[FM10] Der's More to Amsterdam Dan Dis....

[matt1389]

It's a shame, from reading your posts it really does sound like it's the one piece missing. Was that one of the things that made you decide to leave Ajax at the end of this year?

[Elrithral]

The main problem was my inability to attract a player of that quality, so it's half league rep, half not having an out and out striker. I honestly believe that had I signed Milevskyi, rather than Jo, I would have had a chance in Europe, but I missed out on the Ukranian and he went on to top score in the league for the past 3 season

[UELLfan]

Milevski is a nightmare to have when he plays for another team. In my save he's still banging them for Dinamo Kiev and is a complete problem when we play against them.

However, I'm starting to be able to stop him now either because my defensive setup has improved or just because as of August 2016 age is catching up on him.

[Elrithral]

*UELLfan, i'd take a 36 year old Milevskyi over any of the three strikers i've wasted millions on. He was a free and i've spent £31m on Wellington, Villalva and Marquinhos, none of them cut the mustard.*

December 2014

03.12.14

FC Utrecht 0 – 2 Ajax

Bouncing back from a poor result is nice, but bouncing back from a poor result thanks to goals from defence and midfield, whilst watching your strike force conspire to waste a dozen guilt edged chances is not so nice. Agbossoumonde is turning into quite a prolific centre half, he’s certainly giving Marquinhos a run for his money on the goal scoring front, next up are Feyenoord and Marquinhos has to show me he’s up for the challenge or he’ll be dropped to the bench.

07.12.14

Feyenoord 0 – 4 Ajax

The final nail in Marquinhos’ coffin, a 5.9 rating and two goals for Cvitanich within five minutes of replacing the wasteful Brazilian, what a waste of £17m Anyways, forget about that and on to the important part and a fantastic result against the team that looked to be our strongest challengers. It was great to get four goals because we had been a little goal shy so far this season, but it was extremely impressive to hold Feyenoord to a goalless home performance, they had been scoring goals for fun and I had expected them to score at least one. The performance and the result is the perfect confidence booster going into a massive game against Manchester United.

10.12.14

Man Utd 1 – 3 Ajax

Where are these goals coming from?! All of a sudden we are blasting them in and scoring for fun, nine goals in three games and the victories are coming with them. After a torrid start to the group stage we have somehow qualified and find ourselves in the knockout stages of the Champions League, I must admit that I thought our European journey was over after the second draw with Palermo, but we’ve shown excellent resilience and strength to bounce back and keep fighting for second place, not to mention how well you have to play to score three against Manchester United.

13.12.14

FC Den Bosch 0 – 4 Ajax

I think it’s safe to say three things; 1) Suarez is back to his best, 2) Cvitanich brings out the best in Suarez and 3) Marquinhos has definitely lost his place in the first team. Den Bosch aren’t the best, but on this form we would have beaten whoever lined up in front of us, regardless of reputation or squad, if we keep this up we’ll be in line for a very enjoyable second half to the season.

16.12.14

Ajax 3 – 0 NAC Breda

It’s my last season in charge so I have to go for all three trophies, in the hope that I can complete stage one, no matter how unlikely that is. That said, I thought long and hard about this game because I don’t see us winning all three and considered forfeiting the cup so as to focus on the league and Europe, but eventually I decided that Europe is such a long shot I may as well keep us in with a chance of a double at the very least. Gabby Obertan put in a man of the match performance, the first half of his season was plagued with injuries and I expect him to become an integral part of the team now that he’s fit and ready for action.

19.12.14

Ajax 3 – 0 FC Utrecht

We end the season and year on a high, a decent win against half decent opposition and yet another goal for Suarez. We dominated throughout and had too much for Utrecht to cope with, up front and in defence, but most of all in midfield, Cambiasso and Ekdal on the pitch and Busquets and Aquilani on the bench, that’s enough to frighten the opposition into submission.

The Season So Far

What a way to end 2014, six comprehensive victories, nineteen goals scored and one conceded, if we carry this form into the new year there will be no stopping us. Most pleasing is the fact that we close some ground in the goals scored column and increase our lead at the top of the table to six points and breathing space. There’s work to be done, but there’s no doubting that we’ve just completed the best opening half to a season yet and look stronger than ever.

The Champions League has thrown up a tasty tie against a team close to my heart, I’ll have to put sentiment to one side and focus on taking Ajax forward when we meet FC Bayern in the First Knockout Round. We scraped through the group by the skin of our teeth, but the wins against Hertha Berlin and Manchester United show that we are more than capable of competing.

League Table Mid Season

Champions League Group Standings

[Elrithral]

Again, apologies for the speed of updates, but i'm eagre to catch up with myself and I hope to make Jan/Feb updates tomo, March/April updates on Wed, which will cover my time with Ajax.

[Mike7077]

No need to apologise for it. Gave me something to read after work!

I wish I could get my team scoring like yours are. And nine out of nine in the league, hey? This season's going to be a big one for Ajax. I can feel it.

[MeLikeFM]

No need to apologise for it. Gave me something to read after work!

+1

If anything its a positive.

[Elrithral]

January/February 2015

Only one piece of big business in the January transfer window, Yago moves to CSKA Moscow for £10m. The Spaniard hasn’t been playing well and Sneijder and Obertan have, that coupled with his desire to play elsewhere made the decision to accept their bid and recoup our money a no brainer. That said, I was offered £15m by AC Milan during the summer and regret not taking it, but hindsight’s a wonderful thing.

The only transfer in was on the qt and nothing to write home about as 32 year old Daniel Carvalho arrived on a free as cover for the left wing.

21.01.15 & 24.01.15 & 27.01.15

De Graafschap 0 – 1 Ajax & Ajax 0 – 0 Vitesse & Ajax 5 – 2 Sparta

Three more matches without screenshots, sorry about that, I just get so into it that I forget to resave under a different name and then I can’t view the older matches. Anyways, a win and a draw isn’t exactly convincing, but the 5-2 win the Cup sees us through to the Semis and in with another stab at a double/treble.

31.01.15

FC Dordrecht 0 – 3 Ajax

Another excellent performance from Obertan justifies my decision to cash in on Yago. It’s taken the Frenchman some time to settle in and his attributes aren’t fantastic, but his pace gives the opposition defence all sorts of problems and he provides plenty of ammunition for Suarez to bang them in and keep us on top.

07.02.15

Roda JC 1 – 1 Ajax

Another draw and a pretty poor performance as we drop more points and go about undoing all the hard work we did during December. Sneijder had a rare off day and when he’s not creating, we’re not creating; he’s become an integral part of my side and didn’t cost a penny. We need to get back into the winning way if we are to stand any chance of getting anything from our two big games in February against Bayern and PSV.

14.02.15

Ajax 3 – 0 Excelsior

It’s Valentine’s Day and love is in the air, guess who Ajax fans, myself included, love. Mmmmmm Cvitanich. A smashing first half hat trick from the Argentine gave me the chance to rest one or two players in preparation of the big midweek game and got us back on the straight and narrow. That said, it was a good team performance and it’s especially pleasing to see Ekdal back to his best and scoring excellent average ratings, he’s keeping Aquilani out of the team and playing the best football of his career.

17.02.15

Ajax 2 – 0 FC Bayern

It turned out that it wasn’t all that difficult to forget about Bayern, I was camped firmly in the Ajax camp during this game thanks to some horrific tackles from the opposition and disgustingly negative tactics from their manager. The red card for Matuidi helped, but by then we were two up and coasting, it could easily have been four or five and I would be more comfortable going into the second leg if we had scored that many, but a two goal lead isn’t to be sniffed at and we’re in pole position.

21.02.15

Ajax 1 – 0 Sparta

Not quite as convincing or emphatic as our cup victory over Sparta earlier in the month, but not a bad result and a third win in a row as we prepare for a trip to Eindhoven. We have to keep winning, there’s only one point in it now and regardless of how many we score or how good the performance is or isn’t the points are the main thing. Of course sod’s law prevails and as you take a positive you’re dealt a negative; Cvitanich will miss the big game against second place and I’ll have to rely on Marquinhos.There

27.02.15

PSV 1 – 2 Ajax

There’s four points in it now, breathing space, but not enough to take it for granted. The win over our biggest rival gives us the edge and we have to build on it as we enter the run in, but we have to hope that this result brings with it the added bonus of a knock to PSV’s confidence and their form. Unlike the Bayern match the red card in this game did make a big difference, Sneijder scored one penalty and missed the other and with Marqhuinhos producing yet another disgraceful performance it was left up to Agbossoumonde to head home the winner on 85 and send the travelling faithful wild.

The Season So Far

The draws were disappointing, but overall it was a good month as we regained some of our lead and notched up an impressive lead going into the return leg of the Champions League First Knockout. There’s still work to be done and March is a make or break month as we have a chance to build on our lead in the league and find out who we face in the Quarter Finals in Europe. It’s imperative that we keep the form going because as it stands April is going to be choc-a-block with fixtures and we have to make it as comfortable as possible, a dip in form during March will mean the pressure is on and would add extra baggage to an already worrying prospect.

Current League Table

[Mike7077]

Where's Cambiasso gone?

And how come Aquilani never plays?

[Elrithral]

*Mike7077, Busquets and Diarra are playing better than Cambiasso so he's dropped to third choice. Aquilani has been really poor and Ekdal has been fantastic, i'm sure Alberto would find form if he got a run of games, but I can't afford to wait for him to find form and it wouldn't be fair on Ekdal*

March 2015

04.03.15

Ajax 2 – 2 FC Twente

We didn’t get off to our best start in March and struggled to contain a very average Twente side. The loss of Cvitanich and reliance on Marquinhos took its toll as the frontman continued to struggle, so badly that I eventually replaced him with a left winger. Sanchez played well and got a goal, he’s as good, if not better than Jose Angel so I’m happy with his value for money.

07.03.15

FC Groningen 1 – 5 Ajax

Just what we needed after a bore draw and before our trip to Munich, a five goal pasting of a lower mid table side and a confidence booster. The score line actually flatters us a little as we only scored three of the five goals, but the fact that Cvitanich got one of them and that we had a three goal lead before they registered pleases me. Aquilani got one as well, I expected the Italian to take us to the next level, but it never really materialised and I can see why he had played so few games for Liverpool, his work rate is non existent and he’s a confidence player, which is something I don’t think we can afford at this level.

11.03.15

FC Bayern 1 – 1 Ajax

We survive, just. How Stekelenberg didn’t get man of the match I don’t know, but it’s safe to say that he kept us in the Champions League. Bayern battered us from start to finish and we held on by the skin of our teeth, Obertan’s header gave us a three goal lead and Bayern’s heads dropped, but they came back fighting and pushed us, thankfully they could only manage one goal and it’s us that progress to a Quarter Final against Barcelona.

14.03.15

Ajax 1 – 0 NEC

Our midweek exploits caught up with us in this game and fatigue was evident, but we remained professional throughout and walked away with another three points thanks to a second goal in two games from Obertan. Fixture congestion is a sign of success, but it makes competing really difficult, if only I could do a Bordeaux and ask for a weekend off to regroup before the big Barca game.

20.03.15

NAC Breda 1 – 3 Ajax

Going in to the biggest game of my career, with the end of my contract in mind, I fielded a weaker team against NAC Breda and it almost backfired. Youth product and 16 year old Dennis Faber was given his debut up front, and did well, but with the scores level at half time I had to introduce the big guns and thankfully Suarez was able to nab a couple of goals and give us the three points. On a side note, after the game I tried to make Miguel’s loan deal permanent (I want to leave Ajax in good shape for the future), but his good performances have driven up the asking price and I wasn’t willing to pay £6m+ for backup.

24.03.15

Barcelona 1 – 1 Ajax

We should have won this, we should have taken a win and the away goal back to Amsterdam, but an injury time equaliser from Alexis Sanchez means that we take a draw and an away goal back to Amsterdam. That’s not to be sniffed at, Barcelona are probably the best side in the world, but it’s frustrating to have such an advantage within touching distance and then miss out. Suarez proved his quality with a fantastic performance and goal, he’s too good for the Dutch league and he’ll be on my shortlist when I join my next club.

The Season So Far

My final season with Ajax is certainly living up to expectations and as we enter the final month of the season we are in pole position for the Championship, the Semis of the Cup and the Quarter Finals of the Champions League. However, April is going to be the biggest month of my career with the potential for nine games in only four weeks and a seasons worth of play taking its toll on my player’s fitness. I am genuinely nervous.

[Mike7077]

Another question - Did you ever have Nicolas Burdisso playing for you? I vaguely recall it but I could be mistaken.

[Elrithral]

I did and he was fanatstic, I should have made him permanent, but I decided to give Alderweireld a chance. I see he's in your squad, very dependable, versatile and cheap.

[Elrithral]

April 2015

01.04.15

Feyenoord 1 – 2 Ajax

And so it begins, my final month (and a wee bit) as manager of Ajax, the first of two games against Feyenoord and the semi final of the Dutch Cup that would determine whether or not we were still in with a chance of a double, let alone a treble and we got off to a fantastic start. Injuries and fixture congestion meant that I was forced to field a weaker side, finally deciding that the Dutch Cup was the lesser of three positives and focussing on the league fixture, my reserves did me proud. In the end we progressed thanks to an own goal, but the lads did magnificently to hold a Feyenoord side, who until now had scored bucket loads of goals, at bay. We will meet PSV in the final in the final.

04.04.15

Ajax 2 – 0 Willem II

There are four league games left and we’re seven points ahead, the win means that all we need is three points from the remaining nine, which sounds easy, but the last three games are against tough opposition. Feyenoord will be out to prove a point after two losses so far this season, AZ are still hoping for a Champions League spot and Heerenveen hate us. The first team returned, two games out before a big game against Barca seemed like too long without a game and the good performance would boost confidence.

08.04.15

Ajax 2 – 1 Barcelona

Wow, wow, wow! I thought the draw in Barcelona was a good result, but this result is what dreams are made of. We benefitted from a catastrophic Chygrynskyi performance that saw him slide in to prevent a ball from going into the box, but divert it past his own keeper, it was just the boost we needed and that coupled with yet another captain’s performance from Stekelenberg saw us home. Suarez got the second against the run of play, Messi was tearing us apart, but Toure had us sweating when he netted a long ranger on 71. The win takes us through to the Semis and another tough draw against AC Milan.

11.04.15

Heerenveen 0 – 3 Ajax

It’s fitting that Sneijder and Suarez are the players who scored the goals that guaranteed title number five and made sure that I left Amsterdam on a high, the pair of them have been nothing short of spectacular this season. Seven points clear with two to play, we can relax now and we can focus on the Cups, but at the time of this win I dreamt about how it might have panned out in real life and I imagined myself hoisted onto shoulders and paraded in front of tearful fans. It made me even more determined to make this a season for us to remember.

18.04.15

Ajax 2 – 1 AZ

The game didn’t mean much and I was tempted to field reserves in a bid to maintain fitness levels, but I’m always torn between fitness levels and form and in the end I decided that form and consistency, going into a trip to Milan, was more important. That said, the players were obviously thinking the same thing and didn’t give it their all, so we entered injury time level and only managed to scrape victory thanks to a Mendes da Silva own goal.

21.04.15

AC Milan 1 – 2 Ajax

I told you it was exciting, not think about how I felt sitting in front of my computer, leg twitching and teeth chattering. Imo Milan would pose the biggest threat to our challenge so far, but they weren’t that impressive, especially when Martin Stekelenberg is producing displays that will be talked about for years to come. The early goal helped us and then another, an absolute screamer from 35 yards, Sneijder netting the goal of his career and the lad from Amsterdam bagging what would turn out to be the winning goal. Milan pulled one back, but we had two away goals and we had to believe that we were favourites to get a result in the home leg.

26.04.15

PSV 0 – 3 Ajax

The double is ours, everything seemed to click this season and the result is unrivalled domestic dominance. PSV didn’t turn up, whether that had anything to do with the fact that we were incredibly fantastic, I don’t know, but we were good value for our win and probably should have scored a couple more goals. Sanchez’ early strike got us going and we didn’t look back from there with Cvitanich and Suarez completing the rout. The win, considering the opposition, had me thinking about how big an achievement it has been to bounce back from PSV’s dominance only two years ago and I’m really proud to be a part of it.

29.04.15

Ajax 1 – 2 AC Milan

We did it and I can’t quite believe it. We made hard work it though and Milan’s performance was excellent, but Agbossoumonde proved just how important a goal scoring defender can be, not that we should take anything away from the defence who held on and kept us ticking over for 45 minutes after Diarra had received his marching orders. The penalty shoot out had my heart racing and it didn’t look like anyone was going to miss, but eventually Beretta stepped up and blasted his spot kick over the bar. The players ran towards the sideline and it’s at times like these that I wish there was a manager dot.

The Season So Far

This has to go down as one of my greatest ever season in FM, a double already and in with a treble chance, I’m pinching myself. It all seemed to fall in place, perhaps FM realised my intentions to move on and felt that I deserved a big fanfare. There’s certainly something romantic about this season because I head into May with two games remaining, one in the league and one in the Champions League final against Lyon, the latter will be my 300th game in charge of Ajax. Believe.

[Mike7077]

Yeah, that's not too bad a season I guess.

Seriously, though, I imagine Ajax fans would kill for a season like that. Perhaps I've skim read a bit too much but this was the first I heard of it being your last season with Ajax. Can't wait to find out where you end up next. And, of course, if you bow out with a treble. Wish I could get my Juventus side to the Champions League final....

[Elrithral]

Yeah I made the decision to leave at the end of season five, based on my inability to attract players and how unlikely it was for me to do anything in Europe :o

Btw, I forgot to mention how unbelievably gutted I am that Diarra will be unavailable for the final having been sent of in the semis, if anyone deserved to take part in the game agaisnt Lyon it was him.

[Elrithral]

May 2015

03.05.15

Ajax 2 – 2 Feyenoord

Konchesky booked his place in my legends list with a 91st minute equaliser, as the clock ticked down and we stared defeat in the face the left back smashed a 30 yard drive high into the top corner. My last league game with Ajax was an emotional affair and Feyenoord did their best to spoil the celebrations, So did Marquinhos who chose today of all days to rediscover his shooting boots. However, we can’t spend too long thinking about bygone games and seasons or even this success as the biggest game of our careers is in two and a half weeks time.

23.05.15

Ajax 2 – 1 Olympique Lyon

Do you believe in destiny? I’m not sure I did, but I do now. My 300th and final game in charge of Ajax Amsterdam is spent watching my players win the Champions League and complete stage one of the Guus Hiddink Challenge. Six years and 300 games, quite an achievement and it’s been one hell of a rollercoaster ride, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. It was fitting that Suarez would get the goals that won it, the Uruguayan has been sensational for me and I’ll turn a blind eye to the naysayers who claim that we won it because of two red cards. You don’t beat Bayern Munich, Barcelona and AC Milan on the way to beating Lyon and not deserve the title.

Final League Table

Champions League Stages

Ajax Career Summary

What can I say? This is right up there as one my all time most enjoyable saves on FM, not least because of the success I enjoyed, I leave Ajax with the best squad in Europe, but I do so with a heavy heart. The save will continue, but I doubt I’ll ever find another club that will make me feel the way I did about Ajax, I doubt I’ll be able to get as involved with them as I have with Ajax and it seems unlikely that I’ll bond in true FM fanboi style with the players the way I have done at Ajax. I’m actually feeling quite sentimental writing this, but it says it all that these words are part of a 32,000 word journey that I have loved writing and you mugs have seemingly enjoyed reading.

Honestly, what more can I say? Nothing really, but I’ll finish off my time with Ajax with a look back through some of the players that helped me along the way.

Jorge Andrade – The Portuguese was my first signing a freeby way back at the start and he was spectacular and eventually joined me on the bench as my assistant. Wherever I end up I hope to bring him with me, though I imagine that he will turn his hand to management eventually.

Mo Diarra – He changed the way we played and sat patiently, waiting for me to call on him as various youngsters came in and didn’t make the grade. An absolute legend and I was truly devastated that he didn’t get to play a part in the Champions League final.

Luis Suarez – Goals, goals, goals. What a mug I was playing him on the right side of midfield back at the start. His goals made the difference on more than one occasion and if it wasn’t for him I’m sure we’d never have tasted the success we did.

Rodney Sneijder – I always knew he had the ability to become one of the best in the World, let alone Holland, but I was starting to lose patience with him at one point, thankfully I kept faith and witnessed his transition into a global star.

Martin Stekelenberg – Captain fantastic, he almost marched us to the Champions League title with a series of outstanding displays and in doing so has booked his place at the top of my list of keepers for future jobs. Number one for every game in which he was available during my six years and quickly approaching the appearances record for Ajax.

Honourable Mentions:

Sergio Busquets and Albin Ekdal, that little bit of clas sin midfield that we needed. Miralem Sulejmani, he moved on as he lost his edge, but back at the start he was exceptional. Dario Cvitanich, Mr Reliable, I hope the next manager gives him more playing time than I did. Paul Konchesky, he gave his all in the short time he was at the club and turned out to be bargain buy of the season.

So that’s that then, I leave and I start hunting for a new job. One last screenshot that put a smile on my face.

Legend Status

[matt1389]

Well done Elrithral, fantastic end to your time at Ajax. I doubt you'll find it hard to get a job, hopefully there's one out there that appeals to you.

I know you said you'll continue the save but will you keep writing in this thread? I can't wait to hear what you pick as your next challenge.

Also, are you tempted to go back and buy some Ajax players for your new team or will you try and start completely fresh?

[UELLfan]

Congratulations on that fantastic season!

[Dalbeider]

Nice treble, El, congrats!

Just one thing that's been bugging me almost from the start: Stekelenburg!

[Elrithral]

Thanks for the comments lads, much appreciated. matt1389, yes the thread will keep going, you'll find out my next move in the morning and yes I would have been tempted to buy some Ajax players, had I been able to All will be revealed. Dal, you know what, I noticed that typo some time ago and kept meaning to change it, but got stuck in a berg cycle and couldn't escape it

[Mike7077]

Well that was awesome. Really glad the thread will keep going. This is a career I'd like to follow for as long as it exists.

I was wondering if you'd take Stekelenburg with you to wherever you went next but it sounds like you didn't.

Looking forward to seeing what happens next.

[MeLikeFM]

Brilliant.

I remember reading all the GHC threads in FMS and I am delighted to see this.

I have my fingers crossed that your keeping up the challenge ?

[Elrithral]

Thanks again for the comments lads, much appreciated. MeLikeFM, yes the challenge will be continuing, I never expected to pass stage one so I have to try and complete it now. Stage 2 is about to be revealed!

[Elrithral]

European Championships:1988

The Netherlands National Football team, perennial underachievers and also rans, it’s difficult to understand how a team filled with so much quality has failed to lift a trophy in almost 30 years (including game years).

So, here we are, one year later and after one years worth of holidaying I take over the Dutch national team who have just endured a pretty embarrassing group stage elimination in the European Championships. I considered club management, but nothing tickled my fancy and next thing I knew I was being offered this job, I couldn’t turn down the chance to be reunited with some of my old pals from my time at Ajax. It would also mark the beginning of stage two of the Guus Hiddink Challenge.

My first port of call was selecting a Captain and I’m sure you can guess who I went for, the man who led the line at Ajax, Martin Stekelenburg, if he can lead the national team half as well as he led the Ajax team then I know we're in safe hands (no pun intended). The rest of the squad was a tale of three worrying groups of players, a handful of very average players, a handful of youthful talent (most of which I had managed) and a handful of 30+ past their peak, former stars. The semis of an international competition was going to be a tough ask.

The most worrying part was that two of the most important positions would have to be filled by players the wrong side of 32. There didn’t appear to be a natural successor to de Jong in defensive midfield, so it looked like he would continue despite dwindling stamina and pace. The same went for Huntelaar and Van Persie up front, it seemed likely that both would keep their places as the alternatives weren’t that good, which meant we would attack with plenty of technical ability, but a complete lack of acceleration and pace.

It was going to be a tough ask indeed.

[Elrithral]

September/October 2016

03.09.16

Holland 3 – 1 Bulgaria

My first test was a friendly tie against weaker, eastern European opposition, not that Bulgaria couldn’t spring a surprise, but we had to be favourites and had to expect to win. An injury to Van Persie meant that I was forced to play right winger Remy van der Post up front alongside Huntelaar, giving him his debut in the process. The pairing worked well and the youngster got a goal and set up one of Huntelaar’s two goals. This all came after a nervy opening that saw Bulgaria take the lead after only 8 minutes through veteran striker Dimitar Berbatov.

07.09.16

Finland 1 – 2 Holland

We had been handed a kind draw in the qualification stage Romania, Montenegro, Ireland and Finland stood in the way of the World Cup finals. The opening round of fixtures saw us away to the weakest opposition in the group Finland and despite being weaker they gave us a hard time of it and pushed us for the three points. Van der Post continued up front and got a goal, but an equaliser for Finland before half time rocked us and we struggled to stamp our authority on the game. In the end we had to rely on Huntelaar, who got his third goal in two games and has me wondering what I was so worried about.

08.10.16

Holland 2 – 0 Romania

Romania are perhaps the strongest “other” team in the group, closely followed by Ireland, so to get a healthy two goal win against them was extremely pleasing and meant that we were on the right track to progress. It was the return of Rodney Sneijder that made the difference though; the winger had been injured for the first two games and made a big difference to our creativity as soon as he returned for game number three. One problem though, I had retrained Sneijder as a right winger, but Dolf Roks (the new Ajax manager) moved him back to the left and he has forgotten how to play on the right. The problem is that I have another world class left winger, but no decent right wingers and really wish I could use Sneijder on the right, it seems ridiculous that he would forget how to play right wing after only one season.

12.10.16

Montenegro 1 – 2 Holland

An away win against risky opposition meant that we ended 2016 with a 100% group record and sat pretty at the top, level on points with Ireland. Huntelaar was amongst the goals, yet again, for a 34 year old he doesn’t half know how to bag the goals, but it was Dirk Marcellis 81st minute header that won it for us as Montenegro grabbed a late consolation that had me counting down the seconds on the edge of my seat.

Tenure So Far

I’m pretty happy with that start, four wins from four games and we never looked all that troubled by the opposition. Of course, I still have reservations about one or two of the players, their age and the quality of their backup, but for now it looks like we’ll do just fine with what’s available. The wins against Montenegro and Romania were particularly pleasing, they’re not bad opposition and the wins leave us in an excellent position as we enter 2017 and prepare for the Ireland game, a game which, if we win, could give us some breathing space after only four games.

[Mike7077]

I'm going to place my neck on the line and say that you'll win your first tournament. I just have a feeling.

I wasn't expecting you to go in this direction, possibly because I keep forgetting you're following the Guus Hiddink Challenge. Should be interesting and, of course, I wish you the very very best of best luck.

[Elrithral]

I wish I had your confidence, the squad is actually pretty poor, I was really surprised by the lack of talent available. I'm going to give it one shot at making the semis, but them i'll be moving on, I miss club football too much.

[Elrithral]

March – June 2017

22.03.17

Holland 0 – 0 Ireland

This result meant that by virtue of goals scored Ireland would top the table at the midway point of group qualification. I expected us to be top, but I also expected us to have 12 points from four games and didn’t see Ireland holding us to a draw. Defensively we played well, but for the most part the midfield let us down, Sneijder in particular didn’t turn up and we suffered because of the lack of creativity and subsequent lack of chances. Progression is still in our hands, but we’ve given ourselves a little more work than necessary.

Mid Qualification Table

07.06.17

Holland 3 – 0 Finland

An easy three points and more importantly, a chance to give my players the once over before whittling 26 down to 23 for the Confederations Cup, which would take place in a couple of weeks time. Finland didn’t offer much resistance, but we were bloody good and it seems that when Rodney Sniejder turns it up, we turn it up. Van der Post is doing well in a striking role, despite playing most of his club football on the wing and Wijker looks like a possible replacement for Huntelaar, having moved to Madrid in January and getting a few goals since the move.

Tenure So Far

It’s still going well, but I don’t think we’ve been tested yet and the Confederations Cup may well prove to be the acid test and should show me how capable we are, whether or not we have a chance of doing anything in 2018. The draw with Ireland was disappointing, but I’m confident that we can keep our unbeaten group form going and confident that they can’t.

[MeLikeFM]

We have a quality record against the Dutch

[Elrithral]

Confederations Cup 2017

22.06.17

Holland 3 – 0 Cameroon

I was quite pleased with this result and particularly pleased with my front two, who I had expected to be marked out of the game by a quicker and more physical Cameroon defence. Sneijder earned himself a red card, which was disappointing, but it could have been worse as he will only miss the New Zealand game. It was nice to get three points to kick start a tournament I would like to do well in, though Argentina and Russia are solid opposition and we’re likely to meet them in the latter stages.

24.06.17

New Zealand 0 – 2 Holland

Another decent win, though I did expect us to win by a bigger margin. Van Zundert put in a man of the match performance, if it wasn’t for Sneijder he’d be first choice on the left wing, but I still have to plug away with no real right winger, which does affect my formation, which relies heavily on wing play. Stamina is turning out to be a bit of an issue, games are being played within one or two days of each other, but the older players and de Jong in particular are struggling to keep up.

26.06.17

Holland 0 – 3 Chile

The win against New Zealand had booked our place in the semis, but the game against Chile would decide our Semi Final opposition and I wanted to hold off on facing Argentina until the final, not that I had a choice. Chile were rampant and tore us apart, the frailties in the side were exposed for all to see and the defence, which was a mixture of aged and sub standard players, were shown up by the pace of the Chilean front line. Red faced, battered and bruised we would face a prolific Argentina side in three days time.

Confederations Cup Group Table

29.06.17

Argentina 2 – 0 Holland

A better performance, but don’t let the score line fool you, Argentina outplayed us and gave me real insight into how far we have to progress if we are to make any sort of challenge for silverware. Messi and Aguero were in fine form and could have had a hat trick each, but my defence played a lot better and we were actually let down by Huntelaar who missed a number of chances. Eventually I replaced him, but it was too much to expect van Kallen to save us and the best we could hope for was a third place finish and even then we would have to overcome Russia.

01.07.07

Russia 4 – 3 Holland

Another horror show from the defence, right back is turning into a bit of a problem position, despite Jan Schouten’s obvious talents, his natural fitness is woeful. Otherwise they were all left wanting and this time it Huntelaar’s turn to bail them out with a sublime hat trick. As we entered extra time we had the edge and I expected us to get the winning goal, but yet another defensive mistake gave Russia the chance and Sokolov slammed the ball home to condemn us to a fourth place finish in a second rate tournament.

Tenure So Far

The Confederations Cup performance had me fighting for my job. The fans were disgusted with the losses, especially three losses in a row and the FA had expected a Final place, all I could do was wait and hope that I survived. Luckily I did, though I was warned that any further failure would guarantee my departure. Unfortunately all I can see is failure atm, I can’t imagine how this group of players could mount any serious challenge, unless a number of skilled youngsters ready to be thrown in at the deep end suddenly emerge during the summer. Heres hoping.

[Elrithral]

September/October 2017

09.09.17

Romania 0 – 2 Holland

We’re on the home straight and with only three games to go I have decided to put the veteran frontmen out to pasture. The likes of Wijker and van Kallen are the future, they will play alongside van der Post who impressed me back at the start and should fill van Persie’s boots with ease. It was nice to see a face from the past, other than Sneijder, get on the score sheet as Willem Buys got his first goal for his country. Overall it was a very solid performance, though I was concerned by a poor showing from the lads on the wings.

13.09.17

Holland 5 – 2 Montenegro

Ireland had drawn their previous fixture, which meant that we could guarantee top spot if we managed to beat Montenegro and they managed to lose against Romania. That’s exactly what happened, the Irish bottled it, as usual and we turned on the style in a seven goal thriller. Buys followed up his first goal with a second in as many matches and van der Post bagged another couple of goals to add to his impressive national tally. That said, it wasn’t all easy and three of our five goals came in the final 16 minutes.

18.10.17

Ireland 2 – 1 Holland

Schouten gave us the lead and it looked like we might nick something away from home, but his goal was closely followed by another Sneijder red card, which handed the game to Ireland. Asking the winger to play in central midfield is obviously a mistake, but it was either that or play de Zeeuw who some of you might remember started out at Ajax, before I moved him on because of his lack of ability. It was disappointing to end the group with a loss, but the important thing was that we had qualified.

Final Qualification Table

Tenure So Far

FA’s are fickle folk, qualifying with relative ease had seen their opinion of me jump from poor to fantastic and four months after flirting with the job centre my status had changed to secure, not that I’m complaining. The group qualification had been relatively easy, though Ireland had given us a run for our money and we were handed a pretty nice draw for the group stage of the tournament proper, Turkey, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. Nigeria would probably provide the biggest threat, but if we managed to win against the weaker sides then the result against the stronger side wouldn’t matter.

[Mike7077]

I've always found that international management gets tricky as you get further into the future because it's hard to know who to call up. Sounds to me like you've taken over at a time of transition for the Dutch, but I expect the Confederations Cup has taught you a few things. I see no reason why you can't be competitive at the Euros, especially if the likes of Buys and Sneijder keep developing.

Who's managing Ajax now and how are the doing? Any plans for a Crouchaldinho-style "old club watch"?

[Elrithral]

World Cup 2018 Group Stage

19.06.18

Holland 1 – 0 Turkey

I suppose we entered the World Cup on a bit of a downer having lost four of our previous six games, but we kicked off the tournament with a decent win against a plucky Turkey side (no pun intended). They were probably there for the taking, but I felt it was important to get off to a good start and decided to play a more defensive midfield, with de Jong and Yildirim battling for the ball in the centre. Up front we looked a little wanting and struggled to make the most of the chances we created, but Elia’s goal was enough to see us home.

24.06.18

Nigeria 2 – 2 Holland

I knew Nigeria would be tough, but I had still expected us to win and had never expected us to rely on an injury time equaliser that would keep our qualification hopes alive. Veteran striker, Obafemi Martins tore us a new one and showed my youngsters up front how it should be done. In truth, we had the better chances, but we wasted them and it was Elia who, once again, saved our bacon with a 92nd minute finish. The injury to Schouten is a big blow, de Regt isn’t good enough and I might be forced to play an injured Schouten against Saudi Arabia.

29.06.18

Holland 3 – 0 Saudi Arabia

Squeaky bum time is well and truly over after a comprehensive victory against a team we should be thumping. The strikers finally turned up, Wijker and van der Post both getting on the score sheet and hopefully the goals will help give them a confidence boost as we enter the knockout stages. Schouten struggled through the game, which is a big bonus and Yildirim finally turned in the kind of performance I expect of a player of his talents.

Final Group Table

Tenure So Far

Progression wasn’t exactly convincing, but seven points from a possible nine isn’t all bad and the most important thing is that we are right in the mix as the knockout stages begin. Next up is a really tasty tie against bitter rivals Belgium, who are actually quite good. However, we should be more than a match and I expect us to be making an appearance in the Quarter Finals.

[Elrithral]

No plans for an old club watch for another season and a bit, i'm gradually catching up, but I do know that Dolf Roks came in to manage Ajax and spent my horde of money on players like Caicedo, played Suarez on the wing and ended up finsihing 3rd.

International management is frustrating, I have a feeling that there are stars to be found, but it would mean trawling through the National Pool and I couldn't be bummed.

[Elrithral]

World Cup 2018 Knockout Stages

03.07.18

Belgium 1 – 1 Holland

Two minutes and two goals was all that this game had to offer, but for the eventual excitement of a penalty shootout. Belgium set out their stalls to stifle and frustrate, got their goal on the break, conceded an equaliser and then sat back, hoping that we would tire. At one point it looked like we might, but I had more than enough energy on the bench, not that Amrabat showed any of it, but Belgium held on right to the end and only fell foul of our superior penalty taking ability, as they missed two and we scored all five.

07.07.18

Spain 1 – 1 Holland

I’m going to change the name of this thread to “Rodney Sneijder Saved My Life”, the wingers 61st minute equaliser gave us a chance, a chance that we held on to and then took as we converted four of our five penalties. The win sees me through to the Semi Finals, stage two of the Guus Hiddink Challenge complete, thank God because International management was boring me. Spain looked good and always looked threatening when they had the ball, but a cracking performance from the defensive half of my team saw us home and through to a semi final tie against England.

10.07.18

England 2 – 2 Holland

I’m sick of penalty shoot outs, three in a row and we lose the most important of all. The team performance was pretty poor, but we’ve never actually played that well, so I suppose it was average. Yildirim gave us the lead with a thunderbolt free kick before Rooney equalised, he would give England the lead with an extra time goal, before one minute from the end Elia scored to send it to penalties once again. England finally won a penalty shoot out and went through to face Brazil in the final and we would have to get ready for the third place play off against Ukraine.

14.07.18

Ukraine 0 – 1 Holland

Real Madrid striker, Ruud van Kallen got the only goal of the game, 16 minutes from full time as we claimed the bronze medal in the most prestigious tournament of all. I wasn’t surprised to see Ukraine in the semis, God obviously felt that it was time for me to get one over Milevskyi good and proper, but I was surprised to see the Dutch FA questioning whether or not I should still be charge because they thought we should have beaten England. I honestly can’t believe that anyone could have done any better with the players I had available.

World Cup Knockout Stage Summary

Overall Tenure Assessment

Thank Christ that’s over, much as I love Ajax and enjoyed working with some of the lads again, managing Holland was a painful experience. Getting to the semis first time is quite an impressive achievement, all things considered, though I wouldn’t call our performance along the way convincing, I wouldn’t even call it good. The Confederations Cup was the obvious low point, but we bounced back and did well in the tournament that really mattered.

I’m off to find a club now, next stage of the challenge is Spain and survival, so watch this space.

[MeLikeFM]

Good going on the challenge progression, im off to the original challenge now to find out the rest.

[Elrithral]

It's linked in the OP, all i'll say is that it's not Italy.

[MeLikeFM]

It's linked in the OP, all i'll say is that it's not Italy.

Doh !

[Elrithral]

VALENCIA CF

La Liga: 1941-42, 1943-44, 1946-47, 1970-71, 2001-02, 2003-04.

Copa del Rey: 1940-41, 1948-49, 1953-54, 1966-67, 1978-79, 1998-99, 2007-08.

European Cup Winners' Cup: 1987

UEFA Cup: 2004

UEFA Super Cup: 1980, 2004

The Spanish team that everyone seems to love, mainly because they managed to wrestle La Liga from the clutches of Barcelona and Real Madrid in the early noughties and managed two Champions League Finals along the way. Gaizka Mendietta was superb, Ruben Baraja even better and more recently we’ve enjoyed the scoring exploits of David Villa and the skill and creativity of David Silva. They are a classy team, but they’ve had their fair share of ups and downs recently, not least in my game as they struggle to recover from a really poor start to the 18/19 season, which sees them sitting it mid table with 7 draws from 10 games.

League Table

Having left Holland after our World Cup exploits I holidayed through and was offered the Valencia job in mid November, the next stage of the challenge is to survive two years in Spain without being sacked and in doing so, bettering Hiddink’s record. On accepting I had a budget of roughly £24m, which might sound like a lot, but I reckon that every penny will have to be spent on an ageing side that still relies heavily on 37 year old David Villa.

There are some good, younger players and one or two I have had dealings with before. From my time at Ajax I’m reunited with Camilleri at centre back, Tony Curtis at right back and the infamous David Villalva up front (who, after a torrid time at Ajax, has not scored less than 20 league goals per season since leaving). Ibrahim Afellay is also in the mix, he’s a veteran now, but he did well in my Holland side and should get a few games because there’s no right winger!!!

I would go through the rest, but I’d be here all day and I’ll post a line up for now.

                Lung Jr


Curtis   Camilleri   Peralta    Pardo


        Fernandes


                    Silva


Afellay                         Mata


       Keirrison    Villalva

As you can see, the squad needs new blood, with not a single midfielder under the age of 30 and a left back who couldn’t get in the reserve team. January should be a busy month, but first things first, we have to change draws into wins.

[Elrithral]

November 2018

13.11.18

Valencia 3 – 0 Cultural Leonesa

It’s not exactly being thrown in at the deep end, though the next three fixtures would challenge us, I was handed an easy tie to help me settle in, against lower league opposition in the Copa del Rey. We did ok, Afellay did really well on the right and both strikers got on the score sheet, which is pleasing, because I am a little concerned about our goal threat and only 13 goals in the opening 10 games is nothing to be proud of.

17.11.18

Valencia 2 – 2 Sevilla

I’d been handed an easy tie to kick off my reign, but I faced an uphill task if I was to get anything out of my first league game in charge as we faced the league leaders, Sevilla. It’s easy to see why the team has picked up so many draws so far, lack of concentration and complacency, when you go two up against the big teams you expect your side to either hold on or power through, not succumb to two goals in the final twelve minutes, as my old friend Negredo came back to haunt me.

24.11.18

Zaragoza 0 – 2 Valencia

What better way to follow up a game against first place than a game against second place? Zaragoza are playing in the Champions League this season, so they are no pushovers and the win should be a massive confidence boost. Lung Jr had a good game, but it was all about the front four, Keirrison was immense and looks like the real deal playing alongside Villalva. Right wing is a cause fro concern though, Afellay is playing well, but he tires quickly and I have no obvious replacement.

27.11.18

Benfica 0 – 0 Valencia

Another draw and a far less convincing performance as the strike force struggling to get going in a game that we should be winning. That said, we’re home and dry in the group and the result against Liverpool is meaningless as it stands, which suits me just fine. Benfica weren’t very good either, it was one of the worst matches I’ve watched on FM.

League Table

Season So Far

It’s still early days so I can’t really comment on how the season might pan out, two wins and two draws is a good start, but it’s obvious that there are areas of the team that are weak and vulnerable and we could come unstuck at any point in time. However, December will be the acid test as there are a number of games that we should be winning and until now, given the amount of draws, haven’t been winning. There are also a good number of games and I should get better insight into how my tactics are working out and any tweaks I might need to make.

[Dalbeider]

The Spanish team that everyone seems to love

Except Madrid and Barça fans, I guess .

[Mike7077]

This should be good. Be interesting to see what you can do with Valen-thee-a. What sort of financial state is the club in?

I'm not one of the supposed Valencia lovers, myself. I have no problem with them, I just tend to favour Atletico Madrid in Spain.

[Elrithral]

*Dal, Barca and Real fans don't count, glory hunters.... Mike7077, the finances are alright, low balance, but high budget, plenty to work with as I try to rebuild.*

December 2018

02.12.18

Valencia 2 – 0 Athletic

We got off to a good start in December, Athletic were yet another team sitting above us in the table and we dispatched them with relative ease. Camilleri and Keirison were the stars of the show, the Brazilian continuing his excellent goal scoring form, but Enzo Vogel was the pick of the bunch. The youngster is a striker, but he’s capable of filling in as an attacking midfielder and with David Silva injured he was thrown in at the deep end and expected to pull the strings, he did well and should keep his place until Silva recovers.

05.12.18

Valencia 2 – 0 Elche

It was nice to see that even when the strikers didn’t perform the rest of the team were there to bail us out, that was the tradition at Ajax and hopefully it will continue with Valencia. Afellay produced another excellent display, perhaps I should never have been worried and Peralta proved that Camilleri isn’t the only defender capable of getting himself on the score sheet.

09.12.18

Villarreal 4 – 3 Valencia

An absolutely smashing game from two attacking forces, goals galore and plenty of skill on show, but Villarreal edged it and handed me my first loss since taking over. Villalva was on fire, showing me what I missed out on when I sold him on all those years ago and Afellay and Mata worked wonders on the wings, but defensively we were weak and the opposition took their chances well.

12.12.18

Valencia 0 – 3 Liverpool

Another loss, but no big deal, Liverpool are a top side and I never expected to get anything out of the game. That said, I never expected my left back to put in such a terrible performance either and his two fouls handed Liverpool two penalties which gave them a far more convincing victory than they deserved. Boubacar got a rare chance up front, but failed to deliver and Villalva effectively played the game as a lone striker.

16.12.18

Valencia 5 – 0 Osasuna

When I first took over the lack of goals being scored was a concern, but we’re averaging two a game at the moment and this result is our highest scoring performance of the season. Everything clicked, Keirrison and Villalva worked well together and Afellay continued to produce the goods on the right. David Silva also shone, on his return to the first team and his creative input was instrumental in our best performance so far.

19.12.18

Xerez 0 – 3 Valencia

Another healthy win and the front pair continue their excellent partnership with both of the notching up more goals to add their increasingly impressive list. Xerez are right in the middle of a relegation battle, but we shouldn’t take anything away from a win that earlier in the season probably would have been a draw.

26.12.18

Valencia 1 – 1 Espanyol

Fernandes red card really affected us, yeah Espanyol had equalsied before he got his marching orders, but when he left the pitch we were on top and in control, it was only a matter of time before we scored a second. Still, it’s not a bad result, Espanyol may be eight in the table, but they were given equal odds to Barca and Real at the start of the season!

December League Table

The Season So Far

Quite a turn around, my first two months in charge have seen us surge from mid-table to a Champions League spot and it’s not as if we had an easy ride of it as a majority of the teams we came up against were above us in the league. However, I will be making changes in January and that could well disrupt the squad, but they are changes that I can’t afford not to make. In the Champions League we are drawn against Juventus in the knockout round, but I’m not too bothered about that competition and want to make sure of European football next season, rather than concentrate on participation this season.

[Mike7077]

I take it you actually lost to Liverpool?

Nice, strong start you've had. Be top before long. Shame you lost your first derby, though.

[Elrithral]

Apologies about the typo, yes we lost to Liverpool. We did well, to begin with, but being top is a long shot and i'm not spoiling anything by saying that, Real and Barca are insanely good and a number of the other "smaller" teams have come on elaps and bounds, there really are no easy games in 2018 La Liga.

[Elrithral]

January 2019

I had planned on making big changes in the January window, but out form was so good that I decided that I could probably get away with making a few small, cheap additions and then spend big on building my team during the summer.

First on the list was a defensive midfielder, Fernandes was ok and doing well, but I felt that we needed someone more powerful and decided to bring in Mathieu Flamini, from AC Milan, until the end of the season. The deal set me back a mere £275k, but it’s clear that he still has plenty of quality and the only thing lacking is his athleticism. The same can be said of Kevin Thomson, the former Rangers midfielder who arrives from Spurs for £275k, he’s past his best, but he’s short term and at the time of the transfer, mid January, is exactly what we needed.

The final two positions that I felt we needed to replace were left back and right wing. There is a distinct lack of Spanish influence in my team so I forced myself to part with £2.3m to acquire the services of Newcastle reject Jose Enrique at left back. His attributes are quite good, I was surprised and his performances would surprise me even more. The final bit of business was to bring in Hatem Ben Arfa, the benchwarmer from Barcelona, he’s only 30 and I hope he can resurrect his career on my right wing, a snip at only £1.6m.

05.01.19

Valencia 0 – 0 Getafe

Not a fantastic start to the new year, but Getafe aren’t a bad side and should never be taken for granted, I’m still smarting from the pasting they gave me a few seasons ago in the Champions League. Jose Enrique picked up man of the match on his debut at left back and Ben Arfa did well on the right, but overall it was a little disappointing, particularly the lack of chances created.

09.01.19

Valencia 2 - 0 Elche

It’s only two games in, but the new signings all seem to be settling in well, Flmaini, Ben Arfa and Enrique all picked up 7+ ratings and Ben Arfa got man of the match thanks to his twelfth minute goal. It was also a day of celebration fro 17 year old Robin van Dam who marked his debut with a goal, this lad looks like the real deal and would probably walk into most other sides, regardless of age.

13.01.19

Valencia 1 – 4 Sporting

Jesus H, what a way to brought back down to earth! Sporting are boring their fans in mid table obscurity and then they pull out a performance like this, just my luck. That said, it wasn’t just a good performance from Sporting, it was a woeful performance from us, with van Dam and Ben Arfa getting a kick up the backside after their performances in the cup against Elche.

16.01.19

Elche 2 – 1 Valencia

Against ten men we gave up a two goal lead and only survived thanks to an extra time van Dam goal. The youngster did well, again, far better than Keirrison who didn’t turn up and had the nerve to give off stink, post match, about being subbed. Flamini was the outstanding performer and looks to be a sound piece of business already.

20.01.19

Sevilla 2 – 2 Valencia

This game was all about Villalva and Lung Jr, Villalva scored the goals to keep us in it and Lung Jr saved the shots that stopped us going behind. Concentration and complacency are the two biggest issues I face, we go ahead and then take our foot off the gas, next thing you know, yet another side has clawed back a two goal lead and we’re struggling to hold on. Far too many of my players are just playing out their career and don’t seem to care about the club.

23.01.19

Athletic 2 – 1 Valencia

Flamini has only been at the club for a matter of weeks, but already it looks like he;s carrying the side a lot of the time. The red card for the Frenchman was disappointing, but by that time he had already completed a man of the match performance in my eyes and despite his marching orders walked away with a 7+ rating. Another poor performance from the strikers raises yet more concerns about the inconsistency up front, one match they will rip a defence apart, the next they appear disinterested. We have an uphill struggle ahead of us if we are to progress in the cup.

27.01.19

Gimnastic 1 – 1 Valencia

The introduction of Kevin Thomson in central midfield made a big difference and I’m sure that we would have lost the game had Silva started. Two tough tackling midfielders gave us an edge and we were good value for more than the one goal lead we managed to rack up before he had to come off injured. Of course, yet another late equalizer condemned us to a fifth game without a win

30.01.19

Valencia 1 – 1 Athletic

Make that six games without a win, the alarm bells are ringing and I’m concerned. By virtue of the cup taking up three of those games we haven’t suffered half as much as we could have, out of the cup, but still in with a chance of Europe in the league. Another really hopeless performance, we didn’t get going and only managed to compete thanks to another van Dam goal and another impressive performance from Enrique and Thomson.

January League Table

The Season So Far

Look at the state of that table, 12 draws in 22 games, that’s unbelievable, but worse still is our form going in to February. My fantastic start to life with Valencia seems a long time ago as I prepare for a tough run in and try to rebuild the confidence of a team that has won only one of its last nine games. I had been concerned that the introduction of new blood would affect the flow of the team, but if anything it saved us as Flamini, Jose Enrique and Thomson made a real difference and were probably the top three January performers. I’d love to start February with a win, but first up are Barcelona and an almost guaranteed extension of our horrific form.

[Dalbeider]

Heh, your draws remind me of Spurs in one of my saves. I think they started with a 2W-1L-11D record, and then started winning. It was quite amusing.

That table looks dangerous. If you manage to chain some wins you may get closer to 3rd and 4th and fight for a Champions League place, but a defeat or two could see you dropping like a rock towards midtable.

[Elrithral]

*Dal, the table is awful and it gets worse. La Liga has turned into such an open league, eveyone can beat everyone else, though barca and Madrid still lead the pack.*

February 2019

02.02.19

Valencia 1 – 2 Barcelona

Keirrison’s poor form and an injury to Villalva meant that I decided to give van Dam and Vogel a runout up front in a game that we were bound to lose. Lose we did, though not by the score line that I had expected and overall it was actually quite a good performance, we were let down by wayward finishing because we had plenty of chances, but I don’t think Keirrison would have done any better. Thomson and Flamini bossed the midfield and held Barca at bay as well as they could, but Messi was just too good and it’s now 7 without a win.

09.02.19

Valencia 1 – 0 Atletico Madrid

Back to winning ways, and not before time, hurrah. Atletico absolutely obliterated us, but their finishing was as bad as ours and this was highlighted by a 40th minute penalty miss from Vela, Villalva capitalized on the mistake and scored the only goal of the game two minutes later. We’re heading into the home straight and it’s imperative that we build on this win and try to regain some form, morale and confidence.

16.02.19

Recreativo 0 – 4 Valencia

You go seven without a win, then two come along at once and there’s five goals between them, amazing. Keirrison and Villalva suddenly recapture their form and rip Recreativo apart; I can’t remember a single shot off target. The second win steadies the ship a little as we were plummeting down the league table, but a mixed bagf of results for our competitors means that we’re still in with a chance of making Europe and in particular the Champions League.

19.02.19

Valencia 1 – 1 Juventus

Games against Juventus are tough t the best of times, but thanks to suspensions, injuries and inability to select certain players because we had to have a certain amount of Spaniards meant that I had to play Jon Spector in defensive midfield. In the end we could have walked away with a valuable win, but a mistake from one of our top performers cost us and handed Juve an away goal that gave them the edge over two legs.

24.02.19

Almeria 2 – 0 Valencia

Remember my first season at Ajax when we lacked consistency and struggled to string results together, well that’s how it feels now as well as we struggle to follow up good results with good results and end up red faced thanks to a two goal loss against a team we should be beating. Keirrison and Villalva’s return to form was short lived, neither of them turned up, not that they would have made a difference as we struggled defensively. Very disappointing.

February League Table

The Season So Far

What can I say about the season so far? I’ve been in charge for three and a half months now and still don’t think I have any idea where the club is at or what I should be expecting from them. I’ve almost given up hope of Champions League football next season; I’m more concerned about making Europe and consolidating. However, summer is coming and I’m not sure what or who I need because our form is so patchy that I don’t know what areas we’re struggling in. If we could manage a bit of consistency then I would be able to sort the crap from the good, but right now even the good are struggling and if I took form at face value the likes of Curtis and Keirrison would be out on their ears, even though I know that they are world class. My time at Valencia is turning into a real struggle.

[Elrithral]

March 2019

03.03.19

Valencia 2 – 0 Racing

Until now Eduardo Salvio had been overlooked on the right wing and I had preferred to play Afellay or Ben Arfa, but on closer inspection the Argentine was actually pretty handy and more than capable of filling the troublesome position. His introduction added some much needed pace to the midfield and he was also pretty handy in front of goal, as shown with two goals that would see us bounce back from our Almeria humiliation with a win and a good start to the run in.

06.03.19

Elche 1 – 2 Valencia

This game was a real test of character, Elche had caused us problems in the Cup and handed us one of those thumpings we took back in January, so this game was pay back and we got off to the worst possible start as stand in right back Spector received his marching orders after only 18 minutes. However, I told you that it was a test of character and we passed with flying colours as we finished the game with three points and a goal to the good depite playing most of the game with only ten men.

09.03.19

Valencia 2 – 2 Real Madrid

It’s difficult to see past the fact that we had a two goal lead and let it slip, but the result is a good one, all things considered. We were relatively lucky to hold the lead in the first place, an own goal and a long range strike against the run of play might have been enough, but Real were far too strong and probably deserved their equaliser. Lung Jr was named man of the match, and rightly so, I toyed with the idea of bringing in Stekelenburg, but the Romanian is just as good and younger.

13.03.19

Juventus 2 – 2 Valencia

Jeesh, now I didn’t see that coming. The draw in the opening leg meant that Juve had the lead on away goals and when they extended their lead to two, regardless of away goals, I wasn’y particularly confident of us progressing. However, Keirrison turned on the style and two magnificent long range drives in the dying minutes saw us level and ahead on away goals, booking our place in the Quarter Finals against Bayern Munich.

17.03.19

Betis 0 – 1 Valencia

Salvio produces the goods yet again, I’m starting to regret leaving him out at the start and I’m wondering what difference his inclusion might have made to our league position. Overall, it was a pretty weak performance and I expect better from my players, but a one goal win is a step in the right direction and always better than a draw.

23.03.19

Valencia 4 – 0 Levante

Levante are struggling at the bottom, though they do hold the edge over their rivals, either way, we should be winning and winning handsomely. My front pair duly delivered, and overall it was a very pleasing performance from the team, nobody scoring less than 7 and the win means that we go into April in 4th spot.

26.03.19

FC Bayern 2 – 0 Valencia

The injury to Salvio in our game against Levante left me short on the right hand side, eventually I decided to give 17 year old Daniel Tichy, a Czech youth academy graduate, a run out in a game that I wasn’t taking too seriously and expected to lose. Even when you expect to lose, you expect your players to perform and unfortunately on the occasion we lost and didn’t perform, Curtis and Keirrison, in particular, were very disappointing and Bayern were good value for their two goal win.

March League Table

The Season So Far

I suppose that’s a pretty good month, only one loss and a draw against one of the best teams in the league, we’re obviously making progress. As it stands we’re in with a chance of the Champions League, but we’re probably in the worst position of the teams competing for fourth spot, having played one game more and with no serious advantage. One thing is for certain though, we have to keep this form going because the difference between 4th and 8th is just five points and there are 21 to play for.

[Elrithral]

April 2019

07.04.19

Espanyol 5 – 6 Valencia

The report after the game said that this game should be recorded and played back to any doubters of the beautiful game, in truth it was a tale of crap defending and fantastic finishing, I’m just glad that we came out on top. I have to praise the spirit of my team, at one point we were 5-3 down and staring defeat in the face, but Keirrison completed his hat trick to make it 5-4 and Villalva nodded one home to draw us level, before Ben Arfa put his awful form to the back of everyone’s minds as he nipped in and nabbed a winner in the 72nd minute.

10.04.19

Valencia 2 – 1 FC Bayern

Once again we gave ourselves a mountain to climb as we gifted Bayern a third goal before we actually got going and by that time we were dead and buried. Not that I’m bothered, there are six league games left and I didn’t fancy an extra two, maybe three Champions League games in between that could risk injury or take the player’s eyes off the main objective. The Champions League is over, but I’m confident that we’ll be in the mix again and hopefully better prepared, next season.

14.04.19

Valencia 1 – 0 Zaragoza

Zaragoza are right up our backside in the pursuit of Champions League football, so this win is priceless. We move two points ahead and only three off third, but there’s still plenty of football to be played and we can’t relax yet. David Silva has been poor since I took over, flashes of brilliance, but no consistency, this is probably his worst performance so far and he has Mata to thank for saving us and boosting confidence with an 80th minute strike.

20.04.19

Athletic 1 – 1 Valencia

Well that’s that two point lead gone, we follow up a decent, but workmanlike performance with a really weak and non-workmanlike performance against a very average Athletic team. They scored early so we had plenty of time to get back into it, but wayward finishing meant that we entered injury time in 5th spot, but left it in 4th thanks to a fantastic and rare goal from Manuel Fernandes in the 91st minute.

28.04.19

Valencia 2 – 1 Villarreal

Yum, yum, yum. First of all it looked like it might be a struggle as Villareal took the lead, then it looked like another two points dropped thanks to a rubbish performance from Villalva, but another late goal spared our blushes and means that we enter the final month and final three games of the season in fourth thanks to head to head record. Peralta got on the score sheet and managed to win man of the match, he’s obviously a good player, but every so often he throws a wobbly and produces a display like the one against Espanyol.

April League Table

The Season So Far

Real Madrid look to have tied up the title and we have our first confirmed relegation of the season as winless Gimnastic confirm what everyone already knew. It looks like we’re in the last interesting battle of La Liga and atm we’re in the driving seat, but that could change quite quickly and we have to focus because our final three games are potential banana skins.