deltablue Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Your first spoiler doesn't entirely work as you can still make out the score. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IOA Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 Ouch, 3rd time lucky? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted March 24, 2015 Author Share Posted March 24, 2015 Your first spoiler doesn't entirely work as you can still make out the score. I know, but suddenly any link gets that colour, no matter how I format it... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted April 4, 2015 Author Share Posted April 4, 2015 2034 Season - A New Beginning 2034 Squad Stats (full) The usual domestic walkover, but with slightly less impressive scoring numbers, mostly due to the ongoing generational turnover and its troubles. My attempt to finally lead the club to the elusive CL glory has forced me to bring in too many players, some of which not entirely up to the task (or too inconsistent to be fully relied on), so I ended up with a bloated squad of more or less equivalent players. Trying to preserve the fragile balance between performances, fitness and happiness was a huge pain in the neck and I struggled to find a solid Starting XI, especially earlier in the season. Rotation due to European Cup games helped and injuries were, for once, a welcome occurrence, as they took one option or two away from the selection lottery. Topscorers Amadou Sy and Diguinho had no middle ground: either leading goal-galore games with hat-tricks and more, or lazily kicking the ball everywhere but into the net. Luckly Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson has matured into a very solid all-around forward, reaching the 50-goals mark for the second season in a row. Former stars didn't get much playing time: Adam Poduch still managed 20ish goals, while Jari Pukki had been sadly demoted to Faroese Cup striker... Mediocre midfield With the exception of Daniel Almstrup, no midfielder gave a significant contribution in terms of goals and assists. And if it was understandable for BWMs, the two APs were remarkably dull. Maybe it's the tactical setup, with the AMC and the two strikers getting most chances, but the midfield was generally speaking quite underwhelming. New DCM Rafal Pomorski could, on the other hand, become an important part of a more balanced midfield. And I couldn't resent him for not providing dozens of assists or goals... Defective defence My quest to achieve solid defending seems destined to fail... at least as long as I keep on signing central defenders who aren't much better than the previous ones... I know it's probably my tactic, but I just can't find a defender who won't get caught napping even by awful Faroese strikers... I've tried experienced defenders, at-their-peak defenders and hot prospects, but the outcome is always the same. And it gets worse in Champions League against top-class forwards. New signings Fernando Bastía (DRC) and Thiago were solid enough, but still far from what I wanted. The former is still my best choice as wing back, but the latter could maybe leave for a healthy profit. Still, 4 equivalent CBs, plus two DC-DM-CMs, are waay more than I need... A complete makeover is indeed a very tempting idea, provided I can find truly better signings... Business is picking up elsewhere! With the Faroese league up in 15th position and with TWO clubs in CL, our domestic rivals are finally starting to reap what we have sown... AB Argir advanced from 3QR with a double draw on away goals against Metalist and went down with a respectable double 0-2 to Lyon, but into Europa League Group Stage, where they earned two home draws against Roma and Saint-Etienne. Víkingur reached the EL playoff round having defeated Olhanense on away goals, but lost to Liverpool. HB did respectable too in the EL playoff with an overall 1-4 loss to Molde, while ÍF lost with the same scoreline to Finnish Honka in QR2. Maybe they'll be able to put the prize money to good use and give us a bit of extra competition... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted April 4, 2015 Author Share Posted April 4, 2015 2034-35 Champions League Group Stage Top seeded again, so a rather easy group. However we just can't "crack" IFK Göteborg's gameplan... The 3-0 win was much more a struggle than the score suggests, as proven by two late goals (and another CHEAP CHEAP penalty). First-choice due Diguinho+Sy sucked so bad I had to replace them. Glad it worked, but we shouldn't have made a meal out of a relatively easy home game. Things picked up against Benfica, with the threee points having been guaranteed by halftime, finally with Sy remembering to put his pace to use. GSJ sealed the deal in fashion, but, for the sake of nitpicking, the second half was dull. Two tricky games against Ajax, once more plagued by shambolic defending that almost undid our deadly attacking work at the other end of the pitch. Cue another scrappy win (with another cheap penalty) against our Swedish nemesis and the final, convincing, display in Portugal. In fairness, I was expecting better from a relatively easy set of opponents. I had to resort to my backup 4-1-2-1-2 to stop us from giving away goals left and right, but the core issue of our DC being late on through balls is still there. Let's see who will draw for the Knockout Round... Anyway, I'll get the calculator ready, as low-scoring games are probably over. Or Over 3.5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rcolesworthy Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Those two CL finals have the most unrealistic teams in any story I've seen or save I've had. I will probably see pigs fly before PSV and Rosenborg make a CL final. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 Those two CL finals have the most unrealistic teams in any story I've seen or save I've had. I will probably see pigs fly before PSV and Rosenborg make a CL final. Keep in mind it's a Top Nations-free career, so a bit of weirdness in the balance of power has to be expected with only Nordic countries leagues being active and playable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter_Morgan Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Keep in mind it's a Top Nations-free career, so a bit of weirdness in the balance of power has to be expected with only Nordic countries leagues being active and playable. You're 20 years in too so there is always some kind of power switch, I was involved in a Standard Liege v Kopenhavn final in my current thread only 3 years in, Kopenhavn beat Juve, Malaga, Bayern and Arsenal on the way which I would say is a lot less likely Anyway another strong start Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 2034-35 Champions League Knockout Round Barcelona - Undrið FF 2-4 We showed up at Camp Nou with moderate confidence, but what happened in the first half was something nobody would have dared to dream about... Two shots, two goals by Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson. The first one with our usual through ball, having taken advantage of Barça's defensive line being way too high, the second with another well-crafted tiki-taka move in the box. GSJ completed his perfect hat-trick with a header in the 22nd minute. Daniel Almstrup's curl shot from outside the box was the icing on a delicious and unexpected cake, baked in Barça's kitchen with their own recipe! The second half was more of the same: we hit a woodwork and had at least two more clear chances, before complacency finally set in. Still, it took Barça a gift by our right-back Bastia to score.. .On a harmless long ball, he headed it back from the half-way line back to the keeper, sending their striker clear on goal. Barça scored one more on a corner, to make the defeat slightly less humiliating, but that was just for the stats.. Simply put, the best 45 minutes of football of our history. Undrið FF - Barcelona 1-1 Surely Barça were looking for revenge, but their plans were quickly thwarted by our attacking prowess. GSJ earned and scored a penalty early in the game, and we wasted three more easy chances, with Barça having only a decent shot on goal in the whole half. Like in the first leg, the second half was less impressive, and our defense forgot to mark on a freekick, allowing the striker to score an easy volley. With the tie already settled, we ran out the clock without wasting more energy. We went through in a deserving way, having showed both a lethal touch and a supriising amount of maturity. 2034-35 Champions League Quarter Final Undrið FF - Lyon 2-0 A tricky deaw, while there were much easier opponents... The first half was quite uneventful, as both sides did a good job at frustrating the opposition's attacks. After the break though we showed more drive and our direct game finally paid off with a goal and at least two great chances. Then OL defense completely lost Bastia, who jumped unmarked on the near post to head the 2-0 in. Lyon tried to salvage something, but their only chance was denied by the post. With only minutes to go, Bastia got his second yellow for a stupid foul (and for clapping the ref??? never noticed that bit!). He'll be missed in the return match. But he'll also get so fined... Lyon - Undrið FF 3-2 Lyon really meant business and forced two great saves off Rodas within the opening 10 minutes. Shortly after our CB Ramos (already sold to Bursaspor, but fielded due to shortage of defenders) gave Lyon the lead with an unlucky and clumsy own goal on a low cross. Another criminal backpass sent Lyon's striker through on goal, but Rodas was superb and denied him, and then had to make another difficult save on the following corner. Right in the middle of the storm, we found a life-saving equalizer thanks to a clinical freekick by RB Fernández (who was playing because of Bastia's suspension). In the second half our shambolic defending didn't stop, and our two CBs stood and looked while Lyon's striker headed the 2-1 in. Again, conceding seemed to wake up the team, and we produced a decent chances, before finding another equalizer on the counter, with Lyon having switched to an ultra-offensive setup. Then again, our defense was definitely bent on losing the game for us, and they finally made it, when they didn't mark TWO attacking players on a corner... It was probably offside, but marking shouldn't be optional anyway. An annoying defeat that didn't mean much for the tie, but that raised some doubts about the defensive aspects of our game. Granted, it was a makeshift backfour, but it was worrying nonetheless. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Baggins Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Who've you got for the semis? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted April 11, 2015 Author Share Posted April 11, 2015 2034-35 Champions League Semifinal Undrið FF - Bayern München 2-0 In another fascinating tie against a Top Club, we sort of felt the pressure and almost went down, again from corner kicks. Luckly we survivrd Bayern's initial pressure and slowly gained ground. Our striker Sy finally put his pace to good use (after a long stint of awful games) and scored on a counter with a placed shot in the bottom corner. Bayern tried to push forward, but the goal had undermined their confidence, so we managed to keep the dangers to a bare minimum and doubled our lead with a weird goal: Sy received a long ball just outside the box and headed it high and strong to the corner of the six-yards box, where Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson headed it into the net with a neat lob. I thought such goals were possible only with beach balls... After the goal the game just died down and we held a vital clean sheet Bayern München - Undrið FF 2-2 We learnt our lesson in Lyon and in the first leg, so we didn't make the same mistake twice allowing Bayern to put us under pressure from the very beginning. Who else but GSJ could turn the game in our favour? Trademark through ball and shot just inside the box. Bayern hit back with winger Richter, but his aim was marginally off. Our Captain Fabinho Fubá however was less forgiving when presented with a similar chance with a great inside run from his CWB position, and it was 2-0 for us. I wasn't even done celebrating, our defenders had another one of those "episodes" and Richter (him again) was able to head it in from one yard away. Still, 2-1 up at half time looked like a done deal... I was sort of wrong... Rodas was forced to pull off two stellar saves before having to surrender to Richter's umpteenth effort. Bayern were still dangerous on a couple of corner kicks, and on a different day a 5-2 loss and the subsequent elimination would have been a very likely outcome. We were very very lucky in holding on to a draw, and to the spot in our third consecutive final. Nonetheless, the performance in the second half was dreadful, a sign that we just can't relax tactically, because the team isn't mentally strong enough to play safe. They're like sharks... it's swim or die... Anyway... CL final again... This time against an credible Top Club, and possibly our only Bogey team... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 2034-35 Champions League Final PSG - Undrið FF Third time the charm? Odds were still stacked against us: PSG were our bogey team, they had a better squad and our best CB wasn't registered, having been signed in March. Due to all those circumstances, we went into the game with less pressure (encouraging press conference and "we're underdogs..." talk) and for once it didn't backfire. The first half was quite uneventful, but it was PSG's keeper who had to pull off a good save on Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson and then needed the help of the post to hold the 0-0 to half time. So far so good, but it was time to step on the gas, taking advantage of an unexpected superiority. Shortly after the restart, RB Fernández'es free-kick found Guðmundur Steinn unmarked on the near post and ready to volley it in! PSG tried to retailate, but we caught them on the counter. Sadly, Adam Poduch's composure failed him and us, wasting a one-on-one chance with a rushed shot. It was then time to replace him with Amadou Sy, who I had benched due to disappointing performances. His pace could have come in very handy in such a situation. The substitution paid off almost immediately, when Sy received a through ball by Almstrup on another counterattack, narrowly beating the offside trap. The Ivorian striker bursted into the box and placed the ball right into the bottom corner. 2-0!!! The French champions tried to mount an immediate comeback, but it amounted to an easy shot from outside the box and a decent counter that produced only a corner. At the other end of the pitch, one of their CB had to go for a desperate lunge to deflect Sy's shot, avoiding a certain goal. With that flurry of chances around the 65th minute, the game died down again and it looked like it was just a matter of cruising to a historical and well-deserved win. Unfortunately, being conservative isn't out strong suit, and we kept on attacking. In the 89th minute Guðmundur Steinn went down in the box, but the reft waved play on. PSG stormed forward and put an apparently harmless cross from the left. Our keeper Rodas was caught in two minds and didn't come out for the ball in time, allowing the striker to chip it to a teammate who just had to tap it into the empty goal. ONE MINUTE to go and suddenly it was slipping away from us... Again, nerves took the best out of our tired players and they give another stupid ball away on the attacking third, trying to play it instead of wasting time by the corner flag. PSG hit two haily-mary long passes and Takacs scores a dramatic and devastating equalizer... The desperation lasted just a few moments though... HE WAS OFFSIDE!!!!!!!!! And that was it! We finally broke the curse of the CL Final and it happened at the end of a convincing performance, except for the lapse in concentration in the final 5 minutes when we felt too confident and then were so scared we almost bottled it... On a more tactical standpoint, I'm happy the substitutions I made worked out as intended. "Reading" the game isn't always easy or even worth it, but it's nice when it works... especially if the reward is the Champions League trophy... Man of the match: who else but Guðmundur Steinn... former super-sub turned into lethal striker and team player. Honourable mention: Amadou Sy, from almost a non-entity for large portions of the campaign, to the point I stopped playing him, to match-winner in the final. Here's the key moment of the night. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 Season 2035 - 1 team, 5 cups We officially closed the 2034-35 season lifting the remaining two trophies, thus completing an unbelievable quintuple. However, neither final was a fitting crowning of an otherwise flawless international campaign... We defeated Galatasaray for the Euro Super Cup with a dull 1-0 (that doesn't even deserve a report or a screenshot), and we struggled much much more than we should have to bring the Club World Cup home against Chivas in a dramatic game worth of a more prestigious competition Chivas - Undrið FF 3-4 aet I don't know what it was, but the team went into the game with zero desire, and got promptly punished with a deadly one-two with through balls that sliced our defense open as if it was 2020 all over again. Then they realized it wasn't a post-season friendly and quickly equalized, only to concede another very stupid goal before half-time. Cue a well-deserved hairdryer treatment and the substitution of BOTH central defenders. Things improved a tiny bit, barely enough to clinch the 3-3 and drag the final to extra time. Then on a corner, substitute CB Magnús Ingi Eiríksson headed the cup-winning goal, mercifully ending an entertaining but subpar final. Domestic competition... TBA 2035 Squad Stats (full) Apparently nothing changed in the league, but the more observant of you will probably notice AB lost only 3 games and drew 1... Considering teams face each other thrice, it's not difficult to guess where those 3 defeats came from... So, without us, AB had an almost perfect season... Courtesy of Mexican tycoon Juan de Dios Dominguez... He took over in 2030 but the effect wasn't immediate. However they got a brand new 20k all-seater stadium (named after the Chairman himself...) and they've been signing expensive foreigners. Still, they had no luck in Europa League this time around, losing to Lillestrøm in the Playoff round. On the other hand Víkingur benefited of our international success and "stole" a spot in CL Group Stage, where they duly got their ass handed to them in every game, setting the not-so-sought-after record of most conceded goals, with a solid -27. Still, they got paid several millions for that, so it'd be worth the inconvenience. Year zero Not just because we finally broke the Champions League curse or won every available trophy, but (mainly) because our accomplishments are putting us out of the "dark horse" zone and Top Players are starting to accept negotiations. Sure, we're not rich or popular enough to attract the 100k p/w kind of superstars, but the market of wonderkids and hot prospects (and aging stars) is open and we're now able to sign "green" players (those with a tip of the octagon in the green area, the 16-20 one). They don't come cheap, so every offer has to be planned and weighed carefully, but it's the right way to break away from that weird limbo where we're good and we can win, but we lack something to actually lead the pack. Central defense has been a long-standing issue, but maybe Renato Barrote is the right man to stop us leaking goals left and right. Maybe. Still, his CB partner has been a puzzle, with at least 6 players being tried and sidelined during the season. Former regular and prospect Francisco Ramos was sold to Bursaspor as he wasn't happy about said rotation, stalwarts João Dermival and Sinisa Datkovic joined OM (for 7M) and Zenit (for 2M) due to their wages not matching their contribution anymore. In midfield things are still a bit off, with none of our top CMs providing adequate goal-assist figures, but I'm resigned to that being a tactical issue. I can't get better players at the moment, so I'll go back to the tactical board to sort this out. AMC Diguinho's inconsistency was a bit of an issue too.. One day he was scoring 4 goals, only to put on a dismal performance a few days later, possibly against weaker opposition. Luckly the previous "tenant" of that position, Darío Sabia, was always ready to step into the fray and bag in some goals and assists. Up front Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson was still the key man, but his new partner, Puertorican Andrés Ibarra, proved himself a valuable addition and a solid alternative to Amadou Sy (who is still oddly unreliable). However the biggest news is I managed to offload Norbert Brunnhübner to Arsenal for the insane fee of 20M plus bonuses... Not too shabby for a whiny and erratic pacey striker whose progress had already slowed down... 22 games (and 6 goals) later, his value is almost halved and I bet they're regretting having spent so much money... As a bonus, our two legend strikers are having a head-to-head for the all-time scoring record. Pukki currently tops the list with 275 goals, but Poduch had a great season, despite being the 5th choice striker, with 23 goals in 12 apps and he's now only 5 goals behind the Finnish, but being 4 years younger and in much better shape, he's likely to overtake him next season. However it'd be all in vain, as Guðmundur is around the 200 goals mark, so with two more seasons like the recent ones he'll breeze past both of them. On the facilities side, we improved youth training and finally got an expansion plan... I would have liked a new stadium too, but it's still better than nothing... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted April 19, 2015 Author Share Posted April 19, 2015 2035-36 Champions League Group Stage For starters, I indulged in a bit of vanity and added a golden star to the club's logo and redesigned the (custom) home and away kits adding golden trims (instead of silver and orange respectively)... I should now add the World Cup patch but that'd require a complete overhaul of the shirt, so nah... maybe next time. Back to business, as reigning champions The opening game was worth of our new status and we thrashed Olympiakos with a great first half (5-0), while the remainder of the game was disappointingly dull. The same thing happened against Anderlecht, although we failed to capitalize on all the chances we built. The clean sheet against Monaco was quality, but the same thing couldn't be said about the action at the other end of the pitch. A "meager" 2-0 was short of my expectations. Then the team decided that such defensive solidity wasn't in line with the tradition, so they provided a shockingly awful display in the return match, and it took a late, late charge to steal a win. In the same vein, at Piraeus we barely got away with an unconvincing win. The final game instead saw us back to our usual standards and Anderlecht were done for within 20 minutes. All in all a quite reassuring Group Stage, with just minor annoyances here and there. We got Tottenham in the Knockout Round... the best runner-up of the lot, with 13 points. It's gonna be tough... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Baggins Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Impeccable form there in the CL. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adelaidean Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 What team did Ibarra start at? Hardly ever seen a Puerto Rican player produced by the game, let alone one as good as that! Keep up the good work in the CL! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted April 20, 2015 Author Share Posted April 20, 2015 Ibarra started at Sevilla Puerto Rico, apparently an "outsourced" Sevilla C team or something, because he moved for free to Sevilla C and B, before joining Ajax and then Twente. Then they foolishly let him go for free and nobody offered him a new contract... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adelaidean Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Their loss is your gain Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nie jem frytek Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 That Chivas game struggle has to be connected to both teams playing in black shirts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
afailed10 Posted May 3, 2015 Share Posted May 3, 2015 Great thread! Would love to try a simillar save. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 2035-36 Champions League Knockout Round Tottenham - Undrið FF 2-3 As said, Spurs were the best runner-up of the lot but it wasn't really evident at White Hart Lane. We took the lead with a great tiki-taka attack through the middle, but conceded a silly equalizer shorthly after, when our entire backline got cut off by a long ball from Spurs' own half... Disappointing 1-1 at halftime, as we were the best side, by a mile. The same script was followed in the second half, with our new well-crafted lead was made void by one of the many "he didn't mean that!" goals from a miskicked cross that FM14 ME seem to think happen twice per game. In the final portion of the game we pushed hard, hit the post twice but finally got the winning goal with another string of first-touch passes. An overlaboured away win that showed once again our defensive fragility and our erratic scoring form. A 1-5 win would have been a more faithful outcome. Undrið FF Tottenham 2-1 Different day, same game... We scored after having been denied a couple of great chances by their keeper, and he kept on saving the impossible before surrendering for the second time later in the game. Tottenham found a goal with their first foray into our half. Nothing major to report, besides our forwards still wasting a lot of good chances. The most comical one was a 5-on-3 counterattack we didn't capitalize on because our players got in eachother's way and TRIPPED over the ball, conceding a counter-counterattack... We advanced, but it was a step backwards in terms of performance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 2035-36 Champions League Quarterfinal Undrið FF - Barcelona 2-1 Barça again... it's becoming a habit now... What was not usual, was the boring first half... Barça took the lead with a header while our defense was napping, but they reciprocated the favour, allowing GSJ to finally get himself on the scoresheet with an easy tap-in. In injury time we went close to adding one to our tally, but their keeper had different plans. The second half was a boring affair, with our goal being the only highlight. And even that was crap, because it came after a careless backpass from a Barça defender that Ibarra was quick enough to incercept and convert. Not the clearest of wins, at the end of yet another uneven game. Barcelona - Undrið FF 0-3 We'd just relocate to Camp Nou... Just like last time there, we put Barça on the backfoot from the kickoff and we dominated the first half, beating them at their own (old) game. Two goals worth of the good old days of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi. The second half saw a bit of an attempted comeback, but our keeper Sam Power (what a name!) pulled off a couple of top-notch saves to keep a clean sheet. GSJ's hat-trick was the icing on the cake. Finally a convincing win. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 2035-36 Champions League Semifinal Undrið FF - AC Milan 1-1 Milan have a great squad, featuring some of the world's best players. We were lucky to eliminate them a few years ago, but I expected this tie to be the tough. My first impression was confirmed when they went all out attack and hit a post with their first shot. The second one was a corner that our CB Vaughan headed into our own goal. As if Milan needed help to be dangerous... Luckly the early lead gave them overconfidence and they didn't create much for the rest of the game. The bad news was we didn't either, but at least we found a late equalizer with our only shot on target in our only decent attacking move, the usual one-two-three-goal tiki-taka. We need a Miracle in Milan... hardly a likely scenario, but you never know... AC Milan - Undrið FF 1-0 There was indeed a miracle at San Siro... too bad it was that we only lost 1-0, while a solid thrashing (by 3 or 4 goals) would have been possible and even quite fair. We never looked like a threat to AC Milan, who could have as well not fielded a keeper and kept a clean sheet anyway... Our keeper on the other hand had a very busy night, pulling off impressive reflex saves on the numerous 2-on-1 situations our shambolic defense allowed Milan to have. For the first time in years we got outclassed and outplayed completely. It was a painful game to watch, an unwanted trip down memory lane to the days of our early exits in Qualifying Rounds... Sure, it was still a semifinal against arguably the biggest team currently in the game, but still.. We went out without fighting, which was unacceptable. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john1 Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Sad to see you go out against AC Milan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted May 6, 2015 Author Share Posted May 6, 2015 Season 2036 - 200 again 2036 Squad Stats (full) Finally another very prolific domestic campaign, with several >10 goals scorelines. Nothing major to report, while AB are still improving their form, approaching the 100 goals mark and HB are facing an impending takeover that could boost their chances to compete. Unfortunately their European campaign didn't last long, with no side making it to the Group Stage. That has had a negative effect on the League's rank (dropped to 17th) and on the seeding (we're likely losing our guaranteed Group Stage spot next season, despite having played 3 finals and 1 semifinal in the last 4 seasons). A Legend bows out Jari Pukki retired after 14 glorious seasons with us. 225 league apps (all-time record) 277 league goals (2nd all-time) 397 goals (league+cup+euro cups) He was a key factor in our rise through the ranks in Europe, the first "actual" striker and our first relevant signing. Unfortunately in his later years he was plagued by injuries and outclassed by newer and better signings, but I always tried to give him a couple of games to boost his scoring record. Generational turnover, part II The process of rejuvenation of the squad continued, with several stalwarts leaving to spend the final year of their career elsewhere. A bit sad, considering some of them were vital parts of the CL-winning team, but it had to be done, also because the stadium expansion wasn't easy on the balance, and some players didn't warrant a 40k p/w wage anymore. GK Rodas left for Velez at the end of the season RB Juan Carlos Fernández found a new home at Benfica LB Jamie Fraser-Allen relocated to Brann Even our domestic rivals helped us getting rid of unhappy players, with HB signing local talent Runi Johannesen (for 25k) and AB forking out a crazy 6M for former captain Fabinho Fubá, who wanted a new challenge. Jack-of-all-trades midfielder Sergiy Stolyarchuk, who had established himself as a mediocre performer but a competitive whiner, will join Sporing CP for 7.5M... He won't be missed Despite so many departures, I wasn't particularly active in signing players, as with the activation of Top Leagues as playable prices have skyrocketed and the general quality is still not worth the price tag... New keeper Sam Power has an awesome name (wish it was Max...) has been solid enough and a free transfer. Same goes for creative midfielder Paul Prins who, despite great creativity hasn't been much of a factor in terms of assists or goals. Not even when played as AMC. I'll keep him around until I'll find someone better. Also, I signed a handful of young Danish prospects, but it's too early to tell if they'll turn out great or will be sold for a hefty profit once they'll be 21... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 2036-37 Champions League Group Stage Finally a group stage to remember! It started well enough with our usual solid win against Barça, but I never imagined such scorelines could have been feasible for us against legit opponents... Sure, the 5 goals conceded in Rotterdam and Lillestrøm were a bit of a worry, but as long as we can score twice (or thrice) as many, I can live with that. On the other hand the literal thrashing of both sides was a thing of beauty. However, now that the Top Leagues have been loaded as playable, clubs from said nations have got better players and more options, therefore I expect the gap to become bigger over the next few years, as proven by the increased pricetag on any half-decent player. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 2038-39 Champions League Group Stage With Man Utd a shell of their former selves, as shown by an effective home win, the rest of the group was a formality. While our defensive solidity was at an all-time high, the blanket proved to be too short, as our goalscoring prowess wasn't up to the usual standards in later games. Granted, at that stage a 1-0 win is as good as a 10-0 one, but I wasn't very impressed with our offensive end-product, for a change. But on we go.. 2038-39 Champions League Knockout Round Juventus - Undrið FF 3-3 Just when I was starting to trust our defense, they once again showed why I can't ever relax... Within the first minute, Juventus tore our backline open TWICE, eventually taking the lead... Way to go, guy! Luckly, at the other end of the pitch things were as untidy, and we promptly equalized after a lucky rebound on a cross. Juve didn't skip a beat and stuck to plan A, with through balls for they pacey African strikers. 2-1 was a reality shortly after. Again, we needed a defensive mistake on their part to pull it level before halftime. The second half started much better for us: we hit the woodwork, got a disallowed goal and finally put the 3rd goal away with a decent tiki-taka move from the right. Alas, our CBs were helpless against another through ball and that was 3-3. A decent result, but another appalling defensive performance. Undrið FF - Juventus 2-0 In another (un)expected turn of events, the cracking first leg had a very quiet and disappointing follow-up... We took the lead on the one and only actual attacking move of the half, doubled it early in the second half with a nice shot from a tight angle, hit a woodwork for good measure and looked very much in control. Not even Renato Barrote's second yellow card (for mowing down a Juve player who was running away toward the box) disrupted our side. Juve only got a half-chance in the closing stages of the game, but Sam Power saved it in style. I was expecting fireworks and a tense affair, I got a handful of firecrackers and a surprisingly easy game... I liked it! 2038-39 Champions League Quarter Final Undrið FF - Schalke 7-0 WOW! Just WOW! Both games against S04 in the Group Stage had been quite boring, so I wasn't ready for such a thrashing... Guðmundur Steinn was the first on the scoresheet with a good solo effort, but with the crucial help of the keeper "fainting" instead of diving for the save. Youngster Frederik Mehlsen took the chance of a lifetime and curled a great shot into the net from the edge of the box for the 2-0. Just before the break defender Magnús Ingi put the 3rd one in following a corner scramble. He went close to scoring another after the break, but his header hit the crossbar, falling onto's his fellow CB Benitez for the easiest of the tap-ins. Schalke were shellshocked and couldn't string two passes together... Substitute Zoran Zaja punsihed them on the counter, with the keeper failing to cover the near post from a tight angle. Our keeper Sam Power had his first actual save around the 70th minute, with a solid double-parry from close range after the Germans' one and only attacking move. Amadou Sy, another substitute, got his goal too, and Thiago completed our defenders' hat-trick for a 7-0 that was way beyond our wildest dreams. Schalke - Undrið FF 0-2 There wasn't much point in playing the second leg, but Schalke tried to mount a decent challenge anyway. For the first 4 minutes... Sam Power made an important save and denied them an early lead that could have made things a bit awkward for us. Their keeper, however, wasn't as good, when he fluffed a pass to his defender and kicked the ball right into GSJ's path. With the goal gaping in front of him, even a much lesser striker would have scored... and our all-time top goalscorer duly added one to his tally. The first half flew by with little else to report, save a disallowed goal for us and a decent chance wasted by Schalke. The second half was as uneventful, with Zoran Zaja doubling our lead for good measure. Bayern awaited us for the Semis... The second trip to Germany won't be as easy, I suspect... 2038-39 Champions League Semifinal Undrið FF - FC Bayern 1-0 Much ado about nothing in the first half... Bayern had a half-chance earlier on, then a whole lot of nothing before we got denied a blatant penalty for a sliding tackle that took both ball and legs. Only a corner, said the ref, and we almost scored again. Still, little was working for us going forward, so I made some changes during the break. Diguinho, who had fallen way behind in the picking order, got a chance to inject some creativity into a surprisingly anemic AMC position, and he delivered... He set the move up and was in the right place to collect Harris' cross for the tap-in! Too bad it was a flash in the pan, and the second half was an even slower and mistake-ridden affair. At least we didn't come close to conceding, but in fairness it was one of the worst top-level games in this career. FC Bayern - Undrið FF 2-1 Despite our one-goal lead, it looked like Bayern had our number... We didn't create a single chance during the first half and didn't look in control either... Bayern scored rather early on a solid offensive move and almost went into the dressing room with a double lead when Alan Bannigan (of all people! our most consistent defender) had a brainfart and decided to make a backpass instead of running with the ball. A striker was lurking behind him and it took Sam Power's cat-like reflexes to parry the ball away. 1-0 down at halftime and we looked shaky as hell... However our tactic soon morphed into a "if you can beat them, beat them down" kickfest... We managed to run down the clock for most of the half, collecting fouls against and yellow cards. In-between the free-kicks we had a good chance with Sy, and finally, in the 80th minute, with Bayern committing more men forward, Zoran Zaja scored on the counter to give us a most valuable away goal. Bayern didn't give up and immediately regained the lead with a 25-yards screamer. Instead of dropping down and parking the bus though, we kept on going forward, forcing a great save out of their keeper and grazing the crossbar with a long shot. Injury time was a bit tense, but Bayern looked spent, and we got away with only one extra yellow card. All in all, a lucky win on away goals, but 180 worrying minutes that raised plenty of questions about the mental strength of some players. However... Cardiff here we come Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 2038-39 Champions League Final Chelsea - Undrið FF With some of our new signings still unregistered and our 1st choice CB Renato Barrote missing the second CL final in a row due to a suspension, I was a bit worried... Also, up front it was Amadou Sy's turn again, despite having fallen way behind in the picking order... Anyway, my fears just evaporated within the very first minute of the final! The guys took Chelsea by surprise and pressed right from the kickoff, crafting a nice tiki-taka move that put CM Gilberto Miranda in a position to place the ball into the lower corner from the edge of the box. Chelsea tried to bounce back immediately with a decent move that was promptly stopped by a well-timed tackle. A corner kick and a weak header was all they managed to create. We kept on going forward and almost doubled our lead with the exact same move of the 1-0 goal, but this time our midfielders went for an uneeded extra pass, allowing the defenders to block the shot. On the subsequent corners we should have been awarded a penalty for a flying tackle on one of our players... Before the half-hour mark, AMC Daniel Kamola danced his way around several defenders to find himself one-on-one with the keeper, only to shoot wide of the near post instead of curling it on the far one... We led deservedly at the break, but it should have been by a bigger margin, virtually out of reach already. All that chance-squandering almost costed us dearly when Chelsea hit the post with a header from close range following a corner. In what turned out to be the "sliding doors moment" of the final, we scored on the very next move, with Kamola offering Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson an easy ball to blast past Chelsea's keeper for the 2-0. Again, the Blues had an immediate reaction and it took Sam Power's top-drawer save to deny their striker on an easy one-on-one. That, on the 55th minute, was the last interesting thing happening in the game... The final 30odd minutes were a masterclass in running down the clock, a smart and safe tactic to bring home a back-to-back CL triumph, our third overall. The match was a bit anti-climatic though, like many other games on our way to the final. It lacked the nerve-wrecking quality of our maiden win against PSG, it wasn't as one-sided as the one against Rosenborg... I guess it was the proof we've reached some sort of maturity and we're now able to win against "better" sides without needing to rely on dumb luck or on exceptional individual performances... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 Season 2039 - Moving out, moving on... It was our final season at Gundadalur, as we're going to relocate to our brand new stadium (named after me, of course) come 2040. Also, plenty of changes are going to be made to our squad, with aging/expensive stars are soon to be replaced with younger and better players... As a little preview, I can say I'm going to smash the piggybank to bring in a worldclass name (instead on relying on free transfers, Bosman signings and diamonds in the rough). Not that we really need to splash the cash to improve a side that is untouchable at home and a veritable powerhouse internationally, but still... why not? 2039 Squad Stats (full) As you can see, the CWBs provided a truckload of assists, while the midfielders only shone when played in the AMC position, with the others being relegated to obscure transitional play that the AvR system doesn't seem to understand or reward. Up front, the star is always Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson... Honestly I was a bit disappointed in new star-signing Emanuel Saliba, who has been erratic and a bit too prone to mood swings... At least, youngster Frederik Mehlsen has been improving steadly, giving me hope that his 4.5* potential can be reached someday... Speaking of which, most of our best-rated foreign youngsters have been doing just ok, but not great... Next season will be devoted to testing them even more, in order to find out who has the quality to stay and who will be turned into cash, exploiting AI's penchant for paying absurd sums for pseudo-talented players... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenzar Posted August 9, 2015 Share Posted August 9, 2015 Are the other Faroese teams getting anywhere in Europe? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 Are the other Faroese teams getting anywhere in Europe? Until last season no... Despite our coefficient granting them an extra spot in CL (THREE from 2039-40 onwards) and 3 spots in EL qualifying rounds, all they managed were a string of eliminations, with only a handful of advancements but back when they entered in eariier rounds. AB, who have been enjoying a sugardaddy who built them a 22k stadium that would accomodate almost HALF the total population on the Islands, have been the most disappointing side... Sure, entering the 3rd QR unseeded didn't make them a favour, as they were crushed by bigger sides, and the same happened in EL playoff, but still... with all the money they had to invest, only ONE appearence in the EL Group Stage (4th with only 2 points) was a bit disappointing especially because there wasn't much progress over the years. Víkingur didn't fare much better, but "enjoyed" a free CL group stage spot some years ago (0 points, 6 goals scored, 28 conceded), and neither did HB or ÍF... However season 2039-40, currently ongoing, has been a turning point, with AB making it past the CL Group Stage (again, thanks to our ridiculous coefficient) and went on to defeat CHELSEA in the knockout round 2-2 on away goals. Víkingur overcame Shakhtar in CL 3rd QR before surrendering to Barça in the playoff, but finished a respectable 3rd in Europa League group stage with 9 points, only 1 point away from a historical qualification. Hopefully the prize money will help those teams to establish themselves in Europe... although the NT isn't going to benefit from it, as success equals all-foreign lineups... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted August 17, 2015 Author Share Posted August 17, 2015 2039-40 Champions League Group Stage In what looked like a rather easy group, we still managed to have a couple of relatively underwhelming performances. The two opening games followed the exact same script: we scored early, conceded a cheap goal right away and then took the lead for good, just to have another slip-up late in the game. 4-2 against Ajax and at Lazio. The home game against Monaco was another frustrating affair, with the forwards wasting a truckload of chances... Nobody seemed to be able to find the back of the net, but eventually our midfielders (and a defender) came to the rescue, sealing a 3-0 that should have happened much earlier. The return match looked as frustrating, with Monaco scoring in the opening minutes and us struggling to pull level. A long overdue hairdryer treatment at halftime motivated the guy, who took care of business within the hour mark and added two more goals for good measure. We then closed the group almost like we had opened it... This time though we learnt half of the lesson and didn't concede the second goal... A rather smooth ride to the Knockout Round, but with the perennial issue of a leaky defense (by now, I've accepted it as a side-effect of our overly offensive tactic). Also, as another worrying point, Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson has only scored ONCE... I hope it's just a rare dry spell and not a sign of an early decline (he's 29) P.S. As said before, AB have finally put to good use their sugardaddy's money and have made it through the Group Stage, and brilliantly so... I honestly expected them to end up dead last... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted August 23, 2015 Author Share Posted August 23, 2015 2039-40 Champions League Road to the Final I've been falling behind schedule with the updates, so I'm going to post just a quick recap of the 2039-40 Champions Legue knockout rounds (likely as a one-off solution) The First Knockout round against Aalesund was rather easy, but I wasn't expecting to overcome Real Madrid with the same ease... Granted, they're not as big as they used to be, but a 7-2 on aggregate was far from a foreseeable result. Lazio didn't look like the highest hurdle to overcome for the 3rd back-to-back final. Still, their away goal (with their only shot on target) in an otherwise one-sided semifinal put some doubts in my mind. The away game in Rome was a closer encounter, although we were in the lead twice and the outcome was never in jeopardy. However, an apparently meaningless 2-2 turned out to have consequences... Our new CB Mayasi got himself sent off in the final minutes of the game... It didn't have an impact on the game, but I wasn't pleased because it was a silly second yellow AND it forced us to play a backup CB in a CL final for the third year in a row... So I voiced my displeasure to the player with a fine and hell broke loose... He didn't accept it and kept on moaning about it, ultimately forcing me to offload him to Atletico Madrid for 25M in the summer transfer window. A shame, because he was a beast, but it was a matter of principle... Anyway, another final it is... Against Atletico themselves... P.S. As you can see, my fears about Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson's decline weren't justified as he was back to his scoring ways, and how! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted August 23, 2015 Author Share Posted August 23, 2015 2039-40 Champions League Final Third final in a row, third final without our best CB... However, in a karmic turn of events, Renato Barrote can finally play, now that he has been demoted to rotation... And to keep our curse going, leading AMC Daniel Kamola (who has replaced Diguinho in that role, with equally educated passing and shooting) picked up an injury days before the final and must watch from the stands. Other top MC Gilberto Miranda has recently recovered from a knock and isn't 100%... With that premises, I was slightly less optimistic abour our chances... Atletico Madrid - Undrið FF Thirteen minutes into the final, Atletico caught our LCWB Kito napping and took the lead with a well-placed diagonal shot... I had barely registered the bad turn of events when Emanuel Saliba, in a rare moment of briliance (for a guy of his quality), stormed the left flank and placed a cross right on Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson's path for a powerful header. 1-1! Just a few minutes later, we got a rather cheap freekick just outside the box and Jørgen Andersen curled it into the top corner... The excitement was far from over, with Saliba taking advantage of a suicidal backpass and forcing a great save from the keeper. On the subsequent corner DLP Santiago Perez fluffed an easy tap-in from close range. Perez himself had better luck as the corner taker just before halftime when he found none other than Renato Barrote for the volley that sealed the 3-1. As it's often the case after a breathtaking half, the break worked as a valium pill... One shot apiece was all that happened until the 84th minute... Then we pulled off a great counterattack move with one-touch passes that put GSJ in the ideal position to curl the ball into the lower left corner for the 4-1. Not just a convincing and dominating win without at least two important players, but a game that has sort of vindicated those who, during this and the previous season(s), had been subjected to frequent criticism because I felt they had been underperforming... Andersen has been a bit of a mystery, albeit often played in a less complimenting MC (AP) position while he'd be more suited for the AMC one... Saliba has scored much less than what was legitimate to expect, and Barrote, poor guy, has missed the final for two years in a row... Even Guðmundur had been a bit less lethal than usual in previous finals, with only 1 goal in 3 games... So all in all a great win to cap off a great run in the CL, the ultimate proof we're no longer a very strong outsider, but we've morphed into a veritable powerhouse. On a related note, AB reached the Quarter Finals, having defeated last year's finalist Chelsea on away goals (1-0 at home, 1-2 at Stamford Bridge) and barely losing to Lazio (1-2 defeat at home, but a valuable 2-2 in Rome). Finally other Faroese sides are catching up in Europe... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davehibb Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 This is awesome mate. Keep going! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbokav1971 Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 I love this thread and the sub-plot of AB's progression is really interesting too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted September 14, 2015 Author Share Posted September 14, 2015 Just like last year I got caught up with the final weeks of the beach season, so I didn't have time (or desire) to play. Now it's going to be business as usual again, so expect something more... In fairness my European domination has sucked a bit of fun out of the save, but, as pointed out, I'm interested to observe how other Faroese clubs will progress. And with current NT manager Barður Olsen pushing 60, there may be an opening to finally get his job... Something I've wanted to do since day 1... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dev'o Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 Have you thought about leaving for another Fareoese club to further exert the dominance of the Faroe Islands Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichG-2- Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 Great post. Total domination. Would be interested to know who your all time goal scoring record holder is with all those goals lol Are all your players home grown? if not how many are? Can I also see some club screen shots like reputation etc. Would be good to see how long it has taken you to get to top facilities for my game as I am starting with a really small club also Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted September 15, 2015 Author Share Posted September 15, 2015 Have you thought about leaving for another Fareoese club to further exert the dominance of the Faroe Islands No... I would hate to see an inept AI manager (possibly one of those who keep on badmouthing me during press conferences) destroying my team within two years' date=' accepting 5M offers for our topscorer and 10M for one of the best prospects worldwide. It started as a one-club career and it'll end that way... I could add another manager to strengthen other clubs with smart signings, but that'd disrupt the AI managers dynamics. Great post. Total domination.Would be interested to know who your all time goal scoring record holder is with all those goals lol Are all your players home grown? if not how many are? Current all-time topscorer is none other than Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson with 568 goals (393 in the league and 175 cup+CL) I have enough HG players to meet the CL criteria, but very few are homegrown in the "right" way. I tend to buy young hot prospects, mostly from Denmark in order to obtain the HG status by the time they turn 21 and are good enough for the first team. In terms of actual Faroese players, the hottest prospects struggle to break into the senior squad anyway. It's a shame, but I had no other choice if I wanted to compete relatively quickly... Can I also see some club screen shots like reputation etc. Would be good to see how long it has taken you to get to top facilities for my game as I am starting with a really small club also The move to the new stadium has been delayed due to unspecified problems. Note how I haven't spent a dime on youth coaching, as the best prospects are promoted to the 2nd team immediately, so they can train with the senior staff. Youth team is basically a place for local kids to enjoy a couple of years before being given a free transfer or sold/offloaded to smaller clubs. And that's the Reputation screen... Keep in mind the actual balance of power is a bit different, but the list seem to be in alphabetical order for 5* clubs (I guess all have 10000 rep) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichG-2- Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 That's unbelievable goalscoring not had a player like that for a few editions of FM A bit worrying about the stadium lol. I need a big one as when i get to my top division every game will be like a champions league final if i don't have enough cash I can't pay the MEGA wages my stars will want to stay and not leave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted September 15, 2015 Author Share Posted September 15, 2015 Well, it took me 8 seasons to get four-digits average attendance, and I had to win the freakin' CL to get regular sell-outs for league games and a stadium expansion. The new stadium won't help much, as we should attract ONE THIRD of the whole country to sell it out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichG-2- Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 lol Does the game take that into account? I remember a few editions ago in the editor you could set local populations etc but i have no idea if that actually affects attendances At FC Andorra in my world league save i have had 3 stadium increases. My capacity is now at 1,585 and i get attendances of around 1,450. I started at 899 with full house. I did not take into account there may be a cap on my potential this may hamper me getting to the big time lol *EDIT* I've also just noticed that with a 10 team league if you can get 4 champions league spots and 4 euro spots its a case of don't go down your in Europe lol That would be a fun league for newly promoted teams Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
joewolves7 Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 Had a good read of this thread... great achievement on the total domination. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted September 15, 2015 Author Share Posted September 15, 2015 Season 2040 - Double Trouble Squad Stats (full) We won the domestic treble again, but that was hardly worth mentioning... As shown by our "mediocre" goalscoring record (the lowest in almost a decade), the average level of the league has finally taken a small step forward. That, or my new striker pairing hasn't been working as expected. In truth, new signing Saliba had another up-and-down season, with an average of "only" 1 goal and 1 assist. Plenty of terrible showings forced me to bench him in favour of Danish homegrown wonderkid Fredrik Mehlsen who, at only 20 years old of age, can become the next Guðmundur Steinn Jónsson. The Icelandic striker didn't fail me, despite having turned 30 and bagged in goals for fun all season long. Farewells and falling-outs While up front there was a bit of uncertainty, the pecking order in other positions was much clearer and it lead to unpleasant situations and difficult decisions. Former regular Canario left to return home at Internacional for free. Then Bayern made an offer I couldn't refuse for Chinese star Luo Yi (17.5M). I already explained how CB Kalema Mayasi earned himself a one-way trip to the transfers list and to Atletico for 25M, but the CB curse didn't stop there... Even a loyal player like Magnús Ingi Eiríksson suddenly decided he was too good to be a rotation player and made waves to leave. His wish was granted, and 15M later he was a Molde player. Or should I say a Molde 2 player, as he hasn't played a single league game (but 2 cup and 6 CL). Other rotation/backups left the club in the summer as well, with Marcelão being another significant loss in terms of former key players. We raked in 80M, more than enough to bring in some new key players. World's best keeper and some other guys It was a weird transfer window, very out of character, as I spent a whopping 60M for a couple of ambitious (and overpriced) signings. Argentina doesn't exactly have a long history of Top keepers, but I stumbled across Rogelio Quevedo, inexplicably stuck at Montpellier... 25M weren't peanuts, and we had a solid keeper already, but what the heck... We have money, let's spend it. The aforementioned departures in defense forced me to act quickly, signing a decent trio Wingback Kito Defensive all-rounder Stjepan Kokot Solid CB hilariously named Mintsnot Mamo Pacey CM/AMC Souleymane Coulibaly. A hot prospect, I'm told, but probably not worth the 19M Lyon extorted me. Time to start over Plenty of my key players are pushing 30, so sooner or later I'll have to look for replacements. And it's gonna cost us a truckload of money. Or I could take a gamble and give an actual chance to the currnet batch of youngsters, domestic and imports, but that'd mean a very low-key CL campaign, which we can't really afford... So it's going to be another season of "smart dismantling" while building a new Starting XI on the side. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichG-2- Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 I am sure domestically you'll cope lol Its the European impact that will be hardest I guess. I do enjoy transitional times when you can draft some new youngsters into your team. I guess with your attendances being so low a bad European season is a major blow to your cash flow. What do you spend each year on transfers? and what are your sponsorship deals like Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted September 16, 2015 Author Share Posted September 16, 2015 Here's the balance at the beginning of the 2041 season Last year I overspent on transfers, with 60M, but I still got 75M from outgoing transfers, so it was all good, and a huge exception to my rule of operating with caution. In fact, I always try to sign Bosman players, free agents or moderately cheap replacements for those I sold for a huge profit. I tend to balance the books as often as I can, and over the last ten seasons, only twice our in/out balance was in the red, and only by a couple of millions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichG-2- Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 That's a lot of interest on a 46m loan lol Must be an EU bail out loan Nice sponsorship though. Lots of income from that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dllu Posted September 16, 2015 Share Posted September 16, 2015 That's a lot of interest on a 46m loan lol Must be an EU bail out loan More likely subsidies from Denmark... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBKalle Posted September 21, 2015 Author Share Posted September 21, 2015 2040-41 Champions League Group Stage Not too much to write about... Once again we were heavy favourites and we delivered it. The home game against Schalke was the only to cause some problems, mostly due to complacency and to a stupid red card around the hour mark right after having conceded the 2-1 goal. Apart from that, it was a smooth ride, with a satisfying chances/goals ratio and acceptable defending. Although we still tended to concede late in the game or after having scored one ourselves. Elsewhere, AB confidently disposed of Viktoria Plzen in QR3 (with a double 2-0) but struggled to overcome Dinamo Zagreb in the Playoff round (1-1 in Croatia, 1-0 at home with a late goal). It looked like last year had been a fluke, and surely a group featuring Chelsea, Inter and Shakhtar Donetsk wasn't an easy task... However... They lost only at Stamford Bridge, managing to get point in every other game and advanced with a string of convincing results. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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