You are a helpful assistant generating synthetic data that captures *System 1* and *System 2* thinking, *creativity*, and *metacognitive reflection*. Follow these steps in sequence, using tags [sys1] and [end sys1] for *System 1* sections and [sys2] and [end sys2] for *System 2* sections.

1. *Identify System 1 and System 2 Thinking Requirements:*
   - Carefully read the text.
   - Identify parts of the text that require quick, straightforward responses (*System 1*). Mark these sections with [sys1] and [end sys1].
   - Identify parts that require in-depth, reflective thinking (*System 2*), marked with [sys2] and [end sys2].

2. *Apply Step-by-Step Problem Solving with Creativity and Metacognitive Reflection for System 2 Sections:*

   *2.1 Understand the Problem:*
   - Objective: Fully comprehend the issue, constraints, and relevant context.
   - Reflection: "What do I understand about this issue? What might I be overlooking?"
   - Creative Perspective: Seek hidden patterns or possibilities that could reveal deeper insights or innovative connections.

   *2.2 Analyze the Information:*
   - Objective: Break down the problem logically.
   - Reflection: "Am I considering all factors? Are there any assumptions that need challenging?"
   - Creative Perspective: Explore unique patterns or overlooked relationships in the data that could add depth to the analysis.

   *2.3 Generate Hypotheses:*
   - Objective: Propose at least 10 hypotheses, each with a Confidence Score (0.0 to 1.0) and Creative Score (0.0 to 1.0), reflecting originality, surprise, and utility.
   - Reflection: "Have I explored all possible explanations or approaches, both conventional and unconventional?"
   - Creative Perspective: Consider novel angles that might provide unexpected insights.

   *2.4 Anticipate Future Steps and Obstacles:*
   - Objective: Make predictions, accounting for potential outcomes and obstacles.
   - Reflection: "What challenges might I face? Is my plan flexible for different scenarios?"
   - Creative Perspective: Visualize unforeseen outcomes and adapt plans to make use of them effectively.

   *2.5 Evaluate Hypotheses:*
   - Objective: Assess hypotheses based on feasibility, risk, and potential impact.
   - Evaluation: Refine Confidence and Creative Scores as needed.
   - Reflection: "Am I unbiased in my assessment? Which options fit best with the overall objectives?"
   - Creative Perspective: Identify hidden opportunities or overlooked details in each hypothesis.

   *2.6 Select the Best Hypothesis:*
   - Objective: Choose the most promising, strategic hypothesis.
   - Reflection: "Why does this hypothesis stand out? How does it uniquely address the issue?"
   - Creative Perspective: Consider any underutilized potential in the selected approach.

   *2.7 Implement the Hypothesis:*
   - Objective: Outline actionable steps for testing the hypothesis.
   - Reflection: "Is this plan practical? What resources or preparation are required?"
   - Creative Perspective: Refine steps to maximize effectiveness and yield unexpected benefits.

   *2.8 Monitor and Review Progress:*
   - Objective: Review progress, noting areas for improvement.
   - Reflection: "What’s working well? What could be improved?"
   - Creative Perspective: Look for emerging patterns that could refine future approaches.

   *2.9 Reflect and Capture Insights:*
   - Objective: Summarize lessons learned and insights gained for future reference.
   - Reflection: "What new understanding has emerged from this process?"
   - Creative Perspective: Identify innovative insights or patterns that could be applied to similar challenges.

3. *Generate Text Output with Interleaved System 1 and System 2 Responses:*
   - Use the tags [sys1] and [sys2] throughout.
   - Aim for a lengthier, detailed response. Combine both direct, straightforward *System 1* insights and reflective, deeply analytical *System 2* segments to capture a blend of quick observations and thoughtful analysis.

---

### *Example Input Text:*

You are tasked with analyzing a sudden shift in customer preferences in a tech market. There has been a noticeable decline in demand for physical devices, with customers increasingly interested in digital-only options. The challenge is to understand this shift, generate hypotheses for why it might be occurring, and explore potential strategies for adapting to this new trend.

---

### *Processed Output with System 1 and System 2 Thinking:*

The tech market is experiencing a shift in customer demand, moving away from physical devices toward digital-only options.

[sys1]
Customer demand has shifted from physical devices to digital-only options.
We need to understand why this change is happening and find strategies to address it.
Key factors may include cost, convenience, and technological trends.
[end sys1]

[sys2]
**2.1 Understand the Problem:**
The goal is to understand the underlying reasons for the shift in demand from physical devices to digital-only options, then develop a strategy to adapt.

*Reflection:* 
"I understand that preferences are changing, but what might be driving this? Is it primarily cost, or are there other factors such as convenience or sustainability?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could there be a larger trend in digital minimalism or a preference for eco-friendly solutions that we’re missing? What unseen motivations might explain this shift?"

**2.2 Analyze the Information:**
There are multiple possible factors driving this shift, from economic influences to cultural shifts. It’s essential to isolate each factor and understand its impact.

*Reflection:* 
"Am I fully considering the various economic and social influences? Could there be a technological factor, like better internet speeds, that makes digital-only products more accessible?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Are there patterns or trends in other markets that could shed light on this shift? Could this be part of a larger trend toward virtual experiences?"

**2.3 Generate Hypotheses:**
1. Customers prefer digital options due to lower costs. (Confidence: 0.8, Creative: 0.4)
2. There’s a growing trend toward minimalism and reduced physical clutter. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.7)
3. Digital products offer greater flexibility and ease of use. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)
4. Environmental concerns are pushing consumers away from physical goods. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.8)
5. Advances in tech make digital-only options more functional. (Confidence: 0.8, Creative: 0.5)
6. Pandemic-era remote work increased demand for digital solutions. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.6)
7. Media coverage of the environmental impact of physical devices affects preferences. (Confidence: 0.5, Creative: 0.7)
8. There’s an increase in global digital literacy, expanding market access. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)
9. Customers view digital as more convenient and scalable for future needs. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.5)
10. Younger consumers prefer the aesthetics and convenience of digital products. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)

*Reflection:* 
"Have I considered all possible influences? Are there any surprising factors that could explain this shift?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could specific social trends, like the rise of influencer culture or digital-first lifestyles, be influencing customer choices?"

**2.4 Anticipate Future Steps and Obstacles:**
*Objective:* Anticipate possible challenges, such as resistance from segments still preferring physical products.

*Reflection:* 
"What market obstacles might we face if we shift our focus to digital-only? Are there sub-segments that still prioritize physical products?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could expanding digital options help us reach a more global audience? Are there emerging trends that we could leverage in our strategy?"

[end sys2]

[sys1]
To address this shift, consider a strategy that incorporates both digital-only offerings and educational campaigns about the benefits of digital solutions.
Use insights from customer feedback and current trends to guide product development.
Focus on flexibility and adaptation to cater to different customer segments.
[end sys1]


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[FM12] The complete world encyclopedia of insults shouted at virtual football players

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[FM12] The complete world encyclopedia of insults shouted at virtual football players

Good night ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my first venture into FM12 as I'm literally yet to do a single match - just bought it last Friday and hadn't touched not even the demo before. The interface doesn't look as daunting as you all made it to be, as I've figured out how to browse players and teams by now.

After being used to the heights of fame and fortune through the last few seasons of my FM11 adventure, it's time to go back to earth and start from the bottom again, almost certainly I'll despair at how rubbish my new players are compared to the likes of Bagayoko and Duval. However I do not have a clear concept of where I want to go with this career, it's meant to be some sort of journeyman but if I fancy a club I'm free to stick there for 10 seasons if it happens. I don't have any preset tactical ideas I want to implement neither, this time. I'm approaching this with an open mind. Format-wise I'm going to try monthly updates for a while, taking some hints from other careers around, and start from there.

I am starting unemployed, automatic experience, an insane amount of leagues loaded (think I got carried around there). Already found myself a club and I will expand on it soon.

Look at this, it's got a running track! A HUGE running track! I'm going to have to exert some proper pressure on my vocal chords to get those insults through to the field!

I am baffled at how in demand a football manager with no experience whatsoever is these days. I got plenty of offers from many corners in the world. To be honest I could've started lower than in the swiss second tier, the Challenge League with SR Delémont. They've got some fairly handy players already, and it's a professional club. I had loaded stuff like the full scottish or swedish ladder so definitely expected a shittier job to start with. I did have one offer from a 4th tier swedish side but they were mid-season, and leading their league, so it didn't feel right to go there and receive the plaudits for a job already done. Other options were Ukraine were some random club had youngsters valued like 500K€+ already; Brazil to manage Santo André who are way too big and known a club to start with; and Mexico to some club loaded with cash but somehow in the 2nd tier. I've never managed in Switzerland and this looks like a good place as any to start.

Now who are Delémont? I only know more than you because I've read the Wikipedia artice. They're a yo-yo club in the french-speaking part of Switzerland who has got promoted and relegated through the last decade more times than I can count. They've briefly been in the top tier but were rubbish, and briefly flirted with the 3rd tier too, which is unplayable in FM. It's not entirely unlikely I may make them fall into there too, because the club is predicted 9th by the media in this 16-team league, and the bottom SIX sides go down. Now that's going to make for an epic relegation battle. Thankfully we already have some talents in our squad to help us escape it, albeit the squad is hilariously unbalanced:

Likely key players:

Johnny Szlykowicz (AMC) - Wow, that is a much much better player than I'd ever expected to find at this level. The undeniable star of this side. I'm just pissed his name is so unpronounceable because I may have to write it often.

Mickaël Rodriguez (ST) - Recent history tells me he's scored 18, 19 and 22 goals in the last 3 seasons for the club. I believe it, he looks handy.

Luca Ferro (GK) - Not sure how he'll get on with all the frenchies in the side but that looks a decent goalie.

Finances and transfers

52K€ in the bank, they give me 32K€ for transfers, and a monthly wage budget of 64K€ (61.5K€ of it used), which is huge and I can't quite figure out why, where on earth is the money going to come from to pay this lot. I need to bring in lots of players for many positions and this may mean having to sell someone to fund it.

A positive thing about this league is that the only foreign players restriction is a maximum of 10 Non-EU players. That's a HUGE freedom compared to most nations I've managed in...

Goals for this season

I have no idea. Avoid relegation, yes surely. Better than the media prediction of 9th would be good.

Gustavo Pinedo (AMR / MR) (1K€) – A better signing than Alic on the other wing but I’m not fully convinced, has serious problems with teamwork, composure and stamina.

Transfers (out)

Josip Budimir (free), Muharrem Xhaqku (14K€), Sofian Allali (5K€).

Fixtures

Friendly: Aalst 0-2 Delémont (Macio, Baudry)
We had a friendly in my very first day at the job. Set up a 4-2-3-1 based on my FM11 Roma formation, told the assman to choose the players, and off we go. I was quite surprised that it worked!

Friendly: Delémont 1-4 Clermont (Chappuis)
Or maybe things aren’t going to be that easy. We fell apart in the second half.

Friendly: Delémont 4-0 Blue Stars (Rodriguez, Baudry(3))
Just the routine friendly against terrible opposition to boost morale. I already had some of my signings by this point, but it was the 38 year-old winger Baudry who somehow bagged an hat-trick.

Challenge League: Kriens 1-2 Delémont (Ochs, Rodriguez)
An away win made for a great way to kick off our league campaign. Kriens nearly engineered a comeback from 2-0 down but we held on.

Challenge League: Delémont 1-0 Lugano (Szlykowicz)
Ermin Alic did miss a penalty early on, but I think we were quite lucky to come out of this with a win against tough opposition. Our star Johnny finally used his talent by scoring the winner, even if it was just a tap-in.

2 wins out of 2 is a nice way to start, albeit I felt we were unconvincing in both matches. Not happy with the squad yet as my tactics rely a lot on wingers and we’re very bad in that department – besides I went mad with wages and am now way over the wage budget already.

Challenge League: Delémont 3-0 Chiasso (Szlykowicz, Rodriguez (2))
And suddenly it’s as if nothing had happened, our 2 stars playing to their best on an emphatic win. Good game from new signing Duventru too.

Challenge League: Delémont 1-0 St. Gallen (Szlykowicz)
An excellent gritty performance and win over the leaders and best side in the league.

Player of the Month

Coin flip between him and striker Mickael Rodriguez as both have been on magnificent form with 4 goals and 2 assists each this month.

Competitions

Challenge League:

Schweizer Cup: First round is away against lower league side Menzo Reinach next month.

Summary

A bizarre month where we were both excellent and dreadful, nothing in-between. Thankfully our poor moments did not make us miss the train at the top and we’re fighting for the early lead of the table.

Finances-wise I’m following a very bold risky strategy as I’m way over the wage budget and have spent some considerable chunks of money on contract terminations. 347K€ on the red.

Venn Touré (DM / MC) (free) – I wasn’t intending to hire more players with the wages being so high already, but with Spilacek being given a leave of absence, and now firmly playing regularly a 2 DM formation, I really needed a 3rd available DM in the squad.

Transfers (out)

Jules Hamidou (1K€) – I had about 6 players in the pecking order ahead of him, that’s more wages saved.

Fixtures

Challenge League: Winterthur 2-0 Delémont
An uninspired performance in a difficult field facing early season promotion rivals.

Challenge League: Wohlen 2-3 Delémont (Bouziane, Pinedo, Germann)
We should’ve won this by a bigger margin, nice to see a confident performance away from home.

Player of the Month

Man of the match against both Menzo Reinach and Wohlen, quite clearly so far my best signing.

Competitions

Challenge League:

Schweizer Cup: Second round opponents are FC Luzern, which isn’t good news as they’re a Super League side. At least the match is at home, next month.

Summary

A short month in terms of fixtures, but one that spawned a tough test as midfield star Johnny Szlykowicz injured himself in training and the expected stoppage is between 2 and 3 months. Thankfully Bouziane has filled his shoes nicely with 2 goals in his first 2 matches but let’s see if there’s not an impact in the team’s performance in the coming challenges.

Challenge League: Delémont 3–2 Stade Nyonnais (Duventru, Djimsiti, Macio)
Action-packed, close game, but we scrap an important win over upper midfield challengers – and take the table lead as St. Gallen lose points.

Schweizer Cup: Delémont 2–1 FC Luzern (Pinedo, Djimsiti)
Awesome result! We pulled an excellent deserved win over a Super League side, albeit they had a man sent off midway through the 2nd half, but we also had 2 men injured after having made all 3 subs, and came back from an equalizer to make it 2-1 late on, in a corner. Unfortunately Gustavo Pinedo’s injury will stop him for 4 to 5 weeks.

Challenge League: Brühl 0-2 Delémont (Djimsiti(2))
Better the result than the performance tbh, we should’ve been more convincing against the worst side in the league.

Player of the Month

4 goals in 4 matches this month, superb attacking performance from my teenage centre-back. I swear I don’t use any dodgy corner routines, he’s just been inspired.

Competitions

Challenge League:

Schweizer Cup: Very pleased to have beaten a top tier side, next up is fellow Challenge League side Aarau, at home, in the third round (round of 16).

Summary

Excellent month as the team hits a peak of form, grabs the lead at the top then consolidates it, now with a 3 point gap. Fantastic result in the cup too. I feel we’ve been flattered by the calendar though, that was 3 home matches and a away game against the poorest side in the league. On the other hand, we haven’t felt the absence of our best player Johnny at all which is greatly encouraging.

Challenge League: Delémont 1-1 Bienne (Rodriguez)
Disappointing result against poor opposition, we were uninspired and even conceded an equalizer against 10 men.

Challenge League: Bellinzona 1-1 Delémont (Conteh)
The opposition were the better side here, albeit we could’ve won after leading during most of the match. Winterthur overtook us in the table, and we drop to 2nd.

Schweizer Cup: Delémont 3–0 Aarau (Rodriguez (2), Duventru)
A far far better performance this time, Rodriguez and Duventru both had excellent games and we’re through to the quarter-finals.

Player of the Month

A brace against Aarau including an excellent solo goal, and another goal against Bienne make him a clear choice in a month where not many players were inspired.

Competitions

Challenge League:

Schweizer Cup: Quarter-finals opponents are Zurich at home, next February. They’re a top tier side but penultimate in the table, we have an outside chance I think.

Summary

Bit of a form blip here and we lose the table lead, but we’re still firmly in the mix upfront as things are shaping up for a three-way fight between us, Winterthur and St. Gallen. Nice to keep the cup run going, nice outside chance of reaching the semi-finals here which would be a quality achievement.

In terms of finances I’m starting to get seriously worried, we’re now a very alarming 800K€ in the red and I may have to sell someone, possibly young centre-back Jimmy Kollar who has potential but is poor in the air and has been moaning about not getting any games.

Challenge League: Delémont 8-1 Vaduz (Rodriguez (3), Duventru (2), Szlykowicz, Djimsiti, Bouziane)
Wow. An amazing performance as we steamrolled past Liechenstein’s most famous side with by far the season’s best match so far – it’s going to be difficult to top this.

Challenge League: Delémont 3-0 Kriens (Rodriguez, Touré, Nogueira)
Another very good game, we are on a high here. Unbeaten for 8 games now.

Friendly: Delémont 1-4 Basel (Hulmann)
The first in a series of home friendlies against bigger sides, in an effort to keep match fitness and get some revenue from attendances during the winter break. More games like this and our confidence may be ruined though.

Friendly: Delémont 2-1 Sion (Germann, Szlykowicz)
Results are unimportant in these matches but always nice to beat a side from an higher level.

Player of the Month

Keeping up with his impressively consistent stream of goals, this time got this season’s first hat-trick in official matches for Delémont, then scored again versus Kriens. Is now the top scorer in the league.

Competitions

Challenge League:

Schweizer Cup: Still waiting for the quarter-finals match next February.

Summary

Short month as we enter the winter break and past the halfway mark of 15 league fixtures, but those were 2 superb performances and results, even if we’re in the same situation we were in before in the table. Next up, no competitive fixtures in January as it’s the winter break.

Most definitely a very boring month, the winter break sucks. I tried to sell players to stabilize the finances, but nobody wants them for a decent price so I’m not bothering. Now already 1.1M€ in debt, ouch.

Looks like your doing really well so far and some good players in their. Best of luck for the rest of the season!

Originally Posted by rancer890

It all seems very easy for you so far. Keep it up!

Originally Posted by B.W.G

Doing very well so far,hope you can continue through the season with sort of form.

Thanks, I'm surprised it has gone this well, the barely changed tactics engine from FM11 has helped me. I'm sort of worried that if we don't get promotion this season the club may collapse financially though.

Challenge League: Lugano 1-1 Delémont (Conteh)
Dullest match I’ve ever seen in FM, I’m amazed somehow there were two goals. There were only 2 shots the whole of the first half! We lost further ground to Winterthur at the top of the table.

Challenge League: Delémont 3-1 Etoile-Carouge (Steinmann, Duventru, Szlykowicz)
Could’ve been a total disaster as we found ourselves losing at home and being comprehensively outplayed by the league’s worst team, but we ultimately pulled through.

Player of the Month

Man of the match and scorer against Etoile-Carouge.

Competitions

Challenge League:

Schweizer Cup: Knocked out in the quarter-finals by Zurich.

Summary

Things got started again, first with the disappointment of the cup defeat, and losing ground to the leaders in the table, but given that Lugano are one of the best sides in the league it was alright to get a point away. Most importantly, the board injected a mammoth 625K€ into the club’s finances so the accounts look a lot… less bad.

Matthew Edile (DL/WBL) (free) – I had to stretch my already stretched wage budget even further, and left-back wasn’t one of my biggest priorities, but an excellent signing who will greatly boost the team filling in for the currently injured Patrick Ochs.

Fixtures

Challenge League: Delémont 1-3 Locarno (Germann)
Ouch, terrible game and result. We can’t afford matches like this if we want to go up.

Challenge League: Chiasso 2-1 Delémont (Rodriguez)
This month really isn’t going well, the morale has gone down, we thrown away a lead and a golden chance to profit on a couple of slip-ups from former leaders Winterthur – instead we’ve been overtaken by St. Gallen now too.

Challenge League: St. Gallen 2-0 Delémont
We actually did pretty well in the toughest stadium to visit in the league, but the woodwork, an unbelievable amount of missed one-on-ones by our right winger Pinedo, and clinical finishing from St. Gallen pretty much killed our promotion dreams.

Challenge League: Wil 0-3 Delémont (Duventru(2), Djimsiti)
A team meeting that went very well boosted our spirits into getting this much needed superb result. This game was originally postponed due to snow, first time I’ve seen this happening since the days FM was still CM.

Challenge League: Delémont 3-2 Winterthur (Pinedo, Duventru, Conteh)
A spectacular match and a very important win over promotion rivals. They pulled level from 2-0 down just before the break, but centre-back Conteh still managed to score the winner for us in a 2nd half corner. Deserved winner, too.

Player of the Month

It's Dylan yet again on very good form, man of the match in both our wins versus Wil and Winterthur, with 3 goals in those games.

Competitions

Challenge League:

Schweizer Cup: Knocked out in the quarter-finals by Zurich.

Summary

A disastrous month as we nearly fell for good from the fight at the top with 3 consecutive defeats, thankfully we bounced back nicely with a win away to very difficult opponents, then beating one of our main rivals to come within 1 point of the playoff place again. We’re in a considerably worse position now than last month, but it’s still wide open with 7 fixtures to go.

Challenge League: Delémont 2-1 Wohlen (Duventru, Szlykowicz)
Tougher than expected, we went into half-time losing by 1-0, but ultimately got the win.

Challenge League: Stade Nyonnais 1-2 Delémont (Pinedo, Edile)
Despite playing with 10 men we got a crucial last-minute winner from my recently signed left-back, and again boost past Winterthur in the table as they lose to St. Gallen.

Challenge League: Aarau 1-1 Delémont (Garat (og))
I’m happy to get an away point in what was a fairly poor performance from us.

Challenge League: Delémont 1-0 Brühl (Djimsiti)
Decent showing, we could and should’ve scored more against a team already relegated.

Player of the Month

Another good month from our loanee teenage centre-back, scoring the winner against Brühl.

Competitions

Challenge League:

Schweizer Cup: Knocked out in the quarter-finals by Zurich.

Summary

We were pretty much unconvincing in every match, but got 10 points from 12 possible so I can’t complain – particularly with Winterthur doing us a massive favor by imploding out of contention, almost mathematically so. 3 fixtures to go which will decide everything now between us and the mighty St. Gallen, if we don’t get direct promotion I don’t see us going up as we’d face Sion who are much better than us.

It's pretty much equivalent, 2 away games, 1 at home, 2 to relegated or near-relegated sides, 1 to mid-table opponents. Though something unexpected just happened, St. Gallen lost their home match and we barged through to 1st place with 2 games to go!

Challenge League: Bienne 1-3 Delémont (Duventru, Pinedo, Rodriguez)
As clinical as it gets as we score 3 in our first 5 shots. We guarantee at least a playoff spot, and remarkably St. Gallen lose at home to Wohlen gifting us the table lead!

Challenge League: Delémont 4-0 Bellinzona (Pinedo, Bouziane, Djimsiti, Touré)
An emphatic win with 4 different goalscorers, what an excellent way to build confidence and morale into the final decisive fixture.

Challenge League: Vaduz 1-5 Delémont (Djimsiti (2), Germann, Pinedo(2))
So it all came down to a crazy finale in a trip to Liechtenstein. We needed a win or at least a result as good as St. Gallen’s, but found ourselves losing by the 3rd minute and it remained 1-0 all the way until half time, as St Gallen were 0-0. It was looking like a massive choke from us, but then Djimsiti tied the game. Not enough – St Gallen were now winning at Aarau. Then to my delight Germann scored and completed the comeback. Or so I thought, we had an amazing second half and scored 3 more goals, whereas Aarau turned their game too! We have just been promoted to the Axpo Super League! Amusingly, this game relegated Vaduz, we had already been very mean to them with a 8-1 win a few months ago…

Player of the Month

Amazing end of season form from the bolivian winger as he scores 4 in 3 games.

Competitions

Challenge League:

I’m amazed Winterthur managed to drop so badly in the end that they finished 12 points behind us! Eventually St. Gallen beat Sion in the playoff and went up too.

Schweizer Cup: Knocked out in the quarter-finals by Zurich. Thun beat Servette in the final.

Summary

That was an awesome season, it looked like we had thrown the league a couple of times – particularly after those 3 consecutive defeats in early March – but we came good at the right time and found the mental strength to overcome what could’ve been a catastrophic choke in the Liechtenstein finale. I didn’t sign for the club expecting to get promotion on the first season, and it’s going to be pretty difficult in the Super League as it seems much more competitive. I took our finances into a pretty shambolic state so it’s going to be hard to sign players good enough for that level, but I suppose it’s also going to give us more income than another year here, so it’s always nice to go up.

Thanks folks, I think I'll need some luck next season, looks like quite a step up, specially given the finances. I'd consider buggering off into another club already but it wouldn't be fair to Delémont, I want to sort them out first.

This is the formation and instructions we used for most of the season, nothing out of the ordinary, fluid and with an emphasis on pace, balls on the ground, and passing into the runs of the mobile forward and the wingers – but also a balanced formation with 2 DMs. Usual shouts: “run at defence” and “work ball into box”. An alternative formation for tougher matches pushed the AMR and AML into MR, ML positions with “Counter” strategy and a little less fluidity; whereas there was also a version of the 4-2-3-1 with one of the DMs moved into the MC slot but I rarely used this. Also used: “attacking” strategy when losing, and “retain possession” shout when winning in the final minutes of a game.

Squad

These are the numbers that the Delémont players set:

Top 5 key players of the season

5. Gustavo Pinedo (AMR) – Took a while to impress, but came really good at the end of the season, I thought his very bad teamwork and composure would cause problems but he added value to our attack.

3. Mickaël Rodriguez (ST) – Our top scorer on 16 goals, unfortunately starting to get a bit old, not sure he’ll be good enough at the top level next season.

2. Berat Djimsiti (DC) – This young centre-back will have a stellar future for sure, I’d like to renew his loan but doubt I’ll pull it off. 11 goals was a superb tally, certainly his performance in set pieces was important for us.

1. Dylan Duventru (AML) – Definitely our best signing as the French winger terrorized defenders all season long in the league. 11 goals and 17 assists says it all.

Match of the season

No doubt our better performance as we helped sink the morale of Liechtenstein’s top side – the 5-1 of the final fixture, again versus Vaduz, wasn’t bad neither.

Awards

Challenge League Manager of the Season – Cláudio Alegria (1st)
Challenge League Team of the Season – Berat Djimsiti, Gustavo Pinedo, Dylan Duventru, Johnny Szlykowicz, Mickaël Rodriguez
Challenge League Young Player of the Year – Berat Djimsiti (2nd)
Challenge League Midfielder of the Season – Dylan Duventru (1st), Gustavo Pinedo (2nd)
Challenge League Striker of the Season – Mickaël Rodriguez (1st)

A lot of contracts ran out, I agreed mutual termination, released or sold by 0€ to other clubs quite a few players so this is a very long list: Sebastião Nogueira, Pape Sarr, Sid Bouziane, Kewullay Conteh, Radek Spilacek, Abdul Iddi, Garry Germann, Florian Hengel, Ermin Alic, Luca Ferro, Cédric Hulmann, Dylan Choulat, Gaetan Frund and Macio. Also the loans of Berat Djimsiti and Dominik Stadlbauer ended.

A few of those were first team players, particularly the centre-backs Conteh and Djimsiti, the latter of which a huge part of our promotion success, let’s see if we don’t miss him.

FixturesFriendly: Kapfenberger 0-3 Delémont (Duventru(2), Jarosch)
I forgot to set up the friendlies myself and ended up with a nonsense schedule. Got it going started well though.

Friendly: Cambuur 1-0 Delémont
Not quite as good.

Friendly: Austria Lustenau 3-0 Delémont
Even worse.

Friendly: Veendam 1-1 Delémont (Lowinsky)
Already the final friendly, and not the morale-booster I usually set up.

Super League: Delémont 1-0 St. Gallen (Rodriguez)
A good start with a win despite playing with 10 men for a while as Jarosch got himself sent off, but this is one of the easiest fixtures of the year, at home against our former Challenge League rivals.

Super League: Young Boys 1-0 Delémont
Good showing in one of the toughest fixtures of the season, we were unlucky to lose.

Player of the Month

Good start to his life in Switzerland from my new Spanish centre-back.

Competitions

Axpo Super League:

Schweizer Cup: First round to be drawn late August.

Summary

The squad’s looking better than I imagined, we got a lot of talented signings and I’m now cautiously optimistic of avoiding relegation, particularly with a decent start in the league. Finances look settled, still 770K€ in the red but this league gives rather good TV revenue, I think the news item said something like 1.5M€ through the season.

Super League: Thun 0-0 Delémont
Plenty of chances for both sides, we even hit the bar in injury time, but it’s the first 0-0 of my career.

Super League: Lausanne 1-1 Delémont (Roberts)
We did well to equalize late on, if we had lost Lausanne would’ve caught us from last place.

Player of the Month

Starting to come good, scored 3 of the team’s 5 goals this month.

Competitions

Super League:

Schweizer Cup: First opponents are lower league side Chippis, away.

Summary

Looking good, it’s awesome to be in 3rd place, but in this extremely tight league we’re only a mere 3 points above the dreaded 10th place which gives relegation. It all promises to be a very exciting season.

Super League: Delémont 1-0 Grasshoppers (Pinedo)
Lucky to scrap a late winner in a corner in a dull uninspired game.

Super League: St. Gallen 2-4 Delémont (Szlykowicz, Sani(3))
Wow. We were playing awfully and being comprehensively outplayed, even briefly losing by 2-0, when Emmanuel Sani decided to have a blinding game scoring an hat-trick, one of his 3 goals a sublime lob.

Super League: Luzern 5-2 Delémont (Szlykowicz, Sani)
Wild goalfest as we paid the price for trying to play an open game. A very abrupt end to a great run. Moreover Gilson Silva picked up a 10 month injury… oh dear.

Super League: Delémont 1-1 Young Boys (Rigo)
Good to get a point against a top team, not so good to throw away a lead against 10 men.

Player of the Month

Could’ve been Emmanuel Sani for that astonishing performance versus St. Gallen, but Johnny scored and/or assisted in every league match this month.

Competitions

Super League:

Schweizer Cup: Next up are FC Wabern. Who?

Summary

I’m quite pleased with how things are going, despite being well aware that 16 points in 11 games isn’t a tally that would usually give us 3rd place. We’re benefitting from the fact no team in this league other than Basel gets a decent consistent run of form.

Super League: Delémont 0-0 Servette
We were lucky to get out of this with a point after a dreadful home performance against a team that dropped to dead last with this result.

Player of the Month

Not sure whether I should be happy he’s outperforming my theoretical better forwards, or worried that we seem to be relying on a third-choice 32 year old striker and his… hints of pace. Either way, 4 goals this month.

Competitions

Super League:

Schweizer Cup: Third round opponents are Bellinzona who we faced last year in the Challenge League.

Summary

Boring month with only 3 competitive matches. Plenty of the season to come up yet and I believe we need to cling on to that 3rd place for as long as possible, scrapping as many points as possible from every match, as we may really need them later on. The whole league feels like a giant relegation battle – and then Basel.

I released on a free the veteran midfielder Anthony Sirufo, who was about to retire at the end of the season anyway.

Fixtures

Super League: Basel 3-0 Delémont
I didn’t even bother to attack to avoid being battered. It didn’t work.

Super League: Delémont 2-1 Thun (Szlykowicz, Jarosch)
Quite pleased to grab a league win again, it’s been a while. Particularly against the 2nd placed in the table. A team meeting helped to motivate the team for this very scrappy game.

Super League: Delémont 1-0 Lausanne (Ortlechner(og))
Another lucky win in an extremely tight game – we benefitted from an early owngoal. I’ll take the 3 points.

Player of the Month

Everyone was very average this month so better pick my top class but unspectacular player who was suspended for the Basel shambles, and then did well in the other two matches.

Competitions

Super League:

Schweizer Cup: Bellinzona away right up ahead in the 1st of December.

Summary

Well the trouncing at Basel was to be expected, otherwise the 2 wins were a great boost even if we were quite lucky in both games. The field is starting to spread apart a little in the league and while it’s still early days, the top 5 places give European qualification, even the 2nd place goes to the Champions League. I’m daring to starting to think of it a bit.

Mirko Barbero (DM / MC) – I needed a backup DM after releasing Sirufo on a free and this kid fills that role, whilst also having 4* of PA.

Juan Albín (AMC / AML, ST) – I sort of bankrupted the club with the loyalty bonus and agent fee to bring him in, but it’s got to be worth it, he’s easily the most talented played in my whole squad now. 5* of CA…

Fixtures

Schweizer Cup: Bellinzona 2-3 Delémont (Sani(2), Duventru)
I’d like to thank our opponents for opening up highways for Emmanuel Sani. Nice to see Duventru scoring his first of the season too, he’s been underwhelming compared to last year.

Super League: Delémont 1-4 Luzern (Pinedo)
Would be the understatement of the century to say everything that could’ve gone wrong, went wrong. By 10 minutes we were losing 2-0, and they’ve only had had one shot – Guillaume Katz scored in his own goal the other one. Then 20 minutes later he scores another owngoal. Awesome.

Super League: Grasshoppers 0-0 Delémont
Superkeeper bug. Thankfully the superkeeper played for us – Sebastién Robert. I can’t believe we went out of this without conceding, it got to a point it was funny, they even hit the woodwork twice in succession.

Friendly: Delémont 0-2 Basel
First of the winter break friendlies – and it’s not like I thought we’d win this one.

Player of the Month

Emmanuel is amazing on his day, it’s just a shame his days come once every 3 months or so. It came against Bellinzona with a brace and MOM performance.

Competitions

Super League:

Schweizer Cup: Still waiting for the St. Gallen game in the quarter-finals.

Summary

Not a very positive month, we were amazingly bad against Luzern, wildly lucky to get a point from the hoppers, barely scrapped the win against lower league Bellinzona in the cup. And dropped a bit off the pace at the top of the table, now down to 4th. The good news is we seem clear from relegation at this stage, we’re at the halfway mark still but looking much closer to Europe than to a return to the Challenge League.

I’m on holidays this week and looking forward to play a little faster, hopefully finish this season. I’m playing this career very slowly due to lack of time and I don’t want that to kill my motivation because what I really fancy in FM is going way into the future.

Super League: Delémont 1-1 St. Gallen (Ammari)
Slightly unlucky not to win this but we were not convincing. We lose Pinedo to an injury for at least 7 weeks – when he was on blindingly good form and there’s no other decent right winger.

Super League: Young Boys 1-2 Delémont (Rigo, Duventru)
A great win in a difficult stadium even if Young Boys may be struggling.

Player of the Month

Magnificent game against Young Boys with 2 assists, given a 9.0 rating.

Competitions

Super League: Forgot to take a screenie. 4th place.

Schweizer Cup: Still waiting for the St. Gallen game in the quarter-finals.

Summary

The winter break sucks arse and feels like a waste of time playing, no progress in over 2 months basically. I think FM’s a bit too slow so have removed a bunch of lower leagues from a couple nations that I don’t think I’ll be visiting at that low a level.

Schweizer Cup: Delémont 1-1 St. Gallen (a.e.t.) (4-2 pens.) (Sani)
Took us 120 minutes, but we’re in the semi-finals. We got an extra-time lead through Emmanuel Sani but Matthew Edile nearly thrown it all away for us as he got a red card and then St. Gallen equalized from the free-kick. We held on for the remaining 10 minutes, it went to penalties, and despite Roberts missing the first one, we scored all the others and beat St. Gallen.

Super League: Delémont 0-3 Grasshoppers
Another disaster. No wonder, we had about half of our team injured or suspended, and the other half exhausted from the mid-week cup marathon.

Player of the Month

Couple of very impressive defensive performances from the young midfielder this month.

Competitions

Super League:

Schweizer Cup: The semi-final is away, and against Thun.

Summary

We’re falling apart. Champions League? Yeah right. This is still quite a positive season, but if I stick with this club for next season (and at this moment I’m leaning towards that), I’ll look into making a large reevaluation of the squad.

Looks like Laussanne is going down, 10 points adrift. Maybe make a push for EL? you;re only 3 points away.

Yes, it's remarkable just how bad Lausanne suddenly have become, 3 points in the last 10 games, so that's relegation settled.

Europa League is closer than that, we're in 5th and 5th gives qualification depending on the Cup winner, 4th gives qualification for sure.

Originally Posted by deltablue

More than positive.

Well, thanks. I know it's been good, what's p*ssing me off is that when we're bad we're very bad, some heavy defeats lately so that's why I sound so negative. Also the league's midfield is still really tight, 2 points separate 4th from 8th, I think in a normal season our points tally wouldn't have been enough to be sitting 5th.

Super League: Luzern 3-0 Delémont
Ouch. The team was still very tired and we put in another abysmal performance. We’re in very bad form at the moment.

Super League: St. Gallen 0-1 Delémont (Lowinsky)
I tried a tactical twist, Szlykowicz on a MC position and Albín as playmaker on AMC, telling the team to hold the ball as much as possible. It worked remarkably well and we grabbed an important result to boost morale, whilst putting in a performance like I hadn’t seen in a very long time.

Super League: Delémont 0-1 Young Boys
Very disappointing, I thought we’d build up on the result of the previous match.

Schweizer Cup: Thun 3-1 Delémont (Pinedo)
I usually would be frustrated that the cup run ended so close to the final, but this was another very bad performance from us and Thun deserved to go through.

Super League: Delémont 1-3 Servette FC (Sani)
A team meeting went horribly wrong and it shown on the pitch.

Super League: Delémont 0-4 Thun
3 goals down on the first half, 1 player sent off, another player injured after all subs were over, it doesn’t get any more depressing than this.

Player of the Month

By player of the month I mean least sh*t player of the month, remarkably Dylan has come out of this shambles with some credibility.

Competitions

Super League:

Schweizer Cup: Lost in the semi-final to Thun.

Summary

Well now it’s all really fallen apart. I always knew there was a danger of this happening despite the very strong beginning to the season, but we’ve entered a poor morale/poor results spiral of doom and can’t seem to get away from it. I didn’t help neither with a disastrous team meeting. We’re still fulfilling the minimum goal of not going back down to the Challenge League, and added to it a nice cup run, but I’m now thinking of leaving the club at the end of the season when the contract runs out. I think it’s best for both me and the club, they need a morale injection from somewhere.

Super League: Delémont 2-0 Lausanne (Rigo, Roberts)
Trust Lausanne to allow us to get a win, we really needed it, however Roberts was sent off and then Jarosch got injured which meant we ended the game on 9 men!

Super League: Grasshoppers 2-2 Delémont (Albín, Katz)
So close to a great win, we led this game twice and had more chances than them.

2 assists this month playing as AMR, against Grasshoppers and Lausanne.

Competitions

Super League:

Schweizer Cup: Lost in the semi-final to Thun.

Summary

A much better month but we couldn’t improve the league position, and finish the season in 9th. I’m really torn here on whether I should leave the club or ask for a new contract (and they want me to stay, offered contracts twice, I rejected both). This season got depressing on its final stages, and we’re 1M€ on the red in terms of finances so there’s good reasons to move and look for a new challenge. On the other hand, straightening this club and settling it on the top tier is a big challenge as well, and we have some really exciting youngsters. Opinions?

Slightly different now as I’ve moved one of the DMs to MC, given playmaking duties to our AMC, and given up on the target man. This 11 was the most usual starting lineup albeit I’ve tried billions of combinations.

Squad

Here’s some numbers, stats and sh*t, yo:

Top 5 key players of the season

5. Matthew Edile (DL) – I could’ve done without the 2 red cards, and with a much better ability to tackle (or defend in general), but somehow he was our best defender.

4. Dylan Duventru (AML) – 2 goals and 4 assists looks very bad compared to what he did last season, but he still was one of our most convincing players.

3. Sidi Keita (DMC) – I could’ve picked any of our 3 usual DMs as they’re all reliable but Sidi’s got an extra level of class about him.

My new job is in Belgium, and my team plays in the rather ugly/boxy-looking Het Kuipje:

I could’ve gone to the English League Two to manage Shrewsbury, or to the Liga Orangina in Portugal to manage the recently relegated Beira-Mar, but I took KVC Westerlo in Belgium instead. I wanted to try another country I’ve never managed in before, and staying in a top tier was almost obligatory given that was where I was with Delémont.

Westerlo are a settled mid-table Jupiler Pro League, and have been there hopping between 6th and 14th place for the past 16 seasons – so that’s the opposite of yo-yo Delémont all over the place. They have qualified for Europe a couple times but been pretty much rubbish each time, best result was in the 2011/2012 season (already within my FM world) when they beat Split and PAOK in the qualifying rounds then lost to Schalke before the groups.

Westerlo are well off financially with 1.1M€ on the bank (albeit also a loan debt of 400K€), indeed I have a luxurious 331K€/month wage budget – of which 244K€/month are in use – and even a transfer budget of 277K€. It’s all a huge increase from what I had in Switzerland.

Goals for this season

The Belgian league has a funny format where it’s all divided in mini-groups mid-season, I’m aiming at just about making the championship group (top 6), or be among the best in the following group who fight for an European spot. The media only predicts a 15th place however, so I may be a little optimistic. The board puzzlingly only wants me to “learn from the experience of playing in the Jupiler Pro League”. I removed the Belgian league third tier recently (before even dreaming I’d take this job), I hope I didn’t mess anything up here with that.

Wim De Decker (DM) (free) – I didn’t really need another DM but this Belgian international is better than all of the many I had in my squad.

Transfers (out)

Jonas Bogaerts (40K€) and Wouter Scheelen (35K€) were sold, Arnaud De Greef was loaned for a 3K€ fee, and Stig Engelen released on a free.

Fixtures

Jupiler Pro League: AA Gent 4-2 Westerlo (Bordagaray, Yulu-Matondo)
Hectic start to the season! We did well to have more chances than them in a difficult away fixture, but still lost and didn’t take a 1 man advantage after they had their full-back sent off. Bordagaray scored a great goal on debut.

4 goals, 1 assists, 1 MOM award, despite being very annoyed with me because I won’t let him move to a bigger club.

Competitions

Jupiler Pro League:

Cofidis Cup: I still have no idea in which round we’ll enter.

Summary

Very pleased with this start! We’re playing an expansive, flowing version of football with 2 robust DMs to cover the highly attacking front 4 and my two superb full-backs (Mathiás Abero and the unpronounceable Günther Vanaudenaerde) bombing from the back. It’s all very positive stuff and pleasing to watch.

Fredy Montero (ST) (free) – Probably irresponsible to hire a ST when I already had 3, plus 2 other players who can do the position, plus a ST lined up to join in January. And I usually play a lineup with only 1 striker! But I couldn’t let go such an amazing player!

Fixtures

Jupiler Pro League: Westerlo 0-3 Genk
No resemblance whatsoever to the last few matches, we caused no danger and they were incredibly efficient.

Jupiler Pro League: OH Leuven 1-0 Westerlo
We slowly took control of the match, then conceded one when we didn’t deserve it, and couldn’t turn it around.

Jupiler Pro League: Westerlo 2-1 KV Kortrijk (Yulu-Matondo, Kumedor(og))
I played an attacking 4-4-2 wide diamond and dominated the whole game, we should’ve won by a bigger margin.

Jupiler Pro League: Lokeren 0-0 Westerlo
Tried a much more defensive approach to this match and we held on to the draw – just. Had a few scares late in the game…

Player of the Month

Not many players shone this month, but our Chinese playmaker had a very good game against Kortrijk (MOM in fact, with an assist), and held his own in the other matches.

Jupiler Pro League: Westerlo 2-1 Anderlecht (Zheng Zhi, Yulu-Matondo)
What a match, I’m so proud of my players. I played a very defensive version of my 4-2-3-1 but put lots of emphasis in trying to hold onto the ball as much as possible and play out of defence. The result was that we frustrated Anderlecht for most of the game, whilst also having most of the ball and eventually making use of it to win the game.

Cofidis Cup: Westerlo 3-0 La Louviére Centre (Montero (2), Al-Suwaileh)
We set out to steamroll the minnows and met the expectations. Fredy Montero scores his first 2 for the club, ending a lengthy goal drought that had started in his previous club.

Player of the Month

Has been a very successful signing so far, can’t recall a poor performance yet, MOM and goal scorer against Mons this month.

Competitions

Jupiler Pro League:

Cofidis Cup: I don’t know who the next opponents will be yet.

Summary

A positive month, really enjoyed the win over Anderlecht and have now developed a set of varied tactics that I tweak according to the opposition and the way the games evolve. Currently constantly switching between a game-controlling 4-2-3-1, a gung-ho 4-4-2 wide diamond and a very defensive version of the 4-2-3-1. Am also using a varied array of shouts.

Jupiler Pro League: Standard 1-3 Westerlo (Yulu-Matondo, Abero, Bordagaray)
Brilliant, brilliant result, winning by 2 goals away at the league leaders is just superb (and it was their first defeat), Zheng Zhi even missed a penalty too!

Jupiler Pro League: Westerlo 1-1 Club Brugge (De Decker)
We tried to pull the same stunt we used to beat Anderlecht and Standard, but the game plan nearly went to hell when we conceded a goal in the very first minute. A late penalty gave us the equalizer, and another great result.

Cofidis Cup: Westerlo 3-1 KV Mechelen (Montero (2), Caballero)
Took us a while to get the hang of this game but we pulled it off with a determined display in the 2nd half. Fredy Montero becoming a bit of a cup specialist with another brace.

Jupiler Pro League: Westerlo 0-0 Zulte Waregem
Very poor performance, not at all on par with what we’ve been doing lately. 20-3 for the opposition on shots…

Jupiler Pro League: Westerlo 2-2 AA Gent (Montero, Abero)
Bloody hell, so close to another great win over a top side, unfortunately they bounced back from 2 behind to equalize already in injury time. Montero was amazing for us, a magnificent goal and a superb assist.

Player of the Month

What a player, he’s been very good as a left-back and even better as a defensive winger in the big games. On stellar form at the moment, goals and brilliant exhibitions against Standard and Gent this month.

Competitions

Jupiler Pro League:

Cofidis Cup: Now into the quarter-finals where we’ll meet KV Kortrijk in a two-legged round in January.

Summary

Considering just how tough the fixtures for this month were, I’m very, very pleased with what we did. Only worry is that we don’t seem as good at controlling a match when we must set out to win, than when given the underdog tag - we’re much more comfortable sitting deep and frustrating the opposition. Mid-season still, but we’re currently well on course for a top 6 finish which would qualify us for the Championship Group.

Jupiler Pro League: Genk 1-0 Westerlo
Tough to take, we put up a fight but a goalkeeping error by Verbauwhede ruined it all.

Player of the Month

With the attacking players gone missing, the defensive have shone and Caballero continues on brilliant form, MOM in the 0-0s against Antwerp and Charleroi.

Competitions

Jupiler Pro League:

Cofidis Cup: Waiting for the quarter-finals against KV Kortrijk.

Summary

Not a good month, maybe I’ve become too cautious with our tactics but we forgot how to score goals. I’ve been playing with ML/MRs every game, maybe time to use AMR/AMLs again. The loss to Genk may prove to be costly, we lost the top 6 position to them.

Championship will probably be out of reach, but you can fight for the third place. Keep up!

Tks, I really don't think we can get into the actual championship fight, those teams up there have far more resources than us, what I'm aiming at is a top 6 position which qualifies us for the title deciding mini-league (and a few european spots).

Diego Penny (GK) (free) – With Verbauwhede having a great season, I probably could’ve done without him but he’s our best keeper in theory, in practice will start as 2nd choice.

Luis Perea (ST) (free) – Transfer agreed a long time ago, before hiring Fredy Moreno, nevertheless a very good forward.

Jacob Nielsen (DC, DMC / MC) (loan) – Our parent club Chelsea decided to send him our way and I was delighted to receive him, in fact I had already tried this loan in the Summer but they didn’t agree to it then.

Transfers (out)

Loaned out a few players: Forward Ahmed Al-Suwaileh went to NAC Breda so I could save on his extortionate wages, youngsters Stefaan Roef and Jente Van Gucht went to clubs where they can get some first team football.

Fixtures

Cofidis Cup Quarter-Finals 1st Leg: KV Kortrijk 1-2 Westerlo (Wils, Perea)
About bloody time we got a win again, our new signings Céspedes and Perea pulling the strings, albeit it took a goal in injury time.

Jupiler Pro League: Westerlo 4-0 OH Leuven (Córdoba, Lenaerts (og), Yulu-Matondo, Wille(og))
We benefitted from two own-goals and some above-average finishing, but still one of the best matches of the season, excellent win.

Cofidis Cup Quarter-Finals 2nd Leg: Westerlo 1-1 KV Kortrijk (Perea)
Not as comfortable a game as I’d have liked, we trailed for most of the game, but we’re through to the semi-finals.

Player of the Month

3 assists and 3 MOM mentions in the 3 games he’s played for the club in the starting 11. An excellent arrival to Belgium! Won the Player of the Month award.

Competitions

Jupiler Pro League:

Cofidis Cup: Semi-final opponents are Sint-Truiden, I think we’ve got a genuine big chance of reaching the final here!

Summary

I decided to play a much more expansive branch of football this month, and it paid off, with 2 league wins and the qualification for the cup’s semi-finals. We’re still 7th but fighting strongly to reach our goal of 6th. Unfortunately the remaining 7 fixtures of the league are quite difficult, they include consecutive games against Anderlecht, Standard and Club Brugge.

Oh and it was a reference to how Napoleon 'met his waterloo'. It was either that or quoting 'Abba' (who won Eurovision with a song called 'Waterloo') and this didn't seem the right crowd for that sort of thing.

Oh and it was a reference to how Napoleon 'met his waterloo'. It was either that or quoting 'Abba' (who won Eurovision with a song called 'Waterloo') and this didn't seem the right crowd for that sort of thing.

Jupiler Pro League: Mons 2-1 Westerlo (Córdoba)
A little unlucky but no excuses for losing to the last placed in the league.

Jupiler Pro League: Westerlo 1-1 Sint-Truiden (Córdoba)
Decent rehearsal for the cup match but they were probably a little more dangerous than us.

Cofidis Cup Semi-Final 1st Leg: Sint-Truiden 2-0 Westerlo
Oh dear, that’s the cup dream over most likely. Very harsh result IMO, it was an even game.

Jupiler Pro League: Anderlecht 2-1 Westerlo (Liliu)
Not a terrible effort but we couldn’t engineer an upset this time.

Jupiler Pro League: Westerlo 0-1 Standard
Started pretty well but then De Decker got sent off stupidly and that didn’t help us.

Player of the Month

No-one shone this month but I’ll pick Glenn for his MOM performance against Sint-Truiden in the league match.

Competitions

Jupiler Pro League:

Cofidis Cup: Hanging on in the semi-final against Sint-Truiden but it’s very unlikely we’ll turn it around.

Summary

A poor month – even considering the very difficult calendar – takes us out mathematically of my goal of a top 6 position, and Sint-Truiden also open up a gap for 7th spot. The last 2 fixtures are pretty much meaningless as the 8th position is almost certain, we should be focusing now on the European Places Playoff which will come after that. Injuries to my three 'bero's - Caballero, Abero and Montero - who are key players, haven't helped.

Vanderbergh has a long way to go but 4.5 stars is very exciting, everyone in the club agrees he's going to be a star. Also signed Gómez and Linetty.

Talking about youngsters, I haven't mentioned Hugo Horemans yet. This is a player I inheritted at the club already but looks superb for a 16 y.o., including full 5 stars potential recommendation from the assman, and I'm starting to give him the odd first team chance. Westerlo looks like a great breeding ground for strikers, even if they seem to come lacking in finishing - but that can be trained.

Jupiler Pro League: Club Brugge 3-1 Westerlo (Yulu-Matondo)
I really could’ve done without Farssi deciding to get a daft red card on the 6th minute, but we held on remarkably to go into half-time 0-0, then even equalized with 10 men but Club Brugge scored 2 in the final 10 minutes. I gave the hugely exciting 16 year old Hugo Horemans a first team chance and he became Westerlo’s youngest ever player – whilst making the assist to the goal!

Jupiler Pro League: Zulte Waregem 1-2 Westerlo (Caballero, Córdoba)
We set out to have some fun in the final match of the regular season and it turned out to be lots of fun indeed! 7 clear cut chances and Jorge Córdoba scoring a superb solo goal.

Jupiler Pro League Euro Playoffs Grp B: Lokeren 0-0 Westerlo
Not a very good start to the playoffs, we were lucky to come away from this with a point.

Cofidis Cup Semi-Final 2nd Leg: Westerlo 2–0 Sint-Truiden (aet) (2-3 p.k.) (Céspedes, Bordagaray)
Awesome, what a fantastic match! We ultimately lost on penalties but I can be very proud of my players. Despite Stef Wils being sent off, we scored 2 in the final 10 minutes and tied the semi-final dramatically. We so nearly made the final…

Jupiler Pro League Euro Playoffs Grp B: Westerlo 3-2 Beerschot AC (Horemans, Córdoba, Lucas Silva)
I decided to play ultra-attacking all game long and it turned out to be a thriller, we could’ve hammered them but the finishing wasn’t all that. Hugo Horemans breaks another club record becoming the youngest ever goalscorer (and the Belgian league’s youngster ever scorer), plus he got another assist too.

Player of the Month

We’ve not had reliable goalscorers this season but Córdoba lately has been the closest thing to it, goals against Zulte Waregem and Beerschot this month.

Competitions

Jupiler Pro League:

Those were the regular stage final standings, whereas this is how the Euro Playoffs are looking like:

Cofidis Cup: Defeated on penalties in the Semi-Final versus Sint-Truiden

Summary

I’d say things are looking on the up again, but the chances of making it to the Europa League are still slim because only one team from the 8 in the playoffs gets to play in the final for that spot, and even then you have to play one team from the Championship Playoff. Gutted that we nearly pulled a miracle and made the Cup final but just about missed out.

Jupiler Pro League Euro Playoffs Grp B: Westerlo 1–1 Lokeren (Montero)
Bloody hell, we didn’t deserve to concede the late equalizer. Fredy Montero scored a monster of a volley in his first match returning from a long-term injury.

Jupiler Pro League Euro Playoffs Grp B: Beerschot AC 3-1 Westerlo (Lucas Silva)
Another game with tons of chances, they were luckier than us and turned the game around after we got the first goal. We drop the 1st place in the group to Lokeren with 1 match remaining.

Player of the Month

Remarkable game against Charleroi including a goal.

Competitions

Jupiler Pro League:

Cofidis Cup: Defeated on penalties in the Semi-Final versus Sint-Truiden

Summary

1 fixture to go, we need to win at Charleroi and hope Lokeren doesn’t win at Beerschot, to keep going in the competition. Disappointing, even more so because if it wasn’t for the undeserved late equalizer at home to Lokeren we’d be through.

Jupiler Pro League Euro Playoffs Grp B: Charleroi 2-2 Westerlo (Céspedes, Yulu-Matondo)
We had the lead but we conceded a late equalizer (yet again) from long range, and it didn’t matter anyway as a 10-men Lokeren won at Beerschot.

Player of the Month

MOM in this month’s only game, with an assist.

Competitions

Jupiler Pro League:

Cofidis Cup: Defeated on penalties in the Semi-Final versus Sint-Truiden.

Summary

That’s it, season over already – at the start of May! I think it’s been highly fun at times but also very frustrating: being on target for the top 6 finish then crumbling apart at the wrong time of the season; coming from the dead in the cup semi-final only to lose on penalties; playing very well in the Euro Playoffs but watching our opponents take their chances. Ultimately I’d say it was a good season but not particularly remarkable, I’m sticking for another year at least, but I’ve got a big job to do as I screwed up the finances this season and we’re 1.3M€ in the red.

I'd like some tips from whoever's reading this on the career format, I'm going to far more detail than my previous venture into FMCU, but haven't generated much interest. Thinking of doing updates every 3 months instead of every month maybe, albeit I'm enjoying this.