Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I understand where your coming from, sometimes the game frustrates the living S**t out of me and I can why you see youtube clips of people throwing stuff at the screen.

I have gone months without playing the game and the only reason I still have posts going on here is due to the massive backlog of written work I have. Take some time out mate and trust me people do read your story and enjoy it.

As for the writing part do you write your posts straight onto the forum or do you write them onto Word etc then copy and paste?

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • Replies 204
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

7 minutes ago, mark wilson27 said:

I understand where your coming from, sometimes the game frustrates the living S**t out of me and I can why you see youtube clips of people throwing stuff at the screen.

I have gone months without playing the game and the only reason I still have posts going on here is due to the massive backlog of written work I have. Take some time out mate and trust me people do read your story and enjoy it.

As for the writing part do you write your posts straight onto the forum or do you write them onto Word etc then copy and paste?

I write the notes in wordpad as I play, then when I write the entry I copy/paste the notes in the forum and sort it out.

If I wrote it all in wordpad I'd still have to go back and do all the spacing out, bolding, spoilers etc. after pasting it anyway.

I just didn't think to copy/paste what I'd written and save it, mainly because I had the audacity to trust the post editor, which always saves crap I don't want, to save what I was writing at some point within the whole hour.

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

I've been captivated by your story, which is one of the most unique on FMS. It would be a shame if this is how it ends.

I've been known to share your frustration at FM, which has cost me a couple of mice in recent years. My "what the frig?" moments have become fewer and further between, though I did have a particularly bad spell late last year that made me seriously think about jacking in one of my saves.

In the end, I took a fortnight's break from Football Manager. I didn't even open FM13 or FM17 over the Christmas period. Instead, I spent some of my time playing other games. Now I'm refreshed and ready to go again in this new year. Maybe a break from FM would do you a bit of good as well.

I used to write my stories in Wordpad and paste them onto the forum from there, but my formatting wouldn't carry over; I had to do that on the forum. Since the forum migration in summer 2016, I've exclusively used Microsoft Word. The formatting does carry over from Word, which saves me quite a bit of hassle.

So yeah... take your time over what to do next. Don't rush back into FM or story-writing if your head isn't in the right place.

Link to post
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, CFuller said:

I've been captivated by your story, which is one of the most unique on FMS. It would be a shame if this is how it ends.

I've been known to share your frustration at FM, which has cost me a couple of mice in recent years. My "what the frig?" moments have become fewer and further between, though I did have a particularly bad spell late last year that made me seriously think about jacking in one of my saves.

In the end, I took a fortnight's break from Football Manager. I didn't even open FM13 or FM17 over the Christmas period. Instead, I spent some of my time playing other games. Now I'm refreshed and ready to go again in this new year. Maybe a break from FM would do you a bit of good as well.

I used to write my stories in Wordpad and paste them onto the forum from there, but my formatting wouldn't carry over; I had to do that on the forum. Since the forum migration in summer 2016, I've exclusively used Microsoft Word. The formatting does carry over from Word, which saves me quite a bit of hassle.

So yeah... take your time over what to do next. Don't rush back into FM or story-writing if your head isn't in the right place.

Thank you. I think the issue wasn't that it was an ongoing frustration, but just writing the entry had me relive every frustration every bit of the way, and then halfway through writing. it comes back like Jaws for one last bite.

I'm in the season after and it has started the same, but I can always resign. My next club job will likely be a rich club or thereabouts, something easier when I can quick-fix problems with buys. Every club I've managed has had nearly no budget, and that wasn't by choice. I only stayed now with the perception this season can be more of a walkover. But if not, then **** 'em all.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Since I already have over 50,000-characters of notes, I'll do those entries, and then we'll see. I normally avoid posting on weekends 'cause activity is so high that most people will miss it. But I'm feeling ok to write and not in the mood to do anything else right now, so I best take advantage now.

Valenciennes - 2019/20 - The Unluckiest Season Ever

Whether it be simply fate, the worst luck, or karma still not forgiving the club for their part in the 1993 Marseille scandal (or an unholy alliance of all the above), this was the maddest unluckiest season I've ever seen, and the most frustrating I've ever experienced (in any game or anyone else's).

Watch as an injury crisis that includes double injuries, a player getting injured coming off the physio's bench as he got the all-clear, an injury per game (even on debuts), all despite normal training schedules, keepers passing to the opposition in the last second, players leaving attackers unmarked and the keeper going for a **** behind the goal when the last free kick of the game is taken, double disallowed winners, missed penalties.

Someone dug up a native American's grave or something, but did the club survive it? Was I to pull off the greatest escape in history? Not just for escaping relegation, but the ever-angry will of God Himself?

======================================================================


August to October 2019 - An Unfathomably Bad Run (Of Luck And Ineptitude)

Results
 

Spoiler

Ligue 1

(Predicted 18th) Troyes 3 - 0 Valenciennes (Pred. 14th)
T Goals: (18), (42, 52)

(Pred. 14th) Valenciennes 0 - 1 Rennes (Pred. 10th)
R Red Card: (82)
R Goal: (90)

(Pred. 5th) Lyon 1 - 0 Valenciennes (Pred. 14th)
L Goal: (45+1)
(Pred. 14) Valenciennes 0 - 0 Lens (Pred. 1st) RIVALS
V Disallowed Goals: van der Heijden (52), Bergougnoux (66)

(Pred. 14) Valenciennes 1 - 2 Amiens (Pred. 10th)
A Goal: (1)
V Red Card: Scotto (75)
V Goal: Antonio (78)
A Goal: (94)

(Pred. 9th) Toulouse 1 - 1 Valenciennes (Pred. 14th)
T Goal: (9)
V Goal: Antonio (57)

(Pred. 14th) Valenciennes 0 - 1 Bordeaux (Pred. 11th)
B Goal: (86 pen)

(Pred. 15th) Le Mans 0 - 0 Valenciennes (Pred. 14th)

(Pred. 14th) Valenciennes 0 - 1 Sochaux (Pred. 16th)
S Goal: (65)

(12th) Nantes 3 - 1 Valenciennes (20th)
N Goal: (2)
N Disallowed Goal: (17)
N Goals: (24 pen), (40)
N Missed Penalty: (50)
V Goal: Ros (52)

League Cup

2nd Round

(Pred. 8th, L2) Cannes 1 - 3 Valenciennes (Pred. 14th, L1)
V Red Card: Locó (32)
V Goal: Antonio (40)
C Goal: (50)

V Goals: Bergougnoux (82), Samaras (90+1)

3rd Round

(20th, L1) Valenciennes 1 - 2 Marseille (11th, L1) RIVALS
M Goals: (19), (31)
V Goal: Travers (61)

League Record: P10 W0 D3 L7 F3 A13 GD-10 CS2 PTS3, Pos: 20/20

Things that happened in this period, in chronological ****ing order:

- The markers gave the player a free header from a set piece while the keeper gave the player an open goal to head it into for 0 points

- 2 disallowed goals in our impressive 0-0 draw at home to the champions

- The injury crisis begins: 10+ players out somehow

- With a point rescued, the goalkeeper, our best-rated player in our team, passed a goal kick to the opposition so they could win with the final kick

The takeover of Valenciennes is complete, with the new chairman looking to float the club on the stock exchange, which raises a relatively unspectacular £2.9m but doubles the money in the bank

So it seems the fans and board (who predicted relegation) know more than the media and me (who predicted midtable).

After trying different tactics, formations and personnel, the only thing that's changed is we're now leaking goals as well as not putting away our many shots. And after trying to micromanage, my last resort is to play how I think my replacement might play: regular 4-4-****ing-2, and let the players make their own decisions.

======================================================================


October 2019 to March 2019 - More Realistic Form, But Luck Keeps Chipping Away

Results
 

Spoiler

Ligue 1

(20th) Valenciennes 3 - 1 Créteil (16th)
C Goal: (18)
V Goals: van der Heijden (31), own goal (49), Ros (59)

(14th) Saint-Etienne 3 - 1 Valenciennes (19th)
SE Goals: (2), (40), (53)
V Goal: Babovic (60)


(20th) Valenciennes 1- 1 Brest (17th)
V Goal: van der Heijden (7)
B Goal: (55)

(14th) Auxerre 0 - 0 Valenciennes (20th)

(20th) Valenciennes 2 - 1 Lille (2nd) RIVALS
V Missed Penalty: Jensen (23)
V Goal: Jensen (23)
L Goal: (28)
V Goal: Ros (30)
L Disallowed Goal: (54)

(19th) Laval 3 - 1 Valenciennes (20th)
L Goals: (28), (31)
V Missed Penalty: Jensen (45+3)
L Goal: (70)
V Goal: van der Heijden (90+2)

(20th) Valenciennes 2 - 0 Metz (18th)
V Goals: Antonio (14, 29)

French Cup 9th Round

(9th, L1) Le Mans 1 - 1 Valenciennes (17th, L1) AET (1-1 FT)
Penalty Shootout: 3-4 (after 5 rounds: 1-1, 2-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4)
LM Goal: (76)
V Goal: van der Heijden (88)

Ligue 1

(13th) Marseilles 4 - 1 Valenciennes (17th) RIVALS
M Goals: (7), (19, 60), (45)
V goal: Samaras (75)
V knock, down to 10 men: Schmidt (89)

(18th) Valenciennes 2 - 1 Paris Saint-Germain (4th)
V Goal: Scotto (13)
PSG Red Card: (37)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (47)
PSG Goal: (49)

French Cup 10th Round

(5th, L1) Amiens 4 - 2 Valenciennes (16th, L1)
V Goals: Bergougnoux (13, 15)
A Goals: (24), (52, 90+1), (72)

Ligue 1

(7th) Rennes 2 - 0 Valenciennes (16th)
R Goals: (87, 90+3)

(17th) Valenciennes 3 - 0 Lyon (7th)
V Goals: Saengsawad (pen 5, 87), Scotto (72)

(2nd) Lens 3 - 1 Valenciennes (16th) RIVALS
L Goals: (13), (17)
V Goal: van der Heijden (24)
L Goal: (49)

(3rd) Amiens 4 - 0 Valenciennes (16th)
V Goals: (9), (35, 62), (pen 56)

(17th) Valenciennes 0 - 1 Toulouse (11th)
T Goal: (15)

(8th) Bordeaux 0 - 3 Valenciennes (17th)
V Goals: Fekih (12), Bergougnoux (71, 75)

(17th) Valenciennes 0 - 1 Le Mans (11th)
LM Goal: (pen 63)

(7th) Sochaux 1 - 1 Valenciennes (17th)
S Goal: (42)
V Goal: Mansour (62)

(17th) Valenciennes 2 - 1 Nantes (11th)
V Goals: Morin (2, 18)
N Goal: (39)
V Disallowed Goal: Scotto (69)

League Record: P18 W7 D3 L8 F23 A27 GD-4 CS4 PTS24
League Place: 16/20 (2 from relegation zone), P28 PTS27

It looked like it was going to be more of the same, as Créteil politely played for a draw yet still took the lead via deflection, but the players pounced on one of the usual post rebounds to force a defender into an own goal as we won our first match of the season.

Then, despite being dominated by 2nd-placed rivals Lille in the second half and facing 29 shots, 13 on target, we survived and won 2-1 thanks most of all to our #2 keeper's (Béranger's) Man of the Match performance. Such is his nature, he let in all 3 shots in the next match and was the sole cause of that loss.

There was also a dramatic cup game. Béranger gifted Le Mans a goal, the 2 substitute strikers Samaras and vdH combined for a late equaliser, and Le Mans hit the post in stoppage time. End to end football in extra time was followed by a shootout where we came from behind to win, the keeper making amends by saving the last 2 penalties.

This was all undone in the next round away to defending winners Amiens, who were missing half their team due to the African Nations. 2-0 up after 15 minutes, we threw it all away by ourselves. Amiens were very lucky to not lose 4-0.

After providing that assist, Samaras requested a transfer. We thought he'd be one of the key players, but instead he was ineffective and ended up on the bench and allowed to go back to Greece for a month. So I accepted.

But Luck still had its way. In chronological ****ing order:

- Yet again we only concede because for some reason an attacker is left completely unmarked and free to literally stroll into the area with the ball

- Masiello returns from injury after 3-and-a-half months and then strains his calf getting off the doctor's table and is immediately out for up to another month

- Ros, who's scored 3 in the last 7, and who I subbed off to protect, is suddenly injured the next day for 2 months

- New star signing injured 30 minutes into debut

- Ros returns from injury, so immediately our #2 striker gets injured for possibly the rest of the season.

- A rate of 1 injury per game begins

And In an attempt to gee up the players for one match, I have the audacity to tell the media that a match at home to an 18th-placed side is a game we should win. This causes our best striker and two best defenders to become nervous for the game. Nothing's simple. At least we won 2-0.

While looking for midfielders, I came across a cheap, young centre-back from the league below. Iraqi international Ali Mansour had an average rating of 7.31 on loan in Ligue 2, was only 23, only £550,000, and already had 19 Strength, 19 Jumping, 18 Tackling, 19 Teamwork, 17 Work Rate, 18 Concentration, 19 Bravery, and competent elsewhere. He would go on to be our best player this season, despite injury 30 minutes into his debut.

Also Paulo Machado, a 33-year-old central midfielder, came in on loan. He's average, the scouts agree, but he was offered to us on free loan by Amiens so why not? It was good, as he would be a steady 7.00 for the handful of games he played.

I also recall our on-loan left-back Boudib, due to poor form of Mangani, one of our designated left-backs. Boudib got first-team experience, including the UEFA Cup, with 7.00 average rating in Belgium's top league.

Due to leaking goals away, I changed tactics to something more defensive for away games, from 4-4-2 diamond to 5-3-2/5-4-1. We immediately beat Bordeaux 3-0 away, with Boudib getting an assist on his return, Fekih (AML) scoring 12 minutes into a return after signing a new contract on the promise of first team football, and a dropped Babovic (AMC) coming off the bench, trying out a free role, and getting 2 assists.

And a 1-2 month injury for one of our good players, of course.

But we pick up a few more points in away games.

======================================================================


March 2019 to May 2019 - A Bought Ref And The Strikers Suddenly Lose Their Instinct

Results
 

Spoiler

 

Ligue 1

(17th) Créteil 2 - 0 Valenciennes (16th)
C Goals: (37), (pen 87)

(17th) Valenciennes 1 - 1 Saint-Etienne (13th)
S-E Goal: (44)
V Goal: Jensen (53)
V injury, down to 10 men: Morin (90)

(19th) Brest 1 - 0 Valenciennes (17th)
B Goal: (50)

(17th) Valenciennes 0 - 2 Auxerre (14th)
A Missed Penalty: (40)
A Goals: (75), (90+1)

(3rd) Lille 1 - 0 Valenciennes (17th) RIVALS
L Goal: (4)
L injury, down to 10 men: (90)

(19th) Valenciennes 0 - 1 Laval (17th)
L Goal: (45+1)
V Missed penalty: Fekih (45+2)

(20th) Metz 0 - 0 Valenciennes (19th)

(19th) Valenciennes 3 - 1 Marseilles (14th) RIVALS
M Goal: (22)
V Goals: Didot (45), Antonio (45+2, 55)

(4th) Paris Saint-Germain 2 - 0 Valenciennes (18th)
V Disallowed Goal: Didot (34)

(18th) Valenciennes 2 - 2 Troyes (17th)
T Goal: (pen 28)
V Goal: Jensen (30)
T Goal: (39)
V Goal: Locó (pen 50)

 

League Record: P10 W1 D3 L6 F6 A13 GD-7 CS1 PTS6

The results spoiler will tell you the story well. The injuries, the missed penalty, the disallowed goals, and the disappearance of goalscoring instinct were all too much for mortals to overcome.

Créteil provided another turning point. The last match with them had started a run of form, this match started a run of disaster.

I walked into the dressing room with the players expecting me to destroy them, having just lost 2-0 to a relegation rival who hadn't even scored, let alone won a point, in their last 5 games, and we didn't even get a shot until the second half.

"That was an awful performance... but never mind. You didn't lose today, so forget about it."

A few looks of surprise, but only a few, after the match they just saw they knew what I meant.

The first goal was offside, the penalty was questionable, whenever we tackled it was a foul. The whistle blew every 10 seconds. I looked at the stats before they got the first goal, 14 fouls to us, 5 to them.

"Don't say this publicly, but the ref was bought today. We had no chance. This club has a lot of bad karma. But if we avoid relegation with everyone and thing against us, that will be such a huge achievement."

But no tactic, no variation of players and positions, can stop a team from having at least 1 shot on target. Our young #1 keeper, Guimard, who started so strongly before injury with 7 and 8 ratings, now had four 6s in a row. You shoot and usually nothing will stop the ball going in. And sometimes, even if you have no shots, you will still get a penalty. He must be dropped, a real shame. We will lose some games with Béranger now in goal, but we would lose all games with Guimard.

At this realisation, I figured playing solid at the back isn't working. A goal will be conceded at some point, and we won't score enough with our decent chances. The last ditch chance is all out attack to outscore the opposition. The new tactic is 3-4-3, but this would evolve into 3-1-6. The idea will be to get it into the attacking half, where there will be 4-7 attackers to swarm the opposition. The players are now instructed to close down as soon as they lose the ball. No more counter attack, no bodies in defence, no hit-and-runs. Just cluster**** them.

Despite only 3 or 4 defensive players, the increased responsibility seemed to work and they put in great performances together. Boudib impressed even more as the left-back played out of position as 1 of 3 centre backs and was still the best player.

I gave Benjamin Didot his debut, a 23-year-old who had 8 goals in 26(1) matches in the fourth tier for the reserves. It wouldn't normally warrant a call up but the point is he is scoring at all, and he made an impact in his 2.5 games before inevitable injury, with 1 goal and 1 assist.

The other problem was, to drive the point home, our players were getting Man Of The Match and appearing in Team of the Week, showing that we were playing well, yet somehow weren't scoring and were conceding soft goals. We got chances, but the instinct was gone, they weren't going in, while at the other end the referees and fate were streaming them in.

After only a 0-0 draw away to Metz (who would draw their last 5 games 0-0), we had to get 7 points out of 9, meaning our biggest rivals Marseille could now relegate us in front of our own fans. The media said we should sit back and hope to counter on the break. Not a chance. Stick to ultra-attacking 3-1-6. 6 players in the attacking third!

Antonio skied several clear cut chances as everyone's goal drought continued, but Didot started brightly again and scored our first goal in 6 games. This gave everyone confidence and Antonio scored immediately after then again in the second half, coming from behind (always a requirement now) to ease past them and give the fans a positive.

But away to PSG we were relegated. We had 0 shots on target, yet we could've been 2-0 up at half time but for fate and decisions. We could've defended even that lead, going into the final game at home to a relegation rival needing any win to overcome the goal difference, relegate them and save us. We drew that last game with a much changed line-up, so this could've been achieved.

This fine margin shows how utterly screwed we were by Luck. Any dodgy ref, disallowed goal, shot cleared off the line, still would've saved us.

Marseille won the League Cup.

Nantes won the French Cup thanks to a hat-trick from January £18.5m record signing Rivarola giving them a 3-0 win over third-tier side Istres.

Lille won the title from Lens on the final day thanks to a last-minute goal.

Final League Table

1 - Lille - 74 (Champions)
-------------------------------------------------
5 - Rennes - 65 (Intertoto Place)
-------------------------------------------------
17 - Troyes - 38 (Safety)
-------------------------------------------------
18 - Valenciennes - 33 (Relegated)
19 - Brest - 31 (Relegated)
20 - Metz - 31 (Relegated)

Total League Record: P38 W8 D9 L21 F32 A53 GD-21 CS7 PTS33

Lille won the title from Lens on the final day thanks to a last-minute goal.

Nantes won the French Cup thanks to a hat-trick from January £18.5m record signing Rivarola giving them a 3-0 win over third-tier side Istres.

Marseille won the League Cup.

======================================================================


Post Season - At Least A Conspiracy Means Your Reputation Isn't Damaged

Taking a midtable team from midtable to relegation, with a manager claiming the usual conspiracy theories and picking apart decisions, you'd think it's sacking time, with fans in uproar and the board angry.

In fact the opposite happened. While disappointed by several results, the board saw what was happening, and agreed there was something going on. Fans will believe every ref and journalist conveniently hates their club anyway, so supporters too had questions for the integrity of the game. Indeed, the journalists themselves had a few carefully-worded articles about Valenciennes' "unlucky" relegation due to "questionable" decisions.

So despite relegation, the fans and board were "pleased" with me, while the media praised my work with a tight budget and ability to keep most of my sanity, and most of all sticking with the club.

It's hoped that the lower level of Ligue 2 will make for a far more enjoyable experience, winning games at the top of the table with vastly superior players... if they stay.

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 2007] Back to 2006, as a poor man's AVB | **REAL UPDATE**: 2019/20 - The unluckiest and dodgiest season in football
  • 2 weeks later...

2019/20 - Club Recap

Selected Summer Transfers
Boris Fernandes (24, Belgian, MRC/AMR) - Hamburger SV to Chelsea - £29.5m
David Domínguez (25, Mexican, MC) - Bayern Munich to AC Milan - £24.5m
Michael Bopp (23, German, DC) - Hamburger SV to Bayern Munich - £18.75m
Julio César Sánchez (26, Argentinian, DC) - River Plate to Barcelona - £17.25m
Steeve Vincent (27, French, DC) - Lazio to Chelsea - £16.5m
Pablo Pérez (23, Argentinian, DRC) - River Plate to Hamburger SV - £14.5m

Selected Winter Transfers
Rafael Rivarola (24, Argentinian/French, ST) - Rosario Central to Nantes - £18.5m
Felipe Castro (25, Mexican, DC/DMC/MC) - Lazio to Arsenal - £18.5m
Basile Cueff (24, French, MC) - Arsenal to Juventus - £17.5m
Jan van den Berg (26, Dutch, DMC/MC) - Liverpool to Lazio - £14m
Aníbal Ezquerra (25, Uruguayan, ML/AML) - Bayern Munich to Arsenal - £13.75m
Marcelo Loureiro (27, Brazilian, ML/AML) - PSV to Bayern Munich - £12.5m


2019 Awards

Arsenal's Mexican attacker Carlos Vela won his second World Player of the Year award after winning in 2012. His last 3 seasons has seen nearly 100 goals, nearly 50 assists and average ratings a bit above and below 7.5. Man Utd's Colombian striker Miguel Lara and and Bayern Munich's German striker Thomas Schweinsteiger came 2nd and 3rd.

Thomas Schweinsteiger won the Ballon d'Or European Football of the Year award. Man City's Argentine forward Walter Abdala and Real Madrid's French striker Sekou Fofana were 2nd and 3rd.


European Cups

After 18 years and watching Inter Milan and Arsenal dominate, Marcelino's Real Madrid finally achieved La Decima, their 10th Champions League/European Cup trophy, with a 1-0 win over Arsenal in Marseille.

Lens got a step further and reached the semis before being thrashed by Arsenal, while Porto reached the quarter-finals before being beaten by Lens.

The final of the UEFA Cup was a battle of Britain, with Roy Keane's Manchester United easily beating Rangers 2-0.

For reasons known only to UEFA, the Ukranian High League has risen all the way to the top of the league coefficient, earning it 4 Champions League spots, as well as 3 UEFA Cup and 1 Intertoto spot. It has become the hipster's choice of league, much like Belgium, due to a couple of seasons where the title has been decided by tiebreakers between 2 or 3 teams.


England

Premier League

Michael Laudrup's Arsenal and Steve McClaren's Newcastle United are playing hot potato with the league. This season it was Arsenal who won in dominating fashion - by 12 points. Arsenal's Vela and Seitz were the league's highest scorers, with 44 goals in total, though not even half of Arsenal's 90 goals. Vela and Smart were joint top assisters with 13 assists each.

Thomas Doll's Manchester City achieved their best finish in over 40 years, finishing 2nd, with Newcastle United a few points behind in 3rd.

After a harsh sacking despite taking Preston North End to unprecedented heights, Frank Lampard was back in the Premier League, taking charge of Sheffield United and steering them to safety in 17th.

Blackburn Rovers' 19 years in the Premier League ended with relegation this season with only 24 points.

But Watford finished even lower, with 21 points.

Domestic Cups

Portsmouth shocked everyone by sacking their manager Roni Levy days before the F.A. Cup final despite another midtable finish and reaching the F.A. Cup final and League Cup semi finals. With Frank Yallop in charge, they still beat Liverpool 2-1 after extra time to win the trophy they won first (and last) in 1939.

Championship sides Hartlepool and Bolton Wanderers reached the semis, losing to Liverpool on penalties and Portsmouth 1-0 respectively.

Championship Aston Villa beat Manchester United on penalties after a 1-1 draw to lift the League Cup. Manager Slobodan Drapic left for Braga in Portugal just days later.

Football League and Non-League

Alan Irvine's Bolton Wanderers were promoted to the Premier League with 5 games in hand, 14 points ahead of second and 20 ahead of the playoff spots.

It took 16 years, but Leeds United finally got promoted to the Premier League. Alan Doolan, who had been sacked from Conference South side Bath a few months earlier, only needed 3 seasons to get the club promoted twice, due to losing in the playoff semi-finals last season.

40 goals in 46 league games from Bates wasn't enough to get Aldershot Town into the automatic promotion spots, and they lost in the playoffs again.

Aston Villa got promoted straight back into the Premier League via the playoffs, Ian Holloway finishing the job after joining in March.

Former Liverpool and Everton player, and England manager, Peter Beardsley was hired by Everton in February and he helped them avoid relegation to League One.

Sunderland were relegated to League One for the first time in 32 years and hired Chris Waddle for the new season.

Ashley Cole's second job in management ended as disastrously as his first. After successfully relegating Fulham bottom of the Championship, he was finally sacked in November with the same club nearly in the relegation zone of League One.

After a playing career that took in Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Valencia, and several English clubs, Jonathan Woodgate started his career in management in December at Conference North side Nuneaton. He immediately steered the title favourites away from relegation, climbing up the table to 6th in his first half-season.

After a failed first job in management by relegating Colchester to the conference, Alexander Hleb became Belarus Under-21 and Under-19s manager in October, before also being hired as Histon manager in the Conference South a few months later. The team dropped like a stone with him in charge, from challenging for promotion to escaping relegation by 2 goals of goal difference.


Portugal

After the Big 3 were blown apart last season, Benfica, Porto and Sporting CP finished in their usual block of three... but only 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

On the final day, Benfica lost away to Naval, allowing Vitória SC to beat Porto at home to deny both of them and become only the third team ever outside the Big 3 to win the title, the first in nearly 2 decades (Boavista 2001), the second since the 1940s (Belenenses 1946).

They also became the first ever team outside the Big 3 to win the league and cup Double, beating second-tier Pacos Ferreira 2-1 in the final.


Spain

Normality returned as Marcelino's Real Madrid won their 7th title in 8 seasons, 1 point ahead of rivals Atlético Madrid.

Defending champions Real Betis finished 10 points behind in 3rd in Gordon Strachan's final season at the club and in football. His replacement is Pep Guardiola. Someone like Pep can only dream of emulating someone like Strachan, but now is his chance.

Hristo Stoichkov's Barcelona finished outside the European places, in 7th, for the 2nd time in 4 seasons.

Real missed out on the Treble thanks to John Collins' Real Zaragoza beating them 2-1 in the final of the Copa del Rey.


Italy

Inter Milan won their 3rd title in 4 years, by 3 points. It's the city of Milan's 13th title in a row.

Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero's first job at the extreme yo-yo club Siena ended with the sack after nearly 10 complete seasons. The club had just been relegated twice in a row from Serie A to C1/B, before winning the Serie C1/B title in their first season there. He took the champions immediately into Serie A in his first season, and kept them there for 4 seasons before déja vu struck and they suffered two relegations in a row once again. Yet again, they won the Serie C1/B title in their first season, but 3 seasons without promotion back to Serie A seemed to be enough to warrant a sacking.


Scotland

The seas are changing, and the Big 4 is changing again.

Craig Levein and Hearts won their 3rd title in 5 seasons.

Defending champions Celtic were always the one constant in the top 3, but under new manager Paul Sturrock they finished in 6th, their lowest since 1964/65 (keeping in mind the league is split 1st-6th/7th-12th after 33 games, so it's impossible for them to finish below 6th). Sturrock duly retired and is replaced with Dan Petrescu, who took FC Dallas to the MLS trophy in 2017, then the CONCACAF Champions League trophy in 2018 followed by a World Club Cup final appearance.


Switzerland

Basel won their 8th title in a row, Luzern runner-up for the 4th time in a row, but only 2 points separated them this time.

My team at Young Boys was torn apart in the summer, raising £9.5m, including selling young keeper Guido to Spain's #2 club Atlético Madrid (who is now moving to England's #2 team, Newcastle United). Only one of my signings is in the first team squad. The manager left halfway through and the board gave coach Eduardo (who I'd hired there) his first job in management. The end result was a 3rd place finish, reaching the UEFA Cup group stage, and reaching the cup final (losing to Basel), thus qualifying for the UEFA Cup again.


Elsewhere...

Gary Speed went to sunnier climes after a few years at Llanelli and Swansea City, taking charge of Sydney FC.

Former Luton, Wigan and Portsmouth man Matthew Taylor's first job in management is all the way out in Singapore with Home Utd.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 2007] Back to 2006, as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: 19/20 - La Decima, Pep gets a big job, more former players take charge

2019/20 - International Recap

2020 OFC Nations Cup

Fiji became the second team outside New Zealand and Australia to lift the trophy. They got a 1-1 draw in New Zealand in the first leg of the final, before easily getting a 0-0 at home, New Zealand only having one shot (which was off target). Fiji will now get to experience the Confederations Cup in Italy next year, after Solomon Islands broke the mould 8 years ago.

New Zealand had only scraped into the final thanks to 2 own goals from the same player in their final group game against Samoa. That was their only win after draws against Fiji, Vanuatu and group stage hosts New Caledonia.


Nigeria 2020 Africa Cup of Nations

It was a tournament of the traditional big guns, as perhaps the big surprise is that (for once in the current football climate) there were no surprises in qualifying. All the traditionally major African nations topped their qualifying groups.

Ivory Coast have won 5 of the last 6 tournaments since 2006, with hosts Nigeria winning the other in 2012, so everyone expected this to be the blockbuster final. But this was denied by the two finalists, as 2006 winners Egypt lifted the trophy thanks to a 1-0 win over Algeria, knocking out Nigeria and Ivory Coast respectively in the semis.

Angola reached the knockouts for the first time, thanks to group stage wins over Cameroon, Mali and Sudan, and it took a penalty shootout for finalists Algeria to beat them.

Sudan picked up their first points and win in the AFCON since 1976, after a shock 90th-minute winner over 2018 runner-up Mali.

2 years after appearing at the World Cup, Mali finished bottom of their group with 0 points and embarrassing losses to Sudan and Angola.

The biggest result was Morocco 9 - 0 Togo.

Botswana made their surprise AFCON debut after clinching best runner-up spot in qualifying, but it ended with 3 losses, 0 goals scored and 7 goals conceded.


Scotland & Wales 2020 European Championships Qualifying

The top 2 teams qualified automatically in a straight shoot for the finals.

Group A

Turkey - 27
Israel - 26*

Greece - 26*
Portugal - 23
FYR Macedonia - 21**
Belarus - 21**
Liechtenstein - 6
San Marino - 5

*Head-to-head record: Israel 2 - 0 Greece
**Macedonia 2 - 1 Belarus

Thanks to a winner in the 85th minute against Macedonia, Israel will make their Euro debut after making two second round appearances in a row at the World Cup.

Portugal's continued failure to qualify for any tournaments since 2010 was summed up by scraping a last-minute 3-2 win at home to San Marino, via an own goal.

Thanks to being drawn together, Liechtenstein and San Marino both got to pick up wins (oddly the away team getting the win in both their clashes). We saw Liechtenstein's first win since beating Northern Ireland in 2007, and San Marino's first since that historic win against the Netherlands in 2012.

Group B

Germany - 31
Switzerland - 27

Lithuania - 22
Sweden - 20
Hungary - 18
Slovenia - 17*
Azerbaijan - 17*
Andorra - 1

*Slovenia 4 - 3 Azerbaijan

Minnows Azerbaijan usually only score a few goals a year, never mind pick up points, so 17 is a huge improvement.

Usually failing to even score in most years, Andorra nearly got their first win in 15 years after taking a 2-0 lead at home to Sweden after just 6 minutes, especially when they retook the lead with 12 minutes to go, but Sweden equalised again in stoppage time. The 3-3 result was still Andorra's first point in about 15 years, and their first ever point in a Euro qualifier, and the first time ever that they scored 3+ goals in a match.

Group C

France - 26
Poland - 24

Ukraine - 23
Croatia - 18
Cyprus - 14
Latvia - 10
Armenia - 4

Group D

England - 29
Austria - 23

Denmark - 22
Russia - 21
Iceland - 14
Luxembourg - 5
Estonia - 3

World Cup runner-up Austria squeezed in on the final day, but long after semi-finalists England eased through after beating them 5-0 at Wembley.

Group E

Netherlands - 32
Serbia - 26

Czech Republic - 18
Georgia - 11*
Moldova - 11*
Slovakia - 9
Kazakhstan - 8

*Georgia 2 - 2 Moldova, GD: Georgia -5, Moldova -16

Defending champions Netherlands went through unbeaten, although it required coming from 2-0 down to Moldova as well as two stoppage time goals in the penultimate game to steal a win.

Group F

Italy - 27
Romania - 23

Albania - 18
Montenegro - 15
Republic of Ireland - 14*
Belgium - 14*
Faroe Islands - 3

*R.O.I. 3 - 2 Belgium

Group G

Finland - 22
Northern Ireland - 20

Spain - 19
Norway - 17
Bulgaria - 16
Bosnia & Herzegovina - 9*
Malta - 9*

*B&H 2 - 0 Malta

Northern Ireland reach their first ever Euros, and first tournament since the 1986 World Cup.

Norway replaced their manager, after their failure, with their most capped player ever (100) Henning Berg. He has built quite the CV and managed in all the major leagues, including winning 2 titles and a cup with PSV and getting Palermo into the Champions League.


Euro 2020 Group Draw

Group A
Scotland (Co-hosts)
Romania (Euro 2016 semi-finalists)
Serbia
Switzerland
(Repeat of 2016 group, but with Scotland instead of Bulgaria, which finished: Serbia -7, Romania - 4, Bulgaria - 3, Switzerland - 1)

Group B
Netherlands (Euro 2016 winners)
Northern Ireland (Euro debut)
Finland (2018 World Cup quarter-finalists)
Poland

Group C
Wales (Co-hosts)
Austria (2018 World Cup runner-up)
Italy (2018 World Cup quarter-finalists)
Turkey

Group D
England (2018 World Cup semi-finalists)
Germany (2016 runner-up, knocked England out at group stage)
France
Israel

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 2007] Back to 2006, as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: 2020 Internationals - Euro 2020 qualifiers, AFCON and a changing Oceania

Scotland & Wales 2020 European Championships

Co-hosts Scotland have a real chance of making the knockouts with a winnable group, if you ignore the fact they haven't won a tournament game since the last time one was held in Britain - 1996. That's 12 games without a win and only a few goals.

Wales' group is far trickier, including 2018 World Cup runner-up Austria.

England have a chance for some scalps against below-average French and German teams, but a banana skin in an underrated Israel. They must be favourites after reaching the World Cup semi-finals and not being too far from home. along with defending Euro 2016 champions Netherlands.

Group A

Match Days 1 & 2

Scotland 1 - 0 Romania
A late penalty finally broke co-hosts Scotland's hoodoo. Now to score from open play...

Serbia 0 - 1 Switzerland

Switzerland 2 - 0 Romania
Romania lost their heads, with two players getting sent off in the final minutes for shoving, as the 2016 semi-finalists were eliminated from the tournament.

Scotland 2 - 1 Serbia
Scotland dominated, but also showed mental strength. Though they suffered a late equaliser to 10-man Serbia, they immediately scored the winner to make it 2 wins now while eliminating Serbia.

Both Scotland and Switzerland have reached the knockouts. Scotland top on goal-difference.

Match Day 3

Scotland 1 - 1 Switzerland
Both teams already through, Scotland immediately equalised after going behind early, but that was it and they couldn't get the win that would've seen them top instead of 2nd.

Serbia 1 - 0 Romania
Romania lost, so finish bottom with 0 points (and goals).


Group B

Match Days 1 & 2

Netherlands 1 - 1 Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland get a huge result thanks to their one shot on target.

Finland 0 - 0 Poland
Poland had a player taken off injured after only 9 minutes, his replacement was off injured on 32 minutes, and his replacement came off injured just before half time.

Netherlands 3 - 1 Finland

Northern Ireland 1 - 0 Poland
Poland were brushed aside by the debuting minnows.

Match Day 3

Finland 0 - 1 Northern Ireland
Nothern Ireland got more than the draw required, and top the table as a result while Finland are out.

Poland 1 - 1 Netherlands
Poland needed to win, Netherlands needed only a draw, but Poland were never really a threat.


Group C

Match Days 1 & 2

Wales 0 - 0 Austria
Co-hosts Wales dominated the 2nd-best team in the world.

Turkey 1 - 0 Italy

Austria 0 - 1 Italy
Italy had 1 shot, 1 on target, 1 goal.

Wales 0 - 0 Turkey
This match went further by having 0 shots on target, in what is being dubbed the worst match in football history.

Match Day 3

Wales 2 - 1 Italy
Wales took the lead though a Gareth Bale free kick, then doubled it on the hour. But they had to cling on after going down to 10 men through injury, with Italy immediately getting a goal back. Italy missed several clear chances, hit the post, and had a penalty claim denied, as they went out to the co-hosts.

Turkey 1 - 1 Austria
A stoppage-time equaliser broke Austrian hearts and knocked them out, while Turkey qualify and finish top.


Group D

Match Days 1 & 2

England 2 - 0 Israel

France 1 - 1 Germany

Germany 0 - 0 Israel

France 1 - 0 England
2 English injuries was followed by substitute Scott Sinclair getting sent off, allowing France to score a late winner and England to be without 3 strikers for the final Germany match.

Match Day 3

England 1 - 1 Germany
Germany took the lead with their first shot, but Theo Walcott immediately equalised with theirs, and then it was all England as Germany failed to get the win they ultimately needed.

Israel 1 - 1 France
France dominated but Israel took the lead in the 86th minute thanks to an own goal. They still needed another, but France immediately equalised to qualify top of the group.


Final Group Standings

Every team in the UK have qualified for the knockout stages, for the first time ever. Home advantage!

Group A
Switzerland - 7 (+3 GD)
Scotland - 7 (+2 GD)

Serbia - 3
Romania - 0

Group B
Northern Ireland - 7
Netherlands - 5

Poland - 2
Finland - 1

Group C
Turkey - 5*
Wales - 5*

Italy - 3
Austria - 2

* Both Turkey and Wales have +1 GD, 2 goals scored, and drew head-to-head. Turkey finish higher due to a better UEFA national team coefficient ranking.

Group D
France - 5
England - 4

Germany - 3
Israel - 2


Quarter-Finals

Switzerland 1 - 0 Netherlands
Switzerland stole a win thanks to an own goal, and the defending champions limp out.

Wales 0 - 1 France
It was still a great debut for Wales.

Scotland 0 - 1 Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland win the battle of the underdogs, but this was still the first time Scotland ever got out of a group stage in any tournament. Both hosts are out, but went further than ever.

Turkey 0 - 0 England AET (3-2 on penalties after 5 rounds)
Glasgow rejoiced as England went out on penalties for the second tournament in a row, knocked out by Turkey for the second time in three Euros.


Semi-Final

Switzerland 1 - 1 France AET (1-1 FT) (3-2 on penalties after 5 rounds)
Switzerland defended an early penalty all game, but conceded in stoppage time after going down to 10 men. They made it though!

Northern Ireland 2 - 1 Turkey
Turkey took the lead in just 3 minutes, but Northern Ireland scored in the 16th and 20th minutes to set up a surprise final.


Scotland/Wales Euro 2020 Final

Switzerland v Northern Ireland

History

A new champion will be crowned in a shock final between two teams who have never even experienced a single win at a European Championships final until this year.

Switzerland had never even won a game at a European Championship, despite playing 12 matches in 4 finals. Euro 2016 marked the first time Switzerland had qualified for a tournament since hosting Euro 2008.

Northern Ireland had never qualified for a tournament since the 1986 World Cup, and never experienced a European Championship, until now.

Form

Switzerland got 7 points in the group stage, only drawing with co-hosts Scotland, before knocking out defending champions Netherlands, and then new favourites France on penalties.

Northern Ireland only get a few shots on target, but they nearly all go in. They got 7 points in their group as well, drawing with Netherlands, before knocking out co-hosts Wales and then Turkey. Is this like a home game for them in Glasgow?

They have both scored 6 and conceded 2, with 3 clean sheets in their 5 games.

Managers

Switzerland's manager is Urs Fischer. He made 4 appearances for his national team in a career played only at Zurich and St. Gallen. After working through the youth system of Zurich and becoming assistant manager, he took charge for just a year before Switzerland came calling. He survived the sack despite finishing bottom of their 2018 World Cup qualifying group under Malta, and they were rewarded with qualification for the Euros behind Germany.

Northern Ireland are managed by Colin Clarke. He scored 13 times in 38 games for his country before starting his coaching and management career in the USA in the late 90s, taking Virginia Beach Mariners (who aren't even in the MLS) to the U.S. Open Cup final in 2009. In 2015 he took over from the retiring Martin O'Neill. He finally nudged the team (who were always close but not close enough) to qualification for Euro 2020 behind Finland and ahead of Spain, Norway and Bulgaria.

Team News

Switzerland are without 3 players who have played every game, with 3 goals and 2 assists between them. Another is not 100% thanks to a bruised head, but starts.

Northern Ireland are also without 3 players, though 2 make the bench, including the keeper. They play their deputy, who conceded 1 goal against Turkey and faced 4 shots on target.

Both teams play 4-4-2.

Switzerland: Yann Sommer (Messina); Juan Silva (Brescia), Johan Djourou (Udinese), Koch (Naval), Tissot (Lens); Damian Bellon (Bolton), Carole (Juventus), Garcia (Ajax), Neumann (c) (Newcastle); Marx (Sevilla), Alvaro Klusener (Basel) - 4 Serie A, 2 Premier League, 1 La Liga, 1 Ligue 1, 1 Eredivisie, 1 Primeira Liga, 1 Swiss Super League

Northern Ireland: Sweeney (Southampton); Jonny Evans (c) (West Brom), Kelly (Arsenal), Donnelly (Bolton), Curlett (Linfield); Adam McGurk (Hartlepool), Corry Evans (Celtic), O'Kane (Millwall), Long (Q. P. R.); Peden (Swansea), Murphy (Hull) - 5 Premier League, 1 Championship, 2 League One, 1 League Two, 1 SPL, 1 Northern Irish Premiership

First Half

Northern Ireland dominated but only had a few chances. Then just before half time, a penalty was given away by Switzerland, and Corry Evans just got it in.

Second Half

Northern Ireland sat back a bit more, which allowed Switzerland more chances, but the Swiss were lucky not to concede. They didn't score either. Northern Ireland have done it! Unbelievable Jeff!

Final score: Switzerland 0 - 1 Northern Ireland

===============================================================
2020 European Champions
Northern Ireland

===============================================================

Northern Ireland are the first team to win on their debut since the first 4 tournaments took place (1960 - 1972).

Goalscorer Corry and captain Jonny Evans join the Laudrups as brothers who won the trophy as shock underdogs.


Awards

Golden Boot: Jonathan Peden (Northern Ireland) with 3 goals and 1 assist in 270 minutes (Ronnie Allan of Scotland had 3 goals and 1 assist in 360 minutes)
Player of the Tournament: Niall Kelly (Northern Ireland)
Young Player of the Tournament: Stewart Holmes (Wales)

Team of the Tournament
Ayhan (Turkey)
Burge (England) - Niall Kelly (Northern Ireland) - Nihat (Turkey) - Hamann (Austria)
Alex Melbourne (England) - Castro (France) - Morley (England)
Jimmy Briand (France) - Peden (Northern Ireland) - Allan (Scotland)

Selected Managerial News

Colin Clarke stepped down after outdoing even Greece and Denmark with Northern Ireland's achievement (Fun fact: the game sacked him). His replacement is Nottingham Forest manager Iain Dowie.

Chris Coleman is the new Wales manager after the previous manager also stepped down after an impressive quarter-final appearance. He's the former former Nottingham Forest manager.

Dieter Eilts was sacked by Germany after draws against France, England and Israel and replaced with Basel's Uwe Rosler.

Italy did something incredibly rare nowadays (in fact something I'd never seen in the game and thought was impossible): they went foreign, bringing in Xavi Juliá, who managed Spain for the 2014 World Cup which they hosted (and went out at the group stage). And Italy host the World Cup in 2 years.

Andreas Heraf retired after taking Austria to the 2018 World Cup final and the Euro 2020 tournament. His replacement is left-field: Michael Fuchs, an amateur footballer who had been head coach of just one club, FC Gratkorn in Austria. He was there for 15 years before being sacked a few years ago. He hadn't taken a job since.

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 2007] Back to 2006, as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: EURO 2020 - Huge shocks in the UK! And which real-life Euro 2016 underdog went even further?

I've seen the Republic of Ireland win a European Championship before, but that's a new one on me!

Jimmy Briand in the Team of the Tournament - now there's a name I haven't come across for a long time!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Valenciennes - 2020 Post/Pre-Season

Squad Review

I would've overhauled the team if the team had overcome the worst luck ever/rigged matches/karma/will of an angry god and survived relegation. But going into a lower level against much inferior opposition means that can be done over the year. No point getting rid of someone immediately when they can perform better in Ligue 2.


GK

1. Eric Béranger - 30 years old - £1.5m - P 22, Conc 40, CS 3, MOM 3, AVR 7.00
13. Jean-Baptiste Guimard - 23 years old - £1.6m - P 20, Conc 21, CS 4, MOM 1, AVR 6.85

A combination of a good older non-eccentric (Béranger) and a great young eccentric (Guimard).

Due to injury and changes in form, both played nearly exactly the same amount of games. Béranger is a capable keeper, but if he doesn't turn up on the day his laziness will cause a cricket score (as you can see by his 'conceded' stat), but Guimard is an outstanding prospect who's regularly watched by top division clubs across Europe.

Who will be #1 for next season, in a less demanding division, remains to be seen.

Attila Vass, a 21-year-old Romanian, is offered on loan for free by Czech top-division side Slovan Liberec, so I finally get a #3 this season.

In
Vass - Slovan Liberic (Czech top tier) - Loan


DR

2. Somboon Saengsawad - DR/C, DM, MR/C - 33 years old - £1m - P 22(3), AVR 6.92
15. Michael Jezierski - 25 years old - £1.1m - P 11(3), AVR 6.64
34. Locó - DR/C, WBR - 35 years old - N/A - P9, AVR 6.44

Saengsawad, captain of Thailand, should find Ligue 2 a pushover. However Ligue 2 only allows 2 'foreigners' in a match day squad, and by the end of the window we'll have 3. As the other 2 are attackers, they'll likely be played a lot more and he'll have to wait.

Jezierski is reliable though lacks the strength to be a top, top defender in Ligue 1. Should do well in Ligue 2, though before possibly being sold.

Locó was incredible when I arrived and gave him a run, but nowhere near that last season and will retire, but not before a testimonial after 9 years and nearly 150 appearances for the club. He'll be a coach here in future if a space opens up.


DL

23. Abdelhamid Boudib - 23 years old - £2.5m - P12, MOM 1, AVR 7.08
22. Adel Travers - 22 years old - £170,000 - P21(1), MOM 1, AVR 7.00
+ Mangani

Boudib went out on loan to Charleroi in Belgium and got 7.00 average rating before I recalled him due to injury, poor form and poor results. Even playing out of position on the left of a back 3, he was getting 8/10 ratings. Top talent. T'riffic player. But he was one of many players who wanted to move back up a level, and the record fee (for both clubs) of £6.5m couldn't be turned down. He only cost £4,000 a few years ago.

Travers suffered 2 colds in the first half of the season, then got injured 3 times in 3 months in 2020, leaving him out for a total of 4 months.

A free transfer in the summer was Daniele Monti, an Italian who plays defence and midfield. Valued at nearly £1m, the 20-year-old who has represented Italy at U19 level was solid in Serie B with an average rating of 7.00 and 4 assists in 14(7) games. He has high numbers in all the right places technically, mentally and physically. Looks a perfect replacement for Boudib.

I signed Sven Vos, 22 this year, on a free in summer 2019 after he was released from another Dutch club, and he goes out on loan to the league above now that he's ready for first-team football. Peculiar, but I would've been prepared to loan either Travers or Vos, and he was the one who had interest. He can be recalled if need be.

Out
Boudib - Visé (Belgian top tier) - £6.5m
Vos
- Amiens (Ligue 1) - Loan

In
Monti - D/WB/ML - Reggina (Serie A) - Free


DC

30. Ali Mansour - 24 years old - £1.5m - P 12(1), MOM 1, AVR 7.15
5. Bjorn Schmidt - 25 years old - £475,000 - P 38, MOM 2, AVR 7.00
4. Sébastien Noto - 23 years old - £550,000 - P 19(2). AVR 6.71
19. Andrea Masiello - 34 years old - £70,000 - P 5(3), AVR 6.75
3. Gerardo Alcoba - 35 years old - £5,000 - P 11(2), AVR 7.00
+ Bokoto, Loco, Mangani, Saengsawad

In January, I bought Iraqi international Mansour for £550,000 after an impressive half-season in Ligue 2 and he was the best player at the club. Unfortunately, he was sold on deadline day this summer, meaning a profit of over £4m in just half a season.

Schmidt was relatively reliable, but his contract expires in a year and so far the club favourite doesn't want to renew, with Ligue 1 and La Liga sides watching him. Unfortunately his minimum fee release clause is only £2.1m.

Noto will improve with age, and Ligue 2 may provide the opportunity for this.

It was a huge coup getting Masiello on a free in the summer after a 7.31-rated season in Ligue 1, but the injury curse hit him worst. He was out for 3 months since September, then strained his calf getting off the physio table as soon as he got the all-clear.

Alcoba is still good enough for Ligue 1 as a sweeper or with extra help, otherwise the 35-year-old is too slow and easily passed. Allowed his contract to expire due to the amount of DCs we have.

In
Mansour - Gladbach (Bundesliga) - £550,000 (January)

Out
Alcoba - Released
Mansour - Toulouse (Ligue 1) - £4.8m


DM/MC

22. Christophe Bokoto - DM, MC, DC - 26 years old - £2.3m - P 21(6), AVR 6.78
31. Thomas Mangani (vice-captain) - DLC, DM, MC - 33 years old - £1m - P 18(5), A 1, AVR 6.78
16. Pedro María Riera - MC - 27 years old - £1.3m - P 6(2), A 1, AVR 6.25
Loan - Paulo Machado
- MC - 34 years old - £375,000 - P6, AVR 7.00
+ Jensen, Saengsawad, Scotto

Bokoto was very poor in defence, and did little in midfield. Underperformed greatly.

Bad mistakes meant Mangani was impossible to play in defence, but in midfield he gained consistency closer to his usual performance level... before injury, of course. With a year left on his contract, growing older, and the highest wage in the squad, I tried to sell him, but there were no takers.

Riera was another who played magnificently last half-season then had an awful season this year. He requested a transfer after playing himself out of the team.

Machado was decent for the few games the loanee played, better than everyone else though.

A summer free transfer came in. Fans were excited by Jaroslav Janousek, immediately a club favourite. The Czech U21 central midfielder could also play on the right, which is what I was desperate for,  though how well remains to be seen. He's rated at £1.1m and played in La Liga last season.

Auxerre offered Christian Floch for a free loan this season. The young Frenchman may or may not be any good, but he gives us an extra, more attacking, option for MC.

In
Janousek - MR/C - Udinese (Serie A/B) - Free
Floch - Auxerre (Ligue 1) - Loan


MR

14. Mike Jensen (captain) - AMR/C, AMR/C - 32 years old - £1.4m - P 36, G 3, A 3, MOM 2, AVR 6.69
+ Saengsawad

In some games Jensen's quiet, in others he's very involved. The club favourite and captain is going into the last year of this contract, and I'm not sure what decision I'll make at the end of it.

In August I bought Miodrag Ljajic, who is a left winger but can also play right, so finally we have a second right-winger, hopefully one who'll make more of an impact on a game than Jensen. The scouts say he would be a leading star in Ligue 1, and the fans are excited about him.

In
Ljajic - ML/R - Spartak Moscow (Premier Division) - £1.9m


ML

17. Hamid Scotto - ML/C, AML/C, ST - 29 years old - £900,000 - P 32(4), G 2, A 2, MOM 2, AVR 6.78
6. Mohamed Fekih - ML, AML - 27 years old - £2.5m - P 10(10), G 1, A 1, AVR 6.70
11. Fabrice Marty - ML, AML - 26 years old - £1.9m - P 5(6), A 1, AVR 6.36

Scotto is similar to Jensen - sometimes good, sometimes quiet, but generally not penetrating and better in the centre building rather than on the wing where you need to affect a game. Consistently ok.

Fekih finally extended his contracted on the basis he would be put in the first team. He was ok in that run, but he only got 1 assist. Hopefully will do better at a lower level.

Marty seems to have a bit more gumption. He's unfortunate to have one or two good players in his position.


AMC

8. Stefan Babovic - AMC - 33 years old - £275,000 - P 29(3), G 1, A 7, AVR 6.81
+ Bergougnoux, Jensen, Scotto

Babovic does his job, nothing more, nothing less. When the attack is on form though, he plays a beautiful part in it.


ST

18. Robert van der Heijden - 23 years old - £2.9m - P 21(4), G 5, A 4, AVR 6.76
27. Isaac Ros - 24 years old - £4.3m - P 16(6), G 3, A 1, MOM 2, AVR 6.77
10. Antonio - 29 years old - £2.9m - P 12 (15), G 7, A 1, MOM 1, AVR 6.63
7. Cédric Bergougnoux - AMC, ST - 21 years old - £3m - P 29(9), G 6, A 4, MOM 3, AVR 6.82
20. Giorgos Samaras - 35 years old - £28,000 - P 7(14), G 2, A 2, AVR 6.33
24. Benjamin Didot - 23 years old - £1.4m - P 4, G 1, A 1, AVR 6.75
29. Gérard Morin - 24 years old - £2m - P 5(5), G 2, AVR 6.30
+ Scotto

4 months' worth of injuries made it hard for van der Heijden to settle. He can score more in Ligue 2, unless his head is turned by other clubs.

Strained ankle and then knee injuries kept Ros out for large period, but I've lost patience with him. He spent the whole season, after supposedly being talked down, getting fidgety over a move still. I promised I'd sell him at the end of the season, but he's not been good enough and wouldn't have been a loss earlier. He was sold in the summer for £1.2m back to South America.

7 goals in 12 starts and 15 sub appearances sounds like a great record, but fellow South American and club favourite Antonio went large spells not only not scoring, but completely ineffective. Will hopefully score loads in Ligue 2 though.

Bergougnoux can hit the target (34 on target out of 71 shots), but lacked that instinct or ability to get it past the keeper (1 goal every 6 on-target shots). Will he gain this with age and experience? Ligue 2 will provide a great proving ground.

Samaras came with pedigree, but there were only flashes of brilliance. He requested a transfer immediately after providing an assist to save a cup tie, and was wanted by a large variety of clubs, moving to the Dutch Eredivisie.

Didot came in with us desperate for goals in the last 4 matches, and he made an impact (then got injured for the last game, of course). Don't know what his place will be next season. A bid for Didot is rejected.

4 months' worth of injuries didn't help Morin. He'd probably do well in Ligue 2, but with his contract expiring and lacking the physical presence I'll be looking for in future players, I sold him down a level to third-tier Istres.

In the summer comes Alex, who is a Brazilian/Italian who's strong in the air. The 20-year-old has represented Brazil at U20 level.

Also Kevin Koffi. The Liberian (real life Ivorian, oops FM) international scored 26 in 24 games before retiring. Last season he got 3 in only 5 starts and 11 sub appearances in Ligue 1, then 3 in 17 in La Liga, as well as 7 in 4 African Cup and World Cup qualifiers. 20 Finishing, 17 Composure, 20 Technique, 19 First Touch, 19 Dribbling, 16 Jumping. And fairly strong on his left foot. Scouts say he would be a leading striker in Ligue 1, never mind Ligue 2.

A loanee is 19-year-old French/Réunionese Jérémy Ramirez. He doesn't look anything special, but he's worth a shot as a freebie.

That makes 7 strikers. After last season, I need 1 or 2 goalscorers. Surely there's someone in there that can do it.

Out
Ros - Vasco Da Gama (Brazilian Série A) - £1.2m
Samaras - RBC (Dutch Eredivisie) - £100,000
Morin - Istres (French 3rd-tier) - £500,000

In
Alex - Mantova (Serie A) - Free
Koffi - Toulouse (Ligue 1) - Free
Ramirez
- Créteil (Ligue 1) - Free


Pre-Season

The board inform me the transfer budget this season will be... £12,000.

If we had survived, this would probably be the point where I resigned. I would've needed money to buy players. However, as it stands, we're a Ligue 1 club in Ligue 2, so maybe in the very short-term I won't need anyone. I can use the current players, hopefully trounce the league, then bugger off as my contract ends. Plus £13m raised in player sales helped increase that budget a bit...

Cédric Bergougnoux won the Fan's Player of the Season award for 2019/20, which isn't saying much. Should've been Mansour, despite only being at the club 5 months.

Incredibly, it seems we'll be making a lot more TV money as a big Ligue 2 side than as a minor Ligue 1 side.

The media expect a 2nd place finish, and the board and fans also expect promotion. The bookies say we're 4th-favourites for the title.

Locó Testimonial

Valenciennes 2 - 1 Primeiro De Agosto (Angola)
Locó captained the side against his hometown club where his career started. It was won by a long range wonder goal from Marty in the final minutes.

Friendlies

(18th, Ligue 1) Valenciennes 0 - 1 Cercle Brugge (2nd, Belgian top tier)
(17th, Ligue 2) Besancon 1 - 0 Valenciennes (18th, Ligue 1)
(16th, Serie B) Ascoli 1 - 0 Valenciennes (18th, Ligue 1)


BREAKING NEWS...

FBI INVESTIGATING FIFA CORRUPTION - BLATTER AND PLATINI QUESTIONED AFTER VALENCIENNES CONTROVERSY SPARKS CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

Events seem to follow me everywhere. After making global news as a little-known Englishman/Iranian taking charge of Iran, one step (along with the rise of Israel) that eventually led to world peace, now I walk into a situation where the dodginess of last season makes sense.

Allegations suddenly starts appearing that Blatter, Platini and co. arranged for Valenciennes and Marseille (who had been participants in the 1993 scandal) to be relegated to improve French football's image, which makes the craziness a bit more explainable. Marseille survived (the Champions League regulars having the quality to finish 14th a few points above relegation), but we didn't.

However it seems the powers that be pushed a bit too far and left a trail that has allowed the FBI and others to prove culpability and finally strike and overthrow the dictatorship with a big dossier of ******** to lock them up for a very long time.

On 31/01/2018 at 17:18, oche balboa said:

Loving this story. 

Thank you sir.

On 29/01/2018 at 14:12, CFuller said:

I've seen the Republic of Ireland win a European Championship before, but that's a new one on me!

Jimmy Briand in the Team of the Tournament - now there's a name I haven't come across for a long time!

Jimmy Briand - Portsmouth legend (12 years and counting) who helped them win the F.A. Cup. The French captain is still going for club and country at 35.

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 2007] Back to 2006, as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: 2020 squad review, pre-season, and making global news yet again
  • 2 weeks later...

Valenciennes 2020/21 - A Season Off

July to August 2020 - Same Old ****

Results

Spoiler

Ligue 2

(Predicted 8th) Beauvais 2 - 0 Valenciennes (Pred. 2nd)
B Goals: (16), (pen 31)

(Pred. 2nd) Valenciennes 0 - 0 Bastia (Pred. 19th)

(Pred. 7th) Sedan 0 - 2 Valenciennes (Pred. 2nd)
V Goals: Mansour (25), Alex (68)

(Pred. 2nd) Valenciennes 2 - 1 Caen (Pred. 10th)
C Goals: (63)
V Goals: van der Heijden (86), Babovic (90+2)


Coupe de la Ligue - 1st Round

(L2, Pred. 1st) Brest 0 - 2 Valenciennes (L2, Pred. 2nd)
V Goals: van der Heijden (21), Antonio (76)


Ligue 2

(Pred. 16th) Chateauroux 1 - 1 Valenciennes (Pred. 2nd)
C Goal: (43)
V Goal: Babovic (51)

(Pred. 2nd) Valenciennes 1 - 0 Sete (Pred. 6th)
V Goal: Ljajic (19)
S Red Card: (30)

 

League Record: P6 W3 D2 L1 F6 A4 GD+2 CS3 PTS11, Pos: 6/20

Our season started worryingly with a loss away to a small team, despite completely dominating, followed by a home draw and still 0 goals. Even our first win (which saw me pick Babovic for the first time, and him get 2 assists) saw a new signing getting injured after 30 minutes, the goals only coming from set pieces, no threat from us from open play and only winning because of Sedan's incredibly wasteful finishing. It was déja vu.

With 2 more players getting injured in the next game, including another big new signing, I toned down training a little more. If the injuries continued, especially to last season's levels, I would've considered cancelling training completely. But it was never a problem again. 1 problem solved.

A second XI was played in the toughest cup game possible, away to the team predicted 1st in Ligue 2. But the second XI played a perfect game. And no injuries!

I was a victim of deadline day drama as our best player Mansour was sold. But with a tighter foreigner limit in the league, and with foreign attackers needed more in the team, he wouldn't have played a lot anyway. We tried to use the money to rush through the signing of a Serie A striker, but we were minutes too late. Though we didn't try to sign him again.

Things were improving results-wise if nothing else. It looked like even if we continued the bad luck of last season, the much lower quality in Ligue 2 meant we could still come back and pick up points and finish in a good position, hopefully at least competing for automatic promotion...

======================================================================


September to December 2020 - Title Wrapped Up By November

Results

Spoiler

Ligue 2

(18th) Angers 1 - 3 Valenciennes (6th)
V Goal: Koffi (25)
A Goal: (45+1)
V Goals: Koffi (63), Alex (68)

(3rd) Valenciennes 0 - 0 Lorient (12th)


Coupe de France - 2nd Round

(4th, L2) Valenciennes 4 - 0 Nimes (20th, L2)
V Goals: Didot (5, 45+3)
N Disallowed Goal: (62)
V Goals: Didot (72), van der Heijden (79)


Ligue 2

(2nd) Metz 0 - 1 Valenciennes (4th)
V Goal: Babovic (61)

(2nd) Valenciennes 4 - 0 Niort (6th)
V Goals: Alex (9, 15, 36), Ljajic (43)
V Knock, Down To 10 Men: (72)

(4th) Besancon 0 - 2 Valencinnes (1st)
V Goals: Alex (59), Didot (63)

(1st) Valenciennes 3 - 1 Libourne St-Seurin (3rd)
V Goals: Bokoto (2), Alex (7)
LS-S Goal: (38)
LS-S Red Card: (62)
V Goal: Scotto (86)

(17th) Nimes 0 - 1 Valenciennes (1st)
V Goal: Own Goal (85)


Coupe de la Ligue - 3rd Round

(10th, L1) Créteil 3 - 2 Valenciennes (1st, L2)
V Goal: van der Heijden (1)
C Goal: (6)
V Goal: Ljajic (12)
C Goal: (32)
C Red Card: (79)
C Goal: (90+4)


Ligue 2

(1st) Valenciennes 2 - 0 Cannes (3rd)
V Goals: Didot (5), Alex (36)

(11th) Pau 0 - 0 Valenciennes (1st)
P Red Card: (2)

(1st) Valenciennes 4 - 1 Yzeure (14th)
V Goals: Alex (16, 49), Own Goal (56), Koffi (71)
Y Goal: (83)

(1st) Valenciennes 1 - 1 Le Havre (18th)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (54)
LH Goal: (74)


Coupe de France - 7th Round

(1st, L2) Valenciennes 4 - 1 Le Havre (15th, L2)
V Goals: Alex (10, 14, 20)
LH Goal: (40)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (89)


Ligue 2

(14th) Nancy 1 - 1 Valenciennes (1st)
V Goal: Babovic (29)
N Goal: (41)

(1st) Valenciennes 1 - 0 Brest (9th)
V Goal: Alex (84)

(2nd) Bastia 1 - 1 Valenciennes (1st)
B Goal: Didot Own Goal (32)
V Goal: Alex (35)


Coupe de France - 8th Round

(5th tier) Fréjus 0 - 1 Valenciennes (1st, L2)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (43)


Ligue 2

(1st) Valenciennes 3 - 1 Sedan (5th)
V Goals: Bergougnoux (23, 41)
S Goal: (42)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (47)

(16th) Caen 0 - 2 Valenciennes (1st)
V Goals: Fekih (41), Ljajic (46)
V Injury, Down To 10 Men: Fekih (80)

League Record: P16 W11 D5 L0 F29 A7 GD+22 CS9 PTS38
League Place: 1/20, P22 PTS49

Suddenly, the juggernaut was in full motion, going on a record undefeated streak from our opening day loss into the winter break, only failing to score in 2 games, a mean 7 goals conceded in 16 games, including 7 clean sheets during an 8-game streak, and scoring 3 or more goals in 7 games.

With the teams below taking point off each other, we stretched to an incredible lead. By the end of the year, we were 10 points ahead of 2nd and 3rd for the title, and 16 ahead of 4th for promotion.

With such dominance, I could concentrate on the cups, resting players in league games a few days before. Despite being in Ligue 2, we had a chance of European football by reaching a final or winning, which we could do on any day. We stayed in the Coupe de France, and were knocked out of the Coupe de la Ligue but only in the last minute away to a Ligue 1 side, and only thanks to a rare poor goalkeeping performance from Guimard. We would've won 2 - 0 otherwise.

It's alright. In the next match he got a 10/10 rating.

I got a couple of international job offers from Venezuela and Angola, but there was no chance I was going anywhere this season now.

Alex achieved a Goal of the Month award for his late winner against Brest, a shot rifled into the side of the goal from the D, at the end of some one-touch passing.

And I was named Ligue 2 Manager of the Year for 2020. My first award since Varese 12.5 years ago.

Promotion and the title was near-certain, but bigger mid-season points gaps have disappeared in the past. I always told the players not to assume it's won already, and that it's better to do the work now, then we can have the last month or two off.

The last step to the trophy was to continue January as we ended December. If our form isn't lost, the title is ours.

======================================================================


January 2021 to May 2021 - Easing Off

Results

Spoiler

Coupe de France - 9th Round

(1st, L2) Valenciennes 1 - 0 Niort (18th, L2) AET
V Goal: Alex (119)

Ligue 2

(1st) Valenciennes 5 - 1 Chateauroux (8th)
V Goals: Bergougnoux (9, 36), Alex (34)
C Goal: (45+1)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (63)
V injury, down to 10 men: Vos (73)
V Goal: Koffi (81)

(17th) Séte 1 - 0 Valenciennes (1st)
S Goal: (75)


Coupe de France - 10th Round

(1st, L2) Valenciennes 3 - 1 Sochaux (16th, L1)
S Goal: (3)
V Red Card: Monti (21)
V Goals: Ljajic (23), Bergougnoux (31), Alex (72)


Ligue 2

(1st) Valenciennes 3 - 2 Angers (13th)
V Goals: Fekih (15), Bergougnoux (41)
A Goal: (56)
V Goal: Saengsawad (62)
A Goal: (88)

(9th) Lorient 1 - 1 Valenciennes (1st)
V Goal: Ramirez (35)
L Goal: (pen 62)
V Disallowed Goal: Koffi (77)


Coupe de France - 11th Round

(20th, L1) Le Mans 3 - 2 Valenciennes (1st, L2)
LM Goals: (13), (17)
V Goals: Alex (pen 42), Bergougnoux (48)
LM Goal: (81)


Ligue 2

(1st) Valenciennes 1 - 1 Metz (19th)
M Goal: Schmidt Own Goal (43)
V Goal: Ljajic (82)

(19th) Niort 1 - 1 Valenciennes (1st)
V Second Yellow: Bergougnoux (34)
N Goal: (36)
V Goal: Koffi (78)
V Second Yellow: Fekih (90+3)

(1st) Valenciennes 0 - 0 Besancon (7th)

(17th) Libourne St-Seurin 0 - 0 Valenciennes (1st)

(1st) Valenciennes 2 - 0 Nimes (8th)
V Goals: Bergougnoux (23, 35)

(4th) Cannes 0 - 1 Valenciennes (1st)
V Goal: Alex (33)
V Second Yellow: Travers (81)
C injury, down to 10 men: (81)


(1st) Valenciennes 4 - 1 Pau (6th)
V Goal: Marcelo Moreno (22)
P Goal: (35)
V Goals: Eriksson (39), Marcelo Moreno (58, 69)

(16th) Le Havre 1 - 3 Valenciennes (1st)
V Goals: Marcelo Moreno (pen 31, 79), Travers (74)
LH Goal: (90+1)

(9th) Yzeure 1 - 1 Valenciennes (1st)
V Goal: Ljajic (18)
Y Goal: (88)

(1st) Valenciennes 1 - 0 Nancy (9th)
V Disallowed Goal: Eriksson (42)
V Goal: Koffi (64)


(4th) Brest 2 - 2 Valenciennes (1st)
B Goals: (6), (13)
V Goals: Bergougnoux (78), Own Goal (90+2)

(1st) Valenciennes 1 - 0 Beauvais (3rd)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (27 seconds)
B Missed Penalty: (45+2)

League Record: P16 W8 D7 L1 F26 A12 GD+14 CS6 PTS31
Season League Record: P38 W22 D14 L2 F61 A23 CS18 PTS 80

The first match back was a bit of a disaster. We only beat a relegation-fighting Ligue 2 side after extra time. With an offside goal, despite 22 shots (most off target), 31 free kicks and 10 corners. The match also cost 4 players: the star right-winger Ljajic and centre-back Noto with suspension, and midfielder Scotto and defender Travers for a few weeks with injuries.

I played even weaker sides in matches that came before cup games, no matter how many days rest there was. So the cameras watched us lose our first and only game since the opening day with a mostly second-string side, including an Under-18 player. Had we not lost on the opening day, I might've played a strong side to try and play a whole season unbeaten.

It was clear the title was ours. Although our form had dropped a little and our defence lost its mean streak, it wasn't enough to stop us outscoring everyone, getting points, goals and clean sheets as another unbeaten run started.

Meanwhile, our cup runs showed that we should be fine in Ligue 1, easily knocking out a Ligue 1 side despite being a goal behind and a man down for nearly the whole game, as well as scoring well in 3-2 losses away to two others.

Being knocked out of our second cup at the end of January had a silver lining. I could now get rid of some players who weren't going to be in our Ligue 1 squad next season, rather than keep them for the cup. I sold the disappointing van der Heijden to Ajax as well as Antonio on deadline day, bringing in a couple of old strikers free as effectively trials. One, Marcelo Martins Moreno (who you may know as the Bolivian-Brazilian who took a team photo with the Brazilians) would stay for next season as a backup after 5 goals and 1 assist in 2 games.

A busy transfer window saw 4 players leave for over £3.5m and 3 join for £35,000 (which was just a tribunal fee).

I even tried to loan Messi. He said no, but if you don't ask you don't get. But another Barcelona legend did join us. An overhaul of the staff saw a new assistant manager as well as Andrés Iniesta taking his first coaching role after spending his whole playing career at Barcelona. Of course, he'll be the ball control/technique coach.

The teams below dropping points every week meant, despite a spell of 5 draws in a row, promotion was officially confirmed with 5 games to spare and the title with 4. In the end we won the title by 19 points, with over double everyone else's goal difference.


Final Ligue 2 Table

1 - Valenciennes - 80 (Champions)
2 - Bastia - 61
3 - Brest - 59 (Final promotion place)
------------------------------------------------------
4 - Beauvais - 57


Every Record That Was Smashed And Crazy Stats

80 points - Club and Ligue 2 Record - Most points in a season (even if earlier seasons were 3 points for a win instead of 2, at least in the club's case)

22 games won - Club Record - Most games won in a season

2 losses - Club Record - Least amount of losses in a league season

14-game unbeaten streak in all competitions - Club Record - Longest unbeaten streak in all competitons

22-games unbeaten streak in Ligue 2 - Club and Ligue 2 Record - Longest unbeaten streak in Ligue 2

20 goals (Alex (ST)) - Club Record - Most goals in a season

21 assists (Babovic (AMC)) - Club Record - Most assists in a season

14 league assists (Babovic (AMC)) - Tied Ligue 2 Record - Most assists in a season (held also by Edgar Manucharyan from Ajaccio's 2007/08 season).

Average rating of 7.48 (Bokoto (CM)) - Club Record - Highest average rating in a season

£6.5m (Boudib (DL) to Visé (Belgium)) - Club Record - Biggest transfer fee received (also Visé's record fee)

£16.5m - Club Record - Highest total received in transfer fees in a season

£14.5m - Club Record - Highest net transfer profit in a season

17 of our goals were assisted by free kicks, 2nd place was 10 goals.

Noto (DC) had the highest pass percentage in Ligue 2 - 83%

Fekih (ML) had the most dribbles per game in Ligue 2 - 3.57

Bokoto's (CM) club-record average rating of 7.43 is the best average rating in Ligue 2

Our game away to 18th placed Niort was the lowest attendance of the season. The Niort fans didn't want to see their team destroyed, but would've seen their team win a point had they come.

Also, Libourne St-Seurin dropped down the table while failing to win their last 21 games, with no wins since November. They finished 19th.


Ligue 2 Awards

Manager of the Season: Me

Manager of the Year (2020): Me

Players' Player of the Season: Ljajic (MR/L)

Goalkeeper of the Season: Guimard

Most Promising Player: Alex

Team of the Season included Guimard (GK), Monti (D/WB/ML), Ljajic MR/L and Babovic (AMC) with Alex (ST) on the 'bench'

Alex was named the Ligue 2 signing of the season in the season review as well as the Valenciennes Fans' Player of the Year. The £4.6m-rated 21-year-old was signed for £0 and provided 14 league goals in 24(3) games (plus 6 in 5 cup games).


My Future

The club offered me a new contract, perhaps more delighted financially than with the on-the-pitch success.

I've signed players for little or nothing, as well as played previously out-of-favour players, and they've gone on to make millions for the club. The biggest examples being Mansour, who I bought for £550k and who was sold in the next window for £4.8. And Boudib, who when I arrived wasn't being played and was only rated at £4,000. Something I noted when I first arrived:

On 16/11/2017 at 11:51, git2thachoppa said:

I'm shocked to see the 4k-rated Algerian left-back Boudib is actually a good-looking young player, so he may start my first game.

He was sold after a great season-and-a-half for £6.5m.

I wasn't sure if I would stay, but after reviewing the squad, I was surprised how many players were only 21/22 years old. That and our performances against Ligue 1 opposition, a ready-made squad of players who are mostly my own signings now, and a healthy budget, it's worth sticking around for another 2 years.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 2007] Back to 2006, as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: 20/21 - A record-breaking season

2020/21 - Domestic Football Recap

Selected Transfers
Peter Volk (26, German, MR/AMR) - Real Betis to Inter Milan - £42m
Georgi Ivanov (27, Bulgarian, DC/DM/MC) - Liverpool to Real Betis - £26.5m
Alexandre García Munoz (27, Mexican/Colombian, MR/L/AMR/L) - Chivas to Barcelona - £25.5m
Arben Gashi (26, Albanian, MC) - Chelsea to AC Milan - £24m
Babis Papadopoulos (25, Greek, ML/AML) - Man City to Inter Milan - £20.5m
Alexander Jansen (27, Dutch, DL) - Bayern Munich to Chelsea - £19.5m

The transfer of Volk is the first to be over £40m since Zidane's record transfer fee, and the 5th to be over £30m (all 5 of which were paid by Inter Milan, as the world's richest club look to keep their grip on Europe).


Awards

New names made up the top 3 for World Player of the Year. Palermo's Czech striker Svozil was the winner, followed by American striker Rob Roberts of Borussia Dortmund, then England and Man City attacker Jones.

Last year's World Player of the Year was this year's Ballon d'Or European Footballer of the Year: Arsenal and Mexico's Carlos Vela for the 3rd time. Real Madrid and Argentina's Gonzalo Higuaín and Man Utd's Colombian striker Lara were 2nd and 3rd.


European Cups

Arise Sir Steve McClaren.

For 11 years, the best England manager since Bobby Robson did what Sir Bobby couldn't at club level too, after taking his country to a final. He has taken Newcastle United from a midtable side to the challengers to Arsenal's throne, winning 2 titles before this double of Champions League and Premier League.

The final in Milan saw the Geordies brush aside 10-man Arsenal 2-1, who went down to 9 through injury in the last 10 minutes. A knighthood awaits.

The semi-finals saw a surprise team in Hertha BSC, managed by Jurgen Kohler, who only reached the group stage over a decade ago and the UEFA Cup semis last season.

After winning La Decima, Real Madrid lost in the first knockout round to Hamburg SV.

Norwegian side Lyn had a dream run to the knockout rounds under Arne Erlandsen. After reaching the group stage by beating Benfica on away goals, they finished above PSV in the group stage before being knocked out by Atlético Madrid.

David Moyes had taken Bayern Munich to a Champions League final before winning it the next year, but they've now been knocked out at the group stage twice in 3 seasons, losing out to Real Betis and Hearts.

Mourinho's Chelsea didn't even make the group stage after being beaten by Hapoel Tel-Aviv.

Rafa Benitez' Palermo won their first European trophy after being Napoli in an exciting Uefa Cup final. A 1-1 draw became 2-2 after extra time, before a 3-2 win on penalties.


England

Premier League

As mentioned earlier, Newcastle won the Premier League.

But Michael Laudrup's Arsenal finished outside the top 2 for the first time in 6 years, finishing 4th.

Preston had another best finish. They had finished 7th and qualified for Europe a few years ago under Frank Lampard, before quickly sacking him. Two 14th place finishes under Sammy Lee was followed by a 5th place finish this year.

Phil Brown's West Ham had their best finish since 1999, finishing 6th.

13 years at Manchester United ended after Roy Keane ran out of chances. After a bumpy start, the board kept faith and were rewarded with erratic finishes, but also 1 Premier League title, 4 F.A. Cups,  1 UEFA Cup, 1 League Cup, and a Champions League final and 3 more semis. But a group stage Champions League exit and a 7th placed finish (their 4th finish outside the top 4 since winning the title 6 years ago) meant it was time for change. His replacement is Gladbach manager and former Arsenal coach and Leicester manager Neil Banfield.

Meanwhile at Liverpool, fans were ecstatic when Steven Gerrard finished his apprenticeship at the club to become manager. 20 years as a player was followed by 3 years as assistant manager... and only 8 months as manager, as he was unceremoniously sacked in January due to, can you believe it, losing player confidence.

Frank Lampard was yet another 00s legend who got the sack, and once again quick and mind-boggling. After being sacked by Preston just months after taking them to Europe, he was sacked by Sheffield United months after steering them away from relegation due to the new chairman wanting his own man, Carlos Bracamontes.

A last minute goal by Southampton at Hull meant Leeds United survived their first season finally back in the Premier League.

Tottenham were relegated in 19th in only their second season back, and risk becoming a yo-yo club.

Yo-yo club Bolton only got 19 points as they finished bottom, the worst finish since Sheffield Wednesday failed to get a win in 2012/13. The gap between Premier League and Championship continues to be wide.

English players out-performed the foreigners this season, and there are hopes of more caps being given and a chance for trophies in the next 3 years for England.

F.A. Cup

Man City won their second F.A. Cup in 3 years, beating Preston 1-0.

Cup specialists Coventry and Treble-chasing Newcastle were knocked out in the semis.

Football League and Non-League

Peter Beardsley took Everton into the Premier League at the first time of asking, winning the Championship title as well.

After taking charge of Standard Liege and then Rangers, Zhou Chen took charge of Norwich to become the first Chinese and Asian manager in England (probably). He's probably the first Chinese and Asian manager everywhere he goes.

Tony Mowbray was sacked in February, after taking Aldershot Town from League One to 2 Championship playoff finishes in a row, with the team now in the relegation zone. They didn't improve under John Carver and were relegated to League One few months later.

Derby County were relegated to the third tier for the first time since the 80s.

Sunderland sacked Chris Waddle after only a few months, with the relegated League One side flirting with another relegation.

Bournemouth will be playing non-league football next season, for the first time since the 50s.

Sutton United won the Conference title to make their Football League debut next season.

Wycombe legend Keith 'Rhyno' Ryan oversaw his club getting relegated from the Conference.

Jonathan Woodgate's first half-season in charge of Nuneaton saw the Conference North side win their first ever F.A. Trophy. His first full season in charge saw them win the title and promotion back to the Conference.


Spain

Perennial runner-ups (8 in 13 seasons) Atlético Madrid, still managed by Abel Resino since 2008, finally won their first title in 9 years.

Stuart Pearce's Sevilla took 2nd.

Defending champions Real Madrid faltered and dropped to 3rd.


Italy

José Manuel de la Torre's AC Milan won the city of Milan's 14 title in a row by 10 points, 22 points ahead of any non-Milanese club.


Scotland

Defending champions Hearts played at surprise challengers Motherwell to decide the title. Gary McAllister's Motherwell took the lead but Craig Levein's Hearts broke Motherwell's with 3 goals to win their 4th title in 6 seasons.

Celtic did no better under Dan Petrescu, finishing 6th again.


Belgium

Brugge officially has a new #1 club. With the big 3 of Anderlecht, Club Brugge and Genk no more, FC Brussels threatened to be a Big 1. But after Royal Antwerp's win in 2018 briefly broke the monotony, Cercle Brugge won the title this year, their first in 90 years.

Royal Antwerp were relegated.


Switzerland

The Swiss elite were completely blown apart.

Basel's grip on the league was loosened after 9 titles in a row (and 17 in 20 years). St. Gallen won the title for the first time since 1999, 1 point ahead of 2nd-placed Basel.

Luzern, runner-up for 5 seasons in a row, thus finished 3rd.

Young Boys are repeating themselves, as the replacement of my replacement, Brazilian Croatian Eduardo, was sacked during the winter break with team flirting with relegation just like his 3 predecessors. They were steered to safety by his replacement, as usual, but new coach Yuriy Maxymov might want to turn his phone off next winter.

The Liverpool of Switzerland, Grasshopper, shockingly finished bottom and were relegated.


France

After the shocking relevation of match fixing and corruption that lead to Valenciennes and nearly Marseille being relegated, it was almost the perfect story of karma as Valenciennes stormed to the Ligue 2 title. But on the final day, Claude Puel's Lyon got the win they needed to beat Marseille to the Ligue 1 title.

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 2007] Back to 2006, as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: 20/21 club football - Three of '00s best midfielders in shock sackings

2020-21 - International Football Recap

2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Mexico needed penalties to beat surprise finalists Trinidad & Tobago.

USA failed to get out of the group stage for the first time in 17 tournaments.

Panama made a surprising call by sacking their manager despite 2 quarter-final finishes and reaching the final stage of World Cup qualifying, which is still underway. It's difficult to understand why, with Panama in good health in their qualifying group.

Costa Rica's defence of their trophy, and preparation for the Confederations Cup, ended badly, losing both games against El Salvador and Panama.

Cuba got perhaps their biggest ever result: a 1-1 draw with Mexico in the group stage.


Italy 2021 Confederations Cup

There were a lot of new faces after surprise tournament wins from Northern Ireland (Euro 2020), Costa Rica (2019 Gold Cup), Egypt (AFCON 2020) and Fiji (2020 OFC Nations Cup). Back-to-back World Cup winners Argentina didn't appear this time.

And thus, South America's 4-trophy streak was ended by Asia's first winner, South Korea, who beat Diego Forlan's Uruguay 1-0 in the final.

Hosts Italy eased through their group of South Korea, Northern Ireland and Fiji, but were too easily beaten by South American sides Uruguay and Brazil.

Renato Gaúcho stepped down as Brazil's manager a year before the World Cup. His side won their exciting goal-filled group games, before losing 3-2 to South Korea and their hat-trick hero in the semis, then dominating the hosts in a 2-0 win. But evidently he wasn't confident in his side, or the F. A. in him. His time saw Brazil barely qualify via a playoff before finishing 3rd in the 2018 World Cup without conceding a single goal. They then lost the 2019 Copa América final on penalties before qualifying for the next World Cup with ease with just 1 loss, in their meaningless penultimate match.

Fiji surprised everyone. They lost all their games but, unlike the Solomon Islands in 2013, kept the scores low. They failed to register a shot on target, with 5 shots in total, but only lost 1-0 against the European Champions Northern Ireland, 2-0 against the eventual winners, and 3-0 against the hosts though only 1-0 down before having a man sent off.

Costa Rica's manager Gilberto Harris retired after they became the first team other than Mexico and USA since the format and name change in 1991 to lift the CONCACAF Gold Cup. In their first Confederations Cup, they drew with Uruguay and Egypt before losing 3-2 to Brazil after going down to 10 men. Jeaustin Campos takes over, with no World Cup to look forward to.


Youth Football

England have entered another 'golden generation' era. The 2018 World Cup semi-finalists and Euro 2020 quarter-finalists have a lot of players out-performing everyone else in the Premier League, and this season they won both the Under-21 and Under-19 European Championships. With England hosting the 2030 World Cup as well, will they finally lift a trophy before it becomes 70 years of hurt?

Similarly, Brazil won the Under-20 South American Championships, while their senior side dominated qualifying for next year's World Cup after reaching the semi-finals of 2018 and the 2019 Copa América final.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: 20/21 int'ls - England's golden generation on way to 2030

5-Year Recap: 2016 - 2021

See 2006 - 2011 5-year recap here: Link
See 2011- 2016 5-year recap here: Link

- My Career
- Trophies/Medals
- The Bucket List
- Club Football
- International Football
- Notable Players
- Notable Managers

My Career

Chile

The team improved with time, but the lack of having a goalscorer killed us. The golden generation were on their last legs. Particularly in attack, where only one player was in form (and he was usually injured), and only one Chilean in the world had scored double figures for the country in total.

We were unbeaten at home, got 2 points from Argentina and Brazil, but it wasn't enough with 1 point out of a possible 21 away. It was never going to be easy as the 4th-best team in a continent only offering 3.5 this year, combined with the shock rise of Bolivia. We failed to qualify and I was sacked.

Chile would do little better after I went: an underwhelming Copa América quarter-final finish followed by another poor World Cup qualification campaign, 9 points behind with 3 games to go and seeking a new manager.

BSC Young Boys of Bern (Switzerland)

I jumped at the chance to manage at a club in a 10-man league and who were already in the cup semi-finals. It was my best chance to get into European competition. Unfortunately, penalties knocked us out of the cup, but I steered the club up the table. I had little money to spend, making 8 free signings and buying 2 Iranians. One signing would be our best player and later be sold for over triple what I paid to join Sevilla, another joining Atlético Madrid for £2m.

But the signings didn't perform and Young Boys ended up going into the winter break exactly in the position they were in when I arrived: fighting relegation but in the cup semis, so I was sacked almost exactly a year after joining. It was hugely disappointing as the margins were so small and I was going to start playing some eager youths. The league was incredibly tight and a few wins would've seen the team shoot up the table. Rather than dire times, it was almost exciting times.

The new manager would finish the job by winning the cup and finally getting Young Boys back in Europe, but barely avoiding the relegation playoffs on goal difference. It would become an ongoing cycle for Young Boys. For 3 years in a row, the manager would leave or be sacked during the winter break with the team struggling but in the cup semis.

Meanwhile, I readied myself for a step down.

Valenciennes (France)

But instead, I got offered the opportunity to manage in one of the major leagues in Europe: France's Ligue 1.

Valenciennes were a mid-table club flirting with relegation halfway through the season. The players were sparked to life with my arrival. Previously out-of-favour players were suddenly winning Player of the Month awards, we were getting historic results, and I extended my contract confident of the attitude and quality of my team to start climbing up the table next season.

But the 2019/20 season went down in footballing history as the most audacious match fixing scandal, as it emerged the likes of Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini had tried to get Marseille and Valenciennes relegated, paying with their careers and freedom when the FBI took them down. Late goals, open goals and multiple disallowed winners combined with an injury crisis that saw players suddenly getting injured at a rate of 1 per game, new signings immediately getting injured and players who were subbed off for protection getting injured the very next day. One player even got injured while coming off the physio's table after getting the all-clear from his current injury. Relegation was inevitable, but at least the circumstances meant I wouldn't take the blame and in fact I and the club had public sympathy.

The next season in Ligue 2 was the opposite. As effectively a Ligue 1 club in Ligue 2, we destroyed records and collected awards as we won the title by 19 points.

After 1.5 seasons in charge, despite match-fixing scandal and relegation, the squad is better than the one I inherited. Additionally, thanks to my player recruitment and the millions made in profit from their sales, last summer was the first summer that the bank balance didn't dip into the red at all.


Trophies/Medals

Varese
2007/08 Serie C2/A title
2007/08 Serie C2/A Manager of the Year

Iran
2011 Asian Cup runner-up

Valenciennes
2020 Ligue 2 Manager of the Year
2020/21 Ligue 2 title
2020/21 Ligue 2 Manager of the Season


The Bucket List

Win something - 4/5/08 - Won Serie C2/A title with Varese in 2008.

Manage a club in one of the major nations - 13/11/06 - Achieved with Varese in Italy.

Manage in a large stadium - 17/10/07 - Achieved with Tunisia in my first match, a deciding World Cup qualifer in front of 59,997. The 100,000-capacity Azadi in Tehran probably won't be beaten.

Manage Iran (my second nationality) - 18/7/10 - Arrived as a promising manager, left a bit of a legend.

Manage one of the Home Nations - I'm English, but being stalked and abused by the press isn't everyone's idea of a fun time. I'm 1/8th Irish (like the rest of the world), so I'm including Republic of Ireland.

Manage Manchester United - My club.

Manage Brighton & Hove Albion - My hometown club.

Manage Worthing - My actual hometown club that I don't support because they're so low down that it's impossible to, and they may never be at a level where I could consider managing them.

Manage Barcelona or Real Madrid - Like the England job, but the press are comedically nutty rather than sadistic, and the players are incredible.

Manage an Old Firm club - I prefer Celtic, because green is my favourite colour. Also: 1/8th Irish.

Manage in the MLS - A lower quality of football, thanks partly to David Beckham's L.A. Galaxy deal falling through, but there are worse things than to get paid to do football and live in New York or L.A.

Manage a host nation - A unique challenge

Manage Japan - I like Japan.

Manage in South Korea - There's this new Japanese immigration law that says foreign managers can't manage Japanese clubs... Yeah, that's it... So for club football, South Korea would be close enough!

Manage A Big Sexy International Team - Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina, maybe France, Spain or Netherlands.

Manage a stinking rich club - A nice comfortable job

Get sacked - 20/10/06 - Everyone has to get sacked. I got in early, losing my first job at Salyut-Energia Belgorod in just over 3 months after failing to steer them away from relegation.

Experience an international tournament - Australia 2011 Asian Cup - Achieved with Iran, finishing runner-up, their best performance in decades.

Experience a World Cup - Espana '14 - Achieved with Iran, the 4 points and 3 goals in Spain was their best ever performance.

Experience an Olympics - London 2012 - Achieved with Iran U23s, their first appearance ever (and since the 70s for Iran in general, when it was a senior tournament)

Win every continent's international competition - Collecting trophies while experiencing new and unique environments

Gain a famous friend - Frank Rijkaard - Met the La Liga title-streak-winning manager after his Barcelona team asked to play a friendly at Varese

Become a millionaire - $$$ - The Iran job brought me into 7 figures, and I've had regular work since then.


Club Football

As time went on, the smaller teams got stronger. Smaller leagues like Belgium, Portugal, Scotland and Switzerland all saw new winners as the elite stuttered temporarily or collapsed entirely after years of title streaks and decades of dominance, and teams like Hearts and FC Brussels establishing a new dominance.

Inter Milan and Arsenal used to dominate their countries and Europe with title streaks and Champions League trophies aplenty, but Newcastle United under Steve McClaren and AC Milan under José Manuel de la Torre have not only established a title-winning Big 2 in their respective leagues, but perhaps formed a European Big 4.

Real Madrid finally won La Decima, after losing the final at their own ground the year before.

Champions League Winners
2017: AC Milan (7)
2018: Inter Milan (6)
2019: AC Milan (8)
2020: Real Madrid (10)
2021: Newcastle United (1)


International Football

The rise of the smaller countries continued and reached new heights.

We saw minnows battle it out for the European Championships (Northern Ireland beating Switzerland), CONCACAF Gold Cup (Costa Rica beating Guatemala), OFC Nations Cup (Fiji) and Confederations Cup (South Korea beating Uruguay). Diego Forlan also lifted Uruguay's first Copa América since 1995, after U.S.A. became the first non-South American winner in 2015.

The only shock remaining now to be seen is a new World Cup winner. Argentina are still the best team in the world after back-to-back World Cup wins, but Brazil or even Uruguay could stop them reaching an historic 3 in a row. Meanwhile, Austria made it 3 World Cups in a row where a South American juggernaut faced (and beat) a European minnow in a World Cup final.

2018 World Cup qualification was the most brutal, shocking and intense in footballing history.

In South America, a turnaround in the second half of Brazil's and Bolivia's games on the final day saw Bolivia defy the odds and qualify (and then top their World Cup group with 7 points including a win over Italy). So Brazil had to go through the playoffs, where 3 goals in the last 10 minutes saw USA take the lead, 10-man Brazil equalise but still behind on away goals, then with the last kick of the game America conceded an own goal with a failed backpass to knock themselves out. In Europe, Croatia, Slovenia and Wales finished on equal points thanks to a last-second goal in a battle for just a playoff place. Switzerland, who would be runner-up for Euro 2020 under the same manager, finished bottom of their group, beneath Malta. In the playoffs, Denmark thrashed Germany while 2 goals in the last 4 minutes saw R.o.Ireland qualify over Spain. In Africa, an 84th-minute winner saw Comoros debut, while Togo failed to make the group stage thanks to a last-minute equaliser then penalty loss to Seychelles. In Asia, Australia, Japan and China failed to make the routine final group stage while Macau, Hong Kong, Jordan and Lebanon did, plus Iraq lost both games to Chinese Taipei. Macau and Jordan would finish above South Korea in their final group to qualify for the World Cup, and Jordan would reach the quarter-finals.

Brutal was also an apt word for the World Cup itself, with multiple sendings off, averaging 1 sending off every 3 matches.

That's because Europe's elite in particular has crumbled. Euro 2016 runner-up Germany failed to even qualify for 2018 post-Klopp and didn't get out the groups in 2020, Netherlands didn't get out of the groups in 2018 and lost to Switzerland in the 2020 quarter-finals, France didn't qualify for 2018 either but reached the 2020 semis, while Spain haven't qualified for a tournament since 2014 and Portugal haven't qualified for any since 2010.

Even England reached a World Cup semi-final.

Italy, as hosts of 2022, will be hoping to improve on their underachievement.


Notable Players

Gonzalo Higuaín - This makes it 3 times in a row that he makes the 'Notable Players' list in a 5-year recap. That's 15 years of brilliance. He's spent all that time at Real Madrid, scoring safely over 200 goals and assisting over 100 more in about 400 games, winning La Decima and 8 La Liga titles (including 6 in a row), not to mention back-to-back World Cups thanks to 29 goals in 81 Argentina appearances, scoring in both finals. The 33-year-old played only 17 games last season, even though he clearly would continue to get double figures in goals and assists in the league alone if he played most games.

Carlos Vela - Despite playing mostly in 'the hole' behind the lone striker, Vela's strike rate shot back up in the last 4 seasons as he hit his frightening prime, getting better than a goal every 2 games and plentiful assists. At 32 years old, he's still playing for Mexico and currently has 85 goals in 121 appearances, though no trophies or even finals other than the expected few CONCACAF Gold Cups.

Sergio Aguero - 33 and still going, Aguero banged in 20+ goals for Atlético Madrid in every season of the past 5 years, as well as scoring regularly for Argentina, helping them retain the World Cup, as he closes in on 100 appearances.

Nicklas Bendtner - As one of the few players to play for the two biggest clubs in the world at the time, Arsenal and Inter Milan, our lord and saviour Bendtner's Second Coming at Arsenal didn't disappoint as he continued his form domestically and internationally with 99 goals in just 3 seasons. But, in his 30s, he has been on the bench making an incredible 63 substitute appearances in the last 2 seasons, but still scoring.

Dave Hone - Coventry's Irish defender continues his strong performances, and it's surprising no big clubs came for a guy who has average ratings in the Premier League of around 7.30 and would only cost a few million. In the season of 17/18, he had an average rating for Republic of Ireland of 7.75, with 3 Man of the Match performances in 8 games.

Thomas Schweinsteiger - The forgotten man. It seems he's not quite good enough to get mentioned as the very best, with average ratings of around 7.10, sometimes less. Yet a striker who scores 30 goals in 47 appearances for Germany, plus a reliable regular scorer for Bayern Munich, should be acknowledged.

Héctor Juliá - Werder Bremen's Argentine defender has achieved average ratings of well over 7.00, including a 7.50 season and two 7.38s. His performances helped Argentina retain the World Cup with a 7.55 rating for the 17/18 season internationally. In Werder Bremen's 19/20 Champions League campaign to the quarter-final, he had a 7.78 average rating.

Mathieu Henry - Barcelona's French striker his around 20 goals a season for his club and, except last season, around 10 assists. In 2016/17, his France record was 11 goals in 9(1) appearances and an average rating of 8.10.


Notable Managers

Sir Steve McClaren - Perhaps the greatest manager in the world today, arguably the greatest English manager in history. After taking England to the Euro 2008 final and 2009 Confederations Cup final (and a group World Cup exit in 2010), he joined Newcastle United, who had finished 6th then 7th with a UEFA Cup final. They finished 3rd, 4th, 3rd in his first 3 seasons, then didn't leave the top 2 for 6 seasons, winning their first title in nearly a century. They won another title before the double of their 3rd Premier League and 1st Champions League in 2021.

Gordon Strachan - After almost winning La Liga in 2014, the fiery wee Scot broke Real Madrid's streak of 6 titles in a row with fiery wee Real Betis in 2019 (half of a double including the Copa del Rey) in his 8th year in charge. It was only their second ever title; they won their only title in 1935.

Roberto Mancini - In the last 5 years, Inter Milan have been relatively poor, but they've still won a Champions League and 3 titles in that time. That makes 11 titles (7 in a row) and 4 Champions Leagues (2 in a row) in total for the club in his 17 years as manager so far.

Marcelino García Toral - His title streak continued after 2016 with Real Madrid, eventually reaching 6-in-a-row. But more than anything, Marcelino makes the list for achieving La Decima, not least in a Milan-dominated Europe.

José Manuel de la Torre - After titles with Ajax and back-to-back titles with AC Milan to break Inter's 7-title streak, the past 5 years has seen Milan win a couple more titles but also 2 Champions Leagues.

Craig Levein - Hearts of Midlothian had won the SPL title in 2010, the only team other than Celtic and Rangers to do since Sir Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen in the 1980s, but had fallen back down the table when Levein took charge in 2015. Since then Hearts have won 4 of the last 6 titles, 2 doubles, and reached the knockout round of the Champions League twice.

Colin Clarke - He took over Northern Ireland from the retiring Martin O'Neill after a career in USA that saw him take Virginia Beach Mariners (who aren't even in the MLS) to the U.S. Open Cup final in 2009. 5 years later, they were lifting the European Championship.

Andreas Heraf - Since taking charge of Austria in 2009, the nation didn't get any worse but little better. Then in 2018, they reached the World Cup final.

Alfredo Calderón - Since taking over Bolivia, they not only reached the World Cup but reached the knockout stages after 2 wins and a draw. They then reached the Copa América semis and look set to qualify for another World Cup.

Ricardo Gomes - Winning titles wherever he went, he took over Mexican side Club Atlas. He would take them to their first Copa Libertadores... then 2nd, 3rd and 4th. They won an incredible 4 Copa Libertadores in a row, but he suffered a sensational sacking before the second leg of that 4th final. A few months later, they would beat AC Milan on penalties to win the Club World Cup.

Mike Newell - Took charge of yo-yo club West Brom in February 2013 and a few months later they were back in the Premier League. 2 seasons later, they finished 6th and qualified for Europe, where they reached the quarters and semis of the UEFA Cup. This combined with an F.A. Cup final and semi-final was deemed worthy of the sack because of one underperforming season and threat of relegation.

Gilberto Harris - Costa Rica hadn't qualified for a World Cup since 2006. He not only took them there in 2018, but they won all their group games with 3 clean sheets before being knocked out by Italy in the knockouts. They then won the CONCACAF Gold Cup the next year, becoming the first team other than Mexico or U.S.A. to win it. They made a shock exit in the first round of 2022 World Cup qualifying against Turks & Caicos Islands, but got a good 2 points and a 3-2 loss against Brazil in the Confederations Cup before Harris retired.

Jaser Bqie'ey - The manager of Jordan came in charge of a team that had only once qualified for the Asian Cup, and took them to the World Cup quarter-finals and 2 successive Asian Cups (1 quarter-final finish).

Leung Shui Wing - He took charge of little Hong Kong in 2013. A few years later, they were in the final round of World Cup qualifying, and then in the Asian Cup getting draws with Australia and Bahrain.

Paul Sturrock - Dundee United legend Sturrock took charge of the relegation-battling club in 2013 and he was unable to stop them finishing bottom of the SPL. They won promotion back up next season, and 2 years later were lifting the SPL trophy. They drew with Real Madrid at Tannadice in their debut Champions League season, before getting past Hamburg, Olympiakos, Rangers and Villareal to reach the UEFA Cup final. (Completely unrealistic. You never see a team going from relegation zone to league champions and then a dream European run before sacking their revered manager as thanks.)

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: Global 5-Year Recap - 2016 to 2021

2021 Post/Pre-Season

Squad Review and Transfers

When I was offered a new contract, I reviewed my squad to help decide if I should accept. I was surprised how young everyone was and the quality and depth. So I accepted, knowing I wouldn't need to make big changes unless forced.

GK

13. Jean-Baptiste Guimard - 23 yrs old - £2.1m - P 34, Conc 23, CS 16, MotM 2, AvR 7.24
1. Eric Béranger - 30/31 yrs old - £1.1m - P 9, Conc 6, CS 4, AvR 6.89
(LOAN) 26. Attila Vass - 21/22 years old - £22k - P3, Conc 2, CS 2, MotM 1, AvR 6.67

Our defence wasn't mean but it was good enough, knowing young Guimard was a daunting last line of defence. He won us plenty of points and we could attack freely knowing he would save most of the shots going at him. However he was in the last year of his contract and had been watched by top division clubs for some time. He was sold, although Aston Villa got most of the net profit.

Béranger is a good Ligue 1 keeper, when he turns up. When he doesn't, he'll lose you the match by some distance. As a #1 next season he won't relegate us by himself.

I didn't keep Vass. He was only 7.00 for the reserves in the league below. So Stefano Ghezzo is a free signing for the #3 spot. He's done well in his handful of games in Italy's Serie C1, and scouts say the £1.3m-rated youngster will be even better than Guimard. He's a popular signing with the fans.

Eden Simantov chose Valenciennes over UEFA Cup entrants Dundee United. Scout says he'll be good, assistant says he'll be better than Béranger. The Israeli international's career in Israel and then Anderlecht has seen season after season of average ratings of 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5 even.

In
Ghezzo - Pavia (Serie C1) - Free (Summer 2021)
Simantov - Free Agent (Summer)

Out (Summer)
Guimard - Toulouse (Ligue 1) - £4m (Summer)
Ghezzo - Sedan (Ligue 2) - Loan (Summer)


DR

15. Michael Jezierski - 25 yrs old - £700k - P 24(3), MotM 1, AvR 7.00
16. Alen Sertic - 31 yrs old - £1.1m - P 16, MotM 1, AvR 7.13
+ Saengsawad

Jezierski is reliable, but his lack of physical presence can be a problem in Ligue 1 and he wanted to leave.

Sertic has already been brought in as his short-term replacement, with Saengsawad another option. Apparently he played a Croatian league match at the age of 4...

In
Sertic - AEK Athens (Superleague Greece) - Free (Winter)

Out
Jezierski - Lorient (Ligue 2) - £650,000 (Summer)


DL

12. Adel Travers - 22/23 yrs old - £350k - P 22(3), AvR 6.96
21. Sven Vos - D/WBL - 22 yrs old - £1.7m - P 7, AvR 7.43
+ Mangani, Monti

Travers proved during relegation season that he's good enough for Ligue 1, especially as he gets older and gains more experience.

Vos would've been a good option, but he wanted to leave and was a bit of a troublemaker.

Out
Vos - Austria Wien (Austrian Bundesliga) - £1.7m (Winter)


DC

22. Christophe Bokoto (Captain) - DC, DM, MC - 26/27 yrs old - £2m - P 24(3), MotM 4, AvR 7.48
4. Sébastien Noto - 23 yrs old - £550k - P 26, MotM 1, AvR 7.27
5. Bjorn Schmidt - 25/26 yrs old - £875k - P 22(2), MotM 1, AvR 7.04
29. Leivur Sorensen - 22 yrs old - £1.3m - P 10(1), MotM 1, AvR 7.18
19. Andrea Masiello - 34 yrs old - N/A - P 11, AvR 7.18
+ Mangani, Saengsawad

Captain Bokoto underperformed in our relegation season, but in Ligue 2 he broke Valenciennes' average rating record.

Noto is a young prospect who has had a very good season in Ligue 2. Remains to be seen how he'll cope with Ligue 1's attackers.

35-year-old Masiello was fine in Ligue 2, but with promotion certain he wasn't retained and returns home to Serie C1.

It looked like Schmidt was going to allow his contract to expire so he could move to a bigger club, but with promotion near certain he turned down offers from the teams that finished 1st and 2nd in Ligue 1 last season to become our highest-paid player.

I saw nothing in Sorensen; iIn his few years in the Faroe Islands he performed poorly, and he looked like a player who would be ok in Ligue 2 at best. But the scouts were adamant he was not only better than our defenders now, but that he would get even better than that. They were right, at least in Ligue 2 this season. He's another young defender who will only improve.

Pavel Pospech is a young centre-back coming in the summer, one for the future, whether that's to play or sell. I feel he could fill in in an emergency already. The Czech has been labelled the next Tomas Repka, oh yes.

In
Sorensen - NSÍ Ruknavík (Faroe Islands Premier League) - £35k tribunal fee (Winter)
Pospech - SK Dynamo Ceské Budejovice (Czech top tier) - £80k (Summer)

Out
Masiello - Released (March)


DM/MC

20. Jaroslav Janousek - MR/C - 22 yrs old - £4.3m - P 18(1), A 3, AvR 7.11
2. Somboon Saengsawad (Vice-Captain) - DR/C, DM, MR/C - 33 yrs old - £130k - P 15(1), AvR 7.00
(LOAN) 27. Christian Floch - 22/23 yrs old - £850k - P 10(5), AvR 6.87
16. Pedro Maria Ríera - 27 yrs old - £190k - P 1(1), AvR 6.50
31. Thomas Mangani - 33 yrs old - N/A - P 5(1), AvR 7.00
+ Bokoto, Jensen, Scotto

Janousek is yet another youngster that impressed this season and can do well in Ligue 1. He suffered 5 injuries and a virus in just 1 season though, costing him 5 months, and has always been injury-prone.

Saengsawad didn't get much time due to the foreigner limit in Ligue 2. He will be an able and experienced backup utility player in the last year of his contract.

Floch was decent in Ligue 2, but there's no reason to believe he'll be good enough for Ligue 1.

Riera never got a chance in Ligue 2 and never looked like he'd achieve the form he had when I first arrived, so was sold to another Ligue 2 club.

I tried to get rid of Mangani all season due to his high wages and age. He retires.

Summer saw the signing of Guiseppe Audino. The 22-year-old is good but not outstanding in any area. He played the last 2 seasons on loan at a part-time Italian club and tearing up the non-league.

Perhaps I shouldn't have signed Pierre-Baptiste Baherlé. Every season of the 30-year-old's career had an average rating of below 7, in the French 3rd-tier until the age of 23 and then the Austrian Bundesliga, until last season when he got 7.31 in the Austrian second-tier. Scouts say he's only decent and I've already signed plenty of central midfielders. But he was cheap, and the potential pros outweight the potential cons if he delivers. Also he looks like Frank Lampard's younger brother.

In
Audino - Messina (Serie A) - 90k (Summer)
Baherlé - Wacker Tirol (Austrian Bundesliga) - £180k (Summer deadline day)

Out
Riera - Caen (Ligue 2) - £190k (Winter)
Mangani - Released (March)


MR

25. Miodrag Ljajic - AMR/L, MR/L - 26 yrs old - £2.5m - P 34(1), G 7, A 7, MotM 4, AvR 7.34
14. Mike Jensen - MR/C, AMR/C - 32 yrs old - N/A - P 3(3), A 2, AvR 6.67
+ Coelho, Janousek, Saengsawad

Ljajic contributed a goal or assist every 2.5 games. Great, but can he make the jump to Ligue 1?

Jensen wasn't retained. He was a club favourite who'd been here a while, but he was simply no longer good enough for Ligue 1, maybe not even Ligue 2. He retires.

Éverton is a summer signing who provides much needed depth on the right with only Ljajic as an effective option there. He's rated at £2m, and is a simple dribbler and crosser, which he does very well, who is strong on either foot. Hopefully with age will come mental ability. Though fans aren't happy with his attitude, calling the club "a stepping stone".

In
Éverton - Sporting CP - Free (Summer)

Out
Jensen - Released (March)


ML

3. Daniele Monti - D/WB/ML - 20/21 yrs old - £3.3m - P 26(12), A 8, MotM 2, AvR 7.21
6. Mohamed Fekih - AML/ML - 27 yrs old - £2.1m - P 22(6), G 2, A 5, MotM 3, AvR 7.25
17. Hamid Scotto - ML/C, AML/C, ST - 29/30 yrs old - £550k - P 18(9), G 1, A 5, MotM 2, AvR 6.89
11. Fabrice Marty - ML/AML - 26/27 yrs old - £1.1m - P 7(1), AvR 6.75
(LOAN) 32. Joan Faulds - AML/ML - 22 yrs old - £170k - P 2, AvR 6.50
+ Ljajic
 
Fekih's dribbling caused havoc and allowed us to score over a dozen goals from indirect free kicks. The team with the second-most indirect free kick goals scored half that. Unfortunately he's wanted to leave for some time, and he was finally sold in the summer.

Monti didn't start too well at left-back, then found his position in midfield. Hopefully as he gets older he improves his tackling to become an option at left-back.

Marty got a major injury in September so never made a mark, but he's very weak physically anyway. This combined with being one of the highest earners means he should be sold, even if he didn't requesting a transfer anyway.

Scotto has moments of brilliance, but otherwise doesn't make an impact. We already know that at Ligue 1 he lacks impact and should only play in central midfield in a 2 or 3 at that level.

The unscouted Faulds had 2 unimpressive games then got injured, just as he was going to be given a chance.

Another left-midfielder or left-back (given Monti plays both) might be required, but Ljajic plays both wings.

In
Faulds - Ipswich (Championship) - Loan (Jan deadline day)

Out
Fekih - Admira Wacker (Austrian Bundesliga) - £2.4m (Summer)


AMC

8. Stefan Babovic (Vice-Captain) - 33/34 yrs old - £1m - P 36(2), G 4, A 21, AvR 7.29
30. Coelho - 17 yrs old - £325k - P 1(1), AvR 6.50
+ Bergougnoux, Jensen, Scotto

Babovic has had fun this year. 21 assists (a club record) yet not one Man of the Match award. In Ligue 1, he got 1 assist every 4 games. He'll turn 35 next January, but could contribute still.

Manuel Perez was a free summer signing. He can play attacking as well as defending or neutral central midfield. Scouts say he's only decent, but he's at least an option who fills either position in the middle. Last season he got an average rating of 7.12 in central midfield.

Esteban Pujol joins on loan from PSG. He can play attacking or regular central midfield. Scouts say he's only decent.

In
Perez - Hibernian (SPL) - Free (Summer)
Pujol - Paris Saint-Germain (Ligue 1) - Loan (Summer)


ST

9. Alex - 20/21 yrs old - £5.25m - P 29(3), G 20, A 4, MotM 4, AvR 7.28
7. Cédric Bergougnoux - AMC, ST - 21/22 yrs old - £2.7m - P 17(7), G 16, A 3, Motm 3, AvR 7.00
24. Benjamin Didot - 23/24 yrs old - £1.9m - P 13(9), G 5, A 2, MotM 1, AvR 6.68
18. Robert van der Heijden - 23/24 yrs old - £1.4m - P 8(9), G 4, A 3, AvR 6.82
10. Antonio - 29 yrs old - £250k - P 3(4), G 1, MotM 1, AvR 6.86
10. Marcelo Martins Moreno - 33 yrs old - £90k - P 3(1), G 5, A 1, MotM 2, AvR 8.00
23. Kevin Koffi - 33 yrs old - £300k - P 13(15), G 6, A 2, MotM 1, AvR 6.82
18. Mikael Eriksson - 33 yrs old - N/A - P 6, G 1, AvR 6.83
(LOAN) 28. Jérémy Ramirez - 19 yrs old - £1.7m - P 4(3), G 1, AvR 6.57
14. Gilles Bouchard - 16 yrs old - £95k - P 0(1), AvR 6.00
+ Scotto

So we had a few strikers...

Alex took a month to get going in his first season, then wouldn't stop scoring, breaking Valenciennes' top goalscorer record with 20. At 21 years old, he's a huge prospect and our most valuable player at about £3.5m. But his contract expires next season and he doesn't want to renew yet. Financially, he should be sold if he won't renew, as relegation isn't costly. But I would rather keep the Fans' Player of the Year obviously, even if he leaves for a free. Either selling or keeping is risky.

Bergougnoux got into a groove and run roughshod with an average 1 goal per start, getting several hat-tricks. He's also only 21 and one to keep. He's now a club favourite.

Didot never looked like a player to keep hold of on the surface, but the fact remains the youngster was given a chance at the end of our relegation season and contributed when other 'better' strikers didn't. In Ligue 2, he only got a few goals then dried up, but on loan did well (5 goals in 12 games, 7.58 average rating). He deserves a chance.

Marcelo Moreno was without a club after 12 goals in La Liga last season for Castellon. His first game was unspectacular. Then he got a hat-trick and an assist in a 4-1 win, followed by 2 more goals in the next match, and earned a contract for next season as a backup.

Koffi (like the drink, only not spelt the same) would only be a backup next season, but a good one. But his wage demands combined with Marcelo Moreno's contract extension means he can leave, joining another Ligue 1 club.

Eriksson was a short-term January signing who clearly isn't one to keep for Ligue 1, he was released and retired after finally experiencing football outside Scandinavia.

Antonio was sold in January to Metz, who were on the way to back-to-back relegations, but only made a few sub appearances.

Van der Heijden might've been able to contribute the odd goal, but he just lacked the whole time he was here and was cashed in on in January. Maybe he can improve at a club like Ajax.

Ramirez was just a free loan and there's no reason to extend his stay.

Humberto Osorio arrived in the summer after a bad season for Metz in Ligue 2, who suffered two relegations in a row. He only scored 4 goals in 35 starts, but scouts think he can be a star in Ligue 1. He has only scored a few goals a season and made free transfers since his move out of his home country of Colombia. But his attributes are outstanding, with 17+ in Finishing, First Touch, Jumping, Heading, Strength, Passing and Off The Ball. Not that that ever means anything. He doesn't have Pace or Composure, but at worse I feel he can be an option as an assister and deadly in set pieces, where we wreaked havoc last season. He's free and his contract is one year, so why not?

In
Eriksson - Tromso IL (Norwegian top tier) - Free (Winter deadline day)
Marcelo Moreno - Free Agent (February)
Humbero Osorio - Metz (Ligue 2) - Free (Summer)

Out
Antonio - Metz - £250k (Winter deadline day)
van der Heijden - Ajax - £1.4m (Winter deadline day)
Didot - Standard Liege (Belgian top tier) - Loan (Winter deadline day)
Eriksson - Released (Summer)
Koffi - Released (Summer)


Pre-Season

The board are expecting the team to be in a relegation battle, the fans are a bit more optimistic and want the team to stay clear of that. Media predict about a 14th-place finish.

Back in Ligue 1, we can look forward to earning less TV money than in Ligue 2 again.

With a maximum wage limit, I have the budget to sign at least 3 players. After making about £25m profit in my time so far, I have a £6m transfer budget left after summer.

The loan system was frustrating, despite dozens of offers, only Pujol joined on loan, despite scouts saying all the other players would want to join on loan.


Friendlies

(1st, L2) Valenciennes 2 - 1 Estrela da Amadora (4th, Portuguese Primera Liga)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (10)
EdA Goal: (44)
V Goal: Osorio (78)

(1st, L2) Valenciennes 0 - 0 Ajax (3rd, Eredivisie) AET
3 - 4 on penalties after 6 rounds (1-1, 1-1, 2-2, 2-3, 3-3, 3-4)

(11th, Belgian second tier) Mons 1 - 2 Valenciennes (1st, L2)
V Goal: Babovic (27)
M Goal: (44)
V Goal: Moreno (87)

Valenciennes Reserves 1 - 2 Valenciennes
V Goal: Bokoto (39)
VR Goal: Martineau (78)
V Goal: Alex (87)

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: DOING A LEICESTER?!?!

Valenciennes 2021/22 - DOING A LEICESTER?!

Did you hear the one about the manager who once lost to the Faroe Islands taking a recently promoted club to the top of a major league?

August to September 2021 - A Turning Point

Results
 

Spoiler

Ligue 1

(Predicted 14th) Valenciennes 3 - 1 Paris Saint-Germain (Pred. 4th)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (16)
PSG Red Cards: (17), (30)
V Goals: Bergougnoux (40), Éverton (70)

(Pred. 9th) Saint-Etienne 2 - 1 Valenciennes (Pred. 14th)
S-E Goal: (29)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (45)
S-E Goal: (78)

(Pred. 12th) Brest 1 - 0 Valenciennes (Pred. 14th)
B Goal: (19)
B Red Card: (53)

(Pred. 14th) Valenciennes 3 - 0 Auxerre (Pred. 11th)
V Goals: Bergougnoux (16), Alex (26, 33)

(Pred. 16th) Sochaux 0 - 0 Valenciennes (Pred. 14th)

(Pred. 14th) Valenciennes 2 - 1 Le Mans (Pred. 18th)
V Goal: Didot (14)
LM Goal: (46)
V Goal: Moreno (77)


Coupe de la Ligue - 2nd round

(12th, L2) Romorantin 1 - 1 Valenciennes (3rd, L2) AET (0-0 FT)
4-3 on penalties after 5 rounds (1-1, 1-1, 2-1, 3-2, 4-3)
V Goal: Didot (108)
R Goal: (120)


Ligue 1

(8th) Lille 4 - 3 Valenciennes (3rd) RIVALS
V Goals: Didot (2, 19), Own Goal (32)
L Goals: (43), (45+2, 54), (57)
V Red Card: Schmidt (77)

League Record: P7 W3 D1 L3 F12 A9 GD+3 CS2 PTS10
Position: 8th/20

Bad signs in our first 2 games despite an opening win. Every goal conceded came from a Sertic mistake - 3 mistakes and goals. There were also 3 injuries.

Cups were initially my priority, but we were knocked out of one immediately by a Ligue 2 side.

Then came the disastrous final game of this run, which would affect the whole season. Live on TV, 3-0 up after 32 minutes away to our rivals, and looking forward to giving praise to Didot in particular who now has 4 goals in his last 80 minutes of play time. We lose 4-3, go down to 10 men, and I took off new keeper Simantov who never appeared again for the club (as of writing).

There was an angry team talk and fines awaiting some players. In addition, the ENTIRE team (except Didot who scored twice and Bergougnoux who assisted both) were made available for the reserves match the next day, on the belief that they only played half an hour in this shitshow anyway. Everyone will be forced to travel to the reserve game, including myself.

But this result also caused a big tactical decision: to change from a 4-4-2 diamond formation to a narrow wingless 4-3-1-2, with two attacking central midfielders rampaging forward.

It was a Conte moment.

===============================================================================================


October to January 2022 - Topping The Table And Gaining Media Attention

Results
 

Spoiler

Ligue 2

(8th) Valenciennes 2 - 0 Créteil (9th)
V Goals: Didot (30), Alex (89)

(19th) Amiens 2 - 3 Valenciennes (2nd)
A Goals: (7), (18)
V Goals: Bergougnoux (31, 82), Babovic (52)

(2nd) Valenciennes 1 - 1 Lyon (14th)
L Goal: (pen 19)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (30)

(9th) Nice 1 - 3 Valenciennes (2nd)
N Goal: (13)
V Goals: Babovic (39), Scotto (64), Bergougnoux (79)

(1st) Valenciennes 2 - 0 Bastia (4th)
V Goals: Scotto (19), Babovic (30)

(3rd) Lens 1 - 1 Valenciennes (1st) RIVALS
L Goal: (26)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (64)
V Red Card: Monti (88)


(1st) Valenciennes 1 - 0 Monaco (7th)
V Goal: Pujol (10)

(11th) Nantes 1 - 0 Valenciennes (1st)
N Goal: Alic (5)


Coupe de France - 9th Round

(1st, L1) Valenciennes 2 - 0 Cannes (1st, L2)
V Goals: Tupalski (34), Ljajic (90)


Ligue 1

(4th) Rennes 0 - 0 Valenciennes (1st)
R Disallowed Goal: (37)

(1st) Valenciennes 2 - 0 Toulouse (3rd)
V Goals: Babovic (20), Didot (69)

(1st) Valenciennes 2 - 0 Laval (14th)
V Goals: Bokoto (13), Tupalski (68)
V Red Card: Janousek (87)

League Record: P11 W7 D3 L1 F19 A6 GD+13 CS6 PTS24
League Place: 1st/20, P18, PTS34

The 3 promoted teams occupied 1st, 2nd (us) and 4th at the start of this run. We soon topped the table (incredibly, the precise moment striker Alex chose to demand a transfer, wanting to move to a bigger club and win trophies) with several players in free-scoring and assisting form. We stayed top for 3 months, while playing exciting attacking football. The opposition would score 1, we'd score 2 or 3. We went on a 10-game scoring streak, soon followed by 7 clean sheets in 8 games.

The media and footballing world was abuzz, regularly asking if we could win the title. I always said we simply aim to win every game, and first priority was to be safe from relegation. I'd been expecting a pressure-free season, but secretly I now set my team title-winning standards, expecting a win every game.

Going into the winter break, the league table was topsy-turvy. We were top on goal difference, with fellow promoted sides Bastia and Brest in 3rd and 7th. Defending champions Lyon were 13th and last year's runner-up Marseille 16th. But only 10 points separated top and 17th.

I was runner-up for the French Manager of the Year award (not winner??) after topping the Ligue 2 and now Ligue 1 table.

With momentum full-steam ahead, the club started expanding into the American market, announcing a link with Western Mass Pioneers in the third tier of US soccer.

Transfers

Loanee Pujol's PSG contract expired at the end of the season, and he signed a deal with us to make him permanent in the summer after the Equatorial Guinea international had 4 assists and 1 goal in 12(2) games for us so far.

Star player Sorensen, enjoying a 7.40 average rating, had a £9m+ bid accepted by the chairman. However we also offered him a big new contract, the most we could offer. Sorensen chose to stay despite supposedly not being interested in a new contract. Money talks.

Meanwhile a new loan striker, Tupalski, scored, hit the post then assisted the other goal in an eager debut performance, despite being thrown in there as a lone striker for most of the match against Cannes. He scored again a few matches later.

And I finalised my biggest money signing: £2.4m for 20-year-old goalkeeper Solli, who was put straight in as our new #1. Against Toulouse he gave a 10/10 performance, stopping 9 shots on target and making double saves and stops from close range to keep a clean sheet.

===============================================================================================


January to April - Form Starts To Drop, But We Fight On

Results
 

Spoiler

Coupe de France - 10th Round

(5th tier) Blois 0 - 2 Valenciennes (1st, L1)
V Goals: Own Goal (8), Moreno (90+1)


Ligue 1

(12th) Marseille 4 - 0 Valenciennes (1st) RIVALS
M Goals: (pen 5), (22, 39, 58)

(1st) Valenciennes 0 - 0 Saint-Etienne (8th)


Coupe de France - 11th Round

(1st, L1) Valenciennes 1 - 0 Chateauroux (15th, L2)
V Goal: Alex (pen 63)


Ligue 1

(1st) Valenciennes 1 - 2 Brest (14th)
B Goal: (12)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (24)
B Goal: (26)
V Disallowed Goal: Bergougnoux (42)

(20th) Auxerre 1 - 2 Valenciennes (3rd)
V Sending Off: Janousek (7 seconds)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (12)
A Goal: (33)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (88)

(1st) Valenciennes 0 - 1 Sochaux (18th)
S Goal: (24)

(18th) Le Mans 2 - 1 Valenciennes (4th)
V Goal: Baherlé (28)
LM Goals: (pen 33), (65)


Coupe de France - Quarter-Finals

(3rd, L1) Toulouse 1 - 2 Valenciennes (5th, L1)
V Goal: Didot (24)
T Goal: (45+1)
V Goal: Own Goal (66)


Ligue 1

(5th) Valenciennes 1 - 0 Lille (6th) RIVALS
V Goal: Osorio (27)

(11th) Créteil 1 - 2 Valenciennes (3rd)
C Goal: (7)
V Goals: Bergougnoux (41), Didot (44)
C Missed Penalty: (76)
C Red Card: (86)

(2nd) Valenciennes 1 - 0 Amiens (19th)
V Goal: Janousek (pen 64)

(13th) Lyon 4 - 1 Valenciennes (3rd)
L Goal: (43 seconds)
V Red Card: Bokoto (29)
L Goal: (45+3)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (56)
L Goals: (pen 60), (89)

(3rd) Valenciennes 3 - 0 Nice (16th)
N Red Card: (8)
V Goals: Noto (12), Babovic (84), Bergougnoux (90+2)

League Record: P11 W5 D1 L5 F12 A13 GD-1 CS4 PTS16
League Place: 2nd/20, P29 PTS50

Suddenly we were struggling. Shots were going wildly off target, meaning we only beat a semi-professional 5th-tier side with an own goal and 92nd minute strike. Fouls were being given away to concede goals. Janousek got himself sent off in 7 seconds, though luckily we had the quality to win 10 v 11. And instructions were being ignored. All without a consistent goalkeeper.

The most frustrating match this season was the quarter-final against Toulouse. A header backwards gave a striker a free run at goal and an equaliser right before half-time. But we got our own luck with an own goal thanks to a 50 or 60-yard pass going to Didot, whose shot deflected over the keeper, and the ball was then touched in by a stumbling defender.

Valenciennes reached their first cup semi-final in decades, and luck of the draw saw us face, on neutral ground, the only Ligue 2 side remaining. A team who on the way have only beaten one Ligue 1 side (who are bottom). On penalties. But I see us throwing it away on current form.

We were less lucky against Lyon, who enjoyed a new manager bounce after Claude Puel was sacked and Rene Meulensteen was put in caretaker charge. We conceded in 43 seconds.

Loanee and future signing Pujol (who had 1 assist every 3 games at this point) was injured in the last match of this run, and out for the rest of the season. Without his quiet and effective assists in the middle, on top of everything else going on, things looked bleak.

==============================================================================


April to May - Lurching To The Finish Line...

Results
 

Spoiler

Ligue 1

(15th) Bastia 0 - 0 Valenciennes (2nd)


Coupe de France, Semi-Final (Stade Saint-Symphorien, Metz)

(11th, L2) Besancon 1 - 0 Valenciennes (2nd, L1) AET
B Goal: (116)


Ligue 1

(2nd) Valenciennes 1 - 2 Lens (1st) RIVALS
V Goal: Didot (45)
L Goals: (76), (90)

(7th) Monaco 1 - 1 Valenciennes (3rd)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (10)
M Goal: (34)

(3rd) Valenciennes 1 - 0 Nantes (11th)
V Goal: Scotto (45+4)
V Second Yellow: Monti (89)

(16th) Laval 1 - 0 Valenciennes (2nd)
L Goal: (85)

League Record: P5 W1 D2 L2 F3 A4 GD-1 CS2 PTS5

Only 1 shot on target (out of 15 total shots) in the first game of this run. Now players like Didot are missing horrendous chances. Clear-cut, 1-on-1, a few centimetres from goal, they all go flying over or wide. No one else but Bergougnoux is really scoring.

Then I'm approached by Lech Poznan, the defending Polish champions looking to salvage their season. Could you imagine Ranieri leaving Leicester with 8 games left (and a cup semi-final to play) to join a Polish club? For the first time, my name is linked to a vacancy: top-half side Saint-Etienne.

In the cup semi-final, despite a positive reaction to the half-time and full-time team talks, the players shuffled toward penalties, only to let in a random extra-time goal. We only had 1 or 2 chance. We were knocked out of the cup at the final hurdle by Ligue 2 Besancon with their only shot on target.

Players start bottling it mentally, and don't want to hear any positive talk about results. The suggestion we could beat leaders Lens, a team we dominated away, caused morale to drop further. Didot finally got a shot on target and thus scored, but I remark "it doesn't matter". In the 90th minute, the opposition player danced around his marker and scored with the ease and joy of a chav assaulting a disabled person.

On this form, the league title looked unlikely. 5 points behind the leaders, and only 9 points separating 2nd and 14th. 2nd, 3rd (us) and 4th all had the same points too.

In the next match, despite it not being windy, several shots were so bad they went flying over the area and over to the opposite flank, sometimes for a throw-in. If this was a video game, I would say it was either bugging out or being dodgy.

We hung for dear life at home to a wasteful Nantes side, who were getting chances against a burnt-out Valenciennes. Scotto was kept on despite an early knock, and he scored the winner.

The curse of the TV match continued: only 1 win in 7 live matches this season, including losing after taking a 3-0 lead in half an hour.

==============================================================================


May 2022 - The Final Run-In

Our final games were up against direct rivals. We could either steam ahead into the Champions League places... or choke and fall out of Europe, extinguishing the final dream.

League Table (4 games to go)
Lens - 62
Toulouse - 56
Valenciennes - 55
---------------------------
Rennes - 53


(3rd) Valenciennes 0 - 0 Rennes (4th)

More shots cleared off the line. More shots blocked. More hesitation. More awful shots. Our luck bundling in fluke goals has now run dry as well.

Thankfully, Lille won both cups. So 4th and now 5th too are both Europa League spots, while 6th is Intertoto Cup.

League Table (3 games to go)
Lens - 63
Toulouse - 57
Valenciennes - 56
---------------------------
Marseille - 54
Rennes - 54


(2nd) Toulouse 2 - 0 Valenciennes (4th)
T Goals: (5), (18)

The players completely ignored instructions. I said keep it on the ground at all costs, because they're strong in the air... so they hit it long all game. Sorensen rallied the troops, talking of winning the title and calling for a win. And this is the response, to a side who hadn't conceded in 5 games, but had only scored 1 goal in 4 games.

League Table (2 games to go)
Lens - 66
Toulouse - 60
Marseille - 57
-------------------------
Rennes - 57
Valenciennes - 56
-------------------------
Monaco - 54


(5th) Valenciennes 2 - 1 Marseille (3rd) RIVALS
V Goals: Bergougnoux (12 seconds, 54)
M Red Card: (73)
M Goal: (76)

Incredibly, Rennes lost to the bottom club and Toulouse only drew. Meaning, if other results went our way on the final week, we'd be in the Champions League.

League Table (1 game to go)
Lens - 67
Toulouse - 61 (+15 GD)
Valenciennes - 59 (+9)
Marseille - 57 (+11)
Rennes - 57 (+4)


(9th) Paris Saint-Germain 1 - 0 Valenciennes (3rd)
PSG Goal: (39)
V Red Card: Sertic (63)

Yet another red card from yet another two-footed challenge. What is wrong with this lot? A set-piece is the only goal, but ultimately the result wouldn't have changed anything (unless we won).

I wondered, when we threw away the 3-0 lead to lose 4-3, whether the loss to rivals Lille would have great consequences. It did. Marseille and Rennes both won, meaning we dropped to 5th, 1 point from the Champions League.

But thanks to rivals Lille winning both cups, one extra Europa League place goes to the league.

Valenciennes have qualified for Europe for the first time ever.

A journalist asks if I'm disappointed we dropped and didn't win the title in what may have been our only chance.

"Valenciennes are in Europe! We are in Europa League man, come on!"

 

Final League Table
1 - Lens - 68pts
2 - Toulouse - 62
3 - Marseille - 60 (+13 GD)
---------------------------------------
4 - Rennes - 60 (+5 GD)
5 - Valenciennes - 59
---------------------------------------
6 - Monaco - 56

Final League Record: P38 W17 D8 L13 F46 A38 GD+8 CS15

Bergougnoux was the league's top scorer with 18 goals, also a club record for league goals in a season. He was also the Valenciennes' Fans' Player of the Season.

Loanee Pujol, who will become a permanent member of the team in the summer, had the league's joint-most assists with 8. He was greatly missed and was one of the differences between getting Champions League and Europa League football.

Lille's second goal in the 4-3 comeback won goal of the season, but Babovic came 3rd with his opener in the 2-0 home win over Toulouse.

Among other unlikely wins, this season saw our first wins over Le Mans (in 90 minutes) in 14 meetings and 8 seasons, Amiens in 8 meetings / 6 seasons, and PSG in 4 seasons.

Thanks to a bigger squad meaning playing unused players in the reserves, our reserve team (which finished 13th last season) won their first ever title with 4 games to spare (4 points for a win in this league). They finished the season with 118 points and only 18 goals conceded in 34 matches.

It should go without saying the board and fans are delighted.

Ironically, players who left us to join a bigger club last season are now wanting to move on from their current club for the same reason, and are open to rejoining us. Our sale of bright young keeper Guimard worked out for us, as he was labelled '2nd-worst signing of the season'.

Monaco win 'overachievers of the season', as a team predicted bottom finishing one place under us.


Overview

A 5th place finish and a cup semi-final is a huge achievement for a recently relegated and promoted club who had usually been midtable. Yet it was still underachieving as the club was top for 2 months. Had the form after the winter break matched the form before the winter break, the team could be League & Cup double winners now.

The lack of a consistent #1 cost us greater glory and history. 4 goalkeepers had inconsistent runs in the team.

But we would be at the bottom end of the table if it wasn't for youth products Bergougnoux and Didot getting 25 league goals between them.

Teams were dominated by a 4-3-1-2 system, with the outside central-midfielders rampaging forward, leading to the defence having to deal with 5 attackers in the middle of the pitch. But having wingers in Ljajic and Scotto allowed a plan B with wingers. At times there was a beautiful passing game and movement, not unlike 'total football'.

I have one year left on my contract and don't plan to stay. I can move on to bigger, richer clubs. Valenciennes is a small place, and the money isn't big, this season was a one-off. Either I leave after experiencing next season in Europe, or a vacancy takes me early.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: Winner-take-all title decie

2021/22 Recap - Club Football

Biggest Transfers
Pablo De la Pena (DC/DM/MC, Spanish, 23) - Bayern Munich to AC Milan - £38m
Martin Stanner (AMR, Czech, 27) - Bayern Munich to Arsenal - £25.5m
Cornel Ionescu (WB/M/AMR, Romanian, 25) - Arsenal to Inter Milan - £25m
Christian Deville (AMC/ST, Luxembourger, 26) - Valencia to Arsenal - £24.5m
Frank Beyer (MC, German, 24) - Real Betis to Bayern Munich - £23.5m
Olexiy Zhuk (D/MRLC/DM, Ukrainian, 23) - Juventus to Bayern Munich - £23m
Kevin Brown (M/AMR, Scottish, 27) - Arsenal to Lazio - £22m

AC Milan become the first team other than Inter Milan to spend a **** load on one player since Zidane's record-breaking transfer.

FIFA World Player of the Year

Real Madrid's France striker Sekou Fofana won World Player of the Year. He had 20 goals and 9 assists in the 23 games so far in the season, average rating of 7.65.

Newcastle United's England striker Andy Lawrence and Arsenal's German attacker Manfred Seitz came 2nd and 3rd.

Between the 3 of them there are 57 goals and 42 assists in 83 club and international games in half a season.


Champions League

José Manuel de la Torre's AC Milan scraped back to the top after beating surprise finalists Abel Resino's Atlético Madrid 2-1 in a penalty shootout. It's their 3rd Champions League trophy in 6 years.

In the semis, Atlético themselves beat surprise semi-finalists on penalties: Pep Guardiola's Real Betis. Newcastle United were denied two Champions Leagues in a row with a 1-0 aggregate loss to Milan.


England

Premier League

We may be entering the Newcastle United era. With Arsenal faltering, and despite a resurgence from Man Utd, Sir Steve McClaren's Champions League winners successfully defended their title with a record-equalling 95 points, +60 goal difference, only 1 loss and 17 goals conceded, staying top for all but 2 games.

After years of inconsistent glory under Roy Keane, Man Utd suddenly were challengers for the title under new manager Neil Banfield, with an almost equally mean finish of 19 goals conceded, +42 goal difference, and 3 losses, but still finishing 8 points behind the champions.

Michael Laudrup's Arsenal theoretically bounced back after finishing a disastrous 4th last season by finishing 3rd this season, yet still a whopping 24 points behind Newcastle.

Yo-yo club and newly promoted Leicester City finished 7th and in the Euro Vase under Tom Bramble.

With manager Peter Beardsley leaving newly promoted Everton to manage Koln, Aston Villa youth coach John Terry entered management. But he was unable to stop them getting relegated straight back down in a tight relegation battle.

F. A. Cup

Newcastle United won the double by beating José Mourinho's Chelsea 3-1 after going behind.

Chelsea needed penalties to beat Peter Carroll's Charlton Athletic in the semi-finals, a Championship side that were in League Two 4 years ago.

Football League and Non-League

Charlton Athletic finished 2nd to reach the Premier League after 15 years away, an experience that saw them go all the way down to League Two, before 3 promotions in 5 seasons, all under manager Peter Carroll, suddenly brought them back to the top tier. Carroll retires and is replaced with Dominic Kinnear in his first management job outside the MLS.

Woking reached the Championship for the first time ever. Glenn Cockerill has been manager for 20 YEARS. In that time he's taking the club from bottom of the Conference to 2nd in League One.

Meanwhile, Sunderland were comfortably relegated to League Two for the first time in their long history.

Phil Neville's 7.5 years at Conference North side Northwich Victoria (6.5 as assistant manager, 1 as manager) ended with the sack with the team in the relegation zone. They eventually survived by 2 points.

Newcastle United's Premier League-winning legend Steven Taylor entered management with AFC Wimbledon in the Conference South.


Portugal

The Primeira Liga has only been won 3 times by teams that weren't Porto, Benfica or Sporting (Belenenses in 1946, Boavista in 2001,  Vitória de Guimaraes in 2020). That was set to change as Naval hosted Esporte Clube Vitória in a winner-takes-all match (Porto might've been in contention, but they lost anyway and finished 3rd). Naval won 2-1 to lift their first ever Primeira Liga title.


Netherlands

In a dramatic and historic season, 3 teams battled it out on the final day for the title, and none of them were PSV, Ajax or Feyenoord. It was guaranteed the league winner would be the first since 1981, and second since 1964, to break the Big 3 dominance of the title.

1st-placed Vitesse (managed by Petr Katchouro) hosted 3rd-placed NAC Breda (Moshe Sinay) with both sides needing to win, though Vitesse could draw if Heerenveen (Marco van Hoogdalem) didn't win their must-win game.

Vitesse and Breda drew 0-0, while Heerenveen took a 2-0 lead within an hour. But Heerenveen threw it away, the match finishing 2-2, and Vitesse lifted their first ever Eredivisie title.

Ajax finished way down in 12th, sacking manager Fred Rutten and replacing him with Paul Trollope. Meanwhile, Gareth Southgate takes charge at Feyenoord.


Italy

AC Milan and Inter Milan occupied the top 2 again, AC Milan winning their second title in a row and the city of Milan's 15th title in a row.

Gianluigi Buffon left his role as youth coach at AC Milan to enter management with Serie B's Mantova in February, ironically starting a run of only 1 clean sheet in 14 matches. They finished in the playoff places and won promotion straight back to Serie A after going 4-1 down on aggregate in the final to draw 4-4.


Spain

Atlético Madrid won back-to-back league titles for the first time since 1951.


Scotland

It was a nostalgic season, reminding fans of how it used to be before Hearts and Dundee United came along.

In Ivan Hasek's first full season in charge, Rangers comfortably won their first title in 14 years.

Dan Petrescu turned Celtic around, finishing 2nd and winning the Scottish Cup (their first in 11 years). This is the first time Rangers and Celtic have finished in the top 2 in 13 years.


France

Possibly due to the recent match-fixing scandal removing corruption from the game, the season was completely topsy-turvy.

Lens ultimately won their third title in 5 seasons after new manager Yvon Pouliquen came in February and the team hit a run of form that saw them reach and stay top.

The newly promoted clubs impressed, being at the top end of the table for half a season before eventually finishing in the bottom half.

Except Valenciennes who, after the scandal unfairly relegated them 2 seasons ago, and after decimating Ligue 2 to win promotion for this season, topped the table as they plowed through the league. While they also fell away in the second half of the season, it wasn't by as much, and they eventually finished 5th, qualifying for Europe for the first time ever.


Elsewhere

Nemanja Vidic left his assistant manager role at Russian second-tier side Spartak Nalchik to enter management with Northern Irish Premiership side Linfield.

Former Brazil international and Real Madrid, Barcelona and Arsenal attacker Júlio Baptista began his management career with South Africa's Nathi Lions.

German defender and Euro 2012 winner Roberth Huth entered management with Union Berlin in the German 3rd tier.

Eduardo, who was my former coach at Young Boys, and got promoted by and then sacked by the club, starts again way down in the 3rd tier of German football with SV Eintracht Trier 05.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: 21/22 Club Recap - Winner-take-all title deciders on the final days

2021/22 International Football Recap

Italy 2022 World Cup Qualification

UEFA

It was probably the closest ever UEFA qualifying section. On the final day, most groups had all but the bottom team still vying for the top 2, with some massive final games.

Group 1
Ukraine - 23
----------------------------------
Scotland - 21
----------------------------------
Sweden - 19
Kazakhstan - 18
Northern Ireland - 15
Slovenia - 15*
Luxembourg - 2
*Head-To-Head: Northern Ireland 2 - 1 Slovenia

Iain Dowie's reign over new Euro 2020 champions Northern Ireland started poorly. He began with a home draw with Luxembourg followed by a loss in Kazakhstan. It's impossible to follow winning Euro 2020, but even before that Northern Ireland had at least been in touching distance of the playoffs, never mind in a relatively weak group like this one.

A strong Kazakh campaign ended with victory over already-qualified Ukraine.

Group 2
France - 30
----------------------------------
Bulgaria - 24
----------------------------------
Republic of Ireland - 22
Israel - 21
Azerbaijan - 11
Iceland - 10
Andorra - 0

France qualified unbeaten after missing out 4 years ago, only conceding 3 goals.

Group 3
Spain - 24*
----------------------------------
Norway - 24*
----------------------------------
Macedonia - 22
Romania - 21
Georgia - 17
San Marino - 5
Estonia - 1
*H2H: Spain 2 - 2 Norway. Goal difference: Spain +16, Norway +7

Spain qualified for their first tournament since 2014, on goal difference.

Group 4
England - 30
Denmark - 25

---------------------------------------
Russia - 22
Bosnia & Herzegovina - 18
Wales - 16
Armenia - 7
Liechtenstein - 0

England also only conceded 3 goals.

Denmark also qualified, as one of best runner-ups.

Chris Coleman's first campaign as Wales boss was poor. A side that regularly qualifies for the Euros and is always in the mix, after a good Euro 2020 as well, finished 7 points behind a playoff place.

Group 5
Germany - 21
-----------------------
Slovakia - 17
-----------------------
Lithuania - 16
Turkey - 13
Greece - 12
Moldova - 2

No slip-ups from Germany this time, after failing to make it for 2018.

A stoppage-time winner at home to Turkey on the final day saw Slovakia squeak into the playoffs ahead of them and Lithuania.

Group 6
Serbia - 20
---------------------
Portugal - 18
--------------------
Hungary - 17
Cyprus - 14
Croatia - 8
Belarus - 6

Portugal, top of the group and having constantly failed to qualify for any tournament since 2010, needed just a draw at home to Serbia. Portugal took the lead in just 25 seconds. They lost 2-1. Serbia qualified instead.

Croatia needed a win at home to Belarus on the final day to avoid finishing bottom.

Group 7
Poland - 16
--------------------------
Albania - 14*
--------------------------
Austria - 14*
Netherlands - 13
Montenegro - 12
Malta - 8
*H2H: Albania 4 - 2 Austria

Albania are a playoff away from qualifying for their first ever tournament.

The last World Cup's runner-up Austria miss out via head-to-head record.

Frank Rijkaard's Netherlands failed to qualify for a tournament for the first time in two decades, while Malta took 4 points off them with a historic win in Amsterdam.

Group 8
Czech Republic - 19*
Belgium - 19*

--------------------------------
Finland - 16
Switzerland - 14
Latvia - 9
Faroe Islands - 4
*H2H: Czech Republic 1 - 0 Belgium

Czech Republic beat Belgium at home but both teams qualified, Belgium as best runner-up. Both of them only conceded 3 goals all campaign.

Euro 2020 runner-up Switzerland weren't even in the running on the final day.

Playoffs (aggregate)

Albania 1 - 2 Slovakia
Bulgaria 1 - 0 Portugal
Norway 0 - 0 Scotland (AET)
2-3 on penalties after 5 rounds (0-0, 0-1, 1-1, 2-2, 2-3)

Slovakia qualify for their first ever tournament.


CAF

Gabon qualified for their first ever World Cup.

Algeria and Nigeria stormed through qualifying unbeaten, while South Africa won all 10 of their games.

Morocco impressively topped a group of death involving African champions Egypt, Ghana, Tunisia, Senegal and Mali to qualify for their first World Cup in 24 years. Senegal and Egypt also make the 2022 African Cup of Nations.

Mozambique qualified for their first African Cup of Nations in 24 years thanks to a better head to head record than Burkina Faso.


CONCACAF

Round 2

It was a week that promised some of the biggest shocks in footballing history if the big guns didn't do the job.

The most dramatic of the second legs (but only just) was the freefalling USA vs Nicaragua. Nicaragua had got a 1-1 draw at home, thanks to star striker and Maradona-esque dribbler Martinez. Martinez shone again in America, giving his country the shock lead before nearly scoring again twice after more entertaining runs. America equalised, and in the final minutes the ball was cleared off the line at both ends. It went to penalties and, despite missing first, USA avoided the worst result and qualifying performance in their history. Many American fans believe the coach should be sacked anyway.

But upset of the round, and another to add to footballing history, was provided by Turks & Caicos Islands. After losing 2-1 away, Costa Rica thought they'd rescued the tie with a 78th minute goal at home that would see them go through on away goals. But a last-second free kick on the edge of the area for shirt-pulling gave T&C a gigantic shock win over the surprise Gold Cup winners.

CONCACAF's #2 side Canada were dominated in Bermuda but it ended 0-0. They were in control in the second leg but missed 2 penalties before scoring a late goal to only win 1-0.

Netherlands Antilles beat Trinidad & Tobago 2-0 in the home leg, but lost the second leg 5-0.

Round 3

Anguilla reached their second Hexagonal in a row.

Panama beat Canada with a winner in the 88th minute of the final day to go through instead of them.

Hexagonal

Mexico topped the 6-team group for the 4th time in a row.

U. S. A.'s recovery continued as they finished second to qualify for the first time since 2010.

On the final day, 3 teams battled for 1 qualification spot and 1 playoff spot. Honduras qualified for their first World Cup since their debut in 1982. Anguilla's dream continues to be possible as they reached the playoff, Panama missing out on head-to-head record.

Hexagonal Group
Mexico - 23
U. S. A. - 16
Honduras - 14

----------------------
Anguilla - 11*
----------------------
Panama - 11*
Guatemala - 7

*Head-to-Head: Anguilla 2 - 1 Panama


CONMEBOL

Brazil - 43
Colombia - 31
Bolivia - 30
Argentina - 29

----------------------
Peru - 26
----------------------
Uruguay - 23
Paraguay - 20
Ecuador - 20
Venezuela - 15
Chile - 11

Brazil incredibly only conceded 4 goals in 18 games.

Bolivia's golden generation qualified again, with a game to spare.

Back-to-back World Cup winners Argentina almost didn't make it and needed a win on the final day to qualify.

Chile are in complete crisis.

CONCACAF - CONMEBOL Playoff (aggregate)

Anguilla 1 - 3 Peru


AFC

Round 2

Asian champions South Korea failed to even make the final group stage of qualifying, with Malaysia (who have failed at the Asian playoff stage two qualifying campaigns in a row) taking their place thanks to a superior head-to-head record.

China looked set to be the next Asian superpower up until a few years ago, and they failed to make the final group stage for the second time in a row, finishing behind Jordan and Vietnam.

A stoppage time goal stopped Indonesia making a shock appearance in the final group stage, and it's the ever impressive Macau who will hope to make it 2 World Cup appearances in a row.

Round 3

Saudi Arabia produced a big performance to beat the already-qualified Australia in Adelaide to qualify themselves.

Both groups saw winner-takes-all matches between 3rd and 4th for the playoff spots.

Group A
Saudi Arabia - 11
Australia - 10

--------------------------
Jordan - 9
--------------------------
Macau - 4

Group B
Iran - 13*
Japan - 13*

-----------------
Kuwait - 6
-----------------
Malaysia - 3

*H2H: Iran 3 - 2 Japan

AFC Playoff (aggregate)
Jordan 4 - 3 Kuwait

Jordan go on to face the winner of the OFC region.


OFC

Playoff (aggregate)

New Zealand 4 - 0 Fiji

AFC-OFC playoff (aggregate)

Jordan 3 - 1 New Zealand

The 2018 World Cup quarter-finalists qualify.


Ghana 2022 Africa Cup of Nations

Former international Neil Tovey led South Africa to their first trophy in 26 years. They beat the hosts 1-0 in the final after beating defending champions Egypt 3-0 in the semis after just half an hour, keeping a clean sheet in 5 of their 6 matches.

A change in manager to former international Abubakari Yakubu after failing to qualify for the World Cup was the right choice, as Ghana reached their first final in 40 years.

Nigeria sacked their manager, 50-cap Samson Siasia, before the World Cup despite an unbeaten campaign, after his team finished bottom of their AFCON group.

Mozambique managed 2 impressive draws, against Gabon and hosts Ghana.


2022 OFC Nations Cup

After a first leg that saw only 1 shot (and it wasn't even on target), New Zealand needed an 80th minute winner to stop Fiji becoming the first team other than Australia and NZ to win 2 Cups in a row.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: 2022 World Cup Qualifying Recap - Tiebreakers and late winners abound as Coleman and Dowie flop

Italy 2022 World Cup

Favourites are back-to-back winners Argentina, in what must be the last World Cup of the golden generation. But expect a challenge from 2018 semi-finalists England and the incredibly in-form Brazil, who got 6 points off Argentina in qualifying. Hosts Italy can stumble their way to the quarters and beyond again.


Group A

Argentina - Back-to-back defending champions
Mexico
Morocco - First World Cup in 24 years
Slovakia - Tournament debut

Argentina 2 - 0 Morocco
Morocco only had 1 shot, off-target.

Mexico 1 - 3 Slovakia
An early red card helps Slovakia to a shock debut win over the regulars.

Slovakia 0 - 0 Argentina
What a huge result for Slovakia in an even match.

Morocco 1 - 0 Mexico
Mexico flop again, in a match with only 1 shot on target each. Mexico are out already.

Morocco 1 - 0 Slovakia

Mexico 1 - 0 Argentina

Morocco - 6
Slovakia - 4 (+1 GD, 3 GS)

--------------------------------------
Argentina - 4 (+1 GD, 2 GS)
Mexico - 3

No ****ing way! A shock loss to Mexico knocks back-to-back champions Argentina out, with the two newbies going through.

We're going to have new champions.


Group B

Bolivia - 2018 second round
Scotland - Still no wins in a World Cup since 1990
Gabon - World Cup debut
Ukraine

Ukraine 0 - 1 Scotland
And just like that, Scotland FINALLY get a win.

Gabon 0 - 1 Bolivia

Bolivia 1 - 1 Ukraine

Scotland 2 - 2 Gabon
Scotland let a 2-goal lead slip.

Ukraine 2 - 0 Gabon
Ukraine win their must-win game easily.

Scotland 0 - 0 Bolivia
Both teams only needed a draw, leading to the inevitable 0-0 that sees both teams through. Scotland have got rid of the hoodoo!

Scotland - 5 (+1 GD, 3 GS)
Bolivia - 5 (+1 GD, 2 GS)

--------------------------------------
Ukraine - 4
Gabon - 1

Scotland break their tournament winless curse by suddenly reaching the knockout stage of Euro 2020 and now the World Cup.


Group C

England - 2018 semi-finalists
South Africa
Iran
Bulgaria

England 2 - 0 Iran
England could only break through Iran with 2 set pieces, in an otherwise even and uneventful match.

South Africa 2 - 1 Bulgaria
A last-minute goal decides it.

England 0 - 0 South Africa

Iran 3 - 0 Bulgaria
Only wastefulness stops Iran getting a much bigger win, but 3-0 is their biggest ever at a World Cup and knocks out Bulgaria.

Bulgaria 0 - 0 England
England dominated but couldn't break through. They only needed the draw though.

South Africa 1 - 0 Iran
A set-piece decided the winner-takes-all match.

South Africa - 7
England - 5
------------------------

Iran - 3
Bulgaria - 1


Group D

Italy - Hosts
Jordan - 2018 quarter-finalists
Denmark
Colombia

Italy 2 - 0 Denmark

Jordan 0 - 2 Colombia

Italy 1 - 1 Colombia

Denmark 3 - 0 Jordan
An incredible 5-minute hat-trick either side of half time by AC Milan's attacking midfielder Mads Serup knocks out Jordan.

Italy 2 - 0 Jordan

Denmark 1 - 0 Colombia
A last second winner from Andreas Laudrup, son of Michael, took Denmark 2nd and Colombia out.

Italy - 7
Denmark - 6

-------------------
Colombia - 4
Jordan - 0

England and the hosts will meet in the next round, as two favourites collide.


Group E

Germany
Nigeria
Belgium
U.S.A. - First World Cup in 12 years

USA 0 - 1 Belgium
An own goal gives Belgium the win, despite 0 shots on target.

Germany 1 - 0 Nigeria

Nigeria 1 - 1 USA
Freddy Adu takes 1 minute to score, but it's not enough for 3 points.

Belgium 2 - 0 Germany
Belgium are the first team to make the knockout round.

Nigeria 1 - 0 Belgium
A surprise win means Nigeria need America to draw with Germany.

Germany 1 - 0 USA
But Germany go through instead.

Belgium - 6 (+2 GD)
Germany - 6 (0 GD)

-----------------------------
Nigeria - 4
USA - 1


Group F

Algeria - 2020 AFCON runner-up
Serbia
Czech Republic
Japan - First World Cup in 16 years

Czech Republic 3 - 0 Japan

Algeria 0 - 0 Serbia

Serbia 2 - 0 Czech Republic
Despite a sending off, Serbia win quite comfortably.

Japan 0 - 1 Algeria
Despite dominating, Japan lose and are eliminated.

Japan 0 - 0 Serbia
A draw sees Serbia through.

Czech Republic 0 - 0 Algeria
Despite a red card, 41% possession and 1 shot (off-target), Algeria hung on for the point that saw them go through over the Czechs.

Serbia - 5 (+2 GD)
Algeria - 5 (+1 GD)

---------------------------
Czech Republic - 4
Japan - 1


Group G

France - Euro 2020 semi-finalists
Saudi Arabia - 2018 quarter-finalists
Poland
Peru

France 0 - 1 Poland

Peru 1 - 0 Saudi Arabia
Only one shot on target each.

Poland 1 - 1 Peru

Saudi Arabia 1 - 1 France

Saudi Arabia 1 - 0 Poland
Saudi Arabia get the win despite a late sending off and missing a penalty.

Peru 1 - 2 France
A 90th-minute penalty gives France the vital win.

France - 4 (0 GD, 3 GS)*
Peru - 4 (0 GD, 3 GS)*

-------------------------------------------
Saudi Arabia - 4 (0 GD, 2GS)**
Poland - 4 (0 GD, 2GS)**

*Head-To-Head Record: France 2 - 1 Peru
**H2H: Saudi Arabia 1 - 0 Poland

Group G became the tightest group in World Cup history. Every team finished on 4 points with 0 goal difference, thanks in part to one missed penalty, a scored 90th-minute penaltyin the other game, and a red card involved to boot.

France and Peru qualify, both with 3 goals scored, compared to Poland and Saudi Arabia's 2 goals.


Group H

Brazil - 2018 semi-finalists conceding 0 goals, 2019 Copa América runner-up, 1 loss in 18 qualifiers
Spain - First tournament in 8 years
Australia
Honduras - First World Cup in 40 years

Spain 1 - 1 Brazil
No clean sheet run in this World Cup for Brazil.

Australia 2 - 0 Honduras

Honduras 0 - 1 Brazil
Honduras are out.

Australia 1 - 0 Spain
Australia become the second team in the tournament to reach the knockouts.

Spain 3 - 0 Honduras
Spain do their job and wait on the other result.

Brazil 0 - 0 Australia
Brazil get the draw they need in a drab match to join Australia.

Australia -7
Brazil - 5

------------------
Spain - 4
Honduras - 0


Second Round

The way the groups have played out mean we're already guaranteed one minor team in the final. Will it be 4 finals in a row where a South American giant beats a smaller European country?

Bolivia 1 - 0 Morocco
Bolivia will improve on their record finish in the last World Cup.

Italy 1 - 0 England
A dire first half saw 0 shots on target, as England 'dominated' but couldn't test the keeper. In the second half, Italy got a couple of shots, scoring in stoppage time to break English hearts in the San Siro. (Cue Nessun Dorma.)

Germany 2 - 1 Serbia
Germany come from behind to go further than they have in the World Cup since hosting in 2006.

France 1 - 0 Brazil
An exciting end-to-end attacking match saw another big favourite eliminated after missing a sitter to equalise.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Slovakia 1 - 1 Scotland AET (0-0 FT)
3-4 on penalties after 6 rounds (1-0, 1-0, 2-1, 3-2, 3-3, 3-4)
Scotland came from behind in the game and in the shootout to reach heady heights, and out-perform England (who didnae qualify for the quarters)!

South Africa 2 - 0 Denmark
An own goal, an 89th minute goal and a missed South African penalty in stoppage time made for an entertaining match... for one country anyway.

Belgium 2 - 1 Algeria

Peru 0 - 0 Australia AET
1-3 on penalties after 4.5 rounds (1-1, 1-2, 1-2, 1-2, 1-3)
Peru dominated but didn't get the job done.


Quarter-Finals

Italy 0 - 0 Bolivia AET
3-1 on penalties after 4 rounds (0-0, 0-1, 1-2, 1-3)
A drab match between Bolivia's golden generation and the hosts.

Germany 0 - 0 France AET
4-2 on penalties after 4 rounds (1-1, 2-2, 3-2, 4-2)
The Germans score all their penalties (of course), while France fail to get a shot on target.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Scotland 1 - 0 South Africa
South Africa go further than ever, but it's Scotland whose story continues.

Belgium 3 - 0 Australia
Australia achieve a best ever finish

For the first time in 16 years, the final will have no South American teams and be between two European sides.


Semi-Finals

Italy 2 - 0 Germany
Germany are easily beaten with a corner and a penalty from the hosts. But it's still a return to past greatness for the Germans, with their best World Cup performance in 16 years.

Scotland 2 - 0 Belgium
A calm and controlled display. After failing to get a goal never mind a win in tournaments past, Scotland are in the World Cup final.


Third-Place Playoff

Germany 0 - 1 Belgium
Belgium better their 1984 fourth-place finish


Italia 2022 World Cup Final

Italy v Scotland

History

For the first time since 2006, the World Cup final won't be contested by a South American and a European team. But for the third time in a row, it will be between a traditionally big and small team.

It's the first time the hosts have reached the final since France '98.

Hosts Italy have won the World Cup 4 times and are consistent in this tournament. They've reached at least the quarter-finals every time since 1986, excluding South Korea in 2002 which may or may not have been rigged.

Scotland had never even got out of the group stages of a tournament until co-hosting Euro 2020. They had only scored 1 World Cup goal since 1998 and hadn't won a single game since Italia '90.

Form

Italy got 7 points in the group stage before beating England and Germany, though needed penalties against a tricky Bolivia side. They've only conceded 1 goal in their 6 games.

Scotland have drawn 3 of their 6 matches, but won their last 2.

Italy have only lost 1 in 12 meetings with Scotland (in Glasgow in 1965) and won all 6 home encounters, only conceding 1 goal.

Managers

Italy made the incredibly rare decision to hire foreign after a poor Euro 2020. Xavi Juliá had managed his nation Spain as hosts of 2014, but they didn't even get out of their group. He coached a few clubs in Spain's La Liga before getting the Italy job.

Scotland's Mike Richardson is now a legend at only 39 years old. His first and only other job was with Arbroath in the Scottish League Two (the 4th tier). He was only there for just over a year, doing nothing of note and winning, drawing and losing nearly the exact same amount of games, before Scotland hired him. (Though attributes-wise, he's one of the best coaches around.)

Team News

Italy have 1 underperforming regular out injured.

Scotland's left-winger and backup keeper are out injured.

Scotland's right-winger Kevin Brown needs one more goal to win the Golden Boot with at least 4 goals and 1 assist. Striker/left-winger Ronnie Allen needs a hat-trick, or 2 plus an assist or two.

No player in the Italian squad has more than one goal, but striker Andrea Passiglia also tops the assist chart currently with 3.

Both teams play a flat 4-4-2. Italy will look to take the initiative in the San Siro, while Scotland will be more conservative, and if all goes well by half-time they'll change to a 5-4-1 diamond - the only games Scotland have won have been while using this gameplan.

Italy: Fiumi (AC Milan); La Cava (c) (Inter Milan), Di Vito (Torino), Roscioli (AC Milan), De Siato (Newcastle United); Luciani (Sampdoria), Cucchi (Inter Milan), Furlan (Napoli), De Agostini (Real Madrid); Passiglia (Newcastle United), Capovilla (Torino) - 8 Serie A, 2 Premier League, 1 La Liga

Scotland: Cochrane (Sheffield United); MacKenzie (Man City), McGovern (Man City), Scott (Middlesbrough), Carlo Monti (Coventry); Brown (Lazio), King (c) (Man Utd), MacMillan (West Ham), Ferrie (Reading); Davidson (Sheffield Wednesday), Allan (Real Betis) - 9 Premier League, 1 Serie A, 1 La Liga


First Half

A couple of scares for Scotland, but it's an uneventful first half.

Half Time

Scotland make two substitutions: in a Graham Taylor-esque move, the star multi-million-pound player, leading scorer looking for the golden boot, and only guy who plays in Serie A against most of their opponents, is subbed off. Davidson, a striker with 0 goals in 5 games now, comes off too.

A player carrying an injury is one of those brought on.

Scotland change formation to the narrow 5-4-1.

Will it be a stroke of genius or complete madness?

Second Half

Italy fail to have any shots, even from set pieces, and they suspect they're playing into Scotland's hands. Italy hang back a little while Scotland make their final substitution on the hour, taking off a booked player like-for-like.

From a goal kick, out of nowhere, Ronnie Allan knocks it on to the new substitute (Napoli's Paul Gordon), who dribbles quickly into the area and shoots past the keeper! 1-0!

Italy make 3 like-for-like substitutions over the next 10 minutes. Do they not have a plan B? An upset is on the cards!

The confusingly named Scot called Carlo Monti, already booked, makes a foul on the 86th minute, but is let off by the referee. The resulting Italian free kick is immediately called for offside. Wasteful.

Scotland are too good in the air. Every set piece and cross is getting headered away, punched or caught. Meanwhile Scotland have a couple of chances to double their lead and finish them off.

But it doesn't matter! Scotland deal with the hosts! They've won the World Cup! Tactical genius! Someone play Nessun Dorma!

=================================================================================

2022 World Champions
Scotland

=================================================================================

With Northern Ireland also Euro 2020 champions, the UK is taking over!

Scotland now have as many World Cups as England, but they didn't need to be hosts to win it! Just needed to beat the hosts!


Awards
Golden Boot: Denis Dalmat (Belgium) with 4 goals
Golden Ball: John Preston (DR/C, WBR) (Scotland)
Golden Glove: Limberg Cuéllar (Bolivia)
Best Young Player: Marek Janic (ST) (Slovakia)
Most Man of the Match Award: Jorge Castro (DC/DM) (Bolivia)

Team of the Tournament
Cuéllar (Bolivia)
van Hove (Belgium) - Nadirov (Iran) - Preston (Scotland) - Khabo (South Africa) - Carlo Monti (Scotland)
Brown (Scotland) - Castro (Bolivia) - Serup (Denmark)
Dalmat (Belgium) - Passiglia (Italy)


Selected Managerial News

Mike Richardson (soon to be Sir Mike Richardson, no doubt) resigned as Scotland coach after masterminding the biggest World Cup shock in history. In a surprise career move, the 39-year-old joined Conference side Hereford in an assistant manager role, moving to be assistant of Basel at the end of the 2022/23 season.

Gerardo Martino's second spell in charge of Argentina ended in disappointment, but only after taking the champions to a second World Cup trophy in a row. He retires.

Didier Deschamps retired after 8 years in the France job and was replaced with former Roma manager Patrick Colleter.

The England manager stepped down after 6 years in the job that saw a World Cup semi-final, a Euro quarter-final and a lot of heartbreak, joining Dundee United. Polls suggest fans would most like to see Sir Steve McClaren or a certain prominent English manager in France take charge now.

USA sacked Bob Bradley after a whopping 16 years in charge which saw America only reach 2 World Cups (failing to get out the groups both times), momentarially lose their '#2 in CONCACAF' tag to Canada, and fail to win the bi-annual Gold Cup since 2011, but also become the first non-CONMEBOL team to win a Copa América. He retires.

Bolivia's manager retired after an incredible 7-year reign. He took one of the worst teams in South America and qualified for the World Cup twice in a row, reaching the second round then the quarter-final, losing to the hosts and runner-up on penalties respectively.

Mexico sacked Oswaldo Sanchez after losses to Slovakia and Morocco, despite a win over Argentina that threw the World Cup open. He joined Championship club Watford.

Gabon's greatest manager Esaie Nsangou retired after taking the unknown African nation to a World Cup, getting a draw against the now world champions, as well as an AFCON semi-final and two consecutive quarter-final appearances.

Bulgaria didn't immediately sack Yasen Petrov after a 3-0 loss to Iran though a draw with England. But they did after the first game of Euro 2024 qualifying when they lost at home to Faroe Islands, going 2-0 down in 19 minutes. Ilian Iliev replaces him.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: Scotland WIN the 2022 World Cup!

2022 Post/Pre-Season

Squad Review and Transfers

GK

13. Eden Simantov - 32 years old, Israeli (19 caps) - £1.6m - P 5, Conc 8, CS 1, MotM 1, AvR 6.60
1. Eric Béranger - 32, Moroccan (2 caps) - £1.3m - P 11(2), Conc 8, CS 6, AvR 6.62
28. David Solli - 20, Norwegian (U19) - £2.4m - P 20, Conc 16, CS 11, MotM 2, AvR 6.80
30. Dimitar Mitov - 19, Bulgarian (U19) - £250k - P 8, Conc 9, CS 2, AvR 6.50

I used 4 keepers and no one claimed the #1 spot.

Simantov (who was supposed to be the replacement for outgoing star keeper Guimard) and long-time keeper Béranger were transfer listed in the summer after awful and unspectacular performances respectively.

Solli and Mitov came in January initially as big future prospects, but were given runs in the team due to everyone else underperforming. Solli started incredibly, but his form tanked. Mitov was just ok.

In the summer I needed experience, but could only sign a 20-year-old near-wonderkid called Mykola Prodan. Although, on loan to Anderlecht last season, he got an average rating of 7.33 and also made his debut at the World Cup this month, playing all of Ukraine's games. Loan signing Ahmed Falah was brought in as extra depth and the closest thing to experience, with 3 seasons in the Dutch second-tier seeing him get average ratings of 7.21, 7.67 and 7.26.

Out
Béranger - Romorantin (Ligue 2) - £1m (Summer 2022)

In
Solli - Lov-Ham (Norwegian top tier) - £2.4m (Winter)
Mitov - Botev Plovdiv (Bulgarian top tier) - £2k (Winter)
Prodan - Lille (Ligue 1) - £1.1m (Summer)
Falah - Dijon (Ligue 1) - Loan (Summer)


DR

16. Alen Sertic - 32, Croatian - £975k - P 33(1), MotM 1, AvR 6.76
2. Somboon Saengsawad
- DR/C, DM, MR/C - 34, Thai (34 caps, 1 goal) - N/A - P 11, AvR 7.00

Neither player survived the next season.

Sertic regularly made mistakes and, at 32, he wasn't going to cut that out of his game. Saengsawad has been an experienced utility player for 4 years. Age has caught up with him, but he's still performing. However he had to be released to free up a non-EU spot for Gosic.

Nebojsa Gosic is the biggest signing of the summer and perhaps of my career. Out of the dozens of clubs from every major league who made an offer, he chose us. At 21, he already has 20 Tackling, 20 Strength, 19 Jumping, 17 Pace, as well as good or high numbers in Bravery, Positioning, Concentration, Determination, Stamina, Natural Fitness, Agility and Passing. On loan at Basel last season, he had an average rating of 7.44. He looks set to be one of the best defenders in the world. But due to having to delay his transfer while releasing Saengsawad, he's now ineligible to play in the Europa League.

Kurtulus Serdar is a veteran Turkish international about to turn 35. He's signed to play central midfield, but being able to play backup at right-back means we have 2 much better players for this position now

Out
Sertic - NK Osijek (Croatian top tier) - £450k (Summer)
Saengsawad
- Released (Summer)

In
Gosic - FK Zeta (Montenegrin top tier) - £1.1m (Summer)
Serdar
- Atalanta (Serie A) - Free (Summer)


DL

3. Daniele Monti - D/WB/ML - 22, Italian (U21) - £3.4m - P 31(3), A 3, MotM 1, AvR 7.00
12. Adel Travers - 24, Swiss - £550k - P 14(2), A 1, AvR 6.69

Monti became a regular left-back this season, and was one of the most consistent and mature players on the pitch.

Travers regressed this season and was ousted by Monti.


DC

6. Leivur Sorensen - 23, Faroe Islands (5 caps) - P 41(1), A 1, MotM 4, AvR 7.14
22. Christophe Bokoto (Captain) - DC, DM, MC - 28, Martiniquan (5 caps)/French - £2.6m - P 31(3), G 1, A 1, MotM 3, AvR 7.06
4. Sébastien Noto - 24, French (U19)/Russian - £925k - P 10(6), G 1, AvR 6.69
5. Bjorn Schmidt - 27, Swiss (U21) - £1.2m - P 8(2), AvR 6.60
26. Pavel Pospech - 19, Czech (U21) - £1.2m - P0(3), AvR 6.67
+ Saengsawad

We are blessed in this position. It seems to be my specialty area for finding players. Even if all the first team CBs were sold, 3 youngsters could do well in their place.

Sorensen was immense, with an average rating of around 7.5 in the first half of the season earning him an international debut, before he faltered along with the rest of the team. He turned down a big money bid and stayed with the club on an improved contract, but can we keep him next time?

After all the contract drama last season, Schmidt played himself out the team. He seemed too much of a risk. Hopefully his head is on straighter next season.


MR

11. Miodrag Ljajic - MR/L, AMR/L - 27, Serbian (U21) - £3.2m - P 6(12), G 1, A 3, MotM 2, AvR 6.72
14. Éverton - AMR, MR - 22, Brazilian - £2m - P 8(2), G 1, AvR 6.70
+ Janousek, Saengsawad

Right-midfield was neglected due to the change to a wingless formation that tore teams apart.

However Éverton won no fans regarding the club as a stepping stone, and his form was poor. He made no key passes. Even as a reserve he didn't make key passes, although he got a few goals and assists. He's already returned to Brazil at 20 years old, after failing at Sporting in Portugal and Valenciennes. He must improve his attitude or he'll never make it.

Out
Éverton - Gaúcho (Brazilian Série A) - £1.7m (Summer)


ML

+ Ljajic, Monti, Scotto

3 players could play here, but there was no need due to our wingless formation

There was a bosman signing this summer: Jorge Alberto Arboleda. The £2.2m-rated Ecuadorian international veteran got 7 assists in 26(11) appearances in the Premier League last season.

Out
Fabrice Marty - Bordeaux (Ligue 2) - £1.5m (Winter)

In
Arboleda - AC Milan (Serie A) - Free Bosman (Summer)


MC

(LOAN) 18. Esteban Pujol - MC/AMC - 28, Equatorial Guinean (27 caps, 4 goals) - N/A - P 24(3), G 1, A 9, AvR 7.07
17. Hamid Scotto - ML/C, AML/C, ST - 31, Martiniquan (8 caps)/French - £525k - P 33(4), G 3, A 6, MotM 4, AvR 6.95
20. Jaroslav Janousek - MR/C - 23, Czech (3 caps) - £4.4m - P 31, G 1, A 2, AvR 6.87
15. Manuel Perez - DM/MC/AMC - 31, French (U21) - £1.2m - P 17(17), AvR 6.74
23. Pierre-Baptiste Baherlé - DM/MC - 30, French (U19) - £130k - P 15(3), G 1, A 3, MotM 1, AvR 7.00
21. Guiseppe Audino - DM, MC - 22, Italian (U19) - £1.2m - P 8(3), A 1, MotM 1, AvR 7.00
+ Bokoto, Saengsawad

Pujol was the stereotypical player that quietly but effectively completed the team, providing assists on the right of the central midfield 3 and becoming the league's joint-top assister. We only won 3 matches in 11, and lost the cup semi to a Ligue 2 side, when he got injured. His loan was made permanent.

Scotto surprised Ligue 1 with immense form on the left that got pundits excited and earned a new contract. But after injury he got no assists, just 1 goal, and 4 yellows in his last 16 games.

Baherlé was a signing I immediately thought was a mistake. But by April he had earned an extension on his contract. Can really contribute to an attack with key passes.

Out
Perez - Club Brugge (Belgian top tier) - £625k

In
Pujol - Paris Saint-Germain - Free Bosman (Summer)
Soriano - Recreativo - Free Bosman (Summer)


AMC

8. Stefan Babovic (Vice-Captain) - 35, Serbian (U21)/Montenegrin - £425k - P 30(2), G 5, A 6, MotM 1, AvR 7.00
+ Bergougnoux, Perez, Pujol

Babovic earned a 2-year extension despite being 35.

Baby-faced Damián Ismodes is a former Peru international and also aging, but with at least one season left in him at this level. His performances in a decade at Leverkusen never reached 7.00, but he was probably out of position as a central midfielder. Can also play as a striker.

In
Ismodes - Bayer Leverkusen (second tier) - Free Bosman (Summer)


ST

7. Cédric Bergougnoux - AMC, ST - 23, French (U19) - £4.4m - P 36(3), G 18, A 5, MotM 1, AvR 6.95
24. Benjamin Didot - 25, Guadeloupean (2 caps) / French - £3.3m - P 22(11), G 9, A 3, AvR 6.85
9. Alex - 22, Brazilian (U19)/Italian - N/A - P 8(12), G 4, A 3, MotM 1, AvR 6.90
10. Marcelo Martins Moreno - 34, Brazilian (U21) / Bolivian - N/A - P 8(10), G 2, A 1, MotM 1, AvR 6.67
19. Humberto Osorio - 33, Colombian (2 caps) - N/A - P 7(9), G 1, A 1, MotM 1, AvR 6.63
(LOAN) 29. Marcin Tupalski - 19, Polish (1 cap) - £3m - P 7(7), G 2, A 1, AvR 6.71
+ Scotto

Youth product Bergougnoux launched Valenciennes to the top of the table with his goals, becoming Ligue 1's top goalscorer. All on a £2,500 per week contract, which I'll increase. But even he could only score in 2 of the last 10 matches, as everyone's shots suddenly went wildly off target no matter how close to goal or how open the goal was.

Fellow youth product Didot was one of many that got off to a hot start, then eventually lost form.

Alex didn't help his form by asking for a transfer, then changing his mind, all with an expiring contract which he didn't renew until it was about to run out.

Tupalski started brightly with a goal and assist on his debut, and another goal a couple of matches later. But that stopped and he became a liability. He would lose the ball rather than pull the trigger, even when in the area.

In the summer is a huge free signing. Kevin Sola. For whatever reason, his contract with fellow Ligue 1 side Créteil expired despite being BOTH their top scorer (19) and assister (7), and only at 22 years old. Fans are delighted with this £4.1m-rated signing.

Florin Ganea also comes on loan. Rated at £4.8m, he scored 19 in 37 games for Steaua Bucharest last season, with an average rating of 7.43. Most pertinently, he scored nearly all of their Europa League goals. Handy.

Out
Moreno - Released (Summer)
Osorio - Released (Summer)

In
Sola - Créteil (Ligue 1) - Free Bosman (Summer)
Ganea - Middlesbrough (Premier League) - Loan (Summer)


Overall

Squad numbers have been bolstered ready for a European campaign hopefully longer than 2 matches. There's a mix of experience and huge youth potential. We were the most active team in the transfer window.

 

Pre Season

The stadium will be expanded by 2600 seats in preparation for Europe, for a new capacity of 25,600.

The board are also upgrading the training facilities from 'good' to 'top' and youth facilities from 'adequate' to 'average'.

The transfer budget was again a case of only being able to buy 1 player unless I sold others to raise more money.

A link with England's Swindon Town in League 2 is announced. It allows us to send players out on loan to a club with top facilities.

Media predict an 8th-placed finish. The board just want a respectable league position, but the fans want Europe again. We're joint-5th favourites for the title at 25-1.

I was head-hunted by a few countries after the World Cup, including England. I chose to stay. I'll generally only take international jobs where the squad have at least a reliable goalkeeper and a goalscorer, but this England team isn't one of the best. Plus I'm looking forward to seeing how a few of my new signings do... at least until a big, financially well-off club approach me...

So I turned down England, for now. This was despite a contract offer of... ahem...

Besides, they're hosting in 2030 - if I'm going to take one of the worst jobs in football pressure/abuse-wise, I may as well go all-in and do it when they're hosting.
 

Friendlies

(5th, L1) Valenciennes 1 - 2 Schalke (8th, Bundesliga)
V Goal: Ganea (46)
S Goal: (74, 81)

Valenciennes Reserves 0 - 0 Valenciennes
1-3 on penalties after 4 rounds (0-1, 0-2, 0-2, 1-3)
Disallowed Goal: Bergougnoux (41)

Keeper Prodan saved the first two penalties before causing the next one to go wildly wide. Someone to sub on before a penalty shootout?

(5th, L1) Valenciennes 1 - 1 Brescia (15th, Serie A)
V Goal: Arboleda (19)
B Goal: (28)

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: 2022 post/pre-season - squad review and turning down England

Valenciennes 2022/23 - European Debut

Europa League Summary

1st Round

The draw for the first round of the Europa League (a knockout round before the group stage) had us drawn with Cercle Brugge, who won the Belgian title 2 seasons ago, though last season finished midtable and won the Belgian Cup. The bookies make them favourites, but going by player value we're vastly superior.

While we struggled a bit in the league, Cercle Brugge were unbeaten so far in the season. But they were suffering a keeper injury crisis, meaning a 16-year-old made his debut. So we just had to test him.

1st Leg

(15th, Ligue 1) Valenciennes 0 - 0 Cercle Brugge (13th, Belgian top tier)

The keeper was only tested 4 times, mainly from set pieces.

Our top 2 strikers were currently injured and we needed them back; the rest aren't scoring.

By the time of the second leg, Cercle Brugge hadn't won in 4 games. Granted, neither had we, but we came off the back of a good result, and we had one of the strikers back. One goal should be enough.

2nd Leg

(7th, Belgian top tier) Cercle Brugge 0 - 0 Valenciennes (18th, Ligue 1) AET (0-0 on agg.)
0-3 on penalties (3 rounds: 0-1, 0-2, 0-3)
CB Red Card: (65)

Cercle Brugge clung on for penalties, but I'm always prepared for penalties. I changed the keeper, bringing on Prodan, who had won a pre-season shootout with 2 saves and a miss. That's exactly what happened again, while all our carefully-picked takers scored.

Brugge claimed they should've had a penalty during normal time, but I quipped "they probably would've missed it anyway".

And so we reached the hallowed ground of the group stage.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------


Group Stage

5 teams play each other once. Top 3 go through and we were 4th seeds in the group draw.

Our opponents were:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Sparta Prague (H) - Got a good home draw against Man City in the first group game, but had recently suffered shock relegation from Czech league and this is only their second time in the group stage. We should win.

(17th, Ligue 1) Valenciennes 3 - 0 Sparta Prague (7th, Czech First League)
V Goals: Babovic (10, 28), Sola (30)
SP Second Yellow Cards: (73), (74)

Trying a new formation and giving a youngster his first start sees us achieve the rare act of scoring, 3 times! In half an hour!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Málaga (A) - A top 6 La Liga side who drew away to Man City and beat Porto. A point would be great.

(3rd, La Liga) Málaga 4 - 0 Valenciennes (13th, Ligue 1)
M Goals: (45+1), (51), (57), (pen 67)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Porto (H) - One of the traditional Big 3 in Portugal, but have only won 1 title in 6 seasons. Champions League group stage/first knockout round regulars. We could win, and if we did we'd qualify for the next round with a game to spare.

(13th, Ligue 1) Valenciennes 0 - 0 Porto (1st, Primeira Liga)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Manchester City (A) - Top 6 Premier League side that reached the Champions League quarter-final last season and won the F.A. Cup the year before that. Have underperformed in Europe and yet to get a win. And they need to win now to qualify, while an impressive draw would see us through.

(5th, Premier League) Manchester City 2 - 1 Valenciennes (7th, Ligue 1)
MC Goal: Abdala (18)
V Goal: Bokoto (57)
MC Goal: Abdala (73)

Our trusty corner routine makes it seem like it'll be our day, but Abdala, the threat that I ordered to be specifically marked, scores his second. Man City scrape through.

Would we have qualified if Gosic wasn't cup-tied? His threat in the air could've put in a corner.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Final Group Standings
Málaga - 10
Porto - 7
Manchester City - 5
------------------------
Valenciennes - 4
Sparta Prague - 1

It was good run. It could've ended before the group stage, and equally it could've gone further.
 

Domestic Summary

Coupe de la Ligue

Results

Spoiler

2nd Round

(17th, L1) Valenciennes 1 - 1 Nimes (3rd, L2) AET (0-0 FT)
3-2 on penalties (5 rounds: 1-0, 1-0, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2)
V Goal: Alex (115)
N Goal: (118)

3rd Round

(16th, L1) Valenciennes 1 - 1 Amiens (1st, L2) AET (0-0 FT)
2-4 on penalties (4.5 rounds: 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4)
V Missed penalty: Serdar (13)
A Goal: (17)
V Goal: Sola (61)

Coupe de France

Results

Spoiler

9th Round

(7th, L1) Valenciennes 3 - 0 Nimes (9th, L2)
V Goals: Sola (6), Gosic (61), Bergougnoux (69)

10th Round

(9th, L1) Valenciennes 5 - 0 Entente SSG (7th, L2)
V Goals: Bokoto (14), Ganea (15, 80), Serdar (21, 26)

11th Round

(15th, L1) Saint-Etienne 2 - 0 Valenciennes (7th, L1)
S-E Goals: (18), (87)

Ligue 1

Results

Spoiler

(Predicted 15th) Bordeaux 1 - 1 Valenciennes (Pred. 8th)
B Goal: (pen 32)
V Goal: Sola (56)

(Pred. 8th) Valenciennes 2 - 0 Brest (Pred. 14th)
V Goals: Bergougnoux (4, 17)

(Pred. 3rd) Marseille 1 - 0 Valenciennes (Pred. 8th) RIVALS
M Goals: (24)

(Pred. 8th) Valenciennes 0 - 1 Paris Saint-Germain (Pred. 6th)
PSG Goal: (30)

(Pred. 1st) Lens 2 - 1 Valenciennes (Pred. 8th)
L Goals: (12 seconds, 3)
V Goal: Gosic (23)

(14th) Valenciennes 1 - 1 Nantes (20th)
V Goal: Arboleda (37)
N Goal: (71)


(9th) Lyon 1 - 1 Valenciennes (17th)
L Goal: (29)
V Goal: Pujol (36)

(18th) Valenciennes 2 - 0 Bastia (12th)
V Goals: Alex (46), Bergougnoux (53)

(14th) Valenciennes 0 - 0 Lille (2nd) RIVALS
V Disallowed Goal: Bergougnoux (44)

(6th) Sochaux 1 - 0 Valenciennes (12th)
S Goal: (45)

(15th) Valenciennes 0 - 0 Le Havre (13th)
LH Red Card (83)

(6th) Dijon 0 - 0 Valenciennes (16th)

(18th) Valenciennes 0 - 0 Monaco (19th)

(18th) Le Mans 0 - 2 Valenciennes (16th)
V Goals: Gosic (32), Bergougnoux (69)

(15th) Valenciennes 1 - 0 Laval (16th)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (36)
L Missed Penalty: (84)
V Second Yellow: Scotto (88)

(5th) Toulouse 4 - 2 Valenciennes (12th)
T Goal: (8)
V Goal: Bergougnoux (13)
T Goals: (46, 62), (64)
V Goal: Ganea (66)

(14th) Valenciennes 2 - 1 Saint-Etienne (15th)
V Goals: Bergougnoux (8), Bokoto (67)
S-E Goal: (85)

(14th) Créteil 0 - 2 Valenciennes (10th)
V Goals: Ganea (12, 25)

(7th) Valenciennes 1 - 1 Rennes (19th)
V Goal: Ganea (72)
R Red Cards: (77), (82)
R Goal: (90+3)

(12th) Brest 1 - 0 Valenciennes (7th)
B Goal: (4)

(9th) Valenciennes 1 - 0 Marseille (5th) RIVALS
V Goal: Sola (80)

(7th) Paris Saint-Germain 2 - 1 Valenciennes (6th)
PSG Goal: (pen 24)
V Goal: Ganea (34)
PSG Goal: (57)

(10th) Valenciennes 0 - 0 Lens (5th) RIVALS

(16th) Nantes 1 - 0 Valenciennes (9th)
N Goal: (34)
V Missed Penalty: Ljajic (45)

(2nd) Lille 2 - 0 Valenciennes (12th) RIVALS
L Goals: (9), (36)
(14th) Valenciennes 0 - 1 Lyon (1st)
L Goal: (26)
V Missed Penalty: Janousek (28)


Ligue 1 Table (at time of resignation)

1 - Lyon - 50
(2-3)
----------------------------------
(4)
----------------------------------
5 - Le Havre - 39
----------------------------------
(6-13)
14 - Valenciennes - 30
(15-17)
----------------------------------
18 - Saint-Etienne - 26
(19-20)

League Record: P26 W7 D9 L10 F20 A21 GD-1

The season started brightly with an exciting front 2 of Bergougnoux (youth product and last season's top scorer) and Sola (a free transfer who had scored one less) getting 2 goals and an assist in the first 2 matches. Then both strikers got injured for a month.

We struggled to score after that, despite adapting tactics and formations, which bore fruit temporarily thanks to free-transfer left-winger Arboleda becoming a key playmaker. But most home matches went the same way: 4-7 players in the area 90% of the match, but the ball won't go in the net. Ultimately we would fail to score in half our games.

Goalkeeping remained an issue. Solli was still hot and cold but did enjoy an incredible run of 8 clean sheets in 9 matches. Even the on-loan keeper had his loan terminated after mistakes in both his matches.

During this time I had applied for the Barcelona job. Not as crazy as it sounds because, since Hristo Stoichkov took over, Barcelona had fallen to depths never seen before: now battling relegation from La Liga. I didn't get the job, and while the fans and board didn't hate me, they weren't so enamoured with me any more. Barcelona chose the Lille manager, who steered them away from the relegation zone... then ditched them at the end of the season.

After much thinking, I decided to resign with 12 matches left, after 5 games without a goal (and 2 missed penalties). The next 4 matches were against tricky and in-form midtable sides, and could damage my glowing reputation. Especially with strikers who can't score combined with goalkeepers who can't keep a clean sheet.

My contract was up at the end of the season, and I was always going to leave for a bigger, richer club (or country). Even though money was there, the wage structure meant I was in the same sodding routine as the previous jobs I escaped from: scraping around for free transfers, unable to get the top quality that would take us to the next level. I needed a goalscorer in the winter window, but couldn't get any because of wages, not even on loan. Time to get out.

I was finally free from a cursed club, the most frustrating and infuriating job I've ever had in real life or even in a game. Being involved in two match-fixing scandals as perpetrator (1993) and victim (2020) is bad juju evidently.
 

Final Season Squad Review

In the long term, unless a shock happens, or my signings all grow together and become an immense team, the club isn't going anywhere. They'll only be able to generally sign free transfers of youngsters, 32+ old players, and sub-par players. So I wasn't going to stay, and there's no reason to keep the pain going.

The club has 4 great prospects in goal aged 20 to 23, but still too young to be regulars. So it seems the club needs an older keeper to play in the first team, while the young keepers grow and learn from him. Or grin and bare it with the youngsters.

Defence has a conveyor belt, with the centre-backs looking to move but a few top young prospects to take their place. Gosic wasn't too big a loss as Serdar is a very good right-back, but he's 36 next season. They'll need another right-back.

Midfield is down to the next manager, but there is quality there. Arboleda was the creative force who made things happen on the left, getting 7 assists, 5 Man of the Match awards and 7.36 average rating despite playing out of position as a wing-back. He's moving on though.

The strikers Bergougnoux and Sola are suffering dry patches, but they'll still only be 24 next season, and if they click together will shoot the club up the table. They were two of the league's highest scorers last season. Now 23, Alex will either shine as he develops more or sink yearning for a move elsewhere.

The reserves are on course to successfully defend their first ever league title, so that speaks for the depth at the club.


Valenciennes Epilogue

Valenciennes got a win in their first matches under the caretaker and then their new manager. But my point was proven as they only scored 2 goals in their next 9 games, complete with a THIRD missed penalty in a row, before a final-day 3-0 win at home to a thus relegated side.

Next season (as of writing), using my players, the club would rise up the league under their new manager, though would be knocked out the Coupe de France after a penalty shootout with 20 penalties taken.

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: 2022/23 - Champions relegated! Inter's greatest manager sacked! Chelsea legends sacked! Owls, Iron, Bluebirds, Forest celebrate! Bundesliga title playoff!

2022/23 - Club Football Recap

Biggest Transfers
Michael Bopp (DC, German, 26) - Bayern Munich to Arsenal - £34m
Paul Rosenoir (DL, Jamaican/English, 23) - Inter Milan to Chelsea - £28m
Olexiy Zhuk (D/MRLC/DM, Ukrainian, 24) - Bayern Munich to Inter Milan - £23m
Alfredo Páez (MC, Paraguayan, 22) - River Plate to Bayern Munich - £22m
Godfrey Mngomeni (ST, South African, 27) - Werder Bremen to Juventus - £21m
Babis Papadopoulos (ML/AML, Greek, 27) - Inter Milan to Atlético Madrid - £21m


FIFA World Player of the Year

Two French strikers in a row have won now; this year it was the first for Atlético's amazingly-named striker Boris Bourgeois. Chelsea's Argentine striker Italo Bini and Real Madrid's Italian attacker Victor Prestia were 2nd and 3rd.


Champions League

Patrick Collot's Hamburger SV won their 2nd ever European Cup, 40 years after their first, by beating Bayern Munich 1-0 after extra time. They beat the two previous winners AC Milan and Newcastle United on the way.

José Mourinho's Chelsea had their best performance in 7 years by reaching the semis, losing to Bayern thanks to a red card and a dramatic last-minute winner.


England

Premier League

As expected, Sir Steve McClaren's Newcastle United won their 3rd title in a row with ease.

A traditional Top 4 with Yury Vergeichik's Liverpool, Michael Laudrup's Arsenal and Mourinho's Chelsea finished 13+ points ahead of everyone else.

Manchester City sacked Thomas Doll after a successful decade in charge, leading them to 2nd in 2020, winning 2 F. A. Cups, and often qualifying for the Champions League and reaching the knockouts. Their punishment for this sacking was to drop from 5th to 7th under Interim Manager Mauricio Gonzalez, ironically still qualifying for Europe thanks to the League Cup Doll won weeks before being fired. His long-term replacement is Erwin Koeman.

FA Cup

Mike Newell continues to amaze as Sheffield Wednesday, who already qualified for Europe by reaching the FA Cup final, won their 4th ever FA Cup and their first ever post-war FA Cup with a penalty shootout win over Chelsea.

Football League and Non-League

Scunthorpe United will play Premier League football for the first time ever after winning the Championship title. Manager Glynn Snodin has seen the club promoted twice in just 4 full seasons.

Aidy Boothroyd took Cardiff City straight back up into the Championship in his first season, and 4 years later they're back in the Premier League to improve on their sole appearance in 2009/10.

Nottingham Forest are back in the Premier League for the first time this century after winning the playoffs.

Leeds United harshly sacked their manager. Alan Doolan's was a story straight out of Football Manager: a shock appointment after being sacked at his first job, Conference South side Bath, he took the fallen giants to the Championship in his first season, then finally back in the Premier League 2 years later after 3rd and 2nd place finishes. Yet the club sacked him after 2 seasons in the Premier League and being outside of the Championship playoff places this November. He quickly upgraded to Blackburn in the Premier League, but they were relegated bottom while Leeds didn't improve.

John Terry was sacked by Everton in January with the club fighting double relegation to League One, lasting 1.5 years in his first job. Under new manager Tony Naylor they escaped relegation by a point.

Relegation specialist Ashley Cole was sacked with expected title challengers Brighton bottom of League One in September. New manager Ronnie Jepson struggled, but a late surge saw them avoid relegation on goal difference.

Telford United, reborn in 2004 after the former club's liquidation, will be playing in the Football League for the first time in either clubs' history thanks to 2 goals, including a late winner, in the playoff final from 14-year Telford stalwart Conor Mulholland.


Belgium

Defending champions Cercle Brugge were relegated automatically, finishing bottom on 'Games Won' after a late goal meant a final day loss. Incredible. Evidently sacking their manager in February and replacing him with Dirk Geeraerd made things much worse.


Italy

The city of Milan's 15-year dominance of the title is finally over as Walter Bonacina's Juventus finally won their 29th Scudetto with relative ease, pretty much never leaving the top. They also won the Europa League with a 1-0 win over Sevilla.

The other shocking news is the sensational sacking of Inter's most successful manager in history, Roberto Mancini, after 19 years at the club, 4 Champions Leagues (2 back-to-back), 11 Scudettos, 4 Italian Cups and 4 World Club Cups. Unfortunately, Inter's last trophy was 3 years ago and AC Milan has risen in their place. Spoilt on Mancini's success, he was sacked with the club 19 points behind Juventus and having just been knocked out by Celtic in the first knockout round of the Champions League. His replacement is Fritz Schmid, who got experience of dominating a country with Basel before relegating Boavista in his only season in Portugal, then promoting Southampton and winning a League Cup.

Defending champions AC Milan finished 17 points behind in 3rd.


Spain

On the final day, 4 teams were in contention for the title.

Abel Resino's Atlético Madrid aimed for a 3rd straight La Liga, but could only draw 0-0 away to Tenerife to finish 2nd. Resino retired after 15 years at the club, winning 3 La Liga titles, 1 Copa del Rey and reaching the final of the 2022 Champions League (only losing on penalties to AC Milan). His replacement is Miroslav Djukic.

Stuart Pearce's Sevilla could capitalise with a win away to Malaga, to win only their second-ever title. They went behind, but took the lead by the end of the first half. However a second-half equaliser meant they finished 3rd.

Therefore Marcelino García Toral's Real Madrid could win their first title since 2020 with a home win to relegation-fighting Córdoba. Three second-half goals achieved just that in a 3-0 win.

This means Real Betis' win meant nothing, and Pep Guardiola's side finished 4th.

Barcelona finally sacked Hristo Stoichkov after overwhelming supporter pressure. He lasted an unfathomable 12 seasons, taking a side that had just won 6 straight titles gradually down to midtable and now 19th with 1 win and 6 losses in 7 games. New manager Olexiy Mikhailichenko guided them up to 14th, while Stoichkov took the huge step down to Kansas City in the MLS.

Ernesto Valverde returned for his second spell as manager of Athletic Bilbao, with the club in the relegation zone of the Segunda División. They eventually improved and finished 10th.


Germany

On the final day, the two teams that have won the last 13 titles faced off to decide the 2023 champions.

Hamburger SV were at home to Champions League final opponents Bayern, needing a win to stop Bayern's first step to a Treble.

The match ended 0-0, and David Moyes lifts his 7th Bundesliga trophy, but his 2nd Champions league and Treble would not materialise as Hamburger got their revenge in Europe, and Bayern lost the DFB-Pokal final 2-1 to Mainz after extra time.


Netherlands

After Vitesse broke the exclusive Ajax/PSV/Feyenoord dominance of the last 60 years, it was Marco van Hoogdalem's Heerenveen's turn to win their first ever title.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Boris Bourgeois is a great name. He sounds like an upper-class Tory MP. :p

20 hours ago, git2thachoppa said:

14-year Telford stalwart Conor Mulholland.

For a moment there, I thought that said 14-year-old! :D

Link to post
Share on other sites

2023 International Recap

Hong Kong 2023 Asian Cup

When the semi-finals began, everyone was expecting a final between 2019 and 2015 winners South Korea and 2011 winners China (a repeat of the 2015 final). But the underdogs won their semi-finals.

So the final was between Mohammed Al-Aboura's Jordan and Akeel Sayah's Iraq, neither of whom had ever reached the final let alone won the cup. An entertaining final saw Iraq come from behind twice, and then win the penalty shootout 3-0, to win a tournament they failed to qualify for the last two occasions.

Hosts Hong Kong held Japan to a 1-1 draw in the final group game to take them down with them.

Serdar Pir's Australia flopped by finishing bottom of their group, after reaching the World Cup quarter-finals last year. They had shocking 2-0 and 4-0 losses to Singapore and United Arab Emirates, though beat China 3-1.


2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Guatemala and manager Marlon Iván León won their first ever Gold Cup after an exciting final against Canada saw 2 goals in the first 3 minutes, a red card, and a 3-2 win after extra time.


Uruguay 2023 Copa América

Brazil won their first Copa América in 16 years by beating Juan Carlos Chávez's Mexico 1-0 after extra time.

Hosts and defending champions Uruguay disappointed with only 1 win in the tournament, a 3-0 loss to Mexico and a 2-2 draw with Venezuela before being knocked out by 10-man Chile on penalties. Diego Forlan, who was manager when they won it 4 years ago, stepped down.

Rubén Darío Insua retired after a year in charge of Bolivia, getting 3 wins in the group stage over Argentina, Colombia and Peru, but a disappointing quarter-final knockout to Jeaustin Campos' Costa Rica.

Argentina's golden generation is definitely over. After the back-to-back world champions failed to even get out the group stage of the 2022 World Cup, they failed again to do so in the Copa América.

On 15/05/2018 at 17:39, CFuller said:

Boris Bourgeois is a great name. He sounds like an upper-class Tory MP. :p

I say, how very jejune!

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: New Club - Busan IPark (S.Korea)

2023 - Unemployed, New Job

2 notable clubs are linked with me since I resigned.

Over 3 years after being sacked by one Swiss club bottom of the league, I'm declared the favourite for the vacant Basel job (the team that wins the league nearly every season). I would've snatched at that a few yearss ago, but I'm adamant this time I'm taking over a rich club next. After 3 club jobs, I'm sick of relying on free transfers.

Chicago Fire want me but, if I'm going to swot up on MLS rules, it'll be after the internationals in the summer (if I don't have a job) and probably somewhere more glamourous anywhere like L. A. or New York.

And then the right move at the right time came, but no one would've predicted it'd be my next job:

Busan IPark

(That's a capital 'i' by the way.)


Over 9,000kms / 5,600 miles later, I already feel at home.


Reasons for Choosing

Anyone who's watched Black Panther will recognise it.

I've always wanted to visit the Far East, well at least Japan, but South Korea is my only option due to Japan's long-standing ban on foreign managers.

Clean, futuristic, electronically obsessed, a fetish for pretty lights and a month of rain in the summer. What's the catch?

I had to take the Busan job now because everything was in place, which may not be the case in future:

- One of the big clubs and title contenders
- Rich (relative to the league)
- Top facilities and youth academy
- The second-largest city (after Seoul)
- A seaside city (I was born on the seaside)
- Seoul isn't a rich club...

I'm now at a standing where I can get a job at any club in the smaller countries and probably lower-half sides in the bigger footballing countries. So there's no harm in potentially winning a few things in Asia before returning to the grind.

Plus none of the international teams playing this summer have any squads I would want to take charge of if the job became available, so no need to wait.
 

Club History

Busan were founded in 1979 as Saehan Motors FC (many clubs were created by industrial corporations) then the company and thus team were renamed to Daewoo. Daewoo were one of the 5 founding members of the Korean league in 1983, winning its first title in the league's second year, and have never been relegated. They became the first Korean team to win the Asian Club Championship (Champions League) in 1986, the club's only continental trophy.

They won their 4th title in 1997, before IPark Construction (from Hyundai) secured the club and moved them to a bigger, newly made stadium. But they struggled badly, despite winning their first and only FA Cup in 2004 under British manager Ian Porterfield, and in the same year expressed interest in relocating to Seoul.

They were up and down the table erratically, but won back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013, and seemingly stabilised in 2019, finishing 2nd, 5th, 2nd, then top last season, winning two more titles in 2019 and 2021.

Busan have never got out of the Champions League group stage, usually due to only the top team reaching the knockouts and them finishing second.

Although there is more than one team in Busan (K League 2 side Busan Transportation Corporation is another one), Busan IPark have no traditional rivals.


Retired Numbers

12 - The Fans' number (because they're the 12th man)

16 - Kim Joo-sung's number, the club's international midfielder from 1987 - 1992 and then returning as a centre back in 1994 - 1999, making over 200 league appearances.


Stadium

The Busan Asiad Stadium or Asiad Main Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium that was built for the 2002 Asian Games and 2002 World Cup, right next to the baseball stadium.

Its capacity is 60,000, and Busan is enjoying a period of high attendances. This season is the highest ever average attendance for the club at 27,500 so far.


Squad

(Note this league was in the background, so average ratings aren't totally reliable.)

One familiar name for fans in the real world today: Dusan Tadic.

The 35-year-old plays right-back or right-midfield. He brings the experience and leadership skills. He has no pace, but you don't need that here. He moved to Korea from Lokomotiv Moscow aged 25, including a couple of seasons at Busan, played a couple more seasons in Europe, then returned to his adopted country, soon rejoining Busan. He was never capped for Serbia, so earned the first of 2 caps for his adopted country South Korea aged 30.

Goalkeeper position is settled. The current #1 is a new signing with the best average rating in the league so far. His backup is a 38-year-old, though in the past few seasons he has been equally as good as the new signing, in fact their best performer last season, and is a club favourite.

In defence, the only player who stands out is Bae Sung-Wook, who is strong enough to play in Europe, in defence or central midfield.

In midfield, a couple of new star foreign signings who have underpeformed. They've only been here half a season but, with only 3 foreigner spots allowed, I'll look to sell them both and use my connections and experience (and money) to bring in 3 big stars, possibly former players. Annoyingly, one player out on loan to another K League 1 club is the second-best performing player in the league right now, at 39 years old, and he's retiring. Shame.

Up front, Kim Sung-Ho is a club favourite and 2022 Busan Fans' Player of the Year and has a goal every 2 games the past few years, only 13 league goals away from being Busan's best ever goalscorer. But this season he's transfer-listed by request. The 3 players under him aren't major goalscorers currently.

In the youth/reserves, it's time to take a bunch of players off the transfer list. One goalkeeper is technically very, very good at 17.

The squad average age is 27 and squad personality is ambitious.


Budget

I have £4.8m to spend (over 3x the club's record transfer fee) and the ability to sign a minimum of 4 players more in the current wage budget. While I have about the same money I had at Valenciennes, domestically we can buy anyone, and internationally we can buy any foreigners who would want to come. We're like Chelsea (or Earth-0 Man City).

Restrictions are 3 foreigners at a club, and we can't sign foreign goalkeepers. (North Korean is not foreign)

There's not really a transfer window, but rather a transfer period: December (end of season) to end of July (mid-season break). So I have a couple of months left.

Transfer policy? Buy everyone I want. Hoover up the best talent domestically, but first get the 3 best players possible for the foreigner spots.


Staff

I'll keep a few of the staff, including the assistant manager, mainly because he's a South Korean who can speak English. In the long-term, there may be others better to suited as an assistant.

I raid my former clubs Valenciennes and even Young Boys for anyone who wants to join me on this adventure, though first approach the coaches released by Valenciennes' new manager for fairness, including Benoit Pedretti.


Korean Football

The quality of football is around French Ligue 2 level (so I'll be aiming for foreigners who excelled in that one season in Ligue 2). The goalkeepers are particualrly bad though, as clubs are restricted to Koreans. I can see a few of my ex-strikers scoring bucketloads here. Don't expect pretty passing football to work here though, there are no Iniestas and Xavis in this league.

Refs are soft too. Reds are rarely given. Elbows or hacking with two feet might get you a yellow card. Just get on with it.

Age is no problem, as OUTFIELD players up to the age 40 can still deliver consistently. I usually buy physically strong players, but I don't have to worry so much with physically weaker Korean opposition. But signing technically gifted players who outmuscle the opposition could lead to destroyed the opposition.

Players move around clubs a lot, often going back to former employers.

Many clubs have top-tier stadia due to the World Cup in 2002. Though average attendances are a fraction of capacity (in some cases barely 1,000 filling a 60,000-seat stadium), but for big games they do fill up the seats.

Foreign managers are rare, and usually they're Brazilian. I may be the most high-profile manager ever to manage in the K League, as a former World Cup, Europa League and Ligue 1 manager. I judge this by the amount of shocked emoji reactions on articles of my announcement as manager, since I can't read Korean yet.


Domestic Competitions

K League 1

A 14-team league where everyone plays each other home and away from March to November. However, the title is decided by a playoff system like in the MLS (and other American sports). Playoff spots go to:

- The team who is top after half a season ('opening period')
- The team who win the most points in the second half of the season ('closing period')
- The 2 highest teams in the overall league table who haven't got a spot (3 highest if the same team is top of both periods)

To make sure there's still something to play for, the team who finishes top overall gets to play at home in the 1-legged semi-final to the lowest of the 2 clubs who qualified by overall placing. The team that won the other period gets to play at home too.

Any questions?

Bottom team overall is relegated to K League 2.

Over the last decade, the only regular winner has been Busan with 4 wins, winning 2 of the last 4. Daegu was last year's winner, their second of the last 10 years and ever. Busan and Seongnam are the joint-most winners since the league began in 1983, with 8 titles each.

Busan were predicted 1st, but halfway through the season the team is currently 10th in a 14-team league. However there is a whole period to play for, so anyone can still be champion. The board just want a respectable league position.

FA Cup

A regular knockout competition involving clubs from the top 2 divisions and University teams. The semi-finals and final are played in Seoul, which is a bit unfair as that means Seoul play at home. It has been struggling to gain interest, but the winner gets in the Champions League.

Busan have already been knocked out first time, losing to a semi-professional K League 2 club.

League Cup

A summer tournament to keep people occupied during monsoon season and any international tournaments. It's effectively half a league season as all K League 1 teams play each other once, and the team who finishes top win.

Busan are joint-top with half the tournament to go but, as it's meaningless, it's a good time to try out all the players to help decide who to keep and sell, and how to play the team.

Super Cup

The K League winner hosts the FA Cup winner (or highest-placed overall in the league) to open the season.

K League All-Star Game

A team of players from 'South' clubs face a team of players from 'Central' clubs.

Busan players represent the South.

Reserve Leagues

4 reserve teams play each other 6 times. Teams must apply to participate each year.


International Competition

AFC Champions League

7 groups of 4 play each other twice, only the top team qualifies for the knockout rounds. The defending champions get a bye to the knockouts.

2 teams from South Korea participate, which are effectively the two teams that play the Super Cup.

China's Dalian Shide dominated the Champions League from 2009 to 2017, winning 5 times.

A Korean team hasn't won since Pohang Steelers in 2012, though Incheon were runner-up in 2019.

A3 Champions Cup

The league champions of China, Japan and South Korea + one more club from the host nation play each other once.

No club has won the A3 Champions Cup 3 times. Busan is one win away from doing so.

World Club Cup

The winner of the AFC Champions League enters the first round along with the OFC (Oceania), CONCACAF (North/Central America) and CAF (Africa) Champions League winners.

No Asian side has reached the final. Al-Ahly finished 3rd in 2006 after beating Mexican side Club América.


Contract

I'm given a 3.5-year contract until the end of the 2026 season, which means if any countries want me after the World Cup, it won't cost much. And if I want to leave, it's a short wait until the big jobs come around in the summer.

I'm taking over a 50% pay cut to £1,200 per week, but I'm moving from the most horrible frustrating job ever to possibly the most loveliest. And I'm already rich. (Thanks Chile!)

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: Busan, 2023 - For 10th to Title Playoffs in my First 5 Months?

2023 - An Immediate Impact (Busan IPark)

June to August 2023 - League Cup

Results

Spoiler

League Cup

(1st) Busan 1 - 1 Daejeon (3rd)
1-0: Kim Sung-Ho (4)
1-1: (25)

(2nd) Busan 0 - 1 Seoul (4th)
0-1: (6)

(5th) Busan 2 - 2 Suwon Samsung (13th)
0-2: Tadic Own Goal (20), (44)
2-2: Kim Sung-Ho (45), Yoo Jin-Sung (78)

(9th) Gyeongnam 0 - 2 Busan (4th)
0-2: Kang Jong-Soo (13), Yoo Jin-Sung (38)

(4th) Busan 1 - 0 Seongnam (1st)
1-0: Kim Sung-Ho (45)

(7th) Daejeon Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power 0 - 0 Busan (2nd)

(2nd) Busan 0 - 0 Incheon (4th)


Mid-Season Friendlies

(1st, KL2) Busan Transportation Corporation 0 - 0 Busan (10th, KL1)
2-3 on penalties after 5 rounds (1-1, 1-1, 1-2, 2-2, 2-3)

Busan Reserves 1 - 2 Busan
0-2: Alex (31, 33)
1-2: Kang Min-Sung (59)

I arrived to much fanfare as possibly the K League's most prominent manager ever, and my first action was to remove the captaincy from the star striker Kim, who was a club favourite but not a leader. Instead I give it to veteran Dusan Tadic. The outcome? In my 3rd match, Tadic recovers from an own goal to help the team back from 2-0 down to 2-2, and Kim scores 4 minutes into my first game and asks to be taken off the transfer list.

After a slow start, due to injuries and rock-bottom morale, we get our first win and go on a run of 4 clean sheets in a row to end the League Cup campaign. One match ended 0-0 despite us having 28 shots and 11 on target.

Final League Cup Table

1 - Seoul - 28
2 - Busan - 23
(3rd to 14th)

It's not enough, as Seoul win their first League Cup with ease. But the signs are promising, with most of my new signings about to arrive and my Korean improving so I can get my point across.

Splashing the Cash

I make 9 new first-team signings alone before the transfer period ends. After years of free transfers, I can finally spend and build.

With only 3 foreigner spots, I get rid of the recently-acquired foreigners to bring in at least one top goalscorer and centre-back (goalkeepers must be Korean) using my standing and contacts.

And I landed the big one for ~£4m, K League record signing and my former Brazilian striker at Valenciennes, Alex. He got 14 goals in Ligue 2 aged only 20, but has struggled to make the step up so far. A change may be good for him... and me.

Speaking of my former club, Barcelona and Inter Milan sign two of my signings at Valenciennes for a total £9.5m. My former club is now 'rich'. You're welcome.

Meanwhile my star keeper, the star striker, my first signing and a midfielder are all picked for the All-Star game, suggesting a quality spine, even though only 1 ends up being fit. Due to injury leaving only 12 fit players and no keeper, their Southern team lose 6-0.
=====================================================================


August to November - Can we steal a Title Playoff Spot?

Results

Spoiler

K League 1

(10th) Busan 4 - 1 Gwangju (9th)
1-0: Park Ki-Nam (19)
1-1: (29)
4-1: Park Ki-Nam (42, 77), Yoo Jin-Sung (82)

(4th) Pohang Steelers 0 - 3 Busan (9th)
0-3: Park Ki-Nam (36 seconds), Kim Sung-Ho (40), Shin Suk-Keun (65)

(6th) Busan 1 - 0 Gangneung City (9th)
1-0: Alex (82)

(12th) Ulsan Hyundai 1 - 3 Busan (4th)
1-0: (11)
1-3: Alex (33, 58), Bae Sung-Wook (40)

(3rd) Busan 2 - 1 Daegu (6th)
0-1: (14)
B Disallowed Goal: Jung Sang-Hoon (20)
2-1: Alex (28), Own Goal (88)

(14th) Daejeon 2 - 1 Busan (3rd)
1-0: Ricardinho (14)
1-1: Park Ki-Nam (15)
2-1: Ricardinho (63)

(3rd) Busan 2 - 1 Chunnam (5th)
2-0: Park Ki-Nam (18), Alex (45+1)
2-1: Figo Own Goal (87)

(1st) Suwon 1 - 2 Busan (3rd)
0-1: Own Goal (50)
1-1: (62)
1-2: Alex (89)

(2nd) Busan 4 - 0 Gyeongnam (13th)
1-0: Alex (pen 31)
G Red Card: (38)
4-0: Alex (pen 39, 45), Park Ki-Nam (66)

(4th) Seongnam 1 - 2 Busan (1st)
1-0: (59)
1-2: Shin Suk-Keun (73), Alex (90+2)

(8th) Seoul 1 - 1 Busan (1st)
0-1: Jeon Jin-Man (26)
1-1: (89)

(2nd) Busan 3 - 1 KHNP (4th)
1-0: Rivera (12)
1-1: (14)
3-1: Alex (48), Park Ki-Nam (75)

(3rd) Incheon 4 - 2 Busan (1st)
2-0: (5, 16)
2-1: Park Hyung-Joo (26)
4-1: (39), (64)
4-2: Yoo Min-Chul (88)

League Record Before My Arrival: P13 W5 D1 L7 F20 A19 GD+1 PTS16, Pos: 10th
After: P13 W10 D1 L2 F30 A14 GD+16 PTS31, Pos: 1st

K League 1 has a playoff system to decide the champions (like American sports and MLS), so all you need to know is we had to have the best form for the second half of the season alone or finish in the top 2 overall (possibly 3 or 4) to clinch a playoff place.

As the K League restarts, news comes through that BADLY struggling Barcelona hire Aidy Boothroyd as their new manager. Given that he's English, last managed in the Premier League over a decade ago, and has been a Championship manager ever since, I'm thinking that would've easily been my job if I waited. But I was happy enough at Busan now. It'll be like a much-needed vacation... hopefully...

Tactically, I started my reign with 4-4-2 with high wingers, changed to 4-3-3/4-2-5, then attacking 4-1-3-2 before settling on my favourite 4-4-2 diamond. The skill of this league is generally low, so a passing game isn't happening. So we play a fast direct/long ball game, which gets us a 5-on-4 situation in attack.

And 'lo, we scored 7 goals in our first 2 games, with 2 goals from the second game coming 1st and 2nd in Goal of the Month, and it's 11 games unbeaten until Ricardinho gives me my first league loss at Busan.

But the points continued to rack up as luck was in our favour with mistakes and deflections, the complete opposite of my time at Valenciennes. But more importantly, Alex in particular is enjoying himself, not only scoring 11 in his last 10 games, but regularly challenging for or winning Goal of the Month. He's showing off, dinking it past keepers, off posts. It's marvelous.

This is the skill, form and luck of champions.

We clinched the championship playoffs with a game to spare, winning the Closing Period, meaning we play at home for the one-legged semi-final. We also finish well above the Opening Period winners, which means we play the lowest-placed non-seeded side: Incheon.

With only the bragging rights of topping the overall table to play for in our final game, coincidentally against Incheon, they handed me only my second league loss. But this was away from home, and with our second-string side. The home playoff tie with a full-strength XI should be different. A last-minute goal elsewhere means we top the overall table anyway!

In the final month, our returning-from-injury #1 keeper wins Goalkeeper of the Month, and a defender and striker is winner and runner-up for Player of the Month.

To top if off, 6 players are called up by the South Korean Under-23s, suggesting a good future.


Overall League Table

1 - Busan - 47pts (+17 GD) (Playoffs)
2 - Suwon - 47 (+12) (Playoffs)
3 - Incheon - 44 (Playoffs)
(4th to 7th)
8th - Seongnam - 37 (Playoffs)
(9th to 14th)


Closing Period Table

1 - Busan - 31
2 - Incheon - 28
(3rd to 14th)

====================================
 

We were now just a home semi-final and a two-legged final away from a huge turnaround and a league title in just my first half-season.

It should be a breeze, I could feel the trophy was ours already with our current form.

Little did I know, the playoffs would be the most emotional and dramatic moment of my career so far...
 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: Busan, 2023 - Most dramatic title playoff EVER

Busan IPark, 2023 - Title Playoffs

We enter the title playoffs as top seed, after winning the Closing Stage (i.e. second half) of the league, and going from 10th (when I arrived) to top of the table, with 10 wins and 30 goals in 13 games. This means we play at home to the weakest non-stage-winning side, Incheon, for the semis.

In our last match, a week ago, they beat us 4-2, but it was a second-string and away from home.

I'm able to withdraw all the players that would've been called up for internationals. Even though we're missing a key defender and a striker for the rest of the season, we should have enough still.
 

Playoff Semi-Final

Busan 4 - 1 Incheon
2-0: Shin (5), Alex (45)
2-1: (53)
4-1: Jeon (65, 87)

We were dominated in the first half, and their left-back injured our right winger (for the rest of the season) AND his substitute, yet we won 4-1 at home.

Seongnam, who finished 8th in the league, hadn't won in their final 7 league games, but won 4-1 to set up the two-legged final.

Under my management, we have beaten them home and away, so surely they had no chance...

But my body wasn't ready for the most dramatic and heart-stopping moment of my career.

================================================================================


K League 1 Playoff Final, 1st leg

Now our first choice right-winger is also injured, joining the centre-back and striker. We have no proven goalscorer on the bench. But surely we're still too much for Seongnam to deal with, even away from home.

Other than the injuries, the only problem position is right-back. With no one yet claiming that place, I play Yoo Min-Chul.
 

First Half

Our star striker Alex places the ball in the net in just 1 minute. But straight from kick-off they draw a foul then build an attack, resulting in their star South American striker Rivero, who I'd played mind games with before the game, immediately equalising.

Both teams have chances before and after half-time but fail to take the lead.
 

Second Half

A rare passing game is played, and attacking midfielder Shin Suk-Keun rifles in on the hour and we can control the tie now.

But a late penalty is given against right-back Yoo Min-Chul, and his second of two questionable yellows means Seongnam can get something today and have a chance in the second leg. However, our keeper saves the penalty. If we see this game out, they're done.

Despite being 10 v 11, we have as many chances as them. So it's a sickener that they take the lead with a few minutes to go, the goalscorer being the man who missed the penalty.

The full-time whistle goes, and it's a result Seongnam take. However it still means they have to go to our place and win (there's no away goals rule) against a team that, under my short reign, has only lost two games (one of them a meaningless final league game).

Seongnam 2 - 2 Busan
1-0: Alex (2)
1-1: Rivero (4)
2-1: Shin Suk-Keun (62)
B Second Yellow: Yoo Min-Chul (80)
S Missed Penalty: Joo Young-Hwan (82)
2-2:
Joo Young-Hwan (88)

================================================================================


K League 1 Playoff Final, 2nd leg

Injury returns mean we have a first-team right-winger starting this time, and we now have a goalscorer on the bench.
 

First Half

Nothing happens. Seongnam have killed the game. There are pretty much no highlights for the first half hour, making it hard to know how to change things.

Then a sickening disaster: Rivero scores his second of the tie before half-time. In a game where nothing is happening, we need to score, preferably twice.
 

Second Half

But again nothing is happening. At all.

Then Seongnam hit the bar. If that had gone in, the game would definitely be over.

I have to change something, but with a dead game and literally no highlights, it's hard to know what. I throw everything forward, play 3 at the back instead of 4, substituting the right-back for a striker. It's a 3-4-3.

But still nothing happens. No highlight until 84 minutes, when our free-kick goes unthreateningly wide.

I feel depressed, thinking to the future already. But with playoffs, your team has to show up on the day, no matter how strong it is...

3 minutes of added time breezes through.

One more highlight left, with 30 seconds to go, as a long range high free-kick is easily caught by their keeper. Goal kick as the referee checks his watch, cleared by our defender on the halfway line all the way back toward goal for Alex to chase, he passes into the area for Jeon who scores.

Equalises with 4 seconds to go!

Euphoria in the 60,000-strong home stadium, the players and even the goalkeeper bundle onto the hero (for now). The referee blows the whistle. There is no away goals rule, so it goes into extra time and possibly penalties.
 

Extra Time? Penalties?

I make my two final subs before extra time, bringing on influential veteran Tadic and, unlike last game, I tell the keeper to give him the armband. I don't really change anything else, throwing caution to the wind.

Our winger has a glorious chance, 2-on-1 with the keeper, but hits it just wide in what would normally be a goal.

No real chances in the second period as time ticks down to penalties. Seconds remain, our left winger crosses into the box and Jeon is on the end of it again, scoring in the 6-yard box with a header and the winner!

After all the celebrations, there's barely any time left, and the ref blows the final whistle.

A horrible feeling is turned into elation, and I'm nearly moved to tears by the rollercoaster of emotions and drama.

I'm asked how I feel. "축구, 피 묻은 지옥"

The team lift the league trophy in front of 60,000 who expected it to not happen right at the end. In just 5 months, I and (my first senior signing) Jeon Jin-Man particularly become heroes of the city.

And a whopping £80,000 prize money too(!)

It's Busan's 3rd league trophy in 5 years, but no one expected this when I arrived. Who needs a full season?

But I never want to go through that again. I have to make this team stronger... buy Rivero...

Busan 2 - 1 Seongnam (4-3 on agg.) AET (FT 1-1)
2-3: Rivero (37)
4-3: Jeon (90+3, 119)


Awards

Yoo Soon-Ki wins K League 1 Goalkeeper of the Year.

Defender Luis Rivera is 3rd in K League 1 Player of the Year, and runner-up for Foreigner of the Year and Defender of the Year.

Hero of the final Jeon is Young Player of the Year, winger Jung Sang-Hoon is 2nd and also 1 assist away from joint-most league assists.

In half a season, Alex got only 3 fewer goals than top scorer Rivero (who almost killed us) and won Goal of the Season.

Those four players make K League 1 Team of the Year. Injured centre-back Bae Sung-Wook, Figo and Park Ki-Nam make the 'bench'.

I win K League 1 Manager of the Year.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: Busan 2023 squad review after a dramatic title playoff win

Busan - 2023 Post-Season Squad Review

I bought around a dozen players when I arrived mid-season, selling the foreigners so I could fill the 3 foreigner spots with the best I could find. It resluted in the league title being won in dramatic fashion.

I feel we have a team already to do it again next season, but it could do with a few more improvements, as well as investing in young players to grow in the reserves and on loan to create a conveyor belt of talent.

Especially to match my vision of completely dominating the country and challenging in Asia as soon as possible.


*Stats are since my arrival, not for the whole season.

GK

1. Yoo Soon-Ki (Co-captain) - 29 years old, South Korean (3 caps) - £625k - P 8, Conceded 7, Clean Sheets 3, Man of the Match 1, Average Rating 6.63
14. Kwoun Sun-Tae - 39, SK - £18k - P 13, Conc 12, CS 3, AvR 6.54
37. Jung Ki-Duk - 18, SK - P 2(1), Conc 4, CS 2, AvR 7.33

Yoo is supposedly a star keeper, but the injury-prone stopper didn't show it in the few games he managed to play. He now wants to leave for a bigger club.

I had to spend most of the half-season playing aging backup Kwoun. I would've like to keep the old vet, but he decides to retire.

- There was only 1 clean sheet in the final 12 games, and we simply outscored the opposition. So a new South Korean keeper (preferably 2) is the target while the youngsters grow. I can only buy South Korean ones though.

In
Jung - Jeonbuk (K League 2) - £210k

Out
Kwoun - Retired

=========================================


DR

5. Dusan Tadic (Co-captain) - D/MR - 35, Serbian / SK (2 caps) - £10k - P 11(6), A 2, AvR 6.71
2. Yoo Min-Chul - DR/C - 28, SK - £14k - P 7(1), G 1, AvR 6.63
31. Son Dong-Woo - 28, SK (1 goal in 8 caps) - £70k - P 5(1), A 1, AvR 7.17
+ Bae Won-Joon, Cho Ki-Yong, Park Kyung-Hwan

Tadic is old and has no legs, but as a backup he can do a job with his tons of experience.

Yoo Min-Chul is a youth product that's spent the last 9 YEARS on loan to a club in the division below. I called him back and gave him a chance, but his last act for the club will be getting sent off in the Playoff Final 1st leg.

Son Dong-Woo played a couple of seasons in the Turkish Super Lig before returning to South Korea.

In
Son - Incheon (K League 1) - £70k

=========================================


DL

17. Bae Won-Joon - DR/L/C - 22, SK (U21) - £700k - P 18, A 2, MotM 3, AvR 7.17
3. Heo Dae-Ryoon - D/WBL - 23, SK (U21) - £70k - P 7(1), AvR 7.13
+ Park Kyung-Hwan

=========================================

DC

4. Luis Rivera - DC/DM - 30, Panamanian (35 caps) - £550k - P 18, G 1, A 2, MotM 3, AvR 7.44
26. Bae Sung-Wook - DC/DM - 30, SK (U21) - £675k - P 12, G 1, AvR 7.14
36. Park Kyung-Hwan - DR/L/C - 22, SK (U21) - £425k - P 10(1), A 1, AvR 6.82
20. Nam Hong-Kyoo - 23, SK (U21) - £35k - P 7(1), AvR 6.75
+ Bae Won-Joon, Jeon Jin-Man

Rivera was a key foreign sigining, and only £300,000. 7.44 rating despite struggling to settle into the country. Alas he has asked to move after just a few months.

Injured a few times, but Bae Sung-Wook is a Europe-calibre defender and very strong.

- I already needed a solid centre-back as backup/competition, but if Rivera leaves I'll need 2.

In
Rivera - St. Gallen (Swiss Super League) - £300k
Park - Seongnam (K League 1) - £425k

Out
Ricardo Velásquez - Talleres (Argentine Superleague) - £100k

=========================================


MR

9. Yoo Jin-Sung - AMR/ST - 21, SK (U21) - £925k - P 10(1), G 3, A 4, AvR 7.09
32. Han Dae-Sung - 24, SK (7 caps) - £350k - P 4(2), A 2, MotM 1, AvR 6.67
34. Park Hyung-Joo - 21, SK (U21) - £75k - P 2(1), G 1, A 1, AvR 7.00
+ Cho Ki-Yong, Tadic

Injury-prone Yoo was a key player on the right wing, and with his free-kicks.

In
Han - PAOK (Superleague Greece) - £350k
Park - Incheon (K League 1) - £70k

=========================================


ML

19. Jung Sang-Hoon - 24, SK (3 caps) - £300k - P 17(2), A 7, MotM 1, AvR 7.21
7. Park Yoon-Tae - 28, SK (U21) - £60k - P 4(6), A 1, AvR 6.70

Park is a youth product who has been at Busan 12 years now, amassing 266 appearances for the club.

Out
Sergio Tejada - Rosario Central (Argentine Superleague) - £1m

=========================================


DM/MC

35. Figo - 34, SK (8 caps) - £475k - P 13(1), A 2, AvR 7.29
13. Kang Jong-Soo - 27, SK (U21) - £500k - P 9(6), G 1, A 1, AvR 6.67
18. Cho Ki-Yong - D/MR, DM, MC - 22, SK (U21) - £800k - P 8(2), AvR 6.80
+ Bae Sung-Wook, Rivera, Wright, Yoon Bit-Garam

Figo was a great signing and key to our victories. He earned the nickname when he travelled to Brazil to become a footballer.

Kang was a consistent 7/10, but he got a suspension and lost his place to Figo.

Cho was tried more as a right-back as I hoped to find someone who excelled there, but this bright prospect is perhaps best in central midfield.

Mexican-American Javier Ramirez, who I sold as soon as I arrived, was labelled Worst Signing of the Season at £1.5m for a 6.70 rating in 20 appearances in 7 months.

In
Figo - Daejeon (K League 1) - £475k

Out
Javier Ramírez - Offenback (German Bundesliga) - £650k

=========================================


AMC

30. Shin Suk-Keun - 20, SK (U19) - £900k - P 12(2), G 4, A 2, MotM 1, AvR 7.14
23. José Wright - MC/AMC - 34, Costa Rican (non-foreigner) - £80k - P 5(7), AvR 6.67
8. Yoon Bit-Garam - DM/MC/AMC - 33, SK (1 goal in 40 caps) - £80k - P 1(2), AvR 6.33

Wright naturalised as a South Korean just as I arrived, so I didn't have to sell him. But he's only good as a backup.

Injuries meant the 'Korean Ballack' Yoon didn't get much of a chance, but our most experienced former international stays as backup.

- So with 2 veteran backups, I should get another attacking midfielder to compete with Shin.

In
Shin - Incheon (K League 1) - £775k

=========================================


ST

33. Alex - 23, Brazilian (U19) - £2.6m - P 13(2), G 13, MotM 3, AvR 7.40
25. Jeon Jin-Man - 22, SK (7 goals in 9 caps) - £800k - P 7(2), G 5, A 2, MotM 1, AvR 7.22
11. Park Ki-Nam - 30, SK (4 goals in 15 caps) - £350k - P 12(1), G 8, A 3, MotM 1, AvR 7.46
10. Kim Sung-Ho - 29, SK (2 goals in 9 caps) - £875k - P9(6), G 3, A 1, AvR 6.64
28. Vítor - 28, Brazilian - £800k - P 4(2), AvR 6.67
24. Kim Ki-Wook - 20, SK (U23) - P 1, A 1, AvR 8.00
+ Yoo Jin-Sung

My star foreign signing and former Valenciennes striker Alex not only nearly always scored, but with Brazilian style.

Jeon struggled to score at first, no matter how many shots he had, then he got injured. Who would've guessed he would score the vital goals, not only 2 in the tie playoff semis, but the last-second equaliser and then the extra time winner in the final? A hero already. Not a bad first senior signing.

Park returned to his hometown club at the start of the season and helped fire us to the title, earning the Busan Fans' Player of the Season award. He was also K League 1 signing of the season at £240k.

Kim Sung-Ho has been the club's goalscorer for the past 4 seasons, but had his head turned wanting to move to a bigger club, and his goals dried up. He officially asked to move at the end of the season.

Vítor was temperamental: didn't like being substituted, couldn't settle in the country, and didn't score or even get most of his shots on target. A flop. He will be sold after only half a season because, with only 3 foreigners allowed, each one has to be top class, not disruptive and crap.

- After battling with Alex to be the league's top scorer, and nearly killing our dreams in the playoff final, Seongnam's star Venezuelan striker Rivero is my top transfer target.

In
Alex - Valenciennes (French Ligue 1) - £2.6m+
Jeon Jin-Man - Seoul (K League 1) - £800k
Vítor - RW Essen (German second-tier) - Out Of Contract

Out
Kim Chang-Duk - Seoul (K League 1) - £100k
Kim Ki-Wook - Jeonbuk (K League 2) - Loan

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: Busan 2024 - The Simultaneous Double! (TM)

Busan IPark, South Korea - First Half of 2024 Season

Pre-Season, Super Cup

Results
 

Spoiler

Pre-Season Tour - Iran

Persepolis 2 - 3 Busan
0-1: Alex (5)
P Disallowed Goal: (6)
B Disallowed Goal: Alex (39)
0-2: Rivero (57)
1-2: (70)
1-3: Jeon Jin-Man (86)
2-3: (90)

Esteghlal 1 - 3 Busan
0-1: Own Goal (24)
1-1 Goal: (51)
B Red Card: Figo (77)
1-3: Park Ki-Nam (81), Park Yoon-Tae (90)

Saipa 1 - 2 Busan
1-0: (13)
1-2: Jeon Jin-Man (27), Rivero (32)
B Missed Penalty: Rivero (58)

PAS Tehran 2 - 1 Busan
1-0: (29)
1-1: Alex (30)
2-1: (58)

Korean Super Cup @ Busan Asiad Main Stadium, Busan

(1st, League Winners) Busan 0 - 2 Gwangju (7th, FA Cup Winners)
0-2: (11), (25)

Friendly

(1st, K League 2) Jeonbuk 1 - 1 Busan (1st, K League 1)
0-1: Ko Myung-Koo (3)
1-1: (59)

Building on our league success, Busan announced links with Indiana Invaders in America and FSV Frankfurt in Germany. Semi-professional sides, but it gives us a presence in key continents (financially and footballing, respectively).

My name is linked to several jobs, in the Championship, La Liga and elsewhere, and I reject the VERY optimistic advances of non-league moneyless side York City. I shoot down all rumours. I'm staying with Busan for the next season.

A popular transfer period sees me achieve my aim of signing a couple of keepers and Rivero, the league's top scorer who was 2 seconds away from costing us the title. I sign a few more and a bunch of youngsters too.

Unable to tour outside Asia, we go to my old country: Iran. It allows me once more to experience the Azadi stadium against Persepolis, test the team against Champions League opposition (Persepolis and Esteghlal) and go up against Iranian legend and my former Iran coach Ali Daei of Saipa. Two different teams played away to Iran's two Champions League regulars and beat them easily. If we get one of them in our group, we can get 6 points.

A 16-year-old who only just got promoted to the club makes his international debut for Oman, more an indication of how bad the country have fallen than his ability.

The Super Cup is the season opener presenting the first step in my aim to win every trophy this season, but we lose 2-0 in a lifeless display.

============================================================
 

K League 1 - Opening Stage Domination

Results

Spoiler

(Pred. 11th) Gangneung City 2 - 2 Busan (Pred. 1st)
0-1: Hwang Chul-Min (17)
1-1: (28)
GC Missed Penalty: (45+3)
2-1: (75)
2-2: Rivero (90)

(Pred. 1st) Busan 2 - 0 Chunnam (Pred. 9th)
B Disallowed Goal: Jeon Jin-Man (26)
2-0: Alex (64), Hwang Chul-Min (70)

(Pred. 1st) Busan 1 - 0 KHNP (Pred. 6th)
1-0: Alex (15)

(Pred. 3rd) Suwon 0 - 2 Busan (Pred. 1st)
0-2: Alex (22), Shin Suk-Keun (42)

(Pred. 1st) Busan 3 - 0 Jeonbuk (Pred. 14th)
3-0: Park Ki-Nam (17), Yoon Bit-Garam (50, 85)

(Pred. 1st) Busan 3 - 2 Daegu (Pred. 4th)
D Red Card: (35)
1-0: Jeon Jin-Man (52)
1-2: (54, 73)
3-2: Yoon Bit-Garam (77), Shin Suk-Keun (86)

(Pred. 10th) Seoul 0 - 3 Busan (Pred. 1st)
0-2: Alex (10), Shin Suk-Keun (35)
S Red Card: (45+3)
0-3: Alex (45+4),

(12th) Daejeon 0 - 6 Busan (1st)
0-6: Rivero (7, 20), Own Goal (18), Yoo Jin-Sung (42), Park Ki-Nam (63), Hwang Chul-Min (86)

(1st) Busan 3 - 0 Ulsan (8th)
3-0: Park Yoon-Tae (35), Shin Suk-Keun (73), Yoo Jin-Sung (90+2)

(1st) Busan 4 - 0 Seongnam (11th)
2-0: Han Dae Sung (7), Alex (pen 12)
S Second Yellow: (17)
4-0: Alex (pen 18), Jeon Jin-Man (19)
B Injury, down to 10 men: Park Ki-Nam (62)
B Injury, down to 9 men: Han Dae-Sung (79)

(3rd) Gwangju 1 - 1 Busan (1st)
0-1: Shin Suk-Keun (56)
1-1: (88)

(1st) Busan 2 - 2 Incheon (2nd)
0-2: (16, 28)
2-2: Figo (60), Park Yoon-Tae (81)

(8th) Pohang 0 - 1 Busan (1st)
0-1: Kim Sung-Ho (45+1)
P Disallowed Goal: (61)

After an opening day draw, the Busan juggernaut started speeding through opponents. With the Champions League, we won 6 games in a row, a new Busan record, and with 6 clean sheets.

This turned into scoring 3+ goals per match for 7 matches in a row, a club record win of 6-0 (and away from home, playing with a weakened side), a league record 9 league wins in a row

Teams, especially when we're at home, are just parking the bus and trying to hold on for the 0-0, but we tear them apart whether they let us come or they try to threaten. One team played as defensive as possible and held tight. 23 shots, but eventually 2 went in.

Near the end of the Opening Stage, we faced last year's playoff final opponents, who so nearly broke my heart in the most dramatic match of my entire career. This time, we won 4-0 after just 19 minutes. Then our tricky draw away to Super Cup opponents Gwangju ended an incredible run of 13 wins in a row (a club record) and 12 clean sheets in 14 games.

We clinched the first playoff place with 2 games of the opening stage to spare. The remaining 15 league games now will only decide our seeding.

After a year at the club, Alex's record now stands at 23 goals in 24(3) matches. He's 2 goals away from being joint top-scorer in the league, and only because he's played a few less games.

3 players top the league's assist chart (Han Dae-Sung, Jeon Jin-Man, Tadic)

During this season I reached my 500th career game. I have a 40% win percentage and an average per game of 1.2 goals scored and 0.9 goals conceded.

League Table (Opening Stage)

1 - Busan - 33 (Playoff)
2 - Incheon - 24
(3 to 14)

League Record: P13 W10 D3 L0 F33 A7 GD+26 CS9

============================================================

 

Champions League - Group Stage

Results

Spoiler

(1st, A-League) Newcastle Jets 1 - 2 Busan (Pred. 1st, K League 1)
1-0: (39)
1-2: Jeon Jin-Man (41, 64)

(Pred. 1st, K League 1) Busan 1 - 0 Long An (Vietnam)
1-0: Jeon Jin-Man (9)

(Japan) Yokohama F. Marinos 0 - 3 Busan (Pred. 1st, K League 1)
0-3: Yoo Seung-Hyun (45+2), Alex (75, 83)

(Vietnam) Long An 0 - 3 Busan (1st, K League 1)
0-3: Shin Suk-Keun (28), Yoo Seung-Hyun (41), Alex (47)
B Injury, Down To 10 Men: Yoon Bit-Garam (84)

(1st, K League 1) Busan 4 - 1 Yokohama F. Marinos (Japan)
3-0: Alex (8), Tadic (35), Han Dae-Sung (45+2)
YFM Disallowed Goal: (47)
3-1: (60)
4-1: Wright (85)

(1st, K League 1) Busan 3 - 0 Newcastle Jets (1st, A-League)
3-0: Kang Jong-Soo (4), Rivero (14), Choo Se-Joo (53)

Only the top team qualifies in a group of 4, but we avoided the Chinese, Iranian and Saudi Arabian powerhouses and actually had a chance of getting out.

In the Champions League group stage, we were drawn against:

Newcastle United Jets - Back-to-back Australian A-League champions who have reached 4 finals since 2008, winning 1.

Yokohama F. Marinos - A Japanese side that had only got out of the group stage once in the last 17 years, though it was just 2 seasons ago.

Long An - A Vietnamese side that can get points, but should be 6 points for us.

Thanks to the league system, I felt I could prioritise the Champions League. And thanks to striker Jeon, and a large squad in one case of international call-ups, we gradually picked up wins.

We easily qualified for the knockout stages for the first time in 19 years, with a game to spare and the only team to win all 6 games.

Group E Table

1- Busan IPark - 18
--------------------------------
2 - Newcastle United Jets - 9
3 - Yokohoma F. Marinos - 5
4 - Long An - 2

============================================================
 

FA Cup, Summer League Cup, A3 Champions Cup

Results

Spoiler

FA Cup - 2nd Round

(University League) Honam University 0 - 2 Busan (1st, K League 1)
0-2: Choo Se-Joo (29), Rivero (71)

League Cup

(5th, K League 1) Gangneung City 3 - 1 Busan (1st, K League 1)
1-0: (16 seconds)
1-1: Hwang Chul-Min (2)
3-1: (4, 41)

(1st, K League 1) Busan 4 - 1 KHNP (10th, K League 1)
0-1: (54 seconds)
4-1: Kim Sung-Ho (20, 40), Jeon Jin-Man (33), Kang Jong-Soo (42)

(8th) Busan 6 - 2 Chunnam (1st)
1-0: Song Dong-Woo (5)
1-1: (21)
3-1: Kang Jong-Soo (32), Alex (35)
3-2: (45+2)
6-2: Alex (55), Kim Sung-Ho (77), Choo Se-Joo (90+2)

(12th) Suwon 2 - 4 Busan (5th)
0-3: Yoo Jin-Sung (17), Jung Sun-Ho (18), Rivero (39)
2-3: (60, 71)
2-4: Park Yoon-Tae (89)

(1st) Busan 2 - 0 Jeonbuk (6th)
2-0: Alex (75), Rivero (84)

(11th) Seoul 1 - 3 Busan (1st)
0-1: Kim Sung-Ho (24)
1-1: (77)
3-1: Tadic (pen 84), Shin Suk-Keun (90)

(1st) Busan 1 - 0 Daegu (5th)
1-0: Rivero (28)

(1st) Busan 1 - 1 Ulsan (13th)
1-0: Rivero (6)
1-1: (52)

(14th) Daejeon 0 - 2 Busan (1st)
0-2: Jeon Jin-Man (60), Rivero (90+2)

(7th) Pohang 0 - 0 Busan (1st)
B Missed Penalty: Yoo Jin-Sung (16)

FA Cup - 3rd Round

(10th, KL1) KHNP 0 - 1 Busan (1st, KL1)
0-1: Shin Suk-Keun (29)

League Cup

(1st) Busan 3 - 1 Seongnam (3rd)
1-0: Hwang Chul-Min (8)
1-1: (29)
3-1: Rivero (66), Yoo Jin-Sung (70)

A3 Champions Cup @ National Stadium, Tokyo

(Japan) Jubilo 1 - 3 Busan (South Korea)
J Disallowed Goal: (21)
1-0: (34)
1-3: Own Goal (38), Shin Suk-Keun (51, 76)

(South Korea) Busan 2 - 1 Yokohama F. Marinos (Japan)
1-0: Hwang (16)
1-1: (26)
2-1: Rivero (79)

(China) Shanghai Shenhua 0 - 0 Busan (South Korea)

League Cup

(5th) Gwangju 1 - 1 Busan (1st)
1-0: (4)
B Missed Penalty: Kim Dong-Jin (69)
1-1: Park Ki-Nam (70)


(1st) Busan 2 - 0 Incheon (9th)
2-0: Park Ki-Nam (83), Shin (90)

The summer monsoon months brought an unofficial break. The League Cup that takes place is a case of rotating players, giving more game time to others, and enjoying watching Euro 2024 as the rain lashes down.

And immediately, the prospect of a whole season (except the Super Cup) unbeaten was gone: a strong second-string lost the first game. I'm not fussed because I don't fall into the trap of aiming for records, just trophies.

Not only are we scoring lots of goals, but now they're stylish and difficult goals to pull off. We have an 8-game win streak in this time, while Rivero scores in 6 of his last 7 games (only because he played one as a 74th-minute sub).

Even a severely weakened side with 5 young reserves still escape with a point.

With the League Cup on the verge of being won, we go to Japan for the A3 Champions Cup.

It pits the winners of South Korea's K League 1, Japan's J1 League and the Chinese Super League against each other, joined by another club from the host nation. The winner is whoever's top of the league after everyone's played each other once. It's another not-so-important summer tournament, but one I want to win.

Jubilo Iwata were runner-up in last year's Champions League, so beating them 3-1 was good preparation of our Champions League opponents, who are the defending champions.

We then beat Yokohoma F. Marinos with a rotated side for the 3rd time this season, before escaping with the necessary point against Shenhua, the better side in the game.

Finally, I lift my first trophy of the season.

A3 Champions Cup Standings

1 - Busan - 7 points
2 - F. Marinos - 4 (+2 GD)
3 - Shenhua - 4 (0 GD)
4 - Jubilo - 1

And as full-time blew, news came in that results in the League Cup meant we'd also won that with 2 games to spare. What a day! The simultaneous double! Has that ever happened before?

And all without superstar striker Alex in the A3, and experimental line-ups in the League Cup.

With this unique feat, my reputation shoots up to World Class, the only manager in the world today to have that reputation.

Woah.

League Cup Table

1 - Busan - 30 points
2 - Seongnam - 24
(3rd to 14th)

We end the first half of the season with 2 trophies, a unique achievement, and an ongoing run of 19 games unbeaten so far, a new Busan record.

Oh, and meanwhile Busan Reserves have sensationally won their reserve league after only 12 games, with 6 games to spare. Eventually they would win 16, draw 1 and lose 1, 27 points ahead of everyone else. Like the senior side, they simply outscored the opposition rather than defended.

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: 23/24 Club Recap *BUMPER edition* - Sir McClaren retires as Newcastle legend, Chelsea's Mourinho starts disruptive merry-go-round by joining Real, title decided by 2-legged playoff with turncoat manager!

2023/24 - Club Football Recap

Biggest Transfers
Lorenzo Mozzini (MR/AMR, Italian, 22) - Newcastle United to Bayern Munich - £33m
Paul Rosenoir (DL, Jamaican/English, 25) - Chelsea to AC Milan - £32.5m
Nabil Allain (MC, French, 23) - Valencia to AC Milan - £23.5m
Carlo Baldi (DL/DC/ML, Italian, 21) - Atlético Madrid to Juventus - £21m
Marcos Portilla (MC, Spanish, 23) - Arsenal to Milan - £18m

FIFA World Player of the Year

Arsenal's striker Oybek Kopadze was the 4th new winner in a row, and Arsenal's 4th winner in 8 years. The Uzbek international is the first Asian to win the award.

Chelsea's Argentinian striker Italo Bini, still going strong at 32, was in the top 3 for the 2nd year in a row, joined by Real Madrid's Italian forward Victor Prestia.
 

UEFA Champions League

In a repeat of the 2021 final, and its outcome, Newcastle United beat Arsenal 1-0 thanks to an early penalty from a possible dive, and despite going down to 10 men for an hour.

It was to be Sir Steve McClaren's final match after an incredible 14 years in charge of sleeping giants Newcastle United. After taking England to the Euro 2008 final, he took over a Newcastle side that had yo-yoed up and down the table. They immediately finished 3rd, 4th, 3rd, then two 2nd places in a row, plus two Champions League semi-finals in that time, before finally winning the title in 2016. They only finished outside the top 2 once in his last 11 seasons, winning the title 4 more times, the FA Cup twice and a Club World Cup along with the 2 Champions Leagues. Legend.

It's the 4th Champions League final in a row Arsenal have lost, in the space of 8 years after winning in 2011 and 2013.

Defending champions Hamburger SV failed to even get out of the group stage, thanks to Celtic's superior head-to-head record.

Europa League

Just as in the Champions League, 3 English teams reached the semis, and it was another all-English final, though not the one the neutrals wanted.

A barnstorming shock of a derby final was avoided, as Neil Banfield's Manchester United beat shock semi-finalists Sheffield Wednesday (Mike Newell is one of the greatest managers around now) to face surprise finalists Sheffield United.

It took penalties after a 0-0 draw for United to end the other Sheffield club's dreams and lift the trophy.


England

Premier League

Newcastle and Michael Laudrup's Arsenal also battled over the league title. The defending champions topped the table for most of the season, but Arsenal overtook them in February and lifted the trophy once more.

Since 2007, Arsenal and Newcastle have won all but 2 titles (Liverpool 13/14, Man Utd 14/15). Will that change now Sir Steve McClaren has retired? His replacement is Sergio Bueno, who is steady but unspectacular, and whose only recent achievement was winning Palermo's first ever Italian Cup a couple of months ago in his only season there.

Middlesbrough hired Hibernian manager and former Boro player Paul Ince for the new season, and were rewarded with a 7th place finish and a place in Europe.

José Mourinho finally left Chelsea a second time, as Real Madrid came calling. He spent nearly 17 years over 2 spells at Chelsea, with a couple of years at Juventus inbetween. His second spell was barren compared to his first, when he won 2 Champions Leagues and a few league titles. Valter Bonacina replaced him after a decade at Juventus, where he broke the incredible 15-year Milan dominance last season when they won Serie A last season.

Former Mexico legend Rafael Márquez, who won 122 caps for Mexico and played for Barcelona and Fiorentina, landed a Premier League management job with Reading after taking charge of a second-tier Mexican side in his first job. Then Reading, who just survived their first season back in the Premier League, finished bottom with only 21 points.

Cups

Newcastle United beat Manchester United 3-1 to lift the FA Cup.

Oguz Cetin's West Bromwich Albion won their first trophy in 56 years by beating Man Utd by the same scoreline in the League Cup final.

This means Newcastle United were close to The Treble (even The Quadruple, as they reached the semis of the League Cup too). Manchester United also came close to a cup treble.

Football League and Non-League

Bryan Klug came through Ipswich's youth system, and had been at the club for 2 decades mostly as assistant manager and caretaker manager before becoming full-time manager in 2022 and taking them to the Championship playoffs. But he was sacked at the end of 2023 with the club in midtable. They dropped further before Steve Potts had them finish in the bottom half.

Crystal Palace will be in League Two for the first time in over 60 years after finishing bottom of the Championship and League One in successive seasons.

Burton Albion beat Rushden & Diamonds in a pulsating playoff final. 1-1 at full time, 2-2 four minutes later, before finally winning 5-4 on penalties and reaching League One for the first time ever.

Keith Millen worked his way up to manager of League One Bristol City in 2013, but his decade in charge was over after too much yo-yoing between League One and League Two.

Dean Kiely took his first job as a manager after being promoted from assistant at recently relegated York City in 2016. 8 years on, he finally succeeded in getting York out of the Conference... as they dropped to a new historic low, finishing bottom of the Conference and down into the 6th tier, despite the club replacing him late with Ian Baird.

Former Everton and Wolves defender Joleon Lescott's first job in management ended with the sack in under just a year. He was promoted from assistant manager at Conference North club King's Lynn, but was sacked with them bottom of the table in October. His replacement easily finished midtable.


Belgium

Belgium delivered the tightest finish possible yet again, full of drama and Shakespearean betrayal.

Over a decade ago, the league infamously had their top 3 teams finish on equal points... TWICE IN A ROW. And it's happened again... AND WENT EVEN FURTHER!!!

The top 3 again finished on equal points: FC Brussels (who have won 6 of the last 8 titles), Standard Liége and Charleroi.

The tiebreaker is 'games won', but all of them won 15 games. Belgian league rules state that if teams aren't separated by points and games won, the top 2 (decided by further tiebreakers of goal difference then goals scored) must play a special playoff.

So for the first time ever(?), the title was decided by 2-legged playoff between perennial winners Brussels and surprise package Standard. To top it off, Standard's manager left in April to JOIN BRUSSELS!!

But this is where the magic ends, as Standard were easily brushed aside 3-0 in both legs (getting a red card in each) to lose 6-0 and Brussels won their 3rd title in a row.


Spain

Real Madrid's Mareclino García Toral surprisingly left the club in January after 13.5 years in charge. He won 9 titles, including 6 in a row, finally achieved La Décima with a Champions League, and a few other cups. He chose to leave one of the biggest clubs in the world, currently 4th but only 6 points behind top, to join Fiorentina, a midtable side who are just above the relegation zone.

And José Mourinho's Real Madrid recovered to retain the title, while Miroslav Djukic's Atlético again finished 2nd. Barcelona's new manager Aidy Boothroyd took them to their highest position in 5 years: 5th.


Italy

It was back to normal as the two Milan clubs hot potatoed 1st place, Inter eventually winning their first title in 4 years in Fritz Schmid's first and only full season after the legendary Mancini's sensational sacking. Schmid retired to be replaced by the current West Ham manager, Israeli Eli Ohana.

Defending champions Juventus managed to end up in 3rd despite Valter Bonacina leaving in February. His replacement was Patrick Collot, who surprisingly won the Champions League last season with Hamburg and leaves the German club 8 points in the lead (after a 3-0 win over champions Bayern) surely on the way to his 3rd Bundesliga title in his 4th year at the club.


Germany

Patrick Collot had left Hamburg 8 points in the lead in February on the way to his 3rd Bundesliga title in his 4th year at the club, after a 3-0 win over Bayern.

His replacement was former Hamburg player, coach and manager Thomas Doll, who managed the club in 2004 to 2007. He had then joined Bayern Munich and won 3 Bundesliga titles in a row and reached a Champions League final, before 10 years at Man City turning them into a top 4 side and winning their first major trophies in 40 years.

But Hamburg lost the lead and David Moyes' Bayern went top with 1 game to go, winning their 2nd title in a row by 4 points.
 

France

PSG won their first title in 30 years under highly regarded new manager Yves Colleu.

Thanks to the sale of players I signed raising £24.5m in just one summer, Valenciennes are officially 'rich' in Ligue 1. With this and the team I built, new manager Paul Fischer led Valenciennes back into the Europa League with a 4th-place finish, even better than my 5th-place finish.


Elsewhere...

Shanghai United became the first Asian side to reach the Club World Cup final after beating Sao Paulo on penalties in an awful game where they had just 1 shot, and Sao Paulo had only 1 shot on target. They fell to Hamburg 1-0 in a slightly livelier final.

After leaving his first coaching role at Valenciennes, one club man and Barcelona legend Andrés Iniesta eventually got his first management job... relegation-threatened Banbridge Town of the Northern Irish Premiership. With only a few games to save them, they finished in the relegation playoff places, but won the playoff easily to survive.

Febian Brandy retired after a career at just 2 clubs (excluding loans): Manchester United and Everton. He immediately became manager of TNS in Wales. As a result, they finished further than they'd ever done in the Europa League, just missing out on the group stage.

Stig Inge Bjornebye's 17 years at his first job, IK Start, finally ended with the sack. In his time in charge of the yo-yo club, they finished 2nd twice and 3rd twice more, and reached a cup final. But the club were relegated in his last season, the first time in over 2 decades under his reign. His replacement is Gunner Halle.

Frank de Boer was sacked by Roda JC Kerkrade in his first job as manager. He only scraped into the top half of the Eredivisie once in 7 years.

Link to post
Share on other sites

This is the save that just keeps on giving. I hope Iniesta is enjoying life in Northern Ireland. :D

The World Player of the Year coming from Uzbekistan makes me happy as a former manager of that nation in FM16. Arsenal losing another CL Final... less so.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: 23/24 Club Recap *BUMPER EDITION* - Sir McClaren retires as Newcastle legend, Chelsea's Mourinho starts disruptive merry-go-round by joining Real, title decided by 2-legged playoff with turncoat manager!

2023/24 - International Recap

Greece 2024 European Championship Qualifying

Group A

Czech Republic - 17*
--------------------------------------
Turkey - 17*
--------------------------------------
Wales - 16
Bosnia & Herzegovina - 15
Kazakhstan - 10
San Marino - 4
*Head-To-Head Record: Turkey 1 - 0 Wales

Wales failed to qualify for the Euros for the first time in 20 years, and it's Chris Coleman's second failure to qualify in the last two campaigns. Gareth Bale retired from international football with 93 caps.


Group B

Belgium - 23
--------------------
Portugal - 21*
--------------------
Belarus - 21*
Russia - 13
Moldova - 8
Andorra - 1
*H2H: Portugal 4 - 2 Belarus
 

Group C

Poland - 22
-----------------------------
Ukraine - 19
-----------------------------
Hungary - 10
Northern Ireland - 7
Azerbaijan - 0

Iain Dowie failed to qualify with Northern Ireland again, and the Euro 2020 winners will not be able to defend their title in Greece.
 

Group D

Serbia - 13
-----------------------
Latvia - 11
-----------------------
Switzerland - 10
Norway - 10
Estonia - 7

Watch our for Serbia's golden generation. Their 3 best players play for the big Milan teams, valued at £30m each, and are at peak age. Though Estonia getting 3 red cards helped Serbia win and qualify automatically.

Latvia hope to reach their first Euro since Euro 2004.

Norway sacked Henning Berg after failing to qualify for any tournaments in his 3 qualifying campaigns, and he retires from management after a good club management career. His replacement was the man he replaced: Oystein Bjorseth, who at least qualified for the World Cup during his 2 qualifying campaigns.

Estonia only scored 2 goals (as did Norway), but beat Switzerland and got a draw against all their opponents.


Group E

Finland - 14
------------------------
Netherlands - 13
------------------------
Denmark - 12
Albania - 8
Malta - 6

A loss away to Albania means Netherlands have to go through the playoffs.

Denmark failed to qualify for a Euro for the first time in 40 years!


Group F

Scotland - 20*
----------------------
Germany - 20*
----------------------
Croatia - 12
Iceland - 6
Liechtenstein - 0
*H2H: Scotland 0 - 0 Germany; Goal Difference: Scotland +13, Germany +13; Goals Scored: Scotland 15, Germany 13

World Champions Scotland needed a 3-goal win at home to Croatia, and got exactly that to qualify on goals scored.


Group G

France - 19
----------------------
Macedonia - 12
----------------------
Austria - 11
Cyprus - 11
Slovenia - 3

Macedonia can qualify for their first ever tournament.


Group H

Romania - 18
------------------------
Italy - 14
------------------------
Bulgaria - 12
Montenegro - 10
Faroe Islands - 4

World Cup runner-up Italy may not make it still.

Bulgaria sacked their manager after the first game, a loss at home to Faroe Islands. Had current manager Ilian Iliev been in charge for that game and won, they'd have made the playoffs.


Group I

England - 22
----------------------------------
Republic of Ireland - 14
----------------------------------
Slovakia - 12
Lithuania - 8
Armenia - 1


Group J

Israel - 19
------------------------
Spain - 13
------------------------
Georgia - 10
Sweden - 8
Luxembourg - 3


Playoffs (aggregate)

Germany 3 - 3 Netherlands (Germany win on away goals)
Italy 2 - 2 Latvia (Italy win on away goals)
Macedonia 0 - 1 Spain
Portugal 2 - 0 Turkey
Republic of Ireland 5 - 0 Ukraine

Portugal finally qualify for their first tournament in 14 years, their first Euro in 20.

Italy survive a scare against a Latvia side playing lovely passing football.

Second time in a row Frank Rijkaard's Netherlands fail to qualify for a tournament.


And look at this group draw:

Group Draw (in order of likely finish)

Group A
Serbia
Spain - First Euros in 12 years
Israel
Greece - Hosts

Group B
Belgium - 3rd place at World Cup
Germany - 4th place at World Cup
Finland
Romania

Group C - The British Isles Group of Death
Scotland - World Champions
England
Republic of Ireland
Czech Republic - First Euros in 20 years

Group D
Italy - World Cup runner-up as hosts
France
Poland
Portugal - First tournament in 14 years


Morocco 2024 Africa Cup of Nations

Neil Tovey's defending champions South Africa beat the host nation in the final for the second AFCON in a row, beating hosts Morocco 2-0.

Niger lost 9-0 to Egypt in their first ever AFCON game, but then drew with Mali 1-1 despite missing a stoppage time penalty.

2024 OFC Nations Cup

New Zealand won their 9th trophy in the past 11 tournaments (since Australia left), with a 4-1 aggregate win over Tahiti in the final.

On 19/06/2018 at 23:06, CFuller said:

This is the save that just keeps on giving. I hope Iniesta is enjoying life in Northern Ireland. :D

The World Player of the Year coming from Uzbekistan makes me happy as a former manager of that nation in FM16. Arsenal losing another CL Final... less so.

With the greatest English manager in history retired, maybe you can go back to dominating like boring sods.

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: Euro 2024 in Greece

Greece 2024 European Championships

Can World champions Scotland win back-to-back trophies?

With European champions Northern Ireland out, can Republic of Ireland follow suit and keep it in Ireland?

Will Belgium, 3rd at the 2022 World Cup, finally lift a trophy?

Can hosts Greece shock like 20 years ago and be the next small nation to reach a final or even lift a trophy?

Or will a traditional powerhouse like Germany, France or Italy return to the top and bring back normality?


Group A

In order of likely finish:

Serbia
Spain - First Euros in 12 years
Israel
Greece - Hosts

Greece 0 - 1 Serbia
Not the best of starts for the hosts with a sending off at the end.

Spain 2 - 0 Israel
A 2-goal debut for 22-year-old Marc Teixidor

Israel 1 - 0 Serbia

Greece 1 - 1 Spain

Greece 1 - 0 Israel
Both teams needed a win, but it wouldn't matter for Greece if Serbia won by one goal...

Serbia 1 - 0 Spain
Serbia got the win despite a late red card.

Table

Serbia - 6
Spain - 4 (+1 GD)

-------------------------
Greece - 4 (0 GD)
Israel - 3

====================================================


Group B

Belgium - 3rd place at World Cup
Germany - 4th place at World Cup
Finland
Romania

Finland 2 - 0 Germany
Finland get a big scalp in an even but lifeless match.

Romania 0 - 0 Belgium

Romania 2 - 0 Finland

Belgium 1 - 1 Germany

Finland 2 - 1 Belgium
Finland came from behind and scored a last-minute winner to qualify and knock out the third-best team in the world.

Germany 2 - 0 Romania
Germany needed to beat Romania by 2 goals to leapfrog them, and they did just that.

Table

Finland - 6
Germany - 4 (0 GD, 3 GS)

------------------------------
Romania - 4 (0 GD, 2 GS)
Belgium - 2

Finland reach their first Euro quarter-final.

====================================================


Group C - Battle of the British Isles

Scotland - World Champions
England
Republic of Ireland - First Euros in 12 years
Czech Republic - First Euros in 20 years

England 0 - 0 Scotland
An England goal was ruled offside, and other than that there wasn't a single shot for over an hour. Probably the biggest England/Scotland game in history ended up being one of the worst matches in history.

Republic of Ireland 0 - 0 Czech Republic

Scotland 2 - 0 Republic of Ireland

Czech Republic 1 - 1 England

Czech Republic 1 - 1 Scotland
Scotland scores in 40 seconds, but concede an own goal in the second half. They still top the group. The Czechs needed a low-score draw in the other game, however.

Republic of Ireland 2 - 1 England
England took the lead right at half-time after Ireland missed a penalty, but they choked in the second half.

Table

Scotland - 5
Republic of Ireland - 4

----------------------------
Czech Republic - 3
England - 2

An impressive 3 draws for the Czechs, an embarrassing performance for England.

====================================================


Group D

Italy - World Cup runner-up as hosts
France
Poland
Portugal - First tournament in 14 years

Portugal 1 - 0 France
Portugal hold onto a big win despite a red card.

Italy 1 - 1 Poland
A Polish penalty is cancelled out.

Portugal 0 - 1 Italy

France 3 - 0 Poland

Poland 2 - 0 Portugal
Poland dominate Portugal, who don't get a shot on target. Now they need France to lose.

Italy 0 - 0 France

Table

Italy - 5
France - 4 (GD +2)

----------------------
Poland - 4 (GD -1)
Portugal - 3

====================================================

Quarter-Finals

Serbia 0 - 0 Germany AET (Germany win 2 - 1 on penalties)
10-man Germany needed penalties, but 3 of their 5 pens were saved!

Republic of Ireland 0 - 2 Italy
Italy dominated.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Finland 0 - 0 Spain AET (Finland win 4-2 on penalties)
Spain's first World Cup or Euro knockout match in 16 years ends with another flop.

Scotland 2 - 0 France
The world champions dispatch one of the favourites with a top all-round display.

====================================================


Semi-Finals

Germany 1 - 0 Italy
Germany are truly back with a Euro final to follow on from a World Cup semi.

Finland 1 - 0 Scotland
The Scottish dream is over, but Finland have a chance to be the next big shock.

====================================================
 

Euro 2024 Final
@ Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus (Olympiakos/Greece)

Germany v Finland

History

Germany won a record 4th Euro title in 2012, but missed the chance to be the only team to successfully defend it when they lost the final in 2016. That means they've appeared in 3 of the last 4 Euro finals. There was a short blip, but they returned to normality with a semi-final appearance at the 2022 World Cup and now this final.

Finland qualified for their first ever tournament in 2014, after over 80 years of hurt, and since then they've only missed the 2022 World Cup. They got out of the group stage once, reaching the quarter-final of the 2018 World Cup. They only scored 1 goal and got 2 points from the 6 games of Euro 2016 and 2020.

Form

That changed when Finland opened against Germany and beat them 2-0.

Germany only conceded 1 goal after that, but scraped into the knockouts on goals scored and needed penalties to beat Serbia... and they had most of those saved!

Finland lost their next game to Romania 2-0, but two late goals saw them through to the knockouts where they also needed penalties to beat Spain, but scored 4 out of 5. They then beat the world champions Scotland.

Bizarrely, on form, Finland are arguably favourites, even (especially) if it goes to penalties.

Managers

5-cap international Uwe Rosler is Germany's manager. He built his career in the top 3 tiers of Germany, as well as Norway and Austria, but only really started winning things at Basel. There he won their 7th, 8th and 9th straight Swiss titles and one Swiss cup before Germany came calling. He took a country that failed to even qualify for the 2018 World Cup or get out the group stage of Euro 2020, and lead them to the semi-finals of 2022.

Ubaldino Romitelli had an unassuming playing career, never reaching the top 2 divisions of Finnish football. His first and only job before Finland was 6 months in charge of a semi-professional club. He took charge of his country in 2020 after 1 goal and point in the Euros, but also just 2 years after a World Cup quarter-final. They subsequently failed to qualify for 2022 after 4 tournament finals in a row, but finished ahead of the Netherlands to qualify this year.

Team News

Both teams have important exclusions.

Germany are without their man in the 'hole' Seitz, via suspension, and will have to rejig to play the same formation without the man who scored 2 and assisted 1.
Finland have 3 injuries, 2 of them who were integral to the Germany win and got injured in the next game: striker Makela who was Man of the Match with an assist, and left-winger Koski who got the other assist. They all sit on the bench anyway, just in case.

Finnish centre-back Tukiainen has 2 goals and needs 2 more to get the Golden Boot.

Germany play a narrow 4-4-2 diamond, strikers pushing wide: Straub (Werder Bremen); Berger (Sampdoria), Jurkovic (Napoli), Bopp (Arsenal), Schmidt (Newcastle United); S. Heinrich (c) (Gladbach); Neitzel (Hertha BSC), Beyer (Bayern); Volk (Inter); Schupp (Manchester City), Krause (Inter) - 4 Bundesliga, 4 Serie A, 3 Premier League

Finland play a flat 3-5-2: Tomi Majava (Atlético); Tukiainen (Chievo), Grahn (Udinese), Svensson (Panathinaikos); Nyman (Deportivo), Zetterberg (Albacete), Latvanen (c) (Napoli), Lauri Dalla Valle (Napoli), Suikki (Anderlecht); Jussila (Arsenal), Wiklund (PSV) - 4 Serie A, 3 La Liga, 1 Premier League, 1 Eredivisie, 1 Superleague Greece, 1 Belgian First Division


First Half

One or two closes calls for Finland as Germany have the better half, but nothing happening yet. German striker Schupp gets a knock.

Half Time

Uwe Rosler swaps a couple of players in midfield. Schupp stays on.

Finland make a straight striker swap, bringing on the injured Makela.

Second Half

After only 4 minutes, the Finland manager makes his final 2 substitutions, perhaps hoping for the element of surprise. The other striker and the yellow-carded midfielder comes off, and on comes 2 full backs. They change formation to a narrow 5-4-1 diamond with wing-backs. It looks like Finland want penalties, putting bodies behind the ball.

Rosler makes 3 like-for-like changes with about 20 minutes to go. Off come 3 attackers (including knocked Schupp) to be replaced with 3 like-for-like attackers.

Full Time

Finland have had 1 shot (off-target), while Germany have had 11 (4 on target). Otherwise, not much has happened. Finland have killed the game.

Extra Time? Penalties?

Substitute Schneider heads in a long ball into the area to score his first goal for Germany in only his 5th appearance. What a time to start!

Finland return to the flat 3-5-2 formation that didn't serve them very well, while Germany change to a 4-1-3-1-1 with central midfielders pushing wide.

With 10 minutes left to save the cup, Finland play 4-2-4, but fail to register another shot, ending the match with 0 shots on target out of 1 attempt.

Germany 1 - 0 Finland AET
Schneider (102)


===========================================================

2024 European Champions
Germany

===========================================================


Awards

Golden Boot: Kevin Ferrie (Scotland) - 3 goals
Golden Ball: Colin Hunter (Scotland) - 8.00 rating, 3 MOTM and 1 goal in 5 appearances
Young Player of the Tournament: Andreas Zetterberg (Finland) - 22, 7.50 rating, 1 MOTM and 1 goal in 6 appearances
Most Assists: Nicky MacMillan (Scotland) - 3 assists

Due to the mediocrity and lack of shots in the tournament, the Golden Glove and Team of the Tournament awards have been cancelled.


European Championship Bests

Finland - Runner-up (Group Stage: 2016, 2020)
Scotland - Semi-final (Quarter-final: 2020 as co-hosts)


Selected Managerial News

Spaniard Xavi Juliá left Italy after a lost World Cup final as hosts and a Euro semi-final.

Belgium's manager resigned after taking them to 3rd in the World Cup and to their first Euros in 16 years during his 3-year spell.

Poland replaced Piotr Nowak with Kamil Chapula.

Israel replaced Nitzan Shirazi with Ronny Levy.
 

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: Euro 2024 in Greece - will Scotland do the World/Euro double?
  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: Busan 2024, Act II: Aiming for The Quintuple

Busan 2024 - Second Half of Regular Season

Prologue

Moving into the second half of the season, we had just won a unique 'Simultaneous Double' of two minor trophies by mid-season. Surprisingly, we also won all 6 of our group games in Busan's return to the Champions League, and less surprisingly (to me) clinched the first seeded league title-playoff spot while going unbeaten in the league so far.

There's also the FA Cup, meaning we're aiming for an unprecedented Quintuple (only missing out on the Super Cup season opener).

Meanwhile, club favourite goalscorer Kim Sung-Ho finally gets his move to Europe, moving on a season-long loan to Vitória in Portugal's Primeira Liga.

The Southern All-Star Team call up 4 Busan players for the All-Star game, the 3 fit ones playing the whole game, 2 of them scoring the opener and late equaliser in a 2-2 draw before losing to penalties.


K League 1 - Closing Stage

Results

Spoiler

(1st) Busan 1 - 0 Gangneung City (5th)
1-0: Shin (32)

(11th) KHNP 0 - 2 Busan (1st)
0-2: Jeon (3), Yoo Seung-Hyun (55)

(10th) Chunnam 0 - 3 Busan (1st)
0-3: Park Ki-Nam (16), Own Goal (19), Rivero (71)
C Disallowed Goal: (78)


(1st) Busan 2 - 0 Suwon (6th)
2-0: Hwang (33, 57)

(13th) Jeonbuk 0 - 1 Busan (1st)
0-1: Rivero (42)

(1st) Busan 2 - 0 Seoul (5th)
2-0: Kang (85), Jung Sun-Ho (90+4)

(2nd) Daegu 1 - 1 Busan (1st)
0-1: Hwang (90)
1-1: (90+1)


(1st) Busan 6 - 0 Daejeon (11th)
B Disallowed Goal: Rivero (4)
4-0: Rivero (41, 45+2), Yoo Jin-Sung (45), Jeon (55)
D Second Yellow: (72)
6-0: Own Goal (73), Jeon (90+4)


(8th) Ulsan 0 - 1 Busan (1st)
0-1: Hwang (7)
B Knock, Down To 10 Men: Yoon (83)


(1st) Busan 0 - 0 Pohang (6th)

(13th) Seongnam 1 - 0 Busan (1st)
1-0: (14)

(1st) Busan 0 - 0 Gwangju (3rd)

(5th) Incheon 2 - 0 Busan (1st)
2-0: (18 seconds, 15)

We restarted the league season with 6 clean sheets in a row, 9 in the first 10.

I wanted to dominate the league this season (no heart-destroying last-second close calls in the playoffs like last time) and that's happening. Our opposition sometimes don't get a shot, while my attackers need just one at any time. Even severely weakened sides of mostly youngsters are getting results.

We break the league record for longest unbeaten run, and continue it by beating Daejeon a record 6-0 for a second time this season. We confirm top spot with 4 games to spare for bragging rights.

But a goalkeeping mistake from Jang Min-Suk in the 24th of our 26 league games meant we lost 1-0 and wouldn't go unbeaten in the league.

On the final day, I play the system. I needed to rotate players anyway, but in the final game all but 2 of the 13 outfield players were youngsters. Why? If our opponents, Incheon, beat us, they might finish in the last playoff spot... meaning we'd play them at home in the 1-legged semi-final, while they're in the midst of an injury crisis and without their star striker (rather than having to possibly play against a full-strength Incheon over 2 legs of the final, a worrying prospect).

They duly won an easy 2-0, scoring in just 18 seconds, and finished in that playoff spot.


Closing Stage Table

1 - Daegu - 30 points (Seeded playoff place)
---------------------------------------------------------------
2 - Busan - 27 (Already seeded)
(3rd to 14th)


Overall Table

1 - Busan - 60 points (Opening Stage Winners)
2 - Daegu - 52 (Closing Stage Winners)
3 - Seoul - 42 (Playoff place)
4 - Incheon - 41 (Playoff place)
-----------------------------------------------------------
5 - Gwangju - 39
(6th to 14th)

League Record: P26 W18 D6 L2 F52 A11 GD+41 CS19 PTS60

Gwangju were irate, as Incheon needed a win to leapfrog them, but they were conveniently forgetting that they themselves stole a point away to one of our weakened sides earlier in the season.

There isn't as much uproar as you'd expect among the public to our possible playing of the system and effectively drawing our own opponent, as it's expected we'll utterly destroy anyone we play at home.

So we are in the title playoffs, at home against a semi-final opponent of our choosing...

====================================================


AFC Champions League

Champions League Quarter-Final

Results

Spoiler

(1st, K League 1) Busan 2 - 0 Shanghai United (8th, Chinese Super League)
2-0: Alex (51, 67)

(5th, Chinese Super League) Shanghai United 0 - 0 Busan (1st, K League 1)
SU Disallowed Goal: (79)

Busan win 0-2 on aggregate

The Champions League draw pitted us against the best in Shanghai United, who had won the last two years and last year became the first ever Asian team to reach the Club World Cup final. Their recent form wasn't great though and, while they had only failed to score in 1 of their last 12 games, they also only kept 1 clean sheet in their last 16 games.

International call-ups badly affected our squad more than our opposition. They lost a few key players to China and had injuries and suspensions, but we lost 9 first-team players to the senior South Korea side, including 2 of our 3 keepers and all our wingers and central midfielders. But this is why I made a big squad. We have just enough depth to put out a first team and 3 outfield subs.

With no real wingers, my first thought was to change tactic from 4-4-2 diamond to 4-1-3-2 with attacking central midfielders. But I changed my mind and pushed the old, slow veteran Dusan Tadic into midfield and played Wright out of position on the left.

Boy did it work! Shanghai were relieved to have escaped with a 2-0 loss after a Man of the Match performance from the out-of-position Wright and 2 free kick cross assists from Tadic. I told star striker Alex at half-time that he had to be the difference, and then he scored twice.

In the 2nd leg, we both had full-strength sides back, though Shanghai still missing a few players with injury.

I made another big call by changing my #1 keeper. Jang Min-Suk was my #1, but it's hard to judge how he's really performed when sometimes he doesn't have to make a save in the whole match. But Park Ho-Jin had played in tough matches and come out with clean sheets.

We killed the 2nd leg from the start, Mourinho-style, and neither side scored. Wright again performed out of position on the left, making him a surprise extra left-wing option now. Shanghai did hit the post and had a goal disallowed, but we played so well that I made no substitutions. We had knocked out the back-to-back Asian champions in my first ever knockout round!

Champions League Semi-Final

Results

Spoiler

(Saudi Arabia) Al-Ittihad 0 - 1 Busan (1st, K League 1)
0-1: Park Ki-Nam
B Disallowed Goal: Rivero (87)


(1st, K League 1) Busan 3 - 0 Al-Ittihad (Saudi Arabia)
3-0: Tadic (18), Jung (22), Alex (83)

Busan win 4-0 on aggregate.

Next in our way was Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia. They won 3 Champions Leagues in a row (2004 - 2006), and 2 in a row (2018 - 2019) and were knockout regulars. After the champions, we now had to beat experience. Their squad was much more valuable than Shanghai United's and they had also won all 6 of their group games.

Park scored early and we defended the lead with 8 players behind the ball. With the temperature at 36 Celsius (97 Fahrenheit), this actually favoured us, making the other team work harder and then being able to swap both strikers, particularly with super-sub Rivero coming on. We should've got more goals as everyone else tired. Maybe if I had changed tactics earlier...

With an away goal and playing at home, I altered things a little in the 2nd leg, playing more defensive players and rushing back our key defensive midfielder, knowing that really we would need to score 2 goals, not just 1. Or just keep a clean sheet.

We went 3-0 (agg.) up in just 22 minutes, and we could easily defend an early 3-goal lead while Alex finished them off with a long-range curling missile. Even when we eased off completely, the Arabs didn't take their few clear cut chances and we entered the final on an impressive run...

============================================

FA Cup

Result

Spoiler

(12th, K1) Seongnam 0 - 1 Busan (1st, K1)
0-1: Jeon (45)

We also reached the semis of the FA Cup, which will be played on neutral ground in Seoul.


The Quintuple is on...

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

Busan 2024 - 7 Matches To Win The Quintuple

Preview - The Season So Far

 

My first full season at the club started with a loss in the Super Cup, but by mid-season we had won a unique 'Simultaneous Double' of a minor domestic (League Cup) and continental (A3 Champions Cup) on the same day.

Now with a month to go, we've finished top of the regular league (and effectively picked our playoff semi-final opponent), won all 6 Champions League group games before eliminating the back-to-back champions and winning the semi 4-0, and are still in the FA Cup.

A 2-legged Champions League final, an FA Cup semi-final and the title playoffs await.

====================================================


Champions League Final, 1st Leg @ Pakhtakor Stadium, Uzbekistan

Our final opponent is Pakhtakor Tashkent of Uzbekistan. This is only their second final (winning in 2011). They won 3 and drew 3 in the group stages, then squeezed past Shenhua in the quarters 1-0 on aggregate. In the semis, they snatched a 2-2 draw away to Esteghlal but quickly won 3-0 in the second leg.

Their unbeaten continental campaign means they're enjoying their longest ever unbeaten continental run.

Meanwhile, our captain Dusan Tadic is injured.

(Uzbekistan) Pakhtakor 0 - 0 Busan (1st, K League 1)

Both sides were lucky not to concede, with a lot of desperate scrambling, making it a frustrating 0-0 for both teams.

Pakhtakor still unbeaten, but we have to destroy them at home.
 

Champions League Final, 2nd Leg @ Busan Asiad Main Stadium, South Korea

No changes from the team that drew 0-0 away. Captain Tadic is on the bench even though he's still injured. Perhaps his presence can help.

All of star striker Alex's potential strike partners are misfiring, so we need Alex to keep going a little longer and score if no one else will.

One of Pakhtakor's strikers is injured, but that may not be a big issue for them.

------------------------------------ Park Ho-Jin ---------------------------
Bae Won-Joon - Bae Sung-wook - Yoo Seung-Hyun - Heo
---------------------------------------- Figo ---------------------------------
Han --------------------------------------------------------------- Jung (c)
---------------------------------------- Shin ---------------------------------
--------------------------- Alex -------------------- Jeon ------------------

First Half

Immediately, Han is injured. With no fit right-wingers, Wright comes on. He played so well out of position on the left, but how will the left-footed midfielder do on the right?

Pakhtakor quickly decide to sit back, which is just what we want. But it's shades of last year's heart attack-inducing K League playoff final: nothing happens.

Tactical tweaks eventually lead to a soft corner, which is cleared away to the flanks, stand-in captain Jung crosses back in, and superstar Brazilian striker Alex heads in to give us the lead as the home crowd roar.

But again it goes quiet until, again, a danger ball can be hit into the area from a set-piece. Substitute Wright's free kick goes into the box and Jung easily heads in the vital second just before half-time.

Second Half

Bae Won-Joon fails to clear properly, with the ball bouncing in the air, and Pakhtakor get a goal back a few minutes into the second half. Next goal wins.

The ball is bouncing around dangerously into both halves of the pitch, but we're getting the real chances. But all it would take is one breakthrough and they win.

Jeon, hero of last season's playoff final, is hauled off after his first shot in 70 minutes goes way over.

Our time-wasting tactics in the last few minutes give Pakhtakor no chance back in. They only had 2 shots in the whole game, just the goal being on target.

The final whistle goes, and the home crowd erupts.

(1st, K League 1) Busan 2 - 1 Pakhtakor (Uzbekistan) (2-1 on agg.)
2-0: Alex (34), Jung Sang-Hoon (44)
2-1: Bakaev (52)

After the dramatic last-second then last-minute playoff comeback win last year, now the Busan fans watch their side lift Champions League #2, Busan's first in 38 years, having never even got out the group stage the past few decades. We shock yet again!

Trophy #3.

The annoyance of letting in that goal soon fades upon the realisation of what's been achieved, and that we'll get to experience the Club World Cup next month too!

Alex's goal wins him the Golden Boot outright, with 8 goals in 11(1) appearances. Runner-up with 7 in 9 was Bakaev, who got that goal for Pakhtakor.

Tadic has joint-most assists with 4 in 10(2)

And I am officially no longer a 'talented manager', but a 'legendary manager'.

To top it off, we get a good draw for the first round of the Club World Cup.

==============================================
 

FA Cup Semi-Final @ Seoul World Cup Stadium

This matchup is also the likely league title playoff final.

(2nd) Daegu 0 - 2 Busan (1st) AET
0-2: Alex (pen 105+2), Tadic (111)

A penalty was followed by the substitute captain's free kick to finally finish it.

Incheon, our league title playoff semi-final opponents, will be pleased it went to extra time.

If we face Daegu in the 2-legged playoff final, it'll be close. We'd need a big result at home, which we didn't get here.

==============================================


K League 1 Title Playoff Semi-final @ Busan Asiad Main Stadium

Just as I planned as we manufactured them into being our semi opponents: their star striker is still injured, while 4 players are on international duty. They should be in trouble.

Our right winger is injured, but Wright has shown he can play on the wing 'out of position' even better than in his 'natural' position!

Busan 1 - 0 Incheon
1-0: Figo (70)

And Wright duly gets an assist again as we finally break through.

Our attackers are lacking the killer instinct. Again there were some bad shots and hesitation.

 

Title Playoff Final, 1st Leg

Daegu lost at home to Seoul so, even though they're unbeaten in 8 leagues games now, I think we got to the easier opponent. Matches against Daegu had been close (such as that FA Cup semi), but Seoul have lost all 3 meetings with us this season, only scoring 1 and conceding 8 in total. And you can't really beat that...

No changes to my team.

Busan 0 - 0 Seoul
B Disallowed Goal: Jeon (78)

Seoul hit the bar once or twice, while our attacking ineptitude meant it stayed 0-0. Perhaps a more open game away from home will make it easier to score. Alex is booked for diving when he should've taken the shot.
 

Title Playoff Final, 2nd Leg

In the hope of getting the players focused, I tell the media the players will get a win if they play to their best, but that only makes some of them nervous.

Seoul have both centre-backs out with suspension and injury.

I make a few changes, including moving Tadic into midfield and change Alex's strike partner back from Park to Jeon.

------------------------ Park Ho-Jin --------------------------
Cho - Bae Sung-wook - Yoo Seung-Hyun - Bae Won-Joon
---------------------------- Figo ---------------------------------
Tadic (c) ------------------------------------------------------ Jung
---------------------------- Choo --------------------------------
---------------- Alex -------------------- Jeon -----------------

First Half

A bad start for Seoul. One of their strikers gets an early knock, and then their defender fouls Alex the last man. He gets a straight red card, a rarity for even the most violent of fouls over here. Just a few minutes later, Tadic finds Choo in space, and he runs into the area and scores. Beofre half-time, Jeon gets a goal from one of our trademark deadly indirect free kick crosses.

Second Half

Before the hour, Choo rifles a rebound into the corner to end the match for good at 3-0. I take off star striker Alex, captain Tadic and later Choo to avoid injury. But the goals don't stop...

Seoul 0 - 8 Busan (0-8 on agg.)
S Red Card: (8)
0-8: Choo (11, 56), Jeon (43, 90+3), Jung (59), Rivero (63), Park Ki-Nam (68), Wright (82)

We destroyed the record for the biggest K League 1 victory.

The defence didn't mark and the goalkeeper, who was Man of the Match in the first leg, didn't save anything as their team fell apart and ours moved up a gear.

The capital is knocked off their perch by the second city.

Trophy #4.

It's all taken in stride after the drama of last year. All I can do is mention how well the manager at Seoul has done, taking a team from K League 2 to the K League 1 playoff final.

Now an FA Cup final remains and, given the opposition, it threatens to be even more of a bloodbath...

League and Club Records

League record most team goals - 61 goals in 29 games

League record highest average attendance - 37698. Incheon have had the highest attendance for 17 of the last 18 seasons.

League record wins in a row - 9

League record unbeaten games in a row - 26

League equalling games in a row without conceding - 7

Club record games won in a row - 13

Club record games unbeaten - 13 so far

Club record clean sheets in a row - 10

Club record games in a row without scoring - 3!!

Club record most assists in a season - Jeon (14 by the end of the season)

Also our average attendance was 5,000 more than last season (32,603)

4 players are in top 7 league assisters, despite playing 10+ fewer games.

Alex is K League 1 Player of the Year and Foreign Player of the Year

I win K League 1 Manager of the Year again

Tadic, Alex and the 2 centre backs Bae & Yoo are in Team of the Year

Jeon is Young Player of the Year

Alex had K League 1's highest average rating with 7.41

Centre-back Yoo Seung-Hyun was also runner-up for signing of the season.

===========================================


FA Cup Final @ Seoul World Cup Stadium

We face a team who we beat a club record 6-0 this season, TWICE, as well as 2-0 in the League Cup. They escaped relegation in a final day decider, leapfrogging Chunnam with a home victory over them and sending them down instead.

The only change is at right-back. Not that the youngster did a bad job, I just can play either of them and the guy coming in deserves a start. Tadic remains in midfield.

(1st) Busan 5 - 1 Daejeon (13th)
1-0: Alex (22)
1-1: (30)
5-1: Choo (45), Jeon (59, 76), Rivero (68)

The clean sweep of major trophies is achieved after we lift our second ever FA Cup, 2 decades since the first.

League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, even the A3 Champions Cup. I guess that's The Quintuple. Only thing we missed out on is the Super Cup season opener, while a win in the coming Club World Cup would be historic.

And now, one more becomes avilable... the Club World Cup.

============================================
 

Club World Cup @ Nissan Stadium, Yokohama (Japan)

Quarter-Final

Enyimba International won their fourth Champions League last year, but were knocked out early this year. They look poor with no standout players. I expect a big win.

Tadic moves back to defence with Wright on right-wing again.

(South Korea) Busan 3 - 0 Enyimba (Nigeria)
3-0: Jeon (2), Own Goal (33), Alex (79)

The strikers were misfiring, only getting one shot out of 4 and one in 5 on target respectively after wild long shots, but they both scored.
 

Semi-Final

Whoever we faced would've been huge favourites, and we get Newcastle United. They won their second Champions League in 4 seasons earlier this year, before Sir Steve McClaren retired a legendary manager. His replacement, Sergio Bueno, has had a bumpy start with the club 5th in the league and squeaking into the Champions League knockouts after 2 late goals a week ago.

To top it off, both of their senior goalkeepers are injured - one is my ex-keeper at Chile, the other my ex-keeper at Young Boys. They start with the Young Boys one, who isn't fit. Please hit shots at him, guys!

Han, our first-choice right-winger, starts after over a month injured. This is the sort of match we need mazy dribbler Shin for as a different attacking option. Choo will have to play a great game.

(South Korea) Busan 1 - 2 Newcastle United (England)
0-1: (19)
1-1: Choo (32)
1-2: (40)

They dominated but were forced to go long range. They eventually scored from a rebound from a counter-attack of a counter-attack.

I threw everything into attack and down the flanks, and that's how we got the lead back through Choo himself.

I then said to go back to counter-attacking, but that just meant they could cross it in and their stronger players could win the headers and retake the lead.

We went back to attack and had several chances, while they didn't have many.

It was my error in playing defensive, hoping not to get caught by being too attacking. Instead we should've stuck with attack.

Club Tigres Mochis do what we should've done and upset their South American opponents with a penalty shootout win, but it won't be the first ever Club World Cup final (excluding the 2000 precursor) without a European side.
 

3rd Place Playoff

For this one I'll let others have a game. This might be their only chance to experience a Club World Cup.

Racing Club have won 2 of the last 4 Copa Libertadores and 4 of the last 6 league titles. They're not close to Newcastle's strength but are still the favourites.

We'll have to score past 1-club man Sergio Romero, who has been at the club for 22 years (and counting) since joining as a youth.

(Argentina) Racing Club 2 - 1 Busan (South Korea)
1-0: (22)
RC Disallowed Goal: (26)
2-0: (35)
2-1: Park (89)

Newcastle got an easy 2-0 win over Los Mochis to win their 2nd Club World Cup.

The prize money from finishing 4th in the Club World Cup (£925k) is slightly more than the prize money we got for winning everything but the Super Cup this season.

Unsurprisingly, I'm honoured to win Asian Manager of the Year.
 

Epilogue

After all these achievements, who knows what happens next? The only thing left is the Club World Cup, and that is just 3 matches at the end of a whole year, assuming we even win the Champions League to qualify. We can assume we're going to storm through all domestic trophies. Busan is a great city, but it would get a bit boring.

With my standing so high, it would be smart to strike while the iron's hot and take a huge club job next if one were offered, rather than an interesting smaller one. Aim high.
 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: Busan 2024: 7 Matches To Win An Historic 'Quintuple' (+ a short overview of the career of Gareth Bale)

Someone pointed out a Bale screenshot I posted way back when he was 19, so I did an overview of the now retired Champions League-winning Wales, Madrid and London great's career.

As he's retired from football completely, I can't see his profile, but I was able to follow some breadcrumbs and saw that he:


Club

- Was Southampton's top assister in the Premier League in 2007/08 with 7 assists.

- Moved to London... but to Premier League champions Arsenal, for £2.5m in summer 2010.

- Won his first Champions League with them in the greatest Champions League final of all time in the same season, then again 2 years later, as well as 3 league titles in a row (as part of the club's 6 in a row).

- Moved to Premier League champions Liverpool for £23m in summer of 2014, but only won a League Cup.

- Was their top assister in his debut season with 12, and again the next season with 13.

- Moved to Madrid... Atlético Madrid for £9m in January 2019.

- Was their top assister in his full debut season (2019/20) with 9.

- Was sold to Premier League Coventry despite this, on deadline day of summer 2020 for £3.1m.

- Yet again was top assister in his debut season, with 10.

- He retired at the end of 2024/25. He was Coventry's oldest player to play a game in each of their last 3 seasons, his final game being away to Leicester in April 2025 at the age of 35 years and 279 days.


Country

-  Bale led Wales to 4 straight Euros (2008 - 2020), including a quarter-final, and the second round of the 2014 World Cup.

- His highlight being scoring the free-kick that gave Wales a 1-0 lead in the Euros group stage helping them to an historic 2-1 victory over Italy in Euro 2020.

- He became Wales' most capped player in his final game with 93 caps, retiring after Chris Coleman's side failed to qualify for Euro 2024.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Busan 2024 - Squad Review

While winning The Quintuple in the 2024 season, it was clear we can get domestic results even playing youngsters and backups. So from now I'm not going to keep senior players who aren't Champions League calibre, and I'm only going to sign that calibre of player.

*Only current senior squad players are included, as 16 reserve and youth played 70 games altogether


GK

21. Jang Min-Suk - 23 years old, South Korea (1 cap) - valued at £850k - Played 34(1), Conceded 21, Clean Sheets 20, Man of the Match 1, Average Rating 6.94.
22. Park Ho-Jin - 21, SK - £625k - P 26, Conc 10, CS 18, MotM 4, AvR 7.38
1. Yoo Soon-Ki - 30, SK - £275k - P 5, Conc 4, CS 3, AvR 6.40

Of my 2 new signings, Jang started as my #1 after a good season in the league last year.

Park got games in the summer League Cup, though made mistakes. It's hard to be judged as good or bad when you might face 0 shots in a game but, as the season went on, Park stood out making saves and was picked for the Champions League knockouts, keeping clean sheets until he conceded a goal in the final's second leg.

Yoo wanted to move, but there were no takers until the end of the season.

In
Jang - Gwangju (K League 1) - £850k
Park
- BTC (K League 2) - £625k

=========================================

DR

5. Dusan Tadic (Captain) - D/MR - 36, Serbia / naturalised SK (2 caps) - £2k - P 28(8), Goals 4, Assists 11, AvR 7.17
2. Son Dong-Woo - 29, SK (1 goal in 9 caps) - £70k - P 24(1), G 1, A 5, MotM 2, AvR 7.28
18. Cho Ki-Yong - DM, MC, D/MR - 23, SK (U21) - £825k - P 8(3), A 1, AvR 7.18
+ Bae Won-Joon

Despite being old and having no pace, Tadic's leadership made him the most important player, and he still performed.

Cho earned promotion to the senior side and played in the league title playoff final. His versatility means I can sell a couple of defensive players.

=========================================


DL

17. Bae Won-Joon - DR/L/C - 23, SK (U21) - £825k - P 40(3), A 5, MotM 1, AvR 7.09
3. Heo Dae-Ryoon - D/WBL - 24, SK (U21) - £200k - P 27(10), A 2, MotM 1, AvR 7.03

Bae is the defensive Nigel Winterburn option, while Heo is the attacking Ashley Cole option. Heo lacks strength, but that hasn't affected his performances in the big continental games.

=========================================


DC

26. Bae Sung-Wook - DC/DM/MC - 31, SK (U21) - £575k - P 46(1), MotM 6, AvR 7.40
6. Yoo Seung-Hyun - DC/DM/MC - 26, SK (U21) - £350k - P 40(2), G 3, MotM 7, AvR 7.45
4. Luis Rivera - DC/DM/MC - 31, Panama (42 caps) - £625k - P 26(6), A 2, MotM 2, AvR 7.09
20. Nam Hong-Kyoo - 24, SK (U21) - £26k - P 7, A 1, MotM 2, AvR 7.71
+ Bae Won-Joon

After struggling for years, Yoo signing for Busan was a surprise to others. But I saw one of the best tacklers around who was impossible to beat in the air. He became my most impressive signing, and his 'Bayou' partnership with Bae (Bae - Yoo!) was the key to dominating teams. If we can score 3 and you can't score 1, we'll probably win. That neither have earned an international cap yet is shocking.

Rivera wanted to move, but none materialised. He's very good, but I'm desperate to move him to free up a foreigner spot.

Nam's first-team average rating of 7.71 tells you why he was promoted back to the senior squad at the end of the season, though his attributes tell the opposite story. Let's see how he does next season.

In
Yoo - Daejeon (K League 1) - £170k

=========================================


M/AMR

15. Han Dae-Sung - 25, SK (1 goal in 10 caps) - £650k - P 31(1), G 2, A 12, MotM 2, AvR 7.19
9. Yoo Jin-Sung - MR/ST - 22, SK (5 goals in 5 caps) - £1m - P 21(8), G 5, A 5, MotM 1, AvR 6.93
+ Cho, Tadic

Yoo was ineffective after being so good last season. He's still young, but not good enough for Asia if he doesn't improve. With a right-winger my top transfer target, he faces falling down the pecking order if he doesn't buck up his ideas.

=========================================


M/AML

7. Park Yoon-Tae - 29, SK (U21) - £110k - P 26(8), G 4, A 7, AvR 7.00
19. Jung Sang-Hoon - 25, SK (5 caps) - £275k - P 20(3), G 3, A 4, MotM 1, AvR 7.17

Park chips in, but he lacks the physical strength for continental football and will be sold.

Jung's season was disrupted by injury, but he got a goal and assist as captain in the Champions League final second leg, before another goal in the playoff final, and 2 assists in the FA Cup final!

I've been planning on bringing another former Valenciennes player over here for some time, Ljajic, who plays on both wings. He should be a huge boon if he comes.

=========================================


DM/MC

12. Figo - 35, SK (8 caps) - £475k - P 25(3), G 2, A 3, MotM 2, AvR 7.39
13. Kang Jong-Soo - 28, SK (U21) - P 18(7), G 4, A 2, MotM 2, AvR 7.08
16. Kim Dong-Jin - 25, SK (2 goals in 4 caps) - £1.1m - P 18(3), AvR 7.05
+ Bae Sung-Wook, Cho Ki-Yong, Choo Se-Joo, Rivera, Wright, Yoo Seung-Hyun, Yoon Bit-Garam

The defensive midfield position has the most options.

Figo is the all-round player who is both best at defending and attacking.

Kang is the attacking option, so he usually plays at home.

Kim is the defensive option, however I felt he wasn't strong enough. After just a year, I'm selling him for a profit, as we have so many players that can play as an ultra-defensive midfielder.

(This is also the position with the #12 and #16 shirts, which I forgot were retired...)

In
Kim - Suwon (K League 1) - £1.1m

=========================================


AMC

14. Shin Suk-Keun - 21, SK (U21) - £1m - P 31(6), G 13, A 4, MotM 3, AvR 7.41
35. Choo Se-Joo - MC/AMC - 21, SK (U21) - £350k - P 16(6), G 7, A 5, MotM 2, AvR 7.23
23. José Wright - AMC/MC - 35, Costa Rica / naturalised SK - £2k - P 15(18), G 2, A 9, MotM 2, AvR 6.94
8. Yoon Bit-Garam - DM/MC/AMC - 34, SK (1 goal in 40 caps) - £4k - P 12(5), G 3, AvR 6.82

Shin had a great season, his 18+ Dribbling, First Touch, Technique, Finishing and Passing attributes allowed him to him make some mazy runs ending in a goal. When direct football and counter-attacking doesn't work, he provides another option, though he fell out of form at the end of the season.

Choo burst on the scene in the summer League Cup, getting 2 goals and 4 assists in 7(1) games, earning promotion to the senior side. He went on to score 2 in the playoff final and another in the FA Cup final and World Club Cup semi-final, filling in for the injured Shin in a big way.

Wright was an old backup in his last season, but then he filled in fantastically at left wing, despite it being completely out of position. In the Champions League final, he had to come on straight away as a right-winger yet made an assist, before scoring again and making 2 assists as a second-half sub in the playoff final. Has definitely earned an extension.

Yoon had no such renaissance and will move on.

In
Choo - Suwon (K League 1) - £20k

=========================================


ST

25. Jeon Jin-Man - DC/ST - 23, SK (2 goals in 4 caps) - £875k - P 35(10), G 16, A 14, MotM 4, AvR 7.18
24. Alex - 24, Brazil (U19) / Italy - £2.6m - P 34(6), G 21, A 10, MotM 3, AvR 7.40
28. Rafael Rivero - 28, Venezuela (U21) - £1m - P 15(24), G 18, A 4, MotM 4, AvR 7.03
27. Hwang Chul-Min - 26, SK (7 goals in 21 caps) - £900k - P 19(9), G 10, A 7, AvR 7.00
11. Park Ki-Nam - 31, SK (4 goals in 15 caps) - £220k - P 18(8), G 8, A 5, AvR 6.73
10. Kim Sung-Ho - 30, SK (2 goals in 9 caps) - £1.4m - P 7(1), G 5, A 1, AvR 6.88
46. Lee Jae-Young - 30, SK (8 goals in 22 caps) - £550k - P 4(1), A 1, AvR 6.60
+ Yoo Jin-Sung

Last season's hero Jeon and super striker Alex had more subdued seasons, but knock-ons and rebounds still provided assists. Alex was Busan Fans' Player of the Year, while Jeon hit lethal form at the end with 5 goals and 3 assists in the playoff and FA Cup finals and the Club World Cup.

Rivero had great runs where he wouldn't stop scoring. He was particularly good as a super sub. What he lacks in the air he makes up for with movement off the ball that splits tired defences open. He had more goals than starts!

Free transfer Hwang has moments, but I think he lacks something, particularly physical strength. He can get goals, but often doesn't, so there's no reason for him to stay.

Long-time Busan goalscorer Kim wanted to move, but it looked like it wasn't going to happen and he got some games, scoring as he usually does. But in August, a club from Portugal's top league finally brought him on loan. He got 2 goals on his debut, a goal and a red card 15 minutes into his 2nd game, then scored a few more in his next few games.

Lee returned to Busan after 1-and-a-half years in Turkey to fanfare and the pleasure of the commercial director, but also with a broken leg. Next season will decide his future.

In
Rivero - Seongnam (K League 1) - £900k
Hwang - Incheon (K League 1) - Free (out of contract)
Lee - Gazisehir Gaziantep (Turkish Super Lig) - Free (out of contract)

Out
Vítor - Alemannia Aachen (German Bundesliga) - £325k
Kim - Vitória (Portuguese Primeira Liga) - Loan

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: Busan 2024: The Squad That Won The Quintuple

Busan 2025 - The End

February - March: Pre-Season, Super Cup

Results
 

Spoiler

Friendly

Busan 0 - 1 Central All-Star Team
0-1: (43)

Super Cup @ Busan Asiad Main Stadium

(League and FA Cup winner) Busan 5 - 1 Seoul (League runner-up)
3-0: Alex (9), Own Goal (27), Jeon (55)
3-1: (63)
5-1: Tadic (69), Yoo Jin-Sung (90+2)

Friendly

(2nd, Chinese Super League) Shandong Luneng Taishan 3 - 2 Busan (1st, K League 1)
0-2: Olsson (9), Rivera (12)
3-2: (44, 85), Cho Ki-Yong Own Goal (55)

After winning The Quintuple, with a superstar Brazilian striker and hoovering up the best Korean talent, things were going to get boring from here. Even if I used reserves, we would win most domestic games. I was happy to stay for now, but I forewarned the board that I would probably want to go to Europe by the mid-season summer, when big jobs became available.

There were many enticing jobs already, like Rangers in Scotland and Charleroi in Belgium (a club with Iranian connections). But my unique success had made me hot property, so I waited for one of the elite European jobs.

Transfer business was a hassle.

My original target's (ex-Valenciennes winger Ljajic) free transfer from Atlético Madrid was cancelled due to Rivera not agreeing terms to move elsewhere. The board wouldn't let me release him for £400k to free up a foreigner spot, so Ljajic moved to Anderlecht. So instead of £400k for Ljajic now, we later spent £3.8m on young Swedish international Olsson from Valencia. Try figuring that budgeting logic out.

Incheon played hardball with my other target, striker/winger Park Young-Il, trying to get a trade. After several months, they finally agreed to sell him for an internal K League record of £3.7m (but only after he scored against us again).

Meanwhile, several players asked to move for a new challenge, with super-sub foreigner Rivero moving to Maccabi Haifa for £1.5m.

Olsson got a hat-trick of assists on his debut in the Super Cup win, as we completed a clean sweep of domestic trophies.

====================================


March - June: K League 1, FA Cup, League Cup

Results
 

Spoiler

K League 1

(Predicted 1st) Busan 2 - 1 Incheon (Pred. 4th)
0-1: (9)
2-1: Yoo Jin-Sung (61), Alex (pen 85)

(Pred. 14th) Jeonbuk 0 - 1 Busan (Pred. 1st)
0-1: Lee (9)
Busan Missed Penalty: Wright (68)

(Pred. 1st) Busan 5 - 1 KHNP (Pred. 8th)
0-1: KHNP (6)
5-1: Park Ki-Nam (19, 30), Bae Won-Joon (28), Alex (36), Lee (77)

(Pred. 11th) Ulsan 1 - 2 Busan (Pred. 1st)
1-0: (33)
1-2: Park Ki-Nam (36), Choo (45)

(Pred. 2nd) Daegu 0 - 1 Busan (Pred. 1st)
0-1: Park Ki-Nam (29)

(Pred. 13th) Hummel 1 - 0 Busan (Pred. 1st)
1-0: (21)

(2nd) Busan 3 - 0 Gangneung City (12th)
2-0: Alex (pen 33, 48)
GC Red Cards: (59), (71)
3-0: Wright (89)

FA Cup

(Pred. 10th, K League 2) Ulsan Hyundai Mipo Dockyard 0 - 1 Busan (1st, K League 1)
0-1: Alex (29)

K League 1

(14th) Seongnam 0 - 0 Busan (1st)

(1st) Busan 3 - 1 Daejeon (5th)
2-0: Alex (2), Shin (29)
2-1: (37)
3-1: Alex (71)

(5th) Gwangju 0 - 4 Busan (1st)
4-0: Alex (3, 44, 84), Own Goal (45+2)
Busan Knock, Down To 10 men: Park Kyung-Hwan (85)

(1st) Busan 3 - 1 Pohang (3rd)
1-0: Alex (pen 36)
1-1: (53)
3-1: Park Young-Il (75), Alex (77)

League Cup

Busan 1 - 0 KHNP
1-0: Wright (30)

K League 1

(5th) Seoul 2 - 2 Busan (1st)
0-1: Shin (26)
1-1: (38)
1-2: Park Young-Il (57)
2-2: (86)

League Cup

Busan 2 - 0 Incheon
2-0: Alex (10), Jung (53)

K League 1

(1st) Busan 1 - 1 Suwon (5th)
1-0: Alex (65)
1-1: (76)

League Cup

Ulsan 1 - 2 Busan
0-1: Lee (12)
1-1: (14)
1-2: Lee (32)

Jeonbuk 1 - 1 Busan
1-0: (11)
1-1: Tadic (pen 27)

Busan 3 - 0 Suwon
3-0: Alex (10, 21), Jeon (15)

Daegu 0 - 2 Busan
0-2: Yoo Seung-Hyun (10), Alex (70)
D Missed Penalty: (90+2)

Hummel 2 - 2 Busan
2-0: (29), (44)
2-2: Alex (67, 90+3)

Opening Stage Table

1 - Busan - 30 (Seeded Home Playoff Spot)
2 - Incheon - 26
(3rd to 14th)

League Record So Far: P13 W9 D3 L1 F29 A9 GD+18 CS5 Pts30

A second-string XI suffered a shock loss to newly-promoted Hummel (who were 12/1 to win), so an unbeaten season won't happen. They nearly beat us again in the League Cup, but Alex scored 3 minutes after coming on and got a last-minute equaliser.

Form and performances were patchy, but individuals stepped up like Alex. Lee came on as a first half sub in one match and made all 3 assists by winning a penalty, having his shot pushed into Alex, and then winning a free kick.

I changed tactics, stretching players wide and speeding things up, and telling the AMC to get into the area as a 3rd striker, and things improved greatly.

When right-winger/striker Park Young-Il arrived, right-winger/striker Yoo Jin-Sung thought he was being replaced. But instead I played them both, having them swap positions. They became a threatening double-act that defences couldn't handle.

We once again won the first seeded playoff place, with effectively a game in hand over Incheon, whose 5-game win streak ended with 2 draws after their star striker Park joined us.

Alex was off to a good start as the league's top scorer with 12 goals in 11(1) games. New signing Park Young-Il was joint-2nd with 8 in 13 (2 in 4 for us).

New winger Olsson topped the assist chart with 6 in 10.

We broke another record, this time for longest unbeaten run in the League Cup.

================================================
 

June: See You When I Retire

In May, a manager announced his retirement, and my heart jumped. I applied, not waiting for an approach. It took over a month for the club to start approaching candidates, but I was one.

What most impressed them at interview was my desire to overhaul the club. There had been a takeover at the club last season, so the new chairman was thinking the same thing.

The squad is old, stale and underperforming, even the staff are nearly all from the glory 90s/00s era (a few joined in the 80s!), and the last few seasons relied on defence as average attendances fell. This is a club with such a tradition in youth and exciting football, but there's no youngsters breaking through and the team only scored in 2 of their final 9 matches.

Perhaps they could do with a manager who most famously took a 4k-rated youngster on the way out, played him, and later sold him for £6.5m. Someone who won everything last season with fast-paced football and goals galore.

It was only a few days later that they offered me the job.

I said goodbye to the players. Alex, the Brazilian who I took under my wing at Valenciennes and then Busan, where he destroyed all with 54 goals in 63(11) games, semi-joked "take me with you, boss".

Needless to say, after The Quintuple, I leave the club with a great squad with depth. Their biggest challenge will be holding on to players, as the next manager is Korean and not as big a name. But for the past 9 years he took a club from relegation to the Champions League, thanks to back-to-back FA Cup wins, and a high of 4th in the league, so he's good.

But I leave Busan. At least until I retire or have a hiatus.

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: Busan 2025: The End

2024/25 Club Football Recap
 

Biggest Transfers

Elia Luciani (AMRL/MRL, Italian, 27) - Atlético to Chelsea - £32.5m
*Juan Latorre (DMC/DR/MRC, Uruguayan, 28) - Juventus to Atlético - £15m + £14m-rated player
*Ferdinando Citterio (ST, Italian, 27) - Atlético to Juventus - (See above)
Richard Morris (DR, English, 26) - Man City to Newcastle Utd - £22.5m
Ferenc Balogh (DM/MC, Hungarian, 27) - Barcelona to Real Madrid - £18.75m
Colin Huckle (DR/C/L, English, 24) - Inter Milan to Man City - £18.25m
 

FIFA World Player of the Year

Paulo became the first ever winner to not play in Europe. The 26-year-old Brazilian striker has only won 3 caps and still plays in Brazil after moving from Fluminense to Corinthians the day after winning the end-of-year award. He scored an unspectacular 28 goals in 50 games. An Englishman was runner-up, so it was probably a conspiracy.
 

UEFA Champions League

9 years after winning his first with the club, David Moyes finally won his 2nd Champions League with Bayern Munich by beating AC Milan 1-0 in Lisbon, after knocking out last year's winner Newcastle United and runner-up Arsenal along the way.

Liverpool reached the furthest they ever had since winning the cup 20 years ago, reaching the semis. But Yury Vergeichik's team were undone by AC Milan in the second leg thanks to a first half elbow and red card.


England

Premier League

It was expected that the retirement of Newcastle United's long-term manager and the greatest ever English manager in history, Sir Steve McClaren, would see Newcastle United in transition under new manager Sergio Bueno... but instead, they won the title in April and finished 18 points ahead of 2nd-placed Arsenal.

Similarly, Chelsea were unaffected by long-term manager José Mourinho's move to Real Madrid last year. New manager Valter Bonacina guided the club to their third 4th-place finish in the last 4 seasons, as well as a Europa League final and FA Cup semi-final.

Mike Newell experienced once again the lack of gratitude in football. His latest miracle work was at Sheffield Wednesday, where he took over a recently promoted Premier League side and won them their first FA Cup trophy in nearly a century, then took them to the Europa League semi-final. He was sacked in November with the club bottom of the table, but it proved to be the right choice short-term as new manager Mladen Krstajic immediately moved them up the table, finishing 11th, but 1 point less than 10th-placed Sheffield United. Meanwhile, Newell joined midtable Preston North End a few months later.

Football League and Non-League

Ipswich Town will return to the Premier League after 23 years away after Steve Pott's side won the Championship Playoffs.

Lincoln City will be playing in the Championship for the first time in over 60 years after winning their playoffs. Long-time manager Grant Brown has been at the club for 36 years (except a few years in non-league at the end of his playing career) since 1989, and manager for 13 years.

Crawley Town reached the Football League for the first time ever.

Despite winning Conference North side Nuneaton their first FA trophy, as well as getting them promoted (but relegated a few seasons later), Jonathan Woodgate's first management job came to an end after 5-and-a-half seasons.


Spain

José Mourinho's first full season at Real Madrid saw them top the table and look on the way to retaining the La Liga title he and they won last season, but they faltered in the second half and Pep Guardiola's Real Betis emerged as challengers. Madrid returned to the top in the final week. But a surprise loss in Murcia meant Betis lifted the title on the final day, Pep's first and Betis' first since their shock win in 2019 under Gordon Strachan.

After spending 12 years at Barcelona, and taking the 6-in-a-row title winners down the table until they were battling relegation, the shamed Hristo Stoichkov ended his time at Kansas City in the MLS to have another go in Spain, joining second-tier promotion challengers Real Oviedo, to their fans' dismay. But he kept their run going, and they won promotion in 3rd after just a season in the second tier.

Ernesto Valverde's third spell in charge of second-tier Athletic Bilbao ended with the club no better off then when he arrived a few years ago.


Scotland

Les Ferdinand left Championship QPR after 9 years as their manager to join bottom SPL side Dundee. They enjoyed a big new manager bounce, but they soon dropped back to the bottom, relegated while failing to score in 15 of their last 19 league games and away fans not seeing a Dundee goal in 2025 so far.

Craig Levein left Hearts again after a hugely successful 10-year second spell. He had taken charge of a club that had won their first SPL title in 50 years five years earlier, but had dropped to 5th the season before. He led them to 5 more titles, 2 doubles, and made them Champions League knockout regulars and had kept them top nearly the whole season before leaving for midtable Bundesliga side VfL Bochum this season.

He was replaced with former Serbia, Man Utd and Juventus defender Nemanja Vidic, who was in his third year at his first managerial job at Linfield of Northern Ireland, and still retained their title by 7 points.


Germany

Moyes' Bayern won the Bundesliga in April and by 15 points.

Thomas Doll, a member of the season before's big managerial merry-go-round, was sacked by Hamburger SV after just a year due to the twice-in-a-row runner-up floating around 4th/5th, and showing no loyalty to Doll despite him previously spending nearly a decade there as a player, coach and manager. The constantly moving man who dumped Barcelona, Olexiy Mikhailichenko, is his replacement.


Italy

The Scudetto went back to AC Milan as Milan's 2 clubs once again finished far ahead of everyone else.

Fellow merry-go-rounder Patrick Collot lasted barely a year as well in the Juventus job and was replaced with former England manager and Genoa failure Lee Stallard.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: 24/25 - Pep v Mourinho's Real for La Liga, Levein leaves Hearts, Moyes wins again!
  • 2 weeks later...

2024/25 International Recap

2025 Brazil Confederations Cup

A competition full of shocks saw another new winner, 4 years after South Korea beat Brazil and Uruguay to lift the trophy, and it was Africa's turn this year in mind-boggling fashion.

Neil Tovey's South Africa went unbeaten as they beat Copa América winners Brazil 3-0, European Champions Germany 2-1, then beat the world champions Scotland in a penalty shootout, after taking the lead in just 3 minutes.

Kamil Chapula's wildcard entrants Poland (randomly taking a spot due to Brazil taking both the host spot and Copa América champion spot) also surprised, as draws against South Africa and Brazil meant they qualified from their group at the expense of Brazil.

With the Confederations Cup now seen as an important test run for teams and managers, not just facilities, Germany's Euro-winning coach Uwe Rosler stepped down after losses to South Africa and Scotland and a draw with Iraq. His replacement is Frank Rost, who relegated midtable Nurnberg before bringing them back up a season later.


2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Honduras became the 3rd first-time winner in 4 tournaments after beating 2019 winners Costa Rica in an epic penalty shootout that saw 24 penalties, but only 7 scored. Both goalkeepers saved each others' attempts before it looped back to the first penalty takers, and once more Honduras' scored and once more Costa Rica's missed.

Haiti almost got their biggest result in decades, but a stoppage time goal gave USA an embarrassing 1-0 win against a team that had conceded 15 goals over two legs against the Cayman Islands in their last tie.

Trinidad & Tobago sacked their manager Bertille St. Clair after a 4-2 loss to El Salvador in the quarters and 21 years in charge. He reached one World Cup in 2006 and one Gold Cup final in 2021.

Jamaica sacked international veteran Ian Goodison after he took them to their lowest ever point. In just 2 years, they failed to get out of the first World Cup qualifying round for only the 2nd time ever (losing to Bermuda 7-1 on aggregate) and now failed to get out the group stage of the Gold Cup for the first time in 4 tournaments. Akeem Priestley's first job after retiring as a player in the MLS will be to replace him and lead his country.


LA 2024 Olympics

After I led Iran Under-23s to their first ever Olympics (as an Under-23 competition), they failed to qualify for the next 2 tournaments. But this year, Iran U23s WON the Olympics in Los Angeles.

They were undefeated for the entire campaign, only conceding one goal in qualifying while beating Australia 2-0 and 4-0. In the Olympics themselves, they drew 1-1 with America before getting 4 more points, beating Cameroon and Chile with 2 clean sheets, then winning on penalties over Mexico in the final after a 2-2 draw in effectively another away game.

A golden generation?

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: 24/25 - GOAL BAFANA BAFANA! 24-penalty shootout! Iran conquer USA!
  • 2 weeks later...

2025/26 - My New Job of Dreams

A few days into my new job, I'm surveying the training grounds from my office window. A few lads are mucking about. That's fine in small doses, but they're not training properly. I bang on the window hard, they look up in surprise and sheepishly look back down and start passing the ball around properly.

"Eric Harrison used to do that, you know. He'd bang the window just like that."

I turn around in surprise at an unannounced visitor.

"I hope you don't mind a visit, I know how lonely it gets up here."

"Of course not! It's a pleasure."

"Ah no, pleasure's mine. Thought I'd see how you're getting on and have a wee chat."

"Absolutely, take a seat. In fact, here."

I stand up and offer my own seat at my desk.

"Ah no, don't be daft."

"Go on, one more for old time's sake."

"...Oh alright then."

"Aye, it still fits."


MANCHESTER UNITED

Reasons for Choosing

I was at home in Busan, the best city I've been in yet. But after winning the Quintuple, my reputation skyrocketed. The elite clubs became a possible opportunity, and (footballing-wise) Busan would be a bit boring other than the 'now win it back-to-back' challenge.

Also Manchester United is the club I support, so there was no hesitation.

(Well, after I double-checked to make sure they were in good financial health anyway.)


Club History (Pre-2006)

Traditionally, Man Utd are one of the biggest clubs in Britain and the world. They were the first English club to win the European Cup in 1968, 10 years after the Munich Air Disaster tore Matt Busby's young team apart. After Busby left a year later, United were relegated only a few years afterwards by Man City's ex-United star Denis Law's backheel. United immediately bounced back and became a top-half side until the arrival of Sir Alex Ferguson in 1986.

'Fergie' overhauled every part of the club on and off the pitch, and consequently they dominated the 1990s and 2000s with exciting, attacking football, also winning England's first 'Treble' in 1999.

One incredible statistic was how they had an academy youth product in every single matchday squad since 1937, well over 3,000 consecutive games.
 

Club History (Post-2006)

Fergie announced his retirement (again) in 2008, but the defending league and European champions dropped to their lowest league position since 1991, and his last 2 matches were losses in the FA Cup and Champions League finals.

He was replaced with his former captain Roy Keane in the first ever managerial swap deal (which saw United assistant Carlos Queiroz replace Keane at Sunderland). Keane was in charge for 13 years as the club struggled to even challenge for the title again while Arsene Wenger's Arsenal dominated. He did lift the 2014/15 title and a few domestic cups, but he was sacked after only winning a Europa League and finishing above 7th once in the last 4 seasons.

New manager Neil Banfield had an immediate impact, finishing 2nd with 87 points, 3 losses and only 19 goals conceded. A performance that would normally win you the title. However, although they won the Europa League again, they dropped down to 5th, 5th and (last season) 6th.

The academy product record is long gone.

2024 saw a battle to take over the club from the departing Glazer family eventually won by a new consortium, which saw David Gill leave, the bank balance double and the new chairman pay off the debt, however the club is paying this back to him as a loan.


The State of English Football

Arsenal enjoyed 6 titles in a row before suffering themselves when Arsene Wenger retired. They recovered only for Steve McClaren's Newcastle United to challenge their throne. Both clubs have won 16 of the last 18 titles. With McClaren's retirement in 2024, it was thought things would change again. Instead, Newcastle won their 3rd title in 4 years in mid-April, finishing 18 points ahead of everyone else.

Man City, Chelsea (usually) and now Liverpool complete a 'Big 6' (or rather, a 'Big 2' and a 'Slightly Big 4'), though smaller teams tend to break through every now and then such as West Ham, Preston North End and Coventry.


Stadium

Old Trafford a.k.a. 'The Theatre of Dreams' has been standing for over a century, regularly expanded and modernised. It holds 76,212 people.


Notable New Records

In 2009, Man Utd suffered their most embarrassing moment as they matched their record for biggest defeat, with an 8-1 loss... to Wigan Atheltic (a bottom-half side at the time).

This was only 2 years after winning the title with a record-matching 29 league wins, breaking their own record of 28.


Squad

It's an old squad. Only 2 outfield players are under 27, and half the squad are 30+. The only exciting youth prospects are in goal, with 2 keepers who look immense, including a 21-year-old future England #1.

Yet the players themselves are international regulars, World Cup winners (the Scots), and very talented. It seems more that they've underperformed these last few years, and most of them have been at the club for years.

The 3 signings coming in the summer, arranged before I was hired, are 26, 27 and 28.

Things have got stale, so it's my job to get the veterans playing to a proper standard, and inject some exuberance of youth, especially with a chairman wanting big signings.


Budgets and transfers

Thanks to a new chairman and money, the transfer budget is £50m and a whole lotta wage budget to spare. There is a loan debt to the chairman that costs the club £2.1m per month for the next 20 years. Half a billion total.

Man Utd are the 15th richest club in the world, on the same level as Liverpool and Man City, a bit behind Abramovich's Chelsea and well behind Newcastle and Arsenal.

The only restrictions in England is the work permit. Non-EU players have to have a work permit to play, which requires either being a big name (or prospect) or a regular with a top-70 international side. The player can still be signed if he fails, but he must be loaned out to a club in another EU country (usually Belgium) until he either becomes a citizen of the EU or qualifies for a work permit.


Staff

Many stalwarts of United's glory days have gradually retired as time has passed, including Eric Harrison, Mike Phelan, Tony Coton, Jimmy Ryan and Martin Ferguson, while René Meulensteen left during the Roy Keane era to be assistant elsewhere. But some are still here, and the longest serving are scout Les Kershaw, physio Robert Swire and coach Paul McGuinness who joined when Sir Alex first arrived and have served the club for nearly 40 YEARS now! This does mean almost everyone at the club are either around 60 or 70 years old.

I'm mindful not to disrupt the family atmosphere of the club by ditching some of the old guard completely, but I was hired to be the next Sir Alex Ferguson, to come in and overhaul everything, and it's not great having a load of old men telling you about back in their day. The chairman is keen for a restructuring of the entire coaching setup.

My assistant will be Brian McClair who, except for a 3-year playing spell at Motherwell, has also been at the club for nearly 4 decades.


Contract and Expectations

I'm on a 4-year contract at £13,000 p/w, which is low for this level, but I didn't risk complaining. The board expect a challenge for the title, while the fans' high standards mean they expect their first title in a decade this season. The media predict a 3rd-place finish.

Given the team are finishing 5th and 6th, while averaging only just over a goal per game, ideally I'd like to see the team playing the 'United way' (or indeed my Busan team's way) of attacking football and outscoring the opposition. But I tend to build from a solid defence, with a knack for spotting a top defender, so it'll be interesting to see how this goes. Ultimately, results matter more.

I'll get rid of a few players who won't fit in my way of playing, but I'll give some others 6 months to prove themselves. This isn't a one-season project, and I have the money to buy several players without selling, so I'll make a few additions and then I can make changes in winter if I need to.

If things pick up quickly, I'll want to win a trophy and finish in the Champions League places in my first season. United have only had one Champions League campaign in 5 seasons.

With it being nearly 20 years since I first started, the Premier League has changed a lot since 2006. You can expect some deeper coverage, so that you can see where each team is at nowadays.
 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: 25/26 - My New Job of Dreams (club profile)
  • 2 weeks later...

Squad, Transfers and Staff - IN or OUT?

I was tasked with helping overhaul every area of the club, in the hope of ending the sterility and putting United on top like in the Alex Ferguson era. So there was a lot of movement.

Staff

Several staff were moved on, the longest-serving being Paul McGuinness, who joined almost 4 decades ago as a player then coach.

Many long-time servants stay. Brian 'Choccy' McClair remains as assistant manager and takes charge of the Under-18s, and he is the longest-serving staff member remaining - he joined as a player in 1987.

I bring in John O'Shea as defensive coach. The one-club defender (except 2 loans) made 478 apperances for United (and 78 for Republic of Ireland) before becoming a coach at St. Patrick's Athletic in his home country.

Steven Reid, the former R.o.Ireland international and Milwall and Blackburn defender with 500 total league appearances and a World Cup runner-up medal, is promoted from youth team coaching to become a general coach.

Mark Dempsey, a United coach for 30 years now, will manage the reserve team.

I also bring in scouts, a coach and physio from my former clubs and some of the best from elsewhere.

But there was one spot to be filled, and I'm unable to tempt Phil Neville from his assistant job at League One Southend. So I asked around for guys who are in obscurity who should be given a shot and learned of Anthony Allman. He was a player with an unspectacular non-league career who became coach at his last club Ashford Town, but it turns out he can coach absolutely any area except goalkeeping and could've been a top scout too.


Squad + Transfers

I was able to make really good business before the start of the season. Some players will be given a chance, but the transfer window isn't closed yet.

GK - 2 Future World Class Keepers?

1. Khalid Abdulla - 32 years old, Bahrain (40 caps), valued at £3.9m - Aerial Ability 12, Handling 19, Reflexes 12
The only senior goalkeeper, he was finally made #1 under previous manager Banfield, but in the last 3 seasons got average ratings of 6.74, 6.70, and most recently 6.40. When I met him I was shocked that, despite being at United for a decade, his English is still basic. That confirms my decision to sell - Not even good enough to be third-choice.

15. -> 1. Gilles Dupraz - 24, France / Tunisia (4 caps), £3.1m - Aerial Ability 15, Handling 20, Reflexes 19
Technically immense, it might be his mental game that has seen him perform poorly in his short runs here and previously at Toulouse - Could be world class

Thomas Butler's Profile

24. -> 13. Thomas Butler - 21, England (U21), £6m - Aerial Ability 18, Handling 19, Reflexes 20
Has been at 5 clubs in 5 years, but I won't let him go anywhere. Not only is he incredible technically, but physically too. The only weakness is mentally and with communicating, but he IS 21 - Future England #1

Transfers

So we needed a quality veteran keeper to stand in if the young ones aren't ready yet.

20. Tomi Majava - 35, Finland (84 caps), £1.4m from Atlético Madrid (La Liga) - Aerial Ability 16, Handling 14, Reflexes 20
A surprise. He'd been Atlético's #1 keeper for 8 years until a few years ago, yet the 20 games in the last 2 seasons have been his best with a 7.15 average rating. He also helped Finland to the Euro 2024 final (and 2018 World Cup quarter-final). I told him, as a backup, I could only offer him half the wages he was demanding and make it up in potential bonuses. But he accepted!

==================================================


DR - The Scottish Golden Ball winner

John Preston's Profile

2. John Preston - WB/DR, DC - 31, Scotland (46 caps), £3.9m - Pace 13, Jumping 19, Strength 20, Tackling 20
Golden Ball winner at the 2022 World Cup as Scotland shocked the world, also won the league with Newcastle before moving here - World Class

Transfers

We still needed another right-back, an understudy to learn from the top quality Preston.

12. Souza - SW, DR/C - 27, Brazil / Portugal (2 goals in 30 caps), £13.25m (release clause) from Atlético Madrid (La Liga) - Pace 16, Jumping 20, Strength 18, Tackling 18
One half of Atlético Madrid's Brazilian rock solid 'Souza-Souza' central defensive partnership. His last 2 seasons had average ratings of 7.30, with well over 7.00 in the Champions League, and for country has had years of nearly 8.00 average rating as a right-back for country.

25. Mohammad Ali Rafiei - DR/C - 29, Iran (22 caps), £5.5m from Benfica (Primeira Liga) - Pace 19, Jumping 19, Strength 20, Tackling 18
I didn't plan on signing him, but at only £5.5m I'm getting a younger defender who's had well over 7.00 average ratings in 5 of the past 6 seasons in several major leagues, getting 7.44 last season. His magnificent attributes should make up for the very low Teamwork and Work Rate. He's ineligible for the Europa League this season, however.

==================================================


DL - Aged but experienced

3. David Farley - WB/DL - 34, England (50 caps), £1.4m - Pace 12, Jumping 17, Strength 19, Tackling 20
A former Man City player yet a club favourite for us. He's aging well. Can perhaps fill in as emergency centre-back due to his 20 Decisions and 18 Concentration - May still have a year or 2 in him

5. Martin Hamann - WB/DL, DC - 31, Austria (57 caps), £2.6m - Pace 13, Jumping 19, Strength 18, Tackling 18
Captained Austria to their shock World Cup final appearance in 2018 and is still their captain today. Has played in Ligue 1, Eredivisie and Serie A - Valuable experience

With another top player able to fill in at left wing-back, getting a younger left-back isn't an emergency.

==================================================


DC - The Brick Wall

21. Sasa Andjic - 33, Montenegro (1 goal in 60 caps), £2m - Pace 12, Jumping 18, Strength 15, Tackling 18
A United stalwart for 10 years. He's lacking strength now, but still got a 7.04 average rating last season. Hoping to arrange a testimonial with former club Bayern Munich - A legend who's still delivering

6. Michal Simak - 31, Czech Republic (1 goal in 59 caps), £8.25m - Pace 12, Jumping 17, Strength 15, Tackling 20
Played for 10 clubs in his first 8 years, including Inter, Real Madrid, Juventus, Liverpool, Celtic and Werder Bremen before rejoining Real and then joining United and delivering average ratings of well over 7 in every season so far - Delivers everywhere he goes

19. Arturo Castillo - 27, Mexico (18 caps), £8.75m - Pace 16, Jumping 18, Strength 15, Tackling 16
A new signing who got average ratings of 7.22 then 7.29 in his 2 seasons at Werder Bremen, already a club favourite - An in-form and pacy new signing

+ Darlington, Hamann, King, Preston (+ Rafiei, Souza)

An immense mindboggling amount of experience in defence. No wonder they only conceded 102 goals in the last 152 league games. With a few new younger faces, and one more to come next year, this is our strongest area by far.

==================================================


DM/MC - Weak or Underperforming?

4. James Darlington - DC/DMC/MC - 32, England (15 caps), £4.4m - Pace 14, Jumping 19, Strength 18, Passing 16, Tackling 15
Has been consistently top class, but been used more as a sub the past few seasons - Keep for now, but does he still have it?

8. Castro - MC - 27, Portugal (28 caps), £7m - Jumping 13, Strength 11, Passing 19, Tackling 13
Joined last season after 2 good years in Serie A for Mantova, but his attributes are poor and he had more bad games than good ones - Sold for £7.25m to Ionikos in the Greek top league

19. Julien Dominici - MC - 30, France (6 caps), £4.4m - Jumping 16, Strength 13, Passing 20, Tackling 16
An unspectacular 5 years at United so far, his high passing and creativity is all he has - Sold for £4.7m to Premier League Middlesbrough

Bob Ryan's Profile

14. Bob Ryan - MC - 28, England (1 cap), £4.9m - Jumping 15, Strength 13, Passing 20, Tackling 13
I'm torn on Ryan, as he has performed on occasions. With the 2 others being sold, and Ryan an Englishman, I'll give him a chance - Keep for now

12. Kevin Wight - MC - 24, Scotland (2 goals in 18 caps), £6.5m - Jumping 14, Strength 16, Passing 16, Tackling 18
Wight is one of the fastest players around with 19 Pace and 18 Acceleration, but there's nothing he can do with it. Central midfield is the position you least need pace. He can't dribble, shoot or cross, and his positioning (11), concentration (9) and decisions (10) are poor - Sold for £5.25m + percentage of next fee to Napoli (Serie A)

17. Derek King - DC/DMC/MC - 29, Scotland (4 goals in 41 caps), £7.75m - Pace 17, Jumping 15, Strength 12, Passing 20, Tackling 18
Another World Cup winner, but hasn't been amazing the past few years and his lack of Strength/Jumping and Positioning (9) is a concern. Has played as centre-back, but I think he'd be better as a midfielder - Worth trying as a midfielder

+ Peres, Pryce (+ Guilbert, Tsotetsi)

A very weak area if the few I kept don't step up. However, we'll likely only need 1 to deliver, as I'll want to play a midfield diamond with 1 attacking midfielder.

==================================================


M/AMR - Not Quite to Standard?

22. Roddy Pressley - WB/M/AMR - 28, Scotland (1 goal in 20 caps) / England, £11m - Pace 14, Jumping 15, Strength 17, Passing 19, Crossing 15
A former City, Newcastle and Arsenal player, but he last played a full season in 2017/18 for Celtic. His debut United season of 20 starts and 0 sub appearances saw an average rating of 6.72 - Might not be good enough

27. Nicky Pryce - AMR/AMC - 30, England (7 caps), £6.75m - Pace 15, Jumping 14, Strength 14, Passing 15, Crossing 7
Has only had one good season in his 5.5 years at United - Out

+ Topic

See Below.

==================================================


M/AML - As Above

7. Steve McIntosh - WB/M/AML - 27, Republic of Ireland (6 goals in 36 caps), £6m - Pace 14, Jumping 17, Strength 18, Passing 16, Crossing 18
Has yet to reach 7+ average rating in his last 4 seasons at United, but I get the feeling I can get him to perform with those attributes. - Might not be good enough, but gives a proper wing-back option opposite Pressley

23. Petar Malinov - 33, Bulgaria (2 goals in 68 caps), £200k - Pace 10, Jumping 15, Strength 16, Passing 20, Crossing 16
Another former City and Liverpool player. Given his age, his 7 years at the club are over - Out

11. Srdjan Topic - M/AML, M/AMR - 26, Bosnia & Herzegovina (22 caps), £9.25m - Pace 16, Jumping 13, Strength 16, Passing 11, Crossing 19
A Champions League winner with Hamburg before moving this summer on a free, but he's only a crosser. He can't win the ball in the air himself, he can't pass it on the floor, and he's a dribbler that can get pushed off the ball - Might be gone after a season

Transfers

I don't rate new signing Topic highly, so at least one new signing on either side might be a good idea.

15. Andy Casey - 19, England (U21), £8m from Preston North End (Premier League) - Pace 15, Jumping 17, Strength 17, Passing 13, Crossing 18
His only run of starts was on loan in League One 2 years ago with an average rating of 6.91, but the Preston boy has a lot of promise with good physical attributes and high technical ones already, including 19 Dribbling. For now, he goes out on loan to relegation-battling Charlton.

(+ Guilbert)

==================================================


AMC - 0.5 Players

+ Peres

Transfers

If I'm going to use this position, I need 1 if not 2 signings.

23. Brian Guilbert - ML/C, AML/C - 28, Australia (9 goals in 35 caps), Loan from Bayern Munich (Bundesliga) (£4.5m value) - Jumping 17, Strength 17, Passing 18, Dribbling 12, Long Shots 14, Finishing 12
He did well for Coventry and Liverpool a few years ago, but has fallen out of favour at Bayern. On loan to Napoli last season, he got 7 average rating in Serie A and scored the rebound of his saved penalty as Napoli knocked out Man Utd in the Europa League. But I don't want to buy him yet. He's almost 29 and I don't know about his attributes, so the option of a loan was no risk.

24. Reginald Tsotetsi - AMC/MC - 21, South Africa (U21), £12.75m from Borussia Mochengladbach (Bundesliga) - Jumping 15, Strength 18, Passing 20, Dribbling 11, Long Shots 14, Finishing 17
He was plucked from his home country for £2.1m by Gladbach a year ago. He only played a few games, but I see a world class passer and a good finisher who just needs a nudge more strength in the air. Could be converted to a striker later.

==================================================


ST - Where is Lara's Successor?

16. Miguel Lara - 33, Colombian (16 goals in 51 caps), £6.75m - Pace 13, Jumping 15, Strength 16, Finishing 18, Off The Ball 17
A United legend, Lara's career took off when he joined 9 years ago, scoring 179 goals so far and averaging 20 a season - Getting old but I've no desire to sell a legend yet

10. Guillaume Peres - AM/FC - 24, France (6 caps), £6.25m - Pace 18, Jumping 17, Strength 19, Finishing 14, Off The Ball 11
Signed on a free from Lyon last year, scored 6 and assisted 4 in 16(11) games in his debut season as a striker. His passing and Creativity is good - Not sure about him, maybe better as an AMC?

18. Joe Adams - 29, Republic of Ireland (22 goals in 41 caps), £15m - Pace 16, Jumping 16, Strength 17, Finishing 14, Off The Ball 18
Scored a whopping 11 international goals in 3 games a few years ago including 6 in an 11-0 win over Andorra - A consistent goalscorer

9. Michael John - 32, England (4 goals in 15 caps), £875k - Pace 12, Jumping 17, Strength 12, Finishing 14, Off The Ball 18
A Barnsley boy who quickly joined West Brom on a free before joining United on another free. His goalscoring exploits is the only thing keeping him in, at times averaging a goal per start - Maybe too old now

11. Franck Touré - 32, Ivory Coast (27 goals in 53 caps), £275k - Pace 9, Jumping 14, Strength 12, Finishing 18, Off The Ball 13
Never became a real regular despite 8 years at the club, and clearly isn't physically up to it now. Requested a transfer, but when I arrived asked to be taken off. I refused - Out

8. Ali Boussoufa - 28, Morocco (12 goals in 24 caps), £11.25m - Pace 9, Jumping 17, Strength 17, Finishing 18, Off The Ball 14
A new summer signing that performed WELL ABOVE 7 average rating in the past few seasons for Lille, and scored 8 in 7 Champions League games 2 seasons ago, but in Ligue 1 never scored more than 12 - New signing had great performances in France, but lacking in goals sometimes?

Transfers

There's a few strikers to try out, but it feels like there's no 20-goals-a-season striker given age. I'd like to make one of my own signings.

26. Neil Sibiya - 22, South Africa (3 goals in 6 caps), £10.5m from Inter Milan (Serie A) - Pace 16, Jumping 16, Strength 19, Finishing 18, Off The Ball 11
His only starts outside Africa was on loan in Italy's Serie C1 2 seasons ago, where he got 19 goals in 32 league games. In this years' Confederations Cup he scored in the 3-0 win over Brazil and against world champions Scotland in the final. He's one for the future, but may deliver in the present.


Youth

This is a short section. There isn't any youth really standing out. We need to reinvigorate the system that brought Champions Leagues with the Busby Babes and Fergie's Fledglings.


Overview

There's already a world class and experienced defence, with potentially 2 world class young keepers.

There are a lot of good strikers, but no GREAT strikers that are getting 20+ league goals a season.

Midfield is the weak area, especially in the centre. A change in formation and players moved to other positions might see a difference.

The squad badly needed 20-somethings to inject some energy and competition. We also need to get back to getting the best kids in and becoming a club that invests in youth. With my additions, some younger faces will create more competition in a sterile environment with a lot of old-timers and long servers of the club.

It's the first step in the long-term journey to getting a conveyor belt going.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 as a poor man's AVB | UPDATE: 25/26 - Man Utd squad + staff

Pre-Season and My Premier League Debut

Pre-Season

(9th, Belgian top tier) Royal Antwerp 0 - 0 Man Utd (6th, Premier League)

- A mix of youngsters and first-teamers (excluding those that played in the Confederations Cup) only manage an eventless bore draw.

- New signing Topic is injured in 8 minutes, but only for a few weeks.

- Farley (DL) and Ryan (MC), who was given a free role, made 12 key passes.

=================================================================

Journalist: "After saying you wanted to bring back the Man Utd of the 90s/00s, did you expect your first game to end 0-0?"

Me: "Hey, it's a friendly. Not only is it a friendly, but it's my first game. Not only that, but it was with a mix of players to gain fitness. You're talking about something that might take a year or two, so let's calm our tits."

Press officer (whispering): "You can't say that."

Me: "He says I can't say 'tits' any more. What year does he think it is, 2018?"

==================================================================

(3rd, Conference South) Newport County 1 - 3 Man Utd (6th, PL)
0-1: Darlington (45+1)
1-1: (54)
1-3: Griffiths (62), McIntosh (67)

(24th, Championship) Bury 0 - 2 Man Utd (6th, PL)
0-2: Lara (54), John (59)

Man Utd Reserves 0 - 3 Man Utd
0-3: Adams (12), John (32), Lara (84)

- Right winger Pressley got 8 key passes in 67 minutes.

- Striker Lara got a goal 7 minutes after coming on.

==================================================================

The hopes of buying Man City's wonderkid English defender is scuppered as he suddenly refuses to discuss terms, saying he won't move to their city rivals. Who says loyalty is dead?

However I'm able to make some good transfers, as shown in the previous post.

==================================================================

Regarding captaincy, I have a team full of captains so, while veteran United striker Lara won't be wearing the armband any more, it will be rotated. I expect to be more of a ceremonial role though with players driving themselves and others on and leaving the tactics and orders to me.

==================================================================


Premier League

We're 12-1 to win the title, 3rd-favourites, so best of the rest after Newcastle and Arsenal.

With still no word on a replacement manager after Sergio Bueno's retirement, caretaker Nigel Pearson's Newcastle United's defence of the Premier League started with a surprise 1-0 loss away to Sheffield United.

v Tottenham Hotspur (H) @ Old Trafford - 17/8/25

Steve Tilson is in his 7th season as Spurs manager, taking charge after the midtable club were relegated to the Championship. They've been a yo-yo club since.

Last season United won both games 1-0.

My debut at Old Trafford will be televised.

Team News

I'll play the good old 4-4-2 diamond, but with the central midfielder and full backs pushing more forward than I usually have them. I trust my 2 centre-backs to be able to deal with anything.

I'll start with a slow passing game, with the team slightly narrow and as always closing down often.

Team: Butler; Rafiei, Souza, Castillo, Farley (c); Topic, Ryan, McIntosh; Peres; Sibiya, Lara

I put my faith in 21-year-old Butler in goal. The other youngster (Dupraz) has had a run or 2 in the team before, so I'm going with the one that's yet to be tested.

Defence is picked on pace and fitness, with 3 debutants. They all speak the same language as the defender next to them, so I don't expect miscommunication.

Topic, another debutant plays in midfield, with striker Peres moved back as an AMC.

Up front, I pair my signing Sibiya for his debut, alongside fan favourite Lara.

Farley (captain) and Castillo in defence too means all 3 club favourites are starting. I'm not rocking the boat yet.

I hate that I can only have 5 subs now. Everyone else is made available for the reserve game in 2 days.

==================================================================

Journalist: "What do you expect from today's game?"

Me: "I expect a good performance as always and aim for a win in every match. But it's the first game, last season this was a tight game, so we shouldn't expect 5-0 and I hope everyone is realistic. Even if we lose, it's not the end of the world yet."

==================================================================

(Predicted 3rd) Man Utd 5 - 0 Tottenham (Pred. 17th)
3-0: Sibiya (7, 20), Own Goal (25)
MU Missed Penalty: Sibiya (32)
5-0: Sibiya (68), Pressley (90+1)

- I promise, I legit wrote that 5-0 before starting the match.

- Sibiya played with cheek and confidence of someone who'd just scored against Brazil and the world champions in the summer. He chipped Spurs' keeper just 7 minutes in, nearly completing his hat-trick in only 31 minutes

- Spurs sat back, but this allowed us to take an early 3-0 lead with the exciting, attacking, passing football as I promised.

- I was going to make substitutions after the hour, but held off because we were in a dominant spell... and Sibiya finally scored his 3rd right after.

- The game died off in the last 20 minutes, but in the last few minutes I told them to speed it up and give the fans a goal at the end. Pressley obliged.

- Our keeper made good saves, the defence were iffy but it didn't matter, and everyone else got involved. And no injuries. Everything went perfectly.

Sir Alex gave a thumbs up next to Sir Bobby, even the chairman came down to offer excited congratulations.

=================================================================

BBC: "You said before the game not to expect 5-0. It was 5-0!"

Me: "It isn't important. I mean yes, it's a win, great performances, I'm happy, but we aren't here to win 1 game, we're here to win 38 games. Opening days don't reflect the end of season. This is just the start, not the peak."

BBC: "What a debut for your signing Sibiya, do you know the last player to score a hat-trick for Man Utd on his debut?"

Me: "Wayne Rooney, yes! He played with confidence. But again, it's 1 game. He's done very well, enjoy it, congratulations, but keep focused for the next game and for the rest of the season."

BBC: "Well he had a great game, so what more are you looking for from him?"

Me: (Pause) "...A hat-trick every match." *laughs evilly and walks off*

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 | UPDATE: Man Utd 25/26 - Leicester, Chelsea + Deadline Day! (Vince McMahon reacts)

August 2025 - Deadline Day Panic Buying!

Featuring Vince McMahon himself.

Premier League

v Leicester City (A) @ Leicester City Stadium - 23/8/25

Leciester, another yo-yo club, have 4 points out of 6 so far.

United got 4 points from them last season, but they're the slight favourites today.

Team News

They'd beat us on the wings, so I''m changing from 4-4-2 diamond to 3-5-2. The wingers are removed and put in as an extra man in central defence and central midfield, and the full-backs become wing-backs.

The midfield 4 (2 WB + 2 CM) are all from the British Isles.

Tsotetsi makes his first start. Boussoufa also makes his debut, having to follow on from Sibiya's opening hat trick, but it'll be a tough day for the strikers today.

Team: Butler; Souza, Rafiei, Hamann; Pressley, King (c), Ryan, McIntosh; Tsotetsi; Boussoufa, Sibiya

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Pred. 11th) Leicester 1 - 0 Man Utd (Pred. 3rd)
1-0: (46)

- An equal game but we had control of the first half. They managed to squeeze a goal in, we couldn't.

- Boussoufa reacted angrily to being substituted.

- Rafiei was the best player.
 

=================================================================

I'm having trouble shifting the remaining players I'm trying to sell, so I have to make do with loaning out former #1 keeper Abdulla out on loan to Real Betis with a future £3m fee.

=================================================================


v Chelsea (A) @ Stamford Bridge - 27/8/25

José Mourinho left a second time after nearly a decade to manage Real Madrid, but Valter Bonacina has kept them a top 4 side so far.

The last 4 matches between the clubs have ended in draws. Chelsea have lost their 2 games this season 2-1, albiet away to Arsenal and Man City.

Team News

We go back to a 4-4-2.

After this game, only Preston and Andjic won't have played yet.

Team: Butler; Rafiei, Souza, Simak, Hamann; Topic, Darlington (c), McIntosh; Guilbert; Sibiya, John

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Pred. 5th) Chelsea 1 - 0 Man Utd (Pred. 3rd)
1-0: (37)
C Disallowed Goal: (76)

- Diabolical performance. Only 3 key passes (by defenders!), 2 shots, 1 on target.

- We had a penalty appeal turned down.

In the press conference, I say it wasn't the 2 results that worried me, but the performances. We created nothing against Chelsea, and had no real chance in either match. I reveal that I'd planned on reassessing in the January window but, after these 2 losses, it looks like we'll have to bring in players now rather than lose half a season.

=================================================================


MAN UTD SEND SHOCKWAVES WITH HUGE DEADLINE DAY DEALS

United fans were giddy and shirt sales through the roof as the manager's warning of more transfers came to shocking fruition.

It started with the signing of striker Eric Kanu from Inter Milan for a whopping £29.5m. This breaks Inter's record for highest fee received (slightly more than Real Madrid paid Inter for Ronaldo in 2002) and is on a par with Man Utd's record transfer for Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United a month earlier. He will join up with new United striker Sibiya, who was only bought from Inter himself for £10.5m a few weeks ago and scored a hat-trick on his debut, the first Utd player to do so since Wayne Rooney in 2004.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Kanu - 28, Nigeria (30 goals in 41 caps) / England, £29.5 from Inter Milan (Serie A) - Pace 16, Jumping 17, Strength 14, Finishing 20, Off The Ball 16

An Arsenal youth product that moved to Chelsea, Sporting, Real Madrid and then Inter in the space of 5 years. Last season he scored 15 league goals and 5 in Europe.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As well as Celtic's out-of-contract 17-year-old defender Peter Peppers, United sensationally snatched 23-year-old Brazilian striker Santos from champions Newcastle United after the club were unable to convince him to renew his contract. It's estimated a future tribunal will set the compensation fee at only £3m, 4 years after Newcastle spent £12.5m for him.

Notably, in this transfer window United have now signed one half of Atlético's Brazilian Souza-Souza defensive partnership (the Portuguese international, not the Brazilian international) and one half of Newcastle's potential Brazilian Santos-Santos strike partnership (the Brazilian international, not the Portuguese international)!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Santos - 23, Brazil (1 goal in 10 caps), £3m (compensation) from Newcastle United (Premier League) - Pace 18, Jumping 15, Strength 19, Finishing 19, Off The Ball 17

20 in First Touch, high Technique, mentally strong and determined, physically fit. He made his debut for Brazil at only 21, and got 12 goals and 7 assists in 32(20) league games for Newcastle. Incredible value. The Geordies are fuming!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was still morning when United signed another Brazilian from another Milan club: Champions League-winning midfielder Anderson (pronounced 'UHnderson').

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anderson - AMC, M/AML - 30, Brazil (2 goals in 35 caps), £4.7m from AC Milan (Serie A) - Pace 12, Jumping 18, Strength 18, Passing 17, Crossing 19, Dribbling 19, Long Shots 20, Finishing 15

Anderson is a serial winner who'll provide real threat down the left.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There had been rumours of yet more moves, but these were reliant on players being sold first. However United have been unable to move on any more transfer-listed players since the initial flurry when the new manager arrived.

Still, this makes it 13 new signings plus 1 loan and brings spending this window to nearly £100m.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 | UPDATE: Man Utd 25/26 - Leicester, Chelsea + Deadline Day!
  • 2 weeks later...

September 2025 - Europa League, Sheffield United, Preston North End

With the window out of the way, I overhauled the club affiliates and partnerships.

Links remain with:

Bury (League 1) - Local partnership
Royal Antwerp (Belgian top division) - EU passports
Red Star Belgrade (Serbia SuperLiga) - Scouting knowledge and to loan out players
OB (Danish Superliga) - Scouting knowledge and to loan out players
Bnei Yehuda (Israeli Premier League) - Scouting knowledge and to loan out players
Querétaro (Mexican top division) - Scouting knowledge
Xanthi (Greek second tier) - Scouting knowledge

Links are cancelled with Newport County (Conference South), Pohang Steelers (K League 1, South Korea), Ocean Boys (Nigeria), ES Tunis (Tunisia), Parramatta (Australia) and Cianorte (Série C, Brazil).

====================================================

A disastrous summer for defending champions Newcastle United saw the managerless side lose to Sheffield United, draw with Charlton, and need 2 stoppage time goals to beat Preston. Then they only spent £3.3m on 2 senior transfers (one a free) and had a player stolen by Man Utd. But they finally have a new manager: Marcelino García Toral, the former Real Madrid manager who won 9 titles including 6 in a row, La Decima, and a few more trophies in 14 years.

====================================================
 

For the Europa League squad, I leave young current #2/3 keeper Dupraz out in favour of experienced Majava, since the other 2 keepers in the squad are very young. 10-year veteran defender Andjic has to be left out for now. Iranian defender Rafiei is ineligible. My deadline day signings are too late to be registered until after the group stage.

Europa League - First Round, Leg 1

v FC Haka (A) @ Tehtaan kenttä - 11/9/25

The Finnish champions have never reached the group stage, losing both legs to TNS last campaign 2 seasons ago. They lost both legs of their Champions League tie this season to Lens 2-0 each. Should be a simple win over 2 legs.

Team News

With a tough game at Sheffield United in just 3 days, it's good we're playing a weak team. With injuries and inelligible players, the team mostly picks itself anyway.

Team: Butler; Souza, Castillo, Simak, Farley; Topic, Darlington (c), Topic; Guilbert; Boussoufa, Lara

On matchday, it's a huge storm. A downpour and a gale. But the match goes ahead in front of a capacity 6,400 crowd for the biggest match in their history.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(7th, Finnish top tier) FC Haka 1 - 3 Man Utd (Pred. 3rd, Premier League)
0-3: Lara (5, 25), Boussoufa (28)
1-3: (60)

- The ball couldn't move at all in the pools of water covering the muddy pitch. But it was clear that, on a nicer day in Manchester (don't hear that often!), the team will run rings around them.

- The goal conceded by Haka's one shot on target is disappointing and the keeper, Butler, will now be dropped after 3 games without a clean sheet.

- 18-year-old reserve Hampson came on at half time and the right-wing-back did well.

- Centre-back Simak was injured in the storm and is out for 2 months.

========================================================


Premier League

v Sheffield United (A) @ Bramall Lane - 14/9/25

A bottom-half but stable club who reached the Europa League final 2 seasons ago, only to be beaten on penalties by... Manchester United. However, they've beaten Newcastle and Middlesbrough at home 1-0 already, and in the last 4 league meetings the away team hasn't scored. This makes Sheffield United slight favourites after our 2 away losses.

Team News

Dupraz comes in as keeper, Anderson and Santos make their debuts. Kanu is on the bench - the only thing he lacks is strength, and it's a strong defence.

Team: Dupraz; Souza, Rafiei, Castillo, McIntosh; Topic, Ryan (c), Anderson; Tsotetsi; Sibiya, Santos

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Pred. 10th) Sheffield United 1 - 2 Man Utd (Pred. 3rd)
0-1: Sibiya (31)
1-1: (41)
1-2: Sibiya (47)
MU Missed Penalty: Sibiya (90+5)

- Luck and panic in the defence gave us the lead, but Dupraz going too far out gave them an equaliser.

- Rafiei escaped with a yellow for an elbow to the face and will be warned. (Additional note: ****, I forgot to warn him)

- Kanu came on in the 74th minute and was about to score in stoppage time, but he was offside.

- In the 94th minute, Kanu went on a run through the defence but was fouled in the area before he could finish.

- For the 2nd penalty in a row, Sibiya failed to complete his hat-trick from the spot. He won't be taking any important penalties again!

===================================================
 

v Preston North End (H) - 20/9/25

Preston are Premier League mainstays, in their 12th season in a row in the top tier. Frank Lampard even guided them to Europe, before they ruthlessly sacked him. After Sheffield United did the same, he left football disillusioned, and football lost a future great manager.

Today I face off against Mike Newell who, after Sir Steve McClaren retired (and excluding myself), is the best English manager in football. After getting Palace and West Brom promoted to the Premier League (the latter reaching a Europa League semi-final) and Sheffield Wednesday to a Europa League semi-final as well after winning the FA Cup, he begins his first full season in charge of Preston.

The home side has won the last 5 meetings, with 4 clean sheets.

Team News

I finally get to see Scottish World Cup champion and Golden Ball winner Preston in action.

Team: Dupraz; Preston, Rafiei, Castillo, McIntosh; Topic, Ryan (c), Anderson; Tsotetsi; Sibiya, Santos

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Pred. 3rd) Man Utd 2 - 2 Preston North End (Pred. 13th)
2-0: Topic (44), Sibiya (54)
2-2: (61), (75)
PNE Red Card: (90+2)

- Anderson had a knock after 2 minutes, so was subbed off.

- We were a frightening threaten, with 2 chances in the 6-yard box being saved.

- Rafiei got another early yellow card and was subbed off after 55 minutes at 2-0 up.

- Dupraz again came out and gave the opposition an open goal. Now he's dropped harder than Butler was. Butler will be back for the next game.

- Another mistake, Castillo's, led to the equaliser.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: "What is your reaction to your players after throwing away a 2-0 lead?"

A: "I shouted at them. Mistakes aren't done on purpose, but complacency is. Old Trafford should be a fortress. We should've been more than 2-0 ahead, so that even idiotic backpasses and goalkeeper positioning shouldn't have been a problem."

Q: "One goalkeeper is 21 years old, the other playing today is 24. Is age a problem?"

A: "Yes, but that wasn't inexperience or immaturity, it was stupidity. I told him now and only now: if you play like that, you cannot play for Manchester United. Do you want to be a Schmeichel / van der Sar, or do you want to be a Barthez? Barthez was great but, at the level we want to be at, you cannot be a crazy funny keeper who wants to be a midfielder."

Q: "Will that come with age?"

A: "No it comes with training. We have a good coach, we have a European Championship finalist and trophy-winning goalkeeper who has been in the game for decades. If you cannot learn from them to not go wandering, then you never will."

Q: "So do you have a goalkeeping problem?"

A: "This is precisely why I signed Majava. If the youngsters aren't ready, he's such an experienced keeper, I'm sure he will be ready. But I don't want to talk about just the goalkeeper. I shouted at the whole team. Sibiya has started so well but he still should've scored more. Maybe it just needs time, but today the entire team were... this is pre-recorded?"

Q: "...Yes we'll be replaying it on Match of the Day and Five Live."

A: "They were all bellends. Thank you."

======================================================
 

Europa League - First Round, 2nd Leg

v FC Haka (H) - 25/9/25

Haka lost their last 2 league games before today, so everything is going against them.

They need to score 3+ goals at Old Trafford to turn it around, which would be one of the most historic nights in football.

Team News

I'm playing a weak side, so change to a 4-1-2-3 to shoehorn in all the backup and youth players.

Butler is back in goal. If he doesn't **** up, he stays. If he does, the experienced Majava becomes #1. He shouldn't even be tested today.

The full backs are young reserves, including Hampson who did well in the 1st leg.

Team: Butler; Hampson, Darlington, Castillo, Griffin; King (c); Tsotetsi, Guilbert; Boussoufa, Adams, Lara

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(11th, EPL) Man Utd 3 - 0 FC Haka (6th, Finnish top tier)
(6-1 agg.)
3-0: Boussoufa (66, 76, 83)

- Close saves and a lot of off-target shots meant we didn't score in the first half.

- Another injury within a few minutes meant a change to a more normal 4-1-3-2. Topic came on and made an assist for Boussoufa's first.

- Boussoufa finished his hat-trick with a rocket outside the area and then a free-kick.

- Haka had 0 shots on target.

We qualify for the group stage.

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 | UPDATE: Man Utd 25/26 - Europa League, Sheffield Utd, Preston - Facing off against the best British manager today: Mike Newell
  • 3 weeks later...

September/October 2025 - Charlton, Liverpool, Europa League

In an early title deciding clash between the Big 2, Arsenal thrashed defending champions Newcastle 3-0 at the Emirates.

===============================================================

Premier League

v Charlton (A) @ The Valley - 28/9/25

Charlton are yet another yo-yo club who have gone straight to the bottom of the football league and straight back up. Relegated from the Premier League in 2007, within 10 years they were in League Two. Only 5 years later, after a change in chairman, they were back in the Premier League. They were immediately relegated again, but were back under Damian Roden after 2 seasons away.

They're off to a bad start: they haven't won yet this season (6 games), though got a 0-0 draw at home to runaway champions Newcastle. However they just lost 6-0 to Tottenham, who we beat 5-0. 11-0 then?

Team News

I'm not risking hot-headed Rafiei for the Liverpool game, so he starts today.

Team: Butler; Rafiei, Andjic, Castillo, McIntosh; Topic, Darlington (c), Anderson; Guilbert; Santos, Lara

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(20th) Charlton 0 - 2 Man Utd (11th)
0-2: Lara (7), Santos (45 + 1)

- Charlton controlled most of the game, but we were always threatening and they were wasteful.

- Santos made a dribble into the area and scored from the tightest possible angle for his first ever goal for United, which wins Goal of the Month.

===============================================================


v Liverpool (H) - RIVALS - 1/10/25

Man Utd and Liverpool are now in the same boat. After a decade or 2 of success, both teams are former greats who have won only 1 title since their glory eras at about the same time: Liverpool won in 2014, Utd won in 2015. With two 11th-place finishes in a row, they hired Yuri Vergeichik 4 years ago. They haven't finished below 5th since and reached the Champions League semis last season.

The home side has failed to scored in 4 of the last 8 meetings between the two sides. Liverpool have kept a clean sheet in 5 of their 7 league games this season.

Team News

Liverpool play a 5-3-2. Even though they score goals and keep clean sheets, they seem to leave the flanks and the central midfield mostly free. So I'm going to experiment with a 3-3-1-3.

An unheard-of formation in the world today, but it looks like I only need one player on each flank, so I can put an extra man in both defence and attack. 3 defenders to deal with their front 2, a midfielder and wing-backs for their 3 midfielders, 1 free attacking midfielder and a talented front 3 of new signings in Sibiya, Santos and Kanu to trouble their back 3.

Team: Butler; Preston, Castillo, Andjic; Pressley, McIntosh; Ryan (c); Tsotetsi; Kanu, Sibiya, Santos

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(7th) Man Utd 1 - 0 Liverpool (2nd)
1-0: Ryan (9)

- Central midfielder Ryan scored 30 yards out with a memorable goal

- The tactics worked perfectly and it should've been at least 2-0, but their goalkeeper was Man of the Match. They only had a couple chances, while Santos alone had 8 shots.

£30m signing Kanu is out for 2 months with injury, so the star signing won't be scoring his 1st goal any time soon.

================================================================


Europa League - Group G

v C. S. Visé (H) - 16/10/25

Visé finished runner-up in Belgium last season. Under new manager Peter Maes, they were knocked out by Chelsea in the Champions League qualifying rounds, though only lost 2-1 on aggregate. This is their first time in the group stage.

Team News

Visé are forced to give a debut to their 16-year-old keeper.

Team: Butler; Pressley, Preston, Castillo, Farley; Topic, Ryan, McIntosh; Peres; Adams (c), Sibiya

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(6th, EPL) Man Utd 1 - 0 Visé (7th, Belgian top tier)
MU Disallowed Goal: Peres (30)
1-0: Boussoufa (90+1)

- Visé sat back and nearly escaped with the 0-0 win they aimed for.

- Shots and headers went wildly over the bar. 16 shots, 8 on target.

- The goal came from one of my trademark indirect free kicks.

In the other group game, Dynamo Dresden succeeded where Visé failed and got a surprise 0-0 draw at home to PSV.

Edited by git2thachoppa
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 | UPDATE: Man Utd 25/26 - Charlton, LIVERPOOL (battle of the has-beens), Europa League
  • 1 month later...

October 2025 - Blackburn and Arsenal

Premier League

v Blackburn Rovers (H) - 19/10/25

Yet another yo-yo club, Rovers won the Championship last year to get promoted. This season, in 10 games, Rovers have failed to score in 6 and only kept 1 clean sheet. It may seem an easy game, but these two clubs met last season in the FA Cup and Blackburn won 4-1 at home.

Team: Butler; Pressley, Preston, Castillo, Farley; Topic, Ryan (c), Anderson; Tsotetsi; Sibiya, Boussoufa

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(8th) Man Utd 2 - 0 Blackburn (17th)
MU Red Card: Preston (41)
BR Second Yellow: (55)
2-0: Pressley (56), Boussoufa (74)
BR Red Card: (81)

- It was just like our last game, against Visé, with our opponents sitting back for a 0-0. We were dominating even when down to 10 men, in a match that saw 3 sending offs, and once again we scored from an indirect free kick.

- Anderson drew 12 fouls on the left wing, including 8 from the Rovers right-back Taylor, who was sent off after 2 yellows in 2 minutes. The resulting free kick from Anderson is what opened the scoring.

- Boussoufa earned a start and scored his 6th goal in 3(2) games.

- In 15 minutes as a sub, Santos had 5 shots, 3 on target. He makes chances, even if he doesn't score them yet.

- The chairman was pleased with the win.

===============================================================
 

League Cup - 3rd Round

v Blackburn Rovers (A) @ Ewood Park

As if the world was secretly run by a Football Manager game, 'coincidentally' play the same team in our next cup tie. As before, we're favourites, but Blackburn won the same cup tie last season 4-1.

Team News

I believe it was former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson himself who began the idea of the League Cup being a competition for youngsters and reserves, as he began mastering the art of rotation which eventually led to the Treble of 1999. With that in mind, I'll start 35-year-old backup Majava in goal. He's yet to make his debut, while youngster backup Dupraz played half of last season and has played a couple this season already.

2 youngsters are picked at left-back and centre-back, with defensive midfielder Darlington out of position at right-back too due to youngster Hampson being on loan now. Pryce, who I tried to sell, make his first appearance under me.

Team: Majava; Darlington, Andjic, Pepper, Griffin; Pryce, King (c), Guilbert; Peres; Adams, Lara

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(17th, EPL) Blackburn 0 - 2 Man Utd (5th)
BR Disallowed Goal: (28)
0-2: Lara (90+2), Adams (90+4)

- This really is like the old Man Utd. Again, goals in the final minutes earn a win, though after a poor display.

- Under-18 defender Peter Pepper (yes I know), who I snatched out-of-contract from Celtic, made his senior debut and was one of the better performers.

- Majava made several good saves and always looked like keeping a clean sheet.

- It's the 6th clean sheet in a row (though 4 of those were against teams sitting back).

All League Two and One teams have been eliminated from the cup.

===============================================================
 

Premier League

v Arsenal (A) @ Emirates Stadium - RIVALS - 25/10/25

Once Alex Ferguson retired, Arsene Wenger's Arsenal dominated and killed English football even worse than Fergie ever did. They won an unprecedented 6 Premier Leagues in a row, winning 2 Champions Leagues along with those last 3 titles, a run that immediately ended once Wenger retired in 2013.

His replacement, Javier Aguirre, lasted only 1 year after dropping to 5th and was replaced by Michael Laudrup, who is now in his 11th season. Laudrup steered Arsenal back to the top with a few more titles and trophies, but Sir Steve McClaren's Newcastle overtook them. Laudrup did win a 4th title a couple of seasons ago, but he has also lost 4 Champions League finals.

Arsenal are unbeaten so far in the league this season.

In the last 5 meetings, the away team hasn't scored.

Team News

Arsenal have such physically strong players, but they play 4-2-3-1 so us playing 3 centre-backs would be a waste of 1 player. Instead, I'll play a quick and strong centre-back (Rafiei) and the other will add experience (Simak). Boussoufa's goalscoring exploits means he starts alongside the other new guy making a great start, Sibiya.

Team: Butler; Preston, Rafiei, Simak, McIntosh; Pressley, Ryan (c), Anderson; Tsotetsi; Boussoufa, Sibiya

===============================================================

(4th) Arsenal 4 - 3 Man Utd (5th)
0-1: Pressley (4)
1-1: (13)
1-2: Sibiya (26)
MU Goal Disallowed Boussoufa (45+1)
2-2: (60)
A injury, down to 10 men: (64)
2-3: Sibiya (70)
4-3: Preston Own Goal (75), (90)
MU injury, down to 10 men: Ryan (90+5)

- An action-packed and bizarre game that will hopefully become a rarity as I build a squad through the years.

- We took the lead 3 times through set pieces, only to lose to 10 men.

- Arsenal dominated the start, getting 9 shots in the first 13 minutes. But eventually we took control.

- Our 1st goal came from a throw-in routine, the 2nd from a long throw that got knocked over their keeper and Sibiya squeezed it in, the 3rd was a direct free kick.

- Boussoufa's goal was correctly ruled offside.

- We had several chances in the last 10 minutes so could've won still.

- Despite 4 goals conceded, Butler (GK) had a good game and was the reason why it wasn't worse.

The result wasn't down to any really bad performances, the squad just isn't there yet. Arsenal are a strong team and were once a behemoth, but mine is currently an unspectacular team with an experienced defence and a rookie goalkeeper.

===============================================================

Bob Ryan's long-range winner against Liverpool unsurprisingly wins Goal of the Month.

===============================================================

My former club Busan IPark successfully defended their (and my) Champions League. The final was effectively over after they got an impressive 3-0 away win against Iranian giants Persepolis, winning 4-0 on aggregate.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • git2thachoppa changed the title to [FM 07] Back to 2006 | UPDATE: Man Utd 25/26 - Blackburn and Laudrup's Arsenal
  • 2 weeks later...

November 2025 - Man City, Southampton (Guarín??) and Norwich

Premier League

v Manchester City (H) - RIVALS - 2/11/25

The 2 clubs are in a tight battle to be declared the #1 team in Manchester. Both have won a few cups (City being the current FA Cup holders but United winning the Europa League 2 seasons ago), though City have finished a few places above United the past 2 seasons and haven't lost a derby in 4 years (P8, W5, D3).

Since 2016, during Thomas Doll's reign, City established themselves as a top 4 side. They dropped to 6th and 7th in Doll's final years, but then finished 3rd twice in a row under Erwin Koeman. Koeman retired at the end of last season and was replaced with Slobodan Drapic. He has just won Manager of the Month, so hopefully the curse will hit instantly.

They are also top of the table currently, their only loss coming away to Newcastle. They've kept 5 clean sheets in a row.

It'll be a tough derby.

Team News

It's about utilising experience today.

Young goalkeeper Butler is injured. Dupraz has been playing for the reserves, and his last match was conceding 3 goals against City reserves. So the experienced Majava will start.

As well as an experienced European Championship runner-up in goal, it's an over-30s central defence of Preston (World Cup and Golden Ball winner) and Hamann (World Cup runner-up).

Central midfielder Ryan scored a Goal of the Month winner against Liverpool, but he's injured, so it's fellow Briton King's chance.

Team: Majava; Rafiei, Preston, Hamann, Farley; Pressley, King (c), McIntosh; Peres; Boussoufa, Sibiya

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(8th) Man Utd 1 - 0 Man City (1st)
MU Disallowed Goal: Sibiya (17)
1-0: McIntosh (34)

- Our goal was just offside, as McIntosh was behind the goalkeeper.

- It should've been a lot more, City went inside their shell, but it just wouldn't go in again.

- Sibiya nicked the ball off their keeper outside his area, but his shot to goal hit the post.

- Farley's (DL) bad marking gave their right winger a couple of one-on-ones.

But it's another win, another clean sheet, and another hated rival beaten.

===============================================================


League Cup - 4th Round

v Southampton (H) - 5/11/25

Southampton are a yo-yo Championship side that have been relegated from the Premier League 5 times in 20 years. They were enjoying their longest run in the top tier since 2005 (6 seasons, mostly under current manager Willie Furphy) before being relegated last season.

Southampton's team include a 39-year-old Freddy Guarín.

Team News

Even though it's the League Cup, the only youngster this time is the substitute goalkeeper (unless you consider 24-year-old starting keeper Dupraz to also be a youngster). It's more about getting other squad players game time.

Team: Dupraz; Rafiei, Simak, Andjic, Hamann; Topic, Darlington, Anderson; Guilbert; Santos, Adams (c)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(6th, PL) Man Utd 2 - 0 Southampton (16th, Championship)
2-0: Santos (58), Guilbert (79)

- I told the players they were disappointing after an uneventful first half when we should've been having chances. This fired up some players for the second half.

Thanks to a Championship v Championship tie, 1 Championship team still remains in the competition.

 

===============================================================

In the first round of the FA Cup, Eastleigh beat League One Yeovil, who are at least 4 divisions above them, 2-1 at home with a late winner. They've now won every FA Cup match so far 2-1 (they won a replay 2-1...)

Conference South side Hitchin took the lead twice before drawing 2-2 at League One side Tranmere Rovers.

===============================================================


Premier League

v Norwich City (H) - 15/11/25

Norwich finally ended their curse last season. Their last 4 promotions to the Premier League (2004, 2007, 2015 and 2022) ended in relegation after just 1 season. They bounced straight back in 2024 under French legend Jean Pierre-Papin, and a win on the final day saw them finish 1 point and 1 place above the relegation zone. Papin left for Malaga and was replaced with Michael Skibbe. Now can they make it to a 3rd season?

They just got their first away win of the season, 2-1 in Middlesbrough.

Team News: Butler; Souza, Preston, Castillo, McIntosh; Pressley, King (c), Anderson; Tsotetsi; Santos, Sibiya

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(6th) Man Utd 1 - 0 Norwich (17th)
1-0: Pressley (66)
N Red Card: (78)

- Norwich had 2 shots, 0 on target, but were still a bit of a threat. Once more at home, we managed to finally break through the defence.

- Castillo's headed and long ball clearances straight into attack were a real problem for the opposition.

===============================================================


This ends a run of 8 home games in 11 matches (or 2 months). No doubt playing a part in getting 9 clean sheets in the last 10 matches.

There are still 3 home games in a row to come after the next 2 away games.
 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...