ross8 Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 looking forward to the season update kip, could be an interesting one! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesleymcuk Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 yeah this looks like a promising season, i just hope my sight is still good as i have just relised that i have turned 73 in your game Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AB-forever Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Originally posted by ross8:looking forward to the season update kip, could be an interesting one! WHS Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gauvner Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Originally posted by kipfizh:2050-51 English Premiership: (Pos 6), P 38, W 15, D 12, L 11, F 57, A 45, GD +12, Pts 57 (Media Prediction: 7th) League FA Cup: 5th Round League Cup: 4th Round I am actually amazed to see the Mighty Chesterfield in the Premiership, even though they got relegated that is some spectacular work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty1982dec Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 thank god you're home kip, it's like i've been starved. i'm thinking uefa cup spot, and a cup run. it's a transitional season, yes, but i think those signings in january were for a push into the champions league spot, which will fail, but a good cup run will keep the new man in his job, along with the league position Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iacovone Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 What a great read this is. KUTGW I'm predicting a first European trophy on the horizon for the Bandits in the next 3 seasons. You heard it here first! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRHaggs Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Originally posted by iacovone:I'm predicting a first European trophy on the horizon for the Bandits in the next 3 seasons. You heard it here first! Clearly a new reader. How many European cup trophies have been predicted on this thread? You're naive optimism is charming though. C'mon the Bandits! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meitheisman Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Originally posted by JRHaggs:How many European cup trophies have been predicted on this thread? 3,847... wait, you didn't need the answer, or did you? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagull_Tim Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Can I see the average attendances for the English leagues? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marky Mark! Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Hmm... a week since the last update... obviously kipfizh is busy... no worries, I'll just have to continue to eargerly anticipate the next update... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuap001 Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 Hi there, I’ve just finished reading all the way through this, spending 3 days at work attempting to not get fired! Great work and very enjoyable Kip, thanks! Not sure if it has been said before but its funny how the experiment has changed, as it turns out it would have been just as enjoyable without the 24 created players and just following how the team fares and how the AI deals with having the finances / stadium etc. in a lower division and how long it takes them to rise to the top. anyway, can't wait till the next update! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fi3ryicy Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 same for me, spent the last 3 days catching up.. didnt realise this was done on fm 07 till quite late.. never the less it was a real gd read and i look forward to the same thing tats gonna be done on fm 08 or fm 09 as well as further updates in this experiment for fm07.. cheers.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezamudin Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 For the longest time, I've been lurking on this thread .. Is it possible to save the pkm of important match by them? All in all, stellar job ^^b Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MrMadHatter Posted April 4, 2008 Share Posted April 4, 2008 Excellent experiment, and a also a fantastic read :-) Keep up the good work Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
VonBlade Posted April 5, 2008 Share Posted April 5, 2008 Oh come on. This is getting silly. Much longer and we'll all be in 2054 Inquiring minds would like an update Mr The Fizh Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 6, 2008 Author Share Posted April 6, 2008 Sorry! Report not far from completion Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AB-forever Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Can't wait No pressure! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Lambs Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 I am getting cranky because I am going cold turkey from the bandits reports :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty1982dec Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Originally posted by dirty1982dec:thank god you're home kip, it's like i've been starved. i'm thinking uefa cup spot, and a cup run. it's a transitional season, yes, but i think those signings in january were for a push into the champions league spot, which will fail, but a good cup run will keep the new man in his job, along with the league position it's been over a week since i said this, i'm actually starved now. i need news, suspense is overwhelming me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RavenVW Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 Anyone else imaging Kip as a cult-leader and us all knelt down around him? 'Please Kip, please, just tell us about the Bandits' 'Please oh mighty one' 'What news be coming from the Bandits m'lord?' (this guy's from the medieval age) 'Just tell us about the bandits...' I think you get the picture, there wasn't quite a need to go into as much detail as that. But yeah. Please Kip, we need news! It better be good news too, we can't have waited this long just for a 'Oh, mid table nothingness again this year!' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 7, 2008 Author Share Posted April 7, 2008 Sorry again folks....I haven't even got a decent excuse, I just, er, discovered Guitar Hero....... Report will be finished before I play it again though *grin* Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazTheDoood Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Guitar Hero....... I suck at that game teribly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazTheDoood Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Looking forward to the update too mate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sean_LFC Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Long time reader - first time poster. Discovered this thread whilst off work with a broken arm. Couldn't quite catch up before returning to work so e-mailed myself a link to carry on now that I'm back... I think the most fascinating (and I would guess rewarding)aspect of the experiment is that despite creating a whole host of virtual but ever so talented players (and two equally talented but Anelka-esque players), Kip has generated a real following and a genuine fan-base for a fictional team. Real testiment to his obvious commitment and desire to see this experiment through to full conclusion. All I can add it that I hope it continues in the same excellent vain as it has thus far... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 Right, let's get this show back on the road with some newfound time Report coming right up.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 Bandits report – Season report After yet another summer in which the Bandits changed their manager, the fans had got beyond the point where they thought each manager was the real deal, and just looked forward hopefully, keeping a keen eye on the signings the new man was making. He had changed the squad considerably before the season started, selling some of the top talent but replacing them with younger players rated very highly across the world. Cautious optimism was around the ground before the opener. The main concern were the strikers – Finley, Martin and Castillejo are all over the hill, it was hoped that Messner would become the new talisman. But after only three games, the fans were already despairing at another season of catch up – defeats to West Brom, Leeds and Aston Villa made for a terrible start, rooted in the drop zone without a point to their name. Reynolds had not made a great first impression. He got his first points against Tottenham, a resounding 3-0 win in typically fiery circumstances, Spurs going down to ten men after only three minutes, and that sparked a sensational run on form, where the team would lose just once in 23 matches, a run that stretched all the way to Boxing Day. Vitoria of Portugal were comfortably dispatched in the qualifying round of the UEFA Cup, a 1-1 draw away from home being followed up by a 3-0 thumping back in England, while in the league, form was improving, four wins over Liverpool, West Ham, Burnley and QPR surging them back into the top half. A small blip saw them dumped out of the League Cup on penalties, Huddersfield of the Championship coming out on top, while a 3-2 defeat to Man City put them back in midtable. But by Christmas, they had made a mockery of their abysmal start to sit second in the league, with eight wins and two draws against Man Utd and Sheff Wed in their following ten games. The European form was also impressive, as they cruised through their UEFA Cup group, wins over Genoa, Genk and Rangers confirming their top spot, the draw against Twente in the other game being their only dropped points. Incredible that having lost their opening three games of the season, they had now played 26 games and lost only once more. Things were looking up. On the playing side, Messner was scoring regularly, while fellow new signing Simon Russell and old timer Martin were contributing too. One point in two games over the Christmas period knocked the Bandits back slightly, a loss to West Brom being followed by a scoreless draw against champions Leeds, but a New Years Day victory over Aston Villa got them back on track. It took a replay to get past Sheff Utd in the FA Cup, but the run was shortlived after that, as Reading became the second Championship club to beat the Bandits this season, winning 2-1 in round four. So now there was just the league, and the UEFA Cup, but Tottenham were running into impressive form in the Premiership and had opened up a decent lead at the top. They added to that at White Hart Lane, beating the Bandits 2-0 despite the sending off of former Bandit Mustafa de Jong, and despite remaining in third, the league title was probably already out of reach, Sheff Wed being to only team retaining hope in catching the leaders. Messner then starred in an excellent 3-0 victory over Liverpool, before a poor run in the league finally killed their challenge – draws with West Ham and Burnley being followed by a humiliating 5-0 reverse at QPR, after Messner had been sent off early in the game. Suddenly, it wasn’t just the league challenge that had disappeared, the Champions League qualification hopes were fading too, with a pack now hot on their heels in third. All of this was bad preparation for a tricky trip to Trabzonspor in the UEFA Cup, and they came back with the tie in the balance – a 2-1 defeat softened by Simon Russell’s crucial away goal. In the second leg, Messner and Finley put the Bandits firmly in charge, before a goal from the Turks with eight minutes to go took the tie to extra time. Eventually, it would be penalties that decided it, and for the second time this season, the Bandits would finish on the losing side, missing three out of four spot kicks to crash disappointingly out. With eleven games to go in the league, it was time to focus. Spurs were running away with the league, and Sheff Wed had a decent hold on second. The Bandits remained third, but their poor run of form had allowed the chasing pack back into the race, and they’d need some decent results to get back into the Champions League. Reynolds demanded a response, and he got one, with four consecutive wins, over Man City, Sunderland, Port Vale and Portsmouth, not only giving them a cushion over their rivals, but bringing Sheff Wed back into their radar. But a home defeat against the second placed side soon put paid to that. Two wins and two defeats left the Bandits in a decent position with two games to go, but not assured of their place in the big leagues. Leeds and Chelsea were chasing them down, but on the other hand, Sheff Wed were only a point ahead, and second place was becoming a real possibility. A penultimate day draw against Man Utd didn’t seem a good result, but Sheff Wed drew to remain only one point ahead, while Chelsea dropped points to mean they couldn’t catch the Bandits. Leeds, three points behind, technically good, but their goal difference was far inferior and they surely couldn’t either. So with one game to go, the Bandits were guaranteed a place in the top three, and a qualifying round entry in next season’s Champions League. It was now simply a matter of whether they could overhaul Sheff Wed on the final day to pinch second and automatic qualification into the group stages. In reality, it never looked on. Sheff Wed led in the first half, while the Bandits found themselves 3-1 down to Newcastle. Eventually, the Bandits would lose 3-2, and with Sheff Wed held to a 1-1 draw, they would’ve gone second with a win, but it wasn’t to be. So the Bandits ended the season in a very creditable third, top scorers in the league but with a defence that conceded more than their rivals. There’s no doubt that the fans would’ve taken this at the start of the season. It was always going to be a transitional season with so many changes, but they’ve managed to perform more as a unit that could be reasonably expected, and now have the chance to take on the Champions League next season. For once, a manager would last into his second season. Honours: League Cup (2044, 2047, 2052) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 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 – 6th, League Cup – Winners 2044-45, English Premiership – 9th 2045-46, English Premiership – 3rd 2046-47, English Premiership – 2nd, League Cup – Winners 2047-48, English Premiership – 5th, League Cup – Final 2048-49 English Premiership: (Pos 9), P 38, W 13, D 15, L 10, F 50, A 49, GD +1, Pts 54 (Media Prediction: 5th) UEFA Cup: Semi Final FA Cup: 3rd Round League Cup: 3rd Round 2049-50 English Premiership: (Pos 11), P 38, W 15, D 7, L 16, F 53, A 52, GD +1, Pts 52 (Media Prediction: 7th) FA Cup: 5th Round League Cup: Final 2050-51 English Premiership: (Pos 6), P 38, W 15, D 12, L 11, F 57, A 45, GD +12, Pts 57 (Media Prediction: 7th) FA Cup: 5th Round League Cup: 4th Round 2051-52 English Premiership: (Pos 3), P 38, W 21, D 6, L 11, F 67, A 46, GD +21, Pts 69 (Media Prediction: 6th) FA Cup: Quarter Final League Cup: Winners 2052-53 English Premiership: (Pos 9), P 38, W 16, D 7, L 15, F 56, A 51, GD +5, Pts 55 (Media Prediction: 8th) League UEFA Cup: 1st Knockout Round FA Cup: 4th Round League Cup: 3rd Round Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 Bandits report - Best and Worst General Stats Finance Overview The Bandits once again spent a fortune on players, but their financial income means that is registered barely a blip on their balance. New records: None This season: Best player – McParland/Martin, 7.48 Top scorer – Messner, 20 Worst player – Gomez, 6.22 The Bandits remain at the top of the rich list for the third consecutive season. Rich Clubs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 Bandits report - First XI Summary GK: McParland (23, 163/173) – 7.48 LB: Simon (31, 166/166) – 6.90 CB: Dompig (27, 170/170) – 7.47 CB: Rowntree (25, 169/177) – 6.94 RB: Haaland (30, 177/188) – 7.25 LM: Thackeray (30, 149/170) – 6.70 CM: Basile (25, 165/185) – 6.69 CM: Schweinsteiger (29, 170/173) – 6.97 RM: Russell (27, 159/184) – 6.86 ST: Messner (24, 170/175) – 7.16 ST: Americo (28, 165/172) – 7.13 Average age – 27.2 (down from last year’s 28.7) Average CA – 165.7 (down from last year’s 170.3) Average rating – 7.05 (up from last year’s 7.03) The transitional nature of the season is shown in the stats – the age has come down considerably, as has the quality, which isn’t a surprise given that players have been sold at their peak and replacements brought in who have not yet reached theirs. Also, Paul Thackeray’s continual presence on the left wing is pulling the numbers in the wrong direction – he needs to be replaced. Despite all this, the level of performance given by the team is much better, suggesting that the new manager is not only talented in the transfer market, but can make his players perform too. That is a very good sign for the future. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 Bandits report – Outside the first XI Dropped: Johnstone (GK): McParland came in and played superbly, and is ten years younger than Johnstone. Martin (ST): Still plays over 20 games, and does superbly when given the chance, but is thirty now and the first choice partnership is Messner and Americo. Sold: de Jong (CB): Was considered too old and allowed to leave. Dompig came back from central midfield and Rowntree was signed in January. Fatih (CB): Like de Jong, was allowed to leave after reaching his peak. Hadziburic (CM): Only 27, he could’ve been retained for a little longer, but a huge offer came in and off he went. Clark (RM): Sold at his peak to allow younger players to come through. Prospects Harris (20, 169/178) should surely come into the left wing position ahead of Thackeray. Pollard (23, 162/177) is a threat to Basile and Schweinsteiger in central midfield, and could be a first team regular very soon. Sayer (22, 154/174) only gained five CA points this season, but his stats show him to be an excellent striker. He will be looking for a chance as the old guard fade away. Ellis (20, 142/174) gained another fifteen points, and spent the season on loan at Celtic. Harper (18, 143/181) gained twelve more CA points, and looks a real talent. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 Competitions - Other stats England only made it to the quarter finals of the European Championships, but they are on course to qualify for the World Cup with ease, winning all seven of their qualifiers so far, again without conceding a goal. The Bandits’ fierce rivals, Tottenham, won the Premiership at a canter, beating Sheff Wed into second place by nine points. The three clubs that came up last season – Nottm Forest, Port Vale and Hull – went straight back down again, as the gap between the top two leagues was emphasised. Meanwhile, Arsenal return to the Premiership after one season away, coming second in the Championship to gain instant promotion. There were no repeats of Welling’s incredible FA Cup win from last season, as West Ham lifted the trophy, beating Chelsea in the final. The holders didn’t even qualify, being knocked out in the fourth qualifying round by Gateshead, surely a first. But they had the consolation of entry into Europe, and a bank balance swelled to 3.5m, far too much for the rest of the Conference South to compete with, and they won their division with 101 points, thirty more than Carshalton, who finished second. Sheff Wed ensured that Spurs didn’t have things all their own way, beating them 4-0 in the League Cup final, a prize that would console them after losing the league. In Europe, Bayern Munich won the Champions League, comfortably beating Lyon 3-0 in the final, no English side getting past the quarter finals. Sporting claimed the UEFA Cup, beating Juventus, while Welling couldn’t get past the first round, losing in extra time to Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 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 134, PA 170 Continues as Bandits’ assistant manager at the ripe old age of 63, and has yet to announce a retirement date. 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 2046-2048, Morecambe (manager), CA 163, PA 170 2048-2049, No Club, CA 161, PA 170 2049-2050, Newcastle (manager), CA 154, PA 170 2050-2051, No Club, CA 152, PA 170 2051-, Charlton (manager), CA 150, PA 170 Spent his final season leading Charlton to third in the Championship, before losing in the playoffs. Will now retire. 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 2042-2048, England (manager), CA 90, PA 110 2048-2049, Bandits (manager), CA 88, PA 110 2049-2051, No Club, CA 88, PA 110 2051-2052, QPR (manager), CA 82, PA 110 2053-, Liverpool (manager), CA 79, PA 110 After sitting 10th in the Premiership again, he was fired by QPR, which didn’t help them as they finished 11th. He was then hired by Liverpool before the final day of the season, keeping them eighth. Plans to have one more season before retiring. 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 2047-2053, Sheff Wed (manager), CA 111, PA 130 2053-, Bayern Munich (manager), CA 109, PA 130 With Sheff Wed again second, and having already won the League Cup, he jumped ship to join Bayern Munich, who he then led from the quarter finals through the win the Champions League. His success story continues, and he shows no sign of wanting to retire. Centre Mid 1 – Retired from playing 02/07/2030, from management 2051 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 Premiership Analysis - Reputation (league position in bold) 1 (1). Sheff Wed (2) – 9069 (-268) 2 (2). Liverpool (8) – 8298 (-171) 3 (3). Chelsea (5) – 8137 (-310) 4 (10). Tottenham (1) – 8077 (+793) 5 (6). Leeds (4) – 8007 (+1) 6 (4). West Ham (13) – 7921 (-236) 7 (5). Man City (14) – 7885 (-198) 8 (8). Bandits (3) – 7774 (-101) 9 (7). QPR (11) – 7559 (-318) 10 (9). West Brom (12) – 7370 (-240) 11 (11). Sunderland (7) – 7063 (-174) 12 (13). Newcastle (6) – 7062 (-58) 13 (12). Aston Villa (10) – 7046 (-87) 14 (16). Burnley (15) – 7014 (+173) 15 (15). Man Utd (9) – 6788 (-186) 16 (14). Derby (16) – 6730 (-298) 17 (19). Portsmouth (17) – 6141 (+119) 18 (-). Hull (20) – 6073 (+60) 19 (-). Nottm Forest (18) – 5613 (+168) 20 (-). Port Vale (19) – 5533 (+137) Promoted sides Chesterfield – 5822 Arsenal – 6272 (+392) Leicester – 5712 Sheff Wed remain at the top despite their faltering reputation, and by some distance too – their League Cup win kept them over 9000 and gives them a healthy lead. Liverpool and Chelsea both slip too, while champions Spurs make a huge leap from tenth to fourth, with a reputation that is likely to enhanced in the Champions League next season. The Bandits remains eighth, while there is little movement below them, Portsmouth still way behind the rest of the survivors, and the three promoted clubs going straight back down. Arsenal have a healthy reputation for a promoted club, and with half a billion in the bank they should survive. But the same was true two seasons ago, and they came bottom. Chesterfield and Leicester are likely to struggle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 Premiership Analysis – Team Ability (league position in bold) 1 (3). Chelsea (5) – 74.11 (+1.62) 2 (5). Sheff Wed (2) – 73.91 (+2.43) 3 (2). Liverpool (8) – 73.31 (+0.56) 4 (8). Bandits (3) – 72.92 (+2.04) 5 (10). Aston Villa (10) – 72.00 (+1.59) 6 (4). Tottenham (1) – 71.85 (+0.30) 7 (9). Man City (14) – 71.57 (+0.75) 8 (1). West Ham (13) – 70.68 (-2.17) 9 (16). West Brom (12) – 70.62 (+2.12) 10 (14). Derby (16) – 70.45 (+1.40) 11 (13). Leeds (4) – 70.06 (+0.94) 12 (6). Sunderland (7) – 69.74 (-1.62) 13 (12). Man Utd (9) – 69.72 (+0.53) 14 (11). QPR (11) – 69.57 (-0.75) 15 (15). Newcastle (6) – 69.51 (+0.80) 16 (20). Portsmouth (17) – 69.12 (+4.53) 17 (19). Burnley (15) – 67.02 (+0.91) 18 (-). Hull (20) – 66.09 (+2.17) 19 (-). Nottm Forest (18) – 65.99 (+3.31) 20 (-). Port Vale (19) – 65.04 (+4.24) Promoted sides Chesterfield – 66.83 Arsenal – 69.38 (-1.97) Leicester – 65.03 Chelsea make great improvements to their squad to move top of the list, while Sheff Wed continue their improvement, rising from fifth to second with a huge rise. Liverpool also improve, but slip from second to third amongst the competition, while the new manager has been good for the Bandits, dragging them up to fourth. In fact, the whole top seven improve, but West Ham’s rapid decline sees them fall from the top spot all the way down to eighth. Below them, Portsmouth make superb signings to survive another Premiership season, gaining enormous ability levels, while none of the three sides that came up stood much of a chance despite all spending wisely. The next three to come up have much better squads, especially Arsenal, who should survive. It could be a very competitive season. Overachievers : Leeds, Newcastle Underachievers : Liverpool, Man City Title Prediction : Sheff Wed to claim their crown back Relegation Prediction : Portsmouth, Leicester and Burnley Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 Summary A much improved season for the Bandits, finishing third and getting back in the Champions League, provided they triumph in the qualifying round, combined with a reasonable European run that helped spread their name around. All in all, not bad for a season of transition, with the average age of the squad plunging. The new manager seems very adept, both in the transfer market, where he made some excellent long term signings, but at getting the best out of players – plenty of them performed far better this season. At last, the Bandits have a manager they are planning to keep for more than one season. With another summer of potential signings, he need only make some tweaks and replace some more aging heads, and this squad will have a real chance of winning something. Let’s hope so anyway. Spurs became Premiership champions for the first time in thirteen years, with Sheff Wed remaining up there as always. However, Wednesday’s manager, Right Mid 1, has jumped ship now – will they be as successful next season? The ex-players are now starting to retire, and soon every individual in the game will have been generated after the start. It has taken nearly fifty years, but we’re nearly there. Can the Bandits win something before their former stars disappear? Welling continue to be a success story, even though they couldn’t reach the group stages of the UEFA Cup – they won the Conference South by thirty points and have a superb squad for non league football. The FA Cup has truly been their springboard. Is it time for real optimism? 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. Danny Gamble left Real Madrid this season, and will retire this summer. Phil Edwards has retired. Ben Clayton has been out of work for two years. Stuart Davies has retired. Left Back 1 moved from QPR to Liverpool after being sacked by his former club, and will enter the final season of his career after the summer. Neil Angus has retired. Terry Arthur has retired. Mark Nicholson joined West Ham in April, and led them to FA Cup glory, also finishing 13th in the Premiership. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 World View - Ones to watch Your annual guide to the stars of tomorrow: Robert Wojcik (Korona Kielce/Poland, 15, 97/194, Target Striker: 58.08%), is a real prospect playing in his home country. Watch this one – he could be spectacularly good. Previous tips (legends, or players still with promise) Carlo Lupo (Italy, 37, 102/198, Centre Back: 63.87%), dropped another ten CA points, and didn’t find a club to play him for his final season. He will retire this summer, a legend. Hugues Guichard (Bayern Munich/France, 31, 155/195, Target Striker: 75.58%), lost another twelve points, but is still prolific for Bayern Munich when they play him, and picked up a Champions League medal this season. Bjorn Strand (West Ham/Norway, 30, 178/193, Fast Striker: 79.53%), loses five more points of CA, but shows no sign of slowing down, scoring 27 goals for West Ham, including one in the FA Cup final triumph, and managed an average rating of 7.72. He’s quite a player. Umit Abdulkadir (Real Madrid/Turkey, 28, 191/199, Fast Striker: 78.56%), drops off his peak after being at 199 for the last two seasons. He still has an awesome season, scoring 25 goals for Real Madrid at an average of 7.86, with his club placing a 172 million release clause on him. Sergey Sergienko (Inter/Russia, 29, 189/193, Midfielder: 77.08%), drops off his peak and out of the world beaters section, but ironically had his best season at Inter, averaging over seven, which he rarely manages. Reiner Helbig (Barcelona/Germany, 27, 189/199, Midielder: 74.84%), gained three points of CA, an acceleration after his nightmare years at Chelsea. Had he left sooner, he may well have been a world beater by now, but as it stands may still struggle to ever hit the 190 mark. He isn’t playing well for Barcelona. Leonardo (Internacional/Brazil, 26, 180/185, Fast Striker: 76.46%), finally made his move away from Internacional, where he spent most of his career, but may have made the switch too late, as at only 26 he has already lost five CA points, dropping from his peak. He was averaging an astonishing 8.46 for Internacional before Barcelona paid 21m for him, and his start at his new club has been good, with two goals in four games. Peter Schulz (Bayern Munich/Germany, 28, 183/188, Target Striker: 76.48%), goes back up three points after falling away from his peak last season, and scores 23 goals after another excellent season. Fabrizio Bucci (Inter/Italy, 27, 199/199, Target Striker: 80.59%), remains at his peak for the fourth season in succession, and for the first time also goes over the 80% scouted rating mark. He really is the top dog in the world at the moment, and confirms it by scoring 31 goals in a devastating season for Inter. Joe Galloway (Liverpool/England, 26, 185/190, Full Back: 78.70%), improves again, gaining two points of CA, and makes the switch from West Ham to Liverpool for a massive 30.5m, settling well at his new club. Guillaume Charton (Lyon/France, 26, 192/194, Goalkeeper: 78.43%), gains one more point as he continues his rise towards his peak, and helps Lyon reach a Champions League final. Concedes just 24 goals in 39 games, averaging a massive 7.77. Juan Perez (Real Madrid/Mexico, 23, 192/194, Winger: 79.45%), gains another four points of CA and is likely to reach his peak next season. An extraordinary talent, he is dangerously creative for Real Madrid, and deservedly takes his place as a world beater. Aaron Lomas (Tottenham/England, 24, 182/198, Target Striker: 78.06%), rises four points, and finally gets the first team action he is after, scoring 25 goals for Spurs and being a major reason for their Premiership victory. The former Bandit is heading towards becoming a star. Graham Thomas (Liverpool/England, 22, 178/198, Centre Back: 74.68%), gains six points of CA in a season where he makes a move from Sunderland to Liverpool for 17.75m. He is struggling a little at his new club. Francisco Javier Rua (Fiorentina/Spain, 24, 178/192, Winger: 72.62%), improved by six points, and saw sense, leaving Chelsea for Fiorentina for regular starts on the wing. Having averaged just over six for Chelsea after being forced into central midfield, he now averages over eight for his new club, who will consider him 5m well spent. Andre Luis (Sheff Wed/Brazil, 22, 174/198, Attacking Midfielder: 72.87%), continues his impressive improvement, gaining 15 CA points, but after starting badly for Sheff Wed, was farmed out on loan to Valencia, where he also struggled. Raymond van Dijk (Chelsea/Holland, 21, 165/195, Full Back: 78.52%), rises another 13 points, but like many stars before him, is barely playing for Chelsea and is considering his options. His potential scouted rating is astounding, so he needs football. Roberio (Porto/Brazil, 19, 155/198, Winger: 71.34%), gained 33 CA and over 7% in scouted rating after a massive improvement. He also moved from Flamengo to Porto for 950k, but has yet to make his debut. Olivier Texier (Valencia/France, 20, 148/199, Winger: 65.28%), gains 28 points of CA, and makes his move from Lille to Valencia on a free transfer. He is playing fairly regularly for his new club, but struggling a little at this early stage of his career. 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kipfizh Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 World View - World beaters (by CA) Fabrizio Bucci (Inter/Italy, 27, 199/199, Target Striker: 80.59%) now leads the way all by himself, after maintaining his peak for the fourth consecutive season. He scores 31 goals in yet another prolific season, at also has 72 in 67 games for Italy. An extraordinary talent. Fabrizio Bucci Gillaume Charton (Lyon/France, 26, 192/194, Goalkeeper: 78.43%) moves into joint second place, seven points behind Bucci, and is equally outstanding at the other end of the field, averaging 7.77 and leading Lyon to a Champions League final. If he played in a team that had a devastating striker, they’d be practically unstoppable. Gillaume Charton Juan Perez (Real Madrid/Mexico, 23, 192/194, Winger: 79.45%) is a new entry on the list, coming in at joint second, and at only 23 has time on his side and will probably remain on the list for a few years. His stats are nothing short of frightening, he is big, powerful and yet lightning quick with fantastic delivery from the wing. Unsurprisingly, he gets plenty of assists for Real Madrid. Juan Perez Umit Abdulkadir (Real Madrid/Turkey, 28, 191/199, Fast Striker: 78.56%) falls off his perch as the best player in the world, that he held jointly with Bucci for a few years. This may be his final season on the list, after dropping from his peak, but that isn’t going to stop him being a superstar, and scores 25 goals, probably many of them set up by his world beating teammate Perez. Umit Abdulkadir Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 World View - World beaters (by scouted rating) Only one player has a scouted rating over 80%, and that is Fabrizio Bucci, who becomes the first player to top both world beating lists on his own, with a CA of 199 and a scouted rating of 80.59%. Last season’s winner, Bjorn Strand, is still second, but he rating has now dropped to 79.53%, over an entire percentile behind Bucci. So congratulations to the Italian – there is no doubting he is the best player in the world right now. Here are the best players in the world, in each position, by scouted rating: Goalkeeper: Gillaume Charton (Lyon/France, 26, 192/194, 78.43%) Sweeper: Arkaitz Rubio (Sheff Wed/Spain, 34, 165/181, 76.30%) Centre Back: Olivier Raffin (Bayern Munich/France, 33, 162/195, 77.76%) Left Back: Joe Galloway (Liverpool/England, 26, 185/190, 78.70%) Right Back: Raymond van Dijk (Chelsea/Holland, 21, 165/195, 78.52%) Left Wing Back: Joe Galloway (Liverpool/England, 26, 185/190, 77.93%) Right Wing Back: Terje Jensen (Man City/Norway, 25, 160/180, 76.48%) Defensive Midfielder: Jochen Kunert (Chelsea/Germany, 30, 169/187, 74.31%) Central Midfielder: Juan Perez (Real Madrid/Mexico, 23, 192/194, 77.47%) Attacking Midfielder: Ronald Diaz (Liverpool/Bolivia, 29, 172/177, 77.47%) Left Winger: Luis Calderon (Roma/Peru, 32, 180/181, 79.49%) Right Winger: Juan Perez (Real Madrid/Mexico, 23, 192/194, 79.45%) Fast Striker: Bjorn Strand (West Ham/Norway, 30, 178/193, 79.53%) Target Striker: Fabrizio Bucci (Inter/Italy, 27, 199/199, 80.59%) Losing their place: Mathieu Adam (GK), Terry Hill (SW), Andrea Rossini (CM), Bjorn Strand (TS) Only one player making the 80% mark, and interestingly, star winger Juan Perez is also the best central midfielder in the world. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 World View - Distribution of 180+ CA players The clubs Inter – 5 (-) (199, 189, 184, 180, 180) Real Madrid – 5 (+2) (192, 191, 184, 184, 181) Barcelona – 3 (+1) (189, 187, 180) Bayern Munich – 3 (-1) (189, 184, 183) Lyon – 2 (-) (192, 181) Milan – 2 (-1) (187, 186) Tottenham – 2 (+1) (182, 180) Deportivo – 1 (-) (186) Liverpool – 1 (-) (185) Lazio – 1 (-) (183) Sheff Wed – 1 (+1) (182) Chelsea – 1 (-1) (181) Man City – 1 (+1) (181) QPR – 1 (+1) (180) Marseille – 1 (+1) (180) Roma – 1 (-) (180) West Ham – 0 (-2) Arsenal – 0 (-2) Internacional – 0 (-1) Total – 31 (-) The number of stars remains at 31, and Real Madrid join Inter at the top of the list. Only Spurs have more than one star in the Premiership. The leagues Italy – 9 (-1) Spain – 9 (+3) England – 7 (-1) Germany – 3 (-1) France – 3 (+1) Brazil – 0 (-1) Total – 31 (-) Spain join Italy at the top, and England drop away again. There are now just five leagues in the list, as Internacional lose Leonardo to Barcelona. The nationalities England – 6 (+1) Germany – 4 (-) Brazil – 3 (-) Italy – 2 (-) France – 2 (-1) Turkey – 2 (-) Russia – 2 (-) Argentina – 2 (+1) Mexico – 1 (-) Greece – 1 (-) Holland – 1 (-1) N. Ireland – 1 (-) Slovenia – 1 (+1) Serbia – 1 (+1) Peru – 1 (+1) Spain – 1 (-) Portugal – 0 (-2) Norway – 0 (-1) Total – 31 (-) England are now two players clear at the top despite the Premiership getting weaker, while Brazil are looking like a strong nation again a year away from another World Cup. Spain, on the other hand, are weaker than usual. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamshankley Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Great stuff kip but what season are we in! On your league position you have it as ninth as the last league position Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kipfizh Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 Doh! I edited the Premiership stats into the 2051-52 season. The post should read: 2051-52 English Premiership: (Pos 9), P 38, W 16, D 7, L 15, F 56, A 51, GD +5, Pts 55 (Media Prediction: 6th) FA Cup: Quarter Final League Cup: Winners 2052-53 English Premiership: (Pos 3), P 38, W 21, D 6, L 11, F 67, A 46, GD +21, Pts 69 (Media Prediction: 8th) League UEFA Cup: 1st Knockout Round FA Cup: 4th Round League Cup: 3rd Round Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty1982dec Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 now that's what i'm talking about. a good season. although no silverware, a good league finish has given me faith in the manager. the signing of messner seems inspired. and mcparland was superb. although the left side looks a tad weak now, optimism springs eternal. the manager should address this in the summer and we'll be laughing as we cruise to european glory! C'mon you Bandits! Kip... i can no longer describe how i feel about your experiment and the amazing work you do to keep us informed, as i have run out of superlatives. as for Guitar Hero, well... it's a damn good excuse, i love playing 'paint it black' and 'one'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cms186 Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Forest 2 points from survival Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattpiulton Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Interesting to see Man united become "mid table side" All them years in the Championship have just made them into a Normal club. No one is worried about going to Old Trsfford anymore Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sean_LFC Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Interesting to see more sending offs against Spurs..! Kip is there anyway to see if The Bandits (or Spurs for that matter) have any "disliked club" attributes to explain the tempestuous affairs these matches have become..? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AB-forever Posted April 9, 2008 Share Posted April 9, 2008 Great to finally get a good manager again! Hopefully the Champions League-games will increase the Bandits' reputation so they can get their first CA 180 player McParland's Eccentricity 17 is a little worrying but so far he seems to play well. I still don't understand why the manager prefers Thackeray instead of Harris on the left wing Messner has 20 caps, 20 goals Interesting to have a world class winger like Pérez with an Off The Ball atrribute of 8 Is it just me or do the World Beaters start to detoriate a little too early (well their CAs anyway)? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iacovone Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 I maintain that despite being a first time reader, the Bandits are only 2 years away from European glory! Mark these words (again) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meitheisman Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Great update as usual Kipfizh Although your comment about the original Bandits all retiring from management made me realize that in your game I'd be 71 years old Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TractorBoyTuck Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 As a first time reader I'd like to say Kip, your season reports are quite simply marvellous. I'm flabbergastered (always wanted to say that) that you can keep this determination and perseverance to it. Onto the Bandits, I say that they are having a stupendous time in the EPL, and I'm going to say that in the CL next season they'll probably get to the quarter finals. But they'll keep playing in Europe, gaining higher rep, and within the next 7-10 seasons will have European glory. I think the time a Euro cup comes to the team, they may well be looking at doing a double with the EPL or FA Cup. KUTGW Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maviarab Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 Great update Kip, I think overall considering the changes 3rd in the Prem is a great achievement and we can now only hope they hit the ground running next season and really push for the title. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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