[FM20] FC Gütersloh 2000

[metallimuse]

Youth Intake 2026 Preview:

Could have done with midfielders and AMC's but that's how it goes 

[metallimuse]

Dec/Jan 2025-26:

A fantastic run of form these past two months has propelled us out of the relegation zone and, while we may not be able to say we are comfortably safe, I think I can say that we won't be going down this year.

We were actually unlucky to lose to Sportfreunde Lotte as we lost a goal in the 87th minute.

We were superb against Fortuna Düsseldorf II in a game in which I went ultra defensive to try to get a point but we managed to sneak two goals late in the second half to take all three points, magnificent! 

[metallimuse]

Feb/Mar 2025-26:

A tough few months with only one victory over the period but we've faced mainly top end teams so I'm not too concerned over the run.

We face teams mainly around us in the run in so I'm confident of staying up at this point, they will be tough games but with a 4 point gap I'm confident we can get the required points and results to keep us in the Regionalliga West for another year.

[metallimuse]

Youth Intake 2026:

So, as always, here's what the right up is...

...and here's how they look...

...very disappointing.

Everyone over 50 PA has been signed but I'm very disappointed with the intake and I don't imagine any will make the grade as moving forward now after 2 years in the Regionalliga West I need to start having players with over 100 PA to be in my squad.

[metallimuse]

Apr/May 2025-26:

2 wins in our final 4 games has kept us in the Regionalliga West for another season! 

We fought hard against Fortuna Köln with no joy and got mullered against Wuppertaler which was incredibly frustrating to watch, we were 3 nil down inside the first 20 minutes.

We played some beautiful football against Viktoria Köln in the final game and sent the fans home happy.

 

[metallimuse]

End of Season Review 2025-26:

A solid season again as we fought and staved off relegation.

We managed to grab a few more draws this time around and our defence proved more difficult to break down as we conceded less over the season, got ourselves a few more goals this time around as well.

Not quite as much growth this season for the lads and I'm not really making much headway with trying to change personalities within the squad either sadly.

With regards to performance, Youssef Ben Moussa, Ayman Raki, Nicolai Rosenzweig, Bar Malka and Manuel Schimmel were the most consistent over the course, so again we had a strong spine to the team.

Special mention to my two young full backs Alexander Forthmann and Elias Forsbach who I gave more game time to this year and actually performed better than my first team regulars Mats Sauerland and Mathias Pawlak.

This summer could be a season that I dip into the transfer market though as I feel that we need to kick on and have a better standard of squad.

 

Improvements again in the squad which is great.

Will anyone else other than Manuel Schimmel ever win the fans player of the year?!?!?! 

We were indebted to his goals though so can't complain too much.

Shocked to see young Andreas Schober make the team of the season as he only played in 9 games but he did very well when he came in. Also a bit shocked to see Josef Holm in over Alexander Freitag.

Well, as I've already said, a decent season this year.

The season tickets held the same but our overall attendance is slightly down which is sad to see but our finances are secure, sitting comfortably with nearly £180K in the bank.

The board still won't allow me to invest in the club infrastructure though which is disappointing me. They also won't allow me to go on any further coaching courses to better myself last summer or this summer no matter when I ask.

We were predicted for dead last though and finished higher than last year and other than at the start of the season I was actually pretty comfortable most of the season and always had the belief that we would stay up.

A successful season, now let's see how the summer goes and how we shape up for next season.

 

Edited July 29, 2020 by metallimuse

[metallimuse]

Season 2026-27 Preview:

A new season is upon us again and the bookies are tipping us to do a lot better this season!

Maybe it's due to my transfer activity (more on that to follow) but they're tipping us to be middle of the pack and considering the odds below us the thinking is that we shouldn't be in a relegation fight.

The board are still just asking us to fight bravely against relegation.

My thoughts for the season is to not be involved in a relegation battle. I've managed to bring in some great players on frees who were without clubs and I've brought in a really strong centre back on loan for the season from 3.Liga side FC Heidenheim 1846 so I'm hoping we can start moving up the league a bit.

Last season we hit the heights of 10th at one point and I'd be happy to finish around there this time out.

"Es ist immer spannend, eine neue Saison zu starten!"

[metallimuse]

Summer Transfer Window 2026:

As I mentioned in the last post, I have been active in the transfer market this summer and brought in quite a few players who were without clubs. Let's have a look at the new lads brought in to help solidify the clubs status in the Regionalliga West.

First up is my one loanee, Daniel Bangert...

A fantastic defender who should bring some extra steel to the defensive and a better physical presence also.

 

Also for defence I've brought in Nico Frolich for the left side.

His technique isn't the greatest but his mental and physical are better than we had at the club so he's now the new first choice left back.

 

 

Max Winter was brought in due to his versatility as he can play in the anchor man role or as my box to box midfielder and adds some extra bite to the engine room with his good tackling stats, something that we are currently missing. He's not a starter in the team but instead been brought in to keep the bench warm but with the knowledge that if needed I have a decent back up available.

 

 

Philipp Diez has been brought to the club to play as my mezzala and with top class passing and technique I'm excited at what he will bring to the team and hopefully he will be an assist machine.

 

 

Shane Ross was the first of the signings and really laid down a marker for the quality that I realised I could attract. He's been brought in to be a step up from Achraf Ben Amor and gone straight into the team in the advanced playmaker role behind the strike force.

 

 

Another bench warmer, Sven Baecher has been brought in as I let go of Essig and Sumelka at the end of their contracts over the summer.

He's not got the greatest finishing but great composure and technique so I'll train him up to place shots and hopefully he can do a job if called upon in the last 20 minutes or so if I need to make a change.

 

And finally, an absolute find of a target man to take over from the aging Bernd Bomheuer.

Say hello to Michael Muller, recently let go by SC Preußen Münster in the 3.Liga. What a gem and what a coup for the club to entice him down a division with the promise of guaranteed football and the ambition to be chasing promotion in the next few years.

He's become our biggest wage earner instantly on £400 a week but it's worth it for a player of his undoubted quality.

 

So a great transfer window for us and we've managed to get some great talent in who are all young and hungry to show what they can do. All have great personalities as well which is something that I deliberately looked for.

Quite a few players left from our under 19s and the main squad who were out of contract, it's a new more streamlined approach this year.

[metallimuse]

Jul/Aug/Sep 2026-27:

A blistering start to the campaign saw me sitting back looking at my screen thinking I was the King Midas of the transfer market and on course to do a Leicester and go from struggling against relegation one season to being champions the next!

But then came two defeats at the hands of Rot-Weiss Essen and top of the table Duisburg and I've come back down to earth, not quite with a thud but maybe just a little bump.

Fantastic start to the campaign though compared to previous years and we've played some good football. The new players have brought that extra bit of class and the team now seems a lot more comfortable on the ball as a result, my tactics seemingly able to be played out better with the step up within the ranks.

I've already been rewarded with a new 2 year contract and it's only September.

 

[metallimuse]

Oct/Nov 2026-27:

And the good times keep on rolling!

This is uncharted territory for us in this division but we're rolling with it and enjoying the good times. We've got no hope of making a title push but it's safe to say now that we have no fears of being involved at the wrong end of the table this year. The club has pushed on and we're now enjoying life in the division.

Special mention has to go out to super sub Sven who this month came on a few times in the last 20 minutes and end up bagging us some goals to turn draws/losses into wins.

[metallimuse]

Youth Intake 2027 Preview:

Midfielders is good, especially ones who can tackle. Let's hope we get a few that we can work with moving forward.

[metallimuse]

Dec/Jan 2026-27:

Well we had a great festive period and end to the year but after a win to start the year the bubble finally burst and we've had a torrid time of it.

The losses weren't even to big teams yet we 've struggled hard all of January playing average football and our defensive being split open with ease at every opportunity. It's had my scratching my head and staring at the screen in disbelief.

We even got knocked out of the cup to Siegen who are in the division below us...midtable 

[metallimuse]

Feb/Mar 2026-27:

Our poor form has continued over the past few months still but we've at least managed to claim a victory in amongst it. A hoof ball by Youssef Ben Moussa up to Manuel Schimmel and we got ourselves a goal and set ourselves up for victory.

I've switched things up a little and pulled my DM back into a defensive 3 and set my mezzala to a BWM but I'm still struggling to play the confident, passing, game controlling football that we did in the first part of the season.

Only a few games left of the season though so we'll get through these last few and regroup over the summer and look to the free market again to try to take us to the next level next season and be more consistent.

[metallimuse]

Youth Intake 2027:

So here's what my assistant has to say about the new crop...

I didn't get chance to get a screen grab of the intake as previous years so here's what the overview looks like...

A better showing of personalities this year but not so much talent. I've only signed YP27A, B & C.

 

[metallimuse]

Apr/May 2026-27:

A dreadful April gave way to a better May to finish off the season thankfully.

Given the strength of the opposition in April I can't complain too much I suppose.

Relived the season is over given how poor we've been since the new calendar year, just absolutely woeful. 

[metallimuse]

End of Season Review 2026-27:

A fantastic season after the two that have preceded it. We were predicted for 11th and finished 9th and had an incredible first half of the season when I thought we could have got top 5! After fighting relegation the past two seasons that was an incredible turnaround.

Not quite sure what happened the second half of the season, still can't quite get my head around it as we went on a terrible run.

 

The lads have been great this year but we haven't had much improvement in our CA over the course of the season.

Individually, again we had a very strong spine running through the team and we had quite a few players averaging over 7 for the season which was very pleasing to see.

The new signings all did well and have massively improved the team which evidently obvious looking at our league position.

 

Not really a lot of improvement in the DNA over the season either so maybe my training regime wasn't really on point this year, something I'm going to review for next season. I want to try and improve the defenders passing and the teams overall concentration next season.

 

Player of the season was fiercely contested this year! Michael Müller was always going to be signing of the season and he gave Schimmel a run for his money with regards to player of the season this time out.

 

Overall it was a great season.

As I've already written, obviously the second half of the season was poor but it was such a treat to be mid-table and not be mired in a relegation zone.

We did better than predicted in both the bookies and board's eyes and even one place better than I was predicting.

Not a season to complain about this time out, I'm very happy with how things went. 

We'll see how the summer unfolds, maybe I might go back into the free market for a step up for the squad or it might be to replace a few boys as bigger clubs are starting to sniff around now.

[metallimuse]

Season 2027-28 Preview:

So here's what the bookies are predicting...

So a two spot improvement on what we were predicted for last season.

The board have raised their expectations this season also and are now expecting a mid-table finish.

Pre-season has gone really well and we've played some great football again...

We've made a handful of signings in the free market again, not quite on the PA scale as last season but some solid players with good personalities that will improve the squad as a whole, more on them in a later post once the transfer market has closed.

I've been playing preseason with a newly developed tactic that is more modelled on my squad's abilities rather than my vision I started with but thankfully it's still a very passing team identity which is what I want.

So, my hopes and dreams () for the season ahead are quite similar to last year really. I'm aiming for a top ten position and I'd like to be a bit more consistent all season long unlike last year. I don't see us having a push for the title, I think that's a few years off yet. I'd be happy with anywhere down to 12th and ecstatic with anywhere above 7th. 

 

[metallimuse]

Summer Transfer Window 2027:

The transfer window has now closed and we actually managed to make some money for a change!

It was sad to see club captain Mats Sauerland leave but he hadn't actually set the world alight the past few years so I spotted a better quality player in Peter Blomqvist, let's have a look...

He's young and has some solid stats with a CA of 74 and a PA of 88 so not a huge scope to improve but he'll do a job for a few seasons. He won't be the starter at LB but he's a strong back up who I'm confident of using when needed.

 

So we got a new LB and we also got ourselves a new RB...

As with Blomqvist, Klamt hasn't been brought in as a starter but he's a step up as a back up. He's come from Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga to us which I think speaks volumes about the project we're in the midst of here. Obviously he didn't make the grade there which is why he's dropping down but I was astounded someone from a Bundesliga was open to joining us.

 

With Daniel Bangert's loan finishing we needed someone new in the centre of defence so I actually got two players in as I let academy graduate Lukas Holm go at the end of his contract also. Lukas did well whenever he was called upon with relation to game average but his CA/PA just wasn't good enough.

Berthe has been brought in to go straight into the first team with a CA of 77 and a PA of 100, he's another player joining us from a Bundesliga club as he joins from Hannover 96 after failing to play a game for the first team.

Idrizi comes in as a squad player who's a young buck without much hype or buzz and I can't see having a long career at the club but he will do a job for a few seasons.

So that's the business this summer. Not quite as exciting as last time out but a step up from what we had, other than obviously losing Daniel Bangert at the end of his loan.

[metallimuse]

Jul/Aug/Sep 2027-28:

A positive start to the season as we went through July undefeated and with a 100% record.

That run came to an end in August rather abruptly as Köln's B team turned us over thoroughly and then we fought hard for 2 draws. One against Rödinghausen which I thought was winnable and then one against last years table toppers Duisburg which we led until the 87th minute .

We bounced back with a win in the cup and then managed a point in the two games against Wuppertaler and Rot-Weiss Essen, both games we could have won had it not been for having a defender sent off in both matches .

[metallimuse]

A nice little milestone to reach...

[metallimuse]

So as per one of my goals of the save, this is how my training is structured this season...

It will allow me to focus on the core of my club DNA, make the team a bit more physically imposing and hopefully address my concentration weakness throughout the squad.

[metallimuse]

Oct/Nov 2027-28:

Well...not setting the world alight or doing as well as I had been hoping for. In a bizarre way, we are more consistent. Consistently average .

It's been a strange season so far. Maybe my new tactic isn't working as well as I'd like yet on paper it's the most suited way for us to play by using the comparison page. I'm playing to my strengths and compensating for my weaknesses. I've tweaked it ever so slightly recently so hopefully we will see an improvement over the next few months.

Overall the team is still playing decent enough football but we're definitely missing the quality of Daniel Bangert at the back this season. He was such a Ferrari amongst this Volkswagen division.  

[metallimuse]

Youth Intake 2028 Preview:

Well that's disappointing to see.

[metallimuse]

So it's been awhile since I did a staff update so let's have a little check on how things are...

...ok, so what the f**k?!?!?!

How am I considered spineless?!?!?!?

Can anyone help me with this? Is there anything I can do to change this other than fighting my way up the leagues?

This is what my attributes look like after all these years...

I'm guessing it's due to my 2 rating for handling pressure but I'm at a loss as to how to change that.

As you can see at the top though, the board have acquiesced and allowed me to go through some coaching courses so I'm happy about that.

After all these years though, looking at the overview, it may be time to let Josef Lasogga go and get an upgrade in.

[metallimuse]

Dec/Jan 2027-28:

A better few months over this period and we've managed to climb the league which is good to see.

We should have won against Verl but for a 96th minute equalizer 

Looking at the league now we could finish anywhere from 5th to 14th it's so close amongst us all, a few results really makes a huge difference in this middle pack of sides.

We've played some good football over the period and I think we've turned a corner with our play. If I'm right then the season could be the mirror image of last with a poor start and a better finish apposed to last years great start and poor finish.

[metallimuse]

Winter Transfer Window 2028:

There has been activity in the winter transfer market for the first time in my save as I just had to get a central defender in to steady the ship...

Jesse has come in from Fortuna Dusseldorf after not quite making the grade, although he did get some playing time for them in the 2.Liga.

Sadly, the board have intervened for the first time and agreed to sell one of our players as the money was too good.

I'm sad to see him go but we got decent money for him and he was far to good for us and this level so it was only a matter of time. The boy had Napoli interested in him as well, a team in Serie A for goodness sake! Miracle I got him.

So as a replacement we got this fella in who had been playing at Braunschweig before being released in the summer...

A strong player who will play as my target man. Not the greatest finisher in the world but he will do a job for us in the short term.

 

[metallimuse]

Feb/Mar 2027-28:

Another terrible couple of months and this season is over really, I'm just playing through to the summer and regroup and see who I can get in the free market. There might be a few leaving as well as a few are unhappy with game time but due to the 3 u23's in the starting 11 my hands are slightly tied.

I'm not in any danger of relegation but I feel at this point I'm going to definitely fall short of my expectations and possibly the bookies also, I'm not quite sure what constitutes 'mid-table' in the eyes of the board so that's a worry.

I haven't been helped by injuries over these months to my more creative players and I think I've been a bit guilty of setting up a bit too defensive away to teams around me when maybe I should have been a bit more adventurous and tried to take the game to them more.

[metallimuse]

Youth Intake 2028:

I didn't get a review of my intake this year, don't know if it's due to how rubbish they are .

Nothing of note to work with this year. A few have been given contracts mainly just for the sake of it and the fact that other's already in the u19s will be leaving due to their age but I don't see any of them making the grade at this club sadly.

[metallimuse]

Apr/May 2027-28:

An undefeated two months to end what has been a very trying season.

Nice to bow out on a victory at home to FC Viktoria Köln though in a game with some sexy football on show for a change.

 

[metallimuse]

The board have refused to sanction me going on a coaching course due to my poor performance this year...

 

[metallimuse]

End of Season Review 2027-28:

A hard fought season this year with not much to wrote home about.

We didn't play good football, none of the team really stood out and shone bright, we didn't find ourselves at the top end of the table...it was a season of nothing on the field.

Maybe I was a bit harsh there as young Shane Ross actually did have a good season and 14 assists isn't to be sniffed at.

We really struggled for goals this year, especially after the board went over my head and sold Michael Müller.

The PA of the squad is now stronger than it's ever been but trying to keep the development moving seems to be drying up for me and I don't think I'm maybe getting the best results from my training. Is that down to my mismanagement or the fact that we are still a part time club with only 4 training slots available? I don't know in all honesty.

I think I'll be in the market for a new left wide man and a stronger central defender this summer as Achraf Ben Amor hasn't really been affective for me. Possibly a step up in goalkeeper. 

I didn't manage to get the concentration to improve all that much over the course of the season sadly.

Oh my god it's actually happened! Shane Ross has knocked King Schimmel off his throne as the fans player of the season this year. 

I'm surprised that Nicolai Rosenzweig and Alexander Freitag made it into the team of the season.

Well, overall when I look at the data compared to last season we weren't a million miles off last year.

We reached the quarter finals of the cup again and only actually lost 1 more game than last season, we just couldn't convert our draws into wins.

Overall it wasn't the greatest season and I'm glad it's over. Back to the drawing board and hopefully we can get a few finds in the free market but also I'm going to go into the loan market will give us some real quality to help us to a better season next year.

[metallimuse]

Season 2028-29 Preview:

Well the board are asking for mid table and the quarters of the Westfalenpokal but look at where the bookies are tipping us!!! I can only assume this is thanks to my recruitment over the summer as I've managed to bring in 3 players from 3.Liga on loan along with a striker from Borussia Dortmund II.

Still don't think we will do as well as the bookies are saying and I'm kind of thinking maybe 5th is something to aim for.

Preseason has gone really well and we've not even conceded a goal as of yet 

[metallimuse]

Jul/Aug/Sep 2028-29:

Well what a start to the season from the boys!  Well, if we ignore the opening day obviously 

Opening day was always going to be tough against perennial Regionalliga West challengers Duisburg and we were poor. We kept it at 1 nil for most of the match but then they turned on the style in the last 20 minutes and ran out comfortable winners.

After that defeat though we went from strength to strength really and our new look defence has been really mean.

We won game after game except our clash with Aachen which we again conceded late goals, extremely late goals in the 87th and 91st minute in fact.

Great start to the season though and I'm hoping we can keep things ticking over going forward. Shane Ross has been inspired on the right wing and club captain Bar Malka has been a real leader on the pitch.

[metallimuse]

Summer Transfer Window 2028:

So the plan was to raid the loan market this summer to get some youngsters from divisions above us and that's what we did, so let's take a look...

We managed to snare Diekneite from Stuttgart II which I was happy about. To be honest it was a signing that perhaps I could have done without as Pawlak and Klamt have been adequate but I wasn't planning on getting anyone new in midfield and he was willing to drop down so I snapped him up.

I'd have preferred it if his crossing was better but beggars can't be choosers.

Klamt was sold to make room and actually went the other way and went up a division to St Pauli for £22.5k.

 

I needed a strong central defender, it was my one true need this summer, and we were blessed to be able to get Mario down from Bayern Munich II.

He's an absolute gem and clearly destined for a bigger move if he doesn't get into the Munich team in the future.

After 7 years of sterling service, Nicolai Rosenzweig was allowed to go and he signed for Drochtersen in the Regionalliga Nord.

 

Our last loan from 3.Liga was Brauksiepe for the left flank.

He came from Schalke II and has hit the ground running and a huge improvement on Achraf Ben Amor, who has been allowed to leave as he was already unhappy with his game time last season. He's another one who got a move up the divisions and has signed for 3.Liga side Energie Cottbus. It was sad to see a youth product leave as the numbers are sadly dwindling in the main squad but with the board refusing to sanction any improvements to our facilities or set up the quality coming through just isn't there.

 

The last signing of the window was a last minute addition of Pawlak to play up top. I could have got by without him but he's obviously a far better player overall then my strikers at the club and he wanted to go out on loan and was willing to come so we did the deal.

He's not really set the world alight so far though so maybe I should have stuck instead of twist.

[metallimuse]

Oct/Nov 2028-29:

Well these two months are very similar to the last update with a loss to start with and then unbeaten ever since.

We're having a great season so far and while I don't think we will come out on top our increased profile should make it easier in the summer to try to sign some better players to compliment any players we bring in on loan. If we carry on at this rate I can see us reaching the play offs in the next few years.

We've been playing some great football and the loan signings have made such a difference but it's Bar Malka and Shane Ross who have really been pulling the strings for the team.

We've also managed to again tie key players down to contract extensions and I'm excited about the next few years although again I've tried to have our facilities and infrastructure improved and again the board have said no.

Edited August 15, 2020 by metallimuse

[metallimuse]

Youth Intake 2029 Preview:

Ok, ok, we'll see how this pans out. Hopefully a few players we can work with.

Edited August 15, 2020 by metallimuse

[metallimuse]

And a legend is born...

It's nice that it's an academy boy and I really hope we can get promotion into the professional leagues while he's at the club.

[metallimuse]

Dec/Jan 2028-29:

We lost to Duisburg so any hope of making it to the play offs seems lost at this point now along with the four draws that preceded it. 

I never had any thoughts of challenging for the spot at the start of the season so I'm not disappointed as it's been a cracking season so far and maybe we can do something in the cup as we're through to the semi final again.

Edited August 15, 2020 by metallimuse

[metallimuse]

Feb/Mar 2028-29:

We show little sign of letting up in this great season. As I said in the last post, no chance of going up really but it's still a great season.

The great news is that we played 3.Liga side Münster in the Westfalenpokal semi final and actually managed to beat them! I thought we'd lose but we played some great football against the 3.Liga side so I'm hoping that it won't be long until we join them in the professional leagues.

We have another 3.Liga side in Paderborn lying in wait in the Westfalenpokal final.

 

Edited August 15, 2020 by metallimuse

[metallimuse]

Youth Intake 2029:

So here's what my assistant thinks about this year's crop...

...and here's how they look...

So we have one stand out player in Pascal Anton who has enough PA to hopefully make it as a squad player at the club and he has a good personality which is a lovely bonus.

With regards to the rest, I signed the players with the best personalities and the rest will be released.

[metallimuse]

Apr/May 2028-29:

We didn't quite manage to get our hands on the Westfalenpokal sadly as Paderborn were just a bit too strong for us. It was an even game though and Paderborn have just finished 2nd and gained promotion to 2.Liga so I think that says a hell of a lot about the way that this team is progressing that we weren't outplayed by a team of this calibre.

We slightly ran out of steam a bit in the league and after being 2nd for the majority of the season we slipped to a final position of 3rd as Borussia Dortmund II just pipped us.

Fantastic season though and nothing to complain about the way it's ended.

[metallimuse]

Could be set for a new regime here at the club...

[metallimuse]

End of Season Review 2028-29:

Well, who would have thought we'd have that kind of season?

I mean, other than the bookies who tipped us for where we actually finished?

Great to see the fans flooding back into the stadium and on average it was a quarter full, hopefully we can keep them in and build on it and get more in.

 

The squad has been brilliant this season, obviously, but Shane Ross and Bar Malka really, really did drag this team onwards and to glory over the course of the season.

Manuel Schimmel managed to find the net again and finished as top scorer with loanee Maciej Pawlak not far behind.

The loan boys were all great bits of business this year and it's going to be tough replacing them this summer. A few boys like Mathias Pawlak & Alexander Freitag will also be going, possibly a few others.

Not many players increasing their CA in relation to their PA again so I'm definitely starting to hit a wall with that.

 

Some improvements to my squads DNA this year so that's great to see.

I think it's been obvious to watch on the pitch as well as the boys definitely look more comfortable on the ball and passing it around.

 

Shocked that Mathias Pawlak made it into the team of the year ahead of Lukas Diekneite but everyone else is my preferred team over the season.

Shane Ross makes it two in a row for player of the year and makes it a personal treble as he claims goal of the year and young player of the year. Deserves all the credit and I'm worried that someone may come in for him this summer.

 

More wins in a season than we've managed before in the Regionalliga West and up there with the form that we showed to get out of the Oberliga Westfalen.

It was a truly fantastic year and it's going to be a fun summer combing through the loan and free agent markets trying to bring in new players to help us get to the next level. We've got a few kids as well who are going to be getting more game time next season such as Louis Müllers.

[metallimuse]

So we are indeed under a new regime at the club...

And the first thing they did is to set us up with a parent club...

[metallimuse]

Season 2029-30 Preview:

So the bookies have us one better this year and predicting us for 2nd, the board are still just asking for a mid-table finish.

Me, I'd be happy with top 5 this year to be honest but with FC Köln II predicted as the table toppers I think maybe we could actually have a crack at the title. I think I'm better than them.

We've made some good loan signings this summer and we've picked up a couple of elder statesmen on frees and the squad is looking strong. There are a number of clubs circling overhead for Shane Ross though and he's already come to me saying he wants to talk to clubs so he looks like he could be off which will make us weaker. Kevin Johns is ready to be first pick though so hopefully he can produce on the same scale.

For the first time in the save we are eligible and involved in the DFB-Pokal so hopefully we can get some good money into the coffers through participation in that.

The board are expecting me to reach the final of the Westfalenpokal this year and I'd love to win it to get some silverware while I can.

Preseason has been good other than the drubbing at the hands of our parent club.

"Lasst uns sehen, ob wir dann befördert werden können!"

[metallimuse]

Jul/Aug/Sep 2029-30:

A near impeccable start to the season has absolutely shocked me.

The biggest surprise is managing to beat 2.Liga side 1860 München and get ourselves into the second round of the DFB-Pokal were we are going to pick up another big pay day.

Our finances thanks to the 1st round game, a club record transfer (more of that in the next post) and also a pay out of a clause in the Michael Müller transfer are looking very healthy. The board still won't let me improve the facilities or infrastructure though .

Playing some great football so far and the future for the season is looking bright .

[metallimuse]

Summer Transfer Window 2029:

Well, there was a lot of business this summer so let's get down to it.

Evan Ochoa has been brought in on loan from Freiburg II on loan while Matthias Bader has been signed as a free agent.

We needed new right backs as Mathias Pawlak left the club at the end of his contract and last years 1st choice right back was a loanee.

Ochoa is my starter and Bader is the wrong side of the age scale but he's got good CA and can be of use for a few years yet.

 

Much the same story as above, Szymanski has been brought in on loan from Koln II and is my starting centre back and Tom Baack signed as a free to make up the numbers for the squad. Again he's the wrong side of the age scale but he can do a job for a few years until hopefully a graduate comes through the academy.

 

Patrick is another one from the free market with a view to fill in for Bar Malka when needed. He's not getting a lot of game time though as Malka has been his usual incredible self so he might not be sticking around for very long.

 

We needed some wingers so we got Simon Brauksiepe back on loan for the left and for the right we managed to sign Agyemang Diawusie on a free.

Diawusie is, like the other actual signing's, on the wrong side of the age scale but he's been phenomenal for us so far this season and comes with a great pedigree having played higher up the pyramid here in Germany.

 

And our last signing of the window is a loan move for a Greek lad who plays his football here in Germany, also for Koln II like Szymanski. Great attributes and a real eye for goal has been he's been a welcome addition to the side.

 

And finally we sold a couple of lads in the window also...

Kassim Berthe was seen as no longer good enough for my side so the natural thing was for a side in a division above us to come in for him .

Sven wanted more game time which I couldn't give him so I agreed to let him go.

Lastly, sadly, Shane Ross has left the club. Fans player of the year the past two season's actually ended up in a bidding war from a few Aussie teams so we managed to rake in a record transfer for my time at the club and we also got a future fee on the deal as well so hopefully he continues improving and gets me some more money down the line as well. 

[metallimuse]

Oct/Nov 2029-30:

Well these two months have proved a little more tougher and taken my feet back down on the ground. After the first three months I had visions of running away with the title 

We are still playing good, exciting football but I had to start rotating the squad a bit to keep players happy and a few draws started happening which has kept the race for promotion open.

Konstantopoulos has been on fire for me and is the clubs top scorer so far.

We sadly have been knocked out of the DFB-Pokal by 2.Liga side Würzburger Kickers by a penalty, we played well in the match though and were unlucky to lose. The two match run has banked us nearly half a million pounds though so that's great news.

We actually face top of the table Fortuna Düsseldorf II next and if we win we can go top.

[metallimuse]

Youth Intake Preview 2030:

Some wingers coming through which would be good to have and midfielders are always useful to have coming through.

[metallimuse]

Dec/Jan 2029-30:

A good run of form over the two months and we managed to beat Fortuna Düsseldorf II at the start of the period to go top of the league. Our form has been good since but theirs is just that bit better and they've regained top spot and even got a 4 point cushion now as well sadly. We're going to have to beat them again in the return match and hope for a favour from somewhere if we're going to get that play off spot

We've managed to get ourselves to through to the Westfalenpokal semi-finals and there's every chance that we could win it this year as there's only ourselves, SG Wattenscheid 09 and Sportfreunde Lotte left from the Regionalliga West along with Erndtebrück from the Westphalia below us.

Worryingly, main man Antonis Konstantopoulos has been off the pace since mid-December and if we're to maintain and get back in the title hunt we need him getting back amongst the goals.