Season 66 - Week 4

[talisman]

What have you learned from last season?
Rest players every now and again - have more backups for each position so can rotate squad more...

Where did you place last season?
Second in the League - very disappointing end to the season as was in lead until a defeat against second placed team reduced lead to goals scored then got trolled last game of season by vastly inferior team...
Went out in Semi-Finals of Champions League in a very good couple of matches with an equally-matched opponent, just him and me in attendance.
Preliminary Round exit (again!) in the Cup, higher level opponent, ave quality -5 mine, poor home defeat in 1st leg, couldn't attend 2nd Leg and the team managed a draw!!

What's your current level?
21

What's your budget for this season?
One purchase of 176 tokens and about $250M, plus whatever is realised in sales.

Who do you want to replace?
Some of the peripheral players from last season as they will be 3* and low rating 4*, getting old and will not train up quickly.

What are your goals for this season?
To get past the early rounds in the Cup - nearly always get trolled or come up against higher level opponents early on and lose out...
At least QF in Champions League, and top 3 in League.

Good luck fellow managers!
...from me too...

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A little bit of transfer activity released 4 players and acquired a new Goalkeeper, left-sided defender (DL/DC) and left and right utility players (DML/ML/AML, DMR/MR/AMR).

1st leg of Cup Preliminary Round saw the Casuals at home to Ibrahim FC from Germany. Match was only 10 minutes old when the first in-game decision had to be made when Attacking Midfielder Anders Graf was tackled and ended up needing attention for an ankle injury - formation changed from 4-3(w)-1-2 to 4-4-2 and Central Midfielder Nataniel Silva Lima brought into the fray. Tackles were obviously flying in from all quarters as three yellow cards were issued in quick succession by the ref, one to Ibrahim FC and two to the Casuals, left Midfielder Anders Tikhiy and central Midfielder Jackson Babou Noubi being the recipients. The second resulted in the first goal, a free kick scored directly by Ibrahim's McFadden. The rest of the first half was a struggle as the midfield tried to cope with the reshuffle and the weight of two yellow cards.

A decision to replace the wide players early in the second half - Omar Hansen and Johan Shaqiri making their Casuals debuts - steadied the ship and more meaningful attacks were happening. However, the ref was to deal the Casuals one potentially fatal blow, as Babou Noubi was punished for a seemingly innocuous shirt-pulling incident and his match ended early. However, not all was lost as four minutes after being reduced to 10 men last-term's top scorer Catalin Neagu equalised with a spectacular shot. Ibrahim FC resumed the lead soon after when Baker beat Palace custodian Mihaita Dragut with a header from a Bulla corner. Last action of the match was a first goal from debutant Hansen, hitting a piledriver in from the left wing to level the scores at the final whistle.