Football Manager 2021

[Gorka]

In this save, Liverpool take the piss in the Champions League.

[Baddar]

I'd like to think UEFA worked together with Utd to give them the easiest draws possible and a home final just to dethrone the twats.

And then they went and started the run again the season after. 🙃

[Gorka]

16 international matches undefeated with Ireland.

3 goals conceded in that time.

Lose 3-0 to Iran in the first knockout round of the 2026 World Cup.

Grand.

Edited December 24, 2020 by Gorka

[Malenko]

I just saw this. Accurate.

 

[Gazz]

Absolute CM God Maxim Tsigalko has passed away aged 37.

[Szumi]

In Hertha Berlin run in news:

Started off my run in with a 3-1 loss to Dortmund, but immediately responded with a huge set of victories to Leverkusen, Union in the Berlin Derby, and home to Gladbach. After a draw against relegation struggling Mainz (including an equalizer in the final 5 minutes to get a point at least) it was smooth sailings of wins, including a wild 3-2 win over Leverkusen again in the Cup SF. That was the first quality opponent I actually beat in the Cup run, and set up a Final against second division Dusseldorf. No surprise that Cordoba set us on our way to a 3-0 victory and Berlin's first major trophy since 1931. And the best part? Right before that match, a 2-0 win over Bielefeld put us top of the league with 2 matches to go! Bayern lost 1-0 home to Gladbach to set it up, culminating a run of two losses and a draw in 4 matches. Bayern drew 4 out of 6 matches in Feb/March to complete their bottle job. We both won Match 33 to set up the final day of the season, Berlin ahead of Bayern by a point and we had the inferior GD so we had to win, especially since Bayern took a lead on their final match in seconds.

We were playing away to Hoffenheim, who spent most of the season in the bottom 3 before going on a huge run to take them safe, up to 13th, and entering the match as one of the top form teams in the Bundesliga. Took the lead early in the 2nd half with a Cunha screamer, dominating possession, and just as I was making subs to try and kill the game off, Hoffenheim equalized in the 71st minute. Cancelled the subs and pushed everyone forward to try and find the winner, and 86th minute, who else by Jhon Cordoba. The guy who was awful off the bench to start the season, said he was unsettled and already talking about wanting a move away... To the guy who kick started everything. My LB Plattenhardt, who started the game on the transfer list but proved himself to be my best left back (team high 13 assists as well!), sent a cross into the box that Cordoba just fucking thundercunt'ed on the volley from 16 yards into the roof of the net. Screamer. And then despite going to defensive, dropping the line and everything, Hoffenheim got in behind and through on goal... And hit the post. We cleared off the line before they could tap in, and somehow ended the season as Champions!

Winning the league in my first season is a buzz kill in a way though. I was looking forward to building Berlin up to a team who could rival Bayern, not pip them to the title in the first season. Instead, I won the Double. I mean, I'm going to have to beef up the squad now to contend with Europe, but I've already started that process. Nikola Maksimovic from Napoli to bolster the back line and Demarai Gray are both coming in on free transfers, and beat out the rest of Europe for the transfer listed (wouldn't sign a new contract) Szoboszlai for a measly €11.25 million! 

I'm also fully expecting to lose some of my top talents. Matheus Cunha (11g 4a) is undoubtedly are most talented player and wanted by Spurs, Niklas Stark is the bedrock of our defense and wanted by Lyon, Plattenhardt is contemplating a move to a bigger club, as is Lukebakio (who is more talented than his return of 4g & 5a in 32 app). Also will lose Gagliardini, Guendouzi, and Nelson at the end of their loans (although none were immediate starters and squad players) as well as Mandzukic at the end of his deal (who disappointed with only 1 goal in 7(11) appearances). 

Overall, we won the league on 71 points, the lowest tally to win the league since Bayern won it in 08/09 on 70, which says about the Bundesliga this year. We lost 7 matches all season, but 6 were in the first 9 matches of the campaign. Tied for 6th most goals in the league with 52, and second best defense with 27 shipped. Cordoba's 14 goals were 8th best in the league, Plattenhardt's 13 assists led the league, and Schwolow tied Neuer with 18 clean sheets (although only 9th in the league with a 76% save ratio, which shows how great the defense was).

The Europe race ended up going to the wire as well, with Dortmund's new man Allegri guiding them to 4th place on the final day with a massive 5-1 win over Leverkusen to jump them in the table, along with Gladbach losing away to midtable Bremen as well to bottle it. Pretty much everyone but us was bottling it this year! Leipzig finished in 7th, also 2 points off of 4th. City walked the Prem, while Brom, Palace, and Villa went down. Lots of movement with Nuno, Carlo, Arteta, Hodgson, and Rodgers getting sacked. Biesla switched to Arsenal in early January to take them from relegation trouble to 6th and a League Cup, while Ancelotti took over for Leicester after Rodgers was sacked to lead them to... 17th place :rofl: To be fair, Everton only finished in 14th two points ahead of Leicester. La Liga was interesting to as Barca held even with Real all the way through the season - even after sacking Koeman following a 6-0 defeat at Anfield in UCL, replacing him with Gallardo - and the final match of the season? El Clasico with Madrid ahead by a point in the table, and got the draw at home to seal the title. Champions League is Liverpool versus Man United.

[FestiveJack]

So this happened:

[Bobfoc]

Was that second Exeter goal more or less straight from the kickoff? How about the first?

[FestiveJack]

19 minutes ago, Bobfoc said:

Was that second Exeter goal more or less straight from the kickoff? How about the first?

Pretty much. And then I almost put a hole in my desk for the rest of the game.

[METALMAN]

Didn’t Exeter pull off a cupset over Man Utd relatively recently? In 2005 or thereabouts?

Edited December 27, 2020 by Lineklaus

[Adam]

2 minutes ago, metalman said:

Didn’t Exeter pull off a cupset over Man Utd relatively recently? In 2005 or thereabouts?

They got a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in 2005, lost the replay. I remember this well because Exeter upset us in the previous round and denied us that trip.

[FestiveJack]

11 hours ago, Adam said:

They got a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford in 2005, lost the replay. I remember this well because Exeter upset us in the previous round and denied us that trip.

Also Scott Hiley nutmegged Ronaldo.

[King Ellis]

14 hours ago, metalman said:

Didn’t Exeter pull off a cupset over Man Utd relatively recently? In 2005 or thereabouts?

Blatant moderator abuse of power here

[METALMAN]

What did he do? Did he put in “cupset”? I don’t think I would naturally use such a tacky term.

[Bobfoc]

I usually play as an international team, but I recently started as an unemployed manager. I got the Stevenage job and we're now heading for League Two promotion.

Most of my best players are loanees and I'm slightly over the wage budget through no fault of my own. Most of my permanent players are out of contract at the end of the season too. What would be a good way to tackle this for the next season? Is it a case of ruthlessly getting rid of the dead wood and seeking out some other good loan deals and free agents?

[Lineker]

Yep.

[Gazz]

If you're League Two team isn't 80% Premier League U23 loanees on zero wages, are you even Football Managering?

[Bobfoc]

I inherited a big squad, so I imagine that's the biggest problem financially. As I said, most of their contracts are expiring at the end of the season, so a lot of them will be off the wage bill. I'm now wondering about good recruitment approaches to build up a League One squad that isn't awful.

[Lineker]

24 minutes ago, Bobfoc said:

I inherited a big squad, so I imagine that's the biggest problem financially. As I said, most of their contracts are expiring at the end of the season, so a lot of them will be off the wage bill. I'm now wondering about good recruitment approaches to build up a League One squad that isn't awful.

This is specifically for non-league but I imagine a lot of the core principles remain the same: 

 

[Gazz]

I just offer four week trials to about 40 players who look decent, then decide who to sign when the fog of war lifts on their stats.