Career Thepremiermanager plays the Save Game Challenges

[Thepremiermanager]

Welcome all to my attempt at the Save Game Challenges as set forth by @samhardy

Link https://vibe.community/forums/topic/39646-save-game-challenges/

I will endeavour to play each save as they are put up and will update this thread with each mini career.

So without further ado I attempt...

The Espanyol Challenge

The medal requirements are:

Bronze - Double the current points tally - end the season with 56 points or over.

Silver - Qualify for some form of European football (Champions League or Europa League)

Gold - Complete the double over Barcelona and qualify for the Champions League

We start the challenge with a few days left of the January transfer window. A quick look around the squad shows some decent attacking talent but whilst the starting defence looks solid there's a lack of depth and the midfield isn't great. Unfortunately there's not much on the market so I pick up Maicon to bulk out the RB position; the legend that is Ronaldinho (mainly as I've never managed him) and Garcia on loan for CM competition.

The league table shows us in 10th position with 28 points, 7 points off europe and 9 off 4th and the holy ground of the Champions League. Let's get to it...

Straight off the bat, the gold medal requirement game is up - beat Barcelona to complete the double! I decided to go for an attacking 4-1-2-2-1 formation hoping that going for the jugular would pay off against a generally attacking Barca team. Stupidity maybe but I didn't want to spend 90 minutes defending against one of the strongest attacks known to the game of football!

Continue ... Play ... 90 minutes later (96 actually)

Spoiler

Going great. Room for improvement but 2-0 up and not allowing Barca anything. Just 45 minutes left.

Spoiler

Yesssss! Get in you Blues! Cracking result. Controlled the game in the 2nd half and the legend himself scores a beautiful free kick to seal the deal. 

Barca double ... ✔ Next up ... Aiming for the CL spots.

 

February - Off to a flyer

Spoiler

Our form in Feb is great with 3 more wins and a draw to add to the Barca result meaning we take 13 from 15 points by the end of the month. No other convincing wins which is a worry but with a squad in (previously) poor form and morale I can't ask too much.

We finish the month in 7th only a point off Europe and only 5 off the CL spots. The only issue is month long injuries to my first choice IF and BBM meaning my small squad is already being stretched. Let's hope it doesn't cost us.

March - New manager bounce?

Spoiler

Just can't buy a win! 3 draws out of 4 this month isn't bad as we're now 9 games unbeaten but only taking 6 points from 12 hits us where it hurts, in the league table. Especially as Bilbao put together a run that sees us now 7 points off the CL spots. The others in the top 4 look uncatchable so I'm hoping the Basque boys slip up next month.

April - hopefully no fools

Spoiler

Well we suffer our first defeat in April, losing to Valencia in an awful game. Results still aren't convincing but we seem to manage to grind out most results. 

Going into the final match of the month against our main rivals for 4th spot (still Bilbao) we're still 7 points behind as their form has also been good too. This match is HUGE! Win and I'm 4 off with 9 to play for, not great but I have a chance. Lose and it's all over already.

MASSIVE TEAM TALK (obviously in my head!) ... Continue ... Play ...

Spoiler

Under the cosh but I've stolen a 1-0 lead. Just need to hold on, nothing stupid today boys ...

Spoiler

Get in there. Moreno to the rescue again and we take the 3 points. Hope fills us as we head towards May and the final 3 games of the season.

Unfortunately we have the much tougher run-in so we're hoping for Bilbao to stumble, nay collapse, as we don't expect full points ourselves.

 

 

May - the force be with us

Spoiler

Next up, Real Madrid. Not the best team to face when you need a good run-in but we've got to play everyone twice so...

They had already wrapped up the league with their last fixture so I was hoping they might relax and I could snatch the win.

So I set us up as we had for Barca, pressed play and ....

Spoiler

Got thumped! We had more of everything including CCC but couldn't score until a last minute consolation. Gutted. Is the dream over though?

Spoiler

Well yes. We had the late kick off for the next match but as you can see Bilbao won both their matches in the meantime meaning we can't catch them. We should be set for the Europa League but if I cant have 4th I want 5th so we put it all into the final games and came away with 2 wins to leap into 5th and finish only 4 points behind Bilbao in the end.

 

 

Review

Spoiler

So the fans celebrate European football and I can celebrate an 11-4-2 record. If only they had asked for help sooner!

Bronze - Double the current points tally - end the season with 56 points or over. ✔

Silver - Qualify for some form of European football (Champions League or Europa League) ✔

Gold - Complete the double over Barcelona ✔ and qualify for the Champions League ✖

Almost had it all!

Thanks for reading. Until next time.

 

[Real_Random]

Great job mate, what's the plan for next season? 

[Thepremiermanager]

7 minutes ago, Real_Random said:

Great job mate, what's the plan for next season? 

No plan mate as it's a finish the season challenge. 

If I was playing on I would definitely look to strengthen the squad and aim for the top 4.

[Thepremiermanager]

2 minutes ago, Eogtuc0910 said:

Who won the UCL because is it was Barca or Real you'd still qualify

Good question. I didnt think to play on. I'll have a look! Cheers.

[BatiGoal]

You did awesome, mate! Couldn't have been much better. You need the results of your nearest rivals to go your way at times. Silver is a great achievement. Hope more people follow and looking forward to your next save challenge.

[Thepremiermanager]

1 hour ago, Eogtuc0910 said:

Also check Europa league

Its no good. I'd have to be the one that won the Europa to get into the CL and I wasn't in it. 

Incidentally, the CL final was Atletico v Sevilla and it finished 3-1. Oh well.

10 minutes ago, BatiGoal said:

You did awesome, mate! Couldn't have been much better. You need the results of your nearest rivals to go your way at times. Silver is a great achievement. Hope more people follow and looking forward to your next save challenge.

Cheers mate. Quite enjoyed playing it when I finally got round to it. Looking forward to the next one myself and bringing home the gold next time.

[Thepremiermanager]

10 minutes ago, Eogtuc0910 said:

I could be wrong but dosen't the 5th place team get the extra UCL spot if the winner has already qualified

I holidayed on to check but wasn't in it. Must not be programmed into the game.

[samhardy]

Silver is a very solid return for this one, good start mate. I'll add you onto the leaderboard.

[Thepremiermanager]

1 hour ago, samhardy said:

Silver is a very solid return for this one, good start mate. I'll add you onto the leaderboard.

Cheers mate. Gutted I missed out on the CL spots but Bilbao just wouldn't slip up!

Looking forward to the next challenge now.