retired_kausar

Saturday 2nd October 2004
Sampdoria vs. Lecce

Reverting to the familiar 4-4-2 formation we are faced with two enforced changes for this match. Goalkeeper Antonioli has picked up a groin strain and will be out for approximately 2 weeks whilst winger Diana has a sprained wrist that will keep him out of this match but probably not the next. Experienced reserves Turci and Fillipini come in.

The match does not start well. Their young prodigy Bojinov plays the ball past Legrottaglie, skips around him, rounds the keeper and scores, an excellent goal. It takes us until the 56th minute to get the equaliser. Flachi showing good skills on the edge of the area to turn inside a roll a perfectly weighted ball across the area to leave the onrushing and unmarked Doni a simple tap in.

We leave it late, and are in truth fortunate, to get the winner. Their defender Stovini is penalised for jumping unfairly against Bazzani in the box. What Volpi’s ensuing penalty lacks in placement it makes up for in power, blasting literally through their keeper. With just 2 minutes of normal time left it seems as though we have it sewn up although Lecce still manage a number of promising attacks. In the end we just do enough. All in all a good if lucky result.

Final Score:
Sampdoria 2 – Lecce 1

retired_kausar

Wednesday 6th October 2004
Chievo vs. Sampdoria

Let’s be frank about this, we are not going to win any awards for the style of our play at present but we are getting the results. My hand was somewhat forced here by the fact that by the fact that Bazzani was unavailable having gashed his leg and therefore needing a rest. Bearing this in mind and that our only attempt to play 4-4-2 away from home resulted in the three goal drubbing from Udinese, I went once again for the lone striker option.

We spent the majority of the first half desperately trying to spoil their attempts to play attractive passing football. Until the 45th minute when their striker Cossato took advantage of our inability to clear the ball and fired home.

Four minutes into the second half and it seemed as if it was all over when Edusei was sent off, a second yellow card issued after an argument with the referee. The team however had other ideas. The star of the show was undoubtedly Flachi, working alone up front he constantly harried their defenders and gave us a precious outlet. This hard work paid off in the 56th minute when he fired a rocket of a shot from the edge of the area past their despairing keeper. The winner came on the hour, Flachi, again impressing, this time foraging on the left wing sent a crossfield pass to the criminally unmarked Fillipini. The winger kept his cool to advance and chip the onrushing keeper. A good result.

Final Score:
Chievo 1 – Sampdoria 2

retired_kausar

Sunday 17th October 2004
Brescia vs. Sampdoria

Not one to mess with a winning formula, I stick with the lone striker tactic for this match. We are obviously getting more comfortable with this style of play as we limit their chances throughout the match whilst still managing to create plenty of opportunities.

The breakthrough comes on 31 minutes. Pagano getting his first for the club when a bad clearance falls directly too him. He immediately volleys the ball straight past the keeper. The second, on 70 minutes, is also the result of a poor clearance. This time their keeper Chimenti weakly clears only for it to land directly at Bazzani’s feet. The striker calmly chips the keeper to score.

The only downside is that in between the two goals Flachi receives his marching orders. For the second game in a row we lose a player due to a second yellow card, this time the player was booked both times for diving. Flachi will therefore miss the next game at home to Calgari.

Final Score:
Brescia 0 – Sampdoria 2

retired_kausar

Sunday 24th October 2004
Sampdoria vs. Cagliari

The fact that this was a home game against relatively lowly opposition meant that we reverted to our original formation. This is likely to be a common aspect of the way we play this season. There is a good side and a bad side to this. On the one hand it will make it difficult for teams to predict how we are likely to play but on the downside it will mean that our team is constantly changing and we may lose something in terms of consistency.

Despite the fact that we play with two strikers, it is a defender and a midfielder who score the goals, both from corners. Sennikov scores the first on 22 minutes with a header whilst Volpi gets the second at the death, this time a volley from the edge of the area.

One other positive form the match was the introduction of Kutozov towards the end. Replacing solid but uninspiring youngster Meggiorini, he looked like a tricky customer beating defenders and creating chances. We also managed to restrict the opposition throughout, they never had a shot on target. Another good result.

Final Score:
Sampdoria 2 – Cagliari 0

retired_kausar

Wednesday 27th October 2004
Fiorentina vs. Sampdoria

The recent history of Fiorentina is an almost exact mirror to that of ours. Perhaps the only difference is the sharpness of their decline and the speed of their recovery. Like ourselves, with new financial backing they are now most certainly back and represent a real challenge to our recent good form.

For the first time the lone striker option fails to get a result, our wingers look out of their depth, the centre of our midfield are outplayed and Flachi fails to get the opportunities he has been thriving on recently..

Their first goal comes on 24 minutes, their impressive striker Rigano getting beyond Sennikov and showing good composure to place the ball to the keepers right. The second is completely down to a mistake from Antonioli, his skewed clearance reaching only Miccoli who blasts the ball straight back and into the net. They round it off with a free kick, expertly taken by Maresca. A forgettable evening.

Final Score:
Fiorentina 3 – Sampdoria 0

retired_kausar

Sunday 31st October 2004
Sampdoria vs. Messina

After a defeat there is no better reply than to follow up with a convincing win. We do just that. Reverting to a 4-4-2 it takes us just five minutes to get under way, Legrottaglie playing a wonderful ball from deep to find Diana in space on the right wing. Taking the ball almost to the touchline he rolls the ball back to Bazzani in the penalty area who has little left to do other then score which he does.

Legrottaglie scores himself ten minutes later, once again heading in from a corner. The third is a penalty, Flachi converting after Doni is pushed in the area is pushed by Raffa in the area. Half Time and 3-0 up.

The second half continues in the same vein, Doni getting the fourth after a delightful cross from Diana, literally passed into the net. Flachi follows this with a real gem in the 63rd. Using what strength he has to hold off three defenders and under a lot of pressure he still has the presence of mind to chip the keeper. Flachi then turned provider thirteen minutes later his cross reaching Diana whose performance throughout the game merited the well taken goal. There was still time for Flachi to complete his hat trick. With the clock running down he picked up on Legrottaglie’s free kick, beat his marker and sent the ball whistling past the keeper’s right. The best possible reply to the midweek defeat.

Final Score:
Sampdoria 7 – Messina 0

retired_besheeran

Looks like good goings then. KUTGW

Shermanez

Great start, I'm a big fan of this style of writing at the moment! Simple but very effective! :thup:

retired_kausar

Sunday 7th November 2004
Reggina vs. Sampdoria

Given the nature of our victory over Messina, I make a decision to play 4-4-2 away from home, the first time I have done this since the debacle against Udinese back in the middle of September. The gamble seems to pay of in the eighteenth minute when our two strikers combine to give us the lead, Flachi dancing past the defender on the left hand side of the box and cutting the ball back to Bazzani who neatly finishes. We extend our lead in the 37th minute, Doni scoring with a well taken free kick from the very edge of the penalty area.

At half time and leading 2-0, I decide to play safe and move back to a 4-1-4-1 formation, Bazzani being sacrificed for Donadel. It appears I may have made a mistake however when, in the 63rd minute, Tedesco scores, again directly from a free kick. For a very short while things look tense until the 67th minute when Diana sends a lovely cross field ball to his opposite winger Doni who strikes a powerful shot to restore our two goal advantage. Once more we have managed to pick up three points on our travels.

Final Score:
Reggina 1 – Sampdora 3

retired_kausar

Wednesday 10th November 2004
Sampdoria vs. Chievo (Italian Cup 2nd Round 1st Leg)

For many teams in Serie A, the cup represents an unwelcome distraction. For those teams that have European commitments the sheer number of games the first team players are expected to turn out for means that it is often the case that the superstars are rested for these games. Likewise those at the bottom end of the table need their best players to give it their all in the league.

For Sampdoria however, the chance to grab a European place is too tempting and whilst it is possible that our league position may be enough, it is by no means guaranteed. We play, therefore, with a full strength team in our attacking 4-4-2 formation.

It takes until the 38th minute for us to get off the mark, Bazzani getting off the mark when Legrottaglie plays the ball directly back into the box after a corner is half cleared. It looks as though we will have to settle for this scoreline until near the death. On 84 minutes Bazzani scores again, getting onto Diana’s cross and controlling the ball well before slotting home. 4 minutes later Bazzani gets his hat trick, a header this time from substitute Pagano’s cross.

Having scored three and not conceded a precious away goal we have set ourselves up nicely for the return leg in six weeks time. I only hope that my players do not feel the effects of tiredness too much in the coming weeks and months.

Final Score:
Sampdoria 3 - Chievo 0