Around the World in Eighty Clubs

[RaySunshine]

Angers

At last! At long, long last a French club comes up trumps for Fogg. He gets the first move of the venture and heads on into Ligue 1. It feels unreal that the misson is now on and Fogg is in France.

Fogg has not brought company with him though - Elliot has opted to stay with Huddersfield so Selim Bengriba becomes Fogg's new assistant. A loyal servant to Chambery and Grenoble - he now finds himself at Angers and with a new English manager incoming.

The club has had mixed fortunes more recently - relegated two seasons ago, promoted last, the club find themselves one of the favourites to go down again. Can Fogg do anything to save the day?

The vision of the club is clear - sign young players and make a profit. There's European football on offer which is pretty incredible for Fogg. This has come as the side won the French Cup last season. There must be some opportunity here for Fogg - the question is... can he take it?

[RaySunshine]

Starting XI

So Fogg is preparing for his new side to face their first game under his tutlage. Here is the side he's selected for game one...

Peaccock-Farrell: The 27yo Northern-Irishman joined the club half-way through last season and has been between the sticks ever since.

Harisson Marelin: Marcelin is in second season at Angers after joinning from Monaco. The Frenchman is looking to keep his new club in this league.

Opoku: Also in season two here, the Ghanaian joined the club on a free last time around.

Jung: Season two again - the 29yo Ghanaian is looking to keep the club up in Ligue 1 this season.

Doumbia: The Ivorian has been an Angers stalwart - holding the LB spot ever since 2019.

Sissoko: Season two again! Ibrahima Sissoko is here after joining the club from Dijon for £1.1m.

Mendy: The 24yo Frenchman has been at the club since 2019 and his performances have been improving season-on-season.

Bahoken: Bahoken has been at the club since 2018. He's a regular supplier of goals and assists and Fogg has his fingers crossed that this will continue for him.

Boufal: Boufal moved straight to the club after his spell at Southampton. It's fair to say the results have been mixed but Fogg needs his best.

Alioui: Alioui got 13 goals last time around - Fogg is hoping for more of the same this time around in order to keep the club at this level.

Maolida: Season two again! Six goals and three assists - Fogg wants more from his leading man...

All three games left this month are against mid-table sides with Brest predicted to be the best of three. Fogg wants to see what his team can do in getting the season up and going.

[RaySunshine]

August 2024

And so it begins - in the fourth season of his career, Fogg is on his journey around the world! Game one saw Fogg's new charges take on Montpellier (Alioui 43). They took an early lead but Alioui levelled the scores just before HT with a smart smash home at the far post.

Two siginings came in before the Bordeaux game as Fogg looked to Lascher to strengthen the attacking side of the team and Mannsverk was simply too good to turn down (Has he been anyone else's wonderkid?). Fogg's men took on Bordeaux (Bahoken 42). Bordeaux dropped down to ten men early on and Bahoken took full advantage with a clinical header just before HT. Things were made a little scarier later on though when Lascher got his marching order too. The final game of the month was against ambitious Brest (Cabot 9, Opoku 34, Bahoken 86). The team stormed to victory with the pick of the goals being Cabot's smart finish after a corner was recycled to him.

It's a great place for the club to be this early in the season but Fogg knows that things are bound to get harder before they get easier. The challenge to stay in this league is still well and truly on.

A European group - and a competitive one at that. Fogg's mean have avoided the likes of Spurs and Newcastle but PSG do wait in the competition for later on...

So the European group begins with one game this month. It will be interesting to see how Fogg's little squad manages the demands of European football. Guingamp and Nice have both made poor starts while Lorient are in midtable and Strasbourg are riding high. How will Fogg's men see off the competition?

[Alma Mater]

Fun idea! And going well so far.

I have to ask, did you consider going in the opposite direction? It seems like it would've been easier to break into Ireland than France for your first change of country. (Obviously you managed anyway, I'm just curious.)

[RaySunshine]

Hey @Alma Mater! Glad to hear you're enjoying the ride so far! I hadn't considered going the opposite way around. I did think about just being able to tick the countries off in any order but decided in the end that the real challenge lay in following the Jules Verne route! Got a feeling that it might take more than one edition of FM to complete the trip - we shall see!

September 2024

After a promising start to his Angers reign, Fogg was up and ready for month two. The first game was against Nice (Todibo OG 8) and Fogg's side were handed a dream start when Todibo passed home round his own keeper. It didn't stay that way as Nice came into the game in the second half and went on to steal the win.

There was good news though as Fogg completed his A licence and got the green light to complete his Pro Licence too. In his first European game though, Angers were simply brushed aside by Wolfsburg (Boufal 60). There was a brief moment round Boufal's goal where there appeared to be hope but it didn't last long. Fogg was worried what effect two defeats in a row would have on morale but the team rallied in order to beat Lorient (Bahoken 47) with Bahoken smashing home Boufal's superb cross to give Angers all three points. There was some rotation in the wide postitions against Strasbourg (Alioui 28, Daschner 57, Maolida 72) but it was nothing to worry about as both wingers provided assists for each other! Against Guingamp (Alioui 16, Bahoken pen 50, Marcelin 90), another three goals were scored in order to round out three wins in a row for the men from Angers!

The cost however, was the loss of Daschner for the next few months!

In the domestic league, Angers find themselves riding high and in the European postitions. There's bound to be a fall-off at some point but all the space that can be generated between the team and the drop is good news for Fogg. The drubbing in the Europa League hasn't helped their postion there but the next month does contain the two more winnable games...

A stern test is waiting in the next month in the form of Lille away. As said above, the club also have two home games in Europe that could have a big bearing on whether the club have any hope of getting out of the group or not!

There was also this little bit of news to round out the month...

[RaySunshine]

October 2024

With the season having started pretty promisingly for Fogg so far, he was keen to carry it on. The first game saw Angers take on AEK (Boufal 12, Bahoken 57). The highlight goal was Doumbia's huge sweeping cross being put home by Boufal. Fogg was keen to win this month's European games as he saw them as vital to the clubs chances of getting out the group. In the league, the club took on leaders Lille. Angers simply couldn't match the standard - even when Lille went down to ten men. A tough draw of little action was the follow-up game when Fogg's charges took on Lens. Europe brought an improvement though when the side had another 2-0 win against Red Star (Opoku 63, Cabot 80). Finally, the month finished with a league win too when Sissoko headed home from a corner and that was enough for Angers to beat Auxerre (Sissoko 54).

In the league, Angers take their hold on a European place even though no-one really believes that the club will finish there at the end of the season. It's pretty remarkable to see the club up above the likes of Marseille and Lyon at the moment. In Europe, the club are behind Wolfsburg (which is to be expected) but three points ahead of AEK at the halfway stage and that leaves things looking hopeful.

Troyes might be 11th but Rennes are 2nd and Lyon will always be a challenge. In Europe, it's re-runs of those two must-win games and that could secure Angers' progress from the group. What can Fogg do to attract Italian eyes before next summer?!

[RaySunshine]

November 2024

After a positive October which saw Angers rise up into the European places in the league, Fogg was keen to see if he could continue the club's success. Game one went to plan as his side took on and beat Troyes (Mendy 26) with Mendy's single goal enough to secure all three points for the French side. Success continued in Europe when Angers travelled out to Red Star (Bahoken 76) where again a single goal was enough to secure the result. A tight draw came against Lyon but, given the size of the clubs, Fogg was certainly not going to complain at sharing the points.

Fogg was pretty pleased with the record too as it seemed to heavily suggest that relegation shouldn't be an issue for his charges. Defeat appeared to be on the cards in the game against Rennes (Boufal 90+1) but, as the game to a finish, Sissoko sent a beauty of a through-ball past their back line and Boufal curled it into the opposite corner to secure a share of the points. The month's final trip saw the side head out to Athens to play AEK (Sissoko 66). Sissoko's goal helped the team get a share of the points but that was enough to secure Angers's place in  the knockout stages.

So the club remain in European places and have qualfied for the knock-out stages of the Europa League. It feels like there's exciting times ahead! That's after they survived December's challenges...

PSG, Monaco, Wolfsburg and Marseille in a month. It's enough for most managers to go weak at the knees. What can Fogg's men do? We shall see!

[RaySunshine]

December 2024

With things having generally run well in France so far, Fogg stepped into what was by far and away his toughest month. PSG were first up and the game was much closer than Fogg had been expecting. They left with all three points thanks to Neymar smashing home a loose ball from a corner but they couldn't go on to dominate. Monaco (Opoku 7, Bahoken 14, Cabot 24). Being 3-0 up at HT, Fogg though his side were bound to win - Monaco had other ideas though witha gutting injury-time equaliser. Both sides rotated in the next European game where Angers handed Wolfsburg (Maolida 1, 17, 24, Alioui 32, 65, Bahoken 62, Romanga 75) a surprise thrashing to finish the group! The luck didn't continue in the league though where Marseille (Maolida 16, Cabot 49) got two goals after 80 minutes to prevent Fogg from getting the win.

Some big news came in just before the last game of the month leading to Fogg being unsure how much more of his time in France would be spent employed. It didn't bother the team though who beat Concarneau (Cabot 44, Alioui 56, Daschner 67) and it was partiuclarly pleasing to see Daschner get a goal in his back from injury game.

Good news for Fogg followed with him being safe in his job so far...

... but it will be intersting to see what effect this lot leaving the club for a month has!

So the side remain firmly in European places contention in the league and have secured a place into the knockout stages and a tie against Milan to look forward to!

PSG open the month and pose a serious threat to Angers' dream of holding onto the cup. After that, Montpellier and Bordeaux are in the relegation struggles while Brest and 9th so all winnable games!

[RaySunshine]

January 2025

The new year began with a serious test for Fogg - defending the cup against PSG. Alas, it was a challenge that the club simply couldn't manage. Despite going eye-to-eye with the Parisians, two late goals sent the superclub on into the next round. Next up in the league was Montpellier (Maolida). Fogg's men took the lead in the second minute, were pegged back in the third and that's how the game stopped. Before the next game, there was an in-coming. Several first teamers were in the AFCON and two players picked up knocks in the game. So...

Hoever was brought in to provide cover across the backline for the rest of the season. With Marcelin injured and the club looking short of cover, Hoever has been brought in to help secure up the backline. He went straight into the backline against Bordeaux (Alioui) but it was again a frustrating draw against a side that Fogg would have been hoping to beat. Finally, the run without a win was broken when Fogg's charges took on Brest (Bahoken 17, Alioui 21, Medina 45+2). The pick of these goals was Medina's fine top-corner free-kick.

So Angers finish what was a tough month in the European places. It's going to be a huge ask for the club to stay there for the rest of the season but can Fogg do it?

Europe provides this month's headline fixtures with the double-header against Milan. Can Angers do the unthinkable and beat them? There's only one way to find out...

[RaySunshine]

February 2025

Fogg was hoping for some better luck in February but certainly didn't get it! Game one saw his side take on Nice (Bahoken 15, 90+1, Daschner 45+1, Alioui 65). Fogg's men managed a full revenge and some for the 2-1 defeat earlier in the season and went on to the Lorient (Alioui 8) game fully confident. Fogg assumed the best when they went 1-0 up but Lorient equalised just a minute later. Two late goals meant that they seucred the result.

Worse news followed in the build-up to the Milan game where Angers were simply outclassed and didn't compete at all with the superstars of the San Siro. The poor form continued into the game against Strasbourg where Angers couldn't muster up a single goal and ran out 1-0 losers.

Even worse news came before the second Milan (Alioui 5, Calabria og 75) game. This was a real topsy-turvey affair. Angers were 1-0 up, 2-1 down, back to 2-2 and finally 3-2 losers as the game and the month petered out pretty poorly for Fogg's men.

Despite the couple of league defeats, the table still looks pretty good. The gap, however, between Angers and Europe is beginning to grow and another defeat or two will make it look pretty unlikely.

With all other competitions over for Angers now, Fogg only has the league to focus on. Guingamp prop the table up and Fogg is certaintly hopeful of three points there. Lille and Lens are both firmly in the European places and provide stiff opposition while Auxerre hover desperately just above the relegation places - it's going to be an interesting month ahead!

[Swaban]

Really enjoying this thread so far! Its a challenge ive not seen done before. Im excited to see you in some of the lesser played leagues in Africa & Asia. Maybe ill pick up on  the tangled mess of rules that is the MLS when you get there. Ive always avoided it because I cant for the life of me figure out how it all works

[RaySunshine]

Thanks for the reply @Swaban; glad you're enjoying the save. I'm also looking forward to trying out the rarer leagues. I'll let you know what I learn in the US although I might end up letting my DoF worry about transfers there to get me through!

March 2025

Form has been a tough thing for Fogg to find recently and that trend continued in March with three 0-0 draws and one defeat! Game one was against Guingamp and Fogg thought his side were sure to turn things around against the league's bottom team. In reality though, the game proved to be an utterly forgettable affair with neither side able to create anything of note. Title challengers Lille (Maolida 15). Maolida sent Angers into dreamland with an early goal. But, once again, they got an almost-instant reply and then went on to win. Life was tough against Lens and made even more so when Mannswerk went through the back of an opposition player and got his marching orders. Angers dug in and resisted from the 30 min mark sending off to secure what was this time a point to be proud of. Finally, the side took on Auxerre. There was a wonderful chance to break the bad run when Bahoken stepped up for a second half penalty but he sent it straight into the keeper's arms and it was another draw.

Now the league table shows that Europe has slipped out of Angers's realistic sphere. The youth intake, on the other hand, looks far more promising with potential superstar Andrieux looking ready for first-team football from the off!

It's been a tough time for Fogg and it looks to get tougher. Troyes are 10th, Lyon are 5th and then Rennes and PSG are contesting first and second. Will Fogg ever win again?!

[RaySunshine]

April 2025

March had proved to be a tricky month for Fogg and his men and April didn't look much easier on paper. The side thankfully shook off the winless run against Troyes (Bahoken 15) when Bahoken's single goal from a corner understated Angers's domination of the game. Giants Lyon (Daschner 16, Mendy 46) and were stunningly seen off when both Daschner and Mendy rifled home long-range shots. Rennes had been in the title race for much of this season and dominated this game but they couldn't score and Angers came away with a point that they were pretty pleased with. Finally, giants PSG rolled into town and simply rolled over poor little Angers. The game wasn't even a contest.

Just after the PSG game, this news came in. The board are keen to sell - the question is whether anyone is keen to buy!

Seven points away from Europe with three games to go. It's unlikely but it's not impossible for Fogg and his men.

They're no three easy games though - prestigous Monaco and Marseille will be followed up by a Nimes side just below Angers in the table. Three games to go...

[RaySunshine]

May 2025

Despite Fogg hoping for a good sign-off to the season, it wasn't to come. The first two games against Monaco and Marseille were both non-contests where Angers didn't seem able to even lay a glove on their opponents. Playing Nimes (Bahoken pen 9), an early penalty scored and general domination meant it looked certain that Angers would finish with a flourish. Nimes had other ideas though; they brought the game back level and Mendy even got himself sent off to add a real wobble to proceedings.

So Angers finish 8th. A top-half finish is pretty incredible considering how the club were expected to struggle when Fogg arrived. There are quite a few departures and quite a few loans in the squad though so nothing is certain for Fogg yet...

Nothing is certain for the board either as the chair is determined to get out of there. Thankfully for Fogg, he's going to be dreaming Italian dreams from 12th August - if someone will take him...

[RaySunshine]

Season Review

Most of the squad is exactly what Fogg would pick when everyone was fit. How Mannswerk didn't make it in ahead of Sissoko though is a certain mystery.

So Bahoken leads the way with goals but it's not exactly an earth-shattering total. That's something that Fogg is certain to have his eye on next season...

There's still a lot to please the board. Several players are set to leave the club so perhaps Fogg can do something to get those u23s in...

 

[RaySunshine]

Pre-season

The first news of pre-season is the long-rumoured change in director of the club with Luca Gallo taking over the club. His long-term aim is to secure the club at this level but, as ever, Fogg's long-term aim is moving on!

                                                                                  

Angers have had what appears to be a busy transfer window. Most of the 'outs' are youth players who didn't make the mark but Alioui and his goals do depart the club. In terms of the 'ins', Mannswerk returns on loan and Daschner makes his stay permament. The rest are as follows...

Former Villa man Treeguet joins from Rayo Vallecano. Fogg is expecting him to score Alioui's goals and more, representing a serious upgrade in this area.

Adrian Grbic is the other first-team signing. The Austrain got 14 goals for Auxerre last season and Fogg hopes that he can provide an upgrade on Bahoken's efforts last season.

Angers aren't expected to be pulling up any trees this season but are expected to avoid relegation. Fogg is dreaming of higher things and things more Italian too.

Survive the game with Lyon and, two days later, Fogg has completed his year in France and can start to look to Italy. Should he stay, Lille will be a serious challenge but Nantes and Troyes are both winnable.

 

[Sahaj Oberoi]

Love the signings you've made. Completely different from the mainstream signings that a lot of people tend to make. And yeah, I really like the story so far.

[RaySunshine]

Glad you're enjoying it @Sahajpal Oberoi! I am too - might be determined to complete this challenge before I consider buying FM23! The different clubs has certainly forced me to buy some different players that's for sure.

August 2025

Having made some purchases and feeling like he's strengthened the squad, Fogg now hopes that his side do enough to get Italian eyes looking his way when a job comes up there. The first game of the new season saw Angers dominate Lyon for almost the entire game - Trezeguet looked particularly good. Angers couldn't make it count though and Lyon stole the points in the 91st minute. The game against Lille was a much closer affair. Both sides had chances but it was fair to say that Lille bettered it and Angers were pretty pleased with their point.

They weren't pleased with this news though given how lively he'd looked in the opening games.

Taibi, our bench AMC, was determined to leave to go Swansea - which he duely did. So young Ghindovean comes in from Duisberg for £160K to fill in the gap. He got himself some mintues in the game against Nantes (Grbic 23, 88). Grbic was the headline maker though as he came away with his first two goals for the club and got three points for Angers's first win.

Although relegated to the bench, Bahoken was certianly a trustworthy option after his perfomane last season. He won't be playing for most of the rest of this year though now! The month's final game was against Troyes. It was largely Angers's game but, missing Trezeguet's spark, the side struggled to get chances through and had to be satisfied with just a share of the points.

It's been a slow-and-steady start to the season which leaves Angers four points above trouble. It's not a bad place to be considering Lyon and Lille were in the month but Fogg will hope that there's space to grow while he's here.

Four games next month - Lens have made a slow start while Rennes are the early table leaders. Metz are just-promoted and Strasbourg mid-table so a pretty good variety of games coming up!

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by RaySunshine

[RaySunshine]

September 2025

After what had felt like a fairly slow start in August, Angers roared into life through September.

There was some bad news at the start of the month which would see Sissoko gain playing minutes. Game one was a tricky tie against Lens (Daschner 6, Maolida 20) but the side came through though - fighting to a 2-1 win. Next up was a tie against title-challengers Rennes (Grbic 45+1). In-game legend Dodo sent a beauty of a cross to set up the first goal but Fogg's dream combination combined when Trezeguet sent his own superb curling ball over the top for Grbic to run on to and equalise. Metz (Maolida 16, Grbic 32, Andrieux 69) were next up and the side were simply blown away. Maolida slotted home Doumbia's superb cross, Trezeguet set up Grbic again and the highlight of the match was wonderkid Andrieux slotting home his first professional goal after being sent through 1-on-1.

He did some pretty fine record smashing in the process! Finally, Strasbourg (Opoku 33, Grbic 71) were beaten to round out the month. Trezeguet was once again provider for Grbic - it's looking like a good pairing!

Fogg is looking for oxygen tanks - his side are fourth in the league after a superb run in September and are on course to smash their points haul from last season. Will Fogg be there long enough to see it happen though?

The months seem so much quieter without Europe - three games in October against Reims (8th), Montpellier (11th) and Brest (17th). Can the good times continue?

 

[RaySunshine]

October 2025

After what had seemed like a pretty good September, Fogg was stunned to have a simply dream-like October. Game one saw Angers play Reims (Grbic 12, 20, 33) and it was truly the Grbic show - he gained the matchball in little more than half and hour with Trezeguet once again proving that this was indeed the perfect link-up. In game two, things were tougher against Montpellier (Grbic 25) but their keen resistance was finally broken when Trezeguet's slide-rule pass was slotted home by that man Grbic.

Another month's good run leaves Fogg in dreamland - Champs League qualification for poor little Angers? It's barely believable! If only he weren't desperately applying for every Italian job that comes up now in order to continue on his journey.

It couldn't all be good news though. Just at the end of the month comes the blow that Angers will be without their captain for nearly half the season. It's been a rock-solid defence so far and he's headed home a few times too so it's truly bad news for Fogg and his charges.

November looks to show Fogg where he's really at. Games against Monaco and Marseille are the obvious headlines while Lorient and Nimes struggle towards the bottom of the table.

[RaySunshine]

November 2025

November couldn't quite live up to the miracle of October but Fogg is very pleased that it still has a pretty green look to it! The first game of the month was against struggling Nimes (Sissoko 42, Trezeguet 75, Grbic 90+5). Sissoko smashed home a header and Trezeguet's first goal was worth waiting for as he curled home an absolute beauty from outside the box.

There was a sign that Fogg was now being noticed but he quickly declined the offer as it wasn't on his planned itinery. A defeat to Monaco (Ghindovean 61) came next. Ghindovean headed home his first goal for the club but it wasn't enough a penalty handed them all three points.

It was clear that the injury that Lukas picked up in the Monaco game was going to keep him out for a while. A topsy-turvy game ensued versus Lorient (Maolida 42, Grbic 45+3, 50). Fogg's men had done enough though to secure three points and the Grbic/Trezeguet combination was in business again. Grbic struck again at the end of the month to get two goals against Marseille (Grbic 27, 61).

The final bit of news for the month wasn't good either - will there be anyone left?!

Oxygen tanks are still strapped on as the club remain at never-before-visited heights. The question is how long will it last and how long will Fogg be there as more and more jobs come up south of the alps.

Table-topping PSG and ninth-placed Nice give Fogg his only two league games of the month before the cup kicks in for some lower league excitement.

[RaySunshine]

December 2025

After the highs of the season so far, it's certain to say that Angers hit something of a blip as December rolled in.

Another interview opp showed that Fogg's miracle work in France was certainly being noticed but, as the job wasn't in Italy, there was no interest in the offer. Angers took on PSG in the first game of the month. It's fair to say that they gave a decent account of themselves but, with the game drawing to a close, Neymar crossed for Felix to head home and seal all three points.

Unlike last year's wonder crop, the youth intake for this promised to be much more underwhelming.

With Christmas coming up, a flurry of Italian job offers came in. Fogg took both interviews but, from the two was much more interested in Serie A Cittadella as opposed to their Serie B counterparts. None of this helped in the game against Nice (Sissoko 78). A combination of suspensions and injuries meant that Angers were running thin and simply didn't compete.

It didn't put off the potential offers incoming though!

So after the two league games, Angers remain in a Champion's League postion running into Christmas thanks to the handiwork of Trezeguet and Grbic. Fogg won't be there though to see what happens from now as he's had a job offer...

[RaySunshine]

Cittadella

So Cittadella in Italy's Serie A becomes Fogg's next home. Few other clubs in Italy that had jobs going could afford his release fee from Angers so Fogg had to bide his time but, as you see, the next stage of the challenge comes up at last! Buona fortuna Fogg...

So we're onto stage three of this enormous challenge - I'm not sure I'm going to need to buy FM23 at this rate as it might take me all next year to get to the end and I'm pretty determined to do it!

Maraner had a playing career mostly spent knocking around the lower leagues of Italian football. He's risen up the ladder as an assistant though including helping out at Cagliari, Genoa and Torino before starting here.

Cittadella have been on the up over the last twenty years or so - rising steadily from Serie C to Serie A. The club are in their second top-flight season and are 12th when Fogg finds them. His predecessor, Ronald Koeman, has resigned in order to take the job of managing the Czech Republic.

When Fogg saw this lot, he wasn't sure if it was a vision or a menu! The job is simple - keep the club away from relegation trouble. The money-making on player signing and selling is an interesting sideline. Fogg's presently searching the net for copies of Moneyball to gen up on! Finally, he had to lie through his teeth in terms of playing style but hopes that the results keep him in the job. After all, he only needs it for a year!

 

[RaySunshine]

Starting XI

So here we are with the slightly injury-influenced XI that Fogg has picked for his first game.

Gokhan Akkan: 30yo Akkan is in his first season at the club. I presume that he came in late as he hasn't played all the league games this season. He gets the first nod from Fogg though.

Enock Kwateng: 28yo Ghanian Kwateng is in his second season at Cittadella coming in for their top-flight spell after impressing at St Etienne. He's a consistent and regular starter in his position.

Alberto Barison: The 31yo Italian is in his fourth season at the club. He's only made two appearances in the side this season but played well in both of them.

Pablo Rosario: The Dutch defender left relegated Brighton to resume a top-flight career and Fogg hands him a place in the starting line-up.

Amedo Benedetti: At 34, the LB is one of the club's longest-serving players - this being his tenth season here.

Abdoulaye Toure: Toure is in his fourth season at Cittadella and has been first-team choice ever since he arrived.

Andrea Danzi: Wearing no. 72, the Italian has been a pretty regular midfield choice in his four seasons at the club.

Rober: Spainiard Rober comes to the club following a mixed spell at Udinese. Fogg needs more than 1 goal and 2 assists in two seasons!

Yacnie Adli: 4 goals and 5 assists has been a pretty promising start for the 25yo Frenchman and Fogg looks forward to seeing plenty more from him as time goes by!

Ferdi Kaglioglu: A 26 yo Dutchman, Ferdi had 5 goals and 1 assist last season after his move from Villa. Fogg is certainly hoping for more.

Antonio Raimondo: 21yo Italian Raimondo is a potential superstar. He got 10 goals as first-choice striker last season. Fogg wants him to better that this time around.

Fogg is a little more excited by the youth intake here than he had at Angers. We'll see who this A-class CM turns out to be later on in the season.

Game one of Fogg's reign is a cup tie against Fiorentina. It's a pretty unlikely task to start with a win but Fogg will do what he can. 18th placed Lecce is what Fogg is really targeting before the winter break kicks in.

 

 

Edited August 19, 2022 by RaySunshine

[RaySunshine]

December 2025

There were just the two games for Fogg to take charge of this month and he was very pleased with the results he got. There was a cup game against Fiorentina (Raimondo 78, Ferdi 90+5) and it's fair to say that Cittadella were under the cosh for most of the game. Fogg's men got an unlikely equaliser when wonderking Raimondo slotted home the first goal of his regin and then and even unlikelier winner when Ferdi had a pot-shot that bounced off the keeper's hands and into the back of the net. The team didn't seem to play particularly well against Lecce (Raimondo 72). A ball knocked into the box though found the head of Raimondo and he put the ball into the back of the net to give Cittadella the win.

So Fogg's new side finish the month in 12th place and well away from trouble which is very pleasing to see. Cittadella are 11 points clear of trouble.

Some pretty eye-catching games are popping up in January with Roma, Inter and Atalanta in the month in both cup and league. It will be interesting to see how Fogg shapes the side in his image and how they get on against high level opponents.

[RaySunshine]

January 2026

Well if Fogg wasn't aware of the sort of challenge he was taking on in Cittadella, he soon learnt by the end of the month! Game one saw Fogg's new charges take on Roma and it's fair to say that there was very litle or no contest. In the second game, Cittadella took on Genoa (Raimondo 74) and, in a game of very little quality, Raimondo's effort was enough to secure a point.

Considering that Adli had been one of Fogg's better performers, he wasn't very pleased when he got this particular piece of news. Even so, the game against Inter was closer fought than the game against Roma but in the end quality will out and Cittadella finished with nothing.

Given the way things had been going, Fogg was keen to improve the side starting at the back. Antonino Gallo was brought in take over the lb slot and provide more at both ends. Sadly, his only contribution in the Atlanta game, was to give away a penalty as Cittadella fell to a drubbing.

Cittadella's icon picked up injury news to add to an ever-growing list and it made Fogg even gladder that Gallo had come in. The game against Salernitana was a truly drab affair and neither side could even must a goal to show for their efforts. The only event of note was the debut of CB Mattia Caldara brought in from Celta Vigo to improve the backline.

Fogg was expecting to do well in the game against Parma but was shocked to see his team do anything but. They struggled, came up short and left on the end of a 2-0 defeat. The final game of the month saw Cittadella take on Hellas Verona (Ferdi 68) where Raimondo slid a ball across the box and found Ferdi for an easy finish.

Just as the month came to a close, David Mella was brought in on loan from Bologna to provide some higher-quality cover in the attacking wide spaces.

After what was a tricky month, Cittadella remain 11 points clear of trouble. Fogg knows though that it won't stay like that though if too many months are that poor.

Well it doesn't get much easier - Cagliari are 4th, Udinese 8th and Sassuolo 11th. Cittadella have to look up to them all but surely it's not impossible?

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by RaySunshine

[RaySunshine]

February 2026

Fogg had felt like he'd had a pretty tough January and begun to learn the scale of the challenge he was up against. The first game of February was against Udinese. They scored early and went on to control the game from there. Cittadella huffed and puffed but had nothing to show for their efforts. Sassuolo (Raimondo 3, Gyabuaa 82) took a very early lead when Lingard slotted home in the second minute but Raimondo answered straight away in heading a corner home. Cittadella had to drop deeper to prevent runs in behind and got the reward when substitute Gyabuaa popped up with a wonder strike to secure all three points. Cittadella were up against again when they faced Cagliari (Rober 90+4). Fogg's men went behind early again but, with the game at the death, Rober popped up to slot a corner home and secure a point.

Cittadella remain in mid-table and remain 14 points clear of trouble so Fogg isn't worried there...

... he was worried by this though! The club seem to be set to lose double their FFP allowance. Whether this will affect just a domestic calendar remains to be seen but Fogg feels like this could come to bite the club later on.

Another hugely toughly month swings into view for Fogg. The only winnable game from the set appears to be that against SPAL and even that is away. La dolce vita - it's not an easy Italian Job for Fogg!

[RaySunshine]

March 2026

Fogg wasn't expecting an easy ride in Serie A and it's fair to say that he hasn't got it! Game was Cittadella v Lazio and Fogg was proud of his side for fighting to a creditable draw. Drama galore followed in the game against Milan (Adli 14, Ferdi 20). Cittadella went behind in the eighth minute and Fogg feared the worst. A wonder-strike by Adli followed by Ferdi's goal gave his side a shock lead though. Unfortunately, Milan fought back to level terms but Fogg still left with a point he was very proud of.

Although neither are first team players, both injuries thin out the squad and place an emphasis on the eternal challenge of injuries that Fogg has faced since getting the job. Another draw followed in a tough game against Sampdoria and then a how-did-that-happen against Bologna (Ferdi 35). Cittadella dominated the game and Ferdi's goal took the lead. Bologna had the chance to fight back and came up level. Then there was a penalty and Raimondo had the chance to restore the lead but hit the foot of the post. Not long after, Bologna took the lead and Cittadella were left ruing missed opportunities.

There's been a slight slip in the table but Cittdella still remain out of trouble with eight games to go.

It doesn't get much easier though - look at that lot! Fogg sees Napoli, Atalanta and Juve come up with the only winnable game of the month being away. Keep heads up in the face of the challenge will be Fogg's main task this month.

[RaySunshine]

April 2026

Considering the level of challenge that Cittadella faced this month, Fogg was amazingly pleased with the results that the team got. Game one against Napoli (Raimondo 69) was a classic smash-and-grab where a corner was enough to clinch all three points for Fogg's men. As happened in the cup, Cittadella came off worst against Atalanta but they did have much more fight about them this time around which Fogg was pleased to see. SPAL (Caldara 2, Raimondo 50, Adli 51) hadn't won in 22 games and thanks to a superbly confident performance from Cittadella that rapidly became 23. Finally, little Cittadella had to take on the giants of Juventus (Raimondo 9). When Raimondo was sent through and put Cittadella into the lead, Fogg was simply in dreamland. It couldn't last forever though and Juve came back into it but Fogg was supremely proud of the point his side earned.

So Cittadella finish the month 13th and have got over the magic forty point mark. Even more pleasingly, they're guaranteed a record high finish for the club and can't be relegated.

The youth intake was nothing to write home about though. Mereu, Bellini and Michielan got contracts and Fogg spoke to the board about improving the quality of the youth coaching.

The season's final month doesn't get much easier. Fio and Roma are a fairly challenging opener to the month before Fogg will have a major say in who does go down in games against Lecce and Genoa.

[RaySunshine]

May 2026

Given the level of the challenge that he's faced, Fogg is pretty amazed with the way that the month ends. It started with the club earning a creditable point against Fiorentina. This was followed by what was simply a dream result against Roma (Raimondo 11, Caldara 26, Gyabuaa 89). Fogg could barely dream that this was the result - it was though and it something for the club to be very pleased with.

This was less good news as Moore is a good squad player and often one of Fogg's first choices off the bench. It didn't seem to affect proceedings against Lecce (Toure pen 45+1). The game was a hard-fought affair but Toure slotted his pen home in order to secure the result. The season finished with an epic against Conte's Genoa (Raimondo 1, 63, 84, Frattesi 10). Cittadella roared into a 2-0 lead and were pegged back to 2-1. They extended it to 3-1, then 3-2. Genoa had an equaliser disallowed before scoring another. Things weren't over though as Ferdi crossed for Raimondo to secure a blinding win to finish the season.

So the season finishes with Cittadella in 11th place on 51 points. Sitting between Lazio and Napoli seems like pretty exaulted company and something Fogg will be looking to continue!

[RaySunshine]

Season Review

Well the overall best XI is something that Fogg would find hard to argue with. Only Toure misses out from who is picked when everyone is fit. Danzi has managed to sneak that last place ahead of him.

The young Raimondo has scored well since Fogg has come and he looks forward to continuing that. Adli has got the assists and it's been amazing to see Gallo get the most POTMs considering he only came in during the January window.

Gallo's name appears here as well as a club record-breaker. Benedetti signs off for his trip stateside having made more appearances for the club than anybody else.

The club have announced that a new stadium is to be built. Cittadella were on 99% capacity in their current ground and so building a new one sounds like a pretty good idea.

The menu continues - there'd be a lot for Fogg to worry about if he were planning on hanging around. As it is, it's a case of getting to December and then looking to see what Egypt has to offer...

[RaySunshine]

Pre-Season

As ever, it's been a busy summer for Fogg with plenty of coming and going. In terms of going, there are two significant players to mention. One isn't on the list but is former club captain Benedetti who has been released on a free transfer after his move to the MLS fell through. The other is Yacine Adli who had his relase clause met by Real Sociedad and decided to try life in Spain.

Fogg spent his time with the club last season hoping that nothing happened to Raimondo! Bireth has brought in on a free from Aresnal to ensure that, should the worst happen there is some cover. He never made the grade at the Emirates so can he do it in Italy?

Cresswell was brought in to provide some much-needed cover in the backline after failing to make a prem-league appearance for Newcastle. It appears though that he's going to fall foul of the EU players rule in Italy so will probably spend this season out on loan.

Who doesn't like a highly-rated Brazilian prospect? Available at just £170k from Bragantino, Everson Facco is one for the future but what an exciting future it might be!

Lucas De Vega is the window's first serious upgrade. He's been brought in to play AMC at the cost of £4.5m. He played for Elche last season and got 8 assists for them and Fogg is keen to see what he can produce in Serie A.

With Adli heading off to pastures new, Fogg needed a new AMR. Poached from former club Angers, Fogg knows exactly what Myziane Maolida is capable of and expects him to hit the ground running.

Pre-season was short and there was nothing too exciting to write home about really!

The board expect Fogg to achieve a top-half finish this season and the prediction is that he will do just that - by slipping into ninth place. It could be a tense season ahead.

There are three games to play in August. The season starts with Serie B Venezia in the cup before Cittadella go on to play Udinese and Cagliari who are expected to finish 10th and 11th. It's going to be a tough, close start to the season!

[RaySunshine]

August 2026

So the 2026 season opens. In game one, Fogg's men took on Venezia (Raimondo 33, 47, Biereth 82). After starting with a small scare, Maolida, showed his worth with sending in a super cross for Raimondo to head home. This then led to Fogg's men taking control and finishing the game. The league opener was a tie with Udinese (Frattesi 24).

This was the least ideal news possible just going into the new season but it had to be coped with. Frattesi scored the first goal of the season with a superb long-range effort and it looked like it was going to give Cittadella the win until they struck late with a super-shot of their own. Against Cagliari (Raimondo 74, De Vega 85), it all appeared to be going wrong. Raimondo missed a pen and they were soon a goal up. Raimondo struck back with a super-strike and the De Vega headed home his first goal and the winner!

So far, so good - Fogg is on course to meet the standard that has been set by the board this season. Can he carry it on into December when his focus will turn elsewhere?

So it's just Napoli, Milan and Roma to open September then? I wonder what state Cittadella will be by the time the club meets Torino...

[RaySunshine]

September 2026

It's pretty fair to say that Fogg went into September with a fair amount of dread based upon what was coming away. Game one, however, blew Fogg's mind. Against Napoli (Maolida 31, Ferdi, 60,64, Danzi 65). Maolida headed home a superb cross in order to net his first goal for the club and Danzi finished proceedings by curling home a beauty of a freekick. The troops were buoyed going into the game against Milan but they didn't come out on top. They did manage to keep pace for most of the game but two late goals for Milan took the game away from Cittadella. Despite being under the cosh for most of the game against Roma (Maolida 59), Gallo's deep cross was taken down by Maolida who then smashed it home at the near post to snatch all three points. It was all going horribly wrong against Torino (Raimondo 41, 81) when Fogg's men were 2-0 inside 20 mins. Raimondo struck twice though in order to secure a share of the points.

So the month finishes with Cittadella just outside the European places. It's a superb place to be in and Fogg hopes that it will be enough to turn Egyptian eyes.

There are only three games in October. Bologna are 12th while Lecce are 19th and Empoli 20th. Lecce only have two points and Empoli one so Fogg is expecting wins there!

[RaySunshine]

October 2026

Three games was what October had to offer Fogg and he had wanted to win all three.

The month began with the bad news that Caldara would miss the next few weeks out injured. It certainly showed against Bologna (Raimondo 68). Fogg's men were 3-0 down at half time and the game was over. Raimondo did get a goal but it only proved to be consolation. The game against struggling Lecce (Raimondo pen 4, Biraschi 63, Maolida 81) was hard work though. The game was level until Lecce had a man sent off. Cittadella got ahead from the resulting free kick and Maolida finished off proceedings. The month's final game was against Empoli (Maolida 33, Frattesi 45+1, De Vega 72). Empoli took a shock lead with a superb free kick. Maolida managed to level matters when he put home Gallo's great cross. Frattesi smashed home a long-range effort and De Vega finished things off with big free kick of his own.

That familar screen pops up again and means that Ferdi will miss most of the next month.

Cittadella remain in the top half and in the European race at the moment. It's all going well but Fogg knows that, in just over a month, he needs to be on the road again.

Four games in November and no guessing where the headline-making game will be!

[RaySunshine]

November 2026

Having had a short, but successful, October, Fogg was very keen to follow it up with an equally successful November. Game one saw Cittadella take on Sassuolo (Maolida 19) and secure a win after Maolida carried on his fine scoring run. This was followed by a good win against Frosinone (Kwateng 72, Maolida 84). There was a scare when Cittadella went a goal down after a pen but Kwateng curled the ball with the outside of his foot into the top corner and Maolida smashed home a rebound to secure the points.

More injury news hit Fogg after the game as it became clear that Rosario would not play for a while and would miss the Inter game. But before that one, there was a 0-0 played out with Hellas Verona first. Then came the game with Inter. There was barely a piece of action in the game. Nothing appeared on screen until the 80th minute. Both sides had a little flurry of chances at the end and Fogg was pretty pleased with the point his side came away with.

So, as Fogg's time in Italy, draws to a close, Cittadella sit in 5th and are still very much in the top-four race. Not a bad place to be!

There are three games scheduled before Fogg's year in Italy is up. Having had the experience of getting a job in Italy, he's aware that it could be unlikely that an Egyptian club will the finances needed to prise him away. If this proves to be the case, Fogg may have to walk out of Cittadella to continue his adventure around the world...

[RaySunshine]

December 2026

After a pretty promising October and November, it's fair to say that December was where the wheels came off for Fogg! In game one, the result was postive as two goals saw Cittadella get a surprise result against Lazio (Raimondo 2, Ferdi 87). Ferdi was particularly pleased to get himself on the scoresheet.

It's fair to say that the news was not good and that similar joy was not felt against Juventus (Raimondo 40) where the opponents were 3-0 up in just over 30 mins and breezed past Fogg's charges. The one piece of good news was getting great respect out of a journalist who'd started with utter hatred a year ago.

The team struggled to create chance against Fiorentina, Empoli or Atalanta and came out losing all three without even a goal to show for it.

So the team have sunk slightly and find themselves just outside the European places. It's fair to say though that Fogg's eyes are elsewhere.

The intake is set to be average but, with the news below, will Fogg be there to worry...

 

[RaySunshine]

El Gouna

So the challenge continues - after having talked down his exit fee with Cittadella, Fogg manages to leave Europe and take the job at El Gouna. In FM-land, they're struggling against relegation and have quite a lot to do.

And it's the case that there is a new assistant in town. There wasn't even the option of bringing staff along presented to Fogg so he assumed that it simply couldn't be afforded.

Greisha spent most of his career playing for Ismaily but has been the assistant manager here since 2020. Fogg is hoping that his experience in the job will help him get the team out the hole they presently find themselves in.

Notice that downward trend in the far right of this graph - it looks like continuing.

Battle bravely are the instructions given to Fogg upon arriving. He's certainly up for the challenge but he does wonder who can be persuaded in to strengthen affairs.

 

[RaySunshine]

Starting XI

Mohamed El Beshbeshi: El Beshbeshi has moved around the Egyptian clubs. This is his first season here and he's been back-up but Fogg proposes to step him up to the starting XI.

Ahmed Ramadan: The 20yo has come through the youth system here and steps into the XI for Fogg.

Mohamed Abdelmonem: Abdelmonem is in his fourth season at El Gouna and has been one of the most consistent performers at the club in that period. Fogg needs that to continue!

Hussain Al-Dossari: The 19yo broke into the first team last season and he's continuing that place for Fogg here.

Essam: He is in his fourth season here after joining for £105K. His form has been pretty good - can he keep it up?

Claude-Michel Emboumbou Dipoko: The Cameroonian is one of three foreign players allowed in the squad and showed some good form last season. Fogg needs that form again.

Mohanad Lasheen: Lasheen joined the club in 2022 and has been consistently one of the best performers since - but is that enough to keep El Gouna in the league?

Heshem Balaha: At 30, Balaha is one of the most experienced players in the squad. More than 1 goal and 0 assists in 9 is needed though.

Allan Kyambadde: At El Gouna since 2019, the 30yo Ugandan needs to deliver again this season to help the club out of this hole.

Marwan Youssef: Another youth product; the 20yo has 2 goals and 1 assist so far - can he do better?

Ali Al-Mohammed: Another youth product, the 19yo has 2 goals in 19 starts. He's not exactly setting the world on fire.

 

Pharco haven't been in the top-flight that long but look pretty comfortable there. Fogg needs El Gouna to show that they have some hope and fast. Can it be here?

 

 

 

[RaySunshine]

December 2026

So Fogg begins his reign in Egypt with a defeat and gets a sense of the challenge he faces. Against Pharco (Balaha 78), the team started well before hitting self-destruct - giving away a penalty and then going down to ten men in two needless challenges. There was a bit of a come-back later when Balaha volleyed home a superb cross. He then hit the post but couldn't score that goal that would give Fogg a dramatic draw.

El Gouna remain in trouble and don't look like getting out of it any time soon. Fogg knows that he'll get the chop if the side go down too. He wonders if Egypt will have more than one job in it. Is there any hope here?

There are only two games in January against fellow strugglers Aluminium and 14th-placed Petrojet. It's a chance for El Gouna to show that they do have some ability at this level. But will they do that or send Fogg further into despair?

[RaySunshine]

January 2027

Well it was a dramatic month and one that certainly left Fogg with some hope - is that dangerous? Game one saw the side take on fellow strugglers Aluminium (Youssef 24) and, once again, the Gounies hit the self-destruct button in losing a lead and having a man sent off (again) in consipring to defeat.

This certainly cheered up Fogg with the verdict being excellent. The challenge is will Fogg be in the job to see it through?

The second piece of news before the game was the signing of Aboubacar Sissoko. He's travelled around the world playing as both CB and DM. Fogg wants him to help shore up the backline at El Gouna. Game two was against Petrojet (Youssef 14, 32, Kymbadde 52, 90+6, Al-Aryani 70). This game was drama galore - leading, losing - it was all going on. The drama kept going right until 90+6 when Kymbadde's second goal handed Fogg a dramatic win. This was followed up with Youssef slotting home cooly against Zamalek (Youssef 82) to give Fogg a win against one of Egypt's biggest clubs. It's the first time all season that the club have had back-to-back wins. Dare to hope?

The month couldn't finish on all good news though. He'll be missed.

At the moment, El Gouna remain in trouble but, with those back-to-back wins, hope of escape moves into view. Can Fogg pull off the great escape?

Al-Masry are 8th and Future 9th so Fogg is hoping for at least three points to show some serious hope. What can El Gouna prove? Will hope be dead again by the end of the month? Wait and see...

 

[RaySunshine]

February 2027

February began with a three-week break and that only left enough time for two games. It's fair to say that they weren't short of drama though.

Before either game could be played came this bombshell. Sissoko - Fogg's hoped-for defensive rock - got himself injured and would certainly miss all the games this month. This showed against Al-Masry (Al-Aryani 36). Al-Masry kept finding space behind and went a goal up. Al-Aryani brought things back level with a neat finish but it wasn't enough. They took control in the second half scoring a header from a set-piece and from another ball over the top. The game against Future (Youssef 60, Kyambadde 62, Balaha 67) was full of much more positive drama. Having played well in the first half, Fogg encouraged his team on and they responded by scoring three goals in seven minutes. There was then a frightener as Future clawed two back; cheers went round the stadium though on 90 minutes as El Gouna managed to hold onto the points.

El Gouna move up for the first time since Fogg took the job on. It's looking hopeful. From six points back when he started, suddenly escape looks like a serious possibility. Can Fogg keep the good times going long enough to get his team out of trouble?

March will be a big, big month. ZED and Military Production lie just outside the relegation places. Get points from those games and El Gouna are really giving themselves a serious chance. Ghazi are tenth and present a winnable game too. This is not a month to miss!

[RaySunshine]

March 2027

Having finished February with a win, Fogg was hoping that, finally, he could really start to haul The Gounies away from danger. The month started well to that end with a win against ZED (Kyambadde 7, Youseff 14). El Gouna blew the opponents away with two early goals and that was enough for Fogg's men to hold onto and start a shift away from trouble. This was where all the good news in the  month ended though. Military Production (Kyambadde 3) were the next opponents. When Fogg's men took an early lead, he hoped for the best but Military Production controlled the rest of the game and ran out comfortable winners. Fogg really began to worry after the Ghazl El-Mahalla (Kyambadde 52) game. El Gouna took control and dominated the first half. Finally in the second half, they took the lead before going level again straight away with poor set-piece defending. A late penalty meant no points from a game they should have won. It sounds like relegation form...

As the table stands, El Gouna have escaped the drop-zone for the first month-end since Fogg took over. Can they do enough in the remaining games to stay out of trouble? Fogg is worried!

7th, 5th and 10th are the next teams. Could Fogg get a win or two to start moving away from trouble or will his team slip back into despair?

[RaySunshine]

April 2027

April might only have had three games in it but it was still full of high drama for Fogg and his men.

The month began with a typical dose of bad news as Fogg's only signing for the club was, once again, ruled out by injury. This was followed by a poor 1-0 defeat to ENPPI which was just the sort of result Fogg didn't need as he sought to build on last month's good form and lift his side out of trouble. Next up, against high-flying Ismailiy (Lasheen pen 22, Kyambadde 43, Abdelmonem 70). El Gouna won an early penalty which Lasheen duly converted and Fogg's men went on to dominate the match getting an unexpected but much needed three points.

More bad news came before the next game and Fogg was seriously beginning to worry how much damage these injuries would do.

This was better news though with Al-Enezi looking like a good prospect for the clubs future. Goals galore came in the match against El Mansoura (Tamer 12, Abdelmonem 25, Youssef 45, Lasheen pen 82). 1-0, 1-1, 3-1, 3-2, 4-2, all the drama was there but, once again, El Gouna had emerged victorious and the scene was looking hopeful!

Normally, 35 points would be the magic staying up mark, just one win away. It doesn't look like it's going to guarantee anything this season though with trouble only being two points away. It looks like it will be squeaky-bum time right to the very end.

6th, 10th, 18th and 11th. There should certianly be points there for Fogg's men to gain. They need to do it in this month though as June only has one game - away at Egyptian heavyweights Al Aly. If there not safe by the end of May, there's very little hope...

[RaySunshine]

May/June 2027

In terms of results May and June appeared to be something of a damp squib for El Gouna. The question is... would it be enough? The month began with El Gouna carrying on their good form against Haras El Hodoud (Al-Shamrani 6). Sissoko hit a huge free-kick over the top and young rb Al-Shamrani found himself with an empty net to slot into. In game two, El Gouna took on Pharco (Balaha 15, Lasheen pen 68). It was another topsy-turvy game but two late goals conceded meant that The Gounies threw it all away.

And this was certainly the not a great headline for Fogg to receive - he'd be keen to point out though that many many defeats were before his time. Fogg knew that, if he could beat bottom-of-the-table Telephonat, then his side would secure safety. It all looked so good when Lasheen stepped up to take a pen but that was saved and Lasheen then smashed the rebound into the post when it was easier to score!

This was good news to recieve though. Aluminium lost their midweek game that was enough to secure El Gouna's top-flight future. This was doubly good as El Gouna sank to 2-0 defeats against both Al-Gaish and Al-Ahly to finish the season with something of a damp squib.

Well, it might have been a poor finish but Fogg achieved his miracle - he kept his side up and in the Egyptian Premier League. That means he'll be in his job for next season. Hopefully it will see him through till December when he'll be off to India...

 

[RaySunshine]

Season Review

So there is little to really write home about in terms of the Season XI. Ramadan has not been a regular at RB for Fogg but, other than that, it's very much the team and shape he's picked all season.

Kyambadde and Youssef lead the action for El Gouna and Youssef also ticks off the highest average rating for the season.

It's clear that there are two things firmly on El Gouna's agenda - stay up and make money. The finaces look pretty dismal as you'll see below. Can the two things be achieved together?

[RaySunshine]

Pre-Season

Fogg received this news fairly early on in pre-season and was not quite sure what he'd done to achieve it. The finances of the club still look pretty ropey.

Overall, the pre-season has been pretty quiet with very little in and out. The sole out was Benjamin Afutu who was being paid a decent wage but, due to the three foreign players only rule, could not get into the first team regularly enough to warrent avoiding a sale.

Hamza Moawad was brought in on a free to strengthen between the sticks. He conceded 11 goals in his 11 appearances at Ghazal El-Mahalla but he still represents something of an upgrade on Beshbeshi.

AMC was one of the weaker positions in the starting XI and Ahmed Hassan has been brought in on loan from Egyptian heavyweights Zamalek. Fogg expects him to be starting XI from one game onwards.

Pre-season was lined up to be a money-maker with the first four games picked for big gates. This was to have a big effect though...

Balaha wasn't happy with the money-making smashings and most of the club's players followed him. This will be a theme that Fogg will have to deal with for the next three months or so.

Just at the end of pre-season, this news hit as well. Mowad will miss the first part of the season which, being one of only two in-coming improvements, is a major worry for Fogg.

The club are expected to be in the relegation mixer again. They're on equal odds with Military Production and El Mansoura but MP are the club expected to take the dreaded drop. Will that be the case? Only time will tell.

It's not an easy start to the season, Al-Masry, Haras El Hodoud and Ghazl El-Mahalla are all mid-table while Zamalek is one of the league's two big clubs. El Mansoura is a game to gain points but that's two games in.

 

 

[RaySunshine]

September 2027

From Fogg's point of view, it feels like a miracle start for a team heavily predicted to be near the drop. The season began badly when Fogg's men went behind against Al-Masry (Kyambadde 37, 39) but Kyambadde had two neat finishes in two minutes to turn the result around. Fogg's side were always up against playing Zamalek but they worked hard and it took a penalty in the 75th minute and a late free-kick ends the game for El Gouna. Hope was restored in the game against El Mansoura (Sissoko 1, Abdelmonem 28) where the CB's both scored from deep in-swinging free-kicks. The good form carried on against Haras El Hodoud (Balaha 17, Youssef 56) where both wingers got onto the score sheet in order to secure a win. Finally, against Ghazl El-Mahalla, the new keeper, Moawad, made his debut - ironically against his old team. El Gouna had the better of the game but couldn't produce a goal and the points finished shared.

Fogg feels like his team must be on oxygen tanks! At the moment, El Gouna are well up the table. The side took more than double this number of games to get to same points total last season. Fogg is hoping this positive start is indicative of a much more comfortable ride.

Military Production and Tersana are widely expected to be in the relegation conversation so Fogg sees those as gettable points. Normally high-flying Pyraminds are also struggling so is this the time to get points off them?

[RaySunshine]

October 2027

Fogg was looking at this as a promising month as it began and it did not fail to deliever. In game one, Fogg took on Military Production (Lasheen pen18, Youssef 74). It's fair to say that his men dominated the game and once MP had gone down to ten men it really was all game over. There was a less pleasant shock however before the next game.

Kyambadde, the side's talisman and centre-forward hero, picked up a strain and would miss the next chunk of weeks. It seemed to come as a shock against Tersana (Balaha 35, Lasheen pen 71) when El Gouna went behind early. They managed it turn it round though and, with the benefit of the penalty, got another three points. Finally, there was the dream! El Gouna took on normally high-flying Pyramids (Youssef 3, Al-Mohammed 22, 31 pen 62, El Sayed (OG) 28, Balaha 72, Tamer 81). They were simply taken apart - 4-0 up by HT and it was almost all over then. What a shame Fogg thinks that the plan is too move on soon.

A set of very nice records followed what had been a pretty good month overall.

The table makes for scarcely believable reading too - the side are first! Can you believe it? Again, Fogg regrets the fact that he'll bound to move on soon but he knows he must.

12th, 4th and 5th. It's not going to be an easy month but Fogg wants all this to role on so he finishes on a high in a couple of months time...

[RaySunshine]

November 2027

With the club in a dream position at the end of last month, Fogg is on to hoping that his side can manage better again this month. Game one looked fairly promising with a superb win over Petrojet (Dipoko 2, Al-Mohammed 4, Youssef 23, Balaha 24). All the goals were scored in the first half with El Gouna charging forward at pace. Balaha scored the pick of the bunch with a great curving effort into the far bottom corner.

With the injury to Essam reading for pretty bad news, things were tougher against Al-Gaish (Hassan 27, Youssef 72). Despite the two teams being pretty much equal in xG terms, Al-Gaish took their chances and El Gouna didn't and that left them with a pretty humbling defeat. The good news of Kymbadde's return came against ENPPI (Kymbadde 7, 79) and he marked the occasion with two goals - the second being a superb chip into the top corner on the half-volley.

The table at the end of this month reads as slightly less glorious than the last but, given that Fogg expected to be fighting off relegation again, it's still all pretty pleasing stuff.

December looks to be a pretty packed month. Al-Ahly are, as ever, the highlight fixture. National Bank and Pharco though are both in the relegation places and that's what where Fogg will expect points. Of course, at the end of this month, Fogg will be looking towards India but, with their league only just starting, he will have to be patient.