Heineken Red Star FC: Open the Footballing World - Season 4 Wrap-Up - Ligue 1!?

5th at Christmas. Deep in the thick of a promotion battle, the HRSFC players seemed to be clicking on all cylinders. Could we finally succeed in the first of the many main goals of this entire save and gain promotion into Ligue 1!? Let's find out! But first..a teaser..

TRANSFERS IN

Just a few additions to strengthen the squad, both for now and for the future.

First, Romain Perraud. Looking at the two options at LB, Sy and Armougon, I realized that if we were really going to make a run at promotion..we needed a better option. Not to say Perraud is perfect, but the player has an upside that we currently aren't seeing with Sy or Armougon.

Second, and final, Frederic Legrand. Touted as one to watch, our scouts advised adding Legrand as soon as possible. Looking at his stats, I see him as a project as either a defensive midfielder or ball playing defender. Not expecting much from this signing anytime soon, but for $11k, I thought why not.

So..how did we finish..

..we went and won the whole damn league, that's how we finished! Like I said before, the boys were in fine form.

Winning 13 out of our last 18, with 2 draws thrown in there, we jumped from 5th in the league to 1st! None of the wins were astronomical, but steadily we controlled matches and were producing wins.

In the end, we won with room to spare. Totaling more wins than any side in the league, we boasted a stout defense as opposed to a highly potent offense.

The usual suspects pop up once again in the Fan Awards. Seeing as Weah and Camara play the same position, we may soon be facing a dilemma in terms of who our starter is to be.

Fairly standard in terms of Fan XI this year as well. New signing Perraud was unable to edge Doucoure with the fans, even while seeing the starting job become his immediately after his transfer.

Houri has been nothing short of brilliant since joining the club. Notching 11 goals and assisting on 5 occasions may not look like much. But then you realize that he is playing as a central midfielder, and it speaks volumes of the kind of player he is.

Another award just edged by a Nantes player, new signing Maisonnial was brilliant in goal, saving us on many occasions. Playing as a Sweeper Keeper, his anticipation off his line has been vital for the club./ Y

Remember when I talked about having a stout defense? Yeah, the league realized this as well, as Mendy and Andonian were named in the Ligue 2 Season XI. No surprise as Houri is also among those in the Ligue 2 Season XI.

Weah, joining on a free this season, came third in the assist column throughout the league. At the beginning of the season, I thought it would for sure be the season of Camara for us, with his form from last year. Weah gave him an outright run for his money. Now we face a tough choice moving into Ligue 1 next season.

And finally..

What. A. Season. And the icing on the cake is a personal one. In my 5 short years of playing FM, this is my first time winning a Manager of the Season award.

All in all, the 2020/21 season was amazing for FM Peels and HRSFC. Seeing our second piece of silverware, in just 4 seasons, was just the beginning. 4 seasons, two league titles does not seem to be a poor return. Slowly but surely, using the principles and rules outlined from the beginning of the save, FM Peels is building HRSFC into a hopeful power in France. Next season, he will bring the team into Ligue 1, achieving the first major goal of the save. The goal for next season: STAY IN LIGUE 1.

Check back soon for more from HRSFC and Head Coach FM Peels. To follow along with the save more regularly, follow @RattledCrossbar over on Twitter for steady updates!

-FM Peels