abulezz Posted December 14, 2013 Author Share Posted December 14, 2013 World Cup 2014 - Brazil Knockout Stages - Player Stats - Dream Team GROUP A Despite scoring only two goals, the hosts Brazil topped the group with seven points and did not concede a single goal in all three of their games. They were joined by Mexico in the Second Round, who beat out Ivory Coast and Ukraine by a point despite only scoring two goals and conceding four. Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba, playing in his last World Cup, led all scorers in the Group Stages with 4 goals. GROUP B Despite starting the tournament with a brace from their superstar Ronaldo, the favorites to top the group, Portugal, crashed out of the tournament in the Group Stages. Instead, it was 2010 Semi-Finalists Uruguay, having topped the group, and West African nation Cameroon who advanced to the Second Round, with Iran finishing bottom of the group. Cameroon striker Samuel Etoo was the best player in the group, having scored 3 goals in his 3 games. GROUP C Perhaps the group that gave the public the most entertaining matchups in the Group Stages, it was Holland, who scored a tournament best 11 goals in the Group Stages, and the USA that went through. A disappointing Nigeria side failed to score a single goal, lost all their matches, and conceded 10 goals in the process. The other team that got knocked out was Romania, who provided some entertaining football and solid performances. Undeniably, the best player in the group was the USA’s Clint Dempsey, who recorded a goal, 3 assists, and an 8.37 AR that was good enough for second best in the Group Stages. GROUP D European nations Germany and Bosnia had little trouble advancing to the Second Round at the expense of Australia and Paraguay, who both recorded three points. Bosnia’s performance was especially surprising, considering they only conceded one goal and failed to lose any matches in the Group Stages. German GK Manuel Neuer was able to keep a clean sheet in all three of Germany’s matches, while Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko scored 2 goals and recorded a 7.93 AR in the Group Stages. GROUP E The 2018 World Cup hosts, Russia, would hope to do better in four years as they finished bottom of the group, with defending champions Spain finishing top. The champions had an easy time with the group, and they were joined by 2002 Semi-Finalists South Korea, who finished ahead of Peru. GROUP F One of the most impressive teams in the Group Stages, Belgium, finished top of the group having scored ten goals. England was widely expected to be one of the teams that make it through to the Second Round, but it was not to be, as Chile finished second and knocked out the favorites. Finishing last, unsurprisingly, was New Zealand, who lost all their matches and failed to earn a single point. GROUP G Some impressive football was not enough to send a talented Japanese team through, as they were knocked out by the favorites to win the entire thing, Argentina, and Switzerland. Burkina Faso, who were participating in their first World Cup and provided some memorable games, finished last, and despite losing all their matches, were still one of the most entertaining teams to watch in the Group Stages. GROUP H In a shock to no one, Italy qualified to the Second Round – what was surprising, however, was the fact that they finished second in the group, behind leaders Greece. Tunisia and Costa Rica both failed to win any games, failing to provide any challenge to the European nations that finished ahead of them. Second Round CAMEROON vs BRAZIL: 1(p)-1 – In what can only be classified as one of the biggest upsets of all time, the West African nation fought the heavily favored hosts tooth and nail before finally defeating them in the penalty shootout. Perhaps the greatest player in the history of Cameroon, Samuel Etoo scored his fourth goal of the tournament to equalize after an own goal put Brazil up in the first half. Although Brazil had more chances, it could be argued that Cameroon played better football, earning the victory and, perhaps, catapulting African football to a new level. POM: Jean Makoun, Cameroon URUGUAY vs MEXICO: 1(p)-1 – An entertaining match between two Latin American rivals, Uruguay’s Edinson Cavani continued his impressive World Cup campaign, scoring his third goal of the tournament and registering a 7.80 AR after this match. Mexico equalized in dramatic fashion just three minutes from the end of regulation time, but it was not to be, as they were finally defeated on penalty shootout. POM: Maxi Pereira, Uruguay GERMANY vs USA: 3-0 – A dominant performance from the Germans was expected and they delivered without fail, outplaying the Americans in every way. In fact, the Germans’ averaged a 7.67 AR between all their players, led by Mario Gotze, who scored a brace and recorded a 9.20 AR for the game. The Germans continued their strong play through the tournament, living up to the billing of being pre-tournament favorites. POM: Mario Gotze, Germany BOSNIA vs HOLLAND: 2-0 – In the second shocking result of the World Cup, Bosnia continued their Cinderella story, defeating a heavily favored Dutch team convincingly. Edin Dzeko scored his third goal of the tournament to put Bosnia ahead in the first half, and Balkan nation barely looked like losing their lead after that. The Dutch underperformed, despite all the big names in their squad. POM: Senad Lulic, Bosnia SPAIN vs CHILE: 5-2 – Chile qualified from the Group Stages at England’s expense, but they were in for a rude awaking, as the defending champions put five goals past them, just as Belgium did in the Group Stages. Juan Mata, the English Premier League’s Footballer of the Year, scored an incredible hat-trick inside the last twenty minutes of the match, taking Spain from a draw to a highly convincing victory. Perhaps the best player in the tournament heading into the Quarter-Finals was Mata’s Chelsea teammate, Cesar Azpilicueta, whose 6 assists and 8.37 AR were best in the tournament. Chilean striker Humberto Suazo bowed out in style, scoring a brace against the champions. POM: Juan Mata BELGIUM vs SOUTH KOREA: 3-2 – In a highly entertaining match, the South Koreans collapsed in the final thirty minutes to give up a two goal and eventually lose the match. The Koreans scored a third minute goal, and another seven minutes before the end of the half, where they headed into the break confident of their second ever appearance in the Quarter-Finals. But Belgium had other plans, applying pressure from the beginning of the second, finally breaking through in the 68th minute. They equalized the match in the 78th minute before Romelu Lukaku scored the winner in the 82nd minute. Eden Hazard delivered an assist, bringing his total to five as Belgium headed to the Quarter-Finals and South Korea exited in heart-breaking fashion. POM: Ji Dong-Won SWITZERLAND vs GREECE: 3-0 – Both teams were satisfied enough to be in the Second Round, and one of them was going to have the chance to play in the World Cup Quarter-Finals. It would be the Swiss, however, who would earn their way past the Greeks, defeating them convincingly thanks to some solid defensive play. Offensively, they took their chances will, with two goals coming early in the second half to seal the victory. It would be the first time the Swiss team had advanced to the Quarter-Finals of the competition since 1954. POM: Ricardo Rodriguez, Switzerland ARGENTINA vs ITALY: 1-0 – The most anticipated matchup of the Second Round was also the final game before the Quarter-Finals, featuring two of the biggest footballing nations in the world. Both teams were pre-tournament favorites, but the best player in the world, Lionel Messi, would prove to be the difference between the two evenly matched teams. Messi would score in the 77th minute, only his second of the tournament, and break Italian hearts all over the world. POM: Leandro Bonucci, Italy Quarter-Finals URUGUAY vs BOSNIA: 3-1 – For the second straight World Cup, Luis Suarez was directly responsible for sending his home nation to the Semi-Finals of the competition, although this time, it was through his football and not controversial actions. Suarez netted a brace, starting with a goal in the 4th minute that set the tone of the game. It took only fifteen minutes for Uruguay to take a two goal lead over first time participants Bosnia, with Uruguay’s best player this tournament, Edison Cavani, scoring his 3rd goal. Suarez hit the final dagger in the 72nd minute, but the South Americans never looked in danger of losing the match. Still, the Bosnians left the pitch extremely proud of their accomplishments, having advanced to the Quarter-Finals in their first ever World Cup. POM: Luis Suarez, Uruguay GERMANY vs CAMEROON: 3-1 – Once again, an African nation could only go as far as the Quarter-Finals before getting knocked out, as the continent continued to be void of a representative in the Semi-Finals stage of the competition. The Germans were the better, however, especially Thomas Muller, who scored a brace and in turn became the leading scorer for the Germans heading into the Semi-Finals with four goals. In fact, the goal that Cameroon scored was the first goal conceded by the highly efficient German team the whole tournament, showcasing just how in form the squad was. The third German goal was by way of Bundesliga Player of the Year, Mats Hummels. POM: Thomas Muller, Germany ARGENTINA vs BELGIUM: 1(p)-1 – This was hands down the most dramatic match played in Brazil 2014 thus far, as it had everything to keep the fans on their toes. In the dying seconds of the first half, after a very even forty-five minutes, Lionel Messi scored his 3rd goal in the tournament, putting the South American nation up in heart-breaking fashion. The second half would be just as intense as the first, but the Argentine defense did their part and kept the clean sheet intact for almost the entire second half. In the very last seconds of the match, a mistake by Javier Mascherano allowed Christian Benteke to collect the ball, run at the GK, and score Belgium’s equalizer. Argentina was devastated, and throughout extra-time, looked like they were going to lose the match. They didn’t, but they did during the penalty shootouts, ended their quest to reach the Semi-Finals of the World Cup, something which they had now not done in twenty-four years. POM: Christian Benteke, Belgium SPAIN vs SWITZERLAND: 3-1 – The champions were again blessed with a favorable draw in the Quarter-Finals, lining up against a fellow European nation that had done very well to reach this stage. Things got going early for Spain, as Cesc Fabregas scored the first of his two goals in the 3rd minute, followed by Xavi’s goal in the 19th minute. By the time the second half came around, Spain were up by three goals, and although Switzerland got one back in the 77th minute, there was never any question about who was going to advance to the Semi-Finals. The champions’ quest for a second straight title would continue unharmed. POM: Cesc Fabregas, Spain Semi-Finals GERMANY vs BELGIUM: 2-0 – Belgium’s impressive run hit the German brick wall in the Semi-Finals, as the Germans again did not concede a single goal and played ruthlessly efficient football going forward. Lukas Podolski decided it was his turn to score a brace, hitting in a goal in the dying seconds of the first half and another just ten minutes before the end of the second half. The Belgian team, as talented as they are, could find no way around the German defensive line, which had been by the far most impressive in the World Cup. Germany would advance to their first Finals since 2002, in hopes of capturing their first title since 1990. POM: Lukas Podolski, Germany SPAIN vs URUGUAY: 1(p)-1 – The defending champions, long considered the favorite to win the tournament, advanced to their second straight World Cup Finals, but it was a bittersweet moment for them. They took the lead in the 19th minute through Andreas Iniesta, but Uruguay found a way to equalize through their star player Edinson Cavani in the 63rd minute, with the striker scoring his 4th goal in the tournament. As the match shifted into extra-time, Spain’s best player, and arguably the best player in the tournament, Cesar Azpilicueta, was shown a red card in the 100th minute, taking with him his tournament leading 7 assists, 7.94 AR, and denying him an appearance in the Finals. In addition to that, Juan Mata was injured in the 18th minute, as well. Spain would eventually win through penalty shootout, but would be missing two very key components against the Germans in the Finals. POM: Andreas Iniesta, Spain Finals GERMANY vs SPAIN: 1-0 – It was a fitting end to a great World Cup and one of the greatest teams to ever grace the tournament. The defending champions came into the Finals with eyes on being the first team to win back to back championships since Brazil did it in 1958 and 1962, but it was not to be. Lukas Podolski scored in the 13th minute, bringing his total in the tournament to three, all of which were scored in the Semi-Finals and Finals. Germany’s Mats Hummels ended the tournament with a 7.85 AR, drawing curtains on a phenomenal individual season, while Manuel Neuer was crowned PoM for his outstanding play in the Finals, denying Spain of any goals. In seven matches, including the Finals, Neuer kept six clean sheets and only conceded a single goal, a testament to his brilliance. To be fair, Spain was Germany’s equals in almost every aspect of the game, but the difference was Neuer. Germany won the World Cup for the fourth time in their history, equaling Italy’s feat and becoming second only to Brazil’s five title wins. POM: Manuel Neuer, Germany Awards BEST PLAYER: Mats Hummels - An unlikely winner for Best Player, Hummels was almost flawless throughout the tournament. His 7.85 AR was sixth best overall, and third best for anyone who was involved in the Quarter-Finals and beyond. His 58 interceptions were the third best in the tournament. BEST YOUNG PLAYER: Mario Gotze – Although he only played in four games, he was superb, scoring two goals and recording a tournament best two PoMs. His 7.78 AR was good for 13th best. The 22 year old was an integral part of the success that the German team found. BEST GOALKEEPER: Manuel Neuer – There is little double that Neuer has become the world’s best GK, especially after his performance in the World Cup. The German kept 6 clean sheets out of 7 games, conceding only one goal enroute to Germany’s fourth World Cup title. TOP GOALSCORER: Edinson Cavani – Scorer of 6 goals, Cavani was the primary reason Uruguay advanced to the Semi-Finals. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted December 15, 2013 Author Share Posted December 15, 2013 2014/15 Preview Team News The Skrill South champions had over half the team leave over the off-season, and Jnoubi concentrated on only bringing in players that could immediately contribute. With a lot of young talent that could potentially contribute this season, the owner/manager has set his sight on not only surviving the drop, but also ending the year as a mid-table team. He shored up the defense with two Congolese players who were to be immediately thrust into the starting lineup, but the biggest question remains in between the posts. With 17 year old Hodgetts, the club has a player who definitely has the talent to play at this level and above, but at such a young age, there were doubts on whether he was ready. Jnoubi has rolled the dice and named him his No.1, with hopes that he will be able to handle it mentally, and that the defensive line in front of him will be capable of helping him out. IMPORTANT SIGNINGS Stephen Brogan – Free Transfer: The 26 year old left winger joined Bromley from Forest Green, with Jnoubi looking for someone who can be relied upon to rotate with Donnelly throughout the season. Mario Noto – Free Transfer: A lack of depth in the middle of the pitch had Jnoubi bring in the 29 year old, who previously had spent six seasons with Boreham Wood. What he lacks in pace he makes up for with his creativity, and he has been to known to be a leader in the locker room. Mike Cestor – Free Transfer: The first of two players from the Democratic Republic of Congo that Jnoubi signed to shore up the defense, the 22 year old, who played 32 games from Woking last season, has the ability to play both central defender and left back. Tommy Ngoy – Free Transfer: The second Congolese to sign, the 24 year old former Whitehawk player is purely a central defender, and will be relied upon to start the season as the leader of the defensive line. KEY PLAYERS Gianluca Gracco – Having been signed in the middle of the 2013/14 season, Bromley became a different team after the 23 year old Italian joined the club. While his 6 goals in 15 games was a decent but unspectacular return, it is clear that he is the club’s star going forward. He will be relied on to lead the team in scoring this season, and he certainly has the ability to do that. Elliot Rudd – Talent-wise, there is no doubt that Rudd is in a league of his own in comparison with the rest of the team. Despite being only 16 years old, he has already been named as the starting right winger of the squad this season, and Jnoubi has also proclaimed he expects much from the youngster. His pace is phenomenal, especially at this level, and combined with his improving technical ability, he has potential to be a nightmare for opposing full-backs. Danny Waldren – Bromley’s finest player last season, he will again be relied upon to lead the midfield line and provide assists for the forward unit. It is unlikely he will score 14 goals as he did in 2013/14, but one can expect him to match his 13 assists. He is undoubtedly one of Jnoubi’s key players this campaign. Shamir Mullings – Filling in at right winger or as a striker, Mullings will be called upon to provide goals and opportunities for his teammates, as he did last year. Jnoubi will be hoping for more than just 24 appearances from the 20 year old this time around, though, and an improvement on the 9 goals he scored last season. Bill Hodgetts - Jnoubi took a big risk in naming 17 year old Hodgetts is starting GK for the 2014/15 season, but there is no denying the talent of the youngster. The only question is whether he is mentally ready to assume the responsibility of being the club’s No.1. He spent last year as Joe Welch’s understudy after signing on from Nuneaton for free, and Jnoubi will hope that he learned enough to be the right man between the posts for the squad. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deisler26 Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Good luck this season! Mid-table? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted December 16, 2013 Author Share Posted December 16, 2013 Good luck this season! Mid-table? Well, realistically we should be able to compete for a playoff spot, but a mid-table finish would do just fine. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 I bet that World Cup reflects England's effort next year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted December 17, 2013 Author Share Posted December 17, 2013 I bet that World Cup reflects England's effort next year. Lol, its funny - in my save that got wiped, England won it all. Now, they couldn't even get passed the Group Stages. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share Posted December 19, 2013 2014/15 Mid-Season Update Team News League Review - Bromley Player Stats The season started off with four straight wins, but since then, it has been either hot patches or extremely cold patches. The squad has been defensively very poor, ranking 16th best in goals conceded, but offensively, they have had no equal, with their 60 goals scored being the best in the Skrill Premier. Bromley have gone into February as the top team in the league, thanks mainly to their offensive proficiency, with a three point lead on the rest of the top four. The squad has had tremendous contributions from their youth, especially their own Youth Academy product, Elliot Rudd. Their reliance on the youngsters has brought about some horribly inconsistent form, but the sheer talent that has been put forward on the pitch has also won them many games. Going into the final third of the season, the squad and Jnoubi look confident of at least winning a play-off spot, but the goal is definitely to finish the season at the top of the league. KEY PLAYERS Elliot Rudd – The Bromley Youth Academy product has so far showcased immense talent and potential this season, and he has got his tremendous pace to thank for that. But it is not only his physical abilities that has impressed, but also his ability to find the open man and score a goal, as his 9 goals and 7 assists will attest. The 17 year old still needs to find consistency when it comes to his form, but through 25 games this season, his 7.06 AR is more than respectable. Gianluca Gracco – Bromley have been the best offensive team in the Skrill Premier this season and the 24 year old Italian is the primary reason why. In 30 appearances, he has scored a league leading 19 goals, many of which were the difference between three points and one for the club. His importance so far this season cannot be overstated, as he has been the most dangerous offensive weapon in the entire league. Teddy Ngoy – Undoubtedly Bromley’s most in-form player this season, Ngoy’s 7.53 AR so far has been good enough for third best in the league, while his 5 PoMs are the fourth most in the league. The 24 year old Congolese central defender has had some issues staying in shape, but his contributions thus far cannot be questioned as the team’s defensive line is a totally different animal with him the in the starting lineup. Shamir Mullings – It has been another solid season for the forward, who has seen a lot of time as a right winger, as well. His stats speak for themselves: 22 appearances, 7 goals, and 7 assists – a great all-around contribution from one of Bromley’s most important and versatile players. Danny Waldren – Bromley’s captain and 2014 Player of the Year has had a tougher time this year, but that is not to say he has not had a good season. In 28 appearances, he has contributed 6 goals, 5 assists, and 3 PoMs – it is just that his form has not been as consistent as the previous season. Still, his importance in the midfield is second to none, as he remains the squad’s creative force in the center of the pitch. Dan Spurge – Given that he has been asked to play as a central midfielder and a central defender throughout the season, Spurge has presented the club with some outstanding services. In 20 games, he has provided 4 assists and a respectable 6.89 AR. His form has only gotten better as the season has progressed, and he has shown tremendous improvement in his footballing ability. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted December 20, 2013 Author Share Posted December 20, 2013 Youth Intake 2015 - Not as good as last year's crop. I really don't see the 5* being too good, but hey, not going to argue with my assistants: Giorgos Panagi Soleman Sheikh Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
b101 Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 Tough going with this save, but good luck going on through Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted December 22, 2013 Author Share Posted December 22, 2013 Tough going with this save, but good luck going on through Yea it was bad, I was really enjoying the save. We just won the Skrill Premier, so its OK Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted December 26, 2013 Author Share Posted December 26, 2013 2014/15 Season Review Team News League Review - Bromley Player Stats Where 2014 was marred with inconsistent form for the club, once the ball got rolling in 2015, so did the squad. Bromley finished the season on a high, beating Forest Green by one point to be crowned Skrill Premier champions despite a less than stellar defensive record. They did it, much to Jnoubi’s dismay, on the offensive end, scoring a league leading 101 goals, offsetting the 82 goals conceded. Unlike the previous season, however, the team had a few bonafide stars on the squad – namely, Gianluca Gracco, Elliot Rudd, and Teddy Ngoy. The automatic promotion meant that next season, Bromley were going to be a professional outfit for the first time in the club’s history, giving out professional, full-time contracts. Kafra Jnoubi’s vision of turning the club professional had come true in only two seasons, and as a reward, he was crowned the Skrill Premier Manager of the Year. GOALKEEPERS Bill Hodgetts, GK, 18 Years Old: Bromley’s championship season came despite of Hodgetts’ performances, as his 6.56 AR would testify. In truth, the gamble to feature Hodgetts as Bromley’s No.1 was a rare bad call from Jnoubi, who had to deal with his team conceding 82 goals despite having one of the most solid defensive lines in the league. The youngster was clearly not ready, and despite showing improvement throughout the season, Jnoubi will be foolish not to look for a new No.1 before the beginning of next year. DEFENDERS Teddy Ngoy, DC, 25 Years Old: The Congolese central defender was an inspirational signing, Jnoubi’s finest this season. His 7.26 AR led the team and was fourth best in the league, and he also recorded 7 PoMs and 2.73 TpG. He played in 29 games, a relatively low number due to his main weakness – his lack of fitness. Other than that, he was arguably Bromley’s second most important player this season. Scott Foster, DC, 19 Years Old: A central midfielder originally, Jnoubi felt his talents were better suited in the backline, and so far, it is hard to argue with the Bromley manager. While Foster’s 6.62 AR was unspectacular, his performances as the season wore down started to get considerably better as he became more comfortable in his new position. He finished the season playing 37 games, recording 4 goals and 2.69 TpG, showcasing vastly improved defensive skills. Joe Anderson, DL, 25 Years Old: One of Bromley’s most reliable players in 2013/14, a move up in divisions proved to be a step too high for the left back, as he fought with inconsistency all year. He ended up featuring in 36 games, recording a respectable 3.85 TpG in the process, but his 6.68 AR was more of an indicator of the mediocre season he had. Moving forward, Jnoubi’s best bet would be to seek a new left back, and that seems to be the case as his contract was not renewed at the end of the season. Sebastien Barron, DR, 17 Years Old: The best player at the squad’s weakest position, Barron was the finest of a mediocre bunch. As expected from a player his age, consistency was not his strong suit, as his form varied throughout the season. What he did do well was win the ball, as his 3.32 TpG showed, although his 6.62 AR left a lot to be desired. Overall, he played in 23 games and ended up being the main component of the rotation system that had a hard time giving the club quality at the position, although at his age, he has shown signs of good potential. MIDFIELDERS Elliot Rudd, MR, 17 Years Old: The Bromley Youth Academy product has already shown that he might be the most talented to come out of the club’s youth ranks in its history. In 41 games, he recorded 12 goals, 13 assists, 4 PoMs, and 6.99 AR from the right winger position, where Jnoubi has decided he is best utilized. Despite his young age, he showed great ability to deal with pressure, and while his strongest attribute is his pace, he also showed marked improvement in his technical abilities. He has already become one of the squad’s key players, and most likely to have the ability to succeed at a higher stage. Danny Waldren, MC, 25 Years Old: The club captain (and 2013/14’s Player of the Year) had another fine season, playing 44 games and recording 9 goals, 7 assists, 4 PoMs, and a 6.95 AR. He proved himself able to maintain his form in a higher division, despite some quiet doubts that he would, as he again was Bromley’s most important player in the center of the pitch. Andrew Donnelly, ML, 18 Years Old: While the 18 year old delivered an acceptable season, more was expected of him after the promise he showed in his debut year. In 20 games, he recorded 3 goals, 5 assists, and 6.89 AR, giving Bromley respectable numbers when he played. He is still very young, and with his new contract, he will continue to be given chances to show that he is worthy a first team place. Dan Spurge, MC, 19 Years Old: Perhaps the most pleasant surprise this season was the way Spurge developed, as he played well as both a central midfielder and a central defender. In 32 appearances, he recorded 3 goals, 6 assists, 2.37 TpG, and a 6.93 AR, and by the end of the season, he was one of the club’s most reliable players. His good all-around ability helped the club, as his versatility was quite key to featuring a strong line-up. FORWARDS Gianluca Gracco, SC, 24 Years Old: There is little doubt who Bromley’s most important player this season was, as the Italian recorded the second highest goal tally in the Skrill Premier with 29 goals. He played in all 46 matches for his club, contributing 6 assists and 7.02 AR, as well. His pace and finishing ability were his best attributes, and he used them well as he gave opposing defenders fits all season long. Whether he can maintain the same level in the npower League 2 remains to be seen, but he was rewarded with a new contract so he will be given the chance. Shamir Mullings, SC, 21 Years Old: Mullings continued to give Bromley exactly what the club expected from him – versatility and across the board contribution. In 32 appearances, he recorded 11 goals, 9 assists, and a 6.86 AR, all while playing in two different positions all year. ONES TO WATCH Giorgio Panagi, SC, 16 Years Old: Straight from the Bromley Youth Academy, Panagi made an explosive debut, scoring a brace against Chester in his debut. He went on to play 6 games total this season, scoring 3 goals total and registering a 7.28 AR. Clearly, the Cypriot has the potential to contribute, and Jnoubi will look to give him ample playing time next season. Soleman Sheikh, ML, 16 Years Old: Although Panagi made the better debut, in the long run, it might be Sheikh who ends up the better player. His overall talent is evident to all, and the Djiboutian will look to feature more in the first team come next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted December 26, 2013 Share Posted December 26, 2013 Very well done winning the league. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted December 28, 2013 Share Posted December 28, 2013 Football League here you come! Excellent work Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 Football League here you come! Excellent work Very well done winning the league. Thanks! I have a feeling League Two is going to be a difficult one, though. Just starting the season now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 Unbelievable - the game won't load AGAIN. The last time I backed it up was September 2014, so the Skrill Premier was just underway. I downloaded 14.2.2 and it just stopped working. Twice already! So frustrating. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Bummer. Here's hoping... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethal Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Gutted for you my friend. Since Fm11 iv always alternated my saves every time i play to avoid this b.s. Only came in this thread to c if i could get some Bromley/Skrill tips but learnt a much bigger lesson. Sorry for u tho. I say carry on from where you can mate and continue the progression of the mighty Lillywhites! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 Gutted for you my friend. Since Fm11 iv always alternated my saves every time i play to avoid this b.s. Only came in this thread to c if i could get some Bromley/Skrill tips but learnt a much bigger lesson. Sorry for u tho. I say carry on from where you can mate and continue the progression of the mighty Lillywhites! Bummer. Here's hoping... It was very frustrating but I managed to catch up - I am now midway through the 2015/16 season. Update will come soon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 2015/16 Mid-Season Update League Review - Bromley Player Stats – Fixtures After assembling a summer of bringing in David Dunn and Cuauhtemoc Blanco to go along with Edgar Davids, players that would have been stars in the Premier League ten years ago, the season started off with a 2-2 away draw to Luton, who were also newly promoted from the Skrill Premier. The League Cup draw was unkind to the club, as the next match resulted in a 2-1 away loss to Championship team Bristol City, with the Bromley boys putting up a good, but ultimately failed, effort against a much stronger opponent. The club’s first home match of the season ended with a 2-1 victory over Oxford, but their opponents played dirty, injuring Blanco, Teddy Ngoy, and Dylan Lall during the match, with the latter two having to sit out at least two weeks each with their injuries. Still, Bromley now saw itself in 5th Place after two matches with four points. That would not last, however, as Bromley fell 2-0 away to Morecambe in a disappointing performance that saw not a single player from the club record at least a 7.00 AR. In their fourth Sky Bet League 2 match, they earned a 2-2 draw at home against Rochdale, which left the club in 15th Place, already five points off the top. Through the first four games of the season, Teddy Ngoy was playing amazing, as his 7.77 AR was second highest in the league while scoring 3 goals (4th in the League) as a central defender. He was not the only leader, however, as Blanco was top of the league with 4 assists in 3 games. With the team starting to gel together, Bromley won 4-1 away from home to Exeter, with a brace coming from Bromley Youth Academy product Benjamin Alhassan after he was brought on at half-time. Still, the game was not all smiles, as injuries to Edgar Davids, Blanco, and most importantly, goalkeeper Frank van der Boogaard, had them ruled out at least until the middle of September – three weeks away. - The summer transfer window came to a close with Newcastle United spending £141m on new players after Singaporean business tycoon Zulhelmi Samad bought the club from Mike Ashley in April. Almost £52m was spent on former AC Milan and Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli alone, with another £34.5m being spent on German striker Julian Draxler, as well. With Harry Redknapp retiring over the summer, Samad offered Roberto Martinez £66k a week to become the new manager of Newcastle. Overall, Draxler and Balotelli were the two biggest signings in the Premier League. September/October: The beginning of September brought with it a 2-1 loss away to Stevenage in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy First Round, an expected result against a stronger League 1 opponent. A disappointing 1-1 home draw with Port Vale followed, but Elliot Rudd got in his first goal of the season as he worked his way back into match form. That was followed by another 1-1 home draw, this time against AFC Wimbledon, a result that left Bromley in 10th Place after seven matches. The club was now five points off the top, but more importantly, six points away from the relegation zone. In the club’s next match against Plymouth, Bromley were outclassed and outplayed to the tune of a 3-0 loss in what Jnoubi classified as “one of the most dreadful performances I have seen in my career.” Bromley played ninety minutes without threatening Plymouth’s goal and were constantly under attack at the other end of the pitch. Things were made right the next game, however, as Bromley took a big 5-2 victory at home against Accrington (19th), with a PoM performance from Gianluca Gracco thanks to his brace. Gillingham (11th) defeated Bromley 3-2 in an entertaining game at the Priestfield Stadium in their next match, sinking them to 14th Place and four points off of a promotion spot. Bromley were back home in their next match, and it was a great showing in front of the home fans as defeated York 4-1. Blanco proved to be the club’s best player during the game and possibly thus far this season, scoring a brace and bringing his assist total up to a league leading 6 assists. A 2-2 draw against Mansfield at Hayes Lanes followed, but the match was rife with incidents, namely a two goal collapse in the second half by the home side and significant injuries to John Walley and Gianluca Gracco, with the latter damaging his Achilles tendon, ruling him out of action for the next three months. Manager Kafra Jnoubi had a decision to make as to who would replace his star forward and leading goalscorer, with his most likely options being 16 year old Bejamin Alhassan or 18 year Delton Hinton. Both had impressed in their limited appearances thus far this season – the former had more in terms of speed and physical strength, but the latter was more technically proficient and had a better attacking ability. Gracco’s presence was sorely lacking in the next game, as Bromley lost 3-0 to Northampton away from home, with the club rarely forming an coherent attacking play throughout the match. Alhassan played the whole match, but was clearly overwhelmed, although his partner up front, Blanco, was much the same. Adding to the club’s growing injury list, Edgar Davids broke down during training just before the Dag & Red match, and was ruled out for up to six months with knee tendonitis, with Davids announcing that he is now strongly considering retiring as he doubted he would be able to play at a high level once he is fully fit to play again. As for the match, it was a 1-1 draw away to Dag & Red, with a PoM performance from youngster Will Julienne – it was the 17 year old Bromley Youth Academy graduate’s first appearance of the season, and he ended it with a goal and a 8.30 AR. In an important home match, Bromley put the memories of Northampton behind them and defeated Bradford 3-0 in an highly impressive victory that saw Blanco score a brace, continuing his fine form since the beginning of the season. The club ended October on a low note, however, falling to a 2-1 defeat at home against Colchester (3rd), leaving it in 12th Place, three points off of Morecambe for a play-off position. November The month started off with a 2-1 loss away to Leyton Orient in the FA Cup First Round , which was expected given the difference in quality between the two sides. They more than made up for it, however, with a very big 3-2 away win against Bury (7th), putting Bromley within a single point of a play-off spot. Against Chesterfield (2nd), the club succumbed to a 2-1 away loss but put up a respectable showing against a team that looked like it was going to win an automatic promotion this season. Blanco and Alhassan were keeping the offensive line dangerous, with the latter having scored two goals since Gracco went down injured. Against Southend (3rd) at home, however, that danger was all but void as Bromley fell 2-0, leading to its fourth defeat in five games. Bromley dropped to 15th Place, and the inconsistent form was beginning to take its toll on the morale of the club. It showed against struggling Swindon (21st), losing away 3-1 – the team’s performance was disappointing to say the least. Alhassan was the lone bright spot as he managed to find the goal, but elsewhere on the pitch, the Bromley players were underwhelming. It was a demoralizing way to end the month, with even Blanco, the club’s finest player through the first half of the season, showing poor form. - The European Championship draw saw England paired with Germany, Denmark, and Portugal in Euro 2016’s Group F, otherwise known as the Group of Death. The hosts, France, were handed a relatively straight forward Group D, with their opponents being Switzerland, Wales, and Georgia. Defending champions Spain were put in Group A with the Czech Republic, Ukraine, and Israel. December Another disappointing result started off the month, as Bromley lost 3-1 away to Barnet (22nd), pushing the club down to 17th Place and only five points away from the relegation zone. Things were beginning to look desperate for Jnoubi’s squad, and a drastic change of form was needed in order to get back on track. The loss was Bromley’s fourth in a row and sixth in the last seven games. In their first home match in four games, the club finally found recorded a win, defeating Hartlepool (17th) 2-1. It was a huge relief for Jnoubi to finally record a win, and more goods news followed as his players started returning from injury one by one. The next match was a 3-3 draw at Hayes Lane against Cheltenham (12th) – at this point, Bromley had 41 goals for and 43 goals against, good enough to be the third best offense in the league but also tied for worst defense in the Sky Bet League 2. The defensive inadequacies were showcased at home against Luton in a 4-4 draw that was entertaining for the fans but miserable for manager Kafra Jnoubi. Elliot Rudd made his comeback in the match, scoring a brace and winning the PoM, as well. It was the last match of the year, and going into 2016, Bromley was in 13th Place. - Arsenal sacked Rafa Benitez, who had only been in charge for six months, early this month after the club dropped to 10th Place in the Premier League. The 2014 Champions League Finalists finished in 5th Place during Arsene Wenger’s last season, with Benitez replacing him after the Frenchman announced his retirement from football. However, the London club found the transition much harder than expected, and Benitez became the first casualty of their struggles. His replacement was Robeto Mancini, who was manager of Galatasaray before taking the job. - Aston Villa sacked Sam Allardyce, who had replaced Paul Lambert in March 2015, due to the club finding itself in 18th Place as Christmas Day approached. Martin Jol was selected as his replacement. - Lionel Messi won the World Golden Ball for a record seventh time in a row, and also captured the World Player of the Year for a record fifth time, beating out Cristiano Ronaldo and winning it back from Mats Hummels. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted February 6, 2014 Share Posted February 6, 2014 Welcome back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 7, 2014 Author Share Posted February 7, 2014 Welcome back. Thanks! The 2016 Youth Intake is here, nothing much to look at though, despite what my assistant thinks. Emmerson McCammon Kieren Haines Les Neilsen Wellington Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 2015/16 Mid-Season Update January The first match of 2016 was a good one, with Bromley winning 1-0 away to Oxford, with Gianluca Gracco scoring the only goal. Tony Forker[/b], a new Free Transfer signing, made his debut as a substitute, albeit not a very impressive one. Next up was a 2-0 loss away to Rochdale (9th) in an uninspired performance by the squad, as they rarely looked like threatening their opponent’s goal. They earned a good result away to Wimbledon (10th), drawing 1-1, but the result sent them down to 19th Place, just four points off of the relegation zone. New signing made his debut, recording a 6.30 AR – not impressive, but he did win a couple of tackles and showed ability in the air. The defense continued to show improvement, as Bromley defeated Exeter 1-0 at home in a match that should have seen more goals for the home side. Still, the win was a welcome one, as the club moved back up the table to 15th Place. Another solid display, this time in a 2-1 home win against Morecambe, pushed Bromley up one more spot. Benjamin Alhassan scored a brace, including a goal in the dying seconds of the match to give his club three valuable points. The 17 year old striker continued to show good development, and he had now scored 9 goals total in the Sky Bet League 2 this season, to go along with a 6.93 AR. The biggest transfer of the January window was the acquisition of Italian full back Mattia De Sciglio by Paris Saint-Germain for £24m from AC Milan. The 23 year old had earned 17 caps for Italy thus far in his career, and was averaging a 7.09 AR and 4.00 TpG before the transfer. In other transfers, underachieving Bayern Munich acquired 24 year old Austrian central defender Aleksander Dragovic for £22m from Udinese – the Italian outfit had previously acquired him for £9m from Dynamo Kiev at the beginning of the 2014 season. Real Madrid also splashed their cash, spending £20m to acquire 21 year old Mateo Kovacic from Inter Milan. The central midfielder was touted as one of the brightest young talents in football, and had recorded 3 goals, 4 assists, and a 7.27 AR for Inter Milan in 17 games before moving to Spain. February The month started off with a 1-0 victory at home against Plymouth (15th), a result that put Bromley in 13th Place and seemingly all but assured the club of its survival in the Sky Bet League 2 this year. Again, the defense showed tightness that just was not there during the first half of the season, failing to concede for the second time in three games. It was offense, however, the won it for them in their 4-3 victory away to Port Vale – despite a lackluster effort on defense, the number two offense in the league continued its strong performance up front, with four different goal scorers putting their names on the score sheet. With the win, Bromley had now found themselves only three points off of a play-off spot, and a string of good performances could very well put them in contention for a chance at automatic promotion, as that was only five points away. They could only draw 0-0 with Gillingham (20th) at home, however, earning a point when it should have been three. The good news was that it was another strong defensive effort from the team, keeping yet another clean sheet. Bromley went undefeated for the sixth straight game with a 2-1 away victory against Accrington (22nd), bringing them to within two points of a play-off spot. With thirteen games to go, even an automatic promotion spot was still up for grabs, making the last stretch of the season very important to the club. Financially, the coffers were faltering, and the club was not making enough money to deal with its expenses, so a third consecutive promotion would do wonders for its finances. Against York (21st), Bromley won 3-1, another strong result away from home, putting the club equal on points with Northampton, with only a goal difference separating Bromley from a play-off spot. Ironically enough, the club’s next game was against that very team. For the third game in the last four, Elliot Rudd scored, bringing his total to 6 goals this season. The 18 year old right winger was now averaging 7.32 AR over the past five games, and a 6.83 AR over the season. March A very important match against Northampton started the month, as Bromley were tied on points with their opponents and the only thing separating the club from a play-off position was Northampton’s superior goal difference. Bromley were at home and meant business, taking a 3-1 victory that pushed them up to 4th Place, now just a point away from Cheltenham and an automatic promotion spot. After some seriously inconsistent form in the first half of the season, Bromley was now on a nine game undefeated streak, and that was extended to ten after an impressive 2-1 away win against Mansfield (14th) that continued to put pressure on the top three. Not only was Bromley a point away from 3rd Place, but the club was also now four points clear of 8th Place and falling out of a play-off place. The club needed a big result against promotion contenders Bradford (5th), but fell to a 4-3 defeat away from home despite a brace from Elliot Rudd, dropping down to 6th Place with two points separating it from 3rd Place now. They made up for it, however, as the club went back to Hayes Lane and won over Dag & Red (18th) 4-1 in an impressive performance. The club remained only two points behind Cheltenham in 3rd Place, with Colchester in 4th Place while Bromley were in 5th Place. Blanco continued to lead the league in assists with 14, but he also added a goal in the last match to bring his total to 10 goals in the league. He was the one who provided the assist for the last minute goal that Elliot Rudd scored in Bromley’s 1-0 victory at home against Bury, one that catapulted the club to 4th Place. Given that Colchester was one spot ahead of Bromley heading into their match, it added additional importance to the game, one which the club came away with a 1-1 draw away to Colchester (6th). Just two days later, Bromley fell 3-1 away to Southend (8th), but still found itself in 4th Place, just two points behind Cheltenham still for that automatic promotion spot. Incidentally, the last game of the season for the club was away to Cheltenham, and as that final match-day approached, it was looking likelier and likelier that the last automatic promotion spot might be decided in that final game. Up next, however, was Chesterfield, a team that was just one place behind Bromley thanks only to the club’s superior goal difference. The difference grew to three points after the match, as Bromley took a 3-0 victory against Chesterfield at Hayes Lane in a highly impressive performance. They were now five points ahead of Bradford in 8th Place, but they were still two points behind Cheltenham. Champions League Update Monaco did the incredible and overcame a 6-1 defeat in the Second Round of the Champions League against Manchester United in Old Trafford with a 5-0 win in France to push past the English Premier League leaders into the Quarter-Finals of the competition. The result was billed one of the greatest of all-time in the Champions League, especially considering how deep in the hole they were after the first leg. Dortmund defeated Roma 5-0 at home, as well, winning their Second Round matchup 7-1 on aggregate. In other results, Bayern Munich lost to Paris Saint-Germain 5-1 on aggregate, with a brace coming from Ibrahimovic in the Second Leg of the matchup after the French defeated the German champions 3-1 in Paris. Chelsea barely squeaked by Napoli 6-5 on aggregate, losing 3-2 at home despite a Frank Lampard brace in the first half, while Atletico Madrid made short work of Lyon, winning 4-1 on aggregate after defeating the French outfit 3-0 in France. In another hotly anticipated matchup, Barcelona also won 4-1 on aggregate, thanks to a 3-0 win at home in which Lionel Messi hit a brace. The Catalans’ rivals in Real Madrid, and two time defending champions, also pushed through to the Quarter-Finals with a 4-2 aggregate victory over PSV. The biggest shocker of the Second Round, however, came with Granada defeating Premier League champions Manchester City after a 2-1 victory at home. The first leg ended 0-0, and despite all their efforts, Man City could not finish off the surprising Spanish team away from home. Granada’s impressive showing in the Group Stages was being proven to be the real deal and not just a fluke. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 Some fair names in that youth intake. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethal Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Glad you carried on. Hopefully with alt saves this time Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 2015/16 Review League Review - Bromley Player Stats – Fixtures Bromley’s march upwards through the leagues continued, as they came in 3rd Place in the Sky Bet League 2 and were automatically promoted to the League 1. It was not without its obstacles, however, as the club only found its form during the second half of the season, surging up the table with some fantastic results that were highlighted by a ten game non-losing streak. Generally, there were no star performers – there was solidity and consistency throughout the squad, although Elliot Rudd and Alessio Oliva contributed significantly for players so young. Their potential is one of the brightest spots of the club going forward, as they are 18 years old. GOALKEEPERS Frank van den Boogaard, GK, 23 Years Old: Signed at the beginning of the season for £5k and given a team record (at the time) £825 per week, the Dutch keeper was a disappointment. In 44 appearances, he conceded 71 goals and only registered 7 clean sheets, while his 6.50 AR was amongst the lowest on the team. Hopes were high at the beginning of the season that Jnoubi had found a player whose ability was beyond the Sky Bet League 2, but the former Best Vooruit player ended up being one of the worst starting keepers in the league. It is safe to say that Jnoubi will be going after a replacement this coming summer. DEFENDERS Teddy Ngoy, DC, 26 Years Old: Arguably Bromley’s most consistent player for the second straight year, the Congolese central defender was again the rock in the club’s defensive line. Despite early season struggles, the second half of the season showed Bromley’s defense tighten up, with Ngoy leading the way. In 36 appearances, Ngoy scored 6 goals while averaging 2.33 TpG and a team-high 7.05 AR. His fitness remains a concern going forward, but overall, he was the team’s best defender this season. Yann Songo’o, DC, 24 Years Old: Signed during the January window due to the lack of depth in the center of the defensive line, the Cameroonian played well in his 20 appearances. He recorded 4.41 TpG and 6.84 AR while playing alongside Ngoy in the starting lineup, and his signing was a big reason was Bromley’s defense improved significantly in the second half of the season. Matty Pearson, DR, 22 Years Old: Despite a very slow start to the season, the right full back, like the rest of the defensive line3, improved his play a lot during the second half of the season. He ended the year with 38 appearances, 4 assists, 4.06 TpG, and a 6.78 AR – very respectable numbers considering how bad his form was during the first couple of months. Thanks to Pearson, what was the weakest position for the club heading into 2015/16 became one of consistency and reliability. Junior N’Tame, DC, 30 Years Old: Signed at the beginning of the season as relief for the starting four, the Cameroonian ended up playing 36 games, registering 3.27 TpG and a 6.92 AR while playing all across the back four. He was one of Jnoubi’s most important signings in the sense that without him, the squad would have perhaps lacked the depth in the back to compete at a high level in the league this season. His play was solid and consistent, and even started in place of Pearson as a right fullback when his form dropped at the beginning of the season. Mike Cestor, MC, 24 Years Old: One of the biggest disappointments for the club this season was the Congolese’s form – in 41 games, the left back recorded 6.57 AR, even though he had a team high 4.97 TpG. The left back position was the club’s weakest, as there was no other decent alternative to Cestor, but given how he played, it is safe to say that Jnoubi will be actively seeking a replacement this off-season. MIDFIELDERS Elliot Rudd, MR, 18 Years Old: Bromley’s golden boy and its highest rated player, the Bromley Youth Academy graduate continued his impressive form and improvement this season. In 33 games, he recorded 12 goals, 6 assists, and a 6.99 AR – the most impressive part, however, was his form in the last few months of the season. In fact, he was easily the squad’s best player from March onwards, taking full advantage of his immense pace. Technically, Rudd still leaves a lot to be desired, but going into next season, he remains the club’s most dangerous weapon. Alessio Oliva, ML, 18 Years Old: Bromley’s record signing at £7k, the left winger made the position his own from the beginning of the season. In 37 appearances, he registered 5 goals, 10 assists, and a 6.74 AR, while constantly being a threat down the left lane. He only turned 18 in March, and he showed tremendous growth and improvement throughout the season. While there might be some questions marks on whether he has enough speed to truly shine on the flanks of the pitch, he remains one of the brightest prospects on the squad and one of its most valuable players. John Walley, MC, 19 Years Old: Signed in the off-season from Bangor City, the technically gifted central midfielder became an important part of the team almost immediately. He played in 40 games, recording 4 goals, 7 assists, and a 6.80 AR, displaying good creativity with the ball on his feet. The Welsh youngster will certainly be looked upon as an important component of the team going into next seasons. FORWARDS Gianluca Gracco, SC, 25 Years Old: The Italian striker suffered damaged Achilles tendons in mid-October that ruled him out for almost four months, so his season was split in half and cut short. Still, he managed to play in 33 games, recording 12 goals and a 6.78 AR – numbers that were drastically short of the previous season but still acceptable. It remains to be seen whether his talents will still be of use in the Sky Bet League 1, but Jnoubi will almost certainly give him the chance to prove himself as he still remains Bromley’s top option on the front line. Cuauhtemoc Blanco, SC, 43 Years Old: At his game, there were some eyebrows raised when Jnoubi signed the Mexican, but the decision was justified as Blanco recorded 12 goals, 15 assists (2nd in the Leage), and a 6.93 AR. When Edgar Davids went down early in the season and was ruled out for its remainder, it was Blanco who took over captaincy of the club, and considering the club’s achievements this season, it ended up being a great call by the manager. He announced his retirement from playing at the end of the season, and now will serve Bromley as its U18 manager. ONES TO WATCH Benjamin Alhassan, SC, 17 Years Old: No one could have predicted the impact the Bromley Youth Academy product had for the club this season, scoring 10 goals in 20 appearances and registering a 6.96 AR. He was the hero quite a few times, and took full advantage of his impressive physical abilities. The Ghanaian has been heralded as a player that could potentially hold his own in the Sky Bet League 1 or even Championship, but he still has a lot of work to do on the technical side of the game. Still, for a 17 year old, his contributions were big and his potential even bigger. Tony Forker, MC, 17 Years Old: Signed in the middle of the season, Forker played in only 7 games, registering a 6.67 AR. However, his potential is clear – many consider Forker and Rudd to potentially be good enough to play at a high level in the Championship. Jnoubi looks set to bring him along at the club instead of loaning him out, so the chance that he will receive good playing time next season looks solid. Kieren Haines, DC, 16 Years Old: A recent graduate from the Bromley Youth Academy, the central defender has already shown great ability in the air. He is sorely lacking in speed and has yet to physically mature, but he has already shown a knack for positioning and tackling. Emmerson McCammon, ML, 16 Years Old: Another graduate from the Bromley Youth Academy this year, the speed demon looks to be a similar player to Elliot Rudd. He technically needs a lot of work, but already has the physical tools to make it happen. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 Some fair names in that youth intake. My last couple of youth intakes have not been great Glad you carried on. Hopefully with alt saves this time Yeah, I am trying to always keep two saves. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 Some fair names in that youth intake. My last couple of youth intakes have not been great Glad you carried on. Hopefully with alt saves this time Yeah, I am trying to always keep two saves. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Well done going up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 World News: Summer 2016 European Championship Review - Knockout Stages – Dream Team In perhaps the most surprising European Championship ever, Serbia defeated Austria 2-1 in the Finals in Paris, as it was both teams’ first time advancing to the Finals. The Austrians had defeated two time defending champions Spain on penalties in the Semi-Finals, while Serbia defeated another surprising Semi-Finalist team in Poland, setting up the most unexpected of matches. They were led by Best Play and Top Goalscorer Aleksander Mitrovic of Dortmund – the 21 year old set the competition on fire, bagging 7 goals one year after his £12.5m move to Germany from his previous club of Anderlecht. The defending champions, Spain, looked favorites to capture it a record third straight time before their shocking fall against Austria, having previously defeated Germany and Belgium in the Knockout Rounds. Their conquerors, however, had already defeated heavyweights of European football, knocking out England and the hosts, France, in the previous rounds. The eventual champions had an easier time in the Knockout Rounds, however, defeating Italy, Turkey, and Poland on their way to the Finals. Other standout performers were Spain’s Jordi Alba (8.13 AR), Sergio Ramos (8.13 AR), and Gerard Pique (7.88 AR), while Serbia’s Nevan Subotic and Turkey’s Selcuk Inan also played well throughout. The competition’s best GK was Poland’s Wojciech Szczesncy, while Austria’s GK Heinz Lindner was widely considered the squad’s best player. Hodgson Leaves England Post England manager Roy Hodgson called it a day after the Euro 2016, having led England to the Quarter-Finals before their surprising defeat to Austria. Hodgson took charge of the national team in 2012, leading the team to the Quarter-Finals at the Euro 2012 and Euro 2016, while disappointingly failing to lead England past the Group Stages at Brazil 2014. His replacement was named as Marco Van Basten, previously of AC Milan before he was sacked and reigning Serie A Manager of the Year. Champions League Knockout Stages – Dream Team Monaco did the incredible and overcame a 6-1 defeat in the Second Round of the Champions League against Manchester United in Old Trafford with a 5-0 win in France to push past the English Premier League leaders into the Quarter-Finals of the competition. The result was billed one of the greatest of all-time in the Champions League, especially considering how deep in the hole they were after the first leg. Dortmund defeated Roma 5-0 at home, as well, winning their Second Round matchup 7-1 on aggregate. In other results, Bayern Munich lost to Paris Saint-Germain 5-1 on aggregate, with a brace coming from Ibrahimovic in the Second Leg of the matchup after the French defeated the German champions 3-1 in Paris. Chelsea barely squeaked by Napoli 6-5 on aggregate, losing 3-2 at home despite a Frank Lampard brace in the first half, while Atletico Madrid made short work of Lyon, winning 4-1 on aggregate after defeating the French outfit 3-0 in France. In another hotly anticipated matchup, Barcelona also won 4-1 on aggregate, thanks to a 3-0 win at home in which Lionel Messi hit a brace. The Catalans’ rivals in Real Madrid, and two time defending champions, also pushed through to the Quarter-Finals with a 4-2 aggregate victory over PSV. The biggest shocker of the Second Round, however, came with Granada defeating Premier League champions Manchester City after a 2-1 victory at home. The first leg ended 0-0, and despite all their efforts, Man City could not finish off the surprising Spanish team away from home. Granada’s impressive showing in the Group Stages was being proven to be the real deal and not just a fluke. Fabio Borini was the star over two legs for Barcelona as they defeated Dortmund 4-2 on aggregate, scoring a brace in the first leg as Barcelona won 3-1 and another in the second leg. The defending champions Real Madrid, however, saw their quest for a third straight championship end against Chelsea, as the English club took a 2-0 victory at home in the first leg and held the Spanish side to a 1-1 draw in the second leg. Atletico Madrid and Granada made it three Spanish teams in the Semi-Finals, however, as they defeated two French teams in Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco, respectively. It was Granada’s first ever appearance in the Semi-Finals, and the Cinderella story continued against all odds. Granada would not make it an all-Spanish Finals, however, as Chelsea took out the surprising team 3-0 on aggregate, while Barcelona managed to overturn a 1-0 away loss to Atletico Madrid with a 3-0 home victory at the Nou Camp thanks to a Messi brace. For the first time since 2011, Barcelona was back in the Finals, this time against the 2012 champions, Chelsea. Incidentally, this was the fourth Final in a row that Barcelona would face an English opponent. It was a great match, with Oscar scoring a brace for Chelsea and Messi scoring a brace for Barcelona, but it was the Catalan squad that would come away with a 3-2 victory to win their fifth ever Champions League title in the competition’s history. Christian Benteke of Monaco won the Top Goalscorer award with 9 goals, while Lionel Messi was named the Best Player for the third time in his career. English Premier League Review – Team of the Season The No.1 ranked league in the world saw Manchester City win the title for the third year in a row, beating out a resurgent Manchester United (2nd) side that almost took it away from their hated rivals. Unfortunately for Man United, there was just no stopping Footballer of the Year Yaya Toure (36 apps, 7 goals, league-leading 19 assists, 7.70 AR) and Top Goalscorer Sergio Aguero (32 apps, 19 goals, 9 PoMs, 7.70 AR), who were both tied for first in AR in the Premier League. Chelsea (3rd) dropped one spot, although they barely missed out on the Champions League title, falling 3-2 to Barcelona in the Finals. Liverpool (6th) dropped three spots, with Tottenham (4th) winning the last Champions League spot. Newcastle (5th) improved under new owner Zulhelmi Samad, but after spending £145m on players this year, it could have been considered a disappointment to miss out on Champions League football. Cardiff (7th) surprised everyone as the beat out an underachieving Arsenal (8th) side for the last European spot, with West Brom (9th) and Southampton (10th) rounding up the top ten, with the latter having a great first season in the Premier League after getting promoted from the Championship. Mario Balotelli (27 apps 12 goals), the 25 year old Italian striker, cost Newcastle £52m, but the club would be hoping for a more dominant season from him in 2016/17. Julian Draxlar (36 apps, 3 goals, 7 assists, 6.76 AR) was a huge disappointment for the club after coming to Newcastle from Shalke for £34.5m, but he is only 22 years old. Marek Hamsik (37 apps, 10 goals, 8 assists, 7.65 AR), on the other hand, was sensational for the champions in his first year after coming from Napoli for £26m, while Hector Moreno (25 apps, 4.60 TpG, 7.50 AR) also did a great job for them after making the move from Arsenal for £23m. Newcastle United Spend Bought By Tycoon, Finish First Season Newcastle United completed their first season under Zulhelmi Samad, a business tycoon from Singapore, finishing in 5th Place after spending £145m on new players, including £52m on Mario Balotelli. Samad hired Roberto Martinez as his new manager, replacing Harry Redknapp, before the season started, and Newcastle went on to win the FA Cup for the first time since 1955. French Ligue 1 Review – Team of the Season Paris Saint-Germain won the French Ligue 1 title for the fourth straight time, led by Ligue 1 Best Player Javier Pastore (29 apps, 8 goals, 12 assists, 7.40 AR), Edinson Cavani (36 apps, 21 goals, 9 assists, 7.79 AR), and 34 year old Zlatan Ibrahimovic (24 apps, 19 goals, 8 assists, 7.66 AR). Monaco (2nd) were again Runners-Up, thanks to Top Goalscorer Falcao (36 apps, 28 goals, 7 assists, 7.49 AR), while Marseille (3rd) and Lorient (4th) rounded up the top four. Monaco hired new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after Cladio Ranieri retired just before the beginning of the season, and thankfully for its fans, there was no transition period for the club. The champions spent £120m on new players this season, including £26m being spent on Pedro (15 apps, 4 goals, 7.05 AR) from Barcelona and £25.5m on Toby Alderweireld, although the latter did not play a single match after damaging his cruciate ligaments before the beginning of the season. Monaco were the other big spenders, paying £23m for Samuel Umtiti (35 apps, 6 PoMs, 4.53 TpG, 7.51 AR) from Lyon and £21.5m for Domenico Criscito (35 apps, 5 assists, 5 PoMs, 7.24 AR) from Zenit, spending a total of £88m. Edinson Cavani Sets Record Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani set a new record by averaging 7.79 AR in 36 appearances for the club this season, as his club captured the French Ligue 1 title for the third time in a row. The 29 year old Uruguayan star recorded 21 goals, 9 assists, and 6 PoMs to go with his record setting 7.79 AR. He was also crowned Ligue 1 Star of the Season for a record third straight time. German Bundesliga Review – Team of the Season It was Dortmund’s turn this year, as the merry-go-round between it and Bayern Munich (2nd) continued. Despite having German Football of the Year Toni Kroos (33 apps, 4 goals, 12 assists, 7.67 AR) and Top Goalscorer Robert Lewandowski (34 apps, 21 goals, 7.43) on the squad, Bayern Munich still finished two points behind the new champions, failing to defend their title. Mats Hummels (33 apps, 7 assists, 4.63 TpG, 84% Pass Ratio, 7.58 AR) was again Dortmund’s best player, and was crowned German Defender of the Year for the second consecutive season. Leverkusen (3rd) moved up three spots, while Freiburg (4th) stayed in the same spot to seal the final Champions League spot. Wolfsburg (5th) and Hannover (7th) both dropped two spots, and it was Frankfurt (6th), who moved up from 13th Place the previous season, who sealed the last European spot. David Alaba Sets Average Rating Record Bayen Munich’s 23 year old left back David Alaba set a new Bundesliga record this season by averaging 7.87 AR in 27 appearances. The club finished in 2nd Place after failing to defend their title, losing out to Dortmund, but Alaba’s tremendous overall effort, which included averages of 3.60 TpG and 2.39 DpG along with a 83% Pass Ratio, was a big part of the club’s drive to repeat as champions. Italian Serie A Review – Team of the Season Juventus won the Serie A title for an incredible fifth time in a row – a feat only accomplished by Juventus itself and Torino during the early parts of the 20th century. They barely made it, though, as Inter Milan (2nd) were only a point behind, giving the defending champions a run for their money until the last day. Genoa (3rd) were the surprise of the season, as they jumped eleven spots into a Champions League spot, while Napoli (4th), Roma (5th), and AC Milan (6th) rounded up the Europa League spots. Inter Milan’s improvement had a lot to do with Serie A Player of the Year Alberto Pereyra (38 apps, 8 goals, 8 assists, 7.58 AR), while Juventus’ defense, for so-long its calling card, were led by two time Serie A Defender of the Year Leonardo Bonucci (32 apps, 3.78 TpG, 7.40 AR). Atalanta’s (11th) Lucas Pratto (37 apps, 24 goals, 6.96 AR) AC Milan Acquired by Tycoon, Sack Manager AC Milan was bought out by tycoon Rotem Avrahami, who acquired the club from Silvio Berlusconi on the 8th of May, 2016. The Israeli suggested that he was opening up his wallet this coming transfer season in order to make AC Milan the finest club in Italy and Europe. The start to his tenure has come to a dubious start, however, as he sacked manager Marco Van Basten – the same man who had just won the 2016 Serie A Manager of the Year award. His replacement was named as Vincenzo Montella, who was previously managing Roma. Spanish La Liga Review – Team of the Season Real Madrid finally recaptured the La Liga title from Champions League winners Barcelona (2nd), preventing their heated rivals from winning the La Liga title for the fourth consecutive season. Cristiano Ronaldo (27 apps, 20 goals, 11 assists, 7.64 AR) was the newly crowned champions’ best player, but even he could not compare to the genius of Lionel Messi (38 apps, 19 goals, 14 assists, 19 PoMs, 8.36 AR), who set another record with his seventh straight La Liga Player of the Year. Valencia (3rd) pushed up three spots, with Villareal (4th), who rose seven spots, beating out Atletico Madrid (5th) for that last Champions League spot despite Diego Costa (33 apps, 26 goals, 7.40 AR) leading the league in goals scored. Lionel Messi Sets Average Rating Record The greatest player in the world, Lionel Messi, set the Spanish La Liga AR record for the second year a row, breaking his own record set last year with an 8.36 AR. He played in all 38 games, scoring 19 goals and registering 14 assists and an incomprehensible 19 PoMs. The 28 year old Argentine also led the La Liga with 5.18 DpG as Barcelona was finally replaced as champions after three years in a row by Real Madrid. Messi was also crowned the La Liga Player of the Year for an unbelievable seventh straight time, and won the PoM in the Champions League Final as Barcelona defeated Chelsea 3-2, scoring a brace in an incredible performance. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 15, 2014 Author Share Posted February 15, 2014 Well done going up. Didn't see your reply there - thanks! I have a feeling the streak of automatic promotions will end with the League 1, though - its proving to be a difficult one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted February 15, 2014 Share Posted February 15, 2014 Good luck in League One! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 16, 2014 Author Share Posted February 16, 2014 2016/17 Preview Team Analysis Bromley entered the summer knowing they were to participate, for the first time in their history, in the Sky Bet League 1, another strong step up the English leagues. It was an interesting summer, to say the least, as Jnoubi did not quite make the signings expected, especially in terms of quantity. The club did not lose anyone of importance, with perhaps the biggest loss being underachieving starting left back Mike Cestor. Surprisingly, Jnoubi did not let starting GK Frank van den Boogard go – instead, he decided to give the disappointing Dutch goalkeeper another shot, as he did not sign a replacement keeper although the position was viewed as the weakest on the team. The left back position was also a problem, as the team entered the summer without a single player who with left back as his natural position. Jnoubi did sign on Jamie Reckford to give it depth, but during training camp, it looked like new signing Anthony Williams was the better alternative even though his natural position was as a central defender. The center of the defense, however, was perhaps the deepest and most talented part of the team – not only did Jnoubi have Teddy Ngoy and Yann Songo’o, but he also brought on Rab Woods, who was expected to start and perform well given his talents. The right back position featured Matt Pearson, who was reliable, solid, and consistent – more of the same was expected of him. While the position did lack in depth, there were a few players who had enough ability to be able to slide and perform as right backs when necessary. The midfield saw the addition of James Horsfield, a former Man City anchorman who looked like he was going to be Bromley’s most exciting signing this season. In addition to John Walley and Tony Forker, the center of the park was, like the center of the defense, a highly talented part of the team. In, the midfield in general was the strength of the team, with Bromley’s highest rated and perhaps most talented player, Elliot Rudd, on the right flank and Alessio Oliva playing as left wing. The players were young, fit, and hungry for success, and were easily the part of the squad with the most potential. Up front, Jnoubi was looking to Italy for his strikers – his top three strikers were all Italian. Returning top goalscorer Gianluca Gracco was being paird with Umberto Eusepi and Luca Bertoldi, with young Benjamin Alhassan also looking to contribute. Cuauhtemoc Blanco, one of the squad’s best players last year, was looking at sparse playing time, as the club’s U18 manager was not 43 years old and did not look to have the fitness to play much anymore. New Signings James Horsfield – Perhaps Bromley’s most exciting signing of the season, the 20 year old former Manchester City player had previously spent two seasons on loan with Oldham and Hartlepool. He’s got the look of a great anchorman, with strong physical and defensive abilities, and will be looked upon to lead the team from the middle of the pitch. Umberto Eusepi – The 27 year old striker became the highest paid player in Bromley history when he signed on, getting £2.3k per week. His last team was Perugia, where he scored 6 goals in 23 appearances in the Serie B for the club. His greatest ability is his finishing ability, and he will be looked upon to be Bromley’s top threat in the front line this season. Luca Bertoldi – Kafra Jnoubi looked to Italy for reinforcements up front this summer, and the 20 year old striker was his second signing from the Mediterranean to bolster up his frontline. Bertoldi will look to share time with Gianluca Gracco, as the All-Italian front line looks to impress. Anthony Williams – The 18 year old former Newcastle defender was signed on for his great ability in the air, but Williams looks to be something special for the club if he lives up to his potential. He is sure to see a lot of playing time this year, especially as his physical attributes are already well developed. Rab Woods – The only player not signed off the Free Transfer list this summer, the 19 year old defender was playing for Loughgall in Northern Ireland before his move to Bromley. He already possesses very good defensive instincts and ability in the air despite his young age, and Jnoubi will look to give an important role as a central defender this season. Jamie Reckford – The weakest part of the team was the left back position, and Jnoubi tried to get some reinforcements for it with the signing of the 24 year old former Barnet starter. His defensive skills are passable and he has decent pace. Francesco Anacoura – Amazingly, Jnoubi decided to stick with his disappointing starting GK, and instead brought on the 22 year old Italian to back up his Dutch starter. While he does not possess much in terms of speed or physical ability, Anacoura is more than capable in the air and is known as a good shot stopper. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 18, 2014 Author Share Posted February 18, 2014 2016/17 August Update August Bromley’s start to their first season in the Sky Bet League 1 could not have gone any better, as they came away with an incredible 4-1 victory at home over Carlisle. It was Gianluca Gracco’s day as he scored a hat-trick, signaling his intent to continue to be Bromley’s main threat up front. They did not have much of a chance against Portsmouth, however, as they lost 3-1 away from home just a few days later – an expected but disappointing loss in the League Cup First Round. Their form kept up in the league, however, as Bromley took a 1-0 victory at home against Wycombe, with a stellar defensive effort that briefly had them go top of the league. They were brought back down to earth quickly, though – Crewe gave them a 4-1 thumping at Hayes Lane that showed a large class difference between the two sides. Bromley was away in their next match, and they pulled a more respectable showing in their 2-1 loss to Stevenage, the former parent club of the team. It was another decent showing against Sheffield United, but ultimately Bromley lost 3-1 in another away fixture against a much larger opponent. The club was now in 13th Place and on a three game losing streak. The club’s final match in August was in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy, with Bromley getting a surprising 4-1 victory over MK Dons at home – a match many expected the newly promoted club to lose. The club was given £3k for their win as they advanced into the Second Round of the competition. Big Spending Over the Summer The English Premier League were once again front and center in terms of spending, but it was Arsenal, surprisingly, that were responsible for the biggest transfer coming into England this summer with their £35m acquisition of 24 year old German striker Kevin Volland from Hoffenheim. Newcastle, who were acquired by Singapore tycoon Zulhelmi Samad last year, once again poured money into transfers, acquiring 23 year old Colombian defender Eder Alvarez Balanta and and 23 year old English defender Luke Shaw for £25m and £22.5m, respectively. Overall, Newcastle spent £111m on players this year after spending £145m last season. Manchester United took a player from each Spanish giant in Sami Khedira (£23m from Real Madrid) and Pedro Obiang (£25.5m from Barcelona), while the took biggest transfers of players leaving England were Luis Suarez from Liverpool to Monaco for £28m and Adnan Januzaj from Man United to Dortmund for £20.5m. Suarez was actually the second largest transfer in France this summer, as Paris Saint-Germain acquired Italian striker Manolo Gabbiadini from Sampdoria for £29.5m – the club’s spending was down to £108m after spending £120m last year. Januzaj was the largest transfer coming in Germany, however, with the second largest being the acquisition of 21 year old German midfielder Leon Goretzka for £20m from Shalke to Bayern Munich. AC Milan were brought by Israeli tycoon Rotem Avrahami in May, and thus AC Milan was responsible for the two biggest acquisitions in Italian football this summer, buying Belgian striker Christian Benteke for £44m (the largest transfer of the summer) from Monaco and 26 year old French midfielder Morgen Schneiderlin for £28m from Benfica. Surprisingly, the least active transfer market was in Spain, as the largest acquisition was Milan Badelj for £15.5m from Shakhtar to Real Madrid, while Barcelona acquired Moritz Leitner from Dortmund for £13.5m. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 2016/17 Mid-Season Update League Review - Bromley Player Stats – Fixtures September A solid defensive effort at Hayes Lane started out the month, as Bromley defeated Scunthorpe 1-0, keeping a clean sheet after conceding 9 goals in their last 3 Sky Bet League 1 matches. Elliot Rudd was the star against Fleetwood, as Bromley took another 1-0 victory, also at Hayes Lane. They remained at home for their 2-2 draw against Coventry, with Alessio Oliva scoring a brace to bring his total of goals up to 4 this season. In fact, the 18 year old Italian left winger was now the squad’s leading goal scorer, and was promptly offered a new contract that would pay him £525 per week after some impressive displays thus far this season. It was Elliot Rudd’s turn again against Shrewsbury, as Bromley earned a 2-2 draw away from home thanks to the right winger’s brace. Through the first 9 games, Rudd had a team-high 7.29 AR to go along with his 4 goals. His pace was good enough for a Premier League player, but what was most impressive was his continuous and rapid development in his technical abilities. It was his form that won him the Sky Bet League 1 Young Player of the Award as September came to a close with Bromley in a comfortable 9th Place. Arsenal Sack Manager After Slow Start Just ten months into his new job, Roberto Mancini was sacked by Arsenal after a five game losing streak at the beginning of the Premier League season left the club in 17th Place. The manager lead Arsenal to an 8th Place finish in 2015/16, their lowest position in 21 years. Luis Enrique, formerly of Sevilla, was hired in his place. October The month started off with a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Second Round match, and the result went the club’s way as Bromley took a 2-1 away victory against League 2 outfit Gillingham. The club made £5.5k from winning the match, and advanced to the Quarter-Finals of the competition, extending their non-losing streak to seven games. What followed was the most disappointing result for Bromley this season, as the club lost 4-2 against Cheltenham at home in what was supposed to be an evenly matched game. They actually went down 3-0 in the first half before scoring two early goals in the second half, but save for a ten minute stretch to start the second half, Bromley were by far the inferior team. On top of that, Alessio Oliva, who has been arguably Bromley’s best player along with Elliot Rudd this season, was ruled out for 3 weeks with a twisted knee. Away from home against the league leaders, Bromley put up a respectable show but ultimately lost 4-3 to Portsmouth, who were without a doubt the best team in the League 1 this season. Umberto Eusepi scored his first goal in a Bromley shirt, while Elliot Rudd scored his 6th league goal of the season. The rest of the month went well for the club, defeating Notts Count 1-0 and then drawing Luton 1-1, before finishing off with a 3-1 win against Scunthorpe in the FA Cup. AC Milan Tycoon Sacks Manager Few Months In AC Milan’s new Israeli owner Rotem Avrahami sacked new manager Vincenzo Montella just a few months into his job after the club dropped to 10th Place in the Serie A. The new owner was understandably disappointed at the results thus far considering he had spent £121m in the summer to bolster the squad. Montella was replaced by Shalke manager Marcelo Biesla, with AC Milan paying Shalke £2.7m in compensation to take their manager. November The month of November brought with it a rough start for the club, starting out with a 1-1 draw away to Yeovil followed by a 0-0 draw at home to Rochdale. They disappointingly lost to Wycombe on penalties in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Quarter Finals, before earning yet another draw at home in a 2-2 result with Sheffield Wednesday. This put them on a four game non-winning streak, dropping the club down to 13th Place in the Sky Bet League 1. Bromley put up a fantastic effort against Bristol City, but eventually fell to a 4-3 defeat away from home to continue their winless month. A brace from Gianluca Gracco was the high point of the match, but again, Bromley saw another 4 goals conceded. It was becoming more apparent that Jnoubi had committed a mistake by not going after a starting goalkeeper more aggressively in the summer, as Frank van den Boogaard was proving, again, to be a disappointment – he now had a 6.46 AR. An extremely tough match against Rotherham (5th) ended in a 2-2 away draw, and while the club were still winless in the month of November, they could be more than proud for a great result against a strong club away from home. In the FA Cup Second Round, Bromley defeated League 2 side Chesterfield 1-0 away from home to advance to the Third Round of the competition. They ended the month on a successful note, winning Burton (18th) 3-1 at home, a welcome three points after a tough month. Newcastle Sack Martinez Newcastle’s tycoon owner Zulhelmi Samad finally grew impatient with his manager Roberto Martinez after falling to 11th Place this season in the Premier League. Despite winning the FA Cup for the club for the first time since 1955, the club still finished only in 5th Place, missing out on the Champions League despite spending £145m. Samad invested another £138m in players this season, but had not seen his investment return the proper results. His replacement was Tony Pulis, hired from West Ham with a £2.6m compensation for his former club, while Chris Hughton replaced Pulis at West Ham. December Bromley had a fantastic start to the month with a 4-1 victory over Doncaster (6th) at home, but it was followed with a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Walsall (2nd) away from home. Although the loss was expected against the latter, the manner of defeat and the underperformance of the squad in general left much to be desired. They made up for, however, in their next match – against Tranmere (16th), they pulled off a fantastic 2-1 away victory. The win pushed the club back up to 10th Place, and now they were just 3 points behind Stevenage for a play-off spot. A ridiculous situation had Bromley playing back to back away games over two days – the first went well, as Bromley came away with an impressive 4-2 win against Carlisle, but the second was arguably just as good, as they drew 0-0 to a much stronger Crewe side just a day after playing Carlisle. The finished up the year with another 0-0 draw, this time at home to Wycombe, with Bromley hosting over 4,000 fans at Hayes Lane for the first time in its history. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 21, 2014 Author Share Posted February 21, 2014 2016/17 January Update The new year started off with an expected victory, as Bromley defeated Skrill Premier side Wrexham 2-0 at home in the FA Cup Third Round, setting up a date with either Derby or Bristol City in the Fourth Round. That was followed with an impressive 4-3 victory over Stevenage (5th), the former parent club of the squad, thanks to Gianluca Gracco brace. Gracco now had 9 goals and 9 assists in 23 appearances for the club, and was once again leading the club in goals scored. More importantly, Bromley were now in 8th Place, just one point behind Crewe for a play-off spot. The next match was away to Fleetwood (17th), and once again the squad impressed with a 2-0 victory, with goals from Gracco and Bertoldi as they formed an all-Italian front line. The result pushed Bromley past Doncaster into 6th Place, and the club still had a game at hand against Crewe (5th) and Doncaster. The club’s next match was against last-placed Scunthorpe, and disappointingly they could only come away with a 1-1 draw. They were playing away from home, and the point put them level with Crewe on 44 points, with the only difference being Crewe’s superior goal difference. Still, Bromley were now on an eight game streak without a loss, quite an accomplishment for a team that was predicted to be the regulation favorites. The FA Cup 4th Round saw the squad get knocked out thanks to a 2-1 defeat to Derby away from home, and the bad results continued as they fell 2-0 at home against Shrewsbury in a highly disappointing performance that saw them drop back down to 7th Place. The month did not end on a high note, either, with a 3-2 loss away to Conventry (10th) wrapping up a disappointing start to the year. Quiet January Window As Few Teams Strengthen Squads Compared to previous years, the January window this year was relatively quiet, with only four transfers over £20m taking place. Monaco was responsible for two of them, buying Antoine Griezmann from Real Sociedad and Mame Diouf from Porto for £27.5m and £23m, respectively. Manchester City acquired 20 year old German winger Julian Brandt from Arsenal for £27m, a player many felt Manchester City vastly overpaid for considering he was still very unproven. In the fourth transfer, 26 year old central midfielder Clement Grenier was acquired by Barcelona from Lyon for £25.5m. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 22, 2014 Author Share Posted February 22, 2014 2016/17 February Update February February started off with a win, as Bromley pulled off a 1-0 victory against Cheltenham away from home. It was not all good news, however, as starting GK Frank van den Boogaard suffered an injury in training just after the match, picking up a groin strain and getting ruled out for the next month. With is first league start in goal, Francesco Anacoura held his own as Bromley surprised Sheffield United (2nd), defeating them 3-2 at Hayes Lane. The second of a five game home stretch ended in a 1-1 draw against MK Dons, dropping Bromley down one spot to 8th Place. A few days after the match, Elliot Rudd finally put his signature on a new contract that would keep him at Hayes Lane till 2020, and would earn him 1.5k per week. It was an end of a saga that had started at the beginning of the season, and Jnoubi was happy to have committed his finest player to a long term contract with the club. Bromley then displayed an impressive performance in a 3-2 victory over Luton (6th) with a result that flattered their opponents. The squad took a 3-0 lead in the first half and they conceded two goals late in the second half due to complacency, but their overall performance was great. They ended the month on a low note, however, losing 2-0 to Porstmouth (1st) at home – their opponents were by far the most talented team in the league, but Bromley’s lack of urgency was a point of disappointment for Jnoubi as the month drew to a close. Mali Crowned Champions of Africa For the first time in their history, Mali defeated Ghana 3-1 in the African Nations Cup to be crowned champions of the continent. It was Mali’s first trip to the Finals – the best they had done previously was come in 3rd Place in 2012 and in 2013. The defeated Finalists, Ghana, were participating in their 8th Finals, but had not won the tournament since 1982. Morocco came in 3rd Place after defeating South Africa, who had fallen to Ghana in the Semi-Finals. Alain Toure of Burkina Faso was the leading goalscorer with 6 goals, and also had a 8.67 AR, the highest in the tournament, though his nation did not advance past the Group Stages. Mali’s Modibo Maiga, their 29 year old striker who plays for Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, won the tournament’s Best Player award after delivering 3 goals and 2 assists on a 7.72 AR, with Younes Belhanda of Morocco coming in as Runner-Up thanks to his 5 goals, 3 assists, and 7.50 AR. The Best Goalkeeper award went to Senegal’s Papa Camara, Sochaux’s 24 year old GK – Senegal were eliminated by Ghana in the Quarter-Finals 1-0. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 22, 2014 Author Share Posted February 22, 2014 Youth Intake 2017 Laurie Jones Enrique Cerda Terry Mendonca Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 23, 2014 Author Share Posted February 23, 2014 2016/17 March Update March A 2-0 home victory over Yeovil (17th) started off the month, but it quickly went down hill from there. Their next two games were both defeats, as Bromley fell 2-0 to Rochdale (13th) and then 3-1 to Notts County (19th), dropping the club to 8th Place, two places off of a play-off spot. The lone bright spot was the successful debut of Enrique Cerda, a 16 year old striker who had come up from the Bromley Youth Academy, who scored against Notts County in his very first game. In fact, he became the youngest ever goalscorer in the history of the Sky Bet League 1 at 16 years and 39 days. With Bromley desperately seeking three points to make its way back into a play-off spot, they could only muster up a 1-1 draw at home against Bristol City (15th), a match they really should have won on paper. Again, Cerda was the goalscorer, and in the span of only two games, he had turned into a hero for the locals. It was another draw, this time 2-2 away against Sheffield Wednesday, in their next match, as Bromley continued to struggle to push back through to a play-off spot, but they did the job in a 2-0 victory against Rotherham, ending the month with a win after going four games without one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 24, 2014 Author Share Posted February 24, 2014 2016/17 May Update April/May With four games to go, it was crunch time for Bromley, and things got off to a good start with a 2-0 away victory against Burton that pushed them into the coveted 6th Place. Things went bad, however, with a 3-0 home loss to 2nd Placed Walsall, but thankfully, Wycombe, who were only one point behind Bromley, also lost their match. With two games to go, Bromley were one point ahead of Wycombe for that last play-off spot. They went into an away game with underachieving Doncaster and came out on top with a 3-1 result that put them three points ahead of Wycombe and all but sealed their play-off spot heading into their final match. In fact, Bromley was the only team that was in the top six that did not seal their qualification to the play-offs after Matchday 45, but with a home game against 14th Place Tranmere coming up and a three point difference, it was all but confirmed. Bromley went into the home match with expectations of a win, but came out 2-0 losers against Tranmere – fortunately, however, they still made the play-offs, where they were drawn against a team they had failed to win all season: Portsmouth. The team was more than up for the challenge, however, taking a 2-1 result at home and then thumping Portsmouth at Fratton Park 2-0 to advance to the play-off finals against Crewe. It was a tough game, but again, Bromley managed to pull through with a 2-1 win over Crewe to seal their place in the Sky Bet Championship next season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 24, 2014 Author Share Posted February 24, 2014 2016/17 Review League Review - Bromley Player Stats In what was supposed to be a fight for relegation, Bromley ended up earning a play-off spot and beating out Portsmouth and Crewe to gain its fourth consecutive promotion in a row – from Skrill South to Sky Bet Championship football in four years, quite a feat by Kafra Jnoubi and his team. Of course, it was not all smooth sailing, and the club had a lot of luck with opposing teams faltering towards the end of the season, snatching 6th Place in the last day of the year even though they lost to Tranmere. Again, it was a team effort – there was no exceptional player, although Elliot Rudd continued to show immense promise and ability. After the season drew to a close, the club decided to invest close to £100k in improving its training facilities and another £305k in putting additional seating at Hayes Lane. The latter would take six months to complete, so the club would have to play its first few home matches of the upcoming season at Brisbane Road. GOALKEEPERS Frank van den Boogaard, GK, 24 Years Old: Although he looked like one of the most likely players to be replaced at the beginning of the season, Jnoubi stuck with his starting GK – however, the Dutch keeper gave the club more of the same. His 6.50 AR was very low, and he conceded 66 goals in his 44 appearances, leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind that the position remains the weakest on the squad. DEFENDERS Rab Woods, DC, 19 Years Old: The Northern Irish defender’s first year with the club could be classified as a successful one, as the he played in 34 games and recorded 4 goals, 3.07 TpG, and 6.83 AR. As the season progressed, he became the first name on the team sheet when it came to the back four, and although he did have some bouts of inconsistency, he was generally reliable and, at times, exceptional. The Bromley coaching staff are very high on his potential, and believe he can remain a focal figure in the defensive line come next season in the Championship. Anthony Williams, DC, 19 Years Old: The new signing was played out of position for most of the season at left back, and although he did not necessarily impress, his ability and potential is there for all to see. In 38 games, he recorded 3.74 TpG and a 6.76 AR, with the latter being a relatively low average due to him being played out of position. Already great in the air with impressive physical abilities, Williams impressed in his development as a player throughout the season, especially in the mental aspect of his game. Teddy Ngoy, DC, 27 Years Old: Although his fitness prevented him from being a full-time starter for the club in their first season in the Sky Bet League 1, the Congolese still played in 29 games, registering 4 goals, 3 assists, 3.20 TpG, and a 6.98 AR. While it is clear that he can no longer be relied on to be the anchor of the back four, he still provides effective and stable relief off the bench, something which Jnoubi is sure to cherish. Yann Songo’o, DC, 25 Years Old: The Cameroonian was as solid as they come this season, playing in 45 games and registering 3.90 TpG and a 6.85 AR. It was his second season with the club, and he gave Jnoubi versatility in the back, as he sometimes deployed him as right back when Pearson needed a breather. Matty Pearson, DR, 23 Years Old: The right back’s second year with the club was a lot better than the first, and he provided some very solid performances at his position throughout the year. He played in 44 games, registering 3 goals, 5 assists, 3 PoMs, 4.09 TpG, and a 6.92 AR in a well-rounded effort. Considering his relatively young age, it is safe to assume that Jnoubi is comfortable with his starter at the position now that the club has pushed up into the Championship. MIDFIELDERS Elliot Rudd, MR, 19 Years Old: The Australian continued his impressive development in 2016/17, and the 2016 Bromley Player of the Year was once again arguably the club’s best player. In 45 appearances, he registered 11 goals, 8 assists, 6 PoMs, and a 6.96 AR, all while spending the second half of the season evidently jaded and worn out. His pace has already been well documented, but his improvement in the technical side of his game has won him plaudits from his coaching staff, who view him as potentially capable of impressing in the Premier League. Alessio Oliva, ML, 19 Years Old: It was a season to forget for the young Italian left winger, as his hamstring bothered him all season long before finally tearing it and getting ruled out of the last three months of action. His still was able to participate in 32 games, registering 7 goals, 4 assists, and a 6.75 AR, but he was clearly not the same player he was last season. Hopefully, with a summer of rest under his belt, Oliva can come back and live up to the potential he showed during his first season with the club. James Horsfield, MC, 21 Years Old: He was touted as the most exciting signing of the summer for the club, and he did not disappoint. In fact, he immediately became a leader for the club, playing in 48 games and registering 6 goals, 5 assists, 3.43 TpG, 80% Pass Ratio, and a 6.94 AR. He gave the club a strong, well-rounded presence in the middle of the pitch, rarely making a mistake and always up to his defensive duties. He will be one of the club’s most important players as they fight to avoid relegation in the Championship next season. John Walley, MC, 20 Years Old: The most technically gifted player on the team had a disappointing season mired with inconsistent form and an injury that ruled him out for close to two months. He played in 36 games, but only registered 2 goals and 1 assist, while is 6.65 AR was hugely disappointing. He is still very young and he has obvious ability, but he will need to do a lot better next season if he wants to maintain his position in the rotation. Tony Forker, MC, 18 Years Old: Jnoubi’s relief during Walley’s inconsistent season, the young Irish midfielder did what his counterpart could not and provided the club with stable and consistent form from the central midfield position. He played in 23 games, scoring 3 goals and recording 6 assists on a 6.85 AR. The coaching staff rate him highly, and it seems likely his playing time will be maintained throughout next season, as well. FORWARDS Gianluca Gracco, SC, 26 Years Old: Bromley’s main weapon in its frontline in previous years, he again maintained that mantle despite the signing of two more Italian strikers at the beginning of the season. He played in 35 games, registering 13 goals, a career-high 9 assists, and a 6.98 AR, outplaying both newcomers. He is not likely to receive a new contract and this was probably his final season with the club, but he did play a big part in helping the club get promoted to the Championship. Umberto Eusepi, SC, 28 Years Old: An injury-ravaged season held Bromley’s highest paid player back in his first season with the club, but when he did play, he played relatively well. In 26 games, he registered 10 goals and a 6.94 AR, so he did manage to give the club some meaningful contributions. Still, more was expected from its highest paid player, and more will be expected of him in this coming season, as well. Luca Bertoldi, SC, 21 Years Old: Although he had a rough start to his Bromley career, the 21 year old Italian striker managed to find his footing and ended the season having played in 27 games while registering 7 goals, 9 assists, and a 6.82 AR. ONES TO WATCH Laurie Jones, SC, 15 Years Old: A recent graduate from the Bromley Youth Academy, he has already shown much improvement in his ability since coming up the ranks. The Welsh attacker has also proven to be versatile, and while he is a striker by trade, he can also play down both wings. Whether or not he will be the second coming of Elliot Rudd is yet to be seen, but the potential is clear. Enrique Cerda, SC, 16 Years Old: The Mexican striker made a huge impact in his first two games, scoring a goal in each to becoming a folk hero for the club’s faithful. He has vast potential, and has already displayed great ability in the air. He still needs to work on his pace, but he looks set to be contributor for the club in the years to come. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 Four in a row is just silly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 24, 2014 Author Share Posted February 24, 2014 Four in a row is just silly. Actually, this is the hardest time I've had with FM since '09. Generally, I find that if you have a good striker and a couple of good defenders you can get promoted with ease, atleast up to the League 1. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 If four in a row is your hardest time... what did you manage before? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK22 Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Well done! The Championship should prove a bit tougher, though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 World News Champions League Knockout Stages – Dream Team Second Round Dortmund vs. Tottenham: The first leg in Dortmund ended with a 1-0 result for the home side, and the German side finished the job with a 1-1 draw in England. Dortmund: 2 - 1 Manchester United vs. Inter Milan: Two of Europe’s historical giants met in a hotly anticipated Second Round matchup, with the English side taking a 2-0 victory at home in the first leg. The Premier League leaders then managed to beat Inter Milan 3-1 in Italy to advance. Manchester United: 5 – 1 Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-Germain: The defending champions took the first leg 2-0 against the French champions in perhaps the toughest matchup in the Second Round on paper. Paris Saint-Germain could only muster up a 1-0 victory at home, sending Barcelona to the Quarter-Finals. Barcelona: 2 – 1 Shakhtar vs. Real Madrid: A brace from Ivory Coast striker Wilfried Bony gave Shakhtar 2-2 draw at home against the Spanish champions in the first leg, but Real Madrid came away with a 3-1 victory at the Bernabeu to advance to the Quarter-Finals. Real Madrid: 5 – 3 Leverkusen vs. Monaco: The French club managed to take away an impressive 2-1 victory away from home in the first leg, and they followed up with a 3-1 win at home, with Falcao hitting a brace in the second leg. Monaco: 5 – 2 Manchester City vs. Porto: Despite having one of the most expensive squads in the world, Man City could only muster up a draw at home against the six-time Portuguese league defending champions. The Portuguese champions then proceeded to embarrass Man City in Porto, defeating them 3-0 to cause the biggest upset of the Second Round. Porto: 3 – 0 Chelsea vs. Valencia: An efficient performance saw Chelsea defeat Valencia 2-0 at home in the first leg, thanks mainly to a fantastic effort from Brazilian Willian, who scored a brace. Valencia could only manage a 2-1 win at home, so Chelsea advanced at the expense of the Spanish side. Chelsea: 3 – 2 Bayern Munich vs. Juventus: Another battle of historic giants ended 0-0 in Germany in the first leg, but a Toni Kroos brace in Turin gave Bayern Munich a 2-1 away victory. Bayern Munich: 2 – 1 Quarter-Finals Monaco vs. Barcelona: The champions took a big 1-0 victory in France against Monaco in the first leg, and battled to a 1-1 draw at home to advance. The French side did not make it easy for the defending champions, but ultimately, Barcelona were one step close to a successful title defense. Barcelona: 2-1 Dortmund vs. Manchester United: An exciting matchup on paper ended up being a dull 0-0 affair in the first leg in Germany, but the clubs made up for it in England. The final result was 2-1 for Manchester United, with all goals coming in the first half, but it was an entertaining affair throughout. Manchester United: 2-1 Chelsea vs. Bayern Munich: The second of the big Germany vs. England matchups in the Quarter-Finals, it was a very one-sided affair in London as Bayern Munich took a huge 3-0 result in the first leg. Robert Lewandowski scored a brace inside the first ten minutes, effectively killing his opponents early in the match. Chelsea did better in Germany, but the 1-1 draw was far from enough, and Bayern advanced to the Semi-Finals. Bayern Munich: 4-1 Porto vs. Real Madrid: After having disposed of one European giant in Manchester City, Porto took a 3-1 win against another in Real Madrid at home, with Mexican midfielder Hector Herrera scoring a brace. Their surprising run would meet an abrupt end in Madrid, however, as the Spanish club would run out 3-0 winners with Isco scoring a brace. Real Madrid: 4-3 Semi-Finals Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich: It was Cristiano Ronaldo who scored the only goal in Real Madrid’s 1-0 home win against Bayern Munich in this rematch of the 2015 Champions League Finals, which Bayern won 2-0 on home turf in Germany. Bayern Munich would advance to their fifth Finals since 2010, however, after defeating Real Madrid 3-1 at home thanks to a Thomas Muller brace that came in the first thirteen minutes of the game. Bayern Munich: 3-2 Barcelona vs. Manchester United: The history between these two teams was deep, with Man United overcoming their Spanish rivals in 2008 enroute to the title, and Barcelona returning the favor in the 2009 and 2011 Finals, the latter in Wembley, London. In the first leg at the Nou Camp, it looked like the trend would continue, as Barcelona came away 3-1 winners, with all four goals coming in the first 20 minutes. The defending champions would become just one game away from becoming the first team to successfully defend their title since AC Milan did it in 1990 after Manchester United could only manage a 1-0 win at home. Barcelona: 3-2 Finals The San Siro played host to the matchup between arguably the two most dominant teams in Europe over the past ten years, and true to form, nothing could separate them. After ending 120 minutes still tied 1-1, it took a penalty shootout to finally crown Bayern Munich the new champions of Europe, ended Barcelona’s quest to be the first team to win back to back titles since 1990. Bayern’s left back David Alaba was crowned PoM, with Lionel Messi and Javi Martinez scoring for their respective teams. It was Bayern Munich’s third title since 2010 and seventh overall in the history of the competition. Toni Kroos of Bayern Munich was crowned the competition’s Best Player, while Tottenham’s Roberto Soldado was its Top Goalscorer with 7 goals. English Premier League Review – Team of the Season The title might have stayed in Manchester but it changed hands this season - after three years of Manchester City (2nd) lifting the trophy, the title went back to Manchester United for a record 21st time. Incidentally, none of the Manchester United had an exceptional season, while for Manchester City, Sergio Aguero (35 apps, 20 goals, 12 PoMs, league-leading 7.79 AR) and Footballer of the Year Marek Hamsik (35 apps, 8 goals, 15 assists, 6 PoMs, 7.76 AR) both had career years. Chelsea (3rd) had contributions for Players’ Player of the Year Eden Hazard (34 apps, 6 goals, 10 assists, 7.74 AR), who won the award for a record third consecutive year. They just beat out the most surprising team in recent times in Norwich (4th), who captured the last Champions League spot after jumping a remarkable ten spots from the previous year. Top Goalscorer Matej Vydra (38 apps, 22 goals, 11 assists, 7.29 AR) and Young Player of the Year Will Hughes (36 apps, 6 goals, league-leading 17 assists, 8 PoMs, 7.42 AR) were the main players of the club, which finished ahead of Tottenham (5th), Liverpool (6th), and Arsenal (7th). Newcastle United (9th) were the most disappointing team, not even qualifying for Europe after spending £138m this season alone on players. The most expensive acquisition of the season was Kevin Volland (37 apps, 14 goals, 6.83 AR), who was bought by Arsenal from Hoffenheim for £35m, and while his return in goals was reasonable, his general form was lacking and inconsistent. David Moyes Captures First Title Manchester United won their first Premier League title under the David Moyes regime as he was crowned Manager of the Year for the first time, as well. Despite a mid-season dip in form, the squad managed to recover and finish strong, despite not having an exceptional season for any one player. The club did spend £91m on players, including £25.5m on Spanish midfielder Pedro Obiang (32 apps, 5 goals, 4 assists, 6 PoMs, 7.37 AR) and £23m on Sami Khedira (34 apps, 4 goals, 13 assists, 7.06 AR), but given that they won the Premier League title and were only one game away from the Champions League Finals, it seemed to be money well spent. Manchester City Boss Resigns Manuel Pellegrini, who led Manchester City to three consecutive titles from 2014 to 2016, resigned as manager of the club by mutual consent at the end of the season. Both the club and the manager said that the time had come for each side to move on and try something new – despite Pellegrini leading the club through its most successful phase in its history, he never quite to the fans the way his predecessor, Roberto Mancini, did, which is why they brought him back to replace the man that replaced him. French Ligue 1 Review – Team of the Season Paris Saint-Germain made it five straight titles, beating out Monaco (2nd) for the third time in a row as the Ligue 1 increasingly starts to look like a two horse race year after year. It was Marco Verratti’s (29 apps, 5 goals, 13 assists, 6 PoMs, 7.77 AR) turn to be crowned the Ligue 1 Best Player, replacing teammate Javier Pastore and making it three straight years a Paris Saint-Germain player has won the award. The club also had a fantastic season from Kenyan Victor Wanyama (31 apps, 14 goals, 10 assists, 7.46 AR) and Edinson Cavani (36 apps, 16 goals, 7.43 AR), with the former becoming one of the most sought after players in football. Monaco’s Falcao (36 apps, 23 goals, 8 PoMs, 7.43 AR) was crowned the league’s Top Goalscorer for the third consecutive season, while 23 year old French defender Samuel Umtiti (32 apps, 4 PoMs, 4.40 TpG, 87% Pass Ratio, 7.52 AR) continued his development into one of the world’s premier defenders. FC Lorient (3rd) were once again impressive, winning the last Champions League spot, while Bordeaux (4th) and Lyon (8th) grabbed the Europa League spots. Marseille (5th) were disappointing, falling two spots and out of Europe all together. Manolo Gabbiadini (26 apps, 9 goals, 8 assists, 7.29 AR) was the most expensive signing this season, as Paris Saint-Germain paid £29.5m for him from Sampdoria, while Monaco brought in the highest profile signing in Luis Suarez (18 apps, 6 goals, 7.24 AR) and Antoine Griezmann (14 apps, 3 goals, 7.05 AR) for £28m and £27.5m, respectively. Both signings did not pan out the way Monaco wanted, although there is hope for next season. German Bundesliga Review – Team of the Season For the third time since 2013, Bayern Munich replaced Dortmund has champions of Germany, in addition to winning the Champions League having defeated Barcelona in the Finals. The Bundesliga Footballer of the Year award went to Bayern’s Thiago (28 apps, 8 goals, 11 assists, 7.51 AR), while their GK, Manuel Neuer (32 apps, 11 clean sheets, 7.09 AR), was crowned Goalkeeper of the Year for the first time in a Bayern shirt and third time overall in his career. Dortmund (2nd) finished ahead of Wolfsburg (3rd), and Leverkusen (4th) grabbed the final Champions League spot. It was Shalke (5th) and Freiburg (6th) grabbed the Europa League spots. Italian Serie A Review – Team of the Season There was no stopping Juventus again this year, as they were crowned champions for a record sixth consecutive time. They were led by a career year from Fernando Llorente (33 apps, 26 goals, 7.40 AR), who won the Top Goalscorer award, three time Defender of the Year Leanardo Bonucci (37 apps, 8 assists, 6 PoMs, 3.43 TpG, 7.34 AR), and Goalkeeper of the Year Wojciech Szczesny (34 apps, 16 clean sheets, 7.19 AR), who was acquired from Arsenal in 2015 for £12.5m. Genoa (2nd) surprised everyone, finishing ahead of Roma (3rd), AC Milan (4th), and Fiorentina (5th). Inter Milan (6th) and Napoli (7th) were both disappointing this season, although Inter Milan’s Hector Canteros (31 apps, 5 goals, 7 assists, 6 PoMs, 7.44 AR) was voted the Fans’ Player of the Year. The Serie A Player of the Year award went to Roma’s Kevin Strootman (35 apps, 5 goals, 8 assists, 8 PoMs, 7.55 AR), while the most expensive transfer in Italy this season, Christian Benteke (36 apps, 8 goals, 7 assists, 6.79 AR), was a huge disappointment, having been bought by AC Milan from Monaco for £44m. Spanish La Liga Review – Team of the Season Barcelona recaptured the La Liga title after Real Madrid (2nd) took it away for a year, making it the third under manager Gerardo Martino. Lionel Messi (37 apps, 22 goals, 11 assists, 15 PoMs, 8.21 AR) captured his eight straight La Liga Player of the Year award and his ninth overall, once again leaving no question in anyone’s mind who the finest player in the world was. What made it special for Messi this year was the fact that his teammates generally underperformed, and it was up to the Argentine to carry his team on his back, which he did magnificently. Real Madrid had the better individual seasons, with Juan Mata (34 apps, 17 goals, 6 assists, 7.83 AR), Sergio Ramos (34 apps, 9 PoMs, 4.42 TpG, 7.99 AR), and Cristiano Ronaldo (35 apps, 20 goals, 11 assists, 7.68 AR) all playing great, but none could overcome the brilliance of Messi. Atletico Madrid (3rd) moved up two spots and qualified for the Champions League, with surprising Real Sociedad (4th) moving up a massive eleven spots to grab the last spot in the competition. Valencia (5th), Villarreal (6th), and Espanyol (8th) qualified for the Europa League. Barcelona’s £26m signing from Lyon, Clement Grenier, never got a chance to prove his worth this season, as he suffered a torn hamstring shortly after arriving to Barcelona in January that ruled him out for three months, before suffering a sports hernia that ruled him out for the rest of the season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 If four in a row is your hardest time... what did you manage before? Since FM09, I've had a pretty easy time rolling up the leagues. Like I said before, getting a good striker and two skilled midfielders is the key. This time around, however, I almost missed on getting promoted from League 1 and I have a feeling I wont make it out of the Championship too quick. Well done! The Championship should prove a bit tougher, though. I fully agree - barely made it out of League 1. Avoiding relegation is the name of the game. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkyInfernal Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 wow, brilliant cover of everything. hope you can keep this up because it is quite a bit of work! fantastic work with the promotion, now fight in order to remain up! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 2017/18 Preview Team Analysis The summer saw the planned work on converting terraces to seating at Hayes Lane commence, and was due to stretch deep into the season, almost to the end of the year. The club would play its home games at Brisbane Road in the meantime, with 9,311 attendance in an all-seater stadium. The club also put in further investment in its youth network, raising the standard to excellent, while more than £300k was put towards improving the poor training facilities at the club, due to be completed in mid-November. After two seasons of disappointment from their starting GK, Bromley finally let go of Frank van den Boogaard, who had averaged 6.50 AR in his two seasons at the club, and brought in another Dutchman, Boy de Jong, to replace him. The 23 year old was bought for £140k from De Graafshap, and based on scouting comparisons, he was better than his predecessor in nearly every regard except for speed. Bromley had ranked near the bottom in defense in both years Boogaard was its starting GK, relying on an efficient and deadly offense to carry it through its games – Jnoubi was hoping that his second try with a Dutch GK would go better than his first. Although the club featured several talented defenders last season, it still ranked near the bottom in goals conceded. While Boogaard was certainly a big part of that, he was not the only one to blame – namely, a lack of a natural left back also left the Bromley defensive line exposed. That was the motivation behind two of Jnoubi’s signings over the summer, bringing it 24 year old Dutchman Fahd Aktaou on Free Transfer from Heerenveen and talented 17 year old Spaniard Ignacio Veloso from Celta for a club record of £350k. The latter also had the ability to slide into the center of the defensive line as cover for starters Rab Woods and Anthony Williams, both only 20 years old and both individually talented. While the latter proved himself last year, becoming the center of Bromley’s defensive line, the former spent most of the year out of position as a left back, but he showed enough potential that Jnoubi decided not to pursue an additional center back during the summer. At right back, Jnoubi had a deep position, with both Matty Pearson and Yann Songo’o having already proven themselves and capable, solid, and consistent performers. Both also had the ability to cover as central defenders, with Songo’o having spent his two years at Bromley in that position, starting alongside now back-up Teddy Ngoy and Woods. Bromley’s 2015 Player of the Year, Ngoy’s fitness has proved to be his largest hurdle, and last year Jnoubi preferred to start Woods alongside Songo’o with Ngoy as his third choice central defender off the bench. This year, it looks to be much of the same, as Woods and Williams look to be starters with Ngoy again acting as first relief, and it looks like Songo’o will be rotated alongside Pearson at the right back position to make way for Williams to start. Bromley’s midfield saw the least activity in terms of players leaving and players coming in this summer – in fact, the core of the 2016/17 season remained intact as Jnoubi sought to give the most talented part of his squad another full season together. One of the big signings of last summer, 21 year old central midfielder James Horsfield lived up to his promise, playing in 48 games and recording a 6.94 AR while being deployed as a ball winning midfielder. Alongside him remains arguably the most technically gifted player on the squad in John Walley, whose disappointing second season with the club after a promising debut did not put a damper of Jnoubi’s hopes for him. Still only 21 years old, the scouting report on Walley suggest he could be a good player at this level, and Jnoubi would be rightfully expecting more from the Welshman. If Walley fails to deliver again, 18 year old Tony Forker will be ready to replace him, doing as much last season and doing it reasonably well. At the right wing position is Bromley’s most high profile player and its new captain – Elliot Rudd. The latest valuation has him at around £500k, but Jnoubi asked for north of £1m when offers came for him last season. Nevertheless, the 19 year old Australian signed a new contract that will keep him at the club till 2020 and earn him £2.1k per week, as the Bromley Youth Academy graduate remained loyal to his first and only club. At the left wing position, the club will continue to utilize 19 year old Italian Alessio Oliva, although some question marks are beginning to arise as to whether he will ever start living up to his potential. The ability is certainly there, but his inconsistencies were tough to deal with, and he finished last season with a mediocre 6.75 AR despite scoring 7 goals. In his defense, he was bothered all season with a hamstring injury, but now entering his third year at the club, many are beginning to ask more of the player. Out of all the midfield positions, left winger is the one with the biggest question mark on it. Backing up the winger positions is the versatile Laurie Jones, a 16 year old Bromley Youth Academy product who found his way to the first team last season and who possesses vast potential from the little that has been seen of him. He has already shown great improvements in his abilities despite being part of the setup for only a few months, and Jnoubi has already had to reject several offers of up to £500k for the youngster. One of Bromley’s most important players during the Jnoubi regime has been Gianluca Gracco, but unfortunately for the club and player, last season was his final one with the club. The 27 year old Italian striker was let go during the summer after failing to agree to a contract, denying the club of a fifth season with what has been its most potent weapon going forward. Jnoubi instead focused on bringing in young talent to shore up his otherwise depleted frontline, as Cuauthemoc Blanco also announced his retirement at the age of 43 at the end of the 2016/17 season. Jnoubi spent £180k on 23 year old Dutch striker Damien Menzo, who was bought from Dutch Jupiler League side Volendam, with another £52k on 18 year old New Zealan striker Ryan Lazarus despite Jnoubi only seeing videos of him as he could not put together a budget to scout him in person. He did not disappoint, however, and the money paid to YoungHeart of New Zealand looks like money well-spent, as Lazarus’ talent has already earned him a cap with his national team. Umberto Eusepi, who was the highest paid player on the squad after signing last season, looks set to earn his pay as the third choice striker, and it is rumored that Jnoubi has been looking to off-load him. New Signings Ignacio Veloso – £350k: High hopes are being placed on Bromley’s most expensive signing ever, and the 17 year old will be expected to deliver from the beginning. Jnoubi has already suggested that Veloso will get plenty of playing time this season, and based on pre-season scouting, Veloso’s aerial ability could prove to be a huge addition to the Bromley back four. Damien Menzo – £180k: The 23 year old Dutch striker looks set to replace Gianluca Gracco as Bromley’s main target up front this season, and on paper, looks likely to be the most significant of Jnoubi’s signings, for this season at least. He has got good finishing ability to go with his pace, and the expectation is that he will lead the club in goals scored this season. Boy de Jong – £140k: Given the state of the GK position for Bromley the past two seasons, perhaps the signing with the most pressure coming in is the 23 year old Dutch keeper. Although early scouting reports suggest he is much more talented than his predecessor, given the club’s experience with Dutch GKs, he has a lot to prove. Ryan Lazarus – £52k: The 18 year old New Zealand striker was signed based on videos, so he was a risk coming into training camp. Thankfully for Jnoubi, he proved to be quite worthy of the risk, and now has cemented his starting place alongside Menzo to start the season. Joao Morais – £24.5k: Another addition to the Bromley frontline, the 18 year old Portuguese striker will likely start the season as the 4th choice striker, although given his attacking talent and already developed physical ability, he looks like he could potentially contribute in a meaningful way. Fahd Aktaou – Free Transfer: The 24 year old Dutch left back has pace to burn, and will look to be part of the rotation with Veloso at the left back position this season. Robbie Belford – Free Transfer: A product of the Chelsea Youth Academy, he was signed to further solidify the depth of the frontline. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted March 3, 2014 Share Posted March 3, 2014 Since FM09, I've had a pretty easy time rolling up the leagues. Like I said before, getting a good striker and two skilled midfielders is the key. This time around, however, I almost missed on getting promoted from League 1 and I have a feeling I wont make it out of the Championship too quick. The problem I have in my game is that my Chairmen (plural) keep selling my players when they get a sizeable offer in for them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 wow, brilliant cover of everything. hope you can keep this up because it is quite a bit of work!fantastic work with the promotion, now fight in order to remain up! Thanks! The Championship season has started and I am mid-table - hopefully the squad can keep it up. The problem I have in my game is that my Chairmen (plural) keep selling my players when they get a sizeable offer in for them. That happened a couple of times to me, most recently in FM12 when they sold a striker called David Corrigan who was a star at 17 years old. Disappointed, to say the least. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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