oliscott

It’s been a total switch in fortunes these last few years, sant has managed to get a team together that matches mine in the early years. His knowledge of players and the absolute necessary attributes needed for each role is really coming home to roost and at this point no matter how I setup his players are just better in multiple formations to beat me out right. Every formation I try to counter he has the answer and is able to move players into any position without them suffering a loss. At this point for myself it’s a case of trying to win every game and then hope to capitalise on the loses by himself. For this season I’m just try in to rotate in multiple youngsters under 20 to really ensure that my next generation are bedded young and that when the time comes for the changing of the guard mine are better than his. sant will be better to explain what’s going on behind the scenes of the game itself but a lot of teams are really adapting to how we’re both setting up and throwing multiple formations at us. It’s truely becoming a slog now and it almost feels like there’s more than two human managers at time.

A new record last night for a win in a league game also resulted in four players scoring hat tricks which must be some record.

It's a good thing I have Jakov smashing in the goals these days equalling my strikers output from CB as well. It's going to be a difficult one to replace, I did have a conveyor belt of 6"6 monsters for a while but that seems to have dried up for youngsters recently.

As discussed above these are my two current first-choice DMCs, both bought young and with the idea of them being first-teamers eventually but both have been thrown in a bit sooner than anticipated.

This is for me now the time that @santy001 starts to cement his dominance, I had a perfect run at the start with in most positions the best players in the game for the system I was playing. I then had great backup players to mix in for rotation and this allowed me to throw youngsters in as well to produce my second wave, which sustained me in the league up until now. Sants record against me up until this season was only. A few games behind me in the head-to-head for wins but I never feared him as I had the quality just to beat him regardless, that's now swapped and he has the better overall squad that allows him to dominate me in games, he's also refined a setup similar to mine and I don't have the quality to get out of it. For me, I think I've put my faith in a few too many youth players and sold established world-class first-teamers too soon before the youngsters were ready to step in. This has led to a gulf in quality when player Sant and the need for me to spend a few hefty sums on players to plug gaps in the squad which isn't as much an issue when your budget Is a billion a year. I also this year and in the last Champions League final have been playing around with formations to try and upset Sant and catch him off guard but with his knowledge of players and the game itself he's never really fooled for too long before he makes the changes needed to put me back in my place. For myself, my main area of concern is the two DMC slots to which I have been bedding in both sides with youngsters after selling club legends Besancon and Agra as they entered their 30s, hindsight being the great thing it is I should have kept both of those to retirement and rotated the youngsters for a few more years with them. The two now I recon are about another year away from being world-class and the oldest will be 22 so a lot of time for them to go on to better things with this team. I'll post some screenshots of them both later tonight when we restart. For now, its a case of ensuring the signings made for big money are supplemented by the youngsters and time is allowed for them to develop and in a few go again aginst Sant.

I want to put on record the fine season that Jakov had in scoring 27 goals from CB.

I've replaced Restes with Dominguez who hit a few key filters and had age on his side, below are Restes current attributes, his physicals have dropped quite a bit in the last year and his Goalkeeping ones are also on the way. Dominguez although the screenshot isn't up to date has just equalled my most clean sheets in a row record at 8 inside his first 13 games so hopefully a good omen for the coming years.

I had kept pushing back the replacement of Restes each year recently as he just continued to perform, he contributed 25 clean sheets in the league last year meaning I only conceded in a 3rd of games played. I would have found it hard to say I managed to better Courtois but here we are. A club legend in 586 games has kept 297 clean sheets and contributed toward a dynasty for Real Madrid.

One more that I couldn't get in above is Ulicevic, a speculative punt based on good scout reports. Two years in the U19'S and then B team and will likely go out on loan to further development, one to revisit in a few years.

Lastly, we move on the forwards, Haaland has set the benchmark and in truth will likely never be topped on this save for me, Matip came in and did his best but due to age and not being happy being a rotation option was moved on last year. Last year Matip was scoring freely and had he remained the number 1 striker he would have cracked possibly 50 goals for the season, my issue was I needed that world-class backup alongside him to bring on in games to change things or to play to keep Matip fit. Step up Toninho, he was someone we both had our eyes on as he had impressive stats and was hitting the back of the net with regularity for Valencia. In the January window last year I bid his release clause of 170 million to bring him in where he overtook Matip as the number 1 and scored 20 plus goals from January until the end of the season. He's got 18 in 19 this year but he has hit a few barren spells and then banged a few in over a series of games to make his numbers look better than I think they actually should be. I still expect him to get to 40 goals this year but to be more consistent. Next up is Mohaug, someone who appeared on my youth filter and has been in the B team for a few years before going out on loan to Southampton last year where he hit double digits for goals. With Matip moving on he's come back at just the right time to be integrated into the first team and he's taking his chance. Hopefully, he and Toni can alternate in and provide me with my frontline for the next few years. Sule has been at the club for just short of ten years now and was again another player picked up in my youth filter sweep due to overall better stats for a 16-year-old than normal and his height. Overall he has all the stats there to make a top forward bar maybe his pace and acceleration but whenever given the opportunity he hasn't cracked on as much as I hoped. I keep flirting with letting him go but each time I stop, thinking to myself hell come good eventually. My other worry is due to his height he will find his way to Barcelona where @santy001 will find a way to make him work. Yet another youth pickup in Murati who if he increases his pace and acceleration and other key attributes in the next two years could soften the blow if I decided to sell Sule. Hes going out on loan at the mo so well see how he fares at the end of the season.

One other option at AMC is Sarpong who was brought in this summer after matching a few filters, will see how he cracks on but will likely be a load for him next year to further devolpment.

For AMC things have become a bit more clear-cut after Guler's departure last year and unfortunately Koci's defection to the enemy. (Preparing the pig's head as we speak). Russo just due to his age and number of games played is ahead of Framberger in terms of ability but Framberger I have no doubt will reach Russo levels in the next few seasons so as it stands both are rotating and currently playing a similar amount of games but it has always been the plan since Framberger joined that he would be the number 1 as soon as the opportunity presented itself. As for backups to Framberger when Russo leaves we have a few options in Sabbe and Bouslimi, Sabbe is probably the likely one to step up and I think with first-team games crack on. Bouslimi would also be given a chance but likely one to sell for profit I think.

AMR is in a bit of a better shape than AML in that I have my start and rotation option with years ahead of them bedded in. I just need to find that wonderkid to develop. Santos is in the same vein as Roni on the other side, I had to pay Arsenal about 220 million this summer to bring him in but his goals and assists are at a decent level for his first season so I'm certain I'll see the value of the outlay over his stay. Vickers was someone I brought in a few years ago due to glowing reports, both myself and Sant had eyes on him at the time. He is likely more of an ST but he appears on my AML filter too so that's where he will play to allow him game time. Bellingham has managed to get a new contract out of me for a few years now when it looked like he would be sold on to make room for the youth. He has however announced he will retire this year and when he does he will go down as a club legend. His physicals have deteriorated and as Sant mentioned it's noticeable especially when I'm playing the best of the best.

Similar to DMC, AML is a position historically I have been well stocked in but looking at the below it is somewhere I need another top-quality youth prospect in or to go out and spend a chunk on a good option to backup Roni. Duquesne has been the starter AML for a few years now but with him being 32 now I didn't have a player ready to step up, he's been fantastic over the years providing great numbers in both goals and assists as well as deputising upfront. Roni was someone who was identified by both myself and Sant but luckily I managed to snag him after we both offered contracts. He had a decent season last year into the double digits for goals and assists but this year he's kicked on. As you can see he's very similar to Duck eggs and not all that far away from Vini Jnr as well. The hope continues while I look to find his rotation option. Roni has also started a bit of what I think will be a trend for me of signing ready-made players in certain positions rather than trying to bring through youth prospects. At the cost of 171 million, it was quite the outlay for me! Saldana was rated highly by my staff as an option for AML when he came through the youth intake, an injury in the first game of the season has made him unavailable up until this month so Ill be looking to give him more game time over the remaining months of the season.

Continuing DMC is one more player with Latouchent, I need to give him so steady game time in the second half of the season as out of all the above I think he's the most tailor-made for my DMC Role.