The flying donkeys

Season 9

Current squad.

In terms of squad depth, I have no concerns.

The team is well balanced.

So it’s got me thinking I should look to youth in recruitment.

Mainoo looks half decent now, maybe overspent. But certainly an investment for the future

Next signing looks ready for some 1st team action.

Ive always seen Declan Rise as my future DMC after Rodri.

But this boy looks like he could rival Rice for the position.

My next signing isn’t a youngster rather a player I’ve been trying to sign since my FIFA days.

Worth every penny and not far off from his peak age

With the heavy spending, I need to generate money for future signings and space in the squad.

Unfortunately testing the waters in the selling racket did come at a loss in my first attempt.

I’ve seen better goalkeepers coming up, so this was a preemptive move to later fulfill the position with a younger are more talented player than Ramsdale.

Ramsdale does look amazing, but I have a feeling his stats will drop dramatically in line with his real life career.

Again Manchester City come knocking for one of their players, this time for one of their own at that.

I didn’t want to part with him and not at the price they first presented.

I set the bar randomly at 96m and they accepted.

Originally I lowered their first offer to include Aymeric Laporte.

I didn’t need the defender, but I was going to flip him for profit.

I painfully let Olmo go next.

He can’t get into my midfield at all.

And with the signing of Rashford, it was a no-brainer.

Champions league draw to start us off looks like this.

Rashford gets his dream debut with the first goal in a comfortable win.

He was our most attacking player on the pitch.

Messi never started well last season, and looks to repeat it once again.

Keven De Bruyne on the other hand. Started as he means to go on as he sets up two goals from open play.

Champions League time.

First up Chelsea away

Messi comes alive on the big stage.

Rashford on the other hand was the opposite by Half-time so I subbed him early.

Likewise with Rice.

I gave him a chance in the opening game, but the lack of double figures in completed passes was cause for concern.

He’s playing in the DMC role and if he’s not connecting his passes I see that being dangerous in my own half, which I’m sure Chelsea with all their talent would be able to exploit.

I saw the next fixture as a chance to gamble on by changing 10 of the 11 I played against Chelsea.

The only player I left in was Bruno Fernandes and he bagged a brace.

Went full strength against Celtic and Bruno continued his fine form as well as Messi.

In the league, we pulled off a nice win against Milan.

Rashford again along with Bellingham looked out of place in the first half.

On comes Odegaard who turned into a super sub and stole the show with a fine display.

Back to the Champions League.

Rashford this time out in the competition grabbed a goal.

Kevin De Bruyne who’s recovered from injury.

Comes back into the squad and continues his fine form.

I go down to 10 men in the next game.

But the damage to Chelsea was done.

With what little time left on the clock they were unable to take advantage.

I get an offer for a player I only signed last season.

I only bought him as he became available on the transfer market at a very low price compared to what I was offering for him two seasons ago.

I had in mind to move him on and the offer I received was to good to turn down.

I had a very tasty win in the league worth sharing next.

Palmers has been out injured for a while.

Ive never seen this message before.

New one on me.

I’m happy with the dealings made before the next transfer window.

The books in terms of money and squad have been kept balanced as set out early on.

DMC gone out a DMC comes in.

Two Midfielders have gone out and two more comes in.

Still planning on a goalkeeper next.

After the win in this game, it confirms qualifying from the group stage.

Draw for the next stage of the Champions League.

Domestic cup begins.

Nice run out for my fringe players and a day off for my regulars as low conditions and injuries are starting to come into affect.

But no rest for the wicked.

The team that stole the title from me last season.

Only managed a draw.

Annoyingly we started well and took an early lead.

Just couldn’t get that two goal cushion.

Going in Napoli is a very attacking team with goals in them from every area of play.

They remain top for now.

Return of the Champions League

Messi’s individual brilliance steals the show.

Rashford is again having a nightmare in this competition. Blowing hot and cold with every game.

Draw for the Coppa Italia

January.

My favourite time of the season.

I waste no time in bringing in a young goalkeeper.

He doesn’t look that good right now, but I’m happy to wait.

I start January with a derby game.

The first half was heated like a proper derby game.

Resulted in my opponents going down to nine men before half time.

We came out for the second half and battered them.

Still trailing behind Napoli.

My two MC are balling it in midfield.

Not consistent upfront individual wise.

Which is fine as it’s a team effort and you can see goals coming from midfield is just as important when challenging for a title.

Former player Abraham is on fire.

Word hits the news that Cristiano Ronaldo could be available for free.

I wasn’t that bothered about signing him, however, it’s the year he moves to Al-Nassr FC.

I need to take the opportunity of the free signing that will surely be profitable after one season.

And to point out that he’s absolutely amazing.

The thought of starting him with Messi and co is going to be exciting.

Beat Roma in the first leg comfortably.

The second leg was a nothing game.

The draw for the next round takes place.

Also in my timeline, CR7 is being praised some more.

Puts a smile on my face.

We will stick with the Coppa Italia for now.

Draw for next round

First leg of the semi-finals

Mix and match of starters with fringe to complete a starting 11 for the game.

Bastoni is taking his chance and outperforming regular starter Upamecano.

Odegaard putting in a shift.

I like him, but I ain’t ready to break up the De Bruyne and Bruno Fernandes partnership just yet.

I was able to then go full strength in the league against Udinese.

Which ended in defeat and a lengthy ban for Rashford.

2nd leg of the semi-finals and this time out it’s a team full of fringe players

Draw for the Coppa Italia final

Enough of that.

We head back into Champions League action.

Defenders let us down massively and cost us the game.

Fruitful in the rematch after our talk after the previous disastrous home game.

With Rashford out I’m glad Musiala is making a name for himself with the opportunity he’s been entrusted with.

That game secures a place in the knockout stages with a game still to play in the group stage.

In the league, we take on our rivals once again.

Came out victorious.

Fringe lineup rounded off the last game in the following game.

Draw for the knockout stages

Only Italian team standing and the current holders of trophy.

Coppa Italia final (first leg)

The MC’s have been running the show today.

Both with goals and assists with Messi getting in on the same action too.

League-wise we have a tough one against Naploi.

I have moved above them but not a lot separates us.

And the unthinkable happens.

Worry about that later.

For now, we have a Champions League quarter-finals to prepare for.

The sending off gave me the advantage and a massive boost for the return leg knowing that a world class goalkeeper won’t be playing.

Rashford again didn’t perform well in the first half, nor did Mbappe.

I replaced Mbappe in a AML position with Bruno Fernandes and replaced the French man will Bellingham in the MC position.

Rashford straight swap with Musiala in AMR.

Worked well as both performed better than the other two with the bonus of adding another goal with the assist to match it.

I rested a lot of players for preparation for the return leg.

A surprise run-out for Tchouameni sees him pick up man of the match, which was nice to see.

I’ve been thinking about moving him on as he doesn’t feature in my plans at all.

Maybe I’ll hold on to him for the time being.

Champions League quarter-final second leg

The game ended in defeat.

Thankfully we got the early goal, which set the aggregate 3-2 as Bayern Munich looked to force the game into extra time, dominating the second half on their turf.

It’s still nice to see the Bruno Fernandes and De Bruyne partnership remaining solid throughout the season.

The draw for the Champions League semi-finals

Dodged the two harder teams that are left in the competition and set up another showdown with a German club.

In Serie A we have slipped up a bit with Napoli closing in on us.

Thankfully Napoli’s remaining fixtures are against tough opposition, particularly the last three games were two of which are away from home.

They won their game in hand.

However Napoli gets derailed on the first of the three hard games thanks to an impressive display by Inter.

Still not out of the woods yet.

Chievo can’t afford to slip up as Napoli takes a two-point advantage with two games left.

Thankfully Szczesny gets set off in our league game and we go to town on them in the second half.

I had hoped to rest players for the up and upcoming cup competitions.

But in the back of my mind it’s the League I truly want to win over all other competitions.

First leg of the semi-finals

It’s a comfortable home win and a good scoreline to take into an away day second leg.

Great overall team performance apart from Mbappe not making an impact.

With the scoreline being 3-1 at halftime I replaced Mbappe and also Upamecano.

He played well but I was worried about the yellow card.

With the team now on a high the next game I remain with the same lineup other than Upamecano.

Four goals in the last two games for Messi and two goals in two games for Rashford are very pleasing to see especially so close to the end.

Napoli next game ended goalless. Which shakes the title race up a bit.

We leave Italy domestically as we face Dortmund in the return leg.

A clean sheet and a great performance book our place in the final.

I’m digging Rashford and Messi at the minute, but the Bruno and De Bruyne engine in the team is a partnership the world of football should be scared of.

We go again in the league this time only four days after the Champions League.

And news spreads of Napoli defeat.

Chievo have won the league.

But the season isn’t over.

Whatever happens next I’ll take on the chin as the league was my personal goal having lost out last season to Napoli.

But we are on course for a treble.

First up of the two finals is the Coppa Italia

Having already won the first leg early on with a comfortable goal aggregate. I just fielded the fringe players in preparation for the Champions League.

Bastoni was brilliant in this game and since signing him, he has improved massively that he may force his way into the first team in the future at this rate.

While I wait to play my Champions League final I notice Manchester United won the all-English UEFA Cup final. What’s shocking to see is that they have benched Ronaldo which is weird as he has been amazing for them in every tournament.

His next game will be in Chievo colours, but what a game to go out on if he had featured.