DodgeeD Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 There are only 10 league games to go with Club Africain so I think I'll skip the mid-season update and just do the end of season report tomorrow Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoachFlu Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Congrats! Sounds like you had a fun li'l tournament there. (I agree though, squads of 18 is not a lot to work with, ouch.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 Thanks CoachFlu. Squad selection was a bit strange. I picked a couple of players not on talent but on versatility to provide cover! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 2016/17 Season Review: Club Africain Championnat de la Ligue Professionnelle 1: Champions! Tunisian President Cup: 1st Round CAF Champions League (2016): Winners! CAF Champions League (2017): Qualified for Group Stage CAF Super Cup: Runners-up Club World Championship: 3rd place League The season turned out much easier for us than I expected as our new signings clicked straight away and we quickly established a lead at the top of the table. We didn't lose until near the end of the season and funnily enough, our first loss was the game that clinched the title (we were 12 points clear with 4 games to go - we lost but our closest challengers ES Tunis could only draw)! We would lose one more game after that but we still won the title by some distance. Final Table Cup Not much to say here as we drew ES Tunis away in the 1st Round and lost in extra time. Not much of a trophy defence! CAF Champions League We started the season with the final 8 group stage of the 2016 edition to complete. That was easy enough as we won all 6 games to top the group with ease ahead of Raja Casablanca. It then became an all-Tunisian affair for us as we overcame Stade Tunisien in the semis to set up a two-legged final clash with bitter rival ES Tunis. That gave us the chance for revenge after our cup defeat and I was feeling confident due to a dip in league form by our opponents and the fact that they only progressed past Raja Casblance on away goals after a tie that finished 7-7! The first leg at home was very tight and we only won it with a late goal. That gave us work to do in the away leg but an early goal there gave us a big advantage and we were able to grab a second late on as ES Tunis pushed forward to seal the tilte 3-0 on aggregate! Final Leg 1 | Leg 2 In the new year, we started our title defence. Knockout ties with teams from Madagascar, Tanzania and Lybia were easily negotiated by reserves and youth players and next season we will be in the group stage again. CAF Super Cup The Champions League win set up a clash with Petro Atletico of Angola, winners of the African Confederation Cup. It was settled by a single game in Angola and we just didn't turn up on the day, playing really poorly and suffering a 3-0 defeat. Result Club World Championship We fared slightly better in Ghana for the Club World Championship though. We had a tough quarter-final match with Chivas that went all the way to penalties, which we won. It was a similar story against Argentine side Velez in the semis as the game finished 1-1 but this time, our luck ran out and we lost the shoot-out. Velez would go on to beat AC Milan in the final as we coasted past Asian Champions Al-Sadd of Qatar to take 3rd place. Key Players Maher Jabnoun (ST) - possibly one of the best signings I've ever made! Jabnoun was in lethal form all season - in fact, he only failed to score in 4 of the games he started all season. He scored all the goals in the Champions League final and 4 of our 5 in the CWC and terrorised defences in the league with ease. His value has now shot up from the 650k I paid to 2.5million and with the likes of Monaco and Real Soceidad interested, it will be tough to keep him. Benego Traore (AML) - another great find! He was only 18 when he arrived but soon made the left wing slot his own and his dribbling skills set up many attacks for us. He also has many European clubs sniffing around but they will have to do a lot better than the 400k I've been offered already. Hassen Dridi (DM) - He was signed as a back up but became my 1st choice anchor man throughout the season with some fine performances. Chipped in up front with a goal and a few assists as well. Christopher Meneses (DL) - one of the 'old guard' to stay in the team. Admittedly, he only stayed because I couldn't find a decent enough left back to replace him but I'm glad it worked out that way as he consistently turned in quality performances both in the league and continentally. The Season Ahead.... The quick Champions League success has left me unsure what to do next. I easily have the best team in Tunisia and Africa and although I could sweep all before me again next season, I could also suffer the frustration of watching my players leave (I doubt the chairman will sell as a successful season has left us with over 10 million in the bank but the players themselves are bound to feel the lure of playing in Europe). I'll see what job offers come up and get back to you... In other news, the draw for the U20 World Cup has been made. Argentina U20s are favourites to progress from our group so I'll be hoping for good results against Poland and Australia to progress. U20 World Cup Group E Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Well done on another great season. Good luck with the U20s, that is a tough group though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToMexico!! Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Congratulations on the successful season, dominated it really. Jabnoun looks a top talent, hope you tied him down to a long contract before the vultures start sniffing around. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 Cheers guys! Tying Jabnoun down was not an issue as... Dodgson quits Club Africain!! I decided it was time to see what I can win elsewhere. I was linked with Feyenoord, which would be great but they haven't sacked their under pressure manager yet. The same is true of Al-Ain in the UAE, whose manger is under pressure after losing the title on goal difference. Two interesting job offers have come forth though so I've saved the game for now while I get some feedback from you, the faithful of the FMCU forum 1. The chance to return to South America and take charge of Medellin in Colombia. Main attractions: they are super rich, offering a 13 million transfer budget (enough for Jabnoun ) and 120k per week wage budget (currently only using 70k). On the downside, competing for continental honours will be tough but a good challenge as well. 2. A whole new continent with Suwon is Korea. Main attractions: into the knockout rounds of the Asian Champions League, struggling a little domestically but still in the play-off places. I'd also potentially get lots of free Samsung goodies . On the downside, they have no money - zero transfer budget and currently 5k p/w over the wage budget of 60k. What do you think? I'm going to mull it over before loading the game for a Thursday FM/Football Weekly podcast session this evening. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToMexico!! Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Thats a bit of a shock. I thought maybe another wouldn't have gone a miss to confirm you as one of the best managers on the continent. However, from the choices above, I think Suwon, i know no money but ride the season out, release a few players, get the wage budget under control and then introduce a few players with what little money you get. If it doesn't work out you can always walk away. How about have you contract just til the end of the season, then move on if it fails? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 Thanks for the input ToMexico!! The CAF Champs League win had already put my rep at World Class so I figured getting another job would be easy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoachFlu Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I'd vote for Colombia. All that drug money should provide a good basis to try and build a squad to compete for continental success. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rancer890 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Suwon! Just cuz Koreans are hot!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raware Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I'm also a little shocked that you left Club Africain so soon. But if it felt right then I guess there was no point in staying really. As for your next move, i'd like to say Korea as it's a great country to manage in and Suwon are a good side with a good set up. However, with the lack of funds there currently i'd suggest a move back to South America would be better as you have a lot more resources (plus a chance to take Jabnoun with you! ). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 Thanks for the input guys. I was swaying towards Medellin for access to the funds to at least attempt to bring Jabnoun along but when I loaded the game, I got a shock - 12 game days since I left and he's already gone to Shaktar in a 7.5million pound deal! On top of that, FIVE more players have already been moved on bringing in a total of nearly 20 million. Maybe I will head to Korea after all seeing as the vultures have already swooped Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToMexico!! Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 That doesn't surprise me DodgeeD. AI managers have ruined La Sabana, Jiangsu to an extent and Kiazer Chiefs by selling numerous players off for what I would say are derisory sums of money. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 It wasn't so much the sales that surprised me, it's the fact that they were all gone within days of me quitting! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 A Journeyman Korea*: Suwon Samsung Blue Wings So, in the end, I opted for Suwon in South Korea. A few different factors influenced my decision: Club Africain's quick sale of the key members of my old squad meant most of my planned signings with Medellin's money were already gone. I've already taken over at a club with a big (by local standards) transfer kitty and wanted more of a challenge this time. It shold be easier to build a side capable of challenging for continental honours in Korea than in Colombia rancer890 said there were hot girls around! I take over with the club 4th in the league (they were 5th but this screenie was taken after my first game in charge) and yet again, have an early chance for a trophy as the team is in the semi-finals of the Peace Cup. Early aims are to make the end of season play-offs and grab the cup. The squad is decent but lacks quality in depth. With no budget, there's little chance of me bringing anyone in during the last week of the mid-season transfer window so we'll have to make do for now. My assisstant manager picked out Shin Young-Rok as the star player. Unfortunately, the striker was angling for a move before I arrived and is still adamant he wants to leave the club. Gökhan Töre stands out for me as a star in the side with the former Chelsea youth player having broken into the Turkish national team despite playing in the K-League. Of the Koreans at the club, Lee Jae-Kwon looks like a key player and Shim Sang-Ho is the best youngster. We have a couple of easy games against bottom side Gangneung City (one in the league, one in the cup) to ease me in before derby clashes with Seongnam and Seoul and another rivals clash with Jeonbunk. I'll soon find out how good this team is! *Yes, that was the best pun I could think of. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 That didn't take long! My first competition win with Suwon as we win the Peace Cup final. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSYoungEsq Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Korea is a good move. You open your account on another continent without having to start in a country where it's difficult to make headway. And, there are hot babes. Always a plus. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rancer890 Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Good luck in Suwon DodgeeD. Here's Park Shin-Hye for your viewing pleasure to drool over, the main actress in 'You're Beautiful", the #1 hit Korean Drama in 2009, and probably the best kdrama I've ever seen so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raware Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Sounds like Club Africain were desperate to get rid of the stars you brought there if they'd gone within days of you leaving! Probably the right move to Korea then if your transfer targets for Medellin had gone. Nice start to life in Suwon with a trophy already! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToMexico!! Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Great start to life in Korea with that trophy win. Good Luck for the rest of the season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iseemonsters1 Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Excellent move! I've had some great times in FM in Korea, one of my favourite places to manage. Cheonan City are my team over there - let me know if you spot them doing anything good! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.W.G Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Best of luck in Korea and nice to see you won a trophy in a short amount of time Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 October 2017 International Update: U20 World Cup Group Stage My preperations for the tournament were hampered by injuries to key players. The star of the side, a left winger who plays for Sporting Lisbon pulled out injured as did his back-up, Machaka (one of my signings for Club Africain). There were also only two fit keepers available and we lost our best centre backs as well! Despite that, we cobbled a squad together and made the short trip over the border to Namibia. We started with a tough game against defending champions Argentina U20s. We put in a good showing but they were just too good, going 2-0 up in the first half. We pulled one back with 10 minutes to go but, as we pushed for the equaliser, the Argentines hit us on the counter to win 3-1. We got back on track with an easy win 4-1 over Poland U20s before facing Australia in the şast game. We dominated the first half but only had one goal to show for it. That was not enough as Australia exposed our weakness in defence by scoring from their only two attacks as we lost. Luckily, our record was good enough to take on the best 3rd-placed spots in the 2nd round. Group Table 2nd Round We faced England U20s in the knockout round, another tough tie as they had a squad with players getting regular first team football at clubs like Aston Villa, Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool. We kept the scorline at 0-0 in the first half but England came out fired up for the second half and soon took the lead. In the end, they won 2-0 and we were out. Engalnd would go on to the semi-finals where they were knocked out by eventual champions Spain. I resigned from the post after we were knocked out (as I had always planned to do). It was good fun while it lastest but it's now time to focus on Suwon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 2017 Season Review: Suwon Samsung Blue Wings Domestic Competitions: K-League: 1st K-League Play-Offs: Finalists Peace Cup: Winners In the end, a successful start to my time at Suwon as we won the Peace Cup and topped the league standings in a race with rivals Seongnam that went down to the last day. With 3 games to go, we were neck and neck on points and goal difference but we had the edge through goals scored. We then suffered the agony of winning our next two matches but dropping down to 2nd as Seongnam outscored us in their matches. Luckily for us, they slipped up on the last day allowing us to take top spot! Unfortunately, that doesn't count as a title win in South Korea - it just gave us a bye to the two-legged play-off final while the teams who finished below us slugged it out for the right to face us. All was going well as we won the first leg away 1-0 and soon went a goal up in the return game. Alas, we let our rivals back into the game as the fought back to 2-1 on the night, 2-2 on aggreagte to force extra time. We then suffered heartbreak as a sloppy pass in injury time of extra time let our opponents in to snatch the title from our grasp. League Table | Play-off final Leg 1 | Play-off Final Leg 2 Key Players I'm still getting to know the squad but 4 players in our attacking line up really stood out: Gökhan Töre - Easily the best of the bunch, scoring and creating goals from the right wing. As he is equally capable with both feet, he was a real threat cutting inside from his wide position and he would go on to win the Player of the Year and Most Assists Awards as well as earning a plce in the Team of the Year. Unfortunately, he wants to move to a different club and as he just has a year to go on his contract, he will be returning to Turkey to Genclerbirligi in a 3million move in January. Erling Knudtzon - Töre's threat on the right was matched by Norwegian Knudtzon on the left. He can also play with either foot and cut inside in the same way. He came 3rd in the player of the year poll but luckily has no desire to move away just yet. Rafael - as my support striker, Rafel was a creative force setting up many attacking plays and goals. Despite his good form, he got a lot of stick from the media for not scoring more but I was very happy with his performance. Shin Young-Rok - our main goalscorer and local star. He joined Töre in the Team of the Year and also expressed a desire to leave but I managed to get him to sign a new contract at the end of the season. As a team, we received the Fair Play Award (together with prize money of 5,000 pounds!) The Season Ahead... We need some extra depth in the squad and the sale of Töre will at least bring in some transfer funds. I will also look to sell off a couple of other foreign players who are not getting first team action but my main focus will be to find the best Korean talent I can as we compete for the league title and Asian Champions League. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToMexico!! Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Great season with Suwon, shame about the play-off defeat. With you selling a few foreign players in the new season, what are the actual foreign player limits? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 3 foreigners in the registered squad with 1 extra Asian player allowed. Töre has got his wish and left, Rafael only has a year left on his deal and is asking for silly money (currently on 5,250 a week but asking for 18k!) so I'm shipping him out. Knudtzon should get his Korean nationality in the off-season so I'm looking for some freebies to bring to the Far East Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raware Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Such heartbreak DodgeeD! The last minute, in fact, added time in extra time! You must be guttapointed! Good luck for the new season even without Tore. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 2018 Season Preview: Suwon Samsung Blue Wings Club Information: Season Ticket Holders: 4,820 Stadium Capacity: 43,959 (all-seater) Training facilities: Adequate Youth faciliites: Basic + Youth Academy Youth Recruitment: Average Board Expectations K-League: Challenge for title (Media Prediction: 2nd) KFA Cup: Reach semi-final Peace Cup: Not important Asian Champions League: Reach quarter-final Transfer Budget: 350k Wage Limit: 63k p/w Squad & Transfers The squad was lacking depth and our situation wasn't helped by the departures of Gökhan Töre and Rafael, two of last season's key players. Furthermore, the incoming transfer fees were used to service the clubs debts rather than increase the transfer budget but at least the club is now out of the red. That meant I was looking for free transfers and bargain deals to bolster the squad and the following came in: Antonio (ST) - I was offered this striker by an agent after he was released by Valencia. He should do well at this level and has the pıotential to be a leading K-League star. Paulo D'Amico (AML) - this Argentine left-winger needs some development but he will provide back-up to Knudtzen for now. Ha Jung-Hun (AMR/L) - With the departure of Töre, a new winger was needed. Jung-Hun is not quite as good but he will provide good back-up. Kim Chang-Soo (DR) - right back was a weak area so I was happy to pick up Chang-Soo quite cheaply (50k). His experience will be invaluable. Marlon (ST) - released by FC Seoul despite being on the verge of gaining Korean citizenship. I snapped up the Brazilian and his paperwork was duly processed to become one of our 'home-grown' stars. Park Hyun-Bum (DM/MC) - adds some much-needed cover in the DM slot after two players from that position retired last season. Jeon Yong-Dae (DC) - another agent offer. The defender comes back to career after 3 seasons with Wellington Phoenix. Lee Yong-Joon (DC) - I felt another defencer was needed but had no transfer budget so I made a request to the board and they duly obliged bringing another player back home from Wellington Phoenix. In competition news, we've been drawn with Chinese side Henan, Indonesian outfit Sriwijaya FC and Sakai FC (not sure of the real name) from the J-League in our Asian Champions League group. The media say it's an easy draw for us - I hope they are right! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Bad luck missing out on promotion, mind you, I would rather lose in injury time in extra time than watching a penalty shootout nailbiter! Hope you can build on this for next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToMexico!! Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Some good home grown purchases there DodgeeD. Good Luck for the new season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSYoungEsq Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Looks like you are shaping up a good squad there. Bad luck about the playoffs, and a good reason why I hate seeing the American playoff structure take over other countries' leagues. It's all about money, of course. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.W.G Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Unlucky with the playoffs but with your signings you should be able to clinch it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 Hello all. As you may have (not) noticed, I've been away from the forums for a while. Usual story of work, study and all that taking over... Anyway, assignments for the MA all done so I thought I'd catch up here. I did play the odd hour here and there during the last few months but progress was slow. Anyway, I finished the 2018 season with Suwon with great success topping the league, winning the champoinship play-off, capturing the KFA Cup and triumphing in the Asian Champions League (note the magic scoreline of 3-1 in each final ). With another continental crown won, I decided to move on and thought I'd found a great job when Brazilian giants Flamengo came calling. A good start saw us finsih as runners-up in the state championship and top of Serie A with a 100% record after 6 games. And so last night, I settled in for my first extended FM session in months only for the game to crash. Several reloads and holidaying past the crash date all brought about the same result - a crash on June 19th. It must be something to do with one of the xml files as that is a reset date... Anyway, plenty of time to play now so I might as well start from scratch. I'll keep it simple this time - maybe just a few European leagues... though the pull of Latin America is strong. Any suggestions? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoachFlu Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 If you do want to continue that save, check here: June 19 crash Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 Thanks CoachFlu!! Hopefully it can get fixed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rancer890 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Hope your file works again DodgeeD. My Shakhtar one will probably never work, because the crash happens on January 19, and it's over 450MB, making it a little hard to upload.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raware Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Good to see you back DodgeeD . Shame about the crash dump I'd suggest a Latin American save this time around. I did enjoy your Santander save plus i'm also toying with the idea of a Latin save but haven't got the energy to start a new save at the minute so yours would to some extent satisfy my desire for a Latin American save Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 Hi rancer890 and Raware! Thanks to coachflu pointing me in the right direction, I got my save fixed in super fast time and can now continue I will get a more detailed summary of my season at Suwon up soon and, no worries Raware, there will be a Latin flavour as at some point I will head to Honduras, Guatemala or Costa Rica for a tough challenge! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted May 28, 2011 Author Share Posted May 28, 2011 Now my game's been fixed by the lovely people at SI and I've played through another season to make sure there are no further problems, I thought it was high time I caught up with my updates, starting with a proper round-up of my triumphant season at Suwon (seems so long ago now!) 2018 Season Review: Suwon Samsung Blue Wings Domestic Competitions: K-League: 1st K-League Play-Offs: Winners KFA Cup: Winners Peace Cup: Semi-finalists Continental Competition: Asian Champions League: Winners K-League After losing out in the play-off final the season before, I was determined to win this time. There was little activity in the transfer market with Gökhan Töre the only notable departure and his transfer fee was used to add some depth to our options in defence. We also brought in a couple of young strikers to be used in rotation up front. We spent most of the season chasing Seongnam, who had started the season in great form. Taking top spot was in our own hands towards the end of the season as we were 5 points back with a game in hand and a home match with Seongnam to come. We won the game in hand but then I thought we had missed our chance as the top of the table clash finished 1-1. However, Seongnam suffered a collapse over the last 4 games, failing to win any of them and we were able to capitalize to top the standings. As we had learned last season, that did not mean a thing as we would still have to win the play-off final to be crowned champions. Seongnam's poor form continued in the early play-off rounds meaning we would face Seoul, a side we had beaten easily in both league meetings. The final went the same way (although we did lose the first leg) as we claimed the title. Domestic Cups The Peace Cup was the only missing piece of silverware this season as we fell to Chunnam in the semi-finals, thus failing to defend last season's crown. We made up fore that in the KFA Cup though as a series of kind draws meant we got to the final playing N-League sides in every game. We got and took our chance for revenge over Chunnam in the final, beating them 3-1 to do the domestic double. Asian Champions League This was the real target for this season and my time at Suwon - a continental trophy to add to the African Champions League won with Club Africain. The group stage was a breeze as Chinese champs Henan flopped as did Sakai FC of Japan. That meant we topped the group with ease, only dropping points away to runners-up Sriwijaya FC and without conceding a goal. Group Table That gave us the confidence to believe we could win the cup and so we did. Chinese side Tianjin ran us close in the 2nd round as we won 3-2 before comfortably dispatching Iranian side Persepolis in the quarters and Okayama FC of Japan in the semis. That set up a final with another Iranian side, Esteghlal, which we won 3-1 to take my second continental crown! I would have been happy to stay on, especially as the Club World Championship was coming up with a possbile clash against former club Club Africain on the cards. However, Brazilian giants Flamengo had come calling me, offering me a shot at the Copa Libertadores with 8.5million pounds to spend. Like a shot, I was on the next flight to Rio! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flamers Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 Well done! I don't think I can say much more! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rancer890 Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 Good luck with Flamengo. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted May 29, 2011 Author Share Posted May 29, 2011 2019 Season Review: Flamengo Domestic Compeititons Rio State Championship: Finalists Brazilian 1st Division: 7th Continental Competition Copa Libertadores: 2nd Round And so I arrived in Brazil full of optimism at a well-known team ready to challenge for trophies and with money to spend... Only there wasn't any money to spend. Despite being promised 8.5 million, when January 2019 came around (I joined in late December 2018), the board announced their expectations and budgets for the new season and slashed the transfer fund to 600k.... And tghis despite there being 30 million pounds in the bank!!! That meant I was reliant on selling squad players and picking up bargains to mould the team in my own image. Before I go on, I should explain the ins and outs of football in Brazil. There have been a few threads with careers here but I shall explain for the uninitiated (bear with me - this may take a while): The domestic league campaign has two distinct phases - a series of regional championships (known as the state championships) early in the season (Jan-June), for which each state has its own system (more on Rio State which Flamengo compete in later) and the national league later in the season (July-Dec). There is also a national cup competition in the first half of the season. However, as this clashes with the Copa Libertadores, it does not include the teams involved in South America's premier competition. Still with me? Good. When I took over at Flamengo, the team had just finished 4th in the national 1st division meaning I would be leading them into the Rio State championship, national 1st Division and the Copa Lİbarteadores. Due to our invlovement in the latter, we would not be in the Brazilian Cup. Rio State Championship This is where it gets really complicated! The Rio State Champiobship has 16 teams. At the start of the compeition, they are divided into two groups of 8 and in the opening stage, the teams play their group opponents once each. The top two teams from each group then play knockout ties to determine the opening stage winner. For the closing stage, each team plays against the teams in the other group and again, the top two from each group play knockout ties. There is then a two-legged final between the opening and closing stage champions (unless, of course, they are the same team!) to decide the overall champion. Anyway, probably best to just try to win every game! We got off to a bad start as we met another 1st Division side and fierce rival Vasco in the opening game and lost 3-0. Nevertheless, we qualified for the knockout rounds with ease as we won the other 6 games (besides Vasco, Fluminense and Botafogo, the other Rio state teams aren't up to much). Alas, we lost out to Group 2 winners Fluminense in our semi-final, a cause for worry as we lost to the only two decent sides we faced. The closing stage was much better though as we beat both of the strongest teams from the other group, Fluminense and Botafogo, and topped our group with a 100% record. We then beat Botafogo in the semis before cruising to a win over Fluminesne to claim the closing stage victory. That set up a two-legged grand final with Fluminense. Alas, we got a bit over-confident and suffered a shock in the first leg as we had a man sent off and lost 4-1. Two early goals in the second leg gave us hope of a comeback but try as we might, we couldn't get the third and lost the title 4-3 on aggregate. 1st Division By the time the national league started, the team had got used to my tactics and a few youngsters had been brought in so we were playing much better. A storming start saw us win 8 of our first 9 games before we dropped back to 4th place. We seemed set to stay there and earn a Copa Libertadores slot for next season but a poor end to the year saw us fall even further down the table and in the end we finished 7th. Copa Libertaodres I wasn't expecting much from this compeition as it came when I was still getting to grips with the team. Boca were our only real threat in the group stages and we finished 2nd behind them with Bolivia's Jorge Wilsterman and Colombia's Once Caldas easily brushed aside. In the 2nd round we faced Lanus of Argentina. A 1-1 draw in the home leg left us with too much to do as we lost out 3-2 away to exit the compeititon 4-3 on aggregate. Key Players The following stood out: Alex (DRC) - right back was a real problem and, with hardly any money to spend, I turned to the youth team and found this guy. He may not be the best but he performed really well under the circumstances and looks to be one for the future. Zezé (DL) - turned in some great performances at left back and attracted a lot of interest from Europe. Hopefully, I can keep him for next season. Dodo (DM/MC) - my one signing made before the transfer budget was slashed and an absolute bargain at 1.5 million. Slotted staright into the first team and should stay there for a long time. Pantera (AML/C) - I had no decent wingers at the club so I signed this guy on a season long loan from Mallorca. He ended up playing over 50 games and was voted the 1st Division midfielder of the year. I included a 1.5 million future fee clause in his loan deal which I fully intned to activate. Chiquino (ST) - A real future star this one. Only 19 but rated at 4* by all coaches and constantly attracting big money bids from Europe. He started the season in great form winning the Rio State Best Young Player award and, although he dipped slightly late in the season, I think he'll be key to our success next year... provided we can keep him, that is. Diego Maurico (ST) - This guy was the real star, leading the club's scoring charts and turning in many match-winning performances. He was Fans' Player of the Year by a long distance as was awarded elsewhere also. Brazil has a ridiculous number of awards and Maurico won a ridicukous number of them: Rio State Best Player; Rio State Topscorer; Brazilian Golden Boot; Internet Player of the Year (I told the youth team and reserves to vote for him over and over ); 1st Division Best Player; 1st Division Player of the Year (not sure what the difference between those is!); and 1st Division Striker of the Year. More of the same next year please! So in the end, the board were disappointed as I fell slightly short of their expectations (they wanted a Rio State win, 1st Division top 4 spot and quarter-finals of the Libertadores). However, I felt hard done by with the disappearing transfer budget and felt that, with the club still in the black, I could do a lot more with decent money to spend next season. It seems I'll get the chance to do that but the pressure will be on next season. Another season short of expectations could result in me moving on before planned.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cerud Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 YEah...I think your strategy of just trying to win every game is the best! Definitely a tad complicated! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raware Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 That's a bit of a sh**ter taking your transfer budget like that! Nevertheless, I think you did pretty well considering the restraints you had . Your front line looks very strong and could be claiming 100+ goals a season between them in the future I feel! I just hope you manage to keep them both. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted May 29, 2011 Author Share Posted May 29, 2011 Thanks for the comments Flamers, rancer and cerud. Raware - the disappearing budget was definitely a strange one, especially as the club was comfortably in the black with sponsorship money and TV rights coming in on the same day the budget was set. We had about 40million in the bank but all my requests for extra funds were turned down - my only success was in getting the percentage of transfer revenue available to me upped from 20% to 50%. Although we lost about 1.5 million each month, we were still in the black at the end of the season so I'll be hoping for better financial backing next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 Solid first season in Brazil You've certainly got some decent players on your books, especially Zeze and Maurico, so I'm anticipating big things next season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted May 29, 2011 Author Share Posted May 29, 2011 A Brief Interlude: Paraguay Flamengo were not the only side keeping me busy in 2019 as I made a move into international management with Paraguay. I wasn't planning to do any juggling of jobs on this save but with the Copa America coming up in Brazil (and with Paraguay set to play their group games at Flamengo's home stadium, the Maracana) I thought why not? First, there were a couple of friendlies. We lost the first one away to Turkey, 1-0, but I was encouraged by our display and thought a few tweaks here and there would see us reach the FA's target of a quarter-final place in the summer's tournament. The next friendly set alarm bells ringing though as we went down 4-0 to Tunisia with plenty of my former Club Africain players ripping us to shreds. That sent us in to the Copa America on a bit of a downward spiral but I was hoping we would click at the tournament itself. 2019 Copa America Hosts: Brazil Holders: Brazil FA Expectations: Quarter-finals We were drawn in quite a tough group with host nation Brazil, CHile and Mexico. However, with 3rd place teams standing a chance of qualifying, I felt one win would be enough to see us through. Alas, it never came. Our two star players were the centre-backs, one of whom plays for Real Madrid and is valued at 20 million, and the other, Carlos Sosa, a former player of mine from Wanderers who then moved on to Zenit St. Petersburg, but both were suspended for the opener and our weaknesses were exposed as Chile stuck 3 past us. That meant the pressure was on for the game against Brazil but we responded well and frustrated the hosts, holding them to a 0-0 scoreline. So frustrated were the Brazilian FA that (surprise, surprise!) the manager was sacked after the game! In our final game against Mexico, all looked good as we came back from conceding an early goal to take a 2-1 lead but then it all went wrong. First Mexico equalised and then we had a man sent off. Heads dropped and we got routed 5-2. Once the match was over, I jumped before I was pushed. I think I'll stick to club management for the forseeable future! Group Table The rest of the tournament threw up a few surprises as both Brazil and Argentina lost in the semis, with Uruguay and Chile contesting the final. Chile were the better team on the day and will go to Ecuador 2023 as defending champions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted May 29, 2011 Author Share Posted May 29, 2011 10 Year Career Summary It's now ten years since my journey began in Egypt's second tier. Time to round up how's it's gone so far: Koroum (Egypt) [u][b][font=Courier New] Season[/font][/b][/u][font=Courier New][b] | [/b][b][u]Division[/u] | [u]Position[/u] | [/b][u][b]Cup[/b][/u][b] | [u]Continental[/u] | [u]Achievements[/u] [/b][url="http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/241740-Back-on-the-Tribute-Trail-DodgeeD-s-Second-World-Tour?p=6246756&viewfull=1#post6246756"]2010-11[/url] | 1st (North) | 3rd | 1stR | N/A | N/A [url="http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/241740-Back-on-the-Tribute-Trail-DodgeeD-s-Second-World-Tour?p=6268443&viewfull=1#post6268443"]2011-12[/url] | 1st (North) | 1st | 1stQR | N/A | Promoted as champions [url="http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/241740-Back-on-the-Tribute-Trail-DodgeeD-s-Second-World-Tour?p=6320745&viewfull=1#post6320745"]2012-13[/url] | Premier | 13th | 1stR | N/A | Survived Left club May 2013[/font] Wanderers (Uruguay) [b][font=Courier New][u]Season[/u] | [u]Division[/u] | [u]Open[/u] | [u]Close[/u] | [u]Overall[/u] | [u]Liguilla[/u] | [u]Continental[/u] | [u]Achievements[/u][/font][/b][url="http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/241740-Back-on-the-Tribute-Trail-DodgeeD-s-Second-World-Tour?p=6336522&viewfull=1#post6336522"][font=Courier New]2013-14[/font][/url][font=Courier New] | Primera | 5th | 6th | 5th | 2nd | N/A | N/A[url="http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/241740-Back-on-the-Tribute-Trail-DodgeeD-s-Second-World-Tour?p=6361293&viewfull=1#post6361293"]2014-15[/url] | Primera | 1st | 7th | 3rd | 1st | Lib Prelim Round | Opening Stage Champs, Liguilla Winners[url="http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/241740-Back-on-the-Tribute-Trail-DodgeeD-s-Second-World-Tour?p=6403377&viewfull=1#post6403377"]2015-16[/url] | Primera | 5th | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Left club in January 2016 [/font] Club Africain (Tunisia) [b][font=Courier New][u]Season[/u] | [u]Division[/u] | [u]Position[/u] | [u]President Cup[/u] | [u]Continental[/u] | [u]Achievements[/u][/font][/b][url="http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/241740-Back-on-the-Tribute-Trail-DodgeeD-s-Second-World-Tour?p=6424535&viewfull=1#post6424535"][font=Courier New]2015-16[/font][/url][font=Courier New] | CLP1 | 5th | Winners! | Reached CAF | Joined January 2016; Qualified for CAF Confederations Cup (2017) Champions League Group Stage (2016)[url="http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/241740-Back-on-the-Tribute-Trail-DodgeeD-s-Second-World-Tour?p=6455066&viewfull=1#post6455066"]2016-17[/url] | CLP1 | 1st | 1st Round | CAF Champions League | N/A Winners! (2016); CAF Super Cup Runners-up; CWC 3rd PlaceLeft club in June 2017[/font] South Africa Under 20s [u][b][font=Courier New] Season[/font][/b][/u][font=Courier New][b] | [/b][b][u]African U20 Championship[/u][/b][/font][font=Courier New][b] | [u]Under 20 World Cup[/u] | [u]Achievements[/u] [/b]2017 | [url="http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/241740-Back-on-the-Tribute-Trail-DodgeeD-s-Second-World-Tour?p=6452702&viewfull=1#post6452702"]Winners![/url] | [url="http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/241740-Back-on-the-Tribute-Trail-DodgeeD-s-Second-World-Tour?p=6478873&viewfull=1#post6478873"]2nd Round[/url] | Joined October 2016 Resigned October 2017 [/font] Suwon (South Korea) [u][b][font=Courier New] Season[/font][/b][/u][font=Courier New][b] | [/b][b][u]Division[/u] | [u]Position[/u] | [/b][u][b]Play-offs[/b][/u][b] | [u]KFA Cup[/u] | [u]Peace Cup[/u] | [u]Continental[/u] | [u]Achievements[/u] [/b][url="http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/241740-Back-on-the-Tribute-Trail-DodgeeD-s-Second-World-Tour?p=6478932&viewfull=1#post6478932"]2017[/url] | K-League | 1st | Finalists | N/A | Winners | N/A | Joined July 2017; Qualified for ACL [url="http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/241740-Back-on-the-Tribute-Trail-DodgeeD-s-Second-World-Tour?p=6834055&viewfull=1#post6834055"]2018[/url] | K-League | 1st | Winners | Winners | Semi-final | ACL Winners | N/A Left club December 2018[/font] Flamengo (Brazil) [u][b][font=Courier New] Season[/font][/b][/u][font=Courier New][b] | [/b][b][u]Division[/u] | [u]Position[/u] | [/b][u][b]Rio State[/b][/u][b] | [u]Copa de Brasil[/u][/b][/font][font=Courier New][b] | [u]Continental[/u] | [u]Achievements[/u] [/b][url="http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/241740-Back-on-the-Tribute-Trail-DodgeeD-s-Second-World-Tour?p=6836084&viewfull=1#post6836084"]2019[/url] | Serie A | 7th | Finalists | N/A | Copa Libertadores | Joined Dec 2018; Qualified for Copa Sudamericana 2nd Round [/font] Paraguay [u][b][font=Courier New] Season[/font][/b][/u][font=Courier New][b] | [/b][b][u]Copa America[/u][/b][/font][font=Courier New][b] | [u]Achievements[/u] [/b][url="http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/241740-Back-on-the-Tribute-Trail-DodgeeD-s-Second-World-Tour?p=6836821&viewfull=1#post6836821"]2019[/url] | Group Stage | Joined April 2019 Resigned July 2019 [/font] Achievements: Competitions Egyptian 1st Division (North) Champions (2012) Uruguayan Primera Division Opening Stage Winners (2014) Liguilla Winners (2015) Tunisian President Cup (2016) CAF Champions League (2016) African U20 Championship (2017) Tunisian Championnat de Ligue Professionele 1 (2017) Korean Peace Cup (2017) K-League (2017) KFA Cup (2017) Asian Champions League (2017) Achievements: Awards Egyptian 1st Division Manager of the Year (2012) Uruguyan Premier Division Manager of the Year (2015) K-League Manager of the Year (2018) South Korean FA Cup Manager of the Year (2018) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodgeeD Posted May 29, 2011 Author Share Posted May 29, 2011 Solid first season in Brazil You've certainly got some decent players on your books, especially Zeze and Maurico, so I'm anticipating big things next season Thanks AK22. I have a strange mix of top class players like the ones you mentioned and youngsters who are not ready for the first team but have to play because of lack of depth. Hopefully some wheeling and dealing will put that straight Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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