Mpache Posted April 1, 2020 Share Posted April 1, 2020 First time I've slaughtered a Chinese team on stats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Dan+ Posted April 2, 2020 Subscriber Share Posted April 2, 2020 This season then. Following a 5th placed finish in 2023/24, I was expected to go one better and qualify for the Champions League. For me, this was a big ask but one I was happy to take on - we finished last season strongly so I was happy to persist with the style that we finished with and I recruited with players who fit into this. We were given a lovely budget, one of the best I've had. The obvious threats to me were Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig. For me there's a 'big six' in this league, with Bayern, Dortmund and Schalke your usual top three, in that order, and then us, RB Leipzig and Leverkusen in the next tier down, so ultimately the battle I felt was with those two for 4th. These were my transfers, and my re-gens shown below. For me I felt we recruited strongly, lots of good deals that will tie the club up for the future, with Mendy the pick of them for me, an absolute bargain. We started brilliantly, with the opening months seeing just the one real blip in the form of a poor defeat to Freiburg, the club fast becoming our bogey side. Leipzig was a disappointing result too but the good part is that's because they had started terribly - we were leaving both them and Leverkusen well behind early doors and in-fact I believe we were 2nd after this run of games. Bayern top obviously, though that didn't stop them losing at our place, Dortmund and Schalke following us, but the surprise package of all teams were newly promoted Wolfsburg. They had made a flying start and they were keeping pressure on all of us. Europa League progression looked an inevitability, and it was nice to see us not blow the cup early doors this time. The most notable improvement was in defence. Galeno was always going to hit our attack and Amaral hadn't started very well, but we were keeping the goals out this year and once we were ahead, usually, it was game over, bar one last gasp collapse at Hoffenheim. We kept it going for a while, but late goals away from home started to become a real issue as we blew it at Schalke and Bochum as well right at the death - 6 points thrown away in injury time already. The Hamburg loss was awful and our away form was a real lowkey concern for us by this point, with a win at Dortmund weirdly the only victory in the league on the road. We did however have a 100% record at home, until Wolfsburg turned up and battered us. I have never seen a promoted side this good. They were routinely winning 3-0 in the league and I wasn't shocked that it was them who ended our run - extraordinarily, Wolfsburg finished at the half way stage top of the pile. We sat 3rd at this point. On course, but the cracks are beginning to appear. We pissed our Europa League group but the reformatting of the draw means that we'll have to wait to find out our opponents as we're now straight into the last 16 - where a win would see us hit that particular objective. January was absolutely abysmal and I think it was time for a change in system, and sadly, I feel like this is where things really went wrong. We were routinely failing to create a single meaningful chance for all of our possession - and the Leipzig result was an absolute disgrace, they remarkably sat bottom of the league going into that game. It prompted a change to a diamond gegenpressing system, which doesn't reflect well on the performance of my new wingers, but something needed to change. What it brought about was quite remarkable, a good win at Paderborn in the cup and a thumping of Hoffenheim, followed by my most impressive result on FM20 yet as we completed an unbelievable double over Bayern Munich. What's even more astounding is that this was only our second league away win - following the win at Dortmund What was I saying about the Europa League? One more round? We ran into PSG. Absolutely horrific luck. We finally got the result over Freiburg, but that was as good as things were going to get for us this month. We put in two very credible performances against PSG but it just wasn't enough. We were impressive against Mainz but once again we continue to drop points in stupid away games. The top 4 was a real problem at this point with Bayern, Schalke and Dortmund pulling clear as expected. Mainz as usual weren't too far off us, and Wolfsburg had tailed off but were looking like our most likely competitor, and the likelihood was that it was going to be us or them. We had however what looked a very kind run in, and were given an ironic, yet generous cup draw in the semis of the Pokal. What could go wrong? What an absolute disaster of a month. Schalke outclassed us and I think following the Freiburg win last month have become our official bogey team. We finally got another away win, once again at a tricky ground in Leverkusen (though they did have ten men) and from that game I thought we'd sail to a Champions League place as Wolfsburg's form continued to flounder. Then the Bochum double header. Oh dear, oh dear. The home game in the league was grim, we had a red card fairly early doors and were probably lucky to draw it against a side looking dangerously like going down. The cup game - just think Aston Villa v Leiceste a few weeks ago. As generous a draw as we could get in a semi final, blown in injury time. Absolute disaster for us. Hertha Berlin was a good performance in fairness, but yet another disappointing result on the road - I can't accept these draws away now that the home form has dried up. It's a straight shootout between us and Wolfsburg to come 4th, we mathematically cannot finish anywhere else other than 4th or 5th. Truly god awful. Hamburg was completely unacceptable but yet again Wolfsburg lost, meaning that we went into the game there level on points with them, albeit quite comfortably behind them on goal difference, meaning we really needed a win, and a loss effectively ending our season. Abysmal performance, complete no-show and the newly promoted side had the top 4 sewn up. Predictably they were well beaten on the final day too as we sent Bremen down, but it was too little, too late. We blew it. An incredibly attainable target and we completely threw it away. It really was pathetic in just about every way imaginable. Leverkusen and Leipzig had absolute horrors and we were pipped to it by a newly promoted side. It's gutting. To combine that with going out of the semis to Bochum too. It's just miserable. The league was extraordinarily tight and Leipzig went from bottom in April to looking like an outside for Europe with not long left, but blew it. But spare a thought for Bochum. If we were hurting, then they're frankly excruciating. They are relegated again, but also face local rivals Schalke in the cup final - having never won the competition before in their history. That might just be enough to put any Bochum fan off football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpache Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 @Dan I really like the look of that Amaral. I see you are buying off Portugal again as your hotbed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Dan+ Posted April 2, 2020 Subscriber Share Posted April 2, 2020 Amaral's been a huge disappointment for me. I think he's young enough and good enough to be a real asset for us but it was a disappointing first year from him, he hardly did anything really. It's quite a hit after the performances Galeno put in from the same position. I am going to stick with him though because he's obviously quite good. He just hasn't really done anything yet, bar scoring away at Koln. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Dan+ Posted April 2, 2020 Subscriber Share Posted April 2, 2020 Tell you what I've let Cristobal Martinez off big time there. That average rating is pathetic. Even worse than Amaral's. The wingers were a huge disappointment this season. Jaeckel had nothing like last year but in fairness to him it's hardly like he was surrounded by the same quality. I want to think those three can strike up some form though over the long term but it's going to need some real improvement. I'm not having the same joy from a simple two pacey wingers and pacey striker that I used to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpache Posted April 2, 2020 Share Posted April 2, 2020 6 hours ago, Dan said: Amaral's been a huge disappointment for me. I think he's young enough and good enough to be a real asset for us but it was a disappointing first year from him, he hardly did anything really. It's quite a hit after the performances Galeno put in from the same position. I am going to stick with him though because he's obviously quite good. He just hasn't really done anything yet, bar scoring away at Koln. Ah that's a shame. Hows your coaching staff looking by the way? They are a massive help to development if that wasn't obvious enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Dan+ Posted April 2, 2020 Subscriber Share Posted April 2, 2020 2 hours ago, Inti Brian said: Ah that's a shame. Hows your coaching staff looking by the way? They are a massive help to development if that wasn't obvious enough. Best in the league in basically every department. Top class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpache Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 Won the AFC Cup for the 4th time this year. I'll post my newest lineup and tactics soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpache Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 Yeah, the Cambodia Youth Only has beaten me. It's just too difficult and I've stagnated massively. For now, I'm going to use Regionalliga club in Bavaria known as Rain. Gonna lead them to glory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpache Posted April 4, 2020 Share Posted April 4, 2020 Rain didn't work out. So I took their similar in Berliner AK. Everything was panning out as I wanted it, then we lost on the final matchday and bottled the title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiley Culture Posted April 5, 2020 Author Share Posted April 5, 2020 How do you manage to amass 96 points, scoring 91 goals, across a season, finish (deservedly) second and go on to lose a play-off final 5-1? Gobsmacked by how mentally weak this Dagenham & Redbridge side are. Third season coming up with these now. We’ve made progress but I’m just worried now by how damaging that defeat at Wembley could be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpache Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 About to bottle it a 2nd season in a row. We were 11 points clear at one point and am about to lose the league title again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpache Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 3 hours ago, Smiley Culture said: How do you manage to amass 96 points, scoring 91 goals, across a season, finish (deservedly) second and go on to lose a play-off final 5-1? Gobsmacked by how mentally weak this Dagenham & Redbridge side are. Join the club. I'll post my final result in a second, but I find it utterly pathetic that we've thrown this away 2 years in a row. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpache Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 LOOK AT THIS FUCKING SHIT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpache Posted April 5, 2020 Share Posted April 5, 2020 Now we're in debt Those 2 bottlejobs are going to hurt us in the short term. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebird Hewitt Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 Got Bolton promoted in the end and quite comfortably. Could have gone tits up as I lost Mutch on the final day of the transfer window as his £2.2m release clause was activated, but managed to get Joe Williams from Wigan, who was as good as Mutch and cost around £1.2m, so good deal all round. Signed a young 18 year old for free whose already looking like a star in the making. Sold Olsson due to him getting on and his wages being quite high. Weir, who didn't play much last season, is surplus to requirements and has also been sold. Hobbs has now retired but barely played, while Abate will retire this season. Hoping to try and loan Brewster and Verlinden for a third consecutive season as they've been key for me. Got a few players who should make the step up but the depth is poor, especially up front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
...Dan Posted April 8, 2020 Share Posted April 8, 2020 We just had to beat Lorient on the final day to win the league Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Dan+ Posted April 9, 2020 Subscriber Share Posted April 9, 2020 Another fucking shit bottling side. Fuck off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpache Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 Update Berliner AK's financial situation had hindered us and we were going to be stuck in the 4th tier for 7 more years at that rate. So I resigned. I applied for a few jobs but got the Verl job in the West Regionalliga. I had 2 seasons of consolidation with the team where in the 3rd season we pissed away with the league and won the title with 5 games to spare. Then we beat Kickers Offenbach in the playoff semi's to promote us to the 3. Liga! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpache Posted April 10, 2020 Share Posted April 10, 2020 As for the current season... Accepted we'll fight relegation. I think we *should* stay up, but we've been performing quite poorly and our top players have grinded games on their own for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFCMike Posted April 11, 2020 Share Posted April 11, 2020 I'm playing FM Mobile. Played a season with Liverpool, won everything. Won the league with 107 points. Now time for a proper challenge. First season with Cowdenbeath done (I let the game randomly select my team until I got one from the lowest division). Won some cup (assume it's Scotland's version of the EFL trophy). Beat teams in higher divisions or SPL reserve sides all the way through. Falkirk who were top of League 1 at the time were seen off in extra time. Didn't get off to a great start in the league and Queens Park looked like they'd run away with it at one point. We inflicted their first defeat in November though and kept on their tails. We eventually went top in about March and gave ourselves a bit of a cushion going into the final five games. And it was needed. We drew two and lost two of the next four meaning we needed a win on the last day to secure promotion and the title. We beat bottom of the table Annan to finally get over the line Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpache Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 Finances have not been ideal. We've been screwed this season and I couldn't renew any contracts.Thankfully they chose to stay anyhow so I had the squad that helped me survive relegation last season in the 3. Liga. However, something amazing was about to happen that I had no clue we'd be even close to. WE WON PROMOTION! We had an awful start to the season but we fought back and finished 4th which put us up against 1860 Munchen in the Pro/Rel playoffs. We lost 3-2 at home but managed to turn it around in their own ground by beating them 2-0. 2. Bundesliga here we come! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subscriber Dan+ Posted April 12, 2020 Subscriber Share Posted April 12, 2020 Andorra is turning into a really fun little save. I'll do a bit of an analysis later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
...Dan Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 I've gone from winning the CL one season to finishing bottom of my group the next being seeded first for the first time didn't help, we were drawn alongside Real Madrid, Lazio and Borussia Monchengladbach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFCMike Posted April 12, 2020 Share Posted April 12, 2020 This is the situation in the league as we head into Christmas. Made a large number of signings in the summer for a total of £8k. Largely free transfers and one loan. The first eleven is very different to the one that got us promoted last season with just two regulars from last season being regulars this campaign. Change of formation to a 4321 (3 CMs and 2 AMs) has seen us starting to score a lot more goals and a run of 6 wins in the last 7 has opened up a bit of a gap to second place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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