A Soccer for Football

[withnail316]

Wow, you don't hang around, do you? Very surprised you left a top flight Turkish side for a second tier French one, but it looks to be working out for you! You think you'll hang around a bit longer in France?

KUTGW

[Brucehum]

Thanks for the tactics answer!

Best wishes on your adventures as a globe trotter.

edit: another question, I'm unable to find the Hall of Fame in game... or my points as coach. Where are those? I'm starting a similar career, with smaller countries.

[Pitalo]

Wow, you don't hang around, do you? Very surprised you left a top flight Turkish side for a second tier French one, but it looks to be working out for you! You think you'll hang around a bit longer in France?

KUTGW

Thanks Withnail316, I see myself as a manager that gets involved in a single purpose, if or when that purpose is met I look forward to other possibilities. Often that is a higher reputation team. A other way to look at it is, I am taking it as real as possible. I left Samsunspor, because I feared a heavy relegation battle and they had no youth system what so ever, which didn't look like improving short-term. French competition is really something else, I am really having a nice go at the moment. Probably will stick around and see some youngsters turn into real gems.

Thanks for the tactics answer!

Best wishes on your adventures as a globe trotter.

edit: another question, I'm unable to find the Hall of Fame in game... or my points as coach. Where are those? I'm starting a similar career, with smaller countries.

Thanks Brucehum, If you use the normal skin, the hall of fame can be found in the "FM"-bar, next to the continue button. When the dropdown options show, it's there. If you select that, there are some options available to you conserning Hall of Fame.

[Dexter_Morgan]

You've been around the top 3 for a while so I would say you have a great chance of going up, unless you get a takeover it's the only realistic way of getting out debt pretty quickly so hopefully you can do it

[Nobby_McDonald]

Revving up the league.

[Pitalo]

You've been around the top 3 for a while so I would say you have a great chance of going up, unless you get a takeover it's the only realistic way of getting out debt pretty quickly so hopefully you can do it

Thanks Dexter_Morgan, let's keep our fingers crossed for that last promotion spot. I don't know how much it will help me getting out of the red figures, selling some or as you mentioned a takeover would mean instant relief.

Revving up the league.

Cheers Nobby_McDonald hope it will continue this way

[Pitalo]

LEMANS FC

January 2016

Ligue 2

What a terrible start to 2016. After a short winter break, we failed to make a win in the league. Both opponents aren't really any high flyers and we should've been able to get a result. But never the less we failed to get any result and I think we got lucky the scoreline didn't exceeded as it stands now. We got a hard-worked goal at Stade Lavallois within a half hour, but that's the only positive from that game. Labelled as a rival clash, my youthfull team didn't seem the importance to keep the score up and we got lucky not conceding more goals. AJ Auxerre wasn't a local derby or anything like it, it seemed most player just turned off, while we played at home. There is much work ahead of me, but I can't fault that my youth players have big ups and deep downs. Seems like this month is one with downs.

Instantly noticable in the league after a bad month. Instead of consolidating no.3 we got nocked down to 4th. We do have a game in hand and that game is a make it or break it game. We most win that to be able to compete for the promotion places. Currently we're 4 point behind, but winning the game in hand means we're only 1 point away. Keeping pressure on the others if we do. Losing would mean a gap of 4-points and maybe a difficult point to return to momentum and go for that promotion.

Coupe de France

2 games in the month January. We beat Le Havre AC with the smallest of margins, because we were snappy at their goal. After that win it was Clermont Foot who we drew in the next round. Since January hasn't been our month, we got defeated and thereby ended our little cup run. I think it's fair to say that my hope of gaining some more points for the hall of fame has gone up in smoke with that last game. No chance of us getting champion and winning a cup is out the question now too.

7 January

Only 20 years old and one of my best Central Defenders. I like to break records and hopefully he'll get some more Man of the Match so he can continue with his great run this season.

17 January

More love from the board and the chairman. On a side note. Wages has been cut aswell this month. Where I had a budget of 325k a month it has been cut to 275k a month. Having a full squad and relied on a 325k wage budget I have a problem now. The board isn't happy I don't manage wages they say. Hopefully there will be some improvement, because as this continues, my top players will have to go once their contracts run out. Which would make my task a hell of a lot harder.

What's to come February

Ligue 2

A busy month with 5 fixtures. Some local rival clashes aswell. I certainly hope that February will be more product- and fruitfull then January was.

[Brucehum]

Best wishes with those rival clashes!!!

[Pitalo]

Best wishes with those rival clashes!!!

Cheers Bruchehum​,

[B.W.G]

Still going well,looks like it could be a pretty close finish for one of the top three spots.

[Pitalo]

LEMANS FC

February 2016

Ligue 2

What an amazing recovery after a bad January month. We've won 4 games and the local rival clash was lost. We kinda stole the 3-points against En Avant Guingamp with a late penalty, but in the end we deserved the win as Guingamp did nothing to really appeal for the win. The Red Star FC game was also a hard fought battle, luckily for us we scored, thanks to our marvelous set pieces this year. Tours FC is always a tough cookie to crack as they're our local rivals. With 10 man injured or suspended, I had no real high hopes for this match. Having to use all reserves and players on odd position we really did well actually, but not scoring a goal and getting caught on the break more then once really tore us apart. With injured and suspended players coming back in, we really redeemded ourselfs against SC Bastia, nothing much to add there, but it was a good game. FC Metz however was a tight game but we managed to hold on to a 1 goal difference at the end.

We're really closing in and there are 4 teams battling for promotion. Unfortunatelly we're no.4 at this point of the season, trailing by just 1-point. Clermont had a really good spell in 2016 and managed to shoot up the league. If we succeed in having a great March month I think promotion would be obtainable. Being realistic then I could say 4th is something I would love to be at the beginning of the season, but being so close to promotion, I really want to go for it. Hopefully my young squad agrees to this philosophy and find the strength and ability to make March and April something special for us.

What's to come March

Ligue 2

In my opinion there is only one tough game. A battle for promotion as I see it really and that's the game against Clermont Foot. Having lost to them in January for the French Cup I really want to beat them in the league to peg them and become one of the promotion teams.

[Pitalo]

Still going well,looks like it could be a pretty close finish for one of the top three spots.

Yup, it's between me and 3 other clubs now. I think we have a real posibility to win promotion. But it's only early season. Things will clear up in March and April

[Pitalo]

LEMANS FC

March 2016

Ligue 2

I can't really complain about how March has turned out for us, but I do feel a bit let down by my players. We beat Evian TG FC in the first half of the game, the second half wasn't good and we conceded only one, where there could've been more. We made a late equalizer against relegation bound Paris FC. Again not a good game from our part. It seems we're having difficulties playing against teams who defend deep and play on the break. Some part has to be played down to the lack of experience issue at LEMANS FC. I really didn't want to lose against Clermont Foot and it ended in a goalles draw. We ended the month on a good note, we beat Nimes Olympique.

It seems I have been disappointed with team performances while our competition refused to take advantage of us. With 7 more games to come we're sitting on no.2. A good improvement over the February month where we only sat on 4th. I think I can easily say at this point that Montpellier HSC will win the league and that AS Nancy and us will follow them for promotion. Having 5 points more then no.4 must be enough untill this season closes. To be honest I don't see Clermont Foot get another good spell. Hopefully we'll do well in the most important month this season, April.

Youth Intake Day:

Only 4 players who have potential to get to the 1st team and those players received a contract.

What's to come April

Ligue 2

In April we don't have the easiest of fixtures, but I see plenty of opportunity for our promotion bid. The first 3 games will be hard, but the last 2 are must win games and thereby securing our promotion.

[b101]

Still looking good for promotion

[B.W.G]

Hopefully you can hold off any challenge to clinch promotion.

[Nobby_McDonald]

Approaching the final straight, can you slipstream to promotion?

[deltablue]

Good luck finishing well and going up.

[Brucehum]

Go and get that promotion. It is yours for the taking!

[Pitalo]

Still looking good for promotion

Hopefully you can hold off any challenge to clinch promotion.

Cheers b101 and B.W.G., it's only 5 points between us and no.4 in the league, with 7 more games nothing is secured yet.

Approaching the final straight, can you slipstream to promotion?

I hope I can, April should prove we're able to

Good luck finishing well and going up.

Cheers Deltablue.

Go and get that promotion. It is yours for the taking!

Cheers Brucehum​, It's going to be a hard fight, but I see us manage to get promotion

[Pitalo]

LEMANS FC

April 2016

It's been a while since I last updated this thread, my apologies. I had some important things to do in real life, but I don't want to wander too much off subject. I've been playing and you can count on more updates in a short time.

Ligue 2

All in all a good month, we continued our fine run beating FC Nantes. Montpellier HSC are still a class away in the league and us losing away was something that was in the cards all along. After the loss we bounced back really good for our promotion bid, beating RC Lens and CS Sedan Ardennes. A disappointing draw against AJ Ajaccio though, but in our defence, AJ Ajaccio did everything to prefend it to be a football game.

29 April

So I pretty much accomplished the impossible with "Les Manceaux". With 2 more games to go in the league we've become the third team that gets promoted. I am really proud we've done it and it was certainly not something I imagined at the start of the season.

What's to come May

Ligue 2

2 more games in the league, but really meaningless. It's time for celebrations, with wine and croissants or baguettes.

[elbilly]

Congratulations on promotion! Are you sticking with Le Mans?

[olivermain83]

Congrats on the promotion. Good luck in Ligue 1 if you decide to stay.

[Pitalo]

Congratulations on promotion! Are you sticking with Le Mans?

Congrats on the promotion. Good luck in Ligue 1 if you decide to stay.

Cheers Elbilly & Olivermain83, I haven't decided on my future yet. I'd like to have a go at top flight in Ligue 1, though I met the achievement I set out at the beginning with FC LEMANS. It all depends on Wage budget, Transfer budget, Transfers and what kind of offer I might get.

[deltablue]

Hopefully you'll stay somewhere eventually.

[B.W.G]

Congrats on winning promotion

[Pitalo]

Hopefully you'll stay somewhere eventually.

To be honest, I love the challenge at FC LEMANS. Working with youngsters and having a go at top flight. I do worry about the lack of fundings and I don't see that improve in the near future. The main challenge remains to be the best Dutch manager, won't get too much points staying at FC LEMANS. We'll see what the future brings

Congrats on winning promotion

Cheers B.W.G.​

[Pitalo]

LEMANS FC

May 2016

Ligue 2

Last 2 games to the season. Not my or our proudest moments. No worries, we got promoted. That's what I came for and I consider this a true magical season for FC LEMANS. Predicted to end somewhere near mid-table and finishing 3rd in the league. Great work and effort to all.

14 May

This news was a rain on my parade kind of thing. With no funds, no chairman to back me up in the importance of upgrading facilities or in youth, making things quite hard for me.

Final league standings. I am thrilled how this season has passed and hope for more magic in the next season where we take on the likes of PSG, Monaco, Marseille and Lyon.

Next: Season Credentials and Hall of Fame​

[Pitalo]

LEMANS FC

2015 / 2016

Credentials

FC LEMANS best eleven.

Fans Player of the Year.

How business went the past season. Not good! Promotion to Ligue 1 might well be the saving for this club.

Hall of Fame

Well there has been a turn of events! Martin Jol has been succesfull this last season with his FC Bayern, scoring enough points to stroll in on 3rd. Martin is the only manager in the top 3 who's still active. No points for me this season, still having 80 points.

[Brucehum]

Well, you need to win to get points. But that will surely come!

If your team is really small, you won't be getting points for winning (it happened to me with a amateur Canadian team, win the lowest division and get 0 points)

[Pitalo]

Well, you need to win to get points. But that will surely come!

If your team is really small, you won't be getting points for winning (it happened to me with a amateur Canadian team, win the lowest division and get 0 points)

Thanks for your confidence in me Brucehum. I think the French division are big enough to give me some points, but sorry to hear you couldn't get any on the board in Canada

[Pitalo]

LEMANS FC

2016/2017 Pre-Season

So we agreed that this season is all about avoiding the drop. Nothing impossible, but seeing the circumstances and our lack of funding it going to be a tough road ahead.

This might help in our finances, but I haven't seen any of this money in our bank. I sincerly hope that our chairman doesn't have a double agenda.

A new sponsor is always welcome, too bad it's just 90K over 2 years.

The chairman most be pretty pleased about how I run things, offering me a 2 year extension. I friendly declined, I really want to know how we play in the Ligue 1. If we manage to do well I might consider the extension.

I was afraid we'd be odds on favourite for the drop and my thoughts have been confirmed. Hopefully this season won't all be about battling against relegation.

Friendlies

So we had plenty of friendlies played in the pre-season. We had a good pre-season, doing good to ok against River and Udinese.

[Nobby_McDonald]

Taken the chequered flag and got on the podium.

[Pitalo]

Taken the chequered flag and got on the podium.

I guess we did , cheers Nobby_McDonald

[Pitalo]

LEMANS FC

August 2016

Ligue 1

For relegation candidate no.1 we managed to start of the new season really good. The first 2 games were won. Anthony Derouard is really revving it up, scoring a hattrick against Girondins Bordeaux and making 5 goals this month. I don't know if we would've won these games without him. Toulouse were simply too good and we probably could've done better agains AC Arles-Avignon.

Season 2016/2017 officially started and after the first games we're 6th. Top half, who would've thought so? Is this an indication of things to come? or have we just been lucky the at the start of the season?

Well maybe we've been good this month, my central defender got picked Player of the Month.

14 August

This might help getting us into better financial waters.

What's to come September

3 Ligue 1 games against no less then AS Monaco FC and OM! no chance of getting a decent result there, maybe the Valenciennes FC we could grab a result there. Coupe de la ligue against Stade Reims isn't easy, but we did beat them in our first game.

[elbilly]

Nice start

[olivermain83]

Good start. Just hope Derouard doesn't get injured.

[Pitalo]

Nice start

Cheers Elbilly

Good start. Just hope Derouard doesn't get injured.

Thanks Olivermain83, an injury would be typical wouldn't it? Luckily I/he doesn't have any issue concerning injuries so far

[Pitalo]

LEMANS FC

September 2016

Ligue 1

Anthony has been on fire at the start of this season, claiming to be the only scorer for us this month! he's absolutely been our lifeline, he's the reason we're doing quite well. We got thrashed against AS Monaco FC. They were simply better in every aspect of the game. It was just nice to see Anthony still being able to score 2 goals in a match where we been the underdogs. OM got a cheecky point back home, I wasn't impressed by their style of football and if we took the chances we got, we could've won the game. Maybe relying too much on Anthony Derouard. He certainly was man of the match against Valenciennes FC. Scoring the only goal in a boring match. Although it was boring I was pleased winning, it showed our resilience in this tough month.

10th after 2 months in the season. If we finish here at the end of the season I would be pleased. Still, things are close/thight and winning or losing will make a hell of a difference at this point of the stage.

Coupe de la Ligue

We beat Stade de Reims thanks to the courtesy of Anthony Derouard. This game was a one direction type of match and we should have scored more goals then just 1. We qualified for the next round, not something the press or the pundits expected.

22 September

Great to see we're making money thanks to gate receipts. We certainly need some financial injection, still 4M Euro in the red.

[Pitalo]

LEMANS FC

Transfers

Transfers out:

Nothing much happenend in the transfer section this summer, only Onanga gave us some money by leaving. Cisse and Sido were starting XI players last year, but nothing wanting to adjust their contracts made a hard decision easy.

Transfers in:

Also not much fireworks from our department, but managed to strengthen our squad in some areas.

Thomas Mitrakas - Thomas was offered to us through his agent. He has amazing potential and I am thinking of starting him instead of out of contract bound Bamba

Michel Araai - A much needed AM who can play on CM. Loaned from OM, starting XI and the player who's going to orchestrate the play.

Marco Ilaimaharitra - I was really pleased in signing this player on loan from FC Sochaux-Montbe. He's also going to start in the XI. The loan deal is beneficial for my younger players who don't have any experience in the ligue 1 so far.

[Pitalo]

LEMANS FC

October 2016

2 October

Early in the season I got offered the AS Aris Saloniki job. Not seeing any improvements or the ability to target my main challenge I rejected the offer.

Ligue 1

It seems like I or we finally see how this league is set up and what's all about. There was no shame in losing against PSG or Stade Rennais. But I would've liked us to win 1 more game atleast. The win against Nancy can't be enough to say it has been a good month. Drawing against Nice and Troyes wasn't excatly our finest moments. We even got lucky with a late set pieces goal against OGC Nice.

So the ligue 1 is getting clear, the fog of mystery is lifting. Every team is shifting into their places and at this moment we're here at 9th. I think we're quite overachieving. Let us hope this will last for some time, it's nice up here on the upper side of the table.

Coupe de la Ligue

Losing to Stade Rennais FC last month ment nothing this month. We really showed our teeth in this match, getting up 2-0 was really impressive, but letting them get back to 2-2 was a stinker really. Luckily for us Sylla had just enough strength and determination to score a late winner to see us getting trough to the next round.

26 October

A new gate receipts high and to see my youngest player score in the Coupe de la Ligue was really special. The money is pouring in at the moment and if we manage to make more upsets in the Coupe de France maybe we'll get out of the red numbers.

What's to come November

Ligue 1

2 difficult games ahead. Against AS Saint-Etienne and Olympique Lyon, the other 2 are games we should be able to get some result out of.

Coupe de la Ligue

Quarter Final against LOSC Lille. Not sure what to think, only that I am impressed with our little cup run and manage to upset the majority of clubs in the Coupe de la Ligue.

[Pitalo]

LEMANS FC

November 2016

Ligue 1

We really got away with a good result against AS Saint-Etienne thanks to Anthony, but didn't deserve it. We did, however, deserve more then just a 0-0 draw against Olympique Lyon. Both opponents have a great stature in the footballing world and I expected us to trail most of the game, but we somehow managed to get some result out of the games. Olympique Lyon disappointed me with their football really. It shocked me that they were unable to get a really good chance at goal. Maybe I am giving to much respect to the opponents and have to focus more on our achievements. We're doing great so far, we even beat Stade Brestois 29 to have a little unbeaten run going on for ourselfs. Unfortunatelly, we lost our cool at FC Lorient. It wasn't about them being better then us or we being better then them. We lost because our mentallity wasn't right. Losing 3-0 was just bad, but it could've have gotten worser.

Mid-table, still going strong. A win could make a real difference for us. We could easily jump a few places with a win. On the other hand, a loss would drop us down quite a bit. Still proud of what we're achieving at the moment. Almost half way in the season and sitting comfortably on 10th.

Coupe de la Ligue

We managed to upset the footballing world in France. We beat LOSC Lille with 5-1! away and in the Quarter Final. We really displayed some amazing football and I think this game showed what we potentially can achieve.

19 November

APS Atromitos Athens 1923 offered me their job. I already rejected the Aris Saloniki job previous month and this offer is pretty much of the same order. No real prospectives of gaining anything and I easily said, on a friendly note ofcourse, no.

24 November

All Boys came to me with a suprise offer. Not being linked to the job (nor I got linked to all the other job offers) it really suprised me they wanted to see me manage them. However, I don't feel like leaving FC LEMANS for All Boys, seems to me it's stature and no real prospect to my main challenge. I thanked them for their interest in me and friendly declined their offer. (Who said I jump easily from club to club )

What's to come December

Ligue 1

It's 2 on 2 I guess. Hopefully we can get some result out of the Girondins Bordeaux and the Dijon FCO game. I think Montpellier HSC and LOSC Lille will be tougher games.

[deltablue]

Definitely worth staying.

[Pitalo]

LEMANS FC

December 2016

7 December

One of the top Romanian clubs. Good financial prospect, I can achieve some things on my main challenge and above all, European Football. Those 3 things ment, Aux revoir FC LEMANS, I enjoyed my brief spell at Le Mans, but lacking all kind of perspectives it's time to move on. (And yes, I do move at the first sight of improvement )

[deltablue]

(Who said I jump easily from club to club )

You were saying?

[Pitalo]

CFR Cluj

Introduction

My memories of CFR Cluj is only from recent years. I know for example the have played in the European Champions Cup for quite some time now, with Manchester United being their biggest opponents. I also remember that they had quite the upset in one of the most recent years in the Champions Cup, proceeding to the Knock-Out Stages. The rest is a big unknown for me, I have been looking through some wikipedia pages, but nothing much of interest for this thread there.

Cluj-Naposta is situated north to north-west in Romania. The region is also called Transylvania! Maybe I will see uncle Vlad and give him my best regards. Make sure he'll be watching this thread aswell

Awesome looking stadium. At the back it's just a big fence, because behind the fence there is a public road and landscape is going downhill. Hopefully this stadium will be the scenery for many successes.

Overview | General Information | History | Facilities | Finances | Squad Report

[Pitalo]

Definitely worth staying.

You were saying?

Well nobody really said it, but I know you thought it! haha

Major prospect for me and a good jumping board for European Top flight action. No, I don't see myself at CFR Cluj for long-term, making sense at the start of a new job

[Brucehum]

Best wishes at your new club.

Remember to have lots of garlic necklaces ready, as, after all, you are now entering TRANSILVANIA!!!!

[Pitalo]

Best wishes at your new club.

Remember to have lots of garlic necklaces ready, as, after all, you are now entering TRANSILVANIA!!!!

Cheers Brucehum, I really like garlic in a dish, so I am not worried

[Pitalo]

CFR Cluj

December 2016

Liga 1

This is what CFR Cluj has been up to untill I took over. Not an impressive run they had so far.

League standings. Although CFR Cluj is underachieving it's only 11-points between CFR Cluj and no.1. With 15 games to be played in the Liga 1 it's not a gap that can't be crossed. All depends on how the squad will respond to the "shock"-effect after me taking over.

The only fixture left in December.

[Pitalo]

CFR Cluj

December 2016

9 December

Liga 1

The first game was won against current no.2 in the league. We really deserved the win and I was suprised by the fact CFR Cluj has been underachieving so far. Astra had nothing to say in this game and we were better in every department of the play. Hopefully this is a starting sign of things to come, because I like what I've seen.

1 Win didn't make a whole lot of difference in the league, but reduced the gap to 9-points now. 14 games to go, after our fine display against Astra I'm curious to find out what's in store for CFR Cluj. I think it's fair to say that European spots (5th and up) have to be obtainable.

What's to come after the Winter Break

Winter breaks are long in Romania. It's a whopping 3 months! so the assistant who's in charge of friendlies planned a few to get our form going and the next update will be in March.

March is going to be the decisive month of the year for CFR Cluj. If we're able to beat Steau and Rapid then magic might be in the air. Only if we beat them though and that's not easy.