AI Experiment - what would happen if?

[kipfizh]

World View - Ones to watch

Your annual guide to the stars of tomorrow:

None – in the season where the Bandits produced some notable products from their youth team, the rest of the world failed miserably in the same task.

Previous tips

Carlo Lupo (32, 165/198), the Italian centre back, lost another fifteen points of CA, and after another fine start to his Milan season, he moved to Barcelona to 7.25m and impressed. After an entire career at Milan it was a surprise to see him move.

Toni Halonen (32, 165/187), the Finnish centre back, is working hard to slow his decline down, and only lost two CA points in a season where he starred for Real Madrid.

Patrick Schmidt (31, 163/184) the German right sided player, slows his decline, falling just two CA spots, and finds himself back in favour at Valencia, where he has a stunning season to finish with an average of 7.63

Marian Badea (31, 163/189), the Romanian left wing back, sees his CA drop by another three, and isn’t playing particularly well for Real Madrid anymore.

Pereira (31, 154/187), the Portuguese defensive midfielder, is really losing his magic now, dropping another 12 points, and his decline has finally been noticed by Bayern Munich, who axed him from the side.

Aleksandras Stazys (30, 165/186), Lithuania’s left back, never fulfilled his potential, partly because of his poor attitude, and six more points of CA fall away. However, he finally pulls a good season out of the bag for Valencia.

Tony Allison (28, 181/192), the winger and forward, gains back the two points of CA he lost last season through injury, but can’t reach the heights he managed before the setback, still playing okay for West Ham without setting the world alight.

Barry Low (29, 171/195), the attacking midfielder, lost another two points of CA as he confirmed that he would never get near his huge potential. Although he remained first choice for West Ham all season, he had a shocker, ending the campaign with a 6.35 average.

Ronnie Blundell (27, 185/195), the central midfielder, gained another two points of CA, creeping closer to the 190 mark, while playing fairly well for Real Madrid.

Hugues Guichard (26, 195/195), the French striker, is only 26, so shows no sign of decline and remains at his 195 peak for another season. He scores another thirty goals for Bayern Munich is yet another stunning season.

Bjorn Strand (25, 193/193), the Norwegian striker, reached his peak this season after breaking the 109 barrier last year. Now a world star, he scores another 25 goals for West Ham, averaging 7.65.

Ante Bacic (26, 189/189) the Croatian central defender, remains at his peak, and has another fine season for Inter, averaging 7.47.

Henrik Berg (25, 176/188), the Norwegian left winger, gained another four points of CA, and had an amazing season, scoring twenty goals for Inter from midfield. There is one team interested in splashing out on him, and that team is the Bandits.

Luke Hallett (25, 173/184), the centre back or central midfielder, kept moving in the right direction, gaining three more points of CA, and making the leap his career so desperately needed, on a free transfer from Chelsea to Sheff Wed. He became first choice for his new club, winning the Premiership but playing very poorly, averaging just 6.47.

Umit Abdulkadir (23, 193/199), the Turkish striker, headed irrepressibly towards his potential, gaining another five CA points, and after spending another amazing half season at Trabzonspor, finally made the big move he should have years ago, Real Madrid signing him for 15.25m. He has only played twice for his new club, but scored four goals in those games.

Sergey Sergienko (24, 187/193), the Russian central midfielder, gained another five points, but isn’t yet impressing for Inter despite being first choice.

Reiner Helbig (22, 182/199), the German defensive midfielder, gained four points of CA, and will have to improve that rate to reach his potential, and like so many stars, he is struggling at Chelsea, averaging just 6.48.

Leonardo (21, 178/185), the Brazilian striker, gained seven more CA points as he raced towards his potential, but still refuses to make the big move, remaining at Internacional, and playing extremely well.

Peter Schulz (23, 188/188), the German striker, gained the final four points he needed to reach his peak at only 23. He scores another 27 goals for Hamburg, at a stunning average of 7.89.

Gary Cooper (22, 175/182), the English centre back, adds another three point on to his ability, but struggles a little at Arsenal before breaking his leg at the end of the season.

Fabrizio Bucci (22, 186/199), the Italian striker, continued to race towards his almost perfect potential, gained nine more CA points, and after last season’s incredible haul of 37 goals for Inter, he almost matches it, notching another 36 this season. What a player.

Joe Galloway (21, 168/190), the English left back, rose nine points, and had his breakthrough season for West Ham, playing very well, and managing ten assists with his excellent corner delivery.

Guillaume Charton (21, 180/194), the French goalkeeper, continued to rise at an impressive rate for a keeper, with nine more points added to his total. He joined Lyon from Marseille on a free transfer, and has made a decent start for his new club.

Juan Perez (18, 138/194), the Mexican right winger, continued to improve, gaining 18 more CA points, remaining first choice foe Chivas. He isn’t setting the world alight just yet though.

Aaron Lomas (19, 129/198) the English striker, rose just nine points of CA, and needs to increase the rate of that climb. He cannot get into the Scunthorpe side, playing poorly when he does, and is available on loan.

Primoz Kercmar (19, 125/190) the Norwegian defensive midfielder, gained seventeen more CA points this season, but is now out of contract with Fredrikstad, where he has started to get some first team action.

Graham Thomas (17, 123/198), the English centre back, gained sixteen points of CA this season, remaining at Aston Villa. He has made his first team debut, struggling to a five in his only substitute appearance, but has already been capped at Under 19 level. He has a big future.

Francisco Javier Rua (19, 120/192), the Spanish left winger, gained 25 points of CA, and spent the season on loan from his home town club of Valencia, at Valenciennes. He struggled a little.

[kipfizh]

World View - World beaters

Hugues Guichard (26, 195/195), the French striker, moves up to the top spot after spending a couple of seasons in second place. The Bayern Munich frontman scored another thirty goals this season, and having missed the World Cup two years ago, will be looking to make a big impression at this summer’s European Championships.

Hugues Guichard

Spanish striker Eduardo Castillejo (28, 194/198) drops to second place after one season at the top, after losing four points of CA at only 28. But don’t let that fool you – he is still a phenomenal striker, scoring 32 goals for Inter, and having a remarkable international record of 34 goals in only 26 games. Two years ago, Spain were going strong in the World Cup until he got injured, if he stays fit this time he could lead his country to glory.

Eduardo Castillejo

It was only a matter of time before Umit Abdulkadir (23, 193/199) joined the list, after his relentless march towards his potential. In fact, it would be a surprise not to see him top the list next season. The phenomenal Turkish striker made his big move to Real Madrid this season, and scored four times in his two matches, endearing himself to the fans immediately. With a goal a game at international level, he will make Turkey a dark horse this summer.

Umit Abdulkadir

Bjorn Strand (25, 193/193), the Norwegian striker, completes the list, dropping from third to fourth despite gaining the final three points of CA available to him. He continues to play extremely well for West Ham, scoring another 25 goals. Sadly for him, his goals were not enough to take Norway to the European Championships, so he will have the summer off.

Bjorn Strand

So the best four players in the world are now strikers, and prolific ones at that. Unlike Maia, who used to sit in this list, they all deserve to be there, all playing wonderfully well. The European Championships this summer could be high scoring, although the best placed defender, Ante Bacic, the fifth best player in the world (CA 189), will be working hard to stop his Croatian team conceding hatfuls to these superstars.

[kipfizh]

World View - Distribution of 180+ CA players

The clubs

Chelsea – 6 (+2) (185, 184, 182, 181, 181, 180)

Inter – 5 (+1) (194, 189, 187, 186, 185)

Real Madrid – 4 (+1) (193, 188, 185, 183)

Bayern Munich – 3 (-) (195, 185, 183)

West Ham – 3 (+1) (193, 181, 180)

Milan – 3 (-) (185, 180, 180)

Valencia – 3 (-1) (183, 181, 180)

Liverpool – 2 (+1) (188, 180)

Arsenal – 2 (-) (184, 182)

Hamburg – 1 (-) (188)

QPR – 1 (-) (187)

Schalke – 1 (-) (184)

Deportivo – 1 (+1) (183)

Veracruz – 1 (-) (182)

Roma – 1 (-) (181)

Lyon – 1 (+1) (180)

Lazio – 1 (+1) (180)

Trabzonspor – 0 (-1)

Tottenham – 0 (-1)

Total – 39 (+6)

The number of 180+ players climbs yet again to 39, nearly twice the trough it was in around five seasons ago. Yet only four of these players is at the 190 mark, with the best in the world now at 195.

As for the clubs, Chelsea now have a stunning set of players, but they are outclassed in England by Sheff Wed, whose best player has a CA of 177. Inter and Real Madrid also make strides.

The leagues

England – 14 (+3)

Italy – 10 (+2)

Spain – 8 (+1)

Germany – 5 (-)

Chile – 1 (-)

France – 1 (+1)

Turkey – 0 (-1)

Total – 39 (+6)

One country outside the big four loses their only star, Abdulkadir moving from Trabzonspor to Real Madrid, but France enter the list with Lyon having starlet Guillaume Charton. The Premiership seems stronger than ever, but Serie A also hits double figures.

The nationalities

France – 6 (+2)

England – 6 (+2)

Spain – 5 (+2)

Germany – 4 (+1)

Italy – 3 (-)

Portugal – 3 (-)

Holland – 2 (+1)

Turkey – 1 (-)

Norway – 1 (-)

Croatia – 1 (-)

Russia – 1 (-)

Nigeria – 1 (-)

Romania – 1 (-)

Chile – 1 (-)

Peru – 1 (-)

Argentina – 1 (-)

Scotland – 1 (-)

Czech Republic – 0 (-1)

Brazil – 0 (-1)

Total – 39 (+6)

In the summer of a European Championships, the big nations come to the fore again. France and England both gain two stars to reach six, while Spain stay in touch with five. Germany, Italy and Portugal come next, completing a predictable set of strong nations. The tournament should be between these, but recent history has taught us that international tournaments are anything but predictable.

[williamshankley]

Hope we get Henrik Berg KUTGW

So the search for the new boss is on ........

[G_D_K]

Slightly disappointing, but not altogether unexpected...the impending retirement of the boss-man, extra fixtures (and pressure) of a tough Champions league group stage---all-in-all a good fight back toward the top.

Here's hoping that GK2 can emulate the success of RM1 and bring some true glory to our team!

[kipfizh]

European Championship Preview - 2048

Hosts: Switzerland/Austria

Holders: Czech Republic

Pre-tournament predictions

England, France and Spain look like the powerhouses once again, but with the combination of Guichard and Castillejo, I predict France and Spain to be the two finalists, Spain coming out on top.

England should make the semis, while a combination of Lupo at the back and Bucci up front could see Italy join them there.

World beaters

Hugues Guichard (26, 195/195) (France)

Eduardo Castillejo (28, 194/198) (Spain)

Umit Abdulkadir (23, 193/199) (Turkey)

Bjorn Strand (25, 193/193) (Norway) – failed to qualify

Ones to watch

Some of the best young players in the world will be there, and some will not as their countries have failed to qualify. Here are those players ever tipped in the ‘ones to watch’ section.

Carlo Lupo (32, 165/198) (Italy)

Toni Halonen (32, 165/187) (Finland) – failed to qualify

Patrick Schmidt (31, 163/184) (Germany)

Marian Badea (31, 163/189) (Romania) – failed to qualify

Pereira (31, 154/187) (Portugal)

Aleksandras Stazys (30, 165/186) (Lithuania) – failed to qualify

Tony Allison (28, 181/192) (England)

Barry Low (29, 171/195) (Scotland)

Ronnie Blundell (27, 185/195) (England)

Hugues Guichard (26, 195/195) (France)

Bjorn Strand (25, 193/193) (Norway) – failed to qualify

Ante Bacic (26, 189/189) (Croatia)

Henrik Berg (25, 176/188) (Norway) – failed to qualify

Luke Hallett (25, 173/184) (England)

Umit Abdulkadir (23, 193/199) (Turkey)

Sergey Sergienko (24, 187/193) (Russia) – failed to qualify

Reiner Helbig (22, 182/199) (Germany)

Leonardo (21, 178/185) (Brazil) - ineligible

Peter Schulz (23, 188/188) (Germany)

Gary Cooper (22, 175/182) (England) – misses the tournament through injury

Fabrizio Bucci (22, 186/199) (Italy)

Joe Galloway (21, 168/190) (England)

Guillaume Charton (21, 180/194) (France)

Juan Perez (18, 138/194) (Mexico) - ineligible

Aaron Lomas (19, 129/198) (England) – not in squad

Primoz Kercmar (19, 125/190) (Norway) – failed to qualify

Graham Thomas (17, 123/198) (England) – not in squad

Francisco Javier Rua (19, 120/192) (Spain) – not in squad

[kipfizh]

Incidentally, I don't know how closely people are reading the 'ones to watch' section, but I'm finding it really interesting to track a few careers.

With some of the tipped stars, you can tell they won't fulfil their potential early on, when their CA climbs slowly and they don't play well.

With others, stardom is assured as you see them shine while still in their teens, watching their CA grow by 25 in one season - Abdulkadir was the most recent example, but have you folks noticed the growing phenomenon that is Fabrizio Bucci?

He's only 22, and he's scored 73 goals for Inter in the last two seasons. Some players just make me wish I was playing this game - when you realise an 18 year old will be massive, it's gutting to let him play at another club....

Anyway, he's so good I thought you'd like a screenshot.

Fabrizio Bucci

[Meitheisman]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

And that much I can tell you without ruining the surprise - judging by the substitutions made, they were going for the fourth.

Seems to me that the AI works out the permutations and knows what it needs. I'm beyond impressed.

Very impressed by that

Also, I did not have time to check your thread for a couple of weeks so I'm just catching up on several comments made by you and others (and I still have a bunch of reading to do)

On the Youth Academy issue mentioned earlier I would think that it depends on the size of the city the team is in. There's no reason for the next world beater to be born near a big team.

Like let's say there's 100,000 people on the planet and the game comes up with 1,000 new players a year. If out of these 1,000 players 10 are world beaters then it means there's 1 world beater for every 10,000 people. If the Bandits City (I don't know where Fisher Athletic is) is really small then no matter how good there academy is the good players are just born elsewhere. The State of the Art Youth Academy becomes useful in attracting great potential talent and making them better, not creating them from scratch.

I know the numbers I used are ridiculous it was just to make the example easier to understand

Then on your club shortlist suggestion I personally don't think it would be very useful for a "regular" FM game, if you want to check how your favorite team is doing you can easily enough follow it and find out whatever it is that you want to know. For this experiment though I fully agree that it would make your job much easier.

Great work again Kip. I'll post more comments once I'm done catching up with the updates (I still don't know whether we did or did not score that 4th goal!)

Oh and you're right, the League Cup is a great achievement already and should have been taken with more joy by all of us Bandits fan but people always want more

@ 5ergio, I joined your facebook group today as well, not sure what the use of it will be but I thought it was funny

[Meitheisman]

Originally posted by williamshankley:

Damn you and your username, my boss' name is just one letter away from your name so every time I see one of your posts I think my boss came in this thread

[williamshankley]

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 williamshankley:

Damn you and your username, my boss' name is just one letter away from your name so every time I see one of your posts I think my boss came in this thread </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Sazchu]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

Incidentally, I don't know how closely people are reading the 'ones to watch' section, but I'm finding it really interesting to track a few careers.

With some of the tipped stars, you can tell they won't fulfil their potential early on, when their CA climbs slowly and they don't play well.

With others, stardom is assured as you see them shine while still in their teens, watching their CA grow by 25 in one season - Abdulkadir was the most recent example, but have you folks noticed the growing phenomenon that is Fabrizio Bucci?

He's only 22, and he's scored 73 goals for Inter in the last two seasons. Some players just make me wish I was playing this game - when you realise an 18 year old will be massive, it's gutting to let him play at another club....

Anyway, he's so good I thought you'd like a screenshot.

Fabrizio Bucci

oh wow, that seems like a brilliant player, and that's quite alot of goals there.

Can't wait for next update, hope we get top2 again in the premiership and more championsleague glory.

[JRHaggs]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

Incidentally, I don't know how closely people are reading the 'ones to watch' section, but I'm finding it really interesting to track a few careers.

With some of the tipped stars, you can tell they won't fulfil their potential early on, when their CA climbs slowly and they don't play well.

With others, stardom is assured as you see them shine while still in their teens, watching their CA grow by 25 in one season - Abdulkadir was the most recent example, but have you folks noticed the growing phenomenon that is Fabrizio Bucci?

He's only 22, and he's scored 73 goals for Inter in the last two seasons. Some players just make me wish I was playing this game - when you realise an 18 year old will be massive, it's gutting to let him play at another club....

Anyway, he's so good I thought you'd like a screenshot.

Fabrizio Bucci

Suprisingly slow for such a productive striker. I would have trouble signing him, despite his obvious brilliance. Maybe if he was a bit taller... Whatever.

Kip, you are the man. I look forward to every update.

Also, Williamson does not seem to have that much going on. I know he hasn't yet developed to his potential, but I'd like to see a little more in his attributes at 21 years.

[Meitheisman]

I'm just about to start to read the 2047-48 update

Comments so far:

I fully agree with Kipfizh about the managerial combo if I may call it that, keep GK 1 as an assistant and sign a great recruiter/manager.

I also agree with Marky Mark! that the 'world view' Ones to watch part is the less important of all. Being late today I'll admit that this is the first time that I skimmed through a Bandits section

But instead of cutting it out completely Nick... suggested you to do it every 2 years, I'd personally even push it to 4 years. Only before the World Cup would be sufficient, superstars will last more than 2 years and those who don't have no place in your amazing thread

Plus we get an idea of how many great players are around and where they play in the Distribution part of the World View that I think is critical to keep. Okay, "critical" might be an overstatement but I really like it!

Earmack's question was also interesting (about the strength of teams lowering in long term games) and if I remember correctly a comparison between the game at this time and the game at the beginning were compared.

Like the numbers of players above x CA in % of the game at 2 different dates.

Anyway, we could (by "we" I mean you!) add today's stats to the comparison and see if there's a trend.

If I remember correctly it was done for managers too or am I completely hallucinating here?

(I honestly can't be bothered going through the entire thing again right now but maybe someone who read it recently could find out, please?)

OK, this post is getting quite long and probably messy, I apologize to all of you for sort of hijacking the thread for a bit.

[Meitheisman]

Just got another thought. Does the number of fans matter besides money wise? I mean, is it harder for a team to win at the Bandits' Ground than it would be to win somewhere else because more fans are supporting them?

Is there a way to find this out?

[Meitheisman]

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

Can I cry about having a list of players with their position(s), age, CA and PA at least, please!

[Meitheisman]

Originally posted by waz_nufc_awk:

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

Agreed

[Meitheisman]

Forget what I said about crying, the way you did the team analysis this time is perfect.

[Meitheisman]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

Anyway, he's so good I thought you'd like a screenshot.

Fabrizio Bucci

He is absolutely amazing

Also to answer your question, I tend to not pay too much attention to the world view - ones to watch section, I'm more interested in the Bandits than in seeing the development of random regens, I have the same thing happening in my game after all.

Oh and of course I'm sure plenty of people will disagree with me so definitely keep it up if the majority wants to. I'll allow you to count your own vote twice since the rest of the experiment is so good

[Meitheisman]

Haha, almost 2 hours between my first and last post

[BenArsenal]

Switzerland/Austria hosting the Euros again after 40 years?

I don't believe it.

[Chilliconcarnie]

whats the current capacity of the Bandits ground?

Gutting there wasnt a title push. I enjoyed the suspense from the last season!

[Ste93]

woah quick report this time round. KUPTFastW!

<i>

Henrik Berg (25, 176/188), the Norwegian left winger, gained another four points of CA, and had an amazing season, scoring twenty goals for Inter from midfield. There is one team interested in splashing out on him, and that team is the Bandits.</i>

please, please! i want a 180+ player at the bandits!

not the greatest year, lets hope the new managers up for the job

[Meitheisman]

Originally posted by Chilliconcarnie:

whats the current capacity of the Bandits ground?

140,000 iirc

[kipfizh]

Welcome back Meitheisman! Now to answer a few of your points...

Good points on the youth academy - location is a major factor in determining whose youth team a player ends up at, and I guess if you are the biggest club in your region that'll help.

It is encouraging that the youth school produced a few players this year, so perhaps their reach now emcompasses a larger concentration of players...?

JRHaggs - Williamson isn't looking that hot, no. Much like when I was talking about Bucci, and the fact you could tell instantly he was a star, you can tell the opposite with Williamson. His CA and PA seems to flatter him.

I'll hunt back through the thread for references to number of players and staff with certain CA, I remember doing it somewhere!!

As for number of fans - I'll have a look at the home/away comparison for the forthcoming season, see if the Bandits, with their huge ground, favour playing at home any more than some of the more intimate grounds. Might be an interesting read.

It might be time for the Man Utd watch to go. I'm losing interest in it too - they just aren't a big club anymore. Which amuses me.

Re: ones to watch - seems I like the section more than anyone else! I might cut players out of it as it becomes apparent that they aren't going to make it, that way the section just has a handful of players that are likely to be the best of the best.

Current capacity of the Bandits ground - 140k.

[kipfizh]

Right, on the structure of the report.

Man Utd watch can be canned.

Ones to watch can be scaled back, to hold just a few REALLY exciting players rather than 25 excitingish players. And maybe every couple of years, before major tournaments.

What are people's thoughts on the new team analysis section?

Thanks for your feedback!!

[BenArsenal]

I think it is good as it is, even the Man U section.

Will they ever return to the big time?

(The Arsenal fan in me hopes not. )

[kipfizh]

European Championship Review - 2048

Group Stage

My tip for the tournament, Spain, crashed out in the group stages after drawing all three of their matches – Austria held them in the final game when a win could’ve put the Spanish through. Eduardo Castillejo did absolutely nothing in the tournament, so Belgium, always a surprise team, and Portugal, always contenders, went through impressively.

Italy and Holland cruised through Group B, both beating Turkey and Poland while drawing with each other. Italy’s Fabrizio Bucci and Holland’s Wesley van Grinsven seem to be having a running goalscoring battle, both players scoring in all three games. Meanwhile, Umit Adbulkadir’s campaign with Turkey never got going. In a nod back to former stars, Italy are still led by Carlo Lupo, whose legend is still short of an international trophy. The Bandits also got involved in this group, but not in a good way – Dutch defender Mustafa de Jong was sent off in the final match.

France, the new favourites after Spain’s exit, won Group C at a canter, Hugues Guichard joining Bucci and van Grinsven on three goals, while the Czech Republic joined them in the knockout stages. World champions Scotland went home with only two points to their name, while Denmark finished bottom.

England won their opening game of Group D against Switzerland, before losing to an Ante Bacic inspired Croatia. However, a final day 3-0 hammering of Germany saw them top the group, with Switzerland, the co-hosts, joining them in the quarter finals. Germany and Croatia, despite both winning a game in a tight group, went home.

[kipfizh]

Quarter Finals

At the end of the group stage, the tournament’s best player was legendary Italian centre back Carlo Lupo, with an average of 8.33 – could he lead his country to victory at last? Five players had scored three goals, with one, Ivo Baric, going home with Croatia despite that feat.

As for the world stars, with Abdulkadir and Castillejo taking early flights home, and Strand not qualifying, only French striker Hugues Guichard was still in the tournament. The other pre-tournament hot tip, Fabrizio Bucci, was lighting up the competition as expected.

But Bucci and Lupo would have to go home disappointed, as Portugal cancelled out the young striker’s early goal in the last minute, going on to win on penalties. It was a cruel way for the Italians to exit.

Holland, and Wesley van Grinsven, also departed the competition in the second quarter final, losing to Belgium on penalties after a goalless draw. Already, so many of the early tournament stars were leaving the scene, and neutrals hoped that at least France would continue.

And they did, knocking the co-hosts Switzerland out of the cup with a 1-0 victory, despite a below par performance from Guichard, who was taken off.

The final quarter final saw an astonishing performance from Liverpool striker Duane Jackson, who scored four times in the first half to set up a mesmerizing 4-0 England victory over the Czech Republic. Jackson, who also scored three times in the group stage, now had seven goals in the tournament, almost guaranteeing him the top scorer award.

Semi Finals

Guichard remained as a world star, while England were looking on top form. Belgium, never tipped but always up there, were still in the tournament, while Portugal have enough players to scare anymore. Who would come out on top?

Portugal and England met in the opening semi final, Duane Jackson scoring his eighth of the tournament to give England the lead, but it was Maia, the former ‘world star’, and the man who never played well in his life, who equalised for the Portuguese. With Finley amongst the penalty missers, it was to be more shoot out heartbreak for England, Portugal advancing to the final.

In the other semi final, Hugues Guichard had another quiet game, but it was not to matter, the French have so many stars that they aren’t reliant on their superb striker. A goal in extra time was enough to seal a hard fought 2-1 win over Belgium.

Final

It has been a long time since a world beater made it to the final of an international tournament, but finally we have big nations in the showpiece – France squaring off against Portugal, with nine players of 180 CA or more between them.

The final itself couldn’t have been closer in terms of play – both teams had seven shots, three on target, but it was Portugal who took their opportunities, running out 2-0 winners, with Guichard again completely absent. He had a great group stage, but went completely missing after that.

So, Portugal become European Champions for the fourth time, their third win in the last five tournaments. Duane Jackson breaks record with his eight goal haul, and his four goal performance against the Czechs.

England manager Left Back 1 was fired after the tournament, the FA citing an awful tournament, which goes to show the height of their expectations – a semi final exit isn’t a disaster for anyone.

[blowcrapup]

New team analysis section looks good. I agree with Man Utd section going cold just be worth mentioning if they get promoted again (I hope not too lol)

Ones to watch could only follow them through the main stages of their careers e.g. Hitting the big time, main career then the start of their declne.

[williamshankley]

Coud you pos Dane Jackson's CA PA would be interesting to see who he compares to our strikers

[BenArsenal]

Goes to show that the English FA will still be ******** 40 years from now...

[williamshankley]

Originally posted by williamshankley:

could you post Dane Jackson's CA PA would be interesting to see how he compares to our strikers

[Chilliconcarnie]

Ok I can live without the Man Utd watch, but with this season's update you included it a bit in the summary... Could you just maybe give a one sentance summary to the effect of "Man Utd finished 4th in the Championship this season but lost out at the semi final stage."

Just to keep us United fans happy

[Tom =)]

on my game, every year Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales seem to get better, has this happened in your game, or have they since losing there star playes

etc

N.Ireland - David Healy

Wales - Robbie Savage, Craig Bellamy

Scotland - James Mcfadden

1. Have any of the other home nations teams made it to a European Championship or World Cup

2. Do they have any decent players

KUTGW

[Meitheisman]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

Welcome back Meitheisman! Now to answer a few of your points...

Glad to be back here

Good points on the youth academy - location is a major factor in determining whose youth team a player ends up at, and I guess if you are the biggest club in your region that'll help.

It is encouraging that the youth school produced a few players this year, so perhaps their reach now emcompasses a larger concentration of players...?

Someone stated that Fisher Athletic is near London so I'm guessing population shouldn't be an issue anymore for the Bandits.

I'll hunt back through the thread for references to number of players and staff with certain CA, I remember doing it somewhere!!

I knew I wasn't hallucinating

As for number of fans - I'll have a look at the home/away comparison for the forthcoming season, see if the Bandits, with their huge ground, favour playing at home any more than some of the more intimate grounds. Might be an interesting read.

It would be interesting to find out but how will we know if the Bandits home results are good because of the various usual home field advantages or because of the huge number of fans?

It might be time for the Man Utd watch to go. I'm losing interest in it too - they just aren't a big club anymore. Which amuses me.

Yeah, like someone suggested just let us know if/when they make the playoffs/get promoted.

Re: ones to watch - seems I like the section more than anyone else! I might cut players out of it as it becomes apparent that they aren't going to make it, that way the section just has a handful of players that are likely to be the best of the best.

[Meitheisman]

Originally posted by BenArsenal:

Goes to show that the English FA will still be ******** 40 years from now...

Or that you'll still be losing to Croatia

[BenArsenal]

Originally posted by Tom =):

1. Have any of the other home nations teams made it to a European Championship or World Cup

2. Do they have any decent players

KUTGW

Scotland are World Champions.

[Berrern]

Originally posted by Meitheisman:

Earmack's question was also interesting (about the strength of teams lowering in long term games) and if I remember correctly a comparison between the game at this time and the game at the beginning were compared.

Like the numbers of players above x CA in % of the game at 2 different dates.

Anyway, we could (by "we" I mean you!) add today's stats to the comparison and see if there's a trend.

If I remember correctly it was done for managers too or am I completely hallucinating here?

Yes, I did a comparison to Kipfizh' numbers back in July (wow, this experiment has been going for quite some time eh!), and I dug out my old post from back then:

-----------------------------------

Originally posted by Berrern:

I started a new game to compare the numbers to Kipfizh's figures. The numbers in italic are the numbers I derived from the new game:

Number of players in the game : 14442 - 10218

Number of staff in the game : 3652 - 3831

Players with PA 180+ : 198 (1.4%) - 166 (1.6%)

Staff with PA 180+ : 81 (2.2%) - 145 (3.8%)

Players with PA 160+ : 857 (5.9%) - 1122 (11%)

Staff with PA 160+ : 249 (6.8%) - 432 (11.3%)

Players with PA 140+ : 2405 (16.7%) - 2452 (24%)

Staff with PA 140+ : 450 (12.3%) - 907 (23.7%)

Players with PA 120+ : 4870 (33.7%) - 3661 (35.8%)

Staff with PA 120+ : 1111 (30.4%) - 1468 (38.3%)

Players with PA 100+ : 7598 (52.6%) - 4921 (48.2%)

Staff with PA 100+ : 1629 (44.6%) - 1909 (49.8%)

As you can see from the numbers, there's a considerable higher amount of both staff and players in the top-PA region on a new game. I'm very interested to see if this trend continues as the experiment goes on.

-----------------------------------

Mind you, this was done after the 2034-2035 season. I'd be very interested to see the numbers as they are today - do you think you have time to "update" the overview above Kipfizh?

As for your sections, I read through everything apart from the World Views. I sometimes skim through them though, to see if the Bandits are on the lookout for any of the stars.

Keep up the good work Kip!

[Mooski]

Superb stuff, Kip. A hearty to you on this magnificent thread.

[SpeccyMatt]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

European Championship Review - 2048

Group Stage

so Belgium, always a surprise team,

?

When does a surprise team sop being a surprise team?

Just being silly, it's been a long day, KUTIGW fella

[dryden76]

well heres to the bandits bringing right mid1 and henrik berg in the summer.... was surprised by the super speedy update, guess you were on tenterhooks aswell as the rest of us.... kutaw kip

[SJ234]

kip KUTGW but i like how the ones to watch section is

[markymarky]

is Maia the only world-beater or former world-beater to have won a major international tournament? if so, there is no god. :'(

who have the mainstays in the world and european player and footballer of the year been?

[Meitheisman]

Originally posted by Berrern:

Yes, I did a comparison to Kipfizh' numbers back in July (wow, this experiment has been going for quite some time eh!), and I dug out my old post from back then:

-----------------------------------

That's exactly what I was looking for.

Muchas gracias chaval

Kipfizh, could you please add this as a new section and do it maybe once every 5 years or so in order to check the trend?

[Meitheisman]

Originally posted by SpeccyMatt:

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

European Championship Review - 2048

Group Stage

so Belgium, always a surprise team,

?

When does a surprise team sop being a surprise team? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

When their country has a government

[GazTheDoood]

I personally love the Ones to Watch section, that sort of stuff is really my thing though. In my opinion, keep it - love it.

[Doddy]

My Kip, you are a legend!

Though if we were in America I could probably successfully sue you - it's 4:30am and I wanted an early night for work tomorow! I'm going to suffer, and doubt I'm the first one.

KUTGW

[cr4z3d]

Its good to see this experiment is still going strong! KUTGW!

[Terror]

All I can say is WOW, kip. I've been reading this thread for the last 3 hours (maybe more!). It's defintetely very interesting and i'm impressed by your overall dedication. Absolutely incredible. Great great great great job!

On a side note, i really thought i was going to see the bandits hit #1 of the pl by this thread. Go Bandits!

[kipfizh]

European Championships Report Card – World Beaters

Hugues Guichard (26, 195/195) (France)

(6 games, 7.17 average rating, 3 goals, 1 assist)

Guichard started superbly, with a brace in his opening game, and a nine giving him man of the match, and by the time the group stages were over he was still averaging eight, with three goals and an assist to his name. But he went missing after that, and despite France scraping to the final, they could carry him no longer and lost. Ultimately, he went missing when his country needed him.

Grade: C

Eduardo Castillejo (28, 194/198) (Spain)

(3 games, 6.33 average rating)

Predicted to be one of the stars of the tournament, propelling Spain to glory, he was absolutely dismal, unable to reproduce his wonderful form on the big stage. Spain drew all three matches in the group stages, going out, but they could so easily have been saved if Castillejo had scored from any of his thirteen shots.

Grade: E

Umit Abdulkadir (23, 193/199) (Turkey)

(3 games, 7.00 average rating)

Abdulkadir was always going to be up against it in a very poor Turkey side, and while a threat throughout the group stages, he didn’t find the back of the net and his country went home. Age is on his side – he can do better.

Grade: D+

European Championships Report Card – Bandits

Steen Hansen (28, 160/172) (Denmark)

(3 games, 7.00 average rating)

One of the best players in a very weak Danish side, Hansen was able to perform reasonably despite the tough group.

Grade: C-

Mustafa de Jong (27, 170/170) (Holland)

(3 games, 7.00 average rating)

After starting the tournament well, de Jong was sent off in Holland’s final group game, and his missed the critical quarter final, in which they went home.

Grade: D+

Tom Finley (25, 169/169) (England)

(2 games, 6.50 average rating)

Finley came on as a substitute twice – in the group stages he could make little impact, but given a chance in the semi final, again as a sub, he created very little, and then missed a penalty in the dismal shoot out.

Grade: D-

European Championships Report Card – Ones to watch (notable entries only)

Fabrizio Bucci (22, 186/199) (Italy)

(4 games, 7.50 average rating, 4 goals)

Scoring in each of his four games wasn’t enough to take his country past the quarter final stages. But at 22, he is already making a name for himself as a true star, the only blot in his copybook being the penalty he missed in their decisive shootout.

Grade: B-