focafoca18
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I think Orsolini will be the real STAR!!!
Béticos: long live Betis even when they lose!
- Thread starter Linecoigne1998
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Linecoigne1998
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Cheers mate, had him last year at some point in my Villa story and he was a huge star before he left after one good year up front for us... Hopefully he decides to stay for a bit longer this time around!
I've advanced a bit since the last update and I can confirm he has been one of my best players so far this season!
Linecoigne1998
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Our second big game of the season against one of the top sides in Spain ends just as well as the game against Barcelona. We lose 3-0 away from home which in my opinion really isn't representative of how the game went but oh well... Also interesting how Atlético managed to get 11 shots on target from a total of 10 shots... Feel a bit cheated there!
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A terrible result for us. We were away from home so I was expecting a very tough match but it's just a shame to lose so late in the game. We'll have to beat Ajax in the game in Spain if we want a chance to finish first in our group, which I'm sure we'll be able to do.
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Defeats against Ajax and Atléti are disappointing, but definitely not momentum-breaking results. The draw against Sociedad also wasn't the best so it's fair to say we didn't end October in the best way but we're still looking good so far.
We sit in 4th after 9 league games, which is absolutely fantastic. Our new signings have been key to our success so far and it's really good to see our money spent paying off competitively. In the Europa League, we sit in 2nd in the group after losing to Ajax. We'll almost definitely qualify from our group but whether that's in 1st or 2nd place is up to us and our game against Ajax in Spain...
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No huge games next month, other than the one at home against Ajax and a league game against Bilbao later in the month as well. Other than that, it's games that we should be winning, especially against newly-promoted Malaga. Should be an interesting month...
Our second big game of the season against one of the top sides in Spain ends just as well as the game against Barcelona. We lose 3-0 away from home which in my opinion really isn't representative of how the game went but oh well... Also interesting how Atlético managed to get 11 shots on target from a total of 10 shots... Feel a bit cheated there!
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A terrible result for us. We were away from home so I was expecting a very tough match but it's just a shame to lose so late in the game. We'll have to beat Ajax in the game in Spain if we want a chance to finish first in our group, which I'm sure we'll be able to do.
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Defeats against Ajax and Atléti are disappointing, but definitely not momentum-breaking results. The draw against Sociedad also wasn't the best so it's fair to say we didn't end October in the best way but we're still looking good so far.
13.2: La Liga table, Europa League table and November 2019 schedule
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We sit in 4th after 9 league games, which is absolutely fantastic. Our new signings have been key to our success so far and it's really good to see our money spent paying off competitively. In the Europa League, we sit in 2nd in the group after losing to Ajax. We'll almost definitely qualify from our group but whether that's in 1st or 2nd place is up to us and our game against Ajax in Spain...
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No huge games next month, other than the one at home against Ajax and a league game against Bilbao later in the month as well. Other than that, it's games that we should be winning, especially against newly-promoted Malaga. Should be an interesting month...
Linecoigne1998
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Another disappointing defeat to Ajax due to a late, late goal means we'll finish 2nd in the group. A win in our next game against Haugesund would put us through to the next round, which was expected of us anyway so nothing too surprising there. I'm just hoping we can show up against better opposition in the next round because we can't be losing to teams like Ajax if we want to get as far as we did last season!
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We finished October with some bad form and started November with some bad form as well, but thankfully managed to turn it around towards the end of the month. That defeat against then bottom of the league Espanyol was just shambolic, but again we thankfully managed to turn things around in the league with wins against Malaga and Valladolid. Yet to face Real Madrid, Valencia and Sevilla, it is going to be a very tough few months now though if we can't get results against the likes of Espanyol. We do get a big boost in confidence after smashing Haugesund though and making it through to the next round.
Despite losing a few points here and there so far this season, we have actually done really well overall and find ourselves in 4th place, just ahead of Real Madrid and just behind Atlético. After doing so well last season and qualifying for the Champions League, my goal is to ideally make it to the Champions League now but even if we just get Europa League football for next season, I won't mind as we clearly have some work to do still as we sit in 2nd in our group. The last game against Maribor will be completely meaningless and it should be fun to play that game in front of our fans later in December.
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With some huge games against Sevilla, Bilbao and Villareal next month, we've got our work cut out for us. A friendly to stay fit against Almeria just before New Year's should be nice as well. With the transfer window approaching, I can clearly see that we just lack quality as well as depth in defence, and that's a big, big issue. Normally, squads who regularly play in Europe like Real Madrid or Manchester City have a lot of players in the squad, from the youth team or just signings made to be backup players but we just don't have the money or need for that yet but clearly, we need that now.
Another disappointing defeat to Ajax due to a late, late goal means we'll finish 2nd in the group. A win in our next game against Haugesund would put us through to the next round, which was expected of us anyway so nothing too surprising there. I'm just hoping we can show up against better opposition in the next round because we can't be losing to teams like Ajax if we want to get as far as we did last season!
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We finished October with some bad form and started November with some bad form as well, but thankfully managed to turn it around towards the end of the month. That defeat against then bottom of the league Espanyol was just shambolic, but again we thankfully managed to turn things around in the league with wins against Malaga and Valladolid. Yet to face Real Madrid, Valencia and Sevilla, it is going to be a very tough few months now though if we can't get results against the likes of Espanyol. We do get a big boost in confidence after smashing Haugesund though and making it through to the next round.
14.2: La Liga, Europa League table and December 2019 fixtures
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Despite losing a few points here and there so far this season, we have actually done really well overall and find ourselves in 4th place, just ahead of Real Madrid and just behind Atlético. After doing so well last season and qualifying for the Champions League, my goal is to ideally make it to the Champions League now but even if we just get Europa League football for next season, I won't mind as we clearly have some work to do still as we sit in 2nd in our group. The last game against Maribor will be completely meaningless and it should be fun to play that game in front of our fans later in December.
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With some huge games against Sevilla, Bilbao and Villareal next month, we've got our work cut out for us. A friendly to stay fit against Almeria just before New Year's should be nice as well. With the transfer window approaching, I can clearly see that we just lack quality as well as depth in defence, and that's a big, big issue. Normally, squads who regularly play in Europe like Real Madrid or Manchester City have a lot of players in the squad, from the youth team or just signings made to be backup players but we just don't have the money or need for that yet but clearly, we need that now.
Linecoigne1998
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View attachment 33038
A third derby in charge for me and another fantastic win! How I've managed to win 3 derbies, each with a great scoreline, is just beyond me but I'll absolutely take it! This 4-0 win really gives us some huge momentum now so I am buzzing to have a few days rest now and then be able to carry on.
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Orsolini shines on our final group stage game in the Europa League as he scores a hat-trick and officially puts us through to the next round. A wonderful 3-1 win in front of our fans ahead of the Europa League 1st knockout stage draw, where we'll hopefully get a decent opponent to match up against.
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Lazio will be our next opponents in the Europa League! We have to wait until February to face them but I honestly am so excited. Lazio are a fantastic side but they are clearly in trouble in the Serie A so far, sitting in 11th. They finished in 6th last season and have a very good squad at their disposal, but with some of their key players from last season like Luis Alberto, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ciro Immobile now all gone to the Premier League, I really fancy us getting a result against them.
Our incredible season continues as we sit in 4th after 16 games! Even better, we're 5 points clear of Valencia who are down in 5th so we have that going for us and are also just 5 points behind Barcelona, the league leaders. We have actually been really good this season, just had a few on and off moments here and there which was a shame.
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Some big games against Alaves in the Copa del Rey and Real Madrid and Valencia in the league next month, but we have close to €20 million to spend over the January window which could be crucial for us, especially as I've seen the kind of injuries we've been getting over the last few months. On top of that, it seems that a few players might want to leave the club soon just like they did last year so let's hope we can retain them.
A third derby in charge for me and another fantastic win! How I've managed to win 3 derbies, each with a great scoreline, is just beyond me but I'll absolutely take it! This 4-0 win really gives us some huge momentum now so I am buzzing to have a few days rest now and then be able to carry on.
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Orsolini shines on our final group stage game in the Europa League as he scores a hat-trick and officially puts us through to the next round. A wonderful 3-1 win in front of our fans ahead of the Europa League 1st knockout stage draw, where we'll hopefully get a decent opponent to match up against.
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Lazio will be our next opponents in the Europa League! We have to wait until February to face them but I honestly am so excited. Lazio are a fantastic side but they are clearly in trouble in the Serie A so far, sitting in 11th. They finished in 6th last season and have a very good squad at their disposal, but with some of their key players from last season like Luis Alberto, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ciro Immobile now all gone to the Premier League, I really fancy us getting a result against them.
15.2: La Liga table and January 2020 fixtures
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Our incredible season continues as we sit in 4th after 16 games! Even better, we're 5 points clear of Valencia who are down in 5th so we have that going for us and are also just 5 points behind Barcelona, the league leaders. We have actually been really good this season, just had a few on and off moments here and there which was a shame.
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Some big games against Alaves in the Copa del Rey and Real Madrid and Valencia in the league next month, but we have close to €20 million to spend over the January window which could be crucial for us, especially as I've seen the kind of injuries we've been getting over the last few months. On top of that, it seems that a few players might want to leave the club soon just like they did last year so let's hope we can retain them.
Linecoigne1998
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A disappointing defeat to Real Madrid but to be expected against a team of such great quality. This was probably our only game with the players we currently have since some players might request to leave, so it's a shame to not be able to give them a proper goodbye but we'll see where the transfer window takes us I guess.
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Yet another disappointing defeat, this one a little more than the Real Madrid one since Valencia were just behind us in the league and will now leapfrog us to 4th. We dominated the match so I'm really disappointed. The more worrying thing now is momentum and hopefully not losing any more games.
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The board expected us to get to the quarter-final of the Copa del Rey but we'll be going out in the 5th round. Alaves played well over the two legs and it's a 93rd minute winner from Twumasi that puts them through. Again, disappointing considering how well we performed in the last few games but this just shows that we need more clinical in front of goal.
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A horrendous month throughout January. With 4 defeats, a draw and just one win, we really have dropped a lot of points and have lost a lot of ground in the race for the Champions League. I guess being out of the Copa del Rey now means that we can solely focus on La Liga and the Europa League!
Last season we had Bartra and Carvalho leave halfway through the season and it was two huge departures. This season, it's Tello and Guilavogui who decide to leave which leaves two huge gaps in the side, especially considering we've not gotten that much money for them. Thankfully, we found a great way to spend the money by signing Gnabry on a bargain deal, Aleix García as a youngster from Manchester City and Cheikh on loan for now. We just didn't have the money to sign a replacement first team midfielder yet so getting Cheikh on loan should do for now. Oh and we also got Lekue back! After spending a season on loan here last season, Bilbao said they were reluctant to let him go and wanted to give him some first team football this season but clearly changed their minds since they put him on the transfer list and we snatched him right up. He knows the club and did really well here last season so it's great to have him back.
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Despite dropping so many points over January, we still sit in 5th just 4 points behind Valencia and a point ahead of our rivals Sevilla. With the new signings now settling in and the stress of the transfer window over, I'm REALLY hoping we can turn our form around and start winning some games now, especially in the Europa League against Lazio.
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A tough month ahead. Deportivo are in 19th right now so that game will hopefully not be too much of an issue, but playing against Barcelona (even at home) will be really tough. We owe Alaves some revenge after they knocked us out of the Copa del Rey and we can definitely get some decent results against Huesca and Vallecano. We also have a huge tie against Lazio in the Europa League of course, starting at home right after our Barcelona game which should be interesting.
A disappointing defeat to Real Madrid but to be expected against a team of such great quality. This was probably our only game with the players we currently have since some players might request to leave, so it's a shame to not be able to give them a proper goodbye but we'll see where the transfer window takes us I guess.
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Yet another disappointing defeat, this one a little more than the Real Madrid one since Valencia were just behind us in the league and will now leapfrog us to 4th. We dominated the match so I'm really disappointed. The more worrying thing now is momentum and hopefully not losing any more games.
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The board expected us to get to the quarter-final of the Copa del Rey but we'll be going out in the 5th round. Alaves played well over the two legs and it's a 93rd minute winner from Twumasi that puts them through. Again, disappointing considering how well we performed in the last few games but this just shows that we need more clinical in front of goal.
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A horrendous month throughout January. With 4 defeats, a draw and just one win, we really have dropped a lot of points and have lost a lot of ground in the race for the Champions League. I guess being out of the Copa del Rey now means that we can solely focus on La Liga and the Europa League!
Last season we had Bartra and Carvalho leave halfway through the season and it was two huge departures. This season, it's Tello and Guilavogui who decide to leave which leaves two huge gaps in the side, especially considering we've not gotten that much money for them. Thankfully, we found a great way to spend the money by signing Gnabry on a bargain deal, Aleix García as a youngster from Manchester City and Cheikh on loan for now. We just didn't have the money to sign a replacement first team midfielder yet so getting Cheikh on loan should do for now. Oh and we also got Lekue back! After spending a season on loan here last season, Bilbao said they were reluctant to let him go and wanted to give him some first team football this season but clearly changed their minds since they put him on the transfer list and we snatched him right up. He knows the club and did really well here last season so it's great to have him back.
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Despite dropping so many points over January, we still sit in 5th just 4 points behind Valencia and a point ahead of our rivals Sevilla. With the new signings now settling in and the stress of the transfer window over, I'm REALLY hoping we can turn our form around and start winning some games now, especially in the Europa League against Lazio.
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A tough month ahead. Deportivo are in 19th right now so that game will hopefully not be too much of an issue, but playing against Barcelona (even at home) will be really tough. We owe Alaves some revenge after they knocked us out of the Copa del Rey and we can definitely get some decent results against Huesca and Vallecano. We also have a huge tie against Lazio in the Europa League of course, starting at home right after our Barcelona game which should be interesting.
Linecoigne1998
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A very tight game against Barcelona which we narrowly lose 2-1, despite once again dominating in terms of chances created. Thauvin and Paulinho came up with late goals to give Barcelona all 3 points and I honestly don't know what to do anymore. This 4-3-3 (more like 4-1-2-3 should I say) has been working so well but ever since New Year's came around, we've been on a downward spiral and I'm starting to get worried we won't even qualify for European football at this rate.
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And we deserve to play European football! We knock out Lazio comfortably with a 3-0 aggregate scoreline, which is definitely a much better result than I anticipated. Orsolini has been an absolute gem this season and I'm really annoyed we have to let him go at the end of the season, to the point where I'm considering already offering Juventus a deal to take him on loan until the end of NEXT season as well. Let's pray that happens.
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With us advancing in the Europa League, our game against Atlético had to be moved forward and once again, we lose. It's a shame because we're creating chances against these big teams, but we're just not clinical enough! Having a world-class player in your side like Griezmann certainly helps, as the Colchoneros come out on top for yet another time against us.
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It was a very tough month overall. Despite playing against 3 teams in the bottom 4 of the league table, we just couldn't get any points to save our lives! With 3 draws, one win and 2 defeats in the league, we fall down the table once again at the risk of missing out on the Europa League next season...
As we get closer to the end of the season, we've given both Levante and Sevilla the chance to overtake us after dropping so many points. We'd be sitting in 7th, a little under 10 points clear of Getafe down in 8th. One thing's for sure, if we want to finish above Sevilla again like we did last season, we're going to need to work a LOT harder than this!
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Some huge games next month. The Europa League tie against our next opponents, Milan, will undoubtedly be a lot tougher than the Lazio tie, while our league game against Levante will be the turning point in our season. A win in that match and we can hope for a 6th place, maybe even 5th place finish this season. Lose that game and we might have to settle for 7th. Games against Espanyol and Sociedad will also be tricky, especially considering how badly we've done against teams in the bottom quarter of the table.
A very tight game against Barcelona which we narrowly lose 2-1, despite once again dominating in terms of chances created. Thauvin and Paulinho came up with late goals to give Barcelona all 3 points and I honestly don't know what to do anymore. This 4-3-3 (more like 4-1-2-3 should I say) has been working so well but ever since New Year's came around, we've been on a downward spiral and I'm starting to get worried we won't even qualify for European football at this rate.
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And we deserve to play European football! We knock out Lazio comfortably with a 3-0 aggregate scoreline, which is definitely a much better result than I anticipated. Orsolini has been an absolute gem this season and I'm really annoyed we have to let him go at the end of the season, to the point where I'm considering already offering Juventus a deal to take him on loan until the end of NEXT season as well. Let's pray that happens.
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With us advancing in the Europa League, our game against Atlético had to be moved forward and once again, we lose. It's a shame because we're creating chances against these big teams, but we're just not clinical enough! Having a world-class player in your side like Griezmann certainly helps, as the Colchoneros come out on top for yet another time against us.
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It was a very tough month overall. Despite playing against 3 teams in the bottom 4 of the league table, we just couldn't get any points to save our lives! With 3 draws, one win and 2 defeats in the league, we fall down the table once again at the risk of missing out on the Europa League next season...
As we get closer to the end of the season, we've given both Levante and Sevilla the chance to overtake us after dropping so many points. We'd be sitting in 7th, a little under 10 points clear of Getafe down in 8th. One thing's for sure, if we want to finish above Sevilla again like we did last season, we're going to need to work a LOT harder than this!
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Some huge games next month. The Europa League tie against our next opponents, Milan, will undoubtedly be a lot tougher than the Lazio tie, while our league game against Levante will be the turning point in our season. A win in that match and we can hope for a 6th place, maybe even 5th place finish this season. Lose that game and we might have to settle for 7th. Games against Espanyol and Sociedad will also be tricky, especially considering how badly we've done against teams in the bottom quarter of the table.
Linecoigne1998
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Sticking to my 4-3-3, we manage to get a HUGE result against Levante. A 1-0 win puts us back in the running for a 5th place finish, as 4th place looks way too far away now to even hope to finish there. It's a shame considering how well we started the season, but I'd rather finish in 5th than down in 7th or even 8th place.
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Our 2-1 win at home in Spain proved to be crucial as we face Tello's new side and manage a 1-1 draw, thanks to Gnabry who actually is the one who puts us through to the Europa League quarter-final! After getting to the semi-final last season, can we replicate that achievement this season or go even further? Let's wait and see who our quarter-final opponent is first...
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Some really good results over the course of the month, but the 4-3-3 clearly isn't working out great. When we lost 2-1 to Espanyol, I said enough is enough and decided to switch systems. Below you'll see the new 4-2-4 with 2 defensive midfielders I'm hoping will work wonders. We won against Sociedad with it, we have some tough games next month so let's see if this works out!
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I just felt like we were conceding way too much and also just allowing way too many shots from our opponents. The two pressing forwards in Munir and Schick should work well up front together, meaning more firepower for us for sure. Marin and Gnabry will be cutting inside from the wings as we play a narrow game, hopefully helping out up front as well but on support duties looking to come back and help our two defensive midfielders. This is where it gets a little trickier. I initially had Javi Garcia playing as a deep-lying playmaker, but it still seemed a little too attacking and I felt like it might harm us in the long-term. I've opted to play him as an anchor man next to a segundo volante, which will hopefully help us on that front. If things don't work out, I have the option of making Garcia a deep-lying playmaker and maybe dropping Camarasa as a supporting segundo volante rather than an attacking one. As for the wing-backs, they should be crucial in going up and down the pitch with our wingers ahead of them cutting inside, proving some width to the side if needed of course. Finally, ball-playing centre backs just didn't work in this side. Our defenders aren't good enough to be playing like Van Dijk or Alderweireld and try crazy passes, so I've opted for 2 no-nonsense centre-backs, which should mean that with them and Garcia as an anchor man, we'll always be sure to have 3 defenders back at all times. Oh, and this is a very high pressing system as well, so our 4 attackers pressing high up the pitch to get the ball back with the support of Camarasa should really help us on that front.
A better month overall and our win against Levante puts us up in 6th, 2 points ahead of Sevilla. Because we lost to Espanyol, we're still below Levante but that could all change with a few decent results in April. It's a very tight month ahead, but with 9 games to go, we can't afford to mess up now.
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So Everton is who we'll face in the quarter-final! Very interesting to say the least... They got past Dynamo Kyiv and some Turkish team to get here, so definitely haven't faced some huge opponents yet. I'm hoping we'll shock them a bit considering I would say we're definitely better than the sides they've faced previously. Games in the league against Bilbao, Villareal and Sevilla will also be key for us next month if we want to finish the season strong. Here's to hoping that the 4-2-4 with DMs works wonders and we can come out on top!
Sticking to my 4-3-3, we manage to get a HUGE result against Levante. A 1-0 win puts us back in the running for a 5th place finish, as 4th place looks way too far away now to even hope to finish there. It's a shame considering how well we started the season, but I'd rather finish in 5th than down in 7th or even 8th place.
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Our 2-1 win at home in Spain proved to be crucial as we face Tello's new side and manage a 1-1 draw, thanks to Gnabry who actually is the one who puts us through to the Europa League quarter-final! After getting to the semi-final last season, can we replicate that achievement this season or go even further? Let's wait and see who our quarter-final opponent is first...
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Some really good results over the course of the month, but the 4-3-3 clearly isn't working out great. When we lost 2-1 to Espanyol, I said enough is enough and decided to switch systems. Below you'll see the new 4-2-4 with 2 defensive midfielders I'm hoping will work wonders. We won against Sociedad with it, we have some tough games next month so let's see if this works out!
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I just felt like we were conceding way too much and also just allowing way too many shots from our opponents. The two pressing forwards in Munir and Schick should work well up front together, meaning more firepower for us for sure. Marin and Gnabry will be cutting inside from the wings as we play a narrow game, hopefully helping out up front as well but on support duties looking to come back and help our two defensive midfielders. This is where it gets a little trickier. I initially had Javi Garcia playing as a deep-lying playmaker, but it still seemed a little too attacking and I felt like it might harm us in the long-term. I've opted to play him as an anchor man next to a segundo volante, which will hopefully help us on that front. If things don't work out, I have the option of making Garcia a deep-lying playmaker and maybe dropping Camarasa as a supporting segundo volante rather than an attacking one. As for the wing-backs, they should be crucial in going up and down the pitch with our wingers ahead of them cutting inside, proving some width to the side if needed of course. Finally, ball-playing centre backs just didn't work in this side. Our defenders aren't good enough to be playing like Van Dijk or Alderweireld and try crazy passes, so I've opted for 2 no-nonsense centre-backs, which should mean that with them and Garcia as an anchor man, we'll always be sure to have 3 defenders back at all times. Oh, and this is a very high pressing system as well, so our 4 attackers pressing high up the pitch to get the ball back with the support of Camarasa should really help us on that front.
A better month overall and our win against Levante puts us up in 6th, 2 points ahead of Sevilla. Because we lost to Espanyol, we're still below Levante but that could all change with a few decent results in April. It's a very tight month ahead, but with 9 games to go, we can't afford to mess up now.
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So Everton is who we'll face in the quarter-final! Very interesting to say the least... They got past Dynamo Kyiv and some Turkish team to get here, so definitely haven't faced some huge opponents yet. I'm hoping we'll shock them a bit considering I would say we're definitely better than the sides they've faced previously. Games in the league against Bilbao, Villareal and Sevilla will also be key for us next month if we want to finish the season strong. Here's to hoping that the 4-2-4 with DMs works wonders and we can come out on top!
Linecoigne1998
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Well, call me a tactical genius because this 4-2-4 is working! A 1-0 defeat in England left us in a pretty bad position, but nothing impossible to recover. The English side came to Spain and what happens? We beat them 3-1, thanks to a winning goal from Munir and equalising goal from Marin to put us through to the Europa League semi-final! For the second year in a row, Real Betis are in a European semi-final. Absolutely incredible stuff from the players to adapt so easily to a new system halfway through the season, I honestly can't believe how good these guys can be when they put their minds to it.
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This new system has really sparked some attacking prowess back in this team! With a 4-1 win against Valladolid, a 4-0 win against Bilbao and a 4-0 win in our Europa League semi-final first leg, we're firing on all fronts here! I can't believe we managed to beat Tottenham 4-0 at home, all we need now is to defend, defend, defend in London and we're through to the final! A 3-3 draw against our rivals Sevilla means it's the first time I don't actually win a Sevillano derby but who cares, it's still a point. This 4-2-4 has really ignited something in this team and I'm hoping this form continues now so we can finish strong.
It looks like we can say goodbye to Champions League football this season, as we sit in 5th way too far below Valencia to even have a chance. We sit 7 points clear of Levante who are in 6th, and 9 points behind Real Madrid in 4th. The latter have already secured Europa League football for next season and I'm sure they'll be fighting for Champions League football, so it's a bit of a shame for us that we have to face them in the league next... I'm confident we can secure Europa League football at least though, and hopefully finish in 5th (which would be the club's best league finish since 2004/05 when they finished 4th).
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Our two toughest away games of the season by far await us in May. In fact, I'd go as far to say that these are the two toughest away games of my career. A good result against Real Madrid would probably secure us Europa League football for next season, while a good result (and by that I mean a defeat by no more than 3 goals...) would put us in the Europa League final for the first time in the club's history. We finish the season off with games against Getafe, Eibar and Valencia, which should hopefully be good results as well and have no impact on where we finish. Let's keep this amazing form going and let's keep making this 4-2-4 as good as it's been!
Well, call me a tactical genius because this 4-2-4 is working! A 1-0 defeat in England left us in a pretty bad position, but nothing impossible to recover. The English side came to Spain and what happens? We beat them 3-1, thanks to a winning goal from Munir and equalising goal from Marin to put us through to the Europa League semi-final! For the second year in a row, Real Betis are in a European semi-final. Absolutely incredible stuff from the players to adapt so easily to a new system halfway through the season, I honestly can't believe how good these guys can be when they put their minds to it.
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This new system has really sparked some attacking prowess back in this team! With a 4-1 win against Valladolid, a 4-0 win against Bilbao and a 4-0 win in our Europa League semi-final first leg, we're firing on all fronts here! I can't believe we managed to beat Tottenham 4-0 at home, all we need now is to defend, defend, defend in London and we're through to the final! A 3-3 draw against our rivals Sevilla means it's the first time I don't actually win a Sevillano derby but who cares, it's still a point. This 4-2-4 has really ignited something in this team and I'm hoping this form continues now so we can finish strong.
It looks like we can say goodbye to Champions League football this season, as we sit in 5th way too far below Valencia to even have a chance. We sit 7 points clear of Levante who are in 6th, and 9 points behind Real Madrid in 4th. The latter have already secured Europa League football for next season and I'm sure they'll be fighting for Champions League football, so it's a bit of a shame for us that we have to face them in the league next... I'm confident we can secure Europa League football at least though, and hopefully finish in 5th (which would be the club's best league finish since 2004/05 when they finished 4th).
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Our two toughest away games of the season by far await us in May. In fact, I'd go as far to say that these are the two toughest away games of my career. A good result against Real Madrid would probably secure us Europa League football for next season, while a good result (and by that I mean a defeat by no more than 3 goals...) would put us in the Europa League final for the first time in the club's history. We finish the season off with games against Getafe, Eibar and Valencia, which should hopefully be good results as well and have no impact on where we finish. Let's keep this amazing form going and let's keep making this 4-2-4 as good as it's been!
Linecoigne1998
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View attachment 32873
Ahead of our huge trip to London in the Europa League, we wanted a decent result against Real Madrid to give us some confidence and how about that! A 1-1 draw is definitely a great result for us at the Bernabéu, especially considering we could've actually won the game if it wasn't for León missing a penalty.
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WE'VE DONE IT!!! Real Betis are in the 2019/2020 Europa League final!!! It was an incredibly tough and stressful game where Tottenham attacked and attacked constantly, but we held on and despite conceding 2 late goals, managed to score a late goal of our own to make it 5-2 on aggregate and put the tie to bed! In the other tie, PSV were playing against Marseille and after the French side won 4-1 at home in the first leg, it looked over already. PSV did win the game 2-0 so came SO close but it just wasn't enough. A Europa League final against Olympique de Marseille awaits us at the end of May, and we'll definitely be taking some inspiration from the Atlético side who beat them in the Europa League final 2 years ago.
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The draw against Getafe was definitely disappointing, but two wins against Eibar and Valencia to end the season was just the best way to finish this historic La Liga season, which sees us secure Europa League football for next season.
The final game of the season was completely meaningless for us but it was nice to get a win over Valencia, a first in my career as Betis manager. The huge news on the last matchday was Atlético winning against Bilbao and Barcelona drawing their own game, meaning Atléti win the league for the second year in a row! An incredible achievement, congratulations to them. I'm so happy for Betis though, as we finish in 5th. Finishing 7th in my first season, I was looking for some improvement and we definitely have improved, especially when you look at how close we came to Real Madrid! What a year.
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As a big thank you and congratulations for making it to the Europa League for next season, the board have decided to be extra nice and give me... €12 MILLION?! Are you kidding me! I know Betis isn't the richest club in the world but after finishing in 7th last season and 5th this season we get €12 million?! Absolutely outrageous... I sure as **** hope we'll be getting more money if we win the Europa League now, otherwise how am I supposed to compete with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético who can spend hundreds of millions?
Ahead of our huge trip to London in the Europa League, we wanted a decent result against Real Madrid to give us some confidence and how about that! A 1-1 draw is definitely a great result for us at the Bernabéu, especially considering we could've actually won the game if it wasn't for León missing a penalty.
View attachment 32871
WE'VE DONE IT!!! Real Betis are in the 2019/2020 Europa League final!!! It was an incredibly tough and stressful game where Tottenham attacked and attacked constantly, but we held on and despite conceding 2 late goals, managed to score a late goal of our own to make it 5-2 on aggregate and put the tie to bed! In the other tie, PSV were playing against Marseille and after the French side won 4-1 at home in the first leg, it looked over already. PSV did win the game 2-0 so came SO close but it just wasn't enough. A Europa League final against Olympique de Marseille awaits us at the end of May, and we'll definitely be taking some inspiration from the Atlético side who beat them in the Europa League final 2 years ago.
View attachment 32869
The draw against Getafe was definitely disappointing, but two wins against Eibar and Valencia to end the season was just the best way to finish this historic La Liga season, which sees us secure Europa League football for next season.
The final game of the season was completely meaningless for us but it was nice to get a win over Valencia, a first in my career as Betis manager. The huge news on the last matchday was Atlético winning against Bilbao and Barcelona drawing their own game, meaning Atléti win the league for the second year in a row! An incredible achievement, congratulations to them. I'm so happy for Betis though, as we finish in 5th. Finishing 7th in my first season, I was looking for some improvement and we definitely have improved, especially when you look at how close we came to Real Madrid! What a year.
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As a big thank you and congratulations for making it to the Europa League for next season, the board have decided to be extra nice and give me... €12 MILLION?! Are you kidding me! I know Betis isn't the richest club in the world but after finishing in 7th last season and 5th this season we get €12 million?! Absolutely outrageous... I sure as **** hope we'll be getting more money if we win the Europa League now, otherwise how am I supposed to compete with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético who can spend hundreds of millions?
Linecoigne1998
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View attachment 32861
Good evening from Gdańsk, Poland where we are about to witness one of the most interesting Europa League finals to date! It's Betis against Marseille in a very surprising matchup between two sides who would've never been expected to get so far in the competition, let alone fight it out for the trophy!
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With an impressive 5th place finish in La Liga this season, Betis come into this match as underdogs despite knocking out the likes of Milan and Tottenham in previous rounds.
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On the other side, it's Marseille who finished in 4th in this season's Ligue 1, one spot better than Betis of course. They also knocked out some impressive opponents like Leverkusen and Roma along the way, making them the favourites for the Europa League title this season after reaching the final for the 2nd time in the last 3 years.
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Betis line up with their 4-2-4 that we've become accustomed to and that has worked so well for them. A bit unusual in today's modern footballing world but if it works, why change it?
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Marseille on the other hand, line up with a more traditional 4-2-3-1, with two deep midfielders as well, just like Betis. This really should be a great contest.
14' Very harsh challenge on Gnabry there from Spinazzola who gets off easy without a booking and it even looks like Gnabry might have to come off injured! What a blow that would be for Betis!
26' It's been a very even game so far as Betis are the ones attacking this time with a great ball coming in from Velazquez at the back. The Spaniards work their way up to Gnabry who gets a shot off and it's deflected off Rami for AN OWN GOAL AND IT'S 1-0 BETIS!!!
HALF-TIME' It's a very even game so far with Rami's own goal the only thing separating the two, it should be a REALLY interesting and entertaining second half!
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45' Second half gets underway here with Betis starting it up, they lead 1-0!
47' It's a huge clearance from the Betis goalkeeper as it reaches Schick, who puts is through to Munir and it hits the post! What a chance to make it 2-0!
48' All 3 substitutions made for Betis, Camarasa on for Garcia, ter Avest on for Lekue and Orsolini on for Gnabry.
68' Great corner from Munir with the header from Junior Firpo but it goes out of play.
82' After a few missed passes around the box the ball falls to Marin and it's Marin who gets the shot away but it's just wide!
FULL-TIME! Real Betis are the Europa League champions!!! What an incredible result for them and what a way to end such a historic season for the club! The manager is going mad on the sidelines he can't believe it!
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Apologies for the very undetailed update, I still really wanted to share this incredible moment with you all! I'll talk a bit more about the game in the season review, I promise! Oh, and long live Betis even when they win the Europa League am I right?! Sorry, that was lame...
Good evening from Gdańsk, Poland where we are about to witness one of the most interesting Europa League finals to date! It's Betis against Marseille in a very surprising matchup between two sides who would've never been expected to get so far in the competition, let alone fight it out for the trophy!
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With an impressive 5th place finish in La Liga this season, Betis come into this match as underdogs despite knocking out the likes of Milan and Tottenham in previous rounds.
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View attachment 32856
On the other side, it's Marseille who finished in 4th in this season's Ligue 1, one spot better than Betis of course. They also knocked out some impressive opponents like Leverkusen and Roma along the way, making them the favourites for the Europa League title this season after reaching the final for the 2nd time in the last 3 years.
View attachment 32855
Betis line up with their 4-2-4 that we've become accustomed to and that has worked so well for them. A bit unusual in today's modern footballing world but if it works, why change it?
View attachment 32854
Marseille on the other hand, line up with a more traditional 4-2-3-1, with two deep midfielders as well, just like Betis. This really should be a great contest.
KICK-OFF!
1' It's Marseille who kick us off tonight, let's go!14' Very harsh challenge on Gnabry there from Spinazzola who gets off easy without a booking and it even looks like Gnabry might have to come off injured! What a blow that would be for Betis!
26' It's been a very even game so far as Betis are the ones attacking this time with a great ball coming in from Velazquez at the back. The Spaniards work their way up to Gnabry who gets a shot off and it's deflected off Rami for AN OWN GOAL AND IT'S 1-0 BETIS!!!
HALF-TIME' It's a very even game so far with Rami's own goal the only thing separating the two, it should be a REALLY interesting and entertaining second half!
View attachment 32853
45' Second half gets underway here with Betis starting it up, they lead 1-0!
47' It's a huge clearance from the Betis goalkeeper as it reaches Schick, who puts is through to Munir and it hits the post! What a chance to make it 2-0!
48' All 3 substitutions made for Betis, Camarasa on for Garcia, ter Avest on for Lekue and Orsolini on for Gnabry.
68' Great corner from Munir with the header from Junior Firpo but it goes out of play.
82' After a few missed passes around the box the ball falls to Marin and it's Marin who gets the shot away but it's just wide!
FULL-TIME! Real Betis are the Europa League champions!!! What an incredible result for them and what a way to end such a historic season for the club! The manager is going mad on the sidelines he can't believe it!
View attachment 32852
View attachment 32851
Apologies for the very undetailed update, I still really wanted to share this incredible moment with you all! I'll talk a bit more about the game in the season review, I promise! Oh, and long live Betis even when they win the Europa League am I right?! Sorry, that was lame...
Linecoigne1998
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View attachment 32758
Javi Garcia became a MASSIVE part of this team ever since we switched to the 4-2-4 DM, which is great to see at his age. ter Avest turned out to be an absolutely MASSIVE signing too and, surpisingly, Eggestein is the fan's young player of the season. A 5th place finish in La Liga is a fantastic finish for us, especially combined with our incredible Europa League win. As I finish up my second year in charge of Betis, I'd say this isn't too bad! Our performance in the Copa del Rey wasn't great but we made up for it with the Europa League. Finally, I'd just like to talk about our signings because Gnabry basically won us the Europa League with his shot deflecting off Rami and going in the back of the net, and Munir I mean WOW! 23 goals and 11 assists in 39 games is a fantastic contribution after just one season for us so I can't wait to have him here for the next few years. Orsolini was also an impressive signing we made and in fact I've already signed him on loan for a second year now so that should be interesting.
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Oh and our good performances at Betis have landed me a job interview with Napoli! A huge Italian side and as tempting as it is, I've picked Betis to manage for their project and the potential they have so I respectfully declined the interview. Hopefully that won't come back to haunt me!
Javi Garcia became a MASSIVE part of this team ever since we switched to the 4-2-4 DM, which is great to see at his age. ter Avest turned out to be an absolutely MASSIVE signing too and, surpisingly, Eggestein is the fan's young player of the season. A 5th place finish in La Liga is a fantastic finish for us, especially combined with our incredible Europa League win. As I finish up my second year in charge of Betis, I'd say this isn't too bad! Our performance in the Copa del Rey wasn't great but we made up for it with the Europa League. Finally, I'd just like to talk about our signings because Gnabry basically won us the Europa League with his shot deflecting off Rami and going in the back of the net, and Munir I mean WOW! 23 goals and 11 assists in 39 games is a fantastic contribution after just one season for us so I can't wait to have him here for the next few years. Orsolini was also an impressive signing we made and in fact I've already signed him on loan for a second year now so that should be interesting.
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Oh and our good performances at Betis have landed me a job interview with Napoli! A huge Italian side and as tempting as it is, I've picked Betis to manage for their project and the potential they have so I respectfully declined the interview. Hopefully that won't come back to haunt me!
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Linecoigne1998
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Very sorry for the huge lack of updates in the last few days, had a bit of a hectic weekend but I can play through the save once again! The update with summer transfers, pre-season results, our first few La Liga results and the Champions League group stage draw will be up soon!
Linecoigne1998
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View attachment 32326
The worst news of my career at Betis so far came really early on in the summer, with Munir leaving for €24.5 million (his release clause) to Liverpool. He was our best player last season and we had a fantastic player on our hands who came in on a free the summer before, so it's really heartbreaking to see him leave just as we secured Champions League football.
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Munir's replacement? An absolutely monster of a man who goes by the name of Håland. At 19 years old, the Norwegian striker stands at 192cm tall and weighs 89kg, bit reminiscent of a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic perhaps? He's been doing really well with Salzburg in his first full season there, scoring 10 goals in 24 games. It might not be the best record but he's definitely a great player to have in the team as a pressing forward. He's only 19 as well so has a huge amount of potential!
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An absolutely massive signing for us at the back with Benjamin Mendy, yes the Manchester City left-back, joining us on loan until the end of the season! The Frenchman was on the transfer-list but considering our finances, there was just no way we'd be able to sign him permanently so there he is for at least the next 12 months now!
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Another loan signing, once again at the back. We're not exactly struggling with our right-backs but as we now enter the Champions League, we definitely need much better players at the back. Dalot and Mendy were both on loan in Spain last season, so they'll have that La Liga experience as a bonus!
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A very interesting job offer came in for me this summer, with the French FA offering me the job as head coach of the national team! Managing the world champions, who could say no! To be honest, I would rather firstly focus on my job with Betis and even if I do take an international management job offer, I'd rather it be for the country that I manage my club in, aka Spain!
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Well there you go! As soon as France offered me the job and I rejected, Spain came in and offered me the job as well which I happily took. It will definitely be a distraction from my club duties but to be able to manage and bring back a Spanish side to the top of world football will be another challenge for me to take on, which I definitely am excited about!
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A third and final loan signing for the window. Kristoffer Ajer, who I was really looking to sign in my first few years at Betis, has since then signed for Barcelona who have agreed to let us have him for the rest of the season. Another Norwegian wonderkid in the side, how odd! Anyways, he's a great signing for us because he can play as a centre-back, where we clearly lack some depth, but also as a defensive midfielder to step in for the ageing Javi Garcia, which is great.
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With the amount of money we had left from the Munir sale, we had the opportunity to sign one BIG player, and who better than the transfer-listed Oxlade-Chamberlain? Liverpool take one of our great players, we'll take one of theirs. The reason I went for Alex is not only because he's a fantastic talent but also because he's so versatile! He can play as a centre-midfielder and a winger, and can also step in a few other positions as well if we ever need it so it's great to have him in the side.
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Just like last season, it's Barcelona who were made favourites to win the league. Atlético are down in 3rd, even though they won the league for the last 2 years! Despite our 7th and 5th place finishes in the last 2 years and some great signings this summer, the pundits reckon we'll finish in 7th, which is a bit better than 9th the last 2 seasons!
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For my first 2 games with the Spanish national team, I called up some 'surprise' players as the media would call it. Clearly, something in the previous squad didn't work out so there needs to be a change and that's what I'll be bringing to the table.
View attachment 32297
As first seeds in the draw, there were huge chances for us to face some big teams like Chelsea, Inter or more but we got extremely lucky and feature in probably the most competitive group in the competition. I say that because to be honest, all 4 teams in this group could finish in 1st, or in 2nd so it should make for a very interesting few months of Champions League football now!
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Some great results over July and August for pre-season! The defeat against Leipzig by just a goal does show me that we've become a much more competitive side, and I'm hoping that'll show in the Champions League! Two good results against Deportivo and Villareal in our first 2 league games also does show that we're in for a great season, sitting in 6th after just 2 games.
View attachment 32293
Well, next month is looking like the toughest month I've ever had as a Betis manager. A Sevillano derby (yes at home but still!), an away trip to Real Madrid and Galatasaray, and home games against Barcelona and Basel! On top of that, we also have an away trip to Bilbao which is never easy! Pray for me please...
The worst news of my career at Betis so far came really early on in the summer, with Munir leaving for €24.5 million (his release clause) to Liverpool. He was our best player last season and we had a fantastic player on our hands who came in on a free the summer before, so it's really heartbreaking to see him leave just as we secured Champions League football.
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View attachment 32320
Munir's replacement? An absolutely monster of a man who goes by the name of Håland. At 19 years old, the Norwegian striker stands at 192cm tall and weighs 89kg, bit reminiscent of a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic perhaps? He's been doing really well with Salzburg in his first full season there, scoring 10 goals in 24 games. It might not be the best record but he's definitely a great player to have in the team as a pressing forward. He's only 19 as well so has a huge amount of potential!
View attachment 32319
View attachment 32317
An absolutely massive signing for us at the back with Benjamin Mendy, yes the Manchester City left-back, joining us on loan until the end of the season! The Frenchman was on the transfer-list but considering our finances, there was just no way we'd be able to sign him permanently so there he is for at least the next 12 months now!
View attachment 32313
View attachment 32310
Another loan signing, once again at the back. We're not exactly struggling with our right-backs but as we now enter the Champions League, we definitely need much better players at the back. Dalot and Mendy were both on loan in Spain last season, so they'll have that La Liga experience as a bonus!
View attachment 32307
A very interesting job offer came in for me this summer, with the French FA offering me the job as head coach of the national team! Managing the world champions, who could say no! To be honest, I would rather firstly focus on my job with Betis and even if I do take an international management job offer, I'd rather it be for the country that I manage my club in, aka Spain!
View attachment 32306
Well there you go! As soon as France offered me the job and I rejected, Spain came in and offered me the job as well which I happily took. It will definitely be a distraction from my club duties but to be able to manage and bring back a Spanish side to the top of world football will be another challenge for me to take on, which I definitely am excited about!
View attachment 32304
View attachment 32303
A third and final loan signing for the window. Kristoffer Ajer, who I was really looking to sign in my first few years at Betis, has since then signed for Barcelona who have agreed to let us have him for the rest of the season. Another Norwegian wonderkid in the side, how odd! Anyways, he's a great signing for us because he can play as a centre-back, where we clearly lack some depth, but also as a defensive midfielder to step in for the ageing Javi Garcia, which is great.
View attachment 32302
View attachment 32301
With the amount of money we had left from the Munir sale, we had the opportunity to sign one BIG player, and who better than the transfer-listed Oxlade-Chamberlain? Liverpool take one of our great players, we'll take one of theirs. The reason I went for Alex is not only because he's a fantastic talent but also because he's so versatile! He can play as a centre-midfielder and a winger, and can also step in a few other positions as well if we ever need it so it's great to have him in the side.
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Just like last season, it's Barcelona who were made favourites to win the league. Atlético are down in 3rd, even though they won the league for the last 2 years! Despite our 7th and 5th place finishes in the last 2 years and some great signings this summer, the pundits reckon we'll finish in 7th, which is a bit better than 9th the last 2 seasons!
View attachment 32298
For my first 2 games with the Spanish national team, I called up some 'surprise' players as the media would call it. Clearly, something in the previous squad didn't work out so there needs to be a change and that's what I'll be bringing to the table.
View attachment 32297
As first seeds in the draw, there were huge chances for us to face some big teams like Chelsea, Inter or more but we got extremely lucky and feature in probably the most competitive group in the competition. I say that because to be honest, all 4 teams in this group could finish in 1st, or in 2nd so it should make for a very interesting few months of Champions League football now!
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Some great results over July and August for pre-season! The defeat against Leipzig by just a goal does show me that we've become a much more competitive side, and I'm hoping that'll show in the Champions League! Two good results against Deportivo and Villareal in our first 2 league games also does show that we're in for a great season, sitting in 6th after just 2 games.
View attachment 32293
Well, next month is looking like the toughest month I've ever had as a Betis manager. A Sevillano derby (yes at home but still!), an away trip to Real Madrid and Galatasaray, and home games against Barcelona and Basel! On top of that, we also have an away trip to Bilbao which is never easy! Pray for me please...
FM_TNSSO
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Just caught up! Congrats on the Europa League win....a fantastic achievement in only your 2nd season! Some good signings there and a very fortunate Champions League draw...everything seems to be going in the right direction and it looks like this could be another big year for you!
Linecoigne1998
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Cheers mate, was definitely a really tough way to the final but we somehow won the whole thing which is great! Signings are definitely looking decent, I have another one in the next update that should do a nice bit of damage up front for us! Hopefully the Champions League goes well...
Linecoigne1998
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View attachment 32211
Huge blow for us on transfer deadline day as Schick, just like in FM18 in my Villa save, leaves the club after one season here... Good for him I suppose, he had a pretty decent season so to get a move to the current champions is impressive, but it's put me in a difficult position as we have just a few hours to wrap up a new signing now...
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The signing made to replace Schick is a very, very exciting one. Andrea Petagna joins from Atalanta for an initial €5 million, with €10 million sent over to the Italian side over the next 3 years. At 25 years old, Petagna has the potential to stay here for a few years and do really well here too, and he fits the 'big striker' sort of player I've been looking for up front, so that's fantastic. Him and Håland should be a great partnership up top.
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After the international break, these are the results I did get with the national team. In my ignorance, I said I wanted to bring Spain to the top of world football once again but it turns out they won the EUROs over the summer! That's incredible of course, and I guess it does mean that the only thing I really have to work for now is the World Cup in 2 years...
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Another Sevillano derby, another win. In a game that we, like most of the time we play against Sevilla, dominated, we go and win 2-0 thanks to a goal from Gnabry, who's turning out to be the signing of the century for this club, and a first goal for Oxlade-Chamberlain as well! A fantastic game to be honest and a great performance from everyone in the side (apart from Petagna who had a pretty horrendous debut to be honest...).
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Not bad for a first Champions League group stage game since 2005/06! What an incredible result for us and what a Champions League debut for Petagna! A 7-0 win for us and 4 goals for the Italian beast up front really puts us in a fantastic position after our first game of the season in Europe's best competition.
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One of our tougher games this month and we only lost out in the 91st minute. An unfortunate result considering how well we played throughout but Real Madrid are a great side and now being managed by Ancelotti, which doesn't make my job easier.
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We did have a decent month overall, although our second half of the month after the Basel game went pretty badly... We did have to face some of the best teams in the league though, so I'm not overly worried.
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A disappointing start to La Liga to be honest, but to have 2 wins, draws and losses considering we had to face the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bilbao, Sevilla and Villareal does make me feel a bit better to be honest. As for the Champions League, we're looking good after 2 games as we sit 3 points clear of Galatasaray. Our next game is against Shakhtar which should be a fantastic game and hopefully we'll come away with a good result!
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A much easier month to look forward to in October now. Malaga and Zaragoza have actually have good starts to the season so we'll be wary of them of course, same can be said for Levante who had such a great season last year. Our home game against Shakhtar should be a great one and I'm hoping for a good result in the Copa del Rey too since we've never really done that well in the competition before!
Huge blow for us on transfer deadline day as Schick, just like in FM18 in my Villa save, leaves the club after one season here... Good for him I suppose, he had a pretty decent season so to get a move to the current champions is impressive, but it's put me in a difficult position as we have just a few hours to wrap up a new signing now...
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The signing made to replace Schick is a very, very exciting one. Andrea Petagna joins from Atalanta for an initial €5 million, with €10 million sent over to the Italian side over the next 3 years. At 25 years old, Petagna has the potential to stay here for a few years and do really well here too, and he fits the 'big striker' sort of player I've been looking for up front, so that's fantastic. Him and Håland should be a great partnership up top.
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After the international break, these are the results I did get with the national team. In my ignorance, I said I wanted to bring Spain to the top of world football once again but it turns out they won the EUROs over the summer! That's incredible of course, and I guess it does mean that the only thing I really have to work for now is the World Cup in 2 years...
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Another Sevillano derby, another win. In a game that we, like most of the time we play against Sevilla, dominated, we go and win 2-0 thanks to a goal from Gnabry, who's turning out to be the signing of the century for this club, and a first goal for Oxlade-Chamberlain as well! A fantastic game to be honest and a great performance from everyone in the side (apart from Petagna who had a pretty horrendous debut to be honest...).
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Not bad for a first Champions League group stage game since 2005/06! What an incredible result for us and what a Champions League debut for Petagna! A 7-0 win for us and 4 goals for the Italian beast up front really puts us in a fantastic position after our first game of the season in Europe's best competition.
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One of our tougher games this month and we only lost out in the 91st minute. An unfortunate result considering how well we played throughout but Real Madrid are a great side and now being managed by Ancelotti, which doesn't make my job easier.
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We did have a decent month overall, although our second half of the month after the Basel game went pretty badly... We did have to face some of the best teams in the league though, so I'm not overly worried.
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A disappointing start to La Liga to be honest, but to have 2 wins, draws and losses considering we had to face the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bilbao, Sevilla and Villareal does make me feel a bit better to be honest. As for the Champions League, we're looking good after 2 games as we sit 3 points clear of Galatasaray. Our next game is against Shakhtar which should be a fantastic game and hopefully we'll come away with a good result!
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A much easier month to look forward to in October now. Malaga and Zaragoza have actually have good starts to the season so we'll be wary of them of course, same can be said for Levante who had such a great season last year. Our home game against Shakhtar should be a great one and I'm hoping for a good result in the Copa del Rey too since we've never really done that well in the competition before!
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Linecoigne1998
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So more Spain updates as the Spanish lads seem to be enjoying my 4-2-4 system I use with Betis. We're looking good in the Nations League with wins against Denmark and Poland to start things off in the campaign, let's hope it continues. A 2-0 win against Portugal in a friendly is also a good result given the rivalry between the two countries.
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A fantastic game for the team all round and a world-class performance by Petagna who scores a hat-trick, his second in 3 games in the Champions League! This huge win against Shakhtar also means we sit top of the group after 3 games, which is so much better than I could've asked/hoped for!
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As much as I said I didn't think injuries would be a problem for Alex in his press conference when he arrived, I guess I was just waiting for this to happen. His first injury since signing is a long-term one as he'll be out for 4-5 weeks after he landed badly in training. It's a huge shame of course, but I guess it'll now give the opportunity to Marin and Orsolini to step in and try to establish themselves as 1st team players.
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Another great result for us this month with a 3-0 win against a tough Sociedad side. Håland, as long as he's taken to start, is finally scoring goals which is fantastic. Marin scores as he steps in for Oxlade-Chamberlain as well and Cataldi scores once again as our segundo volante is actually our top goalscorer in the league, with 7 goals in 9 games!
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An unbeaten month in October leaves us in a great place for the rest of the season now. 4 wins from 4 league games, a huge win in the Champions League and an unfortunate draw in the Copa del Rey is definitely more than good enough for me and I'm hoping we can just keep this form up to really establish ourselves as a top 5 side in Spain.
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After 10 games in the league, we sit in 4th just 3 points behind the league leaders Real Madrid. We had a fantastic start to the season last year and then ended up falling off completely so I really do hope we can maintain this great form. In the Champions League, 2 wins and a draw from 3 games puts us top of the group, 4 points clear of Basel in 3rd. We are definitely the favourites to go through to the next round at this point, but away games against Basel and Shakhtar will undoubtedly be tough.
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Another exciting month ahead of us with some big games against Osasuna and Girona (which always seem easy but are often the toughest games), a huge away game against the La Liga holders Altético and two away Champions League games, both very tough, which will decide our fate in group G.
So more Spain updates as the Spanish lads seem to be enjoying my 4-2-4 system I use with Betis. We're looking good in the Nations League with wins against Denmark and Poland to start things off in the campaign, let's hope it continues. A 2-0 win against Portugal in a friendly is also a good result given the rivalry between the two countries.
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A fantastic game for the team all round and a world-class performance by Petagna who scores a hat-trick, his second in 3 games in the Champions League! This huge win against Shakhtar also means we sit top of the group after 3 games, which is so much better than I could've asked/hoped for!
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As much as I said I didn't think injuries would be a problem for Alex in his press conference when he arrived, I guess I was just waiting for this to happen. His first injury since signing is a long-term one as he'll be out for 4-5 weeks after he landed badly in training. It's a huge shame of course, but I guess it'll now give the opportunity to Marin and Orsolini to step in and try to establish themselves as 1st team players.
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Another great result for us this month with a 3-0 win against a tough Sociedad side. Håland, as long as he's taken to start, is finally scoring goals which is fantastic. Marin scores as he steps in for Oxlade-Chamberlain as well and Cataldi scores once again as our segundo volante is actually our top goalscorer in the league, with 7 goals in 9 games!
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An unbeaten month in October leaves us in a great place for the rest of the season now. 4 wins from 4 league games, a huge win in the Champions League and an unfortunate draw in the Copa del Rey is definitely more than good enough for me and I'm hoping we can just keep this form up to really establish ourselves as a top 5 side in Spain.
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After 10 games in the league, we sit in 4th just 3 points behind the league leaders Real Madrid. We had a fantastic start to the season last year and then ended up falling off completely so I really do hope we can maintain this great form. In the Champions League, 2 wins and a draw from 3 games puts us top of the group, 4 points clear of Basel in 3rd. We are definitely the favourites to go through to the next round at this point, but away games against Basel and Shakhtar will undoubtedly be tough.
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Another exciting month ahead of us with some big games against Osasuna and Girona (which always seem easy but are often the toughest games), a huge away game against the La Liga holders Altético and two away Champions League games, both very tough, which will decide our fate in group G.
Linecoigne1998
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A fantastic result up in Ukraine, as we get the 2-0 win and as a result make it through to the First Knockout round in the Champions League! We'll also finish top of our group as an added bonus, although in a competition like the UCL, I don't think finishing 1st or 2nd actually has an impact at all! With two games left now against Basel and Galatasaray, I can afford to mess around a bit and give some European playing time to some younger players or just players who haven't gotten the chance to impress yet.
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Coming in with some quick Spain news of course, as we were playing our last 2 group games in the Nations League and have managed to come out on top, making it to the semi-final of the competition. We'll face either Germany, Portugal, or France in the next round. No easy opponents to say the least...
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Marin gets an awful, awful injury just as Oxlade-Chamberlain comes back into the side. I guess we got lucky but it's never nice to lose a player like Antonio due to injury for such a long period of time...
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I still lined up one of our better sides for our away game against Basel just so we could get some confidence going ahead of the Atlético Madrid game and I guess it sort of paid of! A 4-1 win really puts us on top of the group now, with a brace from Petagna taking his goalscoring tally in the Champions League to 10 goals in 5 games! The record for the most goals in a Champions League campaign, keep in mind, was set by Cristiano Ronaldo back in 2013 when he scored 17 goals throughout the whole competition. With at least 3 games remaining in the competition, can Andrea break the record?!
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A disappointing defeat against another big side. We're just clearly not ready to be beating the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético left. Funnily enough, I managed to beat both Barcelona and Real Madrid in my very first season here, never Atléti though.
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Not a bad month once again to be honest! With just the one defeat against Atléti, it does mean that we'll stay in 4th for the time being but I'm very happy with that as it would be an improvement on last season!
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Sitting in 4th, 3 points clear of 5th, after 13 games is definitely an achievement for me. We're about a third of the way through the season and if this first bit of the year is anything to go by, then we'll have another historic season here at the club! As for the Champions League, it looks like I'll have to put out another strong team against Galatasaray at home since they're fighting for Europa League football at this point and I'm not about to let them just walk over us in front of our own fans!
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The upside of having all these huge tough games early on in the season is that we can relax a little bit throughout December. The game against Galatasaray is meaningless, Espanyol are down in 16th, we have a friendly as well. However, the games against Gimnastic and Getafe will be tough ones; for different reasons of course, but still tough ones.
A fantastic result up in Ukraine, as we get the 2-0 win and as a result make it through to the First Knockout round in the Champions League! We'll also finish top of our group as an added bonus, although in a competition like the UCL, I don't think finishing 1st or 2nd actually has an impact at all! With two games left now against Basel and Galatasaray, I can afford to mess around a bit and give some European playing time to some younger players or just players who haven't gotten the chance to impress yet.
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Coming in with some quick Spain news of course, as we were playing our last 2 group games in the Nations League and have managed to come out on top, making it to the semi-final of the competition. We'll face either Germany, Portugal, or France in the next round. No easy opponents to say the least...
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Marin gets an awful, awful injury just as Oxlade-Chamberlain comes back into the side. I guess we got lucky but it's never nice to lose a player like Antonio due to injury for such a long period of time...
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I still lined up one of our better sides for our away game against Basel just so we could get some confidence going ahead of the Atlético Madrid game and I guess it sort of paid of! A 4-1 win really puts us on top of the group now, with a brace from Petagna taking his goalscoring tally in the Champions League to 10 goals in 5 games! The record for the most goals in a Champions League campaign, keep in mind, was set by Cristiano Ronaldo back in 2013 when he scored 17 goals throughout the whole competition. With at least 3 games remaining in the competition, can Andrea break the record?!
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A disappointing defeat against another big side. We're just clearly not ready to be beating the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético left. Funnily enough, I managed to beat both Barcelona and Real Madrid in my very first season here, never Atléti though.
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Not a bad month once again to be honest! With just the one defeat against Atléti, it does mean that we'll stay in 4th for the time being but I'm very happy with that as it would be an improvement on last season!
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Sitting in 4th, 3 points clear of 5th, after 13 games is definitely an achievement for me. We're about a third of the way through the season and if this first bit of the year is anything to go by, then we'll have another historic season here at the club! As for the Champions League, it looks like I'll have to put out another strong team against Galatasaray at home since they're fighting for Europa League football at this point and I'm not about to let them just walk over us in front of our own fans!
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The upside of having all these huge tough games early on in the season is that we can relax a little bit throughout December. The game against Galatasaray is meaningless, Espanyol are down in 16th, we have a friendly as well. However, the games against Gimnastic and Getafe will be tough ones; for different reasons of course, but still tough ones.
focafoca18
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Wooow...amazing....we need a 2/2 victory in Liga and a 4-0 with Gimnastic...then you can also loose with Gala and Granada, no problem...ahahahaha