Europa League? where are you?

[BenArsenal]

Whaaat....?

Glad to see you're both well though. 

[tenthreeleader]

The hell you say.

Glad you both are gracing the site even in photo form!

[gavrenwick]

Haha fair to say the photo didn't turn out half bad. Top notch guy haha, was great to finally meet, too long overdue. 

 

[WLKRAS]

You both look thrilled to be meeting each other haha

[tenthreeleader]

On ‎4‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 06:55, WLKRAS said:

You both look thrilled to be meeting each other haha

FMS does that to people, I think. LOL

[tenthreeleader]

A note here: due to a discussion among the mods and the SI team, we now have the ability to "feature" threads for those times when we get a bit heavy on stickies. The difference is the star at top left of the thread title on the main page as opposed to the thumb tack. I've tried it here and it's another way to see key threads at a glance without sticking them to the top of a page.

Carry on.

[BenArsenal]

Cool 

[mark wilson27]

17 days left to vote in the Hall of Fame Preliminary Round guys. Still only five forum members have voted...Come on guys lets have a few more votes

[BenArsenal]

Yes please. If you haven't voted, please do. 

[mark wilson27]

Guys for those ones that haven't voted yet. You have around five days left to VOTE

[BenArsenal]

Last day to vote in the Hall of Fame guys. Please do if you haven't.

[mark wilson27]

Remember their is a Friday night fixture in the predictions league this week

[CFuller]

Quick question: does the old seven-day rule (where you couldn't start two new stories within a week unless in certain circumstances) still apply on FMS? I've looked through the rules but can't find anything about it.

I'm not going to be posting any more new stories this month, but I've got two that will hopefully be ready to see daylight at some point during the off-season. I'd just like to know in advance if I can just post them whenever I can, or if there has to be an interval between them.

[mark wilson27]

2 hours ago, CFuller said:

Quick question: does the old seven-day rule (where you couldn't start two new stories within a week unless in certain circumstances) still apply on FMS? I've looked through the rules but can't find anything about it.

I'm not going to be posting any more new stories this month, but I've got two that will hopefully be ready to see daylight at some point during the off-season. I'd just like to know in advance if I can just post them whenever I can, or if there has to be an interval between them.

Its not in the actual rules but we still have it. Im sure tenthreeleader will deny or confirm the rule. We will amend the rules accordingly 

[git2thachoppa]

3 months away from playing FM, looks like it's time to continue my FM 2007 story.

Good thing about having one is I can catch up reading my own thread so I don't get lost.

BTW like your avatar CFuller 'cause I read that too, though this is my favourite pane:

[tenthreeleader]

7 hours ago, CFuller said:

Quick question: does the old seven-day rule (where you couldn't start two new stories within a week unless in certain circumstances) still apply on FMS? I've looked through the rules but can't find anything about it.

I'm not going to be posting any more new stories this month, but I've got two that will hopefully be ready to see daylight at some point during the off-season. I'd just like to know in advance if I can just post them whenever I can, or if there has to be an interval between them.

We haven't changed the rules in a long time. The seven-day rule would be in effect (unless someone would like to consider changing certain of our older rules....)

The reason was to avoid flooding the forum with writing that wouldn't be finished. Since we don't get as many new stories here as we used to, I'd look the other way on this, personally.

[mark wilson27]

10 minutes ago, tenthreeleader said:

We haven't changed the rules in a long time. The seven-day rule would be in effect (unless someone would like to consider changing certain of our older rules....)

The reason was to avoid flooding the forum with writing that wouldn't be finished. Since we don't get as many new stories here as we used to, I'd look the other way on this, personally.

Sir if your happy for the seven day rule to disappear as such then I'm happy

[CFuller]

Thanks, gentlemen. That seven-day rule makes perfect sense, and I have no intention to release a new story so soon after publishing another. I was just curious as to why it wasn't in the rules anymore.

@git2thachoppa Nice to see another David Squires fan in the house! My avatar of Sean Dyche being knighted by the Queen comes from this cartoon. As Sir Sean Dyche has been knighted in my Daggers story (after winning the World Cup with England), I simply could not pass the opportunity to have that as my avatar.

[mark wilson27]

Last year I didn't do my annual Fifteen to One sign up but this year I'm thinking of doing it again. For those that aren't sure what I'm on about feel free to read the following two stories:

Fifteen to One A Quest to be the Best

Fifteen to One MKII - Who will beat Celtic_1967

All I need from you lot is a PM to see if your interested and which two leagues we could have it running on FM17. 

Obviously two spaces are taken up with myself joining and last years winner tenthreeleader will be automatically entered to defend his crown.

Forum Members Entered:

1) tenthreeleader (Defending Champion)

2) mark wilson27 (Because I made the sign up )

3) CFuller

4) BenArsenal

5) salkster2102

6) chesterfan2

7)

8)

9)

10)

11)

12)

13)

14)

15)

[CFuller]

I'd be up for that again. PM sent, Mark.

[mark wilson27]

Just another quick note guys, I have updated the FMS Archives with more stories. As always if any of you think I've missed one of yours please PM me and let me know cheers

[BenArsenal]

Count me in too for the story Mark.

[salkster2102]

Count me in too Mark.

 

Just to throw an idea out there. How about a new rule in football where teams have to leave at least 2 players forward at all times? Nothing to do with me being frustrated at another bus being parked at Anfield....

[mark wilson27]

42 minutes ago, salkster2102 said:

Count me in too Mark.

 

Just to throw an idea out there. How about a new rule in football where teams have to leave at least 2 players forward at all times? Nothing to do with me being frustrated at another bus being parked at Anfield....

Added you salkster thanks

[chesterfan2]

Hola, Long-time no post and all that.   The sight of my children playing FIFA17 has driven me back here though, it's like I've never been away, but like everyone else has.

 

Anyway add me into the sign up Mark.

 

Carry On.

[mark wilson27]

Welcome back chester and you've been added to the sign up cheers

[WLKRAS]

Chuck me in Mark

[mark wilson27]

Last year I didn't do my annual Fifteen to One sign up but this year I'm thinking of doing it again. For those that aren't sure what I'm on about feel free to read the following two stories:

Fifteen to One A Quest to be the Best

Fifteen to One MKII - Who will beat Celtic_1967

All I need from you lot is a PM to see if your interested and which two leagues we could have it running on FM17. 

Obviously two spaces are taken up with myself joining and last years winner tenthreeleader will be automatically entered to defend his crown.

Forum Members Entered:

1) tenthreeleader (Defending Champion)

2) mark wilson27 (Because I made the sign up )

3) CFuller

4) BenArsenal

5) salkster2102

6) chesterfan2

7) WLKRAS

8)

9)

10)

11)

12)

13)

14)

15)

(Updated list)...Eight more spaces up for grabs

[mark wilson27]

Anyone else fancy joining also what league would you like to run it in. Its going to be played on FM17

[mark wilson27]

Going to keep the sign up open for another couple of days then if I have a decent amount of people interested I'll get it started

[git2thachoppa]

With the 2014 Spanish World Cup approaching in my story thread, I have created a Match of the Day intro to go with it:

I was gonna go with Shakira, but Stevie Wonder is just too good, who cares if it isn't strictly Spanish?

[CFuller]

You do know that Shakira is from Colombia, right? 

That's not a bad intro, mind you. I wish I could do something like that. 

[git2thachoppa]

4 minutes ago, CFuller said:

You do know that Shakira is from Colombia, right? 

That's not a bad intro, mind you. I wish I could do something like that. 

Yah but it was a choice between the real life official 2014 World Cup song La La La which is at least IN Spanish, or Stevie Wonder which is samba but is way better.

[CFuller]

You could've borrowed this from the BBC's 1982 World Cup intro. Then again, that doesn't sound particularly modern... or Spanish! 

[mark wilson27]

Last year I didn't do my annual Fifteen to One sign up but this year I'm thinking of doing it again. For those that aren't sure what I'm on about feel free to read the following two stories:

Fifteen to One A Quest to be the Best

Fifteen to One MKII - Who will beat Celtic_1967

All I need from you lot is a PM to see if your interested and which two leagues we could have it running on FM17. 

Obviously two spaces are taken up with myself joining and last years winner tenthreeleader will be automatically entered to defend his crown.

Forum Members Entered:

1) tenthreeleader (Defending Champion)

2) mark wilson27 (Because I made the sign up )

3) CFuller

4) BenArsenal

5) salkster2102

6) chesterfan2

7) WLKRAS

8) EvilDave

9)

10)

11)

12)

13)

14)

15)

I have seven more spaces left guys, going to close this off when I get back from work tomorrow at 3am. Theirs only eight people in at the moment which is enough to make a decent show of it but would prefer to have the full fifteen

[mark wilson27]

Looks like the 15-1 sign up is going down to 8-1. @EvilDave I have PM'd you regarding this.

Cheers to those who have entered and watch this space

[BenArsenal]

So that's that then. In the end it was too little too late and we've finally failed to make it.

I'm trying to see the positive parts about the whole thing. If it results in a change for the better for the club then perhaps it is the well-deserved kick up the backside we need. And I hope we take the Europa League seriously because it is a realistic chance to go on a good cup run and win a European trophy.

[CFuller]

19 consecutive years in the Champions League. We had a good run. 

We've become far too complacent of late, so in a way, I'm quite relieved that we've finally been shown up. We need fresh management and possibly the support of a more co-operative owner (which is why I'd favour Alisher Usmanov's takeover bid over Stan Kroenke staying at the club), otherwise we're just going to keep falling off the pace. We'd then go into another phase of selling our best assets year-on-year (it looks like Sánchez this year, then Ozil, then I guess Bellerín will be next), in which case we can forget about challenging for honours any time soon.

If I was the man in charge, I'd be doing everything I could to bring Massimiliano Allegri and Paulo Dybala over from Juventus. Realistically, though, I'd like to see Luis Enrique come in.

Thanks to our failures this season, I've pretty much decided what my first save on FM18 will be (provided I buy that game, of course ). If Arsene Wenger is still Arsenal manager by next season, I'll be booting him out and managing Arsenal (hopefully for more than the single season I managed on FM16). If Wenger has departed by then, I'll probably do an Aberdeen save instead and try to topple Celtic's Invincibles.

[git2thachoppa]

The look on Wenger's face, some mix of confusion and deer-in-the-headlights, like "we've not won the Top 4 trophy?... This must be a lucid dream... is there meaning to life any more?" It's like he sort of did the minimum to challenge for top every season, assuming he'll get top 4 in a worst case scenario anyway, then it all came crumbling down finally and he still never saw it coming.

If Wenger leaves, whether Arsenal improve or drop will depend on those higher up now. Man Utd messed up panic-sacking Moyes rather than giving him another year, at which point if he still sucked they probably could've got Klopp anyway.

I hope for excitement for Arsenal fans, whichever end of the table, it's better than being stale. Even constantly winning at the top gets a bit boring. But as a non-Arsenal fan, I hope Wenger stays in charge forever. You're always in with a very strong chance of points against Wenger's Arsenal, and even if they get the win you can rely on them dropping points to teams you roll over anyway so you make it up.

[tenthreeleader]

3 hours ago, git2thachoppa said:

 You're always in with a very strong chance of points against Wenger's Arsenal, and even if they get the win you can rely on them dropping points to teams you roll over anyway so you make it up.

Unless you're Manchester United.

[git2thachoppa]

Just now, tenthreeleader said:

Unless you're Manchester United.

Not at all, I'm speaking as a Man Utd fan. I would want Arsene at Arsenal forever. Arsenal won plenty of matches against Utd, but then kindly dropped points to those big bully midtable clubs for us to steam ahead.

Him at Arsenal, Benitez at Liverpool, Mourinho at Chelsea playing a narrow formation against Giggs and Ronaldo, those were the days.

[tenthreeleader]

An awful lot of fun watching Josh Harrop score for Manchester United on his debut today, especially since he spent a season on loan with my Oxford United team in FM 15.  Anyone else ever enjoy the feeling when a player they once had on loan does something great?

[CFuller]

I've been looking back at my Premier League predictions from the start of the season. Long story short: I'm better off sticking to writing about fictional football. 

City champions? Chelsea a solid 4th? Tottenham only 5th? West Ham in the top six? And Middlesbrough in 12th place?

WHAT WAS I THINKING?! 

Still, at least I didn't say anything like this...

On 14/08/2016 at 15:19, BenArsenal said:

11. Sunderland - Moyes is a good manager to bring stability to any club (he was just unfortunate in his last two appointments I feel), which is what Sunderland need desperately. They actually have a good squad of players, so if it all goes well I can see Sunderland safely in upper mid-table

 

[CFuller]

17 hours ago, tenthreeleader said:

An awful lot of fun watching Josh Harrop score for Manchester United on his debut today, especially since he spent a season on loan with my Oxford United team in FM 15.  Anyone else ever enjoy the feeling when a player they once had on loan does something great?

I signed Danny Drinkwater on a season-long loan from Man Utd for my Millwall team in FM11. He was as adept at scoring long-range screamers as he was at losing his head and getting sent off.

[git2thachoppa]

1 hour ago, CFuller said:

I've been looking back at my Premier League predictions from the start of the season. Long story short: I'm better off sticking to writing about fictional football. 

City champions? Chelsea a solid 4th? Tottenham only 5th? West Ham in the top six? And Middlesbrough in 12th place?

WHAT WAS I THINKING?! 

Still, at least I didn't say anything like this...

 

Remember when after about 10 games everyone was saying Man City had the title wrapped up. Same people will be making these same early 'bold' predictions every season, like teams never overcome a point deficit or come from two goals behind.

[BenArsenal]

19 hours ago, CFuller said:

I've been looking back at my Premier League predictions from the start of the season. Long story short: I'm better off sticking to writing about fictional football. 

City champions? Chelsea a solid 4th? Tottenham only 5th? West Ham in the top six? And Middlesbrough in 12th place?

WHAT WAS I THINKING?! 

Still, at least I didn't say anything like this...

 

Oh....*groan*

It's been a terrible season for me. I clearly know nothing about football...

[tenthreeleader]

Each year in the predictions pool, my goal is to not finish last.

So thanks, Ben.

Just kidding. There but for the grace of God go I.

[CFuller]

Well... at least we've won something at the end of a dreadful season.

This would be an ideal time for Arsene to bow out on a high. I suspect he will stick around for a bit longer, though.

[git2thachoppa]

BREAKING NEWS: Moses prophethood revoked only 24 hours into Ramadan

[CFuller]

Moses was a right idiot. Who on Earth dives in an FA Cup Final when they're already on a yellow card?

That call from Anthony Taylor was absolutely spot-on - indeed, so were most of his other big decisions. I hope other Premier League referees show as much bravery as Taylor next season, so that the scourge of diving can be properly stamped out.