SinlessCity

Feels like a good point to slide into this Career...! I hate how the AI always manages to totally undo whatever progress you make. I've left saves in the past with a team having a decent squad, settled formation, routinely finishes top 4... but then you leave and AI gets them relegated within a couple of seasons. It crushes me whenever it does that - RIP Grimsby. As you say both suggest, L1 is probably their level. A bit like IRL... What on earth has happened to Everton to be in such a mess!? Are there any of the more notable players still kicking around or are they only the same club by name? Surely Tony Hibbert is a player coach or something? Will look forward to seeing the shoots of recovery and some squad overhauling. Good luck!

I can relate to your keeper struggles - sometimes keeping with what you have (and know) outweighs the risk of someone untested. However... What is Andrei Vlad valued at? And when does his contract expire? haha Hard lines with the run of games, but it's better to have drawn than lost... Hopefully when the league splits you can hit another winning run and push them all the way for top spot! Fingers crossed, good luck!

I LOVE goals where you nick it from between the Keeper and defender when they're messing around with backwards and sideways passes - excellent from Enrique. You don't get a more stark contrast than losing to Burnley and then beating top of the table... High flying and leading the way, I'm confident of another title for Benjani's boys. Based on City's league form - and how early it is in the comp - I think you've got a great shout in the FA Cup... And as for Feyenoord... should be a doddle ;-) When I read some of these narratives I often forget how young Price is - only 21... The kid is going to bring the Ballon d'Or to Fratton Park before long. Great work and pleased to see the save is still bringing you back for more!

With the squad returning to full-fitness I was feeling confident going into the final third of the season. My January signings had the desired impact and were seeing us over the line in tight games - we just needed to build on the impressive February form and carry that through March and beyond... I would need to use everything that I'd learned from my previous season in the Second Division to finish the job. That and good fortune in the injuries department! THE BLESSING OF SQUAD DEPTH March Results After five successive league wins, the optimist in me was hopeful of seeing the run continue but the pessimist knew it would inevitably come to an end. The question was how soon. Apparently not in March, as the boys extended the hot streak far beyond my expectations...! Despite an early setback away at promotion rivals Leganes and largely being dominated throughout, the more defensive shape paid dividends as we fought back to win 3-1 with Hiroki Abe finding the net on his return from injury. Main man Torles Knoll scored the easiest of goals on our way to a comfortable 1-0 win over Las Palmas in one of our most creative displays of the season so far. Avenging the 1-0 defeat to Lugo earlier in the season, we returned the favour by beating the mid-table team by the same score-line, 1-0, courtesy of a rare goal from on-loan Jandro Orellana. And what a goal it was! On-loan Barcelona DLP Jandro Orellana sets himself for a central free kick and with a single stride powers an effort towards the top corner, beyond the reach of the goalkeeper. What a hit! Confidence was flowing from the Leganes victory and - whilst the games were still proving to be tight and nervy at times - we were coming out on top and securing the points. The numbers told one story, but the boys were showing the heart and togetherness on the pitch that created a collective defiance. They were as desperate as I was to seize our chance to seal promotion. Onwards... Up next came play-off hopefuls Fuenlabrada who desperately needed the points. We took a two goal lead within an hour and managed to survive a late scare to secure all three points in a 2-1 win. Matheus Pereira spots Vicente in space and slides him in behind the defence. The Spaniard runs onto the pass and takes it first time in his stride, catching out the goalkeeper and finding the bottom corner. Cult-hero Santamaria was the saviour against relegation threatened Cartagena as a late goal secured a 2-1 win in a game where we had 30 attempts at goal. Wasteful, but we got the job done and made it 10 wins in a row. 6 goals since signing in January was hardly spectacular, but Santamaria had already secured 4 more points than we would have had without his signing. It didn't sound like much when you said it out loud, but those points could prove pivotal come the end of the season, in a congested looking league table. BACK TO EARTH WITH A BUMP April Results As we all know very well, all good things must inevitably come to an end as we experienced our first defeat some time and stuttered our way through a couple of our games. The depth up-front was proving crucial, but the broader depth in my squad was being tested. Regular centre-back pairing Lapena and Trigueros were showing signs of fatigue and summer signing Tachi was struggling with fitness, leaving us conceding some poor goals that could otherwise have been avoided. Mid-table Huesca made life difficult for us on our home turf as we huffed and puffed to a 1-0 win courtesy of a rare goal from Markel Lozano. We limited their opportunities, but were fortunate ourselves to steal the win. And then came the hammer-blow as Alaves stole a march on us in the search for promotion as we fell to a crushing 3-0 defeat. We could - and should - have been so much better, but the boys were starting to look collectively tired. Immediate redemption followed with a 2-1 victory over struggling Ponferrada with a much-changed starting line up. The extra energy made all of the difference and helped us to stave off a late rally from the home-side. Gorka Santamaria, Hiroki Abe, Ayman Aourir, Tachi and Alberto Benito brought some fresh legs and much needed energy to the team, giving first-team regulars a much needed rest. Going into the home stretch, squad management would be critical. The month concluded with a 0-0 stalemate with Oviedo who offered nothing by way of attacking threat and our own wastefulness in front of goal cost us the three points. At the end of the game week we were sitting top on 77 points and level with Leganes (77), nearest challengers Vallodolid (68) were in 3rd followed by Alaves (67), Almeria (66) and Fuenlabrada (60). At this point I was all-but-guaranteed to be in the play-offs and looking increasingly likely to secure automatic promotion barring a complete collapse in the final 6 games. HOW ARE YOUR NERVES, CORUNA FANS!? May Results SIX games left and it was well and truly squeaky bum-time. The squad was running out of energy and completely on it's a*se and I would be lying if I said I wasn't getting a little bit nervous with a couple of potential banana skins to come, with a tricky match-up with promotion chasing Almeria and two relegation strugglers in Tenerife and Girona. It was time to dig deep and bring it home - we had the quality and deserved to be at the top - now was our time to shine! With some strong words of encouragement, we powered our way to a 2-0 win over Albacete who were already on the beach after securing their survival. Making it back to back goals, Juan Cruz scored the only goal of a tight 1-0 win over 5th placed Almeria to leave us on the brink of a return to the big-time. The two wins - paired with a loss and a draw for second placed Leganes - left us 5 points clear at the top. With other results going our way, one more point would be enough to guarantee our promotion. However, we had back-to-back away fixtures against Tenerife and Girona who were both fighting for their survival at the bottom of the table. And wouldn't you believe it, they made life hard for us... In a game devoid of quality we fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Tenerife, the only goal coming from the penalty spot at the end of the first half and there proving to be no way back for us. An early goal from Torles Knoll against Girona had me on the edge of my seat and eager for a big score to see us over the line, but we have away a soft goal to finish the game 1-1. In the same period, Vallodolid, Alaves, Almeria and Fuenlabrada only picked up 1 point each (1 loss, 1 draw) which meant that our draw with Girona was enough to guarantee promotion! With two games remaining, we sat top on 84 points, still level with Leganes (84), followed by Vallodolid (75), Alaves (72), Almeria (70) and Fuenlabrada (64). WE HAD MADE IT BACK TO LA LIGA!! LET'S BE HAVING YOU! Join us in 3.5 for the final two games of the season, the year in review and some end of season transfer business in readiness for our return to the top of the Spanish footballing pyramid!

Like you wouldn't believe. His touch is atrocious, so many passes just ping off him 🤣. Likewise with positioning and workrate. I had to give him individual instructions to limit offsides and my pacy wingers leaving him miles behind the play. He has enough of the key bits and is finding the back of the net, so as backup to Knoll he'll do for now. Hopefully be able to sell him on for a handsome fee to another Second Division side!

Reflecting on the first few months of the season, one of our biggest problems was scoring enough goals to win the tight games. Either we weren't quite finishing off chances that we should have, or someone would have a brainfart at the back and give away a late goal. My defensive signings were starting to bed in and I was confident they would begin to change that issue, so I decided to focus the January window on more options up top to get us over the line. A striker would be priority, as well as shifting some of our wantaway - or unwanted - players from seasons gone by. A FORMER NEMESIS JOINS CORUNA January Transfers One of the expectations from the board was to make signings from lower leagues of Spain, and so far I'd massively failed this one. January is never a time for good value so I didn't plan to spend massive amounts of money (we didn't have it, for a start), so I decided to seek out cheaper options that could come in and do a job for 6 months. Barring a spectacular showing, I didn't plan to sign anyone for a long-term future, I just needed proven quality that could stick the ball in the back of the net. Julio Insa (Advanced Playmaker / Shadow Striker) Sabadell to Coruna - £100k (£105k with add-ons) My scouts had been harping on about this lad for a while now and I decided to give it a go, but didn't see this as an immediate option in the squad. He was ultra one-footed and seemed to have virtually no stamina, but he was quick, had vision/technique and a good first touch. Julio would be featuring for the reserve team to try and prove himself as - at 21 years old - I'd expect him to have much better numbers. At the very least he satisfied the 'sign from lower divisions' ask from the board. Gorka Santamaria (Poacher / Advanced Forward) Badajoz to Coruna - £60k Those of you with good memories may remember Santamaria from our first season, responsible for a last minute winner in our 3-2 defeat to Badajoz, as well as scoring a first minute goal in a 1-1 draw. In both games his quality of finishing, fitness and ability to carry the ball impressed me. Badajoz were still floating around in the third tier and with his contract winding down they were prepared to accept a super low bid for his services. At 28 he was entering his prime years and was still scoring goals this season (11 in 20) and my plan was to translate that into the Second Division. If he could get us promoted, I would then expect to turn a decent profit in a future sale. Juan Munoz (Complete Forward / Poacher) Free Agent to Coruna - FREE Alongside my scouting pool and focus I liked to keep an eye on the free agent market and that's when Juan caught my eye. Having played in La Liga and the Second Division, Juan had the experience that I was looking for to get me promoted. After being released by Leganes he was available on a free. He'd become a 1-in-3 striker, but the creativity of my supporting trio would hopefully help him to find the scoring touch once again. A proper all-rounder with decent technique/finishing, I just needed him to come in and put the ball in the back of the net when the chances came. Knoll would still be number one with Santamaria as backup, but Munoz would still have a role to play. No risk on a free. Starting to tempt fate just a little by preparing for life after promotion, I entered into talks with a right-back and three centre-midfielders that were in the final 6 months of their deals with a view to securing end-of-contract deals. I opened similar talks with on-loan DLP Jandro Orellana, but he was having absolutely none of it. The kid wanted a Barcelona salary and there was no way I was prepared to take that on, so he would be leaving us at the end of the year. A modest window of incomings with the outlay looking like a bargain IF I could seal promotion to the big time. Turning my attention to the outgoings I took the opportunity to completely evacuate my left sided defensive options. First season regular LWB Hector Hernandez (released, free), underwhelming season two replacement Dodo (£185k) and wantaway utility man Diego Aguirre (free) were all moved on to free up more of the wage bill. I also managed to command a fee for youngster Humberto Ramon (£105k) who was kicking up a fuss. He had potential, but he was nowhere near ready for the first team and refused to sign a new contract. All other outgoings were youth talents on loan, with talented young R-CWB Trilli and upcoming goalkeeper Pablo Brea leaving for game time that I couldn't give to them at the moment. HE SCORES WHEN HE WANTS January Results The turn of the year featured a return to cup action with the second round getting underway, but also provided an early year test against promotion rivals Malaga and a resurgent Barcelona B. Unfortunately, we were starting to pick up injuries and Torles Knoll would face a period on the sidelines, hence the urgency to pick up Forward options in the January market. First up came a comfortable home victory as we strolled to a 2-0 win over Girona. With three first team options injured, U19 striker Victor kicked off our goal-scoring on the way to Victor-y. In the second round of the Spanish cup we faced Gorka Santamaria and Badajoz as we progressed to the next round with a 1-0 win. This was Santamaria's last game before signing for us. After humiliating Barcelona B at the beginning of the season (3-0), they exacted their revenge as we were soundly beaten 4-0. The more defensive shape doing us no favours whatsoever against a side in form. Fortunately, new striker Santamaria landed after the Barcelona B fixture and was thrust right into it with our second half of fixtures in January. ( Some of you may know that Gorka Santamaria actually signed for Depor IRL at the end of last season. As we're revisiting parts of this save retrospectively, I'll hasten to add that I signed him before they did... Perhaps I should move to A Coruna and be a scout! ) Our R3 opponent in the Spanish Cup was La Liga side Villarreal. Despite taking an early lead, they scored late to take us into extra time and in a frantic first half of ET we fell to a 3-2 defeat. Disappointing, but expected. Seeking a return to winning ways Santamaria scored a late thunderbolt to take the lead against Extremadura only for Mesa to score in the fourth minute of injury time and tie the game at 2-2. Vicente spots the run of Santamaria and threads one into space, he controls in his stride and lets one fly beyond the reach of the goalkeeper. His second goal in as many matches. At the end of the month we completed a league double over Malaga with a 2-0 victory in a fairly balanced game in which we were far more clinical with our chances. 2 wins, a defeat and a draw was hardly inspirational and this kind of form would see us land in the lower half of the play-offs. I'd started losing my temper a little bit with the squad as they were better than this - and they knew it. if we were to have any chance of automatic promotion, we needed to pull our finger out... and fast. THE AWESOME FOURSOME RIDE AGAIN February Results It wasn't often that I kicked off at my players, they were generally a good bunch and they gave their all... but the reaction I got after our January slump made me consider whether I should do it more often. At the end of January saw the return from injury of main striker Torles Knoll which would mean the benching of new man Santamaria. It would be harsh, but I needed a more aggressive presence to press and chase up top. After a dreadful draw earlier in the season we turned up against Amorebieta and claimed a 2-1 away victory. New signing Juan Munoz scored his first goal in a substitute appearance with a proper poachers finish to seal the points. Looking to build up a winning run, the return fixture with Ibiza looked to be headed for a dull draw until on-loan Osmajic and Knoll came on late in the second half to combine for a crucial late winner - 1-0 Coruna. Osmajic spots the run of Knoll and sends one over the top, he picks it out of the air in his stride, carries the ball forward and gives the goalkeeper absolutely no chance - top bins! (This one got me off of my seat - what a way to seal the victory!) It was still too soon for Knoll to start games, so Santamaria saw a goalscoring return to the side as he lead the team to a 2-0 victory over Vallodolid, with Matheus Pereira also scoring from the spot. We then secured a full month of wins with a tense and hard-fought 2-1 away win against Eibar, courtesy of a late goal from Pereira to wrap up the game. This was the form I'd been craving, but it would need to extend far beyond four matches to drag us back into contention. Leganes, Vallodolid and Alaves were all flying high and it would be crucial to keep the run going and take points from each of them to increase our odds of going up. Fortunately we were at home and managed a win over Vallodolid, but the other two games were away and would present a much sterner test. 15 games to go and we were right in it. Join us in 3.4 for the March, April and May fixtures as Los Blanquiazules seek to string together a promotion-worthy run of form.

Crikey, it's tight at the top! 12 in a row is a great achievement, especially as there was a good sequence of wins in there too. Well on course to exceed board expectations and judging from where you are now, I'd fancy your chances of finishing top, or at the very least, second. Good luck in the cup semi! Keep it up, great save so far.

Spectacular European campaign so far - the Pompey style is clearly too good for sides on the continent! 5 points off top with a third of the season gone is good going, should be proud of that, especially with the exploits in Europe. How high was the line you were playing before the change? And what kind of levels of pace/acceleration etc are your WBs at to cope with it? I've always favored a high line, just not been able to strike the balance, but I tend to play 2CBs and 2 WBs with a deep midfielder in front. Welcome back - I can relate to the out of FM distractions... sometimes those little windows of time are better used elsewhere, and the prospect of a write-up can be daunting!

I'm glad you explained that qualification process, sounds awfully complicated! Congrats on qualifying - I love it when someone you wouldn't expect pops up with a crucial goal! Airam looks a talent. At 16 he should be getting ready for first team action and hopefully will be able to drop in and do a job at that level - what will you do with him? There's a lot of potential in your squad and a good age mix. Octavian Lupu looks interesting with his versatility. It's good to see you've managed to keep the side largely Romanian as well. Are there any rules in the league about overseas players in registration/match day squads? Enjoying this one - keep it up (and good luck!)

Welcome - and thank you, I appreciate the feedback! Promotion is a must this season for sure!

With the season now in full-swing and high expectations from the fans - it was time to kick on and make a concerted push for promotion. To be in and around the top of the table, we would need to win the majority of our games. The draws and defeats of last season would need to become a thing of the past to bridge the gap between automatics and play-offs. My hope was that the new defensive signings would help to keep more clean sheets. REALITY CHECK... AVOIDED September Results With the transfer window finally closed, it was time to get back to business. I managed to keep a hold of my best players (for now), some requiring new contracts and others expecting that I go up, or sell them at the end of the season. Plenty of incentive to get promoted, then? I mentioned that I would juggle tactics better this season... Hmm! We'll see about that... Amorebieta away felt like a great opportunity to switch back to a more attacking setup and it paid off... Albeit for conceding a 90+1 goal to draw the match from their ONLY shot on target in a 1-1 draw. Up against a more difficult test in Eibar the defensive 4-3-3 came back and contributed to a dull-as-dishwater 0-0 draw. A game where nothing seemed to come off and our finishing was well below par. However, order was restored a week later. Keeping the 'don't lose' mentality of the defensive shape, quality of finishing was the difference as a rare goal from Granero helped us to a 2-0 win over Vallodolid. Borja Granero climbs highest to meet Juan Cruz's cross and thunders it against the bar. Fortunately he reacts quickest to the loose ball and slots it into the empty net. Granero to Granero = GOAL! 1-0 Coruna. Having finally seemed to find our rhythm, a convincing result away at Las Palmas followed. Main man Torles Knoll opened and closed the scoring in a 4-0 victory. The Eibar and Amorebieta results annoyed me as they were games we should really have won, the come-down feeling all the greater coming on the back of consecutive games where we scored 5. However, the team was looking more settled and more solid, seeing us limit our opponents to far less chances and only conceding the 1 goal in 4 games. Progress. REALITY CHECK CONFIRMED! October Results The next few games presented our first major tests of the season with 4 of the games coming against teams in with a play-off or automatic shout. Lugo, Leganes, Fuenlabrada and Alaves. It felt early to say it, but October would go a long way towards shaping the rest of the season. Wins were ESSENTIAL. Inigo Vicente (5.9) stunk the place out as we huffed and puffed to a 1-0 defeat away at Lugo. Our attacking set-up was frustrated and nullified by two deep banks of 4 as the home side nicked a late goal. Then came a crazy match with Leganes as we fell to a 3-2 defeat - with all 5 goals coming in the first half! We deserved so much more from the game and would rue the quality of finishing with 8 shots on target. In a home tie with Fuenlabrada we saw more of our usual selves with a 3-1 win at home. Despite having less of the ball, we made much better use of it and took our chances well with the supporting three behind Knoll all scoring. Looking to kick on and start a winning run, we put struggling Cartagena to the sword in a 2-0 away win with Vicente making up for his unacceptable performance at Lugo by scoring and assisting in this one. Vicente spots the run of Knoll who finds himself free in the box and gets his toe on the end of it to half volley into the bottom corner Finally came a tricky home fixture against Alaves which ended 2-2, with the boys recovering from being behind twice. We were fortunate to score more than the 1 goal as Alaves limited our opportunities. Needless to say it wasn't the month I wanted. 7 points from a possible 15 - with three of the fixtures coming at home - didn't feel like it would be good enough. BUT it was still early in the season and it wouldn't hurt us too much as long as we didn't repeat the feat in November or December. To avoid another lottery in the play-offs, the draws needed to be turned into wins. NO LOSS NOVEMBER November Results After the string of defeats in October, I focused on my game management to try and see games out better, shifting tactics more throughout the games to adapt to the unfolding situation. Still not quite finding the balance, it wasn't the sea of green I hoped for, but we didn't lose! Concerned with the threat of in-form Huesca we took a more defensive approach and were rewarded with a brace from Knoll en route to a 2-1 victory. Something of a smash and grab, we were very fortunate to score twice. Back at Riazor we were much the better side against Ponferrada making it consecutive 2-1 league victories. Following the pattern of the Huesca match we took a two goal lead before conceding another late goal. Concerning. The winning run came to an end abruptly with an abject display away to Oviedo. Neither side fashioned any chances of note in a 0-0 draw where the highlight was a rare yellow card for Vicente. Finally came another draw, this time 1-1 at home to Albacete. In a game that saw Pereira move to the right to cover for injured Juan Cruz, the Brazilian picked up a goal after 20 seconds that would be crucial in securing a point. Knoll swivels on the ball and slips Pereira in behind the defence. He takes a touch to set himself before unleashing a wicked volley into the top corner, giving the keeper absolutely no chance. This didn't feel like title winning form... ALMERIA GET THEIR REVENGE December Results As the year came to a close, I wanted to finish on a high... but with tricky fixtures away to Almeria and at home to Tenerife, it wasn't going to be easy. And so it proved to be the case. After we humiliated them in the play-offs last season, Almeria exacted their revenge as we fell to a 1-0 defeat. The game was tight and could have gone either way and we could count ourselves unlucky to lose. Then came a tough encounter with Tenerife in a game where we twice led and were pegged back, the equaliser coming in the closing stages of the game to make it 2-2. In a return to winning ways we secured a 1-0 away win at Real Madrid B in a game that saw us take over 20 shots on goal, but a rare strike from Lozano was the only one that found the back of the net. Pereira sends an in-swinging free kick into a packed box which is met by the head of Markel Lozano who loops an effort over the keeper, who mistimes his jump Our competitive fixtures for the year concluded with an expected victory over Leioa in the Spanish Cup First Round, as we ran out 2-0 winners with Penha and Osmajic netting their first goals of the season. We were doing OK... But I was far from blown away. Hovering around the play-off spots, we would need to be much more clinical in the new year. Too many games were finishing in draws or were too close for comfort and I needed to find a way to bring more goals into the team. The team shape and style was working well for us, but there was an over-reliance on Knoll to score the goals. January would need further reinforcements to help to push us on to promotion. Join us in 3.3 for the January transfer window and new year fixtures

I don't think so - if anything I find that the only issue is Pereira (playing Shadow Striker) will go missing in games. It's strange because his stats are good for the level and the role, but I think sometimes games can just pass him by in an attacking sense. I've been considering signing another out-and-out striker and moving to a 4-2-2-2 with another PF or a DLF with Knoll, but not sure if that leaves me too exposed. I think when I first started shaping my team up I tried IFs, but the players I'd signed were more suited to wing play and the rest is history. Knoll as Pressing Forward is always quality because he works hard and he often takes early shots and catches the keeper out. Behind him, it depends on the opposition, but more often than not Juan Cruz and Vicente will be regularly getting in behind and either finding a cross, cut back or working a shooting chance for themselves. The right side is strongest as Sastre is bang on with the overlap (more of an AMR than a CWB) and will often get beyond Juan Cruz and one or the other will find a good ball in. Left side not so much as Dodo/Hernandez haven't been good enough, but the signing of Centelles will hopefully fix that. Vicente will hopefully form a relationship with Centelles, but despite his goals I actually think he's hit / hitting his ceiling. He's a good player, don't get me wrong, but I don't get the numbers I expected from him regularly. Onwards and (hopefully) upwards.

Bright start for Arrey-Mbi, looking like good business. Absolutely flawless in Europe as well! The omens are good and the side are looking settled. Plenty of time to claw back the gap in the league as well. Good work mate, looking forward to the next one.

New title graphics... Renewed sense of optimism... And some much needed squad re-shaping... YES... WE'RE BACK for Chapter 3 (Season 23/24)! BACK WITH A VENGEANCE Off season reflections and plans for 23/24 Needless to say, we were a little bit heartbroken at the end of 22/23. To have defied the odds, exceeded expectations and surged to a third placed finish, you would expect everyone to be thrilled... But the squad were deflated, the owners deeply disappointed and the fans crushed to have failed at the final hurdle in the play-offs. For all the world it was plain to see that we weren't ready and - as sad as I was to miss out on promotion - it was a blessing in disguise. We'd have another 2 windows to help re-shape the squad and make a more concerted effort to go up, with a stronger core to take with us. The board expectations near enough mirrored the previous season with a couple of proper curveballs thrown into the mix. The main change was that they expected us to go up, after our impressive first season back in the second tier. Secure promotion to the Second Division through the play-offs [favoured]. It was something of a jump from 'don't get relegated', but I was up for the challenge. Sign players under the age of 23 for the first team [favoured]. This was ingrained in my transfer strategy, so was absolutely fine with me. Sign players to sell for a profit [preferred]. The dreaded money troubles still hanging around... I had no choice but to concede. And then for the major new ones... Sign players from the lower divisions of Spain [favoured]. I'd actually had my eye on a couple of players in the lower tiers, so I'd give this a good go! Play defensively solid football [preferred]. I won't lie, this one stung a little. The board were being firm here - cut out the defensive rubbish and you'll go up. Thanks, boss. Good talk. Make the most of set pieces [required]. Really? We play a pressing game all about hustle and speed... and you want me to score more corners and free-kicks? We aren't Stoke... All said and done - I could work with this without any major complaint. We could work on getting rid of the set piece expectation next season...! RE-SHAPING THE SQUAD Transfer Window Goals At the end of 23/24 came the retirement of 21/22 season talisman Miku. He'd been a fantastic servant and had sewn his name into the tapestry of our story with his goal-scoring heroics en route to the title. But in his second season, this time in a higher division, he'd been forced out of the team by new boy Torles Knoll who was better suited to the formation. Having only made 4 appearances in his final season, the 37 year old decided it was time to call it a day and pursue his ambitions of becoming an assistant manager. Turning attentions to the squad needs for the new season... It was obvious at numerous times in the 22/23 season what I needed. DEFENDERS. Defenders that could DEFEND, but could also support our high-tempo brand of football, launch counterattacks, get up and down the pitch... Not much to ask. Above all, my signings needed a high-enough ceiling to make the jump up to La Liga without the need for yet another total overhaul of the squad. My priorities for the window were: A new assistant manager to replace Alex Martinez. His in-game advice was often sketchy and he wasn't the best judge of player ability. A replacement left-wing back for the injury prone / haphazard Dodo. The permanent signing of Oier Zarraga, who - after his loan had completed - was now available on a free transfer after the expiry of his contract. A number two goalkeeper to rival Ian Mackay this season, but eventually replace him when he retired (which looked to be imminent). A solid centre-back to rotate with Lapena and Trigueros in the BPD role. Granero could also fill in, but he was getting too old now to be regularly counted on. A versatile rotation option for the IW/AMC roles supporting Knoll, ideally an Inverted Winger who could also play centrally. And finally... To hold on to my players that were drawing interest, namely: Juan Cruz, Pereira and Sastre. THE REAL WORK STARTS NOW July... The start of pre-season With absolutely no time wasted, July started with the appointment of Pablo Manusovich as the new Assistant Manager. He had been working with Zaragoza in La Liga last season and their relegation gave an excellent opportunity to make a move. Whilst his preferred formation (5-2-1-2 WB) and tactical style (Route One) differed from my own, his mental strength was the key lure in the signing. The Argentinian was a notable upgrade on Alex Martinez and would hopefully help to instill my CWB driven formation, whilst bringing more directness and the goals from free kicks / set pieces that the Board craved. >>> Alex Martinez (left) just didn't have the right eye for a player when reviewing my squad. Pablo Manusovich (right) proved to be an upgrade across the board, as well as being 10 years younger. Thankfully, Martinez had already scheduled warm-up fixtures prior to his departure, so one of Pablo's first jobs was to prepare the team for the first few games of pre-season. It was important to get this transfer window right, so business wouldn't be rushed and this allowed a little bit more time to assess the squad to decide who would go and who would stay for another year. Before a ball had been kicked I managed to secure loan deals for 8 of our youngsters, including diminutive English winger Ben Ratcliffe (IW) and up-and-coming wide-man David Mella (Wi) to Tudelano and Sabadell respectively. I didn't have any TOP talents outside of Trilli (R-CWB) that I wanted to keep around, so the best thing was for them to get game time in the lower divisions to either grow into a squad player or become a saleable asset. Whilst transfer deals rumbled on in the background, pre-season kicked off with the familiar 4-2-3-1 formation and largely consisted of the same personnel. With three routine victories against weaker opposition, I didn't learn a huge amount about the squad... However, in the Trofense game, having made all bar one of my substitutions at half time, when Hiroki Abe came off injured I had to put young goalkeeper Iago Taboas up top... And amazingly he scored. A managerial first (and probably last). Whilst the games proved to be a useful fitness exercise, facing 3 shots on target in as many games was hardly a test to prepare the team. REINFORCEMENTS HAVE ARRIVED August Transfers (Incoming) Unfortunately after the expiry of his loan deal, popular figure Oier Zarraga (BWM) decided to reject our contract offer and sign for fellow Second Division team Malaga. Our offer was fair and improved on his expiring contract, but he saw the $$$ signs and held out for a significantly better salary. He was good, but not break your wage structure good. We'd look forward to welcoming back to Riazor with a couple of strong challenges... Jandro Orellana (Deep Lying Playmaker) Barcelona to Coruna - LOAN (End of Season) Thankfully the disappointment was short lived as I secured the loan signing of talented youngster Orellana until the end of the season. He was a DLP specialist and that was a key condition of his loan, so the move would see Lozano, Calavera and Granero occupy the BWM and CAR roles in front of him. He was a decent all-rounder and had the vision/passing combo to pull the strings at the back. Young, decent with both feet and with a high ceiling.... an ideal fit. His age - and presence in the B Team - meant that he might not make it at Barcelona in the long term, so could be available for a permanent deal if it worked for us. Alex Centelles (Complete Wing-Back - Left) Cadiz to Coruna - £145k (£175k with add-ons) Next up was a much needed replacement for the unreliable Dodo. His tackling left a lot to be desired but he was signed for his specialism at CWB and for having the physical attributes to get up and down the pitch. Another young player, Centelles was seen as the long-term future of the left-hand side but could still come in and start immediately. Dodo would be relegated to back-up until Alex had fully settled in and he could be sold. Marcel Lotka (Sweeper Keeper) Hertha BSC II to Coruna - £10.25k (£10.75k with add-ons) I was in the market for a specialty Sweeper Keeper but I found my prime targets either didn't want to come yet, or were too expensive. With main goalkeeper Ian Mackay playing for at least one more season, I opted to go for a 'potential' option to play backup and perhaps push for Number 1 spot. In came Polish youngster Marcel Lotka. My scouts weren't overly impressed, but as Mackay was rarely injured this would be less of a gamble. If it didn't work out, I hadn't wasted much money on him. Alberto Rodriguez Baro "TACHI" (No-Nonsense CB) Alaves to Coruna - £120k (£170k with add-ons) After scouring my scout reports for a decent Ball Playing Defender, I had to compromise. My main targets were unavailable at this point and I needed a stop-gap to get me out of the division. He could tackle, was relatively quick and was decent in the air. At the very least he was an equivalent, if not a slight improvement, on mainstay CB pairing Pablo Trigueros and Adrian Lapena. He was a little older than I had liked, but the fee and his experience of playing in La Liga made this one good value. He would be retrained to be a BPD (albeit risky, with those technique and passing numbers!) Milutin Osmajic (Inverted Winger / Utility Forward) Sporting CP to Coruna - LOAN (End of Season) Rounding up the senior acquisitions was another forward option on a season long loan from Sporting CP. I was impressed with his versatility and - whilst he wouldn't be a starter - he had enough about him at this level to fill in across any over the forward four positions. This was a signing all about depth and in all honesty there was little chance of it being more than a temporary arrangement. Juan Larios (No-Nonsense CB) Man City to Coruna - Loan (End of Season) This one almost happened... Due to an administrative error, Juan was signed and within three days his loan deal was terminated. A real shame, as the depth he would have given at left-back would have been invaluable. Youth Transfers (Various) (See spoilers) In the spirit of keeping the academy full of talent, as well as spotting potential bargains to sell on at a profit, the incoming transfers concluded with three youngsters who would be sent out on loan. In summary... CAPTAIN ALLEN DEPARTS August Transfers (Outgoing) and the conclusion of pre-season Jamie Allen (Ball Winning Midfielder) Coruna to DERBY COUNTY - £1.3m In the most unexpected turn of events, we'd started to see interest in midfielder - and club captain - Jamie Allen from clubs in England. He had been a useful servant to the club but he wasn't the kind of player that would be bossing the midfield in La Liga. So, when a massive offer came in from Championship team Derby County, I couldn't say no. For a player who we signed for only £30k and was no longer a key man, this was remarkable business. We would miss Allen's work rate in the middle, but I simply couldn't turn down the fee. At this point, all other outgoings were on loan. So in summary... The final two games of the warm-up fixture list came against Portuguese minnows Felguerias and La Liga title challengers Atletico Madrid. Felguerias were put to the sword as Vicente and Juan Cruz ran riot on the wings, each contributing to the goals in a solid 3-0 victory. In a fairly balanced game, the quality of finishing was the difference. However, in a much sterner test against quality opposition, we conceded an injury time winner to lose the game 2-1 against Atletico Madrid. The more defensive 4-3-3 worked well and we created the better chances with Orellana making his debut. With better personnel, I was convinced that I could make better tactical shifts between the more defensive 4-3-3 and the slightly more aggressive 4-2-3-1 formation and would switch this up for the harder games. AND THEY'RE OFF... TO A FLYER August Results The season opened with a home fixture against Barcelona B, with early away tests against Malaga and Ibiza shortly behind - two teams that would be in and around us at the end of the season. And who could have predicted these results? Torles Knoll took only 3 minutes to open his account with a long range effort on the way to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Barcelona B. Joan Sastre at right wing back sends an early ball from his own half into the path of Torles Knoll. The big German takes a touch, lets one fly and finds the bottom corner, just beyond the goalkeepers' reach. 1-0 4 days later and we dominated Malaga in a 5-1 win which saw four goals in the first half and a double for wide-man Juan Cruz. On loan DLP Jandro Orellana also opened his account for the season. The month then concluded with ANOTHER 5-1 victory using the more defensive minded 4-3-3, featuring a well deserved hattrick for Inigo Vicente. Three from three, a perfect start to the season and the kind of form we'd need to go up automatically... We were creating plenty of chances, scoring lots of goals and most importantly, keeping it tight at the other end of the pitch. A key component to a successful push for promotion. We were feeling confident...! Join us in 3.2 for September to December fixtures to see if the promising start continues...

I was gutted mate. Mainly because the board were fuming that we'd missed out after finishing way above expectations (ungrateful, much?) The warning signs were there way back in the season with the defence, just had nowhere near enough depth to deal with it... but alas... Here comes a new season!!