Wow. After a disastrous 3-2-10 1st half of the season (see https://www.f4football.com/blogs/show/40 for gruesome detail), the Spitfires got their engines running smoothly and finished 9-4-2 to salvage the season and sneak into a berth in the Super Cup. Loaned in a young 50+ rated CB to bolster the defense is support of my 18yo GK. Planning to use only my owned players in Season 8. The kid is 19 now, and starting to show whiskers.

We'll be going with the same sponsor goals in Season 8: 10 wins and a 12th place finish. Don't know which team will show up - the 3-2-10 version (scoring 9 goals) or the 180 degree different 9-4-2 version (scoring 26 goals). The defense was equally inconsistent/incompetent, allowing 23 goals in the first 15 matches, and 12 in the last 15. I don't feel like I did anything exceptionally stupid in the first half, or cunningly clever in the second half to explain this. Biggest question of the off-season: what are CF Nasser's future plans? Retire at age 35 or continue scoring the majority of the Spitfires' goals (33 of those 35 goals). I've got a young WF in training to succeed Nasser, but would like to get another season's training in.

Some numbers:
- 12-7-19 overall
- 0-1-7 in Cup play (tough draws and poor performance)
- Manager rating bounced around from 30 to 110, finishing at a head-scratching #27.
- Team average rating over 51 for 1st time.
- 34 friendlies
- added 4,266 seats to Spitfire Stadium, one level to the Youth Academy and three levels to the Training Centre. (YA-3, TC-5, 26,946 seats)
- no retiring players after Season 7. 14 players with 40+ Rating.
- sold 4 players, loaned one player in, purchased 4 young players. Spent $8,600,000 scouting. Got outbid on two 5/5 Pot/Learn youths. :(

Finances:
Income
Ticket Sales $ 27,215,800
Team Merchandise $ 724,547
Advertising $ 218,508
TV Coverage $ 1,050,952
Sponsorship $ 95,852,097
Prize Money $ 10,350,398
Player Sales $ 76,494,589
Player Loan Refunds $ 3,968,580
>>> Total Income $ 215,875,471

Expenses
Wages $ -58,281,249
Stadium & Facilities $ -30,378,127
Fees & Compensations $ -1,287,335
Player Purchases $ -119,992,008
Player Loans $ -2,886,252
Player Scouting $ -8,600,000
>>> Total Expenses $ -221,424,971