Neji Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Sheffield Wednesday FC Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional Association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who currently compete in the Football League Championship. Sheffield Wednesday is one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fifth oldest in the English league. The Wednesday, as they were named until 1929, were founding members of The Football Alliance in 1889, and its first champions that inaugural season. The Wednesday joined The Football League three years later when the leagues merged. Sheffield Wednesday were also one of the founding members of The Premier League in 1992. Their main rivals are Sheffield United, the two clubs having contested the Steel City derby on a regular basis for some 100 years. They have won four League titles, three FA Cups and one League Cup, but their League Cup triumph in 1991 is their only major trophy since 1935. They did reach both domestic cup finals in 1993, but lost 2-1 to Arsenal at Wembley on both occasions. The Owls sunk as low as League One when suffering relegation in 2003 but thanks to a play-off victory in 2005, they returned to The Championship. Club Information Club: Sheffield Wednesday Nickname: The Owls Year Founded: 1867 Legends: David Hirst, Derek Dooley, Ron Springett, Chris Waddle Icons: Nigel Pearson, Kevin Pressman, John Sheridan, Mel Sterland, Roland Nilsson, Ron Atkinson, Carlton Palmer, Paul Sturrock, Des Walker Fierce Rivals: Sheffield United, Rotherham, Barnsley, Leeds Media Prediction: 12th Stadium: Hillsborough, 37,859 all-seater. Plans to increase capacity to 44,825 due to be completed on 31.7.2013 Career Information FM Version: 10.2 Patch, 10.2 DB (Custom Size -89,000 players loaded) with minor edits Leagues Loaded: U.S.A (MLS), Denmark (Premier Division), England (Blue Square N/S and Above), Italy (Serie B and Above), Holland (Eredivisie), Ireland (Premier Division), Spain (LIGA Adelante and Above), Argentina (Premier Division), Brazil (First Division) Pre-Game Edits: Richard Wood transferred to Coventry, Brian Laws and Russell Wilcox removed from club. Real Fixtures for Premiership also used. In-Game Edits: Premier League and CCC tables updated to reflect real life as of 7.1.2010 Manager Starting Rep: Professional Footballer Extra Info: I decided to start this game yesterday as my supported club was without a manager and I fancied a new game but not with a normal LL start. I like the game to be as realistic as possible when I start it up, so that's why I edited the tables to reflect the real life standings. Never done it before so I thought it may be an interesting start for a new career. I started the game with the Brazilian start date (December 2009), then I holidayed to 7.1.2010 and added a new manager as manager of Sheffield Wednesday. The tables were then updated. Career Overview Season League Position Achievements ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 09/10 Championship 14th 10/11 Championship 2nd Automatic Promotion 11/12 Premier League 17th 12/13 Premier League 15th 13/14 Premier League 7th Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 8, 2010 Author Share Posted January 8, 2010 Squad (As of 7.1.2010) Defence 1: Lee Grant 22: Richard O'Donnell 2: Tommy Spurr 3: Lewis Buxton 4: Darren Purse* 5: Richard Hinds 15: Mark Beevers 20: Frank Simek 26: Max Wragg 33: Michael Gray Midfield 6: Tommy Miller 8: Sean McAllister 11: Etienne Esajas 12: Rocky Lekaj 15: Darren Potter 17: James O'Connor 23: Jermaine Johnson 24: Luke Boden Attack 7: Marcus Tudgay 9: Francis Jeffers 10: Akpo Sodje 18: Leon Clarke *captain Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 8, 2010 Author Share Posted January 8, 2010 January I take over with the club struggling in 23rd. A media prediction of 12th shows how much we're under achieving, or perhaps we overachieved last season? Either way, we're in trouble, threatened by a return to League One. The first thing I did was promote youth coach Sean McAuley to my assistant manager, I wanted someone who knew the club and he fit the bill. His attributes aren't great but that's hopefully something I can rectify at a later date. The table below is how it stands when I took over. Coca-Cola Championship Table - as of 07.01.2010 Transfers Out Francis Jeffers to Middlesbrough 100k Jermaine Johnson to Deportivo - 450k (Future Transfer) I took the opportunity of taking over in January by shipping Francis Jeffers off to Middlesbrough for a cool 100k. Jeffers was on around 9k per week - something we couldn't afford to pay for a player who isn't in my plans. Middlesbrough took the gamble, and are paying 8k per week for the privilege. After seeing Jermaine Johnson play a few games and being largely unimpressive, I decided to also try and offload him. I left it a bit late - 28th of January - and didn't get a reply until the 2nd. Still Deportivo (!) are happy to pay 450k for him which makes me very happy indeed! He leaves at the end of the season, meanwhile he will be a decent backup. In Yann M'Vila from Stade Rennais - Loan - Fee: 0 | Wage Contribution: 0 Matt Hill from Wolverhampton Wanderers - Loan - Fee: 0 | Wage Contribution: 50% (₤2.3k p/w) Nacho Novo from Rangers - Loan - Fee: 0 | Wage Contribution: 50% (₤6k p/w) John Fleck from Rangers - Loan - Fee: 0 | Wage Contribution: 0 My primary concern is avoiding relegation, so I dipped into the loan market to help me do that. Firstly, I needed an AM R to replace JJ who I plan to drop from the team. I saw Novo on the loan list and much to the annoyance of his team-mate, Kris Boyd, Rangers have lent him to me for 12 months. His wages are quite high but I can afford to pay it due Jeffers heading out of the club. I also wanted to sign another AM L to give Esajas a run for his money. He is one I will be looking to replace so I felt I needed someone with a little more about him. Delighted to see Fleck was also listed for loan and went straight for him, fortunately, Rangers were also kind enough to loan him to me for absolutely nothing. After a few games, I also felt that Tommy Spurr wasn't performing so I wanted to bring in another DL. Gray has played ok there but his old legs don't carry him so well anymore. In comes Matt Hill from Wolves. Not the finest left back in the country but should provide Spurr with some competition and give me another option. Due to playing 5 midfielders, I also wanted to sign another centre midfielder. Yann M'Vila was my first choice and he also came in on a 12 month loan. Aswell as the above, I was after a DC after some terrible errors at the back. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anyone who fit the bill or really improved the team so I'm going to have to make do. Hopefully my attack will allow me to go for the 'score one more than you' approach. Matches January is set to be a big big month for the club, with games against Peterborough, Scunthorpe and Plymouth, all of us fighting for points at the bottom. There is also the little matter of a local rivalry, with us travelling away to Barnsley who are proving that a new man in charge can pay dividends. Hopefully it will be the same case for us. Date Opponent Venue Result ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 09.01.2010 Peterborough H 1 - 1 09.01.2010 Barnsley A 0 - 2 09.01.2010 Scunthorpe A 5 - 2 09.01.2010 Plymouth H 2 - 2 Not a great start to my career. Michael Gray rescued us in my first match with an equaliser against Peterborough. We played well and should have won but my strikers didn't make the most of some good chances. Losing to Barnsley is poor on our behalf, considering the rivalry it perhaps won't help me win over the fans anytime soon. Barnsley deserved their win after a poor performance from ourselves, worrying times. Worried that we got rolled over a bit easy at Barnsley, I switched the formation from a 4-4-2 to a 4-5-1/4-3-3 for the game at Scunthorpe. I also handed a debut to Yann M'Vila who repaid my confidence by scoring just 38 seconds in with a 25 yard scorcher. Goals from Tudgay (2), Sean McAllister and Etienne Esajas gave me an easier-than-imagined victory. Conceding two goals is still a worry though. The Plymouth game was once again a really important game. I was pretty confident after scoring 5 at Scunthorpe but that quickly shrunk thanks to a 7th minute goal from Jamie Mackie. Debutant John Fleck went off around 30 minutes into the game and my misery was further compounded by Chris Barker making it 2-0 on the stroke of half time. We dominated the half, so once again it was a poor defensive display that had gotten us in trouble. Despite playing well, the lads received a rocket in the break. With only two subs left, I took a gamble by using them both to bring on Tommy Spurr and Leon Clarke, moving Michael Gray onto the left wing. We had once again created chances but failed to convert, that is until the 74th minute when Michael Gray scored to give us hope. Just two minutes later we were back level, Yann M'Vila scoring his second for the club and rescuing a point. February Fixtures On paper, February is a tougher month. Nottingham Forest and WBA sit 2nd and 3rd respectively. Throw in another local derby at home to Doncaster and another relation battle against Reading and it should prove to be an interest and hopefully, profitable month. Date Opponent Venue ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 09.01.2010 Nottm Forest A 09.01.2010 Blackpool H 09.01.2010 West Brom A 09.01.2010 Doncaster H 09.01.2010 Ipswich H 09.01.2010 Reading A Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoham Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Good luck Never heard of anyone editing the league tables before, interesting way of starting a new game. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
m1234566778 Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Good luck. You'll need it with a team like that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 8, 2010 Author Share Posted January 8, 2010 Thanks, even if I don't welcome the abuse of my squad! Updated thread to show my first month in charge and given a quick list of the squad as I took over. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share Posted January 10, 2010 Season 2009/2010 - February - End of Season Results Date Opponent Venue Result ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 06.02.2010 Nottm Forest A 1 - 0 09.02.2010 Blackpool H 1 - 1 13.02.2010 West Brom A 1 - 2 16.02.2010 Doncaster H 3 - 2 20.02.2010 Ipswich H 3 - 1 27.02.2010 Reading A 0 - 2 6.03.2010 Leicester H 2 - 1 13.03.2010 Swansea A 1 - 1 16.03.2010 Preston A 1 - 1 20.03.2010 Derby H 1 - 0 27.03.2010 Coventry A 3 - 0 31.03.2010 Watford H 0 - 1 03.04.2010 Q.P.R A 1 - 1 05.04.2010 Bristol City H 2 - 0 10.04.2010 Middlesbrough A 1 - 0 17.04.2010 Sheff Utd H 3 - 0 24.04.2010 Cardiff A 0 - 1 02.05.2010 Crystal Palace H 2 - 2 Highlights 06.02.2010 Nottm Forest A 1 - 0 Nottingham Forest were sat 1st in the table, a couple of points above WBA. The match was a fairly drab affair, this suited my team of battlers though. With few shots and little for Lee Grant to do in goal we went into half time level, fairly pleased with the score. The second half picked up where the first left off, again very little action to speak of. That was until Marcus Tudgay, out of nowhere smashed in a 30 yard wonder strike into the top left hand corner, a worthy of winning any match. 17.04.2010 Sheff Utd H 3 - 0 Always a huge game in our calender and in a disappointing season, it would prove to be an important match. As a Wednesday fan myself, I hate losing these fixtures but I was quietly confident of at least a draw. With Sheff Utd sitting 4th, I was expecting a challenge, the scoreline suggests otherwise but the match was pretty close in terms of chances. Luckily though Tudgay was once again on form - getting us off the mark in just 24 seconds from a close range tap in. He doubled his tally in the 25th minute, scoring from an even shorter distance. Mark Beevers popped up to head home a corner in the 32 minute. The second half saw Pablo Counago get Utd back into the game but due to some excellent saves from Lee Grant couldn't turn chances into goals. Lowlights 27.02.2010 Reading A 0 - 2 In good form, and with Reading only a 1 point ahead of us in the relegation scrap, I was in a confident mood. I'm not sure if my players felt the same but it could be a possible reason for their no-show. Reading dominated the game but it took them 54 minutes to convert, the second coming after a much short wait - only three minutes had passed when Jay Tabb secured the points. End of Season Stats Top Scorer - Marcus Tudgay (48 apps, 21 goals) Most Assists - Tommy Spurr (47 apps, 7 assists) Man of the Match - Marcus Tudgay (48 apps, 6) Average Rating - Tommy Spurr (48 apps, 7.13) Fans Player of the Year - Marcus Tudgay Final League Table Best Eleven Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeLikeFM Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 I play that formation You have alot of pressure to live up to the career's of Terk and Dafuge Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share Posted January 10, 2010 I play that formation It's served me well in my previous career so I went for the same here. A change might be in order for next season though You have alot of pressure to live up to the career's of Terk and Dafuge *standard FM press conference answer* I thrive on pressure and hope to channel it into a good performance. *standard FM press conference answer* Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share Posted January 10, 2010 Season 2010/2011 - Summer Transfers Out Leon Clarke released Charlie Tunnard released Nick Wood released Rocky Lekaj released Aaron Jameson released Akpo Sodje to Scunthorpe - 90k Lewis Buxton to Bristol City - 150k In * Liam Rosenior from Reading - Free Franck Songo'o from Zaragoza - 250k Albin Ekdal from Juventus - Loan Craig Cathcart from Man Utd - Loan Yago from Juventus - Loan Felipe Caicedo from Man City - Loan Lukman Haruna from AS Monaco FC - Loan Yannis Tafer from Lyon - Loan The main focus for the transfer market was to obviously improve but not spend a lot, so I was looking for decent free transfers and loan players. I still had the majority of the budget left from selling Jermaine Johnson, so immediately decided to spend 250k of it on his replacement. Franck Songo'o, a previous Wednesday loanee, was on the transfer list and I was fairly happy to put down 50k up front and pay the rest over 24 months for him. I scoured the loan market for players to improve my team. The 6 loan signings all came in on season-long deals and would join John Fleck, Yann M'Vila and Nacho Novo who would remain on loan until the new year. I was slightly worried about relying on loan players for the most part but the quality available made me take the gamble. Due to the amount of new players coming in, I wanted to trim the squad and got some fair prices for some of my squad players. *Some screenshots are taken after their loan moves so value and some attributes may be slightly out. Forgot to keep screenies for the season Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dafuge Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 You have alot of pressure to live up to the career's of Terk and Dafuge It is nice to see a couple of other moderators getting involved at last Best of luck though, interesting idea with the edited league table. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share Posted January 10, 2010 It is nice to see a couple of other moderators getting involved at last I've been meaning to be more active in here, this is the first time I've really had the time to be able to play and post about it, I didn't like the idea of starting half way through a career either. Best of luck though, interesting idea with the edited league table. Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share Posted January 10, 2010 Season 2010/2011 - Season Review (Start of Season - December) First Team Squad* *New players italicized GK Lee Grant Richard O'Donnell Defence Liam Rosenior Tommy Spurr Mark Beevers Craig Cathcart Darren Purse Richard Hinds Michael Gray Midfield Sean McAllister Etienne Esajas Tommy Miller Darren Potter James O'Connor Franck Songo'o Albin Ekdal Yago Lukman Haruna Attack Marcus Tudgay Felipe Caicedo Yannis Tafer Results Date Opponent Venue Result Competition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17.07.2010 Stoke H 0 - 0 Friendly 25.07.2010 Stocksbridge A 8 - 0 Friendly 27.07.2010 Man Utd H 4 - 2 Friendly 29.07.2010 Aston Villa H 2 - 2 Friendly 31.07.2010 Crewe A 4 - 0 Friendly 07.08.2010 Derby A 1 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship 11.08.2010 Chesterfield A 3 - 1 League Cup 1st Round 14.08.2010 Q.P.R H 6 - 2 Coca-Cola Championship 17.08.2010 Preston A 4 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship 21.08.2010 Milwall H 2 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship 25.08.2010 West Brom A 1 - 0 League Cup 2nd Round 29.08.2010 Hull H 1 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship 11.09.2010 Middlesbrough A 1 - 2 Coca-Cola Championship 14.09.2010 Doncaster A 2 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship 18.09.2010 Crystal Palace H 2 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship 21.09.2010 Portsmouth H 1 - 5 League Cup 3rd Round 25.09.2010 Sheff Utd A 1 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship 28.09.2010 Scunthorpe H 5 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship 02.10.2010 Reading A 1 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship 16.10.2010 Swindown H 1 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship 20.10.2010 Portsmouth H 0 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship 23.10.2010 Blackpool A 1 - 3 Coca-Cola Championship 30.10.2010 Barnsley A 4 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship 02.11.2010 Watford H 2 - 2 Coca-Cola Championship 06.11.2010 Charlton H 2 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship 13.11.2010 Newcastle A 1 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship 20.11.2010 Swansea H 0 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship 23.11.2010 Cardiff A 1 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship 27.11.2010 Ipswich H 5 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship 04.12.2010 Wolves A 1 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship 07.12.2010 Leicester H 3 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship 11.12.2010 Derby H 3 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship 18.12.2010 Milwall A 1 - 3 Coca-Cola Championship 26.12.2010 Q.P.R A 4 - 2 Coca-Cola Championship 28.12.2010 Preston H 2 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship Highlights Thanks to a high scoring season there are some really good results in there, so I'll just outline the very best wins. Q.P.R 2 - 6 Sheffield Wednesday The first home game of the season and the first time I really saw the potential of my loanees. An incredible opening 30 minutes saw 6 of the 8 goals scored, with my team leading 4-2. Haruna, Yago and Caicedo (2) all scored and were outstanding but a high score wouldn't be right with Marcus Tudgay (2) also getting his name on the scoresheet. Preston 0 - 4 Sheffield Wednesday Preston finished the previous season in 9th place, so an away trip up there didn't seem an easy game. It did turn out that way however thanks to a sublime performance from Yago. Setting up two goals and scoring one himself saw him win the Man of the Match award. Franck Songo'o also got his first for the club while John Fleck scored from the penalty spot late on. The 4th goal? Guess who? Marcus Tudgay. Barnsley 1 - 4 Sheffield Wednesday A win over you rivals is always satisfying, so to travel away and smash 4 past Barnsley was doubly special. Caicedo, Rosenior, Tafer and Haruna all hit goals for Wednesday while Iain Hume hit a consolation goal in the second half. Lowlights Sheffield Wednesday 1 - 5 Portsmouth One of the relegated teams from last season, Portsmouth came and showed their credentials for an immediate return to the Premier League. Tommy Smith scored within 2 minutes to put Portsmouth ahead and a close half saw the score level at 1 - 1 going into the break. Happy we'd got back level, Portsmouth had ideas to ruin that. A double from Kevin Prince Boateng within 10 minutes of the second half starting gave us a mountain to climb. If that wasn't enough, John Utaka and Nadir Belhadj truly put the game to rest with 10 minutes to spare. Lesson learnt - Portsmouth are good. Millwall 3 - 1 Sheffield Wednesday December saw us face bottom of the table Millwall. Unbeaten in 10, we couldn't lose, right? Unfortunately, Milwall had other ideas despite us getting in front, courtesy of an own goal. 2 minutes into first half added time, Etienne Reijnen, scorer of the own goal made amends by equalizing for the hosts. Gary Alexander and Kenny Pavey wrapped up the points to send us home red faced. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share Posted January 10, 2010 Season 2010/2011 - Season Review (January - End of Season) Results Date Opponent Venue Result Competition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01.01.2011 Derby A 0 - 2 FA Cup 3rd Cup 04.01.2011 Middlesbrough H 2 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship 08.01.2011 Portsmouth A 1 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship 15.01.2011 Crystal Palace A 1 - 2 Coca-Cola Championship 25.01.2011 Sheff Utd H 5 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship 29.01.2011 Doncaster H 1 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship 05.02.2011 Scunthorpe A 3 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship 12.02.2011 Reading H 1 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship 16.02.2011 Hull A 3 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship 19.02.2011 Swindon A 3 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship 26.02.2011 Blackpool H 4 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship 05.03.2011 Charlton A 4 - 3 Coca-Cola Championship 12.03.2011 Barnsley H 1 - 2 Coca-Cola Championship 15.03.2011 Watford A 0 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship 19.03.2011 Newcastle H 3 - 2 Coca-Cola Championship 02.04.2011 Swansea A 5 - 3 Coca-Cola Championship 09.04.2011 Cardiff H 0 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship 16.04.2011 Ipswich A 3 - 1 Coca-Cola Championship 25.04.2011 Wolves H 1 - 2 Coca-Cola Championship 01.05.2011 Leicester H 0 - 0 Coca-Cola Championship Season 2010/2011 - January Transfers Out James O'Connor to Doncaster - Free Etienne Esajas to Hercules - 100k Frank Simek to Getafe - 1m Darren Potter to Notts County - 250k Tommy Miller to Crystal Palace - 10k Nacho Novo to Rangers - Loan Finished John Fleck to Rangers - Loan Finished Yann M'Vila - Loan Finished Matt Hill - Loan Finished In Timmy Simons from PSV - 200k With a surprise title charge underway and confident I could keep it up, I used January to earn a bit of money and save myself some wages over the next few months. Rosenior had become my first choice right back leaving Simek on the bench. A bid of 1m from Getafe was too much to turn down for a backup player and he was happy to talk to them. James O'Connor and Tommy Miller had become frustrated at the lack of matches they were getting so I offered them out to clubs hoping someone would see them as improvements to their teams. Luckily Doncaster and Palace decided to take them off my hands. Darren Potter was also not in my first team so 250k was a great offer for a player who I wouldn't be playing much in the future. Timmy Simons was the only recruit in January, 200k was a bit more than I wanted to pay but the profit I'd made this month persuaded me that the experienced defender was worth it. Highlights Portsmouth 0 - 1 Sheffield Wednesday After conceding 6 against Portsmouth this term, I wasn't looking forward to this game. A switch to a more defensive tactic was my approach to avoid their forwards going to town again. Just 16 minutes in debutant Timmy Simons headed home the only goal of the game to give me a previous victory. Sheffield Wednesday 5 - 1 Sheffield United Another great home performance against The Blades saw us run out 5-1 winners and kept my good record against them intact. Yago(2), Marcus Tudgay, Franck Songo'o (2) were the goal scorers with Songo'o setting up one as well as scoring two. For Sheff Utd, the defeat only served to worsen their situation, sitting 16th after the game and contributing to a poor season for the promotion hopefuls. Lowlights Derby 2 - 0 Sheffield Wednesday The first game of the year was a cup tie against Derby and ultimately ended in disappointed. I was really expecting to do well in the FA Cup this year, so the defeat was an annoyance in an otherwise great season. Miles Addison and ex Blades player Rob Hulse scored the goals in the first 20 minutes which gave us a lot to do. Unfortunately we couldn't raise our game and deservedly suffered defeat. Sheffield Wednesday 1 - 2 Barnsley Barnsley feature once again and this time heading to Hillsborough looking for revenge, and they didn't disappoint. Sean Mcallister cancelled out an early goal from Daniel Bogdanovic but Adam Hammill gave the Barnsley fans the bragging rights until the next time the two teams meet. End of Season Stats Top Scorer - Felipe Caicedo (45 apps, 28 goals) Most Assists - Felipe Caicedo (45 apps, 20 assists) Man of the Match - Felipe Caicedo (45 apps, 6) Average Rating - Felipe Caicedo (45 apps, 7.41) Fans Player of the Year - Franck Songo'o Pretty shocked that Caicedo didn't get fans Player of the Year to be honest. Songo'o was good but Caicedo tore the league apart. Final League Table The final table was a bit of a shock. I expected to do better than last season and perhaps push for a play-off spot if everything went our way but we went one better and won automatic promotion with 97 points. My first season in the Premier League promises to be a difficult one, similarly to Derby, I think we've gone up really early so let's just hope I can at least beat their points total! Best Eleven I actually played a 4-4-2 for the majority of the season, so this is not the most accurate view of my best eleven. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saxonaitor Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 You are certainly putting a lot of effort into these updates Neji. A great lay out as well. Keep up the charge. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 11, 2010 Author Share Posted January 11, 2010 Thanks for the kind words I'm bombing through this game quite quickly while I have a lot of spare time so could possibly finish my next season today. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle ron Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Congrats on getting promoted to the Premier League I can't believe Barnsley conceded 121 goals and stayed up. Poor old Swindon :o Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 11, 2010 Author Share Posted January 11, 2010 Congrats on getting promoted to the Premier League Thanks! Might prove to be too early but should sort us out financially. I can't believe Barnsley conceded 121 goals and stayed up. Barnsley would be bloody dangerous if they had a half decent defence - 6th highest scorers in the league! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 11, 2010 Author Share Posted January 11, 2010 Season 2010/2011 - Summer Transfers Out Darren Purse released Richard Hinds released Callum Harrison released Richard O'Donnell released Luke Boden released Max Wragg released With promotion mostly thanks to a group of talented loanees, my chances of making any money on my squad was very low. I cleared the above players out at the start of the new season, none of them had played many CCC games so their chances of games in the Premier League would be stark. It could be a risk, with the loan signings heading back to their parent clubs, my squad will be left a little short if I don't spend my money wisely. In Olexiy Gai from Shaktar - Free Gary Cahill from Bolton - 4.1m Artur Boruc - Free Albin Ekdal from Juventus - Loan (Initial Fee: 825k, Wage Contribution: 70%) Alex Song from Arsenal - 2.9m Matt Derbyshire from Olympiakos - 3.1m Yago from Juventus - Loan (Initial Fee: 800k, Wage Contribution: 0%) Bobby Boswell - Free Felipe Caicedo from Man City - Loan (Initial Fee: 875k, Wage Contribution: 100%) Key Signings Alex Song - Cost me 2.9m and a hefty signing-on fee which acted as a substitute to his high wage demands but I think he'll improve the midfield no end. He's also more than capable of playing at the back if necessary. Artur Boruc - After releasing my back-up keeper and doubts whether Grant can cut it at this level, a new keeper was high on my list. Boruc was released by Celtic and I saw it as a real opportunity to improve. His, let's say, 'eccentric' character could cause problems later down the line though. Gary Cahill - Gary Cahill was on the transfer list by request after Bolton slipped down a league, so the talented center-back comes in to bolster the defence. Other Signings Yago and Albin Ekdal - Unfortunately, these are about the best players I could get with the budgets available. I'm paying Ekdal's wages in full but as they are on 5.5k p/w, I have no problems doing so. Yago cost me money for the privilidge of loaning him but Juventus are kindly paying his wages while he learns his trade in the Prem. Felipe Caicedo - With only Tudgay and Derbyshire up front, I was desperate for at least one more striker. He's been on the transfer list at Man City and I did offer 3.7m for him which was a little more than I wanted to pay, I couldn't match his 30k p/w wage demands anyway. Caicedo was still on the loan list so I thought it worth a try, Man City were asking for 1.9m for a season long loan AND I would have to pay his 21k wages p/w in full. I got the initial fee down to a reasonable figure and through desperation decided to pay his wages in full. Missing out on his permanent signing could work out in my favour. His contract is up at the end of the season, and he lists us as one of his favoured clubs. If we go down, I intend to offer him a contract at the end of the season and try to get him on the cheap as I know he is capable of tearing up the Championship. Matt Derbyshire - Could prove to be a gamble, I wasn't sure on his attributes but it was a case of him being the best I could get. He's fairly fast and not the worst finisher, and even if we do go down, he should be able to do well in the Championship. Bobby Boswell - Bobby Boswell was available on a free and we managed to get him a work permit upon appeal, he's really only come in to be a squad player as Mark Beevers has grown into a fairly good player. Olexiy Gai - Not the most talented player in my squad by any means, but he's fairly strong and doesn't shy away from hard work - two values which could prove to be vital in my bid to avoid relegation. Missed Targets Roque Santa Cruz - Roque was my first choice striker to come in and was available for only 2.9m, unfortunately his wages were too high and he opted to join Bordeaux instead. Jadson - Chelsea signed the Brazilian midfielder the previous season on a free transfer, after making only 6 appearances, he was also on the transfer list. Once again I missed out thanks to Parma swooping in and offering him 30k p/w, it was no contest and he snubbed us to go to Italy. Kyle Naughton - Still without cover for the right-back position, I went in for Sheffield United fan Kyle Naughton. Tottenham wanted to loan him out and I think I would have signed him had it not been for Stoke coming in at the last minute. I knew it was a long shot anyway, with him being a Blades fan but was disappointed to miss out on him. Stoke paid 3.3m to sign him permanently. Finances (After Transfers) Balance: (829k) Profit/Loss: (2.25m) Transfer Budget: 17.5m Spent: 12.5m Received: 0 Net Spend: 12.5m Wage Budget: 254k p/w Current Wage: 182k p/w Difference: 72.57k p/w Average Wage: 5.06k p/w Season 2011/2012 - Preview Strong favourites to go down, my first PL season should prove to be a real challenge. I'm far from confident of avoiding the drop and fully expect a couple of trashing along the way. Still, it's good to be here and if we go down, then we go down. Squad GK Artur Boruc Lee Grant Defence Liam Rosenior Tommy Spurr Mark Beevers Gary Cahill Timmy Simons [url="Bobby Boswell Midfield [url="Alex Song Olexiy Gai Sean McAllister Franck Songo'o [url="Yago [url="Albin Ekdal Attack Marcus Tudgay Felipe Caicedo Matt Derbyshire Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Owls are hooting again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 11, 2010 Author Share Posted January 11, 2010 Season 2011/2012 - Season Review (Start of Season - December) Results Date Opponent Venue Result Competition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11.07.2011 Stocksbridge A 6 - 0 Friendly 16.07.2011 Dundee A 1 - 0 Friendly 18.07.2011 Burton A 1 - 0 Friendly 20.07.2011 Iverness CT H 3 - 2 Friendly 23.07.2011 GH Academy H 7 - 0 Friendly 26.07.2011 Sunderland H 1 - 2 Friendly 29.07.2011 Peterborough A 2 - 2 Friendly 13.08.2011 Aston Villa H 2 - 1 Premier Division 17.08.2011 Blackburn A 2 - 1 Premier Division 20.08.2011 Man City H 1 - 2 Premier Division 24.08.2011 Blackpool A 5 - 2 League Cup 2nd Round 28.08.2011 Liverpool A 1 - 4 Premier Division 11.09.2011 Stoke H 3 - 2 Premier Division 17.09.2011 Sunderland A 0 - 0 Premier Division 21.09.2011 Bristol City A 1 - 1p League Cup 3rd Round 25.09.2011 Reading H 2 - 3 Premier Division 01.10.2011 Wigan A 0 - 0 Premier Division 15.10.2011 Burnley H 2 - 0 Premier Division 22.10.2011 Arsenal H 4 - 0 Premier Division 29.10.2011 West Brom A 3 - 1 Premier Division 05.11.2011 Man Utd A 3 - 2 Premier Division 19.11.2011 Everton H 0 - 0 Premier Division 26.11.2011 Nottm Forest A 1 - 2 Premier Division 03.12.2011 West Ham H 0 - 1 Premier Division 10.12.2011 Brimingham H 2 - 1 Premier Division 17.12.2011 Wolves A 1 - 1 Premier Division 26.12.2011 Tottentham A 0 - 2 Premier Division 28.12.2011 Aston Villa A 0 - 1 Premier Division 31.12.2011 Aston Villa A 0 - 2 FA Cup 3rd Round Highlights Much easier than I imagined so far, and with half of the season gone, I sit in 9th place with 28 points. I'm confident that another 10 points will see us survive and with 19 games to do that in, I should be ok. Having said that, my form has fallen off in recent weeks so I'm wary that I could do what Hull nearly did in their first season up. Sheffield Wednesday 2 - 1 Aston Villa My first Premier League match was against Villa who finished 5th and 3rd in their last two seasons. In truth Villa dominated and it was only because of a man of the match performance from Boruc that kept Villa from scoring more. Matt Derbyshire got his first goal, in his first game, in under 5 minutes with Albin Ekdal converting in the 20th to secure the points. Sheffield Wednesday 4 - 0 Arsenal We were fortunate to meet Arsenal at a time where an injury crisis was underway. Despite Caicedo struggling for goals, he slotted home three goals to take the match ball home. The other scorer was Matt Derbyshire who had really surprised me by consistently scoring goals. Man Utd 2 - 3 Sheffield Wednesday We went to Old Trafford with high confidence after scoring 9 goals in our last three games. The televised match saw Man Utd dominate chances, but a 16th minute penalty from Derbyshire put us ahead. Darren Fletcher scored to level the scores but Yago smashed home from the edge of the area to put us back infront. Felipe Caicedo put us further ahead just four minutes later with a 30-yard thunderbolt. Carrick score to make it a nervy finish but we managed to hold to take home all three points. Lowlights Aston Villa 2 - 0 Sheffield Wednesday Once again we were sent out of the FA cup at the first hurdle, Villa are a very strong team but it was still disappointing not to make it through the first round again. James Collins hit both goals in the first half. We were given a glimmer of hope when Nigel Reo-Coker was sent of on the hour but the game had already been won and Villa confidently sent us packing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 11, 2010 Author Share Posted January 11, 2010 Owls are hooting again. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 12, 2010 Author Share Posted January 12, 2010 Season 2011/2012 - Season Review (January - End of Season) Results Date Opponent Venue Result Competition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 03.01.2012 Man City A 0 - 2 Premier Division 07.01.2012 Liverpool H 0 - 1 Premier Division 11.01.2012 Chelsea A 0 - 2 Premier Division 14.01.2012 Stoke A 1 - 1 Premier Division 18.01.2012 Blackburn H 1 - 2 Premier Division 24.01.2012 Sunderland H 3 - 1 Premier Division 29.01.2012 Reading A 1 - 1 Premier Division 04.02.2012 Wigan H 0 - 1 Premier Division 07.02.2012 Arsenal A 1 - 2 Premier Division 18.02.2012 West Brom H 3 - 2 Premier Division 25.02.2012 Burnley A 0 - 1 Premier Division 10.03.2012 Everton A 0 - 2 Premier Division 17.03.2012 Nottm Forest H 2 - 3 Premier Division 24.03.2012 Man Utd H 1 - 0 Premier Division 31.03.2012 West Ham A 1 - 3 Premier Division 07.04.2012 Chelsea H 0 - 2 Premier Division 21.04.2012 Birmingham A 2 - 2 Premier Division 28.04.2012 Wolves H 2 - 3 Premier Division 06.05.2012 Tottenham H 1 - 2 Premier Division Season 2011/2012 - January Transfers Out The only player leaving the club this month would be Alex Song. He left for Gabon where he would be taking part in the African Cup of Nations. He returned a champion as his team, Cameroon, beat Ghana on penalties in the final after a 0 - 0 draw. If it was upto Manchester United, he would have been returning to Manchester instead of Sheffield. They submitted a 4.5m bid for him, but as a vital part of my team - the price just wasn't high enough. In Burak Cavusoglu from Bursapor - 4m An unusually quiet January for me, only one change was made with Turkish 20 year-old Cavusoglu coming in. I'm paying 1m up front and the rest over 36 months. His mental attributes need some work but his technical ability is far above anyone else in the squad. Missed Targets David Wheater - Available on loan and stuck in the Man Utd reserves, I went in for him to bolster my defence. He isn't that much better than I what have already but would have sured up the defence for the second half of the season. Lazio decided however, that paying 6m for him would be a good idea, so he moved to Italy after snubbing us. Nemanja Matic - Available at a cut price 5.5m from Chelsea, signing him would always be a long shot but it was worth a try. He wages were a little higher than I could give and once Genoa submitted a bid, there was only one outcome. He also packed his bags for Italy after snubbing us. Highlights Not much to shout about during my second half of the season, out of the 19 remaining games, I only managed 3 wins and 3 draws. 12 defeats saw us on the brink of relegation going into the final day. My chances of survival were resting on two other teams results. Blackburn sat one place below me in 17th - behind on goal difference. Below them, and the only other team in the bottom 5 with a chance to survive was Birmingham, one point behind. We faced Tottenham at home, with them sitting in 5th place it was always going to prove to be a difficult day. My plan was simple - keep it tight! Blackburn had already crowned champions Chelsea who had run away with the league. At Stamford Bridge, I knew this was my best chance to survive. If Chelsea won and I avoided a massive defeat, I would survive on goal difference. Birmingham were at home to 2nd placed Aston Villa, who had one eye on the FA Cup final in less than a weeks time. O'Neill did me a favour and played his strongest team, but I was always wary that, with nothing to play for, they would roll over at Birmingham. Final Day Matches 1st Half I went into the Tottenham game expecting a defeat and that was reflected in my tactics. I dropped my second striker and replaced him with an anchorman - his sole job to break up the play. News from Stamford Bridge was good, 13 minutes had gone by when they nudged ahead thanks to Raffaele Palladino. The joy was short lived though as Wilson Palacios put Spurs ahead in the 18th minute. To make matter worse, 7 minutes later, Birmingham ahead through a Gary O'Connor goal. Caicedo levelled for us before half time to give us a bit more hope. 2nd Half On course for survival, we kicked off the second half with the same remit - keep the game tight. 64 minutes had gone by when we received another jolt to our survival hopes. Giovani Dos Santos put Spurs back in front, once again we were relying on Chelsea to do us a massive favour. Thankfully, Diego Suarez put them two ahead 4 minutes later. The next goal in the relegation battle also came from Stamford Bridge. Blackbrun player Gael Givet scored - but it was at the wrong end for Blackburn. 3-0 to Chelsea meant they wrapped up the game and allowed me a sigh of relief, even more so when Birmingham went 2 ahead thanks to Cristian Benitez. Didier Drogba added a fourth for Chelsea which ultimately meant my survival had been secured, despite the home defeat. Lowlights Too many to list in all honesty, 13 defeats overall put us into a relegation battle that should have been unlikely considering our first 19 games. The worst moment was having survival snatched away from us at Birmingham. We went into injury time 2-1 up but a 92nd minute equaliser got Birgmingham back into the relegation scrap, and postponing our survival. End of Season Stats Top Scorer - Matt Derbyshire (40 apps, 18 goals) Most Assists - Franck Songo'o (37 apps, 14 assists) Man of the Match - Artur Boruc (25 apps, 3), Matt Derbyshire (40 apps, 3) Average Rating - Artur Boruc (25 apps, 7.14) Fans Player of the Year - Artur Boruc Very pleased with the return from Derbyshire who I thought was a real gamble. 18 goals is a great tally for a striker who cost just 3.1m. Songo'o, as a player who I expected to struggle, also surprised me with 14 assists and generally good performances throughout the season. Special mentions to Tommy Spurr and Gary Cahill who both had Fabio come to watch them with a view to England call-ups. Still waiting for those caps though! Final League Table Best Eleven Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lyw_85 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 The best thread here that I have read so far. Very clean, neat and interesting to read. Glad to see that you are buying some english players. Foreign players settle in way to easy in FM imo. Can I suggest some players to you? Miles Addison - Strong in his tackle and has great jumping ability. Can play as a DC as well. Is available cheaply as well! Zezinho - To replace Yago. Not sure how he develops in your game, but he is young, cheap and should do well for you. Jonjo Shelvey - To replace Ekdal. He is young, english, and has lots of creativity. Might be a tad expensive in season 3 though. Good luck for the rest of the career! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAFCIan75 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 A great thread Neji, what a disappointing second half to the season in the Premier, I thought you were guaranteed survival at Xmas! Hopefully you will get a bit more money to spend next season so you can stregthen the squad further, good luck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 12, 2010 Author Share Posted January 12, 2010 Thanks. Glad you're both enjoying it Glad to see that you are buying some english players. I've been trying to favour English players but I'm not sure how long it will last. It's becoming increasingly difficult to pick up English players who will improve the squad for reasonable prices. All three of the players you suggested are actually on my scouting list. Miles Addison will cost me a touch more than I would want to pay, Zezinho wouldn't want to join according to my scout. Shelvey is a possibility, I had at look at him in my second season in charge but the scouts said he wouldn't come. Hopefully you will get a bit more money to spend next season so you can stregthen the squad further, good luck My chairman is nuts, I have a big budget for next season! Quite a bit higher than my balance, actually so I'll be a bit wary to spend it all. More on that to come though Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 12, 2010 Author Share Posted January 12, 2010 Season 2012/2013 - Summer Transfers Out Timmy Simons released Marcus Tudgay to Burnley - 4m Olexiy Gai to Bristol City - 2.5m The only contract to finish in the summer was club captain Timmy Simons, he was always a useful player but at 35 wouldn't get many more opportunities in the first team. I would have been happy to keep him but he still wanted 10k p/w wages which was just too much.He has several CCC clubs looking at him and I still think he'd do a good job at that level. Marcus Tudgay is one player who I would love to have kept at the club to repay what he's done for the club but he really struggled last season and 4m proved to be a lot of money for a less than average PL player. He stated his sadness at leaving the club, I will keep keeping tabs on him. Once retired, I'll also look to offer him a coaching position at the club if a) he stays in the game and b) I'm not beaten to it. Olexiy Gai had a pretty disappointing season. I used him sparingly as cover and he never really performed. His last few games were at RB as Rosenior had picked up a long term injury. I offered him out for 2.5 and Bristol City were the only club to offer the full amount. A good profit for a player I signed on a free. In Roque Santa Cruz from Man City - Loan (Initial Fee: 190k, Wage Contribution: 50%) Orlando Sa from Porto - Loan (Initial Fee: 95k, Wage Contribution: 50%) Neil Harper from LA Galaxy - 7.75m John O'Shea from Man Utd - Loan (Initial Fee: 275k, Wage Contribution: 50%) Christian Fuchs from Shaktar - 5.5m Domagoj Vida from Panathinaikos - 7m Metin Altay from Ankaraspor - 3.5m Chairman Lee Stafford gave me a whopping 37.5m transfer budget despite only having 22m in the bank. I always like to keep finances in a healthy position, so I put a fair few million into the wage budget to allow me to sign Santa Cruz. Key Signings Roque Santa Cruz - My second try at getting a player who snubbed me last summer. At 30, I wasn't keen to spend a lot of money on his wages so opted for a season-long loan deal instead. Neil Harper - An 18 year-old Englishman became our record signing, my scouts picked him up playing in the MLS and were raving about him. Already looks to be a real talent, but my scouts insist he can go on to be a leading Premier League player. A big fee for one so young, but it's the signing I'm most excited about. Other Signings Orlando Sa - A loan signing to give me a bit of depth. I don't expect him to set the league on fire but should prove to be an able back-up. John O'Shea - Another loan signing with the sole purpose of providing back up to my first choice players although I expect him to at least challenge Rosenior for the right-back spot. Christian Fuchs - After Yago left the club, a new AML was high on the list. My scouts went out and gave me A LOT of options but anyone better than Fuchs was out of my reach in regards to high transfer fees. I see this one as a bit of a gamble, and I couldn't get a back up in either. I do however have a few players capable of playing in the AMR position so if Fuchs doesn't impress, then I may get away with playing one of those there. Domagoj Vida - This player almost went into the key signing section but just misses out due to being in a similar mould to Alex Song. Hard working and strong, he will slot straight into the first team to replace Alex Song, who had picked up a hip injury which will see him miss the first 2 months of the season. Metin Altay - My only January signing, Cavasoglu, has had problems settling in at the club so when I saw fellow countryman Altay, I had to go for him. He's another young player, still only 18 and shouldn't prove to be much of a gamble. I paid 1m up front for him, with a further 2.5m due if he makes 50 league apps for the club. If he does struggle to improve, I will only have lost 1m but I will be happy to pay the extra 2.5m if he reaches that milestone. Missed Targets Severo Meza - This was going to be another signing to provide some more depth. The Mexico defender can play on the right or in the centre, I had a 4.2m deal set to go through but it failed at the work permit stage. Felipe Caicedo - I stated last season that it was intention to sign Caicedo on a permanent deal once his contract was up. Man City however, put stop to thay by offering him a massive 51k p/w to stay. Needless to say, he won't be coming back. Finances (After Transfers) Balance: 1.69m Profit/Loss: (7.78m) Transfer Budget: 37.5m Spent: 24.5m Received: 6.5m Net Spend: 18m Wage Budget: 554k p/w Current Wage: 279k p/w Difference: 266k p/w Average Wage: 7.55k p/w Season 2012/2013 - Preview Once again we are favourites to go down, and Lee Stafford also told me my target was to 'attempt' to avoid relegation. I'm a little more ambitious and have promised that we WILL avoid it and I'm hoping we'll do it comfortably too. Squad GK Artur Boruc Lee Grant Defence John O'Shea Liam Rosenior Tommy Spurr Gary Cahill* Mark Beevers Bobby Boswell Midfield Domagoj Vida^ Alex Song Christian Fuchs Sean McAllister Franck Songo'o Metin Altay Burak Cavusoglu Attack Neil Harper Roque Santa Cruz Matt Derbyshire Orlando Sa * Captain ^ Vice-Captain Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeLikeFM Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Who the hell did he end up in America :confused: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 12, 2010 Author Share Posted January 12, 2010 Harper? I'm really not sure, he was formed at Galaxy. Scored on his debut for them and hit 9 goals total in 20 appearances. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeLikeFM Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Harper? I'm really not sure, he was formed at Galaxy. Scored on his debut for them and hit 9 goals total in 20 appearances. Does he have American second nationality ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 12, 2010 Author Share Posted January 12, 2010 Yeah, he was also apparently born in England, Gloucester. He's already an England U21 as well - 1 youth cap and 1 goal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 I would say well done but Stoke finished bottom. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
swfc ozzie Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 this is a great thread and i support swfc so its even better Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAFCIan75 Posted January 12, 2010 Share Posted January 12, 2010 Some good summer signings there Neji. Neil Harper looks like a quality player who could form a good partnership with either Santa Cruz or Derbyshire? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 12, 2010 Author Share Posted January 12, 2010 this is a great thread and i support swfc so its even better A man of fine taste I see Some good summer signings there Neji. Neil Harper looks like a quality player who could form a good partnership with either Santa Cruz or Derbyshire? I'm not sure who the preferred partnership will be. Derbyshire did well last season so I don't want to leave him out but Santa Cruz is class aswell. I think It will depend what happens with pre-season. The best two will get the starting places. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 I know Neji, play three up front! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 13, 2010 Author Share Posted January 13, 2010 I know Neji, play three up front! I actually decided to go my own route and play one up front! One place for 4 strikers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 13, 2010 Author Share Posted January 13, 2010 Season 2012/2013 - Season Review (Start of Season - December) Results Date Opponent Venue Result Competition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15.07.2012 Bursapor A 1 - 1 Friendly 17.07.2012 Stocksbridge A 4 - 0 Friendly 19.07.2012 FC Baia Mare A 4 - 0 Friendly 21.07.2012 Ariesul Turda A 7 - 0 Friendly 24.07.2012 Sportul H 7 - 0 Friendly 21.08.2012 Sunderland H 2 - 0 Premier Division 25.08.2012 Newcastle A 3 - 1 Premier Division 28.08.2012 Norwich H 3 - 1 League Cup 2nd Round 01.09.2012 Aston Villa H 1 - 2 Premier Division 15.09.2012 Birmingham A 1 - 1 Premier Division 22.09.2012 Chelsea H 0 - 1 Premier Division 25.09.2012 Huddersfield A 5 - 2 League Cup 3rd Round 30.09.2012 Q.P.R A 1 - 1 Premier Division 06.10.2012 Liverpool H 0 - 3 Premier Division 09.10.2012 Man Utd A 0 - 1 Premier Division 20.10.2012 Everton A 0 - 1 Premier Division 27.10.2012 Wolves H 2 - 1 Premier Division 30.10.2012 Notts Co H 5 - 1 League Cup 4th Round 04.11.2012 West Brom A 1 - 2 Premier Division 10.11.2012 Arsenal H 3 - 2 Premier Division 17.11.2012 Tottenham A 2 - 2 Premier Division 24.11.2012 Reading H 2 - 2 Premier Division 01.12.2012 West Ham A 3 - 0 Premier Division 04.12.2012 Aston Villa A 0 - 2 League Cup Qtr Final 08.12.2012 Bristol City H 2 - 2 Premier Division 15.12.2012 Man City H 4 - 2 Premier Division 18.12.2012 Nottm Forest A 0 - 1 Premier Division 23.12.2012 Burnley H 2 - 0 Premier Division 26.12.2012 Man Utd H 3 - 3 Premier Division 29.12.2012 Sunderland A 2 - 1 Premier Division Highlights Fairly pleased with the 29 point total in the first half of the season, and confident of surviving. Unlike last year, we're taking some pretty good form into the new year. My target is to improve last season's total and avoid the bottom three fairly comfortably. Neil Harper Averaging exactly one goal a game, 19 goals in 19 games and proving to be a real handful. League Cup Quarter-Final Not for the game itself, but it's the first time I've made it this far. In fairness I had some easy draws but we scored plenty of goals in them. Going out to Villa was an obvious disappointment but they did sit 1st in the PL at the time, and are generally bloody awesome. Sheffield Wednesday 4 - 2 Man City In fairness, we were battered by Man City. They dominated possession but somehow we managed to hit four past them, with only 6 shots on targets. Neil Harper continued some some fine goal-scoring in the 29th minute, capitalizing on an horrific back pass from Kolo Toure. The lead was doubled going into half time as Franck Songo'o slotted home brilliantly after a sublime through-ball from Harper. Just 2 minutes into half time, Carlos Tevez got City back into the game but once again, Song'o was on hand to cancel the goal out. Luka Modric once again got City back into it bu Bobby Boswell was one hand to clinch the points. He avoided two tackles before laying the ball off to Christian Fuchs whose shot was saved, Boswell continued his run and was the first player to the rebound. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 13, 2010 Author Share Posted January 13, 2010 Season 2012/2013 - Season Review (January - End of Season) Results Date Opponent Venue Result Competition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01.01.2013 Newcastle H 1 - 1 Premier Division 05.01.2013 Shrewsbury A 5 - 1 FA Cup 3rd Round 13.01.2013 Aston Villa A 3 - 4 Premier Division 19.01.2013 Chelsea A 0 - 2 Premier Division 26.01.2013 Fulham A 2 - 0 FA Cup 4th Round 29.01.2013 Birmingham H 1 - 2 Premier Division 02.02.2013 Q.P.R H 1 - 0 Premier Division 09.02.2013 Liverpool A 0 - 2 Premier Division 16.02.2013 Man City H 1 - 4 FA Cup 5th Round 20.02.2013 Everton H 1 - 1 Premier Division 23.02.2013 Wolves A 2 - 3 Premier Division 03.03.2013 West Brom H 2 - 1 Premier Division 16.03.2013 Tottenham H 2 - 1 Premier Division 23.03.2013 Reading A 1 - 3 Premier Division 08.04.2013 Arsenal A 0 - 4 Premier Division 17.04.2013 West Ham H 0 - 2 Premier Division 27.04.2013 Bristol City A 1 - 0 Premier Division 04.05.2013 Nottm Forest H 1 - 1 Premier Division 11.05.2013 Burnley A 3 - 3 Premier Division 19.05.2013 Man City A 0 - 1 Premier Division Season 2012/2013 - January Transfers Out Matt Derbyshire to Juventus - 9m After a disappointing start to the season, just one goal in 19 appearances combined with me switching to one up front, I decided to try and cash in. I offered him out for 9m, a little cheeky but Juventus agreed with the price and signed him. In None Another quiet January window. I was pretty please with how my squad was playing up until this point and decided to take the opportunity to try and balance the books a little more. Highlights Neil Harper Was the best performer in the first half of the season and matched his efforts throughout the rest of it. An excellent return of 28 goals in 38 appearances saw him win the English Players' Player of the Year Award. His attributes have also increased a fair bit thanks to his own training schedule and being tutored for half of the season by Matt Derbyshire. He also got his first, second and third full international call up. His first goal for England coming in his third appearance, playing against the Faroe Islands. Burak Cavusoglu Another player who earnt his first call up for the international squad was Cavusoglu. He's been excellent for me this season, brining Altay in seemed to help him settle and we reaped the benefits. He scored 10 goals from his central midfield position, and also has 7 assists to his name. Rumours are that FC Bayern are planning a swoop for him in the summer. Let's hope I can keep hold of him. Lowlights Form Once again we struggled in the second half of the season. We could only add 16 points to the total which, at one point, saw us just three points of relegation. This is certainly something I have to address if we are to move up the table next season. Reading 3 - 1 Sheffield Wednesday Reading seem to have become our bogey team, only 4 points from 8 games against them is disappointing. Their latest win coming courtesy of a Simon Church hat-trick. End of Season Stats Top Scorer - Neil Harper (38 apps, 28 goals) Most Assists - Franck Songo'o (45 apps, 17 assists) Man of the Match - Neil Harper (38 apps, 8) Average Rating - Neil Harper (38 apps, 7.41) Fans Player of the Year - Neil Harper Final League Table Best Eleven Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted January 13, 2010 Share Posted January 13, 2010 Are you finding this game a real hoot? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Nobby ffs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 14, 2010 Author Share Posted January 14, 2010 Oh dear... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 Somebody had to say it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 16, 2010 Author Share Posted January 16, 2010 Season 2013/2014 - Summer Transfers Out Bobby Boswell to Betis - Free I let Bobby's contract get down to 6 months before trying to renew it as I really wasn't sure if I wanted to keep him or not. I offered a new contract in February after deciding that he was decent back-up but the day after Betis came in with an offer aswell. Offering double than me sealed the deal, so Bobby left once his contract was up. In Michael Benjamin from Barnsley - 2.9m Roque Santa Cruz from Man City - Loan (Initial Fee: 220k, Wage Contribution: 50%) Tal Ben-Haim from Liverpool - 2m Johan Damberg from Elfsborg - 2m Lee Cattermole from Sunderland - 8.75m Key Signings Lee Cattermole - A player I scouted last season but wasn't interested in a move. This summer, after finishing above Sunderland, I was able to persuade him to come. I had a 6.5m bid accepted for another central midfielder but pulled out of the deal at the last minute because I favoured Cattermole. Other Signings Michael Benjamin - I managed to upset fans of our rivals Barnsley by completing the signing, they were furious that he was allowed to leave for us. According to the media, he is the next Paul Gascoigne. He doesn't have the best physical attributes but if they can be developed, I think we should have a good player on our hands. He also offers us some versatility, he can play central midfield or up front. With not many choices up front, that's a welcome bonus. Roque Santa Cruz - Did well for us last season hitting 10 goals and should prove once again to be a more than capable back up for Harper. Tal Ben-Haim - The Israeli has a good amount of Premier League and Serie A experience which should really help our defence. He'll be fighting for a first team spot alongside Mark Beevers, Gary Cahill and Johan Damberg. Johan Damberg - Only 18 years old but already looks to be a capable defender. I don't intend him to be a key player this season but will use him quite often, considering he is only 18. Missed Targets Matthew Murphy - By now, my deficiencies had become more and more obvious. Murphy was a good option to give Rosenior a bit of competition for his place in the team. Only 16 but looks to have some real potential. I had a 300k offer accepted but he opted for Championship Q.P.R who offered him a role of 'important first team player', he's put straight into the U18's squad. I'll be keeping an eye on him for the future. Pable Zabaleta - Was my first choice to replace Rosenior, Man City was happy to let him go for 3.2m but as soon as AC Milan submitted an offer, it was curtains. Sergio Sanchez - After missing out on my first two targets, Sanchez was my final chance to get in a right back. A 2.4m offer was accepted but I couldn't tempt him to Hillsborough. I searched for another right back but couldn't find anyone for a reasonable price, I also felt that Spurr had become somewhat of a weak link but once again, couldn't find a suitable player to replace him. The same goes for another striker. Finances (After Transfers) Balance: 9.61m Profit/Loss: (7.46m) Transfer Budget: 34.6m Spent: 15.75m Received: 0 Net Spend: 15.75m Wage Budget: 563k p/w Current Wage: 359k p/w Difference: 203k p/w Average Wage: 10.2k p/w Season 2013/2014 - Preview This time, we only second favorites to go down, with Burnley predicted 20th. My squad has improved again but I'm not sure that's by a lot. We still have weak links in the team. Spurr, Rosenior and Fuchs are my main worries. Fuchs can be dangerous on his day but depending on how the first half of the season goes, could possibly be replaced in January. Same goes for Spurr. Rosenior is an ongoing concern and I will be looking for a better right back leading into January in the hope of replacing him. Squad GK Artur Boruc Lee Grant Defence Tal Ben-Haim Liam Rosenior Tommy Spurr Gary Cahill^ Mark Beevers Johan Damberg Midfield Domagoj Vida Alex Song Christian Fuchs Lee Cattermole* Sean McAllister Franck Songo'o Metin Altay Burak Cavusoglu Michael Benjamin Attack Neil Harper Roque Santa Cruz * Captain ^ Vice-Captain Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 30, 2010 Author Share Posted January 30, 2010 Season 2013/2014 - Season Review (Start of Season - December) Results Date Opponent Venue Result Competition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24.07.2013 Stockbridge A 11 - 0 Friendly 26.07.2013 Dunfermline A 5 - 0 Friendly 29.07.2013 Real Marcianise A 4 - 0 Friendly 31.07.2013 Cosenza A 2 - 0 Friendly 02.08.2013 Piacenza A 4 - 0 Friendly 06.08.2013 Coleraine A 3 - 0 Friendly 17.08.2013 Tottenham A 2 - 2 Premier Division 20.08.2013 Liverpool H 4 - 0 Premier Division 24.08.2013 Burnley A 3 - 0 Premier Division 27.08.2013 Barnet A 2 - 0 League Cup 2nd Round 31.08.2013 Wolves H 2 - 3 Premier Division 16.09.2013 Man Utd A 1 - 0 Premier Division 21.09.2013 Stoke H 3 - 0 Premier Division 24.09.2013 Liverpool H 2 - 3e League Cup 3rd Round 29.09.2013 Reading H 1 - 2 Premier Division 05.10.2013 Birmingham A 4 - 3 Premier Division 19.10.2013 Chelsea A 0 - 1 Premier Division 26.10.2013 Newcastle H 1 - 2 Premier Division 04.11.2013 Arsenal A 1 - 1 Premier Division 10.11.2013 Everton H 2 - 0 Premier Division 23.11.2013 Blackburn A 2 - 4 Premier Division 30.11.2013 West Brom H 3 - 1 Premier Division 07.12.2013 Man City A 1 - 1 Premier Division 14.12.2013 Middlesbrough H 3 - 1 Premier Division 17.12.2013 Sunderland H 1 - 1 Premier Division 21.12.2013 West Ham H 1 - 2 Premier Division 26.12.2013 Aston Villa A 1 - 3 Premier Division 28.12.2013 Tottenham H 1 - 3 Premier Division Highlights Sheffield Wednesday 4 - 0 Liverpool Last season's runner-ups, Liverpool visited Hillsborough in only the second game of the season. They were to leave empty handed and although the scoreline suggests differently, it was actually a pretty close game. Jose Manuel Reina was credited with an own-goal to give us a first half lead. Personally, it still looks like Santa Cruz was the one to put the ball in the net, but hey, a goal's a goal. It took us until the 68th minute to double our lead thanks a well worked goal from Franck Songo'o. Burak Cavusoglu and Liam Rosenior were the others scorers to give us a great win. Manchester City 1 - 1 Sheffield Wednesday We couldn't quite grab the victory but we gave a really good account of ourselves. Man City won the league comfortably the season before so this was always going to be a tough game. It's the first time we've gone away to such a good team and been just as good as them. Johan Damberg Had more game-time than I would have imagined when first buying him but he's really proven to be a great find. Always solid at the back, and improving at a fantastic rate. He's quickly becoming one of the first names on my team sheet. Lowlights Sheffield Wednesday 1 - 2 Reading I'm really stating to dislike Reading on this game Even against 10 men, I still can't seem to better them. Lee Cattermole (og) and Noel Hunt were the match winners for Reading. One of these days, I'll beat them! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neji Posted January 30, 2010 Author Share Posted January 30, 2010 Season 2013/2014 - Season Review (January - End of Season) Results Date Opponent Venue Result Competition ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01.01.2014 Liverpool A 2 - 0 Premier Division 04.01.2014 Newcastle H 1 - 1 FA Cup 3rd Round 11.01.2014 Burnley H 1 - 1 Premier Division 15.01.2014 Newcastle A 0 - 1 FA Cup 3rd Round Rep 18.01.2014 Wolves A 3 - 2 Premier Division 28.01.2014 Man Utd H 0 - 2 Premier Division 02.02.2014 Chelsea H 3 - 4 Premier Division 08.02.2014 Stoke A 2 - 1 Premier Division 11.02.2014 Reading A 0 - 1 Premier Division 22.02.2014 Birmingham H 4 - 0 Premier Division 26.02.2014 Newcastle A 2 - 0 Premier Division 17.03.2014 Arsenal H 4 - 0 Premier Division 22.03.2014 Everton A 1 - 3 Premier Division 29.03.2014 Blackburn H 2 - 3 Premier Division 05.04.2014 West Brom A 2 - 3 Premier Division 14.04.2014 Man City H 2 - 0 Premier Division 20.04.2014 MiddlesbroughA 4 - 3 Premier Division 26.04.2014 West Ham A 1 - 2 Premier Division 03.05.2014 Aston Villa H 2 - 2 Premier Division 11.05.2014 Sunderland A 4 - 2 Premier Division Season 2013/2014 - January Transfers Out Vida Domagoj to At. Madrid - Loan (Initial Fee: 875k, Wage Contribution: 100%) High wages and his now backup squad status meant that I was looking to sell Domagoj, unfortunately the best deal I could work out was a loan deal with At. Madrid. They would be paying his wages in full and pay me 875k up front. They also included a future fee of 3.5m, so hopefully, I can move him on in the summer. In None Highlights Neil Harper Once again, Harper is proving to be a top player. Beating last season's total by one goal, his 29 goals have been a massive part of our success. I also got him to sign a long term deal after rumors linking him to Juventus. He's also managed 17 caps in total, scoring 9 goals for England. Christian Fuchs A player who I had my worries about last season totally proved me wrong this season. With 9 goals and 15 assists to his name, he contribution has been massive. Artur Boruc My very own super keeper, good throughout the season and saved us on many occasions. Liverpool 0 - 2 Sheffield Wednesday Once again, Liverpool finished in second place so to do the double over them was a great achievement. Another close game saw Neil Harper get us off the mark and Lee Cattermole followed up with the second to make sure of the three points. Lowlights Reading 1 - 0 Sheffield Wednesday Newcastle 1 - 0 Sheffield Wednesday Disappointing to be knocked out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle. Newcastle gave us a good game at home and earned the replay. They probably deserved the victory but it proved to be a very frustrating match. End of Season Stats Top Scorer - Neil Harper (39 apps, 29 goals) Most Assists - Christian Fuchs (39 apps, 15 assists) Man of the Match - Artuc Boruc (42 apps, 7) Average Rating - Christian Fuchs (39 apps, 7.29) Fans Player of the Year - Christian Fuchs Final League Table Best Eleven Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 Owl heck, Stoke relegated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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