Motlhen Posted May 7 Share Posted May 7 I want to win each competition with a team that has never won it before; breaking their duck. I'll be starting with the Champions League and working my way down the competition reputation list. This will mean that the save should get progressively harder the further into the future I manage to get to. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 7 Author Share Posted May 7 (edited) Without a doubt, the highest profile team yet to win the Champions league. After tonight's exit from the competition in real life, I thought I would give Mbappe one last chance to win the UCL with PSG in my alternate universe. The squad is stacked, the expectations are high and the season is ready to get underway. We have a few long-term injuries and will deal with the transfer ins and outs as they happened in Real World mode. Edited May 8 by Motlhen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 8 Author Share Posted May 8 I've picked my 1st & 2nd XI. Unfortunately, Neymar and four of the subs won't be around for very long. We will be strengthening with 3 new attackers in the next month-or-so. But Beraldo won't join until January and we will get a few other defenders back from injury across the course of the season too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 8 Author Share Posted May 8 (edited) A couple of players who featured in our opening match against Lorient departed soon after (Neymar & Diallo). Dembele has joined to try to fill the gap left by Neymar. But where I think we will struggle the most this season is at full back. I've taken Kurzawa off of the transfer list as these are our left-sided defenders after Diallo's departure. Mendes is out for 6 months & Bernat will leave before he's over his injury. When Beraldo joins in the new year, I'll be training him to play as a LWB, but for now our 3rd choice is Mavounia-Kouka. As for the right-side of defence, we have a similar problem with a lack of depth, although I believe that Marquinhos or Pereira could do a job for us at RWB if needed. Hopefully we can avoid too many defensive injuries until January when I can bring in some more adequate cover. Edited May 8 by Motlhen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 8 Author Share Posted May 8 (edited) We have adequate depth in goal, but Donnarumma is World Class and I would have liked him to play every match this season, but after this injury, he's going to miss our 3rd game with Navas coming in to the starting XI. Edited May 8 by Motlhen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 8 Author Share Posted May 8 (edited) Aug 2023 Pre-determined transfer dates this month: In Out League We can't have asked for any better start to the campaign. Mbappe is pretty good isn't he? Champions League Draw This is what it is all about this season. We've been handed an incredibly tough group. I am excited about the prospect of testing ourselves against the bigger teams in the competition before we get to the knockouts - but we have to make it to the knockouts too! Edited May 8 by Motlhen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 8 Author Share Posted May 8 Deadline Day Deals: In Out Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 8 Author Share Posted May 8 UCL Squad Registration This is our 25-man squad for the group stage. Mavounia-Kouka & Zague are included as cover in both full back positions. Barcola has been moved to the first team after his recent arrival (despite what it says in the screenshot below) and then the only other 2nd team player included due to homegrown restrictions is Michut. Verrati & Draxler leave the club within the next month, whilst Kimpembe, Rico & Nuno Mendes (not mentioned below) are unavailable due to injury. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 8 Author Share Posted May 8 (edited) A huge match to start off our Champions League journey this season. A statement win! We've immediately proved we can beat the best (or at least 2nd favourites). Now we need to show we can do it consistently. Edited May 8 by Motlhen 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 8 Author Share Posted May 8 I came very close to making my first signing of the save. It would have been a pretty controversial one had I gone ahead with it. I've already identified our lack of depth at left back and whilst I was browsing the free agents I came across none other than Danny Rose. Early scout reports suggested he could potentially be better than our current backup Kurzawa. I got this close to signing him before making the decision using updated scouting reports to risk having only 2 natural left backs until Christmas at least. Rose is better defensively than Kurzawa, but the difference in physicality overall was the deciding factor to not go ahead with it. I just hope I don't come to regret the decision as this is Rose compared to our next-best natural left back Mavounia-Kouka. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 8 Author Share Posted May 8 Sep 2023 More departures this month. That is it with transfers until the New Year now, so we have a settled squad. Bar the almost impulse purchase of Danny Rose for LB cover, I am pretty happy with our squad. Can you tell why? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 8 Author Share Posted May 8 An Mbappe screamer grabs us 3 huge away points from the San Siro. We're in pole position in the group after facing the two biggest teams. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 8 Author Share Posted May 8 A shock draw! We dominated the first half with our second team, but after conceding an unnecessary penalty, I looked to bring on the big guns with over half an hour to go and they still couldn't help us find difference. That means the Group is a lot closer than it could have been at the halfway point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 9 Author Share Posted May 9 Oct 2023 I almost signed another left back - but again backed out of the deal. This time the reasons for backing are completely different. £40M is a lot of money to spend on a backup player & once Nuno Mendes is back fit, he is 7 years younger than Jose Gaya and I think will surpass Gaya's current level of ability despite being slightly behind him in a few categories now. I would always prefer to use Mendes and Gaya could then end up being a backup backup, so £40M is definitely too much! Fixtures We have been relentless in the league, including beating 2nd place Rennes by 6! Already a 9-point gap. Emphasis on youth players is something I am interested in within this save - so although I don't expect to be at PSG for very long (because I'll either win the UCL this season hence completing my goal with them and resign, or I'll get sacked for not winning the UCL) - it's still good to see improvements. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 After dropping points for the only time this season when we welcomed AEK to Paris, I was wary going into this match. We have to win and the first team is being sent out to ensure we do. Early on Hakimi gifted them an opening to make it 1-1 and I feared that we could have a repeat result, but the forwards were too much this time round and we cruised to victory in the end. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 Goncalo Ramos was with us on loan from Benfica - but with a future transfer pre-agreed for 23rd November. That date has rolled around and he is now a permanent member of the squad BUT he is now not registered within our Champions League squad?! He'll be a big miss for our remaining group games against Madrid & Milan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 (edited) We finally lost a game which leaves us in the balance of an unprecedented early exit from the UCL group stage. Real Madrid qualify from the group with one game to spare, despite being in 2nd place. We have to do better than a 2-1 loss against Milan on the final day to progress (head-to-head). This stings because we didn't deserve to lose. Mbappe's missed penalty on half time was pivotal & Asensio's own goal was an unlucky deflection. Edited May 10 by Motlhen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 Nov 2023 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 We have just had our ars*s handed to us by Le Havre. That's two back-to-back defeats after starting the season unbeaten for 17 games. We need to settle before we play Milan. We have Nantes next, then the big one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 (edited) And now we will be with Ramos (unregistered) & Mbappe for the biggest game of the season so far! Edited May 10 by Motlhen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 UCL Survival vs Milan Hakimi, Vitinha & Dembele all picked up knocks that force them out of the starting XI too. Mbappe is on the bench but no where near fit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 Going from 2-0 up to 2-all I feared the worst. But Marquinhos' goal from a set piece not only stopped us from a nervous finish, but also ensured we finished top of our group! Barcelona & Atletico Madrid don't make it through in a terrible group stage for the Spanish teams with only Madrid left in the competition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 (edited) Edited May 10 by Motlhen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 Kobenhavn or Salzburg would've been favourable, but we have a tough tie against Dortmund in the Round of 16. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carambau Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 Good luck vs BVB! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 Dec 2023 We got back on track in the league, not conceding since being thumped for four by Havre. Our lead is only 7 points to an impressive Rennes side who have only lost to us & Marseille so far this season. Transfer In I'm glad we escaped any injuries at left back which meant we didn't come to regret not signing Danny Rose . Beraldo will now be our backup LB with Kurzawa dropping down the priority list. Next month we'll have to contend with two notable absentees in Hakimi & Lee who are going to the African & Asian Cup. Our next game is the Trophée des Champions and our first chance for silverware so far in this save. I would love to win it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 (edited) A solid win and our first trophy in the bag. This piece of silverware wasn't my focus for my time at PSG, but I will always try to win every competition I am in to create a winning culture at the club. Edited May 11 by Motlhen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 11 Author Share Posted May 11 (edited) I think there is only a very slim chance of being at PSG next season. If I win the UCL, I'll have completed my target at the club and will resign - and if I do not win the UCL, I will not have hit the board's target and will probably get sacked. But if I do manage to talk the board into not sacking me then we will face the next season without Mbappe. Transfer In Not a direct replacement by any means, but Ocampos will join for free at the end of his contract and will make a very good squad player. Edited May 12 by Motlhen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 11 Author Share Posted May 11 (edited) (Potential) Transfer In Another winger who I could sign but would be destined for more first team minutes is Yeremy Pino. I have asked for a week's delay to deliberate the price tag of £69M. Edited May 12 by Motlhen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 12 Author Share Posted May 12 I decided £69M for Pino was too much, especially when I considered this comparison with fringe player Carlos Soler. Mendes is finally fit again and has solved the temporary problem we had for quality depth at left back. Which means the focus is up front. Mbappe leaving means we need a new star striker - and I am deliberating whether to bring in Lukaku at the end of the season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 12 Author Share Posted May 12 Jan 2024 Fixtures A superb month ending with a 9-goal annihilation of Stade Brest. Man City swooped in and signed Pino after I backed out of the deal. After a relatively quiet transfer window, we received an offer for Jan's Player of the Month Fabian on deadline day from Newcastle which I managed to raise to close to £50M before accepting. I then made an offer to Benfica for Kokcu as a replacement and managed to wrap up the contract proceedings very quickly. Fabian then rejected Newcastle. And they then came knocking for Danilo Periera instead. I negotiated up to a potential £27M for an aging squad player - whose sale could cover most of the funds needed to confirm the Kokcu purchase. I also confirmed the Lukaku deal too - hoping to switch up the way we play slightly next season (if in fact we are even here still!) & one more signing will be joining Lukaku & Ocampos at PSG next season and that is defensive midfielder Lucas Torreira. In summary, we brought in Kokcu for Danilo and have finalised some big signings for next season. Now the focus returns back to the upcoming Champions League ties against Dortmund. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 12 Author Share Posted May 12 Kimpembe is close to being ready to play again, Ramos could be reregistered and new signing Kokcu are the 3 additions to our UCL squad for the knockout stages. This was a hard loss to take. We didn't deserve to lose at all - we just couldn't convert our chances. And to top it off Mbappe is out for the next 2 months so will miss the home leg & more! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 12 Author Share Posted May 12 Feb 2024 We've been in scintillating form, apart from the big UCL game. 3-1 against 2nd-placed Rennes means that the gap in the league is up to 15 points with 11 games to go and our goal difference is bordering on the absurd. We're also through the French Cup quarter final where we are facing one of two Ligue 2 sides that have made it to the semis, so I would expect another shot at some silverware. The Dortmund return fixture will make or break our season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 12 Author Share Posted May 12 Youth Intake Day A rather unremarkable intake for a team with maxed-out facilities. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 12 Author Share Posted May 12 (edited) That was a hard fought game which we very much deserved to win & eventually we got the 2 goals necessary to go through. We're going to face another German team in the Quarters. If we make it through that, then we will play the winners of Man City v Arsenal. Edited May 12 by Motlhen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 Mar 2024 We have won the league with 7 games to go! Rennes have gone off form completely, including conceding 2 injury time goals against Ligue 2 Rodez to get knocked out of the French Cup. This means that we can have a total focus on the Champions League. I will definitely be rotating the squad in both the Cup and the League to make sure we have the best squad fully fit and available for our European games. We already have a stacked injury list so keeping the players available fit will be integral to having the best chance of progressing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 Barcola started and grabbed a goal before going off injured for Ramos who got a second. We should have scored a few more with a huge 4.03 xG and may come to rue those missed opportunities as we conceded a late wonder strike to halve our advantage going into the home leg. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 A cagey game opened up once they had a man sent off. We've got Arsenal in the semi-finals. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 For the first half it was the first time I have felt that we were completely dominated. We couldn't get hold of the ball and Arsenal had plenty of opportunities to score more. But Marquinhos managed to level just before half time and when we came back out for the 2nd half the game was more balanced and sets us up for a huge home game. Mbappe again suffered a bad injury and will be out of the second leg. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 Apr 2024 Our form has been incredible. Considering I am using our 2nd team for the league games, it has been impressive that the winning run has not come to an end (domestically at least). I hope it continues as we aim to reach the UCL final and have the final of the French Cup too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 (edited) We've made it to the final! What a tense game that was... & to have my one-and-only signing score the goal that takes us there is perfect. We scuppered chance after chance. I feared it wouldn't be our day. But our superior fitness levels showed in extra time as we were all over Arsenal and Kokcu's 110th minute goal was a deserved winner. We're facing off against Real - one of only 3 teams that have beaten us this season. I was hoping Napoli could snatch a suprise win at home after only losing 1-0 in Madrid, but Madrid had other ideas and we face a daunting task. Real Madrid's Fixtures One game stands in the way of breaking PSG's UCL duck on my first attempt. Edited May 13 by Motlhen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 May 2024 We've completed the domestic treble with an outstanding result against Marseille. Form and morale couldn't be better as we win the league by 30 points! Ancelotti has tried to unsettle Zaire-Emery, who's recent performances have earned him a starting spot in the final. However we have been hit with a major injury meaning 37 year old Keylor Navas comes in as a replacement. This is how we line up: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 13 Author Share Posted May 13 What an incredible final. Two heavyweights going full gung-ho, separated by the finest of margins. Vini Jr had a 89th minute leveller chalked off for the slimmest of offsides where Camavinga was blocking Navas' view and it meant we held on to the lead in a topsy-turvy game to claim the quadruple! I've broken the duck in style for PSG. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 14 Author Share Posted May 14 After winning the Champions League, my next aim is to win one of the next 3 competitions with the highest reputation with a team that has not won it before. That means the World Cup with the likes of Belgium, Netherlands or Portugal. The Euros with England, Belgium or Switzerland. The Premier League with West Ham, Brighton, Brentford or Crystal Palace. Crazily, Ronald Koeman has kept his job as Netherlands coach despite them not making it to the Euros, which are happening now in-game. I will wait to see what opportunities the inevitable manager movements that happen after the Euros finish. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 14 Author Share Posted May 14 Euro 2024 Italy & Croatia both finish bottom of their groups on zero points! England got knocked out by semi-finalists Ireland. France the eventual winners, with Dembele and Mbappe joined on the scoresheet by MotM Ngolo Kante who got 2 goals to help France to a 3rd European Championship title. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 De Zerbi left to go to Barcelona during the Euros so I applied for the Brighton job. None of the potential World Cup candidate jobs (Portugal, Netherlands & Belgium) became available. From the list of European Championship candidates, the only job that became available was England, but with 4 years until the next Euros, I thought my focus would be too far in the future and as the Brighton job was my favourite of the potential Premier league jobs, I decided to go for it. They finished in 10th last season and 4 points off of a European place. The board want another top-half finish, but I will be aiming to get into Europe this first season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 Squad I arrived and immediately rejected the ongoing bid for Estupinan. We are receiving a lot of bids for players, including some hefty bids for van Hecke. I quickly sorted out my 1st & 2nd XI to identify where we need to strengthen (and where we can't afford to be weaker). It's immediately clear to me that we need a goalkeeper. And the other position I would like to strengthen is AMC as Joao Pedro is more of a winger or forward and I do not see a long-term future for Pascal Gross. We have a big bank & transfer balance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 (edited) Transfers Out I sold Kozlowski as I feel that £10M is a decent price for him and it will cover the price of my main target in the same position. Transfers In AMC Bardghji is typically a winger. But I plan to use him similarly to how I used Asensio at PSG. Comparing the two, they are remarkably close considering the 10-year age difference. I also managed to sign Orkun Kokcu from PSG on loan after he impressed me and had fallen out of favour with the new manager (Pep). Goalkeeper Restes is touted as a gk with amazing potential. He will battle with Verbruggen for the backup spot this season. As the number 1 spot will be going to Szczesny. We managed to sign the veteran for £5.5M with Juventus also paying half of his wages. Edited May 15 by Motlhen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 Our first Premier League match we lined up like this. Estupinan and March in the full-back and wing-back positions are the areas I'm worried that we aren't playing to our strengths. I considered tweaking the formation - mirroring it to switch the full-back and wing-back roles to opposite sides - but for now I will stick to this. Our first game was away at Old Trafford and after a bright start, we weren't really in the game. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motlhen Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 Depth at Right Back Veltman has forced a move away due to being home sick which leaves us with a problem at right back. Currently I am thinking that March is our best wing back and I do not rate Lamptey going forward, let alone in defence. We need to bring someone else in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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