The Pozzo Machine

[Timmzeh]

Great to see you doing so well keepit it up.

Thanks a lot mate

OMG ! Timm you and your team are INCREDIBLE !
Awesome results,good transfers ! Vermeij is smashing the Eredivisie ! Congratulations and Good luck !
I really like this story ! Keep it up !
PS: 2nd in Eredivisie and you were just promoted ?! Wow ! Insane ! )

Haha cheers man! Yeah, I wanted to just go for top half of table, but we are pushing for a title challenge!

I picked Gomaa as a star from the moment you signed him (H)

Haha you did, he's so good

 

[Timmzeh]

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Mid-Season Review


Squad

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Some top performances from the boys so far this year. Vincent Vermeij has been unreal, he is the top scorer in the league, his value has exploded to 2.5 million euros, I would be tempted to cash in on him if a big offer came in. Saleh Gomaa and Van den Boomen have been top class, along with Borja Granero, who have made a top midfield triangle for us. Riedal and Noblejas have also been top class at wing backs, whilst Darren Keet was having a great year in goal before he picked up his injury.

Tactic

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My Player of the Year so Far

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How could it not be this guy. He has scored 20 goals in 19 games this year, averaging 7.58. Although I think that much of the credit goes to the other guys for setting him up, he deserves the plaudits he is getting.


Competitions


Eredivisie

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We are 2nd in the league with 40 points after only 19 games in our first season in the Eredivisie. I am shocked by our league position, but I do believe we are genuine title contenders, with only 15 games remaining.

Dutch Cup

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We are in the Quarter Finals of the Dutch Cup, and we face Jupiler outfit Helmond Sport. Ajax and PSV are out of the competition, so I am hoping we have a chance!


Transfer update next!​

 

[*Dallas*]

What skin is that? and are you using any mods to enhance the skin?

 

[Timmzeh]

What skin is that? and are you using any mods to enhance the skin?

Nope, its just Helvetica Lite

 

[PatrickLFC]

Wow only just discovered this story, love it! Keep it up!

 

[Timmzeh]

Wow only just discovered this story, love it! Keep it up!

Haha, thanks a lot mate! I will try

 

[Timmzeh]

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January Transfer Window


Players IN

Lucas Boye / Loan - River Plate

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A great prospect from Argentina, hopefully he can come in and put in some big performances. I can see him being a starter for the rest of the season. His contract expires next year, so we will be keeping an eye on that.

Jason Denayer / Loan - Man City

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We were lacking both depth and quality at CB, so I brought in youn Jason Denayer from Man City, hopefully he can be solid at the back for us for the rest of the year. His contract is up at the end of the year, so we will look at that at the end of the season.

Yassine Benzia

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We were so close to signing Benzia on a free! I was so disappointed when he decided to go to Anderlecht over us


Players OUT

Ted van de Pavert / Ural - 165k

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He isn't really that good, his low determination annoys me. He wouldnt sign a new contract and his current one ended at the end of the year, so we got rid of him for 165k.

Dean Koolhof / Young Boys - 3.5 Million Euros

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A huge sale for the club. Dean will be missed, he was a big player for us. But when Young Boys came in on deadline day with a big offer I couldn't decline. We parted on good terms, the sale was the best for both player and club. Look at what it did to our finances!

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Loans

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Kevin Pannewitz hasn't been able to find a place in our team since the summer, so I loaned him out to Rio Ave where he will hopefully get some first team football at a high level. They are also paying us 12.5k per month. Tigran Gazarjan and Soufian Echcharaf also go out on loan to Jupiler league sides until the end of the year to try and help with their development.

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I am happy with our January dealings. The money from the Dean Koolhof sale will do great things for the club, hopefully the board will allow us to invest in Junior coaching and Youth recruitment. I think our squad can continue with a title push! Some tough games in January include an away game at Ajax.

There werent many/any big transfers in Holland, PSV held on to Memphis Depay for another 6 months at least​

 

[PatrickLFC]

So unlucky, Benzia was one of my favourite players on FM13, bought him on my first ever FM save! Great signings otherwise!

 

[Timmzeh]

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January Update


Results

24/1/16 / Ajax v De Graafschap

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A really tough game away from home at Ajax. it seemed like the players were still on their holidays after a month off. We didn't deserve to get beat by 3 goals, but we did deserve to lose. A big game ends in defeat, I hoped we could be a tougher challenge. This game also ended our 13 game unbeaten streak in the league.

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27/1/16 / De Graafschap v Helmond Sport

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A huge game for us, we know that we have a great opportunity in the Cup this year with many big sides already knocked out. A confident performance from the lads put us through to the Semis, where we will play Zwolle who are 10th in the Eredivisie.

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31/1/16 / De Graafschap v Zwolle

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Incidentally, we played Zwolle in our next game. A high scoring game, but back to winning ways in the league. New signing Lucas Boye was unreal.


Player of the Month

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A brilliant start to his De Graafschap career, scoring at least once in all 3 games he has played in. Looks like we have replaced Koolhof well, at least until the end of the season.


Eredivisie

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3 points from 2 games in the league for us this month. Ajax and PSV are hot on out tails, and Vitesse cant stop winning! It is very tight at the top with a lot of teams having good seasons, its wide open, anything can still happen! Also I noticed FC Dortrecht have scored 5 goals in 21 games so far!

Fixtures

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Some tough games in February as the race for the title heats up. PSV and Feyenoord away will be tough games as well as AZ at home. The semi final against Zwolle will not be played until late March.​

 

[Timmzeh]

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February Update


Results

7/2/16 / De Graafschap v FC Groningen

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A brilliant win at FC Groningen who are having a good year. Hopefully we can continue to put in great performances like this.

10/2/16 / Feyenoord v De Graafschap

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A superb, resolute performance away from home at Feyenoord, who feature top players such as Jordy Clasie and Trindade de Vilhena. Borja Granero and Robin Propper were both on top form, whilst Vermeij continued his goal scoring spree.

14/2/16 / PSV v De Graafschap

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It was always going to be tough against PSV, but we were blown away. Duvan Zapata and Memphis Depay were particularly good. I hoped the scoreline wouldn't be so embarrassing. Although we did have 20 shots which showed intent.

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Zapata has been PSV's main man this season.

20/2/16 / AZ v De Graafschap

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An exciting game which ended 0-0. They had a man sent off but Massop went off injured just before and we had made 3 subs so it was 10 v 10 to finish. A decent point away from home.

28/2/16 / De Graafschap v Voldenham

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This game wasn't as one sided as it looks on paper. A tough game, we took our chances and they didn't. A good result to end the month on.


Player of the Month

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Borja Granero is player of the month after consistently putting in some top performances whilst anchoring the midfield. The only part of his game he needs to work on is his discipline.


Eredivisie

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Another good month for us, however we fall from 2nd to 3rd. It's still all to play for. A number of teams are still in with a chance of the title or European qualification. AZ have done well in not loosing but just cannot win games, as they did against us. I'm just waiting for Ajax and PSV to go on a huge win streak but it isn't happening. So happy with the boys for putting us in the position we are in, we could still challenge for a UCL spot and even the title.

Fixtures

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Some decent results in February. SC Cambuur are fighting for their lives and SC Heerenveen are playing really well and could be tough away from home, and we face Zwolle in the Cup Semi Final.​

 

[Timmzeh]

So unlucky, Benzia was one of my favourite players on FM13, bought him on my first ever FM save! Great signings otherwise!

Yeah I know! Was so annoyed haha, he didn't even want that big a wage. I have never had him before!

 

[Timmzeh]

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March Review


Results

2/3/16 / SC Cambuur v De Graafschap

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A tough game to start the month, SC Cambuur seem to be making a last minute attempt to avoid relegation.
We were 2-1 down with a few minutes left, I sent everyone forward and Kristopher Vida managed to come up with a last minute equaliser. A draw against a side struggling for relegation, I see this as a point gained.

6/3/16 / SC Heerenveen v De Graafschap

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A tough game at SC Heerenveen followed a few days later. We were fantastic in this game! Vincent Vermeij was top class scoring two goals, as well as Lucas Boye who was a constant threat. A brilliant result puts us right back on course in the league, as well as effectively killing off SC Heerenveen's slight title threat.

12/3/16 / De Graafschap v Heracles

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Heracles feature 3 of our former players, so its always nice to show them who is best. We went in at HT at 1-1 though. The boys were fired up though, and we were 3-1 up through Cihat Celik and Van der Wal goals, which put the game out of sight, another great win for us.

19/3/16 / Willem II v De Graafschap

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Our final league game of the month came against Willem II. We were cruising when Borja Granero was sent off after only half an hour. I thought they might come at us, but we just extended our lead and showed our class, winning 3-0, another great month in the league, and great preparation for our big Cup Semi against Zwolle later in the week!

This result was helped by a huge favour from Zwolle, who we will play in a few days time in the Semi Final!

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23/3/16 / De Graafschap v Zwolle

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This is the big game. We played our best squad, however Lucas Boye and Saleh Gomaa would miss the game through injury, two big losses. They came out the much better team, and throughout the whole first half looked far the better team. However after 2 brilliant saves by Hidde Jurius who has been our Cup keeper all year, Branco van de Boomen boomed in a free kick to go 1-0 up! The game was a cagey affair from then on, but we
held on to win 1-0, we are in the final!

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We will play local rivals Vitesse in the final of the cup!


Player of the Month

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Branco van den Boomen is our POTM. He has put in some top performances, including the winner in the semi-final against Zwolle. He was such a bargain at only 190k in the summer. He is a key player, captain and our leader


Injury Blows

Lucas Boye missed most of March with an injury, but will be back early on in April for the end of the season. Cihat Celike and Robin Propper however both picked up injurys towards the end of the month in training and will both most likely miss the end of the season. Two big blows.

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Eredivisie

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We only have 4 games left in the league, and we are 1st! I can't quite believe how well this season has gone, but we are actually in with a chance of doing the domestic double in our first season in the top flight! Ajax and Vitesse both pose a huge threat to us, as they are 3 points behind with a game in hand, I think it may be too late for PSV, Feyenoord and SC Heerenveen. Memphis Depay won't be happy at the end of the year if they miss out on UCL..

Fixtures

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We face on paper 3 relatively easy games in the league, but nothing is easy at this point of the season. We will then face Vitesse in the final of the cup, and then in the end of season finale! What an end to the season this could be!​

 

[Safc-mad-scotty]

Going to be a great end to the season! Looking forward to your next update.

 

[AndySams10]

Branco van den Boomen is a top player, bought him for 160k and sold him for 15million in a save. Really like the layout of this story mate, keep up the good work.

 

[PatrickLFC]

Going to try to poach Depay are you?

 

[hera]

Can't wait to see the last update!

 

[Timmzeh]

Going to be a great end to the season! Looking forward to your next update.

Hopefully! Thanks mate

Branco van den Boomen is a top player, bought him for 160k and sold him for 15million in a save. Really like the layout of this story mate, keep up the good work.

Really?! Couldn't believe he was so cheap, hopefully he can be at the club for years though. And thanks mate

Going to try to poach Depay are you?

Hahaha, imagine if I did!

Can't wait to see the last update!

Cheers man!

 

[Timmzeh]

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Youth Intake

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I forgot to put this in the last update. The youth intake was poor this year apart from one player. Tom Evers looks really good already, hopefully he will be challenging for spots in the first team within a few years, and one day will make the Dutch National team.


End of Season Preview

Table

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As you can see the table is finely balanced, and anything can still happen in the chase for the Eredivisie title.


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Ajax are easily our biggest rivals for the title. Although they do still have to play some big games, Feyenoord away will be tough for them, and they also play Vitesse which means either team will drop points! Their final 2 fixtures are tough, so if they get ahead we will always have a chance.


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Probably the toughest run in, Vitesse have to play both PSV and Ajax away from home, before 2 games against relegation battling sides, before the two huge games against us.


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Perhaps it is already too late for PSV. I think they are too far back to challenge. Although with a win to Vitesse, anything could happen.

Also, this just happened.. XD

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​

 

[AndySams10]

Good luck with the final run in mate. Oooo an interesting proposition, if it was me I'd stay at De Graafschap.

 

[Timmzeh]

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April Update
We knew that one of the biggest months in the clubs history was upon us, with both the Eredivisie and the Dutch Cup in sight. The club had never won either competitions.


Results

3/4/16 / De Graafschap v Excelsior

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Excelsior away was our first match. A few wins in a row had seen them move out of the releagation battle, they were full of confidence. However, we took the lead through a Saleh Gomaa goal in the first half, but they equalised within seconds of kick-off! From then on the game never felt right for us, the players' nerves seemed to be all over the place knowing what was at steak, and we lost the game 3-1. A huge disappointment, which would take the league out of our hands and put it into the winner of the Vitesse/Ajax match.


10/4/16 / De Graafschap v FC Dortrecht

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On paper this is the easiest game in the league this season. FC Dortrecht have been woeful to be kind, and are already relegated. We struggled through from the start, I was worried it was going to be one of those days again. However that man Saleh Gomaa scored again, and we clung on for a 1-0 win. If we played a side with any ability, I'm sure we would've lost this game. Perhaps the league should already by out of sight, but through a moment of Egyptian magic we still have a chance.


17/4/16 / FC Utrecht v De Graafschap

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The boys knew what was expected of them this game after two very poor performances at the most important stage of the season. In the first half we were fantastic. Jason Denayer scored early on followed by a Joao Teixeira goal, 2-0 at half time. I took Denayer off as one more yellow would mean he would miss the next game, but they scored 2 quick goals as soon as I did that! I horrible mistake. But the lads rallied, and Vincent Vermeij got the winner with 10 minutes left! That man again!


Eredivisie

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The league table looks desperate for us. We have dropped to 2nd after a huge loss at home to Exclesior who have struggled near the bottom of the table all season. The title is in Ajax's hands on the final day, however the UCL spot is in our hands! If we win on the final day we will get a position in the UCL next year, PSV will have to player Europa League football. Vitesse have dropped off after loosing to PSV and Ajax, and after a great challenge, they are out of the question.

Fixtures

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A slight disappointment with the Excelsior result, if we lose the title by a point we will know where it went wrong. Two of the biggest games in the clubs history are upon us, both against huge rivals Vitesse. No matter what happens now, the boys have been brilliant this season.

​