deltablue Posted July 4, 2014 Author Share Posted July 4, 2014 Good luck at Juventus pal, I look forward to you bringing a lot of great young players with potential to the club Thanks, I might have to focus on that given the amount of work that's required. Good luck at Juve, playing in Italy seems to bring out the best of you in FM terms usually so hopefully it will be the same here. Didn't exactly work out with the brief and miserable time at Fiorentina last time around, but Italy was my most common 'foreign' country for a while (FM07/08, admittedly my least-played versions before 14 being entirely England or Italy) and aside from Milan (obviously), the aforementioned Juventus side there' also Verona (the proper Verona) and the first club side I ever managed on FM was Siracusa, which I think was only a season but one that went well. Finally got going with my first few games at Juventus last night, allowing me to assess the situation a little. The squad is hardly bad but it's 'good mid-table' at best, central defence (of which I play 3) is a case of 'making do with what I've got' both in terms of quality and quantity, with the inevitable bunch of aging players all over and the 50M transfer budget doesn't seem like a lot for the much-needed overhaul, especially as there won't be much when that's gone. Genuine quality seems rather thin in the ground among potential signings, especially since a lot of the high recommended players so far are Brazilian and of course I can only sign one non-eu player from abroad a year (which thankfully hasn't been used up for this season). There have been a couple of amazing forwards available, though unfortunately getting one would cost the vast majority of the budget, and a few older players aside, the midfield and attack is adequate for now with the defence needing the investment. I know the player I most want to get will be about 38M (I'm expecting it to be a little more but it's a useful ballpark figure) so if I can find at least a couple more players I can get with the remaining money (especially as I'll be able to raise more with sales, at least 10M, hopefully more like 20M) I'll go for it as having a proper world-class star like that would hopefully make a world of difference. Think of Diallo at my last Ipswich side, an expensive (30M) player who provided a level of quality the side was lacking before. At most other clubs it would be considered a very good starting position, maybe up to ambitions of top-half/sneaking into Europe but at a club like this I have to keep my sights aimed a lot higher, and that's where it's going to be quite a bit of a challenge (though some might dispute Juventus ever being described as such), then again that's why I found it so appealing in the first place, a high chance of success without it coming quickly or easily. Just don't expect a title challenge in the next few years. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 4, 2014 Author Share Posted July 4, 2014 Nov/Dec 2022 Fiorentina 0-1 Juventus (A) My first Juve game was a tough trip to Fiorentina, even worse when you consider the central defensive trio was essentially ‘whoever’s available’. They generally had the chances but it wasn’t quite as bad as I feared and we survived the first half. Abel Hernandez (who I recently saw described as being a player particularly well-known among FM players) somehow gave us the lead in the 53rd minute with our only good chance, giving us a surprise win (despite more Fiorentina chances coming our way). As far as first games go this somehow managed to be both ‘unconvincing’ and ‘promising’. Juventus 4-2 Brescia (A) We conceded after a minute against Brescia, but Hernandez equalized in the 5th minute. Spanish midfielder Alejandro got sent off, and even though young American forward Robles gave us the lead, they immediately equalized. We still pulled through with goals from the Georgian Jano and another from Robles. Juventus 4-0 Maccabi Petach-Tikva (EL) We were in the Europa League and played Maccabi Petach-Tikva. Despite having 7 points from 4 games we had only scored 2 goals but that very much changed now. Hernandez gave us the lead after 12 minutes, with defenders Papp and Gustavo making it 3-0 after half an hour and an own-goal sealed a 4-0 win by the break. Juventus 7-1 Catania (A) Hernandez gave us the lead after 3 minutes again Catania. We were comfortably on top and the veteran Uruguayan had a goal disallowed but that was followed by a straight red and an equalizer. I needn’t have worried as we ran riot in the second-half. Robles extended the lead in the 49th minute, the first of what ended up being a hat-trick, with Hernandez getting his second-goal. Winger Sassone and Kana-Biyik got the others in a remarkable 7-1 win. Ascoli 3-5 Juventus (A) We looked comfortable at half-time at Ascoli, two Jano goals and one from Hernandez giving us a 3-0 lead. They scored early in the second-half, and with Areola in goal doing well to keep them out and Robles getting a 4th on the hour mark. They pulled 2 goals back with a Hernandez goal disallowed in between, leading to a tense finish but Robles sealed it with a 5th. Borussia Monchengladbach 0-2 Juventus (EL) Gladbach away was the last European group game. Hernandez gave us the lead after 15 minutes, and though they had a goal disallowed in the second-half, another Hernandez goal coupled with a Burnley defeat in Israel gave us top spot in the group, sparing us the odd sight of Burnley finishing ahead of Juventus. The Belgians of Westerlo seemed like an easy draw in the next round, but Napoli or Ajax would be a lot tricker afterwards. Benevento 2-0 Juventus (A) The last game before a break of a few weeks was at Benevento. We were on the back foot for the first-half and they took the lead at the end from a penalty. They scored another right at the start of the second-half as my 100% record at Juventus ended after 6 games. Jan 2023 Sampdoria 4-3 Juventus (A) The first game back was at Sampdoria, with 2 players already signed. It started badly as they took the lead just a minute in and were 2-0 up after 18. New defender Dione headed a goal back just a few minutes later and quick goals from Jano and Sassone gave us a 3-2 lead at the break. Unfortunately we couldn’t quite get a 4th while an inadequate defence let us down. They equalized with 15 minutes left and got a stoppage time winner. I would definitely be after at least one more with the money remaining after the last of the 3 initial transfers came through. Juventus 1-0 Benevento (CI) We played Benevento in the cup, hoping to get revenge for the recent league defeat. It wasn’t easy turning pressure into a breakthrough but Sassone gave us the win in the 67th minute. Roma 1-1 Juventus (A) We went to Roma and had a hat-load of first-half chances but were punished for our failure to convert by Roma scoring early in the second half. Robles soon equalized and we had more chances but Lapace was the main culprit (and 40M signing or not he would be dropped) as we failed to get a winner. Juventus 0-1 Milan (A) Milan were the first of the top 5 we played. We held firm for almost the entire match but cruelly fell to a stoppage time defeat. Lazio 3-1 (aet) Juventus (CI QF) We went to Lazio in the cup quarter-finals, and went behind in the 34th minute. They had another disallowed just before half-time and Robles equalized but that just delayed the inevitable as they scored at each end of extra-time. Palermo 4-0 Juventus (A) I didn’t expect our form to improve at Palermo, and it ended up being pretty miserable stuff as they took the lead in the 4th minute with another in the 28th and 2 more in the second-half as we crashed to a 4-0 defeat. Two steps forward followed by one step back. Juventus won all 6 of my first 6 game in charge, moving from 16th to 6th in just 4 league games but we've only got 1 point since the Benevento defeat to slide back down the table again. There are all sorts of reasons for this. I was really surprised by our early form, admittedly without facing any challenging opponents after Fiorentina as it seems like we were playing above our relatively limited ability. The defence has been an especially poor let down, not helped by the fact that out of my 3 signings, Dione is at the ACN (along with Kana-Biyek, one of the better defenders we already had even at 33, the other 'good' defender also being injured for a bit) and Pickering was injured for a couple of weeks just after arrival. Big forward signing Lapace has been poor so far as well but obviously it's really early days. Thankfully the pressure's off this season giving us time for things to click. Oh yes, before I forget I resigned from my Nigeria post in December, I had been planning on staying a lot longer but with the ACN already getting in the way of part of the season (and we had a very tough group that gave me no optimism whatsoever) there was a lot of initial Juventus transfer activity to deal with and I decided I didn't want all those things on my plate at once, so the national team management had to go. I'll probably go for something European when I go for International management again as it's a lot more convenient but that's not likely to be for a bit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 4, 2014 Author Share Posted July 4, 2014 Winter Transfers I generally always get everything done before the start of the season whenever possible (though that was hard to do at Chornomorets and Slavia) but it's another matter when I arrived at a club before the January window. I knew I needed to raise as much money as possible to make the changes I wanted to and though individual fees were disappointingly low for the most part, 8 players went (plus 2 more on loan with potential future fees) for about 37M, which I certainly put to good use. I quickly moved for high end players once it became clear that I could afford a few, signing a star forward (though he's been anything but so far), as well as a quality young defender and keeper, still (with the aid of both a couple of bigger sales and the fact that unlike later games I can change the budget slider without any restrictions, handy for moving it to wages for contracts then back to transfers to afford the fee) with enough for a couple of strong extra-defenders. It didn't come cheap, the 5 players costing 93.75M, leaving us so deep in the red you really don't want to know how far (I think both the bank manager and finance officer have just died of shock). It's fair to say that further spending is out for quite a while but for now it's not strictly necessary as I've considerably improved our first choice defensive trio with a new world class keeper and forward, the rest of the side, while far from exceptional, is certainly good enough that we can manage for the time being. Reckless no doubt but the tv money at the start of the season will be very large (up to 93M a year for my Magical Milan side, though it probably won't be quite as much as that as it seems to change depending on performance) so the finances can definitely recover over a few years and such drastic squad improvement really needed to be made and while there hasn't been any instant impact hopefully it'll pay off before too long. (13.5M from Valladolid) (40M from Bordeaux) (17.5M from Bursaspor) (11M from Villarreal) (11.75M from Fulham) Note that I'll be covering all transfers in Italy this way. I would have this time anyway because only some of the entries on the transfer history screen would have been relevant but also because that screen seems to be a bit messed up for Italian clubs on this version (which I already knew about from Milan a couple of years back), not only featuring the previous season's transfers as well but not even having them in order as the earliest batch (summer 2021 in this case) seem to be featured last, after my new Jan 2023 players. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 You started so well, any idea what made the form drop off? Some excellent signings there though, especially Laplace, hopefully they will help you move forward Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 6, 2014 Author Share Posted July 6, 2014 You started so well, any idea what made the form drop off? Some excellent signings there though, especially Laplace, hopefully they will help you move forward If I had to pick the main problem it would be the defence. We've at least got 3 decent full-backs but the central situation was far worse. I had to promote a player due for retirement from the reserves because we only had 4 in the squad (I play 3 in my system so we needed more backup), only one of which wasn't below-par and/or past it. The 3 newcomers are a far better standard but Tol's been terrible so far (same for Laplace unfortunately), Pickering has been injured (though he's just about ready to play now) and Dione's at the ACN (along with one of the 'better' of the defenders I already had) and I don't think I've been able to play more than one of them at once. Other unavailabilities at various times (including the good left-back) have left us stuck with a relegation-quality defence that's just had nightmare after nightmare. Meanwhile Kilic in goal can't be described as having been better than 'mostly alright', so you could also point to a lack of impact from the new signings so far. I basically shot my bolt transfer-wise so I need it to work out before too long. There are a couple of other factors, aside from the lucky win at Fiorentina to start off with we had a comfortable run of opponents, we've had a few better teams since and most games have been away, hardly at the other end of the difficulty scale but definitely clearly trickier to a point. There's also that thing I say every time I take over clubs mid-season about only occasionally seeing things improve much before the fresh start of a new season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 6, 2014 Author Share Posted July 6, 2014 Feb 2023 Juventus 1-0 Cagliari (A) Cagliari had been a consistent ‘European qualification’ team for a while. Thankfully they were very wasteful (no shots on target out of 12) while we were decent enough in our own right, getting a first league win in 6 from Hernandez pouncing on a rebound from a missed penalty a few minutes before the break. Bari 2-2 Juventus (A) Pickering got sent off after just 14 minutes at Bari, and we failed to make much impact in the first-half. Laplace came on to break his duck in the 53rd minute, and though they soon equalized, Laplace was finally showing why I spend so much on him and got a 2nd. We couldn’t quite hold on and they snatched an equalizer on the break with 5 minutes left but given what the past month was like I wasn’t too unhappy at getting an away point with 10 men. Juventus 0-4 Napoli (A) We had a tough time against Napoli. It was completely one-sided, though we resisted until an own-goal in the 37th minute. A sending off in the second-half helped them to a 4-0 win. Westerlo 2-2 Juventus (EL) We went to Belgium to play Westerlo in the Europa League, and took the lead from Hernandez after 15 minutes. They equalized just 5 minutes later and took the lead just before half-time but Hernandez eventually got another to level the tie and give us 2 away goals. Udinese 0-0 Juventus (A) We looked just about the better side at Udinese, but were rather off-form attackingwise so while it was a decent away point we could easily have got the win. Juventus 2-0 (4-2) Westerlo (EL) We comfortably saw off Westerlo in Europe. Sassone had a goal disallowed after 20 minutes, with a Hernandez goal in each half seeing us through 4-2 on aggregate. Juventus 2-0 Bologna (A) We comfortably beat bottom club Bologna. Laplace gave us the lead in the 24th minute, and the Italian Fusco added another late on with a 3rd disallowed. Mar 2023 Genoa 0-0 Juventus (A) We were a little unlucky at Genoa, having a penalty claim rejected in the first-half, then Robles sent off just 2 minutes after coming on as a second-half sub, but even then we could have had the win. Juventus 2-2 Ajax (EL) Ajax were our next European opponents, and we went behind at the start. Fusco equalized in the 14th minute but a score draw wouldn’t be a good result. Dione gave us a 72nd minute lead. We looked like we could even get a 3rd but after a late sending off they levelled the tie with a penalty right at the death. Juventus 2-1 Lazio (A) We looked surprisingly bright against 3rd placed Lazio, but failed to take advantage to get a first-half goal, Laplace did it in the 53rd minute but they inevitably soon equalized. Laplace had another disallowed but set up Hernandez for a last-minute winner. Ajax 3-3 (5-5a) Juventus (A) We had a tough task at Ajax, especially with a lot of injuries and suspensions (and Laplace cup tied). Djuric gave is the lead after 10 minutes, but they quickly cancelled it out. Robles’ goal in the 39th minute meant we matched them on away goals, so when they equalized on the stroke of half-time it was all square. Pickering made it 3-2 in the 75th minute, needing them to win the game outright, and even though they scored a 3rd equalizer in stoppage time we still went through on away goals. Inter 3-0 Juventus (A) We went to Inter, who were comfortably top of the league and had Neymar. We were no match for him as he gave them the lead after 20 minutes, scored again before the break and he completed a hat-trick early in the second-half to easily cast us aside. Thankfully it's been a steady couple of months, nothing great but not too bad for the most part, especially with injuries and a lot of suspensions hitting us left, right and centre. We need to scrape back every million we can after January which makes a good European run important. We're not up to the standard of the better European sides, even Spartak have been very strong for a while (and I've encountered them in Europe before) but they're at least beatable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 6, 2014 Author Share Posted July 6, 2014 Apr 2023 Atalanta 1-0 Juventus (A) We went behind in the 10th minute at Atalanta, and were unlucky that despite a lot of second-half effort we couldn’t get an equalizer. Juventus 2-0 Spartak Moscow (EL QF) Hernandez made the difference in the home leg against Spartak, giving us the lead in the 7th minute. He added another before the break, and though they had a lot of second-half pressure they couldn’t narrow the aggregate lead. Spartak Moscow 2-2 (2-4) Juventus (EL QF) Hernandez gave us an early lead in Moscow, giving them a mountain to climb. They got one goal back but needed 4, raised to 5 when Dione gave us a 2-1 lead in the 56th minute. Again we conceded a stoppage time equalizer but went through comfortably. Bayern would be very difficult in the semis however. Juventus 4-1 Verona (A) We easily returned to winning ways in the league against Verona. Hernandez was the goalscoring gift that kept on giving and though it was Fusco that gave us a 16th minute lead, the Uruguayan got a quick brace afterwards, Jano making it 4-0 after just 28 minutes. They got a goal back early in the second-half but it didn’t really matter. Juventus 1-0 Fiorentina (A) We looked bright if wasteful against Fiorentina, repeating our 1-0 win from my first game, though in more convincing fashion. Laplace had a goal disallowed but Fusco put things right shortly after in the 63rd minute. Brescia 0-1 Juventus (A) Laplace gave us the lead in the 37th minute at Brescia, we deserved another but the win put us in the hunt for a European place, as we were just 2 and 3 points behind 7th and 6th respectively. Bayern 0-2 Juventus (EL) I was expecting a lot of pain at Bayern but found ourselves 2-0 up after 26 minutes with goals from Jano and Fusco! I wasn’t expecting to last but we managed to hold out to take the 2-0 lead home, though the defence could still mess it up. Juventus 1-1 Ascoli (A) Our European ambitions for next season took a step back against Ascoli. Hernandez gave us a 5th minute lead against Ascoli, but we failed to build on it. They equalized on the hour mark and may have even gone on to get a winner. May 2023 Juventus 0-1 (2-1) Bayern (EL SF) I was worried we’d throw the tie away against Bayern, and we were certainly under a lot of pressure from the start. They scored in the 35th minute and we looked there for the taking, as it was one of those ‘I wish I could take off half the team’ sort of games. Somehow we held out against near total Bayern dominance (they had 21 shots and 8 on target compared to our 5 in total) but it had been a lucky escape to say the least. Catania 2-2 Juventus (EL) Our league form seemed to be slipping and we went behind in the 6th minute at Catania. Laplace equalized just a few minutes later, and after a lot of pushing, Enzema gave us the lead after 70 minutes. It still wasn’t quite enough as a Catania goal with 5 minutes left meant we had to share the points. Juventus 3-0 Benvento (A) We needed to beat Benevento to keep our European qualification hopes alive and Laplace certainly delivered. He gave us the lead right at the end of the first-half, ending up with a hat-trick. Juventus 1-3 Real Madrid (EL Final) I felt we were clear underdogs for the Europa League final against Real Madrid, and sure enough we were on the back foot from the start. They took an 8th minute lead, and despite Fusco’s 14th minute equalizer, we seemed near-powerless to stop them. Only Kilic in goal kept them out but even he couldn’t do so forever and they retook the lead just before half-time. Kilic remained on top form in the second-half, but an eventual Madrid 3rd denied him the man of the match award, making him and goalscorer Fusco pretty much the only players who weren’t disappointing. Juventus 2-0 Sampdoria (A) The season ended against Sampdoria, and we managed to sign off on a positive note. The attacking players seemed incapable of turning pressure into goals so defender Skoko showed them how it was done when heading us into the lead in the 32nd minute, a 77th minute Enzema penalty finishing it off. It's not been too bad a start at Juventus, there were a few poor patches but we ended up improving considerably on where I found them and despite a lack of consistency, looked like a reasonably good side in the end, especially with the run to the Europa League final, pity we were pretty poor when we got there. The new players started settling in, with the defensive nightmares becoming a rarity once I was able to stick to using the 4 'good' defenders, Laplace still wasn't setting the world alight but 9 league goals and a few assists from February onwards is a promising sign that he's beginning to make a real impact, while Kilic's Europa League final performance showed precisely why I shelled out for a quality young keeper. It didn't make a difference this time but I can imagine him saving us in a bunch of key games and tight European ties in the future. It's hard to say where things can go from here. There's much to suggest that we'll have a much better season next year (I'm certainly after European qualification, maybe even a challenge for a CL place if all goes well) but there's still much to do, easier said than done with a balance of -68M! I'm going to go for the 'Delta's Darlings' rule (only signing players under 21) when it comes to my main summer business (though not for frees) assuming I'll have any budget at all, partly because of the potential low fees I can get young stars for (it varies, often you have to pay a lot for young talent but there are definitely some that are fairly cheap) and also because it could considerably reduce the wage bill and help gradually restore the balance but getting in players where we need it (like another left-back) will be a very uncertain process and depending on how well we can do with what we've got over the next few years the path back to glory won't get much smoother. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodesire Posted July 7, 2014 Share Posted July 7, 2014 Good start to life in Italy, a bit surprised at the waves of 'good' and 'bad' periods lasting several matches and then ending abruptly. Hope you can get out of the financial sinkhole that your club is in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 Good start to life in Italy, a bit surprised at the waves of 'good' and 'bad' periods lasting several matches and then ending abruptly. Hope you can get out of the financial sinkhole that your club is in. Well it wasn't going to go consistently well early on, and it could have been a lot worse. The financial black hole isn't going to be a problem as a mixture of tv money, season ticket sales and a 77M chairman cash injection meant that we made a 115M profit in June, taking us to 50M in the black almost instantly! I'm still going to be careful for a while to ensure we stay on a firm financial footing. It's enabled some very exciting investment without falling into the same pit again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 7, 2014 Author Share Posted July 7, 2014 Summer 2023 The summer started off with a bit of a gamble. Hernandez had been one of the more reliable players last year but with the need to save money I felt that as a 32yr old on 140kpw he had to go, the same happening to right-back Corchia, who was just as old and on the same amount. I felt I had to sacrifice depth for raising a bit of money and especially cutting the wage bill. However even before the reset date a massive gift from the chairman to the tune of 77M put us comfortably in the black again, but I was still committed to being careful financially (especially with almost 500k a month going to repaying a bank loan that has 8 years to run), running a much lower wage bill and not simply draining the club’s bank account like last time, especially since it seemed urgent in January and it certainly isn’t now. Delta’s Darlings rule will still apply. The news got even better as we got a couple of good players in the youth intake (including a left-back, exactly what I wanted!) and I was offered a really talented 18yr old English player for just a few million, just the sort of transfer I was hoping to be able to make. Having the working capital available set the wheels of a very exciting summer of spending in motion, being able to get in new players also meant being able to ship a lot of players out the other way, keeping us solidly in the black (we started the season with 18.5M), as well as slashing the wage bill from over 1.5Mpw to 930kpw. The old, the mediocre, and even the ‘merely decent’ were shipped out to make way for a new generation of potential stars, including two from the youth setup, leaving us with a side that was both much younger and potentially better than the one I inherited last November. In all, I’d done all I could ever have hoped to be able to do. It would take a few years for things to come together but there was no rush, the minimum expectation was merely ‘top half’ (though I had my sights on the Europa League places at least) and there’s no doubt that we’ve got the makings of a top quality side here. Signings (3.5M from Arsenal) (8M from Marseille) (2.5M from Levante, and yes that's the same Jurcik from Slavia) (11.5M from Bari) (6.25M from St Etienne) (9.5M from Lyon) Youth Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 Aug/Sept 2023 Juventus 3-0 Spezia (CI) The season started against Serie C1 Spezia in the cup. The lack of first-half goals made it a slow start but a Fusco free-kick was headed in by Stefanini in the 58th minute. Laplace added another within 10 minutes and he set up Fusco to seal it with a 3rd. Juventus 0-0 Genoa (A) Genoa were the first league opponents, and again we found it hard to break them down, a disallowed goal in stoppage time meaning we had to settle for a 0-0 draw when we should have won. Milan 2-1 Juventus (A) We got Milan away out of the way early on and were firmly on the back foot, going behind in the 20th minute and soon conceding another. Enzema pulled one back in the 39th minute and we might have had a point had a second-half Laplace goal been allowed to stand. Juventus 3-0 Udinese (A) We thankfully got a first win of the season against Udinese. Fusco and Dione gave is a 2-0 lead after 7 minutes, with a Tol header giving us a deserved 3rd in the second-half. Fiorentina 1-1 Juventus (A) We were on the back foot for a lot of the game at Fiorentina, but still took the lead from an Enzema penalty after an hour. They immediately equalized for an admittedly fair share of the points. Juventus 3-1 Bari (A) Laplace gave us the lead after 20 minutes against Bari. They won a free-kick for handball which they used to equalize in the 36th minute but Fusco restored the lead 5 minutes later and got another in the 55th minutes. They pushed us hard for a while but we kept them out. Oct 2023 Juventus 5-0 Catania (A) We easily saw off Catania. Fusco gave us a 19th minute lead, Laplace adding another 5 minutes later and a Tol header making it 3-0 after half an hour. Herrera made it 4 in the 59th minute and Dione sealed a 5-0 win in the 80th minute. Napoli 4-1 Juventus (A) Napoli away was another of the toughest games out of the way. After a good start, we were very unlucky to go behind in the 25th minute. Stefanini got sent off and though Djuric equalized, they retook the lead at the start of the second-half and 2 goals in the last 10 minutes gave them an eventual 4-1 win. Parma 2-1 Juventus (A) Parma were a surprise package in 3rd and we were very much weakened by injuries and suspensions when we went there. We were admittedly clear second-best and they took the lead in the 26th minute. Fusco soon equalized but we couldn’t hold out forever and a Tol own-goal in the 74th minute gifted them their deserved win. Juventus 4-0 Lazio (A) Being even more weakened didn’t stop us against Lazio. 2 own-goals put us 2-0 up after 20 minutes before Dione gave us a goal of our own. Robles had one disallowed in the second-half but they completed an unenviable hat-trick of own-goals to give us a 4th anyway. Nov 2023 Sampdoria 1-2 Juventus (A) The 17yr old Ferrari was one of the most exciting young talents in the country and he got his first goal for the club in the 20th minute at Sampdoria. They equalized at the start of the second-half but Ferrari soon got another, assisted by fellow starlet Herrera. They were still a threat but a very good performance from Kilic in goal kept them out. Juventus 0-3 Inter (A) We were sitting ducks against Inter. Kilic put on a man of the match performance in goal but the rest of the side were mostly terrible and they easily took a 2-0 lead after 10 minutes. Cate got sent off in the second-half and a Pickering own-goal gave them a 3rd. Brescia 0-1 Juventus (A) We went to Brescia and took the lead from Robles after 10 minutes. We were unlucky not to get another and it very nearly cost us as Brescia had a strong of wasteful second-half. Juventus 4-0 Chievo (A) Laplace was back from an injury against Chievo and gave us the lead in the 20th minute. Young stars Herrera and Ferrari made it 3-0 after half an hour, the former adding another in the second-half. If they were already performing at age 17, imagine how good they’ll be when they approach their prime! Livorno 1-1 Juventus (A) We went to Livorno and had a bit more trouble that I was anticipating. We had an easier time in the second-half and took the lead from Robles in the 67th minute but should have had another and were punished with a 78th minute equalizer (which was one of those you just saw coming to the point I slapped my knee in pre-emptive frustration at the very point the goal went in, then again I ‘sense’ we’re going to concede so often that we sometimes don’t so it’s law of averages I guess). 2 points dropped without a doubt. We're doing pretty much how I expected we would, a clear improvement on last year and we're looking good value for potential European qualification but we're still having a tough time against the stronger sides and are still some way off reaching our potential but then again that was always going to be the case, and it hasn't helped that injuries and suspensions have left us far from full strength for the past month and a half. There are definitely some promising signs from the youngsters though. Special mention to Herrera who at just 17 has 3 goals and 8 assists in 14 games, Ferrari has had a slow start to his time at Juventus but 3 goals and 2 assists in the past month is still a good little run of form from someone who is also just 17. Those two in particular are going to be amazing, but they've still got some way to go yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 Dec 2023 Juventus 4-1 Palermo (A) The last time we played Palermo it went very badly, but we very much had their number this time. Laplace again marked his return (from a 1 game suspension this time) with a goal, in the 23rd minute. Jano was the relatively highly paid (45kpw), relatively old (at 31) guy among a crowd of exiting young winger/central mid talents but he proved his relevance in the 37th minute. They each got another to make it 4-0 after 62nd minutes, which was rather harsh on Palermo and their 82nd minute ‘consolation’ was the least they deserved. Livorno 0-1 Juventus (CI) We went to Livorno in the cup, and in contrast with the recent league draw it was job done with a relative minimum of fuss. Laplace gave us the lead after half an hour though later on we had a wasted period of pressure that should have delivered another. Juventus 2-1 Atalanta (A) We surprisingly went behind in the 7th minute against Atalanta and took a while to properly respond, even when we did we couldn’t make the most of it and only rescued the game right at the end with very late goals from Ferrari and Fusco. Cagliari 0-1 Juventus (A) We went to Cagliari, who we were potentially battling for 4th place. It was a very tight game but we just about had the better of it and snatched the win from a Laplace goal on the stroke of half-time. Jan 2024 Benevento 1-2 Juventus (A) We emerged from the festive break with a trip to a Benevento side who were just a couple of places behind us. We missed an early penalty but Laplace gave us a deserved 40th minute lead. He scored again in the 2nd half though they pulled a goal back with 5 minutes left and came close to snatching an equalizer. Roma 0-2 Juventus (A) Roma were down in the relegation zone, and we piled on more pain. Laplace gave us the lead in the 20th minute, with Ferrari adding another in the 37th minute as we comfortably won. Lazio 0-2 Juventus (CI) We played Lazio in the cup, hoping to avoid a repeat of last year’s encounter. Ferrari gave us the lead after 10 minutes, adding another before the break. They tried to fight back but we easily held out. Genoa 0-0 Juventus (A) We unfortunately had a bit of an off-day up front at Genoa, and for the second-time this season we had to settle for a draw against them instead of a win. Juventus 2-0 Milan (A) We managed to get a maiden win over Milan, thanks to a Tol header in the 10th minute, kicking off a great defensive performance as well. Laplace added to it after half an hour and again we held out well against a lot of pressure. Udinese 1-3 Juventus (A) We had a frustrating time at Udinese, failing to take advantage of first-half dominance and falling behind in the 55th minute, when they had got their act together. Jano equalized a few minutes later but only late on did a quick double from the Georgian and Laplace deliver the expected win. Roma 1-0 Juventus (CI QF) We went to Roma in the cup quarter-finals, unfortunately we were a bit of a mess and deservedly went behind in the first-half. We sort-of rallied ourselves in the second-half but were still less than convincing and crashed out to a Roman side at this stage for the second year in succession. Feb 2024 Juventus 3-3 Fiorentina (A) We had a couple of tricky home games next, starting against Fiorentina. They took the lead in the 12th minute, and though an own-goal levelled it in the 40th minute they were 3-1 up by the 50th minute. It looked like our 11 match unbeaten run in the league was coming to an end but stoppage time goals from Fusco and Fletcher rescued a draw. Juventus 2-3 Napoli (A) Napoli was potentially even tougher. Enzema gave us the lead in the 7th minute but they took control of the match, equalized after 15 minutes and looked like getting another, Laplace snuck us ahead in the 35th minute but it didn’t last. It looked like we’d at least hold out for a point but they got a winner in the 83rd minute. Bari 1-1 Juventus (A) Robles gave us the lead in the 10th minute at Bari, and we looked like getting a pretty routine win but an 89th minute penalty from our former midfielder Onyszko took us to just 2 points in 3 games. Catania 1-3 Juventus (A) A bad month continued at Catania when we went behind in the 8th minute. Fusco equalized in the 39th minute but it seemed like that would be that. Thankfully we were spared a winless month by late Fusco and Jano goals. As the season has gone on we've improved, moving up the table into the CL places and even getting close to the top, though a serious title challenge was always going to be a bit optimistic. A tricky February has slowed us down a little but we're still hanging onto 4th and with a shot at 3rd. We only have 3 games remaining against the rest of the top 8, Parma at home and trips to Lazio and Inter (which won't be fun) but we get those done with in the next 4 games so chances are good for a strong finish to the season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 Mar 2024 Juventus 2-1 Parma (A) We went behind in the 4th minute against Parma, but rallied to equalize from Laplace in the 34th minute, a failure to win would leave us with just 1 in the last 5 games which just wouldn’t do so I was glad for another Laplace goal with 10 minutes left. Lazio 1-1 Juventus (A) Lazio away was one of the 2 tricky games left. We occasionally probed and though Laplace went off injured (you’ll be amazed how many times this season he’s either gotten an injury or suspension) Fusco eventually found a way through in the 75th minute. However 5 minutes later Pickering got sent off while conceding a penalty which they equalized from. There was worse news at the end as Laplace would be out for almost a month and Gustavo for 2-3 months. Suspensions left us without a right-back temporarily and weakened even further up front. Juventus 2-0 Sampdoria (A) Even in a weakened state we beat Sampdoria. An own-goal gave us the lead after a minute, and with a second-goal on the cards for a while, Enzema got it just before the break. The boot was on the other foot for large parts of the second-half but they couldn’t get anything. Inter 1-1 Juventus (A) I wasn’t looking forward to going to Inter, who took the lead after 15 minutes and we were really lucky they didn’t get another before half-time. Fusco somehow equalized in the 50th minute but I didn’t expect it to last. Somehow we did but they pushed so hard that we had Kilic in goal to thank for that. Juventus 1-0 Brescia (A) Fusco had a very early goal disallowed against Brescia, and getting a legitimate goal proved troublesome. As the game wore on they looked more of a threat and might have got something themselves. We thankfully pulled through from a Robles goal in the 74th minute. Apr 2024 Chievo 0-0 Juventus (A) We were disappointingly lifeless at Chievo, especially given how close the league was from 3rd to 6th. We had a brief good spell in the second-half but there were no shots on target for either side, a draw leaving us at the head of a 3-way tie for 3rd. I wouldn’t mind losing 3rd but I wanted 4th at least. Juventus 0-0 Cagliari (A) I had forgotten when writing earlier lines about our remaining fixtures that our win at Cagliari was our first game against our CL rivals, not the second, which we had now. Stefanini got sent off for the 3rd time this season (he’s going to have a shocking number of those in his career) but otherwise we had a lot of the pressure and yet again I was unhappy at the failure to get a winner. Juventus 2-1 Livorno (A) Ferrari gave us the lead against Livorno in the 14th minute. More goals were due and we eventually got one from Tol in the 58th minute, Dione had another disallowed while they made it close with a late penalty. As good as he is in open play, sadly Kilic doesn’t seem to have the penalty-saving abilities of Gerasimenko at Slavia or my FM13 Ipswich keeper Alex. Palermo 0-1 Juventus (A) The trip to Palermo was a potential banana-skin, and they certainly looked like a threat throughout the match. However looks were deceiving, we both got into double figures for shots but only had one on target each, the main moment of quality coming from Gentile, scoring after 18 minutes in only his 2nd game for the club. I was worried that releasing Jano and Djuric would leave us short on established quality in the central midfield playmaker slot but it looks like we’ll cope just fine. May 2024 Atalanta 0-2 Juventus (A) We couldn’t take a trip to Atalanta for granted either, especially with Laplace picking up what seemed like his 5th 1-game suspension of the season. Herrera gave us the lead in the 7th minute but we didn’t do a good job of building on it. We finally breathed easy with Robles getting a 2nd, leaving us in 3rd with 2 home games left. Juventus 5-1 Benevento (A) Robles gave us a 10th minute lead against Benevento, and though they equalized 5 minutes later, Laplace tore them apart. He scored in the 28th minute, completing a hat-trick 12 minutes later, and finished it off with a 4th at the start of the second-half. That sealed the top 4 finish I was after, though it remained to be seen whether we’d seal 3rd or maybe even snatch 2nd. Juventus 5-0 Roma (A) The last game of the season was against Roma, and early on it looked like we’d have to win to avoid the CL playoffs. We certainly managed that easily thanks to another incredible performance from Laplace. He gave us the lead in the 18th minute, getting another shortly followed by Robles for 3-0 after 40 minutes. Laplace completed a hat-trick after 50 minutes, and after they had a goal disallowed, he got his 8th goal in 2 games in the last minute. It was a much better season than I expected, especially given how I wasn’t shy about using all the new young players. It was a bit of a slow start but gradually we looked like not only comfortably sealing a Europa League place (my main target for the year) but serious challengers to get into the CL as well. It was tight for a lot of the run-in but we deservedly got there in the end, registering 24 more points than last season. It was still far from perfect of course, as we still struggled against the bigger sides, had a few too many draws against teams we should have beaten, and relied on a bit too much luck but at the end of the day it was still very good progress from a side that looks a very good blend of exciting youth and reliable experience. We only lost one league game (against the eventual champions) since early November which is a great record. It remains to be seen how things go from here as a few more young players come in (there were ‘only’ 7 players under 21 in the squad last year so it was hardly an extreme revolution) as well as all the CL games, as having all the extra games from European competition (and in countries like England, consistently going far in multiple cups) is something that takes time to adjust to, a repeat of CL qualification would definitely still be seen as success next year. Jano and Djuric are on their way out leaving a very young midfield/wing area (and Enzema) but this is very much going to be evolution rather that revolution, especially without a great deal of money available and this year’s ‘non-eu player from abroad’ signing slot already used up on an ‘end of contract’ transfer. There are still some players who I plan to move on over the next 2-3 years but I’m hardly in a hurry, especially since we still need a decent mix of older players, especially in defence, and half the squad are under 23 so we’ve already have a number of my intended long-term squad of stars already. While there are a few sides in the league strong enough to give us a lot of trouble right now, none of those seem particularly exceptional, which is giving me a vision of being able to leave everyone else in the dust once we hit our prime. Forza Bianconeri! Star player: Laplace cost 40M we didn't really have a year and half ago, so it was pleasing to see him live up to it in his first full season. In keeping with the team getting a mixed start, he didn't score a lot early on but he still put in a lot of high-quality all-round performances, and the fact that 1/3 of his goals came in the last 2 matches shouldn't take anything away from what was a consistently strong season. It was a pity that he was absent for a lot of games due to a number of different injuries and suspensions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 Summer 2024 This was a relatively quiet year. The main change was in midfield with a couple of older players released, which still gave us sufficient numbers. An Argentine defender being brought in meaning I had to narrow my scouting scope for eu players (and those based in Italy) only, which failed to throw up a right-back or forward as I hoped though those were for the most part ‘would be nice’ players rather than a necessity. As it happened the standout players in the short-list were creative central midfielders, and even though we already had plenty of those I decided they were still potentially superior to some of the others and I was determined to have the very best (This is Juventus, not Norwich), even if it meant some players would never really make it with me after all, which is a pity but that’s how it goes. Board expectations were to qualify for Europe and despite our 2nd place last year I was still focussing on a repeat CL qualification rather than a title challenge. Signings (Free from Boca Juniors) (12.5 from Lyon) (5.5M from Everton) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodesire Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 A brilliant season, delta. I am very impressed how quickly you managed to gel your team and squeezed good results mid-season. Can't wait to see what the squad is going to look like next season, woop woop! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 A brilliant season, delta. I am very impressed how quickly you managed to gel your team and squeezed good results mid-season. Can't wait to see what the squad is going to look like next season, woop woop! Thanks, I'm really surprised myself at how it went in the end. I think it was because the balance was just right, not just between making much needed improvements and squad stability but in the 'exciting youth/reliable experience' blend. Not having European games probably also helped, so I expect this year might be a bit more of a challenge. Since the season hasn't started yet (and I probably won't be doing that today) I'm going to include the CL draw now... It's not an easy one. CSKA should be manageable but are a decent enough side that we can't take them for granted, Bordeaux are pretty strong and and while beatable, could be very troublesome while Real Madrid are as strong as you'd expect (though hardly a 'super-team' like I've seen them and a few others be in the past) and while not necessarily anyone to be scared of, they might just be a little too good for us to handle at this point. Qualification is certainly realistic (and we'll almost certainly be able to make a strong Europa League challenge if we don't) but we can't afford any 'off-days'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodesire Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Looks like a very tough draw to me. Were you in second/third pot? Was CSKA in 4th? Best of luck getting anything from these, a cold late October night in Moscow sounds like a bad place. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 Great work managing 2nd Tough CL group but not impossible to get out of Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 11, 2014 Author Share Posted July 11, 2014 Looks like a very tough draw to me. Were you in second/third pot? Was CSKA in 4th? Best of luck getting anything from these, a cold late October night in Moscow sounds like a bad place. We were 2nd, and I presume CSKA were 4th. It makes sense given the relative strengths of the sides even if there's not as much between us all as there usually would be. When I draw Russian clubs in European Groups I do actually find myself concerned with when the away games are and I guess it could be worse this time, I'll be cold but hardly the depths of Winter. Great work managing 2nd Tough CL group but not impossible to get out of I don't see a genuinely open and testing group as an entirely bad thing, and it should it interesting seeing how we do. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Looks a good fun draw in Europe, and if you can turn a few of those draws in the league into wins next year, the Scudetto isn't beyond you either. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRL88 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Not the easiest of groups . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 13, 2014 Author Share Posted July 13, 2014 Looks a good fun draw in Europe, and if you can turn a few of those draws in the league into wins next year, the Scudetto isn't beyond you either. The trouble was more with keeping those draws and wins from turning back into defeats. Scudetto seemed a long shot to say the least and so it's proved. Not the easiest of groups . No, and it's not gone quite as well as I hoped but it's been interesting. Sept 2024 Inter 1-1 Juventus (A) We went to Inter for a very tough opening game. We were already weakened defensively by Tione breaking his foot at the Olympics and Gustavo also went off early on, giving them the chance to take the lead. We were generally on the back foot but still got a point from a Herrera equalizer in the 82nd minute. Juventus 2-0 Palermo (A) We looked better against a decent Palermo team, taking the lead from Laplace in the 37th minute, and Omar got his first goal to make it comfortable with 5 minutes left. Parma 1-2 Juventus (A) Ferrari gave us the lead after 5 minutes at Parma but that was just about the only bright spot in a dull first-half, which ended with do Nascimento getting sent off. They equalized from a penalty early in the second-half but Ferrari struck again in the 64th minute. Juventus 1-3 Real Madrid (CL) A tough CL group opened against Real Madrid, and we seemed fine for the first 20 minutes but then they hit us with 2 quick goals. A 3rd followed early in the second half, then do Nascimento got a straight red. Almost everyone had been terrible up to this point but we suddenly showed some life and Laplace at least gave us a goal in the 82nd minute. Juventus 1-1 Pescara (A) We conceded a 2nd minute penalty against Pescara and though Laplace equalized in the 25th minute we failed to go on to get the expected win. Atalanta 2-0 Juventus (A) Things didn’t improve at Atalanta, where we found ourselves 2 goals down at the break. Herrera and Fusco had goals disallowed in the second-half which sums up our luck at the moment. Juventus 2-0 Benevento (A) Diaz got his first goal for the club after 25 minutes against Benevento. Our first good performance for a few games saw Ferrari finish it off in the 68th minute. Oct 2024 Bordeaux 1-3 Juventus (CL) After the defeat to Madrid we couldn’t afford to mess up at Bordeaux. It didn’t look good when they took the lead in the 7th minute, but an Enzema equalizer in the 22nd minute was immediately followed by Herrera giving us the lead. Laplace went off injured (and would be out for 3-4 months, ouch ) , denying him the chance to score against his old club but Ferrari completed a 3-1 win. Sassuolo 0-2 Juventus (A) Ferrari scored again in the 20th minute at Sassuolo, Pickering adding another 5 minutes later for an easy win. Juventus 1-0 Catania (A) Herrera had a goal disallowed in the first half against Catania, but even with that we had most of the chances (they didn’t have a single shot on target) so failing to get more than 0-0 was disappointing. CSKA Moscow 0-0 Juventus (A) After 2 CL games we were level with CSKA in the battle for 2nd and we went to Moscow first. We struggled to make a breakthrough throughout but a draw was still a decent result as long as we could win the return. Sampdoria 1-3 Juventus (A) The game at Sampdoria was fairly even on balance but we were far more effective up front. Fusco gave us the lead in the 6th minutes with Gustavo and Pickering making it 3-0 by half-time, while they only managed a late consolation. Nov 2024 Juventus 5-0 Roma (A) We had 8 games in November, starting against Roma. Ferrari was looking like a breakout star and got a first-half brace. He completed a hat-trick in the 52nd minute and even got a 4th. Fusco finished off a 5-0 win with 5 minutes left. Juventus 1-1 CSKA Moscow (CL) We played CSKA hoping to get into pole position to qualify with a win. It looked good when Enzema gave us the lead just a minute in, but they equalized in the 20th minute, which as it stood would give them an away goals head-to-head advantage, so a failure to get a winner left us in a tricky position with Madrid to come next. Milan 3-0 Juventus (A) We fell rather flat in Milan, who scored in the 30th and 40th minutes, adding a late 3rd to beat us disappointingly decisively. Juventus 5-0 Brescia (A) Brescia was like a mirror of Roma goal-scoring wise. It was Fusco who kept getting the goals, with a hat-trick in the first 21 minutes and a 4th in the 66th minute. Ferrari got the late 5th this time, reversing the way things went between the 2 in the earlier game. Udinese 2-0 Juventus (A) Our away record was mixed this season and Udinese was definitely a bad day. They scored twice in the first-half and even though they went down to 10 men we couldn’t really fight back and also lost Herrera and Ferrari to injuries, the former was only for a short time but the latter was for about 1 ½ months which we could ill-afford with Laplace also out. Juventus 1-0 Ascoli (A) Even in a weakened state we easily had enough to see off Ascoli. Diaz got what turned out to be the only goal in the 38th minute though Fusco had one disallowed. Real Madrid 1-1 Juventus (CL) We went to Madrid needing to get something or hope Bordeaux did us a favour. Thankfully the French won their game, while we held out for a while but went behind after 40 minute. Kilic kept us in it with another great performance in a tough game (I was criticised in-game for spending 17.5M for him, which is admittedly a lot but in games like his he’s often proved precisely why a quality keeper is so important) which proved critical as though Tol had a header disallowed, an other-wise dire Robles snatched a stoppage time equalizer, putting us ahead of the Muscovites. We were both at home in the last round. We had potentially the easier game against Bordeaux but CSKA would fancy themselves to get something on a cold Moscow December night against Madrid. Cagliari 1-0 Juventus (A) 100th Juventus match! I reached 100 Juventus games already at Cagliari. We battered them in the first-half but couldn’t find a way through. It got worse when they took the lead in the 54th minute, after which we were rather subdued. It was just one of those days. 100 Juventus games already? How time flies. It's only been 2 years and 2 weeks. We've certainly improved quite a lot in that time but nowhere near enough yet. We started the season a lot better than last season but we've otherwise flat-lined at the point where we really kicked into gear last time around. Injuries haven't helped. Dione (probably our best defender) has been out all season so far though it thankfully almost ready to return, along with a few other injuries/suspensions that weakened the defence early on. Laplace having a long spell out himself was always going to be a potential handicap, not helped by Ferrari (who has 9 goals in 11 league games) joining him for a while. Even at full-strength we'd probably still be a little off the pace because young teams tend to be rather inconsistent and we've had some genuinely bad days along with a few good, both as a team and individually (Diaz, Stefanini, I'm looking at your general direction, even Ferrari has been rather hot and cold game-by-game despite his excellent overall record), and for the most part we've been 'decent' rather than particularly impressive. The CL has also exposed the fact that we're a side with a lot of growing yet to do. Real Madrid were actually no better than us on paper and the Madrid draw was definitely more reflective than the terrible home defeat, and we definitely should have beaten a much weaker CSKA side at least once, giving them a head-to-head advantage that doesn't look like it'll be as costly as it did but still theoretically could be. However after the draw I knew I'd be delighted with qualification and if we manage that I won't complain too much. It's in our hands with the theoretically easier last game, though Bordeaux could still technically go through themselves if they beat us by 3 goals (or 2, scoring at least 4) and CSKA don't win. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidBeckham Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 Good luck at Juventus mate! Surely glory days are near in Turin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 The league form could be a little better but thankfully you aren't too far off a CL spot so there's time to turn that round. Good luck in the last group game Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Hope you got what you needed in that last group game. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 16, 2014 Author Share Posted July 16, 2014 Good luck at Juventus mate! Surely glory days are near in Turin Maybe not so near. This is hardly the first time I've tried to build a top team using young players and as this year is proving, it often takes a while. I had a legendary Milan side a couple of years back (also on FM11) built on the same principle and they didn't win anything until the core of the side were 23. The long-term core of this side is a very incomplete, b) still in their teens and c) only some of them are of a similar quality to the Milan players anyway. It should come eventually though, once that Milan side started being successful they just wiped the floor with almost everyone both at home and abroad. Their last CL final was won 7-0! The league form could be a little better but thankfully you aren't too far off a CL spot so there's time to turn that round. Good luck in the last group game It's a little disappointing but not too surprising. This is a side with a lot of inexperienced players (not known for their consistency) having to cope with a far busier season with a bunch of CL games. With a few key players injured for a while. Classic ingredients for a 'Second Season Syndrome' slump. There are probably at least a couple of seasons of growing pains to come as well. Hope you got what you needed in that last group game. Thankfully it wasn't too hard, surprisingly. Dec 2024 Juventus 0-4 Fiorentina (A) We were sitting ducks against a strong Fiorentina side, showing no resistance whatsoever as they picked us off, one goal at a time, with 2 in each half, and it could easily have been more. Juventus 4-0 Bordeaux (CL) We could secure CL qualification if we beat Bordeaux but the win in our first encounter was our only one of the group stage. It ended up being easier than expected. Tol gave us the lead after 5 minutes, Gentile quickly getting another. Fusco set up Robles after 20 minutes and I knew we were safe. A 4th goal seemed a long time coming and Fusco sealed a man of the match performance with it 5 minute from the end. It was as brilliant a performance as Fiorentina was terrible. I didn't even need to keep an eye on what was happening in Moscow, which was just as well as CSKA won (in what was admittedly a dead rubber for Real Madrid) and would have put our qualification under serious threat otherwise. Porto seemed like a generous draw in the next round but they still had a few very dangerous players so they probably wouldn’t be easy in the slightest. Juventus 1-0 Lazio (A) Lazio was a tough game but this time we were able to hold firm. Robles gave us the win in the 39th minute but Kilic deserved at least as much thanks. Juventus 2-2 Napoli (A) Champions Napoli had started poorly but had improved quite a bit. Dione was back from injury at long last but only managed 10 minutes before going off again (thankfully only out for 2 weeks that would be in the mid-season break anyway, the game isn’t quite that evil, mostly). They took the lead in the 32nd minute but we fought back and Robles equalized in the 59th minute. Herrera even gave us the lead in the 73rd but it took just 5 minutes for a penalty (which Kilic still has a 0% save record with) to give them a share of the points. Jan 2025 Genoa 1-2 Juventus (A) We went to Genoa after the break, at full-strength for the first time this season. Herrera gave us the lead in the 7th minute but we still looked rather rusty and our failure to get another was punished with an 84th minute equalizer. We still pulled through with Omar setting up Catê for the latter’s first Juve goal (the reliable Enzema had been keeping him out of the team a vast majority of the time). Juventus 3-0 Parma (CI) Parma were our first cup opponents, with quite a few suspensions carried over from last year. It was still nice and easy. Omar pulled the strings and set up Robles in the 28th minute. We dominated in the second-half with Tol and Robles (again) sealing a 3-0 win, though Catê got sent off late on. Juventus 0-0 Inter (A) We played Inter, running away with the league as things stood, and gave a decent account of ourselves in an admittedly unimpressive 0-0 draw. Palermo 1-0 Juventus (A) 600th career match!! We went to Palermo for the 600th match of the career. We were firmly on the back foot in the first-half, and though we evened things out a lot more after the break we still fell to defeat with 5 minute left. Juventus 1-0 Napoli (CI QF) Napoli would be a tough cup Quarter-final game, but having fallen at this stage both seasons since I arrived, we made it 3rd time lucky thanks to a 28th minute Robles goal. It was mostly a victory of holding on and countering but Omar had another disallowed (just before going off injured). To my surprise we drew Serie C Valenzana in the semi’s though that had knocked out 4 Serie A sides in a row, Inter being the latest scalp (Sassuolo, Brescia and Benevento, admittedly all relegation-battlers, being the others) so it might not be a walkover. Feb 2025 Juventus 0-1 Parma (A) We played Parma for the second time in a month. We had a Robles goal disallowed and ended up going behind in the 25th minute, which proved to be the difference in a lacklustre defeat. Pescara 1-4 Juventus (A) We had been insanely busy since the end of the Winter break (and would be for the rest of the month) and it looked like it was catching up with us when we went behind in the 5th minute and Pescara and did nothing in the rest of the half. We thankfully woke up, equalizing from Tol in the 52nd minute, then Laplace assisted an own-goal. He got a goal of his own late on with Enzema sealing a 4-1 win. Benevento 0-3 Juventus (A) There was no rest for the weary as the games kept coming and we went to Benevento, our 3rd game in a week. We still had plenty of industry about us but there was no breakthrough. That changed when a fresh-faced Robles came on and scored in the 49th minute, adding another 10 minutes later and completing a hat-trick in the 86th. Juventus 1-0 Atalanta (A) After an international mid-week, Atalanta opened up another busy week. It was another game where it took until the second-half to get anywhere, Robles only getting a single 54th minute goal this time. Juventus 2-0 Porto (CL) We played the home leg in the CL against Porto, presumably in rather better condition than we were. It was surprisingly easier than I expected. It helped that their best player (by a very large margin) was suspended but maybe a freezing cold Turin night (the average Feb temperature in Oporto is just above 10 degrees, even higher in other parts of the country) played a little part as well. Fusco got the goals in the 10th and 22nd minutes, and we were dominant enough that really should have gone on to all-but-finish the tie there and then with a 3rd or maybe even a 4th. However we were still in a good position to go through anyway. Juventus 5-1 Sassuolo (A) We shockingly went behind in the 8th minute against Sassuolo, but Ferrari broke out of a bad run of form since his injury to equalize a few minutes later and Robles gave us the lead in the 20th minute. Ferrari got his second just before the break and though he missed a penalty, he still completed a hat-trick in the 62nd minute, wrapping up a 5-1 win with the other goal having come from Tol. Aside from the back to back league defeats to Palermo and Parma, we've generally been more solid in the past few months, though still far from impressive most of the time. The cups have given us more joy however. In the CL we made it out of a tricky group despite only beating 1 team, and are clear favourites to finish Porto off and reach the Quarter-finals. In the Italian cup we're in the Semis, and with Serie C opponents we have a great chance of reaching the final against Fiorentina or Lazio, and as they're both looking like qualifying for the CL we look like sneaking into Europe whatever happens either in the final or the rest of the league season (though we're looking good to grab 7th anyway at the moment). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Your form isn't too bad at all really, it just seems that the teams above you are picking up plenty of points too. At least it seems like you will end up in Europe again next season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodesire Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Serie C club in semis? Are you actually serious? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raware Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Steady enough in the league delta but nice to have the almost certainty of European qualification next season whatever happens Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 Your form isn't too bad at all really, it just seems that the teams above you are picking up plenty of points too. At least it seems like you will end up in Europe again next season It's annoying having stayed pretty much in the same place constantly despite form that perhaps should have seen us climb a couple of places at least, but that's just how it goes sometimes. Serie C club in semis? Are you actually serious? It's not that unusual seeing lower league clubs in cup finals and semi-finals, even teams below the second tier. In fact it was just 5 years ago in-game that my Slavia team beat such a side in the Czech Cup final. It's a pretty rare occurrence in any given country but it will happen every so often across the board. One of my most infamous defeats was a real 'smash and grab' to a 2nd Division B side in the Portuguese Cup semis back on FM05 when we (Braga) were the only Premier Division side left in. I still bear a minor grudge against Leca, the team that beat us, to the point of arranging a friendly with my FM09 Ipswich 'Golden Squad' but it was such a mis-match that I gained no satisfaction from it and still await my chance for proper payback. I seem to remember First Division clubs in the Norwegian Cup final was a relatively regular thing at least one time I was there (FM10 I think), and can specifically remember at least one other cup final with a lower division opponent (in Belarus), with probably a handful more at least so I've certainly seen enough of it in my FM experience not to be too surprised. Mar 2025 Catania 2-2 Juventus (A) The trip to Catania was a classic case of ‘First half good, Second half not-so-good’. Robles gave us the lead after 15 minutes, scoring a deserved 2nd shortly before half-time. We weren’t particularly bad after the break but were a bit sloppy. They pulled a goal back after an hour and having had an equalizer disallowed, got it anyway with a couple of minutes left. 2 points stupidly thrown away. Juventus 0-0 Sampdoria (A) We were disappointingly flat (perhaps with attentions turned to Porto) against Sampdoria, a game that very much deserved its 0-0 score. Porto 2-2 (2-4) Juventus (CL) We got off to a bad start in Porto, going down in the 3rd minute. However a Laplace equalizer (and away goal) in the 29th minute meant they needed 3 more. Ferrari pretty much finished it in the 52nd minute even though they denied us a win on the night. Roma 2-1 Juventus (A) Kilic would be out for 6-7 weeks, leaving us stuck with an aging Bulgarian ‘never was’ starting at Roma. They took the lead from a first minute penalty and things got worse when Tol had a goal disallowed and Cate and Laplace went off injured. Ferrari gave us an equalizer in the 70th minute but we still went down to a 77th minute goal. Juventus 1-2 Milan (A) We drew Milan in the CL and happened to face them in the league by way of a warm-up. We were lucky they had a goal disallowed after 18 minutes and it was still level at the break. We couldn’t complain at Milan finally taking the lead in the 66th minute. Laplace equalizer 5 minutes later but a penalty just a few minutes later sealed defeat anyway. Apr 2025 Brescia 0-5 Juventus (A) We weren’t in great shape to go to Brescia, but they made it surprisingly easy for us. Ferrari gave us the lead in the 15th minute and he got another in the 40th minute after they had a player sent off. Enzema (just about the only consistent player this season) made it 3-0 in the 64th minute and goals from Laplace and Gentile finished off a 5-0 win. Juventus 1-1 Milan (CL QF) We were at home to Milan first in the CL, hoping to do rather better than in the league a week and a half previously. Once again we rode our luck in the first-half, right down to the disallowed Milan goal. We actually had a bright spell early in the second half but it wasn’t enough and they took the lead in the 74th minute. Ferrari equalized 5 minutes later to keep us in the tie. Juventus 2-1 Udinese (A) We played Udinese before the return leg. Tol headed us into the lead after half an hour but they pushed hard and ‘supply keeper’ Dashev couldn’t hold them off forever. He did very well but eventually conceded in the 54th minute but another Tol header in the 67th minute gave us the win. Milan 2-0 (3-1) Juventus (CL QF) As expected, Milan were too good for us in the away leg, taking the lead in the 4th minute and when they got another in the 43rd I knew we were heading out. They had a goal disallowed against us for the 3rd game in a row but that was balanced by a disallowed Laplace goal in stoppage time, which would have made things look generously close anyway. Fiorentina 2-1 Juventus (A) I expected us to be easily beaten at Fiorentina but Ferrari gave us a 3rd minute lead and we could even have had another before they equalized at the end of the half. Our best chance seemed to be gone and they won the game in the 67th minute but even then Ferrari missed a late sitter that would have given us a draw. Valenzana 1-3 Juventus (CI SF) We went to Valenzana in the cup hoping to avoid being their 5th Serie A scalp of the season, but we easily saw them off. Laplace gave us the lead after 12 minutes, then setting up Ferrari before the break. They actually got one back early in the second-half through a Tol own-goal but Laplace sealed it, pretty much giving us 1 foot in the final. Ascoli 1-4 Juventus (A) It took a while to make a breakthrough at Ascoli but we managed it from Fusco in the 38th minute. They equalized from a 55th minute penalty but a brace from Robles put us firmly ahead after 70 minutes, Tol finishing off a 4-1 win. Unfortunately Ferrari’s season was over, due to injury. May 2025 Juventus 0-1 Cagliari (A) We dominated a lot of the first half against Cagliari, so inevitably we went behind in the 34th minute. We only occasionally had decent periods of pressure afterwards to fell to defeat. Napoli 3-2 Juventus (A) Laplace gave us an 18th minute lead at Napoli but the less said about the defence the better as they let Napoli in to lead 2-1 after 37 minutes. Laplace equalized just before the break but they got a winner on the hour mark. Juventus 1-0 (4-1) Valenzana (CI SF) All we had to do against Valenzana was avoid messing up big time, and surely even we could handle that. It looked like we couldn’t be bothered in the first half, and to be fair we didn’t need to. Laplace scored in the 48th minute and we had more pressure after that but no goals. Juventus 3-0 Genoa (A) Omar gave us a 7th minute lead against Genoa and though Laplace had one disallowed, Robles and Herrera wrapped things up after 55 minutes. Lazio 0-3 Juventus (A) We finished the season with multiple games against Lazio, starting in Rome in the final league game, probably needing an unlikely win to secure a top 7 finish. Promisingly, Omar gave us the lead after 25 minutes. I expected a backlash that didn’t come and 2 Robles goals in the second half sealed the win. Unfortunately I was worried we’d chosen the wrong game to perform well. Juventus 3-0 Lazio (CI Final) We also met them in the cup final, which again was easier than expected. Robles gave us an 8th minute lead. They actually had a lot of pressure but an own-goal extended the lead in the 36th minute. Again they were at least our equal on balance of play but we finished them off with an 80th minute Laplace goal, and in fact after that we were on top for the only time and could have had a 4th! Well that was a bit ‘Meh’. Unfortunately a lot of this young side wouldn’t know consistency if it walked up and shook their hands. However a few more experienced players (Laplace especially, but the defence as a whole) were also guilty of this. We couldn’t match the stronger sides and failed to impress a lot of the time against the ‘bread and butter’ teams. However this isn’t unexpected. I’ve built successful sides out of young players a few times before and I know that it takes at least a few years of growing pains for things to click. Ferrari sums the side up. He had a pretty good season on the face of it, He was our joint top-scorer (and our top league goalscorer) with 20 goals in 36 games at just 19, maybe one of the best young forwards in the world, but while he had a lot of excellent games, he also had a lot of very poor ones and with all the goals he really should have got he could easily have had almost double his goal tally. Imagine how good he’d be with a lot more consistency. There were a few positives going forward however. It’s great breaking our trophy duck relatively early on, as well as the fact that we were so good in back to back ‘away’ games against a strong Lazio side, showing signs of potential being realized in the bigger games. We would also have secured a European place anyway and next season’s Europa League should prove to be a very good ‘training run’ for future European campaigns. We may have reached the CL Quarter-finals but we only won 3 out of our 10 games and we certainly didn’t look like a side capable of making an impression on the big stage yet. Hopefully we’ll soon turn a corner in that regard, especially if I can find a few 19-20 yr olds that are already very strong as we could do with reinforcements who are more likely to hit the ground running. Star Player: When I arrived, Robles seemed like one of the few players with a long term future at the club. On paper he's been slightly eclipsed by a lot of the new talent brought in but he remains our 'Mr Reliable' up front (a bit of a 'tallest dwarf' competition, granted), rescuing more games over the past couple of years than it's possible to count. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 Well done on your first trophy with Juve first of many hopefully Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 19, 2014 Author Share Posted July 19, 2014 Well done on your first trophy with Juve first of many hopefully Oh it will be, you can count on that However I'm still very much playing it long-term for a while. Signings 12M from Marseille 5.5M from Bayern 11M from Man Utd 800k loan fee from Lyon Future Signings (My usual policy is to only show players in the season they arrive after a lot of confusion about how to handle future transfers but I felt like making an exception this time, especaially as I won't be able to sign a non-eu player (unless they're at another Italian club or have dual-nationality, which thankfully a decent number of them do) so I thought I show why I was so willing to pay that short-term price, especially as they were only 10.5M in total! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted July 19, 2014 Share Posted July 19, 2014 Some great signings there Serginho though If his speed can get up a bit he could be really immense by the time he joins you Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brucehum Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Doing really well so far! Keep it up Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
withnail316 Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Great work so far. Congrats on the Coppa. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Ah, the Old Lady - I know her well! Looking a very competitive Serie A. Shame you never won the league with Slavia. You were in a great position to do so during your final season too Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 21, 2014 Author Share Posted July 21, 2014 Some great signings there Serginho though If his speed can get up a bit he could be really immense by the time he joins you As a likely Target Man it doesn't seem like it'll matter that much, especially as he's hardly immobile now and should get a little faster naturally. P Doing really well so far! Keep it up Great work so far. Congrats on the Coppa. Thanks, not started the season so well though Ah, the Old Lady - I know her well! Looking a very competitive Serie A.Shame you never won the league with Slavia. You were in a great position to do so during your final season too I'm pretty sure I didn't dream winning the title in 2019 (post 110) It was still a pity we couldn't really repeat it though. Aug 2025 Inter 4-0 Juventus (SC) We started against Inter in the super cup. There wasn’t much between us in the first-half but they got two goals, the second a penalty, in the last 5 minutes before the break. It turned into a very bad day as they scored a 3rd and a Stefanini own-goal gave them a 4-0 win. Metalist 1-4 Juventus (EL) Metalist would be our first European opponents and we went to Ukraine first. They were never going to be much of a challenge and Ferrari gave us the lead in the 5th minute, followed by Laplace in the 28th. Tol and Laplace made it 4-0 in the first 6 minutes of the second-half while they got a 74th minute consolation. Sampdoria 1-1 Juventus (A) Our travels continued as we started the league season at Sampdoria. I was expecting a win which made it a little disappointing that we never really convinced and even went down just before half-time. Laplace at least slightly spared our blushes with a stoppage time equalizer. Juventus 3-2 (7-3) Metalist (EL) We went behind in the 14th minute of the home leg against Metalist, admittedly comfortable enough that we didn’t need to try too hard or be too careful. However we still won on the night thanks to Catê’s equalizer in the 26th minute, an own-goal before half-time and Ferrari giving us a 3-1 lead at the start of the second-half, even though they got a late 2nd. We were seeded 1st for the group draw, facing Hercules (the Spanish club, not the Dutch, Westerlo (our knockout round opponents from a few years ago) and Copenhagen. Hercules actually looked reasonably good and it wouldn’t be a walkover but I still felt like we could top the group and qualify comfortably. Juventus 1-1 Pescara (A) We spent the first-half against Pescara getting nowhere, and when Tol gave us the lead at the start of the second-half they equalized almost immediately. We pushed very hard for the rest of the match and I was disappointed that we couldn’t get a winner. That was a game we should have won, no excuses. Sept 2025 Parma 2-0 Juventus (A) We had a good first-half at Parma but failed to get anywhere (surprise, surprise). Stefanini got sent off after an hour leading to a strong rearguard action but they still broke through in the 79th minute and they got a stoppage time second. Juventus 4-1 Copenhagen (EL) The first Europa group game was against Copenhagen and we took the lead from Ferrari in the 4th minute and he completed a hat-trick by the 36th minute. Catê scored in the 55th minute as we eventually won 4-1, though lost Laplace for 3-4 weeks. Juventus 2-0 Udinese (A) With just 2 points from 3 league games, we couldn’t afford not to beat Udinese. Kilic saved a penalty for the first time ever just a few minutes in. Ferrari gave us the lead in the 14th minute, and while it was far from comfortable at times, we deserved a second and got it from Robles in the 78th minute. Fiorentina 0-1 Juventus (A) It would be hard to build on it at Fiorentina. It was generally a matter of staying firm at the back but Robinho got his first goal for the club in the 58th minute, giving us a surprise lead, and while Fusco had another disallowed that would have stretched credulity a bit too far anyway. Juventus 1-3 Cagliari (A) Cagliari was also potentially tricky, but we got off to a good start when Robles gave us a 21st minute lead. They equalized just before the break but the second-half was a disaster. Diaz got sent off conceding a penalty (which they scored) on the hour mark, and despite a valiant effort to equalize, we suffered from Tol doing the same in stoppage time as we ended the game with just 8 men (Stefanini having gone off injured) and a 3-1 defeat. Not a good start. Inter in the Super Cup was a really bad off day followed by 2 points from the first 3 league games that should have been at least 5 and probably even 7. After Parma I toned down the ambition on the tactics a little (which was something I had been thinking about after last season anyway), hoping to get some simple efficiency going and it seems to be paying off so far so hopefully we can continue to improve quite a lot from this point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodesire Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 You seem to be struggling heavily this season, delta. Wish you could go on a little in-form journey Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Off the pace a bit which is a shock because you seem to have bought well, hopefully things will pick up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 22, 2014 Author Share Posted July 22, 2014 You seem to be struggling heavily this season, delta. Wish you could go on a little in-form journey Off the pace a bit which is a shock because you seem to have bought well, hopefully things will pick up. I know! We haven't exactly been bad (Inter aside) but things just haven't gone our way. We should have had at least 5 (probably 7) points from the first 3 league games so to get just 2 was rather depressing. Thankfully once I changed things tactically we did start to improve considerably and that's definitely borne fruit in today's session. Oct 2025 Westerlo 3-4 Juventus (EL) We went to Belgium for the next European game and made considerably tougher work of it than it needed to be. Robles gave us a 4th minute lead, and we looked set for another comfortable win, like Copenhagen, but they equalized after 20 minutes. Ferrari put us back on track on the half-hour mark but a penalty made it 2-2 late in the half. Robles made it 3-2 in the 55th minute but they equalized a 3rd time, Robles finally sealing it in the 73rd minute with another disallowed. 10/10 for the attacking players, about 2/10 for the defence. Juventus 2-0 Roma (A) We had a comfortable time back in the league against Roma, Ferrari gave us the lead in the 12th minute, soon followed by a Robinho penalty, and it we could easily have been a 3rd. Inter 1-2 Juventus (A) Ferrari had an early goal disallowed at Inter but Robles gave us the lead anyway in the 32nd minute. We couldn’t quite hold out and they equalizer under an hour but Ferrari struck in the 83rd minute to give us the win anyway. Juventus 1-0 Hercules (EL) The Hercules games would be a battle to see who finished top, and we were at home first. Ferrari’s goal in the 16th minute ended up giving us the win as they were less of a challenge than they could have been. Palermo 1-3 Juventus (A) We had the advantage of playing against 10 men for almost the entire match at Palermo. Laplace was back from injury and he gave us a 7th minute lead. He got on the end of a do Nascimento cross in the 39th minute, sealing a hat-trick early in the second-half while they could only respond from a 58th minute Dione own-goal. Juventus 3-1 Reggina (A) Given our recent form, it was surprising to see us struggle against Reggina of all teams, but we woke up in the second-half and Ferrari gave us the lead almost instantly. They had a good spell, equalizing in the 67th minute just after having a goal disallowed but Robinho immediately restored the advantage and Ferrari sealed it with a few minutes left. Nov 2025 Catania 1-3 Juventus (A) Another busy month started at Catania, which was fairly tight for large parts of the match but Ferrari caught them unawares at the start of the second-half. Laplace and a Gentile penalty made it safe in the last 10 minutes while they got a very late consolation. Hercules 2-0 Juventus (EL) We went to Spain, going behind in the 14th minute. Ferrari had an equalizer disallowed a couple of minutes later and we failed to get back into the game afterwards, conceding another in the 75th minute. We were still 2 points ahead and looking good to stay top anyway. Juventus 3-0 Bari (A) We expected a good win against Bari, but kept knocking on the door with no success. Laplace finally broke through after 70 minutes with a Ferrari brace right at the death making it comfortable. Napoli 1-0 Juventus (A) We went to table-topping Napoli for our 4th match in 12 days, going behind in the 7th minute. We had a brief spell of hope for an equalizer but otherwise were overwhelmed and all we could do was avoid conceding another. Juventus 3-2 Benevento (A) Benevento was one of those games where the attack was very nearly let down by the defence. Ferrari gave us the lead in the 7th minute, only to see them equalize a few minutes later. He restored the lead in the 32nd minute but again it was short lived. It looked like we’d be dropping silly points but Ferrari finally sealed his hat-trick and the win in the 79th minute. Juventus 1-0 Bologna (A) Ferrari had one of his infamous (but thankfully much rarer) off-days against Bologna but otherwise it was a case of job done with the minimum of fuss. Robinho making the difference in the 28th minute, and we definitely would have deserved another. What a difference a little tactical tweak makes! Since the start of the game I've been rather ambitious (helped by having a flat-back 5) which worked well up to last season but after starting the season the way we did I decided that the side was just too young and inexperienced to pull it off. All it took was a slight toning down of the previous attacking mentality (which I've literally just discovered looking a the settings was accidentally dialed down to 'counter' not 'control' which really shouldn't work so well with direct passing but we've done so well anyway that there's no point changing it for now) and creative freedom and a bit more rigidity, which has made us a lot more solid at the back (though bad days do occasionally happen) and more efficient up front, giving us 13 wins from 16 games since, with differing reasons why we lost the other three. Strength of opponent for Napoli, everything going wrong at the back for Cagliari and a mixture of the two for Heracles. Ferrari is the epitome of how much more successful this new approach has been. Despite a good 20 goals last season his form was erratic and he easily wasted enough golden chances to double that tally. He started the season off with just 2 goals (both against Metalist) in the 6 games before the tactical switch, but he's averaged a goal a game since. I said at the end of last season that if the 19yr old could get some consistency he could be incredible and while he still has a few too many poor games for my liking (and it took a few games for him to start scoring regularly in the league as well as Europe, where he's generally had easier opponents and still has a far better ratio, 7 goals in 6 games compared to a still good 11 in 15) he's most definitely looking a lot like the player I was hoping he'd be. Looking ahead, Napoli would be tough to catch even if we keep it up so my main aim is to get back in the CL and to try and stay as one of the stronger sides now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodesire Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Now that's what I meant by a in-form trip. Looking real good, just keep the pace up, Napoli and AC Milan may yet slip a bit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Much better form now, hopefully you can keep it up Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 Now that's what I meant by a in-form trip. Looking real good, just keep the pace up, Napoli and AC Milan may yet slip a bit. Much better form now, hopefully you can keep it up Sadly we couldn't quite... Dec 2025 Copenhagen 0-3 Juventus (EL) We could comfortably seal qualification from the Europa League group in Copenhagen. This was a weak Copenhagen side, there for the taking, but we failed to take advantage of it in the first-half. Robles came on for a disappointing Ferrari and showed him how it was done, giving us the lead after 50 minutes and grabbing 2 more late on as we secured top spot as well with a game to go. Atalanta 0-2 Juventus (A) After a couple of bad games, Ferrari’s place in the side was only rescued by a suspension for Laplace and he made the most of it by giving us the lead in the 17th minute at Atalanta. Gentile missed a penalty, keeping it tight for a while but he made amends with a 65th minute goal that made it more comfortable. Juventus 4-1 Ascoli (A) Stefanini got sent off early on against Ascoli (seriously he’s a red card magnet!) but we easily saw them off. Ferrari gave us the lead in the 37th minute, beating his 20-goal tally of last season (though still a couple off his league total) just before the break with Robles scoring in the meantime. Dione’s header in the 64th minute made it 4-0 while they got a late goal themselves. Juventus 2-1 Westerlo (EL) The Westerlo game was a European dead rubber, and there was a lot of action at both ends before a Dione header gave us the lead in the 39th minute. It looked safe when Robles scored in the 54th minute but they got a goal back in the 79th minute and nearly equalized. Not that it would have mattered as we ended up with more than double the points of anyone else. Rostov seemed like easy opponents in the next round (aside from the whole, ‘Russia in the depths of winter’ thing) with potentially more interesting opponents in Besiktas or Benfica afterwards. [/b]Juventus 0-1 Lazio (A)[/b] Lazio, just behind us in the battle for 4th, were our last pre-break opponents. Robles got a straight red after 20 minutes and the other attacking players didn’t do much better. They eventually got the win with a goal after 50 minutes as we were no threat at all. Jan 2026 Milan 1-1 Juventus (A) We returned at Milan and Laplace gave us the lead in the 32nd minute but they were otherwise firmly on top and I couldn’t complain when they equalized just before the break and I was glad to hold on to a point. Juventus 0-1 Sampdoria (A) We dominated for large parts of the first-half against Sampdoria but still went behind in the 39th minute. We still fought hard but somehow couldn’t even equalize, not helped by Ferrari’s worst game even by his standards of off-days. Juventus 3-1 (aet) Cagliari (CI) Our cup defence got off to a slow start against Cagliari, not helped by a bunch of suspensions carried over from last year. Laplace scored in the 53rd minute but they quickly equalized and it went to extra-time. Ferrari roused himself from yet another poor game, assisting an own-goal in the 100th minute and Dione wrapped it up right at the end. Pescara 0-1 Juventus (A) We were slipping badly in the league and had all manner of chances at Pescara. It looked like we’d be held to 0-0 at best and even suffer a Sampdoria style defeat but Ferrari pulled through for us with 5 minutes left. Juventus 4-1 Parma (A) Wright and Ferrari gave us a 2-0 lead in the last 5 minutes of the first-half against Parma. An own-goal in the 54th minute made it pretty safe and though they got a goal back, Ferrari finished it in the 80th minute. Palermo 3-0 Juventus (CI QF) We went to Palermo in the cup quarter-finals and unfortunately went down easily. They took the lead as early as the 4th minute, getting another in the 32nd, with a 3rd disallowed which they were gifted by a Pickering own-goal anyway. Udinese 2-1 Juventus (A) Ferrari gave us the lead after 3 minutes at Udinese but the normally reliable Kilic dropped a clanger (and probably a womble as well) to gift them an equalizer in the 28th minute. We probably had the better of things afterward but fell to a surprise winner 5 minutes from time. Feb 2026 Juventus 1-1 Fiorentina (A) I was expecting a tough time against Fiorentina so it was frustrating to see us have 2 goals disallowed (from Robinho and Ferrari) in the first 9 minutes. We pretty much shot our bolt and they duly took the lead after 25 minutes. The referee was spared waking up to a horses head when Ferrari had an equalizer allowed to stand at the start of the second half but he’d clearly had some bad experiences with FIAT’s at some point as he gave do Nascimento a straight red. Cagliari 1-3 Juventus (A) We went behind in the 4th minute at in another tricky game at Cagliari, but Ferrari was on song with a 20th minute equalizer. After what happened at Fiorentina it was great to have the benefit of a disallowed goal this time, which allowed Ferrari to eventually put us ahead in the 52nd minute. It was a tight game so it was surprising to get a 3rd from Fusco near the end. Rostov 3-2 Juventus (EL) We went to Rostov for the resumption of the Europa League, hoping superior quality would win over the Russian winter. It looked good as Fusco gave us the lead in the 38th minute, Omar making it 2-0 in the 50th minute. They pulled a goal back in the 67th minute, which wasn’t too worrying but a late defensive collapse gave them 2 goals in the last few minutes. Juventus 2-0 Palermo (A) We were without a left-back against Palermo but we managed to cruise through anyway. Robles gave us the lead in the 64th minute, with Catê sealing it 20 minutes later. Juventus 5-0 (7-3) Rostov (EL) I had high hopes that we could turn things around against Rostov, having never should have been in the position to have to turn it around in the first place. With 2 away goals, Robles’ 6th minute goal by itself would be enough. The American got another in the 12th minute before going off injured. That allowed Fusco on to score the 3rd in the 38th minute and Robinho got the 4th just before half-time. A 5th goal was long in coming and Ferrari got it at the end. Benfica would be next, not a bad side but I felt we were comfortable favourites. Unfortunately our form dropped off a bit for a couple of months but we've kept ourselves firmly in the running for a CL place. Ferrari's continued to fire (for the most part) and we've remained pretty good on the attacking front but the defence continues to be a major let-down. We're just about on course to match my pre-season expectations of at least being close to the top 4, a decent improvement on last time but we we're certainly capable of being challengers if we could get our act together so there's still a bit of a cloud of underachievement in the air. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Not the greatest few months but you are still in with a shout of 4th and still in Europe so at least there is some hope. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidBeckham Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Good luck in your chase for Champions League football and hope you keep progressing in the EURO cup! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 Not the greatest few months but you are still in with a shout of 4th and still in Europe so at least there is some hope. Good luck in your chase for Champions League football and hope you keep progressing in the EURO cup! Thanks, we got really close in the end and really should have done it. Mar 2026 Roma 1-3 Juventus (A) We started the month at Roma and took a 2-0 lead from a quick Ferrari brace around the 20 minute mark. It was too much to ask for the defence not to make any major mistakes and Roma were able to pull a goal back just before the break but Laplace soon sealed a 3-1 win. Juventus 1-1 Inter (A) Inter was rather a dull affair, not entirely a bad thing. Fusco gave us the lead after 50 minutes, in a marginally improved second-half but they equalized (another defensive fail sadly) in the 77th minute and Fusco then had a potential winner disallowed. Juvenrus 3-1 Benfica (EL) We were at home first against Benfica, and I was hoping for a multiple-goal winning margin. We started slowly but Catê gave us a 40th minute lead and Laplace made it 2-0 in the 47th. So far, so good, especially when Gentile’s took it to 3-0 after an hour but they immediately pulled a goal back and threatened to get another so the job was far from done yet. Reggina 0-3 Juventus (A) We comfortably saw off Reggina away before going to Lisbon, Laplace gave us the lead in the 15th minute with Ferrari adding another on the stroke of half-time, also getting a 3rd in the middle of the second-half. It was a great performance all round but it was only against the team bottom of the league. Benfica 0-1 (1-4) Juventus EL) A 2-0 defeat in Lisbon would send us out of Europe but we barely gave them a sniff for the first half-hour and even should have taken the lead ourselves. We did so at the end of the first-half (from Dione) just as they were starting to threaten. The second-half was played at a very hectic pace but for once we were very strong defensively and there was no way through, even if we failed to get another ourselves. We got Hoffenheim in the quarter-finals, the winner playing Schalke or Porto. Not the worst of draws (and we certainly avoided a couple of teams I was hoping to) but not necessarily easy either. Juventus 1-1 Catania (A) We got off to a poor start against Catania, going behind after 12 minutes. We really took the game to them in the second-half, eventually equalizing through an own-goal after 70 minutes, and were unfortunate to be denied a deserved win from a disallowed Ferrari goal 10 minutes later. Bari 1-2 Juventus (A) We went behind early again at Bari, this time being rather quicker in getting chances to come back but looking like scoring was another matter. Fusco eventually managed it in the 68th minute, with Laplace seeing us get the win after all. Apr 2026 Hoffenheim 3-2 Juventus (EL QF) We went to Germany for the first leg against Hoffenheim, and were totally on the back foot until they scored after half an hour. The last 5 minutes of the half were hectic as Ferrari and Herrera gave us a 2-1 lead before a penalty allowed them to equalize. They ended up getting a winner in the 63rd minute in yet another ‘great in attack, poor in defence’ performance but we still had a decent chance. Juventus 1-4 Napoli (A) Napoli wasn’t the game I’d have chosen to have in between and we went behind in the 2nd minute. We looked good to equalized but were hit by another 20 minutes later. We deserved at least one goal and got it from Ferrari in the 32nd minute but Herrera missed a penalty that would have made it 2-2. We remained their equal on balance of play but the defence was shocking and let Napoli pick us off with 2 more for a 4-1 losing margin we really didn’t deserve. Juventus 1-3 (3-6) Hoffenheim (EL QF) I wasn’t too worried going into the home leg against Hoffenheim knowing that just a simple 1-goal win would be enough (as long as we didn’t concede at least 2). We got off to a strong start but were still hit by a Hoffenheim goal in the 15th minute. Robinho equalized just 6 minutes later but they remained a threat. Like Napoli, we looked promising going forward but they hit us with the lethal 2nd in the 66th minute and a Catê own-goal 5 minutes later completed the defensive horror show. Hoffenheim are good enough that it’s no shame going out to them but not in this way. Benevento 1-1 Juventus (A) We had a bit of a morale problem before we went to Benevento. I even dropped Kilic in goal, not least because his ‘average rating over the last 5 games’ was just 6.18!!! We weren’t bad by any means but they piled on the misery with a goal in the 50th minute. A Benevento own-goal gave us a point with 15 minutes left but not much pride had been salvaged. Bologna 0-1 Juventus (A) The trip to Bologna was a textbook case of hammering away and getting nowhere but we at least had Ferrari back from suspension and he finally gave us the win in stoppage time. Juventus 2-2 Atalanta (A) Our habit of going behind against middling teams continued in the 4th minute against Atalanta. We looked like turning it around with a Fusco brace in the second-half but they snatched an equalizer at the end of stoppage time. May 2026 Lazio 0-2 Juventus (A) Things were pretty tight from 4th to 7th and we had a key trip to Lazio. I was surprised when Fusco gave us the lead in the 14th minute. They had a player sent off a few minutes later which made it rather easier to keep it and veteran defender Skoko finished it off in the 67th minute. Juventus 1-1 Milan (A) We would be in a decent position to grab the last CL spot when we went to Milan. It looked good when Fusco gave us a deserved lead at the end of the first-half, but we failed to build on it and they equalized with a few minutes left, even having a potential winner disallowed. Ascoli 1-4 Juventus (A) We went into the last day with European football sealed but while we could be confident of beating Ascoli, we’d also need Lazio to drop points at home to Bologna to get 4th. Sadly they found it as comfortable as I knew they would but we at least signed off on a good win. Fusco was the main star, giving us a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes and though they got a goal before the break, Fusco completed a hat-trick in the 49th minute and Herrera wrapped up a 4-1 win 10 minutes later. This is very much a season to have mixed feelings about. On the positive side, Ferrari continued to improve, which I knew would be an important factor in any future success, we had a convincing European run (until Hoffenheim), admittedly against less than-impressive teams, looked very strong for large parts of the season and pretty much met my expectations at the start of the season. Napoli was also our only league defeat after January. Unfortunately it could have been so much better. We were easily worth 4th but were left slightly handicapped by the terrible start to the season, followed by the little mid-season slowdown, and after a great start to the spring, April was a bit of a let-down. By themselves, the Hoffenheim/Napoli games weren’t a massive disaster but morale was low for a while after that (I had to drop a number of players for that reason alone) and late on in the season we drew a few times against teams we should have beaten (with a couple of really close calls like Bologna) which proved to be one too many in the end. The defence was a particular worry. The initial bunch of signings (plus those already at the club who were worth keeping) are either starting to get old or aren’t quite good enough for a top class side, while the younger ones are still an inexperienced liability. Everyone had numerous nightmares this season so it wasn’t just down to the youngsters finding their feet like I assumed last time. After Hoffenheim I’d pretty much had enough of it and the fact that I dropped Kilic in goal (who stayed dropped for the rest of the season) says it all about how bad it had gotten. The problem is partly being rectified. As you may remember, last summer I used up my ‘non eu signing’ for the following 3 years, the first two of which are going to be defenders of genuine quality and certainly if I can find others of a similarly high standard (which admittedly won’t be easy otherwise I’d have done more of it already) I won’t hesitate in making them priority signings. Star Player: Ferrari was one of those players you looked at as a teenager (17 in his case) and think 'He's going to be fantastic, I need to make sure I get him' so I was delighted to see he was available in my first summer at Juventus and wasted no time snapping him up. He's made clear progress in each of his 3 season at the club so far and while he still has a few too many bad games (and I mean poor rather than merely average) for my liking I can't argue with his record. In fact he was part of a 3-way tie at the top of the European golden boot rankings this season. It looks like he's hitting his stride and as long as he can keep it up he'll be one of our main men for years to come, just as I hoped he would. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodesire Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 Ferrari looks so so sick! Well done on nurturing him into a machine already! I am sure you'll figure out a way out of your current position, just keep doing what you do Oh, just spotted you still got a EL spot, that will do for now Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted July 26, 2014 Share Posted July 26, 2014 Shame you didn't get the top 4 spot but it looks like if you can turn some of those draws in to wins you'll not be far off which i'm sure you'll be able to do if you can get the service in to Ferrari Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 26, 2014 Author Share Posted July 26, 2014 Ferrari looks so so sick! Well done on nurturing him into a machine already! I am sure you'll figure out a way out of your current position, just keep doing what you do Oh, just spotted you still got a EL spot, that will do for now It'll just about do for now. From this point on we really should be aiming to be in the CL on a consistent basis. Unfortunately potential reinforcements are alarmingly thin on the ground (which I'll discuss in the pre-season update) so it'll be a matter of hoping things finally click at the back, especially as Ferrari will miss the first month or so of the season with a broken leg Shame you didn't get the top 4 spot but it looks like if you can turn some of those draws in to wins you'll not be far off which i'm sure you'll be able to do if you can get the service in to Ferrari That's the easy part. Some of those draws a matter of keeping the loss tally low, not about not having enough wins and sure enough after a similar run of form a couple of years back the defeats were back with a vengeance the following year (so to speak). Ferrari's certainly playing his part, now if the defence can discover a degree of competence, that'd be great. Anyway transfer news looks like it'll be thin in the ground this summer but there is news on another front... While internationals sometimes get in the way of club management, I was at least open to a European team (which would be less disruptive schedule-wise) so accepted the Italy post (a toss up between that and England), which among other things would be good for getting an early heads up on the best young players in the country so I can get them for Juventus. Thankfully aside from a really strong team (with a last WC exit hopefully lowering expectations a little) we have an easy Euro qualifying group. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted July 26, 2014 Author Share Posted July 26, 2014 Summer 2026 The trouble with only going for young players is that sometimes the well of talent can run pretty dry (though similarly It can be surprisingly bountiful), as it’s been for a while now. It didn’t help that I finally set up a filter for Determination and that I couldn’t sign any non-eu players for a couple more years because of the future transfers I set up last year but even then, Germany has been a very rich source of young players in the past (both ‘Magical Milan’ sides and the FM13 Ipswich side featuring a strong German core), and France as well to a lesser extent (Spain, surprisingly not so much though there have been a few) so even without access to Brazilians there should still be options that are strangely lacking right now. It wasn’t all bad. This year saw the first of two potentially important defensive signings, while having had Ferrari as the only young forward signed (with another on the way in a couple of years’ time) I managed to add a second (thanks to German second-nationality, same as Kilic had) though he was admittedly at the upper limits of what I’d been prepared to pay for him both in terms of fee and wages. Hopefully he’d be part of a successful long-term group of forwards in the future. The only other signing was a backup keeper. Expectations were to get into Europe again but I felt we should be aiming specifically for the CL and hopefully make a serious EL challenge this time. A lot would depend on how much the defence had learned their lesson from last year, as well as Ferrari being able to fire once he returned from a broken leg that would leave him side-lined in the opening weeks. Transfers 2.5M from St. Etienne 19M from Man Utd 650k from Livorno Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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