BullseyeNorway
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Please keep us updated, for it is a great story. And it would be too bad to see this going down the drain.
Rising from the Abyss
- Thread starter Steve*
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Steve*
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Cheers for the feedback. I was in two minds about continuing this but I have revisited my save. Next update tomorrow. Will be pre season and possibly the first 3 months of the season.
Steve*
Y.N.W.A.
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- Dec 30, 2009
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Chapter 9: Second Season Syndrome
5-8-2012
I arrive at the training ground just like any other day. But today was anything but a regular day. Sure it was my birthday but it had more meaning than that. Today was our last training session before our first pre season game. We were due to kick start our ambitions against English Premier League winners Tottenham. We had seen several new faces coming in and a few old faces leaving the club. Paloschi was going to be key to us this year. I also tried to convince Federico Macheda to return to us for another year on loan but he decided to join Marseille on loan instead as they could offer him Champions League football. I cant say I was too surprised. We also captured Andrea Seculin, Fabiano Santacroce and Darren O Dea on free transfers. Also joining us this season would be Jack Robinson and Suso from Liverpool. Overall 27 players left the club, all of which I deemed surplus to requirements. High profile names such as Rivaldo, Freidrich, Lucarelli and Materazzi all left as I felt with their advancing years they would no longer be needed. When I arrived into my office I was surprised by what greeted me. There were about 10 of the players inside and also had a birthday cake for me. The lads wished me a happy birthday before leaving to hit the training ground to warm up. I sit down and cut myself a piece of cake when Alba walks in. She locks the door behind her and proceeds over to me before planting herself on my knee and gives me a long passionate kiss. It looks like I didn’t get all my presents. I return to the training ground and watch over the players. They still lack some match fitness but I was confident the next few games would shape that.
We arrived into Heatrow a little later than expected. **** Olympics I thought to myself. London was chokoblock at the minute due to the games beginning the following week. It was 10 am when we got to West London and White Hart Lane came into view. Spurs have already played 4 games in pre season and won all of them comfortably. I wasn’t expecting too much from the boys as we wernt near our best form yet so I told them to go out and enjoy the match. We ended up losing heavily 5-1. Our only goal came from fit again Hernan Crespo. The players were disappointed but I told them not to let their head drops and that the scoreline flattered Spurs. It could easily have ended up 5-5 only for a blinder of a game by their keeper Gomes. Levan and Alberto seemed to fit into the squad well and linked play up nicely. We stayed in London for the night as we would be travelling up to Birmingham the following day to begin training for a match against Birmingham before we left England. The match against Birmingham went much better and we ran out clear winners by scoring 6 against them. 2 goals each from Giovinco, Crespo and Paloschi. We outskilled them in every department and our defense looked solid. The next day we left England and jetted straight to China where we were due to play 2 games against Shandong and Beijing. This was more about raising our profile than anything as we had agreed to link up with Shandong to raise our profile in Asia.
The 2 games went well and won both comfortably. Goals seemed to be flowing from every area of the pitch now and even our defenders got on the scoresheet. We had 2 final preseason games which would take place in Tardini. We had to play Standard of Belgium and also Piacenza. Standard were soundly beaten 3-0 with a hat trick from Paloschi. Piacenza put up a real challenge and played with 10 men behind the ball at all times. We struggled to break them down and the match ended 1-1. Our goal was a superb volley from Giovinco just outside the box. After the match Seb said that it was probably the finest goal he has scored in his career so far. Seb has shown great character since I joined and that is why he has replaced Morrone as captain Stefanno wasn’t too disappointed as he knew that he was past his peak but remained ou as vice captain to guide the younger members of the team. I had also promised him a coaching role for whenever he decided to hang up his boots and had already began to take his coaching badges.
In our final game of August we were to face Empoli in the third qualifying round of the Italian Cup. We dominated the match but could only secure a 1-0 win to place us in the next round. I had promised the chairman that we could finish in the top 6 and qualify for Europe next season. He seemed delighted by this and gave me a large transfer and wage budgt. But I didn’t feel the need to spend as we had the nucleus of a good team now. I looked at the Serie A fixture lists and we had a pretty dull start to the season. We were to kick off the campaign against recently promoted Sampadoria at home before travelling to Cheivo and then were to play Udenise at Tardini. Really we should win 2 and draw 1 of those games to give ourselves a good chance of doing well.
5-8-2012
I arrive at the training ground just like any other day. But today was anything but a regular day. Sure it was my birthday but it had more meaning than that. Today was our last training session before our first pre season game. We were due to kick start our ambitions against English Premier League winners Tottenham. We had seen several new faces coming in and a few old faces leaving the club. Paloschi was going to be key to us this year. I also tried to convince Federico Macheda to return to us for another year on loan but he decided to join Marseille on loan instead as they could offer him Champions League football. I cant say I was too surprised. We also captured Andrea Seculin, Fabiano Santacroce and Darren O Dea on free transfers. Also joining us this season would be Jack Robinson and Suso from Liverpool. Overall 27 players left the club, all of which I deemed surplus to requirements. High profile names such as Rivaldo, Freidrich, Lucarelli and Materazzi all left as I felt with their advancing years they would no longer be needed. When I arrived into my office I was surprised by what greeted me. There were about 10 of the players inside and also had a birthday cake for me. The lads wished me a happy birthday before leaving to hit the training ground to warm up. I sit down and cut myself a piece of cake when Alba walks in. She locks the door behind her and proceeds over to me before planting herself on my knee and gives me a long passionate kiss. It looks like I didn’t get all my presents. I return to the training ground and watch over the players. They still lack some match fitness but I was confident the next few games would shape that.
We arrived into Heatrow a little later than expected. **** Olympics I thought to myself. London was chokoblock at the minute due to the games beginning the following week. It was 10 am when we got to West London and White Hart Lane came into view. Spurs have already played 4 games in pre season and won all of them comfortably. I wasn’t expecting too much from the boys as we wernt near our best form yet so I told them to go out and enjoy the match. We ended up losing heavily 5-1. Our only goal came from fit again Hernan Crespo. The players were disappointed but I told them not to let their head drops and that the scoreline flattered Spurs. It could easily have ended up 5-5 only for a blinder of a game by their keeper Gomes. Levan and Alberto seemed to fit into the squad well and linked play up nicely. We stayed in London for the night as we would be travelling up to Birmingham the following day to begin training for a match against Birmingham before we left England. The match against Birmingham went much better and we ran out clear winners by scoring 6 against them. 2 goals each from Giovinco, Crespo and Paloschi. We outskilled them in every department and our defense looked solid. The next day we left England and jetted straight to China where we were due to play 2 games against Shandong and Beijing. This was more about raising our profile than anything as we had agreed to link up with Shandong to raise our profile in Asia.
The 2 games went well and won both comfortably. Goals seemed to be flowing from every area of the pitch now and even our defenders got on the scoresheet. We had 2 final preseason games which would take place in Tardini. We had to play Standard of Belgium and also Piacenza. Standard were soundly beaten 3-0 with a hat trick from Paloschi. Piacenza put up a real challenge and played with 10 men behind the ball at all times. We struggled to break them down and the match ended 1-1. Our goal was a superb volley from Giovinco just outside the box. After the match Seb said that it was probably the finest goal he has scored in his career so far. Seb has shown great character since I joined and that is why he has replaced Morrone as captain Stefanno wasn’t too disappointed as he knew that he was past his peak but remained ou as vice captain to guide the younger members of the team. I had also promised him a coaching role for whenever he decided to hang up his boots and had already began to take his coaching badges.
In our final game of August we were to face Empoli in the third qualifying round of the Italian Cup. We dominated the match but could only secure a 1-0 win to place us in the next round. I had promised the chairman that we could finish in the top 6 and qualify for Europe next season. He seemed delighted by this and gave me a large transfer and wage budgt. But I didn’t feel the need to spend as we had the nucleus of a good team now. I looked at the Serie A fixture lists and we had a pretty dull start to the season. We were to kick off the campaign against recently promoted Sampadoria at home before travelling to Cheivo and then were to play Udenise at Tardini. Really we should win 2 and draw 1 of those games to give ourselves a good chance of doing well.