FM21 - Valencia C.F.; Why Manage Los Ches?

[FMunderachiever]

Hi Everyone

Thought I would contribute on my long term save and a suggestion for long term project.

 

Why Manage Valencia C.F?

You are one of the biggest clubs in Spain, and one with a rich history of a team that has punched above its weight, compared to Barcelona and Real Madrid most notably.

The trophy cabinet is as follows, with the most recent of the La Liga titles coming in the 2003-2004 season that was the best of the clubs history, as the club also won the Europa League, under the guise of the then UEFA Cup:

 

Despite this, recent history is against you. The club has been struggling in La Liga in recent years, and last season laboured to a 9th place finish. The club has financial difficulties that have stopped the development of a new stadium, and has meant that over the summer, the club lost key players in Francis Coquelin and Dani Parejo to league rivals Villarreal C.F, Geoffrey Kondogbia to league rivals Atletico Madrid, and highly rated winger Ferran Torres to Manchester City.

 

You have been left with a thin squad lacking in key areas, but still with a demanding fan base, and a demanding chairman Mr Lim who wants Europa League qualification, which puts you head to head with teams like Villarreal who you just sold two of your most important players to, a resurgent Real Sociedad, as well as the established likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atletico and Sevilla.

 

I think the IS hope, and this is capitalising on the transition periods of Barcelona and Real Madrid, and the opportunity to bring through youngsters in the development squad.

I have taken over Valencia C.F with the intention of returning them into Europe in the short term, but in the long term, fulfilling the boards goals of selling players for a profit and becoming self sufficient, as we eventually hope to once again be challenging at the top of La Liga.

Rules for this save:

Very simply, I will not sign any players that my scouts do not find for me from the assignments i create for them, and i will start the game with the first transfer window off, so we must start the season with Valencia's real life squad.

Starting First Team Squad:

 

 

Edited December 27, 2020 by FMunderachiever

[DaveMUFC]

Started a Valencia save, but having an issue where when I promote any players from Mestalla, they get removed and go back to the team unless I have them on my bench or starting 11. Is this a common issue? It is killing the potential of the save for me atm, as I want to bring through the youth.  

[FMunderachiever]

2 hours ago, DaveMUFC said:

Started a Valencia save, but having an issue where when I promote any players from Mestalla, they get removed and go back to the team unless I have them on my bench or starting 11. Is this a common issue? It is killing the potential of the save for me atm, as I want to bring through the youth.  

Wow.....i had not seen this issue but does seem like a killer. Would love feedback from anyone else on this, i havent promoted anyone yet

[Mr_Demus]

14 hours ago, FMunderachiever said:

Wow.....i had not seen this issue but does seem like a killer. Would love feedback from anyone else on this, i havent promoted anyone yet

Apparently, it's a known bug. There should be a workaround, as far as I've read. Send players to U19 and then promote them, and they should stay in the main team.

[FMunderachiever]

How Has 2020 Gone At Estadio De Mestalla?

 

Valencia C.F. Plunged Into Chaos As Rumours Of A Takeover Begin To Gather Pace

Starting the season with a transfer budget of £0 (no 1st window) but over wage budget by 15k per week was not a great start. It has meant that we are in a sell-to-buy situation, and must look to offload some higher earners to fulfil the boards desires of self sufficiency and bringing in players under the age of 23.

Two rival consortiums, the Cigut & Valencic group, and the Gerina group seem to be battling for ownership of the club. Gerina wants his own man, and that man happens to be Max Allegri. But hopefully a takeover can be done to give more funds to improve the squad.

This has meant however that Peter Lim has imposed a transfer embargo on the club. This puts us at risk of not being able to do any business in the January transfer window, a major blow.

A Tricky Start On The Field, But On The Cusp Of The Champions League. Copa Del Rey Progression.

Poor quality finishing, losing winning positions, and a lack of clean sheets have punctuated what has so far been a frustrating season. The top 3 are a class above, but we have not helped ourselves in conceding a number of late goals this season. This has led to two painful defeats vs Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, off the back of 2 decent performances amongst others.

The race for 4th place is really hotting up though, and itll be a very interesting battle as the season progresses:

Struggling To Settle On A Tactic That Fits The Group

Whilst Javi Gracia has been mostly setting up Valencia with a 4-4-2 this season, I had worked on a similar set up in preseason and the performances were not ideal.

I think a back 3 of Mangala, Diakhaby and Gabriel Paulista suits us better, although we have been lacking clean sheets.

We have been looking at the following two basic setups this season, personnel can change within these systems but Maxi Gomez is mostly used as the focal point whether as a target man or deep lying forward, Carlos Soler and Uros Racic form the central midfield partnership and we mostly use Jose Gaya and Daniel Wass in the wingback roles:

The 3-4-3 allows us to play the high press against narrow systems where we dont fear being done down the flanks. The 3-4-3 wingbacks system is slightly better in keeping things tight.

 

 

 

Would love to hear feedback on how anyone else managing Valencia C.F is getting on, who your transfer targets are, and what tactics you are favouring? A very fun club to manage I think and looking forward to starting to change the squad around.

[diLLa88]

I'm currently in my fifth season with Valencia, having started this save in the Beta.

So far, I have managed to finish 3rd place in all four prior seasons, being considered the "best of the rest" behind Real Madrid and Barcelona. Especially Real Madrid has been dominant in my save, having a front three of Mbappé, Haaland and Salah. This season I feel I should be able to challenge for the title, as I feel that my squad is fairly balanced out now having been able to buy some quality offensive players (Diaz & Akhomach)

Current Squad

The most fun I have had in this save is building the squad. I have focussed heavily on youth and Spanish (culture) players. Valencia has a rich history of quality Spanish players, as well as developing them from own youth, therefore it felt right to play like this as Valencia in FM. My squad is largely build by own youth, as well as some bargain Spanish purchases from the other clubs in Spain. Guillamon, Joseda, Mosquera, Munoz, Gaya, Vazquez, Soler, Aleman and Garcia are all from the own youth academy. I also have some regens coming up from my own intakes which are really good.

In terms of transfers I mainly looked for bargain Spanish players and quality Spanish youth prospects, as well as from South American talent. Succesful transfers include:

• Martin Calderon from Real Madrid for €50k
• Manuel Ugarte from Fénix for €1.3m
• Óscar from Sevilla for €9.5m
• Dani Ceballos from Real Madrid for €30m
• Bryan Gil from Sevilla for free
• Matias Arezo from Santos for €12.25m
• Unai Lopez from Ath. Bilbao for free
• Ruben Garcia from Osasuna for €6.5m

Achievements and other realized goals

My primary goal was to reach champions league ASAP to earn that sweet prize money, As I have managed to finish 3rd in all seasons so far, this goal was quickly reached. My best achievement so far in the Champions League has been reaching the semi final in my 3rd season.

As the financials at the start of the game are fairly bad, my other goal was to sell off some of the large earners and mediocre players and replace them by cheaper youth prospects. I sold Maxi Gomez after the first season for €75m + €20m in additionals to Arsenal which fixed my financial situation. Large earners like Guedes were eventually sold as well. My current financial situation is great.

Current Goals

My current goal is to beat Real Madrid and Barcelona for the title and continue to challenge for the Champions League, as I have been doing fairly well in that competition so far. My other goal is to continue to develop my Spanish talents and eventually field a fully Spanish first team that can dominate in all competitions.

Edited December 30, 2020 by diLLa88

[n1mez]

I am also going to start with Valencia when my Milan save dies out. 

I like this club - and i always play with "Fallen Giants". They have some exciting young prospects!

[Bunkerossian]

Definitely watching this. I've been struggling to find either a intelligent defensive midfielder under the age of 23 that Valencia can afford- or a RB (depends on where Wass plays). A CB is needed, too. Also- has anyone made Sobrino work? He has Composure, unlike Gameiro.

Edited December 31, 2020 by Bunkerossian

[diLLa88]

19 hours ago, Bunkerossian said:

Definitely watching this. I've been struggling to find either a intelligent defensive midfielder under the age of 23 that Valencia can afford- or a RB (depends on where Wass plays). A CB is needed, too. Also- has anyone made Sobrino work? He has Composure, unlike Gameiro.

I sold Sobrino for €4m to Newcastle to free up some money. He went to score 14 goals in 56 games for them over the course of 2 seasons.

As defensive mid, I used Racic for quite a bit in my first season and he did fairly well. Other than that I eventually bought Ugarte and Calderon, who are both fairly cheap.

Edited January 1, 2021 by diLLa88

[FMunderachiever]

Its the end of season 1 for me, its been a huge battle

We have achieved Europa League qualification and the boards objectives despite a hideous season of many changes:

I had considered moving on having been given a transfer budget of £127,000. But I will battle on.

I need to sell to buy, and can only keep 20% of player sales, so a big rebuilding job is going to be a huge challenge.

 

Would like to see how other people are progressing with their saves though, its been a very interesting club to manage

Edited January 2, 2021 by FMunderachiever

[diLLa88]

As Valencia, and their current financial situation, you definitely need to be prepared to sell players in order to grow. Transfer budget isn't going to be created out of thin air..

 

[FMunderachiever]

2021 - The End Of Season 1

Despite challenging hard for the top 4 for most of the season, form was hard to come by. We have achieved the boards objectives of qualifying for the Europa League, but a string of poor results in the second half of the season blew a once promising position to ensure we finished the season a highly disappointing 6th:

 

 

This has left much work ahead of season 2.

We will be operating on a shoestring budget, and the board have laid out the following objectives for us:

In terms of the end of season awards, Maxi Gomez was star of the show. Both fans player and young player of the season, Maxi was the standout player with 20 league goals, no mean feat in a struggling team. Club captain Jose Gaya chipped in with 17 assists, almost De Bruyne-esque.

 

[FMunderachiever]

Season 2 - Renewed Optimism At Estadio De Mestalla Despite Takeover Falling Through

As pre-season of season 2 was about to begin, Valencia once again found themselves in chaos, as the Cigut & Valencic group tried to buy the club. This put the club back into embargo and meant we missed out on some notable transfer targets, Nicolas De La Cruz of River Plate and Matias Arezo of River Plate Montevideo swiftly moved on to Juventus and Liverpool.

When the takeover finally did fall through, it meant we had to move quickly to achieve the boards objective of repairing financial damage. Thankfully, through some Harry Redknapp style wheeling and dealing, the board are happy our financial position is now not as precarious. We have passed our objective to repair the damage:

Squad Rebuilding

Some good players have had to make way to rebuild the squad. Reluctantly, notables like Lee Kang-In, Daniel Wass, Denys Cheryshev, Mouctar Diakhaby and Goncalo Guedes have had to make way.

Our business has looked like this, everyone on heavily structured deals:

 

 

[FMunderachiever]

Season 2 - Players Coming In

When entering the market, the following criteria were essential:

• Players wherever possible should be under 23, as per the request of the board and for resale value
• Ideally, players should be versatile that they can cover a number of positions
• Ideally, players should fit in easily to the Spanish "core" of the team, culturally and with Spanish language

 

 

Marquee Signing - Edson Alvarez (Mexican CM Joins From Ajax)

We probably overspent a little after the sale of Guedes to bring him in. But his versatility cannot be ignored at 23 and the intention is for him to be a calming influence in midfield that keeps everything ticking over. Im very pleased with this signing:

Cover At Full Back - Lucas Olaza (Uruguay International LB Boca) & Colin Dagba (French U21 International RB PSG)

Lucas Olaza brings bags of experience, free kick prowess and delivery from out wide. Following a very solid season on loan to Celta Vigo, taking him for a fee of a mere £3.2 million was a snip and im hoping a shrewd investment. Bringing in Olaza gives us the potential to move Gaya into midfield, which is a good option for our squad.

Colin Dagba is cover for Jason. He has potential to grow into a solid option at right back, albeit my midas touch ensured that in his first friendly appearance, he broke his leg! so some time in the physio room is needed until we see Dagba on the pitch. Very happy with the signing all the same:

A New First Choice Centreback - Jerome Onguene (Cameroon International CB - RB Salzburg)

I wanted a centreback who was brave, strong, good in the tackle but also able to read the game. Im hoping Jerome Onguene will be that man. A glowing scout report was enough to seal the deal, as was his desire to join me.

The Youngsters - Gabriel Martinelli (Brazil U21 Loan - Arsenal) & Manuel Ugarte (Uruguayan - Centro Fenix)

Gabriel Martinelli is no stranger to anyone. Bags of potential, dribbling ability and an eye for goal will make him useful in the AMR and AML positions. Would love to make this deal permanent if we can.

Manuel Ugarte is a player that ive seen several people sign, and he came with a glowing scout report. Had the scouts not found him I would not have signed him. He is very much a back up at the moment to Racic and Soler, but it will be interesting to see his development. On a free transfer there was no risk at all.

 

[FMunderachiever]

New Tactical System Begins To Take Shape

With the introduction of Edson Alvarez, a quality option at DM has influenced me to move to a 4-3-3 formation with a gegenpress type style. Im happy with moving Jose Gaya into midfield, he has settled into his new role very well, and after a pre season heavily disrupted by off field activities and being blocked from making signings for a half the window, we are finally starting to take shape:

Europa League Draw

[FMunderachiever]

6 hours ago, diLLa88 said:

As Valencia, and their current financial situation, you definitely need to be prepared to sell players in order to grow. Transfer budget isn't going to be created out of thin air..

 

So true. But there is a huge sense of optimism around the 2021/2022 season. I think we can push to win something

[DaveMUFC]

I'm about 13 games in, but really struggled with this team. 

Have had Cillesen and some outfield players give away the ball to an opponent in injury time to score equaliser and winners, and apart from Maxi Gomez we're quite toothless in attack, can't really get much out of Kang In Lee or Guedes regardless of their stats... 

Did you struggle with the same? 

[diLLa88]

Guedes was mediocre for me in multiple seasons. Very inconsistent. He could have a really good game scoring 2 goals, and then be silent for a few games.

I shuffled Yunus Musah around in my line-up over the years, where he started in midfield (mezzala role / CMA mostly) for the first few seasons. He is now playing in AMR (winger attacking) role and doing great. 12 goals and 10 assists last season in the league.

This season he is being shuffled around again between midfield and winger with the acquisition of a new AMR.

First season my main offensive outlet was Gaya -> Maxi Gomez link-up. Lee Kang-In was actually very good for me as well in the first season, but struggled a lot after that.

I cashed in on Maxi Gomez after his stupendous first season for me. My offensive ability dropped significantly after that which made me regret this decision at times. It did fix my financial situation with just one transfer though.

 

Edited January 2, 2021 by diLLa88

[diLLa88]

8 hours ago, FMunderachiever said:

So true. But there is a huge sense of optimism around the 2021/2022 season. I think we can push to win something

Ye, nice transfers. I'm interested to see how Gaya will do in midfield. He has been my best player for several seasons at left-back.

[FMunderachiever]

3 hours ago, DaveMUFC said:

I'm about 13 games in, but really struggled with this team. 

Have had Cillesen and some outfield players give away the ball to an opponent in injury time to score equaliser and winners, and apart from Maxi Gomez we're quite toothless in attack, can't really get much out of Kang In Lee or Guedes regardless of their stats... 

Did you struggle with the same? 

I think when you come to the club youve got several issues immediately that hold you back:

1) you have some good "warrior" type defenders who will head and block aggressively....but no one who you can really use to build from the back with. I think this limits you tactically when coupled with......

2) you lack a quality DM option which limits your formations. Racic can do a decent job but not stellar

3) inconsistent players. On their day Guedes, Kang-In and initially Musah can all be brilliant. But equally unreliable and its hard to know what role they prefer at times

4) support for Maxi Gomez. Hes a class act up top but his attributes may suggest he needs a strike partner, or certainly that you get players in and around him as holding the ball up and being a focal point is his strength, not so much lightning pace to get onto throughballs.

 

I think if you can stick with it until season 2, thankfully the board arent too expectant first season and understand itll be hard. You can then look to move a few on and rebuild.

You may get taken over and get a cash injection too.

[diLLa88]

I highly recommend going through your B and U19 squads, as they should contain some really good talent. In my second season I promoted some of them to the first team with great success, especially some really good defenders. See below some examples:

Edited January 2, 2021 by diLLa88

[FMunderachiever]

1 hour ago, diLLa88 said:

I highly recommend going through your B and U19 squads, as they should contain some really good talent. In my second season I promoted some of them to the first team with great success, especially some really good defenders. See below some examples:

 

 

 

 

 

Guillamon has been added to my first team squad he looks fantastic, and a special mention to Jesus Vasquez too, he looks like he could be a superb left back when he bulks out a little.

[diLLa88]

11 hours ago, FMunderachiever said:

Guillamon has been added to my first team squad he looks fantastic, and a special mention to Jesus Vasquez too, he looks like he could be a superb left back when he bulks out a little.

Yes, deffo. He is my 2nd choice behind Gaya.

Unfortunately he just took a hit in his development due to injury. Also playing 2nd tier behind Gaya hasn't helped his development too much for me. I think he could have been better at this stage if he had played more.

[Bunkerossian]

14 hours ago, FMunderachiever said:

Guillamon has been added to my first team squad he looks fantastic, and a special mention to Jesus Vasquez too, he looks like he could be a superb left back when he bulks out a little.

Has Guillamon received an upgrade in the latest major game update?

Edited January 3, 2021 by Bunkerossian

[diLLa88]

Won my first trophy of the season 2024/2025 beating both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid for the Spanish Super Cup.

 

Currently also leading in La Liga, but that should be close until the end.

 

 

 

[dino]

@diLLa88 Think you can go the league campaign unbeaten? 👀

Edited January 4, 2021 by dino

[diLLa88]

3 hours ago, dino said:

@diLLa88 Think you can go the league campaign unbeaten? 👀

Not sure. I still have Barcelona away to go, as well as Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at home.

In all four prior seasons I was very inconsistent, so I expect a bad set of matches to come eventually. Squad depth is a bit better now though, which should help with that.

I'm also about to sell Matias Arezo because he is getting interest from Man City, Liverpool and Bayern, which could have an effect on our form. I'm going to replace him with my own youth talent Alvaro Garrido:

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by diLLa88

[we88y]

56 minutes ago, diLLa88 said:

Not sure. I still have Barcelona away to go, as well as Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid at home.

In all four prior seasons I was very inconsistent, so I expect a bad set of matches to come eventually. Squad depth is a bit better now though, which should help with that.

I'm also about to sell Matias Arezo because he is getting interest from Man City, Liverpool and Bayern, which could have an effect on our form. I'm going to replace him with my own youth talent Alvaro Garrido:

 

Hi,

 

What skin are you using?

 

Many Thanks

[diLLa88]

5 minutes ago, we88y said:

Hi,

 

What skin are you using?

 

Many Thanks

It's Priisek 21 Dark DF11, but one of the older versions. I believe it's:

https://sortitoutsi.net/content/56847/priisek-dark-skin-v2

[FMunderachiever]

Im a bit busier with work now so leaving less time to play, but will get screenshots done probably at the weekend.

Our squad is better, our performances are certainly better and more entertaining, but the league table doesnt really show it. We are 6th, 18 points from 11 games in season two but having a very nice start to the europa league.

I do feel like the squad is coming together nicely and we are close to really pushing on which is good.

[n1mez]

I have also started up with Valencia.

My AC Milan save got a bit 2 easy. I started in July 2020, without transfers. After 9 games im number 6, and playing some  good ball. Yunus, Kang-in and Correira start every match - i wanna develop them talents!

[diLLa88]

8 league games to go in the season, and this is the current standing:

Been in first place the whole season, but due to a number of unneccessary draws I'm now 2nd place (still undefeated). I feel this is largely due to the amount of important games in a row, which caused me to have quite a bit of injuries and suspensions. Hopefully Real Madrid will make a mistake somewhere, but I actually expect them to win all their final games.

I drew RB Leipzig in the CL QF which should be an opponent I could beat, so maybe there is something to win here. I also have the Spanish Cup final to play vs. Real Madrid.

[n1mez]

First season done i Valencia without any transfers done.

I found a great 4-4-2 tactic, and managed to get number 4 in La Liga, and even win the Copa del Rey.

They have been a massive hunt on my players, and i have managed to buy a whole lot of exciting players. See screenshots for my transfers. Have been close to a takeover twice, without any luck so far.

 

[dino]

@diLLa88 Very tense end of the season. Best of luck!

@n1mez Interested to see how you fare in your second season after the changes in your squad.

Edited January 6, 2021 by dino

[FMunderachiever]

1 hour ago, n1mez said:

First season done i Valencia without any transfers done.

I found a great 4-4-2 tactic, and managed to get number 4 in La Liga, and even win the Copa del Rey.

They have been a massive hunt on my players, and i have managed to buy a whole lot of exciting players. See screenshots for my transfers. Have been close to a takeover twice, without any luck so far.

 

Soler has been irreplacable for me but youve done great business getting in Demir and Depay.

Great season 1 finish

[FMunderachiever]

1 hour ago, diLLa88 said:

8 league games to go in the season, and this is the current standing:

Been in first place the whole season, but due to a number of unneccessary draws I'm now 2nd place (still undefeated). I feel this is largely due to the amount of important games in a row, which caused me to have quite a bit of injuries and suspensions. Hopefully Real Madrid will make a mistake somewhere, but I actually expect them to win all their final games.

I drew RB Leipzig in the CL QF which should be an opponent I could beat, so maybe there is something to win here. I also have the Spanish Cup final to play vs. Real Madrid.

Youre having a brilliant season nontheless still competing on all fronts. Even if you dont win the league i fancy youll win a trophy!

[n1mez]

1 minute ago, FMunderachiever said:

Soler has been irreplacable for me but youve done great business getting in Demir and Depay.

Great season 1 finish

Thank you. But 80 mio euros for at club like Valencia, you cant turn that down. It was also his minimum release clause. 

[diLLa88]

This game is bad for my health. I won the first leg at home 1-0, so I hoped for a quiet 0-0 or something to close it out, then this happened... what a comeback!

[diLLa88]

1 hour ago, n1mez said:

Thank you. But 80 mio euros for at club like Valencia, you cant turn that down. It was also his minimum release clause. 

I understand the decision. Soler is pretty good for me as well, but €80m can really boost your squad if you spend it wisely.

Edited January 6, 2021 by diLLa88

[n1mez]

2 hours ago, diLLa88 said:

I understand the decision. Soler is pretty good for me as well, but €80m can really boost your squad if you spend it wisely.

Yeah really. I think i have bought some excellent central midfielders. 

[diLLa88]

2 hours ago, n1mez said:

Yeah really. I think i have bought some excellent central midfielders. 

 

Excellent transfers, I could really use a Camara-type of player myself for my current team.

Only thing I'd be a bit concerned of if I were you is that you signed them all with Star player status. For reference, I currently only have 2 with that status in my team. You'd get a lot of complaining if you look at rotating your squad a bit.

Edited January 6, 2021 by diLLa88

[n1mez]

20 hours ago, diLLa88 said:

Excellent transfers, I could really use a Camara-type of player myself for my current team.

Only thing I'd be a bit concerned of if I were you is that you signed them all with Star player status. For reference, I currently only have 2 with that status in my team. You'd get a lot of complaining if you look at rotating your squad a bit.

Yeah. I already put Camara down to important player. So everything is fine

 

[FMunderachiever]

Midwinter Break Season 2 - 2021 All But Done

Valencia Are Taken Over - Peter Lim Makes Way, Boris Cigut Assumes Control

After a turbulent pre-season left us undercooked at the start, rumours again began to build of a takeover from a "mystery tycoon". Whilst this didnt materialise, the Gerina Group and the Cigut Consortium began another battle for ownership of the club. Peter Lim eventually decided to sell to the Cigut Consortium. Whilst this promised financial stability and the possibility of more funds, it did mean board confidence fell to an all time low and left me fighting for a job. Thankfully, through the support of the dressing room and a good string of results, Cigut decided to keep the faith.....for now.....

A host of staff have been relieved of their duties by Cigut.

The Side Is Growing In Confidence; 4th and 3rd Up For Grabs, Europa League and Copa Del Rey Progression

After moving to a back four to facilitate a 4-3-3 formation and a high press style, Mestalla has witnessed a number of entertaining matches so far this season and has seen the side make real progress both in terms of quality of performance and points total. With a little over half a season remaining, im confident we will secure 4th and ideally 3rd and performances have been entertaining.

In the Europa League, qualification was sewn up after 4 games. So the low points total in the group is somewhat misleading as our position at the top of the group was never in any serious threat, and the last two games featured experimental sides. The draw for the knockouts has not been made yet, but this competition could be another avenue into the Champions League. And of course, our first trophy.

An easy 4-0 win to kick off the Copa Del Rey vs Real Zaragoza, but much tougher tests to come.

A couple of areas of concern however. Squad depth is certainly an issue and something we must address with some careful wheeling and dealing, as several players have been suffering niggling injuries and tiredness throughout the season.

A big area of concern is planning for the loss of Gabriel Paulista. The centreback has been in impeccable form all season, and leaves a big gap to fill at the end of the season. Despite efforts to talk him around, Gabriel was insistent that he would run his contract down and leave on a free. I agreed reluctantly, but the kind of pro he is, his performances have not wavered.

 

[FMunderachiever]

Transfer Dealings - One In, One Out......More To Come?

Jorge Saenz had fallen well down the pecking order since season 1. The emergence of Guillamon, and the consistent partnership of Gabriel Paulista and Onguene meant he was surplus to requirements and moved onto Fiorentina for £5 million which in itself was a disappointingly low amount.

However..... A promising new signing is coming into the club.

Brenner of Sao Paulo will be joining in the January window. The intention is he will provide competition for Maxi Gomez in season two, with a view to Maxi moving on to fund other improvements in the squad. The initial up front outlay for Brenner was only around £2 million but on a heavily structured deal that could see the fee rise to nearly £35 million if all clauses are met.

But ive had my eye on him for a while. He has been very impressive in Brazil and the Libertedores, and hard to argue with his scoring record. Happy with the capture

The Improvement Of Yunus Musah & Jesus Vasquez

Its been a breakthrough season for Musah, and i feel he has really nailed down a starting position on the right hand side. He has shown a consistent improvement in training, and has put in a string of impressive performances of late.

Jesus Vasquez has been fast tracked into the first team squad after training with the first team. He has developed superbly and is real competition for the left back spot with Lucas Olaza. Even at 18, he is a far superior option to Toni Lato.

Both youngsters have gone a long way towards fulfiling the boards goal of developing the youngsters at the club.

 

[diLLa88]

Nice dude! Jesus Vazquez looks really good in your game.

Brenner looks great too. Should score some goals for you.

[diLLa88]

Season 2024/2025 End

This was a crazy season where we were leading La Liga for a large part of the season. Unfortunately we had a bit of a rough patch in the 2nd half of the season with many injuries due to the demanding schedule where we drew quite a few games in a row.

We did win all other tournaments though, including the Champions League!

Crazy final game where I was sure I would be getting someone sent off. Fortunately it only happened in the 85th minute when I was already up 2-0.

Squad View

I'm very happy with the current squad, of which 8 are currently selected for the Spanish national team. Weakest position currently is definitely the GK position, but I haven't been able to find a quality Spanish GK yet that is truly world-class and affordable.

Player of the season for me has been Óscar, who was immense with both goals and assists. Andrés Garcia also stepped up immensely in the 2nd half of the season.

Formation

I currently use a gegenpress system as this looks to be working really well for me. In previous season I played a more patient possession game, which did really well but was often too passive for my liking.

 

[FMunderachiever]

Superb season, well done!!!

[luka_zg]

I just brought Pedro Aleman from Valencia Mestalla to my Deportivo squad, anyone has him develop good in their Valencia saves?

[diLLa88]

7 hours ago, luka_zg said:

I just brought Pedro Aleman from Valencia Mestalla to my Deportivo squad, anyone has him develop good in their Valencia saves?

He is not my first choice, but still pretty good.

[FMunderachiever]

i had to take a couple of days off gaming but back with Valencia as i play towards the end of season 2.

I grab a 1-0 win vs Barcelona at Camp Nou thanks to Carlos Soler, only to crash out of the copa del rey to 2nd division Elche after extra time!!!!

AAARRGGGHHHHH the frustration!!

Think we can really push on for a champions league place though, the squad looks settled and good.