ManUtd1 Posted February 13, 2020 Author Share Posted February 13, 2020 20 hours ago, Bitner said: Great to see Reims back in Ligue 1. But who'll be the new Kopa and Fontaine? Cheers, Bitner Got a couple teenagers auditioning for the roles! 10 minutes ago, BuryBlade said: Having read all of your FM17 adventure, I’ve caught up to date with this one. Fabulous work and Zlatan’s character is brilliant. Great work! Thanks, man! I'm always glad when someone else enjoys the long, strange journey that my saves become! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidthekid Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 On 12/02/2020 at 06:10, ManUtd1 said: The media are right to applaud. We were dominant. Champagne football in every sense, the most potent attack in the league, stacked on top of the best defense. Champagne football, that's a nice concept. Never heard it before. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 13, 2020 Author Share Posted February 13, 2020 1 hour ago, kidthekid said: Champagne football, that's a nice concept. Never heard it before. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 14, 2020 Author Share Posted February 14, 2020 South Africa 2039 - Africa Cup of Nations Review. Busy days continue here at FtCS headquarters, but we've managed to start the 2039/40 campaign in style. One of my favorite things about managing an African national side is having the Cup of Nations every two years. Especially once we get to the point where we're a dominant force, and can run rampant. I've been managing the Ivorians for 5 full years now, since July 2034. I feel like we're going to be ready for the World Cup. Greece 2042, a chance to win it all with the Ivory Coast, right where Nicolaj Bur's career began. Sure, we won the Cup of Nations in 2035 and 2037, but this time I felt we were even more prepared. Our 23-man squad is relatively young -- 22 players should be in contention for the squad in 3 years' time. We smashed Canada (2-nil) and Scotland (4-1) in the run-up -- as to the Scots, it was belated revenge for our humiliating World Cup loss last year. In the Group Stage, we annihilated Libya 6-nil in the opening match, which allowed me to rest the 1st XI. The 2nd XI proceeded to beat Burkina Faso 1-nil, followed by a 2-nil win over Togo. Yes, you read that correctly, I let the 2nd XI play 2 Group Stage matches. It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye, Nico. We won our Group. No harm, no foul. The knockout rounds did not prove to be much more of a challenge. A 3-nil win over the Republic of the Congo, set up a clash with Egypt. We utterly controlled the match but could not break through their massed, determined defense until the 120th minute, a much-deserved 1-nil win that put us through to the semifinals. The Democratic Republic of Congo was dispatched 3-nil, setting up a rematch of the epic 2037 final against Tunisia. This time around, we smashed them, 3-nil: 9 matches over a 5-week period, inclusive of our pre-tournament friendlies. 9 wins. 25 goals for. 1 against. Total control, even when fielding our 2nd XI. A brilliant start to the year. Tomorrow, we'll take a look at what's been going on with Stade de Reims, as we prepare for our first campaign back in Ligue 1. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 A busy summer. The Cup of Nations. Scouting and recruiting talented players to join the squad. I haven't been getting enough sleep. That much is certain. I also haven't seen Selene again. And I have been looking. She's around. Somewhere. Up to God knows what... Leaving the Louis Blériot tonight, a heavy fog covers everything. It's dark. Eerily quiet, as I make my way to my car, the last person to leave. I'm reaching for my keys when I see him. A large, hooded figure, watching me from across the parking lot. Two eyes staring back at me. Two red eyes, shining in the dark. Unblinking. I stumble backwards, losing my balance. I manage to catch myself before falling and rub my eyes...and look back across the parking lot, heart pounding in my chest. The hooded figure is gone. If he was ever there. I must be seeing things. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 A full-blown Stade de Reims squad review is up at FtCS, as the 2039/40 campaign begins in earnest! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 December 2039. Leaving the club Festivus celebration, and I have to say that I'm pleased. I left before the Airing of Grievances but I don't think anyone will mind. What do we have to complain about?! I've only left to have some time to myself, to think back on all that we've been through. Surely, if we can continue to progress, it won't be long before we're back in the bright lights of European competition. After all, we sit 4th in Ligue 1 on 39 points. 3rd highest in terms of goals scored, and 3rd best in terms of goals against. Nothing to complain about here. Though I'm sure Zlatan will find something. Driving southwestof the city, it isn't long before I'm winding along dark, rural roads, heading towards the chateau where we've taken up residence, surrounded by vineyards. Seeing no harm in another glass of wine, I indulge myself and look out across the neighboring vineyards. And that's when I see them. Red eyes, in the middle distance. Watching me, a shadowed figured hidden in the middle of the vineyard, the moonlight revealing his presence. I can feel the bile rising in my throat, my heart starting to pound. I turn to grab my cell phone, to snap a picture...call Zlatan...anything. But I can't find it, it must still be in my jacket. When I turn back, the figure is closer...in the first few rows. Slowly, the figure's arm raises, pointing at me. His red eyes, unblinking, the only feature that is not cloaked in shadow. I turn to the desk, and grab the house line, but when I turn back...the figure is gone. Suffice to say, I'm thrilled with our start in Ligue 1. We've had several very disappointing losses (*cough* PS-****ing-G *cough*), but we've also scalped several big sides that we should not be competing with. Bottom line, we're in the mix for a place in Europe next year. There's no way that we're ready for the Champions League. I've got my eye on the Europa League spots (4th/5th) and the Europa Conference League (6th). That would be immense. Meanwhile, the Champions League knockout rounds are looking tasty, even if Panathinaikos and Partizan crashed out early: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Where is PSG on that league table!? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 28 minutes ago, karanhsingh said: Where is PSG on that league table!? 17th. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share Posted February 16, 2020 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share Posted February 16, 2020 March 2040. Big milestone, as Nicolaj Bur takes charge of his 1000th match. We're on a bit of a wobble, though, with only 1 win in 7 matches. We're in contention for a Europa League spot if we can recover our form. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share Posted February 16, 2020 5 hours ago, karanhsingh said: Where is PSG on that league table!? Down to 18th now...time to start doing unspeakable things to that Neymar mommet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 That is unbelievable! Looks like they may even get relegated. Question for you. Have you had any trouble getting your young players to fill out their potential in these so called lesser leagues? In my Rapid save am getting a couple of training messages about certain players needing to play at a higher level to continue to progress. Hoping their development doesn't stall. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share Posted February 16, 2020 7 hours ago, karanhsingh said: That is unbelievable! Looks like they may even get relegated. Question for you. Have you had any trouble getting your young players to fill out their potential in these so called lesser leagues? In my Rapid save am getting a couple of training messages about certain players needing to play at a higher level to continue to progress. Hoping their development doesn't stall. I haven't had trouble with that, as best as I can tell. I haven't been getting those messages, though... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share Posted February 16, 2020 Cross The River In A Crowd And The Crocodile Won't Eat You. Stade de Reims / Ivory Coast - Season Review 2039/40 A wild end to an unforgettable season. A loss away to Strasbourg sees us drop to the Europa League. A more impatient man would be heartbroken. But we know that we've come much further this year anyone would have expected. But we also know that this is only the beginning. We have a young, hungry squad. Who think they can take on the world. Big questions will be asked of us as Reims return to Europe next year, for the first time since 2022/23. What a year. We started off on a tear and managed to finish far above my wildest expectations, even after a few rough patches. PM Haaientand (the tactic we've been using since my final year at Partizan) is in its "final" form. (We're in the process of writing up the system on strikerless.) We're firing on all cylinders, with the 2nd highest goals scored in Ligue 1 (71, total), with only 32 conceded (3rd best). The big question for next year is whether we can take things to the next level, through: (1) our young players continuing to develop, pushing towards the potential our coaches see; (2) refining our tactics through PPMs; and (3) bringing in reinforcements, to replace the older players who are heading out the door and loanees who will not be back. As far as (3) goes, we activated the $7M optional fee for Fred Sembolo, who has been our first-choice keeper during the run-in. Heading out the door will be our former No. 1, Eli Iluz, who is heading back to Israel on a free transfer, with the imminent expiration of his contract. Yann Blanc is also out of contract. Loanee Craig Jackson is being sent on his way with a hearty thank you - he was brilliant in Ligue 2 and would have featured for us this past year, but for the signing of Sibusiso Ngwenya. Gervais Traore and Marijan Basic will not be back, as Koln and Aston Villa (respectively) want to give them a run in the first team. They'll be replaced in the 1st XI with Hassen Sellami and Abdallah Yahiaoui, with 2 youth team graduates backfilling our 2nd XI, along with Junior Konate's long-awaited arrival in August. All of which means we'll only need to dip into the market for a goalkeeper and right wingback, for our 2nd XI. We're young, but deep. And a run at Europe requires 2 XIs. Goals for 2040/41: Not embarrass ourselves in the Europa League. Secure a top 3 finish in Ligue 1, and thus qualify for the 2041/42 Champions League. Start investing in our facilities, to ensure long-term success. Squad | League Overview | Transfers Finances | Income | Expenditure Fixtures 1 | Fixtures 2 European Review In the Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus beat Marco Rose's Monaco, 2-1. Champions League: Overview | Knockout Rounds In the Europa League, Nestor el Maestro's Partizan beat Cristian Zapata's Stuttgart, 1-nil. Europa League: Overview | Knockout Rounds In the Europa Conference League, AI-managed Anderlecht beat AZ, 5-nil. Europa Conf. League: Overview | Knockout Rounds In the active leagues, Ognjen Vranjes’ Aston Villa defended their Premier League. Marco Ianni's Inter claimed their first Serie A title since 2020/21, as Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus failed to recapture what has been almost-exclusively "their" title, in-game. Miguel Cardoso's Sevilla won their 3rd straight La Liga title, the 6th time in 8 years that neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid have won the title. Julian Nagelsmann's Gladbach reclaimed their Bundesliga title from Antonio Conte's Schalke, on goal difference. Baba Toure's Club Brugge won their 4th straight Belgian title, their 11th in 14 years. Paolo Fonseca's Panathinaikos won their 16th straight SuperLeague title. Nestor el Maestro's Partizan won their 8th straight title, 40 points clear of **** Star in 2nd place. Finally, Joao Nunes' IFK Norrkoping won the 2039 Allsvenskan title, their 4th title in 6 years...while Malmo FF failed to promote from the 2039 Superettan, meaning that they will spend a 2nd year in the 2nd tier. Save/Challenge Overview Cross-posted at From the Cheap Seats. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 17, 2020 Author Share Posted February 17, 2020 June 2040. They're only friendlies, but I took the opportunity to schedule matches against 12th-ranked Denmark and 5th ranked Belgium. We dominated both matches -- our 2nd XI beat the Danes 2-1, while the 1st XI gained some measure of revenge over the Belgians, winning 1-nil, and avenging our heavy World Cup quarterfinal loss from 2 years ago. It wasn't just the win over Belgium that made me happy, though. It was the match-winning goal. Smashed it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 17, 2020 Author Share Posted February 17, 2020 June 2040. After scouting for months on end, we finally have two signings to announce, as we look to reinforce the squad for the coming campaign: (1) Romanian U21 international Viorel Maxim; and (2) Montenegrin U21 international Muamer Kadusic. They join Ivorian U21 international Junior Konate, whose signing was confirmed last year (and mentioned in the 2039 squad review), as our new signings this summer. We've also promoted Armand Evina and Firmin Kouakou from the U19s. Absent something significant happening, this should be the end of our summer transfer business. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 17, 2020 Author Share Posted February 17, 2020 Well, this is depressing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 17, 2020 Author Share Posted February 17, 2020 (edited) England 2040 - European Championship Review. Relatively straightforward Euros this year. I'm honestly not that interested in the "who won" headline. In the end, France beat Spain on penalties after a scoreless draw. The knockout rounds weren't even that interesting. The most interesting thing to me? Naci Unuvar is still a full international in 2040, and still a force to be reckoned with - named MotM in 2 matches, an 8.55 rating over the course of 4 matches, with 3 goals. Edited February 17, 2020 by ManUtd1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
karanhsingh Posted February 17, 2020 Share Posted February 17, 2020 Great season! I didn't realize that France only have 3 spots in the UCL now. Sad to see that PSG survived though... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 17, 2020 Author Share Posted February 17, 2020 2 minutes ago, karanhsingh said: Great season! I didn't realize that France only have 3 spots in the UCL now. Sad to see that PSG survived though... Yeah, Ligue 1 is pretty steadily the 5th ranked league. I love that Serie A has remained at the top! My goal is to bury PS-****ing-G in the Can Breat. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 17, 2020 Author Share Posted February 17, 2020 August 2040. I'll take this draw -- Benfica, tycoon-fueled Zulte and @Benjoe's favorite, Kobenhavn. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlyLyon Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 Le 13/02/2020 à 18:43, kidthekid a dit : Champagne football, that's a nice concept. Never heard it before. We actually do say "Football Champagne" in France, meaning attacking and entertaining football as an equivalent to tiki-taka or total football I would say. On the other hand, glad to read your FM2020 edition of the Nearly Men challenge ! You're getting fantastic results so far with Reims and I look forward to seeing you lift the Champions League there. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 20, 2020 Author Share Posted February 20, 2020 A full breakdown of PM Haaientand is now live, at strikerless: The Dirty Half-Dozen. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjoe Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 On 17/02/2020 at 23:26, ManUtd1 said: August 2040. I'll take this draw -- Benfica, tycoon-fueled Zulte and @Benjoe's favorite, Kobenhavn. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 20, 2020 Author Share Posted February 20, 2020 2 hours ago, Benjoe said: Just a taste of what's coming...as Ngwenya gives the home crowd a bit of the old "I can't hear you"... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 20, 2020 Author Share Posted February 20, 2020 Easily our best performance of the campaign thus far, @Benjoe, if not of my tenure thus far at Reims. We were utterly ruthless, the key passes look amazing. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjoe Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 21, 2020 Author Share Posted February 21, 2020 Not surprising, I guess, but FCK were quite cowardly on matchday 4. Sitting DEEP and not even trying to advance into our half until we (finally) scored. Shocking stuff, @Benjoe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjoe Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 12 hours ago, ManUtd1 said: Not surprising, I guess, but FCK were quite cowardly on matchday 4. Sitting DEEP and not even trying to advance into our half until we (finally) scored. Shocking stuff, @Benjoe. fck: "wE HaD MeeR PoSSassIOn?!?!!!" Translated: "we're *****." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 21, 2020 Author Share Posted February 21, 2020 8 minutes ago, Benjoe said: fck: "wE HaD MeeR PoSSassIOn?!?!!!" Translated: "we're *****." The stats from that match are a thing of beauty. And we were poor in the final third. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 21, 2020 Author Share Posted February 21, 2020 November 2040. The flight to Rabat was the perfect time to try to catch up on some much-needed sleep. I was awakened by turbulence, however, to overhear Jesse and Zlatan talking about their weekend scouting a youth tournament in Paris. "So, then what happened, Zlatan?! You can't leave the story like that." "What do you think?! The Zlatan woke up, took the belt off of the Zlatan's neck and got the hell out of there." "Talk about a wild weekend." "Yes, but what was the Zlatan supposed to do?" "You got her kid signed at least, right?!" "The Zlatan cannot believe that you must even ask that question. The Zlatan will not dishonor Himself with responding." Thankfully, they were so engrossed in Zlatan's conquest that they did not notice I had woken up. And there was no sleeping with that image of Zlatan in my mind. Suffice to say it was a long flight. While the flight to Morocco may have been disturbing for Nicolaj, the Ivorians secured a draw before smashing Zimbabwe in Harare, meaning that the Ivorians finished 2040 undefeated -- 10 matches, 9 wins. 42 goals for, 3 against. We're ready for the 2041 Cup of Nations. Meanwhile, Stade de Reims' start to the 2040/41 campaign was brutal, with early away trips to Monaco, Lyon and Nantes. We're on a 13-match unbeaten run in all competitions, however, meaning that we sit 5th in Ligue 1 and atop our Europa League Group with 2 matches to play. Thus far, we're balancing the challenges of competing domestically and in Europe, even with an absurdly young squad. I'll take it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 December 2040. Good to see that the initial investment in our facilities is paying off. Richard gets it. Richard doesn't judge. Richard understands. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 March 2041. The business end of the season is here. While we lost to Lyon in the Cup, we're undefeated in Ligue 1 since September 1st. It's a two-team battle for first, with Monaco and Lyon trading blows. We'll happily sit in 3rd, consolidating our position while they battle it out and the rest of the league battles for our scraps. We've drawn Leipzig in the Europa League, with the first match in Germany. Time to battle up, lads. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodesire Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 PSG in lower midtable really warms my cockles Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noikeee Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 I wanna make a pun with Jacques Gross but am out of ideas. Filthy, filthy result in Denmark earlier in the season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 23, 2020 Author Share Posted February 23, 2020 14 hours ago, rodesire said: PSG in lower midtable really warms my cockles You might want to consult your urologist, mate... 2 hours ago, noikeee said: I wanna make a pun with Jacques Gross but am out of ideas. Filthy, filthy result in Denmark earlier in the season. One might say we FCK'd them, right in the Kobenhavn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy42 Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 I wanna know how you got the mermaid's head on the plane for the flight home from Denmark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 10 hours ago, Mandy42 said: I wanna know how you got the mermaid's head on the plane for the flight home from Denmark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 March 2041. Dark clouds hang heavy in the night sky, in Leipzig. The weather is unseasonably warm. Mist rises from the pitch, setting an ominous tone made all the more menacing by the funeral dirge sung by the home support. It doesn't sound like German to me. The tone is well-and-truly set, however, with a pre-kickoff tifo depicting nine shadowed figures, surrounding a dark figure in the middle with a woman in white, watching on. If anything, the funeral dirge took on an additional urgency as it was unveiled, with flashes of red in the night sky. Like lightning, but without thunder. It was refreshing to get out of the city after that. All the more so with a win. We took care of business back in France, dispatching Nuno Espirito Santo's men with some measure of comfort, on the balance. We're off to the quarterfinals to face Baptiste Santamaria's Everton. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 Over on FtCS today, a Mark Wahlberg-inspired look at a several things in the broader FM community that I've been inspired by lately: Rabona Interruptus, Vol. 1 - Feel the VARbrations 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 April 2041. I'll take this draw. DR Congo, Zambia and Rwanda. Greece 2042 kick off in 14 months...we'll be taking what I think is our World Cup squad to the Cup of Nations, and will do a full-blown squad review on FtCS once the 2040/41 campaign wraps. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 25, 2020 Author Share Posted February 25, 2020 April 2041. A decent enough first leg in France, but we were poor in the second leg. Flat in the final tihrd. We deserved to go out. After the match, I encountered Zlatan in the bowels of Goodison Park, arguing with some shady looking characters. The second they saw me, though, they promptly left but an air of menace remained in the air as I walked up to Zlatan. "Who were those guys, man?" "Chechen investors, Boss. The Zlatan was going to a Chechen version of Dora the Explorer with them...but.... It went horribly, horribly wrong. Do not be the worry, though. The Zlatan will take care of it." Truth be told, we have bigger things to worry about. Reaching the quarterfinals is a massive achievement for a side this young. We should be pleased, as this campaign will serve as a harbinger of how far we've come, and how far we will go if and when we grow into our potential. And, if we turn our attention to next year, with 6 matches to play, we're relatively secure in Ligue 1 -- sitting 3rd, 7 points off Monaco, 8 clear of Rennes. The final Champions League spot is ours... If we can hold our nerve. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 25, 2020 Author Share Posted February 25, 2020 Fun fact as we hit the last 2 weeks of the campaign. Our average age is just 19, six years younger than the Ligue 1 average. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 25, 2020 Author Share Posted February 25, 2020 By Trying Often, The Monkey Learns To Jump From The Tree Stade de Reims / Ivory Coast - Season Review 2040/41 This season was all about proving that last year was not a fluke. That we belong in Ligue 1. That we belong in Europe. That we can maintain a challenge on both fronts. Sure, we could lose ourselves in recriminations over our exit from the Europa League, to an inferior Everton side. But that would miss the point entiretly. It isn't about "this" year. It never was. It is about where we are going. About where we will be. The things we will accomplish if we can A more impatient man would be heartbroken. But we know that we've come much further this year anyone would have expected. And the best is yet to come. Another tremendous year. We continued to revamp the squad, even though we would be fighting on two fronts, and still managed to improve our position in Ligue 1. This squad isn't ready for a full-frontal assault on the Champions League just yet. I do think that it is only a matter of time, though. 2-3 years, and we'll be more than capable of winning it. We do need a new shadow striker, though -- Clement's loan is over, and Soumahoro just isn't developing into a goal-scorer. (I've got an idea, but it will probably cost me more than I'm willing to spend.) One thing I'm really excited about, is that the Board has decided to build a new stadium. Keep in mind, this is relatively soon after they rejected my request for a new stadium...but I won't complain. It's still early doors, so who knows if it will happen and -- if it does happen -- when it will be completed. Goals for 2041/42: Win our 4th straight Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast, and qualify for the World Cup. Not embarrass ourselves in the Champions League. Secure a top 3 finish in Ligue 1, and thus qualify for the 2042/43 Champions League. Continue investing in our facilities, to ensure long-term success. Squad | League Overview | Transfers Finances | Income | Expenditure Fixtures 1 | Fixtures 2 European Review In the Champions League, Julian Nagelsmann's Gladbach beat Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus, 2-nil. Champions League: Overview | Knockout Rounds In the Europa League, Baptiste Santamaria's Everton beat Quim Ramon's Rennes, 1-nil. Europa League: Overview | Knockout Rounds In the Europa Conference League, Ferro's Fiorentina beat Joao Nunes' IFK Norrkoping, 1-nil. Europa Conf. League: Overview | Knockout Rounds In the active leagues, Ognjen Vranjes’ Aston Villa won their 3rd straight Premier League title. Cristiano Ronaldo's Juventus reclaimed the Serie A title. Miguel Cardoso's Sevilla won their 4th straight La Liga title, the 7th time in 9 years that neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid have won the title. Julian Nagelsmann's Gladbach successfully defended their Bundesliga title, their 9th in 12 years. Baba Toure's Club Brugge won their 5th straight Belgian title, their 12th in 15 years. Nestor el Maestro's Panathinaikos won their 17th straight SuperLeague title. Matthias Kaltenbach's Partizan won their 9th straight title. Finally, Ogryte IS knocked off IFK Norrkoping for the 2040 Allsvenskan title, their first since 1985...while Malmo FF once again failed to promote from the 2040 Superettan, consigning them to a 3rd straight year in the 2nd tier. Save/Challenge Overview Cross-posted at From the Cheap Seats. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 26, 2020 Author Share Posted February 26, 2020 Alright, it's that time. The Ivory Coast are off to Equatorial Guinea for the 2041 Cup of Nations, one last tournament before the World Cup next summer in Greece. A full-blown squad review is up on From the Cheap Seats -- this should be the squad that heads off to Athens in search of glory. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 27, 2020 Author Share Posted February 27, 2020 Equatorial Guinea 2041 - Cup of Nations Review. Things went about as expected at the Cup of Nations. Our 2nd XI kicked off the Group Stage with a comprehensive 3-nil win over Rwanda. The 2nd XI secured our passage into the knockout rounds with a 7-nil win over Zambia, before closing out the Group Stage with a scoreless draw against DR Congo, albeit one we utterly dominated. We drew Sudan in the Second Round, which I had planned would be a match for the 2nd XI. As expected, it was an extremely straightforward match, with the Libyans sitting absurdly deep. This resulted in a weird phenomenon that we sometimes see in this tactic, where a highly-defensive opponent starts to accumulate possession, passing the ball between its defenders, for no purpose whatsoever. (The natural response is to push our lines higher so as to disrupt this. But it still results in goofy statistics.) In the end, we won 2-nil - a scoreline that did not come close to matching the game. In the quarterfinals, we faced Libya who rode their luck against Nigeria in the previous round. They also sat deep and accumulated possession, to no purpose, but we ran away with a 4-nil win, to secure passage through to the semifinals. Burkina Faso waited in the semifinals, a side that we had no reason to fear. I deployed the 2nd XI, who took care of business. The result was never in doubt. 2-nil, heading into the final to face Cameroon. (Of course, some argued that using our 2nd XI in the semifinals was a sign of disrespect to Burkina Faso. But, if anything, isn't it actually a sign of deep respect? When you really think about it?!) In the final, Cameroon sat deep. They didn't play to win. They played to not lose. We struggled to break them down in the final third, and were thus reduced to the lottery of penalties. Frank Gouamene repeated his heroics from the 2038 World Cup, saving 2 penalties to ensure that we took home our 4th straight Cup of Nations title. We our finishing wasn't particularly sexy, there's no question that our passing was. Once again, we were the dominant side at the tournament. 7 matches. 18 goals for, zero against. (Interestingly enough, we have not lost a match at the Cup of Nations during my tenure. We also have not conceded at the Cup of Nations since June 20, 2039 -- a run of 14 straight matches.) It goes without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway. We're ready for the World Cup. That is the only thing left for Les Elephants. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 27, 2020 Author Share Posted February 27, 2020 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 27, 2020 Author Share Posted February 27, 2020 July 2041. The Champions League draw has become far too theatrical. It's the Third Qualifying Round, not Eurovision. I don't understand why Shakira and Gerard Pique had to do a duet. Even Cristiano looked bored. But when he oiled up his abs and started pulling balls from the hopper...I can't deny that my heart started racing. Hold on...that's not what I meant. The draw was exciting, that's all. And the draw could not have gone better. We're going to Belgrade, lads. Drinks at the Itchy Kitty will be on the house if we can eliminate **** Star. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted February 27, 2020 Author Share Posted February 27, 2020 August 2041. The breakthrough was a long time coming in the first leg. It was nothing less than we deserved, but the margins were far narrower than I'd like. A similar story in Belgrade, even if the hosts were more aggressive. We held them at bay, a solid defensive display capped by a late goal from Simon. 2-nil. More than good enough. I'll take it. We'll face Feyenoord for a spot in the Group Stage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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