[FM17] The Pep Guardiola Story Starts Again

[Northernpilgrim]

November was ok as well for a newly promoted team

and I'm not entirely sure why we're not in the playoff places

[Northernpilgrim]

Just checked the league rules, and 'results between teams' is the first decider, and Reus beat us 2-0, so it's that that keeps us out of the playoffs

[Northernpilgrim]

7 points out of 9 and an unbeaten December

and we're in the playoff spots. Yes it's only the halfway stage of the season, and we can't get promoted anyway, but I'm delighted with how this season is shaping up, and if I miss out on the Barcelona job again in the summer, have an idea to change the nature of the challenge slightly. More details if that becomes necessary. In the meantime, here is the latest league table

[Northernpilgrim]

January was another decent month

and we're up to second

 

[BoxToBox]

Excellent stuff!

[Northernpilgrim]

15 minutes ago, BoxToBox said:

Excellent stuff!

Thankyou

[Northernpilgrim]

February wasn't good

and we've fallen off the pace as a result

[Northernpilgrim]

March was not great either

and there's no chance of us making the playoffs now

[Northernpilgrim]

We were unbeaten in April

and are just outside the playoffs

[Northernpilgrim]

But reverted to poor form in May

and are further off the pace as a result

[Northernpilgrim]

We did finish off with a win though

and a creditable 8th place finish, although it could, and probably should, have been more

[Northernpilgrim]

I'll now create the Barcelona vacancy again, and see what happens

[Northernpilgrim]

I was overlooked again

[Northernpilgrim]

Here are the attributes and match stats for my Pep Guardiola

[Northernpilgrim]

And as I said, given that I've been overlooked again, and am therefore unlikely to get the Barcelona job without moving on first, I've decided to tweak the rules in order to keep it going. The original rules remain that I have to win all the same trophies at the same clubs, and in the same order, but I will allow a move to a club that he hasn't managed, the only objective being to secure the next relevant job. Any trophies won with that club WILL NOT count towards the total. I will not resign from Barcelona B, as he moved straight to the first team with no gap, so... let the job hunting begin!

[Northernpilgrim]

After a few short weeks, and a couple of job applications, I've been offered and accepted a job that I hope will raise my profile enough to attract the attention of Barcelona. I'm off to the east end of London

[BoxToBox]

Interesting move. Had to happen I guess, the game isn't equipped for succession plans like Guardiola and Zidane.

[Northernpilgrim]

4 minutes ago, BoxToBox said:

Interesting move. Had to happen I guess, the game isn't equipped for succession plans like Guardiola and Zidane.

If I'd made the shortlist I'd have stuck it out, but to be ruled out despite already being with FCB (albeit at a junior level), and having won promotion and then nearly made the playoffs, it just felt like it was never going to happen. Why West Ham? Simple. Slaven Bilic took the Barcelona job, leaving it vacant  

[Northernpilgrim]

Preseason results were not too bad, though I'd like to have won the last game

[Northernpilgrim]

We brought in a couple of quality signings

[Northernpilgrim]

And ahead of our opening Premier League game, the squad looks like this

[Northernpilgrim]

We got off to the perfect start

but there are surprise early leaders

[Northernpilgrim]

We took a battering against Arsenal, but recovered really well, and even came from behind with 10 men against surprise package Stoke City

and we're in the Champions League places at the end of September

[poobington]

It would be interesting if you do a post going into some of your tactics. Those are some impressive results you have got there.

[Northernpilgrim]

7 minutes ago, poobington said:

It would be interesting if you do a post going into some of your tactics. Those are some impressive results you have got there.

Sure, I'll post the tactic I'm using with West Ham. I'll get it up later as I'm off out now.

[Northernpilgrim]

Here's the tactic I'm using at the moment. Mentality is set to standard (though I do use attacking against weaker opposition, and overload if we're losing), team shape is set to flexible, and I'm not using any  shouts. I let my Ass Man do the player instructions.

[RSJ]

When you say 'i let my Ass Man do the player intructions' - what do you mean exactly? Is it a pre-set thing or do you mean in game? 

 

Thanks in advance.

[Northernpilgrim]

1 hour ago, RSJ said:

When you say 'i let my Ass Man do the player intructions' - what do you mean exactly? Is it a pre-set thing or do you mean in game? 

 

Thanks in advance.

I let him set the individual player instructions pre-match, and usually listen to him in-game, although not if he's suggesting something I don't agree with. As stated above, I don't use any team instructions pre-match, but again will listen to the Ass Man in-game.

[poobington]

10 minutes ago, Northernpilgrim said:

I let him set the individual player instructions pre-match, and usually listen to him in-game, although not if he's suggesting something I don't agree with. As stated above, I don't use any team instructions pre-match, but again will listen to the Ass Man in-game.

So no team instructions like play out of defense or pass into space for example? Or no instructions for the p[layers like close down more or pass it shorter?

[Northernpilgrim]

Correct. I don't give any team or player instructions. I do get the Ass Man to do player instructions for each match, and will add player or tea instructions in match if he suggests it.

[Northernpilgrim]

October didn't go so well

and we've fallen out of the top 4

[Northernpilgrim]

A reasonable November would have been a very good one if we'd held on to a 3-1 lead against West Brom

and so we missed he chance to climb back into the European spots

[Northernpilgrim]

December was another decent month that could've been better

and it's got us back in the Europa League spots again, and even in with a chance of a Champions League place

[Northernpilgrim]

Forgot to post the Europa League Group table, so here it is

[Northernpilgrim]

An unbeaten January was extremely pleasing

and we ended the month in the Champions League spots

We made just one further addition to the squad in the January window

and I'm delighted to welcome Sebastien Corchia to the club

[Northernpilgrim]

February was a quiet month in the league, but saw progress in Europe

and although we've dropped out of the top 4, we're still well in with a chance of European football next season, even if I'm planning to be elsewhere by then

[Northernpilgrim]

March was an unbeaten month in the league, but ended in frustration as we could only draw against Sunderland, a game we totally bossed and should have won easily, and we also disappointed against Tottenham in Europe.

and we end the month in 5th, but it could have been a top 3 place

 

[Northernpilgrim]

We had a bit of a wobbly April

but we end the month a maximum 2 points from securing Europa League football, and I'm not giving up on the Champions League just yet

[Northernpilgrim]

Three wins out of 4 in May

and the slip up against Swansea was to prove costly as we narrowly missed out on the Champions League

 

[Northernpilgrim]

So, time to create the Barcelona vacancy again and see what happens...

[Northernpilgrim]

Missed out again, this time to Albert Jorquera. I'll stay one more season wit West Ham, and then look to move either to a bigger club, or direct to Barcelona.

[Northernpilgrim]

I'm happy with the transfer business we've done over the summer

[Northernpilgrim]

And here they all are

[Northernpilgrim]

We had a decent set of results in preseason too

[Northernpilgrim]

It's been a tough set of fixtures to start the season

but despite a relatively poor start, we're only 3 points off the Champions League places

[Northernpilgrim]

September was only slightly better

but we have at least climbed the table to 11th

[Northernpilgrim]

Our inconsistent start continued into October

and consequently we're still struggling to make an impression in the league table

[Northernpilgrim]

November was a little bit better

and we're up to mid table

[Northernpilgrim]

December was busy, but much more productive

although we remain outside the European places

[BoxToBox]

Hell of a run through December.