[FM14] Undrið FF, the Faroese Wonder

[IOA]

What happened to the Europa League Semi-Final?

[RBKalle]

2029-30 Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round

Steaua - Undrið FF 1-1

Despite being seeded, we drew a rather strong Steaua for a not-so-comfortable round.

The game was our usual tense away affair, with more possession than actual chances. We took the lead and looked solid enough, just to concede in the closing stages of the game. An away draw wasn't a terrible result, but still a tad disappointing, more for how we played than for how we got out of it.

Undrið FF - Steaua 6-1

That was a huge win and one of the rare games I can describe as a tactical masterpiece!

It looked like another struggle, with our inability to convert possession and shots into goals, and the 2-1 at halftime wasn't reassuring at all.

Then I decided it was time to shake things up: out with our new, expensive (and ininfluent) B2B+AP duo, in with less flashy but more reliable guys. Out with Pukki, who's showing worrying signs of the "Torres Syndrome" and in with a younger and hungrier Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson.

And BOOM! Two minutes later we were up 3-1, courtesy of the subs. From then on the team kicked it up several gears and went on to score 3 more!

A 6-1 win and a spectacular turnaround of a potentially dangerous situation, obtained with tactical tweaks and with (at last!) impactful substitutions. Games like that are the reason I keep on playing FM, no matter how confusing and frustrating it can be at times.

[RBKalle]

What happened to the Europa League Semi-Final?

Whoops, sorry... forgot to upload that...

2028-29 Europa League Semifinal

Long story short: we got our ass handed to us in both legs but managed to salvage a very very flattering defeat at home and a reasonable one away. But both games were horribly one-sided: Milan had 51 shots and 23 on goal over the two legs, while we had 7, of which only 2 on goal.. Still, that means 100% SoG conversion rate for us :o

[RBKalle]

2029-30 Champions League Playoff

Dinamo - Undrið FF 2-3

The draw was reasonable, although Maccabi Haifa or IFK Göteborg would have been easier, and we were going strong after the impressive game against Steaua...

Too bad this time the super-subs trick didn't really work and instead of scoring more, we ended up conceding a stupid goal in injury time. An away win, with 3 goals, is not a result to scoff at, but our lead should have been even bigger. It was just one of those games when everything works wonderfully until the final shot. Their keeper had a great game and our strikers were particularly good at hitting him as well...

Undrið FF - Dinamo 2-0

If the away game was a frustrating affair in the final third, the second leg proved itself to be "punch a hole in the wall" material... At least we took the lead with our first shot, but it all went south from there, scoring-wise. Dinamo tried to mount a bit of a comeback in the second half, while we kept on squandering chance after chance after chance.

The second goal in injury time got more jeers than cheers from me...

We qualified again for the Group Stage and that's quite an achievement in itself, but we're still quite inconsistent and often fail to convert into goals all the solid work we put into the games. Luckly we're good enough to fight our way to the actual CL, but from that point on our shortcomings become much more costly.

Anyway, we're still in Pot 4 (but the second highest ranked club there, so maybe next year we'll climb to Pot 3) and got another tough group.

The last time we faced Barça, we drew one and lost one, but advanced from the group in rather chaotic and lucky way. Leverkusen are much more in our league, but I don't hold my breath... 3rd place would still be a welcome result, although you never know... The group looks quite evenly matched, so all it takes is a lucky win

[RBKalle]

Season 2029 - a little bit of Zeman...

2029 Squad Stats (Full)

We had one final milestone to reach: THE perfect domestic season: no draws, no defeats, no goals conceded... In 2028 it was close, but in 2029 we went Zeman and conceded a whopping FOUR goals, plus one more in the cup (in the final's injury time...).

Frankly it was still worth it, as we broke the record for most scored goals in a season, with 120 in 27 (a 4.44 goals per game). Our clean sheet streak ended pretty early, in matchday 8, but it came at the end of a 8-1 thrashing of B68, so it was forgiven.

Much less excusable was an almost fatal lapse of concentration away at HB, where we conceded twice at both end of half time (39' and 49') for a scrappy 3-2 win that, for a short while, looked like a potential calamitous draw.

For reference, the last time we conceded 2 was back in October 2026 in a 5-2 win against ÍF...

Now with more strikers!

At first, the goalscoring records hints at our strikers having had a very solid year, on par with the previous one... However both Poduch and Pukki had to face serious competition: youngster Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson, who's been steadly improving season after season, and Argentinian Darío Sabia.

Actually a 2028 signing (joined late in the season, in time to provide 5 assists in 4 league games), he proved himself a quite amazing AMC, as dangerous in delivering the final pass as in putting it away hiself.

The downside of having more options up front caused a bit of turmoil though, with both first-choice strikers going through rough patches and scoring droughts. Nothing major, but definitely not a good sign for our European campaign.

If we want to compete out there, we can't afford to have sulky strikers who need penalties to score against semi-pros...

A less than amicable split

Speaking of sourpuss, the season ended on a bad note, with former topscorer Jógvan Nielsen having his contract terminated. As you can imagine, after the signing of so many good foreign strikers, Nielsen was merely used in domestic cup games or in case of flu epidemics... He was less than happy about that and he kept on pestering me, on a monthly basis, about the lack of first team football.

I tried to keep him quiet, but then he started blabbing about a new challenge and about doing "what's best for my career"... Which, at 29, and with a 1k pw wage (for the other Faroese clubs, it's like 100k in EPL money), was probably a matter of "shut up and enjoy being part of a winning side". Instead he didn't stop whining and forced me to fire him 2 weeks before his contract was up, out of spite and exasperation.

I really wanted to keep him around because he was an important player during our build-up years, but his unreasonable attitude and absurd requests made me change my mind... Want a new challenge? I bet coping with an early retirement will be an interesting one!

An expensive flop and too many left-backs

It had to happen... After plenty of great, or at least solid, signings, I "finally" made a mistake... Hungarian B2B Róbert Sipos looked like what the doctor ordered to bolster our central mifield: an all-rounder that should have brought a much needed injection of mental strength to our classy but erratic selection of playmakers and AMs...

How wrong I was... 1 assist in 6 league games was disappointing, but in 11 CL games (quals+group) all he had to his name were 3 yellow cards... Unless things improve next spring, he'll be on the market in June.

On a more positive note, we may have finally solved our perennial lack of fullbacks... While Aron Egilsson (one of the best Faroese players currently in the game) and Jonas Peltola were serviceable, they didn't quite cut it in Europe, but I wasn't able to find much better replacements.

Finally my scouts earned their wage and recommended me two South American free agents.

Fabinho Fubá and Juan Carlos Fernández.

Fabinho has a bit of an injury history, but so far so good... Too bad they're all left backs, albeit adaptable and competent on the right side, that means the resident LBs at the club are now mad at me and unlikely to attract much interest from abroad...

Still, it had to be done

A foreign affair

2030 is likely to be the first year our starting XI will be 100% foreigners, which is a shame, but the only way to be competitive in Europe. Only RB Egilsson and MC Holm are good enough to claim a spot in the team, and the youth intake keeps on churning out woeful prospects, despite minor investments (BTW, a training facilities update worth 2M is starting in a few days).

Domestic competition is still pants, but the league is now up in 42nd position and AB finally made it past EL 2nd Qualifying Round... Probably not enough to see major improvement. For that reason, I'm wary of poaching the few passable Faroese players I find, because that'd kill whatever tiny momentum the whole movement has.

I try to throw the other teams a bone with loans and releases, but the gulf in reputation is so big there's little to no interest on both parties.

On the plus side, thanks to our European campaigns, we're promoted to 3rd CL QR from next year, and all 3 EL sides will be in 2nd QR too... Just 3 more places and we get 2 clubs in CL and better EL spots... Will it be the long awaited turning point?

[RBKalle]

2029-30 Champions League Group Stage

We did it again!

Things started with yet another goalfest, a bittersweet 3-3 at Monaco. They dominated us in terms of shots and ball possession, but until the 90th minute we were leading 3-2, quite undeservedly, but in Champions League it's all about the scoreline... Too bad we conceded a late late equalizer. Still, not too shabby of a start.

Then Barça came visit, for the biggest game in our European history... And for once we rose to the occasion, and did so in style! An awesome 2-1 win that could have been much more comfortable.

Barça took an early lead, but from that point on it was as one-sided as humanly possible against a much bigger and better side. 5-2 would have been a fair reflection of what happened on the pitch.

Our tradition on inconsistency showed up as expected, but what injury time took away from us against Monaco, we got it back against Bayer. A late game-winning goal to claim 3 undeserved but invaluable points.

Two weeks later though we squandered the lead against 10-men Bayer and the final 2-2 reestablished the karmic balance of our group stage.

However things were going to take a turn for the unexpected... We squashed Monaco 3-0 with a deadly 1-2-3 in the final quarter of hour of a game that could and should easily have ended 0-0 (we had four shots on goal and allowed only 3). Great composure by Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson in one of his finest displays.

That win meant we were qualified already, and the final matchday against Barça was merely a matter of who'd get 1st place. In the only "sane" game of the group, we lost 3-1 and closed runner-ups, meaning we'd draw a stronger side... Namely our nemesis AC Milan...

2029-30 Champions League Knockout Round

Undrið FF - AC Milan 3-3

Our favourite result... again at the end of another game we were on the backfoot all the time, but still managed to surrender our late and lucky lead. Judging by our previous outings against the Rossoneri, advancement was never on the cards, so n home draw was the best we could hope for.

AC Milan - Undrið FF 3-1

The second leg was a repeat of the first one, only without our lucky goals to keep the scoreling closer. Sure, we went ahead on the usual counter, but 20 minutes later we were done and dusted...

We were never in actual contention for a spot in the quarter-finals, so I'm starting to suspect we'd be better suited to the Europa League... Maybe next year we'd settle for 3rd place and, with a bit of luck of the draw, we'd mount a decent challenge for the Cup...

[Dexter_Morgan]

Well done getting out of that group Shame about the Milan result but with TV money to come at the end of the year on top of what you've earnt already you should really be able to start building a strong side for CL football

[RBKalle]

Well done getting out of that group Shame about the Milan result but with TV money to come at the end of the year on top of what you've earnt already you should really be able to start building a strong side for CL football

Unfortunately there are few truly CL-quality players who are willing to negotiate with me and to do so on reasonable terms (1.5M p/y tops)... All I can find are either free agents in their very late 20s who can be a slight improvement for a season or two, or flawed younger players who can't be "fixed" with tutoring or training.

I'm negotiating for Atletico Madrid B Rodrigo Toloza, but they're not budging from the 25.5M release clause, and I'm not sure he's worth that kind of money... He's good, but he's just marginally better than my current AMC Darío Sabia...

In other news, we may finally get decent domestic competition and a bit of help to get coefficient points...

[RBKalle]

Season 2030 - goals goals goals!

2030 Squad Stats (Full)

Well, even with a brand new CB duo, we can't seem to stop conceding a goal every three months or so...

On the other hand our attacking game suddenly picked up so much momentum scorelines went into waterpolo territory, with an all-time record 14-0 win at B68.

There isn't much to say about the domestic season to be honest.. 166 goals in 27 games mean we're getting stronger and stronger, while our "rivals" are still more or less where they were 10 years ago...

As a partial consolation for such a dull league, some of our rejects and unhappy backups are finally being scooped up by AI clubs, so there's a bit of hope... All I have to do is raise a handful of decent prospects for the other clubs, wait they become unhappy about not playing enough and ship them to AB, Víkingur and HB... It'll take time, but hopefully one day the average level of the league will be better also thanks to OTHER sides...

Hello, goodbye

While our CBs were barely adequate in European competitions, I had to go on a shopping spree (let's say free agents signing spree, as only one players was contracted) and got myself 2 central defenders and two central midfielders who can double as DM and/or CB.

No-nonsense Dutch-Moroccan Driss Hajji, signed for 3.4M

All-rounder Croatian Sinisa Datkovic, free agent

Slowish French anchor Alexis Pages, free agent

Also, Spanish DM Pascual Morales who has been moaning about life on the Islands (no way!) so he's on a leave of absence and will likely be shipped away to Mallorca or Ibiza for whatever sum I can get...

Speaking of goners, box-to-box disappointment Robert Sipos left us in September to join Wolfsburg for an absurd deal worth 875k spread over 48 months... Not too bad for a 30 years old player who promised so much and delivered so little (4 goals and 2 assists in 14 league apps, but 0 goals and 1 assists in Champions Leauge, where he was expected to leave his mark).

Also, I had to offload several loyal servants like Branko Djordjevic (to Malmö) and Mehmed Jazvin (to Sandnes Ulf) for 50k each (but I needed to trim the foreign legion a bit). Backup keeper Jákup Jakobsen and former top-striker Ingi Mørkøre got all angry about not playing enough, so I sold the former to Mjøndalen and the latter to HB for pittance. As said already, our other Faroese star Jógvan Nielsen got himself fired at the end of last season for the same unreasonable reaction to an obvious truth.

But guess where he is now, 12 months later? Is he scoring for fun for our rivals? Is he enjoying his final years in a fancy foreign league? NOPE! He retired!!! Because he was ohhhh too good to play for us in the Cup and even to get an occasional CL outing, for 45k p/y... Moron!

27 training matches with more Europe in-between?

That's what the domestic league feels like, but for fitness and morale reasons I can't afford to bench my foreign stars from March to August (then it's CL football on weekdays, so a bit of rotation is needed).

For that reason I can't give many chances to the few decent prospects from our academy.

I guess I'll have to offload some of the aging/less vital foreigners in order to get a more balanced squad. In any case, simulating/instant result will feature a bit more often, also because I got a much better AssMan...

TBC with a quite surprising 2030-31 Champions League campaign!

[RBKalle]

2030-31 Champions League 2nd Qualifying Round

Nothing to report here: par for the course against Lithuanian champions. Conceding a goal was a bit of a disappointment though...

2030-31 Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round

The draw offered us a very soft opponent out of a much more tricky and competitive lot. 3rd QR used to be quite a tense affair, so having two more easy games was a pleasant surprise.

2030-31 Champions League Playoff

Lady Luck smiled on us once again! Slovan were the weakest team in the Playoff round and as a bonus, they're an all-greys team. So in addition to a slight advantage in quality, we had a huge one in fitness.

Nonetheless we weren't so convincing in our wins, always needing Juul's goal in injury time to get a better scoreline.

Still, that was our smoothiest road to the Group Stage ever, in our final season as 2nd QR champions. Next year we'll start off in 3rd QR and very much seeded, so it's going to be a shorter and easier path.

[RBKalle]

2030-31 Champions League Group Stage

OH YES!!!

Being finally out of the 4th pot was a decent advantage, but our traditional opponents Bayer Leverkusen weren't the ideal pick out of the lowest seeded sides, with the likes of IFK Göteborg, Aalesund and Grasshoppers being in the same pot.

Feyenoord however were reasonable opposition out of pot 2 and last year's runner-up Saint Etienne weren't the worst of the best.

So while I felt we really had a chance, I wasn't prepared to such a successful run!

We dominated at home against Bayer, but almost ruined everything with a red card with 15 mins to go and a slim one-goal lead, despite having fired 15 shots on goal.

Effectiveness was better at de Kuip, where we snatched a somewhat lucky win in a game that should have ended a draw. A draw that we salvaged at home against ASSE with a late goal at the end of another close game.

The return match in France was a rollercoaster. We took an absurd 3-0 lead early in the game with two corner kick goals and a penalty. Then we gifted them a stupid goal on the counter and a penalty in the second half. A Liverpool-AC Milan style comeback was on the cards but we held on and brought 3 vital points home

A relatively easy win against Bayer secured us a spot in the Knockout round and an impressive and unexpected thrashing of Feyenoord crowned us as group winners.

All in all the most impressive showing in GS so far, not just in terms of points, but also (and mainly) of quality of football. Sure, we still relied on luck every now and then, but we never looked out of depth. Finally the defensive work has risen to acceptable levels and it showed.

[RBKalle]

2030-31 Champions League Knockout Round

Ok, this is definitely a lucky year... We got FC København, one of the weakest sides to qualify from the Group Stage. An interesting derby that we have a chance to win.

FC København - Undrið FF 0-1

It was a tough game at Parken, but we emerged victorious without risking too much. I would still have taken a 1-1, but the win was a great starting point for a safer second leg.

Undrið FF - FC København 2-1

More or less a repeat of the first leg, and the 0-0 at halftime was far from reassuring. We promptly took the lead, but a lapse of concentration allowed the Danish champions to equalize. I was almost sure our luck had ran out and we were going to collapse with the finish line in sight. Instead the guys showed great solidity and went on to score the 2-1, securing a historical advancement to the quarterfinals in a matter of minutes.

2030-31 Champions League Quarter Final

Another old nemesis, Celtic... Two dark horses facing eachother, with us wanting to avenge two old eliminations in early rounds.

Celtic - Undrið FF 0-0

A dull, dull affair... We didn't see much of the ball, but the Bhoys couldn't hit a barn door, so it ended a goalless draw that pretty frankly was an embarrassment for both teams, probably undeserving to still be part of the Champions League.

Undrið FF - Celtic 4-1

Just when you think it's the end of the road and you start to doubt you don't belong there... BOOM!!! A clinic in shooting accuracy and effectiveness. 5 shots on target, 4 goals! The tie was virtually over just 10 minutes into the game, and dead and buried by the half hour mark.

I don't really know what happened, but it was awesome!

2030-31 Champions League Semifinal

With Chelsea, PSG and Atletico waiting, there wasn't much to choose for... Any team would have been an insurmountable challenge... Or not?

Atletico Madrid - Undrið FF 5-3

Atletico were playing a grey keeper due to injuries to their regulars, so we did have a chance to score on them... just like their worldclass strikers could cut through our defense like a hot knife through butter...

It was a dream start! 1-0 up with the first shot on goal... Fast forward 20 minutes and we're down 3-1. It was still respectable well into the second half, then they scored the fourth. Just when everytheng looked lost, we got a second wind and pulled back to a surprising 4-3. An unlucky own goal in injury time put things back to a more faithful scoreline. Still a bit of a kick in the teeth, but Atletico indeed could have scored more, with better accuracy.

Undrið FF - Atletico Madrid 3-2

I didn't have much faith in a miracle, but it was a much closer game than the one in Madrid. We took the lead twice and they pulled back twice. Dario Sabia's goal-winning strike with 2 mins to go consigned us to the biggest and yet most bitter win in the club's history.

We went toe to toe with a worldclass side and we missed the final due to a random (and stupid) own goal in the final minute of the first leg... Sure, Atletico were better over 180', but not so much better...

I would have rather lost 3-0 both legs and been shown we weren't ready... Instead, as scrappy as the final 6-7 aggregate score was, with a little bit of extra luck, we could have been playing the Champions League final!

Still, we can look back at the campaign with pride, with the knowledge of still needing to rely on favourable draws to advance, but with the confidence of knowing we do belong there and we can give any top club a run for their money.

[nie jem frytek]

Wow. Fantastic run. I'm highly mad at Hajji.

[deltablue]

Wow, tough luck losing such an epic tie.

[IOA]

You are getting closer and closer to the final!

[RBKalle]

Season 2031 - it's not football anymore... It's TENNIS

2031 Squad Stata (full)

With an average score of 6-0, the domestic season is little more than a series of training matches. A season-long clean sheet is still eluding us, but we'll get there one year or another, provided I won't be using the league to develop young talented players instead of building our stars' fitness for the big games in Champions League.

Despite an extra 1/2 star, improved league ranking and better CL/EL seeding, our local rivals still suck big balls and, while they can now afford to pay for some of my backups/surplus youngsters, the average performance is utter rubbish also in European competitions.

A farewell to AMs

I got rid of some aging regulars who weren't cutting it anymore (attacking midfielders Kevin vd Heijden, Lars Petter Vindenes), some others who weren't as good as they looked (homesick anchorman Pascual Morales) and one who attracted an offer I couldn't refuse (CB Eric Terrios went to Pumas for 1.5M).

Former regular CB Marcus Carlsson headed back home to Sweden for free, and so did LB ex-prospect Østhagen.

I raked in 3.5M, setting a new record for the club.

Money I promptly spent on some decent replacements, although I'm not entirely satisfied, so they may as well end up leaving over the next winter break or during the summer, should the right offer come.

Silky-footed all-rounder Juan Angelillo has gone through the usual "barren" spell (1 goal and 3 assists in 19 domestic games are as good as 0, considering our scoring standards), and wasn't impressive in Europe either...

Experienced Austrian winger Christoph Reisinger fared much better against Faroese semi-pros, but his CL tally was a meager 2 assists in the Group Stage. Probably he'd be more dangerous if played wide instead of as a traditional #10... Maybe next season?

Dutch pacey striker Lars van der Woude looked like a great signing for the future, and a viable candidate to replace Jari Pukki (now 28) as our Poacher... Unfortunately he is unable to handle the slightest criticism to his performance or to the team's effort, and we already had two heated arguments about me "misjudging the situation"... Excuse me, kiddo, but if we're leading 1-0 against a relegation candidate we should be hammering by 4 or 5 without even breaking a sweat, the hairdryer treatment at half-time is the least I can do!

And if you don't like that, you can go back at Ajax where there's a nice comfy seat on the stands with your name on...

The last of the Four Horsemen of Average is Carlos Eduardo Rodas, another Colombian keeper I signed purely because I felt it was a waste leaving him on the free agents list for another year... Unfortunately, for all his solid attributes (actually slightly better than my first choice Perea), he has been far from convincing, especially in CL Group Stage where we conceded waaay too much. (more on that later).

The jury is still out on him, but maybe loaning him out can be a good way to spare on his wage and to find him a new club...

Last but not least, I'm building for the future with the signing of half a dozen decent prospects. The Faroese ones are barely decent, on par with another meh youth intake, but the foreign ones (Danish and Icelandic, as I like to keep recruiting at least on a regional basis) look quite good, and have attracted offers in the 1M region from Middle-Eastern rich clubs.

Danish Dynamite on the side

I also took over the Danish NT, leading them to a complicated qualification to Euro 2032. They were lying 4th behind England, Slovakia and Greece, and with a lot of struggling, I grabbed a 2nd place, despite our midfield being understaffed and injury-plagued. In the final game of the group, against Slovakia at home, we needed a point to advance and were 2-0 up in the 75th minute. Of course the guys managed to almost bottle it, conceding the equalizer with two minutes to go.

Luckly the Group will feature host nation Wales, plus Sweden and Croatia, so there's a solid chance to make it to the knockout stage... With better sides, we'd have been in contention for finishing last at 0 points...

Facilities and world-class players

We're investing 5M on training and youth facilities, as it's the only way I can put all the CL money to fruition, as truly talented players still snub us. After having had our first huge breakthrough in European competition, we're now hitting the second glass-ceiling...

Without well-rounded players with >15 in key attributes, we can only go that far...

[Dexter_Morgan]

Absoloutely battering it domestically

[withnail316]

How are the "home grown" rules in the Faroes? When I was playing in Norway I found the best plan was to pick up 4.5/5 star potential players before they turned 19 so they would become home-grown and hopefully flourish into superstars with match time. It certainly made player recruitment much easier.

[RBKalle]

How are the "home grown" rules in the Faroes? When I was playing in Norway I found the best plan was to pick up 4.5/5 star potential players before they turned 19 so they would become home-grown and hopefully flourish into superstars with match time. It certainly made player recruitment much easier.

Apparently there's no limit to non HG players, so I have some freedom when it comes to ready-made foreign stars, but I still try to scoop some good U18 kids I can use as HG for the Champions League squad and who will, in 9 years, be eligible for the Faroese NT, which I'm planning to manage too someday...

Norway has pretty strict rules for non-HG players, and it's always been a great way to prevent me from hoarding "almost good" free agents like I did in other countries.

[withnail316]

Apparently there's no limit to non HG players, so I have some freedom when it comes to ready-made foreign stars, but I still try to scoop some good U18 kids I can use as HG for the Champions League squad and who will, in 9 years, be eligible for the Faroese NT, which I'm planning to manage too someday...

Norway has pretty strict rules for non-HG players, and it's always been a great way to prevent me from hoarding "almost good" free agents like I did in other countries.

Yeah, I always like leagues with player restrictions as I have no self control with foreign players... I guess going for younger foreign players may help you to attract them in the first place, especially with the offer of first team football.

[RBKalle]

2031-32 Champions League 2nd and 3rd Qualifying Round

Last season in 2nd QR for us, as from next year we'll start (seeded) in 3rd QR.

I'll probably end up missing those nice warm-up games against weaker opposition, mostly because 10 years ago it was US at the wrong end of early round thrashings (albeit not with such humiliating scorelines).

Nothing to report here against TNS and Dinamo Tbilisi: 360 minutes of shooting practice, with adequate conversion ratio.

2031-32 Champions League Playoff

How times have changed...

Some years ago I'd have killed for a 6-1 aggregate win in the playoff, but this tie against IFK Göteborg actually was a bit of a letdown... We weren't great, it took way too much to get a comfortable lead and we never looked as dominant as we should have. "Our" spot in the GS was never truly in doubt, but the Swedish side deserved better than that for what they showed against us.

Complacency is creeping in...

2031-32 Champions League Group Stage

Our recent success propelled us into Pot 2, and the draw was much softer than it used to be... For once, advancement was almost an easy task... if it wasn't for our bad habit of making things complicated for ourselves every time we're in a good position.

It started well with a solid 4-1 in Wien, and it only got better with a surprise home win against PSG in a game we played textbook counter-attacking football. They had the ball, they attacked, we scored.

But of course things were going too well and we produced two putrid defensive displays against the worst team in the group. Luckly AZ's defense was even more terrifying and we got away with six points, but with many doubts about our future...

Another thrashing of Rapid seemed reassuring enough, but the trip to Paris was a kick in the nuts. We were as effective up front as in our previous encounter, but their strikers had fixed their aim and we got buried by 4 goals.

Sure we won the group and we were never in danger of not making it through, but my concerns over our defensive solidity are more than justified. On paper our CB duo, Pages-Hajji, looks competent enough, but they keep on making stupid mistakes and they're still giving away CCCs left and right, even to not-so-strong opponents.

[RBKalle]

2031-31 Champions League Knockout Round

FC København - Undrið FF 1-2

It's Copenhagen again, and just like last year we won at Parken at the end of a game that started horribly but turned out just fine. A good win, nothing less, nothing more.

Undrið FF - FC København 4-2

Ahhh complacency, our new nemesis!

Sure, we went to the dressing room with a 4-1 lead, but that was another of those "they play, we score" games I hate so much... Moreso because FCK are a side we should have been able to tame without too many risks.

Instead they gave us a run for our money and it could have ended differently on another day. Once again, our defensive setup has been causing problems.

2031-31 Champions League Quarter Final

PSG - Undrið FF 1-1

This is getting boring... another traditional opponent, one we beat and got beaten by as late as last fall, so it's a tie as open as it could ever be...

At Parc des Princes we replicated the dismal display of the group stage, but we stole a 1-1 that could prove itself vital in the second leg.

Undrið FF - PSG 2-2 (aet)

Another draw, this time at the end of a very even 90 minutes. It's extra time, and we promptly conceded (on a corner...), effectively killing our chances of reaching the semis. Pukki's penalty in injury time only served to save face and to consign us to another bitter elimination.

I'll have to take the blame for a 4-3-1-2 that's probably a tad too offensive (Complete Wing Backs on both sides, B2B and 2x APs in midfield) especially against European opposition. We concede too much and on the top of that we fail to retain possession (even with all the shouts on) when facing better sides.

Probably I'd go for a more conservative tactic, but in truth our defenders aren't good enough to stop world-class forwards anyway, so going for negative gameplay will accomplish nothing if lowering our chances of scoring one more than the other team.

Without a top defensive line, going Zeman is the only viable way to success...

[nie jem frytek]

2031-31 Champions League Knockout Round

FC København - Undrið FF 4-2

Wrong scoreline.

[RBKalle]

Fixed, thank you!

[Dexter_Morgan]

Good work getting to the quarters and seems like you gave PSG a tough pair of games

[RBKalle]

EURO 2032

Fixtures and results

Our debut against host Wales was less than impressive. I thought that was the easiest game of the group, so I made a couple of changes to our starting XI with the upcoming fixtures in mind. It didn't turn out as well as I was hoping, so with the score tied with 20 minutes to go I sent the best players in and we got away with a scrappy 3-2 win. Had it been a draw, Wales wouldn't have stolen a thing.

I was worried before the derby against Sweden, but the guys bounced back in style and secured a comfortable 3-1 win. We built momentum and crushed Serbia 5-1 to clinch a well-deserved spot in the last 16

Belgium posed a major threat, but there was no stopping us, despite a leaky defense. 4-2 and we're ready to face Ukraine in what looked, on paper, a rather easy quarter final.

Once again, I was wrong, and we struggled badly. It took extra time and a bit of luck to make it through, where France were waiting.

As you could have guessed by now, the team performed better against stronger opposition and not even an untimely red card for our CB (20mins to go, leading 3-1) was enough to cost us a surprise spot in the final.

European glory was within reach, 40 years after the original Danish Dynamite, but we were already trailing 0-2 within the opening 15mins, having also gifted England an unlucky own goal by our keeper. Another own goal put us back in contention, but by the hour mark the guys were spent and never created a decent chance for the equalizer.

A downer ending to a roller-coaster of a tournament. To be honest I don't feel like I really achieved much, despite having reached a very unexpected final: the team was inconsistent in both cohesion and performances, and I felt I had little control on the players, who were brilliant or inept depending on whateve it was... but surely technical tweaks and rotation didn't give me the usual control I'm used to at my club.

Also, the team is short of quality CMs, so I'm really tempted to jump ship to either Netherlands or Italy, but resigning is a possibility anyway as I haven't been enjoying the NT management... too much hassle in picking the team and too little reward in managing it.

[deltablue]

Great run to the final.

[Adelaidean]

Enjoying following this, keep it up

[RBKalle]

Season 2032 - Over 7.5, bet on it!

2032 Squad Stats (full)

Our domestic dominance has become even more remarkable and embarrassing, with an average of almost 8 goals per game. However such scintillating offensive play costed us a bit of defensive solidity, with the worst defensive record in years

It's fun, but it's also disappointing because it still means the other clubs aren't making progress and apparently having been putting to good use the Europa League money (some hundred thousands per year now they're starting in later QR). They've signed some of my leftovers, but indeed you can't challenge us with those who weren't good enough for us.

New defenders, old problems

Sure, we didn't need better defenders in the league, but in European cups we were still struggling, so I had to change things a bit... Maybe it was because Besiktas' offer was good (2M), maybe it was because deep down I'm a petty petty manager, but Driss Hajji, the man whose own goal ultimately costed us the CL final, left our club.

With that money I brought in Brazilian João Dermival. Also signed on free transfer former Chelsea Francisco Ramos.

Despite looking better, the former hasn't been that great, while the latter has been a godsend from corner kick. Too bad both tend to complain a bit whenever I criticize the side, say for having conceded a league goal or in awful CL performances.

In midfield I'm still struggling to find a game-changer, but I signed free agent Clovis Antonio, mainly for his two-footedness. His injury proneness is, however, quite annoying, and it'll lead to his sale sooner than later.

Another goner is, unfortunatey, German hot prospect Norbert Brunnhübner. Talented? Yes. Pacey? Sure. Temperamental? Oh boy... he began to moan about not being a key player two months into his tenure here. Then he decided he didn't enjoy life on the Islands. I don't have the patience to deal with his frequent crises, so the best way to profit from his talent is selling him with a huge % on profit clause.

The only univocally positive note from this season's transfers is Norwegian youngster Christoffer Sjurseike: a solid finisher, maybe a bit on the slow side (but specific training has been working fine) who could picking up Pukki's mantle.

The beginning of the end

Speaking of which, Jari Pukki turned 30 and this season has seen him injured twice. His scoring days are far from being over, especially domestically, but it's time to start planning on his future.

Also, Danish utility MC Kristian Juul has been featuring less than usual and, at 28, it's maybe the right age to give him a run abroad.

Some other long-time loyal servants are approaching the final stage of their productive career, but I'm reluctant to see them leave, even for a handful of millions, because they've been part of our club's rise to international relevance and it'd be sad to see them go... Sentimentalism is bad, but so is the lack of better replacements who'd accept their current salary... so it's a matter of gratitude AND opportunity.

The Faroese league is up in 25th position, one behind 2.Bundesliga, and we're 12th in UEFA ranking, so the future should be brighter and better for both us and the whole league... Too bad the Youth rating is and will be crap, thwarting my goal of getting more Faroese players... I'll have to make it work with youngsters becoming Faroese citizens (9 years, but the NT will still get 5 or 6 good seasons from them).

[RBKalle]

2032-33 Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round

We're finally out of the 2nd QR, which had become a mere formality in recent years. 3rd QR makes no exception and we got a comfortable, although rather "boring" (compared to our league standards) win over Debrecen. Nothing to report here, but I would have liked a bigger margin, just for fun.

2032-33 Champions League Playoff

IFK Göteborg again, and again a bit of an unexpected struggle.

There's just something that doesn't work for us when we face them... We were VERY lucky in the first leg to get a win: the game was very even and we had to wait late into it to salvage a disappointing win.

It was slightly better in Sweden, but far from the level of comfort we should have been able to achieve against "smaller" clubs. Don't know if it's complacency or a tactical issue, but we struggled a lot more than I was expecting.

2032-33 Champions Group Stage

Being in Pot 2 didn't help much, as we drew PSG and Man City, with Rangers as one of the better sides from Pot 4... Not an ideal draw by any means, and a spot in the last 16 was far from a given.

The opening game at home against Rangers was another half-step backwards. We went down early, we came back and won, but we failed to convert some of the many chances despite having played 11 v 10 for the whole second half. 3 points were the minimum requirement for that game and we got them, but it was underwhelming.

Then hell broke loose in Manchester. We were trailing 0-2 by the 15th minute, we pulled back and away with a 4-2 lead at half time. The second half was more of the same and the game (or I should say the set) ended 6-4. Shambolic defending at both ends nonwithstanding, it was a valuable win.

Our weak defensive work was mercilessly exposed by PSG in both games. We weren't good enough in Paris or lucky enough at home. A draw in the return game would have been fair, but the results showed the difference between being ok and being good. We were just ok...

Two 1-2 defeats left us no other option but winning the remaining games to advance in a tightly contested group.

We almost bottled it in Glasgow, with Joao Dermivel getting sent off with us leading 2-0 with 10mins to go. Of course Rangers pulled one back and went dangerously close to rescuing a late draw they'd probably deserved.

Luckly we met a side whose defending was even more shocking than ours, and we duly defeated City in another goalfest, albeit a bit more "modest" than the first encounter. 4-2 and we're through.

All in all a bit of an underwhelming campaign so far, a mixed bag of high-scoring games and too many subpar performances (won or lost, it doesn't matter much when assessing how we played).

And now, AC Milan in the Knockout Round... looks like we're going out early this season. Should next year's group be so difficult, I may consider mounting a serious challenge for the Europa League...

[tyler16]

Wow, what an amazing thread! I'm guessing you're enjoying it enough to hold out on FM15?

[RBKalle]

Wow, what an amazing thread! I'm guessing you're enjoying it enough to hold out on FM15?

Definitely...

When/if I'll grow tired of this career I think I'll go on a long FM sabbatical, probably until it'll be time to check FM16 demo...

[RBKalle]

2032-33 Champions League Knockout Round

Undrið FF - AC Milan 3-2

The draw wasn't ideal, but that's what you get for not winning your group!

Anyway, it started as poorly as I was fearing, with Milan scoring early. Our keeper thought he was Neuer and delivered a woeful clearance right into the feet of a delighted Milan striker who lobbed it in from 40 yaards into the unguarded net... Luckly we didn't allow pessimism to set in and promptly grabbed the chance to equalize from the spot. Both defenses struggled against through balls, Milan had a goal disallowed and just minutes before half-time we took the lead.

Polish striker Adam Poduch put the third goal away but then went on to waste two valuable one-on-ones: the first was a good save by Milan's keeper, the second was a dreadful and unnecessary attempt at a chip.

In injury time we missed the final pass on a 1-on-2 breakaway and we were rightfully punished by a late goal courtesy of our defenders falling asleep on a haily mary through ball and the subsequent THREE attempts on goal.

Can't complain with a 3-2 win against a strong Milan side, but the scoreline is a dangerous one...

AC Milan - Undrið FF 1-3

More of the same in the second leg. First half went down as a pretty uneventful affair, with "only" two CCCs each, one fluffed by the striker, one well saved by the keeper.

Just after half-time we broke the deadlock with a very very cheap penalty on a corner. Set-pieces proved to be our stronger suit for the night, as we were dangerous in some more occasions and scored another following a corner.

As we love to make things complicated for ourselves, new signing left-back Fraser-Allen had the brilliant idea of slide-tackling Milan's winger on the penalty's edge... Double yellow card and we were down to 10. In a matter of minutes another patented CB mishap gifted Milan a goal.

Luckly the Rossoneri weren't having a good day and they got a red card too. After some more chance-wasting, we finally put the game and the tie to rest with a third goal in injury time.

What can I say... we advanced overcoming the odds and a creditable contender, but for every goal we scored we didn't convert at least two equally good chances, while defensively we were shaky as ever. For once we didn't get punished for that, but I know it can't end well every time.

[RBKalle]

2032-33 Champions League Quarter Final

Undrið FF - PSV 3-2

PSV wasn't a terrible draw and I was sure we could stand a very reasonable chance...

Too bad my team just seem bent on making it even more difficult than it is! As per our habit, we go down, courtesy of an own goal. Corner, attacking header hits the post and bounces off one of our players. 0-1

Again, our opponents probably took pity of our defensive woes and their keeper managed to deflect a harmless cross into his own net with a clumsy dive. But our keeper, not being one who turns down a challenge, proceeded to faint, instead of diving, on a free-kick from 35 yards away, palming the ball into the near corner.

In what had now become some sort of reverse one-upmanship, their keeper slipped another cheap goal on the near post for the 2-2 and then PASSED the ball to our striker Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson who was standing unmarked on the penalty spot, not even pressing the poor sod.

The only piece of Champions League-like goalkeeping came after PSV got a man sent off for professional foul. The free kick was brilliantly saved and the keeper parried away the tap-in, Dudek style (ie. they shot AT him, point blank range). Too little, too late for him though to salvage the game.

However, I've never witnessed such a consistent and stunning string of howlers... Entertaining in hindisght, but boy... Goalkeeping wasn't so shockingly awful in Faroese lowest tier...

I'll take the win, sure, but the game was a noticeable step backwards (or, sideways, considering all goals were mistakes rather than well-built moves) and the scoreline wasn't reassuring.

PSV - Undrið FF 3-4

With a first leg like that, could have the second one have been a quiet affair?

Hell, no!

In the 9th minute, we took the lead with an incisive move through the middle, just to concede the equalizer on a corner right after the kick-off.

We then profited on another cheap penalty and worked another well-crafted move to go back into the dressing room with a 3-1 advantage that should have been more than enough to see the game out.

In a wishful attempt to have a safe second half, I instructed the guys to play at a lower tempo while keeping possession. I should have known better, because PSV started the second half like possessed men and quickly clawed one back, while Poduch wasted another 1-vs-1 trying yet another chip. Such hybris we immediately paid the price for and a loose ball on the edge of the box ended up on Dutch feet in an ideal position to find the bottom corner for the 3-3.

Poduch then made himself the hero again by scoring an awesome volley from a very tight angle... Good job, but by the love of God, why can't he score the easy ones instead/too?!

So, another incredibly tense game that saw us reaching the semis with more doubts than strengths...

Still, this is being a bit like 2003-04 Champions League, with no Top Clubs left... It'll be

Undrið - Celtic

Molde - Rosenborg

A Norwegian derby (with Rosenborg being 2-times CL winner in recent years) and another clash with the Bhoys for us in what is becoming one of our two main rivalries (along with PSG)

I have the feeling if we can get to the final, the cup will be ours...

[RBKalle]

2032-33 Champions League Semifinal

Undrið FF - Celtic 3-0

So we meet again our ancient nemesis, Celtic...

There was a lot at stake, and it showed. Our keeper had to pull off a great save on the 2nd minute and I was sure it would have been a looong game. Instead the guys pulled themselves together and went on to split Celtic's backline open time and again, scoring twice before the 15th minute. The third goal came right before the half-hour mark with another incisive move from the right.

In the second half literally nothing happened, as we were content to keep the ball and Celtic were too stunned to mount even the slightest challenge. First time in my FM history I witnessed a completely "blank" half.

Compared to the recent goalfests, I wish that'd happen more often (with us having the lead).

Is a 3 goals lead enough for us not to throw it away?

Celtic - Undrið FF 2-2

The pleasant Scottish weather didn't make things easy for the teams, but I'd have expected my English fullback Fraser-Allen to know better than diving into another criminal sliding tackle in the box... Celtic scored from the spot and got a confidence boost. Good for us Edier Perea's gloves weren't slippery and he saved us in two occasions.

In between them we got a penalty ourselves, which Pukki scored, to secure us a vital away goal and a half-time scoreline of 1-1.

Early in the second half Celtic scored again, while we wasted another CCC because apparently my players won't be happy unless they score on a f@#ing chip... Once more, though, the referee came to our rescue and awarded us the third cheap penalty of our CL campaign.

2-2 and Camp Nou here we come!

So it'll be Rosenborg v Undrið... A double derby for us... Rosenborg are our parent club (our owner ditched Aalesund at the end of the 2032 season in favour of new European powerhouses from Trondheim) and are also, as you may know or suspect, my favourite club in real life (and my usual FM choice for a long-term career save)

It's gonna be weird having Rosenborg in a CL final and not being the one at the helm... Any result will make me happy, but obviously I'd rather win the Cup, as I don't think I'll get an easier path to the final anytime soon...

[RBKalle]

2032-33 Champions League FINAL

Rosenborg BK - Undrið FF

2-2 (6-5 pens)

You know how often big matches end up being underwhelming and dull?! Well, that was NOT the case!!!

We took Rosenborg by surprise and Poduch scored with the first shot on goal of the game in the 5th minute, following a nice string of first-touch passes! A super start for us, that could have been even better hadn't Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson been tackled right before pulling the trigger.

You miss a goal, you concede a goal... Rosenborg found a lucky equalizer courtesy of Dermival and Datkovic getting into each other's way and allowing Johnsen to head the 1-1 in.

Things went from bad to worse just before half time, when Poduch decided to get revenge on Chima for a previous foul. An elbow to the face close to the halfway line and right in front of the ref... Red card and thank you very much, you moron!

So for the second half I had to go for a more cautious and possession-oriented approach, with a narrow 4-1-2-1-1. It worked wonders, as they didn't get a single chance, and we even had a glorious counter in the 80th minute, but Guðmundur fluffed his lines and allowed the keeper to parry the shot.

Extra times were all I could have asked for, considering the situation... Also, I replaced the wasteful GSJ with Pukki (who deserved to play a portion of the final) and a spent Canario with Danish-Faroese former youngster Kenneth Kristensen (another club legend who was there when we were Qualifying Round fodder). The goal was, once again, dragging it to the penalties, but when their defender Flores got a second yellow early in the first extra time, I really thought we could have a chance.

Instead the dismissal was a wake-up call for Rosenborg, who wasted a great chance with Danish international Mikkelsen (a player I've been ignoring in my call-ups for the Danish NT... so it would have been quite ironic... and the end of his international career anyway).

Still 1-1 at half-time, but Rafinha punished us with a stellar freekick.

With only 10 minutes to go, I threw caution to the wind, and also gave our local boy Ingi Holm the chance to make himself a hero. And indeed it worked... It was him who started the move that provided us a vital corner that bounced off a Rosenborg player and into the net for a lucky and unexpected late equalizer.

In injury time Holm was through on goal, but unfortunately he was also offside...

The intended goal of the penalty shootout was laboriously reached, but alas, the fairytale didn't end the way it should have... Even more heartbreakingly, the villain ended up being Jari Pukki, who missed the opening penalty of the series... No more mistakes and it was all over...

We can look back with pride to our campaign, and even in defeat we held our own against a stronger (yet beatable, with a bit of luck and better composure) side.

I'm afraid, however, we'll never get an easier path to the final... Lightining hardly strikes twice, so we'll have to improve on quality AND quantity if we want to get a second chance at immortality...

[IOA]

So close! Unlucky but I'm sure you've racked up a lot of Euro Coefficients and money!

[RBKalle]

Good news is the upcoming Champions League will be the last one we'll have to go through the annoying Qualifying Rounds... From 2034-35 we'll get straight into the Group Stage (hopefully in pot 1)

Faroese football as a whole is riding on our coattails, with league runner-ups getting a spot in 3rd QR, while down in Europa League the best team starts in the Playoff round.

And we're in the Top10!

[RBKalle]

2033-34 Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round

This is the last season we have to go through qualifying rounds, and I was under the impression it would have been a formality, as it had been the case in recent years already... Boy did the first leg prove me wrong!

Maybe it was the post-final hangover, maybe it was complacency, maybe more bad luck paired with wasteful finishing, but I couldn't believe my eyes... A not-so-pleasant blast from our inglorious past...

Undrið FF - Legia 4-3

Seriously... going from the the glamour of the CL final to trailing to a Polish side in the 3rd QR was quite a fall from grace... A much needed hairdryer treatment worked will, for about five minutes, because we displayed an uncanny ability to give away a stupid equalizer twice after having laboured our way to a goal.

Luckly we grabbed a late winner that allowed us to save face, but let's say my team talk and press conference wasn't very pleasant to hear...

For a while I really feared we were in danger of dropping the ball in a spectacular way, and Europa League suddenly looked like a possibility. Things improved the following week though.

Legia - Undrið FF 1-7

Now, that was more like it!

We went from absurdly profligate in the first leg to mercilessly accurate in the second... 5-0 up at halftime, the typical lapse in concentration before two more goals, and the actual difference in quality between the sides was re-established.

Mission accomplished, but the home game will always be a headscratcher...

2033-34 Champions League Playoff

And then a somewhat underwhelming double 3-0 to an inferior Slovan I was expecting to beat with a much bigger scoreline... Not happy because the lads have been phoning it in way too often lately.

Group Stage time now... Pot 1 is a blessing and for once we drew decent opposition. Top of the group is a priority and a reasonable target, provided we step up two gears...

[tyler16]

Wow, utterly bizarre to see Rosenborg as one of the biggest clubs in the world. Did they have a tycoon takeover or something?

And wow man, what a heartbreaking result. I was certain with that build up and perfect drama that it'd be yours.

[DavidBeckham]

Fantastic run but unlucky end there I'm sure you will win it soon!

[nie jem frytek]

That UCL final was mental. O_o

Bad luck.

[RBKalle]

Season 2033 - almost as good as 2032

2033 Squad Stats (full)

More of the same in the league, with us (barely) making it to the 200 goals mark again, at the end of what I would call a transitional season, if you can believe that...

Sure, we dominated as usual, but a quick look at the players stats will tell you a slightly different story: I struggled to establish a reliable Starting XI, partly due to injuries, partly due to persistently annoying dips in form of some key players.

The squad depth was more than adequate to keep on steamrolling our domestic rivals week in and week out, but it raised some questions over the future of some players.

Both Dario Sabia and Adam Poduch went from scoring hattricks for fun to not hitting a hangar door several times during the season... Top goalscorer Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson was no exception to the rule, so I had to rotate a lot, even throwing in the two "troublemakers" Brunnhübner and Van der Woude into the fray from time to time.

The rest of the league saw AB starting to pull away from the pack (3 out of their 4 defeats were against us), so it could be a good sign for a better standard in a few years. In European Cups they usually get knocked out at the earliest possibility, as entering into later QRs isn't a helpful thing for unseeded clubs. Still, they get great money for their token effort, so it's all good...

Turnover and turmoil

As said, injuries and poor form were an issue, as it was the aging of some of the established players: good enough to trounce the likes of B36 and Royn, but too close to not cutting it anymore against European rivals, so I had to take some unpleasant decisions...

10-years mainstay Kristian Juul found a new home in Freiburg, Austrian AMC Christoph Reisinger was sold to Dijon for 2M, and former vice-captain Jonas Peltola is enjoying a successful stint at Chievo.

Young Norwegian striker Christoffer Sjurseike also fell victim of an overcrowded frontline and headed back home to Aalesund, with a 1.5M profit. It was a shame, but he wouldn't have get enough quality football to develop, so I took the money and gave him a chance of a better career.

In karmic fashion, I ended up losing two of my homemade talents... Both Aron Egilsson and Ingi Holm kept on asking for a new challenge and this time I couldn't convince them to stay... They went all cranky and whiny about me not allowing them to move on, so I had no choice but reluctantly selling them (to Kuban and Düsseldorf respectively) for peanuts. It was disappointing because their stubborness was unjustified, as both moves are indeed a huge step backwards, career-wise, and they were still getting enough football, even in Champions League for their HG at club status.

Lastly, Jari Pukki's decline has kicked in, speeded-up by two injuries. At 31 he's still a solid goalscorer, but he'll be seeing most of next season from the bench. Still, I'd rather not sell him, hoping for an early retirement.

With all those players leaving, I had to bring some quality replacements in, finally spending some of my rich transfer budget.

The fullback department got strengthened with two Englishmen: free agent Jamie Fraser-Allen, who has proven to be a bit error-prone, and record-setting Brian Asher, signed for 8M from Reading, a much more solid first choice.

I've also almost completely revisited the midfield, as recent acquisitions Clovis Antonio and Juan Angelillo have been plagued by injuries (indeed the latter is likely to leave us in the near future for that reason).

All-rounder Brazilian Canário has been a good hand, but not as great as his skills suggested... maybe he's still trying to adjust himself to the Islands' fancy life.

Jean and Diguinho have been added to the squad with the clear plan of turning up the flair factor. In typical Brazilian fashion though, their performances have been very hit-and-miss.

The much needed reliability was found, unsurprisingly, in Danish international Daniel Almstrup, one of my few discoveries during my tenure as Danish NT manager.

Up front, Senegal international Amadou Sy will join permanently after a satisfying loan spell.

New and improved?

Next season it's going to be a complicated one because with all the new signings there won't be an established lineup, and with too many strikers (GSJ, Sabia, Poduch, Sy, Pukki, Brunnhübner and VdW) and AMCs (Sabia himself, Diguinho, Almstrup, Jean) the risk is of going overboard with rotation, in the vain hope of keeping everyone happy.

I'm afraid I'll have to sell/loan some decent substitutes, while resisting to the temptation of buying more players.

The main goal is now to build a solid U19 side, because without the old local boys the HG quota is impossible to reach, so I'm understaffed in CL, which is definitely not a good thing.

[RBKalle]

2033-34 Champions League Group Stage

The draw as a Top Seeded side looked good, and for once my first impression was confirmed.

However, just like in the Qualifying Rounds, there still was something "off" with the team... We dominated AZ at home, but it took more than one hour for us to take the lead, and the final score was very generous to them. We could and should have scored at least 5.

If the opening game was a bit of a let-off, the trip to our former parent club Aalesund was a masterclass in sterility. Nothing seemed to work once we went into the opposition's final third. It took a brace from Van der Woude (a late, haily-mary substitute) to break the deadlock. Another 2-0 that reeked of disappointment.

Things improved even so slightly against Lyon, but it was another game that should be shown to young footballers to teach them how NOT to shoot... Luckly OL's forwards had an even worse aim than ours, so we got a win at the end of a poor display from the group's top sides.

The return game in France was probably the best played so far in the group, but oddly enough it ended 0-0... This was a strange group indeed.

Business picked up against AZ, for at least the opening minutes of the second half... Our third goal in injury time gave the scoreline a more honest touch, but it was still another laboured win.

One of the few positive aspects of our lack of scoring prowess was the newfound defensive solidity... Well, that ended with a bang in the closing stage of the home game against Aalesund. Finally things were going our way up front and we were leading 3-0, without a care in the world. Then... BOOM, Aalesund scored twice in 4 minutes and suddenly I feared we were going to collapse... Poduch put the game to rest with the 4-2 goal, but there wasn't much to celebrate really.

So, we won the group, we conceded less than usual, but the team has lost its offensive edge... Maybe it's the new players still settling in, but I'm skeptical... I'll probably have to use the pre-season to come up with a new tactic that can take better advantage of the pacey players, dropping the tiki-taka style in the middle. Our only chance against better sides is scoring one goal more than them, and playing like we have done in the GS, we're so not going to do that...

[RBKalle]

2033-34 Champions League Knockout Round

AS Saint-Etienne - Undrið FF 0-4

We had decent results against ASSE some years ago, so I was optimistic going into the away game, but I wasn't expecting it to be so good...

The gameplan was simple: they got the ball, we got the goals! Saint-Etienne enjoyed spells of pointless possession, while we were dangerous every time, scoring in the first half and then punishing them with three more well-crafted moves. It was the right blend of counterattacking and tiki-taka.

Undrið FF - AS Saint-Etienne 3-2

The first half followed almost verbatim the pattern of the away game. We had some chances and we took the lead. However in the second half our strikers struggled to put more goals away, and it ended in a back-and-forth battle of goals. We needed a penalty to double our lead, Saint-Etienne capitalized on a counter to reduce the gap, we had another of our trademark through balls, but then our keeper miskicked a clearance, allowing the French side to get a second goal.

A win that should have been much bigger, but in a game where complacency could have been a real issue. No major complaints here.

2033-34 Champions League Quarter final

Undrið FF - Molde 4-2

Another Norwegian side on our path to glory, this time it's [real-life rivals] Molde... Winning the tie will therefore be a double pleasure...

We had a disallowed goal in the 2nd minute, but we went ahead on a corner a little later. Molde had a couple of chances too, but our keeper Rodas pulled off some impressive saves to keep us in front. The danger woke us up a bit and we scored a second via an own goal following another corner.

Early in the second half we went 3-0 up and I thought the game and the tie were done... Instead our old friend complacency crept into the guy's head and they conceded two cheap (although well-built) goals.

Luckly our strikers were on fire and secured us a valuabe 4th goal for a win that provided a smaller margin than it should have. 10 minutes of defensive blackout aren't acceptable and could cost us much more in the future.

Molde - Undrið FF 0-1

The second leg was as dull as the first had been exciting...

Dario Sabia scored on the 12th minute with an easy tap-in and that was pretty much the only shot on goal of the game... The quality of our finishing was simply appalling and we wasted half a dozen of solid chances on the counterattack because our strikers couldn't just take some extra steps into the box and blasted ball after ball over the bar.

A win is a win, but it was indeed a frustrating and disappointing display.

[deltablue]

The Molde tie seemed a bit underwhelming.

[RBKalle]

The Molde tie seemed a bit underwhelming.

It was underwhelming, but keep in mind Norwegian sides are MUCH better than they were at the beginning of the game... Tippeligaen is the 7th best league (and the highest ranked among the Playable ones in my savegame), Rosenborg's CL triumphs have worked as a launchpad for other Norwegian sides in European Cups, thus allowing them to get money and reputation.

So, while I was disappointed in how we played against Molde, they weren't as awful as their real-life status could suggest.

On a semi-related note, I'm thinking to add some extra leagues, now that I don't really need the Nordic leagues running in full detail as I did in the beginning...

The game is doing a decent job at simulating Top leagues, but the landscape of Top European football has become a bit weird...

[RBKalle]

2033-34 Champions League Semifinal

Undrið FF - CSKA Moscow 5-2

Another rather open semifinal, that we surprisingly dominated for most of the time.

We opened the goalfest early on, but we relied on a mixture of goalkeeping skills and dumb luck to withstand the Russian comeback. However, in a sliding doors moment, they hit the woodwork from literally inches away, and on the counter we took advantage of some pinball-football to score the second one.

Our third came after another bit of back-and-forth long passes, and the fourth was a free header on a corner.

The second half was a bit more quiet, but we found the 5-0 on a great freekick. Then our CSKA capitalized on an scramble in the 6-yards box, just like the one in the first half. In the final minute of the game they scored a second goal on an unnecessary counter.

Finally, in injury time, João Dermival had to take one for the team, getting himself sent off to stop a forward who was through on goal. He'll be missed in the second leg, but having prevented another away goal was definitely worth it...

CSKA Moscow - Undrið FF 1-1

As it has often been the case, an exciting first leg was followed by a dire return match...

CSKA went all out attack right off the bat but their attacks were stopped by our keeper. We then scored thanks to Almstrup's clinical shot from just outside the box. In typical fashion, our keeper Rodas just had to balance his earlier brilliance with a crappy goal kick that gifted the Russians the equalizer.

For a change, however, we were able to slow down the pace of the rest of the game, conceding nothing relevant to CSKA and even getting close to a game-winning goal.

A potentially tricky fixture we handled with unusual professionalism and even a degree of maturity... Will it be enough to bring the Cup home against PSV?

[RBKalle]

2033-34 Champions League Final

We went into this final with two not so good news... João Dermival got a TWO matches ban, meaning he would have to pull a John Terry in case of triumph. As if the loss of one of the starting CBs wasn't bad enough, team's topscorer and CL leading assist-man Dario Sabia picked up a silly injury the day before the final.

So goodbye to two key players... but at least the replacements, youngster Magnús Ingi Eiríksson and former goal-machine Adam Poduch were competent enough...

PSV - Undrið FF 2-1 aet

Unlike last year, when we scored at the earliest chance, we got the jitters and it was PSV who capitalized on a terrible piece of defending by CWB Fernández to blast a shot to the near top corner: Rodas fainted insted of jumping, and down we went, five minutes into our supposed night of glory!

The collapse was close on a handful of occasions: a scramble on a corner, a lucky save on a long shot and another generous gift by our absent-minded midfield.

The halftime whistle couldn't have come soon enough, as my players were basically bystanders for the whole half... PSV could have as well fielded a cardboard cutout of their keeeper and it wouldn't have mattered...

Let's just say I wasn't in the mood for an understanding team talk...

Somehow, it worked, and at the end of a tragic string of lost balls and misplaced passes in midfield, Poduch equalized with a sublime chip from outside.

The goal had the same effect of a tranquilizing shot on our players (hey, they scored... wasn't that enough?!), and we promptly conceded a counter to PSV, luckly Gutierrez had given his best on the first goal and blasted it wide. A similar chance happened on the 90th minute, but this time he hit our keeper Rodas who was taking a stroll more than rushing out... Still, no goal = good.

So it was extra time again!

I had only one subs left, having tried to shake things up around the hour mark, with unimpressive results to say the least...

Five minutes into the first half, our defensive line (plus the BWM MC who was just casually jogging by so deep) got caught napping by a precise through ball, and sub striker Italiano slotted it into the lower corner.

Once again, it was time to go all-in and the only attacking player left was last year's villain, Jari Pukki... also our all-time topscorer who has been declining sharply this season...

Now, wouldn't that be THE PERFECT ENDING?! The striker who has led us from being E-Cup filler to being respectable dark horses and now actual contenders for the trophy... The man who missed last year's decisive penalty... He come in when the team is trailing and goes on to score the 2-2 and, who knows, maybe the cup-winning penalty!!!

As most of you know, however, Football Manager is a despicable son of a bitch of a game... Pukki didn't even have a shot on goal, while PSV went close to scoring the third on a free-kick Rodas did great to tip over the bar (it was about time he made a good save). Then it was it...

Another bitter defeat, at the end of a disappointing game... We played horribly and deserved to lose.

All the new signings, the 1.5/2M p/y alleged "stars" put in a dreadful performance (6.3, 6.5...) and showed no personality whatsoever... It'll be an interesting and busy summer on the transfer market

[nie jem frytek]

Not again.