View attachment 175774 A rather short and sweet Pre-Season for us in a long time as our new grown financial strength doesn’t need the money of friendlies to survive and that is an achievement for us. I can now actually focus on friendlies which might actually help us rather than just for the sake of money.
We start our pre-season with the traditional match against Celtic and lose it as per tradition! We then welcome Krasnodar and European Giants Sporting to the Kassam stadium with the Sporting match being televised and me getting the chance to pick the brains of one Jurgen Klopp. I must say that the manager is even crazier in person but such passion for football. It was delightful to meet him and be complimented by such a great manager.
We wound up our pre-season with matches against Crawley and Ebblesfleet before we turn our heads towards the Third round of Euro Cup qualification and our first steps into European Competition. I am very nervous and excited and unnerved and…you get the point right? The moment is here and now we must step up to it and
match it.
The Question is, will we be able to?
Next Up is EURO LEAGUE QUALIFIERS!
Also, Do you want to see the transfers until the qualifiers or all transfers when I review transfers?
This is it! Our first European Match, it is sad that it is an away game as I would have loved playing our first European encounter at home. Here we are in Switzerland facing Vaduz who stands in our way to go to the next round.
Founded in 1932, Vaduz is much younger than us and have recently started rising in the Swiss League. They have familiar Swiss Internationals Djorou and Kay Voser in their side and although they do not have any young prodigy or a global superstar, their team is filled with the right mix of youth and experience.
They have a small stadium, well Smaller than ours which is used by Lichtenstein as their National Staidum. They don’t have much of a history and both us and them will be gunning to make some today at the first leg of the Euro Cup.
View attachment 175724 It was a very poor match if we consider the finishing abilities of both the team as that left a lot to be desired. An entertaining first half was followed by some horrific finishing in the 2nd as we get away with an important away win which sets us up perfectly for the second leg at home. Shadab Gill became the first Oxford player to score a goal in Europe and it was a perfect beginning to the match. We were pegged back though not long after and then started a cagey affair before an impressive goal by Lennon ultimately proved to be the winner.
The players did a bit in awe playing in Europe and that will have to change if we are to progress but it is not a bad start indeed! A win and 2 away goals is how we begin our European Campaign.
View attachment 175682 The Kassam Stadium is rocking and it is totally packed, the directors have flown in from wherever they were and the whole city is singing as we welcome our European Opponents for the second leg of the qualifiers. The Board in an unprecedented move cut the ticket prices for the match so more fans can join without having to care about the money and children entry was made free! A brilliant and bold step by the club and I am loving it. It won’t be an easy match and our supporters will be very important.
Also did anyone know that Oxford United has retired the number 12 jersey citing the reason it is the Jersey Number of their fans! So cool!
View attachment 175679 We utterly dominated them off the pitch and they never looked like having a sniff at the game. 61 % possession and over 20 shots is the proof for it as we attack relentlessly and force them into submission. Sandro (Ex-Barca) and Modric (You Know Who: D) score their first club goals as we sail to the Playoffs which will determine if we play in the league stages or not. The crowd was rollicking and had lots of fun seeing our attacking and dominating football and I hope we can give them lots of it this season!
View attachment 175353 A busy and mostly very successful transfer window for us as we manage to snare players in most of the positions we needed to strengthen as we managed to sign 17 players! The highest in England although most of the signings were for my youth and U-21 squad.
I was given 44 Million to improve the squad but I decided to pump back most of them into my bank and wages and gave myself a nifty budget of 16 million! I signed all of my first team players on a free signing and hence I didn’t need to spend much in that area.
My problem in the transfer market is that after having not much to spend all these years, the asking prices in the range of 10-20 million seem too high to me and I am unwilling to spend money, high money so easily and we missed out or rather didn’t sign a single left winger which we desperately need.
All in all, a very successful transfer window as we begin our march on another Premier League Campaign and try to secure a EURO Cup position.
Chicharito joins UNITED! The little pea is still a very clinical striker and joins with us on a free transfer from Tottenham. He has years of experience of playing in Europe and that will help us consolidate. He provides our young front line, an experienced head.
Prince Vezi:
A regen signed from Portuguese side Rio Ave, I did a lot of ground work to see that he didn’t sign a new contact and signed him on a free last January. Blessed with pace and finishing, he has the making of a world class striker at a tender age of 21. He joins our large and growing South African Contingent.
Sandro:
The ex-Barca is now 24 and has no chance of breaking in the first team but will slot in seamlessly in our team. A well all rounded striker, his comfort with pressing from up front and keeping possession is an added bonus for us. His experience with Barcelona will also help our team and I hope he can stay here for years to come.
Luka Modric:
He is signed with the same logic Schweinsteiger was signed last year but he is albeit not so injury prone. Fresh off leading Croatia in the Euros’ the ex-Tottenham and Madrid star lends us invaluable experience and calm in the midfield.
Kaan Ahyan:
His versatility is his main strength. He can play anywhere in defense plus can play as a midfielder giving us a serious advantage. He, like others has very high experience in playing in Europe which I hope will help us.
ALL OF MY KEY PLAYERS JOIN ON A FREE TRANSFER!
KEY DEPARTURES:
Koen Casteels:
The Belgian was usurped by Kucera and has a low release clause. He refused to sign a new contract and was shipped off to Italy. Although he went for low money, a 50 % sell on clause will ensure some financial gain for us in the future as well.
Florent Cuvellier:
The former captain was destroyed by injuries last season and even before he was a back up at best. I didn’t want him to rot in the reserve side and let him go to a promotion searching Wolves side.
My young Czech prodigy easily usurped Casteels last season and has now become the undisputed number 1 at the ripe age of 19! He is tremendous and can very well be our own David De Gea. Stunning reflexes and brilliant in one on one situation means he is a mid-table team’s paradise and often the difference between points and no points.
Steve Mandana:
The Marseille and France Stalwart has been signed as a back up and Tutor to our young goalkeepers. He has agreed to sign on as a Player/Coach and I am hoping that his experience will be asset to our dressing room.
Position Rating : 4/5
Depth : 3/5
FULL-BACKS: Callum Chambers:
A solid full back who is perhaps not as much attacking as Silvestri but more defensively assured. He has formed a solid partnership with Lennon and will be a main stay in our backline for the next few years. Lorenzo De Silvestri:
He was wanted by various clubs but I simply couldn’t let such an experienced player leave. A natural attacking full back, he will be used sparingly when Chambers needs rest. Jay Dasilva:
The recently crowned English International now fights with Shaw to be the England No. 1 as he has grown leaps and bounds since he joined initially. He has become more solid defensively without losing his potency in attack. He is right now one of the first names on the sheets.
Jakub Havel:
The Czech republic has been signed as a young back up for Dasilve and potentially challenge him. A more defense minded player, he will undoubtedly be a solid addition to our team. He can also play left midfield which gives us more depth in the position.
Position Rating: 4.5/5
Depth : 4/5
CENTRAL DEFENDERS: Paddy McNair:
The ex-Manchester United starlet had Chelsea sniffing from him in pre-season and got himself a pay rise and a raise in his minimum clause at bay. A quiet, no fuss central defenders, he can give you solid performances consistently. A main stay and leader of our defense.
Kaan Ayhan:
The ex-Schalke man is more of a utility man but fits in seamlessly in each position be it defense or midfield. A bulky player who can uses his strength brilliantly; he is slightly rash and can cost the team a player at time. A solid but unlike McNair an inconsistent player.
Jabulani Mahlangu:
The South African is still settling in the squad and the language barrier is posing a problem as he is prone to some ridiculous communication gaffes. He is young though and I see him and McNair as my main defensive pairing unless of course we sign someone World Class. Roger Bishop:
Another South African who has been kept out of the side due to form of other players. He can play both Centre and Right but he needs to be patient if he wants to break into a solid team.
Florian Baak:
He was one of the first names on the sheet last year but injury and form of other players has seen him fall down the pecking order. He is still a solid versatile player and unless he complains, he will continue to be used as a rotation player.
Position Rating : 4/5
Depth : 5/5
CENTRAL MIDFIELD – DEFEND: Sergi Samper:
The Ex-Barcelona starlet will never be a ball winner but he is very impressive at pulling strings from deep. He has an arsenal of passes and can spot runs very early, if he can stock up a bit, he will be my first choice for one of the midfield position.
Masuluke Diamini:
Another South African who will have to be patient to break into the team. He has got all the skills to be a very good ball winning midfielder but he is just behind in the pecking order.
Raman Chibsah:
A stalwart for 2 years, injuries have ruined the last year for him and is struggling to regain his place. A solid and strong midfielder with a good long shot, he will be rotated in once in a while to prove his stake for first team.
Position Rating : 3.5/5
Depth : 4/5
CENTRAL MIDFIELD – ATTACK:
Hany Mukhtar:
Our best attacking outlet and top midfielder, he is shunted between centre and left side due to lack of options on left. He is a work horse and never gives up which combined with a decent cross and speed makes him a perfect winger. We had to reject bids from Barcelona and Bayern for him this season. He got a huge raise to convince him to stay and will be a Key Player this season. Andres Pereira:
He can be a genius with the ball but his light frame and inconsistent performances have so far stopped him from becoming first choice. An exquisite free kick, vast array of passing range and knowledge of English Football makes him a necessary addition to the squad, whether he can be a key player or not is up to him.
Luka Modric:
He could play as elegantly in a Suit as he does in shorts. A class player and someone who has been there at the top for more than a decade, he can prove to be a calming head for our midfield as we continue to grow from a fledgling club to a consistent player in Europe.
Position Rating: 4.5/5
Depth : 4.5/5
WINGERS:
Aaron Lennon:
The Winger surprised me with his performances last season and I will be looking for him to lead again amid lack of options. He has lost a bit of space but is still quite pacy and his intelligent shines out. HE will be one of our KEY PLAYERS this season.
Lee Porter:
The Academy graduate will stay around the First Team and learn from Lennon as one of the HG players at the club. He is still not good enough for Premier League and may go out on loan later on in the season.
Rolando Aarons:
A talented but inconsistent player, he is capable of outrageous skills and sheer stupidity. A player in the ilk of Nani, I doubt he will reach the level he was touted to be. Our only natural left winger.
Position Rating : 2.5/5
Depth : 2/5
STRIKERS:
Sandro:
The ex-Barca player will be the leader of the attack as he enters his first season for the club. He is a jack of all trades and can play either the lead striker or the second striker. His main job will be to guide his younger strike partner be it Vezi or Gill. Prince Vezi:
An explosive African striker, his pace and stats remind me of Aubmeyang. He had a decent scoring record for Rio Ave and can develop into one of the worlds best at Oxford.
Shadab Gill:
Our Lead goal scorer last year returns for one more season and help us in our European Adventure. It is fitting that the man who lead us to Europe plays a part in our European Journey. He is fourth choice this time but can prove to be a solid player off the bench.
Javier Hernandez:
The Little Pea will be the guiding light for our young team of strikers and will flirt between first choice and assassin of the bench. He has compensated with his loss of pace with footballing nuance and intelligence which will be very important for Europe.
View attachment 175167 A match closer than it seems where clinical finishing was the difference. Sandro gave a pretty good impression of himself in his first league appearance as he scored two quick fire goals to give us an early lead. Crystal Palace tried to rally back in the second half but their poor defending meant we got away and won the match through goals by Aarons and Gill in the end. A good start to the season as we win a 50-50 match!
20/08/2020
View attachment 175166 It was the show of the wingers in Czech Republic as Aarons and Lennon take us a step closer to the group stage. Aarons set up all the three goals while Lennon scored 2 as the English wingers ran riot against a shocked Slovan Liberec. Mukhtars’ stoppage time goal added a bit of a gloss and rewarded our dominance and I believe 3 away goals should be enough to see us through.
23/08/2020
View attachment 175156 Aston Villa come visit us in the middle of a rampant form and are duly dispatched away. Sandro along with Lennon continue their good form while Samper decided to join the party as well at Kassam Stadium. A rare clean sheet is even more pleasing as we go top of the league!
27/08/2020
View attachment 175153 WE DID IT! EURO CUP GROUP STAGE HERE WE COME! Slovan never had a chance as a fully packed Kassam Stadium intimidated the Czech side and they never seemed to be in the game. We failed to hit shots on target but managed to score 4 goals from the 5 we did and that is very good. My only disappointment was our inability to keep a clean sheet! YESSS!!!!
30/08/2020
View attachment 175152 An incredible end to the month as we beat challengers Southampton at St. Mary’s with ease, keeping a clean sheet along the way! Southampton by no means rolled over but again like the Palace match, we finished our chances better! Sandro and Gill have hit it off immediately and have formed a decent partnership as Vezi recovers from the Olympics. A good end to the month!
EURO CUP GROUP STAGE DRAW:
View attachment 175151 Not an impossible group but not an easy one as well. Lyon Dnipro have been playing in Europe since years while playing away in Ukraine will be hard. Our home matches will play a huge role in the group and we have to win those!
MONTH OVERVIEW:
View attachment 175150 We won EVERY SINGLE MATCH IN THE MONTH! I don’t think I could sum it up better as we start the season in blistering form and pace. It seems opponents have not stopped underestimating us!
LEAGUE TABLE:
View attachment 175149 1st in the Table at end of the month! I know it doesn’t count for much but still feels nice to be at the top! I aim to make this a permanent seat in the future.
CLUB DEVELOPMENT:
View attachment 175148 The board agree to increase my Junior Coaching budget and hopefully we can increase the quality of players coming through!
View attachment 175147 We have consistently sold our season tickets to the full and the Board thus agrees to expand our stadium to take it to around 17K. Still a small stadium but it will have to do for now!
IN OTHER NEWS:
View attachment 175146 Chelsea win the Community Shield, taking the title away from City!
View attachment 175144 Sandro becomes the first Oxford player to win the Player of the Month after scoring in all 3 matches in the Month while Lennon comes second. This is EPIC!
View attachment 175143 Shadab Gill sneaks into third place in the young players list as we are rewarded for a dominant start to the season.
View attachment 174826 I will take charge of the Uruguay National Team for the first time since taking over as we are in the midst of the long South American World Cup Qualification. We have till now an indifferent record as we lie 4th a whooping 10 points behind Argentina and 6 behind Brazil. Although we are still in the qualification spots, the point gap is too high for a team with quality such as ours and that is what I aim to correct.
My other problem is that many of my star players are ageing and will be very old by the time the World Cup rolls over, meaning that either have to find and groom replacements to Cavani and Suarez in 2 years or hope that they still have a little something in them so as to help us and give us a shot at the World Cup.
04/09/2020
View attachment 174825 We travel to Bolivia to Estadio Hernando Siles, one of the stadiums in the world situated at high altitude which makes playing hard sometimes and which is the biggest challenge for any team playing in Bolivia. It wasn’t a pretty start as they raced into a lead as early as the 5th minute as I turned away from beloved 4-4-2 for the first time. The more attacking formation made the defense a bit more vulnerable. But soon the attack started firing as we scored 5 past them before they could muster a response and we held on for an important and resounding first win! A nice way to start off my career! A win even more impressive by the fact that Bentaceur got himself a red in the 44th minute!
08/09/2020
View attachment 174823 Columbia are one of the teams who have overtaken us in the recent times and it was time for revenge as we welcome them to Uruguay. The first half was a cagey affair with both teams trying too hard and failing to do much. It was Columbia who took the lead as Murrilo guided in a header to put them 1 up which snapped my players awake. What followed was attacking artistry as the Columbian defenders were toyed with as we put 4 past them with Murrilo helping us equalize! 2 wins from 2 is a very nice start to my career with Uruguay.
View attachment 174821 A totally undeserved win as Middlesborough were the much better team but Hey! I am not complaining! They created 7 Clear Chances to our 1 and were slicing through our defense but just not able to finish or beat Kureca. We took the chances we got and BAM! 3 points! 4 out of 4 now in the League!
17/09/2020
View attachment 174820 Well a definite underwhelming start to our European Campaign as we draw away to PEC Zwolle which are maybe the weakest team in the lot and a match we should have won! Our best player was the one that got sent off and it was a match of defending brilliance and attacking ineptness. A decent point away but I would have loved to start off with a win.
Is this the dreaded European Hangover? We ended the first half on a good note taking the lead just shy of the Half time before they ran all over us in the second half and my team had no response. The running looked labored and players out of breath. Even after going behind, I could muster no response from them as we tried to get behind Swansea and score an equalizer or try for a winner later. I was worried about this when the season started and it seems it is something that I will need to work out.
23/09/2020
View attachment 174813 A match that was too dull, too erratic and full of cringe worthy moments. If people want to go to sleep, this match will help them. Strikers had forgotten to shoot at goal, midfielders to pass and defenders too lax. It was as if all 22 had decided let us not do **** today and then came onto the pitch. A goal from Sandro takes us to the next round with the reward being a trip to Manchester City which will prove a stumbling block in our title defense.
26/09/2020
View attachment 174812 A match which was total opposite of the match with Hull City as there was passion and on your toes moments throughout the match. The fact that ex-United player Hernandez scored in the 90th minute against City was all the more satisfying. The defending was imperious and Chambers added to that brilliant skills and running down the right plank troubling them throughout. A lapse of concentration allowed Chicharito to score a tap in and give us all 3 points today!
MONTH OVERVIEW:
View attachment 174811 We were finally beaten in the league and our European Debut wasn’t great but overall a Solid if not spectacular month. Our small squad is showing the toll of being played too much and the reserve players aren’t just good enough. Lennons’ age is catching up and Porter isn’t good enough yet. I will have to shop for wingers in January if we are to stay in contention in all Competitions.
LEAGUE TABLE:
View attachment 174810 We are surprisingly still top of the league with 5 wins but the chasing packs are catching up! Merely 5 points separate the Top 8 and it is going to be a tight season and only consistent wins will see us in and around the Champions League places.
View attachment 174677 I love my possession based football with Oxford but the scintillating, breath taking football with Uruguay is at whole another level. Endless attack after attack means there is hardly chance for opposition to score. We had 30 shots and 11 on target. While the conversion ratio is very poor, the opposition keeper was always in fear that a shot would come his way! A brilliant 3-1 victory against a tricky Ecuador side.
13/10/2020
View attachment 174676 I wish I had the players in my Oxford team to play such style of football. Suarez was at his best scoring, assisting and terrorizing the opposition till they submit to his brilliance. Gimenez started the scoring before Suarez took over and how! The Captain led by some example as we win out fourth match on the trot and near Argentina and Brazil in the standings. We are not giving up on top spot just yet!
View attachment 174666 Vezi has threatened at occasions but had never before today unleashed himself as he scores a hat trick against Lyon to provide us a priceless win. Lyon weren’t bad but they just couldn’t do anything about Vezi who just ran riot. The defenders performed admirably alongside to give us a clean sheet and our first win in the Group stage!
04/10/2020
View attachment 174665 Oh yes! WE ARE SUFFERING FROM EUROPEAN HANGOVER! Although to be fair Newcastle has a ridiculously strong team and still underperforming. They have the likes of Welbeck, Bernard, Robert Firminho and Cazorla in their side and should be doing much better than they are. And they did so against us. Their defense held us and their attack hit us on counter. We also missed a late penalty which might have given us a chance. We don’t have good penalty takers!
17/10/2020
View attachment 174664 We probably should have taken all the 3 points but the performance was terrific. We were poor in the first half but in the second Pereira, Mukhtar and Lennon were terrific and it took some good defending and poor finishing which held us back. We have started getting better against the traditional big sides and that is a good sign.
Good teams don’t make the same mistake in a month forget the same match. After a brilliant start away from Home, I had started dreaming of a win and ending the month on top of the Europe table but then brain freeze. 3 ball over the top of defense and 3 goals, no offside trap, nothing done by the defenders as they just watched as we lost. A disaster of a match.
25/10/2020
View attachment 174659 Hernandez scores a late goal, now where have I heard this before? That said, we have so far failed to win any match post Euro Cup fixture and it is unnerving. A point at Goodison is never bad but we are better than this and should do better. Our tired players even failed to keep possession in the game and I have decided to splash the cash in January for some reinforcements.
28/10/2020
View attachment 174658 This was absolutely heart breaking as I was all but ready for the penalties. The red card had complicated things but the players were performing brilliantly before a 117th minute goal condemned us to defeat and ended out title defense. We never gave up though and hit the post in the 120th minute but this time it wasn’t to be. Ahyan will sit out a few matches now.
31/10/2020
View attachment 174657This was a robbery! Chelsea were dominant and creative and deserved to win but somehow my team blocked every shot of theirs or they fired askew. We were not creating anything when suddenly Aarons scored an overhead kick and out of absolutely no where we took a lead and somehow managed to maintain it. The month was horrible but this win makes it a little better. I still can’t believe that we managed to win this one.
MONTH OVERVIEW:
View attachment 174656 Apart from the first and last day it was a disaster of a month as we just couldn’t win. The players were tired and the rotation weren’t working out. I need legs in January. Lennon is getting worse day by day and injuries aren’t helping us maintain momentum.
LEAGUE TABLE:
View attachment 174654 Somehow amidst the disaster we still manage to hold onto a 3rd position and in contention for the Champions League places. November will be important and we have to go unbeaten because we are bound to lose matches in the busy December.
View attachment 174653 1 Draw, 1 Win and 1 Loss is what the table says. We have already finished 2 away trips and I am hoping for a home advantage. 2 wins in 2 Home games will take us to 10 points and that is what my aim is!
IN OTHER NEWS:
View attachment 174652 We break our gate receipts record in the match against Lyon! The stadium expansion by next season will see it break many times!
A young Swedish right back signed from under the nose of Tottenham. He has some good potential in him if he can be disciplined and with good match time.
View attachment 174151 It was a tough and tight affair until Ghana scored and the players got fired up then. Suarez immediately gave us the lead from the kick off and from then we went from strength to strength. Our dominance got converted into goals and we eventually ran out 3-1 winners. The score line doesn’t define how hard the match really was and how wonderfully my team performed under pressure.
17/11/2020
View attachment 174150 Our first real test as we travel to the Group leaders Brazil and their Samba team. They have an amazing team of flair players who can pull off outrageous stuff in any moment of the game. In comparison to that I have Martin Caceres, 34 year and Alvero Pereira, 36 as my full backs and they will be up against Neymar and Oscar! FML!
They were all over us from the beginning and only some poor finishing and some good keeping from Muslera kept us in the game at half time. It was the same story again in the second half as they doubled their lead through Malcom. Well, I changed the tactics and switched to my regulation 4-4-2. The results were immediate; we saw more of the ball which led to our first goal from Mayada who had been brilliant since coming on.
Brazil were still very strong on counter but Neymar was having a stinker and we finally managed to equalize in the 87th minute. I also gave debut to 18 year old full back Boniolo who I am grooming for the World Cup! We maintain our unbeaten record although this is the first match that we have failed to win. A brilliant result away from home to Brazil and a strong come back!
We are merely a point off Argentina and 4 points off Brazil with Suarez, Cavani and Caceres leading the Goals and Assists list. Argentina have fallen flat since I took over and I am still aiming to finish top. A few slip ups will be required but all we can do is concentrate on our job!
View attachment 174148 We welcome Dnipro in a must win match for us if we intend to stay in the competition and we started brilliantly with Aarons fresh off his stunning goal against Chelsea grabbing us a goal. We did not break a stride from there on as we easily controlled possession. We didn’t get many shots on target but scored from almost all we did while restricting them to none. A second consecutive 3-0 win at home buoys the team as we get ready to welcome PEC Zwolle next and enhance our bid to qualify.
It ended up being harder than I expected but we somehow manage to grab ourselves a victory as Shadab Gill discovers some of his old form! Brentford were sitting back very well and were very tight before Vezi grabbed us a goal and suddenly they started hitting us on counter and got an equalizer. I had settled in for a draw when Gill expertly beat two players and scored a goal to clinch 3 points for us!
21/11/2020
View attachment 174146 Nothing like a good old fashion Jekyll and Hyde performance on your birthday! The players had me jumping in joy in the first half and squirming in nerves in the second. We eventually managed to hold on for a win but I had to unfortunately tell them off on my birthday before taking them out for a treat! On some days, 3 points is all that matter.
26/11/2020
View attachment 174145 We could go top if we win and we did! Another 3-0 at home and this time it’s the master and apprentice as Vezi and Hernandez run the show. Hernandez revived memories of old while Vezi created some pretty tasteful ones. We will not only qualify but top our group if we manage to at least equal the result of Dnipro on the last game day when we travel to Lyon! This feels good!
29/11/2020
View attachment 174144 A very disappointing result against bottom placed Watford as we fail to seal a perfect month. We failed to capitalize on an early lead and our strikers couldn’t muster much after that. An away draw would have been acceptable but it is absolute disgrace at home!
MONTH OVERVIEW:
View attachment 174143 Almost a perfect month as we recover from a disastrous October. We have nearly qualified for the knockouts in Europe while we have been slightly underwhelming in the league. We need to be more ruthless in order to invoke fear in the opponents.
LEAGUE TABLE:
View attachment 174142 2ND in the League in our second Season is not something I expected in wild dreams but here we are. It speaks much that I am disappointed to be 6 points off the top. The lack of presence in the top players’ stats indicate our teamwork yet again!
P.S: I forgot the Europe table :/
IN OTHER NEWS:
View attachment 174141 An increase in funds! This is a first! We will get more money if I change my season goals and I am looking to heavily invest in January!
View attachment 174140 Finally! Bentaceur gets his Work Permit! I will probably let him stay at Granada for the season but he will be an important Cog next season!
View attachment 174139 Mourinho fired by Man City! It’s sad that I am not even mentioned as favorites in this or any other Job race even after my amazing work with Oxford, Czech Republic and Uruguay.
Sorry for the lack of updates but Over achievement is a stressful job and I needed a few days to cool off lest I destroy my own team in frustration, I will update in a day or so mostly
View attachment 172290 It was a tight match but we managed to get a point at one of the premier stadiums in Europe and that is satisfactory for me. This means that we still haven’t won an away match in Europe and that will have to change especially if we are to progress further AS WE TOP THE GROUP! Our home form takes us through! Vezi has been brilliant for us in the group stages and again scored the goal for us! TIME FOR KNOCKOUTS!
06/12/2020
View attachment 172289 A brilliant, scintillating and beautiful win when we consider that this was our second away match on trot and our previous match was in France! Vezi continues his good form as he takes the match ball home and we continue our challenge for the Top-4 and maybe the top spot going! Consistency is what we need now
13/12/2020
View attachment 172288 It is in matches like these that I realize the importance of a classic playmaker as Mata again weaves his magic against our team. Two perfectly laid pass for two brilliant finishers condemn us to defeat after we took the lead and closes the gap we had over Manchester United. We have to start winning in these fixtures if we want to finish top 4.
19/12/2020
View attachment 172286 Four matches in a row now for Vezi as he helps us gain another 3 points in a match where I am still wondering how we scored only one. We are generally poor away from home and would have conceded a goal in any other match but somehow we held on here. A good defensive performance but poor in attack, when will both click?
We dominated for whole but 2 minutes in which they scored 2 goals. School boy mistakes by the defense gifted them those goals and we couldn’t find the net on the other hand. The loss against Manchester United was acceptable but this isn’t. Much worse though was this news…
View attachment 172282 CONSISTENCY! That is what we lack. We lack consistency in winning as well as losing! After a poor performance against Liverpool we produce a brilliant team performance to defeat the league leaders as we continue our Christmas dominance over the team from London. A hard fought and gritty win is a good Boxing day!
29/12/2020
View attachment 172281 A surprising fixture as we faced Cardiff in the F.A. Cup third round in December itself. Only a handful team played along with us which is a first for me. Cardiff opened the scoring but we turned it around after a red card for the home team and went on to dominate the match. A good win and onto the next round!
MONTH OVERVIEW:
View attachment 172280 A good month overall but every defeat rankles me and so did the defeat against Manchester United and Liverpool. Our form away has been patchy and we have started struggling against team that is sitting back. I think we might have to re think our tactics or something in order to improve on that. Our defeat of Arsenal was impressive and so was the draw against Lyon as we head into the New Year with heads held high!
LEAGUE TABLE:
View attachment 172276 3RD behind Southampton but way off Arsenal, the fight for the 4th will be a tight affair with Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham also in the mix. We will have to play out of our skins (which we have been doing since I started here) to juggle League, Euro Cup and the F.A. Cup. The next few months are going to be testing!
View attachment 172275 Top of the table in Europe! I am so proud of the boys as the group wasn’t easy but we remained competitive away and scary at home to sweep the group! Note our Goal Difference and that of others!
CLUB DEVELOPMENT:
View attachment 172274 Our youth and training facilities get upgraded as we continue our ascent towards becoming a top club. Even if I leave someday I want the club to be a place where players want to go and that will only be achieved by better facilities!
IN OTHER NEWS:
View attachment 172273 I had forgotten for November but Havel and Gill make it in the Top 3!
View attachment 172269 A difficult fixture as we draw BMG in the Euro Cup. We avoided the harder draw by finishing 1st but the German team will test us.
BTW, All English teams qualified for the Knockouts! Crystal Palace face Belgian Club Brugge while Liverpool face Benfica!
View attachment 172268 If we manage to defeat BMG, we get FCP or Zenit as reward! BRILLIANT!
View attachment 172242 It's that man Messi again as he is still going strong and winning it! Rodriguez and Mueller round up top 3 while Ronaldo drops off!
View attachment 172225 The year was amazing as far as the matches we played were concerned as we were unbeaten since I took over in August and ended the year with a brilliant fight back against Brazil. I was able to instill an attacking philosophy in the team and they adapted to that well with Cavani impressing in particular along with Caceres. Suarez turned a creator while Jonathan Rodriguez also impressed as a striker. What pleased me was the amount of goals we scored which increased our Goal Difference. We also managed to climb in the Top 3 of the World Ranking and ended it on the Number 3 position which is something which makes me very happy.
TEAM OF THE YEAR:
View attachment 172224 I have no clue why they chose a flat 4-4-2 because I prefer an attacking 4-2-4 to be honest! They chose 3 winger in the midfield which is questionable and while I agree with the players in general they just don’t fit the tactic and would lose easily due to being played out of position. Olaza performed decently at left back and should have been selected there. They needlessly fill square pegs in round hole. The spokesperson that is!
It’s a tossup between Cavani and Caceres but I will go with Caceres as to be honest I didn’t expect him to perform at all and he has surprised me with his energy, enterprise and creativity at the age of 34. He shackled Neymar in the Brazil match and has been generally solid at the right. It is worrying though that he is 34 and might be retired by the time the World Cup arrives in 2022.
THE ROAD AHEAD:
A fantastic year where we have almost sealed our World Cup place and now I have to worry about replacing my stalwarts or at least grooming young players who can eventually replace them and can act as under study for now. I need 2 full backs and potentially a striker lest something happen to Suarez or Cavani. These are the boys I have identified:
Damian Boniolo:
View attachment 172222 A versatile full-back, I hope he can be a good under study and possibly take over Olaza by the end of next year. He can be a solid wing back and with some game time be a permanent presence at the left for years!
Gonzalo Otegui:
View attachment 172221 The Atletico Madrid player is on his way to become a brilliant midfielder. He has very good technical and mental skills and while still a little under whelming physically, that can be worked out. He will be our midfield lynch pin.
Felipe Reyes:
View attachment 172220 The successor to Godin or to be honest the player who is keeping Godin out. The Barcelona player has the perfect attributes for a defender. Solid physical stats, amazing mental ones and excellent technical attributes makes him a beast!
