I’m back with a Season 2 round-up of my CM01/02 challenge to win the Champions League with Nottingham Forest in 5 seasons. Here are the general rules again:
- Only one nation’s league(s) will be run per save.
- One goal per save – any deviation from that goal or additional achievements will not count.
- The goal must be achieved in five seasons or less otherwise it will be classed as a failure.
- The 3.9.68 and Tapani patches will be used alongside the original database
- “Cheat” players can be signed except for Maxim Tsigalko
In the previous season, I won the old First Division title and somehow grabbed the FA Cup along with it. Let’s see how the team looks after Season 2 (because I forgot to get a pre-season team sheet)
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Nottingham Forest - Sunday 22nd June 2003
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Squad
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No Name Position(s) Nat Born Age Caps Gls Wages Expires Value
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14 Andrade, Luis DM RC POR 30.9.73 29 - - £2.4K 5.6.06 £3.3M
27 Aslan, Haci AM RC SWE 1.9.84 18 - - £350 28.6.05 £1.1M
- Beale, Matthew M RC ENG 13.9.82 20 - - £130 25.6.04 £75K
12 Bopp, Eugen M RC GER 5.9.83 19 - - £5.75K 7.8.06 £1.9M
10 Burton, Deon S C JAM 25.10.76 26 12 4 £12.25K 27.6.08 £3.1M
21 Byrne, James D C ENG 3.10.84 18 - - £275 25.6.05 £425K
18 Cash, Brian M RL IRL 24.11.82 20 - - £4.3K 7.8.04 £1.1M
17 Dawson, Michael D RLC ENG 18.11.83 19 - - £350 30.6.07 £975K
3 Doig, Christopher D LC SCO 13.2.81 22 - - £425 30.6.03 £7K
22 Dunwell, Michael S C ENG 6.1.80 23 - - £3.8K 17.6.07 £6.5M
33 Edwards, Christian D C WAL 23.11.75 27 1 - £3.3K 30.6.04 £775K
6 Edwards, Paul AM L ENG 1.1.80 23 - - £2.6K 13.6.08 £1.5M
24 Formann, Pascal GK GER 16.11.82 20 - - £180 7.8.05 £180K
- Fox, Mark S C ENG 8.11.85 17 - - £130 4.6.04 £375K
28 Gould, Ian DM C ENG 25.11.85 17 - - £700 14.6.05 £550K
29 Green, Danny S C ENG 1.3.86 17 - - £650 25.6.05 £275K
31 Griffiths, Neil D/DM RC ENG 18.2.80 23 - - £170 28.6.05 £100K
26 Groves, Tom M C ENG 23.2.86 17 - - £350 14.6.06 £475K
16 G¸iza S C ESP 17.8.80 22 - - £16.5K 2.6.05 £4.8M
13 Harewood, Marlon F RLC ENG 25.8.79 23 - - £5.75K 12.6.07 £4.9M
- Hedley, Adam GK ENG 4.6.83 20 - - £130 4.6.04 £55K
34 Heikkinen, Markus D/DM C FIN 13.10.78 24 4 - £2.7K 22.6.07 £5M
7 Hugo M R CMR 22.2.80 23 1 - £675 25.6.06 £5.25M
9 Johnson, David S C ENG 15.8.76 26 - - £7.5K 30.6.04 £2.2M
23 Larsson, Stefan D LC SWE 12.1.83 20 - - £2.4K 5.6.05 £1.2M
- Lovell, Gary D C ENG 7.11.85 17 - - £525 14.6.05 £220K
32 Nash, Carlo GK ENG 13.9.73 29 - - £3.6K 22.6.08 £2.4M
35 Pagliuca, Gianluca GK ITA 18.12.66 36 39 - £8K 27.6.05 £1.7M
20 Reid, Andy F LC IRL 29.7.82 20 - - £9.75K 14.6.06 £3M
25 Saastamoinen, Jarmo SW/D C FIN 20.9.67 35 22 - £6K 2.6.05 £160K
5 Tavlaridis, Stathis SW/D C GRE 25.1.80 23 2 - £3.4K 9.6.07 £2.6M
15 Thompson, John D/DM RC IRL 12.10.81 21 - - £5.5K 19.7.04 £975K
11 Toone, Leigh S C ENG 26.1.82 21 - - £130 25.6.05 £425K
4 Walker, Des D C ENG 26.11.65 37 59 - £4.6K 30.6.03 £1K
1 Ward, Darren GK WAL 11.5.74 29 1 - £10.75K 21.6.06 £2.4M
19 Westcarr, Craig AM/F R ENG 29.1.85 18 - - £3.6K 30.6.04 £1.3M
- Whiting, Louie GK ENG 18.8.82 20 - - £140 4.6.04 £45K
8 Williams, Gareth M C SCO 16.12.81 21 3 - £6.75K 21.6.08 £4M
The League
Sorry, completely forgot to get a top 5 screenshot. But the good news is… we qualified for the Champions League at the first time of asking! We had a great start to the season and stayed at the top for a few games before hitting a rough patch, followed by an 18-match unbeaten run in all competitions. Then we jostled with Arsenal for 2nd place and would have got it if it wasn’t for 2 defeats in the last 2 games against Arsenal, who were in 3rd at the time, and Newcastle, who were 4th. But I’ll take it. We’ll just have to go through qualifying first. No pressure…
The Cups
The League Cup campaign stopped at the 3rd Round after a poor 2-0 defeat to Sheffield United. It would have meant nothing to win it in this challenge but we should have done better.
As for the FA Cup, we got so close but fell in the semi-final to Liverpool. We lost 4-1 and Owen got a hat-trick, the bastard. Still, a 10-match winning streak in the FA Cup is a nice achievement in its own right.
Oh yeah, and we were in Europe for the first time since 1995. We opened our UEFA Cup campaign against Polish side Pogon Szczecin and beat them 7-1 on aggregate. Next were Vitesse and they were dispatched 5-2 on aggregate. Atlanta were next in the 3rd Round. We drew the first leg away 2-2 meaning we took 2 away goals back to the City Ground. But we couldn’t capitalise and lost the second leg 1-0. We tried!
The Transfers
If that Güiza transfer looks weird, it’s because I cheated! I did the month-to-month contract trick to get him to sign, decided to leave on a Bosman (not part of the plan), and I re-signed him on a favourable contract. Deon Burton was unhappy at Derby and I decided to sign him to increase the Jamaican contingent (alongside David Johnson) and Caribbean contingent (alongside Marlon Harewood, who was eligible to play for Barbados).
Goalkeeping was a concern so I signed Carlo Nash but he let too many in so I signed former World Cup finalist Gianluca Pagliuca and after a shaky start, he kept 12 clean sheets in 24 matches.
The Players
- Highest average rating: Stefan Larsson – 7.81
- Top goalscorer: Michael Dunwell – 22
- Most appearances: Haci Aslan – 49
- Most assists: Haci Aslan – 15
- Most MoM awards: Hugo – 6
Not as high as last season but, given this was the team’s first season in the Premier League, this was an incredible effort. Also nice to see Hugo and Haci Aslan feature. Still can’t believe I got them both for free.
Catch me in Season 3 to see how I did in my second Premier League season with Forest and how I fared in the Champions League.
Need to know more about the month to month cheat!