26 August 2017
We've opened our season on two fronts now, beginning with our entry into the European Champions Cup tournament. (This is the equivalent of the UEFA Champions League, a name I don't think FM can use because of licensing issues.)
We joined the competition on the Best Placed path of the Third Qualifying Round. Our first opponents were OGC Nice, who finished third in France's Ligue 1 last season.
A crowd of over 52,000 turned up at the Eikenbos, and we treated them to a 3-2 victory. Goals from
Kristian Nielsen and
Anthony Salvati put us in a commanding position within a half hour, before Nice rallied back to make a game of it. The decisive score came when a
Mark Brouwer shot deflected off a Nice defender and into the net.
We enjoyed an even better result in the away leg.
Nelson Foé turned back six shots.
Geert van der Vlist and
Joris van den Berg paired up effectively in the center of our defense. Salvati scored again, while
René Kjærsgaard and young
Jöel Meijer opened their accounts. The Man of the Match was
Arjen van der Snee, who pulled the strings in midfield and completed 118 passes.
Our 6-3 aggregate victory put us in the Best Placed Playoff, where we met AEK Athens on 15 and 23 August. By then, we'd begun league play, so I decided to take advantage of our depth and rotate my squad.
At home in the first leg, the introduction of substitutes
Kristian Nielsen and
Fábio Rinaldo made the difference. The Danish forward struck twice, on either side of another Meijer goal, and the Brazilian danger man assisted on all three of our goals in a 3-1 victory.
Nielsen again came off the bench to score in Athens, allowing us to draw 1-1 and secure the victory by a comfortable 4-2 aggregate margin.
Our victory earned us a spot in the group stage, and put nearly €15 million in our bank account! Look at the challenge we'll be up against next, though...
At least we'll get to travel to some great cities and play in some iconic stadiums, right?
We've played two league matches, a 2-2 draw away to Heracles and a 3-0 victory at home to FC Groningen.
Arjen van der Snee continues to show me why he should play every match, netting in both league games. Nielsen and Fábio Rinaldo are also proving to be very dangerous, creating chances and finishing them.
Hello and Goodbye
In this section, I'll catch you up on our movements in the transfer market.
Our back four has been playing fairly well, so the need for a new center back didn't seem as urgent as it did before the season began. I had our Director of Football,
Daan van de Kreeke, suggest some players we might bring in on loan. He came up with three young talents from big English clubs.
The kids and I looked them over, and we decided to make a move for
Leigh Harris of Manchester United. They accepted our offer to pay half his €17,000 weekly salary and Leigh was happy to join us, so he'll be in Winterhoven blue for the remainder of the season.
Harris, 19, is an ideal fit for our team. He is very comfortable with the ball, a must in our system, which involves playing out from the back. He is fast and strong, and he reads the game well for a young player. He's naturally right-footed, but
Claire pointed out he has a strong left foot, too. And, he can also play as a defensive midfielder, so he can help shore up that spot, too. Leigh came on at the hour mark in the Groningen match and acquitted himself well.
Jong Winterhoven
Our B team has just begun its season in the Jupiler League, so there's not much to report yet. I'll provide updates on a more regular basis once the season is in full swing.
Winterhoven Under 19s
Same for these lads. They play in the Dutch Under 19s Group 1, where they've won one and drawn one.