Pentagon [FM14]

Nah, with the tycoon money it'd be virtually impossible to do so.

Something about that just puts me off though, probably the wage hierarchy thing - doesn't really matter tbh, just bothers me I guess.

Right. I forgot about the tycoon... Annoying never the less.

Preseason complete, but first up, a couple of non-football issues:



As it turns out we're now one of the most reputable clubs in Egypt.
It also shows that we're the 2nd biggest team in Egypt, which is almost certainly wrong considering we've been regulars of 4th.



Helped by our Confed Cup win, no less.



Should have been Abdellaoui, IMO.
Still, a similarly breakthrough season for Ibrahim (1st NT caps and goals) and the local lad factor probably got him over the line.



We may have the money (at the moment), but we have none of the big clubs' marketing power and matchday income to plug those losses despite our consistent increase in attendance - case in point, Al Ahly broke their (the country's, for that matter) attendance record with 62,884.


I can't even come up with a suitable analogy, but you know what I mean.


It's the 1st sight of TV money in like what, 8 seasons? Madness.

Now for preseason proper:



Terrible, having Confed Cup clashes in between meant shuffling the squad (a really unfit squad at that), and that would never end well.
Only positive of any sort was the opening win, unfortunately the fitness level went to shit in subsequent matches.

Now the Confed Cup matches - and I'm probably making excuses, but:



1st choice GK Abdel Fatah managed to get injured before both clashes, ruling him out for the 1st leg and playing half-fit for the 2nd.


Without the regular presence, the defence was decimated, leaving us with a virtually insurmountable deficit.


We dominated proceedings against a team who really only needed to not fuck up big time, and only came away with a single goal for our troubles.

So the defending champions are out, and that meant Cristian (the loanee) was sent packing back to Brazil.

Now for transfers:



Of our out-of-contract guys only the Ragabs left, while Galal was a fringe left winger who has shown decent improvement at Qanah (not that he'll come back and start though).



Yes, Ligue 1 Bordeaux coming in for one of our DMs, and planning to start him, if the teamsheets are to be believed.
He's gone because they've got far better facilities than what we have here, so fingers crossed he'll come back far better (and far more sellable).

To replace Akoto I attempted to repeat my method of retraining players, so I got 3 DMs on trial, all playing some part of preseason (in defence, which goes some way to explaining the results).
I ended up signing none of them, instead going for even more unheard of in this career:



A 1st moneyed transfer, and how!
I genuinely have no idea if he'll be able to solve any of our defensive issues (he arrived after preseason), but he's definitely an improvement over all our previous centrebacks.

Also, Salah Amin continued his stuttering career by abruptly coming back on loan (seems like the deal expired) so I've offered him out again, with the likes of... well just take a look:


Obviously Al Ahly and Al Moqaoloun were rejected because they're scum, and most of the rest were not considered as well due to not being in a playable league (so I couldn't scout them).
Recreativo and Cordoba were in La Liga while Getafe was a step down, but their facilities were not ideal and none of them would have started Amin.
So 2 were left, Al Ahli (with an I) and LA Galaxy, both with great facilities and a proper starting berth promised, so he'll have a choice to make.

Finally, some stuff for the season proper:


Really worrying, this was the minimum aim and a step up from previous seasons, despite us losing significant parts of the defence.
Coupled with my continental exit, I can see this being my last season, and maybe not on my own terms.


The media doing wonders trying to dampen expectations.


4th favourites, which is just right judging by previous campaigns.
IT does also make me wonder how the AI defines a 'title challenge', looking at this 4th might just be enough.



WE NEED THIS SHIT

GO SMOUHA!

I bloody love this story!

Put it this way - when it rains, it fucking pours.

Good news is you guys might get an earlier update.

December 23, did I survive?



Our season started awfully with a loss to Damanhour, but continued with 4 straight wins.
Too bad then that we crumbled in our 1st real test of the season (against Al Moqaoloun no less), which started a sequence that threatened to derail our season big time:



The ex-favourite right winger piling on the pressure, that's loyalty for you.
We did subsequently win against Koroum, but not before this happened:



Mostafa then got injured as well post-Koroum, and just in time for another stretch of difficult matches - with a third-choice GK whose only past 1st-team experience was losing 3-0 at home to Wydad Casablanca.



So it's excellent to know that the team finally rose to the occasion, showing both grit and attacking force to go through this run.
What it also happens to show is attributes mean shit in FM, because in almost every other situation (real life, for instance) we'd have him conceding potshots by the dozewn.



Mostafa was back for Wadi Degla, and Abdel Fatah against Police Union, as we managed a 10-game unbeaten streak.
The last match was a travesty, as we tried (and failed) to put away chance after chance, after which they scored the winner with a penalty that never was (their only shot no less).



Good news are being level with Zamalek, and having a buffer over Al Ahly and Al Moqaoloun.
Worrying thing is being 5 points adrift of shock leaders El Gouna, who have taken the league by storm with a striking trident of their own.

Now for transfer news:



Despite having had his fair share of goal droughts in his time at the club, he now has the gall of asking for a transfer.



So after our 3rd confrontation in as many seasons, he leaves with a fair amount of cash left for us.



Chameni doesn't need too much replacing (we've got youth product Ahmed Emam waiting on the bench) so it's off to tweaking other areas of the team.
Martial is much more effective an attacking weapon than Abdel Rahim, and the latter will be able to play in the centre, adding some competence to a central defence that hasn't been the most watertight.



27 and not a 1st team regular (he's not supposed to be anyway), good time to cash him in to a foreign club.

Couple of interesting offers as well:



Bologna are struggling, but are at least in Serie A, while Inter are Inter, even if it's a Serie B Inter.
As was the case previously, the board wasn't too keen on seeing me leave and offered me terms to stay:



Result!
This next upgrade will bring the rating to 'Great' apparently, whatever that will mean.

Miscellaneous:



Yes, David Dadzie - who couldn't get a game at Smouha - has not only play regularly at Ligue 1 Bordeaux, it's also resulted in him getting his 1st cap! Bizarre.



Finally, a testimonial for our long-serving captain.
After that he'll be packing his bags and have his wish of a new challenge granted.
I'm considering re-signing Anwar Ragab just for his testimonial as well, despite his previous comments on the team.

The January window has just ended, let's see what we've accomplished - but we start with some miscellany:



Can I justify his presence in these awards? No.
Seriously no idea how he has managed these.



A fitting tribute to a club legend, kudos to Al Ahly too for playing their part.

A couple of league games played as well:



Good win, really unfortunate that it had to be marred by this:



He's 34, it's his debut and he'll probably see his physical stats deteriorate irrevocably.
Fuck you FM, have some mercy.



Followed that up with a dire game, did both our title chances no favours whatsoever.



We're both now 7 adrift of El Gouna, who possess both best attack and defence, and it looks increasingly like they'll press home their advantage.

Transfers now, and a shocker to start:



No reason given at all, just went "Fuck it, deal's off".



So what do I do? Sell him again, for another 75k.
He'd wanted to stay, but he pushed his luck once too many times previously.



Looks like the Smouha faithful has a liking for forwards with regular goal droughts.

Couple of loanees as well, customarily part of our continental assault:



A more than capable deputy to Fahmy, might have started matches if he was Egyptian.



Was signed after Marital's injury, nothing more than a bench option.



Purely for the set pieces, because no one at the club can take corners and be terrible in the air at the same time.

Oh and Salah Amin's on the move again, guess where!



Well you're wrong, he's now at Seongnam, where he won't play a senior game.
I know this because 1) He's currently injured, and 2) They've actually gone over their foreign quota with Amin's loan, so someone will have to be dropped.
(SI could do with tweaking Asian transfers to suit this rule.)

Now the Cups:



A lower-league club, which is great, because we won't be eliminated in the 2nd round.



From the land with the double-barrelled name, Guinea-Bassau.
Will we win? Yes.

Mid-March, the routine youth intake update:



ENPPI was an unmitigated disaster - didn't deserve to score 3, but definitely deserved to concede 6.
That we've then gone on an unbeaten run is a properly good consolation, but in here everything counts and dropping 5 points doesn't.



Only 3 points now, but we'll need a lot of help to actually overhaul these guys, one of which is Al Ahly, who we will next meet.
Can I really expect them to do us a favour?

Continental concerns next:



Did I say concerns?



I'm kind of regretting not loading enough players now, because Stade Malien are chock full of grey-out personnel.
We will win yes, but still.

And now for the youth intake:



Not exactly a vintage crop, but it'll have to do.



My Head of Youth Development has a liking for him, which I don't get:



This man I'm interested in, even if he does have a less than ideal preferred move.

It's the league season's end - where will we be?



Ah Ahly was disposed of rather nervously, but it was a job done nonetheless.
It was part of our continuation of an unbeaten run that would see us grab the initiative in the title race, as El Gouna's remarkable run inevitably wilted.

We also had this:



It was a 2nd string team fielded due to continental commitments.
I mean, yeah they had been relegated a couple of weeks ago (so morale was obviously low) but this is pathetic.



Then came this limp performance, which gave El Gouna a chance to retake the lead.
Fortunately they choked, but it allowed Zamalek to creep in and have a late say in the title race - both teams were just 2 points behind.



Incredibly, this was probably worse, as our (admittedly 2nd-choice) team was all at sea against a team that had already confirmed their relegation a couple of matchdays ago.
As it turned out all 3 of us won our matches, so it came down to the final day:







Tough, tough as fuck, but par for the course considering how our previous 2 matches went.
Oh, and did I mention that we're league champions? Again?



Great guy, but now probably only the 2nd best striker in Smouha's history.



"Only" an icon, though a CL win might do the trick.



YAY LET'S DRAIN THE CLUB'S CASH EVEN FURTHER



Rather odd, yes.



I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M BACK UP IN THIS MOTHERFUCKER



Top scorers, 3rd best defensive record, so there's more of a statistical justification than our last title.



You can see how dominant El Gouna were for most of the season, had serious doubt whether they could be overhauled.
Haras El-Hodoud were never really at the races, but they were steady enough and finished 4th, which offers a potential continental slot.



I remember mentioning about how Al Ahly and Al Moqaoloun are starting to develop a duopoly of the league - hindsight is funny sometimes.

Now for the honourable mentions (i.e. PoTYs):



No contest - he was directly involved in 39 goals, over a third of our total goal tally.
As usual he endured his fair(?) share of scoldings, but with that record I'll admit to being a bit harsh.


Another double-double man, though he did endure a minor goal drought in the middle of the season and was rather prone to going missing.


He and Mohamed Adel are the only survivors from our last title win, with the former the only one to keep his place as a regular all this while.


I reckon he'll beak 500 games if managed properly - I've not persevered with a player for so long in quite a while, legend.

Now for the continental conquest:



It's one thing to win comfortably, it's another thing to put out a B-team and completely dominate on a consistent basis - SI does need some work on their greyed-out players.

Next up was Zamalek, as the quality of opposition seems to increase over the years - used to be able to thrash opponents in this round while resting the regulars.



Properly tight game, particularly so when you consider that Abdel Fatah (the GK) was the MoM.



Once we scored there was no real way back for them, and so it was to be.



Not quite on the level of Orlando Pirates of Kaizer Chiefs, but still a good team on their own right.

Couple of miscellaneous items:



Yes, I'll be signing him for his testimonial.
Got ripped off by his agent too, but oh well.



It also meant that he will be taking $20k, which is brilliant for him but unfortunate news for our coffers.

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

So as usual, single posts on the (inevitable) Cup (failure) to come.

Yessss! Nice league win. Now let's get that CL trophy!

I seriously need it man, it's now 14 seasons, I'll be into my 16th if I make it through to the group stages and further, I won't be able to do another 14, not with all the choking I experienced in the seasons in between.

And cheers, glad you're liking this

Impressive season

Thanks

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



Playing with the swagger of champions, if not the finishing ability.



They's champions too, of one of the 2nd tier's 3 subdivisions, so they're on a high as well.
Not much travelling too, considering we share Alexandria Stadium.

Just read this the whole way through, superb to say the least!

Could be more superb had there been more success, mind

And cheers, glad you like this

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



A 2nd-choice lineup due to genius organisers scheduling 2 cup matches per week, and it nearly proved pointless as we were pegged back and looked to (yet again) crumble.
Well we didn't, so there's that.



Their season didn't go well, but if they could get this far you can't write them off.

That this team is incapable of winning a crunch tie efficiently, but with a climax straight out of Hollywood will be the death of me.

Still, at least we did win in the end:



Unlike Al Ahly, who managed to round off a forgettable season by going out to record cellar-dwellers Al-Nassr.



Only our 2nd ever appearance in the semis, with a 1st XI that played 120 minutes previously - I'm not overly optimistic, put it that way..

I'll admit that resting a significant part of my first XI might have been a miscalculation on my part, but 15 shots and only 2 on target is not good at most levels, especially when your opponents do know where the net is.



Ah fuck this, sour grapes and all that.

Seasonal postscript to follow.

P.S.:



The U21s got quite a bit a help from the loanees, who have no place in the league squad so spend their days playing in the reserves.
Case in point, the U21s finished 2nd in their league, while the U18s only managed 12th.



No mention of Georges Bamba, which is rather disappointing.
Instead a loanee who only played 8 competitive games is noted.



1st time I've got anything near a positive consensus, previous years have had the room split over our targets.



Great news, not least because there's no international cap clause.

P.S.P.S:



It's genuinely terrifying to know that I've blown over $50 million in just 4 seasons.

Good work Eric, meh about the money!

As it turns out, it's quite far from meh.

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

Preseason preview:



No fuss here, very well deserved.



Less so is Aymen Farouk's inclusion, he's good but not that good.



$16 million disappeared last season, which brings us on the brink financially, about 5 years since the last monetary crisis.



A drop in the ocean.



Another drop, though it's nice to get 2 straight seasons of TV money.

These financial news (particularly the losses) have contributed to us having only 5 million left in the back, and things like this start to happen:



And so it proved, as do playmaker Abbas and backup GK Mostafa.



These guys would be very difficult to retain as well, though a couple do have extension options.



This has happened as well, a far cry from the heydays of $20 million in transfer money.



Which also puts this rather vain transfer straight into the 'utter flop' bin, as his $5k wages will ride out the season.
Sad end to a legend's career.

Couple of transfer plans as well, of which capitalising on David Dadzie's France stint and moving him on to the highest bidder is a priority.
Only thing is no one's actually too keen on him.



Still around a quarter of Al Ahly's average.

Speaking of which:



Another man's last season in disappointment, while it's rather surprising to see Mostafa's stock rise so quickly considering the biggest thing he's done is last season with Damanhour.
I said no though, I need to win the CL with Smouha.



This is the preseason schedule, going to Bucharest will be an intriguing journey.

Preseason over, how will we do?



An impressive surprise, as we finish with a 100% record.

And what of our continental interests?



We had managed a sufficiently clinical display in the 1st half, well I though it was sufficient anyway, only for us to lose our way and let them crawl their way back into contention.



Nerves on display as we conceded an equaliser and threatened to crumble yet again.
In the end we put it away with a slightly flattering scoreline.

Group stage draw:



On paper Lupopo are rank outsiders, while if Heartland can be put away then we are set.
Of course it hasn't start yet, so it is still fair game.



Oh right the small matter of Super Cup as well, hopefully we can achieve what we failed to do previously against El Gouna, and actually win the damn thing.



It was not to be, in an abject defensive display, exacerbated by this:



Misses the majority of our Group stage, and guarantees a tough start to the league season.

Financial news now:



Premium prices for premium goods, problem is that it bore fruit too late, and with subpar rewards.



No faffing about with high squad bonuses any longer, the onus is now on the team to retain the title.



Doesn't help that the media is buying into our 'favourites' tag.



Despite winning our 2nd league title and establishing ourselves as the 2nd best team in Egypt we're still struggling to get supporters.


Transfers now:



He asked for a transfer, which is just as well since he's been nothing more than a cash cow since he left for Bordeaux last season.
Having attracted no permanent offers he's now off to another prestigious club with great facilities, which will hopefully improve his game sufficiently to interest other parties.

3 signings, all loan, all to boost our continental numbers:



Since Mostafa is now gone I've had no deputy to count on, so (at least in continental level) I've enlisted some cover.
I'll have to play my cards right in the league, no real backup of any real quality there.



Rocha is here to take Abdel Kader's place as playmaker in the Confed Cup, because (again) due to releases.



Luis Perez was only signed on a 6-month loan, so I've needed to sign another centreback.

All these guys are all right, until recently when the game hasn't yet allowed me to re-register my squad, despite the deadline having passed.
I'll have to wait to our group stage's 1st matchday to see how it pans out, if they still aren't eligible then I'll send them all packing and soldier on with 24 registered men, including only 1 goalkeeper (Abdel Fatah).



I'll wait till January to see how this pans out, though it seems like a significant number will have to leave.
Hany Gamal is one of them, provided sufficient moneyed interest.
However I do have extension options on quite a few of these guys, so the threat of an exodus could be alleviated.

13th January 2029, this late because matches have been moved forward for the African Cup of Nations.

Better late than never though, a (belated) mid-term report:



Unbeaten, an incredible achievement given our slight lack of numbers in 2 competitions, and I know I'm a wet blanket for picking holes in our campaign so far, but still there are problems:

- 2 draws at the start of the season against sides we were supposed to beat, not costly now, but you never know;
- The draws against Ismaily and Al Ahly, where we threw away leads late in the game;
- And really dodgy performances in the latter part of this sequence, lots of 1-goal wins where we struggled to break down the opposition, or managing to do so but then seeing our defence collapse miserably.



Seems like the established order from years past has returned, it's a good thing then that we're top of the pile, and not having to chase a lost cause.
6 points clear, and if our latter performances are of any indication it's almost certainly not enough.

Confederation Cup then, and some personnel news:



Yes, they weren't eligible for the competition, so we do soldier on - would our continental form then suffer in the face of our league exploits?



Far, so far from the case - rotation of the squad for both competitions allowed us to keep the players fresh and on form.
In fact the group's results went in our favour so much so that:



We were able to rest the regulars for the remaining games.



Stopped at the Orlando Pirates game, where we (predictably) let slip a 3-goal lead.



We met the other group's runners-up, ES Tunis, who aren't exactly minnows in Tunsia:



Mad, mad game, maddest game all year, as we tore them a new one at their place.



Once we got the early goal there wasn't too much to fear, considering we had 6 away goals in our favour.

Orlando Pirates won the other semi, so it's a rematch of our group stage encounters.



Our 2nd loss in all competitions this season, and what a time to do so - letting in an early opener meant that we were chasing, and as a result our shots were often rushed and ineffective.

The good news (or silver lining really) was that we had also lost the 1st leg in our previous final appearance against Al Moaqoloun, but we won the return leg rather convincingly. Could we do it again?



Yes! And how, too - despite our sending-off, a switch to a counter-attacking approach paid off spectacularly as we repeated ran at their backline to great effect.



Very unusual that Harts of Oak are overachievers at all - they're one of Ghana's most successful teams for goodness' sake.

Now for the transfers - quite a few in fact, in light of our financial issues:



Deadline day deal in August, I had a younger left-wing prospect from last season (my HoYD's pick to be precise) so when he attracted interest it was only a matter of money.
Too bad the 500k was gone in a fortnight, used to pay the bills.



His contract was expiring at the end of the season, surprised someone was still willing to pick him up and pay good money for him.
He leaves, while younger, cheaper (and albeit shittier) Salah Amin returns from Seongnam, where he played a total of 2 games in 6 months.



Really torn on this one - on one hand he's been playing regularly this year, but on the other hand he's not really looking like he can truly establish himself as a regular.
In the end I gambled on the fact that the youth academy can produce players of similar ilk.



He's never improved at a sufficient rate despite consistently being regarded as our highest prospect, so he's moved off at a profit before injuries inevitably take their toll.


Probably worth more than $2.7 million, and definitely looks like a worthy starter for us, but in all honesty it was the end of the road for him here once he went to Bordeaux - he lost his accumulated days staying in Egypt, and we've already had our foreign quota filled up.
I might've farmed him out again to get him to improve further, but with our unstable finances it'd be safer to cash in now.
We do have a cut on any future deal, so he's still a cash cow as far as I'm concerned.

Speaking of cuts on future deals:



I knew that someone would overlook his propensity for card-collecting and get him back from the cold of the Soviets, and here's our reward.

Miscellany:



Rosella Sensi - apparently an ex-Roma president, now making waves in Egypt.



Well deserved - a storming previous campaign has been recognised by the continental body.



I'd much prefer him to stay on, he's a very good tutor and still a reliable left-sided player.



Again, we start our march to inevitable failure, this time against a fellow Premier League side.

Mid-March youth intake update - couple of matches only, so I'll be able to elaborate:



First off, the Africa Cup of Nations, where Abdellaoui, Bamba and our Egyptian contingent were drawn in the same group.
Only 2 could come out alive, and it was the Egyptians who drew the short straw, with the Smouha players not playing a part at all in their dismal performances.



David Dadzie's Ghana went furthest in the tournament, finishing 4th, as Smouha players failed to shine.

Back to domestic affairs:



We came back from the mid-season break with a shocking reverse to Masry, that saw our unbeaten run come to an end.
Well I say shocking, in reality it had been coming for quite some time now, with our dodgy defence it was never going to last.
At least we got a first league defeat out of the way, now we can regroup and focus.



Except we didn't, in another shocking defensive display as we let slip of the lead twice and had to count on a last-gasp winner.



The malaise continued as we managed to take the lead then go behind, all in the 1st half.
Then we managed to showcase our toothlessness in front of goal, before world class hoofballing got us a rather infuriating victory.
Next up was Zamalek, brilliant:



WE'RE GOING TITS UP, ARSENAL STYLE.
4 abject defensive performances, and this has to be the nadir, because any worse than this will be the death knell for our title chances.
We'd barely got to grips with the game when we went 2 goals down, and by then all we had to show for was attacking moves breaking down by the dozen, and allowing them to tear us a new one on the counter.

But unlike Mr. Wenger I don't do calm and calculated responses to such setbacks:



Yes, I fined my back 4 and the terrible Mahmoud Ibrahim, with Bamba and Marital falling out eventually, while Ibrahim has already done so when he asked for a move a couple months back.
Add to those the fact than even my captain isn't the happiest camper at the club and you've got all you need for a spectacular footballing meltdown.



We might still be 5 points clear, but it's obvious now that we've got no wind in our sails now, and with a vastly superior head-to-head record Zamalek might even be favourites at this point.

Away from the troubles at home, and onto the continental assault:



The 2nd string defence followed the trend and conceded first, before our quality in attack eventually told and we put it away.





Copy and paste, because that's exactly what happened again.



They might have a team full of greyed-out players, but they did reach the Confed Cup group stages least year, so still a force to be reckoned with.



Conceded early (yet fucking again) before we were presented with a lucky break before half time, after which we forgot how to score another.
It's lucky that this team possess good composure, because as has been shown we needed it.



It's quite weird, because it's not even our highest attendance; clearly the board knows which games they can make use of to suck the fans' money dry.

Now for the youth intake:



Very weird, a couple of years ago we couldn't stop producing decent DMs, now all we can come up with are great left- and centrebacks.
Which is just as well, considering our defensive shambles.

I really, really hate this game.

Unlucky with the fall but there's still game to make up the ground. I hope you can do it. In my experience of FM though, it annoys me that the AI teams never seem to fall like that when you're chasing them!!

Couldn't be more correct about that I'm afraid

Damn.

What will become of our season? - the league season review:



The unravelling of our season continued as we endured further abject performances which (as you would have seen) resulted us in finally losing the leadand handing the initiative to Zamalek.

3 consecutive 3-0 wins seem to have steadied the ship, but with Zamalek doing likewise (and proving Kez right) we will need a rare reverse from them for us to win the title.
Anyways, in the final match of the season we were to play relegation threatened Wadi Degla, while Zamalek had to deal with Damanhour, who are increasingly looking like future title challengers, but have currently nothing to play for this season:



Well that's our end of the done over and done with, can I hope for a favour?



AHAHHAAHAHAHAAHAHA WE'RE NOT THE BIGGEST CHOKERS AROUND



(well the 1st tropgy was the Super Cup so it's a bit of a dud, but still)



First side to retain the title since Al Ahly back in 2014-16 - considering our troubles this season I can see why it was so difficult.

Anyway, most distressing title personally, watching your team choke while you sit there powerless to correct it was not what I wanted to experience again (see my previous Pentagon career for reference) and if I'm honest I'd rather not have to suffer another season here.
But then again my staying here was much more for the bigger picture - the Champions League.

So let's see how that turns out:



Another mad game, partly due to an experimentation of a 4-2-4, but also because of the presence of Messrs Moody, Georges Bamba and Mahmoud Ibrahim.



Again, not much of a danger of going out with our 1st leg, but an even more appalling performance.

Next up were South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns, who upon inspection are really in a class above.



The defending was piss poor, but at least we could count on our strikers to give us some hope heading to the return leg.



That hope was extinguished quickly, as their ruthlessness was countered with our toothlessness.

I'll be given another pop at the competition next season, but I'm quite sick of the domestic scene, so I'm considering a change of scenery.

PoTYs:

Mounir Abdellaoui:

Not exactly a vintage season this time round, we coped well enough in his absence at the start of the season, while he had failed to deliver on a number of important occasions.
Statistically though, no denying that he's still top dog.

Ansah Kontoh Mensah

Not exactly a breakthrough season (least season he was already a useful option) but rather one of progress - great progress.
Qatari sides are willing to pay nearly $5 million for him, whilehe's also attract interest from top-flight Europe.

Ahmed Hassan Abdel Kader

1st season as 1st-choice playmaker, I think it's safe to say that we missed his presence when he was injured mid-season.

Finally, some miscellany:



On hindsight I'm glad he decided to call it quits, because his subsequent form was quite simply subpar.



I decided to get rid of him in a fit of rage after our falling out and his unwillingness to play effectively.
Might I regret it? Probably, but we need the cash and we've got a couple of young centrebacks (15 and 16 years old) so I could throw them into the deep end.
The most worrying thing about this is that now Salah Amin is our most accomplished defender, thoughhe does look to have his calamitous performances behind him (famous last words).

As usual, Egypt Cup updates post by post.