The Unofficial French League Superthread FM2021

[strangerthankindness]

RC Lens Update 3: Season 1. I've got my players all in by early August, so now it's a matter of scheduling a lot of friendlies against weaker opposition to get everyone up to speed and fit, and to work on a formation and a consistent line-up. As the goal of this save is to try to retain much of the original Lens core (and to hopefully bring back past Lens home-grown players), I'm curious to see how we'll do with a team of players whose stats don't leap off the screen; most of my team's key stats for their individual roles are in the 12-15 range, with hardly anyone boasting anything in the 16-20 range except new arrival Mathieu Valbuena. I'll also be avoiding using any regens until at least the fifth season, when the "sign young players for the future" vision becomes difficult without using them, lol. If I sign any, or have prospects from the youth set-up, I'll send them on loan.

 

 

We'll be going with a Balanced 4-2-3-1 Wide formation, in a Gegenpress or Vertical Tiki-Taka counter-attacking style. (This formation and style also appears to be what we'll go up against a lot in Ligue 1). Against more talented opposition, we'll switch to a Cautious style, with one of the midfielders dropping down as a DMC. Against lesser opposition, I'll switch to Positive, and try to get forward even faster, but I don't want to get ahead of myself yet. Either way, we'll be up and at 'em, using an aggressive man-marking system that will bring us plenty of fouls, ha ha. And for games against the PSG's and OL's of the league, I'll break out a paranoid 4-1-2-1-2 formation, where we drop deeper, pack the middle, and hope for the best.

 

 

Our two fullbacks in the 4231 will basically operate as attacking wingbacks, or Complete WB-Support. (Can't really trust them as CWB-A yet, as I don't know how good we are.) Haidara and Clauss, along with their backups Sylla and Costanza, have the stats for this, with good crossing, dribbling, and technique. (Again, they're not all-stars though.) They'll overlap in the wings, hopefully pushing the wingers (used as playmakers or inside forwards) in a bit and creating an overload. In the center of defense we'll have the young Marlon Torres paired up with ancient veteran Zakaria Diallo, with Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa alternating among the two depending on form, suspension, injuries, etc. By the winter we'll have signed Aned Ahmedhovic, who'll slot into the rapidly declining Diallo's spot. Anchoring the goal is Wuiker Farinez, with Jean-Louis Leca coming in periodically so he stays somewhat happy.

 

The inside midfielders will basically operate as the shields, providing power rather than flair, stopping the opposition but hopefully still getting up and down the field and moving the ball onto the attackers in front. Seko Fofana operates as the box-to-box dynamo, unless against more powerful opposition, in which case he'll stay back a bit as a Deep-Lying Playmaker-Defend or a Ball-Winning MF. His usual partner is Cheick Doucoure, staged as either the clean-up-man Carrilero or, dropping down to DMC in cases, a traditional defensive midfielder. (Asst. Mgr Alou Diarra suggests his best role is Central Midfielder-Support, so we'll try that too.) Rotating with them is Mamadou Loum and even young Brahima Ouattara, if we need more flair and less heel-biting. Kakuta can also spend time there if needed. 

 

On the front lines Valbuena, Kakuta, and Thomas Amang alternate, with usually Valbuena on the left as either an Inside Forward, Advanced Playmaker, or Inverted Winger; Kakuta in the middle (where his lack of speed can be hidden from the wings) as an Adv-Play-Support (if it's Attack, he doesn't come back to help out as much in the middle of the park), and Amang burning down the right with his pace and fitness. Amang proves deadly as a Winger-Support thanks to his workrate, speed, and teamwork; he pops up in the box constantly with either runs with the ball himself or to head in a cross from the left wingers. Rotation options are Ayron del Valle and Thai youngster Ekanit Panya, while Clauss can also be brought up from wingback to lock down any late leads in the AMR position. I learn that even when I need creativity, though, I need to split up the shorties Valbuena and Panya, as their small statures are taken advantage of by other teams.  

 

Up front it's Ignatius "Ganagoal," and...that's it. PSG loanee Arnaud Kalimuendo comes on for relief at times, as does del Valle and even Amang, but really, it's just Ganago. All day, every day, he'll start 42 out of our 44 games, and be used as a sub in the other two. I think that he's the first outfield player that I've ever used, in multiple years of playing this game, in every single match of a season.

 

Though I signed several players in pre-season, my Lens originals of Ganago, Kakuta, Fofana, Doucoure, Haidara, Diallo, Clauss, and Farinez provide the Lens core, with each appearing in more than 3/4ths of the games. (On-loan-from-Toulouse backup left-back Issiaga Sylla is another, plus central defender Alexandr Radnovanovic, who'll be a back-up as well before leaving in January). With 8 of the starting 11, and 10 of the most-used 15, retained from the original Lens line-up throughout Season 1, I'm pretty happy, as I'm trying to hold onto some level of realism in this save.

 

Our first game is against fellow relegation candidates Angers SCO, so a good test of where our level is. Ganago sets the tone for the season by opening the scoring in the 6th minute with a sharp turn and shot in the box, while Kakuta puts us two ahead with a well-taken penalty in the 37th. (One of his few good ones: I'll learn the hard way that we don't actually have any great penalty takers in the team.) A Valbuena own-goal in the 83rd makes things tight, but Clauss winds up in the opposition's box in the 87th minute and smashes home a rebound to seal a 3-1 away win for us. I'd share the highlights, but am on a Mac and can't seem to get this 'export highlights package' option to work, aaargh. It's a strong win, with our xG at 1.74 vs. Anger's 0.73.

 

 

Our second game is where I realize that this may work for us. It's our home debut and it's against eternal Northern rivals Lille, who are expected to do much better than us in the league. Del Valle comes in on the right for Amang, while in midfield Loum takes over for Doucoure, and in the center of defense Yanga-Mbiwa gets paired with Alexandr Radovanovic, another Lens original holdover. Ganago starts things off in the 6th minute (again!) with a header and scores again in the 63rd from an excellent finish, bringing his tally to 3 goals in the first two games, while Del Valle opens his account in the 36th, and Fofana wraps it up in the 94th, as we run out 4-1 winners. Take that, Lille. 

 

3rd game is away against the much-better Lyon. We switch to my paranoid 4-1-2-1-2 narrow, cautious formation, used against top opposition, packing the middle, forcing opponents to beat us from outside, and generally clogging the midfield with ankle snappers.  Del Valle and Ganago lead the line, with Kakuta hovering behind them, while Fofana, Doucoure, and Loum enforce the middle. Somehow we battle our way to a 2-2 draw, with a dramatic ending that features Ganago getting his second goal of the game in the 86th minute for what we think is the winner, only for Moussa Dembele to tie it up in the 91st. Ganago gets an 8.1 rating to go with last game's 8.2, while the two goals bring his total to 5 in 3 games. His battle with Dembele will last through the season, as both run neck-and-neck for top league scorer.  

 

Next up: the rest of Season 1's highs and lows. Thanks for reading.

[strangerthankindness]

RC Lens video clip! Fortune falls in our favor, as we finally take down a big club—Olympique Marseille—in late October, thanks to this dramatic 94th-minute run from beyond the halfway line by Gael Kakuta, who fights off a tackle at the edge of the box and coolly slots it home, to the delirium of the home fans. It caps off a come-from-behind, two-to-one win. More to come, but I just wanted to test if I could share a video or not. (Also, it's the first time I think I've ever seen a run from beyond the halfway line actually end in a goal, lol).

OM_Kakuta_run3.mov

Edited April 13, 2021 by strangerthankindness

[strangerthankindness]

RC Lens Update 4: Season 1, 1st Half. If you've got no European games to worry about, the first half of Ligue 1 will fly by for your team, especially with games for the Coupe de France not even starting until January. (The Coupe de Ligue was eliminated in 2020). For Lens, the rest of September and October go by in a very acceptable Win-1, Tie-1 ratio. A late-October 2-1 win courtesy of a 94th-minute run-from-the-halfway-line-and-goal by Gael Kakuta over OM is the highlight. Unfortunately we only win once in November (ignore the two friendly wins I scheduled during the international break to keep players fresh), with a 2-1 loss at home to Reims the low point. We bow out meekly against PSG 2-0, bounce back with a 1-0 win against Nantes, but collapse 2-0 against Monaco to begin December. My 41212 formation against the Monaco's and PSG's may be too unadventurous, I think; if we're going to lose, we may as well give them something to worry about first. Morale, though, is still high, probably because I've only got about 19 players in my first team, and they're all getting time. 

The rest of December proves to be a month of joy at RC Lens, though, as we win 3 out of our 4 games, including a 5-2 demolishing of FC Metz at home that features a Ganago hat-trick, and a 3-1 destruction of Strasbourg away, with Amang's speed on the wing really coming to fruition with a goal and two assists. Our offense is starting to click, but most importantly we're winning the games we need to, and only losing the ones we expect to. 

 

As the new year begins, we say farewell to back-up defender Aleksandar Radnovanovic, who's heading back home to Serbia (FK Partizan) after complaining of lack of games, and the oft-injured FB Cheick Traore, who departs for Portugal in hopes of restarting his career after a broken leg. Loic Bady finally recovers from a hamstring to feature in a couple of games, enough to get a bid from West Ham to turn his head, and away he goes for a nice bit of cash. We welcome in Brahima Ouattara on a free, to provide some periodic teenage flair in midfield and help spell the old-man trio of Del Valle/Kakuta/Valbuena, and we use the Bady money to grab Anel Ahmedhodzic, who quickly slots in to central defense in place of Bady and the declining 34-year-old Zakaria Diallo. As always, we troll the expiring-contracts wire for possible bargains to sign for the summer, more of which later. 

A couple of good Coupe de France wins against lower-league teams helps us through the start of January, but a loss to St. Etienne cuts back the momentum. We look forward to the start of the next half of the season by traveling to our rivals Lille, who'll no doubt be wanting vengeance for our 4-1 slaughtering of them in August...

... but instead we pull off possibly the result of the season by destroying them in their own home, 5 to 2. We dominate possession 60-40 and boast an xG of 2.82, with average ratings for our wingers Valbuena and del Valle at 8.3 and 8.0, while Ganago gets his usual goal and over-7 rating. Morale heads sky high after the result, as does the support from the board and the fans. 

By the midway point of the season we find ourselves in 5th place, with 33 points: 9 wins, 6 draws, 4 losses. PSG is running away with it all with 51 points and no losses, while Lyon and Monaco are comfortably 2nd and 3rd at 41 points, and OM brings up 4th with 36. Metz is just below us with 31 points in 6th (the European cut-off), and Lille at 7th with 28. If we continue our form, we can hold onto a European spot. We're also battling Father Time, with key players Valbuena 36 and slowing down (though his natural fitness of 17 is helping), and del Valle 32 but slowing down even further thanks to his natural fitness of 12.

Edited April 15, 2021 by strangerthankindness

[strangerthankindness]

RC Lens 

Update 5: Season 1 Second Half

 

February is the month of love for RC Lens, as we win four out of five games, only concede two goals in those five games, and boast about a 3-goals-a-game average. Amang nabs four of the goals in the month. We also squeak by Guingamp on penalties in the Couple de France quarterfinals. The addition of Ahmedhovic solidifies our defense and helps our play-out-of-the-back philosophy, while Amang is truly coming into his own on the wing, consistently outperforming both Valbuena and del Valle.

 

In March we continued our streak, with three straight league wins and a comprehensive cup semi-final win against Lorient. Highlight was another last-minute counter-attacking goal against OM; whereas our win at home was a 95th-minute winner by Kakuta, our win there was a 92nd-min winner by Ganoga, courtesy a long punt upfield by Kakuta that leaves Ganagoal alone against the keeper. In four games we score 3, 3, 4, and 2 goals, so our attack is on fire. 

 

Checking in with team morale: excellent.....

 

 

 

April begins with a visit from titans PSG, and somehow...we win (Mbappe being out injured helps). We're then swiftly brought down to earth by a crushing 3-1 loss to FC Nantes. Fortunately, another good thing about Ligue 1 is that the route to cup silverware is uncomplicated; for first-division teams, win just five games in the cup and you're in the final. Our route was a fortunate one, with PSG eliminated early on by Lorient, and other league powerhouses OM, Lyon, and Lille taken out by others. We took down Lorient themselves in the semis, and in late April we faced Monaco at the Stade de France in the final. Starting roster:

 

Our man Ganagoal steps up with both goals, and even after a late Monaco goal we hang on for the victory. Lens takes home its first silverware in years. Party time! 

 

 

 

With 12 wins out of 14 and only 1 loss by the end of April, and a cup victory under our belts, can we push on and actually challenge for the title.....?

 

 

And....no. We cannot. We stagger through May like lost drunkards at 5am, suffering two draws and two defeats as the season meekly staggers to a close. Even though we're playing just once a week, the team is utterly exhausted by its earlier endeavors, and a series of minor injuries—Doucoure misses three weeks with a muscle pull, Kakuta goes down as well, everyone's in the red zone, etc etc—tests our non-existent depth. Our only striker, the usually reliable Ganago, goes the first three games of the month without a goal; I finally pull the old "You're not scoring much, but I have faith in you" office chat, and the next game—the last of the season—he scores. But it's a stretch that reminds me that I may have taken this team as far as it can go without more reinforcements. 

 

Nonetheless, our winning stretch from February to April gave us a strong cushion from the pack, and we somehow finish in second despite our May collapse, just one point about a surging Lyon. We're still 23 points behind runaway victors PSG, of course. My goal of reaching the European spots was actually over-achieved; I possibly would have preferred going against Europa League opposition, but we'll take the Champions League, of course, and its $$$ even more. Ganago topped the goal-scoring charts, while Valbuena comes in second in assists behind Neymar.

 

 

Overall it was a great season, and very enjoyable and rewarding to reach 2nd place with a team with nine Lens originals featuring prominently. Six out of the top seven in minutes played are originals (Ganago, Farinez, Fofana, Kakuta, Doucoure, and Clauss), while Diallo, Sylla, and Haidara make the top 14, and would have appeared more if not for injuries. (Plus, Sylla and Haidara play the same position, and rotated). It was also interesting to see us reach 2nd with players whose average CA is about 122-130, and shows that success in Ligue 1 can be achieved that way, rather than chasing wonderkids or big stars. I'm hoping to retain that for the seasons to come, sticking with these Lens originals or with former Lens HG. (I'll need to beef up my Lens HG roster anyway, with European quotas to now worry about). My goal is to win the Champions League with former Lens stars or players who began the game with the team, but that's a long way off.

 

Next up: Season 1 Awards and wrap-up, and we turn our attention to Season 2. 

Edited April 16, 2021 by strangerthankindness

[strangerthankindness]

RC Lens 

Update 6:

Before the prep for Season 2 begins, we can take time to share the rewards and stats from our successful Season 1. We scored the 2nd most goals in the league behind (of course) PSG, which shows our commitment to attacking football is paying off. 

 

Our end-of-season attacking efficiency chart puts us firmly in the "Aggressive, Clinical" category, while our defensive chart puts us under "Quiet, Impenetrable" (though a bit too close to the "Busy, Impenetrable" line). 

 

Igatius Ganago scoops up not only the Ligue 1 Top Goalscorer Award, but the European Golden Shoe for top scorer in all of Europe. 

 

Even better, Ganago breaks the PSG monopoly on Ligue 1 Team of the season by being the only non-PSG player in the team, lol. 

 

Thomas Amang is voted Ligue 1 Newcomer of the Year, and also Best African Player.

 

Turning our attention to Season 2, we get a nice bit of budget news once we qualify for Europe. A suitcase full of USD$24.39Mil in cash is dropped off at Lens HQ, and we've also now got USD$9Mil in extra payroll. It's not PSG money, but more than enough, especially if you've been planning on working the free transfer and expiring-contract wire anyway. Speaking of which, last winter we targeted a few expiring-contract possibilties, and now that we have the money (and we can finally promise European football) we pounce. We need to expand the team's depth, and find players to take over from del Valle (who's 32 and declining rapidly), and Valbuena, who's 36 and similarly on the downside of his career. Having qualified for Europe, we also need to expand our Lens HG quota, as only Doucoure and Kakuta currently qualify. Our other youth like N'Guessan, Boura, Pereira, and Enow need another year of seasoning. 

 

Vision remains the same: entertaining, high-tempo pressing soccer, develop players from the youth system, and sign players under 23 for the first team.

 

First steps are loans. We extend Farinez's loan for another year; he's the best player on the team, and costs little, so it's an easy decision. We buy Kakuta from Amiens for USD$4Mil; again a no-brainer, as he's still the heart of our attacking moves, and, more importantly, he's a Lens HG product. Sylla returns to Toulouse, though, and Kalimuendo to PSG. 

 

On the free transfer front, we target another striker—Ganago can't do it all again, especially with European games to now consider—a left-back to replace Sylla, and more depth in midfield and defense. Versatility as always is a plus. First signed is Giovanni Sio on a free from Sion; he's Ivorian-French, French HG, and can play not only FW, but AML. Great workrate of 16.

 

 

Next up is the Nigerian/German Felix Nmecha from Manchester City, on an expiring-contract free. Only 20, he fits the 'sign young players' vision, and can hopefully grow more here. First touch and vision of 16 each.

 

 

Third free signing is Baptiste Mendy, plucked from fellow Ligue 1 comrades Nantes. He's just 21 and can play in central defense or defensive midfield, so again matches both the 'sign young players' mission and my search for versatility. 

 

 

Fourth on the free front, it's Ezgjan Alioski from Leeds, an ideal-looking wingback stats-wise. All workrate, stamina, and good crossing/dribbling, he's also got high aggression and bravery, which my analytics team tell me is missing from my current players. (They also tell me "there's not much depth outside the first team," lol; way to earn that baguette money, guys). He'll provide competition and back-up to Haidara.

 

 

With Jean-Louis Leca retiring, we need a backup goalie, and Bingourou Kamara is transfer-listed at Strasbourg for only USD$1.2Mil. He's happy to accept a back-up role, is just 24, and also HG in France.

 

 

Now it's time to look for Lens HG products, as currently only Doucoure and Kakuta qualify, and we need four for Europe. We can't afford stars like Raphael Varane or even Thorgan Hazard, either now or ever, but Geoffrey Kondogbia pops up on my radar as being available for loan from Atletico Madrid. We could never afford his salary if he transferred anyway, so we get him on loan and only pay 20% of his salary. He's a box-to-box powerhouse, is Lens HG, and a good team player, so I'm very happy here.

 

 

Another Lens HG that is available is defender Jean-Kevin Duverne, who came up through the Lens system before being sold in just 2019. Aged 23, so another 'young player for the first team,' he can play in the center or on the right, doesn't need a large salary, and doesn't request to be a Star Player, lol. He's our biggest transfer splurge at all of USD$5.25Mil, lol. 

 

A good pre-season campaign, transfer-wise. We've got 5-6 new players that are starter-level, two of which are Lens HG, for all of USD$7Mil. We lost del Valle, who's off to Nurnberg for more playing time for about USD$3Mil, and the loanee left-back Sylla, who returns to Toulouse, while stalwart defender Zakaria Diallo has retired. We also earned about USD$9Mil from selling off 5-6 remnants of the youth team that are still worth something. Hopefully we've beefed up the team for the new season, and the demands of Europe. Even better, we still have a Lens Original core of Farinez, Haidaira, Clauss, Doucoure, Fofana, Kakuta, and Ganago, and added Lens HG Kondogbia and Duverne. We still have USD$14Mil in the transfer budget, and USD$6Mil free in payroll. 

 

 

In comparison to our spending, here's what PSG has been up to this summer.....A mere USD$324Mil spent.....

 

Next up, the season begins, and we discover our European competition. Thanks again for reading. 

[strangerthankindness]

RC Lens 

Update 7: Season Two, First Half, and some unclear UEFA book-keeping

 

Here's RC Lens main line-up for the first half of Season 2021-22. It's actually similar to last season, only with Alioski in for Sylla at left-back, Duverne in for Torres, and Kondogbia in for Fofana. Fofana and Loum will rotate with Kondo and Doucoure in midfield. Valbuena, Kakuta, Amang, and Giovanni Sio can all rotate across the attacking wings, with the first two also plugging into AMC along with youngsters Nmecha, Brahima Ouattara, and Ekanit Panya. Sio and Amang also offer back-up to Ganago up front. In the backline, Haidara rotates with Alioski; Torres and Yanga-Mbiwa with Ahmedhodzic and Duverne, and Fernando Costanza backs up Clauss. We'll need everyone, especially with the African Cup of Nations in January coming up. 

 

Our Champions League group could be worse. Real Madrid will probably top the group, but Porto and Lazio could possibly be beaten. Porto looks the most vulnerable, but then they go and beat Madrid in the opening game.

 

August: Our first month of fixtures is a good one, with Lyon the only top team to worry about, and one we dispatch surprisingly easily. In a bad omen, Ganago is injured before the season starts and misses the first three games, but Amang and Sio are good deputies, and new arrival Kondogbia roars in from midfield to contribute five goals in three games.

 

September/October: In the league we alternate wins and ties, along with the inevitable loss to moneybags P$G. We tie against northern rivals Lille, still smarting from their heavy defeats to us last year. The Champions League shows us how far we have to go, with our first three games consisting of two losses and a tie, leaving us bottom of the group with half to play. 

 

 

November/December. The winter months find us firing on all fronts, with a seven-game win streak in the league and two straight Champions League wins helping our record, until we flame out against Real Madrid. 

 

 

Some of the highlights in the league this first half include a 5-goal Giovanni Sio explosion against Reims, and an Ignatius Ganago hat trick against Bordeaux. Plus, our breaking-of-Marseille-hearts continues from last year, with Cheick Doucoure of all people piling in a 91st-minute winner in Marseille. 

 

 

Our Champions League adventures include some dramatic endings to be proud of. In Porto, we go behind to a late 88th minute goal, but in the 94th minute Giovanni Sio pops up to blast in an equalizer to gain us a valuable point, and (just as importantly) take two points away from Porto. In the return fixture, we go ahead in the 81st minute, but are pegged back a few minutes later for what appears to be another tie. However, Ganago scores in the 87th to hand us a valuable three points. (Doubling our entire points tally, lol). In late November, we host Lazio, and a thrilling back-and-forth 2-2 tie is finally broken in the 88th minute by Ganago, who times a counter-attack perfectly and slots home for another three points. Judging by the average ratings of the other players across the games, we barely deserve any of this.

 

 

After starting our European adventures with two losses, then two wins and a tie, our UEFA group stage concludes with a 3-1 dismantling by Real Madrid. Somehow, though, we wind up second in the group, seemingly due to some clerical error? We're tied with 7 points with Porto and Lazio, and have a worse goal differential than each of them; thanks the gods of small computer processing whims, we're still ranked second, and move on. I must be missing something, but I'm not missing EUROPEAN ELIMINATION ROUNDS, ha ha.

 

 

League-wise, we end the first half of the season comfortably in second place, with a goal-differential second only to P$G. Giovanni Sio is the new league leader in goals (helped by that 5-goal explosion against Reims), while Thomas Amang is second in average rating, and 72-year-old Mathieu Valbuena is second in assists.

 

 

Appearance-wise, it's new signing and Lens HG Jean-Kevin Duverne who leads the appearance chart, and boasts a good rating of 7.13. Veteran Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa is relegated to a back-up role, and may be looking for a new home soon thanks to the form of Duverne, Ahmedhodzic, and Marlon Torres. Old-timers Kakuta and Valbuena are surprisingly still holding strong, though challenged nicely by Felix Nmecha and even Ekanit Panya, while injuries have slowed down speedy winger Thomas Amang, at least in terms of appearances. Injuries have hampered Fofana, Doucoure, and Loum in midfield, but have given young Ivorian Brahima Ouattara some chances to impress. Brazilian fullback Fernando Costanza seems to have taken the right side from incumbent Jonathan Clauss. On the left, Ezgjan Alioski appears more than Haidara, though Alioski's red-card-every-other-game is disconcerting.

 

Next up: some unnecessary transfer surprises, or what activating the Chinese Super League can do, for better and worse. Also, our reward for getting out of our group: a date with Manchester City. At least our mood is still strong, with everyone 'very happy.'

Edited April 19, 2021 by strangerthankindness

[strangerthankindness]

RC Lens

Update 8: Season Two, Second Half, or overcoming the challenges of the African Cup of Nations and the Chinese Super League.

 

Part of a save's success depends on the leagues you activate along the way, and in January 2022 I decide to activate the Chinese Super League, imagining all kinds of financially rewarding bids for players I'd like to offload. The first part comes true, as I immediately receive bids, but it's for Ganago and Fofana, two players I've built the team around. Ganago is fortunately immune to the appeal of the Chinese yuan, as he dismisses DL Pro's contract offer and accepts ours instead; Seko Fofana, though, gets his salary basically tripled by Jiangsu Suning, and so away goes the anchor of my midfield on the first flight to Shanghai. I can dab most of my tears in the USD$32Mil (!) we receive, though, and know we already have a like-for-like replacement in Kondogbia, and that Cheick Doucoure is ready to become the next anchor of the team. 

 

DL Pro soon comes knocking at the door again for my forwards, and just a couple of week later too, with an attractive USD$8Mil offer for Giovanni Sio. He's 32 years old and arrived on a free six months ago, so it's a simple decision: we won't get a better offer, or an easier way to pad the financials. We just have to wait it out until after the African Cup of Nations, as our other strikers Ganago and Amang are there. At the airport dropping Sio off, we have just enough time to say hello to the representatives of Guangzhou Evergrande, who show up with a cool USD$10Mil for my back-up midfielder Mamadou Loum. After we bargain them up to USD$20Mil, we call an airport shuttle and off he goes, too. Suddenly, we've got an extra USD$62Mil in two weeks from three transfers, but also some large gaps in the team. It's not helped when Watford shows up with a desperately low USD$5.75Mil bid for our rising star Fernando Costanza, who's got his heart set on the EPL and won't accept any of our pleas to stay. So away he goes as well, with Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa hitching a ride to Ipswich with him, as he needs more playing time, and now I've got to start a recruitment drive I wasn't planning on.

 

 

Fortunately, the Chinese Super League giveth as much as it taketh away, and we find sad 30-yr-old former millionaire Cedric Bakambu huddled up on our doorstep, still shaking from the trauma of his USD$9Mil/year salary that Beijing Guoan just terminated January 1st. He'll take USD$2Mil/yr from us, at least, so joins on a free. He's older than our usual targets at 30, but is a big name and a bigger talent, and a strong upgrade over Sio. I hope.

 

We need another midfielder to cover Loum and Fofana's absence, and another RB for Costanza's, so we spot Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro on Lazio's transfer list, who can help with MC, DMC, and RB. With great teamwork, work rate, and anticipation, he comes in for only USD$1.9Mil. 

 

 

Lastly, we discover another Lens HG left out to dry on Lyon's transfer wire, Jeff Reine-Adelaide. He's pricy at USD$13.75Mil (our biggest splash yet), but that Chinese Super League money helps, and he joins to provide cover across the attacking lines and midfield, and to soon phase out the aging Valbuena. As mentioned, he's a Lens HG as well, and still only 23. So after that flurry that lasts into February, we've rallied with Bakambu, Akpa-Akpro, and JRA in, and Fofana, Loum, Sio, Costanza, and Mapou out. 

 

Game-wise, we survive the call-ups of the African Cup of Nations in January, with Ganago, Kakuta, Amang, Doucoure, and Bakambu all missing eight games while representing their countries. (Ganago and Amang's Cameroon defeat Kakuta and Bakambu's DRC in the final, btw, while Doucoure's Mali make the semis). We're able to delay Sio's departure until the end of January, to have one striker at least around until they return, and plug in Panya as a diminutive false-9 for other games. With most of our stars still away, we manage to beat PSG in early February in a miracle, with Valbuena scoring the only goal of the game in the 73rd minute and our defensive line and goalie averaging ratings over 7. 

 

 

Our Champions League adventures dies its inevitable death at the hands of a simply better Man City. We manage to tie at home, courtesy Ganagoal, but bow out meekly at the Etihad. It's pretty much what we deserve, but it's a great taste of Europe for the team, and that Champions League $$$ is certainly welcome. 

 

All USD$37Mil of it, compared to zero from last year!

 

 

 

 

Freed from distractions, we're unstoppable in April and May, with April alone boasting two 4-goal and one 5-goal game. Ganago scores 8 goals in the month.

 

We also get one over on our Lille rivals in the Coupe de France, and lift another piece of silverware. We dominate the game, but only manage a 1-0 win. Still, it's celebration time.

 

Season Two ends with us firmly in second, and only three points off of PSG in first. We're tied with them for most goals scored, a testament to our attacking prowess. Meanwhile, Amiens, Auxerre, and Toulouse say farewell to Ligue 1.

 

 

Player-wise Ganago didn't have the success of last year, or so it looks. But if you remember that he missed eight games at the ACN, and another four through injury, there's a different picture: he and Sio (who was only around until January) top the league in minutes-per-goal, while he also leads in shots-on-target per minute.

 

Appearance numbers are slightly deceiving, with so many key players out for the ACN. Was good to see our youngsters Brahima Ouattara and Ekanit Panya step up, while Thomas Amang continued his good form. (One small note: we sent our fall signing Batista Mendy on loan this year to earn some experience, which is why he's missing).

 

 

Our Best Eleven of the Year. Brahima Ouattara is earning more and more starts over Kakuta, while Alioski's the only real disappointment; I like the commitment, but his aggression is getting him red-carded more and more often. (Four times, in fact). Even at 37, Valbuena remains a model of consistency and professionalism.

 

 

And our last game of the year marks the final game for Mathieu Valbuena, who announces his retirement. He was a great signing for us, and put in two amazing years. 

 

 

Morale is still strong. Overall while this season is the same as last—we wind up second, we win the Coupe, and that's it—it still feels far more successful, as if we're slowly getting there. Our European games showed that we belong, and we gave PSG a run for their money. Tying in with the theme of this save, we've still got six Lens Originals—Farinez, Haidara, Clauss, Doucoure, Kakuta, and Ganago—and have brought home three Lens home-growns: Kondogbia, Duverne, and Reine-Adelaide. (For CA/PA watchers, we've also done it all with 2-3 players in the low 140's CA (all improved younger players), and the rest in the 120's/130s.) Let's see if we can build on this for next season. Thanks to our success and our transfers, we also have this in the kitty.....

 

 

 

 

Edited April 19, 2021 by strangerthankindness

[strangerthankindness]

RC Lens 

Update 9: Season Three, First Steps

 

 

We begin Season Three fueled by finishing only three points behind PSG last season; we're ready to break their domination, and are coming for them now. We've also got a boatload of cash: USD$159Mil in fact, and an extra USD$18Mil for payroll. We first welcome in the usual assortment of free transfers, plucked from that life-line for budget FM managers everywhere: the expiring-contract system. We pounced either when their contracts first hit the six-month zone last January, or later on through the season, when our success and rising reputation finally got them to pay attention to us, or even at the beginning of July, when they were cut loose and began to panic. With last year's success, though, come unwelcome suitors knocking at our door, including several clubs hoping to nab our biggest players like Ganago, Ahmedhodvic, and more. Before anything, though, we extend Kondogbia's loan for another year, and again get away with paying just 20% of his salary. We also purchase Farinez outright from Millionarios for just USD$2Mil. 

 

Last summer's free signing Alioski was first out the door, thanks to a bid from Norwich; he wanted to return to the EPL, and as his tendency to get thrown out of every other game due to red cards was too distracting, we allowed him to leave for USD$16Mil. Next up, our rotation defender Marlon Torres was off to the sunny climes of La Liga and Alaves for USD$14Mil, accompanied by our just-back-from-loan defender Facunda Medina, who headed to Mallorca for USD$13Mil. Finally, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, at this point 63 years old and losing pace, went over to Belgium's KV Oostende for basically a case of ale and some pomme frites.

 

 

First to arrive was the speedy, tiny fullback Arthur Zagre from AS Monaco on a free. He's only 20 and may need a bit of seasoning, so we send him off on loan almost immediately to Real Oviedo (who've become our affiliate). 

 

 

Also popping in from AS Monaco on a free is their 19-year-old starlet Enzo Miliot. He looks good but also isn't quite starter material (but thinks he is), so we send him on loan to Germany for valuable minutes. Both Zagre and Enzo are French HG, as well.

 

Third out of the free shopping bin is Spanish fullback Aihen Munoz from Real Sociedad, who's just 24 and a bit more starting-ready. He'll take Alioski's spot on the left and alternate with Haidara.

 

Fourth and free is Thai striker/winger Suphaneat Muenta, who like his compatriot Ekanit Panya has history with me from an FM20 V-Varen Nagasaki save. He's free from Buriram Utd and isn't quite ready to challenge either Ganago or Bakumba, so he's loaned to Porto. 

 

 

My scouts are raving about the young Belgian right-back Tibo Persyn, and he's just been transfer-listed. I scoop him up from Inter Milan for a very low USD$2.3Mil, and slot him into the right fullback slot next to Clauss and Akpa-Akpro. He matches our 'sign young players for the 1st team' mantra, aged only 20.

 

 

When Marlon Torres and Mapou leave, and with the hounds of the elite still sniffing around Ahmedhodvic, I know I'll need another central defender. RB Salzburg's Oumar Soulet is also looking for a bigger league than Austria's, so he's been listed as well and comes over for USD$13.25Mil. It's a big splurge for us, but he's starting quality, is only 20, and is HG in France.

 

 

Total transfer spent: USD$15.5Mil (Solet and Tibo) for six players. Total transfer received: USD$45Mil for four players. We haven't even touched what we started with. Plus, somehow we hold onto Ganago and Ahmedhodhic, thanks to new contracts, so have a strong first eleven to begin the year. Ganago as always leads the line in our gegenpress 4-2-3-1, with Bakambu cutting in from the left side, Kakuta or Ouattara or Nmecha providing the assists and flair from the AMC spot, and Reine-Adelaide or Amang providing speed on the right flank. (Amang and Bakambu can also play FW). In a somewhat risky move, we send Ekanit Panya on loan to Boavista, as he's guaranteed 'star player' starting time there, whereas with us he'd be a backup. In midfield Kondogbia and Doucoure patrol the grounds, with Ouattara and Nmecha in for more attacking flair; they're backed up by Akpa-Akpro, Mendy, or Soler, who are all best further back but can play DMC as well. On the left Munoz and Haidara alternate, and on the right Clauss, Persyn, and Akpa-Akpro do the same, while in the center of defense we can choose between Anel, Duverne, Mendy, and Soler. 

 

 

Our first shot at silverware is in the Trophee des Champions, held for unknown reasons in the gorgeous Hohhat City Stadium in beautiful Inner Mongolia (!) New PSG signing Cristiano Ronaldo breaks our hearts in the 93rd minute with a game-winner. Hmm, maybe we're not quite there yet after all.....

 

Our UEFA group could be worse, with Atletico the real heavy. There's always one team that you constantly meet in FM, and it looks like this save it's Porto, as they're in our group just like last year.

 

 

After the Trophee heartbreak we respond well, and only lose and tie once from then through November. Highlights include a 3-0 dismantling of Monaco in the first game of the season, which hopefully showcases our arrival; an 8-1 destruction of Stade Brest, and a 5-2 win over FC Lorient. Plus, our first game of January is a win (finally) over PSG, with Tibo the Belgian scoring the winner. Overall, Bakambu is on fire whether cutting in from the left or attacking from the front, while Tibo Persyn is adapting very well to life in France. Oumar Soulet and Anel A. are forming a strong partnership, while Ouattara is taking over from Kakuta as the starting AMC.

 

 

On the European front, we kick things off with what appears to be a dull 0-0 draw with Celtic, until Thomas Amang pops in the winner in the 92nd minute. Whew. It starts off a great campaign that also features us beating Atletico twice, though we do lose at Porto, thanks to a winning goal from....our own loanee, Suphaneat Muenta, lol. Well, at least he's getting games.

 

The entire month of December is taken off due to the World Cup, though I schedule some trips to Italy and Germany for friendlies to keep everyone else fresh. Big surprise at the WC is Spain finishing bottom of a group that Cameroon wins (Go Go Go, Ganago and Amang! Ganago scores four in the tournament, btw), and Argentina finishing bottom of theirs. France crashes out to Denmark in the quarterfinals. Italy beats England on penalties in the final, having overcome surprises Denmark and South Korea in their respective semifinals. 

 

 

By the first half of the season we're not only in first place, but twelve points clear of PSG, who are actually stuck in third, ha ha. Lyon's seven points behind us in second. Can't imagine that Tuchel will last through the season at P$G, especially consider their transfer overlay from the summer, posted below...DeJong, Ronaldo, Umtiti, among others.

PSG

 

Next up: the rest of Season 3, and our European adventures continue....

Edited April 20, 2021 by strangerthankindness

[karanhsingh]

I just caught up with this - amazing stuff at Lens! Good to see you doing so well with them, and some familiar names too. Led by Ganago of course. 

I hope you can win the league this season, PSG seem a little bit off the pace but it still takes some doing. Well done on the Cup win.

Can see a number of players that I have some history with in this FM or the last - Farinez of course, Loum was excellent for me with Senegal, Zagre likewise on another save at Zenit.

What happened with Kalimuendo, guess you didn't buy him?

[strangerthankindness]

15 hours ago, karanhsingh said:

I just caught up with this - amazing stuff at Lens! Good to see you doing so well with them, and some familiar names too. Led by Ganago of course. 

I hope you can win the league this season, PSG seem a little bit off the pace but it still takes some doing. Well done on the Cup win.

Can see a number of players that I have some history with in this FM or the last - Farinez of course, Loum was excellent for me with Senegal, Zagre likewise on another save at Zenit.

What happened with Kalimuendo, guess you didn't buy him?

Thank you @karanhsingh! I was inspired by your own work. Unfortunately my version of Kalimuendo wasn't very good; I think that some of his stats are random in the editor, and also it looks like he got a nice bump-up in the new winter database. (I was playing with the original). I could have stuck with him, but since he was just loaned to me it didn't seem worthwhile, and of course Ganago was/is doing so well. When the first season was over, it was time to move on. 

Here's what he looks like now, for instance, in January 2025, which is where I'm currently at (my updates are a bit behind). A pretty sharp drop-off compared to your snapshot from August 2025 in your thread. 

It honestly looks like he hasn't grown much since 2020. Even four years down the road, he got more Ligue 1 appearances for me on loan at Lens (4) than he has the rest of his career (3). He was sold to Rennes for about half a million in 2022, but has only made one appearance for their first team. 

I was definitely happy with Loum too. In my game he's also called into the Senegal team several times.

Thanks again for reading!

Edited April 22, 2021 by strangerthankindness

[strangerthankindness]

Update 10: The Kings Fall. 

 

January 2023 is a fabulous month for Lens, with the victory over PSG (mentioned in the prior update) giving our lead a major boost and with a tie to Rennes the only lost points. Our January transfer window was a quiet one, especially compared to last January (evidently the Chinese Super League has filled up their foreigners' quota). We do send a few youngsters on loan; I'm still holding out hope that Ange N'Guessan, Ishmael Boura, and Bryann Pereira from the RC youth team will blossom into good players with proper experience. I can't tell if transfers are quiet due to the pandemic-era financials coding that went into this version of FM, or if it's because none of my players are, CA/PA-wise, that attractive to bigger teams. I think that one of the secrets to building a competitive team that you can keep intact in Ligue 1 is paradoxically NOT going after superstars or wonderkids; you'll be able to hold onto a wonderkid for 1-2 years, but sooner or later they'll get plucked away by the Barcelona's and Chelsea's (or the European Super League's) of the world. We'll test that as the season progresses, of course.

 

February - April we continue our run, dropping only five points in three months (!), although we benefit schedule-wise with none of the Big 4 (PSG, Lyon, Monaco, Lille) to worry about until April's end. Injury-wise we also luck out, almost, with everyone staying fit thanks to a deeper squad that allows for rest and rotation. (And the fact that Ignatius Ganago never needs a rest, and never misses a game). The sad outlier to that luck is our stalwart right wingback Jonathan Clauss, who suffers a damaged achilles at the end of January and is set to miss four months, and possibly not recover at all. He'll also miss all of our Champions League knock-out games. It's a blow for us, and to my own goal of keeping many of the Original Lens'ers around.

 

That April's-end game comes away against PSG, and is a huge six-pointer. Win and we'll basically open up an unrecoverable lead; if they win, they'll be back in the race. Kimpende opens the scoring with a shot off a loose ball in the box, but we strike back ten minutes later through Tibo the Belgian's rocket from outside it, and three minutes after that Bakambu steals the ball from a dawdling Marquinhos and smashes it home. Bakambu then rather clumsily bundles home a corner kick that bounced off Ouattara in the 56th, and after a Ronaldo goal in the 66th makes it tight we hold on for a fabulous, famous victory at the Parc des Princes. Even better, we do it without Ganago, who's out through suspension. Bakambu and Amang make up for it with ratings of 8.3 and 7.4 respectively. The kings of Paris, it seems, are about to fall.

 

 

And in May, down they go. We beat Metz on May 7th and with four games still left to play, we clinch the league for the first time since 1998, and just three years after we rejoined the top flight. 

 

 

We've done it with many of the "Original Lens" team playing pivotal roles: Ganago, Kakuta, Doucoure, Haidara, and Farinez were key parts of our success, and Clauss was on track to be as well if we hadn't lost him to that broken leg. We've also returned three Lens youth products to the team: Kondogbia, Duverne, and Reine-Adelaide, each of whom have played major roles. Signings-wise, the veterans Bakumba and Akpa Akpro, and young Tibo Persyn, really stabilized the team, with Bakumba popping up with 24 goals. Our inaugural signings Thomas Amang and Brahima Ouattara have come into their own as well, with Ouattara taking over from Kakuta as the main creative force (21 assists!) and Amang still a flame on the wing, with his 20 goals third best behind Ganago and Bakambu. New arrivals Duverne and Solet formed a strong partnership with Anel A. in the center of defense, while our other new signing Aihen Munoz alternates with Haidara pretty much every other game on the left wing.

 

Stats-wise, we led the league in both goals and average possession, boast a top-5 conversion rate, pass completion, and tackles won ratio, while our fans helped us lead the league in attendance-by-capacity, at 99%. Even better, we were last in the league in transfer spending, and were 9th in salary: USD$36Mil/yr, compared to PSG's USD$365Mil/yr.  

 

 

Lost in the league celebration is the fact that we actually did the double, sweeping through the Coupe de France to win it for the third (!) time in a row. Again, we lucked out, with the "Big 5" all being eliminated beforehand; in fact, we only had to beat two top-division opponents (Reims and Dijon) before facing St. Etienne in the final. Still, we demolished them, as you can see, with some of our best attacking football, and with 14 goals in three games to show for it. Here's to another trophy celebration....

 

 

Next up: our Champions League adventures, which we've saved for the last. Here's the final league table, btw....

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by strangerthankindness

[karanhsingh]

5 hours ago, strangerthankindness said:

Thank you @karanhsingh! I was inspired by your own work. Unfortunately my version of Kalimuendo wasn't very good; I think that some of his stats are random in the editor, and also it looks like he got a nice bump-up in the new winter database. (I was playing with the original). I could have stuck with him, but since he was just loaned to me it didn't seem worthwhile, and of course Ganago was/is doing so well. When the first season was over, it was time to move on. 

Here's what he looks like now, for instance, in January 2025, which is where I'm currently at (my updates are a bit behind). A pretty sharp drop-off compared to your snapshot from August 2025 in your thread. 

It honestly looks like he hasn't grown much since 2020. Even four years down the road, he got more Ligue 1 appearances for me on loan at Lens (4) than he has the rest of his career (3). He was sold to Rennes for about half a million in 2022, but has only made one appearance for their first team. 

I was definitely happy with Loum too. In my game he's also called into the Senegal team several times.

Thanks again for reading!

Yes indeed he looks very average. TBF even in my game he lost his place in the starting XI eventually.

Also very well done on the title win! Congratulations - absolutely epic. 

[strangerthankindness]

Update 11: European Journey.

 

In the midst of our successful Ligue campaign we also focused on Europe, hoping to advance further than last year. Our first test was against Lazio in the Round-of-16; we put up a disappointing 2-1 loss in Rome, with Ganago surprisingly ineffective, but with Cheick Doucoure getting a valuable away goal. I fear we're about to be eliminated again. At home, though, the unlikely Doucoure chimes in again with two goals and we coast to a 3-0 win. The Lens HG product is turning into such a key player for us.

 

 

In the quarterfinal we face mighty Liverpool. Check out that timeline. We manage to hold on in Anfield with a scoreless draw, where our defenders' ratings were far higher than our attackers, and where Farinez in goal was immense. The next leg was a similarly dour affair, 0-0 through 90 and with a spectacular goal-line clearance by Oumar Solet the only highlight. And then, in the 92nd minute, a free kick by Ouattara seems destined for Bakambu's head near goal, only to be knocked out of the air by Fabinho's hand. VAR confirms it's a penalty; Bakambu steps up and coolly smashes it home on basically the last kick of the game. We've got a dramatic last-minute victory, the only goal in 180 minutes, and a ticket to the semifinals.

 

 

We face Juventus in the semifinals, and a 1-1 draw in Turin leads to a 2-0 win at home, courtesy a Danilo red card in the 13th minute that leaves Juve with ten men. We dominate that second leg, with an xG of 3.39 vs. 0.87. Again, it's Farinez with the best average rating across the ties, at 7.3, though Gael Kakuta turns back the years in our win, getting a 7.6 rating.

 

 

Everyone's excited about the club's first UEFA final, where we go against Manchester Utd. Reaching the final is about two years earlier than I had anticipated, but we'll take it.

 

 

This save is about prioritizing the original Lens or Lens HG players above all, so I'm going to roll the dice and plug as many in as possible, and that includes Jonathan Clauss, who's just back from a 4-month layoff. Ganago leads the line, with Lens HG Jeff Reine-Adelaide on the left, original Lens (and Lens HG) Kakuta in the middle, and Thomas Amang on the right, who at least was our first signing when we began the save. Original member Doucoure and Lens HG Kondogbia anchor the midfield, with original members Haidara and Clauss in the left and right back positions. Lens HG Duverne is one central defender, with Anel A. the other; he's the only one not really part of Lens, though he was signed in the first year. Original member Farinez protects the goal. This is a huge gamble, especially at right back, as Clauss is barely fit and nowhere near the quality of either Persyn or Akpa-Akpro, but let's do it. 

 

 

In the 7th minute, Ganago taps in a shot from Doucoure that the goalkeeper had knocked right to him. We lead, 1-0. Can we do it?

 

Probably not. Two minutes cost us. In the 57th, Fernandes scores, and one minute later, Boga scores. 2-1, Man U.

 

 

Or can we? Doucoure (again!) smashes one home in the 70th. We're tied, 2-2. And so it ends. Our team of Lens journeymen and kind-of-stars have taken the millionaires of Man Utd into extra time in the final of the Champions League....

 

And, they score in the 100th minute, breaking our hearts. Aaargh. So close! Our campaign ends.

 

 

 

 

Analytics-wise, we actually performed well, with an xG of 2.63 vs. their 2.11, and with a 60/40 possession edge. "We should be disappointed with the result. We were the better team," indeed. My decision to start Clauss probably backfired, as he receives a 6.4 rating (though I subbed him out for Persyn in the second half anyway), and Kakuta, JRA, and Amang all disappoint as well. Ganago and especially Doucoure are the stars, with Doucoure really adding goal-scoring to his midfield-carrilero arsenal throughout this European campaign. 

 

At season's end, the boys are recognized. Farinez wins Champions League GK of the season, while Anel A wins Defender of the Season. We'll be hard pressed to keep them around next year, I'm sure.

 

 

For the Ligue, we get seven (!) players in the Team of the Season. Ganago, Amang, Doucoure, Kondogbia, Persyn, Duverne, and Farinez. Farinez wins GK of the season, while Amang wins Ligue 1's Best African Player.

 

 

 

Morale is still high and dynamics are excellent, even after the loss. Have to admit, I wasn't expecting to reach the UEFA final so soon, but strangely I'm disappointed we didn't manage to win it. So close. But I'm still pretty happy that we managed to win the Ligue, and make it to the Champions League final, with many Lens original players, and with so many "regular" players whose CA's are in the 120-135 range. It's something appealing about playing in Ligue 1. I'm going to do one more year and see if we can make it to the top, and also discover if the game AI will make it harder to stay on top of Ligue 1, or if the other teams will also start improving. We've also still got an extra USD$74Million (!) in extra payroll, and USD$154Mil in transfer funds, if I choose to spend it. Thanks again for reading.

 

[strangerthankindness]

Update 12: The (Mostly) All-Lens Campaign

One of the strengths of Ligue 1 clubs is their youth set-up, whether in terms of generating good-quality regens or in the multiple stars now scattered around Europe that once got their starts in a French youth system. You could have some rewarding saves trying to bring back HG stars for St. Etienne, Lyon, Lille, OM, and even with some of the "lesser" clubs there. Here's an update on my RC Lens save, where I'm trying to focus on either the players that were with the club in real-life when the game started, or are former HG. We're not turning down free or cheap transfer either, of course.

 

After our Champions League Final heartbreak the season before, we regrouped with some key additions, though not before losing some people too. Our biggest pick-up, both on the field and for our Lens focus, was bringing home Wylan Cyprien, a midfielder who came up from the Lens system in 2008 and made over 100 appearances for the club before joining Nice in 2016. We picked him up from cash-starved Nice for only USD$6.25Mil. 33-year-old Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had just been let go by Arsenal, so we picked him up for free so he "could be close to his family in France," and hope he can slot into the backup forward or starting AML spot. French defender Thomas Basila was on Chelsea's transfer list, so we got him for USD$10.25Mil, and one of the many Zidane offspring, the AMC Theo, joined us for free on an expiring-contract deal from EA Guingamp. 

 

 

It's good we got Basila, as on transfer deadline day Chelsea swooped in for our 2nd best defender, Oumar Solet, who couldn't say no; away he went for a new club record fee, USD$54Mil. Our biggest losses (at least in terms of this save), though, was losing right wingback Jonathan Clauss, a Lens original, who found playing time hard to come by after a  4-month hamstring layoff, and in June left for Standard Liege for a starting role. In January a signing from last year, the former Lens HG Jean-Kevin Duverne, left for Brighton (to 'prove himself in a bigger league," LOL, even though we are in the Champions League), so that was two Lens originals/HG lost. Cedric Bakambu, fresh off his strong campaign, was plucked back to the Chinese League by Jiangsu Suning for a cool USD$17Mil, while our young players Aihen Munoz (Seville, USD$26Mil), Felix Nmecha (Crystal Palace, USD$22Mil), Ekanit Panya (Hamburg, USD$18Mil) and Suphaneat Muenta (Frankfurt, USD$13Mil) also departed, raided away by "bigger" clubs. However, all of those players had been signed for free in the prior 12-24 months, so we couldn't complain, especially with the over-USD$100Mil we were left with. 

 

Returning from loan to beef up the team is French leftback Arthur Zagre (signed from Monaco for free last year), who'll replace Munoz, and Batista Mendy (signed for free from Nantes last year), who'll provide CB and DMC rotation. Also returning, after a two-year loan in Spain, is Peruvian winger/AMC Yuriel Celi, who joined us for free in 2020, and is much improved. (He's got Spanish nationality now, too). Finally, we extend Geoffrey Kondogbia's loan from Atletico Madrid (again!), getting this multi-million dollar player for free and for 30% of his salary. In January, to replace Duverne and cover for injuries, we pick up a transfer-listed Malang Sarr from Juventus for only USD$9.5Mil. 

 

 

 

Our new lineup. Still with the 4-2-3-1 counterattacking gegenpress. Backups who will soon take over the starting roles are Celi for Auba, Ouattara for Kakuta, and Zagre for Haidara. Now, the league....

 

 

 

We sweep through the league again, knocking off PSG twice (!) and somehow winding up undefeated. Cyprien leads the league in assists and average rating, and is a phenomenal partner to either Kondogbia or Cheick Doucoure, who's battled several injuries this year. We rotate well and go about twenty deep, squad-wise, with Ganago (28), Amang (24) and Aubameyang (14) providing the goals, and Cyprien (17), Celi (14), and Ouattara (12) the assists. At 32 years of age, Kakuta is starting to slow down, but he's still good for more than 25 starts. Our prior signings like Enzo Millot, Jean-Daniel Akpa-Akpro, Tibo Persyn, and Jeff Reine-Adelaide do alright in back-up roles, while Theo proves a useful signing, and at least the best of all the new Zidanes, lol.

 

 

It's the Champions League that we want this year, though, and after getting through the group and a round-of-16 against Juventus, we face arch-enemies PSG in the quarterfinals.

 

We win the first leg at home, 2-1, with PSG getting that valuable away goal. In the second leg a penalty is given to PSG in the 62nd min, and up steps Cristiano Ronaldo for a certain—NO, Farinez saves! Our relief is short-lived, as Ronaldo scores with a header five minutes later, giving PSG the lead and sending us out—as it stands—on away goals. We have nothing to show for the minutes that follow, and as the clock ticks down it looks like we're about to crash out to PSG of all clubs....

 

 

And then, in the 90th minute, PSG clear out our last-ditch corner, but Malang Sarr retrieves the ball near the halfway line and sends it back to Yuriel Celi, who spots Ganago, running in as the PSG defense is clearing their lines. Ganago beats the offside trap and the goalie, and slides it into the net for the goal. Cue: pandemonium in the away-fan section, jubilation in the RCL team, and lots of arm-throwing exasperation in the PSG players. We've done it, in the last minute!

 

Two minutes later, time runs out, and we've won 1-1, and 3-2 aggregate, with that goal from Ganago, and send home our most powerful, hated rivals, who have a payroll ten times ours. And I, a grown-ass man with a wife and a kid and a real-life job and everything, almost get choked up, lol. 

 

 

The semifinals aren't nearly as dramatic, as we defeat Liverpool 4-3 over the two legs. A date with Chelsea awaits in the final.

 

While several of my free transfers and cheap pick-ups are by now much better than my Lens originals, I stick to my guns and start as many Lens'ians as possible. Eight out of our eleven were either with Lens when we started, or were HG that I brought back in; I even move Kondogbia to central defense to make room for both Cyprien and Doucoure in midfield. (Noticing his height, strength, heading, and jumping, I had been retraining Kondo as a DC the entire year). It's our usual 4-2-3-1 counter-press, though more cautious than usual, with Ganago up front, Reine-Adelaide on the left, Ouattara as AMC, and Kakuta cutting in from the right. Cyprien and Doucoure patrol the middle, and in the back it's Haidara, Kondo, Ahmedhodzic, and Akpa Akpro (our regular RB Tibo 'the Belgian' Persyn isn't fit to last the whole game), with Farinez in goal. Only Ahmedhodzic, Akpa Akpro, and Ouattara aren't linked to Lens in real life; in the game, we signed Ouattara immediately at 18, so he's just qualified as Lens HG.

 

A defensive game is enlivened by—what else—a Ganago goal in the 42nd minute. Like most of his goals, it's from a through-ball courtesy of Ouattara that splits the defense and allows Ganago to run onto it; he outpaces his defenders and slots it home. Can we hang on? We get more and more defensive, taking off a frankly overmatched Kakuta in the second half for Tibo Persyn, who drops to a defensive winger; and a just-as-overmatched Haidara for Malang Sarr, to shore up the left side. Jeff Reine-Adelaide is just as useless, so Yuriel Celi replaces him to at least give the Chelsea defenders something to worry about.

 

 

...And.....We win! That solitary Ganago goal in the 43rd minute proves the difference. Our team of mostly-real-life Lens products have brought the Champions League trophy to Lens, defeating the odds and some of the biggest teams in the world. 

 

 

 

Very proud of the team here, and the season's been a real eye-opener for me as an FM manager. In the past I would chase as many superstars and wonderkids as possible hoping for success, but this season's proven that you can still win not only the league, but the entire Champions League, with just a strong team of players that have been together for awhile. Again, no one on the team really stands out stats-wise, or even in hidden CA/PA numbers. Only two players have CA's over 150, the rest have now grown into CA's in the 133-147 range. 

 

Even Ganago and Amang, our two best goal-scorers, don't have particularly eye-catching total attributes, but they're great for their roles, Ganago especially. (Above are his attributes in 2024). As an Advanced Forward, none of his highlighted attributes are below 14, and in a counter-attacking system his anticipation, acceleration, and pace make him deadly. Somehow the team is consistently out-performing many other higher-paid stars. 

 

RC Lens is now a cash machine thanks to its stadium revenue (a 38k stadium always 99% full), its UEFA income, and our ability to buy low and sell high, but I've barely touched our transfer funds. In this season of four trophies (Ligue 1, Coupe de France, UEFA, and the 'Trophee of Champions' one-match season opener), we spent only USD$24Mil in transfers, but earned USD$220Mil in sales. Check out those numbers: We have had USD$387Mil (!) in our transfer budget the entire season, and an available payroll of USD$162Mil, but we've not used it at all. 

 

 

 

Still, the board is happy, and morale is excellent. Hopefully we can keep the team together, or at least the Lens originals, for another run, and bring in some other Lens orphans. I don't quite know how long I'll continue these updates; I wanted to prove that we could win the league and UEFA with a team of role players and Lens HG, and we've basically achieved that. I'm going to stick with the plan, ignore our millions, and see how far it takes us.

 

Lens Originals Still Left After Four Seasons: 7 - Ganago, Kakuta, Doucoure, Haidara, Kakuta, N'Guessan, Farinez

Lens HG Brought Back to Lens: 3 - Kondogbia, Reine-Adelaide, Cyprien

Lens Originals/HG Lost This Season: 2 - Clauss, Duverne

 

The takeaways from this season in Ligue 1 are both good and bad: it's great that in Ligue 1, you only have PSG to really worry about, but you can still build a good team that will consistently (at first) place 2nd, and make it to Europe. You can then build on that success to knock PSG off their perch, and find success in Europe. On the other hand, I'm worried that future seasons won't have as many challenges, as the rest of the Ligue 1 clubs still aren't that strong. Thanks for reading. 

Edited April 30, 2021 by strangerthankindness

[john1]

Fantastic updates with Lens and congrats on winning the Champions League Might head to France, after reading your updates @strangerthankindness

[Mackem742]

Never managed in France before but Im thinking of giving it a go. Lyon were always a team I used to follow in the Champions League before PSG started to dominate so I think Im going to start a save with them.

[Mackem742]

Well my journey in France has begun with Lyon. Currently in October in my 1st season and im unbeaten, picked up numerous wins including a 3-1 home win over PSG and a 4-1 home win over Marseille. Drawn 2 games so far away at Nantes (1-1) and away at Dijon (0-0).

Currently top of the table and got a 4 point gap over PSG, they havent been as dominant as I thought they would be, they have lost to us and had a couple of draws against clubs that you would expect them to beat.

Only made 2 signings, Vinicius Junior on loan from Madrid as im using Depay as a striker. Also got Arezo coming in January as I want to try and make him a success (previous attempt with Valencia I couldnt get him to play well).

[Matt_1979]

Stade Rennais FC - 2020/2021 Season

Why Rennes?

My favourite FM20 save was with Rennes and I grew an affinity with the team (and was fuming when Raphina was sold to Leeds). My aim was to do a save with them at the start of FM21 but in real life they'd qualified for the Champions League and I don't like being teams who are already in a good position, so I turned my attentions to OGC Nice and managed there instead and then took a trip to the lagoon city of Venice and took Venezia FC to Serie A. BUT, it's not been easy for Rennes so I've decided to give them another go. 

Oh, and I LOVE the Rennes kit!!

The Struggles

It seems the step up to European football, and the challenges it brings, were too much for Rennes and they struggled with the superior European competition as well as balancing that with the league campaign. The manager, Julien Stephan was sacked and ex-Lyon manager Bruno Genesio has been bought in to steer the team in the right direction once again.

The Squad

The first name people will know is the wonderkid Eduardo Camavinga, and what a talent he is. My biggest challenge will be seeing how long I can keep hold of him for.

Elsewhere there IS talent: the pacey Jeremy Doku, the dependable "jack of all trades" Benjamin Bourigeaud (one of my FM favourites), ageing captain Damien Da Silva and Nayef Aguerd should do a steady, but not world-beating, job at the heart of the defence and the very handsome Martin Terrier can play in any of the attacking positions. We've got good fullback options in Maouassa, Traore and the on-loan Dalbert. We also have Steven Nzonzi on loan BUT due to his wages of £89k per week we won't be keeping him on after this season.

Give the kids a chance (AKA - Depth? What Depth?)

For some reason, there are talented players out on loan who would've been very useful in adding depth whilst trying to compete the Ligue 1, Champions League and the French Cup. Niang can be a very good option up front and Gelin can be a steady hand in defence or step up into midfield when required. Even Seibatcheau would've been good to have around, especially as the only striker we have now is Guirassy as Adrien Hunou was sold off in the January transfer window.

I don't really have an option on the right wing, other than Bourigeaud, who I prefer in the middle and I only have TWO fit centre-backs.

Therefore we'll have to give a lot of playing time to the pool of talented youngsters available: Brandon Soppy, Adrien Truffert, Gerzino Nyamsi, Yann Gboho and, as he made an appearance off the bench against PSG this week, 16 year old Chimuanya Ugochukwu can expect to see some playing time.

My aims for season 1:

1 - Try to keep hold of Camavinga (PSG, amongst many more are sniffing around in real life and I expect their virtual counterparts will be like vultures on a gut-wagon......)

2 - Try to find a young replacement for Camavinga for when the inevitable happens

3 - Reduce the wages. We're already over the wage budget and that's before we've signed anyone! 

4 - Don't sign any starters until January at least. We have a transfer budget of £13m, however.

5 - Try to get out of the group stages of the Champions League. Can I do better than Julien Stephan? (probably not).

 

I'll try to post another update soon(ish) to report back on how we're getting on.

[Matt_1979]

Stade Rennais FC - 2020/2021 Season

August & September 2020

Slow & steady

The season started with me still not really knowing which is our strongest formation as well as wanting to find the right time to try out a new one. Nonetheless we've been solid, but definitely not exciting. Kind of like a Chris Hughton team.... but not quite as dull....

We started off well in the first game versus OGC Nice when Martin Terrier, playing as a shadow striker, gave us an early lead. However, things soon turned on their heads and the team from the French Riviera pulled their socks up and absolutely dominated us for the rest of the game and beat us 2-1. Not the start we wanted, but if there's any team I don't mind losing to, its Nice.

Next up came Bordeaux and I was sure that a prime case of a "severe FM'ing" was about to be dished out when Guirassy had two goals disallowed for offside in the first 20 minutes, the second of which definitely WAS NOT offside, and we were absolutely dominating them. Luckily, Guirassy finally got a reward for all his hard work and headed home from a corner to give us a 1-0 win. Bordeaux leave Brittany with nothing and rightly so, they were awful.

We looked to take advantage of a favourable early schedule with a trip to Angers. We picked up where we left off against Bordeaux and kept the ball well whilst looking defensively solid but without creating too much doing forward. We dominated the entire game but it was Angers' striker Alioui who came closest, smashing a shot past the helpless Gomis, only to see it hit the bar. A 0-0 bore draw. I was even bored watching it!

I was sensing a pattern evolving as we welcomed Strasbourg to Roazhon Park. Another game of complete domination by us but frustration where it matters. Going into the second half tied at 0-0 I threw caution to the wind and moved Terrier up front alongside Guirassy and finally played the 4-2-4 I'd been wanting to try for a while. Nothing really changed until Caci was sent off on 73 minutes. Speedy wonderkid Doku finally sprung to life, seemingly for the first time of the season, and danced past two players inside the box, only for the third to hack him down and he duly slotted away the penalty. A 1-0 win in a game were our xG was a huge 3.01 compared to their 0.11.

Next up came RC Lens and, with a game vs Lille in just a matter of days, I chose to rest four first team regulars.  Probably my first taste of foolishly underestimating just how sneakily competitive Ligue 1 can be as Lens absolutely dominated us all game. Both teams had a goal disallowed early on, but it was Lens who stepped up to the next gear whilst we stumbled onto the back foot and stayed there. Gomis kept us in the game, using his 6'5" frame to make three brilliant saved just before half-time. I switched to a 4-3-3 to combat their 3-4-1-2 but to no avail. Ganago was a constant threat and our defence simply couldn't handle him. How he didn't score 5 or 6 I'll never know....Final score 0-0. We were very, VERY lucky 

The biggest test so far: The final game of the opening two months was against Lille. This would be our first PROPER test against an elite Ligue 1 side. I was very nervous. They play a 4-2-3-1 and Jonathon David has was already the 2nd top scorer in the league with 5 goals from his left wing position. I started with a 4-3-3 to try to win the midfield battle and it was pretty even until a shot deflected into the path of the aforementioned David, who slotted past Gomis. A very fortunate goal, but they all count. Luckily, the Rennes boys kept their heads up and Doku was hacked down inside the box and a penalty was awarded, which Bourigeaud scored. We were clearly the superior team in the second half and created chance after chance. Guirassy was unfortunate and hit the post and the ensuing scramble resulted in a corner, which substitute Flavian Tate scored from, poking home from close range. 

We held on for an impressive 2-1 win in which we ended up with 60% possession and a xG a massive three times better than theirs.

We head into October with PSG next, who have ALREADY lost two games (Monaco and Lens).

Champions League

Well, I'm sure teams have had nicer groups.... as we find ourselves up against Real Mardid, Ajax and Inter. 

SUMMARY

A steady but unspectacular start to the season and, let's be honest, a very friend schedule up to yet. 

October, on the other hand, is a HORRIBLE months with games against: PSG, Monaco, Inter, Marseille, Real Madrid and Lyon.

Lots of squad rotation is needed and we really don't have great depth. Luckily we have midfielder Lea Siliki and defender Nyamsi in the rehab phases of their long term injury recovery so should be available in a couple of weeks. 

 

Thanks for reading. 

 

[causticgrip]

On 01/05/2021 at 00:41, strangerthankindness said:

...And.....We win! That solitary Ganago goal in the 43rd minute proves the difference. Our team of mostly-real-life Lens products have brought the Champions League trophy to Lens, defeating the odds and some of the biggest teams in the world. 

 

Very proud of the team here, and the season's been a real eye-opener for me as an FM manager. In the past I would chase as many superstars and wonderkids as possible hoping for success, but this season's proven that you can still win not only the league, but the entire Champions League, with just a strong team of players that have been together for awhile. Again, no one on the team really stands out stats-wise, or even in hidden CA/PA numbers. Only two players have CA's over 150, the rest have now grown into CA's in the 133-147 range. 

 

 

Congrats on a great save!  However tbh, I read this and all the other posts and I think "wow that's ridiculous, super unrealistic"  I'm sure the 4231 gegenpress is overpowered but even so, all that success with Lens and an average team within 4 seasons means the game is too easy. Obviously not your fault though- i'm not being critical of you, just the game and how it is. I found myself making a Bournemouth save artificially harder/more challenging by only signing and then only fielding British players, no regens and not paying over a certain wage a week.  

[Matt_1979]

Stade Rennais FC - 2020/2021 Season

October 2020

The month from hell (as predicted)

You know playing the first set of Champions League games is going to be a challenge, especially in a group containing Real Madrid, Inter and Ajax. You not only have the congested fixture list but also a step up in the quality of opposition.

The best you can hope for is a favourable league schedule to allow you to rotate players.

No chance, thanks fixture list. As well as top CL opposition we also had to play the top Ligue 1 teams: PSG, Monaco, Marseilles and Lyon.

Let the hell begin.

Up first came PSG, who need no introduction. Surprisingly they'd already lost two games this season so I was hoping we could catch them feeling sorry for themselves. Sticking with the 4-3-3 we started well and Terrier headed just wide early on. Things were pretty even until Mbappe played a nice one-two with Di Maria and scored from just inside the area. Both teams traded chances without really looking like scoring and a switch to a 4-2-4 midway through the 2nd half nearly paid off as 18 year old hit the post on a 1v1. 16 year old midfielder Ugochukwu saw a reward for his good training performances and came off the bench. PSG doubled their lead when Parades drove a shot through a crowded box which found the bottom corner to give them a 2-0 win.

Next up came 1st place Monaco who had Wissam Ben Yedder as the league top scored. With Inter in four days time I rested a few players. Doku was clearly bought down after 3 minutes but the penalty wasn't given and we caused Monaco problems until Ben Yedder scored from 7 yards out after 13 minutes. Martin Terrier was forced off through injury after 30 minutes. I'm not going to lie, it was a boring game with neither team really looking like scoring. Our best chance came in injury time as substitute Flavian Tate massively screwed up a one-two with Gboho, who would've had an open goal. 1-0 to Monaco and a massive 11 shots combined. 

The first Champions League game saw the visit of Inter, who were sat top of Serie A. We reverted back to 4-2-3-1 in an attempt to create more chances but we still looked a bit toothless. It was us, however, who looked most likely to score, both from set pieces and both from central defender Nayef Aguerd who forced excellent saves. It was still 0-0 when fullback Traore was went down off the ball and was replaced by 18 year old Brandon Soppy. I was all settled in for an excellent draw but the FM gods did NOT smile down on me and Christian Erikson whipped a vicious free kick into the box which Vidal headed home in the 93rd minute(!). We had a chance to equalise and we SHOULD have, but Da Silva blazed a header over from close range. 1-0 Inter.

Striker Guirassy was "rested" for the game vs Marseille after disappointing with only 1 goal so far (with an xG of 3.34). I thought we were in for another disappointment when Germain scored after 69 minutes but luckily, substitutes combined and Benjamin Bourigeaud scored after a lovely through-ball from Guirassy. 1-1.

We once again started well and caused lots of early chances against Real Madrid but we were soon put back into place when Varade scored from a corner to give the Spanish giants the lead. Just two minutes later, Jeremy Doku drove into the penalty area and was hacked down, giving us a penalty which Bourigeaud scored. 1-1.

We came out for the second half with Real flicking the switch and absolutely destroyed us. We managed to hang on by the skin of our teeth. Until the 91st minute when Rogrygo had a shot blocked by Maouassa..... but it fell directly into the path of the on-rushing Benzema who nearly took the back of the net off. Another injury time goal conceded. But they did deserve it so I can't be too upset. 2-1 Real Madrid.

Ok, we were struggling in October and we were without a win in five games, but we had reason to smile when Camavinga signed a one-year extension to keep him under contract until 2023. However, it had been another youngster impressing as Jeremy Doku, despite not getting on the score sheet, was causing opposition problems with his speed and direct dribbling. This continued against Lyon as he was a thorn in their side from the first minute. We should have been 2-0 up, but another rotated team squandered some glorious chances. Misses against good teams will be punished and, accordingly, Cornet rose above Soppy at the back post to head Lyon into the lead after 32 minutes. Two more clear cut chances were wasted, both by Gboho and Doku and we went into half time 1-0 down. I thought our luck had changed when a clearance by Denayer hit Clement Grenier and went in to bring us level but Lyon had other thoughts and scored two in as many minutes with both Dubios and, the excellent, Depay scoring from close range. 3-1 Lyon.

We finished the month off with a visit to Amsterdam to take on Ajax. We looked really solid and limited them to some long range efforts. Guirassy finally scored, tapping home after an excellent run and cross by Doku after 52 minutes but Ajax sub, Haller, equalised heading home a corner on 77. We rode a storm in the final ten minutes and hung on for a well deserved 1-1 draw.

Summary.

We knew it would be tough and it was. Luckily we haven't been embarrassed and you could say we've been very unlucky. However, we have to push on and find a way to start creating more quality chances. Defensively we're going well and Nzonzi is doing a great job of protecting the back four. We're missing Traore and his replacement, youngster Brandon Soppy, has twice been beaten as the back post, allowing the opposition to score.

The tough league run, playing rotated teams, has caused a drop down to 13th place, whilst we also sit bottom of our Champions League group with 1 point. 

Fortunately, November looks much kinder!! Onwards and upwards.

 

[Mackem742]

Well Ive just suffered my first defeat as Lyon manager. Id built up a 6 point lead at the top over PSG, Marseille are in 3rd but are about 16 points behind so its a 2 horse race between ourselves and PSG. Unfortunately my 1st defeat of the season has come at Parc des Princes, losing 4-1! They just wanted it more than us, I went cautious from the off but found myself 2 down after 18 minutes. The game settled down until about 70 minutes where PSG stepped it up again and added 2 more before I got a consolation goal near the end.

Disappointing but Im still currently 3 points clear but I got back to winning ways in the next game at home to Dijon, however it took a 90th minute winner from Depay to gain the 1-0 win in a game where we struggled to make our mark. We had over 30 shots but only 5 or 6 on target. We need to start improving that side of our game. Our next match is away at Marseille knowing that defeat there will more than likely allow PSG to take our place at the top, their goal difference is superior to ours. It will be disappointing if that happens but my main aim for this season was to get back into the Champions League and that looks likely unless I suffer a massive collapse in the last couple of months of the season.

As as side note I brought in Arezo in January and I cant get him playing well at all. I had the same problem when I signed him at Valencia. Ive tried him in numerous roles but he regularly turns in between 6.3 and 6.4 average ratings. I started him in the recent game at home to Dijon and he had a 5.9 rating, I ended up hauling him off and brought Depay on who netted the winner. Any ideas how to get him firing, I know he is just a youngster and it takes time for him to settle in etc but I want the lad to be a success. Im currently playing a 4-2-3-1 formation, not sure if thats the issue and he needs to be partnered with someone up top.

Any help would be appreciated 

[Matt_1979]

13 hours ago, Mackem742 said:

Well Ive just suffered my first defeat as Lyon manager. Id built up a 6 point lead at the top over PSG, Marseille are in 3rd but are about 16 points behind so its a 2 horse race between ourselves and PSG. Unfortunately my 1st defeat of the season has come at Parc des Princes, losing 4-1! They just wanted it more than us, I went cautious from the off but found myself 2 down after 18 minutes. The game settled down until about 70 minutes where PSG stepped it up again and added 2 more before I got a consolation goal near the end.

Disappointing but Im still currently 3 points clear but I got back to winning ways in the next game at home to Dijon, however it took a 90th minute winner from Depay to gain the 1-0 win in a game where we struggled to make our mark. We had over 30 shots but only 5 or 6 on target. We need to start improving that side of our game. Our next match is away at Marseille knowing that defeat there will more than likely allow PSG to take our place at the top, their goal difference is superior to ours. It will be disappointing if that happens but my main aim for this season was to get back into the Champions League and that looks likely unless I suffer a massive collapse in the last couple of months of the season.

As as side note I brought in Arezo in January and I cant get him playing well at all. I had the same problem when I signed him at Valencia. Ive tried him in numerous roles but he regularly turns in between 6.3 and 6.4 average ratings. I started him in the recent game at home to Dijon and he had a 5.9 rating, I ended up hauling him off and brought Depay on who netted the winner. Any ideas how to get him firing, I know he is just a youngster and it takes time for him to settle in etc but I want the lad to be a success. Im currently playing a 4-2-3-1 formation, not sure if thats the issue and he needs to be partnered with someone up top.

Any help would be appreciated 

I don’t know anyone who’s been able to get Arezo performing. 

[Mackem742]

9 hours ago, Matt_1979 said:

I don’t know anyone who’s been able to get Arezo performing. 

Well Ive got a bit of an update on that. After my 3 point lead over PSG at the top I went away to Marseille and they absolutely smashed us (5-2), however Arezo came on late and smashed in a fantastic free kick after Depay had played poorly again. But PSG won and went top on goal difference. My next game was against Lens at home, confidence was low after the Marseille game and Lens had just hammered Nice 8-1! I did manage to win 2-1, Arezo scored again. Next game away at Bordeaux, he started and we came away with a 3-0 win, he scored 2. Also PSG messed up at home to Strasbourg, drawing 1-1. So I am now top again with a 2 point gap. Heading into March now and Arezo seems to have come alive, 4 goals in his last 3 and he only started one of those games. 

Really enjoying this save, its the first time on this years game that Ive challenged for a title.

[john1]

Great to see more people playing in France  I have not long started with RC Strasbourg Alsace and named my manager as Sylvain Wiltord  Currently sitting 3rd after 18 games. Also gone for the classic 4-4-2 tactic  

 

 

 

Edited May 19, 2021 by john1

[john1]

 

[Mackem742]

Well my initial aim with Lyon has been achieved, qualification for the Champions League has been secured. However my late season form has seen us almost concede the title to PSG. Since PSG drew with Strasbourg and I went 2 points clear my form has been patchy. I went away to Nice and we were 2-0 up at half time but we ended up on the losing side as Nice rallied and won 3-2. We followed this up with a 2-1 win over Brest and then a 0-0 draw at home to bottom of the table L'Orient, they even went down to 10 men, I just couldnt score. The last game I played was away at Monaco and in a back and forth game we came away with a 2-2 draw. PSG are now 4 points clear with 5 games left so I guess Im still in with a chance but PSG just cant stop winning 

[john1]

8 hours ago, Mackem742 said:

Well my initial aim with Lyon has been achieved, qualification for the Champions League has been secured. However my late season form has seen us almost concede the title to PSG. Since PSG drew with Strasbourg and I went 2 points clear my form has been patchy. I went away to Nice and we were 2-0 up at half time but we ended up on the losing side as Nice rallied and won 3-2. We followed this up with a 2-1 win over Brest and then a 0-0 draw at home to bottom of the table L'Orient, they even went down to 10 men, I just couldnt score. The last game I played was away at Monaco and in a back and forth game we came away with a 2-2 draw. PSG are now 4 points clear with 5 games left so I guess Im still in with a chance but PSG just cant stop winning 

PSG are frustrating, It's like they on steroids.

Edited May 20, 2021 by john1

[Mackem742]

11 hours ago, john1 said:

PSG are frustrating, It's like they on steroids.

Yep, they had a poor start by their standards but have then just went on a ridiculous unbeaten run. Im going to finish 2nd, I cant finish any lower but PSG are 3 points clear with 2 games to play. Ive got my budget for next season too, about £16 million. I think I may need to sell to buy. Depay looks like he will be leaving so that will give me some extra wage to play with, he wants 130k a week and I can only offer a maximum of 97k. Ill look at it again when the season is over but im prepared for him to leave.

[Matt_1979]

 

Stade Rennais FC - 2020/2021 Season

November & December 2020

 

Well, its been quite the two months to finish off 2020 and I'm feeling the pain of previous manager Julien Stephan. It's hard to get this team into any kind of momentum. Of course, it's hard to get momentum when in a Champions League group like we had and also not having particularly good depth. Trying to get success on two fronts it hard. Let's see how we did.

November was certainly a better month than we'd faced in October, with just one CL game (vs Ajax) and an easier set of league fixtures. After a few tactical tweaks we got off to a flying start, with a 4-0 win over FC Metz. In breaking Ligue 1 news, Lille manager Galtier was sacked 11 games in after they found themselves in 17th position with only 3 wins. He was swiftly replaced by, non other than, Julien Stephan. 

With a resounding victory under our belts we went into the next game, a Breton derby vs 5th placed Brest, full of confidence. However, we shouldn't have been so cocky and rest five starters as we were awful and fell to a 2-0 defeat, thanks to a brace from Mounie. Three days later came Ajax and although they played the last 20 minutes with 10 men we could still only muster a 2-2 draw.

Up next came Montpellier to finish off November, as despite going behind to a beautiful finish from Mollet, we won comfortably 3-1. 

So, after changing the tactics slightly to suit Guirassy more, he responded with four goals in four games during the month and we only lost one. A good November I'd day.

Played: 4
Won: 2
Drawn: 1
Lost: 1

December started with a trip to Milan to face Inter. We'd played well against them in the first game and they only beat us 1-0 courtesy of a injury time goal so I was confident we could do them this time. We switched back to a 4-2-3-1 formation and, after creating good chances, finally took the lead with a 58th minute penalty from Bourigeaud. Inter didn't really look like scoring either. Until the 93rd minute when Pinamonti popped up at the back post and equalised. Full time. 1-1. Dammit!

Then the wheels fell off. 

We lost three in a row: Another rivalry game vs FC Nantes (0-1) despite us dominating start to finish, a 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid (who in fairness we by far the best team) and then a 2-1 defeat to bottom team Dijon. Things got slightly better when we beat Nimes 2-1, thanks to two subs scoring lovely goals (Tait & Grenier) but we were frustratingly bad and were held to a draw by Stade Reims and then a 1-0 loss to St Etienne. 

Played: 7
Won: 1
Drawn: 2
Lost 4

Then it happened...... I was summoned to the Board Room for a chat. If results don't improve in the next month I'm gone!

Where to now?

I'm not sure really. I'm struggling to get any consistency from the team. We'll play amazingly for a couple of games and then be awful. We aren't taking chances well and we're letting sloppy goals in at the other end.

Tactically I'm normally a 4-2-3-1 kinda guy but this hasn't worked well, and neither has the 4-3-3 and I've been flitting between the two. We definitely have the talent, it's just getting them performing well, on a regular basis.

I also need a striker as Guirassy isn't enough to do it all on his own, so i'll be looking at options. 

Will I still have a job at the end of January?!?!?

Edited May 21, 2021 by Matt_1979

[Mackem742]

Current state of play. If results go our way then I take the title challenge to the last day. If PSG win its pretty much all over due to the goal difference.

We are both at home so I have to hope that PSG slip up.

And in the end we just fell short.

That defeat to Nice and the draw against Lorient hurt us in the end. Still, its been a good season and back in the Champions League.

Edited May 21, 2021 by Mackem742

[john1]

@Matt_1979Hope they let you keep your job  

@Mackem742Brilliant season overall! shame they had Brest, instead of you or Marseille

 

[Matt_1979]

Stade Rennais FC - 2020/2021 Season

January 2021 - Problem Solving

Turning the tide of mediocracy

So, we knew from the last update that we were struggling. We were knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages and found ourselves in 11th place in Ligue 1. The board weren't happy and we were given a month to turn things around or we'd be sacked.

What else can you do in this situation? Look at the stats and find out where it's all going wrong. 

looking at the detailed team stats page I saw a few things which stood out:

1. We'd only mustered 18 goals in 18 games despite having a 4th placed ranking xG of 27!

2. We'd had the 5th amount of shots on target with 106, but our conversion rate was ranked 19th at just 6%.

3. We were keeping the ball well, with a 4th place ranking of 89%.

4. We'd only conceded 19 goals in 18 games, so defence clearly wasn't the problem.

 

Translating that into actions/finding a new striker:

We were making good chances (4th best for xG) but just weren't converting them so, naturally we look at the striker. Guirassy had 4 goals in 15 league games and was operating well below his xG. So, do we replace him OR ride it out and hope his luck changes.

We try to replace him, obviously. 

First up came Oliver Giroud who had been transfer listed by Chelsea. I don't want to sign him at that age and take on his huge wages so I put a loan offer in for him. Which is accepted. 

Unfortunately, the loan was blocked as Chelsea have hit the limit on over 22yr olds out on loan.

Plan B was an upgrade over Giroud but would take up all my transfer budget: Odsonne Edouard from Celtic. Bid put in and accepted.  

Unfortunately, Real Madrid, Juventus and Bayern also put bids in after my bid was leaked and he chose Bayern instead.

So I decided to not just sign someone for the sake of it who'd cost £10m+ as take a different approach instead. Rather can getting a replacement for Guirassy we'd get him young, hungry competition: Enter Kaio Jorge from Santos for £5m.

What about the other attackers?

We also need to find a way to get the talented Martin Terrier involved more. He'd been playing on the left wing, as is his natural position, but I wanted to get his goal scoring threat, and technical ability, into more central areas where he could have more impact. So, he'll move into the AMC slot as a shadow striker.

Jeremy Doku has electric pace and can terrorise opposition defences. Unfortunately he'd can't do it consistently, yet. Maybe expecting an 18 year old to do so much isn't the way, so I decided to pick up another great talent on loan from Barcelona. Francisco Trincao provides a goal threat and fantastic playmaking abilities. He'll be a starter on the Right Wing, whilst Doku can share the load on the Left with Flavien Tate.

Anything else?

Well yes, actually. As you'll have seen above we're keeping the ball very well but that possession is not turning into goals. Let's change the passing from short to default.

The defence is also proving to be very solid so I think we can afford to take the reigns off Nzonzi and change his Deep Lying Playmaker role from defensive to support.

Will these changes save my job?!?!? We'll find out soon....

 

[Matt_1979]

Stade Rennais FC - 2020/2021 Season

January 2021

Have I still got a job?

Well, the changes made definitely worked. Previously, we struggled to find any consistency and we failing to take advantage of the chances being created.

A couple more tactical changes were made, player roles changed and two new players came into the squad. If we lost any games I think we'd have gotten the sack.

Luckily, we smashed it out the park.

The switch back to a 4-2-3-1 worked. The changes to the passing range worked as we were ripping teams apart with through balls and Guirassy found his scoring boots!! At last!

We won every game - although none of them were against premium opposition but have managed to climb up to 8th place.

Guirassy BEFORE the changes:

Games: 15
Goals: 4

Guirassy AFTER the changes:

Games: 5
Goals: 8 

Yes, that's right - he scored EIGHT goals in 5 games (and one of those he came off the subs bench for the last ten mins in the cup). What an amazing turn around.

New signing updates:

How did our two new signings get on?

Well, Trincao was struggling with match fitness and took a while to kick into top gear. In the four games he's appeared in he's got 1 goal and 1 assist. Kiao Jorge, playing back up to Guirassy has also started well, and has also notched up a goal and assist. 

We also have another signing to announce. We were struggling in central defence as Gerzino Nyamsi was the only back up and he's very injury prone. He missed the first 3 months and now has picked up another, which will keep him out for another 7 weeks. So, we scoured our list of scouted players and picked out Joseph Okumu from IF Elfsborg, for £1 million. He won't be a starter but will be given a chance and could replace club captain Da Silva next season.

Edited May 23, 2021 by Matt_1979

[Mackem742]

Ill do a full update when im home from work but Ive kicked off my 2nd season with Lyon. Ive had an early bonus by beating PSG on pens in the Trophee des Champions. Opening game of the season is tough, away to Monaco and Ive got a tough start in general with a game against PSG also in the first month. Also got Champions League football to contend with this season so hopefully it wont prove to be a massive distraction.

Ive made a few signings, including a few promising looking youngsters. Ive brought in Tonali in centre midfield.

Ive also brought in Rayan Cherki into the first team, there was plenty of loan interest in him after his successful loan spell last season but I think he is good enough. In other news I managed to get Depay to sign a new contract, he had lots of interest in him and he originally wanted 150k a week, I managed to negotiate down to 130k and he accepted it. I was prepared to let him go as he was just not interested in signing until the last couple of months of last season.

[john1]

 
What a season!  Next season will be tough to repeat this season success.

[Mackem742]

Sorry I didnt get the chance to do a full update last night but I started the season and its been a great start.

After winning the Trophee des Champions against PSG I had a tough start in the league.

Monaco (A) 3-0 win, Cherki got on the scoresheet which I was delighted with.

Marseille (H) 3-0 win, Depay and Arezo getting on the scoresheet. 

Next 2 games are away at Nimes and home to PSG. If I can get through the first month unbeaten ill be happy. Then it will be the Champions League draw.

Edited May 25, 2021 by Mackem742

[john1]

8 hours ago, Mackem742 said:

Sorry I didnt get the chance to do a full update last night but I started the season and its been a great start.

After winning the Trophee des Champions against PSG I had a tough start in the league.

Monaco (A) 3-0 win, Cherki got on the scoresheet which I was delighted with.

Marseille (H) 3-0 win, Depay and Arezo getting on the scoresheet. 

Next 2 games are away at Nimes and home to PSG. If I can get through the first month unbeaten ill be happy. Then it will be the Champions League draw.

Fantastic start  Will be interesting to see how you fare against PSG.

[Mackem742]

Lyon Season 2 2021/22

Couldnt have asked for a harder start to my 2nd season, Monaco, Marseille and PSG within the first month. Luckilly I have come out of it unscathed. The only disappointment was a 1-1 draw away to Dijon. But crushing wins over Monaco and Marseille meant I had a fantastic start, the 0-0 home draw against PSG was one of the most eventful goalless draws Ive ever been involved in, I thought we had won it but Depay hit the post with a header in the 92nd minute.

Transfer dealings, sold more than I brought in so happy with that, the transfer window isnt over yet but I doubt Ill bring anyone else in.

Currently sit 4th in the league but after the tough games ive had im happy with that.

Also my Champions League group is quite tough but im quite confident of progressing with Real Madrid.

[john1]

I would have taken it before start of the season to pick up 8 points in first 4 games  Tough CL group, Can't see why not you cant finish in top 2.

[john1]

 
Incredible! Won the league with a game spare. Will do quick update shortly.

[john1]

 
Didn't expect the board to accept this request, I thought I would test their ambitions.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

I just started a new save with St.Etienne and I managed to get 6th place in the first season despite having the right firepower with on loan striker Anthony Modeste and free transfer signing Daniel Sturridge only getting 14 goals between the 2 of them so to rectify this issue in the summer I used all of my transfer budget for season 2 on signing a striker I have never heard of. His name is Boulaye Dia who is a Senegal Internation striker I signed from Reims for £8 million after he was Ligue 1 top scorer with 17 goals. I am hoping he can give me the much needed firepower to get top 4.

Boulaye Dia

@Jogo Bonito Have you ever heard of him. Is he any good in real life?

[MorroZural]

FC Girondins de Bordeaux - Takeover

As every year, I will try to turn Bordeaux into a European powerhouse.

And we are starting from very far: the club has gone into administration IRL at the end of current season. Performances have been dreadful the last couples of season, and no serious recruitment have be made to solve the situation. In fact, the first eleven is one of the oldest team of the league, with an average age a bit over 27. There is a lot of work!

Instead of going my usual route of buying low and selling high, I will try to play a more realistic approach this time. I will mostly rely on my youth setup, which is thankfully very good, with many talents already at the club.

My first mercato has been very quiet, no new faces, all soon-to-expire contracts have been extended, and I moved a lot of youths from the second squad to make up for the hole in the team. The strategy, as we are playing only the league for now, is to rely on 14-15 experienced players, and the rest will be youth from our academy. This way they will get some play times and improve before I hope some European football in the coming years.

The board request us to go top half, but I will like a European place for us, Europa League or Conference could be possible on a good run. This is quite a change in approach from my usual saves, so I hope it will be fun!

[john1]

 
Finally new stadium  

[john1]

 
Won back to back titles again  PSG, was a strange one, they bought in De Jong and Ronaldo and Demir, and last 13 games they ended up going through a blip hence us pulling away to win the title by 15 points.

We got all the way to Semi Final of Champions League, lost 2-0 on agg against Bayern  They also knocked out us in Quarter Final in Champions League last season too.

We also got taken over by South African tycoon guy, here is transfers dealing. Thiago, have been a god send for us, have been epic for us.

 
We also got couple brilliant youngsters coming through as they just won U's19 league

Also won this play off thing against Marsille
 

[john1]

 
Nice to start the season with winning Trophee des Champions  

Decided to change tactic this season (inspired after watching Take the Ball Pass the Ball documentary on Barca on Amazon Prime) However, most likely go back to 4-3-3 during the season.

[john1]

 
Transfers - They was pre signed during last season, Cohen was signed 2 seasons ago but couldn't moved til he was 18.

Managed to beat Dortmund to sign him. will go out on loan this season to Niort.

My African scout, found him during scouting North Africa region. Currently retraining him as AMR. Also he had a good season with Al-Ahly, before moving the move. Looks like my scout have found a hidden gem  

 
 

Was probably a blind buy as didn't seen all his attributes. Looks fairly okay

Edited June 12, 2021 by john1

[john1]

 

 

[john1]

Last season Champions League group

This season Champions League group.....