hasdgfas Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 I'd call that a successful season. Time for you to take everything down next season, right? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxToBox Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 What a run in! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 24, 2016 Author Share Posted December 24, 2016 I want next year to be epic, but we'll likely be a 4th seed in the CL. We'll see! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fer Fuchs Ake Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 Great job on qualifying for Champion's League! How long do you think it'll be before you win it? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 24, 2016 Author Share Posted December 24, 2016 4 hours ago, Fer Fuchs Ake said: Great job on qualifying for Champion's League! How long do you think it'll be before you win it? Thanks, man. 3 years! I'll do a squad review after the season recap, and you'll see why. We're very young, but most of my signings are paying off and developing nicely. We're 18 months into my 3-5 year plan/projection. The squad massacre was larger than I originally intended, so we're younger (overall) than I expected to be at this particular juncture. We're just need time! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fer Fuchs Ake Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 56 minutes ago, ManUtd1 said: Thanks, man. 3 years! I'll do a squad review after the season recap, and you'll see why. We're very young, but most of my signings are paying off and developing nicely. We're 18 months into my 3-5 year plan/projection. The squad massacre was larger than I originally intended, so we're younger (overall) than I expected to be at this particular juncture. We're just need time! I'd say three years is pretty reasonable. I hope you can equal that or even do it in two. Do you have any wonderkids in your academy? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 24, 2016 Author Share Posted December 24, 2016 7 minutes ago, Fer Fuchs Ake said: Do you have any wonderkids in your academy? Not any more... I promoted them, and they've been in my 2nd XI over the past season! Andrea Ferretti (GK), Emiliano Gherardini (RB), Renzo Rosi (CB) and Giorgio Rugi (CF) -- I'll post their attributes/etc in the forthcoming squad review. They're solid, although I suspect Rosi is a squad player at best. I've got all the screenshots for the season recap, and will get it posted as soon as I have the time -- lots of family stuff today, obviously! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 24, 2016 Author Share Posted December 24, 2016 Rumors Of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated ACF Fiorentina2023-24 Review You can stop pinching me now. Months after I was obliged to get poor, dim-witted Lucio to start my car for me as a measure of personal security, here we sit. Third in the Serie A, with a spot in the Champions League Group Stage in the bag. A talented young squad that, with the exception of that Portuguese **** seem content to fight for the Viola. Papa Quintino has even stopped joking about killing me, provided that I make an honest woman of Appollonia. More to the point, we've got a chip on our shoulders. The Europa League tie against the Dutch was poor, but proved what I've been telling the lads all year. If we don't show up, we're proper ******. If we show up and play our game, we can run with anyone on the Continent. We own Milan, who won the Europa League, FFS. A little self-belief goes a long ways. This next year will truly tell us how far we've come, battling on two fronts and under the bright lights in Europe. All to play for. Before then, though, I need to look to the future. Try to land a handful of players for the future. Our future is bright already, but a bit more depth couldn't hurt. Goals for 2023-24: Qualify for the Champions League knockout rounds. Challenge for the Serie A title. Squad|League Overview|Finances Overview|Income Detail|Expenditures Detail|Transfers Serie A Fixtures 1|Serie A Fixtures 2|Europa League Fixtures|TIM Cup Fixtures Champions League 2022-23 Review Diego Simeone's Manchester City wins their second consecutive title on penalties, this time over Pep Guardiola's Paris Saint-Germain. That means that the French giants are eligible for the save, but I suspect they'll win it before long. Malmo continue to dominate Sweden, but are falling off the pace in Europe. Challenge Overview Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fer Fuchs Ake Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 I feel a bit sorry for PSG. They got through the Last 16 5-2, the quarter finals 3-0 and the semi finals 5-0 before losing in the final. Then again, City beat Barca, Juventus and Utd... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 24, 2016 Author Share Posted December 24, 2016 Nah. They've spent more on players than anyone, and hired Pep The Bald. Karmically, I can't feel bad for them. Ever. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxToBox Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 You best warm up them feels, chance you'll have to take them under your wing at some point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 24, 2016 Author Share Posted December 24, 2016 31 minutes ago, BoxToBox said: You best warm up them feels, chance you'll have to take them under your wing at some point. At least they're likely to win the CL without me. Leeds, on the other hand... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxToBox Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 Forgot about Leeds, geez. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 25, 2016 Author Share Posted December 25, 2016 6 hours ago, BoxToBox said: Forgot about Leeds, geez. Yeah, that's the kicker here. No matter how long I wait, it simply isn't going to happen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 25, 2016 Author Share Posted December 25, 2016 (edited) Forgot to include updates from other leagues...just a quick look around. In England, Mourinho's United won their first title in the post-SAF era. Dybala continues to run amok, but Simeone's boys were well off the pace this year. Real Madrid won their first title since 2016/17, breaking Barcelona's 5-year run at the top of the table. Rafa Benitez's return to the Virus was much more successful this time around, eh? In Germany, Dortmund won their 2nd straight title while Bayern continued their 18+ month slump under Unai Emery...only to be replaced by Paulo Fonseca who oversaw Juventus' calamitous 2023-24. Not the person I'd have picked to steady the ship, but...so it is. France. Yawn. Allsvenskan. Bleh. Bobby Manc is killing me. Finally, leading world transfers. Note to self: PSG spends a ****ton of money in the transfer market. Edited December 25, 2016 by ManUtd1 Gyazo having issues... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fer Fuchs Ake Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 Wow... PSG are the new Man City who were the new Chelsea who were the new Real Madrid. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 25, 2016 Author Share Posted December 25, 2016 1 hour ago, Fer Fuchs Ake said: Wow... PSG are the new Man City who were the new Chelsea who were the new Real Madrid. I'm not sure how Pep the Bald fits into this theory...maybe the Madrid connection is the exception which proves the rule... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPQR Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 great progress! now get Firenze warmed up for us, we're coming! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fer Fuchs Ake Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 2 hours ago, ManUtd1 said: I'm not sure how Pep the Bald fits into this theory...maybe the Madrid connection is the exception which proves the rule... Who does Possession Pep manage on your save? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 25, 2016 Author Share Posted December 25, 2016 1 hour ago, LPQR said: great progress! now get Firenze warmed up for us, we're coming! I'm working on it! Still can't expand the stadium, despite my insane amounts of money. 2 minutes ago, Fer Fuchs Ake said: Who does Possession Pep manage on your save? Pep The Ball, First of His Name, Manager of Paris Saint-Germain! (Yes, I rhymed that on purpose...it's tragic, I know.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 2024 European Championships Mini-Update Arsene Wenger's Germany (yes, you read that correctly...) just took home the title. A specialist in failure no more. The Dutch position is open...with the 2026 World Cup right around the corner. I know I probably shouldn't do it this early in the save, but I'm tempted to throw my hat in the ring. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 Let's keep our options open, shall we? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) This cracked me up...I sincerely hope he gets this job. Talk about a career trajectory...manager of Germany, the USA...now up for Atvidabergs. Edited December 26, 2016 by ManUtd1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 Gentlemen, gentlemen. One at a time, please. There's enough Hakan for all of you. Decision time. Any thoughts before I pull the trigger? Obviously, the only one I'm considering is the Dutch...at $23k/week, less than 1/4 of what the English are offering! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantu9Y Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Oh please do this. Please continue Englands long tradition of unintentionally hilarious managers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPQR Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 38 minutes ago, ManUtd1 said: Gentlemen, gentlemen. One at a time, please. There's enough Hakan for all of you. Decision time. Any thoughts before I pull the trigger? Obviously, the only one I'm considering is the Dutch...at $23k/week, less than 1/4 of what the English are offering! STAY! you're building something here, and it could be rewarding! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 5 minutes ago, Chantu9Y said: Oh please do this. Please continue Englands long tradition of unintentionally hilarious managers Can't take the England spot due to restrictions on the save. If I take one (still pondering), it would be the Dutch job. As an aside, Southgate has been England's manager since the save began. No insanity. Thus far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 2 minutes ago, LPQR said: STAY! you're building something here, and it could be rewarding! Definitely not leaving Florence, it'd only be a question of adding the Dutch position. I'm honestly torn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) If I do take the Dutch job, I'd have to play a Cruyff/Ajax-esque style. No doubt. Edit: (I'm already playing a Sachhi-esque tactic, which probably would translate...maybe shifting to add a defensive midfielder, though...the wheels are turning...) Edited December 26, 2016 by ManUtd1 Clarifying my stupidity Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPQR Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 3 minutes ago, ManUtd1 said: Definitely not leaving Florence, it'd only be a question of adding the Dutch position. I'm honestly torn. Just now, ManUtd1 said: If I do take the Dutch job, I'd have to play a Cruyff/Ajax-esque style. No doubt. go for it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hasdgfas Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 I tend to find some National Management is a nice way to freshen things up in the middle of a long save. I'd take it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxToBox Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Go for it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 Pompelmous Oranje To Win Without Risk Is To Triumph Without Glory Alright, then. We're on a 2-year track. Win the World Cup with the glorious Dutch. As an American 'keeper coming of age football-wise up in the late 80s, we didn't have much insight into football on the world stage. There was little if any on TV. Newspaper coverage was virtually non-existent. I lived through the Soccer America publication and learned from ex-pat British coaches about this history of the game and certain clubs. I'll never forget watching Tor as an impressionable 13 year-old, away for a training weekend with my State's Olympic Development Program team. THAT goal from Van Basten. Gullit. What a great film. My introduction to Peter Schmeichel, my goalkeeping hero (along with local-boy-done-good Kasey Keller), who led me to my true love when he signed for United. No joke -- the missus got me boots signed by Big Pete for Christmas this year. Honestly, I don't think I've ever managed them on CM/FM, as international management has never really been my thing. Here's an overview of where they currently stand, and a few key players. Losing to Germany on penalties tells me quite a bit. There's some serious talent in this side, even if their top forward plies his trade in the MLS, FFS. I'm debating the exact formation I'll play -- Grapefruit 2.0, or some variation thereof...a 4-1-2-3, 4-1-4-1, etc. Regardless, I will employ Total Football methodologies. I may even work to sign some Dutch youth to reinforce the Viola. The reality is that I'm not viewing this (necessarily) as a 6-year project. Let's do it in 2026 -- a Champions League and World Cup double! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) Time To Stand Up And Be Counted ACF FiorentinaJuly 2024 Squad Review As promised, let's take a look at my current Fiorentina squad. We're 18 months into my reign of terror. I think we're on track for a CL final in the next 2-3 years. Tactically, our basic tactic is still Grapefruit 2.0 -- a Total Football/Sacchi approach in a 4-4-1-1 formation that I'll tweak according to the opponent and in-match. 2023-24 First XI 2023-24 Second XI Like I've said before, there isn't anything magic here. This is what my Malmo side were working towards, but I never implemented (sticking with Grapefruit v1). I do not expect a substantial amount of shake-up between my 1st and 2nd XIs this coming year, with a few possible exceptions (discussed below). Goalkeepers Let's not mince words. Dragowski is a beast. I was very fortunate to have him at the club when I arrived, and for him not to complain too much when I rejected transfers to larger clubs. He's my current captain and it will take some doing for him to be taken out of my XI. That being said, Ferretti is an extremely talented product of our youth academy. I keep waiting for his PA to plateau or level off, but it hasn't yet. I need to get him more matches over the coming season. Defenders My starting central back pairing is another area where I feel fortunate. Pereira and Postorino were both at the club when I arrived. In that first January, I recalled Postorino from a loan at Lyon, and started slotting him in. Pereira has been angry with me since January, though, when I rejected some rather large transfer offers. Thus far, I've rejected offers just shy of $40M for him (inclusive of add-ons), as I'm holding out for a bit more. When Pereira moves on, I'm not concerned because I have the Spanish/Moroccan Nemanja Vidic waiting in the wings. Taoufik Benali is going to be amazing. And he's a lefty. I need to get him on the field more. Rosi is another promising central defender from the club's youth academy, but I don't think he'll ever be more than a squad player. Petronijevic is a square peg in a round hole -- not quite good enough to get more playing time, not crap-tastic enough to sell at the first offer received. On the left, Delaval is looking tremendous. I'm very pleased by the fact that I have a 6'6", 205-pound Frenchman barreling down the wing. It's like he intended to turn out for rugby but inadvertently checked the wrong box at Toulouse. I stole Visani from Cesena to be Delaval's backup, and have no remorse whatsoever. At right back, I've been annoyed with Arregi ever since I arrived. He is one of the reasons I tinkered with PM Libre. I just don't trust him. Gherardini is a Fiorentina-bred lad (the Ultras claim he was conceived and delivered in the Curva Fiesole). I call him Slippy-G for short. He doesn't find it funny. Regardless of his lack of a sense of humor, he will almost certainly take over for Arregi this year. Midfielders I have more talented midfielders than I could possibly field in a single XI. In the middle of the pitch, Diakhate and Zamuner have formed a dependable parternship. The former being a long-time Fiorentina player (again, one I was pleasantly surprised to find in the side). The latter scores bucketloads of free kicks, and was a fantastic signing from Chievo. Austin is the brilliant Australian forcing his way into the side, though -- truly a great footballer, with a ton of promise. Caruso is another holdover from the prior regime, but one that will probably move on to make way for promising youth at some point. Puljic is my only signing of the summer thus far, and came in on a free transfer from Croatia; if he can develop, he'll be a solid squad player. On the left wing, Besevic and Crncevic are beasts. I love the two of them. I just wish I could play them both. Besevic is currently ticked I won't let him join Simeone at City -- he last left my office muttering about knives. Not good. Janssens and Pini on the right are a bit different. They both need some time to develop. I'm hoping that one of them lives up to their promise in the end, because the future is very bright if that happens. Vasalas plays in the hole and is utterly lethal. He's my Purple Zajicek. Van Driessche is Vasalas' understudy and an exciting one at that. Speaking of Zajicek, did you see the tabloids last week? What the hell could he possibly be doing with a can opener, 3 models and a loaf of pumpernickel bread at 3 am? Emma must be beside herself with worry. I should text her. Forwards Rui Dias leads the line, and was already breaking into the club when I arrived. I should be happier with him than I am. There's a brilliant young Mexican forward I've been trying to land, but it probably won't happen. Having taken over the Dutch, I may try and land one of their young forwards to develop. But, the reality is that Rugi is looking particularly nasty. In a good way. Tall, strong...good off the ball movement for a 17 year-old...and a fair amount of untapped potential. He needs more matches over the coming year, to see just how far he can come. So, that's the side. I tend to think that we're not that far off the Miracle Malmo side. We certainly have more depth. If the side continues to develop over the next 2 years (and we fill a hole or two *cough* Arregi *cough*), I see no reason why we won't be in the Champions League running. Edited December 26, 2016 by ManUtd1 Forgot left backs... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) Edited December 26, 2016 by ManUtd1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 Oops...meant to post this earlier, our World Cup Qualifying Group. Frankly, Serbia (currently ranked 29th) should be the only challenge. We play them away at the Rajko Mitić in our 1st qualifying match, on April 1, 2025. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hasdgfas Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Seems like a solid side! A little work to do, perhaps, but not too far off the top. All you geniuses in these FMCU threads make me want to do one of my own, and then show how much I'm not a genius Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcxD Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Heh, Good luck with the Dutch... and Fiorentina of course. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 10 hours ago, hasdgfas said: Seems like a solid side! A little work to do, perhaps, but not too far off the top. All you geniuses in these FMCU threads make me want to do one of my own, and then show how much I'm not a genius Thanks, man! Start one up, and I'll follow along. It isn't about the titles won, it's about the journey. 7 hours ago, MarcxD said: Heh, Good luck with the Dutch... and Fiorentina of course. Thanks! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) Finally happened. He's been mad at me for 8 months now, and doesn't seem to be getting over it. And, Chelsea came up to my line in the sand (the $48M). Working on back-filling he and Petronijevic, who's on his way back to Crvena Zvezda. Edited December 26, 2016 by ManUtd1 Typo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 Meet Miguel Vaquero, Pereira's replacement who will slot into the 2nd XI next to Rosi. I love it when players have reasonable release clauses Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) In which Bobby Manc throws away $40M. How many scarves can one buy for $40M?! EDIT: My scouts suggested that I consider signing Ngono, with an estimated cost of $56-95M. Good one, that, Bobby. Edited December 26, 2016 by ManUtd1 Clarification Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 As a 4th seed...I want Group B more than words can say. Groups F and G would also be solid. Group G it is. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 (edited) Solid debut with the Dutch, even if we took our foot off the gas after going up 4. Who here remembers Tommy Bjelland? A Danish international now! Maybe my scouts at Malmo weren't trying to pull one over on me...makes me feel a tad guilty for shipping Vito off to Yemen... Edited December 26, 2016 by ManUtd1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hasdgfas Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 21 minutes ago, ManUtd1 said: Who here remembers Tommy Bjelland? A Danish international now! Albeit one who had a 5.7 and got red carded against you How does he look now, out of curiosity? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 1 hour ago, hasdgfas said: Albeit one who had a 5.7 and got red carded against you How does he look now, out of curiosity? Meh. He's not too shabby, but not a CL winner. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxToBox Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 3 hours ago, ManUtd1 said: In which Bobby Manc throws away $40M. How many scarves can one buy for $40M?! EDIT: My scouts suggested that I consider signing Ngono, with an estimated cost of $56-95M. Good one, that, Bobby. Jesus, the fans must have effigies of him hanging from every corner. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 34 minutes ago, BoxToBox said: Jesus, the fans must have effigies of him hanging from every corner. I wish. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 New song heard in the Curva Fielsole in the waning minutes of Fiorentia's 4-2 win over Benfica to kick off the CL Group Stage: San Talleus (San Telleus!) Is El Mister (Is El Mister!) San Telleus is El Mister He likes to drink, fight and party, San Telleus is El Mister!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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