Season 3 : Barnsley
New season, same squad so I needed to get in some new faces and talent to just not fail again...
We had to release a numerous players which were useless to the club to enlarge the budgets.
We snatched Nicolas N'koulou, Oriol Busquets, Olivier Ntcham & Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting on free transfers. The club made some fine loan signings such as Sebastian Coates, Nuno Santos, Rony Lopes, Guillermo Ochoa & Danilo.
For the improved squad we got going this season, I'm already gutted we started the season off with three straight draws against Millwall, Nottingham Forrest and Leeds United. I've also got appointed as Malta's NT manager for the next year.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting managed to gave us our first three points of the season with a brace against Wycombe Wanderers.
We got knocked out of the FA Cup early as we lost to Arsenal at the Emirates.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was in-form in the first half of the season, leading us in 7th place, 10pts below the league leaders.
In January we brought in a youth regen, Angel who played a small part at the end of the season.
Fast forward to the end of the season, Choupo-Moting finished the season as Top Scorer of the Sky Bet Championship with 20 goals and was named in the Team of the Season. Luckily we won the last two games of the season against Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City to make in to 4th place and reach the Play-Offs.
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Fulham
Watford 1-2 Barnsley
What a way to close the season, having to go face to face against my first English club from my professional football career.
Rony Lopes found the net in the 66th minute and sealed the victory away from home in the 1st leg. Watford went all out in the second leg, only for our regen Angel to break the score in the 69th minute from a counter attack. It only took two minutes for Watford to draw level but fortunately we managed to not concede another one thanks to a brilliant save from Forster minutes away from the final whistle.
Brace yourselves, the remainder of the story for this season is sad, very sad.
Final day of the Season 2023/24 : Play Off Final at Wembley Stadium - Fulham v Barnsley.
What are the odds, having to go through against one of my former clubs Watford to face in a final, my former club as a manager, Fulham!
It was a jam-packed stadium, we could all feel the excitement before the match.
As soon as the match started, I felt pressure and so did the players, we were constantly wasting possession and mistaking every clearance pass which led to Fulham's first goal by Josh Maja in the 11th minute. In the 14th minute a well taken corner by Rony Lopes landed perfectly in Choupo-Moting's feet where he did not fail to level the score to 1-1. The game was well balanaced for the remaining 30 minutes of the 1st half. Exactly on the 45th minute, Josh Maja doubled Fulham's lead to 2-1 with an outside curler. Worst time to score I know, but the match could still go either way...
But it didn't. On the 63rd minute, Ademola Lookman score Fulham's third goal to practically close the game.
We got distracted and desperate and well all out since we had nothing to lose. As expected we conceded again in the 82nd minute and again in the 84th minute, to see Josh Maja seal his hat-trick in this one sided final. It was ugly, cruel and painful.
Guillermo Ochoa's post-match comments were :"I can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. We were so close. So close..." and that's the only way to describe our disappointment and sadness.
The following week I got reached by Bristol City, Valenciennes and Fulham.
It was a though decision to take at that time but I only chose to leave Barnsley to try and advance in my managerial career and get a chance to play in a higher level, so I chose to re-join Fulham, this time in the Premier League.
Dear Barnsley Fans,
It was a great run between us in the last 18 months together but the time has come for me to look forward and step up. It wasn't an easy decision to take after this year's huge improvement from the squad but after the heartbreak we went through in June, I just felt it's time for me to step down. Thank you for all the memories and good luck for next season!
Your forever fan,
Mr. Ferriggi.
Attachments :
https://ibb.co/album/tMs0yD