Team News
Bayern Munich Unveils Three-Tier Squad Structure: First Team, Cup Specialists and Rising Stars Ready for New Era
Munich – Bayern Munich appear set to enter a new season (S28) with a carefully balanced squad structure that combines world-class experience, squad depth, and an exciting generation of young prospects. Based on the latest squad layouts, the Bavarian giants have assembled three distinct groups: a powerful first team designed to challenge for major honors, a competitive cup team capable of rotating without sacrificing quality, and a highly talented youth side that could shape the club's future for years to come.
With proven internationals, emerging stars, and academy prospects all playing key roles, Bayern's depth may be one of the strongest foundations the club has possessed in recent seasons.
First Team Built to Compete for Every Trophy
The projected first-choice XI features a blend of elite experience and technical quality across every area of the pitch.
Starting XI
Goalkeeper: Oblak
Defenders: Ryerson, Rudiger, Van Hecke, Hancko
Midfield: Onana, Neves, De Ketelaere
Attack: Antony, Lewandowski, Doku
At the heart of the side stands veteran striker Robert Lewandowski, whose return to a leading role would instantly provide Bayern with one of the most feared goalscorers in world football. His movement, finishing, and leadership remain invaluable assets, particularly in decisive League fixtures.
Supporting him are two explosive wingers in Jérémy Doku and Antony. Doku's direct dribbling and pace give Bayern a dangerous weapon on the left flank, while Antony's creativity and technical ability offer balance on the right. Together they provide the width and attacking unpredictability modern football demands.
Behind the front three, Bayern's midfield combines intelligence and athleticism. João Neves acts as the technical conductor, controlling possession and dictating tempo. Charles De Ketelaere brings creativity between the lines and can contribute both goals and assists, while Amadou Onana—deployed in a midfield role according to the lineup—adds physicality, ball-winning ability, and a commanding presence in central areas.
Defensively, Bayern look particularly formidable. David Hancko and Jan Paul van Hecke provide composure and ball-playing quality, while Antonio Rudiger delivers experience, aggression, and leadership. Julian Ryerson offers versatility and work rate from the right side.
The final piece is Jan Oblak, one of Europe's most respected goalkeepers. His positioning, reflexes, and calmness under pressure provide the security every title-winning side requires.
A Team Built Around Balance
What stands out most is the balance throughout the lineup. Bayern possess:
- Pace in wide areas
- Creativity in midfield
- Physical strength in defensive zones
- Elite finishing up front
- World-class goalkeeping
The combination suggests a team capable of dominating possession while also thriving in transition against the world’s strongest opponents.
Cup Team Provides Exceptional Depth
Modern football demands more than a strong starting eleven. Successful clubs require quality rotation options capable of maintaining standards throughout domestic and world campaigns.
Bayern's cup team appears designed precisely for that purpose.
Cup XI
Goalkeeper: Oblak
Defenders: Williams, Mourinho, Araujo, Kouassi
Midfield: Jauregizar
Attacking Midfield: Mayulu, El Khannouss
Attack: Sarr, Mikautadze, Ngumoha
While often labeled a "second team," this lineup contains enough quality to challenge most opponents on its own.
Mikautadze Leads the Attack
At the center of the attack stands Georges Mikautadze, whose intelligent movement and finishing instincts make him a dangerous option whenever called upon. His presence ensures Bayern can rotate Lewandowski without significantly weakening their attacking threat.
On the wings, Ngumoha and Sarr bring energy, speed, and direct attacking play. Both players appear well suited to domestic cup competitions where Bayern frequently face opponents defending deep.
Creative Midfield Options
Perhaps the most intriguing figures in the cup side are El Khannouss and Mayulu. Both players possess the technical ability and creativity to unlock defenses while also representing Bayern's commitment to developing younger talent.
Behind them sits Jauregizar, tasked with controlling midfield battles and linking defense with attack.
Defensive Stability
The defensive line combines youth and potential.
Kouassi brings physical strength and recovery speed, while Araujo, Mourinho, and Williams provide additional depth and flexibility across multiple defensive positions.
The structure ensures Bayern can rotate heavily during congested periods without sacrificing competitiveness.
Importance Across a Long Season
The value of such a squad should not be underestimated.
With league, cup competitions, SMFA, and international commitments creating intense fixture congestion, Bayern's cup side may prove crucial in maintaining freshness among first-team regulars.
Rather than merely serving as backups, these players could become key contributors over the course of a demanding campaign.
Youth Team Represents the Future of Bayern
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of Bayern's squad planning is the emerging generation showcased in the youth lineup.
Youth XI
Goalkeeper: Seimen
Defenders: Banjaqui, Coulibaly, Alleyne, Cocchi
Midfield: Neves
Attacking Midfield: Mayulu, Arizala
Attack: Ndjantou, Carlos Espi, Ngumoha
This squad is filled with prospects who could eventually challenge for senior roles.
Carlos Espi Leads a Promising Generation
Leading the line is Carlos Espi, a striker viewed as one of the standout talents within the youth setup. His role at the top of the formation reflects Bayern's belief in his goalscoring potential.
Alongside him are Ngumoha and Ndjantou, two exciting wide players whose athleticism and attacking instincts make them players to watch.
Midfield Talent Pipeline
The midfield trio highlights Bayern's long-standing philosophy of developing technically gifted players.
Mayulu, Arizala, and Neves form a creative and energetic unit capable of controlling matches while continuing their development in a competitive environment.
Their ability to progress the ball and create opportunities could eventually earn them opportunities with the senior squad.
Defensive Prospects Emerging
At the back, Cocchi, Alleyne, Coulibaly, and Banjaqui represent the next generation of defenders aiming to follow the pathway established by previous Bayern academy graduates.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Seimen occupies perhaps the most demanding position on the field. His inclusion as the youth team's first-choice goalkeeper suggests the club views him as a player with significant long-term potential.
Rabbaj, Camarda, Jangéal, Ndiaye, Azizi, JJ Gabriel, Ndukwe, Ouazane, and many others are waiting behind for their chance.
Clear Development Pathway
One of the most encouraging aspects of Bayern's structure is the visible pathway between the three squads.
Several players appear positioned between youth and senior football, allowing the club to gradually introduce talent rather than forcing immediate promotion.
The progression is clear:
Youth Team → Cup Team → First Team
Players such as Mayulu, Ngumoha, El Khannouss, Jauregizar, and others could realistically move between levels depending on form, injuries, and tactical requirements.
This system not only strengthens Bayern's depth but also ensures promising youngsters receive meaningful opportunities without excessive pressure.
Bayern's Long-Term Vision Taking Shape
The three-team structure demonstrates a club thinking beyond immediate success.
The first team is built to compete for major trophies today. The cup team provides reliable depth and rotation options. The youth team ensures Bayern's future remains secure.
By combining established stars such as Lewandowski, Rudiger, Oblak, Doku and Antony with emerging talents like Neves, De Ketelaere, Mikautadze, Mayulu, Ngumoha, JJ Gabriel and Carlos Espi, Bayern appear to have created a squad capable of balancing present ambitions with future development.
If these groups develop as expected, Bayern Munich could possess one of the deepest and most sustainable squad structures in Top100—one capable of challenging for league titles, domestic cups, and SMFA glory while continuing to produce the next generation of stars from within.
"Mia san mia"
A season of Redemption in Basel
What a season it’s been in the Swiss town of Basel, as a whole my first season in Top 100 as manager of the mighty “RotBlau” has been a season of progression and unexpected success. We split our end of year review into two sections, Squad Progression and Performance, we start by looking back at where we were when we took over in August…
Squad Progression
As my previous article stated, it was no secret that FC Basel were a team in freefall, they had an ageing squad, no youth at all, mostly trash players and not a lot of assets to work with (36 man squad), the immediate areas of concern were:
- Six players rated 88 and above.
- Eight players under 23 (five aged 21 and under). All trash though.
- Lack of long-term quality: Three of the six high-rated players were over 30.
- Squad of 36 players.
Priority was improving the first team followed by building the u25 aspect of the 2nd team (with longer term talent between 21 and 25) and then lastly adding to the youth setup. Over the course of the last 5 months Basel have seen a total of 96 players join! There has been a constant flow of players in and out depending on their performances for their clubs and the chance to improve the starting 11.
The framework I wanted to build the squad around was having a 33 man core squad, 3 players for every position with at least one player fitting the following criteria:
Criteria A) 88+ rated aged 30 or under, happy to bring in a slightly older age profile as we rebuild the team slowly so long as they are either playing regularly or cheap to bring in.
Criteria B) 83-87 rated squad player aged under 25, there are many of these players around but it was important to buy players who have potential even if their ratings are lower (E. G. Circati) these players need to be playing regularly for their real life teams also.
Criteria C) Under 21 players with high potential, at least 1 of every position.
That gave me 17 extra spaces to fill, as everyone in Top 100 knows youth is king so the best use of this space would be under 21 talent, but some spaces would be used for 86+ rated squad players that will allow Basel to play higher ratings until our youths/u25s wait to rise, for every older rotation option we buy there will be an under 23 player who should take their spot eventually.
To find 33 players that fit these criteria was, and still is, extremely difficult and laborious, we had some mid-season business which saw 6 key players join the club and some important end of season business as we look towards Division 3 which has seen us bring in an additional 9 players, including 4 for the first team.
Mid-Season Business
We brought in Julian Brandt as a natural CAM to help push for the Division 4 title, Chilwell and Loftus-Cheek came in to give quality in some weak areas of the pitch, Gudmundsson was brought in to offer quality and versatility in the attacking areas and fit's our age profile and lastly Gueye and Gregoritsch were brought in for cash only deals to boost the 2nd teams ratings.
End of Season Business so far...
Brandt sadly had to leave Basel for Cruzeiro but in return we got Yuri ALBERTO (88/24) and Lovro MAJER (89/28). Majer was a direct replacement and slightly younger so fits the age profile and Yuri will replace the ageing Giroud. With the arrival of an under 25 striker we could afford to use Felipe PABLO in another swap...
Iñaki WILLIAMS (90/31) arrived to finally give us a natural AM(R) and boost the quality, Division 3 will be tough so it was worth sending Felipe PABLO and KONE to Internacional to get the deal done.
Wonderkid Kauã PRATES (75/17) arrived with 4 heading to Twente (Loftus-Cheek, Riedel, Vega and Barria), a heavy price to pay indeed but LB is a hard position to find talent and as previously stated, the club was in a position we could just about afford to offload these players.
Emirhan ILKHAN (78/21) also joined from external now he is starting for Torino, a solid pickup.
During the writing of this article we also managed to bring in Geoffrey KONDOGBIA (89/32), we sent a couple of youth players to Tottenham in return but he will enable us to keep the same quality we had last season (replacing Thiago Silva but 9 years younger) whilst waiting for Affengruber or Circati to rise.
The squad that Basel have now is by no means complete or at a place where I am content, but it is on its way to being set up for longer term success and the players we currently have that fit these A, B and C criteria options are:
Criteria A
GK
A) MUSSO – 88/31 – A solid 88 rated keeper who has put in fantastic performances for Atletico when called upon. Solid for now as we wait for rises. Happy to disregard the age requirements for GKs.
RB
A) COUFAL – 87/33 – Not the rating or age profile I would like but one of the best RBs in the Bundesliga, he is a safe 87 with a slight chance of 88 if Hoffenheim continue to overachieve. An area for improvement.
CB
A) KONDOGBIA– 89/32 – Recently swapped a couple of youth players for him, not a long term option at all but gives us a rating boost whilst we wait for others to rise. Will drop to 88 in next review but this is still a solid rating for our project for now.
A) NIAKHATE – 88/29 – One of the best performing CBs in Ligue 1 and Senegal’s key defender on their route to an AFCON win, will surely get a +1 in the next review, can also cover LB.
LB
A) CHILWELL – 88/29 – Has seen redemption at Strasbourg and plays nearly every week, has hit a bit of form over the past 2 months (as of writing this in Jan 2026), a solid LB as this was a weak area for the team. With Vinicius Lira and Kauã Prates, the Left Back position looks set for the foreseeable future.
CM
A) KOKCU– 89/25 – The engine of the team, he is undoubtedly one of the better players in the Turkish league, he will likely not rise unless Besiktas start overperforming however he will at least keep his rating for some time which is fine for us, too good for Turkey so I see him heading back to a top 5 league in the future.
A) SOLER - 88/29 - Came into the team in a swap deal for Thiago Silva, he is playing regularly for Sociedad and can play multiple positions and only just turned 29 so he fits the age/rating profile. Should be replaced by Tanaka or Marlon in due course.
RAM
A) WILLIAMS - 90/31 - Joined the club at the end of the season, Inaki will bring some much needed quality to the first team, another that might drop in the next review but even then its still above our average, a key signing and another one that we hope will help us over the next couple of seasons.
CAM
A) MAJER - 89/28 - Replaces Brandt in the CAM role, Majer will be a key component in a new look front four alongside the other new signings of Inaki, Gudmundsson and Yuri Alberto.
LAM
A) GUDMUNDSSON – 88/28 – Bought in towards the end of the season, he has also hit some form over the past few games as an under performing Fiorentina have changed him to LW leading to 4 G/A in seven, linked with Juventus and Roma, perfect signing for the Basel project.
ST
A) YURI ALBERTO - 88/24 - An exciting young striker who has been heavily linked with a number of top European clubs (Lazio, Roma, Everton to name a few). His arrival allowed us to finally move the 39 year old Giroud onto pastures new.
Criteria B
GK
B) BRAZAO – 84/25 – Even though Santos had a terrible season, he has still been putting in strong performances and is heavily linked with Flamengo and Bayern, he has seen his value on transfermarkt nearly double since I bought him.
RB
B) DONOVAN – 77/19 – Celtics young and upcoming RB, he has already put in a few good performances, plays regularly and has already had a +12. Due to his slightly lower than required rating for the B category, Basel look to Paolo Henrique (86/29) for cover, Vascos best player and himself could get a +1 in the next iteration of reviews.
CB
B) AFFENGRUBER – 86/24 – Affengruber has already been linked to a top team (Man Utd) and seems to be a staple in Elches defence, should hopefully grab 87 in next review and a potential move in the summer so happy to hold as we also have Circati.
B) CIRCATI – 83/22 – Circati has come back from injury and been a force in Parma’s back line, I have had multiple PMs about him since the article about him by Jacek the football talent scout but he will stay as I see him as a long term starting CB alongside Affengruber. Would take a very good offer for us to sell this gem.
LB
B) VALERA – 85/23 – A make shift LB but a top player, is playing regularly for an Elche side having a solid season, got a +2 recently and if he continues to start he could be due a couple more rises over the next two reviews, he will plays LB until Lira or Prates rise then he will be moved to an AM position.
CM
B) MARLON GOMES – 85/22 – After only recently turning 22, Marlon has been ever present for Shakhtar, he's had a dip in form recently but he's young enough to figure it out and be a top player, im sure he will be linked with other teams in the future but for now we are happy to see him play.
B) ROMAN – 80/23 – Celta’s new midfield maestro, he is a regular starter for them and looks to be putting in solid performances as Celta push for a top 6 finish, a starter for any team in La Liga is decent enough for Basels B team, let alone a team pushing for top 6.
RAM
B) ANDRE LUIZ – 82/23 – A big rise is coming as he lights up Portugal, heavily linked with Benfica, he has 7 goals and 6 assist in 18 games in the Liga Portugal, at only 23 he fits what we want long term, a switch to Benfica and some regular game time over the next couple of seasons could see him hit a few decent rises.
CAM
B) TANAKA – 86/27 – Although not under 25, we can make an exception for Tanaka, he has had some blinding games for Leeds, scoring against Liverpool and Chelsea, he has already had a +1 and with some more gametime could easily get 87 if Leeds stay up, a solid pick up for just over £2 million.
LAM
B) YEREMAY HERNANDEZ – 85/23 – The diamond of this squad and the player I think has the biggest upside, he has been Deportivo’s best player and in my opinion, will likely get snapped up by a big team in the summer. Basel have an abundance of talent in these AM(RL) positions so we are quite happy with what we have.
ST
B) AREZO- 83/23 - A former wonderkid who hasn't quite lived up to the reputation, last year he finished the year strong for Penarol and scored a bunch of goals in the second half of the season, has gone back on loan to Penarol until the end of 2026 as their first choice striker and should go back to Gremio as their first choice striker. A solid rotation option to partner an already Young and talented Yuri. Until he rises we use GREGORITSCH (88/31) as backup.
Criteria C
GK
C) FAUSKANGER – 70/17 – A starter for Haugesund and the Norway u20 first choice GK, he put in some good performances towards the back end of 2025 so will monitor his progress.
RB
C) MIKIC – 73/18 – Dinamo’s best young RB has finally started to get regular game time in the first team, he started 3 games in December before getting an injury just before the winter break, Dinamo continue their push for the title on the 25th of Jan so we hope to see him play many more games before the season is out. Got a +8 today.
CB
C) HUGHES – 82/22 – By far Hull’s most consistent player as they push for promotion to the Prem and at 22 years old he surely has a solid career ahead. Recently inked to Crystal Palace to replace Man City bound Guehi, if he works on his composure a little he could establish himself as a Premier League regular. Slightly older than the u21 we wanted but not a problem.
C) MBOKAZI – 77/20 – Originally scouted back in September, I sold him to then rebuy him three months later for £30m, a costly mistake that I have to take on the chin, a starter for South Africa, got his move to Chicago Fire, one to watch for sure.
LB
C) PRATES -75/17 - Cruzeiros talented new Left Back has almost sealed his switch to Dortmund. A lot of hype around him so we will see how he develops. Could be a generational Left Back and a future cult hero at the club if he develops in line with his hype. Will hope for the best for this kid, have Santos's first team LB Vincius Lira (73/18) as a backup.
CM
C) ILKHAN– 78/21 – Ilkhan has started Torino’s last seven games in all comps and looks to be an up and coming CM in Serie A, he looks to be a real steal purchasing from external and could quickly move into category B if he keeps playing.
C) DZODIC – 73/20 - A calming presence in the middle of Almerias midfield, a regular and consistant performer as they push for promotion into La Liga, he looks to be a shrewd pickup and if Almeria end up getting promoted, he could be in line for a decent rise.
RAM
C) GOZO – 78/18 – He has been a starter for Salt Lake and put in some fantastic performances towards the end of the year, (including 1 goal and 2 assists in 3 games for the USA u20 team back in October). Now linked with Aston Villa, another promising prospect.
CAM
C) TIAN NAI KOREN – 65/16 – I believe this kid could go right to the top, he made his debut for the first team in a friendly game on the 8th of Jan and has made the bench in Brugge's last two games, won’t be long before this guy is known everywhere.
LAM
C) THORVALDSEN – 78/19 – Playing regularly for Valerenga on the Left Wing, he looks very skilful and has bags of pace, another season at Valerenga could set him up for a move away if he keeps up his momentum.
ST
C) ESPI – 80/20 – Hard to pick between him and Mirisola however I think Espi just nudges Mirisola to the best u21 striker at the club as of Jan 2026. He scored his first goal in La Liga recently and is getting regular minutes. Not generational but could develop well and we have enough youths in this position to look promosing.
Overall there has been huge progress over the past season, which to be fair was not hard considering how much of a mess Basel were 5 months ago, we have plenty of talent with potential and only 6 players (5 outfield) above 30 (Kondogbia, Gueye, Gregoritsch, Inaki, Musso and Coufal) and only 1 player in the first team below 88, which is the RB and our main focus for recruitment at the minute, but more importantly some key squad stats over the past 5 months:
Key Season Stats
71% of the squad is aged 25 and under (compared to 31% when I took over)
Average age of first team squad dropped from 29 to 27
Total squad value increase of 10.6% in 5 months
Value of U21 team increased by 362%
Average rating of the starting 11 has increased by 0.1 to 88.4 but the average age has dropped by 1.3 from 30.3 to 29.0
Number of 87 and under players in the first team dropped from 4 to 1.
Next, it's time to analyse the team performance...
Performance
Our sole objective this season to finish in the top 6 and push for promotion, this season there was no expectation in the Cup, Shield, Youth Cup or the World Club Cup as this was the first season for Basel under new management and there were players flying out the door so no consistancy to start with, nevertheless there were some exceptional showings in certain competitions which far exceeded what I wanted from this squad…
Division 4 - Winners!
Truley a momentus achievement considering what shape Basel were in last season. The first third of the season saw Basel put themseves around the top 3, winning a fair few games but getting used to the team and the best use of tactics, unfortunately a lack of quality led to a terrible mid season slump, and what a slump it was. There was a three week period at the end of November where we won only 1 out of 10 games, a complete tactical revamp took place which lead to 11 wins in 13 games including a vital 2-1 win against former league leaders Lille. This late run partnered with Lilles drop off lead to a Division 4 title, winning on the last day by 2 points.
Top 100 Cup – 1st Round Knockout
Knocked out in the first round by Chris’s strong CSKA side, the team was still in the rebuild stage which is evidenced by 10 of the starting 11 no longer playing for the club.
Top 100 Shield – Semi Finals
A real charge into the latter stages of this competition gave us an actual chance of silverware, coming up against a strong Malaga side in the semi’s was always going to be an uphill fight and a 2-1 loss saw us go home with our heads held high, Málaga then went on to win the competition (congrats Dave) so it was probably the right result.
Notable Wins:
- Quarter final - Leverkusen (4-2)
- Round 3 - Barcelona (2-1)
- Round 2 - Arsenal (2-0)
World Club Cup (WCC) – Round of 16
There was no expectation here, participation was going to be more of an experience to learn the format, however Basel really pushed their performances to the limit, FC Basel finished 1st in Group A, going undefeated in a group that had Sporting and Sao Paolo. We then beat Division 3 Sampdoria in the Round of 32 only to lose to Arsenal 3-2 on aggregate in the round of 16.
Notable Wins:
- Group Stage – Sao Paolo (A) 2-1
- Group Stage – Sporting (H) 2-1
Closing Thoughts and Future Plans
Overall, it’s been a successful first season in Top 100, winning Basel's 2nd ever trophy (not counting play offs) was incredible and no matter what happens now, Basel and I will share that first season success.
Everyone always think's their team is the one thats going to break the mold, so im not getting carried away at all, Division 3 will be tough but at the very least the free falling mess that used to be Basel is stable, avoiding relegation is the only focus for next year, we would love another cup run like the Shield but it's best to base expectations in reality.
Thank you to all those that have taken the time to organise everything, Hopefully this blog and many others like it will show how much some of us love the grind of GWs like Top 100.
The Football Manager (FM)
D-Day In Every Division!
The Stadio Bentegodi trembles with anticipation as Luis André Libras-Boas’s Hellas Verona stand 90 minutes away from etching their names into Legend status in Top 100 folklore. With 78 points accumulated across 37 grueling matches, Verona need just a solitary point against already-relegated Tottenham Hotspur to clinch their fourth consecutive Division 1 championship and fifth title in six extraordinary seasons.
It would represent the most dominant sustained period in Top 100 history, eclipsing even Scott Mckenzie’s Barcelona dynasty that captured eight titles across 12 seasons. Under Libras-Boas’s meticulous guidance, Verona have transformed from provincial challengers into an unstoppable force, their tactical sophistication and squad depth proving insurmountable for even the most ambitious rivals.
Barcelona lurk two points behind on 76, desperately requiring both a victory over Juventus (who they just defeated in the World Club Cup Final) and a Tottenham miracle to snatch the crown on goal difference. Yet Spurs arrive at the Bentegodi already condemned to relegation, their 35 points ensuring a swift return to Division 2, and still smarting from their last-gasp Youth Cup Final defeat on Saturday to… Barcelona. Pedro’s men have nothing left to play for except professional pride—a dangerous commodity when facing champions on the cusp of history.
Division 2: Hamburg’s Homecoming Reaches Crescendo
The Volksparkstadion expects as Hamburger SV prepare for their most significant 90 minutes since promotion to this level. Having already secured promotion back to the elite, Hamburg’s focus narrows to one prize: the Division 2 championship that would crown their remarkable resurgence.
Level on 75 points with Stoke City but ahead on goal difference, Hamburg require victory at pre-season title favourites West Bromwich Albion while hoping their rivals stumble against FC Schalke 04. The mathematics remain deliciously complex—Stoke must not only win but overturn a goal difference deficit that currently favors the German giants. West Brom, meanwhile, must win to be sure they don’t suffer an ignominious and unexpected relegation.
Hamburg’s transformation from pre-season strugglers to title contenders represents tactical management at its finest. Written off by the prediction algorithms, they have methodically dismantled Division 2’s established order through shrewd recruitment and tactical evolution.
Division 3: The Godfather’s Nightmare Unfolds
In football’s most unforgiving theatre, reputations crumble overnight. The Godfather, architect of title triumphs at Dinamo Zagreb and Bayer Leverkusen, watches helplessly as Liverpool teeter on the brink of Division 4 relegation. With 39 points from 37 matches, the Merseyside giants sit perilously close to the abyss.
Their decline epitomizes football’s cruel randomness. Pre-season optimism has curdled into desperate survival calculations, with every remaining fixture carrying the weight of institutional embarrassment. Liverpool face the unthinkable prospect of tumbling into the fourth tier, their proud heritage unable to shield them from sporting gravity.
Above the relegation carnage, CSKA Moskva and RSC Anderlecht remain deadlocked on 68 points, their final-day encounters with AS Roma and Zenit Saint Petersburg respectively promising to deliver the division’s ultimate verdict. Augsburg need a draw to complete three successive promotions Jamie ᚺ’s stewardship and a return to D2 under Jamie ᚺ’s stewardship.
Division 4: Where Giants Fall and Dreams Rise
AS Monaco’s catastrophic implosion provides the division’s most sobering narrative. Thirteen points from 37 matches represents systematic failure on an unprecedented scale, their pre-season predictions rendered laughably optimistic by the sporting reality and f a second consecutive relegation. Managerial extinction awaits, perhaps, alongside Stuttgart and Celta Vigo in the bottom three.
Boca Juniors top the table with 76 points, their South American flair proving perfectly suited to Division 4’s unique challenges. Montpellier HSC shadow them on 75 points, ensuring the championship race maintains its intensity until the final whistle.
Division 5: Partizan and Lyon’s Magnificent Rebellion
The division’s twin dragons have soared beyond all reasonable expectations. FK Partizan, predicted for mid-table mediocrity in 9th place, instead command the summit with 78 points. Olympique Lyonnais, written off for 15th, trail by a solitary point, their remarkable renaissance embodying football’s capacity for transformation.
Both clubs exemplify the beautiful unpredictability that makes the Top 100 special—when dedicated managers with clear visions can transform modest expectations into title challenges. Their parallel rises from predicted obscurity to championship contention provide the season’s most heartwarming narratives.
The Managerial Guillotine Awaits
As night falls across five divisions, 15 managers face automatic dismissal from the bottom three positions. Reappointment depends on factors including squad quality, community engagement, World Club Cup participation, Youth Cup involvement, transfer activity, and long-term potential.
The bottom three of each division will discover whether their Top 100 journeys continue or reach brutal conclusions. Some will find redemption through demonstrated commitment and improvement potential. Others will learn that ten years of evolution has moved beyond their capabilities.
Tonight, as Hellas Verona chase sporting immortality and struggling giants fight for survival, the Top 100’s tenth anniversary season reaches its breathtaking climax. In 90 minutes, legends will be crowned and careers will end—such is the beautiful brutality of football’s ultimate management challenge.
Marsden's Tactical Revolution at Hamburger SV
At the start of any season, predictions are made and narratives are set. For Hamburger SV, the script written by many observers for Season 25 was a grim one. Tipped for a relegation battle by at least one prominent statistical model, the club entered the campaign under a cloud of low expectations.
Now, at the halfway mark of 19 games, manager David Marsden has a defiant message for the doubters — and a league table to back it up.
“DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE!” Marsden declared after a hard-fought 2-2 draw against a powerhouse West Bromwich Albion side.
“A point at home to the strongest team in D2 sees Hamburger extend our unbeaten run to 16 games. It’s enough to see us leapfrog the second-best team in the division and long-time leaders Leverkusen to top the table at the halfway mark.”
He’s not wrong. After 19 games, against all odds, Hamburger SV sit in 1st place in Division 2. It’s a story of tactical identity, squad-wide contribution, and a manager with nearly a thousand games at the helm finally hitting a spectacular run of form.
🔥 A Comeback Story Forged in Frustration
This stunning ascent is made all the more remarkable by the context of the past. Season 24 was, by the manager’s own admission, “another disappointing one,” marked by a poor start that mirrored previous struggles. For a club with the history of HSV, languishing has been a painful reality.
But this season is different.
The numbers tell part of the story:
- Only the all-out attacking Southampton have scored more goals
- Only the defensively resolute Dinamo Zagreb have conceded fewer
This is not a fluke; it’s a calculated and effective campaign.
🎯 The Tactical Blueprint: High Risk, High Reward
The foundation is a confident and aggressive 4-2-3-1 Wide system. While many teams in the division use this shape, Marsden has drilled his side to play with a high-intensity, “Pressing All Over” style, using a high defensive line and fast, direct passing to overwhelm opponents.
But where true managerial quality has shone through is in the adaptability.
- Against Southampton’s gung-ho 4-2-4, HSV shifted to a more conservative “Defensive” mentality with a low block — and won 3-1.
- Against the league leaders Bayer Leverkusen, they went toe-to-toe with their high press and snatched a dramatic 2-1 away victory.
👥 The Whole Squad Mentality
This tactical success is powered by what Marsden rightly calls a “great team effort.” The statistics from the first 19 games paint a picture of shared responsibility:
- Hugo Ekitiké leads the line with 11 goals, earning a leap to 90 SMW rating
-
Alex Iwobi has been the creative fulcrum:
- 6 goals
- 11 assists
- An average rating of 7.82, among the league’s best
- Benjamin Bourigeaud (5 goals)
- Rafa Mújica (4 in 7 games since signing)
- Salem Al-Dawsari (4 goals)
🧠 Smart Rotation, Big Results
Perhaps the most impressive aspect has been the masterful squad management.
Faced with a relentless fixture list of league and cup games, Marsden has used his full squad intelligently. Key players were rested in cup ties—even at the cost of early exits—so they could be fresh for crucial league battles.
The result?
- Wins against Leverkusen and Southampton,
- Game-changing substitutes like Jorge Carrascal, who scored the winner against the league leaders.
🏗️ A Thousand Games in the Making
For a manager whose combined tenure spans nearly 1,000 games, this season feels like the culmination of a long-term project.
Marsden has shaped a squad with the right blend of:
- Veteran presence (Casemiro, Otamendi)
- Rising stars with real-world pedigree:
- Jahmai Simpson-Pusey (PL2 Player of the Season)
- Joane Gadou (RB Salzburg)
- Kees Smit (Golden Boy nominee)
- Pape Demba Diop (Ligue 1 move)
The future isn’t just stable — it could be dominant.
📈 The Road Ahead
At the halfway point, Hamburger SV are no longer underdogs. They are league leaders, title contenders, and the division’s form team.
The hype they were told not to believe has been replaced by results.
The challenge now is to maintain this incredible standard for another 19 games.
If they can, the long-awaited return to the top flight won’t just be a dream — it will be a certainty.
Lazio Review
the Renaissance, of the blue eagle
After 2 and a half years, away from the Top 100, Internacional being the last club trained, the return was at the helm of Lazio in Rome.
We received a squad that was somewhat aged, or with little future, with names like Lloris, Torreira, Bailly, Gosens, Jesus Navas, Gigot, Aouar, Jovic (this was a bad transfer approach), and Antony (who seemed to be in decline, but now seems to be on the best path), becoming 2 deals, that left the fans of the Roman club with doubts regarding the new coach.
Assuming that these first seasons would be about restructuring, the acquisition of young players, or players with a future prospect, on the market, has been the main objective, up until today.
As the club is looking at next season, as a season in which it may have more ambition, and in terms of results, to have a season with a view to qualifying for the playoffs, some experienced players were signed, such as Morata and Djmsiti, who could become club legends, and for those same playoffs are reached, some adjustments were necessary, such as Dimitrievski, Tiago Silva, Krunic, El Kaabi, Barboza, Junior Santos, Machida and Downes, giving depth to a squad that is still lacking in high-level rates.
But the future work was being done, with Arthur Chaves (starter in the Bundesliga), Lelo (future left-back for Braga), Koopmeiners (starter at Az, and with prospects of leaving in one of the next markets), Aaaronson (who seems to have found himself at Leeds, and who next season, in Premier League, will return to the Premier), Arokodare (the giant, goalscorer in Belgium), Leysen (starter in the Belgian championship, and already talked about as a possible transfer to Inter), Valentini (in his debut year in Italy), Kevin Carlos (top scorer in Switzerland, and one of the surprises of the championship), Ljubicic (who arrived in the Bundesliga in January), Balogh (starter at Parma, and called up for the Hungarian national team), Gigovic (starter in the Bundesliga), Denisov (owner of the right wing at Spartak, and fighting for the title in Russia), Wolfe (starter at AZ), Alvyn Sanches (promising Swiss, with a call-up to the national team), Sontje Hansen (finally playing consecutive minutes in her career, and still in time to confirm everything that was expected in the Ajax academy), and Kvistgaarden (with a high-level season at Brondby), are the players, between 22 and 24 years old, in the squad.
In the age group, 21 years and under, Castrop (with a move next summer to Monchengladbach), Mateo Joseph (with many games at Leeds, and call-ups to the Spanish under-21s), Bazdar (one of Bosnia's great hopes), Chris Brady (a starter in the MLS, since a very young age, and a possible future starter for the USA, or Scotland), Karim Sow (a starter in the Swiss league), Karlsson (a starter at Hammarby), Mundle (with a brilliant start to the season at Sunderland, and now back from injury), João Vasconcelos (considered one of the best possible players, trained by the Braga academy), Gustavo Varela (a name highly regarded in the Benfica academy), Hojlund (a promising Danish player, but somewhat lost at Schalke), Banel (trained at Ajax academy, who in January, moved to Burnley), Kochen (promising to become a top GK), Taibo (one of the great hopes of the Sporting academy), Ugwu (promising prospect of the Ajax youth academy), Youssef Enriquez (Real Madrid acdemy who chose to represent Morocco), José Silva (considered one of the possible pearls of the Sporting academy), Verhounig (Salzburg academy, and with an excellent Youth Cup achievement), Yannick Eduardo (Leipzig academy, playing in the Dutch championship), Denilson Santos (another possible pearl of the Sporting academy), Tiago Poller (great hope of the Hoffenheim academy), Robinio Vaz (great hope of the Marseille academy), Jesse Bisiwu (Brugge academy), and Berchimas (considered a possible pearl of the USA).
These are the young players that Lazio's project is betting on, always with the aim of strengthening the team and always looking for interesting deals.
It's a pleasure to be back in the Top100, and I will try to achieve such an interesting project as the one I developed at Internacional, with the promise of not opening a new school for goalkeepers :)
BEŞIKTAŞ JK: The Nest
One of the characteristics that the current Manager Yamil Mc02 looks for his squad is to give a main role to youth players. That is why when he received the team he was surprised to see the club's youth academies neglected. The first signings were quickly made to be able to compete in the youth tournaments, which by the way have been classified as essential by the coach so that the youth players can develop properly. After 4 seasons, it was possible to form a fairly decent youth team of 25 players, including the goalkeeper RESTES, the defenders MURILLO, LEONI, ZANOTTI, PEDRO LIMA, the midfielders HELGUERA, GOMES ALEXSANDER, NONGE, DIOP, ISEPPE, GODTS, POPOVIC and at the front THALYS. The two youngest members of the club that join them are: the promising FINLAY GORMAN and TONI FERNÁNDEZ, 15 years old each. Despite ups and downs from the media and of the players, it is not easy to maintain the attacks of the other teams to have their services. We received quite interesting offers but we want to wait a little for their development so that they can rise to the main squad and establish the team well so that it is a profitable and successful club.
BEŞIKTAŞ JK: The raising of Black Eagles
Having achieved the objective of being the Manager with the most games in charge with Besiktas, Yamil Mc02 enters the fifth and final year of the contract initially agreed upon with the President of the club. Both parties have not yet met to negotiate an extension, however within the club offices there is talk of a possible extension of 2 seasons. When asked about this, the manager only limited himself to saying: "I am delighted with the club, we are in no rush to renew but the fans can rest assured." A relegation, a play-off and 2 mid-table positions is the balance in these 4 seasons. Although the sporting objectives that have been set have not yet been achieved, the club has been restructured to make it profitable throughout the seasons. Of the players that the Manager received in season 20, ARMANI, PATRIC, OBISPO, VIÑA, PINEDA, MUKTHAR and GARCIA currently remain, who are the vertical column of the team. Joining them this season ABNER, OUNAHI, BOBADILLA and SALDANHA. For Supporters there are outstanding players in the squad such as JHON ARIAS, and RUBEN GARCIA the team's goalscorer, but without a doubt the fans' favorite is ROMARIO DE SOUZA, who, at the age of 58, joined the team at the end of last season. He even scored his first goal in the 6 games he entered as a substitute. For this season, it is expected that he will have more playing minutes, even as a starter. The presence of the former world champion is not only to reinforce the main squad, but is also part of a strategic commercial collaboration since it is said that he acquired a percentage of the club.
Mia san mia
With the season 22 just finished, I decided to look back at my time in Bayer till today and write short story about it.
I joined Bayern in the middle of the season 11. In second half of the season, we managed to get club to Top 3 after disaster that happened in season 10, when they finished record low at 9th place. After this season I had to decide how to progress with the club. Bayern had done, in seasons before, some of the deals that they were not ideal for a manager who is thinking in long term and see club like a project and not just temporary step in career. Club had a lot of players that they were in late 20s and beginning of 30s. Slowly we started to buy players with lower age and began with systematic scouting for potential future stars that could help Bayern in long term development. At the same time we had to be really smart and also careful. There was contracts/goals to achieve set by bosses of GW. Most of the contracts that we signed had goal set at minimum Top6 or one of the Cup wins. How hard was the system of contracts, having always in mind present and future, can tell us just a quick look where we can nowadays find some of the big names in football. Is just few clubs that they are still there in top 10 if we compare it with the beginning of Top100 GW. On the other side there are some big clubs, institutions in world of football, that we can see today in lower divisions or having hard time in D1.
Even with this challenging task we managed to finish in next ten full seasons three times in Top 4, managed to win Top100 Cup in first full season in charge (season 12) and again in season 17. In following season 18, we managed to win Charity Shield and season later, 19, we won Top100 Shield. In all season under my work here in Bayern we always finished in Top7 (1x 3rd, 3x 4th, 2x 5th, 2x 6th and 4x 7th). Some may call me “Mister Consistency” but I would rather call myself “Mister Stability” which is hard job to achieve in Top100 GW.
This season, 22, we managed to finish 7th. We were hoping for something more, but I can be satisfied with performance and results of the team after Turn 21. Just short statistic input: till end of Turn 21 Bayern had in average 1,476 points per game (31 points). From this Turn till the end, we managed to achieve (next 17 Turns) 2.0 average points per game, 34 points (small input info - title winner this season, Verona, had 2.05 point in average per game in 38 Turns). This significant difference in average points came when we changed our tactic and arrival of Harry Kane, who will be instrumental in next seasons.
Future of Bayern looks bright. This season we said goodbye to Muller and Griezmann - will be big job to replaced them in starting 11. Loosing 92 and 94 player is bad for now but for the future is right decision. Next season will be last one for our servant Kroos so we are preparing that our young players will get more chances and more responsibility in seasons ahead.
Our attack for next season will lead our new captain Harry Kane (30 years), Kroos (34) will be our co-captain. On RW will start Kubo (23) and on LW Doku (22), which goes hand in hand with our policy of development young players and get them ready for future. Substitutions for those three positions will be CF Evanilson (24 years), LW Gibbs-White (24) and RW Brennan Johnson (23).
In midfield will be our wizard Kroos together with Onana (22) and Goretzka (29). Behind are waiting for opportunity three players that we’re really looking forward how they develop in next reviews. Bilal El Khannouss (20), Habib Diarra (20) and Marlon Gomes (20).
In defence experience is always a key factor of stability. Tomiyasu (25) on RB and Robertson (30) on LB will assist our attackers and beside on CB positions we will see Rudiger (31) and Le Normand (27). For the cup games there will be ready players like Dedic (21), Gabbia (24), Lacroix (24) and Mauro Junior (25).
In GK position we are trusting that Onana (28) can keep his head on right place and continue with performance from last two season.
As seen there is a lot of young players that will get a chance in first team in following seasons. But this not all talent that we have in youth team. Amazing youth development department and scouting department managed to bring in some names that are already well know in world of football. Names like Camarda (16), De Cat (15), Cocchi (17), Lewis-Skelly (17), Zeze (18), Guiu (18), Guilherme (18), Uzun (18), Goes (19), Kumbedi (19), De Winter (21) and Rohl (21) are just some of the biggest stars of our youth squad that will represent us in youth competitions in next season and hopefully one day replaced players like Kroos or Kane.
I am proud of story that I managed to do in 519 games in charge. Future of the club is looking bright, and the potential of the team is much higher than when I came to the club. Hopefully our project will develop in right direction and that one day we will be proud on this team when they win Division 1 title - with me being in charge or someone else. It’s a long shot, but we seen already that some of this project, like Verona for example, are working when you give them time. Stability is a key to success in Top100.
Mia san mia (We are who we are)
D5 Back Pages (Matchday 1)
Transfer News
Jesús Navas joins Lazio
Veteran leaves Rotterdam for Rome
Sergi Roberto to Brugge!
Versatile Valencia midfielder signs for Belgians
Newcastle sign Santi Mina
Club hopes new prisoner can play on day release
Manager Reactions
Kyiv attacks Donetsk
Derby deadlock in Ukraine
Derby tonight! New season with first match against Shakhtar!
Not a result we wanted but a fair one. Dovbyk did the job we brought him for! Diaz with the assist as a substitution!
We expect more from Traore as he made a lot of effort in the pitch but he had some sloppy decisions on last actions! When he is 100% ready he should be a key player for us!
Chris Baggio (Dynamo Kyiv manager)
Brugge bounce back
Flying Donkeys grounded
After the 4-0 loss in the friendly game against Chievo Verona, we take back our pride with a 3-0 victory against the same Chievo.
No Sweat/No Glory
Davy Vandendriessche (Club Brugge KV)
Club News
Basel bolster squad
Boss hails new signings
Not many changes going into the first team apart from Terans 87 and Balde 86.
Timber joined towards end of last season and so did Bard so they are like new signings.
A massive external scouting operation has been happening this summer for the youth side.
Josh McMillan (FC Basel)
Party's off for Partizan
Wynne loss leaves club in disarray
Fans sing "Who ate all the pies?!" as new manager Wynne loses first game in charge, then quits.
Independiente seeking winger
Must be young, fit and ready for action
Pedrinho, Jesus Ferreira and Cajuste available in exchange.
Gianluca Ghio (Independiente)
D2 Back Pages (Matchday 1)
Manager Reactions
Muller Delight!
Mullan masterminds win in Milan
A Crucial 1-0 away win. This is a tough place to come to get a result, but in the end we probably did enough to deserve the win and put an early 3 points on the board. It was pleasing to keep a clean sheet with our youthful defence, whilst creating plenty of chances at the other end.
glen mullan (RCD Espanyol)
United Start with a Bang
Hamburger Thrashed
4-1 home win over Hamburg, a big surprise, as we start the season with a win, much more attacking style this season with, hopefully we can keep scoring goals as last season that was a disappointment, up next Spurs.
Niall Taylor (Manchester United)
Our performance wasn't too bad, just outclassed.
David Marsden (Hamburger SV)
Levante Suffer Disappointing Defeat to Celtic
Hoops come back from two goals down with last minute winner
As a game and match stats I am very satisfied, we dominated but we were not lucky… we have time.
Salvatore Zerbo (Levante UD)
Standard Liege Languish in Relegation Zone
Shocking performance and start - Reynolds
Always good to get 3 points on the board, we overcame a strong Liege side with a brace from Che Adams and a goal from El Shaarawy in a 3 - 1 away win. I wasn't expecting it, I think it's the most shots on target I've had since I joined.
Carl Martin (TSG 1899 Hoffenheim)
We were shite.
Lee Reynolds (Standard Liege)
Werder Win Under New Manager
DouDou's Bremen Start With Lucky Win
Transfer News
Celtic Strengthen Defence with Bednarek Signing
Aaron Martin moves to Fenerbahce
Finally we have signed a left back. . . . Cheers for the deal Hugo.
simon thomas (Fenerbahçe SK)
Espanyol Sign Zabarnyi from Leicester City
Manager Mullan "delighted to bring in a very long term target"
Crysencio Summerville Joins Hamburger
Lafont will follow with Kepa going to United
Sule and Manadava both available
looking for younger replacements
2 players for Sule. PM me if interested.
Lee Reynolds (Standard Liège)
Draxler and Pulgar both available
to pre-deal
Can be sold individual or together.
Pedro Vilar (Tottenham Hotspur)
D4 Back Pages (Matchday 1)
Around the Grounds
Feyenoord say goodbye to key players
Regarding the signings, we brought young players to contribute something to the team but unfortunately we had to say goodbye to very good players from the team
Sheene Ralspunsky (Feyenoord)
Mister TRX: We'll prove the doubters wrong
Sevilla return to Division 4, favourites to go straight back down
It is likely to be a tough season.
Ospina will be under pressure from a talent trio of understudies at least 2 should get a big rise this season and will likely replace him.
A new look defence will have to prove themselves this season. The midfield is more settled with no changes from last season with Caputo leading the line upfront.
The youth team sees a number of talents perhaps none more so than Bryan Zaragoza. He may well pick up some 1st team game time here towards the end of the season.
Mister TRX (Sevilla)
Division of Death
Division 4 will prove to be very entertaining this season
Torino start their season at home against fellow Italian side AS Roma, a side that was relegated from D3 last season - providing a stern test for their manager upon his return to Top 100.
The media keep asking questions about predictions for the season, but the only answer they've been met with is: "We will see."
L H (Torino)
Manager Reactions
Il Toro off to a winning start
Morales stars as Torino beat Roma 2 - 1 on opening day
An encounter that proved to be very close with little differences - including the most important one. José Luis Morales picks up the MOTM award; Captain Brice Samba is the unsung hero!
L H (Torino)
Stuttgart edge out Feyenoord
Isco turns back the clock!
Narrow win. 37 games to go. One game at a time :)
Tharanidharan (VfB Stuttgart)
We started the season on the wrong foot but I know very well that we will recover in the next games.
Sheene Ralspunsky (Feyenoord)
Augsburg hold favourites Malaga
Will take that for the first game given they are favourite to go up.
paddy d (FC Augsburg)
Transfer News
Olympiacos bring in Rakitic and Doekhi
Albiol moves to Manchester United, Riquelme to WBA in exchange
Rodrigo Moreno joins Málaga
Bebou moves to Southampton in exchange
For Sale/Wanted
Juanmi for sale
Centre back wanted in exchange
Juanmi (88 rated) is for sale. I need a 88+ CB as a replacement. I am ready to throw in few of my squad players to help the deal if needed
Master T (Olympiacos)
Stuttgart eye defensive midfielder and winger
Maycon available
Happy to give 3 or 4 players for 1. U24 - 86 and above rated.
Tharanidharan (VfB Stuttgart)
D3 Back Pages (Matchday 1)
Manager Reactions
Schalke Smash Four Past Twente
Immobile brace on debut
Immobile nearly scored as many goals in one game as En-Nesyri did all season!
Steven Allington (FC Schalke 04)
Black Cats Sink Swans
Opening day win for new Sunderland boss Ioli
22 total shots (like Swansea) and 54 percent ball possession… Zappa and Dunk gave 3 important points to us.
Alessandro Ioli (Sunderland)
Narrow defeat first game of the season, even game, their keeper MOTM but was very even all except the 2-1 scoreline. We go again and we got the red card! Not much changed from last season then!
andy vh (Swansea City)
Crystal Palace Beat CSKA in Thriller
McLean sticks it to "Putin's Army"
Kevin Volland with the 2 assists marks the wisdom of selling Biraghi! Great win for Palace!
Alex McLean (Crystal Palace)
Palace had too much firepower.
Chris Meida (CSKA Moskva)
Ajax Start New Season with Comfortable Win
"A great way to start" - Syed Shah
A great way to start the tenure at Ajax as we've beat the gatekeepers of Div 3 in a comfortable 3-1 win. Scouting was done well as all the goals were scored by the new boys. Debuts: Casco, Diaz, Darmian, Vieira and finally Sancho.
Syed Shah (Ajax)
Keeley "Glad to be Bach"
Belotti brace keeps The Wolves at bay
A narrow win in my first game in charge. Stats marginally in our favour but shots on target 5 each.
⭐️Ken Keeley⭐️ (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
Sassuolo Slump
Start with a 2-0 loss at home to Dinamo Zagreb
Not ideal but we can improve.
Hugos Monkides (Sassuolo)
Transfer News
Köln Sign Free Agent Kellyman
Gaffer Gursi signs highly thought of new player as his Youth Shield prize pick
Galatasaray Open to Offers
Part exchange only
Please look at squad and make a DECENT offer or pm me.
King Kev the Daddy (Galatasaray SK)
D1 Back Pages (Matchday 1)
Porto Beat Champions in Charity Shield
After a balanced match and a 1-1 draw, the Cup Winners won on penalties
Porto did not miss and ended up lifting the trophy, adding one more title to the cabinet! That's the start we were looking for!
Very happy to win this tittle! Hellas went full force on this, which makes our win even more worthy! And more so as we still saved some players tonight in order to also field a competitive team in 2 days against Real Madrid in Division 1 opener!
Hopefully we can enjoy a good start this time.
André Guerra (FC Porto)
Porto Lose to Madrid
Gulacsi the Hero for Real
Not the start we were looking for, but we're used to it. Goalkeepers made the difference really, Ederson was very poor, Gulacsi was very good and MOTM. . . Charity Shield match 2 days ago also did not help us. . . Anyway, good game Rob and congratz on the win. We'll try to bounce back next match.
We have improved our defence massively, but we're still missing a stronger left-side attacking midfielder, a key position in my view. Additionally, competition is insanely strong, Hellas, Chelsea and Dortmund should be the main runners I believe.
André Guerra (FC Porto)
Benfica Stun Leverkusen
Evergreen Ronaldo shines
Even match settled by 2 CR7 goals. The guy is a legend.
Delighted with the start, long road ahead tho.
It’s been tough so far. Transfers hard, really hard. When you get offered under 75 rated players for CR7 it’s tough to read. But hey ho. We look like we go for one season with the ratings, but never say never that they won’t be sold.
Gregg Robinson (SL Benfica)
Dortmund Thrash Aston Villa
Vinicius Impresses as "false nine"
Nice start of the season with Vinicius getting MOTM in his new position as falso nueve.
Dario Saviano (Borussia Dortmund)
The gulf in class was far too great for us to compete really. Lost some big ratings in the pursuit of longer term success, it showed in this result. Lots of work to be done at Villa. Well done Dario.
Adam (Aston Villa)
Barcelona Beat Genoa
Mahrez steps up despite transfer specualtion
Despite intense speculation about Mahrez's future at Barca, he stepped up with two goals to help us secure an opening-day victory! A lovely start against strong opposition sent the Barca fans home happy.
It's back to basics now for Barca. D1 is packed at the top with high-rated squads, so we know, realistically, we won't be dining there this campaign. However, we will look to have fun, maybe push for a cup run if the wind is behind us, and seek one or two more players to come in at La Masia.
Dan Wallace (Barcelona)
Juventus Cruise Past Everton
Comfortable win in the end
At 1-0 for such a long time I was fearing a draw on cards. Happy with a 3 points start.
kevin mcgregor (Juventus)
Valencia Draw with Southampton
Zaha impresses on debut
Valencia took a point away to Southampton with the match finishing 2-2 in a very even game. Zaha scored and assisted on debut and was awarded MOM. Will take a point in any game in Div 1 so happy with the start.
Ash L (Valencia CF)
Harmer: "Bruno G Came Back to Haunt Us"
Atleti lose 2-1 to Chelsea
Bruno G came back to haunt us with a winning goal , Pickford had a nightmare in goal with a 4 rating!
Gav Harmer (Atlético Madrid)
Transfer News
West Bromwich Albion sign Riquelme
Youngster Novoa also joins, Doekhi goes to Olympiacos
Firmino available
2 players wanted
Open to different options. PMs preferred.
Marco G (Bayer Leverkusen)
Flipping Hamburger
We're one third of the way through S17, so it's as good a time as any for a quick review and update of how things are going here in northern Germany.
This is Hamburger's second season back in D3 after relegation from D2 in S15. It feels like a long time since we hit the heady heights of promotion to D1 all the way back in S11.
We had a miserable time in the top flight, finishing bottom with a record low points total. Not entirely unexpected, and not much fun.
We lost in the playoffs in S13, and then avoided relegation to D3 in the final game of S14, before plunging back down the following season.
We knew back then that we needed to do some work flipping an aging first team - an aging first team that had been assembled from trading younger players for higher ratings to get promotion after years in the D3 midtable wilderness.
Since our D1 (mis)adventure, I'd been building my youth team (which I'll come back to), while trying (and failing) to maintain a aging higher rated first team to sustain at least D2 football. Our first season back in D3 saw my aging team floundering in midtable again, so I sold off most of them for some younger lower rated players... and then also started getting better results.
Which got me thinking....
Now, most seasons I like to start with some new-fangled formation and tactics that is finally going to blow the notorious SM match engine wide open, before reverting back to the tried and trusted 4231B attacking-direct-down-both-wings formula that staves off inevitable relegation and puts you back in with a decent chance of promotion, but not quite.
Last season was no different. 4222 (which I've used successfully in one other game world) was my stupid, stupid choice for S16.
In a nutshell, my stupid formations yielded a weedy 28 points from 26 games, while good old-fashioned 4231B produced a sturdy 27 points from just 12 matches - title-winning form!
It was a no-brainer. Like DP 91 before me, I had proved what everyone already knew. S17, therefore, I would stick with 4231B, with a few tactical variations for playing home or away against stronger or weaker teams and collect my D3 title. Mission accomplished!
Thankfully in SM, nothing ever works out quite like you expect it to, and with just 9 points from 8 games religiously sticking to Plan 4231B at the start of this season, something had to change.
We switched to Plan 442 (short passing), which we used successfully in friendly games at the end of S16. Can't remember who I stole that idea from, but fairly certain it's not something I can claim any credit for.
Since then, we had four straight wins, including at then second placed Wolfsburg, prompting disbelief and self-loathing from the Wolves' gaffer.
Anyway, early doors to get too carried away, and disappointed to manage only a draw at home to second bottom Napoli on Sunday when a win would have put us in second place. Especially after being two goals up. But delighted to be up there and in contention at this stage.
Back to my youth team. Another good start in the Youth Cup. We've sacrificed a lot to try to build a strong and successful youth setup over the past five or six seasons (youth squad highlights from a year ago: U21, U20, U19, U18).
But it had to be done, and while there are others who could have, and have done, better jobs - and faster - at their clubs, I'm still pleased with the work here.
We got to the Youth Cup semi-final last season, and the aim has to be the final this season. Even though this looks like the strongest Youth Cup competition I can remember. No doubt SM will now have me heading for the Youth Shield at the earliest opportunity!
Hamburger U21 Development Squad
Cristhian Cásseres Jr.
Another uncontested cash pick-up from an external club in Top 100.
Maxence Lacroix
Another one picked up for cash from an external club in Top 100, while still at Sochaux irl. Probably my best ever find.
Sead Haksabanovic
Another lad signed from an external club in Top 100.
Alessandro Plizzari
A rare internal deal - Lynaco and Mihailovic in exchange - and a good rated keeper for my Youth Cup team.
Ante Palaversa
Part of an internal deal that saw Lucas Alario, Tony Jantschke, and Moussa Djitte move to Hamburg in exchange for Stephan El Shaarawy.
I've got a few other 21 year olds - Bordeaux winger Mehdi Zerkane, new RB Salzburg keeper Nico Mantl, new Vancouver Whitecaps winger Deiber Caicedo, new NYRB CB Andres Reyes, and - newly recovered from an ACL injury - River Plate winger Benjamin Rollheiser, all acquired for cash from external clubs in Top 100. Not saying they're all world beaters, but some decent real life potential and playing time among them.
Hamburger U20 Development Squad
Abner Vinicius
14th most promising 2000-born player in the world... Signed in Top 100 from Ponte Preta (before he signed for Athletico irl), uncontested (iirc).
Alessandro Cortinovis
Another one I'm very hopeful about, from the Atalanta Academy. Great hair, too... Signed in Top 100 as a free agent, uncontested (iirc).
Odilon Kossounou
Big lad in defence, big future ahead of him... Signed in Top 100 as a free agent, uncontested (iirc), while he was still at Hammarby irl.
Richard Ledezma
Breakout season stopped by ACL injury irl. Signed in Top 100 from Lyon for cash when The Godfather was manager there (possibly as part of a larger deal, but I honestly don't remember).
Milutin Vidosavljevic
Looks a neat and tidy player, bought in Top 100 for cash (uncontested, iirc) after let go by Anderlecht, mainly for this season's Youth Cup.
Tomas Tavares
Youth right backs are hard to get hold of in Top 100, so I was happy to negotiate hard in for Tavares (along with Tanganga, Sibley and Zarzana) as part of my sale of Diogo Dalot to Levante last season.
Brenden Aaronson
Didn't have to think too hard, or too long, when accepting Adam's generous offer to swap goalkeepers with me in Top 100.
Hamburger U19 Development Squad
Mohamed Taabouni
Another AZ youth product, high hopes for him in the coming season... Signed in Top 100 from Dr Martinez when he was at Basel, in an exchange for Taras Stepanenko.
Moises Caicedo
Signed for Brighton U23s rather than Manchester United in the end, but still hopeful he has a bright future ahead of him... Signed in Top 100 for cash, uncontested.
Alejandro Gomez
On loan at struggling Boavista this season, but still very young and has time on his side... Signed in Top 100 for cash, uncontested.
Antonio Zarzana
This lad hasn't done much, yet, but seems to be highly rated at Sevilla... Signed (along with Tanganga, Tavares and Sibley, below) in Top 100 from Salvatore as part of an exchange deal for Diogo Dalot.
Louie Sibley
The youngster perhaps hasn't quite lived up to very high expectations in his second season, but he's English... Signed in in Top 100 as part of the Dalot deal with Zarzana, above.
Leicester City: Starting from the Bottom!
After a spectacular first season, Leicester City fell back to reality and were relegated at the end of season 14. While most would be disheartened, I believe that this was for the best for myself and Leicester, as it now gives me and the team time with less pressure.
Despite managing Atletico Madrid and Arsenal, Espanyol will always be the team I look back on most fondly, and with Leicester I am hoping to repeat the success I found there, and in a similar fashion too; Starting from the bottom!
Recap - Seasons 13 & 14
I arrived at Leicester after they finished 4th in D4, missing automatic promotion on goal difference and not making it in the playoffs. It was immediately clear that the team was built to "win now", with strong players such as Dimitri Payet and Max Kruse leading the team. However, the success wasn't sustainable, and with me a new transfer policy arrived. Out went the old guard and in came fresh new faces such as Douglas Luiz (86), Yangel Herrera (85) and Nicolas Gonzalez (85) who would take Leicester into the future. Of course this came at the expense of the league position and I fully expected relegation in my first campaign. To the surprise of myself (and many others) we finished 8th, despite being ranked 20th on the pre season ratings. The jump was largely down to the heroics of Oussama Idrissi who netted 9 goals and assisted 15 more. Despite the success, I knew that wasn't an accurate reflection of the squad and readied for season 14 to bring a more realistic league position.
As expected, season14 saw us relegated. But throughout the season the team was strengthened massively. Rick Karsdorp, Robin Knoche Ezri Konsa, Ben White, Axel Disasi and Federico Dimarco all joined to solidify the defence, which up until then had no clear future starters other than Faitout Maouassa. We also made moves to solidify our youth at defence too with the signings of Oscar Mingueza and Kik Pierie. Further up the pitch the likes of Gaetan Laborde, Luis Suarez and Romaine Faivre were added, with youth additions too. However, as mentioned we were relegated. And now, in D5, I really have the opportunity to focus fully on building through youngsters or obscure risers. And with that plan, we have already made wholesale changes in the start of Season 15!
Now - Season 15
After last season I was looking to make changes and made a lot of players available. However, it started off tricky to get anything agreed. After long negotiations I got 2 deals sorted and this past week several more deals have been made. So here's what we've done
Pre-Agreed - these signings were waiting to be completed from deals last season.
- Fillipo Romagna - 23, 86, CB
Romagna is another great young addition to our centre back group adding a cup option with potential to push for a staring spot. The ex-Juventus youth spent the 19/20 season on loan at Sassuolo who had an option to make it permanent. This option was taken up, despite a serious patella rupture which has seen Romagna out for 397 days and counting. The fact that Sassuolo signed him anyway shows a huge amount of faith in the 23-year-old, and hopefully he can return and pick up where he left off.
- Ivan Toney - 25, 85, CF
I had Toney before, but due to squad space he was released (a poor decision). However, we wont dwell on that, the Championship lead scorer is now back and will likely be a cup option for us. He has 28 goal and 9 assists in 38 league games for 3rd place Brentford this season. He has also been heavily linked to West Ham who are fighting for Champions League football. It's an exciting addition and I'm hopeful that he can maintain his form at the next level, whether that's with Brentford (if they get promoted) or elsewhere.
- Aleksa Terzic - 21, 76, LB
Left back is always a tough position to fill, so the addition of Terzic is a nice boost. He's not a well known prospect or an incredibly young one, but at 21 he is the starting left back for Empoli, who are top of Serie B and have 2 games in hand. On top of that, he is already contracted to Serie A side Fiorentina so will have the chance to push into a top division side if he continues to impress.
Senior Team Signings - Despite the struggle at the start, we did get 3 senior options in ahead of this season.
- Gaetan Larsonneur - 24, 86, GK (cost - Hannes Delcroix + Igor Rabello)
Our current number 1 is Marco Silvestri, who I like a lot. But the opportunity to bring in a younger keeper was too tempting. We already have exciting prospects in Hugo Souza, 22, and Ersin Destanoglu, 20, but neither are that close to a staring rating in game. Larsonneur is young and rated close enough to compete now. He has also been linked with Marseille recently, a move that would certainly boost his value and potential. Rabello was unneeded following other defensive signings and, despite being a Belgium international, Delcroix was also surplus to requirements, especially following his season ending injury.
- Mattia Zaccagni - 25, 87, CM (cost - Nayef Aguerd + Kevin Denkey)
After months of trying I was finally able to land Zaccagni. The midfielder is exactly the type of starting player I wanted as he is still young and has a bright future. 5 goals and 5 assists this season have helped Hellas Verona to 8th in the league and a 7.05 average rating. These performances have also earned him links to Napoli, AC Milan and more. I am hopeful that there rumours result in a move and that he can continue his impressive form to a new team. Similarly to Rabello, Aguerd was surplus to requirements despite his impressive season. Denkey was also never a long term option for me.
- Marcus Edwards - 22, 85, Wing (cost - Dennis Geiger)
This was a quickly agreed deal and it could go either way. Edwards had a huge amount of hype when he was younger but strayed from his projected path. In 2019, though, he joined Vitoria de Guimaraes and has since scored 12 goals and assisted 6 more. He still has a long way to go and a lot to prove, but he seems to be back on the correct path. While Geiger is a player I have always loved, his injury record was too worrying for me as he has missed over 50 games (and counting) since 2019 with injury.
Youth Additions - After some thought, I decided to sell some of my higher players for youth prospects
- Sepp van den Berg - 19, 78, CB (cost - 1 of 3 who arrived for Enes Unal)
The excitement around van den Berg when he joined Liverpool was high, but as with any youngster he certainly needed time. He has made 4 cup appearances for Liverpool, but the bulk of his senior game time has come on loan at Preston since joining in January. He has made 10 appearances, with 9 of those being starts at right back. Despite playing out of position, and just a few weeks to settle, the 19-year-old has been impressive with a 6.9 average. Frankie McAvoy has said that he is playing at right back to adjust to the league, so it can be expected that he will get opportunities in the middle moving forward. Preston also have first refusal on van den Berg next season.
- Jacob Ramsey - 19, 76, CAM (cost - 1 of 3 who arrived for Enes Unal)
After a couple of cup appearances off the bench last season, Ramsey has forced himself into first team contention at Aston Villa this season. He has started 4 league games with another 10 appearances off the bench as well as a handful of cup games too. While he still has a lot to improve on, a 19-year-old premier league started is a quality pick up, and is someone I expect a lot from.
- Check Diakite - 18, 74, CM (cost - 1 of 3 who arrived for Unal)
Diakite was the "sweetener" in this deal to get it over the line, but might be one of the most exciting players coming to Leicester this season. Despite being 18, Diakite has been a regular for Paris FC in Ligue 2 this season, starting 44% of games, despite not making his full league debut until game 16. His versatility is a big bonus too, with him being deployed at DM, CM, AM, RM and LM this season already. While it is nothing crazy, he does have a 6.74 average which is solid for such a young player. Paris have a strong history of youth production, with their players often feeding into the top leagues. However, this season they are fighting to get into Ligue 1, as they currently sit 5th, just 4 points behind an automatic promotion spot.
- Owen Otasowie - 20, 73, CM (cost - 1 of 3 who arrived for Ignacio Pussetto)
Despite making 5 appearances for Wolves this season, Otasowie was not someone I knew of until taking a look at Celtic after the enquired about Pussetto. However, what I saw was quite interesting. The midfielder stands at 188cm making him a dominant presence and Nuno Espirito Santo has said that he has big plans for Otasowie. The 20-year-old also made his USA debut in November, adding an extra boost to a positive season.
- Marcelo Pitaluga - 18, 70, GK (cost - 1 of 3 who arrived for Ignacio Pussetto)
Another one who I didn't know too much about was Pitaluga, but upon looking into him he was somewon I wanted immediately. He adds a long term youth keeper option and will have amazing opportunities to develop since joining Liverpool in September. On top of that, while my ability to look into him was limited, I trust the scouts of Liverpool. Whether his future is at Liverpool or elsewhere, he is a very promising option and hopefully can get a loan move to pick up senior game time.
- Lasse Gunther - 18, 67, Wing (cost - 1 of 3 who arrived for Ignacio Pussetto)
Similar to the previous 2, Gunther isn't someone that I knew much of before researching him for this deal. He has been at Bayern since 2016 picking up 15 goals and 11 assists in 50 youth games. From these performances he has been likened to Arjen Robben, which is strong praise. His contract is up this summer, so it will be interesting to see if he stays at Bayern, or looks elsewhere to potentially move into a senior set up. However, at 18 there is no real rush.
- Alessandro Buongiorno - 21, 80, CB (cost - 1 of 2 who arrived for Barberan Maycon)
After a decent loan at Carpi FC last season, Buongiorno has been in and around the 1st team at Torino. He has made 8 appearances, including 7 starts for the Serie A side. While, this isn't a huge amount of game time it is certainly something to build on. He already has a solid in game rating and can hopefully earn increased game time, especially after impressive displays against Fiorentina and Juventus.
- Sontje Hansen - 18, 75, CF (cost - 1 of 2 who arrived for Barberan Maycon)
I wasn't too sure what position to put for Hansen as he has featured as a CF, RW, LW and CAM this season alone. Any youth out of Ajax is exciting, but that excitement is enhanced when the player is included on the NXGN 2021 Wonderkids list. Since arriving at Ajax in 2013 Hansen has scored 30 goals with 28 assists throughout the U17, U19 and U21 levels. He has also already made his Eredivisie debut, albeit off the bench. Hansen immediately becomes one of our most promising prospects.
- Matteo Ruggeri - 18, 76, LB (cost - Niklas Dorsch + Christian Lenz)
OUCH! That was a lot to pay for Ruggeri, I know! But I believe he has outstanding potential. Atalanta are a team that I love and have a great attacking style of play. At 18, Ruggeri is already a genuine senior option, making 8 appearances this season, including 2 in the Champions League. With Atalanta 3rd in the table, many top clubs will be circling to pick up their stars. This is likely to pave a way for their youngsters to step up and take starting roles, and if that is to be the case its hard to look further than Ruggeri. He could be the left back of our future, even with the likes of Maouassa and Dimarco here already.
- Soumaila Coulibaly - 17, 70, CB (cost - £599k, free agent acquisition)
After winning Shola Shoretire in February I thought my free agent luck was all used up, however, we somehow managed to win highly sought after Soumaila Coulibaly, despite over 25 other bids. Coulibaly is a long term PSG youth who joined the growing list of teenagers departing the French club in hopes of accelerating their careers. Despite the efforts of PSG to tie him down to a long term contract, and the efforts of Manchester United to bring him to England, Coulibaly opted to sign for Dortmund, following in the footsteps of Dan-Axel Zagadou. Dortmund have been happy to hand opportunities to players who deserve them, regardless of age. They currently have just Akanji, Zagadou and Hummels listed as their senior centre backs, with Balerdi out on loan. If Dortmund don't sign an extra CB, Coulibaly may well be hopeful that he will get senior opportunities. He also referenced the fact that he will be training with the senior team as one of the key factors in his decision.
So there we have it! All of our business up until now. I am still hoping to get another deal done for squad cap purposes, but nothing has yet been agreed.
This season I will be playing with a formation which accommodates as many of my "key" players as possible, even if it is limited by the SM match engine. This is to keep them all happy as the team grows. Iliax Moriba and Oscar Mingueza are likely to be 2 players who I structure my team around as we move forward with others slotting into my "untouchable" slots when they prove themselves.
We have a long way to go, and as of now many things could go wrong, but I believe that this is an extremely promising team with great starting and back up options across the pitch, as well as a handful of youth gems.
I am already looking forward to the end of season reviews and summer transfer window as I think there will be lots of rating movement and transfer movement for my guys!
Hamburger U18 Academy
Angelo Gabriel
The jewel in the crown, the pickled gherkin in the bun, the prize for winning the Youth Shield in S13...
Patrick Weah
Hoping he can emulate his Uncle George...
Fedde de Jong
Reminds me in looks and maybe even playing style of a young Mark Noble. AZ seem to have an excellent record bringing through young players in recent seasons...
Aster Vranckx
Another potential jewel, will be interesting to see how he fits in at Wolfsburg next season... Think I got him for cash uncontested, after Espanyol had to let him go for breaking squad cap rule.
Mustafa Kapi
Part of a growing Turkish contingent at high-flying Lille, hope to see him get some playing time next season, perhaps.... Might have been a rare new free agent lottery win in Top 100.
Odin Thiago Holm
Another potential jewel, lots of self-confidence to name himself Thiago.... Signed from external (rl) club in Top 100.
He constantly appears on lists of the greatest football talents in the world...
[www.vif-fotball.no/nyheter/s...](https://www.vif-fotball.no/nyheter/stortalentet-forlenger)
Cristian Olivera
Don't know so much about this lad, and he hasn't had much game time this season. Signed (along with Talisca and Cabella) in Top 100 as part of a deal that saw William Carvalho move to Dinamo Zagreb.
