A SWARM OF BEES - Brentford FC.

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A Swarm Of Bees - The Beginning (EP 1)

Just started my first FM20 journey and it's with Brentford FC.
This my first post here and I'm new to this so hope that you're gonna enjoy this.



On every Football Manager I've played, I always like to start with a championship side and try to make it powerful contender for the Premiership title (Had pretty decent saves with Sheffield United & Watford through the years.)

Also a few words about my playing style - I really try to keep it realistic as much as I can. This mean - I don't try to sign the wonderkids that are in every youtube video, never have used some other person's tactics. Also at the beginning of the game I really don't make many transfers as you should deal with what you've got.



Why I chose them?
This year I chose Brentford because I really was amused of the strategy of the club in real life as they ditched their academy because of the big teams in PL which took the good young players. They decided to change their recruitment process by scrapping the academy and simply bringing in kids released from Prem teams aged between 17-20 years old and also scouring the world for bargains. Basically - their U23 team doesn't play in the league, they play only friendlies. Their affiliate clubs are Man City (which will fall through if we make it in the PL) and FC Midtjylland (as they have the same owner). In the team there is a big amount of danish/scandinavian players and staff. Also their owner is a professional gambler.

Also the club never won many trophies - 1 time Championship, 1 time League One and 3 times League Two. Also it has only 5 seasons in the top division of English football. So it will be fun becoming legendary manager for this club.


Expectations




The expectations were pretty high as I should reach minimum play-offs this year and win promotion in the next one. (Hope I do it at first attempt) The cups are just a bonus for now. The club culture is interesting as we don't like signing players older than 31. One missing club culture from real life will be signing scandinavian players.

Pre-Season
I didn't know anything about the players before starting the game, just heard about the transfer of Pontus Jannson wast summer, On the first view - there were a couple of names that I've heard, nothing more.

I took Brentford in the beginning of July. As I said I don't like bringing too many new people in the game as you start with the transfers from the summer, also you've got the winter transfers (as I'm started playing in May). Also this makes the game more challenging. The only player I got in the summer transfer was Andre Gray from Watford until the next transfer window.


I brought three really promising players from the U23 to the first team so I'm comfortable with the squad depth - Luka Racic (DC), Dominic Thompson (DL) & Jan Zamburek (MC, AML).




The Pre-Season went great, win all my matches, however never encountered teams on my level. After the 4 matches I pretty much know which players will go straight into my starting XI, however there were some doubts. Upfront I have a lot of talented guys and struggled to find which players to use. I'll try to play the most inform player available.

So these were the players I thought will be my key players for the rest of the season.

I was really unsure who to play up-front, that is way I brought Andre Gray however Emiliano Marcondes scored 6 goals (3 from pens) in these four matches so I was impressed.

Key Players


Pontus Jansson


As I said one of the few players I really knew. Captain and with great stats he looks like my big star for now. Came from one of our biggest rivals from promotion - Leeds. Really like him IRL too as he is complete shithousery - arguing with officials, making absurd tackles to opponents & etc.




Mathias Jensen


When I first looked at the roster of Brentford this was the guy that stood from the rest. Another new guy that came from Celta Vigo for just €3.8 mil. Hope that he contributes as much as I wish in these early stages.




Said Benrahma


I have a lot of talented player fighting for the attacking positions however Said looks like the guy who the Premier League sides will come after. I'll try to keep him as much as possible.



Tactics


This was my tactic in the beginning, of course for different matches I changed some small things or positions. When I play weaker sides - I'm trying 4-3-2-1. Also sometimes I'm playing the 3 in the middle in one line. Also changing the roles for the wide attackers as I'm trying to find out which is best for the players I have. As I said I have really big variety of attacking players.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy it.
Soon - the first matches.
 
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A Swarm Of Bees - First Battles (EP 2)

August was a busy month.






The first match day was close, I made some board requirements about the training ground and the youth facilities (which both are below average) all rejected by the board. Also got a couple of better coaches and other staff so I can be competitive to the other teams fighting for promotion.

There are 5-6 teams in the Championship which can make our live harder in the first season. This core of five six teams will battle for the first two spots. Of course the biggest favorite to win the league is Leeds, also West Brom, Swansea, Derby, Fulham & Preston have strong teams with deep benches and I hope we can squeeze in the places for promotion. Also there are some fallen giants which can trouble us as Boro, Blackburn, Stoke.


Coming to the first game we had a couple of non-fit players as they came late in the pre-season or had minor injuries. However there were no long term absents.

Boro vs. Brentford


So our first match was away game at Riverside Stadium. They took the lead with a quick counter after one of my corners. Of course Emiliano Marcondes who scored 3 penalties in the pre-season, now in the 29' missed the penalty kick. (Murphy's law). However the dutch player made up to when he scored before the half time. The match was our to win and we had so many chances yet we didn't manage to score. With 2 shots on target the home side fought for the draw.



Brentford vs. Blackburn


The first game at our home stadium saw us demolishing Blackburn (which won their first match with 4-0). This time Marcondes scored the penalty and we close the game in the first half with two more goals. Said got his first goal for the season, Ethan Pinnock was impressive in our defense picking the MOTM. Also our youngester Dru Yearwood got one goal.

Next we had a trip in the Carabao Cup against Walsall.

Walsall vs. Brentford


I rotated the most of the squad and yet again we picked up big win, of course against weaker side. Andre Gray got his first goal for the club in the dominating win and Josh Dasilva continued to impress me by scoring one and picking the MOTM. The goal of Mokotjo was a 30 meter screamer and will be one of the contenders for the goal of the year for sure. In the next round we've got Aston Villa at home.

Next we went to the windy Britania stadium.

Stoke vs. Brentford


Another great performance as almost all of my players were flying through the field. Mathias Jensen was phenomenal picking the MOTM and was orchestrating my game. Our captain also got his first goal for the team, as did Tarique Fosu who also is a new player coming from Oxford.

Our next game is against Huddersfield which were at the bottom at that time.

Brentford vs. Huddersfield


Really impressive stuff. Complete disaster for the away team as we got 3 goals in the first half and 3 in the second. Our main forward Marcondes got 2 from pens and the MOTM. Jensen continued to impress with 1 goal & 1 assist. Our young wing back Mads Roerslev got 2 assist. (This guy looks promising).

Brentford vs. Millwall


Another home match against a weaker side as Millwall was at the bottom of the table. For the second time in a row we played in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Marcondes stepping back at AMC and Walkins taking the place upfront. This time the win came a lot harder but Ollie got us the lead. Rico Henry our LB got the MOTM by clean sheet & 1 assist.

Our heavy schedule continue with the home game against Villa in Carabao Cup.

Brentford vs. Aston Villa


Our third straight game at home. This time we rotated some of the key players as the cup is not my priority and switched back to a defensive formation, playing on counter attack. This is not our style, however we managed to get some chances. Then came the last minutes and Villa increased their dominance and got the winning goal. Our first lost. However I'm not disappointed, we fought well and this cup is not our target. Our next match is in 3 days against one of the top teams - Preston.

Preston vs. Brentford


Great win against a side which is fighting for promotion. The match was closer than it looks. The stats are even for most of the attributes. I've got 2 goals from corners just before half time which really helped me and was hard for Preston to come back. Ethan Pinnock and the whole defense were really good as he picked another MOTM. Our RB got 2 yellow cards & Mathias Jensen was injured in the same match. There is an international matches now, however he won't be available for the next couple of matches.

Key Player
this episode




With 5 goals in 6 matches this has to be the player of the month for me. Mainly playing as advanced forward or AMC. Didn't expect so good performance from him. Hope he continues. Andre Gray doesn't fit well and maybe won't use him. Great performance for the whole defense. Also from Jensen & Josh Dasilva in the centre of the field.

Table



We are on top of the table with great start. 5 wins and 1 draw, however many other teams are just behind us and also are looking impressive. Next month looks a lot better when it comes to the number of games - but we're playing Sheff Wed. & Derby.

Our team



This is our team. (forgot to put it last time). A lot of potential everywhere and for now is too good to believe it will continue thru the whole season but we will see.

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy it.
 
A Swarm of Bees - Flying High (EP 3)
3 games and a surprise.





First I wanna thank all of you for the support and even reading my nerdish ****.


I got into my IRL club strategy and I'm ready to try it as much as I can in the game and this is a list of the things I'll try to include in my style.
  • We don't have an academy so I won't ask for better youth facilities. (I think ingame with Brentford you don't get any good regens, only 1-2 star).
  • I'll try to loan as much players as possible from my second team (U23). I'm not sure should I get Loan Manager for this (never used such thing).
  • I'll try to sign primarily players from lower reputation leagues, less inflated markets, Scandinavian players and not big stars (This will be tough if I make it to the PL).
  • Sing for free younger players released from bigger clubs.
  • Won't sign anyone over 31 years.
Of course if there is a really good deal I won't let it slip.

Sheff Wed vs. Brentford


The game after the international break saw us going away against the 4th team in the league, tough task without two of our main players (Jensen & Dalsgaard). The match started well for us when Rico Henry was brought down so we were awarded a penalty. Marcondes missed once more hitting the side bar. Ollie Watkins got us the lead after a tap in. In the beginning of the second half Sheff Wedd managed to score a header and after it they defended really well. Tried to push them to the limit playing with 2 strikers for 30 minutes, however they got the draw. Good thing was that all of our competitors dropped points so we're 1st with 2 point lead, Sheff Wed were second.

Marcondes was dropped for the next two games with a score of 5.6 for the game.

Brentford vs. Derby


Coming to this match we were down to bare bones in the midfield as we had Jensen & Mokotjo injured and Josh Dasilva suspended for his 5th booking this season. Exceptional stuff from Said Benrahma who got 2 goals, 1 assist and was phenomenal in the match (MOTM). Our yungster Yearwood got another long distance banger. Great month for Norgaard who stepped into the shoes of the main playmaker.


Brentford vs. Birmingham


I though this match will be a lot easier as we faced 20th in the table - Birmingham (they also had a midweek match in Carabao Cup). We dominated thru the whole of the match, however we sealed the win in the last five minutes of the game. Olie Watkins is finding his game as he banged one, Tarique Fosu got one & MOTM, Bryan Mbeumo got 2 assist and Nikos Karelis got his first goal for the club.


End of September Table



Verdict for the month:

I'm really happy with how the things are going. Now we have a gap of 4 points ahead of the 2nd position (and the 4th). However we had pretty easy schedule for now and didn't face the big dogs in the league. Next month will be really important for me to see if we will be able to maintain in the top spots. I got really good players which are hungry for glory and I'm happy with that. Jensen is coming back next month which is also good. There are some players though that don't fit for now and I hope will be more useful in the futre - Sergi Canos, Joel Valencia, Dervisoglu & Andre Gray. The first one got a lot of chances but is yet to have a really good match, the second one has got himself injured for 2 months. Dervisoglu is getting playing time however he is not performing for now. The last one was took as a back up if I don't find goalscorers at my club and I don't really care about him, he is leaving in the winter.

I must find some midfielders in the winter or at least for the next season as I think we're short of them. Used the young Zamburek twice this month because of the injuries & suspensions.
Next month schedule:



Next month starts with two really though away games with the promotion favorites West Brom & Leeds.
Also away game against Fulham. Big month for us and for our hopes of Premier League football next year.
National Team


Forgot to mention it in the beginning of the game but I'm also the head coach of my country - Bulgaria. Our biggest accomplishment is the 4th place in the 1994 World Cup.
However our last appearance at a big forum was at Euro 2004 which is 16 years ago. Our domestic football is in crisis, we don't have many talanted players and we are in a swamp from over a decade.
I'll try to swim out of it but it will be really tough task (I try it every manager and almost never succeed) Our main target is to qualify for big forum. No matter how. We're going to play counter attacking style as we don't have the quality for possession game. Also removed all the brazilians used from the coaches before me as this is not right for me.

We don't have any players in the big leagues in Europe.
Kiril Despodov (AMLR) is owned by Cagliari, however he's loaned in the Austrian Bundesliga.
We have 2 players in the Serie B, Kraev plays in Liga NOS and all other players are from the domestic championship, Russia/Turkey's leagues or balkan championships.
In my save Anton Nedyalkov (LB) was bought by Brigthon in the first trasnfer windows.


We're in a tough group alongside England, Czech Republic, Montenegro & Kosovo.
We're starting with the only 1 point from 3 matches (0-0 vs. Kosovo) and not much chance at making it at Euro 2020 2021.

Bulgaria vs. Montenegro


We've got our FIRST WIN! Really scrappy match, almost no chances for both team.
Lucky rebound got us the win, with our best player Despodov winning the MOTM.

Bulgaria vs. Czech Republic


We played really defensive, however got a few chances. Czechs got the lead just before halftime, but in the end they received second yellow card which I used by changing to really attacking scheme to equalize the score and almost get a win as in extra time our striker missed 1 on 1 versus the keeper. However I'm delighted with the score as we're far from the quality of our opponents.


Table



Thanks again for reading, hope you enjoy it.
 
A Swarm Of Bees - First Cracks (EP 4)

Will we be able to maintain our top spot after 3 away games against the top 3 teams.

CS021_Brentford_v_Blackburn.jpg



We starting the month by winning the Head coach of the Month for September, but this month we be massive four our ambitions. Jensen was no ready to start against West Brom & Leeds. Because of the tough schedule I think that the minimum is 3 wins out of 5 matches (or 9 pts.) so we can maintain in the top spots. Josh Dasilva got new 4 year contract, also we will look to offload some of the player with big wages in the winter and probably should search for a striker.

West Brom vs. Brentford
west%2Bbrom.png

Disaster start of the match for us, as Norgaard loses the possession of the ball in our own box and we're down in 6 minutes. When playing with tougher opponents I always like to have a ball winning midfielder and Mokotjo is perfect for that. He thanked my by equalizing with another long distance banger. The match was even but after the half time we scored 2 set piece goals. The leaders of the team each got one goal. Pontus Jansson (MOTM) and the whole defense were unbreakable when West Brom tried to attack us.
Great win, but another test as we play Leeds in 3 days.

Leeds vs. Brentford
leeds.png

I started with the same eleven as the previous match. We split the halves as each controlled one of them. Nervous match and the first in which we didn't manage to score.
Fosu & Watkins each had excellent chances in the end of the match but were unlucky. I'm happy with the result as Leeds got the best team in the league (with Fulham).
Rico Henry got the MOTM. After these two matches we were first 2 points ahead of Fulham.

Brentford vs. Charlton





Pontus Jansson is MONSTER! Two goals from the centre back (both of them vollies from the edge of the box)! Absolute machine - MOTM! Jensen is back with another assist.
Narrow win with Canos (finally) and Norgaard getting their first goals. Some of the players were rotated because of the upcoming fixure against Fulham.

Fulham vs. Brentford





The local derby between the first two teams in the league! Pure disappointment for the spectators, not many chances for both team. Tarique Fosu missed 2 sitters in the early stages of the match and nothing more. Another scoreless draw, which again indicates we need a striker. However it's good that we keep the gap between us and Fulham. We're still unbeaten in the league even though we played away against the top 3 contenders for the title. POTM was won by Fulham's goalkeeper.

Brentford vs. Bristol City





First time in over a month I gave Emiliano Marcondes a chance to prove himself and again he delivered. 3 missed pens in 8 matches, WTF? He is stripped from taking the pens for now. Honestly Bristol deserved the point, first cracks showing after the long month. First goal for Mbeumo and hopefully he will take the chance of taking Marcondes place. Good thing was that Fulham lost this day so we maintain in the first position.

Player of the Month

PONTUS JANNSON

3 goals and 2 clean sheets in 5 impressive matches.

No question who should win this for October. Our captain is playing very good on constantly. I was't wrong when though that he will be our key player this season. Wins almost every header, tackles with perfection and deserves the plaudits from the fans. He is playing good with both his partners and for now is with untouchable status.

League Table & Verdict


We maintain on the top of the table despite the 3 draws in the month. We took the minimum that I expected - 9 points, but I'm not entirely happy with that. Of course we are still unbeaten and I hope this continues for a long time. The gaps in the top of the table are small and you can be 1st one day and 5th in the next day so we should be careful. I haven't played only 3 teams in top 10 so the next matches should be easier but everything happens.

National team

Our best player - Despodov was injured, also our main goalkeeper (Iliev). We had nothing to lose against England and we're dreaming for 1 point.
The second match is must win for us against Montenegro. We managed to win the first time we met.

Enlgand vs. Bulgaria


We went and parked the bus with 5 at the back against the mighty England. I'm not so devastated as the first goal was from penalty, the second from corner.
Hit the bar just after half time but that was the only clear chance presented to us. Can't blame the players, the opponent is too classy for us. 6 of 6 for England.
Anton Nedyalkov will be suspended for the next match.

Montenegro vs. Bulgaria


Once more we beat our neighbours with 1 goal! Nedelev got the goal and MOTM with brilliant play.
This time we were clearly the better team and we could have scored 1-2 more.
The match is over and what to see - Kosovo had beaten Czech Republic! This means we have equal points. Kosovo is 1 point behind.
I'm really excited that we have A CHANCE. Of course Czechs have 1 match in hand but it's against England, and probably will qualify, but to get this scrappy team to actually having a chance is pleasing. Last match day will be really fun.
Also we're playing the other team that have chance - Kosovo at home.

TABLE



Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy it.

Comments:

Jedd95 - Thanks man, appreciate it!
 
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Going great with Brentford and enjoying the Bulgaria challenge too.

Thinking of taking an international job in my Exeter save to keep it interesting.

Keep it up mate!
 

A Swarm Of Bees - Buzzin' (EP 5)

Alright, alright, alrighty!




We start the month with some takeover rumors, which I hope won't happen.
2 points clear at the top and the most important two months of the season are upon us.



Brentford vs. Luton



Playing the 22-nd in the table Luton went really well. The game often uses this game to slap you in the face with loosing points to weakest teams. However brilliant performance. 2nd straight goal for Mbeumo and again Jensen with 6 key passes, 1 assist and POTM. All of my defenders know how to score goals and Jeanvier show that again. Excellent performance!

Pontus got his 5th yellow card so he won't play away at Hull.


Hull vs. Brentford




****. First half ended 0-0 as we faced another team in the bottom of the table. But WHAT a response! 5 goals by 5 different players! Finally we got a goal from a penalty, another goal for Jeanvier. All of my attacking three (Benrahma - Watkins - Canos) got a goal. And of course the star of my team for me - Jensen! It's funny because the POTM went to Mads Roerslev with 2 assists, who by the way is climbing into the starting XI with each performance. Prospective guy!

Fun fact:
I really enjoy the fact that all of my attackers (6-7 players) which I rotate can score goals and for now every one of them contributes a lot. If someone is having a bad day, there is a player to step into the leading shoes and shows how it's done. Also I really like the idea of changing the positions of the players for each match - for example when starting Mbeumo and Watkins - one time Watkins is striker and Mbeumo is inside forward, the other time I switch them. This also happens with the players on the flanks as most of them are natural at both AMR and AML. Incredible gifted squad!


Brentford vs. QPR



On paper this should have been the toughest match for the month facing 5th placed QPR, buuuuuuuuuut not really. Massive result! Another goal from a defender to start! Great game for Ollie Watkins again - 1 goal, 1 assist and POTM. Mbeumo is finding his game more and more often and first goal for the returning from injury Valencia (who is yet to start a game).


Cardiff vs. Brentford



A quick turn around got us the win in not so convincing manner. BAM, another goal from our defender and Olie Watkins save the day for us. There is no doubt about who is the best player on the pitch - again the almighty Mathias Jensen providing 1 assist and giving 6 key passes and POTM. Our maestro! Didn't expect that the trip to Cardiff will be so tough. They had their chances in the end of the game but we survived and took home all the 3 points!

Fun fact:
This is the 10th goal scored in the Championship by our central defender this season. (Pontus - 5, Pinnock - 3, Jeanvier - 2)


Swansea vs. Brentford



BY GAWD! This guy is truly awesome! Back and forth game with both teams having opportunities, hitting the bar, offside goals - but there was a hero who saved us - Mathias Jensen! The decisive goal, 7 key passes and POTM and winning us the final 5th game for this month! Absolutely incredible! Didn't expect we will win all the matches even tough the schedule was not so hard. Also we're still unbeaten and it's December!


Player of the Month



MATHIAS JENSEN

No doubt who was the main player for us this month. 2 goals, 4 assist and enormous amount of created chances and key passes. He also finishes the month with the highest average rating in the Championship. Great player, don't know if he is so good in real life but he is THE provider for our team. Always there when we need him. Soon the big dogs from the PL will come sniffing around but he should keep him and he should be the one which we build around.

Also great month for Olie Watkins, Mads Roerslev & Mbeumo.
LEAGUE TABLE & VERDICT

WOW! 4 month & 19 matches unbeaten run in the Championship.
Never expected such great start, now we have 4 points gap ahead of the biggest favorites for promotions - Leeds. Next month is crucial and if we succeed to make a bigger distance from the 3rd team which is now 7 points will be perfect!

Some nice talents rose this month as Mads Roerslev has 5 assist from the start of the season as he and Jensen are the top 2 performers in the league, our defense looks rock solid no matter that we used only 3 central defenders for now. We're the team with least conceded goals and with the most goals. Impressive stats and I hope the season continues with the same pace!

National Team
We were in third place with the same points as Czech Republic and Bulgaria has a chance to qualify for a big game forum for the first time since 2004. Of course our opponent has a game in hand and just have to win against England or Montenegro. Both of their games are at home. In the meantime we have to play against the rising team of Kosovo. A must win match for us so we could pray for a miracle.

Bulgaria vs. Kosovo



We did what we had to do! Our favorite result and third win with 1-0. This time the guests helped us with a red card in the beginning of the match. However we struggled to dominate them and only came with a goal from a corner kick. Galabinov got the goal and POTM, but injured himself for 6 month after the match.
Good news came from Prague where England beat Czech Rep. 4-0. We are in second place!

Now we only have to pray that playing for just their pride Montenegro will get something from the really good team of Czech Republic.






OH MY GOD!!!!! I can not believe it! Bulgaria will play at EURO 2020!!! I took the team and was looking to challenge for the next forums in 2022 and 2024 with fresh faces and some young players but this is phenomenal! We're so lucky that we got the right results and gifts from our Balkan neighbours. I'm really proud because we won 3, draw against our main opponent and lost only to England. I can imagine the scenes if this happens in real life. We will be the weakest team of the Euros but you never know!

After qualifying for the Euros, our captain Ivelin Popov retired from international soccer.

Thanks for reading & hope you enjoy it.




Comments:

Jedd95 - Thanks mate! Yes, starting with international team is really fun no matter which country you get and fills the international breaks with playing time!
 



A Swarm Of Bees - High As The Sky (EP 6)





After the brilliant November we start the month at top of the table with 4 points ahead of the 2nd Leeds, and 7 from 3rd Preston! The takeover rumors are getting bigger which is not so cool for me but we need to work with what we have.
I won Manager of the Month, Jensen won Player of the Month and Roerslev won Young Player of the Month!


Brentford vs. Nottingham Forest




First of the six games this busy December was home match against middle table Forest. Narrow win with Sergi Canos being the best on the pitch and leading the team for another win. 2 goals & POTM for him. Valencia got another goal from the bench. Roerslev with 2 more assist! We're looking like the real deal!

Great news as Leeds dropped 2 points against Bristol City.


Reading vs. Brentford




Took the opportunity to rest some of the main players at the away game against the 19th in the table which includes the first game for Luka Racic at centre back. The team got the win pretty easy with Ollie Watkins getting another goal, Pinnock grabbing his 4th goal & POTM. Another great display by my midfielders. No matter who partners Jensen (1 assist this match), they all contribute a lot.

Fun fact:
Ollie Watkins
can do it both! With this goal our player has 9 goals and 6 assist! Also he plays either as Complete Forward, Advanced Forward or Inside Forward!

Brentford vs. Wigan



Important match against the 5th in the league and again we trashed them! Again this guy - JENSEN - 2 goals & POTM! Don't know what to say about him anymore, saving us once again. Also we got our penalty game on point. I made some tactics about the set pieces but had never been so successful. Pontus got his six goal which makes him 2nd best goalscorer (with 2 more player) in our team which is fun.

PS. We're 11 points from the third team in the table!


Barnsley vs. Brentford



We're half way through! Played all 23 teams - NO ONE BEAT US! Big win against bottom team Barnsley with the same result as the previous match! Both Ollie and Mbeumo got 2 goals to their balance and Dalsgaard with 2 assist! Rotated the team because of the important match against Fulham in 3 days. Valencia again injured himself for another month and a half. He need to impress me in the second part of the season or he is leaving! Another draw for Leeds see us 8 points clear at the top!

Fun fact:

Our wing-backs provides us with a lot of assist and not every time are in the spotlight, but I see them (Roerslev - 9, Dalsgaard - 5, Henry - 2, Thompson - 2)

Brentford vs. Fulham


The local derby against Fulham at Boxing Day saw us lose for the first time this season. Didn't have the opportunity to even the game as nothing was working for us this time. Canos got a lucky goal as the ball just rebounded from him. We couldn't beat our opponent for a second time but at least Leeds made another draw this match day. I knew this day was going to come, we were 1 win away to breaking the record for most consecutive wins in Championship.

Luton vs. Brentford


We played Luton not so long time ago and didn't have any troubles. This was the case and this time as Sergi Canos got 1 goal & 1 assist. Ollie Watkins banged another goal and our LB Rico Henry got the POTM with clean sheet and 1 assist. Maybe the perfect opponent for us to respond after the loss. Packed schedule meant that we have to rotate the team because of the upcoming matches.

Another great news coming not from our match as Leeds lost again.

Player of the Month


SERGI CANOS

4 goals & 3 assists for the winger. Great month after not so good performances in the start of the season. Now he established himself as one of the main players in our team. I hope he continues with the great games as Benrahma & Fosu were not in best shape. In the beginning I played him as Inside forward, but now he found his place as winger.

Another great month for Ollie Watkins, who is non-stop scoring, yet he's never won POTM award for us.

LEAGUE TABLE & VERDICT


Great stuff for us as Leeds didn't have good month and we're top of the table with 10 points lead! We must not forget ourselves and don't let it get away. Really strange situation as QPR are second and Hull & Stoke are fighting relegation. Before taking starting this story I was wondering between Brentford and Stoke, maybe I'll try them in the future, also great players to get if the get relegated.

Our second goalkeeper Daniels was transfer listed as we need to offload his wage and also we have 2 great young goalkeepers. We received two offers for Mokotjo (who is our ball winning midfielder) from dutch sides. He doesn't play vital part for us as he is playing mainly when we square off with more creative teams. However the offers were rejected as didn't meet my expectations (they offered 1.6 mil euro as he is valued at 2.8 mil) . However I don't know if I should let him leave (we won't have BWM and we will need some next season). Tough decisions. Gray is leaving after just 6 months, next month will try to find teams for most of our B side so I can copy my club IRL strategy. New signings? Maybe a loan or two if anything good is found.

Next year start with a BANG! Two matches against Leeds, the first one is more important for me and 4 home matches for the month. If we beat Leeds I will be really relaxed, even - will feed them my youngsters for the FA cup so they can be happy.




Thanks for reading & hope you enjoy it.




 


A Swarm Of Bees - Welcome & Farewell (EP 7)
London calling.




10 points clear at the top with upcoming match against Leeds in the first day of the new year! Will be an interesting month as there maybe some transfers coming in or out of the team. I'm not sure if I should bring another forward or give more chances to Karelis. Also I may need some new options in the midfield.

Brentford vs. Leeds



Really important match against our biggest rival for promotion this year. The first half went back and forth with so many chances. They get the lead, then we take over with brace from Watkins inside 3 minutes, only to receive goal from set piece in the extra time of the first half. Entertaining match, we dominated thru most of it, however it was a draw. For me it's a good result, also QPR lost and so the gap stayed 10 points. POTM for Ollie, who showed why he is fan favorite!

We play them again in 3 days in FA Cup, but I will mainly use guys who don't get so much play time.

Also accepted 1.3 mil offer for Mokotjo from Montreal Impact as he didn't want to continue his contract with us.

Brentford vs. Leeds


Leeds went with the same starting XI as the match 3 days ago with full power, I used some of my reserves and wow, just wow. I needed this result in the other match, I'm not complaining though. Ollie punished them again, goal from penalty and first goal for our youngster Marcus Forss, great job. POTM went to our biggest chance creator - Christian Norgaard. If I could choose would swap the two results.

Aaaaaaaaand we get Chelsea away in the FA fourth round draw.

BREAKING NEWS!


WHAT!?! After just winning Player of the Month award the Spanish winger is out of Griffin Park. I first received an offer for €8 mil. but it was not enough and rejected it, but when The Magpies came with €14 million offer I could not reject. Canos was vital part of our team, however our philosophy is to make money out of the players and don't let nobody get bigger than the club. Tough decision, but it is what it is. He came at Brentford just for 3.1 mil. and now goes for over 4 times this amount. Good business and we will have to go into the market for a replacement.

I liked the guy but the offer was too good, also don't think our game will suffer from missing this guy, hope I'm right. 60% of the sum went into our budget for transfers.

Newcastle are in a tough relegation battle and will need Canos to help them. By the end of the month he had scored once.

Blackburn vs. Brentford



Our first match without the usual 3 way partnership in our attack recently (Mbeumo - Watkins - Canos). Said Benrahma is capable player who I'm sure will step into the shoes and even be better than Canos as he will be the main man to replace him. I like his style a lot but he is not providing as much as I want for now. Good win without any nerves. 2 goal lead in the first half after another penalty (we get a lot of pens this season as my guys are too quick for the Championship defenders). Mbeumo with a goal and POTM.

Leeds made another mistake and now they are far behind us.

BREAKING NEWS!


Brentford once again used their clever approach in the transfer market as they snap up
NICLAS ELIASSON (AMR/AML) from Bristol City for just €2.8 mil. At just 24, the Swedish winger had only 6 months until his contract is finished and Brentford used it to their advantage. The club once again fulfill their trademark to sign young Scandinavians (as this one is not the usual tall blonde guy) and not giving a lot of money for transfers.

Another pacey winger (Valencia, Fosu) , who can fit my style of play.

Brentford vs. Middlesbrough



Oh my god! Boro got one up with maybe the best goal I've seen on this FM as Friend scored a volley from the edge of the box into the far corner. As the first match with them (1-1) it was great battle with both team having a lot of chances but WHAT A DEBUT! Eliasson went in play for the last 25 minutes but I wasn't expecting this kind of stuff! The fans went mad at the 89 minute as the new kid in town scores the winner! Amazing! Mbeumo with goal & assist.

BREAKING NEWS!


Brentford agree personal terms with TONI MOYA (MC). The Spanish youngster didn't want to extend his contract with Atletico Madrid as he played only 2 matches for the main team and from the summer will defend the same colors but for different team - Brentford! The playmaker's transfer was surprise for everyone as the English club once again were the quickest team to respond after the rejection from Toni. He will join the club in July.

Using the strategy from real life - get the rejects from the big clubs who have great potential.

Brentford vs. Stoke



Playing against the 22nd team in the table, they also have a new manager (Aitor Karanka). The away team defended really well for the first half and was hard for our players with no space left for their runs. However Christian Norgaard gave us the lead with great long-distance goal (also won POTM). They equalized with only their second shot on target, but only after 5 minutes Bryan Mbeumo put us ahead an I though we've won it. However in the 88' we received a cold shower and there was no time for a response. Not the best result, but this things happens.

QPR & Leeds both lost so 1 more point for me!

As I wanted we offloaded our second goalkeeper Luke Daniels to Derby for €600k (main reason was his wage and he only played once for us) and promoted one of our younger keepers to the first team.

Next we went to Stamford Bridge and I was expecting a slaughtering so I used most of the guys who don't get so many minutes just to keep them in-form

Chelsea vs. Brentford



Ugh, didn't expect that. Great defensive play by our side as Chelsea played with their best XI. Of course the match was not typical for us and we used only counter attacks. In the end of the first half David Raya saved a penalty kick from Abraham. For the rest of the match we got 1-2 chances, Chelsea didn't manage to break our defense too. Great display by Pontus Jansson & Jeanvier. We get one more match with them (by the way Chelsea are top of Premier League) but I'm not sure if this is good for us as the schedule is already packed.



 


BREAKING NEWS!


Ethan Pinnock injured himself for a month and I could not risk playing with just 3 defenders (Racic played only 1 game for us) so I used the partnership with Manchester City (which will fall through if we go up in the PL) and snapped up ERIC GARCIA for 6 months. Really great talent.


Player of the Month


BRYAN MBEUMO

3 goals & 2 assists for the attacker. He established himself as the big part of our team as he has great partnership with Ollie Watkins (who again performed well for another month). I'm using Mbeumo as both left winger or striker. He is showing great potential and hopefully he can live up to it. Also he won the Young Player of the Month for Championship.

Great month for Christian Norgaard with two really great games for him, also all of our defense again was on top level!

LEAGUE TABLE & VERDICT



Another month in which we make the gap bigger and bigger. 12 points clear from the QPR and 16 from West Brom & Leeds. It's interesting that every time we make a mistake our opponents also drop points. The next month we will have 8 games (7 in Championship and 1 for the FA Cup). If we manage again not to loose I think we will be okay and can start preparing for the life in the Premier League.

Also I changed some of the staff - mainly in the scout division and getting new training schedule. Will need better coaches if we want to develop our players.

As I said - trying to keep it the same as the team strategy in real life. I put all my B side available for loan and this is what happened. I'm happy with the result and this is how I'll develop my younger players. Many of them will be playing at low quality leagues but all of them are at least regular starters (except the goalkeepers). Fun stuff but again maybe I should get a Loan manager to do this stuff in the next windows, any recommendations if someone had used one?




The Deadline day came and we have enough money in the bank but we're going to use them wisely and not buying just to bring someone in. I really like some guys playing in the rivals team in Championship as Ben Pearson & Alan Browne from Preston, Lewis Wing from Boro, Matt Grimes from Swansea but they all were not something that we can afford and also against our transfer policy. We should be the ultimate opportunists in the market for now. Also some prospective guys from League One were on our radar but again they will cost us more than €10 mil. and our record signing is Mbeumo for €6.5 mil.

BREAKING NEWS!



SEAN RAGGETT (DC) was recruited as we are short for central defenders. He was owned by Norwich, however played at Portsmouth and was having really good season fighting for promotion. The main thing because I got him (beside his stats) was the price. Only €500k. for a decent physical defender. Again his contract was coming to an end in the summer and wasn't approached by his team so we took the chance.

I was wondering about getting new striker and the unhappy Kamara from Fulham was an interesting option, however decided not to send an offer and give chance to Karelis & Fross.

BREAKING NEWS!


We needed a midfielder and got one just 1 hour before the market was closed - PEDRO CHIRIVELLA (DMC, MC) is coming from the hottest team in England - Liverpool! Another great pull from our scouts as we get him for just €1.7 mil. because of his contract ending in the summer. Getting from the rich and develop the players by getting them chances for first team football.

We have some players that will try to sign before the summer as the bank is half full and I will use the funds for wages. We will see what happens.

This is how the new players look in game:








Thanks for reading once again & hope you enjoy it.​
 

A Swarm Of Bees - Troubles In Paradise (EP 8)




Starting with 12 point lead to QPR, but we have 8 matches this month and hopefully won't struggle. Great chances for players who don't play a lot of minutes to contribute for the team. Rematch versus Chelsea and a derby against QPR. I think in the end of the month it will be a lot more clear if we should start packing for the Premier League or we will have to wait

Millwall vs. Brentford



I don't know how the ball didn't go into the net of Millwall. Heroic game for their defense and goalkeeper as they faced 17 shots but not one of them was successful. Second draw in a row in Championship (and again versus a team in the bottom of the table), third straight draw and second goalless one. I think in both matches our opponents were lucky and our form is still good. Mathias Jensen wins POTM but this was not enough.

It's time for the rematch with Chelsea and again I'll give a chance to the players with less minutes and will rotate the squad.

Brentford vs. Chelsea



WOOOOOW! What a result! Pedro Chirivella gets his debut and what a debut with scoring the important equalizing goal and winning POTM award! Another great defensive game for us! We didn't use some of our best player at all (Pontus, Watkins, Benrahma). Absolute madness! Our young defender Luka Racic was the hero for us as he scored the first goal of the game and the LAST penalty! We din't miss any of the penalty kicks as Fosu, Marcondes, Dasilva, Dalgaard & Racic all scored. Kante missed for Chelsea! Great win and third match against a PL team that we played as equals (0-1 vs Villa, 0-0 vs Chelsea).

Bad thing is that our LB Dominick Thompson was injured and will miss 1 month at least, so we are with only one option at left back.

No luck with the draw though as we get home game against Manchester United in the beginning of March.

Brentford vs. Preston



Tough game against the 5th in the table Preston. The leading goalscorer in Championship Scott Sinclair gave them the lead. We didn't have the best game however our leaders Jensen (assist) and Watkins (goal) make sure that we don't get the L. We had some chances in the end but their keeper saves them. 3rd straight draw in the league and we're officially in a some kind of swamp or bad luck.
22 shots for us, 2 for them but the score is 1-1.

However QPR lost to Leeds so we're again 11 points clear at the top, but we should be very careful.


Huddersfield vs. Brentford



Finally we come back to the winning way! All my 3 new signings were given chance to play in the game even as reserves. Great game by Josh Dasilva who put us in front. Rico Henry is absolute class through the whole of the season as he gets 1 goal, 1 assist and was brought down for the penalty, and also winning POTM. Second goal in second game for Chirivella! Also our opponents are falling one by one. Again most of the pursuing teams lose points and are making life easy for us.

Brentford vs. Reading



Of course this will happen. Reading haven't won for seven games and were close to doing that against me. Although we played with 10 man for more than a half we were the better team and should feel sorry for not grabbing the 3 points. Another great display by Rico Henry who made 1 assist and Mbeumo got us the goal & POTM. No luck for us and this month looks more and more like a failure. Also this shows how we NEED a striker. When Ollie is not performing I could not trust Karelis (who haven scored for years now) and Forss is too young.

We have 2 really tough away games against the 5th Wigan and the 2nd QPR.

BREAKING NEWS!


We are building it for the future! Another great talent signed contract with Brentford. CHRISTIAN FRUCHTL (GK) is ready for the next step in his career as he is leaving Bayern Munich in hope of more playing time. He is often compared as the next Manuel Neuer. The bees snap him for just €375k. in a two year deal.


 

Wigan vs. Brentford



Another unlucky result for us and our second loss. Everything was going well for the Brentford although their captain Pontus Jansson was not playing and Eric Garcia had his debut for the reds. Just for 4 minutes we received 2 set piece goals. Again we were the better team with Wigan had only 4 shots, but we lose. Again the good news are not from the stadium that we play but from the QPR stadium where they lost also and so in just 3 days we're playing them in a really important match.

QPR vs. Brentford



Ugh WHAT!? All the goals that we didn't score in the past weeks went into QPR's net. Fantastic by all my players, JANSSON WITH A HATTRICK, he is central defender, but also a GOD. Of course he won POTM. Jensen with only 4 assist to his name. Mbeumo with a goal & 2 assist. And this was supposed to be not only local derby, but they challenging me for the first place.

Basically we went there, drank their beer and buried their whole team. LOL! I was nervous before this match but not anymore. SUPERB result!


Brentford vs. Cardiff



Easy win with goals from Watkins, Jeanvier and Chirivella (beautiful strike) to get the win. Fosu missed a penalty in the final minutes. Roerslav get the POTM with great display and an assist. So we finish the month a lot better than we started it. 10 games to go!

Meanwhile Chelsea won the Carabao Cup.


Player of the Month


RICO HENRY

Absolute rock through the whole of the season, but this month he was the best in the team with 2 goals, 2 assists & average rating of 7.64. Not too bad for a left back, right! He is one of our most important players. Also has a great potential ahead of him.

Great month also for Pontus Jansson (because of his hattrick), Bryan Mbeumo (2 goals, 3 assists) and one of the new boys - Pedro Chirivella (3 goals, 1 assist).

Don't forget Mathias Jansen with his 6 assist this month!

LEAGUE TABLE & VERDICT



With the results we've got I think we're lucky for making the gap bigger. Our chasers didn't have the best of luck and we're 15 points clear at the top! Really hope that Leeds find a way to finish second or win at least in the play offs. Won't say that this month is a failure, however there is always room for improvement. The win over Chelsea will be forever in our fans hearts, also the demolishing of QPR is another great memory from this month. Hopefully we can win the 4 upcoming matches in March and party all April & May, before the Euro 2020.

We've got ourselves pretty nice goalkeeper for no money and probably will look at a couple of same kind of a deals in the next month, before the new budget comes. Maybe I won't use all of these players but financially will try to get a profit.

In the beginning of the season didn't expect that we will dominate so much and this is happening without having a clear N9 in our squad. Karelis will have to go, don't like him at all. After the nice start Marcondes also is not the player I want him to be, probably will cash on him if there is an offer.

At the end just look at the those stats and see why we dominate the league so much:




Thanks for reading once again & hope you enjoy it.

 

A Swarm Of Bees - The Bee's Knees (EP 9)




Life is good at Brentford as the club is 15 points clear at the top of Championship. The search for Premier League football soon should be over and the bees will fly they way up to the highest rank of the European football. This month we have 4 games in the league and one for the FA Cup against the giants - Manchester United. If we have a good month I think we will be starting the celebration earlier than expected and will play the rest of the season for fun.We have 4 games against mid-table teams so we should be fine.

Brentford vs. Manchester United



We made it tough for United. Up until the 80-th minute the game was even, but then Jensen made his first mistake for his entire career and gifted United the ball and they took advantage of it. We went full attack and received one more. However the match was pretty even, of course they having the better situations buy I'm proud of the boys. This year FA will be remembered for defeating Chelsea. Good effort, but we lack of quality to match the best teams.

BREAKING NEWS!


Well, not so breaking news! No place for Karelis as he is heading the MLS from the summer. Just got 1 goal for us and could not help us in the Premier League. We will need to bring at least 1 good striker, maybe looking for 2.

Brentford vs. Swansea



Great performance by the team! Watkins with another goal, Benrahma with goal and assist and our assist king Jensen provides 2 more to his balance and wins POTM. All the team performed really well in this game and didn't gave Swansea any chance.

Nottingham Forest vs. Brentford



We tend to get these tough games, but this time that was not the case. Forest gave their best effort in the second half and managed to even the game after Benrahma got us the goal, of course assisted by Jensen. One of the few matches in which we didn't dominate so much.

West Brom also made a mistake and we're getting closer and closer to the promotion and the title.

BREAKING NEWS!

Brentford are happy to announce the signing of ADAM ANDERSSON (RB, LB) from BK Hacken for €1 mil. Another one classic transfer from the club snatching the promising 23 year old Swedish international. Adam will join his new teammates in the summer hopefully in the Premier League.

Brentford vs. Sheff Wed



Another tough match for us as one of the new signings Niclas Eliasson was the hero of the night, scoring after only 5 minutes, but unfortunately was injured for over a month in the last minutes of the game. Fosu, who came from the benched sealed the win, however the match was really close and easily it could happened the same as the previous match.

Birmingham vs. Brentford



If the right results happened we could get our title here! Ollie Watkins proved once again that he is a team leader, scores 2, wins POTM and now is the Championship leading goalscorer! Another not so easy win for us but at the end we get the 3 points which is more important. Also we finish the month with only 1 goal against us! Our defense is ROCK SOLID, I'm really happy with them.



We don't get the title this match day but we are OFFICIALLY PROMOTED to the Premier League! Great job for everyone at the club! This is probably one of the few times managing in the Championship and just beating destroying anyone who faces us! Really enjoying life at the top now and I know that it will be really tough next season but this is THE fun!

The board give us €44 million for the next year. I'll try to keep the same style with not giving too much money for transfers but it's tough in the best league in the world. Probably will try to exploit another markets where you can ****** players for less money.

Player of the Month



OLLIE WATKINS

Probably can win this award every month but this time he have another accomplishment with going first as the goalscorer of the Championship. 3 goals this month and 21 for the season! Great partnership with the other attacking players and maybe the best striker in our league! We must not loose him in the summer as he is wanted by other PL teams.

Said Benrahma (2 goals, 1 assist) had great month as he earned himself new contract. Mathias Jensen (3 assists) was inform once again and of course ALL of our defense were performing at TOP level!

LEAGUE TABLE & VERDICT


With only 6 games until the end, we are almost sure champions and will try to lift the title at our next match against West Brom at Griffin Park. We have only 3 matches at our stadium before we move to our new ground from the summer (from 12k to 18k). We've got another bargain transfer but now we have to look for really strengthen up the squad but following our club culture and my promises as a manager.

I'll try to offload some players in the upcoming weeks and get the right ones in the summer. Probably need 1-2 attacking midfielder, 1 winger, 1 or 2 strikers. Marcondes will probably leave.

For the next matches I'll probably try to give the players that didn't have enough minutes some playing time, also will try to break the record for most wins and most points.

BREAKING NEWS!


Ladies & gentleman our first BIG signing - ALEXANDER ISAK (ST) for €13.25 mil from Real Sociedad. Our promotion to the Premier League gave us the chance to talk to more brightest talents and we didn't hesitate much. Another Scandinavian and one of the wonderkids from this area! 5 year contract for the striker, but we didn't have the best negotiations and he has a release clause for €33 mil. Will try to offer him new contract before the first season ends, but I'm not sure if the big teams won't want him.


Thanks for reading once again & hope you enjoy it.

 

A Swarm Of Bees - Final Touches (EP 10)

Last matches at Griffin Park.



We are promoted to the Premier League and there are just a couple of games to pull the curtain for the season. We are saying farewell to Griffin Park as from the summer we're moving to another stadium and hopefully it will bring us luck in the PL. And what a better way to say farewell to our home ground than lifting the Championship trophy and playing again in the first division of English football after more than 70 years. Dreams come true!

Derby vs. Brentford




We need a win to seal the title and we get it! First goal for the club from Shandon Baptiste and what a goal it was (also winning POTM)! Banger from 30 meters right in the top corner! This guy deserves more playing time as he is performing well every time he gets a chance! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!



Brentford vs. West Brom



What a way to celebrate our title! Totally beating one of the better teams in Championship before lifting the trophy and giving the best of times for our fans! Many babies will be made tonight, many beer will be poured into the happy faces of the supporters of Brentford FC!

Dominating performance by Mathias Jensen, scoring one, assisting another and getting POTM. Watkins with one more goal to his name and Fosu gets the final nail in the coffin. That we help Leeds to take the second place for now.





Charlton vs. Brentford



Almost all of our players were drunk after the party for winning the title, so a lot of youngsters played this match and we gave away 3 points to Charlton which are fighting not to get relegated (in the end they go down even if we helped them), however we show ourselves as generous people. Gifting points as we don't need them!
LE CHAMPIONS!

BREAKING NEWS!

Our scouts don't sleep and we are making yet another signing before even the transfer window is opened! SIMON TIBBLING (MC) comes from Brondby IF for just €1.6 mil.Another creative player who will be handy for our depth in search for good standing in the next year.

Again following our club culture - signing Scandinavian, signing him from less inflated market and in the end making money out of him.

Brentford vs. Hull City



Classy performance by Said Benrahma, who single handedly beats the tigers. 2 goals and POTM for him. Rico Henry gets one more assist to his account as he now is at 8 for the season. We have only one more match at Griffin Park so we must do well!

Brentford vs. Barnsley



A proper farewell to the ground that Brentord is playing at for more than 115 years! Another one from the our brilliant attacking trio erupts this time - Mbeumo with 2 goals & POTM, Chirivella scores at the end to make the score classic! Not a bad time to be a Brentford supporter I guess!

Bristol City vs. Brentford



Not the best way to finish the league, but who cares. Wanted to get the win so we can break the record for most points ever in Championship but didn't happen. Once more we get a penalty, but this time is missed by Benrahma. Fairplay to Bristol as they gave us only 1 point this season!

Player of the Month


MATHIAS JENSEN

Once again Jensen wins the award not for making many assist and goals this month (1/1), but for his contribution to the team. This was the man that gave us that little spark we needed so many times!
Our maestro!

FINAL STANDINGS & VERDICT


We are champions with 16 points more than the second best - Leeds, who also get promoted to the Premier League! Really interesting playoffs as I think Fulham will get the win at Wembley. Charlton, Hull and Millwall are going to League One as for now Portsmouth and Rotherham are taking their places. As by now the only sure team that is relegated from PL is Sheff. United as there are 2 more matchdays there.

We made a lot of signing already, however we will need a ball winning midfielder, maybe one winger and one player who can play at both striker and attacking midfielder positions (if we sell Marcondes of course).

Also we will look to sign some high profile youngsters who are dropped by the big teams as we need to infuse some fresh blood into our B team. We didn't have any youth intake as this is the club culture.

In the next episode we will have a season review, transfer news and some friendlies before Euro 2020.

Thanks for reading once again & hope you enjoy it.

 

A Swarm Of Bees - Season 19/20 Review (EP 11)

A season to remember.




The season is over and now it's time to talk about our highs and lows through the whole year. Of course this year it was great for Brentford as we win the league easily. We managed to win 31 matches in the league and lose just 4 (2 of which were after we were crowned as champions). We had a memorable elimination over Chelsea in the FA Cup and played against Manchester United as equals. We managed to stay unbeaten for the first half of the season, which in the Championship is not a easy challenge.

QPR won the playoffs against Boro in a 4-2 spectacle!

Here are all the results through the year:





Season Awards:






I'm delighted with our squad, however we have lot of work to do, so we can keep ourselves in the Premier League not for just one season. The board offered me new 2 year contract with the expectation to avoid relegation in next years.

We are taking a look at our squad and give them some final words after the season.​

Goalkeeper:

David Raya - After selling our back up keeper, Raya proved that he doesn't need reserve and was one of the best in his position with 20 shoutouts and only 30 allowed goals. Played 51 matches through the season and was one of our best players!

Defenders:

Pontus Jansson (c) - ROCK SOLID! Scored a lot of important goals (9 goals overall), was all over his opponents and was vital part of our back four through the whole of the season. Finished with the 3rd overall rating in the league!

Julian Jeanvier & Ethan Pinnock -
Both were very good partners to our captain and played almost equally. For me we don't need another big defender as those two are perfect for now. Both of them scored 4 goals and can't decide for now who is better.

Luka Racic & Sean Reggett - Didn't get enough chances but when needed they provided the needed cover. Racic scored a goal & the decisive penalty against Chelsea and has a great future ahead of him at the club. Reggett is a nice cover to have for the depth of the team. We rejected an offer for Racic from the MLS.

Wingbacks:

Rico Henry - Our only home grown player! The best in his position in the league - assisting 8 & scoring 3 goals. More than 50% of our penalties were won by him breaking the ankles of his opponents. QPR offered €11 mil. for him, but he is not for sale!

Mads Roerslev - The rookie of the season was the big surprise for me! Didn't expect this 20 year old kid to provide so much! 10 assists for him and 2nd highest rating in the league! Unbelievable! Made his way in the starting XI and now he is one of most important parts there! 3 attributes are up for this young lad!

Henrik Dalsgaard - If Mads was't so impressive, this lad would be more than enough for me. Was performing well and managed to make 6 assist. However he is 30 and I think we can cash on him now as we already bought another wingback. He deserves to be a starter but the kid doesn't allow him with his fine form.

Dominic Thompson - Not a bad cover, he has great potential and need a little bit more time to develop. Played only 10 matches in which he got 3 assists.

Midfielders:

Mathias Jensen - No stopping him! The best player in the division by a mile! Absolutely brilliant for me. Making so many key passes and chances for our attackers. If he continues like this he can lead this club to very high peaks! 7 goals and 19 (NINETEEN) assists as he breaks the record for it. Not to forget that he maybe had only 1 or 2 weak performances. Best average rating in the league and winner of the best player of the league. As I said - our maestro.

Josh Dasilva - Great box-to-box midfielder as he started in 40 (!) games this season. Performed at top level at only 20 years of age. Scored 5 and assisted 3, great future for this lad.

Christian Norgaard - When Jensen couldn't provide, this guy came from nowhere and helped the team with making the right pass from deep. 2 goals and 5 assist for him but his influence was much bigger and has a lot a potential in him.

Pedro Chirivella - For the brief period he was part of our team, he showed great quality, also will compete for the role of our playmaker next season. Score some long distance goals and already proved his price (only 1.7 mil). 4 goals & 1 assist for Liverpool's youngster.

Shandon Baptiste - Deserved a lot more time on the field, buy Dasilva was in a perfect form. Maybe next year he will break more into the first team. I'm pretty delighted with this young talent - 1 goal to seal us the title and 4 assists.

Jan Zamburek & Dru Yearwood -
Didn't send them on loan and maybe this was a mistake. Played almost only as subs for the last 15 minutes and didn't progress much. Next year both of them will be send on loan. Jan has a great potential, let's not let him spoil.

Kamohelo Mokotjo - Didn't need him, also he refused to sign one year deal so he was sold to Montreal Impact. However he did managed to score our goal of the season.

Wingers:

Bryan Mbeumo - Great season for the French youngster. At only 20 years he manged to be one of our most important players as he was one of the parts in the deadly trio (with Watkins & Benrahma). He played mostly at the left wing, but sometimes swapped positions with the striker. 12 goals & 8 assist are pretty impressive numbers for his first season!

Said Benrahma - The other part of the trio! After the departure of Canos, he stepped and showed that I should played him in the starting XI from the beginning of the season! Finished the season with 14 goals & 5 assists.

Tarique Fosu -
Really didn't expect nothing from this lad, however he showed some quality. I'm not sure if he will be classy enough to play in the Premier League as he has great speed but the other qualities are not there. Good season for him with 6 goals & 2 assists for the season.

Joel Valencia - Was injured through half of the season. Didn't play enough matches from the start and didn't impress me. He is the other one that will maybe leave our team in the summer as I just don't trust him. Only 3 goals, two of which were from penalties and season to forget for Valencia.

Niclas Eliasson - Started great with a goal in his debut in the last minute but then got injured and didn't play a lot. Hopefully he will do better in the next season and prove himself to the fans.

Sergi Canos - Played great when we was defending our colors, however he was bought by Newcastle. 6 goals & 3 assists for us, but his life in the Premier League is not the best. His team avoided the relegation, however Canos has played 3 games in the starting eleven.

Strikers:

Ollie Watkins - Our second best player this season! The top scorer of the league! Provided so many times in the right moments. 22 goals and 7 assist makes him the most involved player in our team. He played some of the matches at the left wing, but most of them as striker. Next year will have to compete for his spot with the new signing Isak.

Emiliano Marcondes -Had a cracking first month and then his form dropped and he never managed to pick it up. Really wanted him to shine but... 5 goals and 1 assist. Aaaaand he is another our player going to the MLS and Seattle Saunders for €5.5 mil.




Nikos Karelis - 850k to
Philadelphia Union, nothing more, stole another players minutes.

Marcus Forrs - Great youngster who will have his chance in the next season. Just 1 goal this year.

 


CONTINUING...


BREAKING NEWS!


ALFA SEMEDO (DM) is the newest addition to Brentford FC! The young lad impressed with his defensive plays for Forrest and comes only for €1.8 mil. from Benfica! The team needed ball winning midfielder and he will fit perfectly for their style of play! Another bargain!
Around The World
England
- Chelsea won the league as both Manchester teams miss the Champions League spots. Strange stuff happening, also Villa, Southampton & Sheffield are relegated. Liverpool wins the Carabao and Spurs the FA cup!

Spain - Dramatic final of the season there as Real Madrid are the champions with 1 point by beating Atletico two games before the end, and Atletico drawing home against Leganes in the final match. Scenes, imagine Diego Simeone ripping his shirt for this. Other interesting thing - Celta Vigo are relegated and there is one special danish player that I'm interested in. We'll see what happens.

Italy - Inter are champions again by 1 point, as their fierce rivals Juventus came second. Again some ****** up stuff by the FM as Milan beat Juve to gift the title to their local rival. Udinese are relegated surprisingly.

Germany - Bayern Munich do the TREBLE, winning the Bundeslinga, Champions League & the cup!

France - Nothing interesting here, PSG with 24 points lead win the league.

Europa League - Benfica finally brake the curse and win a final beating Roma! Also winning the league, but Porto wins the cup!

BREAKING NEWS!

TOMAS SCHIRO (MC) is leaving the champions of Italy and coming to Brentford for free! Great job by our scouts which work non-stop to provide the best options! Again working as IRL - stealing the talents rejected from the top clubs! This one is for the future and probably will be loaned in the first season!





The media in England is talking more and more about the new great trio in the Premier League!
The poor's man Mane-Firmino-Salah or also known as BMW!
Benrahma-Mbeumo-Watkins is coming for you!


And in the end here is how all the new players in the squad looks in game.









The next episode will circle around the preparation for the Euro 2020 with the Bulgarian national team and the matches in the European Championship!

Thanks for reading once again & hope you enjoy it.


Comments:

Saibot1891 - Thanks, mate! I'm looking forward to manage in the next season!

Schnauzer - Yeah, this challenge makes it so interesting for me too. Hope that progress in the PL will be possible without the expensive signings.
 
Hope Bmw can drive you forward next season to survival in the Premiership!

Top work last season mate.
 
A Swarm Of Bees - EURO 2020 (EP 12)

Kicking our ***** all over Europe.




Before going to the big tournament, let's have brief history lesson about Bulgaria's best ever performances. Of course the team is well know for his 4th place at World Cup 1994 in the USA, where Stoichkov & co. managed to escape from a tough group with the teams of Nigeria (0-3), Greece (4-0) and Argentina (2-0) to make history by eliminating Mexico in the round of 16 in a penalty drama and after it beating the reigning world champions Germany to surprise the whole world. The team was robbed against Italy in the semi-final as the whole world saw a second penalty in the 70 minute for the team. The whole world except the referee. So 4th place in the world!

One more time Bulgaria had reached the round of 16 in the World Cup - in Mexico 1986.

However our record in the Euro Championships is not so good in recent history as we made just 2 appearances in the last 12 tournaments - in 1996 & 2004. Before that the club has reached 1/4 final in 1968 but back then the championship was different and only small number of teams played.

So - we're the biggest underdog. We knew that and will try to at least have fun. We didn't have any expectations, but still we all wanted something magical to happen.

Before the tournament we will play 3 friendlies - against Ireland, Poland & Finland. Two of our brightest talents had injuries that put them off for the tournament as Minchev from Lyon and Stanislav Ivanov from Watford will have to wait for another big forum to play.

After the surprising qualification and the 3 wins from 5 matches in 2019 the spirits were high and in all the country people was talking for another miraculous tournament as the one in 1994.

This was the selected team to represent Bulgaria:

Goalkeepers:

Plamen Iliev (28, Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria))
Georgi Kitanov (25, Astra Giurgiu (Romania))
Daniel Naumov (22, CSKA 1948 (Bulgaria))

Defenders:

Strahil Popov (29, Stade Brestois 29 (France))
Nikolay Bodurov (34, Esteghlal (Iran))
Vasil Bozhikov (32, Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia))
Georgi Terziev (28, Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria))
Anton Nedyalkov (27, Brighton (England))
Radoslav Dimitrov (31, OSK Sepsi (Romania))
Ivan Goranov (28, Levski Sofia (Bulgaria))

Midfielders:

Simeon Slavchev (26, Levski Sofia (Bulgaria))
Georgi Kostadinov (29, Arsenal Tula (Russia))
Kristiyan Malinov (26, CSKA-Sofia (Bulgaria))
Ivaylo Chochev (27, Pescara (Italy))
Borislav Tsonev (25, Inter Zapresic (Croatia))
Dimitar Iliev (31, Lokomotiv Plovdiv (Bulgaria))
Bozhidar Kraev (23, Midtjylland (Denmark))
Georgi Milanov (28, Videoton (Hungary))
Todor Nedelev (27, Botev Plovdiv (Bulgaria))
Kiril Despodov (23, Cagliari (Italy))

Attackers:

Valeri Bozhinov (34, Pescara (Italy))
Anrey Galabinov (31, Spezia (Itally))
Stanislav Kostov (28, Levski Sofia (Bulgaria))

Bulgaria vs. Ireland


We dominated the match against another team competing in the Euro 2020. They manage to get a draw only because we get a silly penalty. Our team looks really good and maybe, just maybe the whole nation will have something to cheer about in the next month. Kraev with the goal and POTM, Despodov with the assist!

Bulgaria vs. Poland



We tried a defensive tactic against a way bigger side than our. Actually we played really great in the first half. After it something happened and every shot of the opposition went into our net. Looking into the stats they are almost even in every attribute but we lost. Nothing to worry about, this team is 12th in the world ranking and we played as equals. Despodov with 2 goals!

Bulgaria vs. Finland


Ooops! This was our final game before the Euro 2020 kick off and we wanted to make good impression not only to our supporters, but to the whole world. Absolutely destroyed by the Finland team as we worsen the things by getting a red card in the 31 minute. We played with most of our reserves this game, but never expected such a catastrophe.

Some boo's after the final whistle and the hopes and wishes for a good tournament are turning into fears and doubts. Are we going to have another shameful experience as the one from Euro 2004 when were the worst team in the tournament - loosing 5-0 to Sweden, 2-0 to Denmark and 2-1 to Italy.

However we can slide into the next round as the best 3rd teams in the groups also advance to the next round. Our groups is really tough as we have to face Germany (10th in the World Rankings), Belgium (2nd) and Ukraine (30th).

OPENING CEREMONY

Note: I'm so frustrated with myself as I forgot to fix the real names and players before the squads are announced so Germany are not with their well known players. This also was bad for me as I didn't know how to approach the game, are they gonna be as strong as with real players or not? F*ck me for that.


Bulgaria vs. Germany

The first match in our group was in Munich in front of almost 60k home fans against the great Germany. As noted above didn't fix the real names before the tournament started so we played against some fictional players aaaaaaaaaand yeah. First half was not bad, even when conceded, we had some good chances but we never managed to take them. Then came the penalty and everything was over for our hopes for a good beginning. Tried to play offensively but you can't do this against Germany. Poor start and even worse - Belgium was coming as second fixture!

Belgium vs. Bulgaria

This time we knew exactly against who we are going out and our tactic was the one that fit us. We played great, making troubles for one of the best teams out there. We almost score as we hit the post in the 65 minute and then came the ******* penalty again. Hazard didn't hesitate and scored, then in the next attack scored once more as the disbelieve was all over our players. We were so close to making great statement but then again - failed because of a pen.

Next we have Ukraine - the winner might be playing in the second round as the things are standing in the other groups. Our best player Despodov was suspended for our team. Maybe we will try something more attacking and extra ordinary from our normal style.

Bulgaria vs. Ukraine

I don't know what to say... The match was over in the 9th minute. All this hopes and prays went to nothing for just NINE minutes. And again - penalty. After the third goal we threw our tactics and went all or nothing. Strahil Popov scored once and that was. We get nothing. In the second half tried playing with ultra attacking formation just to receive another 3 goals. We get more than nothing - the worst performance of the team in European Championship in the history with 0 points, just 1 goal scored and -11 goal difference. And the final nail in the coffin - Ukraine are playing in the next round.


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