Dexter_Morgan Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 Brilliant work on getting that 3rd spot Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 Cosenza - Pre-Season 2026/27 Despite there being Champions League football at San Vito this season, expectations are still on the low side; I'm sure we are more than capable of achieving the top half finish required by the board. We'll also receive a handy financial boost from playing in Europe's premier competition, which will help keep us competitive for the short term, regardless of where we finish in the league this season; I'm not convinced we'll secure a top four position again. Media Prediction: 7th Title Odds: 20-1 (7th favourites. Juventus Evens favourites) Serie A TIM: Top Half Finish TIM Cup: Not Important Champions League: Group Stage Transfer Budget: £26m Wage Budget: £700k (spending £585k) Season Ticket Sales: 16035 (up 3632) It's hardly been a summer of big spending, with the majority of the transfer budget remaining untouched. That said, I'm completely satisfied with the signings made, focusing more on improving the squad depth than anything else; again, I expect to rotate the team to cope with the demands of playing in both Serie A and the Champions League, and now feel more prepared for this then at the same stage last season. Key Players: Peterson (AMC), Carlos Hernández (DC), Juri Nardi (MC), Gonzalo Cardini (DM), Claude Serge (ST), Simón Villanueva (DL), Martín Virriel (DC), Luis Martínez (AMC), Wesley Vermeulen (MC), Mirco Missiroli (ST), Juri Paoli (MC) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 To Europe's premier competition!Are you looking to win a Scudetta or two before leaving? Oh yes, definitely. I'm feeling very settled with Cosenza, and would love to deliver some major silverware. Cracking Juventus is going to take some doing, though. Brilliant season again. Serie A title not far away now. Thanks! 3-5 seasons' date=' I would say, before a Serie A title comes our way. Champions League here you go... ... with a group containing Real Madrid and Benfica! Baptism of fire Brilliant work on getting that 3rd spot Thanks, Dexter Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
b101 Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Claude Serge looks good Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 To be the best you have to beat the best. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted April 12, 2014 Author Share Posted April 12, 2014 Cosenza - December 2026 Update Absolutely astounding! I have no words! Well, actually, I do, and they are all of the highest praise for our performances so far. We've had an excellent debut season in the Champions League, keeping four clean sheets, securing our qualification to the knockout stages with a game to go. On paper, though, it was a tough group, however, the ridiculous victories over Benfica and Real Madrid have proven this not to be the case, and we'll go into the final fixture (at home to Benfica) with a good opportunity to top the group and secure a favourable draw in the next round. Ironically, our most difficult game so far was the game at home to Legia! Back in Italy, things are going equally well, having started the season unbeaten up to now; we now haven't actually lost a league fixture since February! It's also been a nice mix of cagey tactical battles (see Napoli, Milan, Inter), with minimal goalmouth action, alongside some glorious attacking displays which have crushed the opposition (Atalanta, Ternana, Pescara). We may not have the best squad on paper, but there's no doubt that the players we do posess fit the system perfectly, and that we are getting the results needed to make us unlikely title contenders. By their high standards, Juventus have made a slow start to the season, and look to be struggling with scoring goals. However, they have won the Serie A title for fifteen consecutive seasons, so, despite them being six points behind us, they must remain favourites. We play them next (at home), so the situation could be a lot different in a week's time. It will be the league's topscorers vs the league's best defence; something will have to give. A further increase in ticket prices has helped here. We have that winning mentality now, and records continue to tumble. Stuttgart was the last team to beat us. The Champions League money has rocketed our bank balance, however, I very much doubt I'll be making any signings in January. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted April 12, 2014 Author Share Posted April 12, 2014 Claude Serge looks good He's a beast! Scored 24 last season, but not quite as prolific this time around. To be the best you have to beat the best. Indeed you do! The next game against Juventus will prove this either way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 You're beating the best so far... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidBeckham Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 what a great start to the season! Great win against Real Madrid at home Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 Brilliant start to the season, hope you can keep it up Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 14 games, no losses - that's brilliant! Great start to the season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 Cosenza - February 2027 Update We've been nowhere near as consistent as we were at the start of the season, but we're still just about doing enough to compete in all three competitions. We've been completely ravaged by injuries, with at least three first teamers being unavailable for the majority of the winter period, so it's testament to the squad that we've managed to do as well as we have; having Claude Serge called up to the Cameroon squad for the African Cup of Nations was another major blow, leaving us a bit short upfront too. Despite being held to a draw by Benfica, we still managed to top our Champions League group, as Real Madrid dropped points against Legia in their final fixture. We then probably had the best draw possible for the First Knockout Round, with AZ Alkmaar easily being the best option on paper of those we were likely to face. Having won the away leg 2-0, and barring a collapse back in Cosenza, we should already have one foot in the quarter final; not a terrible effort for our first attempt in this competition. Back in Italy, our reserves have done the business in the Coppa Italia, and secured our route to our first ever final! This has come as quite a shock, as I've been using the cup games as an opportunity to rest players for more important Serie A commitments, and wasn't particularly interested in getting to the latter stages. However, with a final against Fiorentina to look forward to, it's a brilliant opportunity to get our hands on some silverware; as ridiculous as it sounds, there's a possible treble up for grabs! Recently, we've dropped more points than I would have liked in the league, which has allowed the chasing pack to erode our early advantage, meaning that with eleven games to play it really is anyone team from four that could finish the season as Serie A champions. I suspect we'll slip away further, as we're still not at full strength again yet, and most likely finish in fourth place behind the three more prestigious clubs. Either way, I'm delighted that we've been able to stay in contention for two-thirds of the season, and is a further improvement on our recent efforts. Another milestone for my career. This took some persuasion, including a leak to the press that I wasn't happy with their decision to refuse my original request; the Board saw sense in the end! Another extension to my contract, which will see me here for three more seasons at least. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted April 16, 2014 Author Share Posted April 16, 2014 You're beating the best so far... That we are. It's just a shame that we're losing games to the likes of Ternana and Cagliari - I think we're a bit overconfident at times. what a great start to the season! Great win against Real Madrid at home Thanks David - I really didn't expect to beat them so convincingly! Brilliant start to the season, hope you can keep it up 14 games, no losses - that's brilliant! Great start to the season. Thanks chaps! We've lost a few since, which wasn't unexpected, but I'm still pleased to see us in with a shout of winning the title. The run-in will be fun! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taleron Posted April 16, 2014 Share Posted April 16, 2014 Funny you mention losing Serge to Cup of Nations; I have a save in France (African players treated as EU) where I dread Cup of Nations and actively root for my players' national teams to not qualify or do terribly! It's quite frustrating to reckon with losing multiple first-teamers every couple years for a whole month. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidBeckham Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 So tight at the top! You are leading by a single goal! Hope you win this! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattias333 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Superb career chap! Spent a boring hour at work this afternoon reading your career thread. Just the kinda thing ive been looking for to pass the boring hours! Prefer reading in one big chunk as well. Few questions though if you dont mind me asking. I notice lots of improvements to stadia behind the scenes at the training ground and such but have the board considered improving the stadium yet? Noticed your now filling the stadium week in week out, plus I did a multimap search for the stadium and it certainly seemed like it had seen better days lol! Like yourself I cant understand why you'd need undersoil heating. Not much of a frost in the South of Italy. In the north its normal to get high amounts of snow etc. Wondering whether its a requirement of being in Serie A maybe? Is your English based chairman still large and in charge? From a business POV I must say you appear to have run the club perfectly, and this is likely why your chairman is able to increase your budget consistently. Rare thing to see these days in FM as judging by most peoples career threads its easy to achieve success but not as easy to get the club 1# out the red and further more 2# WAY out the red. You've achieved massive profits while in reality never spending a bulk of your budget. Superb stuff. Keep it up Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Talk about tight at the top! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
b101 Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Like you say, amazing the treble's still on! Good luck! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 Cosenza - May 2027 Update It's been a busy final third of the season, with more fixtures coming our way than we've ever been used to. Ultimately, our Serie A dreams went by the wayside after a horrible run of results in our run-in, which saw us win just twice in our final seven league fixtures. Most frustratingly were the defeats to Bologna, who were comfortably relegated, and Cagliari, a side that really shouldn't have posed the problems they did, as these fixtures were each earmarked for three routine points. Of course, in hindsight, this still wouldn't have been enough to prevent Juventus winning the title, but probably would have kept enough pressure on to keep things interesting. In the Champions League, we gave Chelsea a huge scare in the Quarter Final, losing out by just the odd goal over the two legs. In fact, we could have even scraped through to the final four if we hadn't had had a goal questionably chalked off for offside in the second leg; that would have been a crucial away goal, and enough to see us progress. Still, I can't complain with making the last eight of a competition we've never entered before. Once again, Juventus finished the season off as champions, even after a very shaky start; that's now sixteen Serie A titles in a row for them! We matched our third place from last season, improving our points tally slightly too (by an increase of three). We ended the season on a high note, competing in our very first Coppa Italia final. With Champions League football guaranteed, I had the luxury of resting several players in our final Serie A fixture the week before, and it's a good job too, as this was a final that went right to the wire. We flew out of the starting blocks, taking the lead after two minutes with a goal from Luis Martinez; however, from this point, Fiorentina took full control of the match, and looked likely winners after overturning our advantage and then taking the lead in the second half. We rallied round, finding an equaliser, before the game went into extra time. Again, the momentum swung, this time in our favour, with Rosario Esposito finding the would-be winning goal after the 98th minute. The drama was not over, though, after we conceded a penalty six minutes after taking the lead. Thankfully for us, it was brilliantly saved by our 'keeper, Simone Scuffet, and we held on through the remaining time to lift the trophy! It's hardly ground-shattering, but it's a new record nonetheless. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 Funny you mention losing Serge to Cup of Nations; I have a save in France (African players treated as EU) where I dread Cup of Nations and actively root for my players' national teams to not qualify or do terribly! It's quite frustrating to reckon with losing multiple first-teamers every couple years for a whole month. I agree, it's incredibly frustrating, and I always forget about it! For some reason, I never have the ACoN on my horizons, so it always comes as a surprise when the players get called up. So tight at the top! You are leading by a single goal! Hope you win this! Unfortunately not, but was still a good effort. Superb career chap! Spent a boring hour at work this afternoon reading your career thread. Just the kinda thing ive been looking for to pass the boring hours! Prefer reading in one big chunk as well. Few questions though if you dont mind me asking. I notice lots of improvements to stadia behind the scenes at the training ground and such but have the board considered improving the stadium yet? Noticed your now filling the stadium week in week out, plus I did a multimap search for the stadium and it certainly seemed like it had seen better days lol! Like yourself I cant understand why you'd need undersoil heating. Not much of a frost in the South of Italy. In the north its normal to get high amounts of snow etc. Wondering whether its a requirement of being in Serie A maybe? Is your English based chairman still large and in charge? From a business POV I must say you appear to have run the club perfectly, and this is likely why your chairman is able to increase your budget consistently. Rare thing to see these days in FM as judging by most peoples career threads its easy to achieve success but not as easy to get the club 1# out the red and further more 2# WAY out the red. You've achieved massive profits while in reality never spending a bulk of your budget. Superb stuff. Keep it up Thanks Mattias! In response to your questions, things are still moving forward on the infrastructure front, with further improvements to the training facilities agreed. Additionally, I've just received notice that the Board have arranged a stadium expansion of 7798, which is great news, and will take the capacity up to 35677 - we charge an average £55 per ticket, so if we regularly fill the extra seats, this will certainly offset the initial outlay. What is also surprising is that I didn't even ask for this; the Board proceeded off their own back for once, as virtually every other improvement has needed an initial request first. As you say, we are a very well run club, ticking over at a nice profit while still improving both the squad and the infrastructure. The chairman is still the English chap, Zak Wilkins, although his status is now 'enjoying life at the club', so there may be a takeover coming sooner rather than later. That could, potentially, be an interesting turn of events, being the catalyst needed to turn us into bonafide championship contenders. We'll certainly be a great club for someone to invest in, with no debts and Champions League football guaranteed, so let's hope we don't get some shyster. Talk about tight at the top! It was Not so much now, though. Like you say, amazing the treble's still on! Good luck! Thanks! The treble was really just pie in the sky, but I'm still delighted to have won the Coppa Italia, which is the first piece of major silverware of my career. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 Cosenza - End of Season Review 2026/27 We've definitely built on the success of last season, winning the club's first ever piece of major silverware. With good showings in both Serie A and the Champions League too, the club is now starting to become one of Europe's top teams, although it's clear we're still far away from toppling Juventus as the force majeure of Italian football. Serie A TIM: 3rd TIM Cup: Winner UEFA Champions League: Quarter Final Average Attendance: 27242 (up 1211) Transfer History | Finances For the first time in several seasons, we've suffered with considerable injuries this term, which has really stretched the squad at times. Additionally, when factoring in international call-ups and suspensions, it's been very difficult at times to name a full match day squad, having to settle on six or seven substitutes instead of the allocated twelve. This hasn't been ideal, and quite possibly the reason why we dropped off the pace towards the end, however, I don't really see a sustainable way of improving this; I'm certainly not one to have a 30 man squad, just in case we are stricken by injuries, due to the effect on the wage bill. I think we'll just have to write this season off as a 'bad one', and, hopefully, look for an improvement next time around. Top Goalscorer: Rosario Esposito (18 goals) Most Assists: Luis Martinez (16 assists) Highest Average Rating: Gianluigi Caricato (7.38) Fans Player of the Season: Rosario Esposito Other Notable Contributors: Mirco Missiroli (17 goals), Claude Serge (12 goals), Simone Scuffet (21 Clean Sheets), Gerardo Aranda (8 PoMs), Simón Villanueva (AvR 7.24) Serie A Team of the Year | Cosenza Best Eleven The stadium expansion is fantastic news, as we're now starting to sell out our home games more often than not. The other off-pitch improvements will certainly help too. As I said, we're now getting close to selling out almost every home game, so it's no surprise that the record's been broken again. It's great to see such improvement, although I would expect us to be close to the top twenty if we can have another good go at the Champions League next time around. And the accolades just keep on coming Season Team League Finish Cups ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2014 Polis DRM Liga Premier 5th Astro Piala First Round 2015 Polis DRM Liga Premier 3rd Astro Piala First Round, Piala Malaysia First Round 2016 Hougang Utd S.League 5th S.League Cup Semi Final 2017 Hougang Utd S.League 6th* * Resigned after 23 games (October 2017) 2017/18 Gateshead Skrill Premier 4th* * Promoted via Playoffs. Took charge October 2017. 2018/19 Gateshead League Two 12th FA Cup 1st Round, Capital One Cup 1st Round 2019/20 Gateshead League Two 1st FA Cup 3rd Round, Capital One Cup 1st Round 2020/21 Cosenza Serie C Group C 2nd Serie C Cup 1st Round 2021/22 Cosenza Serie C Group C 1st Serie C Cup Winner 2022/23 Cosenza Serie B 1st TIM Cup 1st Round 2023/24 Cosenza Serie A 8th TIM Cup 1st Round 2024/25 Cosenza Serie A 5th TIM Cup Semi Final 2025/26 Cosenza Serie A 3rd Europa League 2nd KO Round, TIM Cup 1st Round 2026/27 Cosenza Serie A 3rd Champions League Quarter Final, TIM Cup Winner Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
b101 Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Unlucky towards the end there, but 3rd is still some going! How long do you see yourself at Cosenza? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 b101 has pretty much said what I was going to. Great job winning the cup though and the expansion to the stadium and facilities is great news for the club Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Is Tim happy that you won his cup? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidBeckham Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Congrats for the great job done and the manager of the year award! \o/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 For once I agree with the fans, regarding the 'best team' award thing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
baddragon62 Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Hey dude, new follower here. Have enjoyed reading your exploits and looking forward to the next installment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Possums Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Surely a top 2 finish is coming next year! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 Cosenza - Pre-Season 2027/28 It's a much tougher gig here now, with expectations for the forthcoming season being at their highest level yet; I guess the club has got used to the taste of success now. That said, achieving Champions League qualification is likely to pose just as difficult of task as it has been in the previous two seasons, and really isn't as given as it seems, with teams such as Fiorentina and Napoli always likely to mount a challenge to last year's top four. Media Prediction: 6th Title Odds: 8-1 (6th favourites. Juventus Evens favourites) Serie A TIM: Champions League Qualification TIM Cup: Not Important Supercoppa di Lega TIM: Not Important Champions League: First Knockout Round Transfer Budget: £36m Wage Budget: £900k (spending £724k) Season Ticket Sales: 21530 (up 5495) This is the first time I've really splashed the cash for a while, with the signing of Davide Egizzo breaking the club's transfer record. Still, there's been no real marquee signings, of such, with the incoming players likely to strengthen the squad overall rather than being standout individuals. There's also been some future planning too, with the youngsters of Wirth, Fors and Goffin all likely to improve over the coming years. In particular, Christer Fors really has the potential to become the rock of our defence for several seasons if he reaches his potential. Key Players: Peterson (AMC), Gonzalo Cardini (DM), Claude Serge (ST), Martín Virriel (DC), Luis Martínez (AMC), Wesley Vermeulen (MC), Juri Paoli (MC), Aurélien Bernard (ST), Davide Egizzo (MC), Ivo Bulat (DM), Christer Fors (DC) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 Firstly, can I apologise for the lack of activity at the moment Real life is very busy, so there's little time for FM at the moment. This, unfortunately, is only likely to get worse, as I start a new job in a week's time. I will be plugging away at this save, as and when I have time, but updates are likely to be at infrequent intervals. Unlucky towards the end there, but 3rd is still some going! How long do you see yourself at Cosenza? Definitely to the end of my contract, which is 2030. Will reevaluate then, before making a decision on my future. I'd love to win the Serie A title, but that's likely to be difficult with Juventus being so formidable. b101 has pretty much said what I was going to. Great job winning the cup though and the expansion to the stadium and facilities is great news for the club Thanks Dexter. The expansion is very handy, as will the extra revenue generated from the increased ticket sales. Is Tim happy that you won his cup? I hope so! Congrats for the great job done and the manager of the year award! \o/ Thanks David! For once I agree with the fans, regarding the 'best team' award thing. Yes, it's definitely one of the most meaningless awards going. Still, it's better than being the 'worst team' Hey dude, new follower here. Have enjoyed reading your exploits and looking forward to the next installment. Good to have you on-board, baddragon! Surely a top 2 finish is coming next year! I would love that, although I'd happily take another third place finish, as that guarantees CL football again. Getting a bit closer to Juventus' points total would be encouraging too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted May 4, 2014 Author Share Posted May 4, 2014 Cosenza - December 2027 Update Not quite as emphatic as last season's start, but the early signs are still positive, and it feels like we could give Serie A another good go this time around. Unfortunately, though, it's our home form that is doing us a disservice, at the moment, with significant points dropped already against Sassuolo, Fiorentina and Milan - teams are now coming to San Vito and playing '19th Century football', so, at times, we're finding it difficult to break them down. I, possibly, now need to start thinking about plans B, C and D, for these kind of situations. That said, I don't really want to be tinkering with our set-up too much, as we've had nine clean sheets out of the fourteen Serie A fixtures played. Rock solid The Champions League draw was not kind to us, with Stuttgart (Bundesliga champions) and Manchester United the favourites to qualify from our group. However, we've been imperious on the road this season, so far, and picked up maximum points from our trips to Germany and England; that's six more points that I had expected! Due to this, we go into our final fixture against FC Inter having already secured our qualification into the knockout rounds, but will need to rely on Stuttgart dropping points in Manchester if we're to top the group. Fiorentina started the new season like a train, winning all seven of their opening matches, including their trip to Cosenza. They've lost their way a little since, although are still the most prolific team in the league and a dangerous prospect if they can return to their early form. Interestingly, the teams I had expected to lead the way (Juventus, Milan and Inter) have all had a slow start, and are significantly off the pace already. I can see Juventus clambering back into contention, but I do wonder if the two Milan sides are already too far adrift now to get back into the hunt. The stadium expansion has served us well already. Another useful upgrade. Now rated as 'excellent'. We have ~£40m on our balance sheet, so have the luxury of making a purchase or two in January, if needed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidBeckham Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Another solid start to the season, hope you go one better this time around Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted May 5, 2014 Author Share Posted May 5, 2014 Cosenza - February 2028 Update It's been pretty much 'as you were' through the winter months, with plenty of good, solid victories interjected with the occasional disappointing result. Before we lost to Inter, we were on a nice twelve game unbeaten run, and starting to pull away at the top of the table. However, this result, which was quickly followed by another defeat (away to Atalanta), meant that our advantage was quickly eradicated. This was definitely a blip, of such, but not to be completely unexpected due our previous good form; things don't seem to last forever at Cosenza! Thankfully, we recovered nicely, winning our next five Serie A fixtures without conceding, including a fabulous smash and grab over our nearest rivals, Fiorentina; very Mourinho-esque, and the hallmark of champions elect! In Europe, we only just secured top spot in our Champions League group, courtesy of a injury time winner from Peterson in our final game away to FC Inter (of Finland), after Stuttgart failed to secure a point against Man Utd. This ensured a more favourable tie in the First Knockout Round, although Benfica have shown since that they are certainly no pushover; we'll certainly now need to go for a win in the return leg back in Italy if we're to progress any further. It's starting to emerge as a clear two horse race for the title, with one of the league's littlest horses still leading the way with two-thirds of the season gone. There's still likely to more twist and turns to follow too, as we still need to travel to Milan, Napoli and Palermo, where points are likely to be hard to come by. That said, on paper, we probably have a slightly easier run-in compared to Fiorentina, who play five of their final seven league fixtures away from home; if they win all of them, then they will have deserved to finish the season as champions. We celebrated this momentous landmark with a defeat! Up to 'great' now, but still room for further improvement. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted May 5, 2014 Author Share Posted May 5, 2014 Another solid start to the season, hope you go one better this time around Two better, hopefully, David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted May 5, 2014 Share Posted May 5, 2014 Tim won't be happy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 I'm sure you can keep Fiorentina at bay. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted May 10, 2014 Author Share Posted May 10, 2014 Cosenza - May 2028 Update The Champions! And easily done too, as, in the end, we had it sewn up with two games to go. As we entered the final third of our season, I had concerns that the run of fixtures in front of us would prove difficult, and that our bums would start to squeak. I need not have worried, though, as we took on all-comers, taking maximum points from most games, including our visits to Napoli and Palermo; two games that were always likely to be a stern test to our league ambitions. We also participated in a thrilling encounter against AC Milan, which eventually finished 4-4; despite throwing away a three goal lead, a point was still a satisfactory outcome, although this did severely tarnish our goals against column. Unfortunately, despite a solid 1-0 victory in the first leg, Arsenal taught us a severe lesson in the quarter final of the Champions League, handing out a complete thrashing on our visit to North London. This was bitterly disappointing, as I was quietly confident of keeping it tight, snatching an away goal, and making it through to the final four. Well, at least we got the away goal I was after... There's no doubt that we've been helped by the under-par seasons that the likes of Juventus and the two Milan clubs have had this year, but, on balance, I still feel that we've been good value for the league title. We've certainly been the most consistent team in the division, having been defeated just four times and kept 23 clean sheets, which are certainly the hallmarks of champions. Going forward, I still feel Juventus will be the team to beat, as they are just as difficult to beat as we are, and just need to turn some of those draws into victories if they are to return to the summit of Serie A; they certainly have the budget to invest in players that are capable of doing so too. Our first Serie A title, which broke Juventus sixteen year stranglehold on the trophy! He's been a revelation this season, although we will need to fight hard to keep him over the summer, as there's plenty of interest from top clubs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted May 10, 2014 Author Share Posted May 10, 2014 Tim won't be happy. He also sponsors Serie A, so I hope we've pacified him now by winning that instead! I'm sure you can keep Fiorentina at bay. Quite easy in the end. Surprisingly low point totals for most teams this year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted May 10, 2014 Share Posted May 10, 2014 The Arsenal loss was big but even bigger was the Serie A title! Congrats! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted May 11, 2014 Author Share Posted May 11, 2014 Cosenza - End of Season Review 2027/28 What a season! Winning the Serie A title has been the ambition for a while now, with it being in touching distance a couple of times in recent seasons, so I'm thrilled to say that we've finally done it. And with the 11th highest wage bill in the division too, showing how well we've done under our financial constraints - we really are the little horse of Serie A. Serie A TIM: 1st TIM Cup: Semi-Final UEFA Champions League: Quarter Final Average Attendance: 32930 (up 5688) Transfer History | Finances The squad is certainly now of a high calibre, and rivals most of the other big teams in Serie A; with an average age of just 25, I should be able to keep the foundations here for several more seasons to come too, although several of the stars are starting to attract interest from larger European teams so I may face a battle keeping them all. The surprise package of the year was Aurélien Bernard, a former France U-21 international, who was signed on a free to provide cover for Claude Serge. However, after taking a few weeks to settle, and with Serge out injured, he grasped the opportunity for a spot in the starting eleven with both hands, and has never looked back since; 18 goals in his first season is a good return, several of which were pivotal during our run-in, and helped fire us to the league title. Top Goalscorer: Aurélien Bernard/Claude Serge (18 goals) Most Assists: Luis Martinez (22 assists) Highest Average Rating: Gerardo Aranda (7.37) Fans Player of the Season: Luis Martinez Other Notable Contributors: Rosario Esposito (7 goals, 12 assists), Simón Villanueva (4 PoMs), Simone Scuffet (27 clean sheets), Peterson (12 goals, 7 assists), Christer Fors (AvR: 7.02) Serie A Team of the Year | Cosenza Best Eleven This is absolutely brilliant news, and will bring the capacity close to 50000 once completed. Unfortunately, it's going to take quite some time to complete, so we'll need to be patient until it's ready. Additionally, for no real apparent reason, the Board has taken out a £7.5m loan to cover the cost, despite there being plenty of money in the club coffers. I hadn't paid too much attention to this before, but it's good to see our player of the season at the top of the list. This may be it for attendance records until the expansion is completed. We're certainly making our way in the European football world now, and should expect to enter the top 20 shortly. I'm pleased to see some of the team starting to get recognition for their performances now. The Italians still love me After being approached by Inter, I attended an interview before receiving this job offer. The terms of which are very attractive, and I've no doubt I could do a good job with the resources on hand, but why on earth would I leave the defending champions for a team that finished 9th last season. Season Team League Finish Cups ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2014 Polis DRM Liga Premier 5th Astro Piala First Round 2015 Polis DRM Liga Premier 3rd Astro Piala First Round, Piala Malaysia First Round 2016 Hougang Utd S.League 5th S.League Cup Semi Final 2017 Hougang Utd S.League 6th* * Resigned after 23 games (October 2017) 2017/18 Gateshead Skrill Premier 4th* * Promoted via Playoffs. Took charge October 2017. 2018/19 Gateshead League Two 12th FA Cup 1st Round, Capital One Cup 1st Round 2019/20 Gateshead League Two 1st FA Cup 3rd Round, Capital One Cup 1st Round 2020/21 Cosenza Serie C Group C 2nd Serie C Cup 1st Round 2021/22 Cosenza Serie C Group C 1st Serie C Cup Winner 2022/23 Cosenza Serie B 1st TIM Cup 1st Round 2023/24 Cosenza Serie A 8th TIM Cup 1st Round 2024/25 Cosenza Serie A 5th TIM Cup Semi Final 2025/26 Cosenza Serie A 3rd Europa League 2nd KO Round, TIM Cup 1st Round 2026/27 Cosenza Serie A 3rd Champions League Quarter Final, TIM Cup Winner 2027/28 Cosenza Serie A 1st Champions League Quarter Final, TIM Cup Semi Final Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted May 11, 2014 Author Share Posted May 11, 2014 The Arsenal loss was big but even bigger was the Serie A title! Congrats! Thanks a lot! The Arsenal match was torturous to sit through, especially after going 3-0 down after ten minutes. That's the next project - improving our performance in the European knockout rounds. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truegunner Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 its a shame about the Arsenal loss as you'd have had a perfect end to the season, still its always nice to pick up the title. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 Congrats on the title Surprised to see Juventus won the Serie A 16 times in a row Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Brilliant work on the title, well deserved Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Blimey, Tim gets about a bit. Well done on the Scudetto. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 No need to bother with those losers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paolo Willenté Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 A meteoric rise through the Italian leagues. Congrats on winning the title. How's the fella from Gateshead getting on? The striker you had.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 Cosenza - Pre-Season 2028/29 We enter the new season in unknown territory, as defending champions, meaning that we're now expected to sustain a side capable of challenging for the title; we definitely don't want to do 'a Montpellier', and slip back into mid-table! Compared to the rest of the top half, we're still operating on a shoestring budget, though, and have no real right to be competing in the way that we are. That said, I'm sure we'll have another strong season, with Champions League qualification being my personal aim; I'm not convinced we'll defend our Serie A title, though, with Juventus likely to come good again. Media Prediction: 3rd Title Odds: 5-2 (Joint 3rd favourites. Juventus 2-1 favourites) Serie A TIM: Champions League Qualification TIM Cup: Not Important Supercoppa di Lega TIM: Not Important Champions League: First Knockout Round Transfer Budget: £52m Wage Budget: £1m (spending £816k) Season Ticket Sales: 27123 (up 5593) The major headline of the summer transfer window was the departure of our talisman, Claude Serge, for a record-breaking amount. Normally, I'm not in the habit of selling our best players, however, his contract was up at the end of this year, and was demanding eye-watering amounts to extend it any further; I would have had to had thrown the club's wage structure out of the window if I was to agree to his demands. Additionally, he's been quite injury prone over the past eighteen months, so this was another factor in my summing up in whether we would sell or not. The timing could have been better, though, with only a few days left in the window to find a replacement; Pep Costa finally joined us on deadline day, and, despite not being the finished article yet, should prove a good signing for the squad. Key Players: Peterson (AMC), Luis Martínez (AMC), Aurélien Bernard (ST), Christer Fors (DC), Pep Costa (ST), Yohan Villamizar (MC) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 its a shame about the Arsenal loss as you'd have had a perfect end to the season, still its always nice to pick up the title. Thanks very much! Need to start doing better in Europe now. Congrats on the title Surprised to see Juventus won the Serie A 16 times in a row Just a tad dominant, weren't they?! Glad we ended their run Brilliant work on the title, well deserved Blimey, Tim gets about a bit.Well done on the Scudetto. Cheers! It was quite easy in the end No need to bother with those losers Indeed! I know which side my bread's buttered A meteoric rise through the Italian leagues. Congrats on winning the title.How's the fella from Gateshead getting on? The striker you had.. Do you mean Callum Challinor? Not a lot, unfortunately He did move on to Nottm Forest, QPR, Ipswich then Bournemouth, but became a bit-part player and retired aged 30. In hindsight, he probably shouldn't have left Gateshead, as he would have been guaranteed games (and goals, probably) there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted May 26, 2014 Author Share Posted May 26, 2014 And, in other news... I'm not a huge fan of international management, and no-one in their right mind would split their time between a major club and a major national team, however, this seemed an interesting offer. This should also help raise my profile across the globe, meaning that good opportunities are likely to be available when I finally decide to leave Cosenza. Having been beaten on penalties by Croatia in the quarter-final of the recent European Championship, my predecessor decided to step down and allow a fresh face to lead the World Cup qualification campaign. We're top seeds in our group (world ranking 6), and should be easy favourites to meet the expectations of the nation; Bosnia & Herzegovina, Denmark, Montenegro, Moldova and Liechtenstein are the other sides in the group. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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