Hallo allemaal!

Since this week I am no longer the first one using this opening sentence. Keep doing it Deano, I am loving it!

We are now early February and we are still competing on all levels. We are leading the league, but the Big Three is breathing down our neck. Especially Anderlecht, so far they lost just once and will be the team to keep an eye on.

Last week we lost Lokonda for almost a year and also Lilian Compan is still injured. We’re counting on Lilian “Number 2” Laslandes to provide us goals. With Gudjohnsen Junior as number 10, that should be a pretty good combo as well, right?

We finally know who we will play in the CL Quarter Final: Bayern Munich. Is that good? Is that bad? Looking at the teams who made it to final 8, I don’t think it makes a lot of difference. It’s a pretty nice bunch and we are part of it!

Antwerp thought 2 goals of Gudjohnsen Junior were not enough, so they decided to add one themselves. Dank je wel!

We cruise past RWDM and advance quite easily to the Semis in the Cup.

What is there to say about an absolutely boring match? Ah yes the goal! It’s a powerful strike of Sala (Del Piero) that seals the deal against Kortrijk.

I am all psyched for our very first CL Quarter Final. I pressed the space bar at the beginning of the match and my excitement lasted for I guess … 10 seconds. They play like the real Bayern: they grab us by our throat and they don’t release: 0-3 at the half. Junior saves our honour, but this is not all all how I imagined or hoped this would go.

I am pissed off and I think the lads are as well.

With Compan returning to the line-up there is always hope.

But it is mission impossible. I believe the team is good, but we are too small against this German powerhouse. That’s the reality we have to accept.

Can we do better next season? With Compan we have a top striker. He gets his first cap against Albania and immediately scores 2 goals.

Gent is a solid team and they keep us to a draw at home.

Am I sensing a pattern here? Another draw. Another 4 goals. This one is actually more annoying as they score at the very end of the game.

Club Brugge is next and with Roland Velkeneers we see a familiar face in goal. Club know why they got him, he is an underestimated but very good goalie. Still we manage to beat him twice!

A few days later we travel to Brussels. That’s our second Big Three opponent in 3 days, so a crucial game in our race to the title. We deserve the win, but this is a draw I’ll settle for.

Another 2 days later we battle for our very first Cup Final. The lads feel not exhausted at all and steam past Waregem.

Oostende upsets Anderlecht, so no “classico” Cup Final.

Ah, crap, we won’t win it either I am afraid…

Hmm, let’s focus on the title because that is the only silverware we still have a shot at this season.

We need all the points we can get because this Anderlecht is damn difficult to beat. We are already early May and so far only Gent managed to beat them in the league.

With these Starting XI, Standard is really just an average team.

Two hurdles left to take. In real life Romelu Lukaku’s dad, Roger, only played 1 season for KV Mechelen. In cm9798 he is still around and adding value. Despite his goal, Mechelen doesn’t stand a chance.

CM9798 is simply the best scenario writer! It’s again Gent who defeats Anderlecht and kicks them out of the title race.

Hello, title Number 4! WE ARE CHAMPIONS AGAIN!!

We close out the season with a win against Lokeren. Winston wins the MoM award, but hold on, he played as a defender?!?

Cup Final. Venue: Lisp stadium, Lier. Poor lads. They did what they could, but they were doomed from the start. The famous curse of playing the Cup Final in your own stadium.

This are the final standings. It’s the first time the Big Three finished the season that well. But we are still on top!

It’s only small consolation to know we lost to the 2001 CL Winners. Hmm, wasn’t this the year they also won it in real life? Talking about blurred lines.

Compan was slightly better than Valencia and with 31 goals he was no doubt our best man of the season.

Let’s move on the official awards. Illias who? Both manager awards go to Beveren natives: Wilfried Van Moer and myself. Me? Just a simple lad who adores playing CM9798. Wilfried? There is no discussion possible here, he was one of the best Belgian football players ever. RIP Wilfried.

My childhood hero decides to retire. C’mon Filip, why not hang around for one final season?

When I saw this I laughed so hard my wife, watching TV on the couch, asked me what was so funny. She wouldn’t understand. Hilarious, simply hilarious.

That’s it for today! Next week we will start our 5th and final season. League titles we have now in abundance. But can we finally be successful in the Cup & the Champions League?

Stay tuned! I wish you all a lazy weekend!

Tot volgende week!