[FM18] Il Bel Gioco

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

 

Gorgeous, isn't it?  After visiting on my honeymoon a few years ago, I don't think there's anywhere as beautiful I've been in the world than Lake Como.  Back before I'd visited, I managed the club side, Calcio Como, many versions ago, spending 10 seasons achieving very little other than soaring promotions and crushing relegations.  Also close to an administration or two.  When I did finally make it to Como, despite staying quite far up the lake (it's awfy big), I dragged my new wife down the lake to Como itself to see the magnificent stadium that would surely be waiting.

Oh.

Well, it's certainly rustic.  Not quite the magnificent cauldron of football I expected, but it has its charm.  I expect it's something altogether different on matchday...so why don't we find out?

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

So this is going to be slightly different to normal.  I started this save thinking that I wouldn't put it up as a career, instead having a save that I just enjoyed, without any kind of pressure to document it all the time.  But after a few seasons, I got the itch to start writing again, and I think I've hit the perfect point to start again.  It may be a long-term one, or I may just do a single season.  Who knows.

Anyway, on with the show.

So Calcio Como that I mentioned before are no more.  They hit financial problems during the 2016/17 season that led to the club being declared out of business.  From the brief details on wikipedia, the wife of Ghanaian legend Michael Essien, Akosua Puni Essien, was in advanced talks to buy the club, but that fell through.  They were eventually admitted as a new company - Como 1907 - into Serie D, the fourth tier of Italian football.  That doesn't seem so bad, but with the third tier being divided into 3 huge divisions, and the fourth into eight, that's quite a low level.  It's also considered amateur football.  Quite the drop, but hey, it'd be quite a story to bring them up, wouldn't it?

My first season as manager saw me make quite a few changes to the squad, taking advantage of the lax loan rules at this level, and the fact that I could pick up a lot of players on a non-contract basis.  I was happy with the changes I'd brought in, and boy did that happiness spread to the team...

 

Yes, an absolutely wonderful start to the season.  The media had us down as probable second-placed finishers, and you can see by the difference in attendances at our place and away that we are a considerably bigger deal than some of our rivals.  Still though, first big job in the new game and it was going oh so well.  Defending pretty well, attacking even better.  Great.  What could possibly go wrong?

 

 

Well, this.  A narrow defeat at Caronnese pushed us into a bit of a spin.  We did pick up some good wins along the way, but every time we seemed to get up a head of steam, we got smashed back down again.  Our incredible early pace had slowed considerably, but we were still challenging for the top spot.

 

 

We finished strongly, but those results against Bra (fnar) and friends really put a dent in our title aspirations.  However...

 

 

That final day win against Casale, when coupled with AS Varese and Folgore Caralese dropping points, meant that we sneaked into top spot on the final day and got promoted back to Serie C as champions.  A massive relief given that only one side goes up.  A good first season, but Serie C would be another challenge entirely.

Wouldn't it?

 

 

 

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Once again, in preparation for another tough season, I delved into the loan market to bring in some extra quality.  It's amazing who you can pick up, really, essentially giving yourself a whole new team for zero financial outlay.  Of course, at the end of each season you're left with just the tea lady and a few youth players that escaped the annual cull, but during the season it's great.

Very great.  Whereas last season we were favourites to go up, this time we were the complete opposite, and expected to sink like a beautiful stone.  But as October closed out, after ten games, we were still unbeaten.  Granted there were four draws in there, but shhhhh.  Still we were defending fairly well, and our new signings - particularly Mario Ravasio (more on him later) - were very impressive.  

What could possibly go wrong?

Reality bites on the lake as three poor results really brought us back down to Earth.  Alessandria were the early pace setters, unbeaten just like us, and that match had already painted itself as the biggest test of our credentials.  Clearly, we failed.  It was only 1-0, but they were by far the better side.  That was disappointing, but something we could deal with.  Two more defeats on the spin wasn't so good though, and just two weeks after we were flying high, it looked like we were on the slide.  

Some slide though.  After two hard-fought victories in the league, it was the cup that became our speciality.  Monza were the favourites, and so were Piacenza, but both of them fell to put us into the Italian equivalent of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.  We were then drawn against Alessandria, which I thought would be the end of it.  But then, a little over three months since they burst our bubble, we well and truly burst theirs and dumped them out of the cup.  They looked like they were invincible, we proved they weren't.

Unfortunately, it wasn't going to do much good exposing the chinks in their armour when we couldn't get the job done in the league.  After four wins on the bounce around our cup heroics, we then drew a ridiculous five in a row - scoring just two goals - to surely extinguish any chance of the title and probably promotion.  Luckily for us, there's a particularly generous playoff system, but even that could end up being beyond us with this form.

One thing's for sure, March would need to see a massive upturn in form.

 

Forza Como!

I don't think I could have picked a better match to have during that run of awful draws than a cup game, because we seem to be bloody brilliant at those.  We were the underdogs again, but Verona were put to the sword in blistering fashion with four first half goals.  We looked to be going in 2-1 ahead at half-time, but a penalty on the stroke of half-time and then a fourth three minutes into stoppage time essentially killed the tie.  There was a second leg, and it didn't quite go all our own way with Verona taking the lead twice.  The defensive lapses were worrying, but as you can see, we didn't really look back.  

Alessandria had fallen away and allowed Italian legends Pro Vercelli to catch up with them.  They had fallen so far, that even after our dreadful mid-season form, we had caught up too.  There was even an outside chance of Parma and Piacenza getting there too.  But as that became apparent and the games ticked down, Alessandria just kept winning.  When we drew 1-1 with Parma, I said to myself that that would be the one that came back to haunt us.  

I was right, as Alessandria ended up taking the league title by a single point, with Pro Verceli and ourselves finishing 2nd and 3rd, with the former ahead on goal difference.  We were going into a long, looooong playoff system.  But you know what playoffs are?  Cup football.

And Como 1907 ****ing love cup football.

Pordenone almost spoiled the party in the very first game, handing out the sort of beating that we just weren't used to.  Even when we were struggling this season, we never quite got beat in this manner.  We went into the 2nd leg at home knowing we needed a markedly better performance, and luckily we got it, eventually sneaking by on penalties.  From there it was largely plain sailing.  Sambenedellese (what a name) frustrated us in the first leg before almost causing a shock (before a 2nd half blitz) and US Lecce only started trying after we had already battered them 4-1 in the first leg.  

It all came down to a one-off match in Florence, and we absolutely deserved the 3-1 win.

Onwards and upwards.  To Serie B we go.

 

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

So, two season down, and two so very different.  Favourites in one, and we sneaked through, and massive underdogs in the other.  Still, we sneaked through.  Whatever odds we faced in Serie C, though, that was nothing compared to what we faced here.  We were expected to finish stone-dead last, and for once I agreed with them.  Lots of loan players left the club, and I spent most of the summer trying to persuade them to re-join.  Some you win, some you lose, and by the end of the transfer window, no less than 13 players had joined either permanently or on loan.  Bit of a risk, as always, but should the worst happen and we end up relegated, we don't have a huge financial outlay to get rid of.

Oh dear.  Oh dear, oh dear.

When our status as cup specialists is well and truly extinguished - and by a side in a lower tier - you know something is wrong.  And when we finally started our league campaign that sense of unease was confirmed as point after point dropped out of our grasp.  We managed to steal a win from Bari, but they were the only points of the first four games.  After that, I guess you could say we went seven unbeaten, but although those draws seem like points gained, the performances were not good.  Every game followed a similar pattern - if we scored, and that was a big if, we would always get pegged back without fail.  We seemed incapable of defending a lead, and when we could we looked utterly toothless up front.  Luca Clemenza's goal against Pisa broke that run, and gave us that little bit of hope.  Could we really survive?

That's what relegation form looks like.  Thirteen games, seven defeats.  Had we turned those three draws into wins, it might have looked a bit better, but otherwise...bleurgh.  

It was even more galling because in the January transfer window, I went a bit mental.  You may remember seeing Antonio Loi scoring a hatful for us last season.  After he returned to his parent club, I got the opportunity to sign him permanently, although for a price.  As my first signing for more than around 50k, I shelled out almost 1 million on Loi to bring him back.  As you can see from those games in February...yeah, not so good.

What we needed was a run of results going into March, to stop it becoming a lost cause going into the final stretch.

And somehow, that's what we got.  We closed out February with two massive wins out of three games, and then went unbeaten in March, picking up nine points from fifteen.  We could have done better with those draws, but at this stage of the season, those draws turn from points dropped to points very much gained.  And it was a good thing too, given the absolute cavalcade of misery that filled April and May.

Less said about that the better, but only eight points from thirty is obviously dreadful form. 

Was it enough though?

 

Just.  In the end that against Benevento was what did it.  We secured our status with that one thanks to other results, making our final day funeral dirge against Salernitana irrelevant.  We had survived, which at the end of the day was the main objective, but it was a bruising encounter that has opened our eyes.

Could we do better in our second season?

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

So last time we left off, I had just about survived Serie B and been taught a valuable lesson about my place in Italian football.  Basically, we're scum, and we should effectively stay in our lane.

Balls to that.

 

For the first time, I bring you by signings over that summer.  Not the biggest, monetary-wise, but probably the most important.  Although we already had a number of decent strikers, we had already arranged for Riccardo Tonin to come to the club on being released by Milan.  Instead of being satisfied with having just 400 strikers at the club, I decided to make it 401, because Mario Ravasio, the genius who fired us into Serie B, returned to the club on a permanent basis.  That brought us a problem that I will get back to later.

As well as those two, we strengthened all over the pitch, bringing in Granata, Silvestre, Brindelli, Ventola and Pellegrini across the back-line and Gnoukouri and Clemenza in the middle (the latter being one of our loan stars now made permanent) .  A much-needed statement of intent, because I wasn't going to settle for another season like the last.

But these signings, as mentioned, gave me a problem.  I was very top-heavy, and already pretty weak defensively.  I've always been terrible at squad rotation, so I knew that if I just played the usual one up-front I would have a lot of unhappy players.  Six strikers to rotate, seven if you counted one of the highly rated youths.  There was only one thing for it.

Sound the Keggy alarm!

 

And that is more like it.  This time we breezed through the early cup rounds, and performed our usual early-season league heroics by going unbeaten into October.  Our new 4-3-3 formation was working absolute wonders, allowing me to play a rotation of our top five strikers in most games.  I usually went with Scamacca as the target-man, alongside Ravasio and Cortinovis, but as you can see Salvatore Lancia and Riccardo Tonin also got their chances.  However, it wasn't all plain sailing, and those draws point to a larger problem.  We were absolutely woeful at the back.  Like, seriously.  We were absolutely irresistible going forward, our front three interchanging perfectly on the counter-attack to render teams completely helpless.  But on the moments where that didn't work, teams would just win the ball back and then pick us off at will at the back.  So often we were caught with a 3-or-4-on-2 at the back with our full-backs pushed up, and there's really only one winner there.  How we managed to stay unbeaten I don't know.

 

Well, it was always going to happen.  It was obvious that the first time our travelling band of forwards didn't turn up, we would lose, and unfortunately we lost pretty badly, and pretty regularly.  Most of our hard work undone, although the points we've already picked up means we're probably guaranteed a better season than the previous.  It could be so much more though...

47

 

Once again, a cup game turns our season around.

A big result against Livorno put us into the 1st round proper, and although we were well beaten against Serie A side Lazio, just getting there was a massive bonus.  It also taught us how to find the net again, and although it most certainly didn't improve our defence, it did drag performances out of our forwards.  As February drew to a close, we could start dreaming of glory again.  Pescara were so far ahead early on, but they had been drawn back in.  Two go up to Serie A with a third decided via play-off.  Automatic qualification is probably beyond us, but the playoffs?

Could we?

 

Well, we gave it a damn good go.  

Where usually we stumble over the line, here we surged forward, desperate to overhaul that gap at the top.  When we beat fellow promotion hopefuls Cagliari 1-0 in their own back-yard, that little bit of belief rose.  When we beat top-of-the-table Pescara 2-1, we started to really believe.  Unfortunately, for the 2nd time in 3 seasons, Parma threatened to spoil the party.  In Serie C they essentially denied us the title, and that 1-0 defeat - the only one in three months - looked like it would do the same.  We finished strongly, staying unbeaten in five, but as we headed into the final day the picture was clear.

Pescara were two points ahead of ourselves and Cagliari, so a win for them would seal the title.  If they drew, we could win the title with a big win.  If they lost, both ourselves and Cagliari could usurp them if results went our way.  In terms of promotion prospects, a win for us would see us up, no questions asked.  Drop any points and Cagliari could replace us.  Tense.

So what happened?

 

We all lost.  All of us.  

The title was awarded to Pescara, and we go up with them automatically.  In the end, Cagliari also made it up via the playoffs, so all's well that ends well I guess.  Pity we all stunk the place out on final day though...

[-Ironhide-]

Looks magnificent - lucky you to go there  will be following in the background...

[Makoto Nakamura]

Best of luck with this, always love your careers!  #NoComo

[Deisler26]

Congrats! 

[ManUtd1]

Ooh...liking this.  Good luck, man!

[mark1985]

Wow. What a first few seasons! Been to Como once myself and agree, it's gorgeous around there. Weren't they briefly in Serie A too?

[forameuss]

12 minutes ago, mark1985 said:

Wow. What a first few seasons! Been to Como once myself and agree, it's gorgeous around there. Weren't they briefly in Serie A too?

Indeed they were.  Promoted in 2002 (alongside Modena, who they were involved in an "incident" with, where one of the Como players punched an opponent so hard he went into a coma and almost died.  Banned for 3 years for that) and spent one glorious season there getting absolutely bodied every week.  Two years later they were bankrupt, reformed, and subsequently spent the next few years getting back up to Serie B.  Ten years later, bankrupt again.  Jesus, what a club

[forameuss]

So that's the first few posts updated to where I am now.  I thought that starting the story properly here was the right way to go.  I'll give an update as to how we've prepared for this season, but I get the feeling this is going to be an absolute cavalcade of hilarity.  Seriously, we're going to get absolutely battered.  

[Nobby_McDonald]

Doing tremendously well.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Hiya!

So we're up to date now.  Well, kind of.  I'm still slightly behind, as I started writing up the career just before we started our opening game of Serie A.  These next updates will still be a bit patchy in terms of details, but once we start the games it'll be a bit better.

So, first up, tactics.

 

Tactics: How not to Organise a Team

Earlier I touched on how I was organising the team, particularly in our final season in Serie B.  I wish I could say it was down to some tactical decision, but the only reason I ended up going 4-3-3 was that we had full-backs, we didn't have very good wingers, and we had bought far, far too many forwards.  A perfect storm in the end, in more ways than one, as we turned our side into a fearsome attacking force that couldn't defend for toffee.

Over the summer though, I thought about what I could do to remedy those weaknesses.  I didn't want to drop any forwards, because I believed we wouldn't have that same potency by dropping one of the three, but then I couldn't really drop another midfielder either.  Then I remembered I was in Italy, so there's only one thing to do - Libero.

Turns out, there's no Liberos in the database.  None.  And only two sweepers, both of which are well, well out of my price range.  *****.  But I'm nothing if not stubborn, so I gave over one of my tactics slots to this monstrosity.

 

Who needs a natural Libero anyway?  I would just pick up a ball-playing defender and settle for that.  Job done.

 

Aside from that, I set up two very similar tactics for the times when I realised that my first plan was dreadful (all of them).  Only difference is that we have a target man in one, and not in the other.  We only have one of those, and Scamacca is so, so important to our style of play.  Without him, we need to change the style for those three, and possibly even move away from the 4-3-3.  Remains to be seen.

 

Transfers: Libero, Libero, my Kingdom for a Libero

We were given a pretty decent transfer kitty, especially by our standards.  Unfortunately, the jump in quality outstrips that.  I managed to find a few options to improve the squad, but only by a little.  We're going to be going up against players like Dybala this season, I'm not sure we're quite ready for that.

So as you can see, it was difficult.  All four of these players are defenders, with Raul Albiol filling the role of the Libero-who-isn't-a-Libero.  He'll still be useful, and will be the biggest name in the side by far.  Will that be enough though?

Our first team squad currently looks like this, but is subject to change.  I expect there to be a few more additions, and probably a few departures.  Giacomo Nespoli has been with us for a while, but probably isn't anywhere near good enough to bolster our already bloated front-line.  Fabbri probably isn't either, but he scored some extremely important goals last season, so he'll stay.  We'll start the season with at least eight forwards on the books, nine if we can't punt Nespoli.  

Can we play four up front?

Outside of that, we're fairly strong in midfield but have little depth, and it's probably a similar story at the back.  Badly need some cover there.

Which is lucky because...

 

Three of them at once.  Nothing amazing in there (although Firingeli has great potential) but they'll provide decent cover for the inevitable injuries and suspensions.

The Opening Game

It wasn't in the league, but the TIM Cup.  It didn't go well.

Despite playing a Serie C side - two tiers below us - we struggled to a torrid 2-2 draw with Albino Leffe.  We went to penalties after 120 frustrating minutes, and finally managed to proceed 8-7.  

Not a bad omen, right?

 

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Atalanta vs Como : A New Hope

 

It was going so well.

After 21 minutes we were absolutely flying.  Atalanta had no idea how to deal with us as we cut through them at will, racing into a 2-0 lead.  We missed a chance to go three up, and to be honest it looked like we were going to start Serie A like we started most seasons.  In the 29th minute they got one back, and the tide turned.  I just wanted to get into half-time ahead, but an equaliser in the 39th followed by a third on the stroke of half-time killed us.  Absolutely shell-shocked, and a 4th just a few minutes into the 2nd half made the result academic.  A proper footballing lesson, and it shows the job we have on.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Como vs Juventus : A Free Hit for an Old Lady

 

So after having a very depressing result in our opening game, who do you want to play just a few days later?  That's right, Juventus!  Reigning champions, and a frankly indecent squad compared to ours.  I wasn't confident, to say the least.

I considered it a free hit, to be honest.  After trying my new Libero-led formation in the cup-tie, I swore I never would again.  Instead I had a better idea - forget about full-backs and go all Bielsa.  A 3-1-3-3 formation that was achingly narrow, but most importantly had a player shielding our centre backs.  I wasn't entirely confident with it, so I thought this was the best time to try it out.

 

Pumped.

Rattled.

Smashed.

Beaten like we owed them money.

Pick your own cliche, you'll be right.  Our new formation yielded probably the most pathetic display I've ever seen.  Our lack of full-backs was ruthlessly exploited to the point where one of their players scored from way out on the touch-line under little pressure.  I really can't stress just how bad we were.

Can you guess when I finally changed it?  On the hour mark.  Two minutes later we worked an opportunity and forced an own goal, and then managed to get one more back.  We finished the game strongly, but the damage had most definitely been done.

Anyone want to take me up on any bets of just how many we're going to concede this season?

[oohlala111]

Oh dear, what a horrific defeat! I reckon you can bounce back though, come on Como!!

[Deisler26]

[DazRTaylor]

Well done on getting to Serie A.  Irl, they were in Serie A as recent as 2002/03.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Further Adventures in Serie A

 

 

Not quite the message I wanted to receive as we go through probably our worst spell since I arrived.  I'm not really sure why it came up either, there hadn't been any note of discontent anywhere.  I promised them I would take care of it, and that was that.

But never mind, because in the next game, we actually have a winnable one.  Pescara visit, the side that we almost pipped to the Serie B title last season.  Surely this one will be a bit closer?

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Pescara Calcio vs Como: Fish out of Water

 

 

For **** sake.

This was one of those games where we got absolutely done and can have pretty much no complaints (other than our own profligacy).  As you can see, the match stats were pretty much level, but Christian Capone just ruined us again and again and again.  And again.  He did get four after all.  At half-time we were pretty much done, and although we improved slightly in the second we were never in any danger of getting back into it.  

So the match itself was pretty bad, but it's more what it means than anything else.  This is the side we should have been able to beat.  Three of us got promoted into Serie A, and I always pointed to the four games against the other two as being absolutely must-win.  We're going up to the big-time now, and we need all the points we can get.  This is not a good start, particularly when I believe head-to-head is the main tie-breaker.

Things can only get better I suppose.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Como vs Bologna: Absolute Bolognese

 

 

We have our first point in Serie A, but it really should have been three.

We probably played just about as well as we did against Pescara, but this time there wasn't a hot striker capitalising on every mistake.  We went ahead, and going into the final minutes we looked like we were going to close it out.  But just as we moved to a back five to really kill the game, Justiniano pushed his markee and it was a penalty.  They smashed it home, and we were denied a famous win.

 

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Sampdoria vs Como: Games Should be 89 Minutes Long

 

 

 

WAnother week, and another 90th minute equaliser.  Twice we were ahead, and twice we were pegged back, the second time just seconds before full-time.  Another point, but we should now have six, not two.

Green shoots of recovery though, at least that's something.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Como vs FC Crotone: Beautiful Points

 

 

Three points!

Como for Serie A!

[Nobby_McDonald]

Getting it back together.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

After Six Games

So six games gone, and things are starting to look a little better.  If we finish like this, I'll be absolutely delighted, but I doubt it'll be that simple.  Five points from nine in the last three games is good form, and once we start facing sides like Cagliari, SPAL and Torino we'll hopefully start picking up more precious points.

 

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

October 2021: Ridiculous to the Sublime to the Meh

A very tough month, with four of the big boys coming one after the other, but somehow we managed to snatch a priceless three points at home to Napoli.  Unfortunately we couldn't follow it up away to Sassuolo, only managing a draw.

It's easy to see where we're having our problems.  Five games, four goals, and only two players contributing those.  Mario Ravasio continues to be wonderful, with Cortinovis not too far behind, but this is a far cry from the free-scoring exploits of last season.

Can we improve before the end of the year?

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

The End of 2021: Goals for Christmas?

 

A wonderful November gave way to a dreadful December, and things are starting to look pretty ominous.

Anyway, we started out with three key games, facing Torino, SPAL and Udinese.  Defending was most definitely not on the menu, and the problems we had in the previous month of being profligate in front of goal well and truly disappeared.  Our record in November reads two wins, one defeat, scored twelve, conceded eleven.  Great entertainment, but not exactly the greatest quality.  You'll notice a lot of early goals there, and I have to admit, we blitzed all three sides early on.  But each time we were pegged back through our incredibly leaky defence.  Still, six points is a good return from the three games.

December, not so good.  We started off well against Trapani, but I'd expect that given they're a lower league side.  Once we returned to facing Serie A sides, both in the league and the cup, normal service resumed.  An odd game in the cup against Juventus aside, we were once again poor going forward, and still dreadful at the back.  Not even Mario Ravasio could get us out of this jam.

Just a game away from the half-way point, and we're only saved from the bottom spot by a quite frankly horrendous Torino side.  They look well and truly doomed, but unless we can turn around our fortunes while others fail, we may well be joining them come May.

In other news, my exploits are being noticed by other clubs.  Two massive clubs offered me an interview, and I took up Napoli's.  They didn't offer me the job in the end, and I was only really using it to try and get something out of the board at Como, but still, nice to be wanted.

 

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

January 2022: The Great Escape?

 

The year couldn't have gotten off to a better start to be honest, as we put in probably the best performance I've ever seen in all my time at Como.  Within fourteen minutes, we were 4-0 up and absolutely cruising.  It was five at half-time, and six before they managed a consolation.  A wonderful, wonderful result and one that could well have turned our season around.

Except it didn't.  We lost a very close battle against Roma at the Olimpico before only managing to pick up a creditable points at home to Atalanta.  Juventus put us to the sword quite predictably before we closed out January with revenge against Pescara for that beating they gave us earlier in the season.  

In Mario Ravasio watch, he got another four.  Far too good for us.

We're out of the relegation zone, but it's still very tight.  Torino appear to have turned a corner, but still trail by ten points.  However, just eight points separate Bologna in 19th and Lazio in 9th.  

 

Antonio Loi leaves the club, and it's quite a bittersweet one, really.  He was brought back to the club for big money after a very successful loan spell, and although he had a bit of a hairy start, he became a very important part of the squad.  Unfortunately, he just isn't up to the standard we require for Serie A football.  He only just started to complain in December, so when the offer came in it was a no-brainer.  He leaves with my blessing, and I hope he does well at Cremonese.

 

Another transfer as Mariano Sassarini joins SPAL 2013 for a nominal fee, plus a very hefty sell-on percentage.  Should he make the big time, we'll be in line for a bit of a windfall, but I'm going to nail my colours to a very shaky mast and say he won't ever amount to anything.  I hope.

 

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

February 2022: Down, down, deeper and down

 

This is most certainly relegation form.

Still defending absolutely terribly, and even a late winner from Gianluca Scamacca and a clean sheet couldn't make February look much better.  

It's not over yet, but the fat lady is most definitely clearing her throat.  Things are starting to slowly open up - the gap between 9th and 19th was eight points last month, now it's twelve.  Teams are starting to get cut off, and we're most definitely one of them.  The heartening thing is that Bologna appear to be slipping back.  If we can put some distance between ourselves and them, we only have to chase down one more side.

Right?

 

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

March 2022: Green Shoots of Recovery?

 

Not my finest hour, this one.  I said at the start of the season that I tried to get a sweeper in to try out a new formation.  When that failed, I picked up Raul Albiol to inject some experience and comfort on the ball into the side. 

He was an absolute disaster.

He leaves for the MLS for a pretty small fee, but it's more important just to get him away from the club.  let's not speak of this again.

Could we do it?

Three massive games against three massive clubs, and we managed to pick up four points.  That could be huge come the end of the season if we can back them up with good results against the smaller sides.  

 

Up to the lofty heights of 16th, but still just a single point between us and Bologna (and Cagliari, and Pescara).  

First up it's Sassuolo, and from now on I'll be covering a game per post.  

[Rikulec]

Just caught up with this. Fingers crossed that you can survive.

[Nobby_McDonald]

This is going to be nail biting right to the end of the season.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

The Future

Since I'll (hopefully) be at Como for some time, I've been tracking the youth prospects to come through.  No-one mind-blowing yet, in fact no-one even that good, but hopefully one day.  This year's are below.

 

 

I'll level with you, I'm usually pretty terrible at developing youth players.  The only save I've managed to do it to any decent standard was in Gibraltar, and that was purely because they were being generated of a decent enough standard that they could replace my first team pretty much immediately.  These players are miles away from that level, so will stay in the youth team until they either improve towards their potential enough to be candidates for the first team, or get picked up on loan.  If all they end up doing is picking me up six figure sums every so often with heavy sell-on clauses, well that's fine too.  

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Super Mario

This is really something.

Currently, Mario Ravasio sits as Serie A's top scorer, and that's in a side that has often struggled for goals and has always struggled for form.  If he keeps going at this pace, he will break a Serie A record.  If we do end up relegated, my number one task for the summer will be to make sure he stays with us.

Anyway, on with the matches.  First up, at home to 14th placed Sassuolo.  Winnable, right?

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Gameweek 30: Como vs Sassuolo

The fat lady is clearing her throat.

For about 90 seconds, we looked good.  Put a little bit of pressure on our opponents, and even had a chance to go ahead.  Then Domenico Berardi scored, and everything went to hell.  We were 2-0 down at half-time, and even though Scamacca got one back in plenty of time for us to mount a challenge, it never came, nor did it ever really deserve to.  We were absolutely dominated, and all the good work from March is threatening to come unstuck.

It wouldn't have perhaps been quite as bad, but Cagliari and Bologna both picked up draws to move them level on points with us.  Pescara lost, but they're still just a point away.  A win for us would have pushed us up to 15th and really given us a chance, but with some very difficult games to come, this one is worrying.

But never fear, because next up is the real big one.  We travel to Turin to face bottom-feeders Torino.  It's beyond a must-win for us, but surely we can beat a side that's destined for relegation...

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Gameweek 31: Torino vs Como

Ouch.

The match-report says it all.  Torino are only saved from having the worst defence in the league by us, and at least we've managed to score a lot more.  Today we were beaten like a rented mule, like we owed them money, like we insulted their mother's Saltimbocca.  And other stereotypes.  I went into the match all guns blazing, completely forgetting that the last time we met, it took a late winner in a 4-3 classic.  Torino really shouldn't be down where they are, and today they showed exactly why.  

Us on the other hand...

We're arguably exactly where we should be.  Torino now just seven points shy of us, and I wouldn't be surprised if we lost every game left this season and they caught us.  Luckily for us though, Bologna were beaten, and Pescara and Cagliari could only pick up a point each.  Udinese's win against Genoa will see them breathe a massive sigh of relief.  Still time for them to get dragged down into it, but seeing how bad we are, and how Torino are likely doomed, it would take a big drop for them to join us.

Next up it's SPAL 2013 in Como.  Big performances needed in another winnable game.  Lose it, and I think the story is pretty much written.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Gameweek 32: Como vs SPAL 2013

We've checked out.

I tried to change things prior to the match, do anything to change the system and coax a performance out of the team.  Of course, FM is far smarter than that, and knows that if you randomly change with no clear plan, you're going to get punished and shown to be a terrible manager.  Signor Bianchi is a terrible manager.

Once again possession was fairly level, but shots heavily favoured the opposition. We had a decent amount of the ball, but the fluid forward displays of earlier in the season have well and truly deserted us.  I wonder if just going ultra defensive up to the end of the season would help us, but then I also wonder if going the other direction would instead.  Better to burn out than fade away, right?  Because right now we are fading.

This makes dreadful reading.  Finally Bologna and Cagliari have pulled away after two hard-fought wins, leaving ourselves and Pescara locked in a battle for who is the slightly worse relegated side.  Six games to go, and we have to overhaul at least two of (presumably) Cagliari, Bologna, Udinese and Pescara.  It's pretty unlikely.

And whaddayaknow, we have Udinese up next, away from home.  And hoooo boy, wait until you see that.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Gameweek 33: Udinese vs Como

 

Embarrassing.

No other word for it, really.  A side that is absolutely bereft of any kind of confidence, fluidity, or even heart.  The pre-match team-talk didn't give me much hope, and neither does the post.  We are in deep, deep trouble, and after four straight defeats and only one goal, we're destined for Serie B.

And perhaps Pescara are too.  They lost again to stay locked on 29 points with us.  Bologna picked up a point to move four clear, but Cagliari managed to take all three to move seven points clear.  Fifteen left to play for, so it's not impossible that they would get dragged back down into it, but it's unlikely. 

Our task is simple - overhaul Pescara and then Bologna in those five games.  Our upcoming fixtures suggest that won't be possible - Genoa, Palermo, Inter, Roma, Cagliari.  Four top-half teams before we even get a sniff of a truly winnable game.  If we're still in it post the Roma game, then maybe we can still do it, but it's more likely we'll still be in it then get beat 8-0 in that final game or something.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Gameweek 34: Como vs Genoa

 

Well, this is an improvement.  The world's worst defence manages to keep a clean-sheet, but unfortunately that record looks like it'll now elude Super Mario Ravasio.  Four games without a goal for us now, and we'll have to play the next game without Luca Pellegrini after his sending off.  Still, a point is a point, and hopefully getting it against a side like Genoa bodes well for us going forward.

But we're no better off.

Bologna matched our result, as did Pescara the day before.  What seemed like a good result has essentially been wiped from the record books.  Balls.  Still four points to overhaul, twelve left to play for.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Gameweek 35: Palermo vs Como

 

Well, at least Mario got a goal.  

Probably the result that deflates what little hope we had left in the bubble.  Completely dominated from start to finish, and it's very much the sort of performance that you see from a side that doesn't have what it takes to fight out of the wet paper bag they're currently sitting in.

But still we're no worse off.  Bologna lost last night, and Pescara lost to Sassuolo.  With three games left, we're still just about hanging on in there.

But there are only three games left, two of which are against Inter (up next) and Roma.  Realistically, we need at least one win from those, and then to beat Cagliari on final day.  And that's only if Bologna - and Pescara - can't pick up any wins on their end.  Truly realistically, we have to take something from both of our games, preferably two wins.  And what better place to go when you need a win, than to Milan, where a win for Inter means that they will seal the title?

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Gameweek 36: Internazionale vs Como

 

Just had to be, didn't it?  

It was a performance that showed, in just 90 minutes, the story of our season.  Well, it probably would have had we got a couple of goals back against the run of play, but 7-0 actually flattered us in the end.  It could, and probably should, have been more.  Weirdly we actually edged the possession stats in the end, but when all you do with the ball is get into personally dangerous positions, and then give it back to the opposition, this sort of scoreline was going to happen.

 

We also had the indignity of this.  Not only did we get beat, not only did we probably seal our Serie A status, but we also have to pay the fans back too.  

We played first in the weekend, meaning we could probably watch while Pescara and Bologna sealed our fates the next day.

But...

They just refuse to kill us off.  

That win for Pescara is massive for them, but it's not immediately terminal for us.  Bologna being handed another defeat means that we're still four points (five with goal difference) away from safety.  If we win our two remaining games, and Pescara don't win either, we'll finish at least 18th.  If Bologna pick up less than two points as well, we're safe.

So it comes down to this - a home match against the mighty Roma where we absolutely have to win.  No prisoners, no mercy, leave nothing on that pitch.  It's time to dust off the old 4-3-3

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Gameweek 37: Como vs Roma

 

We almost did it.  Almost.  

I said last time out that the Inter game showed the story of our season, but I'd add this one if you really want a taste.  We went from being utterly abject in the previous game to rampant here, and with no real rhyme or reason either.  We absolutely battered Roma in the opening half an hour, with Mario Ravasio grabbing a brace to put us into an unbelievable lead.  But as they took the kick-off following that second goal, I was conflicted.  Do I shut up shop there and put the pressure onto our leaky defence, or do I keep going with my frankly suicidal strategy and hope that we can add another few goals?  

My decision was pretty much made a minute later when they got a goal back.  Suddenly this wasn't a rampant performance, it was a matter of survival.  We just had to get to half-time, at which point I could regroup and re-plan.  Unfortunately, they had other ideas, equalising on the stroke of half-time to completely turn the game on its head.  

I went out for the second half with the same strategy.  We were essentially back to the square one, only up against a Roma side that knew what to expect.  Just seconds later, it was 3-2, Ravasio had his hat-trick, and I believe that made the Serie A record.  We could dream again.  For three minutes at least.  Then they got their second equaliser of the day, and the crucial one.  We folded from there, and when they added a 4th in the 64th minute, it was all over.  We threw everything at them in the last few minutes, but it wasn't to be.  

In the end it was pointless.  Bologna managed to beat Torino, so even Pescara's defeat at SPAL would be academic.  Both of us secured our relegation with thrilling end-to-end games, and we'll be resuming our rivalry in Serie B next season.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

The Great Beyond

 

Well it isn't all bad news...

The board have rewarded our relegation with a quite frankly ridiculous budget for next season.  This is by far the biggest amount we've been given to spend ever, and it presents quite a conundrum for me.  Obviously I have no idea of what players we're going to lose, but even if we do drop key players, this is a squad which got promoted from Serie B fairly comfortably.  We could pick up a number of loan signings that replace those players and probably do enough.  But do I want to do that?  Or do I want to use the money I've been given to future-proof us, and make sure that if we do bounce straight back up, we can compete rather than have another season like this one?  It's a tough one, particularly when I have no confidence that we could spend this money without going into financial difficulty.

And it begins...

Team unhappy with the dressing room atmosphere, but no real indicator as to why. I told them I'd do something about it, which sated them for now.  Just you wait guys...just you wait until the real surgery on this squad begins.

 

Antonio Granata can leave us now for 190k.  To be honest, if I got that, I would take it right now.

Same goes here.  I've been playing this save as a kind of soft Italian only one, particularly as Serie A has quite strict non-EU rules.  Gnoukouri was an exception, someone I brought in because he was the best option I could afford in a key position.  Now that we've been relegated, I can only see Euro signs, and it seems he feels the same.  If I can get £2m for him, considering I picked him up on a free transfer, I'll be delighted on several levels.  I told him that if I receive that offer, he can go, and he seemed happy with that.  Beezer.

Through all that, we still had another game to play.  I don't think anyone really wanted to play this, apart from Mario Ravasio.  He managed to bag one more goal in what was a tremendous season, and Alessandro Cortinovis - who hadn't scored in, I think, forty years - managed to get one and assist the other two.  That late equaliser pleased me, and showed that maybe this squad does have what it takes.  If we can keep them together.

Confirmation there.  Twenty matches.  He's getting sent down the mines over the summer.

No!  **** off Mario!

I got the captain to speak to him, and I think I've just about managed to dodge that bullet for now.  I'll stick my fingers in my ears for a few months and just hope that no bid comes in, because if we get offered serious money then I don't think I can turn it down.  He deserves to be playing at a higher level than Serie B, particularly when he has just smashed a scoring record in Serie A.  If we can keep him though...ooooooooh.

 

And we close out what has been a baffling few weeks with this news.  We're getting a new stadium.

For some reason, the board has looked at us selling out the Sinigaglia and thought that obviously this will continue.  Never mind that we're not going to be playing the likes of Juventus, Inter and Roma next season, they'll all be flocking to watch matches against Cremonese.  Looks like it's at a very early stage, so it may well not happen, but it'll be interesting to see what they do with it.  Particularly when they've just offered me a huge transfer budget.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

The Sensible Chuckle

 

That's what you get for pumping us 7-0.  Can neither confirm nor deny that I put in an anonymous tip to UEFA and the Italian FA.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Bianchi the Builder

 

There was only one wider objective for this summer, and that was to assemble a team that, at the very least, could gain promotion back to Serie A at the first time of asking, and hopefully compete once we're there.  Where possible, I wanted to keep the core of the team together, because no matter how bad we were last season, a lot of these players managed to get promotion against the odds the season before, so they're clearly capable.  With a sprinkling of the quality we added last season, and our new-found riches, there's no reason we can't do it again, but we're going to need to be careful.

First up, Pedro Justiniano finally stopped being a loan player and joined us permanently.  This is a perfect example of one of my core tenets of managing a diddy in FM.  I make extensive use of loans with a view to having them at our club for so long that they grow to love us.  Then, when the parent club eventually realises that they're dross and will never amount to anything, I can swoop in, pick them up on a free, and essentially be their Richard Gere in a white suit.  I'll lift them up where they belong.

Pedro does just that, joining us on an initial one-year contract.  Set as rotation, as I'm hoping to bring in some stronger options at the back, but he'll do a job at this level, as he has done before.

The best news I could have hoped to get.

Our captain managed to persuade him to not go off on one when he initially complained, and now luckily he realises that Chievo never fancied him anyway.  At least that's what I told him.  It's probably not the end of the story, but for now I'm delighted he's going to stay with us.

And speaking of our captain, he signed a three-year extension.  This was mainly to remove the ominous release clause he had, but it rewards him for the passable impression he did of a defender last season.  And again, he's going to be more than good enough for this level.

Who needs Serie A anyway?  Happier to spend the money we've been given now, because the parachute payments, when combined with the TV money, dwarf the 7m we were given.  We could probably afford to stay in Serie B for one more season, but should we do it in one, we'll be absolutely fine financially.

 

It took a wee while, but eventually our Ghanaian star Assane Gnoukouri leaves the club.  For some reason he turned down two offers from Italian clubs - including one he bitched about me letting him join - before eventually deciding to move to China.  It's not the best deal financially with installments, and the wage contribution, but it gets him away from the club and keeps my dream of going all Italian alive.

Come on Mario...

I said the story wouldn't be over, and again I've been forced to get Antonio Granata in to talk him down.  

Cheers Tony.

But now on to the actual new signings.  And boy were there a lot.

First up, Edoardo Bianchi.  This was one my scouts absolutely implored me to make, so I duly obliged.  Should take some pressure off our defence, and will likely walk straight into the team.  A bit of a worrying release clause in there, but if that's met I'll have made a 300% profit, so not too bad.  

 

You ungrateful bastard.

Gianluca Scamacca has been a hugely important player for us in his time here, becoming our only real target man, and being crucial to the way we play as a result.  And this is how he repays me?  Rejecting a contract offer from us, and signing for our rivals?  This will not stand.  He leaves with the complete opposite of my blessing, and I look forward to crushing Pescara's dreams wherever possible.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

Bianchi the Builder

 

After that initial activity, this is how the first team squad looked.

It'll sound silly, but I had no idea it had gotten this desperate.  A few players left when their contracts expired, and we've sold a couple, but there's a lot of deadwood in there.  I usually don't trust any players that have PPA under the 3 star mark, so I expect a lot of those rolling contracts are going to get cancelled.  There's also a few in there wanted by clubs that I could happily get rid of.  Anyone showing any signs of discontent can take a rickety row-boat out on the Lake for all I care.

On that note...

Bardi made noises about wanting to leave, so I offered him out, but predictably no-one wanted to take what would be a sizeable financial punt on him.  Unfortunately I've now put his back up, especially given he was one of the more important members of the squad.  Get over it.

So after a bit of surgery on the squad...

This is purely just getting rid of the deadwood and the rolling contracts, leaving us with just the players we either want to keep or can't get rid of.  There's still some names in there that are less likely to get a game for Como than I am, but they'll do in a pinch.

As you can see, our squad depth is pretty much non-existent.  I could go down into the youth teams and show you what we have there, but it would be pretty pointless.  Anyone not on this list is likely going to be sent out on loan if they're good enough, or completely forgotten about if not.  Such is the way of things.

Defensively, it's easy here to see where the problems lie.  If Bardi leaves, we need someone to replace him very quickly.  If he stays, we need someone there to challenge him.  Probably a loan signing, so we'll see who is out there.  Aside from that, I'm fairly happy with our options in the middle.  I'll keep on the lookout for more options there, but with enough really good options to play a three at the back, and enough backup to just about get by, there's no real necessity to bring people in.  That's not true for the flanks, as we continue to be extremely light there.  Pellegrini extended his loan deal, which was great news, but outside of him there isn't really another option on the left.  Same story on the right but slightly worse with Vitturini not being really good enough to be our starter.  Definite decisions to be made there.

In terms of the midfield and forward lines, this is a bit more complex.  If I play the 4-3-3 I've favoured recently, then the clear issue is that I need to bring in a defensively minded midfielder to replace Gnoukouri.  Mallamo and Clemenza will be ever-present, but outside of adding depth there's not too many worries there.  Up front, Tonin, Cortinovis and Ravasio are good enough, and Bianchi and Fabbri have proved themselves to be OK from the bench.  Again, we're "OK" there.  I'd like to add depth, probably a good target man, but we could get by.

The problems come when you bring in wide players to the mix.  Last year we were so incredibly one-dimensional, and it was all my fault.  I let all our wingers go, having no intention of playing a system like that, meaning when plan A failed, I didn't really have anywhere to go.  I'm not going to make that mistake again, so I want to have that flexibility.  Unfortunately, that's going to require some serious changes.  We could get by using advanced wingers with our more versatile forwards, but playing a 3-4-3 would be very difficult.  We're likely going to need two for each flank over the summer to give us those options.  Again, probably loan signings in case they don't work out.

Which brings me to how I plan to play...

Nothing particularly controversial here.  I'll keep the 4-3-3 I've used for a few seasons, adjusted so that I'm not relying on a target man.  Then on days I want to benefit from more presence on the flanks, I'll switch to either a 3-4-3 - when I want to be weak defensively but super-powered going forward - or a 4-2-3-1 when I want to be a little more "normal".  I expect these will change as we go on, but that's my current plan.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

A Detour?

 

 

 

I didn't think I'd get it, but was worth a shot.  The previous manager was let go after a poor World Cup 2022 performance, and I wondered whether my exploits with Como were good enough.  Seems not.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

The Rebuild Continues

 

 

The build continues as we bring in Alberto Barazzetta to fill a gap on the right.  Should walk straight into the team, and should we get promoted we can go from there.

 

 

And again, another loan signing with possible dictator Fidel joining us from Roma.  He's been bouncing about from team to team, so I expect if he becomes an important player for us we'll try and pick him up permanently at the end of his contract.

 

 

Now this is a big one.  I mourned the loss of Gianluca Scamacca, but we've now got someone much better - Nicolo Pedretti. Juventus wanted 50% wages, so it took an extra monthly fee (which still ends up less than his wages) to persuade them.  He will now become the ever-present target man in our system, with Ravasio, Cortinovis and Tonin rotating for the other two positions.

 

 

Leandro Azzollini comes in as another backup option, this time as a permanent signing.  

 

 

Samuele Birindelli also joins permanently, turning his many seasons with us on loan into something more fixed.  That gives us two great options at right back, so job done there.

 

 

I talked earlier about bringing someone in to either challenge or replace Bardi in goals, and Alessandro Livieri will be that man.  Doesn't quite have the same quality, and he's only with us for the season at present, but he should get a few chances to impress as we rotate.  

 

 

And now the left-back situation is sorted too, with Rogerio coming in to help Luca Pellegrini

 

And now a quick round-up of the late signings on the wing.  Paolo Di Scioscio, Marco Novazzi, Gaetano Caruso and Hans Nicolussi Caviglia all join, two for each side.  All on loan too, makes sure we don't risk too much by bringing in players with transfer fees that we end up not using.  With all these arrivals, we can now play all three of the systems I posted earlier, and switch between them at will.  That was my aim, and although the quality of the players could be better, I think we've got enough about us to push for promotion.

After that, I was done, but then something I couldn't refuse came up.

 

Lorenzo Guidotti joins us on loan for the season, but this is one I've got my eye on long term.  He will slot straight into our team alongside Edoardo Bianchi, and his potential means he could be Serie A standard in future.  He also fits into that lovely group of players that likely won't get the chance at their parent clubs.  And guess what?  His contract ends in the summer.  In six months time, I'll make my move and hopefully he'll be ours come the summer.  That would be massive.

 

 

And finally, here's an overall view of our transfers.  Fourteen join and twelve leave.  The most surgery I've performed on this side...better hope it all works out.

[forameuss]

Il Bel Gioco: A Trip to the Lakes

A New Hope

 

 

Parma really hate us.

They got the better of us a number of times in the past, and now they've done it again to partially derail what was a wonderful start to the season.  If you discount that game, we scored 23 goals in 7 games, conceding only 4.  We've been playing a mix of 3-4-3 and 4-3-3 and going back to the days of absolutely monstering teams, our front three completely destroying defences at will.  Only 7 of those 23 goals came from somewhere other than our starting front three, 6 if you count Riccardo Tonin's goal in the cup.  Fidel has also chipped in a number which is pleasing.  

 

 

A good start.  The Parma result annoyed me, but we're still just a couple of points off Empoli at the top.  Pescara are between us, and they are the side I really want to beat.  We don't face each other until the 30th of December, but I'm already looking forward to it.