Help Europe's bottlejobs

[Lord Jasper Carrot]

Finished season five with Wolves.  Won the Premier League every season. 

• Tactics I started with the 'beating the cucumbers 4-2-3-1 Liverpool way' from this forum and gradually adapted to a 4-1-2-2-1 with basically the same mentality and instructions.
• Transfer strategy is sign wonderkids and blood them into the first team gradually - I never get to sign top players like Haaland etc. because I can't offer higher wages than 200kpw, but my wonderkids have developed to the point where their stats are just as good basically.
• Conditioning, I always rest and rotate so that my whole team is 100% before a really big game.

Problem... I only have one Champions League to my name.  Every year my team smashes the domestic league but bottles it against either R.Madrid or Barca - always in the final, or the semis.  My only CL trophy to date felt like a fluke because I beat a poor Athletico Madrid 4-1 having had an easy run to the final.

Losing to Real or Barca follows the same formula each time as well - first leg I fail to score, concede from a daft mistake at the back (wing back tries to pass to keeper from the corner flag or something similar lol), then lose or draw the second leg despite throwing everything at them for 90 mins.

So what is the more likely source of failure:

1. Is my team too young/inexperienced and that's why they're bottling the big games in Europe? Do I need older pros in my team?  OR
2. Should I adapt my tactic for European games to be more conservative against the big boys?

In your experience(s), what sounds the more likely solution here?  I feel like my amazing team will go off the rails if I try both at the same time.

[broodje kip]

Sounds odd tbh. Are you playing every single game or holidayed throughout?

[FuddledFox]

Jasper Carrot managing Wolves 

I had something similar last year when I managed TNS in Wales. I could get to the quarterfinals/semi final of the three European competitions smashing big clubs on the way and then I would always lose at the later stage.

I put it down to these reasons.

• Players having some hidden attribute that meant they bottled big games.
• The game messing with me.
• I was being a bit useless but I don’t think that’s the case as I’m amazing.

Not much I can suggest other to just keep plugging away and building up the squad to as good as you can.

[Rich]

11 minutes ago, FuddledFox said:

Jasper Carrot managing Wolves 

I had something similar last year when I managed TNS in Wales. I could get to the quarterfinals/semi final of the three European competitions smashing big clubs on the way and then I would always lose at the later stage.

I put it down to these reasons.

• Players having some hidden attribute that meant they bottled big games.
• The game messing with me.
• I was being a bit useless but I don’t think that’s the case as I’m amazing.

Not much I can suggest other to just keep plugging away and building up the squad to as good as you can.

100% the third bullet point.

All I can say is keep going, I’ve found champions league harder than last year, it wouldn’t take me long to get to win the champions league with any club. Struggled a lot more in my careers this year.

[FuddledFox]

6 minutes ago, Rich said:

100% the third bullet point.

I’m glad you agree that I’m amazing.

[billy2shots]

Age and experience for me. Add in not enough 'thrives in big games' messages and that will cost you stepping up to the next level. 

Make sure your captain is someone you can rely on. 

[Lord Jasper Carrot]

 

2 hours ago, billy2shots said:

Age and experience for me. Add in not enough 'thrives in big games' messages and that will cost you stepping up to the next level. 

Make sure your captain is someone you can rely on. 

Big leap of faith to sign someone with potentially lower attributes than what I have but 'big match' personality.  Worth a try though?

Captain will be de Light once Coady retires. I have high hopes for him.

5 hours ago, broodje kip said:

Sounds odd tbh. Are you playing every single game or holidayed throughout?

Never holiday - I know if I even did it a bit then I'd just get addicted and holiday all the time.

[Lord Jasper Carrot]

On 05/03/2021 at 15:37, billy2shots said:

Age and experience for me. Add in not enough 'thrives in big games' messages and that will cost you stepping up to the next level. 

Make sure your captain is someone you can rely on. 

A couple more 'thrives in big games' players was all it took.