[FM15] Where the Heck's It Gone? A hunt for lost glories...

[Nobby_McDonald]

More Cristiano Ronaldo than I ever want to see.

[DodgeeD]

Seconds Out !The Trials and Tribulations of San Lorenzo's 2047 Copa Libertadores Campaign

Retold by DodgeeD

Illustrated by the gifs of Lionel Messi

Dodgson felt a short, sharp whack on the back of his head. He turned around. "Oh, it's you," he declared. "I thought you were in still holed up in Karabük."

"Shh! Just turn back around, watch the game and listen," replied his perpetrator. "I've got a message for you from @Nobby_McDonald. He says that's enough with the Cristiano Ronaldo stuff."

But that was a dream? How could he know?

"I'm taking over from now on, got it? Just let me do the illustrating and it will all be fine."

Dodgson gazed towards the pitch. San Lorenzo were in control but Palmerias were playing a tough defence. Suddenly a shout went up - penalty! This could be the break they needed.

Club captain Portillo stepped up and converted. That would be enough for a 1-0 win.

The illustrator turned up again at the hotel in Brazil on the morning of the second leg.

"Just a quick reminder," he said. "Lay off the Ronaldo gifs."

"Alright, alri.. Er, what are you doing?"

"I've got a few ideas for the game tonight. A sure fire way through the Palmerias defence. Look."

"Thanks but I've got the tactics covered. We're gonna sit tight and hit them on the break. Hit them around a bit as well."

San Lorenzo played it rough, forcing three of the flashy Brazilians off the pitch with our San Lorenzo Strong Style in a 2-2 away goals win.

Having scraped through the group stage and the second round, dare he dream of this being the year? The quarter-final draw made him think maybe, just maybe, yes.

 

[ManUtd1]

Love the Karabuk name-check 

[DodgeeD]

9 minutes ago, ManUtd1 said:

Love the Karabuk name-check 

Thought you might.

Strange aside - I spent the weekend in Karabük once a few years ago and stayed in a hotel very close to the Karabükspor stadium. Not exactly the kind of place you would expect Messi to turn up (unless he was a 'special guest' of the President for the building of a new stadium or something like that )

[DodgeeD]

A Quarter past Quito: The Trials and Tribulations of San Lorenzo's 2047 Copa Libertadores Campaign

Retold by DodgeeD

Illustrated by Antonio Valencia

"There's someone in the dressing room to see you boss. Says he's been sent as a replacement for Ronaldo.... one more time."

"Messi again?"

"Far from it! Says he's gonna keep an eye on you for the Quito tie."

Literally an eye.

"Thought you could do with some Ecuadorian company this time. I hope my boys can get through."

"And I hope your boys are as prolific in front of goal as you," retorted Dodgson.

Ouch!

There was an air of swagger around the San Lorenzo boss for this tieas he started to feel luck was on his side.

The home leg took much the same pattern as the Palmerias game in the previous round - San Lorenzo had the better chances but could not build upon a first half goal in a 1-0 win.

For the second leg, Antonio Valencia was nowhere to be seen and that meant, unfortunately, that Quito got some of their swagger back in attack, while San Lorenzo's Swagger meant Jack.

An early goal from another Valencia levelled the aggregate score and a tense game then followed. There was no change in the score until a made spell ten minutes from the end. Perez Orue continued his habit of scoring vital goals from outside the box only to see his effort answered almost immediately (both goals being registered as scored on 80 minutes). As Quite poured forward in search of the winner, a slick counter attack left Perez Orue with enough space outside the box to work his magic once again and put San Lorenzo through, 2-2 on the night, 3-2 on aggregate.

There would be no easy ties left to be had in the last four:

Crunch time!

 

[kidthekid]

Awesome progress

[DodgeeD]

18 hours ago, kidthekid said:

Awesome progress

Cheers - there's more progress to come

[DodgeeD]

The season enters a break now with the Copa America taking place. That means our semi-final clash with Boca is 2 months away.

Domestically, things are going well. We have won through to the last 16 of the Copa Argentina and so far are undefeated ,n the league:

It is looking like a two-horse race between us and River.

Luis Valle has been a great signing so far and has been our top player, especially in the Copa Libertadores. Here's hoping for more to come after the mid-season break!

[DodgeeD]

Like a Box of Chocolates: The Trials and Tribulations of San Lorenzo's 2047 Copa Libertadores Campaign

Retold by DodgeeD

Illustrated by Carlos Tevez

Troubling dreams haunted the manager on the eve of the semi-final. Not too much CR7 this time nor a dwarfish turned dervish genius, and certainly not a one-eyed, no-goaled winger. This time it was much more disturbing:

"Do you want me to dance for you?"

NO! Clearly this was all mind games on the part of Boca, trying to get in San Lorenzo's collective face.

NOB!

It nearly worked too. Aguirre, having picked up a knock in the Copa America, was back to his usual anonymous self and Boca would be relying on winger Gaston Mokhtar for goals. He scored one early on but San Lorenzo couldn't get another. It seemed to have all slipped away when Boca equalised late on but Mokhtar would get one more with the last kick of the game.

Boca still had the away goal and concerns of them exploiting that weak spot and pressing it home gave the manager another nightmarish image to trouble his dreams before the second leg:

The nightmares would prove to be Boca's, however. Perez Orue settled nerves and unclenched butt-cheeks with an early goal. Much like the first game, Boca later drew level before Aguirre suddenly remembered what he paid £25k a week to do and scored the winner.

San Lorenzo reached the final then at the expense of their cross-city rivals. Who would stand between them and the boss' 5th continental crown?

Why, yet more cross-city rivals of course!

 

[DodgeeD]

One Final Roll of the Dice: The Trials and Tribulations of San Lorenzo's 2047 Copa Libertadores Campaign

Retold by DodgeeD

***

"You ready?"

He turned and was once again taken aback by her beauty. Curly flames of red hair  blazed down to her shoulders, burning brighter against the glowing white gown.

How he had waited for this moment. He had been in this position before of course, with other partners in other places, but this was the first time here. With Roxanne.

His mind wandered back to Sally momentarily. He had longed to bring her to this point, but he had never really come close.

The thoughts only lingered for a moment before he pushed them away. He needed to be here. Now. In the moment. This moment. It was finally going to happen, and Roxanne was the one who would take him there.

She faced him and cupped her hands. "Let's roll...."

***

This was it - the final. The Copa Libertadores final. Almost 20 years on  from his first continental championship (the Asian Champions League with Perth Glory),he was on the verge of a fifth in five continents. A win here and he could finally head back to Europe.... but there were two big games to focus on here first.

There would be no special guests this time. No silliness. No distractions. No Ronaldo overdose, dwarfish genius, one-eyed wingers, or dancing strikers. Just the game. just the pursuit of glory.

River Plate were the opponents. San Lorenzo had a good decent record over them having knocked them out of the Copa Sudamericana the previous year and having already beaten them in the league. Finals and local rivalries were often an unpredictable mix though so nothing was certain.

This was far from the usual tense, nervy, tight final though. River went straight for the jugular and were deservedly a goal to the good at half-time. There then followed a mad 13 minute period that left the wily old manager on the verge of a heart attack... just as Roxanne had done all those years ago...

River went two up but that only served to kick San Lorenzo into action. Aguirre started the comeback, Mokhtar continued it. As the pressure got to River, an own goal put them behind, and Aguirre then finished what he started. Wow!

San Lorenzo were on a high but would have to be wary of the away goals when the crossed over to River's place. A different approach was needed this time and the second leg stood in stark contrast to the first. It was the tight, nervy affair that the opening game had not been. River probed and prodded but could not find the opening they so desperately craved.

Perez Orue would once again be the one to settle it in San Lorenzo's favour as he hit a curling shot from range that stretched beyond the despairing keeper. It was a procession from there. After Asia, Africa, Oceania, and North America, Dodgson now had South American continental glory to add to his collection.

Leg 1 | Leg 2

 

***

As they tumbled down, Roxanne squealed with delight.

He slowly rose, but she stopped him as he got ready to leave. "Again?"

He didn't need persuading. "Sure. Let's just pop home first."

***

[Keano16]

[kidthekid]

Finally, you conquered South America. I guess Europe is next

[DodgeeD]

5 hours ago, kidthekid said:

Finally, you conquered South America. I guess Europe is next

Yes, Europe beckons but as the season has just started there, I might have to wait for an opening to come around. Besides, I've taken each of my teams to the Club World Cup after winning continental glory and this will be no different.

[DodgeeD]

And some in-game notes on the fifth side of the hexagon:

And so they should be!

My two midfield maestros were deservedly acknowledged in the Best Player award:

I have finished the season now - plenty more to report on at home and abroad.

[DodgeeD]

Domestic Bliss: San Lorenzo's 2047 League and Cup Campaign

***

He spilled through the door, a giggling Roxanne stumbling in behind him. They had finally done it. The rolls, the tumbles, the thrills - it had been everything they had expected and more, with yet more to come.

He had tried so many times to hit the same highs with Sally but it had never quite clicked. She was fine with it at home and had provided some unforgettable moments, et she was always more withdrawn when they were out and about. The same confidence and verve wasn't there. She simple wasn't up for doing it in public, especially not with strangers or those she deemed more 'experienced'. She wouldn't even participate in the hotel most of the time... She was a willing partner in the comfort of their own home but as the years went by, even that became... routine, like she was going through the motions.

But that was all behind him now. No regrets. Roxanne had fulfilled his wildest dreams almost immediately. She had that spark to keep going even when the risks were high and deliver the big score.

Even though they were worn out from the sheer excitement, they were at it again almost as soon as they got in the doorway. Even at home, it was magic. It didn't always go as planned but it was still fun, still satisfying.

And they still weren't through.... After rattling the house down, they were off out again in search of yet more...

***

Three days after Copa Libertadores glory, San Lorenzo were back in action in the Primera Division with a narrow lead over a team looking for revenge - River. On a high, San Lorenzo went on a winning streak but they were matched result for result by the boys from Monumental. A surprise defeat at Tigre caused the advantage to be lost with San Lorenzo now playing catch up. This continued until there were four games left. River suddenly wobbled, then stumbled, then fell flat on their faces losing three in a row. San Lorenzo took full advantage and ended up topping the table by 8 points.

Titles at Once Caldas had become routine. To deliver a first league triumph in over 30 years at San Lorenzo was certainly a special feeling!

Then there was the cup. League form carried over in a run to the final, where Tigre, the only team to beat them in the league, awaited. Proving themselves to be something of a bogey team, they handed San Lorenzo a 3-2 defeat and runners-up medals. Revenge would not be far off as the following week the Supercopa was played (an end of season game rather than a pre-season contest - nice!) It took penalties but San Lorenzo would come out on top this time.

***

3 times in one night... 5 if you count the time at home... Oh, Roxanne!

[DodgeeD]

Another roll of the dice: San Lorenzo's 2047 Copa Sudamericana Campaign

***

Roxanne was insatiable. "Again, again!" she would demand. And he would deliver.

***

Six days after the Copa Libertadores final, San Lorenzo were back in continental action in the preliminary rounds of the Copa Sudamericana. As usual, the Argentine sides were paired together and we faced Estudiantes (meaning six South American matches in a row against domestic opposition). They were seen off easily enough as were Universidad de Chile in the first round proper.

In a strange re-run of the Copa Libertadores campaign, ties against Boca and River would follow. Could either of them stop us this time? No!

That set up a final with Cruzerio and a double chance for redemption - first, for this season's all-too-easy defeats to the same opposition in the Copa Libertadores group stage, and secondly for last year's final in which we had lost.

Not this time! We were on a roll and it was not stopping here. A 3-2 win away, thanks to a Diego Aguirre hat-trick including a last minute winner, was followed by an easy 2-0 win at home and we had done the South American double!

***

"I want more, more!" she demanded. "I want it all. I want the world. I want to be the best in the world. I want the World Championship!"

"Woah!" he thought to himself. "They have a World Championship for this?!?"

[DodgeeD]

The Final Cup: San Lorenzo's 2047 Club World Cup Campaign

***

"This is it babe," she beamed, the glitter of excitement in her eyes. "Our chance to show everyone the magic we can work together."

"Are you sure you wanna do this? We've never had a go in front of such a large audience before."

"Relax, babe, relax," she said reassuringly. She was again in that white dress with her flame-red hair tied back but still tumbling to her shoulders. "Do you want me to blow on them for you?"

She cupped her hands again.

"Yes."

***

This was familiar ground having been here before with Perth Glory, Asante Kotoko, Team Wellington, and Seattle. This time was very different, however. The first time seeded straight into the semi-finals (as well as the first time here without a club from an English-speaking country!)

Surprise opponents as Oceanic champions Southern of New Zealand beat Indian champs Dempo and Asian champs Al-Hilal to reach the last four. With this match coming less than a week after the Copa Sudameircana final, it was a chance to give rotation players and youngsters a run-out. They secured an assured 2-0 win to set a final with UEFA Champions League holders Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs just weren't up for this game at all. We took control from the start, scored an early goal and added a second with 12 minutes to go to kill any chance of a comeback. San Lorenzo - Club World Cup Winners!!

3 times in one night continental trophies in one season!!

***

Those were great times with Roxanne. It wasn't love but it was fun and it was what they both needed and wanted. Together, they had shown all comers just what they were all about. Great times.... Even now at the end of the most trophy-laden season of his career, he still smiled as he thought of all those crazy Yahtzee nights!

Why? What did you think that whole story was about?

[Benjoe]

Massive season!

[DodgeeD]

1 minute ago, Benjoe said:

Massive season!

That's what she said

Minor annoyance that we couldn't win the cup but I have the excuse that ww were resting players for the Cruzerio game just a few days later

[Benjoe]

1 hour ago, DodgeeD said:

Minor annoyance that we couldn't win the cup but I have the excuse that ww were resting players for the Cruzerio game just a few days later

That's what he said! No wait... wha?

[DodgeeD]

San Lorenzo 2047 Season Review

Quick Overview

Primera Division: Champions!
Copa Argentina: Finalists
Supercopa Argentina: Winners!!

Copa Libertadores: Winners!!
Copa Sudamericana: Winners!!
Club World Cup: Winners!!

Primera Division Results 1 | Primera Division Results 2  | Cup Results
Copa Libertadores Results| Copa Sudamericana Results | Club World Cup Results

Review
All I wanted and more. Very close to a clean sweep but the key moment was what I came here for - Copa Libertadores success! The Club World Cup was a sweet note to bow out on as well.

Key Players
Lautaro Luquez (DC) - 49 starts not bad going for a 33 year-old!
Luis Valle (MC) - possibly my best signing of this career so far.
Lodh Perez Orue (MC) - together with Valle bossed the centre of the park.
Diego Aguirre (ST) - in here as top scorer and for his vital goals in the finals. He was inconsistent and injury prone, however, and I might consider cashing in were I sticking around.

Transfers
Luis Valle was the big signing for us and fully justified the decision to sell Zanabria. Roberto Neito from Once Caldas showed promise as did Ivan Roderiguez.
Transfer History

The Season Ahead
Time to pack my bags and head to Europe. Mid-season there now so we will see what comes up. England, France, or Portugal are the current options.

G.O.A.T.
And as a nice little end of season news item, I was informed that I am now the Greatest of All Time (when it comes to English managers at least)

[deltablue]

Lots of lovely success this year

[DodgeeD]

3 hours ago, deltablue said:

Lots of lovely success this year

Cheers! You've given me a great idea fora future thread name:

"From Sucks to Success."

[DodgeeD]

***

Night had fallen but he could not sleep. He sat perched on the edge of the bed and regarded the dice. All five of them. It had been a great run, and when Roxanne secured that final win with a Yahtzee of all fives, they couldn't have been happier.

But it was five, and he needed one more.

Roxanne stirred slightly but did not wake. They truly could not be happier, and that was why it was time to leave. That was the way their relationship was. They had done it all. There was no need for sad farewells or talks of the future. Both knew there was none to be had. As the great poet Jon Bon Jovi had said "Never say goodbye..."

She would understand - she always did.

On the bedside cabinet, he laid down his lucky die. Six. That was all that was left.

It was not until much later that he learned Roxanne had not been as understanding as he had assumed. Distraught by his disappearance in the night, she had pawned off anything of value he had left behind.

She kept the die though with a dark promise to return it when the timing was right...

***

 

[DodgeeD]

2047 International Review: Nigeria

Quick Overview:

Friendlies....

Results:

World Ranking (Dec 2047): 17th

Rankings Graph

***

Nigeria End of Year Team Meeting
He hadn't even boarded the plane from Dehli back to Buenos Aires. As the players celebrated their way to the gate, he quietly slipped away and headed to Lagos for some time alone, time to plan his next move.

He had called a squad meeting as well - a kind of Christmas party to wrap the year up. With only friendlies in the 11 months since taking over, he hadn't really had time to bond with the Nigerian team.

Then there was Mbah of course, whose mere presence was bad enough as a reminder of that World Cup nightmare with South Korea, but it was made worse by how he stared at him. All the time. Not a smile. Not a word. Just a fixed stare.

The boss kept getting distracted by the stare as he reviewed the games. There had been a couple of defensive wobbles against South Africa and Colombia but a more attacking formation that made better use of their world class strikeforce had brought encouraging results against Portugal and Denmark.

Desperately trying to ignore the Mbah stare, he fumbled through his talk. The other players didn't seem much interested anyway as they eyed the parcels under the tree and the start of the Secret Santa.

Later on as the players laughed at the novelty slippers and Rudolph boxer shorts, the boss felt a presence behind him. He slowly turned around. Gulp! It was Mbah...

"Boss," he started to ask. "Can I feel your biceps?"

...

[DodgeeD]

A New Beginning or the Beginning of the End?

***

After leaving, he returned home, if he could still call it that after all these years, and spent several months alone, wandering, contemplating, waiting. There were opportunities but none of them seemed right. After Roxanne, none of them were enough.

He missed the thrills, the adulation, and the glamour. He needed to find someone who could offer him all that and more on the biggest stage of all.

It was then he decided the northern reaches of England was not the place to find that we he sought. He would need to go continental once again.

***

No action of note as 2048 began. Nigeria had one friendly arranged with DR Congo but it was cancelled.

Invitations to job interviews came from Liverpool and Newcastle, but the former are a Championship mid-table side these days and the latter were battling relegation and insisted on 'defensive football' - Kevin Keegan would love it if I turned them down, absolutely love it!

So, in the end, I waited for the end of the season to see if any big names would retire or and big clubs would be ruthlessly showing people the door for daring to only finish 2nd.

Ruthlessness won the day as Monaco decided second in the league and no trophies elsewhere was not good enough. I applied. They were flattered. I got the job.

Expectations:

Win everything!!

(except for the domestic cups - they don't care about those...)

[Keano16]

Should be a solid platform to assault the Champions League!

[Nobby_McDonald]

Monaco, a lovely place. If you're bloody rich.

[DodgeeD]

3 hours ago, Keano16 said:

Should be a solid platform to assault the Champions League!

I'll go into more depth on this in an upcoming post but Ligue 1 is the top league in Europe and Monaco (along with PSG and Sochaux) have been regular contenders and winners when it comes to the Champions League - definitely a solid platform.

3 minutes ago, Nobby_McDonald said:

Monaco, a lovely place. If you're bloody rich.

True - but I couldn't get more than €27k a week out of the stingy board. South Korea paid me more than that for ten matches a year!

[ManUtd1]

Didn't see you landing in Monaco... Guaranteed that Roxanne is absolutely miserable right now. 

It could have been me...

No, princess. It couldn't have been.

[kidthekid]

7 hours ago, DodgeeD said:

"Boss," he started to ask. "Can I feel your biceps?"

...

Did not expect that ending

[DodgeeD]

11 hours ago, ManUtd1 said:

Didn't see you landing in Monaco...

Had I waited a few more weeks, Man Utd would have opened up. Somewhat strangely, their manager (a Swedish regen called Lujic) decided Beşiktaş was the next logical step after winning the Premier League...

Happy with France though - never managed in Ligue 1 before in more than a decade of FM!

11 hours ago, ManUtd1 said:

Guaranteed that Roxanne is absolutely miserable right now. 

It could have been me...

No, princess. It couldn't have been.

Such a long time ago... Does time heal wounds?

We might find out as there are plans for the past to catch up with the present.

[DodgeeD]

10 hours ago, kidthekid said:

Did not expect that ending

Neither did my manager!

[DodgeeD]

On 26.06.2017 at 19:27, DodgeeD said:

***

It was not until much later that he learned Roxanne had not been as understanding as he had assumed. Distraught by his disappearance in the night, she had pawned off anything of value he had left behind.

***

Naturally, my first thought upon starting my new job with a €250million transfer kitty was to raid my old club and bring over some of San Lorenzo's Copa Libertadores heroes...

...only to find in the six months since I left, they had sold star midfielder Luiz Valle to Inter, star keeper Barraza to Genk, and start striker Aguirre to Sporting Lisbon. That only leaves Perez Orue as a potential target but he is currently out for several weeks with a dislocated shoulder...

I have my scouts at the Euros to see what star names we can swoop for.

In other news, Monaco retain their position as the best-known club in the world (no doubt thanks to their astute new managerial appointment!)

That list just goes to show how strong French football has become.

And finally, my arrival was followed by the departure of a key figure at Monaco:

Yeah, sure... the DoF retired... yeah, retired, retired to that special farm just outside town for old football directors.

I'll replace him soon, promise!

[Nobby_McDonald]

On 27/06/2017 at 00:04, ManUtd1 said:

Didn't see you landing in Monaco...

Did you not see his helicopter?

[DodgeeD]

On 27.06.2017 at 02:04, ManUtd1 said:

Didn't see you landing in Monaco...

 

13 minutes ago, Nobby_McDonald said:

Did you not see his helicopter?

Here is the landing in Monte Carlo

[Nobby_McDonald]

Looks nothing like Monte Carlo.

[DodgeeD]

36 minutes ago, Nobby_McDonald said:

Looks nothing like Monte Carlo.

It's 2048 - it's changed a lot

[DodgeeD]

Full season preview for Monaco coming as soon as the transfer window closes but in the meantime, a quick note about how welcome I have been made to feel in Ligue 1.

One of my first opponents, Evian, even laid on the following goal for my team to give us an early season confidence boost.

[DodgeeD]

August 2048 Nigeria Update

No games until June when the 2050 World Cup Qualifiers kicked off. We have played Namibia so far (easy 6-0 win away) and Burkina Faso (shock 1-1 draw at home).

No more qualifiers until March next year though as we now switch our attention to the 2049 Cup of Nations (which is what I am here for). Our qualifying group is as follows:

I would expect to top that group!

I also filled in as Nigeria U23s boss for the Olympics in South Africa. We had a decent run but, as with Portugal in 2040, came home empty-handed:

[DodgeeD]

2048/49 Season Preview

Expectations

Ligue 1: Qualify for Champions League
(Media Expectation: 2nd)
Coupe de France: Not important
Coupe de la Ligue: Not important

Champions League: Reach the final

Other: Play attacking football, sign high profile players, sign youngsters for the first team

No pressure then! I am here to win the Champions League though so high expectations come with the territory.

Squad

As you would expect, the squad has a heavy dose of star quality. At first glance, there was not a lot of depth with more than half of the squad rated at 2-2.5 CA. However, that is all relative to the best players at the club, players like:

Antonio Duarte (DL) - I gave this guy his Portugal debut when he was 17! It seems he has not let fame go to his head, nor his hairdresser (probably still his mum :D)
Rodolfo (DC/DM/MC) - regista!
Rodrigo Villanueva (ML/ST) - Is this Mexican the best player in the world right now? 5 goals in just over 75 minutes of play (he was injured ten minutes into the season opener and then missed two games) suggest just maybe...

Transfers

I was busy with money to burn (while also clearing out the deadwood in the reserves). Major signings were:

Renato Augusto (DRL) - a wonderkid!
Frenkie Zwarthoed (DC) - the scouts were impressed by him at the Euros. I was impressed that they made the effort to write his name in their reports!
Pablo Tamiazi (AMR) - another player to tick the high profile & youngster boxes

I paid over the odds for two players - Wolfgang Killian (DR), partly signed for the cool name I'll admit, & Juan Fernandez (MC). This was partly because I needed cover for those positions, partly because I couldn't find anyone for less, and partly because I think a couple of my scouts and coaches are not on the same page when it comes to JCA.
Transfer History

I also brought in a Roberto Neito and Yohan Loaiza from my time in South America but then realised we can only have 4 non-EU players so had to loan them out. I was surprised that a couple of ten year veterans at the club had not taken up EU nationality but then I realised they were eligible to become citizens of Monaco, not France, and they simply hadn't bothered....

 

We have already played 5 games in the league and the table looks like this:

Only points dropped so far were away to St. Ettiene. Nearly drew with PSG too but had the delight of a last minute winner to grab all three points.

And in Champions League news, the draw for the group stage has been made:

Ajax were the toughest team from pot 4 but apart form that, I was very happy with the draw. The press agreed:

Can I get the final part of the Hexagon at the first attempt? We'll see...

[kidthekid]

Villanueva's wages are insane. But he does look like the best player in the world. What is the ligue 1's reputation by the way.

[DodgeeD]

19 hours ago, kidthekid said:

Villanueva's wages are insane. But he does look like the best player in the world. What is the ligue 1's reputation by the way.

Yeah, it is a step up for me after so many years of Villanueva's wages being my club's entire wage budget!

Thanks for the reminder - I said earlier I would post the European league rankings. Based on rep, the current top ten is:

And coefficients are as follows:

France and England have been trading places at the top for the last couple of decades.

Clubs by rep and coefficient are dominated by French sides:

...but Premier League clubs still dominate when it comes to net worth:

[Nobby_McDonald]

Chateauroux have started very well.

[DodgeeD]

They have indeed - I have a bone to pick with them as they were constantly unsettling my players at Once Caldas and San Lorenzo!

[DodgeeD]

Just a quick update - played through to late September and had our toughest match of the season so far. Sochaux - Ligue 1 and Champions League winners last season. Going into the game, we were first and they were second.

I think we handled ourselves quite well.

A nice gap to have this early in the season:

I am off on holiday this Sunday and will be away for three weeks without my laptop. I will try to get to the end of the Champions League group stage before then!

[DodgeeD]

Think it's about time I dropped Villanueva:

50% of tackles completed? That's shocking!

At least the team haven't suffered as a result of his performances:

The board wanted attacking football - I live to give

[DodgeeD]

The boss took his evening walk along the seafront. It was a cool Mediterranean winter evening and the sun was about to cast its dusky glow over the yachts in the harbour.

He took in the view and smiled. Any doubts about lack of experience in Europe had been roundly dismissed as Monaco had surged to the top of the league and topped the Champions League group. The draw for the knockout round would be coming up soon... and he was feeling lucky.

Life in Monte Carlo was good.

On the spur of the moment, he decided to venture into one of the principality's famed casinos for the first time. He hadn't been in before - he preferred dice of the Yahtzee kind of course - but he was feeling lucky so in he went.

He was welcomed like royalty and immediately had a dry martini in hand, which he immediately poured onto a pot plant and replaced with a fine ale.

He took a sip and surveyed the place and then...

Wait, no, it couldn't...

He saw her. The hair had turned from red to white but the poise, the grace, the cupping of the hands as she blew on the dice was all the same.

Roxanne.

How long had it been? They had had their dice-driven fun long before he had become a glob-trotting football manager. He had thought of her often, especially at San Lorenzo, but he had not seen her since the night he left...

She rolled the dice. "Sixes!" went the shout.

She glanced up and for a second she thought she had seen him... but then she left the table and disappeared into the crowd.

****

That night back at home, he went through his cloud storage, the vision of her prompting him to go through the old photos of their adventuress together.

But when he clicked on the images, it was all the same:

Then she had seen him. She had hacked him. She was here. For revenge...

 

[DodgeeD]

December 2048 Update

It has been a good start to life in Monaco with only a couple of minor hiccups so far.

Despite my millions, my squad is lacking in depth somewhat and we have struggled to but a fit matchday squad together on a couple of occasions (ı was perhaps over-zealous in chopping the deadwood from the reserves and U19s).

Nonetheless, we have enough world class players to ensure we almost always come out on top.

It's now early December (don't have time to play through to the end of the year as I'm heading to the airport in 3 hours!) and we are top of Ligue 1:

The one defeat came in a recent away match with Lens, sandwiched between two Champions League games. Disappointing to lose as we could have gone 11 points clear with a win.

Champions League went as follows:

A shaky start as we drew away to Zenit, narrowly beat Ajax and then lost to Gent. We then picked up our game though, winning all remaining matches with ease and sneaking into top spot on the last day as Zenit beat gent to take third-place and the glory of the Europa League.

That's it from me update wise till the end of this month as I'm heading to the UK tonight and not taking my laptop with me.

See you in a few weeks!

[Nobby_McDonald]

Breezing it.