The Utrecht Adventure

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Just a quick question to anyone reading. Do you prefer to see individual match updates, or the monthly updates like the ones that I have done for December and January? Also please let me know if there are any other changes to the presentation of the story that you would like to see. Thanks!
 
We make several moves late on deadline day to fill up holes in our squad. Timothy Fosu-Mensah arrives on loan from Manchester United, and Italian winger Luca Siligardi arrives on loan from Hellas Verona. We also attempted to sign Spanish fullback Mario Hermosa on a precontract from Real Madrid, but he rejects our offer and signs a new deal with Real. I thought he could have been a big deal here at the club, as he would have easily displaced our options at LB next season. Another Madrid fullback that I believed would be joining the club on a free, Abner, has also decided not to leave his current employers, and has signed a new 2 year deal with the club.

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Meno Vink, another of our very promising young goalkeepers has been chased by several clubs throughout the window. Everton, Southampton, Lazio, and Dortmund among others have all been in for the young lad, but no club came anywhere near our asking price and Vink will remain in Utrecht for the time being.

Overview of our transfers for this season

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Moving into February I am looking for a much better month from the team. We have two fixtures that I believe we should win fairly comfortably, but I also feel like we could come up with a credible result against PSV in our first fixture of the month. Feyenoord will be a tough ask, as they are riding high in first place in the league at the start of the month, and I will be hoping to hold on for a credible draw in that matchup. Overall I am aiming for 7 points, and I would be furious if we fail to pick up at least 6 points this month.



FC Utrecht ( 1 - 2 ) PSVWe revert to our usual tactic in this match, as I feel that our new signing Siligardi deserves a chance to prove himself out on the left wing. This will also allow us to be more compact defensively and try to steal some points from, PSV. The visitors took the lead in the 27th minute as we were still struggling to find our feet in the game. They doubled their lead through Guardado just 3 minutes later. Siligardi claws one back for us late on, and we push forward for an equalizer. Unfortunately it was not to be for us today, but we played much better than we did in the reverse fixture, and it was a great start to Siligardi’s time in Utrecht.

SC Cambuur ( 1 - 1 ) FC UtrechtA horrible start to the game as Cambuur take the lead inside 3 minutes. At the start of the second half Siligardi has a crack, and ball deflects off of Peersman and into the net! The goal is given as an own goal, but in my eyes Siligardi deserves all of the credit for that one. A shocking performance as the game ends tied.

FC Utrecht ( 1 - 2 ) Willem IIWillem are sat back quite defensively at the start - they must not have read their scouting report on us because we have been abysmal going forward of late. They take the lead in the 5th minute with a shot from well over 30 yards. Our form is abysmal and we need to turn it around now. Haller equalizes in the 49th minute, with a well placed shot into the corner. They retake the lead in the 56th minute. Ayoub got himself sent off again in the 92nd minute to end all hope of a comeback. Crushing. A terrible performance as we are dropping to 10th place in the league. To think that less than a month ago we had European aspirations. With the team playing like it has recently, I can see 13th-15th place as our most likely final league position.

FC Utrecht ( 2 - 1 ) FeyenoordGoing into this match we need a good result. At this point in the month I was hoping to have already gained 6-7 points, but we come into this match with only one point gained. A win would be nice, but we need to ensure that we don't fall to yet another defeat. Janssen and Ayoub are both unavailable due to suspensions, but there is good news as Traore returns from his injury. We start the game brilliantly as we win a penalty off of a corner and Haller steps up and smashes it home. Haller is looking confident now, and tries one from close to midfield. Vermeer recovers to tip it over the bar. Leeuwin got sent off in the 78th minute. Haller adds his second goal of the game as Vermeer rebounds Siligardi’s shot right into his path for a tap in. What a win! A switch to a 442 with the wingers pushed up high helped us cause all kinds of problems for Feyenoord.
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Overall it was a very poor month from the team, but with that crucial win against Feyenoord we move up to 8th in the Eredivisie and hope to build on that moving forward.

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FC Utrecht Player of the Month - Sebastien Haller - 3 Appearances, 3 Goals, 0 Assists - 7.7 Average Match Rating


 
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March Preview
Only three games in the Eredivisie for us this month, as we face Heerenveen, Den Haag, and Excelsior. The matchup against Den Haag looks to be the most difficult challenge we will face in March, as they lie two places ahead of us in the league table. The fans will be expecting us to get one over our rivals however, so hopefully we will be able to field our first choice squad for that match. The other two matches we should be able to win fairly easily, and I am expecting the lads to bring home 6 points this month.

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sc Heerenveen v. FC UtrechtBoth Leeuwin and Letschert are suspended today, so Browning and Fosu-Mensah get the nod in the center of our defense. With Ayoub returning from his suspension we revert to a 433 and Hallar gets the nod up top.
We get off to a horror of a start as Heerenveen score a fluke goal off of a early corner to go up after just 45 seconds.
They score again after 5 minutes to crush our hopes early.
Haller then misses an easy chance in the 7th minute.
Haller wins the ball in their box in the 12th minute, but his effort hits the bar and bounces clear. Looks like his form has not carried over from February. Should be tied.
They then score a third as our makeshift centerhalf pairing is playing the worst game I have ever seen.
Janssen claws one back in the 52 minute as he heads in from close range.
Rashford closes the gap to 1 as he pounces on a poor backpass and taps the ball into the corner, just over 15 minutes to play.
Full time 3-2. After a terrible start we almost manage to claw our way back. If we had our first choice pairing at the back we may well have come away with the points.

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Unfortunately Timo Letschert has picked up and injury which will see him miss the rest of the month. A big blow as we need some solidity at the back.
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FC Utrecht v. ADO Den Haag
Leeuwin returns to the lineup tonight, and Browning partners him as Letschert is out injured. Rashford also comes back in replacing Haller.
In the 42nd minute Nganioni whips in a cross to the center of the box and Rashford heads it back across into the near post. 1-0 Utrecht.
Less than a minute later Korte strikes for Den Haag, Ruiter had it covered easily, but the shot takes a deflection off of Browning and goes into his own net. 1-1 here now after Browning’s own goal.In the 79th minute
They grab the lead as Schaken passes the ball into the corner of the net.
As we drop to 11th in the league table the board is not pleased with recent results and if the current trend continues my job may well come under pressure in the coming weeks. Leeuwin was especially poor tonight and he will not feature in the next match.

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FC Utrecht v. Excelsior
A must win game tonight, not just for the club but also for my future here as manager.
We almost grab an early lead in the 7th minute as Rashford runs through on goal, but his effort is parried out of play by the Excelsior goalkeeper.
In the 19th minute Haller has the ball and is holding off a defender 35 yards out from goal. Haller cuts around the defender and has a strike to the corner... and Kurto comes up empty handed as he cannot get over to the far post quick enough. What a goal from Haller to give us the lead here.
1-0.
In the 55th minute Nganioni plays the ball into the box for Rashford. Rashford with an open net in front of him.. And Mattheij drags him down. Penalty for Utrecht. Haller steps up and hits it to the keepers left. The keeper is going that way as well, but Haller’s shot just barely beats him. A well placed penalty from Haller. 2-0 Utrecht after 55 minutes.
Excelsior pull one back in the 69th minute as Badjeck puts home his second goal of the season.
We managed to hold on as they pushed men forward, and finally grabbed a decent result. A poor month overall.

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Player of the Month: Marcus Rashford - 3 Appearances, 2 Goals, 2 Assists, 7.5 Average Rating
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Academy Update: Youth Intake

Overall it is not a great youth intake for the club this season. Only two of the players look to have a possibility of a long term career here at the club, and even then the best they can hope for is a future as a backup or a rotational option here. Hopefully we manage to bring in some better prospects next season.



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One interesting thing that I saw from youth intakes around the globe, was that Manchester United have signed local midfielder Conor Scholes to a youth deal. A very determined player, Scholes looks to have all of the potential in the world, and I am hoping that we will be able to bring him in on loan in the coming years. The class of 2016?

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 April Preview
The month of April is looking like a crucial one for the club. Results have been woeful over the last few months, but with both of our main forwards starting to hit form we have plenty of hope coming into this set of fixtures. We have 4 games in the Eredivisie this month, and we should come away with 6-7 points if we want to get back into the top half of the table.
In the opening match of April we travel away to Heracles, who are currently sitting in 10th place in the league. We drew against Heracles earlier in the season, and I am expecting at least a point against them this time around as well.
We then return home to face 16th placed NEC. We really should come away with all 3 points in this one, as NEC have really been struggling so far this season. However we did only manage a draw against them earlier in the season, so we will be looking for better things this time around.
The toughest match of the month is away at Ajax a week later, as we are expected to suffer a heavy defeat. We managed to steal a point against them last time out, and if we can manage to keep all 11 men on the pitch this time then I have a sneaky feeling that we could come up with a repeat of that excellent performance.
A visit from De Graafschap rounds off the month, and we will surely walk away with the points here. De Graafschap have lost three of their last four games in the Eredivisie and they currently lie in 18th place on just 12 points for the season. We are hoping for a repeat performance of our away victory against them in December, where we put 3 goals past a side that have allowed an astonishing 50 goals in just 27 matches.

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Heracles v. FC Utrecht
Letschert is still out with his ankle injury, so Leeuwin and Fosu-Mensah will get the nod at the back today.
In the 32nd minute we are up to take a corner. Swung in toward Janssen who is surrounded by several defenders. Janssen looked to be dragged down there and the referee agrees and gives us a penalty kick. Haller steps up to take, he goes to the goalkeeper’s left, and this time his shot is saved. Unlucky as it was a well hit penalty by Haller.
Traore plays Rashford through in the 35th minute. Rashford hits it across the net first time, but Castro gets a palm to it.
Ruiter makes a great save in the 54th minute as Navrati gets away on the counter after a set piece.
A good solid draw today, disappointing for Haller to have missed the chance he had from the spot, and he will be dropped back to his spot below Janssen in our preferred penalty taker list.


FC Utrecht v. NEC
NEC take the lead in the 19th minute as Leeuwin loses his man and Santos taps home. 1-0
In the 78th minute Rashford recieves the ball just off the top of the boc. Brilliant team play in the build up as we strung together well over 20 passes. Rashford drops deeper and turns off his man before having a long range crack. He finds the top corner!! A deserved equalizer for Utrecht as we have been controlling the game. 1-1.
NEC held firm for the last 10 minutes as we pushed forward and we had to settle for a draw. We played well enough to win that match, but we just could not find the final pass to open up their defense.


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Ajax v. FC Utrecht​
In the 23rd minute Ramselaar plays Traore in on goal, and Cillessen cannot get over to the near post quick enough to stop Traore’s shot. 1-0 Utrecht early on.
Traore then nearly gets his second of the game as he rises to meet Rashford’s cross, but his headed effort hits the bar.
Riedewald then equalizes for Ajax with a long range effort in the 90th minute. Ruiter should have made the save here, the shot was right down the middle.
A good solid draw here, and a win in our next match would make this a solid month overall.


FC Utrecht - De Graafschap
We grab the lead just before half time as Haller flicks on Ayob’s cross towards the far post. Traore is there to tap the ball into the net from close range.
Letschert lines up a free kick from long range. He strikes it at goal and the ball flies towards the upper corner. Jurjus manages to get a hand to it and palms it down. Traore runs ahead of his defenders and pounces on the loose ball for his second goal of the game. 2-0 Utrecht in the 78th minute.
In the 92nd minute Siligardi crosses the ball in towards Haller who hits on the half volley from close range. His effort sails past the keeper to finish the game off in style. 3-0 Utrecht!
A good solid win to end a pretty good month for the club.


Player of the Month: Bertrand Traore - 4 Appearances, 3 Goals, 1 Assist, 7.65 Average Rating



 
May Preview
We enter the last month of the season on a fairly decent run of form. We have just two games this month as we travel to Vitesse, before welcoming AZ to close out the season. We are in 11th place in the league at the moment, but a win against Vitesse could see us rise up to 8th place in the table. The board still expect us to finish no lower than 9th in the league, so I am expecting 6 points here to finish the season out strong.

 


Vitesse v. Utrecht
Ibarra gives Vitesse the lead in the 3rd minute. Poor defending, and now we have to chase a goal early on.
Rashford almost gives us that equalizer in the 9th minute but Room parries his effort behind or a corner.
In the 13th minute Pablo doubles their lead after another poor piece of defending from Browning, and our game plan has come apart here within 15 minutes.
In the 18th minute Nathan has a go from the top of the box and Ruiter cannot get there. 3-0 down within 20 minutes. Browning is coming off, and the rest of the team is lucky I cannot make 11 changes.
In the 31st minute Van der Maarel crosses into the box and finds Haller. Haller knocks the ball into the net to close the gap to 2. Haller with his 11th league goal of the season. Shockingly this finds Haller occupying 3rd place in the top goalscorer charts for the Eredivisie this season.
At halftime *** replaces Nganioni who was almost as bad as Browning in the first half.
Ramselaar clears the ball in the 50th minute, but his clearance is awful and Ibarra intercepts at the top of the box. Ibarra has a crack and finds the top corner. 4-1 and Ramselaar is very close to being pulled off.
They grab a 5th goal late on as Ruiter cannot find Oliynyk’s floated effort.
Letschert then picks up his second yellow of the game in the 87th and will be suspended for the final match of the season.
The worst game of the season here, and we will be starting a very different side next time out. We can still move up to 9th potentially, but we need to grab a win and hope that 3 other teams drop points.
Utrecht v. AZ
A must win game here, and we switch back to a 4-3-3 to allow for a heavily rotated squad to play today. Haller up top with Rashford and Traore on the wings. Keskin and Lakay play in the center, with Ayoub holding just behind them. *** starts to the left of our defense, with Leeuwin and Fosu-Mensah in the middle, Troupee gets the start on the right. Ruiter is also benched for this match, with Heus stepping into his place.
Janssen is not in the lineup today due to injury problems, as he is out for 3 months with a slipped disc.
The first real chance comes in the 74th minute, as Rashford crosses for Traore, who hits the ball into the net from a very tight angle to grab a 1-0 lead!
However, we still need Heerenveen to concede another goal, and Groningen also need to allow an equalizer if we are going to climb up to 9th in the table.
In the 76th minute the ball falls to Ramselaar as Traore’s effort hits the post. Ramselaar strikes from close range, and he hits the bar. How unlucky for Ramselaar who is still looking for his first goal here.
AZ equalize in the 88th minute through Janssen.
We come back down the field after the restart, and Traore hits it to Rashford in the center. Rashford takes a touch back across goal and has a crack. The keeper is caught out of position and we retake our lead.
AZ equalize from a corner in the 92nd minute and we drop back to 12th.
Full time, and the end of the season.
 

No surprises really in our team of the season. Traore really did have a solid year for us, and hopefully he will be back on loan next season as the fans have taken a real liking to him. Our midfield duo have also done very well and will look to continue their partnership moving forward.


The board are content with us at the moment, but we need to ensure a fast start to the upcoming season so that our position here is not under question from the board.

Over the summer we will look to bring in a striker to challenge Haller, new defenders across the line, and secure Traore on loan for another season.


Diego Llorente is set to be one of our new defenders as we signed him on a precontract agreement several months ago. My scouts rate him as a star player for our team, and we will be looking forward to his contributions this season.


Rey Manaj is also set to join us on a free transfer, as we bring the young striker in from Inter. He primarily plays as a target man, or a defensive forward, and I am thinking of switching to a two striker system to allow Manaj and Haller to build up a new partnership up front for us.

 


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Another player joins us on a free transfer, as Tom Carroll will join from Tottenham.
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I am really excited to bring Carroll to Utrecht, as we were lacking options in the midfield for rotation, and with the addition of a player of his quality will allow us to rotate and make sure that our midfield remains fresh throughout the season. ​
 
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Big transfer news from Utrecht today, as the club have just announced the signing of French defender Lejeune from Manchester City on a free transfer.
The 25 year old has reportedly signed a 10,000 pound per week contract that will run until 2019.

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Lejeune looks to be a decent piece of business for Utrecht, as manager Gary Alexander looks to shore up his defense that looked quite shaky at times last season.
Lejeune's new contract reportedly includes a 2.5 million pound minimum fee release clause for clubs that are competing in the Champions league. Utrecht supporters could well face disappointment, as if Lejeune performs as he should then he will most likely not have a lengthy stay at the club.

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As you can see I just received a job offer from Aston Villa. This save was originally started with the plan being to stay with Utrecht, however I am really tempted to jump to Aston Villa, and see what I can accomplish there. Villa finished 19th in the Premier League with 30 points. Do you think I should take the Villa job? I am personally leaning towards it, but am still open to staying at Utrecht.

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Abij2 said:
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As you can see I just received a job offer from Aston Villa. This save was originally started with the plan being to stay with Utrecht, however I am really tempted to jump to Aston Villa, and see what I can accomplish there. Villa finished 19th in the Premier League with 30 points. Do you think I should take the Villa job? I am personally leaning towards it, but am still open to staying at Utrecht.

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Click to expand...

No stay at UTRECHT!!
 
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Big transfer news today, as Utrecht have officially announced two new signings. Iker Guarrotxena and Alberto Almici have both signed on with Utrecht on free transfers, and will join following the expiration of their current deals. View attachment 136598
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Iker joins us from Bilbao, and he looks like he could do a very good job for us this season. I was originally planning to loan Bertrand Traore for another season from Chelsea, but they repeatedly rejected any offer that was submitted as we did not have the finances to meet their asking price. Iker will be immediately stepping up into a crucial role in our squad, as most of our offense flowed through Traore last season.

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Alberto is going to slot into our right fullback position, as Van der Maarel is leaving the club this summer. He looks like he will be able to do a decent job for us, however we do have several other options in his position if he struggles early on.

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My head of youth development has informed me that he has made a bid for Bart Straalman. The bid is only 15,000 pounds, and the player looks like he could develop into a solid defender for us in a few years time. ​
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Coming back into the office I was shocked to see that the board have arranged a partnership with Lille. Hopefully we can bring in a few quality players on loan and use this new affiliation to move our club forward.

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