[FM17] The Maple and the Eagle

[bigmattb28]

Chapter 50​

Scott sat in his office, arms crossed, eyes narrowed at the squad list on his desk. The Polish Cup was important, but promotion was everything.

Peter Bastista sat across from him, swirling a pen between his fingers, looked up to Scott and saw the concentration on his face ‘penny?’

Scott looked up, confused and said ‘say again?’

‘Penny for your thoughts. I can tell somethings on your mind, what you thinking about?

Scott smiled, exhaled and said ‘I’m not entirely sure Pete. Play the starters, give the top division team a game and risk fatigue or injury, or do we rotate and risk getting thumped?’

Peter smirked ‘you already know what you're gonna do. You're just waiting for me to say it first’

Scott let out a small laugh ‘yeah? And what am I gonna do?’

‘Rotate. Give Koftas, Leandro, Malania, Wellington, and Jaroszek a break. See what the other lads can do’

Scott drummed his fingers on the desk, then nodded ‘yeah, that’s exactly what we’re going to be doing’

However the plan didn’t work. The top division team controlled the match from start to finish, playing their first team and made light work of Ślęza who never really clicked.

A goal in each half sealed a 2-0 defeat, not exactly a cup run for the ages. After the match, Scott kept it short in the dressing room ‘not good enough. But some of you needed this game to step up. Some of you did. Some didn’t’. He left it at that.

If the Cracovia loss stung, the response in the league was exactly what Scott wanted.

Against Arka Gdynia, the first team names returned, and so did the results. A hard fought 1-0 win away, the kind of gritty, ugly result a promotion chasing team needs preceded a 2-2 home draw against Wisla Plock, the other team relegated with Wisla Krakow who are also favourites to go right back up

In the next match Ślęza Wrocław won 3-1 over Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała in another statement in their growing promotion push. Leândro was unplayable, twice setting up Chodyna, with Szymczak getting his first for the club. The midfield pressed hard, the defense stood strong. But the victory came with a price.

Mikołaj Koftas, one of Scott’s first choice strikers, his fighter, along with his strike partner Leândro , they’re Scott’s go to in big moments, Koftas went down clutching his leg in the second half. He tried to get up, waved off the physio at first, but when he put weight on it, his face twisted in pain.

Scott knew straight away.

On the sideline, he ran a hand through his hair. Not him. Not now.

Back in the dressing room, the confirmation came from the medical staff: a sprained ankle. Five weeks out if you’re lucky.

Koftas sat with his head down, frustration clear on his face.

Scott crouched in front of him ‘I know it’s a **** time for this, but you’ll be back. Five weeks is nothing. It’s not five months. We’ll need you when you’re ready’

Koftas nodded and didn’t say much.

Back in his office the next day Scott sat with Peter Bastista, eyes on the upcoming fixtures.

‘Five weeks without Koftas we’ll have to tweak things’

Peter nodded ‘Leandro can play up top on his own?’ a question not a statement ‘or maybe Chodyna playing off him?’

Scott sighed ‘we’ll have to figure it out. But we’ll miss him so will Leo’

– – – – --​

 

[bigmattb28]

Chapter 51​

​

Scott sat across from Bartosz Jaroszek and his agent, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. The offer had come in that morning, Videoton wanted a center half and they wanted the player that had been a key part of Scotts team.

Their initial offer of €14K was laughable. Scott had pushed it to €40K expecting the Hungarians to withdraw, but to his surprise they agreed.

Now came the hard part.

Jaroszek’s agent leaned forward ‘Bartosz wants to hear what Videoton have to say’

Scott let out a slow breath, nodding ‘I had a feeling he might, and I won’t block the move, but I won’t sanction it until we’ve got a replacement’ his voice was firm ‘II can’t weaken the squad before the window shuts. You know how important you are to us’ he said looking at Jaroszek

The defender hesitated, shifting in his seat ‘I didn’t plan on leaving boss’ He looked down for a second before meeting Scott’s eyes ‘but it’s an interesting move isn’t it. A different league, different challenge. I want to test myself’

Scott hated this part of the job. He nodded ‘I get it, reall I do. You’ve given everything for this club. If this is what you want, I won’t stand in your way... but I need time to bring someone in’

Jaroszek exhaled, clearly relieved. His agent nodded, understanding the stance.

Scott stood up, offering his hand ‘we’ll make this work for everyone’

Jaroszek shook it ‘thanks Scott’

Scott watched them leave, already running through names in his head. Replacing a defender, a key player at that, wasn’t ideal, but if he’d learned anything, it was to always be ready for change.

Scott didn’t waste time. Jaroszek might be on his way out, but Sleza wouldn’t be left scrambling.

He and Marcin sat in the office, a shortlist of defenders pinned to the board. Some were promising but unproven, others experienced but risky. They needed someone solid, someone who could slot in immediately.

Marcin tapped a name ‘Kevin Bonifazi. Italian, 24 but is experienced, and he’s strong’

Scott nodded ‘where’s he playing?’

‘Fidelis Andria, Serie C’

Scott’s brow furrowed ‘are we not a bit of a drop for a player like that?’

Marcin smirked ‘which is why we have a chance. He’s better than that level. Maybe he wants a fresh start and he’ll be a starter here, he’s been in and out of their team’

Scott thought it over quickly then said ‘yeah, fine. Make an offer’

Marcin got straight to work, sending out the €60K bid. Fidelis Andria didn’t hesitate, they accepted.

Scott exhaled ‘alright, now let’s hope Bonifazi wants to trade Italy for Poland’

– – – – --​

 

[bigmattb28]

Chapter 52​

The Wroclaw night clung to the city like a damp overcoat, the kind you never quite shake off. The floodlights cut through the drizzle with clinical precision, and down on the pitch Sleza Wroclaw went about their business like seasoned professionals.

Scott Lańkowski stood on the touchline, arms folded, sharp eyed beneath the brim of the rain specked baseball cap he sometimes wore on matchdays. The scoreboard glowed against the air like a confession written in neon — Sleza 3 - GKS Katowice 0.

It had started steady, tense even. A game balanced on the knife’s edge, until Leandro pounced eleven minutes in. The Brazilian forward took a step backwards and drifted off his marker before calmly burying a low finish past the Katowice keeper. No wild celebration, just a fist bump and a round of high fives and that quiet confidence that comes from a man who knew the net would ripple before the ball even left his boot.

At half time the changing room was cool headed. No shouting, no tension and no grand speeches. Just Scott as ever calm but clear ‘stay focussed now. We don’t need to press aggressively or make any stupid decisions. First half is done, so go out there and win the second half, that’s all you’ve gotta do’

Then, just minutes after the restart the match shifted. Katowice’s usually reliable center half Luszkiewicz flew into Kwiatkowski as he cut inside, with the kind of tackle that only ever ends one way. The ref didn’t hesitate, straight red. Katowice were down to ten, and Sleza had a lot more space to move into.

Scott didn’t react wildly. Just a small nod and a wink to Peter on the bench, like a chess player seeing the board open up. He knew the moment to strike had arrived.

Jakobczyk up top, getting the starting nod in place of the injured Koftas made it two with a perfect header from a right wing cross that hung in the air longer than it had any right to, before dropping into the back of the net. The crowd behind the goal erupted, scarves flailing, voices raw with joy.

Then, on 79 minutes, Olszewski put the ribbon on the night. A clever give and go with Leandro as the young midfielder made a forward run then a neat touch past the keeper and it was 3-0. Job done.

Back in the changing room boots were off and laughter spilled like warm coffee on a cold morning as the boys were buzzing with the win. But Scott? He kept his feet on the ground. He moved between players, offering a hand on the shoulder, a quiet word here and there. The kind of presence that steadied the room.

This win mattered. Not just because of the scoreline, but because of how they got it, controlled, ruthless, professional. No fireworks or flair for the sake of it. Just the kind of performance that made other teams take notice.

And Scott knew it ‘that’s how we do it’ he said to quiet the room ‘with discipline, composure and belief. I know managers always say about belief, but today I had the belief to let you play without much direction from me or Pete on the sidelines’ he looked over to Peter Baststa who nodded back, they didn’t direct or shout much from the touchline in the game.

Scott continued ‘You all had a job to do and did it to perfection. The red helped but anyone could see we were controlling the game and would’ve won against eleven men anyway. That’s as good a win as we could’ve hoped for, and you’ve all got tomorrow off, you’ve earned it’

The team nodded, understanding and agreeing with the boss. Because games like these didn’t just build seasons. They built something deeper.

== == == == ==
​

This season was all about a promotion challenge and it was already heating up early on, and Ślęza Wrocław were right in the thick of it. With each win or point gained the belief grew, not just in the stands but within the walls and the whole structure of the club. The team had come a long way under Scott Lańkowski’s leadership, this now being his fourth season in charge. His tactical tweaks, calm authority, the trust between him, Marcin and Peter and most importantly the close knit bond with the players had transformed Ślęza from a newly promoted side into genuine contenders.

But as the pressure of the promotion hunt was rising so too did the weight of expectation. Around the club, there was talk of plans for the future, of budgets, of what next season might look like in the top division, the Ekstraklasa. Scott smiled and nodded through it all, but a certain restlessness had started to creep in. It wasn’t dissatisfaction. Not exactly. More a question he couldn’t shake - What comes after this?

At training, he was focused. During matches, he lived every moment from the technical area. But in the quieter hours like those long drives home on the team bus, the quiet office evenings when the others had left, Scott found his thoughts drifting. He loved Ślęza and always would. But he also knew how quickly things could change in football. Sometimes the ambition that lifts a team can also pull a man in another direction.

For now, he was all in. But for the first time, the idea of what might be waiting beyond Ślęza no longer felt so distant.

-- -- -- -- --​

 

[bigmattb28]

January 2021 football news​

​

Joachim Löw was finally shown the door at Arsenal with the club floundering in 13th, yes, 13th! The final nail in the coffin? A chaotic 3-2 loss away at Watford, where even the Hornets seemed surprised to be winning. Arsenal's season has been like a broken printer: expensive, frustrating, and refusing to produce anything of value.

Summer signing Kuki hasn’t played a single league minute, he's possibly still stuck in customs. Alexis Sanchez has managed just 8 goals in 22 games, Diego Costa looks like he’s accidentally wandered in from a charity match, and wonderkid Krainer? More cold brew than hot prospect so far.

Somehow though, possibly through black magic, a mountain of cash, or just sheer disbelief Arsenal managed to tempt Carlo Ancelotti to take over. Yes, that Carlo Ancelotti. The man with more trophies than most clubs and eyebrows that have seen it all.

Rumor has it he agreed just so he could prove that even he couldn’t make sense of this squad. Or maybe he mistook ‘Kuki’ for ‘Kroos’ during negotiations. Either way the Emirates is about to get a whole lot more sophisticated and probably a few more 1-0 wins.

And in another twist no one saw coming, except maybe every frustrated Man City fan on Twitter, Thomas Tuchel got the boot from Manchester City. Sacked while the club was floundering in 11th place, just two spots ahead of the chaos circus down at Arsenal.

Considering the squad he had, it takes a special kind of tactical wizardry to turn a team of stars into a mid table mystery. The board had seen enough by November. All the tactics and spreadsheets in the world couldn’t save Tuchel from the swirling storm of bad vibes. It was less football, more existential crisis in sky blue.

Diego Simeone took the plunge and left Atlético Madrid after nine fiery, full throttle seasons to take the Manchester City job. Some say he left behind a legacy of grit, glory, and at least one broken dressing room door per loss. Now he’s swapping La Liga street fights for Premier League chaos, and if nothing else the Manchester City touchline just got a whole lot more animated.

As January 2021 rolled around, Newcastle found themselves top of the Premier League table, proving once again that we might actually be living in a simulation. Chelsea were hot on their heels, followed by Manchester United, Spurs, Southampton..…and a surprisingly dangerous Liverpool side under John Terry. With Terry patrolling the touchline instead of the back line and no reports of wives being visited, he has somehow turned Liverpool into a team that defends like a fortress and attacks like it’s still 2006. Call it Terryball, call it chaos, but it’s working, and that’s the weirdest part.

Over in the scoring charts, it’s less golden boot and more tin slipper territory. West Ham’s Jonathan Calleri leads the way with 14 goals, Charlie Austin is in second with 11 for Southampton, and Wolves' James Wilson (more on him shortly) has chipped in with 9. All solid efforts, but let’s just say nobody’s threatening any records this season, it’s shaping up to be a low scoring slugfest.

 

[bigmattb28]

2021 January transfer window ​

The January transfer window was a bit of a snoozefest all things considered unless you’re Manchester United, of course, who apparently think Bayern Munich is their own personal supermarket. Having already splashed €121 million on Christian Pulisic in the summer, Jose Mourinho returned to the Bavarian aisle and slapped a €113 million bid on the table for Renato Sanches. Someone at Old Trafford clearly just searched ‘midfielders Bayern aren’t using properly’ and hit ‘add to cart.’ He would eventually turn them down, however.

They also shelled out €11.75 million for Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Marcus Alderson, who was the 15th overall pick in the 2020 MLS Draft. Unproven in England, sure, but who needs Premier League experience when you’ve got highlights from rainy nights in Montreal? Whether he sinks or swims is anyone’s guess, but if nothing else at least now he’s more likely to face some real defenders than deal with turf burn from the rough MLS pitches.

So, Carlo Ancelotti, in his infinite wisdom and presumably after one too many glasses of Chianti, has decided that what Arsenal's leaky defence really needs is... James Wilson from Wolves. For the tidy sum of €62 million!

Now, don't get us wrong Wilson is a decent player and scoring goals this season. Works hard, puts in a shift and does give defences a hard time. But the answer to Arsenal's defensive woes? It's like trying to fix a burst pipe with a particularly enthusiastic plaster. You admire the effort, but you're pretty sure you're still going to end up with a flooded kitchen.

Are the Arsenal board all just nodding along like those Churchill dogs in the back of a car? Have they all been hypnotized by Ancelotti's suave Italian charm? We reckon the scouting meeting went something like this:

Ancelotti ‘we need to fix the defence’

Chief Scout ‘absolutely, Carlo. Any ideas?’

Ancelotti ‘James Wilson, Wolves forward, 9 goals so far’ *sips espresso dramatically *

Scout ‘on it, boss. Sixty Two million it is!’

It's enough to make you spill your Bovril! You'd think they'd be looking at world class center halves, maybe a commanding defensive midfielder to shield the back four. Instead, they've gone for a player who's probably wondering if they accidentally stumbled into a winning lottery ticket.

Look, maybe Ancelotti sees something we don't. Maybe Wilson has a secret defensive superpower he's been hiding. Perhaps he communicates with the ball telepathically and can gently guide it away from danger. It does feel like Ancelotti's master plan involves simply scoring so many goals that the opposition's tally becomes irrelevant. It's the footballing equivalent of saying ‘who needs a sturdy front door when you can just build a really, really big window and climb out before the burglars get in?’

Still, it'll be entertaining to watch, won't it? If Arsenal suddenly become a defensive rock, we'll all have to eat our humble pie. But if they're still conceding a couple of goals a game, well, at least we'll have a good laugh about the £62 million plaster that didn't quite do the trick.

 

[bigmattb28]

The only other noteworthy transfers in January saw Nabil Bentaleb pack his bags and leave Schalke for Chelsea in a €30 million deal that had some fans scratching their heads and others Googling ‘Is Bentaleb good now?’

Meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku’s neverending transfer saga; part football story, part soap opera finally reached its conclusion. After being linked to half of Europe (and probably one or two MLS sides for good measure), he landed at… Sassuolo. For €15 million. Yes, Sassuolo. For the price of a decent full back, they got themselves a striker who’s had more transfer links than goals lately. He averaged 18 a season for Everton, although the last two and a half seasons have been in the Championship where he scored 28 and 27 respectivley, and was on 13 before his transfer to Italy.

Young players dominated the rest of the window, with names that even the most die hard football fans had to squint at. Take Dieter Van de Voorde, for instance. Don’t worry, you’re not alone, no one else knows him either. The Belgian left full back was KAA Gent’s supposed gem and somehow convinced Atlético Madrid to cough up €31 million for him.

He probably packed his bags dreaming of crunching tackles under the watchful, growling eye of Diego Simeone. Instead? He arrives to find Jaco Menez in charge, a manager whose tactical philosophy seems to revolve around motivational playlists and hoping for the best.

Then there’s Fausto Vera, snapped up by Real Madrid for €45 million, because nothing says ‘Galáctico’ like splashing the cash on a Bundesliga midfielder with a decent highlight reel. Wolfsburg, ever the pragmatists, replaced him with John Brooks for €19 million. Not exactly like for like, but hey, at least Brooks won’t need a translator to yell at the back four.

Nicolás Magarelli, Boca Juniors’ teenage striking sensation that had attracted interest from some top European clubs, has swapped Buenos Aires for Belo Horizonte in a €29 million move to Cruzeiro. Bold choice, some call it a step up, others call it swapping bombonera pressure for Brazilian chaos. Either way, Cruzeiro clearly saw enough in him to break the bank. Let’s just hope he scores goals faster than the fans learn how to pronounce his surname.

Another youth prospect on the move as Samuel Nwafor, who only just started making waves in Braga’s first team, has landed a €25 million move to PSG. A tidy looking defensive midfielder with a good engine, he’s exactly what PSG need…..said absolutely no one, considering they’ve already got more DMs than midfield space. At this point, it’s less about tactics and more about collecting them like rare Pokémon.

Rounding off the youth signing from America saga, Dortmund have officially joined the MLS bargain hunt by splashing €2.2 million on Andrew Aguado. Yep, that Andrew Aguado that no one knew about a year ago, the second round pick in the 2020 draft, passed over by just about every club in MLS until the Red Bulls took a flyer on him as backup right back cover. Fast forward a season and he’s played every single game for them like he was always destined to start. Dortmund clearly saw enough to believe there’s more to this Cinderella story. From forgotten draft pick to Bundesliga hopeful. Somewhere a Disney writer is taking notes.

Gladbach weren’t about to let Dortmund have all the fun raiding the MLS bargain bin. They went one better, or maybe one deeper, by signing Patrick Von Steeg, a third round pick by Portland, proving that hidden gems aren’t just found, they’re mined. While Von Steeg hasn’t quite lit up the league like Aguado, he did make enough of a splash at left back to convince Gladbach that there’s gold at the bottom of the draft. Who needs scouting networks when you’ve got MLS highlight reels and a transfer budget?