Season 82 - Are you ready?

[talisman]

Thanks to all returning Managers!
and a big Welcome to all the new Managers!

Before we start, here's some questions for you:

What have you learned from last season?
37 seasons - what new is there to learn? I've done it all, and Nordeus have done it to me on a regular basis...

Where did you place last season?
Palace Casuals: League Champions; didn't get out of the Group stage (Level 34) in the Champions League; the usual lower-level lower-quality Troll in the Quarter-Finals of the Cup.
Palace Terriers: League, 4th; Champions League, failed at Group stage for the first time; Cup, Semi-Finalists.

Are you participating in the new Association's Cup ?
Yes, both teams.

What are your achievements ?
Casuals, 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
Terriers, three 1sts and a 3rd.

What's your current level?
Casuals: Level 34 in their 38th season
Terriers: Level 15 in their 15th season

What's your budget for this season?
Casuals: 120T and just under $7Bn
Terriers: 70T and about $275M

Who do you want to replace?
Casuals need to replace their 2* and 3* players, two defenders and an attacking midfielder, and possibly get one better-quality 'keeper.
Terriers need a midfield transplant - they didn't perform at all well last season, even bearing in mind that they usually play 4-5-1V...

What are your goals for this season?
Both teams need to get promotion in a Champions league slot. Casuals' Champions League aspirations hinge on a lot of luck to get past the Level 35 teams in their CL Group. Terriers look like they've an easier passage to the Knockout stage, we'll see how benevolent Nordeus feel after that. In the Cup, just get as far as possible before the Troll spots them.

What's your training level?
Casuals: Level 46; Terriers, Level 45.

Good luck to everybody this Season!

[talisman]

Palace Terriers start of season summary and Cup report.

Palace Terriers kept up their record of promotion in every season, finishing 4th in a competitive League for the second season running. They hope to do better in the Champions League this season after failing to qualify from the Group stage for the first time last term.

The Champions League Group stage draw:


The Terriers' playing squad on day one:


The Terriers Management waited until day two before testing the transfer market waters, and then set about the wholesale replacement of the central midfield, woeful under-performers last season. Out went Marcelo Julio Cavalcanti da Silva, Tiberiy Yarich and Pierre Torres Nilo, replaced by the following purchases:





Shopping is not done, as a right-midfielder and another defender are required to finish the first stage of rebuilding.

Getting into Cup action, Terriers cruised through to the next round with a 7-2 aggregate win over an equally-matched, but uncompetitive opponent. DMC Lyuben Dzhorev's contribution to the away leg was an equalising goal followed by second yellow card, but Terriers fought back from the blow, with right-winger Luca Giovanni Pidutti giving the visitors a 2-1 lead for the 2nd Leg. At home, the improved midfield made a full contribution to a 5-1 win, but it was the forward lines which grabbed the glory, braces for striker Josu Bielsa and Pidutti, with left-winger Hairil Zamri Ahmad Muzafar contributing the other goal.