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07-11-2006, 04:09 PM
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#1 | |||
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: San Diego
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FM 06: Napoli Soccer... (Again)
With the World Cup and everything else I've been itching to play some FM again, and so I figured I would go all dynasty on it as well. I started a couple careers with other teams, but there's a part of me that just can't stop myself from wanting to go back to my old favorite, in real life and the game, Napoli Soccer. A few months ago I was in the midst of another Napoli dynasty (you can find it here: http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/...ghlight=napoli) when my hard drive committed suicide and took FM and everything else with it. Others might have taken that as a sign of some divine intervention to do something more productive with their free time (or at least switch teams or something), but for some reason neither of those things are possible for me. So here we go, another FM dynasty, I'll kick things off with a few very similar posts to those at the beginning of my old one, but this time our hero is Blanco Poloma, a 28 year old Argentinian manager with fire in his eyes and ice in his veins and... a strange name. (Blanco Poloma also once led my Incan Empire to a fairly sweet Civ 4 victory back in February, so don't doubt him, the man has talent...)
An Overview Quote:
Napoli is one of the more interesting clubs to start an FM career with as they have a massive stadium (the 78,400 capacity San Paolo), top training facilities, a healthy balance sheet, and an initial roster well-equipped to handle promotion from their initial league. But there are challenges. Club Chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis informs me, over the growing hum of an enraged fan base gathered outside the stadium, that despite my relative lack of managerial experience I have the full confidence of the club's Board. He gives me a more than adequate transfer budget, considering the club's level and initial roster strength, but asks me to do whatever I can to raise the club's profile. He reminds me that he is living in the shadow of his father, Dino De Laurentiis, legendary producer of films such as Serpico, Three Days of the Condor, and, um, King Kong Lives. I promise to do what I can and set out to mold this team into something that can actually follow through on everyone's all or nothing expectations of a C1B League Title. |
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07-11-2006, 05:54 PM
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#2 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: San Diego
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I set out to do the usual moving and shaking in the transfer market, hiring of coaches, and squad evaluation over these first few weeks. I've finally installed the latest SI data update on my system so there are a few new faces on the initial roster at Napoli as well. We'll have to see what they're capable of, but I'm already shortlisting and targeting a handful of old favorites for immediate moves. I'll lay out a breakdown of our key players after some of the transfers play themselves out and we have a better idea of how this team is going to shape up. I'm also dispatching our scouts to Scandinavia, Italy, and South America, looking for any promising talent or defensive depth.
Preseason 7/15/05 - Friendly - Napoli @ Prato We start out just filling spots in a flat 442. Just looking to see what kind of pieces we might have in place, and get people into some game playing fitness. The newest face of note from the data update appears to be MR Ivano Trotta, a veteran and determined winger with a lot of influence and good skills. The match starts slowly enough, until DM Francesco Montervino finds Roberto Sosa through on goal for a clinically finished one on one and we go up 1-0 in the 22nd minute. We pick up another in the 53rd when ST Emanuele Calaio heads home an Ivano Trotta cross, and then a third goal in the 63rd when Sosa heads home a cross as well. We pull all the starters here and Prato ends up popping in a freekick in the 75th to make it 3-1 and end the scoring. Overall a solid if unspectacular performance, with Trotta rating an 8 and making a positive first impression, and Sosa and Calaio confirming that they're still up to the task with a 9 and 8 respectively. Win: 3-1 7/18/05 - Friendly - Napoli v Uerdingen Next game just three days later, and we're playing a small German club at home in another preseason tuneup. I tell the boys to take it easy, don't go in for too many tackles, something about this Uerdingen team rubs me the wrong way, namely that they come from a place named Uerdingen. We go out and grab a quick goal in the 13th with Calaio finishing a pass from Sosa, and then each team spends the remainder of the match contemplating the strangely captivating oddity that is the word Uerdingen. I lead the team off the pitch at the final whistle wondering if we'll ever score again. Win: 1-0 7/28/05 - Friendly - Napoli v Siegen Another small German club comes to town, and my fears of the Uerdingen curse appear founded until the 27th minute, when Emanuel Calaio heads home a cross from right back Gianluca Grava. The match then descends however into a pall of scorelessness and blazed thirty yard delusions, with both sides looking tentative, tired, and generally bored with each other. Siegen grabs a draw with an 82nd minute garbage goal and both sides leave the pitch looking forward to a hot shower and some late night dancing! I'm beginnning to wonder if we may need to lay a little Poloma boot on somebody's ass around here. Draw: 1-1 8/2/05 - Friendly - Napoli @ Cremonese We're playing another Italian side finally, and I'm hoping that will inspire us to do some damage on the scoresheet today. (We apparently have a gentle affection for those fair-skinned Germans across the Alps.) And we also have a new signing or two making their debuts (more on that later) so I'm hoping we'll see a spark from their new blood. Things start promisingly enough, with Sosa putting a header just over the bar after some nice buildup in the 2nd minute. But two minutes later a Cremonese striker steals the ball from new keeper (and old favorite) Radoslaw Janukiewicz and buries it into an open net to put them up 1-0. We then decide to employ our newly implemented simulated sleep tactic, and nothing happens the rest of the game. So bringing in new people does not help, check. We'll have to make an adjustment as we head into a few meaningful matches in the coming days. Loss: 1-0 |
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07-12-2006, 05:16 PM
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#3 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: San Diego
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The Squad
We'll probably have a few more additions trickle in over time leading up to the end of the transfer window. But here's a look at our squad ahead of our first meaningful game, an Italian Cup Qualifying showdown with Serie B side Pescara. Keepers Radoslaw Janukiewicz - A youngster we discovered in the previous dynasty, and I couldn't help but bring him in again for 12k (all numbers are in euros). He's a 20 year old Polish U21 player, and he's got a solid set of skills for this level of play. He doesn't appear to be quite the prospect he was previously, but at 6'4" and with great reflexes, he'll get the job done. He's a little weak with some of the mental aspects right now (with his concentration and composure being big concerns) but we're hoping he'll mature in those areas as time goes on. Gennaro Iezzo - This 32 year old veteran Italian has passable skills, but also some holes. I don't feel completely uncomfortable with having him in the lineup, but he's never going to be better than he is right now, and that's barely good enough. We'll call him competent, but he's our backup. Defenders Haraldur Freyr Guđmundsson - Or Haraldo as the fans have already taken to calling him, is 23 year old Icelandic DC that our scouts discovered in their Scandinavian travels. We were able to pick him up for 12k and he made his debut in our recent friendly loss at Cremonese. Regardless, I'm excited to have him. He's an anchor in our central defense, shoring up, at least somewhat, our biggest squad weakness. He's strong in the air, has good pace (12-13), is technically sound, and won't be pushed off of too many balls. Bringing him in makes me much more comfortable in trying to implement my usual high defensive line, shorten the field tactics. He's going to be able to win the long balls forward and should be able to deal with the pace of most players at this level. Andrea Briotti - He's a 19 year old Italian DLC, on loan from Roma for the season. He's solid in the air, and has a good set of all-around skills. We'll pair him up with HFG and the two will form the foundation of a nice backline. I feel much more comfortable with him as my "complementary" DC than I did when he seemed to be our only truly passable option. Gianluca Grava - A 29 year old Italian DRC, Grava will play rightback for us, but if injuries force it, he can move inside and hold his own. I like the veteran presence that he brings and his maturity in some of the mental ratings will help us stay focused. Mirko Savini - A 27 year old Italian DL, he gives us another veteran fullback manning the left side. He has the skills to push forward and put some good crosses in, but our system will play more to his also solid tackling and positioning abilities. We could certainly upgrade either of our fullback positions, but we're more than covered on both sides with Grava and Savini. All of our defensive depth is either old and slow, or young and questionable. We can probably handle one injury at a time, but if two or more of these guys get hurt, we will be seriously vulnerable. I'll be looking to find another player or two if I can, but we may simply end up rolling the dice and hoping for the best. Our money will most likely be better spent on a midfield difference maker, so we'll have to make do at the back. Midfield Ivano Trotta - He's a 27 year old Italian MR and he'll be running up and down the right wing for us this season. I like the determination and leadership he brings to the table, and for a recent signing he does seem to have a lot of influence at the club. I'm not going to ask too much of him offensively, but he looks to have the skills to provide the occasional spark Mariano Bogliaccino - He's a 25 year old Uruguayan ML and he has the physical and technical abilities to do everything we'll need. He's a player I know I can count on for some exciting runs and some well-placed crosses. He also has a few clubs interested in him, which makes a little wary. I was forced to sell him in my previous career. We'll keep our eye on his attitude as time goes on. Francesco Montervino - He's another veteran Italian, listed as a DM but he plays more like an AM I've noticed, and has nice skills for either role. I think he is a solid player that I don't mind having on the pitch, but right now he's our best central midfielder, and I'd like an upgrade. Patrik Stahl - Another favorite from the other dynasty, he's a 19 year old AMC from Sweden that cost us 3k. He has some potential, and a decent skillset, but he's very determined and plays above his ratings for me. He's another guy that I don't mind seeing on the pitch, but he's not someone that is going to thrive as our main guy in the middle. He'll grow quickly, but not if I ask too much of him. He also looks like he has the potential to be pretty versatile, so I'm training him as an MR as well. Cataldo Montesanto - An older Italian DMRC, who is on the back end of his career. He still has the drive, and a good deal of stamina, but he's lost a step or two and gets by mostly on grit. He'll see the pitch occasionally, and even play a little rightback if we're in a bind, but he's more of a mature lockerroom presence than anything else. Nicolas Amodio - A 23 year old DM on loan from Inter, Amodio is a great passer and possesses adequate other skills. I'm comfortable giving him playing time, but again, he's not going to be our midfield difference maker. Forwards Roberto Sosa - Our captain, a 30 year old Argentinian Striker, he's basically what makes us tick. A great finisher, he's less flashy than our other two good strikers, but his ability to win the long balls forward in the air makes everyone around him better. If he's out for any extended period of time we'll probably still be winning games, but we'll be prone to letdowns and laziness. Inacio Pia - A 23 year old Brazilian, he's quick and talented, and has a good deal of flair. He'd start on any other team in this division but he'll come off the bench for us. Emanuele Calaio - 23 year old Italian, he and Pia are somewhat similar with Calaio being a little better in the air. Calaio will start along Sosa simply because they seem to work well together, and Pia seems to relish the role of coming on in the 60th minute to make something happen. Any of these three are immensely talented for this level of play. |
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08-22-2006, 05:02 PM
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#4 |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: San Diego
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August
8/7/05 - 1st Italian Cup Qualfying Round - Napoli v. Pescara We face Serie B outfit Pescara here at home in an Italian Cup Qualifying Round. We come in still not sure what we have, but hoping we can scrape out a win somehow. Our scoring has to come around eventually, and hopefully it's just a matter of getting some fitness. Things start well enough, and we're in control when Emanuele Calaio steals a pass and scores in the 12th minute. We control the ball and have some nice chances until we have to bring Sosa and Trotta off just before halftime because they're both looking exhausted. We get a late goal in the 80th from subsitute Inacio Pia, and Pescara grabs one back a few minutes later, but it's not enough and we hold on for a nice win to advance. Win: 2-1 At this point we finalize a deal we had in the works that I wasn't quite sure would actually happen, and now that it has, I'm both surprised and thrilled. 19 year old Nigerian AMC John Obi Mikel will be joining us immediately. I had a 1.6MM euro bid accepted for him by Lyn, his club, but contract negotiations had bogged down. After offering him a max salary and max signing bonus, as well as a relegation release clause and yearly increases, he has agreed to join us and is over the moon to play for such a well-supported club. This is a huge signing for us, with the real life Mikel having been highly contested prize sought by both Chelsea and Man U. This puts a big dent in our transfer budget though, and there are still things I would like to do. After thinking about it awhile, I end up pulling the trigger on a co-ownership deal with Parma for Inacio Pia. Napoli will keep control of Pia for the next two years at which point each club will have a chance to bid on the other half of the player. We get 2.3MM for this, and it's a big boost to our balance, especially on the heels of the Mikel deal. I hate to give up even a piece of a great player like Pia, but at the same time, if all goes according to plan, we'll be gearing for the Serie A two years from now with the opportunity to make some good replacement signings if we lose him. Sometimes you've gotta do what you've gotta do. So I take this money, and the little bit still left over, and make two more acquisitions. We sign 20 year old Brazilian/Italian Vagner Leonardelli for 600k and DMC Freddy Guarin from Colombia for 1.2MM. Being the idiot that I am I don't realize as I'm making the deal that Guarin won't move until a full year from now due to a loan commitment, but I'm still happy that we'll be getting him when we'll really need him and at a discount, because his value is sure to rise this year. Leonardelli is a similar situation, as he won't be joining us until mid-season, but I actually saw that one as I was making the deal. Leonardelli will help us a lot when he comes on board, especially since I always seem to see a mid-season dry spell if I don't acquire a new player or shake up the lineup. He's also got a lot of upside with media touting him as the next Lucio, but of course my scouts have warned me not to expect nearly that much. Either way, he's young and looks to be a centerpiece of our team for the next few years. With him, Mikel, Guomundsson, and (later) Guarin, we've picked up four very good young players to build around, and a handful of young contributors, like Stahl, in one transfer window. Not too shabby. 8/13/05 - Italian Cup 2nd Qualifying Round - Napoli @ Chievo Mikel will see his debut as we face an uphill battle against Serie A side Chievo. Making things even more difficult, we're on the road. I think we have the strength to play with them but I think that if we open things up too much they have the quality to make us pay. We set things up to play conservatively, and hope to turn up the heat in the second half and steal a road win. Things go well at first and we're more than up to the task in the early going, even generating a few very good chances. We're in extra time at the end of the first half with everything going according to plan, and I'm feeling smugly satisfied with my own tactical brilliance when Chievo pops one in off a brilliant midfield ball into the area. The pass and finish are both nearly brilliant, and the goal is punch in the gut and a reminder that we are playing over our heads here. We never really recover in the second half and don't mount much of a challenge. Mikel debuts to a lackluster 6 and I sympathise with the boys after the loss, Chievo's a tough squad. Loss: 0-1 |
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08-23-2006, 05:30 AM
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#5 |
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Coordinator
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
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Weird, i picked napoli for my squad sight un-seen...just liked the name...they wreaked havoc on C1B, finishing with only 1 draw and 0 losses to match a +76 goal differential. Calaio was a beast for me, and even sosa did well. Pia just never steps up for me though, hope he works better for you though. Best of luck in securing promotion like i did, ill be following along very intently to see where you take them!
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Underachievement The tallest blade of grass is the first to be cut by the lawnmower. Despair It's always darkest just before it goes pitch black. Demotivation Sometimes the best solution to morale problems is just to fire all of the unhappy people. http://www.despair.com/viewall.html |
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08-23-2006, 02:55 PM
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#6 | |
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College Benchwarmer
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: San Diego
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Quote:
Yeah, season one should go well (but one draw and no losses  , that's great, congrats), but hopefully I'll be able to build a solid enough squad that season two goes just as well. And yeah, Pia has great ratings but he doesn't quite play up to them. That's basically why I felt ok with the co-ownership deal, he is kind of surplus to requirements. Thanks for following, hopefully I can keep things going pretty regularly now... |
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