Light through the Fog(gia)

Doing brilliantly Nice to see the gap is opening up.

Nice month with those 3 wins and clean sheets.Really starting to kick on.If you can keep this up the title will surely be yours.

Yeah cheers lads, I've came into a bit of consistency in results, if not performances. I'm still worried that it will fall down like a pack of cards. I'm really looking forward to next season - in your experience on FM15 does the transfer market open up a fair bit in the second season? There's not been many options so far, especially seeing as I'm absolutely broke.

Yeah mate I think it does.Use the loan and free transfer market to your advantage and try to get an affiliation with a team in a higher division and you could get loan signings from them.

Like SBR said, use the free market to improve your team

As its the business end of the season and I'm so eager to see how it transpires I'm going to condense two updates into one, so we'll be covering March and April, leaving the last couple of games in May to play.

March



It's been a very strange couple of months. As you know we put together a good run of results in the last month that included an impressive defensive record, albeit at the expense of our efficiency in front of goal.



We began with an away tie at Benevento, who were going strong in the league and had looked the most likely to replace Catanzaro as my main challengers for promotion. We were battered for the majority of the game, late goals by Super Cav and my young midfielder Bollino secured a vital win. Agostini was sent off, and as our only left back, never mind a good one, this left us at a distinct disadvantage in matches to come. The match stats in this game reinforced a little my belief that the tactic we were using was getting us by on a game to game basis, and wasn't one that I could rely on too much going forward.

Following this, a home game against a side entrenched in the relegation zone, Lupa Roma, yielded only a single point. With the Iemmello out, in addition to the suspended Agostini and new signing David Ivan, we didn't look like we'd get beat, but we certainly didn't look like we would win.

What followed really rattled my cage. I'd never really say my side had bottled it this season, and we'd always given it a good go. Against another average side (although an overachieving one), Casertana, we went down 2-0 and it could have comfortably more.

I figured Zeman would settle into his chair, light one up, and think his way out of this predicament. So I did the same, with a bottle of Magners.





My intention was to make use of the fact that my best players are players capable of playing up as a striker, and centre backs. I also wanted my team to cover as much of the pitch as possible and ensure that we can pass short or go long if required. My previous tactic, with the players I have available, seemed to encourage very direct football. This change to a 3-5-2/5-3-2 would have mixed results. I am sticking with it though, although it could be at great cost.



My first game utilising the new formation was a success, although it would have been very winnable anyway I would have thought. A good 2-0 win, with Iemmello and Super Cav getting the goals. The stats did show an element of dominance that we simply never achieved with the previous set up however, so my mind was set that we would continue with this change in style.

My next game, an away tie vs. Ischia, was my first after signing a new contract. A couple of years added on, along with an increased salary. I figured why add any more pressure with philosophy amendments when I'm not really in the position to pursue certain types of player anyway. If someone has quality, they'll do for me at this stage. Also, a Miccoli inspired Lecce had went 12 unbeaten, putting more pressure on this new system to work.

Usually a 0-0 draw away from home would be decent. In the realm of squeeky bum time, however, it's a pain in the arse. 60% possession and 10 shots to 4 were not enough to take us over the line for what would have been an all important victory in the run in. Still, I was seeing enough in the way of our ball retention and organisation to persevere.

April



I should have known it was going to be a bad month when as soon as I'd put down my first Easter egg Super Cav walks through the door, spits his dummy out (good job its laminate) and demands to move to Bologna as soon as they make a bid. Interestingly, a quick check on his transfer status showed no interested clubs, so I was happy to agree and send him back to training with a smile on his face.

We came up against another side lurking in the top four so a big performane was needed, both for points and justification of my total change in tactics. Note that this wasn't a gradual change either, and the players hadn't had time to get used to this as a second tactic over the season so everything was new. A really good 2-0 win gave us three points, but even more than that, it was a big test of I wanted to play in the future. If we'd been beaten in this game I'm not sure what I would have done. This was also our seventh clean sheet in nine games - better than Daz.



Need I say more? Grrrrr. In my mind I can't change a tactic with stats like that coming out of the game.

At this point I'd also realised we had a one point deduction that had been in place since the start of the season. I'd not really given it much thought - seems mightily important now.



Really?? I mean, come on. Really? Lads - this is ridiculous.



I was so miffed that I decided to play the first game of May, leaving the last game of the season (home against Messina) to my last update of the season. Again, I can hardly do my nut at the lads. I haven't checked, but our passing percentages, shots on and off target, possession, I'm sure they will all have significantly increased since this change of formation. But results have evaded us - leaving me with a huge decision to make going into the 38th game of Serie C.



One more game, its not in our hands but i'm going to make sure we win. Not sure what to say about the above couple of results, apart from we're playing our best football of the season, that is evident from the highlights, but we aren't getting any luck. Bloody hell.

I always appreciate comments, put feel free to lay them on thick and fast at this juncture. I'm off to lie down.

Those final 3 games of the update could of really cost you.I think automatic promotion isn't on the cards now but I hope you can qualify through the playoffs at least.

I know mate, walking to work shaking my head in disgust this morning at how things have turned out lol.

I will play and update tonight, its a nightmare when you're relying on other people to drop the ball though.

Unsure whether to stick or twist - 532 or revert to 4231.

Some tough results to take When you dominated the game but yet lose.

I would stick with 5-3-2