Week 1

Football Academy · Cult Status

Week 1

Sinky2707 · Cult Status

Rich it won't allow me it keeps saying the form is incorrect but the player is 16 my password and email address are correct don't see why it isn't working?

Football Academy · Cult Status

Try now.

Football Academy · Cult Status

FA Update News

Wages have been updated ready for the new season. Contract Clauses are not shown as it is up to the manager how much of his contract he reveals.

Sinky2707 · Cult Status

Brilliant thanks Rich :)

Luke_C · Cult Status

ICWALES Speak to CCFC Manager

So Luke the season starts this weekend, is it great back to managing in the premiership again?

I loved my time in Italy and think its a great league that is massively underrated but its great to be home at Cardiff. I feel such pride in getting them promoted but now this is where the work starts and this is where we all want to see real progress.

You start with Chelsea and Arsenal the first two weeks, what a welcome that will be, how many points can you realistically see you getting from those two games?

They are tough games but that is where I want to see Cardiff in the future. Chelsea have proven over years and years what super quality they have and Arsenal have a team full of the best young talent and 100million in the bank so yes its tough to compete player for player but we will look to give them a good game. As for points its a tough one, over the next four games the minimum I would hope for is six points but we will be going for twelve.

Can we expect many changes to the squad in the coming weeks?

We took the decision last season to extend the stadium to bring in extra income so in turn it means to do have some funds to spend now. We have already signed Consigli who is a very good keeper at a very good age, he can be our keeper for the next ten years so Im very pleased with that. We have also agreed a deal to bring in a defensive midfielder and we still have funds. We wont make major changes though and we want to give everyone a chance to prove they can do the business at this level. If we dont sign anymore players then the funds will be used to improve the infrastructure of the club albeit the club shop or an academy. We have already agreed to increase the stadium by 4000 seats so its unlikely we will look to improve that further this season.

Where you disappointed not to see sell outs last season?

I dont think disappointed is the right word but of course I would have liked to have seen in full every week. Im pleased that everyone that came didnt have to see a loss though and im sure enjoyed the way we play football. Maybe we got the ticket prices for the league we were in I dont know but we hope to see sell outs everyweek this season.

Loans returning though will make a difference?

Of course Danny is a massive boost for us, he is an all round player who has a bit of everything. Also Rodwell back and having improved means we have a lot of options in midfield. Phil Jones comes in and will be first choice centre back so yes im pleased to have them all back.

What is the target for this season?

Well we look to win every game of course but we know that wont be possible. The priority is to stay in this division but that will be the same for every club. Once that has been secured then you look to build on it and see where the season takes you.

Wardy · Top Flight Player

What are your first thoughts as the new head coach of Genoa?
I am quite relaxed and motivated, which is all one can be when proud to join a club with the ambition of this board. This is as good as it gets for a football professional. If you dont live for the challenge life is boring and Genoa are a club looking to go places.

You once said that a coach will always feel an absence if they never make it to win Europe. Is that what pushed you to move from Palermo?

I had success at Getafe and left while the team were on a high because I was offered the chance to take a step up and test myself at a new level. At Palermo I was able to take advantage of a mix of badly managed teams too old to last the course and sloppy management decisions against me. Second in the league was a big success for a team like Palermo and we did very well in both cups in the same season. Genoa is the next step they want to win and I want to win. I could stay at Palermo and be a big hit with the board by trying to keep them second but what is the point of that? Why play if not to win.

You have found success in Spain and Italy. Did you consider moving to England?
As I said I moved because a challenge was presented to me that takes me to the next level. England is a new country but that doesn't mean necessarily a new challenge. The possibility of winning Serie A is tremendous incentive for me because it was never even a dream at Palermo. The board know Palermo is not a huge club and we had no right finishing second last season. Hell would freeze before we could finish top but Genoa gave me a chance to finally do this. They were a long way off last season from doing what they want but that makes the challenge all the sweeter.

Vagner Love's return will be very important for your ambitions to be met.
I was disappointed he picked up quite a serious injury in preseason. The medical staff have had him in for observations but he will miss the first three matches of the season while he recovers. The board spent a lot of money on him and he has to pay that back so the quicker we can get him fit again the better for everyone.

What's more important for you to work on first, defence or attack?
No great team has ever been crowned with only half a team. Getafe had an adequate defence and a scintillating attack. Palermo had a stable defence and an explosive attack. It's not hard to see where my skills as a coach lie. Genoa will be built from the front back. We have to finish off the little teams in this league with our attack then we have to build a defence that gives us a chance against the few big teams like Juventus. I always scored goals against every team with Palermo but the goals we let in cost us in those big games and Genoa will have to learn this quickly.

You have talked of what the board demands from you as manager. What does Ward need from the club?
I need confidence, and the board will have to be quick to show the players and fans they are serious by extending my contract next summer if this season brings any success. I have been given two years for now. It's hard for a coach nowadays to get a long contract so it would be a sign of intent and complete confidence in the whole team and staff if it was extended. We want to build a strong family. I believe a club is a family with which you have total faith. A family falls apart if the father is looking for a new wife while living with the current one and the board here need to understand this.

You just need a few reinforcements to complete this family....
With all due respect to the current squad, I would like to bring two or three players who can adapt to my team philosophy. I don't want people to feel any pressure. I want them to be calm. I don't want people to go crazy and spend too much money. Genoa have thrown money around and won nothing not even coming close. The ultimate success story is to win more with less spent. This is my aim.

Your are ambitious and a winner. Do you sometimes feel misunderstood?
I say managers were sloppy last season because they made mistakes and we finished above them when we should have been in the bottom half. You can call me critical and outspoken but the next person in line might say I was just being honest. Genoa AC Milan Inter Milan Fiorentina Roma these are all huge teams where were they last season? Little Palermo made laughing stocks of them. I can understand people not liking some things I say because sometimes the truth hurts. If a new manager at Palermo finishes above my Genoa team this season I would expect to be sacked and chased out of town so people can only concentrate on getting their team to win not on what other people say about their teams. I want to make my teams successful I don't want to be relegated as the most popular man in the league.

Do you prefer to be successful over the short term or the long term?
We know our challenge here is difficult, but we must be calm as we work. I don't like to shield myself in the idea that we need a long time in order to work well. I want Genoa to be winning in ten years but I want them winning tomorrow so that is a balance I have to find.

Do you feel the pressure knowing how much the board have spent?

No I feel the pressure to succeed here the same as when I joined Palermo and Getafe. What the board have given managers in the past is just that the past. If I fail here it will be because I missed my ambition to succeed at this new level and not because a suit tells me I should have scored one more goal or spent one penny more. Genoa aren't the only team throwing money around in Italy these days. Go harass Ray at Lazio if you want to ask these sort of questions!

Can anyone beat Juventus this season or are they just too much the complete team?

I came here to beat Juventus not just to play in the same league and stand on the same pitch as them. I spent too long looking up at Juventus at Palermo. This is a club with ambitions to be the best and that means making their necks hurt looking up at us.

I don't want people to say I managed Genoa and played a great Juventus team. I want people to say I won things at Genoaand I beat a great Juventus team....

Spartikus47 · Cult Status

FOXES NEWS

pricey · Cult Status

RE: Week 1

Football Academy · Cult Status

The first managerial change of the season has taken place. Ex-Walter Hsu who was released by Birmingham in the summer break has taken charge of Serie A new boys Chievo ahead of their first game.

Tezza · Cult Status

Siena News

Siena played away at Messina tonight and came away with a terrific victory that had to be squeezed from the opposition.

PRESS

That was a terrific start to the season?

TERRY

Yes I must say I am very proud of the lads tonight. It was a very tight game where you had to be focused to hang on. When Messina took the lead in the 77^th minute there had been very little in it. I think it sparked us up and 3 minutes later we were level again. Man of the match Kevin Smith scored a cracker to seal the game in the dying minutes of the game.

Messina are a good side and this has to be a bonus. Ben Winter must feel a little disappointed.

PRESS

Do you think the pre-season preparation helped?

TERRY

I must say things have gone very well. We played the Chairmans Chelsea side and managed to keep them down to 4 goals and then last week we had a friendly against Real Madrid and held them for a long time. Coming here today must have seemed a better proposition.

I did note that Bojan Krkic and Andrea Poli played a big part in Chelseas win tonight. Krkic was made man of the match. They were both with me last season and it is great to see them develop further. I just need a CM for this season to bolster the midfield.

PRESS

Can you talk about promotion this season?

TERRY

My main aim is to get Siena into Serie A and looking at the side we have and the improvement that has taken place I am very confident that we can pull it off this season. Fernando Martin Forestieri has improved tremendously over the close season and Baker is becoming a very good Centre Back. I have to take the blame for the disappointment last season it was all down to tactics. Lets hope this season I will get it right.

-- Edited by Tezza on Saturday 9th of April 2011 08:37:30 AM