A failed player lands a dream gig!

[fmzor]

After several weeks of trying, I finally got a nibble on Ott:

To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Mike Ott transfer

David:

Congrats on your string of success! I look forward to seeing you in the Bundesliga next season. So much so, that I want to help you get there.

I know that Ott isn't a part of your plans yet, and you could help your cause this season by moving him elsewhere. I'm offering 500k Euro. Think it over and let me know.

Good luck,
Sami

Well, then. I certainly couldn't accept 500k. I'd tell him that later. If we could come to terms, Ott would surely be gone: Leverkusen are an ECC side, and Ott could find a massive profile there in a few seasons.

 

[fmzor]

2. Bundesliga, Week 5: Dusseldorf @ 1860

View attachment 388624

Another big test for my squad early in the season - and yet another scoreless half!

We had played pretty much even. Dusseldorf was a talented side, but were somewhat helpless up front if they couldn't find Charlison, and we had done well to shut him down.

Physically, though, they dominated the game. This came out on the stat sheet: 12 fouls to our 3. Hopefully, the team wasn't getting too hesitant.

The second half was pretty much a bust, too: but Dusseldorf's aggression got the better of them - twice we were tackled in the penalty area, and the ref saw it both times. Steinhofer knocked home the first goal from the penalty mark in the 75th minute, and Bobby Shou Wood scored on a penalty kick in the 86th.

We ground out a 2-0 victory, both goals on penalties. Still struggling to find our attacking form, but we had won the points on the day.

2-0 1860!

 

[fmzor]

Before the season, I completed an analysis of how many points we'd need to snag an automatic promotion spot. A lot depended on the relative balance of the League, of course, but in digging back 10 years of 2. Bundesliga history, I found that 66 points would always win at least 2nd place.


I rounded up to 68 to make the math easier, then broke down the season into (nearly) equal parts:
34 matches: 19 before the winter break, 15 after
Pace: 2 points per game

I broke the first part of the season into 4 groups: 3 groups of 5 games, then the final group of 4 games. The last part of the season easily broke down into 3 groups of 5 games.

For the 6 groups of 5 games, I'd need 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss out of each; for the single group of 4 games, 2 wins and 2 draws would suffice.

Through the first set of games, we had 15 points - a perfect 5 wins! That meant that heading into the second block of games, we had 1 draw and 1 loss in the bank. Obviously, I was thrilled with the start to the season.

 

[fmzor]

Monday morning at Allianz Arena, and a letter had arrived for me. I opened the envelope to find a card:

View attachment 388615

(Once a Unioner, always a Unioner)

Inside, I instantly noticed Uwe's (my former boss, not my current fitness coach!) handwriting:

"David -

I look forward to your homecoming on Sunday, but it's a shame that your winning streak will have to come to an end. I'm sure the fans will offer you a spirited welcome back.

Meet me on Saturday at noon at the Memorial to the German Resistance. See you then.

Best,
Uwe"

 

[Disclaimer89]

Been busy working the past few days. Looking forward to being able to catch up with this story later tonight

Keep up the awesome work! Loving how much work you have put into it, it isn't just about you simming the game and putting up the results...you are telling a proper story with a background and history! Fantastic!

 

[fmzor]

Back in Berlin: the day before the match

The sixth game of our season found us traveling to Berlin, and I arranged to arrive two days earlier than the rest of the squad. I was quite nostalgic walking around the city that I used to call home. I'd have plenty of time to see my old grounds on gameday, but on Saturday, it was time to meet Uwe.

I arrived at the courtyard of the memorial, and he arrived only a few minutes later.

"David!", he greeted me "wonderful start for 1860 - wonderful start for Union! If it continues like this, David, we could be repeating this meeting next year, only as Bundesliga managers."

"That would be amazing. Uwe, it's so great to see you."

"You as well, David."

We sat in the courtyard and talked about the young season, about Berlin, about Munich - and mostly about the joys and stresses of being a Manager.

"All my time in Berlin," I observed, "and I don't think I've ever been here."

"You're of course familiar with the 20. July plot, and this courtyard where the executions took place. The museum, though, recognizes and remembers all aspects of German resistance to the government during WW II. I try to come here every year - it's important historically. Besides, these movements - and the ones during the GDR days, are of especial importance to our fans.. excuse me: to Union's fans."

"Not just to them," I reminded him.

"True enough, but we were the anti-Stasi side, as you know. Ours is a club that has always had that designation."

"Fair enough," I noted.

"David, I wanted to meet away from the pitch to offer my congrats on a great start. I've been watching 1860 with even greater interest. A difficult draw in the Cup and you didn't have your best game that day - but you have your fans believing again, and that's crucial. Some advice - things change quickly in football, especially in the lower divisions and especially with fan bases that have suffered for so long. When the tough times come, stay the course and don't think too much of it. You're never as good as your fans think you are in happy times, and never as bad as they think in tough times."

"Uwe - I want to thank you for everything you've done for me. This has been a bit of a whirlwind, but I wouldn't have had this opportunity if not for you."

"Nonsense," he replied, "you earned it yourself. Good luck tomorrow, David." He stood up and left the courtyard.

 

[bonebuster]

Well I will tell you one thing, after i ve read the opening post I didnt know is this a real life story or not (despite the very first line in there). So you made me check the 1860 website just to make sure . Good writing

 

[fmzor]

2. Bundesliga, Week 5: 1860 @ Union Berlin

"Gentlemen," I opened, "obviously, I know this team well - I know this Manager well. They're at home, and will want to show their fans a good time. They're going to try to turn this into a goalfest and simply outscore us. This leaves them vulnerable on the back line. Weather the storm and trust in Gabor, then strike them back on counter attacks. This is a game between two promotion contenders, and we only have 2 chances to directly gain points on them. Make this count."

The match started with us kicking off. We worked the ball into their zone, but a Hertner pass was blocked by Union defender Marc Pfertzel, who fed a cross-field pass to midfielder Parensen, 35 yards from Union's back line. My defense - my entire team, really, promptly fell asleep. I watched in horror as my squad simply let Parensen dribble the entire length of the field - completely unchallenged - until he found himself 10 yards out near the left touch line. We had 5 defenders in the penalty area to mark two Union players as Parensen lofted his cross goalward. Somehow, it wasn't enough: Adam Nemec found the ball first, knocking a header towards our goal. Gabor blocked it, but couldn't hold it. The rebound lofted up dangerously, and Nemec was still on it - without missing a beat, he found it with his head again. Gabor, this time, was on the ground after diving for the first attempt. The ball floated in our net effortlessly, and the crowd exploded. I looked up at the clock: 0:55 had passed, and we were already down 0-1.

View attachment 388399
We never recovered.

Union dominated the match - we ended up only getting a shot on target once every half hour, and Torsten Mattuschka added a goal in the 54th minute to remove all doubt.

1860 0 - 2 Union Berlin

I had suffered my first League loss of my professional career.

View attachment 388398

 

[fmzor]

Been busy working the past few days. Looking forward to being able to catch up with this story later tonight

Keep up the awesome work! Loving how much work you have put into it, it isn't just about you simming the game and putting up the results...you are telling a proper story with a background and history! Fantastic!

Thanks so much! Glad you're enjoying it. I've actually played ahead a bit, so the story thread is catching up to where the save is. It's oddly tough to go back and write about what happened, so I'll get caught up (4 more matches), then post as the save progresses.

 

[fmzor]

Well I will tell you one thing, after i ve read the opening post I didnt know is this a real life story or not (despite the very first line in there). So you made me check the 1860 website just to make sure . Good writing

Thanks, man

My interaction with the club is of course fictional, but I've tried to keep the names of the other principles - and the backstories - as close to reality as possible.

 

[AinsleyLee]

Can't wait for more to come