FM2015 - CD Tenerife - An Englishman Abroad

So here goes my first FM career update thread. Decided to take over CD Tenerife in the Liga Adelante. Will be aiming to stay with the club throughout the save and take them up to La Liga and into Europe.

Leagues Loaded:

Spain - Second Division B

England - Sky Bet League 2

France - Ligue 2

Germany - Third Division

Italy - Serie B

Manager Profile:

As you can see the club doesn't have the richest of backgrounds in terms of trophies won, hopefully I can change that during my time at the club.

First Team Squad Report:

Looking at the squad on paper and i'm relatively pleased with what I see. The squad is a little short on numbers though and there pretty much no transfer budget to speak of and we are already over £600pw over the wage budget as I joined the club. Will be looking to fill out the squad with a few loan deals which will be tricky as things stand due. Got some real quality players at the club already so that is very pleasing. Got a little bit of interest already in one or two players in the first team that I may be forced to sell on to improve the squad (and finances)

Board Expectations:

Minimum board expectation is that the club avoid relegation from the Liga Adelante this season

Spanish Cup - Reach the Fourth Round stage (We enter in the 2nd round)

Media Predition: 16th

Personal Expectations/Hopes:

League: Finish no lower than 15th (22 teams in the league, bottom four relegated)

Spanish Cup - Reach the Third Round stage - The league will be my priority of course and with such a small first team squad i'll have to field several youngsters for the opening cup tie.

Key Players:

At the back Carlos Ruiz will be an important player for the team. He has good mental attributes, especially team work. He is entering his third season at the club also.

My Captain. Another player with strong mental attributes. One of if not the main reason I picked him to be the club captain. Excellent team work, work rate, bravery and determination. A real key player for me. Just hope that his aggression doesn't mean he misses too many games.

Further forwards we have:

On loan from Chelsea for the season. A real creative spark for the side. Versatile as he can operate in any of the 3 AM positions as well as up front. Hoping this guy can really do the business for us this season going forward. I'm already hoping to secure him on a permanent deal next season, all things going well of course.

Up front we have Christain Garcia, a 26 year old Argentine. A quick, strong and brave ST with good pace and finishing. Another player that can operate in various positions. Will start the season as my main striker.

Despite the blatant plagiarism of my thread I'll follow this

Despite the blatant plagiarism of my thread I'll follow this

To be fair he has improved on the title.

Good luck in Spain, wonder how the players would feel about having a 21 year-old manager though.

Pre Season Update:

A pretty fantastic pre season there I'd say. Played 6 games, won four, drew one and lost one. Can't really argue with that, a new manager taking over the side and implementing a new style and the players at the club have responded well. As you can see we had a four game tour of Portugal here, played some decent sides that would give us a game. The first friendly result was brilliant. Couldn't ask for more than that. 9-0. We had 74% possession as well.

Second pre season game and it was the toughest team we would face all pre season, Sporting Lisbon. Pleased to have avoided defeat in that one. Slightly disappointed to have lost 3-1 to Gil Vicente but that game came pretty quickly after the previous match and I kept the line up pretty much the same. Overall, a very pleasing set of results to take us into the competitive season.

Injury News:

After the third pre season game, Ulises Davila, one of my key players for the coming season suffered a broken ankle that will keep him out for between 3-4 months. We have an option to terminate his loan deal but i'm not going to do that. A real blow to lose Davila like that. Maxi Perez, another loanee also suffered an injury a few weeks before the new season, torn hamstring that will keep him out for up to 5 weeks. Raul Camara, my versatile FB will also miss the opening game of the season with food poisoning. So three players on the treatment table before the season has even got started is not great, particularly as I have a small squad of players. Though I have made what I believe could turn out to be an astute signing for us this season....

Notes:

The club has announced that it has sold 8,500 season tickets for the forthcoming season.

We have been drawn away to Mallorca in the Spanish Cup Second round -

Early in pre season I cancelled 7 affiliated clubs, all of them semi pro/amateur clubs

Vitolo is my captain, Aitor Sanz, vice captain

60% of any players sells go towards the clubs transfer budget

Good luck! I took over Tenerife last year

Good luck! I took over Tenerife last year

Cheers Deisler26

Update to come shortly.

August 2014:

My debut as manager of Tenerife in a competitive game ended in a 1-1 away draw to open the league season then. Our opponents were newly promoted to the division and I expected a tough game with them being on a high at being in the Liga Adelante. We went behind on 39 mins from a corner. They were the better team in the first half and had 14 shots to our seven. Second half and it was the opposite of the first half, we were the side creating the chances and found ourselves on level terms in the 62nd minute as we passed the ball around in the centre of the park before a pass out wide to my RB Javi Moyano, who controlled the ball, cut inside and played a simple pass to my vice captain Aitor Sanz who casually struck the ball into the bottom far left corner! A great strike. We had chances to win the game but a result was fair for both sides. Pleased to have avoided defeat on my debut as manager.

My home debut as Tenerife boss was against Ponferradina. We couldn't get a hold of the ball for the first 30 mins or so. The away side were in complete control. The breakthrough for them came in the 26th minute as Yuri hammered the ball home inside the box. A lead they deserved. Ponferradina played keep ball for the next few minutes, making sure we didn't get a chance to hit right back. I made a tactical tweak or two and we saw a little more of the ball. We equalised in the 40th minute with our first shot of the game. My RAM Iker Guarrotexena with a brilliant low early cross from the right wing into the path of my striker Christian Garcia who smashed home the chance! In at the break with the score level. Much like the last game we were the better side in the second half and had more of the chances but neither side could take the lead and the game ended all square. Again, pleased to have avoided defeat on my home debut.

Third game in the space of 6 days with our small squad and two injuries was always going to be tough. Even moreso considering it was an away game to a team who had taken four points from their first two games. I made a couple of changes prior to KO. It was a game in which neither GK was put to the task really. They had 5 shots (0) and we had 11 with (2). The deadlock was broken in the 54th minute and once again it was my main striker Christian Garcia who put the ball into the back of the net. My LAM Andreas Peirera (more on him later) with a good run down the left, with two players on him he stopped on the ball to create a yard or two to cross the ball to Garcia who flicked the ball into the near post. I went more defensive and made 3 changes to bring on some fresh legs but it looked like heartbreak with mere minutes left on the clock as they had the ball in the net only for it to be disallowed. Phew. In the end we held on for my first win as manager and a clean sheet to boot. My GK didn't have to make a single save.

Sixth place after three games. Interesting to note that the top two sides atm are two out of the bottom three in the bookies view!

Overall Thoughts:

An unbeaten month so start my reign as manager. Would have been nice to win the home game mind but I was slightly surprised we won the away game so that kind of cancels it out. A good start overall.

September 2014 Update:

So a busy month in September, four league games and a Spanish cup tie. We kicked off the month with a home tie against Numancia...

And promptly lost 0-2. My first defeat as manager of Tenerife. We didn't really turn in for this game in an attacking sense more than anything. Their two goals were disappointing goals to concede. First one was a 25 yarder which we didn't close down quickly enough and the second goal was an O.G from my GK, they shot, hit the woodwork and rebounded off my keeper into the back of the net. Game over.

Attentions turned to a tricky away tie to Mallorca in the second round of the cup. I made a few changes for this game and gave a first start of the season to four players. I expected to lose this game but was very pleasantly surprised as we played brilliantly to win the game 3-1. Squad rotation and still win. Fantastic!

Back to the Liga Adelante and with confidence on a high after the previous match we traveled with optimism. Leganes had made a very good start to the season winning three of their first four games, and that turned into 4 wins from 5 sadly for us. We actually took the lead through my CM Ricardo in the 29th minute and were holding our own until they equalised in the 73rd minute, another 25 yarder in which we failed to close down the ball and player quickly enough. Three minutes later and we were 2-1 down. We pushed forward trying to get the scoreline level but to no avail. Back to back league defeats.

During the week in training I decided to set up a new formation. Not that I wasn't happy with the 4-1 (DM) 2-1 formation I started the season with but I thought I'd try out a 4-4-2....

So we started the Recreativo game at home with our new formation and I was hopeful of a good result and performance despite losing the last two league games and playing a new formation. We were at home afterall. As it turned out I was right to be hopeful as we ran out 2-1 winners! We did indeed put in a performance in this game as well as getting a result. We had 60 % possession with 21 shots to the oppositions seven.

To round off the month we faced Barcelona B, they had won all three of their home games in the league so far. I stuck with the 442 from the previous game and it proved to be the right move as we once again took all three points. Diego Ifran, my striker playing up front alongside Christian Garcia scored his first goals of the season. The first was a brilliant goal. We had a throw in down the right side of the pitch. Strung a couple of passes together before my RM Suso played it down the inside channel to Ifran who controlled the ball, dropped the shoulder and created half a yard before smashing the ball right across the goal and inside the far side netting. We wrapped the game up 13 minutes later with Ifran getting his second. Their goal came around the 65th minute from the penalty spot.

So after seven league games we sit in 8th place in the table. Pleased with that. Delighted that we won the two away games to end the month. Huge wins. Disappointing that we couldn't hold onto our lead or at least take a draw away to Leganes but oh well, overall it was a very good month as we also progressed (unexpectedly) into the next round of the cup.

Notes:

Our transfer revenue from players sales has decreased 10% to 50%. Can't say i'm surprised as we are a little over £600pw over the wage budget with virtually nothing available in the transfer kitty.

Suso picked up an injury in the closing stages of the last game and will be out for two months. A huge blow to the side as he was in really good form last month.

My first choice GK, Jacobo also picked up an injury in training in a collision with C. Garcia and will be out for up to two weeks.

In the Spanish Cup we have been drawn away to fellow Liga Adelante side Alaves.

October 2014

So as you can see we started off the month with a emphatic home win over at the time unbeaten Lugo. They had won 5 and drew two of the first seven league games. We were flying in the first half with Ifran running the show, bagging two and assisting the other. In the second half Diego sealed his hat trick. Absolutely delighted with this win of course.

Following up that magnificent win welcomed bottom of the table and winless Racing to our ground. I was expecting a win in this game considering the situation, our last game, being at home and the opposition drawing two and losing 6 of the first 8 matches. We made a very good start to the game and took the lead in the 10th minute through Vitolo, the club captain netting his first goal of the season from the penalty spot. Our lead didn't last long as it was all square on 26 minutes. Midway through the second half were went behind, same scorer as the first. I was not pleased with the way this game was going and let the players know. I made a couple of subs and made a few tactical tweaks as we pushed forward trying to get on level terms. Off the bench Aridane, my third choice striker levelled the scoreline and it ended 2-2. A fair result but a disappointing one considering we wanted the win coming into the game.

Onto the Spanish Cup now and this was a third round tie against fellow Liga Adelante side Alaves. I made eight changes for this game, giving a debut to a 17 year old CB, Jorge, who in fact gave us the lead just 8 minutes into his first game for the club. Ricardo with the corner to the near post and Jorge made a great run to head home. Alaves responded really well and penned us back as they tried to get back to 1-1. They did just that on 22 through their striker Velez. Into the break at 1-1 and I told the team to step it up. We went behind just 3 minutes after the restart, Velez again. We equalised 11 minutes from time, my CM Q. Rivero. I was not happy with his performance in this game and had already made the change to take him off when he scored the leveler. We lost the game 3-2 in the 87th minute, Velez sealing his hat-trick at the back post via a brilliant cross that Jorge couldn't deal with.

Back to the Liga Adelante and we faced a very tough away game to Real Betis, one of if not the best side in the league. Back in came the majority of my regular starting 11 after their midweek rest. Sadly it didn't make much difference as we fell to a second straight defeat. I wasn't expecting anything from this game and that's what we got. No complaints. We made an abolsutely horrific start, going 2 goals down after just four minutes, both goals were cut backs to the edge of the box, left side and off the woodwork. They had goal chalked off for offside 9 minutes later and we went into HT 2-0. Ten minutes into the 2nd half and my captain Vitolo picked up his second yellow card and it was game over really at that point, or so I thought, on 68 minutes Diego Ifran pulled a goal back for us but it wasn't meant to be as we conceded again 16 minutes from the end.

To round off the month we travelled to fierce rivals Las Palmas. Another tough away game I wasn't expecting to get anything from and as it turned out we did indeed leave empty handed sadly. We actually took the lead in this one after 25 minutes but conceded with 10 seconds left of the first half. 1-1 at the break. Not bad. The winning goal came in the 52nd minute. In the last 30 seconds as we pushed forward to try and draw level Ifran put subsitute Aridan through who shot inside the box towards the near post but the opposition GK saved and the resulting corner was cleared. Game over and our third straight defeat and winless in four.

League Table

So we sit in 13th place in the league table after eleven games. Not bad really, we are four points better off than the predicted media prediction.

Notes:

On his debut for us Maxi Perez, a loanee, came off the bench for an injured player and then went off injured himself. After the game he was ruled out for 3-4 months.

We had six players in the team of the week (and one on the bench) after the Lugo game.

Overall Thoughts:

Not the best of months there in all honesty. We started the month off brilliantly with the defeat of Lugo, disappointed not to win the Racing game at home. Three straight defeats to end the month is not good but the last two games were tough away fixtures that I didn't expect to get anything out of. Disappointing to go out of the Cup after a narrow 3-2 defeat but I did make eight changes to the side.

Looking ahead to next months fixtures:

Alaves (A)

Osasuna (H)

Alcrorcon (H)

Mallorca (A)

Mirandes (A)

Hoping for at least five points from those games. Think we can get a draw at least away to Alaves. Beat Alcorcon at home and take a point from Mirandes.

Hi good season please tell me what fomation did you use and player instruction i just started with Tenerife,too bad that is Hercules in thrid division in fm 2014 i won ewrything thet can be won it last 6 seson i think that i can do this now with tenerife