Bromley FC (...And the Rest of the World)

[abulezz]

New FM means new beginnings (or maybe not)! I tried my luck with Bromley in FM11, and I was able to guide them all the way up to the Champions League title, so I am going to give them another go with FM12. I've loaded up pretty much every league available except for some Asian and South American leagues (as well as a couple of Europe's "lower" leagues), and I have the database on Large.

The general concept of this thread is not only to follow my career with Bromley FC, but to cover all the major leagues and tournaments as well. I will include spotlights on teams, managers, and players I find interesting, and attempt to write interesting biographies and such. In short, I will be telling you as much about my game as possible, while also telling the story of my rise to prominence with Bromley FC!

Right, let’s get things going! I’m saving this thread for a table of contents and what not, and I'll write up my Bromley season overview after it’s done.

Bromley FC
2011/2012: Blue Square South Champions, FA Trophy Champions
2012/2013 (Preseason): Blue Square Premier Champions, FA Trophy Champions
2013/2014 (Preseason): 3rd Place - npower League Two, Johnstone Paint Trophy Runners-Up
2014/2015 (Preseason): npower League One Champions
2015/2016 (Preseason): 12th Place - npower Championship
2016/2017 (Preseason): npower Championship Champions
2017/2018 (Preseason): 14th Place - Premier League, FA Cup Winners
2018/2019 (Preseason): 10th Place - Premier League, Europa League Second Knockout Round (Lost to Basel)
2019/2020 (Preseason): 7th Place - Premier League, FA Cup Winners
2020/2021 (Preseason): 4th Place – Premier League, Europa League Quarter-Finals (Lost to Standard Liege)
2021/22 (Preseason)




Player Profiles
GOALKEEPERS

DEFENDERS
Cole, Ashley (2016)
Maicon (2016)
Puyol, Carles (2017)
Terry, John (2017)
Vidic, Nemanja (2018)

MIDFIELDERS
Iniesta, Andreas
Lampard, Frank (2018)
Palombo, Angelo (2018)
Xavi (2016)

STRIKERS
Gilardino, Alberto (2017)
Ibrahimovic, Zlatan (2016)
Ronaldo, Cristiano (2021)
Villa, David (2016)




Leagues
Champions League: 2011/12 – 2012/13 (Review) – 2013/14 – 2014/15 (Review) – 2015/16 (Review) – 2016/17 (Review) – 2017/18 (Review) - 2018/19 (Review) - 2019/20 (Review) – 2020/21 (Review)
English Premier League: 2014/15 – 2015/16 – 2016/17 – 2017/18 – 2018/19 - 2019/20 – 2020/21
French Ligue 1: 2015/16 – 2016/17 – 2017/18 – 2018/19 - 2019/20 – 2020/21
German Bundesliga: 2015/16 – 2016/17 – 2017/18 – 2018/19 - 2019/20 – 2020/21
Italian Serie A: 2014/15 – 2015/16 – 2016/17 – 2017/18 – 2018/19 - 2019/20 – 2020/21
Spanish La Liga: 2014/15 – 2015/16 – 2016/17 – 2017/18 – 2018/19 - 2019/20 – 2020/21




International Tournaments
World Cup: 2014 - 2018
European Championship: 2012 - 2016 - 2020
Copa America: 2015 – 2019
African Cup of Nations: 2012 - 2013 - 2015 - 2017 - 2019 – 2021
Asian Cup: 2015 - 2019
U20 World Cup: 2011 - 2013 - 2015 - 2017 - 2019 – 2021

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U20 World Cup 2011 – Colombia:

The surprise of the Group Stages was Austria, defeating Brazil 1-0 and going on to win both other games. Brazil’s slow start was more than forgotten after huge victories in their last two games, setting up an enticing 2nd Round matchup with England, with Nathan Delfounuso leading all scorers in the Group Stages having hit the back of the net 4 times. The French team was perhaps the most impressive team in the Group Stages, notching up 11 goals and conceding only 1 goal, with Argentina and Spain also showcasing their talents to the tune of 11 goals each.

The 2nd Round saw the Austrians continue their surprising performance, defeating a heavily favored Mexican team 1-0, with the goal coming from Stuttgart’s Kevin Stutger, a 17 year old midfielder who had quickly become one of the stars of the tournament. Brazil would advance after a tough game against England along with Argentina, Spain, and France. The latter two would draw each other in the Quarter-Finals in a mouthwatering encounter. Argentina would face a darkhorse side in Croatia, Brazil would line up against an underwhelming Australian side, and Austria would draw a steady Portuguese side. At this point in the tournament, Osasuna’s 20 year old left winger Ezequiel was the most impressive player throughout the first few rounds, having scored 2 goals and delivered 4 assists.

The Austrians were the neutrals favorite by this stage of the tournament, and they did not disappoint, defeating Portugal 2-1 to set up a Semi-Final matchup with Spain, who in turn had defeated the impressive French 3-2 in extra time. Croatia upset a heavily favored Argentina 2-1, also in extra time, to set up their Semi-Final clash with Brazil. The two leading players thus far in the tournament were two defenders; Ezequiel and Strum Graz’s 18 year old central defender Florian Neuhold. The leading goalscorer was now Espanyol’s Alvaro, who led all goalscorers with 5 goals.

The cinderella stories would come to an abrupt end during the Semi-Final stage of the competition, with Spain defeating Austria 3-1 and Brazil grabbing the victory over Croatia 4-0, setting up a Finals matchup between two of the pre-tournament favorites. Croatia were able to grab a deserved 1-0 victory over the Austrians, and it was Brazil who finally lifted the U20 World Cup trophy after a scintillating match against Spain in the Final, ending with 3-2 score line thanks to a brace from 19 year old Internacional striker Dellatorre. Brazil won the tournament for the 5th time, although it was Spain who set the record for most goals scored with 22 goals.

Spain’s Ezequiel was given the Golden Ball for best player, having scored 2 goals and given out 5 assists with an average rating of 8.04. The runners-up were both Spanish players, with striker Alvaro coming in first runner-up, and having scored 7 goals, he was also the Golden Shoe winner for having scored the most goals in the tournament. The second runner-up was 20 year old SLB striker Rodrigo, who scored 6 goals in the tournament.

Other notable performances in the tournament were Brazil’s Dellatorre and defender Saimon, Austria’s Neuhold, and France’s striker Ishak Belfodil.

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African Cup of Nations 2012 – Gabon and Equatorial Guinea

After winning the championship 3 times in a row, Egypt failed to qualify for the tournament, ensuring that a new champion of Africa would be crowned. Cameroon made their intentions known in the opening game as they destroyed Morocco, viewed as one of the pre-tournament favorites, 6-0. In an anticipated match in Group B, South Africa defeated finalists Ghana impressively 3-1, also signaling their intention to make the tournament theirs, but they were defeated by Nigeria 1-0 in their 2nd game. The 2nd Match-Day also eliminated the disappointing Moroccan team, who lost to the hosts, minnows Equatorial Guinea, 2-0, with a brace scored by their striker Bodipo. Angola, Gabon, and Nigeria were the only teams to win all 2 of their matches through the first 2 Match-Days, and the first two also became the first teams to qualify to the Quarter-Finals. Nigeria, however, would lose in the final Match-Day of the group stages in Ghana 3-1, and with South Africa defeating Zimbabwe 2-0, it was Nigeria would shockingly be knocked out. In Group D, Ivory Coast had disappointingly only garnered 1 point from the 2 matches, which included a loss to Togo. Needing a victory against group leaders Gabon and for Togo to either draw or lose against Mozambique, Ivory Coast did their part but Togo beat Mozambique 2-0 to knock them out. Cameroon were the most impressive team going into the Quarter-Finals, having scored 9 goals and conceded only 1 in 3 games. Their players were also the most impressive, with Benoit Assou-Ekouto, Jean II Makoun, Alex Song, and Joel Matip all among the leaders of the Average Rating category. They were also joined by Ghana’s Kwadwo Asamoah and Togo’s Jonathan Ayite, who led all goalscorers with 4 goals.

Angola got things started in the Quarter-Finals with a huge upset over Cameroon, defeating them 2-1 in extra-time and ended the hopes of the Group Stages favorites. Host Equatorial Guinea were destroyed 5-2 by a previously unimpressive Malian team that had barely made it out of Group C, but were revitalized by the impressive showing of Garra Dembele. They were joined by Ghana and Togo, who would meet each other in the Semi-Finals, while Angola and Mali would fight for the right to play in the Finals of Africa’s most important competition.

Garra Dembele’s outstanding performance in the knockout stages continued with another brace against Angola as he led Mali to a 5-2 victory and into the Finals, where they would face Ghana, who had disposed of Togo with a 1-0 victory. This was Mali’s first ever trip to the Finals of the African Cup of Nations, while Ghana was attempting to win its 5th championship. Dembele led all goalscorers with 7 goals going into the Finals; for Ghana, their leading goalscorer was Kevin Prince Boateng with 3 goals of his own. Both teams had been relatively unimpressive in the Group Stages, but they were, without a doubt, the best teams over 2 rounds in the knockout stages. Ghana had taken care of Cameroon and a surprising Togolese team without conceding a single goal, and Mali had scored 10 goals in 2 games against Equatorial Guinea and Angola. Togo would take 3rd place, defeating Angola 3-2 in an entertaining match, finishing the highest in their history. Jonathan Ayite was their best player during the tournament, finishing with an average rating of 7.27 and scoring 4 goals for his side. It would Ghana extra-time to overcome a resilient Malian side, finally winning 2-1 in the Finals, and capturing their 5th Cup of Nations title, with a MotM performance from 20 year old Jordan Ayew.

Jordan Ayew (4 apps, 2 gls, 1 asts, 7.38) would come in 3rd in the tournament’s Best Player award, behind Runner-Up Gerra Dembele (6 apps, 7 gls, 4 asts, 8.13) and the winner, who also scored Mali’s only goal in the Finals, Modibo Maiga (5 apps, 6 gls, 3 asts, 8.00). The 24 year old striker was sensational for the beaten finalists, and along with Dembele, made up the most fearsome duo of the tournament. Ghana’s GK Adam Larsen Kwarasey, at only 24 years old, captured the tournaments Best Goalkeeper award, conceded only 2 goals in the 5 appearances he made for his side. Other notable perfomers were Yaya Toure of the Ivory Coast, Jon Obi Mikel of Nigeria, and Cameroon’s quintet that was mentioned earlier. Nigeria’s manager, Samson Siasia, resigned after the tournament amidst heavy pressure for his team’s disappointing campaign.

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European Champions Cup 2012 - Group Stages and 2nd Round

The Group Stages featured some notable disappointments, with Barcelona and Marseille knocking out Manchester City in Group B, while in Group C, French champions Lille and Napoli upset German heavyweights Bayern Munich, ultimately costing Jepp Heynckes his job. Italian champions AC Milan were edged out by Shakhtar and Leverkusen in Group E, with other notable under achievers being Lyonnais and Valencia. Didier Drogba was on fire, hitting the back of the net 8 times during the Group Stages, leading all goalscorers.

FC Porto, who finished top of Group H, faced Napoli in the 2nd Round, and it was the latter who would win 2-0 at home, thanks to goals from Marek Hamsik and Goran Pandev. Fredy Guarin, Porto’s Colombian midfielder, would capture the MotM, but there was little else to be excited about by the Portuguese side who could not find a way past Napoli’s stellar defense, led by Paolo Cannavaro’s 5 tackles and 7.8 AR. Porto were disappointing in the second leg at home, losing 2-0 to Napoli, who had Edison Cavani to thank. The Uruguayan striker hit a brace to send the Italian side through, bringing his total to 6 goals in the competition. He was also crowned MotM for his spectacular performance.

Giants Real Madrid and Inter Milan, both who were having less than impressive domestic campaigns, would look to Europe to bring some sunshine back into their season. Gonzalo Higuan, who had scored 16 goals in the La Liga but none in 5 appearances in the Champions Cup, finally broke his duck with a 77th minute strike. It would be the only goal of a rather disappointing game that saw Esteban Cambiasso and Lucio injured for the visiting Italian side, with the former out for up to 2 months with a broken collarbone. Iker Casillas did well to keep a clean sheet for the home side, and it was defender Ricardo Carvalho who took home the MotM with 9.0 AR performance for Real Madrid. In the return leg in Milan, Higuan might have opened up the scoring, but it was Inter Milan who seal their ticket into the Quarter-Finals with a convincing 3-1 victory, with goals from Mauro Zarate, Diego Forlan, and Diego Milito. It was not a match without controversy, as Real Madrid had both Pepe and Xavi Alonso sent off, in the 25th and 71st minutes, respectively. Despite his team playing uninspired football, Sergio Ramos captured the MotM, but surely it was a poor consolation to being knocked out in the 2nd Round of a tournament that Real Madrid were widely assumed to be one of the favorites to win.

English champions Manchester United, also going through a disappointing domestic campaign, visited Olympiakos, who were leading the Greek League, in the first leg of their 2nd Round matchup. The Greek champions were outclassed, however, with Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young scoring for Manchester as they won 2-0 away from home. The English side was solid throughout, with Rooney taking the MotM thanks to his goal, an assist, and 8.9 AR. In the return leg at Old Trafford, Ashley Young scored 2nd goal in the competition to give Manchester a 1-0 victory, allowing them to advance to the Quarter-Finals on a 3-0 aggregate over the Greeks. Rooney captured the MotM again with a 7.9 AR.

Marseille hosted Villareal, and it was the visitors who came away with a solid victory, defeating the French team 2-1 on their own turf. Guiseppe Rossi delivered a superb brace to counter Andre Ayew’s 26th minute goal, and it was Rossi who would take the MotM thanks to his fantastic performance. The 2nd leg in El Madrigal was a bland affair, an evenly played but boring match that ended in a stalemate of 0-0, with Villareal taking a 2-1 aggregate victory. Bruno, the Spanish midfielder, captured the MotM with an 8.3 AR after an outstanding showing, helping his squad into the Quarter-Finals.

Struggling Leverkusen, 8th in the German Bundesliga[/b], were hosted by Ajax, who were 2 points of AZ in the Dutch league, and came out defeated 2-1 by the home side. Stefan Keibling scored his 4th goal in the competition, but Mounir Al Hamdaoui and Miralem Sulejmani would get the job done for the Dutch side, with Ajax defender and captain Jan Vertonghen taking the MotM award with a 8.0 AR. Things did not get better for Leverkusen at home, and Al Hamdaoui hit another goal, along with 21 year old South African Thulano Serero to give Ajax a comfortable 2-1 victory away from home, and advance to the Quarter-Finals .

The most anticipated battle of the 2nd Round was between Chelsea and Barcelona. Both teams topped their respective leagues leading up to the first leg, which was held in Stamford Bridge, and there was nothing that could separate the two sides, with the match ending 1-1. Both goals came in the first half by way of Xavi and Didier Drogba, who nailed in his competition leading 9th goal. Chelsea were the more dangerous side throughout the match, but a MotM performance by Andres Iniesta was perhaps the catalyst for Barcelona in keeping the draw intact. Unfortunately for the Spanish champions, a broken collarbone would rule out their leading scorer David Villa for the next 2 months, a huge blow for a squad that was used to their man upfront bagging the goals for them. For all their offensive firepower (coming into the 2nd leg, Barcelona had scored 85 goals in 27 games in the La Liga), it was the defense of the Catalans that gave them the victory in a very tense 0-0 draw at the Nou Camp. It was not without incident, however; Javier Mascherano was sent off in the 61st minute, and Victor Valdes fractured his cheekbone, forcing him to miss the next month. John Terry captured the MotM for his superb containment of Barcelona’s seemingly unstoppable offensive wave, but Chelsea would be knocked out by the defending European champions painfully on away goals.

Scottish champions Rangers hosted the German champions and leaders,Dortmund; the first leg in Glasgow, however, ended up being a bore of a match. The 0-0 scoreline reflected the general atmosphere of the match, and it was Steven Whittaker, the Rangers defender, who would take the MotM with a 7.7 AR. In the 2nd leg in Germany, it took extra-time and an 118th minute goal from Robert Lewandowski to separate the 2 sides, with Dortmund finally making it through to the Quarter-Finals. Both games were defensive and lacked excitement, but the Germans made more of their chances than Rangers.

The final matchup in the 2nd Round was between Ukrainian side Shakhtar and the French champions Lille, with first leg being played in the Eastern European country. Shakhtar continued their surprising form by defeating Lille 2-0 convincingly, controlling 64% of the possession and creating more than twice as many shots (13 to 6). The goals came from Taras Stepanenko and Alex Teixeira, with the 22 year old Ukrainian also taking home the MotM award. The shock continued in the 2nd leg in France when Shakhtar convincingly defeated the reigning French champions 3-0, with a MotM performance from goal-scorer Jadson. The Brazilian was instrumental in the victory, and indeed, had been a key figure for the Ukrainian side throughout their domestic and European campaigns.

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Champions Cup 2012: Quarter-Finals

Barcelona vs. Napoli: If anyone doubted the genius of the current World Player of Year, Lionel Messi, then surely it was put to rest after he scored a sublime 4 goals at the Nou Camp in the 1st leg of this matchup. Napoli had no answer, and with additional goals from Jonathan Soriano and Andres Iniesta, the final score if of 6-0 was going to be very hard to overcome in Italy against the champions. Napoli found their footing somewhat in the 2nd leg, playing to an impressive 2-2 draw and genuinely playing equal to the champions, but there was no overturning the destruction that happened in Barcelona. Messi and Pedro countered Cavani and Dossena, and it was Messi, who was also captain for the match, who took home the MotM. The aggregate score was 8-2 for Barcelona

Villareal vs. Ajax: Bruno continued his strong form in the Champions Cup for Villareal, scoring a goal and winning the MotM in a 2-0 victory over Ajax at home in the 1st leg. Nilmar contributed the 2nd goal, but it was the midfielder’s presence all over the pitch that truly made the difference. The big story, however, was the return leg in Amsterdam, where Ajax dismantled their opponents 5-0, which included not one, but two own goals by Villareal GK Diego Lopez. Mounir Al Hamdoaui, ever present for his squad this season, netted in a brace to bring his tally in the competition to 6 goals, and also won the MotM award. Villareal surprising advancement through the competition came to an abrupt, and deserved, end at the hands of a team that was looking more impressive with every advancing round. Ajax won 5-2 on aggregate.

Manchester United vs. Inter Milan: In the 1st leg at Old Trafford, it was another vintage display from Wayne Rooney, who scored the 2nd goal (Javier Hernandez hit the first) in a solid 2-0 victory over Inter. The MotM was given to Brazilian Anderson for his performance in the midfied, earning him an 8.5 AR. Inter was uninventive and at times just torrid, with only Lucio (8.3 AR) keeping the scoreline from being a lot higher than what it was. It took only 9 minutes in the 2nd leg in the San Siro to realistically eliminate Inter from the competition, when the ageless Ryan Giggs slotted home his 1st goal of the competition to give Manchester the lead. Inter Milan would go on to win the game 2-1 with goals from Pazzini and Forlan (who scored in the dying seconds), but the damage was already done. Inter’s GK Julio Cesar would pick up the MotM, but it was United who would advance back into the Semi-Finals on a 3-2 aggregate.

Shakhtar vs. Dortmund: No one expected Shakhtar to get this far, so when they defeated Dortmund 3-0 in the 1st leg in the Donbas-Arena, it shocked many people. Simply put, their Brazilian trio of Willian, Fernandinho, and Luiz Adriano could not be stopped by their German counterparts, who were overwhelmed by the sheer firepower they dished out. Willian took the MotM, and Dortmund were left licking their wounds, with not a single impressive player, including their breakout start Mario Gotze, who was setting the Bundesliga on fire with his performance this season. The return leg in Germany was more of the same; even though Shakhtar lost 2-1, they owned 58% of the possession and had just as many shots on goals as their opponents. Luiz Adriano scored his 3rd goal in the competition, and the Ukrainian team booked a place into the Semi-Finals on a 4-2 aggregate which they truly deserved.

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Im proud of myself!





Elliot Law was a youth player when I first started the season - he has ended up being my most valuable player, and has shown quite a decent amount of progress.

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Thought I would highlight the two brightest youth prospects that came up in the 2011/12 season:

Curtis Frederick: Seems pretty decent, although I don't usually utilize the Wing Back position. Might need to retrain him, but he could definitely be a squad player next season.

Jon Morris: I'm excited about him - he's a giant! He definitely will be of use for me next season, and he's even got a few games under his belt already!

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Champions Cup 2012


Semi-Final: Ajax vs. Manchester United

Ajax came into the match 2nd in the Eredivisie with little hope of overtaking AZ for the title. They were, however, stellar in Europe, and their advancement into the Semi-Finals was not a matter of luck. Led by the 6 goals of Mounir Al Hamdoaui and the solid play of their captain, defender Jan Vertonghen, they were not to be brushed off lightly. Their opponents, Manchester United, were also going through their own grievances domestically, with the highest they could realistically place was 3rd, their current position, behind leaders Tottenham and Chelsea. The English champions and beaten finalists last year, they were yearning for European gold, and their manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, once again highlighted the importance of the competition in an interview before the match. However, their talisman and best player, Wayne Rooney, was suspended for the first leg in Amsterdam, but they did have Javier Hernandez, who had notched up 8 goals in 8 appearances in the competition.

The 1st Leg was owned by Manchester United, and Hernandez, specifically, who netted a brace before Vidic added a 3rd to give them the 3-0 victory. It was not a day to remember by the Dutch, with Toby Alderwield sent off in the 18th minute and GK Veneer picking up a minor injury that ruled him out for the next 5 to 7 days. Hernandez picked up the MotM, but his partner upfront, Dimi Berbatov, played a big role in the victory, as well, distributing 2 assists.

The 2nd Leg was another victory for United, who ended up winning the game 2-0, and the matchup 5-0 on aggregate. Goals by Cleverley and Evans in the second half confirmed United’s dominance, but Wayne Rooney, back after his suspension, picked up an injury that sent him out of the game. It was later determined to be a thigh strain that would rule him out for about a week, but he would still be able to participate in the rematch against Barcelona.

Semi-Final: Barcelona vs. Shakhtar

The surprise of the competition, Shakhtar, found itself facing the heavy favorites to win it, Barcelona, in the Semi-Finals. Both had been impressive in the leadup to this matchup, especially in the previous rounds against Dortmund and Napoli, respectively, and both were set to retain their domestic league titles. Shakhtar had been led by its Braziians (Luiz Adriano, Fernandinho, Willian, and Jadson), while Barcelona featured the best players in the world in Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Villa, and Alexis Sanchez.

The 1st Leg in Donetsk was an extremely even affair, and it was only an own goal by Rybka that gave Barcelona the 2-1 victory. Messi hit the net first in the 53rd minute, but it was countered by Luiz Adriano’s 69th minute strike that equalized the match. Iniesta was again a magician in the middle of the park, winning the MotM and notching up his 5th assist of the competition.

It was Messi again in the 2nd Leg at the Nou Camp who shone brightest, scoring a sensational hat-trick that ended the Shakhtar’s fantastic run. The hat-trick also brought Messi’s total goals scored this season in the competition to 14 goals, equaling the record set by Altafini of AC Milan in 1962/63, and he was still to play in the Finals. Jonathan Soriano was the other scorer as Barcelona won the return leg 4-1, winning 6-2 on aggregate.

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2011/2012 Season Review

Blue Square South: 1st , Champions (Automatic Promotion)
FA Trophy: Champions
FA Cup: 3rd Round, lost to Preston North End 4-1


Season Review

The media had us finishing 14th in the pre-season, so to come and just storm the Blue Square South, winning by 15 points, was quite satisfying to the ego. Not only that, but we led the league in both Goals Scored and Goals Conceded (83 and 34), with the latter being especially rewarding as I love me a good defensive team. Obviously, the Blue Square Premier will be a different animal all together, but the few times we faced BSP teams this year, we won each game, so I am confident going into next season.

We did well in the FA Cup, which was good because we needed the money. There was a point in the season where the bank account started seeing red, but an activated clause here and some cup victories there, and we were back in business.

Along with winning the BSS, the FA Trophy was really fun, because with it came huge financial rewards. The championship game at Wembley was a huge boost for the club, with 50k coming from winning the competition and a massive amount coming from the tickets sold to 24,000 fans that showed up.

Overall, a manager couldn’t ask for more. We ended my first season in charge winning the competitions we were in (save for the FA Cup, ofcourse), and we turned in over 250k worth of profit. I would love to see what that is going to accumulate to in terms of Transfer Budget the following season as I have my eyes on a couple of youth players that, unfortunately, I would have to pay compensation if I signed.

Overall Team Stats

Transfer Market:


There were quite a few transfers in and out this year, as one might expect, but oddly enough, I wouldn’t consider any of them ones that made my season what it is, with one exception: Scot Thompson. The other important additions to the squad were Thomas Ryan, Jordan Bowen, Mark Ferry, and Jonny Brain.

Of the players that left, none were notable except for young Nicholas Ahmed, who I do kind of regret letting go. He was sold for 24k, and I later recouped another 60k from the transfer clause that went with his sale. The fact that he is now worth almost 500k bugs me a little, but I cannot deny that the immediate financial relief afforded by his sale was also appreciated.



Key Players:


Elliot Law: Perhaps our most important player, and to think he was in the U18 when I took over! His 21 goals in the league were crucial, and his contributions across the board were heavily relied on. He only just turned 18, and I’m sure some bigger clubs will come poaching around soon, but I will try to hang on to this one for as long as I can.

Scot Thompson: The American was the best free agent pickup of the season by far, and was the foundation that our solid defense was built upon. His numbers say it all: 4.53 Tackles Per Game, 7.38 AR, 9 MotM, and he is still 31, so he’s got at least one or two more seasons playing at this level. He played most of his games at the right back position.



Notable Youths:


Elliot Law: See Above.

Thomas Ryan: Scot Thompson’s partner in the back, he was a free agent pickup and did a superb job at the center of the defense this season. He is 19, and he improved dramatically during the season, so we’re hoping for more of that.

Jordan Bowen Another free agent pickup, he was initially slotted at left wing before I moved him to the center of the pitch, where he truly thrived. Led the team in overall appearances and assists, and still only 20!

Steve Manning: A Bromley youth product, the 18 year old was doing well as the right winger of the squad before breaking his foot, ruling him out of the last 4 months. Regardless, unless we have some notable signing come in, the right wing position remains his to lose going into next season.

Dwayne Benjamin: The starting left back, and perhaps the most unheralded and underrated player on the side. He finished the season only 17 years old, but was remarkably consistent. His development was also rapid, so more is expected of him as we push into a higher division.

Andrew Roscoe: Initially, I was not too keen on this youngster, but he grew on me, ending the season as our starting left winger. He was second on the team in assists behind Bowen, and also averaged over 2 Tackles per Game and Dribbles per Game, showing good versatility.

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CHAMPIONS CUP FINAL 2012: Barcelona vs. Manchester United (Allianz Arena)

In the rematch of the 2011 Finals, Barcelona went into this match having sealed the 2012 La Liga title, whereas Manchester United had disappointingly relinquished their Premiership title to Tottenham and came in 3rd in the table. Lionel Messi was at his sublime best, needing only 1 more goal to break Altafini’s 50 year old record of most goals in a single season. He had 14, and if his form continued as it had been, he was surely to be the new record holder. Barcelona was without Javier Mascherano, who was suspended, and had lost Sergio Busquets and Dani Alves to injuries. As for Manchester, they had their full team intact, and despite their disappointment in the Premier League, they were still a force to behold on the continent. Led by Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez, they had the firepower to match Barcelona, and their solidity in defense behind Vidic was also indisputable. In fact, they had conceded only 4 goals in 12 matches, and had won 11 of those games and drawn one, while Barcelona had won 10 and drawn two. This was a matchup between the 2 most impressive teams in the competition this season.

Manchester United struck first through Wayne Rooney in the 22nd minute, but after that, it was all Barcelona. An own goal by David De Gea equalized the game right before the end of the first half, and the second half belonged to the best player on the planet, Lionel Messi. He broke the record, delivering 2 goals, bringing his tally up to 16 goals, and won the MotM to boot. His excellent performance was capped by his last second penalty, which he converted and sealed the 3-1 victory for his club. Barcelona became the first team since AC Milan in 1990 to win back to back titles, bringing the number of times Barcelona had won the most prestigious competition in club football to 5 times.


Best Player: Lionel Messi, Barcelona - 15 Apps, 16 Goals, 2 Asts, 7 MotM, 8.14 AR

Leading Goalscorer: Lionel Messi, 16 Goals

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EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2012 - UKRAINE AND POLAND

GROUP A PREVIEW

The obvious favorites to qualify out of the group are, of course, the Italians. After their World Cup 2010 fiasco, the team made short work out of the qualifying group under their new manager, Cesare Prandelli. Motivated and playing an aggressive brand of football, they are quietly one of the favorites to win the competition. The other three teams, including the co-hosts, Ukraine, will be battling for what should be the 2nd place. Russia overcame Belarus in the play-offs to qualify for the competition, and Sweden barely squeaked by Montenegro.


ITALY: Italy’s strength lays in its backfield, with likes of Chiellini, Criscito, and Cassani (who has just completed a fantastic 2011/12 season with Fiorentina), but they are almost just as strong in the midfield. Pirlo represents the old guard amongst new faces, which include Antonio Candreva and Riccardo Montilivo. Up front, the one to watch is obviously Mario Balotelli, who will be joined by Pazzini and 34 year old Antonio Di Natale, who led Udinese to their first ever Seria A title this past season, netting in 13 goals in the process.


UKRAINE: For the Ukraine, their campaign will depend on how far their Shakhtar boys will take them. Andriy Pyatov, their starting GK, defender Dmytro Chygrynyskyi, and striker Eugene Seleznyov are their most important players, and all play for the Ukrainian champions, who also advanced to the Semi-Finals of the Champions Cup before being defeated by Barcelona.


SWEDEN: This is a team that has, perhaps, underachieved the past few years, considering the talent at its disposal. AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahamovic (30 apps, 16 gls, 7 asts, 7.31) is the biggest name on the squad, and he will be joined by 25 year old Ola Toivenen (25 apps, 13 gls), whom Dortmund paid almost 6 million for in the January window. Kim Kallstrom (29 apps, 4 gls, 4 asts, 7.22) of newly crowned French champions Lyonnais will play behind the front two. Veteran Johan Elmander (25 apps, 15 gls) of Galatasaray will also play support.


RUSSIA: Potentially the dark horse of the group, Russia relies on its GK, Igor Akinfeev, and Zenit striker Alexandre Kerzhakov (28 apps, 11 gls) for its inspiration. Not a lot is none about the team, but one recognizable name is that of Anji left winger Yuri Zhrikov (29 apps, 7 gls, 8 asts, 7.38), who has had a brilliant season and looks to carry that over to the European Championship.

[abulezz]

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2012 - POLAND AND UKRAINE


GROUP STAGES

GROUP A: Italy, Sweden, Ukraine, Russia

Everything was thrown out of order after the first matchday, with Italy losing to Sweden 3-0 and the co-hosts defeating Russia 4-0. Dinamo Moscow’ 32 year old striker Andriy Voronin, and Ukraine captain, hit a brace, while the Swedes firepower was too much for a mediocre Italian team to handle. Italy’s problems became more apparent after another 3-0 loss, this time to the Ukraine, in the second matchday, ended their hopes and crashed them out of the tournament. Voronin hit another brace, bringing his total to a competition leading 4 goals. Sweden would defeat Russia 1-0, making the co-hosts and the Swedes the first 2 teams to qualify into the Quarter-Finals in the tournament. The Italians ended their miserable campaign with a 2-0 loss to the Russians, leaving them having scored 0 goals and gotten 0 points. The Ukraine got all 9 points after their 3-0 victory over the Swedes, finishing top of the group, with Yarmalenko hitting a brace and bringing his total to 3 goals in the tournament, and Ukraine’s total to 10 goals in 3 matches.



GROUP B: Portugal, Denmark, Turkey, Poland

Despite losing their first game to Poland, Turkey came back and defeated Denmark, who drew with the Portuguese 0-0 in the first matchday, by a resounding scoreline for 4-1, with Umut Bulut (28 apps, 14 gls) of Toulouse FC hitting a brace to lead them to victory. Danny nailed in a brace to give Portugal the victory of the co-hosts, and Cristiano Ronaldo also netted his first goal of the tournament in the 3-1 win. Heading into the final matchday, Portugal would face Turkey needing only a draw to qualify. In a wild final matchday, the Turks defeated the Portuguese 2-1, leaving them with 6 points and top of the group. Poland needed a draw against Denmark to ensure qualification, but they lost 3-1, sending both the Danes and the co-hosts crashing out.



GROUP C: England, Holland, France, Slovenia

In one of the most anticipated matchups of the group stages, England came out 1-0 winners against World Cup finalists Holland, with Wayne Rooney hitting the only goal of the match. France was upset by Slovenia 4-2 in the first matchday, with Jimmy Briand scoring 2 for the French. It was AA Gent’s 28 year old striker Zlatan Ljubijankic (31 apps, 14 gls) and 23 year old PSV striker Tim Matavz (26 apps, 12 gls) who both hit braces against their favored opponents, with the latter winning the MotM. The Slovenians would not have the same luck against the English, however, who would win 3-1 in the second matchday. Rooney would hit his 2nd goal of the tournament, and Rio Ferdinand would win the MotM. Holland and France fought it out to a 1-1 draw, sending England into the Quarter-Finals after two matches. In the final matchday, both matches ended with 1-1 draws, ensuring that unlikely Slovenia would qualify alongside the English and the Dutch and French crash out.



GROUP D: Spain, Germany, Ireland, Croatia

Germany’s intentions were known in their first match against the defending champions, Spain, running 3-0 winners in a lopsided match. Mario Gotze (30 apps, 13 gls, 16 asts, 17 motm, 8.19), the 20 year old breakout star of Dortmund, won the MotM and scored the 3rd goal in their victory. Spain would make things right against the Croatians, defeating them 2-1 thanks to a Torres brace that canceled out Olic’s 2nd goal of the tournament. Germany would disappoint in their second match, however, drawing with Ireland 1-1, with Ozil scoring and Toni Kroos taking the MotM. The Irish would only garner 1 point from their first two matches, with Spain as their competition in the final matchday of the group stages. After such an impressive start against the champions, the Germans disappointingly crashed out of the tournament in the group stages, losing to the Croatians 2-1. Olic’s 3rd goal of the tournament sent the Croatians through, but it was Drijo Srna, the captain of the team, that won the MotM.

[abulezz]

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2012 - POLAND AND UKRAINE


QUARTER FINALS

Ukraine vs. Portugal

The Ukrainian team came into this match having scored 10 goals in the group stages, with Andriy Voronin and Andriy Yarmolenko each scoring 4 of them. Their defense was also top notch, conceding no goals in their impressive victories, including a 3-0 drubbing against the Italians. The Portuguese were not so impressive – they qualified in 2nd place after losing to the Turks, and save for Cristiano Ronaldo, Danny, and their GK Rui Patricio, their team was not performing up to standard. The co-hosts, however, would finally meet their match, losing 2-1 to the 2004 finalists, despite a 5th goal from Yarmolenko. The captain of the Portuguese side, Ronaldo, nailed in his 3rd goal of the tournament and also captured the MotM award for his performance, leading his team into the Semi-Finals.

Portugal: 2 (Meireles, Ronaldo)
Ukraine: 1 (Yarmolenko)




Sweden vs. Turkey

Sweden continued their fantastic form in the Quarter-Finals, defeating an inferior Turkish (atleast on the day) team 2-0 in a match they controlled. What was surprising about this Swedish team was that its bigger names (Ibrahamovic, Kallstrom, Toivenen) were playing second fiddle to Alexandre Farnerud, Victor and Rasmus Elm, with Farnerud delivering his team leading 3rd goal of the tournament in the match. Ibrahamovic had scored only 1 in his four appearances, and Kallstrom put this game away by scoring the 2nd goal of the match, and his first of the tournament, in the 62nd minute. Viktor Elm took the MotM award, delivering an assist and an 8.6 AR.

Sweden: 2 (Farnerud, Kallstrom)
Turkey: 0





England vs. Croatia

Both teams had qualified out of tough groups, with England knocking out France and Holland, and Croatia qualifying with Spain over Germany. Both teams had looked solid in the lead up to this game, but it was England who had a little more in them, winning the game 1-0 thanks to a 9th minute Crouch goal. Although Croatia owned more of the possession (53%) and had 11 shots on goal compared to England’s 6 shots, England made more of it. Truth be told, it was a rather poor match with no outstanding performers and some mediocre football being played. John Terry, England’s captain, was sent off in the 49th minute with a straight red card for an ill-advised tackle, but Croatia were still not able to put them away. Croatia had some good performers during the tournament, namely Darijo Srna, Ivica Olic, and Dinamo’s 23 year old left back Luis Ibanez. The MotM was won by Frank Lampard.

England: 1 (Crouch)
Croatia: 0





Spain vs. Slovenia

Slovenia had done to make it this far, qualifying out of the toughest group over France and Holland, but their run came to an end against the defending champions, who won 1-0 thanks to a Sergio Ramos goal. Although the offense of Spain was not quite clicking on all cylinders this match, their defense was as sturdy as ever, led by Ramos and MotM winner Gerard Pique. The Slovenians certainly turned some heads during the tournament, especially PSV’s 23 year old striker Tim Matavz, who ended the tournament having scored 3 goals in 4 appearances. As for Spain, despite advancing to the Semi-Finals, they just had not impressed the way they should have up to this point in the tournament.

Spain: 1 (Ramos)
Slovenia: 0

SEMI FINALS

Portugal vs. Spain

The Iberian Peninsula teams had both stumbled, for lack of a better word, into the Semi-Finals, and in continuing with the general atmosphere of the last couple of matches, this was a generally dull and monotonous affair. The Portuguese were led by Cristiano Ronaldo, who had contributed 3 goals in his 4 appearances, and Man City midfielder Danny, who had scored 2 goals. Their GK, Rui Patricio, was also having a fantastic tournament, but the same could not be said about the back four in front of him, as they had conceded 4 goals in 4 games. For Spain, the opposite was true. Their back four, along with starting GK Pepe Reina, had conceded only 1 goal, but it was their offense that was working, with the exception of Fernando Torres and his 3 goals.

As stated, this was not the prettiest of matches, ending in a 0-0 draw before going to penalties, where Portugal missed their last 3 penalties and Pique converted his to seal the win and advance Spain into the Finals for the second consecutive tournament. Raul Albiol, who had received a red card earlier in the tournament, won the MotM, and featured in another stellar Spanish defense, which had now conceded only 1 goal in 5 games. Despite scoring 3 goals, this was a generally disappointing tournament for Cristiano Ronaldo, and the same could be said for Spain’s dynamic midfield, including Xavi and Iniesta.

Spain: 0 (won 5-3 on penalties)
Portugal: 0





England vs. Sweden

Sweden had been very impressive going into this match, and save for their last affair against Croatia, England had also been the same. Both teams looked very dangerous in the group stages, despite Sweden’s heavy 3-0 to the Ukraine, and both looked capable of winning this match. Sweden were getting solid performances for Viktor and Rasmus Elm, both midfielders, and Alexandre Farnerud, who had scored 3 goals in 4 matches. As for England, they Frank Lampard was shining in the midfied, and although they were without John Terry because of his suspension, their defense was had only conceded 2 goals in the last 4 matches.

When it was all said and done, England showed they were in a different class than the Swedes, defeating them 3-0 enroute to their Finals matchup with Spain. They were simply the better team, winning 55% of the possession, and getting 19 shots off. After the disappointment of the last few matches, this was a highly entertaining affair, and it was James Milner who won the MotM after a stellar performance in the midfield.

England: 3 (Lennon, Crouch, Bent)
Sweden: 0

[abulezz]

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2012 - POLAND AND UKRAINE


FINALS

Spain vs. England

Since getting embarrassed by Germany in the 1st matchday, Spain conceded 1 goal the rest of the way, thanks to solid defending led by their best player during the tournament, Gerard Pique. Their offense, however, had been lacking, scoring only 4 goals in the 5 matches they’ve played, and 3 of them coming from Fernando Torres. The rest of their defense (Carlos Poyul, Sergio Ramos, and Malaga’s left back Natxo Monreal) have made up for the disappointing performances of Xavi (6.60 AR) and David Villa (6.94 AR), both who did not record a single goal and assist. The English had performed better getting to the Finals – they had scored 9 goals and conceded only 2 goals, while winning all their matches except for a draw against France in the final day of matches in the group stages. Like the Spanish, their defense had been extremely solid, but going into this match, they were going to be without their captain and central defender John Terry (7.60 AR). Peter Crouch was their leading goalscorer with 3 goals, and Wayne Rooney was also having a good tournament, scoring 2 goals and an assist. Their best performer, however, was aging Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard (7.68), who had recorded 3 assists in the tournament.

The match, which took place at the NSC Olympicsyki Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine, started off in England’s favor, as they pushed and contained the ball in Spain’s half, but a Rio Ferdinand mistake guarded Gerard Pique on a corner gave Spain the 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute. Just under the 30th minute mark, Darren Bent had a goal ruled offside by the officials, and for the next fifteen minutes leading to the end of the first half, it was a battle in the center of the field by both teams. The second half was a boring affair, as Spain buckled down defensively, and although England threatened, captain and GK Iker Casillas had an answer for every shot, winning the MotM award along the way. The match would finish 1-0, in typical Spanish fashion this tournament, in an anti-climactic match that represented the tournament well; a lot of times slow and unentertaining. Nothing, however, could be taken away from Spain – they became the first team in the history of the competition to win back to back titles, and although they were not the most entertaining team, they knew how to win, which is all that really counted at the end.

Spain: 1 (Pique)
England: 0

OVERVIEW

The tournament, in many ways, failed to live up to expectations in terms of entertainment, with a lot of superstars failing to shine. In fact, one can argue that there was no real standout star at all, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, David Villa, etc., having solid tournaments but not spectacular. Instead, defenders like John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, and Gerard Pique were much more impressive. Not surprisingly, it was the latter that won the Best Player of the tournament, thanks to his stellar performances and his goal in the Finals that gave Spain the victory. The runners-up were teammate Andres Iniesta (2 assists, 7.60 AR), and Turkey’s Nuri Sahin (4 apps, 1 goal, 3 asts, 7.75), with Andriy Yarmolenko taking the Golden Boot with his 5 goals for the Ukraine.

Sweden were the definite overachievers and surprise package of the tournament, making the Semi-Finals while heavyweight teams like Italy and Germany crashed out in the group stages. Joachim Low, the coach of the latter, resigned of the tournament due to the unimpressive performance of his national side, despite their 20 year old star Mario Gotze playing some good football in the group stages. As stated before, there was no real standout star, although special mention has to be given to the Spanish back four for the great job they did, especially in the knockout stages. Andriy Voronin was the second leader scorer of the tournament with 4 goals, and 4 players (Lampard, Sahin , Croatia’s Srna, and Ukraine’s Polyovyi) all had 3 assists. The co-hosts Ukraine, despite being knocked out in the Quarter-Finals 2-1 by the Portuguese, pleased and impressed the crowds with their attacking football that won them many admirers in a defense oriented tournament. In the end, though, Spain were champions in a tournament that was, with some exceptions, representative of the way they played – cautious and defensive.


WINNER: Spain, 1-0 vs. England
BEST PLAYER: Gerard Pique (Spain), followed by Andres Iniesta (Spain) and Nuri Sahin (Turkey)
LEADING GOALSCORER: Andriy Yarmolenko (Ukraine) with 5 goals, followed by Andriy Voronin (Ukraine) with 4 goals.

[abulezz]

PREMIER LEAGUE REVIEW 2011/2012

What more can be said about Harry Redknapp and his Tottenham side that soared to the Premiership title over the likes of giants Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and newcomers Manchester City? Simply put, the outstanding midfield play of Luka Modric (35 Aps, 7 Gls, 11 Asts, 7 MotM, 7.65) and Rafael Van der Vaart (29 Aps, 8 Gls, 7 Asts, 7.50), along with loanee Emmanuel Adebayor (28 Aps, 20 Gls) provided the right combination to propel them to the first title in 51 years. Their Player of the Year, and 2012 English Footballer of the Year, was Gareth Bale (32 Aps, 7 Gls, 13 Asts, 10 MotM, 7.77), however. His play down the left wing provided countless opportunities for his team to score, but it was not only his offense that shone – he averaged 1.73 Tackles per Game, showing a willingness to get back and defend when he needed to. Redknapp was crowned his finest achievement in his storied career, while Bale, just 22 years old, was propelled to the upper echelon of world stars. As a team, they were 2nd in the Premier League in goals scored with 65 (behind Man Utd’s 73), and 1st in goals conceded, with 34 goals.

Manchester United, by all accounts, had a disappointing season by their lofty standards, placing only 3rd in the Premier League and losing 3-1 to Barcelona in the Champions Cup Finals for the 2nd straight season. Although they were the most dangerous team in the Premier League upfront, with Javier Hernandez (29 Aps, 15 Gls) and Wayne Rooney (28 Aps, 17 Gls, 7 Asts, 8 MotM, 7.90) both playing up to expectations, the team fell short in nearly every aspect on the field. Their midfield was inconsistent, with the likes of Nani (15 Aps, 6 Asts) injured since January with a broken leg, and 16 million signing Ashley Young in and out of the squad. Defensively, Rio Ferdinand (27 Aps, 4.81 TpG, 7.47) and Nemanja Vidic (27 Aps, 4.98 TpG, 7.37) showed their usual class, but Patrice Evra and the rest of the full backs were in the same category as the midfield – inconsistent.

Chelsea, who placed 2nd in the Premier League under first year coach under first year coach Andres Villas-Boas, were happy with their position in a transitional season. They were also happy with the breakout season of Nigerian midfielder Jon Obi Mikel (26 Aps, 6 Asts, 5.40 TpG, 7.62), who anchored the Chelsea midfield and delivered strong performances night after night. The 25 year old turned in one of the best seasons by any player in the 2011/2012 campaign, which earned him the 2011 African Player of the Year award, as well. One of the major signings of the season was Hulk (16 Aps, 6 Gls), who cost Chelsea 17 million but struggled at times in his first season in the Premiership. More would be expected of him in the coming season. Frank Lampard (36 Aps, 8 Gls, 14 Asts, 6 MotM, 7.71), Mikel’s partner in the middle of the field, delivered another vintage season as he was named in the 2012 Select Team as well as the 2012 Champions Cup Dream Team. Their leading goalscorer was Fernando Torres (22 Aps, 12 Gls), who again disappointed with inconsistent form that frustrated both his coach and the fans.

Arsenal’s 4th place finish was in line with the expectations of the season, although they can be proud of Leighton Baines (35 Aps, 7 Asts, 7.73), who cost them 15.25 million at the beginning of the season, and the campaign he had. The left back cemented himself as England’s starting full back on the left, and was Arsenal’s Player of the Year, also being named in the 2012 Select Team. Marouane Chamakh (30 Aps, 17 Gls) was their leading scorer up front, finding solid form that eluded him in the first season as an Arsenal player. Gervinho (29 Aps, 8 Gls, 7.33) also delivered a fine season in his debut campaign with the club. Arsene Wenger resigns as manager of Arsenal in July 2012, stating the need for a change both for the club and on a personal level. A few days later, the club announces the hiring of Louis Van Gaal as the new manager at the Emirates Stadium. The 60 year old Dutchman left Bayern in April of 2011, before returning back to the job with Arsenal.

After a disastrous 2010/11 campaign, Liverpool made some amends this year, finishing 5th in their first full season under Kenny Dalglish. Luis Suarez (27 Aps, 18 Gls) was their Player of the Year, and they were happy to finish above an expensive and underachieving Manchester City side, who disappointingly only managed 6th place. Expensive signings such as Sergio Aguero and Danny, along with Edin Dzeko and David Silva, had decent but unspectacular campaigns that did not impress City’s owners. Everton, who started the season in scintillating form, ended up finishing in 7th place, with no real standout performers, it was Tim Cahill who once again won their Player of the Year award. Just after the season, in the beginning of the summer, Everton were taken over by local businessman John Moules, who promised an injection of cash into the club. West Brom, under the leadership of Roy Hodgson, exceeded all expectations and finished 8th, with defender Jonas Olsson capturing their Player of the Year, ahead of 9th place Fulham and 10th place Sunderland. Bobby Zamora had an exceptional season for Fulham, scoring 19 goals in 36 appearances. In terms of underachievers, Aston Villa finished 15th place, leading to the sacking Alex McLeish in December, but his replacement Michael Laudrup was unable to improve on the squad. Alan Pardew was sacked in late November with Newcastle languishing in 17th place and was replaced by Alan Shearer. It was no better under Shearer, and Newcastle ended up in 20th place, relegated from the Premiership alongside Wigan and QPR.

Gareth Bale was the best player in the Premiership last campaign, and right behind him were Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard. The players voted on Luka Modric for the Player’s Player of the Year, and the Golden Glove went to Chelsea’s Petr Cech for the 3rd time in his career, equaling Pepe Reina’s record. Arsenal signing from Everton Marouane Fellaini (32 Aps, 7 Gls, 6 Asts, 7.42) was voted as the Young Player of the Year, and Adebayor led the goalscoring charts with 20 goals. The Manager of Year was, ofcourse, Harry Redknapp, who finished ahead of Roy Hodgson and Sir Alex Ferguson in the voting. Other notable performers who made the Select Team were Bryan Ruiz (34 Aps, 11 Gls, 9 Asts, 7.17), Fulham’s Costa Rican right midfielder, and Stoke’s Irish right back Marc Wilson.

[abulezz]

EUROPEAN U19 CHAMPIONSHIP - ESTONIA

Of the perennial European U19 heavyweights, only France, who have won the competition 7 times before, were in action, with likes of England, Germany, Italy, and holders Spain all missing. The French qualified out of the Group Stages along with Poland, knocking out the Portuguese and Scotland, while in the other group, it was Turkey and Austria who qualified to the Semi-Finals, knocking out Greece and the hosts, Estonia. The Turkish duo of Cem Yazici and Adili Endogan, playing for Galatasary and Grasshoppers, respectively, were AR leaders in the group stages, with the latter leading all goalscorers with 3 goals. France’s Raphael Varane and Lucas Digne also performed well in the Group Stages.

A hat-trick by Austria’s Marco Stark gave them a 3-2 victory over heavily favored France, while Endogan added to his tally against Poland in the other Sem-Final to give Turkey the 2-1 win, setting up a Finals showdown between Austria and Turkey. The Le Coq Arena, with 2,057 in attendance, in the Estonian capital of Tallinn played host to the surprising Austrian victory over Turkey, who saw Yazici injured in the 24th minute. This was Austria’s 2nd time winning the competition, with the first time coming 1950. Still, individually, it was the Turks that impressed, especially leading goalscorer Endogan, who also finished top of the Average Rating list with 8.02.

[abulezz]

OLYMPIC GAMES 2012 - GREAT BRITIAN

Two time defending champions Argentina would not participate, and thus would give chance to a new champion to be crowned in London. It would not be the hosts, who crashed out along with Ivory Coast to Australia and Mexico in Group A, while in Group C, Brazil made short work of their competition, justifying their title as pre-tournament favorites. Switzerland were the surprise team of the Group Stages, topping Group D over Uruguay, Cameroon, and South Korea. Ghana won all three of their Group B matches, qualifying alongside an unimpressive Costa Rican team over Japan and Belarus. Spain made it through on the last day of action in the Group Stages, joining Brazil, while Uruguay would qualify 2nd to the Swiss. Mexico’s Javier Hernandez impressed, scoring 5 goals in just 3 games for the Mexicans, leading all scorers, but it was Costa Rica’s Bryan Ruiz (Fulham) who had a 8.43 AR to lead all players.

In the Quarter-Finals, the impressive Ghanaian side lined up against Australia, and it was the latter who came out convincing 3-0 victors, thanks to a goal and a MotM performance by Massimo Luongo. Uruguay caused the other upset, defeating their neighbors Brazil 2-1 thanks to goals by Suarez (Liverpool) and left winger Ramirez (Bologna). Mexico made short work of Costa Rica, with Javier Hernandez nailing a brace to bring his tally to 7 goals in the competition, and Spain defeated Switzerland 3-0, with European Championship hero Gerard Pique winning the MotM.

Against Uruguay, Spain again recorded a 3-0 win, and again it was their captain, Gerard Pique, who delivered the MotM performance that sent them into the Finals. They had 3 players who had 3 goals each: Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona), Emilio Nsue (Mallorca), and Rodrigo (Benfica), while Thiago (Barcelona) led the assists charts with 4 assists. They would face the Mexican team in the Finals, who defeated Australia 2-0 thanks to another Javier Hernandez brace, who had now scored a record 9 goals in the tournament. 22 year old left back Darvin Chavez (Monterrey) also was having a good tournament for the Mexicans, with 2 assists recorded. In the Finals, In the Finals, Jorge Enriquez (Chivas), the Mexican midfielder, would score a goal and win the MotM as Mexico defeated favorites Spain 2-0 in what can be classified as an upset. Truthfully, however, the Mexicans had been impressive from the start, winning all their matches and only conceding 1 goal in the entire tournament. Not only was this Mexico’s first time winning the tournament – it was also the first time they had participated in the Finals. Cesc Fabregas as the most impressive player in the tournament, getting an 8.25 AR.

[abulezz]

BROMLEY PRE-SEASON 2012/13

The media had us predicted to finish 22nd place, so that would mean we were to be in a relegation dogfight, but I expected differently from us. With the level of talent we had, and the players I managed to pick up, I would be disappointed if we did battle for a promotion place this campaign. Secretly, I was hoping for a second consecutive 1st place finish and earning that automatic promotion! A manager can dream, right? I was encouraged by the friendlies we played, which included a 3-0 victory over Portsmouth! Our finances were as solid as ever, with 220k in the coffers. I did not sell anyone of note during the preseason, but I did make some key signings. In news outside of Bromley, the only real shock transfer was Sergio Aguero switching to Chelsea for 39 million!

MAJOR TRANSFERS

David Corrigan: I believe I found myself a real gem. Plucked him up from Eastbourne Boro for 9k in the preseason, the plan is to slot him alongside Elliot Law as an immediate starter. The best striker on the squad in terms of on paper ability.

Kevin Harris: Signed him from Corby for 5k, he looks set to be my starting right winger, and possibly see some time upfront as well. He is another who will be expected to contribute immediately despite his young age.

Laste Dombaxe: This 17 year old Angolan was a free agent signing, and looks to have the making of a real winger. Good speed (for this level), and high technical ability – hopefully some time on the pitch will speed up his development.

William Ekong: I am real happy I was able to convince this one to join the club – I feel he could be our best central defender. Good in the air, and good defensive stats, I am expecting good things from him.

[abulezz]

PRE-SEASON TRANSFERS AND HAPPENINGS 2012/13

Arsene Wenger resigned as manager of Arsenal, stating that it was time for both the club and himself to move on to new challenges. A few days after his resignation in July, the club announced Louis Van Gaal as their new man in charge.

Joachim Low resigned from his post as head of the German national team after a disappointment Euro 2012 tournament saw them crash out in the first round. Jupp Heynckes, the former Bayern Munich manager who was sacked in the middle of last campaign, took over the job of leading Germany into the World Cup 2014 in Brazil.

Sergio Aguero was bought by Chelsea from Manchester City just one year after his move from Athletico Madrid for 39 million. The Argentine forward was reportedly far from happy at the Etihad Stadium, and the sale represented a recoup of the amount spent by Man City in buying him the season before.

Edison Cavani, who had scored 21 league goals and 29 total for Napoli in 2011/12, signs with Tottenham for just under 30 million in early August, filling a void for the English champions left by the departure of last season’s leading scorer, Emmanue Adebayor.

Marek Hamsik joins Arsenal for 21.5 million in late August, representing new coach Louis Van Gaal’s first major signing as the club’s manager. The midfielder was let go by his former club after a disappointing season that saw them drop from 3rd place in the Serie A to 13th place.

The other big transfers of the pre-season were Juan Manual Vargas (16.5m) moving from Fiorentina to Marseille; Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, the 23 year old French right back, moved from Montpelier to Fiorentina for 14m; Diego Renan, the 22 year old Brazilian left back, also moved to Fiorentina from Cruzeiro for 13.5 million.

[abulezz]

BROMLEY 2012/13 - OCTOBER UPDATE

Simply put, it has been a great start to the season (up till the end of October), and like a silently expected, we are competing not only for a promotion, but for 1st place, as well. The 6-1 away victory against Gainsborough was sublime – we had hat-tricks from both young strikers, Elliot Law and Danny Corrigan. Honestly, the only disappointing result was losing at home to Dag & Red, where we basically threw away the first half and conceded a penalty very early in the second. Stockport has been impressive, but there is no reason we should not keep this up and hope for them to throw away points. I definitely think a first place finish is possible.

In terms of the players, new signing David Corrigan and our stud from last year Elliot Law were doing an amazing job upfront. Scot Thompson, who was now our captain, was also solid in the back, but perhaps I was most surprised by the performances of Laste Dombaxe. He had made the right wing position his own, keeping the likes of Steve Manning and Keith Harris at bay. Even though he was doing alright, I expected more from William Ekong, though. His talent suggests that he be one of our top players, but he was not, at least not yet.

OTHER EVENTS

- Arsene Wenger takes over the French national team after Laurent Blanc is sacked following the disappointing performance in the Euro 2012 Championship. At the end of October, he had the team level with world champions Spain in Qualifying Group 9, having taken 7 points from 4 matches.

- Bordeaux sack Claude Puel in late October, with the club in 17th place, less than a year after hiring him to replace Francis Gillot (currently at Auxerre). After taking over from Gillot, Puel led Bordeaux from 14th place all the way to 7th place, but the terrible start to the season saw Bordeaux owner Jean-Louis Triaud grow impatient, finally handing Puel his walking papers after a 5-1 loss to Stade Brestois 29. Rene Girard is hired a few days afterwards, just a couple of weeks after he had resigned at Montpelier.

[crouchaldinho]

Nice work with Bromley so far, abulezz.

I've always had a soft spot for Bromley for some reason. When my IRL favourite club, St. Albans City, used to be in the BSBS, it was one away trip I used to do most seasons. Have you ever been to their ground?

Have you read The Bromley Boys BTW? It's a really entertaining read! I thought I would mention it as you are managing them.

[abulezz]

We're in mid-December, currently top of the BSP by 6 points I just wanted to show the progress of Elliot year from mid 2012 to the end of 2012. Notice how he's dominating the BSP!

[abulezz]

MAJOR MANAGER MOVEMENT 2012/13 - JANUARY

Arsene Wenger takes over the French national team after Laurent Blanc (who subsequently retired from football) is sacked following the disappointing performance in the Euro 2012 Championship. At the end of October, he had the team level with world champions Spain in Qualifying Group 9, having taken 7 points from 4 matches.

Bordeaux sack Claude Puel in late October, with the club in 17th place, less than a year after hiring him to replace Francis Gillot (currently at Auxerre). After taking over from Gillot, Puel led Bordeaux from 14th place all the way to 7th place, but the terrible start to the season saw Bordeaux owner Jean-Louis Triaud grow impatient, finally handing Puel his walking papers after a 5-1 loss to Stade Brestois 29.

After leading his squad to a 4th place finish in 2011/12, Edoardo Reja was sacked by Lazio chairman Claudio Lotito in early November 2012 for failing to live up to the expectations set by last season’s success. Lazio had disappointingly found themselves in 11th place, and 1-0 loss to rivals Roma, the chairman sacked Reja the same night. Massimo Ficcadenti was hired in his place, formerly the Cagliari manager.

Antoine Kombouare was sacked by AS Monaco, barely 6 months into the job. After sacking Marco Simone despite promoting them from the Ligue 2, Kombouare led the team to only 2 wins in 13 games. It was Claude Puel, the former Bordeaux manager, who was sacked around 2 weeks ago in late October, who was hired, despite failing to impress at Bordeaux this season.

Quique Flores was sacked by Malaga in a move that surprised very little, after the club slumped to 14th place in early November. The club’s new Qatari owners had spent a lot of money bringing new players to the squad, but the results were still inconsistent, and the club’s recent downward spiral in form was the last straw. As his replacement, Vincenzo Montella was hired to try and lead the club into European football, which was the initial aim for the owners.

West Bromwich sacked Roy Hodgson unceremoniously, despite having led them to 8th place in 2011/12 and coming in 2nd in the Manager of the Year award. The club was in 16th place, having won 4 games out of 13, 4 points from the relegation zone. The club hired Steve Clarke in early December from West Ham United.

Sunderland decided to part ways with Steve Bruce in early December after falling to 19th place in the Premier League. Niall Quinn, the owner of Sunderland, announced the decision a day after losing 3-0 to Manchester City. Brendan Rodgers was hired in his place from Swansea, charged with the feat of leading Sunderland out of the relegation zone and into safety.

Thomas Schaaf was sacked Werder Bremen after disappointing performances both in Bundesliga and the European Champions Cup. Despite leading the club to a 3rd place finish in 2011/12, their horrendous form in the Champions Cup, where they lost 8-5 to Ajax and 6-3 to Udinese, played a major role in the decision to let him go. It was Markus Babbel who was hired from Hertha BSC by the club to replace Schaaf, after leading them to promotion during the 2011/12. In turn, Hertha BSC hired Marco Pezzaiuoli, who last managed Hoffenheim before leaving in June of 2011.

In a shocking decision, Jupp Heynckes retired from the German national team and football in early December, citing health reasons. The 67 year old manager won the Bundesliga 4 times during the 1970s with Gladbach as a player, and as a manager, he lifted the European Champions Cup with Real Madrid in 1998. Most recently, he was in charge of Bayern Munich before leading the Germans to the top spot in the World Cup Qualifying Group 3 in the 6 months he was in charge of the team. The man responsible for leading Dortmund to back to back titles, Jurgen Klopp, was offered the job, which he accepted, leaving the faltering champions in 12th place after a disappointing season for them. It was Matthias Sammer, who had been leading Wolfsburg to 2nd place in the Bundesliga charts, who took over the Dortmund job, resigning from the latter club to head the defending champions. Sammer, who took over from Felix Magath in November of 2011 and led Wolfsburg to a 9th place finish in the German top division in 2011/12, stated the opportunity to take lead the champions back to glory was an opportunity he could not pass up on. Wolfsburg, however, quickly hired newly available Andre Villas-Boas, who had been let go by Chelsea, easing the pain of losing a well-liked manager.

Owen Coyle resigned as Bolton’s manager in mid-December 2012 after the club fell to 16th place in the English Premier League, citing the need for a change at the club. Bolton struggled throughout the season, barely staying out of the relegation zone, and the pressure finally got to the manager, who announced his resignation after 2-0 to Chelsea. After getting sacked by Sunderland earlier in the month, Steve Bruce took over as Bolton manager on December 15th, 2013.

On December 15th 2013, Roman Abrahamovich sacked Andre Villas-Boas as Chelsea manager after the club found itself in 8th place. Despite finishing 2nd in 2011/12, getting knocked out in the 2nd round by eventual champions Barcelona in the 2nd Round of the Champions Cup and the subsequent loss of form in the 2012/13 season was reason enough for the owner to let the young Portuguese manager go. What came next was perhaps the real surprise – instead of going for an expensive, celebrity manager, the owner of the club hired Tony Pulis away from Stoke, the man who had led them to an unimpressive 16th place in 2011/12, and was maintaining a mid-table presence at 9th this campaign. Stoke, in turn, hired Paul Lambert from Norwich at the end of December 2013.

[abulezz]

Fabio Capello Announces Retirement

On January 13th 2013, Fabio Capello announced his resignation from the managing the English national team and subsequent retirement from football, joining Jupp Heyneckes, who retired a few months back from the German national team. After leading England to the Finals at the Euro 2012 championships, the team was having some problems in its World Cup qualifying group, placing 2nd behind surprising Montenegro. Capello’s retirement was sudden, as most expected him to manage England through World Cup 2014 before announcing quitting football. Capello was one of the most decorated managers in recent history, winning the Serie A fives times (4 with AC Milan, once with Roma), the La Liga twice with Real Madrid, and lifted the European Champions Cup once in 1994 with AC Milan.

Champions Tottenham Bolster Squad at Beginning of January Window

In the first major transfer of the January window, Ryan Shawcross (20 Aps, 4.06 TpG, 7.11 in 2012/13) was signed by defending champions Tottenham from Stoke, where he had spent the last 5 years. The 25 year old England international defender, who had been capped 4 times, cost the champions 14 million pounds. Just a few days after the signing of Shawcross was completed, the champions continued their spending spree, bringing 26 year old Uruguayan GK Fernando Muslera for 15.5 million pounds from Galatasaray. Initially signed for just under 6 million from Lazio at the beginning of the 2011/12 season, the Turkish club decided to cash in on their prized asset. Tottenham’s manager, Harry Redknapp, signed him despite having a solid season from Brazilian Gomes, who had conceded only 11 goals in 13 games.

Arsenal Sign Argentinian Full-Back for 20.5 Million

Not to be outdone by their neighbors and rivals Tottenham in the transfer market, Arsenal signed Cristian Ansaldi, the 26 year old Argentinian full back, from Russian club Rubin for 20.5 million pounds. Ansaldi, who was in the 2012 Russian Premier Division Team of the Year, was new manager Louis Van Gaal’s 2nd major signing of the season, with the first being 21.5 million Marek Hamsik from Napoli. The club was only one point off of Manchester United and 1st place at the time of the signing.

Manchester City Signs Former Chelsea Russian Star

Manchester City completed the signing of former Chelsea left-back Yuri Zhirkov on January 20th, 2013, from Russian outfit Anji for 21 million pounds. The 29 year old Russian had spent a year and a half with Anji since being bought from Chelsea for 11.25 million in 2011, and was named in the 2012 Russian Premier Division Team of the Year, as well as being runner-up in the 2011 Russian Player of the Year award. He was also named Anji’s Player of the Year for 2011. The left-back, who is equally comfortable playing in the left wing position, was part of the Russian squad that crashed out in the group stages of the Euro 2012 Championships.

[abulezz]

Another Italian to Replace Capello as England Boss

After the retirement of Fabio Capello, the English FA announced the instatement of another Italian, Carlo Ancelotti, as manager of the English national side. The appointment was met with mixed feelings, as many felt that the position should have went to an Englishman, with Harry Redknapp being the favorite. In any case, England got one of the most successful managers in recent history to replace Capello, a legend in his own right, who resigned as Roma boss to head back to England. Ancelotti was formerly the manager of Chelsea from 2009 till 2011, winning the Premiership once and coming in 2nd place. After taking over Roma in December of 2011, he led the club to a 7th place finish in the 2011/12 season, as well as winning the Italian Cup. Roma were in 5th place in the Serie A when he took up the England job.

[abulezz]

Nice work with Bromley so far, abulezz.

I've always had a soft spot for Bromley for some reason. When my IRL favourite club, St. Albans City, used to be in the BSBS, it was one away trip I used to do most seasons. Have you ever been to their ground?

Have you read The Bromley Boys BTW? It's a really entertaining read! I thought I would mention it as you are managing them.

Didnt see your message there, sorry!

I have actually never been to the ground, but Ive developed a real soft spot for them. Google Earth street view took me around the neighborhood, looks like a nice little area

I have not read the Bromley Boys - where can I find it?

I hope you like the format Im using - mixing Bromley updates with world updates

[abulezz]

MID-SEASON UPDATE - 2012/13

We continue to impress, and 1st place is starting to look like a real possibility now. We have a game at hand and a 5 point advantage on Stockport, although the amount of goals we were conceding was becoming a worry. The ship was righted, however, and we started recording clean sheets more more often than not. The fact that we only have 3 losses at this point, having already played Stockport twice, helps – I really could see us ending the season with only 4 of 5 losses. Coventry beat us in the FA Cup, a tough draw really, but we’re still on track to retain the FA Trophy, so there is some reassurance in terms of financial benefits. Speaking of the finances, they remain healthy – we turn over 20-30k in profits a month, thanks mostly to our attendance being around 2,500 average. Our wage bill is around 2k, less than half of the allowed 5k budget, so that is something else that helps.

In terms of individuals, David Corrigan and Elliot Law remain my two most important players. Simply put, they have been outstanding. I am also really happy with the progress William Ekong has made since I last complained about his form. He seems to have got it together, and even scored the odd goal. Since I am so confident in this team and their ability to win, I benched my 29 year old GK Jonny Brian in favor of 17 year old Andy Dixon. He might not be as good statistically, yet, but obviously he has potential to be a much better player given some first team experience. I signed only one player in the January window to help out the midfield: Thijs Geurts. He really was just a filler to help with the rotation and injuries, should be alright.

HAPPENINGS & EVENTS

In the first major transfer of the January window, Ryan Shawcross (20 Aps, 4.06 TpG, 7.11 in 2012/13) was signed by defending champions Tottenham from Stoke, where he had spent the last 5 years. The 25 year old England international defender, who had been capped 4 times, cost the champions 14 million pounds. Just a few days after the signing of Shawcross was completed, the champions continued their spending spree, bringing 26 year old Uruguayan GK Fernando Muslera for 15.5 million pounds from Galatasaray. Initially signed for just under 6 million from Lazio at the beginning of the 2011/12 season, the Turkish club decided to cash in on their prized asset. Tottenham’s manager, Harry Redknapp, signed him despite having a solid season from Brazilian Gomes, who had conceded only 11 goals in 13 games.

Not to be outdone by their neighbors and rivals Tottenham in the transfer market, Arsenal signed Cristian Ansaldi, the 26 year old Argentinian full back, from Russian club Rubin for 20.5 million pounds. Ansaldi, who was in the 2012 Russian Premier Division Team of the Year, was new manager Louis Van Gaal’s 2nd major signing of the season, with the first being 21.5 million Marek Hamsik from Napoli. The club was only one point off of Manchester United and 1st place at the time of the signing.

Manchester City completed the signing of former Chelsea left-back Yuri Zhirkov on January 20th, 2013, from Russian outfit Anji for 21 million pounds. The 29 year old Russian had spent a year and a half with Anji since being bought from Chelsea for 11.25 million in 2011, and was named in the 2012 Russian Premier Division Team of the Year, as well as being runner-up in the 2011 Russian Player of the Year award. He was also named Anji’s Player of the Year for 2011. The left-back, who is equally comfortable playing in the left wing position, was part of the Russian squad that crashed out in the group stages of the Euro 2012 Championships.

A year and half after joining Chelsea, Spanish midfielder Juan Mata moved to Juventus in a 15 million pound deal. Despite a successful first season, where he scored 8 goals in 22 appearances, he struggled to maintain his form during this campaign, leading to new manager Tony Pulis cashing in on a player he clearly saw as surplus to requirements. The deal went through in late January, with Mata joining his new squad in Italy before the transfer deadline was done.

You can find the rest of the transfers of the January window below:

On January 13th 2013, Fabio Capello announced his resignation from the managing the English national team and subsequent retirement from football, joining Jupp Heyneckes, who retired a few months back from the German national team. After leading England to the Finals at the Euro 2012 championships, the team was having some problems in its World Cup qualifying group, placing 2nd behind surprising Montenegro. Capello’s retirement was sudden, as most expected him to manage England through World Cup 2014 before announcing quitting football. Capello was one of the most decorated managers in recent history, winning the Serie A fives times (4 with AC Milan, once with Roma), the La Liga twice with Real Madrid, and lifted the European Champions Cup once in 1994 with AC Milan.

After the retirement of Fabio Capello, the English FA announced the instatement of another Italian, Carlo Ancelotti, as manager of the English national side. The appointment was met with mixed feelings, as many felt that the position should have went to an Englishman, with Harry Redknapp being the favorite. In any case, England got one of the most successful managers in recent history to replace Capello, a legend in his own right, who resigned as Roma boss to head back to England. Ancelotti was formerly the manager of Chelsea from 2009 till 2011, winning the Premiership once and coming in 2nd place. After taking over Roma in December of 2011, he led the club to a 7th place finish in the 2011/12 season, as well as winning the Italian Cup. Roma were in 5th place in the Serie A when he took up the England job. Delio Rossi took over the club after Ancelotti resigned.

Dario Marcolin was sacked by Fiorentina in late January 2013 after the club found itself in a disappointing 14th place. Marcolin was promoted from within the club in May 2012 after sacking Sinisa Mihajlovic due to an unimpressive 2011/12 season. The now ex-Fiorentina manager was Mihajlovic’s assistant manager at the time, but failed to make an impression. Ex-Malaga manager Quique Flores took over the job on the 27th of January, 2013, hoping to nudge Fiorentina’s position a few places up.

Just a couple of weeks after Fabio Capello retired from football, another Italian legend, Marcelo Lippi, decided to call it quits, resigning from his post as manager of the Italian national team and retiring from football as a whole. While he did not have success on the club level, he did lead Italy to their 2006 World Cup victory in Germany, marking the 4th time the Italians had captured the most prestigious competition in football. His replacement was the man who had been in charge of AC Milan for the past 2 years, Massimialiano Allegri, leading the club to the 2011 Serie A championship, and the 2012 Euro Cup title. He left the club in first place, 1 point ahead of rivals Inter Milan. Frank Rijkaard took over the reigns at AC Milan, resigning from Bayern Munich to try his hand at leading his former club back to glory.

[abulezz]

LAUDRUP ANNOUNCED AS BAYERN MUNICH'S NEW MANAGER

Michael Laudrup was confirmed as Bayern Munich’s new manager on 8th February, 2013, resigning from his post at Aston Villa, where he had led the team to 8th place so far this season. Laudrup expressed his delight at heading such a big club, and with Bayern currently in 3rd place, a full 9 points behind leaders Shalke 04, he has a lot of work ahead of him.

[abulezz]

AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS 2013 - SOUTH AFRICA

GROUP A: Zimbabwe, Benin, Ivory Coast, Mali

The surprise finalist of the ANC 2012, held in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, was Mali, who was eventually defeated by Ghana in extra time in Libreville. Both Zimbabwe and Ivory Coast failed to advance past the group stages previously, and Benin were newcomers. Ivory Coast was hoping to make up for the disappointment of the last tournament, and were one of the favorites going into this edition of the Cup of Nations. They did not disappoint; by Matchday 3, both Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe had gotten 6 points and sealed their qualification to the Quarter-Finals. Mali were disappointing – finalists in 2012, they were going home after the group stages this tournament.


GROUP B: Cameroon, South Africa, Tunisia, Senegal

The tournament’s group of death, all 4 teams had realistic aspirations of not only advancing, but of possibly winning the entire thing. South Africa was the host for the 2nd time in the history of the competition, and they hoped that would play to their advantage. They had been knocked out in the Quarter-Finals of the ANC 2012 by the eventual winners, Ghana, and hoped to make up for it this time around. Senegal, who despite all their talent, were absent from the ANC 2012 and were looking to impress. Tunisia did qualify, but failed to garner a victory, ending with a miserable 2 points. Cameroon, who defeated Tunisia in the group stages of the previous tournament, was impressive until being knocked out in the Quarter-Finals by Angola in a surprise defeat. It was the South Africans and Cameroon who would advance to the Quarter-Finals, despite the former beating the latter 2-0 in Matchday Three of the group stages, knocking out a Tunisian team that drew all 3 of its matches and a Senegalese team that could only gather 1 point.


GROUP C: Sierra Leone, Guinea, Morocco, Mozambique

Perhaps the weakest group on paper, Morocco, who had failed miserably in the previous Cup of Nations and crashed out in the group stages, was expected to qualify with ease this time around. Mozambique was the other team that had qualified for the previous tournament, but like Morocco, they went out in the group stages as well. Guinea were silent dark horses going into the tournament, and newcomers Sierra Leone were hoping to find that the weak group would allow them to qualify to the knockout rounds. It would turn out to be weaker than expected, as Sierra Leone would top the group, gaining 6 points, beating out Morocco on goal difference, who would also qualify with 6 points. Mozambique would crash out in the group stage for the second straight tournament, and Guinea would join.


GROUP D: Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Algeria

The defending champions were handed a relatively easy group on paper, with former hosts Equatorial Guinea (knocked out by Mali in the Quarter-Finals in the previous ANC), and Algeria (knocked out in the group stages) representing the most obvious threat, however small. Cape Verde was, on paper, the least talented team in the tournament, and was expected to be whipping boys for the rest of the teams in the group. That was not the case, however, and going into Matchday 3, all 4 teams were tied at 3 points each. It went down to the wire, but it ended up being a bit anti-climactic, with Ghana running Cape Verde to the ground and winning 5-1, and Algeria winning 2-1 against Equatoria Guinea.

Quarter-Finals

Ivory Coast vs. Morocco

Salomon Kalou was the star for Ivory Coast in their 3-0 win over Morocco, scoring a brace and leading the impressive West African side into the Semi-Finals. Although possession was shared equally amongst the two teams, Ivory Coast delivered 24 shots compared to Morocco’s 8 shots, and that was the difference. They were just so much more dangerous going forward, and along with Kalou, Romaric managed to find the net, as well.

Ivory Coast: 3 (Kalou (2), Romaric)
Morocco: 0




Cameroon vs. Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe had exceeded expectations getting into the Quarter-Finals, and that is where it would end for them, with heavily favored Cameroon winning 2-0, with Stephene Mbia winning the MotM, and Yannick Ndjeng scoring in the 36th minute. It was an own goal that finished off Zimbabwe in the final minute of the match, but truth be told, Zimbabwe was more than Cameroon’s equal, even taking 53% of the possession. Edward Sadomba, Zimbabwe’s 29 year old left winger, was their best player. For Cameroon, their main men through their first 4 games were Mbia and their leading goalscorer, with 3 goals, Vincent Aboubakar.

Cameroon: 2 (Mbia, Zvasiya O.G)
Zimbabwe: 0




Algeria vs. South Africa

The hosts continued their impressive display, advancing past their northern African rivals 4-0, with goals coming from 4 different players, including captain and MotM, Steven Pienaar. There was not much Algeria could do to stop the onslaught, with South Africa controlling 61% of the possession throughout the game. The Algerian players were overwhelmed in every regard, with no one averaging over 6.60 AR.

South Africa: 4 (Mphela, Ndulula, Khoboni, Pienaar)
Algeria: 0




Ghana vs. Sierra Leone

Two goals from Umaru Bangura, Valenciennes’ 25 year old midfielder, and one from Celtic’s 23 year old striker Mohamed Bangura resulted in one of the most shocking upsets in the tournament’s history. Sierra Leone managed to defeat defending champions and the team most widely considered the best in Africa, Ghana, 4-0 in marvelous performance. The match itself was very equal, with Ghana only having slightly more possession and shots, but Sierra Leone were absolutely deadly in front of the goal. There was not a single player in Ghana’s star studded lineup that had more than 6.90 AR, while MotM Umaru Bangura registered a 9.20 AR. Overall, an upset of epic proportions by African football standards.

Sierra Leone: 4 (M.Bangura, U.Bangura (2), Inkoom O.G)
Ghana: 0

Semi-Finals

Sierra Leone vs. Cameroon

For the most surprising team of the tournament, Sierra Leone was certainly getting the job done. They had lost once in the previous 4 matches, to Morocco, but had empathetically defeated the defending champions Ghana in the Quarter-Finals 4-0. Mohamed Bangura was having a sensational tournament, averaging 8.35 AR and was also the team’s joint leading scorer with 2 goals, both scored against Ghana. As for Cameroon, who were one of the favorites to win the whole tournament, they were led by Vincent Aboubakar’s 3 goals and the solid play of their captain, Stephene Mbia.

Despite being the heavy favorites, Cameroon had to muster up everything it had to defeat the minnows, and even then, it only came on penalties. Like all the teams that were expected to beat Sierra Leone before them, they were unable to control the match, finding the West African team their equal in every regard. In fact, it was Sierra Leone defender Gibril Sankoh that captured the MotM, thanks to the superb play in controlling the Cameroon offense. At the end of the day, however, Cameroon would advance, making it their 7th appearance in the Finals of the competition, and hoping to make it their 5th time winning it.

Cameroon: 0 (Winners on penalties)
Sierra Leone: 0




Ivory Coast vs. South Africa

This was certainly one of the most anticipated matches in all the tournament – on one side, you had the hosts, and a team that looked very capable of winning the ANC 2012, thanks to the stellar play of their captain Steven Pienaar (3 goals, 7.82 AR), and on the other, led by Didier Drogba (3 goals) and Cristian Romaric (2 goals, 7.75 AR). Pienaar was very much in play for Player of the Tournament, and along with teammates (2 goals, 7.25) and Aston Villa left back Tsepo Masilela, they had won 3 of their last 4 matches. Ivory Coast had done one better, winning all of their matches, and doing so in style, leading the tournament with 11 goals scored.

What was expected to be a very close match turned out to be comfortable victory for the hosts, who defeated the West African team 4-1 in convincing fashion. A brace from 22 year old Feyenoord striker Kermit Erasmus, as well as a MotM performance, set the two teams apart, and in truth, only Romaric for Ivory Coast played an impressive game, scoring the team’s only goal.

South Africa: 4 (Erasmus (2), Letsholonyane, Mphela)
Ivory Coast: 1 (Romaric)

Finals

South Africa vs. Cameroon

The two most impressive teams in the tournament leading up to this match in Johannesburg, South Africa were hoping to repeat the exploits of 1996, when they hosted the tournament for the first time and defeated Tunisia in the finals. This was the team’s 3rd ever trip to the Finals, and they were hoping to make it the 2nd time they would lift the trophy. Pienaar, Erasmus, and Mphela all had 3 goals, equal to Vincent Aboubakar’s 3 goals, which left them all tied for 2nd place behind Guinea’s Ismael Bangoura, who had 4 goals. Individually, the South African players were a lot more impressive than their counterparts, with 7 players having a higher Average Rating score than Sebastian Bassong’s 7.20 AR, which led the Cameroon team.

The hosts would make it their 2nd time lifting the trophy after a climactic 1-0 victory in which Lille right back Anele would score in the 89th minute, breaking the hearts of Cameroon and sending a wave of joy throughout the host nation. Equal throughout the match, both teams looked like they had a chance to put it away all the way up till the final second, but it was the South Africans who would do the job. Not surprisingly, Anele was given the MotM award.

South Africa: 1 (Anele)
Cameroon: 0

Overview

The best team, the hosts, ended up winning the tournament, as they impressed throughout the ANC 2013. There were a few pleasant surprises; namely, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe, and overall, it made for an exciting and interesting tournament. The captain of the South African team, Steven Pienaar, was the tournament’s best player, and thus received the Player of the Tournament award. Overall, the tournament was a great advertisement for the increasingly improving brand of football being played in Africa.

Player of the Tournament: Steven Pienaar, South Africa (3 Goals, 3 Assists, 7.65 AR)
Leading Goalscorer: Ismail Bangoura, Guinea (3 Aps, 4 Goals)
Best Goalkeeper: Itumeleng Khune, South Africa (6 Aps, 4 Goals Conceded, 3 Clean Sheets)

[abulezz]

Can't believe my luck - look at those injuries, all out for atleast 2 months!

[abulezz]

Thought this was interesting: Bristol City (16th) have hired the first generated manager so far in this save:

[abulezz]

The two hottest prospects from my youth intake - the first was said to be one of the finest of his generation:

[crouchaldinho]

Didnt see your message there, sorry!

I have actually never been to the ground, but Ive developed a real soft spot for them. Google Earth street view took me around the neighborhood, looks like a nice little area

I have not read the Bromley Boys - where can I find it?

Here we go - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bromley-Boys...0419422&sr=8-1

I hope you like the format Im using - mixing Bromley updates with world updates

Yes, a lot of work going into these updates. Keep it up!

[abulezz]

Here we go - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bromley-Boys...0419422&sr=8-1



Yes, a lot of work going into these updates. Keep it up!

Thanks, and yes, I do spend quite a bit of time writing reviews of tournaments and games and what not

[abulezz]

Here is the progress my 2 best youth intakes from 2012 had been making - Curtis Frederick doesn't look like he will develop into much, but I still have hope for the towering Jon Morris! Both players have a 4 star rating for potential.

Jon Morris: 2012 - 2013

Curtis Frederick: 2012 - 2013

[abulezz]

Yay for this! Although that 350k is about all we have in the coffers right now, our youth facilities are Minimal and Rented, so an upgrade is much needed.

[abulezz]

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP - GROUP STAGES AND SECOND ROUND


Group Stages

As expected during the Group Stages, there were a fair share of surprises and fair share of disappointments. Falling under the former category, Ajax (semi-finalists the previous season) played out possibly one of the most entertaining matches in recent memories when they defeated Werder Bremen 8-5 in Group B encounter during Matchday Two. It was the latter that also conceded 6 goals in a 6-3 loss against Serie A champions Udinese in Matchday Five, but both of those clubs were knocked out by Ajax and Arsenal. In Group A, Shakhtar set about proving that their run into the Semi-Finals in 2012 was no fluke, qualifying alongside Manchester United and knocking out Juventus. Group C featured no surprises, with defending champions Barcelona and Lille advancing, joined by Group D leaders Lyonnais and Danish outfit FC Kopenhavn, who qualified over 2012 quarter-finalists Villareal. Group E was headed by Atletico Madrid, who were joined by Bayern Munich, and Group F saw AC Milan and Chelsea knock out German champions Dortmund and Dutch champions AZ. Group G featured Real Madrid and Russian champions CSKA Moscow advancing, and coming out of Group H were English champions Tottenham and FC Porto, at the expense of Paris Saint-Germain.

Second Round

FC Kobenhavn vs. Manchester United (0-4)

Building up on their 2012 knockout in the group stages, the Danish club FC Kobenhavn did well to reach the Second Round, while 2012 beaten finalists Manchester United were hoping for a return trip, this time to be played on home turf in Wembley, London. The Danes leading goalscorer was 30 year old striker Johnny Thomsen, who had 2 goals from 6 appearances, and Swedish international GK Johan Wilard was their best player in the group stages. For Manchester United, their best player was injured for both legs – Javier Hernandez (5 Aps, 3 Gls), their star from the 2012 Champions Cup campaign. Wayne Rooney (5 Aps, 3 Gls), along with the defensive partnership of Vidic and Evans, would attempt to lead this squad past the Danes.

Manchester United would take the first leg in Copenhagen with a 2-0 victory, with impressive 15 million pound signing Milan Badelj scoring his first goal in Europe after converting a penalty, and winning his first MotM. Before that, Wayne Rooney scored his 4th goal in the competition to give United the solid away victory. Badelj would score again in the return leg at Old Trafford, with Manchester United winning 2-0, making it 4-0 on aggregate. The other goalscorer was Nani, and the MotM was Wayne Rooney. The Danish squad never looked threatening, with 64% of the possession for the English club.



Lille vs. Real Madrid (1-2)

With Lille in 7th place and struggling in the French league, they looked towards their European campaign to bring some positivity to their season. Unfortunately, Real Madrid were an almost unstoppable in the La Liga, topping it over rivals Barcelona and only losing 2 games in the process. For Lille, Eden Hazard (4 Aps, 2 Gls, 2 Asts) was their main threat, with last year’s leading goalscorer Ireneusz Jelen, the Polish striker, delivering inconsistent form throughout the season. Real Madrid’s stars were all stellar, but they had particularly superb performances from Cristiano Ronaldo (4 Aps, 3 Gls, 5 Asts, 8.47) and Gonzalo Higuan (4 Aps, 5 Gls, 8.17).

Not surprisingly, it was Real Madrid who won the first leg in France, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring to give his squad the 1-0 victory. An even match throughout, the MotM went to Lille midfielder Ettiene Capoue (7 Aps, 1 Goal, 7.14).The return leg at the Bernabeu was a much more intense affair, however, with Lille scoring first through Alan Kardec, before Pepe would equalize for the home side in the 69th minute. Eden Hazard pulled his hamstring at the stroke of halftime, ruling him out of the second half, which ended 1-1, with Real Madrid advancing 2-1 on aggregate.


Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal (2-2, Bayern advance on away goals)

One of the most anticipated matches of the Second Round, Arsenal’s first year manager, Louis Van Gaal, would line up against the team he nearly led to the European Champions Cup title in 2010. Bayern Munich, who had recently hired Michael Laudrup, was looking to make up for the heartbreak of being knocked out in the group stages in 2012. Led by a healthy Frank Ribery, Bayern were currently in 3rd place in the Bundesliga, while Arsenal, who had Leighton Baines, Marek Hamsik, and Marouane Chamakh to thank for their advancement, was in 2nd place in the Premier League.

The first leg, held in Munich, ended in a 1-1 draw, but was not without controversy. Backary Sagna, Arsenal’s right back and one of the club’s leading performers throughout the season, was given a red card in the 86th minute. This happened after Arjen Robben had equalized for the home squad with a penalty, after Gervinho had given Arsenal the lead in the 54th minute. The MotM for the 1st time this season was Philipp Lahm, the captain of Bayern. The second leg in London would also end in a draw, this time 2-2, and due to the away goals rule, Bayern Munich would knock out the Arsenal and advance to the Quarter-Finals. Arjen Robben would strike again, along with Ivica Olic, while Arsenal would get goals from Chamakh and Alex Song, who would also get the MotM. The German club would get one over its former manager, and would advance in its quest to redeem itself for its 2010 loss in the Finals.


Shakhtar vs. Lyonnais (1-2)

The semi-finalists and surprise team of 2012 was proving that their run last season was no fluke, qualifying out of a tough group tied on points with Manchester United. The French champions, who were knocked out in the group stages in 2012, had qualified winning all 6 of their games and conceding no goals in the process. They were, however, to be without their star GK, Hugo Lloris, for at least the first leg, but were hoping that the strong performances for Bafetimbi Gomis (3 Aps, 4 Gls) and Lisandro Lopez (5 Aps, 2 Gls) would lead them through. For the Ukrainian champions, who had won Ukrainian league 3 times in a row but were now in 3rd place, their star this campaign was also their star from 2012, Luiz Adriano (4 Aps, 5 Gls, 2 Asts, 8.20).

Despite getting Swedish midfielder Kim Kallstrom sent off in the 10th minute, Lyonnais was able to hold a surprisingly lackluster Shakhtar side to a 0-0 draw in Donetsk. The Ukrainian Yaroslav Rakitskyi, a 23 year old defender, won the MotM award, while, shockingly, Luiz Adriano was not played. He would see some action in the second leg in Lyon as a substitute, but it would be the French club that would win 2-1 in an otherwise evenly contested match. Jimmy Briand, who was also MotM, would score Lyonnais' goal, his 2nd in the tournament, and Willian would be Shakhtar's goalscorer. Andriy Pyatov would be the difference maker, as he would concede and own goal in the 4th minute, giving Lyonnais the 2-1 victory on aggregate.


Ajax vs. AC Milan (4-3)

The Dutch side, who was semi-finalists in 2012, went into this match 2nd in their domestic league, 8 points behind FC Twente, having qualifying 2nd in Group B with 12 points. Bas Dost, their 23 year old striker, had done well for them so far, as well as Mounir El Hamdaoui, one of their stars from the 2012 campaign. AC Milan, who were unceremoniously knocked out in the group stages in 2012, topped their group this time around, and were doing well in the Serie A under their new coach, Frank Rijkaard. Zlatan Ibrahamovic (5 Aps, 5 Gls) was having a great all around season and was the leading scorer in the Serie A, and they also had good contributions from Pato (6 Aps, 3 Gls), and Robinho (6 Aps, 2 Gls, 3 Asts).

Pato broke his ribs just 6 minutes into the first leg in Amsterdam, setting the tone for the rest of the match, as Ajax defeated AC Milan 2-1. Right winger Matias Scheletto and El Hamdoaui scored the 2 goals for Ajax, with their 21 year old Danish defender Nicolai Boilesen winning the MotM. For AC Milan, their goal was scored by Nigerian defender Taiye Taiwo. Ajax did it again the second leg, holding the hosts to a 2-2 draw, thanks to goals from Dost and Shinji Kagawa, winning the matchup 4-3 on aggregate and upsetting favored AC Milan, whose goals came from N'Doye and Sigporrsun.


Chelsea vs. Barcelona (3-4)

In a rematch of the second round matchup of 2012, where neither team won a game in either leg but Barcelona qualified thanks to the away goal rule, the defending champions were looking to repeat the result against a Chelsea side now lead by manager Tony Pulis. Although he was far from impressively domestically, striker Hulk (5 Aps, 3 Gls, 5 Asts, 7.82) was having a monster season on the continent. Chelsea, however, would go into the matchup missing their GK Petr Cech for both ties, and Jon Obi Mikel, their Player of the Year in 2012, for the first leg at Stamford Bridge. Barcelona had to deal with a Lionel Messi broken foot that kept him out of action for 4 months, but the reigning World Player of the Year was back and healthy. He would be joined by the stellar plays of Andre Iniesta (6 Aps, 2 Gls, 3 Asts, 7.84) and Alexis Sanchez.

Both teams waited until the 2nd half of the first leg at Stamford Bridge to score, with Messi hitting the net first in the 64th minute. Frank Lampard would respond, but in the 80th minute, Seydou Keita would give Barcelona a huge victory away from home. Sergio Aguero, who was having a huge season domestically, scoring 14 goals in 18 appearances, would win MotM, but that was little consolation to losing a game Chelsea felt they should’ve done better in. In the second leg, despite taking an incredible 2-0 lead in the first half thanks to Lampard and Aguero goals, Chelsea would throw it away, allowing Villa and Pedro both to score. The scoreline ended in a 2-2 draw, with another display of horrendous defending the in the 2nd half by the English side. Two years in a row, it would be Barcelona who would come out on top in this matchup.


CSKA Moscow vs. Porto (4-3)

The Russian champions go up against the current leaders in the Portuguese league, FC Porto, and both teams looked like they could be dangerous. Moscow had the talents of Vagner Love (6 Aps, 7 Goals), whie Porto had the solidity in the back, led by Nicolas Otamendi. The first leg was played Russia, and it was the hosts who came away with 3-2 victory in a highly entertaining match. Romanian striker Razvan Rat scored a brace, making them 3 goals total in the competition, and won the MotM, as well. In the return leg in Porto, the match ended with a 1-1 dra, with Vagner Love scoring Moscow's equalizer, and the goal that would send them through, in what ended up being a mediocre match. CSKA Moscow, however, had done well to advance to the Quarter-Finals.


Tottenham vs. Atletico Madrid (6-0)

The surprise champions of the 2012 Premier League season, Tottenham, led by their manager Harry Redknapp, faced up against a faltering Madrid side that was finished 2012 in 4th place but now found themselves in 7th place. New signing Edison Cavani, who had scored 16 goals for the English side domestically, was their man threat upfront, and, of course, they had Gareth Bale, their Player of the Year, as well as English Footballer of the Year, in 2012. Atletico Madrid were highly reliant on the talents of striker Jose Antonio Reyes, with no one else really offering much in terms of creativity and threat.

Tottenham showed their superiority in the first leg at White Hart Lane, dominating the match and winning 4-0. Cavani hit a brace and won the MotM, with further goals from Rafael van der Vaart and Tom Huddlestone. In the return leg in Madrid, Cavani and Huddlestone each scored again to give Tottenham the 2-0 win, and a comprehensive 6-0 victory on aggregate scores. Alvaro Periera got the MotM for the second leg.

[abulezz]

SOUTH AMERICAN U20 CHAMPIONSHIP 2013 - BRAZIL

The hosts were able to recapture the SAM U20 title thanks to some sensational performances by the Best Player of the Tournament and its Top Goalscorer, Ademilson, who finished the tournament with 7 goals. Santos midfielder Felipe Anderson (9 Aps, 5 Gls, 3 Asts) was also a crucial part of the title winning squad, and he came runner-up in the Player of the Tournament award. Brazil beat out a surprising Colombian team, which came in 2nd and was led by 16 year old protege Alexander Angulo of America de Cali. Ecuadorian striker Pedro Gomez would also score 7 goals in the tournament, with Brazil's Leo and Colombia's Cesar Anaya scoring 6 goals a piece.

The tournament was a showcase the new talent coming out of the continent, with most of it from Brazil, as expected. Colombia, however, portrayed some hot prospects, especially in the form of Angulo and Anaya, both who could have successful careers across the ocean. Leo was Brazil's biggest star on paper, having already signed a contract with Barcelona, and even though he had a successful tournament, he was outshone by Ademilson, who is sure to have turned some heads with his performance.

[abulezz]

The Champions Cup 2013 Quarter-Finals draw is up! Some intriguing matches

[abulezz]

[Adelaidean]

Congrats on the BSP title! I love the effort you put in for these updates, really interesting to see what happens all over the world like this. Any more writing and you could get it published as a novel.

[Raware]

Well done on the promotion and congrats on the youth facilities upgade. You certainly put a lot of effort in to these updates! .

[deltablue]

Loving reading about everything, and excellent stuff with Bromley.

[abulezz]

Congrats on the BSP title! I love the effort you put in for these updates, really interesting to see what happens all over the world like this. Any more writing and you could get it published as a novel.

Thanks! I was starting to wonder if it was too much of a read for people

Well done on the promotion and congrats on the youth facilities upgade. You certainly put a lot of effort in to these updates! .

Im looking forward to the youth facilities getting upgraded, its the first upgrade of anything in the 2 years Ive been in charge!

Loving reading about everything, and excellent stuff with Bromley.

Ive always played my FM games as an alternate reality thing, immersing myself in another footballing universe! So I wanted to portray that in this thread

[abulezz]

CHAMPIONS CUP QUARTER-FINALS

Barcelona vs. Bayern Munich (6-0)

The defending champions would play host to the Germans in the first leg at the Nou Camp - both teams were challenged in the 2nd Round by tough English teams, but both showed their class by getting the results needed and advanced. It was Alexis Sanchez who stole the show with a brilliant hat-trick that gave Barcelona the 3-0 victory at home, in a game that they were comfortably the better team. Lionel Messi had 3 assists and a 9.0 AR, but the night belonged to the 24 year old Chilean. The return leg featured the same scoreline for the visiting team, with goals coming from Messi, Villa, and Henrique. The two time defending champions advanced to the Semi-Finals, but despite the result, it was GK Manual Neuer who won the MotM, showing just how much the champs dominated this match and matchup as a whole.



Lyonnais vs. Real Madrid (3-1)

Real Madrid, away to the French squad in the first leg, continued their stellar play, winning the first leg in Lyon 1-0, thanks to a Higuan goal. It was the Argentine's 6th of the tournament, and Real Madrid, who had beaten another French team in the Second Round (Lille), would head back to Spain with a vital away goal to their name. It would not mean much, however, as the French shocked the current La Liga leaders, beating them 3-0 at the Bernabeu in one of the biggest upsets in recent memory. Gomis would score a brace for the French champions, winning the MotM and bringing his total to 6 goals in the competition, and Gueida Fofana would contribute the 3rd in a rout few expected, sending the French champions into the Semi-Finals.



Ajax vs. CSKA Moscow (3-5)

The Dutch side were attempting to make their second straight appearance in the Semi-Finals of the competition at the expense of the Russian side, but the latter had other plans in the first leg in Amsterdam. Moscow won the match 2-1, thanks to 2 goals by 20 year old defender Uros Cosic and 23 year old striker Tomas Necid, the second coming in the waning seconds of the match. Ajax's goal came in the 7th minute by way of Scheletto, but Moscow's Razvan Rat played a big part in the comeback, winning the MotM along the way. The return match in Moscow was no better for Ajax, despite their best efforts. The Dutch club ended up losing 3-2 to their hosts, who had a brace from Ivory Coast striker Seydou Doumbia, who brought his tally to 5 goals in the competition. Bast Dost and Derk Boerrigter scored for the travelling team, but the aggregate score was still in favor of the hosts before Sekou Oliseh scored their 3rd to put the matchup beyond any doubt and send the Russians into the Semi-Finals.



Manchester United vs. Tottenham (2-2, Manchester United won on penalties)

Old Trafford would play host to this all-English Quarter-Finals matchup, with current Premier League leaders facing up against the champions. Despite utterly dominating the match, with 58% possession and 15 shots on goal compared to the 4 of Tottenham, Luka Modric would strike lucky in th 94th minute, equalizing the score at 1-1 after Javier Hernandez had scored in the first half for the hosts. Rafael van der Vaart was also injured in those dying seconds, fracturing his wrist and potentially keeping him out of action for the rest of the season. It would play its part in the second leg, which would go all the way to penalties after goals from Wayne Rooney and Luka Modric, but it would be United who make the Semi-Finals at the expense of defending Premier League champions Tottenham.

[deltablue]

Interesting results, Lyon v Barca should be a cracker.

[abulezz]

Interesting results, Lyon v Barca should be a cracker.

Indeed it was, although Barcelona owned the matchup (second leg atleast!)

On a more personal note:

[abulezz]

2012/2013 Season Review

Blue Square Premier: 1st , Champions (Automatic Promotion)
FA Trophy: Champions
FA Cup: 2nd Round, lost to Coventry City 3-1


Season Review

If I said I was shocked, I would be lying, with the minimum expectations I had for us this season was promotion, at the very least. I am pleasantly surprised that we managed to place 1st, and by such a comfortable margin, but given the talent we had, especially up front in Elliot Law and David Corrigan, it was always possible.

We led the league in goals scored, of course, but we were extremely solid in the back, something that I am proud of. In addition to our defense, led by Scot Thompson and William Ekong, 17 year old GK Andy Dixon really stepped up when I called on him, although I did revert to Jony Brian most of the season. Save for some hot-shot GK being signed, however, it will be Andy Dixon between the sticks next season.

The FA Trophy did not represent much of a challenge, and I am thankful, because the financial benefits from a full run AND a victory was much needed. We have 350k invested in the upgrading of the youth facilities, so that win put our finances back on track. Ending the season, we had move 500k in the coffers, so we're not going to go broke investing in the facilities. I was disappointed with our FA Cup run, but seeing as we went out to Coventry, there is not much to complain about.

Overall, a fantastic second season, and I am really looking forward to going professional and playing in the N League. It gets much harder from here on out in my previous experiences, but hopefully I'll be able to continue to build the squad with young talent and useful oldies. Anything less than safety from relegation will be a disaster in my eyes.

Key Players:


Elliot Law: An injury kept him out of the last 3 months, save for a few games at the end, but what his development and contributions continue to be one of the main reasons we have done so well. 28 goals, 10 assists, all while missing more than 10 games - he scored 32 total for the club this year, including the cup run. Still only 19 years old!

David Corrigan: What a signing! I paid a compensation fee of 9k to get him, and he turned out to be our most important player this season, in my opinion. Look at those stats: 22 goals and 23 assists - he really held the fort down when Law got injured. The fact that he's only 17 years old and he's already so well developed just brings joy to my heart. We're going to need him desparately next year as we get promoted. He also won a few U19 caps with England.

Scot Thompson: He is 32 years old now, but given his ability, I'd say he has at least one good season left in him. I don't think he will have any problems contributing in the N League Two the way he did this season - he featured in 44 of our 46 games, and was a rock, as usual, despite some inconsistencies for his teammates.

Mark Ferry: The 29 year old was a signing from last season, and even though he was a fine contributor in 2011/12, he really stepped out this year in the BSP. Our most reliable midfielder, he contributed 8 goals and gave out 10 assists, usually at times when we needed them the most.



Notable Youths:


Elliot Law: See Above.

David Corrigan: See Above.

Kevin Harris: He did not contribute the way I thought he would, but he still remains perhaps my hottest prospect outside of Law and Corrigan. He's very young - only 17, and he does have ability, but it does not seem he will be able to play in the right wing position that I want him to. Might be 3rd choice striker next year - in any case, I will have to make some space for him because I don't want his development to stall.

Andy Dixon: He is a Bromley youth product, and he developed quite well this year, appearing in quite a few matches. I will be taking a risk and starting him full time next season - I do believe he is ready and has the ability to do so. He turns 18 over the summer, hopefully that will bring up his mental attributes a little bit!

[Adelaidean]

Great double, walked the league.

Keep it up!

[deltablue]

Soon you'll be in your own CL updates.

[abulezz]

Great double, walked the league.

Keep it up!

Thanks! The Blue Square leagues are not much of a challeng if you can find some quality players on free, and thats what happened, thankfully.

Soon you'll be in your own CL updates.

Thats the plan! I hope so anyway!



In other news, the board decided to expand the stadium a bit as a reward!

[abulezz]

Just got my first job offer! I would be tempted but Im doing a full Bromley save

[abulezz]

Not unexpected this, but feels good nonetheless

[deltablue]

Good work getting the offer anyway.

[AK22]

Going really well so far, well done Good luck in League Two!

[abulezz]

Good work getting the offer anyway.

I got another one!

Going really well so far, well done Good luck in League Two!

Thanks, Im hoping I'll be able to keep it up



I guess I must be doing soemthing right, this is the 2nd one!

[abulezz]

CHAMPIONS CUP 2013

SEMI-FINALS


CSKA Moscow vs. Manchester United (2-2, CSKA Moscow wins on away goals)

Manchester United were hoping for their third straight trip to the Finals (the previous two times, they had lost to Barcelona), but they had to get by the Russians champions first, who had other plans. In fact, one can argue that they outclassed and outplayed Man United in the first leg in Moscow enroute to winning the match 1-0, thanks to Seydou Doumbia 6th goal of the tournament. They had more of the possession and more shots on goal, with the English team defending for most of the game. Add to that the stellar play of the MotM, GK Igor Akinfeev, and Moscow would go into the second leg at Old Trafford with a one goal advantage, having not allowed them to score any away goals. That would be the main point in their advancement into the Finals for the first time in their history, as Sekou Oliseh struck in the 26th minute to give Moscow the lead and force Manchester to score 3 goals in order to win. That was one goal too many, especially as Javier Hernandez got injured in the 63rd minute, and despite winning 2-1 thanks to goals from Jonny Evans and Wayne Rooney, it would not be enough, and there would be no repeat of the same Finals for the third straight year.



Lyonnais vs. Barcelona (2-6)

With the first game held in the Nou Camp in Barcelona, expectations were high that the two time defending champions would advance to the Finals for third rematch against Manchester United. Although they did dominate and win, the result did not reflect that, with only one goal being scored by Alexis Sanchez in the 21st minute. Despite 23 shots on goal, Barcelona was only able to convert one, thanks to the heroics of Hugo Lloris, the Lyonnais GK. He won the MotM with a 9.60 AR, and despite the complete control of the game the Spaniards had, they were only able to get away with a 1-0 scoreline, which, in Lyonnais' point of view, was quite managable heading into the second leg in Lyon. Unfortunately for the French side, Barcelona came into the second leg with their full offensive force, winning the match 5-2, with Villa scoring a brace and Sanchez and Iniesta getting the other 2 goals. For Lyonnais, Fofana and young Ishak Belfodil, who had scored 13 goals for them in the French league, got the goals, but the Catalan giants would advance to their third straight Finals, this time against huge underdogs CSKA Moscow.




FINALS

CSKA Moscow vs. Barcelona (0-3)

Going into the Finals at Wembley in London, England, Andre Iniesta was arguably the best player in the tournament, while CSKA Moscow's Vagner Love had 8 goals to his name, the most out of all the remaining players. David Villa, Barcelona's leading scorer, had 6 goals, with Alexis Sanchez also having the same number. The latter was also one of the favorites to win the Player of the Tournament award thanks to his performaces for the Spanish club in the knockout stages of the competition, while the Russians' best player was arguably Romanian Razvan Rat, who had provided steady contributions for them throughout the tournament.

Both teams had done well in the Group Stages, with Barcelona topping Group C and CSKA Moscow coming in a close second to Real Madrid in Group G. The latter overcame Porto and Ajax before putting away Man United, but their defense was a concern, conceding 8 goals over those 6 games. Barcelona defeated Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Lyonnais before getting to their third straight Finals, and, save for Chelsea, had done so convincingly.

There were to be no upsets in the Finals, however, as Barcelona took to the match from the very beginning, scoring the first goal of the game in the 23rd minute through a David Villa penalty. Things went from bad to worse for the Russian side as their talisman, Razvan Rat, was sent off just 3 minutes later, effectively ruling out any chance they had left in the match. It remained all Barcelona after that point, with Villa scoring once more and Alexis Sanchez also getting in on the action, sealing the 3-0 victory for the Catalans. They did it without the injured Lionel Messi, but the talent between the 2 sides was noticeable. Barcelona became the first team since Bayern Munich in 1976 to win the title 3 times in a row, and it was also their 4th title in 5 years.

AWARDS

Best Player of the Tournament: Alexis Sanchez – This was not surprising at all, as the Chilean was Barcelona’s best performer in Europe throughout the season. He scored in the Final, which was his 7th goal in the tournament, and he single handedly destroyed Bayern Munich at home during the Quarter-Finals, scoring a demoralizing hat-trick in a sublime performance.

Top Goalscorer: David Villa (8 Goals) – Barcelona’s second most important player during the competition, his tally was only half of Lionel Messi’s 16 goals in the 2011/12 season, but still the most of anyone, nonetheless. The 31 one year old was ever present for his club throughout, and scored an important brace in the Finals, not to mention also winning its MotM, to lift the club to its 3rd consecutive title.

[deltablue]

CSKA in the final was interesting.

[abulezz]

CONFEDERATIONS CUP 2013 - BRAZIL

Group A: Uruguay, Ghana, Japan, Spain

The defending European and World champions were supposed to have an easy time with this group, but instead crashed out, managing to gain a measly 2 points out of their matches, which included a 2-0 loss to Ghana on Matchday Three. The result saw the immediate sacking of Spain head coach, Vicente Del Bosque, and the hiring of Barcelona legend Josep Guardiola, who was entrusted with the job of defending Spain’s title at the upcoming World Cup 2014. Japan finished 3rd in the group after managing to draw all three matches, which left Uruguay and Ghana as the teams that qualified to the Semi-Finals.


Group B: England, Brazil, New Zealand, Mexico

On paper, this was the less predictable of the two groups, but that was not the case. Both England and Brazil had 6 points by Matchday Three, knocking out a disappointing Mexican side and an unimpressive New Zealand squad and rendering their Matchday Three game meaningless, which Brazil won 1-0.


Uruguay would face England in the first Semi-Finals, with Peter Crouch and Luis Suarez each having 3 goals. Steven Gerrard was the best player on Ancelotti’s team, while Suarez had helped Uruguay to the top of Group A. England won the match 2-0, advancing the Finals of the Confederations Cup thanks to goals from Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard. Brazil would also win their Semi-Finals matchup against Ghana 2-0, with goals from Neymar and 23 year old rising star Leandro Damiao of Internacional, setting up a rematch with England in the Finals. In the end, the host would claim victory over the English in a 1-0 win after Hulk scored the winning goal. Jordan Ayew of Ghana would lead the goalscoring charts with 4 goals, and the Best Player award would go to Marcelo of Brazil, who would deliver 5 assists in his 4 appearances.

[abulezz]

EUROPEAN U21 CHAMPIONSHIP 2013 - ISRAEL

Group A was the tougher of the two groups on paper, with Spain, England, France, and Switzerland drawn together, and it was the English and French who would qualify, knocking out defending champions, Spain. Switzerland’s striker Haris Seferovic (Fiorentina) did well for them, scoring 2 goals in his 3 appearances. In Group B, Germany made short work of its competition, qualifying alongside Croatia and knocking out the hosts and Ukraine. Roman Bezus (Vorskla), Ukraine’s 22 year old striker, was one of the stars of the group stages, scoring 2 goals.

In the Semi-Finals, Croatia shocked France by defeating them 3-0, thanks to a brace fromAndrej Kramaric (Dinamo, shortly afterwards sold to Osasuna), while Germany’s Ilka Gundogan (Dortmund) scored the only goal in their 1-0 victory over the English. For France, Gael Kakuta (Chelsea) was their best player, and for England it was Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace). In the Finals, Croatia would shock the Germans 3-1, winning the game in extra-time after Mateo Kovacic (Dinamo) and Kramaric both scored. The latter, along with Germany’s Kevin Volland (Hoffenheim) would tie for leading scorers at the tournament with 4 goals, while Stefan Bell (Mainz) would lead the Average Rating category with a 8.25 AR.

[hursty2]

A great deal of effort is going into these updates, well done!

Also good luck in league two!

[abulezz]

EUROPEAN U19 CHAMPIONSHIP 2013 – GERMANY

The defending champions, Austria, would not be participants this time around in Germany, and in Group A, it was the hosts and Slovakia who would qualify out of the group, knocking out Russia and Czech Republic. In Group B, it was Spain and England who would qualify, knocking out Denmark and Serbia, but not before 19 year old Danish striker Yussef Poulsen scored a tournament high 4 goals in his 3 matches.

The Semi-Finals pitted Germany against England, which the hosts would win 2-0, and Spain against Slovakia, which the Iberians would win 2-0. Spain would go on to win the entire tournament after defeating the Germans 3-1, with a brace scored by Ricardo Aguilar, who tied Poulsen’s 4 goals to lead the tournament. Other notable performers were Evgeny Yeremenko, Dejan Kovacevic. Jake Caskey, and Tekin Kusabacak.

WINNER: Spain

[abulezz]

A great deal of effort is going into these updates, well done!

Also good luck in league two!

Thanks! Hopefully we can maintain some respectability in the League Two.

Just as a note, I have pretty much every league playing, so any screenshots anyone is interested in, let me know, I would be happy to oblige!

[Adelaidean]

Fantastic effort with this career, looking forward to seeing how you go in League Two!

As for screenshots, would you be able to show me some of the Australian national team's key players?

[abulezz]

BROMLEY PRE-SEASON 2013/14

Not surprisingly, we are being predicted to finish dead last, and with 6.5k wage budget and 25k transfer kitty, there is not much I can do to improve the team substantially. The wage issue is very worrisome, as my major players, such as Elliot Law and David Corrigan, each want wages double what the board will allow for full-time contracts. Now that the club has turned professional, we are only working on full-time contracts, and dear lord, they are expensive! I'm also starting to deal with agents and their fees - to put it simply, we are still much too small a club to handle all this extra costs.

That being said, I do believe there is enough quality in the side to keep us safely out of relegation. The stadium is being expanded to from 5,000 to about 6,500, so that will be extra revenue, and taking into account that the attendance should also increase substantially, I don't have any worries about turning a profit. With my most important players all being signed on for atleast 2 more years, I'm hoping that, with a solid performance and some financial benefits from increased attendance and such, the board will allow me to give the players the wages they are demanding and retain them.

We had a few important departures, in terms of club history, as both Conolly Edozien and Gary Wales left the club. Truthfully, neither was going to be play more than a bit part this season had they stayed, but their contributions in getting us to the League Two cannot be forgotten.

MAJOR TRANSFERS

Glen Baker: Came in from rivals Sutton for 5k, I had him pegged as a backup striker, but given the lack of talent down the left wing, he will start the season there. Hopefully he can prove himself a decent performer and build up some of those attributes.

Ben Dormer: The youngster cost me 6k from H&R, and in all honesty, I am looking at perhaps developing him and selling him for a hefty profit in a few years, unless he can prove to me that he is capable. He will get his chances, for sure.

Jaakko Alatalo: The free agent signing is perhaps my most important in the short term. He will partner Ekong in the defense, and hopefully we can maintain a decent defensive record.

KEY PLAYERS

David Corrigan - Stats : Our 2013 Player of the Year, no one means more to the club than the 17 year old, at this point. While our first contract talks did not go smooth, I am hoping the board will be more generous with their wage caps, because we have to keep him at all costs. Featured for the England U19 squad throughout the summer.

Elliot Law - Stats : A Bromley youth system product, he is up there with Corrigan in terms of importance to the club. Still only 19 years old, he is the other player that I cannot afford to lose.

Scot Thompson - Stats: The captain and our rock at the back. He turned 32 years old, but his ability is still at the same level. I expect him to be one of our top performers yet again.

[abulezz]

Fantastic effort with this career, looking forward to seeing how you go in League Two!

As for screenshots, would you be able to show me some of the Australian national team's key players?

Sure! Here is a screenie of Australia's top performers in the Asian Word Cup Qualifiers thus far. No computer generated players yet - let me know if you want a closeup at the stats and attributes of a specific one!

Australia finished top of their group in the Qualifiers, by the way!

[Adelaidean]

Thanks very much! Very interesting squad there.

[abulezz]

U20 WORLD CUP 2013 - TURKEY


Group Stages

There were no real surprises to be had in the Group Stages, as the defending champions Brazil got the tournament started with a victory and just rolled on from there. The other favorites, France and Germany, both topped their respective groups, and surprise 2011 U20 World Cup Semi-Finalist Austria also qualified, albeit in 2nd place to the USA. The hosts also managed to qualify, as did Ghana, former U20 champions in 2009, who topped their group, winning all 3 matches. French striker Mbaye Niang stole the show in the group stages, scoring 4 goals against an unimpressive New Zealand side and registering a tournament leading 5 goals going into the 2nd Round. Brazil’s striker Leo, who is signed by Barcelona, also made an impression, scoring 3 goals and was one of the tournament’s best players during the early stages.

Second Round

The defending champions continued their domination over the competition with a big 4-1 victory over South Korea with Leo adding to his tally, scoring a goal in a solid performance. Nigeria did well to defeat Portugal 2-1, and it was the same result that Ecuador had to defeat the impressive Ghanaian side. South Africa defeated the USA 2-1 as well, with right back Thabang Gould leading the way for the African side. Elsewhere, the French went through against Greece, winning 3-0 with Niang delivering a brace and bringing his total to 7 goals. Colombia surprised favorites Germany, winning on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation time. Ivory Coast continued Africa’s strong showing in the tournament, defeating Austria 3-1, and in the last match of the Second Round, Peru defeated the hosts Turkey 3-0 in a surprisingly strong performance.

Quarter-Finals

Ecuador vs. Nigeria

Ecuador continued its surprising run in the tournament, defeating Nigeria on penalties after an exciting 1-1 draw was played out in regulation time. Although the Africans had more of the possession with 53%, Ecuador created more chances and looked the more dangerous team going forward, earning a deserved victory in a nerve wrecking penalty matchup. The MotM was 17 year old Nigerian defender Yusuf Godwin, the African nation’s best performer throughout the tournament.

Ecuador: 1 (Valencia) Won on Penalties 4-3
Nigeria: 1 (Aneke)



Brazil vs. South Africa

The defending champions came into the match with the expectation of comfortably winning, like they have been all tournament long, but the South Africans were their equal in every sense of the word, only falling on penalties to the South Americans. The match ended 1-1 in regulation time, and although the Brazilians did create more chances, possession went in favor of the African squad. Leo, who had been Brazil’s best player so far in the tournament, was held in check by the South Africa, and was finally substituted for the giant striker, Xaropinho.

Brazil: 1 (Admelison) Won on Penalties 6-5
South Africa: 1 (Mabaso)



Peru vs. Ivory Coast

Peru followed the trend of South American teams knocking out their African counterparts, defeating the West African nation 2-1 in an exciting match that thrilled in its last few minutes. Peru doubled their score in the 87th minute, but Ivory Coast refused to die, scoring in the 89th minute, but it was not to be. Peru advanced into the Semi-Finals at the expense of the Africans, joining Brazil and Ecuador and ensuring there would be at least one representative from their continent in the Finals

Peru: 2 (Lazo, Uribe)
Ivory Coast: 1 (Banvo)



Colombia vs. France

In keeping with the excitement the tournament had been delivering thus far, this match also went to penalties after an exciting 2-2 draw. France would finally win, but one could argue it was the Colombians who, perhaps, deserved to advance. Alas, it would not be four South American teams in the Semi-Finals in Turkey, although it was not by way of their best player Niang. Instead, it was 15 year old striker Joffrey Berthet who was their star, scoring their first goal and converted a penalty in the win.

France: 2 (Berthet, Tandia) Won on Penalties 5-4
Colombia: 2 (Saldana, Castillo)

Semi-Finals

Brazil vs. Ecuador

There were no surprises here, and the result did not really reflect what transpired during the match. Although Brazil won 1-0 against Ecuador, they were never really threatened, dominating possession and creating far more chances than their South American counterparts. Leo scored in the 23rd minute, and Brazil would have added more if it was not for the heroics of Ecuadoran defender Diego Rodriguez, who was also Ecuador’s most impressive player during Turkey 2013. For Brazil, Maicon was their best performer, registering his 5th assist of the tournament.

Brazil: 1 (Leo)
Ecuador: 0



France vs. Peru

France did their part, setting up a dream Finals matchup with Brazil after defeating surprise Semi-Finalists Peru 2-0 in a match they dominated. Joffrey Berthet converted a penalty to score his 4th goal of the tournament, becoming a fans favorite for his performances in the past couple of games for the French.

France: 2 (Barthet, Digne)
Peru: 0

Finals

Brazil vs. France

The climax of a highly entertaining tournament took place in Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, in front of nearly 81,000 people. Brazil showed their class by absolutely destroying the French 4-0 to defend their title, and win their 6th U20 title, equaling rivals Argentina in the record books. Ademilson scored a brace in a match where the South Americans controlled 66% of the possession, never giving the French a chance.

Brazil: 4 (Ademilson (2), Leo, Felipe Anderson)
France: 0

Awards

Best Player: Mbaye Niang - France (7 Aps, 7 Gls), followed by Leo – Brazil (6 Aps, 6 Gls)
Top Goalscorer: Mbaye Niang – France (7), followed by Leo – Brazil (6)
Golden Glove: Peter Adebayo - Nigeria

[abulezz]

2013/2014 SUMMER NEWS

June 2013: Hannover 96 was taken over by their former director, Stefan Mertesacker, replacing the outgoing chairman, Martin Kind. After exceeding expectations in the last couple of seasons, finishing 5th and 4th, they were hugely disappointing in 2012/13, finishing in 11th place when they were widely expected to fight for a spot in Europe. Mertesacker stated that he is relishing the opportunity to put the club back on track.

June 22nd 2013: After a disappointing Confederations Cup 2013, Spain sacked their manager Vicente Del Bosque and immediately hired Josep Guardiola, formerly the Barcelona manager. Del Bosque had led Spain to both the European Championship titles in 2008 and 2012, as well as winning the 2010 World Cup, but the Spanish FA felt that the time was right for a change. Guardiola took over having led Barcelona to numerous titles, including winning the La Liga 4 times in a row and the Champions Cup 3 times in a row.

June 24th 2013: In a move that surprised many, Harry Redknapp announced his retirement from football, leaving the post as manager of ex-Premier League champions, Tottenham. Having led the club to their surprising title win in 2012, the club faltered and finished 5th in 2013, but Redknapp had already cemented himself as a legend in the fans' eyes. He was at Tottenham from 2008 until the day of his retirement.

June 25th 2013: Some may call him the best manager to have ever lived, most say he is the greatest British manager of all time, and all know that he is living legend. A sad day for football as Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement from the sport, having led Manchester United to their 20th title, 13 of which were won while he was at the helm. He also won Man United 2 of their 3 Champions Cup titles, getting them to the Finals of that competition 4 times. He retires as potentially the greatest manager ever in football.

June 27th 2013: After the announcement that Josep Guardiola had taken over as head coach of the Spanish national team, Roberto Mancini put an end to a strenuous 3 year relationship with Manchester City by accepting the Barcelona job. In retrospect, many claim that Mancini time at the helm of the English club was a failure, with the only title coming in the form of the FA Cup, which they won in 2011. Despite being one of the most expensively assembled squads in the world, the team never finished higher than 3rd place in the Premier League.

June 28th 2013: Tottenham announced the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini as the man to replace the retired Harry Redknapp. Pellegrini, who was at Almeria before accepting the post, led the club out of the Liga Adelante and into the La Liga, where they finished a respectable 12th place in 2012/13. He will be expected to lead the former Premier League champions back into the Champions Cup at the very least.

July 1st 2013: In a surprising move, Martin Jol was named as successor to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, resigning from his post at Fulham after leading them to 7th place in the Premier League. The announcement came as a shock to a lot of people, with perhaps a manager with a bigger reputation expected to take the helm, but the defending champions were obviously impressed with what the Dutchman accomplished at Fulham.

July 4th 2013: After nearly 2 years at the helm, Alan Shearer resigned as manager of Newcastle after leading them back into the Premier League and took over the Manchester City job, following Mancini’s departure. Shearer, who is from Newcastle, will be looked on to lead Man City to the title, as no less will be expected from its owners.

July 11th 2013: Fulham hired Welsh manager Eddie Niedzwiecki to replace Manchester United bound Martin Jol, a promotion from within the club. The Welshman served under Jol as a youth coach, and this job would represent the first time he has taken the role of manager of a club.

July 12th 2013: Newcastle continued with the trend of the summer, hiring 32 year old Fitz Hall as their manager, taking the place of Alan Shearer, who took the helms of Manchester City. Hall was serving as a coach at Bolton before getting the call up, and he will have the task of leading Newcastle in their first season back in the Premier League after being relegated.

2013/2014 SUMMER MAJOR SIGNINGS

June 13th 2013: In their biggest signing in years, newly crowned Premier League champions Manchester United signed 22 year old midfielder Eden Hazard (29 Aps, 9 Gls, 10 Asts, 7.64) from Lille (who finished a disappointing 10th in the French league) for 34.5 million pounds. The Belgian star, who had won several accolades during his time at Lille and was a crucial part of their 2011 French league championship squad, called the move "a dream come true."

June 29th 2013: One day after taking over as head coach of Tottenham, Manuel Pellegrini splashed 17.5 million pounds on 23 year old Venezuelan striker Salomon Rondon (36 Aps, 20 Gls in 12/13) from Malaga. The Venezuelan striker had made a name for himself the past couple of years in Spain scoring 35 goals in 67 appearances.

July 6th 2013: Sevilla fans were in an uproar as the club announced it was selling its favorite son, Jesus Navas, to AC Milan for just under 20 million pounds. The right winger, who will be getting 135k per week for his new club in Italy, had suffered a frustrating season, spending large of amounts of it on the injury list. He was fantastic when he did play, and no doubt the Milan faithful will be excited to see him in action.

July 9th 2013: Despite never having played a match for the French national team, AC Milan paid 18.25 million pounds for Etienne Capoue. The 25 year midfielder was Lille’s Player of the Year for the 2012/13 season, and Milan manager Frank Rijkaard was known to be a big fan. Capoue was bought for just over 9 million by Lille in 2012 after being named Toulouse’s Player of the Year in 2011/12.

August 9th 2013: Two years after nearly joining their rivals, Manchester City acquired 29 year old Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder for 27 million pounds. The player took the opportunity to lash out at his former boss, Inter manager Baresi, stating that they had not seen eye to eye and that he had welcomed the move away from Italy. Sneijder was a big part of Inter’s 2013 Serie A title winning campaign, and was also part of the team that lifted the 2010 Champions Cup. In total, he won two Serie A titles while in Milan.

August 30th 2013: Real Madrid made their biggest signing of the season late in the summer transfer window, acquiring Kwadwo Asamoah from former Serie A champions Udinese for the price of 16.25 million pounds. The 24 year old Ghanaian was an integral part of the team that won the 2012 Serie A championship, as well as the Ghanaian team that won the African Cup of Nations in 2012, as well. He was also Udinese’s Player of the Year in 2013 after the club faltered and fell to 5th place in the Italian league.

[deltablue]

Hazard to United, Sneijder to City, exciting times in Manchester.

[abulezz]

Hazard to United, Sneijder to City, exciting times in Manchester.

Yes, and Hazard has had a storming start to the season!

[Adelaidean]

A great thing about the detail you go into is that it will surely help with identifying transfer targets as Bromley grows, you have an eye on all the tournaments!

[abulezz]

A great thing about the detail you go into is that it will surely help with identifying transfer targets as Bromley grows, you have an eye on all the tournaments!

That is true and its the main reason I follow all the youth tournaments so intently! Look at these 2 prospects: Xaropinho and Joffrey Berthet

[Adelaidean]

Yeah, I noticed Xaropinho in your U20 World Cup update, Berthet is great as well!

[abulezz]

I am interested to know, who would you guys rather have: Xaropinho or Joffrey Berthet

[Adelaidean]

I'd pick Berthet, Xaropinho has some great attributes, but I like my players a little more well-rounded, although he could be a quality trequartista. Berthet looks like he could turn into a great poacher.

[deltablue]

Tough one, but Xaropinho for me as someone who mostly looks at technical (and sometimes relevant physical) attributes, he blows Berthet out of the water in that regard.

[abulezz]

Premier League Review 2012/13

Sir Alex Ferguson may have lost a shocker in the Semi-Finals of the Champions Cup to underdogs CSKA Moscow, but in an all too familiar scenario, he wrestled the Premier League title back from his competition to give the club a record 20th championship. It was an interesting season, to say the least, with Chelsea leading most of the way, but in typical fashion, the Red Devils managed to pull away at the end and claim the title as theirs, once again. Wayne Rooney (34 Aps, 17 Gls, 10 Asts, 7.73) had another outstanding season, being named to the 2013 World Team of the Year, as well as getting 3rd Place in the World Player of the Year award. It was 24 year old Croatian, the 15 million pound signing from Benfica, Milan Badelj (33 Aps, 7 Gls, 13 Asts, 7.48), who might have been the catalyst, however. Chosen for the 2013 Premier Division Select, the midfielder's contributions were second to none in the midfield. After another maddeningly inconsistent season from the likes of Nani, Antonio Valencia, and Ashley Young, the Croatian was a welcome relief and one of Ferguson's most trusted agents. A hip injury kept Nemanja Vidic (22 Aps, 5.43 TpG, 7.43) out for a big chunck of the season, but the 31 year old was still class when he played. At right back, 22 year old Rafael (30 Aps, 7 Asts, 3.80 TpG, 7.35) really came of age, turning out a fantastic season and solidifying himself as the starting right back for Man Utd for years to come. Who Vidic's partner in the center of the defense was going to be was a concern for Ferguson before the season began, but by the time it ended, it was clear who Rio Ferdinand (16 Aps, 6.83) was going to be: 23 year old Chris Smalling (26 Aps, 4.96 TpG, 7.28). Already having earned 5 English caps, the defender became Ferguson's first choice after putting forward some solid performances, especially in Europe. Those players allowed Manchester United to concede only 25 goals the entire season (first in the league), a vast improvement from the 41 goals they allowed in 2011/12. Of course, Javier Hernandez (26 Aps, 16 Gls) had perhaps the most eventful season of all the Manchester United players, winning the 2012 Olympics with the Mexican national side and grabbing the Premier League Young Player of the Year award to boot.

The defending champions, Tottenham, disappointingly finished in 5th place, out of Champions Cup competition, taking a major step back under their saviour, manager Harry Redknapp. Despite investing nearly 60 million pounds in Edison Cavani (34 Aps, 25 Gls, 7.50), Ryan Shawcross, and GK Fernando Muslera, who only featured in 15 games despite 15 million being paid for him, the London club could not manage to put a winning streak together long enough to stay in the top four. Cavani's first season with the club was nothing short of a revelation, surpassing Adebayor's 20 goals in 2011/12 and winning the Premier League Top Goalscorer as well as being named to the 2013 Premier Division Select. Luka Modric (28 Aps, 5 Gls, 8 Asts, 7.82) had another fantastic season, being named in the Premier Division Select for the 2nd straight season and coming in 2nd Place in the English Player of the Year award. Rafael van der Vaart (21 Aps, 5 Gls, 7.57) also contributed the same this season, but a fractured wrist kep him out of the last 6 weeks of the season. The disappointment, however, was the regression of 2012 English Football of the Year, Gareth Bale (36 Aps, 4 Gls, 7.39). He did not have a bad season by any means, but after being propelled into the superstar category in 2012, having led his team to a surprise Premier League title, this season seemed very muted. Still only 23 years old, perhaps it was unfair to expect so much from a player who is still so young, but it is no coincidence that Tottenham's failure to keep up the pace of last season happened at the same time as Bale's regression. Still, it was not a completely lost season for the fallen champions, as they won the FA Cup and the League Cup, a reasonable consilation for losing their title and a Champions Cup spot for the upcoming season.

The Runners-Up for the 3rd year in a row, Chelsea, did so this year under a new manager, Tony Pulis, who took over from Andre Villas-Boas in December of 2012. The former Stoke boss 20 of the 30 games he was in charge of, and earned owner Roman Abrahamovich's vote of confidence going into the 2013/2014 season. It would not have been possible with 2013 Premier League Player of the Year winner, the 34 year old Frank Lampard (35 Aps, 6 Gls, 21 Asts, 7.92). He led the league in assists and delivered one of his finest seasons to date, nearly leading his club to a Premier League title. Of course, he had some help along the way, namely in 24 year old Argentine, Sergio Aguero (31 Aps, 22 Gls, 7.64). After a dismal season in 2011/2012 with Manchester City saw him sold to Chelsea for 39.5 million pounds, the Premier League's most expensive signing of the season found his footing in a big way, and was named the 2013 Players' Player of the Year as well as getting selected to the 2013 Premier Division Select. His partner in the Chelsea attack, Fernando Torres (28 Aps, 15 Gls) also did his part, although, once again, he was mired by some inconsistent performances. The 2012 African Footballer of Year, defensive midfielder Jon Obi Mikel (28 Aps, 4.65 TpG, 7.56), delivered a similar season to the last, anchoring the midfield and delivering stellar performances throughout. He was helped by the fact that Nigeria did not qualify to the African Cup of Nations, allowing him to stay with his club side through the season.

In Arsene Wenger's (now French national manager) last season in charge of Arsenal, the club finished in 4th place and looked like they had reached their potential. Enter Louis Van Gaal, who, in a transitional year, brought the club up one spot to 3rd place and has the Arsenal fans more hopeful than they have been in quite a while. Before a late season dip in form, Arsenal had maintained a position in the top two, and despite disappointingly falling out of there, the team still finished higher than most would have expected. The 24 year old Marek Hamsik (32 Aps, 12 Gls, 7.60) was a Van Gaal signing, having set the club back 21.5 million to bring him from Napoli, but he more than lived up to his price tag as he was easily one of Arsenal's most important players during the season. It was also another stellar season from English left back Leighton Baines (31 Aps, 9 Asts, 3.18 TpG, 7.69) allowed Arsenal to have the season it did, and the 28 year old has become one of the best at his position in the world, having been named to both the 2012 and 2013 World Team of the Year. At the other full back position, 30 year old Backary Sagna (36 Aps, 4.23 TpG, 7.82) had perhaps the most impressive season for an Arsenal player, consistently spectacular down the right flank of the pitch, and was justly rewarded with a spot on the 2013 Premier Division Select. The 2012 Young Player of the Year, Marouane Fellaini (28 Aps, 8 Gls, 8 Asts, 7.48) was Hamsik's partner in the midfield and has become one of Arsenal's most important players after coming in from Everton during the 2011/12 season for a bargain 7.5 million pounds.

Although they improved on their 2011/12 season, a 4th place finish was still considered a disappointment by the Manchester City owners, whose aspirations of competing for the Premier League title would have to wait at least for another year. Manager Roberto Mancini retained his position after the end of the season, but he rumors again swirled that his time at the head of the club was coming to an end. There was no repeat of the previous years' spending, with the only transfer of note being Yuri Zhirkov, who came in the January window for 21 million pounds. David Silva (26 Aps, 6 Gls, 7.51) was perhaps the club's best player, along with defender Vincent Kompany (33 Aps, 5.24 TpG, 7.45). Their leading goalscorer was Bosnian Edin Dzeko (35 Aps, 15 Gls), and they also had solid contributions from Danny (32 Aps, 7 Gls, 7.36) and Samir Nasri (35 Aps, 10 Gls, 8 Asts). Man City is a solid team that has no real weaknesses, but somehow they just could not manage to compete for the title, this year atleast. Still, a Champions Cup spot over former champions Tottenham and Liverpool was something to cheer about.

Although the top four has become the big six, Liverpool continued to find that they simply did not have the quality to match the others. Kenny Dalglish continued to do an admirable job with the talent he had, finishing 6th in an ultra-competitive league. That being said, they won the EURO Cup against Roma in the Amsterdam Arena, beating the Italians 2-1. Luis Suarez led the team in scoring (32 Aps, 18 Gls, 7.31) and was perhaps the team's best player, as well. Injuries continued to keep the aging talisman Steven Gerrard (28 Aps, 4 Gls) in and out of the lineup, but they could rely on GK Pepe Reina and Dirk Kuyt (30 Aps, 5 Gls, 7.22). Perhaps the most encouraging thing to come out of this season was the performance of 19 year old English left back Jac Robinson (13 Aps, 4.64 TpG, 7.42). Liverpool's biggest signing of the season was 27 year old Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, who cost the club 17.25 million pounds but rarely lived up to his pricetag.

Fulham exceeded their expectations, grabbing 7th place on the back of Rasmus Elm (33 Aps, 3 Gls, 9 Asts, 7.27) midfield play, and they were followed by Wolves, who hired David Moyes at the tail end of the 2012/13 season. Stoke made huge improvements, jumping from 16th in 2011/12 to 9th, with new manager Paul Lambert in charge. Peter Crouch (38 Aps, 19 Gls) continued his resurgence in domestic football as well as the international level, and was a big part of their improvement. Aston Villa also showed steady improvement, finishing 10th, under new manager Steve Kean, with left back Mikael Dorsin (23 Aps, 4.21 TpG, 7.68) being one of the best fullbacks in the league during the season.

Sunderland were the most disappointing team of the season, dropping from 10th place in 2011/12 to relegation in 2012/13. Steve Bruce was sacked in December of 2012, and Brendan Rodgers was hired, but they did not fair any better. Bristol City, expectedly, finished last, and in between them was newly promoted Birmingham.

[AK22]

I am interested to know, who would you guys rather have: Xaropinho or Joffrey Berthet

I'd go for Berthet. Pace and off the ball, he'll be a great poacher.

[abulezz]

I'd pick Berthet, Xaropinho has some great attributes, but I like my players a little more well-rounded, although he could be a quality trequartista. Berthet looks like he could turn into a great poacher.

Tough one, but Xaropinho for me as someone who mostly looks at technical (and sometimes relevant physical) attributes, he blows Berthet out of the water in that regard.

I'd go for Berthet. Pace and off the ball, he'll be a great poacher.

I'd agree that Berthet fits the mold of a dream striker, with pace, power, and abiity with the ball, but I have never seen a player like Xaropinho in any of my FM games yet. I dont think you'd be able to get his pace up to acceptable levels, but can you imagine what that height, aerial abiity and technical prowess could bring? I have to say I am more than intrigued, and AC Milan just got themselves a complete bargain, buying for 1.7 million!

[abulezz]

This is heartbreaking

[deltablue]

Hope it doesn't harm your form too much.

[abulezz]

Hope it doesn't harm your form too much.

So far its been OK - we have been exceeding all expectations and we're in the Top 3!

Ive made 2 more signings - the second is especially interesting: Ahmad Benali and Niko el Maesto(!!)

[abulezz]

My finest player, David Corrigan, since joining the club - I thought it would be interesting to see how he has improved:

August 2012
June 2013
October 2013

[abulezz]

Siigggghhh at England. Needless to say, Ancelotti got sacked.

England Fail to Qualify - Manager Sacked

After failing to lead England into the World Cup 2014, getting knocked out in their Qualifying Group by Montenegro and Ukraine, the English FA promptly sacked Carlo Ancelotti from his position as head coach of the national team. The Italian had been at the helm for just under 10 months, taking over from Fabio Capello when he retired from football. The lack of World Cup action is sure to hit the country hard, and the likes of Gerrard, Lampard, Ferdinand, and Cole will not be around to see another World Cup. England were Finalists in the Euro 2012, beaten only by Spain, and also were Finalists during the summer at the Confederations Cup 2013, where they put on a solid performance against eventual winners, and World Cup favorites, Brazil. It was a loss against Montenegro in Podgorica 2-1 that sealed it for them, with Stevan Jovetic scoring a sensational brace and running circles around the English.

[abulezz]

Stuart Pearce Hired as England Manager

October 20th 2013: After the heartbreaking failure to qualify to the World Cup, the English FA have appointed an English manager for the first time in over 5 years, after going through Capello and Ancelotti. The appointment of Stuart Pearce has been met with cautious optimism, but there have been some criticism that England should have hired a more accomplished manager. Pearce will be given the opportunity to lead England to the Euro 2016 in France.

[AK22]

England never qualified for WC 2014 in my save either! I hope that's not a sign of things to come!

[abulezz]

August - December 2013 Happenings

Awards

WORLD GOLDEN BALL: Lionel Messi, Barcelona – For the 5th year in a row, Lionel Messi captured the award convincingly. Barcelona won the European Champions Cup for the 3rd time in a row, but due to an injury, Messi could only feature in half of the season. For the year, Messi ended up with 26 goals in 42 appearances, and had 10 assists with an 8.08 average rating. The 26 year old also captained Argentina to the World Cup 2014, qualifying top of the South American qualifying group.

WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mario Gotze, Dortmund – Stopping Lionel Messi from winning the award 3 years in a row, the 21 year old German was simply amazing throughout the year. His injury kept him out of the early parts of the 2012/13 season, but his form was outstanding once he returned. In 37 appearances, he scored 11 goals and had 23 assists, also recording an 8.15 AR. Gotze was the main part of Dortmund’s back to back titles in 2011 and 2012, and they topped the league going into 2014.

Team Acquisitions

September 4th 2013: Montpelier Herault SC was bought by Michel Menzy from Louis Nicollin after prolonged negotiations that stretched for the best part of the summer. The club had found some success in recent years, placing 6th and 5th place the last two seasons in the French Ligue One, and had some substantial investments by Nicollin before he left, installing undersoil heating and upgrading the club’s youth facilities.

October 28th 2013: Spanish club Zaragoza has been bought out by the Zaragoza Supporter’s Trust, led by local businessman Victor Gutierrez, from former owner Agapito Iglesias. The acquisition puts the ownership of the club into the hands of thousands of fans, led by Gutierrez. It is unclear, as of yet, what investment the trust have planned for their beloved local club, but even after the acquisition, the club’s finances remain in a dire state.

December 23rd 2013: Mike Ashley completed the sale of Newcastle United to Alex Clark, a local businessman. Newcastle had seen some instability the last few years, seeing the return of Alan Shearer and his departure after their promotion to the Premier League. Their current manager, Fitz Hall, is a first time head coach, and currently had Newcastle in 14th place. Ashley twice tried to sell the club unsuccessfully before the acquisition by Clark.




Manager Movement

October 7th 2013: After failing to lead England into the World Cup 2014, getting knocked out in their Qualifying Group by Montenegro and Ukraine, the English FA promptly sacked Carlo Ancelotti from his position as head coach of the national team. The Italian had been at the helm for just under 10 months, taking over from Fabio Capello when he retired from football. The lack of World Cup action is sure to hit the country hard, and the likes of Gerrard, Lampard, Ferdinand, and Cole will not be around to see another World Cup. England were Finalists in the Euro 2012, beaten only by Spain, and also were Finalists during the summer at the Confederations Cup 2013, where they put on a solid performance against eventual winners, and World Cup favorites, Brazil. It was a loss against Montenegro in Podgorica 2-1 that sealed it for them, with Stevan Jovetic scoring a sensational brace and running circles around the English.

October 20th 2013: After the heartbreaking failure to qualify to the World Cup, the English FA have appointed an English manager for the first time in over 5 years, after going through Capello and Ancelotti. The appointment of Stuart Pearce has been met with cautious optimism, but there have been some criticism that England should have hired a more accomplished manager. Pearce will be given the opportunity to lead England to the Euro 2016 in France.

October 21st 2013: After finding themselves in 19th place, Auxerre have sacked manager Francis Gillot, who had been at the helm a year and a half ago. Gillot led them to 8th place in 2012/13, but failure to get the season started on the right footing led to the sacking.

October 23rd 2013: Shortly after the sacking of Gillot by Auxerre, French club Toulouse followed suit and sacked their manager Philipe Montanier, who had been at the helm for a short few months. He took over in April 2013 after Alain Casanova left to Lille, and the club finished in 7th place in 2012/13. However, a terrible start to the season grew the Toulouse board’s patience thin, and after their latest loss, let Montanier go.

October 27th 2013: Thierry Froger, who last managed Nice and had been held a post for two years, has been named the new manager of Auxerre. Following the sacking of Francis Gillot, the club chose to hire Froger, who was also head coach of the Togolese national team before taking over at Nice. Auxerre are in last place, and Froger will be expected to lead them out of the relegation zone and into safety by the season’s end.

October 28th 2013: The Bundesliga’s first managerial casualty of the season was Thomas Schaaf, who was sacked by Stuttgart, who were in 10th place. Shaaf took over at the end of February 2013 after the team sacked Sasha Mihajlovic, and they ended up finishing a respectable 5th place in 2012/13. However, a rough start to the season and a disappointing mid-table position were the end of Schaaf, with the club expecting to compete for a European spot this season.

October 29th 2013: Toulouse FC have hired recently sacked Auxerre ex-manager Francis Gillot to lead them, a few days after announcing their own sacking of Montanier. Gillot had been underachieving at Auxerre this season, but the Toulouse board believes he is the right person to right the ship and lead the club back into respectability after a bad start to the season.

November 2nd 2013: Frankfurt manager Armin Veh has resigned from the club to take the helm at rivals Stuttgart, who had recently sacked Thomas Schaaf. Veh took over at Frankfurt during the summer of 2011, and won the German Second Division in his first year, leading the team into the Bundesliga, where he finished a surprising 6th place during the 2012/13 season. His accomplishments with Frankfurt have not gone unnoticed, and Stuttgart will be hoping he can lead them into a European place this season.

November 6th 2013: Claudio Ranieri has been sacked by Sevilla, becoming the first casualty of the Primera Liga in the 2013/14 season. The Italian had been in charge of the club since the summer of 2012, and led Sevilla to a 3rd place finish in 2012/13, higher than their expectations. He led the club to the Quarter-Finals of the Euro Cup last season, but his failure to qualify from the Champions Cup Group H, coupled with a disappointing 13th place in the Primera Liga, led to his sacking.

November 9th 2013: With Armin Veh, formerly of Frankfurt, taking over Thomas Schaaf’s old position at Stuttgart, Schaaf has returned the favor and taken the helm of Veh’s former club. Schaaf was sacked by Stuttgart because of a disappointing start to the season, but had led them to 5th place in the 2012/13 season, higher than their expectations. Frankfurt are currently in 12th place after finishing 6th in their first season back in the Bundesliga, and will be hoping Schaaf will be able to bring them back up to a European spot.

November 9th 2013: Blackburn has sacked manager Keith Millen after a disappointing campaign so far in the 2013/14, finding themselves in 17th place. The club was expected to be in a comfortable mid table position, and possibly even challenge for a Euro Cup spot, but Millen, who was hired in February 2013 and finished 11th place, could not find the proper motivation for the players, who have also been underachieving. Blackburn is only the second managerial position that Millen has held, having previously managed Bristol City for three seasons before joining Rovers.

November 11th 2013: Benito Floro has been sacked by Getafe after finding themselves in 17th place. Floro has been in charge for just under a year, and led Getafe to an 11th place finish in the 2012/13 season. However, the club stated that their current position was unacceptable, and have such let Floro go.

November 12th 2013: Replacing Claudio Ranieri in Sevilla will be former Chelsea and England boss, Carlo Ancelotti. The Sevilla board stated they were going to go after a big name, and they got one of the biggest on the market. Ancelotti’s reputation still precedes him despite the England fiasco, where he failed to lead them to World Cup qualifications.

November 13th 2013: One week after being sacked by Sevilla, Claudio Ranieri has replaced Benito Floro at the head of struggling Getafe. Despite leading Sevilla to 3rd place last year, the club was not impressed with his accomplishments this year, and replaced him with Carlo Ancelotti. Ranieri will have a chance to right the sinking Getafe ship, who are perilously close to the relegation zone.

November 24th 2013: In a double casualty, both Leverkusen and HSV sacked their managers, Ralf Rangnick and Robin Dutt, respectively. Dutt, formerly in charge of Leverkusen, had only been 6 months at the helm of HSV, but his performances thus far this season led to the early axing, as HSV found themselves in 17th place. Rangnick, also just 6 months in charge of Leverkusen, had the team only one place higher than HSV, in 16th place, but equally unacceptable by the club’s board.

November 27th 2013: After finishing 4th and 7th place in the last two seasons with Atletico Madrid, Gregorio Manzano has been sacked by the club after what they considered an underachieving season thus far. Currently in 13th place, the Madrid club released the manager from his obligations two and a half years after he was hired from Sevilla.

November 28th 2013: Napoli Luciano Spaletti resigns, leaving the club in 11th place.

November 30th 2013: Jos Luhukay leaves Kaiserslauten for Leverkusen.

December 1st 2013: Bruno Labbadia leaves Braga for HSV.

December 5th 2013: Rafa Benitez sacked by Valencia after they fell to 15th place.

December 5th 2013: Hector Cuper leaves Mallorca for Atletico Madrid.

December 6th 2013: Michael Laudrup sacked by Bayern Munich after faling to 9th place.

December 7th 2013: Inter Milan sack Guisseppe Baresi after they fall to 10th place.

December 12th 2013: Valencia hire Gregerio Manzano.

December 13th 2013: Inter appoint Nicola Frustalupi, formerly the assistant manager.

December 14th 2013: Ralf Rangnick appointed new manager of Bayern Munich.

December 14th 2013: Fulham hire Michael Laudrup.

December 14th 2013: Wolves sack David Moyes, in 17th place.

December 15th 2013: Genoa sack Sinisa Mihajlovic, in 13th place.

[abulezz]

Bromey Mid-Season Update 2013/2014

Save for a few results, things could not be going better for the club. I made a couple more signings which have worked out. We got through the Elliot Law injury by keeping in promotion contention, and now that he is back, I expect the results to get better. Its no coincidence that our last few games have produced great results - he was back in the line up. I am disappointed with Andy Dixon's performances between the posts, and the defense is letting in too many goals, so the aim is to solidify our back four, even if it means bringing in some defenders. I expected a mid-table finish, but now, anything less than the playoffs for a chance at promotion will be viewed as a disappointment. Speaking of disappointments, David Corrigan has not been doing the job required of him, scoring only 3 goals in the league. He needs to step it up.

[deltablue]

Impressive how quickly you're rising.

[abulezz]

Impressive how quickly you're rising.

Thanks! But things might not be so rosy after this:

[abulezz]

A 2-1 away victory against Fleetwood and we're sitting top of the league!

[AK22]

Looking great so far

Corrigan must be one hell of a talent if Milan are coming in to sign him!

[abulezz]

World Cup 2014 - Brazil: Group Tables

The excitement building up to the most important sporting event on the planet is already building up after the Group Tables were made known. Group A looks pretty straight forward for the hosts, while Group B seems to be, on paper, this tournament's group of death. The defending champions should not have any problems getting through Group C, and France will have an easy time, as well, in Group D. Much like their neighbors, Germany should also have no problems in Group E, while in Group F, there looks like no clear cut favorites. Group G should see Italy and Argentina both come through, and finally, Group H looks like the weakest group in this year's World Cup. Notable absences are England, 2010 Semi-Finalists Uruguay, 2010 Quarter-Finalists Ghana, Nigeria, and Serbia.

[abulezz]

January 2014 Transfers

January 5th 2014: Arsenal paid a staggering 20.5 million pounds for Christian Fuchs from the German Bundesliga champions, Shalke 04. The 27 year old Austrian won the clubs Player of the Year during their title campaign, and was Runners-Up in the league’s Defender of the Year award, behind Dortmund’s Mats Hummels. He was also named in the 2013 Bundesliga Team of the Year, thanks to his versatility. Fuchs is adept at playing anywhere down the left flank, and Louis Van Gaal, who many consider to have overpaid to get him, will be looking to utilize him down the left wing.

January 8th 2014: Santiago Carzola (15 Aps, 3 Gls, 3 Asts) made the move from Malaga to Arsenal for 22 million pounds, as the club continued to strengthen itself in hopes of snatching the Premier League title. Carzola has been having a typical season, and the 29 year old Spanish midfielder will be looked upon to contribute across the midfield.

January 20th 2014: Not to be outdone by their rivals, Chelsea have signed Sime Vrsaljko for 22 million pounds from Malaga. The 22 year old Serbian is a right back by default, but has the ability to play all over the midfield, as well. He had made 17 appearances in the league this season, recording 3 assists with 7.31 AR. He had been bought by Malaga from Dinamo in 2011 for 4.4 million, and was their Player of the Year in 2012/13 (30 Aps, 2 Gls, 8 Asts, 7.35).

January 22nd 2014: Despite 3 inconsistent seasons at Atletico Madrid, Manchester City have shelled out 17.25 million pounds for 26 year old midfielder Arda Turan (12 Aps, 2 Gls, 6.96). Turan, who made his name at Galatasaray before moving to Spain, will be expected to contribute on the wings as well as the center of the park.

Round-Up: Brazilian Jucilei made the move from Anji to Zenit for 14.25 million...Aiden McGeady joined Liverpool from Spartak Moscow for 15.75 million...Seydou Doumbia was sold by CSKA Moscow to Inter Milan for 15 million...Matias Ezequel Scheletto switched from Ajax to Paris Saint-Germain for just under 10 million...Tottenham signed Tim Matvz from PSV for 9.5 million.

[hursty2]

Thanks! But things might not be so rosy after this:

625K is going to go along way in pushing you even further up the leagues. There is no 'i' in team after all.

[abulezz]

Looking great so far

Corrigan must be one hell of a talent if Milan are coming in to sign him!

He was my brightest prospect - he certainly had the potential to lead the line and become a very good poacher type player.

625K is going to go along way in pushing you even further up the leagues. There is no 'i' in team after all.

The money softens the blow a bit, but Im sure one league higher, and a couple of years more of development, and we could have seen milions for him!

[abulezz]

Champions Cup 2013/2014 - Group Stages

Group A: AC Milan nearly were knocked out by Norwegian champions Rosenborg, but in the end pulled it through. The defending champions, Barcelona, were perfect – 6 wins and 0 goals conceded. Danish league runners-up FC Kobenhavn were disappointing, finishing with only 3 points.

Group B: Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kiev surprised and finished top of a competitive group that saw German giants Bayern Munich knocked out. Joining Kiev were Marseille, with Cypriots Larnaca playing the role of whooping boys of the group.

Group C: After reaching in the Semi-Finals and Quarter-Finals in 2012 and 2013, respectively, Ajax were knocked out in the group stages by Manchester United, who conceded an uncharacteristic 9 goals, and Germans Wolfsburg. Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow were also knocked out along with the Dutch.

Group D: The most impressive team in the group stages was Louis Van Gaal’s Arsenal, who won all 6 of their matches, scored 18 goals and conceded none. Porto barely squeaked by Belgian champions Club Brugge, and Greek champions AEK Athens failed to win a game.

Group E: A competitive group that between 3 talented teams, it was Chelsea and Roma who knocked out Paris Saint-Germain and Czech champions Viktoria Plzen. Paris Saint-Germain were disappointed with the result, but they lost out to two teams that had slightly more to give than the French.

Group F: No surprises out of this group as both Real Madrid and Manchester City advanced comfortably, knocking out Scottish champions Rangers and Serbian champions Red Star. Real Madrid, how did not advance past the Quarter-Finals the past two years, will be looking to improve on that, and Manchester City, who were knocked out in the 2nd Round in 2013, will try to do better under new manager Alan Shearer.

Group G: The most surprising result came out of this group, with Finalists CSKA Moscow finishing bottom and Italian champions Inter Milan also knocked out. It was Portugal champions Benfica and Turkish team Trabzonspor qualifying on their expense.

Group H: French champions Lyonnais and German champions Shalke 04 made short work of this group, qualifying at the expense of Sevilla and Danish club OB. The latter failed to make an impression, recording only 1 point in those 6 matches, while Sevilla was underwhelming at best, recording only 5 points.

[deltablue]

Interesting couple of shocks.

[ManUTactician247]

Lol at Group G, almost exactly the same as real life, except Lille are in it not Benfica.