PRE-SEASON/AUGUST
So with me knowing that a certain Kylian Mbappe was going to the wrong team in Manchester I had big decisions to make. Realistically I dont think I am going to win the league this season - **** I am within 2 games of losing my job after all!!! I had earmarked several players to be sold and had an idea of who I wanted to bring in so it was certainly a case of revolution over evolution - basically I am setting the base for success while last season I was hampered by signing players to fill quotas although that still happened this summer lol.
In the end I recouped a whopping £522m and spent a whopping £522m!!!! Quite crazy how I spent and recouped the same amount.
Now I aint going to do screenshots of every signing as I have signed a fair few but I will give a brief description. Here are my player sales...............
Some huge deals there and a clue to where I made signings. Ederson went to Chelsea for £70m - I liked him but got a world class keeper for a fair bit cheaper so off he went. They also gave me £57m for my soon to be 3rd choice striker so that was a no brainer. Gundogan was excellent for me but wanted a ridiculous contract so he was sold albeit for a cut price £37m while Kyle Walker, Leroy Sane, Joao Cancelo and Abdou Diallo didnt feature in my plans anymore.
I also recouped many, many millions by selling reserve players who returned from loan spells.
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PLAYERS IN
So there you go!!!!
Matthijs De Ligt - He was my go to guy in the summer but he rejected me and I went and signed Varane but nearly a month later I tried again and all of a sudden he was interested and although I didnt need him I felt I had to sign him!
Raphael Varane - Stonecold let slip that he was his go to guy at CB so when De Ligt was initially unavailable I went for Varane, preferring him ahead of Skirinar after making a comparison. A rolls royce of a CB.
Lautaro Martinez - I needed a goalsacorer after last season as my strikers just didnt produce. The young Argentinian came in and while he will always be judged against the amount of goals that Mbappe scores that is unfair but he is a world class player.
Sergio Milinkovic-Savic - After Mbappe - he was my no.1 transfer target and I was delighted to bring him in. I like to play with a box to box midfielder and he fits the bill but he isnt happy as I promised him I would strengthen the midfield and apparently I havent done that!
Max Aarons - I paid £25m over what I wanted to pay for him but considering after the deadline I still have over £220m to spend I wasnt exactly worried about finances. He is a fantastic young RB and will go on to be a star.
Gianluigi Donnarumma - Now dont get me wrong - Ederson is a better keeper just now - but to bring in arguably the best keeper for the future for such a reasonable fee was an easy decision to make!
Vinicius Junior/Fabio Silva - Two wonderkids brought in with the future in mind who will develop this season in the 1st team squad with game time. Especially pleased with the VJ fee!
Kieran Trippier - Home grown by the club, needed a backup RB, thats why he was signed!
The rest are all prospects.
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FIRST TEAM
I have 6 new players in my first choice side which is a worry considering they will need to bed in. Donnarumma will be in goal, Aarons and Mendy will be my full backs while De Ligt and Varane will be in the middle. Milinkovic-Savic and De Bruyne will patrol the midfield and Fati (LW), Dybala (AMC) and Sterling (AMR) will support Lautaro Martinez up front.
This season I have a much stronger backup side proved by the fact that my first choice CBs last season are now my 2nd choice pairing!!!!
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OPENING MATCHES
Could I save my job? I had to win my opening 2 games to save my job and while Watford at home was seen to be an easy 3pts and so it proved to be as we won 4-0 however next up was Spurs away were going to be a tough nut to crack - especially since they just appointed Pep Guardiola....
Not so!!! We were excellent and the players got fully behind me and sauntered to a handsome victory. However after the match the board informed me that I still needed to win my next match - they took a win off me!!! Not to worry though as Crystal Palace at home will be a cakewalk....
Thank god for Ansu Fati!!!! He struck in the 3rd minute of stoppage time to win us the match and keep me in a job. Phew!!!!!!