Stuniverse Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 21 minutes ago, Hootieleece said: We continued our decent play over the month of April and achieved safety from relegation on Match Day 30. Congratulations! 22 minutes ago, Hootieleece said: @Stuniverse does this look familiar? Oh, yes it does Although it doesn’t look like you got the success with it I’ve been getting with Viking. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted February 26 Author Share Posted February 26 (edited) Hertha BSC May 2037: Regular Season and Post Season Board Meeting Manager's Thoughts We didn't play particularly badly, but we lost two of the three matches of the month. One we were out played, one we were behind the eight ball because of the referee for the third time this season. The last match was a party in front of our fans against a team that was preparing for life in the Bundesliga 2. The Board didn't exactly shower us with funds to rebuild the team in our image so there will be only a few departures and arrivals over the summer. My tactical plan is to recreate a through the middle attack and a Left Flank attack versions of our effective tactic so I can switch from match to match based on what the opposition defend well. Also, I looked upon where I am in the coaching world after having left a secure teaching job for the nomadic life of a football manager. Schedule Highlights Transfer Spending was the media subject of the day on the first day of the month. According to the media Hertha was the most in the black in Transfer Spending......so where was all the money going in the financials? For the first match of May we would host Eintracht Frankfurt. It was 11th versus 12th and a chance for us to move out of our position in the table. We were on the backfoot from the beginning mostly because Sascha Stegeman has been the most anti-Hertha Referee in the league who gifted Frankfurt Two penalties and regularly gave out cards for staring at Frankfurt players, even so we only lost 2-1. Mostly due to our Goalie Goller. and I praised the GK even in spite of the loss. The Jury was still out because we weren't in the European places.......we were lucky to be safe all told. John Santos came to me for a new contract I said no but he came back with half the team, and I said OK......He didn't want a king's ransom, so I went ahead and gave him a new contract. We are spending roughly 2/3 of our Turnover on Salaries. I will be diligent in watching the payroll going forward. The next match would see us travel to Gladbach and take on the favored hosts. We were just out played by Gladbach and I wasn't happy with the teams application levels. We had some success attacking the Gladbach Right Flank but were denied by their gk. The last match of the year would see us take on relegation playoff contenders Augsburg and give us a chance to send off Netz and Ramaj with a party! Alex Schafer was the world's luckiest Striker was going to get a chance to start....... We held a party and I used the Backups for the most part and sent off Ramaj and Netz to ovations from the fans in their final game. We finished in 12th place where we were picked preseason, and fans were happy with the excitement of the final match! It was a 4-1 Demolition of a reeling Augsburg team who would go on to lose the Relegation playoffs 0-7! The Augsburg coach tried to blame VAR for the loss it was that embarrassing! The Emergency Keeper got about 15 minutes when I sent Ramaj off for an ovation. Louis Schulte who had also come to me for more playing time was allowed to play and shined I would go over his case in the next few days. We again attacked down the left and found success. We got $48M in prize money! just enough to balance the books. Dortmund was named Champions! The Final Table Post Season Board meeting The Board announced the funding for next season. I will have to be careful and probably only make free transfers for next season. The Finances just barely balanced with the addition of the Bundesliga Prize Money. We lost a few Social Media followers, but the fanbase is strong and resilient. Season Analytics Report For the season scoring more than we gave up was a good start, but it was due to incredible GK. Look at the XG against. We also need to take more shots. We also need to complete more crosses. We need to reduce the opposition passes per defensive action. Team Dynamics shows I have stabilized the team and have them behind me for the foreseeable future. My only complaint with the board vision is playing direct soccer. Somehow with more direct passing and crosses we aren't direct enough for the board! Highlights pt. 2 Not bad for an ex-history teacher with no badges to start! RB Leipzig won the DFB-Pokal! Louis Schulte wanted more playing time but when time came to ask for a new contract, he was happy with a backup role, so I let him have it. Pep didn't have the best of seasons in his second stint in Munich but he's staying so far...... We parted with a small amount of our transfer cash for this player to replace Netz. Paid an affiliate. and we will need a new Chief Scout. We put our Right back up for sale, when I finally realized he was 5'3" and that is why he was getting pushed around on the pitch. Also, the sale would help us gather funds for the transfer budget for more suitable player to replace Netz and this player. Management Report Monthly Financial Report to be continued: Edited February 26 by Hootieleece added images , and wrote words Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted February 26 Author Share Posted February 26 Hertha BSC 2036-2037 Season Review Manfred Frosch is the replacement for Netz at Left Back and was the one player my predecessor brought in that was worth anything but then again like me he had a small budget and mine will be smaller. Last season's DFB Pokal Run was over before I got here, we will do better this season! All of the moments to remember were during my stewardship of the team! We have to do better: more games on TV and better finish in Bundesliga. It wasn't a bad bunch. The goalie got hot after I arrived and carried the team. Fan's Player of the Season The Central Midfielder turned back the clock and put in many great performances that made him a household name. Young Player of the Year AFTER I GOT TO THE TEAM! Just living the dream.......of FM Players the world over! to be continued: 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted February 28 Author Share Posted February 28 Hertha BSC June 2037: Offseason Highlights I started the offseason off with a revamp of my tactics for the team. We had been using a 4-4-2 Diamond Wide Formation and Attacking Down the Left Successfully during the Season. So I expanded on it. This is the "original" Tactic and will stay the main one trained. It Attacks using our Left Wing Back This is the same formation except this is designed to attack through the middle of the pitch. This is the Mirror Image of the First Tactic and attacks the Left Flank of the opposition using the Right Wing Back. another of the backup players decided that he was getting enough playing time. This player is to become the successor to Fabbian in the Central Midfield. These two players will flesh out Hertha II's lineup. Somehow, we made a profit last season, and the government wants their share...... The Commercial Summary was decent we made some small profits over the previous year, and we are keeping all of the major shirt sellers! I upped the budget from just a little more than the cost of the World package just in case I want to take a real look at someone for the team. The PSG coach left for Manchester City after leaving Manchester United for PSG. I give you the new Man City Manager......what a resume not a bad job in the bunch. Another player for Hertha II for now..... The Bundesliga starts soon and we have three new teams to contend with even though two are known Yo-Yo clubs. The Hertha Chief Scout retired giving us just two weeks to find his replacement...... It was a boring season we achieved exactly what we should have, and the biggest talking point is Dortmund being crowned Champions and Bayern Munich coming in Third! No one on the Season signing list belongs to Hertha even though we are looking at adding Prince to our team after Augsburg's relegation. I am not thrilled with our starting schedule and the fact that we begin and end on the road. We added one of my protege's from ASSE to the staff....... Sandro Wagner continues to climb the coaching ladder, leaving St. Pauli for RB Leipzig. I terminated this guy because of his personality.....as HOYD. Our Backup GK retired after a journeyman career. I scheduled plenty of matches to build match fitness and fill the bank account. Management Report Monthly Financial Report to be continued: 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carambau Posted February 29 Share Posted February 29 Money seems too tight to mention, but with players like that you should be fine this season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted February 29 Author Share Posted February 29 3 hours ago, Carambau said: Money seems too tight to mention, but with players like that you should be fine this season I'm going to sell a few off and try to get by with what I have for the most part. That is why I am going all in on the 4-4-2 Diamond Wide System. It works for this team and the players. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted February 29 Author Share Posted February 29 Hertha BSC July and Early August 2037: Preseason Manager's Thoughts The team came back from vacation and got to work perfecting the new formation. We played two matches a week during the preseason with the Backups playing most of the minutes (60-75) during the week and The starters doing the same on Saturdays. The Weekday competition was slightly less than the weekend competition as we played English Power houses Liverpool and Manchester United and got credible results against both. Off the pitch we continued to transform the backroom staff and sold a player to help with finances. We didn't find a player we were comfortable to bring in at a decent price point that was really better than the players we already had so we mostly stood pat and would allow the young players we have blossom and hopefully have a good season. We look good to repeat our safety in the Bundesliga. Any more than that will be a plus.....We have a tough beginning to our season. Schedule Highlights With the start of July the Transfer Window opened again. The following players were brought in by the team...... Mostly players for Hertha II for the most part. Gezer will remain playing at Kaiserslautern this season. We hired a new Chief Scout. We hired him from relegated Augsburg.....he is as good as they come. We sold our 5'3" RWB for below market value but I was happy to see the end of his whiny ***! The $15M will do wonders for the bank balance and might let me spend on a decent player....... St. Pauli got a new manager after the old manager moved to RB Leipzig. I put another player up for sale through an intermediary.......looking to just off load the player who doesn't fit in the system. I brought in a new HOYD with a better personality and fit the formation better. The best player on the team is considering his options, but that is mostly because he is a winger and I don't use wingers but I will retrain as a #10 AMC. I would consider selling the player whose market value is around $50M for the right offer. Beller wouldn't accept the intermediary's team offer so will stay and be retrained as a Striker. We need to start filling the stands of the Olympiastadion! After a few preseason friendlies we traveled to Rostock and took on old rivals Hansa Rostock. We dominated the match with our backups...... We're willing to sell for the right price......will they pay it? We headed to Dresden as well for a friendly and our Backups were surprised. We played a friendly at Olympiastadion against Liverpool and the biggest news other than our draw was the injury to our GK. I was happy with the draw against a much bigger team. Lorenc was a player moving positions in the team and came for a pay raise since his demands were reasonable, we worked something out. Also, ASSE came with a transfer offer to buy him that turned his head. We had success against Liverpool as always attacking the Right flank of their defense. We would finish Preseason with a DFB Pokal Match at Rathenow. Another of the players vying to be the #10 is out with an injury. The backups traveled to Klagenfurt and were held to a draw by the determined Austrian Team. We then returned home to Berlin to take on Manchester United! We won the match! which gives me hope for the season. Still attacking the opponent's right flank. The team had one last friendly, traveling to the Netherlands to take on Fortuna Sittard. The Backups crushed their dreams attacking the right flank! The team then returned home to prepare to travel to Rathenow for the DFB-Pokal 1rst Round match that I decided to use as a Dress Rehearsal for the season. I picked the Starters for the match and would use the Left-Wing Attack formation that I had mostly been using since last season. We were firm favorites. It was comfortable win and could have been more except for the woodwork of the goal. Some of our young players are being considered for German National Team! Season Preview The Team Management Report Monthly Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted March 1 Share Posted March 1 What are the Board’s expectations for this season and what are you hoping for? Good luck 🍀⚽️🤞 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 1 Author Share Posted March 1 1 hour ago, Stuniverse said: What are the Board’s expectations for this season and what are you hoping for? Good luck 🍀⚽️🤞 The board's expectations and mine are in agreement. Remain in the Bundesliga. I hope for a decent DFB-Pokal Run, and if we get lucky (very) a possible European place. We have a tough start to our season, and I am having problems with players moaning about playing time even after accepting lesser roles in the team. I have played about 6 matches and have 6 points safe for now......but it looks like a tough season. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 2 Author Share Posted March 2 Hertha BSC August 2037: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts The month of August and the start of the Bundesliga Season was as rough as I expected it to be. Mostly because we were unable to improve the squad and the players are looking to move or asking for playing time, they don't deserve we have become a terrible defensive football team. The cohesion and unity of last season's battle against relegation is gone and it looks like It may be another season of struggle in the Capital. Mostly because we don't have the funds to by better players and all of the players, we want to sell are getting under value bids.....or they decide they want to stay. We were lucky to get points in all our matches as we were making defensive errors we didn't make last season. We finished the month where we finished the last season in 12th place. Schedule Highlights The regular season began with an always tricky trip to the Black Forest and Stuttgart. The Home town team was favored and we were going to be in for a tough fight. I did my best to show confidence in my team even though we all knew we had a tough start to the season ahead of us. The DFB Pokal gave us a tricky draw earlier than I hoped, because I am looking forward to making a run this year. Gameday came and there was nothing separating the two teams after 95 minutes of football. A former player of mine from ASSE ruined my day scoring for Stuttgart and my chestnuts were pulled out of the fire by the captain Fabbian with a late strike from outside the box! After escaping Stuttgart with a point, we came home to Berlin to Host Title Contenders RB Leipzig. It would be a big match! Even though we were home underdogs We wanted to put up a fight for our fans. Of Course, the Backup GK is going to play with the First Choice Keeper still hurt you fools! The RB Leipzig Manager trying to fire up his team...... We were definitely second best on the day, and I honestly have a hard time believing we got a draw, but we did and all that matters. VAR disallowed several goals, and I was asked to comment on it. As ever I dodged the question! The board has work to do in Commercial income. Ours is 10% of Bayern's! The final match of the month would see us travel to Leverkusen. Leverkusen were another tough team expected to be in the continental places if not making a title challenge. We would still be missing our First Choice GK for this match. We started off well in the first half scoring twice and taking a 2-0 lead that we then proceeded to throw away with bad play at the end of the second half...... Of more immediate concern was the injuries to players in the match especially Santos. A winger who is whining about playing time was played at Wingback...... Our players are attracting interest but its all the ones I want to keep because they fit the system. and as we get ready for the final day of the window.....I never say never. At the end of the Month, we sit in 12th place with 3 points! Player of the Month Monthly Analysis Report Management Report Monthly Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 7 minutes ago, Hootieleece said: The month of August and the start of the Bundesliga Season was as rough as I expected it to be. Mostly because we were unable to improve the squad and the players are looking to move or asking for playing time, they don't deserve we have become a terrible defensive football team. The cohesion and unity of last season's battle against relegation is gone and it looks like It may be another season of struggle in the Capital. Mostly because we don't have the funds to by better players and all of the players, we want to sell are getting under value bids.....or they decide they want to stay. We were lucky to get points in all our matches as we were making defensive errors we didn't make last season. We finished the month where we finished the last season in 12th place. Ouch! That doesn’t sound too good. 8 minutes ago, Hootieleece said: and as we get ready for the final day of the window.....I never say never. Are you in for a busy deadline day? Will you be making panic buys or keeping your head? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 2 Author Share Posted March 2 28 minutes ago, Stuniverse said: Ouch! That doesn’t sound too good. Are you in for a busy deadline day? Will you be making panic buys or keeping your head? Mostly I was and am looking to sell some of the prima donnas. I need committed players.....I am looking at a Sean Dyche at Burnley (relegation fight) season right now and need unity not mutiny! It's mostly that that team was playing a 4-3-3 gegenpressing but not getting results I would have loved that earlier in my save, but I am also trying to evolve tactically and learn to make strategic choices. Many of the talented offensive players are awkward fits into the new system and are often out of natural positions when playing. That being said I am not trying to have a firesale of players either. I come at this as someone who watches football and learned most what he knows about football from playing the game and I want to see if there are other ways to play the game. Like @_Ben_ or @SixPointer 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carambau Posted March 3 Share Posted March 3 Too many draws do not help indeed... maybe a tactical change might offer new possibilities... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 3 Author Share Posted March 3 Hertha BSC September 2037: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts The team didn't play well, it started matches well and then folded in the second half. There are players demanding more playing time and rumors of a takeover. All of it working against creating a unified group that a relegation battle needs. The team is conceding more goals than we are scoring......if the defense doesn't improve, we really will be in the thick weeds of a relegation battle. We have a busy month coming up after the international break with some tough teams but some chances to improve our play and position in the table. Schedule Highlights The month of September starts with a Transfer Window Day. The Team is looking to move players but only for the right price. It looked to be a busy day....but turned out to be a sleeper for Hertha. I declined on spending too much time with the agents and newsies. Sekiraqa was the only player we were able to move......and only on a loan with option to buy. It was a busy window for other teams including our rivals Schalke04. As a result of the transfer window, we have cut payroll, since we couldn't find any players to bring in worth the price asking. The first match after the transfer window was a match against our rivals Schalke04. I am always up for matches against Historical Rivals. It was an even boring game until just before half when both sides scored with us first. Unfortunately, Schalke04 scored two more times in the second half. I was furious about how the team folded in the second half! The Hertha Chairman is looking to sell......just what we need right now Takeover intrigue! The team had to get ready for a trip to Wolfsburg. The Home team would be favored. Alim Dermitas was mad about playing time and got the team leaders to back him up. I saw him as a squad player when we needed a CWB on the Right. Which would only be sometimes. The team didn't agree, and this didn't help with the unity needed for a relegation fight. Gameday came and miraculously we won a game after an early goal and suffering under assault by the other team for the rest of the match. Kunert the PF-A scored the goal and was named man of the match! We had good success attacking the opponent's right flank. The Newsies can't make up their mind if we are going to be taken over or not..... The team then returned to the capital to take on FC Koln. The visitors were clear favorites in the match.....We needed to get to their level and fast! Demirtas isn't helping his cause by making the disagreement public in fact I will now move him over the Winter. We scored first and looked good in the first half and then in the second half I am still trying to figure out what happened! After that demoralizing match the football world went on International Break. Hertha At least has a player on the list. I tried to sell ahead of the window our two most outspoken playing time demanding prima donnas.....it didn't work! Our backup AMC will miss some time with his national team..... This was the practice schedule during the International Break. League Table Monthly Analysis Report Player of the Month Management Report Monthly Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 Early days, but looking like this might be a difficult season for Hertha Berlin. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 40 minutes ago, Stuniverse said: Early days, but looking like this might be a difficult season for Hertha Berlin. I agree......The players got behind me when I came in to save last season but now that the season has been saved and were still in the Bundesliga they started their whining and moaning and general lack of unity that got them in the situation in the first place. Much like IRL Hertha as well. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 Hertha BSC October 2037: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts The team is in turmoil between the relegation fight that we are now in and the Takeover rumors in the media. The season is quickly becoming a disaster flick with a sinking ship as everyone looks for the life rafts. The team plays hard, but it is often on the back foot and playing defensively and that is leading to our goalie making a superhuman effort to keep us in contention in most matches. I don't really know how to fix this but by winning matches and that keeps getting harder and harder as the results and morale keep going lower. Schedule Highlights The month of October started with a tough match against the champions, Dortmund, who were out to repeat as champions. The Borussia Dortmund boss was playing mind games......would they work? We were on the back foot from the whistle, the mind games worked his boys were really up for the match. Our loss was all over the TV that night since we were playing the league leaders. The press wanted mr to complain about VAR....which had nothing to do with our loss....... The Left WingBack would miss the next match..... After the match with Dortmund, we returned home to take on Hannover and would have a chance in this match..... Both teams were in poor form, and this looked like an early season Six-Pointer. We won the match and looked decent doing so even though there were a few more jitters than I would have liked. Jaissle was my predecessor at Hertha....... Kunert had two goals leading the line from the PF-A position on the Right. Kunert is attracting attention of other teams, but we will only sell if someone activates his release clause.....no discounts! After facing Hannover, we had the novel situation of facing Gladbach Back-to-Back in the League and in the DFB-Pokal in the same week. Gladbach was favored at home against us and I would play the backups in the league trying to make sure we won at home in the DFB-Pokal. As always, the usual suspects lead in development of Bundesliga players. The Takeover saga is threatening the narrative of the relegation battle in the media..... The backups played tough and we tried attacking the Gladbach Left Flank instead of the right......the starters came on late to make it respectable but with them in the Cup Tie I expect a win. Two players that would miss the next match or more...... Olympia Stadion would see a good crowd for the DFB-Pokal match versus Gladbach. We were favorites lets take advantage. We would attack the left Flank of BMG again this time with our Starters. We won 1-0 in a hard fought match. We did a lot of passing and featured the right back. The last match of the month was another early season Six-Pointer in the Relegation Battle. Mainz was favored even though we were the home team and that was discouraging. I want to give other relegation battle teams as little "Bulletin Board" Material as possible. I don't need to give them extra motivation when facing us. We found out we would have a tricky match with Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal next...... The best youth setup's in the world were ranked and Hertha wasn't among them...... With the Takeover Rumors and the Relegation fight this season is turning into a disaster flick fast....... We still had a match to play and played hard and were lucky......to get the draw. This is what I now know......since I don't have a team ready to gengen press. League Table Monthly Analysis Report Player of the Month Management Report Monthly Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 5 Author Share Posted March 5 Hertha BSC November 2037: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts The team continued its efforts to not be relegated. After another close loss to Freiburg that wasn't as close as scoreline suggested. I decide something had to change tactically so we could get the other team on the back foot at least from time to time. I found a Tactic I liked that belonged to @Carambau that I decided to use saying I saw it played by Darmstadt in this world. I trained it over an International break and it got its first test against Bayern Munich. It led to a draw and I glimmers of hope. We were on the front foot at times and scoring, but we were making defensive mistakes due to being new in the formation and not tactically familiar. The next match was a Six-Pointer versus Werder Bremen. In this match both teams forgot about defense and tried to outscore each other. So it has been over a month since we have won but we are outside of the relegation zone and hope to stay there. Schedule Highlights The month would begin with us taking on Freiburg in a match we needed to win. Even though the Visitors were favored, I have always been wary of Home underdogs. Our Goalie is what is keeping us above water in the relegation fight! We are toothless going forward and teams camp out in our half and force us to play defense until we tire ourselves out and make mistakes. Our pass map wasn't bad we attacked them where we wanted to but just never had the ball enough. The List of 50 best players in the world came out. Of course, no Hertha Player was on it. As a way to change the fortunes of the team, I decided on a tactical change after watching Bundesliga 2's Darmstadt a few times and I liked their tactic. So over the International Break I added it to the tactical training. This will attempt to attack both flanks and hopefully get us off the back foot. Enrique wasn't happy with his contract and actually asked for less money so I was happy to give him what he wanted. After dealing with contracts and training the new formation it was time after the International Break to put it to the test. We were taking a risk playing Bayern with a new tactic, but we are at a time when we need to take risks. I still sort of pinch myself that I am on the same touchline as Guardiola. My predecessor being grilled because I am at least keeping us in the Bundesliga. Another Relegation Rival has a new manager. Match Day arrived and our new formation caused some consternation in Bayern's attack and allowed us to score, but eventually we made mistakes and were tied by their superior players. He got some hometown refereeing in the match....that allowed them to tie us! The draw and our new formation were the talk of the newsies that night. The new pass map was different from the old and showed even though we didn't seek it we had success attacking Bayern's Left Flank. The Final match of the month would be a Relegation Battle Six-Pointer. Both sides gave up on defense and just simply tried to outscore each other. The Bremen Boss was happy with the draw......I wasn't! We are still looking for a win.....this has been a tough season so far. According to the Analysts we should have won the match......but its two lost points! League Table Monthly Analysis Report Player of the Month Monthly Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 6 Author Share Posted March 6 Hertha BSC December 2037: Regular Season "Back to the Future" Manager's Thoughts The team continued to battle for points, but it was obvious that even with the tactical tweak of going to the 5-2-3 WB wasn't enough. So, I went back to the early days of my career and resurrected a formation and tactic that would have us playing hopefully like Liverpool of 2016! It had only one match against a relegation rival in a six -pointer but it was dominant, and we will be using it for the remainder of the campaign. I think that I was trying to become too cerebral and forgot that sometimes Football is simple. Deny the opponent the ball, take it away from him if he happens to have it, and put it in his net. The new formation does just that and allows us to play our myriad of Attacking midfielders in their natural positions. Which should help as we become more tactically familiar as we navigate the second half of the season and hopefully out of the relegation battle. Schedule Highlights The month of December began with a tricky match against Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal. Stuttgart was favored and our new tactics hadn't done the trick yet either. I wanted a good result, but I wasn't about to let my dreams get ahead of reality. The Bundesliga Coaching Carousel continues to spin......a manager leaves a relegation fight for a "safer" job..... Match Day came and we couldn't play from the back from a determined press by a 4-4-2 that also bypassed our press by playing direct "Hoof Ball". Dermitas who was wanting more playing time.......will miss the next month of chances. I was disappointed to go out as well as the manner of it and I started thinking how I could turn this ship around! After the terrible result in Stuttgart the team then traveled to Hamburg to take on St.Pauli. It was another tough match up with a 4-4-2 formation. I am looking to build from within with the small transfer budget I have. We were on the backfoot yet again, but we defended doggedly and escaped with a draw and much needed point. We had our goalie to thank yet again.....for bailing us out. We haven't won a game in a while...... Our GK was player of the week! AS Roma to Wolfsburg........a lot of pedigree......with a lot of losing. Recently Relegated Augsburg coach thinks he can turnaround Hoffenheim........I don't think so! The first looks at the Academy Class are exciting if we get 4 future players I will be happy. As the Winter Window is about to open transfer rumors are running wild about our players. I intend to keep most of them for now. Takeover Rumors won't go away either....... The team came home from Hamburg looking for a win and I thought this was a winnable match. Even if the bookies backed our opponents. This is a bit of an untruth it is more like they aren't afraid of us and pen us in our end and we get no chance to attack their end. It was a more even match but in all it was an ugly game decided as a draw by matching penalties. Almost two months since we tasted victory! At least we are still getting points, but things need to change and fast. The team is doing so bad that the rest of the board thought we should panic buy a player or two change things up.......when the problem is tactical and disunity among the players. Relegation Rival Fortuna Dusseldorf went to Darmstadt for their Coach. This is their new Boss. After trying and failing with several formations and styles of play over the past few years. I decided to go back to the basics. and I reintroduced my team to the Gengen Press using the Second Formation from my Conwy days at the start of my career. This will be the main formation for the rest of the season. I am using it to take advantage of all the Attacking Midfielders we have and several #10's. Our Goalie will miss the meeting with Fortuna Dusseldorf! He is an important part of our team for sure! We traveled to Dusseldorf for the important six pointer just before the midseason break. We were considered favorites.......for some reason. A former fan favorite had harsh words for the play of our Left Back and said in no uncertain terms he had to play better if we were to succeed. Dusseldorf had a new coach and we had a new formation and tactic..... We dominated playing the gengenpress from the Conwy days.....and I think it took them by surprise! The fans that bothered to watch were thrilled! We were dominant all match long it just that we couldn't seem to find the net until late on......mostly because we were so surprised to have that much of the ball. Happy for the fans and team that our winless streak is over. There was one injury and he will only miss training on the trip to Qatar over Xmas. the team also started loaning out players from the Farm Team or Hertha II. He would start as a player in the Irish League. The Day after Christmas we headed to Qatar for some warm weather training and one friendly before our 6 pointer with Hoffenheim. This is the training schedule for our week in Qatar. Since we have a new tactic I made sure to get some tactical work in. Our Star Left Winger is thought to be in Man City's sights and will be leaving on a free transfer at the end of the season. We are not shopping anyone but will accept reasonable offers on a number of players. Reason we are losing our AML at the end of the season. League Table Monthly Analysis Report Player of the Month Management Report Monthly Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 6 Author Share Posted March 6 Hertha BSC January 2038: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts The change to the 4-2-3-1 Wide Gengen Press has so far been a success. We are unbeaten and have four wins since changing tactics. With the ship steadied and now on course for safety of midtable mediocrity. I started planning for next seasons roster. I brought in a few players on Bosman's for depth in midfield and one for a starter at center back. The team made one transfer acquisition for $12.5M for a striker I think will make a great Left Winger and replace Abrassart that was player of the month. The team is coming together after my tactical mistakes which came from trying to deviate from my tactical philosophy of Klopp Style Gengen press that got me into football management and won me trophies. Schedule Highlights Our month of January started with a Friendly during our Training Camp in Qatar. We were dominant and I allowed the backups to play major roles using our new formation and tactic. We signed a player on a Bosman for next season to help with our Defensive Midfield depth. Olexiy Komar Stefan Richter was signed to provide depth at the Hertha II Level. After returning from Qatar the team turned their attention to preparing for a match with table propping Hoffenheim. We were the home team and favored in the Six-Pointer. I thought winter break went well.....and was happy to have it. Match Day came and we were in control from the start, we went out to a 2-0 lead and then slackened a little after making some subs and Heidenheim got one back and that made the next few minutes nervy, but a penalty shot restored our two-goal lead late and we cruised to victory. Hoffenheim's new manger was unhappy with his teams play....... Lorenc a Centerback adjusting to life as a Wingback in a Back Four had a great game. Six unbeaten with two wins in a row.....I think we are turning it around. We dominated possession in this match and that is shown by all the passes. The team sold a young player and the fan base was upset all I could do was ask for trust. The Takeover talks are ever present, but at least they are internal and don't place a transfer embargo on the team. The team added another player through a Bosman for next season......his signing means we will have to sell some Center Backs. Halvor Flogstad We also put in an offer for a player to take Abbrassart's place on the left next season. He is a natural striker but I think he will make a better winger. With all the transfer news swirling the team headed for Leipzig and a match with League leading RB Leipzig. It's a big match and the Leipzig boss starts the mind games. ' I ignored the criticisms of my players and was upbeat about our new formation and tactic in the news conference. We played well and was able to escape with a point and give them something to think about for next time. RB Leipzig boss wants referees reviewed because he didn't win! Hertha captain Tredup led the team from the right wing. Seven in a row unbeaten we are slowly climbing out of the Relegation Battle. Our match made the nightly highlights on German TV! Tredup was named player of the week! Rokaas is being brought in and trained as an AML-Winger Attack for next season and will see some play unless Abbrassart gets hurt. He joins the team as a squad player this season and regular starter next. Decent Turnout for another match against Stuttgart that knocked us out of the DFB-Pokal. Stuttgart due to past performance were considered the favorites, but I thought we had a chance as home underdogs. Stuttgart had the better of the day until they were sent down to ten men and in extra time, we got the win after wearing down their defenses. Another whiny manager.....blaming the officials! That makes is 8 unbeaten we are still slowly coming out of the relegation battle to midtable mediocrity. The last match of the month Bayer Leverkusen would visit Berlin for the match. Leverkusen was favored, but I thought we had a chance. We controlled the game and were rewarded with a late goal to seal our victory. During the Post match Press conference, the media were more interested in transfers than our great victory. League Table Monthly Analysis Report Player of the Month Management Report Monthly Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helginho Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Looking far more friendly now! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carambau Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 (edited) A pity my tactic didnt work for you (sorry for that), but the new (old) one looks to work greatly You´re in far calmer waters now. Edited March 7 by Carambau Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 7 Author Share Posted March 7 4 hours ago, Helginho said: Looking far more friendly now! Yes, it is much better in the dressing room and with the board. 3 hours ago, Carambau said: A pity my tactic didnt work for you (sorry for that), but the new (old) one looks to work greatly You´re in far calmer waters now. There is nothing wrong with your tactic. It just didn't really fit my players and I needed to get results fast if I was going to maintain safety in the Bundesliga. The New Tactic is an "Out of the Box" Gengen press with a few position/role changes. By out of the box, I mean if you press Genge press in the Tactics Creator these are the TI's you get. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 9 Author Share Posted March 9 Hertha BSC February 2038: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts The good play continued even if we were losing points by drawing more than winning, but overall, we were climbing out of the relegation battle to midtable mediocrity. We had an outside chance at something more, but I think that we are still too leaky defensively and getting too many draws. The team otherwise is enjoying their football and playing time thus getting them on my side. Let's hope the good play keeps up. Schedule Highlights The team is near the bottom of the payroll expenditure but is talented enough to "Punch above its weight" if players are all on the same page as the last month showed. We had a bit of a "panic buy" but I am sure he will fullfill his promise and take Abrassart's place on the left wing next season. After the good month of January, we were excited to be taking on our rivals Schalke04 in the first match in February. The Home team was favored even though we were in better form, but since it was a rivalry. I was expecting a tough match. I let this one slip in the buildup to the match..... I think the AI Manager thought I was playing mind games..... The match was between two even teams and we were able to get a draw even though they dominated long spells of the game after we scored first, but some of it was due to the referee favoring the hosts in most of his calls. I was pleased to get the draw and remain unbeaten in 10 matches....we were moving out of the relegation fight slowly and surely now that we had a tactic that worked! We returned home to face another tough match this time, Wolfsburg in Berlin. Both teams were in good form, but the visitors were favored. Never underestimate a home underdog. It was a superb match between two equal teams, and it ended in a draw. Eleven Unbeaten! we need to keep this up and greatness might beckon! The Media asked about what is now called "Leece-Ball", it is good because it gets results! We had to travel next to Koln for a match with FC Koln. My old rival from the French League started playing mind games..... Koln made some late subs, and they paid off with another Draw of a match we shouldn't have lost! even if it had been against the run of play. We remain unbeaten! We're doing well, but it isn't over yet, far from it. It was the game of the day! We were returning home to play highflying Dortmund and a big crowd was expected. Even though Dortmund had dip in form they were expected to beat us. We played a masterful match that was bookended by goals. Our young center back had a great game! A baker's dozen undefeated! I paid homage to our young center back's contribution. Highlights of our impressive victory on TV sets across Germany! Even though the system doesn't specifically attack the opponents right flank we had a lot of success there. The New formation and lineup shakeup settled the playing time problems. The Board took out a loan to pay for transfers.....and repayment begins! League Table Monthly Analysis Report We are finally scoring more than we are conceding! Player of the Month The captain led the team by example. Management Report Monthly Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 You should be safe now from relegation, may even make top half yet Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 9 Author Share Posted March 9 2 hours ago, Stuniverse said: You should be safe now from relegation, may even make top half yet I have played till the end of the season and we end up exactly where we belong......midtable mediocrity. Thanks to our terrible start. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 9 Author Share Posted March 9 Hertha BSC March 2038: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts Other than the first match of the month in which I underestimated our opponents and hubristically played the backups. The team played well and excelled. Unfortunately, though we have lost our First Choice GK for the rest of the season. Injuries have been a problem all season and that hasn't changed but whoever I play seems to answer the whistle and play well. We will probably continue to play well but not gain much ground on the top teams. After our horrific start being safely mediocre and midtable is an accomplishment. I am also beginning to think about next season and will probably look for a younger profile in the team. The biggest need though is a better GK. Schedule Highlights The month of March would have three fixtures before an international break. The first match of the month was against fellow strugglers Hannover. We were in better form and I was a bit over confident and decided to play the backups in this match to help with playing time concerns. We tackle hard and play physical but within the laws of the game. We did nothing right in this match and were on the back foot from kick off...... and with that loss our unbeaten streak is ended at 13. The pass map shows we tried to attack the Right Flank of the defense but it didn't work this time...... Starting Center back will miss training the next two weeks during the international break. This injury ends whatever chance we had of making a miracle run to the European places.......since our Backup GK will be the starter the rest of the season! Kleppinger becomes the man between the sticks,,,,,NOW! We returned to Berlin and Olympia Stadion to take on BMG. We were favored as the home team, and we were looking for a better result this time around. I was looking for a win to start another unbeaten streak! and did the boys deliver! 5-0 as comprehensive a win as it gets! Kunert led the line and the team with a Hat Trick! And was named player of the week with a few of his teammates! Five players made the team of the week we were so good! Another Star player will miss a match...... Hertha looks to have a decent intake this season. The Team then got ready to take its show on the road to Mainz05 that was still struggling in the relegation battle. Mainz 05 was considered the favorite, but I thought we were the team to beat in the match. I never really pay attention to kickoff times other than making sure my team is ready for ours! Both sides played a tough game, but we played a bit counterattack football on a team that likes to control possession. We caught them out twice on the counter and twice with set pieces for a great victory! The Mainz05 boss was less than happy with the result. Our young Main stay in the defense had a great day. I said a few inspiring words at halftime after the Mainz05 goal just before halftime...... and now we lose our leading scorer and line leader for a month with a twisted ankle...... The "good" Youth candidates were Identified and signed. The two Best were: Gavin Martinez Tomasz Olejnik Eintracht Frankfurt thinks I want to leave......when they are in a similar situation with just more money for payroll. Plus this is one of my favorite clubs.....I will only leave for two clubs.....Liverpool because it is a top job and NE Revolution to fix a mistake and bad job. I am happiest in Berlin......plotting the overthrow of RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich. Dermitas had been complaining about playing time now that he has capped for Germany he will be in the starting XI much more. Especially since he scored for his country as well. And now our Starting Left Back will be out for the next month......injuries SMH! We signed a new Left Back for next season for depth reasons. We are adding height to our backline as we seem to be losing Set-Pieces (Corners) on a consistent basis. We are in an injury crisis........here come the kids! The wonderkid report came out and again no Hertha players. League Table Monthly Analysis Report Player of the Month The young player led the backline and was a keystone in both our victories this month. Management Report Monthly Financial Report Looking ahead to be continued: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 10 Author Share Posted March 10 Hertha BSC April 2038: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts The fever dream of European Football next season ended with the twin losses to Freiburg and Bayern at the start of the month. The team played well in both matches but injuries and the backups just weren't enough. The team won the next two matches to assure safety and midlevel mediocrity for another season by beating relegation threatened Werder Bremen and St. Pauli. I am going to try and bring back Abrassart at the end of the season with a new contract since he is the straw that stirs our drink on offense. More importantly I will look to improve the goal keeper position and strengthen the defense yet again. To do so we may have to pay more than I am willing to pay and then we will be committed to making Europe next season to help German Football. Schedule Highlights The month of April began with a trip to Freiburg followed by Bayern Munich at home. The Home team was favored even though their form was slipping. I thought we had a chance. Both left backs were down....and so I had to play a Left Midfielder that I was trying to get rid of in the spot. Which meant our chances of winning took a hit! It was an even match they had more of the ball, but our press kept them from taking shots. We moved the ball rapidly in counterattack and were profligate. In the end their more clinical finishing gave them the three points. The press wanted me to blame the loss on VAR.....I continued my non-commital answers. The team didn't have much of the ball and it showed in our passing map and stats. Returning from Freiburg we had to ready ourselves for Bayern Munich coming to town. Even though Pep's Bayern were stumbling for form, they were solid favorites for the match. We played hard but just couldn't find a way to beat their keeper. The only goal came just before halftime when Kleppinger made a mistake on a low long shot. Kleppinger's mistake cost us the match, but I hoped he would bounce back quickly. St.Pauli get a new manager just before our match......who knows anything about the new guy? We are close to profitable and much less than the average...... We take on Werder Bremen next on the schedule. I expected to beat the Relegation threatened team. Even though the home team was favored by the bookies and media. German Football is sputtering in European Tournaments, and we aren't in a position yet to help. We won the match by dominating the shots even though we had less of the ball. We found our success down the Left Flank this time..... My old team made it to Ligue 1 Uber Eats but isn't cut out for top level football......no wins all season between two managers! St. Pauli was scheduled to visit us with their new coach and we were expected to win. Our Left Winger and version of Kevin De Bruyne is on pace to break the club record of assists. We controlled the match from start to finish and controlled possession as well as had more shots. I was complimentary of their fight even though they were outclassed on the day. We are officially safe from relegation! League Table Monthly Analysis Report Player of the Month Management Report Monthly Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 10 Author Share Posted March 10 (edited) Hertha BSC May 2038: Regular Season Manager's Thoughts The team was able to win two out of the last three games and remain in a respectable position of 10th place in the Bundesliga. Since I have three seasons until I retire, I plan on trying to upgrade Hertha and reach European Football next season. The team is actually good enough to be better than midtable mediocrities. We are the 4rth best scoring team in the Bundesliga. Thus, I am going to try an upgrade the defense and Goalkeeper over the summer. The Board is just happy being in the Bundesliga, and that isn't enough to get the fans flocking to Olympia Stadion. Highlights The month of May began with the official intake into the U-19's The first Match of the month would see us travel to Frankfurt in Western Germany. We were considered underdogs, but I thought we had a chance since they had just offered me an interview not so long ago. The Transfer spending shows that I have so far been restrained and am actually turning a profit in my transfer dealings, but that may change this summer. Eintracht Frankfurt proved to be too much for us in a high scoring match where neither team played defense to the enjoyment of the fans! We had a lot of the ball and made many passes but couldn't quite control the match. Even though by XG we should have won the match...... We are near the bottom of percentage of turnover in payroll.....which means we are being responsible financially. My former team hasn't won a match in Ligue 1 all season! The next match was against relegation threatened Fortuna Dusseldorf. We dominated and didn't make the defensive mistakes of the Frankfurt match and won easily relegating Dusseldorf! Refusing to panic when you have been relegated......I guess you knew it was coming. I want teams to fear Festung Berlin! Highlights of our domination were all over German TV! We had another great day passing the ball and really attacked Dusseldorf's Left Flank. The final match of the season saw us head to Hoffenheim. We were playing well and Hoffenheim had already been relegated we were hoping to put on a show for the traveling fans. and we won the ugly match in which Hoffenheim was out to hurt Hertha players....... Our Veteran Vice Captain was seriously injured in the final match of the season. He won't get to enjoy vacation too much! Another good day passing the ball and we were able to attack both flanks even though we only scored one. We finished in Tenth Place! End of Season Board Meeting The Board is backing me the same as last season but due to financial prudence we have some room to maneuver on the payroll front. The Team lost some social media followers, but the support mostly remained steady. We need Europe and trophies to really move this needle. After a terrible start our statistics turned our okay. The team is in a good place after finishing midtable. The Board isn't expecting much more next season, but I am. I am not a spring chicken anymore and my chances at trophies a dwindling as I intend to retire at the end of the 2040-2041 season. So, I am going all in this summer to try and reach the European places. Highlights Pt. II RB Leipzig did the domestic double this season. Rumors abound that Dortmund want me.....but I am happy where I am. Not moving unless Liverpool comes open....... Leo Kunert missed a month of the season and came 3 goals short of the golden boot! Jurgen Klopp led Real Madrid to the Treble! League Table Management Report Monthly Financial Report to be continued: Edited March 10 by Hootieleece added images , and wrote words 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 10 Author Share Posted March 10 Hertha BSC Season Review 2037-2038 We didn't do much in the transfer market and neither player had much impact, Rokaas is more for next season. After a slow start we ended up in midtable in 10th place. The DFB Pokal run could have been better, but the board was happy enough. The Season Highlights were quite good! We did well financially. This is not how we set up after December....... Fans Player of the Season Young player of the Season Assists Record Breaker to be continued: 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carambau Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 Congrats to a safe season! It worked out in the end 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 10 Author Share Posted March 10 3 hours ago, Carambau said: Congrats to a safe season! It worked out in the end Yes, it did. I just wish we wouldn't start so slow......when we play together as a team, we have the talent to be in the European places in a good season. Which I am hoping will be next season. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 (edited) A good season, @Hootieleece - comfortably mid-table, well clear of relegation worries and only a few points off European qualification. 1 hour ago, Hootieleece said: I just wish we wouldn't start so slow What do you put that slow start down to? Edited March 10 by Stuniverse Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 10 Author Share Posted March 10 (edited) Hertha BSC June 2038: Offseason Manager's Thoughts I went into the offseason looking to upgrade the team. I ended up doing so by bringing back our best player and adding a better goalie. This was happening as rumors were swirling for our players to leave. Bayern Munich came in for our Striker Kunert, but they were unwilling to trigger his $27.5 million release clause. Other than that, the offseason went smoothly, and we are looking to move a few players but only for the right price and not to competitors. We want a top seven finish this year so we can get to European Competition to help our bank balance. As I have pushed all our chips in to make this happen. Highlights The captain was re-signed when it became apparent that he would be happy in a Backup role and let Dermitas take over the AMR position. Jeltsch is important as our Ball winning Midfielder, I was happy to re-sign him for the playing time he was already getting. Tredup and Fabbian are here to mentor the kids in the team.....as we start playing more important matches. I don't think I need to improve the coaching staff or the medical department. That means with the loan repayment we start every month $1.4M in the red. Commercially we did decent business, but prize money is not to be counted on. New Scouting Budget. I moved some money from the transfer budget, so it wasn't just enough to pay for the "World" Scouting Package. In case I decide to scout an Argentinean or Brazilian wonderkid. Frankfurt may want him but we aren't selling possibly our best defender. I approached Abrassart after the end of the season and he was amenable to re-signing with us. He also didn't have an agent. So, I was able to come up with a reasonable deal for both parties. Unfortunately, this makes the Rokaas deal redundant. He is easily our best playmaker a Kevin De Bruyne type. He had been exploring his options and decided playing in front of 30 people in Saudi Arabia wasn't in his interest. I don't know where this rumor came from, he isn't on any of our shortlists. The New Season is about to be announced. We are in good shape except for a GK. We aren't really interested in selling him, but we are a little overloaded in attacking players and Center Backs. We will not be selling if possible. The Bundesliga remains the 4rth best League in the World. We gained 1 place! We need to get into Europe and the Top 100 with a good season! German Football needs to do better in Europe. We spend too much time beating each other up in the Bundesliga and selling all our best players to Bayern Munich which is also failing..... We were midtable mediocrity, but we were mentioned for best match of the season! No Hertha players among signings of the season. We lost our Portuguese Feeder club...... Pep left after not delivering in Munich for a second time. They brought in a fresh face to the managerial merry-go-round. Our Schedule has been released an average start to the season and no really big games, but we will have to be on top of our game from the off. After losing Belenses, I asked to find another Affiliate Club and I chose Paderborn in 3 Liga. I will be sending the best 18-year-olds to play a season with them instead of them playing U-19's or sitting on Hertha II bench. But of importance was the good training facilities. The newly promoted side got a new manager......not a good sign for them. We would sell if Santos wanted it...... I said no to the rumors and they never offered and went and got some more new blood for the carousel. We went out and got ourselves a new GK. It is going to cost us $22M over the next two years in Transfer Fees. He becomes the new #1 and Goller becomes the Cup GK and Kleppinger the backup. Management Report Monthly Financial Report Looking Ahead to be continued: Edited March 10 by Hootieleece added images , and wrote words 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 10 Author Share Posted March 10 13 minutes ago, Stuniverse said: A good season, @Hootieleece - comfortably mid-table, we’ll clear of relegation worries and only a few points off European qualification. What do you put that slow start down to? This past season I put it down to a puzzling lack of Tactical Familiarity. (even though we played with the Formation the second half of the season prior to great success) and everyone worried about their own playing time until I changed up the tactic and everyone realized we were in a sinking boat yet again. I have almost all good personalities in the team most players are determined or resolute and our Vice Captain is a Model Citizen which is what made it so weird. This season we are continuing the 4-2-3-1 DM Wide and most players are playing their natural positions and roles. Which should help with tactical familiarity. PS. I am in my Preseason Friendlies, so I have finally caught up on my "homework" and can get back to fun of playing FM. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 11 Author Share Posted March 11 I have played further, and this came up during preseason: This would be the "perfect" last job......I would resign as Hertha Manager to take this job. I find it too unrealistic to be both a club manager and a National Team Coach. I would love to hear what my readers think! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 26 minutes ago, Hootieleece said: I have played further, and this came up during preseason: Congratulations on being offered the U.S.A. job, @Hootieleece. 26 minutes ago, Hootieleece said: This would be the "perfect" last job......I would resign as Hertha Manager to take this job. I find it too unrealistic to be both a club manager and a National Team Coach. I would love to hear what my readers think! If it's the perfect job for you then go for it! After all it's your save and you need to do what you'll enjoy the most. Where are you in terms of the International calendar? When's the next World Cup and whatever the North American equivalent of the European Championships is? -- I've not tried International Management on FM24 but I assume it hasn't changed much, in which case you'll be able to race through it as there's not as much to do (or as many games) as there is in Club Management. Whatever you decide, GOOD LUCK! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 12 Author Share Posted March 12 49 minutes ago, Stuniverse said: Congratulations on being offered the U.S.A. job, @Hootieleece. If it's the perfect job for you then go for it! After all it's your save and you need to do what you'll enjoy the most. Where are you in terms of the International calendar? When's the next World Cup and whatever the North American equivalent of the European Championships is? -- I've not tried International Management on FM24 but I assume it hasn't changed much, in which case you'll be able to race through it as there's not as much to do (or as many games) as there is in Club Management. Whatever you decide, GOOD LUCK! I will sleep on it and think about during Lunch tomorrow at work and probably make a decision. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 13 Author Share Posted March 13 I made a decision to take the Team USA job. It is 2038 and the World Cup is over. England won; it came home. I will try to coach the team until the next World Cup in 2042 and then retire. I will play this save and post about it on Weekends, usually play Saturday and write on Sunday. But first I am going to take a few days away from the save and start another one.......just to see if a 4-4-2 Route One "Hoofball" can work starting in the Lower Leagues of England. I will not be writing about it in Career updates. If I do it will be in this thread. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carambau Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Wow! Congrats on the USMNT job! A new twist and I love it 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 14 Author Share Posted March 14 47 minutes ago, Carambau said: Wow! Congrats on the USMNT job! A new twist and I love it Thanks. The World Cup just finished and I hope to manager through the next one. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 15 Author Share Posted March 15 Hertha BSC July 2038: Preseason Manager's Thoughts The month of July was another preseason. We had added depth to our defense and midfield and had a new GK to improve our chances. The team came together through a bunch of friendlies starting during Training Camp in Austria. We returned home and I had scheduled some high-level competition and the team played well. I had forgotten about the World Cup and was planning the season ahead when I got a fateful email. A chance to manage Team USA......I had to take it after some thought and deliberation. Highlights July began with all the new players joining the team. No real standouts other than our new GK. Olexiy Komar gives depth to the midfield. Flogstad joins his countryman in the team and will become one of the starting Center Backs. Richter is a depth signing able to play Center Back or Right Back. Alberter becomes our new man between the pipes. Rumors abound about our players........ Santos who I am trying to move will now miss the Preseason...... As far as I'm concerned the player is staying with us...... Rumors about players that aren't even on our radar...... We got a report that we are a midtable team as far as matchday and ticket revenue are concerned. We need a European Place to invigorate the fanbase. We made another depth signing to the midfield. Then we started playing our preseason friendly's and took a trip to Austria to start things off. We took on rivals Freiburg while in Austria and came out with a respectable draw since they are considered a top half team. We came home from Austria and the level of competition went up. We put in a good showing against Man City , but the last 20 minutes they decided to play and knocked us down a peg. And then this showed up in my email...... I was unsure what to do about it so I went home and slept on it and decided I had to accept as an American it was my duty to serve when my country calls. The extra $1M/year in salary didn't hurt and I also decided it would be my last job in this career. Either I manage through the 2042 World Cup or am fired/sacked before that date it is over.....I am in my late sixties now and was actually planning on retiring from Hertha in 2041. The World Cup just finished, and England finally brought it home.......The USA made it to the knockout rounds after a 3rd place group finish and lost to 2-0 to Germany. The USA is a prestigious job ranked 10th in the world currently, but we are at the end of a world cup cycle and the team will change in the next four years. I hadn't resigned from Hertha yet, but had decided to do so since I felt it would be "unrealistic" to manage both club and country. Hertha were polite about it and I felt bad this close to the beginning of the season. The USA were getting ready for next summer's Gold Cup (North America) and expected to win or at least make the finals and lose to Mexico. Tactically we are going to use what I was using at Hertha unless I decide the players can work in another formation. We will Gegen Press! It's a decent preliminary lineup but I expect a lot of changes in it in the next four years, It is a talented team and has some depth to it, but I like that the National team scouts are including new blood in the prospective team. I was asked about what I hoped to achieve as USA Head Coach win trophies and do as well as possible in the World Cup. To do that I need to get off to a positive start! I also thanked the Hertha Fans for their support in the same press conference when asked. I attended a match that had some players on my radar and got to watch my beloved NE Revolution Team! to be continued: 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 16 Author Share Posted March 16 USMNT August-November 2038 Manager's Thoughts The change from club football to international football was jarring. Watching games and having nothing to really do for three months was tough. I ended up taking a vacation around my birthday. I watch games and negotiated with young players to fill the squad in the future who were eligible for more than one country. One of whom was capped and scored in his first match against Trinidad and Tobago in the Nations League Quarterfinals. I am trying to transition to younger players in this competition because they will need to be experienced internationals in four years at the World Cup and I am at the end of one team cycle and at the start of another basically no one over 30 years old now will be on the team in four years. I am still trying to figure out how much I can scout and figure out who is good enough to join the team as the menus are different and there is lass data to work with. Wish me luck! Highlights The month of August brought one of the new things I would have to deal with.....young Primadonna's that were capable of playing for two national teams and recruiting them for mine. I had a discussion with him looked over his scouting report and added him to the US Team and I would play him in November to Cap him thus ending the possibility of a switch. I called him up and put him on the provisional list for the Nation's League Matches in November. I took in a match in my old stomping grounds of St. Etienne....... I ended up in Seattle for a match with FIVE possible team members. After a long vacation I started watching matches again this time in Germany. A few days later I was spotted in Leipzig. I then had to put together my list for the Nations League Quarterfinal Match vs. Trinidad and Tobago. Just like I promised the young Wheeler was in the side. I was sure to play him because Trinidad shouldn't give us too much trouble. I went with my Assistant's suggestion on a starting lineup for the first leg of the tie. The lineup had a lot of experience with just a few fresh faces eager to earn their place. We were going to play the Conwy 4-2-3-1 Wide Gegenpress. This was my first match as USMNT Coach......I was a little nervous.....did I do it right in preparation? Did I select to many newbies? and other things were on my mind. We were expected to win even though we hadn't been in the best form at the World Cup, but this was easier opposition. I was confident in the Press about our chances and this players ability wearing the shirt. Since we had a bad World Cup an ex-player said we had to be focused on beating T&T. Our Captain also called for Focus! The starting XI and the tactic with the bench for the first match.....many of whom will play in the second leg. We won the match and except for one passing mistake we played a clean game and dominated as expected. He had a good match and set up Wheeler's debut goal! One of the stars of our midfield spoke about the win in the media. The pundits say we can "Build" on this victory......of course you idiots! We are building for the next World Cup! I ended up with Three players newly capped in the squad including Wheeler. My debutants did the scoring and won us the match! We were playing the second leg in New Jersey, and it was to be unseasonably warm at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. We were favored to finish the job...... We dominated and won 3-0 in front of a sellout crowd...... We won as expected...... Checkout who is now playing for the USA! Christiano Ronaldo! He works well in the new tactic because of his pace and dribbling skills. another player was satisfied with the win....... The Media think I am keeping the ship afloat! The team ended camp in a Buoyant mood! I don't want anybody to get too excited just yet! We are just putting the building blocks in place. It was a successful International Break with a win over both legs! Costa Rica, Canada, Mexico, and USA make the Semi-Finals! Management Report to be continued: 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted March 17 Share Posted March 17 Yes, International Management is very different to Club Management. Hope you get used to it as you four years of it I know this is a bit late in your save now but is there any chance you could snip your screenshots going forward please so that they don't include unnecessary stuff like the left-hand menu? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 17 Author Share Posted March 17 1 hour ago, Stuniverse said: Yes, International Management is very different to Club Management. Hope you get used to it as you four years of it I know this is a bit late in your save now but is there any chance you could snip your screenshots going forward please so that they don't include unnecessary stuff like the left-hand menu? I will try to snip the "unnecessary" stuff. I also will probably have less screen shots going forward as well just the matches and the times around them. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 17 Author Share Posted March 17 USMNT March 2039: Nations League Semi-Final and Final Manager's Thoughts Since this was my first chance at silverware and we were set to play a tough Mexican Team. I brought back a lot of veterans for this International Break. I hope to "Blood" some youngsters in friendlies over the summer. The veteran team did as I expected and won the competition beating Mexico in the Semi-Finals and Canada in the Finals. This is all well and good but I need to identify the players of the future, but a winning tradition is a good building block to success. Highlights I took another long vacation after the Nation's League Quarterfinals. I returned to work about 6 weeks before the Semi-Final against Mexico! This was the hardest match we could have gotten versus our nemesis and rivals. The World Rankings came out..... I then went on personal scouting trips to gauge who should be in the team for the big game. As time came closer to name a squad, I was faced with a dilemma: Some of the players I wanted to use got injured playing for their club teams. I came up with a provisional Starting Lineup for the Semi-Final with the help of my Assman. The Lineup was successful.....and we won it on a late set-piece by a sub making his first cap. I am happy we beat our rivals and they are upset about it! They better get used to it! This is the Super-Sub that won us the match! Some other players made their debuts as well. I staked my claim to the trophy in the media to fire up the team! We were the favorites and wanted to put on a show in Jamaica! The Canadians put up tough fight sitting deep forcing us to breakdown their defense......They even scored first on a counterattack but then we found our way through and scored both our goals late to seal the victory! We were led by another Super-Sub! We are now back-to-back winners! The Canadian coach was mad at losing but he better get used to it like the Mexican Coach! The fans are getting excited with me being in charge. We are now number Eight thanks to our trophy and beating Mexico! I scheduled some friendlies for the summer so I can check on some younger players hopefully. Management Report to be continued: 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuniverse Posted March 17 Share Posted March 17 11 hours ago, Hootieleece said: I will try to snip the "unnecessary" stuff. I also will probably have less screen shots going forward as well just the matches and the times around them. Thanks, @Hootieleece those new screenshots are much easier on the eye. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheriff7 Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 Great start with USA! WC qualifiers,Gold Cup and of course WC are next! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 23 Author Share Posted March 23 I have played the summer of 2039: The Gold Cup and will be posting tomorrow. (I have a lot of images to edit! (69) for a month, because I don't know what NOT to take a screenshot of to tell the story.) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted March 24 Author Share Posted March 24 USMNT June-July 2039 Friendlies and Gold Cup Manager's Thoughts I introduced some younger players to the team, and they contributed to our victories in the less crucial matches. We reached the Gold Cup final but lost it in the second half and during the penalty shootout. This tournament was the last for several players, as I am building a team for the 2042 World Cup. With nine players over the age of 30, many won't be part of the squad in 2042. Highlights The time between the Nation's Cup and the next USMNT call up went well with me checking up on some players and finding out who we would be playing in the Gold Cup (North American: Euros) Group Stage. We should have no problem with any of these teams and shouldn't really have to worry about anyone other than our Archrivals Mexico in the Final. My former club fired my successor for not winning Ligue 1........ As it got closer to call ups, I was seen at matches around the world to check on my players. I had a few weeks and a couple of Friendlies to play before the final list was turned in. I had a couple of Friendlies to play first with some younger players in the squad. The first Friendly went well and I was surprised by our dominance of the 30th ranked team. I rotated the squad and it was more of the same.....against the 46th ranked team. For some reason the USA Duty ended a week before the Gold Cup began. I made some last-minute adjustments due to injuries, but the team looked a lot like the one that played the friendlies. Some were shocked that I had left so many veterans out, but I am building towards World Cup 2042 not the glories of the past. Looking back this is one I could have used during the final. My former club made a shock hire and I am not sure it is realistic. GOLD CUP GROUP STAGE We had no real trouble in what was a practice session against Guyana was basically. This was supposed to be our toughest match, but we won it easily.....but they did score. Gold Cup Knockout Rounds The team made it to the Knockout rounds that started with a Quarterfinal. I reached a milestone I had never imagined when I began this odyssey in Wales. We were the expected favorites with a world ranking of 8th versus 69th! Gameday came and it was more of the same....... A star in his prime was chosen over a wonderkid that scored a brace...... We then awaited who we would play in the Semi-Final: The tournament sponsors were evidently keen on a final showdown between Mexico and the USA. We clobbered them and Mexico destroyed their opponents 8-0 in their Semi-Final! Gold Cup Final The dream final was set to go ahead. Selling out the "Big House" in Ann Arbor a dream come true........but how many will be USA fans? Mexico was favored and that must be due to my selections for the national team. I left some big names out. The buildup was like nothing I had seen before....... I had to back my boys and show confidence before the final..... The defeat was agonizing, especially after going into halftime with a 2-0 lead. This marked the final chapter for the "Old Guard." Looking ahead to the World Cup 2042, it's likely that many of these players will have retired. The U.S. men’s national team had a strong showing in the tournament, but their failure to secure victory on home soil was disappointing. Losing on penalties after being up 2-0 at halftime was particularly frustrating. The team feels they missed a golden opportunity and “bottled it.” The Board took a balanced view of the results. In the presser after I said this loss will only motivate us to do better in the future! Before I went back on vacation, I scheduled the Fall Friendlies. Management Report to be continued: 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now