[cschex]

December ‘11

The board is still delighted, despite the fact we continue to lose money. We will be counting on that European money to put us in the black for the season.

Miguel rejects our contract. Geurden is looking very good in the U20’s and I recently rejected a round of bids for Miguel from some EPL sides. If I don’t re-sign him, I’ll either have to sell him or let him get signed away on a free.

December 6, Champions League Group B v. FC Bayern

GK: Agliardi
Def: Bangura, Huth, Maduro, Avine
DM: Besagno, Celio
AM: Vantaggiato, Baykal, Devisscher
F: Cipriani

We get off to a shaky start and Agliardi has to stop Borut Semler on a couple of good chances in the first 20 minutes. For all of my worries about goalkeeping, Agliardi has been very solid and come up with game-turning saves in the last few outings. In the 27th minute, Avine crosses from the left for Vantaggiato at the far post, who heads it into the net for the lead. In the waning moments of stoppage time, a Cipriani header is directed into the net by a Bayern defender to double our advantage. In the 71st minute, Semler is taken down by Maduro in the box. Hedwiges gets a red card for being the last man, but Agliardi stones Podolski on the ensuing PK. The shutout is finally ended in the 84th minute, as continued Bayern possession leads to a Sikorski goal. More trouble in the 89th minute, as Besagno is injured and has to come off. I am down to 9 men, as I had already used all of my subs. Luckily, we dominate stoppage time and hold on for a 2-1 victory.

Vantaggiato rates a 9 and wins MotM. Agliardi and Baykal both garner 8’s. Kitambala picked up a nagging late-game injury, so we will get the prognosis on both him and Besagno. However, we do officially finish first in the group.

Maduro picks up a one-game suspension for our next Champions League match. Kitambala is out a week and Besagno is out for a month. The media asks me about his injury and I tell them he’s an important player but we have adequate cover, which is true: DM is probably the one place on the pitch we could lose a player of Nik’s ability and not feel it. I’m going to miss the 7.47 he’s put up in all competitions so far, though.

December 9, Italian Cup First Knockout Round Second Leg @ Cagliari

GK: Agliardi
Def: Geurden, Huth, Davies, Avine
DM: Djourou, Poujol
AM: Estrada, Ton, Angeli
F: Cipriani

We play a fair amount of first team player in this match, but bring up a few of the youngsters who impressed in the first leg. It pays off early as Maxim Geurden sends a good cross into the box in the 8th minute, which Cipriani easily heads into the back of the net. In the 21st minute, Poujol hits an amazing shot from the left side of the 18 yd box that curls into the far post out of the reach of the keeper. Two minutes later, Estrada heads in a Huth freekick for his first ever Bologna goal. Just after the half, Poujol hits another great long range shot, but this time the keeper just gets a hand on it. Avine is first to the rebound and puts it in off a Cagliari defender for the goal. We dominate 4-0 to move on to the next round.

Cipriani rates a perfect 10 and wins MotM. Poujol and Avine rate 9’s and all other starters get 8’s.

For our efforts we draw league leaders Milan in the next round of the Italian Cup. Milan is also our next Serie A opponent in 3 days.

Belgium is drawn into Group B of the Euro Championships along with France, Portugal and Wales. Though not an easy draw, it isn’t nearly the Group of Death. England, Italy, and the Czech Republic were drawn into one group together and Spain, Holland and Germany were drawn into another.

Sevilla fires their manager and I am linked as the favorite for the job. I play down the speculation and affirm my commitment to Bologna. If only the board would commit to a new stadium…

One day after that I am touted as the man to take over at Valencia. I play down speculation again. I don’t really want to manage in Spain, though if an EPL team came calling I might not be so quick to refuse.

Lazio is linked with Baykal. I quickly issue a hands-off warning in hopes to deter any further interest.

December 12, Match #13 @ Milan

GK: Agliardi
Def: Miguel, Huth, Maduro, Avine
DM: Poujol, Djourou
AM: Vantaggiato, Baykal, Devisscher
F: Cipriani

Right away, I can tell this is going to be a long game for us as Agliardi is forced to make three world-class saves in the first 20 minutes. However, we come back and begin to dominate the chances in the next 15 minutes, with the Milan keeper Canales making three good stops. Then, in the 37th minute, Rob Devisscher takes a swing at a Milan defender and is given a straight red. Great job there, Rob. To make matters worse, Cipriani and Djourou collide in stoppage time and I have to sub them both out.

The second half is possibly the most exciting 45 minutes I have ever experienced playing this game. Milan appears to break through in the 48th minute but Gilardino is ruled offsides. Six minutes later, Agliardi stones another breakaway shot from Kaka. We begin to get more chances, as Vantaggiato especially is threatening on his runs down the left. Celio has a breakaway in the 75th minute and just needs to pass to an open Vantaggiato, but elects to shoot instead, resulting in a save. The last 10 minutes plus stoppage time yiled 4 chances for me, all which produce great saves or blocks from Milan. The whistle finally blows on an exciting 0-0 tie, in which Milan outshot us 19(13) to 12(6).

Huth gets MotM with an 8 rating, but I personally would have given it to another excellent performance from Agliardi, who also got an 8. Considering the way Milan has been playing this season, I’ll take the point on the road.

Unfortunately, Cipriani will be out 4 weeks due to the injury he sustained. Devisscher is suspended at least for the next league match against Livorno. The day after I discover he will be suspended an additional two games.

December 12, Match #14 v. Livorno

GK: Agliardi
Def: Bangura, Huth, Davies, Kerkeni
DM: Poujol, Celio
AM: Vantaggiato, Ton,Vogel
F: Borriello

We have no trouble dominating possession in the early going, but get nothing on the board until the 34th minute, when a Vogel cross from the left goes over everyone to Ton at the back of the net, where he heads it in. Just after the half Ton takes a ball in midfield, dribbles past four defenders and coolly places it in the back of the net for his second goal of the game. We have three more good chances that go to waste, then Celio sends a perfect pass through a crowd to Ton in the box, who slams it home for the hat trick. That closes the score on a 3-0 win for us. Ton unsurprisingly wins MotM honors.

The draw for the Knockout Stages of the Champs League is held and we get Dinamo Kiev of the Ukranian League. Not bad, considering the heavy hitters out there. The first game will be in Kiev in February.

December 18, Match #15 v. Atalanta

GK: Agliardi
Def: Miguel, Alex, Maduro, Kerkeni
DM: Poujol, Djourou
AM: Vogel, Baykal, Vantaggiato
F: Milano

Young Vincenzo Milano will get his first start in a league game today, as Cipriani is hurt and I am disenchanted by Kitambala’s up-and-down performances. We get nothing going early on and are giving the possession edge to Atalanta. In the 21st minute Rolando Bianchi beats Miguel to a header and scores past Agliardi to put us down early. We get a lucky break twenty minutes later, as Djourou put a corner into the box for Vantaggiato, who’s off-target shot is put into the net by the keeper for an own-goal. A few minutes after half, Maduro clears an Atalanta corner all the way to an unmarked Milano, who runs from his own half, holds off one then the other central defenders, and banks a low shot off the keeper for an amazing goal. A defensive breakdown in the 80th minute leaves Bianchi all alone with Agliardi, but our keeper gets a hand on the shot and puts it over the net. Despite a couple of more scares, we hold on for a tougher-than-expected 2-1 victory.

Atalanta’s Bianchi wins MotM, but Milano gets an 8 and performed very well in his first start. Alex, on the other hand, will be very unlikely to see another first-team game for me after his poor performance.

Mota has put the pressure on me through the media to start new contract talks. I respond that I will be reviewing the payroll structure at the end of the season. Granted, he is being underpaid, but he needs to show he can stay healthy before he gets the lucrative new deal.

December 21, Match #16 @ Ascoli

GK: Agliardi
Def: Bangura, Huth, Maduro, Kerkeni
DM: Celio, Loviso
AM: Vantaggiato, Baykal, Mota
F: Kitambala

In the 8th minute, Vantaggiato makes a glorious run into the box, timing his run at the keeper perfectly and at the last minute flicks it to Baykal in the center of the box, who puts it into the back of the net. Ascoli scores in the 42nd minute on a powerful shot from outside the area. I bring on Milano in the 68th minute, as Kitambala again failed to make any impression in the game. Baykal steals a backpass one minute before stoppage time but is stoned on the breakaway by the Ascoli keeper. Sadly, that’s the last action of the game and we draw 1-1.

We can’t seem to avoid slumping against weaker teams. I am considering a tactic change, but it will be hard to do as many of my wingers aren’t that comfortable playing more defensive roles. I currently am 3rd with 36 points, 4 points behind surprise leaders Palermo and 2 points behind Milan.

I will have a two-week break after the Lazio game to tinker with tactics changes, but I want to play Lazio first.

December 23, Match #17 v. Lazio

GK: Agliardi
Def: Miguel, Huth, Maduro, Avine
DM: Celio, Poujol
AM: Vantaggiato, Baykal, Devisscher
F: Milano

Ugh. In the 16th minute, Andrea Carletti dribbles across the top of the box and puts a screamer past Agliardi. None of our midfielders decided to pick him up and left him wide open. We get close in the 31st minute, as Vantaggiato heads a Devisscher freekick just over the bar. In the 37th minute, Huth hits a shot from 20 yds out that evades 5 players and goes into the back of the net for his first ever Bologna goal! He gives it right back two minutes later, as Huth fails to mark Palacio in the box and the striker wheels and shoots it past a frozen Agliardi. Just after the half, Vantaggiato feeds it to Poujol, who puts in one of his patented benders from 25 yds to square the match. Again, my team can’t build on the momentum, as Maduro is whistled for a dubious foul just inside the box and Lazio is awarded the penalty. However, Agliradi stones Olivera and the rebound is hit wide. Sub Borriello is brought down in the Lazio box in the 79th minute, and steps up and coolly places the ball in the back of the net for our first lead. We dominate the last 10 minutes until Kitambala puts in the rebound of a Borriello shot to seal the game. We come back for a 4-2 victory.

Borriello gets MotM for his performance off the bench and five other players rate an 8.

As the month comes to a close, I have a decision to make on Miguel. He is averaging a 7.42 this year, but his defensive breakdowns are becoming more noticeable and he’s a liability in the air. 3 or 4 teams are continuing to flock around him and I might just let him leave in January and bring up Geurden for the rest of the season to platoon with Bangura.

Some of my main rivals beef up in the transfer window. Roma agrees to a 14.5M deal with Benfica for Portuguese playmaker Manuel Fernandes, while Inter buys the immensely talented attacker Juliano Pacheco from River Plate for 8.5M.

The month ends with me scouting around for some free transfer opportunities and looking for any bargain buys during the January transfer window. However, with the number of first-team players available, I won’t be buying unless I sell first.