An FM Career - Now With Added Bitterness.

[ShyBaldBuddhist]

Heinze looks a decent partner for Nagy hope they click and get the goals you have been lacking. Bit of luck and I think you can get a bit closer this year to the European spots.

[Pangaea]

Some good deals there. Good luck.

[hursty2]

Heinze looks a decent partner for Nagy hope they click and get the goals you have been lacking. Bit of luck and I think you can get a bit closer this year to the European spots.

I'm just worried Heinze is a bit too young and that he will benefit from a wider formation rather than my narrow diamond.

Some good deals there. Good luck.

Cheers man.

[AK22]

Smalling and McEachran should be sound signings as they won't have to adapt to life in Premier League. Might be the year you break into the top six

[hursty2]

Another job offer, Schalke are currently 12th in the Bundesliga after 11 games. I imagine it would be fun in the German leagues but not right now, I have a job to do.

[HotChocolate]

You can't move, yet!

[City2000]

Heinze looks very promising, will be interesting to see whether he can help Nagy get those goals.

Looks like you have a squad capable of pushing on this year, good luck

[hursty2]

Cheers fellas and Merry Christmas all!

[Nobby_McDonald]

You can only leave Stoke if you get sacked.

[hursty2]

MID SEASON UPDATE – JANUARY 31^ST

PREMIER LEAGUE
What a season so far! We sit in third position after 23 games, only losing three of those games. Everything seems to have clicked, the defence is conceding very little goals and we have had some very big victories throughout the season as well as some amazing turn arounds. I could be even higher up in the table had it not been for 8 draws, usually coming in spurts. Brilliant results against the top 6 teams have also seen us prosper, our record against them being – W3 – D3 – L1. Things are definitely looking up, with maybe the chance of a birth in the Champions League next season. What an achievement that would be!

LEAGUE CUP
I wasn’t too bothered about this competition yet again as it puts too much strain on your squad early on in the season and I don’t really have a big squad. I played fringe players in our 2^nd round clash with Peterborough, losing 2-0.

FA CUP
The third round put me up against my own feeder club Barnsley and we dispatched of them with relative ease winning 3-0 away. Then we came up against another lower league team in the form of Barnet (A), where we won 3-0 and progressed into the fourth round. There we will face fellow Premier League team Aston Villa.

KEY PLAYERS

Fabian Delph – He has yet again been my best player so far this season earning an average rating of 7.40, contributing 7 goals and 4 assists.

Chris Smalling – The new signing at the Britannia Stadium has added needed solidity to the right back position and now is attracting enquiries from the like of Barcelona.

Ryan Shawcross – Five times consecutive Fans Player of the Year, Shawcross is still the main man at the back of my defence and England’s too.

Andras Nagy – Well wow, has he come alive this season or not?! He has already surpassed his league goal tally from last season, currently sitting on 11 goals.

TRANSFER UPDATE
Expensive flop Roberto Firmino just wasn’t performing which meant I didn’t play him ahead of Fleck, this then led to him moaning about not playing often. I told him he had been rubbish and he wouldn’t play for the foreseeable future, which angered him more. I transfer listed him for 9.75M and only days later, struggling Inter Milan matched that with the full amount up front. I snatched them up on the offer and he duly left in the January window. I bought no one in the transfer window even with the departure of Firmino as no one really took my fancy.

Even the assistant thinks I'm a legend for that come back.

[HotChocolate]

That was a great comeback, but an even greater start to the season. Surely not a top 4 finish? Would be brilliant progress if you made it!

[hursty2]

That was a great comeback, but an even greater start to the season. Surely not a top 4 finish? Would be brilliant progress if you made it!

Haha, can you imagine Stoke in the Champions League.

[jackripper]

Haha, can you imagine Stoke in the Champions League.

Can you imagine them in the europa cup aswell..........oh wait!!

[Nobby_McDonald]

Haha, can you imagine Stoke in the Champions League.

Yes I can.

[hursty2]

Can you imagine them in the europa cup aswell..........oh wait!!

Yes I can.

It would be crazy!

[hursty2]

Morocco just offered me a job.

No thanks.

[ShyBaldBuddhist]

Excellent start to the campaign. Could be quite tight at the top if the clubs around you win their games in hand. KUTGW

[hursty2]

Cheers mate, update to come...

[abulezz]

Nagy's certainly doing his part That's a great run of form, highlighted by come from behind wins - shows the commitment your team has!

[hursty2]

END OF SEASON UPDATE 2016-17

PREMIER LEAGUE
An outstanding season here, 5^th position but it could have been so much better! We were sat in third for the most part of the season but two consecutive losses to teams around us pushed us down. Even so, only being pipped to 4^th on goal difference to a very strong Man City side is some achievement. I have now finally completed my first goal of breaking into the top 6, earning me 3^rd place in the Manager of the Year award.

Helping us on our way to 5^th was the outstanding goal scoring record from Andras Nagy, getting his highest ever tally of 19 league goals.

FA CUP
Another great performance by the team in this competition, making it all the way to the final but for the second time this season getting beaten by Man City. They won 2-1 in the final and to be honest we didn’t really show up and they deserved to win.

KEY PLAYERS

Fabian Delph – He was amazing for me the whole season and during the latter part of the season scored three important goals to ensure our spot in the top 6.

John Fleck – Wasn’t so good for the first part of the season but absolutely turned it on in the second half of the season, earning himself a place in the Team of the Year and also coming runner up in Football Writers Association Player of the Year.

Andras Nagy – As mentioned earlier he had his best season so far contributing 23 goals, definitely what I have been missing in previous seasons.

COMMENTS
An absolutely brilliant season! Everything seemed to click this season and we went on amazing winning runs beating teams we would have lost too last season. Our record against the old ‘top 6’ was a decisive factor. If we’d have won the FA Cup the season would have been even better! As for next season I need to bring in more quality in depth so I can challenge in Europe. I also feel it’s time to start blooding some youngsters into the team, therefore I’ll be looking to do that more often.

In other news it is rumoured that Peter Coates is going to sell the club to another board member but before he leaves, Britannia stadium is to be increased by 8 500 seats taking the capacity up to over 45 000.


PREMIER LEAGUE: 5^TH (Champions Arsenal)
LEAGUE CUP: 3^rd Round (Winners Man City)
FA CUP: Final (Lost vs. Man City 2-1)

EUROPA LEAGUE: Real Madrid (3-2 ET vs. Tottenham)
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Barcelona (2-0 vs. O.Marseille)

[ShyBaldBuddhist]

Brilliant season. Look strong defensively and scored a few more this year. Good to see Nagy starting to fulfill his promise. GL in Europe next year

[HotChocolate]

Unlucky on missing out on the top 4!

[AK22]

So close to Champions League qualification! And so close to winning the FA Cup! Stoke have become the bridesmaids of English football!

Still a really credible season though

[Nobby_McDonald]

Ooo so close twice.

[abulezz]

So unlucky there to miss out on CL football, but the fact you've broken through the Big Six is an achievement in itself

[CityAndColour]

Baby steps. At least it gives you a chance to win the Europa before you become a CL fixture.

[Plobdork]

Give me nagy now!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Pangaea]

Great season and a good foundation for next year when you will push for CL qualification.

[hursty2]

Cheers guys.

Onwards and upwards!

[City2000]

Great season

Also nice to see Nagy have that breakthrough season and repay the faith you showed in him.

Now to take Stoke to the next level!

[o JaY]

Great season

Finally breaking into the Europa and then a push for the Champions League next season possibly?

[deltablue]

Should have a good European run to avoid CL groups of death.

[hursty2]

SEASON PREVIEW 2017/18

Media Prediction: 7^th
Board Requirement: Europa League Qualification
FA Cup: 6^th Round
League Cup: N/A
Europa League: 1^st KO Round

TRANSFER NEWS
It’s not really been a busy transfer window for me, with no notable transfers to comment on. Only three players have come in but all are young players with a lot of potential. No established players came into the team as I felt that there were no players available for good value. However, I have high hopes for the youngsters, Markus Mayer (1.7M), Philipp Roth (1.2M) and Tonci Piric (free) – they will still add something to the squad but I don’t expect any immediate fireworks. Piric was one of the options I had last season when looking for striker and when he became available for free this season I simply had to. Even if he doesn’t perform I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to sell him on for a profit. Mayer is a defensive midfielder with the potential to be better than Elm and it looks like he will have to start the first game of the season with both Wilson and Elm out through injury. Finally Roth, bought from Man Utd, is a young attacking mid who will provide cover for Fleck and hopefully he will progress well.

Last season, I forgot to mention this young signing from Portugal, who has the potential to be an amazing left back. At just 15 he was already playing for the U21’s.

This season I looked through my reserves and youth squad, realising that it was very bloated. I duly went on a spree of releasing a massive amount of players with little potential.

TOP EPL TRANSFERS | LUCAS MOURA – MAN CITY (32M)

TEAM REPORT
I’m still quite pleased with the players from last season but can’t help but think I should have made at least one big signing. Maybe a player that will just light up the league but sadly I couldn’t find such a player. The youngsters in my squad now though are very good and all bodes well for the future.

Players such as Fleck, Delph and Nagy will again be integral to my season so they better showcase the same form they showed last season.

CLUB NEWS
There has been some quite important events within Stoke City this pre-season. Firstly, chairman Peter Coates has left the club and replacing him is another board member Keith Humphries. He has also taken with him 20M in which we have to pay 85K per month for.

The club has also undertaken yet another stadium expansion of 8250 extra seats taking the capacity above 40K, costing the club approximately 11M. The expansion will be completed at the end of September.

[Plobdork]

Expansions are always good ...any interest in nagy this pre-season?

[hursty2]

Expansions are always good ...any interest in nagy this pre-season?

No, Nagy didn't receive any interest this season unusually.

[abulezz]

Meyer and Peixoto look exceptional - I really think they can contribute immediately, even if the latter is only 16! Piric looks good too, albeit a bit on the slow side. Still, your squad is gearing for a Champions League spot push!

[hursty2]

EUROPA LEAGUE 4^TH QUALIFYING ROUND

1^st Leg
Stoke City – 6
Andras Nagy (1)
John Fleck (9, 43)
Robert Huth (17)
Dennis Heinze (79, 88)
Partizan – 0

An emphatic victory here, which all but saw us qualify for the group stages, Nagy with a goal in the first minute to pick up where he left off. From then on it was an onslaught with Fleck and Huth getting in on the action, Heinze rounding the scoring off with two quick goals.


2^nd Leg
Partizan – 2
Milos Dobric (6)
Lucas Cataldo (25)
Stoke City – 2
Ryan Shawcross (81)
Andras Nagy (85)

The tie was well and truly over and therefore I played all the fringe players and youngsters. It started to worry me when they scored two inside the first half and I thought they were mounting a comeback. I didn’t want to let that happen so I brought on some real quality just to make sure, Shawcross and Nagy getting two late goals.

Group Stage Draw

Group C
Sporting CP (Portugal)
Stoke City (England)
Steaua Bucharest (Romania)
Kayserispor (Turkey)

***

An interesting draw in which I should probably easily qualify from, the only challenge expected to come from Sporting CP from Portugal.

[deltablue]

I reckon you'll go through, maybe even top the group.

[HotChocolate]

No holding back in the first leg.

Good luck in Europe, you've got a good chance of going far

[Pangaea]

Good group draw, you should go through fine. Some very good prospects you brought in too. Best of luck.

[Nobby_McDonald]

Should get through that group comfortably.

[ShyBaldBuddhist]

The Europa group shouldn't cause too many problems. Might even get the chance to give the youngsters some playing time. Meyer and Peixoto are good finds, they both look to have bright futures.

[o JaY]

Some nice signings, all look pretty decent. Couldn't turn down Piric on a free and Peixoto has class, despite his young age - he'll develop into a top player.

Also, great European qualification - should see you get through the groups without too many problems.

[hursty2]

Cheers everyone! Looks like I've got a lot of pressure on me to qualify now. Can't wait to finish work and start my assault on Europe.

[hursty2]

Just been offered the Bayern Munich job, no thank you!

Oh and the stadium expansion is completed - 44990 capacity.

[abulezz]

Lol, not the right time at all to jump ship. I agree with the previous opinions, it would be disappointing if you didnt qualify out of that group!

[Nobby_McDonald]

Just been offered the Bayern Munich job, no thank you!

Oh and the stadium expansion is completed - 44990 capacity.

Nearly one fifth of the population of the city now.

[deltablue]

I was wondering how big Stoke was and whether there were enough people.

[HotChocolate]

Just been offered the Bayern Munich job, no thank you!

Oh and the stadium expansion is completed - 44990 capacity.

Are you trying to say 4/5 of the population are Port Vale fans?

I wouldn't be surprised, they have Micky Adams as manager.

[Nobby_McDonald]

Stoke-on-Trent has a population of around 240,000 and the club also pulls fans from neighbouring Newcastle-under-Lyme (population around 75,000) given the town doesn't have a club anywhere near Stoke City's level. The thick people of Stoke and those that live in Burslum (sic) are the ones that support Vale.

There are also two major universities (Staffordshire and Keele) so there are a good few thousand students that make up the population who are unlikely to support either club.

[swedishchef_uk]

Just to quickly say that I'm really enjoying this read. Interested to see the way your tactics change. Is this because of the players you bring in, or to try and confuse the AI? Good luck Stoke!

[hursty2]

Just to quickly say that I'm really enjoying this read. Interested to see the way your tactics change. Is this because of the players you bring in, or to try and confuse the AI? Good luck Stoke!

Glad you're enjoying!

It's definitely the players changing my tactics, a couple of seasons ago I had a lot of wide players whereas in recent times I've had more central players. Who knows what's next?!

[Pangaea]

I'd like to see a left-sided sweeper tactic with offside traps.

[hursty2]

EUROPA LEAGUE UPDATE
GROUP STAGE

Sporting CP – 0
Stoke City FC – 0

A bore draw but a decent result against the toughest side in the group, a valuable point away from home.

Stoke City – 3
Dennis Heinze (71, 93)
Andras Nagy (78)
Kayserispor – 2
Dogan Sivrikaya (9)
Morgan Schneiderlin (55)

This was a game I was expected to win comfortably but to my surprise they took an early lead, later doubling their advantage. I was fuming with my side and made some harsh changes which clearly worked when we came back to win 3-2 with a 93^rd minute winner.

Stoke City – 1
Ryan Shawcross (89)
Steaua Bucharest – 0

This was another tough game but luckily we came away with a win, courtesy of a late winner from Shawcross.

Steaua Bucharest – 0
Stoke City – 3
John Fleck (32, 64P)
Lee Wallace (81)

A far stretch from the last game, this time we absolutely dominated the game with 58% possession. With this victory we secured our place in the 1^st Knockout Round, even with two games to go!

Stoke City – 2
John Fleck (50)
Robert Huth (80)
Sporting CP – 3
Fredy Montero (16)
Joao Pereira (31)
Luis Aguiar (90)

A disappointing result but it didn’t really matter as I had already qualified for the next round.

Kayserispor – 0
Stoke City – 5
Tonci Piric (4)
Darnel Situ (8)
Dennis Heinze (74, 83)
Robert Huth (88)

I played my back up team in this game and I was shocked when we came out 5-0 winners away from home. They certainly had something to prove!


Stoke City – 13pts
Sporting CP – 12pts
Steaua Bucharest – 5pts
Kayserispor – 2pts

A good solid showing in the group stages for us but some of the performances were questionable, especially the first game against Kayserispor. Leaving it late like that is not acceptable and if we do that against better sides, we won’t be so lucky.


1^st Knockout Round:
AZ ALKMAAR vs. STOKE CITY FC

2^nd Knockout Round:
AZ ALKMAAR or STOKE CITY FC vs. GALATASARY or OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS

A relatively easy draw in the first round but if I progress through that one it will be a tough game against either Galatasary or Lyon. If we are in a good run of form leading up to the games I have no doubts about out quality to progress.

[o JaY]

Glad to see you're through to the next round of the Europa League, a great run is certainly possible with the squad you've got

[abulezz]

The first round shouldnt be too much of a hassle, but the 2nd Round looks like a tough, especially if you get Lyon!

[City2000]

Nice work topping the group, I bet that Kayserispor home tie was exciting!

Looks a nice first round draw, Lyon looks a tough one on the horizon though.

[deltablue]

Galatasaray wouldn't be a breeze either.

[ManUTactician247]

I can't wish you luck against Galatasaray I'm afraid .

[HotChocolate]

You should get through against AZ but you'll get to see how good you are against Galatasary or Lyon

[Nobby_McDonald]

Should be fairly tight against AZ then a likely tough encounter if you get through against Lyon.

[hursty2]

MID SEASON UPDATE 2017/18

PREMIER LEAGUE
It’s been tough this season and we currently reside in 8^th place, mostly down to the amount of draws we have had. All of the draws coming in our 15 game unbeaten run that was much needed after the poor start we made. I’ve lost the last two games which saw me drop a few places down the table, these being my games in hand too, so wins in those games would’ve meant 4^th place. Overall a disappointing showing in the league so far but one positive I can take from it is the amount of goals that I have conceded, very little. Andras Nagy is again within the top 5 goal scorers in the league with 12 so far.

TEAM STATS | PLAYER STATS

LEAGUE CUP
Well, despite playing a second string side for the most part of the competition I’ve managed to make it all the way to the final. On the way I’ve beaten, Nottingham Forest, Arsenal, Burnley and Derby in the semi-final, beating them 5-2 on aggregate. This great run has been down to key performances from Dennis Heinze, scoring 6 goals so far. I will now play Sunderland in the final on Sunday 4^th March.

FA CUP
Only one game into the famous cup competition, we played Watford – easily dispatching of them 3-0. The fourth round draw wasn’t so kind to us, drawing Liverpool at the Britannia.

TRANSFER NEWS
I made one signing in the January transfer window, out of favour Tottenham player Mauro Formica coming in for 2.1M . Hopefully he will add more quality to the depth of the squad and help us in our push for a Champions League spot. And how about this for his first goal after coming on as a sub on his debut.

TEAM OVERVIEW
Right now I feel the squad is coming together nicely, I just need to add some very good players and stop catering for players that haven’t been performing. I need a second central midfielder to partner Fabian Delph and I’ll probably have to start looking for replacements to Huth and Shawcross. Another key striker is probably needed too if Heinze doesn’t start performing in the league because he does alright in cup competitions.

Andras Nagy – He has already scored 16 goals this season but has since hit a rough patch of form and hasn’t scored in a while.

Dennis Heinze – As mentioned previously, Heinze has done very well in the cups which has meant his goal tally is the same as Nagy’s, 16. But of these 16 goals only 2 have come in the league so he needs to start scoring more in the league.

Ryan Shawcross – The reason why we have conceded so few goals in the league, no one can get past him.

Robert Huth - Like Shawcross, he is a tribute to our great defensive record.

[City2000]

If Nagy and Heinze both hit form at the same time watch out Barclays Premier League!

I certainly think you will finish higher than 8th, Europe looks a very real possibility and 4th place is still there for the taking so hopefully the strikers start hitting the net a bit more consistently to cut out those draws as your defence looks mean. Good luck

[ShyBaldBuddhist]

Very tight league, if only a few of the draws had gone your way instead. Still think you can make Europe

[HotChocolate]

You can easily take 5th it's just about getting the results.

[hursty2]

If Nagy and Heinze both hit form at the same time watch out Barclays Premier League!

I certainly think you will finish higher than 8th, Europe looks a very real possibility and 4th place is still there for the taking so hopefully the strikers start hitting the net a bit more consistently to cut out those draws as your defence looks mean. Good luck

Cheers, fat chance of them two scoring at the same time - they seem to alternate.

Very tight league, if only a few of the draws had gone your way instead. Still think you can make Europe

Europe should be a definite, I want Champions league football though.

Slow and steady though!

You can easily take 5th it's just about getting the results.

Who would have thought it was just about getting the results!

[hursty2]

END OF SEASON UPDATE 2017-18

PREMIER LEAGUE
Another great season in the league for Stoke City FC, consolidating another 5^th place finish but still some way off that elusive fourth spot. However, we never really looked like mounting a challenge for fourth as our record against the top 4 was quite poor. Here are the results for the last part of the season, as you can see we struggled to put a string of wins together.

Yet again, Nagy was pivotal in our strong finish with 24 goals in the league coming second in the goal scoring charts, well behind Aguero. This game against Bolton was a great match for him, scoring 4 goals in the 5-0 victory.

PLAYER STATS | TEAM STATS
CHAMPIONS: Man City
RELEGATED: Bolton, Bristol City, Ipswich City.

EUROPA LEAGUE
Well what a farce this was. As you are aware we came up against AZ Alkmaar in the first knockout round and I had high hopes for the clash. How wrong was I? The first leg finished 0-0 and was the scrappiest match I have ever witnessed. Both teams struggled to make any clear chances and the match was bound with several fouls and misplaced passes but at least we didn’t lose. The second leg couldn’t have been worse though, could it? Yes it was, again it finished 0-0 even after extra time and it was another terrible footballing match. Penalties would decide who progressed and progressing was AZ winning 5-3 in the penalty shootout, John Fleck missing the first penalty. Worst moment of the season by far!

PLAYER STATS | TEAM STATS
FINAL: Fiorentina 0-1 Chelsea

LEAGUE CUP
I had made it to the final against Sunderland and I expected it to be a very tough match but again we were touted as favourites to win. A goal in the 27’ minute from Formica reaffirmed our favourite tag but a goal from young striker Furman right before half time levelled the scores. The second half was very much even but a Smalling foul inside the box gave Furman the chance from the spot to equalise. He duly did and put Sunderland in the lead with only 10’ to go. We could not find and equalising goal and Sunderland were crowned Carling Cup champions. Yet another final we have lost.

FINAL: Sunderland 2-1 Stoke

FA CUP
We had already played a massive amount of games this season and our FA Cup progress only added to that amount. A fourth round tie against Liverpool ended in a 1-1 draw which meant a replay at Anfield. It was to my shock that we went there with a second string side and smashed them 5-0, playing this second string side in hope of getting knocked out to decrease our workload. Man City came next in the Cup and a 0-0 draw again led to another game. However, we lost this one 2-0 and bowed out of the FA Cup, finally.

FINAL: Charlton 1-3 Man City

KEY PLAYERS
Ryan Shawcross – We had the third best defensive record in the league and it was mostly thanks to stand out performances from the captain.

Chris Smalling – Another key member of our defence, responsible for our great defensive record.

Andras Nagy – Yet again another record breaking season for Nagy, beating his own record for goals in a season with 29. He also amassed 100 goals for Stoke this season.

Fabian Delph – A great performer throughout the season, chipping in goals and assists in abundance.

COMMENTS
An average season overall but one with lots of room for improvement. We simply committed ourselves in too many competitions this season, playing 60 games in total and my squad couldn’t cope when it mattered. Next season I’m hoping for a better showing in Europe whilst again consolidating out strong league position. To do this though I’m going to need a consistent striker to play alongside Nagy and also another midfielder as Cairney and McEachran just didn’t perform this season. I’ve also been looking at signing this amazing 23 year old American keeper, David Morris.

AROUND THE WORLD
La Liga: Barcelona
Ligue 1: Olympique Marseille
Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund
Serie A: AC Milan
Eredivisie: PSV

Champions League: Real Madrid 1-2 Barcelona
Europa League: Fiorentina 0-1 Chelsea

[City2000]

5th place is a good effort, I think in the end the amount of games you played maybe took their toll.

Nice run in the League Cup but will you maybe look to sacrifice that competition or even the FA Cup next year?

Good season from Nagy aswell notching 29 goals and I particularly enoyed you putting out the reserves at Anfield and winning 5-0

[Nobby_McDonald]

Another decent season.

[AK22]

Well done on another good league finish. Looks like your luck run out in the cups though; penalties are not your friend!

[deltablue]

Such a pity about Sunderland.

[HotChocolate]

It's a very strong season again, Premier League is by far the toughest league.

[Pangaea]

Strong season and not far off that CL spot. Being involved in Europe is very tough and that seemed to get to the team in the end.

[ShyBaldBuddhist]

Good league campaign and unlucky in the league cup too. Was expecting a better run in Europe though. A couple of signings in the summer and you may get a bit closer to the CL spots. Only 5 points off so definitely getting there

[hursty2]

Cheers guys!

I played pretty much the whole day today, well I say played - more looking for that elusive amazing partner for Nagy as well as a better centre mid.

[hursty2]

2018 FIFA WORLD CUP FINAL

United States of America – 1 (4)
Erik Pope (60)
France – 1 (3)
Mbaye Niang (16)

A dream come true for the most unlikeliest of nations in this World Cup! Any country celebrates a world cup victory for days on end but the USA will be celebrating for some time to come, pulling off a remarkable upset.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that the US had an easy run in to the final, however that was not the case as they pulled off several upsets against the likes of Brazil and Mexico after topping a group containing Turkey and Argentina. They did much better than the likes of England who bowed out in the group stages with yet another lack lustre performance on the biggest stage.

France made their way to the final with victories over Chile, Australia and Spain – a much easier run in compared to their fellow finalists.

It was an early goal from Mbaye Niang that kick started the final, a deftly executed first time volley on the edge of the six-yard box, typical of the French Striker. France continued to dominate play with the likes of Yann M’Vila and Rolland dominating the midfield. That was until former PSV but now Liverpool striker Erik Pope equalised after a horrible back pass and mistake from Koscielny, gifting Pope a tap in. It was very much a game on edge until full-time and even throughout extra-time there were little chances made.

It all came down to penalties now and Jonathon Spector knew that if he scored and Rami missed the US would triumph. Spector emphatically smashed the ball into the top corner, putting all the pressure on Rami to score. Rami stepped up, composed himself before striking a weak effort straight at Morris.

The whole of USA erupted into a mad frenzy and ecstasy of emotions, they were crowned World Champions!


In the wake of all this most countries chose to move on from their current managers and reputable Stoke manager was approached by three clubs for the head job. Nigeria, Australia and England are all after his services but it is thought that Hurst will reject the opportunity, rather focusing on building his Stoke City side.

[Nobby_McDonald]

In the wake of all this most countries chose to move on from their current managers and reputable Stoke manager was approached by three clubs for the head job. Nigeria, Australia and England are all after his services but it is thought that Hurst will reject the opportunity, rather focusing on building his Stoke City side.

Which three clubs are after you?

[hursty2]

Sorry, I meant three national teams.

[hursty2]

SEASON PREVIEW 2018/19

Media Prediction: 5th
Board Requirement: Europa League Qualification
FA Cup: 6th Round
League Cup: N/A
Europa League: 1st KO Round
Upcoming Fixtures

TRANSFER NEWS
I was looking to make big moves in this transfer window but none of that prevailed. Anybody that I wanted would have cost me more money than I was willing to spend, maybe I’m just tight. I did however; bring in two players – Younousse Sankhare (5.75M) a centre mid who has already played in England with Wolves and Southampton. Timo Horn (FREE) coming in as a back-up keeper as Daniel Bachmann’s contract had expired, hopefully he doesn’t mind not playing very often. I would have liked much more activity in this transfer window and I was close to deals with Nuri Sahin and other top players but it was not to be.

Outgoing were the likes of Josh McEachran (4.8M), Tom Cairney (2.7M), Phillip Roth (1.8M) as they all failed to impress in the past few seasons and it was time for them to move on. Several players also left on frees, the biggest name being Daniel Sturridge as well as some reserve team players.

TOP EPL TRANSFERS | PAULO – ARSENAL (25.5m)

TEAM REPORT
I wasn’t happy with how the transfer window had gone so far but I was still reasonably happy with my squad. I am still confident that we have the potential to progress far in the Europa League, whilst still doing well in the league and if all goes well in Europe I might be able to attract better players in the future. Again I’ll be relying on the likes of Fabian Delph, Ryan Shawcross and Andras Nagy to push us forward but maybe new signing Sankhare will shine.

These are two additions to my first team from my youth team, who will feature at some point during the season:
Michel Serrano
Greg Cowlishaw

CLUB NEWS
The club is now the 11th most valuable club in England which says a lot about our ability to overachieve, pretty much challenging with the top money spending clubs on a small budget. We are still the 7th best club reputation wise, with the old top six above us but all that is needed is a great run in Europe.

[SRL88]

Nice work so far Hursty .

[deltablue]

Hope you get that run.

[ShyBaldBuddhist]

Sankhare looks a decent purchase and I think Serrano has a lot of promise.

GL for the coming season. I think this is the year you break into the CL places.

[Nobby_McDonald]

Still got four current Stoke players seven years in.

[hursty2]

Nice work so far Hursty .

Much appreciated.

Hope you get that run.

I hope so too!

Sankhare looks a decent purchase and I think Serrano has a lot of promise.

GL for the coming season. I think this is the year you break into the CL places.

I just wish I could have bought a marquee man.

Still got four current Stoke players seven years in.

Decent!

[hursty2]

EUROPA LEAGUE 4^TH QUALIFYING ROUND

1^st Leg
Stoke City – 4
Andras Nagy (3)
Mauro Formica (30)
Marc Wilson (69)
Ryan Shawcross (74)
Dinamo Bucharest – 0

An easy victory to put is in the driving seat for the second leg. Nagy got us off to a flying start and a good result was to be expected from that point onwards. Formica, Wilson and Shawcross put the tie out of reach with the other goals.


2^nd Leg
Dinamo Bucharest – 1
Andrei Bota (62)
Stoke City – 3
Tonci Piric (16)
Dereece Upcott (37)
Marc Wilson (67P)

A young team started this game and they showed us what they can do. Young striker Piric put us into the lead with a good finish, followed by a rather lucky goal from regen Upcott who has been at the club for 5yrs but I don’t expect much from him. Wilson got his second goal of the round with a penalty just after Bucharest scored their only goal.

Group Stage Draw – 1^st Seed

Group C
Stoke City FC (England)
Parma (Italy)
FC Salzburg (Austria)
Lech Poznan (Poland)

***

I was handed a very easy draw this year as I was a first seed so this should see me easily progress through to the 1^st KO round.

[HotChocolate]

Really should be looking to progress in Europe but if you are going for top 4 you might have to sacrifice Europe this year.

[Pangaea]

Great draw. Hopefully you can both go through that group and reach the CL spots in the league. Certainly think that is within your grasp

[Nobby_McDonald]

Should get through that group comfortably. Only Parma should pose a threat.

[deltablue]

Should be a good european season.

[hursty2]

MID SEASON UPDATE 2018/19

PREMIER LEAGUE
Great going so far this season as we sit in 4^th position, challenging the top 4 sides all season especially in the 3-1 victory over Chelsea. The games that we have lost though have been to sides in the bottom half of the table such as Cardiff, Wolves and Wigan, teams we shouldn’t be losing to. Again our defensive form has been the stand out so far this season, even with the injuries and suspensions we’ve sustained – Huth, Shawcross and Situ all being out for a lengthy period of time. This has meant 16yr old Greg Cowlishaw has had to step in, doing very well even picking up a Man of the Match award. However, the sole standout performer this season has been Andras Nagy scoring 19 goals in the league so far and we still have 15 left to play. I’m hoping that I can remain in this 4^th position and take a Champions League spot.

EUROPA LEAGUE
All went well in the group stages with me progressing in 1^st with 16 points, only dropping points against Parma (1-1) in the first game of the group. Massive wins against both Salzburg and Lech highlighted my dominance in the group. The 1^st KO Round puts me up against German side Stuttgart who will pose a significant challenge but one that I will be favourites for. If I live up to my favourites tag I will then come up against the winner out of Sporting CP and Rangers FC, Sporting a team that I played in last season’s Europa League Group Stage.

LEAGUE CUP
This competition wasn’t on my bucket list for this season, too many games was not good for my team last year and I’m not going to risk it this time round. We lost to rivals WBA 1-0, despite a good showing from a young team.

FA CUP
I’m not too sure about my views on this comp and whether it is on the cards so I’ll just play it as it comes. West Brom were again our opponents, much like in the league cup the result was 1-0 but this time we came out victors, Knezevic scoring a late winner.

TRANSFER NEWS
Not much to comment on here other than my back-up GK moaning about a lack of games and requesting for his contract to be terminated. The most annoying player I’ve had so far and no one would buy him therefore I agreed to terminate.

KEY PLAYERS

Andras Nagy – What a season he is having so far, 19 goals in the league and 30 in all competitions and it’s only February. He went through an amazing spell, scoring 27 goals in 21 games. He broke his own record in January.

Fabian Delph – This season he has been marred by injuries but that hasn’t stopped him from putting in some key performances and 12 assists.

Ryan Shawcross – He is always on this part of the update, isn’t he? Same story about Shawcross, a beast at the back.

Jose Peixoto – Suffering from a hip injury at the moment but when he has played he’s been great, exciting times for the 18yr old.

[Deisler26]

Nice win over Chelsea!

[deltablue]

Excellent form from Nagy.

[Pangaea]

Great stuff from Nagy and well done on getting through the Europa League group so well. Hopefully you can go on and claim a CL spot with 4th or better

[City2000]

Looking good so far, Nagy has really come of age.

[hursty2]

It's all about Nagy this season!

[AK22]

Stoke in the title race! Whatever next!

[HotChocolate]

Stoke in the title race! Whatever next!

Port Vale in the Championship?

[DaneBramage]

Good work, fingers crossed this'll be the year of Champions League qualification. Nagy's been quite some player.

[Nobby_McDonald]

Port Vale in the Championship?

That miracle has happened before!

[Dejay]

Excellent work.