Charlton Athletic FC - We Are Premier League (for now)

So after 1 and a half seasons of playing (I started in December 2013 with them sitting 15th, finishing 8th), I got Charlton to the Premier League, somewhat emphatically, even though I didn't expect to even be automatically promoted.

After gaining a hefty sum of money (£4.5 Million) from Arsenal for Diego Poyet, I signed a Porto reserve in January 2014 named To Ze, and he became the kingpin in my title-winning team. Only £600,000 too.




Also brought in from Porto B a centre midfielder Andre Almeida, for just £35k. Look at his value now



Brilliantly supported in the middle by Liege loanee Alpaslan Ozturk



---
As for the season I gained most of my points in the first half and slipped up a bit in the second. Was 25 points clear at one point. Only won by 11 poits but Premier League football is what matters. Broke the 100 goal barrier too. Also not in the picture, Sunderland had a 2nd successive relegation to League One which was surprising.



Toze dominated the stats and did win Player of the Year for the league.






Roll on the Premier League!

Good going mate, interesting to see how you cope in the PL!

Cheers. Been a struggle to get players I wanted due to wage constraints. Going to struggle but hoping to survive

AUGUST

The Premier League season got underway and I made a few transfers, but I ended up making more money off sales than I did bringing players in. Decided to let go Jay Emmanuel-Thomas to fellow relegation candidates Leeds, also giving them striker Pedro, who I signed from Bilbao a year previous for only £300,000 making a healthy £2,000,000 profit from him, and another £2,000,000 off "JET's" sale. Also let the young midfielder Jordan Cousins go for £3,500,000 to Wigan, but I had replacements in mind.

Also sold my young goalkeeper Mitov to Reading and loaned him back for development but made a decent-sized fee for him. Rejoining on loan were young defender Akpoguma from Hoffenheim who will just be a backup, and now shown on here, Alpasan Ozturk rejoined from Standard on loan and will be a key player in the centre of midfield. Our partner club Standard Liege also did us a favour and gave us an attacking midfielder in Nebojsa Kosovic for nothing, Robert Koren joined to add some experience to the middle of the park, and joining him further forward were Israelian attacker Omri Altman, once of Fulham, and Ze Luis, a talented Cape Verdean forward from Braga. Most of the budget however went on two additions; young defender John Souttar from Dundee, and Austrian goalscorer Philipp Hosiner from Austria Vienna.



Leaving my squad looking like this (excluding Ben Hamer my starting goalkeeper)



As for fixtures, I didn't have the toughest of starts, but an unbeaten start in the league, albeit a few goals conceded, is good going. Callum Wilson is playing in the reserves and scored late on to give me a late equaliser vs Hull, and Toze has carried on his superb form, as has 'Polish Pete' (Parzyszek) who earned the Premier League Young Player of the Month.



Table-wise, Fantastic. But we will see if I stay there for long

It is ridiculous just how much talent can be snapped up from some of the B teams across Europe, Porto are criminal for dumping players in the B squad and their values plummeting. Happens in the Netherlands too with the Ajax, PSV and Twente reserve teams in the Eerste Divisie.

Agreed, can't believe how good the Porto players were when I got them

I'm at the halfway mark of the season now, and, as expected, the form dropped off from the start of the season.



Some decent wins over teams I expected to get three points off, and I gained credible draws against Chelsea and Manchester City. Other than that though, it's been tough. Battered by Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle. With my squad and no funds i'll do well to stay up.



6 points about relegation as it stands Few places up from where I expected to be but anything can happen in the second half of the season.



Steve Cook, Ben Hamer & Chris Solly all ever present as has Emir Dilaver. Loaned him out to League One last season but now he's starting for me. Odd. Ze Luis and Polish Pete have chipped in with the goals and Toze, although not replicating his Championship form, has notched 4 goals and 6 assists.

Been a tough start but not an awful one thats for sure!

Doing some real bargain hunting here nice find with Andre Almeida!

It wasn't that's for sure



CHeers!

Season wrapped up already...and I wasn't even close to relegation thankfully.



Didn't get many wins but thankfully the teams below me didn't perform, so my lack of wins and lots of draws didn't matter in the end. A new face on the goalscorers is Arkadiusz Milik, a Polish striker loaned in from Leverkusen, as my other strikers Ze Luis and Phillip Hosiner weren't performing as good as I hoped despite Ze Luis being decent in front of goal. Like last season when I had Stepinski, I now had a Polish front two, Polish Pete and Polish Ark. Pete added 4 between January and May and Omri Altman also chipped in. It was hard to choose between Altman and Tozé as my CAM in my diamond 4-1-2-1-2 so I merely rotated them. Few credible draws against United, Chelsea and Spurs, the United one more sickening though as they equalised in the 93rd minute, as Callum Wilson, a striker from Coventry who was in the reserves all season, used his pace and chipped in.



I was 15 points ahead of the last relegation place, and with 11 draws I was one of the so-called draw specialists of the division. Wolves picked up a few points before the end of the season but it wasn't enough, whilst the few lads I sold to Leeds, JET and Pedro, saved them from relegation.



Polish Pete was my top scorer in the end with 9 goals with Ze Luis notching 8, although his all-round play was poor to say the least, and if I can find a better striker, I may ship him off. Despite having less starts than Altman, Tozé notched the most assists, and was given the Player of the Year award. Roll on the new season.

I am also moving to a new stadium for next season...the board have decided to re-develop The Valley and I will be playing next season at White Hart Lane

Roland Duchatlet's 2 year reign as Charlton chairman has ended, being bought out by local businessman Brian Perry.

Perry has promised manager Jose Riga with more funding for next season, even though the original plan was to replace Riga with the ex Spurs and Fulham boss Martin Jol.

Perry is also the man who will plough funds in to expand the stadium and improve the training and youth facilites at the London club. The club has also cut all ties with Duchatlet's other owned club, Standard Liege.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMER TRANSFERS - OUTGOINGS

Gerard Dickey - Chelsea - £4 Million (loaned back)


Signed Dickey in season two for £150,000, and he's developed nicely, got a few Northern Ireland under 21 caps, and he's going to be my back up for Chris Solly whilst gaining a cool £4,000,000 from Chelsea for him.

Omri Altman - Newcastle - £4.3 Million


Signed him for £900,000 last summer, and even though he had a good season, I felt this was the right fee to let him go for.

Zé Luís - Blackburn Rovers - £2.1 Million


Scored a few goals but didn't really shine, so after purchasing him for £450,000, he is another player I have made a cool profit on, and brought in a better player in his position.

Nebojsa Kosovic - Blackburn Rovers - £4 Million


Liege gave him me for £0. Zero pounds. And I have sold him for £4 Million despite him not being a regular last season. Fascinating.

SUMMER TRANSFERS - INS

Diego Poyet - Arsenal - Season-Long Loan


Brought the lad himself back on loan, tried too last year but he rejected me for Palace. Glad to have him back though as he can add some flair to my midfield.

Alex Pritchard - Tottenham Hotspur - £675k


Good potential, can play a part this season when needed but definitely one for the future on the cheap side.

Zeca - SV Ried - £1.7 Million


Got some good stats to play in the midfield and will probably be the #1 choice.

Jordon Ibe - Liverpool - £2.3 Million


Good potential, quick and skillful, will be a good rotational option.

Jose Campana - Crystal Palace - £1.9 Million


Yes, another midfielder but he's different to the rest, a ball-winner and adds some steel to the midfield.

Kermit Erasmus - Grasshoppers - £1.8 Million


A God on Football Manager, and just had to get him for so little. Like for like replacement for Ze Luis.

Pa Konate - IFK Goteborg - £1.2 Million


Quick left-back who will compete with Rhoys Wiggins for a starting berth. Raw technically but hoping I can develop him.

Paul Georges-Ntep - Stade Rennais - £3 Million


A quick skilful left-winger who I couldn't resist for so little. Hopefully turn him into an international player.

Stoppila Sunzu - Anderlecht - £5.75 Million


Most expensive signing and he is an absolute brick wall stats wise. Hope he can form a good partnership with Souttar.

Bryan Rabello - Sevilla CF - £575k


Talented youngster who i'm hoping to make a profit on whilst helping me score a few goals.

Nathan Redmond - Norwich City - £2.8 Million


Personally my most exciting signing, and one i'm hoping to build my team around in the future. Definite starter for years to come.

Done well last season in the end mate, Nathan Redmond is a good signing at a good price!

I did, in December already and doing better than expected, some of my signings have made my team come on leaps and bounds

AUGUST - DECEMBER 2016



Had a few runs of winning and losing period, and a few draws in between. Redmond and Kermit Erasmus have been my star players and Sunzu has been a good acquisition too.



Sitting in 11th place which is not too bad but hoping to kick on in the second half of the season.



Toze's form has tailed off but rotating him with the likes of Rabello, Redmond, Ibe and Ntep it's bound to happen.

Lots and lots of pace, that's what we like to see.

Solly is having a woeful time of it at RB mind, by far your weakest starting player on form. Bring back Matt Holland and retrain him to play RB, this is the most suitable course of action I feel.

That's true, will probably look for a new RB in the summer

Found it tough in the second half of the season, and again a lot of draws came out of it. The French youngster Corentin Jean scored quite a few to keep me in mid-table and I gained a credible draw against Man Utd, but lost to all the other big teams.



One place up on last season but expected to do a lot better than I did. Need a few more additions to move up a few places next season. Chelsea romped ot the title and Hazard was Player of the Year once again.



Goalkeeper Ben Hamer was ever present again, as were defenders Chris Solly, Stoppila Sunzu and John Souttar. Did not play Tozé as much this season, and maybe I should've taken the offer or £6 Million from Blackburn at the start of the season as his value has gone to £2.8 Million. A new face there is Harry Maguire, the Sheff Utd CB I signed in January and he will be a key figure as I move Sunzu to Defensive Midfield. Top scorer was Nathan Redmond surprisingly on 11, then Kermit Erasmus on 9 who had a poor 2nd half of the season.

Not a bad finish to the league buddy! least you stayed up easily