Fiorentina v Brescia Serie A match 2

Clemoza here, here's my next installment of my career with Fiorentina.

So last time if you read my blog, I encountered Udinese in the season opener, and lost. 2-1 wasn't bad for an away result, but I want to win trophies and the lads NEED to buck their ideas up.

Promising young 17 year old Goalkeeper, Simone David has been loaned out to Serie B Pescara for some experience.

The recession isn't just confined to the UK either. The highest spenders during the Italian summer transfer window were, drum roll, Fiorentina! with 4.23m spent! Also during pre season Khouma Babacar has come on leaps and bounds making his international debut and finding the net during the same game, remember this kid is 17, big things beckon for Khouma....

Despite missing the Udinese game Gamberini has been announced in the Italy squad to face Northern Ireland and Serbia. Also regarding our next game against Brescia at home, the board have announced that all Ambassadors and season ticket holders can bring a friend for half the standard ticket price, so I will be expecting to see a bumper crowd on Saturday evening. Good news regarding tricky winger Mario Santana, his expected return will be against Cagliari on 26/09/10 if all goes well.

As I mentioned about Gamberini being included in the Italy squad earlier, Guess what, he scored his first International goal against N.Ireland.

37,000 (sell out) tickets have been sold for Saturday's match and I really don't want to let 37,000 Tuscans down.....

It's game day, and the smell of pre match cuisine and cigarette smoke fill the mind with nostalgia.

Here is tonight's starting line up, noticed that I have thrown Matos in because he is fast and has great dribbling technique, also Gamberini is still banned for 1 more match so the centre back pairing of Natali and Bassong is kept. Kofi Agyei comes in for D'Agostino who was unconvincing last time out.

First Half: 14 minutes gone and the ball is being sprayed around comfortably by Fiorentina. Pasqual up the line finds Vargas, he looks and cant find an option so gives it back to Pasqual, Pasqual lumps the ball forward and accidentally finds Babacar who in turn finds Gilardino, Gilardino puts Babacar through to slot the ball home! Big calls for offside there by Brescia. 1-0 Viola. 38 minutes pass and Vargas, who is causing constant problems down this left flank squares the ball to Agyei who switches to Matos out on the far right, he takes on the Brescia left back and curls the ball round the goalkeeper only to come back off the angle of post and bar. 45 minutes gone and the game heats up, Ryder Matos picks the ball up deep in Brescia territory, he beats Adam Vass with a couple of step overs and a nutmeg only for Adam Vass to swipe his legs from under him, no attempt to win the ball just pure frustration....The referee brandishes a red card and rightly so. Several Fiorentina players surround Vass as stewards have to usher Vass down the tunnel and the Fiorentina fans are waving him goodbye. Half Time 1-0 Fiorentina, La Viola looking comfortable.

Second Half: 62 minutes gone and Ryder Matos is having the game of his young career so far, Brescia cant cope with him or Vargas on the opposite flank, and when Matos tee's up Montolivo all he can do is watch and hope when Montolivo's shot dips over Michele Archari in the Brescia goal, his hopes were in vain as the shot cannoned off the crossbar and out for a goal kick. OFF: Gilardino ON: Cerci. 79 minutes on the clock, Seba Frey throws the ball out to pasqual, who finds Vargas he plays in Cerci who switches to Matos, Matos plays it inside to Montolivo who traps the ball. Fiorentina are dictating the play here. Montolivo finds Vargas in space who runs to the Brescia byline, he fires the ball with pin point accuracy onto the head of the leaping Cerci to make it 2-0. The goalkeeper was rooted! OFF: Montolivo, Pasqual ON: D'agostino and making his senior debut from the Under 20's left back Alan Pereira Empurur. Bassong, Matos and Vargas have been the stand out performers this evening, 2-0 final score from the Artemio Franchi. Man of the Match: Juan Vargas

Stay tuned for the next match of my campaign with Fiorentina! PEACE

Fiorentina v Udinese Serie A match 1

Hey Folks, Clemoza back for your Football Manager pleasure!

Well last time out we finished pre-season with Real Madrid away, a 1-0 loss but Fiorentina having the lion's share of possession. Plenty of positives to take from the Bernabeau to Udinese for the Serie A curtain raiser. Inter Milan have offered 2 million for co-ownership of Ryder Matos, and for good reason, Matos has been exceptional during pre season creating chances and scoring them to. Bags of potential for a 17 year old, already representing Brazil at under 20 level.

At the pre-match press conference at the Artemio Franchi. I was asked whether I was fully prepared for my first ever Serie A game as Fiorentina manager, I replied we have had a great pre season and we are well prepared for getting the win on Saturday! Also the press suggested that I would adopt a defensive approach against Udinese in fear of loosing. All I had to say was, I am not scared of any teams' attacking threat, and I certainly don't doubt my defences' ability to deal with any opposition they face.

We arrive at the Friuli, Udine at about 18:00 for a 20:45 kick off. The sunset is picturesque, but we aren't here for the view. As the floodlights switch on. La Viola are in their zone, all week preparation has been the buzz word. My philosophy is that a well prepared team cannot lose. The only team news tonight is that Alessandro Gamberini has a 2 match ban carried over from the last game of the 2009/2010 season. So we are without our best centre back. This is why I purchased Seba Bassong, 45 minutes before kick off I announce my Starting line up and bench.

First Half: The first 20 minutes are all Udinese, they have most of the possession but I'm glad my side are limiting them to shots from range. 21 minutes gone and Di Natale fires from 25 yards, pushed away by Frey only to the waiting Alexis Sanchez ready to finish Cooley. 1-0 Udinese. Immediately after on 23 minutes, Khouma Babacar cracks the underside of the bar after belting the ball from 20 yards, so close. 33 minutes gone and it's gone from bad to worse, Antonio Di Natali finishes a wonderful move that started from their own 18 yard box. 2-0. Some players will be having a word or two off me at half time. Half time 2-0

OFF: Riccardo Montolivo, Pasqual       ON: Dan Kofi Agyei, Valron Behrami

Second Half: 30 seconds in and Cerci puts Gilardino through 1 on 1 nutmegs, the keeper to make it 2-1!!! my words have had some impact! Both keeper make world class saves as the match goes on, 75 minutes, Ryder Matos makes his Serie A debut replacing D'Agostino as I switch to a 4-3-3. 80 minutes and Vargas passes to Babacar, he turns his man but has another laying in wait, he threads Matos into the clear, but all he can do is fire at the feet of the Udinese Goalkeeper. It finishes 2-1 and I know Udinese is no easy place to come, but I was expecting more.

Also tonight AC Milan drew at home to Bari 2-2