leonavich Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 I wish the Jamaicans won against Norway. I was looking forward to rooting them on towards a Final Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hyperion479 Posted November 8, 2007 Share Posted November 8, 2007 Hallelujah, finally made it to the present. Like a great novel, it's all too captivating and hard to put down. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted November 9, 2007 Author Share Posted November 9, 2007 Originally posted by achilles elbow:200,000 views!! I hope you are pleased with the way your AI experiment has been progressing Kip? Did you expect it to still be going strong after almost 11 months, and did you ever expect it to have such a strong following?? KUTGW *bows* Thank you very much! To be honest I had no idea it was going to be this huge, or go on for this long, I just set it up to investigate the AI a little, and it's turned into this It's great to have readers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted November 9, 2007 Author Share Posted November 9, 2007 Semi Finals Lupo’s heroics maintained one world beater in the tournament, and the four semi finalists actually all came from two groups. Scotland had won England’s group, Norway had won Italy’s. Would there be a rematch of either? The first semi final saw England pitted against Norway. Luke Hallett and Tony Allison started for England, with Tom Finley and Paul Dove on the bench, while Bjorn Strand and Henrik Berg started for Norway. With Strand surprisingly substituted in the second half, the match ended 0-0, as did extra time, and the match went to penalties. Henrik Berg scored Norway’s first penalty, while Luke Hallett also netted early in the shoot out. It came to England’s fifth penalty, and Tom Finley had the chance to win the match and send England through to the final. He ballooned it over the bar. No matter. Norway missed their first sudden death penalty, and another former tip, Ronnie Blundell, had the chance to make amends for Finley. But he also smashed the ball over the bar. A couple of rounds later, however, England won the shoot out at their third attempt, winning 6-5 from nine penalties each. Italy faced Scotland in the other semi final, with Carlo Lupo’s men standing in the way of another Battle of Britain, this time on the biggest stage of all. Italy took an early lead, before another ‘one to watch’ Barry Low equalized for Scotland. It was to be the Scots’ day, eventually running away with the match 3-1 and perhaps ending Lupo’s dream of ever winning the international medal he deserved. Final Italy beat Norway 2-1 in the third place playoff match, a match marred by bad feeling as both teams ended the match with ten men and Lupo ended it on a stretcher, ruled out for 4-8 weeks with an ankle injury. But then came the final. Scotland had dispatched England with ease in the group stages, but the two were destined to meet again in the big one – England’s sixth final, Scotland’s first. And it was Scotland who triumphed, once again, winning the match 1-0 with a goal in extra time. Scotland are the world champions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted November 9, 2007 Author Share Posted November 9, 2007 World Cup Report Card – World Beaters Maia (28, 199/199) (Portugal) (3 games, 7.00 average rating) Rated as the best player in the world, Maia never got going, getting a seven in each of his three matches and contributing very little. Without their talisman performing, Portugal went home in the group stages. Grade: C- Hugues Guichard (24, 195/195) (France) (0 games) Guichard was tipped as one of the stars of the tournament, right up until a few weeks before it began, when he broke his ankle. France missed him badly, and struggled to score throughout the whole tournament, which was worse without him. Grade: No rating Eduardo Castillejo (26, 194/198) (Spain) (3 games, 8.00 average rating, 5 goals) Castillejo’s international record now reads – 15 games, 19 goals. He was having the perfect World Cup, scoring freely in the group stages, but then he got injured, and without him Spain crashed out in the second round. His rating might seem harsh, but to get the top scores you have to consistently perform throughout the tournament. He was probably well on the way until his injury. Grade: A- Carlo Lupo (30, 190/198) (Italy) (7 games, 7.28 average rating, 1 goal) Lupo was as solid as ever, marshalling the Italian defence as captain, but only starred in one match – the quarter final against Argentina, when, with his side 2-0 down, he instigated a fightback with a man of the match performance, eventually heading the winner two minutes from time. Otherwise, he played well without showing just how incredible he is. Grade: B- Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted November 9, 2007 Author Share Posted November 9, 2007 World Cup Report Card – Bandits Steen Hansen (26, 158/172) (Denmark) (3 games, 6.67 average rating) Hansen didn’t do anything of note in the group stage, and in the decisive win over France he went off injured, missing the rest of Denmark’s tournament. Grade: D+ Tom Finley (25, 169/169) (England) (3 games, 6.33 average rating, 1 goal) Finley made only one substitute appearance before coming on as a substitute to score the winner against champions Belgium, the highlight of his tournament. His third and final appearance was also as a sub, coming on in the semi final and missing a penalty in the shootout. His rating is affected by the fact he never started a game so never got a true run out. Grade: D Paul Dove traveled with the England squad, but never got involved. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted November 9, 2007 Author Share Posted November 9, 2007 World Cup Report Card – Ones to watch Patrick Schmidt (29, 182/184) (Germany) (3 games, 7.33 average rating) The right sided German missed the opening draw with Japan through injury, but returned to captain his country to top spot in the group, before losing to Holland in round 2. Grade: B- Pereira (29, 178/187) (Portugal) (3 games, 7.00 average rating) The defensive midfielder had a bit of a nothing World Cup, gaining solid sevens but not adding enough to the Portuguese team to help them through, as they crashed out in the group stages. Grade: C- Tony Allison (26, 181/192) (England) (6 games, 7.00 average rating, 3 goals, 2 assists) A massively up and down tournament saw Allison play some blinders, gaining three man of the match awards in his six games, and some appalling games, to end with an average of seven. It started so well, gaining man of the match in the opening two games – setting up the only goal of the 1-0 win over Iran, and then scoring both in the 2-0 victory over the Ivory Coast. But a five in the 3-0 hammering by Scotland also saw him pick up another yellow which ruled him out of the Belgium game. He returned for the quarter finals, and was again inspirational, getting a nine and man of the match for a performance in which he scored one and set up the other. But again, at the crunch, he went missing, an anonymous seven in the semi finals was followed by his second five against Scotland in the final. He played a huge part in getting England to the later stages, but was twice shackled completely by Scotland, dragging his average back down again. Grade: B- Barry Low (27, 178/195) (Scotland) (7 games, 7.43 average rating, 1 goal, 1 assist) Started all seven of Scotland’s matches, and they won them all. He really came to the fore when it mattered, gaining 8s in every round from the quarter finals onwards, getting an assist against France in the quarter finals, a goal against Italy in the semi, and man of the match against England in the final. Turned it on when it mattered most. Grade: B+ Ronnie Blundell (25, 181/195) (England) (7 games, 6.71 average rating) Despite starting all seven of England’s games from central midfield, Blundell offered neither a goal or an assist, or ever managed over a seven, scoring poorly in both games against Scotland. He also missed a penalty in the semi final shootout. Not his finest summer. Grade: D- Bjorn Strand (23, 187/193) (Norway) (7 games, 8.00 average rating, 5 goals, 1 assist) This was the summer were young Bjorn Strand finally came of age, sparkling throughout the tournament. He started well, scoring twice and setting one up in the group stages, as Norway won the group at a canter, despite it containing Italy. When the knockout stages arrived, he came to life even more, scoring the second goal in the 2-0 win over Jamaica, before scoring both against Holland, winning by the same scoreline, and picking up the man of the match award for his ten. England and Italy then shackled him pretty effectively in the semi final and third place playoff respectively, but he still managed a seven in both matches. But a star is born – he won the Golden Boot (jointly with Castillejo and van Grinsven) and the Best Player award. A starring performance at the end would’ve given him an A+. Grade: A Ante Bacic (24, 189/189) (Croatia) (4 games, 7.25 average rating) The centre back played very decently as Croatia made the second round, but was unable to stop Denmark from ending their dream at that point. Grade: C+ Henrik Berg (23, 169/188) (Norway) (7 games, 7.57 average rating, 1 goal, 1 assist) Norway’s left winger never let his performance slip throughout the whole tournament, never scoring less than a seven and having a few games of making the world sit up and take notice. A goal in the hammering of Mali was followed by setting up one of Strand’s brace against Holland. He also scored his penalty in the shoot out against England. Grade: B+ Luke Hallett (23, 166/184) (England) (7 games, 6.71 average rating) Uncapped coming into the tournament, Hallett was a surprise choice to start every game for England, and the story of his World Cup was simple – a seven in every game except two sixes against Scotland, at centre back. Never a threat going forward, he’ll probably have better summers in the future. Grade: D+ Peter Schulz (21, 175/188) (Germany) (1 game, 6.00 average rating) Schulz’s tournament was restricted to a short substitute appearance in the opening match against Japan, and cannot be rated. Grade: No rating Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted November 9, 2007 Author Share Posted November 9, 2007 On a seperate note, it might interest you to know that the Bandits really are chasing the stars this summer. No-one has yet made a move for Abdulkadir, but the Bandits made a 25m rising to 33m offer for World Cup star Wesley van Grinsven, joint top scorer, but Real Madrid ended up getting him. They're not quite at the level where a player will join them ahead of Real Madrid or Chelsea, but at least they're trying! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5ergio Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 Originally posted by kipfizh:On a seperate note, it might interest you to know that the Bandits really are chasing the stars this summer. They're not quite at the level where a player will join them ahead of Real Madrid or Chelsea, but at least they're trying! This is what I was striving for from the beginning. Challenging for the star players of the era, competing with the likes of Madrid & Chelsea. Being in the richest club list for too long, it's time they spent some real money On the other hand, Lupo just upset me with his steady but not-magnificent performance. I guess we won't be seeing a world-beater pick up a major cup. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlownCanary Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 Oh hell yea! Bandits in Champions League! I have spent 3 days! 3 CHUFFIN DAYS, reading this and I am bushed! I am sorry about Norwich knocking you out of the cup all those years ago I am a Norwich fan after all! Let's hope that The Bandits can win the Champions League. Well done kip my dude! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alwo Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 Scotland world champions! Get in! Pity it's not going to happen for another 40 years. And that it was in a game. And that in reality we still haven't gotten past the first round. Oh well. And achievement nonetheless. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dryden76 Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 Originally posted by kipfizh:Semi Finals Lupo’s heroics maintained one world beater in the tournament, and the four semi finalists actually all came from two groups. Scotland had won England’s group, Norway had won Italy’s. Would there be a rematch of either? The first semi final saw England pitted against Norway. Luke Hallett and Tony Allison started for England, with Tom Finley and Paul Dove on the bench, while Bjorn Strand and Henrik Berg started for Norway. With Strand surprisingly substituted in the second half, the match ended 0-0, as did extra time, and the match went to penalties. Henrik Berg scored Norway’s first penalty, while Luke Hallett also netted early in the shoot out. It came to England’s fifth penalty, and Tom Finley had the chance to win the match and send England through to the final. He ballooned it over the bar. No matter. Norway missed their first sudden death penalty, and another former tip, Ronnie Blundell, had the chance to make amends for Finley. But he also smashed the ball over the bar. A couple of rounds later, however, England won the shoot out at their third attempt, winning 6-5 from nine penalties each. Italy faced Scotland in the other semi final, with Carlo Lupo’s men standing in the way of another Battle of Britain, this time on the biggest stage of all. Italy took an early lead, before another ‘one to watch’ Barry Low equalized for Scotland. It was to be the Scots’ day, eventually running away with the match 3-1 and perhaps ending Lupo’s dream of ever winning the international medal he deserved. Final Italy beat Norway 2-1 in the third place playoff match, a match marred by bad feeling as both teams ended the match with ten men and Lupo ended it on a stretcher, ruled out for 4-8 weeks with an ankle injury. But then came the final. Scotland had dispatched England with ease in the group stages, but the two were destined to meet again in the big one – England’s sixth final, Scotland’s first. And it was Scotland who triumphed, once again, winning the match 1-0 with a goal in extra time. Scotland are the world champions. woot!!!!!! scotland world champions!!!!! even strange than belgium winning it(at least they've reached the semi's, hell even the quarters........ hey if they want world cup stars they should go after barry lowe... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
achilles elbow Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 Originally posted by alwo:Scotland world champions! Get in! Kip - finally we have proof the AI is knackered. You can stop the experiment now. [Achilles hides under desk and hopes the Scots here take it as a joke] Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.O.Kavalas Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 Great thread!!1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alwo Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 Originally posted by achilles elbow:<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by alwo: Scotland world champions! Get in! Kip - finally we have proof the AI is knackered. You can stop the experiment now. [Achilles hides under desk and hopes the Scots here take it as a joke] </div></BLOCKQUOTE> Heh. No complaints from me. Our World Cup record is shockingly shocking. For want of a better description. I would actually argue that it's incredibly unlikely for a country of 5 million to win the World Cup. Unless of course by 2046 Scotland has broken off from the rest of the UK and gone and floated towards Greenland, where with the extra land (and what with global warming it shouldn't be too cold) our population booms, our league becomes the strongest in the world and we develop our own 'total football' and become absolute world beaters. Just a theory of course... Keep up the excellent work with this experiment. I'm loving every post of it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
homerjnick Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 Aw cmon the final itself gets one line saying Scotland won it 1-0 in extra time. How about a more detailed report?????? I want to savour it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meitheisman Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 Great work Kipfizh. Also Scotland world champion right after Belgium... I wonder if 2 huge consecutive upsets like that would ever happen irl Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number 7 Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 SCOTLAND! I believe we are going to win the World Cup 2052. Scotland ftw! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaberdeenn Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 Scotland beating the English in a WC Final. Couldn't of dreamed it better. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dafuge Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 kipfizh, do you fancy writing a guide on setting up holiday games/AI experiments for this forum? The challenges and sign ups already have guides written by users and I think you are the best person to do this one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonBlade Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 Is it fair to say Maia has been as bad as Lupo has been good? I don't recall a single thing he's ever done in his career to give him the lofty title of "Worlds Best". Unless of course it's "Worlds (theoretical) Best" Has he actually done anything or just wasted his whole career? Tartan Army polishing the Jules Rimet? England win a Penalty Shootout. Anything can happen. VB Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mravac Kid Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 Originally posted by alwo:Heh. No complaints from me. Our World Cup record is shockingly shocking. For want of a better description. I would actually argue that it's incredibly unlikely for a country of 5 million to win the World Cup. I dunno... Croatia came awfully close back in 1998. Anyway, it's a shame that Lupo didn't manage to take his squad to the heights he deserved (what's the rest of his squad's CA/PA, I wonder?), but there's some wonderful new talents showing up lately, I'm pretty sure it's just a matter of time before one of them lifts the cup. After all, the other current world-beaters are all below 30, with just Maia in real danger of being too old by the time next one rolls around. And I'm thinkin' Lupo might just squeeze off another showing before retiring... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
markymarky Posted November 9, 2007 Share Posted November 9, 2007 hey, let's not rule Lupo out just yet. We've all seen quality defenders continue to perform at every stage way up into their mid-30s, and he has more quality than most. But yes, what a waster Maia is! He would benefit from Milan offloading him, maybe a new landscape would allow him to make the most of his talent while he still has it. I don't think I've posted in this thread before, despite reading it for months! Go Bandits! This experiment cannot end until they are the undisputed top team in the world. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mighty Red Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 Looking at Maia - his bravery is about 5, not really what you want from a CM!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy23_wilts Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 Best. Thread. Ever. Well done Kip! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AB-forever Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 Damn England for beating Denmark I almost feel sorry for Maia... Out of interest, who are the 5 highest CA players from Denmark and what clubs are they at? KUTGW Kip Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Axefighter Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 Amazing thread. Well done kipfizh Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamshankley Posted November 10, 2007 Share Posted November 10, 2007 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross8 Posted November 11, 2007 Share Posted November 11, 2007 brilliant as always kip Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted November 11, 2007 Author Share Posted November 11, 2007 Originally posted by homerjnick:Aw cmon the final itself gets one line saying Scotland won it 1-0 in extra time. How about a more detailed report?????? I want to savour it! Hehe, not a lot to say really - it was a truly dull match that Scotland pinched in extra time. 0-0 would've suited the game perfectly! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted November 11, 2007 Author Share Posted November 11, 2007 Originally posted by dafuge:kipfizh, do you fancy writing a guide on setting up holiday games/AI experiments for this forum? The challenges and sign ups already have guides written by users and I think you are the best person to do this one. Sure - what sort of thing are you after? How to set out the idea/manipulate the editing software to set it up/how best to report on it? That sort of thing? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted November 11, 2007 Author Share Posted November 11, 2007 Originally posted by VonBlade:Is it fair to say Maia has been as bad as Lupo has been good? I don't recall a single thing he's ever done in his career to give him the lofty title of "Worlds Best". Unless of course it's "Worlds (theoretical) Best" Has he actually done anything or just wasted his whole career? Pretty much wasted his career to be honest - looking at his career history he looks nothing more than average. Consigned to the 'underachiever' bin, and not deserving to be spoken about in the same breath as Carlo Lupo. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dafuge Posted November 11, 2007 Share Posted November 11, 2007 Originally posted by kipfizh:<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by dafuge: kipfizh, do you fancy writing a guide on setting up holiday games/AI experiments for this forum? The challenges and sign ups already have guides written by users and I think you are the best person to do this one. Sure - what sort of thing are you after? How to set out the idea/manipulate the editing software to set it up/how best to report on it? That sort of thing? </div></BLOCKQUOTE> Yes, that's it, something to give people a bit of help in setting one up and keeping it running. Here are the two existing guides: Challenges Sign Ups Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
t_hall Posted November 11, 2007 Share Posted November 11, 2007 I was delighted to see that Chesterfield had made it to the prem, but were yo-yoing up and down until they eventually managed to establish themselves for several seasons. Then after finishing 9th, promptly got relegated bottom, that did annoy me! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meitheisman Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Originally posted by dafuge:<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by kipfizh: <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by dafuge: kipfizh, do you fancy writing a guide on setting up holiday games/AI experiments for this forum? The challenges and sign ups already have guides written by users and I think you are the best person to do this one. Sure - what sort of thing are you after? How to set out the idea/manipulate the editing software to set it up/how best to report on it? That sort of thing? </div></BLOCKQUOTE> Yes, that's it, something to give people a bit of help in setting one up and keeping it running. Here are the two existing guides: Challenges Sign Ups </div></BLOCKQUOTE> Don't distract Kipfizh, we want him to spend all of his spare time on this experiment so that we get more updates Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chopper99 Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Originally posted by Meitheisman:<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by dafuge: <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by kipfizh: <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by dafuge: kipfizh, do you fancy writing a guide on setting up holiday games/AI experiments for this forum? The challenges and sign ups already have guides written by users and I think you are the best person to do this one. Sure - what sort of thing are you after? How to set out the idea/manipulate the editing software to set it up/how best to report on it? That sort of thing? </div></BLOCKQUOTE> Yes, that's it, something to give people a bit of help in setting one up and keeping it running. Here are the two existing guides: Challenges Sign Ups </div></BLOCKQUOTE> Don't distract Kipfizh, we want him to spend all of his spare time on this experiment so that we get more updates </div></BLOCKQUOTE> I'll second that Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
crewe_york Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Again great thread kip. First thing I look for every time I enter the forums is to see if theres an update. I'm hooked, can't wait for the next installment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted November 13, 2007 Author Share Posted November 13, 2007 Just finished playing the season, another corker. Squad report should arrive tomorrow, and I'll write the guide too shortly dafuge Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meitheisman Posted November 13, 2007 Share Posted November 13, 2007 Darn I saw you were the last poster Kipfizh and thought an update was already here for a minute. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chopper99 Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 Originally posted by kipfizh:Just finished playing the season, another corker. Happy days Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted November 14, 2007 Author Share Posted November 14, 2007 Okay. I'm seeing a bit of a strange trend. World Player of the Year. World Footballer of the Year. European Footballer of the Year. How are these decided? What do they given precedence to? CA? Reputation? Certainly not performance, given that Maia, who has been useless for years despite his extraordinary talent, came second in European Midfielder of the Year, third in World Player of the Year, and won World Footballer of the Year. If you placed his performances alongside others in the world, he wouldn't come in the top 100. I suspect that reputation plays a big part in the awards, which would be absolutely right - in real life the big names get nominated irrespective of whether they've actually had a good season. I remember Ronaldo winning it after playing nineteen matches in an injury plagued calendar year. Absolute joke, but if the game models this reality, then fine. So I actually suspect that the cause of the problem is that CA affects reputation a little too much. Maia has a massive reputation. Why? He's never achieved a thing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted November 14, 2007 Author Share Posted November 14, 2007 Season 2046-47 Bandits report - Transfers Transfers In Transfers Out After another season of success for the Bandits, the fans looked forward to their first ever Champions League campaign, hoping desperately that they would get past the qualifying round and into the group stages, to challenge themselves against the best. However, they were concerned. A lack of injuries the previous season had helped cover for the thin squad, as all the way across the defence they were short of cover, and in midfield, previously so full of players, they were also lacking. With Davies apparently so unwilling in the transfer market, they were more than a little concerned about how the squad would look going into the new season. If it remained around the size it began the summer, then they would struggle to cope with any cup run. But with Champions League football to dangle as a carrot in front of potential signings, they were hopeful that some star players would be attracted to join. Summer The summer started quietly, with the release of a couple of youth players unable to make the step up, but as July rolled around, the money began to flow. First in the door was Barbosa, a 34 year old left winger arriving on a free transfer from Deportivo. Although he’d had an excellent career, his star was definitely on the fade and the fans hoped desperately that he was merely to add depth to the squad, not to be expected to play too often. The Bandits then raided Deportivo once again, for Mexican star Gustavo Hernandez, a 28 year old able to play on either wing, but more comfortable on the right. With a CA of 166, he immediately looked promising, even at a cost of 15.25m. At this point, they were bidding on many of the world’s stars, including joint World Cup top scorer, Wesley van Grinsven, who ended up joining Real Madrid for a fee rising to 35.5m. The news that they were even competing for these players was met with glee by the fans. 25 year old Clive Thompson was next to arrive – a former Under 21 international, he is not a star but a very solid player to fill out the squad. Joining on the same day was goalkeeper Liam Johnstone, who with a CA of 171 became the joint best player at the club, with Paul Dove. The 27 year old joined for 7.25m from Leeds, where he had been excelling the year before. He looks like a real talent. Attacking midfielder Tim van den Berg arrived on a free, another solid player with a CA of 157, and the 24 year old looks like a good squad player. And with the Bandits incredulous on the growing size of the squad, Ali Bell, the right back who had long since fallen out of the side, moved on. The fans were delighted – with only one player moved on, and one that was nowhere near the side, could the summer really continue this well? As July came to a close, their happiness turned to delight, with the signing of 26 year old centre back Mustafa de Jong, a 13.5m signing from Ajax. With his 170 CA, he instantly became the most talented defender at the club, and it seemed the fading Charlie Morgan had been suitably replaced. August saw a second departure, with former star left winger Danijel Ivic moving on. The 34 year old had fallen out of favour after his decline, and having not played for six seasons it was definitely time to leave. Again, the fans had no worries about letting him go. Russian Alexandr Solovjov came in the next day – the 31 year old centre back arriving from Valencia for 1.1m to fill out the squad. With no more sales before the transfer window shut, there was time for just one more move – 29 year old German centre back Sebastian Ernst, with a decent CA of 161, was signed from Aston Villa for 10.75m having impressed for years. As August rolled into September and the transfer window slammed shut, the fans could not believe it. Two players had been let go, but both had been well out of favour, and a whole host of exciting talent had been brought in. Davies had focused on improving the squad, but sprinkled around a handful of star signings who would expect to challenge for a place in the side instantly. Optimism was flying high. Was it to be justified? January One player was allowed to move before the transfer window opened – Peter Henry, the centre back never in favour at the club, was granted his release after seeing himself slip even further down the pecking order with the signings of three players in his position during the summer. No-one could blame him. January seemed to be much quieter than the summer – star midfielder Fabien Vincent was the subject of an 11m bid by Arsenal, but while the offer was accepted the player decided to stay with the Bandits, delighting the fans. In fact, nothing happened until the final day of the month, when left winger Paul Thackeray, who had been playing well since his 5m signing 18 months ago, moved to Aston Villa for 12.75m. It was a tidy profit, but the fans were a little concerned about replacing him. Later in the day, Davies responded, signing 30 year old Colombian Juan Jose Sanchez, able to play on either wing. A short term solution, his CA of 157 meant he was a decent signing. And that was it. Thackeray was the only first team player throughout the whole season who left, while the squad size grew, Davies splashing the cash freely. In all, he spent 55m in the season, a transfer deficit of over 40m, which is exactly what the fans had been begging for. Would it be worth it? 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kipfizh Posted November 14, 2007 Author Share Posted November 14, 2007 Bandits report - squad Top 20 in Squad (sorted by CA) Name, Pos, Age, CA-PA Johnstone, GK, 27, 171-173 – new signing Dove, FC, 26, 171-171 (0) De Jong, DC, 26, 170-170 – new signing Finley, ST, 26, 169-169 (0) Hernandez, AM RL, 28, 166-174 – new signing Orlov, AM LC, 30, 166-169 (-3) Vincent, MC, 28, 165-181 (-1) Lancashire, ST, 26, 165-169 (+2) Ernst, DC, 29, 161-165 – new signing Pichet, DC, 26, 160-161 (0) Hansen, D/WB R, 27, 159-172 (+1) McDermott, ST, 29, 159-159 (0) van den Berg, AM C, 24, 157-157 – new signing Sanchez, AM RL, 30, 157-157 – new signing Beckham, GK, 27, 156-161 (+2) Paris, GK, 30, 155-156 (+1) Pizarro, D/M LC, DM, 32, 154-159 (-2) Thompson, DL, 25, 151-157 – new signing Solovjov, SW/DC, 31, 151-157 – new signing Dixon, D/M C, 27, 151-157 (-1) Players in last season’s top 20 who have left the club: Dreyfus, AM L, 29, 160-186 – loan ended, returned to Real Madrid Thackeray, AM L, 23, 158-170 Henry, DC, 23, 146-154 Ivic, AM L, 33, 140-161 Players in last season’s top 20 who have dropped out of the top 20: Garrard, AM R, 31, 150-169 (-11) Morgan, DC, 34, 146-173 (-13) Gibbs, M LC, 31, 146-158 (-3) Delahaye, D/WB R, 31, 142-161 (-7) Last season, Danijel Ivic was 20th in the list with a CA of 140, but now you need over 150 CA to get on it, a sign that the squad is getting stronger quickly. Charlie Morgan was the club’s best player a few years, but now gets nowhere near the list, while there are eight new signings up there. The only thing this list shows is that there is a slight age problem – plenty of players on the list are at their peak, but there are no starlets there. Adam Williamson, with a CA of 146 and PA of 189, is the best of the kids. CA of X or above: 190 : 0 … 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 180 : 0 … 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0 170 : 0 … 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 2, 1, 3 160 : 0 … 0, 1, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 7, 8, 10 150 : 0 … 13, 15, 13, 11, 15, 17, 15, 19, 16, 21 140 : 0 … 19, 27, 25, 22, 27, 27, 24, 26, 20, 26 130 : 0 … 28, 32, 31, 28, 33, 34, 29, 29, 26, 30 120 : 0 … 37, 38, 36, 30, 34, 36, 30, 32, 28, 31 110 : 0 … 42, 39, 36, 30, 36, 36, 31, 32, 28, 32 100 : 2 … 45, 40, 36, 32, 39, 40, 34, 33, 30, 38 A spectacular report shows that the Bandits have record levels of players at 170+, 160+ and 150+, with 21 players having at least 150 CA. That should form the bulk of the players used in first team matches. The squad now has undeniable strength and depth, with many of the squad on or around their peak. Will this give them a glorious season, or be wasted? Top players by reputation Reputation (CA in brackets): Johnstone (171) – 7199 – new signing Finley (169) – 7129 (-11) De Jong (170) – 7099 – new signing Hernandez (166) – 6741 – new signing Orlov (166) – 6705 (-360) Vincent (165) – 6670 (-219) Ernst (161) – 6453 – new signing McDermott (159) – 6314 (-6) Hansen (159) – 6226 (-15) Sanchez (157) – 6126 – new signing Team (as of last summer): 7333 (+159) If the reputation of the Bandits is maintained, they are unlikely to have any players wanting to move to a bigger club – the club’s reputation is higher than any of the players. So it all depends how they’ve done…. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
5ergio Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 Wow! Our old Davies surprised me now. £50M spent in just one window. A total of £55M in a year. The squad is by far the strongest one of our history. Hope we did well throughout the year so that we can keep on moving towards our long-lasting CL glory goal step by step. The second most delightful update since we've made it to EPL. (the first one was the year we made it to CL ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AB-forever Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 I like!! KUTGW Kip and old Davies Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brambleten Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 kip, im sorry of this has come up before, but would it be possible to upload the current game so those of us who dont have 08 can have a go. gutted that the dammed scots nabbed our WC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted November 14, 2007 Author Share Posted November 14, 2007 Originally posted by brambleten:kip, im sorry of this has come up before, but would it be possible to upload the current game so those of us who dont have 08 can have a go. gutted that the dammed scots nabbed our WC At the end of the experiment, I will upload the game, yes I'm not doing it beforehand, because otherwise people would play ahead twenty years and state what happens, diluting the effect of this experiment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest arrogantio Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 There's still cause to be dubious about Davies' transfer policy. Sure, he's bought a large number of high ability players, but that's only to be expected given the reputation boost off the back of last season's performances. Wiping out the profit made on the sale of Thackeray by spending £4.6m on a 30-year old winger who is no better than the existing players in the squad and likely to go downhill doesn't look like the signs of someone who's a genius in the transfer market. Let's hope he's smarter on the pitch... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dafuge Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 Originally posted by kipfizh:Just finished playing the season, another corker. Squad report should arrive tomorrow, and I'll write the guide too shortly dafuge Nice one, cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RKW Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 but there are no starlets there. Adam Williamson, with a CA of 146 and PA of 189 What do you mean there are no starlets? The boy can be world class surely? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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