A.E.I.O.U. - An Austrian Adventure

2018/19 Season

So I played ahead a season...or two...or three... I'll just cut to the chase quickly. After two years in the top flight, the board was finally comfortable with actually giving me something to work with, to the tune of a €3.5M transfer budget. It was the increased wage budget that really helped, as I off-loaded some non-performers (John Perez for €2.3M and Javier Ruiz for €1.6M were crazy sales) and brought on four players who could immediately fit in, headlined by Tomislav Vuckovic, brought in for €1.2M. We were similarly busy in January, bringing in Miljan Milanovic and club record signing Ronaldo Useche (we should get him a name change to drop the last name....).

The result? An up-and-down season, but mostly up. We started out really hot, hit a super cold streak, but generally hovered around the top of the table the whole way through. That said, the first 35 games of the season were basically a 1980s romcom compared to the drama of to the end of the season: With one game to play, we were just one point ahead of giants RB Salzburg. And, of course, who do we visit on the last day? Salzburg. Fucking Salzburg.





And we won. We smashed them for two goals in the first thirty minutes, before Philipp Siegl (now a full Austrian international and the club's record league goalscorer at just 19) put the nail in the coffin shortly after halftime. In what was essentially an Austrian top-flight final, we went to their house under their terms and we brought the place down with our celebrations. What. A. Feeling.









Oh, and I forgot the best part of it all! Say hello to Linz, Mr. Big Ears. Maybe one day you'll find your way here permanently...

With not very known players you have managed to do a great work. Congrats for tipp-3 Bundesliga

2019/20 Season

Well, I'll get the bad news out of the way first: we did not retain our league title. Our involvement in the Champions League in the first half of the season (more on this later...) meant that we were playing catch-up all year, and a horrendous injury crisis (leaving 5 of our best 11 out) meant that we couldn't catch up. In the end, Austria Wien would win by just two points--but it wasn't really close all year long.

Coming off an average year, Philipp Siegl came of age and carried us, with his sidekick Dave Gomez as the rock in goal. I can't emphasis enough just how young this team is. Our best players all have the best ahead of them; the oldest key player in the lineup is local boy Markus Blutsch, who is still just 24. This team will continue to compete in Austria. New signings Dennis Peterson, a youngster poached from RB Salzburg, and Martin Galovic, a strong Bosnian center-back, are also both young. They'll be key cogs in the LASK machine for years to come.



Oh yeah, did I mention that we competed in the Champions League this year? What a ride that was! We started off with a 13-0 drubbing of Maltese semi-pros Valletta before drawing Scottish giants Celtic in the 3rd Qualifying Round. I thought this was game over. Back to the Europa League.

I thought wrong. 2 goals in the last ten minutes of both legs put us through in dramatic fashion. And the best part was that we competed both home and away. Minnows from Austria? Nawwww.



Then we drew Croatian giants Dinamo in the Playoff. Again, I was sure the fairy-tale was over.

How laughable. Five different players scored in Zagreb, while an insane performance by Dave Gomez kept them at bay to secure an improbably trip to the Group Stages. That's right--LASK Linz, nobodies even in Austria, were going to the Group Stages.



And then came the draw. Can you say... Group of Death? What a way to start our Champions League lives! Can you imagine the look on Eden Hazard's face when he steps into our humble little field in the mountains of Austria?



And the next incredible part was that we were actually in the same league as these guys! We were better than Shakhtar (1W, 1D), but we had just a -5 goal difference over 4 matches against Dortmund and Chelsea, each time taking the giants to the wire, and twice were unlucky to lose! Ludicrous, but it was true! My little band of youngsters were giving the giants in Europe a run for their money. It was just a shame that we'd have to settle for Europa League action next season, as Austria has just one spot in the CL.

Well done on your first top flight title mate, shame to miss out on it the year later, a great couple seasons in europe to, really pushing yourself here!

Wow this is a seriously enjoyable story. Love it so far -- you've done very well.

Thanks, guys! Encouragement is always appreciated

2020/21 Season

The Austrian Bundesliga was wrapped up about 10 games into the season. By the time we got to the winter break, we were up by sixteen points. Well, and truly, over. Unbeaten for 24 matches, scoring 48 while conceding 15. Ronaldo Useche and Philipp Siegl were at their barnstorming best, marauding at the tip of our strikerless formation with pace and intelligent movement. New additions Mijo Ljajic (€1.5M from rivals Sturm Graz), Matej Luptak (€1.3M from Slovan Bratislava), and Borja (free from Standard) added valuable steel and tireless running at every position, and we pressed the rest of Austria into submission. I'd say a good third of our goals were scored from recovering possession the opposition half before ruthlessly slamming a goal down their throats.



The stats say it all, really. Markus Blutsch, a stalwart of my time here at LASK (and still just 26!), Philipp Siegl, and Ronaldo Useche led the way offensively, while our 20-year-old Mercedes of a left-back Miljan Milanovic was the king of the left third of the pitch. Enter his zone at your own risk. Our center-back pairing were towers at the back (both taller than 6'4), while Dave Gomez was, as always, a Captain America in goal. It goes without saying, but I'm really proud of this team, with just a handful reputable enough to be considered on the continental stage.





Oh, did I mention that Siegl broke his leg in a freak collision in March? It's a testament to his influence (and lordship) over this team that we went six matches without a win immediately following his injury. He'll be back early in the next season--I just hope he doesn't suffer any permanent damage from the injury.

On the European side of things, well, I'll just leave this here:



A famous victory that brought the Stadion der Stadt Linz to the ground.

It was an impeccable display of counter-attacking football, putting to the sword a team fielding the likes of Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm, David Alaba, Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller, and Mario Gotze, all without our two best attackers! Kurt Manninger was the star man, pulling the strings right in front of Bayern's back-line. We were absolutely majestic, and won without a hint of luck.

We would, however, be unceremoniously dumped out in the first knockout round on away goals by (a VERY lucky) Leverkusen.

But they'll never take that 2-0 win away from us.

Great league title win and fantastic win over Bayern pal

Great results!
Too bad of the injury of Siegl.

What skin is that, by the way? Looks great!

Thanks, Dan! And Mattie--the skin is just the default FM skin!

2021/22 Season

Well, that was straightforward. The Austrian domestic league is practically a formality now, as we romped our way to a record 86 points, 18 points above second place. In Europe, we drew a tough Champions League group with PSG and Chelsea--but gave a good account of ourselves (including another historic win, this time over PSG) before crashing out of the Europa League 2nd Knockout stage.

It was a good year of consolidating progress. Now we have to build on it and begin making a name for ourselves on the biggest stage.

Instead of boring you all with the drama (or lack thereof) of the season, I thought I'd reacquaint you all with the heroes of our story.



Ronaldo Useche 22, MC - Purchased for €4.2M four years ago, club captain Ronaldo finally had his breakout year after three seasons of mediocrity. Tricky, technical, an under-rated passer with a devastating burst of pace, he typically plays right in the center of midfield with license to bomb forward from deep or pick out other runners. The kid's been the subject of Dortmund's attentions, but until they offer something in the €30M range, he's not going anywhere. He's the present and future of this team.

Philipp Siegl 23, AMC - The local boy and fan favorite, Siegl's stats this season belie his importance to this team. His 15 goals are the second most in the team, but if I counted important goals, he'd be number one. On paper, he's nothing impressive--pacey with average technique and inconsistent finishing--but he always seems to pop up at the right time to give us a vital goal. He's the club's record goal-scorer at just 23.

Kurt Manninger 21, AMC - I took a gamble on this kid, purchasing him for a club record €8M from Lille last year. He's tiny (just 5'2!), but don't you try to push him around. He's surprisingly strong and quick, and will tie you into knots with his ability on the ball. Most of all, he's a magician with his passing, and with all the runners in this team, he's the man to pick them out.

Marco D'Alessandro 22, MC - For the second year in a row, I took this Italian midfielder on loan from our parent club, Fiorentina. I've now signed him permanently for next season, because he's become a key way of how we play. He sits in a fluid deep midfield position and uses his engine to break up play. On the ball, he is our best passer of the ball and is our metronome in deep positions. He's never played a game for Fiorentina's first team, so he's practically more Austrian than Italian!

Mijo Ljajic 23, MC - Mijo has a thankless job in our side--which is reflected in the stats--but he plays a tremendous job of shielding the defense and letting our two wingbacks and four attackers run. Strong, selfless, determined, intelligent, and an accurate passer, his composure under pressure is what allows us to quickly turn defense into attack and catch the opposition with their pants down. It might not reflect in the stats, but his role is very important.

Miljan Milanovic 21, WBL - This Serbian wingback single-handedly forced me to change formation to push him farther up the field. Brought in for just €1.1M five years ago (a steal!), he scored 8 and assisted 8 in 28 league appearances AS A LEFT BACK! He's just an incredible athlete: tall, strong, quick, and runs all day (and night). Pair that with his incredible footballing brain and you have yourself a human menace speeding down the left flank from deep.

Dennis Petersen 20, WBR - I talked about poaching this kid from RB Salzburg last year, and this year he's broken out as a star for the future. On paper, he's a good, but not great, player--a small, speedy wing-back with tremendous work ethic and fight. But with all the attention on Milanovic and Ronaldo and Siegl, Petersen often pops up on the other side of the field to tap in goals or play cut-backs. He's still young and developing, but he already plays a role in the team.

Borja 28, DC - The old man of this team (by quite some margin), Borja has been a steady part of our back line since joining on a free last year. Tall and steady, he's nothing special--but does the job. He could be more vocal in the back, but on the left of a back-three, it's his pace and anticipation that gives him the tools to be strong in defense.

Dominik Baumgartner 25, DC - I don't know what it says about the defenders I've brought in, but Baumgartner still plays an important role despite signing seven years ago when we were still in the 2nd tier. While he's definitely not a Champions League level player, he always seems to be solid--and that makes him tough to drop.

Margin Galovic, 23, DC - On the right side of the back three is the man-mountain himself. Strong and tall, Galovic is the Great Wall of Bosnia.

Dave Gomez, 24, GK - What can I say about Gomez? He's a big game player. The American signed for free six years ago from LA Galaxy and has been a permanent part of our side ever since. He averages more than two clean sheets every three matches--but it's his sweeping and his incredible command of the 18-yard box that makes him vital.

Brilliant review mate, top league season and unlucky in the cup final along with the champions league! Great run in europe come the end though

Thanks, Dan! Hoping for better runs this season, especially without qualifiers to go through

2022/23 Summer

With the domestic arena all but secured for the foreseeable future, it was time to turn our attentions to the Champions League--it was time to make a name for ourselves in Europe. Austria as a nation has seen tremendous growth over the last 8 years, ranked 11th in Europe (giving us an automatic Group Stage berth) with the national team ranked 20th, coming off of its first World Cup finals appearance in more than 30 years.

For us to make noise at Europe's highest table, we had to bring in quality. Despite the (growing, but still small) reputation of the league and the club. Financially we couldn't go and splash €10M+ on players--we just didn't have that kind of money.

Early on in the summer though, I identified Leonardo Gomez as a target. The Colombian striker, currently playing in Mexico, is a beast. Young, tall, and strong with insane technique and ball skills for a man his size. Oh, and he can finish. He'd give our attack a whole other dimension and was a class of player we needed.

The only problem? A €12M asking price.

So I sold. A fire-sale of five squad players and failed transfers brought in more than enough money, and we managed to steal Gomez before Real Madrid's interest turned into a bid.



In the Champions League, we were drawn into a decent group thanks to our movement into Pot 3 after several solid seasons of Europa League play. For once, we might just have a shot at qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages. Hopefully.

Interesting group You got a good chance of qualifying for Knockout stages

Thanks, Johnno! Turns out you were right

2022/23 First Half

There comes a point in the life of a football manager where the team does things that he doesn't expect nor understand.

This is one of those moments.



This group of kids can PLAY. My goodness. We dominated the first half of the season both domestically and continentally. Ronaldo was a menace and a blur, Siegl scored 9 goals in our first 10 matches, Kurt Manninger had 10 assists in that span, and new boy Leonardo Gomez scored 4 in his first 4 matches. Unbelievable. After 10 league matches, we had scored 38 goals and conceded just 7.

What a team.



As for the Champions League? Simple doubles over Dinamo and CSKA along with two tremendous, hard-fought draws against FC Bayern meant that we went through the group stage in first place.

Ho. Ly. Shit.





We drew Galatasaray in our first trip to the CL Knockout Stages since, well, ever. You hear that? Those are firecrackers going off in Linz. Let's go!

Wow! You finished top of the group?! Good luck against Gala

Brilliant in the Champions League man! And what a draw in the first knockout round!

2022/23 Champions League Round of 16

There was some bad news... and some great news coming in the month of February.

First, the bad news: we'd lost our best player until May.



And the good news? Well, I don't really need to talk about it. The first leg was a brilliant team performance as we came back from an early concession to dominate the second half. The second leg, at home, was just classic defensive football. 3 in the back, shielded by 2 deep-lying midfielders absolutely shut down the Turks' narrow diamond.

BOOM. THE ARMY OF LINZ IS MARCHING ITS WAY TO WEMBLEY!!



Next up? Parma, a team on the rise in Serie A. and defeated Barcelona to get to the Quarterfinals. On paper, I think we have a shot--but they did beat Barcelona...

Siegl, what a hero!
Going great! Good luck

Top win over Galatasaray man, I never doubted you! Best draw for you too but the next round should you reach it will be a whole new level