[DaddyTorgo]

I should prolly just start a dynasty thread for all my babbling, but you all will apperciate this:

So I sold off Alex Manninger in the offseason as my backup keeper and replaced him with some moderate-scrub. Guy by the name of Johnny Leoni (26 y/o Swiss guy). I thought twice about it, but I got a good price for Manninger, and hey...Buffon is my starting GK and he started every game the first year right? And Leoni isn't HORRIBLE.

I bet you can see where this is going.

12/3 - Buffon suffers a slipped disc in training. I'm clinging to a narrow lead atop the table at that point (had just taken first place on 11/20). I've qualified from my CL group stage, but whether I'm #1 or #2 is up in the air and comes down to final match at the Olympic Stadium in Turin against Real Madrid (drew them 2-2 at the Bernabeau).

No ability to bring in anybody to cover for Buffon for a month - transfer window doesn't open till January. So Leoni is the guy.

Leoni proceeds to lose to Bologna in his first match 2-1, but then shuts out Real Madrid for a 3-0 win to clinch the group! He then gets on a roll and beats Sampdoria 4-2 at home, and Lazio 3-1 on the road before losing to AC Milan 2-0 on the road (Milan in 2nd in the league, that brought them right up behind me).

Of course I had been out there scouting, and on 1/9 I complete an $8.5m offer for Oscar Ustari from Getafe. Ustari comes in and plays 8 matches before Buffon's return, giving up 4 goals and having 5 clean sheets.

Phew!