Hello friends and welcome to a new chapter of the Vauxhall Motors Football Manager 2011 story! I know, we are all looking forward to Football Manager 2012 but that doesn’t mean that we can’t keep enjoying FM 2011 until then. That’s why I chose to spice up my save a bit by choosing a new tactic, an ultra-attacking one that I mentioned in the previous post. I know that you are curious to see how that worked in terms of results so let’s get the ball rolling…
This update will cover our progress from August to the end of December and I will start with the three trophies that were up for grabs: the Community Shield, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Championship.
Community Shield
We faced FA Cup winners Tottenham in the Community Shield and that was our very first competitive game of the season. I was quite worried before the game considering Tottenham‘s strength and our new tactic but things went a lot better than expected, we were the better team and Zé Carlos made that count on the scoreboard with a fantastic hat-trick. We didn’t enjoy better possession than our opponents though and that was not really what I had expected. Anyway, I was pleased to have retained the Community Shield again after losing it last season to Manchester City. (Click here to watch the match highlights.)
UEFA Super Cup
Chelsea had won last season’s Europa League so they were the ones we had to beat at Stade Louis II in Monaco. This was an even game to be honest, Chelsea put up a very good fight but we won it in the end thanks to clinical finishing from left winger Tiago and backup striker Lucas Cuello. This was our second consecutive UEFA Super Cup win and third overall but I would have wanted to see a more dominant performance from my lads. I know, I might be getting a bit too harsh on the lads… (Click here to watch the match highlights.)
Club World Championship
We had won this competition last season and I was expecting the team to win it again given the opponents. In fact, the semi final was very easy and we dispatched Korean side Seongnam 5-0 with a double from new striker Thiago.
The final was equally easy although the opponents were a bit tougher on paper: Mexican club America. The game was totally under our control, we sent no less than 13 shots on target but somehow only managed to score twice. Central midfielder Da Silva was the one who scored the opening goal despite being in the middle of intense transfer rumours as most big European clubs are trying to snatch him. (Click here to watch the match highlights.)
So, we won all three trophies that were available and I was quite pleased with that since my target for the season is to perform a clean sweep. Now let’s see how things went in the other competitions.
Champions League group stage results
The Champions League group matches were mostly used for tactical and squad experiments but we managed to win the group despite being held to draws by CSKA Moscow and Bayern. We are going to meet Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk in the first knockout round, that shouldn’t be too much of a problem although their team is not bad at all.
Carling Cup results
Our League Cup run couldn’t have been easier, we faced only lower league teams and we managed to avoid any upsets. Things will get a lot tougher in the semi final as we will face trophy holders Tottenham but hopefully we will manage to reach the final for the third time in the club’s history and maybe win it for the second time.
And now, the most important part: the Premier League!
Premier League results August 2021
It wasn’t really the best start, in fact I don’t think it could have gotten much worse! We were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Liverpool and then got beaten by Tottenham… That defeat was quite painful and unlucky, we had no less than six clear cut chances and scored just once compared to the Spurs who had no clear cut chances at all but somehow managed to score twice!
Premier League results September 2021
Fortunately we had an easier schedule in September and we managed to recover and record three straight wins with Zé Carlos bagging no less than 5 goals in three appearances. The players were still learning how to play in the new tactic but those three consecutive successes made me hope for even better results in the coming months.
Premier League results October 2021
And those results came in October, we won another four consecutive games including a thrilling 5-3 victory against Manchester United. (Click here to watch the match highlights.) However, I was increasingly worried that we were leaking goals in every single game. It’s true that we were scoring more than the opponents and always creating quite a few chances but letting in goals in every game is not really what I’d expect from a title-winning team.
Premier League results November 2021
Our winning streak came to an abrupt end at the beginning of November and that defeat was even more painful as it came in front of our own dedicated fans. Arsenal won the game courtesy of a late goal and I guess my team had an excuse as we played in 10 men for more than half an hour. That defeat had a good effect on the lads though, they rolled up their sleeves and got to work again and the results surely improved as we kept a clean sheet in the last three games while scoring no less than 13 goals in the process! Zé Carlos was in superb form again, he scored no less than five goals against WBA and then bagged another three in the last two games.
Premier League results December 2021
December is always tricky because of the fixture congestion but we have a large enough squad to cope with that. We did suffer another setback as Aston Villa beat us 2-1 but that wasn’t due to fatigue, it was just a plain old poor performance even though we would have deserved a draw in that game. The good thing is that the lads reacted well after the defeat again as we beat both Chelsea and Man City 2-0 before ripping Liverpool apart in the last game of the year.
The league table doesn’t look pleasing at all though, we are fourth and I can’t even remember the last time we were 4th at the halfway mark of a season! The other title contenders did show pretty consistent form while we suffered three defeats, too many for comfort. However, we do have two games in hand on the top two teams and if we win those we could bounce up where we belong. It won’t be easy though, this season’s title race might be hotter than ever!
Zé Carlos is by far our best player this season, he scored no less than 26 goals in 23 appearances and it seems that the new tactic is exactly what he needed. Leandro Velasco is also having good results as an inside forward, he scored 10 and assisted 16 and that is very good considering that he only had nine appearances as a starter.
Here is how the new tactic looks like, I will publish a special post about it and a download link at the end of the season because I am still testing a few tweaks and I want to give you a final and possibly good enough version. I did make an interesting statistic based on the 18 Premier League matches we have played so far, here goes:
Goals For: 3.38 per game
Goals Against: 0.88 per game
Clear Cut Chances For: 4.72 per game
Clear Cut Chances Against: 1.22 per game
Average ball possession: 57.77%
Last but not least I have some great news about the club: the stadium expansion was completed and we now have a magnificent 38,812 all-seater! The training and youth facilities were also upgraded but there still is a lot of work to be done there.
Argentina
After winning the Confederations Cup the nation was expecting the team to triumph in the remaining matches of 2021. Unfortunately we were unable to satisfy the demand as we surprisingly got beaten by Ukraine in a rather strange friendly game. Then we managed to win three in a row in the World Cup quals but we were unable to topple Brazil in the last game although we dominated that game quite clearly. We ended the year with a spectacular friendly against Spain, it was a great game but unfortunately we were not able to win it.
We beat every single team in South America except Brazil in the World Cup qualifying group so we finished disappointingly second…
… but we were seeded first for the 2022 World Cup draw! That didn’t bring us an easy group though as we will face Greece, Ghana and Mexico, pretty tough teams… Anyway, I don’t think that we can win the World Cup but I do expect to finish top of that group!
That’s all for now folks, thanks a lot for taking the time to read this. I’m looking forward to starting the game again but I’m also looking forward to reading your comments and answering any questions or requests so don’t be shy! ;)
vaibhavc
23 августа, 2011 at 14:45
Hey Johnny
So far, so good in terms of trophies. The tactic seems to be working well so far, with possession pretty high and goals scored being above 3. With those two games in hand, you should be able to win the Prem.
Johnny Karp
23 августа, 2011 at 15:44
Thanks mate. The numbers look good indeed, except one: we lost 3 games :) If we lose as many in the second half of the season then we surely won’t be winning the title.
Laxeyman
23 августа, 2011 at 15:11
Well done on the Community Shield, Super Cup and World Championship wins Johnny, yet more silverware for the motormen :) Despite being 4th atm, I’m backing you to retain your league title, you are always strong in the 2nd half of the season and have 2 games in hand too. Going well in the CL, so hopefully you can win that as well, good luck!
Johnny Karp
23 августа, 2011 at 15:45
Thanks Laxeyman, I hope we will have a better second half of the season in the Premier League. It will be tough, I’m quite sure of that.
Dan
23 августа, 2011 at 16:33
Great start Johnny! Everything seems to be going Vauxhall’s way and I’m sure your league position will improve as other teams drop points and your team begins to fully adapt to their new formation. Ze Carlos is a goal machine and looks like he’ll lead the line all season. 3 trophies this season already and hopefully you’ll have added a Premiership and Champions League title to that list by the seasons end. Good luck!
Johnny Karp
23 августа, 2011 at 16:48
Thanks mate, the players aren’t fully familiar with the new tactic yet and I hope the results will be more consistent once they achieve that. I’d like to add the Carling Cup and FA Cup as well :)
Sayam Khan
23 августа, 2011 at 16:40
Good start Johnny, 3 trophies already! I think it’s time for you to start dominating the world! Yes, we’re not use to 3 defeats but I’m sure you’ll take Vauxhall back to the top of that table! Just looked at Ze Carlos’ attributes, and they are amazing! Brilliant find. Although he is 26 now and do you have any plans selling him?
Johnny Karp
23 августа, 2011 at 16:49
Thanks Sayam, I hope we won’t be recording another three defeats in the second half of the season. About Ze Carlos, I am not considering a sale at all because he can still be fabulous for at least four more seasons.
Kevin
23 августа, 2011 at 17:15
Hi Johnny
After seeing all those goals Ze Carlos was scoring I was surprised to see you in 4th place. Still it’s very managable for you to close the gap and overtake your rivals. That appears to be a tough little group you are in for the next World Cup. Good luck until the next update!
Johnny Karp
23 августа, 2011 at 17:22
Thanks Kevin, we did score a lot but unfortunately we lost three games, all by the same scoreline actually :) The World Cup group could have been easier indeed but I hope we’ll manage, the big problems would be after the group stage in my view.
Nicholas Phipps
23 августа, 2011 at 17:52
Nce start and your tactic seems to be very effective. The Prem doesn’t look great at the moment but that’s before you take your games in hand into account. It’s great to see Ze Carlos playing so well too! :)
Johnny Karp
23 августа, 2011 at 20:12
Thanks Nicholas, Zé Carlos is probably having his best season to date. I hope we will win those two games in hand and make the league situation a bit more comfortable.
Darren Smith
23 августа, 2011 at 19:49
Hey Johnny, I was shocked after reading your results to not see you in the top two. But then again, those two games in hand should propel you back up to first. Every other competition looks good and I think the quadruple is something to aim for. Ze Carlos will be key and its great to see the new tactic working…you are thrashing anyone in your way. :)
Johnny Karp
23 августа, 2011 at 20:13
Well, we did lose three games and that’s more than last season in December if I’m not mistaken. The new tactic seems to be working very well against the smaller teams, they can’t cope with it, but the bigger teams did cause some problems.
cak
23 августа, 2011 at 20:00
hey johnny
the new tactic seems to be working well and brings out the best of ze carlos. the leagues looking tight, but i have full confidence that you’ll be up there come the end of the season. ive only started reading your stories recently so i was wandering as to what was your overall goal with this save. I look forward to reading the next update
Johnny Karp
23 августа, 2011 at 20:15
Thanks for the confidence, I hope we will climb up where we should be. The initial goal was to win everything with the Motormen which we already did, now I want to win everything in one season. This season could be it since we already won the first three trophies that were up for grabs, now we have to win the other four as well: league, Carling Cup, FA Cup and Champions League.
cak
26 августа, 2011 at 16:39
with the team performing as they are that goal definitely looks achievable. hopefully the 3 losses are just a minor setback with the team adapting to the new tactic, so good luck with completing your goal :D
Johnny Karp
26 августа, 2011 at 17:56
Thanks mate, the new update will be published shortly so you will know how things went in the second half of the season ;)
Birdy
23 августа, 2011 at 22:06
Very nice work Johnny. I really hope your team steps up and wins the league yet again. Ze carlos has been amazing for you. He should keep up the form
Good luck
Johnny Karp
24 августа, 2011 at 07:36
Thanks Birdy, I hope Ze Carlos will keep on scoring.
Lye Kuek Hin
24 августа, 2011 at 04:28
Hi Johnny,
A good start mate winning three trophies. I believe the players need some time to adapt the new tactic.Not worrying about the 3 losses as i know your team has the quality to bounce back. Good luck.
Johnny Karp
24 августа, 2011 at 07:37
Thanks Lye. I know that the team still needs some more time to adapt to the new formation but they should be fully familiar with it shortly.
Dave Triggs
24 августа, 2011 at 14:56
Great work Johnny!
Ze Carlos looks unstopable!
How much did you buy him for and where from ?
Johnny Karp
24 августа, 2011 at 18:51
Thanks Dave. I bought Ze Carlos in 2016 from Swiss club Basel for a reasonable price: 6.5 million pounds. Basel had bought him from Internacional.
Sibo
24 августа, 2011 at 16:34
What a bad start! :P
Haha! Of course I’m joking. That was a magnificent start and the Bulldozer is knocking everything out of it’s path, the number’s look very impressive Johnny and I’m sure if you keep this up you will easily sweep up the trophies come the end of the season! :D
Well done and keep it up! :D
Johnny Karp
24 августа, 2011 at 18:53
I know Simon, it could have been better :D Thanks for the confidence, I hope we will bulldoze our way past every opponent ;)
George Dobson
24 августа, 2011 at 18:06
well done you will be very closev to top of the league if you win your games in hand and also ze carlos has been amazing
Johnny Karp
24 августа, 2011 at 18:55
Thanks mate, I hope we will drop less points in the second half of the season.
Sears
24 августа, 2011 at 18:15
The tactic looks really interesting Johnny, it’s the first I’ve seen where someone has used an attacking sweeper keeper. Congrats on the 3 trophy wins, hopefully you’ll win all the other available silverware too. Good luck :)
Johnny Karp
24 августа, 2011 at 18:57
Haha, I’m glad that you noticed the attacking keeper :) There is a reason behind that though, I will explain sometime ;) Thanks for the good luck wish, I’m sure we’ll need some better luck in the second half of the season.
Ana Garcia
25 августа, 2011 at 21:50
Well done on the trophies won so far, in the league you are not too far behind with a few games to play.
Your new tactic looks very interesting and it seems to be working in terms of goals, and your defence is also very solid so all in all looks very promising.
Your strikeforce is superb as Ze Carlos is just a goal machine! Hopefully he can keep it up for seasons to come.
Good luck Johnny. :)
Johnny Karp
25 августа, 2011 at 23:08
Thanks a lot Ana, I hope that Ze Carlos will continue to shine with the new tactic.
CsAtlantis
26 августа, 2011 at 07:17
Odd that you are fourth Johnny, your goal difference definitely paints a different picture, it’s superior to the others………..
You’re relying on Ze Carlos a lot, hopefully Parana can up his goal count :D
Tough world cup group there, but you should qualify from it, you’re probably expected to win the World Cup so you have to give it a go!
Johnny Karp
26 августа, 2011 at 09:12
Thanks for the comment mate. You are right, we have a very good goal difference but unfortunately we suffered 3 narrow defeats… Ze Carlos is doing great but Parana was injured for a month so I guess I can rely on him as well. About the World Cup, I don’t know the odds and expectations yet but I think that France and Spain are the favourites.