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The Beautiful Quest: An Association Football Quest

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Dilemma: Nou Surroundings?
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    • Nou Surroundings?

    ​

    It was to your great surprise that when you picked up the phone on June 28th 1999, the man on the other end introduced himself as Michael Laudrup.

    You had grown up watching the great Dane, who played his club football for Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid among others, retiring at Ajax the previous summer. He won the 1992 European Championships along with his brother Brian and your soon to be ex-team mate, Peter Schmeichel.

    You had been aware of the complete implosion of FC Barcelona under the divisive Louis van Gaal, perhaps caused by a disagreement between Van Gaal and his star player, the Brazilian forward Rivaldo. The once dominant club finished 8th in La Liga under the stewardship of Charly Rexach, who filled in after the Dutchman was sacked in February.

    The long time club President, Josep Lluis Nuñez, resigned in April, with his long time deputy, Joan Gaspart taking over. Gaspart shocked his voter base and the world by appointing the 35 year old Laudrup, who had never held any coaching position whatsoever, as the new manager, on a two year contract.

    Now Laudrup had phoned you to gauge your interest in a potential move to Catalonia. He explained that, if you joined, he planned to build the squad around you, especially because Rivaldo's future was in doubt. He said you would have the prospect of playing alongside world class talent such as Pep Guardiola, Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Figo, Sergi, Philip Cocu, Luis Enrique and the De Boer brothers, as well as some very exciting youngsters coming through the famed La Masia academy. He also said that he would make you the best paid teenager in the history of football, with wages convertable to £30,000 a week.

    This meant you had a dilemma. United had made it known that in July they would offer you a contract that would make you even richer, on wages of £45,000 a week and tie you to the club until 2004, with a two year extension after winning the league.

    This was an opportunity that might never come around again. You had made your decision. You picked up your phone and…

    1. Called Pini to tell him about Laudrup's offer and that you wanted to hand in a transfer request ASAP
    2. And put it back down again. It would be best to wait a while and see how things play out. (Transfer success will depend on a roll)
    3. Called Pini to tell him that you will sign the contract.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [x] And put it back down again. It would be best to wait a while and see how things play out. (Transfer success will depend on a roll)
     
    [X] Called Pini to tell him that you will sign the contract.

    Sounds like we'll be winning 1999 FIFA World Player of the Year and Ballon d'Or awards after all.
     
    KingArthur said:
    I've edited the chapter.



    Yes we were, I've added that in.



    Florentino Perez was elected in 2000.



    Yeah if United under SAF had a slump, it was between 2003-2006 where Fergie's Fledglings had either left or were past their peak, Ronaldo and Rooney hadn't matured yet and the lack of a reliably good keeper until they brought in Van Der Sar.

    Every time there is a serious transfer offer, I will put it as a separate threadmark because it's quite an important choice. I do intend on there being one every couple of years to keep things interesting. The possibility of a Bosman transfer or getting released also exists.
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    Ya that was the slump I was talking about.

    So which option is for staying at Manchester sense I wouldn't mind staying until 2004
     
    [X] Called Pini to tell him that you will sign the contract.

    I don't like Barcelona and Manchester is a better club for now, besides.
     
    jacobk said:
    Have we done something to butterfly away Barcelona's early 2000s woes? It seems like their collapse has just moved forward a year. OTL they aren't due for an upswing until 2004-ish.
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    True and they won't have Messi or Iniesta for a while, but Laudrup has a chance of going what Rijkaard did, especially if you join because you are OP basically.

    Also I'm thinking of using modifiers for some rolls now. Thoughts on that?
     
    jacobk said:
    Have we done something to butterfly away Barcelona's early 2000s woes? It seems like their collapse has just moved forward a year. OTL they aren't due for an upswing until 2004-ish.
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    Firstly, they didn't sign Patrick Kluivert last year, we did, and now they collapsed this year, finishing 8th in La Liga.

    Rivaldo plays for them and won both awards in 1999 so that isn't happening here. Beckham was second in voting and we are better than him.
     
    @KingArthur

    If my calculations are correct, we should be the UEFA Champions League top goalscorer as well with a record-breaking 16 goals.

    49 (Total) - 29 (League) - 0 (League Cup) - 4* (FA Cup) = 16

    We scored a hat trick, 1 goal, 1 goal and another hat trick in the knockout stages, which totals 8 goals (which already ties Shevchenko's total tally). We appeared in all 6 group games but you didn't say how many goals we scored.

    *In the FA Cup you said we contributed goals in victories over Liverpool and Chelsea, and scored a brace in the final. I'm assuming it was a goal a game but I could be wrong.
     
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    [X] Called Pini to tell him that you will sign the contract
    Sweet, we can change to a better team in 2004 if Manchester dips.
    KingArthur said:
    True and they won't have Messi or Iniesta for a while, but Laudrup has a chance of going what Rijkaard did, especially if you join because you are OP basically.

    Also I'm thinking of using modifiers for some rolls now. Thoughts on that?
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    Also yes on the modifiers.
     
    So we can get paid more to stay at the team that was our childhood favorite and is a better squad...

    [X] Called Pini to tell him that you will sign the contract.

    Coming up on free agency (I forget the premier league term) at 22 will set us up to pick a winner and land a mega-contract.
     
    [x] And put it back down again. It would be best to wait a while and see how things play out. (Transfer success will depend on a roll)
    Let the dice gods decide our fate.
     
    [X] Called Pini to tell him that you will sign the contract.

    So that's what the roll landing on "A Risk" was.
     
    Corvus Black said:
    @KingArthur

    If my calculations are correct, we should be the UEFA Champions League top goalscorer as well with a record-breaking 16 goals.

    49 (Total) - 29 (League) - 0 (League Cup) - 4* (FA Cup) = 16

    We scored a hat trick, 1 goal, 1 goal and another hat trick in the knockout stages, which totals 8 goals (which already ties Shevchenko's total tally). We appeared in all 6 group games but you didn't say how many goals we scored.

    *In the FA Cup you said we contributed goals in victories over Liverpool and Chelsea, and scored a brace in the final. I'm assuming it was a goal a game but I could be wrong.
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    I thought we had but wasn't quite sure. Is that higher that what Raul, Messi or Ronaldo have ever got in a single season?
     
    [x] Called Pini to tell him that you will sign the contract.

    I'm interested in sticking around with Man U for a while longer, maybe long term if possible. If we keep being friends with Beckham I wonder if we'll get a piece of the Salford ownership stake way down the line.
     
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    KingArthur said:
    I thought we had but wasn't quite sure. Is that higher that what Raul, Messi or Ronaldo have ever got in a single season?
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    The most goals Raul has scored in the Champions League in a single season is 10 in 1999-00. He retained the award the following season (2000-01) with 7 goals. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo don't matter, as they are not around yet, let alone at their peaks.

    The current record is 14 goals by Jose Altafini in 1962-63.

    See the below list.

    en.wikipedia.org

    List of UEFA Champions League top scorers - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
     
    [x] And put it back down again. It would be best to wait a while and see how things play out. (Transfer success will depend on a roll)
     
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