[FM12] Red, white, and whatever other colour your flag has - A Canadian's Global Travels

[cerud]

I'm back, and hopefully smarter with my save than I was last time around I mistakenly deleted my career save last time, prematurely ending my career, but this thime, I intend to be much more aware of what I'm doing!

FM 12.2 with a large database

Added Modifications

• FM12 Suzie Real Names for Clubs, Competitions, and Awards Fix plus real life media
• Metallic Logos Megapack
• taking care of those "other" fixes...the "I can't discuss here" fixes

Loaded Nations with all of their Leagues

• Argentina
• Australia
• Belarus
• Belgium
• Brazil
• China
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• England
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hong Kong
• Ireland
• Italy
• Malaysia
• Netherlands
• Northern Ireland
• Norway
• Peru
• Portugal
• Romania
• Russia
• Scotland
• Serbia
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Spain
• Switzerland
• Turkey
• Ukraine
• United States

League will change as the career progresses and likely shrink in size. The large number to begin with is to help facilitate an unemployed career beginning in smaller leagues.

Starting Date: July 2011

Beginning Manager Profile
Name: Cerud
Nationality: Canadian, with 2nd American (since Canadian and American sports are integrated anyways, makes for better reality)
Languages: English, French, and Spanish
Past Experience: Sunday League Footballer

[cerud]

Domestic Club History

Summary

Year        Country     Team                   League               Position   Other

2011-2012   Australia   Gold Coast United FC   Hyundai A-Leauge     3rd        Runners up in Playoff
2012-2013   Australia   Gold Coast United FC   Hyundai A-League     2nd        ---
2013-2014   Australia   Gold Coast United FC   Hyundai A-League     1st        League Title, Playoff Winners
2014-2015   Australia   Gold Coast United FC   Hyundai A-League     1st        League Title
2015-2016   Australia   Gold Coast United FC   Hyundai A-League     Resigned
2015-2016   Belgium     K Racing Club Genk     Jupiler Pro League   3rd        Cofidis Cup

Trophies

• 2013-2014 - Australia - Hyundai A-League - League Title Winners
• 2013-2014 - Australia - Hyundai A-League - Playoff Grand Final Winners
• 2014-2015 - Australia - Hyundai A-League - League Title Winners
• 2015-2016 - Belgium - Juliper Pro League - Cofidis Cup

Personal Awards

• 2011-2012 - A-League Manager of the Year - 3rd Place
• 2013-2014 - A-League Manager of the Year - 1st Place

[cerud]

International Management History

Updated as completed...

[cerud]

So...the job hunt begins!

I'm applying to anything and everything as anyone without a job would. I had some interest from lower leagues in Norway and Denmark, both semi-pro clubs. However, I was very suprised to get an offer that was impossible to turn down.

To put it into perspective...the Danish club was offering me a $16 500 US per year contract, barely livable. Norway clubs were offering $40 000, not bad and would have likely been my first choice until this. I received an offer from an Australian Hyundai A-League club, a professional club with a continental reputation. However, they are an expansion team, so that's why I think they even considered me. But the payday...an offer of $165 000 per year! The choice is obvious

[deltablue]

Yay, good to see you back.

[cerud]

6 July 2011

From the News Ticker...

"In a move that has surprised many, completely unknown manager Cerud has been offered the job with Gold Coast United. Gold Coast, recently added to the Hyundai A-League in 2009, has struggled to make a mark. The decision to go after an unknown Canadian smacks of desperation of a club who doesn't know where to look." - The Gold Coast Bulletin

Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

I've agreed to a 2 year, $180 000/year contract, which I feel is unheard of for a green manager. I feel like I should just take the money and run! However, in looking at the squad, I now see why they may be so desperate...or defeated.

About the Club

Gold Coast United Football Club joined as an expansion side in the Hyundai A-League on 28 August 2008 for the 2009-2010 season. Surprisingly, in both of their seasons so far, the club has finished in the top four. However, a mass exodus of players and staff has left the club in much doubt.

The Stadium - Skilled Park

Name: Skilled Park
Location: Gold Coast
Capacity: 27 400 all-seater
Owner/Rent: Queensland Government, $1.9M per year (+10% of gate receipts)

Facilities
Corporate: Basic
Training: Average
Youth: Mininal
Junior Coaching: Average
Youth Recruitment: Above Average

It seems as though Australian football shares a few similarities with MLS (designated players as marquee players, etc.). However, my understanding of MLS will help me here.

[cerud]

Yay, good to see you back.

Thanks, deltablue!

[deltablue]

Good first place to go.

[B.W.G]

Welcome back Cerud,good luck at Gold Coast Utd!At least you won't have to deal with their current real life problems

[cerud]

Good first place to go.

I feel as though I coul have done worse

Welcome back Cerud,good luck at Gold Coast Utd!At least you won't have to deal with their current real life problems

Thanks, BWG. Yeah, I read up a bit on Gold Coast. Kind of an odd situation they've got over there.

[cerud]

2011-2012 Pre-season



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

Hyundai A-League: Achieve a safe mid-table position

Media Prediction: 9th of 10

Wage Budget: $2 093 978 (currently spending $1 842 797)
Transfer Budget: $5.24M
Kit Sponsorship: $393K

The wage budget is actually lower than the salary cap of $2.52M that is set in place in the league, so that doesn't bode well. However, contract types usually have restrictive ranges and players must fit within that. In addition, each team can bring in one marquee player and three junior marquee (U23) players, each of which do not count against the salary cap.

I'm also going to be stating annual goals for each season. So here are the goals for this year.

Goals for the Season

• Finish with a playoff spot (6th place of above)
• Hire in new (and decent!) staff
• Begin the rebuild process of the very depleted squad
• Bring in a marque player

[rancer890]

Welcome back cerud! Good luck with Gold Coast, with hopefully less problems than the real life club.

[abulezz]

Not a bad place to start managing, Australia

Good luck with Gold Coast, and may we see you in the Asian Champions League soon enough!

[HotChocolate]

Aren't Gold Coast the team getting kicked out of the A-League?

Good luck though cerud

Linky for the Gold Coast thing: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/so...-1226285137642

[Nobby_McDonald]

Nice stadium.

[deltablue]

Waste of a stadium without the team any more.

[AK22]

Good luck down under, cerud!

[arinceo]

The stadium is also used by a Rugby League team who actually get decent attendances, so it will still be used if Gold Coast get kicked out. Keen to see how you go in the A-League though.

[cpfc543]

Good luck with this, looking forward to seeing how well you do with Gold Coast.

[cerud]

Welcome back cerud! Good luck with Gold Coast, with hopefully less problems than the real life club.

Not a bad place to start managing, Australia

Good luck with Gold Coast, and may we see you in the Asian Champions League soon enough!

Aren't Gold Coast the team getting kicked out of the A-League?

Good luck though cerud

Linky for the Gold Coast thing: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/so...-1226285137642

Nice stadium.

Waste of a stadium without the team any more.

The stadium is also used by a Rugby League team who actually get decent attendances, so it will still be used if Gold Coast get kicked out. Keen to see how you go in the A-League though.

Yeah, Gold Coast is definitely a club with real life problems. I did a little research and it looks like the Australian FA has taken over the club until the end of this season and intend to fold it afterwards. However, the owner is wanting to fight it in court. Sounds like a drama...

Good luck down under, cerud!

Good luck with this, looking forward to seeing how well you do with Gold Coast.

Thanks to everyone for the best wishes!

[cerud]

2011-2012 Off-Season Transfers



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

Transfers - Well, I've definitely broken the bank There is a salary cap, but my club also has their own budget on top of that which is lower. I've chosen to ignore it because I believe that we stand a great chance at playoff qualification.

Players of Note - A couple players will be good additions on the first team, plus a few for squad depth.

Mario Melchiot - D/WB R - Melchiot is a Netherlands national who has spent the majority of his career in England with Chelsea and Wigan. He will be our main right back which will allow me to move our other right back (also our Australian marquee player) into a centre back position.

I also have two players joining on 1 October 2011, including a foreign marquee player.

Cristiano - ST - Cristiano has played in the Hyundai A-League before with Adelaide United. However, the majority of his career has been spent in the Eredivisie with a few clubs. He'll be our main man up front.

[arinceo]

The owner and the FA have already been to court and he lost the case. They're currently looking for new investors but the future of the club isn't looking good. Very nice transfers, good to see you getting players with an A-League history (Edds, Patafta, Vanstrattan, Cristiano) and Sarota on loan is going to be good too. Just don't ignore your young players too much, in a few years you'll have one of the better squads in the A-League. I also suggest signing Hernan Espindola from the AIS, I've signed him with Central Coast before and he shreds at this level if you give him the time to grow.

[Jolanthustrel]

I also suggest signing Hernan Espindola from the AIS, I've signed him with Central Coast before and he shreds at this level if you give him the time to grow.

I second this. I having him playing in my Icelandic save, he's going great guns, one of my best AMCs

[deltablue]

At least you won't have such off-field problems.

[abulezz]

Lets get this season started! Cristiano looks to be a great signing up front

[cerud]

The owner and the FA have already been to court and he lost the case. They're currently looking for new investors but the future of the club isn't looking good. Very nice transfers, good to see you getting players with an A-League history (Edds, Patafta, Vanstrattan, Cristiano) and Sarota on loan is going to be good too. Just don't ignore your young players too much, in a few years you'll have one of the better squads in the A-League. I also suggest signing Hernan Espindola from the AIS, I've signed him with Central Coast before and he shreds at this level if you give him the time to grow.

I second this. I having him playing in my Icelandic save, he's going great guns, one of my best AMCs

Thanks, arinceo and Jolanthustrel! I'll look into Espindola. I've got some good young talent on my youth squad. Hoping to get some tutoring in. One looks as though I may be able to give a few matches to this year, but we'll see...

At least you won't have such off-field problems.

From the real life? I hope not!

Lets get this season started! Cristiano looks to be a great signing up front

I'm working on it! Work has been busy, so FM time has been cut back a bit, but I'll get there.

[cerud]

2011-2012 Pre-season Matches



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

The pre-season went fairly well. Mainly against lower level clubs; however, I did schedule one against our fierce rivals in the A-League. Unfortunately, we lost, but I thought the game was played very well. Just luck of the draw, I guess.

Australia - Beenleigh - won 6-0
Australia - Sydney Olympic FC - won 3-0
Australia - Brisbane Strikers - won 5-0
Australia - Brisbane Olympic United - won 4-1
Australia - Brisbane Roar FC - lost 0-1
Australia - Manley United FC - won 2-0
Australia - Queens Academy of Sport - won 6-0

Alright! Let's play some football!

[cerud]

2011-2012 Mid-season Update



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - Well, it has been an up and down season so far. However, I wanted to make the playoffs this season and, so far, we're holding onto that final spot. In the matches that we've lost, all except one was by only a single goal. Here's hoping we can keep it going.

Players of Note...

Joel Porter - AM L, ST - Porter has been strong on the left for us. He leads the team in assists, but has been hampered by injury. Interestingly, his injury has coincided with our recent bad turn. Hoping he comes back soon.

Cristiano - ST - Cristiano worried me in his first few matches. He didn't score his first goal until our fifth match. However, he's definitely turned it on now as he's tied for the lead in goals for the league.

[deltablue]

I think you should manage to do it.

[cerud]

I think you should manage to do it.

Thanks for the support Things are looking good. We've got 3 matches left and are about 6 points above the marker.

[cerud]

2011-2012 Youth Candidate Intake



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

Youth Candidates

My assistant manager thinks Jake Jackson, is the best of the crop. He have no one who is able to step up right away; however, there are a few will good potential.

Jake Jackson - M C - Decent physical stats for this level and given the Jackson's age. Hopefully some youth squad development and tutoring will make him into a fixture in a few years.

Trent Phillips - M C - Again, alright physical stats for a 15 year old, but Phillips will need to work if he wants to progress for 1st squad.

Jordan Carbone - AM C, ST - His Determination and Work Rate are nice, but Carbone's not that impressive to me.

[cerud]

2011-2012 Season in Review



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

3rd Place - Qualified for Playoffs

Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - The second half of the season was a dream. In our final 10 matches, we won 8, including an amazing final match against the Brisbane Roar, our main rival. Not only did we meet our goal of qualifying for the playoffs, we matched our best finish ever. I had very slim hopes for the playoffs, but I was happy just to make them and have an opportunity.


The Playoffs...

The way the playoffs work in the A-League is different. The top 2 teams play in a two match series called the Major Playoff. The teams finishing 3rd to 5th, play in the Minor Playoff, but only in one mathc, winner-take-all games. So, 3rd plays 6th and 4th plays 5th. The winners play each other. The winner of the minor playoff plays the loser of the Major Playoff in what is called the Preliminary Playoff. Finally, the winner of the Preliminary Playoff plays the winner of the Major Playoff in the Grand Final for the top winner in Australian football.

A-League Finals Minor Semi Final
Gold Coast United FC 2 - 0 Central Coast Mariners

Our first match was against a squad that we had won two of our three matches against, so I was feeling confident. We dominated this match fairly heavily and took the lead off a corner in the 7th minute. With a 65% possession, this match was ours.

A-League Finals Minor Final
Gold Coast United FC 2e - 1 Brisbane Roar FC

Ahh, meeting our rivals against so soon after spanking them 4-1 in the final match of the season This match...was different. Scoreless after 90 minutes, extra time was needed. Brisbane took the lead in the 109th minute and I figured

A-League Finals Preliminary Final
Gold Coast United FC 3e - 2 Sydney FC

This was set to be a difficult match right from the beginning. Sydney FC won the league during the season and it was going to be hard to overcome this as we lost all 3 matches against them. While Sydney FC went down to 10 men early in the 2nd half, they still held on for the tie at 90 minutes. However, Minnecon scored on an amazing cut in from the left side to put us over and into the Grand Final!

A-League Finals Grand Final
Newcastle United Jets 2 - 0 Gold Coast United FC

The season matches against Newcastle was 1-1-1. Even though the matches was fairly even, they capitalized on their chances, while we squandered ours. Still, we finished runners up to the Champions, not bad when we were predicted for a 9th place finish.


Players of Note...

Ante Rozic - D C - Not only was Rozic my best defender, he was also a menace on attacking corners. With his help, we led the league in goals from corners.

Jason Spagnuolo - M L, AM RL - I brought in Spagnuolo in the opening of the mid-season transfer window from Adelaide City from the lower leagues in Australia. Quietly, he ended up leading the A-league in assists. I'm curious as to what he'll do in a full season!

Cristiano - ST - Cristiano tied the league with two others for most goals in the season. Unfortunately, I have a problem. I can't renew his contract because when I do, they tell me I already have a marquee player. It stupid because the marquee player I already have....is Cristiano!!! I took a look at the bugs forum and apparently, I'm not the only one with this issue. While they are aware, it looks like I'll lose Cristiano at the end of this season do to this bug.


Finances - Our owner gave us a lump sum investment over over $6 million early in the season, which has covered operating costs. They don't like my salary, but are putting up with it because we've done so well.

Facilities - The rent is annoying, but not much I can do about it. It's absurding high, over double what some other teams pay, no even including the gate receipt clause.


Awards

• Golden Boot - Cristiano - 3rd Place
• Manager of the Year - Cerud - 3rd Place
• PFA A-League Team of the Year - Ante Rozic (D C)
• Fans' Player of the Year - Ante Rozic

Goals Revisited

• Finished with a playoff spot - Achieved! We finished in 3rd place.
• Hire in new (and decent!) staff - Achieved. New staff is decent, although not exceptional.
• Begin the rebuild process of the very depleted squad - Achieved. Although we did go over budget.
• Bring in a marquee player - Achieved! Cristiano

Next Year...

I have one year left on my contract with Gold Coast United FC. I'm scared about losing over half my starting line as they all want marquee contracts now. Not too sure how that's going to work, but we'll see. I'll definitely stick around this year and see if I can help the club grow.

[rancer890]

Good work cerud. Hopefully most of your key players stay so you can compete again for the title next season.

[B.W.G]

Excellent season,hopefully you will be able to push on and claim victory in the Grand Final.

[deltablue]

Odd round names.

[AK22]

Encouraging improvement towards the end of the season. Should point towards a better start next season (hopefully!)

[CityAndColour]

Spagnuolo was a fairly promising young player who lost his way a bit. Good to see you've revived his career.

[cpfc543]

Great first season, hopefully even better next season.

[cerud]

Good work cerud. Hopefully most of your key players stay so you can compete again for the title next season.

Thanks, rancer. I know I'll be losing Cristiano for sure because of that stupid marquee player bug, but hoping I can't keep a few others.

Odd round names.

Yep

Excellent season,hopefully you will be able to push on and claim victory in the Grand Final.

Encouraging improvement towards the end of the season. Should point towards a better start next season (hopefully!)

Great first season, hopefully even better next season.

Thanks, BWG, AK22, and cpfc543. We'll see what I can do in the off season in terms of players. I'm hoping to add some quality in a few positions. Hopefully it helps for next season.

Spagnuolo was a fairly promising young player who lost his way a bit. Good to see you've revived his career.

Yeah, he had a few years in the A-League before but never quite did much. He was recommended by a scout of mine. Definitely been a welcome sight, especially since he can play attacking midfielder on both sides!

[cerud]

2012-2013 Pre-season



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

Hyundai A-League: Achieve a respectable position in the League

Media Prediction: 5th of 10
A-League Title Odds: 3-1

Wage Budget: $3 851 494, an increase of 1 757 516 (currently spending $2 647 507)
Transfer Budget: $7.02M

Kit Sponsorship: $434 574 (a new, better deal, expires 2018)
General Sponsorship: $48 746 (new deal, expires 2016)
General Sponsorship: $48 746 (new deal, expires 2015)
A-League TV Rights Deal: $1.57M

The salary cap has been raised to $2.62M, which means that I actually have a good sized wage budget this year! Our Board, probably due to our finish last year, i wanting a good finish and the media is expecting more than they did last year as well. I believe that we have the tools to meet and exceed this.

Here are the goals for this year.

Goals for the Season

• Finish in the top three in the league.
• Make the finals of the Playoffs.
• Hire in a new youth coach.
• Find a new marquee striker and sign him to a multi-year deal.
• Strengthen goalkeeping.

[cerud]

2012-2013 Off-Season Transfers



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

Transfers - I've been able to bring a mixture of experience and young blood. I hoping that I have a real shot at the league title and possibly the playoffs, but it will depend of health and how well these new players transition.

Players of Note...

Brad Jones - GK - Jones has spent the majority of his career in England bouncing between the Premiership and Championship leagues. He's reserve right now in Liverpool, so I snapped him up for a free loan. The fact that he's Australian is also helpful too as he won't count against my foreign players.

Marcelo Macedo - AM C, ST - My new foreign marquee player. If pre-season is any indication, he'll be a star in the A-league. I also signed him for a 2 year contract so I don't have to worry about the marquee player bug for a while.

Nathan Konstandopoulos - M C - Konstandopoulos was added to the youth squad. He's young, but I think he has a real shot in playing on the 1st squad in a few years.

Promotions...

Jake Barker-Daish - M C - Barker-Daish was promoted from the youth squad this year. He'll get a few matches for sure this year as one of my top midfielders just went down with knee tendonitis for 6-7 months. However, Barker-Daish deserves the promotion and I'm expecting big things over the course of the next few years from him.

[cerud]

2012-2013 Pre-season Matches



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

A great pre-season. I had two matches against team inthe A-league, both great outcomes.

Australia - Queens Academy of Sport - won 6-1
Australia - Rochedale Rovers - won 3-0
Australia - South Coast Wolves - won 7-0
Australia - Central Coast Mariners - won 2-0
Australia - Brisbane Strikers - won 4-0
Australia - Brisbane Roar FC - won 4-0
Australia - Victorian Training Centre Football - tied 2-2
Australia - Spearwood Dalmatinacs - won 5-0

Now, time for 2nd season with Gold Coast!

[cerud]

Ugh.....

Well I'm four matches in and I have a goalkeeper situation. I had been playing my new loanee from Liverpool. Unfortunately, I failed to vet him properly and somehow missed that he's scared of the ball. In the first two matches, he let in the winning goal in each. So for the third match, i gave him a break and played my back up and we won. Figuring the time off would do him good, I brought back our loanee, Jones, for match four. Yet again, he let in a goal only to have us salvage a tie in the end.

Well, I also happen to have another decent goalkeeper in Kevin Hartman. Hartman and Jones were fighting for the top spot in the pre-season, which I ended up giving to Jones and placing Hartman on the transfer list. However, now with Jones sucking, I decided to remove Hartman from transfer and register him. Literally not a day passed before he complained that I wasn't playing him enough. He was NOT registered. Playing him would have been an impossibility. He should be happy I'm no longer transferring him.

Well, now this...



I've denied it because Jones is beginning to remind me of any movie with Amy Adams...he's the girl that perpetually looks like he's about to cry at any moment. Here's hoping Hartman realizes that I'm playing him now (at the first opportunity I was able to might I add) and shuts the hell up.....

[B.W.G]

Good pre-season,players like Hartman are too annoying for words,I hope he shuts the hell up for the you otherwise you could end up with a headache.

[cerud]

UEFA European Championships 2012

Group A: Ukraine, England, Ireland, Israel
Group B: France, Poland, Croatia, Montenegro
Group C: Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Czech Republic
Group D: Germany,Belarus, Sweden, Spain

Definitely a surprizing tournament, with Spain bowing out in the Group Stages. Winners France seem to have regained their form after the debacle in South Africa.

[deltablue]

Vive La france!

[cerud]

Good pre-season,players like Hartman are too annoying for words,I hope he shuts the hell up for the you otherwise you could end up with a headache.

Thanks, BWG. Looks like Hartman has realized its better to stay.

Vive La france!

In this case, indeed!

[cerud]

2012-2013 Mid-season Update



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - It's been a bit of a rollercoaster first half, but we've come out on top. Once I got rid of our Liverpool loanee and put in Hartman (see previous posts for goalkeeper fiasco...), our change of fortunes moved towards bing better. We crawled out of the basement of the league up to 2nd. However, complacency crept in and a hard talk was required to get them back on track. Suffice it to say, we turned it around. Our last night, a 7-0 destruction of last year's league champions Sydney FC will hopefull be a watershed moment and propel us onward for the second half.

Players of Note...

Ante Rozic - D C - Rozic, what can I say. He was the Fans' Player of the Year for last year and he's picked up where he left off.

James Brown - M/AM C - My young midfielder is a revelation. Knows just how to set up the front players and his assists prove this.

Jason Spagnuolo - M L, AM RL - A decent season for Spagnuolo. He hasn't hit the magic of the end of last season, but still one of the most consistent players on the pitch. Also getting some interest from MLS clubs.

[deltablue]

Gold standard so far.

[B.W.G]

Very good so far,hope you can carry on that form.

[cerud]

Gold standard so far.

Very good so far,hope you can carry on that form.

Thanks, deltablue and BWG.

It's been a great run so far. However, I just got this...



It would seem that my goalkeeper troubles are not over...

[cerud]

2012-2013 Youth Candidate Intake



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

Youth Candidates

Not the greatest intake this year. My assistant manager likes Graham Vrbesic and he might grow into a decent player. We'll see...

Graham Vrbesic - M L - Not really much to look at. Good pace for a winger, but he'll need to improve to have a chance.

Shane Johnson - ST - I like Johnson the best out of the candidates. Decent physical stats for the A-League. As long as he is able to improve, he'll have a shot in a few years.

[cerud]

2012-2013 Season in Review



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

2nd Place - Qualified for Playoffs

Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - The second half of the season was another good showing; however, we were not able ot win when it was needed in order to take over top spot. Still, 2nd place is the highest finish for Gold Coast in their history. I can't be too mad about that. We also qualified for the Major Final in the playoffs. However, we had been having problems missing Macedo, our foreign Marquee player and our top goalkeepr, Hartman, for the past few months due to injury.

A-League Finals Major Semi Final Leg 1
Gold Coast United FC 0 - 2 Brisbane Roar FC

Our finishing killed us in this match in that we didn't. Only 2 of our 10 shots actually made it to the opposing goalheeper.

A-League Finals Major Semi Final Leg 2
Brisbane Roar FC 2 - 0 Gold Coast United FC
(Brisbane Roar FC wins 4 - 0 on agg)

This was our first match with Macedo back after a 3 month injury. It didn't help; Brisbane outplayed us everywhere.

A-League Final Preliminary Final
Adelaide United FC 4 - 0 Gold Coast United FC

Disappointed. Disgusted. Jaded. Take your pick. We gave up. In fact, we never even showed up for these entire playoffs. Not a goal scored in three matches. I ended up fining my captain over his performance (a rating of 4.4). I'm thoroughly disguised with my squad after this as the playoff should have been winnable. This was also our first mathc with Hartman back after bein gout 5 months. I had hoped him back in the lineup would be a positive change. Nope.


Players of Note...

Ante Rozic - D C - Rozic was our best player once again. He is our defense and offensive force.

Jason Spagnuolo - M L, AM RL - A consistant player in every match.

Marcelo Macedo - AM L, ST - Macedo has a good offensive punch this year. He could have been much more if injury didn't cut him out of the final 3 months of the season. Definitely hurt us in the home stretch.


Finances - Finances took a hit this year as there was no extra investment from the Board. Our small gate doesn't help.

Facilities - No changes to our facilities. Pitch still in perfect condition even though I haven't even replaced it in two years. Must be magical grass.


Awards

• Golden Boot - Ante Rozic - 1st Place, Marcelo Macedo - 3rd Place
• Foreign Player of the Year - Marcelo Macedo - 1st Place
• A-League All-Star XI - Ante Rozic (D C), J. Brown (M C)
• PFA A-League Team of the Year - Ante Rozic (D C), J. Brown (M C), M. Marrone (ALT), Jason Spagnuolo (ALT)
• Fans' Player of the Year - Ante Rozic

Goals Revisited

• Finish in the top three - Achieved! A 2nd place finish was great for us.
• Make the Grand Final of the Playoffs - Failed... Our playoffs was laughable.
• Hire new youth coach - Achieved. Simple enough.
• Find new Marquee striker for a multi-year deal - Achieved! We still have Macedo for another year.
• Strengthen goalkeeping - In all honesty, I have to say Failed... We brought in good goalkeepers, but our early season fiasco and injury to Hartman for 5 months left us hanging in the playoffs.

Next Year...

I've signed a one year extension to my contract for $250 000. I want to at least win the league or the playoffs with Gold Coast before I look to move on. However, the quality in Australian players and the fact that I cannot go after other A-League players to sign makes this a difficult task. One more year for sure, then we'll see.

[B.W.G]

Was a good regular season but ashame to see your playoffs end in a disaster like that!

[AK22]

Ouch... and it was all going so well!! Lets see what happen next season, you're not that far off winning something

[cerud]

Was a good regular season but ashame to see your playoffs end in a disaster like that!

Ouch... and it was all going so well!! Lets see what happen next season, you're not that far off winning something

Thanks, BWG and AK22. I'm hoping for a better season this time around. I'm in the middle of the off season and looking at players. It been made difficult by one team offering every Australian player marquee contracts, even when they don't deserve it. Unfortunately, this team aready has a marquee players, so when the offer is accepted, it ends up falling through. This process has repeated for players numerous times, essentially meaning that the entire Australian player pool is being held hsotage and no other team can sign them.....

Needless to say, I've created a bug report on this.

[cerud]

2013-2014 Pre-season



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

Hyundai A-League: Achieve a respectable position in the League

Media Prediction: 2nd of 10
A-League Title Odds: 5-2

Wage Budget: $3 852 326, an increase of $832 (currently spending $2 656 410)
Transfer Budget: $7.01M

Kit Sponsorship: $434 574 (a new, better deal, expires 2018)
General Sponsorship: $48 746 (new deal, expires 2016)
General Sponsorship: $48 746 (new deal, expires 2015)
A-League TV Rights Deal: $1.11M

The salary cap has been raised to $2.78M, so our budget once again covers it well.

Here are the goals for this year.

Goals for the Season

• Finish in the top two in the league.
• Make the Grand Finals of the Playoffs.
• Find a new Australian marquee player and sign him to a multi-year deal.
• Strengthen goalkeeping...again...

[CityAndColour]

Your centre-half won the Golden Boot?!

[cerud]

CONCACAF Gold Cup 2013

Group A: Mexico, Canada, Honduras, Aruba
Group B: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Trinidad & Tobago, Nicaragua
Group C: Panama, United States, Jamaica, Barbados

Wow, did Canada get helped out by Trinidad & Tobago beating the United States and Honduras beating Mexico! Still, we'll take it! Hopefully this means the Canadian squad will start building a good talent pool for when I'm finally ready for the job

[SRL88]

Make so much easier for Canada but thats a fantastic tourament win for them.

[deltablue]

Glory days to Canadia!

[rancer890]

Send this save over to Junior Hoilett's agent. 'See if you come, we'll win the Gold Cup!'

[B.W.G]

Any wins a win,well done Canada

[cerud]

Make so much easier for Canada but thats a fantastic tourament win for them.

Glory days to Canadia!

Send this save over to Junior Hoilett's agent. 'See if you come, we'll win the Gold Cup!'

Any wins a win,well done Canada

Thanks, SRL88, deltablue, rancer, and BWG It's always great to see you nation do well, no matter who they play. Winning the Gold Cup is an added bonus. Hopefully it helps bring in new talent for the Canadian youth squads to develop as well.

[cerud]

2013-2014 Off-Season Transfers



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

Transfers - Not as much movement this year. I was able to bring in some good experienced players, and possibly a star player for the future

Players of Note...

Nathan Coe - GK - Coe just became a free agent recently and I grabbed him as fast as I could. He's rated at 4.5 stars for the A-League, so hopefully, my goalkeeper troubles are over! I had recently played the past few years in the Superligean in Denmark, so he's definitely quality.

Borges - GK - Borges is my young signing that I believe will be the future of the club. Already a great ranked goalkeeper for this level, I'm hoping that he can work with Coe and become a franchise player for the club.

Matt McKay - M LC - My new Australian Marquee signing. I was able to poach another club's Australian Marquee centreback at normal wages to replace my old player, which opened me up for improving somewhere else. McKay has spent the last two years in Scotland playing for the Rangers, so I'm hoping his Australian homecoming lives up to the hype.

Francismar - M RL, AM RLC - I had an international spot open, so I decided to look for an all out winger. Francismar was a costly signing ($400 000), but I believe will be worth it.

Promotions...

Daniel Bowles - D C - Bowles is not what I would call A-League calibre, but I need to coverage. Rozic, my star player just broker his foot in a friendly with the Australian senior squad and is out for 5 months. I need a backup to cover a few matches from my other starters.

Previous Promotion Watch...

Jake Barker-Daish - M C - (promoted in 2012) - Barker-Daish has improved greatly over the past year and continues to keep getting better. I'm expecting great things from him.

[cerud]

2013-2014 Pre-season Matches



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

A great pre-season. I had three matches with A-League teams, two good, one lacklustre.

Australia - University of QLD Football Club - won 5-0
Australia - Victorian Training Centre Football - won 5-0
Australia - Newcastle United Jets - won 4-1
Australia - Central Coast Mariners - tied 1-1
Australia - Sydney Olympic FC - won 8-0
Australia - Brisbane Strikers - won 6-0
Australia - Brisbane Roar FC - won 4-2
Australia - Manley United FC - won 3-2
Australia - Beenleigh - won 4-0

Now, this season we win something!

[cerud]

1 December 2013

From the News Ticker...



Hmmm....

[deltablue]

How bad is it?

[B.W.G]

Some good signings there and a very encouraging pre-season although losing your entire transfer budget is a bit worrying!

[cerud]

How bad is it?

Some good signings there and a very encouraging pre-season although losing your entire transfer budget is a bit worrying!

It's...bad. We're bleeding money. It's mainly because we have the worst attendance in the league by a long shot. In my three years so far, my season ticket holder have increased from 1500 to about 1560, even though we're progressively doing better.

We're losing about $400 000 - $500 000 per month. Hopefully, we get a cash injection like my board did in the first year, otherwise there is no way this club will survive unless I play with a squad of 5 players...

[deltablue]

Ouch, thats heavy. No wonder they decided that you couldn't spend any more.

[cerud]

Ouch, thats heavy. No wonder they decided that you couldn't spend any more.

Indeed....

[cerud]

2013-2014 Mid-season Update



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - All I can say is that I'm extremely proud of my boys this year! And admittedly a little stunned. I had Rozic, my star centre back break his foot in an Australian friendly and I had also lost my Australian Marquee centre back due to a bug with marquee players. I figured that my defence would die. However, new additions and new goalkeepers were brought in and we've turned into a bit of a powerhouse! The only blemish was the loss to Adelaide, but they're having a great season as well. Leading the league by 13 points with 13 matches left to go...I like our odds!

Players of Note...

Borges - GK - Both goalkeepers that I've brought in are doing amazing; however, the younger one, Borges, has been evern better. Three clean sheets in 7 matches and only 5 goals against? Can't argue with that!

Josh Mitchell - D LC - Mitchell was my replacement for the Marquee player I lost. I got lucky to sign him as he was Perth's Marquee player, but I got him for regular wages. A massive threat on the corner and a solid leader on defence.

Matt McKay - M LC - My new Australian Marquee player is the league leader in assists. The guy can move a ball; enough said.

Jhon Pírez - AM L, ST - I brought in Pírez at the beginning of last season as cover for Macedo. He was disappointing last year. However, while he didn't really score, his attributes kept improving. I played him a bit in the beginning of the season to great surprise! Now, with Macedo out with injury for 3 months, Pírez has established himself among the best. Currently leading the league in goals.

[rancer890]

Are they planning to cut your wage budget too? Not too, keep pushing for the regular season best record.

[cerud]

Are they planning to cut your wage budget too? Not too, keep pushing for the regular season best record.

Wow, I hope not.

But there is other news...


26 January 2014

From the News Ticker...



It's not a lot, but every bit helps, I guess.

[deltablue]

Might you be moving on soon given the financial situation?

[cerud]

Might you be moving on soon given the financial situation?

There is a real possibility, deltablue. I'd rather stay for another year as it looks at though we're about to qualify for the AFC Champions Leage next year. Hoping that some prize money in that will help, but it may be too late.

[cerud]

2 March 2014

From the News Ticker...



Got some more from the Board, but not sure how much more they're willing to give.

[cerud]

2013-2014 Youth Candidate Intake



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

Youth Candidates

No one really impresses me all that much. My assistant manager likes Nick Harries and he might grow into a decent player. We'll see...

Nick Harries - ST - Ok physical stats for his age and this level, but he'll need some dramatic improvement to have a shot with my first squad.

[cerud]

2012-2013 Season in Review



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League



1st Place - Qualified for Playoffs

Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - A dream season! Only 1 loss the entire season saw us win the league with matches still to go. At the beginning of the season, I would have thought winning was possible but never like this!

A-League Finals Major Semi Final Leg 1
Adelaide United FC 0 - 3 Gold Coast United FC

A great way to start the playoff with a win away from home. It was tense for most of it though as we didn't score our first goal until the 72nd minute. However, after that, the floodgates opened.

A-League Finals Major Semi Final Leg 2
Gold Coast United FC 2 - 1 Adelaide United FC
(Gold Coast United FC wins 5 - 1 on aggregate

A decent win. More tentative and the sending off of Australian Marquee player McKay meant that he would not play in the Grand Final.

A-League Finals Grand Final
Gold Coast United FC 3 - 1 Brisbane Roar FC

Winners! Triumphant! About time! This match was destined to be. A home match in the Grand Finals against our bitter rivals. We never gave them a chance. However, I had to deal with yet another of my players, Francismar, getting straight red carded. Not too happy about that. Still, we won the league and the playoffs. I can't argued with that!


Players of Note - It's difficult to choose this year as there were so many great contributors. However, these are the standouts.

Nathan Coe - GK - Goalkeeper of the Year. Coe showed why he's the best Australia has to offer with 7 clean sheets in 15 matches. He's also a regualr now on the Australian squad.

Borges - GK - Runner up to Goalkeeper of the Year. I think my goalkeeper troubles are over I played Borges in 15 matches and he matches Coe's 7 clean sheets. He had more goals conceded, but not by much. He is the future for this club and his skills are always improving.

Josh Mitchell - D LC - When Rozic was injured in the first half of the season, Mitchell stepped up. Together, they make up a dominant centre back duo that led us to the fewest goals against in the league. His contributions on the corner are a help as well.

Matt McKay - M LC - Led the league in assists in feeding the ball up as well as on corners. I'm amazing that his skills continue to improve even though he's already 31 years old. He has a good 5 years for sure at this level yet.

Jhon Pírez - AM L, ST - The disappointing signing of last year is now Player of the Year. He broke the team and league records for most goals in a season with 25. Not bad for a 27 game season. He has definitely won top spot up front.


Finances - The final match against Brisbane Roar FC in the Grand Final really helped! Gate receipts were the highest ever by far as we came close to selling out. We still finish in the red, but it's better than what it could have been.

Facilities - Same as ever.


Awards

• Golden Boot - J. Pírez - 1st Place
• Foreign Player of the Year - Francismar - 1st Place
• Goalkeeper of the Year - N. Coe - 1st Place, Borges - 2nd Place
• Manager of the Year - Cerud - 1st Place
• A-League All-Star XI - J. Mitchell (D C), M. McKay (M C), J. Pírez (ST)
• PFA A-League Team of the Year - J. Mitchell (D C), M. McKay (M C), J. Pírez (ST), M. Marrone (Alt)
• Fans' Player of the Year - J. Pírez

Goals Revisited

• Finish in the top two - Achieved! Won the league in style.
• Compete in the Grand Finals - Achieved! Won the Grand Final over our rivals.
• Sign a new Australian Marquee player to a multi-year contract - Achieved! McKay was one of the highlights of many this year.
• Strengthen goalkeeping - Achieved! Finally! We have amazing goalkeepers in Coe and Borges.

Next Year...

Well, I signed a one year contract extension at $300 000. I figured I had to at least try the AFC Champions League once before I leave

[deltablue]

Great win and financial boost.

[B.W.G]

Congrats on winning the Grand Final

[cerud]

Great win and financial boost.

Thanks, deltablue. The financial benefits will help, but I'm also hoping the AFC Champions League will net some good gate receipts and prize money.

Congrats on winning the Grand Final

Thanks!

[cerud]

4 May 2014

From the News Ticker...



Was not expecting this! We are now over $2.6 million in the black Hopefully this new season and the AFC Champions League will help us grow even more.

[rancer890]

Lucky for you that FM don't let teams actually go bankrupt and fold.

Good work winning the Grand Final too!

[CityAndColour]

I actually love Michael Marrone.

[cerud]

Lucky for you that FM don't let teams actually go bankrupt and fold.

Good work winning the Grand Final too!

Capitalism...with regulations!! Sounds very Canadian

I actually love Michael Marrone.

Yeah, Marrone has been a stalwart player for me. Hasn't missed many games and is a rock at the right back position.

[AK22]

What a great season, and a fantastic record in the league too! Good luck with the ACL next season; it should certainly help improve the financial situation!

[cerud]

What a great season, and a fantastic record in the league too! Good luck with the ACL next season; it should certainly help improve the financial situation!

Cheers, AK22! I'm not sure if I'll be able to top this record; the only way I could is if I go undefeated. But the ACL will be interesting; I'm looking forward to that.


On another note, updates have been further apart than I'd like, but my work has been crazy this year. I just too a look a back and realized that my last actual day off was 13 January 2012. At least I work from home, otherwise, I'd be going crazy about now...

[cerud]

2014-2015 Pre-season



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

Hyundai A-League: Compete alongside the top teams in the League

Media Prediction: 2nd of 10
A-League Title Odds: 7-4

Wage Budget: $3 844 339, a decrease of $7 987 (currently spending $3 068 166)
Transfer Budget: $1.98M

Kit Sponsorship: $434 574 (a new, better deal, expires 2018)
General Sponsorship: $48 746 (new deal, expires 2016)
General Sponsorship: $48 746 (new deal, expires 2015)
A-League TV Rights Deal: $1.57M

The salary cap has been lowered to $2.52M...must be a recession...

Here are the goals for this year.

Goals for the Season

• Win the League.
• Make the Grand Finals of the Playoffs.
• Make the 2nd Round of the AFC Champions League.
• Lose less money...hopefully

[Scarman]

Nice season there, pitty you couldn't do what Gold Coast said they were going to do in their first season and go undefeated haha

[cerud]

Nice season there, pitty you couldn't do what Gold Coast said they were going to do in their first season and go undefeated haha

Gold Coast in real life said they were going to go undefeated?? That's just asking for disappointment

[cerud]

2014 FIFA World Cup

Group A: Brazil, Montenegro, Japan, New Zealand
Group B: Senegal, Paraguay, Czech Republic, Jamaica
Group C: Chile, Nigeria, Ukraine, South Korea
Group D: Germany, Turkey, Colombia, Iran
Group E: Argentina, Netherlands, Cameroon, Norway
Group F: France, Mexico, Wales, Gabon
Group G: Uruguay, Portugal, Italy, Saudi Arabia
Group H: Spain, Slovakia, United States, Tunisia

2nd Round
Paraguay 1 - 4 Brazil
Montenegro 1 - 0 Senegal
Turkey 2 - 1 Chile
Germany 2 - 0 Nigeria
Argentina 3 - 2 Mexico
France 2 - 3e Netherlands
Slovakia 1 - 2 Uruguay
Portugal 0 - 1 Spain

Quarter Finals
Brazil 3 - 1 Germany
Montenegro 2 - 1 Turkey
Argentina 2 - 0 Spain
Netherlands 2 - 0 Uruguay

Semi Finals
Brazil 3 - 1 Netherlands
Montenegro 1 - 4 Argentina

3rd Place Playoff
Montenegro 2 - 3 Netherlands

Final
Brazil 2e - 1 Argentina

Brazil becomes the 7th host nation to win the World Cup. They now hold six World Cups; however, credit must go to Montenegro who surprized many!

[Scarman]

Gold Coast in real life said they were going to go undefeated?? That's just asking for disappointment

It was said as a joke, but their chairman was a bit more serious when he said they were going to win the league first season. As a Roar fan, I laughed at them before they ultimately finished 3rd and we came in 9th By the way, seeing Matt McKay at Gold Coast is absolutely terrible haha

[cerud]

It was said as a joke, but their chairman was a bit more serious when he said they were going to win the league first season. As a Roar fan, I laughed at them before they ultimately finished 3rd and we came in 9th By the way, seeing Matt McKay at Gold Coast is absolutely terrible haha

Haha! Yeah, McKay joined the Rangers in the Scottish Premier League for a couple seasons and I got him from there when they let him go. He's been with me for one full season so far and a great addition.

However, in other news...

26 July 2014

From the News Ticker...



The Whitecaps are listed as my favourite club so I would definitely go back home to manage them. We'll see...Rennie has done decent with them so far, qualifying for playoffs every year with the club. However,.....I could do better

Ironically, this is also teh first ever job that I've been linked with!

[deltablue]

Monrenegro didn't have a massively tough run though, taking nothing away from them.

[cerud]

Monrenegro didn't have a massively tough run though, taking nothing away from them.

True, but for a small nation, not bad.

[cerud]

2014-2015 Off-Season Transfers



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

Transfers - A very quiet off-season for us. Heading into a new season, I didn't want to dramatically modify what worked so well for us last year. I got rid of players who simply weren't playing and brought in only two new players.

Players of Note...

Jonathan McKain - D RC - I needed a solid defender with the ability to play rightback for cover. McKain spent the last three season for for Adelaide United FC as a 1st team member. Now he's with us.

Jonathan Wilmet - M/AM R, ST - Our new foreign Marquee player. I wasn't actually looking for a new Marquee player; I was just going to go without. However, Wilmet's agent made me aware of hs client. I wanted a new winger and Wilmet fit the bill at a fairly cheap price.

Previous Promotion Watch...

Daniel Bowles - D C - He's only a back up centre back, but I was mildly surprized at the level of his play last year. Was not expecting him to do as well as he did.

Jake Barker-Daish - M C - Barker-Daish is a consistent player. I'm hoping he continues to improve because he could end up being a franchise players for years for Gold Coast.

[cerud]

2014-2015 Pre-season Matches



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

A great pre-season. I had three matches with A-League teams, two good, one lacklustre.



A great pre-season including 4 matches against A-League squads. Now, time to defend our title!

[cerud]

2014-2015 Mid-season Update



Gold Coast United FC - Hyundai A-League

Standings | Past Positions | Fixtures - Given how our last season went, I was expecting to do well. We've lived up to my prediction. Undefeated 14 matches into a 27 game season. Unfortunately, we've been hit by a pretty bad injury, but been able to play through. I'm hoping that it won't affect us, however, once the AFC Champions League starts up later this spring.


Players of Note...

Ante Rozic - D C - Rozic has completely healed from his long term injury of last year and is back up to form. Still a mainstay on the Australian senior team as well. Unfortunately, he's been asking about a new and improved contract even though he still has 2 years left on his current one. I know I'm getting him for dirt cheap...but he was Marquee player wages and I just can't do that. Not sure if I'll be able to keep him

Jonathan Wilmet - M/AM R, ST - Our new foreign Marquee player has fit right in. Leading in assists, he's also chipped in a decent number of goals as well.

Jhon Pírez - AM L, ST - In the first 7 matches the Golden Boot player of last year already had 10 goals...then a torn calf muscle has him out for 5 months. Ouch...

Tahj Minniecon - ST - Minniecon has been with the club since before I even came onto the scene. However, he was always a backup. Wih Pírez out, he's stepped up and become a decent contributor as a striker. 8 goals in 11 matches is very good, more than I was expecting from him.


On another note, I've started to have my name mentioned with a couple of other clubs as a potential manager replacement. All are MLS clubs, notably Vancouver Whitecaps, Toronto FC, and FC Dallas.