That’s it. It’s over. My FM19 save with Vitória in Portugal has come to an end. What a journey.
I’ll go through how season eight finished up first and then round off by looking at my time at the club as a whole. This is going to be emotional.
Continue reading “Sempre Vitória | O Fim”There was yet more heartache last season as we missed out on the title on the last day of the season. Benfica triumphed by one point after coming out on top on our head-to-head record the season before.
After saying I’d be happy going the entirety of FM19 without winning the league with Vitória due to the resources at Benfica and Porto’s disposal, I’m now determined to at least win the league for a second time before FM20 is released. Will it happen this season? It’ll be tough but there’s certainly one player on Primeira Liga title winning form so far this season…
Continue reading “Sempre Vitória | The Perfect Hattrick”
At the halfway point of season seven we were top of the league and ahead of Benfica, who were in 3rd, by nine points. However, they had three valuable games in hand to go level with us. We’d sneaked into the Champions League knockout round. The new 3-5-2 tactic had started to gel after a few initial teething problems. Everything looked fairly rosy…
Continue reading “Sempre Vitória | Fail Forward”It’s very difficult to put the heartache of losing out on winning the league title on the last day of the season followed up by losing a cup final a week later to one side but a new season rolling around goes a long way in helping to forget what had come before.
We ended season six trophyless after a very successful couple of years prior. The aim for season seven is obviously to wrestle at least one of those trophies back into our cabinet. We’ll be looking to do it with a new tactical approach.
Continue reading “Sempre Vitória | The 3-5-2 Tactic Returns”
As has so often been the case so far in my five and a half seasons in Portugal with Vitória, there’s a three-way title race happening. Benfica and Porto joined us on 35 points going into 2024 and the second half of my sixth season at the club.
We’re still competing on four fronts after progressing to the knockout round of the Champions League for the first time alongside the Taca da Liga and Taca de Portugal.
We’re looking to retain the Primeira Liga title this season, we’ve got some really good players at the club already but sometimes you can’t pass up an opportunity to bring in a next level player. One that could be a gamechanger.
Continue reading “Sempre Vitória | The Gamechanger”My Vitória side managed to win our first ever Portuguese Primeira Liga title in my fifth season in charge. Over the course of the season we were just that little bit more consistent than Benfica, pipping them to the title by two points. I’ve told the players that we should be challenging again but luckily the board just expect a top three finish to secure Champions League qualification.
After last season’s success I knew there would be vultures circling for my players. Vultures with heavy pockets lined with cash. What can you do when the elite of Europe come knocking for your hugely talented homegrown central defender?
Continue reading “Sempre Vitória | Losing your Young Star”
Well then, what a bloody season. My Vitória side managed to win the Primeira Liga title for the first time in the clubs history, becoming only the sixth different side to win it. We finished ahead of Benfica by two points in the end in what was a two-horse title race, with Porto eventually finishing 16 points behind us in top spot.
We made it a domestic double a week later by beating Rio Ave to win the Taca de Portugal for the third consecutive season. The trophy haul now stands at one Primeira Liga win, three Taca de Portugal triumps, two Taca da Ligas and a Supertaca win.
Is a new era of domination about to begin?
Continue reading “Sempre Vitória | Season Five Review”
Sorry for leaving things on a cliffhanger last time out. It was partly to build suspense but mainly because I hadn’t actually played the next match yet and it just seemed like a good place to move onto a new post!
The Benfica match shapes the league season. Lose and the title is all but theirs. Win and then do what’s required in our last three matches and the league title is ours for the first time.
Continue reading “Sempre Vitória | Season Five | Four”
I should be happy heading into the last few months of the season top of the league. It’s a good position to be in but I know that Benfica have games in hand. I know Porto will come good at some point. I can see Sporting in 4th not far behind.
There’s a title race on. How will it end?
Continue reading “Sempre Vitória | Season Five | Three”
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is over and it’s finally time to get back to domestic and continental football. Brazil won the tournament, beating a very talented Dutch side 4-0 in the final, while Portugal finished 3rd. 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo finished top scorer in the tournament with eight goals and then bowed out of international football.
Enough about that though. The first part of the season went well for us, some have predicted that we’ll go on to win the league for the first time. Will we? I’m not sure but read on to find out how the transfer window and our matches across January went.
Continue reading “Sempre Vitória | Season Five | Two”