oblivion

Season 1

Expectations

Board Expectations: To challenge for the title.

Media Expectation: To win the title.

Your Expectations: Due to the loss of Pablo Aimer and Robert Ayala in the previous season, I needed to strengthen my team before I could mount any sort of title challenge. But with a ridiculously small transfer budget, it meant I had to sell some of my back-up players to bring in some new first team players.

Transfers

Players in: Christian Zapata, Cesar Delgado, Rafael Van Der Vaart, Belletti (Loan).

Players Out: Edu, Miguel, Silva, Caniera. Marchena (Loan), Manuel Ruz (Loan).


Team

Formation: 4-1-2-1-2

GK: Canizares
DR: Belletti
DL: Del Horno (If he's not injured)
DC: Albiol
DC: Zapata
DMC: Albelda
MR: Joaquin
ML: Vincente
AMC: Van Der Vaart
FC: Delgado
FC: Villa

Subs:

GK: Hildebrand
DRC: Alexis
DLC: Moretti
DM: Baraja
AMLCR: Fiore
AML: Gavilan
ST: Morientes


First Quarter


La Liga

Position: 1st
Won: 7
Drew: 1
Lost: 2
Goals For: 21
Goals Against: 5

Copa del Rey

4th Round: Rayo - Leg 1 = Win 3-2

Champions League

Qualification: Beat APOEL 5-0 Aggregate
Group-

Teams: Schalke, Lazio, CSKA Moscow

Results: P 3 - W 3 - D 0 - L 0 - GF 7 - GA 1

Postition: 1st


Comments

Excellent start to my season. I felt I was definately through the group phase of the Champions League and was glad to be in first place in La Liga, however Barcelona had about 4 games in hand so I was sure those would soon catch up with me.


Second Quarter


La Liga

Position: 2nd
Won: 7
Drew: 0
Lost: 2
Goals For: 23
Goals Against: 10

Copa del Rey

4th Round: Rayo - Leg 2 = Win 5-1 (8-3 on Agg)

5th Round: Seville - Leg 1 = Win 1-0 / Leg 2 = Lost 1-2 (2-2 Agg. Go through on away goals)

Champions League

Group-

Teams: Schalke, Lazio, CSKA Moscow

Results: P 3 - W 1 - D 0 - L 2 - GF 3 - GA 4

Postition: 1st


January Transfers

Players In: Nigel De Jong and Mauro Esposito

Players Out: None


Comments

I qualified for the knock out rounds of the Champions League with my win over Lazio but i still wanted to come 1st in my group. And that only happened due to a last minute Schalke goal against Lazioon the last match, which meant I went through on goal difference. In the league, Barcelona's extra matches caught up with me and they took first position with 8 points seperating us from them. Real Madrid were 2nd for a few games but that ended when we beat them 4-2. Dissapointing loses to Barcelona (0-2) and Seville (2-3). In the cup, i was happy to get my pay back on Seville by knocking them out. However, heart break struck when Van Der Vaart, who was on top form, got side-lined for 8 months. Without the finances or reputation to bring in anyone of a good standard to replace him, i had to use Fiore in his place and i brought in Esposito to replce the empty seat on the bench. I bought in Nigel De Jong due to the hoard of small injuries plaguing by defensive players.


Third Quarter


La Liga

Position: 2nd
Won: 8
Drew: 0
Lost: 1
Goals For: 17
Goals Against: 6

Copa del Rey

Quarter Final: Deportivo - Leg 1 (h) = Win 1-0 / Leg 2 (a) = Win 1-1 (2-1 Agg.)

Champions League

1st Knockout Round: Ajax - Leg 1 (a) = Loss 2-3 / Leg 2 (h) = Win 5-1 (7-4 Agg.)


Comments

I was starting to claw my waay back to the top of the league, being only 5 points between Barcelona and us. However Barca were playing great football and kept on winning. I was comfortably in 2nd place as Real Madrid had fallen behind. I was happy with my performances against Deportivo in the cup, but we should have won by a much larger margin. Excellent comback in the Champions League against Ajax to win 7-4 on aggregate. We had been in lethal form at home this sesson.

Final Quarter


La Liga

Position: 2nd
Won: 6
Drew: 4
Lost: 0
Goals For: 18
Goals Against: 4

Copa del Rey

Semi Final: Real Madrid - Leg 1 (h) = Win 3-1 / Leg 2 (a) = Win 1-0 (4-1 Agg.)

Final: Atletico - Win 2- 0


Champions League

Quarter Final: Man U - Leg 1 (a) = Loss 1-2 / Leg 2 (h) = Win 2-0 (3-2 Agg.)

Semi Final: Liverpool - Leg 1 (h) = Win 1-0 / Leg 2 (a) = Win 1-2 (2-2 Agg. Go through on away goals.)

Final: AC Milan - Loss - Penalties (6-7)


Comments

We were very unfortunate to not with the La Liga. Going into the last day, we were only 2 points behind Barcelona with a similar goal difference. However, a 86 minute goal from Euider Gudjohnson gave Barca the title. We did excellently to win the Copa del Rey as we have to beat Real Madrid in the semi's and Atletico in the final (thanks to David Villa and Cesar Delgado extra time goals). We were very very unfortuante to not win the Champions League, which we thoroughly deserved after knocking out both Man United and Liverpool and then holding Milan off till penalties (of which we performed an amazing come-back thanks to some excellent saves from Canizares).


Season Summary

Highest Avg. Rating: Raul Albiol - 7.66 (61 app.)
Top Goalscorer: David Villa - 41
Top League Goalscorer: David Villa - 30
Most Assists: David Villa - 25
Most MotM: David Villa - 13

Awards

FIFA Footballer of the Year: David Villa
FIFA World Player of the Year: David Villa
Spanish Player of the Year: David Villa
Fans Player of the Year: David Villa
Top GoalScorer: David Villa - 30
Top Spanish GoalScorer: David Villa - 30
Team of the Season: Included David Villa, Joaquin, David Albeda and Raul Albiol
Goalkeeper of the Year: 2nd - Canizares
Manager of the Year: 2nd - Toby Jenkins (Me)
Buy of the Season: Cesar Delgado

Comments

Very successful season in my opinion. Next year I believe there is a very good possiblilty we could do the treble. This is helped by the large transfer budget we have recieved due to our success. My special mention goes to Cesar Delgado, who walked in the shadow of David Villa. However, Delgado was brillant, scoring 35 goals and having 13 assists in 61 apperances. This was all for a support striker!


Thanks for reading, will see you next season, hopefully with even more success (and screenies )