Welcome back to The Surprise Shirt Challenge. If you are new to this series you can catch up from the beginning Here.
Its our second season back in the Eredivisie and after a midtable finish last season we are looking to strengthen the squad and try and take that next step.
Lets get stuck into the new season, starting with some changes and improvements to the club.
Club Improvements
Lets look at what has been going on in and around the club.
We start with a big one!
This shows the growth of the club since being promoted back into the top division and its a great step in the right direction.
Lets check out the Supporter Profile whilst we are discussing it.
We then had some more upgrades coming through from the board.
The majority of our TV money has been earmarked for some training ground improvements.
The planning for the future continues with improvements to the youth set up!
Transfer Dealings
Once again there is not much in the war chest for us to spend on the squad so we are looking at bargains and loans!
Lets look at these new recruits in some more detail.
Jonas Monsen joins for free from Tromso. A natural forward thinking midfielder with huge potential, we will use him gently through the season to aid his development.
Sam Curtis joins us from St Patricks Athletic in Ireland for 450k. A dynamic right wing back he will go straight into the first team offering a lot more going forward on that side.
Victor Guzman joins on loan from Ajax for the season. A ball playing central defender he we will offer much needed possession control at at the back. There is an option to make the move permanent if we want to.
Might be a familiar name to fellow FM stalwarts like myself, Burak Ince joins on loan from Bayer Leverkusen.
Long be hailed as the saviour of Turkish football it hasnt quiet been the case. However I hope he can add some much needed class in the centre of midfield.
Just as the final preparations were taking place we had a message about a possible takeover of the club.
Obviously we don't want to get our hopes up but some investment will really help the club move forward!
Pre Season
August & September 2024
With all of our off field preparations done and a successful pre season under our belts it was time to start our second season back in the Eredivisie.
We had a tough start, meeting some of the big hitters early on in the season but there are some winnable games mixed in there too. Lets hope for a fast start!
Its not a fast start, but its definitely not a slow one. 2 wins, 2 Draws and 2 defeats including a credible draw at home to PSV!
Ngom and Thy have found their shooting boots early in the season which is a huge positive.
October & November 2024
We roll into October and November feeling confident that we can hold our own in this league once again.
October and November was full of winnable games and we could really rack up quite a points haul if we play to our potential.
Its a strong run of games indeed. Only one defeat in probably the hardest game away at FC Twente the only disappointment were the two draws, especially against Cambuur who we just couldn't break down.
Once again, Ngom and Thy are carrying the goalscoring weight on their shoulders scoring all 9 goals between them.
We also had some more rumours over the possibility of a take over.
December 2024
As we approach the festive period we are sitting very pretty in the league. One more good run of results could see us right in the mix at the top end of the table.
It is a tough run of fixtures however as Ajax are in town very early in the month.
As expected we were taught a lesson by Ajax. Our second narrow defeat of the season to FC Twente was frustrating but I pleased to have picked up 9 points out of 15.
Halfway League Table
Its a brilliant start to the season as we find ourselves sat in 4th spot at the halfway stage.
I'm hoping to add some more strength in depth to the squad but only if it fits in with the budget and the squad.
Thank you for reading the first half of this season review.
The second half of the season is looking to be a tasty one and hopefully we can make some large steps in our journey!
See you next time!
Panda
Why not check out our first save of FM23 as we take over at Crystal Palace. We have concluded this save but you can start from the beginning here.
