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[FM 17] If You’re Not First, You’re Last Redux – Redemption For The “Nearly Men” Of Europe


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The leading candidate?  I should ****ing hope so, Bob!

When a manager waltzes in, looking like the Swedish ****ing Jared Leto, with 9 Champions League and 3 World Cup trophies on his CV...I should ****ing hope so!

Hahaha...I'm just messing with you, Bob.  Your first day and all.  Come back.  Here, have a Fresca.  Bob?!

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Thank you, Thomas.  That Bob guy wasn't working out.

I mean, his sheer incompetence.  Thanks to him, the press is out there talking about West Ham being eliminated from FA Cup last Spring...shortly before we won the ****ing Champions League!  

I would say to him, "Bob, you've got to control the narrative."  He just didn't "get it."  This story is the perfect example of his ... you know what?  Nevermind.  I'm done talking about him.  It's in the past.

Glad to have you aboard, Thomas.  Care for a Fresca?

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I haven't felt that good since Archie Gemmill scored against Holland in 1978!

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Monaco / Scotland

Brief Interlude

While the Hakan Telleus era at Monaco has officially begun, I'm off for vacation first thing tomorrow with no laptop access for over a week...and no internet access beginning Saturday.  I'm hoping to make a little progress tonight, but substantive updates are likely not going to happen for 7-10 days.

I'm excited about Monaco (more so than I expected), since I think it makes some sense in the narrative -- both re Hakan's personal life and to really push the Scotland national team forward.

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Just now, kidthekid said:

wait what?

The twins are both footballers

Hakan has been making offhand comments for years!  They turned 15 last spring, and will continue their footballing education with Monaco's U19s.

Linus has always been the better player.  Gustav is more cerebral, destined to become a coach if Hakan has anything to say about it...although my coaching staff seem to be rather impressed with him...trying to suck up to the new boss, no doubt.

I've had this in mind pretty much since Apples left Hakan for Emma.

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[Yes -- I used the in-game editor to change their names/birthdates of two kids in Monaco's U19s, and set a relationship status with Hakan and each other.  No further edits of any kind.]

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Ohhh, exciting times ahead!

I kind of had a educated guess this was going to happen with the kids, though I'll admit I expected Gustav to pop up directly as an exciting young(playable) manager prospect.

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I wonder how many nationalities they have, due to the um...situations, do they even qualify as Swedish since , technically you are not the legal...eh never mind

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1 minute ago, BoxToBox said:

Ohhh, exciting times ahead!

I kind of had a educated guess this was going to happen with the kids, though I'll admit I expected Gustav to pop up directly as an exciting young(playable) manager prospect.

I would have put Gustav in as a coach, but there seems to be a minimum age of 23...and I didn't want to wait 8 years to introduce him properly!

Just now, kidthekid said:

I wonder how many nationalities they have, due to the um...situations, do they even qualify as Swedish since , technically you are not the legal...eh never mind

I did add this in!

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They're:

  • Biologically, 1/2 Swedish through Hakan (thanks to Apples obtaining legal rights to Hakan's "guys" in the divorce)
  • Biologically, 1/2 English through Emma
  • Granted Italian citizenship through Apples, their adopted mother
  • Granted French citizenship for having been born and resided primarily at the chateau outside of Saint-Etienne all of their lives

While that may make zero sense in the current political environment, the world is far more tolerant in 2051.

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Aha I was wondering how you were gonna fit this in. I figured it was inevitable, but wasn't sure how you'd make it work. Nice work.

 

Furthermore, enjoy some time away! I'll be looking forward to seeing where you're at in a week or two.

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This is fantastic! It also reminds me of a blog I ran in 2011 about Benjamin Desbois and his two sons who we managed at Bordeaux! :D

And hope you have a fantastic vacation, mate!

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38 minutes ago, Keano16 said:

I love it!

28 minutes ago, Joe. said:

Aha I was wondering how you were gonna fit this in. I figured it was inevitable, but wasn't sure how you'd make it work. Nice work.

 

Furthermore, enjoy some time away! I'll be looking forward to seeing where you're at in a week or two.

26 minutes ago, Benjoe said:

This is fantastic! It also reminds me of a blog I ran in 2011 about Benjamin Desbois and his two sons who we managed at Bordeaux! :D

And hope you have a fantastic vacation, mate!

Hahaha thanks, guys!

I hope to get some substantive update in tonight...at least through the Champions League draw.  We'll see!

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At the airport. Didn't get through the CL draw, but spent a fair amount of time bargaining for Scottish talent and getting the squad sorted. I'll be ready to roll once I get back next Sunday.

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Thanks, guys!

6 hours ago, Mysterio Jr. said:

Nice twist in the story again! His twins are gonna rock the FM-world!

It's the save that never ends...it goes on and on my friends! It's the save ... that ... neeeevveeer ennnndds!!!

Not quite incommunicado yet, but my laptop is thousands of miles away...calling to me... :lol:

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Couldn't follow this for a while because my phone got Grapefrukt. I come back after about a week to find you've won the Champions League, made a new team eligible and now your sons are on your team. This thread moves fast!

Congrats on the Champions League and getting out of London though.

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Hey, looks like you managed West Ham. It also looks like you won a Champions League in just 1 season with West Ham. The usual, I guess.

In more relevant, pertinent questions, wtf were Fenerbahçe doing in a CL final???? Surely you've got to manage them now at some stage, they've become eligible!

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On 19/05/2017 at 04:20, ManUtd1 said:

We've been bonding over more than just the matches, too.  Ludwig keeps sending great photos of the boys on tour in the States, and who knew that she was such a big fan of Celtic/Finnish neo-folk music?  I mean...what are the odds she'd be a fan of Unissakävelijät, too?!

I'd watch out for that man, a sure sign of nervous breakdown ;)

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A smooth jazz version of The Girl From Impanema plays softly, the lead single from Sonic Death Penguin's latest album.

Still no laptop, but internet access has returned!

Glad to see you've caught back up, @Fer Fuchs Ake! Here's hoping that Mankini will see some... err... shrinkage... in St Petersburg! 

Beauty of a goal from Scotland, there, @mjaferrie! Emma has good taste...what can I say?

Can't wait to manage Fenerbahce, @noikeee :D

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Revelation of His Commandments Ibiza 24:15-33

And Cristiano said unto Marcelo, Come up to me into the dancefloor, and be there: and I will give thee iPads, and frosted tips, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.  And Marcelo rose up with his minister Gareth: and went up into the dancefloor of Cristiano.

Marcelo, said Him, You shall make sacred vestaments of sheer, white Climacool for the glorious adornment of Our bodies, that shall be consecrated with the Holy oil by He wearing the Breastplate of Judgment engraved with the visage of Him, who shalt determine in the holiest place if Thou beist Hot or Not.  

The dancefloor was covered in light fog for six days.  On the seventh day, Marcelo went into the fog dancing to a pulsing samba beat, and emerged after forty days and forty nights having been bathed in the sweet Light of His beauty.

And Marcelo speaketh the Word of Cristiano, having received the iPods upon which written with the finger of Cristiano, the Sacred One, had inscribed his Commandments which shall be law.

Hey it's me ur Cristiano, who brought you out of the land of the vile Monkey Demon.  You shall have no other Gods before me, yes?  Worship me, and serve me peeled grapes, and me only. You shall not make for yourself any image in the form of anything, other than for the purposes of remembering sexy time with me, ur Cristiano. You shall not bow down to the vile Monkey Demon, for I ur Cristiano am a jealous Cristiano.  Do unto others as I have done unto the models of the most glorious beauty, to thousands of generations of those who love Me and keep My Commandments.  I am a pleasure-giver, that is for the sure.  So, Beautiful People you must give it back, yes?  Return the favor.  And if you do I guarantee you will have a Beautiful and pleasure filled union with the Followers of My Word.  You shall not misuse my likeness, for I have image rights in perpetuity to be passed according to the Will of Me.  Remember the days of my Coming, and keep them Holy with the blessed sacrament of wine.  Six days you shall dance, but the Seventh day is a Sabbath to Me ur Cristinano.  You shall not follow  Manchester City.  You shall not love the foul Chelsea, who are dirty cheaters who only know to kick.  You shall not steal the Glory of Me ur Cristiano.  You shall not give false support like a plastic nancy boy.  You shall not covet ur neighbor's wife, unless she likes the boink-boink and wants to Join with you in the most Blessed union.  

When the People saw His abs and biceps undulate like the haunches of a sexy, running tiger, they trembled in fear and love.  They stayed at a distance and said to Gareth and Marcelo, do not have Cristiano dance with us or we will die.

Gareth said to the People as Marcelo heated the oil, do not be afraid, for He has come to dance with you and share His precious bodily fluids.  Thus they began to dance, disrobe and consecrate their Blessed Union,  to the Most Glorious Hymnal of the Blue Swede.

Ooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga Ooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga

Ooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga Ooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga

I can't stop this feeling, deep inside of Me....

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16 minutes ago, Benjoe said:

As usual, truly brilliant and ****ed up! :lol:

 

Girl, you just don't realize, what you do to me...

Had to make something of a splash for the full return -- an actual substantive update will follow later today.

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4 minutes ago, ManUtd1 said:

Girl, you just don't realize, what you do to me...

Had to make something of a splash for the full return -- an actual substantive update will follow later today.

Hands down. Couldn't possibly imagine a better way to return to your thread. 

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I haven't felt that good since Archie Gemmill scored against Holland in 1978!

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Monaco / Scotland

September 2051 Mini-Update

To be fair, this is about what we should expect.  New manager, new system and lots of turnover in the squad.  Nevertheless, I'm frustrated.  We're better than this.

We're seriously lacking in homegrown players...something that I'll have to rectify by promoting youth.  As it is, we could only register 20 players for the Champions League.  And, of course, that SOB Bobby Manc had to draw us in the same group as West Ham...I'm 110% sure he rigged it.  That snide grin he flashed me afterwards said it all.  The UEFA mafia is alive and well.

With the Scots, a massive away win at the Wankdorf has us on the verge of qualification for Sweden 2052...being able to take this side back to my homeland next summer would make for a tournament to remember.  A solid friendly result against top-ranked Argentina followed, in the friendly confines of Hampden.  We're a long ways away from where we need to be, but I'm pleased.

Busy days have left no time alone with Emma...such is life...

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As an aside, I've come back from a week away refreshed and ready to go.  I'm truly hoping to push on to Fenerbahce, Partizan or Panathinaikos next.  Genk could be good fun, of course, but the other club sides are not appealing at the moment...granted, it will take years to complete the challenge with those 3 (once Monaco is done).  Panathinaikos doesn't come open very often, and Partizan is even more rare (their current manager has been there for nearly 19 years).  So, we'll see.  My goal is to complete Monaco in 4-5 years (I'd say faster, but I want to continue building the foundation for success with Scotland).

To the extent that Mankini screwed me over with the draw, check out Fenerbahce's draw -- Frankfurt and Leeds, along with Tours (who finished 2nd in a tough Ligue 1 last year, with the front line led by Vlasis Sfakianakis -- one of the forwards from my tenure at Frankfurt and with Greece).

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19 minutes ago, BoxToBox said:

Top be fair, it'd probably be harder to not land ex-teams in the CL draw now....

Heh...they do seem to crop up.  Everyone except Malmo, that is.

:(

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I haven't felt that good since Archie Gemmill scored against Holland in 1978!

144px-AS_Monaco_FC.svg.png      photo.jpg

Monaco / Scotland

October 2051 Mini-Update

This has an air of Leverkusen about it now, doesn't it?  The lads just can't find the back of the net, no matter how much we control a match.

2 wins from 9 isn't good enough.  And the loss away to PAOK was a classic smash-and-grab job, with them grabbing a 93rd minute winner after holding out valiantly for 92 minutes.

Not good enough.  Nevertheless, we're staying the course no matter what the media jackals say.  Getting sacked is not an option.

Scotland continues to show promise, even if we aren't quite as dominant as we will be.  A solid win in Poland, followed by a narrow win at Hampden over Estonia have us on the verge of qualification.  We host the Swiss in one month...win or draw, and we're through.  

Lose and we'll likely fall into the Second Place bracket, depending on Switzerland's final match at home against Poland.  We should still qualify through the Second Place Group, but I'd rather not have to go that route for several obvious reasons.

No need to give the media another angle on the "the game has passed Hakan by" narrative they've been touting...a mere six months after winning the Champions League with West Ham, no less.

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5 hours ago, ManUtd1 said:

I haven't felt that good since Archie Gemmill scored against Holland in 1978!

144px-AS_Monaco_FC.svg.png      photo.jpg

Monaco / Scotland

October 2051 Mini-Update

This has an air of Leverkusen about it now, doesn't it?  The lads just can't find the back of the net, no matter how much we control a match.

2 wins from 9 isn't good enough.  And the loss away to PAOK was a classic smash-and-grab job, with them grabbing a 93rd minute winner after holding out valiantly for 92 minutes.

Not good enough.  Nevertheless, we're staying the course no matter what the media jackals say.  Getting sacked is not an option.

Scotland continues to show promise, even if we aren't quite as dominant as we will be.  A solid win in Poland, followed by a narrow win at Hampden over Estonia have us on the verge of qualification.  We host the Swiss in one month...win or draw, and we're through.  

Lose and we'll likely fall into the Second Place bracket, depending on Switzerland's final match at home against Poland.  We should still qualify through the Second Place Group, but I'd rather not have to go that route for several obvious reasons.

No need to give the media another angle on the "the game has passed Hakan by" narrative they've been touting...a mere six months after winning the Champions League with West Ham, no less.

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It must be annoying for you because, other than that 4-1 loss, you haven't been conceding many. If you could just get some goals you could turn those draws into wins and you'd be flying. You're like the way United were this season?

Speaking of which, what do you think of some the players we're getting linked with? There's rumours of us going for Lacazette, others are saying we'll go for Morata and many sources are linking us with Fabinho and Perisic.

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1 hour ago, Fer Fuchs Ake said:

It must be annoying for you because, other than that 4-1 loss, you haven't been conceding many. If you could just get some goals you could turn those draws into wins and you'd be flying. You're like the way United were this season?

Speaking of which, what do you think of some the players we're getting linked with? There's rumours of us going for Lacazette, others are saying we'll go for Morata and many sources are linking us with Fabinho and Perisic.

James Rodrigues too,

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That's exactly how I feel, @Fer Fuchs Ake - we're conceding very few, while controlling most matches. We just need to finish our chances and everything will change. Very frustrating.

I'm of two minds about the United transfer rumors. I generally don't bother with them these days, until the player is holding the shirt none of the talk matters (John Obi Mikel being the exception which proves the rule...). Last year was a year in transition where - as you note - more clinical finishing (especially at home) would have meant the world. As it is, there are players to replace - Romney has sadly fallen far, Carrick isn't immortal, Zlatan was/is a temporary solution even if his swagger was a necessary addition, etc. At the very least, we saw sides come to Old Trafford with a dose of fear/respect again.

In the end, I feel we're on the cusp. We only need a handful of players -- the likes of Morata and Lacazette could fit in nicely. I've even seen something about Lukaku, and could see him trying to fill Zlatan's role (I know...). He has yet to fulfill his promise in England, but if Mourinho sees him playing a role, I wouldn't complain. 

The biggest deal of the year will be keeping De Gea, though. One of the best keepers in the world. Romero has had a good year but there's a reason we signed him on a free... 

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7 hours ago, ManUtd1 said:

That's exactly how I feel, @Fer Fuchs Ake - we're conceding very few, while controlling most matches. We just need to finish our chances and everything will change. Very frustrating.

I'm of two minds about the United transfer rumors. I generally don't bother with them these days, until the player is holding the shirt none of the talk matters (John Obi Mikel being the exception which proves the rule...). Last year was a year in transition where - as you note - more clinical finishing (especially at home) would have meant the world. As it is, there are players to replace - Romney has sadly fallen far, Carrick isn't immortal, Zlatan was/is a temporary solution even if his swagger was a necessary addition, etc. At the very least, we saw sides come to Old Trafford with a dose of fear/respect again.

In the end, I feel we're on the cusp. We only need a handful of players -- the likes of Morata and Lacazette could fit in nicely. I've even seen something about Lukaku, and could see him trying to fill Zlatan's role (I know...). He has yet to fulfill his promise in England, but if Mourinho sees him playing a role, I wouldn't complain. 

The biggest deal of the year will be keeping De Gea, though. One of the best keepers in the world. Romero has had a good year but there's a reason we signed him on a free... 

 

7 hours ago, ManUtd1 said:

That's exactly how I feel, @Fer Fuchs Ake - we're conceding very few, while controlling most matches. We just need to finish our chances and everything will change. Very frustrating.

I'm of two minds about the United transfer rumors. I generally don't bother with them these days, until the player is holding the shirt none of the talk matters (John Obi Mikel being the exception which proves the rule...). Last year was a year in transition where - as you note - more clinical finishing (especially at home) would have meant the world. As it is, there are players to replace - Romney has sadly fallen far, Carrick isn't immortal, Zlatan was/is a temporary solution even if his swagger was a necessary addition, etc. At the very least, we saw sides come to Old Trafford with a dose of fear/respect again.

In the end, I feel we're on the cusp. We only need a handful of players -- the likes of Morata and Lacazette could fit in nicely. I've even seen something about Lukaku, and could see him trying to fill Zlatan's role (I know...). He has yet to fulfill his promise in England, but if Mourinho sees him playing a role, I wouldn't complain. 

The biggest deal of the year will be keeping De Gea, though. One of the best keepers in the world. Romero has had a good year but there's a reason we signed him on a free... 

Yeah, I'd agree.  We're close to challenging for the title, it's just our attack isn't good enough yet. A quality playmaker/winger along with a top striker and we'll be near/at the top.

As for De Gea, there's rumours that the players have been voicing support for Keylor Navas so hopefully that could be good news (assuming it's true which it may not be).

9 hours ago, BoxToBox said:

James Rodrigues too,

Yeah, they want €70m apparently.

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10 hours ago, ManUtd1 said:

I generally don't bother with them these days, until the player is holding the shirt none of the talk matters (John Obi Mikel being the exception which proves the rule...).

I was still in Nigeria when that happened, every kid in my school was talking about it.

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