AI Experiment - The Bandits are back for FM09

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Bandits report - squad

Top 20 in Squad (sorted by CA)

Name, Pos, Age, CA-PA

(excluding starlets, of which four remain)

Spender, 23, D/WB R, 62-92 – new signing

Klein-Davis, 19, ST, 58-69 – new signing

Mulligan, 22, D/MC, 56-135 – new signing

Inglis, 17, GK, 48-127 – new signing

Hatton, 21, D/MC, 48-70 – new signing

Matthews, 26, WB RL/AM RLC, 44-51 – new signing

Johnston, 26, AM RLC/FC, 40-52 – new signing

Walker, 21, D RC, 36-65 – new signing

Robinson, 18, ST, 34-87 – new signing

McFadden, 22, AML/ST, 31-47 – new signing

Walton, 18, DC, 29-95 – new signing

Morrison, 28, MC, 25-50 – new signing

Farid, 26, MC, 21-88 – new signing

Players in last season’s top 20 who have left the club:

None

Players in last season’s top 20 who have dropped out of the top 20:

None

Starting the season with 22 outstanding talents, the Bandits are left with four, plus the thirteen new signings above, giving them a total squad size of a paltry 17. Spender, Klein-Davis and Mulligan are excellent now, with the latter able to massively improve, with Inglis is also a real talent.

Notable others:

None

CA of X or above:

190 : 0

180 : 0

170 : 0

160 : 0

150 : 0

140 : 0

130 : 0

120 : 0

110 : 0

100 : 0

90 : 0

80 : 0

70 : 0

60 : 1

50 : 3

There are players that serve a purpose in the Blue Square South, even with a CA under 50, but realistically they aren’t going to set the world alight, so let’s analyse only those with 50 CA or more. Of course, four starlets remain, so the Bandits still have seven players that are strong for the league. With an excellent first half of the season, it should be enough.

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Sheriffs report - squad

Top 20 in Squad (sorted by CA)

Name, Pos, Age, CA-PA

(excluding idiots, of which one remains)

Miller, 16, MR, 66-177 (-)

Griffin, 29, ST, 54-71 – new signing

Jones, 17, MC, 47-115 (+4)

Clifford, 17, DC, 47-105 (+4)

Rigby, 20, GK, 46-51 – new signing

Lees, 16, MC, 45-73 (+6)

Martin, 17, GK, 41-111 (+7)

Fairclough, 17, ST, 41-110 (+4)

Garvey, 16, DC, 40-40 (-)

Rigley, 20, D/M L, 39-100 – new signing

Whittingham, 16, MC, 38-53 (+3)

Hands, 24, MC, 36-50 – new signing

Tully, 33, D RC/MC, 35-73 – new signing

Swaney, 21, D RC, 35-60 – new signing

Hook, 16, DC, 33-112 (+4)

Thom, 19, DC, 33-107 – new signing

Bull, 20, ST, 26-65 – new signing

Ormand, 19, GK, 25-89 – new signing

Bennett, 33, AML, 24-50 – new signing

Players in last season’s top 20 who have left the club:

None

Players in last season’s top 20 who have dropped out of the top 20:

None

The Sheriffs have lost three of their four star idiots, but having already started to rebuild in the summer, they now have a bigger squad than the Bandits, with 20 players including Idiot Goalkeeper.

However, many are quite useless, and it will concern them that the best of the bunch, John Miller, hasn’t improved at all throughout the season. His PA seems a long way away. But they have eight players with a PA of 100 or more, so they don’t need signings to improve.

Notable others:

None

CA of X or above:

190 : 0

180 : 0

170 : 0

160 : 0

150 : 0

140 : 0

130 : 0

120 : 0

110 : 0

100 : 0

90 : 0

80 : 0

70 : 0

60 : 1

50 : 2

A bigger squad they may have, but it remains the weaker of the two.

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Club reports – January-May

With the Bandits losing so many of their star names, and the Sheriffs going down to one star, both sets of fans feared the second half of the season, hoping for anything but an anticlimax.

The Bandits began with an FA Cup third round game at Watford, but despite putting in a decent performance, were to lose the first game in their club’s history, going down 2-0. But the league form

was still good, ending January with a pair of 5-0 wins, and the month also saw a triumph over York in the FA Trophy second round, after a replay,and a 2-1 win over Ebbsfleet in the Setanta Shield quarter final. Both teams play in the Conference.

And then the performances began to dip, as the effect of losing so many star players kicked in. Three draws in the league ruined their 100% record, Oxford ended the Setanta Shield dream in the semi-final stage, winning 1-0 in a match that could’ve finished 3-0 or 4-0, so poor were the Bandits that day. And the final cup tournament didn’t last much longer, Woking knocking them out of the FA Trophy 2-0.

The Sheriffs were faring even worse, opening 2009 with three consecutive defeats, two in the league and a 3-0 drubbing by Oxford (yes, them again) in the FA Trophy. But the cup dreams ending seemed to focus them on the league, and an eight match winning streak saw them secure second, and go into their biggest match of the season, at home to the Bandits, in great form.

And that form showed – the Sheriffs ran out 2-0 winners to inflict the Bandits’ first ever league defeat, and gain revenge for the reverse scoreline earlier in the season.

It would be the Bandits’ only loss of the league season, and with only four draws slowing them down they ended the campaign winning the league on 115 points, 33 clear of the Sheriffs, who closed out the season in second.

So the attention turned to the playoffs, and the Sheriffs opened with a comfortable 1-0 win at Chelmsford, asserting their superiority on a side that finished eleven points behind them. But the second leg turned up a shock when the visitors cancelled out the Sheriffs’ advantage early, and then went 2-0 up. A goal back took the tie to extra time, and when Chelmsford went down to ten men the Sheriffs sniffed a chance. But it was Chelmsford who scored again, winning 3-1 on the day, and 3-2 on aggregate.

They went on to get promoted, winning in the final, and condemning the Sheriffs to a second season in the Blue Square South. As for the Bandits, it was onwards and upwards.

Bandit Honours:

Blue Square South (2009)

Sheriff Honours:

None

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Bandits report - Season summary

2008-09

Blue Square South: (Pos 1), P 42, W 37, D 4, L 1, F 112, A 15, GD +97, Pts 115

(Media Prediction: 8th)

League

FA Cup: Third Round

FA Trophy: Fourth Round

Setanta Shield: Semi Final

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Sheriffs report - Season summary

2008-09

Blue Square South: (Pos 2), P 42, W 26, D 4, L 12, F 72, A 37, GD +35, Pts 82

(Media Prediction: 22nd)

League

FA Cup: Fourth Qualifying Round

FA Trophy: Second Round

Setanta Shield: South Second Round

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Bandits report - Best and Worst

General

Stats

New records:

Too many to mention

This season:

Best player – Striker 1, 7.87

Top scorer – Striker 1, 34

Worst player – Hatton, 5.95

Finance:

The Bandits and the Sheriffs continue to dominate the rich list.

Rich Clubs

Bandits Balance – £63.3m, with a transfer budget of around £20m.

Sheriffs Balance - £30.5m, with a transfer budget of around £11m.

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Player reports - Superstars

Goalkeeper 1 (England/Argentina)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 30, Conc 11, Cln 22, MoM 0, YC 5, RC 0, Avg 7.31

Transfers to Sunderland for £1.9m

2008-09, Sunderland, CA 158: Apps 12, Conc 14, Cln 5, MoM 1, YC 3, RC 0, Avg 6.78

Notes: Moves on from the Bandits in January, and narrowly avoids relegation with Sunderland, finishing 17th in the Premiership. Is a regular in Argentina’s youth side and prefers the South Americans as an international option.

Goalkeeper 2 (England/Brazil)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 153: Apps 22 (1), Conc 14, Cln 12, MoM 1, YC 3, RC 0, Avg 7.01

Notes: Replaces Goalkeeper 1 in goal for the Bandits for the second half of the season, but will probably not be far behind him in leaving. Hasn’t appeared for either of his national youth sides yet.

Left Back 1 (England/Croatia)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 22, Gls 1, Asts 7, MoM 0, YC 5, RC 0, Avg 7.21

Transfers to Everton for £625k

2008-09, Everton, CA 161: Apps 11, Gls 1, Asts 0, MoM 0, YC 0, RC 0, Avg 6.81

Notes: Played well for the Bandits, but hasn’t set the world alight with Everton yet. However, he has already made his England Under 21 debut.

Left Back 2 (England/Denmark)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 156: Apps 41 (1), Gls 1, Asts 16, MoM 8, YC 7, RC 1, Avg 7.35

Notes: Has an awesome season with the Bandits, claiming a massive sixteen assists and playing to a very high standard. He has played for England at Under 19 level.

Right Back 1 (England/Equatorial Guinea)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 36, Gls 1, Asts 16, MoM 3, YC 2, RC 0, Avg 7.48

Transfers to Fulham for £1.2m

2008-09, Fulham, CA 165: Apps 10, Gls 0, Asts 0, MoM 0, YC 1, RC 0, Avg 6.52

Notes: Like Left Back 1, was a marauding full back for the Bandits, setting up goal after goal, but then moved to Fulham and has so far struggled to adapt to the Premiership. But Fulham have survived, and he has made his England Under 21 debut.

Right Back 2 (England/France)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 6, Gls 0, Asts 3, MoM 2, YC 0, RC 0, Avg 7.72

Transfers to Rennes for £220k

2008-09, Rennes, CA 155: Apps 9, Gls 0, Asts 2, MoM 0, YC 0, RC 0, Avg 6.84

Notes: Didn’t play much for the Bandits as Right Back had the position sewn up, but Rennes saw enough to take him to France, where he has spent most of his time learning his trade in the reserves. He has

been twice capped by the French Under 21 team, and appears to be switching his allegiance across the Channel.

Centre Back 1 (England/Germany)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 35, Gls 1, Asts 6, MoM 0, YC 2, RC 0, Avg 7.08

Transfers to Fulham for £1.4m

2008-09, Fulham, CA 165: Apps 15, Gls 0, Asts 0, MoM 1, YC 1, RC 0, Avg 6.83

Notes: A busy season for the 17 year old as he is a regular at the back for the Bandits, before moving to Fulham and playing a fair amount for them too. Hasn’t been called up at any level for either country yet.

Centre Back 2 (England/Holland)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 25, Gls 1, Asts 2, MoM 2, YC 3, RC 0, Avg 7.36

Transfers to Lyon for £775k

2008-09, Lyon, CA 157: Apps 2, Gls 0, Asts 0, MoM 0, YC 1, RC 0, Avg 6.35

Notes: After a very decent start to his Bandits career, he also moves to France, joining powerhouse Lyon and serving his education in their reserves. He has played twice for the Dutch Under 21 side.

Centre Back 3 (England/Italy)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 9, Gls 0, Asts 0, MoM 1, YC 1, RC 0, Avg 7.28

Transfers to Chievo for £75k

2008-09, Chievo, CA 157: Apps 16, Gls 1, Asts 0, MoM 3, YC 1, RC 0, Avg 6.67

Notes: Doesn’t feature much for the Bandits, but catches the eye of the Italian scouts, first joining Chievo and then featuring for the Italian Under 21 side. His choice of Chievo might not be a great one – they finished with 15 points in Serie A, coming bottom by miles.

Centre Back 4 (England/Jamaica)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 9 (1), Gls 0, Asts 1, MoM 2, YC 3, RC 0, Avg 7.09

Transfers to Hibernian for £30k

2008-09, Hibernian, CA 154: Apps 14, Gls 1, Asts 1, MoM 0, YC 3, RC 1, Avg 6.68

Notes: Not a first choice for the Bandits in the first half of the season, he moves north of the border to Hibernian in January and struggles a little there. He has played twice for the England Under 21 side.

Left Mid 1 (England/Kazakhstan)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 23 (2), Gls 10, Asts 10, MoM 0, YC 5, RC 0, Avg 7.03

Transfers to Man City for £1.1m

2008-09, Man City, CA 165: Apps 6, Gls 0, Asts 0, MoM 0, YC 0, RC 0, Avg 6.45

Notes: Does well from the wing for the Bandits, scoring and setting up his fair share of goals, and catches the eye of moneybags Man City, who snap him up in January. Hasn’t featured much for his new club yet, but has been in the England Under 21 side.

Left Mid 2 (England/Luxembourg)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 16 (1), Gls 6, Asts 3, MoM 1, YC 3, RC 1, Avg 7.06

Transfers to Everton for £1m

2008-09, Everton, CA 167: Apps 17, Gls 2, Asts 1, MoM 0, YC 2, RC 0, Avg 6.60

Notes: Starts well for the Bandits, and then gets his big move to the Premiership, where he is learning his trade. At 167, his CA is the highest among any of the starlets, and his ability has been noticed by the England Under 21 side, who have played him twice. He has scored twice in those games.

Right Mid 1 (England/Mexico)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 30, Gls 11, Asts 11, MoM 1, YC 4, RC 0, Avg 7.11

Transfers to Blackburn for £1.3m

2008-09, Blackburn, CA 165: Apps 14, Gls 6, Asts 1, MoM 0, YC 0, RC 0, Avg 6.91

Notes: Made a fantastic start to his career, destroying defences in the Blue Square South before making his move to Blackburn. He is scoring at a decent rate, but will want to raise his overall performance level. He is now in the England Under 21 side.

Right Mid 2 (England/New Zealand)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 11 (1), Gls 4, Asts 8, MoM 0, YC 0, RC 0, Avg 7.26

Transfers to Rangers for £220k

2008-09, Rangers, CA 160: Apps 19, Gls 4, Asts 4, MoM 0, YC 0, RC 0, Avg 6.58

Notes: Plays well whenever called on by the Bandits, but cannot oust Right Mid 1 and moves on to Rangers, where he is struggling a little, but in the England Under 21 side.

Centre Mid 1 (England/Oman)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 155: Apps 52 (1), Gls 17, Asts 13, MoM 2, YC 9, RC 1, Avg 6.93

Notes: A regular all season with the Bandits, he stays around and is directly involved in thirty goals throughout the season. But his overall play could be improved, and that is reflected in the fact that he has no international experience, even at youth level.

Centre Mid 2 (England/Portugal)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 31 (1), Gls 10, Asts 11, MoM 2, YC 7, RC 0, Avg 7.04

Transfers to Sporting for £1.1m

2008-09, Sporting, CA 163: Apps 17, Gls 3, Asts 2, MoM 1, YC 2, RC 0, Avg 6.86

Notes: Played solidly for the Bandits and then decided to follow his Portuguese roots, joining Sporting Lisbon and scoring on his debut for the Portuguese Under 21 side.

Centre Mid 3 (England/Qatar)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 15 (4), Gls 9, Asts 4, MoM 0, YC 5, RC 1, Avg 7.21

Transfers to Bolton for £675k

2008-09, Bolton, CA 164: Apps 12, Gls 1, Asts 2, MoM 0, YC 2, RC 0, Avg 6.77

Notes: Another who starts well for the Bandits and then moves on, joining Premiership strugglers Bolton. He has now played for the England Under 21 side, and shows no sign of moving to Qatar anytime soon.

Centre Mid 4 (England/Rwanda)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 4 (3), Gls 2, Asts 1, MoM 0, YC 0, RC 0, Avg 6.93

Transfers to Reading for £75k

2008-09, Reading, CA 154: Apps 22, Gls 3, Asts 2, MoM 0, YC 0, RC 0, Avg 6.71

Notes: He may not be having a great season, but Reading have managed an absolute steal there, getting him for 75k. He helps Reading get promoted from the Championship, through the playoffs, and has made his debut for the England Under 21 team.

Striker 1 (England/Spain)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 165: Apps 46 (4), Gls 34, Asts 12, MoM 14, YC 8, RC 0, Avg 7.87

Notes: Stuck with the Bandits all season, and what a season he had – 34 goals and an all round legendary year. His average rating is stunning, and he will surely be poached by a bigger club in the summer. Spain are trying to tempt him, playing him at Under 19 level, but he appears to have no preference just yet.

Striker 2 (England/Thailand)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 32 (3), Gls 22, Asts 5, MoM 8, YC 9, RC 1, Avg 7.96

Transfers to Newcastle for £1.5m

2008-09, Newcastle, CA 160: Apps 12, Gls 4, Asts 1, MoM 0, YC 4, RC 0, Avg 7.06

Notes: After a wonderful first half of the season for the Bandits, he moved to Newcastle and made a decent start there too. He hasn't featured at international level yet, but has already stated his desire to only play to England.

Striker 3 (England/USA)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 5 (5), Gls 6, Asts 1, MoM 1, YC 0, RC 0, Avg 8.04

Transfers to Sheff Utd for £55k

2008-09, Sheff Utd, CA 161: Apps 23, Gls 10, Asts 5, MoM 4, YC 5, RC 0, Avg 7.14

Notes: Impressed every time he played for the Bandits, although he didn't get many chances, and then moved to Championship Sheff Utd in January, where he started very well as they reached the playoffs. He has already played three times for England Under 21s.

Striker 4 (England/Vanuatu)

2008-09, Bandits, CA 150: Apps 15 (4), Gls 14, Asts 4, MoM 3, YC 0, RC 0, Avg 7.85

Transfers to Dundee Utd for £85k

2008-09, Dundee Utd, CA 156: Apps 18, Gls 11, Asts 1, MoM 4, YC 2, RC 0, Avg 7.13

Notes: Scored plenty both for the Bandits, and for Scottish side Dundee Utd when he moved north of the border. He has featured for England Under 21s.

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Player reports - Idiots

Idiot Goalkeeper (England/Wales)

2008-09, Sheriffs, CA 150: Apps 51, Conc 46, Cln 22, MoM 5, YC 5, RC 0, Avg 6.99

Notes: Has a decent season for his club, but is constantly in the press, complaining about personal issues that are distracting him from the game, starting as early as October. By the end of the season, he had completely fallen out with the manager, whom he dislikes. His CA does not rise at all, but he does make an appearance for the England Under 19 side.

Idiot Defender (England/Northern Mariana)

2008-09, Sheriffs, CA 150: Apps 5, Gls 0, Asts 3, MoM 1, YC 1, RC 0, Avg 7.46

Transfers to Blackburn for £700k

2008-09, Blackburn, CA 145: Apps 18, Gls 0, Asts 1, MoM 1, YC 3, RC 3, Avg 6.64

Notes: Oh dear. He started well for the Sheriffs, but left at the end of the summer transfer window to join Blackburn. He is winning few friends there, having managed three red cards in eighteen games, but the worst news is that his CA has dropped five points due to his appalling attitude towards training. He has featured for England Under 21s, but if he wants a stellar career he needs to put in the effort.

Idiot Midfielder (England/Yemen)

2008-09, Sheriffs, CA 150: Apps 23, Gls 9, Asts 9, MoM 0, YC 12, RC 3, Avg 6.80

Transfers to Celtic for £1m

2008-09, Celtic, CA 150: Apps 15 (3), Gls 2, Asts 2, MoM 0, YC 5, RC 1, Avg 6.46

Notes: Manages to out do Idiot Defender by getting sent off four times in the season, three times for the Sheriffs, where he scored plenty but didn't set the world alight, and once for Celtic after his move to Scotland, where he struggled. His CA, like the other idiots, fails to improve, and his international career has so far been limited to England Under 19 appearances.

Idiot Striker (England/Zambia)

2008-09, Sheriffs, CA 150: Apps 5, Gls 5, Asts 0, MoM 0, YC 0, RC 0, Avg 7.46

Transfers to Blackburn for £775k

2008-09, Blackburn, CA 149: Apps 2 (2), Gls 1, Asts 0, MoM 0, YC 0, RC 0, Avg 6.67

Notes: Started really well for the Sheriffs but left for Blackburn in a double deal that included Idiot Defender. Hasn't featured much for his new club, and with his CA slipping a little he won't unless his attitude improves. He has, however, played three time for England Under 21s.

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Competitions - England

Premiership

Man Utd retain the Premiership for the third successive year, two points clear of Arsenal. Hull impress by finishing sixth, while Blackburn’s two idiots and one superstar help them to seventh.

At the bottom, newly promoted Stoke join Wigan and Portsmouth in going down. Preston, Birmingham and Reading come up from the Championship.

In the cups, Man Utd secure the double by beating Spurs 2-1 in the FA Cup final, scoring twice in the last ten minutes, while Chelsea beat Arsenal 3-2 in a League Cup final thriller.

Chelsea also lifted the Champions League trophy for the first time, beating Barcelona 2-1 in the final, while AC Milan lifted the UEFA Cup, beating Seville on penalties. Man City went the furthest of the English sides, making the last 16, before throwing away a 3-0 first leg victory by being spanked 5-0 by Seville in Spain.

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Premiership Analysis - Reputation

(league position in bold)

1 (-). Man Utd (1) - 9398

2 (-). Chelsea (3) - 9383

3 (-). Liverpool (4) - 9206

4 (-). Arsenal (2) - 8880

5 (-). Tottenham (5) - 7483

6 (-). Man City (12) - 7235

7 (-). Everton (8) - 7165

8 (-). Aston Villa (10) - 7033

9 (-). Newcastle (13) - 6970

10 (-). Blackburn (7) - 6851

11 (-). West Ham (14) - 6838

12 (-). Middlesbrough (11) - 6758

13 (-). Bolton (16) - 6572

14 (-). Sunderland (17) - 6390

15 (-). West Brom (9) - 6175

16 (-). Fulham (15) - 6135

17 (-). Portsmouth (18) - 5802

18 (-). Wigan (19) - 5798

19 (-). Stoke (20) - 5769

20 (-). Hull (6) - 5695

Promoted sides

Preston – 5781

Birmingham – 6326

Reading – 6107

Elsewhere

Bandits – 1455 (+505)

Sheriffs – 1023 (+73)

It already seems that reputation is not easily affected by one good season – Hull finished sixth but still have a lower score than the three relegated sides. Elsewhere, the Big Four are way ahead of the rest.

Birmingham and Reading look to be in a fairly decent position, but of the promoted sides, Championship winners Preston look most vulnerable.

The Bandits gain a very healthy 505 reputation points as they get promoted, but the Sheriffs are still third bottom in the Blue Square South reputation list and will need to spend their money to bring in the required talent.

Overachievers : Hull, West Brom

Underachievers : Man City

Title Prediction : Arsenal to take the title away from United

Relegation Prediction : Preston and Reading to join Sunderland in the drop zone.

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Competitions – Blue Square South

Best players in the Blue Square South (excluding starlets and idiots):

1 (-). Ehiogu (Dorchester, 36, DC, 80-150)

2 (-). Oakes (Team Bath, 35, GK, 73-130)

3 (-). Powell (Worcester, 39, D/WB L, 71-145)

4 (-). Boland (Dorchester, 33, DM, 69-115)

5 (3). Holmes (Chelmsford, 21, AMR, 66-123)

6 (1). Miller (Sheriffs, 16, MR, 66-177)

7 (-). Cummings (Dorchester, 28, D/WB L, 65-95)

8 (2). Main (AFC Wimbledon, 28, FC, 65-70)

9 (4). Rainford (Chelmsford, 30, MC, 64-75)

10 (-). Fowler (Eastleigh, 25, DM, 63-97)

Yes, that really is Ugo Ehiogu at the top of the list. With clubs increasingly signing former top flight players who are past their best, Miller is knocked down to sixth.

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Competitions – Around the world

Your annual guide to the major competition winners from across the globe:

World

World Club Cup – Man Utd

Europe

Champions League – Chelsea

UEFA Cup – AC Milan

Belgium

Jupiler Pro League – Anderlecht

Confidis Cup – Anderlecht

England

Premiership – Man Utd

FA Cup – Man Utd

League Cup - Chelsea

France

Ligue 1 – Lyon

Coupe de France – Lilles

Coupe de la Ligue – Lyon

Germany

Bundesliga – Bayern Munich

DFB-Pokal – Bayern Munich

Italy

Serie A – Inter Milan

Italian Cup – Roma

Netherlands

Eredivisie – PSV

Dutch Cup – PSV

Portugal

Liga Sagres – Benfica

Taca de Portugal – Porto

Carlsberg Cup – Benfica

Scotland

SPL – Rangers

Scottish Cup – Celtic

Co-operative Cup – Rangers

Spain

La Liga – Real Madrid

Copa del Rey – Getafe

South America

Copa Libertadores – LDU de Quito

Copa Sudamericana – Sao Paulo

Argentina

Primera A – River Plate

Brazil

Brasileiro – Cruzeiro

Copa do Brasil – Sport Recife

International

World Cup – n/a

African Cup of Nations – n/a

Asian Cup – n/a

European Championships – n/a

Gold Cup – n/a

Oceania Nations Cup – n/a

Copa America – n/a

Confederations Cup – n/a

Olympics – Ivory Coast

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Summary

An excellent first season for the Bandits sees just one league defeat (to the Sheriffs) on their way to the Blue Square South title and promotion. The conference leagues are notoriously difficult to get out of, with their minimal promotion zones, so they've done well to escape at the first opportunity.

It will disappoint them slightly that they didn't make any of the three cup finals, especially having started the season so strongly, but their FA Cup performance was excellent, and the rest was made difficult by the exodus of superstars in January.

They now have four of the starlets still available, but it would be a surprise to see any of them last beyond the summer. So it is crucial that they rebuild, using their huge pool of money, to put up a decent challenge in the Blue Square Premier.

As for the Sheriffs, it was a season that promised so much but eventually fell flat at the end. Having ended the season strongly, they seemed certain to follow the Bandits up through the playoffs, but fell in the semi final and will now have to start all over again. This time, they will probably be without all the idiots – the goalkeeper is the only one left and he can't stand the manager anymore.

Elsewhere, the players moved all around Europe, with a few heading to Scotland, and some of those with big second nations representing those countries at youth level. None of them have a full cap to their name yet, but that is surely only a matter of time. As for the idiots, three out of the four have moved, but none of them have managed an improvement in CA, two seeing their ability decline. If that continues, they are not going to have successful careers at all.

The Premiership was won by Man Utd again, with they and Chelsea picking up cup honours. There were no major surprises around the Europe when it came to league winners, but that will probably change in time.

Bandit’s former manager watch

No former managers

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World View – Club Reputation

The top twenty clubs in the world, based on their reputation:

1 (-). Real Madrid – 9493

2 (-). Barcelona – 9490

3 (-). Man Utd – 9398

4 (-). Chelsea – 9383

5 (-). Liverpool – 9206

6 (-). Inter Milan – 9150

7 (-). AC Milan – 8900

8 (-). Arsenal – 8880

9 (-). Bayern Munich – 8785

10 (-). Juventus – 8736

11 (-). Sevilla – 8667

12 (-). Valencia – 8645

13 (-). Roma – 8511

14 (-). Lyon – 8447

15 (-). Real Zaragoza – 8317

16 (-). Porto – 8179

17 (-). Fiorentina – 8100

18 (-). Benfica – 8071

19 (-). Boca Juniors – 7967

20 (-). River Plate - 7953

[kipfizh]

World View - Ones to watch

Your annual guide to the stars of tomorrow:

Loic Pelletier (ESTAC/France, 16, MC, 86/197) is a central midfielder in the French Ligue 2, playing for Estac’s youth team. He has huge potential but a long way to go.

Previous tips

None

[kipfizh]

World View - World beaters

Kaka (AC Milan/Brazil, 27, AM C, 194/195) appears - the great Brazilian breaks the 190 CA boundary and moves straight into a joint top position. A regular scorer for AC Milan, he has a very decent season and helps them lift the UEFA Cup.

Kaka

Lionel Messi (Barcelona/Argentina, 21, AM RLC, 194-195) gains four points of CA to stay joint top with Kaka. He has an outstanding season with Barcelona, scoring 22 goals and averaging a very healthy 7.45. He should be on this list for years.

Lionel Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo (Man United/Portugal, 24, AM RL, 192/195) gains two CA points but slips to third as Kaka and Messi make bigger strides. Has a good but not spectacular season, but lifts the Premiership and FA Cup nonetheless.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Number of 190+ CA players : 3 (+1) (excluding starlets and idiots)

Number of 180+ CA players : 18 (+6) (excluding starlets and idiots)

Number of 170+ CA players : 85 (+25) (excluding starlets and idiots)

Number of 190+ PA players : 24 (-) (excluding starlets and idiots)

Number of 180+ PA players : 146 (+4) (excluding starlets and idiots)

Number of 170+ PA players : 531 (+16) (excluding starlets and idiots)

The future looks slightly more filled with stars as those with high PA increase by a small margin, but it seems there were plenty waiting to become stars already – the number of players with a high CA has risen sharply.

[kipfizh]

World View - Distribution of 180+ CA players

The clubs

Real Madrid – 3 (-) (189, 183, 180)

Chelsea – 3 (-) (186, 181, 180)

Barcelona – 2 (-) (194, 180)

Man Utd – 2 (-) (192, 181)

Liverpool – 2 (-) (183, 183)

AC Milan – 1 (-) (194)

Juventus – 1 (-) (188)

Arsenal – 1 (-) (186)

Lyon – 1 (-) (184)

Roma – 1 (-) (184)

Atletico Madrid – 1 (-) (181)

Total – 18 (+6)

Real Madrid and Chelsea lead the way with three each, as the number of stars reaches eighteen.

The leagues

England – 8 (-)

Spain – 6 (-)

Italy – 3 (-)

France – 1 (-)

Total – 18 (+6)

The Premiership leads the way, and the list contains no nations you would not expect.

The nationalities

Spain – 5 (-)

England – 3 (-)

Argentina – 2 (-)

Italy – 2 (-)

France – 2 (-)

Brazil – 1 (-)

Portugal – 1 (-)

Ghana – 1 (-)

Czech Rep – 1 (-)

Total – 18 (+6)

Spain lead the way, but there are only nine nations on the list, a very thin spread of talent. Hopefully that will change in time.

[robterrace]

So Kip, 2 of the Sheriffs and 1 Bandit at Blackburn... Interesting. Is there any signs of a fall out yet?

[kipfizh]

Right, there you have it, a long time in coming, but hopefully now you've seen it you'll understand why it took so long!

I have linked to the first update post in the first post of the thread.

Now I want your feedback. In the FM07 edition, I eventually posted the update in two sections - the first described all squad changes in the two transfer windows, so that people could speculate on the season based on transfers, and then the rest of the report came after. However, this had flaws - seeing January transfers before the first half of the season report could give the game away, especially if there had been a change in manager.

So, we have a few options:

1) Post the whole thing in one go, as this time.

2) Post in three sections: a) Summer transfers, b) First half of the season report, January transfers, squad reports and c) everything else

3) Post in two sections: a) Summer transfers, first half of the season report, January transfers, squad reports and b) everything else

Thoughts?

Also, let me know what sections (if any) you're not interested in, and whether there is any info missing that you would like. Those coming from the original experiment may notice there is no First XI Analysis section, but that has been delayed until the Bandits settle in a division - at the moment the whole team will change every year so analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the first team is a little pointless.

[kipfizh]

So Kip, 2 of the Sheriffs and 1 Bandit at Blackburn... Interesting. Is there any signs of a fall out yet?

No, not yet, but they weren't actually set to hate each other, only the clubs. I'd actually expect the idiots to fall out with each other in time.

[Denther]

Hi Kip, very interesting and a great read, I really like your summaries

On the post front I think you should post them altogether as you did this time

Thanks!!

[robterrace]

No, not yet, but they weren't actually set to hate each other, only the clubs. I'd actually expect the idiots to fall out with each other in time.

Still, it would be interesting to see whether the fact that they have played for such big rivals would mean that there is some animosity. I would expect to see the idiots fall out with their own reflections in time.

[steve_888]

Hi Kip... great update. Glad you've kept up the standard since the first one.

As for the posts i like the current format of receiving the whole season in one go. KUTGW

[StewartJRobertson]

Excellent work kip. Thank you. Have to say im surprised that the bandits didnt score more goals. Having run a similar personal experiment on FM08 (based on your 07 original of course) my team were banging them in for fun.

Thank you for the competitions - around the world section. I was hoping this information would be included.

I would like to register my vote for posting in three sections, but would encourage you to do whats easiest for yourself. Thanks once again for the update.

[kipfizh]

Okay, I've just found something rather irritating.

It seems my settings for what parts of the world were running on full detail got lost along the way. The Blue Square South was on, so that's fine, but it seems everything else wasn't, so expect the following to change in future seasons:

a) How well the ex-Bandits and ex-Sheriffs are doing in other leagues.

b) How well world stars are playing.

I'm not going to re-run the first season again, but just bear in mind that from now, some numbers may change. That does explain why some of the superstars struggled to settle in elsewhere.

[ubik]

It's very exciting to have th 1st update but it's sad that the starlets have pretty much all left already but thats football i suppose.

As for the update itself, i think it's great laid our as above but it really should be whatever is easiest for you Kip.

[5ergio]

You may leave the best players in the league, world reputations & world beaters for a fair amount of years I suppose. The football world will not change in just 5 years in my opinion. We'll be seeing Messi, Kaka & C. Ronaldo on that list for over 5-8 years and that's nearly a base assumption

Overall a quality report as expected and a storming of the league by the Bandits obviously

o Bandits to storm the league this time, breaking records everywhere like wins, goals and stuff. Check

o Sheriffs to follow them behind, also getting promoted, due their squad lacking players and due their idiots. Too bad they missed out on promotion. The reputation boost would have helped them

o All Bandits players to leave in 1,5 - 2 years. Maybe the GKs will stick longer. They left earlier than I expected to be fair.

o Idiots to leave before the starlets, achieve quicker but disrupt harmony anywhere they go. They left earlier, but achieve? It's not going to happen as far as it seems.

Ahh, forgot to comment about the update posting. The three part will create a suspense and an in-between discussion but pick which one is easier for you & has the best quality

[Sir_Liam]

Great update.

I'd carry on posting it all in one go as well, and I think all the sections have their use right now.

[Tomaldinho]

Right, there you have it, a long time in coming, but hopefully now you've seen it you'll understand why it took so long!

I have linked to the first update post in the first post of the thread.

So, we have a few options:

1) Post the whole thing in one go, as this time.

2) Post in three sections: a) Summer transfers, b) First half of the season report, January transfers, squad reports and c) everything else

3) Post in two sections: a) Summer transfers, first half of the season report, January transfers, squad reports and b) everything else

Excellent reports as expected, if they could all be posted at around lunchtime that would be ideal

In terms of updates it would be best to separate them over the season but as this may mean some get lost or overlooked, maybe do it in 2 halves?

As for the Bandits, I was actually surprised they lost so many players so soon. I thought that more would hold off until the summer, especially those who had barely played a game and hadn't had the chance to be scouted out by the bigger clubs. I would think all of them will leave this summer, but the manager seems to know what he is doing and I would expect them to get promoted at the first time of asking.

The Sheriffs meanwhile are screwed. The squad isn't nearly good enough and whilst they may hover amongst the top teams in the BSS I would not expect to see them promoted next year under the current manager.

[daemonic]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading the report. The current format works well.

[Wegason]

Great update, very interesting to see 18 of the 22 stars leaving in January but none before the season started.

As predicted they stormed the league, amazing results, the Sheriffs did very well considering they only had two idiots for the first half of the season, and only one for the remaining half of the season. It is quite surprising that this got them a playoff place and seems to suggest that a couple of players can carry an otherwise poor team.

Its a shame the detail level was lost, I think that's happened to me before, you choose the settings and then it is not saved.

If the 4 stars remain with the Bandits this coming season, I can see the Bandits going straight up to League Two. If they lose them all, then they will probably struggle and look to consolidate in the Conference.

It will be interesting to see if the Sheriffs can get out of the BSS, I think they might struggle next year.

I like the format as it is, though if people favour splitting it (I don't), then i'd prefer in two sections rather than three.

Weggy's predictions:

Correct in Bold

Outcome undetermined in italics

Wrong in red

The Bandits to win the Blue Square South

The Bandits to obtain more than 100 points in the Blue Square South during the first season

The Bandits to win a cup competition within 3 years.

At least half the Bandits superstars to leave after one season at the club.

The Sheriffs to achieve a playoff place in the first season.

The Sheriffs to NOT reach the Premiership within 20 years.

The Bandits to reach the Premiership within 20 years.

England to win the World Cup before 2020 utilising Bandits/former Bandits players.

One of the idiots to end up at Newcastle United.

Ocean View Park to be expanded significantly by the time the Bandits make league football.

The Bandits to be one of the 92 football league clubs before 2012.

[Aesler]

Very good read so far, its finally here!

As a suggestion, think you should have short head to head summary between the Bandits and the Sheriffs, just to see who performs best between the rivals teams over the course of the experiment, much like the 'past meetings' function on the game.

Like:

Bandits W D L F A GD Pts

Sheriffs W D L F A GD Pts

[~Ian~]

Great to see this update. I like having it all come out together rather than in two or three parts, makes it suitably epic to read through. I like the ones to watch and world beaters sections, don't really care for the club and world club reputations sections though.

I hope the Idiot players don't continue to lose CA, it would make their antics a bit less fun to read about if it was happening at smaller clubs.

Was interesting to see more of the Bandits move abroad already, since as far as I can remember it was just the centre back to Milan last time. I'm guessing it's due to the second nationalities, especially with the French, Italian and Portuguese players ending up in those countries.

KUTGW Kip.

Edit - Aesler's idea above sounds good, this would be a nice touch to include. Though with the Bandits and Sheriffs now in different divisions we'll have to keep our fingers crossed for them to be drawn together in the cups.

[Blanco]

For the net update, can you give us the winners of the English lower leagues, and those relegated?

[Magraev]

Very interesting! I can't wait for the next, and the next, and the next... KUTGW

[hasdgfas]

I would like the updates all posted at once. I think it creates more drama and more discussion(because we need more discussion)

Anyway, Sheriffs got league revenge for the first meeting, at the very least. I'm quite happy about that.

Missing out on promotion to Chelmsford, ugh. I hate Chelmsford, and not just because of that.

Pelletier(sp?) should be interesting to watch, that's a massive PA.

Idiot GK falling out with his manager in October, how excellent.

Hopefully the players will set the world on fire this next year when everything's on full detail that's supposed to be

Excellent update, I will probably have more to say once I take it all in.

Mon the Sheriffs

[williamshankley]

Very good read so far, its finally here!

As a suggestion, think you should have short head to head summary between the Bandits and the Sheriffs, just to see who performs best between the rivals teams over the course of the experiment, much like the 'past meetings' function on the game.

Like:

Bandits W D L F A GD Pts

Sheriffs W D L F A GD Pts

I like this, obviously it should only be included when they are in the same competitions

[Ferrari312]

I lurked in the 07 thread and have been lurking in this one so far, I have to say even though the extra detail/team and countries will likely mean that this experiment runs slower than the last one, I will probably enjoy it more - I can never really get into English-only or British-only games/stories/experiements for some reason. Quality > Quantity.

[Adamw]

Didn't think I would read that all, but I did. Always expected the Bandits to get promoted, interesting that the Sheriffs didn't. I will expect them to win in this year.

[JRHaggs]

Oh, yeah, baby. That's what I've been fiending for. Like gold through the veins.

For me, the only real surprise is the Sheriffs inability to earn promotion. Without their idiots, aren't they just another BSS squad (with admittedly bottomless coffers)? This next season could be tough for them.

As far as the Bandits go, it seems everything is going as planned. I'm loathe to predict an immediate promotion again, but I'm hoping.

QUOTE=kipfizh;2946625]Okay, I've just found something rather irritating.

It seems my settings for what parts of the world were running on full detail got lost along the way. The Blue Square South was on, so that's fine, but it seems everything else wasn't, so expect the following to change in future seasons:

a) How well the ex-Bandits and ex-Sheriffs are doing in other leagues.

b) How well world stars are playing.

I'm not going to re-run the first season again, but just bear in mind that from now, some numbers may change. That does explain why some of the superstars struggled to settle in elsewhere.

Sorry, Kipfizh. Just to clarify, does this mean that, essentially, the league detail settings are the same as in the '07 experiment? Or have the settings been corrected now? I'm having sort of a Chicken Little reaction to this news. I'll try to compose myself.

At any rate, thanks for quenching our thirst, providing our fix, satisfying our needs... Hmmm... That's probably enough of that.

You're a superstar (certainly not an idiot).

'Mon teh Bandits!

[conners]

how has the sherrifs goalie managed 5 bookings

great update kip KUTGW

[markymarky]

1) Bandits to concede fewer than eight league goals in the first season (a risky prediction, perhaps - I suspect that lack of experience may play a bigger role with defenders and goalkeepers than with attacking players.)

bah, I'd surely have been right and hats would have been eaten if it hadn't been for the winter exodus.

8) Super bonus excessively bold prediction: Bandits to reach the final of the League or FA Cup in their second season - if they keep enough of their squad over the Christmas window.

RETRACTED. I didn't anticipate everyone to go so soon. Not many of us did, but it pleasingly makes sense: lower league or not, a team thrashing everyone in their division and performing very well in cups against teams from several divisions up is going to get noticed quickly.

6) Nikolas Besagno to turn out to be not quite the star he was in FM06. :'(

I'm going to assume he isn't one of the players in the 180s for CA.

[el sid]

Excellent update Kip

Bandits now to win back to back promotion.

And regarding updates,

3) Post in two sections: a) Summer transfers, first half of the season report, January transfers, squad reports and b) everything else

Will be best imo

[civilservant]

Great update as always.

I'm gutted for the Sheriffs, not decending into negitivity yet but if we don't invest in the swuad heavily we count find ourselves stuck in BSS for a long while. Hopefully if this dosen't happy the chairman will get an itchy trigger finger already and the mnager will be gone...

As for the bandits, pah! Loyalalty counts for nothing eh? Just remember the Sheriffs will be back next year!]

'mon the sheriffs!

[yugo23]

Great update, many thanks.

Too bad so many star players left the Bandits left in January, as we really could have challenged for the FA cup. The Sheriffs will have a very hard time in the future.

Also, I really like the fact that we already have several ex-Bandits players playing abroad, almost all of them attracted by the clubs from their other nation.

I am not sure what to expect from the Bandits next year. It's going to be tough.

[JRHaggs]

I'm also for option 3. The two-part updates. Nice symmetry, easy to follow.

[ljdzsgffk]

Great update Kip, I don't mind waiting for the entire season report like you did this time.

I feel sorry for Blackburn. They got 2 idiots! Although I am a bit disappointed that they didn't get more red cards

[DB1]

The rivalry is showing already. As a Bandits man I would love to say I feel sorry for the Sheriffs.............But I can't;)

Bad luck boys. This time the law doesn't win.

Think the Bandits will lose the superstars by sept, if not defo the jan window.

Also think the Sheriffs will sack the manager in summer as the crazy board will take over

[ian_1982]

bah, I'd surely have been right and hats would have been eaten if it hadn't been for the winter exodus.

I'm glad. As hats go, my one looks especially inedible.

[kipfizh]

Sorry, Kipfizh. Just to clarify, does this mean that, essentially, the league detail settings are the same as in the '07 experiment? Or have the settings been corrected now? I'm having sort of a Chicken Little reaction to this news. I'll try to compose myself.

The settings were broken for the first season, although they were correct for the Blue Square South so didn't affect the Bandits/Sheriffs. They did however affect the second half of the season for those that moved in January (or earlier).

They have now been fixed, and from the second season onwards full detail will be on all over the place (every playable league's top division and major cups, all of England and all internationals/continental competitions).