Wee-Bey

The Boys from the Basque Country. Part 9. So, into 20/21 we go. 80 points and 3rd place is the benchmark, Champions League to contend with too, plan is to rotate for the European games and keep the strongest line up for the league. I wouldn't be too upset if we finished bottom of the group tbh, it's too early to put in any sort of continental challenge and asserting ourselves domestically is a must. Managed to bring in £7 million for 3 over 30's in the last year of their contracts. Herrerin was a decent back up keeper, so hopefully no injuries to no.1 Unai Simon as it's only a couple of young lads behind him now. I wanted to keep San Jose, but he was wanting 45k a week. Can't give my 4th choice centre back that, so he's off to the desert for some petrodollars. Only 3 youngsters out on loan as our B side won promotion last year to the 2nd tier, so the others will be getting game time at a decent level and I can keep an eye on them better. Only 3 in. 17 year old left winger Navarro is a baller, Sociadad were yet to sign him up to a bigger contract, so swooped in and met the minimum release clause. 4 and a half star potential. The other 2 are strikers I'm taking a chance on although I have my doubts either will make it here. In other La Liga news, both Barca and Atletico have new managers after their struggles last year. Tuchel in at the Nou Camp, whilst Atleti have gone for Max Allegri. Ooaft. Some absolute pumpings coming up I think.

The Boys from the Basque Country. Part 8. Made it in the end. So money, much generosity. Barca with the ultimate bottle job, drew at home to mid table Betis before going to already relegated Osasuna on the last day and getting beat. Real do a domestic treble despite being pretty gash for a large chunk of the season. I've got to be happy with finishing third, only 3 points off the top. Although, I reckon 83 points will be the lowest winning total in this save, so I might look back on this as an opportunity lost. Benat is 33 now, but still fucking immense so has been given another 2 year deal. This is likely to be the team that starts next season minus the retiring 39 year old Aduriz. I can't afford any genuine quality upgrades, so I'll probably pick up a couple of rough diamond youngsters and attempt to polish them up. Main focus this summer will be improving the backroom staff.

The Boys from the Basque Country. Part 7. New youth intake is here. It's not quite the golden generation I was promised earlier in the year, but it's decent. This lad being the pick of the bunch imo On the pitch, we bounced back well after the March madness. A controversial VAR awarded penalty for Barca has all but killed off our title hopes, but in truth, we probably didn't deserve anything there. It's Barca's to lose, they've got the easier run in too. There's a Madrid derby scheduled for the last day of the season. We've got Valladolid A (14th), Espanyol H (16th), Osasuna H (19th) and finish up away to arch rivals Real Sociadad who are 10th. 4 points to secure European football but I'll probably need 3 wins to make the Champions League. Atletico are finishing strong, won 10 drawn 1 and lost 1 since I beat them on the 1st of February.

4 away games in the space of 6 days is fucking ridiculous.

The Boys from the Basque Country. Part 6. So, we travel to the Bernabeu for the 2nd leg of the Copa semi. 'We've got a wee chance here boys. Keep it tight in the first 10 minutes lads' 'So proud of you lads, 1-1 at the break after going a man down early doors. we're 1 goal away from an historic result. Let's just keep the heads eh' The month from hell. We've actually just shat the bed. 8 games left and a massive fight now for top 6. Barca and Levante the only top 7 sides we face in the home stretch.

The Boys from the Basque Country. Part 5. January and February a busy couple of months as the Copa kicks off. We continue to exceed expectations, Sevilla pumped 3 times in the space of 5 weeks. The first leg of the cup semi was a kick in the balls though, 2 up and Real get a 96th minute equaliser. still in with a shout, but a tough ask to go to Madrid after conceding 2 away goals. Incredibly, we're 4 points clear at the top. We may be in with a shout of something special in my first season.

The Boys from the Basque Country. Part 4. Into 2020 and some promising developments to report. Potential golden generation sounds promising, If the keeper is decent that will be that position sorted between him and Unai Simon for the next 15 years. I need one of the forwards/strikers to be good. No full backs is a blow though. I'm ok at CB, CM, and wide forwards for now. Brexit not having any effect on the transfer market is o balance good news for me. Just the one in, raiding Osasuna's feeder team again. 18 year old CB and is roughly the same level as my best 18 year old centre back, potential 4 star. Straight out on loan and will be a part of the first team squad next term. A few loans out, but no permanent departures, Mourinho watched Iniki Williams about 4 or 5 times but no bid was forthcoming thankfully. Biggest deal of the window was Kristoffer Ajer moving to Barca for 30 mil.

The Boys from the Basque Country. Part 3. Incredibly, all 3 of Real, Atletico and Barca lost their opening fixture, the big 2 have predictably bounced back and handed out some absolute hidings but Atleti are toiling. It's been an incredible start for us though and we lead Real by 3 points at the end of September. No European football this year is obviously helping us massively. Keeping a settled side with minimum rotation is paying off. We ended up going 11 unbeaten before going down at the Nou Camp, we fought back bravely from 2 down but lost a sloppy goal from a corner late on. Eden Hazard then completely ripped apart a somewhat makeshift backline at the end of the month. Despite injuries and suspensions beginning to pile up, we end the year strongly, the win over Valencia our best performance to date, could genuinely have been 7 or 8 there. Delighted with the first half of the season, going in to the new year top of the table we're clearly overachieving, but a Champions League spot looks a real possibility if and when the big 2 start to pull away.

I tend to do a mix as I find saves in Scotland/England get a bit boring and samey after a while. Done a similar save to this a few years ago with Barca, no transfers in and developing youth, was too easy as I still ended up dominating.

The Boys from the Basque Country. Part 2. Just the one in and no departures in the transfer window. Promising 17 year old central midfielder. Happy enough with the squad, bit light at left back though, with nothing out there transfer wise, we'll have to hope for someone coming through. Up front a slight worry, it's 38 year old Adruiz's last season and the jury is out on whether Villalibre will be able to step up and replace him. Overall a good blend of youth and experience, the likes of Unai Simon, Unai Nunez and Cordoba are all early 20's and will be key going forward so have been handed new contracts with increased minimum fee release clauses. Benat, Raul Garcia and San Jose are all over 30 now and will be gradually phased out. We'll be setting up in a balanced 4-2-3-1 gegenpress, with a more attacking/defensive switch available. This will be replicated in the under 19's and the B and C squads..

The Boys from the Basque Country. Part 1. Most folk will be aware of the uniqueness of Athletic Club Bilbao. Despite restricting themselves to their cantera policy of only signing players with strong links to the Basque country (pop. approx. 3 million), they are one of Spain's most successful clubs, having never been relegated from the top division, with 8 titles and 23 copa's. However, the last of these success were a double in 1984, it's been slim pickings since then. The game does allow you to sign any Spanish player aged 16 or under (cheating imo), but it will be Basque only for me, so this will be a career with a massive emphasis on youth development. Alongside our own Lezama Facilities academy, we'll be trying to poach the best lads from the other Basque sides Real Sociadad, Eibar and Osasuna. There will be limited opportunities to buy in any real quality, the other Basque sides don't like to sell to Bilbao and the top Basque players such as Griezmann, Laporte, Kepa, Azpilicueta, Odriozola and Javi Martinez are all out of our reach in the short to mid term. After missing out on continental qualification with an 8th place finish last season, the board are demanding European football qualification and a Copa Del Rey semi final this term, with Champions League football and a serious challenge for silverware in the future. My own target is to replace Atletico Madrid as the third force in Spanish football and deliver domestic and European glory to Bilbao.

Finally bit the bullet and got this after getting completely fed up with Fifa. First one since FM18, which I barely played, although I still occasionally stick my longterm save from FM15 on (over 20 seasons played, with league titles won in Belgium, England, Portugal, Spain, Italy and France). Quite enjoy a challenge, so straight in at the deep end tonight with an Athletic Bilbao save. HWFG.

Wonder if there will be many folk at the parade today ?

Had tears rolling down my cheeks a couple of times today tbh. Thinking back to the raw emotions I felt that day and will never feel again. A time for heroes.

@Solitaire

That wee garden area has a lot of potential tbh. Would need to get rid of the decking, flegs, chairs and dug first mind.

Can't believe it's now been 6 seasons since that play off game. Very few could have predicted it would become such an era defining fixture for both clubs. A couple of other things, Accies were in the bottom tier at the beginning of the century, to be going in to a 7th consecutive top flight seson is incredible. Also, (unsure if I've read this correctly) is this now your longest top tier spell since WW2 ?

Claiming a tainted Europa League place. Is there no low to which this despicable club will stoop to ?

Squadron leader Bonnie Prince Charlie ready to deploy.

You really have to salute bennett's commitment to coming on here everyday just to post shite.

Struggling to find the motivation to finish WL after last night. Think I'm done tbh.

Luckily for you, the Hearts fans on here would have been very supportive of your plight and how unfair the whole situation was for St. Mirren. Ann Budge would of course, be proposing a temporary reconstruction of the leagues, even though it would cost her club money, in order to save the Saints from relegation.