gvb — Capuano comes into the story here as a replacement for Aivar Kulik at right back. He was the one pure fullback we didn’t unload when we switched to the 3-4-3 (Dogan was a multi-position player) and have spent much of this season retraining him as a central defender. He’s had an up-and-down year, but everything finally seems to be clicking for him.

Erdem Ak joined the team here as a speculative youth purchase (he was an 18-year-old Turkish youth international). He improved so quickly that he precipitated our sale of Mejdi Cherif to Milan, and now alternates with Contini at right wing. At this point, they’re about equally good; Contini (as a established Italy international in his late 20s) gets the important starts over Erdem (a kid), but the 3-4-3 takes so much out of the wingers that there’s plenty of room for rotation.

Not sure I remember who Erdem and Capuano are. Is Contini still at right wing? For the amount of time he’s been there (if my memory serves me correctly you got him when you got Dogen), he doesn’t get much writing.