Thunderbird Delta: International Footballing Rescue

[noikeee]

Caught up w/ last season - slightly disappointing to drop out of that playoff position, but still a positive season for the club.

[elbilly]

Unlucky to hit a couple of bad patches and miss the play-offs/promotion. good luck with the season ahead i got a feeling you're gonna make it this time

[deltablue]

Decent grabs in the transfer market. Hope that this season sees you into the playoffs.

Caught up w/ last season - slightly disappointing to drop out of that playoff position, but still a positive season for the club.

Unlucky to hit a couple of bad patches and miss the play-offs/promotion. good luck with the season ahead i got a feeling you're gonna make it this time

Getting into the playoffs is the minimum expectation, but we'll have a far easier ride if we're top (and it would give me a 'trophy' win) so it would mean a lot to do that. Apologies for the lack of activity on the forum. I was intending to have got through most if not all of the season by now, but not felt that great this week, and had to sort out a couple of things as well. Just getting started on the season this evening, and the first league game was a 5-2 away win, so we've clearly still got our flair.

[deltablue]

Aug/Sept 2041

Ecija 1-3 (aet) Gandia (SC)

We started against non-league Gandia in the cup. Doblas gave us the lead after 5 minutes, but they equalized in the 13th, and we didn’t play like a team that would go on to win. It didn’t help that both wingers, Lobato (who would be out for almost 2 months) and Cristobal (who’d also miss the start of the league season), went off injured, and Doblas getting sent off at the start of extra-time was the cue for them to beat us 3-1.

Pinatar 2-5 Ecija (D2B)

The league started at Pinatar, and Doblas made up for his red card by scoring a brace in the last 15 minutes of the first half. Valdes gave us a second sending off in as many games this season, but we pushed on, Rodriguez getting 2 goals in the first 10 minutes after the break. Our bad luck with injuries continued as Rodriguez went off, but that allowed Jimenez to come on for his debut, and after they scored a second, he finished off our 5-2 win.

Ecija 2-4 Estepona (D2B)

Jimenez shone on his first start, against Estepona. He gave us a 2-0 lead after half an hour, but somehow they took a 3-2 lead at the break. They scored a 4th early in the second half, and though we pushed very hard afterwards, the best we could managed was a 70th minute disallowed Doblas goal.

Jaen 3-1 Ecija (D2B)

We had a massive test at Jaen, who had come back down after winning the division 2 years ago, and had won both games so far. They took the lead in the 35th minute, and though Sergio equalized, they immediately retook the lead. They went on to get a 3rd in the second half, which was a shame as we hadn’t been too bad.

Ecija 5-0 Sevilla Atletico (D2B)

When we played Sevilla Atletico, I was worried about making a poor start to the season, but Marin gave us the lead in the 24th minute, after which the floodgates opened. Rogelio, Jimenez and Smeets gave us a 4-0 lead at the break, with a second Jimenez goal late on giving us a fantastic 5-0 win.

Algeciras 0-2 Ecija (D2B)

Jimenez had a goal disallowed in a tight first half at Algeciras. He still made the difference in the second half, with a quick brace after 62 minutes giving us the win.

Ecija 2-0 Velez (D2B)

Velez were comfortable opponents. Doblas scored in the 33rd minute, and finished it off in the 51st minute.

Oct 2041

Extremadura 2-1 Ecija (D2B)

We went to Extremadura, who had beaten us to 4th last year, and were just behind us. They gave us more disappointment, with 2 quick goals after the 20 minute mark. Jimenez pulled one back early in the second half but we didn’t have many chances to do better.

Ecija 1-2 Cordoba (D2B)

Cordoba were another side who made the playoffs last season. Rodriguez was rushed back in place of the injured Jimenez, and it appeared to pay off when he scored after 24 seconds. We looked good until they equalized in the 59th minute, and we unlucky to lose from a late penalty. Rodriguez would be out for another month.

Betis B 3-1 Ecija (D2B)

Like Jaen, Betis B had also gone straight back down. Doblas gave is a great start in Seville, scoring in the 3rd minute. They equalized in the 24th, and broke us when taking the lead just before half-time. Despite a Sergio injury reducing us to 10 men, we fought back, and were unlucky not to get at least one goal before their late 3rd put it beyond us anyway.

Ecija 2-3 Linense (D2B)

Things looked bleak when we went behind early on against a Linense side we were expected to beat. Gorres turned it around with 2 goals by the 10th minute but the younger Jimenez got sent off early in the second half. They quickly equalized, then went ahead. It looked like we had a stoppage time equalizer from Doblas but it was ruled out.

Oh dear. We started well enough, for the most part. However luck just hasn't been on our side, Extremadura being the only one of the 4 defeats in a point-less October that I couldn't complain too much about. In general that sums up how things have gone since the start of my last season in Sweden. Decent effort, relatively little return.

[cerud]

Hmmm... It's still early and the table is tight. Hopefully, you're able to turn fortunes around a bit.

[b101]

Ouch, a tough start but hopefully you can pull it around

[AK22]

If you can tighten up the defence, I expect you to start moving up the table again.

[deltablue]

Hmmm... It's still early and the table is tight. Hopefully, you're able to turn fortunes around a bit.

Ouch, a tough start but hopefully you can pull it around

If you can tighten up the defence, I expect you to start moving up the table again.

Well we have, but only as part of a season of zig-zagging all over the place.

Nov 2041

Cartagena 3-0 Ecija (D2B)

I didn’t have any expectations from a tough trip to Cartegena, and it seemed justified as they scored twice in the second half. We had a decent second-half showing, but it wasn’t enough, even before their late 3rd.

Ecija 2-2 San Roque (D2B)

Thankfully more manageable games awaited, and we’d need them, starting against San Roque. Gorres gave us the lead in the 15th minute, and we looked like we’d win comfortably, but suddenly they equalized in the 80th minute. Gorres quickly restored the lead but a stoppage time goal meant we dropped points at home to the bottom side.

Rayo Majadahonda 0-2 Ecija (Fed)

We then went to Rayo Majadahonda in the Federation cup. Lobato has been having a bit of trouble with Second Season Syndrome, but gave us the lead in the 5th minute. Even against such poor opposition, we looked unimpressive, but Lobato scored again in the 50th minute.

Ecija 3-1 Yeclano (D2B)

We finally got a win in the league against Yeclano. Rodriguez gave us a 10th minute lead, with Cristobal getting another shortly before the break They pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time but Gorres sealed a 3-1 win early in the second half. It was our first in 7, with only 1 point during that run, which was very poor.

Ecija 2-0 (4-0) Rayo Majadahonda (Fed)

We comfortably saw off Majadahonda in the second leg, Rodriguez giving us an early lead, and Gorres sealing it later on.

Torrevieja 3-0 Ecija (D2B)

Things did not go well back in the league at Torrevieja. We went 2-0 down in the first half, as bad luck had given way to mediocrity. Rodriguez had a goal disallowed on the hour mark but it was our only shot on target so we couldn’t complain about an eventual 3-0 defeat.

Ecija 2-0 Villarreal B (Fed)

I decided to turn the flair down a little bit for the Federation Cup game against Villarreal B. It appeared to pay off as we held firm against strong first half pressure. Rodriguez gave us the edge in the 72nd minute, and a stoppage time Jimenez goal meant we’d take a 2 goal lead to the away leg.

Dec 2041

Atletico Malagueno (D2B)

Things got off to a bad start back in the league, at Atletico Malagueno, as we went behind in the 2nd minute. However we showed great strength and Xisco (through a penalty) and Gorres turned it around by the end of the half as we won 2-1.

Merida 1-1 Ecija (D2B)

A trip to Merida would be a tough test of whether things were improving. They had an early goal disallowed, so it appeared not, but bad luck appeared to have returned as in an even game, we went behind in the 73rd minute. Again we came back though, and a late Gorres goal gave us a point.

Villarreal B 3-0 (3-2) Ecija (Fed)

We had the return leg against Villarreal B, and unfortunately were on the back foot from the start. They had a goal disallowed in the 5th minute, but reopened the tie with a goal before the break. Unfortunately a poor second half saw them get the two further goals they needed to win the tie.

Ecija 5-2 Marbella (D2B)

We again benefited from an early disallowed goal against Marbella, but they took the lead anyway in the 9th minute. Jimenez immediately equalized, and it was one-way traffic from that point onwards. Gorres, a Lobato brace, and a second Jimenez goal put us 5-1 up after 53 minutes, while they got a second consolation.

Lucena 1-2 Ecija (D2B)

A trip to Lucena was the last game before the Christmas break. They looked tough but Gorres set up Jimenez in the 8th minute. He scored again on the hour mark, and despite Lucena pulling a goal back with 10 minutes left, our much improved-league form continued.

Jan 2042

Ecija 3-2 Cacereno (D2B)

We returned to action against Cacereno, and got off to a great start to the year with Gorres scoring in the 5th minute. Rogelio extended the lead after 50 minutes, but a penalty allowed them to pull one back, and they quickly equalized. We weren’t to be denied however, and Gorres scored again immediately after their equalizer, giving us a win that took us from 13th to 8th in one swoop.

Ecija 4-0 Pinatar (D2B)

We had no trouble against Pinatar. Valdes gave us the lead in the 8th minute, with Gorres and Jimenez following before the break. Lobato had two assists, and capped off a great performance with our 4th and final goal in the 76th minute. The gap to 4th had now closed to just 3 points, when it had been 5-6 times greater in November.

Estepona 0-1 Ecija (D2B(

The trip to Estepona was tricky, but we held out well. We weren’t so good at the other end, but Marin, in for the injured Lobato, scored the crucial goal in the 57th minute.

Ecija 1-4 Jaen (D2B)

Unfortunately our great run came crashing to an end against Jaen, and it really crashed hard. They scored in the 4th minute, and had a 4-0 lead after an hour. Valdes scored 10 minutes later, but it was a crushing defeat.

Feb 2042

Sevilla Atletico 2-2 Ecija (D2B)

We went to Sevilla Atletico hoping to bounce back, and looked like we would, thanks to Rodriguez and a Xisco penalty giving us a 2-0 lead at the break. Unfortunately they really went at us in the second half, not just coming back to 2-2, but we were lucky they didn’t get a winner as well.

Ecija 5-6 (!!!) Algeciras (D2B) 1,300th career match!

The game against Algeciras was my 1,300th, and it was an incredible spectacle. In the first 5 minutes, Rodriguez and Gorres had each given us the lead, and they had equalized twice. Unfortunately they were the ones that made the breakthrough, with 2 quick goals giving them a 4-2 lead at the break. We kept fighting, but they hit us again for 5-2, then 6-2. It was looking like a terrible defeat. However we burst back into life, Rodriguez scoring twice to complete his hat-trick, then Gorres making it 6-5 in the 84th minute. Sadly an equalizer didn’t come, but I must say I don’t mind too much losing games like this.

Velez 2-4 Ecija (D2B)

After 1 point from 3 games, we had been slipping down the table as quickly as we’d shot up it, but we couldn’t fail at bottom side Velez. Rodriguez and Gorres gave us a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes, quickly followed by another from Rodriguez. They pulled a goal back, but Xisco made it 4-1 at the break, and though they scored again late on, we got a deserved 4-2 win.

Ecija 3-0 Extremadura (D2B)

We were looking to close in on the playoffs again, and had a strong performance against Extremadura. Gorres and Marin gave us a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes. We had a 3rd disallowed before the break, but a second Gorres goal in the 62nd minute meant we got it anyway.

They say the league table doesn't lie, but it doesn't tell much of a story by itself, and this is certainly true of this season. Autumn was terrible, with just 1 point from 6 games at one point, and we ended up getting close to the drop zone. The top 4 were getting so far away that they might as well have been on the Moon. Then a tactical change meant we hit our stride, dropping just 2 points in 7 games to go from 15+ points adrift to just 2 in the space of a couple of months. Then came 1 point from 3 games that saw us 10 points away from 4th, and now 2 wins later we're 5 points behind. We still have a shot at 4th, but we have some tough games coming up (especially a trip to table-topping Cordoba next) so I'd still be surprised if we did make it in the end. Still the way things have gone, you wouldn't bet against anything up to (though excluding, probably) the TARDIS landing on the pitch during a match.

Still what I've always loved about this game is that it's nothing if not eventful, and my time at Ecija is certainly a good example. On the face of it, it may appear frustrating with the rather unsuccessful attempts to reach the playoffs, and it is, but it's been far more interesting than that. I'm almost at 100 games at the club. There have only been 8 draws and no 0-0's. I've calculated an average goals per game ratio (both scored and conceded combined) of 4.15, thankfully with far more goals scored than conceded. Combine that with more wage budget (hopefully) being available once a couple of aging/mediocre players are released in the summer, and there's definitely plenty to stay for, for at least another year. Never had it been such fun getting pretty much nowhere.

[elbilly]

Tough and no doubt frustrating season, great attack and poor defence, good luck with getting amongst the play off action should be able to make it if the defence pull themselves together a bit.

[cerud]

With that goal average per game, at least your fans are entertained

[noikeee]

Eventful indeed, 5-6, bloody hell. Not the greatest of seasons up until here but a playoff chance isn't impossible yet.

[Raware]

I thought you'd of made it this year so surprised at where you stand with not many games left.

[b101]

Getting closer - how far do you think you can take Ecija?

[AK22]

Never a dull moment!

[SRL88]

You like to entertain don't you

[Dexter_Morgan]

Still a chance of the playoffs, whatever happens though it hasn't been boring so far

[deltablue]

Tough and no doubt frustrating season, great attack and poor defence, good luck with getting amongst the play off action should be able to make it if the defence pull themselves together a bit.

Thanks, it won't be easy though.

Eventful indeed, 5-6, bloody hell. Not the greatest of seasons up until here but a playoff chance isn't impossible yet.

I know, when a game is 2-2 after just 5 minutes you know it'll be a fantastic game

I thought you'd of made it this year so surprised at where you stand with not many games left.

I was hoping so as well, probably won't though if we can't do it now.

Getting closer - how far do you think you can take Ecija?

Probably not too far. We can still make the playoffs but it'll be tough if we do. Finances have been bad for ages, I've been relying on making wage budget space each year for a couple of free agents.

With that goal average per game, at least your fans are entertained

I'm quite proud of it

Never a dull moment!

You like to entertain don't you

Still a chance of the playoffs, whatever happens though it hasn't been boring so far

I hate boring as you guys can see

[deltablue]

The end of the season will be a little delayed I'm afraid. Was hoping to do it yesterday/today but both times I was out doing stuff then feeling really rubbish when I got back until the evening. Can't do anything tomorrow as I have a rather important job interview, followed by the small matter of celebrating my birthday (and depending how I feel, Saturday might end up being a blank as well).

[noikeee]

Think this comes a day late, but happy birthday then.

[deltablue]

Think this comes a day late, but happy birthday then.

Thanks Back playing now, and there should be an end of season update later.

[deltablue]

Mar 2042

Cordoba 6-2 Ecija (D2B)

The trip to Cordoba was one of those occasions where you feel like taking your defenders to court under the trade descriptions act. They were 2-0 up after 15 minutes, and had a 3rd by the break, after a Xisco penalty pulled one back. When Rodriguez scored in the 50th minute, I felt we might have a shot at a point, but they immediately scored a 4th, and went on to win 6-2.

Ecija 2-0 Betis B (D2B)

Betis B was expected to be tough, but the younger Jimenez gave us a 29th minute lead, and Lopez scored in the middle of the second half to give us a 2-0 win.

Ecija 1-3 Cartagena (D2B) 100th Ecija match!

I had my 100th Ecija game against Cartagena. Bueno was forced back in, and as a result we didn’t have the best time of it at the back. They scored in the 14th and 22nd minutes, but Xisco’s penalty (annoyingly coming as he was being taken off) pulled one back. We had another penalty denied early in the second half, but on balance they admittedly deserved to win, and they clinched it in the 77th minute.

Linense 1-1 Ecija (D2B)

An away game at Linense wasn’t any easier than the past few matches. A good start saw Jesus have a goal disallowed, which was unfortunate when they scored from their only shot on target (out of many) early in the second half. Doblas struck with a few minutes left to give us a point at least.

San Roque 2-1 Ecija (D2B)

We were expecting a far easier ride at San Roque, who were in the relegation zone, but even though we were a goal up at half-time through Doblas, it had been a less than inspired performance, and we were punished for it as they turned it around to win 2-1.

Apr/May 2042

Yeclano 3-1 Ecija (D2B)

Rodriguez gave us the lead at Yeclano, but it had parallels to the San Roque game. This time they equalized just before the break, but still scored twice in the second half to win 3-1. Having lost two games in a row to bottom 5 teams, I was severely questioning my desire to stay.

Atletico Malagueno 1-3 Ecija (D2B)

We managed to avoid a hat-trick in that department, with a good display at Atletico Malagueno. Lobato gave us the lead after 10 minutes, and for once we held on to it. Valdes and Rodriguez made it 3-0 eventually, while they had a late consolation.

Ecija 1-1 Torrevieja (D2B)

We went behind in the first minute against Torrevieja. Rodriguez equalized in the 9th minute but we were frustrated in our attempts to get anything else.

Ecija 2-0 Merida (D2B)

We were back to having a decent performance against Merida. Rodriguez gave us the lead after half an hour, Jimenez giving us another after 70.

Marbella 1-0 Ecija (D2B)

The team enjoyed an early trip to the beach in Marbella, which I didn’t mind because I’d given up by this point, the playoffs being mathematically out of reach. Marbella only seemed marginally more interested in playing, and scored in the 33rd minute for the only thing remotely good about the match.

Ecija 2-4 Lucena (D2B)

The last home game was against Lucena. They scored two penalties in the first 21 minutes, then Lobato was sent off. Unsurprisingly they scored a 3rd before the break. It was another instance of improving too late, with Jimenez and Rodriguez scoring in the second half, and we might have had an equalizer before their late 4th.

Cacereno 1-5 Ecija (D2B)

We went to Cacereno, which I decided was going to be my last game in Spain. It was so good I nearly changed my mind. Rodriguez gave us the lead in the 8th minute, and while they equalized in the 14th minute, it was plain sailing from that point onwards. Marin ha a goal disallowed, but Rodriguez completed his hat-trick just before the break. Cristobal gave us a 4th, and Rodriguez completed a 5-1 win with his 4th goal.

Never has it been so much fun going nowhere. We did look like we were going to make a challenge for the playoffs, not long after I arrived, but I couldn’t do much to build on it, aside from keeping the squad reasonably strong with whatever free agents I had room to get in. There was still enough promise that I was all set for another year, but my enthusiasm dropped during the time I wasn’t playing, not helped by a mediocre end of a season that had started poorly, had a fantastic middle, and then sunk again. I can’t abide a team that can’t decide whether they’re promotion challengers or relegation fighters. I might have been able to carry on a little longer, but hope had given way to a majority of pessimism, so there seemed little point.

Squad Stats

Star player: A good return of goals from the forwards again, Rodriguez just pipping Jimenez thanks to his 4 on the final day.

I'll reveal the new club tomorrow. It's in a nation I've never been in before so it should be interesting.

[Dexter_Morgan]

It's a shame you left as it was fun reading all them big scores either way Can understand why it'd get too much after a bit though. Looking forward to seeing your next club

[deltablue]

It's a shame you left as it was fun reading all them big scores either way Can understand why it'd get too much after a bit though. Looking forward to seeing your next club

Well, here you go...

Chapter 9: Mattersburg

Austria was a country I don’t think I’ve ever managed in before, and it was nice to have the opportunity now. There was much to like about Mattersburg, starting with their bright green and white kit that contrasted with the blue that my clubs had worn from Raith onwards. They had just finished second in the First Division, some way behind champions Lustenau, but well clear of everyone else. The squad also was better than I’d expected, with a lot of players that looked good Championship quality. It was a little short on numbers until I promoted some promising youngsters from the reserves, but there wasn’t really anyone poor enough that I really wanted to get rid of. It wasn’t the most balanced squad I had ever seen though. There were a good number of defensive midfielders and defenders but not so many attacking ones. At this rate I’d be playing an odd 5-3-2 with a single winger on the right, and a left wing back to compensate.

Financially, the club had a 15,700 capacity stadium (5,700 seated), which was probably a decent size for Austria, and they were Premier Division for a lot of their history. It wasn’t great seeing that the club was 850k in the red, but unlike at Ecija, the situation still seemed manageable, as there was a profit for the season of over 1M, and not from sales, which only totalled under half that. There seemed to have been a massive payment that gave the club a 1.5M profit for the last month of the season, though as that was before the end of season prize money (which only came after relegation playoffs had finished), I have no idea what that was. The league was a 10-team one where everyone played each other 4 times. Only the winner went up, which I never liked, but I felt we were in a decent position to go for it.

[B.W.G]

Shame things didn't go to plan in Spain but the best of luck with Mattersburg

[cerud]

Best of luck in Mattersburg!

[Dexter_Morgan]

Something new for you then Austria is a fun league so best of luck

[deltablue]

Premier League and CL 2041 and 2042

[deltablue]

World Cup 2042

[deltablue]

Summer 2042

The board expected nothing less than promotion, which is never the most comfortable way to start. Nor is sending your scouts out only to realize that the league only allows 7 foreigners to be registered (which surprisingly and annoyingly means just that, not ‘non-eu’ which it does in the Premier Division. I thought that was illegal), and thanks to 2 loans from a French parent club, we were one over. Plus we could only have 3 of those foreigners over 21 in a matchday squad. I also found myself confirming a transfer for a player I never actually bid for, though as he was a very good free agent, as well as an attacking midfielder, I can’t complain. I did get a much needed left-winger, only for him to get a hamstring injury shortly after he arrived, ruling him out of the first few months of the season.

A very short pre-season meant there was a bit of business done just after the start. In the end it was all about the free-agents again (Germans especially in the absence of good local players, always a problem with strict rules like this), as well as the departure of a couple of foreign players in excess of the allowed 7, and the return to parent club Dijon of one of the two players they loaned us, as the squad rules on foreigners meant he wasn’t likely to play much, and he was already unhappy about it a few games in.

The first player I've ever had to thank the DoF (probably) for. Was a surprise to see a message asking me to confirm the transfer, the first I knew about it, though I soon realized why. Since I still have a final say I've left the DoF to do his work though haven't taken any more of this players so far.

Bit old, but still excellent, and importantly, Austrian.

Good defender on loan from parent club Dijon.

Keeper signed early in the season as the existing first choice had decent potential but not much else.

The left winger I needed to get in, who then got injured. Should be worth the wait though.

Transfers

[deltablue]

Best of luck in Mattersburg!

Something new for you then Austria is a fun league so best of luck

Shame things didn't go to plan in Spain but the best of luck with Mattersburg

Sadly not going to plan so far in Austria either. Won just one of the opening 5 games, and really should have won at least 2, and probably 3, of the other 4, and just can't quite convert chances. The squad rules mean I'm often having to change formation to make a substitution. There are all the signs of a good team that needs a bit of time to get it together, but I don't have the time, and I fear the Austria stay might be cut short if we don't start finding the target. Luck not been on my side since the season after promotion at Sirius, hopefully it can return eventually, but it might be a long wait.

[noikeee]

I really quite like the sound of Mattersburg, seems a likeable club (for no reason whatsoever than I've decided it's likeable because I know nothing about them ), shame it's not started particularly well.

[Dexter_Morgan]

Shame it's not started as well as you'd have hoped, I guess that's a problem more due to not having players to play on the wings is it?

[deltablue]

I really quite like the sound of Mattersburg, seems a likeable club (for no reason whatsoever than I've decided it's likeable because I know nothing about them ), shame it's not started particularly well.

I know what you mean, there seemed to be a positive vibe about them. I did already knew their name and colours before, and that they were Premier Division regulars, all thanks to FM. Unfortunately people mentioned Fortuna Dusseldorf as a similar, likeable club in my last career, and that was a short-lived failure instead of somewhere I intended to see out my final few years of the game at.

Shame it's not started as well as you'd have hoped, I guess that's a problem more due to not having players to play on the wings is it?

Not at first, but the winger has been poor in the past few games, which has been a problem with no one else to compensate or adequately replace him with. There have been a few reasons why we've not done well so far. Finishing's the most immediate concern. There's also the relatively low (but improving) 'tactics familiarity', not helped by the league rules. It's 7 foreign players maximum that can be registered (which includes all foreigners, eu or otherwise), and only 3 (over 21) in a matchday squad, so I can't have all the options on the bench that I want and all too often, substitutions mean making a formation switch as well. Even when Voss is finally fit, it's not as simple as just throwing him in to balance things up (I might have to switch a lone right winger to a lone left one), even on the bench. There was also quite a few signings made so squad familiarity won't be that good. This is a team that I think needs time I'm not going to get.

Still haven't been able to get anything done since as I've just not felt well at all this week, but might just be able to get enough done now for an update if I grab the opportunity.

[Dexter_Morgan]

Fair point about the 3 over 21, forgot about that and the foreigner rule in general tbh. Also like you said signings take time to settle in. Hopefully when you're feeling better you can turn things around

[deltablue]

Fair point about the 3 over 21, forgot about that and the foreigner rule in general tbh. Also like you said signings take time to settle in. Hopefully when you're feeling better you can turn things around

Thankfully I got quite a bit done this evening, more than I thought I would, and things did improve. I hate going more than a couple of days without an update.

July 2042

Spittal 0-5 Mattersburg (AC)

The season started at non-league Spittal in the cup. We battered them from the start, though only had a single first half goal, from Nigerian star striker Taiwo. His strike partner Dobias extended the lead a few minutes into the second half, and Taiwo pushed on to get a hat-trick. Defender Ibrahim rounded off a 5-0 win.

Mattersburg 7-0 Austria Salzburg (D1)

The league opened against Austria Salzburg, who were predicted to be bottom. Taiwo scored less than a minute in, and after a lot of pushing, the lone winger Tasdemir extended the lead in the 22nd minute. Taiwo and Dobias made it 4-0 at the break, the Nigerian scoring twice more, along with a second Tasdemir goal, as we opened the season with a 7-0 win.

Seekirchen 1-0 Mattersburg (D1)

A trip to Seekirchen was our first real test, and it didn’t go too well. We had the chances, but wasted them. There were a few close calls at both ends, but they struck the only goal with about 15 minutes left.

Aug 2042

Mattersburg 0-1 LASK Linz (D1)

Bouncing back against LASK Linz would be difficult. New keeper Klein did a good job but otherwise it was similar to Seekirchen. They were a good side, but we should have been the ones edging it, not losing 1-0 to a second half goal, injuries and other things not helping.

Kapfenberger 1-1 Mattersburg (D1)

Injuries and the foreign player rules saw a flat back 5 being adopted to go to Kapfenberger, and when Taiwo gave us an 18th minute lead, it appeared to be working. They snatched an equalizer just before the break, and for the 3rd game running we couldn’t turn pressure into a goal or 2, getting just one point from what should have been at least 5.

Team fur Wien 1-1 Mattersburg (D1)

We still didn’t get a break at Team fur Wien. Dobias gave us a 22nd minute lead, and while we hadn’t been that great, we still outshot them, and again had to settle for a point due to an Inaki own-goal with 10 minutes left.

Mattersburg 1-0 Hartberg (D1)

We couldn’t afford to fail against bottom club Hartberg, and thankfully we didn’t, though only due to being the only team to really do anything. Taiwo gave us the only goal after an hour, though an 11/3 shot/on target ratio was still a worry.

Admira Wacker 0-0 Mattersburg (D1)

Admira Wacker would be a tough trip. We had to soak up a lot of pressure, though thankfully they were as wasteful as we’d ever been (10 shots, none on target). We might have sneaked a win with the few chances we did have, but as we were on the back foot, for once I didn’t mind not winning. As a little bit of trivia, this is my first 0-0 draw since the season I won promotion with Sirius, about 5 years before!

Mattersburg 2-0 Parndorf (D1)

We followed that up well against Parndorf. Dobias and Adam gave us a 2-0 lead at the break, and despite getting back to our wasteful worst in the second half, we comfortably won.

Sept 2042

Austria Salzburg 0-1 Mattersburg (D1)

We had a disappointingly slow start at Austria Salzburg, but when Dobias scored in the 27th minute, we took control of the match. They pushed back later on but we held out to win.

Horn 0-1 Mattersburg (D1)

We were closing in on the top places, and the trip to Horn, just above us was critical. For most of the game, it looked like a 0-0 was the best we could hope to get, like at Admira Wacker. They pushed us even harder, but not only did we hold out, but Dobias gave us win in stoppage time. I must admit that it was completely undeserved, but having lost or drawn a bunch of games we should have won earlier in the season, it was nice to see the boot on the other foot.

Grodig 1-5 Mattersburg (AC)

We took a break from league action to go to non-league Grodig in the cup. Tasdemir gave us a 19th minute lead, and though they equalized 15 minutes later, the winger scored again to restore the lead before the break. We pushed on in style in the second half, Dobias getting a hat-trick as we won 5-1.

Mattersburg 1-0 Seekirchen (D1)

We had a tricky start in another important league game, against Seekirchen. Taiwo had been oddly quiet since starting the season with a bang, but a quick brace around the hour mark gave us another useful win.

Oct 2042

Mattersburg 1-1 Kapfenberger (D1)

The winning run ended against Kapfenberger. They took the lead in the 19th minute (in one of those moments where you just know they’ll score). Taiwo equalized on the half-hour mark, but a dull second half was a missed opportunity to get a winner.

LASK Linz 0-0 Mattersburg (D1)

I was dreading the first trip to Linz, even though defeat in the last match had seen them slip off top. As expected it was a bit of a rear-guard action, and while we were within a whisker of scoring a couple of times, there were more than enough of those moments at the other end, including a goal-line clearance. I wanted at least a draw, and that’s what we got, however it allowed Admira Wacker to get 6 points ahead of us, and 3 of Linz.

Hartberg 1-1 Mattersburg (D1)

We made it 3 draws from 3 for the month at Hartberg. We took the lead in the 2nd minute, then kept wasting chances to make it safe. We were rightfully punished with a late equalizer, but thankfully the same thing happened to Admira Wacker so we didn’t slip any further behind.

Mattersburg 3-4 Ried (AC)

We had to face Premier Division side Ried in the cup. Taiwo gave us a great start with a 3rd minute goal. Sherif extended the lead, and Taiwo’s second gave us a 3-0 lead after 35 minutes. The defence suddenly had an uncharacteristically poor time, gifting them a goal before half-time, and another afterwards, when they really turned up the pressure, and it was a little disappointing seeing the game turn into a 4-3 defeat.

It was a bit of a muddled start to the season, but things improved as we went up to 3rd. Things seem to have stagnated, as we seem to be holding position, 4-6 points off the top spot we need. We're on a good run of 11 games unbeaten, though over half of those are draws, including the last 3 games. Its not bad, especially given some of those draws have come in tough away trips where they can be seen as good results, but there's a sense that we're not doing enough, often enough.

[cerud]

Two amazing games to start the season. Still going well and more than enough time to push up.

[AK22]

A bit mixed so far for promotion contenders, but you're still in the hunt, and there's more than enough games to close the gap.

[B.W.G]

Good to see that your not too far off the top.

[deltablue]

Two amazing games to start the season. Still going well and more than enough time to push up.

A bit mixed so far for promotion contenders, but you're still in the hunt, and there's more than enough games to close the gap.

Good to see that your not too far off the top.

Well, first of all, sorry for another mini-absence. I think I'm finally feeling better now after a few rubbish weeks. Secondly, I've been making up for lost time, and got to near the end of the season, and it's really an exciting 3-way battle for the top.

Nov 2042

Mattersburg 3-2 Team fur Wien (D1)

I was worried our unbeaten run would come to an end against Team fur Wien. We went behind in the 2nd minute. Sherif and Gorski quickly turned it around for 2-1 after 25 minutes. They equalized but Dobias immediately restored the lead. The second half was very tense as there were close calls at both ends, but we had a much improved shots on target percentage, and we got back to winning ways after a month of draws last time.

Mattersburg 3-0 Admira Wacker (D1)

We couldn’t afford to lose against table-topping Admira Wacker, 6 points ahead. Dobias gave us a quick pair of goals to give us a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes. We were able to stop them from being much of a threat, and Dobias completed his hat-trick in stoppage time for a fantastic win that considerably boosted my confidence.

Parnsdorf 0-0 Mattersburg (D1)

Unfortunately draws weren’t far away, and the trip to Parnsdorf, which should have been a win, was a dull 0-0 instead. Linz drew as well, but Admira Wacker scored a last minute winner, so we lost ground to them.

Mattersburg 2-0 Horn (D1)

We made amends against Horn, Taiwo giving us the lead almost straight away. He scored again in the 32nd minute as we claimed the win, but didn’t get any closer to the other two.

Feb/Mar 2043

Mattersburg 3-0 Austria Salzburg (D1)

After a break of almost 3 months, the league resumed against Austria Salzburg near the end of February. It took a while to score, but was otherwise always set to be a comfortable victory. Taiwo gave us the lead in the 37th minute, followed by Dobias just before the break. Tasdemir gave us a 3-0 win, but as we were expected to win, what mattered were the other scores. Linz drew, and Admira Wacker lost, meaning that we were just 1 and 2 points off them respectively! We were also closing in on being the equivalent of half a league season unbeaten.

Seekirchen 1-2 Mattersburg (D1)

A trip to Seekirchen was one I was worried about. Dobias gave us the lead in the 14th minute. He went off injured (and would be out for a few busy weeks), which I knew was a bad sign, and they equalized, but Taiwo stepped up and restored the lead early in the second-half, which we just managed to keep. Admira Wacker were playing the walking 3 points of Salzburg, but we at least kept the gap at 2 points, and moved above Linz into 2nd.

Kapfenberger 0-3 Mattersburg (D1)

I was worried about losing Dobias for a handful of games, but his replacement, Haider, finally took the opportunity to do something (after a bunch of anonymous sub appearances), and gave us the lead at Kapfenberger after 20 minutes. In the second half, we pushed on with goals from Taiwo and Inaki (our two outfield foreigners) giving us a 3-0 win. Not only did we hit the ‘half-a-season’ 18 game unbeaten mark, but Linz beating Admira Wacker meant we were top, a point ahead of both of them.

Mattersburg 3-1 Hartberg (D1)

A postponed game against Linz (which Admira Wacker took advantage of to reclaim top) gave us full week before playing Hartberg. Haider gave us the lead again, in the 7th minute. It was too early to celebrate as they equalized, but Taiwo restored the lead in the half-hour mark. Brauer made it 3-1 early in the second half as we comfortably won again.

Admira Wacker 1-0 Mattersburg (D1)

The trip to Admira Wacker was arguably the toughest game left (though we still had 3 games after that against them and Linz). It was a very tense affair. It looked like we’d managed a well-earned draw again, but I winced when they scored in the 69th minute. Tasdemir missed a penalty that would have levelled it, and our incredible unbeaten run came to an end.

Mattersburg 1-1 LASK Linz (D1)

It was possibly the worst moment to face the rearranged Linz game. Haider gave us the lead for the 3rd time in 4 games, in the 8th minute, but they equalized 5 minutes later and the rest of the game was rather dull. I was relatively happy with a point, though we remained behind Linz and 4 points off top, which seems like a lot when you’re the chasing team.

Team fur Wien 1-2 Mattersburg (D1)

I was worried it was slipping away from us at Team fur Wien. A first half where we failed to do much was followed by a second half where we went behind. Tasdemir made up for his Admira Wacker penalty miss to score one here to equalized, and Taiwo gave us a late winner.

Apr 2043

Mattersburg 1-0 Parndorf (D1)

Haider’s good form allowed him to stay in the team even though Dobias was fit again (as per my usual selection policy), and he rewarded me with a goal in the 33rd minute Parndorf. Even though they were second-bottom, we seemed to be poor against them (only drawing last-time out), and weren’t much better this time, not helped by Tasdemir being sent off and Brauer going off injured, but we at least won this time, and were rewarded by results in our favour. Linz lost and were 3 points behind, Admira Wacker drew and were only 2 points ahead.

Horn 1-0 Mattersburg (D1)

Horn were the ‘best of the rest’ outside our top 3, so I expected that going to theirs would be tricky. They were awarded a controversial penalty in the 13th minute which they scored, and a 4-3-3 partly necessitated by injuries and other things just did not work out as we had a few chances to equalize but that was it. Thankfully Linz drew and Admira Wacker lost as well so we got away with it.

Austria Salzburg 1-3 Mattersburg (D1_

We went behind at Austria Salzburg, but an embarrassing result was averted by Tasdemir and Dobias turning it around just before the break. Taiwo gave us a more comfortable margin with a few minutes left.

Mattersburg 4-1 Seekirchen (D1)

We tore Seekirchen apart early on. Tasdemir gave us the lead in the first minute, with Dobias getting the first goal of what turned into a hat-trick in the 3rd minute. It could have been a far bigger win, and they got a late goal, but it was still a great win.

LASK Linz 1-2 Mattersburg (D1)

Linz was the last tough trip left (though we still had Admira Wacker at home). We got very lucky indeed. They took the lead in the 24th minute, and it looked like we’d concede at least one more. They had a goal disallowed early in the second half, but still were firmly on top. Dobias somehow equalized in the 68th minute, and even more amazing was Taiwo’s very late winner. Admira Wacker drew at Seekirchen, leaving them behind us on goal-difference.

Mattersburg 0-0 Kapfenberger (D1)

We played Kapfenberger expecting a win, but a lifeless first half was followed by a very wasteful second half. Of far more interest was the Admira Wacker-Linz game where the former took the lead, but the latter turned it around to win. That meant we still gained a point lead in the table, and Linz were back in it.

It's been a great 3-way battle ever since we got ourselves into it, it's a pity that only 1 team can go up. I don't think there's an awful lot between the set of final 5 fixtures (which after all means still having to play half the league). The big one will no doubt be when we play Admira Wacker at home, having already beaten them convincingly in the other home fixture. That's the only game remaining between the challengers. Horn (also at home on the last day) being the only other team currently in the top half who we play, so not too bad a run-in.

[Dexter_Morgan]

Very tight at the top but hopefully you can hang on, going by your last 2 updates you seem to have settled in a bit better, got things going and are enjoying it.

[cerud]

You definitely have a battle on your hands!

[B.W.G]

Going to be a close finish,hopefully you can come out on top.

[elbilly]

Best of luck with the title battle, looking like it could be a thriller! Also seems you like this better than the Spanish adventure.

[deltablue]

You definitely have a battle on your hands!

Going to be a close finish,hopefully you can come out on top.

It was a great title-battle, the fact that only one team went up made it even more exciting.

Very tight at the top but hopefully you can hang on, going by your last 2 updates you seem to have settled in a bit better, got things going and are enjoying it.

Best of luck with the title battle, looking like it could be a thriller! Also seems you like this better than the Spanish adventure.

I am indeed enjoying it, and I'm really glad that it's coming through in the writing, as I want to get across what playing makes me feel, and there's always plenty to feel in FM. Though at times it's been very nervy. The Admira Wacker match was a bit of a downer.

May 2043

Mattersburg 2-0 Team fur Wien (D1)

We played Team fur Wien knowing we couldn’t afford to fire blanks again. Brauer gave us the lead in the 12th minute, and while I wasn’t happy until we got another, we did through Taiwo eventually in the 78th minute. What I was especially happy about, was a draw for Linz, and Admira Wacker losing 2-0 to Hartberg in front of their own fans. We were now 4 points ahead with that many games left.

Hartberg 1-1 Mattersburg (D1)

Taiwo had broken the club record for goals in a season, and gave us the lead after 10 minutes at Hartberg. Unfortunately they equalized, and while I hoped we’d push on in the second half to get a winner, we ended up being on balance the luckier to get a point.

Mattersburg 1-1 Admira Wacker (D1)

Admira Wacker had closed to 2 points ahead of the critical top of the table clash. Unfortunately it was nothing like the 3-0 from the other home game against them. They were generally the better side, taking the lead in the 3rd minute. Taiwo equalized 15 minutes later, and we held on for a 3rd draw in 4 games, again being a little lucky. Linz amazingly lost against Salzburg, so the 2 point gap remained.

Parndorf 0-4 Mattersburg (D1)

We went to a Parndorf side who had been a pain in the past. This time they were no trouble at all. Dobias had an early goal disallowed, but Tasdemir quickly gave us the lead anyway. Taiwo extended the lead in the 25th minute, and by this point Admira Wacker were losing their game (and went on to do so), and we were on the way to clinch promotion. Dobias finally scored on the hour mark, followed by Taiwo’s second as a 4-0 win clinched promotion.

Mattersburg 0-2 Horn (D1)

We could rest easy against Horn in the last game. We perhaps rested a bit too easy, as we had chances but almost all were off-target. They scored twice in the second half to win 2-0, but in a way I was relieved as it meant only winning by 2 points, which was the sort of fairly narrow winning margin that I felt this season deserved.

Yessss!!!!!! I’m absolutely delighted with what is the 4th promotion of the career (though obviously I was thrilled with the other 3 as well), for a number of reasons. The first was the way we recovered from a bad start to get in the mix and edge ahead of our rivals late on. Early on I wasn’t sure I’d even survive long in Austria. The second is that a bunch of changes in the summer was going to take a bit of time to get used to, making it difficult to shine straight away, and indeed probably explained the slow start to the year. Even when we went on our unbeaten run, there were as many draws as wins for a while. The race was for the most part a very exciting one between us, Linz, and Admira Wacker, especially once we caught up to the other two in the spring. Also, the pendulum of luck had been very much against me since the terrible last season in Sweden, so while it hadn’t been that long since my promotion there (under 6 years), it felt like the light at the end of a very depressing tunnel. Indeed results elsewhere (especially the Linz-Wacker games), and our own trip to Linz, meant that maybe we were the lucky ones this time, but the game owed me that.

The rules also made team selection a problem. Inaki, Taiwo, and Klein were my three preferred foreigners (the on-loan Konate being under 21 and not counting towards the limit), and the others (who’d have made the team a lot stronger) were left unhappy, not even on the bench. Sometimes a lack of options meant having to do a lot of in-match changes to already unfamiliar tactics. The level of opposition was also very high, the two other challengers were probably stronger than we were, and there were a couple of other sides who looked similarly good. Interestingly enough things were completely the opposite of Ecija. That was as I described before ‘a lot of fun going nowhere’. Here, we had the best defensive record pretty much all season, long, and that 19-game unbeaten run. We were no slouches at the attacking end, but otherwise this was a season of being solid at the back as much as anything else. Having 5 at the back no doubt helped, but as I have discovered before, that could just as easily have meant more potential for match-costing screw-ups. All in all, it felt like a pretty hard-fought and well-earned promotion.

The future seemed exciting. There was still a rule of ‘7 foreigners registered’ in the Premier Division, but that was only for non-eu players, and as far as I could tell there were no match squad restrictions. There was no money to buy reinforcements (we were 2.5M in the red!) but we did have a far greater scope to recruit good free agents if they were out there, so there was still hope. Having just 1 team go down also meant it wouldn’t be as hard to survive as elsewhere, but I still didn’t imagine it being easy, especially as Taiwo was leaving. Out of the 3 previous clubs I’d got promoted, only Ipswich managed to avoid going back down again, and I was hoping to succeed again this time. With the finances the way they were, I’m not sure I could do much beyond survive, and maybe consolidate, but as long as we did survive I could feel happy at doing what I mainly set out to do.

Squad Stats

Star player: The moment I saw Taiwo, I knew he had the potential to tear the division apart. After starting with a bang, he was mostly quiet for a while as Dobias did the goalscoring legwork early on. He improved, and was consistent rather than spectacular, but you can't argue with what turned out to be a new club (and even league) record for goals in a season. I knew that I would never get him to renew his contract however. I did of course try, testing the water with lots of massive bonuses, but wanting a wage almost 3 times what I could offer meant it wasn't going to happen. However you can't say he didn't make his last season count.

[B.W.G]

Congrats on winning promotion

[Animosama]

Congrats sir

[Dexter_Morgan]

Glad you've had some success here, having only one team go down gives you real hope of survival next season.

[deltablue]

Congrats on winning promotion

Congrats sir

Cheers, so happy with it as you can imagine!

Glad you've had some success here, having only one team go down gives you real hope of survival next season.

True, but I'm under no illusions that we could still be that team.

PL and CL 2043

Summer 2043

Building for the Premier Division was not easy. Wage rises took up most of the extra wage budget I would have, and as I had a lot less than I thought I’d have, two early deals meant I suddenly didn’t have any left over for my main objective, a replacement for Taiwo (and possibly another winger if I could). That meant I had to sell a bunch of players who I felt we might be able to do without. Even then I could only offer very little until I realized that the DoF had a transfer in the works, and cancelling that finally meant I could offer a contract to a forward who sadly wasn’t quite as good as Taiwo was. Ironically I had cancelled an earlier transfer for the same player (that the DoF sorted out) for that reason, and he didn’t seem great wage value, but a short pre-season and lack of options coming up meant that I felt I should get him anyway.

However the price I had to pay was a first-team squad of only 18 players, due to clearing out the fringe in order to get that good forward that was essential, though admittedly I could have kept a couple of the younger and less-expensive players, since all that was required was having spare wage budget to offer a decent contract, not to avoid going over-budget (which we did) but that’s hindsight for you. In fact I ended up releasing the entire reserves (and would have done so to the youth team if need be) just to get something like £20-30pw under budget and be able to get the 18th guy in.

Aside from managing to make four transfers in the end, improving defence, midfield, wing and attack, we were also had a few things we had in our favour over last season, being able to play more foreigners. Voss would finally get on the pitch a year after I signed him (and I could finally have a winger on each side), plus there was a Spanish full-back called Lopez who did start last season but a mix of injury and the signing of Klein as a quality keeper quickly meant he was just as sidelined. There was also better squad and tactical familiarity from the start. We could also have 7 subs (which amounted to the entire squad) instead of just 5, and I wouldn’t have the problem of limited options on the bench and having to change formation half the time I made subs like last year.

However we had only improved so much, and survival was as much as we could hope for. We had a very tough start, going to Red Bull Salzburg (who had unsurprisingly won a vast majority of titles, though there still had been some victories for some other teams), followed by Rapid Vienna who had won a few of those non Red Bull titles (ditto with Sturm Graz) and ran them very close last season, well ahead of 3rd. Yes, only one team goes down but we still had a worrying chance of being that team. Still, the nerves and excitement of a new level is partly why I chose a lower-league-club only career in the first place.

Transfers

[elbilly]

Well done on winning the league! Shame you couldn't keep Taiwo, no wonder he was ripping the first division up, how did he end up at that level? except for pace he had everything for a good (mid-lower european level) striker... anyway good luck for the season ahead i think you'll be just fine.

[AK22]

Well done on promotion. You may need a bit of luck too, but you should be fine in the top flight.