Football Italia: Season 9 – Preparations

Season Nine: Preparations are underway

If I want to take over the world, I have to do it in small steps. Honestly – I don’t really want that, but I do want the best youth academy in the country and need to do that through some small steps. I’ve analysed the trends of what kind of players I’m getting through my academy in order to better work on training schedules to ready them for the next phases of their career, set up some loan deals to my affiliates and then – in a most unlike me move – spent all of my transfer budget, and even a bit more!

And I spent it all on just two players, too:

When I think of Honduras, I do have some nostalgia around Maynor Figueroa’s wonder goal for Wigan and the little insurgence of Honduran players that made the move to the Premier League but, honestly, most of my memories of FM-related Hondurans are those who plied their trade in Italy: Edgar Álvarez – Cagliari, Roma, Messina, Livorno, Bari, Palermo – 2004–08, 2009–12, Julio César de León – Reggina, Genoa, Messina – 2002–04, 2006–08, 2012-13 and David Suazo – Cagliari, Inter, Genoa, Catania – 1999–2000, 2004–08, 2009–10, 2011–12. Whilst the first two have actually represented Biancoscudati and, with that, I feel a sense of realism in that this is an area they’ve targeted – to some success, too – it is the last whose memory still lives on. I can’t find an English screenshot but, here, back in 2003, Suazo was a monster attacker, renowned for his lightning quick pace and scoring ability, which, of course, was easy to exploit back in the day! Now, David Acosta is not a carbon copy of him, but he is the nation’s best player at present and one of only two players playing in the top flights of big European leagues, with a winger currently at PSV.

I wanted to think both about the presenta and the future with this deal so opted for a younger player – in this case 23 – but then someone who had also scored heavily. There were no U23 strikers across the T5 leagues who had scored more than twenty goals, let alone had any interest in joining us, but, when I widened the scope to include Portugal and more than twelve goals, David appeared. His stats for a top-half Academica de Viseu side are interesting – lots of goals but a really low shot xG: he’s capable of doing the difficult things really well, but, obviously – and thanks to the xG Philosophy for this slice of realism – is expected to not reach such heady heights again given his large overperformance. What has drawn me to him though is he’s more than just a big forward with some traits that would initially make me shout ‘Target Man!’ – he’s good on the ball, links play, is really brave and works hard for the team.

We were nearly priced out – €9.25m rising to, potentially, €12.5m is all of my money this summer and it means that there will be no spending on new wing backs or replacing Charlie Patino, who left on a free. It also meant that I had to rush another sale, which didn’t go down too well with the board – and that was of Luca Kmet, enabling me to free up the non-EU spot for the Honduran. Literally, I looked for the easiest to move midfielder and he hadn’t done as well as some of the others; it’s a harsh world but we need to make ourselves better and David does that.

Guido Hoyos makes his move after securing the Serie B title with Como and, probably, being the best young keeper in Europe, if not one of the best overall keepers, too. I felt the difficulty in selling club icon Esposito, especially as we didn’t quite offset this deal, getting €8.5m for him but – like Acosta above – I need to do these things for the better of the team. Hoyos is, by far, the best player at the club and I hope to build the team around him for years to come.

I still insist that, player by player, we are not a top ten team, let alone a top six team but, as a team, we are a collective and the cohesion between us allows us to do what we are doing so well. Not wanting to ruin that, I think that two in and just a few out means very little will have changed and the core of the team – Hoyos, Amey, Cubarsi, Lucenti, Bellino, Vinci and Acosta is really strong and settled, allowing slower recruitment and development of other areas.

With the first team set up, I turned my attention to the youth side after being able to get two new affiliates on board, seemingly making the most of the new season reset on that request! Biancavilla of Masalucia (birthplace of academy lad Luke Chester) are an Eccellenza side now after being relegated from Serie D last term. They’re the lowest level of affiliate and I haven’t sent anyone there, just yet, but may do should I have those Serie D level players who need football at 18 and are maybe low in confidence. Next up, I was able to add Portuguese side Santa Clara to the arsenal of clubs that operate under my wing. They’re mid table and have decent training facilities but, importantly, will give my players access to opposition such as Benfica, Sporting and Porto – where the real gains are made.

I’ve sent a total of twelve players out on loan:

Three players returning to this level in Palazzolo, Mirabelli and Colell, albeit at a new club. Whilst the three of them performed really well, I’m not sure quite how much they developed so want to just ensure that they have access to first team football – especially for Mirabelli, who would – I’m sure – benefit from another strong season in front of goal. After some really strong progression, Colzi moves out too; he’s not 18 yet but I’m interested to see if the strong progression continues or was just a flash in the pan.

 

Cassano and Kouakou are kind of in the shop window now, moving up from the Eccellenza to Serie C but are old enough now to have matured and played a decent amount of games, just now needing the finishing touches for them before, most likely, being sold on. Traore lit up Serie D at Trapani but returns a level higher, as does Nicolini as I realise that I’ve sent them three attacker, which will likely see Andrea move to a striker role where his pace could be terrifying for defenders.

The newly promoted Serie B side get my two Spaniards, fresh from spells in Croatia. I’m not entirely sure about either, as I’ve previously mentioned, so hope that this is the best way to increase value for a future sale.

A real wildcard decision here and one I may come to regret. I don’t really thin that Gueye is good enough to play top flight football in Croatia but my decision was made based on the fact that they have a Conference League campaign and, with a new manager who favours two strikers replacing a man who favoured one, they have a shortfall here as well as the fact that striker slots had already been taken elsewhere at my feeder clubs.

I’m hoping that Santa Clara can be my finishing school and provide a year out before entry back into the first team, so that is where Migliori has gone. He was strong in Croatia and this is a step up for him but he should be among the better players at the club. I have really high hopes for him.

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I’m excited! Time for some tactical battles.

Forza Biancoscudati!