The Hitch hiker's guide to FM12

[sebs]

one question - in the dag & red match vs leicester city i saw that michel platini scored for leicester. wtf?

[B.W.G]

I had to have a look at that,turns out it is a Brazilian who currently turns out for CSKA Sofia in real life.

[AK22]

Good luck with Saõ Paulo. They're one of the biggest clubs in Brazil, so I imagine it won't take you too long to win some silverware with them

[B.W.G]

Thanks

We have already won some silverware as we won the Recopa Sudamericana.We beat Santos 9-4 on agg,lost the first leg 3-2 but destroyed them 7-1 in the 2nd leg.

[B.W.G]

I know Brazil has been known to produce ridiculous talent in FM but these four who came through the youth candidates are probably taking it a bit too far with the two strikers probably able to be better then Hensel

Rai - GK - Brazilian/Polish

Mateus - ML/AML - Brazilian/Portugese

Paulinho - ST - Brazilian

Bispo - ST - Brazilian/Japanese - This guy is just completely ridiculous,he's not long turned 16 and he is already a good Serie B player!

[deltablue]

Wow, what potential!

[iHeadHunta x]

Brilliant youth their but Brazillian/Polish, Aint seen that before (Weird combination)

[B.W.G]

deltablue - it is indeed,also had 5 others with 2.5*/3* PA

iHeadHunta x - You'd be surprised with what nationality combos there are in FM

[ShyBaldBuddhist]

Bloody hell thats some talent. Bispo looks like he could do a job for you straight away

[SRL88]

Bipso looks an exceptional talent. Sent him over to my Darlington side .

[B.W.G]

ShyBaldBuddhist - Thanks As good as Bipso looks,he is ranked as the 12 best striker in the team so he has a lot of competition.

SRL88 - Thanks A move to Darlington may do him so good,give him exposure to first team football

[AK22]

Some promising young hopefuls there; one of the best things of playing in Brazil

[abulezz]

Lol at Bispo - that kid cant start for my Premier League side RIGHT NOW!

[roganp]

Definitely got a few future stars on your hands there.

[cerud]

Definitely some talent you have there. Might tempt you to stay around for a few years to see them develop?

[rancer890]

It's nearly unfair with the amount of young talent at your disposal!

[B.W.G]

ak22 - Think it's a bit over done with how much talent is coming through.I spent ages scouring Europe with RB Leipzig when I should just have scouted Brazil and fielded an entire Brazilian XI!

abulezz - He'll get some game time if we can wrap up the title with a couple of games to spare.

roganp - Indeed,they'll go nicely with the two I picked up from other clubs!

cerud - Nah,don't really feel a connection forming with Sao Paulo,it's almost too easy so once the Copa Libertadores is won then I'm moving.

rancer890 - Can't disagree there,we have 77 players under the age of 21

[B.W.G]

São Paulo FC - End of Season - 2022

2022 Transfers - I am only responsible for bringing in Victor and Paiva who are both really bright prospects and will eventually be first teamers in ST and DC positions.Paiva is an unusual one as he is a Brazilian/Kyrgyzstani who has chosen to play for Kyrgyzstan!The outgoings were most of my doing as those who were released towards the end of the season were not going to feature or getting too old and wanted ridiculous wages to stay which was the case for two foreigners in the team which reduced that to my relief!

Competitions
Petrobras Serie A - League Table - To be fair,I only did half the work as when I took over the Sao Paulo position in July,we were sitting in 2nd place.I made a change to the tactics moving from a 4-2-2-2 to a 4-2-4,this saw us dominate a lot of games but due to the unfamiliarity of the tactic,we were not scoring as much as we could possible have done.Saying that,my gamble paid off as we were the league's top scorers and tightest defence.Also had a pretty good record against our rivals (Corinthians,Palmeiras and Santos) although we messed up our Derby game against Portuguesa.Biggest win was 5-2 against Cruzeiro under my management.The biggest under the previous manager was 3-0 against on two different occasions.

Copa Libertadores - Group Stages - I wasn't in charge but this does look a tough group so to just lose out is not that surprising.Santos got further of the two by reaching the Quarter-Finals.The tournament saw a shock winner as Paraguayan side Libertad beat Palmeiras in the final,this was Paraguay's 2nd Libertadores since the start of the save with Libertad also winning the first in 2018!

Campeonato Paulista - Runners-Up - Again,I wasn't in charge but losing to your fierce rivals has to hurt and especially considering it was in a final as well.

Recopa Sudamericana - Winners - This was my first trophy won as Sao Paulo manager.The first leg was one of those games where finishing costs you the match as it was an even game but Santos were the more clinical which sent me to my first defeat in South America!The 2nd leg was complete domination,my only complaint is that we didn't hit ten in the 2nd leg!Here is the 2nd Leg match!Nothing better then giving a team a good thumping to show you mean business!

Players,Stats and Awards
A quick look at the Player's Stats.

Ruben Rojas was the top scorer hitting 28 goals in 48 appearances,one of the foreign players I had the determination to keep.He is approaching thirty which was worrying at first but now we have four Brazilian youngsters waiting in the wings.Definitely has a few seasons left in him and will be expecting him to be top scorer next season.

Sao Paulo legend Lucas Moura topped the assist chart with 21 and also helped the goal scoring cause by chipping in with 14 goals in 48 appearances.He is a very good player who always seems to have an issue with me and now wants to leave the club.I'm hoping the next season he will concentrate more on the football,wasn't his best season by a long shot but still managed to win Craquedo Galera and Fans Player of the Year.

Gustavo won Melhor Goleiro.He is one of the older players in the team but also he plays in one of the weaker areas of the team.He performed very well over the whole season as he conceded 28 goals in 39 appearances while keeping 20 clean sheets.Most of the goals he actually conceded was during the Paulista but I put that down to settling in with a new defence as the previous manager bought in a lot of players.

Special Mentions go to Raul and loan striker Matas Machluf who bother performed exceptionally well.Raul is the oldest DR in the team at 32 and his experience helped us in the few times we came under pressure and even popped up with a vital goal which gave us a 1-0 win.Machluf was on loan from Argentinian side Huracan,he was the number two striker and performed brilliant scoring 16 goals in 31 appearances,I would have like to keep him but due to the foreign limit,he had to go.

Overview
I've been here nearly six months and I've already won two trophies so I can't complain at how we are performing.Most of the praise has to go to the previous manager who left to take over the Brazil job as he left the team in top shape,I just took over and finished the job off.The only downside to the squad is that we have too many foreigners in the team,we have six in the first team and the rules state we can have no more then three in the match day squad which is giving me a headache as the foreign did nothing but whine about not getting much first team action.I have took action with the foreigners and we are down to four which is more manageable.

I've already been linked with jobs back in Europe but I've got no interest,I intend to see my contract out here which ends in 2025 even if I do win the Copa Libertadores in 2023!I'm going to be a more of a transitional manager,see the end of one era and lead the club to a start of a new one.I will be focusing on the level one goals in the continents I have not won the Champions League in,which will leave North America,Africa and Asia if we can win the Libertadores.

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!
2017/18  RB Leipzig  3.fußball liga    Germany       1st         N/A          N/A          7899            Promotion!
2018/19  RB Leipzig   2.Bundesliga     Germany       1st       1st Rnd        N/A          13209        Title + Promotion!
2019/20  RB Leipzig   1.Bundesliga     Germany       3rd      RUNNER-UP       N/A          21573        CL Qualification!
2020/21  RB Leipzig   1.Bundesliga     Germany       2nd       WINNERS       GS/RU         27012        DFB-POKAL winners!
2021/22  RB Leipzig   1.Bundesliga     Germany       1st       WINNERS      WINNERS        36664           Won Treble!
2022     Sao Paulo      Serie A        Brazil        1st         N/A         Group         58710           Won Double!

[SRL88]

Cracking season mate. Congratulations on the double .

[Gambit]

Nice read. I find it funny that Santos will take you, but D.C. United laughed you off.

[B.W.G]

SRL88 - Thanks

Gambit - Thanks It was São Paulo FC who took me With the D.C United,all I can think is that the chairman holds a grudge after I rejected their offer in 2019/20 season

[deltablue]

Doubles and trebles all round!

[roganp]

Well done on doing the double

[B.W.G]

deltablue - Thanks Might as well go for the quad next season

roganp - Thanks

[City2000]

Great season hopefully you can do well in the Libertadores next year.

[B.W.G]

Thanks I'm looking forward to it,hope I have a easier group so we can have some high scoring games

[B.W.G]

São Paulo FC - Pre-Season - 2023

Budgets
Transfer - £20 Million - £14.75 Million remaining
Wage - £671,689 p.w - Currently spending £563,047 p.w

2023 Pre-Season Transfers - For the transfers out,the first three who left were too old and were just taking up too much wage budget so they were released.The next two who joined other clubs were foreigners but due to having too many foreigners in the team,I decided to let them leave seeing as they would not get a lot of first team action.Just the three joined the club,Chorao and Rai are both Brazil u20 internationals and decided to bring them back to the country.Gilson is a 22 year old DC who is currently the 3rd choice DC but as he is younger,we will see a lot more of him in the future.

Expectations - My expectations in italics
Petrobras Serie A - Win the league - No choice but to win the league
Copa Libertadores - Reach the final - Would like to reach the final but depends on the draw
Campeonato Paulista - Win the competition - Would like to win the competition

Pre-Season Fixtures


Key Players
Sergio - GK - I actually signed him last season but didn't realise he wasn't registered to play so a mistake on my behalf.Will be our number one keeper in the season and is still quite young at 25 and has room to improve which is always encouraging.He has got good handling which would be his strong point whereas rushing out is his weakness.

Neguete - DC - First choice central defender in the team for now.Maybe getting on a bit but his valuable experience always comes in handy,had a fairly solid season last time around as he played in 44 games and averaged at a solid 7 overall.Has been at Sao Paulo since 2016.

Rai - DR - New signing from Columbus who themselves got him from a Serie C side.Paid the high fee more for his potential then his current ability.He is the number two choice DR but there is not a lot of difference between the two.Will become a big part of a future Sao Paulo side.

Fabricio - MC/MR,AMC,AMR - A very versatile midfielder who can play practically anywhere in midfield.I will mainly play him in the MC position until some of the youngsters are ready to be promoted to the first team.Seems to be a solid midfielder who I will play in the more attacking MC role unless I can find someone better.Will be expecting him to make some sort of impression.

Lucas Moura - Any attacking position - The antique furniture at the club,has been here since 2008.He doesn't seem to like me much but it doesn't stop him being a key player in the team.His favoured position is AMC but as I don't use one,he will play mainly in the AML position.He had one of his poorer seasons last time around and all I can hope is that he can pick up his form from the 2020 season where he averaged at 7.98 over 57 games!

Ruben Rojas - ST - Last seasons top scorer,will be looking for more of the same from him,also this season he will not be burden as much by the foreign limit as we are now down to four.Had his best season for goal scoring last season and will be hoping he is able to get around the same tally this season.He will be at his peak this season but with the chances we create,he should be able to bury most of them.

Ones to Watch
We have that many young talents to watch but had to narrow it down to Fabio,Paiva and Victor.These three players are the most likely to break through this season with the four youth players of Bispo,Rai,Mateus and Paulinho being a bit further down the line!

Overview
To be completely honest,there wasn't much for me to do during pre-season as there is already a very good set up.All I did was let some of the older players go and bring in some much younger players in.I need to bring a few more youngsters in to be ready for the future,particularly in the DL,DR,MC and AML positions.I've still got quite a bit of budget left to have a look but will go bargain hunting in Serie C as there seems to be a lot of hot prospects for dirt cheap prices,this is how I got Victor and Paiva!We have a good enough team to challenge on all fronts but my main priority will be the Copa Libertadores even if the board want to win everything!The team is fully familiar with my 4-2-4 formation now so I am expecting a few high scoring games to please me.

I will most definitely be here come end of the season as I've got till the end of 2025 before my contract expires.We have a good set up and with a few tweaks,I bet I could win the Club World Cup before I leave but first up is the Campeonato Paulista which I intend to win especially with my fierce rivals being in it!

[SRL88]

Got some cracking players there. Good luck with the new season.

[B.W.G]

Thanks

Nice to see a previous AI manager do a decent job in bringing in players

[B.W.G]

The Copa Libertadores draw has been made and I've got an easy group like I wanted:


I feel we stand a good chance although Boca will be a pain but will be more then ready for them in a serious competition.

[cragswfc]

That will be a matchI would want to see Boca v Sao Paulo. Should go through though

[deltablue]

Boca won't be so easy.

[B.W.G]

We have to play to our fullest but we should go through,first match is against Barcelona (ECU) at home then follows an away trip to Boca!

[AK22]

Great start with Saõ Paulo. Should have a successful season ahead too, as you have some fantastic players at your disposal

Much better draw in the Copa Libertadores; last season's was pretty horrendous, so not surprised the club was knocked out early.

[ShyBaldBuddhist]

Think I need to go shopping in Serie C. Looks like you grabbed some bargains there with Victor and Paiva.

GL for the coming season

[B.W.G]

AK22 - Thanks I think that group would have pushed me to my limit as well so I am feeling a bit confident this season.

ShyBaldBuddhist - Thanks There is talent there but will take a bit of time to find them due to the number of players some clubs have.If you do find some then there is a good chance that the approach to sign button is there.Those fees paid were just compensation fees.

[iHeadHunta x]

Great start with the Brazillians!

[B.W.G]

Thanks

Played my first Copa Libertadores game against Barcelona (ECU) and won 6-0,next up is Boca Juniors at La Bombonera.

[B.W.G]

Some bad news,none of the saves (Including backups) are loading.Not sure what I can do though

[ShyBaldBuddhist]

Try loading one of the previous versions from a restore point.

\Documents\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2012\Games

Open up the file, right click and select properties. Might have a restore point there that works

[B.W.G]

Many Thanks ShyBaldBuddhist,I'm lucky I did have a restore point so the save is safe.

[iHeadHunta x]

That was lucky mate and all Thanks to ShyBaldBuddhist!

[City2000]

Good work there SBB, saved the day!

Looks a decent group and nice start!

[B.W.G]

Played 17 games in the Campeonato Paulista and we have a record of 16-1-0 while scoring 50 times.With regards to the Libertadores,we've won 2 and lost 1 as we lost to 2-1 to Boca but still sit in 2nd place after 3 games.

I'm hoping to get the Paulista finished tonight,my mid-season update will be after the state competition is finished.

[B.W.G]

São Paulo FC - Mid-Season - 2023

Competitions
Campeonato Paulista - League - Quarter-Final - Semi-Final - Final - Wasn't even that challenging,we dominated all the teams we played even in the game we drew which turned out to be one of those days.Not too bothered by the goals conceded as my tactics are more based on attack so I will go out to score more then the opposition.Although,during the four extra games,we didn't actually concede a goal so it was brilliant performances at both ends of the pitch.This win was São Paulo's 25th Paulista title and only need 5 more for the all time record!

Copa Libertadores - Group Stages - Second Round - Group stages were straight forward,although we did lose to Boca which was our own fault for not finishing our chances.We did beat them by the same score in the return leg but should have been more,no challenge in the other games.In the 2nd round we faced San Lorenzo and I was expecting a bit more of a challenge then they actually gave us,we dominated both games and could have won by more then the 6-0 we did!

Overview
So far,so good!We have one title in the bag and just the two to go.I am expecting the actual league season to be more challenging then the Paulista as even the bigger sides did not take it seriously.I even gave Bispo a run out and he scored twice in eight appearances so not too bad for a 16 year old!As for the Copa Libertadores,only poor finishing cost us a 100% record in the group.The 2nd round had some surprises with the holders Libertad crashing out along with Boca,Goias,Fluminense and Corinthians so I am fancying our chances of winning the competition alot more!

Roll on the end of the season which will probably take just as long considering I've only just got through 31 games for half a season!We had no major problems so far as we have scored 95 times while conceding 13 goals.If I can carry on that form then we should have little trouble in the league.

[iHeadHunta x]

A good start to the season mate!

[B.W.G]

Thanks

In the Copa Libertadores,we've been drawn against the sole remaining Argentinian side Lanus which I think we should be able to beat them but we can't afford to underestimate them either.

[pl-fikander]

Brilliant youth their but Brazillian/Polish, Aint seen that before (Weird combination)

There is substantial Polish minority in Brazil, see wikipedia for more details. One notable player of Polish descent is Filipe Luis Kasmirski (Atletico Madrid).

[City2000]

Good work and good luck in your quest to win the Copa Libertadores

Nice to see Bispo getting a few games aswell!

[deltablue]

Great boost to your Libertadores chances.

[B.W.G]

pl-fikander - Thanks for the link Guess it would make sense that one would pop-up eventually as 1% of the Brazil are Brazilian-Polish!

City2000 - Thanks I'm going to try and give Bispo a few games in Serie A level to see how it helps him develop but will probably do so against the lower sides.

deltablue - It is indeed,even though I made it more difficult then it should have been against Lanus in the first leg

[HotChocolate]

Almost perfect start, keep it up.

[B.W.G]

Thanks We have lost our first domestic game this year in a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Mineiro,it was a game where we could have won if we just finished better!

We've made it through to the Copa Libertadores semi's where we will face Serie A rivals Internacional.The winners will then go on to face Olimpia or America (Mex).

[B.W.G]

The good news is we've won the Copa Libertadores 3-1 on agg against America (Mex),the bad news is Man City won the Champions League...could possibly set up round 3 of Dai Ryder vs Man City (Europa League,Champions League and now Club World Cup!)

[B.W.G]

São Paulo FC - End of Season - 2023

2023 Transfers - Didn't really do much in the transfer markets as I didn't want to disrupt the team too much.Vasquez and Godoy were foreigners and we had too many so let them go to get the numbers down.Bahia,Dudu and Lorran were getting on a bit and were not going to be considered for backup.Everton left on loan to help gain first team experience.Fabio was nothing more then a headache as he did nothing but whine about not getting first team football and wasn't really that good compared to what we had!Only bought in three players as they are all youngsters who all have a bright future.I am pretty convinced each one will go onto represent Brazil at some point in the future.

Competitions
Petrobras Serie A - League Table - This was easier then expected even with players missing at important times.We managed to win the league with a the same point margin then last season as well as score more goals and points this season.We threw away stupid points most of the time we dropped some otherwise we could have performed better.The only game we deserved to be well and truly beaten was against Portuguesa as we lost 3-0.This title victory was Sao Paulo's 10th top flight victory.We did drop a few points around middle of July as were missing players due to the Copa America,u20 World Cup and injuries.The injuries were up front so we had to field two youngsters who did the job and secured more points then we lost.

Copa Libertadores - Winners - We eased through a group which contained Boca,Barcelona (Ecu) and Union Espanola with a record of 5-0-1 and scored 21 goals in those 6 games.The 2nd round saw us face Argentinian side San Lorenzo,I was expecting more of a challenge off them but they didn't really threaten as we won 6-0 on agg.The quarter final saw another Brazil vs Argentina game as we were drawn against Lanus.We blew a two goal lead in the first leg as we drew 2-2,the same mistakes were not made in the second leg as we won 3-1 giving us a 5-3 victory.It was an all Brazilian affair in the semi-finals as we faced Internacional,we didn't take our chances in the first leg and lost 1-0 in a scrappy affair.Again we were much better in the 2nd leg and won 2-0 in a game where we could have scored five or six if we finished our chances.The final saw us against Mexican side America (Mex),we effectively killed the game off in the 1st leg with a 3-0 win,the 2nd leg I decided to field some of our better youngsters,they managed to match them but America's finishing was better and won the 2nd leg 1-0 which wasn't enough as we won the tie 3-1!

Club World Cup - Winners - Easily beat Zamalek 4-0 in the semi-final whereas Man City needed a penalty shootout to beat Chinese side Shenhua.The final,we managed to match them blow for blow but due to an unfortunate own goal and a equalizer,we end normal time on even terms which was a fair result after 90 minutes.Extra time saw us lose a bit of steam but managed to keep City out somehow to take the game to penalties.We held our nerve to win the penalty shootout to clinch Sao Paulo's first Club World Cup since 2005!

Campeonato Paulista - League - Quarter-Final - Semi-Final - Final - Wasn't even that challenging,we dominated all the teams we played even in the game we drew which turned out to be one of those days.Not too bothered by the goals conceded as my tactics are more based on attack so I will go out to score more then the opposition.Although,during the four extra games,we didn't actually concede a goal so it was brilliant performances at both ends of the pitch.This win was São Paulo's 25th Paulista title and only need 5 more for the all time record!

Players,Stats and Awards
Quick look at Player Stats

Pedro Paulo was the top scorer hitting 24 goals in 46 appearances.He probably would have had more if it wasn't for nearly four months worth of injuries during the season so was a brilliant return from the 29 year old.Hasn't been a well known goal scorer except for the odd season at Sao Paulo and a loan spell in Chile so did very well this season.His goal scoring tally includes a brilliant hat-trick against Zamalek in the Club World Cup semi-final.

Andres Sierra topped the assist chart with an impressive 26 and also scored 11 goals as he went on to pick up Bolade Ouro.Only played 51 games out of a possible 63 due to Copa America commitments with Colombia but he was brilliant when he was with the club.Has attracted attention from Italy and turned down a £21.5 million bid from Chelsea for him!

Goncalves won Melhor meia.He was our first choice AMR this season and performed brilliantly.He scored 8 and provided 14 assists so was a good season off him.Was a very handy player due to his versatility did play in AML when Lucas Moura was injured towards the end of the season.

Fabio won Revelacao do Brasileirao,for me it was brilliant having a backup of Fabio's quality.He produced the goods when he needed to,contributed with 14 goals and 11 assists this season in his major breakthrough season.

Special mentions to Lucas Moura and Ruben Rojas.They both performed brilliantly but were just outshone by a couple of others.Lucas Moura contributed with 15 goals and 15 assists,was pretty much unstoppable during the State Championship but suffered an injury during the league campaign and wasn't the same towards the end.He is 31 and not showing any signs of decline so still could have plenty of fuel left in the tank.Ruben Rojas could have had a much more impact if it wasn't for the 3 month injury from a torn hamstring he suffered while at the Copa America.Even so he still managed to hit 22 goals as well as 12 assists in 38 games so no real complaints off me there.

Overview
This is was a pretty easy season other then the Man City game in the Club World Cup.Do I feel satisfied with winning a clean sweep...not really,this season proved nothing for me as we were easily the better side even when we had players missing due to the Copa America and the u20 World Cup so we had eleven players missing at once due to the end of the Copa and the start of the u20 World Cup.In 63 games,we scored 152 goals and conceded 37 so we were pretty dominant,the games we did throw away points in were our own fault.With regards to the Copa Libertadores,it has become pretty unpredictable as anyone can beat anyone so most definitely a competition to keep an eye out for in the future!

My future is not at Sao Paulo,I will be resigning on the 1/1/24.My next job will be in North America,South Africa or Asia as these should me more of a challenge for me and I want to prove myself.These three are my first choices as they are the continents which I've not won a Champions League in.I did land on my feet getting a job at Sao Paulo and I have set them up for the future by getting in youngsters as well as sorting their foreign limit out so they will be able to move forward in the future.I did have a chance of moving back to Europe and Germany but I decided to reject the Borussia Dortmund offer.

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!
2017/18  RB Leipzig  3.fußball liga    Germany       1st         N/A          N/A          7899            Promotion!
2018/19  RB Leipzig   2.Bundesliga     Germany       1st       1st Rnd        N/A          13209        Title + Promotion!
2019/20  RB Leipzig   1.Bundesliga     Germany       3rd      RUNNER-UP       N/A          21573        CL Qualification!
2020/21  RB Leipzig   1.Bundesliga     Germany       2nd       WINNERS       GS/RU         27012        DFB-POKAL winners!
2021/22  RB Leipzig   1.Bundesliga     Germany       1st       WINNERS      WINNERS        36664           Won Treble!
2022     Sao Paulo      Serie A        Brazil        1st         N/A         Group         58710           Won Double!
2023     Sao Paulo      Serie A        Brazil        1st         N/A        WINNERS        57771          Clean Sweep!

[iHeadHunta x]

Brilliant season mate! Not much more you can win apart from the cup!

[deltablue]

Had a feeling you might want to move on.

[SRL88]

Great season mate. Hope you get the job your after.

[B.W.G]

iheadhunta x - Thanks Not even sure that it is possible to win the cup if you compete in the Copa Libertadores.

deltablue - It just didn't feel right for me,things were basically in place so couldn't really do much!

SRL88 - Thanks There is a job going in one of the three continents I wanted to manage in so I've applied so it's a case of wait and see!

[B.W.G]

Job offer from MLS



Will accept this offer.Never played in the MLS so this will be a laugh and a challenge.

[rancer890]

Good luck in Colorado mate. There's my thread and cerud's thread if you need assistance.

[deltablue]

Colorado is not enough.

[B.W.G]

Colorado Rapids - Takeover - 2024

Not really much to say,we will be competing in the MLS Western Conference,MLS Cup and the CONCACAF Champions League.The Champions League is already under progress but we have a really difficult quarter final draw as we are against America (Mex).

The Team.....What Team?


Overview
Not really much to say as it is early days.We need a new assistant manager and we also have the drafts coming up so I won't really be able to comment about how we will fair till the start of March.The players we have got seem to be very good for MLS level but we have no real backup,will need to replace a couple of players due to them getting a bit older,most notably Freddy Adu who is only 34 years old!

As for the CONCACAF Champions League,I'm not really holding my breath as America (Mex) are a really good side who I beat in the Copa Libertadores final with a much stronger Sao Paulo team.All I can say is that this will certainly be interesting.

[B.W.G]

rancer890 - Thanks Will look at both threads to get through this challenge

deltablue - I'm hoping for a rapid turn in fortunes like at RB Leipzig and Dagenham

[roganp]

Great final season with Sao Paulo . I hope you're able to adjust to the MLS better than I was

[SRL88]

Freddy Adu . Can remember when he was dubbed the next best thing and was one of the must buy players on FM/CM.

[HotChocolate]

Freddy Adu . Can remember when he was dubbed the next best thing and was one of the must buy players on FM/CM.

Freddy who?

[AK22]

An excellent final season in Brazil. Hope you can hit the ground running in the MLS, should be an interesting challenge for you

[B.W.G]

roganp - Thanks! We will see,this is what I get for taking the fearless approach....if it goes wrong then there is always Australia!

SRL88 - Think I might have that copy of FM lying around somewhere when he was dubbed the next best thing

HotChocolate - Now now,he still young and has plenty of time to make.I mean he must be setting the MLS alight at Philadelphia right

AK22 - Thanks MLS is definitely a 1st for me.I just hope I can pick up some decent players to give the team a bit of meat!

[cragswfc]

good luck in the us. Hope you get Adu playing well

[B.W.G]

Thanks He is getting on a bit at 34 years old but should still be useful for the next couple of seasons.Looks like he could be the creative force with him having a 16 for creativity.

[cragswfc]

Put a screen up of him please. Don't think I've seen him that age

[B.W.G]

Here you go craigswfc..one 34 year old Freddy Ady

[B.W.G]

Colorado Rapids - Pre-Seaspn - 2024

Finances and Budgets
Finances - £731,623
Allocation Funds - £356,000 - £327,000 remaining
Salary Cap - £55,879 - Currently Spending £37,267

2024 Pre-Season Transfers - I had nothing to do with those who left the club.Those who came in,I was not responsible for the first three but whoever bought them in deserves a pat on the back!Lopez,Torres and Rojas all came in via drafts.The last four on the list were players I scouted originally at Sao Paulo so knew about them.They are all hot prospects but with having restrictions in the squad,they may get some game time.

Expectations - My expectations in italics
MLS - Reach the Conference Final - Think that is a fair expectation
CONCACAF Champions League - Reach the Semi-Final - The board won't judge me but don't see us having the quality to beat America (Mex)
US Open Cup - Don't Care - I'm going to try and win it as it is silverware

Pre-Season Fixtures


Key Players
Youssou Badji - DC - First choice DC at the club,his contract is running out which is a concern but have offered him a new one till 2027.A very determined individual who is very rarely loses when it comes to aerial challenges.Rated at 4* CA so definitely one of the best players at the club.Interesting fact is Badji is the tallest player at the club!

Walter Segovia - DR - The oldest of our Bolivian contingent at the club at 25.Will be played at DR but can play in other positions so may be useful to switch around during games.Seems to be a consistent performer,from looking at him in pre-season,he seems to be able to time challenges just right which is a plus.Still has a bit of room to improve but is regarded as one of the best with a rating of 3.5*.

Sergey Baha - DM/MC - I don't normally choose a DM but I've changed my formation to play one as he is the best DM at the club and one of the best players at 4*.Has a high workrate which is useful as he won't give anything up.Played four of the pre-seasons in DM and played them solidly,he is a player who won't take many plaudits but will do his job to the best of his ability.

Freddy Adu - MR,AMC,AMRL - A guy who was once dubbed the next big thing,now 34 and has had a pretty average time in the MLS.He has been a lot better here then he has at Philadelphia,even at 34 he is one of the better player at the club.Can play in any attacking and midfield position so he will be a very useful players when it comes to mix things up during games.May try to get him on a player/coach role if it's possible.

Fernando Frontini - AMC/ST - Undoubtedly the best player at the club and will be the main goal threat for the team.Didn't really play much during pre-season as he suffered an injury so not expecting him to set the world alight straight away.Scored 27 goals in 38 appearances last season and I will be delighted if he could do the same again.Has 127 goals in 221 games during his career so is a regular goal scorer but has been scoring more in USA then he did in Argentina.

One to Watch
Abdiel Lopez - MC - Was the main draftee this season coming to the club in the main draft.Was the biggest talent to come out of it,I only got him in the draft and it got me a B-.He is rated at 2.5* for CA but has a PA of 5* so definitely be running midfields in the MLS in the future.

Overview
Well it was certainly an interesting pre-season considering we started off with literally nothing and no assistant manager to begin with.Didn't really do much in the drafts but the three we got in during the drafts are all good prospects.Also used my scouting from my time at Sao Paulo to help bring in players to fill in the international spots.I am not expecting to walk everything straight away but give it a couple of seasons and if it I can keep all the youngsters together then there will be no reason why Colorado cannot become one of the biggest teams in the MLS.

I've got a contract till 2027 and will see that through as this will be more challenging then managing Sao Paulo,especially with all the restrictions on what players we can have.We can only register 30 players but have 21 registered at the moment,I could do with another GK and a DR then we should be set due to the versatility of other players in the team.

[deltablue]

Lopes could be a great pick.

[B.W.G]

He could be,might throw him in the deep end and play him straight away see if exposure to first team football will help his development.

[rancer890]

Solid pick with Lopez. I think he could contribute right away.

[B.W.G]

Looking into depth with my team,Lopez will be playing straight away in one of the MC positions with a 19 year old so the two have a combined age of a real life Paul Scholes

[DodgeeD]

Great career so far B.W.G.

I spent some time in the MLS with Toronto on my FM10 journeyman save and it was a good few years. Even though the league system is wierd, it was a good challenge.And you've gotta love playing in a stadium with that name.

[B.W.G]

Thanks

Part of me is looking forward to it and the other part of me is dreading it in case I flop!I just love the names of some of the Stadiums in the MLS,I think another memorable one is Pizza Hut Park

[Dejay]

Good luck with the Rapids

[B.W.G]

Thanks

I've played my 1st competitive game with Colorado and drew 0-0 with America (Mex) in the first leg of the quarter-finals in the CONCACAF Champions League final,the second leg will be played at ours so hopefully having home advantage will help us.

[deltablue]

Far from Rapid impact.

[B.W.G]

It was one of those games where you should score the simple chances and you don't,that can be used for both sides!

[B.W.G]

2nd leg played,was a scrappy game in which I am surprised that there was only one card considering there were 26 fouls in the game!


Our reward,a tie with Mexican side Chivas in the semis.The other tie is CONCACAF Champions League holders Tigres against Guatemala side Comunicaciones!

[HotChocolate]

Nice going in the Champions League

What skin you using?

[AK22]

That's an encouraging start. You're only two games away from a major final already

[City2000]

Already off to a nice start.

Did a great job in Brazil, good luck in the MLS

[B.W.G]

HotChocolate - Thanks The skin is Steklo-X2.

AK22 - It is indeed,I've got it all to do in the 2nd leg as we lost 1-0 in the first leg but we do have home advantage again in the 2nd leg.

City2000 - Thanks Wouldn't say I did a great job,it was pretty straight forward stuff.From what I've seen of our team in the MLS,think I'll need a lot of luck

[SRL88]

Nice win in the Champions League.

Good luck with the rest of the season .

[abulezz]

Frontini is class, but Lopez is definitely something to get excited about

[B.W.G]

SRL88 - Thanks

abulezz - Frontini is class but isn't showing it at the moment,getting his morale up is proving to be a problem!I agree,my only problem is that I've not actually had a chance to play him due to qualifiers for the Olympics,the qualifiers are over and he still hasn't come back!

[deltablue]

See if you can get an early triumph in the continental competition.

[B.W.G]

Not happening,poor finishing in both legs cost us as we lost 1-0 on agg.The inconsistency is frustrating me,we can beat Chicago 4-1 then can't even score 1 goal from 13 shots in the next match

[B.W.G]

Colorado Rapids - Mid-Season - 2024

Competitions
MLS


CONCACAF Champions League - Semi-Final - When I took over,we had already booked a place in the quarter final where we would face America (Mex).The first leg produced a boring 0-0 before we won 1-0 in the 2nd leg to book a place in the semi-final.We under performed in both legs of the semi-final as we crashed out 1-0 on agg.Chivas would go on to win the Champions League on away goals.

US Open Cup - Not played a game yet,we go straight into the 3rd round where we will face Rochester Rhinos.

Overview
Take out our form from the Champions League,it has been a pretty excellent season.The team has finally gelled to tactics and have been able to find the net regularly.Frontini has been on fire so far,he has scored 15 times in 20 appearances in which he scored 14 goals in 16 appearances.We should make it into the playoffs if we can continue this form but can't take anything for granted and we still need to face Chivas (USA) twice.The youngsters are starting to improve which is good for the future so we should be able to match the Mexican big boys in the CONCACAF Champions League,this time I hope we can put up a better performance and eventually reach the final of it.

[AK22]

Excellent start in the league, should definitely make the playoffs now

[HotChocolate]

Making Rapid progress.

[B.W.G]

AK22 - Thanks We should do as we sit 2nd in the playoff table as we are 1 point behind New York Redbulls but we've played 3 fewer games then them so we should claim first.

HotChocolate - Only a bit,we seemed to have slowed down in the 2nd half of the season as we are drawing and losing games we should be winning!

[Jason the Yank]

US Open Cup - Don't Care - I'm going to try and win it as it is silverware

Plus the fed usually selects the Cup winner as one of its 4 representatives to the Champions League.

Always found it odd that MLS sides tend to de-emphasize it, even though it's been a ticket to continental competition. Red Bulls rather infamously punted on the cup quarterfinal last year, even though it was really their only shot at silverware. http://www.thevipersnest.com/2011/07...ves-in-us.html

[B.W.G]

Cup winners get a Champions League spot! I'm liking the sound of that

Well played to SI then,the MLS do the same in game.The US Open Cup semi finals are Fort Lauderdale Strikers vs Richmond Kickers and Colorado vs Minnesota Stars.As for Red Bulls,they reap what they sow,I can't stand sides who would actually put out the equivalent to a C team in the cup but that's more down to me liking cup competitions.