[FM 21] Grenoble Foot 38: "Rise of the Dauphinais"

[Sheriff7]

Amazing season!

[SixPointer]

What a result against PSG right up my street the good old underdog!!!

 

great season 

Edited February 5, 2021 by SixPointer

[Hootieleece]

@Sheriff7 @SixPointer: The season isn't over and the team has "defensive issues"

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

April 2023:Regular Season "Flying a little to close to the sun"

Gerard was ecstatic after the win against PSG and it definitely fed his ego....The month saw 6 Fixtures with two home and 4 away....Gerard hoped for 9 points which would almost ensure survival.

The opening day of the month saw the team in Brittany.....

The press took note....

It was a game the team could have won but the Analytics say that a draw is a fair result....

The next game was against a rampant OL that was second in the table....

another coach impressed with our "keep away" tactics....

since this was a big game at home Gerard repeated the gameplan of the PSG Victory!

and it worked! Media was impressed!

and the plan work a treat according to the nerds....

a youth player was poached by AS St. Etienne....

The next match was another big match against European Places Challenger Montpelier ...

Gerard decided to push his luck and tried the PSG Gameplan of Parking the Bus again....

It was a massacre with GF38 losing 1-6.....

The analytics weren't kind either...

The boys decided they played terribly and wanted to pay the fans back....

Three days later GF38 headed to the Loire Valley and Angers....

Angers deserved their win by analytics....

Gerard took some time out from the losing to make the team better for next year...

The next match was Stade Rennais visiting Grenoble....

Rennes is supposed to win...but GF38 had different ideas....

Coupe De France

after the Coupe de France final...another shock PSG loses....

Shortly there after GF38 got back on the Ligue 1 train.....against Rennes....

It was a close game and neither side gave an inch....a draw was a fair result ....but a last minute injury to possibly the linchpin of our entire team is concerning....

Analytics said Rennais should have won....

The last match of the month was a trip to Le Havre....if GF38 won they would relegate Havre and all but assure survival....

The game was a fiery affair with neither side giving an inch...and ended in a draw.....

League Table

The Team is in a relatively safe position....one more win will ensure survival....

Squad Form

Player of the Month

Manuel Perez

Manuel played well and earned his offseason extension.....but will need to keep performing and his loss of pace is concerning.

Analysts Report

 

Management Report

The promotion to Ligue 1 has arrested the debt of the club but survival this season and the next are imperative....

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dan1884]

Finally gotten round to reading this. It's all going very well for a first season up as a newly promoted side, similarly to us. The home form is impressive, you've gone one better than me by managing to actually beat PSG while you were at it. I also notice you have signed Samuel Bossiwa, I had him on loan and he was probably my best player in the first season, if memory serves - good enough to rise to Ligue 2 with me anyway, though he has really stagnated on my game.

I've found the step up to Ligue 1 a lot simpler than I thought I would. A very simple style of play seems to be working for me. All going well though, your finances are a bit worrying but they're not dropping so it's not the end of the world. I just hope the budgets increase a bit upon survival, I want a bit more than £5mil a season to play with in the end.

Lots of players seem to make a pretty seamless step up I have found. You're having a similar situation. I thought some of my players would be exposed a bit but they haven't been at all.

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

May 2023: Regular Season "Survival assured....for now"

Gerard went into the final month looking for that last elusive win.....there were five chances to get it with three home matches....

First up was Nimes visiting Stade des Alpes....

neither team was in the best form.....

This match saw the team throw away points....with the lead and opponents down to 10 men....

After the disappointment against Nimes the team headed to Strasbourg for a midweek match.....

RC Strasbourg are the favorites because of the teams current form....

Moise Kean just single-handedly took advantage of our defensive issues....

but in the end the team got what it was looking for....

and it was the lead story...

after that game the team headed home to host AS Monaco....

It was a very close game and might have gone GF38's way on another day...

After that loss GF38 headed to Nice to renew acquaintance's with Mikael Arteta...

Gerard tried to stop the losing streak by changing formation to a 5-2-1-2 WB....bad idea....

and the analytics agree the team was terrible....

The final match of the season saw Olympique Marseilles visit Stade des Alpes....

No one was giving GF38 a chance....in another move to get a win...and improve the atmosphere around the team Gerard held a team meeting....

It worked! Team played as well as they possibly could and OM had already left for the beaches or Golf Courses by the way they played!

The Prize money received for finishing Mid-Table erased the clubs debts....

but the board was still being very frugal....

and with this tiny budget Gerard is expected to do this....

Seasonal Analytics

Management Report

Gerard manages the team to midtable, wipes out the clubs debt and all he gets is a B for his efforts' 

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

AWARDS NIGHT 2023

The team finished an epic season that was one for the record books and Gerard and the Supporters Club are proud to recognize these accomplishments!

The transfers were mainly to bulk up the reserves, but two standout: Julien Serrano and Marcin Bulka. Both players claimed spots in the starting XI and proved they could play in Ligue 1!

The team was heavily rotated and injuries....kept this starting XI from playing together as often as Gerard would have liked.

Finances increased especially TV Revenue and Prize Money.

The team did remarkably well. When on paper and in the betting parlors the team was the Pre-Season favorite to be relegated!

Gerard agrees with the fans....Achille Anani is the man!

Two Third Place efforts and recognition as the Best Player in May 2023...is a magnificent achievement .

For a player that was on the bench when Gerard got to Grenoble in 2020....

Thanks for Reading!

 

[Hootieleece]

@Dan1884: This is the thread I mentioned.

This is the first time I saw a magical season in Ligue 1.

[SixPointer]

Great first Ligue 1 season 

[Dan1884]

Very strong first season, everything you could ask for really, never in any serious danger and managed to make your ground a bit of a fortress. I think my Annecy side seem a bit more consistent and better defensively, but I feel like your Grenoble side are better 'on their day', we could never beat Marseille 5-0, certainly not playing like this anyway, you seem to take teams apart occasionally which is encouraging, with better players that'll become a more frequent occurrence.

Interesting that they have given you the prize money as transfer budget essentially, that's quite a coincidence if it isn't written into the game.

[Hootieleece]

@Dan1884 I am looking to get better Defensively and Roualt came up but Toulouse want too much for him. He would be an Ideal CB for my team.

 

[Dan1884]

Just now, Hootieleece said:

@Dan1884 I am looking to get better Defensively and Roualt came up but Toulouse want too much for him. He would be an Ideal CB for my team.

He's a very solid defender, I can't see him being replaced for a while here, wish he was a little better on the ball and a little quicker but generally very solid, we only really got him when we did because he'd stagnated at Toulouse. Been well worth the money though. Him and Goutidis are quite a partnership.

[Sheriff7]

As i guessed..A nice and safe season.

[SixPointer]

16 minutes ago, Sheriff7 said:

As i guessed..A nice and safe season.

We both made great predictions 

[Hootieleece]

I must say that my team like @Dan1884 can win on their day....but team's defensive mistakes need to be lessened. It might be a tactical problem. I am trying to get better defenders.

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

June 2023: Silly Season "can the team get better?"

Gerard had several positions to upgrade if he was to make the the most of being in Ligue1.

Normally Gerard would be trying to buy every player that he had a chance to get...but he decided to wait until he had a new AssMan.

since we are a re 4-2-3-1 Wide Team.....

Some how Journeyman Striker Achille Anani is 3rd best Striker in Europe!

The team finances are looking up but are getting better....

Everyone agreed we were Overachieving!

The team has been averaging almost a sellout every home game!

TV Revenue will pay our entire Payroll this Season....

The team took care of two of its older Statesmen....

Anani got his Contract!

He is underpaid if he replicates last season.....

The team brings in a DC to strengthen the back line....

He's a loan....even if we are paying his salary....

Brought in another defender originally planned on him being a CB....but he will become a Right Back....

With the new defenders coming in Gerard decided this player could be loaned out.....

Early Transfers

The following player were eligible to join the team in June....

This player will become our new #10.....

starting for the Reserves!

I see Grenoble2 in his future!

This player was supposed to be a new BBM but turned out to become the Backup DLP.

On 7/1/23 the last early contracts came good....

This player is a change of pace/ tactical change from Djitte as AML.

a CB with a lot of potential!

This AJAX product is coming to "learn" the right Attacking Winger position!

Management Report

Thanks for Reading!

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

July 2023: Preseason "This is our Year!"

Gerard was happy to return to the training ground after all the Board Meetings and contract negotiations....as always he tries to play two friendlies a week to get match fitness up...

The Preseason went well except for when the team played bigger teams.....RB Salzburg's Strikers had pace....The match against Ajax was close but their superior quality was the difference....

As you can see the team has a mountain to climb to repeat last season's success....Hopefully our key players....Djitte and Bulka have "career" years! Like Anani last season...

The usual suspects....also Anani who was the third best Striker in Europe isn't even in the conversation....

Our young loanee from Ajax is out for 3months before even kicking a ball in anger....

 

Management Report

The finance are in good shape for a Ligue 2 team.....the Tax Bill is slowing any chances of upgrading our facilities or expanding Stade des Alpes.

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

August 2023:Regular Season "Defense isn't necessary if the team scores more goals than other team...."

Gerard headed into the season optimistic since he thought he had shored up the defense and added a little quality to midfield and attack...The month would see three fixtures. Two at home and one away....all three were winnable....and Bernard wanted to get at least 5 points on the table.

The Board reminded Gerard of the objectives for the Season...

The opening game was against Rennais that has a strong team now that the Big Clubs don't seem to be buying Camavinga anymore.

It was just one of those games....hit the right post 3 times and Rennais scored two....but the game was closer than the score line reflects....

The next match was a trip to St. Etienne to visit les Verts.

ASSE were the favorites because they were the home team.....

The match was an affair dominated by GF38 after going ahead and giving away a tying goal.....

The final match of the month saw Strasbourg visit Stade des Alpes.....

The game was evenly match and neither team cared much for defense...

Two second half goals for Right Winger Kevin Danois won the game for GF38!

League Table

Player of the Month

Charles Pickel

The newly minted holding midfielder has really played well even if he doesn't have any "sexy" stats like assists or goals.

It has taken Gerard 3 seasons to find a position for him....he has been RB, CB, and MC at various times for this team.

Analysts Report

Management Report

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

September 2023: Regular Season "Murphy's Law of FM: No tactical plan is foolproof unless you are Liverpool and Gengenpress "

Gerard came into September seeing four fixtures on the schedule. After looking at the opponents, he hoped for 7 points.

First up was a trip to the Medieval University city of Montpellier....and they are a top side so Gerard decided to use a defensive variant of his 4-2-3-1 Wide...

even though the team played more cautiously they still put a shift in around the opponent's goal....just couldn't get a goal!

Analytics shows that GF38 matched their opponents, but didn't have luck on their side....

Newly Promoted Dijon FCO was visiting Fortress Grenoble....GF38 expects a win....

A dominant performance where the team played to perfection....

Analytics show how good GF38 were!

A trip to the vineyards of the Atlantic Coast was next....Bordeaux have a bunch of Big name players who might be past their prime....

Bernard took a gamble and played the backups, a move that reverses the usual Attacking intent of the team with the AMR instead of AML being Key Player. The team went down right after the whistle then clawed and scratched their way back with a last minute goal.

Three Wins and Two draws has Gerard beginning to think he is another Pep.....

Analytics shows that a draw was fair result.

The visit of Stade de Reims was expected to be a tight match but one GF38 could win....

It was the evenly matched affair you would expect from two closely matched teams....GF38 went ahead just before half....Reims came out fired up in the second and went ahead.....a bad tackle sent a man off just as GF38 was making a push for a tying goal...Moussa Djitte score in the last minute to get the draw.

Analysis shows the GF38 probably should have won....

The first game of October is a trip to Lille....not ever a pleasant trip....all the coal dust everywhere....

League Table

Player of the Month

Moussa Djitte

The Star man is showing everyone why teams from all over Europe are offering for him....because he is probably another Sadio Mane!

Analytics Report

Management Report

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

October 2023: Regular Season "Nightmare before Halloween"

Gerard saw four fixtures on the schedule including heavy hitters LOSC and OM away. So he planned to get 4 points in the month.

The trip to Lille was as unpleasant as expected....maybe worse!

This was a ugly a game as could have been played defensively.....

The media take note...

Analytics shows how bad the team was defensively and also how unlucky the team was offensively.

A trip to Marseilles followed that nightmare of a game....Gerard decided to go back to the Defensive Variant....to hopefully stop that from happening again....

Lucky for us Higuain is on the injured list!

The team started well but OM answered just after half and then took control of the game.

Analytics saw the team was lucky to draw....but a point away from home is something any Relegation fight team would take.

OGC Nice was next on the schedule visiting the Stade des Alpes.....

It was a match Gerard hoped to win...even if it was against his "Bro" Arteta. Gerard tried the backups again to shake things up!

It didn't quite work as planned....but at least the team didn't lose! Media thinks otherwise....

On another day GF38 would have edged it.....

After the disappointment against Nice...GF38 were set to visit Lorient and the Orange Crush....

The bookies didn't give GF38 much of a chance....

It was an equal contest and FC Lorient's Physical play was the difference in the game....

Analytics said the draw was the likely outcome....based on the play that day.

Unfortunately for struggling GF38 the next game is a visit from the "Stormtroopers" of the Galactic Empire of PSG!

Look at this projected lineup....Neymar with a salary of $57.5M isn't even in the starting lineup!

League Table

Player of the Month

Brice Mableau

The Team Captain and backup GK made several starts as Gerard looked to arrest the slide....in both games he was the difference!

Analytics Report

The team played above average in every department except shooting....scoring only 3!

Management Report

The board is happy, but the finances are shaky until the team assures survival or sells some players for big money....

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

November 2023: Regular Season "The Nightmare continues....."

Gerard was really stumped as to where GF38 would pick-up points in November because of the teams slump. With only three matches and Two of them against both PSG and AS Monaco, it looked like a tall task to get the required three points let alone the preferred five!

The Hype around the big game was incredible and Gerard agreed with the bookies and the press....and was pessimistic about re-creating last season's epic victory!

The team had more fight in them than expected but Neymar came off the bench to seal the PSG win.....Hlynsson the diminutive winger got sent off and that ended any chances of snatching a draw.

The media are beginning to bring attention and pressure on the team.....

xG says it all, GF38 were lucky to keep game as close as it was.....

Next on the itinerary was a trip to Nantes, who were also struggling.....

It would be a tough ask on the road, but after the PSG game Gerard tried to kickstart a winning streak with a team meeting...

unfortunately it didn't work....

and the analytics....agree that the team isn't playing well...

Pressure is beginning to build as Gerard searches for answers....

The next match was a home match against AS Monaco.....It wasn't getting any easier....

The team played bravely and got a little lucky, but at this point Gerard will take a "Moral" victory!

The analytics show that we are now not taking enough shots to make up for our lack of finishing...which proves how much of an over achievement last season was.

League Table

The team is still above the drop zone and has more points than games played, but will need to start winning to keep its points total higher than games played.

Player of the Month

Charles Pickel

The midfielder has adapted to life in Central midfield and has done well and has even played a little CB as well. He is like a poor man's Fabinho.

If more of the players were playing like him the team might win a game.

Monthly Analytics Report

The Average play all around and the bad shooting are continuing to making this slump last. The team needs to play better to stay in Ligue 1.

Management Report

Gerard's gamble on spending a little more money on payroll doesn't seem to be working....unless the team stays in Ligue 1.

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

December 2023: Regular Season "It feels a lot like Christmas"

Gerard was getting near the breaking point....he had tried everything he could think of to win a match. As the Place Victor Hugo was getting lights....Gerard prayed to the soccer gods!

The team really needed a good December if they were to have a chance of remaining in Ligue1. Gerard was hoping for 9 points looking at the schedule, but would be happy with 7.

First on the Itinerary was a trip to Nimes. The fellow Relegation Candidates struggles made winning this game imperative. Even so Gerard played the "Backups" to help shake things up.

The team went down early, but clawed two back just before half. Both teams played as if the loser would be relegated.....Nimes took the lead again and two late goals (84,86) by GF38 made to look like winners, but a last minute Set-Piece conversion drew Nimes Level.

Even though the team didn't win....it was a game that soccer is all about....

Gerard agreed with the analytics that GF38 deserved more....but he hoped for a win soon....

because the streak was becoming a albatross around the team's neck....

The youth preview was less than inspiring....

The next game was Brest visiting Stade des Alpes.....

It was another team that should beat GF38....but Gerard had seen something in the Nimes game.....namely goals!

the play of the backups inspired the the Starters....to put on a good performance.....

The slump is broken.....in dominating fashion....

Analytics thought the team put on a good performance!

Gerard was looking to bring these good performances on a trip to Lyon and second place OL.

The bookies didn't think the team had a chance.....

and in other news a replacement was found for Manny Perez for next season.....

 

Even if he doesn't slot into the team his salary is low enough to afford to keep him in the reserves.

The team played well but couldn't cope with the Renato Sanches show.....

Analyst's and Gerard are always happy to steal a point from OL.

The Coupe de France opponent was determined and GF38 will travel to Stade Lattre de Tassigny.

The National 2 team from the suburbs of Marseilles will be thrilled with a visit by a Ligue 1 team.....

Table proppers Angers SCO were next on the Itinerary....

according to the bookies Grenoble were the favorites, but a few days before the match Angers SCO got a new manager Claude Puel....

It was another goal scoring extravaganza.....

The fickle media are now singing GF38's praises...

The game was closer than score line, but Analytics agreed the team should have won.

League Table

Player of the Month

Maxim Leitsch

The on-loan Centerback is playing as well as expected and Gerard expects to sign him on a free for next season.

Management Report

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

[SixPointer]

18 games in and over 10 points clear of the relegation zone. Safety isn’t Gerards priority anymore he wants a game on the continent  

[Jogo Bonito]

Doing fine work here indeed @Hootieleece and I echo what was written above No pressure then 

[Hootieleece]

3 hours ago, Jogo Bonito said:

Doing fine work here indeed @Hootieleece and I echo what was written above No pressure then 

 

5 hours ago, SixPointer said:

18 games in and over 10 points clear of the relegation zone. Safety isn’t Gerards priority anymore he wants a game on the continent  

Thanks for the vote of confidence....

I hope for safety first then worry about the cherry on top!

The team is very Jekyll and Hyde though....on our day we can beat anyone....but if we aren't firing on all cylinders' then we lose like nobody deserves to.

The defense is still very iffy....

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

January 2024: Regular Season "The long and winding road"

Gerard looked at the schedule for January and saw Four Fixtures: Three in the Ligue and at least One in Coupe de France. Looking at the teams being played Gerard was hoping for 7 points with an outside chance of 9!

The month started out against high flying AJ Auxerre a recently promoted team that was overachieving thus a very similar team.

but before that BMG scuttled the Free Transfer of Leitsch...

this was an even game with GF38 controlling the game in the first half....but couldn't find a 2nd goal....AJ Auxerre come out like a House on Fire in the second Half and won the game...

a

Analytics' show how bad the 2nd half was.....

The Coupe de France started with a business trip to Aubagne FC.....

The Nat2 team was pretty much outclassed and Gerard planned on building up the fitness of the backups after the break....

media trying to stir the pot.....

This was the Maxim Leitsch show....proving what we will miss...and being the only starter in the game. It was also in many ways Bernard Laurent's coming out game....with two late goals!

Diacko's goal only fueled our team to respond!

as a reward we get a tricky trip to OGC Nice....

Table Proppers ASSE headed to Stade des Alpes.....Gerard expected a win....

Analytics show that it was a comfortable win even though the margin was only 1-0

after the win came the trip to Nice....

Gerard knew it would be tough but thought GF38 has a chance.....

He was wrong! the game was even until halftime and then the now inevitable opponent playing like 11 Ronaldo's happened to the team.....

The team's defense got so frustrated that Biancone the Right back got sent off!

Analytics shows how bad a performance was by the team.

After the disappointment of the Coupe, the team headed to Alsace and Strasbourg...

Gerard was looking for a bounce back win....

The Referee was the Center of Attention and his Cards against Jenz were unjustifiable and created the atmosphere that didn't allow GF38 to play.....especially because several 2 footed lunges by Strasbourg were ignored!

The Analytics show how much we were dominated by the 14 man RC Strasbourg team.

League Table

Player of the Month

Rafael Bandeira

The backup had a chance to show he was a player with injuries and suspensions.

Management Report

The team is doing well but the finances are concerning....as the team will probably be negative by the end of the season.

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

February 2024: Regular Season "Morale Victories are hollow...."

Gerard realized that the team would need to play better if they were to avoid relegation.  The fact that the team was scoring again was good, but the defense was going to need to step up if was going to get the needed 8 points from five matches.

The month opened with Montpellier visiting Grenoble.....

Even though Montpellier had been struggling like Grenoble their place in table was higher so they were made road Favorites....but Gerard knew his team had a chance...because Road Favorites rarely win between relatively evenly matched teams.

Bernard Laurent a young prodigy out of the Academy scored an early goal and the team was on their way to victory.

The Media took notice, but the Analysts told Gerard to not get too excited as the win was lucky....

as the Transfer Period closed Gerard signed a new Right Winger on a Free for next season!

Gerard is taking a flyer....but he feels good about it....hopefully it doesn't turn into the "Chef" Transfer Saga....

PSG are still spending money....in search of the Champions League since they have Ligue 1 sewn up.

The next game saw GF38 return to Burgundy for a visit to Dijon home of the Mustard Makers.

Gerard thought the match was winnable....

The game was even and GF38 came back to take the lead after an early goal, but a late Set Piece Mistake led to Dijon getting a draw.

After the disappointment of the Dijon match, GF38 was to be visited by Bordeaux....

GF38 were home favorites and Gerard felt good if the team could eliminate the second half errors....

A match for the Ages....Bernard Laurent was the Star Man....singlehandedly getting the draw!

Analysis shows that the defense was "soft" and gave up easy goals....

After the "escape" against Bordeaux....GF38 headed to the ancient cathedral city of Reims....

Another open game....the defense is like swiss cheese.....

And another top team was headed to Grenoble....2nd place LOSC!

The team played their heart out, but another last minute defensive mistake saw the team snatch a draw from the "Jaws of Victory"! These Moral victories are nice, but won't do anything about getting the team competitive in Europe which is the Gerard's Goal.

Actually according to the Nerds, Gerard should be happy with the draw!

League Table

Player of the Month

Bernard Laurent

Analytics Report

Management Report

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

March 2024: Regular Season "Up where we belong...."

Gerard knew that February would be a critical one this season....and it had four fixtures....two home and two away....along with playing some heavy hitters like OM and the "Galactic Empire" of PSG!

In the first match on the Itinerary OM came to visit Stade des Alpes....OM was looking for revenge for their last visit....a 5-0 destruction on the final day of the season.

Gerard knew if the team kept playing the way they were wins would eventually come.....and today was evidence.

Even the nerds said the team played well.

A trip to struggling OGC Nice was next....

OGC Nice went down to 10 men early and soon it was a foregone conclusion with a Hat Trick from our new Goal Scoring Sensation Bernard Laurent!

Even the Analytics support a GF38 victory.

and incoming from the Board....

Gerard is of two minds about a takeover....excited about maybe getting a budget a Ligue 1 team deserves, but also finding working with the tight budget intellectually stimulating.

With News of the Takeover, Gerard did everything he could to make the players focus on playing winning soccer....

Gerard is going to try and get Leitsch on loan again next year.....

Even though the goal came late.....GF38 dominated the match....

After the success this month so far came the dreaded trip to Paris and the Parc des Princes...

again Neymar a $57.5M "Super Sub"!

They play similar style of Football.

The bookies and Media don't give GF38 a chance....

Gerard explained his "gameplan"....

Instead of Gengenpressing he "Parked the Bus" and defended the middle.....

thus channeling his inner Sean Dyche!

Tuchel had some interesting things to say.....but remember they are undefeated and have only been tied three times!

After the "Moral" Victory in Paris....

GF38 had Youth Intake Day

A poor intake only Three players will be signed....

The team is in desperate need of a CB....

League Table

Player of the Month

Bernard Laurent

Gerard can't take credit for inserting Bernard in the Lineup at Striker. It is by taking the advice of his Assman and Coach Franck Haise in charge of Player Development...Gerard thought he would be decent and had AMR-IF role envisioned for him instead of Striker.

Analytics Report

Management Report

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

[Sheriff7]

Great run!You could catch Europe!

[SixPointer]

11 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

Grenoble Foot 38

March 2024: Regular Season "Up where we belong...."

Gerard knew that February would be a critical one this season....and it had four fixtures....two home and two away....along with playing some heavy hitters like OM and the "Galactic Empire" of PSG!

In the first match on the Itinerary OM came to visit Stade des Alpes....OM was looking for revenge for their last visit....a 5-0 destruction on the final day of the season.

Gerard knew if the team kept playing the way they were wins would eventually come.....and today was evidence.

Even the nerds said the team played well.

A trip to struggling OGC Nice was next....

OGC Nice went down to 10 men early and soon it was a foregone conclusion with a Hat Trick from our new Goal Scoring Sensation Bernard Laurent!

Even the Analytics support a GF38 victory.

and incoming from the Board....

Gerard is of two minds about a takeover....excited about maybe getting a budget a Ligue 1 team deserves, but also finding working with the tight budget intellectually stimulating.

With News of the Takeover, Gerard did everything he could to make the players focus on playing winning soccer....

Gerard is going to try and get Leitsch on loan again next year.....

Even though the goal came late.....GF38 dominated the match....

After the success this month so far came the dreaded trip to Paris and the Parc des Princes...

again Neymar a $57.5M "Super Sub"!

They play similar style of Football.

The bookies and Media don't give GF38 a chance....

Gerard explained his "gameplan"....

Instead of Gengenpressing he "Parked the Bus" and defended the middle.....

thus channeling his inner Sean Dyche!

Tuchel had some interesting things to say.....but remember they are undefeated and have only been tied three times!

After the "Moral" Victory in Paris....

GF38 had Youth Intake Day

A poor intake only Three players will be signed....

The team is in desperate need of a CB....

League Table

Player of the Month

Bernard Laurent

Gerard can't take credit for inserting Bernard in the Lineup at Striker. It is by taking the advice of his Assman and Coach Franck Haise in charge of Player Development...Gerard thought he would be decent and had AMR-IF role envisioned for him instead of Striker.

Analytics Report

Management Report

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

 

What a fantastic month! Some huge results 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

April 2024: Regular Season "Reality Bites"

After success in March, Gerard was envisioning a run to the Top 5-6 and a European Place. April has Four Fixtures Two Home, Two Away, with a tricky match with AS Monaco.

In general management news....GF38 have new owners.....

and the first piece of business was to give Gerard a 2 year extension.

 

First off was a visit from the Breton side FC Nantes and their ugly Fluorescent  Yellow Uniforms. Gerard expected a tough match, but a win....

but the bookies and media didn't agree....

The Media is noting how well BL is playing.....putting some pressure on the young man....

The Game itself started well.....went up to a comfortable 3-0 lead and then in the last 20 minutes the wheels came off. The team held on to the lead for dear life.....

Analytics show that it was a close match....

After that close call...the team had to head to Monaco and justify their credentials as European Place contenders' .

It would be a tall order to win ...but even a draw would help....

The team couldn't take the spotlight of a big game....and everyone played badly.

The media even noted that the team was "taken out behind the Woodshed"....

Analytics shows how badly the team played....

And in other news the team's management structure has been reorganized....

Gerard is not a business man , but he guesses the bottom line of the financials will become more important.

After the embarrassment in Monaco....the perfect bounce back match was on the schedule....

Nimes was relegation fodder...in 19th place...and a win would secure GF38 in Ligue 1!

The game was a routine and dominant home victory....with Moussa Djitte doing a Sadio Mane imitation!

The team played as well against Nimes as they played badly against AS Monaco...

A tough trip to Brest was up next...

and in other news...The "Galactic Empire" of PSG continues to dominate French Football!

but this means that there is an extra chance for Europe....

so it was imperative that GF38 get a win in Brittany because the next match was against OL!

It was a damp squib of a match....and GF38 were lucky to escape with a draw....

League Table

Player of the Month

Giuliane Biancone

The team didn't play particularly well but his contributions stood out over the past month....

Analytics Report

At least our goals and xG lineup.

Management Report

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

 

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

May 2024: Regular Season "European Football denied"

Gerard knew the team had an outside chance at European Football even with April's less than perfect record, but It would probably take a perfect 12 points or maybe 10 from the four fixtures.

OL was obviously the toughest match being in second place...but all would challenge the team if they were to win them all.

The Visit from OL couldn't come at a worse time....the team wasn't playing particularly well...but that needed to change if the team was going to have European Nights at Stade des Alpes.

The Team played their hearts out but that late goal by Renato Sanches for OL was deflating....

And it was note worthy....because Fortress Grenoble fell!

Analyst's say the team didn't play well....Gerard disagrees except for the score.

The next game was with relegation candidates Angers SCO and Claude Puel....

This would be a tough game because Angers are fighting to stay in Ligue 1.

The game was a Refereeing fiasco two quick yellows against Moritz Jenz led to the team being down to ten men. The Team played valiantly until Gerard subbed 3 tired players in the seventieth minute. Angers SCO brought on a new AML....that led to 3 goals.....The ref was obviously for the Home Team he "missed" TWO two footed tackles that scythed down my players in obvious goal scoring chances and gave a GF38 player a yellow card for "standing near a Angers player" and Corners and Free kicks for Angers were innumerable.

Gerard even lashed out about the officiating.

as you can see from the Analytics the match was even until about the 70th minute.

The next game was GF38 trying to spoil AJ Auxerre's European place party....

The team played well and especially after a early Laurent goal.

The last match is against Rennes....and a chance for EC2 place with some help....

The team were underdogs but GF38 would give them a game....to at least spoil their chances....

It was like many times this season the Bernard Laurent Show....and the midfield made Camavinga a nonentity....

According to the analysts we won easily today as XG says.

and in other news PSG went undefeated.....

League Table

PSG only dropped points twice all season.....luckily GF38 was one of them.

Player of the Month

Bernard Laurent

Season Analyst's Report

The Analysts and their xG match up....otherwise the team was bang average....but that is over achievement given predictions.

Board Meeting

The board is realistic in keeping the same expectations. but there is a chance Gerard might actually spend to bring in a player....

Management Report

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

Awards Night 2024

Player of the Year

Season Review

Maxim Leitsch and Giulian Biancone were the most important transfers, but Edgaras Utkus chipped in as well and cost most of the transfer budget. Overall it looks like money well spent.

A fantastic season it hurts missing European places, but Gerard and the team should be proud of their accomplishment.

The Coupe de France was a little underwhelming....

Everything is looking up on the financial front.

 

No really bad performances over the season.....

Thanks for Reading!

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

June 2024: Silly Season "looking to get younger and sleeker"

Gerard was happy with last season's success, but was troubled with how some players seemed to give up in the second half of games.....His thought was that the older players in leadership were just happy to be in Ligue 1 and since most were not even in the starting lineup anymore it was time to move them on....

Another Historic season for the club....now the team needs silverware!

for the second year in the row the team has 3rd best goal scorer in Ligue 1.

The commercial end is looking pretty good.....

This is the first big signing to upgrade the Central Midfield....not that it is bad this youngster is still an upgrade.

He will slot in as a BBM.....

The next big signing is a young CB....

He is a bit of a project, Gerard expects him to be in the starting lineup by January.

The team gets a little more respect.....

We didn't make the summary because AJ Auxerre made European Places....just ahead of GF38.

Gerard went to the Board.....

The team is renovating and updating the facilities to the level of a Ligue 1 team!

The Team is within a 1000 of Selling out every match....after Next season Stadium Upgrade is the Plan!

Transfers

Mathis Moyen

An AMC for Grenoble 2....on a Free....

Corne Van Houweilingen

A Central midfielder to develop....Grenoble 2 in his future.

Andoni Pascual

a winger for the first team to bring some flair....

Adel Anane

another Grenoble 2 project....

Youssef Maziz

The new Backup AMC to light a fire under Edgaras....

Management Report

Thanks for Reading!

 

[SixPointer]

Agonisingly close to European football. Great progress with another record high finish. 

[Jogo Bonito]

A good season, hopefully the youthful approach will help you with the extra steps up and the cash of European football. So far you have climbed mountains to get that close so soon.

[Hootieleece]

2 hours ago, SixPointer said:

Agonisingly close to European football. Great progress with another record high finish. 

 

1 hour ago, Jogo Bonito said:

A good season, hopefully the youthful approach will help you with the extra steps up and the cash of European football. So far you have climbed mountains to get that close so soon.

Yes, It has been a roller-coaster and we are overachieving. The reason I am going Youth is because of Club Vision.....

Also I am refraining from signing players I have used before....I am signing players my scouts show me within Parameters set....

I have played the preseason.....We are probably going in for another season like last....with a bit of luck the team can get to the promised land!

At least we aren't the betting favorites to go down! (predicted 18th which is progress)

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

July 2024: Preseason "Hope springs anew that this will be our year"

Gerard was excited about his new signings and eager to find out what they bring to the team....unfortunately he was having difficulties with some of the senior members of the team including Vice-Captain Anani. He came looking for an extension and Gerard told him he wasn't getting one and he was out the door....an argument ensued Anani was transfer-listed and sent to Grenoble 2!

The Preseason Philosophy is play lots of friendlies to improve match fitness and figure out the starting XI and tweak roles and pi's to fit the players in the formation.

Gerard likes to play both big teams and smaller teams in his preseason. The Bigger team are so he can judge where we are....and smaller teams for fitness and tactical familiarirty.

Bernard is in the conversation for Ligue 1 Top goal scorer!

Edgaras Utkus started a major uprising and and all the Team Leaders came to Gerard and asked him to mollify him.....so Gerard agreed to give him a new contract AFTER the season.

and our youth academy is getting poached by the likes of Bayern these days....

and the local Big boys....OL

The team played its final match of the Preseason against the Arsenal.....

The Gunners thought they were gonna go through the motions and win....but the young GF38 were primed and ready.....

Bernard pulled up lame early on but his understudy Yohan Tade came on and showed himself to be a natural.....

In the second half, Arsenal nade some subs and changed tactics and TI's but the final result was never in doubt.....

Management Report

Finances are a little shaky but Gerard felt it was time to try and upgrade the team and facilities to reflect a Ligue 1 club rather than a yo-yo team that had gotten lucky.....

To really take this project farther the team must make European places....

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

August 2024: Regular Season " Two Steps Forward, One Step Back"

Gerard looked at the schedule for August and saw Three Fixtures, Two Home and one Away....all winnable.

He was expecting 6 points but hoping for 7 or 9!

Even though GF38 was the home team they were the underdogs....most of last seasons Rennais had moved on. Notably Camavinga went to Hertha for $82M.

of not was thatGF38 would be without our starting Left and Right Backs!

The board took time to remind Gerard of the season's objectives.....

and the team is assured 50% capacity for home games.....even if most are sellouts and Gerard is going to ask for a Stadium Expansion if team stays up.

The opening game was highly anticipated.....

Rennais newly acquired players hadn't gelled and were dominated by a team made up of GF38 Veterans....but it was the debutantes that scored!

The match was GF38 mostly trying to find away through the Rennais defense....and it took two last minute goals to win the match!

The next match was a trip to Montpellier....a team GF38 seems to do well against.....

So Gerard believed the team had a chance.....

This match was a little more open than the opener but GF38 was obviously the better team.....Winger Pascual scored for a second time....

The last match was a visit to Fortress Grenoble by FC Nantes and their ugly Yellow Kits.....

Gerard decided to get some "Backups" playing time and ignored the Assman's suggestion that they defend Narrowly.....

FC Nantes scored two early goals and Gerard made changes.....They worked just not as well as hoped. Winger Pascual scored for a third time in three games giving GF38 a glimmer of hope but it wasn't meant to be.

It was a close game except for the two early defensive errors.....

League Table

Player of the Month

Andoni Pascual

This young new signing is showing promise.....

Analyst's Report

Management Report

Financials are still a little rough....and the team is a PLC so they will be looking for profits. To get more players and keep players Gerard had to use about half the Transfer money to pay wages.

Thanks for Reading

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

Tactical Analysis: "The Miracle of Keep Away"

Since Gerard has come to Grenoble the team has come to play the game that he calls "Keep Away". This philosophy is simple if a weaker team can keep hold of the ball the other team can't score....

Let's see what he is working with this year!

The Bookies and Press think that GF38 has a good chance of being relegated.....

The Analyst's Report

As you can tell by the Analyst's report their is reason for the Bookies and Media expecting Relegation.....

The Tactic: 4-2-3-1 Wide Custom Vertical Tiki Taka

 

 

This is the current iteration of the tactic taking in the suitability for their role of the players.....

This is considered the Starting XI.....

The tactic is designed to control possession and use the AMR-WS as a playmaker.....yes there is a AP in the AMC position and the CM-D has PI's that emulate a DLP-D. The to goal scorers are the DLF-A and the AML-IFA...., but all players chip in....

The defense is suspect because a lack of marking and positioning skills.....but like Gerard likes to say you almost always need the ball to score!

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

September 2024: Regular Season "A long and winding road"

Gerard had a busy month ahead with Five fixtures: Three Away and Two Home. Since Gerard is aiming for European Football, He is looking for 10 points from the 5 matches.

The first game was a trip to Brittany and the famous Naval Base of Brest. The match was a winnable one...and Gerard decided to play the "backups".

The Backups played well, but unfortunately the team ran into a goalie that stopped everything including a penalty until the last minute.....

as one can see the Brestois GK was the difference in the match....

As the Transfer period ended ASSE made an offer for a player we had bought from US Conceneau for 20k. He was a promising  player, but Gerard decided to cash in, because the $1.5M fee was largest GF38 ever received.

Gerard could have overruled the GM/DOF, but decided the money would help pay for Gyulian Zouma's Transfer since he was getting game time.....

PSG sold Haaland and got Two players for him that would help them dominate Ligue 1.

Next match was a visit to Grenoble by EC2 AJ Auxerre....Gerard considered them an equal standing team.....

Bookies and Media gave GF38 the edge because of home advantage....

The match began as a fiery affair between to evenly matched teams.....Auxerre scored first on a Corner, but their defense finally broke down shortly thereafter and Bernard Laurent score a superb header and Moussa Djitte repaid his employers with the winning goal!

 

Even though the team went down first and came back to win....GF38 dominated the game.

A trip to Marseilles and OM were a reward for the victory....

The team would be without Moussa Djitte at AML-IFA ....

Early on it was equal but an early mistake by Moritz Jenz allowed OM's Alex Sorloth to score. Holding Midfielder Pickel scored off a Corner....but OM answered and after Halftime took control.

OM dominated and Analytics Agree.

The loss at Marseilles, hurt the pride and ended a 5 match winning streak to an end....up next was Bordeaux visiting Stade des Alpes.

Grenoble was a home underdog.....

It was a  drab game where the "backups" played....Gerard thought that giving the Starters a rest before the LOSC trip was important. He is not happy with the result though...but atleast the team didn't lose!

Analytics says that GF38 should be thankful for the Draw....

The final match of the month was a trip to "Coal Country" and Lille to play 2nd place LOSC. Gerard had rested his Starters and was hoping for a good outing to salvage this month's results.

No one gave GF38 a chance.....

The game didn't start out well, but after a halftime "Hair Dryer" the team mounted a superb comeback to win the match if they played like they did during the 2nd half every game. GF38 could give anyone in Europe a game. It started with two magnificent Set-Pieces: A free kick by Utkus and a corner headed in by Moritz Jenz and to round out the fabulous 3 goals in 8 minutes...Bernard Laurent broke away and beat the GK one on one into the corner of the net!

Winner ,Winner, Chicken Dinner!

The Media took notice of GF38's efforts....

but the Analytics department put some damper on the celebrations....

in that the team should be happy with the win because there was a real chance of a draw!

League Table

Analytics Report

The team is scoring more than expected which is good, but also giving up more goals than they should...

Management Report

Because the team is leaking money it is imperative that the European Places be the target this season.

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by Hootieleece
added words I forgot

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

October 2024: Regular Season "Two Steps Behind"

Gerard was enthused with the way his team was playing if not happy with the results....The next month, October, had three fixtures and a n International Break. Gerard really wanted 9 points but would settle for 6 or 7 to reach his season objective of European Football.

The first match of the month was against an OL team that was finding its footing....perfect time to play them at Stade des Alpes!

OL was still a favorite but Gerard thought that GF38 had a good chance....

In a pregame presser he admitted he thought GF38 should be in European places at end of the season...implicating a gauntlet thrown down to his players....

The game was an anti-climax after the presser....It was an even contest and Grenoble physically dominated OL but it was another case of OL having "SuperGoalie" that stopped all shots and one GK mistake by Bulka that consigned the team to defeat late....

Gerard was not happy with the result, but wasn't too hard on the players in the aftermath.

Analytics shows how even the contest was....

After the International break was a trip to OGC Nice. The team had a good chance of winning even though being on the road....

The Bookies and Media weren't convinced, but the team was ready....

An early goal by Moussa Djitte was what led to a hard fought victory away from home. A second goal was contributed by Edgaras Utkus the Lithuainian Star.

Analytics wasn't as impressed as the neutral observer of our victory.

The Final match of the month was a visit from FC Lorient and their ugly orange uniforms.....GF38 was a home favorite.

and GF38 lived up to their billing. A ten minute flurry to begin the game saw the team score 3 goals after that the FC Lorient goalie became the best GK in the world stopping another five shots on target.

Analytics Agrees that GF38 should have one the game after the dominant performance.

League Table

Player of the Month

Moritz Jenz

The defender has taken to his competition with Zouma and made it his business to "prove" he is better.

Analytics Report

The team is playing well, but the defense is still shaky even though Jenz is playing well.

Management Report

The problem with the finances is the cost of the Zouma transfer. $250k per appearance for first ten and Jenz has been in suspension trouble.

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 36

November 2024: Regular Season "A little bit of luck needed"

Gerard was looking at the fixture schedule for November and thought that there was a possibility of a 9 point month. He was wanting at least 7 points, but the soccer gods did not favor him in his quest for European Football! The fixture list had Three matches Two at home and one away.

The month started off with a trip to Reims. It was a winnable match with a little luck.....

The match started well enough two evenly matched teams fought tooth and nail for an advantage GF38 took the lead before halftime. The game was in the balance and Reims made some changes late and led to two late goals....

Analytics show that it was a late mistake that led to the loss....

The next match was a visit to Grenoble by Heavyweights AS Monaco....

The match was very even with neither side backing down or finding a way to score....

The match end in a goalless draw and the nerds thought the team was lucky.....

The last match of the month was a visit by Dijon FCO to Stade des Alpes. The Mustard makers were in relegation territory and Gerard was confident so he played his "Backups".

It worked, but it took Moussa Djitte coming off the bench as a super sub to win the game!

Analyst's show how lucky we were....

In other news Gerard was approached by Rennes for their Manager Job.....if this wasn't a one club save....it was an obvious step up....

 

Gerard declined.....happy to lead his hometown team!

The next match is on the First and the Media say that the team should win this one....

The team lone loanee is getting experience in Ligue1 and thriving...he will probably come back next season to fight for a backup job....

 

League Table

Player of the Month

Maxim Leitsch

The loanee is showing why the team tried to sign him over the off season...he is the linchpin of the team defense and leading it to respectability.

Analytics Report

Management Report

Thanks for Reading!

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

December 2024: Regular Season "Up where we belong..."

Gerard looked at the schedule for December and found it busy. Five fixtures in 18 days before the Xmas Break. Most of the matches were against teams lower in the table and Gerard was expecting at least 10 points from the month. Unfortunately the schedule makers gave the team a trip to the "Death Star" in Paris for a Xmas present before the break. That is the only match that GF38 should be expected to lose...

The month opened in the Loire valley and a trip to Angers...the table proppers should be no match for GF38.

The team dominated like Gerard expected....

The nerds weren't as impressed as Gerard or the neutral observer.

Just Three days later Grenoble hosted Rodez FC at Stade des Alpes....

Gerard played the Backups against the Relegation Fodder.....

The game didn't start well for GF38 after an imperious dribble by Rodez FC AMC was allowed to score...Rodez FC played defense very well....with GF38 Loanee Ibrahim Cisse anchoring their backline....eventually the defensr broke down and two quickfire goals by GF38 set the team on the path to victory a last minute goal by the young Yohan Tade ensured the victory!

Once the Rodez Defense brokedown the game was over.....

Three days later on the December 7th, GF38 traveled to Strasbourg....

The media spent their time trying to breakup Gerard and Michael Arteta's "Bromance"

In other news Gerard was given the news about the Academy.....

there are maybe 3 good players in this years class, but remember the team has had three players poached....

The match against Strasbourg was really even and GF38 was lucky to get an own goal, the second half the team was beginning to take control of the match Gylfi Sigurdsson came off the bench to score a penalty.....

the media are beginning to take notice of the teams steady rise up the table.....

After the Draw in Strasbourg....GF38 went home to rest and practice before their match against RC Lens to be held in Grenoble....

Gf38 were the favorites because they were the home team and the teams were 6th and 7th in the table....

It was a close run thing between two even teams....Moussa Djitte missed a penalty saved and midway through the 2nd half Kevin Danois scored after a beautiful low cross from Maxim Leitsch.

The streak continues.....

Gf38 dominated the game but it was an unreal performance by the RC Lens GK that kept the game close.

The Coupe de France was announced and the team would head to the coast of Languendoc again and play FC Setie 34...

After that wa done the team became focused on the trip to Paris...and the Parc des Princes...

Gerard over thought this one and decided to abandon the 4-2-3-1 Wide to play a more defensive 4-3-3.

It was a tactical blunder of the worst sort the team was all over the place and PSG scored five before GF38 got off the bus.....

and the analytics weren't kind either...

After the disastrous trip to Paris, GF38 headed home and for a short Xmas break.

The board had been busy and finished upgrades to both the Training and Youth Facilities.....

The team now has good facilities , next to expand recruitment and Youth coaching....after expanding the Stadium!

As the year ended so did the Joker Transfer period in French soccer....

League Table

Player of the Month

Maxim Leitsch

The loanee CB has been the rock of the defense these past two seasons. Gerard will offer him a full contract with a pay raise in January in hopes he will join permanently.

Analytics Report

Management Report

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

 

...

 

 

[DaneBramage]

Rough first season, but a very nice bounceback in year two. From one extreme to the other.

Good work with the two years surviving in Ligue 1, looks like the solid midtable finishes have worked nicely to put you in a position to aim for Europe this time.

Chasing down PSG though... now that's a challenge.

[Hootieleece]

7 minutes ago, DaneBramage said:

Rough first season, but a very nice bounceback in year two. From one extreme to the other.

Good work with the two years surviving in Ligue 1, looks like the solid midtable finishes have worked nicely to put you in a position to aim for Europe this time.

Chasing down PSG though... now that's a challenge.

PSG are unreal...they went 36-2-0 last season and this season they are mortal, but my team is young and living on a Ligue 2 wage budget. If I had Neymar's wages for a budget I could really make a go of it....

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

January 2025 : Regular Season "Staking a claim"

Gerard enjoyed Christmas Break and January's schedule was busy but not overwhelming. Yes there were SEVEN matches, Two were Friendlies and Three were Coupe de France matches, two of which could count for Friendlies. Only Two matches in Ligue 1. Gerard was looking for 4 points but would prefer all 6!

The First match was a trip to the Coast of Languedoc...and FC Sete 34. The Semi-Pro outfit was thoroughly outclassed....

Gerard played the "Starters" because he had a Friendly midweek and the team needed match-time after the break.

It was the dominant performance one would expect.....

as a reward the team got another match with Strasbourg....in the Tenth round...

In other news, Maxim Leitsch who had been our best defender the past two seasons was offered a  contract to join us permanently. but he had many suitors.

He chose Torino, They offered 3x as much money....Gerard doesn't blame him but he will be missed.

 

The next match was a friendly....and the "backups" played....and won....

The next competitive match was against Montpellier at Stade de Alpes.

The team was primed and ready....

We were a bigger and faster team....and it was proved on the pitch....Pascual and Bernard Laurent had good games.

Unfortunately the analysts agreed we should have won, but it was closer than scoreline reflected.

The Team had another friendly and won....handily...while waiting for the trip to Strasbourg for the Coupe de France....

The match was hard fought and competitive...with each team trying to physically dominate the other....an early volley by Charles Pickel gave GF38 the lead and a later corner headed in by Moritz Jenz sealed the win.

After the Victory in the Cup, the team headed to Brittany for a tough match with FC Nantes....

It was an ugly match between to evenly matched teams and FC Nantes just fouled their way to a point...

After the game, The team was rocked by a Transfer offer for Maxim Bulka the Goalie from Liverpool. Gerard wouldn't allow him to leave until the end of the season. After talks broke down with the player Gerard tried to get a better deal for the player....but Liverpool withdrew the offer. Maxim has been sulking ever since....

After the win against Strasbourg in the Coupe de France, Grenoble had a trip to a lower league side in the 11th round.

Gerard played the "Backups" he was that confident of victory....

and as a reward Grenoble will host a Quarter-final match in the Coupe de France at Stade des Alpes!

 

The Transfer Window ended PSG must not be happy with their current "Stormtroopers" They spent far more on Transfers than any other team in the World!

 

League Table

Player of the Month

Andoni Pascual

The young winger has settled nicely into the starting AMR-WS role....

Analysts Report

The teams good form is reflected in its above average numbers, but caution is warranted these number were racked up against minnows in Coupe De France.

Management Report

The Board is happy, but the financials are concerning....it is imperative that the team get a European place just to maintain its standing ans bolster the bottom line....

Thanks For Reading!

 

 

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

February 2025 : Regular Season..."Reality Bites"

After the successful January the Coupe de France run would add a few matches to the schedule. Gerard is excited for the defensive improvement over the season considering the team seams to be lacking upfront. Bernard Laurent has been almost invisible this year and Moussa Djitte hasn't done much scoring either. This month it would do the team a lot of good to retain their place at the top of the table. The fixture list would be busy with Six matches in just 23 days. 5 in Ligue 1 and a Coupe de France match.

First match on the itinerary was a visit to Grenoble by Stade Brestois.

It was a match the team was favored in because of being the home team but the teams were close in talent and it could go either way.

This was the game that the lack of incisiveness in front of goal hurts.....the team created plenty of chances and Brestois defended heroically.....and then in extra time they got a corner and converted it.

Even the stats nerds agree the team was robbed.....

and in other News PSG spent a lot of money to bolster their team in the window....specifically....

The next match was a trip to Burgundy and Auxerre...Bernard decided to play the Backups....because a big match with OM was upcoming on the weekend.

Grenoble was a road favorite.....

AJ Auxerre played hard, but the lack of quality in the "Backups" showed in the fact the team could only get a draw.

The press brought up our lack of finishing.....

according to the analysts GF38 was lucky to get a draw.

Throwing away points during the mid-week in Burgundy would only make sense if GF38 beat OM over the Weekend.

The team won a largely squib of a spectacle with each team spending more time "possessing" the ball than scoring.....

It was a close match, but Gerard is happy for the points.....

After the big game against OM and with a Ligue 2 Club Paris FC coming to Stade des Alpes, Gerard decided to play the Backups again.

 

GF38 was the favorite.....

The match turned into an Epic that went to penalties....Gerard had subbed on some of his better players in the second half....and Paris FC just convert penalties....

The analysts agreed that GF38 deserved to win....

Big money for the Quarterfinal match!

but we won a prize for winning.....

The team won the chance to play the Evil Empire of PSG.....

On the weekend, GF38 headed for Bordeaux on the Atlantic Coast.....

Bordeaux was favored even though they were in bad form....

It was an even match, but the match was decided by VAR when US International Jordan Morris score early in the second half.

GF38 played better than Bordeaux but a draw was the probable result.

 

Good News Bulka is no longer pouting about not being able to go to Liverpool.

The last match of the month saw the team playing host to 2nd placed LOSC Lille.

The team was an underdog, but the team wasn't prepared to rollover....

The match didn't start well....Jonathan Calleri scored to quick goals for LOSC. Then Leitsch began to man-mark him...which led to GF38 finding their way into the game.....Edgaras Utkus scored a tremendous Freekick and shorly after Pascual Scored an easy volley off a Set-Piece. Bernard Laurent was taken down in the box, and Moussa Djitte scored a penalty. GF38 was in control of the game until Pascual went off injured trying a tackle. LOSC changed formation and started hitting Longballs over the top. Jonathan David the scored a Hat trick in 7 minutes.....for Losc....Ikone then scored a goal in extra time and Moussa Djitte scored a consolation goal in the last minute of play.

The Match was EPIC! even though the team lost....

The match led the Highlights on the local news.....

The match set a record....

The analysts will show that the match was close....

 

until the barrage of 4 goals in 7 minutes.....

League Table

Player of the Month

Edgaras Utkus

The AMC is playing like the #10 Gerard always wanted....providing lots of assists and chipping in a few goals with Freekicks....Yes there are better players for the position but they are all outside of Grenoble's budget.

He has agreed to a Contract that Quadruples his pay that stats AFTER the season.

Analyst's Report

The stats say GF38 is playing well....the lack of consistent scoring up front is worrying.

Management Report

The team will be running in the red the last two months of the season....thus it is imperative that Grenoble make the top 5!

Thanks for Reading!

 

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

March 2025: Regular Season "We are the normal...."

Gerard was looking for a better showing in March. There were only Five fixtures in March. Four in the League and a Coupe de France match against PSG. Gerard was looking to gain 8 points from the four League matches.

The month started off with a trip to Lyon and rival OL...which is never a pleasant experience.....

The team wasn't playing badly but the lack of goal was concerning.....

and would make this match harder.....

The match was surprising ly even considering each teams form....the GF38 defense played superbly....only a late over the top ball led to Kaspar Doiberg beating Bulka to draw the teams level.

The team just seems a step too slow in the final third even though those are some of the team fastest and smartest players....

The analysts says that the team was lucky to draw.....

Another trip to Paris was in the offing for the Coupe de France Semi-Final....GF38 had drawn PSG....Gerard was going to play his usual formation and best players and let the chips fall as the may....

Of course the team was a severe underdog....against the "Evil Empire"

The team played well....kept Mbappe from scoring....but the referee and lady luck were against GF38 in this match....The team scored on a Set-Piece to tie the match in the second half only to give up a last minute goal to Ryan Gravenberch....a Dutch Wonderkid from the Ajax Academy.

The Press sung the praises of GF38's run....actually we had played a bunch of minnows until the Semi-Final....and a close defeat against PSG was  a realistic ending to the Fairytale!

The Analytics show how lucky the team was against PSG.....

After the Defeat in Paris the team returned to Fortress Grenoble to host OGC Nice.....

The team was favored and if the defense played as well as it has been....and someone up front steps up....

To change things up Gerard played the "backups"....

Moussa Djitte came off the bench as a Super-sub and scored the game winner!

Analytics shows that the team won.....and the stats back it up....but it easily could have been different.

The team headed to Lorient to play the Orange Crush.....

The team were road favorites, but our form isn't great....mostly it was bookies and press reacting to the table position.

The "backups" played again using the "Bayern" Variant of 4-2-3-1 Wide and gave up a late goal.....that ruined the day....

Analysis shows that the team is getting lucky snatching the draws....

After the disappointment in Brittany the team headed home to face Stade de Reims at Stade des Alpes....

The First XI were sufficiently rested and were started and never bet against a home dog.....

The match was an all out drag out fight between two evenly matched teams....that led to a 0-0 Draw!

everyone viewing would agree each team should have possibly won the game, but the Draw was a fair result!

Analysis shows that the team might have won with a little more luck.....

Youth Intake

as one can see no world beater's because those were poached....but about three decent players....and will probably give contracts to the top five.

This is considered the best prospect...a real project if he ever to make the first team....

League Table

Some how the team is in fifth even after our poor form....the team needs a strong April and May to hold on to this place in the table.

Player of the Month

Moritz Jenz

The Centerback has used the advent of Zouma to force himself to play better and he looks to be cementing a place when Leitsch leaves for Torino.

Analysts Report

Playing good defense, but can't score....if we made half our misses...the team would be challenging PSG for the top spot....

Management Report

The board is weird, they want "defensively responsible" Football, but then complain when its boring.....

The finances are a problem....but nothing some European Nights can't fix!

Thanks for Reading!

 

[Hootieleece]

Grenoble Foot 38

April 2025: Regular Season "Giving it all away...."

Gerard was less than impressed with the team's form....He knows that to keep the European Place he was going to have to have a strong finish to the season.

The schedule was favorable other than the trip to Monaco....Gerard was hoping for 10 points....but 8 would probably keep table position....

The first game of the month was a difficult trip to Monaco, one of the traditional "heavy hitters" of French Football. In all honesty Gerard was looking for a draw....

The match was unlikely to be a pleasant experience....

The team played hard but the gulf in talent was just too much and Bulka's own goal didn't help.

Claude had nice things to say....and Bernard Laurent finally got off the schneide!

15 Hours of misery that led us to having to fight tooth and nail for a European Place.....hopefully more to come...

Analyst's say that there was only gonna be one winner of the match....AS Monaco!

After the match in Monaco a trip to Burgundy to play the "Mustard Makers" was on the Itinerary.....

This was a match that a team fighting for a European place should win.....

The bookies and press agree.....GF38 is the Favorite!

The match got off to a fine start with Bernard Laurent scoring and then the match devolved into a battle for Physical Supremacy with lots of fouls and cards on both sides. Dijon FCO tied the game after running down an errant clearance....and the proceeded to "Park the Bus". The match ended in a draw and Gerard's Frustration was growing....

Analyst's agree with Gerard's post game comments that they threw away points.....

After the two frustrating roadtrips....The team headed home to Stade des Alpes to host another Relegation Candidate....Angers SCO. In a bid to jumpstart his flagging offense...Gerard used the "Bayern" Variant that attacked more through the middle....

Again GF38 was a clear favorite....could the "backups" win?

Mooussa Djitte went down early with an injury, Andoni Pascual stepped up and showed his skill and Sam Bossiwa getting a rare start showed his talent as well.....and it was a Blowout!

Moussa Djitte's injury is a blow since it is probably for the rest of the season....he scores 10 goals and about 10 assists a  season....

The analysts definitely think the team got away with one with this victory, but Gerard will take it!

The final match of the month see the team visit old friend's Rodez AF and our Loanee Ibrahim Cisse....

The team are considered comfortable favorites....

and Gerard decided to disrespect Rodez by playing the "Backups"....

but it was a good game that saw young Yohan Tade open the scoring and Bernard Laurent come off the bench to finish the rout....

In other news...PSG won the Coupe de France and that gives GF38 another chance to make Europe!

The Analysts say that again the game was closer than the score-line suggests.....

and Bernard won some awards for his return to scoring goals....

Player of the Month 

League Table

Analysts Report

Management Report

Thanks for Reading!