Silver_blue just bit me!

[Donners]

Pre-Season 2023/2024

For a change, we finally got a promising player into the Under-20s, defender Abdelnasser Scaglione. £32M in TV rights came in, while only £575K went out to shareholders. We now have a bank balance of around £550M. I was given a transfer budget of £451M and told to win the title.

Once again I lost an assistant manager, with Giacomo Tafuro leaving to join Torino as their manager, albeit for £1M compensation. I signed Moroccan Houssine Kharja as a coach and promoted coach Giuseppe Venturelli to the assistant position. Through whatever bug we’re up to, coach Antchouet also became an assistant.

Aaron Kientz, Yoshihisa Fatihi and Babatunde Taylor were released at the ends of their contracts, with former Spanish international midfielder Ismail Ramos joining the club.

[Donners]

The Squad

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre"> 1st in Serie A

Squad Screen

| Pkd | Inf | Name | Squad Status | Basic Wage | Contract Expiry | Offer Options | Asking Price |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MR | | Balestrieri, A* | First Team | £30,500 | 31.7.2025 | None | £23.5M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DC | | De Bellis, N | First Team | £12,750 | 31.7.2025 | None | £14M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MC | | Franco, H | First Team | £12,250 | 31.7.2025 | None | £9M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| ML | Inj | Martin | First Team | £7,250 | 31.7.2024 | None | £11M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB6 | | Ramos, I | First Team | £10,000 | 31.7.2025 | None | £7M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| MC | | Schreiber, A | First Team | £13,000 | 31.7.2026 | None | £8.5M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB4 | | Webb, C* | First Team | £23,500 | 31.7.2024 | None | £2.9M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| FC | Req | Carson, A | Rotation | £5,000 | 31.7.2025 | None | £5.5M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Cervantes, A | Rotation | £6,000 | 31.7.2024 | None | £2.3M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DR | | Cooper, A | Rotation | £7,500 | 31.7.2025 | None | £3.4M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DC | | Dupuy, S | Rotation | £6,250 | 31.7.2025 | None | £550K |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| FC | | Frank* | Rotation | £9,250 | 31.7.2025 | None | £13.5M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Förster, A | Rotation | £10,000 | 31.7.2027 | None | £7.25M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Hoffmann, M | Rotation | £12,000 | 31.7.2025 | None | £1.7M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB1 | | Hofmann, S | Rotation | £12,000 | 31.7.2025 | None | £2.1M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Legrand, T | Rotation | £5,000 | 31.7.2024 | None | £4M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| GK | | Lombardi | Rotation | £15,000 | 31.7.2025 | None | £3M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Unh | Müller, K | Rotation | £2,300 | 31.7.2025 | None | £8.75M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB7 | | Schneider, P | Rotation | £3,000 | 31.7.2024 | None | £6.75M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB5 | Inj | Schuchardt, T | Rotation | £16,000 | 31.7.2024 | None | £4.9M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB2 | | Thomas | Rotation | £13,000 | 31.7.2024 | None | £2.8M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Unh | Wohlfarth, S | Rotation | £8,000 | 31.7.2026 | None | £3M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| DL | | Wright | Rotation | £15,000 | 31.7.2024 | None | £1.9M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| SB3 | | Gutiérrez, A | Backup | £8,500 | 31.7.2025 | None | £1.7M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Wnt | Nobile, J | Backup | £6,000 | 31.7.2024 | None | £775K |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | Unh | Standaert, D | Backup | £4,900 | 31.7.2024 | None | £5.5M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Fiorentini, A | Hot Prospect | £1,500 | 31.7.2025 | None | £1.7M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | Stéphan, F | Hot Prospect | £1,300 | 31.7.2026 | None | £2.7M |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | |

| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

Total Players: 40

Wage Budget: £2,000,000

Total Weekly Wages at 8/8/23: £281,031

Goalkeepers

Satish Hofmann [27, GK, GER] – 1, 25, 0

A strong first season for the keeper, who rotated well with Lombardi. Lombardi had the better record and will probably start ahead of him, but Hofmann will still certainly get a good run.

Lombardi [30, GK, ITA – Capped at Schoolboy level] – 1, 23, 0

As noted, the slightly better keeper last season in terms of performance, though he seems not quite as skilled. Must fight to remain #1, but either way will get a solid run.

Defenders

Azmin Azram Cervantes [30, D/DM C, MEX – 54/2] – 1, 15, 0

Sadly showed little in his first season. Has the skills to be a very useful defensive midfielder, but the squad make-up means he has to play mostly at centre back. Probably will be released at the end of the year.

18/19 Oberhausen Supporters’ Player of the Year

Aymen Cooper [27, D R, ENG] – 1, 22, 0

A nice first season from the pacy right back, though he did come under pressure from Fiorentini. A useful, though not outstanding, player.

Nelson De Bellis [26, D RC, ITA – 26/0] – 7, 304, 14

That’s quite an impressive number of games for such a young player. Not his best season last year, but still a key part of the defence, at either right or centre back.

19/20, 20/21 Serie A Team of the Year; 2020 European Footballer of the Year third placed; 2021 European Defender of the Year runner-up, 2023 European Defender of the Year; 2021 Serie A Defender of the Year; Named in 2022 World Cup Dream Team

Syed Dupuy [33, Sw/D C, FRA – Capped at U21 level] – 12, 284, 9

Still going strong despite his age. Contracted for two more seasons, and more of his consistent performances at the back would be welcome.

Amir Fiorentini [22, D/DM RC, ITA – Capped at U21 level] – 5, 24, 1

I had written Fiorentini off, but was forced to give him another go when my Under-20s coach re-signed him. He doesn’t look too talented, but played 11 quite decent games. I have plenty of options at right back, so he needs to impress early.

Abdullah Gutiérrez [31, D RLC, ESP] – 3, 35, 1

Hovers around the fringe of the side, filling holes in defence where required. Useful.

Thomas [28, D RLC, GER – 9/0] – 4, 140, 6

Years of training have finally made Thomas capable at left back – naturally in his final contracted year. He’s actually a bit slow to be on the sides of defence, but at least that’s another option. May be re-signed.

Satish Wohlfarth [26, D C, GER] – 1, 10, 0

Very disappointing in his first season. Despite apparent talent, had little impact and will only remain around the first team because of a bit of a lack of depth at centre back.

Wright [31, D L, ENG – Capped at U21 level] – 2, 63, 3

I had some doubts over buying a player who was almost 30, but Wright has justified the move beautifully. Sadly in his final contracted year, and is getting on, but a top performer over the last two seasons. May be re-signed if he keeps it up.

Serie A Italian Player of the Year third-placed

Midfielders

Adhemar Balestrieri [27, M RL, ITA – 35/1] – 7, 244, 16

Another stellar season from the winger. With Martin, he forms the best winger team since the days of Alex and Andy Burgess [see my Rushden story]. With Martin’s contract set to expire, I’m glad at least Balestrieri is set to stay a bit longer.

2019, 2020 European Midfielder of the Year runner-up, 2021 European Midfielder of the Year third placed, 2022 European Midfielder of the Year; 20/21, 21/22, 22/23 Serie A Team of the Year; 20/21 Serie A Player of the Year third placed, 21/22, 22/23 Serie A Player of the Year runner-up

Artur Förster [23, AM C, GER – Capped at U21 level] – 1, 17, 0

A little slower off the mark than I’d hoped, but showed some signs in 17 games, with most off the bench. We need a replacement for Webb in the middle, and Förster may be the man to do it. Contracted for a long time, so has plenty of chances to find a spot.

Haitham Franco [26, AM RC, ESP – Capped at U21 level] – 1, 31, 7

A very impressive first season, with plenty of goals from free kicks and some solid passing. There’s plenty of competition for midfield spots, but Franco is towards the top of the list.

Tsz Shing Legrand [29, AM/F RC, FRA] – 3, 53, 5

On the very fringe of the side despite apparent talent. In his final year, but may get a chance as a forward if needed.

Martin [21, M L, ENG – 5 U21/2] – 3, 88, 11

Unquestionably a star of the side. A brilliant player, who has set up 26 goals in the last two seasons. The only problem is that this is his final contracted year.

21/22, 22/23 Supporters’ Player of the Year; 22/23 Serie A Young Player of the Year

K. Müller [22, M L, GER – Capped at U21 level] – 1, 13, 0

Unfortunately spent most of his first season complaining about not being in the seniors, despite poor Under-20s form. Showed some promise, but certainly not enough to justify a regular first team spot.

Ismail Ramos [30, M C, ESP – 3/0]

I hope to replicate the success of Wright with this mature-age signing. He has a fairly good record in the top Spanish and English leagues, but spent the last two seasons in Real Madrid’s “B†team. He has excellent ball skills and reasonable pace for his age.

15/16 Xerez Supporters’ Player of the Year

Petru Adrian Schneider [23, AM/F C, GER – Capped at U21 level] – 2, 14, 3

Had a huge impact after breaking into the side late in the season, with three goals in six games. A well-rounded player who may be used more as a forward than midfielder due to his proven goal-scoring ability and our midfield strength.

Allistair Schreiber [24, AM RC, GER – Capped at U21 level] – 1, 13, 2

Not a bad first season from the accidental purchase. He fills a very similar role to Franco and has a lot of competition, but has the talent and youth to make a real impact on Ancona.

Tatsunori Schuchardt [29, DM C, GER – 20/1] – 3, 74, 5

Despite our midfield strength, Schuchardt had his best season at Ancona last year, performing a great playmaking role. This is his final contracted year, but another good season could see him re-signed.

Dipankar Standaert [25, AM RC, ITA – Capped at U21 level] – 2, 13, 0

Didn’t play at all last season, and will leave soon, having failed to meet his promise.

19/20 Schalke 04 Supporters’ Player of the Year

Chi Yuen Webb [31, DM RLC, ENG – 33/6] – 12, 384, 35

Now entering the twilight of a stellar career. This could be his final year at Ancona, considering the number of younger players pushing for a spot.

12/13 Italian Young Player of the Year runner-up; Part of World Cup 2014 winners England; 14/15, 16/17 Italian Serie A Team of the Year

Forwards

Ayissoudou Carson [27, S C, ENG] – 1, 30, 13

A top season from the new striker, forming a deadly partnership with Frank. He’s not quick and he’s not tall, but he makes the most of his chances.

Frank [29, S C, GER – 8/0] – 5, 176, 71

Fought back into the German side with a strong season. Getting on a bit in years, but still contracted for two more without much competition.

18/19, 20/21 Supporters’ Player of the Year; 21/22 Serie A Foreign Player of the year third placed

Mohd Nizaruddin Hoffmann [31, S C, GER – 23/7] – 13, 377, 137

It looks like my assistant’s decision to re-sign him was a mistake. He only scored three goals last season – in two consecutive games, albeit over a month apart – and did little besides that. Only helped by a lack of competition up forward. About to enter a club record 14th season, passing Briotti.

16/17 Supporters’ Player of the Year

Jean-Sylvestre Nobile [31, S C, GER] – 2, 15, 2

Scored twice in four games last season, but does not look to be a viable first team regular.

18/19 Wolfsburg Supporters’ Player of the Year

Francis Xavier Stéphan [22, F C, FRA] – 5, 0, 0

With such a weak forward group, the long-time Under-20s player has a chance to step in. He’s never been a big scorer even at that lower level, but has exceptional pace and works hard.

[Donners]

The Likely Side:

(4-4-2)

GK – Lombardi

LB – Wright

CB – Syed Dupuy

CB – Nelson De Bellis

RB – Aymen Cooper

LM – Martin

CM – Haitham Franco

CM – Allistair Schreiber

RM – Adhemar Balestrieri

CF – Frank

CF – Ayissoudou Carson

Sub – Ismail Ramos

Sub – Chi Yuen Webb

Sub – Petru Adrian Schneider

Sub – Abdullah Gutiérrez

Sub – Tatsunori Schuchardt

Sub – Satish Hofmann

Sub – Thomas

The Staff

Giuseppe Venturelli (Assistant Manager)

Antchouet (erm…another Assistant Manager)

Gilberto Vallesi (Coach)

Roberto Bocchino (Coach)

Massimo Tabai (Coach)

Giannicola Pinotti (Coach)

Å°mit Davala (Coach)

Houssine Kharja (Coach)

Abdel Karim Villalba (Physio)

Eugeny Suarez (Physio)

David Jarrett (Scout)

Rob Campkin (Scout)

Julian Carrera (Scout)

Tim Davies (Scout)

Rahman Rezaei (Scout)

Søren Colding (Scout)

Michael Mifsud (Scout)

All up…

Not our best squad in recent times. Considering we’ve reached the point where success is expected rather than a bonus, that is a bit of a concern.

Goalkeeping looks a quite strong area, and I actually turned down the chance to pick up a top 30-year-old keeper for free, preferring to stick with the two I already have. Defence is not so flash – outside the usual solid performers like De Bellis, Dupuy and Thomas, there isn’t a lot of depth there. With at least Wright and Thomas quite likely to be gone at the end of the season, I need to find another option. The forwards have a similar problem, with Frank, Hoffmann and Nobile towards the ends of their careers, and few other options presenting themselves.

In contrast, our midfield is superb. The wings feature two of the best players in Ancona history, and there are countless options in the centre. The hard part is giving them all a decent run.

I’ll have a lot of work to do this season, both to meet expectations of winning the title again and also to re-build our weak areas.

[Donners]

August, season 2023/2024

Ancona 2 [Carson 13, 15] drew Bologna 2

We won the Italian Super Cup for the second time from four attempts, defeating Roma. Carson put us on track with the first of the game in the 37th, and clear Man of the Match Allistair Schreiber scored a second in the 57th minute. Fellow midfielder Franco added a third a few minutes later, and Roma only managed one late goal in reply.

I loaned out Jean-Sylvestre Nobile to Modena for his final season. Though his wages aren’t significant, and we do lack forwards, I felt this was a good way to push myself to find a replacement.

Ancona 1 [Wright 22 (pen)] d. Celtic 0

Ancona 0 drew Cremonese 0

Ancona 2 [Hofmann 40 (yes, the keeper scored from a free kick!); Balestrieri 90] d. Cuoiocappiano 0

I rejected a £17.25M Dortmund bid for Balestrieri and set about signing – or even purchasing – some new players. Unfortunately, while I focused on strikers, all I got was a series of rejections. Eventually I got defender Williams for £3.1M from Sheffield United.

Williams [23, D C, ENG – Capped at U21 level]

On the surface, not much of a player – slow, and with mediocre skills. However, he is very big, and has played superbly in the English Premier League over the last few years. Last season he scored nine goals and had 12 assists – a fair effort from a centre back. His awards and recent performances are remarkable, but I just hope he’s able to continue that record here.

21/22, 22/23 Premier Division Select; 2023 English Footballer of the Year; 22/23 Sheffield United Supporters’ Player of the Year

Unfortunately, the purchase upset Gutiérrez, Fiorentini and Cervantes. I took the sympathetic approach, as recommended by one of my assistants, but it didn’t seem to make much difference. I intend to use Gutiérrez and Fiorentini on the sides of defence anyway, but I suppose it does affect Cervantes. Gutiérrez then took it a step further, demanding the situation be “resolved†(what, does he want me to sell Wright back?), and received a warning.

We received odds of 2-1 to win the title – way ahead of next best Milan, at 14-1. Bologna, Cagliari, Juventus and Fiorentina are among the other top sides. There was tremendous news just before the start of the season, with Martin signing a £6M, 6-year deal after several rejected offers. I lost yet another assistant, with Giuseppe Venturelli becoming manager of Vicenza for £1M compensation. Luckily Antchouet was also already an assistant, so I don’t need another replacement – at least, until he goes...

[Donners]

September, season 2023/2024

Our title defence kicked off against Avellino. Williams debuted at centre back, and Gutiérrez was left out altogether for disciplinary reasons. Williams made an important clearance early, but the first half was highlighted by a brilliant half-pitch Balestrieri run. His shot was saved, but Carson scored a minute later. Franco headed in a Martin free early in the second half. Frank, Carson and Schreiber came very close to scoring, but 2-0 was the final result, with Balestrieri the star.

We were named joint favourites for the Champions Cup along with Celtic at 5-1, with Manchester United, Dortmund, Arsenal and FC Bayern behind.

Title challengers Bologna were our second opponents. A 2nd minute Franco header was tipped over, while they scored in the 35th and then again three minutes later. A Schreiber effort was barely knocked aside, but we got back in it with Frank tapping in a Balestrieri cross with ten minutes to go. It wasn’t enough though, and we already had a loss on the board.

We started the Champions Cup group stage against Werder Bremen, with Paris-SG and Zilina in our league. Schuchardt was injured only a few minutes into his first game of the season. His replacement, Webb, hit the ball straight at the keeper from close range, while Franco put several long-range shots over. Schneider came close with a couple of headers, but close was all we could get to scoring. 0-0.

After two disappointing games, a win against Brescia would be handy. However, they took the lead through a free kick in two minutes. De Bellis pulled us level briefly, but naturally they managed to score a second goal from their three shots of the game. Two losses and a draw in three games, and with both those losses in the league, we’re in a lot of trouble. Then again, we always seem to start badly, and often recover.

That recovery needed to start against Udinese. Wright was wonderful as ever at left back; not only solid defensively, but also instrumental in setting up several attacks. However, time and again Frank, Carson and Franco either put the ball over or had their shots saved. It was looking like a terrible result, with 10 shots to 2 for no goals after 70 minutes, but Frank slammed in a goal after Martin’s shot was parried and partner Carson scored from a Balestrieri cross three minutes later to seal the win.

[Donners]

October, season 2023/2024

A few players took a break for the Champions Cup match against Paris-SG, which proved a bad move when we went a goal down after 12 minutes. They looked to have scored again just before half time, but had it ruled out. Still, we were completely outplayed and didn’t have a shot in the first half. K. Müller was taken off after a truly awful performance (rating 2), and partner Schneider immediately stepped up with a much-needed goal in the 83rd. That was enough to get us a draw, though we were clearly the inferior side. Müller was warned for his bad performance and upon declaring that “unfairâ€, was transfer listed.

A Man of the Match performance from Lombardi was the only thing that got us a point from a 0-0 draw against Sampdoria. We had just one shot all game and were again outplayed.

In contrast, we had plenty of shots against Roma. Franco alone had six in just the first half. However, he had no luck, and with a late Dupuy header turned over, we had another draw. We picked up £170K from Manchester United after the game, with Hartwig scoring his 10th goal for them.

I went for the kill from the start against Zilina, playing Schneider behind Frank and Carson. It backfired, with Zilina dominating and finally scoring mid-way through the first half. De Bellis brought us level with a 46th minute penalty but they went ahead a few minutes later and we couldn’t get back. A terrible result against a small Slovenian side.

We’d sunk to 15th on the league table, albeit having played a couple fewer games than most sides, and needed a good result against Napoli. We went behind in the 28th, but were level again in the 36th thanks to Frank. Both sides had their chances, and it was through a deflection off Dupuy (who has been very poor this season) that Napoli regained the lead in the 57th. Martin crossed to Carson in the area with ten minutes to go, but his chip ricocheted off a defender. The keeper managed to save that, but Carson tapped in the rebound. Again we were level, and this time we held on for a point.

That draw was not enough, and now we faced rivals Milan, who have a great record against us. Thankfully, they were missing star striker Won-Chul Parisi, and it was our Frank with a goal late in the first half for the lead. Milan came back with a goal of their own from a corner a dozen minutes into the second half, but with 20 minutes to go, Franco finally hit the target, slamming the ball into the top corner. 2-1, with Balestrieri and Frank outstanding. Still, we’re a long way off the league leaders, and have a lot of work to do.

[Amaroq]

Hey, mate, I've only just reached page 10, but I wanted to say, WoW! What a fantastic read - hope you've kept the writing quality up for the next seven pages, as your work is one of the best story hours I've seen.

[Donners]

Thanks. Good luck getting through it.

November, season 2023/2024

Fiorentina continued our bad start to the season, scoring in only four minutes. We didn’t have a shot for the whole first half and with Ismail Ramos sent off in the second, the game was a write-off. Fiorentina scored twice late in the game to rub it in.

We couldn’t afford another loss against Zilina in the Champions League. Hoffmann scored early and Webb hit the post. After numerous chances, we scored again inn the 40th through a Williams header. A Zilina own goal was disallowed, preventing us going three goals up, but at least we finally had a win.

Four days later we faced Lecce back in the league. It was a much-needed good start to the game for Ancona, with a curling Franco goal after 10 minutes. A great Schreiber free was tipped aside but Frank slammed in his 5th of the season just before half time. We dominated, and 2-0 was a fair result.

Juventus were the ones with the good start in our next game, scoring in the seventh. Carson pulled us level in the 38th, but Frank and Martin missed several chances to put us ahead and we only got a point.

It was a similar situation against Cagliari, though without any goals despite 16 shots between the sides. Lombardi was brilliant with seven saves, but Carson, Frank and Franco couldn’t make the most of his good work.

Another game, another draw – this one in the Champions League against Werder Bremen. That left us at the bottom of the tight group with one win and three draws from five games.

[Donners]

December, season 2023/2024

We kicked off the month at home to Spezia. Former Ancona striker Takayasu Baggio caused some problems, but after early misses from Franco and Schreiber, fellow midfielder Martin put us ahead in the 32nd. Carson scored mid-way through the second half and Spezia offered no resistance in the 2-0 win.

The first leg of the Italian Cup second round was a flat 0-0 draw against Lecce. Schneider had a few chances, but failed to make anything of them.

Wright had no such trouble from the penalty spot against Genoa, scoring in the 6th after Frank was held. Martin dribbled past a defender and scored just before half time and despite a 68th minute goal to Genoa, we took the three points.

Our last chance to progress in the Champions Cup was at home against Paris-SG. We’d never fallen out at the group stage, but with two goals in 28 minutes to our opponents, it was clear that we would this season. We had eight shots; however, not one on target. Lombardi was actually quite good in goal, with four more saves, but it wasn’t enough. There went the Champions Cup dream of the favourites, though we were entered into the UEFA Cup third round.

A ridiculously frustrating game against Lazio was next, with thirteen shots for Ancona and not one goal. Franco alone had 10, with half on target. Thankfully, they didn’t score from their two shots [for a change], but one point was just not enough.

In contrast, we were outplayed by Lecce in the second leg of our Italian Cup tie, and were deservedly knocked out 0-2. It’s been a terrible season so far, with two early cup exits and poor league results. Angered by this, I set up the club record purchase of Fiorentina striker Pierce for £6.25M. He’s leading Serie A in scoring and will hopefully turn around our conversion problems when he arrives in January.

One more game to end a bad year, against Ascoli. Franco finally put one on target, scoring in the 10th from 20 yards. Webb headed in a late Martin corner for the 2-0 win.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Holders - Ancona

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Fiorentina | | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 33 | 15 | +18 | 31 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Cagliari | | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 20 | 13 | +7 | 31 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Sampdoria | | 16 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 25 | 12 | +13 | 30 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Napoli | | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 25 | 16 | +9 | 28 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Ancona | | 16 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 19 | 12 | +7 | 27 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Bologna | | 16 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 23 | 17 | +6 | 25 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Juventus | | 16 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 25 | 23 | +2 | 23 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Brescia | | 16 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 21 | +1 | 22 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Chievo | | 16 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 20 | -6 | 22 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Ascoli | | 16 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 16 | +1 | 20 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Lazio | | 16 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 16 | -4 | 19 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Spezia | | 16 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 17 | -5 | 19 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Milan | | 16 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 15 | 21 | -6 | 19 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Avellino | | 16 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 20 | -6 | 19 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Perugia | | 16 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 18 | 22 | -4 | 18 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Genoa | | 16 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 23 | 28 | -5 | 18 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Palermo | | 16 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 14 | 19 | -5 | 17 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Lecce | | 16 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 25 | -6 | 17 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | | Roma | | 16 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 17 | -3 | 15 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | | Udinese | | 16 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 23 | -14 | 15 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Donners]

January, season 2023/2024

Our defensive stocks took a hit at the start of the year, with Williams ruled out for two months with a torn groin muscle and Syed Dupuy given a leave of absence to return to France. He wasn’t making the senior side anyway, but that’s still another option gone. The end of year awards were rather odd with Arsenal players named European Defender, Footballer, Midfielder and Striker of the Year, and second as European Goalkeeper of the Year plus World Footballer of the Year and World Player of the Year. What’s more, they were all different players! It’s either laugh or cry at this game, I suppose.

Pearce [25, S C, ENG – 5/0]

A club record signing to try and boost our conversion rate of shots to goals. £6.75M is seemingly a bargain for this player, immediately valued at £17.75M. He’s quick, huge and deadly. He was so impressive last season that he was named in the Team of the Year for the four Italian leagues. [bug number… ] So far this season, he’s already scored 14 Serie A goals in 20 games with Fiorentina. He has 79 from 96 in the last three years. A rate even close to that could almost single-handedly give us the title, even though we’re not in a great position just yet.

2022, 2023 Serie A Top Goalscorer; 2022, 2023 Serie A Foreign Player of the Year; 21/22 Fiorentina Supporters’ Player of the Year; 22/23 Serie A Team of the Year

I also arranged the signing of German midfielder Vicenzi for the end of the season. Though striker Carson had been reasonably solid, I loaned him out to Udinese for the rest of the season for a £1.6M fee, with the option to buy him for £4.9M. He had been unhappy for a while, and only had six goals in twenty games. With Pearce coming in, he would have been the third choice anyway.

Pearce’s debut against Chievo did not start well, with Cervantes conceding a penalty and being sent off for a professional foul in the 16th. They put it through for the lead, and the closest we came was a volley from Pearce which was saved. A late Pearce corner was headed by Legrand, but that was saved and we dropped yet another game. Our title chances are in serious danger, and so is my job.

His second game didn’t go much better. He picked up a knock early against Palermo and had no impact. They scored in the 18th, and though Ramos set up Schneider for an equaliser four minutes later, they took only another minute to regain the lead. They retained that, and yet another damaging league loss was on the board – worse still, against a relegation-threatened team.

That belatedly stirred the players into action. We destroyed Perugia, with goals to Hoffmann, Martin and Franco in 15 minutes. It maybe should have been more than 3-0 with plenty more shots after that, but it was good enough for me. Now we just have to keep it up…

Despite 17 shots to Ancona for the game, scores were still 0-0 with fifteen minutes to go against Bologna. The worst thing was that they weren’t all long-range Franco shots – strikers Pierce and Frank had half a dozen each. Thankfully, lest I put a fist through my screen, Frank scored in the 76th and Pierce followed up in the final minute with his first for Ancona in a Man of the Match performance. 2-0. We suffered some serious injury blows, with Balestrieri already put out for a fortnight before the game, and scorer Frank joining him for a month after it. I snapped up 17-year-old German striker Aboubacar Baron for £750K from Mainz after he scored six goals in as many games for them in a German lower league. Syed Dupuy also returned from his leave of absence but was sent back after quickly becoming homesick again. I turned down a

£12.25M Manchester United bid for Balestrieri, though it was not a bad deal at all.

Aboubacar Baron [17, S C, GER]

Showed huge promise with Ipswich’s youth side (32 goals in two seasons) and already had a great start with Mainz. A great passer and finisher.

With five goals in two games, I hoped for another strong effort against Brescia, but despite a brilliant game from Martin and no shots to our opponents, it was 0-0 at the end.

Baron made his debut in the final game of the month with Frank injured and Hoffmann tired. A good curling Schreiber shot was turned away in the final minutes, and there went our chance of a win. 0-0 again, with few shots to either side.

I offered contract extensions to Wright and Thomas at the end of the month. I was about to offer one to Schneider, until I saw he wanted ten times his current wages – from £3K to £30K. No chance in hell. I won’t be offering new deals to Webb, Legrand, Cervantes, Schuchardt or Standaert given their lack of impact this season, and have transfer listed Dupuy with no interest.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Holders - Ancona

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Cagliari | | 22 | 13 | 6 | 3 | 31 | 17 | +14 | 45 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Sampdoria | | 22 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 37 | 18 | +19 | 43 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Fiorentina | | 22 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 45 | 22 | +23 | 42 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Juventus | | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 37 | 28 | +9 | 38 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Ancona | | 22 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 25 | 15 | +10 | 35 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Brescia | | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 30 | 24 | +6 | 35 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Napoli | | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 34 | 28 | +6 | 34 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Lecce | | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 33 | 29 | +4 | 33 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Ascoli | | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 22 | +2 | 30 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Genoa | | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 31 | 35 | -4 | 30 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Chievo | | 22 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 18 | 26 | -8 | 29 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Roma | | 22 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 27 | 24 | +3 | 28 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Milan | | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 27 | 29 | -2 | 28 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Bologna | | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 28 | 32 | -4 | 26 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Lazio | | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 23 | 29 | -6 | 26 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Spezia | | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 24 | -7 | 26 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Avellino | | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 29 | -13 | 23 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Perugia | | 22 | 6 | 3 | 13 | 25 | 35 | -10 | 21 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | | Palermo | | 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 29 | -12 | 20 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | | Udinese | | 22 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 14 | 44 | -30 | 15 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Donners]

February, season 2023/2024

I turned down job offers from Empoli and Bologna, while Wright and Thomas re-signed for two years each.

We had to get three points against bottom-placed Udinese. Pearce’s early shot was barely tipped away, and he put one wide a few minutes later. A Thomas effort was also knocked away in the 18th. Martin absolutely controlled the left, and finally Schneider scored from his cross in the 30th. He put through his second moments into the second half and Balestrieri added another in the 60th. 3-0 was the right result.

A similar result against second-placed Sampdoria would be wonderful. It was much more even, which meant having a Thomas shot from close range saved late in the game was quite painful. However, the pain was quickly erased by Franco, who struck the rebound home. Three points against a top side, and we’re only eight points off the lead. Williams and Dupuy returned after the game.

Another strong opponent, with Juventus next. Pearce finally scored his second goal for Ancona with help from partner Hoffmann for what was the only one of the game. Three straight wins, seven games without a loss.

Could we get another against Roma? They scored in only five minutes but Martin regained parity with a shot that deflected off a defender and into the net four minutes later. Pearce and Martin had their chances to put us ahead in the second half, but were denied. 1-1.

Our last league game of February was against Napoli. Frank returned from injury to partner Pearce. It was the latter with a 20th minute goal who put us ahead. Napoli drew level in the 31st with the rebound from a saved penalty, but Pearce continued a brilliant game with his second in the 46th. He couldn’t complete the hat-trick and even missed out on the Man of the Match award (won by Lombardi), but his two goals won us the game. After a slow start, he’s beginning to make the impact I’d hoped for.

Our first UEFA Cup game since 20/21, courtesy of our Champions League exit, was in the third round against Ukranian club Dnipro. Having already lost to small Slovakian side Zilina, there was no way I’d take this lightly, especially with Pearce ineligible. They had a player sent off, but despite numerous shots, we just couldn’t score. Schuchardt hit the crossbar and several other efforts went over. Schneider eventually scored in the 53rd, and Frank lobbed in another late for a 2-0 home win.

I arranged the signing of Avellino defender Friman for the end of the season.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Holders - Ancona

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Cagliari | | 27 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 41 | 21 | +20 | 58 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Sampdoria | | 27 | 14 | 8 | 5 | 45 | 24 | +21 | 50 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Ancona | | 27 | 13 | 9 | 5 | 33 | 17 | +16 | 48 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Fiorentina | | 27 | 13 | 8 | 6 | 50 | 30 | +20 | 47 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Brescia | | 27 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 37 | 28 | +9 | 46 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Juventus | | 27 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 43 | 34 | +9 | 44 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Lecce | | 27 | 11 | 6 | 10 | 36 | 34 | +2 | 39 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Genoa | | 27 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 39 | 41 | -2 | 38 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Ascoli | | 27 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 30 | 27 | +3 | 37 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Chievo | | 27 | 11 | 4 | 12 | 26 | 31 | -5 | 37 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Napoli | | 27 | 10 | 6 | 11 | 37 | 35 | +2 | 36 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Milan | | 27 | 10 | 5 | 12 | 31 | 35 | -4 | 35 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Roma | | 27 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 33 | 29 | +4 | 34 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Spezia | | 27 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 25 | 31 | -6 | 34 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Lazio | | 27 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 29 | 33 | -4 | 32 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Bologna | | 27 | 8 | 6 | 13 | 33 | 41 | -8 | 30 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Avellino | | 27 | 8 | 5 | 14 | 21 | 36 | -15 | 29 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Perugia | | 27 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 29 | 40 | -11 | 27 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | | Palermo | | 27 | 5 | 8 | 14 | 20 | 35 | -15 | 23 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | | Udinese | | 27 | 5 | 3 | 19 | 17 | 53 | -36 | 18 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[mattie]

Donners... as usual still going with this... keep it up, keep it up... also consider finding a publisher

[Donners]

Actually, I think the last thing I want to do is "keep it up" with months like this...

March, season 2023/2024

A huge game to start the month, with Ancona facing Milan. For what it’s worth, from 46 games, we’ve won 15, lost 20 and drawn 11. Among those are three 5-0 wins for us (06/07, 11/12 and 21/22). However, we’ve finished runner-up to them in the league four times, which is the crucial difference. Pearce suffered an early knock but still threatened the goal several times. Lombardi did well, but conceded two second half goals, while we failed to get any. A bad loss against a mid-table side, especially after league leaders Cagliari also lost to Roma.

Our 2-0 lead going into the away leg against Dnipro meant I could rest most of the first XI. Wright, one of the few remaining, scored from a first half penalty to make sure of it. We’ll face Ferencváros in the fourth round.

Another big league game, at home to 5th placed Fiorentina. Pearce lined up against his old side but Wright was suspended. After a quiet first half, they scored eight minutes into the second. A Pearce shot was saved and a late push for an equaliser only saw them score a second. We could have moved to third, and instead dropped to fifth. Our position could now have implications on Europe next season, let alone the title. We’ve already lost more games in the season than we have since 16/17, with nine games to go.

With the league dream gone, we had to deal with Ferencváros in the UEFA Cup. Schneider gave us the aggregate lead with the only goal of the game. A 1-0 win in the home leg. He’s played well, but I still refuse to pay £30K per week for him.

We finally took a lead in a league game against Lecce though Pearce, but they quickly got one of their own back. 1-1 was how it finished, and we slipped to 6th spot after 30 games.

Anything less than a win against Spezia in the league would be disastrous to our European chances. Schreiber went off injured early. De Bellis missed both a penalty and the follow-up in the 37th and Frank hit the bar from inside the area in the 72nd. Spezia scored late and we slumped to a terrible 0-1 loss. To make it worse, Schreiber was put out for six months with a broken leg. He’s been one of the few shining lights for Ancona this season, though at least I have many options.

At least we still had the UEFA Cup, with a 1-0 lead against Ferencváros. They scored just after half time to level the aggregate, and though Frank got one-on-one with the keeper in the second half, he couldn’t finish. The game went to extra time and then to penalties. Schuchardt and Franco missed to cost us the game, and knock us out of the UEFA Cup. Fiorentini was put out for two weeks by an injury. Could the season get any worse?

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Holders - Ancona

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Cagliari | | 31 | 19 | 7 | 5 | 45 | 25 | +20 | 64 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Sampdoria | | 31 | 17 | 9 | 5 | 53 | 28 | +25 | 60 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Juventus | | 31 | 15 | 6 | 10 | 47 | 37 | +10 | 51 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Brescia | | 31 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 39 | 30 | +9 | 51 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Fiorentina | | 31 | 14 | 8 | 9 | 52 | 35 | +17 | 50 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Ancona | | 31 | 13 | 10 | 8 | 34 | 23 | +11 | 49 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Milan | | 31 | 14 | 5 | 12 | 40 | 36 | +4 | 47 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Genoa | | 31 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 45 | 44 | +1 | 45 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Roma | | 31 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 36 | 29 | +7 | 44 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Lecce | | 31 | 12 | 7 | 12 | 41 | 40 | +1 | 43 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Chievo | | 31 | 13 | 4 | 14 | 29 | 35 | -6 | 43 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Ascoli | | 31 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 33 | 29 | +4 | 42 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Spezia | | 31 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 29 | 34 | -5 | 41 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Napoli | | 31 | 11 | 6 | 14 | 41 | 44 | -3 | 39 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Lazio | | 31 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 32 | 37 | -5 | 35 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Bologna | | 31 | 9 | 8 | 14 | 35 | 44 | -9 | 35 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Perugia | | 31 | 9 | 7 | 15 | 32 | 42 | -10 | 34 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Avellino | | 31 | 9 | 7 | 15 | 24 | 38 | -14 | 34 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | | Palermo | | 31 | 6 | 8 | 17 | 22 | 38 | -16 | 26 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | | Udinese | | 31 | 5 | 4 | 22 | 18 | 59 | -41 | 19 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[mattie]

Ooooooooo, yeh bad month

[Donners]

April, season 2023/2024

Seven league games left in this dismal season. Pearce headed in a Frank cross to put us ahead of Genoa and he scored again just before half time. A Martin cross in the 49th, a header from Pearce, and he had his hat-trick for the 3-0 win. Small consolation, but at least the purchase looks to have been a good one. Williams was put out for a month with another groin injury.

Almost certain title winners Cagliari were next. We took a surprise 14th minute lead through Ramos but lost Martin to injury. Pearce and Frank wasted many shots, but we held on for a much-needed win against a quality opponent. Rumours of my impending demise as manager appeared despite the result.

That made our game against Lazio crucial. Pearce gave me some needed respite, scoring from a 4th minute chip. He had four shots in the first half with no more goals, but Martin scored from a great run early in the second. Lazio pulled one back in the 73rd with their first shot of the game, but thankfully couldn’t make it two from two. 2-1, and I survived another game with Ancona up to third place. Unfortunately, second and first are out of reach, so it’ll be a battle just to hold on.

I certainly wasn’t out of the woods yet, and couldn’t afford to see Ancona lose against Chievo. A Frank header deflected off an opponent and in for a goal late in the first half but they drew level in the 54th. A Pearce shot was saved and we dropped to fourth.

Three games left, with the first of that trio against Ascoli. There were few chances for the game, but Ascoli took advantage of theirs in the 53rd. Lombardi saved a late penalty but couldn’t stop the follow-up. 0-2, and we fell to 5th.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Holders - Ancona

| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | Cagliari | | 36 | 21 | 7 | 8 | 48 | 30 | +18 | 70 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Sampdoria | | 36 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 58 | 32 | +26 | 65 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Brescia | | 36 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 46 | 31 | +15 | 64 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Fiorentina | | 36 | 17 | 8 | 11 | 57 | 40 | +17 | 59 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Ancona | | 36 | 16 | 11 | 9 | 41 | 27 | +14 | 59 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Juventus | | 36 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 54 | 44 | +10 | 56 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Roma | | 36 | 13 | 15 | 8 | 43 | 31 | +12 | 54 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | Milan | | 36 | 16 | 6 | 14 | 46 | 40 | +6 | 54 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | Genoa | | 36 | 15 | 9 | 12 | 53 | 52 | +1 | 54 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Ascoli | | 36 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 38 | 33 | +5 | 50 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Chievo | | 36 | 14 | 7 | 15 | 35 | 41 | -6 | 49 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Napoli | | 36 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 47 | 47 | 0 | 48 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Lecce | | 36 | 13 | 7 | 16 | 47 | 51 | -4 | 46 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | Spezia | | 36 | 12 | 9 | 15 | 33 | 40 | -7 | 45 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 15th | | Bologna | | 36 | 11 | 9 | 16 | 40 | 52 | -12 | 42 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 16th | | Avellino | | 36 | 11 | 9 | 16 | 30 | 44 | -14 | 42 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 17th | | Perugia | | 36 | 11 | 8 | 17 | 37 | 49 | -12 | 41 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 18th | | Lazio | | 36 | 9 | 11 | 16 | 34 | 44 | -10 | 38 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 19th | R | Palermo | | 36 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 25 | 42 | -17 | 30 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 20th | R | Udinese | | 36 | 6 | 5 | 25 | 24 | 66 | -42 | 23 |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| | | | | | | | | | | | |

| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

</pre>

[Donners]

May, season 2023/2024

Yet another must-win game, this one against 19th placed Palermo. Lombardi was forced off injured, but luckily I had Hofmann on the bench. Pearce missed a few shots but set up Frank for a crucial goal a minute into the second half. They didn’t have a shot all day, and the 1-0 win put us into fourth – three points behind Brescia in 3rd, but two ahead of Fiorentina in 5th.

It came down to the last game to determine our fate, but I was not a part of it. After 21 seasons, I had been sacked.

Admittedly, it comes as a bit of a relief. Much of this story was written out of a sense of obligation than anything else. Having started this story and hopefully built up a loyal group of readers, I felt it unfair to just quit, but this is a perfect excuse to do so.

Despite the amount of time I’ve put into the game, I haven’t got a great deal of enjoyment. As you may have noticed, I’ve encountered an unacceptable number of bugs and flaws in the supposedly final version of the game that have really disappointed and frustrated me. It’s turned me against SI to some degree, and even worse, has affected my interest in the games industry in general. As I write, Football Manager 2005 has just been released [really dragged out the posting of this, didn’t I!], but I will not be buying it. Indeed, I shall trade CM 03/04 in tomorrow for an unrelated game.

Despite these problems, I hope you’ve got some enjoyment from these 196,000 words. Will there be another? I doubt it. Much of the reason for my commitment to this game was the fact that next year will be my final year of uni, and it’s then out into the big, bad world. Since I will be CM/FM free for at least most of 2005, and will hopefully be quite busy after that even if I do get FM 2006, there is little room for another. I’ve written upwards of 500,000 words on my time at Ancona and Rushden, and trust those will be sufficient for anyone who did enjoy those.

Thanks for taking the time to follow this story.

Nicholas Donaghy

1/8/05

[haze.13]

Cheers nick

Great commitment shown on your part and best of luck in the real world next year. If you do have a moment of reflection i'd give FM2006 a shot at a later date as i'm confident from playing 2005 that it will be excellent and it was perhaps unlucky that 0304 found it's way to your computer not 2005. I never completed a season on 0304 as it just frustrated me to hell and back. Top career mate.

Thanks for the memories :shed of tear:

[Roelchik]

great story Donners

I've read every single letter of it

Still hope you would go & get FM 05 or 06 so you'd enjoy a better game and less frustrations

good luck

[DirtyJoe]

Great story mate, I commend your committment in finishing it. A pity you got sacked after a long and distingished career with them.

[pjtopor]

Took me a week on and off, but just caught up. Great stuff. I must say your restraint is admirable with the transfer market. I've always looked at those ridiculous bank balances and transfer budgets as somewhat of a bug, or at least more aptly, poor simulation of real life budgets on the part of SI, so your refusal to use them is sort of a way of keeping it more realistic, if a game that provides regens named Tak Cheong Williams can be called realistic.

Anyway, quite an entertaining read.