(FM24) Red Sun Rising - A Tokyo Soccer Story

[Deisler26]

J3 Statistical Search / Change in direction

We were looking for a left back this season and on checking the J3 stats, we came across the following player.

Takayoshi Waki, 21, D/WBL/DM

Takayoshi played in 34 out of 38 league games last season for J3 side Roasso Kunamoto, scoring one Goal and providing 13 Assists for an Average Rating of 7.07. His basic stats however show that he performed excellently in his attacking play. His Assists per 90 was one of the highest in J3, along with his Key Passes per 90. Comparing his stats to the 'Big 5' Leagues at Full Back shows that all of his stats are above Poor with most of his stats between Poor and Average with his Crosses Completed per 90 deemed as Elite for the Big 5. Bearing in mind, that the J3 is a long way off the Big 5, to be near Average for a number of stats and topping Elite is pretty good. Our analysts came up with the following reports when he was scouted

What a great set of stats, to be leading a league, even one below shows that he needed to be picked up, which we did. 

 

Change in direction

We've been losing money for quite some time and, despite begging the board to build us a new stadium, we don't really have any way to raising cash on a consistent basis, especially as it costs us £1.95m (or ¥373m) a season to maintain our youth setup. So I decided to try to set up a link with a foreign club for the signing of players. This never came about as we kept being offered teams well down the pyramid. So I decided to choose a more..creative way to do this. So first, we extended our Scouting budget to cover the World, then we signed a new scout:

 Mamadou Sylla, 35, Scout  We picked up this Senegalese scout, in order to send him to Africa. 

We then sent him to scout Senegal and, more importantly, the club Generation Foot. This is a Senegalese club that is committed to developing young players for overseas sale., so I would keep an eye on the players coming through and sign players in order to play them and make a profit on it. 

[_Ben_]

28 minutes ago, Deisler26 said:

We then sent him to scout Senegal and, more importantly, the club Generation Foot. This is a Senegalese club that is committed to developing young players for overseas sale., so I would keep an eye on the players coming through and sign players in order to play them and make a profit on it. 

Interesting battle between growing your own and finding your own! Senegalese youth will be cheap but how many can you hoard? What are the squad and match day rules for foreigners?

[Deisler26]

2 hours ago, _Ben_ said:

Interesting battle between growing your own and finding your own! Senegalese youth will be cheap but how many can you hoard? What are the squad and match day rules for foreigners?

So far (as you'll find out in the next post) I have signed three Senegalese players. One as a Squad Rotation and two as a Fringe Player. You can only have 4 foreigners in a match day squad, so by signing them early enough, they may want to take Japanese citizenship. Maybe. Or just sell them when they're being troublesome 

[Deisler26]

Red Sun Rising - Season 8

The Final Countdown

I was walking a tightrope this season as we failed our brief last season. We were, once again, given the brief of Achieve Automatic Promotion from the J2 and to be competitive in both the JFA Emperor's Cup and the J.League YBC Levain Cup. This will be what I think will be my last chance this season to gain promotion, otherwise I'll get the boot. We have a £4.45m transfer budget and £75k wage budget. Our bank balance is terrible, but with the fact we needed to get rid of a load of backups, we were hoping to rebuild our finances.  My personal aim is for Playoffs again. We finished 2nd in Goals Scored and 13th on Goals Conceded. last season. We're still entertainers in this league, but we really need to be more consistent to get promotion.

 

[Deisler26]

Injuries. So many injuries.

(I'm writing this at the end of the season, for reasons that will become apparent)

We got absolutely butt-f**ked by injuries this season. The standard was set within pre-season when we lost our main two Target Forwards to long-term injuries in the same game.

It never got any better, throughout the season. A few times, I was forced to sign players on loan for a month just to get through our games this season. I spent most of the season juggling players with injuries, sales and quite frankly, I had no time to look at stats or anything for the season as it was a full-on battle for the entire season to keep us afloat.

Are you all ready?

This was our injury list for the entire season. LOOK AT IT.  You can see my struggles.

 

Edited August 18 by Deisler26

[Hootieleece]

Is this the end? or will you move to another club?

 

Japan's Schedule doesn't help when juggling injuries. I was able to manage it with Fukushima with a full squad of 25 with many overlapping players to cover the injuries.

 

[Deisler26]

End of March Transfer Window
I'm taking the weird stance of going for our outgoings first as it was a fire-sale of our backups and less-used players, which informed our purchases

Transfers
OUT
 

Takayuki Hashimoto, 21, DRL (Free Transfer, Bryonvecca)  He was never going to be a full-time player, so I needed his salary off the books

 Toru Hatate, 26, DLC (£50k, Renofa Yamaguchi FC)  He never developed physically, which would mean he had no place in any of my plans

 Danto Mizushima, 24, D/DMC (£205k, Oita Trinita)  He wanted more than I could give, playing-wise and I had to let him go, reluctantly

Jean Pedroso, 26, DC (£650k, Vegalta Sendai)  He went from unwanted, to best defender, back to unwanted. All to do with his FGN status. Luckily, he was snapped up

Shingo Kudo, 24, M/AMRC (£725k, Vegalta Sendai)  This was out the blue. We only signed him the previous season, but his season wasn't that great and we'd only lose £25k. SOLD

Tsuyoshi Sano, 20, DC (£250k, S.C Sagamihara)  Again, he was a player who wouldn't make our first team. So I got rid

Kazuya Mikado, 20, M/AMR/ST (£400k, JEF United Chiba)  Getting bored with saying how they wouldn't have made it, but you see.

Trong Van Quan, 20, M/AMRL (£350k, Vissel Kobe) Our Vietnamese friend was not going to last here and was bitching about losing out on international caps. So bye.

Yusel Yamashita, 19, M/AMRL (£300k, Omiya Ardija)  The deadwood keeps on being cleared.

Kriang Kral Nisengram, 19, GK (£2.5m, Vissel Kobe)  Our damn board sold out our No.1 from under us and we couldn't do a thing about it. 

Tae-Yung Kim, 23, D/WBL (£2m, Kawasaki Frontale)  Kim moved dressing rooms on Deadline Day as we were again sold out from under us.

Michal Kaplan, 21, DRL (£4m, Al-Riyadh)  This was all my own work, but when Saudi comes calling, you need to answer, especially for our record sale

[Deisler26]

3 minutes ago, Hootieleece said:

Is this the end? or will you move to another club?

 

Japan's Schedule doesn't help when juggling injuries. I was able to manage it with Fukushima with a full squad of 25 with many overlapping players to cover the injuries.

 

Neither! I shall soldier on. It was just a really tense season with injuries and trying to get promotion so I was totally concentrating on that and not thinking about documenting haha

[Deisler26]

End of March Transfer Window. Pt2
 

Transfers
IN
 

Min-Su Kim, 23, ST (Free Transfer, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)  We needed another striker to backup Bernardinho and this arrival from South Korea should help carry the load

Takeshi Wada , 24, GK (Loan, Shonan Bellmare)  The squad rebelled after selling Nisengram, so I wanted to keep them onside, without buying in. Loan it was then.

We also brought in four players in on one- month loans as cover. No-one played a minute, but they were here.

 

Out of Africa

With the implementation of our pivot to buying players for future sales, we signed three players from Senegal's Generation Foot

Hakeem Badara, 19, DC (£250k, Generation Foot)  

The first guy in was a central defender and would be Pedroso's replacement in the FGN stakes. He was cheap and would be a very good player for us whilst he was here

Pape Dieng, 22, DR (£22.5k, Generation Foot)  

Our next signing was a backup full back. He'll sit in our reserves until he's needed, but he could be in the second XI as early as next season.

Alassane Gomis, 19, DC (£22.5k, Generation Foot)  

Our final African signing was a backup centre back. He'll follow the same patch as Dieng, but maybe stepping in if Badara leaves/gets injured

[Deisler26]

2030 Season

First Round

First Leg

(J3) Honda SC 0-3 Tokyo Metro Ota City (J2)

Two goals midway through the second half settled, what had been a nervy game by this point

 

Second Leg

(J2) Tokyo Metro Ota City 2-0 Honda SC (J3) (Tokyo Metro win 5-0 on aggregate) 

Two goals within five minutes of the restart killed this tie, putting us through

 

Second Round

First Leg

(J1) Renofa Yamaguchi FC 0-0 Tokyo Metro Ota City (J2)

We battered them from pillar to post, but their goalkeeper ended up as POTM, which speaks to how dominant we were

 

Second Leg

(J2) Tokyo Metro Ota City 1-2 Renofa Yamaguchi FC (J1) (Yamaguchi win 2-1 on aggregate) 

Despite an very early lead, we conceded two goals before half time which put us out earlier than we expected or wanted...

 

First Round

(J2) Tokyo Metro Ota City 1-2 Honda SC (J3) 

The works team took their revenge on us in this game, as we huffed and puffed, but got sucker-punched as they scored their only two shots on goal, one coming from a lucky deflection 

[Deisler26]

2030 Youth Intake Preview

Well. This is a really poor look and I'm at the end of my tether regarding poor intake previews. We've had Jun Takahashi since the first days, but it's time to move on. We put the feelers out and, whilst paying Jun off, we signed up someone better.

Harold Concepcion, 51, Head of Youth Development  A 'Model Citizen' personality and impressive stats? This Filipino will be our HOYD for a long while 

[Deisler26]

End of August Transfer Window
We were still fighting fires with regards to injuries and fighting for promotion, so when we were getting unsettled by teams offering for our players, we had to scramble to replace them. Once again, I'll go from the outgoings as we can show how we recovered from the losses

Transfers
OUT
Ryohei Ichimura, 23, DRC (£1m, Nagoya Grampus Eight)  Big money for our starting right back. Didn't want to let him go, but it's good money.

Jefinho, 23, MC/AMRLC (£1m, Avispa Fukuoka)  He signed a new contract at the beginning of the season, but injuries led to him not playing much and when offered, I took it

Ryo Kato, 23, D/DM/MC (£350k, Vegalta Sendai)  Due to a recent signing, we had room to get rid of one of our BWM's and Kato was the first one to leave

Kosuke Saito, 23, DM/MC (£1m, Fagiano Okayama)  The decision was made to let him go, as we would run with the new signing and a youth prospect.

 

IN

 Junichi Tobori, 22, M/AML (£750k, Shimizu S-Pulse)  Bring our boy home. Let's go! We've been suffering from a revolving door of left wingers so some stability will help

 

[Deisler26]

Out of Africa - August 2030 Edition

We exploited our connection once again, with Momo Sylla's most recent recommendations coming up.

Jean-Francois Mane, 18, D/WB/M/AML (£190k, Generation Foot)  This guy could be our starting full back, after the loss of Kim earlier in the season. Let's hope he's up to it.

Ibrahima Dieme, 18, M/AMC (£190k, Generation Foot)  We lost Jefinho so that picking this guy up for cheap will go a long away to helping us cover any issues

 Ibrahima Cisse, 18, M/AMC (£190k, Generation Foot)  We couldn't turn down this guy, he'll could be our midfield enforcer for a while until his big move.

[Deisler26]

2030 Youth Intake

Another intake which bore no resemblance to who we actually ended up with. Let's look at the top 3 prospects of 2030

1.Satoshi Nagai, 16, ST  Guess what? He'll follow Shohei Ishii's path in being re-trained to MC (AP) rather than be left as a ST.

2.Takuma Terao, 16, DR  We're getting a decent pipeline on full backs now. Hopefully, he can develop

3.Hiroki Mizuno, 15, ST  No-one really shone as a third prospect, so this was the best thing we had

[Deisler26]

チャンピオン !!!!

[Hootieleece]

Welcome to the J1 League! Great Work

I will be watching from the suburb of Saitama.

 

[Deisler26]

10 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

Welcome to the J1 League! Great Work

I will be watching from the suburb of Saitama.

 

Thank you very much! I hope we stay here

[Deisler26]

2030 Season Review

We finally finished this gruelling nightmare of a season. We eventually won the J2 League title, finishing 1st out of 20 and winning the title by 7 points and winning with 2 games to spare. We blooded a lot of our youth players on the last day of the season, mainly as the title was won and we had almost a fully fit squad. They put up a good fight, only to have the misfortune in facing the J2's top scorer who immediately plundered a hat-trick against the inexperienced team. Top scorer was South Korean striking sensation Kim Min-Su, netting 24 goals, whilst Shotaro Nagai lead the way with 14 assists. We also finished 1st overall in Goals Scored and did brilliantly to end up with our Goals Conceded putting us 5th  overall, despite the crippling injury list

Our offseason business was going to be strengthening for our first ever Meiji Yasuda J1 campaign. But in all honesty, I like who we have for the season. We have talent and depth, with maaaaaaybe needing a backup/starting BWM, but I wouldn't consider going into the season without one. We desperately need a JFL / J3 feeder club in order to send players out on loan and I hope the board sees sense and gets us a new stadium as we've been here for over 4 years and we need a home of our own!

,

 

Akuma and Hideo, two lifelong friends and die-hard supporters of their local soccer team, sat in their usual corner of the Sercow and Hornet pub, the atmosphere around them unusually jubilant. The pub, often filled with the frustrated murmurs of fans lamenting another missed opportunity, was now buzzing with celebration. Their team had finally done it – after years of near-misses and heartbreak, they had won the J2 League for the first time, securing promotion to the coveted J1 League. "Can you believe it, Hideo? We're going to the J1!" Akuma exclaimed, raising his glass in a toast. Hideo, his eyes shining with pride, clinked his glass against Akuma's. "We've waited a lifetime for this moment, my friend. It's finally here."

Despite the early exits in the cup competitions, which had initially dampened spirits, the team's league form had been nothing short of sensational. Much of their success was owed to South Korean striker Kim Min-Su, who had lit up the league with his goal-scoring prowess. "Kim Min-Su, what a player! I’ve never seen anyone with such a nose for goal, especially with Bernardinho injured so often" Hideo said, shaking his head in amazement. "Without him, who knows where we’d be?" Akuma nodded in agreement, his thoughts briefly darkening. "But it wasn’t all smooth sailing, was it? That injury list was brutal. We could have wrapped up the title weeks ago if it weren't for that," he added, his tone serious. The team had faced a crippling injury crisis that had threatened to derail their promotion push, but they had dug deep and found a way to keep going.

Now, as they sat amidst the jubilant crowd of fans in the Sercow and Hornet, the friends allowed themselves to savor the victory they had waited so long for. "It’s been a long road, Hideo. We’ve seen this team through thick and thin, and now look at us – J1 League bound," Akuma said, his voice filled with emotion. Hideo smiled, lifting his glass once more. "Here’s to the boys, to Kim Min-Su, and to all the ups and downs that got us here," he said, his voice steady despite the lump in his throat. As they drank, the two old men couldn't help but look forward to the next season, where their team would finally take its place among Japan's elite. The dream had finally come true, and for Akuma and Hideo, it was a moment worth celebrating.

[Deisler26]

As I said before, I can only apologise for the lack of stats this season. It truly was such a cutthroat ride that I got into and finished the season much quicker than any other time, because I was so invested! Normal service will be resumed next season, I promise!

[Deisler26]

I've got the brains, you've got the looks. pt2

    X  

 

Tokyo Metro Ota City Signs Kit Deal with Adidas JPN for Inaugural J1 League Season

Tokyo, Japan – January 13, 2031 – Tokyo Metro Ota City is thrilled to announce that they have signed a three-year kit deal with Adidas JPN as they prepare for their debut season in the prestigious J1 League. This partnership with one of the world's leading sportswear brands marks a significant milestone in the club's history and sets the stage for an exciting new chapter in Japanese football. The deal will see Adidas JPN exclusively design and produce the club's playing kits, training wear, and merchandise for the next three seasons, starting with the 2031 campaign.

"We are delighted to partner with Adidas JPN as we embark on our first-ever season in the J1 League," said Tokyo Metro Ota City's Chairman, Tsuyoshi Sugai. "Adidas has a long-standing reputation for innovation and quality in sportswear, and we are confident that this collaboration will provide our players with the best possible performance gear, while also offering our fans stylish and memorable kits to celebrate this historic season. We look forward to seeing our team take the field in these iconic designs, representing the spirit of Ota City."

In addition to the kit deal, Tokyo Metro Ota City is proud to announce a two-year sponsorship agreement with the City of Ota, which will see the local government become the club's official front-of-shirt sponsor. This partnership is a reflection of the deep connection between the club and the community it represents, as well as the shared ambition to promote Ota City on the national stage. The City of Ota's logo will feature prominently on the front of the team's jerseys, symbolizing the unity and pride of the local area as the club competes at the highest level of Japanese football.

"Partnering with the City of Ota as our front-of-shirt sponsor is a natural fit," added Sugai. "Our club has always been rooted in the community, and this sponsorship underscores our commitment to representing Ota City with honor and integrity. We are excited to carry the city's name on our kits as we face the challenges and opportunities of the J1 League. Together with Adidas JPN and the City of Ota, we are ready to make our mark on Japanese football and inspire our supporters both on and off the pitch."

For further information, please contact Tokyo Metro Ota City’s press office at press@tokyometro-ota.jp or visit our website at www.tokyometro-ota.jp.

Edited August 19 by Deisler26

[Deisler26]

2031

 

Shohei Ishii, 20, MC - Japan

This was Ishii's debut for the national side and he did well in the first match against Lebanon, playing all 90 minutes and assisting the first goal in a 3-0 win. He stayed on the bench for Japan's 1-0 win over the United Arab Emirates however. In the final group match versus Kuwait, he put in a POTM performance, as he scored a goal in first half added time, whilst contributing three assists in a 6-1 win. Sadly, his tournament debut came to an end with a 0-3 loss to Syria in the Second Round.

 

Nguyen Hiroto, 18, D/WBR - Vietnam

This was Hiroto's tournament debut for the national side and he sadly was poor in the first match against Qatar, playing all 90 minutes in a 1-2 loss. He also played the entire match in Vietnam's 0-2 loss against Iran. Finally, he put in a really sub-standard performance in a 0-5 loss to Uzbekistan, ending his tournament on a sour note.

[Deisler26]

大ヒット作のサイン会

Tokyo Metro Ota City Secures Sensational Signing of Uruguayan Goalkeeper Ignacio Garcia

In a move that has sent shockwaves through Japanese football, Tokyo Metro Ota City has announced the sensational signing of Uruguayan international goalkeeper Ignacio Garcia on a free transfer from Liverpool F.C. (Uruguay). The 20-year-old, widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in South America, was heavily pursued by European giants Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid. However, in a surprising twist, Garcia has chosen to continue his career in Japan, marking one of the most high-profile signings in the J.League in recent years.

The acquisition of Garcia, who has 7 caps for the Uruguayan national team, is a major coup for Tokyo Metro Ota City, who are preparing for their debut season in the J1 League after winning promotion from J2. Known for his lightning-quick reflexes, commanding presence, and exceptional shot-stopping ability, Garcia’s arrival is expected to significantly bolster the team’s defensive line. "This is a monumental signing for us and for Japanese football as a whole," said Tokyo Metro Ota City manager Shinji-san Shihainin. "To attract a player of Ignacio’s caliber, especially with the interest from top-flight European clubs, speaks volumes about our ambitions and the direction we’re heading in."

The signing of Garcia is being hailed as the most significant transfer in Japan in recent years, drawing comparisons to when J.League clubs were first established as destinations for international stars. Shihainin expressed his excitement about the impact Garcia will have on both the team and the league. "Ignacio is not just a world-class goalkeeper; he’s a leader and a winner. His experience and professionalism will be invaluable as we navigate our first season in the J1 League. This signing signals our intent to compete at the highest level," Shihainin added. With Garcia between the posts, Tokyo Metro Ota City fans are eagerly anticipating a historic season ahead, with hopes of challenging the J1 League's elite now firmly within reach.

Edited August 20 by Deisler26

[_Ben_]

On 19/08/2024 at 15:57, Deisler26 said:

Tokyo Metro Ota City Secures Sensational Signing of Uruguayan Goalkeeper Ignacio Garcia

That is some signing! Wow! How does he compare to the rest of the J1 keepers? Also - a belated congratulations on your promotion and, honestly, those kits that couldn't look more Japanese if they tried - although I do get these vibes from it...

[Deisler26]

3 hours ago, _Ben_ said:

That is some signing! Wow! How does he compare to the rest of the J1 keepers? Also - a belated congratulations on your promotion and, honestly, those kits that couldn't look more Japanese if they tried - although I do get these vibes from it...

Ironically, his closest rival was my former keeper, the Thai international, who has just signed for Lille OSC for £4.2m. Other than that, he's leagues ahead, judging by the fact that he is considered to be the outright pre-season favourite to be J1 Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season!.

And thank you for the shirt compliments.It was kinda the vibe I was going for, using the prefecture mascot for Ota City

 

[Deisler26]

2031 Additions

As a condition of signing Garcia, he wanted improvements to our coaching staff. So this, along with our recent promotion giving us more staff hire slots, meant we were in the market for new staff. As we'd gradually replaced our Assistant Manager and Head of Youth Development recently, it was time to clear out some of the remnants of our early hires. We also had a retirement to contend with in our scouting department.

So, our offseason business went like so..

In

Ryunosuke Shibata, 59, Scout  Shibata was signed before we'd realised we were losing our Brazil scout. This guy would wander J2 looking for players.

Michael Skibbe, 65, Scout  Rudi Voller's No.2 at Germany, he was not taking any hands-on jobs anymore, so we snatched him up to do some scouting for us. 

Rodrigo de Melo, 49, Fitness Coach  This guy is a serious talent and a massive improvement to our fitness coaching staff.

Shunto Watanabe, 45, Goalkeeping Coach  A definite upgrade in the goalkeeper coach department.

Kim Suk-Woo, 47, Coach  Another upgrade in the coaching department. This should give us better results hopefully.

 

Out

Motoki Matsuzawa, 44, Goalkeeping Coach.  A legacy of our J3 bad times, Motoki took the money and ran

Tae-Woong Choi, 33, Fitness Coach. He wasn't terrible, but the worst of what we had, so he was replaced

[Deisler26]

Partnerships

We lost FC Tokyo as a parent club as we were eventually in the same division. Casting our net wide, we asked for our board to look at a monetary partnership and waited to see what they came up with.

Our board came back with four clubs in Germany

       Hertha Berlin, 1.Bundesliga

1.FC Union Berlin, 1.Bundesliga

        Karlsruhe SC, 2.Bundesliga

       VfB Stuttgart, 1.Bundesliga

And out of those, we picked Stuttgart

Good youth, which is what we want coming over to us. Plus we make them money, especially if we have some of our great players go to them

 

[Deisler26]

Red Sun Rising - Season 9

Reaching the Promised Land

Here we are. Started from the bottom, now we here. We were given the brief of Avoid Relegation from the J1 and to Make the Quarter Finals in both the JFA Emperor's Cup and the J.League YBC Levain Cup. I think we'll severely struggle this season. We have a £12m transfer budget and £75k wage budget to help keep us  up. My personal aim is for Avoiding Relegation on goal difference if I can. We finished 1st in Goals Scored and 5th on Goals Conceded. last season. We locked down the defense well, so let's see how we get on this season.

We've already found ourselves some new coaching staff and a new parent club, hopefully our bump in rep will get us a new feeder club and our own stadium. Min-Su Kim took home the hardware for J2 Signing of the Season and finished third in the J2 Top Goalscorer race. Finally, this pre-season, we got some much-needed funds in through the door. as we collected 50% of Kriang Kral Nisengram's £4.2m move from Vissel Kobe to Lille OSC in France. We also took home 50% of Marek Jankto's move to Vissel Kobe for £1m

News

Nice to see that injuries didn't stop Imei and Bernardinho getting two of the top 5 shirt names.

Blimey, are we Shahid Khan in disguise?? 66% increase in a single match ticket and over £200 increase in a season ticket?? We'd bloody better stay up for this nonsense..

 

[Hootieleece]

14 minutes ago, Deisler26 said:

Blimey, are we Shahid Khan in disguise?? 66% increase in a single match ticket and over £200 increase in a season ticket?? We'd bloody better stay up for this nonsense..

I wonder if the numbers go down if you get relegated?

Make a good effort at staying up will you. I think you will have a hard time playing like Burnley or Everton under Dyche.

[Deisler26]

End of March Transfer Review

This is going to be an odd way to do this, but I need to kinda show you guys, my thought processes and issues from this absolutely bizarre window. So it's going to be stream of consciousness in a sense and not the usual way that I set it out, but hopefully it'll make sense to you guys as it goes along. First off, coming into the pre-season, I didn't really have any holes that I wanted filled. I had my first and second team and the U-18's were starting to bear fruit under the improved training and staff additions. We would obviously look towards Africa for some players from Generation Foot, but otherwise, it was business as usual.

(Green is incoming, Red is outgoing)

First up, we brought back combatative midfielder Ryo Kawamoto from FC Machida Zelvia for £425k. We were running with Cisse and 16 year old prospect Tsubasa Ando, but I wanted Ando to play more often than every few games, so the play was to bring back Kawamoto as the backup and let Ando play for a J3 side for the season. Speaking of FC Machida Zelvia, we sold backup TF Koji Yamada for £900k to them just days later. It was a good bid and I wasn't going to put him in front of Imei, so I figured I would run with Yoshuke Morishige as the backup TF, as his run last season saw him net 12 goals whilst Yamada and Imei were injured. Next, we then solved our goalkeeper problem by sensationally landing Uruguayan international goalkeeper Ignacio Garcia on a free transfer from Liverpool F.C (URU). This then gave us four goalies for the time being and would appease the board and squad. Then came a £1m bid for our backup advanced playmaker, 21 year old Yuki Yamashita, from Hokkaido Sapporo. Considering the bid, I realised I had two  players who could play in that position and, not least, our recent academy promotion Satoshi Nagai could get in reps there. So that bid was accepted.

We then took bids for a number of fringe players; defender Ryoto Naoko saw himself on the way to Yokohama F.C for £625k which was good money for a player I just didn't think would reach his potential. At this club, at least. Next was midfielder Masaki Hyodo. He was not a player that I saw getting anywhere near the first team, so to get £425k from J2 side Shonan Bellmare was excellent.

We had a pretty terrible start to the season, seeing ourselves in the bottom three very early on. We were struggling to score, with Bernardinho and Kim, the top scorers of the last three seasons firing blanks for the first half-dozen games. Old faithful Takumi Imei hit 6 goals by deadline day, but our next highest goalscorer had one. And it was our full back. We also lost our backup AP's to CAF U23 African Cup of Nations Qualifying and Asian Games U-23 Qualifying, during the month of March which paired us down to the bone. No plan survives a punch in the face, and we'd been battered up and down the park. So I signed a previously scouted Kazuya Ogiri for £800k from Sanfrecca Hiroshima, the thinking being that Nagai was just too young to play sporadically at 16 and would do better at hothousing in the U-18's after a poor performance or two and our Senegal player would be at the mercy of the FGN rule. We then had a bid of £850k for Kim Min-Su from Korean 1League side Gangwon F.C. It was over his value and my appreciation for his excellent season previously had dimmed with a massive goal drought at the beginning of the season when we needed him. Plus he was a FGN player and I really wanted to try and move away from these players, so it was accepted. As soon as I accepted that offer, I sent an offer of £425k to our recent rivals Oita Trinita in the J2 League for their 24 year old Japanese striker Naoto Ishikawa. He was on my shortlist for a season or two and I felt we needed an upgrade on our strikers, especially since Kim was on his way out.

Then we got hit by a double whammy on Deadline Day of all places. Oita Trinita, losing a forward, decided to replace him with one of ours. Their £1.1m bid for Bernardinho came out of the blue, but he had been on a downward slope ever since his injury plagued year last year and I needed goals. Goals he wasn't supplying. Considering that, I checked my next inbox item and it was a £5m bid from Shanghai Port in the Chinese Super League for Senegalese sensation Hakeem Badara. That was a little more clear cut. Our record sale and a vindication of the decision to snap up Senegalese players for profit, he was allowed to leave, which left us even more in the lurch. In for a half yen, in for a yen, I then accepted Oita's offer. We had a few hours to find some replacements, so it was off to the shortlist and we tried to sign defender Kota Nakamura from Kashima Antlers, but he had no interest in a permanent deal, so we took him on loan for the season. Also to come in on a season's loan, but with a £1m obligation to buy, was striker Hideki Ishizaki. He had been on my list for a long while, but had been too expensive. This loan, done mainly as it was such short time left on Deadline Day, would be taken up by us soon enough. We then had a one in / one out to finish off the window. We loaned in striker Haru Matsumoto from our former parent club FC Tokyo as an emergency backup in case of injuries and saw perennial underachiever, Vietnam international Nguyen Hiroto move to J2 side Sagan Tosu for £500k.

The worst was yet to come however, days after the window closed, I got a notification of NxGen 2031 and, who should appear at #39?... Hakeem Badara. FEWMIN I was! We nearly had a NxGen player in the team..

[Deisler26]

2 hours ago, Hootieleece said:

I wonder if the numbers go down if you get relegated?

Make a good effort at staying up will you. I think you will have a hard time playing like Burnley or Everton under Dyche.

It'll be interesting to see. I doubt anyone would pay to see us if I did get relegated haha.

I *am* having a hard time. It's just about getting some confidence into the side and keeping our heads above water

[Hootieleece]

11 hours ago, Deisler26 said:

It'll be interesting to see. I doubt anyone would pay to see us if I did get relegated haha.

I *am* having a hard time. It's just about getting some confidence into the side and keeping our heads above water

The only reason I am having success I think is because 4-3-3 Gegen Press (Default) breaks the ME.

I have played further than I have posted and let us just say there is a chance of a Domestic Treble.

As far as confidence goes make sure to do a Team Bonding Session AFTER EVERY MATCH if possible, even if it isn't the next day. It is important for keeping morale up and it is under appreciated I feel in many players training programs. Also try to do Community Relations before all home matches. Teamwork and Cohesion that will help on the pitch and get the supporters behind your team.

[_Ben_]

14 hours ago, Deisler26 said:

We would obviously look towards Africa for some players from Generation Foot

Have you made any additions from here, yet?

[Deisler26]

8 minutes ago, _Ben_ said:

Have you made any additions from here, yet?

[Deisler26]

Danger, Will Robin-san

No sooner did I talk my way out of this...

Oh. Oh no....

[Deisler26]

2031 - The First 10 Games.

So, here we are. Inspired by Ben's meticulous look at player stats, we're going to perform a much inferior look at the season in 3 slices, at 10, 20 and 30 games. Mostly we're looking at whether we're getting players in that fit our formation and whether they need replacing. It'll also guide our searches for new players from J3.

So, without much fanfare, let's dig in. We are limited in some cases this first 10 games, thanks to a heady mix of poor form, injuries and player sales. But I've picked out four players to begin with

Goalkeepers

 Ignacio Garcia, 20, GK

Ignacio has been a constant in this first 10 games, playing every one so far, keeping just two clean sheets so far. His basic stats don't make pretty reading, except I don't use him to launch attacks, so the General stats are pretty much useless, however his Clean Sheets, Pass %, Save % and Saves per 90 is higher than the J1 average which is pretty good, considering how bad we really are this season. His comparison to the 'Big 5' leagues (which means much more this season as we're in our top domestic league) is pretty special. First off, his xG Prevented per 90 is considered Elite, with a certain goal saved every 2.2 games. His Goals Conceded per 90 is much closer to Elite than Average which, again, is brilliant when you consider we're floundering at the bottom of the league. His Interceptions per 90 sits squarely on the doorstep of Average and his Passing % is slap-bang in the middle of Average and Elite. All in all, some brilliant stats and comparable to other international-level players. What a bargain he was.

Wingers

Daisuke Higuchi, 22, M/AML

Daisuke has played 3 out of 10 league games this season, with three Assists for an Average Rating of 6.84. He came into the side thanks to injuries and workload, so his basic stats aren't available. But, if we look at the winger stats from across the 'Big 5' leagues, Daisuke is above Average for Dribbles per 90. His Crosses Completed Per 90 (thanks to a small sample size) are nearly a whopping THREE TIMES higher than the Elite benchmark. His Sprints per 90 is close to Average, but still in the Poor section. However, I don't let my wingers dribble too often, so that's not particularly troubling. His Key Passes Per 90 is sat in the middle of Average and Elite, which is pretty decent too and his xAssists per 90 is in the Elite category. As has been stated before, it is a small sample size, but he's the best assist/crosser we have by miles in the first ten games, which is a testament to him, somewhat outplaying his ability.

 

Shotaro Nagai, 24, MRL/AML

Shotaro has played 6 out of 10 league games this season, with one Assist for an Average Rating of 6.72. His basic stats tell us that he is having a good season, without particularly troubling the stat sheet. His Key Passes per 90 and Progressive Passes per 90 are some of the best in the league. But, if we look at the winger stats from across the 'Big 5' leagues, Shotaro is above Average in all categories, which is honestly surprising, considering it hasn't really translated to his basic stats. His Crosses Completed per 90 stat is double the Elite benchmark, which shows that we are getting decent balls in from him, but our forwards are not taking advantage. Hopefully, with a more consistent run, he'll start to produce where it matters.

Attackers

 Takumi Imei, 27, ST

Takumi has played 7 out of 10 league games this season, with six Goals for an Average Rating of 6.81. His basic stats tell us that he is not having a good season, but I don't particularly have him play a role where he deals in Progressive Passes and the like. Compared to the whole of J1, his Goals per 90 and Non-Penalty xG per 90 are very good.. But, if we look at the goalscoring attacker stats from across the 'Big 5' leagues, Takumi is almost Elite in Headers Won per 90, below Poor in Dribbles per 90 (Not surprising, you don't ask a fish to climb a tree) and his Non-Penalty xG per 90 is in the middle of Poor and Average. His Shots on Target per 90, however, is in the Elite category and his Conversion Rate is above Average at 22%. All in all, he's doing pretty well for a relegation-haunted club who have scored the least goals in the J1 this season. 

[Deisler26]

J1 Goal of the Month

This was an especially good goal, that I can't seem to capture adequately. A raking ball to the left hand side, saw Tobori pick the ball up in the channel. He then knocked it inside the defender, running parallel with the box. He managed to ride a slide tackle before firing a low reverse shot, just inside the near post

[Deisler26]

2031 Season

First Round

First Leg

(J2) Vegalta Sendai 1-1 Tokyo Metro Ota City (J1)

Jean-Francois Mane hit an absolute cracker for his first ever goal for the club, but we were pegged back late and couldn't find a winner

 

Second Leg

(J1) Tokyo Metro Ota City 2-1 Vegalta Sendai (J2) (Tokyo Metro win 3-1 on aggregate) 

A Takumi Imei double before half time settled this tie, although there were some nervy moments late on

 

Second Round

First Leg

(J1) Kyoto Sanga F.C 2-0 Tokyo Metro Ota City (J1)

Well beaten with a very poor performance. 

 

Second Leg

(J1) Tokyo Metro Ota City 1-1 Kyoto Sanga F.C (J1) (Kyoto win 3-1 on aggregate) 

Yoshuke Morishige equalised with a header just after half time, but we were already heading out of the cup by that point to the team that knocked us out of the Emperor's Cup last season.

 

Second Round

(J1) Kashima Antlers FC 3-2Tokyo Metro Ota City (J1) a.e.t

Takumi Imei popped up with the equaliser on 72 mins and then Hiroshi Mine equalised again in the first half of ET, just minutes after they took the lead. Sadly, a 117th minute penalty sank us

[Sheriff7]

Skibbe was manager of Greek national team with some good results and a good WC qualifying campaign. It's a surprise to see him as scout!

[Deisler26]

51 minutes ago, Sheriff7 said:

Skibbe was manager of Greek national team with some good results and a good WC qualifying campaign. It's a surprise to see him as scout!

He’s got in his profile, ‘Only wants hands off roles’ so I think he’s not looking to do any coaching

[Deisler26]

Job Offers

Doing better than us in the league (who isn't???) but I'm not leaving Tokyo. REJECTED

Our old parent club approached us and it would mean staying in Tokyo, plus the chance to manage a player I've had on my radar for years..... Nahhhhhhhh. REJECTED

Not even close. Niigata, ironically, lost their manager to Hokkaido after I turned them down. Top of J2, but I'd rather not go back just yet. REJECTED

[Deisler26]

Youth Development 2031

This is quite gratifying to be 8th out of the Top 10 development sides, however I think a lot of ours are youth products we have, rather than selling off players.

[Deisler26]

Festival International "Espoirs" – Tournoi Maurice Revello 2031

Quite an honour to get two players in the Japan U-20 side to play in the Toulon Tournament in France. Both are 16 years old and tipped for future first team football by me, so I'm excited to see how they do!

 

  Satoshi Nagai, 16, MC/ST

Satoshi came into this tournament hyped as one of the better players in the Japanese lineup, even having a short piece devoted to him on a French football show, previewing the tournament. Sadly, he didn't see the field in Japan U-20's 1-0 win over Croatia U-20's. He also didn't get on for the 0-0 draw with Colombia U-20's. He finally saw action in the third and final group game, playing all 90 mins and putting in somewhat of a mediocre performance in a 0-2 loss against Mexico U-20's. He then spent the next match on the subs bench as Japan crashed out 0-4 to Denmark U-20's.

 

Takuma Terao, 16, DRL

Takuma was a bit of a left-field choice, as this would be his international debut for the national side. Sadly, he also didn't see the field in Japan U-20's 1-0 win over Croatia U-20's. He was subbed on at half time in the 0-0 draw with Colombia U-20's. He came on late in the third and final group game, playing just 15 mins in the 0-2 loss against Mexico U-20's. He then came off the subs bench again in the 65th minute as  Japan crashed out 0-4 to Denmark U-20's.

[Deisler26]

2031 Youth Intake Preview

This just looks like more of the same. Goddammit Harold.

[Deisler26]

Out of Africa 2031

We had our esteemed scout out trawling the Senegalese coast and surrounding villages for more prospects that we could monetise. As we were currently sitting at around £4m profit so far, it was a good idea to continue trying this method.

1. Abdou Lo, 18, M/AMR (£150k, Generation Foot) - A tricky winger with pace to burn, Lo will provide excellent width going forward

 

2.  Mouhamed Thiam, 18, AMC (£250k, Casa Sports) - He doesn't particularly fit our team, but I'm hoping some slight retraining will allow him to put himself in the shop window.

 

3. Germain Thiaw, 18, DM/MLC/AMC (£115k, ASC Jaaraf) - He certainly looks the part for a good playmaker, but question marks are over his technicals.

A really good haul this transfer window from Senegal. Both Thiam and Thiaw went back to their former clubs to finish the season off and Lo will get reps with the first team as and when there are spots for him.

Edited August 26 by Deisler26

[_Ben_]

4 hours ago, Deisler26 said:

We had our esteemed scout out trawling the Senegalese coast and surrounding villages for more prospects that we could monetise. As we were currently sitting at around £4m profit so far, it was a good idea to continue trying this method.

Oh, yes! Can foreign players gain Japanese citizenship? How long does it take? Are these - in your eyes - 'flip for profit' players or ones who you genuinely think could become mainstays for you, and, eventually, Japan? Is the model ever to do the latter or just the former?

[Deisler26]

6 hours ago, _Ben_ said:

Oh, yes! Can foreign players gain Japanese citizenship? How long does it take? Are these - in your eyes - 'flip for profit' players or ones who you genuinely think could become mainstays for you, and, eventually, Japan? Is the model ever to do the latter or just the former?

It takes 5 years for a player to gain Japanese citizenship and they have to want to change as well. They are 'flip for profit' players unless they tug at my heartstrings, but realistically if a club comes in and we can profit well (Badara was £4.75m of profit) then I have to take it, in my opinion.

[Deisler26]

For the love of money / Poaching

This news kinda deserves it's own post really, but we also have a look at how our previously-poached players have done, whether they are sunny-side up or just plain rotten..

Sell-on fee

LOOK AT IT! That beautiful, beautiful cash. Michal has gone right into the first team as well, what a move for him and us! I'll look at upgrading what we can, also try to get our own damn stadium.

 

Poached or Fried

We currently have 3 poached players playing for Japanese clubs. 

• Toya Funyama, 18, ST (Nagoya Grampus Eight) - I've looked at getting him back, but his price is too high for me.
• Hisashi Yamazaki, 17, ST (Kashiwa Reysol) - He could be good later? I mean, he's not great now.
• Hirotaka Shimizu, 18, M/AMR (Fujieda MYFC) - He's not played a second for a team that's teetering on the edge of being relegated into the JFL. Don't think I'm missing out here haha

 

Edited August 27 by Deisler26

[Deisler26]

End of August 2031 Transfer Window.

We had somewhat steadied the ship regarding league form and as such, didn't really need any pressing reinforcements. We could stand to lose a few players though, so we went into the window with an open mind and closed wallet.

Transfers

IN

 Stanley Talo, 18, M/AMC (Free Transfer, Henderson Eels) - Is this the greatest Solomon Islands player ever? Probably! He'll certainly turn a profit at least!

 

OUT

Hajime Nakanishi, 25, D/WBR (£250k, Hokkaido Sapporo) - We had a bid on our starting right back and, next season, we had enough youth coming through to make this a done deal

Rytua Hirota, 24, M/AMRL (£1.5m, Zhejang FC) - He was moaning about playing time and with Lo's arrival, there was scope to let him leave.

Yusuke Shimura, 18, DL (£89k, FC Osaka) - I can't see us missing him. Hopefully.

 

 

[Deisler26]

Affiliate Club Signing

(N.B They changed their name IRL this season to Club Atletico Suzuka)

 

[Deisler26]

2031 Youth Intake

Well, good to see the discrepancy was in our favour this time. A brilliant intake at a time when we have an affiliate club to send them off to. We'll look at all 4 Elite talents this time!

1. Maseki Uchino, 15, GK - Another in a long line of goalies. Hopefully he'll develop well enough to challenge for a spot.

2. Ryo Sano, 16, AMR/ST - Hopefully, he'll develop enough to save us money on wingers.

3.  Kazunori Uehara, 16, DC - We're happy to get another decent level defender in. 

4. Masaki Hiroshito, 16, DM/MC - This guy is the gem of our intake. I can't wait to develop him enough to be a starter