[FM11]Deltablue Rising II: Delta's Darlings.

[Dexter_Morgan]

AEK sounds a decent challenge to get you going again, good luck with the job

[deltablue]

AEK sounds a decent challenge to get you going again, good luck with the job

Thanks, could do with something really good right now.

Summer 2059

Season 50 approached with Club 13: AEK Athens. Greece had a long pre-season, which was nice. The squad seemed reasonable enough, and a repeat of the Betis influx was made rather unlikely by the fact that quality potential signings were few and far between aside from non-eu players, of which I could only have 5 registered, and the club had 6, though I could probably clear a slot or two. Financially we had almost 4.5M in the bank, and were using about 2/3rds of a 90kpw wage budget.

In the end (with a lot of non-eu juggling), 7 players proved to be a good balance between improvement and stability. The board simply expected a top-half finish and I hoped that I had a bit of quality that would enable us to be reasonably competitive this year, and I felt we could make a promising start, though we were probably still a bit behind the stronger sides. Otherwise aside from meeting the board target there was little expectation or pressure about this year.

Bekoe

Biro

Bustos

Duda

Konstantinidis

Martins

Yenay

Transfers

[Dexter_Morgan]

Some handy players there deltablue, i'd kill for anyone like Bekoe, Biro and Bustos in particular at the minute And the fact you've manged the 7 for so cheap is a brilliant piece of business, with those I have no doubt you'll have a better year this year.

[noikeee]

Oh dear, that was an unusual season for a manager of your track record. I suppose when a team gets into a spiral of doom of poor morale it's very tough to turn it around if lucky doesn't go along with you, or if the wrong fixture comes at the wrong time.

Good luck in Greece, I've got that league loaded too, in order to manage Panathinaikos, Olympiakos or AEK eventually in the future.

[deltablue]

Some handy players there deltablue, i'd kill for anyone like Bekoe, Biro and Bustos in particular at the minute And the fact you've manged the 7 for so cheap is a brilliant piece of business, with those I have no doubt you'll have a better year this year.

Biro wasn't that cheap, and there were a few other strong players I'd have got for a similar price. He had the advantage of being part-Italian so doesn't count as Non-eu. Actually secured a 16yr old Brazilian who is just as good as any of the above for the same price, but as he won't come for 1 1/2 years I've decided I'll show him later.

Oh dear, that was an unusual season for a manager of your track record. I suppose when a team gets into a spiral of doom of poor morale it's very tough to turn it around if lucky doesn't go along with you, or if the wrong fixture comes at the wrong time.

Good luck in Greece, I've got that league loaded too, in order to manage Panathinaikos, Olympiakos or AEK eventually in the future.

It's something to do with their wearing Green. They're the 4th club of that colour this career and it hasn't gone well at any of them.

Anyway things have definitely gone better this year...

(any hints on making it bigger as it's barely managable, both with photobucket and imageshack, which is why I use links). Hopefully its just about big enough for most people, but in case it isn't, it's 2nd place with 4 wins from 4.

Admitedly we haven't yet faced anyone who finished in the top half last year (though that will change when we go to Rodos next, and in the last decade they've turned into a national power with 4 titles and 5 2nd places), and we probably won't end up in the top few places but winning the bread and butter games on a regular basis will make for a very promising start indeed, and a great contrast to last season.

[Lower Leagues Rule]

(any hints on making it bigger as it's barely managable, both with photobucket and imageshack, which is why I use links)

I generally use paint to just cut out and edit it to just the info you want, this can generally make it bigger as it cuts out all the excess, just a possible idea.

[deltablue]

I generally use paint to just cut out and edit it to just the info you want, this can generally make it bigger as it cuts out all the excess, just a possible idea.

Thanks, just tried but won't work though as the image as it appears on paint is just too large. Paint won't 'scroll across' when selecting something like word and excel so even if I had a working left-click button (which I don't, which makes things even more complicated) I couldn't select the whole length of the table anyway. After trying a few things I did eventually crop the picture on photobucket and save it, but it became too blurred and pixelated when I was finally able to select it all on paint and expand it.

[B.W.G]

Very tough season (well most in this case) with Betis but the best of luck at AEK Athens.

[deltablue]

Very tough season (well most in this case) with Betis but the best of luck at AEK Athens.

It was indeed, much better in Athens so far though.

[deltablue]

Sept 2059

Pyrasos 2-4 AEK (GSL)

An opening game against Pyrasos (newly promoted) gave us a good chance to start well. It started evenly enough but they ramped up the pressure later in the first half and took the lead (from an own-goal by our new keeper, Duda) just before the break. We knew this wasn’t good enough and came racing out of the blocks in the second half, senior forward Lyberopoulos equalizing after 5 minutes. They resumed their hard push but captain Gizdic gave us the lead on the break in the 73rd minute. They headed in a corner shortly afterwards, but the Liberian winger Yenay scored on his debut in the 85th minute, and the Estonian Mandelkorn made it 4-2 in stoppage time, but it had been an incredibly hard fought win. I was just glad I didn’t have to wait anywhere near as long as at Betis.

AEK 1-0 Giannina (GSL)

Giannina was far more comfortable. Mandelkorn gave us the only goal in the 20th minute, but we were worth another, and it was a relief that despite a few second half chances from Giannina they didn’t snatch a point.

Larisa 0-3 AEK (GSL)

The Estonian made it 3 goals from 3 games in the 2nd minute at Larisa. We had a few hairy moments before he scored again in the 52nd minute. He completed his hat-trick 20 minutes later, making us one of three teams with 9 points out of 9.

AEK 3-0 Ethnikos (GSL)

The Romanian Dinu gave us the lead in the 13th minute against Ethinkos, extending it in the 19th minute. Lyberopoulos made it 3 in the 69th minute, and in truth as they were another promoted team it was expected.

Oct 2059

Rodos 3-1 AEK (GSL)

Rodos away was a far tougher test than the games so far. It took time for them to get going, but they were definitely the stronger later in the first half, scoring just before the break. They scored another in the 51st minute, and even mae it 3-0, which seemed a bit harsh, but Lyberopoulos gave us a consolation after 70 minutes, as we had been second best, but not as much as I feared we might be.

AEK 2-1 Pierkos (GSL)

We hoped to bounce back against Pierkos, but went behind in the 10th minute. The words ‘quality’ and ‘Estonian’ may not seem like they’d go together but Mandelkorn struck with 2 goals (taking him to 7 in 5 and a half games) to give us a 2-1 lead after half an hour. We were mostly comfortable though they came close to a last-minute equalizer.

Fostiras 0-2 AEK (GC)

We had our opening cup game at non-league Fostiras, and they weren’t much of a threat, but we also took it slow. Lyberopoulos gave us the lead in the 38th minute, and Mandelkorn made it more respectable late on.

Xanthi 1-1 AEK (GSL)

Xanthi were up there with us, and had just been the first team to take points off Rodos this year, so I knew they’d be a tough trip. They took the lead in the 5th minute, but a captain’s goal from Gizdic levelled it in the 10th. They had a player sent off late in the first half but were still strong enough that holding out for a point was a relief, not a wasted opportunity to win. However Mandelkorn being injured for 2-3 months was very bad news.

League Table

Nov 2059

AEK 5-1 Kastoria (GSL)

Biro had been taken off in the first game for Mandelkorn, and been sidelined by the Estonian after that, but he took his chance to get back into the side and gave us the lead in the 2nd minute against Kastoria. Yenay’s penalty made it a deserved 2-0 after 35 minutes. In truth this was never going to be a tough game, and Dinu gave us a 3rd in the 53rd minute. Colombian defender Rueda made it 4-0 5 minutes later, and though they soon headed in a corner, another Dinu goal, 10 minutes after his first, wrapped up a 5-1 win.

Doxa Dramas 2-0 AEK (GSL)

We failed to show the same life at Doxa Dramas. They eventually took the lead in the 66th minute, and put it beyond us in the 77th.

AEK 4-3 Olympiakos (GSL)

Olympiakos were having a bad season down in 12th. We piled in the pain in an epic game. Gizdic got sent off in the 14th minute, but that didn’t stop us taking control of the game from goals Biro and Dinu after 32 minutes. They took the defence apart to come back to 2-2 before half time, and upped the pressure in the second half. Croatian winger Males made it 3-2 to us in the 54th minute, but so strong were the Olympiakos attacks that it was near-inevitable that they’d equalize, which they did in the 76th minute. Martins grabbed a winner with a couple of minutes left but it was a very close thing indeed.

Panthinaikos 1-1 AEK (GSL)

Going to champions Panathinaikos would be far tougher. Martins caught the keeper off his line to give us the lead after just 15 seconds. They unsurprisingly equalized in the 36th minute. We had some good spells in the second half but I was still happy with a draw.

AEK 2-0 Vyzas (GSL)

We could go second if we beat Vyzas, but as much as we pounded them in the first half, but had to wait until the 57th minute when Males gave us the lead. Biro extended it a few minutes later.

League Table

What a difference a new club makes! I didn't expect to be doing anywhere near as well already. My reputation has already been restored to the point that I was the favourite for the Juventus job, but aside from it being too early to go anywhere else, this is a very promising start and even if I'm linked with more big jobs (which is basically what I wanted), it might well be worth staying and enjoying what could be a good stint in Athens.

[Dexter_Morgan]

Good start deltablue I know you're well in to the save but still finding it hard to believe how Rodos have turned in to a force

[Scarman]

Decent work in Scotland, it seems like it was a tough system to be promoted in. I was going to say that the move to Betis might prove to be great, building them up to be a giant of Spain, but that one didn't end too well Things going a lot better in Greece now though Interesting to see AEK predicted about mid table, and Olympiakos aren't doing flash hot either, how long has it been since either won a league title?

[Raware]

Tough break in Spain delta but looking a lot more promising in Greece

[PaulHartman71]

tough luck with Betis, a challenge like that can go either way and is a shame the squad didn't gel quick enough for it go your way. Good luck in Greece regardless

[deltablue]

Good start deltablue I know you're well in to the save but still finding it hard to believe how Rodos have turned in to a force

Indeed, it was a very gradual rise over many years, but since winning their first title just over 10 years ago (early enough that I faced them in the CL with my legendary (well they should be) Milan side) they've only been outside the top two twice so have definitely established themselves.

Decent work in Scotland, it seems like it was a tough system to be promoted in. I was going to say that the move to Betis might prove to be great, building them up to be a giant of Spain, but that one didn't end too well.Things going a lot better in Greece now though Interesting to see AEK predicted about mid table, and Olympiakos aren't doing flash hot either, how long has it been since either won a league title?

When I saw how low Olympiakos were I checked their predicted position which was 3rd so they're still considered one of the big clubs. To answer your question Olympiakos last won the title just a few years back, winning it once or twice every so often, not like their real life dominance. AEK won in 2015 and 2016, their first since a 3 back to back in the early 90's, and admitedly with Olympiakos being the dominant force in real life in recent years and Panathanaikos grabbing most of the rest, AEK aren't expected to ever get much of a look in anyway.

Tough break in Spain delta but looking a lot more promising in Greece

I must admit I had very high hopes indeed for Betis so it was terrible to see how quickly they were crushed. Greece has been great though.

tough luck with Betis, a challenge like that can go either way and is a shame the squad didn't gel quick enough for it go your way. Good luck in Greece regardless

I did descride Betis as a mixture of challenge and potential, didn't expect it to fall so far in the negative direction but that's how things go. AEK has been far better so far than I imagined.

Dec 2059

Panaitolikos 0-2 AEK (GSL)

We were a little wobbly at Panaitolikos, but otherwise managed to beat them with little fuss, Spanish midfielder Alfonso giving us the lead in the 13th minute, with Rueda giving us a second in the 27th.

AEK 1-0 Olympiakos Volou (GSL)

The game against Olympiakos Volou was rather more boring than their Athenian namesakes, but what mattered was that thanks to Alfonso’s 35th minute goal, we took a deserved win.

AEK 0-2 Aris (GSL)

Aris was a reasonably tricky last game before Christmas, and it seemed the shopping had worn out my players as they took a 2-0 lead in the first 18 minutes with little difficulty. We had a good attempt at coming back later in the half but nothing came of it.

League Table

Jan 2060

AEK 3-1 Pyrasos (GSL)

Pyrasos were an easy start to 2060. Martins gave us the lead in the 23th minute. Biro extended it after half an hour, Martins made it 3-0 in the 50th minute, and while they got a late consolation it was comfortable.

AEK 2-0 Asteras Tripolis (GC)

We were at home to Asteras Tripolis in the cup. Martins gave us the lead in the 32rd minute, and though they equalized at the start of the second half, Biro restored the lead after just a few minutes, getting a second goal in the 87th minute as we cruised through to the quarter-finals.

Giannina 2-2 AEK (GSL)

We went behind in the 5th minute at Giannina, but Biro scored in the 20th and 30th minutes to give us the lead. They immediately equalized, and with plenty of chances for each side it was amazing there wasn’t a winner.

AEK 4-2 Larisa (GSL)

Martins gave us the lead in the 12th minute against Larisa, Males restored it in the 22nd minute, just after their equalizer, and they made it 2-2 in the 33rd minute. The Croat scored again on the hour mark, but after they came close, it was a relief to see a Biro stoppage time goal make it safe.

Ethnikos 0-2 AEK (GSL)

We had plenty of chances at Ethnikos but didn’t look like getting the win until Yenay’s 72nd minute penalty, Bustos adding another in stoppage time.

AEK 1-0 Rodos (GSL)

Rodos were 5 points ahead, so unless we won it looked like we wouldn’t be seriously competing this year. We matched them blow for blow, and snatched a slightly lucky win from Algerian winger Dahar in the 74th minute.

Feb 2060

Pierikos 0-3 AEK (GSL)

Biro gave us the lead in the 19th minute at Pierikos. Bustos have us another in the 28th minute. They had a goal disallowed in the second half, with Martins wrapping it up in the 64th minute. Having been 5 points behind 2 games ago we were level with Rodos at the top.

AEK 2-0 Kastoria (GC QF)

We played Kastoria in the cup quarter-final. Martins eventually gave us the lead in the 50th minute, making it safe in the 78th minute, sending us through to the semi-finals, and as we were the only side in the top half (as things stand) left we had decent crack at it.

AEK 4-1 Xanthi (GSL)

Playing Xanthi was a 2nd v 3rd match. Martins had a goal disallowed in the 32nd minute but scored anyway 8 minutes later (which is always nice to see, don’t think I saw it once on FM12 though). Dahar extended it in the 49th minute with Biro and another Martins goal helping us to a 4-1 win, though they did get a consolation in between those two goals.

Kastoria 1-3 AEK (GSL)

Rodos lost to Panathenaikos before we went to Kastoria, which gave us a great chance to take the lead. Biro had a goal disallowed after half a hour, and they took the lead before the break. Within 13 minutes of the second half, Dahar and Konstantinidis (from a penalty) had made it 2-1 to us. Gidzic finished off a 3-1 win with 10 minutes left, and in truth as they had been second-bottom (not bottom) with only one player on even 2 league goals, anything other than a win would have been a slip-up, but what mattered was having a 3 point lead with 7 games to go.

AEK 2-0 Doxa Dramas (GSL)

Having lost at Doxa Dramas we owed them a win now. A Males header was turned in for an own-goal in the 16 minutes. Another own-goal in our favour arrived in the 77th minute with a disallowed Martins goal the closest we got to one of our own.

League Table

Wow, Rodos looked like cruising to a reasonably comfortable title, so leading at this late stage was quite something. However we still had to go to Olympiakos (which was next), followed by Panathenaikos (at home but that still could be dropped points), and having lost to Aris at home, going to theirs on the final day wouldn't be easy, so we still had a few hurdles left and even if we fell it would only take a bit away from a great first season in Greece. If we did finish second we would face a European playoff (for teams between 2nd and 5th) to determine European qualification (which depending on the cup was mostly assured with 5 European places). Having none of the top sides left in the cup meant we had a strong chance of winning that, so could end up with at least one trophy, maybe even a double, but as stated earlier, just being close would make for a very good debut season in Greece, so no chicken-counting yet by any means.

On another note, this thread is now the same length as my last one reached, given how many more seasons I've played it doesn't say much about my ability to keep people interested but it's still nice to reach that point

[Dexter_Morgan]

Excellent part to the season there deltablue, looks like AEK were just the right club for you Good luck for the rest of the season

[B.W.G]

Doing brilliantly with AEK,hopefully the rest of the season can go just as well for you.

[deltablue]

Excellent part to the season there deltablue, looks like AEK were just the right club for you Good luck for the rest of the season

Doing brilliantly with AEK,hopefully the rest of the season can go just as well for you.

Pity things quickly dropped off but managed a strong season anyway.

Mar 2060

Olympiakos 1-0 AEK (GSL)

We had a couple of tough tests coming up, starting at Olympiakos. We struggled in the first half, but held out to have a better second half, which made it cruel that they got a winner in the 68th minute as we easily deserved a point.

AEK 0-0 Panathinaikos (GSL)

We were more positive against Panathenaikos, but again were level at the break, and again we had to settle for slightly less than we deserved.

Vyzas 2-0 AEK (GSL)

We went to Vyzas in the league, before having a repeat fixture in the first of a cup double-header. They went 2-0 up in the first 8 minutes, and we had a goal disallowed just before the break, setbacks that despite a lot of effort we couldn’t come back from. A poor month so far left us just behind Panathenaikos in 3rd, 5 points adrift of Rodos with 3 games left and it looked like 2nd or 3rd was the best we could hope for.

Vyzas 1-3 AEK (GC SF)

We hoped things would go better in the cup. Again Lyberopoulos had a goal disallowed, in the 28th minute, though they had one of their own a few minutes later. They took the lead in the 58th minute, but Mandelkorn equalized a couple of minutes later, and he wrapped up a 3-1 win in stoppage time after Konstantinidis’ penalty gave us the lead from a 72nd minute penalty.

AEK 3-1 (6-2) Vyzas (GC SF)

They took the lead after 5 minutes in the home leg, but Rueda knocked the ball in in the 21st minutes, followed by Males in the 28th. Sub defender Kliafas put it beyond them in the 69th minute, before walking for a professional foul.

Apr 2060

AEK 3-1 Panaitolikos (GSL)

We would face Panaitolikos in the cup final, and had a warm-up against them in the league. It wasn’t too difficult, Mandelkorn giving us the lead in the 23rd minute, and again in the 29th. They got a goal back in the 59th minute but Mandelkorn completed his hat-trick in the 77th minute as we beat them easily enough. That was our last home game in the regular season.

Olympiakos Volou 1-2 AEK (GSL)

Unfortunately 10 minutes in at Olympiakos Volou the goalkeeper Duda went off injured. As the existing first choice was Argentine I decided it wasn’t worth keeping them both to take up 2 of my 5 non-eu slots, and I had no sub keeper to bring on for him (though we might manage with a young reserve if needed in other games, that wouldn’t help us now). I can’t remember the last time I had a keeper taken off injured or sent off in a game, probably not this career of for couple of years, so it was very bad timing. Dinu took his turn in goal and did well as they dominated early on, but Mandelkorn snatched the lead in the 39th minute. They equalized in the 51st minute but Mandelkorn quicky struck to give us the win.

Aris 2-1 AEK (GSL)

Going into the last match, at Aris, we were still level with Panathinaikos in the race for 2nd, knowing we’d either finish 2nd or 3rd. They had beaten us at home before Christmas so I was a bit worried, however we were by far the brighter team in the first half, keeping the pressure off reserve keeper Kartalis, while Panathinaikos went behind in their game. I would still be more comfortable if we took the lead, but not only did we fail to do that, Aris started really pushing. In the 72nd minute they broke through and quickly got another, but Biro (just after coming on) got a goal back in the 77th minute, with just one more needed to get 2nd as things stood, but we couldn’t quite get 2nd.

AEK 2-1 (aet) Panaitolikos (GC Final)

We still had a shot at the 2nd CL place in the European Playoffs, but first we had the cup final against Panaitolikos, who finished 9th. Bustas bundled the ball past the returning Duda after 20 minutes to give them the lead, though that didn’t stop the Chilean get man of the match. Mandelkorn hit back a few minutes later, and then had another disallowed. I had hoped it would be more comfortable but it ended up going to extra-time, and looked like penalties, but Makrakis headed in a corner in the 113th minute to give us the cup.

May 2060

With the cup won, there was little pressure heading into the European playoffs, a group of 4 (the teams that finished 2nd-5th), playing each other twice, where we (and two of the others) would start with 2 points. We already would be in the Europa League 4th qualifying round, unless we grabbed the 2nd CL place, and unlike Belgium only qualification was at stake, not league position, and in fact unless a team from outside the top 5 wins the cup (not this time) or Greece loses a European place, only the competition and round is determined as we’d all qualify anyway, one way or another. Hope that explains it.

AEK 2-1 Xanthi (GSL Playoff)

The first game was a home to Xanthi. Males, who had broken the club’s assist in a season record, gave us the lead in the 4th minute, quickly followed by Lyberopoulos. They pushed hard after that, getting a goal after 70 minutes, and carried on but we held out.

Panathinaikos 0-2 AEK (GSL Playoff)

We went to Panathinaikos, and grabbed a goal on the break from Rueda in the 19th minute. They had most of the chances but we were really robbing them blind as Bustos extended it in the 65th minute.

Olympiakos 3-0 AEK (GSL Playoff

We already had a 4 point lead, over Olympiakos, and if we could avoid defeat at theirs we’d be in a good position. They took the lead in the 28th minute, and in the second half they finished us off well and good with two goals before the hour mark.

Xanthi 2-3 AEK (GSL Playoff)

We bounced back at Xanthi, Mandelkorn giving us the lead in the 13th minute. Within 5 minutes, Bustos and another Mandelkorn goal took us 3-0 up. They got a goal back in the 29th minute, and eventually got a 2nd in the 72nd minute, but we held on to win.

AEK 3-2 Panathinaikos (GSL Playoff)

Duda was injured again for the last two games, at home to the two Athenian giants, with Panathinaikos first. We only needed to go undefeated in each match, but went behind in the 18th minute Lyberopoulos equalized in the 35th minute. He gave us the lead 5 minute later, but they equalized just before half-time. The game was much tighter in the second half, but Mandelkorn gave us a winner in the 88th minute.

AEK 1-4 Olympiakos (GSL Playoff)

Whether we had drawn or beaten Panathinaikos didn’t change the situation ahead of the final game, which was essentially a CL place decider. We just needed a draw against Olympiakos at home, while they’d pip us on goal difference if they won. It looked good fo us, but we all know what happened to Brazil in 1950. We were on top in the first half, but couldn’t take the lead, and they grabbed a goal after half-time. While we sought an equalizer, they sneaked another in the 62nd minute. That ended our challenge, and they got a 3rd 10 minutes later. Biro scored a goal back with a few minutes left, but they got a 4th in stoppage time.

Final League Table

European Playoff Table

Season 50 ended with plenty to be happy about. 3rd and a cup is much better than we’d expect to do this year. It could even have been a lot better. It was slightly disappointing that our title challenge ended so suddenly, and that we just missed out on a CL place but it was still very encouraging, and with more gelling/development it hopefully wasn’t long until we managed either.

However reinforcement would be limited. We had been losing almost 500k each month and had less than 1M in the bank, a lot of that would be gone by the start of pre-season (though admittedly restored a bit by season ticket sales). I could probably still grab a couple of bargains like last year, and there was a very good midfielder arriving from Brazil half-way through next season, but while I expected we could consolidate, pushing on would be harder, and a bit of European money would be very useful, though even if we only needed to win one tie to get to the Europa League group stage, it wouldn’t be an easy one.

As mentioned earlier, I had reached 50 seasons for the first time, and I can’t blame anyone for not remembering my first few clubs (interesting to see if anyone can without looking it up), in fact having set the save up weeks before starting, I kept forgetting the name of the club I was starting at. As well as having had a good landmark season, the cup meant I now had another trophy to my name. It wasn’t just about quality (like 5 CL’s and 7 Consecutive Serie A’s for instance) and quantity, but variety as well, so having a new trophy in the cabinet was genuinely good.

Squad Stats

Star player: Limited on paper aside from being very fast, he smashed the record for assists in a season, and got a few good goals himself.

[Dexter_Morgan]

Shame you trailed off a bit deltablue, but a trophy and an overall strong campaign in your first season is still a good achievement and a much needed change after the struggles of last season

[deltablue]

Shame you trailed off a bit deltablue, but a trophy and an overall strong campaign in your first season is still a good achievement and a much needed change after the struggles of last season

Oh indeed it is.

Summer 2060

Strengthening would be a bit of a problem for a few reasons. Firstly we were maxed out at 5 strong non-eu players, so had to be very careful about bringing another in to replace one of them, the second was that while there were still some good EU players most of those weren’t great value, and a lot of those that weren’t would cost more than the 1.3M budget I had. Given I wanted to get multiple players that narrowed the options considerably.

I already had a very good Brazilian midfielder coming later in the season, after he turned 18, a deal made last year, and while I needed a left back and the only good ones were barely affordable, I still ended up with a couple of very good reinforcements in defence. With 7 signings last year there was plenty of potential for squad gelling to give us a bit of a boost, along with the useful defensive reinforcement we’d get. Plus having expected to get a cheap you South African, and even sold Rueda to make Non-eu room he went elsewhere so I even had a free slot to use next year, which would be nice to get at least one quality player. It did leave us slightly short defence, which got worse when Barakaldo exceeded Bekoe’s release clause (yep, they paid more then they needed to, probably to beat another bid even though it was unnecessary) and only having 1/3rd of it extra (which given we lose a lot of money over the season, was at least understandable), I needed to find another left-back, who wasn’t bad but not setting my pulse racing either.

The board wanted European qualification, which seemed reasonable, but I also hoped we could have another crack at the title, and if we were in the European playoff again, grab the CL place we barely missed out on last time. We drew a very short straw in Europe this year, as we would play Juventus. In other news, the first league game of the season will be my 2,000th! It’s a milestone I have reached before but not gone much further than.

Transfers

[cerud]

2060...not bad Probably the longest career I've seen. Congrats, deltablue!

[PaulHartman71]

Frigg, some Bulgarian team, BATE, Brighton, some Slovakian team, AC Milan, Dunfermline, Betis, AEK Athens. You also managed Ghana, Spain and England at some point iirc.

Edit: Missed a couple of teams out and somehow added England to your list of nations managed, but I'll say I was close enough

[Raware]

Not a bad season with AEK capped off with European qualification and some silverware . Looksl like some shrewd signings too to push you to the next level . (Just a quick point without sounding pedantic, the final league table is linked to the European playoff table).

[B.W.G]

Good first season with AEK,looks like you've made some good signings which could help push you on.

[deltablue]

2060...not bad Probably the longest career I've seen. Congrats, deltablue!

My previous best is 2053 on both FM10 and 11, though FM10 had the gold not just because of starting a season earlier but being in Sweden I reached near the end of the year.

Frigg, some Bulgarian team, BATE, Brighton, some Slovakian team, AC Milan, Dunfermline, Betis, AEK Athens. You also managed Ghana, Spain and England at some point iirc.

Edit: Missed a couple of teams out and somehow added England to your list of nations managed, but I'll say I was close enough

Not a bad guess, even with 4 missed completely

Not a bad season with AEK capped off with European qualification and some silverware . Looksl like some shrewd signings too to push you to the next level. (Just a quick point without sounding pedantic, the final league table is linked to the European playoff table).

Thanks, fixed now.

Good first season with AEK,looks like you've made some good signings which could help push you on.

Thanks, but hasn't quite worked out so far.

Aug/Sept 2060

Juventus 5-0 AEK (EL)

Opening the season at Juventus in the Europa League, we knew it wouldn’t go well. They took the lead in the 7th minute, but while they kept hammering away I was hopeful we’d be able to stop it from getting embarrassing. They scored a second just before half-time, and they found it easy after that to get a 5-0 win.

AEK 2-1 (2-6) Juventus (EL)

We went behind after half an hour at home as well. Mandelkorn equalized in the 50th minute, and even though we went down to 10 men, Martins gave us a winner on the night in the 78th minute as a consolation for a heavy aggregate defeat.

Kavala 1-2 AEK (GSL) 2,000th career match!!

We kicked off the league campaign with my 2,000th match at Kavala. Biro set us going in the 15th minute. Yenay scored a deserved second in the 53rd minute, and though a penalty gave them a goal back 20 minutes later, aside from a few late chances they were never likely to deny us a comfortable win.

AEK 4-1 Panathinaikos (GSL)

Panathinaikos at home was a good chance to make a gesture of intent. They had the same idea and took the lead in the 6th minute, and looked like they’d get more. Biro sneaked an equalizer in the 19th minute, followed by Bustos heading us into the lead. Thankfully Duda in goal was on fantastic form to keep out chance after chance from Panathinaikos. Males even extended the lead in the 75th minute, and Dahar rounded off a fantastic performance 10 minutes later, but despite the scoreline it was a hard fought win.

Aris 3-3 AEK (GSL)

Aris had also won both games, and as they beat us both times last year (costing us 2nd and maybe even the title) I was very cautious about going to Salonika again. The players were just as determined to pay them back, and in the first 10 minutes Biro and Bresciano took us 2-0 up. However they were still annoying, coming back to 2-2 before Bustos restored the lead on the stroke of half-time. They fought back again in the 2nd half, eventually equalizing in the 82nd minute.

AEK 1-2 Olympiakos (GSL)

A challenging start to the season continued against Olympiakos, who had beaten us heavily in both European playoff games (which we owed them big time for), and had a 100% record. They scored a penalty in the 8th minute, and it was only going to get worse, which it did in the 38th minute. Dahar scored a goal back in the 68th minute but otherwise we were too focussed on stopping them getting another to have much chance at equalizing.

League Table

Oct 2060

A. Karditsas 1-4 AEK (GSL)

Anagennisi Karditsas were a team I didn’t want to see because their long name, but on the pitch, even as an away game, they were little trouble. Dahar gave us the lead in the 34th minute, Martins and Evans making it 3-0 early in the second half, and though they got one back in the 66th minute, Bustos gave us a 4th, and Mandelkorn had another disallowed.

AEK 3-1 Xanthi (GSL)

We couldn’t take Xanthi for granted as they were 4th last year and were sitting 2nd now. We were just about the better in the first half, and Dahar gave us the lead in the 48th minute. Males and Biro made it 3-0 in the following 15 minutes to give us a commanding lead, though they scored with 10 minutes left.

Vyzas 2-4 AEK (GSL)

Vyzas were another team we lost to away later last season, though we got revenge in the cup just afterwards. That didn’t stop Biro tearing them apart in the first half. He scored in the 18th minute, made it 2 10 minutes later, and completed a hat-trick a few minutes before half-time. They got a goal back but Biro capped off a great day by setting up Martins in the 71st minute. 5 minutes from time they got a second consolation.

Aiolikos 0-4 AEK (GC)

We started our cup defence at Aiolikos. Martins set us on our way in the 4th minute. Biro extended it in the 32nd minute, and Martin went on to complete a hat-trick in the last 5 minutes, including from a penalty.

AEK 1-2 Pierkos (GSL)

Pierkos had been surprisingly strong starters this year, and we hoped to put them in their place. After a good first half, Biro’s 9th goal of the season put us ahead in the 44th minute. They equalized from a header in the 49th minute, and just after coming on, young defender Stamou own-goaled 10 minutes later to give them a winner, though we should have at least equalized.

League Table

The defensive reinforcements have been a bit of a failure so far, but we've very much upped the pace with the goals going in at the right end as well. Bit behind the top but had some tough games so far so plenty of hope to close in.

[Dexter_Morgan]

Your defence does seem leaky this year, luckily your firepower is making up for it and the gap isn't too big at this stage so it isn't too bad all in all

[cerud]

Things seem to be going well with AEK

[SRL88]

Just caught up with this. Shame how it went with Betis but you are going along pretty nicely with AEK.

[iHeadHunta x]

What an incredible thread!

[deltablue]

Your defence does seem leaky this year, luckily your firepower is making up for it and the gap isn't too big at this stage so it isn't too bad all in all

Indeed it has been, as there have been poor defensiver perfomances in most matches, especially by the newcomers, however after Larisa they got their act together.

Things seem to be going well with AEK

Just caught up with this. Shame how it went with Betis but you are going along pretty nicely with AEK.

Been going even better now.

What an incredible thread!

Indeed it is

Nov 2060

Larisa 2-2 AEK (GSL)

A Bustos header got us off to a flying start at Larisa. It was the Chilean’s 4th goal of the season, but he proved less good at defending, and so it proved when he let a Larisa forward past him to equalize in the 29th minute. Males restored the lead in the 65th minute but again we threw the points away as they equalized in the 77th minute.

AEK 3-1 Panaitolikos (GSL)

A Panaitolikos own-goal gave us the lead in the 2nd minute, and it as good to see defensive idiocy from the opposition. The team we beat in the cup final didn’t do much to avenge that. Alfonso scored in the 24th minute. They got a goal back in the 78th minute, but Biro had a goal disallowed afterwards, and Males gave us a deserved 3rd goal wih 5 minutes left.

Rodos 1-4 AEK (GSL)

We had yet to face champions Rodos, who were tied with Olympiakos at the top, but couldn’t put it off much longer as we had to face them away. Martins gave us the lead after 5 minutes, and while it looked like they would equalize (which it always does when you’re ahead to a big side no matter how even the game is) we looked for more and got another from Biro in the 26th minute. It had been going a bit too well and a few minutes later Bustos bundled the ball past a bemused Duda to pull it back for Rodos. We didn’t let it get to us, and Biro scored another in first half stoppage time, and completed a hat-trick in the 64th minute. They briefly piled on the pressure, but we were then free to look for more, with the excellent Dahar having a goal disallowed in the 77th minute, but it was still a fantastic win, and a real gesture of intent, if it hadn’t been for regular defensive failures wed probably be top, and if we could avoid them in the future we still might be.

AEK 4-0 Olympiakos Volou (GSL)

Biro and Martins had both been excellent this year, and they both scored in the first 11 minutes to give us a 2-0 lead against Olympiakos Volou. Martins scored another in the 38th minute, Males adding one of his own 4 minutes later. The Croatian winger scored again in the 51st minute. If only their namesakes would be so easy.

League Table

Dec 2060

Panionios 0-4 AEK (GSL)

A trip to Panionios wasn’t a tough game, but we still impressed, despite Joordens going off injured early on, thankfully Amarilla finally had a good game. We had an early goal disallowed, but Males gave us the lead in the 23rd minute, with Biro and Martins making it 3-0 at the break. Surprisingly Larisa were leading Olympiakos by the same margin so we had a good chance to take a 2 point lead. Surprisingly they didn’t even get a goal back, as Martins scord on the hour mark to win our game 4-0.

AEK 1-0 Doxa Dramas (GSL)

Doxa Dramas had beaten us last year, and they very nearly did it again this time, as we were weakened by injuries, including to Biro (who had scored exactly a goal a game), and Mandelkorn, who was in for him, went off just a few minutes into the game. We were on the back foot for long periods but Martins gave us a very lucky winner in the 82nd minute.

Giannina 0-1 AEK (GSL)

Biro was back when we went to Giannina, and I hoped to cement top spot, especially as 2nd placed Panathinaikos lost the day before. We definitely went for it and it was a relief when Gizdic finally gave us the lead in the 42nd minute. An inability to build on it led to a very tense ending as Giannina had a number of close chances late on, but it was worth holding out for a 6th win in a row (and 9th in the past 11 league games) as results elsewhere kept going in our favour and we were now 5 points clear at the half-way stage.

AEK 2-0 Kavala (GSL)

Kavala was a quiet end to the year. We didn’t set the first half alight, but Bustos gave us a 63rd minute lead. Biro finished it off with a great 88th minute chip. At one point it looked like we’d go 8 points clear, but I was still happy to see the lead increased to 6, and with Xanthi sitting in 2nd, as while they were a pretty good side I’d have been a lot more worried about the fight the two big Athens sides (both 8 points behind). However

January would be a tough month as we had to go to both the big two, having only got one point in total from the home games with them, plus play Aris, the draw earlier in the season being our only point in 3 league games, making them the team we had the worst record against. Early in February we also had to go to Xanthi, which wouldn’t be comfortable, so I was expecting to take a bit of a hit in the league, especially as Dahar, who had been excellent this season was out for 2-3 months.

League Table

Jan 2061

AEK 3-0 Kalamata (GC)

We cruised into the cup quarter-finals after facing Kalamata at home. Bustos gave us the lead after a minute. They proved hard to break down further but in the last 5 minute of the half, Lyberopoulos and Martins both struck to make it 3-0, and we were free to sit back. That was but a warmup for the tough run in the league.

Panathinaikos 0-1 AEK (GSL)

Panathinaikos was the first of 3 games in a row (and 4 in 5) that I wasn’t looking forward to, but if we could survive those we’d be in a great position. Sure enough they hit us very hard indeed early on. While was had a couple of chances I was amazed we weren’t a couple of goals down at half-time. The second half was a bit more even, but Lyberopoulos giving us a 72nd minute lead was still a surprise. That shut them up as we weren’t under much pressure afterwards as we won our 8th league game in a row.

AEK 0-2 Aris (GSL)

Our record against Aris was terrible, 2 defeats followed by a draw, which is why I really wanted to beat them now. Again we were seriously on the back foot. Even after they went down to 10 men they took the lead in the 60th minute, Biro had an equalizer disallowed and they even got a 2nd in the 84th minute. Xanthi took a late winner at Olympiakos Volou to close to 3 points, as it had not been a good day. If things didn’t go our way at Olympiakos (who had easily beaten us in our last 4 encounters) we would be under pressure when going to Xanthi a couple of games later.

Olympiakos 2-3 AEK (GSL)

We struck early, from Males in the 5th minute, but that didn’t make things any easier, especially as Bustos (who despite being a defender had been fantastic) was away with the Chilean U20’s. They kept coming but Biro suddenly burst free to make it 2-0 before the break. Lyberopoulos was very much taking advantage of Dahar’s injury moving Martins to the right, and he gave us a 3-0 lead in the 52nd minute. They still kept coming, getting a goal back in the 68th minute, they scored a penalty in the 86th, but we held on for a vital win.

AEK 3-1 A. Karditsas (GSL)

A. Karditsas was a calm in the middle of the storm, or at least were expected to be, as they were tough in the first half. The took a surprise lead in the 37th minute, but Biro equalized 5 minutes later. The second half was mostly one way traffic, with Martins giving us the lead in the 62nd minute, and Biro scoring his second of the match in the 77th.

League Table

I was worried early on, with the defensive problems, and Olympiakos looking like they were going to have a very good season, however when the defence clicked we really took off, with results elsewhere in our favour allowing us a strong lead, though that changed in January as though we managed fantastic wins at the big two, Aris still being a pain (just 1 point from 4 league encounters!!!!) gave a consistent Xanthi an opening. We go to them next, which will obviously be a massive game, but after that we'll already have the tough games out of the way, putting us in a great position if we can avoid defeat with a relatively clear path ahead (though we can't take every game for granted), and even if we do a relatively easy rest of the season gives us a good chance.

[B.W.G]

Brilliant turnaround for the season so far,hope the impressive form can keep up.

[SRL88]

Very impressive run.

[Dexter_Morgan]

Great run there deltablue, let's hope you can continue it

[deltablue]

Brilliant turnaround for the season so far,hope the impressive form can keep up.

Very impressive run.

Great run there deltablue, let's hope you can continue it

Sadly anything but...

Feb 2061

Xanthi 3-2 AEK (GSL)

If we could avoid defeat at Xanthi, we would be in a great position in the title race, unfortunately aside from Males being inavailable with a virus (like for the last game), the defensive problems returned at just the wrong time and gifted them the lead in the 5th minute. They needed to win by 3 goals to go top, and Olympiakos were 6 points behind, so there was still no pressure. Lyberopoulos equalized after half an hour, and Biro even gave us the lead in the 61st minute. They realized that being 6 points adrift with the comfortable run-in we had would be bad and pushed back. They had a goal disallowed with 10 minutes left, just before equalizing, and we couldn’t hold out as they snatched a win in stoppage time. But for the defence we’d be looking much more comfortable, but we were still ahead on goal difference with all the tricky games over and done with, were in a good position.

Vyzas 2-1 AEK (GC QF)

Having beaten Vyzas in the cup semi-finals last year, we went to theirs again in the quarters this time. Again luck and the defence weren’t on our side. An own-goal gave us the lead after 5 minutes, but after they equalized Lyberopoulos had a goal disallowed, and they took the lead though a questionable goal. We tried hard in the second half but couldn’t get anything, and Males was injured again at the end (though was alright afterwards).

AEK 0-0 Vyzas (GSL)

We immediately had a chance to get revenge in the league, but after an uneventful first half, we pushed harder in the second half and still couldn’t break through, as Xanthi took a 2 point lead.

Pierikos 0-2 AEK (GSL)

I was a bit worried about going to Pierikos, but they had quietened down after a strong first half of the season (which included beating us at home). While they were very subdued, finishing them off was a tougher matter, though Males delivered yet again in the 63rd minute, then set up Biro 20 minutes later. Xanthi’s comfortable run of games (admittedly aside from beating us at home) came to an end as they lost at home to Panathinaikos, so we went top again by a point, which was great news after the past few games.

AEK 1-1 Larisa (GSL)

Xanthi had already played and won before we faced Larisa. Again we threw a win away. Martins gave us the lead in the 2nd minute, before being the first of two injuries in positions we couldn’t afford. We still dominated, but couldn’t get a second goal which cost us when they equalized in the 77th minute with one of just a few shots they had all match. Olympiakos weren’t far behind us either.

League Table

Mar 2061

Panaitolikos (GSL)

The defence struck again at Panaitolikos. Joordens gave us the lead in the 36th minute, but as well as wasting chances, we let them in to equalize in stoppage time, and even get a winner in the 66th minute. Had we won we’d have gone 2 points clear, instead of 1 behind both Xanthi and Olympiakos, after the latter beat the former.

AEK 1-1 Rodos (GSL)

Rodos were having their worst season in over 10 years, getting through 2 managers (the second resigning after less than a month), but we were sitting ducks in the first half as they took the lead. We needed to stop Olympiakos opening up a lead, and there was relief we Martins equalized in the 69th minute, but that turned to misery when Biro had a late winner disallowed, then missed a great chance at the end.

Olympiakos Volou 1-3 AEK (GSL)

We returned to winning ways at Olympiakos Volou. Bustos gave us the lead in the 50th minute, which as things stood would let us close to a point of Olympiakos. However they took the lead in their game, and Olympiakos Volou equalized in the 78th minute, giving me a sinking feeling. Luckily Mandelkorn was on hand to give us the lead again in the 84th minute, and Martins sealed the win in stoppage time.

League Table

What a rollercoaster of emotion this game puts you through (though I wouldn't have it any other way)! When we were leading Xanthi I really thought we were going to do it, leading 6 points with far easier games left. However that wasn't as crushing as the series of failures that followed, not just the defence but a couple of cases where we really should have finished a side off but didn't. One of the worst moments of all was Biro's disallowed goal agaist Rodos. When Volou equalized I was like 'Not Again!!!!!!!!' though we pulled through on that one. We were in a great position, and are just throwing it away.

A tight end to the season in in order. I don't hold out too much hope of catching Olympiakos, but our 3 remaining games are against bottom half sides, Panionios, Doxa Dramas (the only one that might even slightly be a problem) and Giannina (two of them at home) so I don't expect us to drop any more points, and will be seriously angry if we do. Xanthi have home games with Vyzas and Larisa, as well as going to Pierikos, slightly less comfortable, but should expect most points from that. Olympiakos also have Larisa at home, while a trip to Panaitolikos and a last day game against Rodos are slightly tougher than what we have, I'm not sure it'll be enough tougher. We definitely have a shot, but on balance I'm not sure it'll be enough.

Interestingly enough, while defence has been a problem, saying 'leaky defence' is the problem isn't completely accurate as we've actually conceded less than the two teams above us, scoring slightly fewer, it's just a matter of throwing those goals away in so many bad moments.

[deltablue]

My players are utter imbeciles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dexter_Morgan]

Shame about your slip deltablue, i'm assuming your last post means they dropped more points.

[deltablue]

Shame about your slip deltablue, i'm assuming your last post means they dropped more points.

Not just that, but the crowning moment of failure (some achievement given all that's happened today), losing at home to the bottom side. There were a lot of mental swear words I can tell you. I had already said that I felt we had an easy last few games and I would be annoyed if we dropped more points, but this was just stupid.

Apr 2061

AEK 0-1 Panionios (GSL)

Squeaky bum time started at home to bottom club Panionios. It took a while to get going, and when we did we were constantly frustrated. We had to win, but somehow managed to lose to a 68th minute goal! At home! To the bottom side!

Doxa Dramas 0-0 AEK (GSL)

We weren’t quite out of it, but I had little hope left when we went to Doxa Dramas. We spent most of the first half holding out against them, the reverse was true in the second, but neither could make a breakthrough, though we did have a penalty claim rejected.

AEK 3-1 Giannina (GSL)

We were simply trying to hold on to 3rd when we played Giannina on the last day. We at least managed that. Martins gave us the lead in the 12th minute. Mogi got his first goal for the club in the 49th minute, followed by Mandelkorn, as we went on to win 3-1. I never thought I’d be so glad to see Olympiakos win as it meant that winning the last three games wouldn’t have been enough anyway.

Final League Table

May 2061

That still meant we had to face the European playoffs, which was nice last year, but having missed out on the title it feels like an extra burden of defeat. Last year Xanthi, Panathinaikos and ourselves all started on 2 points, this time only Xanthi had that where as ourselves and Panathinaikos would have 1. I think it’s a points gap thing. Rodos completed the quartet with none to start off with. Winning it to snatch the second CL place would at least be a decent consolation prize.

AEK 4-1 Xanthi (European Playoff)

The first game was at home to Xanthi. We started very well, with Lyberopoulos and Bustos giving is a 2-0 lead after 18 minutes. Bustos scored another in the 30th minute, with Biro giving us a 4th after an hour. They got a goal back in the 76th minute, with another disallowed, but in our best performance since January we paid them back for their late comeback in our last league game.

Rodos 1-0 AEK (European Playoff)

When we went to Rodos we really took the game to them. Much like with Panionios we not only failed to score but conceded a late winner, which really dented our group position.

AEK 1-2 Panathinaikos (European Playoff)

Panathinaikos had lost both games so far, but took the lead in the 2nd minute. Biro equalized after 20 minutes, but they retook the lead early in the first half and we were unlucky not to get a point.

Xanthi 1-3 AEK (European Playoff)

Things looked bad as we went behind in the 20th minute at Xanthi. However Lyberopoulos equalized in the 39th minute, and we pushed on to take the lead from Biro in the 70th minute, even wrapping it up from a last minute Yenay penalty. From looking like being cast adrift at the bottom, we were up to 2nd with just 2 points separating everyone.

AEK 1-1 Rodos (European Playoff)

The penultimate round was therefore crucial, but we didn’t do well against Rodos, going behind in the 33rd minute. Like in our last home game against them, we had a goal disallowed, but Alfonso equalized in the 70th minute. We really pushed after that but a failure to get a winner meant the 2nd CL spot was pretty certain to go to Xanthi.

Panathinaikos 3-1 AEK (European Playoff)

The season ended in typically disappointing style at Panathinaikos. We went behind in the 15th minute, and never looked like recovering. They scored twice in 20 minutes in the second half, with Bustos giving us a 86th minute consolation. We could have still snatched that CL place if we won, as it was we finished last in the group.

Playoff Group Table

Oh dear! I mentioned before we had a great chance, but game after game was found new ways of throwing away what should have been a comfortable title win. That Panionios defeat really takes the cake. To a man we were actually reasonably good in that game, but the result alone was enough to want them all shot! We wobbled a bit early on, really hit our stride, after the Olympiakos and Panathinaikos wins I thought we were mostly through the worst of it but then it all went wrong as Olympiakos had the reverse season. They started very strongly, wobbled to the point that in January I thought it would be between us and Xanthi.

Interesting bit of trivia, the top 5 was the same as last year but in the reverse order.

There was still plenty of hope. The likes of Biro, Males and Bustos had followed up good seasons last year by really shining this time. Hopefully the same would happen with the defenders I bought last time as that would give us a massive boost. If we can avoid being idiots in so many games the title is definitely achievable, especially with a forward coming in on a free in the summer who I’d been after since I arrived and who would hopefully make a massive impact.

That was the plan, but the Football Manager gods had a different fate in store for me...

Squad Stats

Star player: Like the rest of the team he wobbled from February but was fantastic until then.

[cerud]

Tough way to end the season, deltablue. But you have the Europa League for next year, which is at least something.

[B.W.G]

Shame about the end of the season.Although this has got me interested

That was the plan, but the Football Manager gods had a different fate in store for me...

[deltablue]

Tough way to end the season, deltablue. But you have the Europa League for next year, which is at least something.

It was indeed a disappointing final few months, massive blow.

Shame about the end of the season.Although this has got me interested

So you should be

[SRL88]

Massive shame that you dropped off the pace.

[withnail316]

This thread is mental. Great work, man.

[Raware]

Tough break throwing the title away delta. No consolation I know but there's always next year . Hopefully your players will have learnt their lesson ready for next season.

[deltablue]

Massive shame that you dropped off the pace.

It was very bad indeed.

Tough break throwing the title away delta. No consolation I know but there's always next year . Hopefully your players will have learnt their lesson ready for next season.

Always next year indeed, but not necessarily at AEK...

This thread is mental. Great work, man.

Oh I'm not done yet...

Summer 2061

A.C. Milan: Round 2

Guess who’s back!!!

I was genuinely intending to stay in Athens, then I saw that Milan had sacked their manager, just after the final playoff game with AEK. There was one very good reason why I couldn’t wait, and his name was Jeremie Pastor. For those who don’t recognize the name, he was a 14yr old I bought from France, 1 year into my first Milan stint. He’s perhaps best remembered for coming on at the end of normal time in that CL final against Inter, and getting a goal (the equalizer) and an assist as we scored 3 goals in the last 8 minutes to win 4-2 from 2-1 down, earning him the title of the ‘Hero of Vienna’ when he was just 20.

After I’d left Milan, I’d always wanted to return while the remnants of my old side remained. He was 35 now and I knew this was my chance to see out the last days of that great side. Helm (who scored the last goal in that final at the age of 18) and Kentsch were also still there, both 34. While they weren’t quite on a par with the legendary Terzi and Eweka (who got 407 goals in 473, and 580 in 673 respectively) they still tore up defences with the best of them when they got their chance.

There were other players around. A few players who I signed in my last summer as ‘parting gifts’ were in their peak. I remember people refered to a Spanish midfielder called Carmona as being particularly promising, well he was still here, now just turned 28, and very much Xavi-Iniesta class. There was also Rogerio, not quite a core ‘Magical Milan’ member but who played in my last few years at Milan and from the start looked just as special as the rest of the side, now 31 and with a couple of years at the top left in him. Hathaway had retired just a year before, and a number of others were around ending their careers at various places. Of note was 35yr old Aussie midfielder Sean Matthews, 36yr old 6-time World Player of the year Clement at Liverpool, and the legendary keeper Jim Puncheon (now 38) at Palermo, and still making a few appearances. In the same vein as Rogerio, there was a Spanish defender called Navarro who rather dangerously was a top player with Inter. Adriano was at relegated Serie B side Valenzana, Brighenti at Perugia, Bamba at Utrecht, Yildrim at Hajduk...

As for Milan themselves, my 7 titles in a row was extended to 14 in the end (with 2 more CLs) before being dethroned a few years ago by Fiorentina (coincidentally just after they rejected my previous attempt to return after leaving Dunfermline. They quickly regained their title but struggled last year, rescuing 3rd not being good enough for the board. In a way there was both less and more pressure this time. I had already succeeded from bringing them up from years of mid-table mediocrity to years of glory so had nothing to prove, but assembling a young team wasn’t something that came together overnight, and the pressure was on in a way that it wasn’t before.

However the chance to see out the careers of the last of the Magical Milan, and to pass the torch to a new side was something that gave me a new motivation now I’d returned, and if it started badly enough that I was soon sacked, that was a risk worth taking. Just being back and looking over all the old side was a great feeling I wouldn’t miss for the world. However the one thing I couldn’t experience any more was the feeling of a side coming of age and emerging as a superpower together, as while there were always a couple of additions each year there was a strong and long-lasting core.

One of the first things I did at Milan was to fill some spare coaching slots with my former legends, with Terzi, Eweka, Schmiedel and Sebastiao returning as coaches, as a form of ‘bringing the band back together’. The Ass Man then retiring allowed Larsen to be brought in as well. However reality soon set in. The squad was a bit small, severely lacking in central defenders, half of it 30 or over, with 7 players at 34/35 (admittedly mostly goalkeepers). Pastor was still good enough to be used anyway, Kentsch and Helm less so but they’d still have chances to show they still had it, which I wouldn’t normally extend to players that old at arriving at a club. I had to tread carefully, with using the core of strong player in their prime that I had, and/or focussing on getting players who already looked reasonably strong.

Unfortunately the board wanted to win the league, which would have been easier if Fiorentina hadn’t stormed their way to a 2nd title in 3 years. Thanks to the takeover the year before I left there was no shortage of money, with over 700M in the bank, 150M for transfers, and a 5M a week wage budget (using 2M) but when only signing players under 21 and having to build a new team that’s not the point. We could certainly do it, but I was far from certain we would. I needed to hit the ground running that’s for sure.

As it happened compared to last time when I was hesitant at spending more than 15M on a player, I was always going to push the boat out much more. Given the limited options available, and the high asking prices around, that was probably just as well. Thankfully we had a starting 11 that looked just as good on paper as the Magical Milan, supplemented by some very strong young talent, not enough to destabilise the side too much, but whether they’d be able to perform anywhere near a well remained to be seen. However always knew it would be that potentially risking coming back with that sort of expectation. Including a 50M deal for next year’s ‘non-eu from abroad’ signing (who I just couldn’t afford to miss out on) I’d already probably spent as much on 6 players as I did assembling my squad last time. Even without it a new club spending record was set. When we were a bit more secure I’d try and go for younger and cheaper players but for now I had no room to think long-term.

As it happened, my first game for Milan last time was away to a Roma side who had finished 2nd the year before, and while that wasn’t our first league fixture this time, the second game was away to a Roma side who had just finished 2nd! The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Benoit (From PSG)

Gustavo (From Valerenga)

Muller (From Monchengladbach)

Nicoletti (From Udinese)

Thackeray (From Man City)

And this update wouldn't be complete without the legend himself.

[Dexter_Morgan]

Good luck back at Milan, I was kind of hoping you'd stay at AEK as that would have been a good challenge but understand why you'd want to go back to Milan

[deltablue]

Good luck back at Milan, I was kind of hoping you'd stay at AEK as that would have been a good challenge but understand why you'd want to go back to Milan

I would indeed have stayed, despite having thought on and off about a future Milan return ever since I left. However the chance to see out the careers of my former legends Pastor and Helm was far too tempting for me to ever ignore, whatever my current situation. Only just realized that I return exactly a decade after leaving.

[B.W.G]

Welcome back to AC Milan,that is a nice surprise

Some brilliant youngsters there as well,future looks good!

[SnakeXe]

Good luck with Milan (again)! One thing I wish would be sorted out is you retaining your status at the club when you leave - it annoys me if I build myself up to become an icon or legend at a club that it's completely removed when I leave. I know the mechanic behind why it happens, but it just seems like a bodge. (For those who don't know, I believe they set you as a clubs' disliked personnel for a while after leaving so you don't get offered your old job back. Surely just incorporating something into the algorithm where they search for a new manager to ignore the previous incumbent would make much more sense?)

[Dexter_Morgan]

Good luck with Milan (again)! One thing I wish would be sorted out is you retaining your status at the club when you leave - it annoys me if I build myself up to become an icon or legend at a club that it's completely removed when I leave. I know the mechanic behind why it happens, but it just seems like a bodge. (For those who don't know, I believe they set you as a clubs' disliked personnel for a while after leaving so you don't get offered your old job back. Surely just incorporating something into the algorithm where they search for a new manager to ignore the previous incumbent would make much more sense?)

I'm sure i've read somewhere that if you make board requests that aren't accepted and it goes down to the ultimatum that your status remains in tact. I've never tried this so don't know how true it is though. I agree with what you say though, unless you've gone and joined a fierce rival there is absolutely no reason why your status should be taken away, plenty of managers have left clubs in real life and are still legends, it should be something that is looked in to.

[PaulHartman71]

back in Milan! I certainly didn't see this one coming