[FM11] Crazy Canuck on Global Managerial Tour - This is the Big One!!!

[rancer890]

Football Manager 2011 (11.1)

Database edits/XML files:

I get quite annoyed with my career games throughout the years and this year is not different with the db, so I made the following changes

• China: created the Yi League (3rd tier) as realistically as possible. Changed the names too, from Chinese Super League to Pirelli CFA Super League, Chinese National First Division to Chinese Jia League, and the activated 3rd tier to the Yi League
• Germany: the file I had for FM10 didn't work so I created the Regionalliga myself, and since the Regionalliga teams weren't updated as well for the 2010-2011, I updated the teams as well. Also changed the games of the competitions
• Egypt: edited some teams correctly for the 2010-2011 season
• New Zealand: I have the exact same file as AcidBurn
• Indonesia: changed the competition names of all 3 tiers
• Japan: have the xml file, but no changes from FM10
• real agents file from the editor forum, among other things

The Setup:

Leagues and Players: 134 leagues across 54 nations with 125,000 players
Start Date: Germany (June 2010)

Loaded from all leagues unless noted above

Africa
Egypt - playable
South Africa - playable

Asia
Australia - playable
China - playable
Hong Kong - playable
India - View-only
Indonesia - playable
Japan - playable
Malaysia - view-only
Singapore - playable
South Korea - playable

Europe
Austria - playable
Belarus - view-only
Belgium - playable
Bulgaria - view-only
Denmark - playable
England - playable
Finland - view-only
France - playable
Germany - playable
Greece - playable
Holland - playable
Hungary - view-only
Iceland - view-only
Ireland - playable
Israel - view-only
Italy - playable
N. Ireland - playable
Norway - view-only
Poland - view-only
Portugal - playable
Romania - playable
Russia - playable
Scotland - playable
Serbia - view-only
Slovakia - view-only
Slovenia - view-only
Spain - playable
Sweden - view-only
Switzerland - playable
Turkey - playable
Ukraine - playable
Wales - playable

North America
Mexico - playable
US MLS - playable

South America
Argentina - playable
Brazil - playable
Chile - view-only
Colombia - view-only
Peru - view-only
Uruguay - view-only
-------------------------

Starting Reputation: Semi-Pro footballer

[rancer890]

Career Overview

Summary

Year        Team               Country       League           Position       Notes and Info    Salary (annual)
2010-2011   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       1st     League Champions            $45,000
2011-2012   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       2nd     League Finalists            $65,000
2012-2013   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       1st     League Champions            $70,000
2013-2014   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       2nd     League Finalists            $70,000
2014-2015   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       2nd     League Finalists            $50,000
2015-2016   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       N/A                                 $50,000
2016        Anhui Jiufang FC   China         Yi League             1st     League Champions           $125,000
2017        Anhui Jiufang FC   China         Jia League            1st     League Champions           $125,000
2018        Anhui Jiufang FC   China         Super League          N/A                                 $75,000
2018        Henan Jianye FC    China         Super League          8th                  N/A            $75,000
2019        Henan Jianye FC    China         Super League          2nd    ACL Qualification           $200,000
2020        Henan Jianye FC    China         Super League          1st    ACL Qualification           $250,000
2021        Henan Jianye FC    China         Super League          1st    ACL Qualification           $200,000
2022        Henan Jianye FC    China         Super League          1st     ACL, CWC Winners           $200,000
2022-2023   FSV Frankfurt      Germany       3.Liga                5th                  N/A           $200,000
2023-2024   FSV Frankfurt      Germany       3.Liga                2nd            Promotion           $850,000
2024-2025   Shakhtar Donetsk   Ukraine       Premyer-Liha          1st      Domestic Double         $2,000,000
2025-2026   Shakhtar Donetsk   Ukraine       Premyer-Liha          1st      Domestic Double         $2,000,000
2026-2027   Shakhtar Donetsk   Ukraine       Premyer-Liha          1st      Domestic Double         $2,100,000
2027-2028   Shakhtar Donetsk   Ukraine       Premyer-Liha          1st  Double, UCL Finalists       $2,000,000
2028-2029   Shakhtar Donetsk   Ukraine       Premyer-Liha          1st  Double, UCL Finalists       $2,000,000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career Totals                                                                                      $12,750,000

Stats

Year        Team              GP -   W -   D -   L -   F -   A -   G.D. - Days
2010        None (holiday)    --     -     -     -     -     -     ----      6
2010-2011   Auckland City     16 -   8 -   7 -   1 -  23 -   9 -   +15 -   266
2011-2012   Auckland City     16 -  10 -   3 -   3 -  22 -  10 -   +12 -   378
2012-2013   Auckland City     24 -  19 -   3 -   2 -  46 -  15 -   +31 -   411     
2013-2014   Auckland City     25 -  19 -   4 -   2 -  58 -  23 -   +35 -   364     
2014-2015   Auckland City     27 -  18 -   6 -   3 -  64 -  30 -   +34 -   364 
2015-2016   Auckland City      2 -   1 -   0 -   1 -   4 -   3 -   + 1 -   182
2016        Anhui Jiufang     19 -  14 -   4 -   1 -  35 -   7 -   +28 -   352
2017        Anhui Jiufang     32 -  16 -  11 -   5 -  48 -  27 -   +21 -   359
2018        Anhui Jiufang     19 -   7 -   7 -   5 -  18 -  19 -   - 1 -   277
2018        Henan Jianye      15 -   6 -   5 -   4 -  14 -  10 -   + 4 -    99
2019        Henan Jianye      31 -  18 -   7 -   6 -  50 -  26 -   +24 -   359
2020        Henan Jianye      38 -  24 -   7 -   7 -  70 -  32 -   +38 -   370
2021        Henan Jianye      51 -  32 -  10 -   9 - 103 -  46 -   +57 -   377
2022        Henan Jianye      50 -  34 -  11 -   5 - 111 -  33 -   +78 -   393
2022-2023   FSV Frankfurt     10 -   4 -   3 -   3 -  15 -   8 -   + 7 -    58
2023-2024   FSV Frankfurt     39 -  20 -   9 -  10 -  59 -  33 -   +26 -   408
2024-2025   Shakhtar Donetsk  48 -  40 -   2 -   6 - 108 -  21 -   +87 -   342
2025        Ukraine            4 -   2 -   1 -   1 -   5 -   3 -   + 2 -   165
2025-2026   Shakhtar Donetsk  52 -  39 -   6 -   7 - 107 -  23 -   +84 -   350
2026-2027   Shakhtar Donetsk  46 -  36 -   8 -   2 - 112 -  20 -   +92 -   378
2027-2028   Shakhtar Donetsk  49 -  37 -   8 -   4 -  91 -  18 -   +73 -   356
2028-2029   Shakhtar Donetsk  51 -  40 -   8 -   3 - 129 -  25 -  +104 -   371
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career Totals                664 - 444 - 130 -  90 - 1292 - 441 - +851 -  6829
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Club Totals                  660 - 442 - 129 -  89 - 1287 - 438 - +849 -  6829
International Totals           4 -   2 -   1 -   1 -   5 -   3 -   + 2 -   165
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Auckland City                110 -  75 -  23 -  12 - 217 -  90 -  +127 -  1965
Anhui Jiufang                 70 -  37 -  22 -  11 - 101 -  53 -   +48 -   988
Henan Jianye                 185 - 114 -  40 -  31 - 348 - 147 -  +201 -  1613
FSV Frankfurt                 49 -  24 -  12 -  13 -  74 -  41 -  + 33 -   466
Shakhtar Donetsk             246 - 192 -  32 -  22 - 547 - 107 -  +440 -  1797
Ukraine                        4 -   2 -   1 -   1 -   5 -   3 -   + 2 -   165

Transfer Summary

Year        Team            Bought | Sold | Released | Value Bought |    Value Sold | Money Paid to Agents
2010-2011   Auckland City        5      1         10   $          0   $           0        $         1,000
2011-2012   Auckland City        6      1         11   $          0   $           0        $             0
2012-2013   Auckland City        4      0         26   $          0   $           0        $         2,500
2013-2014   Auckland City        2      0         13   $          0   $           0        $         8,500
2014-2015   Auckland City        4      1          8   $     12,000   $      50,000        $        16,000
2015-2016   Auckland City        4      3          4   $     18,000   $     250,000        $        17,000
2016        Anhui Jiufang        8      0         27   $     35,000   $           0        $             0
2017        Anhui Jiufang        8      0          3   $     45,000   $           0        $             0
2018        Anhui Jiufang        4      0         19   $          0   $      50,000        $             0
2018        Henan Jianye         2      4          0   $     40,000   $   1,300,000        $        25,000
2019        Henan Jianye         8      4         12   $    500,000   $      26,000        $        50,000
2020        Henan Jianye         8      1         23   $  1,450,000   $      35,000        $       455,000
2021        Henan Jianye         6      1         11   $    125,000   $      70,000        $       225,000 
2022        Henan Jianye         6      4         16   $  2,150,000   $   3,739,000        $       600,000
2022-2023   FSV Frankfurt        1      0          0   $          0   $           0        $             0
2023-2024   FSV Frankfurt       11     14         11   $     90,000   $   1,100,000        $       200,000
2024-2025   Shakhtar Donetsk     3      7         17   $ 15,510,000   $   5,150,000        $     4,250,000
2025-2026   Shakhtar Donetsk     5      5          8   $ 14,250,000   $  12,500,000        $     5,000,000
2026-2027   Shakhtar Donetsk     3      3         34   $    950,000   $   5,750,000        $     1,000,000
2027-2028   Shakhtar Donetsk     7      3         47   $ 29,550,000   $           0        $     8,250,000
2028-2029   Shakhtar Donetsk     3      1         10   $  2,200,000   $   1,850,000        $     5,500,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total                          105     50        279   $ 66,950,000   $  32,100,000        $    25,500,000

Awards

• 2010-2011: ASB Premiership (New Zealand) Champions
• 2012-2013: ASB Premiership (New Zealand) Champions
• 2012-2013: O-League Champions
• 2013-2014: O-League Champions
• 2014-2015: O-League Champions
• 2016: Chinese Yi League Champions
• 2017: Chinese Jia League Champions
• 2020: Chinese Super League Champions
• November 8, 2020: Chinese Super League Manager of the Year
• 2021: Chinese FA Cup Champions
• 2021: Chinese Super League Champions
• November 1, 2021: Chinese Super League Manager of the Year
• 2022: Asian Champions League Champions
• 2022: FIFA Club World Cup Champions
• 2025: EpiCentre Premyer-Liha Champions
• 2025: Kubok Ukraini Champions
• 2026: EpiCentre Premyer-Liha Champions
• 2026: Kubok Ukraini Champions
• 2027: EpiCentre Premyer-Liha Champions
• 2027: Kubok Ukraini Champions
• 2028 EpiCentre Premyer-Liha Champions
• 2028: Kubok Ukraini Champions
• 2029: EpiCentre Premyer-Liha Champions
• 2029: Kubok Ukraini Champions

Rich List

Year        Club              Ranking                   Value
2024 July   Shakhtar             44th            $116 million
2025 July   Shakhtar             46th            $108 million
2026 July   Shakhtar             54th            $100 million
2027 July   Shakhtar             52nd            $106 million
2028 July   Shakhtar             40th            $125 million
2029 July   Shakhtar             30th            $157 million

Contracts

• June 16, 2010: Signs a 3 year contract worth $64k per year with Auckland City FC (New Zealand) until March 31, 2013
• April 1, 2012: Signs a 1-year contract extension worth $64k per year with Auckland City FC (New Zealand) until March 31, 2014
• January 31, 2014: Signs a 1-year contract extension worth $64k per year with Auckland FC (New Zealand) until March 31, 2015
• January 12, 2015: Signs a 1-year contract extension worth $64k per year with Auckland FC (New Zealand) until March 31, 2016
• November 2, 2015: Resigned from Auckland City FC
• November 19, 2015: Signs a 3 year contract worth $125k per year with Anhui Jiufeng FC (China) until December 31, 2018
• January 1, 2018: Signs a 3 year contract extension worth $125k per year with Anhui Jiufeng FC (China) until December 31, 2021
• August 3, 2018: Signs a 3.5 year contract worth $220k per year with Henan Jianye (China) until December 31,2021. Anhui is compensated with $425k
• August 19, 2021: Signs a 2 year contract extension worth $220k per year with Henan Jianye (China) until December 31, 2023.
• January 2, 2023: Resigned from Henan Jianye (China)
• March 16, 2023: Signs a 2 year contract worth $850k per year with FSV Frankfurt (Germany) until June 30, 2025
• June 25, 2024: Signs a 4 year contract worth $2 million per year with Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) until June 30, 2028. FSV Frankfurt is compensated with $875k
• September 14, 2025: Accepted the offer from the Ukrainian Football Association to become the new manager of the Ukrainian National team
• February 26, 2026: Resigned from Ukrainian National Team
• May 2, 2028: Signs a 3 year contract extension worth $2 million per year with Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) until June 30, 2031
• June 24, 2029: Accepted the offer from the Korea Football Association to become the new manager of the South Korean National team

[London City]

I'm looking forward to this. Any hints where you will be starting out (or do you plan to start unemployed and just see where you end up)?

[rancer890]

June 16, 2010

Ricky Nakano becomes Auckland City manager

Ricky Nakano has been announced as the new manager of New Zealand club Auckland City. Nakano is delighted to take over the managerial position, stating that "I'm very excited to become the new manager of Auckland City. I'm very grateful for Mr. Ivan Vuksich for giving me the opportunity to manage such a fantastic club. I will do my very best to guide Auckland City to championships and become a successful club in the Oceania region."

Nakano's first priorities would be to examine the squad, have a backroom staff, and sign some players to compete for the ASB Premiership title.

[rancer890]

I'm looking forward to this. Any hints where you will be starting out (or do you plan to start unemployed and just see where you end up)?

Oh yeah, forgot to mention. Starting unemployed as usual. You can see what club I'm with in the post before this one.

[London City]

New Zealand. Interesting. I will look forward to reading all about your journey.

[Deisler26]

Good luck, Rancer. I look forward to this being another FMCU Awards nominee!

[DSYoungEsq]

That's one heck of a big database! Do you simply hire out some computer from Cray to do the work for you?

Looking forward to this one!

[crouchaldinho]

What a set-up! This really is the big one!

Good luck.

[Standard liege!]

Awesome stuff Rancer Looking forward to this!

[rancer890]

Cheers London City, Deisler, DSYoungEsq, Crouchy, and Standard...first update with my transfers before the season and starting lineup will be coming soon.

[rancer890]

Bloody Hell, accidentally edited the end of season update into this post...and lost the transfer update in the process... ><

[Saxonaitor]

Good luck, hope this is as succesful as your last save

[hursty2]

Good luck rancer!

I was tripping out over 'Edington' and 'Edgington' haha.

[Big Al 17]

Looks like a great set up you got there rancer! Good luck at Auckland

[Jason the Yank]

Plenty of job opportunities available.

[deltablue]

Looks like it could be a great game there.

[rancer890]

Cheers Sax, Big Al, Jason, and deltablue.

I could have gotten the V-Varen job if I wanted to but I want to try the Continental Dominance Challenge so decided on Auckland City.

Good luck rancer!

I was tripping out over 'Edington' and 'Edgington' haha.

Cheers. It`s Edginton mate.

[Raware]

That's some set up rancer. Good luck with this, looking forward to reading your updates

[rancer890]

Auckland City FC

2010-2011 End of Season Review

Standings | Past Positions | Championship Playoff | Fixtures - A fantastic season capped off with a 3-2 win in the Championship Final!

Transfers - All of our transfers made significant contributions to the team, namely Emanuel Reinoso, Chris Tadrosse, Chris Sharpe, Marquinhos, Phil Edington, and Phil Edginton. All of them (bar Reinoso) settled into the club nicely and were factors in our championship season.

Squad - A solid squad, but a bit big for my liking. Hopefully I'll be able to cut the squad size down a bit to more manageable numbers next season.

Top Goalscorer - Emanuel Reinoso

Most Valuable Player - Emanuel Reinoso - he had a slow start, and I even had to send him on a month-long leave of absence, but after he came back, results started going my way, and he become a vital part of the club down the stretch.

Auckland City Goal of the Season - Chris Tadrosse Championship Winning Goal

Summary

Year        Team               Country       League           Position       Notes and Info
2010-2011   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       1st     League Champions

[DSYoungEsq]

Congrats! Glad to see New Zealand understand the fun of winning when you didn't really do the best during the season.

[rancer890]

Congrats! Glad to see New Zealand understand the fun of winning when you didn't really do the best during the season.

Cheers. I love playoffs.

Oh btw, I also edited the MLS, it's a 20 team league (I added Portland, Vancouver like real life, and added Miami FC too), so gone are the salary cap and the drafts (waiver draft and super draft). They now have a 38 game schedule.

And Canadian Clubs are in the US Open Cup too, oops...

[rancer890]

Auckland City FC

2011-2012 Season Preview

Legends: None
Icons: None
Favoured Personnel: Phil Edington
Media Prediction: 2nd
Estimated Value: $1.5 million (1st in New Zealand)
ASB Premiership Expectations: Title Challenger
O-League Expectations: Unknown
Transfer Budget: $24k
Wage Budget: $170k (currently spending $144,659)

[rancer890]

Crazy Canuck Youth Intakes

Youth Player 1 - Paul Batty - ST (New Zealand)
Left Foot - Weak
Right Foot - Very Strong
PPMs - Runs with Ball Through Centre

Initial Profile

Info: Decent prospect...considered a 'decent ASB Premiership Player' so he doesn't have a high ceiling.

[rancer890]

Auckland City FC - 2011 Off-season signings

Transfers

A transfer period where I didn't sign many players partly because we still had a lot of high wages at the club, but these signings were ones who I hope would be quality for us in the upcoming year

Maicon Santos - he was offered by his agent to us, and we got him on trial for 4 weeks. His wage demands were too high so after 4 weeks he left the club but we would stay in contact. He later fired his agent, and we came up with another contract offer, and to my delight he agreed to join us. The other cool thing is that he's a former TFC player (IRL, he played for TFC this past season).

Cameron Knowles - recommended through backroom advice, he was under an amateur contract at Waikato and we signed him on bargain wages.

Karl Dodd - found him through the transfer rumours. He's a veteran who has played in the A-League as well as the SPL with Falkirk. He played for the Wellington Phoenix for a couple seasons as well.

I also have former TFC player Emmanuel Gomez on trial, but his wage demands are a bit high for a rotational player...

---

And we're not in the O-League, they were awarded to the 1st and 2nd place teams in the regular seasons...

Therefore this year I'm aiming for a top 2 finish.

[Jason the Yank]

Cameron Knowles has played for RSL and Portland IRL.

[rancer890]

Auckland City FC

2011-2012 End of Season Review

Standings | Past Positions | Championship Playoff | Fixtures - A solid year where we finished 2nd in the regular season. We easily defeated Cantebury in the Semi-Final before losing 1-0 to Waitakere United on a controversial goal.

Transfers - We made several signings, but Emmanuel Gomez, Cameron Knowles were the best of the group. Daltro Inacio Linck Engster and Maicon Santos were slight disappointments and hopefully they'll do better next season.

Leaving the club was mostly deadwood.

Squad - A solid squad which will hopefully get better when I'm free of the high wage earners that were at the club before my arrival.

Top Goalscorer - Emanuel Reinoso

Most Valuable Player - Emanuel Reinoso - his key goals were a big factor in shaping our season, despite an injury in pre-season where he missed the first few games.

Auckland City Goal of the Season - N/A (nothing special tbf)

Summary

Year        Team               Country       League           Position                    Notes and Info
2010-2011   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       3rd      Championship Playoff Winners
2011-2012   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       2nd    Championship Playoff Finalists

[rancer890]

Auckland City FC

2012-2013 Season Preview

Legends: None
Icons: None
Favoured Personnel: Chris Tadrosse
Media Prediction: 1st
Estimated Value: $1.5 million (1st in New Zealand)
ASB Premiership Expectations: Win the Premiership
Transfer Budget: $24k
Wage Budget: $235k (currently spending $113,685)

[rancer890]

Crazy Canuck Youth Intakes

Youth Player 1 - 2011 Youth Intake - Paul Batty - ST (New Zealand)
Left Foot - Weak
Right Foot - Very Strong
PPMs - Runs with Ball Through Centre

Initial Profile
End of Season 1 - Profile

Year        Club             League       Nation  Games   Goals  Assists     MoM     Rating
2011-2012   Auckland City     NZFC   New Zealand    1       0        0        0        6.60
2012-2013   Waikato           NZFC   New Zealand
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career Totals                                       1       0        0        0        6.60

Info: Played a game, and then released him. He got signed by Waikato after he was released.

2012 Youth Intake - Bad youth intake this year so no youths.

[rancer890]

Auckland City FC

2012-2013 O-League Group Stage

Group A - AS Magenta (New Caledonia), Blackbeach (Vanuatu), Hekari United (Papa New Guinea), Kossa FC (Solomon Islands)
Group B - AS Vairao (Tahiti), Auckland City (New Zealand), Ba (Fiji), Team Wellington (New Zealand)

---

I won't take any of the teams for granted, but the games against Team Wellington are going to determine our fate.

[Raware]

It always annoys me when leagues decide their champion via a play-off (sorry rancer, I know this means that it would've taken your title away from you in the first season ) but I think the champion should be the team who has the most points. But who am I to argue?! Looks like you're enjoying New Zealand and have some success too .

[XXXtreme]

Will follow this as I did last year. Curious to see where you end up this time.

[rancer890]

It always annoys me when leagues decide their champion via a play-off (sorry rancer, I know this means that it would've taken your title away from you in the first season ) but I think the champion should be the team who has the most points. But who am I to argue?! Looks like you're enjoying New Zealand and have some success too.

I was just mad that the winner of the Championship Playoff wouldn't get a spot in the O-League, just the top two. As someone who's entrenched into the North American sports culture of determining a champion, I am perfectly fine with playoffs.

I'm happy in New Zealand, but of course I would want some kind of job promotion...I would be fine getting a job in Australia/China/HK/Japan/S. Korea. Rizhiquan have sacked their manager a couple times, so I'm hoping to apply the next time they sack their manager after I win the O-League.

Will follow this as I did last year. Curious to see where you end up this time.

Cheers XXXtreme. Hopefully back to Guangdong Province in Guangzhou/Foshan (wherever their new stadium is in this year) and Guangdong Rizhiquan, and maybe have a go at Forest sometime because the AI are utterly hopeless with them. But I'll wait and see first. I still have to win the O-League before thinking about leaving.

[rancer890]

Because Google Chrome was lovely enough to crash my update just before I was going to post this, this one will be condensed so I don't waste even more time than I had already.

-----

Auckland City FC

2012-2013 End of Season Review

Standings | Past Positions | Championship Playoff | Fixtures - Fantastic season capped off with a win in the Championship Game.

O-League: Group Stage | Fixtures | Final Leg 1 | Final Leg 2 - we did the double!

Transfers

New Players coming from this transfer window:

Adam Griffiths - a little old, but did very well for us. Gambled he would rebound from a poor season at Waikato and he did

Cameron Watson - Adelaide United castoff who I signed as a free agent. Led the team in assists

Labinot Haliti - signed with us in the new year, but quickly made an impact

Mitchell Prentice - solid part of the rotation this year

Squad - Strongest squad yet, and hopefully there's room for even more improvement.

Top Goalscorer - Maicon Santos

Most Valuable Player - Co-MVPs, because I was really undecided between the two: Maicon Santos/Cameron Knowles - Maicon Santos was my leading scorer, and more importantly scored important goals. Cameron Knowles is my most consistent player and my future captain after 36 year old Ivan Vicelich retires.

Auckland City Goal of the Season - Click Here

Summary

Year        Team               Country       League           Position                      Notes and Info
2010-2011   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       3rd        Championship Playoff Winners
2011-2012   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       2nd      Championship Playoff Finalists
2012-2013   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       1st  NZFC Champions, O-League Champions  

[DodgeeD]

Hi rancer! Just caught up on this thread - a great start to your huge career.

Hopefully you can keep this going for a long, long time

[rancer890]

Hi rancer! Just caught up on this thread - a great start to your huge career.

Hopefully you can keep this going for a long, long time

Cheers DodgeeD. Hope to see your career soon.

I rejected a new contract from the Auckland City board. I want to see what offers are out there in the summer. I'm leaning towards signing a 1-year extension if there isn't an offer I fancy, purely to enjoy the experience of playing in the Club World Cup.

Future areas of employment will hopefully in the A-League, China, South Korea or Hong Kong (not newly promoted teams though. An established one like South China or Kitchee to entice me).

[DodgeeD]

My career will get going soon. Just been busy with family, work and study recently... But now, I just have the World Cup to go in my FM10 save and then I'll get cracking on FM11. Do you know anywhere I can download the central American leagues?

[rancer890]

My career will get going soon. Just been busy with family, work and study recently... But now, I just have the World Cup to go in my FM10 save and then I'll get cracking on FM11. Do you know anywhere I can download the central American leagues?

There are no working xml files of the American leagues so far. My custom 20 team MLS league isn't really the most playable versions out there...but at least my game hasn't crashed yet.

[rancer890]

Auckland City FC

June 2, 2013

Couple things I would like to add:

Finances - our very healthy finances, thanks to the O-League.

Affiliations - all 3 of the Affiliations are the first-choice, and I don't get any loans from them. Melbourne Heart are the only club to actually give me some money though. Going to keep asking and maybe all the A-League teams will be my parent club.

[rancer890]

Auckland City FC

2013-2014 Season Preview

Legends: None
Icons: None
Favoured Personnel: Daltro Inacio Engster, Chris Tadrosse, Maicon Santos
Media Prediction: 1st
Estimated Value: $1.6 million (1st in New Zealand)
ASB Premiership Expectations: Win the Premiership
Transfer Budget: $45k
Wage Budget: $350k (currently spending $124,153)

[rancer890]

Crazy Canuck Youth Intakes

Youth Player 1 - 2011 Youth Intake - Paul Batty - ST (New Zealand)
Left Foot - Weak
Right Foot - Very Strong
PPMs - Runs with Ball Through Centre

Initial Profile
End of Season 1 - Profile
End of Season 2 - Profile

Year        Club             League       Nation  Games   Goals  Assists     MoM     Rating
2011-2012   Auckland City     NZFC   New Zealand    1       0        0        0        6.60
2012-2013   Waikato           NZFC   New Zealand    6       0        0        0        6.52
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career Totals                                       7       0        0        0        6.53

Info: Not a very good season with Waikato.

2013 Youth Intake - Bad youth intake this year so no youths.

[Flamers]

How high is the league in the world rankings?

Flamers

[rancer890]

How high is the league in the world rankings?

Flamers

Don't have it on atm, but somewhere around the level of the Swedish Second Division. Which isn't saying much.

Waitakere United just turned semi-pro this season, so hope we have some progress as a league. Although any progress would be minimal...

[Flamers]

:O amateurs and you won the league??

and I would agree, swedish second league isn't know for being great :P

Flamers

[AcidBurn]

Well done Rancer, I am so jealous of you being able to actually play the game lol. Good luck with the next step.

[rancer890]

:O amateurs and you won the league??

and I would agree, swedish second league isn't know for being great :P

Flamers

Auckland City are semi-pro. I'm not managing Waitakere.

Well done Rancer, I am so jealous of you being able to actually play the game lol. Good luck with the next step.

Cheers AcidBurn. Hope you can get your problem sorted out soon. No long term problems with my game. The offer is still on the table if you do need any assistance.

Logical next step would either be Asia or Africa, but probably Asia because I know that area so well...hopefully not Indonesia though even though its the likeliest place out of all the Asian nations to get a job.

[AcidBurn]

rancer you need to clear your PM's out as I could not send you one a minute ago.

[rancer890]

rancer you need to clear your PM's out as I could not send you one a minute ago.

You can PM me now, I deleted some of my older PMs.

[AcidBurn]

PM sent hopefully you can help me out so I can join you in the quest.

[Big Al 17]

Have been following this. Looking like a promising career so far rancer, keep up the good work.

[Flamers]

Ah my bad, I get confused :P

Flamers

[rancer890]

Cheers for the comments Big Al and Flamers.

---

Auckland City FC

2013-2014 O-League Group Stage

Group A - Ba (Fiji), Hekari United (Papa New Guinea), Kiwi (Samoa), Kossa FC (Solomon Islands)
Group B - AS Magenta (New Caledonia), AS Manu Ura (Tahiti), Auckland City (New Zealand), Waitakere United (New Zealand)

----

We have had good results against Waitakere United in the league, so hopefully we're do well against them in the O-League.

[rancer890]

Auckland City FC

January 31, 2014

Couple things I would like to add:

I was in the running for the South China job (rumoured to take the job if it became vacant and the current manager left), but I've decided to sign a 1 year contract extension till March 31, 2014 instead of waiting for vacant job openings. Of course, I want to see what's available in the summer. Last summer no jobs pleased me and none were better than the setup I had at Auckland City.

In other news, specifically the FIFA Club World Cup, we were up against Jeonbuk of the K-League, and despite our best efforts, we lost 3-2, but we did get a cut of the profits from that game, and $500k, even for finishing last. Overall, we did very well.

[Flamers]

Finances now? :P

Flamers

[rancer890]

A healthy US$1.5 million.

There's no other possible job that I would fancy in Asia (except South China in HK, and maybe Japan with a strong JFL club) that would have a good setup and be a winner so I'm staying at Auckland City for the time being.

[rancer890]

Auckland City FC

2013-2014 End of Season Review

Standings | Past Positions | Championship Playoff | Fixtures - Another successful season, but we had to deal with penalties in the Semi-Final and Final, eventually losing in the Final to Youngheart on penalties.

O-League: Group Stage | Final Leg 1 | Final Leg 2

Another win the OFC Champions League guarantees us a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.

FIFA Club World Cup: Playoff

A very good effort by the lads. We did well against a very good team in the K-League. Next year, the hosts will be the United States, so we're going to face an MLS club next year.

Transfers

Only two new transfers, but they're very good players for the New Zealand Premiership.

Takura Mtandari - most Ricky Nakano squads have at least one Canadian, and this one is no different. But he's actually pretty good too.

Dragan Stancic - experienced Serb who's been a stabilizing force in the games he's played so far.

Gone are mostly deadwood, and fringe players. I also released Emanuel Reinoso, who was not performing and wanted too much, and former captain Ivan Vicelich, to retirement. Cameron Knowles is the new captain, and Labinot Haliti is the new vice-captain.

Squad - solid squad who would help me keep winning if I could keep them all together. Every starter bar Chris Sharpe had an average over 7.

Top Goalscorer - Maicon Santos

Top Playmaker - Daltro Inácio Linck Engster

Most Valuable Player - Maicon Santos. His high rating proves he was the best this year. He did have a couple bad games but when he was good, he was very good.

Finances: - Finances - very healthy thanks to the O-League and the FIFA Club World Cup.

Affiliations: - Affiliations - Half the A-League are now my parent club.I get $47.82k from Melbourne Heart, $49.38k from Melbourne Victory, and $45.83k from Sydney FC.

Summary

Year        Team               Country       League           Position                      Notes and Info
2010-2011   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       3rd        Championship Playoff Winners
2011-2012   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       2nd      Championship Playoff Finalists
2012-2013   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       1st  NZFC Champions, O-League Champions
2013-2014   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       1st  NZFC Champions, O-League Champions

[AcidBurn]

I am guessing your wage budget is annual?

[rancer890]

I am guessing your wage budget is annual?

Yep. US dollars, annual wages, wage budget. The American Way basically!

[AcidBurn]

Isn't the American way another phrase for the wrong way?

[rancer890]

Isn't the American way another phrase for the wrong way?

Depends if you're an American (Canadians are somewhat Americanized anyways, the ones within 50km of the 49th parallel, which is basically the majority of the population) or a foreigner...

[AcidBurn]

lol, I also wanted to ask how your reputation is coming along?

[rancer890]

lol, I also wanted to ask how your reputation is coming along?

National reputation, but I'm considered a talented manager.

I've been in the running for the South China job in HK for a few months, so if I'm at least good enough for that I think I can get a job in Indonesia or maybe a Chinese Jia League job (still looking for Rizhiquan to sack their manager). V-Varen Nagasaki sacked their manager a couple times but I don't want to get that job. I would prefer an established club in Japan like Urawa Reds, Sanfreece Hiroshima, or the Kashima Antlers. I'm more open to a job in South Korea, but my dream job in that country is FC Seoul.

[Raware]

Easy peasy rancer . Maybe a move to Hong Kong is on the cards soon then?

I also didn't realise Mtandari was Canadian. I signed him for Lurgan Celtic on FM09 and he was a great player for me. He was at Spurs before wasn't he?

[rancer890]

Easy peasy rancer . Maybe a move to Hong Kong is on the cards soon then?

I also didn't realise Mtandari was Canadian. I signed him for Lurgan Celtic on FM09 and he was a great player for me. He was at Spurs before wasn't he?

Possibly, but I don't want to go to a low rep club in HK. If South China or even Kitchee have an opening I would be tempted to go. Otherwise, I wouldn't go near HK (unless it's China ) since I haven't won a single league game in the HK top flight in my life lol. All I want is a good club setup. I rather stay in New Zealand and build Auckland City than for example manage in the BSN/BSS and struggle.

Mtandari is Canadian/Malawian (I think?)/English and yes a former Spurs youth before being released and signed with a non-league in England before signing with PSV and spent a couple years on loan with a lower league club and then released.

[Flamers]

Rancer if you build one club up does the league, as a whole, improve in FM11? Or do you just break away and get to the point where you could win it with reserves?

Flamers

[rancer890]

Rancer if you build one club up does the league, as a whole, improve in FM11? Or do you just break away and get to the point where you could win it with reserves?

Flamers

First, this file doesn't have any reserves so I can't really win these them.

I usually like to keep my squad low (25 players max with 3 goalkeepers) so I would probably need everyone. And the discipline for 1 match ban every 2 yellow cards makes it a challenge when your players are suspended for key games.

SI have stated that the success of one club won't really improve the league as a whole, and the effect of DLR won't seen in a measly 4 years. The New Zealand Premiership are quite limited in how good they can do on the continental stage. I don't really see them ever getting that much better than what they are now (at 0.5 stars). It'll take a while just for them to become a 1 star league.

And to add the possible teams I want to go to, I would be fine in a non-winning environment (within reason obviously) as long as they're one of my favoured clubs. But as always to me the most important criteria is joining a club with the right setup to win in the present, or at least have the prospect of improving into a winner in a 3 year period.

[Standard liege!]

Just seen you have Maicon Santos I love him.

[Flamers]

Rancer I'm sure that you can get the league rep up

Flamers

[rancer890]

Just seen you have Maicon Santos I love him.

I do too. That's why I signed him in the first place! Originally he was offered by his agent, and then sacked his agent. We then got him on very cheap wages!

But he has a new agent now so hopefully he doesn't ask too much...

Rancer I'm sure that you can get the league rep up

Flamers

I'll try. I just have to keep winning football games and all that league rep stuff will take care of itself.

[rancer890]

May 11, 2014

South China manager just signed a new contract, 1 month before it was set to expire.

Ah well. Will see what other jobs come up in the summer.

[Flamers]

I'll try. I just have to keep winning football games and all that league rep stuff will take care of itself.

I don't spose there are any high rep continental things you could win which might boost it?

Flamers

[rancer890]

I don't spose there are any high rep continental things you could win which might boost it?

Flamers

There's nothing left to win in Oceania, unless you're taking about the Club World Cup...which I won't win anytime soon.

Maicon Santos gets mad and my YP 'keeper and Tadrosse say I treated him badly. Geez. I offered him what he wanted though and he's the highest paid player at Auckland City.

[Flamers]

I meant something like the Champions League but i suppose there isn't one then...

*note the poor knowledge of football outside europe*

Flamers

[rancer890]

Auckland City FC

2014-2015 Season Preview

Legends: None
Icons: None
Favoured Personnel: Daltro Inacio Engster, Maicon Santos
Media Prediction: 1st
Estimated Value: $2.3 million (1st in New Zealand)
ASB Premiership Expectations: Win the Premiership
Transfer Budget: $160k
Wage Budget: $450k (currently spending $228,400)

[rancer890]

Crazy Canuck Youth Intakes

Youth Player 1 - 2011 Youth Intake - Paul Batty - ST (New Zealand)
Left Foot - Weak
Right Foot - Very Strong
PPMs - Runs with Ball Through Centre

Initial Profile
End of Season 1 - Profile
End of Season 2 - Profile
End of Season 3 - Profile

Year        Club             League       Nation  Games   Goals  Assists     MoM     Rating
2011-2012   Auckland City     NZFC   New Zealand    1       0        0        0        6.60
2012-2013   Waikato           NZFC   New Zealand    6       0        0        0        6.52
2013-2014   Waikato           NZFC   New Zealand    2       0        0        0        6.00
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career Totals                                       9       0        0        0

Info: Playing 2 games a year isn't going to help with development.

Youth Player 2 - 2014 Youth Intake - Glen Zoricich - ST (New Zealand)
Left Foot - Very Weak
Right Foot - Very Strong
PPMs - Likes to Try to Beat Offside Trap

Initial Profile

Info: He has pace and other decent attributes. He's going to have to improve the mental part of the game to contribute as a footballer for Auckland City. He's rated 1.5 stars.

[rancer890]

I meant something like the Champions League but i suppose there isn't one then...

*note the poor knowledge of football outside europe*

Flamers

The O-League (aka OFC Champions League) is the Champions League of Oceania. Which I have won twice already.

[rancer890]

October 19, 2014

So, I'm kind of sick of being at Auckland City (nothing really left to prove tbh and I want a new challenge in an Asian country) and then I see an opening at Brisbane Roar, and I apply to that, and the board knows and gives me an ultimatum and a chance to apologize or resign. I do the former, but still, all I've done for you is a couple OFC Champions League titles and got you $1.6 million in the coffers? What more do you want from me? I'm not your slave ffs.

Oh, and I didn't get the job, it was given to a former player, recently retired, with no prior managerial experience. Aren't I more proven than he is?

[rancer890]

Auckland City FC - 2014 Off-season signings

Transfers

A transfer window with just strengthening our depth.

Mohammed Tanko - essentially replaces Mtandari, who I sold to a lower league Greek club for over 3 times his value.

Gustavo Hernández - was the answer to our left midfielder position, until...

Osama Malik - ...my Assman recommended him. He did okay in his 5 years at North Queensland Fury. Hopefully he can make an impact with Auckland City.

Gone include the former captain Ivan Vicelich, Emanuel Reinoso, Karl Dodd, Mitchell Prentice, and Takura Mtandari, the first player who I actually sold for money in this career.

-----

O-League (OFC Champions League)

Group A: Ba (Fiji), Blackbeach (Vanuatu), Nikao (Cook Islands), Utulei Youth (American Samoa)
Group B: AS Magenta (New Caledonia), Auckland City (New Zealand), Canterbury Dragons (New Zealand), Kossa FC (Solomon Islands)

[bently_the _yid]

Unlucky on the job Rancer it does seem you have done all you can do here in New Zealand. One of the main reasons you didnt get the job imo is because when you apologise you seem to almost be saying that you want to stay and dont want to move so its very rare you will get the job you applied for. In my journey man career i applied for and declared interest in a fair few jobs whilst at Gainsborough and i got away with quite alot without apologising.

[GioGio85]

I think you may have to leave before you get a new job, especially a the type of clubs you are looking to move to.

A manager of your calibre should be hot property if available for nothing!

[rancer890]

Unlucky on the job Rancer it does seem you have done all you can do here in New Zealand. One of the main reasons you didnt get the job imo is because when you apologise you seem to almost be saying that you want to stay and dont want to move so its very rare you will get the job you applied for. In my journey man career i applied for and declared interest in a fair few jobs whilst at Gainsborough and i got away with quite alot without apologising.

IIRC, I was given an ultimatum with either the options of 'Apologize' or 'Resign'. So, since I wanted to stay (for now) I decided to apologize.

But considering the fact they made me apologize to the media in the first place is a public shaming of me so I've lost all trust in the chairman and I don't want to stay with a club who don't acknowledge my accomplishments. (just being realistic here! )

I think you may have to leave before you get a new job, especially a the type of clubs you are looking to move to.

A manager of your calibre should be hot property if available for nothing!

I probably will. But AcidBurn had trouble finding a decent job so I'm skeptical if I can too. That's why I didn't really want to find another job that quickly after I won the first couple Champions League titles and build my rep first.

The OFC Champions League Final is after March 31 (when my contract ends) so I'll probably sign another extension when I know I'm in the Final. And then resign after the Final.

[rancer890]

2014 FIFA Club World Cup - Hosts: Algeria

Playoff: ES Sétif 0-1 Auckland City - an entertaining match. The Algerian champions were very tough on us, but we hung on. Daltro Inacio Linck Engster was denied an earlier goal because of offside, but he was not denied again in the 2nd half. We hung on to guarantee 2 more games and avoid finishing last.

Match Highlights

Quarter-Final: Grampus 5-3 Auckland City - a very exciting game despite the loss. Predictably, we were a little tired at the beginning of the match conceding two quick goals, but we made it interesting getting the score to 3-2 heading into half-time. However, Grampus pressured early in the 2nd half and scored off a corner to regain a two goal advantage. They scored again to increase the margin to 3, before Daltro Inacio Linck Engster completed his hat-trick. Both teams also scored another goal in the 90th minute and extra time but both were called back because of offsides.

Match Highlights

5th Place Playoff: Auckland City 2-1 Raja Casablanca - this game a little bit of everything. A goalie gaff to start the game, an own old, a couple red cards in between, and a late game-winner. Neither team had clear control of the match but we made our chances count.

Match Highlights

----

Overall, I'm very pleased with our performance in the competition. Surprisingly, after the Grampus game it gave me extra incentive to stay at Auckland City, to see how far these minnows from Oceania can go against the best in the world. These high profile games are the only way to get me noticed by other clubs.

Oh and I made over US$2 million from all this. Nearly $4 million in the bank now.

[rancer890]

January 12, 2015

I just signed a one year contract extension at my current salary of $64k to give myself some job security. The board even thought I didn't do enough to deserve a new deal. That's very nice of them to ignore my 2 league titles and 2 O-League titles, as well as our competitive run in the Club World Championship. But I have new goals here now so hopefully I can accomplishment them and maybe exceed them.

[Raware]

They don't deserve you rancer!

[rancer890]

April 24, 2015

V-Varen Nagasaki sacked their manager again, and I'm tempted to apply. But they're a horrible club in this save, and always near the bottom of the JFL, so I'll pass on applying for that. Still holding out for the South China job...I really want to go back to manage in HK.

[rancer890]

Auckland City FC

2014-2015 End of Season Review

Standings | Past Positions | Championship Playoff | Fixtures - We had a fantastic regular season. Key words: REGULAR SEASON. The playoffs were another story and we couldn't win the title, losing 4-3 in a game we should have won.

O-League: Group Stage | Final Leg 1 | Final Leg 2 - Winners once again! We've won the competition 3 years in a row now and we'll be back to the Club World Cup at the end of the year.

FIFA Club World Cup: Click Here

Transfers

Mohammed Tanko - replacement for Mtandari. Obviously he's not a long term replacement but he did well. His skills are declining though.

Osama Malik - fantastic season from him. Met my expectations and I couldn't dream that he would score 8 goals.

Faycal Abidjo - very recent signing. Recommended by his agent and liked his attributes enough to buy him for $12k.

My other signing, Gustavo Hernandez, was a bust. Or more like I didn't really play him. He's being sold for $16k back to an Argentinian club when their transfer window reopens.

Squad - The quality of the squad keeps improving, but we still have some positions to strengthen and get better.

Top Goalscorer - Daltro Inácio Linck Engster

Top Playmaker - Cameron Watson

Most Consistent Player - Daltro Inácio Linck Engster

Most Valuable Player - Co-MVPs to Daltro Inácio Linck Engster and Maicon Santos. These two play off each other and are a fantastic duo for us. However, they both want to move to a bigger club...well so do I tbh.

Finances: - Finances - Over $4 million now thanks to the Club World Cup.

Affiliations: - Affiliations - no new affiliations, so didn't bother updating the screenshot...

If I had a wish...I would want to get enough money in the bank for Auckland City to turn Professional before I leave. That way, Auckland City will dominate New Zealand forever!

Summary

Year        Team               Country       League           Position                      Notes and Info
2010-2011   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       3rd        Championship Playoff Winners
2011-2012   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       2nd      Championship Playoff Finalists
2012-2013   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       1st  NZFC Champions, O-League Champions
2013-2014   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       1st  NZFC Champions, O-League Champions
2014-2015   Auckland City FC   New Zealand   ASB Premiership       2nd  NZFC Finalists, O-League Champions

[rancer890]

June 6, 2015

One week before my real 24th birthday (or fake 31st in the game), I have already changed the squad. I already sold one of our co-MVPs, and the other will hopefully leave too and pocket the club with some extra cash before he leaves on a free transfer after the current season. It's a challenge finding talent to replace them but hopefully I can find replacements on a free to replace my former Brazilian striker duo.

[Jason the Yank]

Your goal before you leave should be to have an affiliation agreement with every A-League club.

[rancer890]

Your goal before you leave should be to have an affiliation agreement with every A-League club.

I wish my chairman had the same vision as you Jason. But he's not granting any requests for another parent club.

[Jason the Yank]

My vision always exceeds that of my boards.

Probably explains why I end up hopping from job to job.

[rancer890]

Well my chairman got me a parent club alright...chose a Turkish club - Konyaspor. All the other choices wouldn't get the club any money. Got another $50k at least with parent club #6.

[rancer890]

Auckland City FC

2015-2016 Season Preview

Status: Professional
Legends: None
Icons: None
Favoured Personnel: Daltro Inacio Engster, Maicon Santos, Emmanuel Gomez
Media Prediction: 1st
Estimated Value: $4.5 million (1st in New Zealand)
ASB Premiership Expectations: Win the Premiership
Transfer Budget: $1.8 million
Wage Budget: $575k (currently spending $240,400)

[rancer890]

Crazy Canuck Youth Intakes

Youth Player 1 - 2011 Youth Intake - Paul Batty - ST (New Zealand)
Left Foot - Weak
Right Foot - Very Strong
PPMs - Runs with Ball Through Centre

Initial Profile
End of Season 1 - Profile
End of Season 2 - Profile
End of Season 3 - Profile
End of Season 4 - Profile

Year        Club             League       Nation  Games   Goals  Assists     MoM     Rating
2011-2012   Auckland City     NZFC   New Zealand    1       0        0        0        6.60
2012-2013   Waikato           NZFC   New Zealand    6       0        0        0        6.52
2013-2014   Waikato           NZFC   New Zealand    2       0        0        0        6.00
2014-2015   Waikato           NZFC   New Zealand    7       0        0        0        6.61
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career Totals                                      16       0        0        0

Info: Best season yet...which isn't saying much.

Youth Player 2 - 2014 Youth Intake - Glen Zoricich - ST (New Zealand)
Left Foot - Very Weak
Right Foot - Very Strong
PPMs - Likes to Try to Beat Offside Trap

Initial Profile
End of Season 1 - Profile

Year        Club             League       Nation  Games   Goals  Assists     MoM     Rating
2014-2015   Auckland City     NZFC   New Zealand   24       6        4        1        6.83
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Career Totals                                      24       6        4        1

Info: fantastic rookie season. Hope he can keep improving and he'll be with Auckland City for a while, and possibly get some caps with the Kiwis soon. 4.5 star potential according to my new, better Ass Man.

[DSYoungEsq]

Can't wait to see what happens this year. I've a feeling this is the end of your run before you head off to different pastures...

[rancer890]

Can't wait to see what happens this year. I've a feeling this is the end of your run before you head off to different pastures...

Me too mate. I'm really excited about the upcoming season. The only thing I hate is that the bloody O-League Final is after my contract expires so if I manage to make it to the Final, I'll want to leave on a high note.

Off-season transfer update will be coming soon. Signed another former TFC player!

[rancer890]

Auckland City FC - 2015 Off-season signings

Transfers

I had more of a transitional transfer period, where I had to find some replacements for the players I released and sold

Fayçal Abidjo - his value has went up slightly, and I'm really excited about playing him in competitive matches for a full season

Michael Boyd - released by the Wellington Phoenix. He has a handful of caps for New Zealand, so he has to be decent at least.

Michael Baird - one of the new strikers on the team. Last played for First Vienna FC 1894 in the Austrian Erste Liga (2nd tier). Bit on the old side but will do for the next couple games

Andrei Herghelegiu - Romanian striker who was transfer-listed, and recommended by his agent. Actually didn't really have an idea of all the attributes but looking at them, he's a solid player who will succeed once he gets used to his surroundings

Andrew Boyens - the former TFC player also played with the New York Red Bulls, Seattle Sounders, and Istres in France for the last 4 years. He's on the downside of his career but I'm happy to have his experience to guide us to win a championship.

I also managed to sell 3 players for $250k. Linck Engster wanted to leave, so I offered him out, and Sydney was the only club to bid for him. Hernandez was a pre-arranged transfer, and Maicon Santos was tough because many refused to bid on a 30+ year old striker who's not really quick. Considering I got both of their replacements for $12k, I would say it's a great deal in the end. Of course, we still have to play the games...some of my younger players were refused because they couldn't blend in well in the dressing room with the rookies and sophomores.

I'm not done yet and I might have another signing or two, but I don't want to go near the budget to see how much money we make this year, so these are my signings for this season unless I can cut some wages to accommodate more players.

-----

O-League (OFC Champions League)

Group A: Blackbeach (Vanuatu), Kossa FC (Solomon Islands), Ba (Fiji), Nikao (Cook Islands)
Group B: AS Magenta (New Caledonia), AS Manu Ura (Tahiti), Auckland City (New Zealand), Team Wellington (New Zealand)

[rancer890]

Ricky's Nakano new challenge

November 2, 2015

I have given the Auckland City my resignation papers. I fancy a new challenge in Asian country.

November 12, 2015

Have a job offer from a Chinese club. Delayed it for a week and debating whether to accept. I will state in advance that it's not one of the Guangzhou based clubs.

November 14, 2015

Applied for a Hong Kong club. No it's not South China, but they have a decent setup and were rated the 3rd best club in the league, but in 8th place.

November 16, 2015

Applied for a national team job, based in Asia, that I realistic think I have a chance of getting.

November 18, 2015

The Hong Kong club have approached me officially. I have decided to reject it because they were on a 7 game winless streak and knowing how good I am in Hong Kong I decided to pass on that offer. I will take the Chinese club's offer.

November 19, 2015

I have a new job in China! Details coming soon.

[rancer890]

Anhui Jiufang FC

Founded in 2003, Anhui Jiufang are a professional Chinese club currently playing in the Chinese Yi League North. The club play their home games at Hefei Olympics Sports Centre (pics here and here). They have basic training facilities, basic youth facilities, a youth academy, and basic youth recruitment network.

They didn't get promotion to the Jia League. My main goal is to get them promoted next season. The season just ended so I have time to rebuild this team in the off-season.

Here is a map, with the star showing Anhui. They have some Wu speakers as well as the main Mandarin speakers in this area. It's quite far from Guangdong province and Hong Kong as you can see...

[DodgeeD]

Good luck in China rancer.

Does it feel like a step down after all you did with Auckland or do you feel that it was the right move?

[rancer890]

Good luck in China rancer.

Does it feel like a step down after all you did with Auckland or do you feel that it was the right move?

In a way, it is a step down. I'm in the Chinese 3rd tier. But I really wanted one of the Guangdong clubs, either Guangdong Rizhiquan/Sunray Cave or Guangzhou Phaumautical FC/Evergrande FC, whatever those clubs are called now!

I took this job to can prove I can manage in China to get one of the above jobs. And besides, you get to see these jerseys every game at Guangzhou!!

However, I really got sick of New Zealand. In the long run it would be worth it to make my name known in Asia. I would have preferred a Jia League club, but Anhui have a good chance at promotion, so I wouldn't mind winning the league first before I get there. My 3 year deal helps with job security.