Rise of the Black Devils

[B.W.G]

May 2028

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

Well that was truly dreadful and I think I am going to erase this month from mind as if it never existed.

End of season update to follow then onto life in the second tier.

[B.W.G]

Championnat National - End of Season - 2027/28

General - Vision - Facilities - Finances

Season Review

Transfers - Released - Youth

Two out on frees as they were not playing much and I need to start letting people go as we are wasting too much on wages in the youth players.Five out on loan,some were for developmental reason and some were to see if I can drum up interest in them.One player retired,seven were released which frees up even more budget as we were getting dangerously close to the upper end of the wage budget.Six youngsters were released as they were not even good enough to be emergency back up.

Schedule 1 - Schedule 2 - Schedule 3

Competitions

Championnat National - Winners

We met the board's expectation to win promotion which was a relief as we finished four points ahead of the nearest team,we did set a new record for goals but our defence was more of a mid-table standard which is worrying as we are going up to a very strong league.I'm still having trouble when it comes to indirect free kicks as we conceded eight which was the third worst in the league,I really need to work on that during the pre-season.

Coupe de France - Quarter-Final

We beat seven teams to get to this stage,the biggest of these teams was Ligue 1 side Sochaux.We faced Marseille and somehow managed to keep them to one when they could of scored a lot more,we had a few chances but we rarely challenged their keeper,the gulf between the two teams is massive.

Players.Stats and Awards

Overall Best XI

Stats - Awards - Best XI

The Team

Gabriel Roux

Goderdzi Patsuria

Christophe Sané

Marcus Bizasène

Wendy Malpon

Manager's Thoughts

It was a great season as we won the league and surpassed expectations in the Coupe de France which kept the board off my back.We even managed to get out of debt for a few days thanks to the run in the Coupe de France.Our attack is brilliant but our defence worries me as they are not that good and we have one defender who is of Ligue 2 quality so next season could be frantic.The club's vision is to finish in the mid-table spots which seems reasonable as I intend to keep this team and I will be promoting the three youngsters from this intake to give us a bit more depth.We will also be turning professional so hopefully that will help us in the future when it comes to sponsors,it was £63k this season which put us at the bottom of the table so hopefully that will go up during the pre-season as we are due a new one in June.

Facilities has no chance of going up,this is mainly my fault for requesting all those upgrades to Junior Coaching and Youth Recruitment back under the previous chairman so we will have to wait till we have some money in the coffers.I am a bit further ahead then this and I am going to address this in a different post as despite being £180k in debt in this post,this goes down to £4.5 million in debt literally a day late,we are financially screwed for the future and that is really troublesome.This means I will be going on a massive cull,anyone who can't even make it to emergency backup will be getting cut and will be leaving in the summer to other clubs or just released.

Career

Player Stats

 

Edited May 13, 2020 by B.W.G

[B.W.G]

New Stadium with a sprinkle of financial carnage!!!

So it turns out I don't need to wait twenty years for a new stadium,I couldn't expand our current stadium as Ligue 2 rules state that I need to have 8000 at minimum whereas Stade Francaise Stadium 1 could only hold 6859 when expanded.Stade Francais Stadium 2 (could of named it after me!) will hold 8308 which is a lot more than we have attending the games.

However the finances now look like this.....

Think I'm screwed!!!!

[B.W.G]

The "Big 5" Round Up

Premier League

The Premier League title stayed in the North West as Liverpool won it for the first time since 2022.The FA Cup went down south which saw Tottenham beat Chelsea in the final,the Carabao Cup saw a surprise winners as it was Sheffield Utd who lifted the trophy by beating Man Utd in the final.The other domestic trophy up for grabs was the Community Shield which was won by Man Utd who won it by beating local rivals Man City.Arsenal would find success in Europe as they lifted the Europa League by beating Valencia.There was two major managerial casualties this season,Pep Guardiola was fired by Man CIty in April (11 years 285 days) and Eddie Howe was fired by Bournemouth (15 years 224 days!)

Down went Birmingham,Watford and West Brom,it was very gutting for Birmingham as they lost out on goal difference to their rivals Aston VIlla.Coming up from the Championship are QPR,Southampton and Derby.

LaLiga Santander

Real Madrid made it two in a row,it was closer than last season but they still managed to get to the 100 point barrier for a second season,Real Madrid would also add the Euro Super Cup to their trophy cabinet by beat Bayer Leverkusen.Atletico Madrid lifted the Copa del Rey by beating Villarreal in the final,it was a bit gutting for Villarreal who were going for three in a row.Villarreal were the bridesmaid this season as they lost in the  Supercopa final to Barcelona.There was a surprise package this season,Betis qualified for the Champions League via the league and won the Europa Conference League by beating Italian side Atalanta in the final.

Rayo Vallecano,Deportivo and SD Huesca were the teams to go down this season while Levante,Real Valladolid and Girona were the teams to come up.

Serie A TIM

Juventus clinched a second successive league title,they would also win the Supercoppa by beating Lazio on penalties,this would be a fond farewell for Thomas Tuchel who left the Turin giants to join Man City.Roma were crowned the TIM CUP champions when the beat Inter Milan on penalties.Inter Milan may have been runners-up in the league and TIM Cup but they were crowned kings of Europe when they beat Bayern Munich in the final of the Champions League.

Brescia,Empoli and Perugia were the teams relegated,coming up are Torino,Pescara and SPAL.

Bundesliga

Another season,another league title win for Bayern Munich,they would also make it another clean sweep when they beat Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal and Hertha Berlin in the DFL-Supercup,Freiburg kept their top flight status by beating Dynamo Dresden 5-3 on aggregate.I really would like someone else to win the Bundesliga but I just can't see it happening.

Two teams down this season and it was Greuther Furth and Werder Bremen were the teams to suffer that fate,Köln and Union Berlin were the teams getting promoted from 2.Bundesliga.

Ligue 1 Conforama

Lyon made it two in a row as they finished ahead of Marseille on goal difference,if I was to point out a month where it went wrong for Marseille then it would be February where they picked up four points from nine.Lyon would make it a double as they lifted the Trophee des Champions by beating PSG.It wasn't all doom and gloom for PSG as they did lift the Coupe de France by beating Marseilleon penalties.

Three teams down this season as it was Amiens (via playoff),Brest and Stade Reims who were relegated.Coming up from Ligue 2 are Toulouse,Dijon and Nimes (via playoff).

[B.W.G]

Domino's Ligue 2 - Pre-Season - 2028/29

General - Vision - Facilities - Finances

Season Preview - Expectations

Transfers - Released - Youth

One players left to join another club,he was a non-contract player so he wouldn't of cost us anything anyway as he was an emergency backup player.The culling began as we released seventeen players,I was not willing to keep them as there contracts were up,for a new contract they would of been on £425 p.w due to the league rules and we are not in the financial position to do that so it is off they went.Four youth players were released as they were not going to make it at the club.

Pre-Season Fixtures

I made a mess of this as I didn't realise the season was starting so early,if I'd realised that then I would of arranged a couple of more in June.Results wise it was great for us as we go into the new season with high morale and the match fitness levels are at an adequate level so I think we should be okay.

The Team

Key Players

Manager's Thoughts

I've done the best I could due to the situation I found myself him due to the finances from the new stadium announcement.Twenty two players left the club as we wouldn't be able to afford to keep them due to the £425 p.w minimum wage.Some of the debt as been cleared through the chairman (£800k) and Sponsorship (two deals worth £725k a year together),our finances are currently at £3 million in debt but we will also have tv money coming in this season as well as income from the gates and merchandise so hopefully it will carry on falling.We're are projected to make a profit but we will still be £1.53 million in debt if the projection is true.

I'm not expecting much from this season as the board have set us a mid-table target which should be achievable as we are predicted to finish 13th so as long as we survive I'm not really bothered.Facilities are a no go but we could see some action in a couple years if we stay in this division as the projection looks great,chairman is still here but is only enjoying life at the club and the rumours are still flying around about him selling to a local businessman.My hopes for this season are for the players to develop and to try and get everyone on a professional contract so they can use full training to their advantage.Time to see if I can fight it out with the bigger teams on a constant basis.

Edited May 16, 2020 by B.W.G

[B.W.G]

July 2028

Fixtures

Table

Manager's Thoughts

It's been a great start although the win against Troyes was a tad harsh on the opposition as they had more possession and shots.I wasn't expecting two win both games but I will take it as it keeps the morale up for the team.On the downside we are going through a mini injury crisis with five players out injured,we're managing it okay at the moment but two of the players are first XI players and both are also defenders so I am pretty surprised we have done this well in defence.Chairman has found some more money and invested £800k in the club so that has taken the debt down to £2.3 million,we're getting closer to the black!

Four league games in August,I just want to keep around the mid-table area at worst so we can keep the board satisfied.We have two tricky games during the month as we face recently relegated Brest and Amiens.Amiens are one to watch due to who the manager is,it is no other than Cristiano Ronaldo.

[B.W.G]

Player Poached

First time it's happened!

Will be keeping track of any players poached via spreadsheet.

[B.W.G]

August 2028

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

It was a really great month as we picked up three wins from four and finished the month second in the league.The one game we lost was to Amiens where they did us twice on set pieces but they probably of scored without them as they did squander a lot of chances.Not sure how long this is going to keep going so I will enjoy it while it lasts.

Five games in September and we have two major games during the month,we will be facing former Ligue 1 winners Montpellier and we will also be facing Paris so they may be quite intense affairs.We may struggle a bit against Orleans in the opening game of the month as we have three players already suspended for that game so that is quite annoying as two of them are in my back four.My aim is to keep going and stay above mid-table.

[B.W.G]

God damn it!!

We conceded seven from ten shots on target! 

[zethani]

55 minuti fa, B.W.G ha scritto:

God damn it!!

We conceded seven from ten shots on target! 

A chair in the goal would have performed better...

[B.W.G]

1 hour ago, zethani said:

A chair in the goal would have performed better...

That's nicer then what I was thinking.Still trying to figure out he got a 6.5!!!

Edited May 13, 2020 by B.W.G

[B.W.G]

September 2028

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

Lost a twelve goal thriller,won a nine goal thriller,won a local derby while keeping a clean sheet and we finished the month top of the table,what a wacky month!We have the third worst defence in the league and Paris somehow failed to score against us.Not sure what to make of it other than this will probably carry on being a roller coaster ride of a season but at least the fans are getting their money's worth!

Three games in October and we will be facing Le Havre,Ajaccio and Niort.I'm not going to expect anything as with what happened out in September,it would be stupid to predict anything as I don't know which Stade Francais side is going to turn up,the one with the thrilling games or the one where we destroyed Paris while keeping a clean sheet!

[B.W.G]

October 2028 

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

Two wins from three see us stay at the top of the table,no complaints from any of the games as Niort were the better team and we barely threatened their goal.If we can carry on like this then I reckon we will be safe by March.

Five games in November,four are in the league and the other match is in the Coupe de France.No real aims for the month although I would like us to carry on getting points to help better our chances of at least finishing in mid-table.We come up against Virgil van Dijk when we face Clermont,he actually retired from playing this year and has already become a manager so I am quite impressed it happened that quickly.In the Coupe de France we will be facing either ES Colombienne Football or FC Sens,I will be fielding a strong team to ensure we progress in the cup,I may fielded a couple of fringe players but that should help us develop some of the youngsters.

[B.W.G]

November 2028

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

The perfect month as won both games and progressed in the Coupe de France.In the league we lost two games which have been rearranged for December hence the game in hand,the games moved to December are Clermont and Valenciennes.Brilliant work in the the cup,if we're taking both matches together then there was only one bad performance,Alivn Thimon dropped a 5.9 in the 3-0 win against FC Sens.

We finish the year off with five games,four in the league and one in the Coupe de France.If we can keep going in the league then that will be brilliant as we are massively overachieving thanks to our gegenpress tactic.No idea who we face in the Coupe de France as the draw hasn't been made yet,the next round is where the Ligue 1 teams come in,I'd rather avoid them for now to give is a better chance of reducing our debt from winning a match and possible gate income.The debt is currently just under £1.9 million.

[B.W.G]

Youth Intake Preview

A goalkeeper would be great as it could potentially mean we our first three choices sorted for the future.

[djiwai91]

Thanks for this great story! I'm a French player coming from Paris' suburb so I like that you're trying to have a 2nd great Parisian club in L1 :)
I'm trying the same challenge with Maisons-Alfort, I hope I'll be that successful

[B.W.G]

1 hour ago, djiwai91 said:

Thanks for this great story! I'm a French player coming from Paris' suburb so I like that you're trying to have a 2nd great Parisian club in L1
I'm trying the same challenge with Maisons-Alfort, I hope I'll be that successful

Thanks for reading!

Best of luck with Maisons-Alfort

[B.W.G]

December 2028

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

Three wins from four in the league as we continued our impressive season by finishing the year at the top with a twelve point lead.We've had to do massive rotation due to a number of injuries (peaked at 9 at once),it's been annoying but that is partially the reason why we lost to Stade Reims as the thin squad depth showed.We won in the Coupe de France to move on so I was glad for the extra income,we weren't at our best but we did it which was a relief.

Five games in January,four in the league and one in the Coupe de France.My aim is to keep going in the league and stay at the top of the table as I feel we can get promoted from this division if we can keep this sort of form up.In the Coupe de France we are facing Ligue 1 side Strasbourg,this could be an interesting tie as we get to see how we fare against a mid-table side.Also the transfer window could be interesting,we rejected a bid of £2.9 million for Patsuria from New York City,if they come back with a bid of in the region of £4.5 million to £5 million then I will probably see as I can use the funds to increase the facilities.

[B.W.G]

Not just me having issues with contracts with him.We can't meet his demands (wants £5.25k a week when I can only offer £2.6k a week),his contract expires the end of next season.

The offers were £2.3 million (raising to £3.2 million with clauses) from Tianjin and £3.3 million (raising to £4.1 million with clauses) from Benevento.The debt would of been gone with either offer!

[B.W.G]

January 2029

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

Three wins out ouf four in the league saw us stay at the top which is brilliant.We did lose against Brest as they got their goals from set pieces and we had a massive amount of luck as Chateauroux dominated us and deserved the win but we were the ones to come out of the match win the win after having eight shots.The Coupe de France was a disaster as we were reduced to ten men in the first half,Strasbourg took advantage of it and we ended up losing.Patsuria ended up staying at the club as no one else came in.Debt is now down to £1.48 million so we are getting closer to getting back in the black!

Three games in February,I just want to keep going with our form,we will still be top come the end of the month but I would prefer if we didn't drop too many points.

[B.W.G]

February 2029

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

Three games,three wins and everything is brilliant for us at this moment in time.There is eleven games left and we have a seventeen point lead at the top and a twenty two point lead over third place  so we are pretty much guaranteed promotion unless we somehow go and lose every game.

Five games in March with the highlight fixture being the match against Paris FC which is how we actually kick the month off.We could potentially win the title during the month but it will be dependant on other results going our way.March will also bring in the next bunch of youth players in the intake,the highlight of the intake preview was a goalkeeper from Bobigny so fingers crossed he is as good as noted.

[rodesire]

Good luck in Ligue 1 next season! Massive massive year, this one, clears your debts and launches you financially into the stratosphere.

[B.W.G]

1 minute ago, rodesire said:

Good luck in Ligue 1 next season! Massive massive year, this one, clears your debts and launches you financially into the stratosphere.

Thanks!

I could of cleared it this season but Patsuria didn't want to leave which was pretty annoying.Only one game played in March so far,we lost to Paris FC but due to Clermont losing as well we stayed seventeen points clear.

[B.W.G]

Youth Intake 2029

The Intake

Assistant Manager's Pick

The Other Prospects

Manager's Thoughts

A more squad based intake this year and I've already marked out eight I plan on keeping,three for the first team,three fringe players and two emergency  backup.Ludovic Ledoyen and Henri Michel are the choices for emergency backup due to versatility reasons with Michel being picked over Kamissoko as he is a more rounded players.Sall,Conedersa and Mounkala are the potential fringe players,Sall will be retrained as a DL while Conedersa and Mounkala are both really versatile in defence and can play any role which is handy as we do lack a bit in both full back positions.

For the three first team potential players,the assistant manager's pick Kudimbana will probably end up being the number two at the club as he isn't as good as Pernot (Year 7 intake)  when it comes to potential.Claudio has a similar potential to Patsuria (Year 4 intake) but will probably end up being number 3 striker behind Roux (Year 6 intake) and FNL (Year 9 intake),he does have the potential to be better than Gueye (Year 7 intake).Boukaka is a weird one,he prefers the DC role but I will end up playing him in the DR position,I don't have many DR's in the team but due to his potential being better than Sabani (Year 6 intake),I prefer he'd be the current back up in the DR position before becoming first choice.

Edited May 21, 2020 by B.W.G

[B.W.G]

That is really disappointing,he was one of our bright prospects and had played well when called upon,he now can't play till 2030 due to the injury.To make it worse,we are having a bit of an injury crisis and that isn't what I want in March!

[B.W.G]

March 2029

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

It was a tough month as we picked up five points from twelve and with the injury crisis we've been having it as has been frustrating.Somehow though we have come out of this month with a bigger leaf as we are now eighteen points ahead of second and we've clinched a playoff spot which is brilliant.

Five games in April as we continue to push for the title.The highlight fixture of the month comes against Clermont who themselves are fighting for promotion to the top flight which is a brilliant achievement for Virgil van Dijk's first season as a manager.We have three games against lower positioned sides so I am expecting us to get promoted and win the title during April.

[B.W.G]

April 2029

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

Glad we got the title wrapped up as it was another month of inconsistency as we picked up seven points from fifteen.We actually won promotion just before the game against Auxerre as we played later on in the weekend,we then won the title when we beat them.I am so glad we were solid from the start of the season as we have picked up twelve points from the last twenty seven!I was a bit disappointed in the loss against Clermont as I didn't get to lock horns with Virgil van Dijk as he moved to Toulouse just before the game!

Two more games in May as we finish the season off against Stade Reims and Lens.I'm hoping we can finish on a high and win both games after our inconsistent form in the last couple of months.

[B.W.G]

May 2029

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

We ended the season the best way possible as won both games to finish our league campaign on a high.On the financial side of things as I haven't give a update on them in the last couple of months,we are now just over £1 million in debt so I am pretty confident that we will be able to wipe that out next season.

End of season update to follow then onto Ligue 1 and the big boys of France.

[B.W.G]

Domino's Ligue 2 - End of Season - 2028/29

General - Visions - Facilities - Finances

Season Review

Transfers - Released - Youth

I said I was going to cull the squad and I like to think I did that quite well.Three players out on loan for developmental reasons (potential emergency back up players),two players left to join other clubs including Le Bail who was my third choice keeper.Eighteen players were released and four youth players failed to make the cut bringing the total to twenty four players leaving the club this season for nothing,We could have made some money but someone decided to reject contract offers from two clubs!

Schedule 1 - Schedule 2 - Schedule 3

Competitions

Domino's Ligue 2 - Winners

An absolute epic season which saw all sorts happen,we lost a twelve goal thriller,won a nine goal thriller and kept the fans entertained throughout the entire season.Best attack with a mid-table (at best!) defence and we somehow won the title.Chateauroux actually nearly joined us in making it back to back promotions to Ligue One but lost in the Ligue 1/Ligue 2 playoff to Saint-Ettienne.The only reason we won the title is due to us not really liking to draw games as our nearest rivals had a lot of draws.

Coupe de France - 9th Round

We beat three teams to make it to the 9th round.As for the game against Strasbourg,we were already 1-0 down when we had the sending off,I tried to keep the team in it but they just took advantage of the numbers.Even though we lost 3-1,I was happy with the display as we were up against it for large periods of the game.

Players,Stats and Awards

Overall Best XI

Stats - Awards - Best XI

The Team

Gabriel Roux

Marcus Bizasène

Mohamed Camara

Goderdzi Patsuria

Wendy Malpon

Manager's Thoughts

What an amazing season that was as we won the title and promotion to Ligue 1,I do believe Gabriel Roux is responsible for this achievement as he was by far the best player of the team,scored twenty one goals more than next highest person in the team and was among the four highest assist providers for the season which shows you he did more than just score.We were a bit fortunate at times but the defence is a real worry and I am dreading what's going to happen next season when we come up against the big boys and the scum of French football PSG.No complaints about the cup run as I think we are still many years away from challenging for the big silverware in French footall.

Financially,I may have screwed things up as I forgot about the £400k bonus which was to be spread out among the team for winning the league,this means the debt is now £1.4 million which is my fault for the £400k increase in debt in the space of a month!It's going to be a couple of seasons before we can't start doing upgrades to the facilities and start building my network of clubs to see how that could possibly change the intakes.The board have already given me our aim for next season,attempt to avoid relegation,the fact the chairman used the word attempt means that I should get ready for a long painful season!

Career

Player Stats

Edited May 17, 2020 by B.W.G

[B.W.G]

The never ending story of stadium problems!!!

I feel like I've been in this situation before,oh wait I have!!

Stade Francais Stadium 2.0 will only have a capacity of 8,308 which is too small as Ligue 1 rules says the stadium needs a minimum capacity of 15,000.Hopefully we can make a lot of money in the next year to help cover the costs of the expansion as I don't want a repeat of the stadium problems which led to a massive amount of debt!

[B.W.G]

Financial Summary

That new sponsorship deal for £625k a season for three seasons is significant as that combined with the existing Stadium sponsorship of £525k a season as seen our debt go from £1.4 million to £232k which is brilliant as we are now nearly out of debt.

Not really surprised with all the green arrows as we were in a much higher reputation league which would attract more people.The only decrease in finances was from the Competition Prize Money,this sis due to the fact that the 27/28 season saw us reach the quarter finals of the Coupe de France whereas we fell at the 9th Round this season,bit of a blow but bot really too noticeable due to the other increases.

[B.W.G]

"Big 5" Round Up

Premier League

The Premier League title stayed in the North West as Manchester City won their sixth title in ten years,they would go onto to make it a double as they clinched the Europa League by beating Chelsea in a all English final.Arsenal would also pick up two bits of silverware as they beat Man City in the FA Cup final and beat Inter Milan in the UEFA Super Cup,Manchester Utd picked up this seasons Carabao Cup by beating Wolves on penalties.Liverpool lifted the community shield with a 2-1 victory over Tottenham.Also I have to give a special mention to Everton who performed quite the bottle job this season,they topped the league from match day 7 till match day 22 and ended up in 6th!

Blackburn,Derby and QPR lost their spots in the Premier League,coming up from the Championship are Birmingham,Swansea and Watford.

LaLiga Santander

It was Barcelona's turn to lift the title in the fight between the three usual suspects,the Catalan side came out with a double after beating Atletico in the Supercopa final.Atletico would get to have some glory as they beat local rivals Real Madrid in the final of the Copa del Rey.Valencia would also enjoy the feeling of glory as they beat Swiss side Sion in the final of the Europa Conference League.

Down went Real Zaragoza,Celta and Girona,coming up are Alaves,RCD Mallorca and Rayo Vallencano (via playoff).

Serie A TIM

This has to be one of the closet league finishes I've seem as Lazio won the title ahead of Inter Milan on goal difference and even then it wasn't much goal difference.Juventus would see some success despite finishing in third in the league,they lifted the TIM Cup by beating Inter Milan in the final.Juventus would however lost to Roma in the Supercopa.Inter Milan were the definite bridesmaid this season as three serious chances of silverware saw them come up short all three times!

It all ended in tears for Torino,Spezia and Pescara who all were not far off survival but fell short.Frosinone,Virtus Entella and Crotone were the teams coming up from Serie B.

Bundesliga

It finally happened,after sixteen successive titles,Bayern Munich finally failed to win the title,Borussia Dortmund were the team to dethrone them and only just did so as one point separated the top three sides.Unfortunately Bayern Munich would find some success as they RB Leipzig in the DFL-Supercup.The team to get their name on the DFB-Pokal was Schalke 04,they beat RB Leipzig in a surprisingly one sided encounter.Fortuna Dusseldorf would keep their Bundesliga spot after beating Kaiserslautern 4-2 on aggregate.

With two teams going down this season,it was Union Berlin and Mainz who went down,Nurnberg and St.Pauli will be in the Bundesliga next season.

Ligue 1 Conforama

Without a shadow of a doubt,Marseille were the best team of the five leagues,they won a treble which saw them win the league ahead of PSG,beat Man Utd in the Champions League final and Nice in the final of the Coupe de France.PSG got the other bit of silverware up for grabs as they beat Lyon on penalties in the Trophee des Champions.Saint-Etienne will be staying in top flight after a dominating 7-2 aggregate win against Chateauroux in the playoff.

Down go Lorient and Guingamp.Coming up from Ligue 2 are "The Anti PSG" Stade Français and Clermont.What the hell are these two plucky teams walking into?

[B.W.G]

The Chairman finally gives in!!!

These are the first two upgrades this chairman has actually let me have and I even had to use the "all I have done for this club" option in the chat to get this.Junior Coaching is now at excellent while Youth Recruitment is at a Good level.

I'm not going to ask for facilities till January as I am late in pre-season so it wouldn't really make a difference anyway as they usually start them once the season is over even if I request earlier in the season.

[B.W.G]

Ligue 1 Conforama - Pre-Season - 2029/30

General - Vision - Facilities - Finances

Season Preview - Expectations

Transfers - Released - Youth

No one left the club on loan or moved to join other clubs permanently which isn't too surprising as the squad isn't as big as it was this time last year.Two players were released,it was hard to let Beugre go but I wasn't going to use him and it was only fair to let him go to get first team football,211 appearances,125 goals and 57 assists,he leaves as a favoured personnel.Nine youngsters failed to make the grade and off they went.

Pre-Season Fixtures

We kept things simple as we played easier teams in July to help with match sharpness and to try and keep morale up going into the new season,I'd say it worked pretty well and I'm pleased with what I saw.The match against RFC Liege was supposed to be a bit more of a challenge as they are a similar reputation to ourselves so it was pretty surprising to be a one sided encounter like we had.

The Team

Key Players

Manager's Thoughts

Well I delayed this as long as possible as I have a bad feeling about this season and I think we are in for a long one.We are predicted to come dead last in the league and with it having four teams among the favourites including ourselves,this will be a battle.Spirits are high so I hope we can get off to a good start as that could be a massive help in our fight,even the board have given me the expectation of fight bravely against relegation,that tells me if we are going down the go down fighting.

The finances are looking great at the minute as we have over £1 million in the bank,we have had upgrades to the Junior Coaching and Youth Recruitment so that is great for the future as we are nearing the top of those two parts of the club.Even if we go down this season then our future is great for us as we can use the money we earn to upgrade the facilities so even if I lose then I will still win in some aspect.Our projection shows us hitting £4.77 million so that could be upgrade money for the next couple of seasons so I am happy with that.The Chairman status is still "Enjoying Life at the Club",there has been no takeover rumours as of yet but it could be something to keep an eye on in the future.

Time to get this show on the road,I hope they go easy on me!

Edited May 22, 2020 by B.W.G

[B.W.G]

Welcome to the opening of the Stade Français Stadium II

A game which will never be forgot!

Gegenpress for the win!

[OlivierL]

Great story! inspiration for my new save and topic:)

[B.W.G]

4 minutes ago, OlivierL said:

Great story! inspiration for my new save and topic:)

Thanks  

[B.W.G]

August 2029

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

What a start to the season with three wins from three which puts us at the top of the table.My only problem I had was the disrespect show to my team by the Monaco players who spent most of the match showing complacency,they were by far the best team in terms ability but there performance was poor,Caen aren't as good as Monaco but they at least tried and the only reason they lost was because we knew where the net was as both goals came from set pieces.To top it off,our best player Roux missed the Caen and Monaco games through injury.

September brings us our first league match against PSG,unfortunately we have to travel to their ground and I am not feeling confident as Mbappe has scored five of PSG's seven league goals this season so he is in scary form.It's a pretty tough month overall as we will also be facing Lille,Nimes,Rennes and Clermont,so it's a top half free for all during September.Roux will be out for the PSG game but will be back by the Lille game.

Edited May 17, 2020 by B.W.G

[B.W.G]

September 2029

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

We were a bit inconsistent as we won three and lost two but we are still in third place which is remarkable.PSG did give us a welcome to Ligue 1 when they stuffed us 6-2,to make it worse Mbappe missed a penalty in the 2nd minute and still went onto score a hat-trick!We had great wins against Lille and Clermont while the win against Rennes was fortunate,Rennes' right back went to clear the ball,it hit his defender and it landed at Camara's feet who scored a late winner.Going great so far,nice to see I still dislike drawing games.

Three games in October,we're facing Sochaux,Angers and Dijon in the league.I just want to stay out of a relegation battle,I'm not expecting to stay around the top but teams have been underestimating us so I am expecting that to change at some point and we will have to be ready for that.

[djiwai91]

Incredible!

Something I maybe missed: you only have players coming from your youth academy? No recruitment?

 

On my side, I've been promoted to R2 with Maisons-Alfort.

[B.W.G]

1 minute ago, djiwai91 said:

Incredible!

Something I maybe missed: you only have players coming from your youth academy? No recruitment?

 

On my side, I've been promoted to R2 with Maisons-Alfort.

Thanks!

That's right,the players I have all come through my academy so I've not spent a single penny on players.My previous chairman let me carry upgrading the Junior Coaching and Youth Recruitment which put me in quite a bit of debt but the intakes were better than what teams around me were getting.

Congrats on the promotion

 

[B.W.G]

September 2029 - Redux

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

Well it turns out I screwed up and forgot to save the game and ended up going back nearly a month!

I saved it after the Nimes game so that stays the same,we now beat Rennes by a bigger margin but we dropped points against Clermont this time around so we are worse off.I had already beaten Sochaux in October but that needs to be replayed and I now have two suspensions for that game when I didn't have any originally. 

Oops!

Edited May 18, 2020 by B.W.G

[B.W.G]

October 2029

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

We went through October unbeaten as we won two and drew one.We currently sit in second place but it is really close as three point separate first and seventh,we could of dropped more points but Roux scored a late winner to clinch the points against Sochaux so I am over the moon.We beat Dijon 5-1 so I guess they couldn't cut the mustard (I'm sorry,I just had to get that one in!).The takeover rumours have come back,both times the rumours have been about local businessman,not really bothered at the minute as we are making quite a bit of money as the finances sit at £2.6 million so I will be asking for upgrades to facilities in the future.

Three games in November,we are facing Strasbourg,Bordeaux and Toulouse.I would like to get to 42 points as quick as possible as that should see us survive.Bordeaux will be difficult to beat as they haven't been beat in the league so far but they have drawn quite a bit which is why they are below us.Long may our success continue!

[B.W.G]

November 2029

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

The wheels have well and truly come off.We did pick up three points against Strasbourg but the other two results were absolutely pathetic.We sit on twenty six points so I need another sixteen points to ensure we survive and we have twenty four games to do so.I really hope thing improve.

Six games in December,all of which are in the league as we don't enter the Coupe de France til January.We have two big name teams in December as we are facing Lyon and Marseille during the month.All I am hoping is that we can pick up some points as we carry on in our quest to forty two points.

[B.W.G]

Youth Intake Preview

Another so called golden generation which is getting less believable as time goes on.A top prospect in central midfield is pretty interesting but we are getting pretty heavy in that position.We also have another fine prospect of a striker coming through which is another filled position.Where the god damn hell are my defenders!?

Edited May 19, 2020 by B.W.G

[B.W.G]

Gabriel Roux's Award Shows

Guest Starring Mohamed Camara

End of year awards came around and Roux stole the show with five awards!

How the hell hasn't he been capped by France at any level!?

Mohamed Camara also came out with an award

[B.W.G]

December 2029

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

We end the decade with three wins and three losses during December.We have played 20 games and there has been 108 goals as we have the best attack and worst defence,think my games need to come with a health warning as it can't be good for the fans' hearts.Was generally surprised to see us beat Lyon 5-1 but for the last three games of the month.our second choice keeper Pernot played those games as Lejeune pulled his knee ligaments!We just need seven points from the last eighteen games and we should be safe.

January brings us one friendly and four competitive games.The friendly is against German side Ingolstadt so I will be using for match fitness reasons.Our first competitive match is against Quevily-Rouen which is winnable and probably our morale booster as my league games look to be a write off as we are facing PSG,Monaco and Lille.I will be trying a 4-3-3 formation to see if that can help us stop leaking goals like we have,it's a new decade so I might as well try a new tactic!

[B.W.G]

January 2030

Fixtures

League Table

Manager's Thoughts

The shift to a 4-3-3 seems to have worked for the time being as we aren't as leaky but we are still weak in defence!We did beat Monaco despite the fact they were the better team so that means we achieved a double over them,we are sat in sixth place so we are in the fight for a Europa Conference League spot so that is great.We won all three matches in the Coupe de France which means we have moved onto the quarter finals.We have had some injury problems with the biggest loss being Wendy Malpon who is out for two months.

Five games in February,four in the league and one in the Coupe de France.We have two really tough fixtures in Nimes and Clermont as these games will help in our fight towards an European spot but we do also have two of the weaker teams in the shape of Rennes and Sochaux,even if we only pick up four points this month then that will be us safe.In the Coupe de France,we got the worse draw as we are at home to PSG,last time we played them in this competition we lost 5-4 but I get the feeling they won't be fielding a weakened side this time around.I am also hoping to here back off the chairman about an affiliate,I've asked for one so we can loan players to,I am hoping this is the first step of an ambitious global network.

[karanhsingh]

Amazing thread bud! You've clearly put in a lot of good work into this save and the updates as well. 

How big is the new stadium? Do you have a table of season by season summaries since you began? 

[B.W.G]

Just now, karanhsingh said:

Amazing thread bud! You've clearly put in a lot of good work into this save and the updates as well. 

How big is the new stadium? Do you have a table of season by season summaries since you began? 

Thanks!

The new stadium is currently 8,308 but due to the rules in Ligue 1,we will be having an enforced expansion to meet the rules at the end of the season as Ligue 1 is supposed to have stadiums with a minimum capacity of 15,000.We currently have £4.5 million in the bank so that should cover it.

Here's a quick glance of what I've done.

If you want the actual links to the end of season posts,I'd be happy to do that for you.