ManUtd1 Posted March 9, 2020 Author Share Posted March 9, 2020 April 2043. It took extra time in the 2nd leg, but we've stomped the Smurfs for the 2nd straight year in the knockout rounds. Ta ra, Franky-boy. We face Ognjen Vranjes' Aston Villa in the semifinals, a side that are on course for their 5th straight Premier League title, after they eliminated Marco Rose's Monaco. As you may recall, Aston Villa are led by none other than Orlande Kante, our talismanic Ivorian shadow striker. Raul Valbuena's Wolves and Baba Toure's Club Brugge square off in the other semifinal. Domestically, we're flying. With 6 matches to play, we're 12 points clear of Monaco. Which means that our focus is on the Champions League for the moment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 9, 2020 Author Share Posted March 9, 2020 May 2043. An epic 1st leg. Although I'm gutted that we gave up the 2nd late. At 4-1, it looked like the tie was over before we left for England. As things stand, it's a bit more dicey. I decide not to play it too safe, but to continue with our aggressive, tweaked tactic. A 15th minute goal from Zimmer paid back our faith. 5-2 on aggregate. Yahiaoui buried another in the 56th, but it was chalked off by VAR for offsides. Nerves quickly set in when Rigamonti buried one in the 63rd, to draw Villa level on the night...Sembolo should have done better. Bastard. Then a stunner from Caldas in the 68th. Double bastard. Squeaky bum time. Euphoria when Dobias fired home in the 81st...only for VAR to chalk it off for offsides. Still, we hold firm. Denying Villa any real look at goal. In the 94th, Konate breaks through forcing Pereira into an awkward save, spilling the ball for Faðir Hóra. The Norwegian-Icelandic beast buries it. 2-2 on the night. 6-4 on aggregate. We're going to Wembley, to face Raul Valbuena's Wolves, who beat Panathinaikos on penalties. The final will be live-blogged tomorrow on From the Cheap Seats -- I'll post the link when it's available. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidthekid Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 How is Cerc doing this time around? Does he score more in the front 2 or by his own. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 9, 2020 Author Share Posted March 9, 2020 4 hours ago, kidthekid said: How is Cerc doing this time around? Does he score more in the front 2 or by his own. He's scoring more in the front 2 than on his own, but that isn't necessarily down to him. More a function of how the tactics were working, even if Ibrahim went nuts at Partizan. Goals and assists have been spread out across the squad each year at Reims, with the mezzalas being key contributors. We've also been tweaking the tactics all year, including a version with a player deployed wide in the AM strata (which didn't work particularly well). I will probably do a short write-up on the current setup, which I'm enjoying -- codenamed PM Haaienhamer ("grapefruit shark hammer"). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 9, 2020 Author Share Posted March 9, 2020 PSA: we'll be going live to Gary and Jamie at Wembley, in 1 hour, for the 2043/44 Champions League final. A link to the live blog will be posted when available. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy42 Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 this champagne smells of asparagus 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 9, 2020 Author Share Posted March 9, 2020 Kickoff is imminent, follow all the action in the live-blog over at From the Cheap Seats. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikulec Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy42 Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 as long as he isn't embracing his long lost lover on a herpes ridden retirement mattress. And how the hell has he kept a job? There has to be someone else out there who can commentate? Plus, how fire retardant are his pants (and how incompetent are the production team) that the cocktail didn't go off or be disposed of for 16 whole minutes! In other news, congratulations, look forward to see where you go next Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 9, 2020 Author Share Posted March 9, 2020 23 minutes ago, Rikulec said: 9 minutes ago, Mandy42 said: as long as he isn't embracing his long lost lover on a herpes ridden retirement mattress. And how the hell has he kept a job? There has to be someone else out there who can commentate? Plus, how fire retardant are his pants (and how incompetent are the production team) that the cocktail didn't go off or be disposed of for 16 whole minutes! In other news, congratulations, look forward to see where you go next Thanks, man! I've got a plan in mind...and it has nothing to do with Gary's fire-retardant pants, which until today he'd wear on his head for big matches. But now he's seen the light. He knows that he's been led astray by the glitz and glamour of modern football. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 9, 2020 Author Share Posted March 9, 2020 I’ll Drink Your Champagne. I’ll Drink Every Drop Of It, I Don’t Care If It Kills Me. Stade de Reims / Belgium - Season Review 2042/43 From Ligue 2 to Champions of Europe in 5 years. And it isn't just what we've accomplished. It's the foundation that we've built. A down payment on the future of the club. A promise. The 22-man squad is brimming with precocious talent. The coffers are full. A new stadium will be complete in one year's time. I'm sad that we won't be here to see it during that first season, but I have little doubt in my mind that we'll be back. To bask in the glories to come. To savor the beauty of a well-struck through ball. To vanquish an illustrious foe. Because never let it be said that we'll rest on our laurels. While we have resigned, our thoughts have already turned to the next venture. The next challenge. A change of pace is needed. A new approach, perhaps. We must be patient, however, for the right opportunity to arrive. This has been an enjoyable stop along the journey. The first time we've dropped into the 2nd tier to take on a club, and it turned out smashingly. Mind you, I'm not rushing to do it again. But I would, for the "right" club. It isn't what we're going to do next. One of the issues with this save is that, after a while, it can start to feel a little formulaic to me -- I know how I want my sides to play, and I know the types of players I'm looking for. I also struggle to get excited about managing certain clubs (*cough*Spurs*cough*). Which means that sometimes I need to change things up, or else cross my fingers and hope that I can "complete" the challenge quickly with particular clubs. Right now, my plan is to change things up even more severely than when we dropped down to Ligue 2. Another "first" for the Nearly Men saves. The narrative is primed for it. It's more a question of which clubs become available. (None of the eligible clubs are available or insecure at the moment.) Goals for 2043/44: Qualify for Euro 2044. Wait for the right club job to open up. Squad | League Overview | Transfers Finances | Income | Expenditure Fixtures 1 | Fixtures 2 | Fixtures 3 European Review This is covered thoroughly in the 2041/42 Open Thread and live-blog of the Final, but Nicolaj Bur's Stade de Reims brought home the Champions League title, with a 1-nil win over Raul Valbuena's Wolves. Champions League: Overview | Knockout Rounds In the Europa League, Bruno Lage's Atalanta beat Jamie Steel's Athletic, 1-nil. Europa League: Overview | Knockout Rounds In the Europa Conference League, Aleksander Dragovic's Tottenham beat Feyenoord, 2-nil. Europa Conf. League: Overview | Knockout Rounds In the active leagues, Ognjen Vranjes’ Aston Villa won their 5th straight Premier League title. Velicko Kaplanovic's Roma won their first Serie A title since 2001. Paolo Fonseca's Sevilla won their 6th straight La Liga title, the 9th time in 11 years that neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid have won the title (at a point, I promise to stop commenting on this...). Julian Nagelsmann's Gladbach reclaimed the Bundesliga title. Baptiste Santamaria's Club Brugge won their 7th straight Belgian title, their 14th in 17 years. Baba Toure's Panathinaikos won their 19th straight SuperLeague title. Matthias Kaltenbach's Partizan won their 11th straight title. Finally, Rayan Cherki's IFK Norrkoping won the 2042 Allsvenskan title, their 5th in 7 years. Save/Challenge Overview Cross-posted at From the Cheap Seats. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tacchi Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 Well done Mister Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 1 hour ago, Tacchi said: Well done Mister Thank you, good sir. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 (edited) Coming soon on From the Cheap Seats, a close look at PM Haaienhamer, the tactic we used at Stade de Reims. Edited March 10, 2020 by ManUtd1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy42 Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 3 hours ago, ManUtd1 said: Coming soon on From the Cheap Seats, a close look at PM Haaienhamer, the tactic we used at Stade de Reims. Oooooooooooo does my breath seem baited to you? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuryBlade Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Congratulations; excellent result and progress made in such a short time at the club! Shame about not getting to see the new stadium but the next manager couldn’t ask for a better platform to begin with. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodesire Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 6-5 to Nicolaj! Is that the first time in the save you\re leading AI? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 5 hours ago, Mandy42 said: Oooooooooooo does my breath seem baited to you? Dangerous, with all these sharks around... 4 hours ago, BuryBlade said: Congratulations; excellent result and progress made in such a short time at the club! Shame about not getting to see the new stadium but the next manager couldn’t ask for a better platform to begin with. Thanks, man! Yeah, is a shame to leave, but I'm really excited for the next stop in the journey. Just need to get there... 2 hours ago, rodesire said: 6-5 to Nicolaj! Is that the first time in the save you\re leading AI? Looks like it! Arsenal and Roma gave ita head start! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodesire Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 2 hours ago, ManUtd1 said: Looks like it! Arsenal and Roma gave ita head start! There is only Unay Emery! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy42 Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 36 minutes ago, rodesire said: There is only Unay Emery! And we are all thankful for that! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 We've gone live with the tactical breakdown at From the Cheap Seats! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 11, 2020 Author Share Posted March 11, 2020 June 2042. Life in the post-Reims world has started well, with Belgium claiming the 2043 Nations League title, after a hard-fought 1-nil win over Quentin Bernard's France in the semifinal, and a convincing 3-1 win over Italy in the final. We've got a friendly against Bolivia next week, but unless an eligible job opens soon, our next competitive match will be the 2044 Euro qualifiers in September against Georgia and Gibraltar. Being stuck in Belgium isn't the worst thing ever, mind you. And it reminds me, I really need to watch In Bruges again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 11, 2020 Author Share Posted March 11, 2020 July 2043. Nicolaj Bur's successor at Stade de Reims is none other than Matthias Kaltenbach. Not the worst thing that could have happened. The strangest thing to happen in a summer with lots of managerial movement, by far, is Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Juventus to go to Stuttgart, who've finished 3rd in the Bundesliga for the last 5 years. Stuttgart is a club that I once thought could push on and become eligible, but they eventually ran into the buzzsaw that was Gladbach under Bur and Julian Nagelsmann. That being said, the window may be opening up for Stuttgart, as Nagelsmann left Gladbach for Juventus. Another really odd move that I didn't see coming. Continuing the managerial merry-go-round, Ongjen Vranjes left Aston Villa for Gladbach, after winning 5 straight Premier League titles. I blame Tom Cruise for this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 11, 2020 Author Share Posted March 11, 2020 September 2043. After a summer of relaxation, the qualifying campaign for the Euros resumes, with a solid 4-nil win in Georgia, followed by a young XI demolishing Gibraltar, 8-1. The wait for a club job continues, however. And the natives are getting restless. Zlatan and Jesse have spent months planning for ZlatanFest 2044. "Is like the Burning Man, Boss, but Swedish. We will do the camping near Jokkmokk, with a giant hologram of the Zlatan to greet you at entrance." "Zlatan's being modest, Boss. I've seen the sketches. You can see the hologram from space. It's beautiful. Puddle of Mudd just confirmed that they'll headline the first night. We're waiting to hear back from Nickelback." "The Zlatan is ready for the Nickelback, Boss. The Zlatan is making Swedish peyote, enough for the everyone to share." I don't know how much longer I can handle this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 11, 2020 Author Share Posted March 11, 2020 October 2043. Euro qualification is confirmed, as we spank Romania 4-nil in Brussels, then curb-stomp Norway 5-nil in Oslo. Although we aren't going to take it easy on Gibraltar and Georgia in a month's time... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 11, 2020 Author Share Posted March 11, 2020 November 2043. The Euros qualification campaign concludes with 2 final wins: 2-nil over Georgia, 5-nil over Gibraltar. Perhaps it wasn't the "perfect" qualifying campaign, but it takes my record with Belgium to 14 wins from 17 matches, with only 2 losses and +46 goal difference. No complaints here. Other than the lack of a club job... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 11, 2020 Author Share Posted March 11, 2020 (edited) December 2043. Planning for ZlatanFest 2044 continues, as he and Jesse are anticipating a break after the Euros. I'm more optimistic about the "right" club job opening sooner than that, but who knows. I'm a glass-is-half-full kind of guy. It's just who I am. Zlatan is more the let's-make-homemade-peyote kind of guy. Christmas was a little tense, though. Too much downtime. I bought both Zlatan and Jesse the new Zune for Christmas. But they came pre-loaded with the latest single from the Lumineers. We had to throw them away, just to be safe. Edited March 11, 2020 by ManUtd1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadCatPT Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 3 hours ago, ManUtd1 said: Christmas was a little tense, though. Too much downtime. I bought both Zlatan and Jesse the new Zune for Christmas. But they came pre-loaded with the latest single from the Lumineers. We had to throw them away, just to be safe. Don't know what this "Lumineers" are, will not Google it for my own safety. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorgen Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 @MadCatPT Just a band Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadCatPT Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 2 minutes ago, Jorgen said: @MadCatPT Just a band Still afraid to Google it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy42 Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 1 hour ago, MadCatPT said: Still afraid to Google it. never not google it, fear is the mind killer, you must overcome the fear, with asparagus. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadCatPT Posted March 11, 2020 Share Posted March 11, 2020 29 minutes ago, Mandy42 said: never not google it, fear is the mind killer, you must overcome the fear, with asparagus. Put a jar of asparagus in front of the screen and pressed enter. The asparagus turned into peyote and my laptop melted. Now what? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 11, 2020 Author Share Posted March 11, 2020 3 hours ago, MadCatPT said: Don't know what this "Lumineers" are, will not Google it for my own safety. 2 hours ago, Jorgen said: @MadCatPT Just a band 1 hour ago, MadCatPT said: Still afraid to Google it. 35 minutes ago, Mandy42 said: never not google it, fear is the mind killer, you must overcome the fear, with asparagus. 4 minutes ago, MadCatPT said: Put a jar of asparagus in front of the screen and pressed enter. The asparagus turned into peyote and my laptop melted. Now what? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 12, 2020 Author Share Posted March 12, 2020 April 2044. I used to think there was a limit to how much Mario Kart one could play, before going insane. Now, I can't decide if we have breached that limit, or are just precariously close to it. When I sleep, I dream of Rainbow Road. And red shells. The Belgians steamrolled Denmark, 2-nil, in an all-too-brief respite from our self-imposed isolation outside of Bruges. We received a favorable draw for SwissAus 2044, though, so I'm pleased. While at times it looked like a managerial position would open up at a club we would consider, it has never come to that. We wait, patient. Yet impatient. There's always time for another round of Mario Kart. Zlatan thinks that we've been playing it so much, that the AI is on the verge of becoming self-aware. For weeks, I thought he was just having a laugh. I'm no longer certain. Reality has become...ephemeral. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 12, 2020 Author Share Posted March 12, 2020 "Watch this, Cristiano... You can actually pinpoint the second when his heart rips in half." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 12, 2020 Author Share Posted March 12, 2020 So, uhh...yeah. This happens sometimes in journeymen saves when the list of eligible clubs is limited. A full calendar year without a club. The Belgians' qualification campaign speaks for itself. But before we can turn the page, we have to take a quick look around Europe to see what happened. In the Champions League, Ognjen Vranjes' Gladbach brought beat Baba Toure's Panathinaikos, 1-0 (aet). Champions League: Overview | Knockout Rounds In the Europa League, Sandro Schwarz's Atletico beat Mauricio Pochettino's Lazio, 2-nil. Europa League: Overview | Knockout Rounds In the Europa Conference League, Mikel Arteta's Frankfurt beat Lior Refaelov's Zulte Waregem, 1-nil (aet). Europa Conf. League: Overview | Knockout Rounds In the active leagues, Samuel Yepie-Yepie's Lyon won Ligue 1, 1 point ahead of Matthias Kaltenbach's Stade de Reims. Baptiste Santamaria's Aston Villa won their 6th straight Premier League title. Julian Nagelsmann's Juventus reclaimed the Serie A title. Paolo Fonseca's Sevilla won their 7th straight La Liga title. Frank Lampard's Schalke claimed the Bundesliga title. Club Brugge won their 8th straight Belgian title, their 15th in 18 years. Baba Toure's Panathinaikos won their 20th straight SuperLeague title. Marko Arnautovic's Partizan won their 12th straight title. Finally, Rayan Cherki's IFK Norrkoping won the 2043 Allsvenskan title, their 7th in 10 years. Save/Challenge Overview Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 12, 2020 Author Share Posted March 12, 2020 The good news? While the Belgians are preparing for #SwissAus2044, Nicolaj has a lead on a club job. Watch this space. Details to come tomorrow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy42 Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 3 hours ago, ManUtd1 said: The good news? While the Belgians are preparing for #SwissAus2044, Nicolaj has a lead on a club job. Watch this space. Details to come tomorrow. Check out assistant at Lidl!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 12, 2020 Author Share Posted March 12, 2020 7 hours ago, Mandy42 said: Check out assistant at Lidl!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 13, 2020 Author Share Posted March 13, 2020 (edited) Euro 2044 Review. We brought a strong, 23-man squad to the tournament, with only 1-2 players who would theoretically age-out before the World Cup in two years' time. We played PM Haaienhamer, detailed in the Those Who Don't Move, Do Not Notice Their Chains post, as our default tactic throughout the tournament. Pre-tournament friendlies proved that Belgium were ready. Comprehensive wins over 17th-ranked Colombia (3-nil), 40th-ranked Burkina Faso (5-nil), and 28th-ranked DR Congo (the 2nd XI, 4-nil). We began the Group Stage against Scotland, and had to settle for a 2-2 draw. We have only ourselves to blame -- an early goal against the run of play, followed by a late lapse of concentration after it looked like we had finally dragged ourselves across the line. A much improved display against Serbia led to a 2-nil win, all but ensuring passage to the knockout rounds. Accordingly, we tasked the 2nd XI with the final match against Hungary, and they delivered a comfortable 1-nil win. Unfortunately, Wilfried Williams suffered a groin strain and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks...which left us with one left wingback, in a system where wingbacks must carry a heavy load. Group Stage Standings: Groups A-C | Groups D-F In the Second Round, we faced Russia -- a side that set out in a defensive 442 from the first moment, barely looking to push forward. A double from Dany Maes set the tone in a 2-nil win, a scoreline which was quite charitable to the Russians, given the balance of the match. We need to be more ruthless in front of goal, though, if we are going to progress much further. We faced France in the Quarterfinals, a rematch of the 2043 Nations League semifinal. I decided to employ a tweak I've been playing with, and dropped our passing one notch, to standard from the 1st minute, to try and be a bit more deliberate in the build-up against such a strong opponent. We were immense. A 2-1 win sees us through to the semifinals. To face Croatia. The neutrals will have been pleased, at both the draw and the brilliant football that was on display in Basel. We continued with passing directness set to standard, and put in arguably the best performance of my tenure with the Belgians, a brilliant 6-2 annihilation. The Croatians were not to be denied, however and smashed two utter golazos to keep things interesting. We face ze Germans in the final, captained by Gladbach legend, Pierre Krucken. Ze Germans take the lead in the 11th minute, through a lucky deflection. Turco draws us level in the 19th, off a long throw from Bekaert. Within moments, Olive gives us the lead, heading home at the near post off of a corner. Dany Maes finds our third in the 51st minute, finishing off a brilliant counterattack. A lazer-guided missile into the top corner gives ze Germans hope in the 68th minute. 3-2. All to play for. We hold firm. A massive victory. Champions of Europe. But there is no rest for the weary. We're off to a final interview with the owners of what will hopefully be our next club. We've been told that it is a mere formality, a need to indulge the eccentricities of the owners. We'll see. Edited March 13, 2020 by ManUtd1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 14, 2020 Author Share Posted March 14, 2020 July 2044. Now that the madness of the Euros is over, our thoughts can turn to the future. Rumors have been swirling for weeks, given the sheer number of vacancies in club football. The media have been grasping at straws, trying to read the tea leaves. Zlatan and Jesse have a wealth of free time, unexpectedly, after a scandal involving scaffolding permits forced the cancellation of ZlatanFest. They're desperate to avoid Nickelback's lawyers, who are chasing them for unpaid booking fees, and have thus taken to traveling around Europe, appearing briefly in various cities before moving on to the next. One day, Munich. Barcelona, the next. Milan. Amsterdam. The media are gleefully lapping it up, using each stop in their journey as an excuse to write a new, "exclusive" story claiming to have the inside scoop on our plans. None of them have figured out the truth. That Jesse and Zlatan's madcap journey around the continent is a convenient, purposeful distraction. That the real meetings are taking place here, in the back room of a small cafe in Bruges. That we're only considering 2 possible destinations. Valencia would be a natural fit. A side sitting just outside the elite in Spain, needing a push to get over the hump. A side brimming with potential, and ambition. There's no question that we're tempted. But we are also intrigued. By the second option. A less obvious option, at first glance. A club with a coherent vision that appeals to our appreciation for the last vestiges of tradition, in a modern world which all-too-often looks down its nose on tradition. A club under new ownership. Owners who stand as a living embodiment of the philosophies we've embraced throughout our managerial career. Philosophies we believe in, to our core. Invest in developing players within your own academy structure, instead of splashing obscene amounts of money in the transfer market. Trust in youth. While few would doubt the merits of these philosophies in a vacuum, few are willing to put their money where their mouths are, and fully implement them at a club. None of the "Zidanes y Pavones" nonsense. It's Pavones, all the way down. Some in the media have laughed at their plan, calling it foolish in the extreme. But these owners are immune to such criticisms. They've heard it all before, having put paid to Alan Hansen in the 90s, with his dismissive "you can't win anything with kids" comments. And the owners took notice back in May, when an intrepid reporter asked us whether we would be interested in taking over, if their acquisition of the club went through. Still, it was surreal to see Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes ushered into the back room of our local cafe. Ryan and Paul sit down at the table, handshakes all around. Gary takes a seat at a nearby table, nodding generally in my direction before taking out a cigarette lighter, which he compulsively begins to fidget with. Pleasantries are exchanged. Explanations given for the absence of Phil, Butt and Beckham. The formalities have all but been agreed, the details negotiated, back during the Euros. The announcement was delayed, however, pending this final meeting. One final discussion to ensure that we were all on the same page. Ryan has a stern look on his face. "Let's talk plainly, Nico. We've been busy this summer. The squad is ready. Gary went through with a metaphorical hatchet, culling anyone and everyone who isn't homegrown, and who couldn't be sold." Gary cackles wildly, although it is unclear whether he's celebrating the removal of so many players from the squad or the fact that he's set the tablecloth alight. Both, perhaps. I nod. This has been discussed. Anyone who did not come up through the Academy, will be shown the door. "Phil has been named Technical Director." Gary cackles again, jumping up to demonstrate a double-stepover, followed by an awkward left-footed cross to someone who, presumably scores, as Gary begins to run around the small room, celebrating a goal that only he has seen. "Paul is in charge of media relations." I glance over at Paul, who shrugs dismissively, the first glimpse of a smile touching his lips, but not reaching his eyes. Cold, black eyes. Judging eyes. "Butty, Head of Youth Development." Again, I nod. Nothing out of the ordinary, here. "I'm your jack-of-all-trades, Director of Football. Whatever you need, your Giggsy has got your back. What's mine is yours. What's yours is mine, yeah?!" "What about Gary and Becks? Where do they fit in?" "Think of them as ambassadors for our little project -- ministers without portfolio, so to speak." "Project Archer...right? Wasn't that the--" Paul interrupts, a look of anger flashing across his face. "Arcturus. Project Arcturus. But we never use that name in public. Ever. We shouldn't have even told you." Paul and Giggs share a look, neither blinking. Paul begins to reach for his inner jacket pocket, but Giggs motions for calm. "No, Paul. That isn't the answer. Not this... Not this time, anyways." Paul just looks at me. No, he looks through me, before mumbling a half-hearted apology. I try to move the discussion along. "Alright, just so we're all on the same page. This isn't going to happen overnight. We're going to need time. To assess and build up the squad. To knock the established clubs off their game. Especially when they'll have the luxuries that we won't have, to go into the transfer market as necessary. Don't expect any miracles, yeah?!" Gary stops fidgeting with the lighter. Paul and Giggs share another look, before Giggs turns to me, slowly, locking eyes. "At this point, we're not asking for much. A mid-table finish. This year. Pushing into the top half in the years to come. Most of all, entertain us. It isn't enough to win. The manner in which we achieve victory is as important as victory itself. Win, with style." Gary pipes up, trying to be helpful. "Not just with style, Giggsy-lad. Need to win with those Academy kids, too." Giggs nods, sagely, his eyes never leaving mine. "Exactly. Don't come asking when things get tough, Nico. There isn't a dime in the budget for transfers. Or for loans. All of those funds are already allocated...elsewhere." I nod and reach out to shake hands with the Welsh legend. I appreciate the clarity, but we've discussed this. "This calls for a celebratory drink," I suggest. Gary offers a flask, but I demure. I have something more elegant in mind. We make plans to meet up for dinner in 2 days' time, when the rest of my managerial trio can sit down with the entire Class of 92 to toast to our future success after our unveiling. As we go to leave, Giggs leans in, a rogue-ish look on his face. "One last thing, Nico." "Whatever you need, Ryan." "You got a girlfriend?" Reluctantly, I nod. He laughs, before giving me a subtle wink. "There's a good lad. She'll love Florence this time of year." You've read that correctly. We're off to Fiorentina, where we'll be going youth academy only under the supervision of the Class of '92. All players that were not homegrown at the club have had their contracts terminated. At the start of the summer, the Valencia position opened up. I was tempted. They had finished 4th in La Liga, with a strong squad that was arguably underperforming. They were probably good enough to make an assault on the Champions League already. In other words, it wasn't quite right for the youth only approach I wanted to take. But it was worth going there if nothing else was available. But, Fiorentina were insecure. Not available, insecure. So, I expressed my interest...which led to the immediate sacking of poor Ferro. Sorry not sorry, Ferro. I proceeded to interview with both Valencia and Fiorentina during the Euros. When Fiorentina agreed to a club vision that would allow for a youth only approach (with formal appointment deferred until after the Euros), though, there was only one option. It is long past time for disruption in the Serie A, where the traditional sides have continued to dominate. I accepted, and here we are. I feel like I need to point out that the Class of '92 taking over Fiorentina is a narrative device, nothing more. I also used the editor to terminate the contracts of all players who did not currently count as homegrown at Fiorentina. Homegrown at another Italian club was not good enough. I did not terminate the contracts of players who were signed as youth and have already attained "homegrown at club" status. Going forward, however, there will be no signings whatsoever. While I love signing and developing youth, I've haven't gone full youth academy only in years. So, this should prove interesting. Tactically, I intend to play my Nagelsmann-inspired PM Haaienhamer and the next iteration of my tactics, codenamed PM Haaienkanon. Details to follow in due course. Coming up next: a full-blown squad review, with an assist from the FFM's Attribute Analysis Spreadsheet (with DNA). 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy42 Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 I swear everytime I pick up the latest shark a new one comes round the corner! Plus.... does Ryan Giggs know that Selene will chop his wandering Welsh dick off when he attempts his "what's yours is mine" bollox 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bitner Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 Are you signing any homegrown player to see out the first seasons? Gl hf in anyway! Cheers, Bitner Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 15, 2020 Author Share Posted March 15, 2020 55 minutes ago, Bitner said: Are you signing any homegrown player to see out the first seasons? Gl hf in anyway! Cheers, Bitner Thanks, man! While I did consider allowing the re-signing of HG players who have left, I've decided to go with no signings at all. There was only one player who signed before I arrived -- $11.25M from Juventus, his contract was terminated. Should prove interesting! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 15, 2020 Author Share Posted March 15, 2020 As promised, I just posted a full-blown Fiorentina squad review on FtCS, with an assist from @TheFFM_'s attribute analysis spreadsheet. I think we're solid enough, but nowhere near good enough to compete for the Serie A title. We're going to need some time... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tacchi Posted March 16, 2020 Share Posted March 16, 2020 Interesting adjustment to the scope of the thread, which means: 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 17, 2020 Author Share Posted March 17, 2020 14 hours ago, Tacchi said: Interesting adjustment to the scope of the thread, which means: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 17, 2020 Author Share Posted March 17, 2020 (edited) September 2044. A decent enough start, with a big win over Milan at the San Siro setting the tone. We don't need to blow the doors off, just keep the ball rolling. Meanwhile, the Belgians have had a brilliant start to the Nations League, smashing the Netherlands 5-1 in Amsterdam, before a convincing 4-1 win over Slovakia. Edited March 17, 2020 by ManUtd1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 17, 2020 Author Share Posted March 17, 2020 Down 3-nil, 10-man Napoli engage @Benjoe's famous "ween" formation, in an attempt to get back into the match. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUtd1 Posted March 17, 2020 Author Share Posted March 17, 2020 October 2044. Unbeaten after 7 match in Serie A. We didn't see this coming. Not in our wildest dreams. The press are already talking us up. We do not doubt for a moment that they'll be ready to tear us down, the moment we slip. As far as Belgium goes, the English could not handle our counterpress. While the Dutch came to Brussels in search of revenge, they were forced to leave with their tail tucked between their legs. Two 1-nil wins. Maybe not our finest nights. But nothing to complain about. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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