Football Italia: Season 4 – 10 Games in
Share this:
Season four: 10 games in; we smell blood!
A transfer window closure that saw just one extra signing: Antonio Donnarumma – big brother of world-class Gianluca, after what can only be described as a massive mess on my behalf. I spoke about only having one keeper at the club and it just so happened that, in the second game of the season, he decided to injure himself and be out for at least a month. Sticking to my mantra of experience, I went for Antonio, who had just conceded sixty-two at our level as Avellino suffered successive relegations: hardly a big selling point. That being said, he’s been really solid and has filled a gap that was very much needed!
We are ten games into the season and some tactical thinking has allowed us to significantly over perform our pre-season expectations!
A simple passage through against Serie C side Padova before we took Serie B side Verona apart in the first half, thanks to two goals from Braschi. Esposito decided to then get injured but, thanks to centre back Berto’s heroics, we kept a clean sheet and really stopped the tallest substitute I had from being tested!
Our Serie B form has been strong and I’ve been really exploring how we can evolve our 3241 build up shape. Currently, both outside centre backs play as a WCB(d) but I explored using Masudi as a L(s) in our 4-1 win against Ascoli, noting that their right winger was predominantly a playmaker rather than a wide runner, wrong-footed so likely to come inside and not particularly fast or a hard worker, meaning that – even without the pace of Masudi, we’d unlikely be caught out there on the counter. Moving him forwards helped create a 2251 build up and – apologies for all the satanic looking triangles here – creates a 6-man central build up, emphasising my desire to play centrally, always having a spare man. We can create central triangles anywhere on the pitch with the VOL(S)/DLP(s)/AM(s), too. In our win over Reggiana, our midfield overload against two strikers meant that the standard back three shape gave us positional superiority, also seen here – where the AF(a) stretches the play, not allowing one of the three defenders (one out of shot) to pull in and support the midfield.
I’m currently revelling in the fact that teams are coming at us. This allows our speedy attackers more space and opportunities, as seen by Merola’sperformances as he leads ours, and the leagues, scoring and average rating charts.
To have demolished table topping Ascoli, drawn with Palermo and destroyed Modena, we’re clearly doing something right as we are second top scorers, too. Brescia and a return fixture against Pescara will be tough in the next five, as will Pisa’s visit and ninth placed SPAL’s. I’m hoping that we can stay within the top half of the table, upsetting a lot of established Serie B sides along the way!
– – –
I wanted to go back to an old post where I identified my project players and recap their growth, particularly now that they’ve had a full season of first team football with the club. The two player – Merola and Ibrahimovic– have had steady access to the first team, with the former now becoming a key player and have focused heavily on their mental attribute development, coinciding with their first team minutes.
Both have made significant progress in their mental attributes and, given their lesser development in terms of technical ability, really hits home that I need to be ensuring that my U18 squad are using their training sessions to build a strong technical base. I’ll continue to focus on player development through both younger, academy level players and those who have failed to make the grade at elite clubs, pursuing both quality and depth within the club and significant profits from any player sales.
My new contract stipulates a desire to improve cash flow, and, with interest in all my top players – Lucenti and Owusu included – there is always a tough moment where I have to decide whether to let go of players I’ve spent significant amounts of time developing for the good of the team, not being scared to reinvest that into facilities, staff and players. I think January – with this clause now inputted – will be quite a tough month for me! I’ll see where we sit when we get there, though.
Forza Biancoscudati!
