swedishchef_uk Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Just to quickly say that I'm really enjoying this read. Interested to see the way your tactics change. Is this because of the players you bring in, or to try and confuse the AI? Good luck Stoke! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted January 6, 2012 Author Share Posted January 6, 2012 Just to quickly say that I'm really enjoying this read. Interested to see the way your tactics change. Is this because of the players you bring in, or to try and confuse the AI? Good luck Stoke! Glad you're enjoying! It's definitely the players changing my tactics, a couple of seasons ago I had a lot of wide players whereas in recent times I've had more central players. Who knows what's next?! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pangaea Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 I'd like to see a left-sided sweeper tactic with offside traps. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 EUROPA LEAGUE UPDATE GROUP STAGE Sporting CP – 0 Stoke City FC – 0 A bore draw but a decent result against the toughest side in the group, a valuable point away from home. Stoke City – 3 Dennis Heinze (71, 93) Andras Nagy (78) Kayserispor – 2 Dogan Sivrikaya (9) Morgan Schneiderlin (55) This was a game I was expected to win comfortably but to my surprise they took an early lead, later doubling their advantage. I was fuming with my side and made some harsh changes which clearly worked when we came back to win 3-2 with a 93rd minute winner. Stoke City – 1 Ryan Shawcross (89) Steaua Bucharest – 0 This was another tough game but luckily we came away with a win, courtesy of a late winner from Shawcross. Steaua Bucharest – 0 Stoke City – 3 John Fleck (32, 64P) Lee Wallace (81) A far stretch from the last game, this time we absolutely dominated the game with 58% possession. With this victory we secured our place in the 1st Knockout Round, even with two games to go! Stoke City – 2 John Fleck (50) Robert Huth (80) Sporting CP – 3 Fredy Montero (16) Joao Pereira (31) Luis Aguiar (90) A disappointing result but it didn’t really matter as I had already qualified for the next round. Kayserispor – 0 Stoke City – 5 Tonci Piric (4) Darnel Situ (8) Dennis Heinze (74, 83) Robert Huth (88) I played my back up team in this game and I was shocked when we came out 5-0 winners away from home. They certainly had something to prove! Stoke City – 13pts Sporting CP – 12pts Steaua Bucharest – 5pts Kayserispor – 2pts A good solid showing in the group stages for us but some of the performances were questionable, especially the first game against Kayserispor. Leaving it late like that is not acceptable and if we do that against better sides, we won’t be so lucky. 1st Knockout Round: AZ ALKMAAR vs. STOKE CITY FC 2nd Knockout Round: AZ ALKMAAR or STOKE CITY FC vs. GALATASARY or OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS A relatively easy draw in the first round but if I progress through that one it will be a tough game against either Galatasary or Lyon. If we are in a good run of form leading up to the games I have no doubts about out quality to progress. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
o JaY Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Glad to see you're through to the next round of the Europa League, a great run is certainly possible with the squad you've got Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 The first round shouldnt be too much of a hassle, but the 2nd Round looks like a tough, especially if you get Lyon! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
City2000 Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Nice work topping the group, I bet that Kayserispor home tie was exciting! Looks a nice first round draw, Lyon looks a tough one on the horizon though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Galatasaray wouldn't be a breeze either. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManUTactician247 Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I can't wish you luck against Galatasaray I'm afraid . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 You should get through against AZ but you'll get to see how good you are against Galatasary or Lyon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Should be fairly tight against AZ then a likely tough encounter if you get through against Lyon. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 MID SEASON UPDATE 2017/18 PREMIER LEAGUE It’s been tough this season and we currently reside in 8th place, mostly down to the amount of draws we have had. All of the draws coming in our 15 game unbeaten run that was much needed after the poor start we made. I’ve lost the last two games which saw me drop a few places down the table, these being my games in hand too, so wins in those games would’ve meant 4th place. Overall a disappointing showing in the league so far but one positive I can take from it is the amount of goals that I have conceded, very little. Andras Nagy is again within the top 5 goal scorers in the league with 12 so far. TEAM STATS | PLAYER STATS LEAGUE CUP Well, despite playing a second string side for the most part of the competition I’ve managed to make it all the way to the final. On the way I’ve beaten, Nottingham Forest, Arsenal, Burnley and Derby in the semi-final, beating them 5-2 on aggregate. This great run has been down to key performances from Dennis Heinze, scoring 6 goals so far. I will now play Sunderland in the final on Sunday 4th March. FA CUP Only one game into the famous cup competition, we played Watford – easily dispatching of them 3-0. The fourth round draw wasn’t so kind to us, drawing Liverpool at the Britannia. TRANSFER NEWS I made one signing in the January transfer window, out of favour Tottenham player Mauro Formica coming in for 2.1M . Hopefully he will add more quality to the depth of the squad and help us in our push for a Champions League spot. And how about for his first goal after coming on as a sub on his debut. TEAM OVERVIEW Right now I feel the squad is coming together nicely, I just need to add some very good players and stop catering for players that haven’t been performing. I need a second central midfielder to partner Fabian Delph and I’ll probably have to start looking for replacements to Huth and Shawcross. Another key striker is probably needed too if Heinze doesn’t start performing in the league because he does alright in cup competitions. Andras Nagy – He has already scored 16 goals this season but has since hit a rough patch of form and hasn’t scored in a while. Dennis Heinze – As mentioned previously, Heinze has done very well in the cups which has meant his goal tally is the same as Nagy’s, 16. But of these 16 goals only 2 have come in the league so he needs to start scoring more in the league. Ryan Shawcross – The reason why we have conceded so few goals in the league, no one can get past him. Robert Huth - Like Shawcross, he is a tribute to our great defensive record. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
City2000 Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 If Nagy and Heinze both hit form at the same time watch out Barclays Premier League! I certainly think you will finish higher than 8th, Europe looks a very real possibility and 4th place is still there for the taking so hopefully the strikers start hitting the net a bit more consistently to cut out those draws as your defence looks mean. Good luck Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShyBaldBuddhist Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Very tight league, if only a few of the draws had gone your way instead. Still think you can make Europe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 You can easily take 5th it's just about getting the results. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 If Nagy and Heinze both hit form at the same time watch out Barclays Premier League!I certainly think you will finish higher than 8th, Europe looks a very real possibility and 4th place is still there for the taking so hopefully the strikers start hitting the net a bit more consistently to cut out those draws as your defence looks mean. Good luck Cheers, fat chance of them two scoring at the same time - they seem to alternate. Very tight league, if only a few of the draws had gone your way instead. Still think you can make Europe Europe should be a definite, I want Champions league football though. Slow and steady though! You can easily take 5th it's just about getting the results. Who would have thought it was just about getting the results! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted January 16, 2012 Author Share Posted January 16, 2012 END OF SEASON UPDATE 2017-18 PREMIER LEAGUE Another great season in the league for Stoke City FC, consolidating another 5th place finish but still some way off that elusive fourth spot. However, we never really looked like mounting a challenge for fourth as our record against the top 4 was quite poor. Here are the results for the last part of the season, as you can see we struggled to put a string of wins together. Yet again, Nagy was pivotal in our strong finish with 24 goals in the league coming second in the goal scoring charts, well behind Aguero. This game against Bolton was a great match for him, scoring 4 goals in the 5-0 victory. PLAYER STATS | TEAM STATS CHAMPIONS: Man City RELEGATED: Bolton, Bristol City, Ipswich City. EUROPA LEAGUE Well what a farce this was. As you are aware we came up against AZ Alkmaar in the first knockout round and I had high hopes for the clash. How wrong was I? The first leg finished 0-0 and was the scrappiest match I have ever witnessed. Both teams struggled to make any clear chances and the match was bound with several fouls and misplaced passes but at least we didn’t lose. The second leg couldn’t have been worse though, could it? Yes it was, again it finished 0-0 even after extra time and it was another terrible footballing match. Penalties would decide who progressed and progressing was AZ winning 5-3 in the penalty shootout, John Fleck missing the first penalty. Worst moment of the season by far! PLAYER STATS | TEAM STATS FINAL: Fiorentina 0-1 Chelsea LEAGUE CUP I had made it to the final against Sunderland and I expected it to be a very tough match but again we were touted as favourites to win. A goal in the 27’ minute from Formica reaffirmed our favourite tag but a goal from young striker Furman right before half time levelled the scores. The second half was very much even but a Smalling foul inside the box gave Furman the chance from the spot to equalise. He duly did and put Sunderland in the lead with only 10’ to go. We could not find and equalising goal and Sunderland were crowned Carling Cup champions. Yet another final we have lost. FINAL: Sunderland 2-1 Stoke FA CUP We had already played a massive amount of games this season and our FA Cup progress only added to that amount. A fourth round tie against Liverpool ended in a 1-1 draw which meant a replay at Anfield. It was to my shock that we went there with a second string side and smashed them 5-0, playing this second string side in hope of getting knocked out to decrease our workload. Man City came next in the Cup and a 0-0 draw again led to another game. However, we lost this one 2-0 and bowed out of the FA Cup, finally. FINAL: Charlton 1-3 Man City KEY PLAYERS Ryan Shawcross – We had the third best defensive record in the league and it was mostly thanks to stand out performances from the captain. Chris Smalling – Another key member of our defence, responsible for our great defensive record. Andras Nagy – Yet again another record breaking season for Nagy, beating his own record for goals in a season with 29. He also amassed 100 goals for Stoke this season. Fabian Delph – A great performer throughout the season, chipping in goals and assists in abundance. COMMENTS An average season overall but one with lots of room for improvement. We simply committed ourselves in too many competitions this season, playing 60 games in total and my squad couldn’t cope when it mattered. Next season I’m hoping for a better showing in Europe whilst again consolidating out strong league position. To do this though I’m going to need a consistent striker to play alongside Nagy and also another midfielder as Cairney and McEachran just didn’t perform this season. I’ve also been looking at signing this amazing 23 year old American keeper, David Morris. AROUND THE WORLD La Liga: Barcelona Ligue 1: Olympique Marseille Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund Serie A: AC Milan Eredivisie: PSV Champions League: Real Madrid 1-2 Barcelona Europa League: Fiorentina 0-1 Chelsea Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
City2000 Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 5th place is a good effort, I think in the end the amount of games you played maybe took their toll. Nice run in the League Cup but will you maybe look to sacrifice that competition or even the FA Cup next year? Good season from Nagy aswell notching 29 goals and I particularly enoyed you putting out the reserves at Anfield and winning 5-0 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Another decent season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Well done on another good league finish. Looks like your luck run out in the cups though; penalties are not your friend! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Such a pity about Sunderland. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 It's a very strong season again, Premier League is by far the toughest league. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pangaea Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Strong season and not far off that CL spot. Being involved in Europe is very tough and that seemed to get to the team in the end. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShyBaldBuddhist Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Good league campaign and unlucky in the league cup too. Was expecting a better run in Europe though. A couple of signings in the summer and you may get a bit closer to the CL spots. Only 5 points off so definitely getting there Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 Cheers guys! I played pretty much the whole day today, well I say played - more looking for that elusive amazing partner for Nagy as well as a better centre mid. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted January 18, 2012 Author Share Posted January 18, 2012 2018 FIFA WORLD CUP FINAL United States of America – 1 (4) Erik Pope (60) France – 1 (3) Mbaye Niang (16) A dream come true for the most unlikeliest of nations in this World Cup! Any country celebrates a world cup victory for days on end but the USA will be celebrating for some time to come, pulling off a remarkable upset. You’d be forgiven for thinking that the US had an easy run in to the final, however that was not the case as they pulled off several upsets against the likes of Brazil and Mexico after topping a group containing Turkey and Argentina. They did much better than the likes of England who bowed out in the group stages with yet another lack lustre performance on the biggest stage. France made their way to the final with victories over Chile, Australia and Spain – a much easier run in compared to their fellow finalists. It was an early goal from Mbaye Niang that kick started the final, a deftly executed first time volley on the edge of the six-yard box, typical of the French Striker. France continued to dominate play with the likes of Yann M’Vila and Rolland dominating the midfield. That was until former PSV but now Liverpool striker Erik Pope equalised after a horrible back pass and mistake from Koscielny, gifting Pope a tap in. It was very much a game on edge until full-time and even throughout extra-time there were little chances made. It all came down to penalties now and Jonathon Spector knew that if he scored and Rami missed the US would triumph. Spector emphatically smashed the ball into the top corner, putting all the pressure on Rami to score. Rami stepped up, composed himself before striking a weak effort straight at Morris. The whole of USA erupted into a mad frenzy and ecstasy of emotions, they were crowned World Champions! In the wake of all this most countries chose to move on from their current managers and reputable Stoke manager was approached by three clubs for the head job. Nigeria, Australia and England are all after his services but it is thought that Hurst will reject the opportunity, rather focusing on building his Stoke City side. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 In the wake of all this most countries chose to move on from their current managers and reputable Stoke manager was approached by three clubs for the head job. Nigeria, Australia and England are all after his services but it is thought that Hurst will reject the opportunity, rather focusing on building his Stoke City side. Which three clubs are after you? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 Sorry, I meant three national teams. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted January 20, 2012 Author Share Posted January 20, 2012 SEASON PREVIEW 2018/19 Media Prediction: 5th Board Requirement: Europa League Qualification FA Cup: 6th Round League Cup: N/A Europa League: 1st KO Round Upcoming Fixtures TRANSFER NEWS I was looking to make big moves in this transfer window but none of that prevailed. Anybody that I wanted would have cost me more money than I was willing to spend, maybe I’m just tight. I did however; bring in two players – Younousse Sankhare (5.75M) a centre mid who has already played in England with Wolves and Southampton. Timo Horn (FREE) coming in as a back-up keeper as Daniel Bachmann’s contract had expired, hopefully he doesn’t mind not playing very often. I would have liked much more activity in this transfer window and I was close to deals with Nuri Sahin and other top players but it was not to be. Outgoing were the likes of Josh McEachran (4.8M), Tom Cairney (2.7M), Phillip Roth (1.8M) as they all failed to impress in the past few seasons and it was time for them to move on. Several players also left on frees, the biggest name being Daniel Sturridge as well as some reserve team players. TOP EPL TRANSFERS | PAULO – ARSENAL (25.5m) TEAM REPORT I wasn’t happy with how the transfer window had gone so far but I was still reasonably happy with my squad. I am still confident that we have the potential to progress far in the Europa League, whilst still doing well in the league and if all goes well in Europe I might be able to attract better players in the future. Again I’ll be relying on the likes of Fabian Delph, Ryan Shawcross and Andras Nagy to push us forward but maybe new signing Sankhare will shine. These are two additions to my first team from my youth team, who will feature at some point during the season: Michel Serrano Greg Cowlishaw CLUB NEWS The club is now the 11th most valuable club in England which says a lot about our ability to overachieve, pretty much challenging with the top money spending clubs on a small budget. We are still the 7th best club reputation wise, with the old top six above us but all that is needed is a great run in Europe. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRL88 Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Nice work so far Hursty . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Hope you get that run. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShyBaldBuddhist Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Sankhare looks a decent purchase and I think Serrano has a lot of promise. GL for the coming season. I think this is the year you break into the CL places. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted January 20, 2012 Share Posted January 20, 2012 Still got four current Stoke players seven years in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted January 24, 2012 Author Share Posted January 24, 2012 Nice work so far Hursty . Much appreciated. Hope you get that run. I hope so too! Sankhare looks a decent purchase and I think Serrano has a lot of promise. GL for the coming season. I think this is the year you break into the CL places. I just wish I could have bought a marquee man. Still got four current Stoke players seven years in. Decent! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted January 24, 2012 Author Share Posted January 24, 2012 EUROPA LEAGUE 4TH QUALIFYING ROUND 1st Leg Stoke City – 4 Andras Nagy (3) Mauro Formica (30) Marc Wilson (69) Ryan Shawcross (74) Dinamo Bucharest – 0 An easy victory to put is in the driving seat for the second leg. Nagy got us off to a flying start and a good result was to be expected from that point onwards. Formica, Wilson and Shawcross put the tie out of reach with the other goals. 2nd Leg Dinamo Bucharest – 1 Andrei Bota (62) Stoke City – 3 Tonci Piric (16) Dereece Upcott (37) Marc Wilson (67P) A young team started this game and they showed us what they can do. Young striker Piric put us into the lead with a good finish, followed by a rather lucky goal from regen Upcott who has been at the club for 5yrs but I don’t expect much from him. Wilson got his second goal of the round with a penalty just after Bucharest scored their only goal. Group Stage Draw – 1st Seed Group C Stoke City FC (England) Parma (Italy) FC Salzburg (Austria) Lech Poznan (Poland) *** I was handed a very easy draw this year as I was a first seed so this should see me easily progress through to the 1st KO round. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Really should be looking to progress in Europe but if you are going for top 4 you might have to sacrifice Europe this year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pangaea Posted January 24, 2012 Share Posted January 24, 2012 Great draw. Hopefully you can both go through that group and reach the CL spots in the league. Certainly think that is within your grasp Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Should get through that group comfortably. Only Parma should pose a threat. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Should be a good european season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 MID SEASON UPDATE 2018/19 PREMIER LEAGUE Great going so far this season as we sit in 4th position, challenging the top 4 sides all season especially in the 3-1 victory over Chelsea. The games that we have lost though have been to sides in the bottom half of the table such as Cardiff, Wolves and Wigan, teams we shouldn’t be losing to. Again our defensive form has been the stand out so far this season, even with the injuries and suspensions we’ve sustained – Huth, Shawcross and Situ all being out for a lengthy period of time. This has meant 16yr old Greg Cowlishaw has had to step in, doing very well even picking up a Man of the Match award. However, the sole standout performer this season has been Andras Nagy scoring 19 goals in the league so far and we still have 15 left to play. I’m hoping that I can remain in this 4th position and take a Champions League spot. EUROPA LEAGUE All went well in the group stages with me progressing in 1st with 16 points, only dropping points against Parma (1-1) in the first game of the group. Massive wins against both Salzburg and Lech highlighted my dominance in the group. The 1st KO Round puts me up against German side Stuttgart who will pose a significant challenge but one that I will be favourites for. If I live up to my favourites tag I will then come up against the winner out of Sporting CP and Rangers FC, Sporting a team that I played in last season’s Europa League Group Stage. LEAGUE CUP This competition wasn’t on my bucket list for this season, too many games was not good for my team last year and I’m not going to risk it this time round. We lost to rivals WBA 1-0, despite a good showing from a young team. FA CUP I’m not too sure about my views on this comp and whether it is on the cards so I’ll just play it as it comes. West Brom were again our opponents, much like in the league cup the result was 1-0 but this time we came out victors, Knezevic scoring a late winner. TRANSFER NEWS Not much to comment on here other than my back-up GK moaning about a lack of games and requesting for his contract to be terminated. The most annoying player I’ve had so far and no one would buy him therefore I agreed to terminate. KEY PLAYERS Andras Nagy – What a season he is having so far, 19 goals in the league and 30 in all competitions and it’s only February. He went through an amazing spell, scoring 27 goals in 21 games. He broke his own record in January. Fabian Delph – This season he has been marred by injuries but that hasn’t stopped him from putting in some key performances and 12 assists. Ryan Shawcross – He is always on this part of the update, isn’t he? Same story about Shawcross, a beast at the back. Jose Peixoto – Suffering from a hip injury at the moment but when he has played he’s been great, exciting times for the 18yr old. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deisler26 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Nice win over Chelsea! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltablue Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Excellent form from Nagy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pangaea Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Great stuff from Nagy and well done on getting through the Europa League group so well. Hopefully you can go on and claim a CL spot with 4th or better Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
City2000 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Looking good so far, Nagy has really come of age. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hursty2 Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 It's all about Nagy this season! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Stoke in the title race! Whatever next! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HotChocolate Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Stoke in the title race! Whatever next! Port Vale in the Championship? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaneBramage Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Good work, fingers crossed this'll be the year of Champions League qualification. Nagy's been quite some player. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Port Vale in the Championship? That miracle has happened before! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dejay Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Excellent work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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