[FM21/22] La Liga - the home of Spanish football

[Muttley84]

1 hour ago, goonergez said:

I actually ended up getting even more confused although maybe COVID related. We went into a six team mini league promotion group. It looks like the winner of that group gains promotion and you take all of your existing league points from the first stage with you. The confusing bit seems to be that you don’t play all of the other sides in that group. Of the six we are only playing another three of the teams both home and away. What a confusing setup!

You are only playing the 3 coming from the other group, you dont play the ones in your group anymore. Pretty sure that winning this group of six means nothing, you still have to play the playoffs.

[goonergez]

48 minutes ago, Muttley84 said:

You are only playing the 3 coming from the other group, you dont play the ones in your group anymore. Pretty sure that winning this group of six means nothing, you still have to play the playoffs.

Yes. That was a very strange season. Update to come tomorrow

[goonergez]

Deportivo la Coruna: 2020/21 Review

I left you at the end of the January transfer window with my side unbeaten in the league, and flying high towards the promotion play-offs. Shortly after my update we faced a fight on our hands though, in trying to keep hold of 20-year old right back Mujaid Sadick. The youngster attracted offers from Sevilla and Valencia, and somewhat shockingly we managed to keep hold of him. We're going to face more bids in the summer I am sure, but I just didn't want to allow him to leave with half of an important campaign still to play. We did allow a departure though. 27-year old Uruguayan winger Ignacio Gonzalez headed on loan to Nacional in his home land and will hopefully play plenty of first team football. We couldn't offer that to him here at the moment. We also chose not to contest a departure for the summer. 35-year old Miku signed a pre-contract with Apol. Limassol in Cyprus and will depart at the end of the current campaign.

The group stage of the league didn't throw up any surprises, and despite a scare in the final game, a Diego Rolan goal in the second half ensured we would end it unbeaten. Celso Borges very nearly snatching all three points in added time. It was those two players who impressed the most really. Diego Rolan bagged 12 goals, and Celso Borges laid on 7 assists in his 15 appearances as well as adding six penalties too. That put us into the promotion segment, and just six matches stood between us and a return to the second tier . We would begin the section a point behind Burgos, although the only unbeaten team.

Realistically we needed just one victory in our last three games to be promoted after starting the phase really well. Back to back 0-1 defeats handed us our first league defeats and left us in 2nd spot as we went into the final matchday. Thankfully we made light work of Numantia, and Burgos lost at home to hand us the league title. 

This put us into the play-off rounds, and we sat two matches away from promotion. We made light work of Marbella in round one, a 3-2 score line not doing justice to the domination after we conceded two sloppy late goals. Next up was Barcelona B for the opportunity of promotion. We twice fell behind in the game and fought back, before a stunning long range strike from Borja Galan gave us a 3-2 lead. We added a fourth to really rub salt into the wounds, and then celebrated our promotion with the fans.

We made hard work of it, but did manage to achieve the promotion that we needed and were expected to get. The two defeats really put our chances in jeopardy, and it's mad how close we were to missing out on promotion after going so long before suffering a league defeat. Thankfully we saw it through though and can now start to look at building for the Second Division. Celso Borges was sensational in midfield all season, and Diego Rolan was our top goal scorer with 17. A special mention has to go to Rui Costa, the winger stepped up when we really needed him and scored three important goals during the knockout play-offs. Two of which were goals to peg back Barcelona B.

We've already agreed to sell winger Keko to Tenerife for £800,000, an easy decision after we chose not to register him for the second portion of the league campaign. Financially we are in much better shape, but I am still determined to keep any spending under control. The squad here doesn't look bad at all, and I don't think we will be out of our depth with promotion. I may cash in on Diego Rolan although I am undecided. His goals were crucial to us, but his £20,000 a week wages is more than four times any other player in our squad and I would love to trim that. It'll depend on if we receive any suitable offers. The board want us to finish in the top half next season, and I will return shortly with an update on how we got on in the summer transfer window.

 

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Honours:

2020/21 Spanish Second Division B1 Champions

 

Edited February 2, 2021 by goonergez

[goonergez]

Deportivo la Coruna: 2021/22 Season Preview

Although for myself a first season promotion felt like an achievement, it was something that everybody had expected us to achieve. The real challenge would start from this point really, as I tried to return this football club back to the summit of Spanish league football. Promotion to the La Liga is a priority, although I am not entirely sure it will be possible at the first time of asking. For that to become a reality we would need to strengthen the squad in the market with some fresh new faces. The board presented me with a healthy transfer budget upwards of £2,000,000 in order to achieve a top half finish. I wasn't surprised by the level of ambition and expectation that they were hunting. I too would love a finish in the top half of the league, and anything better than that is a bonus. For me I planned on using this summer as a platform to push on for promotion next season. I also wanted to use the summer to try and bring some younger players into the club. The squad performed well last season, but there were a large number of veteran players among it and I wanted to begin the process of trying to replace them. That process started with our youth intake.

Spoiler

16-year old Xose Blanco looks to possess all the makings of a top player, and is highly recommended by our scouting and coaching teams. I am planning to  have him in and around the first team squad this season, and he may well earn some minutes. Hopefully we can get him progressing and developing quickly into a top player here for us.

Departure wise we weren't too active, as I looked to keep the core of last season's promotion side together. We didn't need drastic changes, and I didn't want to complete a clear out as it simply wasn't necessary.

There were three pre-arranged departures that went through as planned, as Keko left for Tenerife (in a £800,000 deal), Fede Catabria left for China and veteran Miku returned to Cyprus with Appol. Limassol (on a free transfer). Jose Lara also returned to Sevilla at the end of his loan deal with the club. He made only four appearances for us and I never contemplated trying to extend his loan. Contract expiration day saw a whole host more players leave the football club including winger Rayco and attacking midfielder Manu Mosquera. Both of them were in our first team squad last season, but only Rayco picked up any minutes and they were very rare.

Much of the summer months saw speculation over the futures of two key first team players. Striker Diego Rolan was under constant interest from clubs in China, and full back Mujaid Sadick was interesting a number of La Liga clubs. I didn't actively want to sell either of them, but decided if we received offers matching my valuations then I also wouldn't stand in there way.
Unfortunately in the end we did receive offers, and they were for young right back Sadick. Valladolid activated his release clause, and we were powerless to stand in his way. A £1,900,000 fee is nothing to be sniffed at though, and funded the entirety of our summer business. Disappointingly we also lost promising 22-year old central midfielder Yago Gandoy to Real Betis in a £200,000 deal. He was a player I didn't want to lose, but he became irritated and annoyed when we rejected a couple of bids from La Liga sides. In the end I decided to cut my losses and save the morale of the squad by not keeping hold of an unhappy player. Fringe full back Eneko Boveda was also allowed to leave, as £400,000 seemed a good offer for a 32-year old who wasn't first choice here. Winger Ignacio Gonzalez did nothing but annoy me last year, and he also left as Alaves activated his release clause of £250,000. He spent the second half of last season away on loan and will not be missed.

Arrival wise we made a few additions, although without breaking the bank.

Not included on the above image is the signing of 19-year old central defender Cesar Tarrega. We picked him up from Valencia B on a free transfer to offer some depth. On a free transfer it was a no brainer, and if he doesn't develop as much as we hope then we should be able to shift him on for a profit. Our first arrival was a new goalkeeper, as we snapped up Alaves stopper Antonio Sivera on a free transfer. The 24-year old will compete with Carlos Abad for the number one jersey after his impressive campaign last time around. Sivera has significant quality though, and will almost certainly become first choice here.

Chasing a new centre back, I was torn between an experienced head on loan or a younger prospect for a small fee. In the end I decided to sign someone more capable of regular first team football, and that saw 28-year old Ignasi Miquel join on loan for the season. He joins from top flight Getafe, and should do really well for us at this level. He joins to offer some depth at centre back over a long campaign. We also signed 23-year old Alex Martin from Cartagena in a £170,000 deal. He looks promising enough, but will mainly be a backup option here this season. The sale of Sadick left us short at right back, and we opted to bring in a less experienced player to take his place. 23-year old Guillem was signed for just £60,000 from Real Madrid. He is raw, but looks to possess a lot of potential. He will gain a lot of first team experience with us this season.

Looking for some quality in the final third, we made a big move for the first time under my managerial leadership. 22-year old Japanese international Hiroki Abe was signed from Barcelona in a mega £1,000,000 deal. The winger will slot straight into our side and departs the La Liga champions after making five appearances for them last season. I am very excited to see him play for us, and hope he will prove a really good addition.

Spoiler

As cover up front we picked up experienced striker Joselu on loan from Tenerife for the season. The 30-year old offers another option for us up front, and hopefully he can chip in with plenty of goals for us this season. I'm pleased with the money we raised too, and I think the only departure we're really going to feel is that of Mujaid Sadick. Guillem is a talented replacement, but doesn't possess the quality or experience that we've lost (even if Sadick was only 21-years of age). 

I'm confident in our chances though, and keen to see us get onto the pitch. We've changed our tactical approach to slightly more of a counter attacking style though, as I don't believe we will dominate quite so many matches. We're found at odds of 9-1 to win the league title though, and I reckon that's worth a cheeky flutter. We did a pretty good job over the summer, and I think we can be pretty pleased with the squad we are taking into the season. Expectations are for a top half finish, and the media think we can achieve it. They predict us a 9th placed finish, and I firmly believe we are capable. The arrivals of Hiroki Abe and Joselu add more quality in the final third, and with Diego Rolan also there we should be alright for goals. Defensively we could've done without losing Sadick, but I feel we still have a strong enough back line to prevent goals.

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Honours:

2020/21 Spanish Second Division B1 Winners

Edited February 2, 2021 by goonergez

[jeeshan2000]

Does anyone have any experience with Spanish Second Division? 

I was thinking of a challenge whereby i can promote a team to La Liga, and then fight with the big teams. 

[Ewan0404]

4 minutes ago, jeeshan2000 said:

Does anyone have any experience with Spanish Second Division? 

I was thinking of a challenge whereby i can promote a team to La Liga, and then fight with the big teams. 

@goonergez is just about to take on the Second Division, I will be doing the same once the next update is out.

[goonergez]

15 minutes ago, jeeshan2000 said:

Does anyone have any experience with Spanish Second Division? 

I was thinking of a challenge whereby i can promote a team to La Liga, and then fight with the big teams. 

There are some pretty big names in the Second Division. Espanyol, Malaga, Tenerife and Zaragoza to name a few. I know very little about Spanish football, but am learning constantly. Part of the reason I decided to try it out.

[Ewan0404]

Espanyol would be a good save especially with Raul de Tomas up top.

Malaga were mega rich and in the champions league not too long ago. 

[goonergez]

12 minutes ago, Ewan0404 said:

Espanyol would be a good save especially with Raul de Tomas up top.

Malaga were mega rich and in the champions league not too long ago. 

In the bottom tier there is of course Deportivo, but also RC Santander who are quite a big club I believe. @Ronaldo Beckhammay know a little more?

[jeeshan2000]

I suppose Espanyol will be a very easy save. They are too good for Second Division, and have enough quality to gain promotion in a strong way. 

I was thinking of Almeria. Not a big club. Recently bought over by a tycoon. Have quite a few bright players, although many of them are on loan. Somehow they managed to get Lucas Robertone, who in older FM editions was always someone i would buy. 

[goonergez]

@jeeshan2000Almeria would be interesting. Be nice to see a different choice of club too. Hope to be reading updates from you soon.....

[Ronaldo Beckham]

2 hours ago, jeeshan2000 said:

Does anyone have any experience with Spanish Second Division? 

I was thinking of a challenge whereby i can promote a team to La Liga, and then fight with the big teams. 

 

1 hour ago, goonergez said:

In the bottom tier there is of course Deportivo, but also RC Santander who are quite a big club I believe. @Ronaldo Beckhammay know a little more?

I had an enjoyable save with Racing Santander but I get bored of my FM saves.

There are plently of teams out there. I had a really enjoyable save with Rayo Vallacano on FM2020. There is also Deportivo La Coruna, Numancia, Burgos, FC Andorra & Marbella etc.

[Ewan0404]

@Ronaldo Beckham

I enjoyed reading your Rayo save last year. You should give them another go once the winter update comes out?

Get this thread going 

[Ronaldo Beckham]

2 minutes ago, Ewan0404 said:

@Ronaldo Beckham

I enjoyed reading your Rayo save last year. You should give them another go once the winter update comes out?

Get this thread going 

Yeah I got a save with Sporting Lisbon at the moment but I might start a save with Sporting Gijon sometime this week if helps this thread out.

 

[Ewan0404]

Just now, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Yeah I got a save with Sporting Lisbon at the moment but I might start a save with Sporting Gijon sometime this week if helps this thread out.

 

Wait for the next patch and start at the same time as myself haha.

Are you going to update the other thread with your Sporting save?

[Ronaldo Beckham]

1 minute ago, Ewan0404 said:

Wait for the next patch and start at the same time as myself haha.

Are you going to update the other thread with your Sporting save?

Yeah I might do at some point once I have completed the season. I am struggling to stay interested in any FM saves lately.

[Ewan0404]

3 minutes ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Yeah I might do at some point once I have completed the season. I am struggling to stay interested in any FM saves lately.

Maybe take a few weeks off until the update comes out then start a save?

[Ronaldo Beckham]

Just now, Ewan0404 said:

Maybe take a few weeks off until the update comes out then start a save?

I get bored at night if I didn't play FM. I can't seem to get into any other games. I have bought Cities Skylines and Planet Zoo but can't get into them.

[goonergez]

33 minutes ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Yeah I got a save with Sporting Lisbon at the moment but I might start a save with Sporting Gijon sometime this week if helps this thread out.

 

The more the merrier mate. Get in here!

[goonergez]

Deportivo la Coruna: 2021/22 Mid-Season Report

A pretty successful summer after a promotion meant we entered this season with high hopes of a solid campaign. We had brought in some real quality, and had managed to keep hold of the majority of our key players from last years title winning season. Having kept hold of star striker Diego Rolan in the summer and the creativity of central midfielder Celso Borges hopes were high on the Northern Spanish coast of a impressive campaign. The closing of the summer window didn't end the transfer speculation though, and we came very close to losing Celso Borges to the MLS. We just about managed to cling on to him, but at 33-years of age it did have me thinking. Now is probably the time to start looking for a real long term replacement for him.

On the field we started the season really well, but have tailed off a little bit since. We've just reached the mid-season winter break and that gives us a chance to reflect on what's been so far. We're still in a comfortable position, but we need to work hard if we want to complete a top-half finish. Defensively we look very good, and the loan signing of Ignasi Miquel has proven an inspired one as he's been impressive. In goal Antonio Sivera has proven a fantastic signing and already has 7 clean sheets to his name. Up front we've relied upon Diego Rolan again, although loanee Joselu has proven able enough as an alternative option. My stand out is probably summer arrival Guillem at right back though. I signed him to replace Sadick and never expected him to perform as well as he has done. At 23-years of age he has plenty of time to develop, but is already beginning to come a real mainstay of our defensive line.

Spoiler

A solid enough start to life in the Second Division, although there is plenty of work left to be done. We've laid the foundations for a positive season, but just recently things have stalled a little and results have begun to be a little more disappointing. I feel we can push into the top half though, and if we can get the likes of Hiroki Abe (6 goals and no assists) firing more then we should be alright. I'm not too sure as to why our form has dipped, but I am hoping that it's just a blip and we will get over it soon enough. I see no reason to worry about relegation or anything, but we have high expectations and living up to them is important. It's been nice to see some of the performances from players I didn't expect to perform so well though. Right back Guillem has been superb, and youngster Xose Blanco has stepped into the side brilliantly despite being just 16. He looks to have a very bright future for the club. Hopefully we can push on in the second half of the campaign and make this a real season to remember. I'm not expecting much activity in the transfer market, but will be looking for a replacement for striker Diego Rolan. Rolan has been impressive for us in front of goal, but he won't discuss terms on a new contract with us and has just entered the final six months of his deal. He's almost certain to leave, and finding a replacement will be important for taking this club forwards.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Honours:

2020/21 Second Division B1 Champions

[goonergez]

Deportivo la Coruna: January 2022 Update

I left you midway through December, as our fixtures stalled for three weeks due to the Spanish winter break. I return around six weeks later as the winter transfer window slams shut on any potential business. I told you last time out that I wasn't expecting a great deal of activity, but there was indeed some both in and out of the club. We had started the season pretty well, but I was hoping that a little freshening up of the squad could help us to push on over the remainder of the season.

The big news to bring is that striker Diego Rolan will leave the club at the end of the season on a free transfer. He was refusing to discuss terms with us over a new contract with us and will join Trabzonspor in Turkey. I'm disappointed to lose his quality from our squad, but it will trim £20,000 off of our weekly wage budget so all is not bad. He's earning four times as much as any other member of our squad and so I will be pleased to clear him off of our wage bill. Hopefully he can give us a great send off by having a really strong end to the campaign. In other disappointing news we crashed out of the Copa Del Rey at the first hurdle. I made a whole host of changes, and a makeshift side were sent packing after a shocking 0-3 defeat away to Salamanca of the league below. 

Before any transfer activity took place we did add another body to our first team squad though. 18-year old Jairo Noirego had enjoyed a really good start to the season with our B side, and the central midfielder looks a really promising prospect. He is the perfect example of what I am trying to do with my squad here, adding a mix of youth and experience to our ranks.

One of our departures clearly stands out, as we lost our most exciting prospect to Aletico Madrid. Xose Blanco decided to part ways with us after the La Liga side activated his release clause. We offered the 16-year old midfielder a bumper new deal to try and keep him, but unsurprisingly he decided to leave. It was gutting for us as I had already started to centre our future squad around his undoubted talent. The only bonus from that deal being the big fee that it brought in. We also brought in a big fee in selling central defender Derik Osede to Cartagena for £500,000. He was a regular in our promotion winning side last season, but the summer loan deal of Ignasi Miquel had seen him out of the side for most of this campaign. Promising striker Noel Lopez was allowed to leave the club, as Huesca activated his release clause. He made six first team appearances for us last season, but the 18-year old had only made a couple of matchday squads this time around. We also let a couple of promising youngsters head away on loan deals, hopefully to pick up some regular first team football. I'll be keeping a keen eye on goalkeeper Andy Collier, and seeing how he develops away at Lieoa.

We completed a pre-arranged deal to kick off the new year, with 26-year old left full back Jose Matos signing from Cadiz. At just £30,000 the deal was an easy one, and he arrives to offer some cover in defence. With regards to signings it was more about adding depth than anybody to come in and take the bull by the horns. My main aim was to look at how we could replace some of the more senior players within our squad. With Diego Rolan departing it was also important to find a new option to play up top as we would only be able to call upon Rolan for the rest of this season. For that reason we signed the 21-year old Venezualan forward Alejandro Marques. The youngster looks a real bargain at just £150,000, and has plenty of time to develop.

Spoiler

He's not going to walk straight into our side, but there is definitely some game time for him between now and the end of the season. I'm delighted to have signed him, and at the price we paid there is plenty of opportunity for a future sale too. The only other signing was an experienced face to join our midfield. With Xose Blanco and Jairo Noirego becoming parts of our side, we needed to add some more experience into our ranks. The 31-year old was out of contract in the summer, but we decided to move now to bring him in. At 31-years old he's hitting the end of his career, but I am hoping his experience will benefit our younger players as well as bringing his qualities with him. The departure of Blanco meant we were a body short too, and his arrival seemed a good piece of business for us.

An indifferent return to football after the break has brought a mixed bag of results, and it's dropped us slightly off of the pace. Hopefully we can get our new arrivals to settle in quickly, and then make a late burst up the table. We're in the top half though, and if we finish there it can only be considered a successful season. I said at the beginning of this season I wanted to lay the groundwork to come out next time around and focus on promotion back to La Liga. I would love to sneak into the play-off places, but would be left happy with a finish within the top half. The summer is something I already need to think about, as we are going to need quite a shuffle in our first team. We've got the likes of Celso Borges and Alex Bergantinos in our first team, and they will need to be replaced soon due to age. For now we focus on finishing this season strongly though, and finishing as high as we can up the league table.

---------------------------------------

Honours:

2020/21 Second Division B1 Winners

[Ronaldo Beckham]

I probably wont be posting in here for a while as I am starting the Ultimate Manager Challenge and that will take me a long time to complete but I will keep checking in here to see how you are doing. 

[goonergez]

8 minutes ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

I probably wont be posting in here for a while as I am starting the Ultimate Manager Challenge and that will take me a long time to complete but I will keep checking in here to see how you are doing. 

That's a shame! I feel like I am all alone in here right now!

[Ronaldo Beckham]

3 minutes ago, goonergez said:

That's a shame! I feel like I am all alone in here right now!

Keep posting buddy. More people will join in eventually.

[Ewan0404]

54 minutes ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

I probably wont be posting in here for a while as I am starting the Ultimate Manager Challenge and that will take me a long time to complete but I will keep checking in here to see how you are doing. 

Whats that challenge?

44 minutes ago, goonergez said:

That's a shame! I feel like I am all alone in here right now!

I will be joining the thread when the update drops but not before then.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

2 minutes ago, Ewan0404 said:

Whats that challenge?

I will be joining the thread when the update drops but not before then.

It's into the Challenges sub section on here buddy. 

The Ultimate Football Manager 21 Challenge - Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments - Sports Interactive Community (sigames.com)

[Ewan0404]

3 minutes ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

It's into the Challenges sub section on here buddy. 

The Ultimate Football Manager 21 Challenge - Challenges, Sign-Ups & Experiments - Sports Interactive Community (sigames.com)

Ah okay, I always feel like doing the Pentagon challenge but never get very far before quitting.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

4 minutes ago, Ewan0404 said:

Ah okay, I always feel like doing the Pentagon challenge but never get very far before quitting.

Yeah I have done this challenge twice before on previous versions of FM and it literally takes your soul. Its so hard to complete. 

It is worth it though and I need something to get my teeth into as I have had like 5-6 saves in the space of a week lol.

[Jogo Bonito]

1 hour ago, goonergez said:

That's a shame! I feel like I am all alone in here right now!

Great last update, please don't be put off. Vamos La Coruña!

[Ronaldo Beckham]

1 hour ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Great last update, please don't be put off. Vamos La Coruña!

When Jogo gets bored of his current saves I think a spell in Spain would do him the world of good lol.

[goonergez]

Deportivo la Coruna: 2021/22 Review

I left you at the end of the January transfer window, with the club having lost a couple of promising players and sat comfortably in the mid-table region. A push at a play-off spot wasn't out of the question, and more importantly achieving the boards expectations of a top half finish were very much achievable.

Spoiler

Two summer signings really proved worthwhile in helping us perform so well at the back. Goalkeeper Antonio Sivera performed superbly all season, keeping 19 clean sheets in the process. Central defender Ignasi Miquel added some real steel to our back line too, after arriving on loan from Getafe for the season. Both of them played a huge part in helping us perform so well at the back. As the season wore on we started to struggle a little more to score goals though, which is why we never quite reached the heights I felt that we could. Diego Rolan did well in the first half of the season, but only ended up with 15 goals over the season. Wingers Rui Costa (5) and Hiroki Abe (9) also failed to score regularly. January arrival Alejandro Marques managed to impress though, with 7 goals in his 18 appearances. Not a bad way to announce himself to the fans here.

A pretty solid first season at this first level, as we avoided any relegation worries to clinch a safe finish within mid-table. It's a little disappointing we were so far away from the play-offs, but a poor run after the turn of the year cost us big time. I would've been happy enough if you'd offered me that at the beginning of the season though, so can't be too disappointed. Hopefully we can build upon it next season and make a better go at trying to gain promotion. I said all along I saw this season as almost a set up for next year, and hopefully that is exactly what this will end up having been. Work on progressing our squad has already begun, and full back Guillem has signed a new contract to remain with the club. The right back seriously impressed after his £61,000 signing from Real Madrid and ended up becoming one of the first names on our team sheet. I didn't expect him to be such a significant member of our squad, but was delighted that it came to bear fruit. We will lose young centre back Lucas Martinez Rodriguez though, after he agreed a pre contract deal with Real Sociedad. It's gutting to lose another top prospect, but I can understand his decision to move on. Of course we are also going to have to replace Diego Rolan up front when he completes his pre-contract agreement to join Trabzonspor. I anticipate quite a bit of activity this summer, as I look to try and take this team much closer to a return to the top flight.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Honours:

2020/21 Second Division B1 Winners

[goonergez]

Deportivo la Coruna: 2022/23 Season Preview

I'm two seasons through my journey with this club, and it's been two seasons of pretty decent success. We won promotion during my first campaign here, and last season completed a highly respectable finish in 10th place of the Second tier. Now it's a case of trying to push on and gain promotion back to La Liga. The summer was to prove a busy one though, as we lost a number of players who played a key part in our squad last season. I said I had anticipated a busy summer for this club, and in the end that is exactly what happened. After last seasons top half finish the board actually lowered their expectations for the current campaign. For them they would be happy to finish comfortably in mid-table this time around, and presented me with a £2,000,000 transfer budget to make improvements to the squad. That's a decent amount to be able to spend, although I would be looking to spend nowhere near that much. I've said since I first arrived here that I want to try and make this club self sustainable, and that involves being careful in regards to transfer fees and wage demands.

Striker Joselu returned to his parent club at the end of his loan deal with us, and then Diego Rolan (Trabonspor) and youngster Lucas Martinez Rodriguez (Real Sociedad) completed their pre-agreed deals out of the club. A number of players were informed they could leave at the end of their contracts here, with winger Borja Galan the most high profile of them. There were however a lot less departures than last summer.

We didn't raise as much money as we have done previously, but still brought in some funds. Central defender Borja Granero was the most high profile, moving to Castellon for £100,000. He was never a regular under my management, but had always been in and around our match day squad. I wanted to clear some players though, and to bring in a fee was very useful indeed.
Youngster Cesar Tarrega arrived here on a free transfer last summer, but never staked his claim to be a regular. He had potential to grow into a decent player, but as with Granero I decided that bringing some money in would prove more valuable to my football club.

Arrival wise we managed to convince Getafe to allow us to keep Ignasi Miquel at the club on loan for another season. He formed a key part of our defensive line last season, and keeping him here was hugely important. Hopefully he can produce similar performances this time around. We also snapped up two exciting wingers on free transfer dealings. 25-year old Pejino was picked up from Las Palmas, and the more experienced 28-year old Jairo arrived from Girona. We also completed a pre-arranged deal for 17-year old German midfielder Jan-Lukas Rudolph from RB Leipzig in a £60,000 deal. He's very raw indeed, and will spend this season with our B team hopefully playing some first team football.

We brought in four more players over the summer, including another loan dealing for our defensive line. 23-year old Fernando Navarro is a right back, and will offer some cover to the impressive Guillem over a long season. Our most exciting summer signing is probably the 16-year old Alexandro Castro though.

Spoiler

At such a low fee and at his age I am thinking we picked up a real talent. He has so much time to develop, and I plan on keeping him involved with the first team squad this season. I hope he can improve surrounded by some older and wiser heads, and as I say I think we've found a real gem. Our final defensive recruit was 29-year old Unai Elgezabal from Burgos. At £170,000 he was one of the more expensive signings during my regime, but I am sure he will prove worth it. I have had my eye on him since I arrived at the club, and he will offer some valuable cover to our defensive line.  With Alex Bergantinos now 37-years of age I felt it was important to bring somebody into the club to enable us to use him in rotation. His contract is up at the end of this campaign, and I don't see him staying beyond it. The final arrival offers some cover in the centre of the park. 24-year old Genero is a solid enough central midfielder, and like Elgezabal will be used in rotation alongside the older Celso Borges and Fran Merida.

I'm really pleased with our summer activity, and we've got a very good squad to go into this season with. Losing Diego Rolan will prove tough, but we signed Alejandro Marques in January for exactly that reason. the arrival of wingers Jairo and Pejino means we have the opportunity now to play last summers addition Hiroki Abe as a striker as well, giving us another option. We're not predicted by anybody to trouble the play-off spots, but I hope that we can do just that. We have a pretty good squad here, and the last two windows we have done pretty well at lowering the average age of our squad. We still have a few older heads, but i am pleased that the balance is beginning to get a little better. My only worry is how we will cope without the goals of Diego Rolan. Clearing his wages was important, but replacing his goals will prove tricky. Other than that I am happy with our squad though. Defensively we should be fine, and I am sure we can make ourselves competitive throughout the whole campaign. I would love a play off spot, and the name of the game this time around is progress. Lets hope we can do better this season than we did last.

------------------------------------------

Honours:

2020/21 Second Division B1 Winners

[goonergez]

Deportivo la Coruna: Departure Update

So after two and a half seasons my journey with Deportivo has come to an end after the board sacked me midway through the campaign. I am absolutely gutted, but to be honest I have been expecting it for a while. After two pretty decent seasons we fell to pot this year and never got going.  The departure of Diego Rolan turned out to be too much, and we just couldn't score enough goals to be competitive. I wish I had gone out in the summer and spent some money on a real out and out goal scorer, but was trying to look after the financial side of things maybe a little too much. We sat rock bottom of the league and simply put we were terrible. Alejandro Marques wasn't scoring goals, and from midfield we simply didn't create enough chances. Defensively we were far from great, but we also weren't truly awful. Besides from a humiliating 0-6 home defeat to Huesca and a shocking twenty minutes that saw us beaten 0-4 at home by Espanyol. We picked up just 8 points from 14 matches with just 8 goals scored, and so I can't say I am surprised that I was relieved of my duties. Now I need to dust myself off and figure out where I am going to go next.  It has been fun to play in a different country and a different league to normal though. I'm tempted to return to the daFuge challenge, but equally tempted to try out either Italy or Germany. I'll take a couple of hours enjoying the new season of Apex Legends and then try to figure out what challenge I take on next.
 

[Ewan0404]

Gutting to see your journey end like that. Start applying for new jobs in Spain, try and build your way to the top flight. 

[Jogo Bonito]

@goonergez That's a shame. It was a good spell and I was enjoying the updates, but results just didn't come this season and it's a ruthless business. Best of luck for your next adventure.

[goonergez]

@Ewan0404 @Jogo Bonito thanks guys. It was gutting actually. Losing Rolan didn’t help at all and I thought I could get buy with just Marques who simply wasn’t good enough. I’m going to hop away from Spain for a bit, just not sure what to do next if I’m honest. After a break I may take on the dafuge challenge again, before heading over to Italy or Germany.

[diLLa88]

Finally managed to win La Liga in season 2025/2026 after having finished top 3 for several seasons in a row. Convincingly too!

This is the squad that did it:

Edited February 4, 2021 by diLLa88

[Ewan0404]

42 minutes ago, goonergez said:

@Ewan0404 @Jogo Bonito thanks guys. It was gutting actually. Losing Rolan didn’t help at all and I thought I could get buy with just Marques who simply wasn’t good enough. I’m going to hop away from Spain for a bit, just not sure what to do next if I’m honest. After a break I may take on the dafuge challenge again, before heading over to Italy or Germany.

You should just continue your current save I think rather than starting a new game. 

[Ewan0404]

5 hours ago, diLLa88 said:

Finally managed to win La Liga in season 2025/2026 after having finished top 3 for several seasons in a row. Convincingly too!

This is the squad that did it:

Very well done to you.

Could you possibly let me see how Ugarte, Diaz and Oscar have developed?

[saware]

On 02/02/2021 at 16:49, jeeshan2000 said:

Does anyone have any experience with Spanish Second Division? 

I was thinking of a challenge whereby i can promote a team to La Liga, and then fight with the big teams. 

Started a save with Almeria last week, really enjoying it. Good quality squad & definite potential to improve thanks to rich owner. Nearly finished my 1st season so will be interesting to see what happens next.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

1 hour ago, saware said:

Started a save with Almeria last week, really enjoying it. Good quality squad & definite potential to improve thanks to rich owner. Nearly finished my 1st season so will be interesting to see what happens next.

Who were your best signings then ?

[Mackem742]

Ill do a full update later when I get home but things are still going well in my Valencia save. Im currently 2nd, 4 points behind Real Madrid with a game in hand and I still have to play them at Mestalla. Also into the last 8 of the Copa Del Rey, Barca and Madrid have both been knocked out so Ive got a massive chance of winning it. Arezo has come in during the January transfer window but hasnt set the league alight yet, still early days but Im hopeful of finishing in a Champions League spot, unless I have a spectacular collapse. 

Im not sure how they perform on other peoples saves but Real Betis are the surprise package on my game, they are currently 3rd and one of only 2 teams to beat me so far. They also pushed me close in the last round of the cup, in fact both games were very similar, I was 2-0 up away in both games but they managed to pull it back to 2-2 in the 2nd half, in the league game they scored a last minute winner but in the cup it went all the way to penalties which I won fortunatly but not happy after being 2-0 up in both games   

[saware]

7 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

Who were your best signings then ?

Started with a closed window, but brought in Mamadou Loum from Porto (£325k rising to £675k) as a DM and Janni Serra from Holstein Kiel (£1m) as a Target Man/Pressing Forward. Also, got Laird from Man Utd on loan as CWB.

[diLLa88]

23 hours ago, Ewan0404 said:

Very well done to you.

Could you possibly let me see how Ugarte, Diaz and Oscar have developed?

Here you go!

[Vladis]

Hello, guys! How do you manage player development in B teams? Do you hire staff by yourself, manage squad, transfers, contracts or just let B team`s manager to make all this things?

[Mackem742]

Just about to kick off my 2nd season with Valencia, finished 2nd last season so hopefully Champions League football wont be a distraction as I think thats why I finished so high last season.

For finishing 2nd I was rewarded with a £5 million transfer budget, the finances at Valencia are dire for such a big club. I wouldnt be able to strengthen the team with that so I adjusted my budget and put it all into wages then signed Donarruma on a free.

Both of my keepers are aging now so signing him sorts my keeper position out for years to come. Hopefully I can make it to 2025 when we are due to move into a new stadium.

Currently in the middle of a potential takeover so hopefully if that goes through Ill get a massive transfer budget, although the news item said he wanted Carlo Ancellotti to take over from me. Last season a Russian guy was wanting to takeover and the news item said he would give me a £256 million budget.  Unfortunatly it fell through. 

[Azazel05]

Alright well I suppose I'll post about my Deportivo save

Season 1 20/21

We stormed the league having won the title by April however I dont have any screenshots of that season other than transfer business

Season 1 signings

Iturbe was only around for the season till Sevilla matched his quite low release clause however Resende had quite the successful spell

Season 1 sales

No comment tbh

Season 2 21/22

As you can see we did get back to back promotion however it was very lucky as we beat Mallorca in the playoff final on aggregate 4-3 after we won the first lag 2-0 and lost the second one 3-2 giving us the win on aggregate, The clubs coming up with us were Espanyol and Almeria (they're important now since they had a tycoon and.... well just keep reading)

Resende did end up scoring 17 goals but he didnt even make the top 3 goalscorers with that tally

Season 2 signings

As you could see I splashed out a little thanks to a friend I call installments buying Sarmiento and Gasparini for the first team with Chicco turning out to be an excellent box to box midfielder

Season 2 sales 

Again no comment tbh on the sales

Season 3 22/23

I spent the entire pre-season telling myself "We're going back down, We're going back down, We're going back down" I should've known from past experience of saves.... I never go down

Despite being tipped to come last we go and oull 9th out of our asses which was mainly achieved when the board said they wouldnt improve our youth facilites due to our form..... so I told them to suck it and did this

How dare you say no to me

I probably would've won manager of the year but you can probably guess why Almeria are important now

 

Resende also decided to blow up and win the Pichichi which was a double edged sword when I released his release clause was only £15 million

Season 3 signings

Hlozek and Gomez coming in were huge confidence boosters for me as in Gomez I finally had a reliable set piece taker and Hlozek was there to replace Fernandes when he went back to Sporting, Hugo Siquet was probably the unsung hero of the season from right back whilst Tavares had a few defensive clangers 

Season 3 sales

A few people went on a free no one worth noting though

Season 4

I'm currently 3 games into season 4 and its started with 1 win and 2 losses leaving me 12th but heres the transfer business

Signings

Insa and Martinez were both brought in out of necessity to replace a certain GK and striker respectively

 

Insa was quite underwhelming but I see a bright future for him with that 17 DET, 14 Aerial reach, 14 handling and 14 one on ones all by 18

Octavio Martinez on the other hand already looks to be a top divison striker at his young age with those amazing physicals really standing out with his 14 dribbling, 18 heading and 13 composure.... also that name Octavio.... worth the 1.2 mil alone

I also signed Leandro Dias on loan and extended the loan of Brito

Sales

Pain.... Gasparini had forced a move to Norwich of all clubs when Milan was very keen whilst Resende was release clauses

Gasparini had been very good in season 3 and losing him could really hurt us despite the acquisition of Insa but it wasn't this one that hurt me

It was this... look at him, numberless, he had evolved into an amazing forward able to score whenever it was needed most 

Youth Academy

I have managed to acquire a number of top prospects with 7 players I repeat 7 players coming through the youth intakes with 5 star potential

Already vice captain at the club at the age of 17 he definitely has the potential to start at the back for Brazil or Spain whoever he chooses (he might do a Diego Costa)

A great prospect and in and around the first team due to a lack of quality at Centre half but that position won't be a problem in the long term future with Garcia and Joao most definitely being capable of winning titles together

 

Future cash cow not gonna lie, with Insa at the club for the foreseeable future Galan doesn't have much hope of becoming a first team player at the club

Definitely has potential to be a utility player in the attack but he's got some ways to go to be a starter

He looks like a hard worker so would definitely fit the mould for me as a wing back maybe improve on the speed, dribbling and defending and he could be great

The most forgettable of the seven another future cash cow

The sad one... I was planning on having him be a big part of my plans this season and he was the first of the seven to come through..... but he's only gone and broken his ankle, Realistically I've never had a wonderkid come back from such a horrific injury so I dont know whether to give up on him and cut my losses or keep trying

That's not even mentioning players I've pulled away from other clubs

Both absolutely class prospects could go very far

 

Edited February 20, 2021 by Azazel05

[Ewan0404]

With the winter update comes my long awaited long term save with CD Tenerife. I will be updating in here occasionally but I have also made a post in the careers area of the site where I will do 2 or 3 updates a season for this save.

[UnkownManager]

Has anyone played with Almeria? Don't they have a sugar daddy?

[Mackem742]

Pretty furious at my Valencia save, I suffered my 1st defeat of the season at home to Eibar (2-1), it was a bit of a smash and grab from them. Followed that up with a 0-0 draw away at Gladbach in my Champions league group so thats 3 games played (against Ajax, Zenit and Gladbach) and 3 games drawn leaving me in 3rd place in the group. I then went on a great run of 3 wins back to back without conceding a goal to drag myself from 6th to 2nd in the league and then my game suffered a crash dump. My last save point was after the Eibar defeat, lost my motivation and turned the game off. Hopefully I can get that motivation back when I get home from work but I doubt ill replicate the run I had before it crashed.