

My job is to worry. And with mid-table opposition coming in for the purpose of wrecking someone else’s season, that means I need to worry.

Even though Patty tried her very best to soothe me this evening, there was one overriding idea that I just couldn’t shift out of my head.

The idea is that we haven’t put two solid matches in a row together for longer than I’d care to admit. We played very well in the Sassuolo rematch but since then we’ve been just barely good enough – or recently in the Manfredonia rematch, not very good at all.

If it’s possible to be dissatisfied while topping the table, I’m nearly at that point. We’re capable of so much more – so tonight I spent a little time counting my blessings. We’re top of our league, I have quite a beautiful lady indeed resting in my arms, and there is a momentary cease-fire in place with my main local nemesis. All we need to do is keep winning. We may yet prevail.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Sunday, February 10

Padova 1-1 Legnano

Two points lost. No question about it. The 1-6 home favorite crashed, and there’s nobody in a white shirt happy about it.

I’m not even going to say we deserved three points, despite dominating the statistics sheet in real and meaningful ways. We didn’t dominate the scoreboard, that was for certain, and we conceded in the last ten minutes to send another good crowd home disappointed.

I am starting to think that we seize up before bigger crowds. When we came out of the tunnel to play the match this afternoon, 5,935 rather loud supporters greeted us. The vast majority of them wore red and white.

I turned to Masolini as we took our places in the home dugout. “Now this is a little more like it,” I said, and he smiled in reply.

“A little bit of work to do yet, Rob,” he answered. “Actually, a lot of work to do yet.”

I agreed completely, and the match kicked off. We started out like the proverbial house on fire, pressing the Legnano back line and forcing them into hurried decisions. Soon the visitors were reduced to lumping the ball forward to simply clear their lines. It was a solid start and we took advantage of it with some of that good fortune I spoke of earlier this week.

It came, not surprisingly, off the boot of the excellent Caputo. He wound the ball past both left-sided defenders – first in the midfield and then at the back – before trying an early ball into the box for Muzzi.

I have always rated the importance of communication in the back line as a vital consideration, and this time our visitors didn’t have much of it. Keeper Vincenzo Grillo first decided to come for the ball and then frantically backtracked as he saw his defenders, and Muzzi, all converging on the same spot.

Grillo was in no-man’s-land and when the ball flashed past everyone in the mob of players at the edge of his six-yard box, he knew he had a serious problem. Muzzi had played a simply brilliant dummy.

Grillo flapped helplessly at the ball, which actually bounced in front of his feet before bounding over his shoulder and into the goal. It was a fortunate goal, an extremely ugly goal, and the crowd loved it.

Caputo did a quick little two-step in happiness as the players converged on him, celebrating the opening goal. The supporters have taken to him in a big way, as I’ve mentioned earlier, and he seems to feed off that emotion. We were a goal to the good, applying pressure, and had found a rather freakish way to the goal on top of it all.

We were poised to impose our will on the match. I couldn’t have asked for better. All we needed was a second goal and the floodgates might well have opened.

Five minutes later, our chance arrived. Caputo embarked on another foray into Legnano’s penalty area and defender Mirko Cudini got a handful of his shirt as he flashed by. The penalty was given and Baú took the ball.

With the second goal hanging in the balance, Baú responded with a resounding drive that smacked against Grillo’s left-hand post. The ball was cleared into touch and I felt like tearing out my hair.

After the latest penalty miss, our heads drooped. I still can’t understand that. We were generating chances, but then we just put our game into neutral. While I paced the touchline, trying to figure out why we had lost our urgency, we stopped creating chances. We had Legnano on the ropes and like a boxer pulling his punches, we held up our sagging opponent.

The halftime whistle blew and I headed to the changing room shaking my head. Legnano hadn’t had a shot on target in the first 45 minutes and it was starting for all the world to look like our fluke goal had been just that – a fluke.

The players sat, and I stood in the middle of the room. I had a quick decision to make. “Well, you’re ahead, anyhow,” I began. “But what do I have to say to get you guys to put your boots on someone’s necks?”

The words hit home. I think some of the players expected they’d get a bit of a roasting and that’s what they got – just a bit of a roasting.

“Defensively, you’ve been perfect and I can’t fault you a scrap,” I said. “But you need to get your heads down in their half of the field and make something happen. A second goal would end this match and we all know it. Yet when we get the possession, we aren’t doing anything with it. If you want to let these guys hang around, you’re doing a great job of it.”

I knew that talk would leave a bad taste, though, so I resumed my positive bent next. “Positionally, you’re fine. You’re in their passing lanes and I love what I’m seeing out of the back four when they try to go over the top. Just finish them off. That’s what you need to do for yourselves. Make it happen!”

We then headed out for the second half, I tried once again to pick up the dispirited Baú, and as a team we responded by really stinking up the joint. The team talk had the opposite effect from what I intended, and that left me as officially out of ideas as my team appeared to be.

Legnano started to gain more and more possession as the half continued. I slowed us up, moved to a short passing game to try to see more of the ball – and nothing seemed to work. Finally, on the hour mark, I figured that going defensive might be the smarter play, so I removed Gentile in favor of Cotroneo, with Paz giving us a second holding midfielder in a flat four-man midfield.

That stabilized things a bit but we were still getting whipped in possession. We countered them twice and generated our best chance of the second half with fifteen minutes to play as Baú curled a wonderful ball inches over the bar while in full flight from the left-hand channel. Grillo was well beaten but Eder just barely missed high.

Legnano went to a 4-2-4 formation and even brought on reserve striker Samuel Enam Mba as a wide player to try to get more pressure forward with ten minutes to go. We’ve handled 4-2-4 formations before but as I signaled for the defensive line to move back I realized we might well have a nervous finish.

That finish became infuriating just three minutes later when the substitute Mba equalized. We didn’t pick him up on a late run into the box and with the mayhem their four forwards suddenly created, we had no way to account for him. He got between Cotroneo and Paz, the second holding midfielder, and just like that Orlandoni was fishing the ball out of his net.

The crowd assumed a posture of sullen silence, for which I didn’t blame them a scrap. Red-faced, I called Muzzi over to me.

“Give me 4-3-3,” I said, motioning for Varricchio to come to the sidelines. Music stripped off quickly on the sidelines to give us an additional attacking option and the substitution was made.

Even that didn’t help. Legnano held us off with some ease and as the full-time whistle blew, Euganeo was quiet except for the sounds of the visiting support applauding their players off the pitch.

The coaching staffs exchanged congratulations and we headed back into the changing room. This time the players knew what they’d get and this time, they got it.

“You know, I’ll change out the whole damn team if I have to,” I fumed. “After the goal, we were AWOL offensively. And then eighty minutes of good defense gets wrecked because we don’t pick up a fourth forward who has no business getting to where he got with the ball.

“It was there for you today, fellows. It was there for you to take with both hands. I’m disappointed and if you aren’t too, then you better think hard about playing next week. We’re working tomorrow. Full training at 9:30.”

# # #

“Unhappy? Yes, Stefano, you could say that. You’re going to write it, so I may as well agree with it.”

He smiled at my candor. We haven’t agreed, but there is still an unwritten bit of respect between us in this regard – when we aren’t good, he’s going to write it because he knows the chances are good I’ll agree.

“What about penalties?”

“Maybe I’ll decline the next one,” I said bitterly. “We give chances to players, we give more chances to players, we give third chances to players, and we keep spurning them. The quality of our play is getting us to the penalty spot. It’s tragic that we can’t find a way to score more often from those opportunities we get. It’s just tragic.”

“What will you do about it?” Now Emiliani sensed his column for tomorrow and I managed a smile in response.

“I know what I’m going to do,” I said. “Suppose you write about it tomorrow and I’ll see if you think like a manager.”

# # #

It could have been worse. We maintained our four-point lead thanks to late results as once again, we were the least bad of the top three teams. 15th-placed Ternana went to Pierluigi Penzo and got a goalless draw against Venezia, while Sassuolo got back on track by defeating 14th placed Pro Sesto 1-0 at home. So we still lead Venezia and Sassuolo by four points, at 47-43, with Novara also in the mix on 42 points to trail by five.

The mistake didn’t cost as much as it might have. As Patty collected her gloomy-minded boyfriend for a late dinner this evening, she remarked on the good parts of the day.

“Nobody got hurt,” she said in an attempt at gallows humor.

I managed a rueful smile. “We got kicked in our pride,” I said. “That had better hurt someone.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Monday, February 11

I ran the senior squad through full training today. My sense is that it’s time to work them, but not too hard. We don’t play until Monday this coming week, with a short trip to Citadella on offer.

They’re 15th in the table, falling behind Ternana after a loss to Monza last weekend, and I want a better performance agains them than I saw yesterday against a club in the playdown places.

I didn’t crack the whip too hard today – we are still four points clear and there’s really no reason to put the hammer down on these players when they are clear of the league by more than one result.

Still, we missed a huge opportunity yesterday due to the other league results and that was really the main focus of my talk to the players today.

“This game is all about taking what’s given to you,” I said as I walked between the rows of stretching players before the warmup. “Yesterday’s result, as frustrating as it was, didn’t hurt you. We could certainly have helped ourselves had we simply put them away on our own pitch. This week we’re going to get back to some basics.”

# # #

Our mood was pretty good, all things considered. It’s hard to criticize too much when no ground was lost, but what I’m trying to do is turn yesterday’s result into a “shot across the bow” that will hopefully wake us up.

After today’s training session, I retreated to my office. Three different people – including Kate, which I found interesting – had e-mailed me with a link to the Reading Evening Post’s interview story.

Jill Weatherby had reported ‘just the facts’, and it was refreshing.

Former Royal defender Rob Rigdway is making a real splash for himself in his second career – as manager of Serie C1A side Calcio Padova.

As the only American manager in Italy, Ridgway’s plain-speaking style has led to interesting press as well as to results the club hasn’t seen in some years. He spoke with us from his office late last month.

REP: So how has it been for you? Are you making the adjustment?

RR: I think there’s only so much adjusting you can realistically do. The day you say to yourself ‘right, I’ve got it now’ is the day you should think about a different career. There’s always a new challenge.

REP: How have you found management so far? Have you gotten headaches yet?

RR: There’s always something that will make your head hurt. Whether it’s a suspension of a key player, a key decision that goes against you or sometimes the media, there’s never a dull moment. And that’s why some of us are in our jobs, I guess. I’d prefer my head not hurt so much, but that will happen in this game. How you deal with it is what sets you apart from everyone else.

REP: And what of the media? You haven’t gotten along with everyone in Italy.

RR: And they haven’t gotten along with me. They write what they want and really, I don’t care much about what they write as long as it sticks to football. Where I’ve had trouble this season isn’t in the football writing they do, it’s when they stick their noses where they don’t belong.

REP: But surely you encountered that sort of thing here in England?

RR: I did, but I never encountered the level of opposition in England that I get from some quarters here. That’s to be expected to a point because I was never in charge of a club anyplace else, but it would be great if people here would just get behind the squad and what we’re trying to accomplish.

REP: What has been your biggest challenge?

RR: Getting people to rise above self-interest. I have a professional squad in terms of its outlook but we still have moments of madness where the individual gets placed in front of the team and when that’s happened, we’ve stumbled. We have to learn to overcome these types of moments if we are to succeed.

REP: Do you have a model in your managerial career?

RR: Other than my girlfriend? Wait. Wrong kind of model!

REP: You always did have an odd sense of humor.

RR: Okay, so much for levity. As far as a model for my style of management, I’d say no. At the risk of hubris, I’m trying to be my own man. I know a successful side is solid from the goal outward but that is not to say I am a defensive-minded manager. I’ve had a bit of frustration here since I would much prefer to be able to take a game by the scruff of the neck and put an opponent under pressure when we need a goal. But we don’t always do that, so I have to play a more patient style. I wish I could be like a Bernd Schuster, a Jürgen Klinsmann or an Arsene Wenger, who can put great offensive players onto the pitch and watch their opponents start to quake in their boots. Instead, I do what most lower level managers do – I work with blue-collar players who want to succeed and live and die with them. That’s no reflection on my players – it’s just reality.

REP: What has been your biggest frustration?

RR: This whole kerfuffle over my personal life. That really has annoyed me. I realize these comments will probably wind up published in Italy so I’m going to be careful what I say, but it’s really quite unfortunate that people have decided to make this portion of my life such an area of controversy. We’re in a tremendous fight for promotion out of this league, we haven’t lost in twenty straight matches dating back to September, and all some people can seem to care about is who I’m dating and who I’m with when I am not at the office. It’s really none of their business. So it’s nice to talk about football with you.

REP: Do you think you’d ever consider coming back to England?

RR: I don’t even want to speculate. There aren’t jobs open now that I know of, and I have the task of getting Padova promoted. As the media here remind me, that is my only priority and I am determined to see the job through.

REP: I know you still follow English football, though. What do you make of this year’s Reading team?

RR: Full marks to them for leading the league as long as they have. I’m delighted to see the scorelines and quite happy to see the Madejski Stadium full of fans who have something real to support. Steve Coppell has done a marvelous job and my hat’s off to him.

REP: I know you probably don’t want to talk about this but I have to ask the question. The story surrounding you and your former relationship surfaced here, and –

RR: That’s right, Jill. I don’t want to talk about it.

REP: -- but it shows what you were trying to say, doesn’t it? That the scrutiny isn’t wanted?

RR: I don’t want to say anything about it, Jill. Well, except for one thing. I don’t stand on the touchline and yell out which members of the press got divorced over the last year. So I wish they wouldn’t do the same type of thing with me.

REP: Fair enough. Back to football.

RR: Thank you.

REP: Can you earn promotion in your first managerial assignment?

RR: I’d like to think so. This is a decent squad with passionate players and I’ve gotten as much support as the board is able to give me. It’s not Manchester United in terms of finances but I have money for players and so far the buys I’ve made have been good in terms of overall performance. I think we’ll be in there at the end of the season.

REP: All good wishes, Rob, and thank you for your time.

RR: My pleasure. Remember me to the Hob Nobbers.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Tuesday, February 12

I may have been remembered fondly in Reading, but as I expected the article was printed, in entirety, in our local media today.

So after today’s training session I had to deal with media that believes it has tasted blood. That wasn’t terribly pleasant for me – they have done no such thing, of course – but it was something I knew I’d have to address when I first made the comments to Jill Weatherby.

The training session was good. Caputo is now going to get his turn from the penalty spot, since he seems to take a good penalty and also has one of the prerequisities of a good taker of penalties – self-confidence.

He knows he can do it and based on the form he’s in, I’m not going to disagree. He did a very nice job today as we did some penalty work before calling it a day, and with as many opportunities as Baú and Muzzi have both squandered from the spot, it’s time to try someone else.

I don’t think we’d be struggling like we are offensively if we had bagged a few more from the spot, for obvious reasons. Confidence begets confidence and if you can’t take the highest-probability chance in the game on a regular basis, eventually it affects everything you do.

I spent a little time with Caputo today to let him know he’s the new guy from the penalty spot, and gave him a bit of encouragement – like he needs it, really. He has settled in beautifully and being given that responsibility cements his place in the team.

Supporters from every quarter are praising the purchse, and even Emiliani hasn’t had a thing to say about it. Until today.

I gathered for the daily press gaggle and he suggested I might want to put Caputo on the spot. In the interests of team, of course.

“One step ahead of you,” I smiled. “I told the player today.”

His double take was priceless and his reaction was even better. “Oh. Then well done, I guess,” he said, and I laughed out loud.

“Stefano, you have to understand that what I do is for the good of the club rather than due to any crossing of swords we have,” I explained. “And really, I’ve been quite patient. How about getting on board?”

“Would you care to explain your comments about media in the Reading newspaper?” another reporter asked, thereby cutting my intended topic of conversation short. I didn’t recognize the new face asking me the question, so I asked for identification.

“Gustavo Bellini is my name, from Verona. You’ve created quite a controversy.”

“Not if you read what I said,” I replied. “I said when you don’t write about football, you upset me. I shouldn’t think that would be terribly surprising to you.”

“It’s not like most managers to openly criticize media here.”

“I don’t think its like most media to rate the manager’s choice of companionship,” I shot back. “I could be wrong about you, though.”

“Why are you fighting us?” he asked.

“I’m trying not to,” I replied. “I’ve got better things to do. I don’t care about what you do outside of your office and I ask for the same courtesy in return.”

“Then beat Legnano,” Emiliani challenged, and I rose to it.

“What’ll it be next week, Stefano?” I asked. “It’ll be ‘beat Citadella and we won’t write about you’. Then it’ll be ‘beat Pro Sesto’. Do you know who we play after that, Stefano?”

“I don’t have the fixture list memorized,” he said. “And it doesn’t matter.”

“Really?” I asked. “For your information, we’re at Paganese after that and then home to Ternana. You’re going to question my priorities? Clean up your own act first.”

# # #

Wednesday, February 13

Emiliani has been told to cool it by his superiors. At least in print.

He’s going to the Internet now, to write a football column which will be a companion piece to what is written in the local paper. He can be as sanitized as the club likes in print and as nasty as he wants to be in cyberspace.

Fine. Today’s print piece talked about getting behind the team but the internet column was a pretty frank assessment of where we stand at the moment.

The only thing he didn’t mention was that we’re four points ahead. He covered pretty much everything else, and to a point I agreed with him.

I also told him as much after our training today, and you’d have thought I told him he had a tarantula on his shoulder. He just about freaked out.

“No, Stefano, I think you were quite fair, and I did read both your pieces,” I said. He had some unkind things to say about my captain as well, but they are things I myself have been thinking so I couldn’t disagree with him and be honest about it. He had written:

Manager Ridgway needs to make up his mind about Federico Crovari. The stylish holding midfielder has played his role with decreasing effectiveness in recent matches and seems lost in the position in Padova’s alignment as often as not. Without quick decision-making skills he is too often caught in possession, forcing the wing players to work harder on defensive responsibilities. Eder Baú and Massimiliano Caputo haven’t said much about it and I wouldn’t expect them to, but I strongly suspect both players wouldn’t mind backing their manager against a wall and telling him ‘give us Pablo Paz’.

First off, I agree with the idea of giving more time in midfield to Paz, now that Antonuzzo has gotten his feet wet, but there’s no way I’d let anyone in my dressing room back me against a wall. I think there’s a little latent frustration showing through there.

Today’s training session was positive and also short. I eased up a bit on the players after working them hard the last two days and I intend to give them Sunday off since our match travel is quite short on Monday evening. They don’t know that yet, but they’re responding well to the challenge I gave them this week and I need to be a ‘good cop’ right at the moment.

Masolini has done his job so far, explaining why I’m doing what I’m doing to those who are upset with me but don’t want to darken my office door. I’m fine with that - my players are smart enough to figure out that the manager and the assistant manager will talk with each other from time to time.

On the whole, we’re rounding nicely into shape for the Monday match. The little Padova soap opera continues and right now, all the balls I’m juggling are in the air at the same time.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Thursday, February 14

Today was a very special day for me and Patty made sure of it.

Of course, today is St. Valentine’s Day and I was stunned to start my day with Patty’s knock on my door at 6:00 in the morning.

Grumbling, I got out of bed and headed to the door in my sleepwear. When I looked through the viewer in my door and saw her smiling face on the other side, my mood changed.

I opened the door and let her in. “Honey, is there something wrong?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Sorry to wake you so early, but you know the tradition,” she said. “I thought I’d come over to make you some breakfast.”

Sleep’s fog still crowded my brain, and I had no idea what she was talking about. “What tradition?” I asked, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

“Well, here’s something that will help with that,” she said, handing me a small box. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

I opened it and she explained. “That’s Baci Perugina,” she said, starting to make coffee as I looked down into a box of chocolate-covered hazelnuts. “It’s an Italian tradition.” It didn’t exactly look like breakfast food, but she was in a sweet mood and I wasn’t about to try to change it through an ill-advised comment.

There was a note inside and I took it out to read the contents. That was another part of the local tradition. It was a copy of Henry Van Dyke’s poem Time Is Too Slow, and in still another Italian tradition the poem was translated into four languages. It now appeared before my sleep-filled eyes in Italian, English, German and Spanish. In English, it reads:

Time is too slow for those who wait,

Too swift for those who fear,

Too long for those who grieve,

Too short for those who rejoice,

But for those who love,

Time is eternity.

I was puzzled, and as Patty continued to make our breakfast I asked what had possessed her to do this.

“I wanted to find a special way to be with you today. It’s the local tradition and I thought you’d enjoy it,” she smiled.

“Yes, but at six o’clock in the morning?” I smiled, and she approached with a hot mug of coffee.

“That’s the last part of the tradition,” she said. “It says that an unmarried woman is to stand by her window on Valentine’s Day and the first man she sees will marry her within a year.”

I smiled at her. “You aren’t in your window,” I said, and she moved to sit in my lap.

“I couldn’t see your place from my window, so I came over in person,” she said, melting my heart. “I almost walked over blindfolded so I wouldn’t see anyone I wasn’t supposed to.”

Her voice softened and she sat in my lap. “Rob, I love you, and I’ve made some decisions that, if you’re willing, will affect both of us.”

She snuggled close as we shared our morning coffee, and I had never been happier to be dragged out of bed. She’s “running hot” on our relationship again and I much prefer that to where we were at Christmas.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Friday, February 15

By comparison, the diamond necklace I bought Patty for Valentine’s Day paled to the gift she wanted to give me.

After I left the office last night I went straight to Patty’s place for a quiet dinner and a heavyweight conversation about the rest of our lives.

“Paul told me he was going to ask again to get married at Valentine’s Day,” she explained, using a name I thankfully hadn’t heard in several weeks.

“I thought that was over.”

“It was over, for me,” she said. “I moved to Padua, you know. And that wasn’t to be closer to Paul.”

I smiled. “Honey, the only thing that worries me is how we seem to have been so up and down,” I explained. “I love you dearly but…”

“…you’re afraid I’ll cut you off again,” she said, inadvertently cutting me off to tell me she wasn’t going to cut me off. “I can understand that. All I can do is be true to you and true to our relationship and prove it to you.”

“I didn’t say that to indict you,” I replied, but she hushed me by leaning over the table for a soft kiss.

“Shhh, honey,” she said, closing her eyes while her face lit up into a simply perfect smile. “I know you didn’t. I’ve just got things under control right now where they weren’t before. Peter and Kate’s visit really put pressure on me.”

Now I put down my fork, which held a piece of wonderful stuffed manicotti. “I know that, but was there other pressure I should have known about?”

“He said some things,” she said, shaking her head sadly. “Nothing to worry about now, anyway. He said he and Kate were on the rocks and he was ‘exploring his options’.” She made little ‘quotation marks’ with the tips of her fingers to emphasize her point.

“So when I saw you holding her that night I thought it had all gone wrong. I snapped,” she added. “I just had to get out of that place and I thought that everything Peter McGuire touched around me turned into poison.”

“Honey,” I said, reaching for her hand. “I’m so sorry. I wish I had known! I could have helped you!”

“I thought you were in on it,” she said. “It looked bad and I didn’t give you time to explain. I was scared, I was angry, I was confused, you name it. It was awful and I just spun out of control. Until Kate wrote me, that is.”

I thought about my former sweetheart’s self-sacrifice. She wrote a note to Patty that saved our relationship at the same time it ended all thoughts of her own happiness with me. She did what she had to do.

“I’m glad you’re back, anyway,” I said, in about the only thing I could say that didn’t sound completely trite.

“She is pretty miserable,” Patty replied. “But she did say she wanted you to be happy and that the best way for that to happen was if you and I were together. She saw what we had at first, Rob, and that’s what I need to have back.”

Our eyes met and she finally explained what I really wanted to know – why she left and why she came back. “When I left you a part of me just died. I can’t go through that again. I tried to run away so I wouldn’t hurt any more and all I learned was that each step I took made the pain worse.”

“I would have welcomed you,” I said. “I took it hard. Ask Masolini. He’ll tell you.”

“I know, but I was just too frightened and too confused,” she said. “I’ve got my head screwed on straight now, though, and now that I’m no longer under pressure from Peter, I think we’ll be just fine.”

She squeezed my hand again. “If you ever have any doubts, just let me prove it,” she said. “I’m in no hurry.”

Except for one item. “I do have to go back to Venice on Tuesday,” she said. “It’s just for the day, I have to close up my office and Tuesday was always the morning I kept for regular office time. I’ll be back in the evening and then I can start looking for a job here.”

“You don’t need to if you don’t want to,” I said. “I’ve got enough to cover us.”

“But you aren’t my husband – yet,” she said. “I’m not a kept woman, that’s for certain. I want to make my own career and I know you understand that.”

I looked at her, chastened. “I do understand that,” I said. “But I thought I should at least make the offer.”

“You’re sweet to do it,” she said. “But it wouldn’t be right.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Saturday, February 16

I’ve made a decision that I’m not going to tell media about. I’m going to sit down my leading scorer for Monday’s match.

Varricchio has now gone 434 minutes without a goal and hasn’t scored since the January 7 match at Venezia. Paponi has earned his shot and he’s going to get it starting tomorrow.

The kid can play. He’s tall at 6’2”, rangy and can really strike a ball. He’s gotten himself settled nicely but it’s taken him a bit longer than I had hoped to make his mark in the first team, due in part to the prolonged steady play of Varricchio.

But now Massimiliano is in poor form and needs to rebound. Paponi will play off Muzzi tomorrow and those two actually pose my fastest strike combination.

Daniele, like Varricchio, is also an excellent header of the ball and my hope is that he will wreak some havoc in Citadella’s penalty area. This may change another part of my tactic as well.

I’m also considering playing Muzzi as a target man – despite the fact that he’s five inches shorter than Paponi – to try to get his ability to pass the ball into play. Paponi is a better pure finisher than Varricchio in my view, but Roberto is a superior passer. His veteran presence may get him, and also Paponi, the ball in better positions. It’s a gamble, to be sure, but right now we aren’t creating much by playing “the way we’ve always done it”.

Varricchio will make the bench because I need him there, but the time is now to make a change. This sputtering play in the attacking third can’t continue and I need a spark. The time to try it is now, when we have the four-point advantage.

# # #

It’s also too far to travel to scout our main opposition tomorrow and still get back to Padua in something approaching a timely fashion. Sassuolo is playing at Paganese in Salerno, which is out of the question for a day trip. Novara is at home to Foligno and Cremonese is the closest drive to play Venezia, who we’ve already played twice and whom I’ve scouted twice more. I’ll want to see Venezia a little closer to the end of the season when we play them – but that match is televised so I can watch it that way.

Of those teams, Novara concerns me the most but I already see them in my nightmares. So I may as well watch Venezia again.

# # #

Sunday, February 17

Our lead is down to one point after two of our main rivals came up trumps in this afternoon’s matches.

Sassuolo is back on the right track with a 2-0 win at Paganese. Novara didn’t have their usual attacking flair due to Foligno packing ten men behind the ball for most of the match, but won anyway by 1-0. Only Venezia failed to win, managing just a 1-1 draw at Cremonese, which I saw on television.

Venezia’s draw was obviously the best news in that group. Our 47 points still leads Girone A, but Sassuolo is on 46, Novara has 45, and Venezia has 44. We are definitely scoreboard watching and it’s quite nerve wracking.

I find it remarkable that with a twenty-match unbeaten run going in our league, we lead by one point. It shows the strength of our league and if we should slip tomorrow, it will just get even wilder.

Tomorrow will mark our 23rd league match of the season, putting us officially into the homestretch of the league season. We still have Serie C Cup matches to play as well, with a board target of the semifinals to meet. Every match we play from now until the end of the season will see pressure placed on us.

Yet, that’s why we play. We want the glory, so we have to take what comes with it. Or least, what passes for glory at this level. The real glory comes higher up the ladder, I think.

Though, I’ve played with more than a few teammates through my career who seemed to think the spotlight followed them wherever they went. At least in their eyes it did – even if no one else saw it.

I played with one individual in Chicago who would spend fully twenty minutes in front of the mirror before each match – home or away – making sure he looked perfect before taking the pitch. Right down to hair spray and combed eyebrows. I never really understood that. The same player was usually a mass of sweat and dirt within the first half hour of the match anyway.

Perhaps it was superstition. Perhaps it was vanity to a degree I haven’t seen before. Perhaps it was a combination of both. But for a player like me, who was simply happy to be pulling on a first team shirt at that stage of my career, it was a bit mind-boggling.

I relate this story because just about everyone on both the Venezia and Cremonese benches had evidently taken pains to look good for television. We’ve been on television twice already this season and will be again tomorrow, so I feel like a veteran. I don’t feel like I have to dress the part, though I’ll certainly do the club justice.

What I don’t want is to look like Bill Belicheck, coach of the NFL’s New England Patriots. He wears a cutoff hoody on the sidelines and it doesn’t look so hot. However, I’d take his record and his championship pedigree and I’m sure he doesn’t care how he looks.

It’s going to be clear and coolish tomorrow so I’m more concerned about how the weather will affect my team’s play than how that weather will make me look.

The best part of the day, though, was simply watching the match on television with Patty. It’s the most natural thing in the world to spend time now and my hope is that all the misunderstanding and hurt feelings are behind us. We even ate some chocolate-covered hazelnuts while we watched the match. Some Valentine’s gifts are meant to be shared.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Monday, February 18

Citadella 0-2 Padova

A much better reaction from my players – and some more spark up front – allowed us to rebound from last weekend’s disappointment.

We reacted well to the pressure and restored our four-point lead atop the league thanks to goals from Paponi and Muzzi. I couldn’t have asked for better, but we had the added advantage of playing against ten men for a good part of the match.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. The team coach arrived at Pier Cesare Tombolato two hours before kickoff and I headed off for a quick interview with the match broadcasters. The squad headed into the changing room to begin various pre-match rituals, while I did the necessary things with media.

The questioning during our first round of televised matches centered around how a Yankee was going to survive in Italy. Now, the questioning moved to whether I would prosper. That’s more respect than I’ve received from our local media and it wasn’t lost on me.

By the time I arrived in the dressing room the players were changed and awaiting the teamtalk. I wrote the starting XI on a board in front of the room and noted Varricchio’s disappointment. He didn’t like being dropped at all, but I need to kick-start him again and losing his place is what may well do it.

“I’ll tell you right now, I’m looking for better,” I said. “You all know what happened yesterday around the league and I want to know if you’ll bounce back. My challenge to you today is to impose your will on them. Show me how badly you want to win. Play hard for each other and do what I know you can do. Good luck today, but know that no matter what happens, you still are top of the table. Make it happen.”

In a way, it was a rather embarrassing match to have on television as only 1192 fans came to see it. Of those, about 300 were our traveling support so it was a very disappointing showing for the home team. Of course, only six wins and eleven losses in 22 matches will lead to that.

From the beginning, we made things happen. Novara’s ‘dynamic duo’ of Rabito and Sinigaglia is well known. Now ours, of Baú and Caputo, had its turn.

They worked well from the beginning, switching sides frequently and causing the home defense no end of trouble. Simone Villanova was a very busy man in Citadella’s goal, with his best save defying Rabito’s rocket from just outside the area on 26 minutes. Villanova dove at full stretch and had enough strength in his arms to fist his attempt around the left goalpost.

We even had possession for extended periods of time and the results of that strong play showed in increasing frustration on the part of our hosts. It finally reached a boiling p0int when we put together some of our best all-around passing of the season just before halftime. We were working the ball around extremely well and moving nearly at will before the much-maligned Crovari took a pass about 35 yards out from goal.

Citadella midfielder Dieguito moved in and Crovari passed the ball away. Dieguito still came in hard, challenging my captain late and with both feet, catching him across both ankles. Crovari crumpled to the ground and everyone in our colors immediately showed their anger at a moment of madness.

Red-faced with anger, I looked first at the fourth official and then at referee Johannes Donati, choosing not to say anything until the referee made his decision. Thankfully, it didn’t take long. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the straight red card. Dieguito didn’t even look back, untucking his shirt and trotting off the pitch.

The physio staff reached Crovari, who was in considerable discomfort, and he spent a full three minutes down on the turf. I thought it was a minor miracle he didn’t have at least one broken leg – but what he did have was a badly spiked right ankle from the studs of the Citadella midfielder.

He took a couple of steps assisted by the physios and immediately sat down. Attendants brought a stretcher onto the pitch to carry him off. I nodded to Cotroneo, who was already warming up on the touchline. He knew he would go into the match as Paz shifted to the holding role.

Crovari’s anger was palpable as he was carried past me. I looked at him, like I had with Di Venanzio back in September, and gave him a look of consolation.

“Hang in there,” I told him. “We need you.” He nodded, and he was carried to the dressing room for treatment while the match continued.

The injury, and the red card, woke us up. It was a matter of moments before we had the ball in their net for the first time, with Baú, as usual, the provider. He criss-crossed with Caputo at midfield and took the ball down his more accustomed right side on 42 minutes and struck a perfectly weighted cross right into the middle of the six-yard box.

You could almost hear the sound of a train whistle as Paponi charged toward the ball, unstoppable in pace and with intent in his eyes. He smashed the ball toward the goal with his forehead and Villanova had no chance. The ball flashed home to get us a goal up and frankly we deserved it.

Paponi showed his emotion and our traveling support rose as one to praise the loan player for a truly fine finish. Baú ran to him with the look of a man who provides perfect service to his strikers every day – and in his case, he does as often as not.

We played five minutes of injury time in the first half and headed to the break firmly in control of the match. We returned to see Crovari with a bandage and ice on his ankle and assistant Mauricio Balló waiting with a report.

“Thankfully it’s not broken,” he said. “It’s a very bad knock and he’s had five stitches. He will be out for at least a week but he needs to rest the joint until it settles down. He’s in a fair amount of pain.”

“I shouldn’t wonder,” I said, nodding to the captain who sat in the corner of the changing room with an icepack on his ankle. He nodded back and our unspoken communication told the entire story.

“All right, men, listen up,” I said. “We’re in the same position now that we were in last weekend on our home pitch. I love the work you’ve done so far but now is the time to finish the job. Don’t let up. Don’t give in. Don’t undo what you’ve done. Make it happen.”

I left the individual instruction to Masolini and headed out into the hallway by the visitors’ changing room for a pace. So, we were in the same position again.

This time, there was no doubt who was bossing the match. Playing against ten, there wasn’t much doubt anyhow but the players showed application and grit to make sure their opponents didn’t get back into the match.

Eleven minutes after the restart, we scored again in a manner quite similar to our first goal, with Baú and Caputo again crossing in midfield. When Baú reached the right side of the pitch he unhesitatingly drove hard for the byline and somehow managed to pull the ball back while in full stride.

This time he found the unmarked Muzzi, whose eyes lit up at the sight of such service. He trapped the ball down with his chest, let it bounce, and still had time to volley past the helpless Villanova for two-nil.

Muzzi is now hot, having netted in three of our last four matches, and his reaction was what you’d expect from the man in form. Both strikers finding the net had certainly vindicated my choice of strike partners and even though we were eleven against ten, I could afford to feel good about our play.

The players then bore out my optimism, shutting down Citadella with tight play, closing them down all over the pitch. When we had the ball we slowed the pace and worked as wide as we could, forcing them to cover the entire pitch with their ten men.

By the end, it was almost like child’s play. We were very good all the way through the second half and Donati’s full time whistle put the home side out of their misery. It was a solid ninety-minute effort and we have reason to be quite pleased.

As you might imagine, the players were quite happy with themselves after a solid away win and I did nothing to curb their enthusiasm. This time, the media questioning was slightly different than I would have expected.

“Why is your away form so much better than your home form of late?” I was asked, and I realized the questioner was quite right.

“I wish I could tell you,” I said honestly. “Last weekend we dominated proceedings for 45 minutes and didn’t get the winning goal late when we needed it. We also didn’t stop our opponent when it mattered most. Though I should say, it’s nearly always easier to play against ten men, and that certainly helped us today.”

“Your thoughts on Dieguito’s sending off, please.”

“Red card, what can I say?” I said. “I don’t want to condemn the kid, but really, you can’t go in with two feet like that. The ball was long gone and Crovari is lucky both his ankles are still attached to the rest of his body.”

“Are you feeling pressure now? Is there a title race on?”

“There’s a title race on from the first fixture on the schedule,” I said. “Just because we’re at the top of it this season doesn’t change the facts. With the lead we have, I think if we keep playing this way we’ll be right in there at the end and that’s all you can ask.”

# # #

This time, returning home was a pleasure. Patty was waiting at Euganeo to greet me and I felt like a domesticated man when I got off the coach.

She waited for me, leaning against the wall near the players’ entrance as she often does, and this time the look in her eyes told me I was truly home. That is a feeling I can’t even begin to describe.

It’s time to go home. I couldn’t be happier.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Tuesday, February 19

“Devastating” is the best word I can use to describe the events of today. I’ve nearly lost Patty again, but this time for a wholly different reason.

She is in a Venice hospital tonight after a serious motor wreck on the A4 on the way to her office. I left my office early, for obvious reasons, when word reached me that she had been injured.

We trained this morning with video due to not getting our customary day-after-a-win Monday off. Near the end of a light afternoon session, while working with my central defenders, I noticed Balló approaching at a dead run.

“Rob, you need to take this call,” he said, handing me my phone. I never carry it with me on the training pitch so for him to bring it to me meant something was very wrong indeed. Apprehensively, I answered.

“This is Carlotta Rossi calling from Ospedale Civile in Venice,” she said with a perfunctory tone. She had said ‘Muncipal Hospital’ and I was worried. “I am to inform you that Patricia Myers is here, in emergency surgery after a motor accident.”

The color drained out of my face and I felt faint. No words would come out of my mouth. Finally, I spoke.

“Thank you,” I said. “What sort of surgery?”

“She has suffered serious blunt trauma injuries,” the faceless voice said. “Your presence is requested.”

I thanked her, she gave me the address of the hospital and I tried to figure out where I was about to go. I turned to Masolini, who saw my distress.

“Filippo, I have to go to Venice,” I said. “Patty has been badly hurt in a car accident.”

“Go,” he said immediately. “I will take training.”

I thanked him, asked Balló to inform Sestaro that I might be gone for awhile, and confirmed with my chairman on my way to Venice.

About two-thirds of the way there, I saw vehicles still clearing up a portion of the wreck by a bridge abutment. Most of Patty’s car had thankfully been removed but broken glass and assorted vehicle parts were swept into a pile by the side of the road. Obviously there had been a tremendous impact and I fought away tears as I drove.

I found a municipal parking lot just inside the city. I caught one of Venice’s famous water taxis, which thankfully had a kind driver even though he recognized Padova’s manager. He took me to the Scuola Grande di San Marco, which is the entry building to the hospital, and motioned to the door.

“That is the entry,” he said, as I paid him generously. “I wish you the best of luck.”

I thanked him and rushed into the emergency area, where I checked in with the receptionist. I was cleared to go to the waiting area but before I arrived, I was stopped by two men in dark suits.

“What’s the meaning of this?” I asked. “Who are you? Why can’t I go to the waiting area?”

One of the men reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a badge. “FBI,” he said. “We have a few questions for you, Mr. Ridgway.”

“My girlfriend is in emergency surgery,” I said. “Can’t this wait?”

“Unfortunately, no, it can’t,” the man replied. “We need to find out what you know about Miss Myers’ travel arrangements. She is an employee of the United States Government and we are assisting police with their investigation.”

“Police? Why?”

“Mr. Ridgway,” the man said patiently, “we have reason to believe this was no accident. Now please, come with us.”

# # #

I was shown into a side room where I found several Polizia di Stato, or Italian State Police, waiting as well. My sense of apprehension grew as I was shown to a chair.

A man who I took to be an inspector opened the conversation. “My name is Dino Cipriani, lead investigator,” he said. “I’d like to ask you about Miss Myers and her travel plans.”

It didn’t add up. “Am I a suspect for some reason or other?” I asked. “If I am, I want an attorney present.”

“At this time, no,” Cipriani said, and a cold chill ran down my spine due to the wording of his answer. “We wish to know if Miss Myers communicated her travel plans to you and if she did, if you told them to anyone.”

I took a deep breath and knowing I had nothing to hide, I answered. “She told me over the weekend that she had to go to Venice for part of the day,” I said. “I told no one.”

“Do you know anyone who might have been privy to her travel plans?”

“She didn’t tell me that she had said anything to anyone,” I answered. “Look, what’s going on here? What about this accident makes it suspicious?”

“After the accident, a witness called 1-1-8 to summon an ambulance,” Cipriani replied, naming the Italian equivalent of the American 9-1-1 service. “The inference made by the witness was that Miss Myers’ car had been run off the road.”

“Oh, Lord,” I sighed, failing to conceal my shock. “I have to know if she’s all right!”

“She has had blunt force trauma injuries to her torso and head,” Cipriani replied. “She is in surgery at the moment to repair a collapsed lung and to deal with internal injuries. There is no question that the air bag in the car saved her life.”

I couldn’t contain my emotion any longer and buried my head in my hands. Nobody said a word as I fought to compose myself.

“Run off the road?” I finally repeated, unable to believe the words coming out of my own mouth.

“That is what we believe,” Cipriani answered. “Therefore we are very interested in learning who may have known of her travel plans. If this was a deliberate incident we must know who knew of them.”

The first man in the suit now sp0ke. He hadn’t yet identified himself and the look on his face told me I’d get no such courtesy now. “Since Miss Myers is an American national in the employment of the United States Government, we are assisting,” he repeated. I already knew that and wondered why he felt it necessary to remind me.

“At least we’re still using the present tense to refer to Patty,” I said, the only person in the room who had actually used her Christian name. “And at the moment, that is my only concern. Am I done here?”

Cipriani nodded. “We have no wish to detain you,” he said. “But we would appreciate knowing your whereabouts in case we have additional enquiries.”

“I’m a football manager,” I said. “It’s not like I’m difficult to find.”

I left the room and headed to the waiting area, brushing aside local reporters as I did. We’ll have more media coverage in the morning and it had better be of the right kind.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Wednesday, February 20

I arrived back in Padua at 6:30 this morning, after sitting at Patty’s bedside all night.

She came out of surgery at midnight and was just coming out of anaesthesia when it was time for me to go. Leaving her side was quite possibly the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.

Her perfect face was bruised, her internal injuries repaired, and she was heavily sedated – but she was alive. That was all I cared about at that moment and it’s all I care about now.

I needed to sleep and I needed to do my job, so it meant everything to see her eyelids flutter at 5:30 this morning. Her green eyes opened slowly and she turned to me at her bedside. She squeezed my hand and a single tear raced down her right cheek.

I broke down, holding tightly to her hand while sniffing away tears of relief. I pushed the call button beside her bed to let the nurses know she was awake and presently a nurse and doctor appeared.

“Good to have you back, Miss Myers,” the nurse said in English. “You gave us a scare.”

She spoke, her voice barely a whisper as she fought against the anaesthesia. “Sorry to be a bother,” she said in a brave attempt at humor.

“We’re just going to keep you comfortable this morning,” the doctor said. “You had concussion, two broken ribs, a collapsed lung and your spleen was lacerated. You lost quite a bit of blood.”

“But I made it,” she said, a weak smile crossing her face. I shook my head in sadness at the thought of how much pain she must have had to endure, realizing that the painkilling drip she was now receiving would have helped somewhat.

“I’m just glad you’re here,” I said, and Patty saw my look of overwhelming sadness.

“I’ll make it,” she said. “It hurts, but I’m going to make it.”

“We have every reason to believe you will,” the doctor said, now showing a little bedside manner in his voice. “You were brought here quickly and the emergency services made sure you got here alive. However, you should know the police are waiting to speak with you as soon as you are strong enough.”

“I’m in no shape,” she protested, and the doctor silenced her with a soft raise of his hand.

“Of course you aren’t,” he said. “But they would like a description of what happened. They are looking for individuals who may have seen the incident.”

“Or caused it,” she said. “I was run off the road.”

That confirmation provided both welcome news and an icy blast at the same time. It was a deliberate thing, and that kind of realization is enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine.

“Save your strength, honey,” I said. “The police will want to know and I want to see whoever did this locked up.”

“Me too,” she said. “Maybe even more than you do.” This last attempt at levity dissolved into a tired smile and finally, her eyes closed again. I got up, softly kissed her forehead, and as she slept, I left the room to call the club offices.

I agreed to come back for the morning session, with the full understanding that I would head back to Venezia as soon as my responsibilities were complete. We do have to prepare for Pro Sesto this weekend and as far away from my mind as it was overnight, that is still my responsibility.

So I drove back in the early morning hours and went straight to the ground for a shower and a quick nap before the morning session. Thankfully, we did our video work yesterday and also installed much of our plan for the return matchup against a club we’ve already seen. So I figured today’s training work would be fairly routine and preparing a plan wouldn’t take a whole lot of time.

When I arrived, though, I saw that Masolini had already prepared a plan for my approval. It saved me about an hour’s work and I was grateful. He had picked up the slack in my absence and that meant a lot.

Masolini gave me time to sleep, and I gratefully curled up on the couch in my office for a couple of hours. The sounds of the first players arriving for training woke me, and I trudged off to the coaches’ showers to make myself presentable for the day.

I emerged into a quiet room and my players didn’t say much as I greeted them. They had all heard what had happened, and I wondered if something else had happened in the meantime.

“I don’t suppose you have read the papers,” Muzzi said as he arrived. “We’re sorry to hear about Patty but we didn’t know you had been detained.”

I frowned. The wrong thing had been written, obviously, and I was in no mood for it. I went to the club offices to see a copy of the morning paper, which had indeed reported that Padova manager Rob Ridgway had been detained by authorities for questioning in the matter of Patty Myers’ accident.

Under the headline, once again, of Sforza Patricia, the story was written about how I had been detained for questioning and that I was “assisting police with their enquiries”. Which I have been. What I haven’t been is named as any sort of suspect. The wrong inference had been made.

My temples began to pound, from a brand new tension headache. My sweetheart was lying in a hospital bed 40 miles away and needed me with her. I had more media questions to answer and training to run. The pressure seemed too great to bear.

I headed back into the changing room where the squad was still gathered in silence. I stood in the center of the room and you could have heard a pin drop.

“Fellows, about the morning paper,” I said softly, and knew my choice of words would be very important. “I drove to Venice after yesterday’s training, as you know. The police met with me and asked some questions about Patty’s travel. I’m not a suspect, I didn’t do anything, and you need to get the idea out of your heads that the manager is some sort of criminal. I’m not. As you know, I was here at training yesterday with you when the accident happened. They didn’t report everything that happened and they didn’t report everything that did happen in context. I would like you to go and put this out of your minds. Train the way you have been training and above all, play like you played last weekend. That is the best way to quiet people down.”

So we did. I had no comment for media afterward other than to say I hadn’t been detained and the police could verify that. I was in no mood to argue. Even Emiliani was sympathetic to that.

# # #

This evening, I drove back to Venezia and before long found myself in the same chair I was in all night long. But this time the hospital staff had thoughtfully arranged for my presence.

They brought in a cot so I could recline in the evening. I thought it was a grand gesture and remarked to the day nurse that the people in Venice had been nicer to me in the main than most of the people in Padua had been over the last twenty-four hours.

Patty had been interviewed by the police and a bulletin was out for two cars believed to have been involved. However, with twelve hours’ advance notice they could have been anywhere in the country or even beyond, which didn’t make either of us feel any better.

She told me her story – how a driver had boxed her in to the front while a second driver came alongside to ram her car hard into the bridge support. She couldn’t slow down due to traffic behind her and she didn’t want to stop due to obviously being afraid of the men in the vehicles.

“I tried, but I couldn’t get around them,” she sobbed. I reached for Patty and gently tried to console her, but the memory was still far too raw.

“I’m just glad you’re here,” she said. “I can’t imagine what it would be like if you weren’t.”

“I’m always here,” I said, squeezing her hand again. “If not in body, then I’m here in spirit. You’ll be all right and that’s all that matters to me.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Thursday, February 21

It looks as though Patty will spend one more day in the hospital before they discharge her – just 72 hours after significant abdominal surgery. That’s amazing.

I’ve also insisted that she recuperate at my apartment during this time. She has no one to look after her and she won’t be up to moving around or doing things for herself for a few days yet. She will be on the shelf for a couple of weeks.

I explained it to her this evening. “Patty, if you really do want to follow that Valentine’s tradition, let me do this for you,” I said. “It’s surely the least I can do – and besides, if we’re together I don’t have to worry about who is watching you move around town. We need to let the police do their work.”

It was also something approaching a normal day. I commuted between Venice and Padua again, this time fully prepared to run a solid training session. The media hasn’t pressed on the details of my statement to the police and after about 48 hours of continuous headache, the throbbing in my skull finally subsided overnight.

That led to a markedly different manager this morning. I’m also glad we’re playing at home this weekend because the thought of traveling would be hard to bear.

Pro Sesto is another bottom-half club fighting to stay out of the playdown places. Their record of 5-8-10 is 28 points behind us in the table. Regarding the quality of the matchup, I think it’s instructive to note that if we win on Sunday, it will be mathematically impossible for Pro Sesto to catch us this season.

That’s a bit much with ten games of the season still to be played after Sunday’s matches. We’ve been good enough and they haven’t. They haven’t scored a lot, we haven’t conceded a lot, and the combination of the two makes me feel pretty good.

I also feel good about my strike pairing, where Muzzi and Paponi will keep their places after each found the net last weekend. The regular XI is now close to being set and really there are only two places being contested with much regularity. The central midfield battle goes on between Rabito and Gentile and right back is probably going to be Antonazzo’s soon after a bit of a slow start. Paz v Crovari in the holding position is a battle coming to a conclusion – Paz will be the regular when Antonazzo is ready to play right back regularly and gains good form.

We’re rounding into shape quite nicely. It’s time for that to happen and it’s time to see what we can really do.

# # #

Today I also spoke with media at length about Patty’s accident. For the first time, I was able to open up a bit and clear the air on some important issues.

“I would really appreciate some space here,” I said in an informal, off-the-record meeting with the press after training. “I saw the headline this week and it was the same as the headline that got me so upset before the second Sassuolo match but for a different reason. This time I have someone very dear to me in a hospital bed after what the police think was a planned, deliberate event. She needs time to heal and she needs time to evaluate her life. That’s no small thing. I know some of you have said you’ll write what you want when you want. I understand that. But I do wish you would stay away from this issue right at this point in time.”

Emiliani, of all people, now spoke. “We have had our differences,” he said. “But I will honor this request. Whatever people may think about you spending so much time in Venice, life and health are more important. We will continue to cover this as news but it does not belong on the opinion page in my view and we will not present it as such. You have my word.”

I nodded. “Stefano, I appreciate that,” I answered. “As always, if you want to talk football my door is open. We have a very big match coming up on Sunday that deserves our full attention and you have my word that it will receive that attention for our loyal supporters.”

# # #

Friday, February 22

I am getting messages of support from old friends, both in and out of football.

The story about Patty’s accident and the potential criminality involved has hit the football news wires and it’s now spreading across Europe.

That has led to an array of text messages, e-mails and even a few bouquets of wired flowers for Patty from people I know in England, Scotland and the States including representatives of all my old clubs. So when she arrives at my apartment, she’ll have quite a nice assortment of things to look at.

Patty’s release from the hospital was delayed for a day, so I spent my evening watching a player who may soon fit into my plans before heading off to Venice.

Milan Grujic is an 18-year old central midfielder who has conclusively shown that he’s better than youth competition. My u-20 squad is leading its league by ten points and has really put some space between itself and its competition thanks in no small measure to a young midfielder who has dominated the entire league. Balló has had nothing but good things to say about Grujic, who has already declared for Serbia internationally.

I wanted to run the rule over him myself, not having seen the u-20 side play for about a month. He was ‘as advertised’, as our youngsters ran roughshod in a 5-0 rout over Pro Sesto.

So after the match I went to speak with the boy, who is already under contract to us, and caught up with him right as he left the dressing room. I was frankly looking forward to giving him the news I had.

“Milan, it’s time for you to take a step up,” I said. “Starting next week, I want you to begin training with the senior squad. You’ve shown me you deserve the chance.”

His eyes got very big for a moment, and he immediately brought himself back under control – something I really liked.

“I won’t let you down,” he promised.

“Milan, don’t go talking like that,” I said. “I want you to relax about this, and don’t think I have any expectations of you. I want to see how you train with the professionals. I know you are on a contract already and that’s great, but it is time for you to advance your game for a bit through working with the senior squad. We’ll try this for a couple of weeks and evaluate when it’s done. There is no pressure on you from my point of view and I don’t want you to place any on yourself. Just do the best that you can.”

Watching the dream of a young player unfolding in his eyes provides a great feeling. So much of modern football is veiled in cynicism, so it’s nice to see a young player reaction when he’s told he’s moving up for the first time in his career.

He’s obviously delighted but he doesn’t want to put a foot wrong with me. I understand that, but it’s my job to calm down the young player so he doesn’t pressure himself into poor performance or lack of confidence. It’s a big step and obviously the most important one he’ll take to this point in his career.

He’s determined to get it right and I give him full marks for that. I wish more of my senior squad players had such a willingness to get their heads down.

# # #

I also got an e-mail from Kate. She was to the point.

Dear Rob:

I wanted to write you to express my sorrow at Patty’s incident. Even Peter is shocked to hear of the sad news.

Please know that we both wish her well. She – and you – are in my prayers.

With love,

Kate

I closed my e-mail. “With love,” I sighed. “Well, that’s nice.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Saturday, February 23

Both our main pursuers in the race will be strongly fancied tomorrow so there’s pressure on us to get a home result against Pro Sesto.

Sassuolo is at home to Ternana and Novara travels to Foggia, a club they are more than capable of beating. Venezia is at home on Monday, playing the last game of Round 24 against Hellas Verona.

With the end of the season in sight, I’m finding the concentration of my players seemingly improving with each passing training session. They are starting to realize there’s all to play for at the moment. Topping the table helps with that, of course, but the players are really focusing now and they’re doing it earlier in the week.

Of course, I have the right to expect that from them every week as professionals, but I think the added concentration I’m seeing is due to their rising self-confidence.

We really haven’t played like a dominant club for much of the season, as our eight draws will attest, but what we have done is learned how not to lose. When you get points from 22 of 23 matches, you ought to be high in the table and that’s where we are. These players are not the most talented in Serie C1A, neither are they the most explosive. Yet as of now, they are the top team in our league because they play as a unit.

Tomorrow, playing as a team should get the result against Pro Sesto. We had a quick session of shadow play this morning to fully prepare for what we expect to see from them, which is 4-4-2 with them laying back, inviting us onto them. They like to counter, they showed us a fair amount of it during our first meeting, that lifeless 1-1 draw back in October.

Not much has changed for them since that match – they were fifteenth when we played them in October and are fourteenth now – and not much changed in their style of play either. The difference was that last time we played them at midweek and this time we’re getting a full week to prepare for them.

We will be ready. The question now is whether the added preparation time will be enough.

# # #

I thought on that question tonight when I took Patty home from the hospital. Press photographers were waiting for her departure this evening – which made me quite upset – but they were kept at a reasonable distance.

I did two things to protect us when I headed back to Venice tonight to pick her up. In anticipation of the press showing up, I rented a car, and before I entered the hospital I covered its license plates.

If there is really someone out to get her, or by translation both of us, it seemed a wise thing to do. In her state, she would have had a hard time sitting comfortably in my car anyway.

The photographers were kept at a respectful distance but I could hear their shutters going off as I slowly led her to the car. She managed a smile and even waved once, which surprised me quite a bit.

“I don’t know that I’d give those people the time of day,” I said, but she just smiled at me.

“If it keeps them away from your place, I’ll do what I have to,” she said. She has a savvy with media that I surely don’t have, and truly I’ve been a bit remiss in not asking her advice on certain matters. She does work with the press from time to time herself. Maybe that’s why she worked the Biennale instead of me.

I helped her into the car and moved around to the driver’s side. I backed out of the parking space and soon we were on our way home. As we drove, she shut her eyes tightly when we passed the opposite side of the accident scene, and she reached for my hand, gripping it tightly.

She tensed in her seat as a very bad memory flooded through her mind and my heart went out to her. “They’ll find the people that did this,” I said, trying to reassure myself even as I tried to comfort Patty.

“I hope so,” she said. “I want to live my life and it has to be here.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Sunday, February 24

Padova 0-0 Pro Sesto

“Sometimes in football, you have to score goals.” – Thierry Henry

The answer to my question regarding adequate preparation time question is ‘no’, and I’m about ready to tear out my hair because of it.

Again, we didn’t lose – our unbeaten string is now at 22 matches in the league – but our lead was cut in half to two points due to other results. This came in spite of us being by far the dominant force today.

When we played Pro Sesto in October we were tired and listless. Today we were vibrant, creative and excellent in almost every respect, but we ran into a keeper that could stop the common cold. Yet, the end result was the same – we drew our opponents home and away this season.

Their keeper, Mathieu Moreau, made twelve saves from shots on target today as part of a day that saw us take eighteen attempts and hold the visitors to exactly zero shots on the mark. We played very well. We did everything but score.

Here’s the annoying thing – the crowds are picking up at Euganeo and we aren’t doing anything to send them home happy. Today, we drew 5,736 and despite piling on pressure for most of the match we didn’t dent their goal. I am concerned that the fans will stop coming out if we don’t entertain them.

We provided some of the best football we’ve played this afternoon, but we were lacking in the finish. Muzzi was especially guilty of wastefulness, spurning two glorious chances within ten first half minutes. He was put clean through on Moreau first by Baú and then by Caputo. His first effort was parried over the top of the goal by Moreau for a corner and his second missed the target to the keeper’s left.

I tried to encourage the side at halftime but it just didn’t seem to be a day where we were going to score. Dominating the match, I moved us to 4-3-3 at the end playing with three true strikers. Even the introduction of our leading scorer, Varricchio, couldn’t net us a winner.

That surely wasn’t due to lack of effort, but it was very much due to Moreau’s brilliance. He was a deserved man of the match and unquestionably saved the point for his side. By contrast, Orlandoni was not called upon to touch a ball in anger today, earning his easiest clean sheet of the season.

A frustrated group of players congregated in the changing room after the match to listen to my teamtalk. It seems that is getting more and more challenging with each home disappointment we suffer.

“Playing like that will get you the points nine days out of ten,” I assured them. “Unfortunately, this was day ten. I saw good things today; in fact I saw everything except a goal. We can build from this, so I don’t want you to lose heart. We’re still going to take tomorrow away because I don’t consider you to have lost the right to a day off after watching you apply yourselves for ninety minutes today. You were good. They just got a blinder out of their goalkeeper and that stopped you from getting the points you deserved.”

Naturally, the first media question was about Patty, though not directly. “Do you think your preparation was good?” I was asked – and not by Emiliani.

“I think it was fine,” I said. “We played quite well. If they have another goalkeeper in net today, we might win by five or six goals. Moreau was excellent for them and we can’t lose sight of that. I thought we were by far the better side and we were ready to play them.”

“How big a distraction was the accident this week to you and to the players?”

“To me, it was a distraction for the first day, but I have staff and they were able to get us past it,” I said. “After that, I have been taking care of my personal business after training hours and since I spend a fair bit of time watching video at night, I can do that either at the hospital or at home. I think we had a good plan and we applied it. They just got a brilliant goalkeeping performance and that sunk our chances of getting a win.”

“Football is cruel sometimes,” I added. “I wish I could be more original than that, but I really can’t say it any other way. We didn’t get what we deserved today and that’s unfortunate. But that’s the game sometimes.”

“Could you be a little less philosophical and explain what went wrong?” I didn’t need to look up to know who had asked the question.

“We didn’t score a goal,” I said. “How’s that for an explanation?”

“Better than the one you gave,” he answered. “But then I suppose you aren’t really in the mood to talk about it.”

“Could you be a little less philosophical and ask me a question?” I asked.

“All right. Why aren’t you scoring goals?”

“There’s no doubt that we haven’t taken enough chances lately, especially at home, and other teams have packed men behind the ball when they see us taking over play. You do have to earn it in this game and the last couple of matches, especially at home, we didn’t earn it. We should have won today but we couldn’t make the breakthrough. We have to hope it doesn’t cost us.”

# # #

I updated the table in my office after seeing the results of the other matches. Sassuolo had no trouble with Ternana, winning 3-1. Novara found its scoring touch again and overwhelmed Foggia 4-2 away.

We still lead, but now by only two points:

          [font=Courier New]Pl    W     D    L    Pts
Padova    24    14    9    1    51
Sassuolo  24    14    7    3    49
Novara    24    14    6    4    48
Venezia   23    13    5    5    44[/font]

Venezia’s home match tomorrow night with Hellas Verona is also important. That’s their match in hand and a win would put then on 47 points with thirty still to play for.

The league has come down to losses at this point, with all three leading teams on 14 wins. We have one loss, Sassuolo has three and Novara has four. That’s the difference between the clubs. It’s going to be a wild finish and right now there is no margin for error.

# # #

I walked home from the stadium to relieve a little nervous tension. Emilani’s edge is starting to bother me again so I thought pounding the pavement would be a good thing for me to do.

Arriving home to see Patty resting on the couch took a lot of the angst of the day away. I approached, and bent over her reclining form for a kiss.

“You’re still in first place,” she reminded me. “Don’t forget that.”

“You wouldn’t guess it from the press today,” I said. “We still have to get better.”

“Where are you playing next week?”

“Paganese,” I moaned. “Another trip to Salerno. Not exactly the best time for more miles in the coach.”

“Well, hopefully after that things will work a little better in terms of being closer to home,” she said. “I should be up and around by that time and on the mend. I’m ready for some quiet time with you, Rob. What do you think about that?”

I sat beside her on the couch and softly stroked her hair. “I think that would be great,” I said. “I just need to re-focus a bit. Care to help me with that?”

“C’mere,” she smiled. “I think I can do that for you.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Monday, February 25

With the club taking a rest day, I watched Venezia and Verona play to a goalless draw at Pierluigi Penzo tonight. Due to the events of the last week, I could nearly drive right up to the ground with my eyes closed.

Here’s the thing – it wasn’t a very good game. In fact, it was quite ragged and that tells me something about Venezia. They are now winless in their last four matches and tonight’s draw pulled them to fourth place, within six points of us.

They are going through some of the same struggles we are in terms of scoring goals but they aren’t getting the wins we’ve sometimes gotten in the last six weeks to keep the pace. However, they can say something we can’t – they managed to beat Pro Sesto.

That said, they may have a problem. I saw a significant amount of frustration on the pitch tonight, most of it wearing the home colors. Marco Veronese, Venezia’s fine forward, was forward in a different way, showing his displeasure at being substituted with ten minutes to play in a goalless match.

He’s one of the top four or five striking talents in our league and to see him coming off really raised my eyebrows. He had a choice word for manager Paolo Favaretto as he left the pitch and I smiled at the irony of it all. The man who once told the media he didn’t think my team had the strength to last the pace is now finding it hard to keep pace himself.

Veronese went straight up the tunnel to the changing room – a definite no-no everywhere I’ve played and an absolute no-no on my team – which means Favaretto has more problems than just sliding down the table to deal with.

However, speaking from a purely cynical point of view, I hope those problems don’t come to full fruition quite yet. Venezia has drawn Novara in the Serie C Cup quarterfinals at the first of April. I’m hoping that is a high-scoring, physical, emotional, morale-sapping Cup tie.

But then I’m a manager. I’m supposed to think like that about someone else’s club, right?

# # #

Not surprisingly, Patty showed absolutely no interest in going to Venice with me tonight. So she stayed home, snug in my apartment, and watched a movie. We kept in regular contact by text message.

I’m still worried about her. She is healing well from the surgery but a little of that spark seems to have gone out of her. I think some of it is down to recovering her strength, but it’s also fair to say that I have worked hard to help her along and I wish she were better emotionally.

That’s going to take some time. The experience had to have been terrifying for her and since the police don’t seem to have much in the way of leads, she’s still uneasy. So she wanted to have me with her in some way. Tonight, that was by electronic means and I hurried back to Padua from the match to give her an emotional boost.

I returned to a darkened apartment. She had gone to sleep early and I checked on her, sleeping peacefully in my bed.

Moonlight peeked through a crack in the bedroom blinds and a soft beam of light spilled across her face. She turned her head toward it and without waking up rolled in the opposite direction as she began to dream.

Just the hint of a frown creased her lovely brow before a soft smile finally erased it from her face. She took a deep, contented breath and let it out slowly.

She just looked angelic. I leaned over and kissed her cheek while she slept and her smile grew wider. I looked down at her and a soft chill raced up my spine.

“Honey, how can I get you to smile like that during the day?” I whispered. “I wish I knew!”

# # #

Tuesday, February 26

We had a new face in training today, as Grujic joined the senior squad for the first time.

He showed up ready to work, and I know from prior conversations that he has a great deal of respect for Muzzi. So when the two of them reached the practice pitch I called them together.

“Roberto, you know Milan Grujic,” I said, and the two shook hands. “Will you please take him under your wing for these first few training sessions?”

Muzzi has never been known as a great teacher anywhere he’s played, but he understands how I want the game to be played. He smiled, happy to accept the veteran’s obligation to a younger player.

“Sure, boss,” he said, and turned to Grujic. “Come on, then. Let’s get to work.”

The two headed off to stretching and the least experienced member of my senior squad spent his morning learning from the most experienced member of my senior squad. That’s how it’s supposed to work and that’s how the torch is passed from one footballing generation to another.

# # #

We did a little light work this morning before breaking for video on Paganese. We watched our first match against them in October, which we won 2-0 at Euganeo, and also some bits and pieces of other selected matches.

They have a threat to goal in striker Andrea Cossu. Though we bottled him up effectively at home, we have to watch for him at Marcello Torre on Sunday. With our lead down to two points, a meaningful mistake can drop us off the top of the table.

Again, our concentration was quite good. Our application, on the other hand, wasn’t so good and even though Muzzi is tutoring young Grujic, neither player may wind up in the XI on Sunday. Varricchio is showing signs of returning to his old self in training and he may well get the chance to play instead.

Massimiliano needs to know that even though he’s gone through a dry spell he’s still an important part of the team. Paponi is on a decent run of form even though he didn’t score either last weekend, and my inclination is to have him keep his place.

Daniele is the kind of player who can wreck an opposing team all by himself at this level – but he needs to be involved early on in the match to help that happen. As Sir Alex Ferguson might say, “he’s only young”. I need to harness him – positively – and then turn him loose.

We’re also on a bit of a short schedule this week due to the travel. Due to the distance between Padua and Salerno, we’re traveling Saturday morning and will return during the late hours of Sunday night. As a result, we have three days after today to train instead of the customary four.

Yet at this point in the season that’s not a bad thing. Legs start to get heavy, there’s far less conditioning in the training most days and players start to conserve their energy a bit. Thankfully, though, we are in a stretch of the fixture list where there aren’t any midweek games. Injured players are starting to come back – even DiVenanzio, who was injured in the first game of my tenure, is at full speed again – and touch wood, we’ll be in good health at a time when we need all hands on deck.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Wednesday, February 27

Today was quite a day. Police have made two arrests in Patty’s case and the initial information we’re getting is frankly disturbing.

Two men were taken into custody early this morning after a tip led police to one of the two cars believed to have been involved in forcing Patty’s vehicle off the road. One of the men is 29 years old and from Venice. The other is 31 years old – and he’s from Padua.

I received a call this morning in my office from Inspector Cipriani, who gave me the details. “Don’t read anything into the localities of the two men,” he said. “Also, we may not be done making arrests at this time. You are asked not to comment to the press about what has happened though it will surely be in the media later today. Remember, this is an active investigation and to comment might compromise it.”

“I understand, Inspector,” I said. “I’m sure Patty will have nothing to say either. Especially since she’s hardly left my apartment over the last few days.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Cipriani replied. “Do you not feel you can leave your home?”

“I think I can, but she’s pretty nervous,” I said. “And today’s news that one of the drivers is from this city isn’t likely to help that.”

“If you like, I will call and reassure her,” the policeman offered. “I am glad we have this person in custody.”

“I am too, Inspector,” I answered. “Thank you for your good work.”

# # #

Grujic continues to adjust very well to training. He is rising to the occasion, perhaps out of adrenalin as much as anything else, but he’s showing that he’d like to stick around for awhile.

He shows very good balance, pace, stamina and above all he appears to be quite gifted at passing the ball. While these are all things that are important for a midfielder in my tactic, the central midfielder – which Grujic is – must be able to finish, preferably as a late raider into the opposing team’s penalty area. Milan’s skills in that regard are still limited, though I am hopeful they can be taught.

If he continues to train well, I might just stick him on the end of the bench for the trip to Salerno. Rabito’s play since his winning goal against Cavese hasn’t exactly inspired me, but it’s been better than Gentile’s. So I may choose to make a decision involving one of those two players and introduce some young blood into the mix in return.

I can’t and won’t get too far down on the players, though – we are still playing very good to excellent team defense and that has to count for something. We didn’t let Pro Sesto near our goal for the full ninety minutes on Sunday so before we get criticized for not being a scoring machine I need to make sure people understand this is a two-sided game.

Managing a professional club takes patience. Managing a low-scoring one takes even more patience. Mine is about to be tested, in the high-pressure atmosphere of a promotion chase.

# # #

If you’ll pardon the expression, I managed to swerve past the media’s questions after training. They asked about football, which was fine. But when they switched subjects, I clammed up.

“Believe it or not, ‘no comment’ is an acceptable answer to this question,” I finally said. “And I have been asked by the police to keep it that way, so quite frankly your attempts to draw me out are as annoying as they are ineffective.”

“Can you tell us how Patty is doing?” An odd question, since all they cared about until this afternoon was my girlfriend’s news value.

“She’s recovering,” I said. “She’ll be fine and I am happy to report she is facing recovery quite bravely.”

# # #

Thursday, February 28

After what passes for an Italian winter, the weather is starting to warm up nicely. Today was a harbinger of what we’ll see coming up over the next couple of months.

The temperature rose to 26 degrees Centigrade this afternoon (for the rest of us Yankees, that’s 79 degrees Fahrenheit), which isn’t bad for late February.

I grew up in a cold, snowy climate and I hate winter. Actually, to be absolutely honest about it, I detest winter. As a result, moving to Italy has been the very best thing that could happen to me from that standpoint. I simply don’t like being cold.

Meeting Patty was obviously another great thing about Italy (once we got a few little details ironed out), but while I hope to have her with me wherever I go from now on, I realize I may not always get to work where it’s warm.

She doesn’t seem to mind, though, and today was the day when she finally started to come out of her shell.

When I arrived home from training today, I found her sunning herself on my small deck outside my bedroom window. She wore a summer hat and sunglasses along with a beautiful one-piece pink swimsuit that hugged her shape perfectly.

“Well, look who’s back in the land of the living!” I smiled, advancing to her for a hello kiss.

“I never left,” she answered, as we lingered for a soft, sweet moment. “I just wasn’t feeling up to much.”

“You look tremendous,” I marveled, and a soft blush crept up into her cheeks.

“Wish I could look better,” she said. “But surgery isn’t really good for that, at least not at first.”

“Understandable,” I said. “Did Inspector Cipriani call you today?”

“Yes,” she said. “We had a short talk but a good one. How about you and I head out for dinner tonight?”

I was surprised. “Sure, that’d be fine,” I said. “You just tell me where you want to go and I’ll take care of it.”

“Anyplace public,” she said. “It’s time to stop being afraid.”

# # #

So we did. We selected a nice restaurant just out of the downtown area and I drove us to our reservation. It was her first time out of the house since Saturday and at first she looked around hesitatingly.

We entered the restaurant and were shown to our seats. Gingerly, she sat, and I made sure she was comfortable before I sat down opposite her at our little table.

One by one, people started to notice our presence. Finally, a supporter stood and began to applaud.

Others picked up on what was happening and one by one, the room broke into spontaneous applause for Patty. It was a lovely moment and as my sweetheart realized the clapping was for her, she began to blush.

“Raise your hand or something,” I smiled. “Otherwise they’ll never leave us in peace.”

She did a half-turn in her chair, about all she could do given the state of her healing abdomen, and waved with a sheepish smile. The place returned to normal and we were finally able to eat our meal.

That gesture told me something about the real people of Padua. Emiliani has tried to turn them against me at times, and tried to turn me into some sort of know-nothing foreigner in their eyes. Yet when it mattered most, these people embraced an American woman living in their midst despite her involvement with me, and I thought it was wonderful. They may not yet be sold on the Yankee leading their beloved Biancoscudati, but they seem to like Patty. I’ll take that tradeoff, thank you very much.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Friday, February 29

It’s going to be a warm one on Sunday. We’re traveling south and the forecast is for the hot weather we enjoyed this week to continue, and we haven’t played in those conditions in some time.

Winter weather may been a small source of our difficulty in front of goal, in fact. Mind you, it’s not like England or Scotland, where the wet cold can cut right to your bones. We’ve still just come through winter, though, and the conditions haven’t been optimal.

I don’t want to make excuses for anyone but sometimes poorish weather can play a factor, especially in windy conditions which can play havoc with a direct passing game. Our known shortcomings in the short passing game can make playing in poor conditions a real concern.

My hope is that traveling south will open things up for us a little bit. We need to score a couple of goals for the sake of our confidence, but even as positive as I have tried to be with these players, we need to put up a big number to soothe the psyches of some of our more offensively gifted players.

The only two players who don’t seem to suffer from this problem are Baú and Caputo. When Paponi is on he’s probably the most confident player I have, but the steady play of my wings have really been a huge factor in the success we’ve enjoyed so far.

I also have to tender these slightly negative thoughts with the facts. We’re on a 22-match unbeaten run. We have to be doing something right. We could score more goals if I could buy a top-class attacking midfielder, for example, but that isn’t in the cards. We’ve done very well with what we have.

However, the fact that not losing since September has earned us exactly a two-point advantage in our league with automatic promotion by no means assured tells me I still have cause for concern. The papers aren’t going to let up on me until that promotion is achieved, and the board’s expectations are starting to change as well.

They like winning, which isn’t surprising. Now they’re expecting it, which meant the smile on my face during today’s board meeting was a bit forced at times. It’s Leap Day today, and with tomorrow being a travel day I was asked to meet with the board a day early this time.

They’re still quite pleased with my performance, and that’s good, but the club is still losing money and has now lost about €700,000 this season. They haven’t told me to cut wages for next season, they haven’t told me to sell before I can buy in the close season – but I do wonder how long this sort of attitude can continue. I’ve been praised for holding the wage bill well under budget while winning matches, but there has to come a time when the other shoe will fall.

That is, unless the crowds continue to pick up, which I’m sure is the board’s hope. We’ve seen a steady rise in paying customers over our last several matches so perhaps the good people of Padua realize there’s hope after all.

# # #

I’ve made one decision that will be seen as aggressive. Grujic will not only travel tomorrow, he’s going to make the substitutes’ bench.

That will come at the expense of Music, who has dropped considerably off his form from earlier in the season. He realizes the international door is shut for him now and the result has been an overall dropoff in his performance that I’ve had no choice but to recognize.

I’m bringing three central midfielders on the trip – Rabito will start, Gentile might play, and then there’s Grujic.

Thankfully I get a seven-player bench, which usually includes Cano as the spare keeper, Cotroneo and Donadoni as defenders, and Crovari, as Paz becomes first choice holding midfielder. The remaining places go to either Gentile or Rabito, whichever of my three main strikers isn’t playing and usually Music.

Gentile and Grujic can both play the left side of midfield and both Rabito and Muzzi can play the right, so it’s not as though my bench will be unbalanced. I favor versatile players as a rule and the flexibility I get from that is comforting during some match situations.

The usual XI of Orlandoni, Gotti, Faísca, Sacchetti, Antonazzo, Paz, Baú, Gentile/Rabito, Caputo, Muzzi and Varricchio/Paponi has done well and they now have good understanding. So with ten league games to play, I’ll stand or fall with the men listed above.

They know each other and they know how I want the game played. It is up to them to get the most out of their ability and bring this club success.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Saturday, March 1

For a change, I got in a little sightseeing after we got to Pagani this afternoon.

The city, which is a suburb of Salerno and about twenty miles from Naples, is also just five miles east of the legendary town of Pompeii on the Via Nazionale.

So after we arrived early this afternoon and the squad was tucked into its hotel, I decided to go take a few pictures. There is a coach service that makes a tour around Mount Vesuvius which I would have taken had I had a bit more time, but one of my purposes today was to spend some time alone and clear my head.

As the season starts to get painfully long for the mid-table clubs, for those at the top and bottom it becomes more and more pressure-filled. Today I didn’t want to think about midfielders, substitution patterns or any such thing. I wanted to go for a walk. And I did.

I wish Patty could have come with us. For some time, I have been considering the idea of a team family day or even a family trip, but in the heat of a promotion race I’ve thought better of it. Still, I’d love to remove pressure and I do think one of the best ways to do that is to ease the grind of travel.

That goes for the manager as well. And deep down, that’s why I toured one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites today even though I have no professional interest in the subject. Never having been there before, I was of course curious to see Pompeii and the ancient ruins, but as they say, a change is as good as a holiday and today I was lucky enough to have both.

As the sun set, I headed back to the team hotel where Masolini had things well under control. We’re ready to play tomorrow and Patty is doing well at home. Maybe now we can turn the corner.

# # #

Yet tonight, I couldn’t help but think ahead to tomorrow’s match and how the pressure is on against a club that has seen considerable success over the last two seasons.

Paganese has been double-promoted over the last two years. In 2005-06, the club won the non-professional Serie D/H to earn its first promotion, and also won the Scudetto Dilettanti. That trophy is contested by the winners of the nine Serie D leagues to determine what is loosely translated as the nation’s ‘amateur champions’ title’.

This year, Paganese entered play as the playoff champions from Serie C2. Last spring, they finished fourth in the table and then knocked off SPAL and Reggiana to advance to Serie C1 for the first time since 1979. There’s a lot of pride in the club at the moment.

From the looks of things the Azzurrostellati are here to stay. They have seven wins and five draws in 24 starts so far, which may well be enough to keep them out of the playdown places.

Good for them – but I’m out to hang a defeat on them tomorrow and I have a job to do.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Sunday, March 2

Paganese 1-2 Padova

This was just a great match today – entertaining, exciting, exasperating and at the end, filled with high drama. Thankfully, that high drama didn’t result in us splitting the points, as all the exasperation in the match in the final twenty minutes of the match was mine.

Given the circumstances, my goal before the match was to get my players settled down. We were again heavily favored – this time, the odds were 1-3 for an away win – and with all the pressure we’ve been under I wasn’t about to add any more through an inflammatory team talk.

“Let the result come,” I said. “Just take it easy and play within yourselves. The other results will be what they’ll be. So all I want you to do today is concentrate on your own games and let your ability carry you.”

That seemed to ease up a few of the players, particularly Rabito. I saw shoulders coming back up from sagging positions, chins coming up off the floor, and other signs that pressure wasn’t being so sorely felt.

You have to want to play this game. I have a determined squad that enjoys playing when the crunch is on, but it can’t happen every week. Paganese is a lower to mid-table side and it’s just this sort of match that’s a real banana skin for a top club in the table.

I was happy with the squad’s reaction and even more pleased with how they proved it. Baú continues to amaze, and provided Rabito with the game’s first gilt-edged chance on twelve minutes, threading a cross in from the left.

Rabito brought the ball to control with a slick first touch and then fired home from twelve yards to put us into the lead. His reaction interested me – he looked like a player who did that sort of thing every day despite still being able to count his season goal total on the fingers of one hand.

At least he was relaxed, and getting the early lead on the road that I crave accomplished much the same result for me.

Sacchetti looked at me for instruction. Instead of pulling the line back and waiting for a counter, I decided to trust the players. I rolled my hands in a ‘keep it going’ gesture and my central defender nodded.

Masolini noticed the gesture and as I turned back to the bench he rose. “Rob, don’t you want to pull back a bit?” he asked.

“No, I don’t think so,” I said. “I’m going to trust these players.”

The trust turned out to be well placed. Paganese came back strongly but we sliced them wide open again before the half-hour with Baú once again at the heart of it all. This time his left-sided cross found Paponi unmarked in front. My loan striker pounded the ball home to get us two to the good on 25 minutes.

Baú has provided excellent service from both sides of the pitch in recent weeks and the troubles of his recent past now seem far away. With Paponi on a hot streak, my troubles may soon follow.

We had a happy, relaxed group at halftime – nearly too much so, in fact, so I had to gently remind them of their obligations over the second 45 minutes. When they returned to the pitch at Marcello Torre, the partisan crowd of 2,432 reminded their beloved Azzurrostellati of theirs.

The result was a wildly entertaining, up-and-down second half in which we defended fairly well, counterattacked fairly well, and relied on Orlandoni more than once to bail us out of difficult spots.

Also more than once, I counted us lucky that we led by two goals, and could afford one slip. Then, I made what might well have been considered an error in judgment.

Twenty minutes from time, and with us still ahead 2-0, I looked down the bench and saw Grujic intently watching the match. I thought it over for a moment and finally motioned to my 18-year old midfielder.

“Strip off and warm up,” I told him, and gleefully he did as instructed. Five minutes later he was ready and I brought him on for the tiring Rabito. Before he took the pitch I motioned him to me and spoke to him, holding his head in both my hands to make sure I had his attention.

“Milan, hold down the central role and play easy,” I said. “No unnecessary chances. Remember, you have Paz with you. Don’t be afraid to lean on him and don’t be afraid to take the safe option when you’re on the ball. Enjoy this.”

The boy nodded, and as he took the pitch fifteen minutes from time, I whistled for Paz’s attention. When my holding midfielder looked in, I pointed to the youngster. Paz nodded, knowing what I wanted done. We soon moved to a flat four-man midfield to get Pablo’s experience working with Grujic’s youthful energy.

The kid wasn’t half bad. He made a few good touches early on and had decent possession, showing quicker decision-making skills than some of my senior players. Then, everything went wrong.

We got beat over the top, and Andrea Cossu beat Orlandoni from right near the penalty spot ten minutes from time. The right arms of all four of my defenders shot up at the same time and I could clearly see it as well – Cossu was offside and it wasn’t close.

However, the assistant’s flag stayed down and while Paganese celebrated its goal I approached the fourth official. “There is just no way!” I exclaimed, holding my arm up for added effect. “There is no way that man was onside!”

The Paganese bench was quiet. They knew it too. But the fourth official could do nothing. Referee Giuseppe Livadotti trailed the play by a substantial margin and could not overturn the call, and the goal stood.

Paganese now had added momentum and surged forward looking for an equalizer. As normal time expired, the second exasperating moment occurred.

Cossu again got behind our defense – this time from what looked to be an onside position – and substitute Donadoni stopped him from behind.

Livadotti, who again trailed the play, had no hesitation. He called Donadoni to him and showed him a straight red card for a professional foul. He awarded a free kick to Paganese just outside the top of our penalty area as well, and I had visions of surrendering a two-goal lead in the last ten minutes of play.

Sacchetti was near the challenge so I surely didn’t see it as a professional foul, but the official did and at the moment his was the only opinion that mattered.

Frantically, I cobbled together a new formation that couldn’t include either the substituted Faísca or the red-carded and red-faced Donadoni, who now passed me on his way to the changing room with steam coming out of his ears.

Paz had to go to central defense as he and Sacchetti were the only players on the pitch who could play the position with me being out of substitutions. Muzzi, who can play the right side of midfield, now did so while I moved Baú to the middle, again because I was out of other options. Again, though, I signaled for Paz while Orlandoni set up the wall for the free kick.

Pablo nodded without me having to say a word. He knew Grujic might well need support, now playing in the center of a ten-man team.

Thankfully, Cossu’s free kick sped over the bar and we were able to hang on until Livadotti’s final whistle five minutes into truly nerve-wracking added time. It was a wild finish and I felt quite fortunate to come out on the winning end of it.

Grujic had performed well, and as he left the pitch I extended my hand. “Well done,” I told him. “You did a great job under circumstances I never intended to put you through. Enjoy the ride home – you’ll be with the senior squad next week as well.”

# # #

“I have faith in all my players.”

I was responding to a question from a Pagani news reporter as to why I would risk Grujic in a match by no means won. Emiliani looked on with interest, perhaps glad he hadn’t asked the question himself.

“What would you have done if Paganese had equalized?”

I smiled. “Guess you’ll never know, will you?” I answered, tweaking my interrogator – because today, I could get away with it.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

On the way home I checked out some of the football websites on my BlackBerry and couldn’t help but smile after reading the Serie C1 roundup.

Our referee, Livadotti, hadn’t been very good in my eyes, but he did better than Carmine Russo did at Cremonese in their vital match against Sassuolo.

After the home team did us a huge favor by picking up a first-minute goal from midfielder Lorenzo Carotti, the referee embarked on a second half that made Livadotti’s pale by comparison.

Russo sent off three of the home team’s players in the last twenty-three minutes and awarded eight cards out of nine to the home team. Eventually playing against eight men, Sassuolo threw everyone forward to find an equalizer – and never got it. The fifth-place Grigiorossi beat them 1-0, doing their own playoff chances a world of good thanks to eight very tired men on the pitch at the end of the game. Amid what I suspect was a loudly cheering crowd, referee Russo presumably heard a few choice words from angry supporters.

Venezia also couldn’t keep its players on the pitch but unlike Cremonese, they paid for it. They had two players sent off and Pro Patria took advantage to win 2-1 at home. Novara was the only contending team to start and finish the day with eleven players on the pitch and took full advantage, beating Monza 2-0 to stay three points behind us. So we gained a point’s worth of lead in the table:

    
[font=Courier New]                Pl    W    D    L    Pts
Padova          25    15   9    1    54
Novara          25    15   6    4    51
Sassuolo        25    14   7    4    49
Venezia         25    13   6    6    45
Cremonese       25    11  11    3    44[/font]

Venezia’s trouble is now acute. They are winless in their last five matches and now trail us by nine points with nine matches to play – a rather remarkable run of bad form considering where they had been just six weeks ago.

“Favoretto is the one who ought to be worrying about his media coverage,” I mused as I shut down my phone to get a little sleep on the way home. “Instead, it’s me. That’s just not fair.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Monday, March 3

Or, maybe it is fair. The morning papers in Venezia are caling for Favoretto’s ouster after his side’s recent tumble down the table.

His problems may be just beginning – Novara comes to Pierluigi Penzo on Sunday for the first of three matches the clubs will play over the next month. The other two will come in the Serie C Cup quarterfinals. For the first match, anyhow, Favoretto had better win for the sake of his job security.

From my point of view, though, while I don’t like to see a rival win, I wouldn’t mind seeing him draw. From a purely mercenary standpoint, though, if I had to choose a winner, it would be Venezia since they’re farther down the table.

I had time to read the Venice papers this morning because we took today off after a very long afternoon and evening of travel. The players earned the day off on the backs of a good performance. I also had the chance to review video of Donadoni’s sending off.

I’m going to appeal it. Even the Padua papers are mentioning that the referee was horrible, and I think we might have a chance at getting a little joy out of the governing body for the player, who is now suspended for Sunday.

After stopping for a team dinner on the way home last night, we arrived at about 9:00 p.m. I headed home from Euganeo for a reunion with Patty, and found her in the same place I had left her.

That wasn’t a bad thing – I found her in bed, and she was watching television when I arrived.

This time, she slowly rose to greet me, and while that was a wonderful sign, I didn’t want her to overextend herself.

“Honey, don’t,” I said, but she walked to me and came straight to my arms.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” she said, greeting me with a soft kiss. “Welcome home.”

“I can’t think of a better way to arrive,” I said.

“And you’re a winning manager,” she teased.

“Nothing to do with that,” I said. “Coming home to you appeals to me.”

“Good,” she answered. “How about you come to bed and hold your girlfriend for awhile?”

# # #

Tuesday, March 4

Back to work for us today as we prepare for the visit of tenth-placed Ternana on Sunday. We beat them 2-0 back on October 21 and I see no reason we can’t play well again in the return match on our home ground.

We carried over the weekend’s relaxed mood into our training session today and we looked at the first match video. Romano Tozzi Borsoi remains a potent threat for them and even though we bottled him up well last time I’m sure he’ll be geared up to face us again.

We watched video of Borsoi’s eight-yard miss against Orlandoni in the first match, followed by his rather unforgettable reaction and look of utter disgust, and figured he might have it on his mind to make amends in the rematch.

All well and good. We know teams are gunning for us, especially as we head into the last ten matches of the season. All I know is I’d rather be where we are than where they are, so bring it on.

# # #

Today’s Internet missive from Emiliani dealt with the dangers of overconfidence, and for once I agreed with most of what he had to say. It will be easy to see where I disagree:

Despite issues that could be resolved with the spending of about €200,000, it’s hard not to smile at the recent fortunes of the Biancoscudati.

Say what you like about Rob Ridgway – and believe me, I have – you have to admit that somehow the American has gotten most of what he can get out of this group of players.

However, his biggest challenge clearly lies ahead. With a lead that his club has maintained over the last several weeks, it’s reasonable to assume that Padova will at least find a playoff place this season.

Much of the remaining worry from this point forward will be mental. Padova’s annoying tendency to place itself in awkward situations, particularly through red cards, may yet prove to be its downfall.

Mario Donadoni’s sending off during Sunday’s injury time was the fifth red card of the season for Biancoscudati and sooner or later that kind of statistic will reach out and bite a team when and where it hurts the most.

On the positive side, this group of players, technically competent and occasionally gifted, has earned a reputation as a hard-working side. But how will they react when opposing teams try to make or save their seasons against the league leaders?

Now is the time of year when teams play with urgency, and some play with a sense of desperation. Players are playing not only for their teams but in many cases for jobs and teams next season. A good performance, especially against a higher-rated club, can make money for a team or even prolong a player’s fading career.

The challenge for Padova will lie in regaining the consistency that has led to 15 wins in 25 starts. The nine draws are maddening – in some cases, quite unacceptable – but naturally it is difficult to argue with only one loss.

One wonders how this has happened. There have certainly been more talented Padova teams. It is fair to say, however, that this one appears to be more resilient than some that have worn the colors in recent years.

Tactically, this year’s version appears annoyingly naïve at times, and manager Ridgway seems powerless to prevent it. Perhaps this is due to his shortcomings – or perhaps the players are doing too well at listening to him. Sunday’s bewildering insertion of 18-year old Milan Grujic into a winning side nearly cost Padova three points and the manager is yet to explain his actions.

This kind of naïvete is dangerous. The league, and the coveted automatic promotion that comes with winning it, is still very much in doubt. Ridgway must show he has the brains to get the job done and finally justify Marcello Sestaro’s faith in the first-year manager.

In this case, it has nothing to do with Ridgway’s nationality. It has everything to do with his common sense, which sometimes defies description. For Padova to succeed, everyone must improve, from the manager on down.

Lovely. We take 54 out of 75 points on offer, and I have to improve. Like Emiliani could do better.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Wednesday, March 5

No joy from the FA for Donadoni.

Despite another case of pretty good video evidence, Donadoni’s ban will stand. However, they didn’t say what they usually say when they deny an appeal, which tells me something.

Often when an aggrieved manager complains about a sending off, the FA will deny the appeal based on its ‘frivolity’. That wasn’t the case this time. It was simply denied. Reading between the lines, this was a decision to support their official.

I don’t have a problem with that. I just want the cases of my players considered fairly and since I still feel it was an unjust sending off I will give Donadoni the standard sanction of reserve training for a week. I still don’t want my players sent off and I do expect them to show some discretion in the challenge.

Donadoni unquestionably committed a foul on the sequence that got him sent off. My argument was with the decision that it was a professional foul. In any event, you can’t fight City Hall and my latest attempt to do so has failed again.

# # #

One of my bench players will miss this week’s match thanks to a training knock picked up today, limiting my options for Sunday.

DiNardo, who has probably been my best scoring threat off the bench this season and a real terror in the cup competition, twisted an ankle and will miss 7-10 days. It wasn’t a serious knock, but enough for the physios to urge caution. He is frantic to play and with the team having trouble scoring goals he was thinking he might get his long-awaited callup.

Right now, the partnership of Muzzi and Paponi is going reasonably well so they will get the call again Sunday. Varricchio doesn’t care for that, and it’s a bit odd to have my leading goalscorer unable to get off the bench over the last few weeks, but Daniele is hot and Muzzi provides benefits I’ve mentioned many times before.

So Massimiliano is where Paponi has been for much of the season. All credit to the kid – he has waited for his chance and grabbed it with both hands. While I have at times argued with his consistency and highlighted his need to bring his ‘A-game’ with him every day, when he’s on he’s the best player on the club.

Over the last few games, he’s been our only consistent, regular scoring threat. Baú is drawing extra attention of late due to his unerring tendency to drop crosses onto the heads of strikers from stupendously long distances. So he’s being kept away from the goal by opposing teams, if possible by holding him at the ankles.

Caputo has cooled a bit after his red-hot start but there’s no doubt at all that the €24,000 we gave to Juve Stabia has been the best business I’ve done all year. We’re a wing-oriented club. We can’t change it now.

# # #

Thursday, March 6

While musing to myself this morning about the state of the club’s finances, I remarked that things could be worse.

Ternana is a side trying to rebuild after an up and down history. They’ve spent two seasons in the top flight, but perhaps their real moment of glory came during the 1979-80 season when they reached the semifinals of the Coppa Italia. There, AS Roma knocked them out on aggregate.

Ternana did this as a Serie B club and were relegated the same season. Financially, it’s been difficult for the club, which declared bankruptcy in 1987 dropped all the way to Serie D after recovering from insolvency to win Serie C1 in 1992. That said, they recovered smartly and played most of this decade in Serie B before being relegated in 2006.

They were once managed by former AC Milan captain Cesare Maldini, father of the legendary Paolo, and have a rich history. But in the cyclical world of the lower leagues, right now they are in a tepid period.

They’ve been average this year – nine wins, eleven losses and five draws puts them at an average position of tenth in the table – and I’d love to lull them to sleep on Sunday before getting a result.

We’re receiving some fairly significant press now for the size of our unbeaten string, which has reached 23 matches in the league. The fact that we’re only ahead by three points doesn’t seem to faze some people, who are declaring us promotion-ready.

That scares me. Not promotion, mind you – that’s what I’m here to try to achieve – but rather having such expectation placed on us. You can’t avoid the pressure, of course, even at this level, but now that we’ve reached the stage of the season where the lower leagues show up on media radar, it’s going to come.

I sat in my easy chair this evening after coming home from training and was having a hard time settling down. Pressure is starting to weigh on me as well, and I have to learn to deal with that.

It’s different as a player, where you can go out and run off excess adrenalin. As a manager, I pace the technical area like a caged animal on some days and that’s about the best I can do. Stress management is important for me and right now I’m not handling it all that well.

There’s only so much video you can watch, and finally I shut off the television to lean back in my chair. Patty emerged from the bath wearing a pink silk robe, and saw the state I was in.

“Honey,” she said, taking pity on me as she approached from behind. “Let me help you.”

She stood behind me and squeezed my shoulders. They were like rocks. She began to rub and slowly, she eased my tension away.

“You poor man,” she said. “Is this what it’s like for you every day?”

“Lately, yes,” I said. “You don’t have to manage a big club to have big expectations. Right now I’m wondering if I can meet them.”

That was a bit of a startling thing for her to hear, and she told me so. “You’ve always been so confident around me,” she said. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I will be,” I promised. “But until I do something in this game, until I accomplish something, I’ll always wonder if I’m up to the task.”

She leaned over and softly kissed my neck. “Nonsense,” she finally said. “You are a leader of men. And sometimes, a leader of carefully selected women as well!”

“It’s a very short list,” I said, reaching behind me to touch her cheek.

“Believe in yourself like I do,” she said. “I’m so glad that you’re coming home to me at night now, even though it took the accident to make it happen.”

“I suppose you’re anxious to get back to your apartment now,” I mused, as she resumed her work of mercy on my sore shoulders.

“Not especially,” she replied, squeezing just right. I sighed and leaned back in my chair.

“Good.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Friday, March 7

There’s an interesting rematch coming up Sunday, and media attention is being drawn to it.

Novara is traveling east for their rematch with Venezia, and everyone’s wondering if we’ll see another 5-4 thriller like I saw last fall. I wouldn’t mind seeing that – Venezia, as I’ve mentioned earlier, needs a win badly but I’d just like to see two good sides wear each other down.

That’s cynical, I realize, but I’m sure the spirit of Cori Contro will mean plenty of fans in both of those cities will be pulling for Ternana on Sunday.

My last pre-match media session of this week focused in part on the drama about to unfold at Pierluigi Penzo. “Who do you fancy in that match?” I was asked.

“I saw the teams play the first time and it was very hard to see anything between them,” I said. “It was one of the most exciting matches I’ve ever seen. As for a favorite, I don’t have one.”

“Would you like to see Venezia win?”

I laughed. “You’re expecting an answer with a straight face?” I asked. “Cut me a little slack here.” The American euphemism made them smile a bit.

“How about the pressure Paolo Favoretto is feeling?”

I opted to take the high road regarding a man who had publicly criticized me earlier in the season. “One of the sad things about this business is that people enjoying a degree of success feel pressure,” I said. “I have had that happen to me more than once this season thanks to you fine people and I understand what he must be going through. He needs to win and his board has expectations.”

“He’s also made comments about you in the local press.”

“I’m aware of that,” I said. “I have nothing personally against Paolo. I wish he wouldn’t do that, obviously, but I’m not prepared to say I’d like to see him sacked for it.”

Someday those vultures may well circle for me. When they do, I’ll need every friend I can get.

# # #

Saturday, March 8

Ever interested in creating controversy, the Venice media has picked up my comments of yesterday regarding Favoretto.

Under the headline “Ridgway: Paolo should leave me alone!” my comments created heat in both our cities just before tomorrow’s matches.

The article made it sound like I fear Favoretto (I don’t), and don’t need the extra scrutiny (bingo) because I’m American (which has nothing to do with it) and can’t handle pressure (which is yet to be seen).

It seems like sometimes the xenophobia I see has to be renewed whenever we face someone new. I’ve even seen people carrying protest signs over the Iraq conflict, which obviously has nothing to do with me. However, some people will take any chance they can to make a statement regardless of whether its context makes any sense.

This article was instructive for a couple of reasons. First, I need to be doubly careful who I talk to and how I say it, and second, it’s going to be a long run toward the end of the season.

Patty smiled as we ate breakfast this morning, while I looked at a copy of the paper containing the article in question. “I should quit going to newsstands,” I said. “It only makes my head hurt.”

“Don’t tell me you have a headache,” she teased, getting up from her chair to cuddle with me for a moment.

She nuzzled me softly and sat in my lap. She slowly ran her fingers through my hair and gave me a loving kiss. “If you had a headache, that would be a tragedy,” she said. “I’m feeling a lot better.”

I smiled at her and held her close. “You’ve always felt wonderful,” I replied. “That’s never changed.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Sunday, March 9

Padova 0-1 Ternana

We have played since September without losing a match in Serie C1A, a span of 23 matches. Yet tonight, we head home second in the table.

That’s because we played a simply horrible match today against Ternana and got what we deserved. Meanwhile, Novara went to Venezia and carved out a 2-0 win that has them on top of the table on goal difference.

My players had no urgency at all today and it really showed. We were due for a bad game after all the success we’ve had this season, but to have it come at home – and especially right now – is absolutely galling.

The nice weather we saw last weekend came north for this afternoon’s match and 5,707 supporters took advantage to get out and enjoy the sun. They didn’t enjoy the football, that was for sure.

I told the players before the match that I wanted them to play with the same relaxed bent they had taken last weekend. However, a few of them evidently confused the word “relaxed” with “anaesthetized”.

We started slowly. That was as good as it got. From the beginning we had no rhythm and even less flow, due in part to the excellent scout report they had on us. From the beginning they got defenders to help their midfielders on both Baú and Caputo to take away our wide game. They were daring us to come at them through the middle and Gentile showed fairly early that he was not up to the challenge.

Things got worse before the first quarter of the match was finished. While we keyed on Borsoi to keep him quiet, we lost track of Stefano Scappini, who took an innocent-looking lead ball right onto Paz about forty yards out from goal.

Pablo stepped up and Scappini went past him like he wasn’t there. Unfortunately, Faísca wasn’t there either – Lord knows where he went – and Scappini had only Orlandoni between himself and goal, with Sacchetti frantically trying to close the angle.

He never had a chance to reach the shooter, though, and Scappini overwhelmed Orlandoni with a rising shot to the keeper’s left. Ternana was on the board just sixteen minutes into the match.

The crowd reacted with a huge groan of disappointment and we set to work finding an equalizer. We were notably unsuccessful in the first half and I spent a few minutes chewing on Masolini as we tried to figure out what was wrong with the side. For a change, I wasn’t pacing the touchline in my usual manner – I was engaged in active conversation with my deputy and to do that I had to sit on the bench.

It hardly mattered in the first half. The whistle blew and we headed to the changing room with a few other whistles in our ears, from disappointed fans.

I couldn’t blame them a scrap and the players knew they were in for a roasting. This time, they got it, as I finally vented a little bit of the pressure I’ve been feeling.

“What are you playing at?” I asked them. “With what is riding on this match, how can you come out and look like this for 45 minutes? You can get this goal back but for crying out loud, look like you have some idea what you’re doing out there! Wings, when you’re trapped against the touchline, you know where the ball goes! Midfielders, you need to help each other and defenders, get up and help!”

I took a breath. “We knew they would try to take away the wings and we had a plan for it. So far I haven’t seen the plan and I’ve seen our wings get taken completely out of this game. Let’s get back to basics and get back in this match. You can do it. But you have to apply yourselves.”

We went out for the second half and I was curious to see what effect my teamtalk would have. Unfortunately for me, it had no effect at all.

Baú was trying to do everything by himself and as a result he made no impact. After a period of sustained excellence of late, he was worse than ordinary today. He was actually my first substitution of the match, coming off on the hour in favor of DiVenanzio. While not happy to substitute Baú, DiVenanzio’s introduction made me smile – it was Roberto’s first match with the senior squad since his gruesome injury in the first match of the season.

However, nothing else we did gave me the same pleasure. The other thing I did just after the hour was move to 4-3-3, taking off the nearly invisible Muzzi and placing Paponi in the finishing role flanked by DiVenanzio and Caputo.

With a renewed desire for urgency unmatched by accompanying play, we flailed away at a densely packed Ternana defense. Paponi did come close ten minutes from time, latching onto a decent entry ball from Caputo in the penalty area but shooting harmlessly just over the bar.

That was it. We seemed to have no idea how to break them down and when the final whistle went it was almost a relief. The coaches exchanged handshakes and I headed back to the changing room to figure out what I was going to say to my players.

They were dejected and dispirited. There was complete quiet as I walked to the center of the room. I stepped to a wipeboard on one wall and wrote:

September 2, 2007

Then I faced my players. “Fellows, this is the date you last lost a match,” I said. “Now, according to my calendar, today is the ninth of March 2008. It has been six months and one week since you last lost. I know you don’t like how it feels. None of us like how this match went today but we need to face some facts here.”

“You’ve played quite well to get to this point and it’s far from over,” I said. “Learn from this and let’s make sure it’s a long time before we play like this again. We play next Monday so we’re going to have a solid week of preparation before we go to Cremonese. Hit the showers and I’ll see you Tuesday morning.”

I then headed off for my ritual beating from media while the players left Euganeo in a hurry.

# # #

I got the news from Venice as I reached the interview area – Novara had won 2-0 and I knew they were now top on goal difference.

So I wasn’t in a very good mood as I endured the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Emiliani began his questioning and I knew what I had to do.

“Second place players are not as good as first place players, are they?” he began, and I couldn’t argue with that. Yet I knew where he was headed.

“We didn’t play well at all,” I said. “There’s no sense in hiding that, but let’s be completely honest about this. We hadn’t lost a league match for two-thirds of the entire fixture list and you’re going to come in here and roast these players? Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Why would you suggest that?” he asked.

“Because you were going to do it, and we both know it,” I said. “Stefano, don’t pi** on my leg and tell me it’s raining, all right? We’ve all read what you’ve written this winter and what you write tomorrow will make good copy too. So will what I’m saying to you right now – lay off. We had a bad match today and we deserved to get beat. Let’s give Ternana a little credit for that because they deserve it. And before you throw us under the bus, remember that we’ve got eight matches to play and we’re in a dead heat at the top. We’ll be there at the end.”

“That’s a prediction?”

I was angry enough to go out on a limb. “That’s a promise.”

# # #

“Why on earth did you say that?” Patty asked.

“Because I felt it at the time, and I believe it now,” I answered. “If I don’t get there the board won’t keep me around anyhow. If I do get there with these players, I’ll have the last word. So if I go out, I may as well go out my way. What do you think about that?”

“I think it’s cocksure, arrogant, over the top and amazingly sexy,” she smiled. “That’s the attitude you seem to have been missing these last few days.”

“I’ve been doing some thinking,” I admitted, as I poured her a drink. She sat on the couch, legs curled underneath her, her hair back in a beret. I handed her the concoction and she smiled over her shoulder.

“And?”

“And it’s good. I’ve got a much better handle on things than I did last week. Losing was good for this team and it was good for me. It let me vent and I needed to do that.”

“Losing’s all right provided it doesn’t happen often enough to get you sacked,” she observed.

“Right,” I said. “My job lately has been to convince these players to give extra and to improve themselves. While I did that, we didn’t lose a match. Now that we have, the message is going to be easier to get across – if I do it right.”

With that, I put in a DVD of the day’s match to indulge that morbid sense of masochism I had after leaving the ground today. Patty finished her drink and trailed softly behind me, heading toward the master bedroom.

She looked back over her shoulder. “Well, darling, when you’re done, I have a message I need to give you,” she smiled. “You’ve come a long way. And it’s time for your reward.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Monday, March 10

Venezia has sacked its manager, as the pressure continues to build.

Favoretto is gone after going winless in six matches, with the final straw being yesterday’s home loss to Novara. I thought I had it bad.

Yet, when I woke up this morning, the top of the table looked different. That was bad enough:

    
[font=Courier New]           Pl    W     D    L   Pts
Novara     26    16    6    4    54
Padova     26    15    9    2    54
Sassuolo   26    14    7    5    49
Cremonese  26    12   11    3    47
Venezia    26    13    6    7    45[/font]

We’re actually even on goal difference with Novara, but they’ve scored 49 goals to generate their goal difference of plus-23 while we’ve done it scoring 37 goals. Still, if the season ended today, Novara would be promoted while we would have to go through two rounds of playoffs to reach Serie B. That’s a steep price to pay for not being able to finish. Hell, converting any of half a dozen missed penalties would still have us top of the table. That’s gutting to have to think about.

But Venezia has now paid the steepest price, with Favoretto’s job being forfeit. Our local headlines this morning were naturally regarding my promise of the playoffs but also about the end of our fine run of form. Emiliani was unsparing as always:

“Manager Rob Ridgway made a brave attempt to protect his players after yesterday’s 1-0 defeat to Ternana at Euganeo. However, the defeat exposed flaws in the Biancoscudati which have long been known to him. His over-reliance on the usually proficient Eder Baú and Massimiliano Caputo was exposed yesterday by a side that knows how to defend. Ridgway must hope that remaining clubs on the fixture list are not able to duplicate Ternana’s rearguard action of yesterday.”

“The manager went so far as to resort to bluster in yesterday’s post-match media event. He ‘promised’ results from his club at the end of the season and has very publicly placed himself in the crosshairs. Supporters will be the final judge.”

Well, that may not be completely true. The board will be the final judge and Sestaro is the only person who can officially take my job. But with two losses out of twenty-six matches, somehow I don’t see it as terribly likely right at the moment.

Yet, to attract visitors to his site and to his companion column in the morning paper, Emiliani did what I expected he would do. He went negative.

# # #

Tuesday, March 11

Venezia has a new manager this morning. He had his first day on the job while I returned to training this morning.

Gianfranco Bellotto has already had a poke at me in the media – in fact, he did it at his introductory news conference – and frankly I think he has other things to worry about.

As for me, I know I definitely have more important items on my plate. For starters, I have to get the players ready for a crunch match at resurgent Cremonese next Monday night.

The Grigiorossi were relegated from Serie B last season and are playing well at the right time to return at the first time of asking. They have the second-fewest losses in the table now, with three to our two – and they didn’t lose to us the first time we played, getting a 1-1 draw at Euganeo back on October 28. They will have momentum from their emotional win over Sassuolo last week and will be looking for another high-profile scalp to take.

We have a lot of respect for them, and for Gabriele Graziani, the forward I had praised to the media before our last match. I do think we should have beaten them in October and had Graziani not scored, we would have. We have a big task ahead of us and we need to show we can bounce back.

# # #

I will make changes to the XI as well, though at this point I haven’t communicated anything regarding my intentions, not even to Masolini.

Varricchio is ready to return. He’s agitated, he’s performing in training, and after the way Muzzi performed Sunday, it seems pretty apparent to me that I need to make a change up front.

Roberto has done a fine job this season, scoring a few goals (though not as many as I had hoped) and doing a surprisingly good job playing off Varricchio. When the season started I had thought it might be the other way around.

Yet he has also played a lot of football this season and he needs a rest. He just looked out of ideas on Sunday and when I substituted him I was already thinking of leaving him out of the starting side for the coming match.

The other move I am thinking of making is sitting down Eder Baú. As surprising as that may sound, he was dreadful Sunday, especially in the second half. This truth was rammed home to me when I watched the match video on Sunday night. Anyone can have a bad match and Eder has been one of my top players all season long, but when you play like he played Sunday there needs to be some sort of consequence.

In fact, today I talked with him about it since I know he can handle honest conversation. As the morning session ended, I motioned him over to me and together we walked to the changing room to prepare for lunch and video work in the afternoon.

“What in the hell happened to you Sunday, Eder?” I asked.

“I tried too hard,” he explained. “I was tight, and nervous, especially after we fell behind.”

I shook my head. “You of all people know you can’t win like that. My issue wasn’t with your play, it was in not getting your teammates involved. Everyone knows you can cross the ball – you’re the best player in the league at that. When you’d go off on your solo runs, your teammates had nothing to do but run back up and down the pitch.”

He nodded, having a few unpleasant recollections.

“Players look to get the ball to you because they know you’ll do something with it,” I said. “But Eder, when it comes to you, right now I have to remind you that you need to stick with our plan. We knew they’d double you and Massimiliano and pressure you off the ball.”

“I know,” he repeated. “I lost my head and I made bad decisions.”

“The run of form you’ve had this season has been excellent,” I said. “So this week while you train, I want your focus where it should be, which is on the positive. You’ve come a long way and you’ve done a marvelous job for this club. We need you. Don’t forget that.”

He nodded and jogged into the training room. I think he got the message but if he didn’t, I have the ultimate message-sending weapon in the form of Monday’s team sheet.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Wednesday, March 12

I had to fire back at Bellotto today, which I would rather not have done. But after his comments came out in the Venice paper this morning, I really had no choice.

He was asked about his immediate goals for his team, and he mentioned one of them was catching Padova. “Yet, the way they’re being managed, I think they’ll meet us in the middle,” he said. “They’ve shown no imagination over their last several matches and I think they are running on an empty tank.”

Naturally, the regional press trotted dutifully off to Euganeo looking for their morning dose of controversy. Today, I decided to give it to them.

We had quite a sprightly training session this morning and think the mood of the squad is still fairly decent. In that spirit, I found the reporters waiting for me, practically waving Bellotto’s quote in my face.

“Venezia has had a difficult stretch,” I said. “I know that part of their plight is caused by their league loss to us on their ground in January. We play them in the last match of the regular schedule at Euganeo. I hope the match still means something from Venezia’s standpoint. I know it will mean something from ours.”

“And your thoughts on Bellotto?”

“Manager of Venezia as of this morning,” I said coolly. “If he wants to catch us, he’s got 24 points still to play for and they’ve spotted us nine. If they can make it, more power to them.”

I don’t want open war with a rival. He’s playing a mind game, without doubt. But I don’t have time for that sort of thing. I need to concentrate on the task at hand to keep the wolves away from my own door. There’s a lot of work to do yet, 24 points still to play for, and right now all I want to do is get more of them than anyone else.

# # #

Thursday, March 13

Things cooled off with our rivals to the east today and I am glad for this. My mind is fully focused on Cremonese.

It isn’t lost on me that the clubs meeting Monday have lost only five out of 52 matches on offer between them. They are very resilient and, like ourselves, have found that consistency in earning points – even if they aren’t all with victories – puts you in with a shout at the end of the year.

That said, Bellotto is noticeably quieter today – perhaps because he’s realizing the size of the task he faces. His club hasn’t won a match since the end of January and his top scorer, Marco Veronese, is not very happy. He really does have better things to do than slag off the manager of his closest league rival.

We’re going to travel on Sunday this week, with Cremona about as far away in mileage from Padua as Milan is, only with a turn to the southwest about halfway along the route. The board knows what’s now at stake and wants me to have every advantage I can get – including a good night’s rest for my players on the road without the worries of matchday travel.

I’ve been quietly surprised that in all our travels this season – including to Sicily earlier this year for a Cup tie at Igea Virtus – that I haven’t had a whisper of trouble in terms of breaking curfew or any of the other silly things footballers are famous for doing.

They do seem to understand what’s at stake here – and for everyone under contract for next year, what’s at stake is first and foremost a 25 percent raise. That’s the club policy – get promoted, get a salary bump. So now, when I ask for commitment the players have perhaps the ultimate personal reason to give me their all.

I’d rather they give all for the shirt, of course, but what motivates the modern player isn’t always what motivated the players of past ages. I want results and I’m willing to accept much of what happens to get them, within reason.

I have my own reasons for winning, of course, and some of them have nothing to do with my job security. I have my own ambition and part of that ambition is about ready to return to her apartment across Padua’s downtown.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Friday, March 14

Today was media day, as the weekly cycle of the season drags on.

We are of course in a good part of our fixture list at the moment, where we’re playing weekly and those players who are playing well can count on full time between matches for recovery and fitness training. However, we are back in the Serie C Cup next month so it won’t last much longer.

I wouldn’t mind a few more matches, to be honest, even as the players like getting out on the park once a week. The media scrutiny – after last week, I might call it dissection – is getting pretty sharp every week and with the buildup to Monday’s match taking an extra day, I am already looking forward to getting out of town.

The paper in Cremona sent a reporter today to do an advance story on the co-league leaders, and I am rather embarrassed to say I got treated better by the opposing media than I did my own.

I can’t for the life of me figure out why I have so much trouble. If it’s being American, that’s one thing – I haven’t heard it from the supporters, probably because we’ve been winning.

My difficulties can’t be due to results – there must be something else. I try not to spend too much time thinking about it, but Patty seems to have ideas, and I need to listen to her.

“There are people here who didn’t like you when you came here, don’t like you now and will never like you no matter what you do,” she said in response to my query over dinner.

“Got any more good news for me, babe?” I said, smiling as I tucked a forkful of gnocchi into my mouth.

“You can’t change it, so you may as well adjust to it,” she said. “I’ve seen what it’s doing to you, and it’s really time I said something about it. You come home at night and you obsess about how you’re being treated. Really, darling, you have to understand – you won’t win them all over, even though I know that’s what you want to do.”

I sighed. “I must be completely transparent,” I said, and she smiled softly.

“Hardly,” she said. “You’re a very complex man. You’ve tried very hard to be good to Emiliani, for example, and he’s spurned you because he wants people to read his column. You can’t control that and you ought to stop trying. Eventually, though, you’ll have to decide whether you want to keep fighting.”

Now I put down my fork. “Honey, you told me just the other day that you found my aggressiveness appealing.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong, I do,” she said. “But you also have to decide whether you want that attitude to carry you for the time you’re here. I love what you’re becoming – even more than I loved you before, which was a lot – but I need to know what I’m hitching my wagon to.”

I smiled at the euphemism and I knew she was right. “Okay, that’s fair,” I said. “If you think I have a star you want to hitch that wagon to, that’s a fair question. What you’re seeing now is the kind of man I am when I’m approaching my best. Things are going well on the pitch right now but I’m good because I’ve got ammunition to fight my battle. There will be days when I don’t – and you remember the last time that happened.”

“I do,” she said. “I walked out on you.”

“You did,” I said, taken momentarily off guard by her candor. “I was empty.”

“Now you’re filling, and the time you’re spending with me agrees with you. I think we’re coming up on a time when we’ll need to make some decisions. What do you think?”

I nodded. “I’ve had those same thoughts,” I said. “We need to think this through. And the first thing I think is that it’s about time that I get you back to your place, in the interests of propriety.”

“People will talk,” she smiled.

“That doesn’t bother me,” I said. “What bothers me is making sure I do the right thing by you. Believe me, I won’t be caught out again.”

# # #

Saturday, March 15

With the squad taking a half-day before traveling to Cremona tomorrow, I moved Patty back to her apartment this afternoon.

It’s been nearly a month since her accident, and with people watching our every move, I figured it was a good idea to get her back to her own place now that she is recovered enough to get out on her own.

She is also trying to find a job in Padua, which will be interesting. The supporters seem to tolerate me, but they also seem to genuinely like her. That’s not surprising to me – a beautiful, 5’9” redhead with a figure to die for is naturally going to be more popular than the local football manager.

So it was quite difficult to let her go today. As up and down as Patty and I have been since meeting, I do know this: I’m a lot better with her than I am without her. Somewhat ironically, I’m grateful to Kate for saving my relationship with Patty, but still at a bit of a loss as to why she did what she did.

For me it’s come down to this: I think Kate actually meant what she said when she told me she wants me to be happy. I could call Kate a lot of things, but not too many of them are negative and ‘liar’ is definitely not one of them.

So as I carried Patty’s suitcases back into her apartment, it was with a definite measure of sadness. I kept thinking that I’m going back to being alone yet again, and the harder I worked for Patty, the more it hurt my heart.

She noticed, and as I pulled her last suitcase onto her bed so she wouldn’t have to bend to lift it, she motioned me to her.

“You’re hurt,” she said. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“If you haven’t figured it out by now, you never will,” I said, trying to smile.

“I don’t want to go either,” she said. “But we need to do this. You know it as well as I do.”

“Yes, we do,” I said. “We have to be absolutely correct.”

“Look at the bright side. I’m not living in Venice anymore.”

“Thank goodness for small favors,” I replied. “I’m leaving tomorrow, I’m going to be a long way away from you, and I hope that distance accomplishes something.”

She slipped gracefully into my arms. “It will accomplish the next step on your road to where you want to go,” she said. “You’ve grown a lot since November, Rob. So have I. Now I can see what you need to grow and I’m going to do my best to give it to you. The better job I do of it, the more I’ll see of you – and that is what I want more than anything.”

I looked down at Patty and saw her through different eyes. As much as I love her, since November I haven’t really been able to fully trust either my own feelings for her or what she says are her feelings for me. But now as she looked at me, fighting to find the right words for her, she said them for me.

“I don’t want this separation to be a long one,” she said. “I want you to come back for me – as soon as you can. How does that sound?”

“It sounds like I have work to do,” I said. We kissed goodbye in her living room and I left for Cremona – with a renewed sense of purpose.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Sunday, March 16

We arrived in Cremona this afternoon just in time to catch the end of the Novara - Manfredonia match on television. Not surprisingly, we’re interested in the outcome.

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to us that Novara is now top of the league on its own. What did surprise us was that their lead is only a point, as Manfredonia fought a terrific rearguard action to steal a point in a 1-1 draw far away from home. Novara is one of Manfredonia’s longest trips of the season so to get off the coach as they did and fight the league leaders to a draw is amazing.

It’s also immensely convenient for us, as we now need only a draw tomorrow to keep pace at the top of the table. We watched the end of the match in silence in the lobby of our hotel, each player thinking his own thoughts as the last moments of the match ticked away.

Novara will look at the result as two points lost but I looked at it as an opportunity gained for us. I turned to my players as the teams trudged off the pitch and spoke.

“Okay, fellows. It’s out there for you. The other guys can stumble too. Don’t lose your cool tomorrow, play like you can and let’s make it happen.”

To be completely honest, I’d take a draw tomorrow. The way we’re playing doesn’t bode well for taking all three points though I know if we play like we can, especially on the defensive side of the ball, we will be in with a shout at getting the points.

Sassuolo picked up a big away win, 2-1 at Pro Patria, to move within two points of us. And Venezia again failed to win, drawing away to Ternana, which is suddenly slaying giants. I won’t say I minded that at all.

# # #

Sometimes the sense of déjà vu in this game can be overwhelming. For Rangers, it’s meeting Celtic in their last match after the SPL split with something big on the line. For Chelsea, it’s meeting Liverpool in the Champions League semifinals.

For me, déjà vu is playing Cremonese in a driving rainstorm. I need to raise my goals.

Tomorrow’s match forecast is exactly the same as when we met them at our place – afternoon heavy rain and warm. I know the rain put a cramp in our style the first time we played and it may well do the same tomorrow.

A slower surface will provide even more difficulty for us in terms of the way we want to play the game. I would like more possession even though I realize that on the road I probably won’t get it, but poor conditions will make it harder for a team as limited as mine in passing ability. I want the ball on the floor when I can have it there, but tomorrow probably will not be one of those days.

# # #

I met with Masolini after the match, to talk about Baú. My relationship with my deputy is good, I value his opinion, and he knows if he has a concern about the squad I will give that opinion careful and esteemed consideration.

This time, though, I went to him. “Eder needs to sit,” I said. “I want your thoughts. I haven’t seen enough from him in training this week and I don’t think he should start.”

“You’ve already made up your mind,” he observed. “I don’t know if I want to try to change it.”

“You can,” I said. “That’s always been the case. I want your professional judgment on his play against Ternana and whether you think he can bounce back tomorrow.”

“You do have an opportunity through Novara’s draw today,” he said. “If we do lose tomorrow it will be only one point lost. The message can be sent, which is presumably the reason you are doing this. Also, Gotti too did not play well last weekend but his situation is caused by having played nearly every minute of every match so far.”

“That’s not what I’m asking,” I told him. “I want your evaluation of Eder’s play and whether you think he should retain his place in the side.”

“I don’t think I would put him to the bench, Rob,” he said. “DiVenanzio is not the kind of all-around player Eder is, and he hasn’t had as much match time due of course to his injury. I feel starting DiVenanzio in the eleven would be a tactical error.”

That was pretty blunt. We are facing a crunch match on the road, and my assistant thinks I’m wrong to move Baú to the bench. However, that’s why we pay him, and I hired him for his honest opinion.

“And if his poor form continues?” I asked.

“It would also be a tactical error to play him,” he admitted. “You cannot win.”

“In fairness, all eleven players will determine that,” I said.

“Then here is a suggestion,” he said. “Please consider this. If you must drop Baú tomorrow, consider placing Caputo on the left and move Muzzi to the right side of midfield, which you know he can play. I know you are disappointed by his form in the Ternana match, but he can supply from that wing and you will then have the ability to restore Varricchio to the eleven.”

“You really don’t think DiVenanzio is the answer on the left,” I said, mulling over an excellent idea.

“No, Rob. I do not. I know you want to make a statement and you feel you need to make a statement, but we are in a promotion race. Don’t be hasty over this. If you feel you must send Baú to the bench then that is your right to put him there, but please consider the team selection I’ve given you. I think it is our second-best side.”

I nodded. Naturally, the decision is mine to make and I have to live with the consequences. My deputy had done his job and done it well. Now the rest is up to me.

# # #

Finally, I had to make my decision. I told Baú that he’s on the bench to start the match tomorrow. Gotti will also sit, for the first time in almost two months, due to a dip in form he suffered in the Ternana match. Faísca will slot into the left back role in his place and Donadoni will return to the XI in central defense alongside the ever-present Sacchetti. I don’t blame him for getting sent off in his last appearance and this is the best way to show it.

Eder didn’t like the news of his exclusion from the starting unit, but he understands that he needs to perform to keep his place. There’s method to my madness here, too – I’m not afraid to put one of my top players onto the bench for poor performance, and that will send a message to the entire squad.

It’s a move borne of confidence, but if it backfires I’m sure Emiliani will roast me for it. Patty might have called it ‘arrogant’, but I look at it differently.

I will take Masolini’s advice tomorrow and start Muzzi on the right side of midfield. I am taking a huge, but calculated, risk. The payoff may be great but the payback – if I’m wrong – might be even worse.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Monday, March 17

Cremonese 1-2 Padova

“You look like a hog on ice.” – Rooster Cogburn, ‘True Grit’

I once mentioned that sometimes I hate being right. Then there are days like today, where being right has us once again on top of Serie C1A.

The quote at the top of today’s entry serves a dual purpose; first, that’s what more than few players looked like this afternoon as they tried to cut, pass and move in a downpour that really should have resulted in a postponement.

Second, the name of the movie the quote comes from was apropos to describe our effort today. The players galumphed up and down the sodden pitch at Giovanni Zini with great industry even if it wasn’t always as pretty as we’d like to imagine the game appearing to be. It took ‘true grit’ to win today and that’s what we showed.

I put up the starting XI on a board in the visitors’ changing room and watched the reaction of the faces around me. There was genuine surprise. That wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

I took Varricchio aside before we headed out for the match and I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was itching to redeem himself. “Make it happen,” I said, using my favorite phrase. “Show me you deserve to stay out there and give us a performance.”

His scowl of determination was also a good thing.

What wasn’t good, though, was how we started the match. Cremonese had it all to play for just like we did and playing at home, they started brightly. Orlandoni was a busy man for the first 45 minutes, making four close-in saves in the first 39 minutes to help keep the match scoreless.

Meanwhile the ‘new’ formation with Muzzi on the right carved out a few decent chances of its own but I found myself hoping on more than one occasion that we might get a goal through keeper Salvatore Sirigu mishandling the wet ball. Not that I worried about Orlandoni doing the same. Of course not.

We did need to make a few adjustments at half. For one thing, we elected to shut down Cremonese’s wide game and we did that – but not because we were good. We did it because they brought all their pressure through the middle, attempting to take advantage of Gentile’s somewhat limited man-marking skills. To a large extent, they did.

The 4-1-3-2 generated enough chances to keep it a viable option for the second half but my wish was also that Paz move just a bit higher in the formation to directly support Gentile in the center of midfield. “The back four can hold them off,” I said. “I need you supporting Andrea before they move the ball into position. That extra second you’re waiting is allowing them to work the ball where they want it to go instead of where we want them to put it.”

He nodded, and proceeded to give me better play as the second half began. We also got Varricchio’s first goal in nearly two months to open the scoring.

Oddly enough it was Paponi who was the provider. Neither player is known for the quality of his linking play but Daniele made it happen with a good twenty-yard breakout pass from just inside our area into space. That made it a footrace and in such circumstances Varricchio is probably the last player on my club I’d bet on to win.

However, the conditions were a great equalizer and while everyone looked like they were running in quicksand, Varricchio was still first to the edge of the area. His knuckling shot swerved under the arm of the diving Sirigu and home for the first goal of the match on 53 minutes.

It had to have been a devilishly difficult shot to stop and I was obviously glad our man had struck it. Varricchio reacted both with relief and a rolling slide behind the goal toward the traveling support. Much of his uniform became a muddy mess for the rest of the day. When he got up it was hard to tell which team he played for, but we led and that was what mattered.

With the lead, my goal was to maintain possession and make them chase the game on a truly wretched day to play. We did that admirably, but they then caught lightning in a bottle. I’m sure they preferred it there, because lightning in the distance also threatened to stop the match for a time.

When it came, though, they caught us brilliantly on a counterattack off a Caputo corner. Three quick diagonal passes later, the ball was on striker Giuseppe Cozolino’s boot. One more flick later and it was behind Orlandoni to tie the match on 65 minutes.

The 2,116 fans on hand wrung out their lungs long enough to give a long, loud cheer as we went back to blank paper. I then looked down the bench and made a decision.

“Eder, strip off and warm up,” I said. He nodded and did as I asked. Three minutes later he reported, ready for duty.

“You’ll go in for Paponi,” I said, after looking at my loan striker standing in front of the Cremonese goal, ready for a breather. “Muzzi goes up front, Caputo goes to the right and I want you on the left. Show me how much you want to avoid the bench for next week.”

He nodded, the fourth official held up the numbers board for the substitution, and I greeted a disappointed Paponi as he came to the bench.

“It’s not your play,” I said, grabbing his arm to make sure I had his attention. “Daniele, it’s not your play. The conditions aren’t good and I want you rested for what’s coming up.”

He nodded, knowing I rate him after his recent run in the team, and sat down to get a little bit dry. The rain was pouring now and the gusting wind made play very difficult. Baú made his entry and just like that, we had most of our ‘best’ offensive eleven on the pitch, with Eder also having relatively fresh legs.

His energy soon had the impact I needed to see on the match, as Baú showed his professionalism. He and Caputo immediately switched wings in full flight and the Grigiorossi began to struggle right away.

The two began to work well together immediately, carving out a wonderful chance for Muzzi that my talented but wasteful front man obligingly, and annoyingly, pushed wide of Sirigu’s right post.

I sat next to Masolini in the dugout for the moment, out of the driving rain, wondering how many chances we’d get and how many more we would miss.

Twelve minutes from time I got the answers: one, and none. This time it was Faísca who made a fine play on the left, working an overlap with Baú that resulted in the ball at my left fullback’s feet at the corner of the Cremonese area. Instead of crossing for the middle of the park, Faísca faked for the byline and managed a 180-degree turn in the muck, laying the ball toward the top of the area – right into the intuitive path of Baú.

On a first-time volley, Eder struck a simply superb effort that would have been beautiful to watch on a dry pitch. The fact that it came on a sodden mass made it wonderful. The fact that it found the top right corner of Sirigu’s goal made it perfect.

Without thinking, I instinctively leapt into the air when Baú’s goal flashed home. I forgot I was still sitting inside the covered dugout due to the rain. As a result I rammed my head hard against the top of the structure. I actually saw stars for a moment before stepping out of the dugout to celebrate properly.

That caused some laughter on the bench, and for a time I smiled along with the bench players until I noticed a trickle of blood running down my cheek. I had cut my scalp, which was embarrassing as well as quite messy.

The physios had to respond to the manager’s needs this time, which made for a moment of comedy, and in a few moments I had been treated in the same manner as a boxer who’s cut during a match. Assistant physio Vittorio Rosetto leaned me back into the dugout, found the cut, and applied pressure on it before inserting a Q-tip soaked with adrenaline into the cut. It hurt like a son of a gun, but after a few moments, it was done.

While I watched the action, Rosetto cleaned me up and in a few moments the only sign I had been cut was a drop of blood on the collar of my shirt. That, and a headache no one else could see.

Yet Baú’s strike made certain that our hosts would suffer the headaches after the match. That was the important thing. The teams combined for 34 attempts at goal in the deluge, a remarkable number considering the conditions, with seventeen on target. That was quite a high total as well, and Orlandoni won the man of the match award for dealing with eight of the nine strikes on target he saw.

It was just a huge win for us, obviously, if for no other reason than it opened up some space between ourselves, Sassuolo, Cremonese and Venezia. The top five are starting to spread out and it may well wind up a two-team shootout with Novara before all is said and done.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

“If you must know, it hurt like hell.”

Blushing, I faced our media after the match sporting a headache but also a happy smile. “I forgot I was underneath the dugout roof and opened myself up pretty good.”

“Bleeding puts a cramp in your style,” Emiliani said with a smile. I thought that was decent of him to say, especially since he was smiling, but then he asked me about Baú.

“Eder started on the bench for poor form against Ternana,” I explained. “He showed me he learned his lesson late in the match today.”

“You would bench a player of his status for one bad match?” That was a reporter from the Cremona media, asking the question so my media wouldn’t have to.

“We’re playing for something here,” I explained. “There’s a lot at stake and I took a calculated risk today by sitting down one of our most consistent players. The effort and results we are coming to expect from the players who wear this shirt are both quite high. When that doesn’t happen I have to take steps as the manager. It’s not fair to the players who are fighting hard for places when I let a player stay in the eleven based on reputation. You have to perform.”

“Do you think you would have needed a late rescue today had Baú been in the eleven?” Ah, Emiliani.

“Who knows?” I said, in what was probably an unfortunate reply. “All I know is we got a goal with Eder on the pitch and a goal without him on the pitch. You can go ahead and ask me how happy I am that Varricchio is scoring again if you like. I’m sure he’d appreciate the positive press.”

# # #

We climbed aboard the coach after all the players and the skin-soaked manager had had a chance to clean up, heading back to Padua in time for a late dinner.

Patty met me with a smile on her face. “I heard you fought the dugout roof and lost,” she smiled, bending me over to kiss the top of my head when I greeted her.

“Yeah, I suppose word gets around,” I answered, wincing with pain as she made it ‘all better’. “But if a layer of skin is the only thing I lose today, that’s a good trade.”

“Let me help you,” she offered. “I have an idea how to ease your pain.”

           
                Pl     W    D    L   Pts
Padova           27    16    9    2    57
Novara           27    16    7    4    55
Sassuolo         27    15    7    5    52
Cremonese        27    12   11    4    47
Venezia          27    13    7    7    46

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Tuesday, March 18

We have a short week of preparation this week before things start to heat up again for us.

Our return match against regional rival Hellas Verona is Saturday and in looking at their video I’m heartened to see that there’s another team in this league that’s also having trouble putting the ball in the net.

However, our scoring own woes pale by comparison to theirs. Verona has scored only 18 goals in 27 league matches so despite leading the league with thirteen draws they are still three spots out of the playoff places. Their defensive record is nearly as good as ours and they’ve only lost five matches themselves.

They’ve only had two matches all season where they’ve scored more than one goal, and already have nine goalless draws to their credit, including one against us on November 4. Still, the fact that they are even playing in this league is surprising to a lot of people.

It is truly lean times for the Mastini, who won the Scudetto in 1984-85 and played in Serie A as recently as 2002. Players like Adrian Mutu, Mauro Camoranesi, and Martin Laursen were with the club then. But now, hard financial times and a galling playdown loss to Spezia – in which Eder Baú played as a member of that club before coming here on loan – resulted in the end of 64 consecutive years of football in Italy’s top two leagues. Verona’s city neighbor, Chievo, was also in Serie A earlier in this decade before being relegated so the city’s fans haven’t had much to cheer about as of late.

In fact, they’ve had so much trouble scoring goals that one wag in the paper there has reminded all and sundry about those nine scoreless stalemates by referring to this year’s team as “Hellas Ver 0-0 na”. Now, that’s bad.

As a top-flight team just five seasons ago, having difficulty scoring goals in Serie C1 must be galling for them. We think we have a good plan to deal with them but unfortunately it does involve getting ahead at some point in the match. That’s part of most plans in my experience, but for my club, at times it’s been the most difficult part.

We have been more than twice as good as Verona – we’ve scored 39 goals in 27 matches, but if you take away the first Manfredonia match where we scored five including two from the penalty spot, we’re barely averaging a goal a contest ourselves.

For me, confidence is everything at this point. The constant media talk about how we can’t score has my players joking about frustrated wives and girlfriends, but after a time it’s going to start to tell. This is the worst possible time for that. Now more than ever we need to stay true to ourselves and believe in what we’re trying to do.

At this time of the season, training is noticeably different from what it is early on. The regular players have long since found their legs and often I need to conserve those legs rather than work them. So I’m trying to make training more enjoyable even as we work on the things we have to get better at doing.

Today, as our last drill, I instituted a skills competition, just on a lark. I placed traffic cones in the four corners of the goal, with the top cones hung from ropes wrapped around the crossbar.

“Right, then,” I said. “Line up. We’re going to do a little shot placement test.”

The laughter I got showed the squad was either loose or not taking it seriously, but I soon showed I was quite serious indeed by taking a ball and hitting three of the four cones myself from the top of the penalty area.

“Beat the old man,” I challenged. “I’m buying lunch for any player who can hit all four targets.”

The challenge issued, my players stood one by one and tried to win lunch for themselves. One by one, they failed. I was starting to think the drill was going to backfire. Finally, Orlandoni could stand no more.

“Give me a ball,” he said. “I’ll show you how it’s done.” My first choice keeper then proceeded to drill all four cones, to the delight of his teammates and the amazement of his manager. I wonder if I’m playing him in the right position.

So, I bought my goalkeeper’s lunch in a situation I had never imagined would take place. I made a point to my squad about needing to prepare and train better in the finishing part of the game, but now I wonder if I did more harm than good.

# # #

Wednesday, March 19

Our friendly rivals from Sassuolo can do us a favor this weekend – a favor that might well earn us automatic promotion.

They host Novara in a battle of third place hosting second, and a win might get their season back on track. It would also make ours, quite frankly. Win, lose or draw between those clubs will help us – if we do the business at home.

It’s the time of year when everyone watches the scoreboard and we’re certainly no different at this stage. We’re closing on clinching a playoff place, though, so we have even more to play for over the next couple of weeks. Two more victories will do it, and that was my reminder to the senior squad as we trained, this time with cones removed from the goals.

My team talks don’t seem to have a galvanizing effect quite yet – I do hope that will come with more experience – but where I do most of my instruction to the players isn’t at that time. It’s during training, in the video sessions, and most of all during our warmups when we train. I have a captive audience then and I don’t hesitate to use it. My habit is to walk up and down the rows of stretching players and giving them their daily dose of Ridgway’s Rules.

“Six points out of twenty-one, men,” I said. “Surely that isn’t beyond you, to clinch a playoff place? Your hard work has gotten you to this point and it’s up to you to finish the job.”

They’re starting to get used to me wandering through their stretching exercises and put up with my eccentricity because they know if they listen then, they won’t have to listen to it again when they’re trying to leave for the day. I’m going to speak my mind anyway and I figure I’ll do it sooner rather than later.

# # #

There’s word from Verona that has me wondering tonight. Another manager’s head is on the block with victory over Padova evidently necessary for him to keep his job.

Franco Colomba is in a real spot now – he’s got just nine wins from 27 matches with a side that was fancied to win immediate promotion back to Serie B. Unlike the ill-fated Paolo Favoretto at Venezia, he hasn’t taken a swipe at either my club or me in the press, which is probably a good idea. That isn’t because I’m any great shakes at my job, but because he needs to avoid doing anything that will antagonize his next opponent whoever it is.

We will get Verona’s best shot on Saturday. At least from the manager. As frustrated a club as they appear to be, we may not get the best shot from the players, which will probably work to our advantage.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Thursday, March 20

Due to our advantageous league position, we have the luxury of looking ahead to next season. We proved it today.

Despite it being hubris and hopefully not bad luck to say so, we’ve agreed terms with the first player we’ve signed expressly to play in a Serie B lineup. Venezuelan international Massimo Margiotta will join us in the summer and he’s going to go straight into the center of our midfield.

He’s another Frosinone old boy, is coming in on a Bosman and he will fill a huge gap in our present side. I have seen extensive video of him and I see a skill set that’s vastly superior to either Gentile or Rabito. I’m very glad he’s on the way in.

There are two things that have frankly annoyed me about our central midfield play this season. The first is maddening inconsistency from the two players battling for playing time.

Second, and just as maddening, is the fact that much of the discipline problem I’ve had this season has come from my central midfielders, who have both missed games through suspension. I can’t choose between the two when one of them is suspended, which is starting to make young Grujic look like an attractive option for more playing time.

The boy is taking to the senior squad like a duck to water. He got over his initial nervousness quite easily and he’s making it easier for me to decide on his future. The u-20 side is doing just fine without him, so I will keep him with the professional squad awhile longer.

The whole issue of bringing in new players is occupying more and more of my office time, as well as how I intend to shape the squad for the 2008-09 season.

As much as I’ve enjoyed having him on my squad, if we get promoted I won’t have Eder Baú back next year. Since Spezia owns his contract for another two seasons, I somehow doubt I’ll have him next year unless we – or they – collapse over the last few weeks of the season.

Finally, the longest-term battle I have will also be decided. We co-own Rabito with Albino Leffe and even as dangerous as he can sometimes be in the box, I’m considering selling our half-share of his rights in the summer. I’d prefer to own players’ contracts outright to the greatest extent I can, and Rabito has played well enough to allow the club to do a good bit of business should I choose to go that route.

And as I look at a tentative depth chart for next season, he’s third in the central midfield pecking order anyhow, behind Margiotta and Gentile. I will need a place to put Grujic next season as well, so a midfield consisting of Gentile/Caputo/Margiotta with Grujic as reserve would be passable. If we play in Serie B, that midfield could hold its own. If we don’t get promoted, that midfield could dominate Serie C, even though I might not be around to see it.

I’m also looking ahead to next season’s loans from Lazio. Should we earn promotion, we might get better loan opportunities. One player I’d very much like to see in our colors is 29-year old holding midfielder Fabio Firmani. He’s not playing, is contracted for two more years, and would like first-team football. The center of Padova’s midfield would be quite secure indeed next season with Firmani and Margiotta holding it down.

I’ll be looking for at least one defender as well. After Gotti’s loan expires I’ll be looking for a left back and if I decide to put Vasco Faísca on the left I’ll need a central defender once Vasco shifts over.

Frankly, my goal would be to bring in two central defenders if I could afford it. Sacchetti has been brilliant all season but he’ll be 35 years of age next season and I need to ensure youth is served on the back line. I’ll also be looking to loan another goalkeeper, once Orlandoni returns to Milan.

So there’s lots of work to do and not much time in which to do it. First, though, we have to get promoted or I can forget a lot of this work. I might be looking for employment myself.

# # #

Media reported Margiotta’s signing this morning and my noon press gaggle had higher than normal attendance as a result.

“It is odd to show such ambition in the middle of a season,” I was informed, but I just shook my head.

“It’s odd to sign a player on an expiring contract for the next year?” I replied. “Hardly. Teams do that all the time.”

“Aren’t you afraid of upsetting your current midfielders by announcing new signings during a promotion race?”

That was a better question, but I had the answer in hand. “I didn’t announce anything,” I said. “Neither did the club. You came to me and asked about a signing. So if any report upsets my midfielders, it’s not me that started it. We would have announced the signing in due course.”

“That’s disingenuous.” That was Emilani.

“That’s me running the football operation the way I see fit,” I snapped. “I get to do that, despite your best efforts.”

He seemed surprised. “Despite my best efforts? What do you mean, Rob?” he asked.

“I don’t like words like ‘disingenuous’ used in conjunction with my official activity,” I said. “I’ve answered every question you’ve asked me, whether about my professional life or my personal life, and I’ve been honest every time. I do not appreciate such an attack on my integrity. You’ve taken more than a few public shots at me over the last six months over how I’ve run the football side of this operation and I’m just reminding you that I’m still in charge.”

“Defensive,” he smiled. I couldn’t tell if he was kidding.

“Call it what you want,” I said. “The fact remains. This signing was leaked so if there’s trouble, I’ll know who to talk to.”

# # #

Friday, March 21

To the surprise of no one, Gentile and Rabito were quite nervous as we did shadow play for tomorrow’s match.

They sort of tiptoed around me, and more importantly tiptoed around each other. That isn’t positive at all and it doesn’t bode well for tomorrow since Gentile is playing and Rabito isn’t.

Emiliani’s online piece this morning suggested that Rabito shouldn’t be thinking of buying a house in Padua. So he’s unsettled, and for a key player off my bench, I don’t appreciate what was said. He asked to see me after the training session today and I brought him into the Euganeo manager’s office.

“What have I done to fall out of favor?” he asked. “Why are you bringing in another midfielder?”

I took a deep breath. “I’ve told you that you need to improve your consistency,” I said. “I have to be honest. You have undoubted talent but I can’t make you a regular player when I’m not sure what I’m going to get when I put you on the pitch. You and Gentile are both good players but right now he’s preferred because he has a more consistent approach to the game than you do.”

“Am I going to be put on the transfer list?”

“Perhaps in the summer, but what I’d prefer is that you fix the things we’ve talked about so you can press for a place,” I said. “I don’t like to let players go, but if you can’t fix what we’ve talked about, you won’t get regular first team football here. That might make the transfer list the best thing to do.”

He looked disappointed and I hated to see the look on his face, but if I’m not honest with a player he could wind up losing a year or more off his career. It’s a very hard part of the business but sometimes it has to be done.

# # #

I was quiet tonight. I spent the evening at Patty’s place and she is nearly back to her old self in terms of her overall health.

That does my heart good. Word is that charges will come against her assailants next week and a hearing will take place when the charges are filed.

She seems in good spirits – better than mine, anyway. I feel the press has cost me something important as we head into tomorrow’s match and it has certainly lost me Rabito’s trust.

“But then, I may not have had it anyway due to my team selection,” I mused, thinking out loud.

“What’s that, honey?” Patty asked, moving to sit next to me on her overstuffed couch.

“Rabito,” I said. “I’m having a hard time with what I had to tell him today.”

“Darling, it’s part of the business. You know you can’t get wrapped up in that.”

“I know, and someday that conversation will be held with me. I understand that. But Andrea scored in my first game here, at Venezia in the Cup, and without that goal things might not have gone as well as they have this season. That gave us confidence, it helped us believe in ourselves, and we haven’t looked back.”

She leaned over and laid her pretty head on my shoulder. “Rob, listen to me,” she said. “Andrea Rabito doesn’t owe you anything and you don’t owe him anything. Sestaro doesn’t owe you anything either. No one at Padova does. You’ve done a good job here, Rob. The results show it. I know it’s human to feel bad about something like this. But lately your attitude has been what’s gotten you through. Keep doing what you’re doing. It’s the only way.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Saturday, March 22

Padova 2-0 Hellas Verona

The fans are coming back and today they saw a show that might keep them here.

For the first time all season, I didn’t start in the 4-1-3-2 formation and I kept it a surprise from as many people as possible. The result was a tactical surprise that paid dividends before a season-high crowd of 7,411.

Verona has played quite a bit of 3-5-2 this season and I figured they would come out that way in recognition of our own challenges in scoring goals. The way we’ve been striking the ball in some matches of late, Colomba must have thought three defenders would be enough to contain us.

I figured control of the midfield would be all-important today so I elected to play 4-3-3 with two attacking midfielders to try to force the issue. When Masolini saw the team sheet, he broke out in a grin.

“I’ve been trying to encourage that all season,” he said. Had it been Emiliani saying such a thing I would have frowned, but my deputy was plainly pleased. When I see that kind of reaction from him, I feel a little bit better myself, and I was pleased to note it.

The lone striker was Varricchio, doing the hard work supported by Baú and Caputo. Without our now-traditional holding midfielder, the back four was on its own but given Verona’s troubles this year I didn’t think that was as great a concern as it might otherwise be.

It took much of the first half, but the 4-3-3 finally started to click and when it did, it was just a matter of time before we broke through.

Varricchio created our first chance by working a neat 1-2 with Caputo at the left edge of Verona’s penalty area. Varricchio was chopped to the deck a stride inside the box and it was hardly necessary to complain to referee Marco Piotto.

He pointed to the spot and a newly confident Baú ripped home the penalty to make it 1-0 on 32 minutes. After his poor showing against Ternana he’s now netted in consecutive matches and was in full flow offensively from that point forward.

They hardly bothered us in terms of creating scoring chances as their malaise in front of goal continued. Piotto’s halftime whistle was greeted with loud cheers from the home support, well pleased with the quality of our play.

They should have been pleased. There was quite a bit to be pleased about, to be frank. I was happy the stadium was just about one-quarter full, and it seemed to agree with the players as well. There was noise in the place – real noise – for the first time all season and the effect it had on our game was dramatic.

We’ve had a bit of indifferent form at home in recent weeks in terms of draws with teams we should beat – and of course losing to Ternana at home two weeks ago didn’t help. A part of that is understandable. When you perform well and don’t get reaction from home fans it can tell on a player and I think we were guilty of letting that get to us, to a point. However, professionals play through such things and my players have done a good job getting to where they are.

I elected to stick with 4-3-3 in the second half once I saw Verona sticking with their 3-5-2 formation, and heard the resulting whistles from their supporters wanting a change.

On the hour, I made a switch up front, after Varricchio had taken a knock. I brought on Paponi for him as a reward for his fine form of late and dropped Caputo back to central midfield in favor of Muzzi on the right. The two substitutions made an immediate impact, as Roberto’s seeing-eye ball found Paponi rampaging toward the Verona back line.

Just like that he was through and one explosive first touch later, the ball was in the net to make it 2-nil. The play showed wonderful vision and as I accepted congratulations from the staff, I decided enough was enough.

I whistled for Paz and told him I wanted 4-1-3-2 to stifle any thoughts of a Verona comeback with four defenders and a holding midfielder. It turned out to be hardly necessary. We strolled to the 2-0 win and as I shook hands with Colomba he looked at me as though his sentence had been passed.

There’s just nothing you can say in circumstances such as that and when he wished me good luck the only thing I could do was return the gesture.

# # #

There’s plenty to be pleased about. Novara hammered Sassuolo 3-0 away this afternoon, which obviously keeps the top of the table in the same order, but more importantly virtually eliminates Sassuolo from contention for the automatic promotion spot with six matches to play:

    
          Pl     W    D    L   Pts
Padova     28    17    9    2    60
Novara     28    17    7    4    58
Sassuolo   28    15    7    6    52

So it appears it’s down to Padova and Novara for the automatic promotion spot. Sassuolo should have no trouble reaching the playoffs and I should think Cremonese is a decent bet as well but the fourth and last playoff spot is anyone’s guess. Venezia drew yet again today and is clinging to the last spot while having a horrible time getting untracked.

It is quite possible that our last match of the season, which is against Venezia at Euganeo, might determine a playoff place for our rivals. There isn’t a person in red and white who wouldn’t like to send them packing.

# # #

During my media briefing, I was handed a note by one of our support staff:

“Hellas Verona Football Club S.p.A. chairman Pietro Arvedi d’Emilei announces the termination of manager Franco Colomba’s contract with immediate effect. We thank Mr. Colomba for his efforts and wish him the best of luck in the future.”

Just like that. It was over.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Monday, March 24

Today featured a rare event for me. I got the last word with our media.

Patty and I took an entire day off yesterday and frankly I just didn’t feel like writing an entry. Sometimes that happens, and it was worth it to me just to spend the day with her. Today, though, I reported back for training in a new frame of mind.

It is not too often that a manager gets to stand up and say “I told you so” but today I was able to do it, after a light morning training session.

We travel to Pro Patria on Saturday. We will do it in the knowledge that three points will cinch a playoff place for Calcio Padova. One of the goals of the season may well be realized on Saturday so gaining the players’ full attention today was not difficult. We make the long trip to Busto Arsizio with confidence, as our hosts will be 16th in the table when we arrive.

We handled them 3-0 back in November thanks to Baú’s hat trick so the players are in a good frame of mind as we get ready for the road. After Saturday’s match we are back in the Serie C Cup quarterfinals, so we have midweek matches coming up over the next two weeks as well.

Our opponents in the quarterfinals will be Serie C2B’s Teramo, which is located about halfway to Manfredonia down Italy’s eastern, or Adriatic, coast. In short – more time on the coach. It’ll get busy again soon – our biggest matches of the year lie ahead.

We’ll have choices to make. The board has set an expectation of the semifinals in that competition, but there’s one big problem in between the two legs of the Cup quarterfinals.

The home rematch with Novara’s flying circus is scheduled for April 6 and it may well decide the league’s championship and automatic promotion. If we lose to them, they’ll knock us out of the top spot and have the tie-break since we played to a goalless draw earlier in the season. If we beat them we may well get the boost we need to win the league if the rest of the results go according to Hoyle.

To me, that takes precedence over the Cup. I’ll be making evaluations on who plays on that basis going forward.

But I digress. I said I had the last laugh today. After the session, I gathered to talk with media for their “day after” stories. The first question I was asked was naturally about securing a playoff place. I looked straight at Emiliani as I answered.

“I love keeping my promises,” I said.

# # #

Tuesday, March 25

Murphy’s Law must have been written with football managers in mind. One of my key players went down to injury today and naturally it’s a player who has been putting the ball in the net.

Paponi, who has been on a rampage over the last month, strained his wrist today in a training ground collision. The knock will put him out for two weeks, at a very bad time indeed to have him gone.

DiNardo is back in full training following his injury and he’ll slot in for the Cup matches coming up next month, but for the league we are back to the original strike partnership of Muzzi and Varricchio. I’m glad Massimiliano is back on the scoring trail again. At least there is that to put a smile on my face.

I’m frankly pleased we have avoided a lot of trouble on the training ground in terms of injuries. I’ve been with clubs that were decimated by injuries and never left their own facilities while losing their players. That’s disheartening.

As the reader will know, I do tend to train light whenever I can get away with it, and try to make sure the players get enough rest especially in the parts of the schedule where international matches are played. I’ve given my players two mid-season breaks this year and I think that has resulted in better overall health. I have that luxury – clubs in England don’t always have the ability to rest players, for example. So I take advantage.

# # #

Verona made an interesting hire today to replace Franco Colomba. Youth coach Corrado Verdelli is taking over.

This is a move made by a club that knows it can’t and won’t win right now. It is trying to grow and intends to do it through youth. It’s also an admission that the club will be in the lower leagues for awhile.

That isn’t to say that a youth coach can’t be a successful senior squad manager. Yet the “book” on Verdelli says he’s very good with young players but tactically not so hot.

Odd. I’ve had the same things said about me. If he weren’t managing a rival, I might send him a note of commiseration. But I have other things to do.

# # #

I also got a disquieting phone call this evening, as Police Inspector Cipriani called after Patty had gone home for the evening.

“I apologize for the lateness of the call,” he said. “However, I must tell you, a hearing is scheduled for tomorrow and I wish to be perfectly clear. You will learn details of our investigation which will alarm you. My strong recommendation to you is that Miss Myers stay out of public view.”

“You’re right, I don’t like that at all,” I said. “What is happening?”

“The nature of the charges we are bringing will make it clear, but unfortunately I am not at liberty to discuss them at this time,” he said. Nothing like a cryptic message.

“She’s just gone home,” I said. “What should I do?”

“Tell her to stay there,” Cipriani said. “I have requested added patrols around her apartment. I hope it is just a precaution, but you may wish to seek protection for yourself as well.”

My head started to spin. “Inspector, I need some answers,” I said. “What on earth is going on?”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Wednesday, March 26

The answers I’m looking for won’t come from the authorities – at least not directly. Patty and I have come full circle now.

The trial of the two drivers involved in Patty’s accident will begin next week. The defense had moved for separate trials but had been turned down because identical charges had been filed against both defendants.

Also, I was the recipient of a chilling letter that is now in the hands of authorities.

It all happened as I left the training pitch today. We had a very good day of preparation for Pro Patria and I retired to my office to go through the mail. My secretary Christina called in sick this morning, so I picked up the mail addressed to me and opened it myself.

I really shouldn’t have done that, in retrospect. I opened a seemingly innocuous letter and read the following:

“If you know what’s good for you, you and your girl will stay out of court. – The Supporters”

My blood ran cold and I picked up the phone. I called the Venice police and asked to speak to Inspector Cipriani on an urgent matter.

I waited a few moments and he was on the other end of the line. “Inspector, I’ve received a threatening letter from a group calling itself ‘The Supporters’. Was this what you feared last night?”

“It was,” he said. “I can now tell you that the charges against the drivers of the vehicles include attempted murder and conspiracy.”

“If there were two of them, that isn’t surprising,” I said. “They had to conspire with each other.” Then I remembered what he had told me about the hometowns of the two men. They were from different places – Padua and Venezia. That they should be conspiring carried ominous overtones.

In football, the cities are rivals. If they belonged to a group called ‘The Supporters’, and that group transcended club rivalry, it was well worth my attention.

My next call was to Patty and my third call was to the United States Embassy in Rome.

# # #

My call to Patty was to determine if she was all right. My call to the embassy was to inform them of a threat the police evidently considered credible.

Obviously, they can’t offer protection. They can advocate on behalf of American citizens, though, and I expect them to do so in our case.

I still have a job to do, and I intend to do it, but how I do that job may well have to change. I can’t subject Patty to danger on my behalf and I can’t place myself in danger either.

But I did have an enlightening talk with a consular official about issues that may have led to bad feeling, including recent tensions between Rome and Washington. Add to this my nationality, the fact that I’m here in Italy, and the fact that my girlfriend is a strikingly beautiful American woman, and you get a recipe for trouble.

“You have to decide what you’re going to do about it,” the official told me. “If you want to stay, you have every reason to believe you’ll be safe. But if you are nervous, I guess I wouldn’t blame you.”

“With respect, I don’t understand what that means,” I said.

“It means what it sounds like it means,” he explained. “You got a threatening letter and the authorities will soon have it in their keeping. You have to decide how that affects you. On the whole, Americans in Italy do quite well. Just because tensions may be raised over individual issues does not mean you should quit your job. It sounds to me like the police are working to crack a conspiracy group in this case and I suggest you let them do it.”

I took a deep breath. “Check in with us, of course,” he added. “Believe me, even though we can’t send security to you, we keep tabs on things that affect American nationals in this country. This counts as one of them.”

“Then I guess I’m glad to hear that,” I replied.

# # #

Italian law isn’t helping the situation.

The Italian constitution states that a Public Prosecutor, or Pubblio Ministero, is legally bound to take punitive action against alleged perpetrators of crimes, making prosecution not simply a right, but rather a duty.

So even if for some unknown reason Patty – or for that matter, a prosecutor – didn’t want to press charges against Patty’s alleged assailants, it might not matter. If enough evidence exists, and the crime isn’t minor, the prosecutor has no choice. Italian law also does not allow plea-bargaining as in the United States.

So this case, where the police are still investigating conspiracy, is particularly ticklish. But Patty has also taken a special action allowable under Italian law. I’ve hired a special counsel for her.

Italian law also allows the victim of a crime to have his or her own attorney, working independently of the public prosecutor. With the situation we now face, having a person in that position is a must. Also, a Victim’s Assistance Group, known here as an Environmentalist Association, has also volunteered to help her.

The case is being tried in what is known as the Court of Assizes, where serious crimes are prosecuted. There’s no jury – just a judge, who determines guilt or innocence and if a guilty verdict is reached, also passes sentence in one stroke. When the trial is done, it’s done, at least until a defendant found guilty decides to appeal.

Under Italian law, Patty was informed of the arrest, informed of the pre-trial hearing and also allowed to attend the hearing and confront her assailants. She chose not to do this while still recovering from surgery. Reading what I read today, part of me is glad she didn’t.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Thursday, March 27

Naturally, someone has leaked the news of the “Supporters” letter to the media, which created quite a controversy here in Padua.

We are leaving tomorrow for Busto Arsizio and I will be 150 miles away from Patty while the worst of it is happening. It is bad enough at the moment that I suggested getting her a hotel room to serve as a safe house while I’m gone.

Media was everywhere at my training session this morning and that was quite upsetting to me. We are playing for a playoff place, we need to win to stay ahead of Novara and what people want to talk about is basically anything but football.

The helplessness I feel isn’t about the letter sent to me – it’s about leaving Patty, to discharge my responsibility of managing a very important match. One of these things is a lot more important to me than the other, and now the questions about my commitment can be fairly asked.

I received assistance from other club employees when they set up a media cordon, and that helped keep people out of my face. The changing rooms have always been ‘players and staff only’ so once we got in there, we were safe from prying lenses.

Despite it all, we did do well at training this morning and I think the players’ focus is as good as can be expected. Though to make sure, I sat everyone down after the session for a heart-to-heart.

“Fellows, this is all on me,” I said. “I can’t control any of what’s happened here but the end result is going to be a test that is unfair to each and every one of you. I want to apologize for what has gone on this week and remind you that I appreciate your professionalism and dedication. You’ve done well this week and I have every reason to believe you will do well this weekend.”

Crovari, as captain, now spoke.

“Gaffer, you’re a human being,” he said. “We know it’s hard sometimes. We would appreciate a quieter scene as players but sometimes bad things happen in life as they do in football. We’ll get through it and we’ll do our best for a result on Saturday.”

I thanked the players again and they headed to lunch, while I headed out to the club offices to try to get rid of the media. They wouldn’t leave until I talked, so I had no option.

# # #

“I’m not worried about threats,” I said. “People have sent hate mail to football managers since they started playing the sport. It’s not going to affect me.”

“What about your girlfriend, who was the one assaulted?”

“No comment.”

They looked at me like I had two heads. “Look, what do you want me to say, that she’s living in terror?” I said, my anger beginning to rise. “Do you want me to embolden people who would write something like that and send it to my desk? If I were taking steps, do you honestly think I’d tell you what they were? I mean, I realize I’m just an ignorant Yankee but I didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday, know what I mean?”

Silence reigned for a few moments as I let out my frustration. Finally, I spoke again.

“If anyone wants to ask me about football, I’d welcome it.”

# # #

My main concern is naturally for Patty, who seems to be holding up better than I am for the short term.

I did go to see her this evening, after clearing it with the local constabulary. Not my date, mind you, but that it was okay to travel to her apartment building.

The investigation is centering around groups of hardcore supporters – though I shudder to use that term since there’s no way they are what I consider to be true fans – from both Padova and Venezia. If there’s an alliance between supporters of both these groups, there’s only one reason they could be united.

That would be me, I suppose. When you’re not the people’s choice in some quarters, life can be hell. I’m learning that right now.

Still, I can’t let it affect me, especially at this point in our fixture list. Saturday’s match is very important to the club and after that, we play Cup matches that the board expects me to win. Things aren’t getting any easier and won’t get easier from this point forward.

Her look of determination inspired me. “I read what you had to say this afternoon,” she said. “Don’t you give in to them, Rob. Don’t do it. I want these two put away for what they did to me and I know I won’t give in to them either.”

I smiled at her and she advanced to my arms. “Besides,” she said, “this cloud may have a silver lining. Who knows, I may have to come back to your place to stay for awhile!”

# # #

Friday, March 28

With great apprehension, I left with the team for Busto Arsizio this afternoon to prepare for tomorrow’s match.

There was no activity in court today and there won’t be this weekend, either. That made me feel somewhat better as Padua disappeared behind us to the east on what is now becoming the oh-so-familiar trip to Milan.

I’ve started to pick out landmarks as we drive, to help make the drive go a little faster. Yet as we drove, my thoughts were with Patty, who is again at my apartment for the weekend.

I’ll have my first choice eleven for this match, mainly due to the upcoming schedule. I’ve made my choice on how we’ll line up and the league will take priority.

I verified this choice in conversation with my chairman on the trip west. “We have a road match we need to win, our Cup tie is on the road at midweek and then Novara,” I explained. “The squad players have done very well in the Cup so far, but Novara is the match we need to win more. If we get a result against them, we might be able to set out the first choice eleven for the home half of the Teramo Cup tie.”

“I assume you have plans to avoid a loss at Teramo?” he asked.

“I think we can handle them,” I answered. “The video I’ve seen shows they are a Serie C2 side and deserve to be, with no disrespect to them. We have a better side. I would like to get to Euganeo with an away goal or a clean sheet. Either will do and I think the squad players are capable of doing that.”

“Very well,” he said. “The board agrees with you that the league fixtures must take priority. We still do believe you can reach the semifinal per your expectation but if this does not happen we will sustain you. Still, you must do your best on all fronts.”

“I wouldn’t ask for anything less from me,” I answered. Then, I called Masolini to the front of the coach (and away from the poker game) for a little heavy-duty thinking on our team sheets for the next ten days.

# # #

I also didn’t mind missing my regular Friday media gaggle. The last thing I need is more people piling on the pressure with regard to either the pending trial of Patty’s alleged assailants or the pending end of the season. I need a day away and today I got one. That felt nice.

But there is something that feels quite odd about leaving the woman I love when the week has gone like this one has. It’s a normal thing to want to protect her, but the police have advised me that it’s safe to travel. Presumably if there are other conspirators around, they’re laying low while the police make their enquiries.

I naturally wonder if they will find more of these “supporters” around or if the police will simply stop looking after awhile and give them another opportunity to strike. Police obviously keep track of known hooligans so one would assume these people are minding their p’s and q’s until the heat is off.

Such things prey on my mind. It’s just one of the things that makes being a victim so difficult – and I wasn’t even driving the car that crashed. I can only imagine what it must be like for Patty to have this situation unresolved.

Neither of us could sleep. I was half expecting her to call and at about 2:00 in the morning, she did. I answered on the first ring of my mobile phone.

“You couldn’t sleep either,” I said, by way of greeting.

“Not a wink,” she said. “Not because I’m scared, either. I just miss you terribly.”

“I miss you too, babe,” I answered. “It sounds to me like you need a hug.”

“I need you next to me,” she said. “So you’re close.”

“Hang in there,” I said. “I’ll be home tomorrow after the match and we’ll have a nice day Sunday. How does that sound?”

“Like I wish it were tomorrow,” she said. “Hurry home, Rob.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Saturday, March 29

Pro Patria 2-3 Padova

We have assured ourselves of a playoff place but we made it much harder on ourselves than we had to. The game wasn’t nearly as close as the score, yet we still almost found a way to split the points.

Worse yet, the trouble we had came in the last five minutes of the match, which means we still have work to do in terms of choking off opponents.

Positively, we scored three goals – we haven’t done that in almost four months, since the January 7 win at Venezia. Our scoring totals have hovered around the acceptable level for much of calendar 2008, but today was the first day in some time where I felt we were a threat to score whenever we got the ball into a favorable position.

We have Muzzi to thank for that. The veteran picked up a brace today and did it riding right on the razor’s edge. Both of his goals had a hint of offside about them – and the first one may have been.

The howls of disappointment at his opening goal 36 minutes into the match after a wonderful piece of skill to control Caputo’s entry ball were somewhat muted. That’s because only 1,116 supporters showed up to watch the match and they didn’t make a whole lot of noise.

The Pro Patria bench made plenty, though, and they had a point. Keeper Luca Anania was also exercised, waving his arms in disgust at the referee’s assistant. Still, the the flag stayed down even after Muzzi appeared to bolt beyond the defense just a fraction too early.

There’s really nothing you can say when something like that happens because every manager has several instances a year when he feels the flag should have either come up or stayed down. In fairness to the assistants, offside is quite probably the most difficult officials’ call in world sport on many occasions, especially when it’s called on a long pass. The eyes of a human being can only focus on one thing at a time, and when a long ball is hit an official must sometimes rely on more than one of his senses to make a call.

When you add screaming fans into the mix you get an idea of what can happen. The resulting sensory overload prompts some managers to ask whether the assistant has taken leave of all his senses at the same time.

Yet, we got the break this time and headed to the changing room one goal to the good. Pro Patria hadn’t done much against our defense and I saw no reason to make dramatic changes as we went out in search of our second goal.

We didn’t have to wait long for it, with Muzzi finishing his brace in the first minute after the restart. This time he worked a 1-2 wall pass in beautiful combination with Gentile, who played a strong match today in the center of the park. The return feed again saw Roberto burst through the defense, and again the back four raised their arms for offside. Again the flag stayed down, and again Muzzi beat Anania toward his right post.

Now the home bench was irate, berating the fourth official for what they saw as a double insult. This claim had less merit, though, and I was inwardly happy we had scored a goal that could much more easily be interpreted as good.

From that point forward, we controlled the second half right up to the closing moments. Caputo then made it 3-0 on 86 minutes by using his head as well as his right foot.

Grujic, on as a late substitute for Gentile, was felled just outside the penalty area and Caputo noted that the referee had allowed him to take a quick free kick if he wished. He did wish, and the ball was by Anania for a three-goal advantage. This time the upset on the home bench was at the defense for not being prepared to defend the free kick. Caputo’s quick thinking would turn out to be important for more reasons than one.

This was where things got tricky, because with four minutes to play in normal time most of my players figured they didn’t have to play defensively any more. Substitute Guerrino Gasparello noticed that, and virtually from Pro Patria’s kickoff weaved his way past Grujic, Paz and finally Faísca to launch a shot past Orlandoni to make it 3-1.

That gave them energy and while I scowled at my defense for letting the opposition off the mat, they prepared to score again. This time it was straight up Route One, a thundering punt that traveled sixty yards from Anania to the suddenly wing-footed Gasparello. He strolled right between Sacchetti and Faísca before finshing high to Orlandoni’s right in the first minute of injury time.

Now the place was alive, our lead was one goal, and I had a serious problem. If I had access to a time out as in North American hockey, I would have used it here. The players were shaken and instead of screaming, I quickly called my central defenders over to me while the ball was returned to midfield for our kickoff.

“Get the ball into the corners and keep it there,” I said. “And you might want to think about watching Gasparello a little closer, yeah?”

I then smiled at my defenders in an effort to take off a little pressure. Faísca, who had been responsible at least in part for both Pro Patria goals, showed some surprise.

“Shut him off, Vasco,” I said. “These guys gave you no trouble at all for 85 minutes.”

With only three minutes of added time, though, there was little time for Pro Patria to surge forward for a potential equalizer. When the whistle blew, I shook hands with Pro Patria manager Marco Rossi and we hurried off the pitch. I was pleased at the win but quite upset at how the last few minutes had gone.

The result was me taking a few minutes to think about my team talk as the players waited for me to speak. Finally, I stepped out of the visiting manager’s office to say what I felt I had to say.

“This is a warning to you, fellows,” I said. “You came here and got a result so we’re going home no worse than a playoff side. Congratulations for that. And I don’t want to concentrate on the last five minutes after 85 minutes of very solid play. But you have to work ninety minutes – not when you feel like it, but all the time. Today they scored twice on you in four minutes and they damn nearly wiped out a three-goal lead with four minutes of regular time and three minutes of stoppage time.”

“You know the last moments of the match weren’t acceptable, but the first 85 minutes was frankly excellent. I’m going to stay positive here and remind you that no matter what happens to the end of the season, you are in the playoffs. That’s because you’ve worked hard from the first day of training and you deserve credit for that. Well done!”

I then went to the interview area and heard Rossi complaining to media about how two of our goals were offside, the third was scored through chicanery and how he should have beat the league leaders 2-nil.

“This is what happens when a team at the top of the table plays a team that isn’t,” he said. “We feel we should have had three points which would help us out of the playdown places. Referee error cost us this match.”

As one, the journos turned to me as Rossi stomped off to his changing room. I stepped into the interview position and for the second time in ten minutes, said what had to be said.

“I do feel sorry for Marco to a point,” I said. “Roberto’s first goal had a shade of offside in it but his second looked good to me. As for the third, the attacking team can take a free kick whenever it likes provided the referee doesn’t intervene, and as far as I’m concerned it’s not our fault that his defenders weren’t ready. Whether they should have beaten us, I’m not going to speculate. Maybe if we go ahead 1-0 on the free kick we hold them off at the end and still win by one. So you don’t go on with that kind of talk.”

“Were you distracted at all by the events of this week?”

“Not once the match started,” I said. “Look, I’m a human being, okay? What happened to us this week is out of our control now and in the hands of authorities. I have to go on with my life and that’s what I intend to do. So does my girlfriend. We expect to emerge stronger, better people because of it.”

# # #

Truth be told, though, we were fortunate to have had Caputo’s goal to fall back on. Rossi was closer to the truth than he may have realized – the last eight minutes of today’s match were an absolute disaster for us defensively and after 29 matches, that’s not a good sign.

Novara handled Lecco 2-0 at home, meaning the visitors are now winless in their last eleven and are a virtual certainty for automatic relegation. Cremonese has passed once-invincible Sassuolo and into third place. Their 3-0 dismissal of Citadella is their second win on the trot since we played them.

    
           Pl     W    D    L    Pts
Padova      29    18    9    2    63
Novara      29    18    7    4    61
Cremonese   29    14   11    4    53

There’s a lot to smile about. We are in the playoffs and in pole position with the final stretch of games still to play. Bring it on.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Sunday, March 30

We didn’t have team activities today, so we had a chance to recharge our batteries. Patty was as good as her word as well – she was ready for me to pick her up at her apartment after we returned from the road. She had switched back and forth – at police suggestion – during the weekend.

“I don’t like this as much,” she said, as she got into my car for the short drive to my apartment. “I’d rather meet you at the stadium. I think it’s fun to watch you come back from the road.”

“Honestly, I love seeing you there,” I said. “What man wouldn’t?”

“I don’t care about other men,” she teased. “I just want to be with you.”

“Time’s a-wasting,” I smiled, putting the car into gear and driving away.

# # #

Monday, March 31

The squad players are fired up – we’re back in the Cup at midweek but unfortunately spending more time on the coach to get there.

The players now getting back into the eleven don’t care about travel time. They are happy to simply be playing. Yet we only have two days to prepare for that match and frankly my thoughts are far more closely tuned to the weekend, when Novara visits for our rematch.

They have problems of their own in Novara, though – their quarterfinal Cup tie is against suddenly desperate Venezia and they’re going to have a much more difficult time of it than we ought to have at midweek. They also have their home leg first so they won’t be traveling at midweek.

There are lots of little equalizers between the clubs but the fact of the matter is that while they don’t have to beat us Sunday, they certainly can’t afford a loss. I’d like nothing better than to go five points clear with four matches to play. We did video work on Novara this morning and I had the full attention of my players.

To do that, though, we have to stop the “flying circus”, as even our media are starting to call Sunday’s opposition. I can’t get them to compliment my team, but they can use my words to praise our opponents.

Rubino has to be on everyone’s shortlist for Player of the Year, and he’ll get my vote since I can’t vote for any of my own players.

But if I get too far ahead of myself we’ll get bitten on Wednesday. Teramo is a club that’s putting all its eggs in the Cup as their league season is a lost cause. They are the tenth placed sice in Serie C2B and are as mid-table a side as you’ll see in the lower leagues. Yet in the Cup they have played quite brilliantly, and deserve their place in the last eight.

Their club nickname is Il Diavolo, translated as “The Devil”. Unfortunately, at their level of play and given their place in the table, their devil has been in the details.

We had a full workthrough today and even though we have no video of Teramo we do have a rudimentary scouting report from former club employee Vittorio Rossi which wound up on my desk with the morning mail.

I smiled as Christina handed over the envelope. “Nothing threatening in there, I hope?” I asked, and she didn’t find that quite as funny as I did.

“Do not talk like that,” she said, stopping just short of being cross with me.

“I’m sorry, Christina,” I said, wiping the smile off my face.

“It isn’t funny,” she said. “These people are beasts. You and Signorina Myers are so wonderful together, it is a crime that people should interfere.”

“Literally,” I mused, opening the envelope. I read Rossi’s words, and rang Balló to find out what Rossi had done for the club before my tenure. I found out he had been a physio and Balló, who was a holdover from the prior staff here, trusted his judgment.

Since Balló has been running my u-20 side with great effectiveness, I felt that was an opinion I could trust in turn, so I read through Rossi’s comments with interest.

DiNardo is going to make his return to the XI in place of the resting Muzzi, and Varricchio will play because he has to. I’m short on strikers with Paponi out of the mix and my reserve striker for the match will be Gentile, who has trained all season to learn a new position.

Grujic will get his first start for the club in central midfield. I think this is the ideal place to try him out and test his mettle, with DiVenanzio and the recalled Andrea Bovo holding down the wings. My goal on Wednesday is to keep a clean sheet, and get Teramo on my home pitch to deal with them. Naturally we want the away goal but again, Sunday’s match is more important. The squad players will have to do a job.

Sestaro knows this as well. He congratulated me today on securing the win and the playoff place, but noted as I had that there were difficulties in obtaining it.

“We aren’t done working yet,” I promised my chairman. “We need to be better on Sunday and we have to be better on Sunday.”

“See that you are,” he said, in as close to a warning as he has ever given me. “We know the importance of this match and the board would like to see you win it.”

I nodded. Expectation can be a heady thing and right now my bosses are filled to their eyebrows with it. I don’t care for the inference if we lose, but frankly it’s quite possible for them to take our measure.

We know they can score and I know when we stand around in our own half we can be had. Just ask Pro Patria.

I have never in my life in this game looked past an opponent to get to another. I’m as close to that as I can get at the moment. I would frankly like for it to be Thursday.

# # #

Tuesday, April 1

Today was travel day so I missed my monthly meeting with the board. Instead, we’ll hold it Thursday after we return from the trip. Tonight, though, I am badly shaken and wondering what I am going do to next.

It was another day away from Patty when it would have been better from the point of view of my relationship to be at home. Today she was back in the Court of Assizes, and laid eyes on her alleged assailants for the first time since the accident.

I felt an inch tall as the coach sped to the southeast. I was traveling away from her when she needed me the most. Yet what happened when I arrived at Teramo’s stadium, Comunale, has shaken me to my core.

We got off the coach after a lighthearted trip of about three hours, and went inside for a brief training session on Teramo’s ground. I arrived in the changing room and headed into the visiting manager’s office to drop my travel gear on the desk. I found a note addressed to me sitting in the middle of the metal table.

Frowning, I opened it. It read:

“You’re away while your girlfriend is in court. Good boy. – The Supporters”

The fact that it’s April Fool’s Day played into my thoughts, but only for a moment. Carefully, I put the letter back down on the desk and took out my mobile phone. I called Cipriani’s office in Venice and when he picked up, I told him what had happened.

“Inspector, I’ve gotten another letter,” I said. “It was addressed to me and waiting on the desk when I arrived here in Teramo.”

“Have you touched it?” he asked.

“I opened it. I didn’t know,” I said. “What the hell am I supposed to do?”

“Obviously, whoever did this knows your travel schedule,” he said. “I recommend security for you now. This has crossed the line.”

“This crossed the line a long time ago,” I said. “How is the investigation going?”

“Once I have that letter, I hope it will be going better,” he said. “Leave the letter where you found it and don’t touch anything. I will ring the local office and have them come to pick it up. In the meantime, go about your business.”

“Very well,” I said. “I’d certainly appreciate Patty being looked after while I am gone.”

“We will make sure our patrols are vigilant but you will wish to consider private security of some sort,” he said. “While she is in court she is quite safe. And she has the victims’ group to look after her.”

“I should be looking after her,” I said, venting my frustration.

“You are indisposed,” he noted, quite correctly. “You must do your job. In the meantime, we will continue our enquiries at your club offices.”

“That won’t go well,” I predicted. “I’d better tell my chairman.”

“We will tell your chairman,” Cipriani said. “From this point forward you are to go about your business in your usual way and let the police handle the questioning. I do not mean to sound harsh but you are now a victim of a crime as well, that of terroristic threats. I urge you to let us handle the work.”

I sighed heavily. “Very well, Inspector, but you know I would appreciate a speedy end to this.”

“Naturally. We will also inform your friends in Rome.”

With that, we hung up. My heart felt like it weighed ten tons but I couldn’t show that to my players, who were awaiting my arrival in the changing room.

I opened the door to the office and stepped out, with a forced smile on my face that felt odd. I spoke.

“Okay, fellows, let’s get to work.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Wednesday, April 2

Teramo 0-0 Padova

The squad players did one thing I asked them to do tonight and despite the scoreline I’m heading back home well satisfied.

We’ll have the home match in a week and if we beat them we move on. I like our chances in that regard. We also suffered no injuries, so I’ll have a full squad available for selection on Sunday.

Unfortunately, we ought to have scored but didn’t. The astute reader will know what I mean by now. Yep. You guessed it.

Referee Domenico Massena put us on the penalty spot with three minutes to go in the first half when DiNardo was upended in the area. However, with Muzzi, Baú and Caputo all being rested, that left Paz to take the penalty.

In the truest Padova tradition, Pablo’s effort was saved by keeper Emanuele Nordi. He read the shooter and dove to his left to make a good save.

I speak English, Swedish, German, Spanish and Italian, but the first phrase that popped into my head while watching Paz’s rebound cleared into touch was Scottish vernacular and a wonderful phrase I learned at Rangers.

“At’s pish,” I snarled, knowing no one on the bench would have any idea what I meant but making my point to myself.

I was pretty unhappy. Our conversion rate from the spot is just not acceptable but with as many first-team players missing as I had out of the eleven, I had to accept our fate this time as being of my own making.

Yet as the match wore on it became increasingly obvious that our squad players could hold them. With twenty minutes remaining in the match I brought on both Baú and Muzzi looking for a breakthrough while still leaving the players able to recover for Sunday.

I had no such luck this time, though, with the Teramo defense packed tightly to deny us the away goal I sought. The full time whistle was a blessing of sorts, since it allowed me to shift my thoughts to Sunday.

“We did what we came here to do,” I said to a bemused Emilani after the match. “I realize you’re expecting us to carry all before us in the Cup competition as well but with Sunday’s match meaning what it does, I wanted a clean sheet here more than anything.”

The reporter then surprised me. “I agree with you,” he said. “And believe it or not, that’s what I am going to write.”

# # #

I haven’t told anyone about the letter I got yesterday and I think that’s for the best. I’m trying to obey Cipriani’s instructions first, and second, I don’t want to unnecessarily worry anyone around me who might fear for their safety.

The police will notify anyone they feel is in danger and really, if there’s someone out there who wants a piece of me that badly, they can take their shot and leave everyone else out of it. It’s sad, it’s disgusting, but it’s real life.

I called Patty on the way home to see how she had handled the day. “Another day in court,” she said. “I’m going to testify tomorrow.”

“I want to be there,” I said immediately. “When will it happen?”

“In the morning,” she said. “I’m first on the agenda. But didn’t they threaten you?”

“Yes, they did,” I said. “But they didn’t scare me. I’ll be there for you, doing what I should have been doing from the beginning.”

One phone call to my chairman later, and my place at Patty’s side was assured.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Thursday, April 3

Today was a busy day for reasons that had nothing to do with football. Masolini took training this morning as I headed to Venice to support Patty. On the way, I took Cipriani’s advice. I called a private security firm and made arrangements for Patty’s protection. In the afternoon, I met with the board.

It’s getting pretty complicated to be around me at the moment and that was one of the topics of conversation. But, first things first.

Patty and I walked hand in hand into court this morning for her testimony. The public prosecutor, a 50-something man named Agostino Orsini, was waiting for us.

“Signorina Myers, thank you for being here,” he said, like Patty would have been anyplace else. “I will call upon you as the first witness and you’ll relate the events of 19 February. The defense will then of course be allowed cross-examination.”

“Let’s get it over with,” Patty said, tightening her grip on my hand. “I’d like to be as far away from those monsters as soon as you can arrange it.”

# # #

The story was sad. Orsini’s direct examination drew out the events of the day in stark detail. She saw them, in the dock together, and Patty was having a very hard time.

Patty told of leaving Padua early that morning to go to the State Department office in Venice to clear out her desk. No, she hadn’t told anyone of her travel plans. No, she had no reason to believe she might be in danger.

Her ride was uneventful until she noticed an older red Alfa Romeo matching her speed to the left. She didn’t think much of it and thought the driver might be trying to gain her attention for other purposes. Then a second Alfa, also older but blue in color, slipped in behind her.

The red car allowed the blue car into the passing lane and pulled in front of Patty, slowing violently. Other cars behind Patty’s began to honk their horns and Patty realized that now she was in trouble. Knowing there was no way off the road for a few miles, they again matched her speed as Patty tried to alter her speed for an escape.

She was too busy looking at the other driver to notice an upcoming bridge. Suddenly the red car sped ahead and the blue car rammed into Patty’s, forcing her against the bridge abutment at what she thought was about 110 KPH. Obviously, she remembered nothing after that.

Finally, Orsini got to brass tacks. “Can you identify the people in the other cars?”

“Yes, I can,” she said. “Those two. Over there.” She looked at them just long enough to point at them, bravely holding back her tears.

“Let the record show that Signorina Myers has identified the defendants,” he said.

# # #

Her cross-examination was not a pleasant experience to watch and it had to be even worse for her to endure. I had to remind myself more than once that the attorneys were doing their jobs just like anyone would do theirs, but it wasn’t fun to watch them try to twist Patty’s words into statements that would help their clients.

One tried to elicit Patty’s raw emotion, suggesting that she’d say anything for the sake of her own peace of mind. That brought objections both from the public prosecutor as well as her own victim’s attorney, who observed that she was being badgered as the victim of a crime.

It wasn’t hard for the judge to restore decency to the cross-examination under such circumstances, but the stress was starting to show on Patty’s beautiful face. She did the best she could.

Every so often she would sneak a glance in my direction and I gave her the most reassuring smiles I could. She needed to speak her piece and let the system do its work.

“You poor thing,” I sighed, watching the defense attorneys probing for weaknesses and conflicting statements. One asked how she could remember the faces of her attackers if she had been in hospital for concussion. Before she could answer, and after understandable objections, he withdrew his question. I frowned at the tactic but more than anything I wanted it to be over.

After half an hour of cross-examination she was allowed to step down. She walked straight out of the courtroom and I followed her into a group of media denied entrance to the courtroom.

“No questions,” I said, taking charge of the situation even as I took Patty’s hand. “We’re leaving now.”

# # #

I actually arrived for the end of morning training, and was on the ground before we broke for lunch. Masolini was working on a defensive drill when I walked up behind him.

“How’s it going?” I asked, and he wheeled in surprise.

“Rob, glad you’re back,” he said. “The players are going well today. How is Patty?”

“Angry, violated, you name it. She’s at my place taking a nap. She didn’t sleep all night and she needs time to rest.”

“At least it is done for her,” he observed. “I wish it were done for you too.”

“What do you mean?”

“Rob, I’m no fool. I saw the police go into the office at Teramo when you thought everyone else was on the ground on Tuesday. Something bad happened. What was it?”

I looked at him with new eyes. I had figured him for a keen observator on the pitch but not in matters pertaining to my office.

“I got a threatening letter,” I said. “I’d prefer to leave it at that if you don’t mind.”

“Someone who knew your schedule?”

“Evidently.” Then he realized what I was thinking.

“Rob, I had nothing to do with that letter, you know that, don’t you?”

“Of course,” I said. “Nothing to worry about, right?”

# # #

“The last month was good from a football standpoint, but I must say we are not used to the police questioning board members.”

That was perhaps the understatement of the season. I could only commisserate as my monthly meeting with the board began over lunch.

“Look, I really don’t know what to say about that…” I began, but Sestaro spoke next.

“The inspector was quite correct in his manner but we are not criminals,” he said.

“I never suggested you were. I wanted to call ahead and let you know what to expect. I was under police order not to.”

“I hope this will all be resolved quickly,” he said. “We need a return to normal around this club. The staff are nervous, the speculation is not appropriate and we have the biggest match of the season coming up on Sunday.”

“Believe me, none of those things are lost on me,” I said. “There’s no one who wants this resolved more than I do.”

“You have done a commendable job on the pitch but the distractions simply must cease,” he said. “We understand you have done a good job but for everyone’s sake you must do everything you can to avoid further controversy.”

“What about controversy I can’t control?” I asked. “What if the papers decide to start in again?”

“You cannot control what they write,” he said. “But again, for everyone’s sake, you must keep a correct profile.”

I frowned. “I’ve done that,” I said. “People stalk my girlfriend, they threaten me, and cause who knows how much discord in the community – and that’s supposed to be my fault?”

“We accuse you of nothing,” he said. “Yet you need to keep your focus on the reason we hired you in the first place.”

“Feel free to judge my focus,” I said, with an impertinence that in retrospect surprises me. “Eighteen wins, nine draws and two losses in twenty-nine matches. We’re one match away from reaching your goal of the semifinals of the Serie C Cup. We have done quite well here and it’s because of the focus we have kept.”

Then I shut up. There’s no sense in arguing with people who don’t, or won’t, understand.

# # #

Miserably, I sat in the living room this evening, with Patty nestled against me.

“I don’t get it,” I said. “They sounded like they were about to let me go today.”

She looked up from her position against my shoulder. “Babe, would you really be all that upset if they did?” she asked.

That was a thought I hadn’t had before. I thought it through.

“Compared to what you went through today, it would be nothing,” I said. “Honestly, nothing at all.”

“That isn’t what I asked,” she said. “If something happened, would that bother you?”

I thought it through. “From a professional standpoint, yes it would,” I said. “I’ve worked my tail off to get to this point and…”

“…but what about from a personal standpoint?” she asked. “From the standpoint of you and me?”

This was an important question. I looked down at her and she returned my gaze intently.

“Well, Rob?”

“I lost you once,” I said. “I won’t do that again as long as you’ll have me.”

“Today has been a horrible day,” she said. “I want you to hold me and not let go.”

I folded her into my arms and even though she had started the day badly the night went quite well indeed.

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Friday, April 4

I had a whole day to concentrate on the biggest match of the season and I won’t say I minded that.

Patty had been quite insistent that she wanted me to look after her last night. So the day began perfectly. I looked over at her lovely sleeping form at sunrise, finally getting the rest she needed, and simply looked at her for about half an hour.

Finally, though, I had to go. I got up, kissed her softly on the forehead, and prepared to face my own day.

I arrived at the ground determined to have a quiet and peaceful day, and for just this once, that’s exactly what I got. Patty’s situation made me much happier, knowing she was safe at my apartment and now under private security watch, and I set to my job.

Obviously, I’m going to change out most of the squad players for Sunday. Orlandoni got a chance to rest while Cano was hardly bothered at Teramo, so most of my first choice eleven will have reasonably fresh legs for the match.

The players know full well what’s at stake here, and it showed in their attitudes. You could almost forget that the manager was dragging the club’s good name through the mud. At least in the eyes of some of the board members.

I was led to take some extra time in my program notes for Sunday to remark about the events of the last week and how I wanted to forget about them.

“No one said the job I hold would be an easy one, but it’s safe to say that what has happened to me over the last two weeks helps no one associated with Calcio Padova.

A few weeks ago I used this space to tell fans that we had to dream to get to the place we wanted to be. We have done that and we are in position today to make some of those dreams reachable for ourselves and for you, our loyal supporters.

Along the way, I have been placed in a situation not of my making that has placed the name of this club in the news for all the wrong reasons. I wish to publicly state my thanks to my chairman and the members of the club board for their patience and willingness to sustain me during a period of immense difficulty.

This is not a soap opera. It is not ‘Dream Team’ or any of the television shows that purport to show life at a football club. Yet it is surely the greatest personal test I have ever faced. Today, as we play an excellent opponent in Novara, it is our responsibility to perform as you expect us to perform. Despite all that has gone on of late, I have not lost sight of this key responsibility.

I have been accused of many things this season. I have been accused of being intransigent, of not utilizing my resources, and of taking the wrong approach to the game we all love so well. I dispute all these things, but the one thing I have never been accused of is shirking my responsibility.

This task is not complete. Promotion is not yet won, even though we have earned at least a place in the playoffs. I will work as hard as I possibly can right up until the final whistle of the last match, to earn victories for this club and to bring honor to this organization.

This is my promise to you. The last public promise I made has already been kept. We will fight to the end. Forza Padova!

- Rob Ridgway

# # #

Saturday, April 5

The visitors arrived today and had a full training session on the Euganeo pitch. They too know what’s at stake and not surprisingly, the drama is already high for tomorrow’s match.

For their part, Novara’s official party has said all the right things about the situation surrounding their opponents, but the official line they’ve taken is that they sympathize with me but plan to take full advantage of me being so distracted. Rightfully so.

Therefore, I want tomorrow’s match to provide a rude awakening for them. Our focus is good, we think we know how to play them from study of hours of video, and we have the confidence gained from keeping a clean sheet against them on their pitch. We won’t be caught out.

For their part, I’ve never been more impressed with the professionalism of my squad than I have been over the last 72 hours. They have quietly gone about their business, they’ve prepared for the match and have been a credit to themselves.

Masolini has fallen all over himself to prove his loyalty after his comment of the other day – and when the police visited the first team to question people you’d have been amazed to see how cooperative everyone suddenly became.

Everyone, that is, with the exception of my indignant board, which still seems to believe it’s above the law. I suppose in a way that this shouldn’t surprise me – with the interaction that sometimes happens between Italian clubs and the law, you’d expect chairmen and board members to do everything they could do to proclaim their innocence.

I have more than the usual media here today as well, and I had to resort to the unusual step of a pre-match news conference to get everyone the quotes they wanted. Despite what has gone on over the last week, most people still do want to talk about football and believe me, that couldn’t be more welcome on more than one front.

Today, though, Emiliani hinted that he knows what went on at the board meeting, which worries me for a couple of reasons. If he has the ear of someone on the board, that could spell big trouble down the road. And second, it means he could throw everything into chaos – including the police investigation – by simply reporting what he knows.

I can’t stop that and really wouldn’t be in any position to try. So all I can do is sit back, manage my club tomorrow, and hope my life doesn’t become collateral damage in the process.

Still, though, I think we are in good shape. Paz approached me after a team meeting I held before dismissing the players to their rest and told me as much.

“We are prepared to play and we want you to know if we win, it will be dedicated to Señorita Patricia,” he said, speaking to me in Spanish and using Patty’s full Christian name. Crovari approached as well – since I need his experience in the eleven tomorrow he is going to get the start – and he reiterated the vice-captain’s sentiment.

“Had I reached you first I would have said the same,” he said. “Pablo was quicker. He’s a younger man, you know.”

He smiled at me and I appreciated the attempt at humor. “Gentlemen, I’m grateful,” I said, shaking both their hands. “Let’s make this a good match tomorrow. We all need one.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Sunday, April 6

Padova 2-1 Novara

“A football team is like a piano. You need eight men to carry it and three who can play the damn thing.” – Bill Shankly

We have some breathing room. After thirty league matches, we control our own destiny in our league thanks to a moment of brilliance from Eder Baú and ninety good minutes of work against a good club.

Before 7,086 loud supporters at Euganeo, we won the match but suffered two significant blows in the process. Antonazzo and Crovari were both stretchered off during the first half, both with knee ligament injuries. They will both miss up to a month of play and it puts huge strain on the defenders.

Yet even in spite of that added adversity, the players still found a way to get the job done. For that, I couldn’t be more proud.

I was also heartened by the reception I got when the teams took the pitch at the start of the match. I was the last one to enter the pitch area, and the crowd gave a loud and long ovation, some of them standing as they applauded. I thought it was a wonderful gesture and it showed there are still plenty of decent people in the world.

Some of those decent people even like me. That in itself is balm for my soul, and as I stood in the technical area while the teams prepared to start the match, I heard shouts of encouragement from the stand behind the benches. Either I haven’t taken the time to listen or people are figuring out that supporting the team means actually supporting them from time to time.

Rubino and Sinigaglia, who saw spot duty in Novara’s 1-0 cup win at home to Venezia during the midweek, kicked off the match and the battle was joined. From the first, our fans were loud and supportive, in exactly the sort of display I was hoping they would show.

Both managers worked the match from the touchline and there was never a thought of the sort of more sedate behavior we’re used to seeing in the higher leagues around Europe. We were ‘in it to win it’ as the phrase goes and as the teams battled back and forth we set a strong tempo for what turned out to be a very good lower league football match.

Both teams made strong challenges for the opening goal within the first twenty-five minutes with Sinigaglia missing just wide to Orlandoni’s left in nineteen minutes and Caputo replying with a rising drive that just flashed over the bar five minutes later.

It was a much more open match than the first meeting between the clubs, a tactical goalless draw. In short it was their kind of match so I was hoping to slow it down a bit to avoid taxing our defense.

Then we were taxed in a different way, as Crovari crumpled under a strong but fair challenge from midfielder Sandro Ciuffeteli just before the half-hour. He rolled on the ground in real pain for a minute before the physios rushed to him.

After a cursory examination it was obvious he couldn’t continue at pace so the physios motioned to me that I needed to make a substitution. They carried him straight back to the changing room for an examination and that in itself was cause for concern as I brought on Paz in Crovari’s place. After playing the full ninety minutes at Teramo at midweek I figured I could call on Pablo if I needed him but I had hoped it wouldn’t be this early.

Six minutes later, I was making another substitution, this time for Antonazzo. He cut sharply trying to defend an entry ball to the box and twisted his knee, falling in much the same manner as Crovari had done.

There are times in this game where managers wonder if they are cursed. This was certainly one of those times, as I brought Cotroneo into the match at right back. Both my spare defenders were now into the match and I had burned through two of my substitutions in the first half. That was cause for real concern, especially if it became necessary to chase the game.

Before the half ended, though, we eliminated that reason for worry, since we gained the lead in first half injury time. As we’ve done so often in the second half of the season it came from a corner, this time with Baú providing for Varricchio’s free header from the six-yard box.

Euganeo erupted with the kind of noise I haven’t heard since I’ve been here. They had a lot to be happy about, both with the home side taking the lead and for Varricchio’s return to song.

We got to the break with the lead and I had a chance to congratulate my team on the solid first half they played. “Halfway home,” I smiled. “Excellent work by the defenders. We’ve got a bit of work on to keep the clean sheet with two new players in the mix but everyone’s done wonderfully to get us to this point. Forty-five more good minutes will make all the difference!”

The players reacted well. They’ve come a long way since the beginning of the season, to the point where the six-letter word ‘praise’ is not treated like a four-letter word instead.

In the driver’s seat, we could afford to play our kind of match in the second half – spreading out the field, making Novara defend the entire turf to take the possession they needed. I held no illusions – they were still a threat to score at any time – but holding the early lead changed the whole complexion of the match.

The second half started much like the first had. The ball moved freely up and down the pitch as two evenly matched teams probed for weakness. Again, Sacchetti and Faísca blanketed Rubino and Sinigaglia respectively, and the frustration of the visitors began to mount.

They shifted first to 4-3-3 and then finally to 4-2-4 with fifteen minutes to play. We handled the transitions smoothly, having seen how they played in each formation through our scouting reports. We appeared to have the situation well under control.

Then, eleven minutes from time, we made a mistake. It wasn’t made by the central defense – rather, it was made by the substitute Cotroneo, who was late in getting to Sandro Ciuffeteli’s late raid into his area of responsiblity. Just like that, the ball was at the defender’s feet, and seconds later it was behind Orlandoni for his fifth goal of the league season, tying the score.

The visitors’ bench erupted with joy and relief, while the Padova crowd showed its disappointment. Still, though, nothing had been lost – they needed to win much more than we did.

My defenders showed their disgust, especially Cotroneo, who has lobbied for more playing time. Our late-match trouble with defensive play was again showing itself and I could see the frustration in the eyes of my defenders.

While Novara’s Sinigaglia ran the ball back up to the center circle for our kickoff, I thought our entire season might have come to a crucial juncture. I gestured to Sacchetti, palms at waist height and pointed downward in a “take-it-easy” gesture. Their confidence was up and now that they had finally dented our defense I suppose that was natural.

We reacted well, quite unlike we had against Pro Patria. We composed ourselves in short order and created a good chance on 81 minutes only to see Muzzi miss wide left.

To their credit Novara didn’t back down. They kept both Rubino and Sinigaglia forward looking for the break that would put them top of the table, but it was Baú getting tripped up twenty-five yards from goal that turned the tide five minutes from the end of normal time.

This time Baú asked for the referee’s assistance in backing up Novara’s players to take the free kick in a slower fashion. When he was done it turned out to be well worth the wait. A superbly taken free kick found the top right corner of the net to put us ahead again and send Euganeo into raptures.

Baú has come a long way from his bout with low morale after Christmas. Now he is perhaps our best all-around player and has scored some huge goals for us. None were any bigger than this one, though, and as he enjoyed the adulation of the fans it was the turn of our players to tear around in joy.

Again, I turned to Sacchetti, and again I made exactly the same motion – “take it easy”. Keeping a level head had helped us get off the floor from Novara’s goal and we needed to keep the same level head to usher the three points to safety on our ledger.

This time, though, there was no last-minute defensive breakdown and when the whistle went for full time the excitement on the part of my players was palpable. We had done a lot of good for ourselves with the win but now I had work of a different kind to do.

The coaching staffs exchanged congratulations, I exchanged a quiet word with manager Gian Cesare Discepoli, and we headed to our changing room with the crowd’s cheers still ringing in our ears. The first thing I did was wait for the cheering to subside before addressing the troops.

“Hell of a job,” I roared, and the players reacted with a rousing yell that I’m sure could be heard all over our half of the stadium’s lower level. “That’s the way to finish off a match!”

Then I waited for quiet, and when I got it I moved on. “You are five points ahead but there are still twelve points to play for,” I reminded them. “Anyone who thinks this is won has another guess coming and if you train like you think it’s won I’m going to sit you down. This was a great effort today and you’ve all done extremely well, but we have to go right back out there on Wednesday for a Cup tie that isn’t won. Then we go right back out there next Sunday for a league match that isn’t won, either.”

They looked a bit surprised, but then I eased off. “Enjoy tonight. You’ve done well,” I said. “But I am telling you, even as proud as I am of what you did today, to excel and to win this league you will need to be just as good over the last four weeks of the season. We want promotion to be automatic. It’s within you to do it.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

The closer we get, the more I’m enjoying meeting with media. Even Emiliani, who is having less and less to say.

The questions are now changing, with the most notable now being “Is it over?”

That was easier to answer. “No, it’s not.”

“You aren’t claiming victory after today?”

“It’s not over until the fixture list says it’s over. No fat ladies singing here. It’s over when the last match is done. I’ve just explained to the players that now is the time to lean for the winning post and if they don’t do it they can still get nipped at the finish line. It’s all up to them.”

“How much will the injuries affect you?” This was an important question.

“We’re going to have to make do,” I said. “Antonazzo and Crovari are players we need to have healthy but they aren’t and we can’t do anything about that. But I’m confident. Pablo Paz has been seeing lots of time in the midfield and Paolo Cotroneo is quite a capable right fullback.

“Especially on Ciuffeteli’s goal,” Emiliani cracked. It’s always something.

I shot daggers at him. “Typical,” I said. “Hell, all we did was win the biggest match of the season against the highest scoring team in our league and all you can do is climb all over the substitute player who did a hell of a job.”

Stung, Emiliani shot back. “He was negligent,” I said.

I frowned, suddenly filled to the brim with his attitude. After all the pressure of the last week I was in no mood to argue so I bit back – and hard.

“You know, you are an inch away from getting thrown out of this room,” I said. “You know good and well you’re on a yellow card with me already and this conversation doesn’t help.”

“I’m supposed to be wine and roses all the time?” he asked.

“You can quit looking for negativity when we’re five points clear with four matches to go,” I said. “Honestly, when does it end with you? I understand your job and what you have to do but really, Stefano, when does it end? Is anything this club does ever good enough for you? Think about it.”

I ended the briefing and headed back into the manager’s office, closing the door behind me. The players were getting ready to go home for the night. I sat in my chair and flipped on the television to watch the EPL review show and to clear my head.

Underneath the television is a bulletin board where I tack reminders for the next day. A new piece of paper was there, tacked over my training plan for tomorrow. A note written in red was scrawled upon it:

“Ridgway, you didn’t listen!”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Monday, April 7

It was a pleasure to look at the table this morning after yesterday’s match:

    
           Pl     W    D    L    Pts
Padova      30    19    9    2    66
Novara      30    18    7    5    61
Cremonese   30    15   11    4    56

However, thinking ahead to Wednesday’s second leg against Teramo, I’m wondering about how we’ll play the match. Sacchetti needs to sit after playing both ends of the midweek – endweek doubleheader and Donadoni will slot into his place. Faísca will partner him in the middle and Cotroneo will play at right back. The ever-present Gotti will continue to soldier on at left back, where he has been amazingly steady all season.

At the moment, Cotroneo is both the short and long-term choice at right back. Paz must play the holding position since Anaclerio, who might otherwise get a callup from reserves to play, is not in match condition after taking longer than expected to recover from the collarbone break he suffered in January. With Sunday’s match at Foligno coming up, I’d prefer not to play so many regulars at midweek, but I have no option.

Yet, win we must. I suppose that’s why I get the “big” money, right?

# # #

Resigned to another day of talking with Cipriani, I forwarded yesterday’s note to him and got on with my day. While on the training ground, he called.

“I see you had a difficult day yesterday,” he said.

“Not so bad,” I answered. “But this is getting out of hand. Someone can walk right into my dressing room after a match, pin a threatening note to my bulletin board and walk out without anyone asking a question?”

“It is time to repeat one of my first questions to you on this subject,” he said. Do you have any suspicions within your organization and professional circles?” he said.

The smiling face of Stefano Emiliani flashed through my head, as did the angry expressions of half my board, and the know-too-much attitude of my assistant manager – among others.

“Yeah, I have a few suspiscions,” I said. “I also know who I think it’s not.”

# # #

Today, though, I didn’t want to dwell on those things. I don’t think we had enough time to prepare for Teramo last week and I won’t make that mistake this time around. So this morning, I reported to the ground determined to carry on as normal.

Masolini was the first one to me as I stepped onto the training ground. “Rob, the police have been here again,” he said. “What can I do to convince you that I’ve nothing to do with this?”

I smiled at him. “No, Filippo, I don’t think you have anything to do with it,” I said. “You’ve been good to me and I appreciate it. What I want to know is how nobody in the changing room saw anything yesterday?”

“Obviously, it’s occurred to you that whoever left the note may have done it while the match was in progress,” he said. Suddenly, I felt quite foolish.

“No, it hasn’t,” I admitted, blushing furiously at my own stupidity.

# # #

Since there were precious few highlights from the first leg of our cup tie, the video work today was pretty short. The staff edited down a few key points but since they hadn’t scored on us either, I didn’t have the luxury of telling my players to be especially mindful of anything they did against us the first time we played.

This is leading to a sort of overconfidence I’d love to avoid, especially after the big victory yesterday. Right now squad morale is fiercely high and I’m walking a tightrope with these players. I can’t ratchet them down too far but at the same time if I allow them to stay as cocky as they are at the moment, we could get stung.

I think back to the first round tie against Igea Virtus, when we were dynamite in the road leg and dire at home. This time, we weren’t dynamite in the road leg and if we’re dire at home, we’re out and short of the board’s goal.

In a way, my priorities might change for the next week or so since we do have a cushion in the league. Our next opponent, Foligno, also has the unique distinction of being the only club in Serie C1A to be playing worse than Lecco, having slid into the 18th and last spot in the table by losing 4-1 to Cavese yesterday.

So that works in our favor, but the last time we played Foligno we finished the game with nine players and it was brutally physical. I’ve got a lot to think about due to Foligno’s death struggle of sorts with Lecco to avoid the automatic drop to Serie C2. They’ll be desperate.

I’ll be desperate to avoid injuries and keep the ground we’ve won. It’s a different kind of desperation, I guess.

# # #

Speaking of desperation, Citadella did something for the second time this season today that puts them ahead of every other club in our league.

They sacked manager Lorenzo Balestro two days shy of four months in charge. They’ll now be looking for their third boss of the season and are now in free fall. Balestro replaced the sacked Claudio Foscarini just before Christmas.

The last straw came yesterday when they lost 6-2 to Hellas Verona – at home, no less. Their visitors had scored only 21 goals in 29 league matches prior to yesterday.

That sort of drubbing at the hands of a side having so much trouble scoring goals is obviously not going to please most board members. So Balestro is gone and whoever succeeds him will have quite a tall task on his hands. He’s got Foscarini’s original players, Balestro’s January players and a 16th place side between them. There’s a tough ask.

# # #

Tuesday, April 8

There were more questions today, this time to the Euganeo staff regarding what they did and did not see during Sunday’s match.

Thankfully Inspector Cipriani has more brainpower than I do, and was tracking on Masolini’s question to me of yesterday before the day was out. It appears as though the person doing the notes may have made a fairly significant mistake.

The note wasn’t there when I arrived for work on Sunday, and it was there after the match. Checking a sign-in list of people who entered the stadium through the pass gates should therefore yield a list of people the police would wish to talk to. If the name of the person isn’t there, the keeper of the list will have some questions to answer.

So it appears as though there’s a break of sorts. Security for tomorrow night’s match will be plenty tight as a result.

No one wants uninvited guests underneath a stadium while a match is in progress – or at any other time, for that matter. The club is now showing appropriate concern for my safety and the safety of their employees and I’m glad to note it.

The atmosphere was thus relaxed this morning, with Teramo’s official party arriving at mid-afternoon to train on our pitch. They’re understandably confident, having held us in the first leg, so taking their measure might be a fairly difficult task tomorrow night.

Not impossible, mind you. They are still a league below us and still coming to play us on our pitch. I feel good about that but again, I am concerned about letdown after the Novara win on Sunday.

I guess the strain of the last few weeks has really showed on my face. When I got home from training Patty was waiting with a cool compress for my forehead and a ready smile for my eyes.

“You look awful,” she said, after brightening my afternoon with a happy kiss of greeting.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” I replied, sagging into my easy chair.

“Okay,” she said, crossing in front of the chair to sit in my lap. I loved her warmth, and most of all I loved her soft caress of my face as she locked eyes with me. “People do care about you, Rob. Starting with me.”

“You’re right,” I sighed, holding her close and feeling sorry for myself. “I didn’t know that.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Wednesday, April 9

Padova 2-0 Teramo (aet)

Given the stretch of games we’re in, the last thing I wanted tonight was to have to play an extra half-hour. Or, I suppose, to lose.

We didn’t lose, though, and we have our veteran presence to thank for that. We pounded on Teramo’s door for the full ninety minutes of regular time but when the whistle blew we had the same amount of goals to show for it as we had when we played at their place.

They set their stall out to defend, in the 3-5-2 formation they obviously know has given us trouble this season. On the road, they were playing to absorb pressure and counter us, but since we haven’t been the greatest team in the world at keeping and maintaining possession ourselves, this led to quite a drab first half. Neither team seemed to really want the ball, so it wasn’t the greatest example of Joga Bonito I’ve ever seen.

My hope was that we could use our wing play to create chances even against a five-man midfield, but I had to give this strategy up as a bad job at halftime. We just weren’t moving the ball into good positions and that was partly due to their numerical advantage in the midfield.

DiNardo, try as he might, just couldn’t get that bounce he needed to make an impact on the game. I elected to stay positive as we gathered for the team talk – but I also shifted to 4-3-3 with DiNardo at the top of the formation.

Playing with two attacking midfielders, we had much better luck against their 3-5-2 in controlling the center of the park. Nearly from the second half kickoff our chances started to become both better and more frequent. Right on the hour we nearly scored as DiNardo’s goal-bound shot was hacked off the line and directly into touch. My supersub striker reacted in disbelief and the visitors could breathe easier.

As the match wore on, Teramo’s attempt to control the midfield basically evaporated. They were having no luck trying to lump the ball forward and before too much more time had passed it was increasingly obvious they were holding on for extra time. We couldn’t get in and they couldn’t get out, so the match degenerated into stalemate for the last twenty minutes.

This was too bad for a couple of reasons, the first of which was that we had our best attendance for a home cup match this season. We drew 6,864 for the match and it seems lately that the larger the crowd we draw, the less likely we are to put on a good performance.

Defensively, though, it was hard to argue with us. Through ninety minutes we didn’t allow the visitors a single shot on target, so Cano had nothing to do.

During the break after regular time I gathered my squad around me at the touchline and spoke briefly to them. “Be patient,” I told them. “Be persistent and push hard. They’re playing to hold you off, not to beat you. The goal will come and when it happens you’ll deserve it because you’ve been the better side. Stick to our tactic and it will come out right.”

As often as not I have tried to be optimistic with the team this season wherever possible, but this time I really felt good about our chances. This was a bit odd in terms of what the stat sheet said, showing a rather turgid ninety minutes. Yet I could sense something good was about to happen.

The players headed back out for extra time and promptly did nothing for the first few minutes. This brought Masolini out of his chair and to me for a word that put a frown on my face.

“You don’t think this might wind up going to penalties?” he asked.

“Please, no,” I moaned. “I might wind up having to hang myself and I’d rather not do that.”

He smiled at me and together we thought about potential substitutions in case of penalties. I still had one to use, and burned it the form of Muzzi for DiNardo.

My veteran striker jogged onto the pitch, and it seemed to give us all a lift. Within the first minute after his entry, we won a corner and Baú, who had been a substitute at the end of normal time, lifted a useful effort into the box.

Just like that, Varricchio’s head had put the ball into the back of the net and we led on 102 minutes. Our crowd rose as one, finally with something to cheer about, and the shift in momentum was palpable.

After holding us off for that long, you could see the shoulders of the Teramo players sagging in response. I noticed their body language and whistled quickly to get Baú’s attention as he moved back up the pitch for Teramo’s kickoff.

I rolled my hands together, and yelled for him. “Pressure, Eder,” I said. “Don’t hang back. Make them earn it!”

For the remaining three minutes of the first half of extra time, we did pressure them, to handle their expected counterattack. At half, my talk was much shorter.

“Okay, let’s counter them,” I said. “Give me a flat 4-4-2 and a deep line. We’ll take them right out of the match. Great work.”

They were still hardly bothering us by this time so I felt reasonably safe in going with two strikers. With five minutes to play, I finally went to 4-5-1, sliding Muzzi back to a right midfield position to play off Varricchio with Baú on the left. That too, paid dividends.

With Teramo now finally piling forward, Muzzi stole a backpass three minutes from time. This time, he didn’t miss, slotting past Emanuele Nordi to make it 2-nil on 117 minutes. That was finally enough and from there we simply played out the string.

The statistics told the story. We had nineteen attempts with nine on target to seven and none for Teramo. We were worthy winners, even if it did take us a full two hours to prove it.

# # #

I addressed a tired but happy group of players after the match. “The second goal is reached,” I said. “You’ve reached the last four and you should be proud of that. Now is the time of the season where matches hurt a little more, where you’re a little more tired and where you might even want to think about mailing in a match once in awhile.”

“I’m here to tell you that I’ll do everything I can to help you prepare for those matches and not overwork you,” I promised. “But now is not the time to slack. There’s a lot waiting for you over the next month if you’ll grab the ring and take it. Well done.”

They looked at me with contented expressions. “We’ll have video of Foligno tomorrow and then stretch our legs out a bit. Nice and easy, gentlemen. Enjoy your night.”

# # #

[tenthreeleader]

Thursday, April 10

Well, it doesn’t appear as though we’re done with Novara yet.

They defeated Venezia 1-0 last night in their quarterfinal for a 2-0 aggregate win, and have been drawn against us in the semifinals. The first leg will be next Wednesday at Euganeo and the return leg will be on the 23rd at Silvio Piola.

Obviously, I’m concerned about away goals, especially with this opposition. They haven’t hurt us yet in the two matches we’ve played and that’s because we’ve been pretty good across the back line, but I can’t help feeling that the more we play them the more we might be pushing our luck.

That bit of news greeted us while we were in our meeting room watching video of the first Foligno match, the cardfest which resulted in a sending off for Gentile and six names in the referee’s book for each team.

As spotty as our discipline has been at times this season it’s still better than Foligno’s. One reason why they are currently last in the table is due to accruing a rather amazing nine red cards over the course of thirty league matches. Losing that many players on the pitch, not to mention the corresponding suspensions that follow, have profoundly hurt them.

They are an extremely physical side, which means I have to worry about simply getting through the match without injury. Last time I couldn’t even say that, as Rabito suffered a hamstring injury due to a late challenge which meant we had to finish the match with nine players.

We’re going to play a bob-and-weave style and I hope we won’t have to do it literally. My theory is that if they can’t catch us, they can’t crunch us. I think the players will appreciate making the extra effort, especially after they saw the studs-up challenges both teams made in the first match for a second time.

I can’t imagine they want the same type of match on our pitch, so I trust things will be better the second time around.

# # #

I also met with the authorities today to try to get a handle on the messages I’ve been getting.

This morning I got e-mail on my private account, with a subject line I don’t care to repeat. I forwarded it to the police, knowing full well that it was presumably sent from an IP address that would reveal nothing – and got on with my day. However, now the inquiry can expand to who knows my personal e-mail address, which may yield more information.

After the training session I took a very quiet trip to Venice to meet with Cipriani. Patty, both out of concern for me and due to a simple desire to be together, came with me.

“We have alerted Foligno Calcio’s security staff to be prepared for incursions,” he said. “They understand the gravity of the situation and will provide you with all possible assistance.”

“I’m happy to hear that,” I said. “But you didn’t ask me to drive all the way to Venice just to tell me that.”

“That is true,” he said. “We have additional information on the ring of people – and yes, it is a ring – trying to interfere in the trial. It is larger than a trial, and larger than harassment. If we are fortunate, we will get to the bottom of this at Foligno. If you receive another note, we will know why and hopefully from whence it came.”

I looked at Patty apprehensively, and she at me.

“There may be an element of danger involved,” Cipriani said. “I need to know first of all if you are willing to go through with a normal away day knowing what I am about to tell you.”

# # #