[FM21] Looking For Eric - An AJ Auxerre Story

[jtaylor1409]

This story will be posted over on my website moving forward at www.jamiektaylor.com but here is the first chapter of the Looking For Eric story. I hope you like it!

 

Looking For Eric – An AJ Auxerre Story

Posted on February 8, 2021 by Jamie Taylor

Welcome to Looking For Eric, a story which will document my Football Manager 2021 save with AJ Auxerre. This is a new journey I am embarking on where ultimately my main aim is to find the next Eric Cantona using my youth academy.

I guess the question is will it be a success? Will I find the next Eric Cantona? Or will it be a tale of near misses and epic failures? One thing is for certain, we are Looking For Eric. 👀

Introduction

Eric Cantona needs no introduction amongst the footballing world. A magnificent attacking player who carved out a supremely successful career at Manchester United. Wore the iconic no.7 shirt, given the nickname “King Eric” by his adoring fans and once Kung-Fu kicked a Crystal Palace fan, amongst many great achievements in the game.

The club which guided him through the youth ranks to mould him into such a talent was no other than AJ Auxerre. A club which has notably served as a springboard for several top-quality French football players during the 1980s and 1990s.

The AJ Auxerre story so far…

Not only were Auxerre adept at bringing out the best in its youth talent as a club. They were also able to rebuild the careers of players after poor spells elsewhere such as Laurent Blanc, Enzo Scifo and Stephane Guivarc’h amongst others.

Their greatest managerial influence is without doubt Guy Roux. His tenure over the club spanned more than 40 years, taking them from a fourth level club to national and later worldwide prominence.

Roux believed early on that a strong infrastructure would be paramount to long-term success. In 1980 Roux rejected the chance to sign French international striker Olivier Rouyer, in favour of opening a state-of-the-art youth academy.

That decision back in 1980 was the beginning of a conveyer belt of footballing talent to pass through the AJ Auxerre youth academy. The club established itself as a powerhouse in French football and it’s academy gained worldwide recognition for its ability to develop young players to the next level.

Unfortunately, Auxerre’s 32-year stay in Ligue 1 came to an end at the hands of Marseille. Who sealed their fate in May 2012 delivering relegation to Ligue 2 in the form of a 3-0 whipping. Upon getting relegated Auxerre’s better players found deals elsewhere and left the club. Sadly The Diplomats have struggled to adapt to life in Ligue 2. 

Several below-par seasons have followed and they remain languishing in the second tier of French football. Which for a club rich in domestic history with excellent youth facilities and infrastructure in place seems a crying shame. AJ Auxerre was once a giant of the French footballing scene and in recent years they seem to have been forgotten about. Left to lick their wounds and reminisce about the glory years which now seem like another lifetime ago.

The dawn of a new era?

With the club failing its supporters the board have taken drastic action and have turned to Englishman Jamie Taylor, who is tasked with bringing this sleeping giant back to life and once again mix it with Europe’s elite.

Taylor comes with a heap of experience in the game and has most recently overseen a wealth of success at Norwegian side Rosenborg BK. Taylor delivered a strategy to the board which he believes will bring success back to Burgundy. The aim is to get the AJ Auxerre supporters proudly wearing their colours once again.

It will not be easy and will require a complete overhaul of the squad. I am confident that with money raised by selling players that aren’t fit for purpose for a club of AJ Auxerre’s stature. We can invest those proceeds back into the backroom and facilities of the club. Improving the quality of the product coming into the club moving forwards.

AJ Auxerre has lost confidence as a club, they have become used to a losing mentality. Majority of the players we have here aren’t of the quality we’d expect for a club of this standing. Which is why we need to turn to the youth once more, just like Guy Roux did in 1980.

We need to bring back investment into the next generation. Instil belief in our youngsters that our brand of attacking football will bring success. Ensure that our philosophy will grow them not only as players but as individuals too.

The key to our success moving forwards is a team that works hard for each other. A solid base that is defensively sound but also good with the ball at feet. That, however, won’t be enough in big-game situations and this is why our pursuit of Looking For Eric is so important.

We need that individual brilliance to break out and do something out of the ordinary. That flair to turn a situation from nothing into a goal. The aggression to fight the opposition in challenges when the going gets tough. The ability to drive a team forward when we need that inspiration to continue and the odds are against us. That someone will need to be calm and clinical in front of goal. That someone will be the second coming of Eric Cantona.

Strap yourselves in for this is going to be one hell of a ride! 

Let’s begin Looking For Eric shall we. 👀

 

 

Edited February 8, 2021 by jtaylor1409

[Sheriff7]

Huge club!

[SixPointer]

A place I’ve always felt I would manage if France began to interest me. Academy is incredible and a fallen giant element to it. Best of luck I’ll be watch with a keen eye 

[jtaylor1409]

Chapter Two: Looking For Eric - A new dawn.