Taking Southampton North!

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Fantastic achievement winning the league.

Looks like your squad has great depth to it.

I look to keep older players and use them for tutoring, which you seem to be doing well at the moment. Unless they kick up a fuss of course.
 
kolas79 said:
In my opinion , I would try selling all players that are above 32 (e.g Iniesta). It is time to give your youngsters more chances to shine. As for the midfield your top three players is obvious that should be Wanyama, Prowse and ofcource the amazing Gitschier ! I also like young Tobias Andersson in my opinion should be your second or third choice. I like the depth of your squad a lot and I think that you don't need any additions. Try to offload some big names and let your kids play. Save money for the next amazing wonderkid that will pop up !
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In the time between my last post and now, you'll be pleased to know that I've already done some of that. No less than 5 first team players have departed for figures ranging from 23m - 32m, and only one replacement has been brought in. Sadly, Iniesta is proving difficult to shift - he's announced his retirement for two years' time, and I can't sell him. I could terminate his contract, for about 13.5m, and I'm tempted to do that but we'll see. Might just keep him around anyway.

JCGooner said:
Fantastic achievement winning the league.

Looks like your squad has great depth to it.

I look to keep older players and use them for tutoring, which you seem to be doing well at the moment. Unless they kick up a fuss of course.
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Thanks mate :) We almost have too much depth I think!

I have been doing exactly that, and the plan is to continue :)
 

Finally some significant changes in the league winners! Bayern, Monaco and Real Madrid’s title streaks all end, at the hands of Leverkusen, P$G and Barcelona respectively. We also upset the apple cart in the Premier League to nab the crown. Juventus just keep rolling on in Italy though.

Notables include 19 POM Awards for Messi in Spain, the 4 highest rated players in England all being right backs, Köln’s progress stalling slightly with a 7th placed finish, Dybala dominating everything in Italy, and poor Nancy getting completely outclassed in France.

Massive upsets across the board in the Champions League Quarter Finals, and Atletico edged Liverpool in a Final dominated by yellow cards (9). Aleix Vidal with the winner. Galatasaray will be pleased with their Europa League efforts despite falling to Roma in the Final.
 

The season expectations are here, and they’re more demanding than last year, but achievable in my opinion, with the FA Cup perhaps being more touch-and-go than the others. The transfer budget is massive, but it’s worth noting that when this was announced, 3 departures, worth probably almost 90m total, had already been confirmed. More on that next!
 

Transfer News...


As I said in my response to kolas79, 5 players departed for large sums of money. The first of those was Marko Pjaca, but unfortunately, I forgot to screenshot his sale to Premier League rivals Arsenal. I didn’t want to sell to them, but they were the only club showing interest so I pulled the trigger on his 32m sale. Almost 4 times what we paid for him. It’s possible his arrival will unsettle one of the Arsenal wingers anyway so it’s not all bad.

Rodrigo De Paul sealed a move to Barcelona after turning down Inter Milan, Kurzawa joined Schalke, and A.C. Milan spent a remarkable 50.5m on two players who weren’t even first choice at the club! Apparently Saints players are the the current theme at San Siro, because they bid for Kurzawa too but wouldn’t offer as much as Schalke. Brendan Rodgers, is that you?

I was quite concerned when I went about offering the players out and confirming their departures, as I was unsure the effect it would have on the rest of the squad, but no one has raised any concerns, which is excellent. Perhaps they’re grateful for the reduced competition?

The path to the first team is now much clearer for many players. Nishimura will become Chambers’ deputy, Dario Rodriguez and Terje Jacobsen can join the attacking midfield rotation, and Linus Persson and Lukas Sindelar should see increased game time as my alternatives to Vietto. The only replacement I need is one for Kurzawa as my second choice left back. I was tempted to spend just under 40m to bring Luke Shaw back, but the wages he would demand are well in excess of 100k, which I don’t really want to pay even though I can afford it. I ended up splashing 37m on somebody else.

All will be revealed soon…

 
Transfer News...

5 young players join the club. The two Brazilians were confirmed a while back, Fontaine was the Bosman transfer I sealed back at the end of December, and the other two were bought for profit as they were transfer listed for peanuts. I think there are one or two more youngsters coming later this window.



There’s also a pair of German regen wingers who I’m after. Both are transfer listed. The first because he couldn’t break into the Dortmund first team, and he’s listed for around 3m but wants fairly high wages. The second wants to play for a bigger club than Mainz, and is listed for 22.5m. I’m hoping that price will drop a bit, but we will see.


The new left back will be next, I promise!

 

Transfer News...

So initially I wanted my backup left back to be home grown. I scouted many players, and actually had contracts agreed with Charlie Taylor, Jay Da Silva and Luke Garbutt. However, I was reluctant to pull the trigger on any of the deals, as I really need someone I can rely on if Augustinsson goes down injured. Garbutt was excellent offensively, but perhaps a little suspect with his defending, which concerned me. Da Silva looked promising, but his fitness was a serious issue and I didn’t want an injury prone backup. Taylor looked pretty solid but I wasn’t convinced he was Champions League calibre - which was confirmed when he signed for Spurs after I cancelled talks with him :P

So I broadened my search. I would have liked a top class player, but I wasn’t willing to pay the wages they would have demanded. I’ve just slashed our wage total, I don’t want it blowing back up again. I considered a couple of 18 year old regens, but one still has a few doubts while the other wouldn’t get a work permit. Doesn’t mean I won’t sign either of them, but it won’t be as a first team option yet.


Eventually I found my man, and despite the exorbitant price tag, I decided that he’d be an excellent long term option. Just 21, wages of 33k - 87k less than Kurzawa had been earning - mean that over the long term, he can turn out to be a bargain. Solid at both ends of the pitch, faster than Kurzawa, and with potential to improve, Federico Dimarco is the 37 million pound signing to replace Kurzawa as Augustinsson’s deputy.
 
kolas79 said:
Nice going there my friend ! ;)
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Thanks kolas, pretty happy with the transfers so far. We might be weaker on paper but I'm excited to see what the youngsters can do. If nothing else it will add to the challenge of the game! :)
 
PatrickLFC said:

Injury News...


But disaster strikes. Chambers tore his hamstring in our first friendly and will miss up to 3 months! A baptism of fire awaits Nishimura then. Jurcik and Ward-Prowse may have to cover at times too.

Real Madrid badly want Asensio back, but he’s going nowhere! 26m looks a bargain now!

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Shame to lose Chambers, who is my ideal fullback. At least Nishimura looks pretty solid and I think he should do well.

Good dealing with Asensio, but in that case I think there should be the option to add "and their fans hate you because you left the team and will hate you when you're in it the first pass you don't get right and they'll hate your guts as soon you leave".

Seriously. The Real Madrid fanbase may have some good parts, but in general is very full of hate for their own players. It kinda makes me wish to return to be antimadridista but then I see any antimadridista and I can't because they're so incredibly full of **** it's shameful.

The cycle of a player signed by Real Madrid in the fan hearts:

- He's playing in another team: He's the best player ever, we must sign him now! The current player is ****.

- He's signed. Press begin to attack him fiercely (unless he's Spanish). The press is idiotic, he's a great player, he's the best, he's like a god.

- He does some good matches. See? See? He's a wonder! What a player! We love you! We want your children! (A joke on a past Spanish elections anecdote: a woman shouted at Felipe González at a speech "I want to have a child of yours!")

- He misses an allegedly easy chance, is near a goal conceded, has one poor match. Every attack from the press is repeated as truth. He lacks attitude. He's a lazy *** *******. He should be given away, paying if necessary. He's useless. My grandma plays better than him. Sack him already. Florentino (or whoever is president at the moment) is a wuss that doesn't force him away.

- He is sold, his contract runs out or whatever, he leaves. F****ing traitor, he went away for more money, he should be willing to pay to play with Real Madrid, f***ing *******, he doesn't know what he's missing leaving. Half will go that Real Madrid will drop into nothingness without him and the other half will laugh at those saying he never gave anything to the team and he was worthless.

From the current Real Madrid squad, the only players that have kept the love of the fans are Modric and Navas, though Navas I think doesn't have all the admiration he would have earned had he been an outfield player with goals instead of saves. Bale lost it after his injury with Wales but seems to have recovered it, we'll see how long it lasts.
 
Death Ball said:
Shame to lose Chambers, who is my ideal fullback. At least Nishimura looks pretty solid and I think he should do well.

Good dealing with Asensio, but in that case I think there should be the option to add "and their fans hate you because you left the team and will hate you when you're in it the first pass you don't get right and they'll hate your guts as soon you leave".

Seriously. The Real Madrid fanbase may have some good parts, but in general is very full of hate for their own players. It kinda makes me wish to return to be antimadridista but then I see any antimadridista and I can't because they're so incredibly full of **** it's shameful.

The cycle of a player signed by Real Madrid in the fan hearts:

- He's playing in another team: He's the best player ever, we must sign him now! The current player is ****.

- He's signed. Press begin to attack him fiercely (unless he's Spanish). The press is idiotic, he's a great player, he's the best, he's like a god.

- He does some good matches. See? See? He's a wonder! What a player! We love you! We want your children! (A joke on a past Spanish elections anecdote: a woman shouted at Felipe González at a speech "I want to have a child of yours!")

- He misses an allegedly easy chance, is near a goal conceded, has one poor match. Every attack from the press is repeated as truth. He lacks attitude. He's a lazy *** *******. He should be given away, paying if necessary. He's useless. My grandma plays better than him. Sack him already. Florentino (or whoever is president at the moment) is a wuss that doesn't force him away.

- He is sold, his contract runs out or whatever, he leaves. F****ing traitor, he went away for more money, he should be willing to pay to play with Real Madrid, f***ing *******, he doesn't know what he's missing leaving. Half will go that Real Madrid will drop into nothingness without him and the other half will laugh at those saying he never gave anything to the team and he was worthless.

From the current Real Madrid squad, the only players that have kept the love of the fans are Modric and Navas, though Navas I think doesn't have all the admiration he would have earned had he been an outfield player with goals instead of saves. Bale lost it after his injury with Wales but seems to have recovered it, we'll see how long it lasts.
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Yeah he was Player of the Year last season so a big loss, but Nishimura has been developing nicely and I'm sure he can step in.

As for Madrid, that's the main reason I don't really like them. Their fans are so disrespectful to their own players and they're so fickle. What's more, the arrogance of how Real Madrid should be nothing but the best and how every single player should be praying for the chance to warm their bench or play for their reserves. Florentino Perez doesn't help either, so whimsical and never gives anyone a chance. He also actively takes away from the side by enforcing his own signings, selections and whatever else on the manager, who he scapegoats as soon as he loses a match
 

Transfer News...


Sven Doebel is the second of the two regen wingers I spoke about. I eventually caved and paid the 22.5 million they were asking for. Blessed with blistering speed, I expect him to cause havoc for me down the left wing.

In case you were wondering, this is the other bloke. Also lightning fast, and with a wicked cross, I would have loved to have signed him but he was asking for almost 100k per week! Not paying that much for an unproven player when the majority of my squad is on half of that! Yet he was happy to sign for Leipzig for just 33k per week. Go figure. EPL Champions and CL football vs mid table Bundesliga. And he has an ambitious personality. Must have really wanted to stay in Germany!
 
PatrickLFC said:

Transfer News...


Sven Doebel is the second of the two regen wingers I spoke about. I eventually caved and paid the 22.5 million they were asking for. Blessed with blistering speed, I expect him to cause havoc for me down the left wing.

In case you were wondering, this is the other bloke. Also lightning fast, and with a wicked cross, I would have loved to have signed him but he was asking for almost 100k per week! Not paying that much for an unproven player when the majority of my squad is on half of that! Yet he was happy to sign for Leipzig for just 33k per week. Go figure. EPL Champions and CL football vs mid table Bundesliga. And he has an ambitious personality. Must have really wanted to stay in Germany!
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What does the report say about his adaptability? Perhaps that also counts to his willingness to move abroad and how much more incentive he'll ask to make the move. Though it does sound a bit excessive.
 
Death Ball said:
What does the report say about his adaptability? Perhaps that also counts to his willingness to move abroad and how much more incentive he'll ask to make the move. Though it does sound a bit excessive.
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Believe it or not, he has a dark green positive for adaptability "Should have no problems". I checked it myself already and was very surprised. Says nothing about career plans staying in Germany, unless "Has ambitions to win the Bundesliga" is one, but I expect that's just because he's playing in it.
 

Injury News...


Another injury! Richards has had a couple of really nasty ones now. He’s primarily a right back, but he’s actually also my fourth choice left back.


Aargh! Both first team left backs are injured, as well as their only backup! Dimarco is close to a return, which is good, and Jorge Miguel is sticking around so he might get a shot. Now my first choice left and right fullbacks are both out long term!



Muller at least has been successful, as he was named the Best Player of the European U19’s Championships, with 7 assists in 5 games and the highest average rating of all players. Great stuff!
 
I'm Madritista so I try explain that why Real's fans are so crazy when team don't play good or one player plays one bad game. We fans are get to used that we are domination in La Liga and in CL and that's always been in attacking way. We demand always good perfomance and we demand always victory no matter is who we are playing against. Today Real are a f*cking mess cause Perez can't do right choices with head coaches. And well I understand players have **** games sometimes but cause that pressure what come with fans and press some players aren't good enough mental and that pressure get into their head and when that pressure get into players head he can go worse and lose their self confident then some fans go crazy and think he is bad player sadly this happens often.
 
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