Spa - Belgian Third Division B Season 1
Even though I must have picked the weakest and smallest club that were promoted we managed to gain automatic promotion by
winning the league.
A quick note about how the Belgian leagues work.
The Third Division A and B run alongside, much like the English Conference North/South.
The teams that finish the season in 15th and 16th position are automatically relegated. The teams that finish 14th in both divisions playoff to decide who stays up and who is relegated.
Now for the wierd bit. The league is "split" into 3 peiods of 10 matches each. After each period the team that has "won" that period gets a playoff place.
In my game I was 2nd in the first period, 1st in the second period and 6th in the third period (I had won the league by a decent margin and took the foot off the gas and lost a few games)
The team that has finished all 30 games on top of the league gets automatic promotion.
The teams with the playoff places play and the winner meets the winner of the other divisions playoff and the winner of that final gets promoted (so 3 up from Third Division A/B and 5 down)
I'm not sure what happens if a team stay top through the whole season, I suspect that the playoof place goes to the team who finished highest at the end of the season.
The
snapshot was taken after I negotiated a new contract and includes the huge £19k transfer budget I get for next season with the wage budget doubling.
The finances are looking strong and hopefully will be even better next season.
The
squad did well with a few of them now on full-time deals.
Markus Gobbels came in on trial and earned a full time deal. I do need someone to compete with him for the keepers jersey next season.
Fabrice Mavinga-Poba is the only player that was at the club when I took over to stay in the starting 11.
Pieter Nys is more or less first choice left back.
Emmanuel Moreaux came into the squad late in the season when I had an injury problem. He then cemented his role as one of the first choice DCs.
Kurt Rombouts is the other first choice DC. The fact he got 5 MOM in 29 games shows that at times he has been a vital part of the team.
Olivier Malcorps was my first signing. His age means that he'll only be a backup player next season.
Nexhmedin Sahiti was easily first choice right winger and captain to boot.
Renaud Baruffi is one of the bright young stars in the team. He's played most of his games on the left wing, but did at times play as left back when I wanted to rest Nys.
Patrick Miza works hard, but I suspect his lack of pace will cause problems next season.
Mehdi Carcela Gonzalez is the player with the bightest future at the club. As he's got a high tackling attribute he's spent most of his games in midfield.
Stijn Mahieu plays as the targetman in my tactics (although I don't use the targetman option)
He's naturally a midfielder, so if I get some strikers who are better then him he'll be moved into midfield in a Lampard role, more Slim Stijn then Fat Frank
He was also the
player of the year for the Third Division B, with Rombouts coming third.
Tim De Roy was Stijn's main strike partner.
Benjamin Renson will be given his chance to prove that he should be in the starting 11 next season.
Leeroy De Keersmaecker wasn't signed just because of his name. He may well oust Mavinga-Poba from the right back spot next season.
Jeroen Vanthournout is another player for the future.
I think that next season will be tough.
I have made a few signings already, including a DM who will go straight into the first 11 in place of Miza and a defender who can play anaywhere along the back for the subs bench.
I still need another keeper and striker before I'm happy with the squad.
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