Are you playing 14, nml? Most of the players demand most of those bonuses.... the only ones I add are the more outlandish ones like toty
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FM14 Mr. Manager Dynasty (Ivory Coast/Stade Rennais)
- Thread starter Travis7401
- Start date
I think I've about wrapped up my major transfer moves at this point, I still might bring in a few more young/backup type players and I still need to get rid of Grosicki somehow, then I'll be done with all my major wage hogs. I have an agreement to sell Grosicki and it should go through if he agrees to a new contract with the new club. I'm worried it might not because I doubt anyone is going to pay him 30k/week.
Out =
Feret - CAM - 1.7 M
Diallo - GK - 1.3 M
Pitropia - LAM - 10.5 M
Toivonen - ST - 6 M
Emerson - LB (released)
Boye - CB (released)
Gassama - RB (loaned for season @ 100%)
6 other Shitty players released/sold for free
3 other players loaned for the season at 100% wages paid (some of these dudes I have plans for in the future, but just make too much to be on the reserves)
Transfer Money Received = 19.5 M
In =
Kleber - ST - 1.3 M
Zaza - ST - 2.9 M
Propper - CAM - Free
Wague - CB - Free
Soares - RB - 350k
Planas - LB - 3.5 M
Transfer Money Spent = 8.1 M (though I did pay several million more in agent fees and shit in the wheeling and dealing process)
Basically I did a like for like exchange at most positions except for GK/LAM where I had extraneous starters. In General, I think I did a good job this transfer window of improving the defense with young backups with high potential who will become starters in the next few seasons (or this year in some cases). I also think I did a good job on the offensive side by swapping Toivonen and Ferret for 3 players who combined make 5k/week less in wages and have more upside going forward, while making a few million on the deal.
I guess I'm kind of regretting selling Ferret at this point because he did produce so well for me last season that he might be nice to have on the roster as an insurance blanket if the young guys don't produce... but by my evaluation methods he was making too much money now and that was only going to get worse in the remaining years of his contract. I also regret not selling Toivonen earlier when I was offered 11 Million. I didn't sell him at that point because I didn't have a single striker on the roster capable of starting and hadn't even found good deals on younger guys yet. By the time I secured Kleber, interest in Toivonen had plummeted and I felt pretty lucky to get enough to cover the transfers of the new strikers.
At this point I want to work on re-signing all the essential guys who have expiring contracts before I re-calculate how much money I might have left... then I'll do a final evaluation to see how much money I have to maybe make a final splash before the end of the transfer window (I'm planning on keeping some transfer/wage budget available for signing players on expiring contracts or picking up any great deals in the winter window).
(Planas wasn't official when I took this screenshot)
Out =
Feret - CAM - 1.7 M
Diallo - GK - 1.3 M
Pitropia - LAM - 10.5 M
Toivonen - ST - 6 M
Emerson - LB (released)
Boye - CB (released)
Gassama - RB (loaned for season @ 100%)
6 other Shitty players released/sold for free
3 other players loaned for the season at 100% wages paid (some of these dudes I have plans for in the future, but just make too much to be on the reserves)
Transfer Money Received = 19.5 M
In =
Kleber - ST - 1.3 M
Zaza - ST - 2.9 M
Propper - CAM - Free
Wague - CB - Free
Soares - RB - 350k
Planas - LB - 3.5 M
Transfer Money Spent = 8.1 M (though I did pay several million more in agent fees and shit in the wheeling and dealing process)
Basically I did a like for like exchange at most positions except for GK/LAM where I had extraneous starters. In General, I think I did a good job this transfer window of improving the defense with young backups with high potential who will become starters in the next few seasons (or this year in some cases). I also think I did a good job on the offensive side by swapping Toivonen and Ferret for 3 players who combined make 5k/week less in wages and have more upside going forward, while making a few million on the deal.
I guess I'm kind of regretting selling Ferret at this point because he did produce so well for me last season that he might be nice to have on the roster as an insurance blanket if the young guys don't produce... but by my evaluation methods he was making too much money now and that was only going to get worse in the remaining years of his contract. I also regret not selling Toivonen earlier when I was offered 11 Million. I didn't sell him at that point because I didn't have a single striker on the roster capable of starting and hadn't even found good deals on younger guys yet. By the time I secured Kleber, interest in Toivonen had plummeted and I felt pretty lucky to get enough to cover the transfers of the new strikers.
At this point I want to work on re-signing all the essential guys who have expiring contracts before I re-calculate how much money I might have left... then I'll do a final evaluation to see how much money I have to maybe make a final splash before the end of the transfer window (I'm planning on keeping some transfer/wage budget available for signing players on expiring contracts or picking up any great deals in the winter window).
(Planas wasn't official when I took this screenshot)
Here are all of my new signings again:
Kleber -
Zaza -
Propper -
Wague
Soares
Kleber -
Zaza -
Propper -
Wague
Soares
Soares is a twink. 9 balance, 9 strength, 7 jumping?That's not a big deal for a right back, but I thought you wouldn't sign twinks like that.
You mongs always put words in my mouth.
I certainly tailor my physical expectations of players based on their role, which is why I love Beasley and Teflon even though they are twinks. For wide players I'm more than okay with twinks as long as they are quick and fiesty. He has solid physical stats in the areas I value for a wing player (pace, accel, agility) and he looks fiesty with that 14 tackling rating. Plus, with me getting rid of Feret/Pitropia/Toivonen I was really lacking a good corner taker, so I loved his 14 corner rating.I should also mention that since I'm sort of in the rebuilding phase for the franchise I'm looking to get deals on players to fill that gap between my old players and my promising guys who are under 20. When you are looking for good deals on players in the 22-24 year old range, the selection is pretty limited.
As I look to add younger players to the team, that's where I can be more choosy about physical attributes because I know I'll have time to develop their skills
Fortunately for me, Stade Rennais already had a pretty solid crop of young players and I had a ton of regens with promise pop up too, so I haven't really bought anyone yet... but the first African regen date hits in October!
I'm just busting your chops
I would have him focus on his stamina, by the way. 11 stamina for a right back is asking for a substitution. At least for me, they tire fast. Although I do rely on my fullbacks to run up and down the field a lot.
Agreed, that's what I've got him working on right now in training. He's going to start out as a sub for Tony Danze anyway because Danze is still the starter as long as he plays like he did last season. I did notice that he was getting tired a lot in games toward the end of the year, so I knew I needed to pick up a sub who could come in and play at a high level and be the guy in the future.
Yeah, take a look at my second post for all the details about what I did to set up the database. I believe you can install the facepack after you've already started anyway, because I think it works as an update to the skin.
Oh yeah, Biyik decided to inform me that he thinks he might need to move to a more prestigious club at some point.... "Boss I think I need to be somewhere where I can play Champions League competition." I checked all over for the "HMMMMMMMM?????" response and then told him to fuck off.
Like 8 teams are trogging at me to buy him for 12-13 million. His "value" is 8m and I have to sign him to a new contract, so if he's being a real twat about wanting ridiculous wages I might just have to dump him and replace him with a cheaper player.
Like 8 teams are trogging at me to buy him for 12-13 million. His "value" is 8m and I have to sign him to a new contract, so if he's being a real twat about wanting ridiculous wages I might just have to dump him and replace him with a cheaper player.
I've had trouble scouting Africa for some reason, as I send my scouts and then they don't really find anyone, lol. I think I need to start scouting more manually.
Milo
Well-Known Member
Yeah. Use them manually on regen day. Go to a particular country's screen(Ivory Coast for example) and there should be a list of the most reputable clubs(ASEC should be one). Depending on how much time you want to take, you can decide how many teams you want to look through. Regens should have generated faces and, in Africa, should be at most 20 years old(maybe 21?).
Long-term, just have a scout follow U-19, U-21 competitions. Every once and awhile check through a country's youth teams and see if there's anyone interesting. New regens won't automatically be called up, but after a few months, any that you may have missed may show up.
Long-term, just have a scout follow U-19, U-21 competitions. Every once and awhile check through a country's youth teams and see if there's anyone interesting. New regens won't automatically be called up, but after a few months, any that you may have missed may show up.
I need to do a better job of managing my scouts in general, because they kind of blow at finding guys who interest me. I think I need to have a few dudes doing what they are currently doing, but then I need to set a few with more specific goals.
Milo
Well-Known Member
Do you play with attribute masking on or off? Scouts are good at wading through the bullshit and suggesting potential/hidden attributes with masking off, but aren't as important as they are with masking on. Without masking on, you should have a pretty comprehensive list of players on your player search screen, assuming you at least have your scouts in the regions you are interested in.
I'm playing with masking on, so really the key part is getting them to find all the attributes so I can even search for players properly.
So I sold off Grosicki for 150k (even though he's "worth" 1.9 Million) and my board and the fans flipped their shit about it, since we "lost" money on him because I guess he was a big transfer under the previous manager? Whatev, BTT MR. Manager struts to his own tune and that's $30k less dead money in weekly wages!
For the friendly matches, Mr. Manager decided to schedule 5 total matches and arranged them to provide maximum psychological benefit. Away matches against the top two teams in the world (Dortmund and Real Madrid in my save) followed by 3 winnable matches 2 against decent teams to give the starters a test but still confidence and 1 against some doormat to play the younger players. Mr. Manager wants to break the team down in the first two games and destroy all egos/hopes/dreams before reshaping them in the last three games.
As such, the games went about as expected against RM/Dortmund, with Mr. Manager starting inferior lineups and Dortmund/RM running amok over the team. Mr. Manager ripped the team at halftime and after the game and told them they were all worthless bags of shit and that they have no hope of ever competing in the Champions league if they are going to play like that. These matches were so ugly that I didn't even take screenshots
So with the team proberly humbled and shamed, Mr. Manager started to build them back up. The first real test of the preseason was against Santos Laguana, Were I tried out my 4-2-3-1 setup geared toward dominating lesser sides. Was up 2-0 within 10 minutes and Santos Laguna's only goal (and only real threat) came on a free kick. The team played brilliantly, and I was most pleased to see Soares putting in awesome crosses from that Right Fulback spot. Propper also had 2 key passes that lead to goals and another key pass that should have been a goal, but was shanked by Dembele who came on as a sub. Dembele made up for that poor shot by putting away a goal where he was assisted by Zaza who had come on as a sub. Kleber had a solid game before leaving with a slight injury just before half. He scored a "Fred" style garbage goal and provided some nice knockdowns, I forgot how much I like having a target man in the team.
I also experimented with a slightly rotated defensive line with players in their secondary positions, which will provide me with some rotation options for when the older Armand is tired and I still need a solid starting 4.
For the friendly matches, Mr. Manager decided to schedule 5 total matches and arranged them to provide maximum psychological benefit. Away matches against the top two teams in the world (Dortmund and Real Madrid in my save) followed by 3 winnable matches 2 against decent teams to give the starters a test but still confidence and 1 against some doormat to play the younger players. Mr. Manager wants to break the team down in the first two games and destroy all egos/hopes/dreams before reshaping them in the last three games.
As such, the games went about as expected against RM/Dortmund, with Mr. Manager starting inferior lineups and Dortmund/RM running amok over the team. Mr. Manager ripped the team at halftime and after the game and told them they were all worthless bags of shit and that they have no hope of ever competing in the Champions league if they are going to play like that. These matches were so ugly that I didn't even take screenshots
So with the team proberly humbled and shamed, Mr. Manager started to build them back up. The first real test of the preseason was against Santos Laguana, Were I tried out my 4-2-3-1 setup geared toward dominating lesser sides. Was up 2-0 within 10 minutes and Santos Laguna's only goal (and only real threat) came on a free kick. The team played brilliantly, and I was most pleased to see Soares putting in awesome crosses from that Right Fulback spot. Propper also had 2 key passes that lead to goals and another key pass that should have been a goal, but was shanked by Dembele who came on as a sub. Dembele made up for that poor shot by putting away a goal where he was assisted by Zaza who had come on as a sub. Kleber had a solid game before leaving with a slight injury just before half. He scored a "Fred" style garbage goal and provided some nice knockdowns, I forgot how much I like having a target man in the team.
I also experimented with a slightly rotated defensive line with players in their secondary positions, which will provide me with some rotation options for when the older Armand is tired and I still need a solid starting 4.
Since the Planas signing didn't work out, I re-evaluated my roster and decided that I have enough depth at the Fullback positions, given the fact that I've got 2 solid starters who can play each LB and RB position, with a third serviceable player who can play both. I'll still be looking to procure a promising LB in his early 20s to bridge the gap between M'Bengue and Prince Joffrey, but it isn't a pressing need.
What is a pressing need is finding another starting caliber player to play in the RAM spot (with hopefully enough versatility to play other spots). One thing I failed to consider in the Feret/Propper swap was the fact that Feret was the backup RAM as well. Anyways, I went out to find a 3start type RAM with good potential and I scored this dude for 3million and reasonable wages and he has amazing potential and almost a 14 average for his key ratings already. I think he's my favorite signing so far. He's also pretty good at corners and free kick taking and can play all 3 attacking mid spots.
Plus he's a dirty Greek, to make @Yankee181 mad. This will wrap up my major transfer window moves, and I'm holding 6 million in reserve to be used on transfer fees/wages of any great opportunities I come across this season.
What is a pressing need is finding another starting caliber player to play in the RAM spot (with hopefully enough versatility to play other spots). One thing I failed to consider in the Feret/Propper swap was the fact that Feret was the backup RAM as well. Anyways, I went out to find a 3start type RAM with good potential and I scored this dude for 3million and reasonable wages and he has amazing potential and almost a 14 average for his key ratings already. I think he's my favorite signing so far. He's also pretty good at corners and free kick taking and can play all 3 attacking mid spots.
Plus he's a dirty Greek, to make @Yankee181 mad. This will wrap up my major transfer window moves, and I'm holding 6 million in reserve to be used on transfer fees/wages of any great opportunities I come across this season.
Season Preview - Tactics
This year I've decided to change how I handle tactics. Last year I started with 3 very different formations and then sort of gravitated toward what was working in the end (4-2-3-1/4-5-1) and stuck with it. This year I'm going to start with a single main tactic that I tweak at the start of each match to take advantage of any specific matchups I see (this is how I operated last season) and then have the other two formation spots reserved for similar formations with two distinct styles that I gravitate toward most in game (attacking-possession or Counter-Direct)
All 3 of these formations will share common themes of being single striker formations with 2 wing players and a midfield triangle that all play close together with complementary roles (This is what lead to my success last season). The shape/location of the midfield trio depends on the tactics.
Here is my starting tactic, which is similar to what I used during my stretch run last season. Makoun is injured right now, but normally this setup places 3 of my best players in that tight midfield triangle. Pajot did an outstanding job as the AP starting from deep. Default instructions of "drop deeper" "shorter passing" "work ball into box" and "exploit the flanks." Really just take into account what my team is/isn't built well to do. The drop deeper instruction is my default defensive line setup because I don't have a lot of speed back there and fast players exploited me early last season before I started using that instruction. I will start with this formation in every game, provided injuries don't force me into something else. I'll adjust the instructions to fit the opponent in this formation only. The 4231 Counter and 4231 Attack will always stay as the same set of instructions so I can use them as a wholesale change in play if neccesary.
Counter attacking/Direct - This formation is very similar to my default formation, but I flip the midfield triangle and adjust the roles to provide more cover to the defense. Because I won't have as much midfield support going forward, I want to play fast pace direct passing to get the ball up to the wingers, who will then run at the defense and then drill crosses in. I like "drilled crosses" better when you plan on counter attacking and catching defenders spread out and out of position. This setup resulted in a ton of Oliviera's goals last season. Zaza looks to be a good player on the break, so I'm hoping he can do some damage in this setup.
Attacking-Possesion - I had good luck with something similar to this setup against inferior opponents. The key instruction here is "High Defensive Line" because it condenses the field and shrinks the gap between my midfielders and defenders. When I tried this formation with "drops deep" it left a horrible gap between the CMs and Defenders that got exploited. With the high line, this formation becomes great for attacking. It will be possession oriented and crosses will be floated since the defenders will be in position. Hopefully the big mong Kleber can use his size advantage. The downside to the high line is that my team doesn't have much defensive speed to cover on defense, so I'll only use this against teams who lack the speed to cause me problems. Against teams who play very negative formations/styles this formation is often what it took to get a goal.
This year I've decided to change how I handle tactics. Last year I started with 3 very different formations and then sort of gravitated toward what was working in the end (4-2-3-1/4-5-1) and stuck with it. This year I'm going to start with a single main tactic that I tweak at the start of each match to take advantage of any specific matchups I see (this is how I operated last season) and then have the other two formation spots reserved for similar formations with two distinct styles that I gravitate toward most in game (attacking-possession or Counter-Direct)
All 3 of these formations will share common themes of being single striker formations with 2 wing players and a midfield triangle that all play close together with complementary roles (This is what lead to my success last season). The shape/location of the midfield trio depends on the tactics.
Here is my starting tactic, which is similar to what I used during my stretch run last season. Makoun is injured right now, but normally this setup places 3 of my best players in that tight midfield triangle. Pajot did an outstanding job as the AP starting from deep. Default instructions of "drop deeper" "shorter passing" "work ball into box" and "exploit the flanks." Really just take into account what my team is/isn't built well to do. The drop deeper instruction is my default defensive line setup because I don't have a lot of speed back there and fast players exploited me early last season before I started using that instruction. I will start with this formation in every game, provided injuries don't force me into something else. I'll adjust the instructions to fit the opponent in this formation only. The 4231 Counter and 4231 Attack will always stay as the same set of instructions so I can use them as a wholesale change in play if neccesary.
Counter attacking/Direct - This formation is very similar to my default formation, but I flip the midfield triangle and adjust the roles to provide more cover to the defense. Because I won't have as much midfield support going forward, I want to play fast pace direct passing to get the ball up to the wingers, who will then run at the defense and then drill crosses in. I like "drilled crosses" better when you plan on counter attacking and catching defenders spread out and out of position. This setup resulted in a ton of Oliviera's goals last season. Zaza looks to be a good player on the break, so I'm hoping he can do some damage in this setup.
Attacking-Possesion - I had good luck with something similar to this setup against inferior opponents. The key instruction here is "High Defensive Line" because it condenses the field and shrinks the gap between my midfielders and defenders. When I tried this formation with "drops deep" it left a horrible gap between the CMs and Defenders that got exploited. With the high line, this formation becomes great for attacking. It will be possession oriented and crosses will be floated since the defenders will be in position. Hopefully the big mong Kleber can use his size advantage. The downside to the high line is that my team doesn't have much defensive speed to cover on defense, so I'll only use this against teams who lack the speed to cause me problems. Against teams who play very negative formations/styles this formation is often what it took to get a goal.
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Season Preview - Rumors of Debauchery... Is Mr. Manager Drinking again?
While Mr. Manager won the hearts and minds of both the Stade Rennais board and Stade Rennais fans last season with their improbable French Cup win and 2nd place finish in Ligue 1, all my not be well at whatever French town Stade Rennais are actually located in. You may recall that Mr. Manager actually destroyed the historic French Cup when he dropped it from the 20th story balcony of the hotel where the victory party was being held, in an effort to "motivate" the players for their remaining Ligue 1 games. Despite his winning ways, the Board of Directors for Stade Rennais were forced to issue him an ultimatum: Stop drinking or you're out.
Mr. Manager claims to have "quit the booze, Randy" but insiders point to a series of rash decisions, erratic behavior, and near obsessive clutching of his water bottle as signs that Mr. Manager may still be on the sauce. This off season, Mr. Manager allowed ligue 1 leading goal scorer and team MVP, Nelson Oliviera, to return to Sporting, despite the Board of directors begging Mr. Manager to pay his release fee of $9m. Mr. Manager also forced out Feret, Pitropia, and Toivionen; meaning that he's run 90% of last year's goal production out of the club. Some say he was raving "Wages, MUST SLASH WAGES" as he sold Toivonen for a mere $6m, while the board of directors assumed they could get nearly 3 times that amount for such a player, in an alternate (Canadian) universe. Many fans have begun to question the board for giving him so much authority over transfers.
Among other indiscretions, Mr. Manager is also accused of firing air-soft guns at the youth players. After a 3-0 win in a friendly, Mr. Manager screamed "IF YOU WANT TO CROWN THEIR ASS, THEN CROWN THEIR ASS" before storming out of the locker room, leaving the players befuddled. With hopes for Stade Rennais at historic highs due to Mr. Manger's eccentric, but winning ways, are we about to see a descent into madness?
While Mr. Manager won the hearts and minds of both the Stade Rennais board and Stade Rennais fans last season with their improbable French Cup win and 2nd place finish in Ligue 1, all my not be well at whatever French town Stade Rennais are actually located in. You may recall that Mr. Manager actually destroyed the historic French Cup when he dropped it from the 20th story balcony of the hotel where the victory party was being held, in an effort to "motivate" the players for their remaining Ligue 1 games. Despite his winning ways, the Board of Directors for Stade Rennais were forced to issue him an ultimatum: Stop drinking or you're out.
Mr. Manager claims to have "quit the booze, Randy" but insiders point to a series of rash decisions, erratic behavior, and near obsessive clutching of his water bottle as signs that Mr. Manager may still be on the sauce. This off season, Mr. Manager allowed ligue 1 leading goal scorer and team MVP, Nelson Oliviera, to return to Sporting, despite the Board of directors begging Mr. Manager to pay his release fee of $9m. Mr. Manager also forced out Feret, Pitropia, and Toivionen; meaning that he's run 90% of last year's goal production out of the club. Some say he was raving "Wages, MUST SLASH WAGES" as he sold Toivonen for a mere $6m, while the board of directors assumed they could get nearly 3 times that amount for such a player, in an alternate (Canadian) universe. Many fans have begun to question the board for giving him so much authority over transfers.
Among other indiscretions, Mr. Manager is also accused of firing air-soft guns at the youth players. After a 3-0 win in a friendly, Mr. Manager screamed "IF YOU WANT TO CROWN THEIR ASS, THEN CROWN THEIR ASS" before storming out of the locker room, leaving the players befuddled. With hopes for Stade Rennais at historic highs due to Mr. Manger's eccentric, but winning ways, are we about to see a descent into madness?
Season Preview - Ligue 1 Odds from Sky Bet
Journalists predict Stade Rennais will come down to earth after last season's stunning 2nd place finish. Sky Bet gives Stade Rennais 6:1 odds to win the Ligue 1 title, and predicts them to finish 5th in the league. Kana-Biyik is selected to the pre-season TOTY, which looks suspiciously exactly like last years TOTY. What lazy journalists.
Journalists predict Stade Rennais will come down to earth after last season's stunning 2nd place finish. Sky Bet gives Stade Rennais 6:1 odds to win the Ligue 1 title, and predicts them to finish 5th in the league. Kana-Biyik is selected to the pre-season TOTY, which looks suspiciously exactly like last years TOTY. What lazy journalists.
Season Preview - Final Two Friendly Matches.
Stade Rennais won 3-0 against some team with a really long name and then drew 1-1 on a late equalizer against blackpool. Mr. Manager was irate after the blackpool draw, claiming the players had foiled his perfectly planned pre-season. He took a big swig out of his water bottle and strutted off into the night.
Stade Rennais won 3-0 against some team with a really long name and then drew 1-1 on a late equalizer against blackpool. Mr. Manager was irate after the blackpool draw, claiming the players had foiled his perfectly planned pre-season. He took a big swig out of his water bottle and strutted off into the night.
Season Preview - Team Depth Charts
Senior Squad:
Reserve Squad:
U19 Squad:
Senior Squad:
Reserve Squad:
U19 Squad:
Game 1 - French Champions Trophy - PSG (neutral) - Win 0-0 (penalties 6-5)
Some may consider it merely an exhibition game, but Mr. Manager considered the French Champions Trophy another chance to assert his dominance over PSG (3 wins in a row over the ligue 1 champs). Stade Rennais completely dominated this game from start to finish, but the finishing from the new signings was severely lacking, as they only put a single shot on target out of 15 attempts. Mr. Manager fielded his attacking formation straight out of the gates and Stade Rennais were able to hold possession and limit PSG to a paltry 4 shots. Unfortunately, the dominance was not enough to secure a win in regular time, so the Champions trophy match went to penalties where Stade Rennais buried all 6 of their chances, a testament to Mr. Manager's ranting and raving about taking 50 penalty kicks per day. PSG also did well, but their 6th attempt was blocked.
Another day, another piece of silverware to add to Mr. Manager's growing collection. The Stade Rennais brass kept him away from the trophy this time...
Some may consider it merely an exhibition game, but Mr. Manager considered the French Champions Trophy another chance to assert his dominance over PSG (3 wins in a row over the ligue 1 champs). Stade Rennais completely dominated this game from start to finish, but the finishing from the new signings was severely lacking, as they only put a single shot on target out of 15 attempts. Mr. Manager fielded his attacking formation straight out of the gates and Stade Rennais were able to hold possession and limit PSG to a paltry 4 shots. Unfortunately, the dominance was not enough to secure a win in regular time, so the Champions trophy match went to penalties where Stade Rennais buried all 6 of their chances, a testament to Mr. Manager's ranting and raving about taking 50 penalty kicks per day. PSG also did well, but their 6th attempt was blocked.
Another day, another piece of silverware to add to Mr. Manager's growing collection. The Stade Rennais brass kept him away from the trophy this time...
Fat guy with amazing technical ratings? Who do you think I am?
Game 2 - Nice (H) - Draw 0-0 HMMMMM
Dominated the shit out of Nice, but couldn't get a goal. Have now played 180 minutes without a goal for the new signings. Attacking movement is great, but no one can seem to put a shot on target (despite my constant adherence to "work the ball into box" instruction). Hit the woodwork 3 times too.
Dominated the shit out of Nice, but couldn't get a goal. Have now played 180 minutes without a goal for the new signings. Attacking movement is great, but no one can seem to put a shot on target (despite my constant adherence to "work the ball into box" instruction). Hit the woodwork 3 times too.
Game 3 - Monaco(A) - Loss 1-2
Stade Rennais lost for the first time this season, in a game they again dominated. With 20 shots, 8 on target, and 5 key chances, SR were disappointed to have only scored one goal. Falcao was better at finishing, scoring on a header and a penalty. Tough game for Stade Rennais, but they know luck will turn. Alessiandrini was injured, and early predictions have him sitting out 7 weeks.
Stade Rennais lost for the first time this season, in a game they again dominated. With 20 shots, 8 on target, and 5 key chances, SR were disappointed to have only scored one goal. Falcao was better at finishing, scoring on a header and a penalty. Tough game for Stade Rennais, but they know luck will turn. Alessiandrini was injured, and early predictions have him sitting out 7 weeks.
Game 4 - AC Arles-Avignon (H) - Win 4-0 Finally Some Offensive Production!
This game felt much better. Offensive movement was still great like it was in the last few games, but this time the players actually finished their chances well. Was also gifted a penalty, which is always nice... but I'd rather have it come in a game where I needed it. Zaza scored a nice goal and then assisted Propper's goal before picking up the penalty as well. He was MOTM and I hope he can keep up the good work!
This game felt much better. Offensive movement was still great like it was in the last few games, but this time the players actually finished their chances well. Was also gifted a penalty, which is always nice... but I'd rather have it come in a game where I needed it. Zaza scored a nice goal and then assisted Propper's goal before picking up the penalty as well. He was MOTM and I hope he can keep up the good work!
Game 5 - St Ettiene (A) - Draw 1-1 Makoun sent off in 54th minute!
This game actually looked to be going very well, then just after half Makoun picked up 2 yellows in like 2 minutes and then we immediately conceded. Mr. Manager was happy to get out of that mess with a point, but you know he still ripped the team! Wheel of Fortuna picked up a goal on a free kick, another bonus reason Mr. Manager brought him in
This game actually looked to be going very well, then just after half Makoun picked up 2 yellows in like 2 minutes and then we immediately conceded. Mr. Manager was happy to get out of that mess with a point, but you know he still ripped the team! Wheel of Fortuna picked up a goal on a free kick, another bonus reason Mr. Manager brought him in
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Champions League Group Draw:
Might be hard to get out of this group, but I don't think it is impossible. Dortmund raped us in Pre-season, so I'm probably not taking points off them, but there should at least be a chance with Tottenham/Roma
Might be hard to get out of this group, but I don't think it is impossible. Dortmund raped us in Pre-season, so I'm probably not taking points off them, but there should at least be a chance with Tottenham/Roma
Game 6 - Montpelier(H) - Win 2-0
Stade Rennais and Mr. Manager picked up an important win in a game where Montpelier were dedicated to holding possession. Armand managed to score a set piece goal from a corner, proving the old war horse still has some tricks up his sleeve. The second goal came on some really nice movement that ended in a fine shot by substitute Dembele. The shot was blocked by Montpelier's keeper, but Propper was there to slot home the rebound. Stade Rennais seem to be getting better at putting shots on target and finishing, but it was still disappointing to see a couple of shots hit the woodwork on counter attacks.
Stade Rennais and Mr. Manager picked up an important win in a game where Montpelier were dedicated to holding possession. Armand managed to score a set piece goal from a corner, proving the old war horse still has some tricks up his sleeve. The second goal came on some really nice movement that ended in a fine shot by substitute Dembele. The shot was blocked by Montpelier's keeper, but Propper was there to slot home the rebound. Stade Rennais seem to be getting better at putting shots on target and finishing, but it was still disappointing to see a couple of shots hit the woodwork on counter attacks.
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Dortmund finished 1st in the Bundesliga and won the Champions League last season, so they are the #1 Club in the world on my save.
Tottenham finished 4th in EPL
Roma finished 3rd in Serie A
I know from the Friendly match that Dortmund can throttle me, but I think I can compete with Tottenham and Roma for the 2nd spot.
Tottenham finished 4th in EPL
Roma finished 3rd in Serie A
I know from the Friendly match that Dortmund can throttle me, but I think I can compete with Tottenham and Roma for the 2nd spot.
Game 7 - Toulouse (A) - Draw 0-0. Draw against the current last place team... HMMMM I think you know how Mr. Manager reacts
Special Edition: Champions League Match Preview-
Fans Simultaneously GRIPPED BY CUP FEVER and Pessimistic. Lol, fans.
Roma are pretty heavy favorites
Fans Simultaneously GRIPPED BY CUP FEVER and Pessimistic. Lol, fans.
Roma are pretty heavy favorites
Game 8- Roma (H) - Loss 2-3 Heartbreaking
Knowing that to have any hope of advancing out of this difficult group they would need to get a win at home against Roma, Mr. Manager and Stade Rennais put the pedal to the metal straight from the start. That tactic resulted in an open and back and forth game that SR looked capable of winning. It all went pear shaped in the 89th minute when Roma's only real attacking movement of the 2nd half sealed the defeat and crushed the hearts of the already pessimistic SR faithful. Mr. Manager took a long swig out of his water bottle and walked out of the locker room without saying a word. No time for rest for SR, as the current ligue1 leaders, Lens, come to town next.
Knowing that to have any hope of advancing out of this difficult group they would need to get a win at home against Roma, Mr. Manager and Stade Rennais put the pedal to the metal straight from the start. That tactic resulted in an open and back and forth game that SR looked capable of winning. It all went pear shaped in the 89th minute when Roma's only real attacking movement of the 2nd half sealed the defeat and crushed the hearts of the already pessimistic SR faithful. Mr. Manager took a long swig out of his water bottle and walked out of the locker room without saying a word. No time for rest for SR, as the current ligue1 leaders, Lens, come to town next.
No I'm pretty sure that's just your managing.
I think they are a boom/bust team in most saves. Monaco seem to be like that too, from what I can tell. All the new signings either gel quickly or things go downhill very fast.
In my Wolvie save I had them near the top of the table at Christmas
In my Wolvie save I had them near the top of the table at Christmas
Game 9- Lens (H) - Win 3-2 Comeback!
This game was basically the same script as the Roma game, but I was on the opposite side. Lens were actually in 1st place, as they'd had a great run early in the season, so to be able to beat them, even if we were at home, was pretty awesome. I wasn't very optimistic when they went up 2-1 on me, but I switched to the 4231 attacking and brought on Kleber to play as a target man (with Zaza moved back to CAM behind him) and it seemed to work well as Kleber picked up a goal and an assist to lead SR to victory. The impending meltdown is postponed for yet another day.
This game was basically the same script as the Roma game, but I was on the opposite side. Lens were actually in 1st place, as they'd had a great run early in the season, so to be able to beat them, even if we were at home, was pretty awesome. I wasn't very optimistic when they went up 2-1 on me, but I switched to the 4231 attacking and brought on Kleber to play as a target man (with Zaza moved back to CAM behind him) and it seemed to work well as Kleber picked up a goal and an assist to lead SR to victory. The impending meltdown is postponed for yet another day.
Game 10 - Valenciennes (A) Win 3-2
Mr. Manager and Stade Rennais seemed comfortable for most of this game, as they started the scoring (Valenciennes pulled one back) and then pulled 2 ahead on back to back goals early in the second half. Valenciennes made a run at the game and caused some serious sweating near the end, when they scored on a puber lobbed through ball. This is the type of team that can burn my high line... noted for future games. This was really the coming out party for Ntep, as he scored twice by cutting inside the FB and running in behind the CB who had pulled forward to mark the striker. With a nice pass from Kleber in one instance, and Zaza in the other, he slotted both goals home. I'm really starting to like playing Kleber up front with the option of Zaza behind him.
Note* I will be doing quarterly reviews instead of 10 game reviews this season. 1/4 of the league schedule will be finished after next game.
Mr. Manager and Stade Rennais seemed comfortable for most of this game, as they started the scoring (Valenciennes pulled one back) and then pulled 2 ahead on back to back goals early in the second half. Valenciennes made a run at the game and caused some serious sweating near the end, when they scored on a puber lobbed through ball. This is the type of team that can burn my high line... noted for future games. This was really the coming out party for Ntep, as he scored twice by cutting inside the FB and running in behind the CB who had pulled forward to mark the striker. With a nice pass from Kleber in one instance, and Zaza in the other, he slotted both goals home. I'm really starting to like playing Kleber up front with the option of Zaza behind him.
Note* I will be doing quarterly reviews instead of 10 game reviews this season. 1/4 of the league schedule will be finished after next game.