glennuk

Congrats @XaW

Thanks for this. Was on a bad streak and sorted it with some opp instructions and listening to some of the advice from the video

@HanziZoloman - I hope they give you a chance to get back up. Just out of interest which specific opp instructions did you set?

Rein Meer AKA ReinBerg - Season 12 - Japan J2 League - Mid Year Review & Youth Intake Preview League So far we have had an up and down season. At times we beat the best teams in the league and then we go and lose against the bottom teams. I was so into my recent turn of good form (4 wins and a draw in 5 games) that I forgot to take the screenshot at the true half way point of 19 games. It's all to play for, as realistically a good run could get us in the top 6 or a bad run could see us battling relegation. Youth Intake Preview We have another questionable preview. Hopefully this will again turn in quality over quantity, as at this point we need some strong players to add to the group. A winger would be valuable as we are still looking for a good starter on both sides (LW and RW). Other News We managed to get a Training Facility upgrade, which should help with getting the players to their potential and is always a goal when you get a bit of money in the bank. So luckily all of the sales last year have allowed us to splurge a bit. We also managed to have our 500th game in charge of the club. Still in J2 league, but feel like we are making progress.

Rein Meer AKA ReinBerg - Season 11 - Japan J2 League - End of Season Review League - 5th (Playoffs) So despite losing 3 of our best players we continued to play very well throughout the season. We ended up in 5th and were in the playoffs in only our 2nd season in the J2 League. We were the best attacking team in the league and would come up against Sendai, in the playoff semi final, who were the 2nd best defending team in the league. Playoff Semi Final We started the game so poorly and just continued to play terrible football throughout. We couldn't get a foothold in the game, couldn't keep the ball, my best players were awful and nothing went well. All of that work in the league and to show up to the playoffs and play this badly, wow what a terrible account of ourselves. I do think that in this game it showed that we were missing some players (the 2 that left already and a couple of injuries), but regardless we didn't deserve to win the match and therefore will spend a 3rd season in the J2 league. The Squad As mentioned we were badly hit by the sale of 3 of our best players from under our noses, but we still have some promising youngsters in the squad. Our best eleven highlights the fact that two of them are gone and with Kenta Kawai (YP08B) leaving at the end of this season, we may have a bit of a rebuilding year on our hands. Kazuya Ikeda (YP07H) came out of nowhere (he was recalled from loan after the sale of Yuta Tabata (YP07A) and was immense in the 17 games that he player for us. Hopefully he can fill that void up front (that was made by our legacy player Ryu Joseph Hashimura retiring). Other News Our Sponsorship has gone way up and with record sales we will be okay on the finances front for a while. We also had a record average attendance (which can only help with the finances). Youth Intake Our youth intake is so late in the season that I have started including it in the end of year review. We had a solid if not spectacular intake, also not a great bunch of personalities unfortunately. It seems like we have quality instead of quantity this time, with 4 very good looking players. Note: I signed all players tagged in the 2nd screenshot. Top 4 - Youth Intake 11 Hironori Ono (YP11A) We could always do with more defenders so getting a good CB is a welcome sight. He has an 8 or higher in most of the important attributes, with the exception of needing to work on his Strength and Jumping reach. He id definitely someone I can see making it to the first team sooner rather than later, as he comes in and already is my 4th best CB. Masami Asano (YP11B) What a beast. At almost 6 foot 4 he is a nice big striker. He is Ambitious and I think he can be a starter within the next few years. The 12 finishing is nice to see, but he can definitely only play as a poacher and not a Advanced Forward as his passing is pretty woeful. Yuki Sasaki (YP11C) After losing my 4* Left Winger I have really struggled on the left hand side. Thankfully it seems as if the gap may be filled. Yes he has some work to do, his passing desperately needs to improved, but he can dribble, has good crossing and decent physicals. Another who could be in the first team sooner rather than later. Satoru Hashimoto (YP11D) Another bigger player (which we need). At 6 foot 2 he will be my biggest CB. He also has decent attributes throughout, but the mentals definitely need some work before he cracks the first team. I do honestly believe that from this intake we have two CBs that could be first team ready in the next 2-3 years and possibly even be starters.

@Padders - Congrats on the promotion. Sure it is onwards and upwards from here

Rein Meer AKA ReinBerg - Season 11 - Japan J2 League - Sabotage! So in my second season in the J2 league things were going very well indeed. Half of my players were wanted by J1 league teams and this is what happened next! I decided to let Kenta Kawai (YP08B) go as he had asked to leave once interest was shown in him. He had become my starting CB and as you can see below was performing well. I knew it would also help with our finances, as we were struggling a little bit with money due to all of the upgrades that I had requested, AND he had the Mercenary personality, which can go wrong if he decides to kick off. I actually got more than I promised I would sell him for (1 mil) plus that all important 50% of next sale clause. I also managed to change the sale date to the end of the season, hoping that Kenta could help us get promoted before he left. On Deadline day however things started to go pear-shaped!! Kaito Mizuno (YP08A) our super talented winger who had recently recovered from a big injury was sold from underneath me from my Chairman! 925k and no clauses However I had a plan! Trigger that contract extension. If he gets mad I will deal with it. Niigata who also took Kenta Kawai (YP08B) however were not deterred, neither was my meddling chairman who accepted their next bid and within minutes Kaito Mizuno (YP08A) was gone. Niigata and my Chairman were not done there! Just to sabotage us even more the chairman decided to accept another bid for our Yuta Tabata (YP07A) who had just become a starting striker. I spat my dummy out! Told the media I was disgusted but luckily kept my job and got a Youth Recruitment upgrade in return. To make matters more frustrating, our replacement Left Winger Takao Kashiwazaki (YP09F) broke his foot two days after Kaito Mizuno (YP08A) our starting left winger was sold. leaving us with no left sided wingers in the first team squad!

@mo_ments - Ah glad to see another Reinmeer manager here. To be fair I now seem to be able to get some good CBs, good Strikers but not much out wide (even if a Head of Youth who plays formations with wingers and full backs). I am a few years ahead of my updates and trying to catch up.

Rein Meer AKA ReinBerg - Season 11 - Japan J2 League - Mid Season Review & Youth Intake Preview League - 4th so far So far in our second season in the J2 League, we have looked pretty comfortable. So much so that I have allowed myself to dare to dream about promotion to the top league. I do however think we may be a couple of years away from comfortably surviving in the top flight, so I don't want to get too carried away. There is such a thing as getting promoted too early right????? says the guy who has seen people almost complete the whole challenge in Japan by now We are once again an attacking team, top goalscorers in the league. However as usual we are not the most defensively sound team. Our unofficial Motto is still "We're gunna score one more than YOU, REINBERG" Best Match of the Save so far!! Had to share this one. Perhaps one of the reasons we are top scorers Clinical finishing at its finest. Japan Youth Team Call Ups Both Kenta Kawai (YP08B) and Shun'ichi Miyahara (YP09B) have been called up the the u20 and u19 Japan team respectively. Kawai is wanted by a raft of J1 league clubs, so I have told him he can leave if I get 1.4million. I would of cause make sure to get a next sale clause in, as long as the Chairman doesn't sell over my head again. Upgrades After solving our finance problems and being almost guaranteed at least J2 football next season, I thought I may as well request some upgrades. Youth Recruitment - Upgraded to Above Average New Contract - Until 2036 Training Facilities - Upgraded to Average Finances All this has left my finances pretty low, but I am confident we will be okay as since entering the J2 league we have made money each month, and I would virtually have to lose every game from now until the end of the season if I was to get relegated. Youth Intake Preview So we have once again an average looking intake. Despite the 4.5* view, I am a bit disappointed by the letter grades. We could however do with a star right winger at the moment, so hopefully that A grade is the right winger not either of the two on the left (in the intake preferred positions).

@Padders that is some nice variety in the nationalities you got in the latest intake. I love when the intake mixes it up like that

10 Year Insights - Player Improvement After 10 years in this kind of challenge I always like having a bit of a deep dive into things. Especially looking at the level of improvement that players have. So here is a quick look for those who may be interested, but also partially for me to reflect and look back on in the future. Toshimitsu Kaji (YP05D) My starting left back and someone who has surprised and impressed me with the amount of goals and assists that he chips in with each season. His improvement has turned him from a player I wasn't sure would get in the first team, to someone who is one of the first players on the team sheet. His Physicals have improved immensely, with a total of +24 in total attributes. Now solid physically, he can be counted on to play all season and use his pace and acceleration to get forward and back when needed. His Mentals have also improved to a very high level with a total of +23 total attributes. His anticipation and concentration sees him make plenty of good plays, intercepting opponent passes and starting the counter attack. The +5 in vision has certainly helped with his assist tally. His Technicals have improved somewhat but not to a huge level. A total of +6 here mostly on the defensive end of Marking and Tackling. So in just over 4 years of development he has +53 in total attributes. Naoki Kato (YP06F) My starting Deep Lying Playmaker and probably my favourite player of the save so far. He is just so consistent, is becoming a leader on the field (and mentoring some youngsters with his fairly determined personality). He plays every game, every season and is rarely injured, not had any kind of bad runs of form. Even in games we lose he is often one of the bright points of the match. I think it is especially impressive from an F player, which means he was SIXTH best player when he came through the intake (at least in my estimation). His Physicals have improved slightly, with a total of +6 nothing too impressive here and he is relatively solid apart from that woeful strength attribute. His Mentals however have seen a HUGE increase with a total of +27 which is quite incredibly with only 4 years of development. Those increases in Anticipation, Composure and Positioning are probably some of the reason why he is so consistent. His Technicals like each of my players have seen the least increase with only +1 overall, however the +4 in passing is good to see, as a good playmaker needs that passing skill. His decreases again are in areas that won't impact his game to much of a degree. So in 4 years of development he has a big +34 in overall attributes. Fumiya Ono (YP06A) Tipped as my best player in the 'Golden Generation' of my sixth intake. He has become a starting Striker as an Advanced forward. He doesn't score as much as I would like, but he usually gets plenty of assists. Occasionally he does play in the CM Attack role as he can be versatile enough to fit in in midfield too. May not be in the first team for much longer as I need a striker who will get me more goals. His Physicals have seen a very good increase with +18 overall. A good all around physical player with the Strength and Stamina being too areas I was especially keen for him to improve in. His Mentals have been immense as is the trend with these players, with +26 overall. His Off the Ball, Composure and Anticipation seeing the biggest increase and being very important in that Advanced Forward role. His Technicals have seen a slight increase with a +3 overall. Clearly technicals are harder to improve, but I am glad his Dribbling, Passing and Long Shots have improved, as again for the roles he plays they are all important (Advanced Forward or CM on attack). So in just over 4 years of development he has a very strong +47 in total attributes. Takuya Nishimoto (YP05A) Has been one of my CMs, not always a started but definitely made some contributions. His development has been impressive but not as much as some of the others. His Physicals have had a good level of increase with a total of +11. His Strength is definitely a concern and to be honest he probably isn't going to be one of those players who is with us much longer although he did start 14 games in the most recent season. His Mentals have quite simply been immense in their increase, with a total of +24 with a massive +8 in his composure. His Technicals unfortunately have seen a decrease with -3 but in areas that are not important to his game (set pieces). So in just over 5 years he has an increase of +32 in total attributes.

Rein Meer AKA ReinBerg - Season 10 - Japan J2 League - End of Season Review League - 12th We were never really in any danger here. In fact we never once even dipped into the relegation zone. So for our first season in the J2 league it was a pretty impressive year. Our players didn't seem phased by the step up and alot of players have started to really make strides in their development. Squad The team are definitely improving and we had some really good performances throughout the year. Ryu Joseph Hashimura is one of my legacy players who has been strong throughout the save. He is definitely on the decline, but he still ended up with 16 goals and 7 assists this season, with a superb average rating of 7.20. Naoki Kato (YP06F) is my deep lying playmaker and is just very solid and consistent. Kenta Kawai (YP08B) is probably our best player now, he has improved a lot and is my starting right back, but occasionally does get asked to play in the CDM position when we are trying to close out a game. We could definitely do with another striker as Fumiya Ono (YP06B) is definitely more of a link up player than an out and out striker. 3 goals in 37 starts is just not enough, even if he isn't the main focal point of attack. Lastly Kazutoshi Sasaki (YP04G) is an odd one. He is not the most talented player, seems to have reached his potential already, but still chips in with a decent amount of goals and assists from the right wing position. He probably isn't the future of the team, but in the present I will keep playing him if he keeps performing. Finances We are doing much better in terms of finances. We were 750,000 in the red at the end of last season and at the end of this season we were just 100,000 in the red. Youth Intake We had a relatively strong intake, although only 4 elite talents. We could do with a good striker and a couple of good MC so I was happy we at least got the midfielders. Top 3 - Youth Intake 10 (I messed up a bit with the tagging here, not sure how) Nobuhiro Ono (YP10A) A young midfielder with plenty of talent. His personality is not great and he needs to improve his technical ability, but I do think he could be a starter in the future. I know the long shots of 7 doesn't look like much, but I do appreciate a CM that can shoot from distance, and most of my CMs have a 5 or below in this area. Definitely needs some work before he is in the first team, but I have some hope for him. Masahiko Iwanga (YP10H) So I usually put my B (tagged) player here, but I didn't tag a B player in this intake. Another CM who has some potential and an area we need to improve in. In this case it is mentals that need some work here, with his off the ball and positioning especially concerning. Again another one for the future and one I hope can make a difference. Kenshiro Sato (YP10C) As mentioned we may have an opening on the right wing coming up in the next couple of years and I believe Sato could be the answer. He isn't the quickest winger (and I like pace on the wings), but he has good crossing and dribbling for this level. He also has a decent personality which can make all the difference. Other News We did manage to get a new sponsorship deal for our Kit, which meant it immediately went into an upgrade to our training facilities.

I did take a leaf out of @Daddys book and watch most of a full game and then also delved into the analytics (Data Hub) to see where we were going wrong. For me it was simple things like losing possession from Goal Kicks (So I changed to roll the ball out from the goalie), certain players not playing simple balls (changed individual instructions to shorter passing and take less risks) etc.

Questions for those who have managed in Japan 1. I am assuming you did, but in the J2 League did you have a random 45 day break in like September/October? I understand if I had focused on the cup and gone far in it, that would have accounted for some of that break, but it seems excessive. 2. Did anyone manage to get a foreign affiliate? So far the only affiliates I can get are based in Japan.

Rein Meer AKA ReinBerg - Season 10 - Japan J2 League (AT LAST!!) - Mid Season Review The League Despite the 350-1 odds and having the highest number of injured players (6) to start the season, we have actually performed admirably in our first season in the J2 League. We still seem to be hitting the net often enough, but defense is still our biggest struggle. We are not safe at all yet and have hit a rough patch of form with 3 of our 8 defeats coming in the last 5 games, but we certainly are not the whipping boys of the league as predicted pre-season. Note: Shockingly Kanazawa who came up with us this season are 3rd and Yamaguchi who also came up with us our last. Very much contrasting fortunes for us all! Upgrades & Current Facilities I got a new contract, we got a youth recruitment upgrade and my facilities in general are looking pretty good for this level. My plan is to continue to focus on asking for Junior Coaching and Youth Recruitment upgrades and then once they are maxed out start focusing on Training Facilities (or when we have a surplus of money, which if we stay in League 2 is a strong possibility). Youth Intake Preview Not the strongest preview we have had, but not the worst by any means. Our CM position is not our weakest area, but I only have one player who is excelling, so if we get another top prospect that could help us push on.

Pre-Season - Good & Bad News The Good! New TV Money To get us out of the 750,000 we were in debt. The Bad Kaito Mizuno (YP08A) our brightest academy prospect and starting left winger broke his leg in a game against our Senior Affiliate club!!!!! The Foreboding Anyone fancy our odds??? It's not looking promising is it?

Rein Meer AKA ReinBerg - Season 9 - Japan J3 League - End of Year Review League So on the last day of the season we only needed a draw to be confirmed of a playoff place. We went 1-0 behind to FC Ryuku and then in the 83rd minute got a late goal to sneak into the playoffs on goal difference. Playoff Semis So in the semi finals we got Tochigi who gave us a good back and forward battle. Once we got the final goal in the 84th minute we went away from our 442 and went more defensive. They battered us for the last 10 minutes but we held out to head to the Playoff Final. Playoff Final We went into the playoff final, with plenty of playoff experience. Hoping that this time we could make it count. To be honest it was relatively un-dramatic. We dominated possession from the first whistle, but struggled to get our shots away. However 3 goals from 4 shots on target put us 3-0 up with 30 minutes to go. Again we abandoned our 4-4-2 in favour of bringing on an extra midfielder. We shut out Toyama as best we could, despite a late onslaught of shots and good chances. So FINALLY we have been promoted to the J2 league, after NINE years of slight improvements, WE MADE IT!!! The Squad We have now an almost full Youth Academy squad. The exceptions being that Ryu Joseph Hashimura (who had an outstanding season) is still starting up front and Riku Hirosue is still our Goalkeeper. Kenta Kawai (YP08B) only came through the intake 12 months ago, but already has claimed a starting spot and has been performing well above his years. He is already one to watch and is a superb talent, 6 assists and 4 goals from Right Back is pretty impressive indeed!

@Daddy - I know it has been said already, but truly gutted for you. They said Belgium can't be done, and I thought you were on the way to breaking the mold. Hope you head back to Belgium one day and crack it!

@XaW - thats a fantastic start. Out of interest do you use the same tactic home and away, or vary it up? What is the tactic if you don't mind me asking?

@XaW glad to see you taking up the challenge of the Youth Pentagon! I think I am going to try it not all in one save, but more the trying to do the challenge in each continent (separate saves) first, before I think about the beast mode you are attempting. Will be following with interest though

I do not, but know that some do

Rein Meer AKA ReinBerg - Season 9 - Japan J3 League - Mid Season Review & Youth Intake League We have had a bit of a bounce back season and some of our youth players are really pushing on and improving which has helped. We are still one of the strongest attacking teams in the league while being one of the weakest (in the top half at keeping goals out). The aim is to at least make the playoffs this year, then who knows what will happen. One example is our new starting left back Toshimitsu Kaji (YP06D) who has been tremendous, not only at the back, but chipping in with some vital assists and a goal or two as well. His improvement in the last 12 months has been one of the most positive examples so far, and I am hopeful he will continue. Youth Intake Preview Another strong preview (although not quite as good as the last couple of seasons). Wingers are needed, as are CMs so this may be exactly what we need! Youth Intake Another intake with a couple of players who could slot right into the first team. Anything about 2.5*s is first team worthy, so I am once again excited by the way things are progressing. Top 3 - Youth Intake 9 Norio Kakimoto (YP09A) A player who will be retrained as an advanced forward as he has all of the qualities needed to play up top. The fact that he can do a decent job on the wing too, makes him extra special. The perfectionist personality is great to see and is the first one of this save for me. Shun'ichi Miyahara (YP09B) A brilliant midfielder. Is being trained as a deep lying playmaker. Great work rate, strong team work. Good passing and technique, just needs to improve that vision. Could well be a starter for years to come. Hopefully we can turn that personality around, as it is the only downside on a very impressive looking youngster. Hiroki Higa (YP09C) A decent prospect at Centre Back. His mental attributes are a bit worrying, but he definitely has potential to grow. He may take a few years to get first team minutes (we actually have had quite a few strong CBs recently). Other News We have a player in the national setup now as Kaito Mizuno (YP08A) our best academy prospect from last year has been called up the U19s squad. I am also moving on up in the coaching badges, which is always nice to see.

Congrats @leyrtj

Rein Meer AKA ReinBerg - Season 8 - Japan J3 League - End of Season Review League Well an abject failure of a season, but the youth intake made up for it. Our legacy players are getting to the stage where they are regressing and despite some recent good intakes, our youth academy players are mostly at the league below (Nippon League) level. We were inconsistent and struggled throughout the season. The amazing youth intake we had this year has made up for a failure of a season, so there is hope for the future. No idea what changed from the first 8 games of the season!! Look at that position graph.... Squad We are definitely an almost entirely youth team now. With most of the starters, apart from keeper and strikers being Youth Academy players. Hopefully we can keep hold of them all, as quite a few of them have had interest from J1 league clubs. Naoki Kato (YP06F) has become our starting deep laying playmaker and has chipped in with 4 goals and 10 assists and the highest average rating of the season. Finances We are losing money every year now. The hope is to get to J2 League as soon as possible. Last time I had a down year, I bounced back with a good year and with my youth intake having 3-4 potential starters, I think we have the possibility. We really need it, or we may be out of luck on this challenge sooner rather than later. Other News Jo Song-Chol (YP05B) our North Korean capped youth player who was sold from under my feet by the chairman has already moved on. Luckily we got a little bit of money from it, but nothing amazing! An Embarrassing Start Of course I have started the next season and this happened.....getting destroyed by our U18 team is not the start I imagined!

Rein Meer AKA ReinBerg - Season 8 - Japan J3 League - Mid Season Review & Youth Intake League So another season of regression. I have changed my tactics up here and there as I was thinking possibly they were getting stale, or opponents knew how to counter. However we have just been plain bad this year. It is not a complete disaster, as we could theoretically still make the playoffs with a good run, but I am quickly losing patience with the J3 league. Youth Intake Preview Luckily the Youth Intake Preview gave me some hope. A whole bunch of A's is a beautiful sight to behold, combined with a promise of defenders (which we desperately need) and CMs which we also really need, this could put the wind back in my sails! Youth Intake So what did we get? We got a youth intake that fills my heart with gladness, tidings of comfort and joy and a renewed hope for this save (maybe we will get promoted at some point before FM25??) Look at those stars in Current Ability!!! Considering many of my starters are at 2* CA, we have 4 players here who could jump into the first team on the day they sign their contracts. Top 3 - Youth Intake 8 Kaito Mizuno (YP08A) What a talent. Incredible work rate, can pass, dribble and has some very strong mentals. Not the quickest winger in the world and definitely needs to improve that strength, but he will start day 1! Hoping we can keep hold of him, although I am sure it will be difficult if we don't get promoted soon. Kenta Kawai (YP08B) Another incredible talent. Will most likely start at right back for me, but may also play as a CB or as a more defensive midfielder when trying to hold out a lead. Not 100% which position he will settle at, but excited that he seems solid all around and has some rapid acceleration. Yoshiyuki Maeno (YP08D) I somehow forget to take a screenshot of my (C) 3rd best player, so here is Maeno. A full back who may be retrained on the left, but again very impressive to begin with. Solid tackling, marking and passing. Good crossing which I need from my full backs, great team work and work rate. Will probably get some game time this season and become a starter soon enough.