Football Italia: Season 4 – Difficult Preparations

Season 4: Difficult preparations

It’s been a long time since we’ve overperformed to the level that we, despite our strong player development ethos, are considered – as a club – to be far below the standard for the level we’re going into, but, alas, that has happened here.

My plans for the transfer window were not well thought out, simply because I had hoped that our improved stature within the game, financial freedom (yeah, right) and expanded scouting system would surely open the door to many a player wanting to ply their trade in lovely Sicily. I’d even made a list of those dream released players – experienced heads with quality in their career along with the odd under developed player. For any of those with any interest, I was quickly reminded of our lack of financial security, which, seemingly, the board had no interest in helping us with.

Therefore, with a quick change of heart – my summer became about adding the key elements of experience of consistency – ensuring that the team was just that, a team. None of our players, on paper, are good enough to set the league alight but, and a big but here, I think that, if we can get them to gel and play as a cohesive unit, we might just be ok. Four new faces found their way into our club, with one further loan deal being made permanent.

I am not yet settled with this squad and, unusually for me, will be using every hour until the transfer window closes to seek out any players that can come in, add depth or that little spark of quality that I still feel we are missing in certain areas.

Here is the Messina squad heading into the 2027/28 Serie B season:

We have one senior keeper at the club and, ultimately, that may become a problem further down the line. However, Matteo Esposito is probably good enough for this level based on his strong performances last time out, where he kept twenty-one clean sheets. Ideally, I’d like him to become a team leader, in order to really emphasise his quality but, in all honesty, his personality is not really suited to what benefits that’d bring.

The recruitment team are desperate to bring in another keeper and I’m fine with that. However, I’m not prepared to stretch our wage budget to over 300% more than my top earner for a player, with no experience at this level or, for that matter, any tier two league, to come in, earn that and sit on the bench!

Two new arrivals in the centre of defence with Elia Capradossi arriving following his departure from SPAL. At 31, he’s on the older end of the spectrum in terms of what I had at the club but signifies exactly what I think I need. He’s both good enough for this level as well as being consistent and enjoying big matches – a key part of the spine of the team I want to create. Louis Masudi is an exciting youngster who comes in on loan from our parent club, Napoli. He’ll bring some quality and ball progression as well as a sizeable frame. Definitely an area of the squad I am happier with, although I am still unsure whether Floriani Mussolini or Berto (listed as a wing back) will fill which role. A positive for their versatility, if nothing else.

With little to go on in terms of what good looks like – I have taken a step in order to try and create some accountability for performances this season. I’ve taken quite a wide spread – 20% below and 20% above – of the average performances all of the centre backs (replicated for each other area of the pitch) achieved last season and, have, with this, created some benchmarks that I want to hold my squad too. Obviously, we are at a higher level than last season and, with that, I’d expect that the base number for interceptions, clearances and blocks increase – but they aren’t necessarily good stats to have high or low – just an indication of the type of defending that we are doing.

Looking specifically at these stats – the introduction of Capradossi and Masudi means I am expecting an improvement in our header successes this season and, with more intelligence there too, would like to see an increase in interceptions, especially as teams will see us as minnows and throw more at us from an attacking perspective.

• Pres A/90 – Between 3.46 and 5.19
• Pres C – Between 1.08 and 1.62
• Tck % – Between 62% and 93%
• Int/90 – Between 1.43 and 2.14
• Clr/90 – Between 1.03 and 1.55
• Blk/90 – Between 0.36 and 0.54
• Hdr % – Between 47% and 70%
• Ps C/90 – Between 46 and 69.01
• Pas % – Between 74% and 100%
• Pr ps/90 – Between 3.97 and 5.96
• Poss Lost/90 – Between 4.55 and 6.83

An area of extreme weakness, given Giavognoli’s departure to Newell’s and Veratti’s contract expiry. Across pre-season, I’ve heavily used trialists in order to get a sense of who can join with four different players auditioning for the right wing back slot. However, as I mentioned previously, we have been priced out of absolutely anyone who would bring more quality to this area and, as such, have been left with Berto and Floriani Mussolini with youngster Salerno currently stepping up as cover. At left back, we have retained Tripaldelli, a hero of last term, but have an even more raw prospect in Fucili at left wing back.

Again – I’ve used metrics from last season to create some benchmarks for this and, given the performances of the team, they are quite lofty.

• Asts/90 – Between 0.26 and 0.39
• xA/90 – Between 0.19 and 0.28
• K Ps/90 – Between 1.22 and 1.84
• OP-KP/90 – Between 1.52 and 2.28
• Pres A/90 – Between 9.02 and 13.52
• Pres C – Between 2.13 and 3.2
• Tck % – Between 64% and 93%
• Ps C/90 – Between 33.89 and 50.84
• Pas % – Between 71% and 100%
• Pr ps/90 – Between 3.21 and 4.82
• Drb/90 – Between 2.46 and 3.69
• Poss Lost/90 – Between 10.66 and 15.98

The five midfielders I have here are a great signal of me getting the recruitment and development right for what I want to do with this team. I always like my sixes to be ball players whereas my tens and eights to be runners and that is what I’ve created here. Valerio Verre, a man I remember from FMs past, who – like Capradossi – shares similar levels of consistency and a love for big matches joins to become another option in the deeper playmaking role, joining Carboni who marks the end of a very successful eighteen months on loan by signing a permanent deal. Lucenti and Bellino are the standouts and they will form the progressive DLP(s)/VOL(s) combo, allowing Ruggeri to swap in when we need more defensive (and less aerial) cover.

I expect a lot from this part of the pitch, from box to box and everything that comes with it. It’s unlikely that Lucenti or Bellino will repeat 15+ goal contributions but changes in outputs here would probably go a long way to finding out why we aren’t performing well as they were the heartbeat of the team last time out.

• Gls/90 – Between 0.17 and 0.26
• xG/90 – Between 0.17 and 0.25
• NP-xG/90 – Between 0.14 and 0.2
• Shot/90 – Between 1.67 and 2.51
• ShT/90 – Between 0.63 and 0.95
• Asts/90 – Between 0.15 and 0.23
• xA/90 – Between 0.16 and 0.24
• K Ps/90 – Between 1.51 and 2.27
• OP-KP/90 – Between 1.84 and 2.75
• Pres A/90 – Between 10.21 and 15.32
• Pres C – Between 2.9 and 4.35
• Int/90 – Between 1.43 and 2.15
• Blk/90 – Between 0.33 and 0.5
• Hdr % – Between 37% and 55%
• Ps C/90 – Between 47.02 and 70.52
• Pas % – Between 71% and 100%
• Pr ps/90 – Between 4.98 and 7.47
• Drb/90 – Between 1.39 and 2.09

I treat my eights, tens and nines and pretty similar entities – although do prefer one ten to be more creative: for me, Clemenza is that man. One new signing here and it was a strange one; Riccardo Braschi moved, for €5m to Udinese from Fiorentina, but, a week later, found himself without a club and without an explanation I could find. Their loss is our gain as, despite feeling somewhat of a project, I think he can contribute from the off – allowing some thought about both he and Owusu as a second striker, if a change in style is needed.

With two 20+ goal scorers from last year, I envisage that the goals per 90 metric will see a reduction but I am determined to play our game and not just be that pragmatic Italian manager, pandering to the threats of the opposition. That being said, less focus will be placed here until we can ensure that the defence is watertight.

• Gls/90 – Between 0.43 and 0.65
• xG/90 – Between 0.35 and 0.52
• NP-xG/90 – Between 0.34 and 0.51
• Shot/90 – Between 1.81 and 2.71
• ShT/90 – Between 0.91 and 1.37
• Asts/90 – Between 0.1 and 0.15
• xA/90 – Between 0.1 and 0.14
• K Ps/90 – Between 0.64 and 0.96
• OP-KP/90 – Between 0.66 and 1
• Hdr % – Between 7% and 10%
• Drb/90 – Between 1.54 and 2.31

– – –

A decent first XI but not the depth or the star quality that I wanted; I had dreams of Paulo Dybala returning to Sicily being that enigmatic, slightly lethargic #10 that every Italian dreams of. What I have got, to make matters worse, is a tough August, with only Mantova – another promoted side – as a realistic game that I fancy winning.