Football Manager — Glory to Sporting (Part 2)
Warning: This is one of those nerdy, overly serious Football Manager stories. Something, depending on your sensibilities, you’ll either love, or hate.
Second season syndrome. As outlined in Part One, the aim of my save — every save needs an aim — was to break Sporting Lisbon out of its hibernation and, ultimately, win the Champions League within five seasons.
All things considered, my first season at Estádio José Alvalade was neither a success nor failure, but more about foundations. My inital assessment of the squad and staff answered my question as to why Sporting hadn’t won a title since 2002.
That said, with the proper development of existing talent — bolstered by a totally revamped coaching system — and the addition of talent in a few key areas would, in my opinion, start to bear fruit domestically relatively soon. However, unmitigated hammerings I received in the Champions League showed how much work was needed before I could even dream about achieving my aim of continental glory.
Season 2 (2015/16)
With the financial situation at the club improved the board approved my request to increase the transfer budget, which was already more than I had to play with at the start of last season — I sadistically set my inital budget as zero. Additionally, I have 90% of January’s departure, Diego Capel, to play with.
My first aim is to cut through some of the deadwood bleeding the club dry through a hulking wage bill. Between free transfers, contract terminations and the sale of a few ‘stars’ I free up an additional £70,ooo a week on the wage budget, a none too small amount for a group of a dozen or so players who added zero to the club in terms of football. Chief culprit among these thieves was Fredy Montero — who was one of the highest paid players at the club at £12,000 a week — who I shipped off for £200,000 below his value.
The star of my team last go round was Nani, on loan from Manchester United to the tune of £0 per month and 0% wages paid. Alas, Old Trafford aren’t as generous this time and I baulk at ‘the next Ronaldo’s’ wages of £65,000 per week.
With him gone and the sale of Montero and André Carillo, I need forwards. My scouts had been tasked with methodically looking in specific regions for young talent and, after a year, the revamped system has built an ample database of signings that are in sync with my long-term vision. Top-rated are Brazilian forwards Douglas Coutinho — a 21-year-old striker who had a rating of 7.46 for Atlético Paranaense, scoring 15 in 24 and, perhaps more importantly, getting 9 assists, something which will help make a 3-man attack more ‘self sufficient’.
The second is Malcom, an 18-year-old, from Conrinthians, again Brazilian, again with good stats. After the scouting pool sign-off on both I enter negotiations, and, with various add-ons factored in, end up spending a total of £14.5m to bring them both across the Atlantic. Those two, along with Slimani, Matheus Pereira and Scottish youngster Ryan Gauld should provide ample goals for the coming season.
The problem is, I’ve spent more than I really wanted to on forwards, and, with Neto returning to Zenit, I’m back to a rather grim looking square one in defence. By sheer luck, I notice that Winston Reid has yet to sign a new contract at West Ham and is in fact considering a contract from PSV. I swoop in, give him (and his agent) all they request, and snap up a top-level (for the Portugese Primeira Liga) defender. Additonally I bring in the unattached Marcao after a weeks trial and promote Tobias Figueiredo from Sporting B, my first internal promotion.
Despite thinning out the player staff I still end up sending out 44 players on loan, a more than worrying inditement of Sporting’s recent transfer past.
Pre-season promise, including a win over Barcelona, is carried into early league form, before reality comes crashing down in the form of a 5–1 defeat to Chelsea in London. That, coupled with a less-than-ideal injury to William Carvahlo (Who, despite his relatively young age, is quickly turning into a key player for me; but more on that later) means the team starts to misfire. Slimani can’t buy a goal; and my early optimism that Tobias Figueiredo will be able to maintain match fitness in his debut season seems optimistic — his oft-used replacement, Marcao, is patently not quick enough, and even with moving Reid to a sweeper role doesn’t patch all the leaks. After a home loss to Porto in the league Sporting only win three of the next ten games.
Learning the lessons of last season, I deliberately ditch out of both domestic cup competitions with an understregthened B team — both competitions are neither rated by fans nor my board and don’t carry any financial reward — this frees up a bit more breathing space over xmas, allowing for a bit more rotation in the league. As Auld Lang Syne rings out Sporting sit on the heels of Porto in the league and, due to some smart displays, qualify for the knock-out stage of the Champions League.
An eight game winning streak in the new year sees Sporting overtake Porto in the league, with Coutinho and Slimani having a very happy new year, scoring 18 between them.
Late Feburary and early March is far less enjoyable. A smoky, hostile Türk Telekom Arena sees Galatasaray score four as the visitors suffer long-term injuries to right-back Cédric and André Martins — both of whom are ruled out for the remainder of the season — and a red card to goalkeeper Rui Patricio. In the league, Porto also put four past Sporting as they leapfrog back into first place.
The second leg of the Champions league round fails to see a fight-back, despite me deploying an all-out attacking 2–3–2–3 formation, which means, perhaps beneficially, the league title is my only concern as the season enters the final straight.
Sporting score an unprecedented 26 goals in the final nine games of the season, yet, weirdly, only six of those result in a win. A loss, away to Académica, scuppers our chances in all but mathematics. Porto, lead by star midfielder Josué, are ahead and don’t look back as they win all their remaining games and take the title by a single point.
Elsewhere
Brendan Rodgers is the name on everyones lips as Liverpool take the Premier League title from Manchester City on goal difference and then beat Bayen Munich 2–1 at San Siro to clinch a historic double. Roberto Mancini’s reign at Camp Nou suprisingly doesn’t make a year, with Unai Emery leaving Dortmund to move back to Spain.
Conclusions
Despite obvious improvements in attack, its clear that defence — particularly the centre — that remains an issue and something that’ll will have to be addressed if I want to make the next step in Europe. The revamped coaching set-up is starting to reap benefits, with nearly all of my first team drastically improving, in particular João Mário, Jonathan Silva and William Carvalho all attracting ‘major’ interest from bigger European clubs.
Additionally Sporting’s famed youth development system has given me its first gift — a 17-year-old midfielder by the name of António Silva. Elsewhere, remember Pedro Rocha, the Brazilian striker signed for £25,000? After a season at APEOL, scoring 40 goals, the 19-year-old is now worth £1.8m.
Team of the year
Stay tuned for Part 3 and — hopefully — progress, in the coming days.
