[FM21] We have conquered the nation, now it's time to conquer Europe (Journeyman career)

[noikeee]

September 2022

 

 

A very negative month but also not as negative as it seems? We got knocked out of the cup on penalties by Braunschweig, who are a division below, but that was mostly because I was trying to rest players to play against Bayern. Then we lost all league matches narrowly 3-2, but that was against the 3 best teams in the country, what could we expect going against players like Lewandowski and Sancho etc.

This puts us in a far less comfortable spot, just barely outside the relegation zone, but again, all the very toughest matches for the 1st half of the season are done now - we just need not to crumble under the recent dip in morale. More concerning is the fact Isaac Mbenza has picked up an injury that will stop him for possibly another 2 full months, and he was the guy I expected to fill in at LW for Ayomide whom I sold to Tottenham.

 

[noikeee]

October 2022

 

 

Better now. We only won one match this month, but also didn't lose, which seems enough for me - although we only kept that record thanks to a 95th minute equaliser against Hertha.

We seem very much stuck in a season of struggle, but for now it seems to be just about enough to fend off relegation. Having games in hand might help us - even if they might all come in a flurry in a mad January month with 7 Bundesliga fixtures. Before that, we have just one match in the next 2 months, the final day of the calendar year, as the footballing world switches its attention to Qatar.

 

[noikeee]

Well that's a hurtful response. I was just asking, nevermind then.

[noikeee]

November/December 2022

 

 

Ouch... this was our worst match of the season so far, I think.

We are hanging on by a thread to 15th place. The next match, away to Bielefeld, is critical.

 

[noikeee]

January 2023

 

We say goodbye to backup defenders Gabriel Isik and Nils Butzen, whilst bringing in a big upgrade at centerback on loan, and 2 kids for the future.

 

Fairly expensive loan in terms of wages, but I was in severe need of something extra in defence, and he's looked great already since arriving.

 

For some bizarre reason I can hire all the promising players in Czech Republic on very low compensation fees. This keeper looks very promising.

 

I also hired this striker and whilst he has a lot of potential, I'm quite annoyed at how he turned out as I couldn't see much of his attributes, he seems all over the place.

 

 

 

This month started with what looked like a cataclysmic defeat, we simply couldn't afford to lose to Bielefeld, they overtook us and we were down to the relegation playoffs spot.

So imagine my surprise when the rest of the month was an absolute breeze with 5 wins in 6. We even managed to somehow get 3 points over Stuttgart despite playing a 3rd string side as everyone was super tired - and beat them by scoring in 1 of our 2 shots all match. With the points we accumulated through this run, we have suddenly jumped up the table all the way to 10th, gained a cushy 13 points gap over the relegation places, and now seem to be all but guaranteed to stay in the Bundesliga next year. This month has made all the difference!!

 

Edited November 5, 2021 by noikeee

[noikeee]

February 2022

 

 

Another positive month, we won the match at home and managed to leave 2 away matches with 2 draws, including away to Bayern Munich! We scored on the very first minute and held on almost until the end, but Lewandowski drew on a 89th minute penalty kick.

I'm afraid this season is going on an uninteresting direction, we're pretty clear of relegation now but also quite far from the European places, so rest of the year we'll be fighting for nothing really.

 

Edited November 6, 2021 by noikeee

[Deisler26]

Still too easy for you IMO

[noikeee]

16 minutes ago, Deisler26 said:

Still too easy for you IMO

I want to see where the current tactics get me, how quickly can I get to the end goal with the first team (winning the CL). If it's too easy and too quick, I might then tie my own hands for the next one.

Bit weird how straightforward FM21 has been for me after so much struggle in 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19... 

Edited November 6, 2021 by noikeee

[noikeee]

March 2023

 

 

No result against Leverkusen or Dortmund, but a big win over Frankfurt. I'm happy with that, any points this month would've been a bonus.

Still cruising until the end of the season in a safe and boring 10th place.

 

[noikeee]

Youth intake 2023

 

 

Not a bad one, 5 star potential at the level we're at now, actually means something.

I'm finding that youth intakes are misleading in Germany, the players are so young they look crap but then they develop a lot, I have a few kids from previous years that I didn't think much of, but are becoming interesting now.

[noikeee]

April 2023

 

 

Wait, is this Europe still in front of us? I played these matches without paying much attention to them, just trying to get to the end of the season, and it turns out we won all 3 of them, including over RB Leizpig whom I have no idea what the hell are they doing, because we've just overtaken them.

So now if we can make 1 more point than Frankfurt in the remaining 2 matches, we're in the Conference League. I think - I'm not sure what happens with the 8th slot (Europa League), as it's given to the cup winner, Bayern play RB Leipzig on the final there so I presume Leipzig will always get that slot but I don't know.

 

Edited November 6, 2021 by noikeee

[noikeee]

May 2023

 

 

No Europe for us. At home to Bielefeld, we went a goal up but then they turned the match around, and with Frankfurt winning their match, we were mathematically out of the race for 7th.

Against Hertha we were totally outclassed and never in the game, ending the season dropping to 10th. I'll take that, I think it's definitely been a good first season in the Bundesliga. I'm already thinking of next year and been working on a few signings on free deals as their contracts run out, and have also renewed the loans of Badiashile, Harwood-Bellis and Gordon.

 

[noikeee]

Season review 2022/2023

• Bundesliga: 10th place
• DFB-Pokal: second round

 

 

 

Top 5 players of the season

5. Anthony Gordon (MR, AMR) - Not many of our attacking players did great, the pacey winger on loan from Everton had a decent season with 6 goals.

4. Christian Früchtl (GK) - I get surprisingly decent ratings from my keepers and this year he was indeed amongst the highest ratings in the whole squad. A good signing as I put the faith in him, despite the fact Jannik Huth had a great season for us last year.

3. Benoit Badiashile (DC) - A transformative mid-season signing that simply sorted our defence, he had by far the highest ratings of the squad at 7.08. I am delighted to renew his loan for another year.

2. Joshua Zirkzee (AMC, ST, AMR) - Another great loanee but I'm not sure if we'll keep him as his contract with Bayern runs out, and so far I've not been able to convince him to join him permanently. Top scorer on 10 goals.

1. Ronaldo Camará (MC, AMC) - Signing of the year no doubt, the still only 20 years old Portuguese midfielder grew into his role in the squad as mezzala, and got better and better as the year went on. 7 goals and 6 assists.

 

 

Edited November 6, 2021 by noikeee

[noikeee]

I love the prize money in Germany, it's incredible stuff. We are more than doubling our wage budget!!

 

edit: and the transfer budget is up to 18M€!! 

Edited November 6, 2021 by noikeee

[noikeee]

Pre-season 2023/2024

 

Although I was given 18M€ to spend, I didn't quite splash it all just yet, preferring to pack my squad with players that are a slight upgrade, or have potential to grow, and save the big bags of cash for when opportunities appear to hire truly great players:

 

This is a return to the club, I had him briefly on loan from Arsenal 2 years ago, now he joins permanently. My staff don't think he's amazing but I think I can mould him into a solid Bundesliga level CB.

 

New striker option, not quite in the mould I would've wanted (I'd have sacrificed aerial ability for passing and dribbling ability) but for a kid coming on a free I think he's fine and might even start for us when we play strikers.

 

I hired 2 new players to play DLP on the DM position, I think he's looking like the slightly stronger of the 2, I am excited to try him out, I think this'll be one of the biggest direct immediate upgrades in the squad.

 

The other guy that comes to play DLP DM, but can also cover for a few other positions, he can cover for CB but I also see him as a pretty damn nice inverted wingback on the right.

 

Yet another kid coming from the Czech clubs on silly compensation fees, he's not really in first team contention just yet but who knows. More likely will play on the wings for me, I'm trying to adapt him to ML to be a cut-inside winger.

 

With a bit more money and more scouting range, we are starting to explore the South American market and there's some gems coming through, that I'm willing to pay some good money for. Wellington isn't quite the finished article yet but can play a variety of positions, I see him as a new mezzala or playmaker as MC or AMC.

 

An upgrade on leftback was high priority on the agenda and after much searching I settled on Bradaric. He looks fairly good, unfortunately already got injured though.

 

Unfortunately I couldn't hire permamently big upgrades for the wing positions just yet, so resorted to the loan market again. Musaba looks probably better suited to cut inside from the left, than to play as classic winger on the right, due to his poor crossing ability.

 

Another loanee winger/attacking mid, I actually think the best place for him might be as shadow striker, on the absence of any amazing real forwards in the current squad, he might start there for me.

 

I needed a new option for rightback (IWB) after releasing Freeman on a free, and this guy from Benfica came fairly cheap, suits me.

 

One of my most exciting signings, the Colombian CB still has a little bit to go to become a truly amazing player, but has only just turned 18.

 

And finally I've left the big one for last, because he's not joined yet. I've already splashed 6M€ on Rogério Ouchi and I'm now patiently waiting for him to join in January so he can lead the forward line for us. It's a big gamble because he's nowhere near the finished article yet, I'm banking on him being able to fulfill his potential, which might not happen, but if it does it can pay off big, big time.

 

Current squad:

It's not a super amazing step beyond what we had last year, we're actually weaker here and there, most notably upfront where we lost Zirkzee and couldn't properly replace him, but that's the problem with relying too much on loans. So I'm reshaping the squad to try to move beyond loan-dependence in the near future, as we're hiring lots of kids with potential and letting them grow over the next few years, to either make the squad better as they get better, or get big paydays when we sell them.

Another thing that I did a lot of, was improve squad depth, this is still a small squad for my standards ("just" 23 players, I often have about 26), but now almost none of my backups are complete 3.Liga standards rubbish, as we had last year.

[noikeee]

August 2023

 

There was still time to bring in another 2 players.

 

Backup keeper, I like having 3. The idea was also to be able to loan out teenager Antonin Zivny, but nobody wanted him.

 

This is why I wanted to keep cash in the bank, so I could make moves for highly promising players when I was able to. My scouting team is finding a lot of gems in Colombia and this is another, I think he's probably best as mezzala. For now Ronaldo Camará has the position, but we're definitely getting more and more quality options in midfield.

 

 

This was an easy calendar to start the season. No problems in the cup against a lower league side, or away to Mainz who have just gone up, but we were poor at home against Paderborn and needed Früchtl to save a penalty kick to even salvage the 0-0.

 

[noikeee]

September 2023

 

 

The 2 matches against beatable opposition, we smashed them. The 2 tough matches, we lost 1-0 but it really should've been more. Either way we're still 4th in this very early league table, so I'm quite happy with the beginning of the season so far.

Norwegian striker Albert Braut Tjaland is proving to be one hell of a signing, 6 goals already.

 

Edited November 8, 2021 by noikeee

[noikeee]

October 2023

 

 

This season has been a lot more fun. We're inconsistent, sometimes we don't turn up (see the Gladbach match), but when we do, there's goals! Dusseldorf felt our wrath and were this month's victims.

As it stands we're still holding onto an European place, which is where I was secretly aiming at for this season. If we can get to the Europa League or even the Conference League that'll be a nice landmark for the club, feels like it should be the next step at this stage.

 

[noikeee]

November 2023

 

 

Goals, goals, goals, unfortunately we're conceding as much as we're scoring. I think the issue is partially the centerbacks duo, I've been easing the highly promising Colombian kid Julian Garcés into the team, but he's built a bad partnership with Badiashille.

Either way it wasn't a bad month, we managed to get a point against a very good Dortmund side, and just about beat Bielefeld, but we've slipped out of the European slots for now.

 

Edited November 8, 2021 by noikeee

[noikeee]

December 2023

 

 

Well that's a pretty good run. Not only are we back up to the European slots in 6th, we are now only 5 points behind the league leaders!

Instrumental to these last few matches, has been another little tactical variant I unleashed to try to swamp the middle of the park with 2 IWBs, designed in particular to exploit the spaces the AI leaves us when they play 4-4-2:

 

On the bad news front though, this happened:

Truth is he's been having a season way below the spectacular performances of last year, and it opens up a first team slot for Colombian wonderkid Victor Fonseca, too.

And now the January transfer window opens and 2 big signings are coming in...

 

Edited November 9, 2021 by noikeee

[noikeee]

January 2024

 

Time to splash the stack of cash I've been sitting on since the Summer. We break the 6M€ mark for 2 different players, and then added a third in an unbelievable deal. Meanwhile Agbenyenu, Pantic and Fraser, 3 signings from last season that have been overtaken by others as the club rapidly grows, have been sold.

 

I've already shown his screenshot a while ago when I made this deal in the Summer, but now he finally joins, I have huge hopes for this guy I think he'll be our forward line leader (or shadow striker line leader) for a while.

 

Leftback has been a problem position for a while, no more surely? This Bulgarian kid can go places, however I'm slightly disappointed that his "potential ability" stars aren't maxed out, I was promised that by my scouts.

 

And then quite possibly one of my best FM deals ever. I thought the "Colombian wonderkids" thing was a bit of a lame Reddit joke, but after picking up Garcés (CB/LB) and Fonseca (MC/AMR) from Colombia in the Summer, I was checking out my scout reports and this guy appeared. His attributes were still half-hidden, I could see he was good so I took a punt, and HOLY CRAP turns out he's way better than his half-hidden skills, he's halfway to being prime Xabi Alonso at the age of 18 already. Cost me just 2.1M€, unbelievable.

 

 

 

We remain on good form, I've been insisting on the latest formation (tbh it's almost identical to the one I had at Porto in my previous thread, just 3 different roles) and it's paying off as we're playing good football. Rogério Ouchi immediately revealed himself to the Bundesliga with 2 goals on debut and then added another against Paderborn.

We're now the team with most goals scored in the league and we're... up to a Champions League slot. And just 4 points off RB Leipzig who lead the table now. And we have these highly promising 3 new kids now... this is turning out to be an exciting season.

 

Edited November 10, 2021 by noikeee

[noikeee]

February 2024

 

 

Everything was going beautifully well. Wins, wins, more wins, a Champions League slot, even some pressure on the league table leaders, unicorns dancing on a idyllic prairie on the sunset to classical music on the background.

And then, oh, what's that? Is that the sound of two consecutive 4-0 defeats? At home? To HAMBURG of all teams, who might be a bigger club than us but are a division below? A massive injury crisis going on as well?

We did bounce back with a sweet 3-1 win over Leverkusen but I'm afraid we slipped out of the CL slots again.

 

Edited November 12, 2021 by noikeee

[noikeee]

Youth intake 2024

 

 

Mom, can we have Toni Kroos. No, we have Toni Kroos at home.

Edited November 14, 2021 by noikeee

[noikeee]

March 2024

 

 

We bounced back from the big defeats in February with a perfect month! The win over Hertha was lucky, but we're now looking like we might nick a Champions League slot and as it stands we're even beating Bayern and Dortmund to 2nd place.

 

[noikeee]

April 2024

 

 

We smashed Schalke and Bielefeld quite easily, but late conceded goals to Dortmund and Wolfsburg prevented this month from being brilliant.

It's a funny position we find ourselves in, with 3 matches to go this season. We and Hertha are mathematically still in contention to stop Maurizio Sarri from giving Red Bull their first ever Bundesliga, but that's been a foregone conclusion for a while. The real battle is for 2nd in which we hold a slim margin over Hertha, Bayern and Dortmund. Just one of us 4 will miss out on Champions League football, so I'm optimistic we'll squeeze through and make it, but we do have an away match to Bayern in the final day...

 

[noikeee]

May 2024 (1/2)

 

 

Two lovely wins in which we played open, free-flowing football. But take a look at what just happened on the last fixture of matchday 33...

 

 

So... the odds we can still be champions are pretty low but it COULD theoretically happen - after all if we win by 1 goal and RBL lose by 1 goal, that's enough for us to overtake them on goal difference. Or, we could also completely drop out of the top 5 and miss out on Champions League football!!

 

Fixtures for matchday 34:

 

 

RBL have an easy match, whilst we have a really tough one, but RBL's morale will be shattered after the big loss to Dortmund... Unfortunately for us Dortmund and Hertha have pretty easily winnable matches, so if we lose and they both win, a very plausible scenario, we're out of the Champions League. It's really all completely open!

[noikeee]

May 2024 (2/2)

 

It didn't take long for the unlikely dream of becoming champions, to evaporate. RBL scored twice early, at home to Bielefeld. We needed them to lose. They'd end up smashing Bielefeld 6-0 and lifting the trophy.

So the attention turns to our own match in Munich. We hold them off for a while, but they get a penalty kick in the 27th minute, and Lewandowski converts. So now we're fighting to remain in the CL slots. We either need to equalise, or hope for either of Hertha or Dortmund to NOT win their matches.

No luck in Berlin - Hertha go 1-0 up. They'd briefly get pegged back, but increase their advantage again.

It all comes down to can we equalise in Munich, or can Frankfurt hold off Dortmund in a 0-0 that seems to remain... and remain... will they help us?

92nd minute. We're rubbish today, perhaps I should've been more proactive tactically. Bayern add another, 2-0.

Full time. What's the news from Frankfurt? It's positive. They've held off. We just about sneak in to the Champions League!! The reigning champions Dortmund have taken the shortest straw!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cash will come tremendously handy. I expect we'll lose most of the players we have on loan, which leaves us with a big problem to solve on the wings - our 2 talented Anthonys on the wings, Anthony Musaba and Anthony Gordon, should return to their parent clubs. We are also about to lose centerback Benoit Badiashile for similar reasons. All need replacing.

This leads me to think that, unless we do very well in the transfer market, next season might be one of attempting to stabilise at this level rather than pushing up. The key thing would be to make sure we actually beat the Champions League playoffs. In theory it's even the first year I could actually finish the challenge for Germany, but for it I need to win the whole competition outright.  Seems unlikely in 1 year. But we're getting stronger...

[deltablue]

Yay for the Champions League!

[noikeee]

Season review 2023/2024

• Bundesliga: 4th place
• DFB-Pokal: third round

 

 

Top 5 players of the season

5. Albert Braut Tjaland (AMC, ST) - Although after the signing of Rogério Ouchi in January, he lost his spot upfront, he was still a very successful signing with 12 goals and 7 assists. Just about more important overall this season than Ouchi although Ouchi seems like he'll go way beyond him in the future.

4. Benoit Badiashile (DC) - Super solid on 7.09 ratings.

3. Anthony Gordon (MR, AMR) - Only player to reach double figures on both goals (13) and assists (10), the Everton loanee had a blinder of a season on the right wing.

2. Burak Ince (MC, AMC) - This lightweight young playmaker at the beginning didn't look like he could handle the Bundesliga, but on his 2nd year here he really came to life with a superb return of 8 goals and 13 assists, even if many of those came from set pieces. One of the most talented players in the side.

1. Anthony Musaba (ML) - A terrific loan signing that I'm disappointed to be about to lose, I pick him as player of the season just barely, due to him picking up more player of the match awards (6) and due to his slightly higher ratings than Ince and Gordon (7.08). Ended up as top scorer on 15 goals.

 

[noikeee]

Pre-season 2024/2025

 

Splashing the Bundesliga prize money as we try to build a Champions League level squad. Last year's loanees Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Benoit Badiashile were hired permanently (I really wasn't expecting to be able to snap up the later), I won't be screenshotting them.

 

One of many centerbacks that have been signed, might just have a starting lineup slot for now, he's not the most exciting of the signings but brings experience and was a solid deal on a free.

 

One of the hottest prospects in real life football, Gavi's FM21 profile is a little weird as he seems to be halfway in between a playmaker and an inverted winger, in my system's he looks most fitting for AM/S or AP/S where Burak Ince plays, but there's already some competition there, so my guess is he'll be depth for both that position, and the left-wing modified wide midfielder role that we use (it's basically an inside forward playing deeper). This was another free transfer, sweet deal.

 

My most expensive signing (13.25M€), I might've overpaid but was attracted to some skills in which this Brazilian kid stands out. Possibly our starting right winger for this season, he doesn't quite have the crossing, dribbling or finishing ability that we need which are all critical for the position, but he's near world class already in other important things like off the ball movement and pace.

 

Really promising ball playing defender, could also eventually become a RB IWB.

 

Yet another CB, he's not quite there as the finished article yet but look how great he is for the age of 17.

 

I ended up caving in and picking up another 2 loan forward/wingers, I'm not entirely sure what to make of Brobbey yet, he looks most fitting for the shadow striker position but might end up occasionally on the left wing as well. I'd have liked better crossing ability to play on the right.

 

The other loanee, I think he looks like a really exciting fit for the inside-forward-ish WM role we use on the left.

 

 

The squad:

This is just becoming an endless list of promising teenagers now, that's my classic FM strategy, get as many possible players in the squad that can still develop, even if a few disappoint there's the potential to make big money on the ones that make it.

We get down to just 2 loanees now, couldn't quite completely clear them off, as picking up Brobbey and de la Funete was the best option to have more players that can make the difference on the wings and upfront. I nearly pulled off an insane deal to snap up Moise Kean permanently instead, but it wasn't to be.

For this season I'm aiming at going past the CL playoffs into the competition proper, and qualifying for it again through the Bundesliga. We weren't far off the German title last year neither, if the kids develop well we might just make another title bid, but the CL extra fixtures will tire people out. That's the key reason why I wanted to hire more and more depth for all positions, specially all the decisive guys upfront.

Edited November 16, 2021 by noikeee

[noikeee]

Welcome to Rostock.

[noikeee]

August 2024

 

 

Good start! We could've had a clean sweep of 3 wins, as we were on course to beat Bayern if it wasn't for my keeper Christian Früchtl having a bit of a brainfade late in the match. Glad a better keeper is coming to replace him soon...

Also, I lied. Turns out the 4th placed team in Bundesliga goes straight to the Champions League group stage instead of the playoffs! This is great news, except we have a fairly tough group with Real Madrid, Arsenal and Ajax... ouch. Sounds like a pretty difficult way to make our European debut.

 

 

[Deisler26]

3 minutes ago, noikeee said:

 

 

[noikeee]

September 2024

 

 

2 huge results here, as we both beat the reigning champions away, then go to the Bernabéu for our first ever European game under my command (Hansa had been away from European competitions since the 1991/1992 season), and it turned out to be an epic match. We got a 2 goal lead, let them back into the match, and then killed them with a 92nd minute winner!!

However we did end the month with a pretty terrible display away to Gladbach who are the form team in Germany right now, we were well outplayed, 3-2 is flattering to us.

A curious problem we're having is, I've basically completely forgot about all the homegrown rules in Europe, and I've had to keep 3 unhappy players out of the CL squad.

 

[noikeee]

October 2024

 

 

Slight cause for alarm? Don't get me wrong I'm okay with getting 0-0s away at Hertha and Ajax, and I'd be happy enough if we finish 3rd in the league, and 3rd in the CL group making it to the Europa League, but we are looking a bit goal-shy at the moment. Forwards aren't putting it on the back of the net.

This squad isn't used to all these fixtures and being in so many competitions at the same time, so that's part of the problem. Lots of tired players.

 

 

 

[noikeee]

November 2024

 

 

Now that's a month like I want it. Beat Ajax with 2 late goals, nicked a draw away to league leaders Dortmund in minute 91, managed a 2nd victory over Real Madrid by scoring in minute 1 in a corner then holding on to it the rest of the match; and had a few easy wins and clean sheets in the league.

As it stands we're putting pressure on Dortmund in the Bundesliga table; and momentarily lead the CL group, needing only a draw away at the Emirates to proceed into the last 16. It's looking good, this is progress.

 

 

[noikeee]

December 2024

 

 

At the Emirates, we only needed a draw to go through, but Badiashile got a header in the back of the net again, just like he'd done against Real Madrid, and again that was the only goal of the night. We ended up topping the group, qualifying for a last 16 round against Ole's all conquering Man Utd side.

In the league, mixed feelings. Dortmund are slipping up and giving us a real chance to fight them for the title. All we needed to do was beat Paderborn at home to go top... and we didn't.

 

 

 

5 German teams in the last 16!!! Dortmund qualified for the competition through winning the Europa League last year, after just missing out on the top 4 in the Bundesliga on that thrilling final day.

Edited November 20, 2021 by noikeee

[noikeee]

January 2025

 

Our group of Colombians increases to 5 players (all 19 years old!!), with the addition of 2 more. Backups Benjamin Uphoff (GK), Domagoj Bradaric (LB) and João Ferreira (RB) leave the club.

 

Well that's a decent free transfer. On paper way above the talent level of our starting keeper Christian Früchtl, at the age of 19... I chucked him immediately into the team, he's started poorly though.

 

I might've been a little trigger-happy to go for this kid as he might be too slow to be a first team choice for rightback.

 

 

Jiménez's debut match in goal was a bit of a disaster - 5-1 smashing in Munich and a really poor performance. At home to Leverkusen we also squandered a win by conceding in the 91st minute, but we bounced back with a good win over Schalke.

With the lost points we've suddenly lost a bit of ground to Dortmund in the title fight, the gap opens up to 6 points, but we're still looking good to make the Champions League for next season again. Of course, next month we face Man Utd in the CL last 16... and they've just hired Chiesa, Vinicius Junior and Calvert-Lewin in the January transfer window. Damn.

 

[Number seven]

You should retrain Gutiérrez to a Ball Playing central defender, has a lot of attributes that fits the role.

[noikeee]

February 2025

 

 

Hi, I'm back after a break of a couple of weeks. Who aren't back on form is my squad, very dodgy month, we got kicked out of the cup, and have half a foot already out of the Champions League. In the Bundesliga we've somehow cut our gap to Dortmund by 1 point despite only winning 1 out of 3 matches.

There's a lot of talented-on-paper players just not delivering at all, deep-lying playmaker Stiven Dominguez looked amazing on paper but has been having an awful season, recent signing goalkeeper Andrés Jimenez has been horrific, left-back Yordan Bonev has been awful all year as well, winger Konrad de la Fuente was supposed to be our big new talent but has been very inconsistent. Frankly I'm amazed we're 2nd in the Bundesliga, our squad just hasn't been on it.

 

[noikeee]

Youth intake 2025

Absolutely awful.

[noikeee]

March 2025

 

 

We're in a bit of a freefall at the moment, nothing works, we've not really been on it since the winter break. Leipzig, Hertha and Bayern have overtaken us and we're out of the CL slots.

Amusingly our only good performance of the month came in the CL, where we nearly pulled off a miracle comeback against Man Utd. 2-0 down coming into this match, Konrad de la Fuente had one of his rare matches in which he remembered he's talented and scored twice to tie up everything. Then he had a penalty kick to make it his hat-trick and put us ahead... saved. In the 88th minute Man Utd scored and we were out of the competition.

Also, we're having an injury crisis. Fun.

 

 

[noikeee]

More "good" news.

[noikeee]

April 2025

 

 

We have finally stopped the terrible run and got 2 wins in a row in the Bundesliga. Somehow that's enough to leap back ahead of Bayern into a CL slot again. There's just 3 matches to go. Can we just about hang on and qualify for the CL for the 2nd year running?

 

[noikeee]

May 2025

 

 

We were on a morale high, got two big wins... and that was enough. Qualified for the Champions League, thanks to Bayern being crap and slipping up. Uh, thanks?

The final day we decided to be crap again but it was already done, sealed mathematically before. 4th in the table for the 2nd year running. The difference is now we've had an actual CL run the club is becoming much, much richer - the board have given me a 70M€ transfer budget for next season. Now we're talking.

 

Edited December 9, 2021 by noikeee

[noikeee]

Season review 2024/2025

• Bundesliga: 4th place
• DFB-Pokal: third round
• Champions League: first knockout round

 

 

Top 5 players of the season

 

5. Burak Ince (AMC, MC) - The small Turkish playmaker had another fine season with 12 assists, but did go a bit missing late in the year.

4. Konrad de la Fuente (ML, AMR, MR) - A bit of a mystery. At his best was unplayable, but that version of Konrad showed up way too rarely. Still managed to bag 10 goals and 5 assists.

3. Victor Fonseca (MR, AMR, MC, AMC) - Becoming our best player, really, and the only reason I've not picked him as player of the year is he's just missed the 7.00 average rating mark. With 12 goals and 5 assists, he was often our best creative outlet, specially once I started playing him on the right wing rather than as mezzala.

2. Christian Fruchtl (GK) - Well that was weird. A superb overperforming season from our keeper! Got the highest ratings in the whole squad at 7.11. This is specially bizarre since I've just bough a Colombian kid that's on paper a huge upgrade over him, but for now I couldn't quite bench him.

1. Benoit Badiashile (DC) - I think I'm gonna go with him as player of the year, with 7.09 ratings he was well clear of any other outfield player and is basically our best defender by miles.

 

[noikeee]

Pre-season 2025/2026

 

It's pretty fun once you get to this stage when you can start spending serious cash.

 

This absolute Arsenal legend was available on a free and will fight Dominguez for the DLP DM role.

 

Also on a free. On paper he's a decent mezzala, but given I have a billion mezzalas in the squad, I've just had a crazy idea - how about retraining to RB to play as IWB? I'm missing a good player to play there.

 

Another freebie. Fairly good winger, will add depth and a touch of experience to an otherwise extremely young squad. Like seriously he's 26 and that makes him immediately one of the oldest players in our side.

 

Punt for the future. Loaned out.

 

Another player that I'm not really going to play, he's just backup with the bonus that he's homegrown in Germany. Which is something we are in extreme lack of, complicating our squad registration for the Champions League. I'll probably leave out like 4 good players, pissing off all of them, and include this guy instead.

 

Solid upgrade at centerback.

 

One of 2 signings I picked up to play as shadow striker. He's not quite there just yet, but has the potential to be great.

 

The other shadow striker, currently being retrained. I now have too many, but he was available for 1M€, how could I have said no?

 

Boom! Big upgrade at leftback. I think he could be one of the best attacking fullbacks in the world in a couple of seasons.

 

I broke our transfer record for him (22M€), which is slightly silly, but a) we really really needed a wide man that could make the difference; and b) he's homegrown in Germany, which again we are in extreme need of.

 

And then, after picking up Gakpo and Paulinho, turns out there was an Argentinian almost-wonderkid, model citizen, willing to sign for us for a transfer fee of a mere 3.4M€. I mean, yeah, I had to. Another position that we now have way too many players in.

 

Help, I did it again. I built a silly large squad. I wanted to get rid of at least one midfielder and one attacker, but I couldn't get rid of one of the spare mezzalas/central men (the likes of Gavi and Wellington Lucas were offended at the idea of loaning them out); and I can't really get rid of any of the forwards and wide men because they're all either new signings or wonderkids or something.

For this season I want to come closer to the Bundesliga title. Not so sure about winning it outright just yet, but after 2 years of finishing 4th, it might be time to finish 3rd or 2nd.

Also please note this is the first year I got rid of all the loanees. Every single player, is contracted in full to us. This is obviously ideal for maximizing the value we extract from players - almost every slot in the squad, is a player we're developing, that in theory we can sell for more money in the near future.

Edited December 9, 2021 by noikeee

[noikeee]

August 2025

 

 

Classic, we always kick off the season well. Expect the downturn to come around February.

Fun fact 1: We were 4-1 down to Gladbach and then still turned it around.

Fun fact 2: One of my tactics now has a libero.

Fun fact 3: Rogério Ouchi has already scored more goals than last season. Playing as a shadow striker is doing him wonders.

Also we have drawn Bayern in the next round of the cup (o ****), and Juventus FC Porto and Celtic in the Champions League.

 

[noikeee]

Always hire enough homegrown players. Never have a 27 men squad.

[noikeee]

September 2025

 

 

Uh, this was a bit of a disappointing month. I have a bit of a squad mutiny in my hands because they're all "in support" of the 4 guys that missed out in the CL squad, and I think this is really hurting our form. We had Stuttgart turn around a 3-1 lead we had, at home of all places (to be fair that was because I was trying out a fairly unbalanced libero tactic), and then Celtic also managed to equalise despite the fact we were 2-0 up.