EPL Challenge (The Ultimate Premier League Experience)

[BelfastNiall]

Ah well remembered French one.

[fmgreat]

I rate this clan the best on the forum. Please keep it up lads because it would be a shame if this game stopped.

[PAFC]

Upon arriving at Boro, the first thing that struck home was the quality of players for a team languishing in 16th place

As the transfer window had closed, the job at hand was to make most use of the players available, and in my ignorance, attempt to climb up the league.

The team were organised into a standard 4-4-2 and the assistant picked the team, as it would have taken me 30 minutes to decide which world class right back to play.

The first game was no great shakes. The good news was that we stifled the opposition and the bad news was that we failed to create much for ourselves. Eventually Villa stole the game with a goal midway through the second half.

The second game was no better in terms of performance, however the result, a 2-0 home win over Birmingham, was a welcome boost to morale.

The final game of this initial period saw the team go down 2-0 to Man Utd at Old Trafford, before playing out of their skin to to get a draw. A pattern was starting to emerge, the team were well capable of dominating possession, but due to a weakness against counter attacks the attempts on goal were roughly equal.

The session ended with Boro in 14th place.

[PAFC]

With the three staff goalkeepers out of action, it was down to the grey man to do the business in the next three games.

The team played well over this period, but taking only one point from three games changed my ambition from improving the teams position to survival.

Injuries to key midfield players in this period led me to reduce the physical aspects of training to prevent further damage.

Things went from bad to worse, even with proper goalkeepers (37% fit). I was well beaten by Fullham (Dave) and Wolves (Pagi), and lost narrowly to 10 man West Ham (Thor) in probably our best performace of the season to date.

Fortunately the team rallied for the last three games of the season, to narrowly avoid relegation and finish in 16th place.

The club board appear to endorse my performance so far, however there is a very long way to go. The goal for the summer break will be to reduce the wage bill by off-loading a few fading stars and the younger ones who are not prepared to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in.

[STFC will rule again]

Nice couple of reports, Rob .

[STFC will rule again]

[STFC will rule again]

Season 6 Final Table, Chelski on top as always .

[Guest]

Hi chaps

just wondering is matt tully still in your clan?

[STFC will rule again]

Season Roundup

We’ve reached the end of the 2011/12 season in EPL and that makes it time for the season roundup so sit back and enjoy hopefully.

'The Greatest One’ once again proved the quality of manager I am by guiding Chelsea to their 5th consecutive Premiership title and I’ll stick my fingers in my ears and go ‘Lalalalalala’ if anyone mentions bloody Europe again . Sadly, I’m leaving the mighty Chelski behind to go back to a big challenge at my old club Wigan and I’d just like to say to the fans to not mourn my going but to worship to the Gold Statue of myself outside Stamford Bridge .

Niall ‘Mad Irishman’ Murphy hasn’t been around for many sessions for obvious reasons and in his absence, his assistant has done a great job of trying to get him the sack . A 3rd place finish and a quarter final in the Champions League meant it was a season of underachievement but without me managing Chelsea, maybe he’ll finally win that Premiership title next season .

Thor Erik ‘Big Head’ Kjerrgärd has once again done a good job taking West Ham into the Champions League, finishing in 4th position and despite trying his best efforts to financially cripple the Hammers, his lucky run to the Champions League Final has rescued him for the time being. Several pundits are hopeful that if his head continues to expand at it’s current level, surely it’s only a matter of time till it explodes and Thor can finally come back down to Earth .

Mo ‘1-0’ Ilyas has performed miracles at Everton to take them into Europe, finishing in 5th position and using the usual Mo brand of exciting, attacking football that has all the fans cheering or should that be has all the fans nodding off . If you decide to watch some of Everton’s matches next season, I suggest a sleeping bag and pillow so you can nod off in comfort .

Dave ‘The Quiet One’ Allen has been doing a great job down at Fulham and was unlucky to finish in 8th position, despite putting up a good fight for the European places. We all just wish that he wasn’t so loud in the MIRC room as we can’t hardly speak for the interruptions and constant talking from him .

Rob ‘Pilgrim’ Chivers has only been with us a while but still did a good job to keep Middlesbrough in the Premiership, despite horrendous goalkeeper injuries problems. By the looks of it though, Rob’s 9 year old son could probably show him a thing or two judging by his managerial skills so far .

David ‘Job Centre’ Pagi tried his best to get relegated but somehow clung on at the end to keep Wolves in the Premiership. To his credit though, he did an amazing job to get to the UEFA Cup Final which he ended up losing despite a good performance.

Just how long it’ll be till Pagi’s back in the job queue is anyone’s guess but there’s one thing for sure, you could put money on it happening eventually .

Richard ‘The Crap One’ Liggins would probably blame Norwich’s relegation on his assistant doing a bad job but you can always blame the Organ Grinder as he’s the one controlling the Monkey. Looks like it’s Ligs last season till FM07 is out which is unfortunate as who will I get my guaranteed six points a season from now? .

We also had a few managers leave for various reasons so I'd like to wish them luck and hope some of them will be back for FM07 edition of EPL .

Disclaimer - any of these comments are not made by Ben Jackson and so he can not be sued for any offence or have bodily harm inflicted on him.

[David Pagi]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Rdysn5:

Hi chaps

just wondering is matt tully still in your clan? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

no

[Vitamin C]

The Hammers eyes carrot at the end of the tunnel

The second part of the season saw Thor’s side fire on all cylinders, as the coming of age of explosive centre-backs Barbosa and Leonardo Guzmân meant that their defense no longer were vulnerable to opposition with great pace.

January saw FA cup victories against Chester and Sheffield United, as well as an unbeaten run in the league that included a hard fought 2-1 victory away against Wolves.

February kicked off with an emphatic 5-1 home win against bullies Bolton, before the unadventurous Fulham and Leeds once again would fall victim to sexy football. Hopes of lifting the FA cup trophy were then dashed as Arsenal performed robbery at broad daylight to come away with a 2-1 win at The Boleyn Ground. Next up, the Champions League 1st Knockout Round, were The Hammers played host to irresistible Inter. 1-1 the final score, after goals from Rodrigo Tiuì and Obafemi Martins. A 3-0 league defeat against Arsenal then concluded what was a farcical month for the Londoners.

As the eyes of March approached, Freddy Guarîn responded positively when told by his manager that Arouca would now be first choice in the midfield anchor role. Never one to give up without a good fight, The Colombian Missile played out of his skin when given the chance to shine. Once again money laundry outfit Chelsea were denied the 3 points as the Thor(n) in Ben’s side fought gallantly with 10 men to earn a 1-1 draw. Second leg against Inter resulted in another 1-1 draw, and so the match went to penalties. Diego became the hero by saving 3 shots. The surprise performance in this match came from Fernando Arce, who in his second year as a professional came on for the injured Fâbio Santos and effectively shut down the threat of Robinho and Adriano with his solid tackling, blistering pace, and awesome anticipation. At a fee of only £80K, this 21 year old Argentinean surely had to be the buy of the season.

The rest of the March league results for West Ham:

Everton – West Ham 3-2

West Ham – Newcastle 4-0

Birmingham – West Ham 1-1

Then it was time for the Champions League Quarter Final, where sexy football would be up against last year’s winners, Liverpool. Niall employed his crusty 4-5-1 formation, and as a result Thor chose to abandon his counter attacking formation and instead try a more patient approach. The champions were unlucky to lose their captain when Steven Gerrard was carried off with an injury in the 58th minute. Xabi Alonso and Anderson still managed to control the midfield with their silky passing, and when Evandro Roncatto volleyed home 1-0, Liverpool looked to be in cruise control. Midfield maestro Diego had other ideas however. Playing in the hole just behind the two strikers, the Brazilian sensation strung together a couple of neat one-twos before receiving the ball on the edge of the penalty area. He dwelled on the ball, then arrogantly side stepped a chasing Gabriel Milito, before majestically curling the ball into the top right corner. Television commentator Chris Woods: You can’t argue with a strike like that!. As good karma would have it, the trickery of Rodrigo Tiuì was enough to earn the visitors a second goal. 1-2 the final score.

April started off with a 3-0 home defeat against Manchester City, after 8 first team players were rested so Thor could prepare to put the final nail in Niall’s coffin ahead of their epic second leg encounter. Before a rabid 36 000 home crowd, West Ham took control and dominated Liverpool in every department. Left winger Jonathan de Guzman opened the scoring with a delicious 35 yard strike that went in off the post. The young Canadian, who was snapped up on a Bosman ahead of this season, is proving to be a lethal finisher and a man for big occasions. It was academic at this point, and when Dusan Basta received his marching orders for head butting Clàudio, Niall in turn head butted his monitor up in Ireland, promptly earning him seven stitches and a one month ban by the missus. A mistake by Riise then allowed Clàudio to make it 2-0 in the latter stages of the match.

West Brom were easily disposed 3-1 in the next game, setting up the first league meeting between the mighty Thor and shivering Rob Chivers. The newcomer is said to prefer a 4-4-3 formation. Whether this is due to having difficulties with numbers, or thinking he can replace his goalie with an outfield player, remains unanswered. What we do know is that his defenders were running like scalded dogs when Clàudio and Rodrigo Tiuì gave chase. Even with 10 men for most of the match, West Ham were able to secure the 3 points.

The Champions League Semi Final saw West Ham once again take on Serie A champions Roma. The home side grabbed the early lead when a flicked header from Clàudio allowed Diego to continue his run into the box and hammer home 1-0. Christian Chivu, who many say was born to play for Thor’s side, would grab the equalizer 5 minutes later with a thunderous 35 yard free kick that left the other Diego diamond with no chance. Even with Chivu sent off for a professional foul in the 37th minute, the gypsies were able to steal a point. 1-1 the final score.

Next up were Spurs, who had hopes of coming away with at least a point from this match after Thor decided to rest 10 of his preferred first eleven. This time the reserves were up for it. They put in the performance of the season, as Spurs were made to look like schoolboys in front of their home fans. Another comfortable 3-0 win to start the celebrations, with the icing on the cake being French teenager Pierre Marty booked for overly sulking after the referee ignored his plea to send off a West Ham player.

Second leg against Roma would provide another nail biter. The Italian champions pounced on the West Ham goalkeeper until a wild 50 yard clearance from Jonathan de Guzman sent Clàudio on his way. Using his pace to get past Andrea Masi, the Brazilian found his countryman Rodrigo Tiuì with low cross in the penalty area, who remained as calm as ever when applying the finish. 0-1. Roma would get back in the game when a clumsy mistake by youngster Andrade would allow Jonas Abrahamsson to steal the ball on the edge of the area and deliver a fierce shot that Diego could only parry. The rebound fell to Stefano Chuka Okaka who made it 1-1. Not much separated these two sides as the second half kicked off. Then out of nowhere, Roma got a penalty. Okaka went down like he’d been shot. It was Lima vs Diego… Saved! Just one minute later, West Ham answered with what surely had to be the best team goal of the tournament: Andrès Felipe Gonzàlez searched out Tiuì who picked up the ball in the middle of the pitch and played a one-two with Clàudio. Tiuì again found Clàudio with an excellent through ball. Clàudio dwelled on the ball, before finding Diego in behind the Roma midfield. Diego surged into the area, and just as he was about to shoot, he expertly chipped the ball to his right where Francismar was free to apply the finish. A wonderful team goal that started at the West Ham backline, and saw The Hammers cut through the Roma defense like a sharp knife in warm butter.

The final two Premiership games of the season saw West Ham draw 1-1 at home against QPR, and 2-2 away against Liverpool after a 90th minute equalizer from Freddy Adu.

As West Ham prepared for the Champions League final, they were touted as heavy underdogs against an Arsenal side that had seemed unstoppable in the last 2 months. Just 1 defeat in their last 23 games was the status for Arsene Wenger’s side going into the final.

For West Ham, it was hard to believe that up until 2 seasons ago, this team was floundering around in the Championship and relying on such catastrophes as Nicola Avitabile and Daniel Fredheim Holm. Whatever the outcome of the final, Thor will forever be remembered as one of the nicest managers in the history of our sport. Not since the days of Ron Greenwood and John Lyall has there been such optimism at the club.

West Ham went into the final with a simple game plan: don’t give Francesc Fabregas any time on the ball, and clip the legs of their strikers until they can’t run. Their plan seemed to be working when after only 10 minutes the strength and aggressiveness of Leonardo Guzmân became too much for Jermaine Defoe to cope with. A right hook, a red card, and Arsenal were down to 10 men. Arouca then stepped up with a thunderous long shot to send West Ham fans into raptures after 14 minutes. 1-0 West Ham. Fâbio Santos would then suffer the same faith as Defoe, after he committed a professional foul in the 33th minute. With 10 players each, the game opened up with many chances to both teams. Diego was once again outstanding in goal, while at the other side of the pitch nothing seemed to get past Ashley Cole. Josê Antonio Reyes was relentless in the Arsenal attack and got his awards when in the 52th minute he found his way through the West Ham defence. 1-1. When the game went into extra time, Wenger adopted a 4-2-3 formation, and was successful in this gamble when Emmanuel Ebouê flicked home a cross to once again put Arsenal in the lead. With 22 minutes left of extra time, it was now or never for The Hammers. The lightning quick Gonçalves was brought on as Thor went for a modified 3-3-3 formation. The Portuguese Man-O-War soon responded when in the 112th minute he headed home a delicious Freddy Guarîn cross. 2-2. At this point, both teams seemed content at not taking too many chances, and the game predictably went to penalties.

It’s Jamie Carragher who will take the first penalty for Arsenal… He scores!

Freddy Guarìn steps up…. Saved by Carlos Idriss Kameni!

Aliaksandr Hleb looks like a dear in the headlights here… It went in!

Chiquinho fears the hose… Saved!

Ashley Cole can win it for Arsenal here…. He misses!

Andrês Felipe Gonzales... The colony of Colombia is with you… Saved!

Josê Antonio Reyes can win it for Arsenal here… Oh! That is a cool penalty…

In the end it was not to be. The West Ham players didn't have enough experience at this level. For an exclusive on what is happening with The Hammers in the future, be sure to tune in Wednesday, when once again Gary Lineker goes one on one with Sir Thor.

[BelfastNiall]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Vitamin C: could prepare to put the final nail in Niall’s coffin ahead of their epic second leg ... Niall in turn head butted his monitor up in Ireland, promptly earning him seven stitches and a one month ban by the missus. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Try and be accurate Thor, I wasn't there for either leg.

[Wimpy_Dave]

Fulham Finish Another Strong Season

Another season is over and we have performed well but we did not reach anywhere near our potential and we should have finished higher than where we did. After a hard season we ended up in eighth position but I was hoping to have qualified for the UEFA Cup again this year by finishing in the top 6 but it just was not to be. I am hoping that this year we will perform much better in the League and maybe push for a Champions League spot but I definitely want us to get back into the UEFA Cup.

As for the FA Cup we did not progress further than the fourth round after we were defeated 1-0 in a replay by Birmingham. I felt that we should have gone further and we were unlucky to lose to Birmingham because we seemed in control of the match. We never really looked like the good playing football team that we are and we kept scraping through each round. I hope that this season we can perform a lot better and get through to the final stages of the cup.

With our first outing in Europe I felt that we performed well and did not embarrass the club. We got through to the group stages and in a relatively tough group we finished second one point behind the winners of the group Palermo. We got through the first knockout round after a 2-0 win on aggregate against Real Madrid who seem to be a shadow of their former selves. We then got drawn against Feyenoord but we lost the away leg 3-0 and we were unable to break them down at the Cottage so found ourselves going out early. I am annoyed that we are not in the competition this year because I felt that we have improved as a squad and we could have gone further than the second knockout round.

Our best competition this year had to be the Carling Cup. We battled our way through to the final with some great victories. Defeating giants Arsenal 3-1 was a great result for us and it shows that we can beat the bigger teams. The best match before the final was the 3-3 draw with Sunderland, managed by Mr. Diprose, it was always a tense match but we had the upper hand after winning the first leg 1-0 which helped us get through to the finals. We were put up against Man Utd at Wembley and we took them all the way to penalties only to lose out and go back to the Cottage as the runners up.

We certainly needed to improve our squad from last year if we want to finish higher and secure ourselves a European spot or win a trophy.

Transfers In

Jermaine Jenas | Fiorentina | Free

Jermaine will provide cover on the wing for us as second choice for Aruna Dindane.

Luke Moore | Norwich | Free

Luke gives us an extra option upfront and he helps bolster the strong strike force that we already have.

Oscar Ustari | Real Sociedad | £6,000,000

Oscar is an experienced goal keeper who I am hoping will be solid at the back and help us move higher up in the league table after we conceded too many goals last season.

Transfers Out

Sameule Dalla Bona | Leeds | Free

Sam was just getting a bit old and finding himself on the bench for most of the season so it was better for him that he left Fulham for first team football.

Alexandre Song | Nice | £1,200,000

Alex never really found a place at Fulham and a move to Nice was best for him and his career.

Nathan Porritt | Plymouth | £1,000,000

Nathan came through our youth system but never really reached the potential that we thought he had and went down divisions to Plymouth.

Ludovic Delporte | Bolton | £1,600,000

Ludovic reached an age where player begin to decline and found himself out of favour at Fulham to the younger generation and was offloaded to the usual retirement home that is Bolton.

Leo Franco | Lleida | £700,000

I brought Leo in to give us some stability a the back but he never really brought it and found himself on the bench so found himself out the door after only one season.

Jermaine Pennant | Wolves | £1,000,000

Jermaine is a solid right winger but did not play many games for us and it was Pagi who snapped him up for £1m.

Chris Morris | Norwich | £100,000

Chris was a good goalkeeper but the trouble is that at Fulham we have an abundance of good goalkeepers and he was just not up to the standard so he has gone down to the Championship to play for Norwich.

9 Unwanted Youths and Oldies for Free

The usual group of players that just don’t cut it and are too old to continue.

[ligs]

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

Nathan Porritt | Plymouth | £1,000,000

Nathan came through our youth system but never really reached the potential that we thought he had and went down divisions to Plymouth. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

No he didn't, he came through my set-up at Boro - I knew he wasn't good enough 2 years ago when I got £1mil from Fulham for him

[PAFC]

On the Up?

As predicted the close and pre-season heralded either the departure or arrival of menagerie of professional footballers.

The end result was a gross profit of £7M, a managable wage bill that is within the set budget and a few handy players to boot.

The assistant manager did a sterling job of steering the club through the pre-season with a 100% win record.

With ever growing anticipation for the season to get underway, it was inevitable that the firs game would be a bit of an anti-climax. The home game against Mo's Everton never really hit the heights. In honesty, Mo's team created slightly more chances, but both teams failed to establish fluidity, pattern or dominance. Fortunately the Boro strikers bought their shooting boots and the 2-1 result was actually more than they deserved.

The second game provided slightly more goalmouth action, but once again the better finishing of Boro enabled us to walk away from Bolton with a 3-1 win.

In an ironic reversal of fortune, the home game against last seasons fellow relegation strugglers, Pagi's Wolves, was between the teams lying 1st and 2nd in the current league. Boro started like a train, and it was only thanks to the woodwork that they had nothing to show for it. Midway through the first half, Pagi managed to pull the right strings and Wolves suddenly started dominating. They managed to score twice before half-time, once from the penalty spot. The start of the second half was a carbon copy of the first half, with Boro once again in the ascendancy. Some stupendous goalkeeping managed to sustain Wolves advantage, but eventually Boro got their goal. Wolves got a bit wiser on the counter attack, and despite continuing to press Boro ended up losing 2-1.

A narrow 2-1 victory away in the next game thanks to a late goal, meant that the good start to the season was maintained despite the loss to Wolves. An improvement in the fluidity and quality of football was also in evidence.

The fluidity continued into the next home game as Derby got ripped apart. It is a credit to Derby, and my poor management capability, that they hung in, equalising twice to earn a draw.

All-in-all Boro have enjoyed a good start to the season, the spine of the team is looking very strong, with the new signings bedding in very well. Without European football to provide a distraction, a finish in the top half of the table is possible, however the first job is to avoid relegation.

[PAFC]

Still Hanging In There

The momentum, if that is the right word, was maintained through the next two games, with a very lucky 1-0 away win over West Ham, followed by an extremely unlucky home draw against opposition that I would expect to beat. A 6-0 home win against Wycombe in the League Cup ensured I was no closer to working out if we were good, bad or just plain lucky.

The moment of truth had come, with games against Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd and Liverpool again. Surely this run of games would sort the men out from the boys.

The team played well away against Chelsea and held out for a decent draw. Arsenal at home, were more dificult opponents, and to be fair slightly edged the performance side of the encounter, but the team were happy with a point.

The Liverpool game was very strange and painful. Liverpool started well going 3-0 up early on, however that was not the full story. Liverpool added a fourth in the second half and ended the game with 6 shots, 5 on target and 4 goals. Clearly my strikers and goalkeeper need to improve.

The confidence and morale was not high going into the next game, home against Man Utd. A quick squad rotation, and a fortunate injury uncovered a supersub who managed to score 4 goals in a 5-2 victory. Man Utd finished the better, and ultimately the result flattered Boro.

The League Cup tie against Liverpool was a quick means to exorcise ghosts. The trip to Anfield was very eventful with Boro walking away 4-1 winners, despite not being completely dominant (poetic justice).

The report ends with a fortunate 3-2 home win over West Brom, which the Baggies dominated for long periods.

Sill not sure how good the team are, but the journey is very exciting and third place is no mean achievement even at this early stage.

[ligs]

Good to see Boro back up where they belong after the shambles of the Pagi reign

How are Wigan doing now they have that clown Jackson back in charge? Bet they couldn't believe their luck when they managed to ship him out to Chelsea back in 2007

[PAFC]

The new Birmingham manager would be best placed to answer that question

[ligs]

A yes, a little dicky-bird tells me that Wigan are celebrating for a second time having got rid of "that clown Jackson." Bottom of the table, oh how Birmingham must be glad he has taken over thier club

[STFC will rule again]

It's that time of year again when EPL needs some new managers to use their skill and guile (Not 100% required as most EPL managers don't possess either ) that are up to the challenge of joining the best FM clan around.

So if anyone out there thinks they'd be a good addition to the clan, go to the EPL website and forum and post a decent application telling us about yourself and you could join the award winning FM clan.

EPLChallenge

[keedo666]

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

A yes, a little dicky-bird tells me that Wigan are celebrating for a second time having got rid of "that clown Jackson." Bottom of the table, oh how Birmingham must be glad he has taken over thier club </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Like i always believed, ET's "class" would shine through in the end.... i mean he played Zokora as a CB, that for me speaks volumes

Its all a downward spiral from here then eh Ben, you keep going the way you are and you may just end up at Liverpool .

Consequently Ligs im very much interested in meeting this dicky-bird of yours!

[keedo666]

Forgot to add(although i really do take immense pleasure from cluttering the thread and provoking Murphy);

My application is in the post

[BelfastNiall]

I'll make sure it's lost in the mail.

[BelfastNiall]

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

A yes, a little dicky-bird tells me that Wigan are celebrating for a second time having got rid of "that clown Jackson." Bottom of the table, oh how Birmingham must be glad he has taken over thier club </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Rubbish, Ben, rubbish.

[ligs]

You leave my oiseau alone, Frenchy

[STFC will rule again]

Ssshh... It wasn't my fault, it was the ummmm....tea lady, her bad tea making is what made the team rubbish.

Doing well with Brum though so my career's back on track .

[PAFC]

Mid Season Report

Well so far, so good. The wheels have not yet fell off, but also the performances are yet to be convincing.

After 19 league games Boro are lying second, on inferior goal difference to Mo's excellent Everton. The record to date is won eleven, drawn five and lost three.

All the usual suspects are waiting in the wings e.g. Chelsea seem to be rapidly recovering from the loss of Ben, as indeed are Wigan strangely;. Liverpool and West Ham are also prominent with Pagi's Wolves and Arsenal only a few points away from being in the thick of it.

The League Cup has provided a second conduit for potential success, with squad rotation being abandoned in favour potential European qualification.

A notable, and lucky, 4-1 win against Ben's Brum followed by a completely undeserved 1-0 victory over Bolton have seen Boro progress to the semi-final. Luck once again smiled on Boro as they drew Leicester as opposed to the more fancied Chelsea and Arsenal who contest the other semi-final. Probably regret describing Leicester as a softer option, but there it is.

I would put the success, so far, down to great individuals in the team as ooposed to great teamwork. A few key injuries may take the wind out of the sails, but equally the transfer window will provide an opportunity to sterengthen for the run-in.

Financially things are not so bright. The majority of debt was cleared in the close season, but legacy time delayed deals have made sure that the club has steadily lost money month on month. The club has been more than generous with the transfer budget and it may be better to not invest too heavily and use the money as a buffer in the interim.

[keedo666]

Wenger's young protege appointed as new Charlton gaffer; Fans left bemused.

Sky Sports can sensationally reveal that Charlton Athletic manager Frank Yallop has been relieved of command after a lacklustre first half of the premiership season. Although Charlton were expected to struggle having achieved promotion the previous season, the spectre of relegation loomed increasingly large, as the defence leaked goals and the strikers misfired.

The Canandian manager was never popular with the clubs faithful and a prominent fans spokesperson is said to have welcomed the change at the helm.

Mercurial Frenchman, Mark D'Ardenne, had enjoyed a succesful stint in charge of Fulham, leading them to 10th in the division as well as pulling their precarious financial situation back from the brink. His surprise resignation was brought about by the reluctance of chairman , Mohamed Al Fayed, to invest in the club, the money needed to take it to the next level.

D'Ardenne then went on to work in a youth development role for compatriot Wenger's Arsenal, where he succesfully integrated youngsters such as Bendtner and Lupoli into the first team squad.

Now appointed as Charlton supremo he was quick to outline his intent for the team and the club as a whole:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">First of all i would like to thank the chairman for taking the gamble on me, i had a poor relationship with Al Fayed at Fulham and alot of unpleasant things were said to the press. Despite this Mr.Simmons still had the faith to give me a job.

As for my plans for Charlton, the obvious first challenge is to avoid relegation from the premiership. The club currently lies in 18th place, with half the season gone and this neeeds to be rectified urgently. I feel that we need to make a break away from the relegation quagmire sooner rather than later to ensure our survival. The closer to the end of the season you get and your still hovering above the drop zone, the higher your chances of going down. Simply put we dont want to be drawn into that!

In terms of personnel the quality of the playing staff is quite frankly inadequate. There are too many players who wont make the grade and are not in my plans, with the striking department particularly lacklustre. Lua Lua is the only quality player but at 32 may run out of steam before the end of the campaign.

With the transfer window upon us i hope to put my own spin on the squad in the near future.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

On to the reports :

3-0 (A) Fulham

Goals-McGoldrick,Reid,Allen

Fate evidently has a sense of irony as my first match in charge was away at my old club. However times have changed and the quality of the playing staff is not the same with the defense particularly vulnerable.

As such it was a thoroughly convincing win, and the scoreline could of been higher with better strikers at my disposal. It is no coincidence that 2 of the 3 goal came from midfield. Goal of the game was by Andy reid who burst down the flank before firing in from 20 yards.

2-1 (H) Spurs

Goals-Hangeland,Morrison: Cavenaghi

A tight affair that we did just enough to win. An important result considering spurs proximity to us at the foot of the table. How spurs find themselves so low is beyond me, the quality of their squad is astounding! Moment of the match was a 35 yard lob by Hangeland that left keeper Robinson reeling and ultimately got us a much needed 3 points.

0-2 (A) Everton

Goals-Mbesuma, Ifill(pen)

For this mis-match my team needed shuffling, due to the suspension of 2 defenders and the injury to another two strikers, thats 5 out in total! Long story short Everton dominated us as we were toothless upfront, we completely lacked any incisivenes at all, which left the manager despairing. Mbesuma scored a great solo effort after a great run and the win was sealed with a contentious penalty.....Mo wasn't complaining .

A change of tactics at half time, i withdrew both misfiring strikers got us back into the game as chances were created. In all honesty we never looked like scoring though! The match could of easily turned into a morale killing thrashing but the lads defended well.

3-0 (A) Derby FA Cup

Goals-B.Clarke(2),D.Brown

An easy win in which some jokers from the reserves took part. The ref seemed to be on our side as he sent two Derby players off, although the cards were warranted. Hopefully a similar result can be replicated in the league fixture with our relegation rivals.

0-0 (A) Man City

In essence a bore draw, and nothing of note to report! My new look "loan signing" strikeforce was trialed in the game but chances were few and far between. Redondo missed a good chance late on and Gyan was industrious winning the aerial ball over the park.

Match reports over, the first session seemingly went well with 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss under my belt. If i can maintain that sort of ratio over the remainder of the season we should avoid relegation easily.

I do however have worries about the quality of my squad and i will look to make some changes where i can. There is a bit of money to spend, a striker or defender the most probable target.

Transfers Out:

S.Allen- £6.75m and 20% next sale > Arsenal

L.Lita- £1m > QPR

L.Morris £1.5m > Colchester

"Allez les rouge"

[Dee]

Looks like a good game Niall. Compliment from another Belfastian \o/

[keedo666]

Still waiting for that Birmingham introduction post ET, and dont try and give me the "im on holiday in spain" polava.....we all know your really tucked up in your love nest with Dennis Wise and Gus Poyet....Hows that "sandwich" action working out for you ?

[BelfastNiall]

12 days, no updates...you must all be shight..

[PAFC]

The Wheels Come Off

The spell following Christmas was particularly hard for Boro.

On the new faces front, a couple of youngsters were bought in, but more with a view to the future rather than strengthening the team for the remainder of the season.

Cup games were to prove the highlight, disguising the teams abject form and results in the league.

The team reached the final of the League Cup (fortuitously) and the 5th Round of the FA Cup prior to taking a sabbatical and allowing the assistant free reign to do the business.

In fairness to the Assistant, he won the League Cup against Chelsea, but unfortunately lost all but one of the League Games (including Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd).

FA Cup defeat against Newcastle was followed up by a 4-1 victory over Wigan, and the reigns being handed back.

Building on the Wigan game, the team managed to beat West Brom, Man City comfortably, before succumbing once again to Newcastle (got to stop talking to the press ).

The final game in this report was a 5-0 win over Charlton.

In summary Boro have qualified for Europe via the League Cup, are sitting 5th in the Premier League with 3 games to go and unfortunately no chance of qualifying for the Champions League. I have signed a new contract with reduced wages and no transfer budget. I am comfortable with this as the long-term installments deals that were the fashion with my predecesors have now reached the end of term and the club should be in profit soon.

Elsewhere, Mo and Everton are still making a strong challenge for the title, although a resurgent Ben may have dented those ambition, Champions League football is secured. Ben's Brum are currently unbeatable and are progressing well in the Euro Cup and may overtake Boro in the run-in. Wolves have slipped out of contention following a spell without the Mr Pagi at the helm. Mark faces a struggle to keep Charlton in the Premiership. Last but by no means least, Dave has done an excellent job of steering QPR into contention for automatic promotion in the Championship.

[David Pagi]

Nice manager summary Rob means we don't have to do a report cheers

[keedo666]

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

12 days, no updates...you must all be shight.. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

When you've finished chewing that placenta, and are back in the game, we'll accept your drunken outbursts once more!

[ligs]

Placenta and mash, with a side dish of chips, followed by roast potatoes for sweet. Tasty

[goat261]

Rumours are circulating that the greatest manager EPL has ever seen may be returning for FM07.….

More on this story as it develops....

[ligs]

You're a bit slow GOAT, it's already been announced that'll I'll be back at the helm at Boro for FM07

[keedo666]

D'Ardenne the saviour as Addicks avoid expected relegation.

Indeed there has never been so much hope or expectation at the Valley, ahead of the new season, than there is now with Monaco favourite D'Ardenne, at the helm.

Even in the Curbishley and Williams "glory days", the hype has never been this high. At last Addicks fans believe they have a manager who is capable of firing them up the table and beyond. In the short term Charlton fans will once again look to avoid the drop, but at last jealous eyes dircted at london rivals heady european nights, might be sated.

While I took over in January with the club sitting in the relegation zone, prospects were bleak with little money and a poor squad. However courtesy of beating our rivals and a few impressive surpise results, the highlight of which was undoubtedly he 5-2 thrashing of Liverpool, top flight status was maintained for another season.

Although this was an enjoyable achievement, its necessary to look to next season, where a complete overhaul of the sqaud is near complete.

Most of the players were offloaded, with few being up to the demands of the premiership or indeed were close to pensionable age.

Players Out

L.Lua Lua

A.Mcgoldrick

D.Brown

A.Reid

B.Clarke

S.Carson

C.Kern

And loads more rejects for a few 100k that were sub-standard.

Players In

J.Mathieu

J.Lacourt

R.Dos Santos

Y.Gourcuff

A.Grant

B.Inbregtsen

J.Droest

B.Gama

H.Drost

C.Zapata

Abuda

V.Vasicek

K.Benzema

A.Isaksson

As you might gather my first XI next year will contain virtually an entirely new line-up, with a little money left to spend and a few players still to offload if the right player comes along that can suplement my sqaud, i might be able to prise open the chairmans wallet.

As for expectations for next season, first of all i will look to avoid relegation and then go from there. I feel an assault on the top half is not too far away. With a decent pool of strikers and hopefully a better back four and goalkeeper, results should pick up

[STFC will rule again]

Having not taken notice of various people telling me to never go back, I did just that and went back to Wigan to take them forward after their promotion back into the Premier League.

It turned out to be one disaster after another so instead of staying on to bail out the sinking ship, I jumped ship and took on the Birmingham job that had just opened up . Strangely, Wigan's form vastly improved after I left but it can't possibly be down to losing my superb managerial ability so we'll skip past that .

A magnificent run of form at Birmingham saw us win 16 games in a row towards the end of the season that took us to a final league position of 5th, just pipping Rob's Middlesbrough side and also to the UEFA Cup final against Celtic which we lost but losing 3 main players before the match didn't help .

So overall a very good season which took us into the pre-season looking to add a few players to the squad to strengthen what we already have at the club, with 18m being spent and 5m being brought in.

The main big summer signing was a central defender that i've been after since I was at Chelsea so was delighted when I persuaded Liverpool to let Daniene Seva join for 9m. He will be a great addition to the squad and will make sure the defence is tight which we'll need if we want to do well this coming season.

This leaves us with a squad that looks like this -

GK - Amelia, Kovalenko

DEF - Hunt, Jones, Elmer, Seva, Rocha, Huth ©, Santos

MID - Juarez, Gutierrez, Gerrard, Larsen, Bonnet, Richardson, McGoldrick

ATT - Dagoberto, Oliveira, Junior, Moreno

I've got a good feeling about this season as we've got a very strong squad now and will look to push on and hopefully challenge for the Champions League places this season. I may try for a couple more signings in the January transfer window but I'll see how the first half of the season goes.

Only time will tell if I can take Birmingham to further glory .

[PAFC]

End of Season 2012/2013

The season fizzled out with two more victories and a defeat, which despite being champions league qualifying form wasn't good enough to hold Ben and Birmingham off.

Overall 6th place is a marked improvement on last season (16th), and hopefully the players are young and talented enough to move on to Champions League qualification next year.

A few lesson were learned over the course of the year:

* Wolves (under Pagio's guidance) are a bogey team .

* Not a good idea to enter into anything more than basic statements to the press.

* Don't expect the assistant manager to win league games in your absence.

* Birmingham (under Ben's guidance) are going to be exceptionally strong ( or lucky ) next year.

* Mo and Everton are formidable opponents.

* I am useless (or too tight with money) at negotiating for players as I always lose out to other teams.

* Mark makes involvment in the clan more enjoyable, although he may want to work as hard on improving Charlton's fortunes as he does on winding Ben and Niall up .

* It'll be good to have Dave back in the EPL next season after his success with QPR last season.

* Don't buy players on extended payments as you can damage the financial heath of the club (always check for history of this when you take over clubs as you may end up with a lame duck).

Pre-Season

Pretty uneventful pre-season. Minor investments in some potentially exciting youth players e.g. a decent right back from West Brom, who went out on loan to Rangers and a DC/DM who was surplus to requirements at Liverpool who will be an automatic starter for Boro.

The financial situation has improved dramatically, and the board shoed their appreciation by sanctioning an £18M transfer budget.

Another centre half was acquired from Arsenal, which now means all we need is a left back to field a teenage back four. The young fellow acquired from Doncater (Lee Bell) during last seasons transfer window has future England star written all over him. He has all the physical and mental attributes required, although at 18 he may have to wait for a regular first team spot.

John-Obi Mikel was acquired from Manchester United on a free (big wages though) and he should provide a foil to either the grit of Sivok or the guile of Gabriel.

Friendlies were uneventful, without the impressive 100% record of last season.

2012/2013

The season started with a defeat at home to Aston Villa, I was not overly concerned as the team played very well, occassionallly games go against he run of play, that's life.

An impressive 3-0 away win at Manchester United made the contenders pay attention, it was the manner of victory that more than the result which caught the eye (note that Man U lost their next game 7-1 to Mark's Charlton which devalued the result slightly).

Finally a win over Bolton (2-0) at home saw Middlesbrough finish in 4th place. The performance against Bolton was poor, and work, in particular on fitness, is still required to maintain a decent title challenge.

[keedo666]

New look squad beginning to gel, assistant manager banned from the valley!

With the new season upon us and a rejuvenated Charlton side chomping at the bit, the fans once again look forward to seeing their team in action and the manager relishes the chance to knock a few managerial parrots off their perches.

Unfortunately the season did not start as planned as D'Ardenne's foray into town to shoot some pool looked rather foolhardy as they suffered 2 defeats in 2 games. Games were lost to teams that although perhaps better on paper, can and will be beaten over the course of the season. The most pertinent and indeed disappointing facet of the losses however was that the games were largely even affairs, but both times Charlton were well beaten.

Results

Charlton 0-3 Wolves

Charlton 2-4 Villa

The only positives to take from the games were the industrious efforts of our frontmen, and indeed Abuda and French sensation Dos Santos both opening their accounts for the club.

However worrying spectres of last seasons cavalier football loomed all too ominously, as although we scored freely we shipped goals at the back like a poor mans Sunderland.

On the back of 2 rather disappointing results, welcoming Man Utd to the valley was not an encouraging prospect. Even though they are perhaps not the team they were, they still beat us 5-2 in the same fixture last term.

However this Charlton side is a new look team, more equipped for top flight survival. Whereas last year we were often toothless upfront and woeful at the back, new signings have brought more grit to the club.

Charlton 7-1 Man Utd

Goals-Dos Santos 3, Abuda 2, Lacourt and Morrison.

Even though we conceded a penalty on 5 minutes awhich they duly dispatched, the team showed great fight and desire and in the end the calibre of the football blew Man Utd off the park. A cracking result, perhaps one of my best on FMO, and something that i certainly hope to replicate.

It has been established that my ass man is a certifiable turd, so attendance at sessions will determine my success this season more than any other factor. I feel that on our day we can give any team a run for their money and thoroughly expect more "shock" results to happen over the course of the season. For too long Charlton have been seen as 6 points when the fixture list has been published, but that is about to change!

[Wimpy_Dave]

Rangers Return to the Premiership

After Dave Allen was sacked at Fulham it was not long before he found himself another club. It was QPR who gave him a job and he has propelled them back up into the Premiership after a very successful season at Loftus Road.

When Dave Allen was appointed at QPR in early December Rangers were sitting at the wrong end of the table and needed to start getting points. Mr. Allen certainly did what Rangers needed as he was able to get QPR up the table and contending for automatic promotion. The one thing that stopped them was when Dave Allen came down ill and the assistant manager took control and was not able to push QPR into 2nd place. This meant that they had to go through the playoffs with Mr. Allen not looking to return until after them. The assistant manager got Rangers up with a 4-1 aggregate win over Doncaster in the semi-finals and then a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in the finals. Despite Mr. Allen not being there when Rangers went up many thanks went to him as he was able to make Rangers remain unbeaten for the whole of the Championship season when he was in charge.

QPR and Dave Allen have returned to the Premiership after just one year so Mr. Allen has got a club with good healthy finances. QPR have only brought in two players in the transfer window which was a surprise as most Championship sides would strengthen their squad with a few more players. Rangers have signed Dave Kelly from Sunderland on a free transfer. Kelly is a young 20 year old defensive midfielder who will be able to provide some stability in the QPR midfield. The other signing is Chris James who is a solid midfielder who found himself in the reserves at Man Utd for a few years.

QPR already have a very promising squad after Dave Allen bought some players into the squad whilst they were down in the Championship. They have a solid back four and now with the two added signings a very strong and deep midfield. Upfront they have the new wonder that is Neil Stevens who was banging in the goals for Rangers in the Championship.

With Rangers one of the favourites to go down this season it will be interesting to see if Dave Allen is able to keep them up and make them into a strong Premiership side.

[ligs]

I understand that Mark "croque monseuir" D'Ardenne has been in EPL replaced by the Doughnut.

That is all

[STFC will rule again]

EPL Challenge is still running, honest .

Handed over hosting duties to Sir Mo for a while as i'm taking a break from EPL for a little bit.

Still going to get on to people about the severe lack of updates or is that because my mighty Brum team are top? .

[PAFC]

Mid-Season Report

A good season to date.

An early exit to Mo's Everton in the League Cup was a minor setback.

A 100% record in the Euro Cup despite not having a recognised left back (holiday mode and lost 4 squad players on loan). The experience of the knockout stages will stand the squad in good stead.

League form has been good for a team that has made no major player investments this season. Currently occupying third place after 20 games, and see no reason why the club should not qualify for the Champions League at least.

Mo and Ben (heavily reliant on his brilliant assistant ) are very much in the title race.

One of the keys to Boro's progress is the unearthing of a wonder kid striker from the under 18's who is currently averaging a goal a game. Together with the young centre half from Doncaster (who has also been top drawer all season) the spine of the team has a healthy, youthful glow. A bid of £29M has already been rejected, illustrating the club's commitment to English youth.

No excuses, been at Boro for nearly two years now, the finances are in excellent shape and its time to kick on and add a major trophy to the League Cup trophy from last year.

[PAFC]

End of Season 2013/2014

Despite showing promise, the title challenge eventually fizzled out with a few weeks to go. Fourth is an improvement on last season and provides something to build on as well as Champions League exposure next season.

Difficult to identify exactly what went wrong, some inconsistency, comedown from European games, the skill and adaptability of my fellow managers etc. etc.

Progress in the FA Cup was halted in the 6th Round by West Brom. One of those games where you know you need another goal, because your opponents are going to score in the last minute. The more I pressed for the winner, the more inevitable it became they were going to score on the counter attack. It must be the new FM feature "Life's Cruel Irony" TM.

The Euro Cup was a roller coaster ride all the way, 2-0 down to Sporting Lisbon before coming back to win 5-3 away from home. 2-0 up at home to Dortmund befor being pegged back, and then having to win the away leg 3-1 to progress.

The best was left for the Semi-Final where a sensational first half 5-1 lead away to Birmingham all but killed the tie. The fact that Birmingham were at the time the on-form team in the Premiership and would only narrowly fail to win the league title emphasizes the scale of surprse. Not surprisingly Birmingham fought back in the second and were a credit to their manager, going down 6-3 in an otherwise very even game.

This however was no preparation for the second leg, where after a confident 4-0 prediction from Ben@Brum, Boro produced an inspired performance to win 8-1.

The final, against Barcelona was expected to be a routine affair with the La Liga giants overpowering a team whose domestic form was quite poor. Middlesbrough produced a spirited performance to secure a second trophy in consecutive seasons, running out 4-1 winners.

The close and pre-season has been fairly quiet at the Riverside with all transfer funds focused on the acquisition of a Brazilian wonder kid to supplement the right side of midfield. In addition a few young strikers have been added to off-set the crisis that will be created as Darren Bent and Collins John approach the end of their Premiership careers. A last minute bargain acquisition of Milan's playmaker Moutinho on a free transfer will ensure comprtition for places throughout the midfield.

With strong opposition expected from Birmingham, Everton, Arsenal and Chelsea, it may be difficult to improve on last season, but that is the target.

Everton eventually finished 5th, but for a dreadful sequence of results after Christmas would have been pushing for the title.

Ipswich were relegated, which is to be expected when a manager takes over a struggling team in EPL, however a sacking followed by a re-appointment sees the tractor boys hopeful of bouncing back next season.

[BelfastNiall]

EPL Challenge Open For FM2007 Applications!

We are currently trying to build a list of new players who we will recruit some new players for the clan game for FM2007. If you are interested, visit the link below and follow the simple instructions. Remember, the better your application, the more chance you have of being successful.

Thanks

Apply To EPL Challenge FM2007

Current List of players for FM2007:

Niall Murphy

Ben Jackson

Richard Liggins

Mo Ilyas

Rob Chivers

San Bouchard

Mark D'Ardenne

David Pagi

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

Could the following let me know of your plans?

Andy Nilsen

Steve Diprose

Arthur O'Shea

Cheers....

[STFC will rule again]

Frenchy's not playing online anymore, says he can't take the slow pace but we all know it's because he's crap .

[STFC will rule again]

Also you forgot about Dave Allen .

[Wimpy_Dave]

I must have made a great impact on the clan