abulezz Posted January 31, 2018 Author Share Posted January 31, 2018 Its crazy how one match can turn around years of financial hardship - we played Arsenal once and we went from financially poor to healthy! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marbah Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 just finished reading and I feel like this is the season you get out of the league 2 hell !!! lets do this Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 SEASON REVIEW 2029/2030 All of I have to say is 117 Goals, and you can understand the type of team I have. There is no consistency at the back – whether it is a lack of talent or just bad strategy on part, I don’t know, but it was yet another season of disastrous defending and non-existent presence at GK. Luckily, as has been the trend, our offense ranked 3rd best in the league, keeping us safely away from the relegation zone, leading us to finish in 18th Place. That is actually higher than our last two seasons (both 20th Place finishes), so I guess that is a good thing. We still don’t have a real GK prospect, and I fear until we do, we will linger in mid-table obscurity at best. GOALKEEPERS Jose Chanduvi (2023), 23 Years Old: We are not advancing anywhere if we don’t get a proper GK between our pots, and Chanduvi is definitely not it. This is his third year as a starter, and it is painfully obvious that – in a back-line that is bereft with inadequacy, he is the weakest link. Unfortunately, our Youth Academy has not given us a proper GK prospect since Stratful, and this continues to hold us back in a big way. 2.45 Con/90 is not a number we can build any type of promotion hope on. Rating: 4/10 LEFT DEFENDERS Prince Diallo (2023), 23 Years Old: The 6.55 AR he gave us this season was his career average, so to expect anything drastically different would be foolish at this point. He has not been what we had hoped for, and the only thing saving him at this point is the fact that the entire back-line is just as incompetent as he is. Not much more to say here. Rating: 4/10 CENTRAL DEFENDERS Alan Walker (2026), 19 Years Old: Talent-wise, there can be no doubt that he is amongst the best in the League 2, so quite why his form is 6.60 AR is a bit baffling to me – it just shouldn’t be that low. However, we cannot overlook the fact that 4 different Moderate injuries this season dampened his year, and limited him only to 35 Appearances. Still, this is his 4th year as a starter for us, and the 6.60 AR was actually the second highest figure he has given us so far! Drastic improvement is needed if we want to improve our defense overall. Rating: 5/10 Jordan Osei (2028), 18 Years Old: This is starting to look like Chris Johnson all over again – he has shown zero improvement in the past two years and his form as been dismal. This was his second year as a starter for our team, and although my coaching staff still have him at 5/5 PA, he needs to start showing some progress soon, otherwise he is going to enter his early 20s already being labeled a bust. In 45 Appearances, he registered 1.99 TpG and 6.56 AR, which actually represented an improvement over his 6.51 from last year. Rating: 4/10 RIGHT DEFENDERS Samuel Summers (2022), 24 Years Old: When a 6.66 AR is the highlight of your defensive line, you know something is very, very wrong. That is what Summers gave us in 44 Appearances, along with 3.36 TpG and 2 Assists – his AR this season was the third highest mark of his career thus far. His skill-set has him more suited for a CD role, but we didn’t really have an alternative at right-back and we have plenty of (underachieving) CDs. Overall, even though it was not a good season from him, the fact remains he was the best performing defender we had. Rating: 5/10 CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS Jake Strutton (2022), 23 Years Old: This was a decent season from the malcontent, who seemingly prefers to spend his days complaining. In 39 Appearances, he registered 3 Goals, 6 Assists, 75% Pass Ratio, and 6.95 AR, which was down from 7.13 AR last year. He’s always unhappy about something, and it seemed to affect his form a little bit, but he remains our best CM by a long shot. He has become one of our longest serving players, playing in 289 League Games thus far in his career. Rating: 6.5/10 Tim Cross (2023), 22 Years Old: The last two seasons have been injury-riddled for Cross, and it has shown in his form, as he registered a career-low 6.79 AR (not counting seasons with under 10 Games played). He only played in 33 Games, registering 3 Goals and 2 Assists, a long cry from the 13 Goals he gave us just two seasons ago. I hope the injuries don’t have a lasting effect on his form – he already was an unconventional CM for us, so any hit in his skills would theoretically destroy his form. Rating: 5.5/10 LEFT WINGERS Michael Thomas (2025), 20 Years Old: This was not a good season from our starting left winger and the player with one of the best potential in the squad. He continues to insist he needs to play for a bigger club, and that could have affected his form somewhat – in 35 Appearances (he has to deal with a number of injuries this season), he registered 5 Goals, 7 Assists, and 6.66 AR. All of his numbers were down significantly from last season, and he ended up being more of a liability to our attack than an added value. Hopefully, this is just a one off, and he will get back to decent form next year. Rating: 5/10 RIGHT WINGERS Danny Barry (2021), 24 Years Old: After two consecutive disappointing seasons, Danny Barry finally redeemed himself somewhat this year – he played in 43 Games, registering 7 Goals, , 10 Assists, 2.12 DpG, and 6.99 AR, which was his highest mark in 5 years. Again, I look at his age and cant believe he is only 24 years old, as his 427 League Games and 9 seasons with us would point to him being older. The diminutive winger (who is only 5’5) continues to rely on his pace to threaten the opposition, and I hope we will see a trend upwards in the coming years as he enters his peak. It was not a great season from him, but much better than previous years. Rating: 6.5/10 FORWARDS Michael Thomas (2017), 29 Years Old: I think this was Thomas’ finest season of his career – the club legend and finest player in our history thus far was outstanding from start to finish. His 32 Goals were tied for second in the league, and his 7.18 AR was second best on the team. After two years of dealing with injuries, Thomas played in all 46 Games, and also registered a career-high 16 Assists, which was amongst the best in the League 2. In our 11 years in the League 2, he has failed to score 20 or more Goals in only 2 seasons, and the 32 Goals was actually a career-high. Even though Knill is a lot more talented, it is without a doubt that Thomas remains our talisman. Rating: 8/10 Pearce Knill (2022), 24 Years Old: For a record 4th straight year, Knill was named the Kafra Player of the Year – he is now second only to Michael Thomas, who has won the award 5 times in his career. He was outstanding again this season – 46 Appearances, 29 Goals, 16 Assists, 8 PoMs, 2.23 DpG, 7.48 AR, all of which were career-highs except for the Assists. Between himself and Thomas, they kept our team out of the relegation battle and in respectability (somewhat). The good news is, he is unhappy because he wants a new contract, which I will try to work out with him in the summer. Under no circumstances can I allow him to leave the club, as he is our best player by a long margin at this point. Rating: 9/10 HOT PROSPECTS None. YOUTH INTAKE Ahmad Harb - Brandon Boud – Dafydd Jardine I am not a big fan of this Intake – we have some potentially useful players, but again, no GK prospect, which we are in desperate need for. Ahmad Harb will no doubt be a contributor, perhaps as early as next year, as a back-up for Danny Barry, and who knows – maybe a few years down the line he will become the more talented of the two. I am not really a fan of anyone else, though. Rating: 6/10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 On 2/8/2018 at 01:37, Marbah said: just finished reading and I feel like this is the season you get out of the league 2 hell !!! lets do this Lol - I wish! Still struggling to hit mid-table Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 13, 2018 Author Share Posted February 13, 2018 World Cup 2030 - Italy Going In to the World Cup: - Defending champions Portugal and defeated 2026 Finalists Holland both were amongst the favorites to be featured in the Quarter-Finals at least in Italy 2030. - Italy and England both featured strikers that were considered the best in the world, with Brazil’s midfield widely considered the best in the world. Group Stages: - The first big casualty came in Group B, as defending champions Portugal crashed out in the Group Stages, with Mexico and Belgium qualifying ahead of them. - in Group E, 2026 Finalists Holland also crashed out, as Australia surprisingly topped the group and the Czech Republic finishing in 2nd Place. - Marco Asensio, Real Madrid and Spain midfielder, ended the Group Stages as its leading scorer with 5 Goals despite his 34 years of age. Second Round: - The hosts Italy defeated Mexico in Extra-Time 1-0 in a tough match, advancing to the Quarter-Finals for only the second time since 2010. - England made short work of Belgium, winning 3-0 with a brace from 22 year old Man United striker Anthony Britto. - A penalty in extra-time gave France the 1-0 victory in a tough encounter against an impressive Croatian team, setting up a dream Quarter-Finals matchup with Italy. - Brazil were another high profile team that performed under expectations as they were defeated convincingly by the neighbors to the south Uruguay, who won 2-0. - Both Germany and Colombia won their matches 3-0, defeating the Czech Republic and Australia, respectively. This was Germany’s first trip to the Quarter-Finals since winning the tournament at Brazil 2014, while Colombia were trying to do better than their 4th Place finish in 2026. - Algeria made their second consecutive trip to the Quarter-Finals after a massive 2-1 extra-time win over Argentina, but their African counterparts Nigeria lost to Spain 1-0. Quarter-Finals: - Perhaps the finest player currently in the world, Oliver Chambers-Bramley scored a brace in England’s 2-0 victory over Uruguay, bringing his total to 3 Goals in this World Cup. After a bit of disappointing tournament at Mexico 2026, Chambers-Bramley lived up to his reputation, with a 8.20 AR going into the Semi-Finals as 2018 winners advanced to that stage for the second consecutive time and third time in four tries. - In a huge match, the hosts Italy defeated France on penalties after finishing the match 1-1. This represented the first time Italy had advanced to the Semi-Finals since they won the whole thing at Germany 2006. - Spain defeated Germany surprisingly easily, putting three goals past them on the way to a 3-0 victory. Going into the Semi-Finals now, Spain had conceded only 2 goals. - Colombia made their second straight Semi-Finals appearance, led by Felipe Arias of Man City, as they defeated an impressive Algerian side on penalties after a 3-3 end to the match in what was perhaps the most entertaining so far this tournament. Semi-Finals/Finals: - The hosts advanced to the Finals for the first time since 2006 after defeating Spain 3-0 in an outstanding victory – Italy were now one win away from winning its fifth World Cup title. It was Man United striker Emilio Taurone who played the hero, netting a hat-trick to send their regional rivals packing. - England defeated Colombia 2-1 to make its third ever trip to the Finals, where they would face the hosts Italy. The South Americans played a tough match, but the superior talent of the English shone through in the end, with an 87th minute late goal from their talisman Oliver Chambers-Bramley sealing the deal. - The Finals belonged to England, who defeated Italy 3-0 behind Jadon Sancho’s brace. This was the third title in England’s history, and this was potentially their most talented team of all-time. After struggling in the Group Stages (drawing to Italy and losing to the USA), the English got it together and steamrolled through the Knockout Stages, getting better with each round. The Italians were disappointed with the loss, as they were considered perhaps the favorites to win the trophy. Awards: - Spanish midfielder Marco Asensio won the Best Player award, thanks to him 5 Goals (tied for top) and 7.82 AR while leading his nation to a Semi-Finals appearance. - The Best Young Player was, without a doubt, Algerian striker Abderrahmane Belkeleb – the 21 year old Southampton striker was joint top goalscorer with 5 Goals, nearly leading Algeria to their first ever Semi-Finals appearance before losing to Colombia in the Quarter-Finals. - The Best GK award went to England’s Christopher Larkin, whose play was one of the primary reasons England won their third ever World Cup title. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noikeee Posted February 15, 2018 Share Posted February 15, 2018 One day, you'll move past League 2. Hopefully some time within the next 2 or 3 decades. This is just so tough man, your patience is amazing, I'd be running in circles trying new tactics every 5 matches, and possibly given up 10 seasons ago. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 16, 2018 Author Share Posted February 16, 2018 20 hours ago, noikeee said: One day, you'll move past League 2. Hopefully some time within the next 2 or 3 decades. This is just so tough man, your patience is amazing, I'd be running in circles trying new tactics every 5 matches, and possibly given up 10 seasons ago. Honestly, I have never had it this rough - this team just cant figure it out at the back in addition to my Youth Academy not delivering the type of players I need. Tough save! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 18, 2018 Author Share Posted February 18, 2018 Is this the season it finally turns around?! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxToBox Posted February 18, 2018 Share Posted February 18, 2018 Come on! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noikeee Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Holy ****, what a difference! Time to cross all fingers and toes and everything! Could there maybe even be a promotion on the cards here? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marbah Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 come on boiiss !!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted February 26, 2018 Author Share Posted February 26, 2018 On 2/18/2018 at 12:12, BoxToBox said: Come on! On 2/19/2018 at 02:38, noikeee said: Holy ****, what a difference! Time to cross all fingers and toes and everything! Could there maybe even be a promotion on the cards here? On 2/20/2018 at 01:59, Marbah said: come on boiiss !!! Ive been away on a trip but finally getting to some FM action tonight - I can tell you that a playoff spot at least is looking like a real possibility this year! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidBeckham Posted February 27, 2018 Share Posted February 27, 2018 Fantastic work mate! Good luck for the play-offs!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted March 2, 2018 Author Share Posted March 2, 2018 We're finally putting ourselves in a position to make the play-offs, and during that vital last two month stretch, what do you expect would happen? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxToBox Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 Ahhh, bloody hell. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share Posted March 8, 2018 Please let this be the year we move up - we are in the playoffs! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share Posted March 8, 2018 We beat Lincoln in the Semi-Finals, and now we are here: Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share Posted March 8, 2018 Mission Accomplished! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxToBox Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 Yesss! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidthekid Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Fantastic Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
After Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 Congratulations!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marbah Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 yuhu congrats man Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noikeee Posted March 12, 2018 Share Posted March 12, 2018 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted March 13, 2018 Author Share Posted March 13, 2018 On 3/8/2018 at 14:03, BoxToBox said: Yesss! On 3/8/2018 at 21:40, kidthekid said: Fantastic On 3/10/2018 at 13:19, After said: Congratulations!! On 3/12/2018 at 04:08, Marbah said: yuhu congrats man On 3/12/2018 at 05:52, noikeee said: LOL - thanks guys. Update should be coming soon, and then its off to League 1! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted March 14, 2018 Author Share Posted March 14, 2018 SEASON REVIEW 2030/2031 The struggle is finally over – we have finally been promoted from the League 2! The team finally figured it out – we were the top offensive team in the league, and we improved just enough on defense to give us the chance we needed to make the Play-Offs. The 20th best defensive team in the league is nothing to be proud of, but when we were able to advance to the League 1, I am not going to dwell. I have no fears about our offense – we were outstanding at that end of the pitch, despite facing some heavy injuries. Our defense, obviously, continues to be close to shambolic, but at least there is hope of continued improvement. GOALKEEPERS Jose Chanduvi (2023), 24 Years Old: For the first time since he became a starter, he registered Con/90 (1.78) below 2.00. It’s not that his play improved, however – he was still mediocre at best – but the defensive line in front of him played better. He was not up to standard in the League 2, so it is going to be real difficult for us in League 1 with him starting. Unfortunately, he remains the best we have at the position, with no real GK prospects coming out of our Youth Academy in years. Rating: 4.5/10 LEFT DEFENDERS Prince Diallo (2023), 24 Years Old: When a 6.70 AR represents a career-high, you know you have some improvements to make as a player. The positive thing is, he gave us his finest season yet! Yes, it was mediocre in every sense of the word, but he did perform considerably better this season as opposed to last. In 43 Games, he registered 3 Assists, 3.78 DpG, and 6.70 AR, which was much better than his 6.56 AR career average. Overall, he certainly has a decent amount of talent for this level, and I am glad he improved, but we still need a lot more from him to be alright at this position. Rating: 5/10 CENTRAL DEFENDERS Alan Walker (2026), 21 Years Old: A career-best season from Walker, our most talented central defender still needs to show us a substantial amount more to live up to his potential. In 43 Games, he registered 3 Assists, 2.91 TpG, and a career-high 6.72 AR (he has a career average of 6.60 AR). We’re going to need him at his best next season, and I hope he can start living up to his talent. Rating: 5.5/10 Jordan Osei (2028), 19 Years Old: He looked so good coming out of the Academy, but three years later I have seen almost no improvement from Osei – he is in real danger of becoming yet another underachieving CD that the Youth Academy has given us. That being said, he was our best performing CD – in 45 Appearances, he registered 2.17 TpG and 6.74 AR, which is encouraging. If he can just start showing some improvement in training, then we can start thinking about him as a long term solution – if he doesn’t, which he hasn’t so far, it is going to be difficult to do so. Rating: 5.5/10 RIGHT DEFENDERS Samuel Summers (2022), 25 Years Old: Following the trend of the rest of the defensive line, Summers also had a career year – in 38 Appearances, he registered 2 PoMs, 4.04 TpG, and 6.79 AR, which was the best amongst all defenders. He is probably better suited to play CD, but given the depth at that position and the lack of it at RB, he will have to remain on the right flank for the time being. He’s been a starter at the club for the past 6 years, and if he can give us another season like this in the League 1, I will not have any real complaints. Rating: 6/10 CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS Jake Strutton (2022), 24 Years Old: A fine season from our most talented CM – Strutton showed his class and managed to somehow improve his abilities despite being in his mid-20s. In 41 Appearances, he registered 2 Goals, 6 Assists, 3 PoMs, 1.37 TpG, 77% Pass Ratio, and 7.08 AR – in comparison, his career average is 7.00 AR. His 2,541 Completed Passes were by far the best on the team, and he is the heart of our team in the middle. When his unhappy, he is a disaster, but he was content throughout the season, so he was able to give us good form. He is definitely one of the key players heading into our first season in the League 1. Rating: 7/10 Tim Cross (2023), 22 Years Old: With Knill out for a considerable amount towards the end of the season and Michael Thomas having to deal with several nagging small injuries, Cross ended up spending a lot of time as a striker, and he was fantastic for us. In 42 Appearances, he registered 26 Goals, 6 Assists, 7 PoMs, and 7.25 AR – this was, by far, his finest season, and in fact he was named in the League 2 Team of the Season. Rating: 5.5/10 LEFT WINGERS Michael Thomas (2025), 21 Years Old: Talent-wise, there is no denying that Thomas is one of the best on our squad, but his inconsistent form is troublesome. The second half of the season was much better from him, though, and he was one of the main catalysts that catapulted us to promotion. In 37 Games, he registered 2 Goals, 9 Assists, and 6.83 AR – not impressive numbers by any standard, but given how bad his form was during the first few months of the season, I will take it. He is easily the best left winger we have, but I really hope he keeps it up next year. His speed is a useful tool, and he has shown ability to find the open man with his crosses. He has now earned 17 Caps for his nation (Trinidad and Tobago), making him the most capped player on the team. Rating: 6.5/10 RIGHT WINGERS Danny Barry (2021), 26 Years Old: After years of giving us mediocre performances, Danny Barry from the mid-2020s returned to us in glorious form and was a huge presence for us this season. In 45 Games, he registered 10 Goals, 19 Assists (Tied for 1st in League 2), 5 PoMs, 2.13 DpG, and 7.20 AR, which was the second highest mark of his career. One of the primary reasons we were the top offense in the league, Barry was a threat down the right wing almost every game we played, and he has become one of the leaders and most influential players at the club. If he keeps this up for a few more years, he will easily become a club legend. Rating: 7.5/10 FORWARDS Michael Thomas (2017), 30 Years Old: Despite a drop in his athletic ability and having only starter 35 Games (he made 8 substitute appearances due to injuries), he still scored 20 Goals and gave us 7.21 AR, his highest average since the club started playing in the League 2. I don’t know if he will keep it up in League 1, but Thomas was again great for us this season – in fact, he was named the Kafra Player of the Year for a record 6th time, and for first time since 2025. He added 15 Assists, as well, which was just one off of his career-high. He is not the most talented guy on the team, but he remains our most influential, and he is easily the greatest player we have ever had thus far. Etched in club folklore, Thomas will get every chance to shine in the League 1 in terms of playing time. Rating: 7.5/10 Pearce Knill (2022), 25 Years Old: It is almost a given that had he not broken his leg – which ruled him out of the last two months of the season and he will only be ready to play towards the end of 2031 – he would scored over 30 Goals for the first time in his career. For the season, he made 39 Appearances, registering 28 Goals, 13 Assists, 4 PoMs, 2.74 DpG, 51% Shot Target, and 7.34 AR. He is our best and most talented player, and I hope he will make a full recovery from his broken leg - the fact that we are going to play almost half a season without him next year is also going to be tough. Rating: 8/10 HOT PROSPECTS Brandon Boud (2030), 17 Years Old, DC: Boud surprised me with how quick he showed improvement, and I gave him plenty of chances in the first team – he made 18 Appearances (3 of them as starter), and while he wasn’t terribly impressive, he still gives cause for optimism. As long as he keeps improving in training, he will have a chance. Intake: 0.5/5 CA, 4/5 PA – Current: 1/5 CA, 4.5/5 PA YOUTH INTAKE Matthew Hall – Ricardo Harewood – Sam Sutton I must admit, I am very excited about Matthew Hall – I’ve been wanting a talented CM prospect, and Hall looks like he might fit the bill. Of course, this is all contingent on how his abilities improve over the next few years, but he looks promising thus far. Both Harewood and Sutton look like they could etch a role for themselves down the wings. Overall, I am generally happy with this intake. Rating: 7/10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidthekid Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 Nice!! Two more tiers to go Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marbah Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 Lets take league 1 by storm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted March 23, 2018 Author Share Posted March 23, 2018 On 3/15/2018 at 11:49, kidthekid said: Nice!! Two more tiers to go On 3/15/2018 at 12:25, Marbah said: Lets take league 1 by storm So far we're struggling, but above the relegation zone, which is the most important thing I guess. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted May 2, 2018 Author Share Posted May 2, 2018 SEASON REVIEW 2031/2032 GOALKEEPERS Jose Chanduvi (2023), 25 Years Old: Mercifully, this will be the last year the Peruvian will be our starting GK. In his 5 years as starter, he conceded 470 League Goals (!!), 80 of which came this year (2.41 Con/90). His 6.66 AR was actually below his 6.71 AR career average, a great indicator of just how weak the position has been the past few years. The Kafra Youth Academy finally gave us a GK prospect, and he immediately replaced Chanduvi, so he did not even get to finish the season – the difference was felt immediately. Thanks for the effort, Jose, but we must be moving on! Rating: 4/10 LEFT DEFENDERS Prince Diallo (2023), 25 Years Old: After a decent (by his standards) season that gave space for optimism, he reverted back to the Diallo we are used to – his 6.51 AR was not even the lowest of his career, amazingly. That brings his career average to 6.56 AR – once he realize he has been starting for us for the past 8 years, it becomes all the more shocking. I might just take my chances with whatever prospects I have next season, because clearly, despite his superior abilities, the Diallo experiment has all but failed. Rating: 4/10 CENTRAL DEFENDERS Alan Walker (2026), 22 Years Old: Walker did not give us a good season, but considering how bad our defense was overall, there is not much to complain about, really. In 44 Appearances, he registered 2.21 TpG and 6.67 AR, which sadly enough actually represented his second highest mark in his career. No doubt, in terms of ability, he is our finest defender, but whether he is up to par for this level football remains to be seen. Rating: 5/10 Jordan Osei (2028), 20 Years Old: Like Walker, considering how bad our defense was overall, I cannot pinpoint too much about Osei’s form. The Ghanaian played in 38 Games, registering 2.21 TpG and 6.69 AR, almost an exact replica of the season Walker had. Osei never developed as promised and will most likely never live up to his potential, but he has become serviceable for us at CD. His ability in the air remains his strongest trait by quite a bit of distance. Rating: 5/10 RIGHT DEFENDERS Samuel Summers (2022), 26 Years Old: Now one of the oldest players on the squad, Summers might have lost his starting position at right back for good with the emergence of a couple of intriguing prospects. He played in 39 Games, registering 3.95 TpG and 6.60 AR, his lowest mark in three years. That being said, he remains a durable, versatile member of the rotation, so he will definitely still get decent playing time as we move forward. Rating: 5/10 CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS Jake Strutton (2022), 25 Years Old: This was the first season in four years that Strutton did not register a league goal, and his 6.90 AR was his lowest mark since the 2024/25 season. That being said, he was still one of our better players, and despite bouts of inconsistency, rarely made a costly mistake. He was a vital part of our midfield play, and if history is anything to go by, he will have a bounce-back year next season. Rating: 6.5/10 Tim Cross (2023), 24 Years Old: It was another good season from our CM/Striker hybrid – he must be the highest scoring midfielder in the league, I think. In 46 Games, he scored 15 Goals and registered 4 Assists, 2 PoMs, and 7.12 AR, the second straight year he registered over 7.00 AR. Obviously, his value to us has skyrocketed over the last couple of years, and he has become an essential member of our team that can play in two very distinct positions. As long as he keeps scoring the way he does, it more than makes up for his other shortcomings as a midfielder. Rating: 7/10 LEFT WINGERS Michael Thomas (2025), 22 Years Old: The Trinidad and Tobago international (24 Caps/1 Goal) gave us the best season of his young career thus far – in 40 Appearances, he registered a career-high 12 Goals, 10 Assists, and also career-highs of 5 PoMs and 6.96 AR. His improvement over the past three years have been steady and solid, and he is now at a point where we can finally consider him playing up to his potential and talent. He is still young enough to show substantial improvement both in form and ability, so hopefully we will see some of that in the next couple of years. Rating: 7/10 RIGHT WINGERS Danny Barry (2021), 27 Years Old: Although our legendary right winger has had better seasons, this was still a pretty decent one. His goalscoring was down (3 Goals, down from 10 Goals last season), but his 18 Assists was impressive, and he did play in 42 Games, proving his durability once again – for the record, Barry has never played in under 40 Games in a season. He registered 6.98 AR (down from 7.20 AR), and he did have a few unimpressive games here and there, but generally speaking, there is no negative remarks to say about Barry. He has become one of the legends of the club, and I am looking forward to him going back over the 7.00 AR mark next year. Rating: 7/10 FORWARDS Michael Thomas (2017), 31 Years Old – Career: If you were looking at only his abilities, then there is no way you would figure Thomas’ would be what he is, but here we are. Again, our greatest ever player gave us 20 Goals to go with 15 Assists (same as last year), which brings his career totals to 355 Goals and 144 Assists – incredible numbers for such a “limited” player. His 6.93 AR was his lowest in seven years, but that is to be expected as his body starts to age and his career starts to wind down. Still, the fans love him to bits (as do I), and he will remain part of our lineup until it is no longer viable to do so. Rating: 7/10 Pearce Knill (2022), 26 Years Old: For the 5th time in his career, Knill was named the Kafra Player of the Year – only Michael Thomas’ 6 awards eclipse that of our star striker. The good news is that he showed no ill effects from his broken leg that ruled him out of the end of last season and the beginning of this one, and he managed to play in 35 Games, registering 23 Goals, 11 Assists, 6 PoMs, and 7.22 AR. While there are some real concerns about his overall durability and proneness to injury, we do not have a more talented player on the roster than Knill. He is already a club legend, and if he keeps this up for the next few seasons, then we would have to have a real debate about who is our greatest of all-time: Thomas or Knill. Rating: 8/10 HOT PROSPECTS Xu Han (2028), 19 Years Old, Left Back: He got quite a bit of playing time this season, and I am strongly considering trialing him as our starting left-back over Diallo next season to see how he responds. His 4.36 TpG is encouraging, and he has good speed and quickness, which are vital for the position. Our club coaches are extremely high on his potential, which is another encouraging sign. Intake: 0.5/5 CA, 4/5 PA – Current: 2.5/5 CA, 5/5 PA Dafydd Jardine (2030), 18 Years Old, Right Back: The man that will potentially replace Summers at the starting right-back position next year, Jardine showed me enough this year to give him a chance. He did not play well, but taking into account his improvement in abilities and general ambition, I believe he has a good chance to perform for us. Intake: 0.5/5 CA, 3.5/5 PA – Current: 2/5 CA, 5/5 PA Brandon Boud (2028), 18 Years Old, Central Defender: After playing 18 Games last season, he only had 2 Appearances this year – I would have liked to get him more, but that is just the way it played out. He also did not show much improvement in his abilities, although he can still be considered one of our better players at the position. Intake: 0.5/5 CA, 4/5 PA – Current: 1.5/5 CA, 4/5 PA Matthew Hall (2031), 16 Years Old, Central Midfielder: I believe Hall will be a star for us in a few years time, and he has yet to show me any signs that would make me doubt my prediction. I gave him a lot of playing time in his rookie year – he had 26 Appearances, registering 6.69 AR. He has yet to turn 17 years old, so he is still extremely young, but he has shown good dedication in training that resulted in some marked improvement in his abilities. Intake: 1/5 CA, 4.5/5 PA – Current: 1.5/5 CA, 5/5 PA YOUTH INTAKE Joshua Spence - Keon Forte – Lloyd Hartley It was bound to happen after so long – we finally get a decent GK prospect! I wasted no time throwing him directly into the starting lineup – the sooner he develops, the better. Overall, this was a pretty decent Intake, with a couple of prospects that could end up breaking the rotation. Hartley looks like he could be a serious contributor in the middle of the pitch, while Forte looks like a pretty decent option at right wing for us. The prize here, however, is Spence – if we can get him to develop into a solid GK, that is our weakest area finally addressed. Rating: 7.5/10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noikeee Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Strong season IMO, 13 points off the relegation zone is comfortable enough for a team that just went up. Keep pushing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted May 11, 2018 Author Share Posted May 11, 2018 SEASON REVIEW 2032/2033 The fact that we survived another year in the League One means that it was a successful year, and given our relatively safe position, I can now assume we are past the point where we have to be worried about relegation. As has been the general trend in this save, our defense was a disaster but our offense compensated (somewhat) for that – we were the 6th best offensive team in the league despite being the worst defensively. Overall, I am happy with the current state of the team, and I believe we have some potential stars that are coming through the ranks, especially at what has historically been a strong position for us, the Central Midfield position. GOALKEEPERS Joshua Spence (2032), 17 Years Old: It wasn’t a great rookie season from Spence, but he did not do any worse than his predecessor, Jose Chanduvi (who signed with Braintree and was let go after a few months). He did, however, show good improvement in his abilities, and my coaching staff still have his potential at 5/5 PA. His 6.69 AR and 2.38 Con/90 must improve, but given that it was the Irishman’s first season and his very young age, I need to leave some time before passing judgement. Rating: 5/10 LEFT DEFENDERS Prince Diallo (2023), 26 Years Old: I finally had enough of Diallo and benched him half-way through the season – he still managed 43 Appearances, but only 22 of those were as a starter. Incidentally, he played better coming off the bench than he did as a starter, and his 6.62 AR (up from 6.51 AR last year) was his second-highest mark since his rookie year. This was the 9th straight season he appeared in more than 40 Games, so nothing can be said about his durability – it is his form that remains the problem. I don’t see him fighting his way back into the starting lineup anymore, but he should remain part of the rotation going forward. Rating: 5/10 CENTRAL DEFENDERS Alan Walker (2026), 22 Years Old: He sprained his ankle in mid-February, and then again the same ankle in mid-March, ruling him out of almost two months of action. He only appeared in 34 Games, but the encouraging thing is he played significantly better this season as compared to last. He registered 4 Goals (career-high and more than he has scored in his entire career prior), 2 PoMs, 2.73 TpG, and 6.77 AR (up from 6.67 AR last season and a career-high). Obviously, there is a lot of room to do better, but this is a good step in the right direction, and given just how weak our defense is, this was actually a pretty decent season. Rating: 6/10 Jordan Osei (2028), 21 Years Old: It seems Osei and Walker have the same trend – they have down seasons together and also decent seasons together, as well. Osei played in all 46 Games, registering 4 Assists, 2.58 TpG, and 6.74 AR (up from 6.69 AR last season and tied for a career-high). He won’t improve anymore – his abilities have stagnated for the past few years now – but he remains our second best option at the position, and if he can continue to give us decent seasons, for now, his place in the starting lineup is not threatened. Rating: 6/10 RIGHT DEFENDERS Samuel Summers (2022), 27 Years Old: Like Diallo, Summers gave up his starting spot to a younger player but remained part of the rotation. He played in 40 Games overall, registering 3.15 TpG and 6.61 AR, but also like Diallo, this will probably be the last time he will be featured as a starter in this report. His versatility and ability to play anymore in the back-four will remain valuable to us, however, and he should continue to see ample playing time. Rating: 5/10 CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS Jake Strutton (2022), 26 Years Old: Strutton is one of our most consistent and durable players – he played in 45 Games, registering 3 Goals, 6 Assists (the same amount as the last two years), 1.77 TpG, 78% Pass Ratio, and 6.99 AR (same as his career average). As you can tell from the numbers, it was another typical season for him, which is totally fine by me. He was our strongman in the middle, and despite small bouts of inconsistency every now and then, he was one of our most important players. This was his 11th year with us (9th as a starter), and his 420 League Appearances speaks volumes as to how reliant I have become on him. Rating: 7/10 Tim Cross (2023), 25 Years Old: Second only to Knill in Value on the team (£250K), Cross played the full 46 Games for the second year in a row, registering 12 Goals, 6 Assists (tied for career-high), 4 PoMs, and 7.00 AR (down from 7.12 AR and 7.25 AR the last two seasons). He spent some time at the forward position towards the end of the season, and that might be a recurrent theme next season as Thomas gets phased out of the starting lineup, but he remains fully capable of manning the middle for us despite his unconventional set of skills for a CM. He is a proficient goal-scorer regardless of the position he is playing, and that is a skill any team could always use. Rating: 7/10 LEFT WINGERS Michael Thomas (2025), 23 Years Old: When he is on, he is unstoppable – the problem is, he is not on as much as he should be. Out of all our major players, he is easily the most inconsistent, and he still cannot seem to get a hold on how to bring it every game. In 41 Appearances, he registered 5 Goals (down from 12 last year), 10 Assists, 2 PoMs, and 6.81 AR (down from 6.96 AR). He still gave us a decent season and some decent form, but I continue to find myself expecting more from the Trinidad and Tobago international (29 Caps/1 Goal). His pace is his primary weapon, although he has shown some decent improvement in his Technical abilities. Rating: 6.5/10 RIGHT WINGERS Danny Barry (2021), 28 Years Old: In the theoretical prime of his career, Barry gave us a typical season, although his lack of goal-scoring made me worry a bit. In 45 Games, he registered 2 Goals (down from 10 two seasons ago), 11 Assists (down from 18), 4 PoMs, 1.19 TpG, 1.58 DpG, and 6.94 AR, which was lower than his 7.00 career average. Outside of our frontline, Barry represents our biggest offensive threat, but the good thing about him is his willingness to play a bit of defense, as well. He is probably our third greatest player ever after Michael Thomas and Pearce Knill, and definitely our greatest winger of all-time, but there are a few games where I find myself asking where he disappeared to. Overall, however, he is arguably our second most important player at this point. Rating: 6.5/10 FORWARDS Michael Thomas (2017), 32 Years Old – Career: It had to happen sometime, and so this was the year that Thomas was finally phased out of the starting eleven in favor of some younger legs. I could no longer justify keeping him on when there were much better alternatives behind him, and for the most part, I was justified in my decision. Despite all that, he was still on form – in 23 Games, he registered 15 Goals, 3 PoMs, and 7.16 AR, bringing his total number of Goals to 370. A legend of the club in every aspect, our undoubted greatest player of all-time, Thomas will remain part of the line-up until his pace can no longer justify it. Rating: 7/10 Pearce Knill (2022), 27 Years Old: I have no doubt we would be prime relegation candidates without Knill, who has saved more points for us the past few seasons than I would care to count. It was no different this year, except that he finally shook off the injury-bug and gave us a full season. He played in 45 Games, registering 28 Goals, 15 Assists, 3 PoMs, 1.97 DpG, and 7.22 AR, winning his 6th Kafra Player of the Year award and equaling Michael Thomas’ record. He is the core of our team, and we suffer when he is not in our lineup. This was his 6th straight season scoring 20+ Goals, and he is now entering the prime of his career. My hope is that he will be able to carry us to challenge for a promotion spot to the Championship sometime in the next few years before entering the twilight of his career. Rating: 8.5/10 HOT PROSPECTS Xu Han (2028), 20 Years Old, Left Back: He appeared in 39 Games, 27 of which were as a starter, and going forward – at least in the short term – he looks to remain as our first choice at left-back. That being said, I was disappointed with his progress in terms of ability this season, as he showed very little improvement throughout. He finished the season with a team-high 4.60 TpG (the second highest was 3.56 TpG) and 6.62 AR – he has significant cases of inconsistency, but he did show enough potential and ability, as highlighted by his Tackling, to warrant some trust going forward. Intake: 0.5/5 CA, 4/5 PA – Current: 2.5/5 CA, 4.5/5 PA Dafydd Jardine (2030), 19 Years Old, Right Back: As opposed to Han, he actually showed an immense amount of progress in terms of his ability this season – the bad news is that his form was terrible. In 38 Appearances, he registered 3.56 TpG and 6.50 AR – that number obviously has to improve a lot. Still, he is young and will get chances to prove he has what it takes – he certainly has the skillset to be a decent full-back, now he just has to show some decent form. Intake: 0.5/5 CA, 3.5/5 PA – Current: 2.5/5 CA, 5/5 PA Brandon Boud (2028), 19 Years Old, Central Defender: I tried to get him in as much as I could, and he got some decent playing time, featuring in 12 Games this season. I think this was a good year overall for Boud – he did well in training and also did well on the pitch, registering 2.62 TpG and 6.77 AR. I wish he could have been stronger in the air, but there is no doubting he has some good defensive abilities. My coaching staff also lifted him half a point when it comes to his potential ability, so they saw the improvements he made, as well. Intake: 0.5/5 CA, 4/5 PA – Current: 2/5 CA, 4.5/5 PA Matthew Hall (2031), 17 Years Old, Central Midfielder: Towards the end of the season, I began starting him after shifting Cross to the frontline, so he was able to get some good experience. Overall, his progress in training has been fantastic, and he seems ready to be given more consistent playing time and show me what he can do. His playing time went down as last season he played in 26 Games and this year only 12, but that will definitely go up next year. Intake: 1/5 CA, 4.5/5 PA – Current: 2/5 CA, 5/5 PA Lloyd Hartley (2032), 17 Years Old, Central Midfielder: Hartley has emerged as potentially the best player from my ’32 Class, which includes my new starting GK Joshua Spence. The improvements he made in training were phenomenal, and he forced me to take notice and give him his debut. The CM position is a crowded one, but I will definitely have to make some room and give him some time if he continues to improve at this pace. Intake: 1/5 CA, 4.5/5 PA – Current: 2/5 CA, 5/5 PA YOUTH INTAKE Pat Clayton - Karl Ross This was a relatively weak Intake – Clayton looks like he could end up becoming a good player, but I have my doubts about everyone else. Still, if we can manage to develop Clayton, he has the look of someone who potentially could become a crucial member of our team, but again, it all depends on how he develops. Outside of him and maybe Ross, there is nothing to look at here. Rating: 6/10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted May 13, 2018 Author Share Posted May 13, 2018 On 5/11/2018 at 03:37, noikeee said: Strong season IMO, 13 points off the relegation zone is comfortable enough for a team that just went up. Keep pushing. We are doing OK in the League 1 - I don't envision the struggles we had in League 2 to repeat themselves. That said, I do believe we are a bit of a way off from challenging for a spot in the Championship. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted May 25, 2018 Author Share Posted May 25, 2018 SEASON REVIEW 2033/2034 For the first time, I authorized sales of two of our hottest youngsters in Dafydd Jardine and Matthew Hall, getting potentially £105K and £325K, respectively, in each deal. With Jardine, I didn’t see him becoming the player I needed, and with Hall, the money was good and we had Hartley who could slide in and replace him. The money went a long way into helping us financially this season, and I don’t really regret losing either one. As for the season itself, we were the best offensive team in the League One, which – despite our last place in defense finish, yet again – is an encouraging sign that leads me to believe we could potentially challenge for a promotion spot in the next year or two. Our defense looked a lot better towards the end of the season than at the beginning, and our offense is not going anywhere, so if we can put together some decent runs, we should be able to mount the challenge I want. GOALKEEPERS Joshua Spence (2032), 18 Years Old: His numbers weren’t great in his second season, but what was really encouraging was his improvements in abilities – he had fantastic improvement in almost all relevant abilities throughout the year. That being said, he did have a better season than his rookie one – he had 7 Clean Sheets as compared to none, and his 2.16 Con/90 was down from 2.36 the previous year. His 6.73 AR was a minor improvement (6.69 AR last year), but all arrows point in the right direction so far. He even got U20 capped by Ireland, so obviously I’m not the only one that sees the potential here. Rating: 6/10 LEFT DEFENDERS Xu Han (2028), 21 Years Old: The English/Chinese left back’s first season as a starter was pretty much a disaster, making me yearn for the days Diallo was our choice here, which is saying something. The numbers don’t lie – 36 Appearances, 6.44 AR (down from 6.62 AR), with his only saving grace being his 4.46 TpG. He was simply overmatched seemingly every game, and even though he was the best tackler on the team this season, I will happily look for alternatives next year as he proved incapable of being a full-time starter for us. He was, without a doubt, the weakest link in our starting eleven. Rating: 4/10 CENTRAL DEFENDERS Alan Walker (2026), 23 Years Old: Somewhere in between the hernia injury that ruled him out for over 2 months and his general mediocre play, Walker stopped being an automatic starter for us this season, as I started giving Boud starts alongside Osei. Whether that trend continues next season, I am not sure, but while other CDs who were given significant playing time improved their form this season, Walker took a step back, which is actually the second time he has teased his potential in a season only to play markedly worse the following one. He only appeared in 28 Appearances, registering a paltry 1.65 TpG and 6.62 AR, down from 6.77 AR last season. He is unlikely to improve his abilities anymore, so he really needs to start showing me something on the pitch. Rating: 5/10 Jordan Osei (2028), 22 Years Old: Osei finally bucked the trend of imitating Walker, and I am thankful for that – while Walker regressed, Osei gave us a pretty decent season and his finest one yet in his career. In 45 Appearances, he registered 2 Goals, 2 Assists, 2 PoMs, 2.65 TpG, and a career-high 6.80 AR, but these numbers don’t paint the full picture. If you look at the deeper stats, you can see how he was our best defender this year – 463 Headers Won (Best in League), 102 Key Headers (Best in League), 296 Interceptions (Best in League), 21 Shots Blocked (Best in League). So whether it was on the ground or in the air, where his greatest strength is, Osei more than got the job done for us, and the U21 Ghanaian squad member was easily our most important player in the back-line this year. Rating: 7/10 RIGHT DEFENDERS Prince Diallo (2023), 27 Years Old: I decided, before benching him permanently, to give Diallo one more go in the starting lineup this season, this time at right-back. Unfortunately, it was more of the same – in 44 Appearances, he registered 3.82 TpG and 6.65 AR, which has been the trend his entire career, decent tackling with inconsistent play. That being said, the 6.65 AR was his highest mark in 4 years, so that could be encouraging, and he doesn’t really have any real competition currently for his place next season, unless I want to experiment with some of my younger players. Rating: 5/10 CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS Jake Strutton (2022), 27 Years Old: Playing in every game this season, Strutton was once again the pillar of reliability in the middle of the pitch for us. He registered 2 Goals, 3 Assists, 1.31 TpG, 80% Pass Ratio, and 6.91 AR – additionally, his 2,445 Completed Passes were the most on the team by a long shot. We have a lot of talent coming through the ranks the past couple of years at the position, and he might see himself pushed from being an automatic starter at some point, but as of right now, he remains one of the most important players on the team. Rating: 6.5/10 Tim Cross (2023), 26 Years Old: With Michael Thomas’ decline delayed for a year bout inevitable, Cross’ switch to the front line is also imminent. This was a bit of a confusing season for him, as he made several switches between striker, the central midfield, and even coming off the bench, but overall, it was another productive season. He played in all 46 Games for the third straight season, registering 6 Goals, 5 Assists, and 6.86 AR, which was his lowest mark in four years. I wouldn’t look too much into the decline in his form as he had little stability, and he should do a lot better next year as it is looking very likely that he will be starting alongside Knill up front. Rating: 6.5/10 LEFT WINGERS Michael Thomas (2025), 24 Years Old: Yes, finally! Possibly our most polarizing player in terms of form as compared to potential, Thomas figured it out this season and gave us his best yet. In 40 Appearances, he registered 8 Goals, 12 Assists, 4 PoMs, 1.60 DpG, and a career-high 7.07 AR. His £325K value was tied for highest on the squad along with Pearce Knill, and he is now one cap away from 40 Caps with his nation, Trinidad and Tobago. If the speedy left winger can do this for us every season, then we will be much better off as we try to push for a promotion spot to the Championship. Rating: 7/10 RIGHT WINGERS Danny Barry (2021), 28 Years Old: This is a player who has never played in less than 40 Games in a season in his career, so consistency and durability are his calling cards and this season was no different. In 44 Appearances, he registered 5 Goals, 14 Assists, 2 PoMs, 2.28 DpG, and 6.97 AR – his 9.17 Distance Covered/90 was top of the league, and 77 Key Passes were second best. He now has 117 Goals and 187 Assists for his career – he is actually the club’s all-time leader in Assists. I would like to see just a little better form from him, and perhaps a little more goal-scoring, but as he has been for the past several years, he was easily one of our most important players this season. He has definitely become a club legend at this point. Rating: 7/10 FORWARDS Michael Thomas (2017), 33 Years Old – Career: Just when you think he is all done, he gets performs so well in the playing time given to him that he forces you to play him more. For the second straight season, that is exactly what he did – in 37 Games, he registered 22 Goals, 6 Assists, 2 PoMs, and 6.97 AR, bringing him to 392 League Goals for his career, only 8 Goals away from an incredible 400 Goals. He has been going strong for 17 years now, and despite his athletic ability and pace becoming non-existent, he still found ways to score goals. I don’t know when he starts being a liability, but it definitely was not this season. The story of our greatest player of all-time continues. Rating: 7/10 Pearce Knill (2022), 27 Years Old: He finally broke Michael Thomas’ record and won his 7th Kafra Player of the Year award, officially becoming the record holder for that title. Honestly, I think he should be given the League 1 Player of the Year, because his 33 Goals, 15 Assists, and 10 PoMs were all top of the league, not to mention a 7.39 AR that was the second best of his career. At this point, I think it is pretty clear that when it is all said and done, Knill will replace Thomas as the best player in the history of the club. I am very glad he has put his injuries behind him and is now thriving – he is definitely the most important key to our league-leading offense. He remains the most indispensable player we have, and I am hoping he can push us into competing for a Promotion spot next year. Rating: 9/10 HOT PROSPECTS Brandon Boud (2028), 20 Years Old, Central Defender: He ended the season as our starter at the CD position, and with good reason – he outperformed every defender we have on the squad with the exception of Jordan Osei. In 27 Appearances, he registered 2.84 TpG, and 6.79 AR, encouraging numbers for a player that has yet to become a full-time starter. Intake: 0.5/5 CA, 4/5 PA – Current: 2.5/5 CA, 4.5/5 PA Ahmad Harb (2030), 20 Years Old, Right Winger : It is tough to get consistent playing time when Danny Barry plays the same position as you – the Lebanese international (11 Caps/2 Goals) played in 10 Games but only 2 were as a starter. My coaching staff are big fans, and they think he currently is one of our most talented youngsters – with speed like his, he is a threat down the right wing when he plays. Like I said, however, he plays behind Barry, so unless the club legend gets injured, he isn’t going to see much time on the pitch because he can only play down the right wing. Intake: 1/5 CA, 5/5 PA – Current: 3.5/5 CA, 4.5/5 PA Lloyd Hartley (2032), 18 Years Old, Central Midfielder: He is starting to look real good – so good, in fact, that he ended the season as one of our starting CM. With Cross likely to make the switch to Striker next season, Hartley will end up being our full-time starter alongside Strutton. He played in 29 Games, registering 3 Goals, 1.43 TpG, 76% Pass Ratio, and 6.97 AR, all impressive numbers considering his age. Of course, what makes me the most optimistic is his fantastic development – if he keeps up this pace, we are going to have a real star on our hands. Intake: 1/5 CA, 4.5/5 PA – Current: 2/5 CA, 5/5 PA Pat Clayton (2033), 17 Years Old, Attacking Midfielder: Not much action for the rookie, but he did show decent improvement in his abilities towards the end of the season. He has a good foundation of skills, so its all about he comes along in the next year or so. Intake: 1/5 CA, 5/5 PA – Current: 1.5/5 CA, 5/5 PA YOUTH INTAKE Liam Daly - Liam Smith – Anthony Butters – Andre Booth I think this the first time we have an Intake with what looks like two sure-fire prospects in Liam Daly and Liam Smith. We even have some decent prospects in Butters and Booth, so overall, I believe this looks like a fantastic Intake. Daly will join Hartley as a CM with great potential that could break into the team as soon as next year, and Smith shores up a defensive line with even more options. With potentially 4 rotation players, we could possibly look back at the ’34 Class as one of the best, if not the best, we have ever had a few years down the line. Rating: 9/10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noikeee Posted May 28, 2018 Share Posted May 28, 2018 Another nice solid step forward, even if not huge (from 17th to 13th). Weird couple of prospects you've got there. I didn't notice Liam Daly's positions at first and thought he was a DM not a MC/AMC/ST! He seems to be a bit of a box-to-box midfielder but then that could waste such super pace too. I'd consider maybe even turning him into a fullback, would waste his passing but then it would use his pace, and his crossing/dribbling isn't too terrible. As for Liam Smith he'd be a great future CB if not for terrible jumping! This is what I admire on managers like you who do full blown youth challenges, because there's no way I'd ever be able to build a team around such glaring weaknesses in the very best players you get ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted June 2, 2018 Author Share Posted June 2, 2018 On 28/05/2018 at 04:11, noikeee said: Another nice solid step forward, even if not huge (from 17th to 13th). Weird couple of prospects you've got there. I didn't notice Liam Daly's positions at first and thought he was a DM not a MC/AMC/ST! He seems to be a bit of a box-to-box midfielder but then that could waste such super pace too. I'd consider maybe even turning him into a fullback, would waste his passing but then it would use his pace, and his crossing/dribbling isn't too terrible. As for Liam Smith he'd be a great future CB if not for terrible jumping! This is what I admire on managers like you who do full blown youth challenges, because there's no way I'd ever be able to build a team around such glaring weaknesses in the very best players you get ... You hit it head-on - with this type of save, you don't get to pick the type of player you got, and must work with what you are given. Therefore, players like Daly and Smith, with obvious glaring holes in their games based on their position, are still better than anything I have just because the pickings are so thin! The season has started off decently, although we will need to do better to push for a play-off stop. I am expecting big things this season from the team as they seemed primed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted June 4, 2018 Author Share Posted June 4, 2018 If only it was an away draw - oh the amount of money we would have made! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxToBox Posted June 4, 2018 Share Posted June 4, 2018 It's a shame you can't do like teams used to and agree a venue swap. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted June 7, 2018 Author Share Posted June 7, 2018 SEASON REVIEW 2034/2035 I felt like the team were building up to have a good season, but I didn’t think we would finish 1st and gain automatic promotion – honestly, this has been a very difficult save, and its nice to finally get a season that pleasantly surprised as opposed to disappointed. Our offense was, once again, on point, but it was our much improved defense that captured it for us – the changes I implemented had me wishing I had done so 2 or 3 years back. Of course, the emergence of players like Boud and our new GK Spence (whom we are getting offers for left and right) have helped the backline immensely. In the midfield, the team had some big changes – out went Strutton and Cross, and in came youngster Hartley and rookie Daly. The move was successful, however, as the two young midfielders delivered on their potential and gave us good seasons. The true strength of team, however, remained on the wings and up front – Knill was crowned the League 1 Player of the Year, and left winger Michael Thomas gave us his best season yet. We finished 2nd in the league in Goals Scored, and we were also the 8th best defensive team in the league. It was a great way to send us our GOAT, Michael Thomas, as he finally decided to hang up his boots. GOALKEEPERS Joshua Spence (2032), 18 Years Old: His 6.71 AR suggests he didn’t have a good season, and it is actually down from 6.73 AR, but the fact that we were the 8th best defense in the league after being the worst for so many years reflects positively on him. His 1.51 Con/90 was a career best, and his improvements in abilities was also highly encouraging. Overall, I came away from the season optimistic about Spence’s future with us – in fact, he actually signed a new contract with us just after the season ended. He is one of our highest rated players at this point, and has been capped at the U20 level for Ireland. Rating: 6/10 LEFT DEFENDERS Prince Diallo (2023), 28 Years Old: Talk about a comeback – midway through the season, having seen enough from Xu Han, I threw Diallo back into the starting lineup and the Ghanaian responded very positively. He played in 41 Games (28 as Starter), registering a team-high 4.02 TpG, 23 Key Tackles, and 6.82 AR – a career-high by a long shot (his career average is 6.59 AR). After years for frustrating me to no end, something clicked with Diallo and he finally became the player I envisioned he always would be. He has earned the right to remain our starter going into next season. Rating: 6.5/10 Xu Han (2028), 22 Years Old: A disappointment in every respect, although he did improve his form once he became a substitute instead of a starter. He appeared in 39 Games, (21 as Starter), registering 3.17 TpG and 6.66 AR, which incidentally was a career-high. The most disappointing thing, however, was his complete lack of improvement in terms of his abilities – he has remained the same player for the past few years. I won’t say never, but it doesn’t look like Xu Han has much of a place in our rotation going forward. Rating: 5/10 CENTRAL DEFENDERS Brandon Boud (2030), 21 Years Old: I made the decision to go on form as opposed to what the abilities looked like, and based on that fact, Boud grabbed the starting position from Walker and never looked back. Jordan Osei might have been our best player in terms of form this season, but I consider Boud and GK Spence the catalysts that have turned this defense around. In 44 Appearances, he registered 2 Goals, 90 Key Headers (4th in League), 305 Interceptions (3rd in League), and 6.81 AR. The final number is a bit misleading as he spent a good portion of the season around the 7.00 AR mark before losing steam towards the end, which can be expected from a young player. Overall, however, I am extremely pleased with how he has turned out, and I am looking for more of the same next year. Rating: 6.5/10 Jordan Osei (2028), 23 Years Old: The Ghanaian might have been the most influential CD in the league this season, and he has the numbers to back it up. In 44 Appearances, he registered 2.14 TpG, 460 Headers Won (Best in League), 120 Key Headers (Best in League), 353 Interceptions (Best in League), 18 Shots Blocked (Best in League), and 6.89 AR (career-high). Basically, if the ball was in the air, Osei was going to do something positive with it. He led the league in so many categories that is hard not to see how important he was – Boud might have been what finally lifted the defense to acceptable standards, but I can almost guarantee the whole thing falls apart without Osei. The league obviously noticed, and he was named to the League 1 Team of the Year, one of two Kafra players to get that honor. The U21 Ghanaian (15 Caps) might not have the numbers in terms of ability, but he has certainly given us the form. Rating: 7/10 RIGHT DEFENDERS Danny Lloyd (2033), 18 Years Old: I know that he is better suited for CD than RB, but given our dearth of talent at the position, I felt like I would give the youngster a chance and perhaps the playing time and experience can expedite his improvement. He was definitely the weak link the back-line, but I am holding off judgement as this was only his first year as a starter and he is still so young. In 43 Appearances, he registered 2.62 TpG and 6.63 AR – both are numbers I would like improved next season. The good thing is, he wasn’t culpable in many defensive breakdowns, and his mistakes were limited, which is a good sign going forward. Rating: 5.5/10 CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS Lloyd Hartley (2032), 19 Years Old, Central Midfielder: The talent on our team is focused in the center of the pitch these days, thanks to Hartley and Daly. The former had a bit of an inconsistent season, but I am not worried – the talent and ability are there for everyone to see. In 41 Appearances, he registered 3.16 TpG, 84% Pass Ratio, 2,040 Passes Completed (Best on team), and 6.86 AR (down from 6.97 AR). His strength lays in his physical abilities – he is strong, quick, and runs with an endless motor. That being said, he has also continued to show substantial improvement in technical and mental abilities, as well, and he have received offers in excess of £500K for him. Luckily, he doesn’t want to leave the club, and asked for a new contract at the end of the season, of which I happily obliged. He looks like he has a great future ahead of him. Rating: 6.5/10 Liam Daly (2034), 17 Years Old: The rookie could not have been more impressive in his debut season for us – in 42 Appearances, he registered 4 Goals, 3 Assists, 2.09 TpG, 64 Key Passes, 1,672 Passes Completed (Second on Team), and 6.95 AR. He has unconventional abilities for his position, and given his pace, he might be better suited for the wings, but I utilized him in his natural position anyway, and he did a great job for us. As long as he keeps up his improvement in training, the team will have a very solid foundation at CM for years to come with Daly and Hartley. Rating: 6.5/10 Jake Strutton (2022), 29 Years Old: Strutton’s relegation to the bench had nothing to do with the player and everything to do with the talent at the position that the Youth Academy has delivered to us over the past few years. The good thing about Strutton is his ability to fill in not only at CM but also down the left wing, so his versatility remained valuable for us in the rotation. He played in 27 Games overall, and while I don’t see how he will get back into the starting lineup now that Daly and Hartley are in, he will remain a regular fixture for us going forward for the next few years. Rating: 6/10 LEFT WINGERS Michael Thomas (2025), 25 Years Old: What a season from him – after years of underperforming, he showed glimpses last year, and finally came through in a big way this year. In 42 Appearances, he registered career-highs of 14 Goals, 17 Assists, 8 PoMs, and 7.24 AR – he also registered 1.19 TpG and 1.73 DpG, given him some great all-around numbers. His performances this year reminded me of Danny Barry from years past – just a big of a threat shooting as he was passing or crossing. His speed and pace is what sets him apart and allows him to be so dangerous, but he has come along way in terms of his technical abilities, as well. He has become truly an invaluable asset for us. 4Rating: 7.5/10 RIGHT WINGERS Danny Barry (2021), 30 Years Old: Another typical season for the club legend – he again played in almost every game (44 Appearances), and actually gave us his highest AR (7.02 AR) in four years. He again led the league with 9.22 Miles Dis. Covered/90 and 386.37 Miles Total – he is, by far, the most active player on the pitch in the league. His 5 Goals and 14 Assists were the exact same as last season, and his 2.29 DpG was 0.01 more than last season. A more durable, consistent player you cannot find. Going forward, he should start seeing more rest time, as we have a couple of talented players in Harb and Marcelo who can spot him at the position, and that will be good because he has begun picking up small, nagging injuries more frequently than before. As indispensable a player to the club as can be found. Rating: 7/10 FORWARDS Pearce Knill (2022), 29 Years Old: The man captured nearly every meaningful award he could this year – he was named the League 1 Player of the Year, named in the League 1 Select, and named the Kafra Player of the Year for a record 8th time. In 43 Appearances, he registered 35 Goals (2nd in League), 15 Assists, 9 PoMs, 1.77 DpG, and 7.44 AR (career-high). There was nothing Knill couldn’t do this season, and he was instrumental in our first place finish. Even though I am still inclined to say that Thomas is (for now) still the greatest player in club history, I have no doubt that a couple more seasons like this and Knill would cement his place in that spot instead of Thomas. He is already a huge club legend, and he will be plying his trade against Championship level defenders next season – knowing him, however, he is clearly going to be up to task. Rating: 9/10 Tim Cross (2023), 27 Years Old: After three straight seasons of playing every game, he finally succumbed to injury and missed the last five games of the season – in 41 Appearances, he registered 24 Goals, 17 Assists (Best on team, career-high), 6 PoMs (career-high), and 7.30 AR (career-high). It is safe to say, his move from CM to Striker was a resounding success, and he has cemented his position alongside Knill going forward. Good in the air, reasonably strong and quick, and good attacking instincts make him a natural striker, and even though he spent most of his career playing good football at the CM position due to necessity, he is where he belongs now. A great season from Cross. Rating: 7.5/10 Glen Tincknell (2029), 21 Years Old: Tincknell played his role to perfection this season – there is nothing more a third choice striker can do for me. In 16 Appearances, he registered 7 Goals, 8 Assists, 2 PoMs, and 7.36 AR – not only that, but he showed substantial improvement in his abilities. Every time I called on him, he responded well, and even scored a few very important goals for us. He isn’t going to replace either Knill nor Cross in the starting lineup anytime soon, but at least I know if one of them goes down to injury or needs a rest, I have someone who has proven himself to be very reliable stepping up. Rating: 7.5/10 HOT PROSPECTS Ahmad Harb (2030), 21 Years Old, Right Winger : I will be the first to admit, the Lebanese international (14 Caps/2 Goals) has not had it easy – his playing time is all over the place, and now with the emergence of Marcelo, he has competition even for his back-up minutes. He did appear in 14 Games, registering 2 Goals, 4 Assists, and 7.16 AR, so he is truly capable of delivering good results. The frustration of his inconsistent playing time led to demands of a transfer request this season from him, but he calmed down and asked for it to be rescinded by the end of it. Intake: 1/5 CA, 5/5 PA – Current: 3.5/5 CA, 4.5/5 PA Pat Clayton (2033), 18 Years Old, Central Midfielder/Attacking Midfielder: I started re-training him to be a CM, and he did make 8 substitute appearances this year where he was reasonably impressive. The best part of his season was his great improvements in abilities, especially his physical ones. He looks like he could be a really impressive player down the line, and I plan to really test him and see what he can do for us this coming year. Intake: 1/5 CA, 5/5 PA – Current: 2/5 CA, 5/5 PA Liam Smith (2034), 17 Years Old, Central Defender: One of the two top prospects from the ’34 Youth Class, he unfortunately could not get any playing time this year in a deep position. That being said, he did show good progress in abilities, and my coaching staff are just as high on him as they were when he first made the call up to the first team from the Youth Academy. Obviously, I wish he had better abilities in the air, but he could turn out to be a good CD for us yet. Intake: 1.5/5 CA, 5/5 PA – Current: 1.5/5 CA, 5/5 PA Anthony Butters (2034), 17 Years Old, Left Winger: I honestly do not know how Butters is going to turn out, but I am intrigued by his abilities and potential. The coaching staff are a bit higher on him now than they were when he first graduated, and I did manage to give him some playing time here and there. Overall, as I stated, it is still unclear how he will turn out, but he will get chances to make the most of his potential. Intake: 0.5/5 CA, 3.5/5 PA – Current: 1/5 CA, 4/5 PA RETIRING Michael Thomas (2017) – Career – Biography: The legend and club’s greatest player finally called it quits at the end of the season, leaving behind him the most impressive career in club’s history thus far. He didn’t play this year after scoring 22 Goals last season, and this was definitely the right time for him fade away in all his glory. From the beginning of his career, he was the club’s most important player, all the way up until the early part of the 2030s. He led us to three promotions, and although he did not play a part in our promotion to the Championship, he was still a hugely instrumental figure in our locker room. In a career that spanned 18 seasons, he only failed to score 20 or more Goals in four of them, including this year – before this year, his lowest goal tally was 14 Goals. Named the Kafra Player of the Year seven times, it is only recently that Knill broke that record, and while Knill will probably end up replacing him as our GOAT in a couple of years time, Michael Thomas will always remain our first ever club legend, synonymous with the club’s success during the late 2010s and 2020s. YOUTH INTAKE Marcelo - Paul Cooper We had a great Intake last year, so it is expected that this year’s Intake was a bit of a downer. Marcelo looks like a decent prospect, and he could potentially serve as a rotational player down the right wing, but there really is not much else to be excited about. Paul Cooper joins a crowded core at CD, but depending how well he improves over the next couple of years, he could start seeing some playing time. Overall, a disappointing Intake. Rating: 5.5/10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxToBox Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted June 8, 2018 Author Share Posted June 8, 2018 On 07/06/2018 at 07:53, BoxToBox said: Thanks! The Championship season has started off well - we're not in the play-off hunt, but we're not especially struggling, though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
After Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 Superb! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted June 9, 2018 Author Share Posted June 9, 2018 Look who I found in the Championship! Martin Cook has ended up being the most accomplished player to leave Kafra. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxToBox Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 Chucked up fine numbers for Leeds too, so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted June 10, 2018 Author Share Posted June 10, 2018 On 09/06/2018 at 05:19, BoxToBox said: Chucked up fine numbers for Leeds too, so far. He's actually become an ICON for the club! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted June 13, 2018 Author Share Posted June 13, 2018 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted June 17, 2018 Author Share Posted June 17, 2018 SEASON REVIEW 2035/2036 A tough but successful season, as the goal was the stay up in the Championship, something which we ended up doing relatively comfortably despite some bad results at the end of the season that brought us down to 21st Place. Still, I definitely felt the difference in talent, and some of the results were very lop-sided. Our defense went back to the status quo, and we finished as the worst defensive team in the league again. Offensively, we were not as effective as the last few seasons – namely, our two legends Pearce Knill and Danny Barry both had off-seasons, with the latter looking like he might be starting a decline as he reaches the last few years of his career. We do have an abundance of talent in the center of the pitch, and the youngsters showed flashes of their potential and what we can expect in the next few seasons. Overall, this was what I wanted in the first season in the Championship – to stay up comfortably, and we achieved just that. GOALKEEPERS Joshua Spence (2032), 19 Years Old: Like the team in general, Spence had a tough season to contend with. His numbers were down, but then again, the level of competition was much higher. My coaching staff have him rated as a capable Championship level GK, and I am in agreement with that assessment. In 45 Games, he registered 2.11 Con/90 and 6.68 AR, which was his lowest ever mark, although I will not hold that against him. He is yet to turn 20, and has shown he is committed to improvement, so I have no worries about him getting better in the next few years. Rating: 6/10 LEFT DEFENDERS Prince Diallo (2023), 29 Years Old: Ah, Mr. Diallo – the ever infuriating player. What can be concluded after this season is that Diallo is severely outmatched at this level of football – he had the worst season of his career and didn’t look at all capable of giving us decent form. Overwhelmed in almost every game, he registered the second lowest AR (6.45 AR) of his career, in what was likely his last season as a starter for us at the position. I have to come up with alternatives, because he was terrible in every respect. Rating: 4/10 CENTRAL DEFENDERS Brandon Boud (2030), 22 Years Old: Once again, the best part of our defense was in the middle, with Boud and Osei leading the group in terms of form. In 41 Appearances, Boud registered 2.60 TpG, 52 Key Tackles (3rd in League), 99 Key Headers (2nd in League, behind Osei), 27 Shots Blocked (2nd in League, behing Osei), and 6.77 AR. This was his second season as a full starter, and I don’t really have any complaints – sure, he could be more consistent, but considering how overmatched our defense is overall at this level, it could have been much worse. That being said, I fully expect he will give us a better season next year, as he is still young and will have some experience at this level under his belt. Rating: 6/10 Jordan Osei (2028), 24 Years Old: Once again, Osei was the heart of our defense, and statistically, ranked as one of the most impressive CDs in the Championship. In 45 Appearances, he registered 5 Goals, 2 PoMs, 2.13 TpG, 452 Headers Won (Best in League), 136 Key Headers (Best in League), 289 Interceptions (3rd in League), 20 Shots Blocked (Best in League), and 6.79 AR. A lot of these numbers are inflated because of all the defending the team had to do, but he still was extremely reliable – on the other hand, his AR is deflated and doesn’t reflect his true form because of how many goals the team conceded. Like Boud, I have no complaints about Osei, and I am sure our master in the air will give us just as good a season as he did this year in the upcoming one. Rating: 6.5/10 RIGHT DEFENDERS Danny Lloyd (2033), 19 Years Old: Unfortunately, Lloyd has shown no desire to work on his abilities, and thus has shown very little improvement over the past couple of years. That means that the experiment to give him playing time in hopes of aiding his development was a failure, and I go into the off-season with a decision to make about his future in the starting eleven. His season was below mediocre – in 45 Appearances, he registered 3.48 TpG and 6.54 AR. His form was consistently bad, and he was a big liability for us down the right flank. Granted, his abilities are more oriented to CD than as a full-back, but his performance this season was not to be excused. Rating: 4.5/10 CENTRAL MIDFIELDERS Lloyd Hartley (2032), 20 Years Old, Central Midfielder: Our highest valued player at £2.6M, he was also one of our best players this season. In 44 Appearances, he registered 5 Goals, 7 Assists, 2 PoMs, 76% Pass Ratio, and 6.97 AR – all of which were career-highs. He signed a new contract, then immediately started making noise about wanting to join a bigger club, but that’s not going to happen. He’s the heartbeat of our team, and almost all of our play runs through him at some point, as evident by his 1,736 Passes Completed, which led the team. If he sticks around (and the club don’t sell him by force), Hartley is set to have a great career for us going forward. Rating: 7/10 Liam Daly (2034), 18 Years Old: I was disappointed by the youngster’s sophomore season – I am not judging his form, but by the lack of his development. He ended the season with almost the same attributes he had when he started, with no improvement showing. He has good physical traits and fantastic speed, but there was little to show in the other aspects of his game. Overall, he didn’t have a bad season, however – in 43 Appearances, he registered 4 Goals, 4.68 TpG (9th in League), and 6.85 AR, which was down from 6.95 AR in his rookie season. Rating: 6.5/10 LEFT WINGERS Michael Thomas (2025), 26 Years Old: Now valued at £2M, Thomas was tied for best in the Championship with 16 Assists – his runs down the left wing was where the team was at its most dangerous. He added 11 Goals while playing in all 46 Games, also registering 1.46 DpG and 6.84 AR. Yes, he had some bad games, and his form could have been a bit more consistent, but at this point, the Trinidad and Tobago international (59 Caps/6 Goals) is one of our most important players. He has been a starter for us since his rookie season which was 11 seasons ago, progressively getting better in year. Like the rest of the team, I expect a better season from him next year, and give us 7.00+ AR as he has the previous two seasons. Rating: 7/10 RIGHT WINGERS Danny Barry (2021), 31 Years Old: This was the legend’s worst season in a long time, and it also brought questions with it about whether Barry is ready to pass the starting spot down the right wing to the younger players. In 39 Appearances, he registered only 1 Goal, 9 Assists, 1.74 DpG, and 6.75 AR, a significant drop from 7.02 AR last season. This year takes nothing away from all that he has accomplished with and for the club, but tellingly, this was the first year in his career where he failed to appear in at least 40 Games. That being said, he still has a very large part to play in the rotation even if he does lose some of his starting spot in some games, as the club’s third greatest player of all-time (after Thomas and Knill) still has a lot left in the tank. Rating: 6/10 Ahmad Harb (2030), 22 Years Old: The likely beneficiary from Barry’s regression, the Lebanese international (24 Caps/2 Goals) made a career-high 21 Appearances this year – that led him to drop his transfer request and sign a new contract with the team that will keep him with us until 2041. He registered 2 Goals, 3 Assists, 2.33 DpG, and 6.82 AR, decent numbers considering he only made 12 starts. Like Barry, he has great pace and speed, and also some great dribbling ability. My coaching staff are extremely high on him, as they rate his PA 4.5/5. He will definitely get more starts next season, and I hope he will give us a similar output as Barry has done for so many years – it will be a long time coming for Harb, who has admittedly had a frustrating time the past few seasons when it comes to playing time. Rating: 6.5/10 FORWARDS Pearce Knill (2022), 30 Years Old: For the first time in five years (and second time in ten years), Knill was not crowned the team’s best player, and honestly, this was probably his worst season since he became a starter 11 years ago. His 15 Goals were his lowest total since the 2025/26 season, and his 6.86 AR his lowest since the 2024/25 season. He did contribute 12 Assists, but this was nowhere near the quality we have been used to from Knill. He is too young to be wondering if he is entering the end stages of his career, but maybe the Championship was a bit much for him in terms of the defensive talent he had to face. However – don’t quote me on this – I am optimistic he will bounce back and give us a more typical Knill season next year. His legacy (and potential place as our best player of all-time) will be determined in the next 2-3 years, so let us see what he can come up with. Rating: 6.5/10 Tim Cross (2023), 28 Years Old: The newly crowned Kafra Player of the Year, he was the only starter on the team that managed to give us 7.00+ AR this season. In 43 Appearances, he registered 21 Goals, 7 Assists, 4 PoMs, and 7.04 AR, replacing Knill as our most lethal weapon going forward. This was the third time in his career where he scored 20+ Goals, and I do believe he will hit that mark again next season. He scored some important goals for us this season, and seemed present in nearly every match – the consistency he displayed is reassuring. Overall, he did a good job of stepping up as his partner Knill had an off-season, and showed he is quite capable of scoring goals in the Championship. Rating: 7/10 HOT PROSPECTS Pat Clayton (2033), 19 Years Old, Central Midfielder/Attacking Midfielder: He made 25 Appearances this season, although 23 of those were as a substitute. He definitely showed me enough to be optimistic, however, and I think my coaching staff are right in rating him so highly. He managed to score 3 Goals, registering 2.42 TpG and 1.06 DpG, showing a multi-faceted game that will surely benefit us going forward. Intake: 1/5 CA, 5/5 PA – Current: 3/5 CA, 5/5 PA Liam Smith (2034), 18 Years Old, Central Defender: Despite not playing much at all the past couple of seasons, my coaching staff is still extremely high on the young CD. He continues to show reasonable development in his attributes, especially his defensive skills, and I am looking to find ways to work him more frequently into the lineup in the coming season. Intake: 1.5/5 CA, 5/5 PA – Current: 2/5 CA, 5/5 PA Anthony Butters (2034), 18 Years Old, Left Winger: It is looking more and more likely that I was right about Butters all along, as my coaching staff have now rated his potential 5/5! He made a few appearances this season, even scoring a goal, but the encouraging thing is his improvement in abilities. His technical abilities have shown good improvement, and he has gotten quicker. Hopefully he keeps this up. Intake: 0.5/5 CA, 3.5/5 PA – Current: 1.5/5 CA, 5/5 PA Marcelo (2035), 16 Years Old, Right Winger: The youngster made 7 substitute appearances in a deep position, but with Barry seemingly on the decline, he might have further opportunities in his sophomore season. He is a similar player to Barry, with his speed being his main weapon. Intake: 1.5/5 CA, 4.5/5 PA – Current: 2/5 CA, 5/5 PA YOUTH INTAKE Scott Ward - Kerry Williams – Jordan Hughes – Tommy Henry What an outstanding Intake! The gem of this class is probably Kerry Williams, who will join Daly and Hartley in making our CM position our deepest and most talented out of any we have. I am also excited about Tommy Henry – with Knill turning 30, he comes at the exact right time. I can develop him without the added pressure, and he could be our third choice striker as early as next season. Ward and Hughes also get 5 star rating from my coaching staff, so obviously they are ones to watch out for. Overall, this is looking to be a great Intake for us. Rating: 9/10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoxToBox Posted June 17, 2018 Share Posted June 17, 2018 Williams looks amazing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
abulezz Posted June 19, 2018 Author Share Posted June 19, 2018 Lol. This is unexpected. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torminator Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 Wow making excellent progress! How is your youth system coming along? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marbah Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 the latest season looks promising cant wait for the next update Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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