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[FM16] Kafra FC - All Youth in England


abulezz

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1 hour ago, BillHoudini24 said:

I started the exact same challenge with Basingstoke, I hope to have some progress until FM17.2 comes out. Any advice, because it is extremely diffucult and you have done a great job!

Patience, patience, patience! Especially in the lower leagues - Youth Intake days can be our worst nightmare or our saving grace! I was relatively lucky in this save I think with the Intakes, but there have been times where you just need players at certain positions and no matter what, they won't come.  It can be frustrating, but when you do achieve something, it really feels special, and the attachment you get with your players is unlike any other type of save! My biggest advice is invest in all facets of youth and training as early as possible, as often as possible.  Also, especially in the lower leagues, don't be afraid to form tactics to the strengths of your one or two stars, because usually they are the ones that are difference between staying put and a promotion.  Get as good a Head of Youth Development as you can, and hope for the best! Its one hell of a ride!

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]SEASON REVIEW 2059/60


Literally three games to go in the season, and we throw it away.  We lose to Man City away from home – tough, but with two games still to go, the title is still in our hands.  Que to our home loss to Arsenal, and then in our last game of the season, we stumble to a 3-3 draw at home against Chelsea.  The title goes to Man City, while we are left wondering what ifs and what nots.  As frustrating as it is, however, the reality is that we did not deserve to be Premier League champions – while our offense was the best in the league yet again, we ranked as the 9th best defensive team, and a team that bad on defense should never lift the title.  My worst fears were confirmed – we got absolutely hammered in the back, as teams seemed to score at will.  Our aging older generation must have spit up shame watching from the bench at the new guys fail so miserably at their task – we won two titles on the back of Joseph, Isasi, Johnson, Abel, Weston, and (for the last one) Watts.  Only Watts was a full-time starter from the names mentioned, and our defensive failures directly contributed to our inability to win anything this season.  Unfortunately, we do not have any defensive prospects coming up that can change that – the Youth Academy has been pumping out midfielders and wingers, and this year was no different.  We again exited the Champions League in the Second Round, and were non-factors in both domestic cups. 

 

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GOALKEEPERS

Alex Hooper (2055), 21 Years Old:  This was Hooper’s first full season as a starter, and while his attributes have shown a sharp stagnation, his form was not bad. He played in 34 Games, registering 1.32 Con/90, 9 Clean Sheets, and 7.06 AR – his numbers suggest that while he conceded at a high rate, he was probably not at fault for most of the goals.  The fact is, the defensive line in front of him was mediocre, and there were quite a few games where Hooper kept the team alive with his saves.  That being said, I am very disappointed with his lack of progress in terms of attribute development – I really thought he would be further along.  This is one my coaching staff got right in terms of telling me about his limited potential.  Still, he remains our only viable option at the position going forward.

 

Akil Joseph (2041), 35 Years Old – Career:  After year’s as our No.1 and 40 Caps for England, Joseph finally was relegated to the bench this season.  Although he was never my personal favorite at the position (George Kelledy was), Joseph will probably go down as Kafra’s greatest GK of all-time.  In his prime, he was amongst the highest valued GKs in the world, but his peak was rather short-lived and his regression came a lot quicker than expected.  A bit-player this season, and will continue to be until he decides to retire.

 

 

 

LEFT DEFENDERS

Gary Isasi (2043), 33 Years Old – Career:  Right on schedule, the athletic ability and speed of the finest left-back to ever wear a Kafra uniform starting slipping this season.  His form took a bit of a knock, but it was not such a noticeable one – in 24 Games, he registered 2 Assists, 7.68 TpG, 76% Pass Ratio, 1.44 DpG, and 7.15 AR.  As such, Atkins could not replace him as a starter, and Isasi actually ended up playing most of the games.  He has crossed the 500 League Games threshold for the club (507 and counting), although he registered his lowest AR in the past 10 seasons.  Still, I think he is far from done, and even at his declined stage of physical abilities, at the point and likely for next season, too, he will remain a more solid option than Atkins.  He is – and was – simply that good.

 

Martin Atkins (2053), 23 Years Old:  He is no Gary Isasi, but he is going to be taking over his starting position when Isasi can no longer be a full-time starter for us.  Atkins is actually a decent player – he earned his first Cap for England this season, as he played in 22 Games, registering 6.53 TpG, 77% Pass Ratio, 1.24 DpG, and 7.13 AR.  As he starts earning more playing time and gaining on experience, my assumption is that his numbers will continue to get better.  There are no delusions here, however – he probably will never live up to the man he will be replacing.  That being said, even though there will be a talent drop, Atkins seems like a decent enough left-back that I would not consider it a problem position going forward.

 

 

 

CENTRAL DEFENDERS

Tim Abel (2041), 35 Years Old – Career, Biography: As expected, the greatest CD in Kafra’s history called it quits at the end of a season where he was a complete non-factor.  His career spanned 19 seasons and saw 559 League Games, and he was the anchor for the team throughout its most successful decade in the 2050s, winning every major competition as the starting CD for the team.  He is not decorated by any means, and he was never one of the best CDs in the Premier League at any time, but a 7.06 AR for his career is quite a decent number.  I can tell you right now, I wish I had someone with his talent and reliability in the mid-2050s on the team going forward – Abel was the anchor for the best defensive team in the Premier League a couple of times.  He will be missed, and he goes out as a Kafra legend, without any doubt.

 

George Watts (2051), 25 Years Old:  With the exception of Marvin John, we have never had a more talented CD in our ranks.  He will easily be the greatest CD to ever play for the club in a few years’ time, and he was probably one of the best in the Premier League right now.  In 37 Games, he registered 3 Goals, 5.01 TpG, 189 Key Headers (2nd in League), 667 Interceptions (2nd in League), and a career-high 7.47 AR. He does not have any glaring weaknesses to speak of, and he is considered a World-Class CD at this point.  He has become a permanent fixture in the England national team, and was named to his second Premier League Select team this season.  He is one of the stars of the team, and one of its most influential players – that is very unlikely to change in the next 5-6 years. 

 

Nick Allen (2054), 22 Years Old:  Talent-wise, Allen belongs in a Championship-level team, but he continues to surprise and overachieve.  Don’t get me wrong – he is not the solution at CD and is probably a primary reason why the team was so bad defensively, but his numbers suggest that he at least held his own in the Premier League this season.  In 34 Games, he registered 4.72 TpG, 1.01 DpG, and 7.17 AR – there lays the problem: Allen should never feature in 34 Games as a starter at CD for a title-challenging team.  Unfortunately, we do not have any prospects better than him at the position currently, so unless I want to play a 17 year old minutes they can’t handle in hopes of playing time being the catalyst for tremendous improvement, I am stuck with Allen as my starter alongside Watts.

 

 

 

RIGHT DEFENDERS

Matthew Johnson (2043), 33 Years Old – Career:  So Johnson’s days as our starter are gone – I am just surprised at how fast his regression came.  He played in only 13 Games, and his 6.95 AR was his lowest in 13 years, which is a shame because I don’t think his replacement, Oliver Meyers, is quite ready to be a starter yet.  Still, I don’t have a choice now – while many will argue over whether Johnson or Burton was our greatest right back of all-time, what cannot be argued is that the latter definitely had better longevity.  Johnson was not much a contributor this year, and it is hard seeing that changing going forward.  What cannot be denied, however, is that – at his peak – Kafra never had a better right-back than Johnson.

 

Oliver Meyers (2055), 21 Years Old:  This was the first season that Meyers spent most of as a starter, replacing the declining Johnson and doing a pretty decent job at it.  In 27 Games, he registered 4.70 TpG, 79% Pass Ratio, and 7.01 AR, but most impressive was his continued excellence in training and improvement in his attributes.  I don’t know if he will ever get to Burton or Johnson’s levels, but he takes over the starting position very young so he will get a chance to really cement his legacy in the history books of Kafra over the next ten years or so. 

 

 

 

CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS

Luis Medaglia (2040), 36 Years Old - Career, Biography:  At worst, Medaglia is the 2nd best CM in Kafra history, but there will be many that will tell you the Costa Rican legend has actually meant more to the club and was a better player through his career than his rival for that title, Matty York.  Regardless, Medaglia is a legend for us, and 20 years of a great career came to an end this season, one that can always be looked back upon fondly.  He was one of those players that was so consistent and rarely made a mistake on the pitch, playing with unspectacular efficiency that only great players can perform at for years at a time.  York and Medaglia were actually very similar as players, and had a lot of the same strengths.  The only complaint one might have against them is that they were not offensive maestros some would have liked them to be – to me, they were the engine that made the team run.  He joins a number of legends who have now retired over the past few years, and he is just as special as each one of them.

 

Billy Bailey (2043), 33 Years Old - Career:  Out of all three legends of the Class of ’43, Bailey remained the most relevant this season – this comes as no surprise, as he was the one least reliant on his speed and physical abilities to make him the player that he is.  In 30 Games, he registered 2 Goals, 2 Assists, 3.37 TpG, 78% Pass Ratio, and 7.15 AR, actually improving on his previous season despite being one year older.  Honestly, I would expect similar numbers next season, especially if he ends up with the same amount of playing time.  Between himself, York, and Medaglia, I would say Bailey probably ranks just below them in terms of all-time CM greats at Kafra, but he still remains a legend for the club.

 

 

 

LEFT WINGERS

Jackie Neill (2050), 26 Years Old - Career: Every great team always has that one player that seems to be at the center of everything it does – Man United had Cantona, Barcelona have Messi, Real Madrid have Ronaldo, Juventus had Pogba, Arsenal had Henry, etc. That player is Jackie Neill for us – I have been saying it for years, and I think people are finally starting to agree with me, as he won the Kafra Player of the Year for the first time in his career.  36 Games, 28 Goals (career-high), 6 Assists, 8 PoMs, 1.88 TpG, 3.98 DpG, 55% Shot Target, and 7.75 AR (career-high) – find me a weakness in that stat line.  Remember, this guy plays on the wing! He is easily the greatest scoring winger of his generation, and this was actually his sixth consecutive season of scoring 20+ League Goals.  He was named in the Premier League Select for the 2nd time in his career, and as he enters the prime of his career, I think it is time to start thinking about giving him some real responsibility to go with his immense influence on the squad.  He just might be my favorite player on the squad at this point.

 

 

 

RIGHT WINGERS

Nathan Dawson (2053), 23 Years Old:  No one in the history of Kafra has taken a bigger leap in terms of ability and influence in the span of two or three years than Dawson has – he has become simply unplayable for opposing defenders down the right wing.  Whereas Jackie Neill has become the best scoring winger on the planet, Dawson can now lay rights to being the best passing winger on the planet.  Just look at the numbers – 33 Games, 6 Goals, 29 Assists (2nd only to George Bong’s 32 in history of Premier League), 1.94 TpG, 4.80 DpG (10th in League), and 7.80 AR (career-high).  Really, what else can you ask for from your starting winger, and the beauty of it all is that he is only still 23.  This kid is going to have some great seasons ahead of him, especially in a few years as he begins to enter his prime. 

 

 

 

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS

Daniel Friar (2045), 31 Years Old – Career:  Well, we will always have the 2057/58 season, right? Don’t get me wrong, Friar is a fantastic player, and I think he has become the first player in Kafra’s history to earn the “Legendary” status as a description (he has been referred to as a legendary midfielder throughout the season), but for some reason, Friar just never became that Zidane, Bernardo Silva, Arturo Gonzalez, or Stelios Zikos type of player.  The club captain had another fantastic season – 36 Games, 15 Goals, 14 Assists, 5 PoMs, 2.37 TpG, 1.63 DpG, 220 Key Passes (Best in League), and 7.71 AR.  His career average is now at 7.64 AR, having played 515 League Games, scored 133 League Goals, and registered 173 Assists.  Talent-wise, you would be hard-pressed to find a more complete player on the planet, and he definitely is the most talented footballer the Youth Academy has ever produced, including Dimitris Dakoutros. Still, I appreciate everything about his game, even if he never became the dominating force I hoped he would be (he was for one season, though!), and I am looking forward to a couple of more big seasons from our captain.  This was his 9th consecutive season in the Premier League Select and 10th overall – additionally, he also won the Premier League Goal of the Season!

 

 

 

FORWARDS

Ken Duncan (2049), 27 Years Old – Career:  Is he a more complete forward talent-wise in comparison to Robertson? The answer is yes, but when it comes to comparing the two’s influence on the game and their goal-scoring abilities, Robertson remains a step above.  Duncan will always have the misfortune of taking over the starting position from Kafra’s best player of all-time, but he has lived up to expectations and has delivered some fine seasons of his own.  In 36 Games, he registered 32 Goals (2nd in League), 7 Assists, 5 PoMs, 4.30 DpG, 58% Shot Target, and 7.58 AR – this was the second time in his career he had scored over 30 League Goals in a single season.  He was the leader of the best offense in the Premier League, and he has this ability to give you goals in a hurry and when you least expect them.  Between him and Neill, we are looking at 60+ League Goals almost, so we are likely to stay the best offensive team for a while. 

 

 

 

HOT PROSPECTS

Peter Johnson (2056), 20 Years Old – Central Midfielder: The emergence of Turki Awad and Lee King has led to an influx of young talent at the CM position, and that resulted in Johnson having less playing time than last season.  In 24 Games, he registered 2 Assists, 2.79 TpG, 80% Pass Ratio, 1.39 DpG, and 7.03 AR – his numbers were definitely down from last season, but still at a respectable level.  The worrying thing about Johnson is that he is proving my coaching staff right – they were never high on his potential, rating him a 3/5 for PA, and I have not seen noticeable improvement in his abilities over the past two years.  If this remains the case, he goes from being my favorite young prospect to a third choice CM behind the higher rated Awad and King.  Peter Johnson Training Levels

 

Jermaine Ward (2057), 20 Years Old – Left Winger:  Despite his attribute improvements, consistency remains Ward’s because weakness at this point.  He has all the right tools – great speed, good technical ability, and the right mentality, but he still has not turned into a reliable member of the first team yet.  That’s alright, because we do have Neill who plays down the left wing, but the versatile Ward has the potential to be really good.  In 19 Games, he registered 5 Goals, 4 Assists, 2.35 TpG, 2.12 DpG, and 6.94 AR – this was only his third full season with the club, so I am not expecting world-class form, but he will have to pick it up a little bit next season.  I would like to see 7.00+ AR from him and more relevance during games.  Jermaine Ward Training Levels

 

Lee King (2057), 19 Years Old – Central Midfielder:  He might be the most versatile player on the squad, capable of playing in four positions in my lineup.  This was his first season of note with us as he spent last year on loan, and he did rather well.  In 18 Games, he registered 3 Assists, 2.53 TpG, 76% Pass Ratio, 1.49 DpG, and 7.21 AR.  Not only that, but he showed tremendous growth in his attributes, and my coaching staff currently have him at 4.5/5 PA.  His technical abilities need to continue to improve, but otherwise, he has almost pushed past Johnson in the pecking order at the CM position.   Lee King Training Levels

 

Turki Awad (2058), 19 Years Old – Central Midfielder:  Out of my three CM prospects, I believe Awad has the most potential and the highest ceiling, and my coaching staff agree as they have him at 5/5 PA.  In 23 Games, he registered 4 Assists, 2.12 TpG, 75% Pass Ratio, and 7.26 AR while showing the type of progress I want to see in terms of attribute development.  I believe that in a few years, it will be Awad as the permanent starter at CM with King and Johnson fighting over the other CM starting spot.  He is still young, though, and he still needs to show a lot of progress in his attributes to make that happen.  I am confident he will get to that point, however.  Turki Awad Training Levels

 

Barry Perry (2059), 17 Years Old – Attacking Midfielder Midfielder:  What I am happiest about is that his tutoring jumped his Determination from 10 to 17 over the course of the season, and now he probably ranks just behind Awad as the prospect I am most excited about.  This kid has been labelled the next Bobby Charlton by the media, so I am not the only one excited about him and his potential.   Barry Perry Training Levels

 

 

 

 

 

YOUTH INTAKE

                                                                                                       

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The good news is, we got cover in two positions we desperately need it: right wing and central defense.  The bad news is, neither Herbert or Dobson look like the type that can be the impact player I want at the positions above.  That is not to say they don’t have potential, but it is going to take a lot of improvement – especially from Dobson – to get to that point.  Herbert is the obvious best player of this Intake, but even he is greatly impressive.  Still, it could have been worse, I guess.

 

 

 

2060/61 PRESEASON REPORT

 

Our defensive worries will continue into the new season, and that is our primary issue.  Alex Hooper, despite how high I was about him a couple of years back, has disappointed me, and it looks like we are going to have to deal with a step down from Akil Joseph over the next few years.  Isasi can’t be a full time starter anymore, and Johnson reached that point last season – in their place, we have Atkins and Meyers, and both are not as good as their predecessors.  Our CD issues continue, and in all honesty, that is the biggest problem I have right now – who will start next to Watts.  New Intake prospect Dobson is nowhere near talented enough, but he might be my best option – that is how bad the situation is.  The good news is that things get better as you go further down the pitch – our CMs are young but talented, especially Awad and King.  Our wing positions could not be in better shape with Neill and Dawson, although the right wing position is shallow and will continue to be until Simon Herbert develops enough to be a contributor.  The frontline is manned by legendary midfielder Daniel Friar and striker Ken Duncan – absolutely no worries there. 

 

A title is always a possibility, and we should be contenders, but I cannot say I would rank us as one of the favorites.  A 2nd or 3rd Place finish is a realistic target, but if my offense can turn it up one more level and the defense does better than last season, then we have a real shot at our third ever Premier League title.  The Champions League continues to be the venue for our underachievement, so the aim is to make it past the Quarter-Finals this season!

 

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15 hours ago, BillHoudini24 said:

When is it a good timing to ask for upgrades in junior coaching and facilities? The club is a bit insecure financialy, so my requests got turned down.

Thanks a lot for you tips and for the inspiration to start this fm torture. :D

There is never a good time - it's always a good time! Anytime you get a chance, ask for it.  I find that they are a lot more receptive after getting some cash (through sales, prize money, etc.)

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I did the math and I realised that I won't do the challenge in time, FM17 is getting out way too soon! :D

So I started in the CFA, France's 4th tier, it's the first playable league in France, I hope to complete it before the next fm, but thank you, because I already know my first FM17 save!!

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18 hours ago, BillHoudini24 said:

I did the math and I realised that I won't do the challenge in time, FM17 is getting out way too soon! :D

So I started in the CFA, France's 4th tier, it's the first playable league in France, I hope to complete it before the next fm, but thank you, because I already know my first FM17 save!!

Well, it definitely is a long type of save if you are looking to get into the Premier League and win titles - it took me 25 years I believe! I know that I am doing the same type of save next year for sure, as well!

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So the first leg of what should be a winnable tie for us - we end up trailing most of the game only to be win it 3-2, conceding too many goals in our home tie.  If it wasn't for Daniel Friar's magic (3 assists, complete control of the middle of the pitch), I don't know what the score would have been.

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Our Quarter-Finals opponents are Sporting, whom we have developed quite a little bit of history with.  We have faced them 8 times previously - the first 6 in the Group Stages, and most recently in 2059 in the Quarter-Finals of this competition, where we lost to them.  This is a team which we have had difficulty with - last time out, Argentine Francisco Lovrincevich destroyed us, and this time around, he is in the prime of his career with £50m rated 23 year old midfielder Sabri Salah by his side.  Sporting have not won the Portuguese League since 2057, but are currently first and on track to win it this year.  In the Champions League, they won the tournament for the first time in 2056, and lost in the Finals in 2059 - last year, they were Second Round casualties to AC Milan.  The first leg was an imperfect performance from an imperfect team, and the second goal we conceded was just terrible (back pass gone wrong), but the result itself is not terrible.  We got an away goal, and we kept the scoreline close. We have to finish the job in London.

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On ‎8‎/‎21‎/‎2016 at 06:27, MichaelBrown said:

Nice update as always Abulezz, it's been a honour to read these. KUTGW

Thank you! I hope you enjoy the upcoming update.

6 hours ago, Torminator said:

I really hope you can go all the way this year! Any hoping for you to get a nice Centre back in your youth intake. If only you had John coming through now instead of 30 years ago :p

What I would give for Marvin John right now - can you imagine John and Watts together at CD?!

16 minutes ago, BoxToBox said:

Damn it! :(

Words right out of my mouth, brother.

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13 hours ago, noikeee said:

At least I can see the funny/completely unrealistic side of Sporting making the Champions League semi-finals. :D

One of these days there will be a season for you, keep on believing. :thup:

LOL - well, to be fair, they seem to be one of the best teams in Europe in my save lately (late 2050s, early 2060s), and they've got one of the best players in the world in Lovrincevich. 

That was an immensely frustrating match - conceding at the last second is never fun, especially when it knocks you out of the Champions League!

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I read this topic from the beginning in the last 3 days. And I can surely say that is the most inspiring save that I ever read, since FM 2005. The topic presentation is fantastic, and this is probably the most difficult challenge that you can do in FM. Regarding this last season, champions league is frustrating and in Premier League is hard to stop Manchester City. I hope that your academy gives you the defensive players that you need to complement your offensive positions, and finally conquer the European title that you deserve.  Congrats for the perseverance and for the fantastic save. Keep posting ;)

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15 hours ago, danielfi9 said:

I read this topic from the beginning in the last 3 days. And I can surely say that is the most inspiring save that I ever read, since FM 2005. The topic presentation is fantastic, and this is probably the most difficult challenge that you can do in FM. Regarding this last season, champions league is frustrating and in Premier League is hard to stop Manchester City. I hope that your academy gives you the defensive players that you need to complement your offensive positions, and finally conquer the European title that you deserve.  Congrats for the perseverance and for the fantastic save. Keep posting ;)

 

Hi and thank you so much for the wonderful comment! I think anyone who is sharing his save would agree that the comments serve as motivation to continue to do so! 

It has been a difficult challenge - I found that progressing up the leagues was at its most difficult at the Vanarama National and Championship levels, but the biggest challenge in this type of save is winning things once you are in the Premier League.  In my save, it seems that my Golden Age was the 2050s, where my team was at its strongest and most complete, and we have 2 PL titles, 4 Capital One Cups, 1 FA Cup, and a Finals appearance in the CL to show for it. 

As for my Academy, it has been obsessed with giving me wingers and CMs lately - I have a real lack of defensive players and I lack a quality GK.  Youth Intake Day takes on a whole other meaning of importance in this type of save! When it gets close, I start loading the days one by one as opposed to holidaying from game to game (I generally play every game in every competition).

Again, thanks for the great comment!

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SEASON REVIEW 2060/61


For the second season in a row, we threw away our chance at our third Premier League title to Man City in the final few games of the season.  Last year, it was an away loss to Man City followed by a home loss to Arsenal that did us in – this year, it was a home loss to Man City when a win would have taken us top.  So for the third season in a row, we have to settle for 2nd Place, which in itself isn’t bad, but considering how close we have come to actually winning the title, it becomes very frustrating.  Again, the big chunk of the blame goes to our defense – I could not ask for more from our offense, as Duncan was Europe’s Top Goalscorer, Neill was the best scoring winger on the planet, and Dawson broke the PL Assists record with 34.  Our defense is close to being in shambles, however – it was ranked 9th best in the league, but it felt a lot worse.  We were consistently conceding two or more goals a game, and despite our potent offense, there were games were no matter what we did up front, our defense failed us enough that we lost.  It is a shame Watts – potentially our greatest defender of all-time – is playing in an era for the club that features so little defensive talent to surround him with.  In the Champions League, we made the Quarter-Finals, where we bowed out against Sporting Lisbon (the CL was won by Benfica, who defeated Man City in the Finals) in the final second of the second leg at home.  Another frustrating season in the Champions League, as well – we find ourselves constantly losing to teams that we really should be beating.  There is a real struggle of transition going on in the squad – after Daniel Friar, the next oldest first team squad member is Ken Duncan, who is four years younger than him.  That’s means for four years, and four Intakes, we did not have a single first team prospect come up through the Youth Academy.  Also, the Youth Academy used to give us a far more balanced Intake – lately, it has just been wingers and central midfielders.  I desperately need some talent to come up to help shore up our backline and our GK positions.

 

 

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GOALKEEPERS

Alex Hooper (2055), 22 Years Old:  So I think it is time to admit I may have misjudged the potential of Hooper and to give credit to my coaching staff for telling me he had a low ceiling.  I have not seen any real improvement from him attribute-wise in two years, and he seems to have maxed out as a Championship-level GK.  In the grand scheme of things, it does not really matter because I don’t have another option in any case – no matter how he turned out, he was still going to be Joseph’s replacement, but it is disappointing because not having a GK who is good enough just makes our task of winning the Premier League and Champions League that much harder.  This was his second full year as a starter, and he played in 34 Games, registering 1.38 Con/90, 8 Clean Sheets, and 6.95 AR, and we were only the 9th best defensive team in the league.  Obviously, those numbers should get a little better if the back four in front of him improve, but it seems he is limited in terms of how good he can be.  He will have to do for now.

 

Akil Joseph (2041), 36 Years Old – Career, Biography:  After 21 years with the club, of which he spent 11 as our starter, and 43 Caps for England, the greatest GK in Kafra history (talent-wise) is calling it a day.  I have never hidden the fact that I have always thought our former captain George Kelledy was the more influential GK and – in my eyes – the better of the two, but from a pure attribute standpoint, Joseph is the best the Kafra Youth Academy has produced at his position.  That is not going to be threatened by Hooper, either, so unless the Youth Academy produces a great GK in the next few years, he will probably end the save as our finest GK of all-time. 

 

 

 

LEFT DEFENDERS

Gary Isasi (2043), 34 Years Old – Career:  For the first time in 12 years, his AR slipped to below 7.00 AR, and given how big a part of his game his speed was, it is only expected that his form take a dive the way it did.  At the end of the day, no one can fight time and age, and the last ten years with Isasi at left-back have been great – I simply could not have asked for a better player at the position than Isasi.  This season, he still played in 15 Games, registering 6.37 TpG, 82% Pass Ratio, and 6.92 AR, which are actually quite decent numbers.  I feel he will announce his intention to retire at the end of next year soon, and he is going to be sorely missed.  A legend for the club.

 

Martin Atkins (2053), 24 Years Old:  We have already discussed how he is not as talented as Isasi not do I ever expect him to be, but I do expect reasonable form from the man who is now our undisputed starting left-back.  He actually has earned himself 2 England Caps thus far, and he did not have a bad season – 25 Games, 2 Assists, 76% Pass Ratio, 1.52 DpG, and 7.05 AR.  If he can improve a little more on that, then maybe we won’t miss Isasi as much as I think we will, but he still forms an integral piece of a defensive line that has been very mediocre over the past two years.  I believe next season will be the first in which Atkins will play over 30 games, barring any injury, so it will be a real reflection on his ability to help us be a better defensive team as we attempt to continue to challenge for titles.

 

 

 

CENTRAL DEFENDERS

George Watts (2051), 26 Years Old:  It’s a shame that potentially our finest defensive player ever leads perhaps our weakest defensive line of the past 15-20 years.  There can be no denying just how good Watts has become – 36 Games, 2 Goals, 5.10 TpG, 670 Interceptions (Best in PL), 214 Key Headers (Best in PL), 35 Key Tackles (11th in PL), and 7.43 AR.  He won his 2nd consecutive (and 3rd overall) call to the Premier League Select, and is widely considered one of the best CDs on the planet.  Without him, I can only imagine how much worse our defensive line would have been – he is probably the reason it stayed mediocre.  His durability has also been fantastic – he has not missed more than 2 games a season in each of the past 5 seasons, and he is slowly becoming one of the vocal leaders of the squad.  We have a few World-Class players on the squad, and Watts is definitely one of them – I just hope we can get to surround him with decent defensive talent during the prime of his career.

 

Nick Allen (2054), 23 Years Old:  Allen might have been listed as the starter next to Watts for most of the season, but the truth was, it was an unsuccessful squad rotation that had been implemented because I cannot trust Allen as my full-time starter at the position.  In 20 Games, he registered 2 Assists, 3.46 TpG, and 6.97 AR, which in itself, is not bad form – the problem here is, Allen is not nearly good enough to be a starter for a title-challenger in this league.  My experimentations this year were mostly a success, and Allen remained probably my best choice at CD to partner Watts, but I refuse to be relegated to that reality and accept it – I need more than what Allen can give me.

 

 

 

RIGHT DEFENDERS

Oliver Meyers (2055), 22 Years Old:  It is a similar story between Johnson and Meyers as it is between Isasi and Johnson – a decent prospect now takes over the starting position from a club legend who was the best we have ever had at their position.  Meyers played in 31 Games, registering 4.09 TpG, 78% Pass Ratio, 1.11 DpG, and 6.96 AR – decent numbers, but then numbers that can point out why we were only a mediocre defensive team this season and last.  I don’t think he is as talented as Johnson, and he may not even be as talented as Mikele Burton was, but he should be able to give us decent seasons going forward, and I will be looking for better form from him next season. 

 

 

 

CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS

Billy Bailey (2043), 34 Years Old - Career:  Its weird to see a starting lineup in the middle of the pitch without Medaglia or Bailey, but that is the reality we faced this season.  He still played in 22 Games, registering 3.29 TpG, 81% Pass Ratio, and 6.87 AR, but obviously his glory days are over, and he is likely to see even less playing time next season.  The new crop – Awad, King, Johnson – have a long way to go before even beginning to live up to their predecessors (York, Medaglia, Bailey), and although the first two are usually considered the best CMs in Kafra history, Bailey has always been an undervalued part of the squad.  He is a club legend no less, and his contributions to the team will be missed.

 

Peter Johnson (2056), 21 Years Old:  Once considered the future of the CM position, he has now become a third choice CM behind the more talented Awad and King.  That is why he only played in 11 Games this season, registering 3.86 TpG, 82% Pass Ratio, 1.07 DpG, and 6.87 AR.  The problem with Johnson is that he simply stopped progressing and getting better – he is the same player he was when he was 18-19, and that unfortunately was not good enough to maintain his place as starter on the squad.  That being said, he will see more playing next season with the inevitable decline of Bailey, and will get a chance to prove he belongs in the squad rotation.  He has always been a stable and consistent contributor, as is witnessed by his 7.07 AR for his career, so hopefully he can show that he deserves to be involved every week.

 

 

 

LEFT WINGERS

Jackie Neill (2050), 27 Years Old - Career:  Just before the beginning of the season, I decided to just name him team captain and get it over with, giving him the captaincy and relegating Daniel Friar to vice-captain.  Truth be told, no one deserves it more – he is always amongst our best players in the big matches, and regularly wills the team to wins. He may not be a prototypical winger, but show me another player who scores the way he does from the flanks.  He was again amongst the top scorers in Europe this season – 36 Games, 26 Goals, 6 Assists, 6 PoMs, 1.51 TpG, 3.30 DpG, 54% Shot Target, 7.57 AR were his total numbers. He was shortlisted for the World Golden Ball, but again was overlooked in the Premier League Select.  His performances in the Champions League – despite the club exiting in the Quarter-Finals – were nothing short of legendary (9 Games, 14 Goals, 8.22 AR), and he became the first Kafra player in history be crowned both the CL Top Goalscorer and the CL Best Player.  In 337 Games, he has now scored 207 Goals – that is rate of scoring that his hard to beat.  For the 7th consecutive season, he scored 20+ Goals, and he has not scored under 25 Goals for the past 5 seasons – with a 7.48 AR for his career, a number he has surpassed in each of his 7 last seasons, Neill is poised to have a legendary 3-4 year peak coming up in the next few seasons.

 

Jermaine Ward (2057), 21 Years Old:  Ward finally started getting it right this season – in 28 Games, he registered 9 Goals, 9 Assists, 2 PoMs, 2.12 TpG, 3.32 DpG, and 7.25 AR, easily the finest season of his young career.  In addition, he became quite adequate at playing right wing, which means Ward can now play across any of the front three midfield positions.  Consistency is really what helped him deliver a good season – I no longer had to worry about ineffective games or disappearing acts, as he was active and involved every time he stepped on to the pitch.  Obviously, he will not be a full-time starter anytime soon, but he will continue to be heavily involved in the rotation.

 

 

 

RIGHT WINGERS

Nathan Dawson (2053), 24 Years Old:  Dawson has had a two year run as good as anyone else has had in the history of Kafra FC, and this includes Stephen Hunter and John Robertson.  While he is a lot more similar to the former than the latter, and while he will need to keep up this pace over the course of the next 5-6 years to belong in the conversation with either one, the fact that he has already accomplished so much despite being only 24 years old is a testament in itself.  He broke the Premier League record with his 34 Assists this season, registering 9 Goals, 7 PoMs, 2.29 TpG, 5.78 DpG, and a career-high 7.97 AR in 32 Games to go along with his new record.  He was crowned PL Footballer of the Year, and has to surely be considered amongst the greatest wingers in the world today at this point. His value hit £50m, and there can be no denying that his improvement – both in form and in attributes – the past few years has to be the most impressive in the history of the club.  He is as special a player as they come, and I can’t wait to see what his career is going to look like in a few years when he crosses the 30 year old mark and we look back at his accomplishments along the way.  He is already a club legend, officially, and won his first Kafra Player of the Year to boot, as well. 6

 

 

 

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS

Daniel Friar (2045), 32 Years Old – Career:  A slipped disc ruled Friar out of action for almost 3 months, limiting him to only 28 Games this season, but when he did play, it was vintage Friar – 11 Goals, 11 Assists, 4 PoMs, 7.76 AR.  Much will be said about how he just did not have the same influence on the pitch as Stephen Hunter or John Robertson, but no one can argue that during the 2057/58 season, no Kafra player had ever given us a better season that what Friar gave us that season.  He will turn 33 next season, and our eye has to be to the future, but I can tell you one thing – he will not be easy to replace.  Perry might have potential and talent, but you are talking about replacing someone who has given 7.65 AR over the course of his career, easily the highest in Kafra history.  He was named in the Premier League Select for an incredible 10th consecutive year, which just goes to show you just how good Friar has been. 

 

 

 

FORWARDS

Ken Duncan (2049), 28 Years Old – Career:  Ken Duncan was awarded the European Golden Shoe award for his 33 Goals, the first Kafra player since John Robertson (who won it 3 times) to be given that award.  He obviously led the Premier League in Goals Scored for the first time, to go with his 9 Assists, 5 PoMs, 4.70 DpG, 52% Shot Target, and 7.68 AR.  This was the 3rd season in his career that he registered 30+ Goals, and he was named to the Premier League Select for the 3rd time in his career.  He is a complete forward in every sense of the word, and he is without a doubt a World Class striker – amongst the best in the world.  There is no weakness in his game, and now he is in the prime of his career, I expect two or three more seasons that are on par with what he gave us this season.  The problem is – who will replace him when he starts to age!

 

 

 

HOT PROSPECTS

Lee King (2057), 20 Years Old – Central Midfielder:  He took over the starting position this year and never looked back – 34 Games, 2 Assists, 3.46 TpG, 78% Pass Ratio, 1.25 DpG, and 7.25 AR.  He was everything I could have wanted from a CM at this point, and King and Awad have really eased my mind about the future state of the CM positions with their play.  My coaching staff still have him at 4.5/5 PA, so they don’t believe he is done improving yet – if that is the case, this guy has potential to be World Class at some point, because it is becoming more and more difficult to find a fault in his game.  I love it when relatively unknown prospects from the Youth Academy grow into important players for us – King was almost an afterthought when he came through in ’57, but look at him now.  Lee King Training Levels

 

Turki Awad (2058), 20 Years Old – Central Midfielder:  Awad and King have settled any debate as to who should be starters at the CM positions going forward, and Awad currently ranks as 5/5 PA by my coaching staff – it is not hard to see why.  For this season, he played in 26 Games, registering 6 Assists, 3.59 TpG, 77% Pass Ratio, 1.12 DpG, and 7.38 AR, showcasing just how impressive he was on the pitch despite his young age.  Obviously, my coaching staff think he has the potential be still a lot better than he is now, so it will be exciting to watch him grow as a player over the course of the next two or three seasons.  Turki Awad Training Levels

 

Barry Perry (2059), 18 Years Old – Attacking Midfielder Midfielder:  The next Bobby Charlton? That’s what the media thinks, and I can see it if his development does not stagnant and let up at any point in the next 3-4 years.  He looks fantastic – his Physical and Mental stats are high for his age, and he doesn’t seem to have any real weaknesses.  It is all about his development from here on out.  This season, he played in 16 Games, registering 2 Goals, 2.07 TpG, 76% Pass Ratio, 1.63 DpG, and 6.94 AR covering both the AM and Striker positions.  Obviously, he is a lot more suited to play in the former position, but he is a natural at striker as well.  As Friar ages, I would expect his playing time to increase, starting the coming next season.  Barry Perry Training Levels

 

Simon Herbert (2060), 18 Years Old – Right Winger:  His 3.5/5 PA suggests that his potential might be somewhat limited, and I find myself agreeing with my coaching staff.  Our right wing position went from being our shallowest position to perhaps our deepest in young talent in just two years, so there is no pressure on making a star out of Herbert, at least not so quickly.  He played in 10 Games, registering 6.73 AR, and he could be a candidate for a loan spell next season.  Simon Herbert Training Levels

 

Anthony Dobson (2060), 17 Years Old – Central Defender:  It’s not fair that Dobson was asked to play 20 Games and be relied on to deliver on expectations at 16 years old, but that is exactly what happened.  And you know what? For the first half of the season, he did just that, with a 7.00+ AR and some solid play.  He could not keep it up, however, and his form dropped drastically – in 20 Games, he ended up registering 3.55 TpG and 6.77 AR.  He reminds me a lot of Abel and Weston – he’s relatively tall (6’2) and his strengths are his defensive and aerial abilities.  His PA is at 3.5/5, which would put him right on par with the abilities of Weston/Abel, and honestly, at this point, if he can come close to that, I would be ecstatic.    Anthony Dobson Training Levels

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YOUTH INTAKE

                                                                                                       

 

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For the second year in a row, our best prospect was a right winger – the difference is, this time the prospect has a 5/5 PA rating.  He has obvious talent, and could end up being a very similar player to Dawson (Click Here To See Dawson’s Intake Stats) because they have very similar starting attributes.  Any other player that can come out of this Intake and contribute is a plus, and there might be a few, with Burgess being perhaps the most talented of them.  Overall, I am pretty satisfied with the Intake – we did not get help in any of our problem positions (GK, CD, RB, LB, possibly ST), but we did get some good talent.

 

 

 

 

2061/62 PRESEASON REPORT

 

The big question – for the third straight year – is our defense.  We were the No.1 offensive team in the Premier League again last year, and we will most likely be on top this coming season as well.  When you have talent like Duncan, Neill, Friar, and Dawson leading your frontline, it is difficult not to score goals.  However, defense is what wins championships, and we are sorely lacking in that respect. Only Watts is of the required caliber – the rest, whether it is Hooper at GK, or our fullbacks, or worst yet, our other CD, none have shown the required talent to give confidence that they will do the job needed to win the Premier League title.  The glory days of the 2050s saw us put forward a complete team, without any problem positions and talent at every point of the pitch.  Those days are obviously past, as our team has some prodigal talent at some positions but is completely lacking in it at others. 

 

If we are to accomplish anything this season, it will have to be again on the strength of our front line.  Watts is a great talent, but there is only so much he can do to improve the state of the defensive line.  We do have one hope, and that is for Dobson to develop quickly and into a decent CD – that, however, is far-fetched.  He could potentially be a Weston level player, but I feel it will be in a few years and now anytime soon.  The Kafra Youth Academy needs to hook us up with some defensive player, and maybe a deep Intake for once!

 

 

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2 hours ago, noikeee said:

Portuguese clubs seem to be performing stupidly great in the Champions League. Odd.

Don't forget, this is 50 years in the future.  The Portuguese teams in general seems to always be in or around atleast the Semi-Finals, and they always seem to have a couple of the world's best players in their squads - Benfica and Sporting (sorry!) especially.  Here is a picture of all the CL winners of the past 40 years:

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Don't sleep on Clermont Foot! They got taken over by tycoon Grega Stojanov in 2032, and he finally withdrew his crazy funding in 2039 - a consortium led by Jean-baptiste Keller are the current owners after taking over in 2049.  They've had some of the world's greatest players in their ranks over the past 20-30 years, the best of which are [url=http://imageshack.com/a/img922/840/0E2c63.jpg]Dominique Dipoko[/url] - who was one of the world's leading, if not best, striker from the late 2040s to the mid 2050s, and Adilson.  Below is a chart of their titles:

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We faced Marseille in the Second Round in 2056, overcoming a 3-2 away loss with a superb 4-0 victory at home.  They finished in 3rd Place last year, but our currently top of the Ligue 1, with their best player being Lucas Vera, (Career).  After a dominate first half in which we ended up leading 2-0, we collapsed and the end result - at home - was 2-2.  I don't know what it is going to take for this team to pull it together in this competition, and now we must head to France with the probability of us having to score at least two goals to ensure survival.  Disappointing, yet again.

 

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Another year, another Second Round exit.  Honestly, if we had held it together in our home tie, this result would not have mattered.  Defensively, we are just not getting it done, and two of the goals in Marseille were Hooper's fault.  The PL is already out of reach thanks to another ridiculous Man City season, so looking forward to next season!

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2 hours ago, Torminator said:

Keep the faith man! Can't you support your weak defense with maybe 2 defensive midfielders and go more counter style? With the speed and quality up front it could work. 4-2-1-2-1? Or are you already playing a more defensive shape?

I just don't have the personnel.  I could do a counter style with a defensive mindset, but I have a real problem at GK - I was dead wrong about Hooper's potential.  This year's Intake has hopefully taken care of that, but still no defensive prospects.  Atkins and Meyers are inferior to Isasi and Johnson, and Dobson has no business starting in the PL, but I have no choice. 

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I love King and Awad! The only thing that worries me is how lightweight they are in the CM position - neither of them are proper ball winners. Saying that, West will overtake Dawson by the time he's 21 as long as he avoids injury - he's potentially that good. 

Could you not try Isasi at CB? I know he's short (and lacks pace) but he could be an option as Watts is quite poor by PL standards. It'd give Atkins a proper run at full back as well.

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2 hours ago, MichaelBrown said:

I love King and Awad! The only thing that worries me is how lightweight they are in the CM position - neither of them are proper ball winners. Saying that, West will overtake Dawson by the time he's 21 as long as he avoids injury - he's potentially that good. 

Could you not try Isasi at CB? I know he's short (and lacks pace) but he could be an option as Watts is quite poor by PL standards. It'd give Atkins a proper run at full back as well.

Yes, you are right, neither are proper ball winners, but it is also not something I look for from my CM.  My playing style is more creative than power, and their Tackles Per Game have been a decent average, so I have no worries about Awad and King! West is looking like a great prospect - there is a 7 year difference between Dawson and West, so by the time Dawson turns 31, West will be 24 and probably ready to take over the mantle full-time!

Isasi could have been a solution 2-3 years ago, but his Physical and Speed attributes have declined so much he is a liability to play.  Watts is actually quite good, but I think you meant Allen isn't up to PL standards, and you are absolutely right.  I could give Atkins a go at CD, but that would leave the LB position completely exposed - damned if I do, damned if I don't type of situation!

 

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I definitely meant Watts, he's so bad ;). Nah, I got the names mixed up, I should check my posts before I post them ha. 

Let's hope you get a centre half as I don't think Dobson will be at the required standard - he needs major work. I hope he can prove me wrong though.
 

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On ‎8‎/‎29‎/‎2016 at 09:59, MichaelBrown said:

I definitely meant Watts, he's so bad ;). Nah, I got the names mixed up, I should check my posts before I post them ha. 

Let's hope you get a centre half as I don't think Dobson will be at the required standard - he needs major work. I hope he can prove me wrong though.
 

Dobson actually has  a 4/5 PA at this point, so all that playing time and suffering through his inconsistent form might actually start paying off.  I still want a proper CD though!

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1 hour ago, TheCart said:
21 hours ago, noikeee said:

I commend your patience, 8 years of not being able to improve on a Champions League run would test anyone's.

Thanks! It gets beyond frustrating, but when it finally does happen, the reward literally gives you goosebumps! Its amazing how you can be so happy for a bunch of computer generated faces, lol.

7 hours ago, Torminator said:

Yeah keep up the good work! I'm quite sure this is only the silence before the storm!

I really hope so! Its been a very long silence thus far!

1 hour ago, TheCart said:

Fantastic challenge! Can I ask you a few questions? I want to make the same career, but I have some difficulty. In skype (thecart71) or in PM 

Sure, PM me anything you would like to know!

 

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SEASON REVIEW 2061/62


Man City had another ridiculous season, winning everything in sight including the Premier League and the Champions League, so there was no competing with them there.  However, this was a more positive season than last – even though we finished in 2nd Place for the 4th straight year and we dropped from the best offensive team in the PL to the 2nd best, our defense showed significant improvement (from 9th to 3rd best), which is really what we need in order to recapture the Premier League title.  Whether this keeps up or not remains to be seen, but what is no longer in question is our starting back four.  The transition at the fullback positions was completed, with Isasi giving up his starting position to Martin Atkins and Johnson doing so with Oliver Meyers, and in the middle, there really is no option but the young Anthony Dobson as starter alongside George Watts.  The encouraging thing is, my coaching staff now have Dobson at 4/5 PA, which if he lives up to, will be tremendous.  Our Youth Intake gave us a 5/5 PA GK whom I immediately threw into the starting lineup to replace Hooper – it wasn’t like Hooper was doing a good job for us (he was responsible for our exit from the Champions League against Marseille in the 2nd Round), so I figured how much worse could the new 16 year old be.  I might have to suffer some inconsistent form, but he will get better much quicker with relevant playing time, and it was not like Hooper was doing awesome anyway.  Turki Awad and Lee King both had a great seasons, so I think the CM positions are set for the next 10-12 years, and we also have no issues with our wing play – both have great starters and high potential back-ups.  Nathan Dawson was incredible again this season, leading the league in Assists and getting crowned its Players’ Player of the Year.  Overall, other than our frustrating form in the Champions League, I felt there was progress made this year. 

 

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GOALKEEPERS

Alex Hooper (2055), 23 Years Old:  I have already lost faith in Hooper as my No.1, and with the Youth Academy giving me a highly rated GK as my top prospect this year, I jumped at the opportunity to relegated Hooper to the bench.  In 30 Games, he registered 1.17 Con/90, 9 Clean Sheets, and 6.88 AR – overall, decent numbers.  The problem with Hooper is that he is, at best, a Championship level GK who makes way too many costly mistakes at the PL and CL level.  Our exit in the CL was because of them, and while I don’t think he necessarily makes our defense worse, he definitely adds nothing to it.  I misjudged his potential, and although he seemed like a fine prospect in his teens, he just has not developed how I would have hoped.  My coaching staff was right about him – his potential was very limited.  He will play next season, but with the new GK being rated 5/5 PA by my coaching staff, I certainly will not stand in the way of the 16 year old developing as fast possible, and that will mean playing time at the expense of Hooper. 

 

 

 

LEFT DEFENDERS

Martin Atkins (2053), 25 Years Old:  This was the first season in which he played over 30 Games (36), and he registered 7.22 TpG, 76% Pass Ratio, 1.22 DpG, and 7.06 AR.  Is he a World Class left-back like Isasi before him? No, he is not, but if he can maintain the kind of form he gave us this season, and perhaps improve on it a bit, then he might be all I need at the position at this time.  Can I imagine winning with him as my left-back? Yes, and that is really the only thing that matters – I believe he is good enough to be a starter on a winning team.  The Golden Generation of Kafra is well and truly gone, but Atkins seems like he will make the blow a little bit easier to take at left-back.

 

 

 

CENTRAL DEFENDERS

George Watts (2051), 27 Years Old, Career:  The team improved from 9th to the 3rd best defensive team in the league this season, and Watts was the cornerstone of our defensive line and our improvement.  In 36 Games, he registered 2 Goals, 5.26 TpG, 212 Key Headers (Best in PL), 749 Interceptions (career-high and Best in PL), and 7.50 AR (career-high) – in other words, he gave us his best season yet.  He was the only Kafra player to be voted to the Premier League Select this season, a fitting reward for being a World Class CD and perhaps the best one in the Premier League.  I will already give him the title of our greatest CD of all-time, easily being better than Tim Abel and Nathaniel Weston, and challenges Marvin John as the greatest CD the Kafra Youth Academy has ever produced.  While I still consider Isasi perhaps our greatest defensive player of all-time, by the time Watts turns 30, I figure that will have changed.

 

Nick Allen (2054), 24 Years Old:  I don’t think it is a coincidence that the less time Allen got this season equated to us having a better defensive for as a team.  He simply is not Premier League standard, and I believe starting next season, he will no longer be considered the starter alongside Watts.  He only played in 12 Games this season, registering 4.51 TpG and an acceptable 7.20 AR, and that might be where he could be useful for us – as relief for the starters.  In any case, whether Dobson is the long term solution or not, Allen most certainly is not.  Don’t get me wrong, he has a great attitude and is a professional, but his talents simply don’t match up.

 

 

 

RIGHT DEFENDERS

Oliver Meyers (2055), 23 Years Old:  Atkins and Meyers, our two full-backs, are perhaps the most invisible players on the team, but yet they have done a credible job of replacing two former stars in Isasi and Johnson.  Meyers played in all 38 Games this season, registering 4.58 TpG, 77% Pass Ratio, 1.11 DpG, and 7.06 AR, while earning a few England Caps and watching his value shoot up to £20m.  His AR was a career-high, and he showed great durability and consistency this season to really ease my mind about his status as our starting right-back going forward.  The only issue I have is I don’t have a real backup for him, but Meyers looks to me like he will be fine as our starter for years to come.  

 

 

 

CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS

Lee King (2057), 21 Years Old:  I must say, Lee King has been perhaps the most pleasant surprise I have had in this entire save.  I never expected him to become the player he now is – when he first came out of the Youth Academy, my coaching staff had him pegged at 3/5 PA.  Now, he is already 3.5/5 CA with a 5/5 PA, and he just won’t stop improving! Honestly, he is everything I could have wanted in a CM – 38 Games, 3 Goals, 8 Assists, 2 PoMs, 4.14 TpG, 76% Pass Ratio, 1.16 TpG, and 7.44 AR.  If he keeps this up a few more seasons, he easily becomes our best CM of all-time.  Even at the prime of their careers, I don’t think York or Medaglia gave me such a complete and impressive season.  He is also the most versatile player on the team, capable of playing down either wing and capable of playing at AM.  This was his second season as a starter, and I am hoping for atleast ten more like this one to come. 

 

Turki Awad (2058), 21 Years Old:  If there is one part of the squad that has transitioned seamlessly between the two generations and possibly even have gotten better, it is CM thanks to King and Awad, who is also rated at 5/5 PA by my coaching staff.  He broke into the first team a year after King as part of the ’58 Youth Class, and now King and Awad are as irreplaceable as anyone else on the squad.  Although he did have a better year last season, he was still impressive – 34 Games, 3.95 TpG, 82% Pass Ratio (11th in PL), 1.35 DpG, and 7.25 AR (down from 7.38 AR).  He is more defensive-minded than King is, but he is just as efficient and just as influential.  It will be great see him grow together through the years, and the real debate here should be who will finish their career as the greatest CM of all-time as they both try to eclipse York and Medaglia.

 

 

 

LEFT WINGERS

Jackie Neill (2050), 28 Years Old - Career:  He is not our most talented player, but our captain is definitely our most influential one.  I have said it time and time again, but no one has a bigger impact for us in our big games – look at any of our biggest game’s score-lines and you will Neill on the scoresheet, no matter if it is a win or a loss.  It was another vintage Jackie Neill season – 36 Games, 23 Goals, 6 Assists, 4 PoMs, 2.58 TpG, 4.41 DpG, and 7.59 AR – as he served as our main goalscoring threat alongside Ken Duncan.  The amount of pressure he puts on opposing teams from the wing is astounding, and he is even a dangerous threat with crosses coming in from the right through Dawson.  If they don’t find Duncan, then most likely they will find Neill – no wonder Dawson is the PL’s Assist king currently.  Neill is now entering the prime of his career, and it would be lovely to see him and Duncan lead the team a title as the squad’s leaders. 

 

Jermaine Ward (2057), 22 Years Old:  Skill-set wise, Ward is more a prototypical winger than Neill is, although he still has a long way to go to be able to compare to him as a player.  Ward took a step back in form this year – 24 Games, 4 Goals, 2 Assists, 3.51 TpG, 3.06 DpG, 6.94 AR – but he is a strong player with incredible pace and the right attributes to really be a contributor down the wing.  He is still only 22 years old, and has learned to play down both wings and the AM position, so his versatility will help him out.  I expect him to improve his form next season and be closer to his 60/61 form, but he probably won’t see much changes in his playing time for the next couple of years unless injuries happen to the players that start ahead of him.

 

 

 

RIGHT WINGERS

Nathan Dawson (2053), 25 Years Old:  Last year’s PL Footballer of the Year and this year’s PL Players’ Player of the Year, Dawson is simply unstoppable.  In 34 Games, he registered 7 Goals, 23 Assists (Best in PL), 9 PoMs, 2.43 TpG, 6.44 DpG (2nd in PL), and 7.78 AR, once again proving without a doubt that he is one of the most in-form players on the planet.  He already has an incredible 143 Assists for his career despite only being 25, as he seems to just keep getting better and better.  Kafra has always been known for its talented wingers, but Neill and Dawson have seemingly taken the reputation to a whole new level.  Is he better than Stephen Hunter? Time will tell, but if he keeps up this form over the next few years and Kafra can somehow manage to win a title or two, the argument will become a lot easier for Dawson.  In the meantime, this absolute gem of a player has become completely invaluable to the squad.

 

 

 

ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS

Daniel Friar (2045), 33 Years Old – Career:  The slow path into the twilight of Friar’s career has started, as he registered his lowest AR of his career this season and saw heavy regression in his physical and speed abilities.  Still, Friar’s peak was so high that even his worst season AR-wise was better than almost everyone else’s – 37 Games, 9 Goals, 14 Assists, 4 PoMs, 2.56 TpG, 1.34 DpG, 7.39 AR.  Where do you put Friar on the list of Kafra’s Greatest Players of All-time? Some will tell you that given how important he was for Kafra’s first PL title in 2053 and how the club’s second title in 2058 was won because of Friar, he should rank as our greatest ever.  The numbers certainly back him up – 7.63 AR for his career – and he is the only player in the history of Kafra to have been involved in all of our major titles, which is no coincidence.  He probably has one more year left at the top before the phasing out starts, and the rap on him will always be that he never quite took that final, last step to absolute greatness (except during the 57/58 season – he was sublime), but he is the only Kafra player to ever be given a “legendary” status by the media and at one point, he was the highest valued player on the planet.  This was the first year in eleven seasons he was not named to the Premier League Select, and he already has a capable (hopefully) replacement in Barry Perry.  As his career starts to wind down, I find myself dreading the day that Friar finally calls it quits, more so than any other player I have in this save.

 

 

 

FORWARDS

Ken Duncan (2049), 29 Years Old – Career:  Named the Kafra Player of the Year for the second time in his career (the first was in ’57), Duncan registered his sixth straight season of 20+ Goals.  In 32 Games, he registered 28 Goals, 11 Assists, 5 PoMs, 4.53 DpG, and 7.78 AR, easily ranking as one of the top strikers in the Premier League.  He is now in the middle of the prime of his career, and while his influence has never reached the levels of Robertson, he has been more of a match to his predecessor than I could have ever imagined.  He is a fantastic talent who has been England’s top goalscoring threat since the late 2050s (58 Caps, 57 Goals), perhaps the country’s greatest striker since Shane Gardner (150 Caps, 188 Goals!!!) was its frontline leader from the mid-2030s to the early 2040s.  Duncan has a few more years at the top left, and I would love for him and Neill to be able to guide the team to a Premier League title, completing their legacies as one of the greatest Kafra players of all-time.

 

 

 

HOT PROSPECTS

Barry Perry (2059), 19 Years Old – Attacking Midfielder Midfielder:  The future for the club at the AM position, Perry has a lot to live up to in replacing Friar.  He still has the tag of “could be the next Bobby Charlton”, but my coaching staff have downgraded his PA to 3.5/5.  I like his skill-set, and even though technically he could be better, I love his work ethic and the fact that his head is in the right place.  I really want to see him develop quickly and into a world class player.  For this season, he played in 18 Games, registering 4 Goals, 4 Assists, 1.76 TpG, 2.47 DpG, and 7.16 AR, the finest season in the young man’s short career. Barry Perry Training Levels

 

Anthony Dobson (2060), 18 Years Old – Central Defender:  The good news is that he was better, improving all aspects of his game and also showing some decent improvements in his attributes.  In 22 Games, he registered 3.68 TpG and 6.83 AR, improving over his first season with the club and doing enough that the coaching staff now think he has 4/5 PA.  If he can continue his development, he could very well be good enough to start next to Watts going forward, but its not like we have a lot of options right now.  Prone to silly mistakes, lets hope he can rule them out of his game soon enough.    Anthony Dobson Training Levels

 

 

 

RETIRING

Nathaniel Weston (2044), CareerBiography:  From the mid-2040s till the mid-2050s, the Kafra backline was manned in the center by Tim Abel and Nathaniel Weston, both tall and imposing figures who were exceptional in the air.  Unfortunately, Weston suffered some horrific injuries during the 2055/56 season and never recovered, slowly becoming a bit time player for the club despite its obvious needs at CD.  He was a primary member of the squad’s first time as Kafra captured its first PL title in 2053, and was its 3rd choice CD off the bench during their second title run in 2058.  He was very much part of the Golden Generation of Kafra, playing with the likes of Robertson, Hunter, Miller, Isasi, York, and Medaglia as the club ascended to become one of the finest in the PL during the 2050s.  His retirement comes after playing in only 13 Games the past three years, with his injuries having robbed him of his peak years and the ability to play well during his twilight years.  Still, Weston will always be remembered as one of the finest CDs the Kafra Youth Academy as ever produced.

 

 

 

 

YOUTH INTAKE

                                                                                                       

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So we have an outstanding (according to my coaching staff) GK prospect, and truth be told I am in such a hurry to relegated Hooper to the bench that I started him for most of the games he was eligible for after coming up from the Academy.  I am not a huge fan of his skill set, but I will not argue with my coaching staff’s analysis after they were so clearly right about Hooper where I was wrong.  This is a position we can definitely have some improvement on, so I am relatively happy with the Intake.  We have had a few prospects come up through our affiliates, but nothing to report till yet.  Geert De Jong might be the finest one we have had, though I doubt he will become much of an impact player.

 

 

2062/63 PRESEASON REPORT

With Friar now officially in the twilight of his career and Duncan turning 30, there is not a lot of time of the stars of this current generation to win a title that they can claim was done exclusively by them (and not with the help of players from the ‘Golden Generation’).  I will be taking a big risk this coming year by starting Guest as my No.1 as I have lost all faith in Hooper after that Marseille debacle.  The back-four is as set as it can be considering the talent at my disposal, and the only real transition that will be felt on this team during the year will be more playing time for Perry as Friar begins to show his age.  Is this team good enough to win a title? We certainly have star power, but I feel a lot if it will depend on how Man City do. 

 

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I wonder, Friar is still so good, in so many areas, could he continue for a few years yet despite physical decline, ala Pirlo, or Totti....?

 

Like the look of that keeper, and De Jong seems like he could grow into a useful backup poacher, when chasing games.

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19 hours ago, noikeee said:

About time a good keeper was spawned.

Yes, it really is about time we got something other than a promising winger of central midfielder!

 

19 hours ago, BoxToBox said:

I wonder, Friar is still so good, in so many areas, could he continue for a few years yet despite physical decline, ala Pirlo, or Totti....?

 

Like the look of that keeper, and De Jong seems like he could grow into a useful backup poacher, when chasing games.

I was hoping so, too, but even with substantial playing time his abilities have been regressing fast this season and his form is nowhere near what it used to be.  As for De Jong, it really all depends on how fast he develops.

 

9 hours ago, BoxToBox said:

:( Gutting.

Tell me about it - so sad!

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22 minutes ago, abulezz said:

Tell me about it - so sad!

I assume his pace has melted? With is immense potential, think you can still make a player out of him, perhaps an AMC and take Friair's mantle? Where his pace may not be so vital.

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1 hour ago, BoxToBox said:

I assume his pace has melted? With is immense potential, think you can still make a player out of him, perhaps an AMC and take Friair's mantle? Where his pace may not be so vital.

Well it is still early days, but the assumption is that he will lose quite a bit of pace that he might not get back.  Then again, he is young enough so who knows - the main concern is that this cuts off nearly a year from his overall development.

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We get Napoli in the Second Round of the Champions League, a team we had met four times before (twice in the '56 and twice in '59, both in the Group Stages of the CL and winning our home matches while losing our away ones).  Napoli have been the Serie A's most successful team over the past 10 years, winning 6 of the past 8 titles in the league, and they are also currently leading the league in hopes of a 3rd straight title.  They have not been great in the CL, however - they last made the Quarter-Finals in '59, getting knocked out by Real Madrid, and last season they Group Stages casualties.  We went into this match missing George Watts, who was banned for a game for picking up too many yellow cards, but our defensive line did not miss a beat.  Instead, we registered what is definitely one of our most famous results of all-time as we crushed Napoli 5-1 at home.  Ken Duncan was an absolute star, scoring 4 goals, while Daniel Friar brought back the years with a sublime performance in the midfield.  After years of underwhelming results, this felt amazing!

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