TNSSO - Wheel Of Fortune - Antwerp & Beyond

30th August 2027

Transfer News: The one position that desperately needed addressing in my new squad was that of the goalkeeper. So where better to go for my new number 1 than my old club! I paid £15.5 million to bring Elia Caprile to Udinese from Brentford and he has now cost me an extra million at £16.5 million to get him to follow me to Ajax.

Transfer News: My second signing is a young Brazilian that I had my eye on at Udinese. Thiago Melo had a minimum release clause of £12.25 million which we met to bring him here from Santos. He's good enough to act as a squad player right away, but should only improve over the coming years into a very fine central midfielder.

Johann Cruijff Schaal

Final

My first game in charge at my new club results in a trophy as we win the Dutch Supercup. Great performance for my first game in charge and it looks like it won't take my players too long to come round to my tactics and style.

Transfer News: 

One player I didn't deem good enough for us is Stanis Muzambo so I put him up for sale and managed to bag £9.5 million from Cercle Brugge for him.

Eredivisie

Matchday 1

Not the ideal start to the league campaign I wanted, but we didn't lose so it's not all bad. Must be taking our chances better though as we dominated this!

Transfer News:

 Ansgar Knauff was a player I didn't see getting regular football for me. He's a decent enough player for sure, but he is an out and out winger and I don't play that type of role. So when Marseille were willing to stump up £33 million for him, I happily let him go.

My first home game was up next...without a doubt the most impressive home I've had in my career so far!

Eredivisie

Matchday 2

We marked the occasion of my first home game with a good solid victory!

Transfer News:

 I needed another right back and my wing back roles have become so important to me over the years, so I didn't want to compromise on any quality. Which is why I forked out £31 million to sign Malo Gusto from Chelsea.

Transfer News:

 The other thing I felt we were missing is a world class striker, but not anymore as I paid £32 million to rectify that situation. Benjamin Sesko has been doing well in Germany for Leipzig scoring a goal every 2 games for them and I expect him to thrive even more than that for us! There's no denying the Dutch league will be easier for him and he should be able to hit the target regularly enough in Europe too.

The Champions League fixtures are out and we have a mixed bag overall, but there are some very tough games in here for us! Gutted I didn't get a game against Udinese if I'm honest - Antwerp didn't make it to the league phase as they were beaten in the playoff round.

Speaking of Udinese, the man who took over my role there is Rogerio Ceni, who left his position at Valencia to take the job.

Transfer News:

 Another departure from the club as Francisco Conceicao leaves for Strasbourg in a deal worth £4.4 million. Again, I just think we have much better options down the wings.

Eredivisie

Matchday 3

A dominating performance as we created more than 20 chances at the Willem goal, but we were again less than convincing in front of it. I didn't have new striker, Sesko, available to me as he is on his way back from a major injury (broken leg), but can't wait to see him out there as I think he will snap up plenty of these chances we create.

Transfer News: 

One final addition to the side on transfer deadline day as left back, Matteo Ruggeri joins from Lazio in a deal worth £13 million. He boosts the numbers and options in the squad and is a solid enough addition for a relatively cheap fee.

Transfer News:

 Well I thought it was going to be the last addition until I noticed that Dortmund had Youssoufa Moukoko up for loan and I just couldn't resist bringing him in for the season!

Great job at Udinese and best of luck at Ajax! 

3rd November 2027

Eredivisie
Matchday 4

A nice double for Moukoko on his debut for the club and one that earns us another win!

Champions League - Group Phase

Matchday 1

We missed two clear cut chances in this game, so we only really have ourselves to blame for not taking anything from it! Dortmund were the better side overall though, so I guess we can't have major complaints.

Eredivisie

Matchday 5

The 26 degree heat seemed to effect the work rate of both sides here with neither looking all that great, as we played out a 1-1 draw.

Eredivisie

Matchday 6

N.E.C had won all five of their opening games of the season prior to this, but we quickly brought them right back down to earth with a big fat thump!

Champions League - Group Phase

Matchday 2

This was a must win match for us and we did win it with ease. Our Swiss opponents were never in the game to be honest and are really going to struggle to get through the league stage of this competition!

Eredivisie

Matchday 7

A solid enough win back in the league as well. Great finish from Emile Smith Rowe for the first goal as he cuts in from the left before curling into the far corner with his right foot.

Injury: 

Unfortunately, we did lose Moukoko for up to 7 weeks in that last game which is a shame as he has started so promisingly with us, scoring 6 in his opening 4 league games.

Eredivisie

Matchday 8

Three quickfire goals in four second half minutes ensured another win. Another impressive defensive display saw us get our 7th clean sheet in 8 league games this season!

Champions League - Group Phase

Matchday 3

Excellent all round and a big win over Marseille! My English duo of Grealish and Smith Rowe were sensational throughout, with Grealish earning a 10/10 for his performance.

Eredivisie

Matchday 9

Entirely dominant! Five goals from multiple different goalscorers and we are very much in our groove right now!

Eredivisie

Matchday 10

VVV couldn't deal with us here and we easily could have had another 5 or 6 here, but 3 will do and the job gets done again!

Eredivisie

League Table

Ten games into the season and we remain undefeated, having opened up a 5 point lead at the top of the division as well. Possibly the most impressive thing though, is the fact we have only conceded a single goal!!

Champions League - Group Phase

Matchday 4

Great to see us transfer our excellent domestic form into Europe against one of the better teams we will face in the league phase of the competition. Benjamin Sesko is coming good and starting to show our fans why I paid the big bucks to bring him here.

Champions League - Group Phase

League Table

At the half way stage of the group phase, we are currently looking good! With our next two games being against Rangers and PAOK, we have to feel like they are both winnable and should cement our place in that top 8!

31st December 2027

As we check in on both of my previous clubs, Udinese are doing OK in Serie A but don't seem to have kicked on from my success at the club last year. Meanwhile, Antwerp relinquished their league title last season to Genk, but have started well this season and lead the way as they look to get it back!

Eredivisie

Matchday 11

Focus back on my current side and this would be one of our supposed toughest games of the season as we faced one of the other 'big' teams in Holland for the first time under my management. There is a rivalry there and I'm glad to have got the better of it in my first encounter with Feyenoord.

Eredivisie

Matchday 12

PSV are another of the sides that are supposed to be setting us some sort of challenge. Based on the evidence of this game, they are no threat whatsoever!

Champions League - Group Phase

Matchday 5

I was expecting a bit more from Rangers on their home turf if I'm honest. Always felt like we'd get the win, but thought we would have to work much harder than we did to get it.

Eredivisie

Matchday 13

We struggled to break Cambuur down here, until our English due of Jack Grealish and Emile Smith Rowe came off the bench to combine for the goal that gets us the 3 points.

Eredivisie

Matchday 14

Our biggest win of the season so far as we blow Utrecht away!

Champions League - Group Phase

Matchday 6

A match I fully expected us to win every bit as comfortably as we did! It was only ever going to be a case of how many we'd score here!

That win moved us to the top of the group phase and guarantees a place in the playoff round no matter what. However, from here, we have to feel disappointed if we don't finish in the top 8, but it would be a real statement if we could remain top of the tree.

Eredivisie

Matchday 15

Back in domestic action, I rotated my team pretty heavily, but we still managed to overcome 7th placed Roda without too much trouble.

TOTO KNVB Beker

Second Round

My first experience of the Dutch Cup resulted in a victory as we knock Groningen out of the competition thanks to a Smith Rowe double.

Eredivisie

Matchday 16

We suffer the rare occurence of conceding a goal here, but it really doesn't matter when you bang in 4! We are in senational form right now that's for sure!

I mean as far as the form book goes, it doesn't get much better than 17 straight wins in all competitions, scoring 60 goals and conceding just 4!!

Eredivisie

Matchday 17

Well we didn't make that easy for ourselves, but a win is a win and extends our run of straight victories to 18!

Eredivisie

League Table

As we finish off the calendar year and reach the half way stage of the season, we remain unbeaten in the league and have extended our lead at the top of the table to 7 points with a game in hand.

1st February 2028

Despite having left Udinese 6 months ago, there was an award for me that came out of the blue as I pick up the Serie A Manager of the Year 

As the January transfer window opened, the first thing I did was recall our wonderkid, Christiaan De Waal. He has been at Genk for the first half of the season and has 2 goals, 6 assists and 4 man of the match award in Belgium this year...those sort of performances encouraged me to give him a shot for us!

Transfer News:

 Then came my first signing of the window as I bolster the central midfield area even more, as Greek international Sotiris Alexandropoulos joins the club from Braga for a fee of £20 million! He is a quick, hard working centre mid who can link the play between defence and attack, playing any of the 3 centre mid roles that I like to use in my formation.

Transfer News:

 The first departure of the window sees striker Almoez Ali leave the club for Everton in a deal worth £800k. He has barely featured for me this year and wanted a move so I wasn't going to stand in his way.

As we return to league action after the Winter break, the fixture list has dealt us back to back games against Almere City in the Eredivisie.

Eredivisie

Matchdays 18 & 19

The first game was actually quite tight! The second game was somewhat ridiculous!!!

Champions League - Group Phase

Matchday 7

The winning goal might have come very late on but it was absolutely deserved after we had created 28 chances at the Atletico goal before finally putting the ball in the back of the net to seal the points.

It was a win that seals our safe passage through to the last 16 with a game spare in the group stage.

Eredivisie

Matchday 20

Normal service resumed back in the Eredivisie as we cruise to a 2-0 win over AZ. Pleased to have beaten them after they held us to a draw on the opening day of the season.

Champions League - Group Phase

Matchday 8

A blockbuster game for both sets of the fans with plenty of great attacking football on display. It was Chelsea that come out on top on this occasion but away from home, we can take plenty away from this.

Champions League

Group Phase

So that's the end of the league stage of the competition and we qualify in 3rd place after a strong display at this stage. Hopefully we will bag ourselves a favourable draw in the last 16 although there are plenty of 'massive' sides going through to the knockout stage who could end up being our opponents.

Eredivisie

Matchday 21

Christian De Waal turned in his best performance yet since returning from his loan spell in Belgium this month. He was awesome here with a goal and two assists!

Transfer News:

 On deadline day, I've managed to bring a wonderkid to the club in the form of 18 year old left back, David Fernandez Vinitzky. He looks like he will develop into a really good full back and only cost us £6.5 million. To aid with his development, I have sent him back to San Lorenzo for the rest of the season on loan (who we bought him from).

Transfer News: 

As I continue to build for the future, another youngster comes in. Serbian midfielder, Goran Nikolic, had a minimum fee release clause of just £6.25 million at Red Star and I was more than happy to pay that, which has proven to be the bargain of the century as he is immediately worth nearly £80 million upon signing for us! This kid could have a very, very exciting future in the game!

Transfer News:

 My final piece of business in this window was the loan signing of Bayern Munich's young centre back Gil Hesselbach who comes in to provide essential cover between now and the end of the campaign.

Eredivisie

League Table

So with our squad now finalised, it's time to turn our attentions to winning whatever we can and we will be hot favourites for the league as we have a 15 point lead and have only conceded 4 goals in 21 games all season! I don't ever recall having a better defensive record on any version of FM!