[FM16] If I had a Nicol for every goal, I'd have just over six dollars

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

June 2082

Transfers



You've got a Designated Player slot, so you may as well fill it. And you may as well pay that player 93k a week. Ooft. Fabian Laureano joins us on a free transfer.

All Star Team



Every year during European pre-season, an MLS all-stars team is put together to face some middling European team. This time, it's Delfino Pescara. Aye.

We have two players involved, which I'm told I should be proud of. So I'm proud.

Results



A quiet month with only three games, but we advanced in the Open Cup, just two games from a Champions League spot. Mixed again in the league. Well, as mixed as dominating a team 7-1, and then losing the next game can be.





We're ten points off the top, so looking unlikely we can challenge for the Supporter's Shield. Still a good chance of the playoffs though.

Board Confidence



Untouchable again! Parade around Disney World time!

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

August 2082

Results



A perfect month that sees us make up lost ground in the league, and also move into the final of the Open Cup. Just one game away from the Champions League now.





We're coming to the end of the season, just eight games to go, and we're only five points away from top spot. Could we do it?

Board Confidence

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

September 2082

Results



A nigh-on-perfect month, but has that two points dropped against Philly ended our hopes of the Supporters' Shield. But we also ended the hopes of "Worst Team in America 2081" Chicago Fire by winning the US Open Cup final, and grabbing a Champions League spot when it finally starts. Big news for us.



We're secured a play-off spot in the Eastern Conference, and the gap is cut to four points.



Still in with a chance of that overall record trophy before we reach the play-offs. To be honest, anything we do from now will be a massive improvement to last season now.

Board Confidence

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

October 2082

Results



lol.

Yeah, we're not winning the Supporters' Shield. A terrible month, and we're now staggering towards the play-offs.



We've also missed the chance to go straight into the play-off semi finals. We get a wild-card spot, and we'll need to really pick up form to make it through them.





We'll face New York Red Bulls in the Wild card match. The structure of these play-offs, for those that don't know, is as follows...

We face New York Red Bulls, as it's 3rd vs 6th. 4th play 5th (New York City vs DC United). The two winners go through, with the winner of our match (I think) facing Toronto, while the other winners play Columbus Crew. The two winners of that match face each other to be crowned the Conference Champions. On the Western side, this process is repeated, until we have two left over. The Eastern Champions play the Western Champions in a one off match to crown the MLS Cup winners. Then they all go home and sit in a darkened room for a while.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

MLS Wild Card Playoff



It started out badly, but as soon as we got the equaliser we absolutely dominated them from that moment on. On to the Eastern Conference Play Offs proper, where we'll play...

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

MLS Eastern Conference Semi Final First Leg



It wasn't as easy as the Wild Card round, but then it was a completely different game. Toronto had more of the game, and took the lead . When Callum Gunn was sent off with nine minutes to go, it looked like the dream was over, but within six minutes we were ahead. Not enough time for Toronto to get back in it, so we take a 2-1 lead into the second leg

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

MLS Eastern Conference Semi Final Second Leg



We managed to close it out, all thanks to another couple of Byron Davies goals. On to the final of the Eastern Conference we go.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

MLS Eastern Conference Final First Leg



Not a classic by any means, but we're just one game from facing off against the Western Champions. Columbus Crew had a lot of the ball, but didn't do nearly enough with it. 4 shots to our 11, and crucially we took one of them. An away goal in the second leg should kill them off.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

MLS Eastern Conference Final Second Leg



Well that wasn't quite the result I was expecting...

I said that an away goal would kill them off, but how's three? We went 1-0 up, and they pegged us back. We then went 3-1 up, and with the MLS Cup Final in mind, I eased the players off. Big mistake. Jonny Dunn got his second and third goals, and suddenly the match was in the balance. Our away goals meant that they needed two, but after they cut through us at times, I wouldn't have put it past them to get them. Lucky we managed to hold them off for the remainder of the second half, and we move into the Final.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

MLS Cup Final



We're not in Kansas any more Dor...

Oh, wait. We actually are.

We'll head to the Sporting Kansas City Stadium for a one off battle to decide the most awesome team in all the land.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

MLS Cup Final

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

MLS Cup Final









I've seen better games down at Firhill this season...

Not that I care really. If we had one shot on target in the entire game and still won, I wouldn't care. The result is all that mattered, and it went in our favour.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...



I'd say second place is probably just about right. We did an amazing job early on, but we did run out of steam towards the end. Our playoff performance was wonderful, so at least we managed to lift ourselves for that.











All in all, it couldn't have gone much better. Had we won those final four league games though, perhaps we could have grabbed the Supporters Shield too. Well, probably not, as we ended up 13 points behind. But had we put that pressure on, maybe we could have sneaked in there. Still, a wonderful season given what happened last year.

[Rikulec]

Wonderful season indeed. You really seem to have stepped up with your club management skills since Archie!

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

Designated Player Purchase



We pretty much had to purchase another slot after we bought one during the season.

Youth Intake





The Drafts

Because we made absolutely no trades through the season, we've got

Waiver Draft



No players picked up in the draft.

Re-entry Draft



No players picked up in the draft.

Superdraft



Tony Salazar was drawn to us in the mock draft, and I have to say, if that's who we end up getting, I'm not really looking forward to this draft.







Rafael Munoz and Yemane Iyassu join us, but they're pretty much going to be squad filler in both cases.

Transfers



Jack Thompson also joins on a free transfer to give us a bit more quality in goals ahead of our Champions League debut.



Then we also arranged to sign the highly experienced Cheikh Bommel when his contract ends. He'll arrive in the summer as our final designated player. Very excited about his arrival - physically he's pretty much done, but technically and mentally he should absolutely breeze this league.



Finally, there's a few more players that joined us. Peter Johnson gives us a bit more quality at center back, which we sorely needed. Craig Tunani is similar, but at left back. Then after our fringe goalkeepers left us, I brought in a backup to support Thompson - Miguel Garcia.

Competition Expectations



Tough news for us in the board expectations. They believe we should win both the MLS Cup and the Supporters Shield, which I think is a bit ambitious. Given our squad, we're going to really struggle to get in enough quality (based on the salary cap) to fight on what will be three fronts. I'd trade both for a Champions League win, but if I fall apart in the league, will I last long enough for that?

[forameuss]

Wonderful season indeed. You really seem to have stepped up with your club management skills since Archie!

To be honest, I think the rep has massively helped. I'm starting out at a relatively low level comparatively. Kaiser Chiefs are a big side, as are Orlando, at least in their own country. Compared to some in Europe though, they're not really. Compared to Dundee United - probably Archie's biggest failure - they're not big at all. Compare my starting rep with Archie's (I believe I chose semi-professional footballer), then it's probably no wonder I'm doing well.

The real problems will come once I have to track down some of the international competitions - it'll be tough to line up the jobs perfectly, so I may have to settle for a team that stands little chance. Plus, I've got a few special criteria planned for once I reach a European club.

[Nobby_McDonald]

The draft system confuses the heck out of me.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

Spring 2083



It looks like the Nicol curse is alive and well. To suffer from said curse, you have to have a wonderful third season, qualify for the Champions League, and then absolutely **** the bed afterwards. I shouldn't really complain, as the curse states that you will win the Champions League with a threadbare squad just before the board finally lose patience with you. So it is written.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

May 2083



Not too bad. We're not blowing everyone away, but the way this league goes, four wins in six is not a bad return.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

June 2083

News



Ripples across the country as I'm linked with Partick Thistle. He only went ahead and got an interview too! Scoop scoop!



As a result, the club came back to me and asked me what it would take to stay.



I tried to extort a few things out of them, but they refused. In the end, I just went ahead and signed on again, as I never really had any intention of going to Thistle anyway.



Results



Started off with two bad results in the league, but we recovered later on in the month including two cup wins. Important that we aim for another cup win to guard against any problems we have in the upcoming Champions League.





Board Confidence

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

July 2083

News



It's finally here!

Champions League groups drawn, and we'll be travelling to Honduras and Jamaica for our matches. Should have enough to top this group, but need to be wary.



Disaster! Another aspect of the MLS that annoys me, and that's the salary cap. I always find myself with a squad that looks extremely thin, but with no space in the cap to actually bring anyone in. With Designated Players, I believe that around 4k of their wage counts towards the cap, with the rest paid for out of the club's reserves. And we don't have enough room in the cap to fit Cheikh in.



Nice little rule here. Basically if you're a yellow card away from a suspension, you can be rewarded if you then go through a streak of games without being booked. Sure it's a rule just for the sake of a rule, but I like it.



Of course, when you can't sign a player because his wage is too high, just wait until he's released from his club and go back. For some reason, he accepted a wage under a fifth of what I initially offered, and that was enough to get him in the door.

Results



What was I saying about getting a good cup run? We'll now need to rely on the playoffs to regain a Champions League spot. And we might not even get that, because we're pretty dreadful in the league.





Despite our mixed form, we're still right up there. Maybe we are going to make those playoffs.

Board Confidence

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

August 2083

Results



A great month as we managed full points in our two league games, and indeed full points in our two Champions League games. Given it's a three team group, we're now just one win away from topping the group and qualifying.







Actually, now that I've said that, I'm not sure if another win will do it. If we beat Marathon, we should be good, but if Marathon win both their next games they could pip us. Four points will most certainly do it.

Board Confidence

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

September 2083

Results



Another great month, but it could've been better after we dropped four points. Still, we kept our 100% record in the Champions League to easily move into the next round.



There's still one more match to play, but it's irrelevant now. I expect Marathon will win.





After being less than hopeful about even reaching the playoffs, it amazes me that we're still in with a chance of the Supporters Shield. A very small chance though, as Los Angeles Galaxy are running away with it. I'll be delighted to pip Columbus Crew to the Eastern top spot, but as long as we qualify for the playoffs without the Wild Card spot, I'll be happy.

Board Confidence

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

October 2083

Results



We just about made it over the line, remaining unbeaten (we last lost in the league on the 12th of June) but still dropping points. We needed full points to stand a chance of catching the Galaxy, so that's out. But did we do enough to catch the Crew?



Nope. They matched our points tally to end up just a point ahead of us. It doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, just affects who we end up playing after the Wild Card round. At least we're in the play-offs - if we can win the Eastern Conference, we're in the Champions League again I believe.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

The Playoffs



It'll be Chicago Fire - the World's worst side the season before I arrived remember - that we play in the Eastern Conference Semi Final. They beat New York City FC in the Wild Card round, and are probably the toughest side we could have faced. So that's why you want to finish top.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

The Playoffs



Edged out is correct, we struggled at times here. But as with a lot of games this season, we did just enough. Two away goals too, so we'll head back to Orlando well in the driving seat.



Smashed them. Chicago clearly gave all they had in that first leg, and it was barely even a contest when we returned home. All over within thirteen minutes too with a Byron Davies brace.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

The Playoffs



We'll travel to Toronto for the final, after they shocked Columbus Crew in the other semi final.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

The Playoffs



If this was a boxing match, it would've been stopped by now. We now have what looks like an unassailable lead to take back to Orlando.



And so it proved. Not quite the swashbuckling football we showed in the previous game, but enough to have us win the Eastern Conference and go on to face the Western Champs in the MLS Super Mega Lovely Bowl.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

The Playoffs



LA Galaxy it is. We'll face them in the City of Angels thanks to them being the higher ranked team, and given it's a one-off game, that's quite the advantage. At this stage, any result - as long as it isn't a pumping - will be good enough.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

The Playoffs



Kerith Stultz? More like Kerith Stud!

He's been just as important as Byron Davies this year, while drawing a much lower wage. It was fitting that he was the one to take us from 1-1 to 4-1. By the time they got a goal back, the game was already long gone.

That'll be another MLS Cup for me, thanks.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

End of Season Awards









What do I need to do to get the Manager of the Year? I mean, come on...

Ok, I probably need to win the Supporters Shield by having the best side over the course of the season but...shut up.

Board Confidence



Not sure why I'm getting the orange competition confidence. Suspect it might be down to the Open Cup, or perhaps a quirk of the Champions League being spread across two seasons. Still, they're happy.



And talking of the Champions League, we'll face Columbus Crew in the quarter final slap bang in the middle of pre-season. I guess it's good we've drawn a side who will be in the same state of readiness as us, but it's still a tough one.

We're now just six games away from being able to bug out of 'murica. If I win the Champions League, I'd imagine I'll be straight out the door.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

Youth Intake





Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeh.

The Drafts

A reduced draft section this year, because I picked up no-one in the early drafts. Not really much point in covering them. So, onto the Superdraft.



Once again we'll pick last thanks to our MLS Cup win, so don't expect any superstars. Tommy Green is our mock pick. Yay.







Jaime Gonzalez, Will Mondesi and Andrew Orozco all join. Slim pickings.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

Champions League Quarter Final First Leg



A dominant win. We gave them little chance in terms shots, even though possession was fairly even. We kept them from scoring any away goals too, crucially, so any sort of goal for us in the second leg should kill them off.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

Champions League Quarter Final Second Leg



Not quite the match I hoped for. Kerith Stultz scored a quickfire double as we approached half-time, and at 5-0 up with them needing six, it looked as though it'd just be a procession to the finish.

Then they decided to shake themselves to life. Truthfully, they were never really in it, and only got half the goals they needed, but it was still a very poor second half performance for us.

No matter, we're in the semi final. Four games away from getting out of here.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

Champions League Semi Final Draw



It's the Deportivo trial for the American sides as the Seattle Sounders take on Deportivo Guadalajara and we take on Deportivo Atlas. Would love to see an All-American final, but the Mexican sides will be a threat. First time I've met any of them too.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

Spring 2084

Competition Expectations



Could be a pretty pointless news item given I may be off soon, but should I fail, we'll need to concentrate on these. Good to know I'm already satisfying the Champions League expectation with a semi-final place. The MLS expectations are fair too - finish near the top of the Supporters Shield, and win the MLS overall. Three in a row is definitely achievable.

If I'm there.

Results



We hate a draw it seems, but only one defeat in the league, and one in the Champions League that you already know about. We're going well, and in pretty good form going into the semi final second leg, having gotten a 2-1 win at home in the first. That away goal could be key though - 1-0 to them in Mexico will send them through. I'll be going all out to score early on and give them something else to think about.





Board Confidence

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

Champions League Semi Final Second Leg



I said I'd go out to get the goal early on, and to be honest I couldn't have gotten it much earlier. Byron Davies stroked home from the edge of the box after three minutes, leaving us in a commanding position. Atlas had their chances, but they failed to take any of them.



And so it's on to a two-legged final against CD Guadalajara. Win that, and I can start dreaming of a job elsewhere. Lose, and it's back to the grind to try again in the Autumn.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

Champions League Final First Leg



The game is well and truly in the balance ahead of the return to Orlando. We had the perfect first hour, going into a 2-0 lead, obviously with two away goals. It was all looking so easy.

Unfortunately, three minutes of madness saw them draw level, and change the whole complexion of the game. The way they attacked, we might struggle to keep them out back home, which could very quickly wipe out our away goals advantage. It's going to be a close one.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

Champions League Final Second Leg



Champions.

It wasn't pretty, and the Mexicans were all over us for most of the game, but our two first half goals set down a marker that they just couldn't reach. Once again we defended doggedly, rode our luck, and then looked to Stultz and Davies to fire us to glory. If this is to be my last game, then I can't think of one that would fit my time here better.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

Moving On

It was a big decision to make, to be honest. I'd like to say I've enjoyed my time here, but the MLS system has drained me. I'd like to be able to just sign players and build a team that way without having to go through drafts and salary caps and trades and the like.

The other competition I could win with Orlando is the World Club Cup, but that would involve sticking around right to the end of the season, through another year of probably missing out on the Supporters Shield before bothering the playoffs. I don't think I'd even come close to winning the big one either, which will probably stay out of reach until I hit Europe.



So, with a heavy heart, and a sizeable stash of Disney Dollars secreted about my person, it's time to say goodbye.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 2

It's a small world after all...

League Update



The major leagues in Asia and South America have now been added, with the North American leagues being dropped. Scotland and England stay, along with Spain which just refuses to go away. Think it's bugged.

My next destination is ideally either a nation that can net me my first international trophy, or a major club in either South Korea, China or Australia. My preference is Australia, but I have no idea why given it's like the MLS but worse. Back to the land of salary caps and stringent transfer laws.

I actually added South America as a bit of an afterthought, just in case a decent Asian club doesn't come up. If I can get a decent option in South America, then I'll definitely take that, but I'd rather get Asia out of the way first. There's also the small matter of trying to pick up the minor Asian trophy, which I believe only the smaller nations are eligible for. I'll need to add nations like India, Hong Kong or Malaysia to get that. Can't wait.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 3

They're the Lions and I'm Mufasa



Three offers from Africa. I'll definitely be taking one, but it's a tough decision as to which. I'd like to cross off the African Cup of Nations, then there's always the prospect of the Confederations Cup and the World Cup. Unlikely I'd bother either of those tournaments, but you never know.



In the end, I chose Senegal. The other two seemed to be on the wane, and Senegal have a player called El Hadji Badji worth £51 million. How could I say no?

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 3

They're the Lions and I'm Mufasa

The reason I wanted to go to Africa at this stage is mostly because the African Nations Cup comes around every two years. We've also got the World Cup next year. So two competitions over the next eighteen months or so, and then I can move on. For the most part, I think I'll make one attempt at each competition with each nation. If I fail, in most cases I think I'll move on to another place and come back to it later. In some cases I may stay, but there's a lot of trophies to be won, and it's going to take some opportunistic job movements to pick them all up.



As you can see, we finished 3rd in the most recent African Nations Cup, and we're deep into the World Cup Qualifying.



This seems to be what I always end up doing in the early days, but it's off to the market for an assistant that I can use for my own personal credit.

[Rikulec]

El Hadji Badji, what a great name.

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 3

They're the Lions and I'm Mufasa





My opening squad was announced, so this gives you an idea of the depth we have. We have some wonderful players, but we're lacking the depth I'd really like to have. A good goalkeeper though. Lovely.





We're doing not bad in terms of World Rankings, which was part of the reason I wanted to join. We're one of the top ranked sides in Africa, but 13th in the World probably flatters us. In fact, it's probably artificially high given we were the only continent to have a major finals in a stupid time like January.

[Bobsled]

Cool to see you taking on a nation again albeit for a short period. Good luck!

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 3

They're the Lions and I'm Mufasa

World Cup Qualifying Third Round Group 1

Where we are



After two matches in the group so far, we're top with full points. Four games to go, and if we finish top of the group then we're in the World Cup. I think some second placed sides may qualify for the intercontinental playoff, but not sure. We should definitely have the quality to top the group though.

Matchday 3



Tougher than we hoped, but we came out on top in my first game in charge. Probably our nearest rivals too, so doubly important.



Algeria edge ahead of South Africa, but they're already losing ground on us at the half-way point.

Line-ups

Player Ratings

Match Stats

Matchday 4



Definitely not the performance I was hoping for. However, we were sticking to the wing-back formation that is down as my favourite. To be honest, we do have the players to kind of play it, but it's hardly the most favourable for us. I'll be making a change in the next few games. Three points is three points though.



Algeria have kept pace with us, and South Africa are probably out. If Algeria beat us then it'll go down to whatever happens in our other matches. A draw will see us qualify barring a disaster in the final game.

Match Report

Player Ratings

Match Stats

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 3

They're the Lions and I'm Mufasa

World Cup Qualifying Third Round Group 1

Matchday 5



Amazing what a change to a more safe system does for you. Defensively, we're still a bit all over the place, but we dominated going forward, even though we didn't have anywhere near enough of the ball for my liking.



And that result means we qualify for the World Cup with a game to spare. I know we were the big favourites, and that they'd had a good start, but big credit to them for getting it over the line in style.

Line-ups

Match Report

Player Ratings

Match Stats



Great news, but now, instead of playing our final game, we have some different games to play. The CHAN Qualifiers...all will be revealed...

[forameuss]

Chapter 3 - If I had a Nicol for every time I've scored, I'd have about six dollars

The Octadecagon Experiment





Chapter 3 Part 3

They're the Lions and I'm Mufasa

African Nations Championship Qualifiers

So. The African Nations Championship. No, that's not a typo, it's not the same thing as the African Nations Cup. This is a different competition that involves only home-grown players allowed in squads. I totally agree with that in principle.

Principle doesn't always come into it with FM though...



Here's the squad. Yes. One man. Because there's only one league to be added for Africa, a lot of nations are going to struggle to field a team without using grey players. So talking of grey players...



A hilariously unbalanced squad of generated players. A single striker, and only two central midfielders. I can tell I'm not going to enjoy this tournament.





We made it through the first round, but to be honest I could have done without it. It has absolutely no effect on my main squads, but it's just a bit of a time-waster really. I may just go on holiday and let my assistant deal with the dreadful squad he helped put together.

[sherwinriga]

The CHAN result of the return leg is not shown. It is instead Senegal 1-0 Sierra Leone.