How are you doing?

AMC · Post by **AMC** » Tue Dec 27, 2022 8:44 pm

Verkuh - You sure know how to pick your clubs and Chairmen

An amazing run in the UEFA Cup for Telstar, but then at the first sticky patch they decide to get rid of you, the ungrateful bastards! Best of luck finding another new job, hopefully with a more patient Chairman!

CMA - I think everyone would choose Coimbroes over Chelsea

Lots of work to be done with them to get them back to the second tier, but for now the Copa America with Mexico, and you made light work of your group stage. Columbia next and after a great start you hung on to beat them 2-1 to set up a semi final with Brazil, but unfortunately their superior talent showed through despite it not being their finest performance, and so you bowed out.

A nice decade review and not your greatest for titles won, but you did manage to tick off a couple of countries in the Republic of Ireland and Denmark. The focus was back on Portugal though, and the madness that was that league season were you must have broke records left, right and centre! I'm not sure what's more impressive, 32 wins out of 32 or just 7 goals conceded! You almost made it a double too with a fine run in the Cup, and I don't blame you for seeing if you could win every league game on a separate save, sods law then you couldn't even manage one more game ha ha.

A brief stop in East London at the Hammers was over before it began, as you headed for sunnier climes in Argentina as you took over Sarmiento in the top division, it sounds like they're not in a bad place with the squad they have and money in the bank to strengthen further.

CMAdventurer · Post by **CMAdventurer** » Wed Dec 28, 2022 3:08 am

AMC wrote: ↑Tue Dec 27, 2022 8:44 pm I don't blame you for seeing if you could win every league game on a separate save, sods law then you couldn't even manage one more game ha ha.

To be honest, if we were going to blow it, I would have preferred it to be immediately. On the final day of the season, we were at home to bottom side Santa Maria and I could certainly envisage the CM gods getting up to their evil tricks for that one. Earlier in the season, they had ended our long run of league clean sheets by taking the lead (typical!) before we went on to win 7-1.

Thanks as ever for your detailed feedback, it's always a joy to read.

I'm sure I speak for everyone else when I say it helps keep the motivation levels up.

Pegster · Post by **Pegster** » Thu Dec 29, 2022 5:11 pm

I moved to Brazil fairly quickly, landing the job at Centro Sportivo Alagoano. While rather far from major cities and football traditions in the south, Maceió where the club is based has its fair share of beaches and palm trees, being located just south of the eastern tip of the country.
The club had fairly good finances and a decent transfer budget, and a squad that's ok but lacking in both depth and quality. Among the more unexpected things I found here was a Northern Irish striker, longing for the cold rain of his homeland.

It was almost halfway throug hthe state championship season when I arrived, and the team's performance so far had been distinctively average, and the lack of goals did concern me somewhat. 3 goals in 7 games isn't impressive and certainly not what I expected from a Brazillian team.

A change of tactic from what they'd been doing and some fresh legs in the team from players who hadn't played much seemed to do the trick, and while the rest of the season was far from flawless it was a clear improvement nd we managed to qualify for the play-off, finishing 2nd in the league.

The state league has a league part first where we face all the other teams once, for a total of 15 games, and then the top four play semi finals and the league winner is decided between the winners of those. Or, in our case where we got to the final and the result was 2-2 after two legs, the winner is decided based on who is highest seeed. I do not know if this means higher placed in the state league or if it's based on national league position (we ware in Serie C, our opponent in Seire B), though I would guess the state league position was the decider.

Now for some summer transfers before the national leauge statrs in the Autumn. The national league season is only half a year so I might be lucky and get the Campeonato Catarinense which is next on the list after Christmas.

Vèrkûh · Post by **Vèrkûh** » Tue Jan 03, 2023 11:34 am

Vèrkûh wrote: ↑Mon Dec 26, 2022 3:00 pm
Vèrkûh wrote: ↑Fri Dec 23, 2022 12:35 pm
Vèrkûh wrote: ↑Mon Dec 19, 2022 6:49 pm

Still trying my best to make something of this game. A new save for this man of traditions equals a 'fresh' start with 3.9.60 and this time I went back to the 4-1-3-2 that served me rather well while playing CM 00/01 for many years and seasons as well. Off to a nation where I didn't manage often before. I thought it would be most realistic to begin at the lowest playable level, so the third tier of Belgium football it was for me.

Without any or much money to spend we never got to play our home games in front of more than 3,150 people (450 seated) and the training ground of K Schoten SK was qualified as adequate at best. Buying or signing new players wasn't easy too and even then I had the feeling we were doing quite well. Since we moved up to the highest division, the board always wished or demanded to stay up. Participating three times in the Inter-Toto Cup (2013/2014, 2015/2016 & 2018/2019), once in the UEFA Cup (2017/2018) and a domestic cup final (2008/2009) didn't change anything about that.

In the Belgian First Division, two of the eighteen teams in total are relegated at the end of every campaign. I agree that Schoten had some narrow escapes during my tenure. Nevertheless, I was very disappointed to lose my job directly after our first league win of my twentieth season in charge. We were only two points below the first safe place at that time, with another 24 fixtures to go obviously. Let's see if I can get a new job somewhere, based on this track record...

This is becoming a pretty insane career by only taking my first new job after being sacked at Schoten. My managerial name is that of not one but two characters in a Dutch television show (believe it or not, a brother and a sister have the same first name) and it took a club of my country of birth just a single day to hire me. At that time, they were the lowest ranked professional football team in the Netherlands, positioned eighteenth in the so-called First Division.

When I worked in Belgium, Haarlem were in the Premier Division for a solitary season (2006/2007). In the remainder of 2020/2021 we presented ourselves as hard to beat, although many goalless draws didn't make me overly happy. Nevertheless, both our final ranking and winning a period saw us reaching the playoffs for - in our case - a potential promotion. Staying unbeaten in the first five of those fixtures made us contenders as well, but the last one proved to be one too many.

My first full season in charge can be classified as succesful, the one after that was simply unforgettable! Sadly, we didn't survive the final Qualifying Phase of the European Champions Cup and defending our national title would always be a difficult task. The board simply expected us to avoid relegation again, so I felt confident about my own position.

Off the field, one of our star players and a supporters' favourite sometimes complained about his teammates after a defeat. I criticised him in the media for that and send out warnings/fines too. By the time he had already decided to leave Haarlem on a Bosman in the summer, the press questioned his homesickness several times. I thought there was no point in denying that fact on every occasion and then the chairman turned out to be a fanboy too. Vèrkûh out...

My second day of unemployment ended when Telstar came knocking. I really fancied the opportunity to stay in Holland. There was still one regular league match to be played in the First Division, although finishing second and featuring in the playoffs for promotion (D1) or relegation (PD) already the best possible outcome. A 3-0 victory boosted our confidence and with one draw plus five wins a third return to the Premier Division for this club during my time in football management was definitely a fact!

Like at Haarlem, the higher level of opposition didn't matter all that much as we were off to a flying start in the top tier. Luckily, this time the expectations of the board remained the same too. Battling against relegation was what we did from the second season on, even though an amazing run in Europe told a completely different story. Typically, the next year my fate was sealed just before Christmas.

It's always my aim to find a new club as soon as possible, so I immediately applied for every vacant position in the world of football. The first to react can count on me and in case of multiple offers on the same day, I can make a choice of my own. This time fate brought me somewhere outside of Belgium and Holland, when a probably not so well-known side from Italy did the business.

In about 25 years Cerretese were never higher in the pyramid than at the level of Serie C1, that being the third highest domestic league. They were relegated to Serie C2 the season before and on Christmas Day found themselves just outside the playoff places for promotion. Soon several Dutch cries for help came by, but I kept concentrating myself on the Italian job.

► Show Spoiler

After a while, the usual moaning from a few players began. Almost the entire squad was upset about that and it stayed this way for three years and counting. All the ingredients were there for history to repeat itself. The very first steps in European football were made and a position around the relegation places was taken. Time for the board to make a decision!

CMAdventurer · Post by **CMAdventurer** » Tue Jan 03, 2023 3:29 pm

I think you're cursed.

That's one of the harshest sackings I've seen, they should have built a statue of you instead.

Vèrkûh · Post by **Vèrkûh** » Wed Jan 04, 2023 4:20 pm

Vèrkûh wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 11:34 am
Vèrkûh wrote: ↑Mon Dec 26, 2022 3:00 pm
Vèrkûh wrote: ↑Fri Dec 23, 2022 12:35 pm

This is becoming a pretty insane career by only taking my first new job after being sacked at Schoten. My managerial name is that of not one but two characters in a Dutch television show (believe it or not, a brother and a sister have the same first name) and it took a club of my country of birth just a single day to hire me. At that time, they were the lowest ranked professional football team in the Netherlands, positioned eighteenth in the so-called First Division.

When I worked in Belgium, Haarlem were in the Premier Division for a solitary season (2006/2007). In the remainder of 2020/2021 we presented ourselves as hard to beat, although many goalless draws didn't make me overly happy. Nevertheless, both our final ranking and winning a period saw us reaching the playoffs for - in our case - a potential promotion. Staying unbeaten in the first five of those fixtures made us contenders as well, but the last one proved to be one too many.

My first full season in charge can be classified as succesful, the one after that was simply unforgettable! Sadly, we didn't survive the final Qualifying Phase of the European Champions Cup and defending our national title would always be a difficult task. The board simply expected us to avoid relegation again, so I felt confident about my own position.

Off the field, one of our star players and a supporters' favourite sometimes complained about his teammates after a defeat. I criticised him in the media for that and send out warnings/fines too. By the time he had already decided to leave Haarlem on a Bosman in the summer, the press questioned his homesickness several times. I thought there was no point in denying that fact on every occasion and then the chairman turned out to be a fanboy too. Vèrkûh out...

My second day of unemployment ended when Telstar came knocking. I really fancied the opportunity to stay in Holland. There was still one regular league match to be played in the First Division, although finishing second and featuring in the playoffs for promotion (D1) or relegation (PD) already the best possible outcome. A 3-0 victory boosted our confidence and with one draw plus five wins a third return to the Premier Division for this club during my time in football management was definitely a fact!

Like at Haarlem, the higher level of opposition didn't matter all that much as we were off to a flying start in the top tier. Luckily, this time the expectations of the board remained the same too. Battling against relegation was what we did from the second season on, even though an amazing run in Europe told a completely different story. Typically, the next year my fate was sealed just before Christmas.

It's always my aim to find a new club as soon as possible, so I immediately applied for every vacant position in the world of football. The first to react can count on me and in case of multiple offers on the same day, I can make a choice of my own. This time fate brought me somewhere outside of Belgium and Holland, when a probably not so well-known side from Italy did the business.

In about 25 years Cerretese were never higher in the pyramid than at the level of Serie C1, that being the third highest domestic league. They were relegated to Serie C2 the season before and on Christmas Day found themselves just outside the playoff places for promotion. Soon several Dutch cries for help came by, but I kept concentrating myself on the Italian job.

► Show Spoiler

After a while, the usual moaning from a few players began. Almost the entire squad was upset about that and it stayed this way for three years and counting. All the ingredients were there for history to repeat itself. The very first steps in European football were made and a position around the relegation places was taken. Time for the board to make a decision!

Time to add another country to the list, as I went to Poland. Based on their performances in the group phase, Ruch Chorzow were in the 'relegation part' of the top division. With seven matches remaining, they were heading for a playout place as well. We finished above that zone, played a much better season afterwards and next year all of a sudden European qualification was required. So I won them a cup, but things weren't clicking anymore in the league...

AMC · Post by **AMC** » Mon Jan 09, 2023 6:57 pm

Some more catching up for me to do

In the mean time I've posted another update up for my Sir Bobby Robson story which can be found here, https://www.champman0102.net/viewtopic. ... 563#p75563

AMC · Post by **AMC** » Wed Jan 11, 2023 9:41 pm

Pegster - To Brazil then and a club I've never heard of

It sounds like you've moved to the right place though with them beaches, while behind the scenes at the club they don't look too shabby either, but there's certainly some work to do with the squad if you're going to be challenging for honours. You soon stamped your mark on the club as you shot up the league to finish 2nd and make the playoffs, but despite making the final you unfortunately lost somehow

I'm sure a summer of strengthening will see you challenging on all fronts next season.

Verkuh - I'd just delete your save and start again, this is just ridiculous! Once again you work miracles taking a team from the lower leagues to European football and at the first chance of some trouble they get rid of you, unbelievable!

From Italy to Poland then as you took over a top league side and saved them from relegation before winning the cup with them the following season and finishing 5th, and then in your next season after a mixed start you got the sack once again

CMAdventurer · Post by **CMAdventurer** » Sat Jan 14, 2023 12:14 am

The summer of 2060 was a busy one preparing Sarmiento for a return to the Argentine Superliga. There was plenty of money available to me to improve the squad but first I requested that the board set some of it aside to upgrade the training facilities, which thankfully they agreed to. Eleven new players came through the door, at a cost of over £60 million, with an additional three players on loan. Would this be enough to bridge the gap?

The good thing about Argentina is that there are two chances to win a top flight title each year, as the season is divided into the opening and closing stages. Either one would do for me to consider this another trophy ticked off. With our recruitment complete, I felt we would be competitive but wasn't sure if we could realistically challenge the big boys over 19 games. On the opening day, we recorded an excellent 2-1 victory over regular title challengers All Boys and then drew with Atlanta having trailed 2-0 early on. That was certainly an encouraging start and then we followed it up with eight wins in a row to leave us in the driving seat for the title. We then faced a crunch match away to nearest challengers Independiente and after a great start, they overpowered us and won 3-1 to leave the title race very much alive. A second successive defeat to Rosario Central saw us lose top spot. Was this a harsh reality check?

We responded well, with three wins and a draw from our next four, while Independiente had some setbacks which saw us build up a lead again. Our final home game of the opening stage saw us draw 2-2 with Argentinos after the visitors had been 2-0 up, before we closed out with two away fixtures, with a three point lead to protect. We showcased our powers of recovery once again against Atletico Tucuman in an incredible 3-3 draw, as the hosts led 3-1 and threatened to derail our title hopes. It was the fourth time in the season we had come from two goals behind to get a result. Sarmiento may not have had the best squad in the country but there was no doubting our spirit.

Independiente had only drawn, which meant we needed just a point at Almagro to win the opening stage. Independiente would not play their final game until two days later, so a defeat for us would leave them knowing exactly what they needed to do, although they would need a five goal swing. Striker and top scorer Martin Rossi's 21st minute strike gave us some breathing space. We weren't at our best and Almagro had their moments but we dealt with everything they threw at us and we could celebrate winning the opening stage. I could also celebrate ticking off another country, as far as domestic honours go, although it's not out of the question that one day I'll return to Argentina for a shot at the Copa Sudamericana. Plan A is to win it with a Brazilian club though.

Not my most comfortable title but certainly one of the most satisfying ones. There are some strong teams in this league and I think we did very well to win at the first attempt. The star man was Mexican winger Nicolas Gonzalez, who proved to be a crucial signing. Argentina only allows four foreigners in your squad, so you need to choose them carefully.

I wanted to continue to rebuild my reputation, so I'd have to pick my next job carefully. I stayed on for a couple of cup wins and the first three games of the closing stage before leaving. Napoli were deep in the relegation mire but still decided they didn't need me, they can suit themselves! I would be heading to Serie A after all but to Fiorentina. They were in a much better league position than Napoli but the squad would need a complete overhaul to compete for honours. I just hoped there would be enough money in the bank to do it.

Sadly, it was February by the time of my arrival so I couldn't spend anything until the summer, not that it would have been much help for this season anyway. Fiorentina were out of the cup and had little to play for in the league.

This was the club's first season back in Serie A after a two year absence and I think the previous manager was unlucky to be sacked. The squad was bang average, as was our form under my guidance. Three wins, five draws and two defeats. I was looking forward to the challenge of awakening a sleeping giant but instead I decided to be pragmatic. My reputation was 94th worldwide and several managers of top European nations should be retiring in the next two or three years. I want to leave Mexico for a team with more prospects of winning the big trophies, so I need to boost my reputation as quickly as possible. Although Serie A is a top league and Fiorentina have money to burn, it was clear from the transfer bids I made that we would struggle to attract players good enough to win Serie A. It was more of a project than a quick fix.

Having been at the club for only a couple of months, I had to resign to have a chance of being offered a job, so it was a slight gamble. However, I had two options, both at clubs in decent leagues who had made their national cup finals. Middlesbrough had an FA Cup final against Nottingham Forest to look forward to but Heerenveen were the first to offer me a job, so I took it. They're a side that regularly competes at the right end of the Eredivisie, although the last couple of seasons have seen a regression. We weren't completely safe from the drop but winning my first three games in charge ended any fears and we ended up comfortably in mid-table, despite a last day defeat to Fortuna Sittard with a much-changed team.

Our cup final would be no walk in the park as we faced league runners-up Eindhoven (not PSV). We had beaten them 3-2 away in my second game, so they wouldn't be taking us lightly. It was a breathless final. Twice we fell behind but twice we responded through striker Jordy van der Werff, who had spent most of the season in the reserves. Extra time was needed to decide the winner. It came in the 113th minute and van der Werff was the provider this time, laying the ball on a plate for 34-year-old Senegalese midfielder Zakaria Sylla to fire home the winner. The gamble to leave Fiorentina had paid off and I could celebrate trophy number 90.

That victory will see us gain entry into the Johan Cruijff Schaal next season, which is the last of the Dutch trophies I need. Even if we win, I'll probably still stay for a full season with the World Cup taking place next year.

As for Mexico, we've won 16 games in a row since Copa America a couple of years ago. We look to be cruising through World Cup qualification, while there was also a 5-0 friendly victory over the USA. The big news is that we've been invited to participate in the Confederations Cup this summer. I won this trophy with Brazil 20 years ago but it's another chance to boost the reputation. Netherlands, Argentina and Mali will be a big test.

Trophy cabinet

► Show Spoiler

Vèrkûh · Post by **Vèrkûh** » Sat Jan 14, 2023 10:45 am

Aiming for certain pieces of silverware and also winning them. That must be a great feeling!

fuddledfox · Post by **fuddledfox** » Sat Jan 14, 2023 8:54 pm

European Zeros to Heroes

Since the European Cup started in the 1950s twenty different clubs have played in the final but never lifted the trophy. My aim is to get all 20 of those clubs to become European champions. See the pictures for the full list of clubs.

I will be playing each club on separate saves and using different DB’s from different seasons to keep things fresh.

The first club I attempted was Arsenal on the ODB. This was to ease myself in and get used to the game again that I haven’t played for 20 years.

In the first season we won the league on goal difference thanks to a 90th minute winner against Leeds in the last game of the season. The Champions League was less successful as we got to the 2nd group stage but failed to get out of a group containing Real Madrid and Bayern.

In the second season the CL was my main priority and we were successful beating the mighty Roma in the final!!!

Next club: Man City using 2009 database

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Mon Jan 16, 2023 3:22 pm

Good to see people enjoying some cracking saves atm. I especially like the European Cup runners up idea and trying to take them one better, outside the box sort of thinking for a save and different things to make it unique is cool.

I've had a break and currently fully invested in a couple of saves from 1994 in England and Italy but the original games via dosbox rather than that year for 01/02.

Boulder · Post by **Boulder** » Fri Jan 20, 2023 5:19 pm

After a healthy 40 years at Torquay United, I decided that I need a new challenge and jumped ship to my "boyhood club" Sheffield Wednesday. Notorious for its flaky owner, loads of money but you need to show results quick.

At Torquay I was doing OK-ish, I suppose

Using my trusty 4-1-3-1-1 tactic with pressing and hard tackling, I had some wobbly and not so wobbly seasons. I've always tried not to get the best players money can buy but turn your everyday binman into a proper footballer. And the minute someone started appearing in the rumour mill as potentially wanting out, they were out. As a result, Torquay had around £220 million in the bank when I left, average gates maybe 11000 or so. The board of idiots refused to expand the stadium even after I had won the Champions Cup for the sixth time.

Funny thing is, my reputation went from World Class to Superb the minute I went down to the third tier. Well, what do they know. At least I'm still the manager of England's national team.

The silly World Class muppet who took over after I left about two months ago, has already spent over £40 million and the slide from the top place of the PL has begun. I know I will meet them on our way back up where this club belongs. I just need to save often enough, just in case

My squad seems to be mentally strong. We almost tripped over Fulham to ruin our 7-game unbeaten run in the league, but my players finally showed up during the last 15 minutes. Had to have some disciplinary actions against the keeper though.

Onwards!

Boulder · Post by **Boulder** » Sat Jan 21, 2023 7:42 pm

The decay has now set in at Torquay. My long-time key player is one foot out the door and that lack of harmony status is actually something I've never seen. Well, that is what you get if you don't deal with the prima donnas.

AMC · Post by **AMC** » Tue Jan 24, 2023 10:24 pm

CMA - Plenty of money splashed out on and off the pitch as you strengthened your squad and improved your training facilities but would it make the difference and lead you to silverware for the season ahead? After an outstanding start with nine wins and a draw from your opening ten games you then suffered back-to-back defeats to relinquish top spot. You soon engaged on another unbeaten run though and with Independiente stuttering you regained top spot and you didn't let it go this time to tick off another trophy.

From Argentina to Italy then as Fiorentina find a little bit of money to tempt you to overhaul there squad in order to challenge for honours. All that money had to wait for now though, and with them also out the cup it was all about finishing as high as possible in the league and deciding who of the players you had inherited you would want to keep on ahead of next season. You completed the season with a mixed record but before Fiorentina fans could dream of you taking them to the top of Italian football you were off to Holland to take over Heerenveen who look in a better position for immediate success, and after winning their remaining three league games it was time for that Dutch Cup final. It promised to be a tough task against 2nd in the table Eindhoven and that's how it panned out, but having already beaten them 3-2 in your second game with the club, you repeated the trick after extra time despite falling behind twice in normal time to lift the trophy, and so once again you were free to look for another opportunity after bagging trophy number 90, but with a chance to complete Holland with the Super Cup it's no surprise that for now you are staying at the club.

Absolutely flawless stuff with Mexico too, on paper you're not one of the favourites for the Confederations Cup but you'd be a fool to bet against you!

Vèrkûh · Post by **Vèrkûh** » Wed Jan 25, 2023 12:05 pm

Vèrkûh wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 4:20 pm
Vèrkûh wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 11:34 am
Vèrkûh wrote: ↑Mon Dec 26, 2022 3:00 pm

My second day of unemployment ended when Telstar came knocking. I really fancied the opportunity to stay in Holland. There was still one regular league match to be played in the First Division, although finishing second and featuring in the playoffs for promotion (D1) or relegation (PD) already the best possible outcome. A 3-0 victory boosted our confidence and with one draw plus five wins a third return to the Premier Division for this club during my time in football management was definitely a fact!

Like at Haarlem, the higher level of opposition didn't matter all that much as we were off to a flying start in the top tier. Luckily, this time the expectations of the board remained the same too. Battling against relegation was what we did from the second season on, even though an amazing run in Europe told a completely different story. Typically, the next year my fate was sealed just before Christmas.

It's always my aim to find a new club as soon as possible, so I immediately applied for every vacant position in the world of football. The first to react can count on me and in case of multiple offers on the same day, I can make a choice of my own. This time fate brought me somewhere outside of Belgium and Holland, when a probably not so well-known side from Italy did the business.

In about 25 years Cerretese were never higher in the pyramid than at the level of Serie C1, that being the third highest domestic league. They were relegated to Serie C2 the season before and on Christmas Day found themselves just outside the playoff places for promotion. Soon several Dutch cries for help came by, but I kept concentrating myself on the Italian job.

► Show Spoiler

After a while, the usual moaning from a few players began. Almost the entire squad was upset about that and it stayed this way for three years and counting. All the ingredients were there for history to repeat itself. The very first steps in European football were made and a position around the relegation places was taken. Time for the board to make a decision!

Time to add another country to the list, as I went to Poland. Based on their performances in the group phase, Ruch Chorzow were in the 'relegation part' of the top division. With seven matches remaining, they were heading for a playout place as well. We finished above that zone, played a much better season afterwards and next year all of a sudden European qualification was required. So I won them a cup, but things weren't clicking anymore in the league...

After Belgium, Holland, Italy and Poland I had the opportunity to try my luck - if there was any left - elsewhere. For the first time in the viewable history this team found themselves down in the French National. As a relegated side, Rennes were just in the promotion zone. So we still had everything to play for from November on. Maybe even without some of my signings this league was not where this club belongs: with all wins bar one draw the return to the French Second Division was a fact!

Returning to the top flight was a bit less convincing, but that counts anyway. Sooner than I expected we even managed to become national champions. From then on, while a new chairman came in as well, the usual impatience from the board kicked in. I agree we didn't deliver all that much and that's something I need to work on in the future.

AMC · Post by **AMC** » Wed Jan 25, 2023 6:43 pm

fuddledfox - A great concept and a fantastic start with winning the Champions League with Arsenal in the second season, sadly the Serbian league is not playable so Partizan is a non starter unless you you use a patch to make it available.

Boulder - That's quite the legacy you achieved with Torquay but that's all in the past as you turn your attentions to your club Sheff Wed, and you've made a solid start including a remarkable turn around to rescue a point after being 4-0 down with 75 mins on the clock.

Verkuh - From Poland to France then as you took over another team in Rennes who you took from the bottom to the top domestically, and almost to the summit of European football in a Champions League final, but after a period of stagnation you were given your marching orders once again and the search for another job was afoot.

Vèrkûh · Post by **Vèrkûh** » Fri Jan 27, 2023 4:13 pm

Vèrkûh wrote: ↑Wed Jan 25, 2023 12:05 pm
Vèrkûh wrote: ↑Wed Jan 04, 2023 4:20 pm
Vèrkûh wrote: ↑Tue Jan 03, 2023 11:34 am

It's always my aim to find a new club as soon as possible, so I immediately applied for every vacant position in the world of football. The first to react can count on me and in case of multiple offers on the same day, I can make a choice of my own. This time fate brought me somewhere outside of Belgium and Holland, when a probably not so well-known side from Italy did the business.

In about 25 years Cerretese were never higher in the pyramid than at the level of Serie C1, that being the third highest domestic league. They were relegated to Serie C2 the season before and on Christmas Day found themselves just outside the playoff places for promotion. Soon several Dutch cries for help came by, but I kept concentrating myself on the Italian job.

► Show Spoiler

After a while, the usual moaning from a few players began. Almost the entire squad was upset about that and it stayed this way for three years and counting. All the ingredients were there for history to repeat itself. The very first steps in European football were made and a position around the relegation places was taken. Time for the board to make a decision!

Time to add another country to the list, as I went to Poland. Based on their performances in the group phase, Ruch Chorzow were in the 'relegation part' of the top division. With seven matches remaining, they were heading for a playout place as well. We finished above that zone, played a much better season afterwards and next year all of a sudden European qualification was required. So I won them a cup, but things weren't clicking anymore in the league...

After Belgium, Holland, Italy and Poland I had the opportunity to try my luck - if there was any left - elsewhere. For the first time in the viewable history this team found themselves down in the French National. As a relegated side, Rennes were just in the promotion zone. So we still had everything to play for from November on. Maybe even without some of my signings this league was not where this club belongs: with all wins bar one draw the return to the French Second Division was a fact!

Returning to the top flight was a bit less convincing, but that counts anyway. Sooner than I expected we even managed to become national champions. From then on, while a new chairman came in as well, the usual impatience from the board kicked in. I agree we didn't deliver all that much and that's something I need to work on in the future.

When I was forced to leave the French weeks with fixtures on Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday behind, a return to the Dutch Premier Division crossed my path. With only five matches left to play, AZ were close to the one relegation spot (eighteenth) and also heading for the pair of possible playout places when sitting seventeenth themselves.

In my first full season the assignment didn't change. When we found ourselves in the bottom half of the table for a while, some of the players already started to question my ability. Luckily I had the chance to prove them wrong and the next objective became to end the season on a respectable league position, whatever that may be.

Even though I have nothing to complain about yet and the directors of the club aren't nagging either, my favourites in real life want to influence the course of this journey heavily...

Pegster · Post by **Pegster** » Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:23 am

I played some more but forgot to post. Anyway, the Brazilian Serie C consists of 4 stages. First there's a group stage with 8 groups of 7 teams, then the two best from each group goes to a knockout round, and then there's two groups of 4 teams, where the two best in each group is promoted to Serie B and the winner of each group play a final to decide the Serie C winner. Somewhat convoluted, perhaps, but it's nice with some variation from standard leagues.
The two last teams in the 8 first groups are relegated, for a total of 16 relegated teams. I expect that's the biggest number of relegations from any league in the game, though the Swedish second division might be about the same.

I had a pretty good team, signed a bunch of good players and have a very good tactic (still feels like cheating but it's the only way I can get through in only a couple hundred seasons or so) so the league was pretty much a breeze.

Apparently we preformed well enough to be considered to be the division.

Now off for more Brazillian trophies as I have taken over Imbituba in the Campeonato Catarinense. They've got an almost full squad, but have never been in the national league system, only the state one, and they've been relegated out quite often so it's not a top club. Last season they ended 7th out of 10 teams.