After 10 years with FM, my first career update

[trman73]

May 7, 2033 - Premier League: Brighton (8-4-23, 28 pts., 19th) vs. Liverpool (19-7-9, 64 pts., 5th)

Here's the deal with three matches to go...

This should be the one that clinches fifth for us. Brighton is going down unless they catch fire in these final three matches, and we can put them out of their misery with a victory here. There's some drama at the top of the table, but United has a game in hand over Chelsea so they are in better shape than it looks right now.

I want this season to be over so I can do some re-assessment and strengthen the club during the summer. Just three months or so ago I thought we were in great shape. We're clearly not. Among other things, we've got to get a consistent second forward to pair with Suvajac. But it's more than that. I'll evaluate when this campaign is over, and frankly that end can't come soon enough. We're just 6-5-5 in the second half and have a -1 goal differential after being dominant for stretches in the first half.

Anyway, we're officially shut out of Champions League as even if a miracle happens and we catch Arsenal on points, we're not making up that 20-goal differential difference. So let's play these last 270 minutes, shall we?

Well, we do it. Kretzschmar scores 90 seconds in, then Suvajac gets one on a PK and another on his own, and we're up 3-0 at halftime. It stays that way until Brighton scores in the closing moments, but we win, 3-1. We clinch 5th in Premier League.

 

Edited September 8, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

May 14, 2033 - Premier League: Liverpool (20-7-9, 67 pts., 5th) vs. West Brom (13-10-13, 49 pts., 10th)

We have nothing to play for but pride as we know exactly where we'll finish the season. I'm going to go ahead and start the first team in this one as it's our last home game and I want to go out with a good performance.

We end the home campaign on a positive note. Fliess scores a beautiful goal on a pass from Kretzschmar in the 31st, then adds a second in the second half, and it's a good, clean 2-0 win. We finish 12-4-3 at Anfield.

Edited September 8, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

May 22, 2033 - Premier League: Huddersfield (15-9-13, 54 pts., 7th) vs. Liverpool (21-7-9, 70 pts., 5th)

Well, a couple of my players are pissed that we didn't qualify for Champions League and want to leave. One of them, left back Andrea Dagnino, I was probably going to let go of anyway as his contract's up and he's not worth the $8.5 million salary he's making when we have other, less expensive options. But the other is center back Anton Tulyakov, a key player for us. I've got to convince him to stay and keep building things here.

This is our final match of the season and it means something for Huddersfield. They've had a really nice season, and if they can get a result here and Everton slips up, they sneak into 6th and qualify for Europa League. Wolves and Newcastle are also in that chase, but they need both Everton and Huddersfield to slip up. United has already clinched the title with a game to go, Chelsea is second, and City and Arsenal are battling for third, with City up on the Gunners by two points.

This is a match between a team that acted like it had something to play for and a team that was already making its vacation plans. We give up a goal in the 27th, and a goal in the 74th, and play a poor final match. We finish 21-7-10, good for 70 points, 5th in the league, and a lot of regret over the last three and a half months of the season.

Everton draws its match, and Huddersfield completes a great season with a 6th-place finish.

[john1]

Decent season,hopefully you will strengthen in the summer to challenge for top 4.  

[trman73]

Liverpool 2032-2033 Season Review

What a weird, weird season this was for Liverpool. Probably my most bizarre season to date. During the first half of the campaign we looked like we were going to re-emerge as a Champions League-level team, and during the second half of the season we went through a stretch where we couldn't beat anyone. It was certainly frustrating, but ultimately we accomplished our top goal, which was getting back to continental competition. 

Two of our players, F Jovica Suvajac and MC Florian Claus, are named to the Premier League Team of the Year, a nice accomplishment. It's the first time in this save two Liverpool players are named to the Best XI, and we've had just four players total (including these two) named to the team since the save started in 2016-17. Adrian Sandoval's January 5th goal against Tottenham, his only score of the season, is also named the Goal of the Year.

Overall, here are our team stats, and our awards...

Again, in the Premier League we achieved our goal, although I can't help but feel like we underachieved. The game of our season was the big 5-2 win over eventual league champ Manchester United on September 19. Our worst loss was to Watford on March 12, when we gave up two goals in the final five minutes to basically put the nail in the coffin of our Champions League hopes. Overall, given my personal expectations for the season, we get a B-.

As for the cups, we advanced to the quarters of the EFL Cup and lost to eventual champs Crystal Palace, and totally flamed out of the FA Cup in our first match, losing to Tottenham in the match that started our two-month miserable run of football. So I'm giving us a C- for the two cups combined.

This all adds up to an overall season grade... of C+.

Most Valuable Player: F Jovica Suvajac

His overall body of work looks incredibly impressive: 22 goals and 16 assists and a 7.26 rating in league play while appearing in all 38 of our games. But if you read this season's progress, our collapse coincided with his epic slump. He scored five goals (three on penalties) with just two assists in our final 19 games. I reluctantly give him this award, but I would rather have seen more consistency overall and maybe fewer pockets of brilliance in spurts in the first half. The runner-up is MC Florian Claus, who scored 8 goals and had 8 assists while also appearing in all 38 league games, and third is AMC Niklas Fliess, who established himself as a guy who can play that crucial attacking midfielder position with 10 goals and five assists while also appearing in all 38 games.

So what happened? The injury to Bernardino at right back really hurt, and while his replacement technically played well, losing him was a blow, moreso than losing midfielder Jorge Acosta earlier in the year. But the big thing was our inconsistent play from that second forward position. Bradley Kretzschmar was inconsistent, Rasmus Jonsson was as well, and Aguirre, Sainz and Guedet (despite playing well in the EFL Cup) were terrible. And Ben Woodburn, our captain, has just totally had it and should probably retire. He is out of contract and won't be back.

Looking at next season, I want to bring in that key second forward, a guy with a good finishing and passing rating, to pair with Suvajac. and we need to bring in a replacement left back for Dagnino, who will not return (and doesn't want to). Those are my priorities.

I don't think this team needs an overhaul at all. If we can strengthen those two areas, and maybe sell off some dead weight, I'll feel fine.

The West Ham job has come open after their disappointing 14th-place finish, their fourth straight year finishing lower than the year before. When their manager was fired, I saw that I was second in the "sack race." Still, I am not going to apply for my favorite team's opening, because I think in 2033-2034, Liverpool gets back to Champions League.

Edited September 8, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

Liverpool Off-Season Recap

I bring in just three new faces. But first, the outgoings...

• I let 33-year-old forward Ben Woodburn go after his contract runs out. This guy's first season at Liverpool was the first season of this save, he was our team captain, and he scored more than 100 goals for the club. But he's out of gas, and with three weeks to go until the start of the season he hasn't been picked up.
• I also say farewell to Andrea Dagnino, the Italian left back, who was our main complainer after we didn't qualify for Champions League. He didn't want to be here, so his contract runs out and he's also not picked up as of yet.
• The only sale I make is left back Ercio, who appeared in a grand total of one game during my tenure and was third string. Middlesbrough actually gives me $7.5 million for him.
• As always I let a bunch of other guys' contracts run out, but no one worth mentioning.

Now, the new guys.

• I make two moves for guys I expect to start. The first is 25-year-old English forward Michael Harris. He comes over from Reading for $25 million after scoring 21 goals for them two years ago. He tailed off to 12 last year, but they were really bad, so now that he's part of a quality side I expect 15-18 goals from him alongside Suvajac.
• I also add 24-year-old Argentinian left back Jorge Duro from Middlesbrough for $14 million. He'll take Dagnino's starting spot in the back.
• And I add a young right back, Greg Ferry, simply for depth. He probably won't see action.

Here are the two new faces:

So ultimately we don't do too much, but I like these additions. We head into our five friendlies with a clean bill of health.

[fridge73]

Looking at your team's morale would urge me to do "team coehesion" training along with "tactical" training, since they are perhaps, still trying to work you out as well as working with each other. 

Europe in 1st season aint bad.  You got a good starting 11 which is good. 

[trman73]

We play five friendlies and do okay for ourselves:

• AC Milan 1, Liverpool 2 - A solid first warmup that ends with Schmidt scoring with about 15 seconds left in stoppage time.
• Reading 1, Liverpool 2 - This is the first match of a Friendly Cup, and we handle our recently relegated opponents fairly easily.
• Liverpool 1, En Avant de Guingamp 1 - The Friendly Cup final goes to kicks, and Lecomte stops all four shots he sees. Hey, a trophy!!! (Kidding.)
• Girondins de Bordeaux 1, Liverpool 2 - Decent road win in France. Suvajac scores his first of the pre-season.
• Liverpool 6, Shamrock Rovers 0 - Our only home friendly is a late replacement for a matchup with Rangers, who had a Euro Cup qualifier. Kretzschmar scores three in the first half. Subs and young guys play the entire second half.

So that's 5-0-0, or 4-1-0 depending on how you look at the Friendly Cup. And with three days to go until our Premier League opener, we remain injury-free.

[trman73]

Hey fridge, "teamwork" is basically my default team training setting. For tactics, right now they are at 100% knowledge. 

The morale issue when I took that screen shot was related to me basically telling one of our key players that I wasn't letting him go play for Arsenal. The team revolted a bit, but I settled them down. With a day to go until the actual season starts, morale is back to "good" across the board, with a couple exceptions.

[trman73]

Liverpool 2033-2034 Season Preview

Last year I predicted we'd finish with 63 points and claim 5th in Premier League. We wound up with 70 points, our best season in a decade, but it wasn't good enough to vault us into 4th. (A quick check of the history of this save shows that in just five of the 17 seasons, 70 points would have gotten you into 4th and Champions League.) So it's safe to say that we'll need to improve on last year's record if we want to jump into one of those coveted top four spots.

So let's see how likely that is heading into the season. Here's the team we'll go to battle with...

Goalkeeper - Michel Lecomte is back in net. He gave up 42 goals in 32 games last year and had 11 shutouts. He's an above-average Premier League keeper, and I trust him. Aaron Lovatt returns as the backup, and he was just fine in the six games he started a year ago.

Right Back - Goncalo Bernardino wanted to leave in the off-season, but I wouldn't let him. He was having a great season before getting injured last year, with a 7.30 rating in 23 games. Losing him contributed to our late-season slide. Valentin Jimenez got good experience last year filling in once Bernardino got hurt, and he's a quality backup.

Central Defense - This remains totally unchanged from a year ago. Alejandro Barra and Anton Tulyakov start and are one of the best center defenses in the EPL. Giuliano Scarpone and Asier Pena are the backups, and are just fine.

Left Back - Newcomer Jorge Duro starts here, replacing the departed Dagnino. Eddie Webber, who started a handful of games for us last year, backs him up.

Central Midfield - Definitely a team strength. Everyone returns from a year ago. That means Adrian Sandoval in the middle, backed up by Thomas Hoppe. I'm giving Adam Newton his spot back on the right side, backed up by Jorge Acosta, and Florian Claus is one of the best in the league on the left side. Huge Schmidt, Robbie McKenzie, and Martin Holmes should also get some action.

Attacking Midfielder - Niklas Fliess had a great year last year and is back. Jose Antonio is the backup. No issues here at all.

Forward - Looking back at my preview last year, I wrote that it could be a revolving door in terms of who we pair with Jovica Suvajac, and that is exactly what happened. The addition of Michael Harris remedies that, or at least I hope it does. If he returns to his 2031-2032 form at Reading, we will have an absolutely deadly attack. Bradley Kretzschmar, who was a quality option for us last year, is the third man. And we'll go with youngsters Rasmus Jonsson, Martin Guedet, and Connor Duffus as backups as well.

Season Predictions

The board expects the following:

• Premier League - Qualify for Euro Cup
• Euro Cup - Reach Semifinals
• FA Cup - Reach Sixth Round (Quarterfinal)
• EFL Cup - Not Important

The domestic cups are always crap shoots, but I'll say we make the quarters of one and the semis of another. Whatever. The Euro Cup is a competition we should do well in. I think it's fair to expect that the best qualifier from Premier League to make the final four, so I'll say we do that, and I'll even say we go a step further and make the final.

As for the Premier League, looking at the schedule I see 20-10-8. That's 70 points, the same points total we had last year. So let's go crazy and say we win one additional game, go 21-10-7, get 73 points, and this is one of those seasons where that's good enough for 4th place.

We start the season with a very winnable string of matches. We open on the road against Burnley (promoted last year), then home against Newcastle, at Bolton, then home against Bournemouth and Southampton before finally facing one of the top four when we visit Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal. As for the end of the season, we'll get Chelsea and United as part of our final five matches, both at home. Hopefully those games will really mean something.

Let's start Year 3 at Liverpool!!!

Edited September 9, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

August 6, 2023 - Premier League: Burnley vs. Liverpool

I'd rather not open the season against a team like this and would prefer to see them later in the year, but whatever. Burnley was promoted after finishing second in the Championship last year, and they are predicted to finish dead last in the EPL this season. They have been either promoted to or relegated from the league in six of the past seven seasons, and have not played back-to-back EPL campaigns since a three-year run from 2025-2027. So to say that we should start this season by picking up three points is an understatement.

We have our full starting lineup available for this one, which means it's the debuts for Duro at left back and Harris at forward. The rest of the lineup is filled with familiar faces, so let's get to it!

Arsenal officially kicks off the Premier League season by beating Chelsea at home, 2-1.

Yikes. We give up a goal in the 13th minute to go down early, then Burnley scores right before halftime to make it 2-0. This is a nightmare scenario. I bring in Kretzschmar for the second half as Harris is just terrible, and he scores in the 57th to pull us to within one. We go into attack mode, the overload, but we never get the equalizer. To make matters worse, Niklas Fliess is injured and will miss our next couple matches. What a horrible start to the season.

Edited September 10, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

August 14, 2033 - Premier League: Liverpool (0-0-1, 0 pts., 15th) vs. Newcastle (1-0-0, 3 pts., 5th)

Newcastle beat Watford 5-4 in its opener in a crazy match that saw them come back from a 4-1 deficit and score three goals in the final 10 minutes, including the winner in stoppage time. That was everything our opener wasn't both in terms of excitement, and result. But this is our home opener, and if we're going to be a good side this year we've got to protect Anfield.

Well we get off to a better start in this one as Michael Harris scores from a pass by Adam Newton. He gets a second just five minutes later to make it 2-0, but Newton and Suvajac both get nicked up in the first half and I take them out, so we're down to just one sub. But we play a solid match throughout, and rebound from the disaster at Burnley with a quality 2-0 win over a decent Newcastle club.

Edited September 10, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

August 20, 2033 - Premier League: Bolton (1-1-0, 4 pts., 6th) vs. Liverpool (1-0-1, 3 pts., 8th)

Only three teams emerge with two wins in their first two matches: Arsenal, City, and Middlesbrough. So we're right in the thick of things and need a good road victory against this Bolton team that drew at home against United in its opener and beat Watford last week.

Fliess, Newton, and Suvajac are all fine for this one and in the lineup. We score a minute and 45 seconds in, as a cross from Duro finds Suvajac for his first of the season. But Bolton ties it in the 15th on a very similar play, and just two minutes later Duro commits a huge mistake, giving the ball up to Bolton in our zone for a very easy goal, and just like that we're down 2-1. Bolton gets a third in the 61st, and we've got a real defensive problem. We get back to within one after a Claus shot hits the post and lands on the foot of Barra, who scores, but we give that back just a few minutes later and it's 4-2. Emmanuel Nlend scores his fourth of the match in the final minutes, Suvajac gets one a minute later, and it's a humiliating 5-3 defeat.

Edited September 10, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

August 26, 2033 - Euro Cup Group Stage Draw

I need a break from thinking about how crappy we've been to start the season, so let's see who we'll begin both our EFL Cup and Euro Cup runs with.

We enter the EFL Cup in the third round, and our first opponent will be... Championship side Fulham, at home.

As for Euro Cup, somehow we're a third seed, and one of the lower-ranked one at that. Whoever draws us will have to be disappointed to get the 5th best team in Premier League in their group as the third seed.

And the first team in our group, which is Group E, is... Dynamo Kiev, the second-best team in Ukraine. Next up is... FC Kobenhavn, which has won the Danish Premier League for the past five years. And finally, we get... Atalanta, which finished 6th in Serie A a year ago to get in.

I'll take this. There are no gimmies here, but I also feel like we're the best team in this group, and there are no Roma's or BMG's to deal with. We should advance. We'll start with Atalanta on the road, then home against Kiev, away and home against Kobenhavn, home verses Atalanta, and we'll finish in Ukraine.

Edited September 10, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

August 27, 2033 - Premier League: Liverpool (1-0-2, 3 pts., 14th) vs. Bournemouth (2-0-1, 6 pts., 9th)

No team has nine points and seven leads the league right now. But we're dropping points to clubs that Champions League qualifiers should easily beat. I am making lineup changes for this one. Bernardino is out in favor of Jimenez, Scarpone starts for Tulyakov, Acosta's in for Newton, and Jose Antonio starts for Fliess. I may be panicking, but none of those players have been good in the early-going. I have a sneaking suspicion that with a loss here, the board will go from satisfied to disappointed.

We give up the first goal of the game yet again, this time in the 28th. And it looks like we're going to lose for the third time in our first four. But in the 82nd, Jose Antonio finds Suro with a pass, and he leads Suvajac right down the middle for the tying goal. We have a couple chances to take the lead late, but it's a 1-1 draw, and yet another disappointment. I had hopes that we'd get 12 points from our first four matches; we've got four.

[trman73]

Wow it's a weird start to the season in Premier League.

We make no additional moves as the transfer deadline comes and goes. I put a few feelers out, but I think we can get it back together with the team we have right now, and shake off our early-season malaise.

And then, once again, right after the window slams shut, we suffer a significant loss. While on duty for Russia in World Cup qualifiers, central defender Anton Tulyakov damages his Achilles tendon, and is out 3-4 months. A huge blow at a moment when we're quite fragile. Giuliano Scarpone takes his spot in the lineup for now, but man, this really hurts, and best-case scenario is Tulyakov is out 17 matches, and very likely more. Through four games only Newcastle has allowed more goals than we have, and we haven't exactly played the cream of the crop of the league. Ugh.

September 12, 2033 - Premier League: Liverpool (1-0-2, 3 pts., 14th) vs. Southampton (2-1-1, 7 pts., 4th)

Again, despite our poor start we're actually not in that bad shape. Southampton is playing well in its return to the EPL after a one-year absence. Their loss is to Chelsea and their draw was a 0-0 result against United in their last match. So they're playing well, and with a road match at Arsenal following this one, we really need three points at home here. We're the Monday match this week, so we know that if we win we could move to the top half of the table, and with a loss we could actually fall into the relegation zone. I start Thomas Hoppe in the center of the midfield in place of Sandoval, who is not playing well.

It's a solid start for us in this one as Claus finds Suvajac running down the center of the box for a goal just three minutes in. Just over two minutes later (actually while I had the screen minimized to write about the first goal), Suvajac finds Harris and six minutes in we're up 2-0. In the 37th, Suvajac gets fouled in the box, takes it himself, and makes it 3-0. This is easily our best match of the season thus far, and it's basically over. Suvajac scores his third goal right before halftime, and it's our best 45 minutes in forever.We get a late goal from Brad Kretzschmar and close it out for a fantastic 5-0 win. With the +5 day, we jump five teams into ninth position.

 

[trman73]

September 15, 2033 - Euro Cup, Group E, Game 1: Atalanta vs. Liverpool

It's strange that an EPL team and a Serie A team were the two lowest-seeded teams in this group, but here we are. Atalanta is a familiar foe back from my days in Italy, and I'm pretty surprised they're here. This is their first trip to European competition in this save, and just four years ago they were relegated to Serie B. But they had their best season in their Serie A history last year, and easily finished in 6th to make Euro Cup, where they beat Partizan and Locomotiv Moscow to get to group stage.

That's a feel-good story. But so are we, as we're trying to re-establish ourselves as a European factor here, and this tournament can help us take a step toward that. So we need to get off to a quality start here. Obviously we've been incredibly poor in our two road matches thus far, so we need to change that.

We get on the board in the 26th, when Acosta finds Michael Harris for our first goal of the competition. We hold the 1-0 lead at the break. Then in the second half, it all goes to hell, as Atalanta scores two goals in a five-minute span midway through the half. We don't get the tying goal, and lose on the road in our return to Euro Cup.

[trman73]

September 18, 2033 - Premier League: Arsenal (3-0-2, 9 pts., 3rd) vs. Liverpool (2-1-2, 7 pts., 9th)

This would be the perfect time to get our first road result of the year, as we'd jump Arsenal and probably a few more teams and be right back in contention. But after three losses to teams that are nowhere near as good as these guys, it's tough to see us winning at Emirates Stadium.  Each of us played a midweek match, and our chances are bolstered a bit by the absence of James Boothby, who just killed us a year ago.

We may eventually get a road win, but it won't be today. Instead, today is yet another bad result against a top club, as we fall, 3-0. Arsenal scores two in the first half and one late to take it easily. We're back down the table to 13th.

[trman73]

September 21, 2033 - EFL Cup, Third Round: Liverpool vs. Fulham

If this was a road match I'd put our chances of advancing at just about zero, but at home we should be fine against the Championship side. I'm giving Aaron Lovatt the start in net today as we can add Lecomte to the list of players who are playing poorly.

Nothing's coming easy this year, and this match is no different. After a goal from Suvajac midway through the first half, Fulham answers just a few minutes later. It's 1-1 at the break, and it's 1-1 after 90, so we head to extra time. In the second half of extra time, Martin Holmes, a substitute midfielder making his first appearance for us, scores the game winner, and we survive, 2-1. It's not impressive but it's effective, and we are on to Round Four, where we will play... Championship side Sunderland, on the road.

[trman73]

September 24, 2033 - Premier League: Middlesbrough (3-0-3, 9 pts., 8th) vs. Liverpool (2-1-3, 7 pts., 13th)

There's not much to say in advance of this one. We need to get our first road win, or I am convinced I'll be in trouble with our board.

This is a crazy match. Suvajac gets us on the board just 29 seconds in, but then Middlesbrough ties it just two minutes later. It goes downhill from there for us as 12 minutes in we're losing 3-1. Claus pulls us to within 3-2 in the 25th, but Middlesbrough scores right before the half, and it's another defensive nightmare for us as we trail 4-2 at the break. But Kretzschmar scores in the 52rd to cut it to 4-3, and then Fliess scores a beautiful goal on a lead pass from Suvajac, his third assist of the game, and we tie it.

We have a lot of good chances in the final 20 minutes to finally get that road win, but it winds up a 4-4 draw and a two-goal comeback for us. We're still just horrific defensively, but we finally get a road point.

 

[trman73]

September 29, 2033 - Euro Cup, Group E, Game 2: Liverpool (0-0-1, 0 pts., 3rd) vs. Dinamo Kyiv (1-0-0, 3 pts., 1st)

Kyiv beat Kobenhavn easily in its opener, but with a win here we're right back in this group. A loss would be just terrible. Offensively we're starting to click, but man, the defense is just horrible. I'm giving Aaron Lovatt another start in net, and we're also sitting Duro in favor of Eddie Webber at left back. God, I need something to give us a defensive boost here.

We've been scoring early lately, and that continues as Harris finds Suvajac for a goal in the third minute. Things are going along just fine until the 39th minute, when Suvajac is injured and has to come off. I'll be thinking about the severity of this injury for the rest of the match, as all we've really got going for us right now is the attack.

Amazingly, that early goal is the only one of the match, as Lovatt and the defense get the shutout, and we get back in it in Group E with a 1-0 win. Atalanta beats Kobenhavn to take control of the group, but we're second after this win.

Even better, Suvajac's injury will keep him out for just 4-5 days. Whew!

[trman73]

October 2, 2033 - Premier League: Liverpool (2-2-3, 8 pts., 13th) vs. West Brom (3-2-2, 11 pts., 9th)

We'll be without Suvajac for this one game, and also Florian Claus, who's nicked up as well. Those are the two guys who were in last year's Team of the Year. Add Tulyakov's absence, and you could argue that we're without our three best players. We do get two weeks off after this one for the final round of World Cup group qualifiers.

We're 4-1-0 in our five home matches overall, and we're better than this West Brom team, at least on paper. So let's see what we can do. I'm keeping Lovatt in at keeper for this one. Kretzschmar starts at forward for Suvajac, and Hoppe fills in for Claus.

Things get off to a poor start for us, but it's not a goal or an injury - it's a straight red card for Bernardino in the 13th minute. he comes off, we also need to pull Kretzschmar, and we're down to just Harris on the attack. And our hopes of getting a home win and climbing back up the table take a big hit.

But we carry on and play a 0-0 first half. Then in the 59th, Acosta finds Fliess with the long pass, he dribbles it along the right side of the box, and crosses it right onto the foot of Harris for the goal! Oh this would be big for us, but our joy is short-lived, as West Brom pulls even on a wicked strike in the 65th. All things considered, a draw while a man down for the majority of the match would be a good effort. But we don't get that. Instead, we get the full three points, as in the 79th minute Harris hits Niklas Fliess with a pass and Fliess fires it home. We lead, 2-1, and hang on to win it.

That was an inspired effort,and maybe it will buoy our spirits and get us started on a streak that will get us back into contention.

Edited September 11, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

October 16, 2033 - Premier League: Liverpool (3-2-3, 11 pts., 11th) vs. Everton (4-0-4, 12 pts., 10th)

I had a whole writeup for this one but I accidentally deleted it. Regardless, we play a really nice match, get goals from our two forwards, and somehow, after all the ups and downs of the first nine matches, we're now in 7th place and just three points out of 4th.

 

Edited September 11, 2017 by trman73

[kidthekid]

good upswing in form!!!

[trman73]

Check out this game our Under 18s played...

You don't see that every day.

October 20, 2033 - Euro Cup, Group E, Game 3: FC Kobenhavn (0-0-2, 0 pts., 4th) vs. Liverpool (1-0-1, 3 pts., 2nd)

If we're ever going to break out of our road funk, it's now. Kobenhavn is easily the worst team in our group, and we're playing our best football of the year.

Early goals have really been a theme this year, and this time around we concede one, in the third minute, to go down 1-0. But we get it back when Jose Antonio is fouled in the box in the 20th and Suvajac converts the PK. The game stays tied until the 62nd, when Kobenhavn hits the post with a shot, and it bounces right back to the same guy for the goal. We're down 2-1, and we just can't afford to lose this match. But Jorge Acosta ties it in the 67th, and then Florian Claus gives us our first lead just two minutes later. Brad Kretzschmar, on as a sub, seals it in the 87th, or so we think. But Kobenhavn pulls to within 4-3 just a minute later, and the game's in doubt until Kretzschmar scores again in stoppage time to finally put it away, 5-3.

Halfway through group stage, we've got six points, as do Kyiv and Atalanta. Since we've all gone 1-0-1 head-to-head, we're in second based on goal differential.

We kick off the second half of group stage at home against this same team in a few weeks.

[trman73]

Hey kid, thanks. I was really sweating it out there, and still am. But I'd say we were about a loss away from me starting to worry about my future, especially with my contract up at the end of the year. We're definitely not out of the woods yet, as we've still got three of the top four teams on our schedule in the first half, all on the road, starting with...

October 23, 2033 - Premier League: Manchester City (3-4-2, 13 pts., 10th) vs. Liverpool (4-2-3, 14 pts., 7th)

Now that we're up to 7th, if there's a team that qualifies as the biggest disappointment over the first quarter of the season, it's City. They lost at home to Huddersfield, drew with a Leicester team that right now is by far the worst team in the league, and were drilled by Chelsea. However, like us, they are on a six-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. If we can somehow get these guys, we may very well jump into the top five, but I've detailed at length our road struggles against the league's top teams.

Ugh. By the eighth minute of this game we're down 2-0 on two goals from Carlos Velasco. In the 11th we get called for a penalty, and Velasco gets his third. So much for our momentum. They just keep coming and in the 16th it's 4-0, and we are being totally humiliated. The game finishes 6-1, but it may as well have been 100-1. We are still a long ways away from the next level of Premier League.

[fridge73]

Seems like your want-away two (DC and RB) are the main culprits so far. They might be spreading something bad amongst the squad with their attitude. 

[trman73]

October 26, 2033 - EFL Cup, Fourth Round: Sunderland vs. Liverpool

Sunderland has had a tough go of it in this save. They went down in 2017, then spent the next few years switching from the Championship to the EPL. In 2024 they were relegated once again, and have never come back up. So this is their 10th straight year in the Championship.

However... we're basically playing like a Championship side, and a poor one at that, on the road this year. I'm going to give Lecomte a chance in net as Lovatt may be a bit fragile after coneding six to City. I can't believe this, but I am going to have to think about bringing in a new keeper once the winter window opens. I'm also placing Duro back in the lineup at left back to give Webber a rest.

For the second straight EFL Cup match, a Championship side takes us to extra time, this time after a scoreless 90 minutes. I don't know how we haven't broken through, but their keeper has made some high-quality saves. Our chances take a hit in the 98th as Duro is sent off for his second yellow. With all my subs used, I have to move some guys around and hope for the best (we did win 2-1 over West Brom a man down about a month ago). We survive the first 15, then the second 15, and go to kicks tied 0-0 in what has to be one of the most boring 45 minutes of gaming in my life.

We played to penalties in the pre-season friendly cup and Lecomte stopped all four shots he saw, so I'm optimistic here. Lecomte lets in the first one but then stops the next two, and we're up 2-1. But then Antonio, Hoppe, and Claus all miss for us and after five rounds it's 3-3. Everyone scores from there until the eighth. Sunderland scores, and Alejandro Barra steps up to tie it, but it's saved, and we're out of the EFL Cup.

[trman73]

Hey fridge, I think you're right. My general philosophy on players who want to leave is "screw em, they're staying." And then once the season starts, they settle in and are happy again. Of course with Juventus in particular, getting off to like an 8-1-1 start generally eliminates some of the complaining and guys fall in line.

Not this time. I absolutely have to get Bernardino out of there as he seems toxic. The red card, the complaining, he's a real problem.

[trman73]

Here's where we are at the quarter point...

Chelsea and United have risen to the top of the league and are easily the two strongest clubs. Throw in an Arsenal side that's lost a couple strange games but still looks solid, and this could very well be the top three when all is said and done yet again.

As for us, yikes. We're third in the league with 21 goals scored, but are 17th in goals allowed with 22. We just haven't played well overall despite the decent run that ended with the City thrashing last weekend. So we need to string together results here, obviously. We have yet to play four of the five worst teams in the league, so the second quarter of the season may be better, but this is the thing that really sticks out...

One point, one point, away from home. And yeah, those five matches include Arsenal and City, but also Bolton, Middlesbrough, and good God, Burnley. We're actually the second-best home team in the league taking 13 of a possible 15.

I'm happy with the Harris-Suvajac pairing, and Kretzschmar has been really good coming off the bench. But the goalkeeping and the defense are just terrible. These next nine games are crucial. Am I going to get these guys playing well again, or will I be yet another Liverpool coach who can't fulfill expectations and winds up on the scrap heap??

Edited September 11, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

October 30, 2033 - Premier League: West Ham (2-0-8, 6 pts., 19th) vs. Liverpool (4-2-4, 14 pts., 13th)

West Ham has fallen on hard times. They are off to just a terrible start and are I think they are a legitimate threat to go down this year. They have allowed 25 goals in 10 games, second-worst in the league. So this could be a real goal-fest with these two clubs.

Before the match, their coach, Matheus Pereira, throws down on me, saying that we look like a collection of individuals instead of a team, and that they are getting us at the perfect time. That may actually be true, but hey man, you're in 19th place, so maybe point the criticism at your own self. For the first time in this save, I may have an actual enemy in the coaching ranks. If we win this match I am trash talking the hell out of this guy.

This little exchange led me to quickly check my profile and see which coaches have the best and worst opinions of me. And two of the five coaches who don't like me are back from my days in Chile. I must be doing something right if it's been nearly 20 years and no one can beef with me except two guys who I can't even remember. Christophe Coue, who I replaced at Liverpool, also harbors a grudge, which is a little more understandable.

70 seconds into this match we're down 1-0. The Hammers score again in the second half, and after we get one back from Suvajac, that's it. We fall, 2-1. Niklas Fliess and Jorge Acosta get injured. I am going to get fired from Liverpool if we don't start winning.

[trman73]

November 3, 2033 - Euro Cup, Group E, Game 4: Liverpool (2-0-1, 6 pts., 2nd) vs. FC Kobenhavn (0-0-3, 0 pts., 4th)

We're failing in the league and we flamed out of the EFL Cup, but we should be okay in the Euro Cup if we can just win our two remaining home matches, starting here. I have decided that Goncarlo Bernardino will never play for me again, so Valentin Jimenez is our starting right back moving forward. Lovatt is also back in net. I don't even know what to say. We need to win this, then we have back-to-back home matches in the league. We need wins in all three of these games.

This one's over before it starts. Suvajac gets one in the 5th, then gets a PK in the 13th and makes it 2-0. We roll from there, with Barra getting one on a corner and Schmidt scoring in stoppage time to make it 4-0 at the half. That's the final, as Harris picks up three assists, and we now lead Group E as Kyiv and Atalanta draw.

Edited September 12, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

November 9, 2033 - Premier League: Liverpool (4-2-5, 14 pts., 14th) vs. Stoke (5-1-5, 16 pts., 13th)

Nothing to say here. Same lineup as midweek, and we need to win. Let's go.

It's a scoreless first half. In the 53rd, Jose Antonio, in for the injured Fliess, leads Suvajac with a long pass, and he easily beats his man and runs right in on net for the goal to put us up. That's the only goal of the match, as Stoke has a man sent off late, they manage no shots on goal, and we continue to be dominant at home.

[trman73]

World Cup Qualifying Update

The qualifiers for the 2034 World Cup are over. Japan hosts the Cup next year, and Germany will be looking to defend its 2030 title. Here's who's in, and who's out from four years ago.

Oceania

• Returning: None
• New: None
• Out: New Zealand

Africa

• Returning: Egypt, Nigeria, Cameroon
• New: Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso
• Out: DR Congo, Senegal

Asia

• Returning: Australia, Iran, UAE, Japan
• New: Iraq, Qatar
• Out: None

North America

• Returning: Mexico, USA
• New: Honduras
• Out: Costa Rica

South America

• Returning: Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia
• New: Chile
• Out: Paraguay

Europe

• Returning: France, Belgium, England, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Spain, Holland, Turkey
• New: Switzerland, Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia
• Out: Romania, Serbia, Wales, Russia, Austria

[trman73]

November 20, 2033 - Premier League: Liverpool (5-2-5, 17 pts., 10th) vs. Leicester (2-2-8, 8 pts., 20th)

Leicester is the worst team in the EPL right now. Only two guys remain from the starting lineup that went to back-to-back Euro Cups in my year-and-a-half there: Cesar Meneses, and Enrico Pazzaglia. Michael Platt, Lee Wilding, Nikola Andric, and Les Burton are there but don't start anymore for some reason. I'd hate to see this team relegated, but they really need to make something happen to avoid that, as they just don't have a ton of talent. If form holds, we should win this home match. We've got road games at Huddersfield and Chelsea after this, so I can probably expect two losses there.

At some point we were either going to win on the road or lose at home. That point is today. We give up a goal, get it back from Suvajac, lose the lead early in the second, go into full-on attack, outshoot my former club 15-2, and fall, 2-1.

[trman73]

November 24, 2033 - Euro Cup, Group E, Game 5: Liverpool (3-0-1, 9 pts., 2nd) vs. Atalanta (2-1-1, 7 pts., 3rd)

We can clinch our spot in the Euro Cup group stage with a win here, although I doubt I'll be around to see it. Let's do this.

Well, we dominate this one and clinch the group stage. Hugo Schmidt scores early in the 7th, Atalanta puts in an own goal on a corner kick later in the half, and Michael Harris breaks a goal slump by scoring in the second half. Kyiv falls to Kobenhavn, and with 12 points we've clinched the top of the group with a game still to go.

[sl101075]

Would you mind telling how the Danish national team have done throughout this save? :-)

[trman73]

Sure sl...

Right now Denmark is ranked 45th in the world. They've appeared in one World Cup, in 2018. They qualified through the play-off.

They finished fourth in their group.

Since then for World Cup, it's been a series of near-misses. They finished third in their group for the 2022 WC (behind Belgium and Scotland), second in 2026 behind Portugal (they didn't come close to being one of the top second-place teams), third behind Germany and Slovenia for the 2030 Cup, and third behind France and Greece this time around.

As for the European Championship, they qualified in 2020 and made it out of group stage before losing to Italy on penalties in the first knockout round. In 2024 they qualified but didn't make it out of a group that included Germany and Austria. In 2028 they made it out of group stage and were beaten 5-2 by Spain in the first knockout game, and last time they qualified but did not make it out of group play. So they are four-for-four in qualifying, and two-for-four in getting to knockout stages.

They've been successful in the International League. They started in the third tier, quickly got out of that, and they are now in the first tier. They've finished second in their three-team group the last two competitions.

Also, they have this guy playing for Manchester United...

[trman73]

November 28, 2033 - Premier League: Huddersfield (2-2-9, 8 pts., 20th) vs. Liverpool (5-2-6, 17 pts., 11th)

We've played two teams from the bottom three already in the past month, and lost to both of them. Now we once again get the worst team in the league, as Huddersfield has plummeted from what now looks like a miraculous sixth place finish last year. They already fired the coach that took them to those heights. But this is a road match, and we're without Valentin Jimenez and Florian Claus with suspensions. Despite my vow, I've got to start Bernardino at right back in this one, as our young backup was hurt on duty with the Under 23s.

It's a slog through the first half but defensively we're playing well. It takes until the 72nd, but finally Harris finds Bernardino down the right side, and he leaves a beautiful pass to Fliess, playing his first game back from injury, and Fliess puts it in. Now we absolutely need to hang on for our first road win.

It's a miracle!!! We hang on for the 1-0 win against the worst team in the league!!!! Woo hoo!!! Bernardino is named the player of the match, and the win bumps us all the way up to 7th.

[trman73]

December 3, 2033 - Premier League: Chelsea (9-3-2, 30 pts., 2nd) vs. Liverpool (6-2-6, 20 pts., 7th)

Well it's nice to get that road monkey off our back, but we still have been absolutely terrible on the road against any decent team, and Chelsea is more than decent. So this will be a tough one. It's incredible how bunched up the middle of the table is this year, so if we can just miraculously secure a point here, I'll feel great with two home matches coming up against Watford and Wolves before we close the first half at United and at Spurs.

Fresh off his man of the match, Bernardino is suspended for this one, so Jimenez is back in. Claus is also back. we get off to a solid early start thanks to just a phenomenal individual effort by Michael Harris, who takes a ball at the top of the box and weaves through four defenders for a beautiful goal. We hold that 1-0 lead through the first half, but we're hanging on by a thread as Chelsea is hammering away at us. Finally in the 65th they tie it, then in the 73rd they make a run and Barra winds up putting the ball in our net, and just like that, we're down. This is traditionally when we fold up and accept the loss, but this time around, in the 83rd, Jorge Acosta finds a streaking Harris down the center of the box, and he scores his second to tie it! We hang on, and take a well-played draw with Chelsea on the road.

[Tajerio]

Hopefully that's the start of the turnaround!

[trman73]

December 8, 2033 - Euro Cup, Group E, Game 6: Dinamo Kyiv (2-1-2, 7 pts., 2nd) vs. Liverpool (4-0-1, 12 pts., 1st)

We've already clinched the top spot in the group, but this game means a lot for Kyiv, as they are tied with Atalanta with seven points and lead based on head-to-head. But I want to rest guys and give some fresh faces an opportunity to play. We're playing well right now, and we're 4-1-1 in all competitions in our last six. So the lineup today includes all subs except for Giuliano Scarpone. If Kyiv can take us, so be it.

Both Newcastle and West Ham fire their coaches this week. I sort of want to apply at West Ham as I now lead the "sack race." We'll see.

We also get our FA Cup Third Round opponent, and we'll play Norwich at home.

The B Team plays well in the first half, and in the 42nd Robbie McKenzie scores on a goal from a pass by forward Connor Duffus to put us up. I don't make any subs, and Kyiv ties it in the 83rd. The game ends 1-1, Kobenhavn goes to Italy and beats Atalanta, and Kyiv joins us in the Knockout Stage.

[trman73]

Thanks Tajerio, hopefully this starts a run for us. We've got home matches coming up now, starting with...

December 11, 2033 - Premier League: Liverpool (6-3-6, 21 pts., 9th) vs. Wolves (5-4-6, 19 pts., 14th)

Wolves are underachieving this season and they should allow us to keep our mini-run going. They are just 0-2-3 in their last five. My starting guys are rested and ready to go. If we can take care of these guys and then Watford next week, we could very well surge into the top five.

It takes a while to get a rhythm to this game, but we start to generate some chances after the midway point of the first half. In the 37th, Claus fires a shot that bounces off a defender, rebounds to Webber, and he passes to Fliess for a nice goal. That's it for the scoring as we play one of our better defensive games of the season, allowing just one shot.

[trman73]

December 12, 2033 - Euro Cup First Knockout Round Draw

With a board goal of reaching the semis of this tournament, it's obviously be nice to see a relatively easy draw here.

Well, that's not what happens, as our first opponent in the knockout stages will be... Gelsenkirchen, which moved down to Euro Cup after finishing third in a Champions League group that included PSG and Man City. We'll have our work cut out for us.

[trman73]

December 14, 2033 - Premier League: Liverpool (7-3-6, 24 pts., 8th) vs. Watford (6-2-8, 20 pts., 13th)

This is the last home game of the first half of the season, and we're actually tied with United and Arsenal for the best home records in the league, as we're all 6-1-1. We should be able to continue that solid play at Anfield against this very average Watford team. We're tied with Bournemouth for 7th right now and are just three points back of 5th-place Spurs, who we play in two games. We're also now starting that tough run of congested matches that comes in December and January. After this match, it's three straight on the road to close out 2033.

Man, we just can't string together an extended run of quality performances. Watford scores in the 22nd, then again in the 28th to go up 2-0. We get one back as Webber picks up a rare goal in the 31st, but we're down 2-1 at the break, and I tell the guys to get their heads in it.

And they do. In the 62nd Webber finds Suvajac, who breaks a goal drought and ties it. Just five minutes later, Harris fires a long pass to Fliess, and he makes a move and waltzes in, and we have erased the deficit and taken the lead! When Suvajac finds Harris on a cross in the 84th to make it 4-2, it seals a great comeback and an important win for us as we head to Old Tratford on a six-match unbeaten streak.

[trman73]

December 17, 2033 - Premier League: Manchester United (11-5-1, 38 pts., 1st) vs. Liverpool (8-3-6, 27 pts., 7th)

We're back in Euro Cup position, but I'm under no illusions that we'll stay there after this match. United has been dominant this season and they are on a 15-match unbeaten streak. In the league they've scored 40 and allowed a league-low 12, for a goal differential of +28. We're on a modest run of good football right now, but that could all come crashing down here. We need to put in a better effort than we did against Watford, particularly on defense.

We outplay United in the first half, but they get the only goal in the 18th. In the second, we continue to generate chances, but our hopes dim in the 77th when Claus gets called for a foul in the box. But the United taker airmails the PK. We have new life, and go into attack mode. It backfires as United scores in stoppage time, and we lose, 2-0, in a game where we fought hard until the end.

[trman73]

December 26, 2033 - Premier League: Tottenham (9-3-6, 30 pts., 5th) vs. Liverpool (8-3-7, 27 pts., 8th)

I feel like this year's annual Boxing Day match is a huge match for us. If we can just get a good result here at Tottenham, we'll enter the second half of the season in good position, as each of the two teams ahead of us have tough opponents today (Everton is home against City, while Bournemouth visits Chelsea). We're playing well, including the United match where we were better than the 2-0 scoreline.

In the 17th minute we do something we hardly ever do. Tottenham has a man injured and down in the middle of the pitch, but we keep playing instead of kicking the ball out of play, and we wind up scoring, as Florian Claus shows a great effort in the box to put one in. Spurs take control after that goal, but we hang on and it's 1-0 at the break. But we can only hold on until the 51st, when Spurs pull even. Then in the 61st, Tottenham goes on a run and crosses a ball that Barra knocks in for his second own goal of the season, and just like that we're down and have to climb back into this. We don't. They add two more late in the half, and the first half of our season ends with a thud.

[trman73]

Liverpool Mid-Season Report

I'm going to make this quick because I want to get to the transfer window and I also want to get back to action, because I still believe we can finish in the top six.

Our Premier League grade thus far is a C-. We're still a top-half team, but man I thought we'd be better than this. A -3 goal differential, a 1-2-7 road record, wow. I really made some miscalculations this off-season, and I can honestly say that has not happened much in this save. I think there's still a chance we wind up in Europa League, but I also think there's a chance I get fired before this season runs out.

In Euro Cup, we get a B+ thus far. After the initial loss to Atalanta, we rebounded nicely, never lost another match, and clinched the group with a game to go. Obviously the story will be told in the knockout rounds, but so far so good here.

We were a dud in EFL Cup and get a D. Losing to a Championship side in the round of 16 is no good.

Our first-half MVP is F Jovica Suvajac, who is having another fine year. Runners-up are MC Florian Claus, and F Michael Harris.

That's all I've got right now.

[trman73]

December 30, 2033 - Premier League: Newcastle (6-3-10, 21 pts., 17th) vs. Liverpool (8-3-8, 27 pts., 9th)

The second half starts now and better play needs to start now as well, as we've been outscored 6-1 in our last two matches. Anton Tulyakov is back after his lengthy injury absence and is in the lineup. Bernardino is back in my good graces and starts at right back. Let's go.

lol, nope. Not even close. We lose, 2-0, and are dominated.

After the match, I am called into the office. I tell the board that yes, we're struggling, but I just need a little more time to right the ship.

I'm fired.

[trman73]

Well, there's not much to say. I'm fired for the second time in my career, and it sucks. I am now another footnote in the history of Liverpool football. I knew the board had a quick trigger, and the way we played this season justified my firing. I finish my tenure with a 42-14-28 record, winning exactly 50% of my 84 matches. That's actually the best record of any manager they've had in this save, but it just wasn't good enough. We were trending down, and it didn't look like the guys were listening to me.

I'm pleased that we got the team to continental football. I actually wish they had fired me three weeks ago when I could have applied for the West Ham job. As it stands, I have no idea where to go to finish out this career. I just turned 60 years old nine days ago. My resume is impressive, but I just don't know. I'm definitely going to wait until the European domestic season ends to take a new position, as I just don't have the heart to start a new job midway through this season. I need a break.

But we'll see if I am approached for any openings. As it stands, I think I'll let the year play out, watch the World Cup, and go from there. I really thought this would be my final job of this save, and that I could return Liverpool to glory. But I failed.

What a bummer.