Tomtuck's First FM Career Adventure

[arinceo]

It'd be awesome if you were to receive an offer to join Madrid at the end of the season, however I still think your current plan of focusing on the 2018 World Cup is the best way to go about things at the moment.

[tomtuck01]

Oh right, i wasnt sure as there was no interaction box on the news item. I agree about not moving

I think you only get the dialogue box if you're considered to be the favourite.

It'd be awesome if you were to receive an offer to join Madrid at the end of the season, however I still think your current plan of focusing on the 2018 World Cup is the best way to go about things at the moment.

It would have been an honour, (they have appointed some else anyway), but I wouldn't have moved. My plan is still what you described.

[tomtuck01]

Sometimes a result makes you choke on your toast in a morning, this did that;



United are third. Crazy.

[SRL88]

I am beginning to like a few things which have happened to United on your save lately .

[tomtuck01]

I am beginning to like a few things which have happened to United on your save lately .

I'm disgusted with you!!

[SRL88]

I'm disgusted with you!!

But oddly enough I am a favourite of yours .

[tomtuck01]

Thomas Lewis' Career - November 2016 - Swansea City

Premier League





A god month, but it would have been a great one had we not drawn at Ipswich. The Arsenal game was a real battle, but we just about deserved the victory. Away to Ipswich we took the lead early and were comfortable, but from nowhere they equalised with a long range thunderbolt. After that we couldn't get through their defence, and they really earned their point. The result against Crystal Palace was as simple as it looked, and in all honesty it should have been more. At the Liberty against Birmingham, we totally dominated but our shooting was poor. We left it late, but Jason Malpass popped up with to late goals to give us a 2-0 win.

Even at this stage it is looking like a fascinating title battle between us and City. At the minute they lead only on goal difference, but are currently on a four match winning run. We are keeping pace though, and we hope to do so in our next match aaway at West Ham.

League Cup - Quarter Final



Very annoying. We were 4-0 up and crusing, then conceded two sloppy goals. We must do better. In the semi-finals we face Ipswich Town, who we of course faced in last seasons semi-final aswell.

[tomtuck01]

November 2016 Continued

Champions League





A great performance by Scott Sinclair against Hannover gave us a comfortable win, but it could have been four had he not smashed a penalty against the post. He no has four Champions League goals this term. The Inter game was very even and could have gone either way. A draw would have been a fairer result, and even though we lost I really can't complain about the performance.

We finish at home to Porto, and we can still top the group ahead of Inter.

[SRL88]

Hopefully Hannover will do you a favour so you can top the group. Looking for another League Cup there?

[tomtuck01]

Hopefully Hannover will do you a favour so you can top the group. Looking for another League Cup there?

Definitely. The record number of victories in a row is four, by Liverpool as a matter of fact, and I want to equal that.

[tomtuck01]

Nice little milestone to reach;

[B.W.G]

Very close in the league although Man City do look goal crazy at the moment and congrats on qualifying from the group stages,hope Hannover can do you a favour.

[tomtuck01]

Very close in the league although Man City do look goal crazy at the moment and congrats on qualifying from the group stages,hope Hannover can do you a favour.

As long as we just keep pace with City for the moment I'll be happy.

[SRL88]

Aiming to do a United come March .

[tomtuck01]

Thomas Lewis' Career - December 2016 - Swansea City

Premier League





Not a perfect month, but we're still their keeping pace with Manchester City. To win four and draw two in a month where four of those six games were away from home makes for a very good month. The only frustrating result was the one against Chelsea at home, where we twice took the lead and then surrendered it, the second time in the 90th minute which proved decisive. Still we followed that up with a good win at Bolton and a draw at Old Trafford.

Up next we have Tottenham at home, followed by a trip to Southampton.

[tomtuck01]

December 2016 Continued

Champions League





"Damn" I thought, when we struggled to break Porto down. But Inter lost 3-1 in Hannover meaning that we did top the group. Anther fanbulous achievement for us. In the first knockout round we have been drawn against Dynamo Kiev, with the first leg in Kiev.

[SRL88]

A very good month in December. Cant really complain with some of the fixtures you had & thank god for Hannover .

[tomtuck01]

A very good month in December. Cant really complain with some of the fixtures you had & thank god for Hannover .

We always seem to get the big teams grouped together. A good and a bad thing really.

[deltablue]

Who says there's never a German around when you need one?

[tomtuck01]

Who says there's never a German around when you need one?

Haha I couldn't agree more!

[Mike7077]

You lose so few games. It's really impressive. I wish I could come up with something that avoids defeat so much, I really do.

[tomtuck01]

You lose so few games. It's really impressive. I wish I could come up with something that avoids defeat so much, I really do.

I put it down to playing relatively boring, possession football.

We just sit deep and keep the ball. Quite often my fullbacks and defensive midfielder make over 60 passes, and have a completion rate of more than 90%, simply because they're just passing it short and simple between themselves.

[AcidBurn]

I put it down to playing relatively boring, possession football.

We just sit deep and keep the ball. Quite often my fullbacks and defensive midfielder make over 60 passes, and have a completion rate of more than 90%, simply because they're just passing it short and simple between themselves.

All done with the tactics creator?

[tomtuck01]

All done with the tactics creator?

And with the use of "shouts". I've never used them before, lord knows why not!

[tomtuck01]

Thomas Lewis' Career - January 2017 - Swansea City

Premier League





An excellent month in the league for us as we won four out of four, and moved above City into first position when they lost at West Brom and we beat Newcastle. We opened up with a nervy win over Tottenham, and followed it up with an even more nervy win at Southampton. However we were sensational against QPR, and Jason Malpass was simply irresistable, (except for the fact that he missed a penalty!). We finished the month off with a very good win at Newcastle, with Malpass again on top form.

Our performances in January earned me another Manager Of The Month award, my second of the season.

We have three very winnable games in February against Everton (H), West Brom (A), and Fulham (H) before we face Manchester City at the start of March. A crucial period is coming up.

FA Cup 3rd and 4th Rounds



Very poor performance at the Liberty in the 3rd round against Newcastle, but we put it right in the replay with a classy performance. We then faced massive rivals Cardiff, who currently laid 7th in the Championship at the time, and duly taught them a thing or two about football at the top level. The fans were thrilled with that victory.

In the fifth round we face either Dagenham and Redbridge or Arsenal at the Liberty.

[tomtuck01]

January 2017 Continued

League Cup



A couple of outstanding performances gave us a cracking 7-0 aggregate win over the Tractor Boys. The 5-0 second leg performance was one of our best of the season, and Nestor Schmidt inparticular really turned on the style, with two goals and two assists.

So we head into our fourth final in a row at the end of February, and this year we face Chelsea.

Transfer Activity

For the first time since I have been managing Swansea, there was no transfer activity of any kind in the January window.

[AcidBurn]

And with the use of "shouts". I've never used them before, lord knows why not!

I always use classic, which shouts do you use if you don't mind me bothering you about tactics lol.

[tomtuck01]

I always use classic, which shouts do you use if you don't mind me bothering you about tactics lol.

I'll paste what I posted in the tactics section of the forum in a conversation with Cleon;

As for my shouts I've got two sets, erm, set up;

Defensive - Push Higher Up, Stay On Feet, Hassle Opponents

I use this group if I'm under a bit more pressure. Although with Swansea I've made great strides, against the bigger sides away from home I still concede possession a fair bit, and this group of shouts work quite well. It closes down space, gets amongst the opposition, and of course makes sure the players don't dive into challenges.

Attacking - Drop Deeper, Pass Into Space, Work Ball Into Box, Retain Possession

A very Barcelona type of grouping I like to think. When I'm on top it slows things down and ensures the team probe for an opening, which, although it goes against the other three shouts in the group, comes from the "Pass Ball Into Space" instruction. It means that when the opportunity arises, the tempo is quickened in a flash by a through ball/forward run by a man off the ball.

[AcidBurn]

I'll paste what I posted in the tactics section of the forum in a conversation with Cleon;

Cheers dude, trying to get a 4-4-2 working with the tactics creator doing well so far for the first time ever using the TC so was just wondering what other people use with it.

Brilliant season so far the league is going great and still going strong in all the cups.

[tomtuck01]

Cheers dude, trying to get a 4-4-2 working with the tactics creator doing well so far for the first time ever using the TC so was just wondering what other people use with it.

Brilliant season so far the league is going great and still going strong in all the cups.

It depends on your whole set up really. The shouts work because of how I play in general, which is slow, methodical, and controlled. Using them with an attacking 4-4-2 for instance, they may not be as effective.

Cheers for the assessment of my season thus far. Looks like I could be leaving Swansea on another high note!

[Purefun]

Still going strong I see.

Can you tell me if Kompany, Dembele, De Laet, Mignolet, Vermaelen and others still play at the same club? Have other belgian players moved to english clubs?

[deltablue]

Impressive Ipswich win.

[tomtuck01]

Still going strong I see.

Can you tell me if Kompany, Dembele, De Laet, Mignolet, Vermaelen and others still play at the same club? Have other belgian players moved to english clubs?

I'll post a list of the most recent Belgium squad with the clubs they now play for when i'm home later.

Impressive Ipswich win.

I like to look at it as a bit of revenge for them taking a point off me in the league.

[SRL88]

Cracking month and yet another League Cup Final .

[tomtuck01]

Cracking month and yet another League Cup Final .

Thank you kind Sir. Hopefully we can make it four in a row at the end of February.

Before that though we have a busy month ahead, with three league games, an FA Cup tie, and the 1st leg of the Champions tie against Dynamo Kiev to play. And i have an international friendly with Spain sandwiched in the middle of all that!

[tomtuck01]

Purefun

Here is the last squad that Belgium selected; clicky.

The only normal regulars not in the squad were Marouane Fellaini (Manchester City), Jelle Vossen (Valencia), and Moussa Dembele (Fulham), who were all missing through injury. Marino Reynders is a newgen who Real Madrid recently paid £21.5million for.

[tomtuck01]

Thomas Lewis' Career - February 2017 - England

International Friendly



A great performance against the side just a couple of places below us in the world rankings. Yes they may have had just ten men for over 40 minutes, but we finished well and created alot of chances. I'm not happy about the possession stat though, and had they kept eleven men on the field it maty have been different as they dominated for the last 25mins of the first half.

Still, it was a morale boosting win ahead of a home qualifier against Poland towards the end of March.

[B.W.G]

Looking very good so far,hope it can be another successful season.Still a cracking win over Spain even if they did have ten men.

[SRL88]

Nice win over Spain.

[tomtuck01]

Looking very good so far,hope it can be another successful season.Still a cracking win over Spain even if they did have ten men.

It's sure going to be exciting. Hopefully it is still as close when City come to the Liberty.

Nice win over Belgium as Purefun shakes his head.

I beat Spain, he just wanted to know where the Belgium players were now plying their trade.

[SRL88]

My mistake .

[tomtuck01]

My mistake .

I'll let you off - it had gone midnight!

[tomtuck01]

Thomas Lewis' Career - 2016/17 - Swansea City

League Cup Final

How We Got To The Final



As with a couple of other seasons we didn't have the toughest run to the final, but as the old saying goes; "You can only beat what is put infrnt of you".

The Final
vs.Chelsea



Four in a row! Ok this was the least convincing of them all, but in a final I don't mind how we do it as long as we get the result we want. Scott Sinclair yet again saved us, this time in the fourth minute of injury time, but not long after I was tearing my hair out when his second penalty smashed the post! However, we won it without the need for penalties when a stunnig run and cross from Carlos Vela set up Jason Malpass to give us victory in the 121st minute of the game.

As I said previously, we have now won the League Cup four times in a row, and in doing so equalled the record which was set by Liverpool back in the 1980's.

[tomtuck01]

Thomas Lewis' Career - February 2017 - Swansea City

Premier League





Sloppy month, and one that now makes our next match at home to Manchester City even more crucial than it already was. We bossed the game against Everton, but when one of their center backs gets a rating of 8.6 and the Man of the Match award, you know it just isn't going to go for you. It was a similar story against West Brom really, only they scored with their only shot on target after a **** up between Michel Vorm and Kyle Bartley. We bunced back with a comfortable win over Fulham, but with us playing in the League Cup final City were able to pull three points clear, leaving us with agame in hand to negotiate.

FA Cup 5th Round



Great performance from the lads. Papiss Cisse hasn't had the best of seasons due to injury, but he really put in a performance here. Not our usual dominat selves in terms of possession, but we restricted them to just six shots, none of which were on target.

In the quarter finals we face Crystal Palace at the Liberty.

[tomtuck01]

February 2017 Continued

League Cup



As was said a couple of posts up, this was our fourth League Cup victory in a row. One of our poorer performances this season, but we won the trophy nevertheless, and thus gave me my seventh trophy, (that is including the Pepsi All-Star Cup, so could really call it sixth), with Swansea.

Champions League - 1st Knockout Round, 1st Leg



A really top performance from us, putting us in a very commanding position ahead of the second leg at the Liberty. Just like with the FA Cup, Papiss Cisse showed up for another big game and now four of his seven goals this season have come in the Champions League.

[SRL88]

Another League Cup triumph, going well in the league and should be in the Semi-Final of the FA Cup. This has the makings of a fantastic season.

[deltablue]

Very close race.

[tomtuck01]

Another League Cup triumph, going well in the league and should be in the Semi-Final of the FA Cup. This has the makings of a fantastic season.

Add in the Champions League, and there's even a possibility of doing the quadruple.......you know, in my dreams!

Very close race.

It's even closer now, but you'll have to wait until i'm home from work to see that in my March update!

[AcidBurn]

Things are going unbelievably well, I hope you can win the quad but there is a chance you could go unbeaten and not win the league, I don't think I have ever seen that on FM before. Good luck dude.

[SRL88]

You should rename the League Cup as the Tom Lewis Cup .

[tomtuck01]

Things are going unbelievably well, I hope you can win the quad but there is a chance you could go unbeaten and not win the league, I don't think I have ever seen that on FM before. Good luck dude.

In all honesty i would just settle for retaining the league title. To do that with Swansea would probably be my greatest FM achievement.

You should rename the League Cup as the Tom Lewis Cup .

I like your thinking.

[Rooney_08]

just had a good read all 7 pages tomtuck ..very impressive ...well done bro on all you success and your fantastic management , looking forward to future updates mate

[tomtuck01]

just had a good read all 7 pages tomtuck ..very impressive ...well done bro on all you success and your fantastic management , looking forward to future updates mate

Thanks alot. It's always nicf to have new people reading and commenting on the thred.

And don't worry, barring my save corrupting i'll be on this save for a long time yet!

[AcidBurn]

Sorry to be a pain but any chance of a screenshot of your squad with their average ratings for the season so far, would like to see how everyone is playing.

[tomtuck01]

Thomas Lewis' Career - March 2017 - England

World Cup Qualifying





As close as this game looks, it was more than comfortable for us. We dominated with 61% possession, and they only manahed oe shot at goal. Us on the other hand, were well off with our shooting, managing to only get four out of fourteen shots on target. Still, it was a nice comeback to give us a 2-1 win.

Up next is San Marino in June at Wembley.

[tomtuck01]

Thomas Lewis' Career - England

FIFA 2017 Confederations Cup Draw




FA Expectations

Confederations Cup:Reach the final

Personal Expectations

Confederations Cup: Win it

We should certainly qualify from the group we have been given, and I'll be looking to top it. After that, who knows. Brazil aren't what they were, and if we play them at some point I would fancy us to beat them.

[SRL88]

Good win over Polan and probably only Spain who would cause you major trouble in the Confederations Cup?

[tomtuck01]

Good win over Polan and probably only Spain who would cause you major trouble in the Confederations Cup?

Spain? Are you looking at the screen funny again?

[tomtuck01]

Thomas Lewis' Career - March 2017 - Swansea City

Premier League





A pretty good month which in my eyes would have been excellent had we managed to beat Blackburn away. However, I can't complain about the fact that we have not taken the lead in the title race and have just seven games to play.

We started the month brilliantly by defeating Manchester City 2-1 in a game that could have gone either way - we controlled the possession, but they created alot more chances. That put us level on points with them ahead of our games in hand at Blackburn, but we again failed to turn domination into goals and had to settle for the draw. We then achieved a good draw at Arsenal, though we sould have won. Already 2-1 up, they went dwn to ten men. Frm then on we cntrolled it, but Christian Eriksen decided to smash in from miles out to rescue them a point. Fortunately on the same day City could only manage a 2-2 draw at home to lowly Crystal Palace, meaning we remained top. We rounded the month off with a solid home win again Ipswich, and maintained our one point lead.

FA Cup - Quarter Final



A commanding performance from us to send us through to the semi-finals. The only disappointment was that we drew the second half 1-1. In the semi-final we face Championship midtable side Derby County, and other semi is between West London rivals Fulham and Chelsea.

[tomtuck01]

March 2017 Continued

Champions League - 1st Knockout Round, 2nd Leg



A terrific performance to fire us into the Champions League quarter finals for the second year in a row. We completely dominated, having 64% f the possession, and over 20 shots at goal. Superb.

The quarter final draw looks very interesting indeed;



Great to see Swansea in there with all those European greats!

Not to be disrespectful, but we have got the easiest draw that was available. If we get past Sporting, then we will face either Bayern Munich or Manchester United in the semi-finals.

[tomtuck01]

Sorry to be a pain but any chance of a screenshot of your squad with their average ratings for the season so far, would like to see how everyone is playing.

It's not a pain at all. Here you go.

This is from the end of March. If you have any questions then feel free to ask.

I'd also lik to point out that a couple of players, including back-up goalkeeper Jack Butland, have been taken off the list because they have played so few games, and I couldn't be arsed cutting and pasting a screeshot for two or three players who have only made a couple of appearances.

[SRL88]

Spain? Are you looking at the screen funny again?

I think I am. I thought I saw Spain instead of Brazil and even read Brazil under it .

[SRL88]

Great work in the Champions League as well .

[tomtuck01]

Another offer from a massive club. Would be a great challenge - they may have won the Champions Leagu in 2015, but are without a Serie A title since 2003. However, my focus remains on Swansea, and I still intend to take a year out of club management at the end of the season ahead of the 2018 World Cup.

[tomtuck01]

I think I am. I thought I saw Spain instead of Brazil and even read Brazil under it .

Haha time to go get those eyes tested!

Great work in the Champions League as well .

I'm stunned by our contined progress. It's great to se little Swansea amongst all them huge clubs!!

[SRL88]

I'm stunned by our contined progress. It's great to se little Swansea amongst all them huge clubs!!

Not so little anymore thanks to Tom Lewis .

[tomtuck01]

Not so little anymore thanks to Tom Lewis .

I dread to think what might happen to them when I leave.

[AcidBurn]

It's not a pain at all. Here you go.

This is from the end of March. If you have any questions then feel free to ask.

I'd also lik to point out that a couple of players, including back-up goalkeeper Jack Butland, have been taken off the list because they have played so few games, and I couldn't be arsed cutting and pasting a screeshot for two or three players who have only made a couple of appearances.

Nice, like the way you are getting good performances from the CM's people complain that midfielders do not get high enough ratings. Thought Joe Allen might have performed a bit better.

[tomtuck01]

Nice, like the way you are getting good performances from the CM's people complain that midfielders do not get high enough ratings. Thought Joe Allen might have performed a bit better.

It's because I use him as my DM. He just makes interceptions and passes it simply, so I can understand why his Avg. Rating wouldn't be so high. Him and Leon Britton play the same role, hence why their ratings are pretty similar.

[tomtuck01]

Premier League - The Race For The Title


Just thought I'd share with you the last six games of both Swansea and Manchester City. As it stands there is just a point between us, and the run in looks like being very close indeed.

Swansea City



Manchester City



Their run in is slightly tougher, but we both have tough away games, so it looks like it is going to be extremely close.

[SRL88]

Effectively the same run-in pretty much, give or take. Hopefully you can come out on top.

[Reedy_1988]

Given the choice i'd take your run in over theirs, fingers crossed for you that you do it! I'm rather envious of you as you have a really interesting save going, i hope my current one is half as exciting as this read has been for me. Good luck!!

[tomtuck01]

Given the choice i'd take your run in over theirs, fingers crossed for you that you do it! I'm rather envious of you as you have a really interesting save going, i hope my current one is half as exciting as this read has been for me. Good luck!!

I definitely agree. If it comes to the last day aswell, they have tricky game against Tottenham, albeit at home.

Thanks for the comments on my save, it's always appreciated when nice comments are made.

[deltablue]

I think they just have it tougher.

[tomtuck01]

Papiss Nooooooooooooooooo!

[tomtuck01]

I think they just have it tougher.

I quite agree, but it's certainly going to be an interesting race.

[JackJCFC]

That injury to Cisse is awful timing. Hopefully he'll still be the same player when he returns from injury.

[tomtuck01]

That injury to Cisse is awful timing. Hopefully he'll still be the same player when he returns from injury.

He hasn't been that great this season anyway due to other little niggles. But his form had just started picking up and he'd scored four in his last five games and was taking the burden off young Jason Malpass. Hopefully Malpass can shoulder the responsibility.

[tomtuck01]

Thomas Lewis' Career - April 2017 - Swansea City

Premier League





A really top drawer month for us, with the only dropped points coming at Anfield, and even then we earned a 0-0 draw. We started the month with two 3-0 wins, with three of the six goals coming from our fullbacks! After that we grabbed a hard fought 1-0 win at home to West Ham days after our FA Cup semi-final, and just three days after that we got what proved to be a massive 0-0 draw at Anfield to extend our lead at the top of the table to four points, as City lost 2-0 at Chelsea. We finished the month by coming from behind to beat Wolves 2-1, with Angel Rangel scoring the winner, and what could be a vital goal.

The great form of the tem this month earned me my third Manager Of The Month award this season. Hopefully a fourth will come in May and we will lift the title.

FA Cup - Semi Final



We didn't play very well in this tie, hence why we needed extra time, but we won in the end, and in an FA Cup semi-final that is the main thing. In all honesty the 3-0 win didn't flatter us, but I wish it had come sooner.

To my surprise, we will face Fulham in the FA Cup Final. Hopefully we will add another trophy to the collection.

[tomtuck01]

April 2017 Continued

Champions League - Quarter Finals and Semi Final 1st Leg



A superb couple of performances against Sporting, especially the 2-0 home leg win, which we totally dominated. As with the first leg, we benefited with an own goal in the second leg to hand us a 1-0 win, and 3-0 victory on aggregate.

In the semi-final we faced Bayern Munich, who battered Manchester United 5-2 on aggregate in the quarter finals. However, in the Allianz Arena we were unreal. They peppered our goal with shot after shot, but we stood firm, and the usual man, Scott Sinclair, popped up to give us an unlikely 1-0 win. The return leg will be just as tough, but we hold a slender advantage which could be crucial.

[tomtuck01]

Fair enough, I'm giving my May update away by posting this, but what the hell;



Unbelievable achievement for Swansea!!

[tomtuck01]

Thomas Lewis' Career - 2016/17 - Swansea City

FA Cup Final

How We Got To The Final



Some really good performances on our run to the final. Defeating our biggest rivals, Cardiff, was a great moment for the fans, and beating Arsenal in the fifth round was as sweet as always. Having to go to extr time against Derby was frustrating, but we got through in the end and into my first FA Cup final with Swansea.

The Final
vs.Fulham



Alot more comfortable than the scoreline suggests, but whatever the scoreline, getting the win is all that matters. We bossed possession, and had double the amount of attempts at goal than they did, it was just unfortunate that our finishing was a bit wayward. I was delighted by the scorer of what proved to be the winner - Leon Britton. At 34 now his career is winding down a bit, but he has really put in some top performances of late, and deserved his place in the starting XI ahead of Joe Allen. A real Swansea great.

[AcidBurn]

Brilliant season dude, I am betting I am not the only one who is looking forward to seeing how the second leg against Bayern goes.

[tomtuck01]

Brilliant season dude, I am betting I am not the only one who is looking forward to seeing how the second leg against Bayern goes.

Indeed it i ready to post, I'm just unsure of how to order things. (I think I may have given things away by saying that!)

[tomtuck01]

With our Champions League 2nd leg been early in May, I have split my May update up. In this update there will be the conclusion of the league campaign, and the Champions League 2nd leg. After that the Champins League Final, (sorry for giving away that I made it past Bayern), will be posted about, followed by the rest of my May update, with the FA Cup final and Champions League final being the focus of the attention.



Thomas Lewis' Career - May 2017 - Swansea City

Premier League





Superb stuff to retain the title and go the season unbeaten. We secured the title with the 1-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, as Manchester City lost later the same day at Old Trafford to Manchester United. For ur last game against Bolton I rested alot of players for a massive game that was to come just six days later, but we still managed another 1-0 win.

Champions League - Semi Final 2nd Leg



Insane! A great performance by us, if not a touch frustrating aswell. We had a great first half, then seemed to lose focus and let them come back to 2-2 and put the tie back in the balance. However, we reposnded to that magnificently to with the tie 6-2 on aggregate after a sensational 5-2 victory!

Manchester City overcame Barcelona 5-4 on aggregate in the other semi-final, and would line up against us in Brussels.

[tomtuck01]

Thomas Lewis' Career - 2016/17 - Swansea City

Champions League Final

How We Got To The Final

Group Stage





A very good group stage perfroamce from us, with the only defeat coming at Inter in the game that could have gone either way. We managed to top the group on the last round of fixtures as despite our draw with Porto, Inter lost in Hannover. That could have proved crucail.

Knockout Stage



We had some sensational performances in the knockout phase of the tournament. Hammerming a team like Dynam Kiev may not seem that great an achievement, but for us, in just our second season in the Champions League, was superb. And as excellent as the home win over Bayern was, the performance in Germany was even better, the perfect European away day.

After the excellent games we had over some of Europes best, we faced a side we had jousted with all seaso on the domestic front.......

[tomtuck01]

The Final
vs.Manchester City



Yessss!!!!!!!!!! My delight at winning this can not be contained! I said earlier this season that retaining the Premier League title with Swansea would be my greatest FM achievement, but even that doesn't come close to this!

It may not have been a great performance, i terms of chances they bossed things, but we hung on in there thanks to excellent performances from our back four and goalkeeper to take it to penalties, and in actual fact the chances we did create were decent chances and we could indeed have won it before extra time and penalties wre even needed. Nevertheless, winning on penalties added to the drama, and I loved the fact that my captain, Michel Vorm, decided it by saving Vincent Kompany's penalty.

[tomtuck01]

May 2017 Continued

FA Cup - Final



A decent performance, and the scoreline doesn't reflect our domination. This proved to be the third part of the quadruple, and it was Swansea's first FA Cup victory. Anoter remarkable achievement for the South Wales side.

Champions League - Final



The quadruple was complete! It may have only been on penalties, but winning this trophy is of course the pinnacle of my career so far. Just amazing.

[tomtuck01]

So, so sweet to see!





The plaudits are nice, but alot of credit must go to the players.

[tomtuck01]

Second year in a row. Delighted!



Also the secondyear in a row that my captain has won this award. 22 clean sheets in 38 games represents a fantastic season.



I really don;t understand how he didn't also win the Young Player Of The Year award. Baffling.



I'm personally a little aggrieved that we have so few players in the PFA Team Of The Year. We won the league by nine points and went the season unbeaten, so to only have three starters is a bit of a mick take of our achievement.

[Reedy_1988]

Absolutely superb pal, i must say it's up there with the greatest achievements I've seen by anybody on FM!! you have a lovely looking squad i like the fact you've done all this without having many.. if any! world beaters you've managed to gain success by blending together the right set of players to suit your system, again many congratulations!!

[tomtuck01]

Absolutely superb pal, i must say it's up there with the greatest achievements I've seen by anybody on FM!! you have a lovely looking squad i like the fact you've done all this without having many.. if any! world beaters you've managed to gain success by blending together the right set of players to suit your system, again many congratulations!!

Thanks alot dude.

I think I've got a few decent players with solid attributs to be fair. My newgen Jason Malpass is superb, and although Scott Sinclair hasn't got outstanding all round attributes, his pace and acceleration make him a superb Inside Forward. Also Stefan Savic is a severely underrated player here on the forums. He's been top class for me since I bought him.

But you are right, and I've said it before on the forums, that it is more about finding players that suit how you want to play.

[SRL88]

What a ****ing season Tom . I take my hat off to you.

[AcidBurn]

Well done dude, probably the best season I have ever seen someone have on FM especially considering it is Swansea. So what's next?

[tomtuck01]

What a ****ing season Tom . I take my hat off to you.

Thanks alot dude.

Got to be honest and say I really never expected this when I took the Swansea job four seasons ago, I just saw it as a stepping stone to bigger things!

Well done dude, probably the best season I have ever seen someone have on FM especially considering it is Swansea. So what's next?

Cheers mate, really appreciate the comments.

What is next? Well, you'll just have wait and see, because to be perfectly hnest I have been resented with a dilemma. I had of course decided earlier I would leave after this season and concerntrate on England in the run up to the 2018 World Cup, but now I'm so tempted to stay.

[tomtuck01]

Thomas Lewis' Career - Season 2016/17 Review - Swansea City

Premier League

Results 1 - Results 2 - Final Table (1st, Champions)

Superb stuff from the side to retain the title. We remained unbeaten throughout the season, and we are now 50 league games unbeaten and closing in on our own record of 52. It was much closer than the final nine point margin suggests, and we only won it in our second to last game. We didn't have many high scoring victories, and infact we only scored four goals or more three times throughout the campaign. But we just very consistent all the way through the season.

FA Cup

Winners

Another first for the club, as the FA Cup was lifted for the very first time in the clubs history. We put in some good performances in the lead up to the final, including beating rivals Cardiff City 3-1 in their own backyard. In the final we won 2-1, a scoreline which massively flattered Fulham as we dominated the game.

League Cup

Winners

For the fourth season in a row we lifted the League Cup, equaliing a record set by Liverpool back in the 1980's. For the first time I rotated my squad somewhat, but we gave good performances along the way, including the top drawer semi-final performance against Ipswich. We meet Chelsea in the final, and although it wasn't a terrific performance, we won 2-1 after an equaliser in the fourth minute of stoppage time, and a winner in the 121st minute of the game.

Champions League

Winners

Our greatest achievement, and in actual fact my greatest ever Fotball Manager achievement. Throughout the competition we have had some brilliant results; beating Inter, winning away to Porto and in Munich. Thrashing Dynamo Kiev 5-1, and then Bayern 5-2 at home were also massive highs! And although we needed penalties to win the trophy, it doesn't take any gloss off this amazing triumph.

Other Info

Squad - Transfers - Finances

Every single player squad played their part this term, with the exception of Lizandro Perez who couldn't get a look in after 34 year old Angel Rangel showed some great form when stepping into the side for Kyle Naughton. From the goalscorers up the top end of the field, to the defenders ensuring we conceded just 33 goals all season. Again Michel Vorm was excellent between the posts aswell.

We spent pretty big prior to the season starting, resulting in us having our biggest net transfer spend in my time at the club, (£20.25million). Of the players that came in, Alex Teixeira, Carlos Vela, and Jason Malpass really kicked us on to the next level.

The finances really improved this campaign. Another season of success in the Premier League and Champions League really helped our bank balance, and hopefully for the future of the club the money will be reinvested in the facilities.

Top 3 Players

Jason Malpass
He arrived for £9.25million, a pretty hefty fee for a man of his age, but he proved to be every penny. Whether playing upfront or as my AMR, he provided goals and assits. Swansea should do everything possible to keep hold of this man.

Scott Sinclair
A great season for the man from Bath. He had his best goal return since I have been incharge, and also added 16 assists to his 21 goals. As always, he seems to pop up with crucial goals just when we need them.

The unfortunate thing for him is that he picked up an injury in the Champions League final and may not be fit for England Confederations Cup campaign in the summer.

Carlos Vela
I wasn't sure how much Vela would play when I decided to bring him in after a decent loan spell in the second half of last season, but for £2million he proved to be a real snip. Easily my best value for money signing of my career so far.

What Next

I had previously stated that I would leave at the end of this season to concerntrate on England ahead of the 2018 World Cup, and after such a great season I feel that I want to depart Swansea on te biggest high possible. At the same time I don't want to leave and see Swansea fall from grace.

I have a decision to make.

[tomtuck01]

Club icon.

[Reedy_1988]

Deservedly so too! tough decision on weather to stay or not would be horrible to see a new manager come in and ruin what you have created, i'd possibly stay one more season and try to replicate to the best of your abilities the amazing season you've just had.

[deltablue]

Not surprised to see you honoured.

[dagoonerfan]

Just read it all - WOW! Great story Well Done!