Division 2 was predicted to be very close this season, and the fight to avoid relegation lived up to all expectations, with my team right in the thick of it. My realistic aim, as it seems to be every season, was to stay up, so I needed to get some points on the board early in what looked like it could have been a tricky start. [USER=58]Joe[/USER] normally gets the better of me, so I was very happy to hold him to a pair of 2-2 draws, both with late equalisers. Next up was [USER=153]x Plunkett[/USER] who I expected to be pushing for promotion. I got the better of him 2-0 in the first game, but he came back to beat me 4-0 in the other game, still leaving me happy with 5 points from my first four games.
I wasn't getting too carried away though, and it was no surprise when I got hammered by [USER=30]paullowes80[/USER]. Maybe not to the tune of 3-8 and 1-8, but my defence went missing in both games. Looking around the leagues at some similar scores after this, it seemed fairly common that you'd have games where the FIFA gods would take a hefty dump on your team, and there was nothing you could do about it! I had hopes of a better return against [USER=356]S8TY[/USER] and I was doing well in the first game until he blitzed me in the 2nd half and i went down 2-5. I got my act together in the next game and worked a deserved 3-1 victory.
Vardy and Toney were getting nearly all my goals, but I was concerned that I was conceding too many, so I made defensive improvements, bringing in Tapia at CDM and Alvarez as a CB. It made my 4-2-2-2 system a bit more stable, and my next set of games followed what would be the trend for a lot of us in Div 2 this season, as I shared a win apiece with [USER=585]x Morriis[/USER] (3-2 & 1-4). I did exactly the same with [USER=636]Charlinho[/USER] (4-2 & 2-5) and [USER=44]Red Rhinoceros[/USER] (2-4 & 5-3), then I had to go up against the title challenger [USER=42]MarcTheSharc[/USER]. Unfortunately for me, Marc had bagged goal machine Osimhen the day before we played, so I saw these fixtures as damage limitation. I knew I had very little chance of winning, and that goal difference could be important later, so I took a cautious approach and focused on stopping Osimhen, which worked to extent as I felt i got off lightly with a pair of 0-2 defeats.
Although I had an unchanged core to my team, the improvements continued, with Thuram coming in but not working out as a CAM, so he was shipped out again. I was pleased to get Maxi Arnold as a CDM as he's solid in defence as well as giving a goalscoring threat (if I could get him forward). Another upgrade at CB with Bensebaini meant I was ready for the run in. I was entrenched in a relegation fight by now but 2-1 and 6-1 wins against bottom of the table [USER=74]Tunners1[/USER] shot me about 4 places up the table, and other results would ensure I was safe in Division 2 for another season. Just as well, as I got nothing from my penultimate games against [USER=628]Jobi Juan[/USER] losing close but very enjoyable games 1-2 & 3-4. My only signing on Transfer Deadline Day, big Romelu Lukaku, made his debut in the final matchday, catching [USER=321]Amen Raz[/USER] cold with a brace of early goals in a 3-1 victory. Raz got the better of me in the final game 2-4, ensuring his own safety in the division and bringing the curtain down on a very competitive campaign.
Eliminator
Round 1
[USER=14]TheAshCohen09[/USER] 8-2 W
[USER=58]Joe[/USER] 3-5 L
[USER=70]Wizzfox[/USER] 4-1 W
Round 2
[USER=3]aaronc333[/USER] 1-2 L
[USER=7]Emotionalworm[/USER] 3-1 W
[USER=522]SweatyBananas4U[/USER] 3-2 W
League Cup
R1 [USER=59]Gazgrass[/USER] 3-0 W
R2 [USER=585]x Morriis[/USER] 3-4 W
I seem to make it to the 2nd satge of the Eliminator most seasons, but go no further, and it was the same this season. Thrashing Ash in the first stage may be a good omen for next season, and in the 2nd stage, despite 2 wins and a defeat, I went out on goal difference because the other teams beat Worm by more goals than I did. In the League Cup, Gaz outplayed me in the first half of our game but couldnt find a goal, but I finished my chances after the break to go through. The second round game was a cracker with [USER=585]x Morriis[/USER] thinking he'd scored the winner in the 89th minute for me to equalise in injury time to sent it to the golden goal. I lost the tie eventually, but it was great fun to play in, it's just a shame theres still no facility for extra time and penalties in Online Friendlies.
Transfers IN
I. Toney - 13m
E. Alvarez - 13m
M. Thuram - 22.5m
A. Elis - 5m
D. James - 10.1m
BFA
R. Tapia - 8m
J. Juranovic - 5m
M. Arnold - 10m
R. Bensebaini - 5m
R. Lukaku - 35m
Transfers OUT
R. Ortiz - 1m
J. Menendez - 1 scudo
M. Salisu - 3m
V. Mykolenko - 1 scudo
V. Pavlidis - 1 scudo
R. Tapia - 5m
M. Thuram - 12.5m
Spank The Banker
R. Delgado
M. Robinson
D. Gazdag