Hi everyone!
So once again I am back with another completed season is my pentagon challenge. So far things are going ok at the Black Aces as we had our best ever finish in our history last season of 6th.
A title push may be a little to ambitious so am aiming for a top four place, so lets have a look at how the season went. :)
Managerial C.V
— Black Aces (June 2011 – Present)
First Division : 2012
—————————————
I tried, don’t hate me!
Laugh at is a bit harsh in my opinion considering we only finished a point behind them and took four points of them out of six. Throw in the fact that we have a fraction of the quality they have and a lot less money I think it was a harsh reaction.
But makes me even more determined to succeed at the Black Aces now, Orlando Pirates picked the wrong person to laugh at. :)
Free money? yes please! :)
I took another parent club earning another £+40k per year so we are getting over a 100K a year now in parent clubs.
So I managed to win manager of the season so I guess I am not doing too badly at the moment, last season was the best in our clubs history of 6th and we did overachieve so was pretty pleased in all.
Transfers In And Out
So made a few new addition as you would expect, nothing to special but a few talented younger players to help improve our squad a little.
I sold a few fringe players to bring in some extra money but not a very busy transfer window.
Byrone Hendricks
Menzi Dlamini
So Hendricks was bought as cover for my right side in defence and Dlamini is a highly rated wide man who will play AMR in my side.
Finances and Club Information
So we look pretty good financially speaking making another profit last season and already turning over a good amount of revenue.
I know we will lose money every month but I feel we have made enough to cover that already so am delighted with the bank balance.
So Kwenene joined the favoured personnel list but no place for me yet. :(
We are predicted to finish 9th so we are definatly improving as the clubs value is at almost £2 million, with over 3,000 season ticket holders.
Results and Table Halfway Point
So a really good first half of the season and we are involved in a title race!
That said all the teams are still very close as you would expect at the halfway stage a few away defeats which I half expected but we beat Orlando Pirates again, not too bad for a manger laughed out of their office. :)
Results Final Half of The Season
Fifth!
Not too bad I guess I expected a top six finish so cant be too disappointed with a fifth place, we lost too many games to push for the title but we are closing the gap each season only six points away from the eventual winners.
We still have the worse defence in the top six but we do score goals so I am happy, Supersport avenged our 7-1 victory over them last season by beating us 5-1 away.
But we reacted very well going unbeaten in seven games and winning five.
Final Player Ratings
Kwelete had an outstanding season scoring 25 in 33 games, whilst Ntuli his strike partner grabbed 16 goals.
Songwiqi is quickly becoming my favourite player on this years game as he continues to impress every season, despite not having amazing stats.
Sibande had another great season in the heart of my midfield but my star player of the season goes too….
Star Player Of The Season – Andile Kwelete
Had to be my best centre forward with his 18 league goals in 27 starts. He was just clinical this season and alongside Ntuli we have good pace and a good finisher , not amazing stats and my assistant doesnt rate him too highly but he was a key member of my squad this season.
Save Game Status and Finances
So we didnt make a massive profit this season only a £100k better of but at least its better than a mountain of debt!
Its hard to make huge profits without any form of TV rights/money and our attendances arent exactly full to the brim, with only an average of around 5,000 in our 30,000 rented stadium.
Our money comes from the cup competitions, I only post them if I reach the semi-finals or higher but I do focus on the league more still the extra money is nice.
Season Round-Up
So season four has just passed and I must admit I am really pleased with the progress we are making.
We were involved in the title race up until we lost a few games against the sides around us and losing at home to the bottom club. :(
We are improving each season and I have a good sense of optimism going into season five, will we win the league?
The answer is I dont know, but at least we look like we can compete which is very encouraging but I will need some new recruits to take this team to the next level.
I have decided to stay at the Black Aces for the foreseeable future, in honestly I really like this team and I really like South Africa most people tell me that its the worst place to manage and to get out as quickly as possible but I am the opposite!
I really like it and how competitive it is, how every season a few teams can challenge for the title and its not dominated by one team, how money doesnt play a massive factor and how foreign owners never come to simply buy their titles.
On any day you can beat any side in the league or as I have showed against Witbank Spurs losing games you think are routine wins and how you can only buy South African players. Its a challenge but one I enjoy, I loved my time managing in South Africa last time and am so glad that I am enjoying it again it could be my favourite league to manage in. :)
Next season may be a season when we could challenge for the title, signings are needed but I dont feel we are a million miles away. Squad is good, there are plenty of talented young players and our finances are very healthy.
I will bring that season too you as soon as its finished so I look forward to hearing from you, and goodbye until then.
Stromson
30 ноября, 2011 at 00:07
Whew, what a year! Player activity was relatively quiet, but you really had an excellent title challenge going there. It has to be encouraging (I know it is for me as a reader) to see such steady gains year after year, and it won’t be long before the Pirates truly regret their foolishness.
Ana Garcia
30 ноября, 2011 at 19:09
Thanks!
Yeah, problem I had was that there just wasnt enough good players around and the ones who look quite good wouldnt negotiate deals with me.
I have to agree! We are making progress and things look like they are going in the right direction we just need a handful of extra quality players and we should be there or there abouts.
Bigbaz
30 ноября, 2011 at 01:14
Iv set up a pentagon challenge as a side save to my southampton story, im at FCAK i think and i understand when u say its enjoyable. It reminds me of like sunday league football.
Good season all the best for the next
Ana Garcia
30 ноября, 2011 at 19:14
Thanks!
FCAK was a side I managed in my last pentagon on last years game so I quite like them. :)
I have to agree, its more to do with players and scouting rather than relying on financial muscle.
Sure the top teams can pay higher wages and afford higher transfer fees but its seems a lot more balanced than other leagues its rare to see a team dominate at the top as the winner changes almost every season.
Plus you make money by doing well, as in the cup competitions not just been given massive money from TV rights every season.
It really is a great league to manage in. :)
bigbaz
2 декабря, 2011 at 02:02
this is why i love this website!
the passion of yourself and the majority of writers on here is just awesome!
Johnny Karp
30 ноября, 2011 at 10:14
Well done Ana, you’re slowly climbing up the ladder and I believe you will reach the top floor next season ;)
Ana Garcia
30 ноября, 2011 at 19:16
Thanks Johnny!
I will try my best, but all depends on the type of player I can attract.
Hopefully with another top six finish we can lure some better players to try and take us to the next level and maybe even win the league!
Darren Smith
30 ноября, 2011 at 11:50
Well done Ana, that was a solid year and as mentioned its nice to see a steady rise. You’ll be up there next season I’m sure.
Ana Garcia
30 ноября, 2011 at 19:16
Thanks Darren. :)
CsAtlantis
30 ноября, 2011 at 12:01
Wow the table was quite close in the end, you improved your club position again Ana, hopefully your younger players can push on and improve next year, your club already showed their mettle as potential title challengers so winning the league could be achievable with a bit of luck!
Ana Garcia
30 ноября, 2011 at 19:19
Thanks!
It was quite close! But we just lost too many games to keep pace as we needed.
I never get any luck! But we need a few new additions, we are close I think! :)
Kevin
30 ноября, 2011 at 12:56
Ola Amiga!
Another good season and you seem really content at playing in this league which always adds to the enjoyment of the game even if you haven’t won the league….yet!
It really is quite refreshing to see a league not influenced by outside forces and yet still manages to be an attractive place to set down roots.
I just wonder if there are other leagues within the game that can provide similar enjoyment?
Bueno trabajo!
Ana Garcia
30 ноября, 2011 at 19:23
Gracias, LoL!
I agree! Its a really great league and even if you manage to win it there is no guarantee you will retain it as the teams are so closely matched.
Am sure there are, there will be a few leagues just a good and hopefully I can find them as I continue my story!
TheZiggy
30 ноября, 2011 at 13:14
Another good season, showing an improvement. Hopefully next season will see you finally climb to the top of the pile, and show those Orlando Pirates just how stupid they were to laugh at your application.
I’ve noticed that very often a team right at the bottom of the table, will perform really well against teams I’m managing, so somehow it doesn’t surprise me to see a loss like that.
Ana Garcia
30 ноября, 2011 at 19:29
Thanks!!
Yeah, damn Orlando Pirates!
My reputation is still only national but I dont get why they laughed at me! Maybe as my reputation is set at Sunday league footballer I will have to work harder to prove myself or maybe its a sexist act!
That a woman cant succeed in football!
Probably not LoL but I still have a mini-rivalry with them! (and Thanda Royal Zulu who always beat me!!). :)
TheZiggy
30 ноября, 2011 at 21:13
I doubt that SI would have made it so that their was sexism being enacted, as that would not make the game fair for all who want to play it.
In real life it’ll take a long time before a woman manages a male football team at pro level, as there’s a lot of very thick heads which will need knocking together before the prejudices are removed. Women’s football itself is fairly recent, so there’s a long way to go yet. Someone I went to school with up to when I was about 10 had a good career playing in the US. I remember her being more interested in football than most of the boys were, and definitely better than they were. I was delighted when I found out she’d made a career from playing football. :)
I usually find one team that will always be able to beat me, no matter what. In the English Premiership, it seems to always be Everton, which is doubly annoying as I dislike them in real life.
Ana Garcia
1 декабря, 2011 at 19:34
Yeah was joking!
I know what you mean, I have suffered the prejudices! :)
I myself played football until under 16 level but we were not allowed to play competitively beyond that, I was our captain and also captained our county at U14’s, U15’s and U16’s.
We were also North England champions at both U15’s and U16’s and I was offered a place at a few woman’s clubs and was even offered a scholarship to play in the USA.
I refused obviously! But mostly because of real life syndrome, I guess I dont think I would have made enough money out of it and due to the prejudices you mentioned it just feels like a stupid idea, but you always have that voice in the back of your mind that wishes you at least tried!
But I look at my life now and I believe I did make the right choice, so no regrets. :)
I always seem to struggle against teams at the bottom, am not sure why. Maybe as I am not demanding enough in my team talks and my players may get complacent.
vaibhavc
30 ноября, 2011 at 13:15
You were not that bad, thats actually a pretty good season. Maybe you can win it next season. 6 points off the leaders is good. It is good to see that you are enjoying South Africa!
Ana Garcia
30 ноября, 2011 at 19:31
Thanks!!
Yeah I was pretty pleased with how the season went, just gets frustrating when you are competing all season at the top and end up fifth!
But I wanted a top six finish so I cant complain really, South Africa is now my most favourite place to manage (including Spain! :))
Laxeyman
30 ноября, 2011 at 16:36
Good season Ana, your side is improving every season, and next year I’m sure you’ll be challenging for the title :) Kwelete was fantastic, so hopefully he can carry that form on next season. Good luck!
Ana Garcia
30 ноября, 2011 at 19:34
Thanks Laxeyman!
I agree! He just had a great season and his partnership with Ntuli is working well. Ntuli seems to have more pace and seems to create more goal scoring chances whilst Kwelete is a great finisher always in the right place.
I really hope he can continue his form, he was brilliant this season. :)
Sears
30 ноября, 2011 at 17:49
Waaayyy, blistering season Ana! Another year where your team have come on leaps and bounds. I can defo seeing winning the title in the next two or so years, good luck!!
Ana Garcia
30 ноября, 2011 at 19:37
Thanks Sears!
Was pleased with our season and am really liking this team!
I can see good things with the improvements we have made already and with a few more we should be at least challenging for the title on a regular basis very soon. :)
Lye
1 декабря, 2011 at 02:50
Hi Ana,
You must be the most patient manager i ever know :) Glad you are enjoying in South Africa and i wish your effort will get paid next season. You are getting closer ever season and if your defence can be better, your chances of lifting the title will be higher. Good luck.
Ana Garcia
1 декабря, 2011 at 19:38
Hi Lye and thanks!! :)
I agree, I always have a few problems with my defence!
Guess I am too attacking but we are a few good signings from a title push I feel.
Wesley
1 декабря, 2011 at 12:43
Hey Ana
Great work with MP Black Aces. You should really write a guide on how you succeed in FM2012. Coming from a more rugby back ground to this game is a bit more difficult. How do you approach your games. Do you have one tactic for the season or change it around depending on the opposition. What do you prefer to play a more attacking or defending game. Are you strick on your players or let them play freely.
Ana Garcia
1 декабря, 2011 at 20:02
Hi Wesley and thanks! :)
I really am no expert! I just stick to what I know really and I approach each game differently on who I am playing so its hard to explain.
I do have just one formation and its just a boring old 4-4-2! But I do tweak it before and during every game, I dont believe in just keeping one tactic the same all season.
For example I may start with a 4-2-2-2 with a wide AML and AMR the if we get a lead I will go into my tactic and maybe change our mentality to be a bit more defensive, drop our defensive line a bit and evoke a bit of time wasting. Then I may drop the AML to a ML role to add a bit more defensive stability.
Or if I notice in a game we are doing well down our right wing for example, I may change our passing focus to the right hand side as thats where the main threat is coming from.
I may take of a striker and add another midfield player if we are being dominated in the middle or add another forward if we need a goal.
Thats why I find it hard to share my tactics as I am constantly changing and tweaking them every game, but I usually start every game with a 4-2-2-2 so by nature I am very attack minded.
But am learning to defend! For example on this game I conceded 75 times in my first season in the African premiership, I knew that was way too much so in games when I took a comfortable lead I made changes to a more defensive state .
That way I held on to leads better, reduced our goal against and earned more points as the next season we finished 6th.
I tend to be more encouraging than stricked on my players and I use harsh team talks very rarely. I like them to play in the position I give them as I dont want them wandering all over the place.
In South Africa the standard of player isnt as high as say England or Spain so I tend to keep things as simple as I can.
If you have any more questions then please feel free to ask me, I cant promise to have all the answers but I will do my best! :)
john herries
2 декабря, 2011 at 10:28
Hi anna. Never spoke to u b4. Loving your story am so tempted to try a pentagon challenge hehe. Keep up the good work :-)
Ana Garcia
2 декабря, 2011 at 18:41
Hi John and thanks! :)
You should, Its lots of fun!!
Alex
4 декабря, 2011 at 00:06
Another great, progressive season. I think the title is now a possibility, although The Pirates look like a tough ship to rock ;). Hopefully it won’t be long before Champions League glory comes to The Aces. It’s a shame it’s not possible to manage in Oceania as then you could have done the hexagon challenge. All the best for next season.
Ana Garcia
4 декабря, 2011 at 19:12
Thanks Alex! :)
The Orlando Pirates have a great squad as do the Kaizer Chiefs (despite their poor season) and Ajax Cape Town.
But I do feel we are closing the gap on those teams despite the lack of finances in regards to the three teams I just mentioned. But thats what I love about this league a few good signings and you can go from mid-table to title chasers without having to spend millions.
I agree, but you can manage in Australia but they play as part of the Asian champions league but I will try first to complete the pentagon first! I got so close last time I really want to achieve it this time! :)