Wagner Love - A SpVgg Bayreuth Story
- Thread starter Micky Pain
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Micky Pain
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NOVEMBER 2016
The season is shaping up nicely so far, and I hope we can focus our attention fully to win the league and to advance from the group stages in the Champions League after the cup tie defeat. So far we have avoided any nasty injuries to our squad, the few long-term maladies we had to overcome occurred to positions with great depth, so I am quite confident to end this month, and the season in general, within my expectations.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
No doubt this was always going to be a tough game, and after the narrow victory we scraped off of Inter in their home-game, they came out here to set the record straight. The game played out in much of the same fashion as our first meeting, with our opposition dominating most areas and only Wilmer Meza keeping the score level. We had a few good moments, but on the whole not enough to warrant anything more than a draw. That we conceded late in the game certainly hurt, but at the very least we kept the score to the same result as in the first meeting, and so the away goals are evenly spread, should it come to a direct comparison of our two teams in the group table.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
I was really hoping to bounce back with a strong win in this fixture against bottom-table Ingolstadt, but the few first-team regulars in the line-up were still too tired, and the subs lacked the experience to make anything happen on their own. We were the better team in most areas on the pitch, but that little bit of luck to convert our chances was missing on this day.
Despite the meager showing, and a boring goalless draw, it was still enough to put our name in the record books:
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Despite our recent record run without conceding being broken in this match, I am very satisfied with the overall performance. Once again, we dominated the midfield, taking our time to create a number of great chances, and got the lead very early when Skuletic was not to be denied from close range. Andre immediately doubled the lead, forcing Hannover to completely close down their defensive area. We had a few more great chances, but most of our attempts were smothered by the congested area around our oppositions goal. Easing off the pressure, I let some of my substitutes get their time on the pitch, and although we did concede a goal at the hour-mark, they performed just as strong as the regulars.
Andre eventually restored the two-goal lead late in the game, enough to see us comfortably through.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
In what was quite possibly a make-or-break game in the group, we welcomed Lyon on this wet and cold November day.
The opening period was a tightly contested affair, great build-up, dangerous attempts on target and solid goalkeeping on either end, but it was our side that got the lead close to half-time when Mesut Ozil broke free of the defense to convert from close range.
Lyon fought back strong in the second half, the crossbar helping more than once to keep the score level, but we were forced to watch a late equalizer after a period of heavy pressure on our goal. Through great determination we were however able to turn the game on its head, when Feghouli and not much later Ben Arfa stunned fans and opposition alike by scoring in the closing minutes to give us the lead, and with it three vital points in the group.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
With tired legs but spirits high, we welcomed Kaiserslautern at home to end the month. Just recently promoted, they were performing exceptionally well in the league, but it was not enough on this day, as we refused to let even the idea of an upset arise. Andre gave us an early lead, but although we conceded the equalizer at the half-hour mark it never looked like the game would slip out of our control. A quickfire double in the second half won the game for us, when Bacci connected with his head from a set-piece, and Andre added his second of the game after he managed to round both defenders and the keeper to literally walk the ball into the net. A good and solid performance to end the month.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
November turned out to be a rather successful month. The defeat to Inter was a sour note, but I kind of expected it to be honest. And with the victory over Lyon, we have officially qualified for the next round, although it remains to be seen if we can finish as group leaders after the final fixture.
In the league, we have climbed ahead of Stuttgart, be it only by a single goal.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
---------- Post added at 07:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:55 PM ----------
DECEMBER 2016
With three more games in the league and the final group fixture in the Champions League on the menu, I am very glad that we have a full-strength squad at our disposal to see us through to the winter break.
So far, everything is going according to plan, and there might very well be a spectacular signing on the horizon in the upcoming transfer window. Not to say too much, but one of the best players in the world, quite possibly the best in his position, is nearing the end of his contract, and my scouts tell me he is very unhappy at his current club. I'll make sure to be ready with an offer the second the transfer window opens.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
The month started at the Allianz Arena, against a Bayern side seemingly recovered from the slump they had found themselves in in the previous two years. It was a very even match, and although most of the action was to be found in midfield featured a number of great chances on either end. Toni Kross opened the scoring, with his first goal of the season and against his former club no less, before Korotetskyi doubled the lead not much later from a corner kick. Bayern fought back strong, determined to regain control of the match, and managed to pull one back in the second half, but we denied any further attempts on goal to keep our current run going.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Surprise package Benfica was our last stop in the group stages, battling with us for the top seat in the table after they managed to cause an upset in their previous game against Inter.
In similar fashion to our first meeting, it was a mostly attack-minded affair, with neither side being able to avoid slip-ups in defense, and it lead to an exciting match to watch.
Andre gave us the lead in the first half after he was brought down in the box, and calmly converted from the spot. We had some chances to extend the lead, but it was Benfica that held firm, and managed to draw level in the second half. Turning up the pressure, they managed to put two more goals behind an otherwise faultless Meza in goal, seemingly taking control of the game, and the group table. Apparently complacent with the lead they eased off the pressure, but our determination was as strong as ever, and in spectacular fashion Andre was there to score two quick goals for his hat-trick, before Bacci crowned an amazing comeback with a strong header to steal the game in injury time.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
After the last spectacular performance, the team spirit alone was enough to see off the threat of Schalke on this December afternoon. Without wasting any time, Di Maria showed his skills by scoring after a superb solo run for his first goal since his long injury. Skuletic added one more halfway through the opening period to give us a comfortable lead.
We eased off on the pressure, with legs still tired from the previous weeks, but after Schalke pulled one back the game hung in the balance for while. After withstanding some high pressure from our opposition, it was Skuletic again that put the game away in injury time, for the forth consecutive win in our recent run.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
To finish the month we traveled to Koln, and managed to largely dominate the game against a surprisingly lackluster opposition. Toni Kross gave us the lead from our first attack, finding the channel after some quick passes and placing the shot hard and low in the corner of the net.
We did allow a few shots on our goal, but nothing that proved anything more than warm-up for our keeper, but we equally lacked that extra bit of finesse to extend our lead on the other end. With time running out, it was Skuletic that put any hopes of a Koln comeback to rest, leaving the last defender in his wake and hammering in the ball from the edge of the area.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
After a quiet start to the season - no doubt affected by the large number of players away with their respective national teams - we have managed to climb to the top of the table at the half-way point. I am particularly impressed with our strong defense, only conceding eight goals in our seventeen matches.
We also managed to create a small buffer in points between us and the closest contender Stuttgart.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
I don't think anyone would have expected the final table in the group to look anything like this. Most people, myself included, would have predicted Inter to dominate and Lyon to come in second, myself hoping to get one past the latter to advance from the group, but the final result is nothing short of an upset.
The victory against Benfica saw us grab the lead in the table, and Lyons somewhat unexpected victory over Inter was just enough to secure them the second place. I would not be surprised to see Inter searching for a new manager in the coming weeks....
__________________________________________________ _____________________
As a bit of a surprise came this final piece of news.
After a fantastic year, and our strong first outing in the Champions League no doubt, our very own Wilmer Meza managed to make it onto the list of "Goalkeeper of the Year", finishing in third place after all the votes were counted. A great achievement for the youngster, whose career has only just begun.
The new year is just around the corner, and with it a new transfer season adding two new faces to the squad and possibly, as mentioned before, yet another fantastic signing.
For now, we can only formulate our new-years resolutions and hope the second half of the season lets us pick up where we left off.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
---------- Post added at 05:51 PM ---------- Previous post was yesterday at 07:12 PM ----------
JANUARY 2017
With the season not stopping for long in the winter break this year, we only had time to play two quick friendlies.
A fairly decent showing against some lower league teams gave me some idea of where my latest signings are at.
As I mentioned earlier, we had signed two new central defenders during the last few months, and now they are finally arriving. Young Dane Kevin Hansen looks like a promising prospect for the future, and our record signing Giancarlo Bolzoni will hopefully not take too long to pay dividends for the immense amount of money we had to dish out to secure his signature. At least the deal will only cost us 6 Million right now, the rest of the large transfer fee will be paid over the coming four years. My scouts told me to sign him whatever the price, and so far I have not been disappointing by their recommendations, so I am hopeful this deal will work out for us in the long-run.
Here's a quick overview that my coaches drafted of my new signings:
Looks decent enough, signed for a relatively small fee, and will play in the youth squad while he's getting used to living in Germany.
He will also get some time in the youth squad with the occasional first-team duty for the rest of the season. My scouts and coaches predict some heavy improvements for him, but I do not want to risk burning him out by playing him too much just yet.
As I already mentioned earlier, another big signing was in my sights, and I can now confirm that our approach for his signature was successful:
At the end of the current season, with his contract running out, we will be able to welcome none other than RENE ADLER in our team. Although we do have a fantastic goalkeeper in Meza - and a great prospect in Vargas - I just could not pass up the opportunity to sign this legend of a player. His experience will certainly prove invaluable in the coming years, and although he is not getting any younger he is still quite likely the best goalkeeper in the world.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
To restart the season we faced off against our rivals in Furth. Also we did have a number of great chances, this was a match dominated by our strength in the back, not only evidenced by us not allowing a single shot on target but also by the two goals coming on behalf of defenders.
The first goal came early when Celik knocked in a diving header from a set piece, and it never looked likely that we would loose the match after that. We pelted the target with a number of great attempts, but were denied time and again until Bacci finally added the deserved second goal in injury time.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
This game had us battle with a strong, but ultimately luck-less Wolfsburg side on this rainy January evening. It started as a fairly even affair, with us having more possession and a better hold on the midfield, but still unable to prevent a number of counter-attacks spearheaded by the very fast Wolfsburg attack. We kept the score level until Toni Kroos had a clear shot on target and was not denied for the lead. The second half held more misery for our opponents, forcing them to watch our lead double through an unlucky own-goal, but they never gave up and fought back strong, at times just inches away from getting one back.
In the end, it was our superiority in midfield that allowed Di Maria to find the space needed to beat the defense and curl in the third goal of the night.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
This vitally important match against our closest chaser in the league appeared to be one we were destined to loose for much of the proceedings. Stuttgart came out and hammered on our side, dominating in possession and in the number of chances throughout. Only Meza kept the score level for us, and a chance to get anything out of the game. In a total fluke, it was Adrien that stole the game, scoring with an absolute screamer from over 40 yards out from a laid-off free-kick. Stuttgart had a number of great chances to draw level, and would have in all honesty more than deserved at least one point, but in the end we held firm defensively to see the game through.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Yet another even match, that would have likely ended in a draw had it not been for the one-man show that was Petar Skuletic. His passing was spot-on, and he always was at the heart of the attack, until he was rewarded with two goals in the space of just ten minutes early on in the game. Bremen pulled one back, but we never let off trying to restore the lead. Although we did come close to conceding once more - only denied by the crossbar - it was Skuletic again in the closing minutes, completing his hat-trick with a powerful effort from close range.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
A month that could not have gone any better has come to an end. Four victories in four matches played, and most importantly a win over Stuttgart to increase our lead in the table by another three points will go a long way towards our ambitions to claim the league title once again.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
---------- Post added at 06:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:51 PM ----------
FEBRUARY 2017
After a great month of January, I am hoping that we can keep the current run of great results going, and extend it to the Champions League for the fist match of the knock-out stages.
The players are happy and well rested, so I am in good spirit for the coming weeks.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
After the great performances of the last month it came as a bit as a disappointment to be held to a draw by Hertha on this day. We never played up to our standard, were mostly uninspired and had very few chances on goal. After the early goal by Di Maria, complacency crept in, allowing Hertha to draw level. We did restore the lead not much later, when Feghouli was successful from a free-kick, but we were never able to take full control of the game. In the end, we were punished from a corner-kick and unable to regain the lead before the final whistle had blown.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
A great reward for our best striker Andre, who has finally been capped for the Brazil national team, and actually managed to score twice in this weeks World Cup qualifier.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Taking last weeks dressing-room bashing to heart, my guys came out today to prove that we deserve our position in the league by completely dominating this game. 1860 Munchens early long-range shot on target remained their only remotely threatening attempt throughout the entire match, while we piled on the pressure at the other end. Skuletic gave us the lead
half-way through the opening period, before Celik converted from a corner kick just before half-time. The second half was an equally dominant affair, although we did press less and allowed more of the youngsters to get their playing time. In the end, it was Andre that finished the scoring after beating the offside and lobbing the ball over the powerless keeper.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
This evenly matched fixture was decided in the end by our superior finishing and flawless defense. The chances on target were plenty on either side, but it was once again Meza in goal that was well up to the task of sweeping up anything that got past our defensive line.
On the other end, our build-up plays were rewarded when Ozil and Ben Arfa gave us a two goal lead in the first half, allowing us to play more composed and safe for the rest of the game.
Dropping deeper into our own end, we relied more on counter attacks for our chances, and Petar Skuletic was successful in the end to finish the scoring on the break.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
For the first knock-out stage we were traveling to Marseilles to face off against the reigning French league champions. They put on a great show in front of their cheering home-fans, and were undoubtedly the stronger team on this day. They created a number of fantastic chances, with only our goalkeeper keeping the score level, and we were unable to launch anything more than a handful attempts of our own.
I would have loved to get an away goal, or even a victory, but after all is said and done, I am glad we were able to escape with a draw.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
After the exhausting Champions League match only a few days ago, we lined up with a tired squad to play another strong team, and a close chaser in the league.
Fortunately for us, Leverkusen was also fielding a tired squad after their recent Europa League match, and so the fixture turned out to be rather unremarkable at best. Too many mistakes made the game not very enjoyable to watch, and although we did get the lead through Petar Skuletic in the first half it was not enough to secure the win.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
After another solid - and undefeated - month we have stayed on the top of table. With only nine games left in the season we still have a good seven point lead in the league, and a very impressive goal-difference to go with it.
I am a little bit worried that we have failed to record an away goal in our Champions League game, but if we can start with a strong line-up in the second leg I am hopeful that we can advance to the next round.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
The season is shaping up nicely so far, and I hope we can focus our attention fully to win the league and to advance from the group stages in the Champions League after the cup tie defeat. So far we have avoided any nasty injuries to our squad, the few long-term maladies we had to overcome occurred to positions with great depth, so I am quite confident to end this month, and the season in general, within my expectations.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
No doubt this was always going to be a tough game, and after the narrow victory we scraped off of Inter in their home-game, they came out here to set the record straight. The game played out in much of the same fashion as our first meeting, with our opposition dominating most areas and only Wilmer Meza keeping the score level. We had a few good moments, but on the whole not enough to warrant anything more than a draw. That we conceded late in the game certainly hurt, but at the very least we kept the score to the same result as in the first meeting, and so the away goals are evenly spread, should it come to a direct comparison of our two teams in the group table.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
I was really hoping to bounce back with a strong win in this fixture against bottom-table Ingolstadt, but the few first-team regulars in the line-up were still too tired, and the subs lacked the experience to make anything happen on their own. We were the better team in most areas on the pitch, but that little bit of luck to convert our chances was missing on this day.
Despite the meager showing, and a boring goalless draw, it was still enough to put our name in the record books:
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Despite our recent record run without conceding being broken in this match, I am very satisfied with the overall performance. Once again, we dominated the midfield, taking our time to create a number of great chances, and got the lead very early when Skuletic was not to be denied from close range. Andre immediately doubled the lead, forcing Hannover to completely close down their defensive area. We had a few more great chances, but most of our attempts were smothered by the congested area around our oppositions goal. Easing off the pressure, I let some of my substitutes get their time on the pitch, and although we did concede a goal at the hour-mark, they performed just as strong as the regulars.
Andre eventually restored the two-goal lead late in the game, enough to see us comfortably through.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
In what was quite possibly a make-or-break game in the group, we welcomed Lyon on this wet and cold November day.
The opening period was a tightly contested affair, great build-up, dangerous attempts on target and solid goalkeeping on either end, but it was our side that got the lead close to half-time when Mesut Ozil broke free of the defense to convert from close range.
Lyon fought back strong in the second half, the crossbar helping more than once to keep the score level, but we were forced to watch a late equalizer after a period of heavy pressure on our goal. Through great determination we were however able to turn the game on its head, when Feghouli and not much later Ben Arfa stunned fans and opposition alike by scoring in the closing minutes to give us the lead, and with it three vital points in the group.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
With tired legs but spirits high, we welcomed Kaiserslautern at home to end the month. Just recently promoted, they were performing exceptionally well in the league, but it was not enough on this day, as we refused to let even the idea of an upset arise. Andre gave us an early lead, but although we conceded the equalizer at the half-hour mark it never looked like the game would slip out of our control. A quickfire double in the second half won the game for us, when Bacci connected with his head from a set-piece, and Andre added his second of the game after he managed to round both defenders and the keeper to literally walk the ball into the net. A good and solid performance to end the month.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
November turned out to be a rather successful month. The defeat to Inter was a sour note, but I kind of expected it to be honest. And with the victory over Lyon, we have officially qualified for the next round, although it remains to be seen if we can finish as group leaders after the final fixture.
In the league, we have climbed ahead of Stuttgart, be it only by a single goal.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
---------- Post added at 07:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:55 PM ----------
DECEMBER 2016
With three more games in the league and the final group fixture in the Champions League on the menu, I am very glad that we have a full-strength squad at our disposal to see us through to the winter break.
So far, everything is going according to plan, and there might very well be a spectacular signing on the horizon in the upcoming transfer window. Not to say too much, but one of the best players in the world, quite possibly the best in his position, is nearing the end of his contract, and my scouts tell me he is very unhappy at his current club. I'll make sure to be ready with an offer the second the transfer window opens.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
The month started at the Allianz Arena, against a Bayern side seemingly recovered from the slump they had found themselves in in the previous two years. It was a very even match, and although most of the action was to be found in midfield featured a number of great chances on either end. Toni Kross opened the scoring, with his first goal of the season and against his former club no less, before Korotetskyi doubled the lead not much later from a corner kick. Bayern fought back strong, determined to regain control of the match, and managed to pull one back in the second half, but we denied any further attempts on goal to keep our current run going.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Surprise package Benfica was our last stop in the group stages, battling with us for the top seat in the table after they managed to cause an upset in their previous game against Inter.
In similar fashion to our first meeting, it was a mostly attack-minded affair, with neither side being able to avoid slip-ups in defense, and it lead to an exciting match to watch.
Andre gave us the lead in the first half after he was brought down in the box, and calmly converted from the spot. We had some chances to extend the lead, but it was Benfica that held firm, and managed to draw level in the second half. Turning up the pressure, they managed to put two more goals behind an otherwise faultless Meza in goal, seemingly taking control of the game, and the group table. Apparently complacent with the lead they eased off the pressure, but our determination was as strong as ever, and in spectacular fashion Andre was there to score two quick goals for his hat-trick, before Bacci crowned an amazing comeback with a strong header to steal the game in injury time.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
After the last spectacular performance, the team spirit alone was enough to see off the threat of Schalke on this December afternoon. Without wasting any time, Di Maria showed his skills by scoring after a superb solo run for his first goal since his long injury. Skuletic added one more halfway through the opening period to give us a comfortable lead.
We eased off on the pressure, with legs still tired from the previous weeks, but after Schalke pulled one back the game hung in the balance for while. After withstanding some high pressure from our opposition, it was Skuletic again that put the game away in injury time, for the forth consecutive win in our recent run.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
To finish the month we traveled to Koln, and managed to largely dominate the game against a surprisingly lackluster opposition. Toni Kross gave us the lead from our first attack, finding the channel after some quick passes and placing the shot hard and low in the corner of the net.
We did allow a few shots on our goal, but nothing that proved anything more than warm-up for our keeper, but we equally lacked that extra bit of finesse to extend our lead on the other end. With time running out, it was Skuletic that put any hopes of a Koln comeback to rest, leaving the last defender in his wake and hammering in the ball from the edge of the area.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
After a quiet start to the season - no doubt affected by the large number of players away with their respective national teams - we have managed to climb to the top of the table at the half-way point. I am particularly impressed with our strong defense, only conceding eight goals in our seventeen matches.
We also managed to create a small buffer in points between us and the closest contender Stuttgart.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
I don't think anyone would have expected the final table in the group to look anything like this. Most people, myself included, would have predicted Inter to dominate and Lyon to come in second, myself hoping to get one past the latter to advance from the group, but the final result is nothing short of an upset.
The victory against Benfica saw us grab the lead in the table, and Lyons somewhat unexpected victory over Inter was just enough to secure them the second place. I would not be surprised to see Inter searching for a new manager in the coming weeks....
__________________________________________________ _____________________
As a bit of a surprise came this final piece of news.
After a fantastic year, and our strong first outing in the Champions League no doubt, our very own Wilmer Meza managed to make it onto the list of "Goalkeeper of the Year", finishing in third place after all the votes were counted. A great achievement for the youngster, whose career has only just begun.
The new year is just around the corner, and with it a new transfer season adding two new faces to the squad and possibly, as mentioned before, yet another fantastic signing.
For now, we can only formulate our new-years resolutions and hope the second half of the season lets us pick up where we left off.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
---------- Post added at 05:51 PM ---------- Previous post was yesterday at 07:12 PM ----------
JANUARY 2017
With the season not stopping for long in the winter break this year, we only had time to play two quick friendlies.
A fairly decent showing against some lower league teams gave me some idea of where my latest signings are at.
As I mentioned earlier, we had signed two new central defenders during the last few months, and now they are finally arriving. Young Dane Kevin Hansen looks like a promising prospect for the future, and our record signing Giancarlo Bolzoni will hopefully not take too long to pay dividends for the immense amount of money we had to dish out to secure his signature. At least the deal will only cost us 6 Million right now, the rest of the large transfer fee will be paid over the coming four years. My scouts told me to sign him whatever the price, and so far I have not been disappointing by their recommendations, so I am hopeful this deal will work out for us in the long-run.
Here's a quick overview that my coaches drafted of my new signings:
Looks decent enough, signed for a relatively small fee, and will play in the youth squad while he's getting used to living in Germany.
He will also get some time in the youth squad with the occasional first-team duty for the rest of the season. My scouts and coaches predict some heavy improvements for him, but I do not want to risk burning him out by playing him too much just yet.
As I already mentioned earlier, another big signing was in my sights, and I can now confirm that our approach for his signature was successful:
At the end of the current season, with his contract running out, we will be able to welcome none other than RENE ADLER in our team. Although we do have a fantastic goalkeeper in Meza - and a great prospect in Vargas - I just could not pass up the opportunity to sign this legend of a player. His experience will certainly prove invaluable in the coming years, and although he is not getting any younger he is still quite likely the best goalkeeper in the world.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
To restart the season we faced off against our rivals in Furth. Also we did have a number of great chances, this was a match dominated by our strength in the back, not only evidenced by us not allowing a single shot on target but also by the two goals coming on behalf of defenders.
The first goal came early when Celik knocked in a diving header from a set piece, and it never looked likely that we would loose the match after that. We pelted the target with a number of great attempts, but were denied time and again until Bacci finally added the deserved second goal in injury time.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
This game had us battle with a strong, but ultimately luck-less Wolfsburg side on this rainy January evening. It started as a fairly even affair, with us having more possession and a better hold on the midfield, but still unable to prevent a number of counter-attacks spearheaded by the very fast Wolfsburg attack. We kept the score level until Toni Kroos had a clear shot on target and was not denied for the lead. The second half held more misery for our opponents, forcing them to watch our lead double through an unlucky own-goal, but they never gave up and fought back strong, at times just inches away from getting one back.
In the end, it was our superiority in midfield that allowed Di Maria to find the space needed to beat the defense and curl in the third goal of the night.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
This vitally important match against our closest chaser in the league appeared to be one we were destined to loose for much of the proceedings. Stuttgart came out and hammered on our side, dominating in possession and in the number of chances throughout. Only Meza kept the score level for us, and a chance to get anything out of the game. In a total fluke, it was Adrien that stole the game, scoring with an absolute screamer from over 40 yards out from a laid-off free-kick. Stuttgart had a number of great chances to draw level, and would have in all honesty more than deserved at least one point, but in the end we held firm defensively to see the game through.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Yet another even match, that would have likely ended in a draw had it not been for the one-man show that was Petar Skuletic. His passing was spot-on, and he always was at the heart of the attack, until he was rewarded with two goals in the space of just ten minutes early on in the game. Bremen pulled one back, but we never let off trying to restore the lead. Although we did come close to conceding once more - only denied by the crossbar - it was Skuletic again in the closing minutes, completing his hat-trick with a powerful effort from close range.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
A month that could not have gone any better has come to an end. Four victories in four matches played, and most importantly a win over Stuttgart to increase our lead in the table by another three points will go a long way towards our ambitions to claim the league title once again.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
---------- Post added at 06:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:51 PM ----------
FEBRUARY 2017
After a great month of January, I am hoping that we can keep the current run of great results going, and extend it to the Champions League for the fist match of the knock-out stages.
The players are happy and well rested, so I am in good spirit for the coming weeks.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
After the great performances of the last month it came as a bit as a disappointment to be held to a draw by Hertha on this day. We never played up to our standard, were mostly uninspired and had very few chances on goal. After the early goal by Di Maria, complacency crept in, allowing Hertha to draw level. We did restore the lead not much later, when Feghouli was successful from a free-kick, but we were never able to take full control of the game. In the end, we were punished from a corner-kick and unable to regain the lead before the final whistle had blown.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
A great reward for our best striker Andre, who has finally been capped for the Brazil national team, and actually managed to score twice in this weeks World Cup qualifier.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Taking last weeks dressing-room bashing to heart, my guys came out today to prove that we deserve our position in the league by completely dominating this game. 1860 Munchens early long-range shot on target remained their only remotely threatening attempt throughout the entire match, while we piled on the pressure at the other end. Skuletic gave us the lead
half-way through the opening period, before Celik converted from a corner kick just before half-time. The second half was an equally dominant affair, although we did press less and allowed more of the youngsters to get their playing time. In the end, it was Andre that finished the scoring after beating the offside and lobbing the ball over the powerless keeper.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
This evenly matched fixture was decided in the end by our superior finishing and flawless defense. The chances on target were plenty on either side, but it was once again Meza in goal that was well up to the task of sweeping up anything that got past our defensive line.
On the other end, our build-up plays were rewarded when Ozil and Ben Arfa gave us a two goal lead in the first half, allowing us to play more composed and safe for the rest of the game.
Dropping deeper into our own end, we relied more on counter attacks for our chances, and Petar Skuletic was successful in the end to finish the scoring on the break.
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For the first knock-out stage we were traveling to Marseilles to face off against the reigning French league champions. They put on a great show in front of their cheering home-fans, and were undoubtedly the stronger team on this day. They created a number of fantastic chances, with only our goalkeeper keeping the score level, and we were unable to launch anything more than a handful attempts of our own.
I would have loved to get an away goal, or even a victory, but after all is said and done, I am glad we were able to escape with a draw.
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After the exhausting Champions League match only a few days ago, we lined up with a tired squad to play another strong team, and a close chaser in the league.
Fortunately for us, Leverkusen was also fielding a tired squad after their recent Europa League match, and so the fixture turned out to be rather unremarkable at best. Too many mistakes made the game not very enjoyable to watch, and although we did get the lead through Petar Skuletic in the first half it was not enough to secure the win.
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After another solid - and undefeated - month we have stayed on the top of table. With only nine games left in the season we still have a good seven point lead in the league, and a very impressive goal-difference to go with it.
I am a little bit worried that we have failed to record an away goal in our Champions League game, but if we can start with a strong line-up in the second leg I am hopeful that we can advance to the next round.
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matyfatymole
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Keep going mate doing well!
Micky Pain
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Season update will follow some time during this weekend.
Got some heavy overtime these days with deadlines approaching, and I can't in good conscience stay home when my team has to work. Anyway, just FYI, stay tuned for more.
Micky
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Got some heavy overtime these days with deadlines approaching, and I can't in good conscience stay home when my team has to work. Anyway, just FYI, stay tuned for more.
Micky
________________________________________________ _______________________
Micky Pain
Member
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MARCH 2017
With the season drawing closer to an end, we will be playing five games - possibly six depending on the second leg in the Champions League knock-out stage - and we are still in good shape. With my sights set more on European than domestic glory, I am starting to feel somewhat relieved to be out of the DFB Pokal, it means less tough games to play and a better chance in the competitions we are still a part of.
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Against a relegation-threatened Nurnberg we really should have gotten all the points today, and on chances alone it should have been a comfortable victory. Some biased officiating and a few unlucky bounces off of the woodwork kept the score level however, and we could get no more out of this game than the goalless draw.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
The players knew very well that the last weeks performance was below par, at best, and we managed to pull ourselves together and came out today to prove we deserve to be in the title race. In a show of almost complete dominance it took close to the half-time whistle for us to get the lead, when a quick-fire double by Andre and Skuletic gave us a two-goal advantage.
We kept the pressure high in the second half and recorded a number of chances to increase the lead even further, and ultimately it was Sergiy Sribnyi that finished the rout in the closing minutes.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Although we did have the home-ground advantage I was rather nervy ahead of this second leg fixture, primarily since we failed to record an important away goal in our first meeting.
Trying to find the sweet-spot between attack and keeping a clean-sheet we played a game more focused on exploiting our oppositions mistakes rather than on taking unnecessary risks in order to get a goal. We held strong in defense and recorded a number of great chances, primarily on the break and from set pieces, and were rewarded in the first half when Andre found the channel and curled in the ball from the edge of the area.
The nail-biting final hour of the game saw a game that could have tipped either way, but in the end we kept our composure in defense to hold on tot the fragile lead until the final whistle had blown.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
In yet another testament to our strong squad, most of my first choice starters have been called up for their national team, as well as a few subs and youth player, and that is not even all of the guys being capped in our squad....
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Only three days had passed since our last game, and the squad was tired but motivated to the brim. We lined up with a wild mix of starters and youngsters to see us through, and it was more than enough to record a comfortable victory against HSV. After a great spell of dominance in the first half, it was Petar Skuletic that gave us the lead in the first half, and Bacci added one more just before half-time for the two goal advantage. HSV attempted to fight back, but our defense held firm and denied anything to get past our keeper, and Feghoulis late goal eventually put even the most optimistic hopes of a come-back to rest.
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Newly promoted Ingolstadt put up a great fight, and played a lot more lively than their lowly stature might have suggested. Although we did have more and better chances on goal, we struggled to put anything away. Skuletic gave us the lead, but our inability to increase it further never gave us a firm grasp on a game that could switch around with only one bad mistake. In the end it was a brace by substitute Fernandez that put the game away, scoring twice in as many minutes after coming off the bench.
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This quarter final in the Champions League started off with a home-game against Spanish league leaders Athletico Madrid. Given the underdog role by the bookmakers, we came out flying to prove them all wrong, and after a timid opening period we turned up the pressure, and were rewarded when Skuleti and Ozil gave us a two goal lead in the final minutes before half-time. The second half seemed like a complete turn-around, Madrid pushing back with all their might, and it was all that we could do to keep the score unchanged. Being pushed back for much of the second half, we finally conceded a goal, a strong effort by Hulk - and we didn't like him when he's angry. With the equalizer hanging in the air, it was once again a strong defensive and goalkeeping performance that allowed us to record this important win in the quarter final.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
With five games to play and ahead in the league by as many points, it seems that retaining the title is a real possibility. We had a great run so far, and no real injuries to speak off, so I am quite confident of the coming weeks.
The Champions League performance is a definite high-light, getting past some strong opposition and going into the next game with a win in hand.
First place in the league with a good lead and a fantastic goal difference, it's all in our hands to see it through.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
With the season drawing closer to an end, we will be playing five games - possibly six depending on the second leg in the Champions League knock-out stage - and we are still in good shape. With my sights set more on European than domestic glory, I am starting to feel somewhat relieved to be out of the DFB Pokal, it means less tough games to play and a better chance in the competitions we are still a part of.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Against a relegation-threatened Nurnberg we really should have gotten all the points today, and on chances alone it should have been a comfortable victory. Some biased officiating and a few unlucky bounces off of the woodwork kept the score level however, and we could get no more out of this game than the goalless draw.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
The players knew very well that the last weeks performance was below par, at best, and we managed to pull ourselves together and came out today to prove we deserve to be in the title race. In a show of almost complete dominance it took close to the half-time whistle for us to get the lead, when a quick-fire double by Andre and Skuletic gave us a two-goal advantage.
We kept the pressure high in the second half and recorded a number of chances to increase the lead even further, and ultimately it was Sergiy Sribnyi that finished the rout in the closing minutes.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Although we did have the home-ground advantage I was rather nervy ahead of this second leg fixture, primarily since we failed to record an important away goal in our first meeting.
Trying to find the sweet-spot between attack and keeping a clean-sheet we played a game more focused on exploiting our oppositions mistakes rather than on taking unnecessary risks in order to get a goal. We held strong in defense and recorded a number of great chances, primarily on the break and from set pieces, and were rewarded in the first half when Andre found the channel and curled in the ball from the edge of the area.
The nail-biting final hour of the game saw a game that could have tipped either way, but in the end we kept our composure in defense to hold on tot the fragile lead until the final whistle had blown.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
In yet another testament to our strong squad, most of my first choice starters have been called up for their national team, as well as a few subs and youth player, and that is not even all of the guys being capped in our squad....
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Only three days had passed since our last game, and the squad was tired but motivated to the brim. We lined up with a wild mix of starters and youngsters to see us through, and it was more than enough to record a comfortable victory against HSV. After a great spell of dominance in the first half, it was Petar Skuletic that gave us the lead in the first half, and Bacci added one more just before half-time for the two goal advantage. HSV attempted to fight back, but our defense held firm and denied anything to get past our keeper, and Feghoulis late goal eventually put even the most optimistic hopes of a come-back to rest.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Newly promoted Ingolstadt put up a great fight, and played a lot more lively than their lowly stature might have suggested. Although we did have more and better chances on goal, we struggled to put anything away. Skuletic gave us the lead, but our inability to increase it further never gave us a firm grasp on a game that could switch around with only one bad mistake. In the end it was a brace by substitute Fernandez that put the game away, scoring twice in as many minutes after coming off the bench.
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This quarter final in the Champions League started off with a home-game against Spanish league leaders Athletico Madrid. Given the underdog role by the bookmakers, we came out flying to prove them all wrong, and after a timid opening period we turned up the pressure, and were rewarded when Skuleti and Ozil gave us a two goal lead in the final minutes before half-time. The second half seemed like a complete turn-around, Madrid pushing back with all their might, and it was all that we could do to keep the score unchanged. Being pushed back for much of the second half, we finally conceded a goal, a strong effort by Hulk - and we didn't like him when he's angry. With the equalizer hanging in the air, it was once again a strong defensive and goalkeeping performance that allowed us to record this important win in the quarter final.
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With five games to play and ahead in the league by as many points, it seems that retaining the title is a real possibility. We had a great run so far, and no real injuries to speak off, so I am quite confident of the coming weeks.
The Champions League performance is a definite high-light, getting past some strong opposition and going into the next game with a win in hand.
First place in the league with a good lead and a fantastic goal difference, it's all in our hands to see it through.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Paul LUFC Custus
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this is a class story
Micky Pain
Member
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Thanks guys.
Nice to see some people enjoy reading this almost as much as I enjoy playing it.
Micky
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---------- Post added at 03:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:38 PM ----------
APRIL 2017
With at least five games to be played - possibly rising to seven if we advance to the semi finals in the Champions League - this last full month of the season will be a test of our strength as well as of our determination to see things through.
From what I have seen up to this point I am hopeful we can live up the the expectations.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Resting my star players for the upcoming matches, this fixture was played by an almost entire second string squad, and it showed. I do not want to take away from the skill and talent of my substitutes - after all I wouldn't have signed them if they weren't up to my standards - but I was probably putting too much pressure on them on this day. The experience was simply lacking, and this quite unremarkable match finished with a rather boring and goalless draw.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Traveling to Madrid, the odds were firmly stacked against us in this second leg of the quarter finals. Although we did get the win at home, we did so only barely, and with an away goal against us the pressure was still on for us to perform well.
However it was Andre that got us off to a great start, scoring in the opening minutes from a precise cross, and negating the away goal in the process.
A quickfire double by Aguero gave Madrid the lead, and leveled the tie, putting this match very much up for grabs. Andre added another vitally important goal in the closing minutes of the first half, giving us the advantage in away goals and putting us effectively two goals ahead.
The second half was one of immense pressure from our opposition, and I decided to try to contain the lead in the tie by going on the defensive. Despite going down one man in the second half, Madrid never let off, and was ultimately rewarded with Agueros third goal. In the end we did just about enough to get to the final whistle, and despite loosing the match we still got the win by aggregate in the tie.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
With spirits high I was expecting a comfortable win in this match, and for the most part it looked very much like it. Ozil gave us the lead at the half-hour mark, cashing in on some stellar passing play, and we had a number of great chances to extend the lead even further. It took until the second half for Fernandez to add another one, and the game looked all but decided. But once again, we gave the game way through complacency, conceding two goals in the final minutes - although the last goal came quite a long time after the announced one minute of injury time.
That makes four points dropped against very weak opponents in our last two matches, and our lead in the league table is starting to crumble away.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Todays game made me rather quickly forget about the mediocre performances of the previous week. We were considered favorites, but even I couldn't have predicted to dominate this Bayern side as much as we did. Feghouli started the rout in the opening minutes with a stunning long-range attempt, and the game was on. We had a number more great chances, but were unable to extend the lead any further, but despite only leading by a narrow margin Bayern never looked threatening enough to take the game to us. After some encouraging team-talk, the second half was an all-out attacking display from my guys, determined to leave no doubt about our superiority. Feghouli added his second goal of the match from a free-kick minutes before Andre extended the lead to three goals. Club icon Zeher scored his first goal of the current season after coming off the bench and later set up both goals for Petar Skuletic to finish one of the best games we played all season long.
This match kept us firmly on top, closest chaser Stuttgart can match our points at best, and with our superior goal difference, the title race is pretty much over now.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - SEMI FINAL
Last years group-mates Genoa were drawn to face us in the semi final of the Champions League. Being a strong team I still preferred them over any of the teams in the other semi final - Barcelona and Manchester City - not least because we were already familiar with Genoa from the previous year.
To the delight of the home-fans Andre wasted no time to give us the lead in the opening minutes, although much of the possession remained with our opponents. Getting pelted by shots on goal, it was only Meza that kept the lead intact, until Andre took advantage of a mistimed pass by Genoa to hit them hard on the break, extending the lead to two goals.
Not willing to give up, Genoa pulled one back in the second half, and were more than once on the verge of getting level, but in the end the defense was up to the task to give us the win.
Once again a narrow win with an away goal conceded, and we need all our skill to see this tie through.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - SEMI FINAL
Fortunately for us, this time we had a full week to prepare for the second leg, and all the starters were fit and ready to go. We played a lot more attractive football than in the previous game, gone was the dominance that Genoa showcased the last time, and once again we got off to a great start with a goal in the opening minutes. Skuletic hammered in a volley from close range, and added yet another after Mancienne had earned himself an early bath for a nasty tackle. Against all the odds, this ten man Genoa team played better than in any of our previous meetings, the numerical disadvantage never showing and in the space of just under five minutes we were forced to see two goals get past an otherwise flawless Meza.
Ultimately, however, the all-out attack of our opposition proved too strenuous on their stamina, and with their legs tired we kept the score unchanged to record this historical aggregate victory.
Champions League finals, here we come!!!!!!
__________________________________________________ _____________________
With the season all but over, I opted once more to give some playing time to my youngsters - spliced in with the first team, having learned from the Hannover mistake. It was an overall very confident performance, with great build-up and numerous chances, rewarded with the lead in the first half when Di Maria literally dribbled the ball over the goal line. Ozil doubled the lead at the hour mark before youngster Fernandez put the game beyond doubt late on.
The late goal we conceded was no more than consolation for Schalke.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Although there is still one more match to be played, it is now official that we have won the league, with one of the best ever defensive records to date no less.
We certainly did not play our best in the first two league fixtures of the month, but the overall-performance couldn't have been any better.
We recorded a massive result against Bayern, officially won the league, set a new record for points in the league and best of all, advanced against all the odds to the finals in the Champions League. I consider it somewhat fortuitous for us that we will play this historic final against Manchester City, who managed to overcome Barcelona - the stronger team after my estimation.
League champions we are, and whatever happens in those last two games could do nothing to take away from our amazing run this year.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Nice to see some people enjoy reading this almost as much as I enjoy playing it.
Micky
________________________________________________ _______________________
---------- Post added at 03:58 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:38 PM ----------
APRIL 2017
With at least five games to be played - possibly rising to seven if we advance to the semi finals in the Champions League - this last full month of the season will be a test of our strength as well as of our determination to see things through.
From what I have seen up to this point I am hopeful we can live up the the expectations.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Resting my star players for the upcoming matches, this fixture was played by an almost entire second string squad, and it showed. I do not want to take away from the skill and talent of my substitutes - after all I wouldn't have signed them if they weren't up to my standards - but I was probably putting too much pressure on them on this day. The experience was simply lacking, and this quite unremarkable match finished with a rather boring and goalless draw.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Traveling to Madrid, the odds were firmly stacked against us in this second leg of the quarter finals. Although we did get the win at home, we did so only barely, and with an away goal against us the pressure was still on for us to perform well.
However it was Andre that got us off to a great start, scoring in the opening minutes from a precise cross, and negating the away goal in the process.
A quickfire double by Aguero gave Madrid the lead, and leveled the tie, putting this match very much up for grabs. Andre added another vitally important goal in the closing minutes of the first half, giving us the advantage in away goals and putting us effectively two goals ahead.
The second half was one of immense pressure from our opposition, and I decided to try to contain the lead in the tie by going on the defensive. Despite going down one man in the second half, Madrid never let off, and was ultimately rewarded with Agueros third goal. In the end we did just about enough to get to the final whistle, and despite loosing the match we still got the win by aggregate in the tie.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
With spirits high I was expecting a comfortable win in this match, and for the most part it looked very much like it. Ozil gave us the lead at the half-hour mark, cashing in on some stellar passing play, and we had a number of great chances to extend the lead even further. It took until the second half for Fernandez to add another one, and the game looked all but decided. But once again, we gave the game way through complacency, conceding two goals in the final minutes - although the last goal came quite a long time after the announced one minute of injury time.
That makes four points dropped against very weak opponents in our last two matches, and our lead in the league table is starting to crumble away.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Todays game made me rather quickly forget about the mediocre performances of the previous week. We were considered favorites, but even I couldn't have predicted to dominate this Bayern side as much as we did. Feghouli started the rout in the opening minutes with a stunning long-range attempt, and the game was on. We had a number more great chances, but were unable to extend the lead any further, but despite only leading by a narrow margin Bayern never looked threatening enough to take the game to us. After some encouraging team-talk, the second half was an all-out attacking display from my guys, determined to leave no doubt about our superiority. Feghouli added his second goal of the match from a free-kick minutes before Andre extended the lead to three goals. Club icon Zeher scored his first goal of the current season after coming off the bench and later set up both goals for Petar Skuletic to finish one of the best games we played all season long.
This match kept us firmly on top, closest chaser Stuttgart can match our points at best, and with our superior goal difference, the title race is pretty much over now.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - SEMI FINAL
Last years group-mates Genoa were drawn to face us in the semi final of the Champions League. Being a strong team I still preferred them over any of the teams in the other semi final - Barcelona and Manchester City - not least because we were already familiar with Genoa from the previous year.
To the delight of the home-fans Andre wasted no time to give us the lead in the opening minutes, although much of the possession remained with our opponents. Getting pelted by shots on goal, it was only Meza that kept the lead intact, until Andre took advantage of a mistimed pass by Genoa to hit them hard on the break, extending the lead to two goals.
Not willing to give up, Genoa pulled one back in the second half, and were more than once on the verge of getting level, but in the end the defense was up to the task to give us the win.
Once again a narrow win with an away goal conceded, and we need all our skill to see this tie through.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - SEMI FINAL
Fortunately for us, this time we had a full week to prepare for the second leg, and all the starters were fit and ready to go. We played a lot more attractive football than in the previous game, gone was the dominance that Genoa showcased the last time, and once again we got off to a great start with a goal in the opening minutes. Skuletic hammered in a volley from close range, and added yet another after Mancienne had earned himself an early bath for a nasty tackle. Against all the odds, this ten man Genoa team played better than in any of our previous meetings, the numerical disadvantage never showing and in the space of just under five minutes we were forced to see two goals get past an otherwise flawless Meza.
Ultimately, however, the all-out attack of our opposition proved too strenuous on their stamina, and with their legs tired we kept the score unchanged to record this historical aggregate victory.
Champions League finals, here we come!!!!!!
__________________________________________________ _____________________
With the season all but over, I opted once more to give some playing time to my youngsters - spliced in with the first team, having learned from the Hannover mistake. It was an overall very confident performance, with great build-up and numerous chances, rewarded with the lead in the first half when Di Maria literally dribbled the ball over the goal line. Ozil doubled the lead at the hour mark before youngster Fernandez put the game beyond doubt late on.
The late goal we conceded was no more than consolation for Schalke.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Although there is still one more match to be played, it is now official that we have won the league, with one of the best ever defensive records to date no less.
We certainly did not play our best in the first two league fixtures of the month, but the overall-performance couldn't have been any better.
We recorded a massive result against Bayern, officially won the league, set a new record for points in the league and best of all, advanced against all the odds to the finals in the Champions League. I consider it somewhat fortuitous for us that we will play this historic final against Manchester City, who managed to overcome Barcelona - the stronger team after my estimation.
League champions we are, and whatever happens in those last two games could do nothing to take away from our amazing run this year.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Micky Pain
Member
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- 438
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Thanks.
Dunno why but I never did as well as this before. I did use a lot of the tricks I taught myself over the years, mostly in terms of getting top-class talent for cheap or free, and it helped a lot. And that I have no restrictions on players, no work permits etc certainly helped.
I guess I need to stop winning things pretty soon as I am running out of ideas for the post-season newspaper....
Ah well, more updates in a little bit.
Micky
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---------- Post added at 07:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:57 PM ----------
MAY 2017
Although the league is all but over I still want go out with a strong showing in the final match.
Whatever happens in those next few weeks will bring an end to an epic season, and I can't wait for some much deserved time off to regrow my fingernails.
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With nothing to play for anymore for either team, this last match of the season turned out to be a quite unremarkable one. I was honestly more concerned with keeping my players injury-free and so played it rather safe. We went down one goal early on, but Koln was lacking the true desire to take the game, and so the equalizer was scored only minutes later when Korotestkyi converted with a strong header. It could have gone either way, with both teams getting a few chances to take the lead, but in the end it was Andre that calmly converted from the spot after Ben Arfa had been brought down in the box.
Some might say we should have played more first-team starters to give the fans a season finale to remember, but we did just enough to get a win, and it was much more important for me to keep the key players out of harms way for the final game.
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And thus ends another great Bundesliga season, with us claiming the title for the second year in a row. We managed to shatter the previous record of 76 points set by Stuttgart by finishing with 83 points, and quite possibly one of the best goal differences to date.
The last match-day saw Leverkusen leap ahead of Stuttgart for second place, Bayern to secure their first spot in a European Competition in three years, and Nurnberg facing the danger of relegation in the play-offs.
I have to admit, should our former parent club make the drop I would be quite tempted to be cheeky and recommend them as a new feeder club for us.
All in all, we did what was expected and I am proud of my guys.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
After this great title winning season, we are once more present in ample numbers in the Bundesliga awards for the year.
I do wonder why we were left out of the goalkeeper awards, my only clue is that Meza didn't play enough games as I used Vargas in a number of matches, but his performances alone should have warranted an award.
With only fifteen goals conceded, there was really no surprise that we were present in the defender section. To actually get both our starting center backs to take the top spots is certainly a great reflection of our solid backfield.
Since we were rotating our midfielders so much during the season, I didn't think we had enough to get a spot here, but lo and behold, Ozil took the top spot. He proved to be a fantastic signing, could always be relied upon when he was out on the pitch, and truly deserves his award.
No real surprise here, Andre is quickly becoming one of the worlds top players. He played fantastic this season, scoring and assisting and always threatening in the big games.
He surely must go down as one of the best bargains ever struck in football, signing with us for 700.000 Euros only 4 years ago and now being valued at over 35 Million.
And yes, I did remember the scout who found him, and yes, he did get a huge raise.
Another great award for our strong striker Skuletic. Time and again showing leathal touch and never being too selfish to pass, he more than deserves this award.
Third place for our captain Toni Kroos is another great achievement for this guy in his first year on our side. He fit in right from the start and orchestrated the midfield like no other, he certainly is another magnificent capture for us.
The crowning moment has to be our presence in the team of the year, our presence in both defense and attack a clear indicator of why we did win the league.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
With all those ceremonies, and with winning the league once more, yours truly has also been awarded with the two available manager awards:
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It certainly feels great to get recognition from other players and managers, but the best reward is one of my own guys thanks me for his own award. He truly deserves his success, playing a fantastic season and recently even being capped for the Italy national squad, and all that while still in his early twenties. It won't be long before this player will become a club legend.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
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---------- Post added at 06:35 PM ---------- Previous post was yesterday at 07:34 PM ----------
MAY 2017 (Continued)
The season in the league has ended, and we have close to two weeks to prepare ourselves for the historic Champions League final against Manchester City.
Playing against the team that ended our run last year is sure to add some extra incentives, and although we lost on aggregate the last time, we have proven that we can beat them.
To prepare for the match we arranged a friendly game against lower league Markt Schwaben, and with a resounding 9-0 blow-out victory, the morale is as high as ever.
Although a few players are starting to become unsettled, considering to move on, I am confident that once the final whistle has blow they will reconsider, looking back at what we have achieved this season.
Another great event took place, a further testament to our growing stature:
We signed former German national player Mehmet Scholl for our backroom, who left the assistant manager position at Bayern Munchen to become a "mere" coach for our team.
If that doesn't show we are a top team I don't know what will.
With the team prepared and ready to go, there's nothing left to say before the
After our stellar season, we were considered slight favorites for this finals game, no doubt aided by the fact that Manchester City was missing a lot of key players due to injury or suspension. With our starters on the other hand all being fit and available, we ran out there to exact revenge for last years semi-final defeat, and it only took a few minutes before Erman Celik started the scoring with a booming header from a corner kick. City looked stunned, nervous even, and although they mounted a few attempts on our goal, there was no real threat on any of their efforts. The second half saw us gain even more of the game, increasing our possession, improving the pass play, and ultimately even doubling our lead when Andre found the channel for an easy one-on-one conversion. One of the few good chances by our opponents saw Jim Bird only be denied by a solid Meza in goal, but in the end it was our guys again that got the goal when Ben Arfa nicked the ball off of the last defender and calmly converted.
I did believe we had a good chance to win this match, but being so utterly dominant was even beyond my imagination. So, with that said
**** YEAH!!!!!!
WE WON THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
________________________________________________ _______________________
________________________________________________ _______________________
I won't deny that we had a lot of luck on our side to get this coveted title, but I certainly won't complain about how it went.
When I remember how only eight years ago I was managing a semi-professional club, barely valued at 100.000 Euros I cannot believe that this same club is now one of the wealthiest in the world, and part of a very elite circle of teams to have claimed the Champions League title.
Wow, my head is spinning.
To wrap up the season, here's a quick recap of the final stages:
________________________________________________ _______________________
After the fantastic run, and the final victory, all that is left is to give honor where honor is due:
Double honors for our star player Andre, one of the rising global superstars, and there's simply no denying that he was the driving force behind us getting this far. This kid is simply too good for words, collecting awards left and right and is already our all-time top scorer, and a Brazil national team first choice player.
I think this dream team selection shows why we got so far: deadly finishing with Andre, but equally important, if not more so, the top-class and solid defense from our center backs Bacci and Celik and our top goalkeeper Meza. And all is held together by the creative driving force in midfield, represented by Ozil and Ben Arfa. Truly deserved honors for those guys.
________________________________________________ _______________________
Coming in second to a legend like Cristiano Ronaldo is certainly no shame, and after the solid season Adrien had for us, this award is more than deserved.
And yes, yours truly has also received further honor. Rumor has it that I am henceforth regarded as a legend for the club I helped rise to the top.
________________________________________________ _______________________
Before we all head off for some well deserved rest, here's a final look at the squad that achieved the seemingly impossible this season:
In only a few short weeks the whole circus will start again, new faces, new challenges and one more title to defend.
________________________________________________ _______________________
---------- Post added at 05:41 PM ---------- Previous post was yesterday at 06:35 PM ----------
In the wake of the amazing double from last season, we climbed a few more spots to 33rd place in the European club rankings.
A new sponsor is also on board, and the redevelopment of our training facilities is underway as we speak.
We created a link with Eintracht Frankfurt as a new feeder club, and this 2.Bundesliga team is certain to become a good place for our not-quite-ready-for-primetime players to gain the experience needed to fight for a first team spot.
Before even the pre-season preparations could begin, we were handed a shock:
Toni Kroos has broken his leg in this years Confederation Cup and will be unavailable for at least three month, if not longer. We do have great cover in midfield, but loosing a player of his caliber for so long is a heavy blow nonetheless.
________________________________________________ _______________________
In the run-up to the season we were having a relatively quiet transfer period.
Already completed in January, veteran goalkeeper Rene Adler has finally joined our squad, coming over from Leverkusen after the end of his previous contract.
Admittedly, the goalkeeper position is in no real need for improvement, with Wilmer Meza providing safe hands whenever called upon in recent years, but I just could not in good conscience pass up the opportunity to sign Rene for free. I will use this new signing to put pressure on Wilmer, as he has at times played too complacent with little competition for his spot, and alternate those two keepers in the upcoming season. I still have high hopes for my current backup Vargas, but he is developing a bit slower than I had hoped, so in the meantime I will have him gain experience on a loan spell.
The second signing was a highly recommended youngster from Bayern Munchen. My scouts were once more not shy to heap praise on this player, and I decided to use up some of my funds to secure his signature. Lechner is already part of the Germany U-20 squad at only 15 years of age and I hope he can mature enough in the coming years to be a real threat up front.
This season we didn't sell any of our players, although for a moment I was considering a rather tempting offer for Feghouli - 15 Million from Genoa - but in the end decided to keep him. He is a great player, and with Kroos out for a while and Ben Arfa not getting any younger he is still very much part of my plans.
We loaned out Vargas to Athletico and last years signing Hansen to our new feeder club for the rest of the season. Also on loan is last years cover-signing Darnel Situ, who is sent out with an option to be bought by Wigan should they decide to do so.
Here's a closer look at the two signings, based on the reports my scouts have drafted for me:
I don't think this guy needs any explanation. His stats and reputation speak for itself.
For his age he looks quite promising, and once he develops the aspects of his game that can only come through experience he might very well become a strong striker.
________________________________________________ _______________________
We played a fair number of friendlies to get ready for the new season.
All in all a very good display, the rather weak opener against Toulouse was more than made up for by the very dominant performance we had against last years Portuguese league runner-up Sporting.
As anticipated, the board once more demands that we take the league title, and I am reasonably assured that the squad is up for the challenge.
________________________________________________ _______________________
---------- Post added at 06:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:41 PM ----------
AUGUST 2017
The scampaign kicks of with a rather straight-forward month. Four matches to be played - one of them being a cup game - spread out evenly over the coming weeks will allow us to ease into the season.
That we will be pitted against some quite weak opposition is certainly not a bad thing to start with.
_______________________________________________________________________
DFB POKAL 2017/2018 - FIRST ROUND
An impressive 25.000 fans came out on this day to watch the game that had us face off against 3.Liga outfit Magdeburg on their home soil. The gap in class was apparent right from the kick-off, and it only took three minutes for us to get the lead when Andre broke down the defense and converted. Bacci doubled the score not much later, heading it in from a corner kick before his defensive partner Celik added yet one more from another set piece. Andre got his second goal at the half-hour mark and not much later set up Feghouli for his first of the season. With the game decided a long time ago, it was time for the substitutes to shine, and they did rather well although it was Andre again that scored the last goal of the game, completing his hat-trick with a stunning curled shot from the corner of the box.
A solid victory in the cup, and considering the relative strength of our opponents, no less than I expected. I hope we can keep build on this performance.
_______________________________________________________________________
Fans of newly promoted Furth will have wished that they had stayed home on this day as we completely dominated the game from start to finish. Sribnyi started the rout with a screamer from the edge of the area and had much to do with setting up Andre later to double the score.
The Brazilian added yet another late in the first half to put the game effectively away. It never looked like the game might shift, and so it was time once more for the substitutes to shine.
It was the remaining starters, however, who got the goals when a quickfire double by Bacci and Andre completed the scoring for the day.
After the second hat-trick in two matches, Andre has finally beaten the all-time club record for goals scored, and I can only imagine how many more are sure to follow.
_______________________________________________________________________
A rather good match against Wolfsburg saw our luck run out in the final minutes. We were pelting the target from the very first moments of the game but were somehow unable to put anything past the goalkeeper. It took until the closing minutes to finally get the well deserved goal through Ozil, but a lapse in concentration in defense saw us concede a very late equalizer.
Judging by the performances of both teams on the pitch, we were robbed of the win.
Despite not getting the victory, this match marked yet another record. Breaking the previous best in the Bundesliga for most games without loosing - also set by us -we are now undefeated for thirty games and counting.
_______________________________________________________________________
With a landmark game coming up in only a few days time, this fixture was one that had to be fought with many designated substitutes in the starting line-up.
I am very please at how well the team performed, and the game was at no point in any real danger to end in any other way than with a victory for us. Andre got the early goal before I took him off in the first half to give him some rest, but despite a great many more chances it took all the way to the second half for us to double the lead. Celik added the goal with one of his trademark headers from a corner kick before Fernandez finalized the scoring in the late minutes of the game.
A solid performance and a well deserved victory, and hopefully we can take the momentum to the next match - the UEFA Super Cup against Roma in four days.
_______________________________________________________________________
With only three matches played in the league, it is too early to make any real assessment of the team and our performance. We played well and the team seems well up for the tasks ahead, although the absence of Kroos has been quite noticeable. Time for someone to step up to orchestrate the midfield.
_______________________________________________________________________
Dunno why but I never did as well as this before. I did use a lot of the tricks I taught myself over the years, mostly in terms of getting top-class talent for cheap or free, and it helped a lot. And that I have no restrictions on players, no work permits etc certainly helped.
I guess I need to stop winning things pretty soon as I am running out of ideas for the post-season newspaper....
Ah well, more updates in a little bit.
Micky
________________________________________________ _______________________
---------- Post added at 07:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:57 PM ----------
MAY 2017
Although the league is all but over I still want go out with a strong showing in the final match.
Whatever happens in those next few weeks will bring an end to an epic season, and I can't wait for some much deserved time off to regrow my fingernails.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
With nothing to play for anymore for either team, this last match of the season turned out to be a quite unremarkable one. I was honestly more concerned with keeping my players injury-free and so played it rather safe. We went down one goal early on, but Koln was lacking the true desire to take the game, and so the equalizer was scored only minutes later when Korotestkyi converted with a strong header. It could have gone either way, with both teams getting a few chances to take the lead, but in the end it was Andre that calmly converted from the spot after Ben Arfa had been brought down in the box.
Some might say we should have played more first-team starters to give the fans a season finale to remember, but we did just enough to get a win, and it was much more important for me to keep the key players out of harms way for the final game.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
And thus ends another great Bundesliga season, with us claiming the title for the second year in a row. We managed to shatter the previous record of 76 points set by Stuttgart by finishing with 83 points, and quite possibly one of the best goal differences to date.
The last match-day saw Leverkusen leap ahead of Stuttgart for second place, Bayern to secure their first spot in a European Competition in three years, and Nurnberg facing the danger of relegation in the play-offs.
I have to admit, should our former parent club make the drop I would be quite tempted to be cheeky and recommend them as a new feeder club for us.
All in all, we did what was expected and I am proud of my guys.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
After this great title winning season, we are once more present in ample numbers in the Bundesliga awards for the year.
I do wonder why we were left out of the goalkeeper awards, my only clue is that Meza didn't play enough games as I used Vargas in a number of matches, but his performances alone should have warranted an award.
With only fifteen goals conceded, there was really no surprise that we were present in the defender section. To actually get both our starting center backs to take the top spots is certainly a great reflection of our solid backfield.
Since we were rotating our midfielders so much during the season, I didn't think we had enough to get a spot here, but lo and behold, Ozil took the top spot. He proved to be a fantastic signing, could always be relied upon when he was out on the pitch, and truly deserves his award.
No real surprise here, Andre is quickly becoming one of the worlds top players. He played fantastic this season, scoring and assisting and always threatening in the big games.
He surely must go down as one of the best bargains ever struck in football, signing with us for 700.000 Euros only 4 years ago and now being valued at over 35 Million.
And yes, I did remember the scout who found him, and yes, he did get a huge raise.
Another great award for our strong striker Skuletic. Time and again showing leathal touch and never being too selfish to pass, he more than deserves this award.
Third place for our captain Toni Kroos is another great achievement for this guy in his first year on our side. He fit in right from the start and orchestrated the midfield like no other, he certainly is another magnificent capture for us.
The crowning moment has to be our presence in the team of the year, our presence in both defense and attack a clear indicator of why we did win the league.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
With all those ceremonies, and with winning the league once more, yours truly has also been awarded with the two available manager awards:
__________________________________________________ _____________________
It certainly feels great to get recognition from other players and managers, but the best reward is one of my own guys thanks me for his own award. He truly deserves his success, playing a fantastic season and recently even being capped for the Italy national squad, and all that while still in his early twenties. It won't be long before this player will become a club legend.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
END OF SEAS....
...wait, am I not forgetting something?
Right, yes, the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL is still to come
Right, yes, the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL is still to come
__________________________________________________ _____________________
---------- Post added at 06:35 PM ---------- Previous post was yesterday at 07:34 PM ----------
MAY 2017 (Continued)
The season in the league has ended, and we have close to two weeks to prepare ourselves for the historic Champions League final against Manchester City.
Playing against the team that ended our run last year is sure to add some extra incentives, and although we lost on aggregate the last time, we have proven that we can beat them.
To prepare for the match we arranged a friendly game against lower league Markt Schwaben, and with a resounding 9-0 blow-out victory, the morale is as high as ever.
Although a few players are starting to become unsettled, considering to move on, I am confident that once the final whistle has blow they will reconsider, looking back at what we have achieved this season.
Another great event took place, a further testament to our growing stature:
We signed former German national player Mehmet Scholl for our backroom, who left the assistant manager position at Bayern Munchen to become a "mere" coach for our team.
If that doesn't show we are a top team I don't know what will.
With the team prepared and ready to go, there's nothing left to say before the
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2016/2017 - FINAL
After our stellar season, we were considered slight favorites for this finals game, no doubt aided by the fact that Manchester City was missing a lot of key players due to injury or suspension. With our starters on the other hand all being fit and available, we ran out there to exact revenge for last years semi-final defeat, and it only took a few minutes before Erman Celik started the scoring with a booming header from a corner kick. City looked stunned, nervous even, and although they mounted a few attempts on our goal, there was no real threat on any of their efforts. The second half saw us gain even more of the game, increasing our possession, improving the pass play, and ultimately even doubling our lead when Andre found the channel for an easy one-on-one conversion. One of the few good chances by our opponents saw Jim Bird only be denied by a solid Meza in goal, but in the end it was our guys again that got the goal when Ben Arfa nicked the ball off of the last defender and calmly converted.
I did believe we had a good chance to win this match, but being so utterly dominant was even beyond my imagination. So, with that said
**** YEAH!!!!!!
WE WON THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
________________________________________________ _______________________
________________________________________________ _______________________
I won't deny that we had a lot of luck on our side to get this coveted title, but I certainly won't complain about how it went.
When I remember how only eight years ago I was managing a semi-professional club, barely valued at 100.000 Euros I cannot believe that this same club is now one of the wealthiest in the world, and part of a very elite circle of teams to have claimed the Champions League title.
Wow, my head is spinning.
To wrap up the season, here's a quick recap of the final stages:
________________________________________________ _______________________
After the fantastic run, and the final victory, all that is left is to give honor where honor is due:
Double honors for our star player Andre, one of the rising global superstars, and there's simply no denying that he was the driving force behind us getting this far. This kid is simply too good for words, collecting awards left and right and is already our all-time top scorer, and a Brazil national team first choice player.
I think this dream team selection shows why we got so far: deadly finishing with Andre, but equally important, if not more so, the top-class and solid defense from our center backs Bacci and Celik and our top goalkeeper Meza. And all is held together by the creative driving force in midfield, represented by Ozil and Ben Arfa. Truly deserved honors for those guys.
________________________________________________ _______________________
Coming in second to a legend like Cristiano Ronaldo is certainly no shame, and after the solid season Adrien had for us, this award is more than deserved.
And yes, yours truly has also received further honor. Rumor has it that I am henceforth regarded as a legend for the club I helped rise to the top.
________________________________________________ _______________________
Before we all head off for some well deserved rest, here's a final look at the squad that achieved the seemingly impossible this season:
In only a few short weeks the whole circus will start again, new faces, new challenges and one more title to defend.
________________________________________________ _______________________
END OF SEASON 8: 2016/2017
(For real this time)
(For real this time)
---------- Post added at 05:41 PM ---------- Previous post was yesterday at 06:35 PM ----------
SEASON 9: 2017/2018
PRE-SEASON 2017
In the wake of the amazing double from last season, we climbed a few more spots to 33rd place in the European club rankings.
A new sponsor is also on board, and the redevelopment of our training facilities is underway as we speak.
We created a link with Eintracht Frankfurt as a new feeder club, and this 2.Bundesliga team is certain to become a good place for our not-quite-ready-for-primetime players to gain the experience needed to fight for a first team spot.
Before even the pre-season preparations could begin, we were handed a shock:
Toni Kroos has broken his leg in this years Confederation Cup and will be unavailable for at least three month, if not longer. We do have great cover in midfield, but loosing a player of his caliber for so long is a heavy blow nonetheless.
________________________________________________ _______________________
In the run-up to the season we were having a relatively quiet transfer period.
Already completed in January, veteran goalkeeper Rene Adler has finally joined our squad, coming over from Leverkusen after the end of his previous contract.
Admittedly, the goalkeeper position is in no real need for improvement, with Wilmer Meza providing safe hands whenever called upon in recent years, but I just could not in good conscience pass up the opportunity to sign Rene for free. I will use this new signing to put pressure on Wilmer, as he has at times played too complacent with little competition for his spot, and alternate those two keepers in the upcoming season. I still have high hopes for my current backup Vargas, but he is developing a bit slower than I had hoped, so in the meantime I will have him gain experience on a loan spell.
The second signing was a highly recommended youngster from Bayern Munchen. My scouts were once more not shy to heap praise on this player, and I decided to use up some of my funds to secure his signature. Lechner is already part of the Germany U-20 squad at only 15 years of age and I hope he can mature enough in the coming years to be a real threat up front.
This season we didn't sell any of our players, although for a moment I was considering a rather tempting offer for Feghouli - 15 Million from Genoa - but in the end decided to keep him. He is a great player, and with Kroos out for a while and Ben Arfa not getting any younger he is still very much part of my plans.
We loaned out Vargas to Athletico and last years signing Hansen to our new feeder club for the rest of the season. Also on loan is last years cover-signing Darnel Situ, who is sent out with an option to be bought by Wigan should they decide to do so.
Here's a closer look at the two signings, based on the reports my scouts have drafted for me:
I don't think this guy needs any explanation. His stats and reputation speak for itself.
For his age he looks quite promising, and once he develops the aspects of his game that can only come through experience he might very well become a strong striker.
________________________________________________ _______________________
We played a fair number of friendlies to get ready for the new season.
All in all a very good display, the rather weak opener against Toulouse was more than made up for by the very dominant performance we had against last years Portuguese league runner-up Sporting.
As anticipated, the board once more demands that we take the league title, and I am reasonably assured that the squad is up for the challenge.
________________________________________________ _______________________
---------- Post added at 06:49 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:41 PM ----------
AUGUST 2017
The scampaign kicks of with a rather straight-forward month. Four matches to be played - one of them being a cup game - spread out evenly over the coming weeks will allow us to ease into the season.
That we will be pitted against some quite weak opposition is certainly not a bad thing to start with.
_______________________________________________________________________
DFB POKAL 2017/2018 - FIRST ROUND
An impressive 25.000 fans came out on this day to watch the game that had us face off against 3.Liga outfit Magdeburg on their home soil. The gap in class was apparent right from the kick-off, and it only took three minutes for us to get the lead when Andre broke down the defense and converted. Bacci doubled the score not much later, heading it in from a corner kick before his defensive partner Celik added yet one more from another set piece. Andre got his second goal at the half-hour mark and not much later set up Feghouli for his first of the season. With the game decided a long time ago, it was time for the substitutes to shine, and they did rather well although it was Andre again that scored the last goal of the game, completing his hat-trick with a stunning curled shot from the corner of the box.
A solid victory in the cup, and considering the relative strength of our opponents, no less than I expected. I hope we can keep build on this performance.
_______________________________________________________________________
Fans of newly promoted Furth will have wished that they had stayed home on this day as we completely dominated the game from start to finish. Sribnyi started the rout with a screamer from the edge of the area and had much to do with setting up Andre later to double the score.
The Brazilian added yet another late in the first half to put the game effectively away. It never looked like the game might shift, and so it was time once more for the substitutes to shine.
It was the remaining starters, however, who got the goals when a quickfire double by Bacci and Andre completed the scoring for the day.
After the second hat-trick in two matches, Andre has finally beaten the all-time club record for goals scored, and I can only imagine how many more are sure to follow.
_______________________________________________________________________
A rather good match against Wolfsburg saw our luck run out in the final minutes. We were pelting the target from the very first moments of the game but were somehow unable to put anything past the goalkeeper. It took until the closing minutes to finally get the well deserved goal through Ozil, but a lapse in concentration in defense saw us concede a very late equalizer.
Judging by the performances of both teams on the pitch, we were robbed of the win.
Despite not getting the victory, this match marked yet another record. Breaking the previous best in the Bundesliga for most games without loosing - also set by us -we are now undefeated for thirty games and counting.
_______________________________________________________________________
With a landmark game coming up in only a few days time, this fixture was one that had to be fought with many designated substitutes in the starting line-up.
I am very please at how well the team performed, and the game was at no point in any real danger to end in any other way than with a victory for us. Andre got the early goal before I took him off in the first half to give him some rest, but despite a great many more chances it took all the way to the second half for us to double the lead. Celik added the goal with one of his trademark headers from a corner kick before Fernandez finalized the scoring in the late minutes of the game.
A solid performance and a well deserved victory, and hopefully we can take the momentum to the next match - the UEFA Super Cup against Roma in four days.
_______________________________________________________________________
With only three matches played in the league, it is too early to make any real assessment of the team and our performance. We played well and the team seems well up for the tasks ahead, although the absence of Kroos has been quite noticeable. Time for someone to step up to orchestrate the midfield.
_______________________________________________________________________
TheHelpfulDevil
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I was reading this story a while back and lost ittrack of it. Happy that i have found it again. oh it is really good that you are doing so well and written really well too. well done. keep up the good work. + 1
Micky Pain
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Thanks all.
I hope this season can turn out even better than the last...
Not to say too much, but there's a few more great achievements coming soon (I am in early December in the game now).
Anyway, I hope I can do a few more quick updates this week, but I am quite swamped at work and also doing a test for another company I am in talks with for a fantastic job, so it might be a bit slow in the coming weeks.
Micky
________________________________________________ _______________________
I hope this season can turn out even better than the last...
Not to say too much, but there's a few more great achievements coming soon (I am in early December in the game now).
Anyway, I hope I can do a few more quick updates this week, but I am quite swamped at work and also doing a test for another company I am in talks with for a fantastic job, so it might be a bit slow in the coming weeks.
Micky
________________________________________________ _______________________
Micky Pain
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Alright, some time has passed since I last updated this, but it's been quite a busy period the last few weeks.
Soo..there will be a few more updates coming up soon, most likely towards the coming weekend.
Just as a heads-up.
.
Micky
Soo..there will be a few more updates coming up soon, most likely towards the coming weekend.
Just as a heads-up.
.
Micky
samillyroy
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incredible.
spent ages reading this, really ****** up my revision routine
but who gives a ****.
you're incredible.
congratulations und viel gluck zum Zukunft! (not sure how right that is?)
would love to check out the german lower leagues, im a big fan of german football anyway so this is osmething to aspire too.
you crazy, crazy beast.
spent ages reading this, really ****** up my revision routine
but who gives a ****.
you're incredible.
congratulations und viel gluck zum Zukunft! (not sure how right that is?)
would love to check out the german lower leagues, im a big fan of german football anyway so this is osmething to aspire too.
you crazy, crazy beast.
Micky Pain
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Thanks for the patience, guys. Been quite crazy the last few weeks, didn't even get to play any myself, and although it doesn't seem like the rush to finish our new project is letting off any time soon, at least I'm not that crazy about it, so I certainly won't go out of my way to put in extra hours.
Meaning, hopefully I can keep the updates regular for as long as this story is going on.
So, without further ado, on to the next month....
.
Micky
________________________________________________ _______________________
SEPTEMBER 2017
September will be a monumental month. With no less than seven games in four different competitions it will take all our determination and strength to see this month through.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
UEFA SUPER CUP 2017
Another historic match started off the month, this time in the form of our first ever appearance in the UEFA Super Cup. The odds were fairly even for this match, with the bookmakers giving Roma a slight edge over us, but it became rather clear right from the first whistle that my guys came out here to win. A seemingly stunned Roma side succumbed to some relentless pressure, and only minutes into the match we got the lead when Feghouli converted a strong volley from more than 20 yards out. In the space of only three minutes we increased the lead to three goals, first through Petar Skuletic who hammered the ball past a powerless keeper and just moments later through Mesut Ozil, running past the defense and passing the ball into the net. Moments before half-time, Roma managed to pull one back, capitalizing on a poor clearance following a corner kick.
Roma came out strong in the second half, scoring once again to get the game back into their reach, but they failed to take advantage of their brief spell of dominance and allowed us to regain control of the game. After Skuletic got his second goal of the game, their spirit was obviously broken, and we managed to see the game through to the final whistle without any further danger on our goal.
Not only did we manage to break the previous record of goals scored in the Super Cup, but with the victory we have earned ourselves a spot in the Club World Cup in December.
Not a bad way to start a tough month.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
Although Stuttgart has proved to be one of the best teams in the Bundesliga in the previous years, I am a little bit disappointed with the result in a game that we should have won by a comfortable margin had it not been for our own mistakes. We had tons of chances, and good ones at that, but it was our opponents that got the two goal lead early on. Despite the mistakes that lead to the goals, I am proud of my guys for never letting the game completely slip away, and we were rewarded in the first half for our strong display when Skuletic pulled one back for our side. After some unlucky misses and some great saves from the Stuttgart keeper we eventually managed to draw level close to the final whistle.
As I said, by the numbers alone we should have won, but ultimately there's more to getting the win than just statistics, so I guess a draw is a good result, more so against a team that is certain to challenge us for the title.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
This match turned out to be a rather unremarkable affair, with few chances and on the whole quite uninspired play. We did have a few good moments, but in the end the first-half goal by Skuletic remained the only real highlight on this September evening.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
PAIN GOES INTERNATIONAL!!!!
Well, for anyone who followed my career to this point it should be quite apparent that I have a fondness for players from the South American continent, and Brazil in particular. To this day a number of Brazilians have played for our team, and helped us immensely to get to where we find ourselves today. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that I immediately applied for the national job after Alex had been sacked, following a string of rather poor results in the run-up to the upcoming World Cup.
I was really only applying on a hunch, not putting much hope into actually being a strong contender for the post, but I suppose the amazing things we have achieved at the club level have been enough to tip the scales in my favor. I do have a few things in mind that I want to try with the squad for the remaining games in the CONMEBOL Qualifying Section. There are only two matches remaining in the group, and the table is all but decided. For us it will be a battle with Uruguay to determine who will qualify and who will be forced into the play-off spot.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE- GROUP STAGE
Kicking off the Champions League group stage against arguably the weakest team in the pack should help us build some confidence before the tougher matches against Celtic and Liverpool in the coming weeks.
It was a match that was ours right from the kick-off, and a quickfire double by Ozil and Andre's penalty put any speculation about a possible upset to rest before the half-hour mark.
I was hoping for maybe a few more scores to bolster our goal-difference, but the solid defensive and midfield work we put in did fine just as well.
In the end we did get yet another score close to the final whistle when Feghouli curled in a precise free-kick from the edge of the area for a result that quite accurately tells the story of the match.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
With only a few short days since our last match, the legs of my starters where showing the signs of fatigue, but bolstered with a few rested substitutes we managed to completely dominate this game, not allowing a single shot to get even close to our own goal.
Sergiy Sribnyi gave us the lead when he calmly converted a perfect Ozil cross with his head, but despite some relentless pressure it took all the way to the second half for Andre to score the second and final goal of the match.
On the whole, a very solid match in all areas of the pitch, and although we could have scored more I am very happy the display, never looking like we needed more goals to record a comfortable victory.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
DFB POKAL 2017/2018 - SECOND ROUND
With a second string team, following a run of tiring games the week before, we still turned on the pressure in this second round cup tie. Pelting the target from all angles, it was only a man-of-the-match performance by the Ingolstadt goalie that kept the score low. In the end, it was a Bacci header that marked the only goal of the game, enough to see us through to the next round.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
To finish off this tough month, we played mid-table Koln, and right from the first shot on target - and a goal by Ozil at that - it became clear that we came out here today to win.
Our opposition put up a brave fight, racking up a few good chances, but in the end it was our determination that gave us the two goal lead, enough to comfortably see the game through.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
After a jam-packed month full of events and great scores, we have yet another club record in the form of Leonard Bacci becoming the most veteran player in the squad in terms of games played - and at only 24 years of age no less. And I have absolutely no plans of parting ways with this Italian national player in the foreseeable future.
The undefeated run continues, cementing us firmly at the top of the table.
I am quite happy with the matches we played, more so considering the amount of games we had to play without ever looking too tired to demonstrate our determination.
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Meaning, hopefully I can keep the updates regular for as long as this story is going on.
So, without further ado, on to the next month....
.
Micky
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SEPTEMBER 2017
September will be a monumental month. With no less than seven games in four different competitions it will take all our determination and strength to see this month through.
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UEFA SUPER CUP 2017
Another historic match started off the month, this time in the form of our first ever appearance in the UEFA Super Cup. The odds were fairly even for this match, with the bookmakers giving Roma a slight edge over us, but it became rather clear right from the first whistle that my guys came out here to win. A seemingly stunned Roma side succumbed to some relentless pressure, and only minutes into the match we got the lead when Feghouli converted a strong volley from more than 20 yards out. In the space of only three minutes we increased the lead to three goals, first through Petar Skuletic who hammered the ball past a powerless keeper and just moments later through Mesut Ozil, running past the defense and passing the ball into the net. Moments before half-time, Roma managed to pull one back, capitalizing on a poor clearance following a corner kick.
Roma came out strong in the second half, scoring once again to get the game back into their reach, but they failed to take advantage of their brief spell of dominance and allowed us to regain control of the game. After Skuletic got his second goal of the game, their spirit was obviously broken, and we managed to see the game through to the final whistle without any further danger on our goal.
Not only did we manage to break the previous record of goals scored in the Super Cup, but with the victory we have earned ourselves a spot in the Club World Cup in December.
Not a bad way to start a tough month.
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Although Stuttgart has proved to be one of the best teams in the Bundesliga in the previous years, I am a little bit disappointed with the result in a game that we should have won by a comfortable margin had it not been for our own mistakes. We had tons of chances, and good ones at that, but it was our opponents that got the two goal lead early on. Despite the mistakes that lead to the goals, I am proud of my guys for never letting the game completely slip away, and we were rewarded in the first half for our strong display when Skuletic pulled one back for our side. After some unlucky misses and some great saves from the Stuttgart keeper we eventually managed to draw level close to the final whistle.
As I said, by the numbers alone we should have won, but ultimately there's more to getting the win than just statistics, so I guess a draw is a good result, more so against a team that is certain to challenge us for the title.
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This match turned out to be a rather unremarkable affair, with few chances and on the whole quite uninspired play. We did have a few good moments, but in the end the first-half goal by Skuletic remained the only real highlight on this September evening.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
PAIN GOES INTERNATIONAL!!!!
Well, for anyone who followed my career to this point it should be quite apparent that I have a fondness for players from the South American continent, and Brazil in particular. To this day a number of Brazilians have played for our team, and helped us immensely to get to where we find ourselves today. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that I immediately applied for the national job after Alex had been sacked, following a string of rather poor results in the run-up to the upcoming World Cup.
I was really only applying on a hunch, not putting much hope into actually being a strong contender for the post, but I suppose the amazing things we have achieved at the club level have been enough to tip the scales in my favor. I do have a few things in mind that I want to try with the squad for the remaining games in the CONMEBOL Qualifying Section. There are only two matches remaining in the group, and the table is all but decided. For us it will be a battle with Uruguay to determine who will qualify and who will be forced into the play-off spot.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE- GROUP STAGE
Kicking off the Champions League group stage against arguably the weakest team in the pack should help us build some confidence before the tougher matches against Celtic and Liverpool in the coming weeks.
It was a match that was ours right from the kick-off, and a quickfire double by Ozil and Andre's penalty put any speculation about a possible upset to rest before the half-hour mark.
I was hoping for maybe a few more scores to bolster our goal-difference, but the solid defensive and midfield work we put in did fine just as well.
In the end we did get yet another score close to the final whistle when Feghouli curled in a precise free-kick from the edge of the area for a result that quite accurately tells the story of the match.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
With only a few short days since our last match, the legs of my starters where showing the signs of fatigue, but bolstered with a few rested substitutes we managed to completely dominate this game, not allowing a single shot to get even close to our own goal.
Sergiy Sribnyi gave us the lead when he calmly converted a perfect Ozil cross with his head, but despite some relentless pressure it took all the way to the second half for Andre to score the second and final goal of the match.
On the whole, a very solid match in all areas of the pitch, and although we could have scored more I am very happy the display, never looking like we needed more goals to record a comfortable victory.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
DFB POKAL 2017/2018 - SECOND ROUND
With a second string team, following a run of tiring games the week before, we still turned on the pressure in this second round cup tie. Pelting the target from all angles, it was only a man-of-the-match performance by the Ingolstadt goalie that kept the score low. In the end, it was a Bacci header that marked the only goal of the game, enough to see us through to the next round.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
To finish off this tough month, we played mid-table Koln, and right from the first shot on target - and a goal by Ozil at that - it became clear that we came out here today to win.
Our opposition put up a brave fight, racking up a few good chances, but in the end it was our determination that gave us the two goal lead, enough to comfortably see the game through.
__________________________________________________ _____________________
After a jam-packed month full of events and great scores, we have yet another club record in the form of Leonard Bacci becoming the most veteran player in the squad in terms of games played - and at only 24 years of age no less. And I have absolutely no plans of parting ways with this Italian national player in the foreseeable future.
The undefeated run continues, cementing us firmly at the top of the table.
I am quite happy with the matches we played, more so considering the amount of games we had to play without ever looking too tired to demonstrate our determination.
__________________________________________________ _____________________