scousevasey Posted August 26, 2019 Author Share Posted August 26, 2019 (edited) 2040-2041 In Season Update 5 (Matchday 21) Coming out of the winter break I changed the standard training we have around, and it seemed to backfire. In the preseason I set the general training to fitness, and the match preparation to match tactics, and for the past couple of years have rolled out the above combination most of the time. Coming out of the winter I changed it to be attacking as the general training option and defensive positioning for the match preparation. The fact we have conceded a goal a game in this run led to me changing it back round for the Grevenmacher game. Despite the loss to Dudelange we still top the table and confirmed our Europa League participation after beating Progres (game 20), with Kaerjeng's loss in the 21st game alongside wins for Dudelange and Differdange meaning the European race is over for the season. The challenge for us is to keep the four point gap over the remaining five games Five league games with us facing 14th, 11th, 9th, 7th and 5th. Getting harder as we go. Along with the interlude for the cup quarter and semi final we have a fairly nice run in, but have to be careful in the final three games to avoid slipping up in the title race Dudelange look to have the easiest run in with three of the bottom four. Differdange have the hardest based on current position. There are no head to head games remaining, so nobody can take the title run in into their own hands apart from ourselves. Differdange and Dudelange are relying on mistakes Edited August 26, 2019 by scousevasey Additional information 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted August 27, 2019 Author Share Posted August 27, 2019 2040-2041 In Season Update (Matchday 26, Cup Quarter Final onwards) Nearly perfect in terms of results, with a strong team put out in the league due to the lurking Dudelange. Dropping two points against Racing (LUX) meant it was all to play for on the final day, but a good win at home to Titus Petange saw us home. A very close season, probably too close for what we are trying to achieve, but it was done with more rotation and the distraction of a Europa League group stage to contend with. The shock of the league season is Fola Esch losing the relegation playoff and dropping out of the division only a couple of season after they had become a regular challenger for the European spots We played a heavily rotated team against Jeunesse Canach, but went back to full strength sides for the tough games against Dudelange and Progres. While the board didn't see the cup as important this season, with the league being close a cup win would ease any pressure if we had failed to claim the league Six in a row. Nine overall. Still some way from the record 29 wins by Dudelange But we are one win away from filling out the news screen, as part of the quest for dominance And to top it off, the cup final was my 800th career game, with a better result than the 700th Rosport game earlier in the season Not a bad run, 65% win percentage for both Rosport and overall, with a positive goal difference at both Heur-Tongeren and Rosport Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted August 27, 2019 Author Share Posted August 27, 2019 2040-2041 End of Season Review As (31a) Fellerich goes, so do Rosport. His 6th consecutive best player award, with a clean sweep for us this season. (36a) Schwitz is the surprise here as he spent a good chunk of time missing this season The fans vote has the same top three as the national vote but jumbles them up. No real surprises on the best players via stats despite a strong season for (33a) Lombardelli stepping in at STC due to injuries 24 players used in total this season, although there is still some players who are relied on too much due to a mix of lacking competition for their place, and their high quality although it is slowly changing. We are also facing a tricky change of the guard in defence trying to blood the younger players while not upsetting the squad dynamics, but I will look to delve into the squad situation further as the preseason goes along. (38a) Povoa has just gone on loan for next season but his 1 appearance was for Rosport which is why he is shown here (36a) Schwitz missed three months due to injury but still tops our goalscoring list with nearly a goal a game conversion rate. (33a) Lombardelli playing out of position scored at a good rate although slightly watered down due to the number of appearances off the bench. The majority of his starts came at STC with most of his sojourns off the pine coming at AMR A small sample size skews the top rating as (41a) Batista was only picked for the cup quarter final, although he did perform very well. When compared with (40g) Schinker our other backup DL who comes bottom of the list, it is likely he jumps ahead of the older option to challenge (29d) Albuqueque As an aside to the influx of cash from Europe leading to the improvements of the training and youth facilities and the move to turn professional, the board are now offering nearly £3m as a transfer budget. With that I could probably buy the whole squad of Dudelange and Differdange and still have change left over The next challenge is to repeat our European heroics, while starting to phase out our older defenders without upsetting them or dropping away in terms of performance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted August 27, 2019 Author Share Posted August 27, 2019 2041-2042 Season Preview We are now professional, and as such should see a huge boost in player progress via training just from the fact they will have more time to train. Add in the improvements that are underway for the facilities and we should start to see rapid improvements, all of which should make us regulars in the group stage of at least one European competition And we are climbing well with regards to Europe, now being one of the top 200 clubs for the first time ever We are liable to a drop soon though. We now have good seasons across the board in regards to our coefficient, so if we fail to reach the third Champions League qualifying, or the final Europa League qualifying after dropping from the Champions League early then we will be at risk of tumbling down the rankings But for the minute we can enjoy our lofty position. Bigger than PAOK, Cluj, Brondby, Cliftonville, BATE, Ludogorets, Braga, all teams that crop up in the group stages of Europe in real life. Our fixture list has come out and the final run will be tough with a trip to Dudelange before hosting Progres in the last two games. Other than that most of the difficult games are spread out although Titus Petange then Differdange back to back could be a challenge We are one of the lower seeds in the first round draw, but it does mean we have an easier tie coming up ideally we don't want a team too close to our coefficient, but after Ludogorets, FH and Dinamo Tiblisi there is a drop off, so really we don't want any of those three Israel it is, but we are at home first. Not the best draw we could have been given, and a club I know nothing about, but we should be able to get through this tie fairly easily Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted August 27, 2019 Author Share Posted August 27, 2019 Squad Review (Part 1) This review will come in two parts as I want to delve further into the challenge we have in defence. So part 2 will contain that, and part 1 will contain the rest of the squad Goalkeeper (39m) Ciancanelli is a surprise top when ranked by CA, although his determination and personality hint at why he may be so high. (34a) Martins has been our main GK for the past couple of years, with (39a) Speller as his backup who did grow to 1.5* during the season but has regressed to 1* as other improve. The situation will stay the same this season due to (39a) Speller's high PPA, unless I can get a decent loan deal for him where he will play in the top divison Spoiler This is our best option in goal who has been peforming well in recent seasons Although his goals scored have dropped from a good first season and he has missed a few penalties (all he is set to do - I haven't gone full @Jimbokav1971 yet Midfielders (35c) Thill is one of our striking options so gets overlooked here, and after (26m) Huss was allowed to leave at the end of his contract we have a fairly young group at the help. (37a) Kettenmeyer is the mainstay of the team, with (30c) Pleimling, (35b) Payal and (34b) Menster rotating in around him, and occasionally allowing him a rest. (34b) Menster has been allowed to go on loan to give him more time on the pitch as we have a few players who have reached the stage where they want to be playing more frequently The stand out player down the list is (39b) Pereira due to his high PPA, although he is currently training to be a DC so will come into the detailed discussion there Spoiler The bellweather for the club's star ratings currently Attacking Midfield - Right This is a position of strength with (30d) Dias being pushed for the starting berth by (33a) Lombardelli. Rotating the two without causing upset is a delicate balance. (41c) Heil has come in and usurped (39e) Tinelli as third choice, although that is limited to a rare run out against lower division opposition in the cup. The age gap between the top two and next two bodes well for the future if the younger two can develop further on loan or in the U19s as we turn professional Spoiler It feels like he has been around forever having started for the first team at the earliest opportunity, but he is still only 27 The aim is to get him more time at AMR this season after he practically saved the league campaign with his goals last season. He may get more opportunities up front too as the backups are all complaining about playing time and want to go on loan Attacking Midfield - Left (31a) Fellerich has been as star since arriving at the club, but (40b) Pleimling is starting to develop nicely as a backup and should be a good replacement for when (31a) Fellerich starts to age out of the first team. (37e) Post has been a capable injury replacement for a game or two, but (40b) Pleimling gives some quality depth we have been sorely lacking. The challenge will be ot give him enough playing time to aid his development Spoiler Possibly the greatest player in Rosport history due to his contributions from the wing in both scoring and creating goals. Some people have been calling him the Luxembourg Ronaldo (okay, only me, this once, but still) The future Striker (36a) Schwitz pushes (37a) Kettenmeyer to be the best player he can in a mini competition to be the bellweather of the club. (35c) Thill works well in the supporting role to (36a) Schwitz. Depth is a bit of an issue here. (38a) Povoa could be great but hasn't developed and had a large scoring drought last season when forced to play. He is out on loan along with (37g) Martins who were both head hunted for their loan, while (37d) Engel has been asking for a loan. If he goes out on loan I may have to bring one of the others back to be injury cover, although the assistant manager tends to prefer (33a) Lombardelli if required. Spoiler Pretty much as good as it gets in Luxembourg. Mentally and Physically he is solid, but technically is where the lack of training time and facilities makes a difference Loans We have six players out on loan, all of whom were requested by the clubs they are at. (40c) Simon, (37g) Martins, and (38a) Povoa are at Promotion Division teams (2nd tier), so I have no worries about recalling one of the strikers to be a back up here. (39k) Louro, (34b) Menster, and (39e) Tinelli are at decent National Division teams and should develop nicely while there. While rotation is still something that needs to be done, it lessens the burden of rotation due to there being less congestion Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted August 28, 2019 Author Share Posted August 28, 2019 Squad Review (Part 2) The reason for separating the defence in this review is that I need to start developing the succession plan. None of the players are ridiculously old, but the mainstays are now hitting 30-31 and are about to start their decline, especially as they were first team regulars at 17-18, so have clocked up a good 12 seasons already. But they difficulty comes from the fact that the squad dynamics are dominated by the defensive mainstays (26a) Payal has been the captain pretty much since he started to try and get him the boost in tutoring. He came through the 2026 intake as 5* CA, was immediately a starter and I used him to help develop some of those around him while he was still technically under the tutoring age due to being captain. (28e) Weis was the best captain option behind him, but didn't get the role straight away. When he did take over as VC there was some upset from the player replaced, so any changes will need to be managed carefully here. Last time I moved some older players on, when this now group of old players were arriving on the scene, I was able to loan them out until the end of their contracts which didn't affect the dynamics, but I had capable back ups available to allow them to be loaned out. If I don't have decent back up options then they need to stick around, and that provides more of a challenge Sorted by CA for the current roles used the challenge becomes clear. DL - (29d) Albuqueque is still top but level with (41a) Batista DC - (28e) Weis tops the ranking, with (26f) Holtz and (26a) Payal third and fourth. Depth is the challenge here as (30c) Pleimling is really a MC, so most of the top five are falling out of suitability DR - (37b) Grettnich is the top player here, but is better at DC, so we see (28e) Weis appear again, along with (31b) Mota. (31b) Mota is interesting as when he came through the intake he worked his way into the team, rotating with (28e) Weis who shuffled between DR and DC. With the arrival of (37b) Grettnich he moved down the pecking order, but with the ageing of (28e) Weis he is now next man up, as well as agitating to play more or leave. (39k) Louro is an option, although he is currently out on loan. If I can't get (31b) Mota into the team then I will probably loan him out, and bring (39k) Louro back if needed Sorting by PPA makes the change more important DL - (29d) Albuqueque is not even on the top five DC - (28e) Weis drops to fourth, with the rest of the old guard disappearing DR - Both (28e) Weis and (31b) Mota fall away here, but there isn't the quality now to replace them, so (31b) Mota is still valuable. Looking at the depth at each position in more detail gives a better guide Defender - Right (28e) Weis is not yet past 30, so could play a role for us at DR, but is better at DC. (31b) Mota won't improve much at 20 already, with (40e) Martins being the best long term option, although at 16 he is too young while we have other options. For this season (31b) Mota is better in relation to most categories, although the gaps are minimal. (28e) Weis is stronger defensively and physically, although (31b) Mota is stronger mentally and technically (37b) Grettnich is matched by (31b) Mota both mentally and technically, but is stronger defensively and physically (40e) Martins is not ready to play yet clearly. So if (37b) Grettnich is going to play mainly at DC, then the decision is pretty much between (31b) Mota and (28e) Weis. At this point (the decision making process is being done as I type through the post), it is better to start (31b) Mota with (28e) Weis providing both DR and DC cover off the bench, and rotating into the team on occasion Defender - Left (41a) Batista and (29d) Albuqueque are pretty much interchangable according to the staff, with the older man being more suited to the role currently in place. The younger option is stronger mentally and technically which is a bit of a surprise, with a a very small gap in favour of (29d) Albuqueque in terms of defensive ability. DL has been a bit of a weakness against teams when looking at the heat maps, with lots of opposition possession coming down our left, although the AML-IF pairing may hold some responsibility for this too. (41a) Batista is better than the back up from last season across the board, so the decision is more if the younger man replaces the old hand as the starting option. It is probably easier to start the older player and rotate (41a) Batista in on occasion to minimise upset, with (40g) Schinker going out on loan Usually I wouldn't compare the (a) and (h) players from the same intake at this stage, but (41h) Clement has a determination of 15 so could well outstrip (41a) Batista eventually despite his lower PPA due to his determination and personality. In this case it will be keep with (29d) Albqueque for this season, with (41a) Batista as the back up option, and as (29d) Albuqueque drops away there is a replacement ready. If (41a) Batista outplays (29d) Albuqueque regularly he may well take over the role during the season. Defender - Centre This is the position that is most challenging to plan out easily, so excuse any excessive musings or depth (26a) Payal, (28e) Weis, and (26f) Holtz are still some of the top options, even with two of them now being 31. (40a) Flick is close to catching up to (26f) Holtz in the eyes of the coaches, with my hope being that (36f) Osweiler and (39b) Pereira grow into solid replacement options behind (37b) Grettnich and (40a) Flick who look like our long term starters for the next decade (37b) Grettnich compares well to (26a) Payal considering the older man is a converted DM, so much stronger in terms of attacking and vision. The younger man is better aerially and physically, and not too far away in terms of defensive ability In the closest positional comparison (37b) Grettnich and (28e) Weis are fairly similar in attributes, with the younger man shading more categories (26f) Holtz is the man most at risk, and is no challenge to (37b) Grettnich (26a) Payal is a better option than (26f) Holtz, despite being slower and worst in the air This is the difficult decision. (26a) Payal is stronger defensively, mentally and technically (28e) Weis is better physically and aerially It all depends on which I prefer. (40a) Flick is nearly a carbon copy of (28e) Weis Which means there is a similar octagon of comparison with (26a) Payal Luxembourg allows 5 players on the bench I usually go with a defender, central midfielder, AMR, AML, ST and the bench. Possibly too heavy in terms of attacking options, but I would prefer to have options when chasing a game, and there aren't many players who have the versatility to cover both wings, although (30d) Dias has covered AML on occasion. With the flexibility of (28e) Weis and now (37b) Grettnich, having a DC on the bench allows DR to be covered too as they can shuffle across if required. That means in terms of squad building there are two starting spots available, with one place on the bench. Usually I would have 4/5 players in the squad, with the 4th being capable of stepping in if players are not fully fit, and the 5th being a younger option who is usually made available to the U19s regularly (37b) Grettnich is a lock to start (26a) Payal, (28e) Weis and (40a) Flick are competing to partner him, and fill the bench. As I play via instant result, it is better to start the younger weaker option, who will usually get replaced at half time, but this means the current captain and vice captain are fighting it out to make the bench, with one missing out on the matchday altogether. If I go with the three players listed there will have to be regular rotation which will limit defensive solidarity. (28e) Weis does have the ability to rotate in at DR too (26f) Holtz seems to have had his time, so I will look to loan him out until his contract expires to avoid him causing unrest (I would sell him, but it is unlikely that there will be any interest due to the lack of money around) (36f) Osweiler and (39b) Pereira will go out on loan again with the aim of getting them enough playing time to develop which is what they will lack here. The fifth DC spot will be taken by one of the younger options who are all much of a muchness, and is only really registered for the league in case of injury crisis. Overall defensively The current plan in my head is DR - (31b) Mota as starter, with (28e) Weis rotating in to avoid unrest. DL - (29d) Albuqueque to be the main starter, but I will look to play (41a) Bastista in around 10 league games plus any worthless European games DC - (37b) Grettnich will start and be partnered by (40a) Flick or (26a) Payal, with (28e) Weis being the least used option at DC. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted August 29, 2019 Author Share Posted August 29, 2019 Intake Recap I have done this once before, way back on page 6, but thought it was worth going back over and looking at the maturation of the team On 07/03/2019 at 17:33, scousevasey said: Heur-Tongeren Two and a half seasons spent here, with two intakes during that time 11 out of 16 still in the game, all as players. Loos (18h) at Rosport, one of the few players who was willing to leave Belgium for Luxembourg when I was struggling 12 out of 16 still going this time, with two players at Rosport, although they are falling down the pecking order. Mazingu (19f) is the only player still at Heur-Tongeren, and he has become a key part of their team in the last decade Starting at the beginning Very few Heur- Tongeren players left, and they are all in staff roles, although only two have jobs currently. Ceyssens (19b) could have been a very good player for me before I was sacked, and Casters (19g) and Nulens (19h) came to Rosport with me, with Nulens (19h) playing the bigger role for me. On 07/03/2019 at 17:33, scousevasey said: Rosport 8 out of 16 left, shows the lower quality of player in those intakes and the difference in the two countries in quality level. None of these are still at the club, but they are all bouncing around the lower leagues of Luxembourg Only 5 left available, with one of those moving to a Managerial role for US Hostert after their relegation at the end of the season. It would be nice to get a game against them in the cup to have a little reunion Only four left here, again all in the lower reaches of Luxembourg. Four more in the 2023 intake. Looking at this run of remaining players, the struggles we faced in the league positions at this stage can be rooted in the lack of quality that had come through and were playing. At the time players like (20a) Lombardelli, (21i) Matias, (22a) Lehnen, (23a) Toussaint, and (23d) Bijelic were playing fairly key minutes (some more than others), and looked to be the future of the team with high potentials being advised. Obviously as the upgrades in Junior Coaching and Youth Recruitment went through, the quality improved and they dropped off. It does highlight the gaps in the quality in Luxembourg. There is the big two (hopefully three soon), then the next level of around 4-6 teams who are comfortable in the top division, with a chunk of 8-10 teams who cycle between the bottom of the National Division and the Promotion Division. These weaker players from early in my time at Rosport are in the teams that can be seen in the battle for promotion, which means we shouldn't have to worry about the quality of any of the promoted teams 13 of 16 is much better, especially as these have only just hit the age of 21, but (24k) Clement and (24g) Dervisevic are the only two left at the club, with (24g) Dervisevic out on loan, and (24k) Clement on the development list as he has fallen down to 5th string striker. Hopefully this is the end of the high wastage and we can start to build a solid U19s team to feed the main squad, supplemented with players out on loan to get game time We have the whole intake left this time, which is a positive. The three not at Rosport were all victims of my squad clear outs in recent seasons, but there is the beginnings of the main squad at this point, who are all starting to mature nicely. Those at the bottom end who haven't made it to the first team, probably won't now, and I may need to look at the size of the U19s soon The last review was done in 2030, so the 2025 intake was still fairly new, but now we have no players from this intake, or any before that at the club No players left from 2021-2023 is a shame, with (21i) Matias having had a short managerial career. The only player left from 2020 was a physio at Rosport before getting the promotion, but otherwise would probably be gone from the game. It is nice to see a couple of the 2024 intake still playing, but shows the lack of quality in the country if players who are probably silver star level against our best players (who rate at the top of the country) are still able to play regularly as they approach their mid 30's. The 2025 intake was a good one for us with some solid contributors and played an integral part in the rise of the club, especially, (25a) Bozic, (25b) Flick, (25d) Plein, (25e) Minelli, and (25h) Turpel On 07/03/2019 at 17:33, scousevasey said: Another full complement, which should really be expected at this point. Of the four not at the club, two are on loan from us, with only two having been released with finality. 15 out of 16 still in the game 15 years after entering is a good sign, with 13 of those at a club and only (26m) Huss who left Rosport a month ago being unemployed as a player. Two players still at the club, but about to begin being phased out. The first real major intake that we had On 07/03/2019 at 17:33, scousevasey said: This was the first year of the determination purges, which is why there are so many who are not at the club. It will be interesting to see how long (27h) Albuquerque lasts in the game without a club. (27p) Antunes spent last season with Mondorf, and has been a recent signing for Racing (LUX). It will be interesting to see how much game time he gets, as if he makes their main squad it will show the growing gap between ourselves and the other mid-table teams Quite a few players had already left the club in 2030, and there are much fewer left in the game currently which probably tallies nicely. Other clubs will be cycling through offcasts from Dudelange, Differdange, Titus Petange and ourselves, so unless they stand out for the team they are likely to be replaced by the next great (cheap) hope after a couple of seasons On 07/03/2019 at 17:33, scousevasey said: All of the players who have left have done so permanently apart from (28a) Klapp. There are more players beginning to appear who are being picked up by top tier teams, with Rumelange, Titus Petange and Norden appearing in this list. This is showing the difference in the quality of our intakes due to coaching upgrades above the other teams, and that means we should start to strengthen our position in the top three. The challenge is clearly going to be the gap to the top two. While we have better facilities than them, their squads are stronger currently One player left with us, who has played a key role for us over the years. Not the best intake for us, but with the age old maxim of a 5* player making an intake a good one, at this stage in the save (10th intake), one long term starter makes it a good intake. On 07/03/2019 at 17:33, scousevasey said: Three I chose to release, with one being picked up by Differdange. Currently (29o) Alves is in their U19s, but our cast offs being picked up by the top teams, as opposed to them looking for our stronger players is something I can only see as being positive (29f) Bohnert was a decent player for us over 5-6 seasons, so alongside (29d) Albuqueque this becomes a good intake. There are a handful of players who played roles for us, and most of them are ending their peak years in the top division of Luxembourg football This ends the intakes that were previously looked at, with the review taking place during the summer of 2029. Two players who spent nearly a decade each as first choice, with (30d) Dias still claiming that mantle. Only 9 players from the intake left is a bit of a surprise, especially looking at the letters with there still being (k) and (m) [11th and 13th highest PPA] meaning some players deemed to be better have flamed out earlier An intake of extremes here. (31a) Fellerich started early and has cemented his place in Rosport and Luxembourg history, but (31b) Mota shone bright early and is just getting back into the starting lineup. A few others played a role for us but we are getting to the stage where starting spots were hard to come by and only the best players make a regular impact This is the lost generation. (32a) Teixeira and (32b) Payal came through as MCs at a time when we were well stocked. By the time they were pushing to play there were younger options at the same level of them, and judged to have more room to grow so they missed out. A case of what might have been. Another group that missed out due to depth with (33a) Lombardelli being a case in point. He could start for every other team in the league, but came in behind (30d) Dias so sat on the bench regularly. He is now at a similar level and rotating in, but five years earlier would be a mainstay in the team. (33b) Mutsch fell victim to our move away from a DM, and a crowded MC grouping (34a) Martins has been our regular GK for the past few seasons but really needs to show some improvements to the coaching staff soon. (34b) Menster is on the verge of breaking into the first team regularly, although is out on loan currently. (34c) Langers playerd a role up front for a couple of seasons, but was replaced by younger and better options The start of our solid striking options with us only keeping the best players to strengthen the team. At 22 they should be settling into the first team regularly yet we only have two players left at the club, showing how our strength has built over the years. 2025 was an intake that help build our strength as a team, and ten years later 2035 only has two players making an impact at the club Three players left here, but only one has broken through to play regularly. (36d) Santos is unlikely to make the breakthrough, while (36f) Osweiler will be a back up/rotational option at best Two starters at 20 mark this out as a strong intake, with (37e) Post, (37d) Engel, and (37g) Martins possibly making the leap in the next few years A relatively weak group with (38a) Povoa being a back up at best, playing during our injury crisis last season but struggling to find the back of the net regularly The next three intakes could still make a difference with them being too young in the main to have broken through already, but there are a few names who cropped up in the squad review Two players at Dudelange and one at Differdange shows out strength in depth. (39n) Bollendorf was our 15th ranked player and never likely to play for us, but has gone to our closest rival These players are still on their youth contracts so still with us or out on loan. A bit too early to judge really, but there are a couple of players who will make a first team impact Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted August 31, 2019 Author Share Posted August 31, 2019 2041 European Adventures (Stage 1) We are now at the stage where expectations will rise soon (the board want the 2nd qualifying round), and the money becomes more important as we increase our wage bill as a professional team We weren't fully fit for the first leg, as I played only U19s in the final friendly (our third) before the game, but didn't have our starters on the bench to get some minutes in their legs without overdoing it. Between the two legs we rectified this, with a little bit of rotation too and had an attacking performance for the ages with six goals from seven shots on target. So we are moving on and reach our board expectations, but no the personal ones Kazakhstan it is. Hopefully the travel doesn't hurt us too much, although we are still in the pre-season in terms of league fixtures so we don't have to play an important league fixtures on a couple of days rest after travelling to the far reaches of the continent Having forgotten this for the second round, we are now the weakest pairing for the third round qualifying draw with a long way to go to get to be seeded at this stage And if we return from Kazakhstan unscathed then we will face off against Malmo or Sheriff. We have beaten Sheriff previously so we can continue to hope that we will make it past the third qualifying round for the first time in our history Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted August 31, 2019 Author Share Posted August 31, 2019 Random developments in footballing history Every so often a news story pops up that catches the eye New Juventus star (in the real world) is working his way through the Netherlands as a manager After a decent playing career, where RB Leipzig were fleeced by Barcelona for his services then a return back to Ajax where it all started as he wound down his career he then stepped into management Not a huge amount of time at any club, but he is moving up in the world . If I ever make it to the Netherland it would be nice to see him as Ajax manager as I try to topple them Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted August 31, 2019 Author Share Posted August 31, 2019 2 hours ago, scousevasey said: Random developments in footballing history Every so often a news story pops up that catches the eye New Juventus star (in the real world) is working his way through the Netherlands as a manager After a decent playing career, where RB Leipzig were fleeced by Barcelona for his services then a return back to Ajax where it all started as he wound down his career he then stepped into management Not a huge amount of time at any club, but he is moving up in the world . If I ever make it to the Netherland it would be nice to see him as Ajax manager as I try to topple them I decided to throw a cheeky application in to fill the vacancy he left behind Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted August 31, 2019 Author Share Posted August 31, 2019 29 minutes ago, scousevasey said: I decided to throw a cheeky application in to fill the vacancy he left behind During the interview, when asked about what I wanted, they were not against developing own players, in fact the only thing the board listed as being important was signing young players. Still I asked to develop players and waited Between the two legs against Kairat news appeared A job offer... Junior Coaching and Youth Recruitment at the highest level Superb training and youth facilities A new stadium at the end of the season They won the league 5 years ago, but only want to make Europe this season, and as we know the previous manager left to go elsewhere after a year in the job. So I have saved to mull it over Immediate thoughts are - Last time I did a long one club save (Hayes and Yeading), I eventually moved to another club, and lost the impetus to continue, and despite going back to a save before I quit I was unable to get going again - Rosport have now made a European group stage, and could be on the verge of something great (this would be regular appearances, moving the Luxembourg coefficient enough to start the season in the later qualifying rounds. It has taken 20+ years to get to this stage, winning anything is much further away) - Rosport are possibly maxed out in terms of success unless turning professional sees a big jump in players reaching their PPA - I have an idea for a save on FM20 that will be youth only again but in a bigger nation so I will need to deal with teams coming after my players. This would be good practice - I am starting a new job on Monday that will mean I have less time to play, at least for the first couple of weeks in September until I settle in. I need to work out how my desire to play will be affected by a club change at the same time Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted September 4, 2019 Author Share Posted September 4, 2019 On 31/08/2019 at 20:42, scousevasey said: A job offer... New job has meant there has been no chance to play, but I have crystallised my thoughts (subject to change) The plan is to see if I can negotiate a delay in the decision, to allow me to play the second leg of the current European qualifying stage. If we can get a good draw situation for the fourth round with a good chance of reaching the Champions League group stage then I will stay at Rosport to see how a Champions League group stage affects things. Otherwise I will head over to AZ and see how the Netherlands treats me. If they don't accept the delay, I will ignore the job at the minute, and keep an eye on what openings come up in December and at the end of the season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 2041 European Update 2 and job wrangling Firstly, AZ agreed to delay the decision about their job the first time of asking We were outplayed in both legs against Kairat, in terms of possession, shots and the heat map But we were able to sneak through with a one goal advantage from the home leg, which gave us a tie against Malmo Before the first leg, I was able to secure another delay from AZ, allowing the chance to play the first leg, and get the draw for the playoff (if we make it that far) We were even more outplayed in this game, with them having lots of the ball down our weak left side. Losing (29d) Albuqueque to a red means that getting through to the playoff is tough, but thanks to the late (36a) Schwitz goal we have a chance with the away goal. The challenge will be keeping a clean sheet against a better side with our young backup left back The day AZ came back after the second delay was the draw for the playoff We are seeded due to Malmo having a very strong coefficient, with Zurich being the one team everyone wants to draw Instead we face the tougher pairing of Mlada Boleslav or Maribor who drew 1-1 in the first leg of the third round. But as AZ are back for a response there is a new question in play. a) Take the AZ job (reasons above) b) Risk a third attempt at delaying the decision to get through the Malmo game and know the state of Rosport's European journey c) Reject the AZ job and see how the season goes with Rosport Another pause in the game to mull the decision over again 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted September 7, 2019 Author Share Posted September 7, 2019 20 hours ago, scousevasey said: But as AZ are back for a response there is a new question in play. a) Take the AZ job (reasons above) b) Risk a third attempt at delaying the decision to get through the Malmo game and know the state of Rosport's European journey c) Reject the AZ job and see how the season goes with Rosport Another pause in the game to mull the decision over again I decided to take option B Now I am left with options A and C. The original offer was £2,200p/w for two years, so I reduced my wage (as it is pretty much irrelevant), so I could lengthen the contract for a bit more security, upping it from 2 years to 4. The end of an era, and the start of a new one. In the assistant manager's opinion we are well set It is two days before our first league fixture, and we are between legs in the Europa League third qualifying stage, so there is an urgent need to run through the squad and see what we have available in each position, along with the chance of players coming through in the next couple of years from Jong AZ 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted September 7, 2019 Author Share Posted September 7, 2019 AZ Alkmaar Overview and Squad Review (Part 1) Everytime I read the name I am transported to Europop Hopefully any crying is tears of joy as we take the Netherlands by storm The board expect us to make it through the qualifying rounds in Europe, and we have a slight advantage heading into the second leg of the third qualifying round, which is a bit of early pressure that we need to face up to Looking at our staff we have work to do, but I told the board I wouldn't go mad wielding the axe, so instead have put out adverts to fit the gaps we have, with the Head of Youth Development being key Flicking through the staff options, to see who would give me the best guide to the squad, our general coach is better at judging players than the assistant manager, so will step up to this vital role early Compared to those in Luxembourg he is basically a magician when judging players, although he could do with working on his fitness drills This is his view of our CA. 8 great options, although I imagine the MR and AMR, and ML and AML options are the same, but great options at GK, MC, MC again and STC is not a bad start to a solid spine Clearly we have the potential to grow, so the challenge will be in getting the development we need while living up to the relatively high expectations of the board. At least we have Jong AZ playing in a competitive league and the U19s as an extra option. That means we can be more selective about looking for loans due to our decent facilities, and build our promotions from within Superb facilities, and so as long as we get decent staff to support them we will help grow our players. And hopefully avoid them being poached too early and too often while we build to be a European regular Luxembourg have reached 37th in these rankings due to my efforts, with Belgium benefiting from being a loaded nation to reach 5th, and the Netherlands being 3rd. Germany being the surprise loser here falling to 6th. We entered the Europa League as the only team in the qualifying stage, so the worst of the teams reaching Europe last season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidthekid Posted September 8, 2019 Share Posted September 8, 2019 looking forward to the new direction this save has taken Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted September 8, 2019 Author Share Posted September 8, 2019 Squad Review Part 2 Having looked at the positional overview, now to look at the players. Those that are high PCA are shown individually for context Goalkeepers Aaserudhagen wants more playing time, but is unlikely to get it with Weiss being the starter, and Ambrosio being the next best option with room to grow past Weiss Spoiler Defenders Sierra is wanted by Oviedo, so will be allowed to go in January to free up a space. Andersen is the best pure DR aside from Sierra but is getting on in age, so Tempo may be given chances to prove himself early El Idrissi is the hope for the future here, with a group of players all around a similar level We have a lot of options at DC, many of them being rated at a similar level. Most of them are 25 or younger so we are reasonably well set at DC especially if Verberne and van der Pol can reach their potentials Midfielders (Central) Most of the players who can play DM are more comfortable at MC, and all of them play more than one position, so I will probably go without a DM at the minute Opening it to MC, we get a bigger range to include some MC/AMC dual skilled players but none of these options stand out. Jesus and Coolen are our stars but both wanted by Bayern so we will have a tough time keeping hold of them At AMC the best option is 33 so we will stay away from him, with the second best option being a STC who can drop back, and he is out on loan. Not a strong point of the squad Spoiler Midfielders (Wide) I have put MR/AMR and ML/AML as combined lists for each side to save space and time The best potion is Bruintjes who wants to go to a bigger club and is wanted by Napoli. Willems is a capable backup who wants more game time. Willems is more comfortable as a MR so we may consider a flat midfield line Spoiler Monsen is the strongest option on the left and more comfortable as an AML, so we could go asymmetric or look at the profiles in more detail to make a decision on formation Spoiler Monsen has a fully green circle at ML while Willems has a darker one for AMR so a flat midfield looks better with our wide options Strikers Quite a few AMC/STC crossovers, with Verbeek being the star of the squad. Koopman is wanted by Lyon and Inter, so clearly has some talent, and if he plays will push his value much higher, which will either deter interest or raise our income on his sale. There is enough depth here to go with two, or even three up front, but obviously this needs some care further back down the pitch to avoid us being overrun Spoiler My immediate tactical thoughts are that the strongest option is a 4-4-2, possibly asymmetric with a AML. We could go with an odd look with a 4-3-3, but the midfield trio being ML-MC-MR. It would give us width but leave us perilously short in the middle of the park. This would test the theory that 3 strikers on FM18 is unbeatable as we would struggle to claim or retain possession Another option is to go 3-4-3 with three DCs, three STCs and ask a lot of our wide players If I go with the strongest MR/AMR option despite him wanting to leave then the 4-2-2-2 from Rosport would be a workable option Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted September 14, 2019 Author Share Posted September 14, 2019 Squad Overview After another busy week at work, we are still in the planning stages of Jelle van der Smits' assault on the Netherlands Using the review above this is the squad we are going with, with the hope that I haven't trimmed it too small. I am not sure on the rules about calling players up from the B/U19 teams at the minute *goes to look* On the squad page there is no league registration, we only have to submit a list for the Europa League, and we can play two players who have played for the B team. This should give some flexibility for injuries and when the intake appear As for tactics, On 08/09/2019 at 19:59, scousevasey said: My immediate tactical thoughts are that the strongest option is a 4-4-2, possibly asymmetric with a AML. We could go with an odd look with a 4-3-3, but the midfield trio being ML-MC-MR. It would give us width but leave us perilously short in the middle of the park. This would test the theory that 3 strikers on FM18 is unbeatable as we would struggle to claim or retain possession Another option is to go 3-4-3 with three DCs, three STCs and ask a lot of our wide players I had no other thoughts about formations, so have created the following with the caveat that all roles may change Fairly basic, with the aim being to control play Our risky formation where we will probably be swamped, so I added in a Defensive Forward who should chase back and set it to be Very Fluid hoping that everyone helps track back. More Direct Passing chosen to try and bypass the midfield where we are light and get the ball to the front three quickly I may test this out against any relegation fodder or lower league cup opposition I think this will leave us short on the flanks so have gone with very fluid again hoping that the wide men cover the ground. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted September 14, 2019 Author Share Posted September 14, 2019 AZ Season Preview Predicted to come 6th, which should put us in the Europa League, unless there is a major cup upset If the cup winner takes the final European spot then 6th and 7th would be the European playoff, so we could still miss out (as far as I can tell) And reaching 6th would keep the board happy if it came with the European place. As for the fixtures we will face on the journey This was the run before I arrived, with three decent wins in the Europa League qualifying to leave us on the verge of the fourth qualifying round. We do still have to be wary of the away goal we conceded so it is not a given that we will progress but I am hopeful A tough start against Vitesse and Heerenveen who are predicted to be in the Champions League spots, an easier game against NEC before another tough double header against Feyenoord and PSV, meaning we play four of the five teams predicted above us in the league in the first five games. And the schedule makers have done us no favours with three of those games being away from home. Obviously after that tough start it eases off a little, with us playing just over half of the league campaign before we stop for a winter break. Having changed the Rosport updates once we became a top team, I may go back to monthly updates, I may keep it as every five games (or so), I may give updates of important events as they happen outside of the planned schedule. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted September 14, 2019 Author Share Posted September 14, 2019 AZ - First game We host Vitesse in the first game of the new regime, with two days between taking the job and opening the league campaign. We start off with our 4-4-2 hoping to put in a solid performance against a slightly defensive 4-3-3 The stats are interesting as we were able to attempt more shots, but were pretty wayward with only 3/14 finding the target. Being beaten in the possession game is something to keep an eye on tactically, as I have gone with some fairly basic roles, but haven't delved into the linking between players, preferred roles, suitability for roles, and combinations, mainly because having taken the job a week ago in the real world I wanted to delve into a game, and not having any friendlies left to test out tactics I went with a fairly standard combination of roles. Aside from losing the possession battle the whole game was fairly even. The possession was concentrated fairly centrally for Vitesse who didn't utilise their AMR/AML, whereas we had out best possession via the right But we do come away with the win via an own goal and a penalty. (note to self, change the penalty takers to be GKs), meaning we have a positive start to the season against a tough opposition The MoM was our DR which is a slight rarity, but looking at the detailed stats our passing was good, crossing was poor, tacking was good, heading was good and shooting was poor. Things to work on, but I won't make kneejerk changes after one game but it is worth noting and considering for a few games time, especially for when we face the weaker teams in the league Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted September 17, 2019 Author Share Posted September 17, 2019 2041 European Adventures We made it through our tie comfortably to reach the final qualifying round for the Europa League group stage Just look at that coefficient! Rosport could only dream... Greece it is. We should progress easily And talking of Rosport They are in the Champions League Playoff against Czech opponents. After I led them to a 2-1 deficit away to Malmo, they won 1-0 at home to go through on away goals, and are now guaranteed European group stage football for the second year running. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted September 17, 2019 Author Share Posted September 17, 2019 2041 European Adventures Our trip to Greece went well (I will do a full update along with the league update, as we were expected to get through to the group stage) ] But I am back off to Rosport And I don't have long to wait, coming on the back of our two games against Feyenoord and PSV. I will do an update after the PSV game along with a special update for the Rosport game and the build up that comes with my return My former charges then come to visit after we host Ajax in what is the fifth group game I also quite like that we are in a group containing four neighbouring countries, with none of the excessive travel that often comes with the Europa League 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted September 22, 2019 Author Share Posted September 22, 2019 2041-2042 In Season Update 1 Starting with something I haven't really had to worry about in this save, transfers Daan Janssen was wanted, and allowed me to ease a starting decision. Koopman, Bruintjes and Camara were all unsettled at the club so I knew there would be issues in keeping them around. It is never an aim to sell strong players straight away, but with a fresh start at the club I don't have the built up support of the players and can't really risk upset spreading through the team. We don't need the money from the transfers, and are well below the wage budget, but hopefully this opens the door for developing our young players. In terms of fixtures, progression in Europe was fairly easy, with the league being a little more of a challenge. Heerenveen are predicted 3rd in the table, and with players still adjusting to the new regime we struggled to convert chances, while we let Heerenveen control possession which cost us Our second loss was against Feyenoord, who have a perfect record after five games, where we were outclassed on the day Both losses came in the shadow of European games, and were against teams predicted in the top three in the league, whereas playing NEC who are predicted 13th after a European game is not as hard a challenge. Not the ideal start to my first season in a new country, but we do have nine points, including taking six points off our rivals for the European places Next up is my return to Luxembourg, to start our Europa League group stage campaign Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted September 22, 2019 Author Share Posted September 22, 2019 2041-2042 In Season Update 2 - the return to Rosport After such a long time at Rosport, and then returning to them so quickly for a competitive fixture I wanted to delve a little deeper into the fixture. In addition during the interview for the AZ job I inadvertently promised to improve my media handling, so I am currently doing all the press conference before and after games. Unfortunately this means that for the game against Rosport I seem to have 37 screenshots covering the build up, match and review, so to minimise the length of the post I will subtitle different sections then use the spoiler tab. Feel free to read as much or as little as you want The Pre-match Scouting Report I feel this is slightly redundant as I probably know more about the team than my scouts but... Spoiler No huge surprises in the starting line up, pretty much chosen by CA And they look like a decent team, although a Team Report I requested had them max out at 2* against the AZ squad. That continuity may make a difference though The new manager has not ruined the team yet with a strong start. Bossi was the U19 manager during my time, but Mersch is unknown to me Only a Continental C licence, and quite a drop off. Interesting that he only has a one year contract, so he has to prove himself. I wonder if the high expectations will be his downfall as he delves into the poor transfer market in Luxembourg I am pretty sure I could have told the ex player that he was decent. But column inches* don't fill themselves I suppose *or computer screen pixels The media build up around the game Spoiler Not a surprise that there will be a sell out. I hope the 800 fans is our full allocation for such a relatively short European journey The fans want a win, the bookies expect a win. We really should win Pre Match Press Conferences (and fall out) I have just taken a list of all the questions asked, not my answers, to see which the press pick up on, and whether the focus is on my return, or the game Spoiler Fairly balanced press conference. Maybe if I had been sacked , or taken over a rival it would have been a bigger deal The match result I won't hide this section away as it is the main point of the update A comfortable win for us, but it is a bit of a shame to concede late on. A nice moment for the Rosport fans who stayed to the end though We dominate on our use of possession, even if we were slightly shaded on overall control of the ball. Nothing really surprising in relation to the result though This is a little worrying, as although I don't have retain possession as an instruction and instead ask for a High Tempo so we would move swiftly it is worrying how much possession Rosport had in our half. The positive is that they barely touched the ball in the box, or down the wings level with the box, whereas we have pretty good coverage over the whole pitch The Rosport formation was listed as a Defensive 4-4-2, and it is a shame to see the (31a) Fellerich and (30d) Dias being played 'out of position' in the midfield roles as opposed to giving them the freedom to attack. Interestingly the scouting suggested that CA would rule in picking the squad but (40a) Flick started at DC which wasn't predicted, although that is the only change Post Match press conference and fallout Spoiler The new man doesn't seem overly confident. If saying that he should treat the match with importance, and that I don't really know who he is classes as mind games I can't see him lasting too long in the job In a rare moment, I answered this question passionately, saying that the club was important to me. Normally I answer every press question calmly (or just avoid going Reviewing the game I now have a data analyst, and get a report on the game, so it worth seeing what he picks out for us The MoM is the best performer. Not rocket science, but in a loss it could help see why someone scored well And again the room for improvement doesn't add much, but could be useful in a loss Most of our passing was sideways, with very little backwards movement. It would be interesting to see what angles are required for it to be classed in each category. If I pass the ball along a 30 degree angle from the halfway line, then is that forwards or sideways? I would say it is a sideways pass as it is still shallow, but the ball does travel forwards. I am not sure how to check this, but I may delve a bit deeper if I have time Lots more passing via the left wing with the DR and MR occupying very similar areas, and the ML pushing on more to encroach on the STCL The most interesting part of the data analysis Four key passes from the MoM, and three mistakes which all seem to be in the same spot. Doesn't add a huge amount to the information gleaned 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted October 3, 2019 Author Share Posted October 3, 2019 2041-2042 In Season Update 3 - End of October League results It feels like it has taken a month to play a month, but it has only been a week and a half. A slightly odd update in length, but it gets us to the end of October and our tenth game so we can see the league table shaping up properly. While we were unbeaten, our performances have not been the best, often losing the possession battle, and the shot count being fairly even across the board, so there were minor tactical tweaks, to lower our tempo, add in retain possession, and a move from fluid to flexible. Against weaker teams we have also go to attacking instead of control. The tweaks were being tested against VVV, due to a European result, which saw is drop points as we had made the first two changes but not the later two. Hopefully we will start to become more settled in the next few games and see us win on the stats sheets as well as the scoreboard. Ajax can close to within a point, but we have made a good start to the season especially in light of our tough opening run of fixtures Cup Fixtures Two lower division teams were seen off easily. We are expected to reach the late stages of the cup so there has not been too much rotation, mainly as I don't know the strengths of the squad fully. Next up we face Eredivisie opposition with cellar dwellers Roda. Europa League After the triumphant return to Rosport we have faced off against every team in the group once The Charleroi game was the result that inspired the changes to the tactics as I expected a win in that game. The board only expect us to reach the groups but with the group we have we should be getting through to the knockout rounds We are well set to do that, with a good performance in the home game against Charleroi we will be guaranteed to go through, although the chances of Montpellier or Rosport coming back are extremely low Upcoming fixtures This gets us up to the winter break, with struggling Utrecht up first before the visit of Charleroi. Two wins from two is the aim here. Groningen and Ajax back to back is a tough pairing, and will probably see us drop some points, although we need to make home advantage count if we can. Rosport, and Roda should be two clear wins, unless I rotate wildly to throw the Rosport game to boost their chances or financial situation. After that there is no stand out fixture, and I will probably have an update either after the Rosport game or the Roda game to set the scene for the end of 2041 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted October 6, 2019 Author Share Posted October 6, 2019 2041-2042 In Season Update 4 - November I wanted the first two games of the month to be wins to take pressure off before we faced 3rd and 4th in the league back to back, but we struggled against Utrecht, and even though they had a poor start to the season they were able to hold us in a poor game. The lack of Verbeek up front cost us in this came, and by the time he was fit again after the international break we has scored 6 in two, both hat tricks. Those three league games keep us in 2nd, but extend our gap on the teams below us due to our wins against them. Feyenoord look like they will be tough all season, and PSV have started to make a run up the table, so will add pressure to us as the season goes on. Utrecht continue to struggle so our dropped points are a real shame Two good wins in Europe mean we are still unbeaten in the group stage, and half of our goals so far have come from the one game against Rosport (who have started the season in Luxembourg with a 100% league record) December brings us seven games which will press our fitness to the limits, with the end of the Europa groups where I will push to stay undefeated, and a cup game agaisnt struggling Roda. Heerenveen to end the month will be tough, and they are sniffing around Monsen our ML meaning the game takes on added significance as the last game before the transfer window opens. Lose to them and he may want to jump ship. Beat them and he might see the benefit of staying. A good game from him could earn us a few extra million 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 2041-2042 In Season Update 5 - December 2041 Not the best month for us as injuries have started to mount up especially with some key players We were poor against Vitesse, and struggled to create chances against Heerenveen, while lacking our starting DR, MR and one of our MCs. Squad depth is going to be interesting as the season progresses, and the January transfer window approaches. We stay second in the league, but Feyenoord have a clear eight point gap that will be hard to close if they stay solid. PSV are the shock of the season down in 13th, but we look set to finish in the Top 4 and get back to the Champions League which is my aim, and above expectations of the board. We cruise through the Europa League group, and provide Rosport with two of their three goals scored. For the next round we avoid any of the big teams dropping from the Europa League, and we get a trip to Ukraine, although all I can think of when seeing the game is Hopefully they are not Zorya the AZ destroyers...(I will get my coat) Having made it through against Roda JC in the cup we are through to the quarter finals, one win away from the board expectation And we have a good chance to make it through to the next round. I am not too worried about the cup as we are overachieving in the league, and have already overachieved in Europe, so would rather prioritise those to keep the board sweet and raise more revenue for next season. As we hit the winter break, and the opening of the transfer window, I am nervous about our chances due to lots of unsettled players and interest in our key options, and as we are yet to have a Youth Intake in my reign I don't have a connection with the team yet, making the decisions on transfers more interesting. But that requires a separate post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 2041-2042 Winter Tranfer Window Worries As we end 2041, and the window is about to drift open there has been lots of news articles and press conference questions about some of our star players This is the top 20 players contracted at the club sorted by CA, with six of them wanted by other clubs, and three of those being in our top four players. With the top four of the six all being 24 or younger they are the sort of player I would have hoped to build the club around so selling them isn't really part of the long term development plan. But as I have an idea for my first FM20 save, which will include more teams interesting in signing my players than I was used to at Rosport this is a good test for the next save about handling such issues This is the top 20 players sorted by PPA, and the saving grace is that only three of the six top 20 CA players who are wanted are shown on this list, so for the future there is less of a challenge, but again they are all options that are 24 or under. Verbeek is our star striker, but is getting interest from some of the big teams across the continent. He wants to go to Monaco, and ideally I want him to go to one of the lesser clubs here with a juicy sell on clause. The saving grace here is that while he is valued at a mere £9.25M, he has a £42M release clause, and the media have mentioned bids of £31.5M. We don't need the money urgently, but if we can push that closer to the £40M mark, with a sell on clause then the transfer becomes palatable. Monsen is our best ML, but can't get into the Norway squad, so a move may be in his interests if he wants to play internationally. A mix of teams here, with Heerenveen being a bit of a sideways move, but again the aim will be to increase the money and work a situation where we get a nice sell on. Monsen would prefer to move to Heerenveen because they are in the Champions League (despite them only coming third in their group and therefore being in the Europa League now). Ideally if I am selling him he would be going abroad Coolen is one of our top three MCs, and with a much smaller pool of interest around him he is less likely to be on the move Muller is a rotational ST option, who wants to go to Oostende in Belgium because he thinks they give him a better chance of playing in the Champions League, so there is a chance of keeping him Kobylanski was unsettled about playing time earlier in the season, and although he dropped that concern, he may start to agitate for a move if Vitesse make their interest known. He is one who I would happily let leave if the deal was right as I think he is a rotational option at best, and we can introduce a younger option who can develop with playing time Another MC who wants to get Champions League football, and it means our top three MC options are all wanted at the minute. If I don't pay attention during the month I could end up with real issues in the middle of the park Having moved on a couple of days as I type the post, we have more interest appearing for players This makes it our top four players by CA wanted, although hopefully the poor form of PSV means he isn't looking to move on. Willems is our starting MR, and wanted more game time when I took over, which was realised when Bruintjes left for Inter at the end of the summer. Not really one we can afford to lose as there isn't too much quality behind him Our up and coming DL has minor interest from Germany. I want to get him into the first team more often, so this is not ideal, and the fact it makes eight of the top 20 players being wanted means we have a lot to do to improve our standing in world football before we are able to see of these rumours. Both Muller and Jesus came to ask about the interest in them, and as they both wanted to go for the Champions League I was able to placate them in the short term. If we make the top 4 they will be happy to stay. If we fail they will want to leave in the summer. As I want to continue the save as a Youth focused save I won't be looking to replace any of these players if we do sell them even though that puts the job and the league position at risk. This is again a dry run before FM20, so it is a way to juggle player moods, and moves from bigger clubs. We have persuaded the board to invest in the Facilities (both Training and Youth), which means I am hopeful for the first Youth Intake that will come in 2042, and the squad image sorted by PPA shows that there is a pipeline of sorts that we can use if we do sell Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 2041-2042 In Season Update 6 - The end of the Winter Break January started off in a blur It took all of nine minutes for the fax machine to start whirring once the window opened, with Verbeek getting lots of attention. While that was going on our starting MR left for struggling PSV. We will struggle to see the £1M for the appearances, but the 50% sell on clause could be worth a decent amount In the Verbeek saga, Monaco didn't like our negotiations to get to £37.5M plus 50%, so pulled out The team didn't like it. I managed to negotiate good deals with Marseille, Liverpool, Chelsea. Verbeek wanted to talk to Liverpool, and all three options had a 50% clause built in. Then Monaco came back in. Verbeek's chosen option And they met the release fee, so there was no chance to negotiate upwards, or add any clauses. I was hoping that after Monaco pulled out that the lure of Liverpool and the Premier League would be enough, but it wasn't to be And the squad got upset. Clearly it impossible to win with these players when it comes to happiness. One of our youth prospects garnered some attention, and he was some way off playing, with a middling PPA, so £800k with 50% is a decent value for a player who may have left at the end of his contract. His 61 appearances is actually four appearances for AZ and 57 for Jong AZ So halfway through January we have sold four players Osawa was surplus to requirements and 33, so the fee is a nice earner for someone I would otherwise look to release. I was hoping to get closer to £10M or more for Willems so it is disappointment to only get £8.5M at most, but we can build that up with the sell on clause Verbeek leaving is a shame as he has lead the line well, but our hands were tied. Some of the other offers were near to £42M but with the sell on so it is a shame we lose out on those van der Wal is not a real loss in my eyes, and if I am proven wrong the 50% fee will make up for it. But I would rather leave space for the intake players who come through during my reign Making a real difference to the budget with the transfer dealings this season, although we have lost some good players. The internal record has lasted for quite a while considering we are in 2042, which is telling about the transfer dealings that the club had previously. The reason for an update part way through the transfer window. Well apart from losing our star player, we also start our fixtures again, and I didn't preview them in December Two friendlies that we were invited to allow us some nice game time to keep up the fitness, before three league games and an important cup game. Hopefully selling Willems to PSV doesn't come back to bite us before the transfer window closes, but we should be racking up a minimum of 7 points this month and looking to meet our expectation in the cup Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 2041-2042 In Season Update 7 - January and Transfer Window We didn't quite make the seven points I wanted but we were unlucky against PSV Clearly having lost Verbeek we lack a cutting edge in front of goal, but we put ourselves in a good position to win. The real negative of the game was an injury to Monsen where he will be out for 3-6 weeks, meaning we are down to the backups and even the backups to the backups on the wings. So for the cup game against NEC, I decided to go with something mentioned when I took over, playing with three at the back and three up front. Slightly watered down without Verbeek, but it got us the win which is what matters And while we faced a lot of pressure down the wings, we controlled the central areas of the pitch. Not perfect in our first run out but it is a start. In the cup we get the best draw possible, and we should be making the final at this point We will really struggle to catch Feyenoord now, although a win in our next game which is a top of the table clash means the title is still up for grabs. If we had won against PSV it would have meant the gap could have shrunk to as little as two points after the next game, but instead a loss would leave us 11 points adrift. We are 15 points clear of NAC in 5th so should have a good chance of making the Champions League, but we can't afford to rest on our laurels yet. On transfer deadline day, Ajax came in for Coolen, and while the £12.5M is lower than what I was after, we should earn it all along with the 50% sell on fee due to the appearance fee being reduced down to 30 games. In the roundup we are responsible for two of the biggest deals, both outgoing. We just need to make sure that we are not too thin now as we push on through the second half of the season Five league games in February with the key one being first up. Willem II in the middle will be a good test for the cup game, and then the return of the Europa League, where we will be able to rotate a bit against PEC Zwolle between legs against the cellar dwellers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillHoudini24 Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 That kind of money can help you re-shape the club. Very good in the long run! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted October 12, 2019 Author Share Posted October 12, 2019 1 hour ago, BillHoudini24 said: That kind of money can help you re-shape the club. Very good in the long run! It is a good sum of money but there are a couple of caveats to consider 1) I am not looking to spend it on transfers. Our facilities are already pretty decent and we have a new stadium on the way, so there isn't too much left to spend it on We are pretty close to maxed out apart from Data Analysis, which I will continue to add to when I can. 2) We already had a decent amount in the bank (and transfer budget) We had ~£60M in the bank going into the transfer window, so we are well set, but looking around the finance page a bit more I found we also have a debt The start date is fairly recent, but the last ownership change doesn't match up It may trace back to the financing of the new stadium, organised in 2040, time to plan and start building taking more than a season, meaning it will be ready for the start of the 2042-2043 season. It is a bit of a shame that it is such a large debt, and we can't do anything about paying it off early, with the £15.75M of extra interest being a large sum if we fail to make Europe regularly. But the main aim is to build up my knowledge of the effect of transfers on the squad, such as them getting annoyed at not letting a player go, then annoyed when he does go, or seeing how much of it changes a season to lose the best player in January, This will play a key part in my FM20 save as I will be in a 'feeder' nation, one that is not a big league, and I know that my players will be poached regularly, while I try to build to a dominant position. Ideally I would have kept Verbeek as he was a product of the academy, but he was not one of my players in that sense so there is no real attachment. I also think that while I won't get rid of this save, the timing of the move to AZ along with changing job in the real world has slowed progress, and knowing I will be getting FM20 has driven some of the impetus from the save. I probably won't see the benefit of the facilities improvements I am making as I won't get through too many more seasons 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted October 13, 2019 Author Share Posted October 13, 2019 2041-2042 In Season Update 8 - February Our experiment with the 5-2-3 fell flat against Feyenoord in the top of the table clash, and then imploded against Dordrecht. With Monsen returning to fitness for the NAC game, we reverted back to the 4-4-2 and our results rebounded A minor blip in the scheme of a season but one that leaves us fighting to finish 2nd as opposed to fighting for the title The first leg against Zorya left we worrying for our future in Europe, as we dominated the game, but I had started Coskun up front alongside Muller, and the younger man struggled to convert chances. The saving grace coming out of the first leg was that we had managed an away goal, giving us a slight advantage in knowing that if we scored then Zorya would have to push more to get their own away goal. Four goals in the first 26 minutes meant we were fairly comfortable winners in the end And we are one of four Dutch teams in the last 16. Lierse would usually be seen as an easy draw but the strength on Belgian football means that isn't the case. This is the first season they have played in Europe for a few season though, so we should have the upper hand over them and be able to make the quarter finals. Our league form sees us fighting with Ajax for 2nd, with them currently having a game in hand and only trailing us by a point. Our upcoming game could well be massively important We can't afford to focus too much on Europe as we have some challenging fixtures but we should progress nicely through the remaining eight league games. I can't see us throwing away an eight point margin over Heerenveen in fourth, and as we are only expected to reach the Europa League, dropping to third isn't the end of the world, but having sat in second for most of the season it will be a real shame. I have shown the fixtures to the end of the season, as I am going to experiment with a different frequency of update in advance of FM20, where I will update on fixtures each half season, breaking that down into individual posts for each competition but then adding in posts about the development of players, or squad issues on a slightly more regular basis. It may disrupt the flow of the updates a bit, but I want to focus into the Youth aspect of the save more with the new features (lots for me as I have the whole new FM19 training updates to contend with too). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted October 19, 2019 Author Share Posted October 19, 2019 Youth Intake 2042 The first intake at AZ, which means it is always difficult to judge the quality as I am still getting used to the squad I have The news item gives little hint about what will come next The stand out player is (42a) Heus, so it doesn't look deep in quality ,whereas if it was (--c) as the stand out then it is easy to assume there is a greater level of top quality The stand out to begin with is there are two players who could top out at 5* which is a good sign, and they have reasonable determination levels. The facts that (42a) Heus could start now is a real benefit as I look to remake the team in my image. (42b) van Rooijen is a little further from starting, but with us selling Verbeek in January there is a chance that he could step up early to try and maximise his ability As this is the first intake at a new club, I am going a little deeper than in recent Rosport intakes. Determination levels are good, with 12 of 16 being in double figures. This means we are in a good position, although I need to look at the wider determination levels of the squad to see if this will be torpedoed when they sign and get to play Looking at positions, we get some depth at DR with a (d) and (e) giving chance to develop Two DCs although one is the weakest of the intake. The wide midfielders are M/AM hybrids so we could be looking to move to a 4-2-3-1 formation soon to get them a chance to push on, although this would require (42a) Heus to step up at AMC, and that is asking a lot for a 15 year old to provide our secondary threat. I don't think we are defensively strong enough to go with the 4-2-2-2 formation I used at Rosport, so it isn't obvious at the minute. That is probably one for a squad review in the off season The star of the intake both in terms of PCA and PPA. Good physical stats along with a decent mental make up means he could develop nicely. Technical stats need work, but for a 15 year old there is a good platform. He could well slide back to MC (allowing us to keep the 4-4-2) but I would need to decide on the correct role for him. His decent technique, passing and first touch mean he could work well at MC, although he may need to develop his tackling and positioning to thrive here Working out the best positions for players is something I want to develop, so I will try to check in on his training and development as we go on (42b) van Rooijen is our second 5* PPA player, who could be looking to get into the first team in the near future. Again decent mental stats for a youngster, although his physical stats have a couple of gaps. Hopefully as he ages this will improve. His technical stats need work, but with decent first touch and finishing he could make a good Poacher. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scousevasey Posted October 24, 2019 Author Share Posted October 24, 2019 2041-2042 End of season A long tough run in to end the season Dutch Cup The board expected us to get to the semi final We made it further but struggled against Ajax in the final, which was a bit of a damp squib Europa League We were only expected to get to the group stage in this To go out in the second knockout stage is a good return, but we should really have been beating Lierse Albeit we had no chance to win, but we should really have made the quarter finals, if not the semi finals League A terrible run of form in the league. A mix of injuries, suspensions, and missing Verbeek's prowess if front of goal meant we struggled through the tail end of the league campaign. The board wanted us to qualify for Europe, and as the calendar flipped to 2042 we were primed for a top two finish In the end we stumbled our way to 4th, with Ajax nearly closing the gap to Feyenoord. When I first though the league had gone, Ajax were behind us, so if we had managed a good winning run then the title was there to be taken, but instead we end up scrapping with Vitesse for 4th, claiming it on the final day. Which leaves an odd feeling, as we have beaten our expectation, but feel deflated as it could have been much better. The end of season team meeting set the aim to be top 4 again next season, which the players liked so there is still room for improvement While this run has been going on, my drive to play the save has been waning, partially due to being busy, the poor results, not having the connection to the AZ players, the date of FM20 being announced. So I am at a point where this may be the end of the updates, or I may continue but it will change direction to see what happens. In light of my struggles with the squad, I tasked my DoF to try and sign a lot of players (completely destroying the youth aspect of the save). It is a chance to see how contract structures go, as I tried to sign a couple of them who didn't like my deals, but agreed to terms with my DoF. The aim with this is that if I continue to save further, then I will have a chunk of players who are 'my players' to build around. If not it gives an insight as to how bad I am at transfers, having lost Verbeek and the season falling apart around me. As I have mentioned this will be an issue for FM20, so having a test, along with the beta (suggestions for a beta save?) gives a chance to develop my skills It is also a World Cup year, so I will be keeping an eye on the jobs that appear as that goes on 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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