2024/25 Mid-Season Update
So I'm a stubborn bastard, and instead of really overhauling my tactics I decided to see if I can tweak them a bit to make them work. Up went the mentality, down went the tempo to make it possible for advancing players from further back to break through the lines before the passes are played, and I added a few individual instructions to make players behave the way I want them to - most importantly I'm encouraging my inside forward to shoot more, since scoring from range seems a distinct possibility in this version and his long shots rating is 16.
https://i.gyazo.com/6341d7ffdc8bcfb6...f46e3e0008.png
On the transfer front, there were no significant highlights. I've decided to replace my German goalie since I wasn't happy with his performances. His replacement doesn't look much of an improvement, but his Handling and mental attributes are better, and so far, he seems much more reliable.
https://i.gyazo.com/ecccf4eeb8d54adb...20956c35fd.png
More important was probably a new left-back, since the previous starter basically had only pace and nothing else. In came an experienced Surinamese player with a fantastic name:
https://i.gyazo.com/21e8f80c3aa8dbe9...5d465e28ba.png
Initially I didn't want to sign him because of his meh defensive attributes, but the physical ones seem to make up for it and he has been very solid so far.
Which brings me to the overall performance: What a turnaround it's been. After a somewhat shaky start the squad turned into prime mid-2000s Chelsea, limiting the opposition to at most three shots on target per game, scoring one or two and seeing out matches without much fuss.
https://i.gyazo.com/ba24c9a235ab1126...ede31a4ebf.png
Due to the odd structure of the league, I'm already qualified for the playoffs due to winning "Phase 1". I'm hoping I can mostly keep this form until then; automatic promotion would be ideal, but is probably not realistic. The last two games were away against Jong Ajax and Breda, and my squad's limitations were pretty evident, I lost 0-4 and 0-3 and barely had a sniff. Hopefully this is not a sign of the wheels coming off.
Sadly, my long-time target man Jesse Goselink has refused to sign a new contract, which is understandable as he's been chased by top division clubs for months now. If I actually manage to get promoted, I'll probably need a significant upgrade. The search has begun for a budget Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.