AI Experiment - what would happen if?

[G_D_K]

Absolutely incredible season---finally our Bandits are coming into their own---and coming back to their own!

We've all been waiting since day one (even though my day one was only about 3 weeks ago--when I stumbled on this thread :-) ) for the Bandits (any of them) to come home---and now we've got our very own AssMan coming back (with a future lock on Manager??)

Here's to a better Champions League campaign---I predict a glorious Double next season!

[r0x0r]

Next season will be another near-miss, setting goalkeeper 1 up with the perfect oppertunity to step in and win the title and champions league, all but closing the experiment.

[paduardo]

wow what a great idea this bandits experiment is ! Exceptional write ups too !

But how do you work out who PA and CA ?

How do you work out a clubs reputation?

And finally a teams reputation and ability?

This would really help .

Thanks

[nick...]

I don't think Goalkeeper 1 will move up to first team manager.

It's just not someting I've really seen in the game.

We can still hope for a Goalkeeper 1, Goalkeeper 2 dream team, though.

I think the world view is interesting, especially for intenational tournaments.

It doesn't change too much year on year though, so it wouldn't be to much of a stretch to have it every two years, just prior to the world cup/euro chapionships report.

This would take it out of the seasonal report cycle, and the iternational tournament reports don't take anywhere near as long to write, so the added time here probably wouldn't be noticed as much.

And, of course, Keep Up The Good Work, Kip!

[ross8]

Great stuff yet again Kip.

Shame we couldn't bring the title in, but it is nicely set up for either Davies to go out on top, or Goalkeeper 1 to take over and bring some serious silverware to the bandits.

[achilles elbow]

There's been tears in the Elbow household, but the boys did well to come 2nd.

I've lost the fiver I put down as a deposit on the open top bus, but oh well, I'm sure the kids will cope without food for one day.

Let's hope they strengthen the squad further and go one step better next season.

Well done as always Kip

[deltoro]

I still want The Bandits to sign Turkish Striker Umit Abdulkadir..

He wont have problems to live in England as Trabzon have the similar weather conditions..

[Jonzii]

Originally posted by paduardo:

wow what a great idea this bandits experiment is ! Exceptional write ups too !

But how do you work out who PA and CA ?

How do you work out a clubs reputation?

And finally a teams reputation and ability?

This would really help .

Thanks

Genie Scout.

Good stuff Kip.

[kipfizh]

Answers to a few points:

The Bandits do actually have a history of promoting their assistant managers to the main job, it has happened twice in the past. That said, it hasn't happened in the Premiership days, so perhaps someone will come in.

Personally, I think that would be best. The former players are stunningly talented coaches, but they have motivation of one and are very cautious both in the match and in the transfer market. Goalkeeper 2 has made an absolute hash of his managerial career, but excelled as an assistant.

A decent transfer market and motivating manager, backed by the coaching ability of the former stars, would be the perfect fit.

And yes, Goalkeeper 1 favours the Bandits - all the former players do.

The furthest afield Bandits are Chilean and South African. Not too remote.

paduardo - I use FM Genie Scout for CA/PA, reputation, etc.

And finally, there was disappointment all round when Umit Abdulkadir joined Real Madrid.

At least he didn't join Chelsea.

[chopper99]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

And finally, there was disappointment all round when Umit Abdulkadir joined Real Madrid.

At least he didn't join Chelsea.

[Bagzinho]

I came to this thread three days ago. I have now read the entire thing, and signed up for the facebook group.

I just wanted to add my thoughts:

1) Arise, Sir Kip

2) I have fostered a deep love for a fictional team that I have no prospect of seeing

3) I can't believe no orginal bandits came back for a last hurrah, even with us (us!) in the First Division or thereabouts at the time

4) I openly celebrated, out loud and everything, when I read about our last day escape from relegation a couple of seasons ago

5) This is my new favourite thing on the internet, which considering my grot habit, is staggering

[blowcrapup]

Whats the name of the Facebook group?

[williamshankley]

Originally posted by blowcrapup:

Whats the name of the Facebook group?

Well well, the fan club is ready now Anyone wish to join is welcome. How to join is explained in detail below:

i) First of all you need an account on facebook.

ii) When you are registered, you should see an "Applications" menu on the left of your profile page. Click the "Groups" link there.

iii) At groups menu, there is a search option in the upper right. Search for "The Bandits Fan Club" (the name of the group itself) and you'll see our very own group with some other containing the words in the search. Just to prevent any misunderstandings; the club type is mentioned as "Sports & Recreation - Professional Sports".

P.S: I'd have posted the direct link but not very sure if it'll be considered as advertising or not so if anyone experiences a problem in joining just reach me via e-mail in my profile.

Any ideas to improve the group is more than welcomed and even encouraged. Expect some links and pictures even in the near future. This is just the first step!

This was taken from the previous page

[kipfizh]

Bandits in 'youth team actually working' shocker!

Yes, that's right folks, the youth intake for the 2047/48 season was actually productive, not once but twice.

Tom Sayer (17, 88/174) has massive potential, the highest the academy has ever produced, and could be a star striker in the future.

Michael Thomas (19, 139/173) has spent the entire season on loan at Celtic.

[kipfizh]

Crikey, I missed one, there are three (count em) youth products this season. The third, and best is:

Kyle Cox (17, 88/177), who is a young right winger.

Incidentally, if you're wondering why there's a 19 year old youth product, it is because these reports are always generated at the end of the season.

So, since the youth pulls are in June, they have been at the club eleven months, and were therefore 16, 18 and 16 at the time.

[kipfizh]

Season 2047-48

Bandits report - Transfers

Transfers In

Transfers Out

After a season of unrivalled success, the Bandits were looking forward to a summer in which they hoped Stuart Davies could put the final few tweaks on his squad, to mount another Premiership challenge.

Before the season began, the manager announced that with him turning 65 this season, it would be his last in football, and the fans now wanted him to go out in style – with so many of the squad at peak age they knew a rebuilding process would be required once he left, but wanted him to win some more silverware before he slipped into retirement.

To do this, they felt he would have to strengthen in a few key areas, as on the flanks especially their squad was a little thin. With automatic Champions League qualification to dangle in front of prospective signings, they were optimistic.

Summer

At first, it seemed like Davies was content with a settled squad, aiming to use the same players as last season, but to go one step further after uniting them even more. The youth system had not been producing the level of talent he was after, so a bunch of kids were released, and then Stephen McNeil joined them, the long serving player having not been a regular in years.

Shaun Gibbs soon followed, the veteran midfielder moving to Leeds, where he would have no more joy getting first team football, for 2.2m. Good business for the Bandits, but more weakening of the midfield depth.

But then Davies made his first summer signing, and it was in a position that needed strengthening – left midfield. The signing itself though was a strange move – Iain Lennon had been snapped up by the Bandits once before, then costing 4.8m, before he got overly ambitious and left six months later to join Liverpool for 7.25m. He remains the only player to move on so quickly in the Bandits history.

So it was strange to see him return three years later. He had since gone to Arsenal, but never really impressed anywhere, so when a press conference was called by the Bandits, announcing his 6.5m capture, the fans were mixed.

For the month of July, his was the only signing, and the fans began to wonder if nothing more would happen. But before the summer was out, Davies would splash the cash twice more.

The first to arrive was another striker, Javier Esteban Martin, a 25 year old Spaniard with a decent scoring record in both his home country and Italy, where he played for Inter before the Bandits paid them a considerable 14.25m for him. He looked a good signing, but there was one man who took it badly – Paul Dove, who saw it as a sign that he had no future at the club, believing there to be too much competition up front. With Finley, McDermott, Lancashire and now Martin competing with him, it did seem a strong area.

The final signing was definitely a sign that Davies had only this season in mind – 30 year old South African left wing back Collen Mnguni was quite the player, he had impressed for West Ham since joining them two years ago, and with sixty caps to his name had plenty of experience. Weak in that department, the Bandits spent 11.25m on him before Davies closed his chequebook for the summer.

With no significant sales made, all seemed well – the left flank had been improved considerably with two signings, albeit one who had failed to impress before, but the fans were a little worried about the unrest up front. Could the tweaks be a recipe for success, or disaster?

January

As January rolled around, the fans were already aware that he Iain Lennon experiment had been a failure – in seven appearances he had averaged only 5.86, so it was no-one’s surprise that for the second time in his career, he would stay at the Bandits for just six months. The only shock was that QPR were willing to pay 6m for him, still 500k less than the Bandits had paid, but at this point they were happy to cut their losses. The much-travelled left winger had a new club.

Central midfielder Paul Donaldson had only started two games for the Bandits in his career, so moved on, and was swiftly followed by Barbosa, after the 35 year old had only managed one appearance during his spell in England.

Paul Dove had been complaining about the battle for first team places all season, and Derby saw their chance, offering 5m to take him on. The Bandits accepted – with Dove their fifth choice striker, and kicking up a fuss, it was no loss to see him go despite his immense talent. He would make a success for himself at his new club.

On the penultimate day of the transfer window, he was followed out by another star striker. With Finley and Martin established as first choice, and even Scott McDermott relegated to the bench, Michael Lancashire was getting restless. He had scored five goals in twelve appearances since the season began, but it seemed that wasn’t good enough for him – at 27, he wanted to be first choice somewhere, and when West Brom offered 6.25m for him, he moved on.

Suddenly, from having five top class strikers at their disposal, the forward line looked weak, with only three players to choose from. The fans were confused and disappointed, but only for one day – in the final hours of January it seemed that Davies had had a plan all along, bringing in 23 year old Portuguese striker Americo, an 8m signing from Arsenal. He had the look of a man who could lead the line for years to come.

And that was it – the Bandits found themselves largely where they were at the start of the season. A left winger had come and gone, strikers had arrived and departed, and not a lot else had happened. What would that mean for the season?

[kipfizh]

Bandits report - squad

Top 20 in Squad (sorted by CA)

Name, Pos, Age, CA-PA

Martin, ST, 25, 173-178 – new signing

Johnstone, GK, 27, 172-173 (+1)

Mnguni, D/WB L, 30, 170-175 – new signing

de Jong, DC, 27, 170-170 (0)

Finley, ST, 27, 169-169 (0)

Vincent, MC, 29, 164-181 (-1)

Hernandez, AM RL, 29, 164-174 (+2)

Americo, ST, 23, 163-172 – new signing

Hansen, D/WB R, 28, 160-172 (+1)

Beckham, GK, 28, 159-161 (+3)

Pichet, DC, 27, 159-161 (-1)

Ernst, DC, 30, 158-165 (-3)

van den Berg, AM C, 25, 157-157 (0)

Williamson, MC, 21, 156-189 – new entry in top 20

McDermott, ST, 30, 156-159 (-3)

Orlov, AM LC, 31, 155-169 (-11)

Paris, GK, 31, 153-156 (-2)

Thompson, DL, 26, 152-157 (+1)

Sanchez, AM RL, 31, 151-157 (-6)

Dixon, D/M C, 28, 151-157 (0)

Players in last season’s top 20 who have left the club:

Dove, FC, 26, 171-171

Lancashire, ST, 26, 165-169

Players in last season’s top 20 who have dropped out of the top 20:

Pizarro, D/M LC, DM, 33, 136-159 (-18)

Solovjov, SW/DC, 32, 149-157 (-2)

Spanish striker Martin becomes the club’s best player, and with five points of CA still to gain he could go further yet. Mnguni is also a 170 CA player but at his age that won’t last. Elsewhere, Americo could make the 170 level while Williamson, having been signed a few seasons ago, is now on the list with his massive 189 potential.

The top 20 is stronger than last year, with only two notable departures, Dove and Lancashire, but the signings of Martin and Americo make up for them. Age is a concern with a largely old top 20, but that will be someone else’s problem once Davies retires.

Notable others:

Cox, AM RC, 17, 88-177 – youth product

Sayer, ST, 17, 88-174 – youth product

Thomas, DC, 19, 139-173 – youth product

Three products of the youth system this season, and suddenly the Bandits have some key players for the future. This is fantastic news.

CA of X or above:

190 : 0 … 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0

180 : 0 … 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0

170 : 0 … 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 2, 1, 3, 4

160 : 0 … 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 7, 8, 10, 9

150 : 0 … 13, 11, 15, 17, 15, 19, 16, 21, 20

140 : 0 … 25, 22, 27, 27, 24, 26, 20, 26, 25

130 : 0 … 31, 28, 33, 34, 29, 29, 26, 30, 30

120 : 0 … 36, 30, 34, 36, 30, 32, 28, 31, 30

110 : 0 … 36, 30, 36, 36, 31, 32, 28, 32, 31

100 : 2 … 36, 32, 39, 40, 34, 33, 30, 38, 34

The level of 170+ players has risen to a record level, but elsewhere there isn’t a lot of change, with Davies buying and selling the same level of player.

Top players by reputation

Reputation (CA in brackets):

Johnstone (172) – 7355 (+156)

Finley (169) – 7129 (-0)

Mnguni (170) – 6920 – new signing

de Jong (170) – 6900 (-199)

Martin (173) – 6827 – new signing

Hernandez (164) – 6492 (-249)

Vincent (164) – 6422 (-248)

Hansen (160) – 6391 (+165)

Ernst (158) – 6241 (-212)

McDermott (156) – 6031 (-283)

Team (as of last summer): 7952 (+619)

The club reputation, based on last summer’s score, is way higher than any of their players. So what has happened since?

[earmack]

In all my years I've only ever had one player with a PA of 150+ come through on any FM, 3 in one season in insane, you HAVE to keep this going until they are mature, I think that would be a great place to stop (when they retire)because it would be full circle (from generated hugely talented youngsters-generating hugely talented youngsters).

I was wondering if you could answer my earlier question, which was: has the quality of players on the database diminished significantly from the start of the game (or is it to abstract to tell)?

[williamshankley]

What a mixed bag of transfers

[kipfizh]

Originally posted by earmack:

I was wondering if you could answer my earlier question, which was: has the quality of players on the database diminished significantly from the start of the game (or is it to abstract to tell)?

I can't really tell, to be honest, as I don't have the start of game data, but I've marked down the number of 170+, 180+ and 190+ in the game right now, to come back to later and see if it has changed.

[nick...]

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 earmack:

I was wondering if you could answer my earlier question, which was: has the quality of players on the database diminished significantly from the start of the game (or is it to abstract to tell)?

I can't really tell, to be honest, as I don't have the start of game data, but I've marked down the number of 170+, 180+ and 190+ in the game right now, to come back to later and see if it has changed. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

There were 22 190+ players that might skew it a bit though...

[chopper99]

Well, after all my recent talk about the lack of quality acadamy players coming through the Bandits youth team they go and get 3 in one season. They couldn't have timed that any better to coincide with the talk in this thread.

So 3 very exciting players for the future to keep an eye on, looking forward to that.

As for this season, a bit of a mixed bag of transfers. But some very good players in there, hopefully good enough to push the squad on for Davis' last season.

I don't think they'll win the league, I still think the squd could do with a bit of cover for when they get injuries/suspensions. I think they'll come in 3rd or 2nd in the league but hopefully they'll get through the group stages of the Champions League. Then anything can happen.

It promises to be a very interesting season though. Can't wait to see who takes over when Davis retires, it better be someone good!

[AB-forever]

Can't wait for the full season update

Can't wait to see Williamson

Can't wait to see who the new manager will be

KUTGW

[kipfizh]

Looking at the seasonal report:

I'm probably going to remove the Ryan Morley section, as there simply aren't any former players out there better than what the Bandits have now.

I was also looking at removing the team analysis, because it takes absolutely ages. Given that you already have ratings and screenshots for the first eleven, in the First XI Summary section (plus I'll add notes on fringe players), and a list of the top 20 players in the squad, with youth prospects, do you need it anymore?

Unless I hear crying, they're going

[5ergio]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

Looking at the seasonal report:

I'm probably going to remove the Ryan Morley section, as there simply aren't any former players out there better than what the Bandits have now.

I was also looking at removing the team analysis, because it takes absolutely ages. Given that you already have ratings and screenshots for the first eleven, in the First XI Summary section (plus I'll add notes on fringe players), and a list of the top 20 players in the squad, with youth prospects, do you need it anymore?

Unless I hear crying, they're going

Fair enough I guess, the less time you spend on the report, the more updates we get Hope we manage to get some good results and make Davies a goodbye gesture by at least winning something.

[Toktamisj]

what a brilliant story this is..... respect is all I can have....

[Starr_Man5]

Outstanding work Kipfizh.

[waz_nufc_awk]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

Looking at the seasonal report:

I'm probably going to remove the Ryan Morley section, as there simply aren't any former players out there better than what the Bandits have now.

I was also looking at removing the team analysis, because it takes absolutely ages. Given that you already have ratings and screenshots for the first eleven, in the First XI Summary section (plus I'll add notes on fringe players), and a list of the top 20 players in the squad, with youth prospects, do you need it anymore?

Unless I hear crying, they're going

I would agree with the 'Ryan Morley' section going and reducing the tram analysis into a 'Genie' best 11 or something like that.

Also the Premier League manager analysis, team reputation & team ratings analysis could be reduced in detail or done every 3-4 years.

I also think the Man Utd watch is frankly a waste of time now.

Because of the amount of time you are spending on the season review and the immense readability (?) that this section has, I think reducing the general stat reporting is long overdue.

KUTGW, (fan club member now !!)

Waz

[Chilliconcarnie]

I'm still a fan of the Man United watch as I think it is interesting to see how a former world class team rises form the ashes.

That and I want United to come back up being a fan and all

[williamshankley]

Originally posted by Chilliconcarnie:

I'm still a fan of the Man United watch as I think it is interesting to see how a former world class team rises form the ashes.

That and I want United to come back up being a fan and all

No get rid of it! Anything to bring us more updates on the Bandits!

Maybe he could do a five yearly summary just for you

[blowcrapup]

Originally posted by williamshankley:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Chilliconcarnie:

I'm still a fan of the Man United watch as I think it is interesting to see how a former world class team rises form the ashes.

That and I want United to come back up being a fan and all

No get rid of it! Anything to bring us more updates on the Bandits!

Maybe he could do a five yearly summary just for you </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

He could just say when/if they get promoted again

[brambleten]

this is still as brilliant to read now as it was when i first read it. KUTGW Kip, you deserve a medal!

[kipfizh]

In fairness, the Man Utd report takes all of five minutes.

I suggested getting rid of the team analysis in favour of its new form because that saves me about an hour, or a day in 'train travelling time'.

[chopper99]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

In fairness, the Man Utd report takes all of five minutes.

I suggested getting rid of the team analysis in favour of its new form because that saves me about an hour, or a day in 'train travelling time'.

Agreed, just get rid of or condense the stuff that takes a while. I imagine anything with screenshots takes a while to do.

[FlownCanary]

I quite enjoy the Man Utd watch, would be nice to keep an eye on them.

[Seagull_Tim]

Simply world class, Kip.

Unlucky in finishing 2nd, but looking forward to this season.

Collen Mnguni ... What a name! Love it!

One request though, do you think it would be possible to post some screenies of the Football League, just wondering how Brighton were doing, ta.

KUTGW

[StewartJRobertson]

I enjoy the Man Utd report too. However i think itrust kip's judgement on what he wants to leave in and take out. This has been the most amazing thread and continues to be a great read. KUTGW Kipfizh.

[kipfizh]

Report should come later today, so stay tuned.....

Hopefully you'll like the new look team analysis - it's quicker to do, but obviously as a result isn't quite so detailed. Any feedback is of course welcome

[Sazchu]

oho, i can't wait ^^

[kipfizh]

Bandits report – Season report

With Stuart Davies entering the final season of his managerial career, each of the players who had excelled under him wanted to perform one last time, in a push towards the title. The media predicted a championship win for Sheff Wed, followed by Chelsea and then the Bandits, so for the first time, the experts claimed the Bandits would reach the Champions League, a sign that their stock had risen once again.

The summer was fairly quiet, with a couple of left sided players coming in, plus a new Spanish striker, and with automatic qualification to the Champions League group stage already assured, it was a home match against champions Chelsea that would open the season.

The match, and the season, started perfectly, Tom Finley scoring in the first minute, but it would not last, the Bandits eventually going down 3-1. But victories over Aston Villa and Scunthorpe rescued their start, before the Champions League began.

After facing regular champions Real Madrid last year, the Bandits again got a tough draw, against the other regular finalists, Bayern Munich. They also faced Sporting, who beat them twice last season, and Dynamo Kiev. Once again, it was a tough group, but with Kiev effectively replacing Inter from last season’s selection, it was perhaps fractionally easier than before.

Like last season, they opened with a critical home match, this year against Dynamo Kiev, and it provided the club with their first ever Champions League win, 2-1 thanks to Tom Finley’s late strike. But the match was marred by the continuation of a goalkeeping crisis – they were all getting injured, and Liam Johnstone’s injury left them with just Bill Beckham fit.

Losses against Man City and West Brom were poor preparation for the trip to Portugal to play Sporting, and a 3-1 there defeat was convincing. Arsenal then inflicted a 3-2 defeat, with Americo scoring the winner before he would move to the Bandits in January. A 1-1 draw with Sheff Wed was achieved despite Johnstone’s red card, and with Beckham now injured, they travelled to Crystal Palace with only youth keepers fit and available

The fans began to get restless at Selhurst Park, and with the Bandits 4-0 down inside twenty minutes, the season was in danger of falling apart. The 4-1 final score was the worst possible weekend result before their near impossible trip to Germany to play Bayern Munich, and with five losses in six matches, the team were in appalling form.

But the returning Liam Johnstone kept the score at 0-0 until half time, and the fans wondered if this could be a remarkable turning point. A draw would be a tremendous result, but when the Bandits were awarded a penalty with twenty minutes to go, the dream became possible. Javier Esteban Martin slotted it home, and the Bandits held out for the rest of the match to record a stunning win in the Allianz Arena, the first time the German side had been beaten there in over two years.

Three domestic wins followed before the return match, but with Bayern Munich coming to England angry, they went away with a 3-1 revenge victory, the irrepressible Hugues Guichard wrapping up the match. Two Martin goals saw off Chelsea in the League Cup for the second successive season, before the trip to the Ukraine to face Dynamo Kiev, who sat bottom of the group. A win would guarantee UEFA Cup football, and leave qualification a real possibility.

But it wasn’t to be. The Kiev keeper played a blinder to stop the dominant Bandits, and much like the Bandits had done in Munich, the Ukrainians stole a 1-0 victory to leave them teetering on the edge. Fortunately, Munich equalized late in Portugal, taking them through, and leaving Sporting on eight points, the Bandits on six, and Kiev on four. With the Bandits hosting Sporting in the final game, qualification would be assured with a victory, but a loss or a draw could open the door to Kiev, provided they beat Munich, and even UEFA Cup football might disappear.

Domestically, the Bandits were still languishing below halfway, and a win, a draw and a loss before the final group stage match didn’t change that. They were still in all the cup competitions, but the league form was poor, and needed improvement if European football was to be played again next season.

But that was far from the fans mind when Sporting came to town. The Portuguese side had inflicted defeat on the Bandits in their first ever Champions League game, and knowing that a revenge victory would put them through to the knockout stages for the first time added something special. It was to be a tense night.

The match started wonderfully, Finley scoring an early goal, but with the game so even, both teams had chances to put the other side out. A draw would be enough for Sporting, but with seven minutes to go Hernandez scored the second, and the Bandits celebrated qualification.

Or so they thought. Three minutes later, Andre scored for Sporting, and they threw the kitchen sink at the home team in the final few minutes of the match. They couldn’t break the Bandits down though, and a 2-1 win saw them through to the knockout stages for the first time. Everyone connected with the club was jubilant.

With winter setting in, focus returned to the league, and form began to return, some good wins lifting them back up to seventh. Champions League qualification looked a long way off, but at least they were in with a shout of some European football. A quarter final League Cup tie with Nottm Forest soon followed, which went to penalties before the Bandits once again prevailed.

At the turn of the year, the Bandits took stock of their season and were mostly happy. Barcelona awaited in the knockout stages of the Champions League, Sunderland were the opponents in the League Cup semi final, and while seventh was a long way off a league challenge, the destination of the title had seemed obvious from early on – Sheff Wed were dominating the season and running away with the Premiership, now managed by the returning Right Mid 1.

The FA Cup tie with League Two Blackburn was to provide a massive shock, with the Bandits being hammered 3-0, a result that embarrassed everyone at the club. The loss seemed to jolt the players, and following a 1-1 draw at home in the League Cup semi final, they picked up just five points from seven league games to leave themselves fighting in mid table once again.

And so the season entered its critical phase. The semi final second leg against Sunderland was a resounding success, the Bandits traveling up north to claim a 2-1 victory despite Fabien Vincent’s early red card. So, in the space of two weeks, they would play their second successive League Cup final, and third in five years, where runaway leaders Sheff Wed lay in wait, eager to avenge last year’s final defeat, plus face two legs against the might of Barcelona in the Champions League.

The Spaniards came to town, and with the Bandits facing the biggest match in their history, the excitement levels were soaring. The match remained even for a long period, with the Bandits slightly shading the chances, but two late Barcelona goals left the home team with a mountain to climb in the Nou Camp, and punctured the optimism of the fans. But with the League Cup final coming up at the weekend, there was the chance of an immediate response.

Right Mid 1 got a hero’s reception from the Bandits fans before the match began, and when Finley scored the opener, hopes were raised of cup retention. But from there Sheff Wed completely took over, dominating the match and deservedly running out 3-1 winners, with Bill Beckham, the Bandits keeper, picking up man of the match for keeping the score down. Sheff Wed, as the new dominant side of English football, had avenged their defeat in the corresponding match last season.

Out of both domestic cups, and well adrift in the league, the Bandits travelled to the Nou Camp knowing that they needed something special for their season to stay alive. But despite a decent performance, Barcelona made the most of their chances to run out 3-1 winners, 5-1 on aggregate. The league was now the only priority, and a win over QPR put them seventh with nine games to go, needing a decent run of form if they were to qualify for Europe at all.

A couple of good wins lifted them to sixth, and then losing only one of the last nine games, their final day victory over Sunderland lifted them back to fifth, their highest position of the season. It was a flattering end to a disappointing league campaign.

While not a disaster, Stuart Davies will not look back on his final season in charge with much pleasure. The highlight of the season was qualification from the group stages of the Champions League for the first time, and reaching another League Cup final was proof that they were a big club now, even though they got hammered when they got there. But the league campaign was poor, and having challenged for the title until the final day of last season, the eighteen point gap to champions Sheff Wed was hard to take.

Davies now moves into retirement, and with the board restless he may not have lasted much longer anyway, but with no Champions League football next season, the new man would be advised to rebuild this summer before their stock falls too badly. The Bandits, with another reputation rise this season thanks to the European run, are in their best ever position to attract a top manager. Can they, and will they?

Honours: League Cup (2044, 2047)

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Bandits report – Season summary

2006-07, English Conference South - 1st, FA Trophy - Winners

2007-08, English National Conference - 7th, FA Trophy - Final

2008-09, English National Conference – 7th

2009-10, English National Conference – 9th

2010-11, English National Conference – 6th

2011-12, English National Conference – 18th

2012-13, English National Conference – 5th

2013-14, English National Conference – 1st

2014-15, English League Two – 21st

2015-16, English League Two – 21st

2016-17, English League Two – 6th

2017-18, English League Two – 6th

2018-19, English League Two – 7th

2019-20, English League Two – 6th, Johnstone’s Paint Trophy – South Semi Final

2020-21, English League Two – 10th

2021-22, English League Two – 1st, Johnstone’s Paint Trophy - Final

2022-23, English League One – 13th, Johnstone’s Paint Trophy – South Semi Final

2023-24, English League One – 11th, League Cup – Final

2024-25, English League One – 11th, League Cup – Semi-Final

2025-26, English League One – 18th

2026-27, English League One – 17th

2027-28, English League One – 14th

2028-29, English League One – 20th

2029-30, English League One – 1st

2030-31, English Championship – 14th

2031-32, English Championship – 10th, League Cup – Final

2032-33, English Championship – 12th

2033-34, English Championship – 8th

2034-35, English Championship – 21st

2035-36, English Championship – 2nd

2036-37, English Premiership – 17th

2037-38, English Premiership – 12th

2038-39, English Premiership – 15th, FA Cup – Semi-Final

2039-40, English Premiership – 11th

2040-41, English Premiership – 14th

2041-42, English Premiership – 13th

2042-43, English Premiership – 11th

2043-44

English Premiership: (Pos 6), P 38, W 16, D 9, L 13, F 47, A 47, GD 0, Pts 57

(Media Prediction: 14th)

FA Cup: Quarter-Final

League Cup: Winners

2044-45

English Premiership: (Pos 9), P 38, W 14, D 10, L 14, F 60, A 53, GD +7, Pts 52

(Media Prediction: 8th)

UEFA Cup: 1st Knockout Round

FA Cup: 3rd Round

League Cup: 3rd Round

2045-46

English Premiership: (Pos 3), P 38, W 18, D 9, L 11, F 55, A 46, GD +9, Pts 63

(Media Prediction: 9th)

Intertoto Cup: Qualified for UEFA Cup

UEFA Cup: Group Stage

FA Cup: 3rd Round

League Cup: 4th Round

2046-47

English Premiership: (Pos 2), P 38, W 19, D 13, L 6, F 63, A 40, GD +23, Pts 70

(Media Prediction: 5th)

Champions League: Group Stage

FA Cup: 4th Round

League Cup: Winners

2047-48

English Premiership: (Pos 5), P 38, W 17, D 9, L 12, F 52, A 52, GD 0, Pts 60

(Media Prediction: 3rd)

League

Champions League: 1st Knockout Round

FA Cup: 3rd Round

League Cup: Final

Bandits report - Best and Worst

General

Stats

Finance Overview

New records:

Highest Gate Receipts: 5.5m, League Cup Semi Final First Leg v Sunderland (previous: 5.25m)

This season:

Best player – Johnstone, 7.18

Top scorer – Finley, 24

Worst player – van den Berg, 5.94

For the first time ever, the Bandits become the richest club in the world, after Chelsea’s value drops.

Rich Clubs

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Bandits report - First XI Summary

GK: Johnstone (28, 172/173) – 7.18

LB: Mnguni (30, 170/175) – 6.94

CB: de Jong (27, 170/170) – 6.56

CB: Ernst (30, 158/165) – 6.91

RB: Hansen (28, 160/172) – 6.79

LM: Sanchez (31, 151/157) – 6.91

CM: Vincent (29, 164/181) – 6.38

CM: Orlov (31, 155/169) – 6.43

RM: Hernandez (29, 164/174) – 6.34

ST: Martin (25, 173/178) – 6.62

ST: Finley (27, 169/169) – 7.14

Average age – 28.6 (same as last year)

Average CA – 164.2 (up from last year’s 161.9)

Average rating – 6.75 (down from last year’s 6.84)

With most of the side aging and a couple of younger players brought in, the average age remains the same, but with the best players in the squad now playing, the average CA of the first XI rockets up to over 164, a superb level.

However, they don’t play very well, with the midfield especially disappointing. The new manager will need to bring in some younger faces, and then keep the starlets produced by the youth academy.

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Bandits report – Outside the first XI

Dropped:

Paris (GK) – now 31, he is fading and third choice.

Pizarro (LB) – at 33, he is falling away, and the signing of Mnguni pushed him out of contention.

McDermott (ST) – the arrival of Martin meant he started only one game all season.

Sold:

None

Prospects

Williamson (21, 156/189) had an awful season, but remains a massive prospect.

Sayer (17, 88/174) is awesome, and scored in the League Cup against Nottm Forest.

Thomas (19, 139/173) spent the season on loan at Celtic.

Cox (17, 88/177) scored on his debut, in a League Cup win over Watford.

The squad is quite thin in places, especially in midfield and once again on the flanks. But the four young prospects mentioned here could all turn out to be stars – Williamson may have played like he’d never set foot on a field before, but at 21 he has a huge chance to reach his enormous potential and become a true star.

Can any of them reach the heights now hoped of them?

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Competitions - Other stats

England once again cruised through the European Championship qualifiers, winning all fourteen of their games with conceding a goal. Their group in the tournament itself is tough though – Switzerland, Croatia and Germany lie in wait, and getting past that stage is no foregone conclusion. Left Back 1 has his work cut out.

Sheff Wed proved the media correct by storming away with the Premiership, eventually winning it by eleven points from West Ham. Chelsea came third, but that isn’t good enough for their ambitious board, and Turgay Tufan is under sever pressure. Charlton, meanwhile, had a disastrous season – after challenging for the Premiership last time out they fell spectacularly to 18th, and were relegated with Scunthorpe and Wycombe.

The Bandits set a new attendance record on the opening day of the season, the home match with Chelsea attracting 138765 fans. But the home supporters left disappointed after a 3-1 defeat.

Man Utd once again narrowly missed out on a playoff place in the Championship and people are now wondering whether they’ll ever return to the top flight. The teams that were promoted will give the Premiership a fresh look next season – neither champions Burnley or runners up Huddersfield have been there in eighty years, while Leyton Orient haven’t reached those heights in fifteen years. All three are likely to struggle.

West Ham beat West Brom in the final of the FA Cup, in a season where very few of the traditional big teams made it past the early stages. The League Cup final was a repeat of last season, with the Bandits, as holders, squaring off against Sheff Wed. The result was a reverse, Wednesday running out comfortable winners to add to their Premiership trophy in a fine season.

And Sheff Wed nearly claimed the Champions League too, only losing to Bayern Munich on penalties in the end. The Bandits victory away in Munich in the group stages is now looking like a stunning result, possibly the best in their history. The Bandits also broke their own average attendance record, stretching it to 94311. Over in the UEFA Cup, Benfica beat Celta Vigo to lift the trophy.

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Player reports – the original Bandits

Goalkeeper 1 – Retired from playing 03/07/2032

2032-, Sunderland (scout), CA 170, PA 170

2033-2034, Liverpool (scout), CA 170, PA 170

2034-2047, West Ham (assistant manager), CA 162, PA 170

2047-, Bandits (assistant manager), CA 156, PA 170

After thirteen years with West Ham, he comes home to the Bandits to become assistant manager and lend his expert advice to Stuart Davies. With the manager retiring this summer, there is a suspicion that the former Bandit legend may take the full job on.

Goalkeeper 2 – Retired from playing 27/06/2032

2032-, Tottenham (scout), CA 170, PA 170

2033-2034, Birmingham (assistant manager), CA 170, PA 170

2034-2042, Leeds (assistant manager), CA 169, PA 170

2042-2043, Leeds (manager), CA 170, PA 170

2043-2044, No Club, CA 170, PA 170

2044-2045, Arsenal (manager), CA 170, PA 170

2045-2046, No Club, CA 167, PA 170

2046-, Morecambe (manager), CA 163, PA 170

After relegation from the Premiership last season, Goalkeeper 2 can only lead Morecambe to ninth in the Championship, and is currently under severe pressure.

Left Back 1 – Retired from playing 30/06/2030

2030-2031, Scunthorpe (fitness coach), CA 110, PA 110

2031-2034, Tottenham (assistant manager), CA 110, PA 110

2034-2035, Tottenham (coach), CA 110, PA 110

2035-2041, Tottenham (assistant manager), CA 110, PA 110

2041-2042, Tottenham (manager), CA 109, PA 110

2042-, England (manager), CA 90, PA 110

Wins the European Championship qualifying group at a canter, with England, with fourteen victories and no goals conceded. Has a tough group in the summer though, with Switzerland, Croatia and Germany laying in wait.

Right Mid 1 – Retired from playing 25/04/2026

2026-2027, Aston Villa (youth coach), CA 130, PA 130

2027-2035, Chelsea (assistant manager), CA 130, PA 130

2035-2037, Chelsea (manager), CA 130, PA 130

2037-2038, Roma (manager), CA 130, PA 130

2038-2042, Chelsea (manager), CA 129, PA 130

2042-2043, No Club, CA 130, PA 130

2043-2045, Milan (manager), CA 126, PA 130

2045-2047, Barcelona (manager), CA 124, PA 130

2047-, Sheff Wed (manager), CA 122, PA 130

The much travelled manager returned to English football to take charge of Sheff Wed before the season began. He had an outstanding season, running away with the Premiership, beating the Bandits in the final of the League Cup, and reaching the Champions League final before losing to Bayern Munich. It was a truly outstanding season.

Centre Mid 1 – Retired from playing 02/07/2030

2030-2032, Liverpool (youth coach), CA 110, PA 110

2032-2039, Reading (coach), CA 109, PA 110

2039-2040, No Club, CA 108, PA 110

2040-, Yeovil (coach), CA 103, PA 110

Remains Yeovil coach, as they drop five places to thirteenth in League Two. It seems he will never take on a more high profile job.

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Premiership Analysis - Teams and Managers

Premiership

1 (3). Sheff Wed, Right Mid 1 (58, 122/130) (new manager)

2 (7). West Ham, Joel Lynch (60, 99/113)

3 (1). Chelsea, Tomas Rozsypal (60, 107/130) (new manager)

4 (6). Liverpool, Neil Angus (61, 131/137)

5 (2). Bandits, Stuart Davies (65, 65/113)

6 (12). West Brom, Adam Pullen (54, 115/120)

7 (P). Newcastle, James Morgan (53, 128/130)

8 (5). Sunderland, Matthew Sadler (46, 131/131)

9 (9). Leeds, Ben Clayton (54, 84/93) (new manager)

10 (10). QPR, Allen Mortimer (54, 112/114)

11 (16). Arsenal, Gary Doyle (50, 120/120) (new manager)

12 (13). Man City, Ian Hare (52, 119/120) (new manager)

13 (P). Derby , Mark Nicholson (46, 119/119)

14 (17). Tottenham, David Bullimore (56, 107/110) (new manager)

15 (8). Barnsley, James Ainslie (42, 120/120) (new manager)

16 (14). Crystal Palace, James Reynolds (50, 105/106)

17 (8). Aston Villa, Brian Soares (55, 70/74) (new manager)

18 (4), Charlton, Adam Pearson (59, 98/109) (new manager)

19 (11). Scunthorpe, Terry Arthur (60, 95/114)

20 (P). Wycombe, David Chandler (54, 101/102)

Right Mid 1 made a triumphant return to the Premiership, taking charge of Sheff Wed before the season began and comfortably leading them to the Premiership trophy. The experienced but fading Joel Lynch made sure West Ham made the most of their long term policy – they’ve been signing the best kids for years and that is now paying dividends.

Chelsea’s drop to third accounted for Turgay Tufan, so Rozsypal has a tough task on, while Liverpool’s manager Neil Angus has the talent to push them forward.

Stuart Davies is the worst manager in the Premiership by distance, but with him retiring this summer the Bandits will get a new man in, who will surely be able to push them further. Elsewhere, Ben Clayton took over Leeds, so they may struggle.

Promoted from Championship

1 (8). Burnley, Joey Kamara (49, 120/120)

2 (11). Huddersfield, Jamie Evans (48, 104/104)

5 (14). Leyton Orient, Aaron Greenwood (59, 94/106)

From this, Burnley are in the best position to survive, while Leyton Orient have a struggle on unless Greenwood turns out to be better than he looks.

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Premiership Analysis - Reputation

(league position in bold)

1 (2). Sheff Wed (1) – 9680 (+1141)

2 (1). Chelsea (3) – 9475 (-164)

3 (5). Bandits (5) – 8308 (+356)

4 (3). Liverpool (4) – 8298 (+43)

5 (4). West Ham (2) – 8162 (+134)

6 (6). Sunderland (8) – 7998 (+204)

7 (7). Man City (12) – 7530 (-178)

8 (10). Aston Villa (17) – 7490 (+136)

9 (11). QPR (10) – 7444 (+112)

10 (12). West Brom (6) – 7381 (+121)

11 (14). Leeds (9) – 7311 (+339)

12 (9). Arsenal (11) – 7186 (-174)

13 (13). Tottenham (14) – 7086 (-154)

14 (15). Barnsley (15) – 6897 (-41)

15 (-). Newcastle (7) – 6872 (+153)

16 (-). Derby (13) – 6824 (+54)

17 (17). Crystal Palace (16) – 6696 (+171)

18 (8). Charlton (18) – 6684 (-783)

19 (-). Wycombe (20) – 6276 (+47)

20 (16). Scunthorpe (19) – 6019 (-763)

Promoted sides

Burnley – 6155

Huddersfield – 5396

Leyton Orient – 5411

Sheff Wed’s incredible season means that they top this list, finally displacing Chelsea who drop to second. It is remarkable that Sheff Wed, already second, could still gain over a thousand reputation points, and they are now arguably the most famous club around.

Chelsea’s reputation is still huge, and the gap back to the Bandits is well over a thousand points. That said, third is a new high for the Bandits, their Champions League progression boosting them greatly. Elsewhere, there is little change bar a couple of dramatic drops – Arsenal falling a few places to 12th is minor, but Charlton’s drop with their surprise relegation is huge. They are still a big Championship club though so may return.

With lesser known teams exceeding expectations in the Championship, only Burnley look to have a chance of survival, and that slim at best, with their reputation still over 500 points behind the worse remaining Premiership side. Huddersfield and Leyton Orient aren’t even on the scale and will struggle to attract new players.

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Premiership Analysis – Team Ability

(league position in bold)

1 (1). West Ham (2) – 74.22 (-0.49)

2 (2). Liverpool (4) – 73.84 (+0.55)

3 (11). Sheff Wed (1) – 73.16 (+2.74)

4 (4). Arsenal (11) – 72.91 (+1.32)

5 (3). Chelsea (3) – 72.38 (-0.26)

6 (5). Tottenham (14) – 71.65 (+0.31)

7 (6). Sunderland (8) – 71.33 (+0.01)

8 (10). Bandits (5) – 70.58 (+0.02)

9 (9). Leeds (9) – 70.29 (-0.51)

10 (8). Aston Villa (17) – 69.72 (-1.11)

11 (7). Man City (12) – 69.70 (-1.59)

12 (12). West Brom (6) – 69.26 (-0.47)

13 (-). Newcastle (7) – 69.19 (-0.45)

14 (-). Derby (13) – 68.88 (+1.60)

15 (13). QPR (10) – 68.78 (+0.12)

16 (20). Barnsley (15) – 67.48 (+2.66)

17 (15). Charlton (18) – 66.73 (+0.30)

18 (14). Scunthorpe (19) – 66.52 (-1.52)

19 (-) Wycombe (20) – 65.39 (+0.90)

20 (17). Crystal Palace (16) – 64.04 (-1.99)

Promoted sides

Burnley – 64.27

Huddersfield – 62.77

Leyton Orient – 63.24

West Ham remain the best side in the Premiership for the second successive season, after their youth policy began to pay dividends. Liverpool remain second, but Sheff Wed make a massive leap from 11th to 3rd, a jump that enables them to clinch the Premiership and the League Cup, and reach the Champions League final.

Chelsea continue to slip, while nearer the bottom, Derby and Barnsley show the rewards of survival with their improved squads.

The three sides coming up look to be in massive trouble.

Overachievers : West Brom, Newcastle

Underachievers : Arsenal, Tottenham

Title Prediction : For the third year running, I predict West Ham to win it

Relegation Prediction : All three promoted sides to fall straight back down

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Around the clubs - Man Utd watch

Man Utd remained in seventh place in the Championship, once again just missing the playoffs, and will face their fourteenth consecutive season in the division next season. Their value also remained static, at 87m.

Reputation – 5120 (+14) (10th in Championship)

With a small rise in their reputation, they climb one place to tenth in the league.

FM Genie Scout Rating – 64.00 (+0.32) (9th)

A rise of one place too in the ability league, with a slight improvement in their squad now that they have a transfer fund again. They should be mounting a promotion challenge soon.

Finances – 19.7m (+0.7m) balance (1st), 6.7m (-3.1m) transfer fund (1st)

Clearly the richest club in the league, they have the reputation to sign players able to get them promoted, and the cash resources to follow it through. They should be up there.

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Summary

So Stuart Davies’ career comes to an end, and he will be remembered as a manager who took the club into the Champions League for the first time, and came closer than anyone to winning the Premiership.

The club now has a wonderful opportunity. Unlike when managers are sacked, the Bandits are now at an all time reputation high, third in the Premiership, so they should be able to attract a top class manager. But the board are not a talented bunch, will they actually pass the selection test for once?

The victory over Bayern Munich in Germany was a stunning result, but there will be no chance of that next season with only a fifth placed finish. However, for a long time, it looked like no European football would be played next season at all, so in truth the UEFA Cup berth is a relief.

The side is aging, as Davies did not put much thought into long term planning, but on the flip side, the youth academy started to produce talent this season, which has never happened before. However, the gap between the first team, with an age around 28-30, and those 17 year old kids, is huge, and players will have to be brought in to cope with the next five years.

The board need to hire a new manager quickly, and he needs to build for the future. What will happen?

It was the season of Right Mid 1’s Sheff Wed side, with victories in the Premiership and League Cup, they nearly added the Champions League to their list before Bayern Munich edged them out. Can they sustain that wonderful form, or will Right Mid 1 do what he so often does and move between clubs?

It is European Championship summer, and that means Left Back 1 will take charge of England for his third major tournament. Can he win one?

Bandit’s former manager watch

Justin Edinburgh has retired.

Steve Brackstone has retired

Gary Perry has retired.

Dean Glover has retired.

Martin Lawton has retired.

With Man City languishing in 19th, Danny Gamble was fired, and he has been out of work since. After he left, Man City climbed to 12th.

Phil Edwards has retired.

Ben Clayton was hired by a struggling Leeds side, then 17th in the Premiership, with the mandate of saving them from relegation. He did that superbly, finishing ninth and qualifying for the Intertoto Cup,