ChaosClive

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou December 2040 December started out well, with Geroskipou beating Apol. Limassol 1-0 away from home courtsey of a Diaz goal. In the next game against league leaders Omonoia, things fell apart, as Geroskipou surrendered a lead twice and ended up losing 3-2. This would be the last time they lost for the rest of the month in all competitions though. Chelsea visited Geroskipou in the Champions League. They had already won the group, but still fielded a full strength squad. Despite their best efforts, Lukic and the rest of the Geroskipou backline were a fortress, while the attacking core finished the chances that they were given. Clive's boys came back from 2-1 down in the 74th minute to win 3-2 and overtook Sassuolo for 3rd place in the group after they were beaten by Monaco. Moving back into the league schedule, a bouyant Geroskipou side easily beat Anorthosi, Aris Limassol, and Othellos 4-1, 2-0 and 5-2 respectively before scoring 9 (Nine) goals without reply in the first leg of the cup against AEL to put the tie beyond any reasonable doubt. Jancetic scored 5 on his own, with Coufal, Pikkuhookana and Miskic adding the rest. In the final game of the calendar year, Nea Salamina were pushed aside 2-0, and all Clive could hope for was a favourable draw in the Europa League, and for the league form to continue. Chelsea's form going into their game with Geroskipou was nothing short of Colossus, only dropping 5 points in the Premier League up to the day of the game. News The 9-0 win sent records tumbling down. Even though they were now officially out of the Champions League, it seemed to be an endless money pot. Clive managed to twist the arms of the board yet again to get some more facility upgrades. This time around it was again both the training and the youth facilities. Tables Despite the winning run, Omonoia and Alki were still in the hunt at the halfway point of the season. There was however a sizeable gap between the top 3 and APOEL in 4th place. With the win against Chelsea, Geroskipou managed to climb into a EL R32 spot. Clive could not help but wonder if the Monaco results went their way though. Fixtures The second leg of the cup was a chance to properly rest some bodies and send out more of an experimental side. Paralimni, APOEL, AEL and Alki made up the rest of January's fixture list.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou November 2040 A massive 6-2 win against AEL, with Pereyra getting a hattrick, Mancic with a brace and even Yakubu getting a non-penalty goal saw Geroskipou extend their unbeaten league streak. A 0-0 draw at home against Monaco was another missed oppertunity both for big prize money and points in the group stage. Normal service was resumed in the league, with Ypsonas getting beaten 3-0 thanks to a Jancetic hattrick. With the international break postponing the cup games against AEL, a fully rested side went onto lose 3-1 against Sassuolo in the CL to keep them glued to 4 points and in danger of crashing out of all European competitions. Table The gap was now only 1 point, but Geroskipou had a match in hand over the chasing pack. Fixtures December was looking extremely busy with re-arranged fixtures. Apol. Limassol would be followed by a top of the table clash against Omonoia. Then the fixture congestion would really start against Chelsea would possibly be the final European game of the season. 4 days later Anorthosi would visit, followed by Aris 3 days later. On the 22nd, a trip to Othellos before Christmas, and on boxing day, the first leg of the cup against AEL. 4 days later, the final game of the calendar year would be against Nea Salamina at home.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou October 2040 A predictable 4-0 loss to Chelsea in front of over 50,000 at Stamford Bridge opened up the month. In the league, a big 4-0 win over Paralimni saw Geroskipou into the international break, where they beat lower league opposition 8-0 and 16-0. The Monaco result was a disappointing one, Clive thought that his side should have got at least a draw, but the early dominance from the French side proved to be Geroskipou's undoing. Back in the league, a 3-0 win against Alki and 2-0 win against APOEL gave them maximum points from the month. News With the money from the APOEL game, Clive thought that the money could be spent recruiting the best players the club could find. Table Wins against APOEL and Alki, Geroskipou were now the only unbeaten side in the league, and were sitting at the top of the table. Fixtures There were 2 games from the 3 competitions in November. AEL and Ypsonas in the league, AEL twice more in the cup, and Monaco and Sassuolo in the Champions League.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou September 2040 A tight 2-1 victory against reigning champions Omonoia kicked off the season in a positive manner. After a friendly to maintain match sharpness, Geroskipou drew 1-1 against Apol. Limassol in a game that they ought to have won easily. Against Sassuolo, Geroskipou got one back for the EL R32 in the previous season, beating them 2-0 thanks to goals from Bielan and Diaz. Another draw in the league against Anorthosi, again where Geroskipou should have come away with all 3 points after getting 3.32xG was seen as 2 points dropped instead of 1 point gained. Form got back on track however in the next 2 games, as Othellos were beaten 3-2, and then Nea Salamina were seen off with ease in a 4-1 win. News Another club was found to start a link with Geroskipou, this time it was Teplice from the Czech Rep. Table After the up and down month, the bookies odds were all currently hitting for places 1st-4th. Fixtures A tough list of fixtures, including away games at Chelsea and Monaco in the Champions League, and Alki and APOEL at home in the league.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou 2040/41 Pre-Season Over the summer, Bohorquez had come 2nd place in the Copa America best young player award, only behnid a Chilean striker. The usual TV money started coming in. As well as a massive boost in season ticket sales. Transfers In With the disapointment of last season still in the back of his mind, Clive delved into the transfer market bringing in some extra firepower. Karagiannis was bought back in on loan for the season. Other players bought in: Jancetic, a young Croatian striker on a free from Dinamo, who was bought in as a backup/rotation striker. Sundstrom was signed on a free from Alki after a successful loan spell at the club. Sabol, a defensive midfielder from Dinamo, on a loan with a £475,000 fee. Miskic, another loanee from Dinamo, bought in on loan as a backup striker. Anic, another loanee from Croatia, who was bought in as a fringe player at centre half. Mancic, a Serbian playmaker, in on loan from Partizan Belgrade. Verbrugghe, a Belgian full back, who was bought in to fill the U19 squad out. Priso, who would automatically fill the Mariano shaped void in the squad. Lemonnier, a French youngster who could be a 3rd choice DL. Raul, a 3rd/4th choice DR bought in on a free loan from Brazil. Grendel, a Slovakian GK, signed for an intial £2m, a massive fee for a keeper that was not guaranteed game time ahead of Lukic. Susa, a Bosnian prospect, who could play equally well at centre half or DR. While looking over his scouting reports, someone had left Clive an email from Leiva's agent. It turned out that he had been placed on the transfer list for around £675,000. As much as Clive got on with him, he wanted his side to move upward instead of sideways or backward. One player that Clive was very excited about was Raimundo, a 15 year old Brazilian that he had managed to sign, although he would not be able to join for another few years until he turns 18. Out Some big names left over the summer, namely Schatzle, who left on loan for the season to Greece, and club captain, and record apperance holder, Iosifidis to Nimes in Ligue 2 for £400,000. Savran was also sold for an initial £235,000 with a 30% profit clause. Luckily for Clive, as soon as he left, his market value shot up to £2.6m. Results With no Super Cup for the first time since the 34/35 season, Clive had a chance to send a fully rested squad into European qualifiers after battering a load of lower opposition sides. A 5-0 home win against Anderlecht meant that a 4-3 loss in the away leg didn't matter so much. In the playoff round, Sundstrom was the hero. He scored the only two goals in the first leg as his side beat Groningen 2-0 in the Netherlands. In the retern leg, his early goal meant that Groningen needed to win 3-1 to progress to the group stage. Despite some nerves, Geroskipou drew the game 1-1 and won 3-1 on aggregate to reach their second consecutive Champions League group stage. The draw for the group stage was a familiar one. Geroskipou had Chelsea in their group last season, and were knocked out of the Europa League against Sassuolo in the previous season. The only team that there was no history with was a Thierry Henry led Monaco. Odds Alki were now clear favourites to win the league despite their best league finish in over 30 years being 3rd place once. The bookies also had APOEL, who finished 6th the previous season to finish above Geroskipou. Fixtures A tough start for Geroskipou in the league, with an away trip to Omonoia. These were followed by games against Apol. Limassol and Anorthosi, weaker sides who Clive could not shake the feeling that results were hard to come by against them early in the season. Othellos and Nea Salamina eneded September.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou 2039/40 Season Review With the dust settled around the car crash that the 39/40 season had been, a few major clubs somehow were still interested in bringing Clive in as their manager. Out of the 4 sides, both Tottenham and Athletico Madrid offered him an interview, but by now, it was no shock to even the fans of the big teams that Clive was turning them down. Shortly after all of the interview requests, the CL finished, meaning that updated competition rankings would be coming out. Given the fact that his side had reached consecutive EL knockout rounds, it must have been the other Cypriot sides not faring too well in Europe, as the First Division dropped down to 11th. As well as to 11th in the co-efficients table, meaning that a group stage spot was no longer a certainty. Although thanks to their own performances in Europe, Geroskipou were within touching distance of the top 50 clubs in Europe. Some more money came flooding into the bank account, and an amount that was totally unexpected. But Clive was not complaining. That was until the tax bill came for the season. Stadium Plans With the APOP Geroskipou stadium being almost full to capacity every week, the board announced plans to expand the stadium after just being in use for one full season. The planned works would be taken out as a loan instead of directly from the bank account. But while the work was going on, Geroskipou would move into GSP on the other side of the country, instead of to Pafos' stadium, which was a bit of a head scratcher for Clive. Clive's Cuttings There were still no changes to the all time lists, but with a season as disapointing at this one had been, Clive didn't want any records broken. The improvements to the club's infastructure over the last few seasons had been a massive boost to morale within the club, and with at least £15m in the club's bank, Clive was hoping for even more next season.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou April/May 2040 Despite Geroskipou battering Nea Salamina 4-0 away from home, April started off with the inevitable news of Omonoia winning their first league title since the 2019/20 season, before APOP Geroskipou were even formed. After the Nea Salamina result, a 3-1 win against APOEL secured Champions League football for the 40/41 season. There was nothing to play for in May, as consecutive Desmond 2-2's against Alki and champions Omonoia showed. News With another season in the Champions League qualifiers secured, the board gave Clive a wage budget of £130,000 p/w and a massive £7.4m in the transfer budget. After a lot of bartering with the board, they finally allowed a feeder club, mainly just for scouting knowledge in Clive's eyes. The new feeder club was with FC Emmen in Holland. Another youth prospect was poached from under Clive's nose. Despite the HoYD sending his email at midnight, Clive was sure that he could have done more to stop him leaving, especially to go to APOEL. In a behind closed doors friendly, Diaz suffered a devastating ankle break, which would see him out of action for the best part of half a year, putting next season's CL qualification in jepordy already. Final Table At the end of the season, the gaps between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd were comfortable. Geroskipou had lost the league by 8 points. The biggest shock of the season may not have been Omonoia winning the league however, as APOEL finished in 6th place, missing out on European football altogether in one of the worst seasons in the club's history. Final thoughts on Omonoia's league win If you have been following the story so far, you will know that Clive is certainly not a salty character. He did want to point out to anyone who would listen how much of a two man side that Omonoia was. The fact that the side that beat them to the title 'only' scored 78 goals all season, Iosifidis got 33 of them, while Ferreira bagged himself 16 off the left wing. The two combined for a total of 52 goals in all competitions, and nobody else scored more than 6 goals in all comps. Clive did not want to hear about the fact that if it happened with his own side that nobody would speak up. As far as he was concerned, if one of them suffered a leg break, the league would be better for it, as the world of Cypriot football would revel in how quickly their club would crumble.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou March 2040 More disapointment for Geroskipou lay in store in March, with Nea Salamina beating them 2-1 over two legs in the cup. The 1-1 draw against Omonoia in the league effectively ended any title hopes. The month at least ended in a positive fashion, as a 2-0 win against Alki was followed up by a squeaky 2-1 away win against AEL, Diaz being the hero again late on. News Despite a Geroskipou player not winning the NxGn award this season, 2nd and 3rd spots were. Karagiannis came in 2nd place, and his teammate Diaz claimed 3rd place. Table With 4 games to go in the disapointing season, Geroskipou would need to the remaining 4 games and Omonoia to lose the rest of their games, something that was not likely to happen. Qualification to the Champions League was also not a certainty, with Nea Salamina dangerously close in 3rd place. Fixtures Revenge for the cup exit was at the forefront of Clive's mind as his team would travel to Nea Salamina, with a win boosting the chances of CL qualifying. APOEL at home would be the other fixture in April. An away trip to Alki before a very unlikely title decider at home agains Omonoia rounded out the season.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou February 2040 The final game of the first stage of the league split was a disaster. Going into the game, there were U20 South American qualifiers, which 5 of Geroskipou's players were a part of, yet the league did not offer for the game to be rescheduled, so as a result, Clive was without his starting striker partnership of Diaz and Pereyra, as well as his midfield lynchpin Bohorquez, and right back Vallejos. Konate was also injured, so Clive had to start Yakubu and Marchesi. Neither scored in the game, but there were chances, whereas Omonoia were missing nobody, and ran out 3-1 winners. In the Europa League, a late goal from Diaz meant that Geroskipou went to Sassuolo 3-2 winner, but had to be weary of the away goals. Back in the league, AEL were trounced 5-2 thanks to a penalty brace from Pereyra and another few goals from Diaz. But that was all the winning that would happen for the next few games. Sassuolo managed to sneak a 3-1 win back in Italy that was undeserved, but knocked Geroskipou out 5-4 on aggregate, before a 3-1 loss against Nea Salamina and another 2-0 loss against APOEL condemned Geroskipou to another month with 3 league losses. News It was 800 up for Clive before the first game of the month against Omonoia. With the money still left over, the board announced that they were going to upgrade their facilities yet again, with both youth and senior training facilities being upgraded. Table Geroskipou were now 9 points behind the pace with a game more played. Even Clive admitted to himself that it would take a minor miracle for them to win their 3rd straight league title. Fixtures Both legs of the SF of the cup were coming up against Nea Salamina, and Omonoia was wedged in between the two games. Alki was a week after the cup, and AEL after the mini break in the league calendar.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou January 2040 The start of the new decade carried forward the form from the previous with a 2-0 win against APOEL in the cup. Back in the league, all 4 games were won in convincing fashion. AEL were beaten 4-0, including a first half hattrick from centre half Bielan. Next Ermis Aradippou were beaten 8-0 in one of the most lopsided games in the history of the First Division. The first goal conceeded in the 2040s came in the next game, as Apol Limassol scored a consolation in a 4-1 defeat. Aris Limassol were then beaten a week later 2-0, which included Yakubu's first non penalty goal. News With a lot of money still in the bank, Clive decided to ask the board for even more improvements in the club, this time, it was the junior coaching and youth recruitment that were improved. Transfers Despite the increase in transfer budget, there were no players bought in, but 5 players were sent out on loan. Delgado, Coufal, Cuellar, Holub and Savran were all sent out to gain more playing time. Table The gap at the top was now 6. Fixtures A 6 pointer against Omonoia would end the first half of the season, before the Europa League R32 against Sassuolo.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou December 2039 December bought some much needed improvements. Alki were beaten 2-0 at home, before Chelsea won 2-1 in the Champions League, partially down to Bilbao getting sent off in the 18th minute thanks to 2 yellow cards. Although Diaz levelled the scores with 10 men, Chelsea proved too strong over the 90 minutes. Back in the league, Othellos were beaten 5-2, before the same fate was given to Nea Salamina, this time the score was 4-1. In the cup, Geroskipou came away from GSP with a respectable 0-0 draw against APOEL to take back home, and then Larnakas were thumbed 3-0 in the final match of the decade. Thanks to the wins against Inter and Hertha Berlin, a second consecutive berth in the Europa League R32 was on the horizon. And thanks to the prize money from the wins, the board announced that they were looking to expand the stadium to bring in extra revenue. Also the transfer budget was increased, despite Clive's usual lack of activity in the January windows. Tables The gap was now 8 points with just over half the season gone. At least there was no doubt in if Geroskipou would even make it into the top 6. Fixtures The first match of the naughty 40s would start with APOEL at home in the second leg of the cup, before winnable games against AEL, Ermis Aradippou, Apol. Limassol and Aris Limassol were all penned in to the league calendar.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou November 2039 A sea of red on the calendar greeted Clive at the end of the month. A loss 3-0 loss to Inter in the Champions League had proved that Rodgers was at least about one thing. This was then followed up by a tight 1-0 loss to APOEL in the league, where neither side could create much go forward. The biggest shock of the month was soon to come though, as a poor Apol. Limassol side beat a fully rotated Geroskipou side 2-1 in the cup. Clive was outraged, and played a full strength side in the return leg, he could not have his side fall at the first hurdle in the cup. The full first team was sent out, and goals from Diaz and Bielan turned the tie around, winning 2-0 on the night, and 3-2 on aggregate. More heartache for Geroskipou was just around the corner though, as they lost 4-2 to Omonoia, with Iosifidis grabbing a hattrick for the visitors. In the Champions League, Geroskipou were down by 1 in the 86th minute after another poor showing, but then a fire was ignited underneath them. Pereyra scored in the 87th minute, and then Karagiannis poked home in the 90th to win 2-1 and send Hertha back to Berlin pointless. In the final game of the month, Geroskipou travelled to Anorthosi and dominated the game. With the luck that Geroskipou were currently experiencing, it was no shock that the professional players could not put away chances that Ray Charles would have scored, and in the 80th minute, Anorthosi's only shot on target in the game went in from 30 yards. The game finished 1-0, and it was the first time that Geroskipou had lost 3 games in a row in the league since 2034. Tables Geroskipou were now 10 points away from the top, although 2nd was still in touching distance. The two wins had also given them an outside chance of getting through the Champions League group. They would need to beat Chelsea and hoped that Inter lost to Hertha Berlin in the final round of matches. Fixtures Alki and Chelsea opened up the month, before an easier game against Othellos gave the best chance of regaining some form. Nea Salamina in the league would also be a crucial game to qualify for the top half of the table, before the QF of the cup against (Probably) APOEL. Then a trip to Larnakas would round out the month on New Years Eve.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou October 2039 October bought along one of if not the biggest shock in the club's history. A routine 4-0 win against AEK Larnakas was followed by a 5-2 win against AEL with a rotated side playing before the only Champions League fixture of the month. Going into the game, Brendan Rodgers claimed that Geroskipou were an easy scalp, even if the game was hosted in Cyprus. He could not have been more wrong though. On the night, the Geroskipou faithful were out in full force and voice, and on the pitch, the players took every chance that the created. Thanks to a Diaz hattrick, broken up by a goal from Sundstrom, the plucky underdogs beat Inter 4-2. After the match Rodgers doubled down on his arrogance, and claimed that his side would batter Geroskipou in the next meeting. The squad was riding on a high, beating Apol. Limassol 5-0, Ermis Aradippou 4-1, but could not convert their chances in the final match of the month against Aris Limassol, with only a last minute equaliser from Pereyra getting Geroskipou a point in a 2-2 draw. Table The dropped points against Aris saw Geroskipou sit just 1 point behind Omonoia, but they were now the only undefeated side in the league. Fixtures Inter would be looking for revenge at the San Siro, before a shorter trip to GSP against APOEL in the league. The Cup second round would see Geroskipou pit up against Apol. Limassol, who were having a poor season, before another 6 pointer against Omonoia. Hertha Berlin would visit Geroskipou, and Clive would hope that the home crowd would help with another win in the group stages. Finally, an away trip to Anorthosi would see Geroskipou into the festive period.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou September 2039 A massive 3-0 win against APOEL was followed by 3 disastrous performances. A 3-0 loss to Hertha Berlin in the Champions League was sandwiched between 1-1 draws against Anorthosi and Alki. Normal service was resumed against Othellos, as a Marchesi hattrick helped Geroskipou win 5-0, but some more rotten form ended the month. First a 0-0 draw against Nea Salamina, and then a 5-1 hammering at the hands of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. This left Geroskipou at the bottom of their group in the Champions League, and 6 points behind where Clive would have liked them in the league. Table It seemed everyone was beating everyone, as despite the slow start, Geroskipou were only 2 points off top spot. Fixtures 5 wins would be expected from Clive in October, with all opposition typically seen as weaker sides in the league. The Champions League matchup against Inter was of little importance apart from the first ever home game in the competition.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou 2039/40 Pre-Season After the continued success of Geroskipou, it was no wonder that more and more big clubs were interested in Clive's services. The big news in the pre-season was that Inter were desperately trying to aquire his signature. Even the fans were excited to see English at the helm, although Clive turned down the interview to their dismay. And the dominance that Inter had shown in Serie A, winning 6 of the last 8 league titles slightly tempted Clive, but he knew that the people of Geroskipou would never forgive him if he left. Transfers In A lot of new faces made themselves known around the club in pre-season after a lot of hard work by Clive and his scouting team. In order of transfer date: Rodriguez, a Uruguayan who was bought on a free to start at DL over Bello Holub, a young Czech, who could be loaned out for the future Diaz, another Uruguayan, who would useful for goals up front Rosca, a young Moldovan, a youth prospect Cuellar, a Columbian centre half Coufal to provided a 3rd option at ML Yakubu, a 6'6 German striker, to provide some sort of ariel threat in the box Karagiannis, the club's first official 'wonderkid', who would be able to fill the void left by Leiva a few seasons ago Pereyra, yet another Uruguayan, bought in on a 2 year loan deal to provide a backup for Yakubu Konate, a French striker, who Clive wanted to grow into a superstar As the U19 squad was also filling out a bit more, Clive needed some help with the coaching. A recently retired van Looy answered the call, and despite not being the best coach in the world, he knew that his old boss started the exact same way, so joined up as the first U19 coach at the club. Out Eiriksson was sold. Despite being able to score, his gametime was limited, and when Rijeka came in with an initial £1.7m offer for the 25 year old, Clive accepted the bid. He may have done this prematurely though. As soon as that sale went through, AC Milan came in with a £4.8m offer for Blichfeldt, who had a clause in his contract that however much Clive tried to take out, his greedy agent would not. All Clive could pray for now is that Blichfeldt turned down any contract offers from the Italian giants. But with the sort of money that they threw at him, Clive was not shocked when the paperwork came through, confirming that his star player was now no longer his. His new wage was £38,500 p/w. Some other notable outs included Benedini, who was sold to Alki for £1.3m despite only making 1 or 2 appearances off the bench. But Alki had cash, and Geroskipou made a massive profit on the young Italian. One sale that made Clive upset was Rui Carvalho. Over the previous 2 seasons, he had only made 12 league appearances, most of which off the bench, but his contributions early on in his time at the club helped propel them from the Second Division and gain a foothold in the First Division. Champions League As Cyprus was now high enough in the co-efficient table to merit a direct place into the Champions League, Clive was happy that he didn't have to go through qualifying, but less thrilled when he recieved news of the draw. Chelsea, Hertha Berlin, and Inter, the club that was looking at him over the summer were the teams that his side would have to try and beat if they stood any chance of even making it into the Europa League. But the payout that had so desperately eluded the club was finally here. Nearly £14m into the club bank account dwarfed anything that they had ever seen before. Although betting on his own team was illegal, with odds of 10,000-1, Clive was finding it hard to resist the temptation. Other News With the prospect of Champions League football, the ticket office was struggling to keep up with demand, selling 3,337 season tickets compared to 2,863 from the previous season. With the CL money, Clive thought it was time for more improvements to the club. Both the training and youth facilities would be upgraded over the course of the season. League Odds Clearly 2 straight league titles means nothing to both punters and bookmakers alike, as Geroskipou were still predicted to finish 3rd, a position they had finished higher in for the previous 6 seasons. Yet Alki and APOEL were throwing money about like nobody's business, so they must have had an incling that something was up. Results The typical routing of lower oppositions to get tuned up for the season that lay ahead. The Super Cup did not go the way Clive would have liked, losing 3-1 in extra time against Alki. But as nobody seemed to mind that they had lost, neither did he. Fixtures The season opened with a toughie, APOEL at home, before Anorthosi and the club's first ever Champions League game, away in Berlin. Alki away continued a pretty tough start, before an easier game against Othellos would give the chance for some rotation. Trips to Nea Salamina and Chelsea would round the month out.

Great save so far, congrats on Europe next season. Do you think Finnegan will be able to beat the all time goal record or do you think he is too far off yet?

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou 2038/39 Season Review After winning their second First Division in a row, Clive was now looking to solidify and build for the future, so went to the board to ask for even more club improvements. Luckily this time, the board were in a good mood, so accepted his requests. Soon after, UEFA released the competition rankings, thanks to Geroskipou, the First Division remained in 10th place in the list. But Geroskipou jumped from 126th to 68th in the club coefficient rankings. Some needed TV money also came in from the Europa League. And £145,000 from the coefficient pool money, hopefully with the rise and rise of the club, this money will only be increasing. Death and taxes were still at play though, with the government taking £1m away from the club. Blichfeldt had a standout year with 30 goals and 13 assists, but new signing Marchesi also contributed his fair shair of goals with 22. Unfortunately, this meant a lack of playing time for Mariano, who like his old strike partner van Looy, looked like his days at the club were numbered. Lukic was also a consistent performer, getting 15 clean sheets in 39 games. There were still no changed to the all time lists, although if Blichfeldt could hang around the club for a few seasons, Clive was sure that his name would be on the goalscorers list.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou Matchday 32 - AEL (A) Going into the final day of the season, Geroskipou only needed a draw away against AEL, as they had beaten Omonoia 3 times over the season so had the h2h edge. Omonoia were playing APOEL away, and if APOEL won, they would finish 2nd. First Half Geroskipou started slower that Clive would have liked, although his side were not giving AEL a look in. In the 18th minute, a small cheer came from the away section, so Clive sneakily looked on his phone, and an APOEL penalty had put them 1-0 in the other game. Now even a loss would be enough, but Clive didn't want to take any chances. In the 31st minute, Blichfeldt raced away from his marker and coolly slid his shot in to put Geroskipou 1-0 up. 2 minutes later, Sundstrom doubled Geroskipou's lead. Around the 41st min, another cheer came from the away end, which probably meant that APOEL were now 2-0 up. Half Time Second Half Needing a 6 goal swing between both games, it looked like Geroskipou were going to win their second straight First Division title, so Clive told his players to express themselves and just enjoy the last 45 minutes of the season. The cheers from the away end once again did not come from an APOEL goal, but another Geroskipou one, this time it was Marchesi gliding through the AEL centre halves and scoring. Not even an AEL goal 2 minutes later could stop the celebrations, and they only got louder in the 81st minute when Marchesi completed his brace to make it 4-1. Full Time scores With Geroskipou winning, it didn't matter that Omonoia lost 2-0 in their game. They had done it! The APOEL dominance was now officially broken. Final Table

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou Cypriot Cup Final - Alki (A) With the ongoing excitement around the title race, the cup took a backseat. With Geroskipou already guaranteed Champions League football, Clive was not focused too much on this game, although it would add another trophy to the cabinet. Clive rotated some players who were 1 yellow away from suspension, so the likes of Bielan and Bohorquez were not going to be making an appearance. First Half The first half started equally, with both teams managing to get a few half chances, although neither team could put them away. In the 29th minute though, Alki hit a well worked counter from a Geroskipou corner, leaving Daniels to slot past Lukic in goal to put Alki 1-0 up. Geroskipou could not find an answer in the remaining 16 minutes of the first half. Half Time Alki 1 - 0 APOP Geroskipou Second Half From the off in the second half, Alki looked like the dominant side, managing to play some entertaining football and keeping the ball away from Geroskipou's players. In the 55th minute, a botched clearance from an Alki corner allowed Olguin to head home Alki's second, and from then on, the game looked lost and the Geroskipou players couldn't put a meaningful attack together to get back into the game. Full Time Alki 2 - 0 Geroskipou Losing a cup final was never nice, but all Clive could think of is that he and his side would not be in the same position after the AEL game, watching Omonoia lift the First Division on the news instead of them.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou Matchday 31 - APOEL (A) It was do or die time for both sides. APOEL needed a win to give them a chance of the title going into the last day of the season, whereas Geroskipou knew that a win would see them lift the league at GSP. First Half The game started off very well for Geroskipou as they won a penalty in the 4th minute. The usually reliable Blichfeldt put his shot wide of the post. Geroskipou kept the pressure on and with a high line, won the ball back time and time again. Whereas Geroskipou had problems getting shots on target despite good positions, APOEL had problems getting shots off altogether. At the halfway point of the game, they had registered just 1 shot. Half Time APOEL 0 - 0 APOP Geroskipou Second Half The pressure from Geroskipou continued, with them grinding out more and more chances, and being able to take their shot on target % from 25% in the first half to 57% in the second half, but APOEL's keeper made some excellent saves to keep his side in the game. In the 54th minute, APOEL were awarded a dubious penalty of their own, but Lima also put his kick wide of the post. This would be APOEL's only shot of the second half, and as the final whistle blew, Clive had a mixture of emotions. Obviously he was delighted that he had masterminded a great defensive performance and the fact he had stopped APOEL winning the league in their own back yard, but also frustration that his side couldn't seem to find a way to score the one goal they so desperately needed. Full Time APOEL 0 - 0 APOP Geroskipou With a top 2 finish in the league, Geroskipou had assured themselves of a Champions League spot for next season. The board told Clive that his new wage budget would be a massive £105,000 p/w, a massive increase from the £80,000 it currently was. Table With Omonoia winning their game, they had gained ground, making the final game of the season a real nail biter.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou April 2039 Clive was skimming through the newspaper and thought that Alki being included in the title race must have been some kind of April Fool's joke. The first game against Alki made this seem true, as Geroskipou turned it on beating them 4-1, with Blichfeldt scoring a hattrick, and Pikkuhookana also scoring for good measure, and made their chances of finishing in top spot nil. Matchday 29 Matchday 29 pitted Geroskipou against top of the table Omonoia in a big 6 pointer. If Geroskipou lost, they would be 4 points behind with just 3 games to go. Geroskipou started the better side, with the early dominance showing as Marchesi scored the opener in the 43rd minute. Sundstrom doubled the lead in the 67th minute, but Clive knew his team were not out the woods yet. Omonoia moved to a much more offensive formation, and started taking control of the game and really taking it to the home side. They got their breakthrough in the 78th minute, but Geroskipou held on to bring home 3 points and a 2-1 win. Matchday 30 With Geroskipou now in top spot, it was theirs to lose. Nea Salamina rolled over for them, maybe it was a conspiracy, or maybe it was Blichfeldt scoring 4 goals and grabbing an assist for Bohorquez. The final score was 5-0, and with Omonoia needing a last minute equliaser in their game, the result put Geroskipou 4 points clear at the top with 2 games to play. News Somehow, a centre half won the NxGn award. Clive had to wipe his eyes like a cartoon when he saw it was his centre half. Bielan had won, probably as he had scored 10 goals in 32 games over the course of the season due to him being 6'4 and having the leap of a salmon. Table With 2 games to go, Geroskipou were one win away from retaining the First Division title. Fixtures And they could win it against APOEL at GSP! Failing that, it could be away at AEL, a far less scenic way to win it. The Cup Final was sandwiched inbetween the excitment of the league, with the game being held away against Alki.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou March 2039 A nervy 3-2 against Karmiotissa started the month off, despite starting strong a rotated side showed why they were rotation players, as they conceeded 2 without replying. The first league match against AEL proved that Geroskipou were back in business though, taking them down 3-1, with Pikkuhookana opening the scoring within 45 seconds. The second leg of the semi final ended in the same way as the first, as the underdogs scored first to level the tie. It wasn't until some first teamers were subbed in that a difference was seen, first with Marchesi in the 78th minute, and then Pikkuhookana scoring for the second game in a row to win the game 2-1 and the tie 5-4. 4 days later, Pikkuhookana opened the scoring against APOEL, only for Clive's most hated team to come back and snatch a goal in the second half to end the game 1-1. Pikkuhookana, who was in the best form of his career, was on the scoresheet yet again against Nea Salamina as Geroskipou beat them comfortably 3-0 to round out the month. Table With APOEL and Omonoia both dropping points, Geroskipou were sitting in 2nd place and just 1 point off top spot with the final 5 matches to come. Fixtures With 3 home matches in April, Clive was hoping for both good crowds and good results at the real business end of the season.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou February 2039 February was a worrying month for Clive. First of all, they had a 50% loss ratio over 6 games, which hadn't happened since March 2038. Secondly, Geroskipou failed to score until at least the 54th minute, which made for some nervy matches. The Othellos game was ended in a 2-0 win thanks to a Marchesi brace, which gave Geroskipou top spot, but Clive was hoping for a larger score in this game. The second leg of the cup went better though, as his side beat APOEL 2-0 away from home and 4-1 on aggregate to knock out one of the better sides out and send them through to the Semis. A smash and grab win against Atalanta came next, with Eiriksson scoring in the dying embers of the game and more importantly gave Geroskipou an away goal to take into the second leg. After the league split, Alki handed Geroskipou their first loss in the league since November, beating them 1-0. The second leg of the EL ended in a total collapse. Atalanta took the lead on the night thanks to an own goal from Gonzalez. They had an oppertunity to double their lead from the spot, but Lukic guessed right and kept out the penalty. Despite pressure from both sides, the tie ended 1-1, with both teams having an away goal extra time was needed. In the 101st minute, Delgado made up for his defensive partners mistake by smashing a header in from a corner to put Geroskipou up 2-1 on aggregate. It would end up being heartache for the Cypriots though, as in the 115th minute, Atalanta would grab the winner both on the night and in the tie as they progressed 2-1 winners on the night, and 2-2 on away goals. The bad form continued the next game, as Omonoia edged another close game between the two sides 1-0. Table With the losses against Omonoia and Alki, Geroskipou were leapfrogged at the top of the table and now sat 2 points behind both Omonoia and APOEL, with Alki closing in on them. Fixtures Another easy draw in the cup against Second Division Karmiotissa allowed Geroskipou to hopefully start to turn their form around. AEL, APOEL and Nea Salamina rounded out the first set of games in the league post split.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou January 2039 Marchesi was the hero in the Alki game, as he scored the equaliser in what would end in a 1-1 draw. Due to international call ups, the APOEL match was re-arranged until February which gave the team some time to recover, and they beat Aris 4-1 away from home in the next game. Revenge was served to AEL, with Blichfeldt and Marchesi both scoring, before an away trip to APOEL ended in another 1-1 draw thanks to a last minute winner from Bohorquez as he found space at the back post from a deep free kick. Anorthosi were put to the sword in the final game of the month a week later, as they were beaten 4-0 at Geroskipou Stadium. Transfers Clive made some additions to his squad in defense during the January window. Hauptman coming in for DL cover from Brazil on loan, Llagostera to provide a 3rd option at DR on loan from Wanderers in Uruguay, and Delgado being bought from Columbia for a fee of £11,250. In the other direction, Da Silva was sold for an initial £300,000 after complaining that he was not getting enough playing time, and Benedini was sent to Serie B with Bari to develop to hopefully bring his market rate up, as Clive didn't think he would be able to make the grade at Geroskipou. In the coaching department, Jon Ellis was hired by Barnsley as their manager in the Championship, and they paid a massive £200,000 for his services. Table With just 11 games to go in the league Geroskipou, along with APOEL and Omonoia were pulling away from the pack. Fixtures Othellos would be the last chance to grab some easy points before the league split, then a week later, the re-arranged second leg of the cup. There would be some league games shoved into February for good measure as well as both legs of the EL R32.

Clive English - Back to the motherland - APOP Geroskipou December 2038 December started off poorly, with a 1-1 draw away at AEL. The next game against Omonoia was the first time in the season that Geroskipou had to really dig deep to grab a result. They went 2-0 down within an hour and it looked like they were going to get blown out. After a few tweaks though, Blichfeldt fired in a goal before Marchesi finished off an unbelievable comeback, scoring in the 79th and 83rd minute. Bilbao was shown a red card in the 88th minute, but Geroskipou managed to hold off an onslaught for the final 8 minutes of the game and won 3-2. A rotated side then fell to a 3-1 defeat in the Europa League against Vit. Guimaraes, with a result that saw them slip down to 2nd in the table, meaning that they would have to go through a R32 matchup if they had any chance of progressing. With a full strength side out, Nea Salamina snatched a 1-1 draw, despite only having an xG of 0.38 compared to Geroskipou's 2.39. Needing a big response, Clive fielded another full strength side against Ypsonas, and Geroskipou were 3-0 up within 8 minutes. Ypsonas scored a consolation goal late on, but the win never looked in doubt. After the international break, Geroskipou defeated APOEL 2-1 in the first leg of the QF of the cup to take an aggregate lead to GSP in the second leg. During December, some big clubs from Italy came in to enquire about Clive's availability. Napoli and Atalanta were both turned down, as Clive had no interest of leaving Cyprus just yet. In some poetic justice for Atalanta, the draw for the R32 of the EL saw the two clubs pitted up against each other. On New Years Eve, Blichfeldt was announced as the winner of the World U21 Footballer of the Year award after getting 39 goals and 12 assists in 40 appearances in the calendar year. Tables At the halfway point of the league season, Geroskipou were sitting 3 points behind APOEL and level on points with Omonoia. Fixtures If Geroskipou were to kick on in the league before the split, it would be crucial that they won 5 from 5 in the league. This included Alki, AEL and APOEL all in the top 5. Games against Aris Limassol and Anorthosi would be easier, but they were still considered banana skins, especially as the second leg of the cup was 4 days before the Aris game.