Lothar Matthaus - Forza Milan

2012-12-28 23:36#74287 WestyYTFC : Great story so far keep it up

Thanks!

Kiwi:

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A very nice team and strong youth facilities there Blue, I expect you to conquer Europe and all comers with that sort of talent to burn.

Best of luck!

Thanks Kiwi, although I do feel I need quite a lot of investment in the squad.

Matthaus: "Strikers Must Improve"

New Sporting manager Lothar Matthaus has told supporters at a local Supporters' Club meeting that the strikers "must improve" if Lisbon are to get any silverware this season. Sporting had a perfect August, with 4 wins out of 4, but they were far from free-scoring.

Matthaus said "if you look at Benfica and Porto, they score a lot more than us. Benfica scored 6 in their first game, away from home. We could only score 3 at home. This aspect of our game must improve if we are to win the league. We have three very talented and young strikers in RvW (Ricky van Wolfswinkel), Diego Rubio, and Valentin Viola. Diego and Viola will be big players for the club in the future, but could still contribute now, and as it stands, Rubio is our only big scorer. We need our strikers to be able to win us games."

Matthaus is determined to prove himself in Portugal after leaving the Bulgarian national team last year. He was a guest speaker at one of the biggest supporter's clubs in Lisbon.

I am reading your story

I've not got 13, so I don't really know which players are good. But it looks like you do have a squad that should definitely be among the top 2 in the league. Sporting are traditionally quite strong and I think you could do well in Europa as well. I feel like I should start a story with Sporting because of all the 4* CA/PA talent in the ranks.

Stringing together some decent results blue:p

Matthaus' Diary - Start of September 2012

Sporting 2-0 Estoril – Liga ZON Sagres – 2.9.2012

Sporting (4-1-3-2): Patricio, Rogriguez, Boulahrouz, Carrico, Insua, Kara, Labyad, Elias, Pranjic, van Wolfswinkel, Rubio

Subs Used: Adryan for Kara (HT), Soares for Insua (HT)

Injuries: Elias (damaged elbow, 10-12 days)

Goals: Elias (34), Rubio (57)

MOTM: Rubio (Sporting)

Olhanense 0-2 Sporting – Liga ZON Sagres – 16.9.2012

Sporting (5-3-2): Patricio, Rodriguez, Boulahrouz, Carrico, Xandao, Rojo, Kara, Labyad, Pranjic, van Wolfswinkel, Rubio

Subs Used: Insua for Rubio (53), Izmailov for Xandao (59), Capel for Rojo (66)

Goals: Rodriguez (44), Rubio (53)

MOTM: Carrico (Sporting)

Legia 1-3 Sporting – Europa League – 20.9.2012

Sporting (4-2-3-1): Patricio, Rodriguez, Boulahrouz, Carrico, Insua, Elias, Pranjic, Carrillo, Adryan, Capel, van Wolfswinkel

Goals: Saganowski (2); Carillo (7), Pranjic (9), van Wolfswinkel (84)

MOTM: Carrillo (Sporting)

A Man With a Point to Prove

The new manager at a Sporting CP, Lothar Matthaus, may feel that he has a point to prove. After having a very successful playing career, Lothar Matthaus decided to try his hand at managing a football team. He signed a contract with FK Partizan but fell out with the board. He also had relatively unsuccessful spells with Hungary, Atletico Paranaese, Red Bull Salzburg, Maccabi Netanya and Bulgaria. He has received a lot of criticism over the way he handled his players, communicated with his board and handled his drinking problem.

Sporting CP took a risk when they hired Lothar Matthaus as manager but the German manager has vowed to change his ways. He spoke in a press-conference when he was hired: "I feel I have a point to prove to my critics. I may have been a poor manager in the past but I am looking to the future where I can have a prosperous future with Sporting CP." He has gone straight in to implementing his tactics to hopefully challenge for the domestic title and cup competition.

Lothar Matthaus might just be the right man for the job. Being a manager who likes to utilise his youth academy to full effect, having an academy as successful as Sporting CP certaintly helps his chances. He has a very distinctive attacking style which he likes to implement and with players such as Carillo and Van Wolfswinkel, Sporting will look lethal this season. The future of Sporting CP under Lothar Matthaus looks a very promising future.

Carrico Signs New Deal

Sporting Lisbon Daniel Carrico has signed a new contract with the club, worth £6k per week until June 2016.

The 24-year-old came through the Sporting academy, and was captain until new manager Matthaus took it off him, but his contract was due to expire at the end of the current season. One of Matthaus' main aims was to tie down the Portuguese defender.

Rumours say that clubs from across Europe were preparing a bid for Carrico, with some of the prominent ones being Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, and AC Milan.

Sporting fans were delighted when the news came out on the club's website, as Carrico has beien an important part of the Lisbon defence and squad so far this season. This will undoubtedly lift the club and supporters ahead of the derby match against Benfica later this week.

some good results there blue maybe you could current league standings after ur updates n ps im trying to sign Carrico for Reading

He's signed for them irl. And usually I do, but this is only mid-month, so it'll be on after the final update of the month, which will only have one match. I'm planning to do something special in between.

2013-01-01 18:54#74997 manchesterblue97 : He's signed for them irl. And usually I do, but this is only mid-month, so it'll be on after the final update of the month, which will only have one match. I'm planning to do something special in between.

aww kool yea i kno thts why i had a look at him, looks pretty decent, does he play well for you ? .. aww nice looking forward to it

Yeah, he's got a couple of MOTMs so far

Sporting v Benfica - 23.9.2012

We're here at Estádio José Alvalade for the biggest game of the season so far, and the biggest derby in Portugal. The Derby de Lisboa. Sporting v Benfica. The one match where the streets are silent, the town divided into green and red, where both sets of supporters crave victory over their fiercest rivals.

Rodrigo is out for Benfica today, which will encourage Sporting fans, along with their team being slight favourites. If the strong Sporting defence can control free-scoring striker Oscar Cardozo for Benfica, they should stand a chance.

Here are the lineups for both teams:

Sporting (4-2-3-1): Patricio, Rodriguez, Carrico, Rojo, Elias, Kara, Carrillo, Adrien, Capel, van Wolfsinkel

Benfica (4-3-1-2): Artur, Pereira, Garay, Lopez, Luisinho, Vukojevic, Perez, Gaitan, Cesar, Lima, Cardozo

Strong lineups for both teams here. This looks like it could be a cracker.

Commentary from Martin Tyler

1 min: Sporting get us underway here in the Lisbon derby.

HT: The ref blows for half-time here. It has been goalless, but certainly not action-less. We just need to see the finishing improve slightly in the second half.

64 min: Rodriguez finds Carrillo on the half-way line. He cuts inside and plays a defence-splitting pass, which Garay manages to get to inside his box. Oh, van Wolfswinkel takes it off him! VAN WOLFSWINKEL!!!! Sporting have the lead in the Lisbon derby! Van Wolfswinkel smashes home, and sends the Lisbon fans into raptures! Sporting 1 Benfica 0!

84 min: Pranjic has the ball 35 yards from the Benfica goal. Finds Kara out wide. He plays it forward to Capel on the edge of the box. He has Insua and van Wolfswinkel in support... he slips it through to INSUA! Saved... INSUA AGAIN!!!! Sporting have doubled their lead, and the supporters are dancing in the stands! Insua has his second of the season, and surely seals a massive derby day victory for the Verde-e-Brancos!

FT: The ref blows the whistle for full time, and the Leões fans are ecstatic in the stands. The city will be painted green tonight, and Matthaus can sleep a happy man.

Manager's Press Interview

Obviously I'm delighted to win such a massive game, not just in the title race, but in the city as well. Benfica hadn't conceded so far, so to score two, and keep a brilliant clean sheet as well caps a fantastic performance. Insua just showed how good he is with a man of the match performance tonight. I think he could be one of the best in his position in Europe. He's so well-balanced, and managed to score a good goal today, sealing the points for us. If we want to win the league, he will be key.

Your match reports are nothing compared to mine....


Jks, good win against rivals and a good update blue, keep going. Btw, make sure you look at your youth academy a lot, I could name at least six world class players they've brought up, tow being Ronaldo and Nani. :p

2013-01-02 21:00#75127 TheChosenOne : Your match reports are nothing compared to mine....


Jks, good win against rivals and a good update blue, keep going. Btw, make sure you look at your youth academy a lot, I could name at least six world class players they've brought up, tow being Ronaldo and Nani. :p

One of the world-class players they've made features in the next update actually.

P.S. Nani is crap