Career MikeF - Big (Double) Trouble in Little Ajax - COMPLETE

[MikeF]

Carrying on with the Triple Crown it's time for my Double Trouble attempt.

Managing to resist the urge to go for Esposito again (he's a beast) I've chosen a couple of other well known youngsters in this year's game. Maybe i'll go more obscure for the Triple Threat next...

First up, I've gone with Ajax. A team I didn't play in 19 so something new there. Big team in a small league should make it easy to score plenty of goals but keeping hold of good players will be tough as they'll want to move onto bigger clubs. Let's hope i can keep the main two guys for as long as is needed.

And talking of those two main guys:

Both should be world class so it's a matter of scoring as many goals as possible before they insist on moving on.

 

Season 1:

Arezo before and after:

 

Fati before and after:

 

A solid 69 goals from their first year playing together.

 

Transfers:

Nothing particularly groundbreaking here. No huge budgets and a lot of areas to strengthen after they lost the big boys in the summer but got a solid team and moved on some without potential.

 

How we did:

Stormed the league as expected but didn't even make it out of the CL group stage after drawing a complete group of death (Real, Juve and someone else i forget now)

 

Players:

Arezo getting a lot of assists from free kicks and knocking the ball down to Fati.

 

Me:

 

End of Season 1:

Goals: 69 (41+28)

Total 69/1200

To go: 1131

Edited February 14, 2020 by MikeF

[MikeF]

Season 2:

Season 2 was slightly better than season 1 but happy with the results still.

 

 

Both looking good now so i'm expecting the goals to flow. Formation is still a work in progress but looking solid now for playing bigger teams too.

Transfers:

A couple of big signings in Fernandes and Milinkovic-Savic to strengthen my midfield and give some depth. Sold a couple of decent players but needed short term gains if i'm to get more goals out of the boys.

 

Ajax:

 

Better luck in the CL this year losing to Real Madrid in the semis but coming close.

 

Players:

Haven't used Vignato before but have seen others do well with him and he's certainly delivering. He's on corners for me but a good return regardless.

 

Me:

Net spend is good, stats all average for now but it's early in the save. At least my transfer acumen is above 3

 

End of Season 2:

Goals: 74 (43+31)

Total 143/1200

To go: 1057

[BatiGoal]

I'm surprised you were able to afford Milinkovic-Savic's wages. Done well there. Great start! 

[broodje kip]

Great work Mike both seasons seems to work pretty good

10 hours ago, BatiGoal said:

I'm surprised you were able to afford Milinkovic-Savic's wages. Done well there. Great start! 

yeah me too tbh. Even Gedson Fernandes one also pretty huge to afford 

[MikeF]

Savic is on 140k/week. I moved a lot of my budget into wages to get him. Fernandes was actually quite cheap as he was unhappy. I got him on loan first and when he liked me i made him permanent. A la Spurs

 

[Titjes]

Great start mate 😁 with these players I'm sure goals will be scored for fun in future years 😉

[smoggy90]

Good start mate and two very tidy players. I look forward to seeing how Fati develops and scores for you. 

[MikeF]

Season 3

Not the best season here with regards to goals. I'd expect more goals by the third season but at least we did well in tournaments getting far in the CL.

 

The lads have come on well and are looking good together, I just need more goals. I was trying a new formation this year for 2 up front but don't like the return so will give me previous one a spin this coming season and see how it compares.

 

Transfers:

Davies and Skriniar were two big signings i made. Skriniar was unhappy so got him cheap, Davies is still young. Players are getting unsettled fast if a big team comes in for them so i can see my turnover being higher than usual here with a smaller status league.

 

Ajax:

Great league performance and got to the CL final where Real whipped me.

 

Me:

 

End of Season 3:

Goals: 65 (39+26)

Total 208/1200

To go: 992

Edited January 17, 2020 by MikeF

[FuddledFox]

Going really well @MikeF in fact so well I think you deserve to chill out Adonis style.

[MikeF]

2 minutes ago, Foxy said:

Going really well @MikeF in fact so well I think you deserve to chill out Adonis style.

[FuddledFox]

2 minutes ago, MikeF said:

Nice budgie smugglers!

[MikeF]

Season 4

First season going back to my previous DT formation. The return from the front two was better but overall results were marginally worse (very tough CL run didn't help). Goals is what i need so i'll stick with this again.

 

 

With the new aerial restrictions i think they're not getting any better in the air but they're looking good for 19/20 years old and still developing.

 

Transfers:

Savic was unsettled when Chelsea came in for him so had to sell and the same with Wijndal. He went for cheap (was worth over £100m when he moved to Barca) but kicked up a fuss wanting to move, and then got an 11 month spinal injury. Shame.

Ndidi needed for my new formation. Pellegrini to replace Wijndal and Traore for depth in centre mid. Nothing groundbreaking here.

 

Ajax:

Scored fewer goals but more came from the strikers so i'm ok with that.

 

Me:

 

 

End of Season 4:

Goals: 81 (40+41)

Total 289/1200

To go: 911

[billy2shots]

Shame you had to lose Wijndal. I’m enjoying an AZ save and he is an absolute beast. Wants to leave constantly but he is still delivering. Should have held out for more £!

[MikeF]

3 hours ago, billy2shots said:

Shame you had to lose Wijndal. I’m enjoying an AZ save and he is an absolute beast. Wants to leave constantly but he is still delivering. Should have held out for more £!

I’ve got a buy back clause of £40m so he’ll end up back with me at some point I’m sure when he gets upset with Barca not playing him. 

[MikeF]

Season 5

The tinkering continues. I wasn't overly happy with the return from my previous formation so started tweaking and setting up in a way I haven't before for the last 10 games of the season. The return was a lot higher in those few games making the season on a par with previous years as i played more games but i'll look to stick with it for a full season and test it out. It does mean my beloved full backs are moot and I need to invest in wingers again but that's all good, I have money now.

 

You may notice ridiculously high wages now, well that's what the little guys wanted to stay around. Big clubs came sniffing, they got upset when i rejected bids for them and to get them to sign new deals was EXPENSIVE. But I did receive a couple of big bids for players that I had to accept so i managed to tie them down.

 

Ajax:

Absolute group of death in the CL means I didn't even get past the group stage but that did mean success in the Euro Cup, taking my first European trophy home. That bumped our rep up to 5* so should help recruiting and keeping players.

Not as good in the league, due to previous formation not quite cutting it and me bringing a young keeper through (dodgy in the air until he levels up).

 

Team:

Arezo the entertainer was superb all round. He's on free kicks so gets a lot of assists there. Dest on corners was class as usual but he won't play as big a part this season as i go more attacking in search of goals. I've got a couple of big signing on the way next season who will more than make up for this...

 

Transfers:

Skriniar was upset that i turned down a bid for him last season and was already on £180k/w so i let him go and replaced him with Kamara. Ndombele had to be bought as he was unhappy and I'm a Spurs fan! And that was a huge big for Vignato - I would have liked to keep him and in the AP role he was amazing but that's too much money to turn down for Ajax. Haaland on a Bosman for back up is just sexy. I sold Davies as i didn't use wingers this season but i have a £40m buy back and 25% of next sale so i can get him back for the same money effectively if i need him later on (unless someone else grabs him!).

 

Me:

Operating a big profit thanks to some big sales recently so that allows me to afford big wages for some big players in my team.

 

End of Season 5:

Goals: 88 (48+40)

Total 377/1200

To go: 823

Edited January 22, 2020 by MikeF

[MikeF]

Season 6

New tactics working well. Didn't get a load more goals out of the boys but the team scored a lot more overall and player much, much better.

 

Arezo had a great season again, i didn't realise he was this good before this challenge. Fati went 10 games without scoring at one point. He's not as prolific but its hard with two strikers to get both over a goal and game i guess. Also, i've got them both as poachers so maybe they're getting in each others way. I'd like a 100 goal season soon.

 

Ajax:

Lost in the semi of the Dutch Cup but managed to finally win the CL. Took me 6 years but got there.

 

Players:

Arezo still getting the assists too. Verschaeren settled into the AP role well, i've not had much luck with him before and don't usually play AP but he's done me proud here.

 

Transfers:

Big signing in Asensio. I should have gone for someone else but i like him as a left winger. He does seem to score a few too many goals so not sure how long he'll hang about but nice for the fans to see him play. Van Dijk was 32 and I had money so thought i'd bring him back to the motherland for his twilight years. He's a rock.

 

Me:

 

 

End of Season 6:

Goals: 83 (52+31)

Total 460/1200

To go: 740

 

Just over 1/3 of the way there. I really need a few 100 goal seasons but the guys are young still so hopefully this should be ok. These short seasons really don't make it easy!

 

[FuddledFox]

Really progressing nicely especially as both lads are still young and have a good 10 or 11 more seasons in them before they start any decline.

[MikeF]

Season 6 - Bonus Content

Didnt realise I have the Club World Cup...

Few more goals there so we ended the season with this:

 

 

End of Season 6:

Goals: 95 (59+36)

Total 472/1200

To go: 728

[MikeF]

Season 7

I knew the boys had a huge season in them. The perfect storm of me finally being happy with my tactics and them coming of age and hitting their peaks.

 

Both stopped progressing now but looking pretty impressive and scoring 113 goals is very welcome. Fati had an amazing season compared to his others and Arezo hung in there.

 

Ajax:

Lost in the CL final but all good apart from that giving the boys plenty of matches.

 

Transfers:

Asensio was good for me but not my style of winger and he was unsettled when big clubs started bidding so i lost him for cheap. Ndombele i love but he wanted more games so OL got a bargain. 

Huge signing in bringing Vignato back to the club for what is frankly an obscene amount of money but i needed the best RW i could get and someone to take corners as no one else in my team can so i went for it. He played a blinder so no regrets. Was a good excuse to trim the squad anyway shifting some fringe players to free up the cash. 

 

Players:

Verschaeren having another great season behind the front two, Vignato doing hat he does best from the wing and Davies doing well with solid, albeit inconsistent performances. He needs to level up as he didn't play a while before but he's well on his way to stepping up.

 

Me:

I've got some young Dutch players coming through now so will try and play more homegrown players. I have a high turnover of player so my acumen is low as I have a scattergun approach to recruitment in these challenges.

Still running a very slight profit.

 

 

End of Season 7:

Goals: 113 (53+60)

Total 585/1200

To go: 615

 

Pretty much at the half way point here. Would be nice to get a couple more seasons of 100+ goals to make a dent in this but happy wth how its progressing. Could have been faster to get to this point but 83 goals a season on average isn't too shabby. Even if it is in the Netherlands.

[Rob]

Really good going. KIU.

[MikeF]

Season 8

I'll start to streamline these updates.

Another solid season, not quite as good as last but good nonetheless.

 

 

Ajax:

 

Players:

 

Me:

 

End of Season 8:

Goals: 94 (43+51)

Total 679/1200

To go: 521

 

Should have this wrapped up in 6 seasons. They're getting unsettled but have them tied down to long deals so can hopefully get this sorted asap.

[MikeF]

Season 9

Quick update. 

 

 

Ajax:

 

Players:

 

Me:

 

Thats your lot. 
Edging  closer. 
 

Far fewer matches this season due to injuries but good return for goals per game. Hoping to finish this ASAP if I’m honest. Fatigue is setting in 😂 
 

End of Season 9:

Goals: 91 (42+49)

Total 770/1200

To go: 430

Edited February 2, 2020 by MikeF

[MikeF]

Season 10

Great season by the lads here

 

 

 

Ajax:

Still in the CWC, it'll roll into next season.

 

Team:

 

 

Me:

 

 

End of Season 10:

Goals: 114 (58+56)

Total 884/1200

To go: 316

Edited February 6, 2020 by MikeF

[Titjes]

Fantastic stuff mate, now end it in 1 season 😉😋

[Rob]

This is going to be a fantastic score at the end.

[smoggy90]

Great going mate and the two players are looking superb. Are you still playing them both as poachers as you mentioned a few posts back? I have never managed to get two poachers working very well together but looks like its clicking for you. 

[MikeF]

9 hours ago, smoggy90 said:

Great going mate and the two players are looking superb. Are you still playing them both as poachers as you mentioned a few posts back? I have never managed to get two poachers working very well together but looks like its clicking for you. 

I am actually. Seems to be working ok. I have through balls on. Maybe they’d helping as they’ve got pace. I have Arezo training as a TM to stay good in the air and he gets a few goals from corners and crosses so Poacher role is probably not as effective for him. Might try something new this season and see how it changes things. 

[MikeF]

Season 11

Disappointing season here. I’m sure the CWC takes its toll on players’ preseason as had this issue with my 1.5k goal career too. The boys just didn’t click. Was also a bit of a transition season with new blood coming in so I’m hoping for a big season now to make up for this. 
 

 

 

Ajax:

Success all round. 
 

Me:

 

 

End of Season 11:

Goals: 79 (46+33)

Total 963/1200

To go: 237

[BatiGoal]

Nearly there and they're only peaking age. 2000 could be on the cards. A double 1KC? Go big, mate 😁 

[Rob]

Well done Mike. Another solid one in the can.