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Asgard in the final again

Written by Sellas

It is the day of the English Cup Final s68. The losing finalists from s65, Asgard, beat the losing finalist from s66 last week (Kicker Conspiracy). Asgard made the semi-final last season and the quarter finals in s66, and go into this one with 6 England NT players in the squad, and as favourites. Their manager Sellas has answered a few questions for us as part of the build up.

You acquired Asgard in May 2012, 6 years ago. About 18 months later Guy Lockyer (391255563) and Brian Shannon (391112741) as 17y/o became the foundation of your current team. Your stated objective was to train them to the England NT, which you've done, and along the way picked up another 5 players who've played for England, and you have 6 (of these 7) in the current squad. That's some achievement?

Personally, I think it is. I do not count the two additions this season of already established internationals but I am very happy to have all four that I trained form an early age make the NT. Big thanks to you of course for selecting them to be part of your squad. It is something everyone starting a rebuild should consider. Training long term for U20 & NT helps you lay down a long term plan for your team & then you stick to it.

With 3 games to play you are also 4 points off the top of II.1, but also only 3pts ahead of the playoff places. Does having so many NT players mean that you don't feel you have the freedom to TI trick to recover TS after MoTsing the Final, in order to maintain good form in the league?

Making top four this season will be an achievement. I can't get a lineup right and I always seem to somehow underestimate the strength of my opponents in II.1 every season. I've given up on ever promoting. I must be a rubbish manager.

The mere presence of the TI trick is one of the reasons I can't progress in the league. I am always on the wrong end of it. Never used it and it has cost me.

Your 2nd team Nossolo also includes an England NT player, Joshua Siegler and some future NT prospects. Please tell us a little bit about your thinking here?

My second team was going to be a NT farm. I planned to train IMs but the season I had the funds to start it was the season the 2nd teams started closing down due to increased supporter prices.

I bought to keep temporarily Dhoni & Siegler until I could find a permanent home for them, then Mangan & Poppleton also became available and I ended up changing plans & concentrated on training these FWDs for NT.

Your manager page tells us that you are a fan of Olympiacos. They finished 3rd this season but given that the club won 7 consecutive titles between 2011-2017 (repeating a feat they pulled off between 97-2003) this must seem like the wheels have fallen off?

About time too. Winning it every year it was boring. First time in 4-5 years now I am looking forward to next season.

Last season you made a comment on the forum that you didn't understand how the national team was getting inferior midfield ratings to your club. Your club managed 515 hatstats in the Cup semi-final, 507 in the quarter final and 518 in the round of last 16. England regularly fails to break 500. Why is that?

We obviously had other players available for the team last tournament (which was excluding all Asgard players at the time) in order to get higher ratings than my club but somehow that was not the case. Yet that team somehow qualified for Q2. You on the other hand, won't qualify as some other managers in the group seem to be playing only to beat you.

EDtranslates. "Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not all out to get you."

On a side note, the MF ratings I achieved in last season's QF v RED on a PIN I can't get in this season's final even on a MOTS. In fact, I would struggle to get on a MOTS tonight what that lineup would get on a PIC. I must be a total idiot not being able to do that with a better squad. Surely this must be the case, no?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this game, is there?

EDtranslates. Despite Asgard's midfield form issues & injuries this season, the club is still in the Final.

Please provide us a link to utube or vimeo to one of your favourite of all time tunes, and perhaps to something recent as well?

It is extremely rare to create a masterpiece from a cover but i think these guys had an epiphany.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9Dg-g7t2l4)

which of the following would you choose and why?

i) Cairo or Marrakech
ii) Avengers or X-Men
iii) Powerful scorer (assume similar primary & support skill-sets) or Unpredictable GK?
iv) Less plastic or less air pollution.
v) The Cup or The Premiership title?

i) Been to both, Marrakech hands down.
ii) X-Men
iii) Unpredictable GK
iv) Less plastic. Air pollution we can clean easier & cheaper.
v) Premiership title. Won't happen but you always got to aim for the top.