Bromley FC (...And the Rest of the World)

[AK22]

Well done on a great top four finish

[City2000]

That's a great achievement, congrats!

[TH3LB]

This thread is incredible. Very well presented, I'm going to go back a read a few more pages.

[abulezz]

Great season . What will the extension make your total capacity?

Thanks! I believe Bromley Stadium will be able to fit around 32,000 when the extension is compete - a far cry from the 5,000 days of Hayes Lane!

All I can do is

Well done

Told you you'd soon feature in your CL updates.

Thanks - it was a great season

[abulezz]

Well done on a great top four finish

That's a great achievement, congrats!

This thread is incredible. Very well presented, I'm going to go back a read a few more pages.

Thank you all so much! Now the real work begins

[ShyBaldBuddhist]

CL football at Bromley \o/ Chelsea look very strong at the moment. May take another couple of seasons before you can challenge them for the title.

[abulezz]

CHAMPIONS CUP 2020/2021

Bayern Munich vs. Lyonnais (2 - 4)

First Leg – Allianz-Arena, Munich (Att: 66,000): The 2019 champions visited German for the first leg of this tie, and were lucky to come away with only a 2-1 loss. Although they struck first through Salomon Rondon in the 60th minute, they match completely belonged to Bayern Munich, who had 66% of the possession. Fortunately for them, MotM and captain Kevin Strootman equalized just a few minutes after that, and Bayern Munich’s leading goalscorer Frederico Macheda gave them the win in the 87th minute. The Germans should have won by a bigger margin, and Lyonnais returned home flattered by the scoreline.

Bayern Munich: 2 (Strootman, Macheda)

Lyonnais: 1 (Rondon)

Second Leg – Stade des Lumieres, Lyon (Att: 61,556): Although they were by far the inferior team during the first leg in Germany, Lyonnais left no doubt in anyone’s mind who the better team over the two legs was. The numbers don’t lie – they held Bayern Munich to a 2/0 Shots Ratio, while recording an absolutely incredible 32/16 Shots Ratio of their own. They also had 54% of the possession, but the real story was Bayern Munich’s GK Manuel Neuer – without him, the score might have read 5-0 or 6-0. The MotM, however, was Lyonnais midfielder Willian, who scored a brace and lifted his club to victory. One of the finest players in the competition this year, Willian ran circles around the Bayern Munich defense, and made a team tipped to lift the trophy look downright amateur. Lyonnais advanced to their second Finals in four years in the most dominant of fashion.

Lyonnais: 3 (Willian 2, D’Agostino)

Bayern Munich: 0

FC Twente vs. Manchester United (3 - 8)

First Leg – Grolsche Veste, Enschede (Att: 32,000): FC Twente were the Cinderella story of this season’s Champions League, and were looking just as dangerous any of the other three teams in the Semi-Finals. The tournament’s leading goalscorer, Norwegian striker Mushaga Bakenga, found the net again, bringing his total to 10 goals in the competition, but he was not the best striker on the pitch today. That honor belonged to Dejan Kovacevic, who scored a brace in the first half that lifted Manchester United to a 3-2 victory away from home. Although FC Twente were their equal today, Manchester United’s counter-attacks proved to be hard to stop, leading them to an important away victory.

FC Twente: 2 (de Boer, Bakenga)

Manchester United: 3 (Kovacevic, Evans)

Second Leg – Old Trafford, Manchester (Att: 94,746): The Cinderella story came to an abrupt and anti-climactic end in England, as Manchester United ran out 5-1 winners and booked themselves a place in the Finals against Lyonnais. Sensationally, young Italian defender Carlo Tullii scored a hat-trick and won the MotM. Despite its completely lopsided result, FC Twente were very unlucky because throughout the match, they were once again Manchester United’s equal. Unfortunately, they had no answer to Tulli, who scored all three goals with head from set-pieces. In the end, Manchester United advanced to its second straight Finals, which was also the fifth time they had done so since 2010.

Manchester United: 5 (Tulli 3, Martucci, Hernandez)

FC Twente: 1 (Vilhena)

Lyonnais vs. Manchester United

Ataturk Olympic Stadium – Istanbul, Turkey (Att: 80,597): Going into this match, not a whole lot was being said about Lyonnais’ Jamaican manager, Lovel Palmer, but his story was an incredible one. A youth coach for the club under former manager Patrice Carteron, he was promoted to his new position in July of 2020. In first year as manager of the club, he captured the Ligue 1 title and had led them to their second ever Champions League Finals. This was unprecedented in recent times, and if Palmer managed to win this match, it would be historic. His counterpart was the vastly experienced Ricardo Moniz, who had led Manchester United to two Premier League titles in 2018 and 2019, as well as their second consecutive Champions League Finals in a row this year.

The match was intense and very competitive, with Lyonnais having more chances but Manchester United more the possession. After ninety minutes in Istanbul, the score remained 0-0, and the two teams headed into extra-time. A controversially awarded penalty in the 109th minute sparked outrage amongst Manchester United, and after the dust had settled, Jonathan Espinales had converted the penalty into a goal and made it 1-0 for the French side. Despite heavy assault by Manchester United in the final ten minutes, Lyonnais’ defense, led by Jorginho (whom the club had acquired for £34,500,000 at the beginning of the season), maintained a solid grip on their third of the field. The match ended with Lyonnais’ 1-0 winners, and they lifted the Champions League trophy for the second time in four years. Lovel Palmer made history, becoming the first first-year manager to ever lift the trophy, and catapulted his name to one of the most sought after in the footballing world.

Lyonnais: 1 (Espinales)

Manchester United: 0

Best Player

Willian, Lyonnais – 10 Appearances, 7 Goals, 2 Assists, 7.76: The 32 year old Brazilian has been a revelation since joining from the club from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2017, and it is no coincidence that Lyonnais’ has won both of its Champions League titles while he has been in his prime. His overall game has ascended the club into greatness, and one would be hard-pressed to find a better all-around game that Willian’s, who was part of the Shakhtar team that reached the Semi-Finals in 2011/12 against Barcelona. He tackles, he runs, he defends and he scores, all with equal greatness. His performances in this year’s Champions League proved that, and he was without a doubt the finest player in Europe this season.

Top Goalscorer

Mushaga Bakenga, FC Twente – 12 Appearances, 10 Goals, 3 Assists, 7.27: FC Twente shocked and surprised the world with their Semi-Final appearance, but none of it would have been possible if Bakenga was not playing. His goals were the primary reason the Dutch champions were able to advance as far as they did, and his performances in the Knockout Rounds was especially great. The powerful 28 year old Norwegian became the first player to lead the Champions League in goals scored since Jari Litmanen did it for Ajax in 1995/96.

[abulezz]

Posted the Season Review in a new reply by mistake while trying to edit!

[abulezz]

Bromley 2020/2021 Review

Season Review

Premier League: 4th Place (Media Prediction: 8th Place)

FA Cup: Semi-Finals – Defeated by Arsenal

League Cup: Third Round – Defeated by Cardiff

Europa League: Quarter-Finals – Defeated by Standard Liege (Belgium)

In our fourth season in the Premier League, we managed to achieve what no other team had come close to doing in the past few years – break up the Big Six. Not only that, but we finished in fourth place, ensuring ourselves the chance as Champions League football in 2021/22. It was a fantastic achievement, and there is no doubt that our rise up the English football leagues has been historic. No other team had done what we have managed to achieve the past ten years, and we now find ourselves amongst the finest clubs in the nation, all while having the youngest club in the Premier League.

Our success in the league made up for our lackluster performances in the cups, with our worst result coming against Cardiff in the League Cup Third Round, losing 1-0. We made the FA Cup Semi-Finals before falling to Arsenal, and so we did not successfully defend our trophy. The Europa League saw us advance to the Quarter-Finals, where we fell to Belgian side Standard Liege, a team I had really expected to beat. Unfortunately, they got the better of us over two legs and upset us.

Regardless, it was a successful season by all accounts. I have become one of the highest rated managers in the world (naturally), and the team has really stepped up in the UEFA rankings, as well. The best part of it is that the team is still so very young, and exciting at that. We have some great talent who are not even in their prime – this is going to be a great team to watch in the upcoming few years..

Key Players:

Emmanuel Musah: For the first time since joining the club five years ago, the 23 year old Musah faced some nagging injuries that kept him out of 11 games He still managed to produce his finest season for the club in the Premier League, scoring 14 goals in 27 appearances and recording 7.20 AR. For the fourth straight year, he won the club’s Player of the Year, and in the process elevated his status to an Icon of Bromley. A fantastic threat in the air, he is still perhaps the finest overall finisher the club has, despite the addition of several talented strikers to the ranks.

Gilmar: While Musah was the club’s Player of the Year, Gilmar was its MVP this season. After three years of teasing with his ability, he finally came through, recording career-highs with 7 goals, 13 assists, 4 MotMs, and 7.20 AR. Not only that, but he was a great all-around player, averaging a superb 2.69 TpG from the right wing position to go with his 3.48 DpG. He certainly has the talent to produce the coveted double-double, and he is in line to be subject of many £20,000,000+ bids this coming summer.

Tricio: The 23 year Brazilian GK again showed fantastic improvement in his third season with the club, recording a career-high 7.01 AR and 18 clean sheets. He appeared in all 38 games, conceding 34 goals – since joining the club in 2018/19, he has only missed one league game. He also earned himself 4 caps for his national team over the course of the season, and he continues to be considered the future at the position for Brazil.

Zoran Sedlarevic: He came in the January window for £10,000,000 from Manchester City, and immediately made an impact, scoring a hat-trick in his first game for the club. He finished the season having played 16 games for the club, recording 9 goals and 7.29 AR. If you add his stats in the half season he played for Man City, he finished with 14 goals, 7 assists, and 6 MotMs. The 23 year old Serbian took Eduardo Fernandez’s spot, who incidentally made the move to Man City during the same window for £5,000,000 more, and never relinquished it, become a favorite of the manager in the process.

Kieran Holland: The 20 year continues to be the club’s golden boy, the only player from Bromley’s youth academy to be in the starting lineup. He continued his steady improvement, as well, recording a career-high 6.99 AR in 36 appearances. His 2.89 TpG were also a career-high, but remains on the low sid of what is expected of him. Still, the potential remains immense, and he has been a pleasure to watch develop.

Lukas Kubik: Although many will comment that left wing is not best suited for his talents, the 23 year old vice-captain quietly became one of the best at the position in the league this season. His assists went down from 12 to 9, but his 7.23 AR was his finest in a Bromley uniform. Playing in his fourth season for the club, the Czech international managed to also score 6 goals in his 36 appearances.

Manuel Roubaud: No one could have expected just had great the 19 year old Frenchman was going to be after being thrown into the starting lineup. With Nicolas Mancini sold to Arsenal, the club looked to Roubaud to man the left back position, and he did a fantastic job, recording 3 goals, 7 assists, and 7.25 AR. His abilities, especially his technical ones, have him much more suited as a left winger than a left back, but he did the job as good as anyone in the league this season.

Tete: The 22 year old Brazilian has put his past injury, which ruled him out for almost all of the 2018/19 season, well behind him. He delivered his finest season in a Bromley shirt, recording a 7.09 AR. His TpG was very low, however, at only 2.32, and he will need to improve on that. Still, he was solid and consistent at the back, and is the club’s finest natural central defender.

Transfers

For the first time, we sold more than we bought, and the difference was quite substantial – while we brought in players worth £32,500,000, we sold players for £60,000,000. Amongst them were £15,000,000 for Gaucho, who ended up being the Players’ Player of the Year and winning the Premier League title with Chelsea, and £15,000,000 for Eduardo Fernandez. The latter had come two seasons ago for the same amount, and despite having a good season for us, he was sold for that same amount + future clauses in the January transfer. There was some confusion as to why that was done, but when we bought Zeran Sedlarevic from the same team, Manchester City, for £10,000,000 and he started performing, all was understood. There were two other important transfers in terms of players coming in this season - £5,500,000 for Argentine Gaston Ponce, and £7,500,000 for German Stefan Rahn, with both being central midfielders. The other way, club Favored Personnel Jan Hendrik Ihm was sold for £5,000,000, and left back Nicolas Mancini, who came on Free Transfer just six months before, was sold to Arsenal for £8,000,000. There was a lot of trimming in terms of squad size, with a lot of young players whom the club had bought and deemed not good enough leaving – all were sold for more than they were bought.

[abulezz]

CL football at Bromley \o/ Chelsea look very strong at the moment. May take another couple of seasons before you can challenge them for the title.

Yes, CL football is coming to Bromley! Chelsea look very impressive, and they are a very complete team. Aguero is still at the top of his game, and theyve got the right pieces around him.

[abulezz]

U20 WORLD CUP 2021 – SOUTH AFRICA

GROUP STAGES

QUARTER-FINALS

Scotland vs. Senegal

Telkom Park, Port Elizabeth (Att: 4,287): Scotland’s impressive performance in the tournament continued with a 2-1 Quarter-Finals victory over Senegal. The MotM was their captain, and central defender, Steven Weir, who scored a goal and had 6 interceptions. As a team, the Scots had 54% of the possession, and that ended up being the deciding factor as they advanced to the Semi-Finals of the U20 World Cup for the first time in their history.

Scotland: 2 (Miller, Weir)

Senegal: 1 (Dia)

Brazil vs. Italy

Goldenfield Stadium, Benoni (Att: 4,578): The defending champions, Italy, faced off against record holding seven time winners Brazil in this epic Quarter-Finals showdown. The match itself was just as good as everyone expected, going all the way to penalties before the South Americans could finally declare themselves winners. Thales, Brazil’s leading goalscorer up to this point, scored the equalizing goal for his nation in the 106th minute to send the game into penalties, but it was the sublime performance of MotM central defender, Denner, who got them to that point. With all due respect to the Italians, the Brazilians deserved to win the match, as they had 61% of the possession and had a Shots Ratio of 14/5, compared to their opponent’s 7/4.

Brazil: 2 (Roberson, Thales) – Won on Penalties 4-3

Italy: 2 (Pellegrini, Notaristefano)

Iran vs. Uruguay

Caledonian Stadium, Pretoria (Att: 4,286): Not much attention has been given to Iran’s developing players, but the Middle Eastern nation has become one of the most exciting young teams in the world. That much was true as they advanced to the U20 World Cup Semi-Finals for the first time in their history, defeating a strong Uruguay side 2-1 and setting up a date with the French. They attacked from the beginning, finishing with a 16/6 Shots Ratio, keeping Uruguay, who had 7/4 Shots Ratio, on the defensive for much of that match. The match went into extra-time, and the Iranians found the goal in the 113th minute to give them the victory.

Iran: 2 (Abedi, Asakereh)

Uruguay: 1 (Vecino)

France vs. Argentina

Westbury Stadium, Johannesburg(Att: 4,310): This was a mouth-watering encounter, and it was the French who came out on top in extra-time, 3-1. Rafael Farina equalized the match for the Argentineans in the 73rd minute, and sent it into overtime, where substitute, and MotM, Killian Cuvelier, scored a fantastic brace to give the French the victory. Cuvilier’s goals came in the 100th and 108th minutes, and considering he did not have a club going into this match, he had a lot to play for. Needless to say, not only did he lift France into the Semi-Finals, but also almost guaranteed himself several contract offers.

France: 3 (Cuvelier 2, Joinville)

Argentina: 1 (Farina)

SEMI-FINALS

Scotland vs. Brazil

Westbury Stadium, Johannesburg (Att: 6,584): Scotland’s surprising run came to an abrupt end against the Brazilians, losing 3-0 and generally getting outplayed in every part of the field. Brazil’s 60% possession highlighted the dominance they had over this match, with goalscorer Junior taking the MotM for his great performance in the midfield. Brazil were back in the Finals after failing to get there the past two tournaments – they last advanced there in 2015, the last of their three straight U20 World Cup wins in the 2010s.

Brazil: 3 (Busao, Junior, Mabilia)

Scotland: 0

France vs. Iran

Port Elizabeth Stadium, Port Elizabeth (Att: 4,462): The Iranians continued to surprise the world, defeating the heavily favored French 2-1 and advancing to the Finals of the tournament for the first time in their history. They did it despite France having 61% of the possession, athough somehow, they had the same amount of shots (9), and more shots on goal (5 for Iran, 2 for France). The French did very little with the possession they had, and they paid for it in the end, as Iran advanced to meet Brazil in the Finals.

Iran: 2 (Zarei, Ghasemipour)

France: 1 (Texier)

FINALS

Brazil vs. Iran

Goldenfield Stadium, Benoni (Att: 13,022): The fact that Iran had reached the Finals were shocking enough, defeating the likes of France and Uruguay in the previous rounds, but taking the Brazilian team to extra-time before finally succumbing proved to be the icing on the cake. To put it in perspective, Brazil had won all its games leading up to the Finals and were overwhelming favorites to win the tournament for the 4th time in six tries. Instead, found themselves locked in an intense battle, and only a goal in the 117th minute saved them from a potentially nerve-wracking penalty shootout. The Brazilians, who were led by Melo’s MotM effort, won the U20 World Cup title for a record 8th time, and once again proved they were the finest youth side in the world.

Brazil: 2 (Busao, Roberson)

Iran: 1 (Hasanzadeh)

AWARDS

BEST PLAYER

Cedric Lemonnier, France (5 Appearances, 2 Goals, 4 Assists, 8.70) – The 20 year old Frenchman was outstanding throughout the tournament, even in their Semi-Finals loss to Iran, where he won the MotM. The Fiorentina left winger spent last season on loan at Hull, and although his playing time was limited, in the 8 games he featured in, he showed huge potential, recording 3 assists and a 7.13 AR. During this tournament, he was an all-around beast for the French, contributing across the board – he was tied for first place with 4 assists, and was top with a ridiculous 8.70 AR.

BEST GOALKEEPER

Giulio Andretta, France (6 Aps, 7 Conceded, 2 Clean Sheets, 6.97) – The stand-out goalkeeper in this year’s edition of the U20 World Cup, the 20 year old Frenchman was very solid in the back. He played a big part in getting the French to the Semi-Finals, recording 2 clean sheets in the process. He just recently signed for Portuguese Second Division outfit Varzim, and has immediately become their starter.

TOP GOALSCORER

Kyle MacAskill, Scotland (7 Aps, 4 Goals, 1 Assists, 7.29) – The tournament lacked any outstanding strikers this time around, and the 19 year old Scot’s 4 goals were the lowest tally of a tournament leader since Eddie Johnson of the USA recorded the same amount in 2003. Still, if it was not for MacAskill, there is no way Scotland would have reached the Semi-Finals of the tournament – the 4 goals he scored all came in the 5 appearances before the Semi-Finals, making them more impressive.

[abulezz]

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE REVIEW 2020/2021

Overview:

Player Stats - Team Salary per Annum - Transfers - Past Winners

Footballer of the Year: Gareth Bale, Tottenham (Career Stats)

Player’s Player of the Year: Gaucho, Chelsea

Young Player of the Year: Zoran Sedlarevic, Bromley

Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Thibaut Courtois, Chelsea

Manager of the Year: Frank de Boer, Chelsea (Champions)

Chelsea (2021: Champions – 2020: 6th)

MANAGER/CLUB: Frank de Boer – His third stint in England was indeed the charm, as he won the Premier League title for the first time in his career. Even more surprising was the fact he did it with Chelsea, a team many had written off as 4th Place contenders at best, but in his first full season with the club, he returned them to prominence, and won the Europa League for the second consecutive season, as well. Next year, however, it will be Champions League football, and given their performance this season, especially on the defensive end, they are looking like a very tough team to beat. This was Chelsea’s first title since 2014, and their 6th Premier League title in their history.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Sergio Aguero – Simply put, the 33 year old Argentine is one of the greatest players of all-time, and this year, he led the team with 19 goals in 36 appearances. He captured the 2nd Premier League title of his career (2014, 2021), as well as the 3rd Europa League title (2010, 2020, 2021). He remains one of the finest footballers on the planet despite his aging years, and one would assume he will get one more crack at the World Cup next summer in Qatar.

OTHER IMPORTANT PLAYERS

Elber Escobar – His fourth season with the club was the finest of his career, recording a 7.49 AR while scoring a fantastic 8 goals considering he is a central defender. He averaged a respectable 3.67 TpG, and at 27 years old, the Ecuadorian has now elevated himself to one of the best in the world at his position. He was named to his 3rd straight Premier League Select this year.

Gaucho – After spending three years with Bromley, the 22 year old Brazilian came to Chelsea for £15,000,000 last summer and subsequently had the finest season of his career to date. His fantastic all-around ability won him the Premier League’s Players’ Player of the Year award, as he recorded 14 assists and a 7.36 AR to go with his fantastic 4.88 TpG and 87% Pass Ratio. His statistics say it all – whether defensively or going forward, Gaucho was magnificent. He was named in the Premier League Select for the first time in his career, as well.

Romelu Lukaku - A few years ago, a lot was being made of the 28 year old Beglian striker’s apparent lost potential, but no more. Lukaku scored 16 goals this campaign, making it three straight seasons he had scored 16 or more goals. Not only that, but he contributed 9 assists and recorded a career-high 7.20 AR – perhaps the most underappreciated facet of his game, however, was how well-rounded he has become. He averaged 2.22 TpG as a striker, along with his 2.13 DpG, with the former a spectacular number considering his position on the pitch.

Soudi Muba – His third year with the club was more of the same from the Congolese midfielder, although his 3.39 TpG were low compared to his numbers from the last two seasons (4.15 in 2019/20, and 5.50 in 2018/19). His 7.19 AR was also the lowest he recorded since joining the club, but the 25 year old was still one the best players on the squad.

Sime Vrsaljko – The heart and soul of Chelsea’s defensive unit, the 29 year old Serbian was the club’s Player of the Year for the second time in his career this season. His first year with the club was in 2014, when they won the title, and this year was his finest to date. Not only did he capture his 2nd Premier League and Europa League titles, but he recorded a career-high 7.43 AR, and tied them with his 6 assists and 5 MotM. His 6.45 TpG was second the league, and he was named to his 3rd Premier League Select team. Without a doubt, he has become one of the finest right-backs in the world, and currently holds the position of finest right-back in the Premier League since 2010 on the Overall Select team.

Abdel El Kaoutari – An unsung hero of the club, the 31 year old Moroccan’s 5th season with the club was his finest. He recorded a career-high 7.22 AR to go along with his outstanding 5.29 TpG, giving the club consistency and solidity at the left back position. Chelsea is only the second team he has played for in his career (he was a product of the Montpelier youth academy and spent 10 years there), and has already announced that he would like a coaching role at the club when he brings his playing career to an end.

Alexey Solovjov – A lot of experts have been calling the 24 year old the catalyst that changed Chelsea’s fortunes, and although that is probably an exaggeration, he was no doubt vital to their title winning campaign. Brought it for £32,500,000 from Spartak Moscow, where he was a youth and spent nine years, winning the Russian Premier League once (2017), before moving to England, Solovjov’s form was inspired from the start. He ended his first season with the club with 5 goals and 13 assists, finishing 3rd Place in the Premier League Young Player of the Year award. One would be hard-pressed to find a weakness in the Russian’s game, as he excels in nearly every aspect whether technical, creative, or defensive.

Thibaut Courtois – While the quality of goalkeepers the world over as certainly taken a tumble, the 29 year old Belgian has continued to produce form capable of winning titles. He won his 3rd Premier League Golden Glove award (2018, 2019, 2021), and has proven, without a doubt, that he is the finest GK in the league today. He conceded only 17 goals this year to go with his 19 clean sheets, while recording 7.02 AR. He was also named to his 3rd Premier League Select team.

Andre Ayew – The 31 year old Ghanaian revitalized his career, which was going stale at Marseille, when he joined Chelsea in 2016, and this season was another strong one for Ayew. He played only 24 games, but recorded 5 goals, 8 assists, and a 7.22 AR. Additionally, he averaged 2.51 TpG and 2.14 DpG, becoming one of the rare players that was able to average 2 or more in those categories at the same time. For £3,500,000, Ayew has proven to be one fantastic bargain.

Luc Granier – Although he only played 7 games, the 22 year old French striker certainly showed a lot of potential, scoring 3 goals and getting 2 assists. With a lack of quality strikers behind Aguero and Lukaku, the assumption is that Granier, who has outstanding pace, will get plenty of chances to impress next season. Despite only being 5’11, he is very strong in the year and had got good finishing ability on the ground, as well.

Arsenal (2021: 2nd – 2020: Champions)

MANAGER/CLUB: Paul Lambert – After a history season in which Lambert led Arsenal to the Premier League and Champions League titles, they were overtaken by Chelsea domestically and knocked out by Bayern Munich in the Second Round of the Champions League. Still, Arsenal were again one of the top teams in the country, and Lambert has elevated himself to one of the top managers in the world. Having joined the club in March 2019, this was only his second full season with the club.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Abel Hernandez – After an inconsistent career, the 30 year old Uruguayan delivered a blistering season, scoring 26 goals in 37 games, coming in 2nd in the Premier League Top Goalscorer and Footballer of the Year awards. He was named to his first Premier League Select in his career, rounding off his season with 7 assists, 6 MotMs, and a 7.37 AR – all career-highs. This was the type of season that many expected to him as he was he a rising star for Palermo, but he never came through until this season – he had never scored more than 16 goals in a season before this season.

OTHER IMPORTANT PLAYERS

Stevan Jovetic (Career Stats) - The Montenegrin’s fourth season with Arsenal saw him return to the form of his first, when he scored 21 goals for the club. This year, he hit 18 goals, up from the 9 he scored last season, and recorded a 7.21 AR. Although his goalscoring has gone up from his time with Fiorentina, where he is a club legend, his overall game has suffered, recording only 2 assists. Still, he remains one of the most dangerous players in the Premier League, and at the age of 31, he is still able to give Arsenal at least two more quality seasons at the top of his game.

Luis Ramirez (Career Stats) - After an absolutely outstanding season in 2019/20, the 26 year old Venezuelan struggled to maintain the same form this year as his goals dropped from 23 to 7, and his AR from 7.43 to 7.08. He did equal his career-high of 9 assists, but it came as no coincidence that Arsenal were the best club in the world when Ramirez was on form. On his day, there is no better player on this planet, but his struggles this season meant that his best was seen all too rare.

Aaron Ramsey – There is no denying that the 30 year Welshman is no longer the player he was prior to damaging his achilles tendon in November 2017 – the numbers don’t lie: before the injury, Ramsay was in the midst of a four year peak in which his AR never dropped below 7.48, even recording 7.74 in 2015/16, nearly recording the fabled triple-double with 9 goals, 12 assists, and 8 MotMs. After the injury, he has failed to record over 7.22 in four seasons, registering a 7.18 AR this season. He is by no means a bad player, but he is no longer the superstar that used to control matches in the middle of the park. He only scored 1 goal this season, although he did deliver 9 assists. Most encouragingly, however, is that fact that he played in all 38 games after facing a bunch of injuries over the past few years. Although it is doubtful he can return to his mid-2010s form, he still remains one of the club’s most important players and will be vital for their future successes.

Marouane Fellaini – The 33 year old Belgian has been one of Arsenal’s pillars the past decade, and was a huge presence in both of their recent Premier League title runs (2015, 2020), as well as their Champions League title in 2020. He continued to produce the goods this season, scoring 6 goals and averaging a career-high 4.14 TpG. His 86% Pass Ratio was amongst the highest in the league, something which he has always been good at throughout his career. The tireless midfielder has already announced that he has no plans to remain in football after he hangs up his boots.

Yaroslav Rakitskyi – Arsenal’s most underrated player, the 31 year old Ukrainian left back has also been one of their best players since joining the club in 2017. This season, he set career-highs with 11 assists and a 7.45 AR, as well as hitting 5.57 TpG, also a career-high. He was named in the Premier League Select for the 3rd consecutive year, and has replace Jack Robinson as the best left back in the league. It is not his pace or his skills that sets him apart, but it is his work rate and strength that are his primary assets. When he came to Arsenal, he replaced Leighton Baines in the starting lineup – Arsenal have had a world class left back playing the position for the past 12 years, and it has become something of a club tradition.

Ayman Ben Slimane – The 24 year old Tunisian has become one of the club’s most important players, showcasing some fantastic skill and form this season. After averaging an incredible 5.68 TpG last season, it dropped to a still impressive 5.12 TpG, but he did record a career-high 7.27 AR. He has officially made himself the right back of choice for the club, and looks to be their starter at the position for years to come. He is a beast in the air, and he is one of the strongest players in the league.

Manchester Unitd (2021: 3rd – 2020: 3rd)

MANAGER: Ricardo Moniz – After three consecutive Premier League titles between 2017 and 2019, two straight 3rd Place finishes can be viewed as a disappointment. Once again, Moniz failed to lead the club past Arsenal in the league, but this time, Chelsea finished above them both. It was another Champions League Finals appearance for Moniz and the club, but they could not shake off the curse that has befallen them, losing their second consecutive Finals in a row, bringing the club’s record to five Champions League Finals losses in a row now. Without a doubt, the club has begun to age, and its talismanic legend Wayne Rooney can no longer contribute in a meaningful way. The superstars of the 2010s are no longer the players they once were, and it will be up to Moniz to bring in fresh blood in order to keep the team competing at the highest level.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Jack Wilshere (Career Stats) – Although he was also a fine player while he was at Arsenal, it was not until his move to Manchester United did Wilshere truly break out and become a world star. He has now won two Premier League titles with his new club, and he completed his fourth season with them this year. It was not his absolute finest, but he is was still top class, nonetheless, scoring 5 goals, delivering 8 assists, and recording a 7.45 AR. He came in 3rd Place in the World Footballer of the Year award, and was named to his 3rd Premier League Select team. He has taken over Hazard as the most important midfielder for the club, and at the age of 29 years old and in his prime, he is arguably Manchester United’s most important player overall.

OTHER IMPORTANT PLAYERS

Eden Hazard (Career Stats) - Considering the damaged cruciate ligaments he suffered in March 2020, it is a small miracle that Hazard was able to come back after eight months and contribute the way he did. Detractors will be quick to point out the pace he has lost and the fact he was not the player he was before the injury, and they are right on both counts. However, he remains a fantastic left winger, and proved so by scoring 5 goals and recording 8 assists. His 7.28 AR was the lowest he has recorded, not counting last season, since joining Manchester United in 2013, and at the age of 30, it is unlikely he will return to the form that saw him be one of the world’s finest footballers in the mid-2010s. Like Aaron Ramsey at Arsenal, however, he remains one of the most important players at the club, and will continue to be so for the next few years.

Javier Hernandez (Career Stats) - Save for Edinson Cavani, there has not been a more prolific goalscorer in the Premier League since the days of Thierry Henry. The 32 year old Mexican, who scored 38 goals in 2017/18 and 36 goals in 2018/19, netted 20 goals this campaign, along with a career-high 11 assists. Assuming the 35 year old Wayne Rooney does not score any more goals, Hernandez will need 28 more goals to overtake Rooney’s 241 goals and become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer – he is already Mexico’s all-time leading goalscorer with 100 goals from 130 caps. Like Hazard, he suffered a significant injury (broken foot) last season, and has failed to recover the pace he lost. Still, even at his age, he remains one of the deadliest strikers in the world, with a great eye for goals. He is a classic poacher, and even as he loses his quickness, he can still be relied on to contribute around 20 goals a season for the next couple of years.

Jonny Evans (Career Stats) – The 33 year old Northern Irishman just seems to get better with age – he was awarded the N. Irish Player of the Year for a record seventh time (and fourth time in a row), highlighting the importance he has for both nation and club. For Manchester United, it was another typical season, averaging 3.59 TpG to go with his predictably high 84% Pass Ratio and 7.25 AR. His TpG may be down from his mid-2010s averages, when he used to average close to 5.00 a game, but his overall game has improved drastically, and as such, he has become one of the most consistent performers in the Premier League. His age has not taken anything away from his defensive ability, and he seems capable of keeping up this level of play for at least two more seasons.

Andile Jali (Career Stats) - The 31 year old South African completed his 8th year with the club this season, quietly going about his work as he has done for most of his career. A vital part of the Manchester United team of the late 2010s that won three consecutive titles, he remains one of the most consistent players in the league. He finished the season with 3 goals and 7 assists, averaging 3.85 TpG and an 85% Pass Ratio, a tribute to his great all-around game. Without a doubt, he has been one of Africa’s best players over the past decade, and will continue to be for the next couple of years as he approaches his mid-30s.

David De Gea – There is no doubting his talent, and there is also no denying that he has been the Premier League’s best goalkeeper over the past decade. He completed his 10th season with the club with typically fantastic numbers – in 37 appearances, he conceded only 23 goals (the second lowest in his career), recorded 18 clean sheets, and averaged a 7.02 AR. With four Premier League titles and two Premier League Golden Gloves award as well as the starting spot in the Premier League’s Select Overall Team, De Gea certainly has some backing to his claim of being the best GK in the nation. Considering he is still only 30 years old, it will be a long time yet before De Gea starts to slow.

Mohamed Ateya – Still only 23 years old, the Egyptian has already laid claim to being the best central defender that Manchester United have on their roster. Despite a low 2.82 TpG, he still managed to be one of the finest at his position in the Premier League during his third year with the club, and he won the African Cup of Nations with Egypt this year, too. Very good in the air with good speed and strength, rumors have been swirling that he was ready to make the move to Barcelona. Regardless of where he ends up, he has a very bright future in front of him.

Rafael – He has been at odds with the Manchester United brass for years now, publicly stating that he wanted to leave the club, but he remained for his 13th season and had one of his finest in his career. A better right back in the Premier League one would be hard pressed to find, and his numbers back it up – in 35 appearances, he had 7 assists, 5.17 TpG, an 85% Pass Ratio, and a 7.36 AR. In fact, if it was not for Chelsea’s Vrsaljko, there would be no doubt who the finest right back in the league was. The 31 year old Brazilian continues to state his desire to leave the club, as well as stating he has no interest in remaining in football once he retires, and he will surely do as one of the most decorated players in the history of the league, having won the Premier League six times.

Dejan Kovacevic (Career Stats) – He came in January 2020 for £14,500,000 from Partizan, where he won the Serbian League four times in a row and won countless awards that included: Serbian League Young Player of the Year (2015, 2016, 2017), Top Goalscorer (2016, 2017, 2019), and Player of the Season (2016, 2019). In the league, he was decent for Manchester United, scoring 10 goals in 27 appearances, but it was in the big games in the Champions League that he shone the brightest, scoring important goal after important goal. The 25 year old can best be described as a complete forward, contributing 7 assists as well, and has been chosen to be Hernandez’s partner up front as Rooney winds his career down.

Bromley (2021: 4th – 2020: 7th)

See Bromley’s Season Review.

Overall Team of the Year

[abulezz]

Cristiano Ronaldo – Player Profile

National Team Achievements: European Championship Finalist (2004)

Club Achievements: 3 x Champions League (2008, 2014, 2017), 4 x Spanish La Liga (2013, 2017, 2019, 2021), 3 x English Premier League (2007, 2008, 2009) 3 x Club World Championship (2008, 2014, 2017)

Personal Achievements: 4 x World Golden Ball (2008, 2014, 2016, 2017), 4 x World Player of the Year (2008, 2014, 2016, 2017), 6 x World Team of the Year (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017), 3 x Europe Player of the Year (2013, 2014, 2015) 3 x European Champions League Best Player (2008, 2014, 2017), 2 x English Footballer of the Year (2007, 2008), 2 x English Player’s Player of the Year (2007, 2008), English Young Player of the Year, (2007), 6 x La Liga Team of the Year (2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020), 2 x European Top Goalscorer (2008, 2011), 2 x Champions League Top Goalscorer (2008, 2014), 3 x La Liga Top Goalscorer (2011, 2015, 2017), Premier League Top Goalscorer (2008)

Born on February 5th, 1985, Ronaldo burst on to the scene at the age of 18 when he signed with Manchester United, under Sir Alex Ferguson, for £12,250,000 in 2003. Prior to that, he had come up through the Sporting Lisbon youth system, and had featured in the 2002/03 season for them, playing in 25 games. It was during a friendly between the two clubs that Ferguson liked what he saw and promptly snapped up the young winger.

His first couple of seasons captivated and frustrated the Manchester United faithful – while he was playing a brand of football never before seen, the excitement came at a price. Too often he was accused of doing too much or trying too much when a simple pass or shot would do. What was obvious, however, was his development under his new manager and at his new club. It all came together in the 2006/07 season, at the age of 21, for Ronaldo in England – after three years with a Premier League title, the young Portuguese spearheaded the club back to superiority, winning the Premier League while scoring 17 goals and collecting all the top awards in the league. This was the first of three consecutive Premier League titles, and in 2008, at the age of 22, Ronaldo experienced one of the finest seasons ever by a footballer. He scored 31 goals for his club in the league, and won his the first of his three Champions League trophies – this time, he collected not only every top award in the country, but also in the world.

It was no secret at this point that Ronaldo wanted to leave Manchester United for Spain, and at the end of the 2008/09 season, he got his wish. After capturing the Premier League title for the third time, he became the most expensive footballer of all-time, with Real Madrid paying Man United £80,000,000 for his services – the record still stands till this day. It was a tribute to just how popular Ronaldo had become around the world, and now he had a chance to prove that he was indeed the finest player in the world against his personal rival, and the rising star that people were beginning to give that title to, Lionel Messi.

For most, the rivalry between the two players was won by Lionel Messi, and the Argentine was, arguably, the better of two – what people fail to realize, however, is the fact that a Ronaldo, leading a Real Madrid team that was clearly second best to Barcelona in the 2010s, snatched three Spanish La Liga titles away from them. That means that Ronaldo’s brilliance was enough to defeat the greatest club side ever assembled a good number of times, as there was no doubt who led them to those victories. Ronaldo would have to wait to 2013 to collect his first Spanish La Liga title, but before then, he set a La Liga record with an amazing 40 goals scored in the 2010/11 season. Although his goalscoring numbers went down after that season as his manager, Jose Mourinho, began playing him a withdrawn attacking position to make use of his passing ability, he did lead the La Liga in scoring another two times in 2015 and 2017.

Ronaldo’s peak began in 2012/13 and ended in 2018, and in that time span, he was arguably the finest footballer in the planet, surpassing Lionel Messi, who was dealing with injuries. He led Real Madrid to the Champions League title in 2014 and 2017, and both times winning the tournament’s Best Player Award. He captured the World Footballer of the Year four times in his career, a record that stands till this day, and also captured the World Golden Ball four times as well, including in 2016 and 2017 when he won it for two consecutive years. His finest season, perhaps in his career, came in the 2016/17, when he scored 25 goals and captured every major individual and club award available. Real Madrid won both the La Liga and the Champions League, and Ronaldo was crowned the finest player in the world once again. He was 32 years old at the time, and at the peak of his powers.

As his career started to wind down and he started to lose his pace, Ronaldo began to mention his retirement plans to the public. Although he loved the game, he stated, he did not have any plans to remain in it after he hung up his boots, and true to his word, he retired in 2021 at the age of 36 from football altogether. In a farewell befitting for a champion, Real Madrid won the La Liga title with Ronado for the fourth time, although for the first time, he had little to do with it, appearing in only 4 games. He retired as a legend of Real Madrid, the club he spent 12 seasons with.

Ronaldo will forever be compared to Lionel Messi, and for the most part, it is the latter who will be considered the better player. However, there is no arguing that there were times when even Messi could not compete with the brilliance of the Portuguese, who holds his nation’s record for with 155 caps and 99 goals. He led them to the European Championship Finals in his home nation in 2004, only to lose to the Greeks, and then to the Semi-Finals against eventual champions Spain in 2012, losing out on penalties. In the World Cup, unfortunately, the furthest he was able to go was the Quarter-Finals, which he did so on two occasions (2006, 2014). Considered by many to be the fifth best player of all-time, Ronaldo certainly had enough ability for some to even make a case as one of the top three. There is no denying, however, how great he was – only Lionel Messi captured more World Golden Balls than he did, and no one has more than the four World Footballer of the Year awards than he does. There was no finer player in the Champions League in the 2010s than Ronaldo, and his six World Team of the Year selections are a testament to his brilliance.

[buzz2k7]

How come Messi's career is always hampered with injuries in fm, but in real life he never gets injured?

[deltablue]

Finally, he's gone!

[abulezz]

How come Messi's career is always hampered with injuries in fm, but in real life he never gets injured?

I know, right? I guess its because that pretty much every game he plays, the opposing coach will have him man-marked or have some hard tackling instructions on him. Thats my guess, anyway

Finally, he's gone!

Haha, yep! He did have a fine career though - cant take that away from him!

[buzz2k7]

You have inspired me to start another game with Halifax

[abulezz]

SPANISH LA LIGA REVIEW 2020/2021

Overview

Player Stats – Team Salary per Annum – Transfers - Past Winners

Footballer of the Year: Alexis Sanchez, Barcelona

Goalkeeper of the Year: Niclas Heimann, Real Sociedad

Manager of the Year: Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid (Champions)

Real Madrid (2021: Champions – 2020: 2nd)

MANAGER/CLUB

Jose Mourinho – No longer can Real Madrid be considered the second best team in Spain, as they were in the 2010s – not after winning their second La Liga title in three years, and their third in five years. In fact, since the 2016/2017 season, it can be argued that the club has now overtaken Barcelona as the leading team in Spain, and at its helm sits the finest manager, perhaps in the world, Jose Mourinho. He won the La Liga’s Manager of the Year award for the third time this season, as Real Madrid captured their record 35th La Liga title, and their fourth under Mourinho. The Portuguese joined in 2010, and since then, he has led the club to two Champions League titles, as well. He has become an Icon of Real Madrid.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Gonzalo Higuan (Career Stats) – A legend of Real Madrid, the 32 year old Argentine completed his 15th season at the club this year, scoring 18 goals in 33 appearances and getting named Real Madrid’s Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. He was also named in the World Team of the Year for the first time in his career, and won his 7th La Liga title. Obviously, his pace has begun to abandon him, but his work rate and mental sharpness will have him scoring quite a number of goals for at least another two seasons. He is the holder for the most goals scored in the history of the club with 237 goals.

OTHER IMPORTANT PLAYERS

Kwadwo Asamoah (Career Stats) – A damaged knee cap ruled him out for 5 weeks in November, and as such he was only able to play 24 games this campaign for the club. The 32 year old Ghanaian, who has been a force for the club since he joined in 2013 from Udinese, delivered 5 goals and a 7.23 AR when he did play, although his 3.30 TpG was his lowest in a Real Madrid shirt. As always, however, he was a central part of the club’s success, and has shown very little signs of slowing down as a footballer just yet.

Mesut Ozil (Career Stats) – His 11th season with the club proved, by far, to be the most testing for the 32 year old German. Mourinho favored his younger players, and as such, Ozil only played in 19 games for the club. A legend for Real Madrid, he did manage to score 5 goals and record a 7.42 AR, but it is clear that his days as the heart of the midfield are done.

Alex – An outstanding prospect when he joined the club in 2018, the 24 year old has become one of the finest left backs on the planet. This season, he recorded a career-high 8 assists to go with his 7.51 AR, and his 5.66 TpG, while his lowest since joining the club, was good enough for second best in the La Liga. He was named in the La Liga Team of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Mattia Maffi – The 25 year old Italian completed his second season with the club since coming for £21,500,000 from Sampdoria, and it was a good year for him. Although the deficiencies in his game are very apparent on the defensive end, he made up for it with his 8 goals and 7 assists, and well as his 3.53 DpG. His 51% Pass Ratio, however, was terrible, and the left winger will have to improve that facet of the game if does not want to continue to be a liability to his team.

Mohammad Mohammadi – The 22 year old Iranian came on a Free Transfer from Sepahan, where he won the Asian Champions League in 2019. He quickly proved to be one of the best signings of the season, playing in 19 games and delivering 8 assists, all while recording a 7.41 AR. He has taken his place in the rotation, and if what he showed is anything to go by, he will be one of Real Madrid’s main contributors in the coming seasons.

Samir Saifi – The 25 year old Algerian made the move to Real Madrid at the beginning of the season for £8,000,000 from Valencia, and they never regretted it. He contributed 9 goals, although his 4 assists could have been much more had his Pass Ratio been more than 53%. His 4.02 DpG was the highest in the La Liga, however, thanks to his high technical ability and his blistering speed.

Atletico Madrid (2021: 2nd – 2020: 5th)

MANAGER/CLUB

Marcelino - Marcelino joined the club in March of 2018, taking over from Luis Enrique, and since then, the club has seen its fortunes change. After finishing 10th in 2017/18, he led them to two consecutive 5th Place finishes before moving up to 2nd Place this season. They were also Europa League Runners-Up, losing to Chelsea in the Finals. The 56 year old Spaniard has done well returning the club to its position as one of the top clubs in Spain, and with Champions League football to look forward to next season, all is well at the capital’s ‘second team’.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Hu Yang – Signed for £6,000,000 from Betis just two seasons ago, the 22 year old Chinese striker has become the most dangerous footballer in the league. He has been the La Liga’s Top Goalscorer for two consecutive seasons now, scoring 25 goals last year and 30 goals this year, the highest amount of any player since 2010/11, when Cristiano Ronaldo hit 40 and Messi scored 40 goals. He is already being called China’s most talented footballer of all time, and he possesses all the skills necessary to become a fantastic striker.

OTHER IMPORTANT PLAYERS

Adem Ljajic (Career Stats) – The 30 year old Serbian has become a legend for the club, completing his 7th season in Madrid this year. It was another outstanding campaign for him, equaling his career-high with 9 goals, and recording 13 assists to go with his 7.42 AR. He was named to his 3rd consecutive La Liga Team of the Year, and fourth overall, and has become of the best players over the past few years in the nation. There is no denying Ljajic’s worth to the team, as witnessed by his coronation as a legend for Atletico Madrid.

Francisco Bogado – The 22 year old Argentine meant to the club in their defensive line what Hu Yang meant to them up front – without him, 2nd Place would never have been possible. Look at the numbers: 5.74 TpG, 88% Pass Ratio, 7.63 AR. What more could you ask for in a central defender? The fact that he is still so young has the Atletico Madrid faithful very excited. He cost the club £8,250,000 last season, and it ended up being an absolutely fantastic buy.

Frank Roy – He came in for £2,000,000 last season, and the 23 year old Frenchman ended up scoring 8 goals in 24 appearances. With Michael Gregoritsch still preferred as the starter alongside Hu Yang, there is no denying the potential of Roy, who is extremely fast and has good amount of strength. He was awarded the French Ligue 1 Revelation of the Year in 2015, at the age of 18 years old.

Gustavo – The 22 year old Brazilian was the club’s Player of the Year in 2019/20, and he certainly was a big reason for the 2nd Place finish this season. His 7.60 AR was a career-high, as was his 3.55 TpG and 8 MotMs. His performances have made him rated as one of the brightest young talents in terms of defenders in the world, and his 1.58 DpG proved that he was getting better at going forward and creating chances. He cost the club just £2,800,0000 from Atletico Mineiro in 2018, and he has proven to be an absolute steal.

Koke – As a youth prospect in the late 2000s, there was a lot of talk about the potential of Koke. Although he has not panned out the way many thought he would, he can be considered a late bloomer of sorts – his 11 assists this season equaled his career-high, which was set last season. Now 29 years old, he is at the peak of his career, and more of the same can be expected from the Spanish left winger for the next few years.

Michael Gregoritsch – The 27 year old Austrian finished off his third season with the club this year after coming from Celtic for £4,500,000 with 12 goals, his lowest tally since coming to Spain. Obviously, the emergence of Hu Yang had a lot to do with it, but he remained a great partner for the free-scoring Chinese. Gregoritsch has an eye for goal, but not much else – his 7.00 AR is about right for his performances over the past three years.

Barcelona (2021: 3rd – 2020: Champions)

MANAGER/CLUB

Roberto Mancini – Although he has won 5 La Liga titles and led the club to a Champions League victory in 2016, Mancini will always be second best to the man he replace, Pep Guardiola. He has been in charge of the club for eight years now, and his record speaks for itself – it is not comparable, however, to Guardiola’s, and that is where the problem is. Finishing 3rd Place in the La Liga this year after so many years of top two finishes was a shock to the club, and as the superstars from the ‘Barcelona Era’ of the 2010s begin entering the twilight of their careers, it will be interesting to see if Mancini will be able to rebuild the legendary club’s status to what it once was.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Alexis Sanchez (Career Stats) – The reigning World Golden Ball and World Footballer of the Year winner, Sanchez has solidified his standing as one of the greatest players of all-time. He has been a crucial player for Barcelona since 2011, and has now become perhaps their most influential one. Only Messi has recorded an AR career average comparable to his, and his 7.96 AR this season led the team. He contributed 13 goals and 9 assists from the left wing, producing a ridiculous 4.51 DpG. He was named the La Liga Player of the Season for a record 4th consecutive time, and a record 5th time overall. He was also named to his 7th La Liga Team of the Year, all done in the 10 years he has been at the club. The 32 year old Chilean remains in the prime of his career, and as long as he is on the team, you can count on Barcelona to be great.

OTHER IMPORTANT PLAYERS

Alan Dzagoev (Career Stats) – It was another spectacular season from the 31 year old Russian, who averaged 7.86 AR, his fourth straight year with over 7.80 AR. In his 6th year with the club, he scored 12 goals and gave out 6 assists, but his influence transcends those numbers – he has become the team’s heart in the midfield, its creative spark in a squad not lacking any of those. The former two time La Liga Player of the Year is arguably the best in the world at his position, and will soon be a legend for Barcelona as he is for CSKA Moscow.

Lionel Messi (Career Stats) – Injuries have taken their toll on Messi’s career and body, and despite his recognition as one of the top three or four greatest players of all-time, there still lingers the question of what if he had not been so injury-prone in the second half of his career. Who can forget that stretch between 2008 and 2015 when Messi did not average LESS than 8.00 AR (including a once in a lifetime season in 2011/12) and won every possible title and award out there? The only thing blemish on his otherwise impeccable career was the fact he never achieved a World Cup victory with a very talented Argentina side, but when the time comes for him to retire, he will have one heck of a profile to cover. He still scored 9 goals this season and recorded a 7.25 AR despite having lost almost all of his pace, and he remains a contributor to the side at the age of 34.

Gylfi Sigurdsson (Career Stats) – The Icelandic midfielder produced the finest season of his career this year, recording career-highs with 18 assists and a 7.92 AR. It was his 7th season with the club, and he was named the La Liga Player of the Season Runner-Up. He was selected to his 3rd La Liga Team of the Season, and despite scoring less than 10 goals for the first time since he joined the club (he scored 8 goals), his value to the team has never been higher. Now 32 years old, he has shown no signs of slowing down just yet.

Cesc Fabregas (Career Stats) – The debate is now about whether Fabregas is the greatest Spanish player of all time, and his record certainly helps his case. He has now won the Spanish Player of the Year for the 8th consecutive time, which is also the overall record. His 15 assists this season were the second highest of his career, recording a 7.57 AR as well. In the 10 years he has been with the club, he has never recorded below a 7.48 AR, which came last season, and the Barcelona legend remains a central figure at the club despite his 34 years of age.

Gerard Pique - When his career is all said and done, the 34 year old Pique will be known as the greatest central defender of all-time, that is without question. He averaged 5.16 TpG and 7.34 AR this season, and although they were far cry from 5.57 TpG and 7.93 AR of last season, those numbers were still just as good as anyone in his position in the league. Obviously, he is a legend for both Spain and Barcelona, and despite being an age where most would be thinking about retirement, Pique remains one of the best options in the world as a central defender.

Alfred Kalu – Some eyebrows were raised when Barcelona paid £21,000,000 for the 25 year old Nigerian last year, but he has proven all his doubters wrong. The right back recorded 4.56 TpG and a 7.72 AR and has successfully cemented himself as Mancini’s choice as right back. Considering how he played this season, the pacey African will have no problem holding down that position for years to come.

Nicolas Otamendi – Pique’s partner in the back, the Argentine completed his 4th season with the club in typical fashion, averaging 4.86 TpG, 87% Pass Ratio, and 7.33 AR. He’s been a fantastic compliment to the Spaniard, and despite not possessing much pace, he continues to be fantastic for the club. Now 33 years old, the good news is, he never had much pace to begin with, so he has not lost a facet of his game that was important to him.

Valencia (2021: 4th – 2020: 4th)

MANAGER/CLUB

Stefano Pioli – The change in the fortunes of the club since Pioli took over in January of 2019 are all the signs one needs to know the effect he has had. In his first two full seasons with Valencia, they have twice finished in 4th Place. That has been their highest finish since the 2010/11 season, when they finished 3rd Place, and Pioli has been behind their change. They finished as Europa League Runners Up this season, as well, proving they were capable of holding their own on the continent, losing only to Chelsea in the Finals.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Giuliano (Career Stats) – Technically, this was not the 31 year old Brazilian’s finest season in a Valencia uniform, but he did equal his career-high of 10 assists and scored 8 goals, as well. The Valencia legend has been the heart and soul of the team since joining the club in 2013/14 for £11,500,000, and their success the last couple of seasons have as much to do with Giuliano as anyone. His 7.13 AR was the second lowest of his tenure with Valencia, but there is no denying that he is their most important player.

OTHER IMPORTANT PLAYERS

Diego Alves – He has been at Valencia for 10 years now, and for 10 years he has been one of the finest at his position in the world. Valencia have never slipped too much on the defensive end because Alves has been as solid as a rock, and this season has not been any different. His 14 clean sheets this season was a career-high, and despite turning 36 years old at the end of the season, he still has not slipped one bit.

Juanmi – It is tough to believe that Real Madrid let him go for nothing, and he is, without the doubt, the signing of the season. Joining Valencia on Free Transfer, he led the club in scoring with 19 goals, a career-high, and his 7.37 AR his highest average in the La Liga. He was named the Spanish Player of the Year Runner-Up behind Cesc Fabregas – under Pioli, Juanmi has become of the finest strikers in the league.

Miguel Sanchez – The 26 year old Venezuelan registered a career-high 18 goals in his 4th season with the club, partnering Juanmi in the Valencia strike force and forming one of the most potent offenses in the league. His record of record of 52 goals in 90 appearances for the club in the past three years is impressive, and he just now is entering the prime of his career.

Overall Team of the Year

[City2000]

Just looking through your Key Players and you have a lot of great young talent there, i'd love to have some of those in my squad for sure. I really like attacking full backs and Roubaud looks great for that role.

The future for Bromley certainly looks bright

[abulezz]

SERIE A REVIEW 2020/2021

Overview

Player Stats – Team Salary per Annum – Transfers - Past Winners

Footballer of the Year: Xaropinho, AC Milan

Foreign Player of the Year: Xaropinho, AC Milan

Italian Player of the Year: Dario Mazzoleni, Inter Milan

Fans’ Player of the Year: Felipe Anderson, Inter Milan

Goalkeeper of the Year: Emiliano Viviano, Inter Milan

Defender of the Year: Tchamdja Houessou, Roma

Young Player of the Year: Xaropinho, AC Milan

Manager of the Year: Unai Emery, Roma (2nd Place)

Inter Milan (2021: Champions – 2020: Champions)

MANAGER/CLUB

Nicolas Frustalupi – Six Serie A titles in eight years of being in charge of the club – his only managerial stint in his career – is quite a fantastic return for any manager, and Frustalupi has accomplished just that. He has turned Inter Milan into one of the most feared teams in the world, and he led them to their 4th straight Serie A title this season. They score a lot and they concede little, and anywhere you look on the team, you would be hard-pressed to find a weakness. It was that same team-first attitude that won them the Champions League in 2019, and the Italian champions are a threat to win it every year. Not only do they have the core of their team still in their primes, but he also had built up some fantastic young talents that potentially are just as great as his current crop.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Dario Mazzoleni (Career Stats) – Exceptionally fast and strong, the 24 year old right winger has been become one of both Inter Milan’s and Italy’s most important players. His assists tumbled to 5 this season after recording 14 last year, but his 7.71 AR was a career-high. Consistently spectacular throughout the season, he also had 5 goals, which was a career-high, as well. What makes it more special is that he is an Inter Milan youth academy product, developed by Frustalupi, and if he continues to produce this way, he will be a legend very soon. He was named in his 2nd straight consecutive Serie A Team of the Year, and was also named the Serie A Italian Player of the Year for the 2nd consecutive year, as well.

OTHER IMPORTANT PLAYERS

Felipe Anderson (Career Stats) – The Serie A Fans’ Player of the Year for the 3rd consecutive season, the 28 year Brazilian is one of the finest footballers on the planet. Both his 14 assists and 7.58 AR equaled his career-highs, although his scoring did dip from 13 to 9 goals. He has been perhaps the biggest contributor to Inter Milan’s success since he joined the club 5 years ago, especially this season. His 6 MotMs was a career-high, and his game continues to improve with every season.

Stefan Bell – Perhaps the finest central defender in the Serie A, the 29 year old German returned to top form this year after having the worst season of his career in 2019/20. He averaged 4.42 TpG and 7.52 AR, along with an 85% Pass Ratio – this was the type of form that won him the Serie A Defender of the Year three times in a row between 2017 and 2019. He has also been the Serie A Player of the Year, which was awarded to him in 2018, so there is no questioning just how talented he is. He is at the peak of his careers, and it would not surprise us to see him grab his fourth Serie A Defender of the Year title at the end of 2021.

Hector Heredia (Career Stats) – When Frustalupi signed him from Chivas for £16,750,000, his passing skills were well documented. The 24 year old Mexican had lead the Mexican First Division in assists two years in a row in 2018 and 2019, but even the most faithful of fans could not have expected his immediate contributions to the team. He finished the season with 12 assists and a 7.09 AR, exceeding all expectations set before him. Next season, however, he will be expected to maintain the level of form he presented and cut out the inconsistency he displayed at times during this year.

Mauro Formica (Career Stats) – Although Formica has not been a meaningful contributor in a couple of years, we felt he deserved to be covered because of his impending retirement. He was one of Giuseppe Baresi’s last signings before being sacked in December 2013, coming in for £13,000,000 from Blackburn in the summer of 2013. Under his then new manager Nicolas Frustalupi, he became Inter Milan’s most important player, leading the club to two consecutive Serie A titles in 2015 and 2016. He was crowned the Serie A Player of the Year both those years, as well, with his 2015/16 season being the best of his career – 8 goals, 12 assists, 11 MotMs, and a 7.73 AR. Those two years were the peak of his career, but he continued to be one of Frustalupi’s most reliable players, recapturing the Serie A title in 2018 and retiring in 2021 still a champion, having won the league four times in a row and total of six times. In 2019, as Formica was slowly being phased out of the starting lineup, Inter Milan captured the Champions League title in what was the Argentine’s last season with a meaningful contribution. He retired having played 178 league games for Inter Milan, scoring 40 goals, cementing himself as one of the legends of a legendary club.

Daniel Correa – Three years and a half since coming to the club for £18,250,000 from Real Sociedad, it is safe to say that Correa has not panned out the way Inter Milan had hoped. Now 25 years old, the Uruguayan was supposed to be the first striker with superstar-like talent that Frustalupi had, but he only scored 10 goals in 26 appearances this season. While the Inter Milan system has never been reliant on a single striker for its goals, more was expected from the obviously talented Correa. As it stands, he is an important member of the team, but part of a rotation nonetheless – the fact that Berthet was bought this season also underlines the fact that his manager has not been quite satisfied with his output.

Felipe Gutierrez – He did not have the season he had in 2019/20, but he was still one of the best players in the Serie A, recording 9 assists and a 7.41 AR. Obviously, that does not compare to the 20 assists and 7.62 AR from 2019/20, but his contributions were still immense. The 30 year old Chilean was named to his 3rd consecutive Serie A Team of the Year, and has now spent 7 years at the club.

Emiliano Viviano – Without a doubt, one of the best goalkeepers in the world. The 35 year old Italy No.1 again won the Serie A GK of the Year award, making in the 4th time he has won it, second only to the legendary Gianluigi Buffon. He was also selected to his 3rd Serie A Team of the Year, having only conceded 20 goals and recorded 12 clean sheets and 7.27 AR. Inter Milan’s superb defensive record has a lot to do with Viviano’s fantastic form between the posts, and he continues to be in top form.

Giacomo Machetti – The 22 year old Italian completed his second season with the club and it has become evident that he will definitely be one of its future stars. He recorded 4 goals and 4 assists, and had a fantastic 81% Pass Ratio, considering he is a midfielder who passes the ball a lot. His 7.23 AR was a career-high, and he has proven to be quite a bargain considering he was bought for only £4,700,000.

Joffrey Berthet – There is good reason Inter Milan paid Fiorentina £22,000,000 in January, and the best is yet to come from the 23 year old Frenchman. There is potentially no faster player in the world, and his pace is equaled by his strength and his technical ability. His 6 goals in 10 appearances was not spectacular, but years after showing his potential in the international youth tournaments, Berthet seems poised to breakout in a big way. His scoring record with Fiorentina was not the best, with his highest tally being 13 goals in 2018/19, but under Frustalupi, things could be different.

Roma (2021: 2nd – 2020: 5th)

MANAGER/CLUB

Unai Emery – Eli Ezra, the Israeli tycoon who bought the club in January 2020, kept on Unai Emery and did not regret it. Roma’s Turkish manager completed his third season with the club, and it was by far his most successful, finishing Runners-Up to Inter Milan. This comes just two seasons after dropping to 12th Place, their lowest finish since 1996/97, but Emery has managed to turn things around and now has some fantastic young talent to work with.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Milad Ghasemi – The 23 year old Iranian midfielder, part of a very talented generation of players coming from the Middle Eastern country, was outstanding for his club this season. In 29 appearances, he had 6 assists and recorded a 7.35 AR, although his 2.87 TpG was on the low side. This was his third season with Roma since coming for £4,800,000 from Marseille, and has now become one of the club’s most important players.

OTHER IMPORTANT PLAYERS

Tchamdja Houessou (Career Stats) – The reigning Serie A Defender of the Year, Houessou has become one of the best left backs in the world. The 24 year old Togolese averaged 3.50 TpG and a career-high 7.57 AR, and was selected to his second straight Serie A Team of the Year. Arguably the club’s most important player, his improving since joining the club three seasons ago has become very noticeable. One of the strongest and fastest players in the world at his position.

Andrea Bertolacci (Career Stats) – Bertolacci is the second coming club legend Daniele De Rossi – their games are eerily similar. He’s been at the club his entire playing career, and he will most likely end it with Roma, as well. This season, he recorded a career-high 11 assists to go along with his 6 goals and 7.31 AR – he has not played in more than 28 games since 2015/16, however, and his injuries have begun to take their toll on his body. He still remains one of the finest central midfielders in the league, and has become a Roma legend.

Nana Duah – He came in the January window for £14,750,000 from Torino, and the 22 year old Ghanaian right winger impressed in the 12 games he played for the club. He averaged a 7.26 AR and scored 2 goals, having previously scored 3 goals while at Torino during the season. His first full season with the club will be in 2021/22, and he will be expected to keep up his form and his threatening forward runs.

Sebastian Coates – Signed from Liverpool for £4,200,000 at the beginning of the season, the 30 year old Uruguayan immediately became a hit for Roma, recording a 7.22 AR and 4.07 TpG. He spent nine solid years at the English club before moving to Italy, and has already proven that he has what it takes to do great in his new home. As a result, he was named in the Serie A Team of the Year.

Vittorio Boschi – Roma’s future up front, the 21 year old Boschi scored 10 goals in 22 appearances for the club this season, recording a 7.25 AR. The Roma youth academy product might lack a creative touch, but he makes up for it with his speed and decent technical ability. He is Roma’s most exciting prospect at the forward position in years.

Sampdoria (2021: 3rd – 2020: 2nd)

MANAGER/CLUB

Dario Marcolin – After the improbable and still, quite frankly, unbelievable sacking of Gianluca Atzori (the same man who led them to the Serie A title in 2017), Marcolin took over in December 2020, and led the club to 3rd Place over the second half of the season. It is still unclear as to what transpired that led to Atzori being sacked, but what the club has achieved under its former manager is unquestionable – they were, without a doubt, the second best team in Italy for the past few years. Marcolin will now have the job of forming the tem in his image – he had been manager of Juventus before being called up to take over Sampdoria.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Prince Bediako – The 24 year old Ghanaian midfielder continued his fantastic form from last season, recording a 7.47 AR and 6 assists. The fact that he was named the team’s Player of the Year despite playing only 21 games is a testament to how important he is to the squad, and he will be expected to be the heart of the midfield in the coming seasons.

OTHER IMPORTANT PLAYERS

Giacomo Bonaventura (Career Stats) – The record holder for assists in the Serie A, having recorded 24 assists in the 2019/20 season, the 32 year old Italian has been spectacular for the club down the left wing the past few years. He recorded 13 assists this season, along with a 7.23 AR, both down from the previous season but both very respectable numbers. He was a huge part of the Sampdoria team that captured the Serie A title in 2017.

Julian Schieber (Career Stats) – The 32 year old German is most famous for being the Best Player at the World Cup 2018 in Russia, where he led his nation to the their 4th World Cup victory. Exceptionally strong with good pace, he has never been spectacular for the club since joining six years ago, but always solid. This season was no different, as he scored 12 goals in 24 appearances. He has not lost his physical ability yet, so expect more of the same next year.

Sebastian (Career Stats) – The 22 year old Spanish striker was the Serie A’s Top Goalscorer in 2019/20 with 27 goals, which marked his 3rd consecutive season with 20+ goals. He could “only” muster up 19 goals this season, but was still the team’s leading goalscorer. In terms of ability, he seems to be a copy of his mentor, Julian Schieber, in that he is very strong and very fast, but he is even better with the ball at his feet than the German. Has the kind of ability that could see him lead the league in scoring for years to come.

AC Milan (2021: 4th – 2020: 3rd)

MANAGER/CLUB

Carlo Ancelotti –

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Xaropinho (Career Stats) – Only 24 years old, he is has already captured the Serie A Player of the Year twice, most recently this year. His 23 goals was a career-high, but he has been AC Milan’s most important player since they signed him from Sao Paolo for a measly £1,700,000 in 2015. His towering height means that he is an awesome threat in the air, but the unique striker is just as potent on the ground, as witnessed by his 3.89 DpG and 6 assists. His 7.70 AR was also a career-high, and he is arguably the most talented player in Italy.

OTHER IMPORTANT PLAYERS

Miralem Pjanic (Career Stats) – The 31 year old Bosnian is slowly starting to show signs of getting old, but he remains one of the most versatile midfielders in the Serie A. In his 3rd season with AC Milan, he scored 3 goals and recorded 9 assists and a 7.31 AR. The latter was his lowest since joining the club, but it is also worth noting that a broken collarbone kept him out of the first two months of the season.

George Jeshi – The 26 year old Congolese was a bargain at £850,000 when bought last season, and he proved that by being one of AC Milan’s most important players this year. He recorded an 84% Pass Ratio, 4.51 TpG, and a 7.24 AR from the central midfield position, forming one of the strongest midfields in the world with Mohamed, Maicon, and Pjanic.

Hesham Mohamed – The £12,750,000 signing from Torino has a good debut season for AC Milan, recording a 7.18 AR. His assists numbers were low, registering only 2 of them, and he did not contribute any goals, but his presence in the midfield was felt more often than not. The 27 year old Egyptian will again partner Maicon in the middle of the pitch next season.

Maicon – Since coming from Wolfsburg in 2018 for £15,250,000, Maicon has formed a superb partnership with his fellow midfielder players and Brazilian national team mate, Xaropinho. He averaged an outstanding 4.95 TpG and registered an 86%, making him one of the most efficient midfielders in the Serie A. A broken leg ruled him out for the last 4 months of the season, thus only enabling him to play 23 games – although one never knows with these types of injuries, reports suggest that he is 100% healed and ready to go.

Overall Team of the Year

[abulezz]

FRENCH LIGUE 1 2020/2021 REVIEW

Player Stats – Team Salary per Annum – Transfers - Past Winners

Player of the Year: Radja Nainggolan (Career Stats), Lyonnais

GK of the Year: Hugo Lloris, Lyonnais

Foreign Player of the Year: Jordan Ayew (Career Stats), Marseille

Most Promising Player: Jorginho, Lyonnais

Manager of the Year: Lovel Palmer, Lyonnais (Champions)

Ligue 1 Best Team of All-Time

[abulezz]

GERMAN BUNDESLIGA 2020/2021 REVIEW

Player Stats – Team Salary per Annum – Transfers - Past Winners

Player of the Year: Lars Bender (Career Stats), Leverkusen

GK of the Year: Diego Benaglio, Wolfsburg

Defender of the Year: Alex Sandro (Career Stats), Wolfsburg

Midfielder of the Year: Kevin Strootman (Career Stats), Bayern Munich

Striker of the Year: Amoroso, Bayern Munich

Manager of the Year: Bruno Labbadia, Wolfsburg (Champions)

Bundesliga Team of All-Time

[abulezz]

Bromley 2021/2022 Preview

Overview

General Information – Facilities – Domestic League History

Board Expectation: Top Half Finish - Transfer Budget: £37,910,000 - Wage Budget: £724,429 (Current: £516,284) - Bank Balance: £27,727,562

After celebrating our 4th Place finish all summer, it is time to get to work. Before we get into the Group Stages of the Champions League, we have to get through Frankfurt, which is easier said than done. At least the board has continued to invest in our training and youth facilities, and they also decided to expand the stadium to around 32,000 attendance.

The team continues to improve in a fantastic fashion – we are still the youngest team in the Premier League on average age, but they are no longer mostly in their teens. Now that we have broken the Big Six’s hold on the Premier League, I have no plans on finishing below 4th Place this season. I want to see us see the Knockout Rounds of the Champions League, if our Group Stages draw permits us.

I am very pleased with the players I’ve brought in this summer, but letting go of Porvaldur Magnusson was difficult. At the end, though, he continued to make noise about wanting to move clubs, and I don’t think I can offer him another season as a starter. I have too much talent in the center of the midfield that will be held back – players more talented than Magnusson – if he continued to stay at the club.

Transfers

IN

There are two big signings this season – Tidiane Samb and Nicolas Olarticoechea. Both will be immediate starters, and hopefully they will be worth the money paid for them. I took the risk and signed Manuel Loisel for £5,500,000 – I think he could be great, but obviously it could be me just being hopeful. The others that I bought in were Killian Lafarge, Jon Mason, and Halit Tiryaki.

OUT

It was another summer of letting go of youth players for profit, except for Mario Ortega – I bought the defender for £6,500,000, but ended up selling him for a £3,000,000 loss. The biggest sale, obviously, was club Icon Porvaldur Magnusson – I let him go for less than what he worth, probably, but I felt it was time for him to move on. Hopefully, he will have a great time in France!

Players

GOALKEEPERS

Tricio: Last season, Tricio conceded only 34 goals and had a career-high 18 clean sheets, once again playing in all 38 games. His 7.01 AR was also a career-high, and he added another cap for his country of Brazil, bringing his total up to 4 caps. Although his aerial ability will probably never reach a world class level, there can be no denying his communication skills and his shot-stopping ability. Still only 23 years old, he has a while yet before he stops improving.

Development: 2018 - 2019 – 2020 – 2021.

DEFENDERS

DL : Manuel Roubaund: The 19 year old Frenchman exceeded all expectations last year, recording 7 assists and 7.25 AR. When Nicolas Mancini was sold to Arsenal, I was half expected to overspend in January for a left back because the talent the club had at the position would be not be cutting it, but just a couple of months into the season, it had become obvious that Roubaund was going to be just fine. His defensive skills leave a lot to be desired, but his pace and technical ability are superb.

Development: 2019 – 2020 – 2021

DC : Alexandre: Although his overall ability is fantastic, he should be doing better. His AR dropped to 6.93 last season, although he did bring up his TpG to 4.52 and improved his Pass Ratio to 78%. He needs to be more consistent, however, and at the age of 22, he needs to start producing up to his ability. At least a 7.20 AR should be expected from him this season.

Development: 2017 – 2018 – 2019 – 2020 – 2021.

DC : Tete: The 22 year old Brazilian improved across the board last season, recording a career-high 7.09 AR. His 2.32 TpG, however, was actually lower than the previous season, and something that has to improve this coming season. His aerial ability and defensive skills are fantastic – now, he just needs to live up to his potential and ability.

Development: 2018 – 2019 – 2020 – 2021

DR : Kieran Holland: The English right back is now 20 years old, and while he may never develop into the world class right back we had hoped for when he came through the youth academy, he is still more than a serviceable one. He has the ability to be an England international, as long as he keeps improving the way he has over the past few years. His 6.99 AR and 2.89 TpG were both a career-high, but both numbers should see further improvement this year.

Development: 2017 – 2018 – 2019 – 2020 – 2021.

MIDFIELDERS

ML : Lukas Kubik: Last season was perhaps the 23 year old Czech’s finest in his young career, scoring 6 goals and recording 9 assists. His 7.23 AR was a career-high, and his 79% Pass Ratio was great considering he plays down the left wing. His transition from striker to left winger is complete, and he is one of the better options at his position in the league. He will not blow anyone away with his pace, but he is a smart player with good feet and technique. More of the same is expected this season.

Development: 2017 – 2018 – 2019 – 2020 – 2021.

MC : Tidiane Samb: The club’s decision to strengthen the central midfield positions led to the signing of £10,000,000 Samb from Galatasaray, where he had scored 6 goals and recorded 7 assists last season. The most impressive thing about him is his ability on the ball and his technique, of which he has oodles of. Whether the 22 year old can use that to his advantage and make the starting position his own remains to be seen, but he will get his chance.

MC : Gaston Ponce: Having just turned 19 at the end of last season, the Argentine was impressive since joining the club from Paris Saint-Germain for £5,500,000 in January. He appeared in 11 games and recorded 2 assists, and this season, he will get the chance to prove he is worthy of a starting place. Like Samb, he has superb technical ability and great dribbling ability, although he is somewhat lacking in strength.

MR : Gilmar: There is no denying that the 22 year old Brazilian has become a world class right winger, recording career-highs of 7 goals, 13 assists, and 7.20 AR last season. Not only that, he displayed a fantastic all-around game, recording 2.69 TpG and 3.48 DpG – there simply is no other winger like him in the country. His call-up to the Brazilian national team is inevitable, as his continuous evolvement into one of the finest in the world at his position.

Development: 2017 – 2018 – 2019 – 2020 – 2021.

FORWARDS

F : Zoran Sedlarevic: He came in the January transfer window for £10,000,000 from Manchester City, who took Eduardo Fernandez for £15,000,000, and there is no denying that Bromley got the better end of that trade. He won the Premier League Young Player of the Year, as the 23 year old Serbian scored 9 goals (14 total) and recorded 2 assists (7 total) and a 7.29 AR. The only slight weakness in his game is perhaps his pace – although acceptable, it could be better. Otherwise, he has the potential to be a 20+ scorer for many seasons to come.

F : Emmanuel Musa: The club’s Player of the Year for the fourth consecutive time, and also its captain, he has now become an Icon at Bromley. The injury bug nagged at him all of last season, and he ended up playing in only 27 games, scoring 14 goals. He did record a career-high 7.20 AR and continued to earn cap for Germany. Subject to a £20,000,000+ bid from Bayern Munich in the summer, the offer was quickly rejected. He maintains his role as the club’s most important player.

Development: 2016 – 2017 – 2018 – 2019 – 2020 – 2021.

SUBSTITUTES

DC : Ranier Rummenigge: Starting his third season with the club, it is hard to believe the German, who has already earned 2 caps for his country, cost Bromley just £1,000,000. Obviously, he still has a lot of work to do, but there is already a lot to like about him. He will be expected to improve his 2.54 TpG, and his 6.96 AR actually went down from his first season, but he remains perhaps the squad’s brightest talent under 20 years old.

Development: 2019 – 2020 – 2021

MC : Stefan Rahn: In hindsight, he was not quite worth the £7,500,000 that was paid for him last year, and the club certainly would not have bought in Ponce and Samb had they been convinced of his abilities. Still, the 24 year old has been a useful player, especially his 4.69 TpG, and his all-around game cannot be questioned. Hopefully, he will be able to deliver a better season than his first, where he recorded a 6.86 AR.

FC : Nicolas Olarticoechea: After a fantastic season with Velez, the 23 year old Argentine international has made his way over to England for £8,250,000. He’s good at everything, but not really great at anything – good pace, good aerial ability, and good ability on the ground. He will be in the rotation with Sedlarevic and Musah, and will be counted on to produce a good number of goals.

[abulezz]

You have inspired me to start another game with Halifax

Wow, high praise, indeed! Im glad you are enjoying the read

Just looking through your Key Players and you have a lot of great young talent there, i'd love to have some of those in my squad for sure. I really like attacking full backs and Roubaud looks great for that role.

The future for Bromley certainly looks bright

Im happy with the team I have managed to assemble, although I wish my central midfielders and my eft wing was stronger. I am actually training Roubaud to be my left winger as I think he would be more suited to that role than being a left back

[abulezz]

Bromley September Update 2021/2022

There is no way, in my wildest dreams, could I have imagined the start we have had to the season. Just look at those results – 7-1 against Newcastle, 6-0 against Bayern Munich, 5-0 against Brighton, 4-1 against Stoke. Those are magical results, especially the second one. In our first ever Champions League game, we destroyed one of the giants of the competition with complete ease, handing them their largest defeat in a long, long time. How has it been possible? One name: Nicolas Olarticoechea.

The Argentine came in the summer for £8,250,000 from Argentinean club Velez, and before he picked up an injury the ruled him out of the last few games of September. Still, looking at his scoring record – 10 league goals in 5 games! Our most impressive feats, however, have come in the Champions League, defeating Bayern Munich 6-0 at home and then Marseille 2-0 away from home. The boys are playing on another level at the start of this season, and if this keeps up, no one is stopping us!

[buzz2k7]

Well done lad

[abulezz]

Well done lad

Completely unexpected start - better than I could have ever hoped for

[ShyBaldBuddhist]

Wow, what a start Olarticoechea is having to his Bromley career. Hope he can keep going. Must have been difficult to let Magnusson go but probably the right decision.

[HotChocolate]

For a minute then I thought I read you'd played Brighton in the Champions League Qualifiers

[abulezz]

Wow, what a start Olarticoechea is having to his Bromley career. Hope he can keep going. Must have been difficult to let Magnusson go but probably the right decision.

I dont think, in my 14 years of playing Football Manager, I have ever had someone have the impact Olarticoechea is having. Magnusson was definitely tough to let go, but he was making noise about wanting a different club anyway. The fans didnt take it well though!

For a minute then I thought I read you'd played Brighton in the Champions League Qualifiers

Lol, you never know!

[abulezz]

Bromley October Update 2021/2022

October started out with a match against 8th Place Tottenham at home. The reigning Premier League Footballer of the Year, Gareth Bale, was having another spectacular season, but the most dangerous striker in the league over the past ten years, Edinson Cavani, was starting to slow at the age of 34. We won the match 1-0, with Emmanuel Musah claming the MotM and Zoran Sedlarevic scoring the only goal of the game. The win sent us back into the top position in the English Premier League.

We kept our streak without a loss alive with a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford against Manchester United, almost beating the former champions. Sedlarevic scored in his 3rd game in a row, and that left tied on points with Arsenal at the top of table, one point ahead of the Manchester United. Tete scored our second goal and was crowned the MotM – this was his 3rd goal in 4 games! He had a 7.43 AR after this game, playing some fantastic football to start the season off.

In our third match of Champions League Group C in Zurich, we made 3 wins in 3 games, defeating the hosts 3-0. Musah and Sedlarevic both scored, but it was Stefan Rahn who won the MotM, registering 2 assists and a 9.0 AR. Marseille defeated Bayern Munich in the other match, placing them in 2nd Place behind us with 6 points. Our start to our Champions League campaign had gone better than I could have ever imagined, with 3 big victories. Coming up, we had Bayern Munich away from home, but then we hosted both Marseille and Zurich. Realistically, we needed just one draw from our next three matches to ensure qualification.

Aston Villa was next at the Bromley Stadium, and I let the team know I expected them to keep up their form and win tonight. Unfortunately, the players did not respond, and we ended up losing 2-1, conceding 2 first half goals. I was very disappointed – after defeating some of the strongest teams in the world, we fell to mid-table Villa at home.

Just a day before our 3rd Round matchup against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, both our youth and training facilities completed their upgrades, and as a celebration, the team went out and destroyed our London rivals on their ground 3-0. Olarticoechea, Sedlarevic, and Manuel Roubaud, who was also the MotM, were our goalscorers – this was a very impressive victory despite Arsenal putting forth their second team, pretty much.

It was Sunderland away from home next, and they had just recently appointed Sinisa Mihajlovic as their new manager after Phil Jagielka left them for West Bromwich. It was another outstanding match for us, and once again, our MotM was Olarticoechea, who hit an incredible 4 goals. His tally was now 14 league goals in 8 games – absolutely incredible. We did lose Sedlarevic, though, as he strained his ankle ligaments and was ruled out for 5 weeks. We won the match 6-2, with both Gilmar and Alexandre converted penalty kicks, and Lukas Kubik had 2 assists.

Despite our one-off loss at home to Aston Villa, this was another very good month for us. We were still top of the Premier League, and all the boys were playing fantastic. We were basically through to the Second Round of the Champions League with 3 games to go in the Group Stages, and Olarticoechea had not lost a step after coming back from his minor injury. Our captain, Emmanuel Musah, was also doing fantastic, with 6 goals and 5 assists in the Premier League.

OTHER NEWS

Phil Jagielka ended his reign as manager of Sunderland after just under two years, moving on to West Bromwich. The former England defender left Sunderland, which was his first managerial job, in 14th Place, and the club hired experienced manager Sinisa Mihajlovic to replace him….Sampdoria sacked Dario Marcolin, causing further strife in what was once the best team not called Inter Milan in the Serie A. Marcolin lasted just 10 months before getting the boot, and Sampdoria was in 9th Place when they hired his replacement, Gertjan Verbeek, who was with Stuttgart before moving…..John Terry was sacked from his first managerial job after failing to impress at Brighton. The club was in 20th Place when they decided to part ways with the former England captain, who had been with them since July of 2020. They replaced him with another former Chelsea defender in Gary Cahill, who had been a Youth Coach under Terry at Brighton after retiring…..

[buzz2k7]

Only 28 games to go

[deltablue]

Great start to the season.

[AK22]

Fantastic start! Let's hope you can keep it up and Olarticoechea doesn't get injured!

[abulezz]

Only 28 games to go

Yep! Although I highly doubt we will be able to keep this pace up!

Great start to the season.

I think its been one of my best starts ever in my FM career

Fantastic start! Let's hope you can keep it up and Olarticoechea doesn't get injured!

Hes already had a couple of niggling injuries, but nothing too major. Musah and Sedlarevic have been picking up the slack in his absence, though!

[abulezz]

Bromley November Update 2021/2022

The month started off with our home match against FC Zurich, and this was a match I was expecting to win and confirm our qualification to the Second Round. We took a 3-0 lead, but some lackluster defending and lack of concentration allowed the Swiss team to score two late goals. We finished with the win we wanted, but I was definitely not impressed with our second half performance. Emmanuel Musah, Lukas Kubik, and Manuel Roubaud scored our goals, but it was Nicolas Olarticoechea who won the MotM despite not scoring, instead providing an assist.

Up next we had Everton at the Bromley Stadium, although we were going through a mini-injury crisis, with Zoran Sedlarevic, Olarticoechea, and Manuel Loisel all unavailable up front. Kieran Holland, was also given a rest due to being jaded. It proved of little consequence, as we ran out 4-0 winners in a fantastic performance. Lukas Kubik, who was the MotM, and Musah both scored braces as we held our spot at the top of the Premier League.

During the international break, Musah, Tricio, and Kubik all played both games for their respective national teams, and they were just by Alexandre, who earned his first call-up for Brazil in their 2-1 defeat against Russia. Although his usual position for the club is as a central defender, he featured as a central midfielder for Brazil.

After nearly two weeks off from Premier League action, we returned to the playing field against surprising West Ham United, who were in 6th Place. The main reason for their success was Kenyan striker Gabriel Odhiambo, who had netted 7 goals for them in 11 appearances. The match at the Boleyn Ground ended in a 4-2 victory for us, and Matteo Benetti scored an outstanding brace to give us the win and himself the MotM. Unfortunately, however, Gilmar broke his ribs, and was ruled out for the next 5 weeks. Another notable for the match was Killian Lafarge making his debut, coming on a substitute – at the age of 15 years and 261 days, he became the youngest player in both club and league history to ever make an appearance!

Having already qualified to the Second Round of the Champions League, I did not put too much stress on the boys in terms of winning our away match to Bayern Munich, and we ended up losing 3-1. The German giants were not having a successful season in the Bundesliga, as they were currently in 4th Place, and they needed Marseille to lose their match against FC Zurich to have any chance of qualifying. The French team beat their Swiss opponents 3-1, and they officially joined us in the Second Round. The final Matchday game between us and the French would decide who will top the group, with us only needing a draw at the Bromley Stadium to ensure that would happen.

It was back to the Bromley Stadium against Cardiff next, who were exceeding all expectations under Alan Shearer and were in 13th Place in the Premier League. It was pretty straightforward stuff for us, however, as we ran out 3-0 winners, with young striker Manuel Loisel scoring a goal and winning the MotM. It was his first ever league goal for us, and this was his third league appearance since joining the club in the summer.

We would end the month still top of the league, and although we were not doing great defensively – having shipped 14 goals in 13 games – our 40 goals were 14 more than Liverpool’s 29 goals, who were the second best offensive team thus far in the season. We had some meaningful contributions from a number of young players this month, as well, and afforded some of our regular starts some rest as we go into a hectic month of December.

OTHER NEWS

In a huge shock, Spain were eliminated by Georgia in the World Cup Qualifiers Play-offs, meaning the 2010 Winners and 2014 Finalists would be forced to watch the world’s biggest sporting event from their homes……Adam Tann lasted almost exactly one year with Manchester City before getting the sack. The club was in 7th Place when he got the boot, and the former Aston Villa and Sunderland manager was deemed unfit to carry the job of bringing the club back to glory. His sacking came immediately after a 1-0 loss to rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford. Manchester City hired Malky Mackay to replace him, nabbing him from Tottenham and paying them £2,000,000 in compensation. Just a few days later, Tann was shockingly hired as Tottenham’s manager – Man City and the London club had effectively swapped managers, something which Man City seemed especially fond of, having done so with Arsenal twice a few years ago.

[abulezz]

And here's the Champions League group:

[deltablue]

Bromley ahead of Bayern and Marseille? Who'd have thought it.

[abulezz]

Bromley ahead of Bayern and Marseille? Who'd have thought it.

Only in FM

[abulezz]

Bromley December Update 2021/2022

A very embarrassing start to the month saw us lose 1-0 at home against Bristol City in the League Cup Fourth Round – the board did not place any importance on the competition, but I did not feel the same way. Any trophy we could capture was one I wanted, but unfortunately for us, our performances in the competition the last couple of years have not been so great.

Up next we travelled to Ewood Park to face relegation candidates Blackburn. They were not a club in the best of form, and I wanted to take full advantage of that – they were in 19th Place for a reason, and I expected a win. The boys did not fail me, and we came out 5-1 winners, with Sedlarevic scoring a hat-trick and new signing Tidiane Samb bossing the midfield. The former was the MotM, but I was very impressed with the latter’s performance, and after this game, he had a 7.14 AR in the Premier League, with 2 goals and 4 assists. Sedlarevic had brought his goal tally up to 6 in 9 appearances.

We did not do the job needed to in Southampton, however, losing momentum as we drew 1-1 with our hosts. I would even go as far as to say for large stretches of the match, we were second best, and that was simply unacceptable. Arsenal won their match 6-0, so that dropped us to 2nd Place. The good news followed just a few days later, however, as we avoided all the giants and drew Rubin of the Russian Premier League in the Champions League Second Round.

As it would have it, we would face Arsenal and my personal friend, Paul Lambert, who’s always saying nice things about me to the media! Lambert made club history in 2020, winning the Premier League and the Champions League, and had assembled a very strong team. They were two points in front of us going into the match, having conceded only 7 goals so far in their 15 matches. A magical effort from Tidiane Samb, who was also the MotM, was the only goal of the match, and we came away with a huge 1-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium, pushing us past Arsenal – Chelsea, however, were still two points ahead of us thanks to their 3-1 home victory over Southampton. Samb was really starting to shine in the center of the midfield, and the 22 year old Senegalese was becoming one of my most indispensible players. His goal was the third of the season in the Premier League for him.

What the FA were quite thinking for our next three matches, I do not – Chelsea on the 27th, Manchester City on the 28th, and then West Bromwich on the 29th. Yes, three games in three days! We lost the first 1-0 at home against Chelsea, defeated Manchester City 3-1 at the Bromley Stadium thanks to a Sedlarevic brace, and then finished off with a loss to West Bromwich , 2-0, away from home. It was quite unbelievable having to send the team through all that, and after it was all said and done, we were in 3rd Place, four points behind Chelsea and just one point behind Arsenal going into 2022.

[abulezz]

World Awards 2021

[abulezz]

Fernando Llorente – Player Profile

National Team Achievements: World Cup (2010) – World Cup Finalist (2014), European Championship (2012, 2016), Confederations Cup (2017)

Club Achievements: N/A

Personal Achievements: European Championship Top Goalscorer (2016), 2 x Spanish La Liga Top Goalscorer (2014, 2019), 7 x Spanish La Liga Top Spanish Goalscorer (2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021), 8 x Spanish La Liga Team of the Year (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)

Fernando Llorente is one of those rare players whose individual talents were not devalued due to playing at an unsuccessful club, and his accolades certainly show why. He his entire career with Athletic Bilbao, breaking into the first team in 2004. By 2007, Llorente was their man up front, and he would go on to have a brilliant career, becoming proclaimed the finest Spanish striker since David Villa and the best during the 2010s.

His first taste of success came at the largest stage of them all – the World Cup. He was part of the Spanish team that lifted the trophy in 2010, and were beaten Finalists in 2014. By that point, Llorente was indisputably one of the finest strikers in the world, and despite the number of talent up front available in the La Liga, he would go on to be chosen for 8 La Liga Team of the Years during his career. He was crowned the European Championship Top Goalscorer when Spain won it in 2016 with 7 goals, second most only to Michele Platini’s 8 goals in 1984.

Even in his final season, Llorente was still magnificent, scoring 20 goals. His goalscoring during the 2010s was unrivalled in the La Liga, having failed to score at least 20 goals in only two seasons since 2011. He retired as an Athletic Bilbao legend, holding their record for most appearances (562) and most goals scored (280).

[buzz2k7]

I hate when the schedules do that! It totally can ruin your whole season.

[cerud]

Nice career there, abulezz! I'd been away for a bit, so had lots to catch up on. You have definitely been busy!

[abulezz]

I hate when the schedules do that! It totally can ruin your whole season.

I really hope it didnt mine - the West Brom result was tough to take, and the Chelsea game couldve been the decider! Thanks for always reading

Nice career there, abulezz! I'd been away for a bit, so had lots to catch up on. You have definitely been busy!

Thanks! Hope you enjoyed the read

[abulezz]

Bromley January Update 2021/2022

We started the year off with a standard 2-0 victory over Championship outfit Huddersfield in the FA Cup 3rd Round – we absolutely dominated that match and were unlucky to only score 2 goals. We had Newcastle next, and I was a little bit worried about this game. My fears were proved wrong, however, as the boys ran out 4-1 winners in an outstanding match, with Nicolas Olarticoechea finally putting himself back on the score sheet with his 15th Premier League goal of the season. New signing Jaguare opened up the scoring for us, marking a great debut, and the captain Emmanuel Musah scored his 10th Premier League goal, as well.

Liverpool were always going to be a tough match, but thankfully, we managed to pull through a 2-1 home victory over them. In terms of football, it was as even a match as one could get, but a goal from Gilmar and one from Zoran Sedlarevic were enough to see us through. For Liverpool, the outstanding Mohamed Khelifi[/b] scored their only goal – in terms of ability, the 26 year old Algerian had to be one of the finest strikers in the world.

Up next it was Brighton away from home, and the southern club were really struggling. They were in the midst of a relegation battle, and had some horrible offense and defense. It was the latter that made the difference for us against them, however, as we wound up defeating them 7-0! It was our largest ever victory, and it was thanks to Sedlarevic’s fantastic four goals that we were able to dominate the match like that. He had now scored 13 goals in his 17 appearances, second in the Premier League only to his teammate, Nicolas Oratichoechea, who also had two goals in the match. The Argentinean’s tally stood at 17 goals in 15 appearances, and he also led the league with a 7.77 AR. More importantly, however, was that the win sent us back to the top spot, as Chelsea faltered away from home at Newcastle, managing only a 2-2 draw.

The fun kept on rolling against Swansea at the Bromley Stadium as we defeated them 4-1. Olarticoechea hit a brace, winning the MotM in the process, as he maintained his status as top goalscorer in the Premier League and we maintained ours as the top team. Unfortunately, he suffered a gash leg that ruled him out of the next two weeks. Sedlarevic also added to his tally, while defensively, Rainer Rummenigge continued his outstanding form with a goal, averaging a 7.38 AR in the Premier League. Swansea manager Michael Laudrup accepted his defeat gracefully, saying some nice things about me to the media afterwards!

We ended the month off with a 5-0 victory over West Bromwich – the same team which we had lost to 2-0 at the end of December. Overall, we had a spectacular start to 2022, winning all seven of our matches, most by significantly large margins. Our offense is unstoppable, with our three-headed beast of Olartichoechea, Musah, and Sedlarevic scoring 65 goals between them this season.

[buzz2k7]

wooo back on top get in there lad!

[deltablue]

It might be tough going for now though.

[AK22]

An excellent January; right back on track now

[abulezz]

wooo back on top get in there lad!

It might be tough going for now though.

An excellent January; right back on track now

Thanks guys! Ive had some computer issues - I had to repeat the season from November onwards, unfortunately, but Im back on track now Hopefully some updates should come in the next day or two