2015 The French Connection (triple threat & 1k challenge)

[billy2shots]

Crossroads

Before I start season 11, I come to you all asking for advice and opinions.

Under the rules of the Triple Threat challenge, I can count international goals due to my players all being French.

If I count international goals I am left with 91 needed to complete the 1500. So that should be doable this season.

If I dontncount international goals I then have just over 300 goals needed which given their ages should take 3-5 years.

Martial and his 1k challenge will all be done at club level.

So what do I do? Count international goals, finish this season and concentrate on Martial?

Or stick with Thauvin and Sacko as they age and complete the challenge at club level only with the 3 of them?

[BatiGoal]

Well my cents..I don't like the idea of counting goals that weren't scored under my management. That's the reason I wanted to complete the 1KC with Malcom without int. goals. So If you got the France job then count them otherwise not.

That's my take.

I still would love to see Martial get the 1KC too.

 

Hope others voice their opinion too.

[DSW]

Well it's a dilemma indeed,! However. Look in that season where Martial scored 95 goals. Listen. It's only my opinion. But you know that for this triple threat it's Martial who's carrying the team forward. He'll get the 1kc no matter what. My main objective now would be getting the trio as close as possible. Once you feel they can't go any further you'll already have completed the triple threat coz of int goals. It's obvious he'll benefit from a three Striker formation imo. Look at those stats. And anyways. I completely agree with Bati's view of getting goals under your own management. It's all upto you however.

Hope it helps.

[dako1991]

Think you should carry on and try and do it without international however think you might only have 2 seasons left with thauvin before injury takes him out but you'll have it wrapped up by then and you've killed it on the 1kc so sit back and enjoy the ride.

[billy2shots]

Thanks for the input guys.

I have been managing France since the end of season 1. At that time the trio had a combined 4 goals for France.

Decision made. Only club goal will count for both challenges. That means 3 more good seasons needed for the Triple Threat and probably 5 more for the 1k with Martial.

I have also decided to complete the 1k using Sacko and Thauvin as much as possible rather than just moving them on.

I say 3 seasons for the Triple Threat, it may be more as I'm now in January and the trio only have 45 goals! Down to earth with a bump this season.

Thanks for the input guys.

[billy2shots]

Chapter 11. What went wrong?

Season after season thing seemed to get better and better. It had so stop some time, and this season was the time it came to a shuddering holt.

First of all the game decided that PSG would become a force again having been really bad for 10 years. They didn't play particularly well against me but had me for toast.

The most painful thing about the season is that Martial has suddenly become a lemon!

8 shots, 6 on target. No goal

6 shots, 4 on target. No goal

8 shots,b6 on target. No goal.

5 and 4. No goal

6 and 5. No goal

6 and 6!! No goal.

10 and 7!!! No goal

Even when he was scoring it took many many chances for him to do so.

Someone please explain what has happened!

It was like that in literally every game this season. This resulted in the worst combined total for my 3 from men.

Only 101 goals for Monaco this season. Not good enough boys. Martial, you're going to train with the youth team.

A real morale destroyer of a season.

[wallywonka]

to break the 100 goal barrier with one striker scoring 15 goals is still no mean feat. kiu mate it'll get better.

[dako1991]

Try dropping him for a few games if he carry's on kiu.

[Ashez]

Chin up mate!

[BatiGoal]

To be fair I think the expectations for Martial are crazy. We know what he's capable of but netting over a goal per game should be applauded regardless.

 

Thauvin and Sacko are just rubbish and I feel for Martial having to do with these two :wacko:

 

KIU, Billy!

Quick add..Sacko is pretty decent actually nice amount of goals and assists tbf the other one still rubbish.

[billy2shots]

As soon as 1500 club goals are reached Thauvin will lose his place in the starting lineup.

He is a winger in truth but I did expect an average of 25 goals per season.

I will have a count up today and post the grabs total and the goals remaining.

[billy2shots]

Chapter 12. The beginning of the end.

Really wasn't looking forward to this season given the hard work last time out.

However I mustered up the will and fired up my save.

First match of the season (not a friendly).

Already struggling for motivation, I could have done without 9 of my starting 11 being away on international duty. That's got to be a bug surely.

Things felt a bit stale and I hadn't bought a player in 3 seasons. So when I received a decent bid out of the blue, I cashed in.

Thanks Youri, no assist record for you.

Great team effort this season. Undefeated since losing to PSG last season (around 90 games I think)

Went defensively obviously in a goal based challenge.

Also enjoyed revenge of PSG.

9 men

We only had 9 men

We only had 9 men

We only had 9 men la la la

Thauvin

A decent season for Thor (do you like the new nick name?) this time out. For the first time in 12 years he got one of these.

Decent numbers for the 33year old.

Sacko.

Not too much to complain about here either. Holding his end up well.

Martial

He was back to close to his best this season. Didn't break the 80 mark but this is his best season rating so far.

So where does that leave us.

1451 Monaco goals. 49 needed to complete the Triple Threat

Martial has 854 Monaco goals (under my management) so 146 goals left.

[Lian Cortez]

Come on! Just Two seasons and you're done!

[BatiGoal]

Great going!

How old is Martial now? 30-ish? Very doable if so.

 

Most of the suffering is over, you're entering the more enjoyable part of the challenge (latter stages) which is tasting sweet victory

[billy2shots]

Thanks guys.

Yep Martial will be 31 this season so it should just be a question of time now.

Just posted this up somewhere else but found it amusing so here it is again.

Shame its only a friendly with my bench warmers!

[Lian Cortez]

Woooow 17 Awesome!

[dako1991]

17s not bad could 2 1kcs be poss in one save?

[billy2shots]

1500 Done. The Triple Threat is complete!!

Just in time because Thauvin has gone completely.

He had 18 goals at the start of the game.

Sacko had 5 goals at the beginning.

Martial had 2.

Now to get the remaining 114 goals for Martial to complete the 1k!!

[DSW]

Congrats!

[wallywonka]

nice work mate. grats.

[dako1991]

Good going

[billy2shots]

Thanks guys.

Will try and find time to post a breakdown of their games and goals. Obviously the other 2 are deeply in Martial's shadow.

Sorting out my 2 kids now

Shopping in a minute

Taking the Mrs on a driving lesson

Hitting the gym

Christening later where I'm the godfather.

No time!!

Do you think anyone would mind me playing FMH in the church?

[billy2shots]

Chapter 13. Return of the Lemon.

For goal scoring challenges I have noticed a pattern. Great seasons are followed by very average seasons. This has been the case with my Liverpool 1k, my Celtic career and this one. I have also noticed it with other members and their challenges.

After last seasons good goal scoring comes the distinctly average one.

Far too many of these.

An OK season. Way down on goals and lost the final of a cup on penalties after battering the other team for 90 minutes. Apparently 15 shots on target isn't enough to score.

A final round up of Sako and Thauvin. I won't mention them in future posts (accept if Martial makes the 1k)

Thauvin has really gone now. At almost 35 he is no longer a starter

Sacko still makes the 11 where possible.

This game is all about Martial now.. I'm really hoping this was just a lemon season and not the beginning of the end. Slowly getting his goals but missing chance after chance.

3 seasons left I hope!!

I can't wait to finish this one way or another. France is a joke.

1st-15th of May. 7 games in 2 weeks!!

When I finally have a 4 or 5 day break their is an international game squezzed in. That has to be a bug. Its ruining my players and my enjoyment.

[BatiGoal]

Congrats on the Triple Threat!!!

Awesome job, Billy!

[Ashez]

Congratz

[UKFootballScore]

Yeah France annoyed me with all the games at the end of the season on my Triple Threat haha well done for completing it!

[billy2shots]

Thanks guys. It was a bit of a slog but the hard work is done..

Chapter 14. So close I can taste it.

As predicted Martial had a great goal scoring season following his poor last one.

So good in fact he only has a handful of goals left to get next season.

So let's rap this season up quick and get the job done.

Pogba was out of contract and refusing to resign.

Still great stats for his age. He was a wonderful player for me but I only have room for one legendary French midfielder.

The season was another mwah kind of thing. I wasn't too bothered about winning games I just wanted Martial to keep scoring. I chopped and changed a fair bit regarding tactics.

First season with sub 100 goals but almost made single figures in the defence.

Martial

A cracker of a season. He is almost 33 but what a player still.

He had 2 goals at the start of the game so there are 14 left to get!

[DSW]

You got this! Great work!

[BatiGoal]

Seeing that goal tally so close to 1000 gotta give you motivation for next season. Let the countdown begin!

[wallywonka]

congrats mate