Villaphan04

So at the end of Jan, I'm sitting absolutely pretty in 9th place (Brescia is absolute toast, just won their first game all year at the end of jan). Smith and Hartmann have been absolutely immense for me. Was also able to loan Oliver Batista Meier and he's been very good as well in rotation with Millar (who I've got a pre-contract with as well). On a Villa note: Dean got sacked, and I applied for the job. I didn't even get an interview, and they hired bloody Mark Bowen. A little heated about that one I have to say

A very sad story came out over the weekend.

Though I definitely agree on this point. I don't see how UEFA can have both competitions finish (this year) and then start & finish the 2020/21 campaign without interrupting the Euros next summer

How do you know this? You've got a degree in sport litigation?

I think I've read that they might bring Barrow (as they're in 1st) up to fill the spot left by Bury's demise. Not sure how that would work unless L1 relegates one less (Not sure how they were going to handle that pre-covid?)

Also signed this guy up as my HoYD. https://ibb.co/mJP8CY6

I absolutely stormed Serie B. Only lost in the final match of the season after I had already wrapped up the title. Lukas Mai & Tosin Adarabioyo were absolutely a rock at the back(they're both developing amazingly) and I won the league by 13 points. I think my tactics have a lot to play with this, but my squad really shares the goals around. Signed Matt Smith, Lukas Nmecha, & Adarabioyo all on end of contract frees from city after their loans expired (Smith ended up with the Serie B player of the year as a defensive mid). To replace Shackleton I signed Nathan (after his contract with Chelsea ended — actually just bagged a hat trick in the match i just played). Also signed Mai for 1.5 mil. At the beginning I was expecting to get relegated and hopefully "yo-yo" for a season or two. But now after 15 games played I'm sitting pretty in 8th. Villa's still been sitting in the PL and & I finally got around to adding the other big 4 leagues as playable in case I want to branch out.

I've seen this on here a few times and don't understand why that gets traction? If you scrap GW 29 then we still have the same problem as every team played during it. We can't just scrape our game vs Leicester from their point of view (a win) and not from ours? us, Sheffield, City, Arsenal would still all be on a game less than every one else. The only way that that specific scenario would work is if they scrap the game week we didn't play, which would in effect relegate Watford and West Ham(I believe) and we would be safe.

Has anyone else used Luciano Canepa as a scout? I picked him up out of Qatar and he's absolutely amazing for me.

Well I agree its not a fair way of deciding that, we would then still have 4 teams with games in hand as everyone played GW29. To get every team on the same amount of games played (28) they would have to annul the game week where we didn't play(GW28)— and West Ham/Watford/Norwich all won in that week

thats what I'm thinking too. I saw they want to do BCD (obviously) but still have home & away which makes no sense to me if the PL isn't doing so. Also suspect it could be unfeasible financial wise for L1/L2 to do BCD

Interesting thread over on twitter

Wouldn't the PL have to have the same approach that the EFL has and vice versa? Making sure that there is promotion/relegation throughout the leagues or not.

yep there are several very good young Americans playing abroad (specifically in Germany) which could be a good place. Plus then we could grow our stature over here. Also on that note, I wonder what Chelsea is going to do with Pulisic/CHO/Mount and Gilmour breaking into the first team squad? They're being linked with Coutinho as well as having Ziyech coming in, so maybe one of those could be on the fringes?

On deadline day, I snagged Troy Parrott from Spurs and Tosin Adarabioyo from City again both on an end of next season loan. Extended all the other loans for end of the season as well except Shackleton which is a bit disappointing as he's the best of the bunch but Leeds want to give him an opportunity in the first team. And on another note, because I've loaned/declared loan interest in so many city players, Pep now considers me a friend and I'm in his favored personnel now.

After signing all of these players, I went on an unbelievable unbeaten run until the end of the season (won 13, drew 5). After the loans, the squad was way too good for Serie C (most of them are going to be regulars for me in Serie B too). Ended up winning the league by 4 points over Bari. I was able to bring in a few young guys on frees as their contracts expired: I also asked a few of my key guys for some recommendations in youth prospects and signed a few to increased their relationship w/me and putting me as a favored personnel. I signed Ethan Galbraith, Adam Phillips, and Matt Macey all on frees. Was able to get a few more loans in as well Lukas Nmecha (Felix's brother ), Matt Smith, and Gonzalo Maroni (who signed for them on a free) all from Man City Fabrice Hartmann who had just signed for PSG from Leipzig

that would be a sight to see

I poked around on a united forum, and it seems that some of them are convinced we are in a very bad financial place (with/without relegation) and that they could take advantage and sign him. One poster even said he would be surprised if he cost more than 20 mil.

Pretty sure that wouldn't help fix/solve the problem. They would just keep the four teams (us, Sheffield, City, and Arsenal) with an extra game in hand (27), as all 20 played match-week 29.

So I didn't realize this but Richard Masters, the Premier League Chief Executive, is a Villa fan.

So halfway through the January transfer window and have brought in 7 on loan: Felix Nmecha from Man City Lukas Mai & Christian Früchtl from Bayern Felix Götze from Augsburg Jamie Shackleton, Leif Davis, & Robbie Gotts from Leeds. I might look at one or two more, but I will say I'm very surprised that the clubs are letting me loan them as I'm a Serie C team. Most of them are on two-year loans and hopefully might be able to buy some of them depending on promotion to Serie B/A.

I don't know whether he would be an unrealistic target, and I still don't know how/why he hasn't left Sassuolo yet but Domenico Berardi has always interested me. Feels like he is continuously linked with some of the bigger teams yet never ends up moving

So I've gotten to December in my game and I applied for the vacant Ternana job, interviewed for it and was offered the role. The first step for almost any of the first "days" on the job is to clean the staff out. I found an interesting thing thou; a lot of recently retired players (notable players, like Van Persie, Robben, Evra) are more than willing to join as youth team coaches on "normal" salaries. Looks like I will have a star studded youth setup. Also another tip I have discovered... If you have a second human coach as unemployed, you can staff search the entire loaded database in the game which has been helpful in finding 'hidden gem' staff.

I've seen this thrown about through various sporting 'outlet's and surprised to not see it on here. The rules are: Best World XI from your lifetime. No two players can have played for the same club(at any time) or can be from the same country. I will try and get mine down after a lot of thinking