{"id":1167,"date":"2015-10-27T15:24:11","date_gmt":"2015-10-27T15:24:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thehighertempopress.com\/?p=1167"},"modified":"2017-02-07T11:59:43","modified_gmt":"2017-02-07T11:59:43","slug":"fm15-buildingboca-adios-argentina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thehighertempopress.com\/2015\/10\/fm15-buildingboca-adios-argentina\/","title":{"rendered":"#FM15 : #BuildingBoca : Adios, Argentina!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI may regret the way we ended, but I will never regret what we had.\u201d <\/b><\/p>\n

\u2015 <\/b>Drake<\/b><\/p>\n

I cannot claim to be a massive Drake fan, but my time at Boca came to an end on 19th November 2026. \u00a0Having secured our third successive title, and a second \u201cinvincibles\u201d season in a row I felt that I was no longer being challenged by Argentinian football, sadly. \u00a0Rather than do the whole comical Jose Mourinho \u201cruin a club in a season\u201d challenge, I decided that if the right gig came up elsewhere I would be interested. \u00a0In my final league season we conceded a miserly five goals. \u00a0Yes, five goals in twenty-nine league games. \u00a0That is how far ahead we were, and it was all down to the tactic, the man-management and some damn fine recruitment skills. \u00a0But then, isn\u2019t everything?<\/span><\/p>\n

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I will look back at my time with Boca with amazing fondness, for it was here that I devised the \u201cArgentine Strikerless.\u201d \u00a0I will be taking this formation with me to my next challenge for I want to see whether this tactical masterpiece is a one-off moment where the right players have met the right tactic at the right time, or whether it is a, dare I say it, \u201cphilosophy\u201d that can be rolled out elsewhere. \u00a0God I hate the word philosophy now, LvG has ruined it for me in the same way he has ruined Old Trafford for many a United fan with his slow, one-paced football.<\/span><\/p>\n

The joy of Argentina was damaged for me before the third season even got going. \u00a0For some unknown reason, my players were all on holiday when the Argentine version of the Community Shield was taking place. \u00a0We were playing our biggest rivals, River. \u00a0I had no way of recalling them, I certainly was not given an option of when their holiday ended and the previous season this had not happened. \u00a0My quest for the clean sweep of trophies had been destroyed before it had even started, because my lot were on the beach. \u00a0Take it from someone who spends a lot of his life on the beach, when there are football matches to be won you pack up your towel.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the Copa Libertadores we lost to our Brazilian nemesis, Corinthians, 2-1 on aggregate. \u00a0I could not fault our efforts, it was a cracking final. \u00a0We did win the Recopa Sudamericana, however – which wasn\u2019t really any consolation at all.<\/span><\/p>\n

I also left the club with a third straight Argentina Cup Final to play, and 4-2 up in the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana against Botafago. \u00a0(They managed to lose the Argentina Cup Final, incredible considering the team I left them, but won the Copa S\u2026.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Where am I going? \u00a0You\u2019ll have to read on to find out. \u00a0But I will give you a clue, I am heading back to Europe to be welcomed like an emperor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Personnel wise, it was pretty much the same side that dominated last season bar a few subtle changes. \u00a0I was able to flog Oscar Franco for a small loss, he just did not work out for me in midfield. \u00a0I still have the ability to completely gimp a signing, even using my <\/span>\u201cSearching the Stats\u00a9 \u201d method<\/strong>.<\/strong> \u00a0Club captain Bravo, sub for most of last season, was moved on to Internacional for a token \u00a3550k and where was joined by first choice roaming playmaker Ramon Arce. \u00a0He set the Brazilians back a whopping \u00a310.25m, so I was very happy with that. \u00a0I thought Brazil had no money? \u00a0Brazil continued to be my best place to export to, young midfield\/striker Garcia headed off to Gremio for \u00a36m and centre back Grillo joined Corinthians for \u00a35.5m. \u00a0Again, neither were missed as I had plenty of replacements lined up. \u00a0This season we recouped \u00a325.5m and spent a mere \u00a32.5m. \u00a0Standard really, if you have followed my career to date.<\/span><\/p>\n

Moses Sunday stepped in to centre back, the young Nigerian was superb all season. \u00a0He was one of my picks of players that might have broken through this term, so I was pleased to see his dominance at the back with Yela. \u00a0Raul Garcia took over from Arce, and rewarded me with 8 goals and 18 assists at the time of my leaving. \u00a0Nobody else really stepped up and made a huge impact and the rest of the side was pretty much unchanged from last season. \u00a0As Liverpool used to talk about in the 70\u2019s and 80\u2019s, the key to dominance is a few little changes to keep things fresh.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of the players coming in, Duarte immediately stepped up to be the back-up central defender and Eudes could well be the future of Brazilian football. \u00a0Sadly, I will not be there to see them flower.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

This isn\u2019t the most entertaining write-up ever, it has been a funny old season. \u00a0The headline facts are great, but there isn\u2019t a great deal of substance beneath it. \u00a0I\u2019ve devised a cracking system that means we defend like beasts and are lightening on the break. \u00a0It really is as simple as that\u2026. defend well and get forward quickly. \u00a0Wimbledon, Watford, Norway and Republic of Ireland used to get criticised for that, though we do ours with a little more style than they did. \u00a0Not much though to be honest.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oh, where was I going?<\/span><\/p>\n

Fans of football on Channel 4 in the early 90\u2019s will be delighted to hear that I was Lazio bound\u2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why? \u00a0Well, I have always had a soft spot for them and they sacked Antonio Conte. \u00a0When I got there they were 15th in Serie A after about 15 games or so. \u00a0What I love about the challenge is that they have not achieved anything in this save at all, but have won Serie A in living memory. \u00a0Plus Gazza played for them. \u00a0Juventus have won all but one titles since I started at Wolves, so I want to see if I can get Lazio to the pinnacle of Italian football using my unique style of tactic and recruitment.<\/span><\/p>\n

To avoid this becoming too boring – my initial skim of the team which made me think it might be worth the trip was further off the mark than a shot from Wayne Rooney currently. \u00a0Within six or seven games I realised either I needed to change the players or my tactic. \u00a0And considering I have cleaned up in South America with that tactic, I needed to change the players. \u00a0Come January I recruited 12 new faces, almost exclusively off the transfer list in the hope they could develop, and fast. \u00a0I also sold two of my highest earners for a combined \u00a320m. \u00a0As ever, net profit was the winner as I was up \u00a331m. \u00a0Naturally, I expected to move up the table – my ego took a beating on that. \u00a0The highest we reached was 10th, and we ended the season in 12th. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ok, we had moved up the table but none of the new signings had really made the impact I had hoped for. \u00a0The board were even less impressed, and at the end of the season they told me that I needed 9 points from the opening 5 games of the next season or I was out on my ear. \u00a0Sack me? \u00a0In true Jose style, I dared them. \u00a0I am the number one manager in the world on this save, and who the hell are Lazio anyway? \u00a0Deep down, however, my pride was killing me so I started another rebuild.<\/span><\/p>\n

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11 players have been signed, at a cost of \u00a34.8m – we have some talent in there that I might tell you about next time. \u00a011 players have been sold, 5 of which who I had purchased. \u00a0The only saving grace, I made profit on all but one. \u00a0I also flogged anything with a value, in my usual way. \u00a0Total income from the summer trading? \u00a0\u00a353m. \u00a0One thing they cannot dislike me for in Rome is the money I am making them.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are seven games into the second season at Lazio, and I still have a job. \u00a0We are unbeaten so far, winning 5 and drawing 2. \u00a0We are far from looking brilliant yet, but we are getting there for sure.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In other news, I am also in charge at Croatia – that will be a whole other post in itself at another point.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anyway, some of you have asked me to make the tactic available for download – <\/span>so here we go!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some key points for certain positions:<\/span><\/p>\n