From literal rags to worldwide fame. Yelizaveta's rise from the mud.

[Death Ball]

Winter Break 2022

I'm offering Mbola and Lelieveld out as they're closing to the end of their contracts and I'm likely to want to bring other players in their places and we have Anita to cover for both, plus youngsters.

Crvena Zvezda and AZ come with offers for both of them, respectively. I take them.

Lille have chosen another to take their jobs.

Lelieveld is the first of the two fullbacks to sign for the new team.
((Missing screenshot €100K))

Mbola refuses the move. because of wages.

I take his asking prize to slightly lower than the Serbian club offered and receive a bunch.

Mbola leaves for Lens. Maybe he and Lelieveld were useful for us; but we were not going to keep them and this way we get some money and save some wages.

Now it's Rapid Wien that offer a job interview. One of the classic sides of Austria. That makes it attractive, though it's kind of a step back.

I end Krmpotic's loan given he barely played. We can save on the wages and monthly fees. He was not going to have enough time, despite having enough quality.

I'm offered to change expectations; but one or four more thousand euros for wages can't justify the increase in pressure.

The board again approaches about talking on a new contract, but I will delay it.

Rapid Wien doesn't hire me, either.

We tie José Ortiz on the end of his contract for next year. When I offered it all we knew was he was superb at passing and vision.

Lukovic wants to leave and join Feyenoord. Just great.

We get €750K from Bijen transfer, of which 20% goes to Twente.

****. Feyenoord do make an offer for Lukovic. I'll accept it, if he leaves, Maclaren will return.

In comes Bryn Williams, loaned by Allach from Chelsea with no cost.

Lukovic goes to Feyenoord, so I'll bring Maclaren back.

So far, the January window is quiet. But I think we need some ball winning midfielder.

 

[Death Ball]

January 2023

Filipovic will be out for some three weeks, which means he'll miss a three matches most surely.

****! Now Ajax comes in for Davinson Sánchez. And he wants to be able to talk to them. I'll let the deadline for the answer to arrive and look for replacements.
[Ajax offer for Davinson]

And Sánchez comes to ask me to let him go.

And I manage to convince him to stay!

With the injury to Filipovic and Mohammadi being on international duty, I choose against starting Hak in this match, so Albæk plays at the side of the defence and De Bock at the middle. Anita fills Filipovic's spot.
A good half that ends with frustration. We score through Obama to get ahead, do well, then in injury time at a corner, all the players marking the six yard box allow van Aken to run to the ball right past them to head it in, while Wellenreuther once again makes an exit to where is clear the ball will never get to so the header has no need to beat any keeper. Also, Pulgar got a serious head injury by the looks of it and van den Berg has to play in his place, though he's not done badly.
AAAARGGGGG... Gudmundsson twists and ankle, we miss on the second goal because one more ****** time Anita takes in a corner the place I tell is for Obama so instead of a striker who knows how to finish and is fast as **** the counter is carried by a player who's just average speed and can't finish shooting with defenders on top. Then when we're about to get out with a draw, Wellenreuther once more messes up and gives a goal that was easy to stop.

Turns out that I got forced to take Pulgar out for a light injury and I was told I could leave Gudmundsson in for a more serious injury.

van den Putten is loaned to Den Bosch, where I hope he will enjoy more minutes more regularly.

Wellenreuther has already turned two wins into defeatrs directly with his mistakes. That means he won't play more, so he's transfer listed and offered. He's unhappy. I manage to tell him without using my hand in his face.

With Mohammadi out with his national team and Pulgar injury that means I'll want Albæk in his position, I recall Netteb from his loan. But his suspension for Jupiler League stands for Eredivisie. ****.

Brard wants more first team football, Albæk talks to him and gets him to drop it.

I looked for a new goalkeeper. Szczesny didn't want to even talk, but one Ibrahima Traoré, who looks better than Wellenreuther seemed to accept the contract I offered. I hope he signs.

Allach loaned a young leftback from Flamengo. He's an offensive type of fullback. I'm not sure I want him. I was told he was very good and sure, he's got some nice qualities, but I don't see him doing well.

Traoré signs just before the match against Cambuur.

Just as he comes in, Michael gets a month long injury, so he's back to his club.

Ajax matches Davinson's release clause, this is bad news. Now we seriously need a centreback.

In the end, Pulgar can play, though he's not in the best condition and Albæk remains at the side of the defence. Deronjic starting is a no brainer, though I considered Apai. Brard is given the start since he's not done bad to be relegated to barely playing.
It's a quiet first half. Pulgar looks tired and Albæk is one bad tackle away from the second yellow. Van den Berg will come in Pulgar's place and I'll give his debut to Caleb Pettit.
Second half we lose the match. Pettit made a penalty and they converted it. We had some good chances then, but failed to get them. When they were one man down we turned to a 4-2-3-1, aggressive on the attack, that had Bryn Williams with a great one on one chance but he included the crossbar in his lob. As usual, when we're the ones needing a goal, with all subs made, it's two injury minutes and the game ends on the second. When it's the other way around is three minutes with plenty more added.

In deadline day, a bunch of pending movements finally see the players signing their part: Wellenreuther and Davinson leave the club, Amadou, Boscagli and Xavier come in and Inge Utvik is offered a contract that we'll hopefully sign in time. In total, we lose a centreback and bring in one centreback/(defensive)midfielder/rightback/wingback, one centreback/leftback, one centreback/right back and will add a centreback/defensive midfielder.

Fans are happy with the signings.

Indeed, Inge Utvik signs his contract in time.

Fans are also happy with this one.

This window we do get to be the most active team. Ajax has invested heavily in their ins.

We break the record income in transfers for a season.

I hate the winter break. It always ruins our form.

Obama got up to top scorer lead, though his later games have been disappointing, with plenty of clear chances missed.

Transfers took out a big chunk of money off the bank.

___________________________________________________________

Curiosity: I got carried away and had to close down the game in mid of the Cambuur match without saving in a hurry, so right after the Feyenoord match I had to replay (I did as close to the original as I could). It turns Michael had no more than 20% scouting done, so no attribute was known for sure. Some of the attributes were different in the second run: tackling was originally 10 but in the rerun it was 11. Bravery was 9 and now was 8. Not all attributes changed, most I remembered were the same.

 

[Death Ball]

March 2023

Brard wants more first team football, Albæk once more talks him into waiting for his chance.

Brard starts and Boscagli will show how he does as centreback. Lopes is given a run in and some other rotations are done, including the return of Filipovic.
Well, he can't do a job as he's the cause to concede two goals early. That forces to go with the diamond. We pull one back with a great play by Lopes, while Obama keeps missing chances.
In the second half we keep them in check with Amadou taking Boscagli's place and we make our subs, letting Obama in, which pays off as he's the one to get the equalizer. We couldn't get a third goal as they went ultradefensive.

Filipovic drops his concern about playing time.

Amadou starts in defence and Williams in the wing. Van den Berg also makes a start.
We score early with a good shot by Obama, then all the team disconnects. Leaving players alone to run to mark a guy who's already well marked. Shooting at the mass of players to the left when the whole right of the goal is empty, launching counterattacks behind our attackers. Blasted morons.
Second half improves, but finishing doesn't, with some more idiotic decisions, like passing when having a "clear" look at the goal so a teammate can smash it with five defenders in front. And their keeper can jump half a goal width within half a second when Traoré, who's better, can't move a quarter in two.

It's so frustrating losing like that. It's been with every team. Things go more or less well. Then all of a sudden the defenders turn into headless chickens that chase all balls with no regards of their situation.

Youth intake happens and lets take a look at it. Some very promising players.

Allach has to explain to me how every youth intake he keeps failing to sign a number of the youths I ask him because "asking price is too high".

Maclaren will miss the next match with a damaged foot. He won't miss more because there's an international break. He might miss a second one from not being fit.

Gudmundsson takes Maclaren's spot, De Graaf starts in the left and Léo Xavier returns beside Mohammadi. Just had a team talk to cheer them and they seemed in better mood. Also offered Apai for loan, see what comes up, he needs first team football.
It's a fine first half with two goals and some more close calls. Only bad is Brard twisted a knee. Pulgar took his place and has done well.
The second half is the same for half of it, until De Graaf gets our third goal. Then they change to a 3-4-3 and become very aggressive, creating enough chances to turn things around but taking none.

Brard will be two weeks out.

Obama breaks the scoring record for the club.

Back to crappy month thanks to that headless chicken defending against Den Bosch. Makes the having me linked with Feyenoord all the sweeter.

 

[Death Ball]

April 2023

Same team that styarted past match. Maclaren can play but Gudmundsson made a good match.
Good first half, exploiting the back of their fullbacks well. Obama finishes one of the good chances, Albæk misses a penalty.
During the second half they increase their attacking focus with time, but they don't get the goal. Neither do we despite some good chances.

I'm thinking to never loan any youngster ever again. Kusi just got a nine months injury with AZ and he's not the only one who has got a bad injury during the season. I think what I'll do from now on is to have fourteen or fifteen first team players and the rest will be the youngsters.

Midfield pair is changed, rest remains the same.
Obama may be our top scorer, but he's also the most frustrating players. He's missed two absolute must score chances, which means we're one down instead of winning, because later Xavier left his man to close down the winger because Filipovic had needlessly doubled on the fullback.
Second half is the same ****. More easy chances missed, more great chances for a pass to an easy tap in wasted with senseless shots. With one goal to draw, referee as always gives only two minutes and doesn't let it go one second more, not to mention all the other great chances he prevented with wrong offside calls. We're lucky though that Utrecht couldn't beat De Graafschap.

Anita will be out for three weeks, which means he won't be available for the match against NEC in which De Bock is suspended.

Netteb will be playing at De Bock's position, given that Boscagli isn't fit and he performed badly, anyway. Gudmundsson takes Obama's spot, hopefully being ambidextrous will give him better performance.
Gudmundsson takes his first chance. But Filipovic then misses the part about knowing where his man is and though Traoré deflects it, the ball falls into their other winger.
Second half little is done. With ten minutes to go I try again the flat 3-4-3 that I think might do well. I insist on it after five minutes of nothing and it eventually proves me right with Obama scoring, not without having frustrated me by senseless shots when he had teammates in great positions right in front.

Good match, pity of defensive mistake and Obama wastefulness against NEC.

 

[Death Ball]

May 2023

This time Pulgar starts and it's De Graaf who plays as striker.
Little is done in the first half, with them being the closer to score.
In the second half they go to a 4-3-3, so I don't change anything, hoping to better exploit the flanks. But they get a goal, a good cross by them. Then I move to a 4-2-3-1 wide, I don't want to leave 3v3 at the back, and Obama gets the equalizer. Williams then misses the chance to win. Fortunately, Utrecht were facing Ajax so they again miss their chance to get ahead.
One thing to take from this match is not to place the guys who score to stay forward when defending set pieces, that's not going to be the one with the shot if the counter gets finished.

I completed the last coaching course!

All teams play at the same time. Obama returns to the starting side, the rest is the same.
Bad first half in which we do little, though we do get the better chances.
Sigh. They get extremely lucky with a deflected cross and the forwards keep missing the best chances or shooting from the most ridiculous positions with good passes available.

We need to improve Utrecht's result and NEC not to improve ours. Obama is benched again. Gudmundsson takes the place Maclaren leaves through suspension.
Our first half is decent, but again can't take our chances. There won't be third place as Utrecht is winning and their opposition is bottom half.
I hate this team. When it's not the defenders acting like headless chickens is the attackes unable to use their heads and feet. And with Utrecht's win we're going to play another playoffs.

 

[Death Ball]

Playoffs 2023

Strongest side possible, with Brard alongside Maclaren as Pulgar tires out quite fast.
We're the better team, we get to half time with one goal but having missed plenty of good chances to have ended the tie.
In the second half we keep the dominance and Brard scores a second goal. Frustrating that we could well have scored four more. And I almost kill Xavier despite his goal, because when he gets the ball two yards off our goal line he has no better idea than to tap it goalwards. Fortunately Traoré was godly and cleared it properly. And not less frustrating because if they had played like this in the league match we'd not have to be playing this.

Same team as nobody is tired. I'll play counter but with higher defensive line.
We go one goal down from an unlucky deflection off a clearance, but later Obama makes a great dribling run to make it 1-1. Once more we miss a number of chances, but this time it's not as frustrating as they were more unlucky than simply bad shots.
Second half sees the job done with a second goal by Obama and finally Maclaren taking one of his shots in. Towards the end, after Williams misses the clearest chance to the crossbar, they get a second but there's no time to score four more.
That means Europa League again for next season.

[Accidentally deleted screenshot, they 4-2DM-2MR/L-1-1]
They lost the second leg against NEC by a goal, but smashed them in the home leg. Same starting eleven.
We get two decent chances but fail to take them. Otherwise we look better.
Second half we keep being the better side, but Obama wastes two great chances then Gudmundsson does the same and they get their only chance not better than ours.

Same starting eleven except for Pulgar in Brard's place due to tiredness.
Gaaah. We should be winning by two at least but Obama keeps missing the best chances without the keeper having to work his saves.
We keep at it and finally score, but Mohammadi ruins it with a penalty. Then Obama tops the will to murder cake by scoring the one shot he was offside.

This should improve in the summer, if I stay, as I plan to sell a lot of players to go with the limited non youngster squad idea. Actually, no, because most are loaned.

ICly she'd want to stay unless a bigger side came with an offer. Currently she's refused to talk about new contracts hoping the Feyenoord job is offered to her. OOCly I still would like a country with non bugged cup. I'm thinking perhaps not ******** the IC side with messing up with OOC and get her unemployed with no good side offers. I may just sign with Vitesse when contract runs out, let it be month by month.

 

[Death Ball]

Offseason 2023

We get the provisional budgets, which are simillar to this past season.

Fenerbahçe offer an interview. They'll play straight into Europa League group stage, so I'm taking it.

Maclaren wants to join Saint Etienne. I'd rather have him with us, but I'm not going to force him.

For €1.7M is the agreed minimum offer.

Fenerbahçe have picked someone else. I don't know why teams bother going around offering interviews for people they didn't intend to give the job in the first place.

We've got better income this season, which is quite good to see.

Atalanta offer an interview, they were at the edge of relegation. This would be the one job ICly I would reject without a second thought, but the OOC thing says take it.

We'll get over seven million from TV.

Zapata is the top goalscorer, with Obama second.

Best ever squad has been decided. Obama and Davinson are added. Obama is chosen as the player of the season and Mohammadi the best signing, I guess because Obama signatured was secured past season.

This season I can decide the duration of the break, but all I can do is set it to four weeks.

Dubois will play next season in Jupiler League. They have excellent training facilities and will give him regular time.

The board will update the youth facilities.

I get an offer from Viktoria Plzñ and Bournemouth offer an interview after I applied.

Saint Etienne make their offer for Maclaren, so I accept it after a small improvement in terms.

Atalanta offer me the job.

So... I'm going to stop playing. OOC or IC? (← strawpoll) Vitesse is closer from the top and will play Europa League while Atalanta just avoided relegation. But Italy has a working cup and not having one cuts out an avenue to increase reputation in an improper way. EDIT: Turns out in Serie A a worse issue happens, since the move there was motivated by OOC moving away of bug, I'm not taking it to a worse bug. Were I get a Serie A offer that made sense for IC reasons then I'd eat it up.

 

[Death Ball]

Turned out OOC issues worse happen in Serie A

Spoiler

Update coming tomorrow. Since I wanted to play the game and wasn't in the mood to wait, what I've done for what it could be interesting to experiment, I've played both.
First I moved to Atalanta and played right till before the first league match.
Then I renewed contract with Vitesse and till before the first league match.
I found out one of the first reputation increases wasn't just the league position, but renewing contract. Seems signing a new deal to stay in a club raises reputation by a 5% and with a new club decreases it. So Kunets at Atalanta is back to 50% reputation, while Kunets at Vitesse is up to 60%. So there's a way it will increase without having to win cups/leagues or get top 3/2.
So far move is winning, so it seems I'll be moving, though at the moment (and before I started the two timelines) I feel more inclined to stick to IC and stay at Vitesse (though not that I expect to have a very successful season in Vitesse since doing the plan mentioned above, the squad is possibly not big enough for Europa League and Eredivisie, not that it's not reached the last qualification play off for the EL group stage).
Ok, I'm checking the rules from the first post. So they say for her moving to a top division in Europe (that would be Premier, Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A) would be one of her top priorities, so that means the chance to move to one of them has arrived and she'll take it. So now on to look for one of the big clubs one renewal at a time .

 

[Death Ball]

Bullshit happened, ignore this post

Spoiler

Summer 2023

Negotiating, I manage to get Atalanta to offer me twice the wages Vitesse are paying! Now this is plenty for everybody to live like kings.

First day is annoying. Press have been filled with idiots claiming I shouldn't be hired in a Serie A team, that no women has been managing before in the past so now it's an experiment and all that typical trash that in the past this so never, like those idiots what were promising a new Senna-Prost era just because McLaren had Honda engine, ignoring McLaren came from a chasis that couldn't compete even with the Mercedes engine and Honda's last two years were the worst engine. At least some people are not that stupid.

Atalanta squad is quite bloated, so the first thing is I'll let the contracts run out, offer all players from the reserves that don't look like solid players for the future. Once contracts run out, I'll evaluate the squad and get around selling and signings.

West Brom make an offer for one of the players I planned to be one of our starting centrebacks. It's not enough for me, but he wants to discuss terms, so I accept it. Unfortunately I can't negotiate it to try improve it even if just a bit.

Briançon chooses to leave. Next issue is Albornoz, starting leftback, wanting to return home. The captain talks him down.

We'll get almost forty million from TV.

Willian arrives from a transfer arranged before I arrived. It uses up one of the two non EU slots we have available. No wonder the team was fighting relegation. He's offered on loan right away to free that slot.

Bologna made an offer that was well too short for Ahmetaj, who I think will be one of our key players, now he says he wants to move to the team that finished just one point ahead. He doesn't budge and shows he's not willing to be reasonable.

Expectation time arrives, I set it to mid table as I don't want any less than that.

Arsenal want Radu, yay, and he wants to leave. I find a quality replacement, who was the only available on a transfer, since Szczezny was asking way too much.

I also found Riyad Mahrez free and willing to come for acceptable wages. He's ageing but I'm sure he can provide a lot.

Before our goalkeeper leaves, his replacement arrives. He's quite young and good, though I'd like a bit better communication and composure. He was transfer listed and I don't think we have the money to bring a real top keeper that the club hasn't listed.

He got injured the next day for three weeks, as did Kristensen.

Mahrez is signed! I know he's aging but he's so good.

Bartolotto wanted an improved contract, but Castellano has dissuaded him.

Preseason has been quite good, with plenty of goals and only one half, the last against an ultradefensive side, without scoring. All have been played against lower reputation teams, however, so it's not really much to be very optimistic. We did face a similar side in Chievo, who finished fourteenth in Serie A past season and we beat them by three goals, which is nice.

In transfers I've dedicated the window to clear out the excess of players, only bringing Farokhi, forced by the departure of our main goalkeeper, and Mahrez because that's the first opportunity I've ever had to manage a player like him. There are still a couple of wingers I would be sending out, but not yet knowing the side well, I'll just let out whoever gets an offer, if such happen. Otherwise the sales will wait to January.

As a result of that, the balance has gone up almost by twenty millions.

 

[Death Ball]

Bullshit happens, ignore this post

Spoiler

Atalanta tactics

The players shown in the starting team aren't the first choices, but how I started each friendly match. I made two teams with an extra to protect against injuries and each played a half.

This is our main system. A tweaked version from the system I've used at Vitesse. The goal is to play the matches through the left flank and have the striker and right sided inside forward utilizing any space open to then, Barberis and Ciccomascolo may swap positions, as the former is better defensively. Mahrez will be starting, likely as the right inside forward.
Has scored in every preseason half (it started all matches and second was played with one of the other two systems). Against Chievo it had trouble to generate chances, but was solid negating them.

As a second choice I wanted to go with a simple 4-4-2 in which Mahrez would create play from the right, with the fullback overlaping and the wide midfielder in the other side providing the width there.
This only failed to score in one of the halves used, the only of the three systems that didn't score at a half.

Finally a more offensive system in the 4-3-1-2 with the midfielders at the sides to provide cover for the flanks while the wingbacks give us width ahead.
This scored at every half it was used and didn't show any big defensive issue.

Bartolotta will be our starting left IF in the 4-3-3. He has speed that Bonaventura no longer possess as well as everything needed in that position, plus decent jumping reach and strength that will be good against the average fullback.

At the other side, Defrel will compete for the spot with Mahrez, as his speed may prove to be more important there.

But he could instead be the one man at the top, as Amico's balance seems a bit suspect, as well as lacking the mental ability for the kind of play I ask of the striker, but he's done well in the match he played the 4-3-3.

Nissen will be the right fullback, specially in the systems where we ask the position to join the attack.

Albornoz is the choice for the other side, for which there's no real backup, unlike in the right where Nissen place can be taken by Digol.

Barberis and Ciccomascolo will play either the deep playmaker in front of defence or the midfield pair, with Barberis being better defensively.

The other midfield position is the other place where Mahrez can play, if Teixeira doesn't make it his place.

So starting eleven will probably loo: Farokhi; Nissen, Ely, Ceccaroni, Albornoz; Ciccomascolo; Barberis, Mahrez; Defrel, Bartolotta; Amico. With Amico being the least secure spot of them all.

 

[Death Ball]

Bullshit, ignore the post

Spoiler

August 2023

I've made a new friendly right before the first cup match as some players were lacking sharpness.

Our first competitive match is in the cup against a smalle team that's fielding quite defensively.
It's disappointing first half, we only score a goal, but while they have no decent chances, they still get some shots at goal.
Second half is no less of a disappointment despite three more goals: two of them were crosses or well off mark shots defelcted by the defenders and we don't get any more control of the match than the first half.

Squad bonuses can be set to the maximum, so I will do that. Hopefully this will motivate the players over the increased pressure I foolishly set with expectations.

Willian loan out is failing due to work permits time and again.

We lose Barberis for a month right before the first league match.

We start with a derby against a big team, with Defrel and Bartolotta lacking match fitness, which brings Russo to the starting team.
We started well, but missed our initial half chances. Then they began to come at us and Farakhi saved one over the line. Then a bit disappointing a great shot ended as own goal by Perin after deflecting it to the post and back at him.
In the second half we just hold on to the result, with an stellar performance by Farekhi. In the last minutes we miss two great chances for the second goa, one is a terrible hit by Castellanos and the other is the referee calling offside on a great assist from Albornoz to Russo because Defrel, who wasn't taking any part, was slightly offside.
Well, that was a great result. I just wish Pinzan's great strike had been in directly instead of as a Perin own goal. That said, not too happy that Farekhi had to make some great saves. Defense must be looked at.

For some reason her reputation is back to 55%, I checked and right after signing it had gone down to 50%. I see in the update of the preseason she already was back to 55% at the end of it.

 

[Death Ball]

Ok, bullshit has happened. Turns out in Serie A I get hit by a problem much worse than no cup being played: there is no way to get the U20 to use the first team players made available even in friendlies outside competitions. That's much worse than lack of cup.
Since the move to Atalanta was an OOC to get around a bug, I'm not going just to stick to an OOC move to avoid an OOC bug just to land in a worse different issue. So I'll be posting the staying in Vitesse and no more doing anything OOC because of issues ever again. As thing is all I can do to get players match fit is just to ruin league matches with several grossly unfit players at a time
I've got every U20 and U19 player into my first squad, then placed my first players as available, it still doesn't use them that then it uses the greyed players from U19 to replace those moved to senior squad. I'm not trying moving players from first to U20 because that means loads of unhappy players.
When I post the stay at Vitesse update I'll remove the Atalanta move. I won't post what has happened till now, which is not the best but better than I thought: win vs AC, expected loss, loss vs Napoli as expected, loss to referee steal v Salernitana. 15th with 3 points and I think I would be moving up the table to the promised half table. But as I said, the move was OOC to flee a bug, not keeping it when it just brings me to a worse issue.

 

[Death Ball]

Summer 2023

Saint-Étienne did offer for Maclaren and he's out.

In good news, Eredivisie will have one extra Champions League spot.

I got a nice increase in wages! At the end of the contract we all could take five years or more without working. We won't do that of course!

Rangers make an offer for Gudmundsson. While my plan was to sell him not selling Maclaren, he's not quite what I want, so I let them have him.

The head of youth development brings a young centreback for the future.

Ortiz finally arrives and he's as good as I hoped.

We'll get over two million from TV

As expectations for next season, I accept the board's so not to add pressure on the players.

I bring in Pinheiro to play in the De Graaf role, since we can't renew the loan nor bring him permanently. We didn't find anyone who could already play the left wing, but I'm confident Pinheiro will adapt well.

Amadou will miss the start of the season through injury. So will Mongen.

As last deal of the window, I bring a mediocre goalkeeper on loan. He'll just be the emergency third choice if the other two get injured, since our youth goalkeepers are still even worse.

First competitive match will be using our strongest line up as I want to meet the goal to reach the group stage.
We're unlucky in the first half with them getting the equaliser from a decent long shot.
I changed nothing for the second half and proved right, as Obama completes a hat trick to bury the round.

Squad bonuses are set to the maximum to help motivation.

While this is decided already, I repeat the line up. In one hand I don't want a complacent weaker side and anyway most are tired from the friendly in between both legs.
Well, there was nothing to worry, as we smash them from the first minute. This turns out to be even easier than the easier friendly.

Shala will be out just for a few days, which gets him to miss the next competitive match.

Oh, come on, why it's always like this? For the last qualifier to the Europa League group stage we get Lille, who were the toughest of the possible draws, I think.

The friendly lost was played with mostly under 19 players and the few first teamers who needed sharpness and hadn't played against Helsinborgs, so that's not so bad.

The window has been done with the aim to lighten the squad and ensure the younger players will have plenty of playing time at the top. Many think I'm gone crazy to get the lightest squad just the season we may be playing in Europe.

The transfer policy gets us back up to over twenty million.

A new contract with Vitesse gets her reputation up to 60%.

 

[Death Ball]

August 2023

Again the strongest team, because it's first league match and I want to start with a win. Plus another match in three days in which there will definitely be rotation.
It's a poor first half, with little done for our part. Maybe the new opposition instructions philosophy I'm trying, though removing them didn't seem to make a big difference.
A small change to Pinheiro has instant results as he assists Obama. Then Filipovic decides to also be determinant in goals and refuses to keep his position so they have two easy. A change to wide 4-2-3-1 gets the match level and Obama to continue his tradition of getting in good positions but miss the shots. For the last ten minutes is 3-4-3 and near injury time starts another circus performance with Pinheiro denying us an excellent chance when he stops his run as the ball approaches his feet with nobody to oppose him taking it at the edge of their area and forwards fleeing from the ball when it gets close to them.

Rotation happens with Brard, Amadou and Shala giving rest to Ortiz, Albæk and van den Berg. Also Utvik instead of Filipovic.
Another crappy half in which we do nothing. Amadou and Brard pick cards.
Second half, tactical changes make things better. But you can do so much when players insist on moving to the expected point where the ball will touch ground regardless of opponents moving to its way, except the one time they're there and alone, then they run away.

AC Milan come with an offer, I can get above twice his value, I don't want to sell him but he'll want to leave and I don't want unhappy polayers.

Matches every day, this schedule is stupid with a league of thirty four matches. Netteb gets his first start.
Finally a decent half. Pinheiro takes his chance. Some decent shots are missed by little. But again right after scoring the leftback lets the winger get past, but this time the cross is bad.
Second half we get the customary great chance shot at the keeper by Obama. Van den Berg misses another good shot by inches. They get a red card and the match is finished.

Netter takes my new contract offer! Yay!

Ortiz will miss around a month with a hernia.

Mongens wants to go to Sassuolo, because he wants silverware. I can't convince him that a side that just got promoted to Serie A is not the best place for increased chances of that.

New Europa League match, time to go back to our alleged best team with Brard in Ortiz's place.
First half would've been amazing if Traoré didn't chose this match for a homage to Wellenreuther twice. As things are, we're just one goal ahead.
I go with a 4-1-4-1 for the second half to seal the match. We hold off their initial push and finally get to them, Pinheiro scores our fourth near the end and only then I make subs, the three of them, and we're about to score the fifth twice.

Heavy rotation, only Brard and Traoré repeat. ((Because I forgot I wanted Apai to start)).
What a start! Brard scores right away and not long after he doubles his tally and Anita as well to reach halftime three goals ahead.
In the second half there are no goals though there's better ball retention, but just a few chances. They do push forward more and get some chances they miss or Traoré saves very well.

Why is this controversial?

Sassuolo do come for Mongen in the deadline day.

And he's out. I've already talked a contract with a young replacement who's not fully scouted but looks quite good, even if he can only play wide midfield.

And Ngome is here. He's even better than I expected. Not only fast, but also very strong and tall and with a good head and technical abilities.

Last match of the month right on deadline day. We can lose by two goals but still we need to make a good job. Boscagli starts as he did well and is not far from losing sharpness.
We were holding the result, with a great chance missed by Obama, who also failed to see a very good run by Brard, when they get a lucky long shot and then De Bock misses a tackle to level the tie.
Filipovic has envy of De Bock, so as he's instructed to hold his position he still goes all the way to the penalty area so their winger is in acres of space, Xavier joins to allow the header then to pick the rebound off the crossbar ((that is physically impossible)). In injury time with needing a goal the forwards go on passing back to the defence.
I should've done what I thought of starting Apai. Traoré has saved not a single shot on target and at least one he should have picked.

We get €245K from the Europa League.

Albæk now miss home and I can't ask him to talk to himself about it. I do it, though, and get him to drop it.

**** De Bock and Filipovic, we'd been through without them making mistakes.

We might also be top of the table.

((Unfdortunately, with a match on 31, the screenshot of this is taken the first of the new month, so no this month balance))

 

[Death Ball]

September 2023

We get just over a quarter of a million from Joelinton's transfer.

Ngome will start today, as will Utvik and Apai.
It doesn't matter who I place on goal they don't save anything going between the sticks, De Bock keeps insisting in leaving his position to mark players in the center who are already marked by three other players or going for late tackles and attackers play like five year of mental age, seeking the back of the team mates they pass to or turning away from the defensive line where they can get a through ball for no reason but stopping out counter or intercepting our own passes. I should've told De Bock to close down less and maybe tackle easier. Not sure if the other is playing too fast or players too far of each other.
The narrow 4-2-3-1 brings us level, but then they get a shot in loan and all Apai seems to have learn from being a keeper is touch the ball, no need to deviate away from goal.

€200K come to the club now from Berisha's deal.

Mohammadi and Traoré return. Pinheiro starts in the middle, De Bock has his possibly last chance.
Ngome has an excellent chance, off target. Obama has two excellent chances and two occasions for counter attack, one he can't quite reach to hit it right, other he sends it off target, two the referee makes up an offside.
In the second half we miss some more great chances, but Obama finds Ngome in the far post for an easy tap in and Pinheiro pulls a good shot in their area to ensure our victory. Then I make the changes and bring Shala, van der Putten and Pettit.

Have I said I hate playing a team that wears our same colours? Van der Putten and Shala start in place of Obama and van den Berg, the former due to Obama not scoring lately, though he made an assist, and the later to keep sharpness. Ortiz is in the bench.
Not a good half. Passing is poor in the final third, De Bock again insists on moving too far ahead.
Second half is the same. We do nothing. When we have a chance to counter, the players thinks counters are carried by stopping and waiting for all to get in position. Obama had a great chance at the end of a through ball but he sent it almost to a throw in. To be honest this non win is my fault as I went into the match too cautious and I changed anything but what needed to be changed.

Shala will miss the next month.

Filipovic and Ortiz make a return to the starting side. Obama and van den Berg are also back.
We don't go out as conservative and it pays off with two good goals, the first being a great strike by Obama to finish a counter.
In the second half we don't core, but control possession even more with them playing a 4-2-4 and still get a couple of excellent chances missed by Ngome and Saadane, the former not that easy.

Players screwed it against Heracles, I did it against Cambuur.

Noce to see van den Berg as the top rated player. He certainly has earned it.

 

[Death Ball]

October 2023

Repated team. I was considering changes to use the 3-4-3 considering their two deep midfielders, but with Shala injured I think this starting team is good.
Albæk misses a penalty, scores another, some more chances are missed as we keep the ball well and have the patience to find openings in their defence. Then they level by Mohammadi and Xavier ball gazing at the guy marked in the flank and missing the striker behind them moving to receive the cross. Good off the ball movement by their striker, but I would appreciate at least one centreback not being so focused on the ball.
In the second half we create some good chances, specially after they get a red card, but they're missed. At the very end I move to the 3-4-3 but it does nothing, probably for happening so late.

Léo Xavier got an hernia of something that will keep him out for around a month and they just said he felt discomfort.

Again no changes to the starting team, other than the forced introduction of Boscagli by Xavier's injury. Next match I should start Brard.
Very quiet first half. Every time the rivals use a narrow formation it's like we forgot how to pass and build carefully.
After an hour of doing nothing with the ball I change to the narrow 4-2-3-1, dropping the two midfielders deeper. But we go to do nothing in a different way, with van den Putten making a weak effort when getting his chance.

Ngome got a light injury that may cause him to miss the next match.

Pettit wants to be loaned out to play more. I wouldn't be against that, but I want him first to drop his tendency to try playing the ball out of trouble.

Brard starts as I said, Pinheiro moves to the left wing and Netteb is also given a start. NAC are near the bottom and I hope we get the goals we need.
Barely an improvement, though this time we have two chances missed, one just good by Brard, another excellent by Obama.
We get a few more chances after the break, but as they're not enough I choose to try a 4-3-1-2 and it does work fast, as soon after van den Berg scores to put us ahead. Then I decide to try secure the lead, we're missing many chances and we were not really cutting them off from creating, so going back to the 4-3-3 didn't seem right, so instead I removed van den Berg from his advanced midfield role and brought in Pulgar to make it a 4-1-3-2 and we did keep the result while at the same time creating a couple more good chances, Obama missing another easy one.

Clearly we have an issue with scoring, which I think steams from the issues with ball circulation, which show when playing against narrow formations.

The most clean sheets, we're the team that concede the least tied with Ajax and Feyenoord. But only the seventh scoring.

We're losing a lot of money each month. I really should look carefully at what's happening.

______________________________
Fmshots giving me trouble at the moment. I've uploaded to cubeupload. It's even more comfortable to use, but it doesn't seem to support organizing images in folders (or I've not yet found that functionality). After doing it I see another choice, vgy.me, which can make albums but I've not tested yet.

 

[Death Ball]

November 2023

Our chance to close on the leaders. If we lose I'm ruling out our chances to win the league this season. Shala starts at the left because Ngome is not quite match sharp and I may change to a 4-1-4-1, the system has a few tweaks to take it closer to that.
The first half goes beyond frustrating. We do well, the changes work the way desired, we even get a few good chances, more than in the past two matches, but reach half time two goals down due to two mistakes, one by De Bock which I may have encouraged asking to not close down their winger, and anyway their movement was good so it'd be wrong to blame him, it's just I think he could have done a bit better, and another by Utvik standing way behind the rest of the defence and playing three rivals onside.
The changes for the second half don't work and only get one decent shot from a freekick, a header by Shala that goes narrowly wide. They're now nine points away, no way we can reach them.

We get the €350K, minus what Adelaide gets from it, from the Maclaren sale.

We go now against a bottom half team. Netteb, Boscagli, Brard and Ngome start once more.
We play as well as the past match, but this time we get our reward against a lower team, with two goals by Obama. Brard got a yellow and a warning, Albæk a warning, so Bard will be out for the second half.
They get lucky in the second half with a corner that could've been defended better, then they start to be more aggressive, but can't get anything other than low quality shots. Therefore I saw no need to change anything.

We get more money from Maclaren's transfer, this time it's the international appearances clause.

We start with the theorically strongest side we can play. It's also one I can change to the 4-2-3-1 that I think may serve us well.
It's a good first half, plenty of nice chances missed. Albæk scored a penalty so I keep things unchanged.
In the second half we keep the domination, outside of a crazy play in our area off a corner that turns into a true mess that didn't end in anything. Xavier picks a rebound off the bar from Mohammadi in a corner to seal it.

Shame of Ajax match. They've drawn the next two matches and we could've been ahead now. But all in all I'm happy with the changes to the system. Basically the left wing and striker positions were too forward, which made them isolated and prompted De Bock to venture forward more than I wished. Now that the wing is no longer attacking and Obama plays deeper, they have much better connection with the rest of the team.

Seems wages are the biggest way out of the money.

She's gone from fairly ambitions to ambitious.

______________________________________________________

Today the images are hosted at vgy.me. It is good. It supports albums, the link with the BBcode is available (in the above I had to write the tags). The button to copy them, though, scrolls you all the way up and copies the first image of the album, and so it's better to click on the field and you have the hit Ctrl+A before Ctrl+V because clicking doesn't select the text unlike fmshots. Still, the best option when fmshots isn't working.

 

[Death Ball]

December 2023

Amadou twists an ankle in training and will miss out two games and likely the third from December.

Pinheiro returns to the wing and Brard takes his place in midfield. A chance to get some distance from NEC.
Filipovic gets a nice long range cross from them for Pinheiro to head to the opposite corner. From there only we have chances to score again. NEC doesn't even sniff out area, so while not much happens, it suits me perfectly.
A mistake by Xavier, that blocks Traorés exit to get the ball allows them to draw the game right off the restart. I change nothing since it was a mistake and we're on top of the game, with the few chances we create being quite good and I'm proven right as Pinheiro sends a through ball to Obama for a great lob of the keeper.

A new chance to close down the top teams. Pulgar comes in to have better tacklers in midfield and Ngome due to his better dribbling. They were expected to play a 4-3-1-2 but come with a 4-2-3-1.
Well, it's been a good first half. We deny them any quality chances, finally I get Zapata to not threaten at any moment, just making hopeful long shots. Pulgar had good vision to spot a great chance for a long shot after a corner, as their goalkeeper had tried to grab the ball and was out of position. Van den Berg had to leave early with a pulled hamstring. They will play second half with the 4-3-1-2, so we'll see how this system works against narrow formations.
It turns the changes also work against the narrow system. We don't get more of the ball than them, but they don't get quality chances and neither do they get control of possession. A red card for them made it look a finished match, but Zapata would score from the referee failing to see an offside. As they moved to a very defensive 4-3-2 with two DMs, I went to a 4-2-4 with Albæk at the right wing and it paid off when he scored the winner.
Excellent result. One point behind Feyenoord, five behind Ajax and the feeling the title may just be possible, if still quite hard.

Ngome will be three days out from a small knock.

Shala wants to talk about leaving to Twente. While I've used him and it turns he now has a place in the team, I did try to sell him and with his 31 years old I can as well cash on him if an offer comes.

Pettit again asks to be loaned out.

Anita will retire at the end of the season.

We face another 4-2-3-1. Netteb and Brard start, the rest is unchanged.
They made a good play in which they got the better of Netteb to score. Then in turned into a clown fest. Traoré just drops to a side when he had plenty of time to run to reach the ball, Netteb just stands idly, Obama cades away from the near post and sends the ball even further away from the near post several times... This is the kind of performance that has the fans thinking the players lost on purpose.
In mid of second half I bring in Saadane and van den Putten. They and Pettit are the only ones doing something. van den Putten does get his first senior goal to get the only nice thing from the match.

If it wasn't for the rubbish last match...

We'd be second.

 

[Death Ball]

Winter break 2023

Looking at the team report and the amount of players who can play centrally, I'm changing the 3-4-3 to try a new formation around a 4-3-2-1.

Phakamani Mahlambi arrives on a free to play as Shala's replacement if he leaves.

Chievo offer an interview. They're nineteenth, no way I'm moving that or I'd gone to Atalanta.

And a few days later is Villarreal who come with an offer. They're tenth in La Liga. Now that's a bigger team, in a stronger league I want to manage and in a decent position. It's not likely for us to win Eredivisie, so I will attend.

The board wants talks to remain at the club, but I reject them. I still have one and a half year left and I'm not interested in making a release clause too expensive. My current wage is more than enough for all of us.

Udinese also offers an interview, but they're fifteenth, closer to relegation than anything so I reject it.

Palermo also offer an interview, they're thirteenth but almost with the same points as Udinese.

Villarreal give the job to Zago.

Arsenal came with an offer for Netteb, he wanted to talk to them and I don't want to deal with unhappy players.

I had my attention brought to a young striker who was impressive in what we could valuate him and he was cheap, so I bought him...

And he's not bad at all.

Apai asks for a loan, Albæk talks him out. I may still offer him as he's not getting enough time.

Netteb leaves to Arsenal.

I have the same talk with Albæk about his wish to return home.

Pettit is loaned out to Lierse, as the more relevant loan deal happened yet.

I loan in another third goalkeeper in case Apai leaves, before ending Clark's loan.

I am linked to the Athletic job and I'm considered the leading candidate by the fans.

Albæk will be out for almost a month and Amadou for half. And Apai, I think I'll sack a physio or something.

Athletic offer me an interview, to which I applied as I'm considered the favourite. I know they're currently as low as fourteenth and that was not enough for teams in Serie A; but this is different, because them, as just now Angers, were around that place between three to five points off relegation and miles off the top, while Athletic is clear off relegation, eight points, and closer than that from European qualification, which in my mind makes it a completely different situation. Their squad, however, doesn't look too healthy, it's quite big and lacking in wide players. And weirdly only three aren't Spanish.

Why do every interview ask me why I'm running for various jobs when I'm not? ((since I applied for U23, never got them, they got filled but seems they still count as open applications, bug)). I can choose to move right away or at the end of the season. ((I think I will pick end of the season, to see how that choice goes if they choose me, mainly. Also having the chance to fight for something with Vitesse before leaving wouldn't be bad)).

Shala is now happy staying here.

The 4-3-2-1 has shown some promising signs, but I don't feel is quite prepared for competitive matches. When we're in the defensive, the midfield doesn't seem to work well, though it's improved since the first friendly.

 

[Death Ball]

January 2024

Back to league with Ngome lacking sharpness and Pinheiro and Mahlambi in the bench because of that.
Excellent first half except for the ridiculous own goal Traoré allowed Mohammadi to get.
Right at the restart Mahlambi scores from a free kick, which means both new players score in their first match. From there we keep our dominance and Den Haag's efforts to get the goal only result in poor long range efforts.

What? I'm fed up with all these interviews. They say I'm favourite, they come to me, both of those, but they don't give me the job. If you weren't planning on giving me the job leave me alone, morons!

Olympiacos wants Filipovic, who says wants to talk to them. As per usual, I'll accept the offer, but then I'll see if he will talk a new contract.

Actually, Filipovic is 29 years old and they offer above his value. I probably won't get the same kind of money for him in the future and I was thinking we needed a better right back, so I will look for a replacement instead.

And Red Bull Salzburg is offering me an interview. I wonder if rejecting this would affect my chances to get Leipzig should they come. They got a really bloated squad, but they're comfortably at top. I'll take it, people tend to be silly with trophies, guy A could manage a team for thierty seven matches, leave to some other team, guy B come to manage the last match with the title decide and get the credit.

They offered me to go in now or at the end, given their position, right away!

Good that they're not using their narrow formation. Utvik will prove his worth in the right side of defence, as there's not an affordable quality fullback in the market. Mahlambi also starts despite lacking match fitness.
Nothing gets done in the first half. ((I'm suspecting a bug not only makes it a different camera than 2D but changes comprehensive highlights to key, not normal to be on comprehensive and have only three highlights in the whole first half)).
Second half they play the same, but we swap to the 4-3-2-1, things improve, not by much, but Obama makes a great pass for van den Berg that is count as own goal as it seems the defender managed to touch the ball.

Van den Putten is loaned, as Muñoz's arrival is likely to take from his game time.

Minimal changes to the line up. With nobody tired from the last match three days ago, Brard and Obama return to the starting team.
Obama works very well in the new deeper role, setting up teammates into great positions, but Mahlambi misses both chances he has and Pinheiro didn't get in time. Then Pinheiro makes a penalty in a free kick when the ball was still at the feet of the taker.
In the second half, before and after the move to 4-3-2-1 and 4-3-1-2 we create more than enough to turn it around, but the strikers can't hit a barn today.

De Bock will possibly play next match with protective equipment. ((I really would like if in match it showed the cross with all of these injuries)).

Come on! I'm sick of this ****.