If You Count Your Chickens Before They've Hatched, They Won't Lay An Egg

[B.W.G]

Good luck in what could be a tough season!

[deltablue]

Sounds like a massive battle ahead with virtually no budget to strengthen.

[john1]

Well done on promtotion

[AK22]

Good luck in what could be a tough season!

Sounds like a massive battle ahead with virtually no budget to strengthen.

Yeah, it's going to be pretty tricky. We've made a respectable start though, so there's a glimmer of hope!

Well done on promtotion

Thanks, John!

[AK22]

Balma SC: Keeping Our Heads Above Water

The mantra for this season is simply one thing, survival! Being the smallest fish in a very big pond, we can't hope for much more, and have to be realistic about what's achievable at the club currently. That said, I've got a very committed bunch of players, all of which compliment the 4-5-1 passing game I have installed at the club since my arrival, and are all very familiar with our philosophy and style of play, so at least we'll be pleasing to watch. It's just a shame we don't have a pot to **** in!

Domestic Football - 2042/43 Winter Break

Domestic Fixtures

In my eyes, the first half of the season couldn't have gone any better. We've had a couple of shaky spells where we couldn't buy a win, but those aside, we've looked composed, competitive and clinical in the matches we've picked points up in.

Once again, we can thank our solid defence for being the rock on which we've built our good start on, having not conceded more than twice in any competitive game so far. Being difficult to beat is always the name of the game in the first season of a new division, and although we may have lost half of the games played so far, we've been extremely difficult to break down in most matches.

There's been some pretty exceptional results too, with the victory away to Auxerre being the highlight of the season so far, and probably the biggest scalp in the club's short history. Of course, there's still plenty of work still to do, as we're nowhere near mathematically safe yet, but the early signs are extremely encouraging, and if we can win another six league games, I reckon that will be enough to secure another season in the top flight. Unfortunately, with such a small squad, only the smallest of injury crises could unravel all of our good work, so I'll need to wrap the players in cotton wool after every game until the next.

Nice 0-1 Balma SC - An opening day victory. Perhaps we'll do alright after all?

Balma SC 0-2 PSG - Pretty one-sided, but still, not a complete car-crash.

Balma SC 4-1 Stade Rennais - There's goals in this team. Goals, I tell ya.

Auxerre 0-4 Balma SC - Four goals again, in back-to-back games, and on the road against a side that won the title five seasons ago.

Balma SC 0-2 Lyon - A record crowd saw us give Lyon a decent crack.

OM 2-1 Balma SC - We were seconds away from robbing the defending champions of a point.

Balma SC 3-0 Havre - Our final game before the break, racking up three points against the side propping up the table.

[deltablue]

I'd consider that a good start.

[cerud]

This can be considered a great start for you in Ligue 1! How are the end of year payouts? Will a decent finish net you a bit of cash?

[AK22]

I'd consider that a good start.

Yep, I can't complain Second half will probably be harder, though, especially if teams become a bit more cautious against us, as we don't have the fire power to break them down yet.

This can be considered a great start for you in Ligue 1! How are the end of year payouts? Will a decent finish net you a bit of cash?

Thanks cerud. I've no idea what the end of season payouts are like in Ligue 1, although I would anticipate at least a few million quid being added to the coffers. I hope this will be enough to take us back into the black for next season!

[Nobby_McDonald]

Looking good for staying up.

[B.W.G]

Good start to the season,hopefully you can have similar form in the second half and survive.

[Dexter_Morgan]

Good start AK22

[AK22]

Thanks chaps! Season's complete now, just need to write up the summary

Spoiler.... we survived!

[AK22]

Balma SC: Mixing It Up With The Big Boys

Finally, we are back into the black! Although, the future isn't looking that promising, all things considered. The chairman is 'willing to listen to offers', so there's a takeover looming; I'd love to get someone willing to invest, but fear this to be unlikely. Our facilities are nothing short of terrible when you consider what the other clubs in the league have to offer, but we'll need to making a decent profit before I'll even consider asking the board to improve things. There's no way I want another season where we running on bare minimums and shoestring budgets; much better to slowly build foundations as and when we can afford to do so.

Finances | Transfer Summary

Domestic Football - End of Season 2042/43

Position Graph | Fixtures 1 | Fixtures 2 | Season Summary | Equipe des Etoiles France Football

Throughout the year, there's never really been any doubt that we wouldn't avoid relegation, and by the end of March this was mathematically confirmed. We also enjoyed a nice little cup run, making it to the quarter final of the Coupe de France, so it's been a delight of a season. I'd even go as far to say that I'm stunned- we were only seven points off fifth place!

I think we've taken a lot of teams by surprise, expecting us to be cautious and sit back for most of the game; where although we've been pretty defensively sound, it has been our ability to get forward and score vital goals that has been key to us achieving such a decent league position. Without the goals, I still think we would avoided the drop, but probably would have finished the season with, maybe, 12 points less, and would have needed to continuously look over our shoulder.

PSG 4-1 Balma SC - We went to Paris expecting a hiding. And a hiding we got, not before taking the lead and then having a man sent off, though. Eventful!

Balma SC 2-0 Auxerre - A terrific double over one of the top six.

Balma SC 0-1 OM - Marseille put an end to our cup dreams.

Balma SC 4-2 Stade de Reims - A pretty decent game for the neutrals.

Nîmes Olympique 0-5 Balma SC - Five of the very best against a side finishing above us.

Balma SC 2-1 OM - How about this then? We didn't have much of the ball, but did a terrific job when we did, and ruined Marseille's chance of lifting the league trophy!

Squad Overview

Key Players: Alexandr Dulub (16 goals), Frode Berland (9 goals, 7 assists), Tarkan Topalak (11 assists), Hasan Sönmez (8 goals, 8 assists), Semsettin Delil (AvR: 7.02)

Fans Player of the Year: Alexandr Dulub

Team of the Year | Overall Best XI

Working with such a fragile squad of just 20 individuals has been an extremely tough challenge all season long, and one that I have no wish to repeat next season. Thankfully, we've had more than our fair share of luck and good fortune, as there's been no long-term major injury concerns and have been able to field a strong team for virtually every league game. That said, due to suspensions/niggles, there's been a number of matches we I haven't been able to name a full quota of substitution and gone into matches with only four or five options on the bench; one of the main aims for the coming summer must be to get the squad numbers up to at least 22, giving me, as a bare minimum, a back-up in every position.

As tricky as it has been, every player has given their all over the course of the season, putting in performances of a much higher level than I ever could have expected. Once again, Alexandr Dulub has been the star of the show, finding the next 16 times, and earning him high regard in the hearts of the fans.

Career Summary

Season     Team              League                     Finish    Cups
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12    Unemployed
2012/13    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet South      3rd       FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round, FA Trophy 2nd Round
2013/14    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet Premier    3rd       FA Cup 1st Round, FA Trophy 1st Round
2014/15    Kingstonian       npower League Two          16th      FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 1st Round, JPT 1st Round
2015/16    Kingstonian       npower League Two          17th**    **Resigned 19/12/2015
          Hull City         npower League One          6th       FA Cup 4th Round
2016/17    Hull City         npower League One          1st       FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 1st Round, JPT Winner
2017/18    Hull City         npower Championship        2nd       FA Cup 5th Round, Carling Cup 2nd Round
2018/19    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    5th       FA Cup Semi-Final, Carling Cup Semi-Final
2019/20    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    7th       Europa League 2nd KO Rd, FA Cup 6th Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd
2020/21    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    8th**     **Resigned 13/11/2020
          Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    6th       Europa League 1st KO Rd, FA Cup 5th Rd
2021/22    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    3rd       Europa League Winners, FA Cup 4th Rd, Carling Cup QF
2022/23    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    1st       Champions League Runner-Up, FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup QF
2023/24    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    1st       Champions League SF, FA Cup SF, Carling Cup QF
2024/25    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    2nd       Champions League Runner-Up, FA Cup SF, Carling Cup Winners
2025/26    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  4th       N/A
                            Primera División Clausura  3rd       Copa Argentina QF
2026/27    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  1st       Copa Sudamericana SF
                            Primera División Clausura  3rd       Copa Libertadores RU, Copa Argentina 7th Rd
2027/28    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  2nd       Copa Sudamericana Winner
                            Primera División Clausura  1st       Copa Libertadores SF, Copa Argentina RU
2028/29    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League 1st KO Rd, DFB-Pokal QF
2029/30    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League Winners, DFB-Pokal Winners
2030/31    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 2nd       Europa League Winners, Club World Cup Winners
2031/32    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League Runner-Up
2032/33    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 3rd**     **Resigned 25/11/2032
          Genoa             Serie A                    7th       TIM Cup Quarter Final
2033/34    Genoa             Serie A                    3rd       TIM Cup Runner-Up
2034/35    Genoa             Serie A                    2nd       Champions League QF, TIM Cup QF
2035/36    Genoa             Serie A                    1st       Champions League SF, TIM Cup Winners
2036/37    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League Winners, Copa del Rey Winners
2037/38    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League Winners, Copa del Rey Winners, CWC Winners
2038/39    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League SF, Copa del Rey Winners, CWC Winners
2039/40    Balma             Championnat National       2nd       Coupe de France 10th Round
2040/41    Balma             Ligue 2                    6th       Coupe de France 7th Round, Coupe de la Ligue 4th Round
2041/42    Balma             Ligue 2                    2nd       Coupe de France 9th Round, Coupe de la Ligue 2nd Round
2042/43    Balma             Ligue 1                    11th      Coupe de France Quarter Final, Coupe de la Ligue 3rd Round

[B.W.G]

Congrats on surviving your first season on Ligue 1.

[cerud]

Nice job! Always good to see the finances on the right side of zero too

[deltablue]

Good season.

[Nobby_McDonald]

Well done AK. A very decent effort.

[AK22]

Thanks everyone, it was a great season which we'll do well to better next season. Hopefully, we'll start to make a bit of money soon too!

Balma's on hold for a week or so while I take my turn on the RoW vs England game. I'll be back soon though!

[cerud]

Great season for the first in Ligue 1 And we'll see you in the ROW vs. England!

[AK22]

Right, now back to Balma...

Balma SC: Pre-Season 2043/44

I think it's fair to say that last season we vastly overachieved, and realistically, we should be aiming just to avoid relegation again this time around. It's still going to be quite tricky just to do that, as we still have the lowest gate receipts in the division and there doesn't seem to be any sign of this changing any time soon. Cash is tight, and due to my wheeler-dealing, I'm quickly turning into the French league's version of Harry Redknapp.

One thing that may make a difference is that the chairman, Jean-Luc Picard, is looking to sell up and leave, so there's a takeover on the horizon.

You never know, there may be a much needed windfall on the horizon...

Board Expectations

Ligue 1: Stay clear of relegation

Coupe de France: Reach the Tenth Round

Coupe de la Ligue: Reach the Third Round

Media Prediction: 18th

Transfer Budget: £0

Wage Budget: £67k per week (currently spending £66k per week)

Transfer Summary

Key Signings: Nicolai Clausen (AMR) Free, Göksu Ozkan (DL) Free, Nikos Andreou (MC) Free, Michal Marciniak (DC) Free

I can't say I've improved the squad on last season's, just freshened it up again with a handful of new faces. The spine of the team have all been retained for now, even though a couple are making noises about joining a bigger club and will be unlikely to sign contract extensions. Overall, I've got a slightly bigger squad than last year, so I'm feeling more confident about being able to name seven substitutes in every match this season, rather than just the four or five when we've been struck with injuries or suspensions.

Let's hope we can ride our luck for another season!

[AK22]

Balma SC: Leaky At The Back

Nothing to report, takeover wise; we've had one transfer embargo placed upon us, whilst a consortium had detailed talks with the chairman, but nothing materialised from their discussions. The chairman's definitely still looking to go, and I'd be surprised if he's still here come next season. That said, he's just increased my wage budget, and given me a January war-chest of £1m, so I wouldn't be disappointed if he stuck around for a little bit longer.

Domestic Football - 2043/44 Winter Break

Domestic Fixtureshttp://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee368/AKAK22/FM12 Career/Balma/204344/BalmaSportingClubFixtures_Fixtures-1.jpg"]

Despite scoring six less goals, and conceding six more, we go into the winter break with exactly the same point total as at the same stage last season. And barring a very poor post-Xmas period, we should have already done enough to secure our status as a Ligue One club for another year.

At times, we've been pretty abject this term, capitulating against Saint-Etienne and PSG, as well as disappointing displays against Châteauroux and Lille. For some reason, our defensive stability has completely vanished at times, this year, and despite maintaining the same back four and goalkeeper as last season, we've really struggled to keep teams at bay.

Thankfully for us, there's three very poor teams in this division, and unless something spectacular happens, it will be Stade Rennais, Tours FC and Châteauroux that occupy the relegation places come May. I think it's unlikely that we will improve on last season's 11th place finish, but we should be able to maintain the lower-midtable position we currently possess.

Balma SC 2-0 AJ Auxerre - A great way to kick off our campaign.

AS Saint-Etienne 4-0 Balma SC - Not a great day for us.

Nîmes Olympique 1-3 Balma SC - A much better effort, on the road.

PSG 5-0 Balma SC - Hindered by my touchline ban, we really weren't at the races for this game.

Balma SC 4-3 Vannes OC - This game had it all! And a late goal from a corner secured us all three points.

Châteauroux 1-0 Balma SC - A really poor show against the league's bottom team.

[AK22]

Balma SC: Second Season Syndrome? More Like Midtable Mediocrity

So, the takeover's been finalised at last. Of course, there's currently no plans for any investment (why would there be?!), but at least we're being run by a chairman who wants to be at the club. Hopefully, over time, he will decide to dip into his pocket, every now and again, and plough a bit of money into the club; if nothing else, we really need our 'fairly basic' training facilities to be upgraded as soon as possible.

There is a positive, though, as we've made £5.5m profit this season, which means I've been teased with the prospect of a transfer budget next year. Actual money to spend! Who'd have thought it?!

Finances | Transfer Summary

Domestic Football - End of Season 2043/44

Position Graph | Fixtures 1 | Fixtures 2 | Season Summary | Equipe des Etoiles France Football

We totalled one less point than last year, but still managed to finish one place higher in Ligue 1. If I'm being honest, a top-half finish does flatter us a bit, as we're certainly closer in ability to the teams at the bottom of the league, rather than the ones competing for European places. That said, we've certainly overachieved for a second consecutive season at this level, and have now firmly established ourselves as a competent top flight side.

I'm pleased that our defensive frailties have rectified themselves since Christmas, with us only conceding 17 goals in the 18 matches played. I didn't really tinker with much either, just emphasising a bit more defensive positioning match preparation, which has seen the return of our more frugal selves. Due to this, we've been a lot more difficult to beat again, racking up some encouraging results against some of the division's elite; we ended up taking six points off the top five, which is six more than I would have expected to get.

Olympique Lyonnais 1-1 Balma SC - We were the party poopers here, taking points off one of the title challengers.

Stade Malherbe Caen 0-4 Balma SC - This trip north was a very enjoyable one.

Balma SC 1-0 PSG - Ha! A 'bumper' crowd of 11940 saw this shock result!

Stade Rennais 2-0 Balma SC - A terrible match on the road... no positives at all.

Balma SC 4-1 Tours FC - This defeat confined Tours to relegation.

Balma SC 1-1 OM - We ended the season by taking points off the champions, courtesy of an injury time equaliser!

Squad Overview

Key Players: Hasan Sönmez (11 goals), Tarkan Topalak (6 goals, 8 assists), Diego Arenas (AvR: 7.04)

Fans Player of the Year: Tarkan Topalak

Team of the Year | Overall Best XI

I don't think the squad is any better or worse than last season's, although it is apparent I need to find a regular goalscorer. Hasan Sönmez topscored with 11; nowhere near enough for a player playing the lone striker role, so will be looking to sign someone over the course of the summer (did I say that I've got a transfer budget?).

If we're going to make any headway in this league, and look to push for European qualification, then I will really need to rejuvenate the squad. Currently, it's certainly good enough to maintain another season of steady midtable mediocrity, but it's certainly lacking the quality needed to be pushing on towards the top six. Realistically, in addition to the previously mentioned striker, we'll need another four or five players, all playing near to/at the peak of their abilities, to make the difference; a centre-back, two wingers, and a creative midfielder are all right at the top of my target list.

Career Summary

Season     Team              League                     Finish    Cups
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12    Unemployed
2012/13    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet South      3rd       FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round, FA Trophy 2nd Round
2013/14    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet Premier    3rd       FA Cup 1st Round, FA Trophy 1st Round
2014/15    Kingstonian       npower League Two          16th      FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 1st Round, JPT 1st Round
2015/16    Kingstonian       npower League Two          17th**    **Resigned 19/12/2015
          Hull City         npower League One          6th       FA Cup 4th Round
2016/17    Hull City         npower League One          1st       FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 1st Round, JPT Winner
2017/18    Hull City         npower Championship        2nd       FA Cup 5th Round, Carling Cup 2nd Round
2018/19    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    5th       FA Cup Semi-Final, Carling Cup Semi-Final
2019/20    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    7th       Europa League 2nd KO Rd, FA Cup 6th Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd
2020/21    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    8th**     **Resigned 13/11/2020
          Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    6th       Europa League 1st KO Rd, FA Cup 5th Rd
2021/22    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    3rd       Europa League Winners, FA Cup 4th Rd, Carling Cup QF
2022/23    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    1st       Champions League Runner-Up, FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup QF
2023/24    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    1st       Champions League SF, FA Cup SF, Carling Cup QF
2024/25    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    2nd       Champions League Runner-Up, FA Cup SF, Carling Cup Winners
2025/26    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  4th       N/A
                            Primera División Clausura  3rd       Copa Argentina QF
2026/27    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  1st       Copa Sudamericana SF
                            Primera División Clausura  3rd       Copa Libertadores RU, Copa Argentina 7th Rd
2027/28    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  2nd       Copa Sudamericana Winner
                            Primera División Clausura  1st       Copa Libertadores SF, Copa Argentina RU
2028/29    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League 1st KO Rd, DFB-Pokal QF
2029/30    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League Winners, DFB-Pokal Winners
2030/31    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 2nd       Europa League Winners, Club World Cup Winners
2031/32    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League Runner-Up
2032/33    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 3rd**     **Resigned 25/11/2032
          Genoa             Serie A                    7th       TIM Cup Quarter Final
2033/34    Genoa             Serie A                    3rd       TIM Cup Runner-Up
2034/35    Genoa             Serie A                    2nd       Champions League QF, TIM Cup QF
2035/36    Genoa             Serie A                    1st       Champions League SF, TIM Cup Winners
2036/37    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League Winners, Copa del Rey Winners
2037/38    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League Winners, Copa del Rey Winners, CWC Winners
2038/39    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League SF, Copa del Rey Winners, CWC Winners
2039/40    Balma             Championnat National       2nd       Coupe de France 10th Round
2040/41    Balma             Ligue 2                    6th       Coupe de France 7th Round, Coupe de la Ligue 4th Round
2041/42    Balma             Ligue 2                    2nd       Coupe de France 9th Round, Coupe de la Ligue 2nd Round
2042/43    Balma             Ligue 1                    11th      Coupe de France Quarter Final, Coupe de la Ligue 3rd Round
2043/44    Balma             Ligue 1                    10th      Coupe de France 10th Round, Coupe de la Ligue 3rd Round

[AK22]

[video=youtube_share;wdl_ZRrMxfg]

Jamie Carragher, eat your heart out...

[deltablue]

Another decent season, think you can get take them further? You said you'd need a lot of strenghening first but might you be able to do that to the extent you need?

[cerud]

A good season all things considered. How is prize money from the French Cup? Or is there any?

[Mattias333]

Liverpool F.C.

Season Review 2022/23

Competitions

Barclays Premier League: 1st

Position Graph | Fixtures 1 | Fixtures 2

UEFA Champions League: Runners-Up | FA Cup: 3rd Round | Carling Cup: Quarter-Final

Season Summary

Match of the Season Highlights:

(Final game of the season, and title showdown)

It was a nerve-racking and nail-biting end to the season, but what a great way to lift the title. Going into the deciding game of the campaign, we were sat on 88 points, a point behind Man City, knowing that we would have to beat the leaders on the final day of the season if we were going to win the league; a draw or a defeat, and the trophy would be going back on the coach to The Etihad Stadium. City took the lead after 17 minutes, and my heart began to sink as they continued to easily control possession and the tempo of the match. The biggest team-talk of my career (so far) followed, and thankfully, we regained parity straight after the restart; I must have said something right then! A couple of substitutions followed, including the introduction of super-sub Pablo Marquina, who banged in

two goals in five minutes to shell-shock the visitors, and catapult us right to the top of the Premier League when it mattered the most! Truly magical scenes!

I can't underestimate how crucial our defensive record has been to our success this season. We only conceded 14 league goals over the course of the campaign, beating Chelsea's record of 15 from the 2004/05 season, and what makes this more remarkable is the fact that we conceded four of them all in one game at Old Trafford. Utd may have won the bragging rights that day, but we've certainly put them back in their place now.

After winning the league, any success we may have achieved in the Champions League would have been the icing on top of a very large cake. One could argue that we were extremely lucky with the draw in the knockout stages, avoiding the likes of Barcelona, Man City, Arsenal and AC Milan, but we still had to beat the teams pitched in front of us, and Sampdoria, Lyon and Bayern Munich all gave us very competitive games. However, whether by luck or judgement, we still made it all the way to the Champions League final, where we would face Real Madrid for the fourth time this season. We bossed the game from start to finish, but once we had missed our second half penalty, I had a feeling that it just wouldn't be our day. After 90 minutes, the match was still at stalemate, proceeding into extra time, before being settled by the dreaded penalty shoot-out. In the end, Madrid's players kept their nerve better than ours did, winning the trophy 4-2 on spotkicks. I'm not too disheartened though; it was completely unexpected to have such a run in this competition, and considering the effort the players put into the final league game of the season, six days previously, I really can't question their commitment to the club.

Financial

Bank Balance: £68.3m

Average Attendance: 52649 | Season Ticket Holders: 35225

Very much as it was last season, and the season before. If the balance drops too low, the chairman will bump it up with the odd £10m, but we're pretty much self-sufficient now, as long as we continue to qualify for the Champions League every season. I've asked for the stadium to be expanded, which was provisionally agreed by the board, but has now been blocked by the local authority. It seems as if Anfield has been maxed out now, and a new stadium will be needed if we are to continue to grow.

Squad

Squad Overview | Transfer Summary

Team of the Year | Overall Best Eleven

Fan's Player of the Year: Sébastien Corchia

Manager's Player of the Year: Sébastien Corchia

Top Goalscorer: Eric Diallo (17 goals)

We didn't have one ultra-consistent player over the course of the season, instead most players going through peaks and troughs in their form. This led to me having to regularly juggle the starting line-up, meaning that the majority of the first team squad all got plenty of game time. The pick of the players have to be our full-backs

Mihael Baca, and captain, Sébastien Corchia, who both had terrific season's, not just in the back four, but going forward too. Another player thrust into the limelight this season was Pedro Correia; not normally a first choice winger, but due to a combination of injuries and Cup of Nations call-ups, he found himself right in the thick of things, and boy, did he put on a good show, contributing with 14 goals and 11 assists.

Crucially, I signed another striker in the January transfer window. With Eric Diallo being called up for Ivory Coast duties, I thought I may be a tad light in this area of the squad if we encountered any winter injuries, and was prepared to spend up to £15m if a suitable player was available. Due to abject league performances, Schalke's Pablo Marquina was offered to me for a misery £9.25m. For that price, and the fact he was a German international, I was willing to take the risk on a player who I didn't know all that much about. 12 goals in 15 appearances since, including four against Blackpool, and the two crucial goals against Man City, this player will already go down as a legend in Liverpool FC folklore, and the best piece of business I've done all year.

Other News

Kingstonian - Survived their first season back in League Two with an 18th place finish.

Hull - Military mid-table. 14th in The Championship.

Fulham - Finished 7th in the Premier League, but no European qualification.

Career Summary

[size=2]Season     Team              League                   Finish    Cups                             
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12    Unemployed
2012/13    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet South    3rd       FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round, FA Trophy 2nd Round
2013/14    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet Premier  3rd       FA Cup 1st Round, FA Trophy 1st Round
2014/15    Kingstonian       npower League Two        16th      FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 1st Round, JPT 1st Round
2015/16    Kingstonian       npower League Two        17th**    **Resigned 19/12/2015
          Hull City         npower League One        6th       FA Cup 4th Round
[/size]2016/17    Hull City         npower League One        1st       FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 1st Round, JPT Winner
2017/18    Hull City         npower Championship      2nd       FA Cup 5th Round, Carling Cup 2nd Round
2018/19    Fulham            Barclays Premier League  5th       FA Cup Semi-Final, Carling Cup Semi-Final
2019/20    Fulham            Barclays Premier League  7th       Europa League 2nd KO Rd, FA Cup 6th Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd
2020/21    Fulham            Barclays Premier League  8th**     **Resigned 13/11/2020
          Liverpool         Barclays Premier League  6th       Europa League 1st KO Rd, FA Cup 5th Rd
2021/22    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League  3rd       Europa League Winners, FA Cup 4th Rd, Carling Cup QF
2022/23    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League  1st       Champions League Runner-Up, FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup QF

Ive spent many boring hours at work recently reading through the various top story threads on this forum and glad ive found this one. Hopefully its still active once I get up to the latest post as im enjoying it so far.

Obviously im only up to 2022 at the minute but was wondering how on earth my Real life club Norwich Achieved euro qualification. Assuming its through the league cup possibly but just wondered as we never ever take the cups serious in real life hence our awful record over the years.

Well done and keep the good thread going! Hopefully still going strong once I catch up.

[Nobby_McDonald]

Settled into Ligue Une nicely AK.

[noikeee]

Last time I was here you were in Ligue 2, where you did a cracking work to only stay there 2 seasons. This last season must've been a little frustrating that you made no step forward but you're consolidating Balma in the french top tier, and I'm sure you'll make it a French football top side in a few years.

Just one tip, that whole world of football winners thing, there's something wrong with the screenies, probably they're not compressed, because they're taking ages to load. But no big deal.

[AK22]

Another decent season, think you can get take them further? You said you'd need a lot of strenghening first but might you be able to do that to the extent you need?

TBH, I'm not sure that I can take the side that much further. We're never going to be a regular top six side, as we don't get anywhere near the gate receipts that the top sides do and can't compete financially with them. There's some decent players joining in the summer, better than the current crop, but still not of the calibre that would be capable of European qualification.

With FM13 approaching, I can see myself only completing another season or two with Balma, so the clock's ticking if I'm to win any silverware with them.

A good season all things considered. How is prize money from the French Cup? Or is there any?

Thanks, cerud. Can't remember off the top of my head, but it's very little!

Ive spent many boring hours at work recently reading through the various top story threads on this forum and glad ive found this one. Hopefully its still active once I get up to the latest post as im enjoying it so far.

Obviously im only up to 2022 at the minute but was wondering how on earth my Real life club Norwich Achieved euro qualification. Assuming its through the league cup possibly but just wondered as we never ever take the cups serious in real life hence our awful record over the years.

Well done and keep the good thread going! Hopefully still going strong once I catch up.

Thanks for reading, Mattias! Norwich were runners-up in the FA Cup, and achieved Europa League qualification due to Arsenal having already qualified for the Champions League. The following season, Norwich finished third in the Europa League group, behind Rangers and CSKA Moscow.

Settled into Ligue Une nicely AK.

Cheers, Nobby, we're nicely established now.

Last time I was here you were in Ligue 2, where you did a cracking work to only stay there 2 seasons. This last season must've been a little frustrating that you made no step forward but you're consolidating Balma in the french top tier, and I'm sure you'll make it a French football top side in a few years.

Just one tip, that whole world of football winners thing, there's something wrong with the screenies, probably they're not compressed, because they're taking ages to load. But no big deal.

Thanks, noikeee. It was a tad frustrating; the most annoying thing, however, is that our average attendance actually went down by 300 to 4533. I really would like to think we should be getting more bums on seats by now!!

Not sure what's going on with the screenies- is anyone else having problems with them?

[Mattias333]

Right im finally up to date! Need more updates now to keep me busy at work!

Very interesting journey right there.

Interesting talking point you make with your journey.

Im a home & away season ticket holder at Norwich City (for my sins). I was saying to the lads the other day I wondered what would happen if a manager who had achieved great success (like you have in game most recently with Real Madrid) just packed up and went to a League 1 team for example. A Ferguson, Mourinho etc.....leaving there club and all the glory theyve achieved and going back down to where they started all the years ago in the lower leagues and proving they really are specially by achieving success there.

Great stuff and look forward to continued reading.

[B.W.G]

Doing well with Balma,good to see you have got them settled in top flight,hopefully you can find the right signing to help you move up the table.

[AK22]

Right im finally up to date! Need more updates now to keep me busy at work!

Very interesting journey right there.

Interesting talking point you make with your journey.

Im a home & away season ticket holder at Norwich City (for my sins). I was saying to the lads the other day I wondered what would happen if a manager who had achieved great success (like you have in game most recently with Real Madrid) just packed up and went to a League 1 team for example. A Ferguson, Mourinho etc.....leaving there club and all the glory theyve achieved and going back down to where they started all the years ago in the lower leagues and proving they really are specially by achieving success there.

Great stuff and look forward to continued reading.

Thanks Mattias! I'm not sure any manager in real life would drop down so many divisions after so much success, but the challenge is a lot more appealing than just playing and dominating season after season. It does get quite boring after a while! I'm not sure how much further I can take Balma, though, especially with FM13 coming out soon, but there should be another season or two before then.

Doing well with Balma,good to see you have got them settled in top flight,hopefully you can find the right signing to help you move up the table.

Cheers, B.W.G. I think midtable is the best we can aim for really; I don't see us getting towards the top six anytime soon, unfortunately.

[AK22]

Balma SC: Pre-Season 2044/45

How much further can I take them? That's the question I keep on asking, and I'm not sure I really like the answer I get back. We've done extremely well to achieve back-to-back seasons of midtable consolidation, but we're still a million miles away from competing with the PSGs, Marseilles and Lyons of the Ligue 1 world. Currently, we neither have the financial clout or infrastructure in place to make hay in this division, and realistically, I can't see this changing for several seasons; we'll just have to get on with it and do the best we can.

Board Expectations

Ligue 1: Stay clear of relegation

Coupe de France: Reach the Eleventh Round

Coupe de la Ligue: Reach the Fourth Round

Media Prediction: 15th

Transfer Budget: £8m

Wage Budget: £110k per week (currently spending £79k per week)

Transfer Summary[/url]

Key Signings: Oscar Posas (ST) £400k, Ljubisa Milutinovic (MC) £800k, Ondrej Cerny (AMR) £60k, Sergey Mazanik (DM) £300k, Marcelo De Los Santos (DR) £400k, Prince Eze (DC) £275k, Mario Enamorado (ST) £1m

Finally, with some money to spend, I really feel that I've now managed to upgrade some members of the squad. We've got some exciting options open to us now, giving me some viable choices to change things mid-match; we should also cope with injuries a lot better than before.

[deltablue]

Hope the money makes a difference.

[noikeee]

WOW, that's some cracking players there, particularly like the look of the Honduran forwards and Milutinovic.

[AK22]

Hope the money makes a difference.

WOW, that's some cracking players there, particularly like the look of the Honduran forwards and Milutinovic.

Yeah, it was a pleasant change to actually spend some money! The players are all pretty decent too!

[AK22]

Balma SC: Midtable Obscurity

We're still in no danger of making any serious money, but just about ticking over at a small loss. It's nothing to worry about though, as come the end of season, the Ligue 1 prize money will help balance the books. That said, there's still no word on any improvements to the club's facilities, and unfortunately, I can't say I'm surprised.

Domestic Football - 2044/45 Winter Break

http://i1224.photobucket.com/albums/ee368/AKAK22/FM12 Career/Balma/204445/BalmaSportingClubFixtures_Fixtures-1.jpg[/img]"]Domestic Fixtures

We're in a slightly better position than this time last year, but it still looks like we'll be aiming for another season challenging the middle of Ligue 1.

Unfortunately, the curse of the strikers has returned, and occasionally, we cannot buy a goal. This hasn't been helped at all by injuries to new signings Oscar Posas and Mario Enamorado, who are both out until well into the new year, and have had to rely on Hasan Sömnez to do the business. However, if we can rectify this, and become more prolific, it's quite conceivable we can climb the table a bit; we're extremely strong defensively, and even after conceding four against PSG, we've still got the second best goals against record in the division.

Toulouse 1-2 Balma SC - A good start to our campaign.

Balma SC 2-0 Lille - Another solid three points.

AJ Auxerre 1-2 Balma SC - We always seem to beat Auxerre, not that I'm complaining.

PSG 4-0 Balma SC - Not our day at all- we did well only to concede four against the free-scoring league leaders.

Balma SC 2-1 Saint-Etienne - Our final game before the break, consolidating our top half position.

[AK22]

Balma SC: Patience Is A Virtue

We've got money! Not a lot, but we're definitely making a profit now, and this may be just enough to convince the board to make some upgrades to the off-pitch facilities.

Finances | Transfer Summary

Domestic Football - End of Season 2044/45

Position Graph | Fixtures 1 | Fixtures 2 | Season Summary | Equipe des Etoiles France Football

Only three league defeats since Christmas has seen us climb up to the dizzy heights of fifth place in Ligue 1, securing our highest ever league finish, and European football for the first time in the club's history.

We may still be missing a prolific goalscorer, but things have really started to come together nicely, with several players contributing with the goals needed to propel ourselves up the league. We've been resolute, extremely gritty, and currently have that handy knack of securing wins without playing at our best.

Nîmes Olympique 1-5 Balma SC - Five goals in a fantastic away display.

Balma SC 2-1 OM - A great performance against one of the top four.

RC Strasbourg 2-1 Balma SC - This result showed that we can quite easily still have an off day, every now and again.

Vannes 1-4 Balma SC - Ondrej Cerny had a brilliant game, picking up the match ball.

Balma SC 0-2 PSG - We're still not good enough to beat the champions.

Balma SC 6-1 Toulouse FC - The final game of the season, and we certainly saved the best 'til last.

Squad Overview

Key Players: Prince Eze (AvR: 7.15), Hasan Sönmez (8 goals), Kolbeinn Sigurðarson (6 assists), Ljubisa Milutinovic (9 assists), Oscar Posas (14 goals)

Fans Player of the Year: Prince Eze

Team of the Year | Overall Best XI

As I've said, we're still missing a regular goalscorer, and at times this season, finding the net has been a huge struggle. However, I feel there is light at the end of the tunnel, as Oscar Posas has shaken off his injury worries and found form during the run-in. If he can maintain this into the next season, I reckon we might be on to a winner.

Career Summary

Season     Team              League                     Finish    Cups
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2011/12    Unemployed
2012/13    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet South      3rd       FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round, FA Trophy 2nd Round
2013/14    Kingstonian       Blue Square Bet Premier    3rd       FA Cup 1st Round, FA Trophy 1st Round
2014/15    Kingstonian       npower League Two          16th      FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 1st Round, JPT 1st Round
2015/16    Kingstonian       npower League Two          17th**    **Resigned 19/12/2015
          Hull City         npower League One          6th       FA Cup 4th Round
2016/17    Hull City         npower League One          1st       FA Cup 1st Round, Carling Cup 1st Round, JPT Winner
2017/18    Hull City         npower Championship        2nd       FA Cup 5th Round, Carling Cup 2nd Round
2018/19    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    5th       FA Cup Semi-Final, Carling Cup Semi-Final
2019/20    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    7th       Europa League 2nd KO Rd, FA Cup 6th Rd, Carling Cup 3rd Rd
2020/21    Fulham            Barclays Premier League    8th**     **Resigned 13/11/2020
          Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    6th       Europa League 1st KO Rd, FA Cup 5th Rd
2021/22    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    3rd       Europa League Winners, FA Cup 4th Rd, Carling Cup QF
2022/23    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    1st       Champions League Runner-Up, FA Cup 3rd Rd, Carling Cup QF
2023/24    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    1st       Champions League SF, FA Cup SF, Carling Cup QF
2024/25    Liverpool         Barclays Premier League    2nd       Champions League Runner-Up, FA Cup SF, Carling Cup Winners
2025/26    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  4th       N/A
                            Primera División Clausura  3rd       Copa Argentina QF
2026/27    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  1st       Copa Sudamericana SF
                            Primera División Clausura  3rd       Copa Libertadores RU, Copa Argentina 7th Rd
2027/28    Estudiantes       Primera División Apertura  2nd       Copa Sudamericana Winner
                            Primera División Clausura  1st       Copa Libertadores SF, Copa Argentina RU
2028/29    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League 1st KO Rd, DFB-Pokal QF
2029/30    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League Winners, DFB-Pokal Winners
2030/31    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 2nd       Europa League Winners, Club World Cup Winners
2031/32    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 1st       Champions League Runner-Up
2032/33    Leverkusen        Bundesliga                 3rd**     **Resigned 25/11/2032
          Genoa             Serie A                    7th       TIM Cup Quarter Final
2033/34    Genoa             Serie A                    3rd       TIM Cup Runner-Up
2034/35    Genoa             Serie A                    2nd       Champions League QF, TIM Cup QF
2035/36    Genoa             Serie A                    1st       Champions League SF, TIM Cup Winners
2036/37    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League Winners, Copa del Rey Winners
2037/38    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League Winners, Copa del Rey Winners, CWC Winners
2038/39    Real Madrid       La Liga                    1st       Champions League SF, Copa del Rey Winners, CWC Winners
2039/40    Balma             Championnat National       2nd       Coupe de France 10th Round
2040/41    Balma             Ligue 2                    6th       Coupe de France 7th Round, Coupe de la Ligue 4th Round
2041/42    Balma             Ligue 2                    2nd       Coupe de France 9th Round, Coupe de la Ligue 2nd Round
2042/43    Balma             Ligue 1                    11th      Coupe de France Quarter Final, Coupe de la Ligue 3rd Round
2043/44    Balma             Ligue 1                    10th      Coupe de France 10th Round, Coupe de la Ligue 3rd Round
2044/45    Balma             Ligue 1                    5th       Coupe de France 9th Round, Coupe de la Ligue 4th Round

[B.W.G]

Congrats on a high placed finish,Europe here you come

[deltablue]

Good luck in the club's first ever European season.

[AK22]

Congrats on a high placed finish,Europe here you come

Good luck in the club's first ever European season.

Cheers guys! But that is probably it for FM12 (although never say never!). I have really enjoyed my time with Balma, and may regret that I don't take them into Europe, but this seems a good as place as any to bring things to a halt

I'll be looking to start my FM13 career soonish (maybe on release day), and will utilise the BETA to have a go at one of the CSE challenges. That said, I really hope the game speed is improved, as even with a decent system, FM13 runs a lot slower than FM12- this could place a rather large spanner in the works of my career game if not rectified.

[deltablue]

Understandable, I think those of us waiting for the proper release are wrapping things up for this FM year.

[B.W.G]

Was a brilliant career,take a bow

[BadManager]

It seems a shame not to take the club to their first continental foray, but in a way I can also see it as a nice end to the story.

Will keep a lookoput for the AK22 FM13 career.

[AK22]

Cheers everyone! New thread will be up and running by this time next week (all being well!)

[Hypanimz]

What a brilliant final season. A fitting way to bring down the curtain on a amazing career. I'm looking forward to seeing your next career.

[noikeee]

Well done in this final season, taking Balma to Europe was a nice achievement to close this journey on a high note.

[AK22]

What a brilliant final season. A fitting way to bring down the curtain on a amazing career. I'm looking forward to seeing your next career.

Well done in this final season, taking Balma to Europe was a nice achievement to close this journey on a high note.

Thanks! Part of me thinks I should have done one more season, and taken Balma into their Europa League campaign, but now that I've been playing FM13 for a bit, FM12 seems a bit 'last year'...

[Mark Heath]

well done on a great career.

[AK22]

well done on a great career.

Thanks Mark! New thread coming soon...