AI Experiment - what would happen if?

[magicmastermind124]

We're all eagerly anticipating what is coming up kip...you know how to draw and keep a crowd in suspense!

I'm going to try an AI experiment soon, but I feel that I may as well wait for FM08 to come out first.

[Lufbra Bantam]

I have a theory on the poor managers in the premier league thing. It seems so obvious that:

A. Someone will have said it before

B. It will be wrong!

I reckon it's a level playing field for human and computer managers and, since people were getting jobs too quickly, the increase in reputation was slowed down but slowed down a little too much. Thoughts?

[VonBlade]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

In case anyone is pining for the days of Danny Gamble, go and talk to a QPR fan.

WOW!

That's ridiculous. It's like Ipswich (IRL) taken to extremes. Amazed he managed such a feat. An entire season of lucky results must have given them the title.

Great to see our incumbent McDonalds worker has brought in some good talent. Lots of players for the future. Unfortunately all the previous players for the future the Bandits have brought swiftly moved on to greener pastures.

Can't wait to see how these big signings have affected the Bandits reputation. Wahoo.

Stop keeping us waiting in antici

pation.

VB

[porror]

I know you're keeping us waiting to deal with our addiction. But I need my stuff man.

[Meitheisman]

If there was a rehab available for Bandits addiction I'd definitely need to go there, I'm on vacation right now, haven't been home for 2 years yet the first thing I did when I got a hold of a computer was check for an update... ridiculous I know!

[Dreaded Walrus]

Luke Hallett excites me no end, seeing as he was one of your former tips for the future.

I can't wait to see his performances when he breaks into the team. Any chance of a screenshot of his stats screen (i.e. "matches played", "shots on target" e.t.c.) along with the update that he does make it proper in?

[Alurny]

Thanks for an amazing thread Kip!

[crafty bison]

I'm quietly optimistic... when's the update?

[kipfizh]

Originally posted by Meitheisman:

Did he get sacked? Found a new club?

Danny Gamble was sacked on New Years Day, ironically hours after losing 2-1 to the Bandits. He soon ended up at Arsenal, and took them to mid table, so he isn't short of job offers.

Originally posted by Dreaded Walrus:

Luke Hallett excites me no end, seeing as he was one of your former tips for the future.

Do you know, I actually hadn't made that link?! I'm about to write the ones to watch part, so would've realised in time, but somehow I missed that I tipped him before!

Screenshots and details will of course follow, he is a man to keep a very close eye on.

Sorry I've been a bit rubbish with updates, by the way, by one should arrive tonight, if I get it finished!

[Chilliconcarnie]

I'm just waiting for:

Bandits: The Motion Picture

Coming soon to theatre screens near you!

Written by "Kipfizh"

Directed by Steven Spielberg

[chopper99]

Originally posted by Chilliconcarnie:

I'm just waiting for:

Bandits: The Motion Picture

Coming soon to theatre screens near you!

Written by "Kipfizh"

Directed by Steven Spielberg

And probably starring Vinny Jones.

With Terry Venables as Danny Gamble.

I'd go and watch it!

[kipfizh]

Heh, I can really see Terry Venables as Danny Gamble....

Here's a strange one - there are some seriously rich sides in the Premiership in 2042. You'd think the Bandits, with 440m in the bank, would be the richest side in the league, right?

You'd be wrong.

Arsenal have just under 580m, but are completely dwarfed by Chelsea, who have an unbelievable 1.36bn in the bank. That's a lot.

As for the transfer budgets, the top clubs are miles away from the rest. Leeds, in fifth, have a budget of 35m, while Liverpool, in fourth, have a lot more - 74m.

But they are made to look tiny by the same top three. The Bandits (349m) and Arsenal (359m) don't have to worry too much about running out of cash, but they can still be trumped by Chelsea, with their 1.29bn budget.

Yes, that's right - Right Mid 1 can spend well over a billion on players if he wants to.

Whoa.

[chopper99]

Bloody hell, that's some serious spending power.

Just out of interest, have these teams been splashing out much on players over the past few years?

You'd expect teams with that much money to be making some big name signings, at least one £30m+ signing.

[danny.harv]

God!!!

With a billion quid I'd buy at least 3 30mil+ players a year!!!

[nick...]

This kinda proves what we already know.

Underperforming teams (and for chelsea with £1B in the bank not winning or challenging for the title every year is underperforming) with pots of money aren't willing to break the bank to get to where they 'should' be.

And i'm assuming Roman's a slightly more ambitious chairman than the Bandits one.

He just seems to spend years trying to make up his ind whether John Terry or Right Mid 1 is the better manager though...

[Weden]

Chelsea have the minus 2 billion bug to look forward to soon then

[AB-forever]

Waiting for the update tonight

[crafty bison]

Originally posted by nick...:

This kinda proves what we already know.

Underperforming teams (and for chelsea with £1B in the bank not winning or challenging for the title every year is underperforming) with pots of money aren't willing to break the bank to get to where they 'should' be.

AI, therefore, is flawed here.

[waz_nufc_awk]

Originally posted by Chilliconcarnie:

I'm just waiting for:

Bandits: The Motion Picture

Coming soon to theatre screens near you!

Written by "Kipfizh"

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Directed by Tarantino

Starring Harvey Keitel as Danny Gamble and introducing Samuel L Jackson as Ryan Morley (well he is a versatile actor).

[kipfizh]

Bandits report – Season summary

2006-07, English Conference South - 1st, FA Trophy - Winners

2007-08, English National Conference - 7th, FA Trophy - Final

2008-09, English National Conference – 7th

2009-10, English National Conference – 9th

2010-11, English National Conference – 6th

2011-12, English National Conference – 18th

2012-13, English National Conference – 5th

2013-14, English National Conference – 1st

2014-15, English League Two – 21st

2015-16, English League Two – 21st

2016-17, English League Two – 6th

2017-18, English League Two – 6th

2018-19, English League Two – 7th

2019-20, English League Two – 6th, Johnstone’s Paint Trophy – South Semi Final

2020-21, English League Two – 10th

2021-22, English League Two – 1st, Johnstone’s Paint Trophy - Final

2022-23, English League One – 13th, Johnstone’s Paint Trophy – South Semi Final

2023-24, English League One – 11th, League Cup – Final

2024-25, English League One – 11th, League Cup – Semi-Final

2025-26, English League One – 18th

2026-27, English League One – 17th

2027-28, English League One – 14th

2028-29, English League One – 20th

2029-30, English League One – 1st

2030-31, English Championship – 14th

2031-32, English Championship – 10th, League Cup – Final

2032-33, English Championship – 12th

2033-34, English Championship – 8th

2034-35, English Championship – 21st

2035-36, English Championship – 2nd

2036-37, English Premiership – 17th

2037-38

English Premiership: (Pos 12), P 38, W 11, D 15, L 12, F 56, A 63, GD -7, Pts 48

(Media Prediction: 20th)

FA Cup: Quarter-Final

League Cup: 2nd Round

2038-39

English Premiership: (Pos 15), P 38, W 13, D 7, L 18, F 45, A 61, GD -16, Pts 46

(Media Prediction: 19th)

FA Cup: Semi-Final

League Cup: 2nd Round

2039-40

English Premiership: (Pos 11), P 38, W 13, D 9, L 16, F 50, A 61, GD -11, Pts 48

(Media Prediction: 18th)

FA Cup: 3rd Round

League Cup: 3rd Round

2040-41

English Premiership: (Pos 14), P 38, W 11, D 15, L 12, F 52, A 62, GD -10, Pts 48

(Media Prediction: 16th)

FA Cup: 3rd Round

League Cup: 2nd Round

2041-42

English Premiership: (Pos 13), P 38, W 14, D 9, L 15, F 55, A 55, GD 0, Pts 51

(Media Prediction: 18th)

League

FA Cup: 3rd Round

League Cup: 3rd Round

After last season’s squad clearout, the fans had been expecting the worst this time around, but a couple of late signings altered the mood, and many of the Bandits’ faithful went into the new season with renewed optimism. The media were not convinced, however, predicting 18th place and relegation to the Championship.

The fixture computer threw up a horrendous start, with opening matches against Arsenal, Chelsea and champions QPR, but Tom Finley settled in up front and quickly got scoring, helping the Bandits pick up some valuable points in those matches to settle outside the relegation zone. Always dangerous going forward, after losing 1-0 on the opening day, the Bandits would not fail to score again in the league until the end of January.

This did not mean they were doing particularly well, however, as they only kept two clean sheets in this time, but they found themselves sitting around 14th for most of the first half of the season.

As January came around, more signings arrived, and the squad looked well equipped for a second half push. January, February and March didn’t go so well, however, and the media began to predict that they would be the side to slip into the relegation zone late on.

But once again, the Bandits would prove their doubters wrong. Four wins and a draw from their final six games meant that they finished in a lofty 13th, well away from the drop zone.

There are plenty of positives to take fro this season. Finley was superb in his debut season, while the Bandits scored more points than ever before, and for the first time broke even on goal difference.

It has been years since the Bandits had a good cup run, and this season was no different. After an early League Cup exit to Arsenal, it was Norwich, who finished 23rd in League One, who dumped them out of the FA Cup. The heady days of two League Cup finals seem a long time ago.

But overall, the season was a decent one – relegation was never a serious concern, although a bad run at any time could’ve put them in trouble, and for once Clayton’s transfer dealings were wise. Can they push on from here?

[kipfizh]

Bandits report - Best and Worst

General

Stats

Finance Overview

Interested Players

The number of players interested in joining crept back up again this season, in line with reputation, from 8510 to 8578, still short of the record of 8655, set four years ago.

New records:

Highest Transfer Fee Paid: 11m for Tom Finley, to Liverpool

This season:

Best player – Wade, 7.32

Top scorer – Finley, 19

Worst player – Small, 6.64

The Bandits rise back up to their best ever position of third, ahead of Arsenal, to become the richest English club.

Rich Clubs

[kipfizh]

Bandits report - The ‘Ryan Morley’s of the world

At 31, Ryan Morley’s CA is dropping quickly, falling from 175 to 165 this season. No longer an automatic choice for Chelsea, he still managed to score 24 times this season, but as the ex-Bandits will tell you, once you start losing CA at Chelsea it is only a matter of time until they freeze you out.

At international level, he scored another six goals in as many games, to reach 81 in 78 caps, and will hope to make the squad that attempts to win back the World Cup this summer, especially after the team he captained four years ago did so poorly.

Paul Dove’s career is going in the opposite direction. The 21 year old gained six points of CA to reach 161, ten short of his potential, and is beginning to play for Arsenal. In six starts and twelve substitute appearances for his new club, he has scored seven times. A regular goalscorer for the England Under 21s, it is surely only a matter of time before he gains a full cap.

[kipfizh]

B]Bandits report - Team analysis[/b]

Goalkeepers

James Wade (30, 164/164) completed his tenth season between the sticks for the Bandits, and once again impressed.

Behind him, Tommy O’Neill (24, 151/157) plays well when required, while Owen Paris (25, 149/156) seems to have been frozen out.

Summary: Wade continues to play very well, so although he is getting on a bit they are fine for a while yet.

Genie Scout’s Suggestion: James Wade (GK)

Defenders

Paul Todd (25, 156/156) became the regular first choice left back this season, and played to a pretty decent level, but cover is lacking, with only the versatile Wes McAusland (21, 131/152) challenging for a place.

On the right side, on loan Milan full back Ferdinando Mariotti (24, 154/163) was the first choice, but this is not a long term view – he is backed up by the promising Robbie Watts (21, 150/165), and last season’s first choice, Steve Burgess (30, 140/163). It isn’t obvious why Mariotti was needed this season.

In the centre, it was any two from three, with the most common pairing being regular starter Charlie Morgan (29, 162/173) and newcomer Gary Small (25, 149/167). Behind them, but still starting twenty games, is previous regular German Nunez (30, 157/158). All three did well, with Small a little back in terms of performance.

Behind them, there is yet more cover in Phil Thompson (24, 150/169) and Alan Walsh (22, 149/159). Finally, there is a youngster, who can also play in midfield, with massive potential – Luke Hallett (19, 127/184) is a name to remember.

Summary: Backup at left back and right back would be ideal – in the centre they have admirable depth. Hallett must be retained.

Genie Scout’s Suggestion: Wes McAusland (LB), Ferdinando Mariotti (RB), German Nunez (CB), Gary Small (CB)

Midfielders

Danijel Ivic (29, 157/161) continues at left wing, and is playing a little better now, but they are still woefully short of cover, with only the improving Tyrone Small (22, 132/147) as backup.

On the right, the time was split between Wieslaw Maciejewski (24, 147/155) and Ross White (28, 152/152), while Stephen McNeil (26, 137/137) remains in the background. They are all likely to be eclipsed by Karl Reeve (23, 156/171), signed in January but yet to fully settle in.

Adrien Grosjean (30, 156/158) and Shaun Gibbs (26, 158/158) continued their fine partnership in the centre, while centre back Gary Small also filled in. Ian Walker (25, 149/157) provides excellent backup, along with new signing Peter Watt (22, 145/156) and defensive midfielder Peter Challinor (23, 149/164).

Summary: Backup at left wing is required, but they are now well covered everywhere else.

Genie Scout’s Suggestion: Tyrone Small (LM), Danijel Ivic (RM, out of position), Shaun Gibbs (CM), Phil Thompson (CM)

Strikers

Tom Finley (21, 162/169) settled straight into the side, becoming the key striker and hitting 19 goals in his debut season. No-one else reached double figures as his partner switched between Paul Spicer (26, 156/156) and Ross Ellis (31, 148/157), who is beginning to fade.

Behind them, there is a prospect in Adam Pilgrim (17, 109/159), who improved a massive 40 points of CA this season, while more immediate backup is supplied by Rob O’Neill (32, 140/148).

Summary: With the potent Finley considering his options, the key thing is to keep him. They may need another striker with Ellis and O’Neill fading.

Genie Scout’s Suggestion: Ross Ellis (ST), Tom Finley (ST)

Last season’s shopping list:

Left Back – not signed

Right Back – signed (Watts)

Left Winger – not signed

Striker – signed (Finley)

Two out of four for Clayton, who made a few decent signings for the future but still needs to plug the odd hole in the balance of his squad.

Summer shopping list: Left Back, Right Back, Left Winger, Striker

The shopping list is the same as last season – they remain the four positions weakest in terms of backup.

[kipfizh]

Bandits report - First XI Summary

GK: Wade (30, 164/164) – 7.32

LB: Todd (25, 156/156) – 6.86

CB: Small (25, 149/167) – 6.64

CB: Morgan (29, 162/173) – 6.97

RB: Mariotti (24, 154/163) – 6.85

LM: Ivic (29, 157/161) – 6.76

CM: Grosjean (30, 156/158) – 7.07

CM: Gibbs (26, 158/158) – 7.08

RM: Maciejewski (24, 147/155) – 6.68

ST: Spicer (26, 156/156) – 7.13

ST: Finley (21, 162/169) – 7.28

Average age – 26.3 (down from last year’s 27.5)

Average CA – 156.5 (up from last year’s 155.5)

Average rating – 6.97 (up from last year’s 6.95)

The complete opposite of last season – the average age drops as some talented youngsters are brought in, which the average CA reaches a record level and the performance level improves. This is a side far more full of promise than before.

[kipfizh]

Competitions - Other stats

After losing their first qualifier in decades, England breezed through the other nine matches, winning them all without conceding. They will go into this summer’s World Cup full of confidence, and their group could be a lot worse, containing Colombia, Zambia and Norway. Could this be their year?

West Ham returned to the Premiership summit that they reached three years ago, while promoted Aston Villa finished a fantastic second to boost their reputation and establish themselves as a big club once again. Chelsea struggled to seventh and Right Mid 1 is in trouble there, while at the bottom, champions QPR came an astonishing 19th to get relegated alongside Newcastle, who have been flirting with the drop zone for years.

In the Championship, Man Utd were in the promotion or playoff zone for forty matches, but contrived to slip out on the final day thanks to an awful run-in. They will now embark on their eighth consecutive season in that division.

West Ham cemented their fantastic season by clinching the double, beating Championship side Brentford in the FA Cup final. Brentford had gone on a fantastic run, and with West Ham qualifying for the Champions League, they will enter the UEFA Cup next season. West Ham were, however, denied the domestic treble, losing on penalties to Arsenal in the League Cup.

Bayern Munich reclaimed the Champions League, beating Real Madrid in the final, while English teams had a shocker. Only Chelsea made the knockout stages, going out in the quarter finals, while QPR and Sheff Wed ducked out in the group stage, and West Brom failed to make it past the qualifying round. Elsewhere, the Rabotnicki v HB game from the first qualifying round drew a record low attendance of just 546.

In the UEFA Cup, West Ham suffered more penalty heartbreak, losing to Lyon, but two trophies and two other finals is still a fine return on the season.

[kipfizh]

Player reports – the original Bandits

Goalkeeper 1 – Retired from playing 03/07/2032

2032-, Sunderland (scout), CA 170, PA 170

2033-2034, Liverpool (scout), CA 170, PA 170

2034-, West Ham (assistant manager), CA 170, PA 170

Continues as West Ham assistant manager, and has a glorious season as his team claims the Premiership and FA Cup double. Appears to have no desire to move into full time management.

Goalkeeper 2 – Retired from playing 27/06/2032

2032-, Tottenham (scout), CA 170, PA 170

2033-2034, Birmingham (assistant manager), CA 170, PA 170

2034-, Leeds (assistant manager), CA 169, PA 170

Continues as Leeds assistant manager, but they have a poor season, slipping back to 12th.

Left Back 1 – Retired from playing 30/06/2030

2030-2031, Scunthorpe (fitness coach), CA 110, PA 110

2031-2034, Tottenham (assistant manager), CA 110, PA 110

2034-2035, Tottenham (coach), CA 110, PA 110

2035-2041, Tottenham (assistant manager), CA 110, PA 110

2041-, Tottenham (manager), CA 109, PA 110

Having worked his way up the ladder, he became the second ex-Bandit to become a full time manager when he was promoted from assistant last summer. In his first season in charge, he took Tottenham back up three places to tenth.

Right Mid 1 – Retired from playing 25/04/2026

2026-2027, Aston Villa (youth coach), CA 130, PA 130

2027-2035, Chelsea (assistant manager), CA 130, PA 130

2035-2037, Chelsea (manager), CA 130, PA 130

2037-2038, Roma (manager), CA 130, PA 130

2038-, Chelsea (manager), CA 129, PA 130

Remains Chelsea manager, but he is in serious jeopardy after leading them only to seventh. Many fans are now calling for his head.

Centre Mid 1 – Retired from playing 02/07/2030

2030-2032, Liverpool (youth coach), CA 110, PA 110

2032-2039, Reading (coach), CA 109, PA 110

2039-2040, No Club, CA 108, PA 110

2040-, Yeovil (coach), CA 105, PA 110

Easily the ex-Bandit to be struggling the most, his Yeovil side finished only 19th in League Two this season and are in danger of dropping out of the league entirely.

[kipfizh]

Premiership Analysis - Teams and Managers

Premiership

1 (5). West Ham, Liam Marsden (57, 116/120)

2 (-). Aston Villa, Charlie Taylor (66, 100/129)

3 (15). Sunderland, Stuart Davies (59, 93/113)

4 (3). Sheff Wed, Neil Angus (55, 133/137)

5 (2). West Brom, Michael Chopra (58, 103/103)

6 (10). Liverpool, Paul Moore (59, 113/120) (new manager)

7 (4). Chelsea, Right Mid 1 (52, 129/130)

8 (16). Reading, Joey Kamara (43, 120/120) (new manager)

9 (11). Derby , Mark Nicholson (40, 119/119)

10 (13). Tottenham, Left Back 1 (52, 109/110) (new manager)

11 (9). Arsenal, Danny Gamble (55, 115/120) (new manager)

12 (8). Leeds, Eric May (42, 120/120)

13 (14). Bandits, Ben Clayton (48, 93/93)

14 (6). Scunthorpe, Wayne Heard (48, 120/120)

15 (7). Man City, Artur Krysiak (52, 115/122) (new manager)

16 (12). Chesterfield, Adam Pullen (48, 120/120) (new manager)

17 (-). Coventry, Terry Arthur (54, 113/114)

18 (17). Newcastle, Adam Pearson (53, 106/109)

19 (1). QPR, Joel Lynch (54, 109/1130) (new manager)

20 (-). Wycombe, David Bullimore (50, 109/110)

Not quite the managerial merry go round of last season, and the entire top five were taken there by managers that have been there a while. Marsden completed West Ham’s trip back to the top of the league, while Charlie Taylor, in possibly his last season, took newly promoted Aston Villa to second, matching West Brom’s achievement from last season.

Stuart Davies had a brilliant season, but Right Mid 1 is under pressure at Chelsea now after taking them further backwards. His old Bandits teammate Left Back 1 has stepped up from the assistant role to take over at Tottenham, and he drove them back into the top ten, while Ben Clayton is jointly ranked as the worst manager in the top flight.

But no-one had a worse season than Danny Gamble. The former Bandits favourite managed the remarkable feat of getting his QPR team, going into the season as champions, relegated, finishing 19th. With former champions Newcastle going down with them, the Championship could be well contested next season. Unsurprisingly, Gamble was fired, and somehow got the Arsenal job, although he couldn’t get them into the top ten.

Promoted from Championship

1 ®. Morecambe, Oliver Norwood (51, 107/107)

2 (6). Crystal Palace, Ryan Herron (35, 120/120)

5 (P), Aldershot, Matthew Sadler (40, 131/131)

Good managers coming up to the Premiership, all with time on their side.

[kipfizh]

Premiership Analysis - Reputation

(league position in bold)

1 (1). Chelsea (7) – 8236 (-303)

2 (6). West Ham (1) – 8152 (+336)

3 (-). Aston Villa (2) – 7866 (+63)

4 (2). Arsenal (11) – 7709 (-383)

5 (5). Man City (15) – 7549 (-284)

6 (4). Tottenham (10) – 7521 (-407)

7 (11). Sheff Wed (4) – 7488 (+368)

8 (13). West Brom (5) – 7475 (+374)

9 (7). Sunderland (3) – 7406 (-226)

10 (8). Scunthorpe (14) – 7261 (-24)

11 (15). Liverpool (6) – 7193 (+268)

12 (12). Derby (9) – 7073 (-38)

13 (10). Leeds (12) – 7000 (-137)

14 (9). Reading (8) – 6945 (-193)

15 (14). Chesterfield (16) – 6923 (-143)

16 (-). Coventry (17) – 6856 (-12)

17 (3). QPR (19) – 6808 (-1274)

18 (17). Bandits (13) – 6531 (+27)

19 (-). Wycombe (20) – 5777 (+108)

20 (16). Newcastle (18) – 5504 (-1338)

Promoted sides

Morecambe – 6347 (+731)

Crystal Palace – 5430

Aldershot – 5383

Chelsea remain top despite having a very poor season, but West Ham surge back into second place after winning the Premiership. Aston Villa, buoyed by their huge reputation coming into the Premiership, finished second in the league and take third place in the reputation stakes, ahead of Arsenal and Man City, who had poor seasons and slipped back.

Sheff Wed and West Brom maintained their positions in the league top five, and pushed their reputation forward as a result, but the drama happened at the bottom, as champions QPR contrived to finish 19th and get relegated, an extraordinary feat which lost them well over a thousand points. The fact that they were in the Champions League this season, however, means that they’ve got comfortably the highest reputation in the Championship (by over a thousand points), and should bounce back without a problem.

Newcastle, on the other hand, may find it more difficult, after a few years of flirting with the drop finally ended with them plummeting down. Their huge reputation hit will see many of their players demanding to leave.

The Bandits, meanwhile, continue their slow crawl in the right direction, gained a few more points, and with all three promoted sides having a lower reputation, they, for once, go into the new season as favourites to stay up, albeit in 17th. Aldershot and Crystal Palace will be tipped to do what Wycombe did this season – be relegated with time to spare.

[kipfizh]

Premiership Analysis – Team Ability

(league position in bold)

1 (2). Arsenal (11) – 73.88 (+0.70)

2 (1). Chelsea (7) – 73.37 (-1.79)

3 (3). Man City (15) – 73.16 (+0.62)

4 (4). Liverpool (6) – 72.28 (+0.50)

5 (5). West Ham (1) – 72.23 (+0.52)

6 (6). Leeds (12) – 70.99 (-0.58)

7 (9). Sunderland (3) – 70.05 (-0.22)

8 (7). Derby (9) – 70.03 (-0.62)

9 (10). Tottenham (10) – 69.72 (-0.40)

10 (8). Newcastle (18) – 69.59 (-1.05)

11 (15). Bandits (13) – 69.46 (+1.31)

12 (13). Sheff Wed (4) – 69.21 (-0.01)

13 (-). Aston Villa (2) – 68.56 (+2.08)

14 (-). Coventry (17) – 68.36 (-0.87)

15 (11). QPR (19) – 68.06 (-1.69)

16 (14) West Brom (5) – 68.02 (-1.08)

17 (17). Reading (8) – 67.99 (+1.16)

18 (12). Scunthorpe (14) – 67.94 (-1.32)

19 (16). Chesterfield (16) – 66.74 (-0.87)

20 (-). Wycombe (20) – 64.86 (+0.18)

Promoted sides

Morecambe – 63.44 (-0.08)

Crystal Palace – 63.48

Aldershot – 62.62

After one season away, Arsenal return to the top of the list, showing how poor a job their managerial team has been doing over recent years. Can Danny Gamble turn things around with such a powerful squad?

Little to no change elsewhere at the top, as the main movement comes much further down. The Bandits enjoy a large leap, countering the equally big step backwards they took last year, while promoted Aston Villa capitalized on their extraordinary reputation to forge and excellent squad. Champions QPR took a massive step backwards, however, and were relegated as a result, while it was no surprise to see Wycombe go straight back down.

The three promoted sides all have a massive job on their hands to stay in the Premiership – they are all far worse than anyone else in the league.

Overachievers : Aston Villa, West Brom

Underachievers : Arsenal, Man City

Title Prediction ; Danny Gamble to lead Arsenal back to glory

Relegation Prediction : All three promoted clubs to go straight back down

[kipfizh]

Around the clubs - Man Utd watch

Man Utd spent most of the season in the promotion zone, but towards the end of the season dropped back into the playoffs, and after gaining only one point from their final three games, dropped to seventh, having spent forty matches in the top six. The fans must be furious.

They’ve reduced their loan debt from 113m to 88m, while their value only dropped from 89m to 86m, so their finances seem much more under control.

Reputation – 4879 (+57) (13th in Championship)

A small rise in reputation leads to a step up one place to 13th in the Championship, off the back of a decent season. They really should’ve pushed harder for promotion in the latter stages, however, but they blew it spectacularly.

FM Genie Scout Rating – 64.09 (-1.94) (4th)

They remain fourth in the rating stakes, but only because the division was far weaker this season – last season’s rating would’ve seen them ranked top. Their actual rating plummeted, a sign that they are not attracting the type of player they need. Will they have a better chance of promotion than the one they just blew?

Finances – 37.6m (-3.5m) balance (1st), 31.5m (-4.5m) transfer fund (1st)

Both figures are still dropping, but they are still the richest club in the division by a mile.

[kipfizh]

Summary

The doom and gloom that surrounded the Bandits this time last year has been replaced with cautious optimism, after Ben Clayton managed to do exactly what he needed to do – bring it some decent young players with both ability and potential. Tom Finley was a revelation up front, and the signing of young starlet Luke Hallett, a former tip for the future, is extremely exciting.

The are still not threatening the top half of the league, but with three weak sides getting promoted from the Championship they will, for once, be favourites to escape the drop this time around.

The question is – what will it be? Will Clayton revert to his previous ways and ruin a potentially strong squad? Or will he push on from the platform he has given himself and take this young and talented team towards mid table?

West Ham returned to the top of the Premiership, which, if the last three years is anything to go by, means they’re in for an awful season this time around. They set the standard three years ago, plummeting to the bottom half as champions, and Spurs repeated the trick the year after. But QPR have trumped both teams, managed to finish 19th, and get relegated, while still clinging on to the Premiership trophy they won last May. Incredible stuff.

West Ham could’ve actually done a clean sweep of trophies this season, winning the Premiership and the FA Cup, but losing in the finals of the League Cup and UEFA Cup, both on penalties.

With Newcastle and QPR, both decent sides, down in the Championship, it is likely to be even harder for Man Utd to escape, but they showed signs of promise this season – can they ever make it back?

There are now two ex-Bandits in full time management, after Left Back 1 was promoted to Spurs manager. Right Mid 1 is under pressure at Chelsea, can either manager take their team back to the glory days?

They may have to cope with Danny Gamble to make it – the man with the up and down career took QPR to the foot of the table before taking over at Arsenal. He has the best squad in the Premiership at his disposal – what can he do with them?

And finally, it is World Cup summer – will Ryan Morley make the squad? If so, it is likely to be his last international tournament – having scored a hattrick in the Champions League final just over a year ago, can he make a lasting impact on the world stage?

Bandit’s former manager watch

Justin Edinburgh has retired.

Steve Brackstone has retired

Gary Perry has finally retired.

Dean Glover has retired.

Martin Lawton has retired.

Danny Gamble managed to ruin QPR, taking the champions down to 16th place before being fired after a New Years Day defeat to the Bandits. It didn’t help them, as they continued their slide down the league and eventually finished a lowly 19th, getting relegated. Meanwhile, Gamble was hired by Arsenal, then 10th, and they ended the season 11th, despite having the best squad in the league.

Phil Edwards has retired.

[kipfizh]

World View - Ones to watch

Your annual guide to the stars of tomorrow:

Reiner Helbig (16, 91/199), is a German defensive midfielder, who has recently broken through the Leverkusen academy. An incredible prospect, he is yet to make his debut and will have to work hard to achieve his full potential.

Leonardo (15, 66/185) is a young Brazilian striker with all the potential in the world. He is yet to make his debut for his home town club, Brasiliense.

Previous tips

Carlo Lupo (26, 198/198) is an absolute world star, and invaluable to his Milan side. The Italian centre back will be looking to make a huge impression at this summer’s World Cup.

Toni Halonen (26, 187/187), the Finnish centre back, has also realized his potential at Chelsea, where he is finally playing well. He is good friends with Ryan Morley. Finland didn’t qualify for the World Cup.

Patrick Schmidt (25, 184/184) the right sided player, is now playing in a more advanced role for Valencia and Germany, and is a constant goal threat. Another one to watch in the World Cup.

Marian Badea (25, 173/189), is creeping towards his PA, with a rise of three points this season, but has now left his wing back partner Schmidt at Valencia and moved on to Inter, who paid 15.5m for him. His average of 8.10 from 21 games suggests that he was an absolute steal. He will be missing the World Cup though, as Romania have not qualified.

Pereira (25, 187/187), the Portuguese defensive midfielder, is still playing well for Bayern Munich, and should feature in the World Cup this summer.

Aleksandras Stazys (24, 178/186), Lithuania’s left back, is still struggling to adapt to life at Arsenal, and cannot hold down a regular first team place.

Tony Allison (22, 172/192), the winger and forward, gained seven points of CA this season, is playing superbly well for West Ham, and scored 25 goals for them in their incredible season.

Barry Low (23, 161/195), gained nine points of CA, is the opposite of Allison – while still at West Ham, he cannot get a game and plays appallingly when he does. He has been capped once by Scotland though, and will hope for a call up to the World Cup.

Ronnie Blundell (21, 159/195), the central midfielder, moved to QPR for 9.5m, but has really struggled, playing extremely poorly in a struggling side. Time will tell whether he is willing to drop to the Championship with them.

Hugues Guichard (20, 160/195), the French striker, rose a massive 25 points of CA this season, and has starred for Marseille, scoring plenty. He is moving to Fiorentina at the end of the season.

Bjorn Strand (19, 162/193), the Norwegian striker, rose another 18 points of CA, and earned Spurs a tidy profit – a year after they signed him for 525k, West Ham bought him off them for 11m. It was a good purchase though – the teenager scored 13 times in 21 appearances for the Hammers.

Ante Bacic (20, 163/189) the Croatian central defender, gained 13 more points of CA, and moved to Lokomotiv Moscow at the start of the season. He has played fairly well, and will probably outgrow his new club very quickly.

Henrik Berg (19, 126/188), the Norwegian left winger, gained 18 more points of CA, and moved to Rosenborg, where he has started extremely well.

Luke Hallett (19, 127/184) is a Bandit. Gaining 14 points of CA this season, the centre back or central midfielder, signed on a free, and was farmed out to Hereford, where he struggled.

Luke Hallett

Umit Abdulkadir (17, 124/199), the Turkish striker, started his surge towards being perhaps the best player in the world by gaining 24 points of CA. Already a regular for Trabzonspor, he is playing adequately, but better than you would expect a regular 17 year old to.

Sergey Sergienko (18, 126/193), the Russian central midfielder, gained an impressive 26 CA points, and remained at Zenith Peterburg, where he is yet to start.

[kipfizh]

World View - World beaters

Carlo Lupo (26, 198/198) spends his second year sitting on top of the world as the best player around, and he may stay there for longer than he predecessor, Gerardo Robles. He had another fine season, and is likely to be one of the stars of the forthcoming World Cup.

Carlo Lupo

Hector Ceballos (27, 192/192), the Argentine centre back, remains in second place, playing well for Real Madrid without setting the world alight as Lupo has.

Hector Ceballos

Max Trehkopf (32, 191/191), Barcelona’s German keeper, and Ruben Camara (30, 191/191), Arsenal’s Spanish keeper remain exactly where they were last season, jointly third and fourth. Trehkopf had a fine season, but Camara will miss this summer’s World Cup after tearing a calf muscle.

Max Trehkopf

Ruben Camara

Only four players in the world now have a CA of 190.

Gerardo Robles (31, 182/197) may be down in 23rd these days, having spent four years at the top of the pile, but he is still an extraordinary striker, scoring another 33 goals. He will be a huge threat at the World Cup this summer, and he will renew his rivalry with Carlo Lupo – Lupo marks him in the Milan derby, and now Mexico and Italy find themselves in the same World Cup group. Should be tasty.

Gerardo Robles

[kipfizh]

World View - Distribution of 180+ CA players

The clubs

Chelsea – 7 (+2) (187, 187, 186, 185, 183, 181, 181)

Real Madrid – 4 (-2) (192, 186, 186, 183)

Barcelona – 4 (+1) (191, 184, 184, 181)

Arsenal – 4 (-3) (191, 185, 182, 181)

Milan – 3 (-1) (198, 186, 183)

Valencia – 2 (-) (185, 184)

QPR – 1 (-) (188)

Bayern Munich – 1 (-) (187)

Sunderland – 1 (+1) (184)

Inter – 1 (-1) (182)

Benfica – 1 (-) (181)

Man City – 1 (+1) (180)

Leeds – 1 (+1) (180)

Total – 31 (-1)

The spread is much better this season, with thirteen clubs holding the registration of the 31 stars (one less player than before). Leeds, Man City and Sunderland appeared on the scene, so six English clubs are now in the list, with Chelsea taking over from Arsenal at the top, and having three more of the stars than anyone else.

The Spanish giants of Barcelona and Real Madrid now have the same number of stars as Arsenal, and of a better quality.

The leagues

England – 15 (+2)

Spain – 10 (-1)

Italy – 4 (-2)

Germany – 1 (-)

Portugal – 1 (-)

Total – 31 (-1)

England gain another march on the rest, improving their count to fifteen even with the number of stars dropping to 31. Italy are now struggling to hold claim to a star studded league, with only Milan threatening power. At least they still have the great Carlo Lupo.

The nationalities

Spain – 6 (+2)

Portugal – 4 (+1)

Germany – 3 (-1)

England – 3 (-)

France – 3 (-3)

Brazil – 2 (-)

Italy – 1 (-1)

Argentina – 1 (-)

Finland – 1 (-)

Nigeria – 1 (+1)

Serbia – 1 (-)

Mexico – 1 (-)

Paraguay – 1 (-)

Belgium – 1 (-1)

Ireland – 1 (+1)

Norway – 1 (+1)

Denmark – 0 (-1)

Total – 31 (-1)

A particularly important statistic, given that it is World Cup summer, so Spain have timed their race to the top very well, while France’s plummet is exactly what they didn’t want. Expect the usual suspects of Spain, France, England, Germany and Portugal to challenge in the summer, while Brazil could pose a threat.

Italy have only one star, but he is the best player in the world – Carlo Lupo, so they cannot be discounted, while perennial challengers Holland are without a single star anymore.

[VonBlade]

Outstanding! The manager actually improved the squad. Wonders will never cease.

With the Premiership also losing so many of the great managers of the past our 93 PA manager suddenly doesn't look so out of his depth. Mid-table might not cut it forever, but as long as the reputation slowly crawls upwards we can start attracting the players we need to make a push at European football.

Amazing to see Ryan Morley is plummeting so quickly. Especially when he never quite fulfilled his promise. He scored a fair few but it never feels like he's been as good or as dominating as he should have been.

Can't wait to see if Hallett stays with the Bandits and becomes their first world dominator.

Great update as always Kip. Try not to leave it so long next time eh

VB

[kipfizh]

Yeah, Morley had a few wonderful moments, such as his Champions League final hattrick, but otherwise hasn't dominated as you'd expect.

It might sound trite to criticise a player who has scored more than a goal a game throughout his entire international career, but he does tend to go missing in the big international games. He had one tournament six years ago that he scored a few in, but went missing at the semi-final stage, and the last World Cup, where he was captain, was an absolute disaster.

He could make himself a legend by bowing out in style this summer though. We shall see.

As for Ben Clayton, he is still ranked as the joint worst manager, but he is so consistently just outside the drop zone that he never raises expectations to a level that he can't meet. Neat trick, if you can manage it.

The key now is the keeping of the young prospects. If players like Hallett and Finley stay, and a few more are added, the future could be bright. Could this be a turning point?

I'd love to see a European run someday - does it feel like you're a real fan, hoping that your beloved club will make that European dream come true one year? And is that an indication of just how good the game is - you get a feel for exactly who Clayton, Gamble, Morley and co really are?

Update will be quicker next time

[chopper99]

I definitely feel like a real Bandits fan. I wait for each update with baited breath, hoping that they've squeezed into a European place.

It'll be a happy day for me when they do finally make it, lets hope it happens before FM08 comes out.

As for this season Clayton's definitely done better than I expected. I'd still like to see him use more of the money available to him. One thing i'd be interested to know is, out of all the players interested in joining the bandits, how good are the best ones in the list and what kind of price tags do they have?

Great update as always Kip

[Alexani]

I definitely feel like a real fan. Actually, I'm getting a bit frustrated with the board and the manager, as I feel they fail the realize the club's potential. We should be in Europe by now.

For next season, I'm hoping for a good cup run and a top half finish. Experience has taught me to lower my expectations.

[amack1n]

After looking at the league, I just saw that Newcastle got relegated with 43 points, an amount which would usually see them safe.

So, one for the statisticians out there, could you please check what the most amount of points a team has scored and still got relegated with?

Also, 69 points isn't much to win the league. COuld you also check what the least amount of points to ever win the league is.

It just surprises me that now, you need more points to stay up and less to win the league, obviously a sign that any team can beat anyone. I think this is proved when the defending champions QPR can get relegated.

[VonBlade]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

I'd love to see a European run someday - does it feel like you're a real fan, hoping that your beloved club will make that European dream come true one year?

Firstly I've been a Spurs fan for 26 years now, so I'm not going to have my dreams come try in real life lol.

Secondly, I refer to the Bandits as "we", so absolutely I'm a fan. In fact if we could get someone to make replica shirts...

[amack1n]

Maybe we could even get SI to include the Bandits in FM08, like they did with the Soccer AM team

Man, that'ld be awesome!

[5ergio]

Originally posted by amack1n:

After looking at the league, I just saw that Newcastle got relegated with 43 points, an amount which would usually see them safe.

So, one for the statisticians out there, could you please check what the most amount of points a team has scored and still got relegated with?

Also, 69 points isn't much to win the league. COuld you also check what the least amount of points to ever win the league is.

It just surprises me that now, you need more points to stay up and less to win the league, obviously a sign that any team can beat anyone. I think this is proved when the defending champions QPR can get relegated.

I don't have the statistics but as for my observations, this fact works for nearly all the leagues in the game.

1 point per game played can avoid relegation in some little cases but such team will definitely struggle at that zone for the entire year. 1,1 or 1,2 points per game on the other prevents the relegation threat in most cases. Thus 42-45 points will be enough to avoid relegation for EPL imo. But when it comes to gaining the title, I merely see that 2 points per game make my wish. In my games throughout FM 2007, nearly all league champions have gained 2,1-2,2 points per game while the 2nd placed teams are mainly just behind them. So we see West Ham win in a ratio of 1,8 points per game which indicates that it is far below the picture I expected. Well considering the fact that I've never played this far in to 2040s but I assume that aspect won't change this much. This table finishes show us that, given the lowered quality of EPL managers this season, we can finish in top 10, even a Europe place if Clayton manages to get in some more talents.

As for the update, excellent as usual Kip. I'm excited to see all the promising youngsters in "World Beaters" section.

A final wish. Can you please post a World Cup update after it ended if the original update is to come 2-3 days later? The suspense is killing me atm. I'd like to see Morley and Robles hitting the charts with plenty of goals, in fact one of them winning the golden boot for World Cup. I predict we see them line up in the Golden Team as well along with Lupo and the Spanish keeper Camara as Spain is to make an impact.

[amack1n]

Originally posted by 5ergio:

I don't have the statistics but as for my observations, this fact works for nearly all the leagues in the game.

1 point per game played can avoid relegation in some little cases but such team will definitely struggle at that zone for the entire year. 1,1 or 1,2 points per game on the other prevents the relegation threat in most cases. Thus 42-45 points will be enough to avoid relegation for EPL imo. But when it comes to gaining the title, I merely see that 2 points per game make my wish. In my games throughout FM 2007, nearly all league champions have gained 2,1-2,2 points per game while the 2nd placed teams are mainly just behind them. So we see West Ham win in a ratio of 1,8 points per game which indicates that it is far below the picture I expected. Well considering the fact that I've never played this far in to 2040s but I assume that aspect won't change this much. This table finishes show us that, given the lowered quality of EPL managers this season, we can finish in top 10, even a Europe place if Clayton manages to get in some more talents.

I've had thoughts like that, mainly the relegation one. I've always aimed for 1.25 points per game when fighting relegation. However, in practice 1 point per game is usually enough to stay up. Not ideal, but usually enough

[AB-forever]

Originally posted by chopper99:

I definitely feel like a real Bandits fan. I wait for each update with baited breath, hoping that they've squeezed into a European place.

It'll be a happy day for me when they do finally make it, lets hope it happens before FM08 comes out.

As for this season Clayton's definitely done better than I expected. I'd still like to see him use more of the money available to him. One thing i'd be interested to know is, out of all the players interested in joining the bandits, how good are the best ones in the list and what kind of price tags do they have?

Great update as always Kip

I agree with all of that

Especially the last sentence

KUTGW

[kipfizh]

I'll look into the title winning and relegation points tallies, to see if we can see the best and worst....bear with me!

World Cup update on the way....but 5ergio, you won't be seeing Camara in the team of the tournament - he's missing it through injury.

[kipfizh]

World Cup Review - 2042

Hosts: Argentina

Holders: Portugal

Pre-tournament predictions

Spain, with six players above 180 CA, must be among the favourites, but with Ruben Camara out through injury, I can see them failing at the semis.

Portugal, the holders, look to have a stronger side than they did four years ago, but I’ll pick them as losing finalists to….

France, who despite only having three 180+ players, have a massive number between 160 and 180. Three players this season dipped below 180, but as Robles shows, that doesn’t mean they’re past it. So they are my tip for the tournament.

England, meanwhile, will probably bow out at the quarter finals.

Surprise team of the tournament : Mexico, thanks to a Gerardo Robles swansong

Players to watch : Ryan Morley to come good, Carlo Lupo to take Italy to the semis.

Group Stage

England began with a 3-0 victory over Zambia, Chelsea striker Arron Richardson scoring a hattrick, before going down 1-0 to Norway. A 3-0 win over Colombia in their final game won them the group, but Ryan Morley didn’t come off the bench in any of the three games.

Holders Portugal had a shocking start, drawing with Congo and losing to Scotland, before beating Uruguay to sneak into the knockout stages behind the impressive Scots.

Germany had star keeper Max Trehkopf missing for their opener through suspension, and the lost it 1-0 to Poland, before recovering to win their two other games and qualify.

Spain, France, Brazil and Holland all sauntered through to the knockout stages, while Italy were imperious in topping a group containing the Czech Republic and Mexico without conceding a goal. Carlo Lupo and his superbly marshaled defence are going to be hard to break down.

Mexico, meanwhile, were unable to give Gerardo Robles a send off, finishing bottom of the group after gaining only two points. Robles did score their only goal, but it wasn’t enough.

Second Round

Scotland dispatched Germany 3-0 in a stunning performance, while Portugal continued their trend of sneaking through, edging Poland out 1-0. England hammered USA 3-0 without Morley, and Argentina edged out their South American rivals Colombia.

In the other half of the draw, Spain won the tie of the round, beating France 2-1, while Belgium beat Algeria in a ‘how did they get that far?’ tie.

Carlo Lupo felt heartbreak after his Italian side went out on penalties to Holland after a goalless draw. He did his job in not conceding but it wasn’t enough. The Czechs also won on penalties, knocking Brazil out after a thrilling 3-3 draw.

Stay tuned for the quarter finals and a Scotland v England match!

[kipfizh]

After seeing Newcastle go down with 43pts last season, amack1n asked me to investigate the highest points tally a team has gone down with, and a lowest team total to win the league.

So first, here are the points tallies of all champions from 2006-07 to last season:

85, 78, 74, 79, 75, 81, 65, 86, 74, 69, 73, 75, 71, 77, 73, 82, 71, 83, 83, 73, 78, 71, 82, 73, 81, 76, 88, 73, 67, 73, 71, 79, 68, 72, 71, 69

Chelsea managed to win the league despite accumulating only 65 points in 2012/13, a bizarre season in the relegation stakes too, as we'll see shortly.

Incidentally, Arsenal's total of 88 points in 2032/33 is the highest tally since the experiment began.

Points tally of the team finishing 18th and getting relegated:

35, 35, 40, 38, 40, 35, 43, 41, 36, 38, 39, 31, 43, 38, 41, 36, 42, 38, 40, 37, 38, 28, 36, 43, 31, 34, 39, 42, 43, 44, 38, 42, 40, 42, 38, 43

Newcastle certainly went down with 43 points last season, a feat matched by Aston Villa in 2034/35, Scunthorpe in 2029/30, and Fulham in 2018/19.

In 2012/13, when Chelsea won the league with such a paltry total, three sides got relegated with 43 points - Sheff Utd, Watfor and Man City. City will consider themselves exceptionally unlucky to finish bottom with a total that would normally keep them up.

But the highest relegation tally was achieved by Chesterfield, who in 2035/36 went down with 44 points.

Lincoln's tally of 13 points in 2025/26 is easily the worst, being the only sub-20 point tally since the experiment began.

[kipfizh]

Quarter Finals

Portugal continued their trick of sneaking through the tournament despite not impressing, this time beating Argentina on penalties after a goalless draw. Then, England and Scotland battled to a 1-1 draw, before England triumphed from the spot.

Elsewhere Spain hammered the Czech Republic 3-0, while outsiders Belgium won the third penalty shootout of the round, knocking Holland out after a 1-1 draw.

Semi Finals

England produced a fantastic performance to beat favourites Spain 1-0 in the semi-finals, but Ryan Morley has not yet featured. Will he in the final?

In the other semi final, Portugal’s luck finally ran out, with Belgium proving that I was wrong to dismiss them earlier in the tournament, dispatching the holders on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Final

Spain clinched third ahead of Portugal, but who would win the tournament? Four time World Cup winners England, or Belgium, playing in their first final?

The match was poised at 0-0, and extremely cagey, until the last minute of normal time, when Belgium went down to ten men – left winger Axwijk sent off for an elbow.

Second later the winning goal was scored, but it was the ten men of Belgium that managed it, pinching the trophy in the process. Once again, Ryan Morley watched the whole thing from the bench.

[waz_nufc_awk]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

Quarter Finals

Portugal continued their trick of sneaking through the tournament despite not impressing, this time beating Argentina on penalties after a goalless draw. Then, England and Scotland battled to a 1-1 draw, before England triumphed from the spot.

Elsewhere Spain hammered the Czech Republic 3-0, while outsiders Belgium won the third penalty shootout of the round, knocking Holland out after a 1-1 draw.

Semi Finals

England produced a fantastic performance to beat favourites Spain 1-0 in the semi-finals, but Ryan Morley has not yet featured. Will he in the final?

In the other semi final, Portugal’s luck finally ran out, with Belgium proving that I was wrong to dismiss them earlier in the tournament, dispatching the holders on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Final

Spain clinched third ahead of Portugal, but who would win the tournament? Four time World Cup winners England, or Belgium, playing in their first final?

The match was poised at 0-0, and extremely cagey, until the last minute of normal time, when Belgium went down to ten men – left winger Axwijk sent off for an elbow.

Second later the winning goal was scored, but it was the ten men of Belgium that managed it, pinching the trophy in the process. Once again, Ryan Morley watched the whole thing from the bench.

NNNNNnnoooooooooooooooooooooo...

[jordanshelley]

england blowing it late? now that is a shock

KUTGW