After 10 years with FM, my first career update

[Johnny-Trotter]

That's a pity. Might sound strange - I thought you were getting more of an interesting challenge trying to sort out Liverpool than you did with generally cruising with Juventus.

Maybe you would go back to continental Europe for a stint and then come back for one last crack in English football, aiming for West Ham as the career swansong?

[Gdawg69]

I comment very rarely on this site - but I just want to say that this is one of the most enjoyable FM careers I have ever read. You're writing skills and content (including the speed) have been thoroughly enjoyable.

I came across this thread yesterday and have been reading it ever since in 3 sittings, I'm actually very gutted that it's near the end, and that you have seem a little de-motivated by the last club.

You have inspired me personally to start a save off like this (With your random generator method) and go from there.

FWIW - I believe you are far from finished here. I'm was never convinced that Liverpool would have been your final club tbh. Juventus bored you as it was too easy, I think two more seasons with Liverpool would have resulted in that and you would have moved elsewhere eventually - so now you have the added benefit of an extra couple of years with your final club.

Whatever your final club is, and I sincerely hope you finish what you started; go with your heart. That's the only way you'll really enjoy the rest of this save. Forget your pros and cons, just go with your gut and heart and you'll end up with the right club. If you are out of a job for 4 months and a club comes in for you but you that just isn't sitting right and you have even just an inkling of doubt - leave it! You'll find somewhere and you have the potential to end this save with a bang!

Good luck.

Edited September 14, 2017 by Gdawg69

[Gdawg69]

Also, with regards to the random generating method, since you have graciously given up your time to write up your career, I thought I'd take the time out and pull together an excel version of a random generator for club and country that would do the same trick as what you do, although with a few short cuts (Like rounds, rather than one by one elimination) which should save a great deal of time.

Basically you list all the countries down the left hand side that you are willing to manage in (I have listed a random 20 at the moment and based it on that).

I then take it to 15 (Highlighted in yellow) using a Random number generator and then ranking those random numbers - the first 15 numbers by rank are the countries taken forward.
I then repeat this step for 6 then 3 then last 1.

If you follow the excel formulas, you can create your own similar with a  larger number of countries. If not, if you are happy to forward me a list of all the countries on an excel, I will happily provide an excel to you with as many rounds as you want (i.e down to 40 from 51, then 30 from 40, then 20 from 30 and so on).

You can do this with clubs, you would just manually input all the clubs on the left hand side and go from there.

NOTE: Every time you do something on the spreadsheet and then click enter - new numbers are generated, so you can't do this round to round unfortunately, you would just click it once and then scroll through each round so an element of self discipline would be required. It would cut the time it takes down to a minimum, but you may like the suspense of eliminating 1 country at a time. Some people may like the outcome, some people may like the journey. I have tried to combine both but some things have to give.

Random League Generator - Football Manager.xlsx

Edited September 14, 2017 by Gdawg69

[trman73]

Hey gdawg, thanks a lot!!! I really appreciate your reading. OK the spreadsheet is excellent. I will absolutely use this for my FM18 career.

I don't think I'm finished with this career, but this was a real blow to my ego. I was totally jazzed to take over Liverpool and really envisioned a lengthy run there building them up to the top of EPL. Although you're right about one thing - I do get bored in jobs. Only twice that I can remember in all of my years of saves did I stay at a job for an extended period: once with Sampdoria, which I wrote a little about in this career update, and once with West Ham. So who knows what would have happened, but Liverpool had the perfect combination of a team I actually like in real life, a team that had fallen on hard times, etc.

Johnny the scenario you mentioned is actually pretty timely, because...

I sit out the remainder of the 2033-2034 season. Liverpool winds up in 10th place, and goes 5-6-7 in my absence to finish 13-9-16. United wins the title. On the last day of the season, Watford passes Leicester for 17th and is safe, while my old club is relegated.

The World Cup takes place and Germany wins its second straight and third in five Cups.

The United States completely flames out, losing to Switzerland, Cameroon, and Japan and not scoring a single goal. As I ponder my next move, nothing is inspiring me. Some huge jobs come up. Zidane leaves Chelsea for Leverkusen and the chips fall from there. At different points PSG, Juve, and City all come up. But I don't know what I want.

Then this happens...

I believe when I started my career, one of the goals I listed was to coach my home nation. Well now here's that opportunity. Unfortunately, they absolutely, completely, totally suck.

Now that is a team devoid of talent. Hell, all but two of their players play in MLS.

I need to take some time to think about this. If I make a four-year commitment, I'll be almost 65, and whatever job I take at a club will be, as Johnny said, my swan song. I'm having a tough time doing what gdawg said, which is just going with my gut. Maybe because I am actually sick today and am probably going to hit send on this, go back to bed, and hopefully wake up with a decision made. As of right now, I don't think I want this job. But when your country calls...

[Gdawg69]

That's great to hear, looking forward to your decision! (Go with the heart...).

Let me know if you want any help with the excel in the future.

[fridge73]

Sad to hear my favourite team sacked you. It is probably top 5 toughest job in football anyway. 

You should reject your country unless they allow you to do it part time with another job. You didnt seem too happy with the national scene last time.

 

PS: Any chance ofcopying the excel onto my iphone/ipad? I tried but it didnt happen. 

Edited September 15, 2017 by fridge73

[trman73]

Well I turned down the USA job, and nothing else came up before the start of the season that caught my eye. So for the first time since my 18-month coaching hiatus after being fired at Genoa I am unemployed heading into a season. I guess I don't rebound well from firings.

What I'd like to do is jump back into Premier League. The Bolton job came up and I should have gone for it but didn't. I'm going to wait it out and see what comes up mid-season I guess. My preferences are...

1. West Ham United - my favorite club IRL that plows through managers in the game, so this is a realistic possibility.
2. Watford - the last team to not get relegated last season, and the team whose coach leads the "sack race."
3. Sampdoria - My favorite Serie A team. Would jump on this in a second, although they seem pretty stable right now.
4. Leicester - I will take this team back even though they are in the Championship and right the wrong I did to them by quitting mid-season two years ago.

Edited September 15, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

The season begins and we get deep into November before some prime jobs start coming up, including Sevilla, Atletico Madrid, West Brom, and Wolves. But I don't take any of those jobs. On December 19, 2034, almost one full year after I was sacked at Liverpool, I am offered and immediately accept the manager position at...

YYYYYYEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!

Well, I am absolutely reinvigorated. Now this, honest to God, will be my last job of the FM 2017 save.

[trman73]

The story of how West Ham United became my favorite team is not that exciting, but FM plays a role in it. Really once the EPL started being broadcast in America during the 2012-13 season, I just basically picked them at random. Then I had an epic run with them in FM 14 that included me sitting in a hotel room, completely neglecting what I was supposed to be doing for work, and playing out a final regular-season game that saw us win to finish second in the EPL. Then, since I had already basically abandoned any sense of professional responsibility, I played out an FA Cup Final win over Manchester United to cap a glorious season with the Hammers. Then I walked down to the event I was supposed to be working and pretended to be ill.

So I've rooted for them since I've been able to watch Premier League games, and I have rarely missed one of their matches (NBC freaking screwed everyone this year with a change to their EPL package that requires you to purchase all but whatever signature games they broadcast, which is basically three Saturday games and two Sunday games. But that's probably for the best since West Ham has been terrible to start the season.)

Anyway, I sign a three-year contract to take over a team that is really struggling. Here's where we are on the day of my hiring...

Not good. For some reason this club decided to send away a significant number of quality players during the last two transfer windows, including one of the best keepers in the EPL (and I guy I was going to target at Liverpool a year ago), Pablo Benitez.

But the big problem thus far this season has been scoring. We've scored just 11 goals in 15 matches, second-worst in the league. The team's been playing a 4-4-2, and it's not working. Fortunately, I do see the personnel here to start playing my 4-3-1-2 formation, so I am going to go ahead and install that. This will also allow me to offload some guys who are highly valued, underperforming, and should get us some significant cash in the window to bring in some of my own personnel.

What we do have right now is financial resources. While I was given just a $4.6 million transfer budget, as of right now we're spending just $156 million of our $205 million payroll budget. Add the potential transfers, and I could have a lot of cash to play with.

We're also, despite our struggles in the EPL, in the semifinals of the EFL Cup, along with either Arsenal or City, Chelsea, and... Liverpool.

So I've got to look over our staff, install our formation, and get ready for a match tomorrow, at home against Chelsea.

I am so ready to roll with this!

 

[trman73]

A little background on West Ham in this save before I dive in...

The Hammers have been all over the place in the EPL...

They made the Champions League once after a miracle 4th-place finish in 2025 where they only had 67 points with a goal differential of just +12. They've been in Euro Cup four times (including after a third-place finish in their Champions League appearance), and had a run to the final just four years ago, losing to Leverkusen. In the four seasons since then they haven't finished in the top half of the league. They've made it to the quarters of the FA Cup three times, and this current run to the semis in the EFL Cup is their best showing since 2029, when they lost to Chelsea in the final.

In am their 11th full-time coach in the 19 years of this save. The guy I replaced, Josh Barrett, lasted just under a year (remember he was hired right before I got the axe at Liverpool, which was frustrating), and went 18-9-15 overall. Their last trophy overall was the 1980 FA Cup.

Personnel-wise, a number of staff members left with Barrett, so we're without a goalkeeping coach and have just one coach behind assistant Nathan Baker. I've kept all of the current staff members except a surplus fitness coach, and am poaching coaches from other clubs to fill out our team.

As for the players, there's some talent here but again, it's not being utilized properly. Just a quick rundown of the starting 11 I'm going with:

• GK Marcos Vinicius - A 30-year-old Brazilian who I will try to upgrade from immediately.
• DR Mirko Stanojevic - Our captain. He's having a terrible season thus far (6.47) but is talented.
• DCR Daniel - Another Brazilian. Another area to upgrade.
• DCL Rafik Mahsas - Probably our best defender. Suspended for my first match.
• DL Adrian Marriott - His defense is like a Marriott: you can walk right in and find a room.
• MCR Sander Drent - Quality player who again is not playing well now, but looks like a key piece. I considered bidding on him at Liverpool. Valued at $37 million.
• MC Cesar Meneses - One of my former Leicester guys. Can be trusted in the middle.
• MCL Sergey Tkachenko - Possibly our best overall player. But he's 31.
• AMC Oscar Bonet - Really good-looking Argentinian, and just 23. Cornerstone player, definitely.
• STCR Paulo Roberto - Another oldster at 33, but still has something left. Too many old guys on this club.
• STCL Daniel Boyer - Should lead the club in scoring under my system.

We have one guy, an Italian named Paulo Duranti, who's valued at $43 million and is a left winger. He goes on the transfer list and should fetch a nice price.

The subs appear fine, but there aren't enough of them, particularly at center midfield. I need to do some shopping in the window.

Edited September 16, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

December 20, 2034 - Premier League: West Ham (4-3-8, 15 pts., 15th) vs. Chelsea (9-3-3, 30 pts., 3rd)

Well things may get slightly worse before they get better here, as our first two matches are this home contest against Chelsea and then at the league leaders, City. Still, I'm incredibly excited to walk out onto the pitch at London Stadium, even if it's against one of the best clubs in the league.

We come out really strong and are putting pressure on Chelsea's defense, but we're not scoring. We are, however, winning a number of corners, and in the 22nd, we get one that finds Paulo Roberto for my first goal as West Ham manager! I really like how we're playing, and in the 28th a cross from Stanojevic finds Daniel Boyer and suddenly we are up 2-0! Oh, this would be a wonderful introduction to the West Ham fans here. Unbelievable, in the 32nd Sander Drent finds Roberto with a great lead pass, and it's 3-0. Incredible!!! It's 3-0 at the break, and all I can tell the guys is that they're playing incredibly well, and to keep it up.

Chelsea is Chelsea, and despite Vinicius making a couple of great saves early in the second half, they finally get one in the 61st to cut it to 3-1. But we're not done, and when Bonet finds youngster Joao Carrasco with a pass and he scores to make it 4-1, this one is in the bag. Chelsea gets one in the 79th and then another right before the final whistle blows, but the 4-3 score doesn't reflect how much we dominated this match. It's a great performance and a great start to my West Ham career.

[trman73]

December 23, 2034 - Premier League: Manchester City (11-1-2, 34 pts., 2nd) vs. West Ham (5-3-8, 18 pts., 12th)

No rest for us as we now visit the best team in the league thus far. Technically City is behind United, but they've played two fewer matches and the teams are tied with 34 points. The Chelsea win was a phenomenal start for us; this... would be a miracle. We're also without Paulo Roberto, who scored twice in the Chelsea match but was nicked up with a calf strain and will miss two weeks. Thankfully, our third quality striker, Chris Barker, is back from injury and slots in to Roberto's position.

Morale has completely changed following the Chelsea win, as just about everyone is feeling "very good." We've got four matches in the next 10 days, culminating with the New Year's Day match.

Things are going great in the first half. We're not getting much offense, but we're holding City back. Until stoppage time, when Daniel gets called for a penalty, which they convert, and 45 minutes of hard work goes for nought. They score a minute into the second half to make it 2-0, and there will be no miracle today. We give up a third late in the second half and we can't take down two top dogs in a row.

[fridge73]

Is the Marriott so bad?

 

Oh and FM2018 out on Nov 10! They have kept us guessing as nothing has been revealed. Based on experience, we should buy every 5th year as the progress is so slow in my opinon. 

Edited September 16, 2017 by fridge73

[trman73]

December 26, 2034 - Premier League: West Brom (3-3-10, 12 pts., 19th) vs. West Ham (5-3-9, 18 pts., 16th)

We go from one of the best teams in the EPL to one of the worst, as West Brom has lost its last five. The Roberto injury is a blow for us as we just didn't look sharp on the attack in our last match, although to be fair it was Man City.

I should note that the board expectation for my for the rest of this season is just to avoid relegation. If we're going to do that, and we are going to do that, we need results against teams like this.

Well, art imitates life here as the 0-0 scoreline is the same as today's real-life match between these two clubs. This is actually our worst match thus far. Although we play well defensively, this game really shows me that we have a lot of work to do on our attack, as we simply don't generate enough scoring chances. Maybe the Chelsea match was a one-off. But I'm encouraged in general about what we've got here, and I think with a few tweaks in the window we'll be set up for some second-half success.

[trman73]

Hey fridge, I actually like Marriotts and that's where I usually stay for about 90% of my travel. The player's name just left the door wide open for the joke.

I usually wait until the final patch comes out to really dig into a career. I'll get the game on day one, then read the message boards about all the complaints and wait until March when the final version is complete.

[trman73]

December 30, 2034 - Premier League: West Ham (5-4-9, 19 pts., 16th) vs. Middlesbrough (4-6-6, 18 pts., 17th)

We're back at home for the first time since the glorious Chelsea win, and our next three league matches are here at London Stadium. Here's our chance to get a little distance between us and the teams in the drop zone.

We haven't scored in our last two matches, but we get a break in the 22nd of this one as on a cross, Middlesbrough is called for a foul in the box and we get the penalty. Chris Barker takes and make it, and we're up for the first time since the Chelsea match. But Middlesbrough ties it less than five minutes later, and we go to the break 1-1.

The early going of the second half is all us. Barker gets his second of the match on a free kick, then Oscar Bonet, who I really think has star potential for us, scores on a pass from Daniel Boyer to make it 3-1 in the 54th. Barker gets his third of the match off a corner kick in the 66th, and we are cruising and have shaken off our offensive funk. This team had 11 goals in its 15 games before I got here. We've got eight in my first four matches. We're 2-1-1 in those four, and this is the start I had hoped for at West Ham.

[trman73]

The calendar rolls over to 2035, and that means the transfer window is open. We have offers in for no fewer than five players, and we secure one of them immediately:

With Marcos Vinicius' contract up at the end of the season, Leiva will be our goalkeeper of the future. He's been the backup at Newcastle for the past couple years, but he's ready to step into a starting role. I'm very pleased with this acquisition, which included a $7 million transfer fee and a $3 million annual salary. In a couple years, this will be a tremendous bargain.

January 1, 2035 - Premier League: West Ham (6-4-9, 22 pts., 12th) vs. Reading (4-7-8, 19 pts., 16th)

Just a two-day turnaround before we face another team we should do well against. Reading is back up after spending last year in the Championship, and they're doing what they can to remain up this year. But they are winless in their last five EPL matches and have given up 13 goals in that span. With us getting back on track offensively in our last match, I foresee more goals in this one.

We give up a goal in the 26th on a poor piece of defending that allows Reading to maneuver around our defense to score. But we get it back in the 35th on a nice goal from Barker, and we're even at the half. Both teams look tired in a sloppy, error-prone 45 minutes, and we're forced to settle for  1-1 draw. We're now 2-2-1 in my first five.

[trman73]

Things are happening on the transfer front as we're strengthening this club. We bring in three more players, and have three potential outgoings. First, we accept a $28 million offer ($18 million up front) for left midfielder Paulo Duranti. I expected more interest in him, but I'll take that sum for a guy who just doesn't have a position on this club. Gelsenkirchen appears to be his future home.

A number of MLS clubs have interest in 32-year-old backup left back Sean Wood, who is making $8 million a year. I would absolutely love to see him go. And MLS also appears to be the future home of 33-year-old right midfielder Jeff Griffiths, who's making $5.65 million. Again, crossing my fingers that he wants to move to the U.S.

As for incomings, we bring in three guys, all domestic...

Wilson is the big prize here, as he gives us another quality goal scorer. He's two years from a 21-goal EPL season with Huddersfield and was unhappy with them following last year's relegation. He was actually my top target overall in this window. Butterfield is a backup, as is Briggs, but we actually needed domestic players as we had just five total and two of them appear to be (hopefully) leaving us. With Wilson and Leiva, we've added two starters, and I've actually got one more move up my sleeve.

Things are happening at West Ham, people!

Edited September 16, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

January 6, 2035 - FA Cup, Third Round: Wolves vs. West Ham

This is one of just two third-round matchups between EPL teams in the FA Cup. Wolves are really struggling in the league and are in 18th place. I'm going to give my new guys starts here and let some of the guys who've been playing every minute for me thus far get a break. So Leiva is in net and Wilson starts at forward.

Prior to this match Duranti accepts a contract from Gelsenkirchen, and he's gone for $22 million. Griffiths and his hefty salary agree to join Atlanta United in February, and we are freeing up salary left and right. We spent $22.55 million on the four guys we brought in, roughly the same amount we got for Duranti. Exciting. I had to delay one final incoming transfer waiting for the Duranti move, and that can now go through.

This is a crazy one. Wolves score 80 seconds in, then add another in the 7th to go up, 2-0. We get one back from Barker in the 33rd, but then give it right back in the 38th and we're down 3-1 at the break. Early in the second half, Wolves commit literally the worst defensive play I've ever seen in FM. Their right back gets the ball, dances around with it as Wilson pressures him, then leaves the softest pass back to the goalie ever, which Wilson immediately intercepts and puts into the net. It's pure comedy out there and it's back to 3-2. But they score again in the 54th to go up 4-2, and this is a wild one. Our new goalkeeper may not be ready for prime time just yet. Wolves add a late goal, and we flame out of the FA Cup with a 5-2 loss.

[john1]

Such a shame you got sacked from Liverpool  But good start with West Ham, with a win over Chelsea  

 

Good luck with West Ham!

[trman73]

Hey john, thanks. I am happy to be at West Ham even though I'm not happy with how I got here.

Some additional transfer news, and it's great. Shaun Wood is moving on to FC Dallas next month, and we lose the 32-year-old's $8 million salary, which was through 2036. Excellent. We also bring in a loaner central midfielder from Stoke, 24-year-old Michael Erlenbeck, with an option to purchase him for $7.5 million after this season. He's valued at $15.75 million, so we'll see what he's got.

And we make our final move of what has been a frantic 10 days...

There were a lot of teams in the running for this guy, who comes over from Arsenal. He started for Wolves as a loaner two years ago as a 21-year-old and posted a 7.18 season rating.

So that's a starting and backup goalkeeper, a central defender, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder, and a forward in, and three non-starters out. I now have the makings of what I think can be a decent team next season, and we still get 14 million additional dollars to play with in losing two veterans' salaries to MLS clubs on February 21.

January 10, 2035 - Premier League: West Ham (6-5-9, 23 pts., 12th) vs. Southampton (5-6-9, 22 pts., 13th)

Southampton is right behind us in the table. After this our next three league matches are on the road, so it's imperative we get a result here. We're six points clear of relegation now, but my sights are actually set on a top half finish, and we're five back of that.

This is not a good game in the first half, as both teams are sluggish. But in first half stoppage time, we lob a ball into the box, two guys go up for it, it bounces right to Paulo Roberto, and he nails it for the goal to send us into the locker room up 1-0. Things are fine until the 77th, when Southampton gets a free kick from way out, and they lob it into the box where it's headed in for the goal that ties it. That ends the scoring, and they finds the net on their only shot of the game. A disappointing result.

[trman73]

January 13, 2035 - Premier League: Everton (8-7-6, 31 pts., 6th) vs. West Ham (6-6-9, 24 pts., 12th)

For some reason the pundits are saying that we're "facing the impossible" in this match while also asking me about the future of Everton's under-fire coach due to their poor performance this year. So who knows that to expect from this one. We haven't lost in the league since the City drubbing, but we're just 1-3-0 in those four matches and we've played some teams we really should have beaten. We've got a midweek match against my former employers in the EFL Cup semifinal, so I'm going to mix and match a bit here and see what happens.

This one starts bad and only gets worse. Everton scores in the 9th and the 19th to take control, then they add another midway through the second half. It's not a good performance from us, and we fall easily.

[Tajerio]

Fidalgo looks like a very good player, and with a little room left to improve no less.  Hope he's a rock for you back there for a while.

[trman73]

January 17, 2035 - EFL Cup Semifinal, Leg One: West Ham vs. Liverpool

Needless to say, this one means a lot to me personally, as I really want to beat this team. Advancing to the final is secondary to the personal satisfaction I would get out of this.

My replacement at Liverpool completely dismantled the team I built. Among the players let go in the transfer window immediately following my firing were Niklas Fliess, Bradley Kretzschmar, Robbie McKenzie, Valentin Jimenez, Adrian Sandoval, and Elias Sainz. Since then Adam Newton has also been jettisoned. Jovica Suvajac is still there and having his usual great first half, and there are still other familiar faces there (Florian Klaus, Jorge Acosta, Huge Schmidt), but all the changes they've made have not led to better results, as they are 8th in the EPL this year.

We get off to a good start as Sander Drent (which is a great Game of Thrones name), finds Daniel Boyer with a pass in the 7th to give us the early lead. We hold it at the half, but in the 55th, a Liverpool corner finds Anton Tulyakov for the equalizer. We have a couple good chances the rest of the way, but it's a 1-1 tie and we'll go to Anfield in a couple weeks needing to play well if we're to advance to the final.

Edited September 17, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

January 20, 2035 - Premier League: Crystal Palace (7-6-8, 27 pts., 11th) vs. West Ham (6-6-10, 24 pts., 13th)

For all my excitement over taking over West Ham, and for all the moves we've made, we actually haven't been very good in my first nine matches. We're just 2-4-3 over all competitions, and 2-3-2 in the league. We've scored 13 and allowed 18. Despite that we've moved up two spots in the league and the board is happy. I feel like we're looking solid for next season, but the fact is we've got 16 more games in the league season this year, and we're still not out of the relegation woods.

At no point in this game does either team put together a run of play that deserved to result in a goal. It's a 0-0 draw, our fourth in our eight league matches so far. This one was ugly.

Edited September 18, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

January 23, 2035 - Premier League: Burnley (4-4-15, 16 pts., 20th) vs. West Ham (6-7-10, 26 pts., 13th)

Burnley is the worst team in the league. Their -21 goal differential is easily the worst in the EPL, and we should, and need to, get three points here. We're just treading water, although each point we collect separates us from the bottom of the barrel. Paulo Roberto is sick today and will miss the match, so I pair Barker and Boyer up front. Our offense is just sputtering as we've scored only two goals in our last four matches. Burnley's only scored 13 goals in their 23 matches, so we could very well be looking at another exciting 0-0 draw.

Well we break out of our scoring slump early in this one as Boyer hits Oscar Bonet in the 8th for the opening goal. But scoring-averse Burnley gets it back in the 24th, and we're even at the break, 1-1. In the second half, we take over thanks to two long crosses. The first, in the 58th, finds Chris Barker, and the second, a great pass from Adrian Marriott, hits youngster Steve O'Connor in the 74th to give us a 3-1 lead. That's enough against our offensively-challenged opponents, and it's a solid 3-1 win.

Edited September 18, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

January 28, 2035 - Premier League: West Ham (7-7-10, 28 pts., 13th) vs. Stoke (9-7-8, 34 pts., 7th)

Stoke's been playing a bit over its head in the league but they've come back to Earth a bit and are 1-3-1 in their last five. With 34 points good for 7th right now, we're a solid run away from being in contention for a top-half spot. I'm going to stick with the pairing of Barker and Boyer at forward in this one, as they seem to play well off each other.

There's snow on the field for this one and we spend the first half slip-sliding around, with no one scoring. Finally, in the 64th, we get a corner kick, and Bonet sets it perfectly for the defender Daniel, who scores. But Stoke comes right back five minutes later and ties it on a cross. We have a couple good chances in the final 10 minutes, then make a couple of boneheaded defensive plays leading to two good Stoke chances in stoppage time, but no one scores the winner, and it's yet another draw for us, 1-1.

Next up... the second leg of the EFL Cup semifinal, and my first trip back to Anfield.

[trman73]

January 31, 2035 - EFL Cup Semifinal, Leg 2: Liverpool vs. West Ham (tied, 1-1)

Well it's my return to Anfield and to say I'd love to get a win here doesn't even begin to cover it. Unfortunately, none of the players we brought in during this window can play in this game, and we're also without two starters, as Daniel Boyer is out 3-4 weeks and Sergey Tkachenko will miss a few days. So it's bare bones for us here; we have four Under 21s on the bench for this game. But if we can just fight through the fatigue and get a result here, I'd be ecstatic. The winner of this match will face Chelsea, which knocked off Arsenal, in the final.

The teams spend the majority of the first half feeling each other out, but we're the stronger side. Late in the half, though, Liverpool commits a defensive blunder, failing to clear the ball in their end, and basically handing it to Paulo Roberto, who walks right in on the keeper, and scores to put us up! It's 1-0 at halftime, and we can either try to go defensive and secure a 1-0 win, or keep the pressure on. I choose to play our regular style and see if we can get a second goal.

I keep waiting for Liverpool to turn it up offensively in the second half, but it takes until the final 10 minutes for them to do so.They get a number of decent chances, but our defense holds, and Leiva makes a great save in stoppage time to preserve the 1-0 win. We are on to the EFL Cup Final, and I beat my former team in the process!

[trman73]

February 10, 2035 - Premier League: West Ham (7-8-10, 29 pts., 13th) vs. Manchester United (16-6-3, 54 pts., 2nd)

United has fallen behind City as teams finally start to even out in terms of games played. City has still played one fewer match, so they are likely to go even further ahead, and that creates some urgency for United here. We actually haven't lost a match since our drubbing at the hands of Everton just under a month ago. We've had 10 days off and we've only got two matches in all of February before we play in the EFL Cup Final March 1st and then get ready for the stretch run of the league. I'm pleased with where we are right now. We're certainly not great, but we're 3-5-2 in the league and 4-6-3 overall since I took over. I've had some success against United in my career, so maybe we can pull something out of our hat here. Javier Leiva has allowed just two goals in four matches since being inserted into the net permanently for us, but United is the highest-scoring team in the league with 49 goals. This will be a good test. and if we can even earn a home draw here we'll be good.

Nope. We're totally outclassed in this one and fall, 3-0. It's a decent first half after United scores early, but they add two in the second to put it away. We'll lick our wounds and come back in nine days for a match at Derby.

[trman73]

February 19, 2035 - Premier League: Derby (7-6-13, 27 pts., 16th) vs. West Ham (7-8-11, 29 pts., 14th)

We can't afford to be passed by Derby here and we should rebound from the poor performance against Man United here.

In the 5th minute, we get called for a handball right outside the box, and Derby converts the free kick to go up 1-0. But we rebound immediately, as we get a corner kick, it bounces around to Sander Drent, and he finds Oscar Bonet for the tying goal. Things settle down after that, but in the 62nd we get a corner, and Derby is called for a foul in the box. Jack Wilson steps up and converts with a shot right down the middle, and we have our first lead at 2-1. But Derby ties it back up on a bizarre goal in the 75th on a soft shot from the right side outside the box that Leiva just has to save. It's a miserable play by him, and it looks like we'll settle for a draw here.

But we won't, because Derby's Les Burton, my former Leicester player, scores not once, but twice in stoppage time, and we suffer an absolutely miserable 4-2 loss. Ugh. Terrible.

[trman73]

March 1, 2035 - EFL Cup Final: Chelsea vs. West Ham

Chelsea has won this competition four times and reached the final six times in the 19 times it's been played in this save. We were one of their victims, losing in the final in 2029, 2-0. They have won 11 total competitions in this save, including the Premier League title, the EFL Cup, the FA Cup, Euro Cup, and Champions League. We have not won a trophy since the 1980 FA Cup. So on the one hand, this is a lot bigger match for us than it is for them. On the other... it's Chelsea vs. West Ham.

Once again we have a number of key players who can't play in this one. And prior to the match, Paulo Roberto injures his hip in training and is out for two months. We have three 19-year-olds as reserves in this match, but we did against Liverpool as well. We just need to get by, remember that we beat this team earlier in the year, and play a good 90 minutes... or more.

We concede first, in the 15th, and I want to see how we react. We react well, and in the 22nd a great bit of passing from Boyer, Drent and Barker ends with Drent rushing to the net and taking a pass from Barker for the tying goal. Then less than five minutes later, Barker gets one of his own on a great bit of passing again, and we're up 2-1! This one's far from over, but we're off to a quality start here. As I'm typing that, Chelsea pulls even, and it's 2-2.

The majority of the second half is played in our end, but we fend off chance after chance, corner after corner... until the 77th, when Chelsea scores on a corner and takes the 3-2 lead. We go into overload mode, and have some chances, including a last corner in the final seconds, but Jonathan Valdes saves it, and we fall in the cup final, 3-2.

[trman73]

March 7, 2035 - Premier League: West Ham (7-8-12, 29 pts., 16th) vs. Wolves (5-7-15, 22 pts., 19th)

Okay we've lost three straight and we need to get a win here against a Wolves team that is really scuffling. No buildup for this one; let's get to it. We're without two forwards now, as Chris Barker joins Paulo Roberto on the shelf for a couple weeks.

Good God. We give up two early goals and we've got big problems. We're down 2-0 at the break, and I tear into the team. We get one back in the 59th, but we concede a penalty kick late, and fall, 3-1. I've got to make some changes with 10 matches to go.

[trman73]

March 10, 2035 - Premier League: Bolton (9-9-10, 36 pts., 10th) vs. West Ham (7-8-13, 29 pts., 16th)

We're just four points free of the relegation zone right now. I switch out three fourths of our defense and rearrange our midfield as well. We need to make something happen, today. I also hold a team meeting.

It's another bad first half as Bolton scores the lone goal in the 35th minute, and we're once again down at the break. This time, though, we rebound. Just two minutes into the second half, Oscar Bonet scores a nice goal to tie it, then in the 52nd Sander Drent finds Jack Wilson for the goal that puts us up. With the way our defense has been playing, I have a feeling we're going to need another goal, and we get it, from Wilson in the 84th. That's all we need, and it's a much-needed, and well-played, 3-1 victory.

[trman73]

March 14, 2035 - Premier League: West Ham (8-8-13, 32 pts., 15th) vs. Tottenham (17-6-6, 57 pts., 4th)

Spurs are having a great campaign this year and are easily in contention for Champions League. There's huge separation between the top five (United, City, Chelsea, Spurs, and Arsenal) and 6th place Everton, but Arsenal has a game in hand over Tottenham so this is a big one for them. It's a big one for us too, as with a win we can potentially pass a few teams. I'm sticking with my lineup from the Bolton match, as we played well and there's no reason to go back to the starting 11 that looked so poor in losing four straight.

We are by far the better team throughout the first half, but it looks like we'll go to the break 0-0. In stoppage time, however, Drent threads a beauty to a rushing Bonet, who scores to give us the 1-0 lead at halftime. This would be a huge win if we can hang on. We continue to apply pressure early in the second half, but can't get that second goal to give us a cushion. But the defense plays really well in this one, and although Tottenham turns it on a bit late, we hold them to just one shot on goal, and we pick up a huge 1-0 win in what is probably our best overall performance of the season.

[trman73]

March 24, 2035 - Premier League: Arsenal (17-5-6, 56 pts., 5th) vs. West Ham (9-8-13, 35 pts., 14th)

Arsenal is basically in fourth as they trail Tottenham by a point but have two games in hand, and this isn't one of them. Our next three games are all on the road as we visit Anfield next for my EPL return to Liverpool, then go to Watford to face a Hornets teams that's currently 10th. We've played two solid matches in a row, and a result here at Emirates Stadium would be phenomenal. We get another long break after this match before we finish up with our final seven matches of the season.

We play another good first half, and are tied 0-0 at the break. It looks like at the very least we can pull out a draw here, but Arsenal scores on a cross in the 77th, and we can't get the equalizer. That's a shame, because we play a solid game and deserved something from it, but it wasn't meant to be.

[trman73]

April 14, 2035 - Premier League: Liverpool (12-7-12, 43 pts., 9th) vs. West Ham (9-8-14, 35 pts., 14th)

I've played Liverpool twice, drawing and beating them to advance to the EFL Cup final. But I really want this one. They need wins if they want to jump into a Euro Cup spot, and I absolutely do not want that to happen. We've played three straight quality matches, including the loss to Arsenal. Liverpool's lost three of four, including a 2-0 loss to Arsenal at Anfield just three days ago.

In the 13th minute Bonet takes a free kick that bounces off the wall and finds the net to put us up, 1-0. In the 43rd we get a second, as Jack Wilson hits Chris Barker, just back from injury, with a nice pass and he scores. It's 2-0 at the break, and just 45 seconds into the second half, Barker returns the favor to Wilson, and it's 3-0! In the 62nd, Bonet misses a shot, but the rebound goes right to Barker, who scores his second, and it's a total rout. I desperately want the clean sheet, and we get it. It's a 4-0 win, one of the most absolutely satisfying of my entire career.

Now I want Liverpool to miss out on Euro Cup by a point.

[kidthekid]

Amazing victory against your former employers

[trman73]

April 21, 2035 - Premier League: Liverpool (9-11-12, 38 pts., 10th) vs. West Ham (10-8-14, 38 pts., 13th)

Something nice happens this week as our Under 23s win the Premier Division Cup. A trophy's a trophy, and we'll take it.

We've rebounded nicely in winning three of our last four and I'm now 6-5-6 in the league with West Ham. Watford has had a nice season, and they sit in 10th, but there are four of us tied with 38 points, so we can bump Watford and maybe Middlesbrough and Bolton as well with a win here. Our final five matches include both Man City and Chelsea, so we've got to win matches like this. We're 10 points clear of relegation, so that's not really an issue now, but to somehow wiggle our way into the top half would be a nice feat for us and would build some momentum heading into next season.

The offense is really clicking, as Oscar Bonet, Jack Wilson, and Chris Barker have combined to score all eight of our goals over the last four matches.

Well the streak ends... the streak of those three guys scoring all our goals. It takes just four minutes for us to grab a lead, and it's on a goal from defender Mirko Stanojevic, who scores from far out to make it 1-0. In the 38th we get a second goal from a defender as Bonet places a great free kick onto the foot of Felipe Fidalgo, who scores his first goal as a West Ham player. It's 2-0 at the half and things are going great, but Watford comes storming back in the second half, scoring one in the 67th and a second in the 73rd to tie it. Then in the 79th, they complete the comeback, scoring on a cross to take the 3-2 lead. Wow. I did not see this coming. What a huge disappointment.

Edited September 22, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

April 29, 2035 - Premier League: West Ham (10-8-15, 38 pts., 13th) vs. Newcastle (11-10-11, 43 pts., 8th)

We did in fact blow an opportunity to move into 10th with that Watford loss, as both Bolton and Middlesbrough drew. On the plus side, we still have a chance to pass them with a win today against a very average Newcastle team.

Bonet has become a fantastic free kick taker for us and he does it again right off the bat, nailing one in the second minute. But Newcastle ties it in the 32nd, and despite us outshooting them 10-1, we wind up with a 1-1 draw.

[trman73]

May 5, 2035 - Premier League: West Ham (10-9-15, 39 pts., 13th) vs. Manchester City (22-4-8, 70 pts., 4th)

City handed us a humbling defeat in my second match with West Ham, so I'd like to get some revenge here. They are in a battle for a top three spot with Chelsea (our next opponent), Arsenal, and United, so this is a big game for each team. We still have our sights set on the top half and we trail Bolton by three points for 10th (that Watford collapse still stings... we followed up one of my most satisfying wins with one of my most disheartening defeats).

Arsenal plays Chelsea in the biggest match of the week, with the loser probably out of the running for the EPL title.

City is the aggressor in the first half and they could easily have a two or three goal lead, but they hit the post once and the crossbar once, and it's 0-0 at the half. We're going to have to play better in the final 45 to get even a point out of this, though. We play much better to start the second half, and in the 59th we're rewarded, as Cesar Meneses fires a shot that bounces off the head of a defender and redirects into the net for his first goal of the season! City continues to bring it throughout the second half, and they hit another post, but amazingly our defense holds, and it's a huge 1-0 win for us! That's wins over Chelsea and City at home for me in my half-season in charge.

[trman73]

May 12, 2035 - Premier League: Chelsea (22-5-8, 71 pts., 3rd) vs. West Ham (11-9-15, 42 pts., 13th)

Chelsea's loss to Arsenal last week ended their chance at clawing back into the title race, as they now trail United by eight points and Arsenal by six points with three matches to go. But they are just a point up on City, and they have incentive to beat us here as we knocked them off with a great performance in my first match as leader of West Ham.

This is my 600th match as a manager in this save. My overall record is 330-116-153, good for a 55% winning rate. I've won two league titles (both Serie A wins at Juventus) and nine cups (six with Juve, including the two Champions League titles, plus the Chilean Cup, the Euro Cup with Roma and of course the 2026 World Cup with Italy). But I've won nothing in my time in England. Playing well against quality competition like this will help fix that, but honestly, I'm not optimistic about this one. Once again we're in a four-way tie for 10th, but we face the stiffest competition of those four teams this week.

Oh man, in the fourth minute of this one, Sander Drent leaves a pretty pass to Meneses, who flips it to Barker for the easy goal, and we're up 1-0. Our matches with Chelsea have been goal-fests (4-3 and 3-2) thus far, so I don't expect this will close the scoring by any means, but it's a great start. Sure enough, we only hold the lead until the 17th, when Chelsea ties it. They take the lead in the 33rd on a wicked shot from a cross, and we're down. It's 2-1 at the half, but Chelsea scores just a minute into the second, and this looks like a lost cause. Victor Bounou adds two more second-half goals, and rout us, 5-1. Two games to go, both winnable. Let's just put this behind us, and move on.

[trman73]

May 19, 2035 - Premier League: West Ham (11-9-16, 42 pts., 13th) vs. West Brom (8-8-20, 32 pts., 18th)

It's our last home game of the season and we should beat a West Brom team that probably has to win its final two to stay up. Amazingly, we're still in the running for 10th as we're just a point back of Middlesbrough, who we play to end the season. So a win here puts us in a decent spot heading into that final match. Arsenal has taken a one-point lead over United for the league lead as they look for their first EPL crown since 2004.

We score 45 seconds in on a goal from Jack Wilson, who has wound up being a really nice mid-season pickup for me. Then in the 9th, a corner is placed nicely onto the foot of Bonet, and just like that it's 2-0 and it looks like we have in fact shook off the Chelsea defeat. But we've given up leads this year, so we need to buckle down. But West Brom is just a mess, and they mount very little challenge. The two early goals are more than enough, and we win our home finale, 2-0.

[trman73]

May 27, 2035 - Premier League: Middlesbrough (11-13-13, 46 pts., 10th) vs. West Ham (12-9-16, 45 pts., 13th)

Last game of the year, and here's the EPL table...

Arsenal Arsenaled their last match, falling at home to Middlesbrough, 1-0, in a game they needed to win to stay at the top. With United visiting league doormat Burnley, it looks like they will take home their third straight title. Chelsea and City battle for third.

As for us, we can finish anywhere from 8th (lots of things need to fall in place for us for that to happen) to 14th (assuming Watford beats Chelsea on the road, a tough task). Most likely, with a win we finish 10th, 11th, or 12th, which I'll take all things considered. In the league, we're 8-6-8 since I took over, which would equate to 50 points over 37 games, good for 8th this season.

But none of that matters, really. We just need to finish strong and then get to work on 2035-2036.

Well as finales go, this one's a total dud. We concede twice early in the first half, and although Wilson gets one back for us, Middlesbrough scores off a corner in first half stoppage time, and we're down 3-1 at the break. They add a fourth late in the second half, and yuck, a bad ending.

[trman73]

2034-2035 West Ham Season Review

Well...

The Hammers went 4-3-8 (15 pts.) under my predecessor and 8-6-9 (30 pts.) in my 23 matches. Not particularly impressive, but we did see improvement once I took over. We had some quality wins (over Chelsea in my debut, the 1-0 victory over City in a match they really needed), and some poor ones (the terrible blown leads against Debry and Watford), and generally struggled with consistency. But I feel like the guys I brought in made a difference, and with some contracts running out, some guys who I plan to place on the transfer list, we'll have some financial flexibility to get younger and bring in some quality talent to complement the guys we've got who showed me something.

Here are our team awards...

I guess I can't argue with that, but in terms of how we played since I took over, I think our team MVP was AMC Oscar Bonet. That attacking midfielder position is so key for our attack, and I'm really excited to have a 24-year-old signed for the next three years who looks like he can control that position. My runners-up are MC Sander Drent and DR Mirko Stanojevic.

In terms of the guys I brought in during the winter, here's what they gave me...

• GK Javier Leiva - Conceded 24 in 15 matches, which isn't good, but he had five clean sheets and the goal total is skewed a bit by some poor games (five vs. Chelsea, four vs. Middlesbrough in the finale). He needs to be more consistent (I could probably pin the Watford and Derby meltdowns on him if I was being mean), but he's our #1 keeper for next season.
• GK Simon Briggs - Never saw the field, and wasn't even registered. Was brought in simply to be an English backup so I don't have to use an international slot there next year.
• AMC Tom Butterfield - Another backup, he posted a 6.75 rating in six games, all as a reserve.
• F Jack Wilson - A good signing. He finished with six goals, four assists, and a 7.19 in 16 games after becoming s starter for the final third of the year.
• MC Michael Erlenbeck - The loaner with an option to buy, I will probably decline to do so.
• DC Felipe Fidalgo - Started 12 matches with a 7.06. Was inserted into the lineup with 10 games to go, and I expect him to start next season.

So that was a good haul.

For outgoing players, this is what I'm looking at (and hoping for)...

• DR Jorge Priotti - 35 years old, making $4.5 million, retiring. Hooray.
• MR Jeff Griffiths - His move to MLS fell through, but his $5.65 million contract is up.
• GK Marcos Vinicius - Lost his spot to Leiva. Contract up for $2.5 million. Won't be renewed.
• MC Michael Erlenbeck - I'm undecided on buying him for $7.5 million. Money can probably be spent better elsewhere.
• DR Ardit Mali - A backup who has asked to be sent to Valencia. Happy to oblige him if an offer comes.
• DC Daniel - Surplus and making $5.5 million. Listed.
• F Paulo Roberto - 35 years old, making $7.5 million, and is our fourth forward. Listed and unhappy about it. Needs to go.

My goals for the summer are to bring in two additional central midfielders... one for the middle, and one for the left side.

I'm excited for the summer and to bring more of my own guys in.

 

Edited September 23, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

West Ham Off-Season Recap

Well for outgoing players, we do just about everything we set out to do, and a little more...

• Priotti, Griffiths, and Vinicius' contracts run out, saving us $12.65 million.
• We choose not to bring Erlenbeck on a permanent basis.
• Daniel moves to Bolton for a $2.4 million fee.
• Paulo Roberto goes to Lazio on a free transfer.

I also move backup left back Adam Bjorkman to Chamois Niortais for $12 million ($17 million with incentives). I didn't plan to move him, but that was a quality offer.

So from my to-go list, only Mali stays and he remains a backup right back.

For incoming players, we add five new faces...

• The big prize is Juan Pablo Cuevas, a 24-year-old Argentinian midfielder valued at $34 million and purchased from relegated West Brom for $21 million. He'll take the starting spot on the left side and should post quality numbers for us.
• We bring in two additional central midfielders: 23-year-old Mark Lloyd, who had 12 assists for Championship side Sunderland last year, and 21-year-old Dan Pavey from our rivals at Chelsea, who is a signing for the future.
• We also add a backup central defender to replace Daniel, 28-year-old Italian Aluisio. He's really our fifth center defender.
• Finally, we add 22-year-old forward Joel Reed-Dennison from Tottenham. He scored 20 goals for Sunderland on loan last season.

Here's our big addition:

I feel like I did what I set out to do, which was deepen the midfield, and in the process I made signings for the future, as of the players I brought in, only Aluisio is over the age of 24.

[trman73]

Off-Season Friendly Report

We hold our training camp in China for some reason, but only play a single game there. We do well in our five friendlies, although we don't play a particularly tough schedule:

• Northampton 0, West Ham 2 - We dawdle around for the first half but take control with two second-half goals against this League Two side we have an annual friendly with.
• Lam Pak 0, West Ham 7 - Our only match in China. Seven different players score. A joke match.
• Club Brugge 0, West Ham 2 - Probably our best performance overall, we dominate these guys.
• West Ham 3, SK Rapid Wien 2 - We give up our first goals of the pre-season, but this one wasn't as close as the score makes it seem.
• West Ham 1, Anderlecht 0 - Chris Barker scores his fifth of the pre-season in the 7th minute for the only goal.

So that's 5-0-0, with 15 goals scored and two conceded. We do suffer one injury, as center back Felipe Fidalgo is out for the first month of the season with a sports hernia.

[trman73]

West Ham 2025-2036 Season Preview

Our team has not finished in the top half of the Premier League table in five years, with our finishes over that stretch being 11th, 13th, 14th, 11th, and 13th. The board has set a goal that we change that, and I believe we can. Here's the team we'll do it with...

Goalkeeper - Javier Leiva returns and is the clear #1 keeper. He's still just 24, and I don't expect him to be one of the league's top keepers, but I do expect him to improve upon his 1.6 goals against average from last season. He's got a good defense behind him, particularly in the middle, so I want to see 10 clean sheets, and fewer than 52 goals allowed from him and, if needed, our backup, Simon Briggs.

Fullbacks - Right back Mirko Stanojevic was excellent once I took over. The 30-year-old Serb is more than solid. He's backed up by Ardit Mali. On the left side, Adrian Marriott had a ratings bump during the off-season, and the 25-year-old now faces little competition with Adam Bjorkman sent away. Dan Donoghue, a 21-year-old home-grown player, backs him up.

Central Defenders - The pairing of Felipe Fidalgo and Rafik Mahsas worked best for us last season, and they'll be the starting pairing once Fidalgo returns from injury. Solid backups here in youngster Ruben Luz and vet Mario Romero (who will start to begin the season).

Midfield - Ive got two options in the center: Ruben Meneses wins the starting spot to begin the year over Sergey Tkachenko, but I can see both getting time. I really like the guys flanking them: newcomer Juan Pablo Cuevas, and Sander Drent. I see a more creative attack for us this year with that pairing. Backups are again strong in newcomers Mark Lloyd and Dan Pavey, and youngster Steve O'Connor.

Attacking Midfielder - I have total faith in Oscar Bonet and he's quickly become my favorite player on the club. Tom Butterfield backs him up.

Forwards - Whenever I say I'm worried about our forwards they seem to come through, but I'm worried about our forwards. Jack Wilson and Chris Barker start, with Daniel Boyer and Joel Reed-Dennison as the backups. Let's just say I need Wilson and Barker to start 35+ games.

Of this group, Leiva, Fidalgo, Cuevas, and Wilson are "my guys." I'm slowly but surely getting this club respectable. But how respectable will we be?

Board Expectations - Premier League: Top Half; FA Cup: Fifth Round (Round of 16); EFL Cup: Not Important

I'm most worried about our start. Of our first seven matches, six are against teams that finished in the top half last season. We begin at Middlesbrough (9th), then home vs. Arsenal (2nd), at Newcastle (8th), home vs. United (1st), at Wolves (15th), home vs. Chelsea (3rd), and at Everton (7th). Tough. That's last season's top three finishers in our first six matches.

In looking at the schedule, the record I come up with is 15-11-12. That would give us 56 points and should certainly be enough for the top half. But that may be optimistic. At the same time, whenever I go into a season nervous we seem to do fine, and when I go in confident we struggle. I'm going to say that we struggle to start the season, but turn it around, and wind up with 54 points (14-12-12), finishing eighth in the league. I've stopped making predictions on the cups and frankly don't care about them.

Let's get 2035-2036 going!

Edited September 24, 2017 by trman73

[trman73]

August 11, 2035 - Premier League: Middlesbrough vs. West Ham

Middlesbrough was one of the few teams I played twice last year. We beat them at home 4-1, and laid a total egg against them in our season finale, losing by that same scoreline. The media is picking up 10th this season and they're picking Middlesbrough 11th, so this is a team we should be competing against all year for a top-half spot. They finished 9th a year ago, four points up on us, and if we hadn't wet the bed in that finale, we would have finished above them.

We catch a big break in the 22nd minute of this one, as Middlesbrough has a man pick up his second yellow card, and we're a man up. We don't take advantage in the first half, and go to the break 0-0. In the 68th minute, Middlesbrough gets a free kick, and Cesar Meneses commits a foul in the box for the penalty. It's converted, and we're down. In the final 10 minutes we go into attack mode, but we never get one past them, and despite being up a man for the majority of the match, it's a disappointing 1-0 loss in the opener.

[trman73]

August 18, 2035 - Premier League: West Ham (0-0-1, 0 pts., 15th) vs. Arsenal (0-1-0, 1 pt., 11th)

Arsenal drew 0-0 with Stoke in their opener. This week I was warned by the FA for complaining about the penalty called on us in the opener. Really I just wanted to see what happened if I did it, as looking at the replay showed that it could have gone either way. Also this week the EFL Cup Second Round draw is made, and we get a road game at MK Dons from League Two.

We dominate play in the first half but it looks like we may be shutout for the third straight half. Until... Oscar Bonet gets a free kick from right outside the box, and he nails it to give us the lead. Just a few minutes later, Bonet gets one the traditional way as he takes a pass from Cuevas and nails one from outside the box, and it's 2-0!

Early in the second half, we have a chance to really put this one away as Arsenal is called for a penalty, and Bonet takes it to put us up 3-0, but it's saved. Now I'm concerned about the momentum shift, and sure enough, in the 61st Arsenal gets one and it's 2-1. Ten minutes later, we are called for our second penalty in our first two matches. Arsenal takes it, and... Leiva saves it!!! Oh man, we hold the lead with 20 minuets to go on a huge save. But we're giving up way too many chances, including a handball by Bonet that honestly looked like it was in the box, but instead sets up a free kick that Arsenal airmails. Whew.

Giving up leads was an unfortunate theme for us last year, but we don't do that today. Arsenal generates a few more chances, but we hang on for a huge 2-1 win against last year's second-place team. What a fantastic home opener for us!

[trman73]

August 25, 2035 - Premier League: Newcastle (1-0-1, 3 pts., 9th) vs. West Ham (1-0-1, 3 pts., 11th)

Newcastle's coming off a 2-0 loss at Stoke, but they destroyed Derby 4-0 in their opener.

For the third straight game we don't allow a first-half goal, and it's 0-0 at the break. Early in the second, we strike first, as Bonet finds Sander Drent with a pass and he scores his first of the season to put us up, 1-0. Then in the 56th, we get our first goal of the year from a forward, as Jack Wilson crosses a ball right to Chris Barker for the 2-0 lead. This time around, we don't let our opponent back in it, as we keep the pressure on and win easily, 2-0. If only we hadn't allowed that PK against Middlesbrough... but still, wins at home against Arsenal and at Newcastle are great results in our first three matches.