[FM11] Back on the Tribute Trail - DodgeeD's Second World Tour

[DodgeeD]

Back on the Tribute Trail...

Game: FM11 (11.1 patch)
Database Edits: Several additional leagues (see below for details)

Time to get my FM11 career on the road!

Following on from the double award-winning This is a Tribute career, I've decided to yet again go down the journeyman path. There are a few differences this time though:

1. This time, I am also taking part in Acid Burn's Continental Dominance Challenge meaning I have the goal of winning the equivalent of the Champions League on every continent.
2. In order to achieve this, I have added some .xml files to activate the New Zealand leagues & O-League as well as to give me more options in Asia, Africa and the Americas.
3. I have decided to give myself a full break from the norm so I have only loaded leagues I have never played a full season in before on any version of FM! (note: that's leagues I've never played a full season in, I may have loaded them in previous games or even dabbled for a half a season or so)

That means the following leagues have been loaded (* denotes an additional league):

Africa
Angola (top division only)*
Egypt (top two divisions)*
Tunisia (top division only)*

Asia
China (all divisions)
India (top division)
South Korea (all divisions)
UAE (top division only)*

Europe
Croatia (all divisions)
France (all divisions)
Holland (all divisions)
Russia (all divisions)

North America
Costa Rica (top two divisions)*
Guatemala (top division only)*
Honduras (top two divisions)*
Jamaica (top two divisions)*

Oceania
New Zealand (top division only)*

South America
Brazil (all divisions)
Chile (all divisions)
Colombia (all divisions)
Uruguay (all divisions)

Obviously, my self-imposed new leagues only rule means the challenge will be tougher, especially with the CONCACAF Champions League as I have previously played long-term games in the Mexican leagues and the MLS. Time to bring one of the central American nations up!

Following Acid Burn's rules, I've started unemployed and I've chosen to give myself a Sunday League rep. I'm now set to apply for jobs and take one of the first two offers that comes along.

Let the journey begin!!!

[DodgeeD]

The Story So Far...

For those of you new to the thread who don't fancy reading through every comment, you can catch up quickly with the following summary (links to end of season reports included ):

Club History

Season  | Club           | Nation   | Division    | Position | Achievements
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

2010-11 | Koroum         | Egypt    | 1st (North) | 3rd      | N/A
2011-12 | Koroum         | Egypt    | 1st (North) | 1st      | Promoted as champions
2012-13 | Koroum         | Egypt    | Premier     | 13th     | Survived
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013-14 | Wanderers      | Uruguay  | Primera     | 5th      | N/A
2014-15 | Wanderers      | Uruguay  | Primera     | 3rd      | Opening Stage Champions; Liguilla winners
2015-16 | Wanderers      | Uruguay  | Primera     | N/A      | Left in Jan 2016
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015-16 | Club Africain  | Tunisia  | CLP-1       | 5th      | Cup winners
2016-17 | Club Africain  | Tunisia  | CLP-1       | 1st      | League Champions; CAF Champions League winners
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2017    | Suwon          | S. Korea | K-League    | 1st      | Play-off finalists; Peace Cup winners
2018    | Suwon          | S. Korea | K-League    | 1st      | Play-off winners; KFA Cup winners; ACL winners
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2019    | Flamengo       | Brazil   | Serie A     | 7th      | Rio State runners-up
2020    | Flamengo       | Brazil   | Serie A     | 1st      | League Champions; Rio State Champions
2021    | Flamengo       | Brazil   | Serie A     | 2nd      | Rio State  Champions; Copa Libertadores Winners; Club World Champions
2022    | Flamengo       | Brazil   | Serie A     | 2nd      | Rio State Champions; Copa Libertadores Winners; Recopa Winners
2023    | Flamengo       | Brazil   | Serie A     | 1st      | League Champions; Rio State Champions
2024    | Flamengo       | Brazil   | Serie A     | 1st      | League Champions; Rio State Champions
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2025    | Spartak Moscow | Russia   | Premier     | 1st      | League Champions
2026    | Spartak Moscow | Russia   | Premier     | 1st      | League Champions; Cup Winners; Super Cup Winners

International History

Season | Team               | Competiton    | Achievements
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2011   | -                  | -             | -
2012   | -                  | -             | -
2013   | -                  | -             | -
2014   | -                  | -             | -
2015   | -                  | -             | -
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016   | South Africa U20s  | -             | Qualified for African U20 Championship
2017   | South Africa U20s  | U20 World Cup | African U20 Champions; World U20 2nd Round    
2018   | -                  | -             | -
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2019   | Paraguay           | Copa America  | Eliminated in Group Stage
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2020   | Argentina U20s     | -             | -    
2021   | Argentina U20s     | U20 World Cup | South American U20 Champions; U20 World Cup Winners    
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2022   | Colombia           | World Cup     | Eliminated in Group Stage    
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2023   | Argentina          | Copa America  | Finalists
2024   | Argentina U23s     | Olympics      | Quarter-finalists
2025   | Argentina          | WCQ           | Qualified in 1st place
2026   | Argentina          | World Cup     | World Champions!

[DodgeeD]

Aaargh! I holidayed through a couple of seasons yesterday with no crashes but didn't look at the detail of the game. I've just spend a couple of hours finding players and testing tactics for a second tier New Zealand team and somehow we've been drawn in the O-League

Obviously a bug so I'll have to find a different New Zealand download and start again....

[rancer890]

Check your PM DodgeeD.

[DodgeeD]

Thanks rancer.

I tried the other New Zealand file but I've got the same issue - two teams from the regional leagues, Stop Out Sports Club and Team Wellington Reserves, are being entered into the O-League even though those leagues are not active... Anyone else having this problem?

After this week, I've got a lot of study to do so, hard as it is to wait, I might hold off on my new career for the time being until some more additional leagues are out... Or I might have to opt out of the Oceania part.

EDIT: Hmm, in the second season, the O-League has the right teams in it. If it's just a 1st season issue then it's not a big problem for me

[rancer890]

Oh yeah, that file has a first season issue too. I can't figure out a workaround AFAIK. But it is fine starting the second season. Just finish in the top 2 and you're good to advance to the OFC Champions League.

[DodgeeD]

I think I'll start outside New Zealand at first. Plenty of jobs available in Egypt, Honduras and Costa Rica.

I'll make my decision and post it tomorrow or Tuesday.

[DodgeeD]

Part 1: A Career with Koroum

And so it begins...

I decided to break the mould and not apply to Auckland City, instead starting in the Egyptian 1st Division North. Koroum are a professional side from Alexandria and play at this municipal stadium.

They have no real history of note and a trophy cabinet waiting to be filled apparently.

An initial look at the squad reveals a complete overhaul is needed so a busy pre-season of scouting awaits. At least my assistant manager seems like a fighter.

Here goes nothing!

[rancer890]

Interesting (although I guess every job is interesting since you've never managed there before! ) club to start with. Have fun in Egypt.

[DodgeeD]

Cheers rancer. I figured a pro club in Egypt was a good start. If it all goes wrong, I can always find a semi-pro or amateur club somewhere to redeem myself

[DodgeeD]

Koroum: 2010/11 Season Preview


Egyptian 1st Division North
Media Prediction: 3rd
Board Expectations: Respectable league position; Cup 1st round

Season Ticket Holders: 4,265
Stadium Capacity: 19,676 (all-seater)
Training facilities: Adequate
Youth faciliites: Adequate
Youth Recruitment: Fairly basic
Affiliated Clubs: -

Transfer Budget: -
Wage Limit: 8,250 p/w

Transfers
Too numerous to list here as I rebuilt the entire squad, only retaining a goalkeeper, a centre back and a midfielder from the first team squad I inherited. Luckily, I was well under the wage budget when I took over so there was plenty of room to bring new faces in. I mainly picked up unattached players for free but I also got a couple of loan signings from Premier Division clubs as well as a couple of free transfer deals. New players came in for every position!


Key Players
These guys look set to be key to any success will may have this season:

Ali Ashour (M/AM, RLC) - picked up as a free agent and rated as the top midfielder at the club. His versatility of being able to play anywhere in midfield will be key.

Kuagica (DM/MC) - one of my scouts kindly volunteered to send himself to Angola on a scouting trip and turned up this guy. To my delight, even though he wasn't transfer listed, I was able to sign him on a free and he will be our anchor in central midfield.

Lassina Traoré (ST) - I signed this Ivorian striker on a free. A good thing too as my only other decent dtrikers are in their late 30s! If his early season form is anything to go by, he'll be a hit at this level.

Pre-Season Friendlies
There were a series of friendlies lined up before I took the job, all against Premier League sides. We started with a tough one against Al-Ahly in which my players impressed by making it tough for Egypt's biggest side and only losing 1-0. We had mixed results after that with some encouraging wins and some expected defeats. All in all, there were positives to build on and we look set to focus on a 4-4-2 formation this season.

Where we will finish is hard to judge. Most of the division is filled with amateur teams with only ourselves, Olympic Alexandria and Baladiya as professional teams. I expect promotion (only 1 spot available) will come down to the fixtures between us 3!

[DodgeeD]

Koroum: Dec 2010 Update

1st Division North
It quickly became clear how this season would go: rack up the points against the amateur teams and try to beat Baladiya and Olympic Alexandria to top spot. The first part has gone to plan as we have only dropped 4 points against the amateurs to date, as have our rivals. Alas, this all gave me a false impression of where my team is at and we got soundly beaten by both our promotion rivals. At the halfway stage we are 2nd, ahead of Baladiya on goal difference and 6 points behind leaders Olympic Alexandria. To stand any chance of grabbing that sole promotion slot, we need to beat both of those teams in the second half of the season. At least we get to play them at home...
Table (after 15 games)

Egyptian Cup
We were drawn against fellow 1st Division North sides in the two qualifying rounds and won easily despite playing away. The first round proper handed us a tough draw though as we travlled to face Premier League side Petrojet. We couldn't avoid the inevitable loss but gave them a good game, going down 2-1.

[DodgeeD]

Koroum 2010/11 Season Review

Egpytian 1st Division (North): 3rd
Egyptian Cup: 1st Round

League: We started out well but it soon became clear that the level of competition in the league was low with the 3 pro teams immediately pulling away and the amateur teams lagging behind. With only the top team promoted, we soon knew we wouldn't be going up as we picked up just 1 point from our 4 games with the other pro team, Olympic Alexandria and Baladiya. However, 3rd was a good start and I'll be looking for a promotion push next season.

Cup: A breeze through the qualifying rounds but we came unstuck when drawn away to a Premier League side in the 1st Round.

Squad: I cobbled together a squad from free transfers who did the job required but strengthening and some younger players will be needed next season. Lassina Traoré and Nabil Abou Zeid provided most of our goals but also highlight the need for youth in the sqaud. Mohamed was another oldie but goodie in defence.

Finances: We lost money each month but have now cut a huge burden off the wage bill by releasing a bunch of useless reserve and U21 players. However, an encouraging sign has been our steadily increasing attendances. With an average of 4,500 we were easily the best attended side in the division and we were pulling in 9,000+ for the last few home games.

The season ahead: I hope to find a parent club (the board had previously refused but have now said they will look into it) and bring in some younger players. We need improvements in defence and some more pace up front.

[DodgeeD]

Slowly plodding through the pre-season as I scour the country for new players and replacement staff (let my lumbering assistant and useless scout go at the end of their contracts). A good bit of progress though as we now have Al-Ahly as our parent club as well as semi-por second division outfit Goldi as our feeder club.

Also, no pro team relegated from the Premier Division was placed into the 1st Division North, leaving just us and Baladiya as heavy favourites for that sole promotion spot!

[Raware]

It looks like it'll be a fight just between you and Baladiya next season then! All the other teams in the division look absolute carp! I'm expecting promotion next season DodgeeD

[rancer890]

It looks like it'll be a fight just between you and Baladiya next season then! All the other teams in the division look absolute carp! I'm expecting promotion next season DodgeeD

WHS DodgeeD. The pressure is on. Now or never mate.

[DodgeeD]

The pressure's on from the board as well - they want promotion, absolute minimum!

[DSYoungEsq]

Yeah, what's up with that? Why haven't we got a button to push on that entitled: "You must be dreaming, mates! I'm hoping just to stay in touch with the leaders!"

[DodgeeD]

Koroum: 2011/12 Season Preview


Egyptian 1st Division North
Media Prediction: 2nd
Board Expectations: Win the division; Cup 1st round

Season Ticket Holders: 3,625 (down 440 from last season)
Stadium Capacity: 19,676 (all-seater)
Training facilities: Adequate
Youth faciliites: Adequate
Youth Recruitment: Fairly basic
Affiliated Clubs: Al-Ahly (parent); Goldi (feeder)

Transfer Budget: -
Wage Limit: 8,500 p/w

Pre-Season/Transfers
A good pre-season saw us earn a couple of wins and suffer a couple of defeats against Premier League sides. We also got easy victories over a few amateur teams before rounding things off with a tournament, the Koroum Cup, with 3 other pro 1st Division sides. That went well as we won all 3 matches to take our own cup.

I released a lot of reserve and youth players at the end of their contracts and brought in several free transfers along with a few loan signings from new parent club Al-Ahly. The major signings of the summer were: Losseni Kamoura, a Burkina Faso international who should add some depth to midfield; Cherif Touré, a Togolese international whose experience and versatility in midfield will be vital; and Mohamed Ateya, another Egyptian the wrong side of 30 but one with plenty of experience from the Premier Division. Unfortunately, the signings of Kamoura and Touré took me over the foreigner limit so I made the tough decision to sell last season's star man Lassina Traoré. He probably would have left anyway due to a non-promotion release clause and interest from Premier League sides plus he was our top earner so his departure helped bring the wage budget under control.
Transfer summary

Start of the season
The Egyptian Cup 1st Qualifying Round draw was tough on us as we were paired with Telecom Egpyt, 2nd in the 1st Division Cario section last season. A 0-0 result led to penalties and luck was not on our side as we crashed out, much to the annoyance of the board. We responded well with a cracking start in the şeague though. After 5 games, we have a 100% record and are two points ahead of our main threat this season, Baladiya. Any points dropped against the lesser teams could be crucial in deciding who goes up at the end of the season.
Table after 5 games

[DodgeeD]

Ouch! Right after typing up that preview report, new signing Cherif Touré damaged his cruciate ligaments during a match and will be out for 12 months

[deadfncat]

Good read. looking forward to more.
12 months? ouch!

[DodgeeD]

Thanks for reading deadfncat. The 12 month injury was a blow, especially as I now only have a loanee signing and a 39 year-old capable of playing on the left wing. However, all is going well as you'll see below:

Mid-Season Update (Jan 2012)
Well, more like two-thirds season update as we've now played 20 out of 30 league games but all is goin according to plan. We spent much of the first half of the season swopping places with Baladiya at the top of the table, usually on the basis of who had banged more goals past their opponents that weekend and therefore had a better goal difference. The match between us predictably finished 1-1, a bit disappointing as we were at home. However, from there on we maintained our form with just two other draws to mean only 6 points dropped from a possible 60 so far. Our early cup exit may have been a blessing in disguise as Baladiya have made it all the way to the semis but their league form has suffered just before and after those cup ties and they have now lost a couple of games, allowing us to open an 8 point gap. Avoiding defeat to them when we meet in a few games time will pretty much assure us of top spot I think.
1st Division North (after 20 games)

[DodgeeD]

Koroum 2011/12 Season Review

Egpytian 1st Division (North): Champions!
Egyptian Cup: 1st Qualifying Round

League: In the end, it was easy as we took top spot, the title and promotion to the Premier League by 12 points. However, Baladiya did put pressure on us towards the end the season as they inflicted upon us our only loss of the season to close the gap to 5 points with 4 games left. Thankfully, we won our next three while they imploded and won only one more match after our head-to-head clash.

Cup: Less said about this the better! Annoying though that our early exit hung over my head for the rest of the season with the media constantly speculating that one bad result would see me sacked.

Squad: We relied on loan players quite a bit, especially in goal and up front. Out of our own squad, Mohamed Ateya was one of the top performers with a number of goals and assists but he's 34 now. Losséni Kamara was also a creative force in midfield and Rami Sabri was our most consistent performer at right-back.

Finances: We are heavily in debt (600K in the red!) but that's hardly surprising as we were over the wage budget all season.

The season ahead: Not sure what to do next... All of our loanees are back at their clubs and findsing replacements may be difficult now we are divisional rivals to them. We've also lost depth with several of our older players retiring and have no transfer or wage budget to speak of. My contract is up on July 1st so it's tempting to see where else I could get a job...

[Raware]

Nice title win DodgeeD . You needed that or I suspect you'd have got the boot. Sounds like it's gonna be tough next year though in a higher division with all of your loanees back at their club. I guess your only aim is survival next season?

[DodgeeD]

Thanks Raware.

No goal beyond survival! I thought I would suffer with all the pay increases that came with promotion but luckily, the retirements and players released at the end of their contracts gave me plenty of room in the wage budget to bring some new faces in. I've signed a one-year deal so we'll see how it goes. I can always jump ship if we're really struggling

[DodgeeD]

Koroum: 2012/13 Season Preview


Egyptian Premier League
Media Prediction: 15th
Board Expectations: Fight bravely against relegation; Cup 1st round

Season Ticket Holders: 5,210 (up 1,575 from last season)
Stadium Capacity: 19,676 (all-seater)
Training facilities: Adequate
Youth faciliites: Adequate
Youth Recruitment: Fairly basic
Affiliated Clubs: Goldi (feeder - Cairo Division)

Transfer Budget: -
Wage Limit: 13,500 p/w (up 5k from last season)

Pre-Season
I tried to get as many games against EPL sides as possible to see how much work needed to be done. The results were a mix of wins and defeats but enough wins and good performances to make me believe survival is possible this season. Unfortunately, 3 of our pre-season defeats came in the second edition of the Koroum Cup as we came rock bottom in our own competition...

Transfers
Plenty of movement in and out as I overhauled the squad once again. Several of our older players retired over the summer and on top of that, we lost 4 more as thier contracts expired and the board refused to meet their demands. The main loss was that of right back Rami Sabri but he was aking for 1.5k p/w and there was no way the club was going to sanction that. We also lost last season's topscorer Ateya but as he was 34, I wasn't too concerned as long as we could replace him...

No fewer than 13 players came in as my scouts scoured the free transfer market. The three biggest signings were as folows: George Owu, a Ghanian keeper with 15 caps to his name - a great deal for us as a goalkeeper was desperately needed; Ahmed Samir, who can play anywhere down the right but will mainly be our replacement for Sabri; and Nana Eshun, another Ghanian who will hopefully provide us with a solid defence. In midifield and up front, I'll be relying on younger players who will hopefully make the grade.
Transfer summary

I'm also taking part in Neppo's Youth Player Project again this year and you can find details of my first Youth Project over there.

[DSYoungEsq]

Congrats on the Promotion! I expect you will find a way to hang in, by fingernails if needed.

[Saxonaitor]

Good Stuff DodgeeD

[DodgeeD]

Thanks for the comments DSYoungEsq and Saxonaitor

I am indeed just about hanging on thiss eason. Funny thing is, last season I was in 1st place nearly the entire time and constantly saw news items about how my job was under threat and my contract wouldn't be renewed. Now, we're just above the relegation places, shipping goals, losing from winning positions and I get news items saying the board are 'concerned' I may NOT sign a contract extension at the end of the season.

Funny ol' game!

[GioGio85]

Congrats on the promotion last year DodgeeD. Hope you can hang on in there there this year

[DodgeeD]

Thanks GioGio85. Survival is the only aim for this season.

2012-13 Mid-season update
We've just passed the halfway point in the season and, as expected, weare in the thick of a relegation battle. Despite an early win, the season started badly with several defeats made worse by the fact that we were often giving up goals late on when in a position to either win or get a point. Injuries and suspensions have also exposed the lack of depth in the team. However, we managed to find some form in Novemerb and December getting 3 wins and 2 draws in 5 games, lifting us out of the bottom three. We've also been helped by fellow newly-promoted sides Aluminium and Suez Cement being in poor form coupled with Border Guards and Army Vanguards in crisis with mis-managed squads (both well over the 3 foreign player limit) and managerial changes that haven't worked out. Hopefully, our form can carry into the second half of the season. I'd say 30 points will be the minimum for safety.
Jan 2013 Table (after 16 games)

[DodgeeD]

After a month long break, the season resumed with a gulp as I saw we would play leaders Al-Ahly away and the 2nd placed Ismaily at home a couple of games after.

The Al-Ahly result was pretty good (we could even count ourselves unlucky to only get a point!)....

.... but the Ismaily result was even better!

[Raware]

A tough start but if you can manage to pull off results like the two against Al-Ahly and Ismaily then i'm sure you'll be fine!

[DodgeeD]

Koroum 2012/13 Season Review

Egpytian Premier Division: 13th (survived)
Egyptian Cup: 1st Round

League: We missed our target of 30 points amssing only 28 but it turned out to be enough as poor seasons from Suez Cement, Aluminium and Border Guards meant we secured our top flight status with 2 games to go. It was a tough season though as we struggled to get any kind of form going. We especially struggled against the mid-table sides but curiously not so much against the biggest teams as we picked up points from each of the top 3 of Al-Ahly, Ismaily and Zamalek - vital in helping us stay up.

Cup: As a Premier League team, we were seeded straight into the 1st Round but that's as far as we got as we got a tough tie away to eventual runners-up Al Maqaoloun.

Squad: We suffered with injuries a lot but there simply wasn't the money to support a large squad. We lacked quality up front most of all with the 3 new strikers I signed last summer managing a mere 7 goals between them. Luckily, youngster Ahmed Galal showed why my coaches rate him so highly as he became our topscorer with 7, despite not being a regular starter. The Fans' Player of the Year was George Owu, who often kept us in games with fine saves and has attracted interest from clubs in Portugal and Holland.

Finances: Despite increased attendances and TV revenue from our elevation to the Premier League, we continued to lose money each month finishing the season nearly 1 million pounds in debt.

The season ahead: Once again, my contract is up for renewal. A new deal was offered as soon as we were safe from relegation but I delayed until the end of the season. There are interesting jobs coming up as teams around the footballing world assess thier end of season position so we'll see what comes up...

[iseemonsters1]

Great job staying in the division! If you stay in Egypt, what do you think the chances are of doing even better next season? And if you leave - is there any ideal next step in your career that you have in mind?

[DodgeeD]

Not sure what will happen if I stay... Finances are pretty bad so limited chances to bring in new players.

As for a new job: I wonder if a mid-table side might take me on (I noticed a couple of them are displaying their manager's jobs as 'insecure' at present). If that doesn't work out, I'm always keen to get to the Americas. A stint in India or the UAE could be fun as well!

[Raware]

Survival! That was the only aim wasn't it? Well done on achieving that .

So...maybe a new job next year then? Or an attempt at progression? It'll be tough considering how much debt you're in.

[DSYoungEsq]

Kind of appropos that "Suez Cement" ended up rooted to the bottom, eh?

I'm hoping you get a better job.

[iseemonsters1]

Not sure what will happen if I stay... Finances are pretty bad so limited chances to bring in new players.

As for a new job: I wonder if a mid-table side might take me on (I noticed a couple of them are displaying their manager's jobs as 'insecure' at present). If that doesn't work out, I'm always keen to get to the Americas. A stint in India or the UAE could be fun as well!

As someone who's spent a lot of (FM) time in India, I can vouch for the fact that it's a lot of fun - though a major step down in quality from the Egyptian league!

[DodgeeD]

Survival! That was the only aim wasn't it? Well done on achieving that.

So...maybe a new job next year then? Or an attempt at progression? It'll be tough considering how much debt you're in.

Cheers Raware - survival was the aim indeed. Happy to have stayed up but I feel my work here is done. Job news coming up

Kind of appropos that "Suez Cement" ended up rooted to the bottom, eh?

I'm hoping you get a better job.

LOL - Suez Cement just sank to the bottom, Aluminium got recycled back down to the 1st Division and the Border Guards strayed to the wrong side of the line

As someone who's spent a lot of (FM) time in India, I can vouch for the fact that it's a lot of fun - though a major step down in quality from the Egyptian league!

India in general may be a step down from Egypt but I'm not sure it would be a step down from Koroum! The Mohun Bagan job did come up as they finished off the pace in 4th but I got a better offer from elsewhere...

[DodgeeD]

Part 2: The Wanderer Returns

Having delayed contract talks with Koroum till the end of the season, I decided to shop around and thought I'd test the board's patience by declaring interest in a couple of jobs. I was described as 'ideal' for jobs in Jamaica and India but generally got laughed off elsewhere (including other clubs in Egypt)! It was to my great surprise them when Uruguayan Primera Division side Wanderers F.C. said they would consider me then promptly sacked their manager and offered me a job. (Made all the more surprising by the fact that I was not considered a realistic contender for a couple of Segunda Division clubs...) Anyway, here I am in the homeland of Cristoval Alvarez ready for a new challenge!

Wanderers are clearly an underperforming team. They have just finished the 2012/13 season 14th in the overall table, only avoiding relegation due to the accumulated points system, which counts points from the last two seasons. That presents me with an immediate problem as we start the new season at a disadvantage with a lot of ground to make up to avoid the drop... Ah, the joys of South America!

Generally, I'm happy with the set up at the club though. The squad looks better than the league table suggests so I'm hoping I can whip them into shape without too much upheaval. A pair of full-backs will be a priority and a decent budget (compared to Koroum at least) of 1.4 million pounds should help. Time to get my scouts to work!

[Raware]

Nice move DodgeeD and a decent budget to help you out. The pressure's on though as you say due to the poor accumulated points last season. I'm sure you can do it though!

[Jason the Yank]

From the Nile to the Rio de la Plata, eh?

[DodgeeD]

Cheers for the comments guys

Not sure how close Koroum were to the Nile but perhaps my next career turn can take in the Amazon

[rancer890]

Nice work getting a new job in South America...good luck. Accumulated points is a challenge but I reckon you should do ok and survive. There's always Asia to manage in if something goes wrong.

[DSYoungEsq]

Great Move! Will be interesting to see how you do there. Kind of a screwy set-up they have.

[DodgeeD]

Nice work getting a new job in South America...good luck. Accumulated points is a challenge but I reckon you should do ok and survive. There's always Asia to manage in if something goes wrong.

India is the back up plan in case it all goes awry

Great Move! Will be interesting to see how you do there. Kind of a screwy set-up they have.

It's always a bit screwed up in this part of the world - great once you're a big club though as it would take 2 or 3 bad seasons to get relegated!

[DodgeeD]

Wanderers: 2013/14 Season Preview



Club Information
Season Ticket Holders: 609
Stadium Capacity: 7,420 (all-seater)
Training facilities: Good (upgraded)
Youth faciliites: Average (+ Youth Academy)
Youth Recruitment: Above average



Primera Division Profesional de Uruguay
Media Prediction: 9th
Board Expectations: Top half finish (opening & closing stage)

Transfer Budget: 1.4 million pounds
Wage Limit: 21,000 p/w

Squad & Transfers
I was pleasantly surprised by the squad when I arrived as there was plenty of depth and a number of decent players. It was clear that the team had been underperforming and needed to be whipped into shape rather than rebuilt entirely. Unfortunately, the star striker (a 21 year-old with a 4 and a half star rating by the name of Marcelo Cabrera) had already agreed a deal to leave the club before I arrived leaving Maximiliano Rodriguez (not to be confused with the Liverpool player ) as one of the better players at the club. We have a bright future too with a number of hot prospects in the youth team ranks. The best of them all is a 17 year-old goalkeeper already entrusted with first team duties, Javier Guedes.

The squad was definitely lacking on the flanks though with no quality full backs and just one natural winger so my focus in the transfer market was to fill those slots: Alejandro Silva was brought in as a right back but can cover for the left side as well; Alexis Navarro was a bit pricey at 450k but can become my first choice left back; Santiago Lopez will provide some much needed width to the right side of midfield; and I also added some experience to central midfield through 31 year old Daniel Hernandez, plucked from a non-league side on the cheap but rated as a 'leading star' in the Primera Division. The other players to come in were squad players or ones for the future.
Transfer overview

Don't forget to check out my youth player report over in CSE!

Start of the season
The close of the transfer window brought us to the end of August with 3 games played. We got off to a flier with a 4-1 win over Central Espanol and a 3-1 away win at newly-promoted Juventud. Alas, we lost the last game of the month but as it was away to Nacional, that's understandable. A promising start nonetheless and I think we can match the board's expectations with too much trouble.
Current standings

[DodgeeD]

Forgot to mention: we are fierce rivals with Defensor Sporting! (whom you may know from iseemonsters1's thread )

[iseemonsters1]

Nice move! On behalf of Cristoval Alvarez, I'd like to welcome you to Montevideo!

Wanderers have always struck me as a really interesting club to manage, though somehow I've never gotten around to it. Legends of the amateur era, but have gone through some harder times more recently - and one of only three teams to have won the Uruguayan title with an unbeaten season (along with the traditional big two of Penarol and Nacional). Think you can match that, DodgeeD?

Sounds like you've got a good foundation to build on and they're definitely a team with a huge amount of potential - I'm really looking forward to seeing how you get on!

[iseemonsters1]

Oh, and Wanderers are only regarded as one of Defensor Sporting's "other rivals" - Nacional and Penarol have the honour of being our "fierce rivals".

[DodgeeD]

Wanderers: January 2014 Update

One great thing about South American leagues - the opening and closing stages make the seasons fly by so quickly! 15 games played and we've already completed a competition

Primera Division Opening Stage - League Table
I was just hoping to get a feel for the league and find out where my squad was at over the first part of the season, looking for enough points to move us up the accumulative table. It seems the squad definitely underachieved last year as, with just a couple of additions to the first team, we nearly matched last season's 30 game points total in just 15 matches. In fact, we were even in contention for the title going into the last round of fixtures. Alas, we blew it as we lost to lowly Rentistas when a win would have put us 2nd... It's a very tight league and if we can just improve our away form we can be contenders. We've been great at home with a 5-2-0 record so far (best in the league) but woeful away (3-0-5) including a 3-0 defeat at Peñarol and a.. ahem.. 5-1 loss against Defensor Sporting...

Undoubted star of the season so far has been Jonathan Soto with 10 goals in 15 games. Our next topscorer has 3 goal so you can see how vital Soto has been to us. I still need better options for the AMR and AML slots and I'll be looking to add new faces in January.

Good news for the closing stage though as we have already played all the big teams (Peñarol, Defensor Sporting, Nacional, River Plate and Liverpool) away so we get them at home this time. We also have 8 games to play at home so I think our chances of making the Liguilla are quite good.

[iseemonsters1]

Those seasons do tend to fly by when you have two championships a year! Nice start to your time at Wanderers - I'd say you're well on course for a place in the Liguilla, and with only three points between you and the leaders this time around, I think you've got a shot at being title contenders in the Closing Stage, especially with the fixture list working in your favour. I'm saying nothing about a certain result in a certain game against a certain team.

[DodgeeD]

Cheers iseemonsters1. I definitely think I can make progress more quickly here than I would have scurrying around for scraps at the bottom of the Egyptian Premier League.

Mixed fortunes as we enter the closing stage - the chairman sold my 17 year-old super goalkeeper to some CHilean club for a mere 1 million pounds but I got some wingers in and trimmed the deadwood from the squad. I'll do a transfer update over the weekend.

[Raware]

Great opening stage DodgeeD and so unlucky to miss out on the title. Carry that kind of form on you're accumalative points will be more than enough to keep you in the division! Some good news about the return fixtures against the big clubs too, I always hate playing away and find that I seem to struggle more but that's to be expected.

Shame about your chairman though selling your starlet gk . Ive had my fair share of stupid chairman so I know how you feel.

Good luck for the closing stage!

[DodgeeD]

Thanks Raware. Just got some unexpected news on the sale of Guedes - he couldn't move until his 18th birthday in March but when that day arrived, the transfer was cancelled as his new club were already at their foreign player limit. Time to offer a new contract!

[Raware]

Result! That'll teach your stupid chairman

[DodgeeD]

Wanderers: Feburary 2014 Update

Transfer window
I made 4 signings in January as we sought to address the lack of depth in the wide positions:

Victor Perdigon can play in the centre or on the left wing and it's the latter position where we'll be using him. His understudy will be Leandro Chavez, a highly-rated Argentinian winger whom I hope will soon make the starting position his own. Another Argentine Gonzalo Schiavi also arrived on loan from our parent club Lanus. He won't be a starter but will provide good back-up for our strikers. My only other signing proved to be unecessary as it was a goalkeeper to replace Guedes Nevertheless, Diego Gonzalez looks like a good prospect.

Closing Stage
Only 3 games played so far but a bright start as we won away at Central Espanyol, beat relegation battlers Juventud and earned a home draw against Nacional in a game where we were unlucky not to win. The new signings seem to have settled in quickly and our other strikers have been scoring, taking the pressure off Soto a little.
Current Table

[iseemonsters1]

Nice start to the Closing Stage! I'm guessing Boston River will most likely fall away at some point which means you may be even more well placed. Chavez looks like he's got lots of potential for that left wing position - and good news on the Guedes situation.

The best thing about the accumulative points table in Uruguay is that it only takes into account two seasons - the season you're in and the season immediately before that one. That means that, with the season you're having, not only will you stay up comfortably, but then you'll be in no danger next season no matter what happens - compared to somewhere like Argentina, where that bad season before you arrived could drag you down for a whole extra season in the average points table.

[DodgeeD]

Wanderers: May 2014 Update

Closing Stage
After a bright start (4 wins and a draw in the first 5 games), we dipped dramatically and went on a run of 6 games without a win - disasterous in a campaign of just 15 matches. We suffered with injuries a bit as well as a 10 game goal drought from topscorer Soto before finally coming good with 3 wins in the last 4 games. All in all, a campaign that could have been much better but also could have been much worse...

Closing stage table - stumbled into 6th place eventually
Accumulative points - easily avoided relegation
Overall Table - we placed high enough in the combined standings for the opening & closing stages to qualify for the Liguilla (a post-season tournament to determine the Uruguayan qualifiers for the Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores)

We now have five more games to play in June as we attempt to qualify for continental competition. Hopefully, we reproduce the form of our last few games rather than the ten before it!

[iseemonsters1]

5th place is nothing to sneeze at! I'm surprised to see Miramar Misiones so high, but otherwise there's no shame in finishing below Nacional and Penarol (and of course, Defensor Sporting ). Definitely a positive start to your time at Wanderers and a huge step up from where they were last season!

Good luck in the Liguilla!

[DodgeeD]

Cheers iseemonsters1 - you're right, progress has been made but some of the games we lost were winnable. Something to work on for next season I guess

Liguilla report coming up

[DodgeeD]

Wanderers: June 2014 Update

Liguilla Pre-Libertadores y Pre-Sudamericana
This post-season tournament involves the top 6 teams from the overall table playing each other over 5 games to determine which teams enter the South American continental competitions the next season. The board told us to achieve 'a respectable position' - not sure what that would be in a 6 team group. Anyway, we got off to a dream start as we thrashed closing stage champs Nacional 4-1 away. Peñarol then edged a 1-0 win over us at our place but we bounced back with back-to-back wins over River Plate and Miramar Misiones to put us in a position to win the entire thing! That was not to be though as we lost yet again to Defensor Sporting on the last day of competition. However, we had done enough to secure 2nd and earn a shot at some continental action next season!
Liguilla Final Table

[DodgeeD]

Wanderers 2013/14 Season Review



Primera Divison Profesional de Uruguay
Opening Stage: 5th
Closing Stage: 6th
Overall: 5th

Liguilla Pre-Libertadores y Pre-Sudamericana: 2nd

On reflection, a good season in which all targets were reached and exceeded. We beat our media prediction of 9th in the league and surpassed the board's expectation of a mid-table finish in the process. Icing on the cake was provided by an impressive 2nd place finish in the Liguilla tournamnet which will see us enter the continental competitions next season.

Key Players
Despite a barren spell during the closing stage, Jonathan Soto was the undoubted star as he was our topscorer and the Supporters' Player of the Year. João Paulo was also consistently good in defence and Victor Perdigon proved to be a good mid-season signing, especially with his Liguilla performances. Two players I look forward to seeing more of next season are Michael Rada, a right winger who missed the first part of the season due to a loan deal arranged before I arrived but was impressive on gis return to the club, and Denis Matto, a young centre-back who had injury troubles for the majority of the season but was impressive once fit as he helped stabalise the defence after a winless streak.

The Season Ahead
I hope we can at least match this year's league placings. As for the continental competitions, we'll just go along for the ride and see what happens. Finances are OK at the moment but I'm not expecting a huge budget to play with. Anyway, I'm happy with the balance of the squad and we have some good youngsters coming through so I'll only go into the transfer market for opportunities too good to miss and hot prospects.

[Nykav]

Nice read :-)

[DodgeeD]

Thanks Nykav

World Cup 2014
Hosts: Brazil
Holders: Spain
Notable Absentees: England, U.S.A., defending champions Spain

Group Stage

Group A
Brazil
Northern Ireland
Japan
Tunisia
Surprise qualifiers Northern Ireland (who qualified at the expense of England) surprised again as a win over Tunisia in the opening game and a hard-fought draw with Japan in the last game saw them through.

Group B
Italy
Denmark
Ivory Coast
Colombia
Italy bounced back from an opening game defeat to Denmark to top the group. Ivory Coast were unlucky to go out with 4 points.

Group C
Portugal
Paraguay
Mali
Ireland
Portugal won the group wasily with Paraguay edging Mali out on goal difference.

Group D
Uruguay
Sweden
Costa Rica
Iran
My current country of residence stormed through with a 1005 record. Sweden scraped through despite only having three points.

Group E
France
Russia
Chile
Honduras
A predictably tight group saw France and Russia do just enough to go through with 5 points each.

Group F
Germany
Belgium
Australia
Cameroon
Germany qualified after just two games. Australia left it too late as despite a win over Germany in the last match, Belgium took 2nd ahead of them. Cameroon continued Africa's poor showing at this tournament.

Group G
Croatia
Mexico
Argentina
South Korea
One of the toughest groups produced the first major shock as Argentina were sent home without a win.

Group H
Scotland
Senegal
The Netherlands
Saudi Arabia
Two major shocks here as the Dutch crashed out and Scotland topped the group! Senegal ensured there would be African representation in the knockout rounds.

Knockout Rounds


Northern ıreland and Scotland's impressive runs didn't last beyond the second round. In the end, Brazil were expected winners (although the very nearly slipped up against Uruguay in the quarter-finals). The next World Cup will be in 2018 in... Spain!

[Jason the Yank]

I'd say USA not qualifying out of CONCACAF is a pretty big shock too.

[DodgeeD]

Right you are! Overlooked that one but added in now :P

The US seem to have dipped since Bob Bradley left (he's now at América in Mexico). The current national coach is a regen.

[DodgeeD]

Wanderers: 2014/15 Season Preview



Club Information
Season Ticket Holders: 651 (increase of 42)
Stadium Capacity: 7,420 (all-seater)
Training facilities: Good
Youth faciliites: Good (upgraded) + Youth Academy
Youth Recruitment: Above average



Primera Division Profesional de Uruguay
Media Prediction: 9th
Board Expectations: Top half finish (opening & closing stage)

Transfer Budget: 160k
Wage Limit: 19,000 p/w

Squad & Transfers
I oversaw a bit of a clearout as several youth and back-up players were allowed to leave when their contracts expired and a few others were sold. After pre-arranging some purchases last season, the board cut my transfer budget this time so I restricted myself to a few signings, mainly good prospects for the future. Among the pre-arranged deals was Georges Kouadio, a young Ivorian centre-back offered to me by an agent who looks good enough to be back-up for the first team for now and should be a starter within a season or two. Jonathan Nadal is another young defender with great potential but he didn't have so far to travel as he came from just across the Rio de la Plata (i.e. Argentina). Our only other major signing was Hernan Gaitan, funded in part by some of the sales, who also came from Argentina for 525k. Again, he'll be a back-up player for now but I'm hoping he'll be a regular very quickly (5* potential accordinbg to scouts and coaches).
Transfer summary

The only problem is that I'm over my foreigner limits for the first team squad. I was hoping to send some of the younger foreign players out on loan but they all refused to move, even to other Primera Division clubs. For now, they'll have to settle in the reserves and wait for some of my first teamers top get Uruguayan nationality.

[DodgeeD]

I'm starting to get some interesting job offers on the international front - Ukraine U20s offered me a job, which I might have accepted had they been entered into next year's U20 World Cup, as did Poland U21s, which I considered as they are hosting the next UEFA U21 Championship but ultimately, I didn't fancy the cross-continental commute

[DodgeeD]

Wanderers Dec 2014 Update

Opening Stage
We had our usual bright start, going 3-1-0 in the first 4 games before blowing a half-time lead at home to Danubio for our first defeat. "Here we go again," I thought but I turned out to be wrong as we embarked on an unbeaten run that would see us enter and then lead the title race. A 0-0 draw with Peñarol kept us above them and only Felix were keeping pace as a gap opened up behind us. Despite dropping points at Liverpool in the penultimate game, we stayed in 1st and with Felix and Peñaro lset to play each other, we knew it was our title to lose. All that stood between us and the opening stage crown were bitter rivals Defensor Sporting but luckily, they were in crisis near the bottom of the table having just sacked their manager. We took full advantage to produce this result and claim top spot!
Final Table

That means we'll be in a play-off for the overall title at the end of the season against whoever wins the closing stage (unless we do of course!)

As you can see from the table, our success was built on a mean defence. João Paulo excelled again in defence while Denis Matto stayed injury free and continued his rapid development as a first team regular. Striker Santiago Lamanna also started to fufill his potential with some consistent performances (although I'd still like to see a better return of foals from him).

Now the closing stage awaits along with the Copa Libertadores. Our 2nd-placed finish in last season's Liguilla means we enter in the qualifying round but we'll have a tall order to reach the group stage as we have to face Internacional of Brazil, who also happen to be our parent club.

[DodgeeD]

The chairman has accepted a bid over my head again - 1 million pounds for Matto. He picked up an injury after the bid was made so I was hoping he'd fail the medical but it was not to be...

Still, it represents a good profit on the 80k I paid for him 18 months ago

[Raware]

That stupid chairman!

A great opening stage . I bet now, the prospect of relegation seems a distant memory?! Good luck in trying to reach the group stages of the Libertadores.

[DodgeeD]

Agreed Raware! As ever, he neglected the things I would have included in a deal like a large percentage of next sale clause, additional fees after international debut and a friendly

I was surprised to be in the mix for top spot and even more surprised when we held onto it. Indeed, relegation battles are a distant memory, especially now that the low 29 point total from the season before I took over has been wiped off the accumulated points table.

[iseemonsters1]

Wow - my Defensor guys are really having a bad season, aren't they? Second from bottom and defeated 4-0 by Wanderers?!!? Disaster!

You, on the other hand, are having a fantastic season - congrats on winning the opening stage! Matto looks great for a 20 year old - shame you were forced to let him go. Still, the cash can't hurt too much. Which club got the bargain on him?

Tough draw in the Copa Libertadores - best of luck anyway, and hope you can repeat your league success in the Closing Stage.

[GioGio85]

Hopefully you will get a board takeover at some point so that your current chairman's interference will be a thing of the past.

[DodgeeD]

iseemonsters1 - Wisla Krakow were the bargain hunters. Hopefully he'll stay around Eastern Europe for a few years so I can sign him in his prime for one of the big Russian clubs

GioGio85 - I don't think this chairman is going anywhere for the time being but a takeover would be nice (I've never benefitted from a tycoon takeover on FM, just promotions from within or new owners with no extra cash...)

[rancer890]

Back and reading this. Nice work. No need for that backup plan in Asia since you're doing well in Uruguay. But if you go to India you might not get interfering chairmen. Or maybe just a crazy chicken or two.

[DodgeeD]

LOL rancer. An Indian chairman might give me the sack for no good reason though

[DodgeeD]

Wanderers 2014/15 Closing Stage Preview

I got a news item offering me the chance to re-assess my league expectations for the rest of the season after our unexpected opening stage success so, with the Copa Libertaodres about to start as well, I thought I'd squeeze in an extra preview.

Primera Division Profesional de Uruguay
Media Prediction: 9th
Board Expectations: Continental qualificaiton (closing stage)

Copa Libertadores
Board Expectations: Enjoy the experience

Transfer Budget: 660k
Wage Limit: 19,500 p/w

I thought I might as well tell the board I could qualify for continental competition seeing as winning the opening stage already gives us a good shot at that. The sale of Matto meant we had a decent amount of money for transfers but I felt no need to spend it right away, especially as the best players available were free! Angelo Paso arrived on a free after his BATE contract expired. He will add some experience to our midfield options. In past saves, the South American U20 chapionship has provided rich pickings for great youngsters and so it proved again as my scouts spotted free agent Carlos Sosa playing for Paraguay's U20 side. He didn't stay a free agent for long and looks to be a hot prospect in the DM position. I was sent a few players on loan by parent clubs Internacional and Lanus. D'Agostin is the only one likely to get a game as he will provide good back up for my main strikers.

[DSYoungEsq]

You seem quite settled in there at Wanderers. That can only mean ...




IT'S TIME TO GET ON THE ROAD AGAIN! <lol>

[Raware]

You seem quite settled in there at Wanderers. That can only mean ...

IT'S TIME TO GET ON THE ROAD AGAIN! <lol>

Paso looks like a great bargain buy despite his ageing years! Are you surprised at how quickly you've managed to settle in at Wanderers?

[DodgeeD]

DSYoungEsq - not just yet! As you say, I'm settled and want a good crack at the South American trophies.

Raware - Very happy with Paso and Sosa as well. I'm a little surprised at how quickly things turned around. Having said that, I thought the squad was quite good when I took over - I guess the previous manager just wasn't up to much!

[DodgeeD]

Wanderers May 2015 Update

Copa Libertadores
My first venture into South American continental competition didn't last very long as Internacional effectively ended our hopes with 2 goals in the first 15 minutes of the first leg. We went on to lose that game 3-1 before gaining a credible 0-0 draw in Brazil. At least we can only do better next time!

Closing Stage
After our success in the Opening Stage, we experienced some frustration in the closing stage as we struggled to recapture our form. We simply drew too many games, often letting leads slip (what happens when your chairmen sells your in-form defender) or drawing blanks. When we found form, winning 3 of our last 4, it was too late to catch the leaders. One highlight was our final day victory over hated rivals Defensor Sporting - despite them being in better shape than when we beat them int eh opening stage, we tore them to shreds as we ran out 6-0 winners!!
Final Table

Disappointment though as we dropped too many points to stay on top of the overall table, meaning we have to play-off Nacional to win the right to meet Peñarol for the overall title.
Overall Table

Now we have a two-legged tie with Closing Stage champs Nacional before the Liguilla kicks off.

[iseemonsters1]

Unlucky in the Copa Libertadores - but that was an extremely difficult draw! Hopefully you'll do well enough in the Liguilla this season to make it into the group stage automatically.

It was a shame that you couldn't keep up your Opening Stage form in the Closing Stage - but still - another impressive season of progress, and still a chance to play for the championship. You can't have too many complaints about that! Of course, you have to go through the two biggest teams in the entire country to get there, but still - nice to even get to play for it. Best of luck in the playoffs!

(I'm not even going to dignify a certain result by mentioning it)

[DodgeeD]

Wanderers June 2015 Update

Primera Division Play-Offs
As opening stage winners, we entered a play-off with closing stage champions Nacional with the winner advancing to the Championship play-off against Peñarol. We played at Nacional's stadium first and seemed to be heading for a credible 1-1 draw until young Ivorian defender Kouadio came up for a corner in injury time to power in a header, giving us an unexpected 2-1 win. Suddenly we were favourites to win the tie but something went wrong in the home leg. maybe it was over-confidence, maybe it was pressure but we were very quickly 3-0 down. I made changes at half-time but to no avail as we conceded again just after the break. We grabbed a consolation goal late on to make it a 4-1 loss on the night, 5-3 on aggreagte. The whole match was a stark reminder that we were not quite ready to challenge the big two.
Leg 1 | Leg 2

Liguilla
Shortly after our play-off humiliation, we were back in action in the post-season Liguilla to decide which Uruguayan teams would qualify for next season's Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores. Just as in the Nacional game, we played poorly but the difference was we somewhow ground out the results. Fénix, Peñarol and River Plate all fell victim to late winners after out-playing us for most of the game before we had another meeting and another defeat at the hands of Nacional. That left us 2nd in the table, one point behind our final game opponents Boston River. Again, we were poor against them but managed to snatch a win, this time with a alte first half goal from Soto. That result meant we leap-frogged Boston River into top spot and earned us a seeding straight into the group stage of next season's Copa Libertadores!
Liguilla Table

[Flamers]

Damn that is one confusing structure...

Flamers

[rancer890]

Damn that is one confusing structure...

Flamers

^^WHS

Erm, yeah good luck in whatever competition you're going in...Uruguay sure do make their league structure confusing. And most of you think MLS playoffs are confusing, the South American model are way more confusing to understand! Just win everything DodgeeD!

[DSYoungEsq]

Ah, the Al Davis mode of playing: "Just win, baby!"

Solves a lot of troubles.

[rancer890]

Ah, the Al Davis mode of playing: "Just win, baby!"

Solves a lot of troubles.

Al Davis. That old man never ceases to amaze me of what he could do these days.

[Raware]

Disappointing to drop off the pace in the closing stage but nevertheless, 3rd in the overall table is still fantastic progress. Well done on your Liguilla success , sounds like it was touch and go during that last game as to whether you qualified. Well done though and i'm sure the money from the Libertadores next season will come in handy!

[DodgeeD]

It's not that complicated once you are in. It would help if there was confirmation from the game as to which continental competition the team's qualified for (I've seen that post-season in the European Leagues). Perhaps it takes the computer some time to figure it all out as well

Raware - I'm happy with the progress but that may all be about to be undone.... More on that later

[Flamers]

I think you have to go into your break for it to do it maybe?

Flamers

[Raware]

Raware - I'm happy with the progress but that may all be about to be undone.... More on that later

Oh dear...it doesn't sound good!

[Flamers]

Have you been given an awesome player like Bulk from SnakeXe's career?

Flamers

[DodgeeD]

Wanderers 2014/15 Season Review



Primera Divison Profesional de Uruguay
Opening Stage: 1st
Closing Stage: 7th
Overall: 3rd

Liguilla Pre-Libertadores y Pre-Sudamericana: 1st

Copa Libertadores: Preliminary Round

Delighted to have won my first trophies with Wanderers! The opening stage success was unexpected but we stayed consistent whereas the only consistency shown by our rivals was how frequently they dropped points. The second half of the season was more of a struggle as we lost our most reliable defender Matto thanks to the chairman's interference and had some trouble with injuries. We genrally lacked the ability to kill off games and drew far too many matches, leaving us in 7th place. The season ended on a sour note as we were on the wrong end of a thrashing from Nacional in the opeaning/closing stage play-off but we were happy just to be there!

Our first foray into continental competition under my management was short-lived as a tough draw paired us with Brazilian giants İnternacional in the Copa Lİbertadores Preliminary Round. A 3-1 aggregate defeat ended our participation farly quickly.

There was a final flourish to the season though as we entered the Liguilla with the other teams from the top 6 of the overall Uruguayan table. Despite below average performaces, we ground out a series of single goal victories (bar another defeat to Nacional) to top the standings and win the competition! That success will see us seeded staright into the group stage of the Copa Libertadores next season.

Two trophies in one season also saw me pick up the first individual honour of my career to date as I was named the Uruguayan Primera Division Manager of the Year.

Key Players
Once more, Jonathan Soto was topscorer and the Fans' Player of the Year. HOwever, he still had a couple of mini goal droughts and I would like to have a more consistent frontman. Alexis Navarro was one of our most consistent players this season, only missing two games and adding stability to the left side of defence. Santiago Lopez was also highly consistent this season and the right midifielder's experience was vital to our success. Both Navarro and Lopez made the Primera Division Team of the Year.

Javier Guedes continued his development with an impressive 12 clean sheets in 23 league games for the young keeper. He's getting a lot of interest from clubs in Europe so I hope I can hold on to him over the summer. Another youngster who did well was one of last season's signings Leandro Chavez. Not quite first choice on the left wing yet but he will be soon. Georges Kouadio also showed his potential this season with some commanding performances in defence answering the questions of 'who?' raised when I signed him from his native Ivory Coast. Despite only being with us for the second half of the season (when we struggled more) another youngster to show his quality was Carlos Sosa, signed after impressing at the U20 World Cup and ending the season in Paraguay's Copa America squad.

The Season Ahead
I'm hoping for more progress. We have about 3 million pounds in the bank, the board have begun to upgrade youth facilities again and my rep has increased to continental. I'll be on the look out for young Uruguayan prospects as we have enough foreigners already. Hopefully, we'll get some more silverware!

[DodgeeD]

5 Year Career Summary

Now I've reached the end of my 5th season in this career, I thought I'd give a round up of my career so far:

Koroum (Egypt)

Season  | Division    | Position | Cup   | Continental | Achievements          
2010-11 | 1st (North) | 3rd      | 1stR  | N/A         | N/A                   
2011-12 | 1st (North) | 1st      | 1stQR | N/A         | Promoted as champions
2012-13 | Premier     | 13th     | 1stR  | N/A         | Survived

Left club May 2013

Wanderers (Uruguay)

Season  | Division | Open | Close | Overall | Liguilla | Continental      | Achievements
2013-14 | Primera  | 5th  | 6th   | 5th     | 2nd      | N/A              | N/A
2014-15 | Primera  | 1st  | 7th   | 3rd     | 1st      | Lib Prelim Round | Opening Stage Champs, Liguilla Winners

Achievements: Competitions
Egyptian 1st Division (North) Champions (2012)
Uruguayan Primera Division Opening Stage Winners (2014)
Liguilla Winners (2015)

Achievements: Awards
Egyptian 1st Division Manager of the Year (2012)
Uruguyan Premier Division Manager of the Year (2015)

[ToMexico!!]

Good read DodgeeD You look to have some good prospects at Wanderers. Do you want to win the league before moving on again or are there other options coming up for your next move?

[DodgeeD]

Thanks ToMexico!! Just commented on your thread as well

My scouts (and the odd agent) have done a good job in finding me exciting young talent and I'll be keeping track of them wherever my career takes me. I'd like to achieve more success with Wanders but, as I alluded to Raware in an earlier comment, my success is in danger of being undone.... I'm going through pre-season as we speak and my chairman is accepting pretty much any bid that comes in for my youngsters and key players. Frustrating as we have money in the bank. I'm seriously considering jumping ship if a decent opportunity comes up (even though I signed a new 2 year deal towards the end of last season).

[DodgeeD]

And if anybody wants an overivew of any paticular team, nation or past winners of the competitions I've got running, just ask.