AI Experiment - what would happen if?

[kipfizh]

Premiership Analysis - Teams and Managers

Premiership

1 (1). Chelsea, Turgay Tufan (49, 156/156)

2 (7). Sheff Wed, Oliver Norwood (53, 106/107)

3 (4). West Brom, Wayne Heard (50, 120/120) (new manager)

4 (12). Aston Villa, Neil Angus (57, 137/137) (new manager)

5 (13). Chesterfield, Adam Pullen (50, 117/120)

6 (11). Bandits, Ben Clayton (50, 93/93)

7 (16). Derby , Mark Nicholson (42, 119/119)

8 (2). West Ham, Paul Moore (61, 105/120)

9 (9). Morecambe, Joey Kamara (45, 120/120) (new manager)

10 (3). Arsenal, Danny Gamble (57, 115/120)

11 (17). Coventry, Terry Arthur (56, 108/114)

12 (5). Sunderland, Stuart Davies (61, 84/113)

13 (6). Leeds, David Quinn (42, 170/170) (new manager)

14 (-). QPR, Michael Chopra (60, 101/103) (new manager)

15 (14). Tottenham, Ian Hare (48, 120/120) (new manager)

16 (10). Liverpool, David Bullimore (52, 110/110)

17 (8). Man City, Joel Lynch (56, 110/113) (new manager)

18 (15). Reading, Joe Woolley (54, 105/109) (new manager)

19 (-). Barnsley, Gary Doyle (46, 120/120)

20 (-). Newcastle, Adam Pearson (55, 104/109)

Tufan clinches his second consecutive Premiership trophy with Chelsea, while it’s mostly a case of the top teams sticking by their managers. Expect Aston Villa to continue well, and Leeds to reignite under the excellent David Quinn.

Clayton achieved way more than expected this season, and will struggle to match that, as Stuart Davies has found at Sunderland. A sacking is now a serious possibility as a direct result of his lofty year.

Promoted from Championship

1 ®. Scunthorpe, Eric May (44, 120/120)

2 (10). Wycombe, Tony Reed (42, 95/95)

6 (P), Charlton, Brad Ryan (60, 110/120)

Brad Ryan became another manager to take a promoted side straight up another level to the Premiership, but both he and Tony Reed are likely to struggle. Scunthorpe have a better chance of survival.

[kipfizh]

Premiership Analysis - Reputation

(league position in bold)

1 (1). Chelsea (1) – 8517 (+253)

2 (2). West Ham (8) – 8000 (-199)

3= (4). West Brom (3) – 7670 (+45)

3= (6). Arsenal (10) – 7670 (+154)

5 (7). Sheff Wed (2) – 7500 (+9)

6 (3). Aston Villa (4) – 7428 (-254)

7 (5). Sunderland (12) – 7238 (-283)

8 (-). QPR (14) – 7179 (-76)

9 (9). Liverpool (16) – 7059 (-145)

10 (10). Man City (17) – 7021 (-158)

11 (11). Leeds (13) – 6991 (+42)

12 (8). Tottenham (15) – 6748 (-478)

13 (14). Chesterfield (5) – 6688 (+30)

14 (13). Derby (7) – 6682 (-118)

15 (17). Morecambe (9) – 6667 (+181)

16 (16). Bandits (6) – 6661 (+147)

17 (15). Coventry (11) – 6467 (-115)

18 (-). Newcastle (20) – 6283 (+65)

19 (12). Reading (18) – 5735 (-1170)

20 (-). Barnsley (19) – 5549 (+153)

Promoted sides

Scunthorpe – 6714 (+756)

Wycombe – 6177

Charlton – 7088

Chelsea’s reputation rises further after their Premiership retention, but West Brom and Arsenal also make good strides towards the top, with only West Ham suffering.

Behing them, Aston Villa and Sunderland fell away, along with Liverpool and Man City after their poor seasons, but the big losers are Tottenham, who fall way down the list, and relegated Reading, who take a four figure hammering.

As for the Bandits, their League Cup victory and decent league position sees their reputation rise, if not their position. Unfortunately for them, two of the promoted sides have an even greater reputation, so in the new Premiership the Bandits are actually 18th, and relegation possibles.

The promoted sides can all consider themselves in with a chance, although Wycombe may find the climb a little too steep.

[kipfizh]

Premiership Analysis – Team Ability

(league position in bold)

1 (1). Chelsea (1) – 73.95 (-0.97)

2 (4). West Ham (8) – 73.49 (+0.97)

3 (2). Arsenal (10) – 73.33 (-0.95)

4 (5). Liverpool (16) – 72.47 (-0.04)

5 (3). Man City (17) – 72.18 (-0.37)

6 (9). Sheff Wed (2) – 70.54 (+0.45)

7 (6). Tottenham (15) – 70.50 (-0.58)

8 (10). Bandits (6) – 70.03 (+0.29)

9 (8). Derby (7) – 70.02 (-0.32)

10 (11=). Aston Villa (4) – 69.98 (+1.31)

11 (-). QPR (14) – 69.66 (+0.99)

12 (7). Leeds (13) – 69.47 (-1.57)

13 (15). Sunderland (12) – 69.07 (+1.08)

14 (16). Reading (18) – 68.78 (+0.89)

15 (11=) West Brom (3) – 68.72 (+0.05)

16 (17). Chesterfield (5) – 68.42 (+0.85)

17 (-). Newcastle (20) – 68.12 (+0.33)

18 (18). Morecambe (9) – 67.15 (+1.41)

19 (14). Coventry (11) – 66.89 (-1.15)

20 (-). Barnsley (19) – 62.74 (-0.08)

Promoted sides

Scunthorpe – 67.24 (-1.11)

Wycombe – 64.54

Charlton – 66.73

The gap closed at the top, with Chelsea weakening slightly and West Ham improving to move into second place. Behind them, Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City should be doing a lot better than they are, while Sheff Wed did superbly well to finish second.

The Bandits are heading in the right direction despite the sales – the squad may not have depth but it has excellent individuals in the first team.

Of the promoted sides, only Scunthorpe currently have a side that may stay up, but Charlton have a good base if they sign well. Wycombe already look in trouble.

Overachievers : Sheff Wed, West Brom, Chesterfield

Underachievers : Liverpool, Man City

Title Prediction ; West Ham to rise back to the top and clinch the title

Relegation Prediction : Wycombe, Coventry and Charlton to go down

[kipfizh]

Around the clubs - Man Utd watch

Man Utd got nowhere near promotion this season, despite strong teams like QPR and Newcastle leaving for the Premiership. They eventually finished tenth, but never challenged.

The estimated value rose from 87m to 89m, while their loan debt fell significantly from 63m to 35.5m. They should pay it off within two years.

Reputation – 5157 (-20) (9th in Championship)

A small drop in reputation after a poor season, but they remain ninth in the table.

FM Genie Scout Rating – 64.30 (-1.39) (7th)

Their side dropped considerably in ability this season, falling three places to seventh after a big loss in the first team. Even that should’ve been good enough for them to reach the playoffs, but it wasn’t.

Finances – 2.3m (-19.6m) balance (15th), 23.6m (-7.0m) transfer fund (1st)

Now there’s a stat – their bank balance falls dramatically from 21.9m to just 2.3m, as a result of wages and loan interest. If that carries on, they’ll get themselves into serious financial trouble soon, so it’s a good thing for them that the loan is nearly paid off.

Their drop in balance sees them fall from second to fifteenth on the Championship money list, but their transfer fund remains top. It is dropping though, and it’ll be interesting to see if they get any sort of transfer kitty next season – they spent 8m on transfers but now have very little cash left.

[kipfizh]

Summary

What a dramatic season. Ben Clayton ripped the heart out of the Bandits squad, both with their current first team and all those promising youngsters that were set to take the club forward over the next few years, but he left behind three or four star players, and those players drove the team forward to their most successful season ever.

A first ever major trophy, the League Cup, was rapidly followed by their highest ever league position of sixth, which would’ve been enough to qualify for Europe anyway. Their reputation has risen slightly, and a decent European campaign should improve that further.

At the same time, the expectations around the Bandits will now be high. If Clayton cannot get the same four players (Finley, McDermott, Morgan, Paris) to match their performances from this year, or if he dares sell any of them, he might be slung out before Christmas. I wouldn’t miss him – would you? I cannot imagine he’d be successful at a club without money – the untold riches of the Bandits have covered his many flaws.

But despite the sales, the Bandits are in the perfect situation – they will either have another good season, or their rubbish manager could be sacked. Nice.

Chelsea retained the Premiership, while the rest of the original ‘big teams’ are struggling. Arsenal came tenth, Liverpool nearly got relegated, and Man Utd are now doomed to a decade in the Championship after getting nowhere near promotion. They also only have 2m in the bank now, and could be in financial trouble if they don’t go back up soon.

Goalkeeper 2 found the managerial life is hard, getting sacked after thirty five years playing for, coaching and managing Leeds. That had to hurt. But it is now Left Back 1 who is the focus – the England manager has a European Championship ahead of him this summer, how will he do?

Bandit’s former manager watch

Justin Edinburgh has retired.

Steve Brackstone has retired

Gary Perry has retired.

Dean Glover has retired.

Martin Lawton has retired.

Danny Gamble’s Arsenal job is under severe threat after he managed only tenth in the Premiership.

Phil Edwards has retired.

[kipfizh]

World View - Ones to watch

Your annual guide to the stars of tomorrow:

Fabrizio Bucci (18, 119/199) is an Italian striker playing for Inter. A huge prospect, he is yet to make his debut but will surely become a massive star before too long.

Joe Galloway (17, 94/190) is another great hope for English football. The left back plays for Huddersfield in League One, and has played a handful of games for the first team already.

Previous tips

Carlo Lupo (28, 198/198) is still starring for Milan, and will make it very difficult for England to score against Italy in the group stages this summer.

Toni Halonen (28, 177/187), the Finnish centre back, lost nine points of CA while struggling to get into the Chelsea first team. He plays about half the games, but now wants a new challenge. He has not fulfilled his promise.

Patrick Schmidt (27, 184/184) the German right sided player, had another poor season for Valencia, averaging 6.70. At his peak, he should be doing much better.

Marian Badea (27, 174/189), the Romanian left wing back, lost a point of CA very young, and had a very disappointing season for Inter after impressing so much last season.

Pereira (27, 187/187), the Portuguese defensive midfielder, finally found form for Bayern Munich, and in spectacular style, averaging 7.79.

Aleksandras Stazys (26, 185/186), Lithuania’s left back, crept one more point towards his potential, and moved to Inter for a cut price 3.9m, where he struggled.

Tony Allison (24, 178/192), the winger and forward, added two more points of CA, and scored another sixteen goals for West Ham.

Barry Low (25, 172/195), the attacking midfielder, gained six points of CA, but had a shocking season for West Ham, averaging a disgraceful 5.95.

Ronnie Blundell (23, 176/195), the central midfielder, gained four more points of CA, but isn’t playing very well for Arsenal, and is considering his options.

Hugues Guichard (22, 179/195), the French striker, gained six points of CA this season, and moved from Fiorentina to Bayern Munich for 10.25m. He had a fantastic season, scoring 18 goals in 30 games.

Bjorn Strand (21, 178/193), the Norwegian striker, rose another six points of CA, and scored 25 goals for West Ham in a tremendous season. He is considering his options though.

Ante Bacic (22, 179/189) the Croatian central defender, gained another four CA points, and had a solid season for Werder Bremen.

Henrik Berg (21, 159/188), the Norwegian left winger, continues to rise at an excellent rate, adding 17 more CA points, moving from Rosenborg to Aston Villa on a free and struggling a little to adapt.

Luke Hallett (21, 150/184), the centre back or central midfielder, gained eleven points of CA, and broke Bandit hearts when he moved to Chelsea for a paltry 2.1m. He is yet to make an impression there.

Umit Abdulkadir (19, 161/199), the Turkish striker, gained another 11 points of CA, making him the best teenager in the world, and is easily on course to hitting his incredible potential. He is still at Trabzonspor, and ripped his home league apart, but he has attracted the attention of Chelsea, and will surely move on soon.

Sergey Sergienko (20, 163/193), the Russian central midfielder, rose another 23 points of CA, and continues to play well for Dinamo Moscow, a club he will surely soon outgrow.

Reiner Helbig (18, 138/199), the German defensive midfielder, gained 21 CA points, and moved from Leverkusen to Stuttgart for 70k, where he is struggling a little. He has a long way to go yet.

Leonardo (17, 133/185), the Brazilian striker, gained another 24 points of CA, and moved from Brasiliense to Internacional on a free transfer, starting well at his new club.

Peter Schulz (19, 152/188), the German striker, gained a superb 36 points of CA this season, remaining at Hamburg and playing exceptionally well already.

Gary Cooper (18, 145/182), the English centre back, gained 12 CA points, and played regularly for League One Gillingham, from which he has not yet moved. Surely it is only a matter of time until he climbs the ladder to a bigger club.

[kipfizh]

World View - World beaters

Maia (26, 199/199) gained the final nine points of CA he required to hit his massive potential and become the best player in the world. The Portuguese central midfielder strangely didn’t play very much for Milan, perhaps due to injury, but while he played superbly in Serie A, he was very poor in the Champions League. Nevertheless, he will look to have a good tournament this summer.

Maia

Carlo Lupo (28, 198/198) remains at his peak, but has been toppled by Maia, his club teammate. But the Italian central defender had a fantastic season of his own for Milan, who, given that they also have the fifth best player in the world, should’ve got further in the Champions League than the quarter final. Lupo will look to marshall the Italian defence strongly this summer, to try to add major international honours to his cabinet.

Carlo Lupo

These are now the only two players with a CA of 190 – behind Lupo there is a ten point gap to third place. These two are leading the way by a distance.

[kipfizh]

World View - Distribution of 180+ CA players

The clubs

Milan – 3 (-) (199, 198, 187)

Inter – 3 (+3) (185, 183, 180)

Valencia – 3 (-) (185, 184, 181)

Chelsea – 3 (-4) (185, 184, 183)

Real Madrid – 2 (-1) (188, 188)

Bayern Munich – 2 (+1) (187, 184)

Barcelona – 2 (-2) (184, 184)

Arsenal – 1 (-2) (184)

America (Mexico) – 1 (+1) (181)

Juventus – 1 (-) (180)

QPR – 1 (+1) (180)

Werder Bremen – 0 (-1)

Sunderland – 0 (-1)

Leeds – 0 (-1)

Total – 22 (-6)

The number of star players continues to drop, to only 22 this season, ten less than just a few years ago. The spread is also now much wider, with no club having more than three.

It was a painful year for Arsenal and Chelsea, who saw their combined total of 10 drop to just four, while the major gainers were Inter, who saw three of their youngsters break the 180 barrier.

The leagues

Italy – 7 (+3)

Spain – 7 (-3)

England – 5 (-7)

Germany – 2 (-)

Mexico – 1 (+1)

Total – 22 (-6)

The Premiership cannot claim to be the best league anymore, after losing more than half their stars, with Italy and Spain now jointly leading the way.

And for the first time, we see a 180 CA player outside Europe, with Mexico’s America holding the registration of Argentinian striker Saul Ramirez.

The nationalities

Portugal – 4 (-)

Spain – 4 (-1)

Italy – 3 (+1)

Argentina – 2 (+1)

Germany – 2 (-1)

France – 1 (-)

Lithuania – 1 (-)

Nigeria – 1 (-)

Paraguay – 1 (-)

England – 1 (-3)

Holland – 1 (+1)

Turkey – 1 (-)

Finland – 0 (-1)

Serbia – 0 (-1)

Brazil – 0 (-1)

Ireland – 0 (-1)

Total – 22 (-6)

If it was a bad year for Premiership clubs, it was also a bad year for England, who lost three of their four stars below the 180 CA barrier. The Iberian pairing of Portugal and Spain now jointly lead the way, closely followed by Italy, and these three countries must be the favourites for the European Championships this summer.

[kipfizh]

Originally posted by Dreaded Walrus:

I'm intrigued... can we get a look at/summary of their feeder clubs? I'm interested in seeing how many feeders/parents they have, who they are, and what role they serve, considering this season they made a profit of almost £50m.

Gallos Tijuana (Mexico):

Benefit - Bandits get first option on Gallos Tijuana's players

Fee - Bandits pay 36.97k per year

Gloucester (England):

Benefit - Bandits loan players to Gloucester

Fee - Bandits pay 6.45k per year

Issia Wazi (Ivory Coast):

Benefit - Bandits get first option on Issia Wazi's players

Fee - Bandits pay 42.1k per year

Logrones (Spain):

Benefit - Bandits loan players to Logrones to avoid work permit issues

Fee - Bandits pay 37.05k per year

Tokyo Metro Feliz (Japan):

Benefit - Bandits get first option on Tokyo Metro Feliz's players, and get merchandising benefits in Japan.

Fee - Bandits pay 1.29m per year

Vila Nova (Brazil):

Benefit - Bandits get first option on Vila Nova's players

Fee - Bandits pay 40.24k per year

The main cost is from the Japanese side - to get the merchandising benefit from the Japanese market, the Bandits pay them over a million a year. But given that their merchandising income is now close to 50m a year, it probably pays off.

[kipfizh]

Originally posted by Dreaded Walrus:

"Kipfizh doesn't do beers. But if he did, they'd probably be the best beers in the world."

Then all I'd have to do is appoint Sales Rep B. Clayton, and I'd be loaded for life.....

He at least has that talent

[kipfizh]

Well, I said in my report that the Bandits probably need another striker for depth. They really do now.

Finley and McDermott are still at the club, but Pearson and Brand, two of the main backups, are being sold to Leeds for a combined fee of 24.75m.

Nice money, but it seems his gutting out of the squad hasn't ended yet.

[afc2236]

Fantastic!!!

[afc2236]

I'm thinking we should petition the Bandits board for Goalkeeper 2 to be the new manager should( we're all hoping) clayton get sacked.

[kipfizh]

European Championship Review - 2044

Hosts: Germany

Holders: Portugal

Pre-tournament predictions

Portugal, with four 180+ players, including Maia, look like a good bet to win, but I have a funny feeling that this is Carlo Lupo’s moment, so I’m tipping Italy to win this one.

England should go out as soon as they face a top side, although Tom Finley has earned himself a callup despite only having one cap (from two years ago as well!).

Surprise team of the tournament : Holland. Even with stars, they always manage to be good.

Players to watch : Carlo Lupo to be awesome.

Group Stage

In Group C, England and Italy fought out a 1-1 draw, before both sides defeated Croatia and Serbia to qualify. Tom Finley made his first appearance of the tournament in the final group game, starting and scoring in a 3-0 victory over Croatia.

Group A was all about Spain, who dominated a group containing the Czechs, Russia and Scotland. The Czech Republic also qualified.

In Group B, holders Portugal lost their opening match to Belgium but came back to win the group ahead of them. Germany, the hosts, bowed out in third, with Turkey bringing up the rear.

Finally, Group D saw Holland and France progress comfortably ahead of Switzerland and Israel.

Quarter Finals

With none of the tipped stars (either world beaters or world prospects) playing particularly well, there was a lot of speculation that they’d wake up when it really mattered – in knockout football.

The quarter finals started with a shock – despite Belgium winning the World Cup two years ago, no-one gave them much hope against a star-studded Spanish side, but after a laboured 0-0 draw, the world champions won on penalties, condemning a team with four 180+ players in it to the plane home.

The shocks didn’t end there – starless Czech Republic then knocked out the holders and favourites Portugal 1-0. Maia had a really poor tournament, contributing next to nothing to the Portuguese cause.

The last of the top nations fell when France knocked Italy out on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Lupo went home, as captain, unable to steer his team to glory.

Tom Finley then started as England knocked out Holland 4-1, although he was taken off at half time with the score 1-1. After two Dutch players saw red in the second half, England ran riot.

So that left just two 180 CA players left in the tournament – one Englishman, Chelsea’s keeper Steve Fletcher, and the French attacking midfielder Frederic Grimaud.

Semi Finals

The first semi final was a repeat of the World Cup final, and once again Belgium came out on top, beating England 1-0, while the underdogs also prevailed in the other semi, the Czech Republic beating France 2-1 after extra time.

So the final would be staged between two unheralded nations, with no stars. Could Belgium prove a point by adding the European Championship to their World Cup triumph?

Final

It was a cagey final, finishing 0-0, but it was the Czechs who would eventually prevail, 7-6 on penalties.

[kipfizh]

World Cup Report Card – World Beaters

Maia (Portugal)

(4 games, 6.50 average rating, 1 assist)

The best player in the world’s only contribution to the tournament was to provide the assist in the 2-1 opening day defeat to Belgium. After that, a series of poor performances by the team talisman saw the Portuguese go home in the quarter finals.

Grade: D-

Carlo Lupo (Italy)

(4 games, 6.75 average rating)

Unlike the World Cup, Lupo was unable to guide his teammates to clean sheets, conceding in their opening match with England, and the twice to France before losing on penalties to them in the quarter finals. He was never the powerhouse he can be.

Grade: C-

World Cup Report Card – Bandits

Tom Finley (England)

(3 games, 7.33 average rating, 1 goal)

After being overlooked for the first two matches, Finley won his second cap against Croatia, scoring the opener in a 3-0 victory. He then played a half against Holland and ten minutes against Belgium but still played pretty well in the time he had.

Grade: B-

Danijel Ivic (Croatia)

(2 games, 6.50 average rating)

Ivic missed the opening crunch match with Serbia, but came back to play in two 3-0 defeats to Italy and England. His tournament never really got going.

Grade: D

World Cup Report Card – Ones to watch

Patrick Schmidt (Germany)

(3 games, 7.00 average rating)

The right sided German had home territory to play on, but he and his teammates will be very disappointed with how the tournament went. It started well enough, with a victory over Turkey, but a draw with Belgium and a loss to Portugal saw both those sides qualify instead. As in the World Cup, he didn’t do enough.

Grade: C

Pereira (Portugal)

(4 games, 7.25 average rating, 1 assist)

After his stunning World Cup, much was expected of Pereira, but he was solid rather than spectacular – the defensive midfielder held the team together well, but not well enough.

Grade: C+

Tony Allison (England)

(3 games, 6.33 average rating, 1 goal, 1 assist)

A mixed bag for the West Ham striker, who started the Serbia group stage match, getting a 6 in a dour 0-0 draw. His next involvement was a superb one – as a substitute, he got a goal and a assist against Holland. But he would rather forget the semi final, where he played the second half appallingly.

Grade: D-

Barry Low (Scotland)

(3 games, 7.00 average rating, 1 goal)

Although Scotland went out in the group stage, Low played fine, managing sevens even in defeat, and scoring one of his country’s two goals.

Grade: C

Ante Bacic (Croatia)

(3 games, 7.00 average rating)

Performed admirably bearing in mind his team were so poor, losing all three games and going home early.

Grade: C

[kipfizh]

Originally posted by afc2236:

I'm thinking we should petition the Bandits board for Goalkeeper 2 to be the new manager should( we're all hoping) clayton get sacked.

Too late, unfortunately. Arsenal sacked Danny Gamble in the summer, and Clayton was actually rumoured to be jumping ship to Arsenal.

In the end, they hired Goalkeeper 2.

[Walcott\'s Wonderkids]

Woohoo, Europe beckons for the Bandits

Hopefully this summer they might actually decide to buy good players rather than sell them!!

Great update as always Kip

[foxmad]

I really do love this thread, it's such a refreshing read.

6th in the league was fantastic, can't see Bandits continuing that sort of form unless we bring in some talent though.

[Craig Williams]

Nice update Kip. Could I bother you with a screenshot of the Bandits lifelong records, please?

Thanks.

[Wegason]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by afc2236:

I'm thinking we should petition the Bandits board for Goalkeeper 2 to be the new manager should( we're all hoping) clayton get sacked.

Too late, unfortunately. Arsenal sacked Danny Gamble in the summer, and Clayton was actually rumoured to be jumping ship to Arsenal.

In the end, they hired Goalkeeper 2. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Clayton to be sacked and Gamble rehired???

[Ste93]

I found this late last ght and read for hours before i overcame the addiction and get some sleep.

I turn me laptop on this morning but IT WAS BROKE!

i needed to know what happened next so spent alot of the day trawling through 10 pages on my wii.

You can`t understand how long it took to read it, and to write this message, but the Bandits are worth it.

This thread is without a doubt the greatest thing on the internets!

Kip, if you were a girl i`d marry you!

More comments and thoughts if i ever get me laptop fixed. =(

btw, what does KUGTW mean ?

[Dreaded Walrus]

Originally posted by Ste93:

btw, what does KUGTW mean ?

Kip's Usually Great Thread Wanes.

(Keep up the good work )

[VonBlade]

Bloody hell. You wait 30 years for European Football to come along and then we qualify twice in one season!

Tom Finley = My new hero. (and only one letter away from an all-time great).

Fabulous to see the Bandits plying their trade with the big boys. Fingers crossed that they have a long enough run to get a serious rep-boost and therefore attract those players we keep selling.

And of course than Clayton accidently gets stabbed in the back a hundred times, followed by GK2s shock resignation from the Arse and triumphant return to the hallowed turf.

We desperately, no desperately, need a quality ambitious manager next time who'll bring in the star players that we sell and take advantage of the Bandits huge transfer kitty rather than keep topping it up.

One huge spending spree could see every quality player in the world plying their trade with the Bandits.

Finally, is it just me or have the Bandits spent nearly their whole existence needing wide players? I can't remember the last time we didn't need full-backs and wingers.

VB

[xsluggerx]

I just spent two hours...reading this thread.

Coolest thread ever.

[bignacboy]

Fantastic thread. Been following it for a long time now. Can't believe how I am actually developing an attachment for a make-believe team on a computer game

Think it owes as much to your telling of the tale as the game kipfizh. Great work - you should be (and have rightly been) applauded

KUTGW

[magicmastermind124]

Finally, European football! Fantastic work as ever kip. Perhaps with this European place you could go more in depth into their European Cup ties.

[chopper99]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by afc2236:

I'm thinking we should petition the Bandits board for Goalkeeper 2 to be the new manager should( we're all hoping) clayton get sacked.

Too late, unfortunately. Arsenal sacked Danny Gamble in the summer, and Clayton was actually rumoured to be jumping ship to Arsenal.

In the end, they hired Goalkeeper 2. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Noooooo!!

As soon as I read the GK2 had been sacked I could almost see the fairytale ending - GK2 hired by the bandits after Clayton's sacking. He then goes onto lift the UEFA cup and spearhead a 4th place finish.

Never mind it's not to be, yet. I still hope for the day that an ex-bandit returns to their former employers and leads them to glory.

Maybe Gamble will come back and do the business, but I can't see it happening.

I can't believe we finished 6th after Clayton decimated the squad in the way he did. After reading the transfers I was very worried.

But 6th and a cup in the trophy room makes for a good season.

Please let the increased rep be Clayton's downfall, I can't wait to see him get sacked. If this was real life I'd be in a bit of a pickle - on the one hand I'd be wanting to lead protests outside the ground demanding his dismissal. But on the other hand, after that season, it'd be hard to get too many other supporters to agree with you (in real life anyway).

So my predictions for next season:

Tom Finly to be sold for pretty much his asking price in the summer and to be replaced by someone old and useless.

The Bandits to start badly and Clayton gets sacked (this really is wishful thinking).

The Bandits board to not learn from their mistakes and hire yet another poor manager.

The Bandits to slip down the table, go out of the cups and Europe, and the whole cycle to start again.

All a bit pessamistic I know, but being a Sunderland supporter in real life I've learned to not expect too much after a decent season

I'd love to see them do better though.

Thanks again Kip, still absolutely loving this thread

[kipfizh]

Originally posted by VonBlade:

Tom Finley = My new hero. (and only one letter away from an all-time great).

The defender is me thinks that the real star of the season was Charlie Morgan - he managed to turn a very weak side into one with a superb defensive record, which is some achievement.

But you're right, without Finley and McDermott they still would've been up the proverbial creek.

Originally posted by VonBlade:

Finally, is it just me or have the Bandits spent nearly their whole existence needing wide players? I can't remember the last time we didn't need full-backs and wingers.

VB

Yeah, it seems to be a Ben Clayton thing - looking back, other managers seemed to believe in squad depth, and at one point the outstanding left winger Leroy couldn't get into the side.

It seems that Clayton doesn't recognise the potential of some of his players - I'll check his 'judging player potential' ability later, but I'm guessing it's low. He's signed some high PA wingers and then sold them, and he never seemed to grasp how good Hallett could've been.

[bignacboy]

If this was real life I'd be in a bit of a pickle - on the one hand I'd be wanting to lead protests outside the ground demanding his dismissal. But on the other hand, after that season, it'd be hard to get too many other supporters to agree with you (in real life anyway).

Welcome to the life of a Spurs fan - I do believe Daniel Levy and the board are in that very same position. They wanted rid of Jol last February, but he got lucky and results conspired to give us a second 5th place finish. How do you sack a person, however limited they may be, after the most successful season in recent history? Or in the Bandits case, ever?!

Will be interesting to see how the coming season pans out for the Bandits

[kipfizh]

Originally posted by chopper99:

Never mind it's not to be, yet. I still hope for the day that an ex-bandit returns to their former employers and leads them to glory.

I actually don't - they are good coaches, especially the keepers, but their ambition of one might mean that the Bandits don't progress anywhere, settling for mid table. The ex-Bandits really don't have good managerial records (and it doesn't get any better this season).

[kipfizh]

Thanks all for the continued support - it's great motivation to keep going to see a keen audience!

[bignacboy]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by chopper99:

Never mind it's not to be, yet. I still hope for the day that an ex-bandit returns to their former employers and leads them to glory.

I actually don't - they are good coaches, especially the keepers, but their ambition of one might mean that the Bandits don't progress anywhere, settling for mid table. The ex-Bandits really don't have good managerial records (and it doesn't get any better this season). </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Less teasing, more updates

(Again though, great experiment - hope it doesn't die now that FM2008 is out!)

[AB-forever]

European football finally!

KUTGW!

(And Ben Clayton is hopefully sacked soon)

[chopper99]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by chopper99:

Never mind it's not to be, yet. I still hope for the day that an ex-bandit returns to their former employers and leads them to glory.

I actually don't - they are good coaches, especially the keepers, but their ambition of one might mean that the Bandits don't progress anywhere, settling for mid table. The ex-Bandits really don't have good managerial records (and it doesn't get any better this season). </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Good point. Maybe some new, unproven managerial talent then who turns out to be brilliant.

*crosses fingers, toes and anything else that can be crossed*

[kipfizh]

Season 2044-45

Bandits report - Transfers

Transfers In

Transfers Out

Summer

Last summer, the Bandits were full of optimism, only to have those good vibes destroyed by a series of sales at their club. The rollercoaster that is being a Bandits fan then took a turn for the better with an outstanding season, finishing sixth in the Premiership and winning their first major trophy – the League Cup.

Now, the fans feel optimistic for a different reason. They will either have another good season, or most likely Ben Clayton will finally get the sack. The one thing they fear is a slow decline – regression in the team without being quick enough to see Clayton booted out.

The major squad worry was the absolute reliance on a few players. With most of the club’s future sold, and half the first team joining them, the success of last season was based entirely on the potent strike partnership of Tom Finley and Scott McDermott, which yielded 45 goals, star defender Charlie Morgan, and keeper Owen Paris. Midfielder Fabien Vincent is the other key for the next couple of years.

So the remit for Clayton was clear – do not, under any circumstances, sell any of those stars, but supplement them with new players, because if any were to get injured, the team would be in massive trouble. Oh, and maybe actually buy some wide players.

The summer began with a couple of pre-arranged sales – reserves strikers Mark Pearson and Peter Brand moving to Leeds for deals that started at 7.5m and 9m respectively, but could rise well above that. Not bad business given that they were not first choice players, but it left the squad painfully short of forwards. Veteran Adrien Grosjean, once a vital cog in the team, then left and retired.

And for once, that was it. Some youths who would never make it were moved on, but not one first team player was sold, only the benched strikers. If Clayton could sign at least one striker, he’d be back to where he was. Any more would mark a squad improvement.

Right winger Barry Garrard was the first to arrive, costing 3.3m from West Ham, and he would go on to be the first choice all season. With a CA of 160, the 29 year old would be a short term fix, but with the squad so weak in that position, it was a wise signing.

After Garrard came a hugely expensive signing – 28 year old left and central midfielder Roman Orlov arriving for a club record fee of 14.75m from Man City. He is quite the talent though – impressive statistics back up a CA of 169, breaking him instantly into the first team. Suddenly the midfield looked far stronger.

Those hoping for further improvements were to be disappointed, however, with only young centre back Peter Henry arriving before the season began. The ex-Chelsea youngster cost 875k, but would be one for the future.

So the midfield looks good going into the new season, but even more pressure is heaped on Tom Finley and Scott McDermott up front. They now have next to no backup. An injury or two could cripple this side.

January

If the summer was quiet, the January transfer window was anything but, as Clayton went on a spending spree, perhaps finally recognizing the thin nature of his squad.

But first there were sales – last season’s disappointing signing at left back, Pablo Jose Coto, was moved on, to be followed by Ross White, who had been ousted from the team after the arrival of Garrard. Neither sale hurt the fans too badly.

Defender Wes McAusland had also found himself out of favour – despite a great talent he’d never managed to hold down a first team place, and he was allowed to leave, but then a more painful sale was made – first choice right back Robbie Watts left for 4m, to Sheff Wed, further weakening the full back positions.

So Clayton was under massive pressure to sign full backs and strikers particularly, but also any stars to ease the pressure on the few that were already at the club. A star central midfielder wouldn’t go amiss either. Would he actually splash the cash?

The answer was resoundingly yes. First to arrive was another right winger, Philip King, costing 8.75m from Newcastle. And what a player he is – at only 26 he has reached his massive potential of 177, and is comfortably the best player the Bandits have ever had (not including those originals). No wonder Ross White was allowed to leave with him and Garrard now at the club. 8.75m looks like a bargain for such a talent.

The fans wanted someone to back Finley and McDermott up. Clayton thought differently, and instead signed a man who seriously threatened their place in the team. Michael Lancashire cost 14.75m from Man City, matching the fee they’d paid City for Orlov in the summer, and with a CA of 161 and a PA of 169, the 24 year old striker settled straight into the squad. The fans were delighted.

A replacement right back filled the next gaping hole – Steen Hansen is a 155/172 player, who at 25 may yet push towards his impressive potential, and if he does, his 2.7m price tag may look cheap. Then came a small purchase, which made little waves around the club, but may one day be looked back on as a masterstroke.

Adam Williamson is an 18 year old central midfielder with a CA of 106, not bad for a teenager but not setting the world alight. But his enormous CA of 189 is the best the club have had since the days of the original starlets. Three points higher than Ryan Morley, this kid has a massive future. But will it be recognised inside the Bandits setup?

Back to the first team, and Clayton set about sorting out the left side of his team, signing Andy Parkin, who can play anywhere up that flank, for 6.5m from Aston Villa. Although he didn’t start a game for the rest of the season, his CA of 151 provides useful backup, while at 23 he has every chance of heading towards his superb PA of 179. He could be some signing.

And Clayton wasn’t done there. The last man to arrive was an incredibly versatile one – Luis Pizarro cost 9.75m from Sunderland, and is a natural left back or left wing back, while he is also impressive at left midfield, centre back and central midfield. He is 30, but his CA of 159 and his versatility makes him a superb squad player, able to fill in a whole bunch of gaps.

To say the squad looked stronger at the start of February would be an understatement – all of a sudden a whole bunch of stars had walked in the door, for a combined cost of 58m, and amongst all the stunningly talented players was some youth, and some enormous potential. We’ve been here before, but not quite to this level – if these players develop at the Bandits, they will be a force to be reckoned with.

And only one first teamer was sold – right back Robbie Watts – and he was replaced by Steen Hansen. The fans were suddenly more optimistic than they had been in a long time.

So what was the situation? Was Clayton spending so freely to push the team towards glory? Or were they struggling and he was acting out of desperation?

Stay tuned….

[kipfizh]

Bandits report - squad

Top 20 in Squad (sorted by CA)

Name, Pos, Age, CA-PA

King, AM R, 26, 177-177 – new signing

Morgan, DC, 32, 170-173 (-3)

Finley, ST, 24, 169-169 (0)

Orlov, AM LC, 28, 169-169 – new signing

Vincent, MC, 25, 162-181 (0)

Lancashire, ST, 24, 161-169 – new signing

Garrard, AM R, 29, 160-169 – new signing

McDermott, ST, 27, 159-159 (0)

Pizarro, D/M LC, DM, 30, 159-159 – new signing

Pichet, DC, 24, 156-161 (+1)

Gibbs, M LC, 29, 156-158 (0)

Spicer, ST, 29, 156-156 (0)

Hansen, D/WB R, 25, 155-172 – new signing

Paris, GK, 28, 154-156 (+1)

Watt, MC, 25, 154-156 (+3)

Beckham, GK, 25, 153-161 (0)

Wade, GK, 23, 153-158 (+4)

Parkin, WB/AM L, 23, 151-179 – new signing

Dixon, D/M C, 25, 151-157 (0)

Small, D/DM C, 28, 148-167 (0)

Players in last season’s top 20 who have left the club:

Brand, ST, 22, 155-165

Watts, DR, 22, 155-165

Pearson, ST, 22, 154-168

Players in last season’s top 20 who have dropped out of the top 20:

Ivic, AM L, 32, 148-161 (-9)

Peacock, DM, 24, 148-161 (+1)

Barcelo, AM C, 25, 147-147 (0)

Lancaster, D/WB L, 33, 129-178 (-18)

What a difference a year makes. Last season this table looked dismal – devoid of new signings, the standard was dropping badly. Now the Bandits have a 177 CA player with time on his side, and seven new signings in the top twenty.

Not only that, but the age situation looks better – there are plenty of players with years left in them, and potential far above their current level of ability.

It seems Ben Clayton is able to make decent signings when he wants to. The worry is that so many of these players may stay only briefly. Can they keep them this time?

CA of X or above:

190 : 0 … 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0

180 : 0 … 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0

170 : 0 … 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 2

160 : 0 … 0, 0, 0, 1, 3, 2, 3, 3, 3, 7

150 : 0 … 6, 10, 13, 15, 13, 11, 15, 17, 15, 19

140 : 0 … 9, 14, 19, 27, 25, 22, 27, 27, 24, 26

130 : 0 … 11, 22, 28, 32, 31, 28, 33, 34, 29, 29

120 : 0 … 15, 29, 37, 38, 36, 30, 34, 36, 30, 32

110 : 0 … 22, 39, 42, 39, 36, 30, 36, 36, 31, 32

100 : 2 … 27, 43, 45, 40, 36, 32, 39, 40, 34, 33

After such a disappointing year of sales last term, the story is completely different this time around. Having never gone above three 160CA players before, they now have seven, with two above the 170 mark.

170+, 160+ and 150+ are now all at record levels, and with this now emcompassing nineteen players, the team should not feature too many players below this level anymore. Excellent stuff.

Top players by reputation

Reputation (CA in brackets):

Morgan (170) – 7225 (-85)

Finley (169) – 7140 (-)

Orlov (169) – 7140 – new signing

Vincent (162) – 6491 (+14)

McDermott (159) – 6320 (-)

Pizarro (159) – 6320 – new signing

Gibbs (156) – 6083 (-158)

Paris (154) – 5929 (+79)

King (177) – 5882 – new signing

Lancashire (161) – 5870 – new signing

Team (as of last summer): 6661 (+147)

With the arrival of Roman Orlov, there are now three players with comfortably higher reputation than that of the Bandits last summer. However, with the team in Europe this season, there is every chance of a reputation jump, and perhaps a better squad in the future.

Also, it is interesting to see King’s low reputation. For such a talent, he is relatively unknown – this is probably how they managed to sign him and will hopefully be how they can keep him.

[nick...]

With these signings in january, I reckon we've made the knockout stags and are going for a push.

Less confident about the league position, but whatever it is, surely it can only improve.

Is Morley considering a move to managment?

[foxmad]

higher reputation than that of the Bandits last summer. However, with

I can't see The Bandits succeeding in the Cup and the League, but I do think it will be either quarters in the UEFA Cup or top 6 again in the League.

[5ergio]

Clayton did awesome considering his talent. Hope these fixes worked well for the Bandits or we better see Clayton sacked. KUTGW Kip. Awesome speed in this update tbh.

[Sufc-Ownage]

Wow, Just amazing fromt he bandits and Clayton is finally pulling his finger out.

Cant WAIT for the next update.

COME ON BANDITS and kutgw Kip

[VonBlade]

Wow. It's like my birthday has come early, (just minus the wife telling me no).

What a staggering selection of players. Only 20 posts or so ago I postulated that a massive spending spree could see the Bandits a dominant force. Looks like we've got it.

And the thing that really cheers me up is the extra pressure that this massive outlay will put on Claytons job. You can't spend 60mil, be in Europe and not have certain expectations (eh Mr Jol).

Wonderful update. Get typing Mr Kip sir.

[williamshankley]

So now we know Clayton has held onto his job until at least January anyway.

Surely we are in two minds here?

We either hope to win something else and Clayton jumps ship.

Or we are going to get the old saga of tumbling down the league and all our players being sold again!

[Jimbokav1971]

Premiership Analysis – Team Ability

(league position in bold)

1 (1). Chelsea (1) – 73.95 (-0.97)

2 (4). West Ham (8) – 73.49 (+0.97)

3 (2). Arsenal (10) – 73.33 (-0.95)

4 (5). Liverpool (16) – 72.47 (-0.04)

5 (3). Man City (17) – 72.18 (-0.37)

6 (9). Sheff Wed (2) – 70.54 (+0.45)

7 (6). Tottenham (15) – 70.50 (-0.58)

8 (10). Bandits (6) – 70.03 (+0.29)

Bloody hell !

I stopped reading this when the last of the original bandits retired.

I had no idea it was still going strong.

Looks like I have some catching up to do.

Kipfizh you're a legend .

[kipfizh]

Originally posted by Jimbokav1971:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Premiership Analysis – Team Ability

(league position in bold)

1 (1). Chelsea (1) – 73.95 (-0.97)

2 (4). West Ham (8) – 73.49 (+0.97)

3 (2). Arsenal (10) – 73.33 (-0.95)

4 (5). Liverpool (16) – 72.47 (-0.04)

5 (3). Man City (17) – 72.18 (-0.37)

6 (9). Sheff Wed (2) – 70.54 (+0.45)

7 (6). Tottenham (15) – 70.50 (-0.58)

8 (10). Bandits (6) – 70.03 (+0.29)

Bloody hell !

I stopped reading this when the last of the original bandits retired.

I had no idea it was still going strong.

Looks like I have some catching up to do.

Kipfizh you're a legend . </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Welcome back sir - one of the original predictors

[kipfizh]

Originally posted by VonBlade:

Wow. It's like my birthday has come early, (just minus the wife telling me no).

Had to chuckle at that one

Originally posted by VonBlade:

And the thing that really cheers me up is the extra pressure that this massive outlay will put on Claytons job. You can't spend 60mil, be in Europe and not have certain expectations (eh Mr Jol).

Very true - something that FM includes extremely well is the effect a spending spree has on expectations.

And with that, I can confirm that either the Bandits have improved their league position, or Ben Clayton is no longer their manager.

Gotta be a win-win, no? We'll see....

[Dreaded Walrus]

I know this might be too much, but any chance of screenshots being provided for key signings in future, and possibly in retrospect for the key signings made in the update that's just been posted? I'd love to see some of our players.

[Wanson]

To be fair on poor old Ben Clayton he's done a good job. The sales he made of the young stars and the Bandits best players were probably out of his hands. The Bandits didn't have a good enough reputation to keep them or attract anyone as good or better.

Now that they're in Europe we'll see a big rise in their reputation and with that rise Clayton has finally been able to bring in quality. I don't think that another manager would have been able to do much different.

[chopper99]

Originally posted by kipfizh:

And with that, I can confirm that either the Bandits have improved their league position, or Ben Clayton is no longer their manager.

Gotta be a win-win, no? We'll see....

You beauty, I'm not sure now which one of those I'd prefer right now, possibly the improved league position.

If Clayton's gone but been replaced by someone just as bad it means we've not only slipped down the league but ar no better off manager-wise.

Can't wait for the next update now.

[kipfizh]

Originally posted by Dreaded Walrus:

I know this might be too much, but any chance of screenshots being provided for key signings in future, and possibly in retrospect for the key signings made in the update that's just been posted? I'd love to see some of our players.

Sure, I'll put in the key ones, and also, I think I'll make the 'First XI Summary' page a series of links to the players.....that way you can see the current first XI and their season summary.

[kipfizh]

And since this post will be the 2000th reply to the thread (unless someone gets in their first), this seems like a apt time to say thanks to everyone for helping keep this going - I have no idea how less detailed and less interesting the reports would've been without all of your suggestions.

Nine months this has been going now, perhaps FM 08 should see a Bandits story....

(That's not to say this experiment is ending soon - it isn't)