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| "It's a dream come true" |
After the win against HMFC on Sunday, which made certain of Das Wunderteam's first league title in 19 seasons, the Austrian manager spoke to the press:
The success in the Classic League is like a dream come true to me. I've joined the club after the surprise resignation by Marcone, who led the team to so many glories, but was just fed up after many unlucky results in the end. What I found was a team in good shape and an endless wisdom in tactics. It was perhaps the time I learned the most in Xpert11.
Yes, the step up from a mid-table Pro League team to a title contender in the Classic League was a big one. Probably too big a step at first as two vice-championships in a row are showing now, but hats off to Grotemuis and his fianna fishermen - they were better on all accounts. The next logical step was ripping up the team and rebuild which is now more or less complete. With Purves Grundy retiring, the last "Marcone" player will be gone and it's 100% a team of my own. Somehow Wednesday will also be a sad day for me.
The key to this seasons' success was surely the home form with 19 points out of a possible 21 and beating the so called "lesser" sides home and a away, which racked up a maximum 24 points against the bottom four sides. Please, I am using the term "lesser" sides very loosely, as there are many strong sides down there and I was surprised to see a few of them go down. The win in emphatic fashion on the final day of the season was just testimony to how much the players wanted to win. Maybe Purves Grundy was in their minds as well, who kept a clean sheet in his 217th and final appearance for the club.
The battle with Suna is one I really enjoyed. HMFC may not be the strongest side, the second weakest one in the top division in fact, but his tactical nous as well as his ability to juggle his efforts in league, cup and XCL are perhaps second to none in the Classic League. Next season we both have a key player to replace, so we will see who will manage it better.
Additionally HMFC (and Coh I Aelia Dacorum) have no XCL distraction, while I get a third shot at it. The first two times we have either faced uber sides or we were unlucky with goalkeeping injuries, but I only have myself to blame. The team selection and, of course, building just weren't good enough. This time we might go further than the group stages, which is the target, but winning it? Surely not. Have you guys seen Chrille's squad?!?
Phew, other targets. Maybe I will go back to the Pro League one day if my old team becomes available. I have reached my targets in the Classic League, Das Wunderteam won the cup and the league title and we have surpassed the Johnstone Wildcats and Preston NE in the all time standings to go up into fourth place. Catching Cloggies in top spot might be next to impossible, though. First of all my target is to somehow find a suitable goalie, haha! Young Leonardo will be a future all-time great, but for now he needs a mentor to let him fulfill his enormous potential.
Thanks guys, it's been a pleasure. Let's join the lads at the victory parade!
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