chile_paul

Central Midfielders Here is the combined summary report for the midfielders: Jackson Yueill (27, DM, M C) has balanced skills across the board with stamina, acceleration, balance, pace, natural fitness, agility, and work rate all above average. His leadership and decision-making skills are also commendable. He made 6 appearances, scored 1 goal and made 1 assist. His passing accuracy was 88% and he made 12 key passes. Siyethemba Sithebe (31, M C) stands out in acceleration and natural fitness. However, his strength is a bit low compared to other players. He made 20 appearances with 10 off the bench, scored 1 goal and made 1 assist. His passing accuracy was 84% and he made 35 key passes. Andy King (35, DM, M/AM C) maintains good natural fitness and work rate despite his age. His leadership and decision-making skills are also notable. He made 1 appearance with 6 off the bench. His passing accuracy was 90% and he made 1 key pass. Khama Billiat (33, M , AM (RC), ST ) excels in acceleration and pace but lacks a bit in natural fitness. He made 24 appearances with 2 off the bench, scored 4 goals and made 3 assists. His passing accuracy was 84% and he made 32 key passes. William Mejía (25, DM, M C) has balanced skills across the board with a slight edge in stamina and balance. He made 23 appearances and provided 5 assists. His passing accuracy was 89% and he made 17 key passes. Mduduzi Shabalala (19, M/AM C) is a young player who shows promise in acceleration and pace. He made a total of 9 appearances with an additional of 14 off the bench. His passing accuracy was at a commendable rate of 92%. Happy Mashiane (26, M (L), AM (LC)) stands out in acceleration among his skills. He had a total of 16 appearances with an additional of 8 off the bench. He scored one goal and provided one assist. Lebohang Manyama (33, M (LC), AM (RLC)) excels in acceleration but lacks a bit in natural fitness. He had a total of 16 appearances with an additional of 8 off the bench. He scored one goal and provided one assist. Sabelo Radebe (24, M/AM C) has a bit low stamina compared to other players. He had a total of one appearance with an additional of thirteen off the bench. Glen Nzama (17, M/AM C) is one of the youngest players with potential for growth. He had a total of two appearances off the bench. The remaining players have varying numbers of appearances with different contributions to their respective teams.

Full Backs Lucas Rodríguez: Lucas is a well-rounded player with good Stamina, Acceleration, Pace, and Technique. He made 27 appearances last season, scoring 1 goal and making 1 assist. His passing accuracy was 91% and he made 23 key passes. However, his Jumping and Penalty Taking could use some improvement. Tiberiu Căpuşă: Tiberiu excels in Stamina, Acceleration, Strength, Natural Fitness, Agility, and Jumping. He made 5 appearances last season, scored no goals but made 1 assist. His passing accuracy was 91% and he made 9 key passes. However, his Positioning and Leadership are areas where he could improve. Christopher Operi: Christopher has a well-rounded skill set with his Stamina, Balance, Natural Fitness, Agility, and Flair standing out. He made 1 start and came off the bench in 11 games last season, scoring no goals but making no assists either. His passing accuracy was 85%. However, his Tackling and Penalty Taking could be better. Jakob Ankersen: Jakob’s strengths lie in his Stamina, Work Rate, Decision Making, Concentration, Aggression, Anticipation, Off the Ball, Flair, Composure, Technique, Heading, Crossing, Dribbling and Finishing. He made 1 start and came off the bench in 6 games last season, scoring no goals and making no assists. His passing accuracy was 90% and he made one key pass. Steven Mmbooi: Steven shows promise with good Stamina and Natural Fitness. He made no starts but came off the bench in 3 games last season, scoring no goals and making no assists. His passing accuracy was impressive at 97% and he made two key passes. These full backs bring a variety of skills to the squad. Lucas Rodríguez stands out with his exceptional attributes and high performance score. Tiberiu Căpuşă offers reliability and a good number of appearances. Christopher Operi provides a strong presence on the field with impressive attributes. Jakob Ankersen, while having fewer appearances, contributes with his agility and versatility in different positions.

Central Defenders Here's the updated assessment of the strongest central defenders: Siyabonga Ngezana (26, D (RC)): Siyabonga has good acceleration and strength. His natural fitness, agility, and work rate are commendable. However, his vision and flair could use some improvement. He made 22 appearances last season with a passing accuracy of 92%. He made 16 key passes and had an average of 2.23 tackles and 0.47 dribbles per game. Filip Kaša (30, D C): Filip shines in stamina and strength. His teamwork is also notable. However, his acceleration and decision making are areas where he could improve. He made a total of 27 appearances last season, provided one assist, and had a passing accuracy of 95%. He made 2 key passes and had an average of 0.59 tackles per game. John García (35, D C): John’s natural fitness and work rate stand out. His positioning and teamwork are also strong. However, his pace and acceleration are not as high as some other players. He made 2 appearances last season with a passing accuracy of 91%. He made 1 key pass and had an average of 1.5 tackles per game. Njabulo Ngcobo (30, D C): Njabulo has excellent acceleration and natural fitness. His determination is also quite high. However, his off the ball skills and anticipation could be better. He made 13 appearances last season, scored one goal, provided one assist, and had a passing accuracy of 93%. He had an average of 0.42 tackles and 0.08 dribbles per game. Facundo Agüero (29, D (RC)): Facundo excels in many areas including stamina, strength, balance, natural fitness, agility, jumping, work rate, positioning, teamwork, determination, leadership, decision making, concentration, anticipation, off the ball skills, vision, flair, bravery and composure. He made 21 appearances last season with a passing accuracy of 91%. He made 6 key passes and had an average of 0.92 tackles and 0.06 dribbles per game. Among these central defenders, Siyabonga Ngezana stands out for his combination of attributes and solid performance score. Filip Kaša is also a reliable choice with strong strength and balance. Njabulo Ngcobo offers strength, agility, and a good number of appearances, making him a solid option. John García has some strengths but is limited by a low number of appearances.

Thanks, really pleased to have you following along. Completely get your point on the attribute spreadsheet, I'm actually already 8 years into the save and have only retrospectively started to use your spreadsheet, I'm now posting to catch up - I've been very surprised as a result by some of the suggestions from the analysis; it has however definitely led me to question some of my original decision making!! I think I may have missed some players with more potential than I had given them credit for.

In addition to the Youth Prospects, Jonas asked Assistant Manager Luka Ellsner to start to assess the qualities of the main squad, starting with the Goalkeepers. Goalkeepers Here’s the overall assessment of the players: Itumeleng Khune (37, GK): Khune is a seasoned goalkeeper with exceptional handling and kicking skills. His leadership and determination are noteworthy. However, his agility, balance, and pace are areas of concern. He made 1 appearance with a clean sheet last season. His passing accuracy was 63%. Brandon Petersen (30, GK): Petersen excels in command of area, communication, and eccentricity. His strength and natural fitness are also commendable. His vision and off the ball skills could use improvement. He made 20 appearances with 6 clean sheets last season. He was named Player of the Match once and had a passing accuracy of 67%. Bruce Bvuma (29, GK): Bvuma has good handling and kicking skills. His first touch is impressive. However, his agility, balance, and pace are lower compared to others. He made 11 appearances without any clean sheets last season. His passing accuracy was 48%. Lungile Nkosi (20, GK): Nkosi is a young goalkeeper with good handling skills. His jumping ability is impressive. However, his command of area, communication skills, and eccentricity are areas that need improvement. He made 3 appearances without any data on clean sheets last season. His passing accuracy was 97%. The following players did not make a senior appearance for the club in the last season: Promise Chuene (17, GK): Chuene has good handling skills and reflexes. His determination is impressive at 15. However, his command of area, communication skills, and eccentricity are areas that need improvement. Luyolo Abrahams (18, GK): Abrahams has good reflexes with a score of 18. His work rate is also commendable at 12. However, his command of area, communication skills, and eccentricity all scored a 2 which indicates room for improvement. Sihle Dlamini (YP3e) (15, GK): Dlamini is the youngest goalkeeper with good reflexes at 15. His determination is also commendable at 9. However, his command of area, communication skills, and eccentricity all scored less than 10 which indicates room for improvement. Please note that these assessments are based on the data provided and do not take into account other factors such as experience, performance under pressure, etc. Based on the available data and attributes, Itumeleng Khune and Brandon Petersen stand out as top options for the goalkeeper position, considering age and effectiveness. Khune's age could impact his long-term prospects, making Brandon Petersen a more suitable choice for medium-term planning. Young prospects require further development before becoming reliable options.

As the new season approached, Jonas Gutierrez sat down with Dick Mack to discuss the youth prospects who were set to join the Kaiser Chiefs' squad. They meticulously analyzed each player's attributes and potential, eager to identify the future stars who could carry the club to new heights. They meticulously analyzed each player's attributes and potential, eager to identify the future stars who could carry the club to new heights. Jonas Gutierrez: (Reviewing the data on his tablet) Dirck, these young prospects could be the future of Kaiser Chiefs. Let's start with Gift Selili (YP3f), the young left midfielder. What do you think of his potential? Dirck Mack: (Assessing the data) Gift Selili has impressive attributes in acceleration and balance, which could serve him well on the wing. However, Jonas, I must admit I have reservations about his overall potential. His determination and decision-making skills may not be at the level we need for the future. Jonas Gutierrez: I see your point, Dirck. What's your assessment of Mfundo Ngubane (YP3g), who plays in central and defensive midfield? Dirck Mack: Ngubane has strengths in work rate and determination, but his attributes might not develop as significantly as we'd like for a Kaiser Chiefs player in the long run. It could be a challenging journey for him. Jonas Gutierrez: Lastly, we have Dino Kipara (YP3c), who's a right-back. How do you view his potential contribution? Dirck Mack: Dino Kipara's physical attributes stand out, but I'm concerned that he might not reach the level required to be a reliable right-back for Kaiser Chiefs. We'll need to keep a close eye on his development. Jonas Gutierrez: I understand your assessments, Dirck. What about Thabiso Tsichlas (YP3a), the midfielder? How do you see his potential? Dirck Mack: (With a more optimistic tone): Thabiso Tsichlas is a bright prospect, Jonas. He was born right here in Johannesburg, which means he understands the heart of this club. His family situation is stable, and he's got a lighthearted mentality that can uplift the team. Thabiso was discovered by Kaiser Chiefs at a local youth tournament, where he caught our scouts' attention with his exceptional ball control and vision. His mentality is positive, and that shows in his work rate and positioning. Thabiso possesses the right mix of flair and composure that can make him a game-changer. His potential is remarkable, and we should prioritize his development. He's the type of talent who can bring glory back to the Kaiser Chiefs. As they concluded their discussion, Jonas and Dirck were filled with a renewed sense of purpose. Thabiso Tsichlas, with his outstanding stats and exceptional potential, represented the beacon of hope that the Kaiser Chiefs desperately needed to rebuild and aspire to greatness once more.

As Jonas Gutierrez and his newly assembled team prepared for the daunting challenges of the upcoming season, they confronted a sobering reality: the club's finances were in dire straits. When they first entered the global league in July 2021, the Kaiser Chiefs boasted a healthy £66 million in their coffers. However, the combination of high player wages and dwindling gate receipts due to South Africa's economic challenges had drained the club's resources, leaving a mere £3.5 million at the end of the 23/24 season. It was clear that they lacked the financial firepower to compete in the bustling transfer market that often defined football success. Yet, Jonas remained undeterred. He knew that the club's excellent training facilities and an impressive youth set-up were hidden gems, assets that could be harnessed to develop and elevate the current crop of players, relying on the academy to unearth and nurture the talent that would propel the Kaiser Chiefs back to glory. It was a strategy that placed faith in the resilience of the club's spirit and the determination of their coaching staff.

Determined to rebuild the Kaiser Chiefs from the ground up, Jonas Gutierrez embarked on an ambitious quest during the close season. He knew that to fulfill his vision of nurturing young South African talent and breathing new life into the club, he needed a dedicated team that shared his philosophy. The first piece of the puzzle was found in 41 year old Slovenian Luka Elsner, a model professional whose passion for the game rivaled Jonas's own. Appointed as the Assistant Manager, Elsner brought a wealth of experience to the coaching staff. To bolster the development of young prospects, Dirck Mack was brought in as the Head of Youth Development, tasked with honing the raw potential of the club's budding talents. But Jonas didn't stop there. In a move that added both prestige and invaluable knowledge to his backroom team, he recruited legendary ex-players Dennis Bergkamp and Jaap Stam as coaches. These former stars of the game were tasked with instilling their expertise and wisdom into the young Kaiser Chiefs' squad, igniting a spark of inspiration and aspiration that would define the club's future. With a new, dedicated, and star-studded support system in place, Jonas Gutierrez and his team were poised to rewrite the narrative of the Kaiser Chiefs and rise from the ashes of their past failures.

Kaiser Chiefs - Season 1 - 23/24 Season Jonas arrived into Kaiser Chiefs on the 1st March 2024, 24 games into a 30 game season with the team sitting rock bottom of the World Gateway Division 3 - the lowest rung on the new global football league structure. The journey as Kaiser Chiefs' manager was fraught with early challenges and stumbling blocks. His appointment was met with anticipation and hope, but the initial results were far from promising. In his first month at the helm, the team's performance continued to disappoint. While they managed a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Independiente Medellin, the rest of the season remained a tough battle, including four painful losses. However, a ray of hope pierced through the gloom as they secured a remarkable 4-1 victory against Lech, thanks to a hat-trick from the 33-year-old Zimbabwean sensation, Khama Billiat. Despite this glimmer of success, the season ultimately concluded with the club anchored to the bottom of the table, finishing with a mere 20 points. The season's ledger revealed a challenging tally of only four wins, underscoring the immense hurdles Jonas and his team would need to surmount to resurrect the Kaiser Chiefs' faltering fortunes. Criticism for the press was plentiful as shown by this piece in South Africa’s leading newspaper, The South African on the final day of the season:

Context & Background In the heart of Johannesburg, where the rich tapestry of South African football history weaves its intricate patterns, there exists a club that transcends mere sport. The Kaiser Chiefs, named in honor of the Zulu warriors who once ruled these lands, have long been a beacon of hope, pride, and aspiration in a nation where the beautiful game is more than a pastime; it's a way of life. Born in 1970, the club has risen from humble beginnings to become an institution, a symbol of South Africa's footballing passion. But now, as the sun sets on one era, a new dawn awaits. In the early 2020s, a wind of change swept through the corridors of footballing authorities worldwide. The prevailing footballing model, where clubs competed within their own national leagues with only sporadic continental games allowing for inter-nation showdowns, had left fans yearning for something more. A collective vision emerged, giving rise to a revolutionary league structure designed to satiate the global hunger for football competition. This visionary reformation unveiled a grand tapestry of 20 separate divisions, each meticulously crafted to pit the crème de la crème of clubs from every corner of the globe against each other. It was an audacious plan to determine, once and for all, who would ascend to the title of the world's best club. The stage was set for a new era in football, a dynamic and challenging chapter that demanded the very best from every club willing to partake in this audacious global endeavor. This is the tale of the Kaiser Chiefs, poised to write the next chapter in their illustrious history, one that transcends borders and boundaries, as they embark on a remarkable journey to conquer a global stage, raising the bar for excellence, and nurturing young talent that will forever etch South Africa's name among the world's footballing elite. Jonas Gutierrez Jonas Gutierrez had always possessed a deep passion for the game. As a player, he had dazzled the world with his skills while donning the black and white stripes of Newcastle United in the English Premier League. But it was a career-threatening battle with cancer that altered the trajectory of his life. In the darkest hours of his struggle, he found a renewed sense of purpose, not just in playing the game, but in shaping it. During his recovery, Jonas immersed himself in studying the tactical nuances of football, dedicating countless hours to coaching courses and earning his badges. His relentless pursuit of knowledge, coupled with his deep love for the sport, made him an attractive prospect in the world of football management. It was during a scouting mission in South Africa, seeking to unearth hidden gems for a European club, that Jonas crossed paths with the Kaiser Chiefs. A chance meeting with the club's ownership and board members led to an interview between Jonas and the chairman. Chairman Kaizer Motaung: Please, have a seat, Jonas. Thank you for coming in today. As you know, we are at a pivotal moment in the history of Kaiser Chiefs, and we're looking for someone who can guide our beloved club to new heights. I'd like to start by asking you, what do you think makes you the right person for this job? Jonas Gutierrez: Thank you, Chairman Motaung, for this opportunity. I believe my experience, both as a player and as someone who's had the privilege of working closely with talented young players, makes me well-suited for this role. I understand the essence of football and the importance of developing youth talent. Chairman Kaizer Motaung: That's good to hear, Jonas. Now, let me be clear about our expectations for the future of Kaiser Chiefs. Firstly, we want the club to focus on developing our young players. South Africa has a wealth of untapped talent, and we want to be at the forefront of nurturing and showcasing it. Are you on board with this vision? Jonas Gutierrez: Absolutely, Chairman. Developing young talent has always been a passion of mine. I firmly believe in the potential of South African players, and I'm committed to providing them with the best opportunities to succeed. Chairman Kaizer Motaung: That's a promising start, Jonas. Now, I want to be clear about our transfer policy. We expect minimal external transfers. The only exceptions will be if a transfer was already arranged by the previous manager, or if it's a player who previously played for Kaiser Chiefs. Are you willing to work within these guidelines? Jonas Gutierrez: I understand the importance of continuity and trust in the existing squad. I fully support this policy, and I believe we can achieve success with the talent we already have. Chairman Kaizer Motaung: Good, good. One more thing, Jonas, and this is crucial. We expect you to implement a footballing philosophy based on entertaining, attacking, and possession-based football. Kaiser Chiefs has a legacy of exciting play, and we want to maintain that tradition. Do you have the skills, knowledge, and experience to bring this philosophy to life? Jonas Gutierrez: Chairman Motaung, I am wholeheartedly committed to playing the kind of football that the fans love. My playing career, especially at Newcastle United, exposed me to high-level football and the importance of an entertaining style of play. I'll work tirelessly to implement this philosophy and bring back the brand of football that Kaiser Chiefs is known for. Chairman Kaizer Motaung: I appreciate your enthusiasm, Jonas. The future of Kaiser Chiefs is in your hands, and I hope you can carry the club to new heights. You've convinced me that you're the right person for this job. Welcome to Kaiser Chiefs, Jonas Gutierrez. Let's work together to revive the spirit of this great club. They saw in Jonas a beacon of change for a club desperate to rise from the ashes of their current predicament. With the club languishing at the bottom of the global league, they made the audacious decision to appoint Jonas Gutierrez as their new manager, entrusting him with the daunting task of orchestrating a revival that seemed impossible. And so, the Argentinian maestro, once hailed for his skills on the field, now stood on the touchline, ready to orchestrate a different kind of magic for the Kaiser Chiefs

Hi all, it's been a while since I've posted on the forum as I've been way too busy with work, but I have a quietish few months ahead of me and I've been re-discovering my love of the game so thought I would return. I've also been playing around with ChatGPT and other than being utterly amazed of it's capabilities, it has been great fun adding some immersion to the game. As a result this career update will look and feel a little different and is perhaps more closely aligned to the FM Stories forum (but they don't allow pictures). I hope it's ok, can't see anything in the rules to suggest this would be against the forum rules - but feel free to move. As well as using ChatGPT to tell the story, I'm intending to use the spreadsheets shared by @Punch and I understand originally developed by @Jtomsett11 and @shaunvamos for analysis of the team and players. Thank you all for your contribution to these tools, hope you enjoy following this thread. Otherwise I'd really like everybody's feedback, what do you think of the style of updates?

Newcastle United - Season 3 - December update We're on fire in December! We returned to a busy schedule of league matches and brushed aside every opponent to come up against us, including fighting off a late Tammy Abraham inspired come back from Arsenal and nicking a tight 1-0 win against Liverpool thanks to a pile driver from outside of the area from Zambo Anguissa that was too strong for Alisson to keep out of the net. As a result, we've moved into top spot after Borussia Dortmund dropped a few points - in the final game of the month they had been 4-0 up away to Man City at half time who produced a stunning come back to win 5-4, inspired by 4 goals from Kylian Mbappe (including a 7 minute hat-trick) and a 94th minute winner from Aleksander Isak!! We continued to make good progress in the World FA Cup and have a favourable draw against Young Boys in the 6th round. In the Champions Cup we got revenge in the reverse fixture against West Ham and are now starting to look comfortable in top spot. In the FIFA Coca-Cola Premiership Leeds have started to drop off the pace and Napoli have taken a 7 point lead at the top of the table. Juventus have turned around their form and are also now pushing towards the top. Southampton continue to lead the way in the Ladbrokes World Championship. Burnley and Everton are continuing to push ahead at the top of the Fly Emirates Division 4

A great result for Joe Gomez!

I'm never sure how much faith to put in these predictions of youth player quality? If we get an intake full of duds this improvement in the training facilities may be needed to get them up to scratch!

Newcastle United - Season 3 - November update Only 2 league games in November as the cup fixtures started to mount up, but our good run of form continued and we started to tighten up at the back as well with only 1 goal conceeded. We're really flying in the league now, although Borussia Dortmund have a comfortable 5 point gap at the top. Down at the bottom Arsenal are really struggling - having won their first game of the season they have now lost 9 on the bounce and despite being a fan favourite manager Patrick Vieira is now under some intense pressure. As is new Atletico Madrid manager Jose Mourinho. In the World FA Cup we picked up 2 straight forward wins - a number of the World Super League teams are being knocked out though and the draw is starting to open up favourably. In the Champions Cup we recovered from our dodgy start and recorded 2 straight forward wins and have moved to the top of the group, alebit West Ham still have a game to play and might overtake us.

Rumours started circulating in the media that Youssoufa Moukoko was unhappy that Borussia Dortmund had failed to offer him a new contract - having established a relationship with him when he was on loan with us, I didn't hang about in making a record breaking bid. He won't join until the transfer window opens

Newcastle United - Season 3 - October update Our league form continued to be really promising as we overturned a 2-0 defecit against Paris Saint-Germain with Callum Wilson scoring a decisive winner in the 96th minute. The goals continued to flow as we beat struggling Roma 5-3. We're very healthily placed in 4th place in the table, well clear of the relegation zone. The 2nd round of the World FA Cup was an opportunity to get some more minutes into the legs of my squad players and 2 of the less regular starters, Axel Disasi and Goncalo Ramos managed to pick up goals against Toulouse as we easily progressed. In a shock result elsewhere champions Borussia Dortmund were knocked out by Wolves. We faced our own shock in the Champions Cup as we were well beaten away from home at West Ham - plenty of time to recover the situation though with 5 games left to play in the group. Elsewhere in the Coca-Cola Premiership, Leeds have made a really strong start to the season - hoping to put to bed the memory of missing out on promotion last season Southampton have the early lead in the Ladbrokes World Championship, followed by Sassuolo and Athletic Bilbao. In the Fly Emirates Division 4, Burnley and Everton have made strong starts. Gremio are finding life tough in the higher division.

Newcastle United - Season 3 - September update Another good month in September with 6 points taken from a possible 9. We seem to have got into a really helpful habit of scoring very early in games within the first 5 minutes. In 4 games out of 6 we've scored in the 1st, 2nd or 3rd minutes and we've gone on to win 3 of those games. Against Man City we were helped by the abscence of Kylian Mbappe who had been injured on international duty and ran out comfortable winners, missing a penalty along the way. The tables were reversed though in our next fixture away to Real Madrid who broke our run of consecutive victories against them as they ran out quite comfortable winners with Vinicius Junior giving Kieran Trippier a torrid afternoon. Against Tottenham we were largely comfortable, heading into a 2-0 lead, but once Darwin Nunez picked a goal back up in the second half it all got a bit tighter. One obvious difference in the top league is how often top strikers are converting relatively few chances against Meslier in goal - he needs to up his game and start earning some clean sheets. We remain nicely situated in mid-table, already staring to build a cushion above the relegation places.

Newcastle United - Season 3 - August update A balanced start to the season with a win, draw and a loss in the first 3 games. Not bad given I was up against two of the biggest teams in the league. Getting a good result against Valencia was key to start off the month and we got a brilliant start, scoring in the 3rd minute. We were dominant in the first half and shortly after half time we went into a 2-0 lead thanks to an own goal from Demiral. Valencia quickly fought back though and had plenty of shots on goal and we had a tricky few minutes after they got a goal back in the 86th minute. Again we got off to a great start against Bayern Munich with Kieran Trippier scoring within the first minute. We continued to play well but in reality Bayern Munich were the stronger team with 64% possession, we held out until the 80th minute when Serge Gnabry put Thomas Muller through to score. After an even first half, Borussia Dortmund were far too strong for us in the second half and they quickly raced into a 3-0 lead thanks to 2 goals from Nabil Fekir and 1 from Haaland. De Arrasceata scored a great goal, but it was no more than a consolation in the 90th minute. Very early days, sitting in mid table in 9th place In the Coca-Cola Premiership West Ham have made a good start, closely followed by relegated Lazio. Juventus continue to struggle in the league and have failed to win any of their first 3 games. Real Sociedad have won 2 of their first 3 games in the Ladbrokes Championship as they attempt to return to the Premiership at the first time of asking. Frank Lampard's Everton continue their charge up the leagues with 3 wins out of 3 in their first season in the Fly Emirates Division 4.

Summer Transfer Window After such a dominant season last year, I was comfortable that I didn't need a significant overhaul of the squad in order to be competitive in the Super League. Of course there are always some areas that need a review and working with the team we identified that we needed a new first choice left back - I love Matvienko and his leadership and personality is a big bonus for the squad but in reality he is only a squad player and not strong enough for first choice. I also needed a better back up option in central defence for Axel Disasi who I thought would struggle at this level. I was also conscious that Martin Dubravka and Callum Wilson have both probably already hit their peak and are starting to decline as footballers, so wanted to look at options in these positions. I was also very conscious that I would need to be fighting off a large amount of interest in my first choice players who had performed so well this season. New arrivals: Luiz Felipe - Luiz was my marquee signing, joining in a club record signing for £63m from recently relegated Lazio. His experience of playing at this level should add significant depth to my back line. Rayan Ait-Nouri - still relatively young at only 22 years of age, my scout reports suggest that Rayan will easily be able to cope playing at this level and that he should establish himslef as my first choice left back for many years to come - of course though he is making a big step up to play at this level after leaving Wolves. £33m is a decent sum to pay, but given his potential it should pay off handsomely. Dean Henderson - Henderson was keen to leave Manchester United after only making 2 appearances in 2 years. He was still happy to join on the basis of being understudy to Ilian Meslier though, but I certainly intend to give him more game time than Eric ten Hag was giving him in Manchester Benjamin Sesko - I had pretty much decided that I would be happy with my front line for another year with youngster Lorenzo Lucca developing well and Goncalo Ramos returning to the squad after a successful season on loan at Palmeiras, but when Sesko became available on transfer deadline day for a fee of only £16.5m it was too good to turn down - and my willingness to allow him to stay at Salzburg on loan for the rest of this season helped me to clinch the deal whilst also avoiding a difficult decision of moving somebody else on. Ander Astralaga - a young goalkeeper who I snapped up on a free transfer from Barcelona - it will be some time before he ever gets near the first team I managed to avoid any major outgoings - although it's cost me significantly in terms of new contracts with a few major players - but also managed to move on a number of squad players including Jamaal Lascelles, Ryan Fraser, Jamal Lewis and Javi Manquillo for a combined £60m

Preseason update - Season 3 Very few surprises in our normal series of 7 pre-season friendlies as we brushed everybod aside. A good opportunity to welcome new players into the squad though aheads of what is going to be a much tougher season. Ahead of the new season, the bookies are expecting us to finish just below mid-table and I think that's probably broadly accurate. AS Roma are heavy favourites to head straight back down to the Premiership and it is clear that new manager Carlo Ancelotti has a big job on his hands if he is to keep them in the top league after Jose Mourinho left following their promotion to join Atletico Madrid. The bookies don't reckon he has a much stronger chance of keeping them in the league either! Interestingly Man City are favourites to win the league after 4th and 3rd places in the last 2 seasons. After Pep Guardiola left at the end of his contract last season, they clearly feel that Vincent Kompany on the back of leading Anderlecht to back to back promotions in the lower leagues will not struggle to adapt to the higher pressure of managing a team in the top league. The bookies are not expecting any of my players to be featuring in the end of season awards - which perhaps just highlights the gulf between the quality of players between the top league and a team promoted (almost) unbeaten from the Premiership

World League Hall of Fame With a second year of competition wins, the Hall of Fame is starting to fill up and whilst still featuring, Bayern Munich are no longer dominating having finished as runners up in 3 competitions - you don't win any prizes for 2nd place. What is obvious to see however is the dominance of German managers! Niklas Sule's summer move from Bayern Munich to Borussia Dortmund appears to have been a masterstroke as he sits on top of the Hall of Fame with 5 major trophy wins in just 2 years.

Upgrades to the club continue to flow, including the possibility of a new stadium

Newcastle United - Season 2 - End of Season summary

We're not exactly poor, but our bank balance has dropped off the highs from last year as our continued investment in players, spread over multiple installments eats away at funds.