Season going to plan so far mate, well done
Cheers! Hopefully we can grab some more silverware this season!
Reviving Deportivo La Coruña
- Thread starter RCDAguiar
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Cheers! Hopefully we can grab some more silverware this season!
January 2021 - A stacked month
What. A. Month. Unbeaten in all nine games played. An incredible way to start 2021. Before we dive into the results, some news first:
Stadium expansion is underway. We need this because we're becoming quite a massive club, commercially and in terms of success. Glad the board agreed to it. This debt free life is great, eh?
Matt Ingram will be leaving us in the summer. He's been second fiddle to Fabricio ever since arriving. We'll have to pick up a second choice goalkeeper in the summer to replace him. Didn't want to renew him as he was constantly angry.
The Croatian, who has been flawless this season, simply deserved the contract extension. I didn't want his release clause to be triggered, nor did I want him feeling unappreciated. He's an excellent footballer.
Arguably our best player. Again, I wanted to bump up his contract and reward him for his performances ever since joining. Now that we have the money and are debt free, I really want to reward the players who stuck by us when finances were hard.
Saúl is just great. I can't begin to praise him enough. Every season, big clubs come in for him. I turn them down and he never has an issue with it. He's been our best defender this season and deserved the wage rise + release clause bump.
He may be 30, but I couldn't risk anyone activating that stupidly low 10m release clause. Now we've tied him down as he's playing the best footballer of his career. His goals may very well lead us to glory once more!
Now, with contracts out of the way, let's go straight to our first game of the month:
Levante away...
Mixed feelings about this one. The result and performance was great, don't get me wrong, but nothing can undo that Pablo Insua injury. Our star centre-back is INJURED FOR 6-7 MONTHS, effectively ruling him out of contention for the rest of the season. I'm proud of how the team rallied behind him and performed to the highest of their ability despite the shocking injury. Halilovic scored a simple tap-in in the 7th minute, and then proceeded to lay one off for Juan Iturbe early in the 2nd half. The Argentine then turned
provider himself for Abel Hernandez by winning a penalty (which the Uruguayan tucked away), before latching onto a sumptuous long-range pass by Andreas Pereira for 4-0 late on. A masterclass from Iturbe who is proving to be one of my greatest first-season signings ever.
Confirmation of the injury:
View attachment 174955
Thankfully, this injury happened in January. Despite our high funds, I don't want to sign someone for an exorbitant price. I trust Arribas and Lindelof, but I do need an extra man to play 3rd choice and sometimes fairly regularly. And so I decided to bring in...
Mere is a very talented and young Spanish centre-back who has quite good stats. I loaned him in from Stoke. He should be able to do the job in Insua's absence. My first and only signing this window.
Celta at home, 1st leg Copa del Rey...
A big performance that effectively allowed us to put one foot firmly in the next round of the cup. As per usual, we toyed with Celta and put them to the sword. Iturbe opened the scoring with an excellent side-footed finish after youngster Correa's through ball. In the second-half, after what was a very cagey opening 45 minutes, Andreas Pereira doubled our lead when Alen Halilovic headed a ball down for the Belgian midfield to smash past Néstor. Iturbe wrapped things up by, yet again, prospering from a great Correa pass. The one-on-one finish was simple. 3-0. Unfortunately, Celta snagged a late consolation goal which cast a shadow of uncertainty over the direction the tie was headed in.
Granada at home...
Rotated fairly heavily which, in turn, led to a goalless draw. I'm not too upset because we have a nice cushion at the top of the table but, what I am frustrated by, is Seferovic's performance. He missed two excellent chances to deliver us the 3 points. Thankfully, as I said, we have that cushion. I'm delighted for Mere who kept a clean-sheet on his debut!
Celta Vigo away, 2nd leg Copa del Rey...
Another goalless draw, partly down to the reverting of the team. Nothing to be upset over. We comfortably sail through to the next round, dumping out our rivals along the way! Great stuff. Another clean-sheet for Mere in his first derby.
And we draw...?
The quarter-final pits us against a side we tend to struggle at away from home. This will be an interesting tie.
Athletic at home...
Easy, laid back victory against Athletic. We played a slow tempo and just looked to calmly win the three points. Mere's knocked down header allowed Iturbe to take the lead from a set-piece early into the second-half after a quiet first-half. Halilovic, who had been creating chances all game, lifted a ball for Espinosa whose subsequent volley rattled in off the bar. Another clean-sheet for the month and another win. Lovely!
Sevilla at home, 1st leg Copa del Rey...
We may have games where we don't score but, rest assured, neither does the opposition! This was a tight encounter but one where Sevilla will be counting their lucky stars. We created chances and could have scored on several occasions, but their goalkeeper was always on hand to deny us. Now we're forced to go to one of the toughest grounds on the country - one that we in particular struggle at - and look for a victory. Tough job!
Atleti away...
Another draw, but one **** of a valiant turnaround orchestrated by the mercurial Iturbe. Our defence was an utter mess, conceding twice to a mediocre Atleti side. They kept fouling us and lumping passes into the box. Both of their goals came from set-pieces. But when the wind was blowing against us, one man stood tall: Juan Iturbe. The Argentine pulled one back in the 57th minute when he applied a tidy finish to Correa's pass. 6 minutes later, he was at it again. This time, though, the goal came directly from a free-kick. Just outside the box, Iturbe curled his shot around the wall for 2-2. That was all we had in the tank, though, and had to settle for a draw. Now we look back at that 0-0 against Granada and kick ourselves. Too many dropped points.
Sevilla away, 2nd leg Copa del Rey...
BOOM! WE DID IT! Off to the semi-final we go and with some great victories to boot. Sevilla were practically toothless up until the final kick of the game where they scored... but it proved to be a mere consolation. Javi Espinosa scored the first goal of the evening when he played a one-two with Pereira and darted into the box for 1-0. 20 minutes later, Iturbe was at it again. Another free-kick of exceptional quality. Another important goal. I've run out of words for this guy. I truly have.
Our opponents in the semi-final?
The side which we drew 0-0 with earlier in the month. Granada are no pushovers. This will most definitely be a tricky tie. We have to take them seriously. 180 minutes away from our first Copa del Rey final in my tenure. Will we get there?
Villarreal at home:
End the month as we started it. 4-0. Villarreal beat us for possession and had, near-enough, the same amount of shots as us. But we were just far too clinical once again. In the space of 20 minutes, the game was already over. Uruguayan midfield prodigy, Correa, continued his fine form this month by opening the scoring with a great header. If Iturbe isn't scoring, he's assist. The next two goals were created by the wing wizard, both culminating in headed goals by Rani Khedira and Abel Hernandez. Lucas sealed the rout right from kick-off in the 2nd half, scoring 22 seconds into the restart. Correa this time turned provider for the captain. A calm way to end a crazy month of ups and downs. Despite Insua's injury, we've coped well. Heaps of clean-sheets to boot!
League table:
Still top, still undefeated. Also, you guys don't need a player of the month segment this time round. We already know who it is, right? Juan Iturbe!
Next month, we have a wild group of fixtures ahead of us. We play Chelsea in the CL, Real Madrid in the league and also find out whether or not we make the Copa del Rey final. It's an update you simply cannot miss! FORZA DEPOR!
What. A. Month. Unbeaten in all nine games played. An incredible way to start 2021. Before we dive into the results, some news first:
Stadium expansion is underway. We need this because we're becoming quite a massive club, commercially and in terms of success. Glad the board agreed to it. This debt free life is great, eh?
Matt Ingram will be leaving us in the summer. He's been second fiddle to Fabricio ever since arriving. We'll have to pick up a second choice goalkeeper in the summer to replace him. Didn't want to renew him as he was constantly angry.
The Croatian, who has been flawless this season, simply deserved the contract extension. I didn't want his release clause to be triggered, nor did I want him feeling unappreciated. He's an excellent footballer.
Arguably our best player. Again, I wanted to bump up his contract and reward him for his performances ever since joining. Now that we have the money and are debt free, I really want to reward the players who stuck by us when finances were hard.
Saúl is just great. I can't begin to praise him enough. Every season, big clubs come in for him. I turn them down and he never has an issue with it. He's been our best defender this season and deserved the wage rise + release clause bump.
He may be 30, but I couldn't risk anyone activating that stupidly low 10m release clause. Now we've tied him down as he's playing the best footballer of his career. His goals may very well lead us to glory once more!
Now, with contracts out of the way, let's go straight to our first game of the month:
Levante away...
Mixed feelings about this one. The result and performance was great, don't get me wrong, but nothing can undo that Pablo Insua injury. Our star centre-back is INJURED FOR 6-7 MONTHS, effectively ruling him out of contention for the rest of the season. I'm proud of how the team rallied behind him and performed to the highest of their ability despite the shocking injury. Halilovic scored a simple tap-in in the 7th minute, and then proceeded to lay one off for Juan Iturbe early in the 2nd half. The Argentine then turned
provider himself for Abel Hernandez by winning a penalty (which the Uruguayan tucked away), before latching onto a sumptuous long-range pass by Andreas Pereira for 4-0 late on. A masterclass from Iturbe who is proving to be one of my greatest first-season signings ever.
Confirmation of the injury:
Thankfully, this injury happened in January. Despite our high funds, I don't want to sign someone for an exorbitant price. I trust Arribas and Lindelof, but I do need an extra man to play 3rd choice and sometimes fairly regularly. And so I decided to bring in...
Mere is a very talented and young Spanish centre-back who has quite good stats. I loaned him in from Stoke. He should be able to do the job in Insua's absence. My first and only signing this window.
Celta at home, 1st leg Copa del Rey...
A big performance that effectively allowed us to put one foot firmly in the next round of the cup. As per usual, we toyed with Celta and put them to the sword. Iturbe opened the scoring with an excellent side-footed finish after youngster Correa's through ball. In the second-half, after what was a very cagey opening 45 minutes, Andreas Pereira doubled our lead when Alen Halilovic headed a ball down for the Belgian midfield to smash past Néstor. Iturbe wrapped things up by, yet again, prospering from a great Correa pass. The one-on-one finish was simple. 3-0. Unfortunately, Celta snagged a late consolation goal which cast a shadow of uncertainty over the direction the tie was headed in.
Granada at home...
Rotated fairly heavily which, in turn, led to a goalless draw. I'm not too upset because we have a nice cushion at the top of the table but, what I am frustrated by, is Seferovic's performance. He missed two excellent chances to deliver us the 3 points. Thankfully, as I said, we have that cushion. I'm delighted for Mere who kept a clean-sheet on his debut!
Celta Vigo away, 2nd leg Copa del Rey...
Another goalless draw, partly down to the reverting of the team. Nothing to be upset over. We comfortably sail through to the next round, dumping out our rivals along the way! Great stuff. Another clean-sheet for Mere in his first derby.
And we draw...?
The quarter-final pits us against a side we tend to struggle at away from home. This will be an interesting tie.
Athletic at home...
Easy, laid back victory against Athletic. We played a slow tempo and just looked to calmly win the three points. Mere's knocked down header allowed Iturbe to take the lead from a set-piece early into the second-half after a quiet first-half. Halilovic, who had been creating chances all game, lifted a ball for Espinosa whose subsequent volley rattled in off the bar. Another clean-sheet for the month and another win. Lovely!
Sevilla at home, 1st leg Copa del Rey...
We may have games where we don't score but, rest assured, neither does the opposition! This was a tight encounter but one where Sevilla will be counting their lucky stars. We created chances and could have scored on several occasions, but their goalkeeper was always on hand to deny us. Now we're forced to go to one of the toughest grounds on the country - one that we in particular struggle at - and look for a victory. Tough job!
Atleti away...
Another draw, but one **** of a valiant turnaround orchestrated by the mercurial Iturbe. Our defence was an utter mess, conceding twice to a mediocre Atleti side. They kept fouling us and lumping passes into the box. Both of their goals came from set-pieces. But when the wind was blowing against us, one man stood tall: Juan Iturbe. The Argentine pulled one back in the 57th minute when he applied a tidy finish to Correa's pass. 6 minutes later, he was at it again. This time, though, the goal came directly from a free-kick. Just outside the box, Iturbe curled his shot around the wall for 2-2. That was all we had in the tank, though, and had to settle for a draw. Now we look back at that 0-0 against Granada and kick ourselves. Too many dropped points.
Sevilla away, 2nd leg Copa del Rey...
BOOM! WE DID IT! Off to the semi-final we go and with some great victories to boot. Sevilla were practically toothless up until the final kick of the game where they scored... but it proved to be a mere consolation. Javi Espinosa scored the first goal of the evening when he played a one-two with Pereira and darted into the box for 1-0. 20 minutes later, Iturbe was at it again. Another free-kick of exceptional quality. Another important goal. I've run out of words for this guy. I truly have.
Our opponents in the semi-final?
The side which we drew 0-0 with earlier in the month. Granada are no pushovers. This will most definitely be a tricky tie. We have to take them seriously. 180 minutes away from our first Copa del Rey final in my tenure. Will we get there?
Villarreal at home:
End the month as we started it. 4-0. Villarreal beat us for possession and had, near-enough, the same amount of shots as us. But we were just far too clinical once again. In the space of 20 minutes, the game was already over. Uruguayan midfield prodigy, Correa, continued his fine form this month by opening the scoring with a great header. If Iturbe isn't scoring, he's assist. The next two goals were created by the wing wizard, both culminating in headed goals by Rani Khedira and Abel Hernandez. Lucas sealed the rout right from kick-off in the 2nd half, scoring 22 seconds into the restart. Correa this time turned provider for the captain. A calm way to end a crazy month of ups and downs. Despite Insua's injury, we've coped well. Heaps of clean-sheets to boot!
League table:
Still top, still undefeated. Also, you guys don't need a player of the month segment this time round. We already know who it is, right? Juan Iturbe!
Next month, we have a wild group of fixtures ahead of us. We play Chelsea in the CL, Real Madrid in the league and also find out whether or not we make the Copa del Rey final. It's an update you simply cannot miss! FORZA DEPOR!
February 2021 - CHAOS!
We suffer our first league loss this month. Let's look at how things went, starting with:
Granada at home, 1st leg Copa del Rey semi-final...
A masterclass performance that, more-or-less, assured our passage to the final of the Copa del Rey (my 1st time since taking over). This game was actually close in terms of possession and shots, but we were far superior in the final third. Halilovic and Pereira's goals were almost identical with both players tapping in crosses from Nestor Pillado and Saúl. 2-0 up at half-time and we were cruising. But the fun had yet to ensue. Halilovic made it 3 when he applied a curled finish to Hernandez's lay-off. Granada proceeded to pull one back before the Uruguayan hitman turned in two of his own: a headed finish to Correa's cross and a nice one-on-one strike.
Cordoba away...
A very weak performance to match a lucky result. We were far from great, especially because of the heavily rotated side. Luckily, persisting with Seferovic paid off as the Swiss forward scored a rare goal in what has been a shocking season from him. 3 points in the bag but a game to forget. Top defensive display, mind.
Granada away, 2nd leg...
We almost bottled it. I'll admit, I took Granada for a poor side. I rotated absolutely everything and fielded as weak a side as I possibly could. It almost bit us in the backside. Luckily, those 5 goals in the first-leg gave us too big a boost to reach. Funnily enough, regen winger Mendez scored twice early on which put us 7-1 ahead. What happened next was absolute chaos. Granada immediately pulled one back before Seferovic made thing 8-2 on aggregate. The Andalucian club proceeded to smash five more goals past Ingram in the space of 26 minutes. We held on by the skin of our teeth! A game to forget but... WE ARE THROUGH TO THE COPA DEL REY FINAL!
Our opponents for the final...
The last time we won the Copa del Rey was in 2002 where we beat Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on their 100 year anniversary! I'd love to win the Copa again. Maybe this is the year?
Malaga away...
Valentine's Day and our man-crush, Juan Iturbe, pierces the hearts of Malaga with two breathtaking goals. He first opens the scoring with a great volley following San Emeterio's cross from deep. In the second-half, when things were becoming stale, Iturbe picked up Pereira's short pass and lashed a strike from 27 yards into the back of the net. A perfect way to cement the three points. 3 Andalucian clubs trumped this month!
Chelsea 1st leg at home...
I would have taken the draw beforehand but not in this manner. This result upset me hugely because we had a 2-0 lead going into half-time. That would have given us a mighty boost for the 2nd leg away from home. But, unfortunately, Chelsea's powerhouse attack was far too much for us to deal with. They kept peppering our goal with shots from all kinds of ranges and, eventually, were rewarded with two goals. Those goals cancelled out a very good slalom run and finish from Iturbe, as well as a finely placed header from Labyad. We now have to go to Stamford Bridge with two away goals to work against.
Osasuna at home...
This month was an absolute mess! Incredibly hard to nail down a stream of consistent results due to the required rotation. This was yet another 2-2 draw in which we collapsed. After finding ourselves a goal down very early on, we turned things around excellently. Lindelof knocked in an Andreas Pereira corner just before half-time. Nearing the 60 minute mark, another corner saw Khedira head the ball for Seferovic to volley past Mario. Just as we thought the 3 points were in the bag, Osasuna delivered a set-piece of their own that they duly finished in the 86th minute. Awful luck.
Oviedo at home...
After those devastating 2-2 draws, we finally found some happiness in a result! This was a comfortable demolishing of a bland Oviedo side. They rarely troubled us, rather defending their hearts out until they could do so no more. Halilovic's indirect free-kick landed to Iturbe unmarked in the box for 1-0 just before the 70th minute. Oviedo held out for long but, once the wall was knocked down, there was no way we would settle for just the one goal. Abel Hernandez, who substituted Seferovic, proceeded to score the second of the game when he darted past two players and side-footed past Budak. 3 points toward the title hunt.
Real Madrid away...
Even though we took the lead early on - courtesy of a Baba Rahman own goal - this was a game where we never looked like winning. It was appalling to see our level drop so drastically in one of the biggest games of our season. Real Madrid are our direct rivals for the title and losing ground on them, especially after that draw against Osasuna, was very frustrating. Nobody turned up with goals or adequate defensive nous. We were all over the place and duly got our backsides handed to us. Our first league loss of the season after 27 games. This doesn't bode well for the Copa del Rey final against these guys.
League table:
Still top, but only by 3 points. We have to be careful in the final 11 games, especially as we're still competing in Europe.
PLAYER OF THE MONTH
View attachment 174433Regardless of how messy things got this month, this guy was a constant source of stability. He was always creating chances while also finishing them off himself. Both he and Abel Hernandez have been tantamount to our excellence this season. Perhaps my greatest signing to date. How we acquired this guy on a free, I'll never know.
Next month, a lot happens! We face off against Chelsea in the very trick 2nd leg as well as playing Celta Vigo in the league. It could be the difference between us continuing to challenge on all fronts or losing our footing! Til then, FORZA DEPOR!
We suffer our first league loss this month. Let's look at how things went, starting with:
Granada at home, 1st leg Copa del Rey semi-final...
A masterclass performance that, more-or-less, assured our passage to the final of the Copa del Rey (my 1st time since taking over). This game was actually close in terms of possession and shots, but we were far superior in the final third. Halilovic and Pereira's goals were almost identical with both players tapping in crosses from Nestor Pillado and Saúl. 2-0 up at half-time and we were cruising. But the fun had yet to ensue. Halilovic made it 3 when he applied a curled finish to Hernandez's lay-off. Granada proceeded to pull one back before the Uruguayan hitman turned in two of his own: a headed finish to Correa's cross and a nice one-on-one strike.
Cordoba away...
A very weak performance to match a lucky result. We were far from great, especially because of the heavily rotated side. Luckily, persisting with Seferovic paid off as the Swiss forward scored a rare goal in what has been a shocking season from him. 3 points in the bag but a game to forget. Top defensive display, mind.
Granada away, 2nd leg...
We almost bottled it. I'll admit, I took Granada for a poor side. I rotated absolutely everything and fielded as weak a side as I possibly could. It almost bit us in the backside. Luckily, those 5 goals in the first-leg gave us too big a boost to reach. Funnily enough, regen winger Mendez scored twice early on which put us 7-1 ahead. What happened next was absolute chaos. Granada immediately pulled one back before Seferovic made thing 8-2 on aggregate. The Andalucian club proceeded to smash five more goals past Ingram in the space of 26 minutes. We held on by the skin of our teeth! A game to forget but... WE ARE THROUGH TO THE COPA DEL REY FINAL!
Our opponents for the final...
The last time we won the Copa del Rey was in 2002 where we beat Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on their 100 year anniversary! I'd love to win the Copa again. Maybe this is the year?
Malaga away...
Valentine's Day and our man-crush, Juan Iturbe, pierces the hearts of Malaga with two breathtaking goals. He first opens the scoring with a great volley following San Emeterio's cross from deep. In the second-half, when things were becoming stale, Iturbe picked up Pereira's short pass and lashed a strike from 27 yards into the back of the net. A perfect way to cement the three points. 3 Andalucian clubs trumped this month!
Chelsea 1st leg at home...
I would have taken the draw beforehand but not in this manner. This result upset me hugely because we had a 2-0 lead going into half-time. That would have given us a mighty boost for the 2nd leg away from home. But, unfortunately, Chelsea's powerhouse attack was far too much for us to deal with. They kept peppering our goal with shots from all kinds of ranges and, eventually, were rewarded with two goals. Those goals cancelled out a very good slalom run and finish from Iturbe, as well as a finely placed header from Labyad. We now have to go to Stamford Bridge with two away goals to work against.
Osasuna at home...
This month was an absolute mess! Incredibly hard to nail down a stream of consistent results due to the required rotation. This was yet another 2-2 draw in which we collapsed. After finding ourselves a goal down very early on, we turned things around excellently. Lindelof knocked in an Andreas Pereira corner just before half-time. Nearing the 60 minute mark, another corner saw Khedira head the ball for Seferovic to volley past Mario. Just as we thought the 3 points were in the bag, Osasuna delivered a set-piece of their own that they duly finished in the 86th minute. Awful luck.
Oviedo at home...
After those devastating 2-2 draws, we finally found some happiness in a result! This was a comfortable demolishing of a bland Oviedo side. They rarely troubled us, rather defending their hearts out until they could do so no more. Halilovic's indirect free-kick landed to Iturbe unmarked in the box for 1-0 just before the 70th minute. Oviedo held out for long but, once the wall was knocked down, there was no way we would settle for just the one goal. Abel Hernandez, who substituted Seferovic, proceeded to score the second of the game when he darted past two players and side-footed past Budak. 3 points toward the title hunt.
Real Madrid away...
Even though we took the lead early on - courtesy of a Baba Rahman own goal - this was a game where we never looked like winning. It was appalling to see our level drop so drastically in one of the biggest games of our season. Real Madrid are our direct rivals for the title and losing ground on them, especially after that draw against Osasuna, was very frustrating. Nobody turned up with goals or adequate defensive nous. We were all over the place and duly got our backsides handed to us. Our first league loss of the season after 27 games. This doesn't bode well for the Copa del Rey final against these guys.
League table:
Still top, but only by 3 points. We have to be careful in the final 11 games, especially as we're still competing in Europe.
PLAYER OF THE MONTH
View attachment 174433Regardless of how messy things got this month, this guy was a constant source of stability. He was always creating chances while also finishing them off himself. Both he and Abel Hernandez have been tantamount to our excellence this season. Perhaps my greatest signing to date. How we acquired this guy on a free, I'll never know.
March 2021 - Our greatest comeback ever?
View attachment 174266
An unforgettable month, primarily due to one result. We start away at Celta...
Another disappointing league draw, especially against Celta. Despite our best efforts, dominating our rivals in the process, we were powerless from their set-pieces. Haris Seferovic scored the first goal of the game when he scissor-volleyed a San Emeterio cross. Minutes away from the final whistle, one devastating Celta corner ends with a goal. 8 minutes remaining, we simply had no time to find a winner. A kick in the teeth which, yet again, allows Real Madrid to move in closer.
Chelsea away, Champions League 2nd leg...
Our greatest comeback ever. I still can't believe this. Seriously, typing it confuses me. We had 7 shots all game and somehow made those count when it mattered most. Chelsea striker, Rui Pedro, sealed a hat-trick on the 11th minute. Our defence was all over the place and a mauling appeared to be on the cards. Think about it: we were down by 3 goals (as well as 2 away goals from the previous leg). There was no way we could turn this around. I changed to a contain mentality and rode out the pressure until half-time. At the whistle, I decided to overload. It was a risky decision, but I want this Champions League trophy. And then... one of my greatest moments in football manager history occurred. Iturbe started the glorious comeback when he beat Chelsea's high line to apply a finish past Courtois. 15 minutes later, Iturbe darted into the box and was felled. Penalty, a chance to lift our hopes. Halilovic stepped up in Hernandez's absence (pesky 4 day injury)... and smashed it past Courtois. We now had 25 minutes to find that final goal. But Chelsea were still finding space amidst our overload. It was risky but we persisted. In the 74th minute, against all the odds, Halilovic played a fabulous through ball to our Argentine star who made no mistake in front of goal. 3-3. 3 goals in 24 minutes. As it stood, we were going through to the quarter-finals. Something I can't believe I'm writing! In the 91st minute, Chelsea almost broke our hearts. Rui Pedro's header from a corner was destined to hit the net, until San Emeterio stepped up to clear it off the line. Dramatic and pulsating. I feel like I held my breath for the entirety of the game. The final whistle went. We did it. We f**king did it!
And our opponents in the quarter-finals...
City. We've played these guys several times already and I know very well that we can beat them. Away from home will be a struggle, but we can beat them at home.
Valencia at home...
So not only did we have a historic result against Chelsea, we then went on to trump our bogey team. Valencia had more than double our shots, the best share of possession and were simply the more threatening side. Luckily, our defence improved heaps since the Chelsea game. That's what Arribas does upon return. And, hey, that's also what Hernandez does. The Uruguayan returned from injury with a goal, tapping in an Iturbe cross. But, before that, we had already taken the lead. Halilovic, who has been one of our best players this season, scored a textbook long-ranger after Saúl's short pass. 2-0 before half-time and that's how it remained. 3 huge points, especially considering our rotation and tired legs after the Chelsea game.
Real Union at home...
A comfortable victory against the worst team in the league. And the worst team to have been in the league in my tenure. Real Union are terrible. Khedira's goal started the massacre, heading in from a Corredera corner. Lindelof almost scored from a corner a few minutes later, but his miscued header fell to Hernandez who made no mistake in front of goal. Just before half-time, Rani Khedira's shot deflected off Oiarzabal for 3-0. Labyad wrapped things up after Real Union scored a consolation. The Moroccan magician met San Emeterio's cross with a fine side-footed finish. 4-1, energy conserved. Job well done.
Rayo away...
Just when it looked like we were destined for another disappointing draw and sour end to the month, Halilovic produced magic YET AGAIN. He's quickly become one of the most productive players in this side. Rayo frustrated us, especially when they sat deep after going down to ten men. Halilovic became so frustrated that, in the 93rd minute after spending the entire game trying to break them down, the Croatian substitute lifted his head up and lashed a shot at goal from 32 yards out. It crashed in off the crossbar. I was gobsmacked. What a way to end the game and month. 3 huge points courtesy of a breathtaking goal.
League table:
4 points clear... 7 games to go. Is the title in the bag? I'm worried as we still have to balance the league with Europe. As a side note, please look at Real Union's goal difference and points!
2 assists, 2 clean-sheets and a phenomenal goal-line clearance to keep our Champions League hopes alive. Bayern keep sniffing around our star man, but he's always happy to turn them down. He's now become one of the best right-backs in the game and I'm delighted to type that. We signed him as a meek 18-year-old. Look at him now.
Next month, we take on City twice and then Barcelona in the league. It's a big one. 'til then, Forza Depor!
View attachment 174266
An unforgettable month, primarily due to one result. We start away at Celta...
Another disappointing league draw, especially against Celta. Despite our best efforts, dominating our rivals in the process, we were powerless from their set-pieces. Haris Seferovic scored the first goal of the game when he scissor-volleyed a San Emeterio cross. Minutes away from the final whistle, one devastating Celta corner ends with a goal. 8 minutes remaining, we simply had no time to find a winner. A kick in the teeth which, yet again, allows Real Madrid to move in closer.
Chelsea away, Champions League 2nd leg...
Our greatest comeback ever. I still can't believe this. Seriously, typing it confuses me. We had 7 shots all game and somehow made those count when it mattered most. Chelsea striker, Rui Pedro, sealed a hat-trick on the 11th minute. Our defence was all over the place and a mauling appeared to be on the cards. Think about it: we were down by 3 goals (as well as 2 away goals from the previous leg). There was no way we could turn this around. I changed to a contain mentality and rode out the pressure until half-time. At the whistle, I decided to overload. It was a risky decision, but I want this Champions League trophy. And then... one of my greatest moments in football manager history occurred. Iturbe started the glorious comeback when he beat Chelsea's high line to apply a finish past Courtois. 15 minutes later, Iturbe darted into the box and was felled. Penalty, a chance to lift our hopes. Halilovic stepped up in Hernandez's absence (pesky 4 day injury)... and smashed it past Courtois. We now had 25 minutes to find that final goal. But Chelsea were still finding space amidst our overload. It was risky but we persisted. In the 74th minute, against all the odds, Halilovic played a fabulous through ball to our Argentine star who made no mistake in front of goal. 3-3. 3 goals in 24 minutes. As it stood, we were going through to the quarter-finals. Something I can't believe I'm writing! In the 91st minute, Chelsea almost broke our hearts. Rui Pedro's header from a corner was destined to hit the net, until San Emeterio stepped up to clear it off the line. Dramatic and pulsating. I feel like I held my breath for the entirety of the game. The final whistle went. We did it. We f**king did it!
And our opponents in the quarter-finals...
City. We've played these guys several times already and I know very well that we can beat them. Away from home will be a struggle, but we can beat them at home.
Valencia at home...
So not only did we have a historic result against Chelsea, we then went on to trump our bogey team. Valencia had more than double our shots, the best share of possession and were simply the more threatening side. Luckily, our defence improved heaps since the Chelsea game. That's what Arribas does upon return. And, hey, that's also what Hernandez does. The Uruguayan returned from injury with a goal, tapping in an Iturbe cross. But, before that, we had already taken the lead. Halilovic, who has been one of our best players this season, scored a textbook long-ranger after Saúl's short pass. 2-0 before half-time and that's how it remained. 3 huge points, especially considering our rotation and tired legs after the Chelsea game.
Real Union at home...
A comfortable victory against the worst team in the league. And the worst team to have been in the league in my tenure. Real Union are terrible. Khedira's goal started the massacre, heading in from a Corredera corner. Lindelof almost scored from a corner a few minutes later, but his miscued header fell to Hernandez who made no mistake in front of goal. Just before half-time, Rani Khedira's shot deflected off Oiarzabal for 3-0. Labyad wrapped things up after Real Union scored a consolation. The Moroccan magician met San Emeterio's cross with a fine side-footed finish. 4-1, energy conserved. Job well done.
Rayo away...
Just when it looked like we were destined for another disappointing draw and sour end to the month, Halilovic produced magic YET AGAIN. He's quickly become one of the most productive players in this side. Rayo frustrated us, especially when they sat deep after going down to ten men. Halilovic became so frustrated that, in the 93rd minute after spending the entire game trying to break them down, the Croatian substitute lifted his head up and lashed a shot at goal from 32 yards out. It crashed in off the crossbar. I was gobsmacked. What a way to end the game and month. 3 huge points courtesy of a breathtaking goal.
League table:
4 points clear... 7 games to go. Is the title in the bag? I'm worried as we still have to balance the league with Europe. As a side note, please look at Real Union's goal difference and points!
2 assists, 2 clean-sheets and a phenomenal goal-line clearance to keep our Champions League hopes alive. Bayern keep sniffing around our star man, but he's always happy to turn them down. He's now become one of the best right-backs in the game and I'm delighted to type that. We signed him as a meek 18-year-old. Look at him now.
Next month, we take on City twice and then Barcelona in the league. It's a big one. 'til then, Forza Depor!
PatrickLFC
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What an incredible result against Chelsea! Amazing the team and the camaraderie you've created on a shoestring budget, the players all play above their individual level, a champion team rather than a team of champions!
Thanks, man! That's a great quote and definitely suits this side: "a champion team rather than a team of champions" love it!
PatrickLFC
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Huge kudos to you!April 2021 - Pure ecstasy!
A perfect month with no losses. 4 clean-sheets to boot. Let's start away at Barcelona...
Another draw may harm our title challenge, but I'm always happy with avoiding defeat away at the "big two." This game was one where both sides were really failing to create any clear-cut chances. Luckily for us, when Barcelona did, Fabricio was on hand to prevent chances from flying in. And unfortunately for Barcelona, we were clinical when the chance presented itself. Just before half-time, our Uruguayan hitman turned provider when he slipped in Alen Halilovic. The diminutive Croatian weaved in and out of a couple of players, proceeding to place the shot past ter Stegen. Unfortunately, minutes after the restart, Barcelona found their equaliser. A dogged battle for possession ensued with neither side looking particularly dangerous. We'll take the draw.
Almeria at home...
A hard fought victory against an extremely defensive Almeria side. Whatever we threw at them, they spat back out. We were forced to shoot from range because we continuously failed to break down their defensive wall. Fortunately, in the 74th minute, we decided to bring on Lucas for Halilovic. It meant sacrificing creativity and that individual magic of Halilovic for a proven, veteran goal scorer. That risk paid off. 6 minutes later, our 32-year-old captain received a pass from substitute Corredera and lashed a long-range strike at goal. And that was all she wrote. 1-0, 3 points and a nice little clean-sheet. We love those. Lucas may be declining, but he still knows where the goal is.
Manchester City at home, 1st leg Champions League...
Another 1-0 win, but this one far more important. We avoided conceding an away goal which put us firmly in the driving seat for progression to the semi-final. City were toothless, choosing to defend deep and hit us on the counter rather than attempt to match us. Abel Hernandez scored yet another crucial goal in this victory, leaping above Otamendi to head in a San Emeterio cross in the 3rd minute. We kept attacking but little came of it. We settled for that 1-0 victory with high hopes of winning the 2nd leg too.
Sevilla at home...
A disappointing 2-2 draw but it could have been a lot worse. Despite taking the lead early on through a Labyad tap-in, the game quickly turned on its head when Sevilla made it 2-1 seconds after the restart of the 2nd half. We were looking devoid of any pure striking ability in the final third, resorting to silly fouls and stop-start play. With six minutes to go, I decided to take Seferovic off for Abel Hernandez whom I had been resting for the second leg. Within 4 minutes of being on the pitch, Abel Hernandez equalised and saved us from embarrassment. The Uruguayan latched onto a great lofted pass from substitute Halilovic to rocket past Skorupski in the Sevilla goal. The draw could hurt our points difference over Real Madrid, but a loss would have done a lot worse. We'll take it.
Man City away, 2nd leg Champions Leg:
1-0 again, clean-sheet again and Abel Hernandez with the winning goal... again! We withstood every single attack that Manchester City threw at us. We were waiting to concede first in order to peg them back a few notches, but it never happened. We never set out to win this game so, when the Hernandez was brought down, we found ourselves with a golden opportunity to secure that passage to the semi-finals. The Uruguayan made no mistake about it from the spot. His goal put us in only our 2nd ever Champions League semi-final (the first in my tenure).
We drew...
Another English club! This will be, perhaps, the toughest. Arsenal have a ridiculously good side and, after checking their team, are dishing out well over 300k-per-week for some of their stars. We're paying nowhere near that, but unity trumps money. We're 180 minutes away from our first ever Champions League final. I don't know if that will derail our league aspirations but, as things stand, we're currently on for the treble.
Mallorca away...
A comfortable way to wrap up the month. 3 points and another clean-sheet. Always great to see Lucas produce when he starts. I'd trust him with my life. 2 goals within the space of 3 minutes was enough to blow away a mediocre Mallorca side. Seferovic's sporadic goals are becoming ones against the poor sides but, so long as he does fall off completely, I can't begrudge him. It's just disappointing how much he's regressed this season. Still, it's another win. Let's see how that leaves us in the league:
3 league games remaining. 3 points clear. Sandwiched in between those games we have two CL ties and a Copa del Rey final against the team vying for the title. It's going to be the craziest end to the season in the history of this club.
Hernandez breaks a record?
This was after his goal against City in the first leg. It's now 29 when you add the 2nd leg goal as well as the Sevilla one too. He's 30 years of age and one goal away from 30. That's simply astounding. I still don't know how he has done it but his goals could very well be crucial to the biggest haul of trophies in this club's history. Potentially.
San Emeterio renews:
Perhaps his best season for the club? He may not be assisting as much but, defensively, the guy has been an absolute animal. I've never had any complaints about him in the five years he has been at the club. This renewal was both deserved and necessary because bigger clubs keep bidding for him. The release clause is now set at 50m.
Budgets...
That's a lot of money! Can't wait to see how we use this in the summer.
Lindelof was tantamount to our successes this month. He was part of all four clean-sheets, making some great interceptions and challenges particularly in the CL encounters. We paid 20m for him in the summer and he's more than returned that value. He is, quite simply, our best centre-back. Haven't seen him commit one error at all this season. It will be interesting to see how he plays when Insua returns from that awfully long injury spell.
Next month is the final one. You simply cannot afford to miss it. Do we win the league? Do we win the Copa del Rey? Do we make it to the Champions League final... do we go on to win it? That will all be answered next month. If this save has entertained you in any which way, please keep your eyes peeled for that update. It could mark the greatest season in the club's history and my managerial history. 'Til then, a very loud FORZA DEPOR!!!
A perfect month with no losses. 4 clean-sheets to boot. Let's start away at Barcelona...
Another draw may harm our title challenge, but I'm always happy with avoiding defeat away at the "big two." This game was one where both sides were really failing to create any clear-cut chances. Luckily for us, when Barcelona did, Fabricio was on hand to prevent chances from flying in. And unfortunately for Barcelona, we were clinical when the chance presented itself. Just before half-time, our Uruguayan hitman turned provider when he slipped in Alen Halilovic. The diminutive Croatian weaved in and out of a couple of players, proceeding to place the shot past ter Stegen. Unfortunately, minutes after the restart, Barcelona found their equaliser. A dogged battle for possession ensued with neither side looking particularly dangerous. We'll take the draw.
Almeria at home...
A hard fought victory against an extremely defensive Almeria side. Whatever we threw at them, they spat back out. We were forced to shoot from range because we continuously failed to break down their defensive wall. Fortunately, in the 74th minute, we decided to bring on Lucas for Halilovic. It meant sacrificing creativity and that individual magic of Halilovic for a proven, veteran goal scorer. That risk paid off. 6 minutes later, our 32-year-old captain received a pass from substitute Corredera and lashed a long-range strike at goal. And that was all she wrote. 1-0, 3 points and a nice little clean-sheet. We love those. Lucas may be declining, but he still knows where the goal is.
Manchester City at home, 1st leg Champions League...
Another 1-0 win, but this one far more important. We avoided conceding an away goal which put us firmly in the driving seat for progression to the semi-final. City were toothless, choosing to defend deep and hit us on the counter rather than attempt to match us. Abel Hernandez scored yet another crucial goal in this victory, leaping above Otamendi to head in a San Emeterio cross in the 3rd minute. We kept attacking but little came of it. We settled for that 1-0 victory with high hopes of winning the 2nd leg too.
Sevilla at home...
A disappointing 2-2 draw but it could have been a lot worse. Despite taking the lead early on through a Labyad tap-in, the game quickly turned on its head when Sevilla made it 2-1 seconds after the restart of the 2nd half. We were looking devoid of any pure striking ability in the final third, resorting to silly fouls and stop-start play. With six minutes to go, I decided to take Seferovic off for Abel Hernandez whom I had been resting for the second leg. Within 4 minutes of being on the pitch, Abel Hernandez equalised and saved us from embarrassment. The Uruguayan latched onto a great lofted pass from substitute Halilovic to rocket past Skorupski in the Sevilla goal. The draw could hurt our points difference over Real Madrid, but a loss would have done a lot worse. We'll take it.
Man City away, 2nd leg Champions Leg:
1-0 again, clean-sheet again and Abel Hernandez with the winning goal... again! We withstood every single attack that Manchester City threw at us. We were waiting to concede first in order to peg them back a few notches, but it never happened. We never set out to win this game so, when the Hernandez was brought down, we found ourselves with a golden opportunity to secure that passage to the semi-finals. The Uruguayan made no mistake about it from the spot. His goal put us in only our 2nd ever Champions League semi-final (the first in my tenure).
We drew...
Another English club! This will be, perhaps, the toughest. Arsenal have a ridiculously good side and, after checking their team, are dishing out well over 300k-per-week for some of their stars. We're paying nowhere near that, but unity trumps money. We're 180 minutes away from our first ever Champions League final. I don't know if that will derail our league aspirations but, as things stand, we're currently on for the treble.
Mallorca away...
A comfortable way to wrap up the month. 3 points and another clean-sheet. Always great to see Lucas produce when he starts. I'd trust him with my life. 2 goals within the space of 3 minutes was enough to blow away a mediocre Mallorca side. Seferovic's sporadic goals are becoming ones against the poor sides but, so long as he does fall off completely, I can't begrudge him. It's just disappointing how much he's regressed this season. Still, it's another win. Let's see how that leaves us in the league:
3 league games remaining. 3 points clear. Sandwiched in between those games we have two CL ties and a Copa del Rey final against the team vying for the title. It's going to be the craziest end to the season in the history of this club.
Hernandez breaks a record?
This was after his goal against City in the first leg. It's now 29 when you add the 2nd leg goal as well as the Sevilla one too. He's 30 years of age and one goal away from 30. That's simply astounding. I still don't know how he has done it but his goals could very well be crucial to the biggest haul of trophies in this club's history. Potentially.
San Emeterio renews:
Perhaps his best season for the club? He may not be assisting as much but, defensively, the guy has been an absolute animal. I've never had any complaints about him in the five years he has been at the club. This renewal was both deserved and necessary because bigger clubs keep bidding for him. The release clause is now set at 50m.
Budgets...
That's a lot of money! Can't wait to see how we use this in the summer.
Lindelof was tantamount to our successes this month. He was part of all four clean-sheets, making some great interceptions and challenges particularly in the CL encounters. We paid 20m for him in the summer and he's more than returned that value. He is, quite simply, our best centre-back. Haven't seen him commit one error at all this season. It will be interesting to see how he plays when Insua returns from that awfully long injury spell.
Next month is the final one. You simply cannot afford to miss it. Do we win the league? Do we win the Copa del Rey? Do we make it to the Champions League final... do we go on to win it? That will all be answered next month. If this save has entertained you in any which way, please keep your eyes peeled for that update. It could mark the greatest season in the club's history and my managerial history. 'Til then, a very loud FORZA DEPOR!!!
May 2021 - Our best season ever or the biggest disappointment ever?
This update, I will not reveal the results before delving into the matches. I'm doing this because I want you guys to share my excitement, surprise and shock at absolutely everything that happens this month. If you've never read anything up until now, let me get you up to date: this is my 6th season as Deportivo manager. After winning our first trophy - the league title - last season, we have gone up a notch this season. In our final month, we are on course to win the title, Copa del Rey and Champions League. But do we rack up all 3? Even two of these would be the biggest achievement in the club's history. Let's find out how the month went, shall we?
Levante at home...
A goalless draw against Levante allowed Real Madrid to get one step closer to us. Despite our high amount of shots, we simply came up against a resilient Levante side that defended their hearts out. Unfortunately for us, we could not break them down despite our best efforts. Two league games remaining.
Arsenal away, 1st leg CL semi-final...
A very bitter loss in the 1st leg of this Champions League semi-final, but we can draw a lot of positives from it. Firstly, despite being dominated in possession and shots we were able to score with all 3 of our attempts at goal. All 3 of those goals count as away goals which boost our odds for the 2nd leg in front of our own fans. Arsenal went 3-0 up courtesy of some flamboyant attacking performances from Chamberlain and Barbosa. By the 50th minute, those two had buried 3 past us. The game seemed out of our reach and our focus was soon to set on the league and Copa del Rey. This was until Iturbe, Lucas and Halilovic decided to rain on Arsenal's parade. Iturbe volleyed in a Halilovic cross to commence the comeback on the 69th minute. Too late? Think again. Substitute Lucas, 4 minutes after coming on, pulled another one back for us. The skipper applied a simple finish to yet another Halilovic cross. 12 minutes from time, Halilovic was at it again: the Croatian winger beat two opposition players before placing a pass across the face of goal... Iturbe was on hand to smash it emphatically past Szczesny for 3-3. We were on top of the world and celebrating what appeared to be a great result... until Arsenal's Nunnely headed in from a set-piece seconds from the whistle. A heart-wrenching loss after a miraculous comeback. We have to remain positive for the 2nd leg. There's enough in us to thwart Arsenal - we just have to tighten up a bit more at the back.
Real Sociedad away...
A crucial win in our penultimate league game. Additionally, Abel Hernandez made history: he is the first Deportivo player to score 30 goals in one season. The Uruguayan has been electrifying this season at the age of 30. Our successes have been largely down to his brilliance in front of goal. Today, he may very well have won us the title. He scored his 30th goal of the season when he headed in from a Pillado cross. Despite Real Sociedad's equaliser, missed penalty and growing pressure... the Uruguayan soaked it all up to unleash a monstrous long-range strike for 2-1 and his 31st goal of the season. A masterclass performance of the utmost importance. 3 massive points that firmly place our hands on that league title. We just have to make sure we avoid defeat in the final game of the season.
Arsenal at home, 2nd leg CL semi-final...
WE HAVE DONE IT! DEPORTIVO ARE THROUGH TO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR HISTORY! We were far more defensively resolute in this one. Fabricio also played an integral part in keeping Arsenal at bay for the majority of the game. A tight first-half had us scrambling for a goal, nervous the game would end 0-0 thus culminating in us being knocked out. But we persevered and kept our heads. In the 48th minute, Alex Corredera scored a breathtaking free-kick. This singular moment of magic had us going through on away goals. Before we were done celebrating that goal... Iturbe scored a second! The Argentine picked up a beautiful through ball from Halilovic (once again) and finished with simplicity one-on-one. Arsenal now needed to score two goals to beat us. We were confident of holding them off... until San Emeterio got himself foolishly sent off with 30 minutes to go. Those 30 minutes turned out to be the longest 30 minutes of my Football Manager life. Shortly after the sending off, Arsenal pulled one back from a set-piece. The goal wasn't enough to see them through, but they needed one more. And boy did they push for it. Fabri made some great saves and the woodwork played a part in denying Arsenal the winner. When the final whistle blew, we couldn't believe it. Thankfully we scored those 3 away goals in the first leg. We were now 90 minutes away from a historic Champions League trophy. My biggest dream when I took over.
And we drew...
Another English club! Our road to this final involved knocking out Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal. United remain in our path. Can we slay another English giant and make history?
COPA DEL REY FINAL
Sigh. We fail to win the Copa and thus miss out on a historic and iconic treble. This result frustrated me because we were the better side but simply failed to make our chances count. Furthermore, it was just 3 days after that brutal Champions League tie. We had to rotate some players and others were just far too tired. Real Madrid had the physical superiority over us and simply made it count. We held them to a 0-0 all the way into extra-time. But, once the extra-time period started, our players were far too knackered to keep up with Madrid. They applied pressure and duly received their two goals. We just have to hope this doesn't have an adverse effect on the league and Champions League. This is disappointing, but we're still on course for an unforgettable year.
Granada away, final game of the league season...
WE DID IT! BACK TO BACK LEAGUE TITLES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Despite the loss on the night, the result was enough to win us the title on goal difference! Abel added his 32nd and 33rd goals of the season to make it 2-1 before Granada ran riot and pummelled us. But we couldn't care less. The league title is all that matters and how that comes about is not important! So proud of my boys to have retained this title. We are a champions team rather than a team of champions, as resident reader PatrickLFC pointed out! FORZA DEPOR!
God bless goal difference.
Best in Spain!
With the Champions League final approaching, we were hit with some horrendous news:
Fabri misses the final. Our undisputed 1st choice goalkeeper misses the Champions League final. Ingram, who has played less than five games all season and is on his way to joining Betis in the summer, will have to play in between the sticks in the biggest game of our club history!
It doesn't end there:
Iturbe. Iturbe our f**king star. Iturbe misses the Champions League final after doing everything to get us there. This hurts that he will not be part of the biggest night in our history. We will struggle without our best winger and best goalkeeper.
It gets worse...
Arguably our best player, inarguably our best midfielder, will also miss the final. This is torrid luck. Add to that: San Emeterio is suspended. 4 key players will miss the final against Manchester United. An already tricky match now seems insurmountable.
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So, without or key men and having never played a Champions League final before, here we are...
Do we clinch the CL?
Do we fall at the last hurdle?
Do we etch our name onto that trophy as only the 3rd Spanish club to win it?
...
......
..........
DEPORTIVO LIFT THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AGAINST ALL THE ODDS, ONE OF THE SMALLEST PROFESSIONAL CLUBS IN THE SPANISH TOP TIER WINS THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS TROPHY IN EUROPEAN FOOTBALL!!!!!
What a game that was. Typing it now, I still cannot believe it. We were by far the better side, reducing Manchester United to ridiculous long-range strikes while hitting them with fierce counter-attacks. Abel Hernandez gave us the lead just before half-time when he latched onto a loose ball and finished with ease. Hernandez then turned provider by squaring a pass for Halilovic to tap in for 2-0 with 25 minutes to go. Then, it was all about holding on. We switched to a contain mentality and were punished for it immediately with Martial scoring in the 67th minute. We quickly changed to defensive and proceeded to see out the biggest night in the club's history.
European Super Cup, La Liga and Champions League! An iconic end to an unforgettable season. The best the club has ever had.
*bows* dreams DO come true.
3 of our boys made it to the CL Dream Team: Saul, Lindelof and Halilovic. All 3 incredibly deserving of it, especially Halilovic who was by far our best player in Europe this season.
Lindelof with a titanic 20 key tackles in the CL this season! That's four more than the guy behind him. Impeccable defender and truly one of my finest signings.
San Emeterio also tops the tackles per game table for the CL. Another impressive feat.
The fans have their say with the End of Season Awards. Hard to disagree with their picks.
Correa wins Young Player of the Year in La Liga. Well deserved. He was surprisingly great and, for long periods, kept Corredera out of the side. I didn't expect him to burst onto the scene so quickly!
Hernandez wins top La Liga goal scorer with 21 league goals. He was tied with Ronaldo but played less games so was therefore awarded as #1.
Lindelof also wins for key tackles in the league, producing a mammoth amount of 42. 8 more than 2nd place who, funnily enough, was Arribas.
Absolute joke that Iturbe didn't make the final XI. Still, can't complain at four of our boys making it. Especially 3 of which making up the back four!
Look at my job security!
Woop woop!
San Emeterio turned in his greatest season as a Depor player. He assisted regularly, was crucial in making up one of the best defences in Europe and also lead by example when that armband was wrapped around his bicep. At the age of 24, he is quite simply one of the best in his position and with many more years to go.
I can't stress enough how important Pereira is. 12 goals, 14 assists in all competitions. He makes us tick in the final third and is always relentlessly creating goal scoring opportunities. He is one of the best players in this side. Take him out and we look half the team. Love him.
30 years of age, 34 goals in all competitions. Abel showed up Seferovic and proved himself as one of the finest strikers in world football. He was, quite simply, the best around. He scored in the Champions League final and in countless league games. Our successes are largely down to his excellence in front of goal. We simply cannot deny that.
22 goals in all competitions, 17 assists. He arrived on a free. He's now my greatest ever signing. Our best player. If Abel's goal led us to various of these trophies, so did Iturbe. He scored and assisted an unimaginable amount of goals that directly contributed to the league, Champions League and making the Copa del Rey final. From the first game of the season through to the last, he was unstoppable.
AND SO ENDS OUR 6TH SEASON. I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO READS THIS THREAD AND COMMENTS. YOU GUYS MAKE PLAYING THIS SAVE ENJOYABLE AND STUPIDLY ENTERTAINING. I HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED READING THIS MOST RECENT UPDATE. NOW, I POSE A QUESTION TO YOU: DO WE PLAY ONE MORE SEASON TO WIN THE COPA DEL REY OR CALL IT A FINALISED SAVE? I WILL, OF COURSE, START A NEW ONE ELSEWHERE AND WRITE A STORY ON IT SO YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ME DISAPPEARING! LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! REGARDLESS, WE WON THE LEAGUE AND CL!!!! FORZA DEPOR!!!
This update, I will not reveal the results before delving into the matches. I'm doing this because I want you guys to share my excitement, surprise and shock at absolutely everything that happens this month. If you've never read anything up until now, let me get you up to date: this is my 6th season as Deportivo manager. After winning our first trophy - the league title - last season, we have gone up a notch this season. In our final month, we are on course to win the title, Copa del Rey and Champions League. But do we rack up all 3? Even two of these would be the biggest achievement in the club's history. Let's find out how the month went, shall we?
Levante at home...
A goalless draw against Levante allowed Real Madrid to get one step closer to us. Despite our high amount of shots, we simply came up against a resilient Levante side that defended their hearts out. Unfortunately for us, we could not break them down despite our best efforts. Two league games remaining.
Arsenal away, 1st leg CL semi-final...
A very bitter loss in the 1st leg of this Champions League semi-final, but we can draw a lot of positives from it. Firstly, despite being dominated in possession and shots we were able to score with all 3 of our attempts at goal. All 3 of those goals count as away goals which boost our odds for the 2nd leg in front of our own fans. Arsenal went 3-0 up courtesy of some flamboyant attacking performances from Chamberlain and Barbosa. By the 50th minute, those two had buried 3 past us. The game seemed out of our reach and our focus was soon to set on the league and Copa del Rey. This was until Iturbe, Lucas and Halilovic decided to rain on Arsenal's parade. Iturbe volleyed in a Halilovic cross to commence the comeback on the 69th minute. Too late? Think again. Substitute Lucas, 4 minutes after coming on, pulled another one back for us. The skipper applied a simple finish to yet another Halilovic cross. 12 minutes from time, Halilovic was at it again: the Croatian winger beat two opposition players before placing a pass across the face of goal... Iturbe was on hand to smash it emphatically past Szczesny for 3-3. We were on top of the world and celebrating what appeared to be a great result... until Arsenal's Nunnely headed in from a set-piece seconds from the whistle. A heart-wrenching loss after a miraculous comeback. We have to remain positive for the 2nd leg. There's enough in us to thwart Arsenal - we just have to tighten up a bit more at the back.
Real Sociedad away...
A crucial win in our penultimate league game. Additionally, Abel Hernandez made history: he is the first Deportivo player to score 30 goals in one season. The Uruguayan has been electrifying this season at the age of 30. Our successes have been largely down to his brilliance in front of goal. Today, he may very well have won us the title. He scored his 30th goal of the season when he headed in from a Pillado cross. Despite Real Sociedad's equaliser, missed penalty and growing pressure... the Uruguayan soaked it all up to unleash a monstrous long-range strike for 2-1 and his 31st goal of the season. A masterclass performance of the utmost importance. 3 massive points that firmly place our hands on that league title. We just have to make sure we avoid defeat in the final game of the season.
Arsenal at home, 2nd leg CL semi-final...
WE HAVE DONE IT! DEPORTIVO ARE THROUGH TO THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR HISTORY! We were far more defensively resolute in this one. Fabricio also played an integral part in keeping Arsenal at bay for the majority of the game. A tight first-half had us scrambling for a goal, nervous the game would end 0-0 thus culminating in us being knocked out. But we persevered and kept our heads. In the 48th minute, Alex Corredera scored a breathtaking free-kick. This singular moment of magic had us going through on away goals. Before we were done celebrating that goal... Iturbe scored a second! The Argentine picked up a beautiful through ball from Halilovic (once again) and finished with simplicity one-on-one. Arsenal now needed to score two goals to beat us. We were confident of holding them off... until San Emeterio got himself foolishly sent off with 30 minutes to go. Those 30 minutes turned out to be the longest 30 minutes of my Football Manager life. Shortly after the sending off, Arsenal pulled one back from a set-piece. The goal wasn't enough to see them through, but they needed one more. And boy did they push for it. Fabri made some great saves and the woodwork played a part in denying Arsenal the winner. When the final whistle blew, we couldn't believe it. Thankfully we scored those 3 away goals in the first leg. We were now 90 minutes away from a historic Champions League trophy. My biggest dream when I took over.
And we drew...
Another English club! Our road to this final involved knocking out Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal. United remain in our path. Can we slay another English giant and make history?
COPA DEL REY FINAL
Sigh. We fail to win the Copa and thus miss out on a historic and iconic treble. This result frustrated me because we were the better side but simply failed to make our chances count. Furthermore, it was just 3 days after that brutal Champions League tie. We had to rotate some players and others were just far too tired. Real Madrid had the physical superiority over us and simply made it count. We held them to a 0-0 all the way into extra-time. But, once the extra-time period started, our players were far too knackered to keep up with Madrid. They applied pressure and duly received their two goals. We just have to hope this doesn't have an adverse effect on the league and Champions League. This is disappointing, but we're still on course for an unforgettable year.
Granada away, final game of the league season...
WE DID IT! BACK TO BACK LEAGUE TITLES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OUR HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Despite the loss on the night, the result was enough to win us the title on goal difference! Abel added his 32nd and 33rd goals of the season to make it 2-1 before Granada ran riot and pummelled us. But we couldn't care less. The league title is all that matters and how that comes about is not important! So proud of my boys to have retained this title. We are a champions team rather than a team of champions, as resident reader PatrickLFC pointed out! FORZA DEPOR!
God bless goal difference.
Best in Spain!
With the Champions League final approaching, we were hit with some horrendous news:
Fabri misses the final. Our undisputed 1st choice goalkeeper misses the Champions League final. Ingram, who has played less than five games all season and is on his way to joining Betis in the summer, will have to play in between the sticks in the biggest game of our club history!
It doesn't end there:
Iturbe. Iturbe our f**king star. Iturbe misses the Champions League final after doing everything to get us there. This hurts that he will not be part of the biggest night in our history. We will struggle without our best winger and best goalkeeper.
It gets worse...
Arguably our best player, inarguably our best midfielder, will also miss the final. This is torrid luck. Add to that: San Emeterio is suspended. 4 key players will miss the final against Manchester United. An already tricky match now seems insurmountable.
View attachment 172866
So, without or key men and having never played a Champions League final before, here we are...
Do we clinch the CL?
Do we fall at the last hurdle?
Do we etch our name onto that trophy as only the 3rd Spanish club to win it?
...
......
..........
DEPORTIVO LIFT THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AGAINST ALL THE ODDS, ONE OF THE SMALLEST PROFESSIONAL CLUBS IN THE SPANISH TOP TIER WINS THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS TROPHY IN EUROPEAN FOOTBALL!!!!!
What a game that was. Typing it now, I still cannot believe it. We were by far the better side, reducing Manchester United to ridiculous long-range strikes while hitting them with fierce counter-attacks. Abel Hernandez gave us the lead just before half-time when he latched onto a loose ball and finished with ease. Hernandez then turned provider by squaring a pass for Halilovic to tap in for 2-0 with 25 minutes to go. Then, it was all about holding on. We switched to a contain mentality and were punished for it immediately with Martial scoring in the 67th minute. We quickly changed to defensive and proceeded to see out the biggest night in the club's history.
European Super Cup, La Liga and Champions League! An iconic end to an unforgettable season. The best the club has ever had.
*bows* dreams DO come true.
3 of our boys made it to the CL Dream Team: Saul, Lindelof and Halilovic. All 3 incredibly deserving of it, especially Halilovic who was by far our best player in Europe this season.
Lindelof with a titanic 20 key tackles in the CL this season! That's four more than the guy behind him. Impeccable defender and truly one of my finest signings.
San Emeterio also tops the tackles per game table for the CL. Another impressive feat.
The fans have their say with the End of Season Awards. Hard to disagree with their picks.
Correa wins Young Player of the Year in La Liga. Well deserved. He was surprisingly great and, for long periods, kept Corredera out of the side. I didn't expect him to burst onto the scene so quickly!
Hernandez wins top La Liga goal scorer with 21 league goals. He was tied with Ronaldo but played less games so was therefore awarded as #1.
Lindelof also wins for key tackles in the league, producing a mammoth amount of 42. 8 more than 2nd place who, funnily enough, was Arribas.
Absolute joke that Iturbe didn't make the final XI. Still, can't complain at four of our boys making it. Especially 3 of which making up the back four!
Look at my job security!
Woop woop!
San Emeterio turned in his greatest season as a Depor player. He assisted regularly, was crucial in making up one of the best defences in Europe and also lead by example when that armband was wrapped around his bicep. At the age of 24, he is quite simply one of the best in his position and with many more years to go.
I can't stress enough how important Pereira is. 12 goals, 14 assists in all competitions. He makes us tick in the final third and is always relentlessly creating goal scoring opportunities. He is one of the best players in this side. Take him out and we look half the team. Love him.
30 years of age, 34 goals in all competitions. Abel showed up Seferovic and proved himself as one of the finest strikers in world football. He was, quite simply, the best around. He scored in the Champions League final and in countless league games. Our successes are largely down to his excellence in front of goal. We simply cannot deny that.
22 goals in all competitions, 17 assists. He arrived on a free. He's now my greatest ever signing. Our best player. If Abel's goal led us to various of these trophies, so did Iturbe. He scored and assisted an unimaginable amount of goals that directly contributed to the league, Champions League and making the Copa del Rey final. From the first game of the season through to the last, he was unstoppable.
AND SO ENDS OUR 6TH SEASON. I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO READS THIS THREAD AND COMMENTS. YOU GUYS MAKE PLAYING THIS SAVE ENJOYABLE AND STUPIDLY ENTERTAINING. I HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED READING THIS MOST RECENT UPDATE. NOW, I POSE A QUESTION TO YOU: DO WE PLAY ONE MORE SEASON TO WIN THE COPA DEL REY OR CALL IT A FINALISED SAVE? I WILL, OF COURSE, START A NEW ONE ELSEWHERE AND WRITE A STORY ON IT SO YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ME DISAPPEARING! LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! REGARDLESS, WE WON THE LEAGUE AND CL!!!! FORZA DEPOR!!!
PatrickLFC
Member
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- Mar 31, 2015
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Congratulations on an incredible season! I don't mind what you do, if you feel you have unfinished business here then keep going, but I'd also enjoy any other story you might begin instead. Either would be awesome!
I'll see what others say and then make a decision! Thanks for your continued support!
Anyone else?
I think you should go on for one more season at least and then decide from then
Thanks for your input! It seems like interest on the story has dropped and I don't know if people would enjoy reading about us dominating every season! Thank you for the kind words. If I start a new save, I'll definitely document it again!
The consensus seems to be one more season. It's final: I will do one more season! Updates soon!
fishyfootball1
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One more treble-dominating season! FORZA DEPOR!
Stay tuned for the next update!
Pre-season, signings and more (2021, 7th season)
After popular demands, here goes our 7th and final season. The target is quite simple: win the only trophies we haven't been able to - Euro Super Cup, Club World Championship and the prestigious Copa del Rey. Once this season ends, so will this save. But I will immediately start something new because I've loved every minute of writing these stories. But, hey, who knows? It may just be that I continue this save if I have unfinished business or you guys become adamant that you want more!
Anyhow, enough of boring you guys with that stuff. I know you all want the juicy bits of the summer of 2021!
Renewals:
View attachment 171729
Our captain renews. His contract was up in a year. I want him to retire here. He's devoted so much to the club, everyone loves him + he's a capable backup winger. This new contract will keep him here up until the age of 34. I'm willing to renew even further until his final game.
The Uruguayan hitman extends his stay at the club. He'll be 33 when his contract runs out. I'm forever indebted to him after those 34 goals last season. Here's to 34 more!
I know, I know. You're all probably shocked, right? Seferovic was extremely underwhelming last season and I didn't like the idea of having two ageing strikers. I wanted someone younger and fresher. Someone we can mould into an excellent striker. Seferovic was chewing up the wage bill for the sake of mediocre performances. I can't believe we turned a profit on him! 27m is a club record for fee received. Napoli are crazy!
I don't even understand how we got 13.75m for a player who hardly featured in the side. Espinosa was a very average midfielder, happy to sit on the bench and play when called upon. But we just have far too many men in the centre and I needed to offload him. I really preferred what Labyad offered in the middle of the park last season so I opted to keep the Moroccan around and sell Espinosa. That was incredible money for an unused, unwanted and 28-year-old midfielder.
Couldn't be bothered to renew Ingram. He ended up at Betis on a free. He just rarely featured and was getting disgruntled. It was much easier to let him go.
Fornos just didn't develop the way I had hoped. I wanted him to be another academy star that makes it into the senior side with ease but it just didn't pay off for him. At the age of 24, and with three superior centre-backs ahead of him, it was time for Fornos to leave. He's no longer a kid. 375k is not too shabby.
SIGNINGS
This transfer window was all about breathing some more youth into the club. I wanted some of the hottest youngsters out there to replace those who departed. With that in mind...
A combined spend of 44.25m euros was necessary. What I love most is that we more-or-less received the same amount for sales:
We barely chewed into our initial transfer budget. 44m spent but 41m recouped. We'll take that. Let's look at the stats of our new signings and why I purchased them, shall we?
We always have to scour the market in-depth because only one sort of striker suits our successful system: complete forward. There were many young kids with the potential but still not there right now. Krmar, though, for 10.25m was an absolute steal. His passing needs work but everything else looks outstanding, in particular his mental stats. I'm looking for him to give Abel a run for his money in due time. As of right now, Krmar will be a rotation option. If I find that he is far too consistent to be dropped, I'll move Abel to the wings. I love having this sort of depth!
Lucio Zanocchi. Our most expensive signing, coming in at 15m. With Lindelof, Insua and Arribas all 28 or above, we needed some youth. Particularly Arribas, who is 32, will soon need someone to take his spot in the side. Zanocchi already looks like a fantastic centre-back. His concentration, bravery and determination is an issue but I'm sure we can work around that. He looks like a star in the making at only 19 years of age.
I am very happy to have signed Pau Lopez, especially for the low fee of 7m. Fabricio is entering 33 years of age and made a few dubious errors last season that began to scare me for his future. I have decided that Fabri will now be the second choice until he decides to retire. Lopez will talk that #1 berth and, hopefully, make it his own. His stats trump Fabri's in every single area plus he will have the best defence in the league ahead of him. Should be easy for him to integrate into the side!
I am very excited by the prospect of Ricci. He was signed due to Khedira ineffectiveness ever since joining, in all honesty. Khedira is OK, but he is sometimes at fault for when we get overrun in 2nd legs of the Copa and Champions League. I wanted somebody younger and adept to rotating with the German... eventually taking his spot. Ricci has some very desirable stats for a player in that BWM role, including 19(!!!) determination.
And there you have it! Let me know what you make of these youngsters joining the club? Great recruits or too risky?
Record broken for most transfer income received!
A mixture of local sides and the tour of China was quite fun and successful. We had a silly loss in there but this was all about testing the new guys out, building team cohesion and raising the fitness levels!
Our opponents for the European Super Cup final: Leverkusen. The German side lifted the Europa League while we gloriously triumphed over Manchester United for the biggest trophy in club football. This is a very winnable fixture - it would be nice to get some silverware right off the bat!
Squad overview! That's what we're rolling with this season. Some players don't show up on this list for some odd reason.
Thanks for reading! I hope you're all happy over the continuation of this save! Next month, not only do we start the new season but we also play the Spanish Super Cup two-legged final against Real Madrid AND the European Super Cup final vs Leverkusen. A chance to do the double before a ball is kicked in the league! Please tune in for that one! 'Til then, FORZA DEPOR!
After popular demands, here goes our 7th and final season. The target is quite simple: win the only trophies we haven't been able to - Euro Super Cup, Club World Championship and the prestigious Copa del Rey. Once this season ends, so will this save. But I will immediately start something new because I've loved every minute of writing these stories. But, hey, who knows? It may just be that I continue this save if I have unfinished business or you guys become adamant that you want more!
Anyhow, enough of boring you guys with that stuff. I know you all want the juicy bits of the summer of 2021!
Renewals:
View attachment 171729
Our captain renews. His contract was up in a year. I want him to retire here. He's devoted so much to the club, everyone loves him + he's a capable backup winger. This new contract will keep him here up until the age of 34. I'm willing to renew even further until his final game.
The Uruguayan hitman extends his stay at the club. He'll be 33 when his contract runs out. I'm forever indebted to him after those 34 goals last season. Here's to 34 more!
I know, I know. You're all probably shocked, right? Seferovic was extremely underwhelming last season and I didn't like the idea of having two ageing strikers. I wanted someone younger and fresher. Someone we can mould into an excellent striker. Seferovic was chewing up the wage bill for the sake of mediocre performances. I can't believe we turned a profit on him! 27m is a club record for fee received. Napoli are crazy!
I don't even understand how we got 13.75m for a player who hardly featured in the side. Espinosa was a very average midfielder, happy to sit on the bench and play when called upon. But we just have far too many men in the centre and I needed to offload him. I really preferred what Labyad offered in the middle of the park last season so I opted to keep the Moroccan around and sell Espinosa. That was incredible money for an unused, unwanted and 28-year-old midfielder.
Couldn't be bothered to renew Ingram. He ended up at Betis on a free. He just rarely featured and was getting disgruntled. It was much easier to let him go.
Fornos just didn't develop the way I had hoped. I wanted him to be another academy star that makes it into the senior side with ease but it just didn't pay off for him. At the age of 24, and with three superior centre-backs ahead of him, it was time for Fornos to leave. He's no longer a kid. 375k is not too shabby.
SIGNINGS
This transfer window was all about breathing some more youth into the club. I wanted some of the hottest youngsters out there to replace those who departed. With that in mind...
A combined spend of 44.25m euros was necessary. What I love most is that we more-or-less received the same amount for sales:
We barely chewed into our initial transfer budget. 44m spent but 41m recouped. We'll take that. Let's look at the stats of our new signings and why I purchased them, shall we?
We always have to scour the market in-depth because only one sort of striker suits our successful system: complete forward. There were many young kids with the potential but still not there right now. Krmar, though, for 10.25m was an absolute steal. His passing needs work but everything else looks outstanding, in particular his mental stats. I'm looking for him to give Abel a run for his money in due time. As of right now, Krmar will be a rotation option. If I find that he is far too consistent to be dropped, I'll move Abel to the wings. I love having this sort of depth!
Lucio Zanocchi. Our most expensive signing, coming in at 15m. With Lindelof, Insua and Arribas all 28 or above, we needed some youth. Particularly Arribas, who is 32, will soon need someone to take his spot in the side. Zanocchi already looks like a fantastic centre-back. His concentration, bravery and determination is an issue but I'm sure we can work around that. He looks like a star in the making at only 19 years of age.
I am very happy to have signed Pau Lopez, especially for the low fee of 7m. Fabricio is entering 33 years of age and made a few dubious errors last season that began to scare me for his future. I have decided that Fabri will now be the second choice until he decides to retire. Lopez will talk that #1 berth and, hopefully, make it his own. His stats trump Fabri's in every single area plus he will have the best defence in the league ahead of him. Should be easy for him to integrate into the side!
I am very excited by the prospect of Ricci. He was signed due to Khedira ineffectiveness ever since joining, in all honesty. Khedira is OK, but he is sometimes at fault for when we get overrun in 2nd legs of the Copa and Champions League. I wanted somebody younger and adept to rotating with the German... eventually taking his spot. Ricci has some very desirable stats for a player in that BWM role, including 19(!!!) determination.
And there you have it! Let me know what you make of these youngsters joining the club? Great recruits or too risky?
Record broken for most transfer income received!
A mixture of local sides and the tour of China was quite fun and successful. We had a silly loss in there but this was all about testing the new guys out, building team cohesion and raising the fitness levels!
Our opponents for the European Super Cup final: Leverkusen. The German side lifted the Europa League while we gloriously triumphed over Manchester United for the biggest trophy in club football. This is a very winnable fixture - it would be nice to get some silverware right off the bat!
Squad overview! That's what we're rolling with this season. Some players don't show up on this list for some odd reason.
Thanks for reading! I hope you're all happy over the continuation of this save! Next month, not only do we start the new season but we also play the Spanish Super Cup two-legged final against Real Madrid AND the European Super Cup final vs Leverkusen. A chance to do the double before a ball is kicked in the league! Please tune in for that one! 'Til then, FORZA DEPOR!