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An FM Career - Now With Added Bitterness.

hursty2

By hursty2,
in FM Career Updates

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dizzyp

dizzyp

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JULY – OCTOBER UPDATE 2015

Media Prediction: 8th

Board: Top Half Finish 9M-715K P/M

FA Cup: 1/4 Final

Carling Cup: N/A

Europa League: 1st Knockout Round

Overall Aim: To push on in the league and make it into the top 7, maybe even breaking into the top 6 which no other team has managed. Europe wise I must make it out of the group stages and with some good results along the way, possibly push for a quarter finals game.

TRANSFER NEWS

It was a quiet transfer window for me, in terms of buying players with no massive amounts of money being spent. Only two players came into the squad, former Liverpool striker Oscar Cardozo (550K) and youngster Goran Knezovic (1M) adding to the Eastern European influenced side. Firstly, let me explain the signing of Cardozo or rather say what you’re probably already thinking. The man has exceptional finishing and composure and is an ideal role model for my young striker Andras Nagy, who he is now tutoring. If Nagy can develop at the rate he has previously done, especially improving his composure, I am sure he can become a great striker for me.

OscarCardozoOverview_Profile.png

This transfer window also saw me sell a few of my previously signed players. Rasmus Falk, my first signing at the club departed for a cool 7M, making a profit of 5.2M – he just wasn’t performing to warrant a place in my team any more. Another of my very first signings, Yassine El Ghanassy also left the club for 2.7M and he was definitely a massive disappointment and showed no evidence of improving. Finally a signing of just two seasons ago, Gary Hooper, left for Tottenham for 6.25M.

PRE-SEASON

In pre-season I let my assistant have a go at controlling the matches and he always seems to play the youngsters. It was somewhat disappointing but it is more about the fitness rather than getting results. I did have one competitive game, playing Man City in the Community Shield and despite dominating we again succumbed to a loss, courtesy of two Dzeko goals who seems to have a habit of scoring against us.

StokevManCityInformation_Overview.png

PREMIER LEAGUE

Not much to comment on here, we’ve only played 4 games and are sat in 11th position whilst the rest of the league have played six games. I’m hoping for some better results as the season progresses.

LEAGUE CUP

The third round drew me against newly promoted Premier League side, Cardiff. They were no pushovers and managed to take the game to extra time after forcing a 2-2 result. Then on in I thought I had won with a goal in the 107th minute but then they equalised several minutes later to take the game to penalties. The penalty shootout finished 4-2 to them and sent my young side out.

EUROPA LEAGUE

Maritimo were the team we had to beat in order to progress to the group stages and we duly did so, comfortably winning 7-0 on aggregate. Seeded second for the draw we drew APOEL Nikosia, Dynamo Kyiv and Viktoria Plzen in Group A. The first tie of the group was against APOEL, in sunny Cyprus, where we went onto win 3-1 with goals from Nagy(2) and Fleck. A good start so hopefully we continue to build on it and easily progress through the group.

UEFAEuropaLeagueOverview_Stages-5.png

SQUAD

As a whole I think the squad has reasonable depth but it has been a struggle to attract players of real quality to add to the strength of it. I have no real replacement for Fleck, if he gets a lengthy injury apart from playing a youngster in their or playing someone out of position. What I am pleased with though is the amount of forward options we have in Nagy, Cardozo, Sturridge and Shikabala, who can all play well up there. There was no reason for me to add to the defence as I feel as if I’ve got enough cover in all areas there with Shawcross, Huth, Situ, Wilson, Hubocan, Mattock, Wallace and Martin.

StokeCityTactics_Overview-1.png

Have you thought about retraining Cairney as AMC? I did on an FM11 save and he was a beast in that position

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hursty2

hursty2

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So international management is still a drag then? I'm still on FM10, but it's a massive ball-ache there. Hate to select players as it's a huge "check profile" exercise :thdn:
It seems so.
Have you thought about retraining Cairney as AMC? I did on an FM11 save and he was a beast in that position
He's too good at LM. :D
Stoke > Northern Ireland. :)
:)
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hursty2

hursty2

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EUROPA LEAGUE UPDATE

europa-league.jpg

[ATTACH=CONFIG]0[/ATTACH]

APOEL - 1

OG Shawcross (47’)

STOKE - 3

Nagy (20’, 75’)

Fleck (61’)

STOKE – 2

Nagy (66’)

Wallace (77’)

DYNAMO KYIV – 2

Shevcuk (8’)

Popov (25’)

STOKE – 1

Cardozo (39’)

VIKTORIA PLZEN – 0

VIKTORIA PLZEN – 1

Reznik (89’)

STOKE – 3

Cairney (6’)

Sturridge (30’)

Shawcross (35’)

STOKE – 1

Cardozo (32’)

APOEL – 0

DYNAMO KYIV – 0

STOKE -2

Upcott (31’)

Knezevic (42’)

Stoke – 16pts

Dynamo Kyiv – 11pts

APOEL Nikosia – 5pts

Viktoria Plzen – 1pts

Exactly what was expected of us, easily making it out of the group unbeaten with five wins and a draw. We had already qualified with two games to go which therefore allowed me to play fringe players, giving first teamers a rest for the PL games ahead. Dereece Upcott a young 18 year old impressed me in the last game, even getting on the scoresheet.

The 1st round knockout drew us up against Group K runners up, Valencia, in what is expected to be a very tough tie for us. They currently sit 9th in La Liga but have a quality squad that will pose a challenge for us. If we do make it through against Valencia we will come up against either AEK Athens or Italian giants Juventus.

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hursty2

hursty2

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MID-SEASON UPDATE

So far so good this season it seems. I’ve managed to progress through the group stages of the Europa whilst doing reasonably well domestically. I’ve found a level of consistency that I haven’t had in previous seasons but it’s still not been good enough for us to push into the top 6. In the January transfer window I made one signing in the form of Roberto Firmino, he cost me 8M and will challenge Fleck for a spot in the AM role. For now though he is starting there as Fleck his injured and I hope he proves himself because for some reason, I myself have doubts about him. Hopefully not a waste of 8M.

RobertoFirminoOverview_Attributes.png

PREMIER LEAGUE

A decent set of results throughout half of the season has meant that we sit in very respectable 7th position. Periods of games in where we couldn’t score were the downfall of our season so far and coincidently this was when striker Andras Nagy was injured. Cardozo couldn’t score whilst he was out but by the time he was on his way back to full fitness, Cardozo decided he wanted a place in the team. Most of the poor results came when I was playing a game every second day, over the Xmas period and this seemed to get to the players. However, one result that was particularly pleasing in an attacking sense was the 6-3 win against Bolton, Nagy getting a hat-trick, Sturridge a brace, with Palacios rounding it off with a penalty. Here’s to pushing on for a top 6 spot! Maybe even a Champions League one? It’s not too far away is it?!

BarclaysPremierLeagueOverview_Stages-7.png

BoltonvStokeInformation_Overview.png

FA CUP

We started our defence of the FA Cup against Hull City at The Britannia, which should have meant an easy passage into the next round. Well it was far from it, I played a weaker eleven but I still should have had the quality to beat them. I ended up losing 1-0, sending us out of the prestigious competition in the third round.

KEY PLAYERS

Rasmus Elm – He has been very consistent in the middle of midfield for me, often dominating games with his accurate range of passing.

Joe Mattock – He has made the LB position his own so far this season, putting in some great performances.

Fabian Delph – He has also been a key player in the middle of the park, putting in tackles left, right and centre, breaking up play consistently.

Daniel Sturridge – Has top scored for my team in the league so far this season and all this from the right wing. I’ll be looking to him for more goals in the upcoming games.

Now for the second half of the season and it’s time to start the real push for a top 6 position!

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hursty2

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EUROPA LEAGUE UPDATE

1st KNOCKOUT ROUND – STOKE CITY FC VS. VALENCIA CF

VALENCIA – 1

Diego Costa (26’)

STOKE – 1

Fabian Delph (14’)

A great first leg here, I was expected to lose quite heavily but managed to gain a very good draw. I got off to a great start with Delph scoring within the first 15 minutes but failed to capitalise on my domination, conceding in the 26th minute. From then on in it was a very even game but to Valencia’s defence they did create a lot of chances and probably should have won. A 0-0 draw at home would be all this is needed for us to progress to the next stage.

STOKE – 2

Oscar Cardozo (49’)

Andras Nagy (72’)

VALENCIA – 2

Pablo Piatti (53’)

Roberto Soldado (92’)

Well what can I say I thought I was through only for that dreaded last minute highlight to come up. A 92nd minute goal sent us from a memorable victory and progression to the next round, into an agonising away goal loss. Oh how close we were, definitely not what we deserved.

Now to focus on the league and the league only, every cloud has a silver lining etc… :(

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DazRTaylor

DazRTaylor

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EUROPA LEAGUE UPDATE

1st KNOCKOUT ROUND – STOKE CITY FC VS. VALENCIA CF

VALENCIA – 1

Diego Costa (26’)

STOKE – 1

Fabian Delph (14’)

A great first leg here, I was expected to lose quite heavily but managed to gain a very good draw. I got off to a great start with Delph scoring within the first 15 minutes but failed to capitalise on my domination, conceding in the 26th minute. From then on in it was a very even game but to Valencia’s defence they did create a lot of chances and probably should have won. A 0-0 draw at home would be all this is needed for us to progress to the next stage.

STOKE – 2

Oscar Cardozo (49’)

Andras Nagy (72’)

VALENCIA – 2

Pablo Piatti (53’)

Roberto Soldado (92’)

Well what can I say I thought I was through only for that dreaded last minute highlight to come up. A 92nd minute goal sent us from a memorable victory and progression to the next round, into an agonising away goal loss. Oh how close we were, definitely not what we deserved.

Now to focus on the league and the league only, every cloud has a silver lining etc… :(

Sorry about that 'loss'. :(

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hursty2

hursty2

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:D

The other clubs in the league are not making it easy for me, for sure. Chelsea signed Neymar for 40.5M at the start of the season whilst Arsenal have just signed Douglas Costa for 42.5M.

It's making it even harder for me to break into the top group.

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hursty2

hursty2

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But the fact you are there at all is testament to how far your club has come since you took over

It is taking me a while but I think that's why I'm enjoying it so much, it doesn't feel unrealistic.

On such small things do such big things depend on.

;)

So unlucky in the Europa League, always next season

If I make it in...

Bad luck in Europe but that was a real tough draw.

Good luck with that top 6 push!

Thanks!

Ahem, not forgetting Stoke's second greatest manager of all time.
Now, what's the chances of the Valencia results being replicated in real life? Surely won't be too far off.

Your home record looks pretty decent, only conceded six goals so far. Fortress Britannia! :D

Lets hope for the best. :D

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hursty2

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END OF SEASON UPDATE 2015/16

After being knocked out of Europe and the domestic cups, in the early stages it meant that all I had to focus on was the league. This should have benefited my team in the long run, meaning that we had a reasonable break in between games – leading to better performances and a push for the top 6. Well…

PREMIER LEAGUE

Yet again we finished behind the usual top 6 of Liverpool, Tottenham, Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City and eventual winners Arsenal. In other seasons this would have been good enough to warrant us a Europa League spot, yet this year Blackburn (8th) and Birmingham (12th) took these out because of their successes in the FA and League Cup. In fact Liverpool didn’t even make it into the Europe this year finishing 6th. Our results were simply not good enough and add to the fact we went through a period of not scoring in six premier league games, didn’t help our cause. On the positive side though, finishing in the same position as we did last year adds to our reputation of a strong top half club. And now the only hurdle to overcome to push us even further into greatness is 6th position.

BarclaysPremierLeagueOverview_Stages.png

BarclaysPremierLeagueStats_PlayerStats.png

KEY PLAYERS

Ryan Shawcross – Again he is my best player of the season and is the main reason I conceded so few goals this season compared to last.

Fabian Delph – Quickly becoming one of the better players in the Premier League and consistently being called up for England.

Rasmus Elm – Wanted by the likes of AC Milan because of his consistently good level of performance and dynamic range of passing.

Andras Nagy – He was again my top goal scorer this season despite being injured for the best part of two months with a shoulder injury. As you can see he is still rapidly developing but needs to improve on his goal scoring form.

COMMENTS

It was a relatively ok season but I can’t help think what it might have become if I hadn’t conceded that late goal in the Europa League, hindsight is a great thing. Next season I have to focus on finding a winning tactic that will probably include two up front. That means that I’ll probably have to find a new strike partner for Nagy, preferably a player in a target man mould. Not Crouch, who funnily enough has just taken over recently relegated Cardiff City as manager.

PREMIER LEAGUE: 7th (Arsenal Champions)

LEAGUE CUP: 3rd Round (Lost 3-3 p vs. Cardiff) (Blackburn Winners)

FA CUP: 3rd Round (Lost 1-0 vs. Hull) (Birmingham Winners)

RESERVES: 4th

YOUTH: 4th

Europa League: Malaga (1-1 p vs. Villareal)

Champions League: Man City (2-1 vs. Arsenal)

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hursty2

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Progress

[font=courier new]| Season |          Team          |League|  League Cup  |  FA Cup  |   Europe   |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 11/12         Stoke City FC       12th      4th Rd.      3rd Rd.   EL Qtr Fin. 
 12/13         Stoke City FC        7th        1/4        5th Rd.        -     
 13/14         Stoke City FC       12th      3rd Rd.      4th Rd.   EL Grp Stge
 14/15         Stoke City FC        8th        1/4        Winners        -      
 15/16         Stoke City FC        7th      3rd Rd.      3rd Rd.    1st KO Rd[/font]

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hursty2

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In Elm, Delph, and Nagy, you have a solid foundation. Shawcross is quality as well - it seems to me you need more firepower upfront, but other than that, you could be competing for Top Four next season if you can get someone to score some goals!

I definitely need a more potent strike force, even though Sturridge also chipped in with a few goals from the right wing.

Wow, nice one getting that sort of interest.

I was quite pleased. :)

Bad luck on not getting that Europa League spot.

I think the switch to two up top will be a good move, see if you can get Nagy really firing.

Target man on a support role seems the way to go at the moment, just need to find someone though!

It was always going to be tough to break into the top 6 due to the talent and finances the top clubs have. Looks like you are building steadily though and if Nagy can get a few more goals you might be closer next year.

Yeah they consistently spend 20M+ on one player.

If offense seems to be the problem, then indeed fielding a second striker may be worth a try

Great read btw

Thanks mate, glad you're enjoying. :D

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Pangaea

Pangaea

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Shame about Europe, both getting knocked out on a late goal and missing out this season, but you'll get there again next season. Certainly not a bad season. It's tough competing with the money of the big boys. Looks like they have bought some stellar names too.

Not sure what it's supposed to link to since the table is in-text, but the Premier League link up top goes to Nagy.

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hursty2

hursty2

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SEASON PREVIEW 2016/17

Media Prediction: 7th

Board Requirement: Europa League Qualification

FA Cup: 6th Round

League Cup: 1/4 Final

TRANSFER NEWS

It was time for me to make a move in the transfer window and bring in some real quality to add to the depth of the squad. Saying this though, I have only spent 1.8M on one player. Dennis Heinze, an 18 year old striker from Germany with masses of potential and is already decent right now. I couldn’t find anyone else worth my money and no older players appealed to me, at this moment in time. He will partner Nagy up front for many seasons to come, whilst Cardozo also helps out. Josh McEachran became by second signing of the season, coming in for free having been released from Chelsea. He’ll add another Englishmen to a very good central midfield line up. Finally, probably my biggest coup of the window is former Manchester United defender Chris Smalling also coming in for free. Whilst at United Smalling showed no interest of coming to me, even when approaching the end of his contract but a 78K a week contract offer meant that he quickly became Stoke’s highest paid player.

Departing the club were two signings that I had previously made earlier in my tenure, Tomas Hubocan (1.8M) – Frankfurt and Shikabala (1.2M) – Catania. It was definitely the right decision to sell these two players, they were approaching the end of their contracts and taking up a fair amount of the wage budget whilst not really adding to the team. Other key players departing on frees were Simone Padoin and Wilson Palacios, who has been a great servant to the club.

TOP EPL TRANSFERS | YOUNES BELHANDA – CHELSEA (19.5M)

TEAM REPORT

This season I believe that I have one of strongest teams I’ve had yet and so I should, I’ve been here 5 years now! Up front I have the likes of Nagy, Sturridge and Cardozo, supporting them is Fleck and Firmino. Then in central midfield I have Elm, Delph, McEachran, Cairney and Wilson – whom will be supported by some of the youth coming through the ranks. Then finally, probably the strongest part of my team is in defence with the likes of Shawcross, Huth and Smalling.

These players will form a part of my new formation, a narrow 4-1-2-1-2 as well as being able to transform into a usual 4-4-2. The only problem I have with the first formation is the lack of width but to be quite honest I don’t have the options out wide.

KEY PLAYERS

These players will be integral in deciding whether I have a good season;

Asmir Begovic – I will heavily rely on him in goal yet again, any success I have will be mostly down to him.

Fabian Delph – He was one of my best players last season and I’ll be looking for much of the same this season.

Rasmus Elm – He’s still attracting the likes of AC Milan and Juventus and I expect them to still be interested come the end of the season.

John Fleck – Last season wasn’t his best but hopefully now with a bit more competition for his spot, he’ll shine.

StokeCityFixtures_Fixtures.png

Alright, this is the season where I’ve really got to push on and perform well in the league. I believe the squad has the quality to go very far right now and so it should!

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