The Hitch hiker's guide to FM12

[Adelaidean]

Amazing cup run again, bet you were fuming the Sheff. Wed match went to extra time after a 92nd minute equaliser though.

[B.W.G]

deltablue - Thanks

cerud - Think the chairman already has one there

adelaidean - Thanks!!Not really,I've taught my players well in not doing it the easy way

[B.W.G]

Dagenham and Redbridge - nPower League 2 - End of Season - 2015/16

Final Transfers - 2015/16 - Those who left the club were not good enough and were on ridiculous wages so off they went to free up some wages.Those who came in were to help strengthen the team and bring in a bit more experience to the club with my aim of finishing in at least the playoff spots.

Competitions
nPower League 2 - League Table - Wow,topped it at Mid-Season and finish the season in top spot to claim the League 2 title.The title race went down to the last game of the season in which,we both drew.We drew against Mansfield while Darlington drew against Stockport.We were struggling a bit right up till the end of March,where in the last 9 games,we won seven of our last eight games and keeping six clean sheets!In that run,we faced Oxford,Leyton Orient,Stockport and Torquay which was four of the top six!On that run alone,I feel we deserved to win the title due to having the harder run in.One thing to note is that we won the title with the second least amount of points accumulated for the title (Only Plymouth was lower with 85 points in the 2011/12 season!)

FA Cup - 6th Round - Another cup run ended at the 6th round and another ended by a Premiership side.We Ebsfleet and Crystal Palace on route to the 3rd round.In the 3rd round,we actually beat Chelsea 1-0 in the replay.The 4th round saw us dispose of fellow League 2 side Newport County 2-1 in a replay.The 5th round saw us up against Sheffield Wednesday,we drew the first match 3-3 before winning the replay 3-2 in extra time.We were up against Man City in the 6th but I couldn't pull another upset out the hat as we went down 2-1,we did the best we could and I'm happy with it.Man City went on to win the final 2-0 against Liverpool.

League Cup - 1st Round - We were expected to keep it competitive and that is what we did even if it did take Bristol City a last minute goal to beat us.The better side won so no complaints from me.

J.P Trophy - 2nd Round - We had a bye in the first round before drawing Crawley in the second round.We lost 2-0 but I'm not angry with the team but with the officials instead,we had a goal disallowed for offside when he was onside and a stonewall penalty denied.Crawley get a controversial penalty and score from an offside position.It was just one of those days.

Player,Stats and Awards
A quick look at the top performers in the team as seen via Player Stats.

Kenny Deuchar was the top scorer hitting 14 goals in 43 appearances.This was his last season before retirement.He came up with some key goals but I know we will miss him as he always gave it his best.Has become a coach but will not bring him in as he isn't a very good coach but also because I will look to strengthen the team before the backroom staff.

Abu Ogogo topped the assist chart with 11 in 48 appearances.His assists total may have dwindled in the last few seasons but that's because there are now a number of players who are a creating chances which has helped the team in the last third of the field.He has the ability to play in League one so he will have the chance to show what he can do.

Two other players made an impact especially in defence and they were Femi Ilesanmi and Engin Uludag.They were both excellent in defence and were the most consistent performers in the team.The only gutting thing about these two is the injury to Uludag,he broke his leg during a game in which the player who did it got away without a booking to my annoyance.Uludag will not have a problem moving as he has the potential to be a leading Championship player,he is already rated as a good League 1 player.Ilesanmi is a good league 1 player but I doubt he will get any better.

Overview
Wow,what a season....brilliant cup run,nervy league run then a run which we should be proud of.I have to admit I was getting a bit nervy in March as we were not putting in the performances which I knew we were capable of but the end of season run where we won seven of the last eight while keeping six clean sheets was nothing short of sensational.I've seen the budget for next season,we should be able to survive if I can strengthen the team up,I've seen a couple of central defenders and wingers which will help improve the team.I need to find a new keeper and forwards who can finish as I may have to go down the route of trying to outscore the opposition.

My rep is now up to National which I've already noticed it's affect as I was linked to MK Dons and Exeter,the latter getting relegated from the Championship.I'm going to give League 1 a shot with Dag + Red but will consider any offers which I receive,I have signed a new contract which last till 2018 but we will see what happens.All I can say is Bring on the new season!

Season     Club         Division       Country      League       Cup       Continental    Avg.Att            Notes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12  Persepam    Prem Division    Indonesia      2nd       1st Rnd        N/A           739            Promotion!
2012/13  Persepam    Super League     Indonesia      4th       4th Rnd        N/A          1400           Top 4 Finish!
2013/14  Dag + Red    BSB Premier      England       4th       2nd Rnd        N/A          2040        Started Oct,Promoted!
2014/15  Dag + Red     League 2        England       8th       6th Rnd        N/A          3742          FA Cup Last 8
2015/16  Dag + Red     League 2        England       1st       6th Rnd        N/A          3778            Promotion!

[noikeee]

A bit easy, heh? Beating Chelsea at that point is insane. Keep it up.

[B.W.G]

Thanks

I put it down to luck beating Chelsea but I am actually struggling with this,I went back to basics to help secure promotion....4-4-2! For some reason,I am not finding this game as easy as FM11!

[AK22]

Another fantastic cup performance, and well done on promotion too

[B.W.G]

Thanks

I'm hoping to get the pre-season report up tonight but we will see how fast we'll get it done!

[Deisler26]

Congrats on the promotion, dude!

[B.W.G]

Thanks

I've decided to take a big risk with a forward and pay him £3.2k a week (if he decides to accept),I feel we have got a strong enough squad but they may need time to gel!

[cerud]

Nice job on yet another promotion! With all those great cup runs your financies must be looking pretty good as well

[B.W.G]

Thanks

We are down to the last £800k,went a bit crazy throwing the money around during the Summer...I'm hoping for some good cup runs this season

[deltablue]

Should be pretty strong now then.

[B.W.G]

We're not too bad now,I've strengthened most positions now.We seem to be weakest in defence now and at MR position but I've signed an AMR who I will be re-training to MR.

An interesting winner in Euro 2016....Ukraine beat Belgium 1-0 in the final!

[rancer890]

Solid season B.W.G

We expect some results in League 1!

[B.W.G]

Thanks!

Not much pressure

[Nordan]

Thanks!

Not much pressure

Fantastic read mr. Giant Killer Keep up the excellent work.

[B.W.G]

Thanks

Mr. Giant Killer....I like it,will try my best to keep it up!

[B.W.G]

Dagenham and Redbridge - nPower League 1 - Pre-Season - 2016/17

Budgets
Transfer Budget - £125,000 - £0 Remaining
Wage Budget - £31,997 p/w - Currently Spending £38,802p/w

Pre-Season Transfers - We let a few go who were asking too much for wages or on too much anyway as I needed to free up some of the wage budget to bring in players who are definitely able to play at the next level as I want to at least get mid-table this season.I will look to get in a few loans in defence and at MR as this is where we are weakest.

Expectations - My expectations in italics
League 1 - Avoid Relegation -Mid-Table

FA Cup - 2nd Round - 3rd Round

League Cup - Learn from Experience of Participation - 2nd Round

J.P Trophy - 2nd Round - Southern Quarter Finals

Pre-Season Fixtures


Key Players
Ben Gibson - DC/DL - A summer signing from League 1 side Middlesbrough.He will walk straight into the first team and will primarily play at DC with Uludag,I will need him to be at his best if we are to achieve mid-table position in the league.Can't say he was given a fair chance with his old club but will get one with us as he is rated as the best defender in the team.

Jonathon Bateson - DR/DL - Performed well in his first season with us,he is rated as a good League 1 defender so we will need him to perform to his best.Will primarily be played at DR but his versatility at playing at either fullback position will help us in times of need,can play at DC as well if needed so he will come in handy this season.

Mario Cubel - MC/ML,AMC - Has the honour of becoming the first actual foreigner to play for Dag + Red under my management.Signed from League 1 side Barnsley,should be able to cover Centre Midfield position after Carter's departure,he will be playing alongside Ashley Gallagher in the middle of the park in which I hope it will be a success.

Gil Blumstein - AMC/AMRL - Another summer signing from League 1 side Carlisle.He can play practically anywhere in midfield so will start the season playing at ML.His versatility will be very useful as it will make it easier changing things during matches.Rated as a good League 1 player so I'm hoping he is able to contribute.

Neal Toomer - ST - My wildcard for this season,he was released by Chelsea on a free and it is costing me a arm and a leg to pay his wages.His potential ability when I scouted him was a decent premiership player so I am hoping he is able to take over Kenny Deuchar who retired at the end of last season.Still young and is rated as the second best striker in the team but I've put him here for potential alone.

Ones to Watch
Colin Paton - ML/AML - Signed him on a free last season as a backup,his performances were so good that he was too hard to drop from the team.He played in the latter half of the season 17 times scoring twice and providing 5 assists.May not sound great but last season,he was rated as a decent Blue Square Bet Premier player while playing in League 2.Now rated as a decent League 2 player but has the potential to be a good Championship player,less pressure on him this season due to the signing of Blumstein.

Jake Hunter - ST/AMR - Another one I signed last season,he scored 6 times in 21 appearances but probably would have got more and played more if it wasn't for the broken leg which ruled him out for 5 months.He started hitting form at the end of the season after a slow return.He is another player who has the potential to be a good Championship player and is also the 4th best striker in the team.

Pre-Season Overview
We have had a rather productive pre-season,I am happy with the dealings we have made and I am pretty confident that we will be able to avoid relegation this season which is the boards expectations.I am feeling pretty positive for this season as I'm not going to take the pre-season results into any consideration due to the fact that the assistant manager was in charge of them even if the 6-0 drubbing to Blackpool was truly deserved but to my luck it's not had much effect on the morale.

Will give it a shot managing in League 1 for now as I doubt I will start being linked to higher clubs or actual concrete offers to around the half way point.I will be here till 2018 at the very least unless I get offers which give me excellent opportunities to excel,the second way that I will be leaving is if I'm sacked so I'm hoping my team can be at least consistent to try avoid that scenario.

League 1 get ready.....the daggers are coming to town!

[roganp]

Brilliant season B.W.G , and good luck in league 1.

[abulezz]

That was a great season, highlighted by the Chelsea match. I think Toomer is definitely going to get the results for you.

[B.W.G]

roganp - Thanks

abulezz - Thanks Toomer has made unspectacular start like the rest of the team as we lost 3-1 to Portsmouth

[Azeryk`]

Congratz on last season and good luck in League 1

[B.W.G]

Thanks

In other news,we have actually got past the first round in the League Cup,we beat MK Dons 4-1 and have been drawn against Hull away from home!Going into our 2nd league game which incidentally is also against MK Dons!

[cerud]

Looking good for League 1 All the best in your cup runs too!

[B.W.G]

Thanks

We're not doing too bad in the league as we are sitting 9th after 6 games.We lost 3-2 Hull but took them to extra time in the League Cup.As for the J.P Trophy,we have received a bye to the second round again!

[deltablue]

Excellent start to League 1 life then.

[B.W.G]

It is indeed Just added another 3 points to the tally with a 4-1 victory over Wrexham.

League 1 seems to be quite a tough league with teams like Portsmouth,Sheff Utd,Middlesborough,Exeter and Millwall among the bigger teams in the league.My target is 55 points in the league as that should guarantee survival.(Currently on 13 points from 7 games!)

[B.W.G]

Dagenham and Redbridge - nPower League 1 - Mid-Season - 2016/17

Competitions
nPower League 1


FA Cup - We've made it to the 3rd round where we will face League 1 rivals Doncaster at their ground.In the league fixture,we lost 2-1 so it will be a tight game.We beat Crystal Palace in the 1st round before easing past Northwich in the 2nd round with a 4-0 victory.We have every chance of going quite far if we keeping getting the easier draws.

League Cup - Made an improvement in this competition as we reached the 2nd round.We beat MK Dons 4-1 in the 1st round with a clinical performance.We faced Hull in the 2nd round and we under performed as we got beat 3-2 even though we did take them to extra time.

J.P Trophy - Made it to the Southern Quarter Finals where we got beat on penalties by League 1 entertainers Portsmouth.We had a bye in the first round and edged past Millwall in the 2nd round with a 1-0 victory at The Den.

Mid-Season Overview
First thing I did was sack my Assistant manager and bought in ex-Hartlepool player Sam Collins to takeover the position.The league season has been absolutely astounding,I was not expecting this and we have made progress in all cups so far to help bring in a bit more money.Youth product Ashley Gallagher has been my player of the season so far as he has hit ten goals in twenty appearances,Rimmer and Toomer have not too badly either hitting nine goals and seven goals.Sitting in fifth place at the halfway point is brilliant and the fact we are only seven points behind the league leaders makes things even sweeter as we are right in with a chance.

During the first half of the season,I was given two opportunities to leave Dag + Red with Preston and Hartlepool (24th place but not on screenshot) both making offers for my service.I rejected both and stayed loyal to the Daggers as we are fighting for promotion and I feel we may actually get it as there is not much difference between the top teams and us which shows I may have got the transfers right during pre-season!

On a Dag + Red unrelated matter,Portsmouth have been the entertainers of the league scoring a whopping 59 goals while also conceding 36,they are flying high and giving the fans entertainment...even if they did beat us 3-1 on the opening day of the season which I didn't find too entertaining for my liking!

[deltablue]

Definitely not a time to leave.

[cerud]

Entertaining as in "Doesn't matter how many are scored against us, we'll just score more!" Love the mentality

[B.W.G]

deltablue - Definitely not,although we have quite a tough run in which will make or break our season!

cerud - I took that mentality in our last game,we beat Darlington 4-3 with us getting the winner in the 83rd minute

[B.W.G]

Just beat Doncaster Rovers in FA Cup 3rd replay 5-3 courtesy of 89th and 91st minute goals,my reward....a trip to White Hart Lane to play Tottenham Hotspur...should bring me in a bit of money!

[deltablue]

The cup master strikes again.

[roganp]

Another cup run is on the cards. Good luck against Spurs

[abulezz]

You're doing fantastic in the league, and you are only 7 points off of first spot! Automatic promotion could happen!

[Azeryk`]

Good luck against Spurs

[Adelaidean]

Best of luck for the Spurs match.

[B.W.G]

Thanks guys

We drew 1-1 in the first game but in the replay,we lost 2-1 due to an inept officiating performance from Andre Marriner and Co,disallowed goal and a penalty not given.At least now I can concentrate on the league and hope the players will not be too bothered about it!

[tony02074]

THe game wont install on my computer. I just read all 3 pages in one sitting. EPIC!!!!! Love the cup runs!

Keep it up pal.

[B.W.G]

That is unlucky

Thanks,glad your enjoying it,will try my best to keep it up

[deltablue]

So close to yet another epic victory.

[noikeee]

Another great cup run, any tips on how you pull that off, perhaps the players are more match fit mid-week than the AI sides or something?

[B.W.G]

Thanks

noikeee - I think it's just my players are more motivated for the cup games as I cannot get the same performances in the league!It's not match fitness for sure as I've got smaller squads then the higher teams and we've were playing two games a week!I normally look to stop the momentum of play by having my players go in hard but I have to be honest,we have been very lucky with the refereeing as we could have easily had players sent off!

[AK22]

Looking good for another successful season. The league is very tight at the moment, but you could still easily find yourself in the promotion places

[B.W.G]

Thanks Although it is too close for my liking as you can see!!



My top three choice strikers have 47 goals between them this season!

[deltablue]

Wow, very close indeed. Exciting climax.

[cerud]

Wow, close season! Should be a good finish.

[B.W.G]

We slipped up against Barnsley but we beat Sheff Utd,our last 3 games are against Doncaster,Stockport (FA Cup Finalists this season!Beat Chelsea on pens and will face Utd or Liverpool!) and Oxford! So we do stand a very good chance of a playoff spot!

[B.W.G]

We finished 4th in the league so we will have to go through the playoffs,we are up against Barnsley in the Semi-Final who we have not beaten this season.

I mentioned Stockport got to the FA Cup final,they faced Man Utd in the final....they just dwarfed any achievements I accomplished in my cup runs.....

[deltablue]

Show-offs.

[Azeryk`]

Good luck with the play offs

[B.W.G]

Before I do a final season update,I won promotion through the playoffs beating Doncaster in the final,I was favourite for the job at Danish side Silkeborg who have just been relegated from the Superliga so I have applied for it to see what happens as my hope was to see what they offer me but then I get this offer through....



They are a Germany 3rd division side but offering a lot by looking at those budgets!

So my options are: -
a). Stay at Dag and Red
b). Wait for the Silkeborg offer
c). Move to the highly appealing RB Leipzig
d). Move to Dunfermiline as I delayed an offer to see what happened by the end of the season.

Thoughts??

[Azeryk`]

What division are RB Leipzig in?

[cerud]

Wow...tough decision. How do oyu think Dag & Red would get on in the Championship League? Is it worth it to try and get them into teh Premiership?

[B.W.G]

German 3rd Division

My Current wage budget is £32k p/w while RB Leipzig is £89k p/w

RB Leipzig have average facilities but they have a stadium which holds 44345 but they have to pay rent of £1 per year!

Looking at their squad,they massively underachieved as if I had their players with Dag and Red,we would have achieved automatic promotion.

[Azeryk`]

If you think you can take Leipzig up straight away then go for them. I don't think Silkeborg will gain you much long term due to the lower league reputations.

[cerud]

Not bad. You'd definitely be able to move RB Leipzig up the pyramid quickly. Could be a decent choice so long as it doesn't feel like a step backwards for you.

[B.W.G]

Wow...tough decision. How do oyu think Dag & Red would get on in the Championship League? Is it worth it to try and get them into teh Premiership?

We'd be struggling all season in the Championship,we only have £79k left in the black and the board decide to spend £479,000 on a terrace conversion so the budgets would be very tight and small!

[B.W.G]

I've decided to take the RB Leipzig as it is too good to turn down,I feel I'll be able to take them up pretty quickly.....first transfer target....Ashley Gallagher!

Next post will be end of season report!

[AK22]

RB Leipzig are tycoon backed (I think), so you'll have plenty of money to spend. Obviously, that comes with added pressure, but it's a very tempting offer. Depends on how committed to Dagenham you are, but I'd probably take the job in Germany.

[B.W.G]

Dagenham and Redbridge - nPower League 1 - End of Season - 2016/17

2016/17 Transfers - Let a lot of players go to free up the wage budget as I knew things were going to be tighter and that I would need to spend money to bring in better quality players to help meet my expectations.The players I bought in were much better then what was already in the team and I felt quite confident in avoiding relegation.I took a gamble with Neal Toomer as he was our top earner on £3.2k a week and at 19 years old as well.My aim was top half as I didn't think there was too big a gap between League 2 and League 1.

Competitions
nPower League 1 - League Table - Playoff Semi Final - Playoff Final - We were brilliant throughout most of the season except for the last few games which ruined all chances of automatic promotion.We were in the running right up until the middle of March then everything went downhill as we chocked.We secured a playoff place with a game to spare which I thought was amazing considering our chances at the start of the season.We were drawn against Barnsley in the playoff semi-final,we lost a one sided game 2-1 in the first leg but a much improved performance in the 2nd leg saw us secure a 3-1 victory and saw us take the tie 4-3 on agg.We were drawn against Doncaster who came from 3-1 down to win their semi-final 6-5 against Exeter.We were very lucky in the Playoff final as our finishing saw us take the victory,Doncaster were the better team but they could not convert.Stunning way to finish the season,Dag + Red's highest position ever and get to have a spell in the 2nd tier of English football!

FA Cup - 4th Round - We got through the first two rounds without having to go through a replay for the first time.We beat Crystal Palace 2-0 before beating Northwich 4-0.The 3rd round saw us draw with Doncaster before two very late goals in the replay saw us take the tie with a 5-3 victory.We were then given a tough tie at Tottenham,we drew the first game 1-1 in which we should of lost as they had three disallowed!The replay they won what appears to be quite comfortably,however...our other shot on target was disallowed so it could have been a bit tighter but there wasn't much we could do.

League Cup - 2nd Round - Under my management,this is the furthest we have managed to get.In the first round,we were the more clinical side as we beat MK Dons 4-1 which to me is a false scorline as they did match us.The 2nd round saw another away trip for us as we travelled to Hull.We were outclassed but even then it took a very late goal for them to beat us although it was a deserved defeat as they were the better team.

JP Trophy - Southern Quarter-Finals - We had a bye in the first round for the third successive year.In the 2nd round we edged a tight affair against Millwall as we won 1-0 at The Den.We faced Portsmouth in the quarter finals and we were very lucky not to concede during the game,however we were punished when it came down to the penalty shoot out and it was a deserved defeat at the end of the day.

Players,Stats and Awards.
Join top scores this season,both Neal Toomer and Jay Rimmer scored 19 goals each.Toomer hit his in 47 games while Rimmer hit his in 46 games,these two were my first choice strikers and their contribution helped massively by keeping us around the playoff spots.Both should be able to make it in the Championship!

Ashley Gallagher topped the assist chart with 13 but also helped contribute with the scoring by hitting the net 13 times in his 44 appearances.His performances saw him win Fans Player of the Year!

Special mention to the loanees Ryan Morrison and Joel Ambalu who performed brilliantly when the playerd.Morrison was a rock at that back and scored so vital goals,we genuinely missed him when he was injured as he formed a solid partnership at the back with Gibson and Uludag.Ambalu was the 3rd choice striker but still chipped in with 14 goals in 25 appearances,I guess I should have played him more as he could have easily scored 20!

Overview
Could not have thought of a better way to finish my time at Dag and Red then by winning promotion to the Championship via the playoffs.We most definitely overachieved this season although during the last few games,we were absolutely terrible which cost us an automatic promotion place!(Won two in the last eight games!)We didn't do as well as we have in the cups but we had our best performances in the league cup and JP Trophy which was an encouraging sign of our overall improvement.It will be tough for them next season due to a number of reasons.

As for me,I am moving to Germany to manage RB Leipzig otherwise known as Red Bull Leipzig,they vastly underachieved with the quality of players they had at their disposal and finished the season in 16th.My reasons for moving are bigger stadium,better facilities,slightly better players at our disposal and bigger budgets.I am in quite a stong position to finish near the top but with signings,I believe we can be challenging for the title.

Season     Club         Division       Country      League       Cup       Continental    Avg.Att            Notes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12  Persepam    Prem Division    Indonesia      2nd       1st Rnd        N/A           739            Promotion!
2012/13  Persepam    Super League     Indonesia      4th       4th Rnd        N/A          1400           Top 4 Finish!
2013/14  Dag + Red    BSB Premier      England       4th       2nd Rnd        N/A          2040        Started Oct,Promoted!
2014/15  Dag + Red     League 2        England       8th       6th Rnd        N/A          3742          FA Cup Last 8
2015/16  Dag + Red     League 2        England       1st       6th Rnd        N/A          3778            Promotion!
2016/17  Dag + Red     League 1        England       4th       4th Rnd        N/A          5828           Playoff Winners!

[abulezz]

Good luck in Germany, although its kind of sad you are leaving D&G!

[B.W.G]

Thanks

As they say,all good things must come to an end!

[Azeryk`]

Good luck in Germany

[B.W.G]

Danke

Should be quite interesting....I've been in Germany for two days and had offers from clubs in South Korea and Czech Republic

[Shroom420]

I have still been reading this thread just soooo busy atm i haven't had time to post.
First of all congrats on the great work you did with the Daggers (especially the most reacent promotion).
I personally think that the 2 best options are either stay with the Daggers or move to Leipzig as the board seem to really want you.
Hope that helps narrow down the decision xD

edit: t yped this ages ago and forgot to post it, now posted i have noticed you decided to leave and go Germany. Can't wait to see what you can do

[rancer890]

Hope you get some wings with RB Leipzig to fly up a couple divisions!

[B.W.G]

Thanks shroom420,glad you enjoyed what I managed to do with The Daggers and will try by best with Die Bullen! (German for The Bulls!)

rancer890 - I drink enough of the stuff to have my own wings so don't be too surprised if we do fly up a couple of divisions with me at the helm

[Adelaidean]

Good luck at RB Leipzig, great work taking the Daggers so high!

[B.W.G]

Thanks

It will be interesting to see how the Daggers do with the new manager,he has quite high tactical knowledge but below average motivation,they could be in for a long season!

[deltablue]

Great high to go to Germany on.

[Azeryk`]

Thanks

It will be interesting to see how the Daggers do with the new manager,he has quite high tactical knowledge but below average motivation,they could be in for a long season!

Maybe friendly them to check his skills

[ArsenalMetro]

Welcome to the Red Bull family. You should do well with Leipzig.

[B.W.G]

Thanks deltablue

Azeryk` - I did try but they were too "busy"...I checked their fixtures and I wanted a friendly in the middle of their 6 day rest,bunch of spoilsports!

ArsenalMetro - Thanks,hoping I will do well

[Nordan]

I've been in Germany for two days

Good move,you did a fantastic job with D&R. Looking forward to the next chapter.

[deltablue]

Nice to know you're much in demand now.

[AK22]

Fantastic final season with D&R

Good luck in Germany, although I will miss your FA Cup giant-killings

[B.W.G]

Thanks guys

Don't worry AK22,there is always the German Cup for a giant killing or two although we're not in it this season so we will have to wait!

Should have the pre-season update done later tonight!

[roganp]

Brilliant way to leave D+R

Good luck in Germany.

[B.W.G]

RB Leipzig - 3. fußball liga - Pre-Season - 2017/18

Bufgets
Transfer Budget - £1.3 million - £0 Remaining
Wage Budget - £97,000 p.w - Currently spending £101,195 p.w

2017/18 Pre-Season Transfers - Bought in quite a few players to give the team a shot at promotion this season,those who have come in will be playing to a 4-2-4 formation this season,I mainly strengthened the defence and goalkeeper areas as well as the wing positions.Those who left were not interested in renewing their contract so they left,also the majority of them were not good enough.This team now has my mark on it,anything that goes wrong is my responsibility.

Expectations (My expectations in itallics)
3. fußball liga - Mid-Table - Fighting for Promotion

Pre-Season Fixtures


Key Players
Sascha Stradner - GK - New signing in Pre-Season,he just edges the race for the spot as the clubs number one keeper but with two others who are roughly the same ability,he has to be on top of his game to keep that spot.He is a young keeper who can possibly improve as he gets older,my main worry are his mental stats but they will improve in due time.

Jop van der Linden - DL/DC - Best defender in the team and is our undisputed number one choice left back.Cost us £16k from FC Oss which could prove to be a bargain as I hope he can make a big contribution for our first team.Has played solidly in pre-season but we will see how he fairs during the season which will prove if he can be a success at the RB Leipzig.

Kagan Soylemezgiller - MC/AMC - Was one of the more expensive signings but he comes in as the undisputed number 1 MC.He came in quite late during pre-season so only managed to get in one game but he was solid so I have quite high hopes for him during the season.He will be played as the more attack minded MC so will more then likely be amongst the goal scorers this season.

Stian Ringstad - AML/D/ML - Bought in specifically for the AML position but his versatility will come in handy down the left hand side.He was actually on loan here last season and was one of the better performers.There was an agreement to pay £70k if we wanted to keep him but I forgot about it,saw him on the scout reports then signed him for £24k.Doesn't look much but he was ideal for the AML position.I hope he is able to contribute with goals and assists.

Pascal Breier - ST - Paid £55k for him during pre-season which looks to be a bargain if pre-season fixtures are anything to go by as he hit 3 goal in 3 games.He is the best striker in the squad and is our main goal threat.He will have support from the AMR and AML positions as well as his strike partner so he will more then likely be the top scorer this season.I am hoping he is able to hit at least 20 goals this season!

Ones to Watch
Thomas Fink - DC/DR,DM - He was the big money signing of pre-season but I bought him more for his potential as he was rated as a good Bundesliga player which is quite exciting.I don't think I would have got him if we were any other 3. fußball liga club as they don't have the same backing.I will more then likely be playing him as a first choice DC to see if first team exposure helps his development.

Korbinian Raab - DM,MC - Another player who has the potential to be a good Bundesliga player,he is currently being trained as a MC to see if that can strengthen his positional rating for it.He is a RB leipzig original as he signed with them in the 2011/12 season.Quite old for a one to watch but that is mainly down to the poor quality of the clubs current youth.I do have hopes for him,although he is not fully competent with the MC position he will be given a go there to see how he can perform.

Pre-Season Overview
Was rather a busy and productive pre-season in which I feel I have achieved quite a bit,I have tried to have bought in the right type of players in for the formation I will be using this season.I was impressed with what I saw in the pre-season fixtures even when we were beat by P.S.G reserves so the signs are there we can potentially be challenging the top dogs this season.The media have predicted us for 19th which is a relegation spot,the board want a top 10 finish and I want to be challenging for that 3rd place at the very least so hopefully my aim is nearer then the media prediction.

During the pre-season,there is only one real downside to things and it has come from a player.My 5th choice MC (well he is now anyway!) is being a constant pain,not only is he being a pain,he is also milking the club of £11.75k a week!He won't accept a mutual termination and the board are not willing to release him so if any problems arise this season then it will be more then likely from him.On the plus side,as we are only in one competition which is the league,we should be able to fully concentrate on it without any distractions which will also help minimise any injuries from the number of games in a season so I am quite confident about our chances.

[Shroom420]

I think you have done very well and there do seem to be quite a few bargains in there.
What happened to signing Gallagher? He is going to be an awsome player but if he was to expensive then he wouldn't be cost effective when buying a whole new team .
Keep it up lad great job

[B.W.G]

Thanks

With regards to Gallagher,he is still at Dag and Red.He rejected an offer from Ipswich whereas we had an offer accepted for £750k but his agent insisted they were not interested even if I could offer more then the £3.6k p.w he is on so maybe next season.

As regard to the season,we have made a storming start...played 6 won 6 while we have scored 22 and conceded 3!

[Deisler26]

Wow! Great start at Leipzig! Hopefully, it will translate into promotion!

[B.W.G]

Thanks

As they say,it's a marathon not a sprint!I feel we have a great chance of promotion but we have to play to our fullest.

One thing I have noticed is that the ll teams are awful.Weder ll have already conceded 32 goals in 7 games while Borussia Monchengladbach ll have conceded 19 without actually scoring themselves!

[Masonheats]

Great thread i have been following for two weeks and i must say your career is one of the most interesting one's i have read about i love your cup succuess good luck on promotion even though it is clear you dont need it.

[B.W.G]

Thanks,I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far.

I'll take any luck you'll give....you can never have too much luck

[B.W.G]

RB Leipzig - 3. fußball liga - Mid-Season - 2017/18

Competition
3. fußball liga


We've made a stunning start which I hope we can keep up.Our biggest win was 6-0 against Union Berlin but all I can hope is that we keep our scoring record up in the second half of the season.Half the job is done,now we have to make sure that we don't get complacent and mess up.

Mid-Season Overview
We have been nothing short of stunning,we have already racked up mooere points then we did in the entire of last season and to see us scoring like we are is nothing more then a joy to behold!Our one loss came against Karlsruhe in which we lost 3-2 despite being down to ten men from the 2nd minute!Our two draws came against Sandhausen and Darmstadt (finished with 10 men!) but even those minor blips have not managed to stop us from topping the table.The funny side to the table,Werder ll have already set a new record for goals conceded so it will be interesting to see how many they will actually concede....I'm going for 125!

Even though I have been at RB Leipzig for half a season,I rejected offers to manage clubs in Belgium,Czech Republic,Greece,Bulgaria,Romania and Turkey!I've also been linked to jobs in back in England (Including Preston again who've just had a tycoon takeover!) as well as in Chile but I will be staying here till 2020 unless I'm sacked as there is a lot of potential to do well here!

[arinceo]

Excellent start to your career in Germany With Red Bull backing you and a World-Class stadium like the that you could easily lead the team to the top of the Bundesliga.

[abulezz]

Great start! A 13 point lead is nothing to laugh at - its going to take something special from your opponents to knock you off!

[deltablue]

Impressive, running away with it for sure.

[B.W.G]

Thanks guys

RB Leipzig have got all the tools to be a big club but I think they just needed someone to kick start them.We've played one more game and our lead has now increased to 14 points so things are looking good indeed!

[AK22]

Very easy so far. Looking very good for promotion

[B.W.G]

Thanks,most games have been fairly even but we have been the much better side when it comes to finishing.

Saying that,we beat Werder ll 7-0 in the return game with Breier hitting 5 so unless something absolutely catastrophic happens then we should go up

[roganp]

A stroll in the park so far, keep it up!

[B.W.G]

Thanks

In job related news,I seem to be favourite for club jobs in Uruguay every time there is a sacking...no chance of moving

[deltablue]

Thanks

In job related news,I seem to be favourite for club jobs in Uruguay every time there is a sacking...no chance of moving

Of course not, there are certain times where it's never going to happen, whatever the offer.

[Azeryk`]

Great start to the season, looks like you can go a long way with Leipzig.

[rancer890]

Keep it up B.W.G, the Red Bull really is working for you.

[Pooku]

Been following your career with interest, only just realised I felt like a bit of a weirdo not commenting even if it was just to wish you luck!

Not that it looks like you'll need it anymore.

[B.W.G]

Azeryk` - Thanks!I'll probably get a better look next season as we will (more then likely) be competing alongside the teams relegated from the Bundesliga

rancer890 - Thanks!It is indeed although I do keep away from the Red Bull Cola

Pooku - Thanks!As I said in post 286,you can never have too much luck.So I am more then willing to take yours as well