Week 6

Football Academy · Cult Status

Week 6

Football Academy · Cult Status

Genoa issue ultimatum

Genoa chairman Sulaiman Al-Fahim has told his manager Jamie Best he must turn around the teams form, or face the sack. Last night Sampdoria, a team not expected to challenge this season for titles, beat Genoa. This compounded fans anger and board concerns after last weeks failure to pick up any points against Palermo, another team not expected to challenge this season. The board are thought to have come close to sacking Best last season when the team failed to come close to competing with AC Milan and Juventus in the title race. The high spending backers refused to invest pre-season with some fans suggesting this was the trade between board and manager, no investment but no sacking, however after just 5 weeks time seems to be running out.

"Jamie Best needs to show he has the ability and desire to live up to the high ambitions of this club. Stagnation is something we wish to avoid and there must be signs of progression but at the moment we are going backwards under the current regime. We have 6 games before the half way stage of the season and the board expect the team to pick up a minimum of 15 points. We play Juventus in 4 weeks time and we accept the team may lose this but we would hope the performance is one of pushing the Italian champions very close, to show we can overhaul them in the near future. The other 5 games are all winnable and we expect nothing less. We are already in danger of being out of the title race, and this is unacceptable and inexcusable."

Genoa's next 6 fixtures are as follows; Lazio (H), Fiorentina (A), Empoli (H), Juventus (H), Roma (A), Reggina (H). Genoa will have to beat Fiorentina and Roma to live up to Al-Fahim's ultimatum assuming they fail to beat the Italian Champions in week 9. Yet pundits have already suggested Fiorentina could take points away from Genoa in 2 weeks time, which would mean Jamie Best would need to beat Juventus to avoid the sack.

The Genoa chairman finished by suggesting "the board will begin to look into potential candidates for the managers position" despite Jamie Best remaining in charge for now. At present there has been no official comment from the manager.

Steve · Cult Status

Luckily Italian football has a long tradition of accepting money to fix results - hope your cheque is in the post Jamie?

wink

Football Academy · Cult Status

Reggina sack Petty

This week saw "club hero" Reggina manager Jonathan Petty apply for the recently vacated Roma job. The Reggina chairman Pasquale Foti told the Italian press this evening that Petty had contacted the board to demand higher wages and investment in the transfer budget this season or he would walk.

"The ultimatum from the manager was a shock. The board and fans hold Jonathan in high esteem and we knew he might look at bigger things after a successful spell at our club. However we didn't expect such demands on a club with limited resources, and we didn't expect the manager to consider leaving a month into the campaign, a campaign we feel could make club history if we stay up which has looked realistic based on the way our team plays. We wanted Jonathan to lead the team to a historic Serie A survival but he has made it clear money is key to his future. This is not only unviable for a club like Reggina, it is also a trait we wouldn't want in the man in control. We could consider a wage rise but transfer funds just aren't there to be offered. Too often managers expect investment, and base their success on how much investment they want. Good managers should be able to produce success at small teams on their small budgets, otherwise they're not as good a manager as they think. We will look at candidates but we don't expect a lot of interest and are happy if need be to let the assistant take a caretaker role for the rest of the season, and see if we can survive in this league with the players we have."

Despite how things have broken down at Reggina, it is likely Petty will be remembered for the promotion and attractive attacking football he delivered to a mediocre team in Serie B.

pricey · Cult Status

its all go in italy this week in it

Besty · Cult Status

I wish it was that easy Steve!

belizeno · Cult Status

wow thats hard on reggina

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

Davies-Evans back at Blackburn!

Ex-Southampton manager Steve Davies-Evans has been given the vacant managers job at Blackburn Rovers. Davies-Evans who managed Rovers briefly 2 seasons ago arrives at Ewood Park after 8 days out of the game having quit at Southampton. Talking to Sky Sports News, Davies-Evans told of his pride to be back at the club.

SSN: Steve, how does it feel to be back at Ewood Park?

SDE: A dream to be honest! Everyone knows that this is a club close to my heart and I felt that after my time here previously, there is alot of unfinished business.

SSN: Blackburn lost 3-2 to Southampton this weekend, did you wish that you had been in charge for that?

SDE: Well that would have been a brilliant time to take over but I was at St Marys and watched the game so it gave me chance to see the team and where they need to strengthen.

SSN: The club has some big history and is of course only one of four teams to have lifted the Premiership Trophey, can you bring those times back to Ewood Park?

SDE: Well one game at a time hey? We're in the championship and the first goal is to get back to the Premiership as soon as possible.

SSN: Do Rovers have what it takes to make an immediate return to the Premiership?

SDE: Well we need to get one or two in and let one or two leave but we do have a fantastic base to work from.

Sinky2707 · Cult Status

Good Week For Parma

Jonny Sinclair was delighted to speak about his Parma's 2-1 win against Messina in the cup and theire 3-2 win against Ascoli in the league to lift pressue off the manager after being reported in the top 5 of managers likely to face the sack.

'It's been a great week we've dug deep and managed to pull victories late on I'm delighted with the fact we've scored 5 goals this week Tobias Hysen and Goren Maric got the goals against Messina and they were both their first goals for the club a;though Messina took us to extra time I think we deserved to go through and was so glad we didn't need to go to penalties.'

We looked really dangerous against Ascoli and they couldn't cope with our strikeforce but we didn't defend well at all today but we nicked it at the death and I was delighted to get one over my old club.

I was pleased my players kept on going til the last whistle otherwise Francesco Uliano would never have scored against his old club on his debut it had to happen for him he didn't even play today but still gave his all, Denilson scored a great goal he's really proving his worth this season and Trovato Salvatore took his nicely and again it's great for him to get off the mark for his new club.

I have a great feeling that we can beat everyone in this league and now we have Julio Arca in our back line we are just getting stronger and stronger we're hopingon buying a Serie A Cb this week and he'll no doubt help us get more clean sheets

We are however selling our youngster Alessandro De Vitis for a big lump sum but all that money will go straight into buying an young quality striker or attacking centre midfielder to help us get us the promotion we need'

Spartikus47 · Cult Status

Rollings pledges to spend budget

Inter Milan boss Mark Rollings has pledged he has plans to spend his transfer budget to acquire some of Europe's top talent and help lift the relegation pressure of the Nezzazurri. Inter Milan suffered another frustrating defeat this weekend at the hands of Fiorentina; a result which again underlined the gulf in class between Inter and the Serie A heavyweights. However speaking at his post-match press conference Rollings assured his fans that they could expect "significant" developments with regards to player recruitment over the next three weeks.

"We will be much stronger come the half season point, and our aim is to quell talk of relegation and start discussing a more positive future. I have spoken candidly about the open surgery this club needed when I arrived and I am delighted that we are now well on our way with that mission. This week we will say goodbye to young talent Andrea Poli but have a top quality talent coming in to replace him plus the cash which will provide me the opportunity to add more talent to the side. We will also be securing a world class striker on loan til the half season point, who will help us negotiate some important fixtures against our near rivals at present."

Rollings bluntly refused journalist attempts to extract names of specific targets but did give a glimpse into the kind of players Inter fans could look forward to joining.

"We have been searching for that talismanic central midfielder since I arrived and I am delighted to say that I think we have finally got our man. We also have hopes of securing the kind of striker I think this squad needs, although we may have to sacrifice in positions elsewhere to secure him. We have made serious bids to reputable managers and I am confident that a deal can be done."

Fletch · Cult Status

Andy Fletcher Remains Positive

A frustrating 2-1 reverse at the hands of Atalanta over the weekend saw Andy Fletcher frustrated but positive in his outlook for the remainder of the season.

"We have aquired some new faces, left midfielder Aaron who is currently on loan from Valencia was thrown straight into the starting line up, we changed formation to suit and I think I got it wrong, the lads didnt adjust quickly and Aaron didnt have a great debut, we can work on things this week though and have a look at one or two things.

I'm also delighted to welcome Salomon Kalou to the club who I think will provide the much needed support to Lavezzi we have been looking for, the lad is still only 26 and has been playing well at Inter, hes a good signing for us and shows our intent for the rest of the season, we have good competition for places in forward positions."

"The average age of our outfield players Saturday was 24, its testament to the faith the chairman has had in our signings and youth development, at this point I see no reason we cant push on and secure a promotion position with the squad we have, finding the best balance is what I am paid for."

On another note, the stadium is again being expanded and gives us huge potential in the Italian leagues in future years, we will have to raise ticket prices to cover this for a while but I want the fans to be rewarded with attacking fluid football and watching some of the leagues most talented youngsters develop in the game."

Ash · Cult Status

Real Madrid 3-2 Espanyol

Espanyol manager Ashley Harris spoke to the Spanish media follwing his side's 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid.

SM: Ashley, a dissappointing result, how do you feel?

AH: Yes, i would agree it's a dissappointing result for us. We felt before the game that we had a good chance of getting a positive result against them, but ultimately it wasn't to be. To take the lead twice but to end up losing 3-2 was difficult to take but that is why i have made improving the defence the key area for Espanyol and i feel that following the signings this week we will be alot better in this area which hopefully will see us better equipped to hold on to leads. The fact that Real were playing their first game under a new manager didn't help as i'm sure their players upped their game to try and impress the new boss but they played well and deserved the win. For us we move on and look forward to our next game against Genoa.

SM: It was a big game for you, where does that leave you in the context of your season?

AH: Well i said at the start of the season that i felt 4th place was achievable for Espanyol and in reality we are competing against the 2 Madrid's for that place so it was a game where we really needed to get something. It make's the game at the weekend for us against Athletico massively important as we must get a positive result there if we have any designs on 4th. A defeat would leave us along way behind and would probably pretty much rule us out so all of the players know what is required this weekend against a very strong Athletico team. It should be a good game and hopefully we can play better than we did against Real and get the result required.

SM: Two big signings this week: Danielle De Rossi and Dellafiorre. What will they add to your side?

AH: It's two very big signings for us. As i said earlier i have identified the defence as the weak area and when Dellafiorre became available it really was to good an opportunity to pass up despite the large fee required. He will improve the standard back there massively and hopefully we can stop leaking goals in large numbers. With him in the side I will feel alot more confident about us going in front and then holding on to the advantage. Danielle is a great player who has been at a very high level for a long time challenging for trophies and we feel he will add a lot to the central midfield and despite Milan Smiljanic leaving who is a great future talent i feel it was a good deal for the club. Him and Javi Marquez in central midfield is a world class pairing and i'm sure our fans are looking forward to watching them play together.

SM: Finally, a world on your game against Genoa in the Uefa Cup tonight?

AH: It should be an interesting game. I don't know what sort of side Jamie will be putting out with the massive games he has coming up but were looking forward to it and hopefully it will be a good game of football.

SM: Thanks for your time Ashley.

AH: No problem

Luke_C · Cult Status

Draw disaster just a blip?

Everton 3 Cardiff 3

Luke your first dropped points of the season here, was it just an off day?

I think we played well today against a very good Everton team who will be looking for automatic promotion themselves.People have to remember that Everton have a squad that was built by Mark Rollings who is a very good manager and built over an entire season.We are currently four weeks into our rebuilding and it will take time to fine tune every area of the team, but we are getting there.

So it is just a case of time to rebuild?

Wait lets not make that sound like an excuse because it isnt, in my opinion we had enough quality to win the game and I think we should have but we were never going to win every game.I will say thats the first minor blip of the season and now we push on and look to start another unbeaten run.

Rumours have surfaced of a few signings of Rodwell, Gago, Phil Jones and even Danny of Liverpool who you once signed for Milan, any truth?

Well thats quite a list but I can confirm all will be signing within the next few weeks.........(pause) but sadly I will then be turning off FM11 and getting back to the real world.

Do these players interest me yes of course they do but they also interest a lot of other teams.Ive spoke to Mark about Rodwell but we couldnt quite get that deal complete, never say never but he is a player I like.As for Gago well he is a player ive tried to sign at Manchester City and Milan and although I speak to Craig most dayshe is not a player we can afford or a player Manchester United would want to sell.

I can confirm that Phil Jones of Blackburn has agreed to join us, we have been looking for a centre back for the future for some time and we believe we have found him.He is still relativity inexperienced though so it has been agreed he will continue his season at Blackburn back on loan which I think is the right decision.Must thank the Blackburn manager Steve for a quick deal and even more pleasing is that I have a deal with a reliable manager which is very important in the game at the moment.

So just the one signing....but you didnt confirm or deny the Danny rumours?

Well I wasnt going to announce this one but yes we have agreed to sign Danny from Liverpool.It has taken a lot of time, hard work and negosiations and I will admit it didnt come at a cheap price but he is someone that next season can be a match winner and he is still at a very good age.I am delighted with the signing and although some pundits will be rubbing there lips together I can say as a fan and manager this is the biggest signing in the clubs history and I think its also the right signing for the club.

You did mention earlier in the season though about the wage bill and how it had to be kept down, surely the signing of Danny is just going to add to the wage bill which is already the biggest in the championship.

As part of the deal Danny will be returning to Liverpool, one because Liverpool wanted him to as part of any potential deal and two because as you point out the wage bill must be cut.Pandiani will also be leaving because we are looking to reduce the wage bill but at the same time have a squad capable of promotion and then sustaining a position in the premiership.Its a balancing act but everyone at Cardiff City are working hard to get where we want to be.

Bluebird99 · Cult Status

Davies-Evans loving life at Rovers

Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Davies-Evans has stated that he's already loving being back at Ewood Park and the challange that he has ahead. Speaking to Sky Sports News to Welshman had some positive words for another Championship manager and some not so kind words for former chairman Dale Price.

SSN: Steve, how's your first week back going?

SDE: Yeah it's been great to be honest. It's great to be working here again and seeing the staff etc. The training facilities are first rate and are without question set up for Premiership Football.

SSN: We hear that Phil Jones is likely to leave for Cardiff City, is this true?

SDE: Yes it is. Phil is a fantastic young player but we were made an offer that was just too good to turn down to be honest. Phil will come back on loan sobthat he can continue to improve and we still get to keep a good solid defender.

SSN: Luke Coakley had some kind words for you...

SDE: Well Luke Coakley is a top manager who you can always depend on and will always be right when it comes to transfers, not something that can be said about every manager at the moment!

SSN: Would you like to elaberate?

SDE: Well to be honest, I'm surprised there hasn't been a mass surge of Southampton fans heading out to Spain to find Dale Price. I still class Southampton as a club close to my heart and loved my time there and the fans they have. I worked VERY hard to establish a good young squad there and there were or or two very good players there when I left that made Southampton promotion candidiates. So you can imagine my surprise that I see Dale Price loan one of Saints star players to himself at Rec Huelva. It tool alot to get Antonio Natale from Siena and he has been superb since joining Saints. We had to part with Javier Santafe Vivo (CM 25-2-8-6-3 Value £6.6m) plus £3m cash so to see him suddenly go on loan to Dales team seems to have been very selfish on his part and left th very under-strength. Should that sort of thing be allowed? No! Maybe the Spanish FA should be looking at impsoing some sort of transfer ban on him for the time being.

There has been speculation as to whether Dale will loan a player back to Saints but after speaking to him about it previously, I get the impression that he had no intention of doing so ad if it happened now, it would merely be an after-though after seeing his deal beig made public. It will no doubt cause a debate about the chairman system but in truth, most chairman run their clubs with dignity and professionalism and one or two, maye just one runs it for their own benefit. Either way, it's only their reputation that can be hurt. I'm happy to try and loan Southampton a striker so they are not so high and dry.

SSN: Strong words Steve, uou clearly feel passionate about it but would you really loan a promotion rival a player??

SDE: Of course we would. Blackburn Rovers are a club that stands for dignity and thermos no question that the ethics of football have been questioned over this, maybe we can counter balance that. It's not the Southampton fans fault they have this situation. We don't want to be ahead of Saints just because they are under strength, we want to be playing them at full tilt.

SSN: Many questioned your decision to leave Southampton, you blamed Dale Price at the time. Is this just proving your concerns?

SDE: I'd say that Dale has done that for me but yes, this is just goes to show that I was correct. I wondered why Dale was so happy to accept my resignation, now we can all see why.

SSN: Thanks for your time Steve

SDE: No problem guys, anytime.

mg1 · Cult Status

Galeozzie confirms signing of Sanchez and Redondo as well as Danny departure.

Speaking to Sky Sport News on route to tonight's UEFA cup game against Spurs. Liverpool manager Mark Galeozzie confirms a couple of new arrivals to Anfield as well as a departure.

SSN: Cardiff Manager Luke Coakley has today announced that he has agreed a deal with you that sees Danny leaving Anfield for the Welsh Capital. Can you confirm this?

MG: Yes we have recently agreed the final details of a deal that will see Danny leave for a fee in excess of 20m and talented youngster Redondo join us on a 4 yr deal.

We have also agreed a fee with Genoa for Alexis Sanchez who will join after this weekend games.

Both are Sanchez and Redondo are extremely talented players who I believe can have an immediate impact on the side, so we are delighted to have captured their signatures.

SSN: and Danny is returning to you on loan?

MG: Danny will see out the remainder of the season with us on loan. Danny is an excellent player and we are more than happy for him to be returning to us. It is something that will also suit Cardiff as I know there wage bill is something they are trying to control while they try to return to the Premiership.

We are sad to him go but the opportunity to capture the signing of Redondo whilst bringing in funds to capture further signings was something we felt we could not turn down.

SSN: Future signings?

MG: That is the aim, we would like to boost the squad in a couple of areas and have looked into the availability of few players although nothing has been agreed. We have also made a large bid for an exciting player that we have been monitoring for a while although I cannot comment further on that at the moment.

The next few weeks could also see another player leave the club although again I cannot confirm anything until the final details are confirmed.

SSN: It is reported that a deal was close to being agreed with Cardiff for Jack Rodwell?

MG: We have received many enquiries about Rodwell and also had discussions with Cardiff, however we consider Jack to be one of the hottest properties in world football and whilst every player has his price, no one has come close to matching our valuation of him. As things stand Jack will be going out on loan to Southampton to continue his development.

SSN: Thank you for your time

MG: Thank you

-- Edited by mg1 on Tuesday 16th of November 2010 07:15:27 PM

-- Edited by mg1 on Tuesday 16th of November 2010 07:17:05 PM

Football Academy · Cult Status

Fans jeer Europe's "finest"

On a night of the glamour of European Cup football, mixed with the excitement of UEFA Cup football, fans from around Europe were no doubt expecting a lot from tonight's games. All of them will be at least partly pleased with what they saw bar two sets of fans. Real Sociedad played a reserve team not fit to play in League One in England, against a Inter Milan team missing key players. Italian fans who took the over 17 hour flight journey to get from Milan to San Sebastian were horrified with the dreadful football on show in a game that shockingly produced just two shots in total on target. Four teams from the group of six qualify and Inter Milan sit 4th just about Sociedad now, however on this showing neither deserve to progress.

"It wasn't like watching our team. It was like two new teams turned up to our ground" one Sociedad fan said, albeit slightly impressed his teams reserves had held Inter Milan. The Milan fans were less than impressed as well. "The team were a disgrace tonight and it just adds to the appalling performances and results we've put in this season. Mark Rollings should go back to playing long ball football in the English low leagues."

Spartikus47 · Cult Status

BREAKING NEWS

_______________________________________

Italian television network RAI have announced they have been asked to attend a midday press conference at Inter Milan's training complex tomorrow. Speculation as to the topic of discussion is likely to be fierce, following Inter Milan's abject European performance against Real Sociedad this evening.

Upon hearing the news, many betting agents have already opened the book on Inter Milan's next manager, fueling speculation on manager Mark Rollings' position at the club.

______________________________________

Spartikus47 · Cult Status

Rollings moves to lift San Siro gloom

Inter Milan boss Mark Rollings has issued a strong response to recent murmurings about his position at the San Siro, a role he only took up 8 games ago. Fans of the Milan giants flooded radio phone-ins demanding a response from their under fire manager for a abject display from his side. Speaking candidly, in an open question press call, Rollings answered his critics and gave a direct message to disappointed fans.

"That performance simply isnt good enough for a club as famous and proud as Inter Milan. I am happy to issue a public apology to the fans of this club and assure them that we will use this performance to remind us everyday in training about what the expectations are of this football club. I can also assure fans that we will respond and provide them with performances, which justify this clubs heritage in the coming matches."

Rollings had pledges signings over the last week and chose the moment to reveal his plans to gathered journalists.

"I asked fans to believe that we are heading in the right direction and I believe we have secured the signature of players who will take us there. I can exclusively reveal that we will be acquiring Lassana Diarra, Rafael Van der Vaart and Nsofor Victor Obinna on permanent deals over the next two weeks, as well as welcoming Chelsea striker Roman Pavlyuchenko on loan.These are top players and barring the loss of midfielder Andrea Poli will be additions to the squad with no quality leaving."

Rollings will be under pressure to start fulfilling his promises of improved performances this weekend, in a crucial match against fellow strugglers Brescia.

-- Edited by Spartikus47 on Wednesday 17th of November 2010 01:59:30 PM

Liam · Cult Status

Sevilla manager Liam Riste gave an interview to Sevilla FC Television on the eve of the weekends' clash against Real Valladolid and after the midweek fixture which saw a 6-5 defeat in the European Cup against Chelsea.

SFCTV: Last weekend you beat Getafe 3-1, some may have been expecting greater things from you?
LR: To be fair, a 3-1 win is a comfortable one and I beieve that the team played really well. The squad depth shown it was capable of covering up for a few rested players and the result came in.

SFCTV: Some fans across Europe were jeering their teams, what did you make of your European fixture with Chelsea?
LR: Well neither fans at our game jeered I can assure you of that! 11 goals were seen in a 6-5 defeat for us against a strong Chelsea teamis nothing to be ashamed of. We played amazingly and against most other teams around the world, would have got at least a point, We were slightly weakened at the back with a red card previous, so it does make you wonder what could have been.

SFCTV: You mention the red card possibly weakening you, well you play Valladolid very soon & we hear Mark Van Bommel is out with an injury?

LR: Unfortunately Mark has picked up a knock from the Chelsea fixture midweek & I have left him out of the team of this massive game. His form has been astounding as he has scored 4 goals in his last 2 games, including a hat-trick against Atletico Madrid!

SFCTV: So with two of your starting 11 out injured, what do you make of your chances now against Valladolid?
LR: We will be wanting to take at least a point away, however hard the game may be. We arre amongst the finest teams in Europe and took 4points from Simon's Valladolid side last year. He may have a score to settle, but I still believe we have a fighting chance, as we have proved time and time again.

SFCTV: Well good luck and thanks again.
LR: Cheers

Tezza · Cult Status

Siena News

Manager Terry Manifold was very disappointed with the away defeat at Messina. The match was a very one sided affair with Siena looking lost for ideas with the absence of their midfield key player Jajalo.

The Benoit Cheyrou goal in the first half was all that was needed to secure the win for Messina.

This was Sienas first defeat of the current campaign and comes at a time when the manager was saying that the team is now settled and starting to perform.

Managerless Messina deserved the points and this disastrous game leaves Siena out of the play off position for the first time this season.

PRESS.

That must have been a big disappointment?

TM.

Yes that hurt but it was my fault. I played the wrong tactics altogether.

I knew we would miss the likes of Baker & Jajola but the tactics I used werent appropriate. Messina are a good side and I should have kept it tighter.

We were never in it and very lucky not to have punished. Benoit Cheyrou scored a great goal and could have had more.

PRESS.

Can we see many changes for Torino on Friday?

TM.

You will see changes but it will not be about dropping anyone, I made a mistake and we need to lift the spirits and get back to winning. We will return to being much tighter at the back and see if we can improve our strike on goal. We do have a young side and I am confident they will improve this season and will be challenging for promotion by the end of the season. Best to put this one behind us and put it down to experience.

PRESS.

I see Atalanta won again today. Bet you wish you had stayed?

TM.

I left a good side at Atalanta but winning the league wasnt the point. I wanted investment to stay up and that wasnt coming. They will be hard to beat this year but my aim is to finish in front of them.

Rhino · Cult Status

Hanton walks out

Ac Milan manager Chris Hanton has resigned from the Italian giants this afternoon after his side drew 3-3 with Roma, Its not sure where Hanton is heading or the reasons why Hanton is quiting after only spending a few weeks at the club.