1st June - 31st December
Previously on Conquer The Turf
I moved from Burnley to Arsenal mid season and ended up 7th in the League but won both the Europa League and FA Cup. The signings of Pavard and Tierney were inspired and there was a lot of hope for Berardi and Everton flanking Aubameyang. The Champions League was beckoning alongside a proper attempt at the League.
Then yet again I jump ship…
Barcelona
Ok ok. I know. I have been more crazy then I normally am and cannot sit still at one club. But come on, this is Barcelona. Cruyff. Guardiola. Tiki Taka. Xavi. MESSI for fucks sake!!! How can you turn all this down? It’s another level on from Arsenal and in theory I could win everything. I was happy at Arsenal, they were really not that far off being the best team in England. But it’s a chance to win La Liga, take on Real Madrid and buy all the best players. I leave Arsenal in excellent shape for the next manager, especially with £101 million to spend.
So first things first. I better explain what happened. I didn't actually just go to one interview in between the two cup finals. Manchester City sacked Guardiola after coming second and only winning the Charity Shield. Had to thrown my name into the hat. The money and players on offer is just too enticing. They only have to make 7 points up on Chelsea which is more than doable. I interviewed on the 24th then had the Barcelona one on the 28th. Fully expecting to choose between the two I was shocked to find out City turned me down!
Here I was, a ‘top’ English manager ready to take on the task but I missed out. To be fair, Carlo Ancelotti is an excellent manager with a proven history in the Champions League. Just very strange that the English club turns me down and the Spanish one takes a punt on me. I definitely have unfinished business with English football…
Well I say a punt. They pay £20 million to get me out of my contract which is a fair whack and only leaves £28 million to spend. So much for being a rich club! The team are two transfer windows into my save and have only bought two pretty average players in Thomas Meunier a RB and Iago Aspas a forward known for a poor stint at Liverpool. Hardly stellar.
Obviously when starting with a new team you need to review all the players. Some stick out immediately like ter Stegen in goal. No issues there. Alba, Pique and Umtiti in defence, excellent. In fact a large core of the team from the last few years remains, making it very easy to pick a formation and starting eleven. Busquets, Rakitić, Dembélé, Coutinho and Luis Suarez are all stand out established players. Though what to do with Arturo Vidal and Thomas Vermaelen?
The key question in fact had nothing to do with any of these players. It is in fact, how do I get the best out of Messi. Lionel is now 31, just coming to the end of his prime but with such insane stats I have to build the team around him. As a RW inside forward and a team with some excellent midfielders it points the way.
Tactically I move back to the 4321, the DM being absolutely crucial to this team. The positions are similar to my Burnley formation but the tactics couldn't be more different. Although I would like to have a look at striker-less at some point, there are enough good AMs to make it work. I continue the journey I started at Arsenal, I go for more pressing, possession and even more attacking. Hit every team hard and we should score enough goals to win.
Back four is easy enough to pick, Roberto will be used at RB instead of CM as that's a much harder position to fill. Moving forward with Busquets at the base of midfield, Rakitić alongside Arthur with a front three of Dembélé, Suarez and Messi. Well once Dembélé comes back from a long term injury, Coutinho can play out wide or in the centre.
Not a bad starting team but improvements are required. I ship out Cillessen for 7.5 million to Everton as he will probably not ever get a game in goal. Vidal is basically a swap deal for me, heading to Arsenal for 29 million. Then I thin out the squad with Paulinho, Meunier and Gomes leaving for a combined 38.5 million. Decent work but the game fucks me over, forgot that Alcácer has a 20.5 million buyout clause in his loan deal to Dortmund. So annoying, he was going to be my backup striker. Better try and use Aspas!
On the signings front I manage to nab Milinković-Savić from under PSG’s nose, paying 57 million to Lazio. Huge outlay for what would be a brilliant player. You may ask why would I need another CM but with Roberto playing at RB we are a man short. Alex Telles comes in for only 28 million to provide competition at LB and Milenković at CB to be fourth choice. Not exactly setting the world alight but it balances the squad and let’s me assess how good the current players are.
Pre season goes by fine with all of the squad coming through it unscathed. No Super Cup this season, the failure of last season is pretty evident. Real Madrid won the league by 7 points and Ath. Madrid won the Copa del Rey. Weirdly Barca went out to Porto in the Champions Cup. Room to improve on all fronts! The group stage is drawn and we get Lyon, Fenerbahçe and of course Arsenal. Good to see this game has a sense of humour!
The opening three league games are all won with 9 goals scored in total against Getafe, Real Hispalis and Málaga. Now to a hiccup. Lyon away should be a reasonable tie in the cup but to be 3-0 down after just 33 minutes? A calamity. The second string team I play was not the wisest move, I thought an away draw would be enough. Need to get a great start in the league. Thankfully I bring on the ever dependable Messi and Suarez to snatch a 3-3 draw in the 94th minute!
The reason for the back up team playing was due to the arrival of Ath. Madrid to the Camp Nou barely 3 days later. The first real test of the league season and we go out with the full team. I had better get used to saying this… Messi scored. In fact that was the second goal, Rakitić scored a screamer and then we sat back for the rest of the match. Nice easy winning sticking us top with 12 points. Scratch that, make it 18 points after the next two games, a nervy 1-0 home win over Valladolid and a 4-1 win over Leganés with the second string. Aspas gets a brace showing maybe I was wrong and he could be an option up front.
With this great start I look to concentrate on the Champions League, that first match still playing on my mind. Fenerbahçe are not the team they once were, their signings of Andy Carroll, Santi Cozorla and Cristian Zapata make for an old and very slow team. 3-0 in 22 minutes so I sub the kids on. We concede yet again in a match but the midfield three of Rakitić, Savić and Busquets is turning into a brilliant one.
Next up? My old club Arsenal. Having sold them an overpriced Vidal they make the canny signing of Ryan Sessegnon for only 23.5 million but then stupidly sign Sturridge for 15.5 million. Lacazette is loaned to Vigo so I assume he is the replacement. Very odd.
My starting eleven is now pretty settled, though I am not entirely impressed with some of the central defenders or Luis Suarez. His stats are decent but he is just not scoring enough. I am a huge fan of Arthur, ready made replacement for Rakitić. This squad is getting old together, some major surgery will be required in the summer.
Back to the away match at Arsenal, the first goal is an absolute beauty. Only 9 minutes in and typical Barca playing out from the back, every single player touches the ball before Savić smashes it in top corner from just inside the D. As for the second it seems moaning about Suarez paid off as he finishes well on the counter. Game over. Thank you Arsenal!
Playing as a huge club is a lot easier. You have more money and can buy some of the best players. What actually makes it much easier is being able to attack as a team, rather than just hoping you don’t concede and score on the counter. Rather than going on about all the results in the league I can tell you I win the next 9 games on the bounce, conceding only two goals in the process. Valencia were the only decent team I come up against and won 2-0.
The Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) features two legged ties, starting with Valladolid away in the 4th round. Yet again I play the back up team (though always ter Stegen in goal) and come away with a 4-0 win, another Aspas brace. Means the second leg is a non game now which is useful. Sadly Coutinho is yet again injured and I just cannot seem to get him fit and playing regularly. He is an excellent option for LW or CM but with his injury record and ludicrous wages (400k a week) I have doubts over whether to keep him. Very hard for him to break into the first team and for what position. Exactly the same issue Liverpool had before they sold him. Still he scores as does Rakitić showing that I should try to get more goals out of my CMs.
Top of the champions league group is sealed with 3 more wins and no goals conceded. This team is really hitting its stride in terms of results though there are no crazy scores, just keeping it simple. 0-0 against Valladolid in the second leg emphasises this, though for the 5th round I get Real Madrid.
Speaking of Madrid they are up for the final match away before the winter break. 15 games into the season and I am still undefeated, 7 points ahead of them. This is two weeks before the window open so I have half an eye on transfers.
One of the biggest problems afflicting the biggest clubs in Europe is that they are so far ahead of the rest of the teams in their leagues means that walk over them all and then stumble at the first decent team in Europe. Or in this case the Spanish League…
I pick the best 11 and go 1-0 up thanks to Suarez weirdly from a corner. Not exactly renowned for set pieces but I‘ll take it! Can now hit them on the counter and score two or three more, still 70 minutes left of the game.
Or so I hoped. Barely a minute later and they equalise from a corner. Back to square one but if only I can score before half time. Which we do only to be ruled offside!! Bah. Half time and we will still go for it.
I know in life Madrid are a shambles, with a squad needing an overhaul but on this game they are very good. They spend almost 300 million in the summer with Rudiger, Bernardeschi and Salah the top signings. The key piece making up for the loss of Ronaldo? Belotti from Torino for only 60 million. His pace and finishing are nuts. He absolutely tears the defence apart in the second half, scoring the winner for which I have no answer for. Bugger.
Now just four points ahead, the loss is actually worse than it sounds due to the league rules. Teams on the same points are separated by results against each other which Real have the advantage if they manage to catch us up. To make things worse I have to play them twice again in the next three weeks. Ugh. I need to change some of these players and to evolve these old Arsenal tactics even more. Going to be a very interesting second half of the season!
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