Season 2 comings and goings..

Before the season started, much wheeling and dealing was done in order to refresh the squad;

OUT

Christian Villagra – the young fullback was a solid enough player, but I had always intended to sell him this season as he was definitely not good enough to be locked next season. A whopping bid of £900k came in and the Argentine defender was shipped out, already replaced by Olson.

Massimo Gobbi – Massimo played fantastically well in the first season, averaging 7.15. However, with Leandro Lima in the side, he was being forced to play defensively – despite having mostly attack orientated stats. Finally, he was no spring chicken, being one of my older players at 29. An offer of £2m and 25% of any future profit, and Massimo was allowed to leave.

Leandro Lima – The biggest shock was the exit of Leandro Lima. The midfield maestro was in the top 20 average rating for players in the first season and literally ran my midfield. However, despite his high average rating, over 500 games he only managed 100 goals and 100 assists. After playing around in preseason, I decided Pienaar was only really effective through the centre, which left Leandro on the bench. I decided a whopping offer of £3.7m was too good to turn down for a bench warmer, so Leandro left to link up with compatriot Jo and a guaranteed starting place.

Marouame Chamakh – Regulars at Beaulieu FC games won’t have been surprised at this move. Chamakh had performed well, but had never really set the world alight since his move to The Anchor. A lethal ability to head the ball (heading 17) was all but negated by his inability to win the ball in the air (jumping 13), and without great pace this left him easily marked out of many a game. An offer of £2.8m saw Beaulieu FC pocket a cool profit of £2.2m.

Other players to leave The Anchor included Kaio and Mateus for a combined £700k. Kaio had performed admirably, but with other posistions needing strengthening, I decided to let him go. Mateus had been frankly awful and only managed a solitary assist in 15 games in preseason. I was amazed to get a bid of £350k, and as quickly as he joined, he left The Anchor.

IN





Alberto ‘The Bull’ Zapater

After selling Gobbi, I move swiftly to secure Zapater. Clever, pacey, a solid passer of the ball and strong into the tackle, Zapater exceeded his predecessor by having amazing teamwork and workrate attributes. A much more defensive option for the midfield, I hope he’ll be the workhorse to combine alongside Pienaar’s flair in a formidable midfield. I’d expect nothing less from the player nicknamed ‘The Bull’ by none other than Maradonna.





Diego Milito

With money in the bank following the exits of Leandro Lima and Marouame Chamakh, I decided I needed another high profile striker to take the goal scoring burden off of the young shoulders of Guilherme. I sent informal enquiries to a lot of managers regarding their players, but in most cases I was met with blunt ‘Not for sale at any price’ messages. After touting around for a striker, Milito’s manager approached me and a deal was done. He offers a great presence upfront, with amazing stats in both finishing and composure combined with a modicum of pace and good aerial ability. At a whopping £5m and £40k a day wages, a lot will be resting on Diego’s striking boots.

With money in the bank, the Beaulieu FC squad is looking very strong for the upcoming season.