FM2012 - 2 Live Crewe (And US Too!)

[Abe Sargent]

Barty voted as the Player of the Year for the fans

Many contracts upgrade since we were promoted. Our scouting range is upgraded to the whole world. We get 50 million in money. I agree to battle against relegation as my task.

Time to arrange some friendlies.

I offer Malaga here. We also arrange Nantwich and Quorn away. I ask for a feeder team - they agree and offer me a chance to pick a specific club, which I agree to - I look for a good feeder. I ask for KMSK Deinze, a 2nd League Belgian club.

We are given odds of 2000-1 for winning. We are predicted to finish 19th.

My fitness coach is 5 stars, the other new ones are four and a half stars. I make offers to two youth coaches as well.

Landon Donovan has announced, again, he is retiring from international play. I allow it. He 33 year old just is not playing like he used to. His stats are beginning to erode. Bocanegra is retiring period in is a few days. I move Bradley to captain and Dempsey as vice. My players and the public like the choice of Bradley.

Johnstone moves to West Ham for 600,000.

[Abe Sargent]

It is 1 pm on June 30, the most important day of the day. Everybody has been set free, and now I need to find my next team.

I make offers to some big names, and hope that we can become their new home. I make offers to Gabi, Joe Cole, and others. I tried to get Gabi to a two year deal, but he only wanted one. Still, that would be an awesome pickup for us. Cole is also offered a one year deal, but as he is 33, that’ my intent. There’s a good GK out there, Ben Amos, and I compare J. Delle and him. Delle is +6 balance +1 acc and agi, -2 fitness, +5 stamina, +2 strength. -5 communication, +1 first touch, -2 handling, +1 one on ones, -1 reflexes, +3 tendancy to punch, -1 throwing. +6 aggression, +1 anti, +3 brave, +3 composure, +3 concnetratin, +4 creativ, +2 decisions, +1 determination, +4 flu, -1 position, +2 team work, +2 work rate

Delle is physically a tad better, technically a tad worse, and mentally better. No reason to slide to Amos.

I make an offer to 25 year old Argentinian/Spaniard Eduardo Salvio – let’s hope that works. Salvio, Cole and Gabi would massively amp my midfield. Salvio is also a solid striker.

Anyway, I want DC and ST now. Who are my options?

I make an offer to an older DC, English fellow named Joleon Lescott. He could be a nice patch for a year or two. I make an offer to Joe Murphy, Irish 33 year old GK as my backup. Okay, let’s go forward a tad.

It’s July 1st, some scouting reports have come back and there s a 19 year old Romanian DC I like. I keep him on my radar, while I try to find someone else I like.

[Abe Sargent]

We host Egypt in a USA Friendly today, let’s do that right now. Acuna starts from Altidore. I call up Spector. I begin standard. Altidore takes a shot iin the 6th, it rebounds off their keeper falling to Acuna, who buries it for a goal at the 6:31 mark. They have a corner, which we clear to Jozy, and he charges the length of the court, lobs the keeper, and scores in the 10th minute. In the 36th, Williams injures an Egyptian player and they are subbed out. Half time. I tell them they are doing well, keep it up. 2nd half. Castillo injure a player and he has to go off in the 50. Williams gets a yellow. I make some subs – Williams out, Bradley in, I forgot to put him in for Bedoya. Dempsey out, Pontius in, and that’ it for now. At the 68, I pull Soares for Gonzalez and Bedoya for Torres. Finally, at the 76, I pull Shea for F. Johnson and Castillo for Heath Pearce. Pearce nails a yellow. We win 2-0. Altidore is MOM. Well done.

I let go my U20 coach for the USA and offer it to Carlos. He accepts. Murphy signs with us as a backup GK. A team had made an offer to my youth Romanian prospect, so I make him an offer to. On the 4th, Joe Cole signs with us. Fans are happy. My Romanian agrees to come to us, but we await a work permit being granted.

[Abe Sargent]

Time for the N Korea match. I made sure Bradley is starting. North Korea I America on the 4th of July. It’s symbolic and stuff. I begin controlling. Chandler with a nasty deep cross to Altidore in the box and Jozy scores in the 26th minute. Half time. Chandler a yellow. Subs – Chandler 4 Johnson, Altidore for Pontius, and Bradley for Davis. Shea hits Pontius driving, for a score in the 68th minute. Subs – Acuna for Adu, Bedoya or Williams, Spector for Soares. They score a header off a ifk at the 79th minute. Johnson gets a yellow. We win yay. Chandler MOM

[Abe Sargent]

Back to Crewe for a bit. On the 6th, Joleon Lescott signs with us. Work permit for my Romanian DC was denied, so I appeal. Probably will lose.


Back to USA for Copa America. Today we play Ecuador. I make no changes to my roster of significance. I begin standard. Acuna gets a score in the 3rd minute. Ball lose in their area, Shea bops it to Acuna for the score. Lots of pressure by us after, but nothing. Then they get some in the late 30s and 40s but nothing. Half time. My first subs are a tired Acuna for Adu and it took 7 minutes for that sub to occur – I told them at 68 and it happened at 75 – very late. I make another here. Bradley for Torres. Final sub Dempsey for Fab. Johnson. Game – we win. Shea is MOM.

[Abe Sargent]

If we win the Peru game today, we get out of the place. Argentina beat Peru. If we win, then nothing Peu does against Ecuador will matter, if we tie, we’re in a bad place. Peru has Ecuador in game 3 but we have Argentina. That’ a loss waiting to happen. Here we go. I begin standard. Chandler gets a yellow in the first two minutes. Soars picks up one too. Williams gets one in the 32nd minute. Shea gets one before the half. I tell the lads to tackle easy. My first sub is Williams for Bedoya. Jozy grabs a yellow. I sub out Chandler for Pearce. Final sub, Shea for Adu. Acuna with a yellow. In the 89th minute, Adu crosses to a closing Dempsey and Dempsey scores! We win. Dempsey is MOM

[Abe Sargent]

My appeal goes through and I pay 1.2 mill in compensation to Dinamo Buc to sign my DC. We get the link with Deinze. A lot of offers have come through for Gabi and another player I liked. Assuming they go elsewhere, who are my next choices?

Let’s look at my new players first:

MC, AM RCL Joe Cole, 33, English, Homegrown, 15k/week, 1.2 mill. 13/12 speed, 15 pas 13 cross, 16 first touch, technique, 15 drib – also 15 corners, 12 penalties. 16 work rate, determination, decisions, 15 creativity, flu, anticipation, 14 otb flair, teamwork. Just here for one year. Light-Hearted, spearks French too

I make Joe Cole my new captain

DC Joleon Lescott, 32, English, Homegrown, 28k/week, 1.8 milll value, Started for Man City for years, as well as Everton and Wolves, started eight seasons with 20 or more games in the EPL. Rating in the 6.77, 6.93 and 6.96 area. He’s a guy for a year for me. 17 head, 15 jump, 14 mark, 16 tack, 11/12 pace, 16 str, teamwork, determin, 15 work rate position, bravery, Resilient .


DC Victor Iordache, 19, Romanian, Ambitious, 1.2 mill value, 11.5k/week. Contract through 2018. I work on his speed in training. 11/11 speed 16 head and jump, 15 mark, 12 tack, pass, 17 stam, 12 stren, 14 anticipation, determi, 12 decision, work rate, position, bravery, concentration. Needs work, had to sign to rotation deal instead of hot prospect I wanted. Expect some play, but not a lot. Gives me 5 DCs for DC spot – Barty starter Lescott starter, start either Gromstad and Mbemba and this guy rotationally a needed. All three are on rotation deals.


GK Joe Murphy, 33, Irish, Homegrown, 8.75k/week, 475k; Balanced. Not super great. The best GK I could find willing to sign a backup contract. Just here for a year. Slow too. Worse than Delle by far. Delle is given 3.5 stars by my coach, and Murphy 2.

[Abe Sargent]

Cole:


http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01591/joe-cole_1591419c.jpg


Lescott:


http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/article110039.ece/ALTERNATES/gallery-large/Soccer+-+Joleon+Lescott+Filer



Murphy:


http://images.teamtalk.com/12/04/640/Murphy_2748638.jpg

[Abe Sargent]

I’m happy with my DC and GK. For now, let’s steer clear of ST until I see how my new guy plus Salku and Wood works. My middies on squad are Cole, Nijland, Murphy, Lansbury and Battaglia. I need at least one more starting quality one to rotate and probably two. Let’s focus on those.

I doub Gabi or my other guy, Salvio, will sign Gabi has ten offers including three major Spanish clubs. Salvia has Villereall and Inter making offers.

Options – Jacques Maas, 23, Dutch, Basiktas, my scouts feel it would take roughly 3.2 mill to dislodge him, 17/16 pace, plays – has 19 crossing but 10 passing. 14 stamina, 18 fitness, and so forth. Have to immediately train in passing. Nahit Kaygusuz, Dutch, 21, out feels 5 mill, DMC, 18/16 speed, jut 12 ass, but strong in everything else. I make an offer for both. Newcastle has already made an offer for Nahit. He doesn’t want o come to me though, my scout lied! I need a second target.

I find an AMR/ST I like instead. I make him an offer , but 7 other club already have, so I bump my salary offer to him. I make a one year offer to unsigned Italian Simone Pepe. 31 years old, not the youth guy I would like, but he’s really strong.

Salvio sings with Valencia. Pepe joins us. Gabi signs with Alermia. I make Maas an offer




Simone Pepe:


http://u.goal.com/128600/128621hp2.jpg

[Abe Sargent]

USA has moved up to #29 in the rankings. We’ll see if that holds after the Argentina game today. I have some tired folks. Bradley out for Edu and Acuna out for Dempsey moved to the ST spot and Adu there. I give them the underdogs speech, and begin countering. William hits Altidore on the counter and we score in the 11th minute. Then Argentina hits two goals in the 20s, and we hit the half down by one. One of those goals was an OG by Soares. Next half. I pull Hedges in the 56th minute for Pearce. At the 69th, I pull Dempsey for Pontius. At the 78, it’s Castillo out for Johnson. They get a score in the 82nd minute. Game.

[Abe Sargent]

Copa America, 2015

Quarter Finals

Chile vs Colombia
Brazil vs Peru
Argentina vs Mexico
USA vs Uruguay

There’s no easy team in there. Obviously, I’d prefer Colombia or Peru, but there are a ton of bombs for us and we got one. This match will be in four days

[Abe Sargent]

We sign Maas on the 17th. We paid 3.5 mill transfer money for him and we are paying him 35k/week until 2019. I keep my field small. I make an offer to a Dutch scout, Algerian Scout, and South African.


New signees:

MR/AMR Jacques Maas- Asked to work on passing and AMC. 35k/week, 3.5 mill. 17/16 speed, 8 fitness, 14 stamina, 19 crossing, 10 passi, 16 long throws, 15 free kick, 13 drib, tech, 11 first touch, head, 10 long shots. 19 determin, 17 work rate, 15 aggression, 14 otb, teamwork, 13 creative, 12 flair, decision, composure, 11 concentration, 10 anticip, position. Dutch, also speaks English and German. Professional. 23 years old

Start him on MR

AM RL, M RL Simone Pepe – Italian, 42k/week, 2.4 mill. 31 years old. For one year. 15/15 speed, 18 stamina, 16 drib, corners, 15 free kick, 14 pass, tack, 12 mark, cross, 11 tech, penalty, first touch, finish; 20 aggression, work rate, 18 determinatn, 17 brave, 16 anticipation, 15 teamwork, 14 ot, 13 position, conentrat, 12 flair, 11 flu, creativity. Determined

Will start at ML. Pepe give defensive winger, support role.


Cole is in the middle. For our freindlies, we will be starting Wood and Bakenga at the striker spot. We win 3-0 at Quorn for the first friendly. My scouts sign.

[Abe Sargent]

Uruguay game has arrived. We are NOT favored to win this game. Bradley and Acuna back into the lineup. No other changes to the lineup. I begin countering and give the underdog line again. Lots of back and forth, but in the 39th minute, Dempsey is found open by Bradley, moves in, crosses to Altidore, and Jozy scores. Half time. 2nd half. Can we keep the lead or improve on it? Uruguay are pushing hard in the 50s. In the 67th minute, we strike again. Bradley is assisted by Dempsey for a goal. I make two subs Spector in for Castillo and Adu for a very tired Shea who must’ve been hit by them, I didn’t notice. I was holding onto my subs for later in case extra time looked possible, but now that we are two up, I make these two subs and hold the other for an emergency. Before my subs are made, theare cancelled in the 74th minute, 5 minutes after I Wanted to make my subs, because Acuna is injured and has to go out. I pull Shea and Pontius for Acuna. They score in the 79th minute off a cross and men forward. Dangereuse. They move to a 4-2-4. Bradley gets a yellow at the 89th. 3 minute of extra time, can we hold on? We win. Bradley is MOM.

The media is praising Isaac Acuna and Brek Shea for helping us get here. Dempsey’s 125 cap. Our next game is Argentina again. Brazil plays Colombia in the other semi final. We play the semi final in two days on the 22nd

[Abe Sargent]

Okay, Crewe signed one last player. I’m shocked he agreed after seeing how many others made offers.


ST/AM R 19 year old Juan Manuel Borrego Paramio, 27k/week, 4.7m value, until 2018. Description, “Wonderkid.” Touted as the next Fernando Llorente. Balanced Was let go by Real Madrid. Weaknesses – 11/14 speed. Strengths – 17 jump, 17 head, 17 finishing. 17 stamina, 15 strength, 14 pass, first touch, free kick, 13 techniq, drib, 11 crossing; 17 work rate, 15 otb, 14 determin, 13 teamwork, flu, concentration, decisions; 12 anticipation, composure, flair.

Clearly a target man to play alongside of my other guys with an attack role. Currently him and Salku are international. This is my last major signing. Our budget is 310k a week out of 380k per week

Maas is my throw in guy, Wood is still my best PK, and Cole is 2nd, Pepe is my corner with Cole second. Pepe free kick followed by Maas and Paramio. As of right now, Battaglia is my MC along with Cole, Maas Nijland and Pepe. I want someone with more of a defensive nature. I drop David Murphy to first team from key. I move Salku to hot prospect from rotation. I bump the value up of key players I don’t want to sell – Salku, Wood, Delle, Paramo, Bakenga, and Barty.


Tutors and Mentors


Joleon Lescott and Mehdi Avci
Joe Murphy and Nathan Williams
Joe Cole and Justin Taylor
Simone Pepe and Steven Cooney
David Murphy and Erjon Salku
Pieter Mbemba and Soren Schneider
Tor Marius Gromstad and Jean-Jacques Casanova

[Abe Sargent]

Our game vs Argentina has arrived. I have some seriously knackered players. Shea is out for Adu. Castillo is out for F Johnson. Acuna, injured in the last match is available for a sub, but Pontius is in his spot. Edu is staring for Williams, but Willaims is available for a sub. Alright, here we go! We begin countering. Good luck lads! Messi nets a goal at the 11th minute mark, but we hold them off until Edu is injured in the 43rd, and I sub him out for Williams. Half time. 2nd half with some seriously tired players. They just injured Johnson, and when he was down, went through him and scored in the 55th. In the 64 I pull Dempsey for Torres. My final sub at the 70 is Davis is for Bradley. Chandler injured in the 81st minute. I put Williams in his spot, Pontius in Williams, Williams in Adu’s and leave Jozy up front by himself. Game. Colombia lost, and it’s Brazil v Argentina in the Final. Chandler and Edu are injured.

We have Colombia in the 3rd place match coming up.

Our new roster – Acuna, Altidore, Howard, Shea, Castillo, Soares, Hedges, Spector, Bradley, Williams, Dempsey. I begin countering. They fouled Altidore in the box and I put on Depsemsey for the pk and we get a score in the 22nd minute. Just before the half, they score back and it’s even at the break. On the other side, we get a yellow for two players, one of which was Spector and the other Howard for arguing with the ref for the card against Spector. Colombia scores in the 55th minute. But then, light in the tunnel, when they get a red card after a striker got a second yellow. I order my folks to move forward, but they are tired from the earlier games I sub three in early, because if we lose one to injury, we still go to 10:10 But alas, we aren’t able to find that last goal to send it to extra time, and we lose 1-2.

[Abe Sargent]

I play one of my Welsh friendlies today. I will take the game myself, since this is a good place to start seeing what I have got. I bring a bunch of youth onto my backups for the game. Salku and Paramio are still on international duty. They are in the U19 World Cup. They will be there for a while, Salku with Germany and Paramio with Spain. This is our Port Talbot match. I am starting Iordache instead of Mbemba or Gromstad to give him some experience. I initiate things by controlling. We have begin very aggressively. After Port Talbot gets two yellows in the first 15, I tell my guys to tackle loosely. A lot of shots, few on target by us. Iordache lobs the ball deep to Wood, who grabs it, lobs the keeper, and scores in the 39th minute. Halftime. I tell them room for improvement, but did well, none responds in any way. We open the second half with a score in the 49th minute. Bakenga crosses to Maas who was coming in off the right side, and Maas drills it for a score. Then Pepe powers one past the GK after begin set up in the 55th minute by Battaglia. I make some subs. On come Jiri Papuga for Joleon Lescott, Justin Taylor for Joe Cole and Soren Schnieder for Jacques Maas. My next subs are ST Dave Lowing for Wood, Stephen Cooney for Stef Nijland. My final subs are Thomas Bates for Bakenga, David Murphy for Simone Pepe, Henri Lansbury for Battaglia, Gromstad for Barty, and Mbemba for Iordache. Lowing gets a pass from Lansbury and drills it in the 81st minute. Game. 4-0 win. MOM is Pepe.

I agree for a high cup bonus and normal league bonus for the team. Our final Welsh match is today, the 29th, against Bala. It’s just two days later, but my people weren’t that tired and I subbed so many of them out, that I make no changes to my starting roster. I control here as well. Cole feeds the ball to Bakenga in the box who scores in the 2nd minute. I move to light tackling here as well. Bakenga gets another score in the 22nd minute after getting a pass from Barty and running it into goal. He gets the hat trick at the 28th minute from a pass by Wood. I pull him for Thomas Bates. Bates gets a score in the 33rd minute from a pass by Wood as well. Bates scores again at 45:12 with a pass from Cole. Half time. I pull back to counter, and sub in Lowing for Wood and Jean Jacques Casanova for Maas. Cole finds Nijland an he fires a long shot at the 52nd minute for goal. I pull Lescott and Pepe for Papuga and Lansbury. More subs – Gromstad for Barty, Mbemba for Iordache, Schneider for Cole, Taylor for Battaglia and Cooney for Nijland. We win 6-0. MoM is Bakenga.

[Abe Sargent]

I hold a trial game. Alright, I want to see about finding a good loan homes for some of my better youth who are not being tutored of have a shot at getting some friendly, low level cup matches, and so forth. A team just made an offer for Joe Gorman for 6 months of first team play. Who else can I loan? I offer some of my 17 year olds out. I offer my youthers out on loans.

The trial game is held and I sign some youth players - one from Qatar. We sign him, fail to get a work permit, and I’m about to loan him to my Belgium feeder, but he fails the medical and my board cancel the deal. I make Tor Marius Gromstad my vice captain.

Today we host Malaga. Same squad. I begin countering. We core in the 3rd minute off a throw in by Maas to Pepe, bak to Maas who swings it to Nijland in the box who bops it to Makenga for the score. Dongou scores on us for them in the 8th minute. Do my fans cheer? I have no idea :) Half time. I sub out my first folks at the 55 – Gromstad in for Barty, I trade Pepe for Maas and then put in Murphy for Maas. Next subs in the 66th minute – Lansbury for Cole, Mbemba for Lesott. They notch an individual gaol in the 76th after a guy jukes past my defense. I sub in youth players now. I don’t change my defense, just my middies and strikers. Lowing gets a sore in the 80th minute. Schneider brought the ball to him, a few defenders took it away, but he pounced on it and sunk it. David Murphy gives away a penalty in the 93:498 mark, like an idiot, over at the edge of the box. That really pisses me off. They make it and win. We should have tied them.

[Abe Sargent]

Do I need some more players, since our squad is small – with 7 subs in a game, who would we have.? Two strikers, GK, two defenders, and two middies . Or maybe I’d swap a middle in for the GK. My entire first team Is 5 DC, 5 ST if you could Montano, 2 GK, and 7 middies. I may play some more of my quality youth dudes I kept. They’ve done well so far. Especially Papuga, my strikers, and a few others

I compare Cristian Montano with Dave Lowing

Montano is better as -4 acceleratio +1 pace, -3 balance, +2 jumping, -2 stamina, +2 strength. +6 crosing, -1 dribbling, -2 finishing, -7 penalty taking, +5 tackling. +8 aggression, +4 anticipation, -3 brave, +3 composure, -4 concnetration, -1 creative, -3 decisios, -10 determination, +3 flair, +6 flu, +4 otb, +4 teamwork, -1 work rate

Montano is solid. He’s also 23 and unlikely to improve much more. Lowing is 16. If you’ll recall, I had two good strikers come through my academy this year. The other is Thomas Bates. Bates is now as well developed in some areas as Lowing, but he still as 13 drib, 12 finish, 11 head, 16 penalty 11 technique, 9 pass, 110/13 seed, 11 jump, 15 balance, fitness, flu, 14 flair, 13 composure, etc.

I drop Montano to the reserve squad. I signed him as a backup, so I don’t need to make him happy with starts. With Salku, Wood, Paramio and Bakenga, I don’t see a lot of space for a backup striker to get play, especially since all of those players are younger and I want to give them time (they are 19, 22, 19 and 22 respectively). But I think I can get Lowing enough play on a 7 person sub team to merit him there. Expect him to have a place on y permanent squad.

Jiri Paguga is a good defender. 16 tackling 13 mark, 12 pas, 14 head, just a 10/10 speed and only a 9 jump, so he gets outjumpsed . He has some good mentals too. He’s a decent emergency sixth DC. We won’t normally need that, since I’m pretty deep in the DC arena, but when I have one injury and another red card, he might make the backup squad.

[Abe Sargent]

Despite loans and training, Justin Taylor has not developed as I had hoped. He’ll move right back down the reserve squad after the freindlies. Cooney might be a backup sort of player, with his 14/13 speed, 11 cross, 12 pass, 12 drib, 13 techniqu, first touch, and such. He’s a18 and likes the AMC and MC spots. But maybe I can find someone better. Perhaps there is a middlie out there who plays at this level of football a bit more than my youth folks.

A guy who was originally demanding 60k is now much cheaper, and I make him an offer to be a starter for us. His name is Jack Wilshere. I make him an offer of 27k/week and see what happens. He clearly makes my squad batter, but it may upset the harmony of things, because he’d be in Nijland’s spot most likely. Of course, I already have too many first teams and I will be slowly dropping players in status. He signs with us two days later.

Jack Wilshere, 23, English, Homegrown, 27/k week, 8.5 mill contract, no one made him an offer in a month after leaving Arsenal. His ratings for Arsenal, 7.2 in 20 strts last year, 7.11 n 14 the previous one. Plays AM C, AM RL, M RLC. Resolute. Speed 15/15. 16 balance, 15 stam 13 str. 16 pass, drib, 17 technique, 15 first touch, 13 cross 12 long shots, 11 finish, tackling. 17 work rate, otb, determin, 16 flair, decisions creative, composure, anticipation, 15 concentrate, teamwork, 14 aggress, 12 position, 11 flu.
Very good stats across the board, and may come in as my best overall player. I can start him in any of my five middie roles, but I think he’s be really good in Nijland’s AMC spot.


Wilshere:

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Sport/Pix/pictures/2009/9/10/1252568341297/Jack-Wilshere-001.jpg

[Abe Sargent]

They tell me that the signing of Wilshere is likely to boost jersey sales . Germany U19 makes it out of their stage in the WC U19 style, but Spain loses.

Values of my players heading into 1st EPL season before any games. Values often change as people play well, see Jelle and Wood for examples.

8.5 mill – Wilshere
5.5 mill – Paramio
3.7 mill – Barty
3.5 mill – Lansbury, Maas
3 mill – Nijland
2.9 mill – Battaglia
2.7 mill – Salku
2.6 mill – Delle
2.5 mill – Wood
2.4 mill – Lowing
2.3 mill – Pepe
2 mill – Gromstad
1.6 mill – Bates, Lescott
1.5 mill – Mbemba
1.4 mill – Murphy (David)
1.2 mill – Iordache
1.1 mill – Cole
800k – Bakenga
450k – Murphy (Joe)

I didn’t list the youthers in the sub-1.5 range

We look a lot better than fellow promotees Bolton and Wolves financially.

[Abe Sargent]

We crush Nantwich 7-1 on the road. Final friendly of the season. We draw Barnsley in the League Cup. Iordache just got his first pro cap for Romania at the age of 19.

The Swansea manager just claimed that as long as I was in charge Crewe are destined for relegation. On the other hand, the manager of Bolton thinks we’ll stay up in the press conference. My fake favorite club in this dynasty hates me, and the real favorite likes me. I praise the Bolton manager in the media in return. I attend the presser.


The first game of the season arrives. We travel to Swansea. Perhaps the manager was trying mind games, or perhaps the Chilean manager is jealous of the popularity I’ve gotten in Wales as a Welsh coach taking a team to the EPL. Our starting roster is Delle, Mbemba, Barty, Lescott, Maas, Cole, Battaglia, Pepe, Wilshere, Wood and Bakenga. We charge down and score in the 2nd minute. Battaglia finds Wilshere and he chips the GK for a goal. Then Bakenga grabs a goal at the 10:17 mark. Pass by Wilshere to set him up. Barty get a yellow early. Wilshere a yellow at the 38th minute. Half time. Half 2. Mbemba is injured and I put Gromstad in for him at the 53. Gromstad grabs a yellow. Next sub at the 69, Lansbury in for Cole. Lots of pressure we’ve held off. Final sub at the 81 is Nijland for Wilshere. We hold o and win. Wilshere is MoM. Don’t trash us in the press! I’l take a win in our first EPL match, no problem.

We sold 6682 season tix – Wilshere in team of week.

[Abe Sargent]

Our next game is home vs the Wolves. This is very winnable, since we have really improved since we faced each other last year. No changes to our roster or my starters therein. I begin standard. I’d love a win, and I’d be happy with a draw. A loss in my own place to a fellow promote would sadden me as I fight relegation. I hope to be around 15-12. Bakenga scores in the 18th minute. He intercepted a pass by the defenders and scored. We had injured the target of that pass earlier and he was too slow to get it. They get a goal off corner in the 34th. Maas is given the ball deep in the box on the right side by Wood, he crosses back and hard to Wilshere who scores in the 45th minute. Half time, 2-1. Here we go. At the 60, I sub in Lowing for a tired Wood. He just got dinged. My next sub is Iordache for Lescott. Final sub at the 81 is Nijland for Wilshere, who is not match fit, so tires. A goal my Bakenga is called of for offsides in the 86th minute. Mbemba picks up a knock two minutes later. I have to keep him in. Game, we win 2-1. Mbemba is out for two weeks with a strained neck.


You are going to love this. Ready? The World Cup U 20 style is over. The finals were U20 Germany vs U20 Spain. Both of my guys made it all of the way, and Spain won 2-1. Now, here’s the hilarious part. Erjon Salku won the Golden Shoe, for the most goals with 7. Paramio came in second with 5. Paramio won the Golden Ball award. So I have both major awards from the U20 World Cup on my squad!

[Abe Sargent]

Our next game is the away Cup match vs Barnsley. I do not suit up Salku or Paramio, to give them a chance to rest. I start Lansbury in Battaglia’s spot. I begin countering to get things started nicely. A lot of activity begins the match in the first 22 minutes, but nothing dangerous for either side until Bakenga gets the ball from Wilshere for a score in the 27th. Six minutes later he scores again, pass by Maas to set him up. They net a score before the half. 2nd half begins. 1st sub in the 60. Wood pulled for Lowing. Wilshere gets a score in the 65th minute from a long shot that sinks. Pepe sinks a direct free kick in the 67th minute I sub in Jiri Papuga for Gromstad. Might as well, since we’re up 4-1. Maas gets a yellow in the 75th, so I yank him for Nijland, who switches with Wilshere. So Wilshere on the right flank as such. IFK by Pepe score by Barty in the 77th. I tell the lads to tackle nicely. On a break, Bakenga has he ball, drives down hard, hoots, the ball recoils off their GK and falls to Lowing who puts it away for a score in the 84th minute. We win 6-1 against a team in the Championship. Nice. Bakenga MOM.

[Abe Sargent]

Totteham offer me an AMAZING 19 year old middie for 4.83 mill. He’s worth 4.8 mill. Hes Scottish and unhappy with not getting played, and can see why. Here he is:

20 – Determination
18 – Corner, Penalty, Work Rate, Jump, Stamina
17 – Balance, OTB
16 – Pace, Acceleration, Crossing,
15 – Agility, Anticipation, Composure
14 – Fitness, Creative, Position, First touch, Mark, Pass
13 – Head, Free Kick, Decicions,
12 – Tackling, Teamwork, Flu
11 – Finishing, Long Shots, Technique, Brave
9 – Flair
8 - Dribbling
5 – Aggression
4 - Long Throws

That is every stat. That is incredible for a 19 year old guy that I could pick up for 4.8 mill. I could start him in Battaglia’s spot, and with 18 stamina, I see this guy as a great box-to-box guy. With finishing and to defensive stats, he’s strong. Heck, I might train his dribbling! He only plays MC, but I see this guy slotting in very nicely next to Cole. Can I ignore his value to my team?

I make an offer. We probably won’t make it, but let’s see.

I make an offer to Hughes. We are the only one to make an offer. I can’t believe that Tottenham wanted to move him that badly.

Alan Hughes, 19, Scottish, 9k/week, first team, 4.8 mill, Homegrown, Tottenham bought from Celtic for 2.7 mill and turned around and sold him to us for 2.1 mill profit two years later, but they turned him into the beginning of a stud. We are going to try and push it. He is described as a “Wonderkid” and as Professional. They think he’s best as a support central middie. Let me look. Okay, we need to get him some more training. I work in dribbling, and move him to central midfield support. For now…


I have 10 mill in transfer kitty left, and 33.7k in budget left. We draw Swansea in our place for the 3rd round of the League Cup.

[Abe Sargent]

Our last game in August home vs Southhampton. Two new starters for today – Hughes and Paramio. Can you imagine this team if we had gotten Gabi and my first winger choice instead of Maas? It would be amazing. With all of these additions of high quality, I just don’t see how we are relegated this year, and if we are, we will tear through the Championship next year to get back. We are favorites, so I begin control. Hughes lofts the ball to Bakenga, who scores ‘n the 13th minute. I slide to standard. Wilshere finds Bakenga for another score in the 15th. A corner bounces around in the box for a few seconds until Lescott puts it away in the 35th minute. Half time. Woah – Barty got a red card in the 47th. Changes – Iordache in for Paramio and moved down. Battaglia in for Wilshere, and dropped to a DMC position. Okay. I move to defensive. Lots of pressure for a bit. They get a red card in the 73rd minute. I make m final sub. I need more defense – Gromstad is down t 58% condition. I trade David Murphy for Pepe. I then drop him to DL. I bop the tired Gromstad to the DR. Game. MoM is Bakenga. Gromstad had n 8.6 game. Hughes a 7.6. Crazy. Gromstad and Bakenga in Team of Week

I don’t intend on bringing anyone else to my team, and the transfer window closes in a few days. I brought two people to my team after I called it complete, and I’m ready to keep on going now. I have enough of everyone.

[Abe Sargent]

USA - I have two friendlies coming up soon in September. I have some injuries to my squad. We did pretty well in the internationals, so I don’t feel a need to change my roster much. Acuna and Adu are injured for a few months each and Chanlder out for 6 months. I pull them all off my squad. I call up Bobby Shou Wood, ST Declan Murphy, and Sean Franklin, who can play both DR and MR as well as back me up in DC.


Welcome to September – DC Victor Iordache won 3rd place Young Player of the Month – Wilshere’s goal vs Swansea was Goal of the Month, Despite the fact that ManU played two games, and won them both at home, we won three away and I am only 3rd in Manager of the Month.

Crewe:

12th – Away at Bolton
22nd – Home vs Swansea, League Cup
26th – Away vs Arsenal


USA:

5th – Friendly away at Ivory Coast
9th – Friendly away at Guadeloupe


Brad Davis gets injured and I call up Mikkel Diskerud for him.

Barty given a two game ban in addition to one for the red card.

[Abe Sargent]

USA at Ivory Coast


Wood and Spector are starting for Acuna and Chandler. I begin countering. A bit of quiet, and then Wood scores for us in the 27th minute. Bradley had found Jozy who knocked the ball to Wood. They respond with a counter for a score in the 33rd minute. Half time. Soares opens the half with a yellow card. 1st subs – Pearce in for Castillo, Omar Gonzalez for Soares. A lot of pressure is coming our way recently. I hope we can survive it. Next subs – Diskerud for Williams, Shea for F Johnson. Wood is injured in the 68th minute. I put in McCarthy for him. Final sub, Franklin in for Spector. Game. Not bad result.

Wood is out for three weeks, and I call up Juan Agudelo instead.

[Abe Sargent]

USA at Guadeloupe

I start Declan Murphy in the Wood/Acuna spot. As the game against the Ivorians went, so to will I be countering here. Nothing major to report early. 30 minutes in, they are the only team with bookings. Half time. I open things up by going standard. Altidore injures one of their defenders. First subs – Altidore for Agudelo. Torres in for Williams and Hedges for Franklin. Later – Pontius in for Dempsey, Pearce in for Shea. Last sub – Bradley out for Diskerud. Game

[Abe Sargent]

Bakenga got his first goal for Norway. Our Bolton game has arrived. This is our last good chance to get some points for a while. Our next five matches include Arsenal, Fulham, Man U, Birmingham and Liverpool. Then we have Sunderland, West Brom, Stoke and Blackburn. Then our last stretch is Everton, Tottenham, Man City, Newcastle and West Ham. If we can go into this rough patch with points from Bolton, I’ll be very content. Iordache is starting for Barty until his return, and Mbemba is back into the lineup after his injury healed. I begin countering. They score off a cross in the 16th minute. I mention that when it happens, because the cross is your weakness in 3-5-2 set up. We score back n the 26th with Hughes with sliding kick into goal off a Maas pass. Mbemba gets a yellow card. Half time. Hughes with a yellow post-half. Wilshere powers a goal in the 53rd minute off an assist by Bakenga, who held up the ball and let the defenders collect around him. They get a red for a professional foul against Paramio in the 62nd minute. I move to standard, swap Gromstad for Mbemba and Lansbury for Hughes. My traditional anti red card – press more, tackle more, go wide, up tempo and no time wasting apply. The tackle harder is why I pull my yellow carders. Pepe is in pain in the 74 and I yank him for Murphy. Bakenga takes a shot, deflected, Paramio pounces on it and scores. 3-1, 87th minute. I pull back . Today was both the first goal for us by Hughes and Paramio. They power a goal in the 91st minute. Maas gets a yellow. Game. We win 3-2. Afterwards, their manager praises me in the media, I respond and do the same.

[Abe Sargent]

Lowing becomes a professional player after turning 17. The Swansea manager said, ahead of this match, that we are dreaming if we think we can win this match. I go after him hard core, and now three of their players are concerned their manager may not be respected by other managers. My players, by the way are all fine. I make no changes to my starting roster and since we are in my house, I begin controlling. Both Iordache and lescott are banged around in the first ten minutes and have to leave the field, and then in the 24th minute Mbemba is injured and eaves and Gromstad is on to replace him. They thumped my whole defense! Gromstad puts down one of theirs in the 28th minute. Hughes powers a shot in the 29th minute and we score. Assist by Paramio. Paramio goal at the 41st! Nope, called off due to a foul. Half. Pepe donates a penalty to them. They score. I pull him for Murphy. Gromsad with a yellow. Hughes crosses to Paramio who heads it in for a score in the 80th minute. Paramio collects a card. Final sub, Battaglia for Maas. That’s game. We win 2-1. MOM is Hughes with a goal and assist. Paramio also had a goal and assist. I go after Bakenga, who was 6.0 and Pepe.

[Abe Sargent]

We draw Liverpool away in the 4th round of the League Cup. The Crewe vs Liverpool game has been rearranged for the Liverpool vs Crewe game. Lol! Today is our Arsenal match away and the last game of September for Crewe. We are, well, let’ just say not favored. I begin countering. They open with a score very quickly in the 11th minute. Uh oh. But we are able to keep the score tight at the half. Right after the half, Hughes intercepts a pass, takes a long shot and puts it in the 48th minute. 1-1. I make my first sub, Erjon Salku for Bakenga. Then I put in Nijland for Cole. Lescott can’t keep Van Persie from heading in a cross in the 75th minute. I sub in Lansbury for Maas. Then Hughes hits Paramio for a core in the 87th minute. We hold on and tie. Delle is in Team of Week with a 7.4 rating for the match.

[Abe Sargent]

Welcome to October – Hughes is Young Player of Month, Paramio is 3rd Place


Games:

3rd – Home vs Fulham
17th – Away vs Man U
24th – Away vs Birmingham
28th – Away vs Liverpool – League Cup
31st – Home vs Sunderland


I start Salku in Bakenga’s spot today. Barty is back. Gromstad starts in Mbemba’s spot. Fulham have very poor morale, so I begin attacking for a bit. Maas finds goal at the 1:31 mark. Salku passed over to him to set him up from the right. Barty injures one of their players in the 5:27 place. They injure Saku in the 29th minute in the box. I sub in Wood. Pepe collects a yellow. I back up to control. Lescott collects a yellow. Half. Half the second. Wlshere with a yellow in the 58th minute. Hughes lofts a corner at the 60:13 and hits Lescott for a goal I make sub – Nijland for Wilshere. My foes get three yellow in one minute after fouling Gromstad, then fouling Cole on the free kick and fouling Nijland on the next free kick. Final sub, Battaglia for Pepe, swap with Cole. We win 2-0. MOM is Lescott. Both Hughes and Lescott are in Team of Week.

[Abe Sargent]

Our expansion is completed. It is now 12609 in size. Because they did not qualify for the Euro, Finland and Sweden both fire their head coach. I speak Swedish… Lescott is injured for a few weeks with a thigh strain in training. I consider applying for the Sweden job. I get complimented by the Man U manager prior to our match and I reciprocate. I decide, for speed purposes, to steer clear of Sweden for now. I can run USA pretty well now that I’ve invested hours into their rosters and such.


The Man U game arrives. Iordache in for injured Lescott - Bakenga back into the lineup. We are in their place, and of course, they are Man U, but they have awful morale. I begin countering. Alons-y! They injury Delle in the 11th minute, and I sub on Joe Murphy. Two goals against us get us to the half. In the second half, they score twice more, and my offense does nothing. I sub in Nijland for Wilshere and Battaglia for Maas. We lose 4-0. Delle is out for 8 to 10 days with a bruised rib.

[Abe Sargent]

Sweden appointed some bum, I guarantee I could have made it had I wanted it. Today we travel to Birmingham. I begin countering. In the 10th minute off an corner kick by Hughes, Iordache gets a score. They tackle Hughes hard in the 20th ad get a red. I swap to my anti-red style. Paramio notches a goal in the 34th minute. Assist by Wilshere. Half time. Gromstad grabs a card. 1st sub – Gromstad out for Mbemba The next one is Lansbury for Cole. Final sub at the 79 is Wood for Maas. Pepe collects a yellow. I pull off my anti-red card strategy. We win 2-0. Iordache is MOM.


Delle is back for today’s away match vs Liverpool for the Cup. I initiate a counter strategy. They score in the 2nf minute, but we hold on until the half. They score again, and I put out Mbemba, Battaglia and Lansbury We lose 2-0. No disrespect in that. Gromstad is now one yellow away from a suspension.

[Abe Sargent]

No changes for today’s Sunderland game, the final game of the haunted October. I standardize today. We hold them off and it’s a quiet half. I tel them I want more and a few seem to grok it. In the second half, at the 61 mark, Pepe crosses to Wilshire, who sinks it with a sliding kick into the cross. I make my first sub- Maas out for Wood. Wood sinks it in the 64th minute, after Cole slid the ball to him. Next sub at the 69 is Salku for Bakenga. Final sub at the 80 is Murphy for Pepe. In the 88th minute, Cole is carted off. We hold on and win 2-0. Barty MOM.

Arsenal thumped Southampton today 9-0 in the EPL. Zang!

[Abe Sargent]

Welcome to November. Hughes is Young Player of the Month; Barty is 2nd. I got 3rd in Manager of the Month behind Man City and Chelsea. Bakenga started very hot and now has become very cold.

Games

7th – Home vs West Brom
10th – Away vs Stoke
21st – Home vs Blackburn
28th – Away vs Everton


USA

14th – Home friendly vs South Africa
18th – Home friendly vs Togo


Lescott is back from his injury by today’s West Brom match. 19 year old Alan Hughes just called up to the Scotland National Squad, the pro one. Their morale is bad and we are very favored, so I have my guy hit things up attacking at first. This is Bakenga’s last start for a while. If he can’t do more, I may look to put in Wood or Salku for a while. Bakenga had 6 goals in 5 games and now he has 6 goals in 11 games. Maas is on an attack in the 24th minute and a defender gets scared and tackles it…into the goal – OG. 9 minutes lates Maas grabs a goal from an assist by Pepe who threaded a cross in between three West Brom players. I slide back to control. Mbemba nets a yellow. Half. Next half. I pull Maas for Wood in the 59th. I want to save him for the next game vs Stoke. Next sub at the 71 – Iordache for Mbemba. Final sub 82 – Pepe out for Murphy. Bakenga collects a yellow. Game. MOM is Cole. Barty and Cole named in Team of Week

[Abe Sargent]

Salku will be coming on for Bakenga.

USA Squad Time – Injuries to Torres, I call up Wood. Cherendolo believes Wood deserves calling up now too, and it’s a consensus that Wood is one of the 3 or 4 best strikers Americans have. I drop Juan Agudelo. I call up Freddy Adu. I pull off McCarthy for Acuna. Chandler still injured I trade Diskerud for MC/R Michael Stephens, 26 years old.


I decide to move Jiri Papuga to Cambridge for 1st team play. As a reminder Stoke is our rival. I begin countering. They score 48 seconds in on a long shot from massive range. Paramio nets a card. We allow no more goals in the half. 1st sub in the 64 – Gromstad in for Mbemba. Next sub is Lansbury for Cole. 3rd sub is Nijland in for Maas, and I swap his spot with Wilshere’s. They score in the 79th when a ball bounces around my box for about five or six seconds. They power a 3rd goal in the 90th minute. We lose 0-3 on the road against our rival.

I decline a job offer from Fulham. If I turn down Arsenal, I’m turning down everyone. Hughes just got his first camp and goal for Scotland.

[Abe Sargent]

USA vs South Africa, Friendly


I thought it would be good to bring the World Cup victors to a friendly game vs my dudes. Normal starting roster same for Chandler is still out and Spector still in. I begin countering. I go to standard in the 20s. They injure Brek Shea, and I pull him for Adu in the 34th minute. Bradley collects a yellow card. They get a red in the 45th minute. Half time. I move my guys forward, and order them to tackle softly, not hard. Let’s see if we can get some goals. Nasty cross by Adu and deadly shot by Acuna, turned aside by the enemy GK. Subs at the 60 – Bradley out for Stephens, Castillo for Pearce. Nexts subs at the 69 – Acuna out for Wood, Franklin in for Dempsey. Final sub at 78 – Altidore out for Pontius. A quiet game. Soares MOM.

The Southampton manager took the Fulham job and I deny interest in their job in the press. I reject an offer from Newcastle. Bolton manager goes to Newcastle.

[Abe Sargent]

USA vs Togo, Friendly


The World Cup Qualifiers have drawn us in a group with Honduras, Guatemala and Curacao. No changes to the lineup and I begin with a control established. Williams is injured in the first minute and I sub in Maurice Edu for him. An even game for the first thirty minutes, with a lot of movement but few shots for either team and none of quality. Half. I try to light a fire, so to speak. They score in the 48th minute. Move to attacking, I do. I sub in Wood for Altidore. Hedges injured in the 64th and has to come out. In heads Gonzalez. More subs in the 75th era – Shea out for Adu, Spector for Fabian Johnson and Bradley out for Stephens. Soares gets a yellow. Game. We lose 0-1. Hedges broke his leg and is inavailable for 7-8 months. Williams gashed his arm only. A Colombian named Wilman Conde is now eligible for American play, and he plays DC. I call him up.

[Abe Sargent]

Free transfer for English clubs passes. The Blackburn game has arrived. I start Battaglia in Cole’s spot and Gromstad is starting since Cole is out. We are favored and the Rovers have woeful morale. I begin controlling. Maas gets a yellow in the 14th minute. They score off a long throw in at the 27. Half. I tell my folks to show me something else and they seem fired up. I pull Maas for Murphy and swap with Pepe. Paramio finds Salku, who is behind defense and he gets in for a score in the 67th minute. Sub the second. Wilshere out for Nijland. Pepe with a yellow. Final sub at the 82, Lansbury for Pepe. They get a nasty IFK that they tap in, but it was curling and fast and almost on target in the 88th minute. Just 2 minutes of extra time, but I slide to Overload. Game. We lose 1-2.


Now we travel to Everton for the final match of November. Cole back in. I put Bakenga back in, I need the speed. Iordache in for Gromstad. Time for Heroclix tournament so I quick sim it to finish the month. We get a 1-1 draw with Bakenga getting a goal in the 60th minute.

[Abe Sargent]

December – Barty Young Player of Month, and Hughes 2nd.

Games:

6th – Home vs Tottenham
12th – Home vs Man City
22nd – Away vs Newcastle
26th – Home vs West Ham
28th – Home vs Swansea

Ready for the Tottenham match? It’s on live TV. We draw Everton away in the FA Cup. No changes to my team. I begin just standard. We injure one of their middiles in the mid teens and knock him off the field. Then nothing – no cards, no momentum, no attacks, no scores, nothing. Half time. Right after the half, they get a yellow, and then the same guy gets another yellow and is sent off in the 50th minute. I slide to control. They injure Bakenga in the early sixties, I pull him for Wood. Pepe feeds Hughes who scores in the 68th. Next sub – Cole for Lansbury. Yellow for Pepe at the 74th. Final sub at the 77. Murphy for Pepe. Heavy pressure by us in the 80s. We win 1-0. Hughes is MOM. Tottenham have fired their manager and I deny the job in the press. Bakenga will be out for a couple of weeks with bruised shin. Well done lads. Good momentum into the next couple of matches.

[Abe Sargent]

I reject a Tottenham offer. Montano is upset that he’s not getting fist team soccer. He signed a backup offer, and he’s on the reserve squad. I offer to loan him, but he just wants to go. I agree to list him. He’s worth 1.4 mill technically, but I doubt anyone would offer that. I drop his price to 700k and offer him to clubs. A few teams are interested, but he’s too high. I drop it to 350k and offer again. No offers. We’ll come back after the game.


Man City arrives. Salku in for Bakenga. I initiate standard. The game is afoot. Maas collects a yellow and Man City a goal in the 7th minute. It was an OG by Cole. Five minutes later, Cole finds Pepe for a beautiful long shot, on target, and its 1-1. They score in the 23rd minute. We keep them from scoring again, half time. Iordache injures a Man City player. Wilshere grabs a yellow. Sub – tired Salku for Wood, Wilshere for Nijland. Pepe is injured in the 75th minute and I pull him for Murphy. Wood scores in the 76th minute. Hughes connected a nice pass to him. I move to counter at the 83, Man City are pressing forward. 4 extra minutes. Two on target shots by Wood pushed aside. Game. Who should have won save for the OG, so its just a tie. Pepe is MOM.

Mbemba is injured in training for a week or two with a gashed head. He seems very injury prone to me. I sell Montano to Hartlepool for like 50k.

[Abe Sargent]

Bekenga is healthy and thus back in the starting role for the away game vs Newcastle today. Counter will be our M.O. Paramio has two shots on target in the first 20, but the keeper keep them away. They score off the cross bar in the 38th. Half. Paramio with a yellow. Iordache gives them an OG I the 63rd. Subs – Gromstad for Iordache, Maas for Wood. Nijland for Wilshere late. Pepe with a yellow. We lose 0-2. I’m pissed off in the team meeting and they get it.

[Abe Sargent]

Pepe reaches the yellow card limit. David Murphy starts for him against West Ham. No other changes to the roster. I open with a control setup. If they seem pushed back, good, if not I can push the standard button. They get two yellows in the first seven minutes, but then no more and it’s a quiet half. The next one begin. Maas finds Wilshere on an attack run and Wilshere finds the goal at the 56th minute. 1st sub – Cole for Battaglia. Bakenga scores in the 64th minute. On the break. Next sub is Murphy for Lansbury. They get a red card in the 75th minute. Final sub – Wood for Maas. We win. Wilshere is MOM.

[Abe Sargent]

Our last game of the year is today vs Swansea. We are favorites here at home. Well, te game is postponed until the 13th of January due to heavy snow. Let’s look at the table

Because the EPL is odd with all of the cup games and European play, games are never even at this time. We have played 17 games. The team in 2nd has played 16, the team in 3rd 19 and the team in 16 18 and so forth.

Man City, 43, 17 games
Man Utd, 38, 16 games
Arsenal, 33, 19 games
Chelsea, 33, 17 games
Crewe, 32, 17 games
Stoke, 29, 19 games
Tottenham, 29, 18 games
Wolves, 27, 19 games
Liverpool, 26, 17 games
West Ham, 25, 19

That’s the top ten. The current back three are Bolton, Southampton and West Brom.

At some point in time, Erjon Salku has been touted as the next Oliver Bierhoff.

[Abe Sargent]

Players leaving n 6 months of note:

Joe Cole
David Murphy
Simone Pepe
Joe Murphy
Joleon Lescott
Pieter Mbemba
Bobby Shou Wood

I’m willing to let most of those folks go.

[Abe Sargent]

A quick glance at league stats:

Hughes with best rating at 7.25, Pepe is 7.03, my only 7s. Other good ones include: Barty – 6.91, Lescott, 6.9, Wilshere, 6.89, Gromstad, 6.94, Wood, 6.92 and Iordache, 6.88. A few others in the lower 6.8s are Bakenga 6.84, Murphy – 6.8 Maas, 6.81 and Delle, 6.86. Good stuff

Delle has allowed 19 goals and had 7 shut outs in 16 games. In this league, that seems pretty respectible. He has not gotten better, abiity wise, in about a year so he’s reached his cap at the age of 25. I was worried about him, but he’s been fine. This is the best rating he’s had for me. Last two years it was 6.64 and 6.77.

Paramio’s goals and assists are much lower than I would have thought half way through the year-ish. His rating is too. Wilshere has more goals and Hughes just as many. No one has more than 4 assists, and Pepe and Cole each half those. I was expecting Paramio by now to have 6 goals and 6 assists.


Money – Wilshere has risen to 9.5, Hughes to 4.9, Barty at 47., Delle at 3.1, On the other hand, players such as Cole and a few others have dropped.

[Abe Sargent]

It’s the 30th, time to see if I can find an amazing player who wants to leave on free. I extend my youthers who are leaving that I sort of like a year. I sign a few more German youth players, There are a few 17 year old Greek players who look interesting from what I can see, and I order my scouts to give me some reports. I’m not seeing any good people expiring soon that interest me. What I want for next year is a stud DC, a stud ML and maybe a stud ST. Nobody here interests me, save for those youth I’m checking out. Let’s see how they break out. I also scout a few other youth in the area - and I find four solid youth prospects. DC Jimmy Ware, 17 of Man City, 16 year old ST for Victor Hewitt, of Newcastle, 17 year old M/Am L Angelos Mererdis, of Iraklis and PAOK’s 17 year old M/AM R Christos Kalatzis.

Bobby Shou Wood has won the USA Young Player of the Year Award.

[Abe Sargent]

Welcome to January, 2016 – Hughes and Barty 2nd and 3rd in Young Player fo Month

I move to a Top Half finish with my expectations. I get a little extra – 50k a week more in the budget.

I like both of the Greek youth a lot. I could raise them as the next Maas and Pepe. But perhaps I just want to sign guys already developed or closer to it. I make a few more offers to youth, including a South Korean player, who knows if he’ll make it. Alright, I make offers to my Greeks. Offers are made. We will have to pay compensation to the teams if they come. One is a mill and the other 750k. They wanted backup roles, but I’ll move them to hot prospect soon.


Games:

2nd – Away vs Everton, FA Cup
6th – Away vs Chelsea
9th – Away v Wolves
13th – Home vs Swansea
16th – Away v Southampton
20th – Home vs Liverpool
23rd – Home vs Bolton


Rough month

[Abe Sargent]

Pepe back on the left for today’s match vs Everton. Delle caught a virus, so Joe Murphy is starting today. Delle should be back for Chelsea. I begin defensively since I have an unsure GK. But Joe got us a shutout earlier. Can we score past Tim Howard? They score in the 10th minute. Lescott is carded. Two Evertonian players are injures and half to leave the field for treatment in the 20s . Half time. Lescott leaves for Gromstad at the 59. Lansbury In for an injured Pepe in the 67th Bakenga shoots, the ball bounces of Howard and Paramio sinks the rebound at the 71st minute. It’s tied! In the 75th, the bang Maas hard and I pull him for Nijland and swap it with Wilshere. Nijland collects a yellow card. We injure one of their players I the 89th minute and they’ve made all of their subs, so they are down a man. Tie game. Nicely done lads. Now the replay will be in our place.

[Abe Sargent]

The first of my youthees are arriving. I have my third Albanian/German arriving named Besnik Gaga, 18, with a 16 passing. The next is Rainer Betz, who plays DMC / MC. I like them both. A get a few more youth who don’t pan out. My first Greeker arrives, Kalaitzis. Let’s see why:

17 Greek, AM/M R, Fairly Professional, 14/15 speed, 16 crossing, 13 passing, 14 tackling,15 finishing, 16 first touch, 15 technique, dribbling, etc. Weakness 7 marking, 9 stamina. This guy is very strong, and I can give him play now without him embarrassing me. Paid his club 95k so that’s his value, and I’m paying him 6k. Star of the future if I develop him right. I order his stamina to be an area of focus.

Another youther arrives, Magnus Seeger-Hansen, and he looks good, 18 years old, coming I at 1.2 mill value. My other Greek player arrives. I pay his old club 750k. This is Meserdis

17, Greek, AM/M L, Driven, 6.5k/week. 12/15 speed, 16 dribb, technique, 20 determination, 13 cross, 14 pass, etc. What I want to do is to train him on cross. Again, a good player I can develop. He will immediately hit my roster and pay sub instead of Murphy.

(Who is better Kalaitzis or Maas. Maas is faster, stronger, and more stamanic. Better at crossing, worse at passing. Wore at dibbling, finishing, first touch, head, tacking. Better at long throws, marking. Better mentally at almost very stat not named flair, influence, or bravery. So Maas is better).

I paid 1.7m for both players, and I suspect they will each become major players for my team. Also, after three years ,both will be homegrown. I found a great DC with Barcelona whose contract is out, and I make an offer to him too.

[Abe Sargent]

Delle won’t be able to play for today’s Chelsea game. I begin countering, and we hold them ff until Barty is injured in the 33rd minute and has to go off – Gromstad comes in for him. Half time. I tell them they are doing well. Afterwards, Wilshere rocks a goal in the 47th minute. Maas found him for a header. We injured one fo their guys as payback I guess for Barty. 2nd sub at the 67, Lowing in for Bakenga. They score in the 73rd minute off a long shot. Final sub, Cole out for Battaglia. Game. I’ll take a 1-1 tie against Chelsea. Maas is MOM. Barty out for 2 weeks with a concussion. Iordache is in the middle, Gromstad on one side, Lescott the other. Delle will back in next game.

[Abe Sargent]

Wolves game is here, I begin countering, and Bakenga scores in the 0:23 second mark. Assist by Paramio. Lob over keeper. Iordache grabs a yellow at the 19. They score five minutes later. It was one of those off target crosses that manage to be on target for goal. Paramio with a yellow just before half. Keep it up lads! Pepe gets a red in the 49th minute. I pull Paramio for Mbemba and I drop to a 4 defense. Battaglia heads in for Maas and I pull him t a DMC spot. I break Cole and Wilshere out wide, and leave Bakenga in the front. So I have a 4-1-3-1 set u. We’ll try hold up for the tie. A Wilshere goal is called offsides in the 61st minute. They score in the 65th. They get another goal to sink in the 68th. Final sub in the 87. Lansbury for Cole. Game. We lost 1-3.


I issue a warning to Pepe, and he accepts it. My Greek singings are Cup tied for the next match against Everton. This is the replay match from earlier. We sign Jesus Briz, 18 year old DC from Barcelona. It will go through on July 1st, at the end of the season. He’s solid too – 19 jumping and 16 heading, and solid 13/14 speed. We can work on him. Maybe he’ll be my 3rd starter at DC assuming Barty and Iordache are locked in. The S Koren youth guy accepts my offer, will he make it past the card folks.

[Abe Sargent]

Starting for Paramio is Wood and for Pepe is Lansbury. I begin controlling. Delle gives away an OG in the 1st minute. Then Wood scores in the 10th, with an assist by Bakenga. He had gotten open and then fed Wood when the defenders and GK closed on him. 1-1. After some give and take, Bakenga scores in the 33rd minute. Fed by Wood. Ten minutes later, Hughes scores. Bakenga shot, the ball fell to him, but two defenders were in front, so he kicked it back to Hughes for the score. Right now, Bakenga has two assists and a goal at the half. Bakenga gets a pass from Hughes, jukes a defender, and scores at the 50th minute. 1st sub – Lowing in for Wood. Bakenga gets a hat trick in the 68th minute. Assist by Huges, and Bakenga charged, split the defenders ,and scored. My final two subs come in. Cole out for Battaglia, and Nijland in for Wilshere. They score off a cross in the 70th. We won 5-2. Bakenga is MOM. We get Swansea in the next round in our place.


Chelsea announced they are interested in Dave Lowing so I raise his price to 5m. I’d sell for around there.

[Abe Sargent]

Pepe is suspended for two matches. I start Angelos Meserdis. Barty too tired from injury, sits out this match. Wood stays in, him and Bakenga had a good chemistry last match. What can we do today away at Southampton? Wood goal called offsides at the 22nd. Maas with a yellow. Half time. I pull Maas for Nijland at the 54th. Wishere finds Bakenga, and Bakenga finds goal in the 59th minute. Next sub at the 67th – Cole out for Battaglia. Final sub at the 82, Salku in for Wood. Game, we win 1-0. Gromstad MOM, and Meserdis had a not good game. This Nijland’s 100th appearance for Crewe.

Schneir gained some frm Mbemba, Salku gained a lot from Murphy, Casanova gained nothing from Gromstad, Justin Taylor gained from Cole, and Avic benefitted from Lescott. I offer Lowing for 5 mill. Let’s see if anyone makes an offer. Chelsea have made an offer of 3.9 mil plus 40% of profit from next sale – it cannot be negotiated. I take it. Why would I do that? Let’s see. I sell him for 3.9 mill. My board, which previously said we didn’t have enough money to fund improvements, agrees to upgrade our training facilities - perfect! It costs us 2.1 mill.

[Abe Sargent]

Hughes is tired and I pull him for Lansbury. Meserdis, with no match fitness, is at 81% so I put in Lansbury there instead and Battaglia for Hughes. Barty is back, and Iordache moves out with Lescott the 3rd. I begin controlling fo the Liverpool match here at the Crewe Alexandra stadium. Iordache nets a yellow early. They have two yellows in the first ten, so I order my guys to tackle more cautiously. They give away a penalty and Wood misses. Lansbury a yellow and then Liverpool score in the 29th. Half time. A Balenga score ruled out for offsides in the 51st. First sub – Kalaitis in for Maas. Next sub – Salku in for Wood. Come on guys. Just one goal. I move to attacking in the final 10 and I sub in Nijland for Lansbury and swap with Wilshere. Game. We lose 0-1 at home vs Liverpool. I tell them I’m displeased and they appear fired up.

[Abe Sargent]

Training facilities done in October. The Work Permit for my S Korean guy, after an appeal is turned down, is accepted and I move him to my Belgium feeder. The Bolton game is up. I start Paramio and Salku. Pepe and Hughes back. Paramio feeds Wilshere early for a goal. Bolton climbs back in the 37th. Half. Pepe at 5.9 so I fire him up by talking smack. Right after half, both WIlshere and Paramio with yellows in the first 2 minutes. I move attacking at the 58. First sub, Meseridis for Pepe. Next sub – Nijland for Cole. Final sub – Kalaitzis in for Maas. Game. That was a disappointing tie. Delle is Mom.


Gromstad starts for Lescott. The first of two matches here against Swansea in a row. Bakenga is back, and I begin control. Pepe is up and had a few charges at goal, but nothing doing, and we see thehalf expire. Wilshire scores in the 47th minute. Paramio took a throw in, spun, and passes to Wilshire in the box. They injure Mas in the 56, and I choose to pull him for Kalaitizis. A Kalaitzis goal in the 59th is called offsides. Next sub in the 71 – Lansbury in for Cole. Final sub at 81 – Mbemba for Gromstad. Game. We win 1-0. Wilshere is MOM.

[Abe Sargent]

Next game, Battaglia in for Cole, Gromstad stay in for Lescott. Today is the FA Cup match vs Swansea here. I don’t change anything else from the last game, still control. Paramio sinks a goal in the 20th minute from a Maas cross. Half – I tell them not to get complacent. 1st sub – Mbemba for Gromstad, who was very tired for some reason – I didn’t see an injury, maybe I missed it. Paramios lob the keeper for a score in the 71st minute. Wilshere pass got him free. Next sub – Meserdis in for Pepe. They sneak in a score in the 74th minute. Final sub – Kalaitzis in for Maas. Rain has started. Game, we win 2-1 and are through to the next round. MOM is obviously Paramio.


I finally got an easy game – Huddersfiled Town in the 5th Round of the FA Cup. On the road.

It seems like January has been really rough on my team. Lots of ties, some losses, and when we win, save for that 5-2 drubbing of Everton, it’s been close and difficult. This January took me three and a half hours to play, it was crazy. That obviously includes some time scouting and such, but still.

[Abe Sargent]

Welcome to February – Iordache Young Player of Month, Barty 2nd.


Games:

3rd – Home s Arsenal
6th – Away vs Liverpool
13th – Away vs Fulham
20th – Away vs Huddersfield, FA Cup

USA:

I offer Brad Freidel the U23 role, since the Olympics qualifiers start soon, an he accepts.


An easy month, time wise. Thanks. Transfer deadline passes

Game for Arsenal is here – Lescott back. As is Cole. I begin controlling. We have some pressure, but no results thus far. In the 41, they injury Bakenga, and I sub in Wood. Half. Next sub in the 63, Lansbury in for Maas. Final sub at the 78 – Paramio out for Salku. Salku powers a goal at the 87th minute. Pepe with assist. I pull back to counter. They move to a 4-2-4. We win. Again, yet another one goal game. MOM is Pepe .

[Abe Sargent]

Liverpool game is here. No changes to squad. I will begin all of the away games this month counter. Pepe collects a yellow card. Bakenga is injured and has to go out in the 37th minute. I put Salku in. Half time. Wlshere injures one of their players just after half, has to go off. They get goal off a cross in the 57th minute. Maas with a yellow. Next sub – Gromstad for Lescott. Cole injures one of their players, another sub required. Cole with a yellow. Final sub – Wood for Maas. Wilshere with a goal in the 81st minute. Wood with the assist. Game – tie. Wilshere is MOM - however Bakenga is out for 2-3 months with a broken toe. What I what to do is start Salku for Bakenga and keep him with Paramio.


My game crashed and I hadn’t saved it, so I don’t get those results. I quick sim to get past the game and we lost 1-3, but no injury to Bakenga. Mbemba injured in training, out for a monthish with a twisted ankle.

[Abe Sargent]

Wilshere is too tired and rests for the Fulham match – Nijland starts for him. Again, counter is the play. We hold of a Fulham attack in the 20s. They have three yellows by the 33rd minute. Hughes buries a goal in the 42nd minute. Assist by Niljand. Half. Pepe with a yellow as the 2nd half opens. Not much until the late 50s when we are pushing forward. Lescott with a yellow ends it. I sub in Meserdis for Pepe. They injure Iordache and he has to come ut in the 69th – in goes Gromstad. Final sub – Salku for Bakenga. Cole is booked. We injure one of their defenders. They score in the 87th minute, and I move to attacking. They scored off a Corner. Tie.

Iordache tore his groin and is out for two months. Gromstad is starting, and I need another DC for a month or two as a backup.. I send out a few scouts for loanees. I don’t remember passing the loan deadline, and I’m still loaning out my players, but I can’t select a loan from anyone, not even players in the EPL. I make an offer to unsigned Tommy Smith. Smith signs. He signs as a backup just until the end of the year, and is not good enough for this level for length.

[Abe Sargent]

I start Joe Murphy today. Battaglia, Lansbury, Niljand, Salku, Wood, Kalazaitzis and Meserdis are all starting today. A Wood goal is controversially called offsides in the 16th minute. Battaglia injures in the 28th and leaves the field, but I leave him in. I tell the team I’m displeased with our chances at the half. They score in the 52nd minute. I move to control. They get another score in the 67th. Subs – Pepe, Paramio, Maas all head in. Maybe they can give us a spark. I pulled my offense and middies and GK, perhaps I shouldn’t have pulled Delle. We lose 0-2 and I have to take this one on my back.



My board agree to upgrade the youth facilities today - lingering money from the Lowing deal helps out. It costs 2.3 mill and will be done October. That means within a year we had the stadium and both facilities expanded.

Currently we have Top Training Facilities and Average Youth

18 of our youth are called up to various U19 squads

Nations represented include – South Korea, England, Wales, Turkey, Spain, Scotland, Lithuania, Greece, Germany, Denmark, Albania, and Czech Republic.

For regular teams, players such as Wilshere for England, Bakenga for Norway and Tommy Smith for New Zealand are called.

[Abe Sargent]

March Arrives – Hughes 3rd in Young Player of Month

Games –

5th – Away vs Sunderland
12th – Home vs Birmingham
23d – Away vs West Brom
26h – Home vs Stoke



My squad is ready for today’s Sunderland game. It’s time for homework and studying, and I need to go watch it, so I fast sim = we win 1-0. Bakenga has the goal. Barty in Team of Week.


Sporting in Spain have a really good American playing in the U23 team – Alfredo Lozano. Plays St and AM LC. Has a 15/16 speed, 11 finis, 15 drib, and more. He’s good enough to play now, and I am considering capping him now, so he won’t swing to Spain in a few years. He’s been in Spain 2000 days, so there’s still some time to go, and I won’t do it now He’s also Mexican though.


Our new youth injectees arrive. Is there a Powell or Loring here? Doesn’t look like we hit big this time.

[Abe Sargent]

No changes to my squad for the Birmingham match. I begin controlling – it’s been a long time since we’ve done that. Their DC gives us an OG in the 3rd minute. Bakenga gets a goal in the 31st minute – assist by Hughes. Half, I tell them to keep it up. Right after the half they hit us on the break. We pull away again in the 58th minute with a strike from Hughes, assist by Maas. Subs – Meserdis for Pepe, Salku for Paramio. Final sub – Nijland in for Cole. They power a goal in the 86th minute. They move to a 4-2-4. A hughes corner turns into a Lescott header for goal at the 88th minute. We win, Hughes is MOM. Named as Team in Week

[Abe Sargent]

I sign the good youthers for my squad. We make 975k from Dongou getting a bunch of league goals. The West Brom game is here - Mbemba is back from injury, and in the subs. I begin standard. Delle saves a nasty long shot in the 9th minute. We injure one of theirs in the 27th. Then they score, 32nd minute. They score again in the 39th. Half time. Show me something else gents! Bakenga nails the bottom right corner of the net in the 56th. He dribbled it up from half court and got through two people. They score on a long shot two minutes later. Subs – Cole for Lansbury, Pepe for Meserdis. Final sub – Mbemba for Gromstad. They score again just before the end and we lost 1-4.


Dang West Brom. That was nasty.

[Abe Sargent]

The free transfer deadline passes. Our home match against our rival Stoke is on live TV so we get some cash for it. I begin attacking. They score in the 5th minute. A bunch of carDs follow. Lescott gets one and Paramio another. Then Wilshere scores in the 38th minute and we’re level . Half. Back to control. Maas is injureD in the 56th, in comes Battaglia, who swaps with Cole. Hughes grabs a yellow. Next sub – Salku for Paramio. Final sub – Cole for Kalaitzis. Kalaiztis crosses to Salku, who knocks it in the in 90th minute. Nice pass by Battaglia to get Kala out wide. We win late!!! 2-1 MOM is Wilshere.

[Abe Sargent]

Welcome to April – Hughes won Young Player of Month


Games

3rd – Home vs Everton
9th – Away vs Blackburn
16th – Away vs Tottenham
23rd – Home vs Chelsea
27th – Home vs Man Utd
30th – Away vs Man City
May 8th – Home vs Newcastle
May 15th – Away vs West Ham


The final games of the season.

We have made a ton of money all of the last month, due to TV and attendances. Last month, +1.7mil, despite paying 2.3 mill for an upgrade to facilities. We get about 600k when a game is on TV. Joe Murphy is upset he isn’t getting more 1st team, so I remind him he’s leaving at the end of the season, and he; happy.

[Abe Sargent]

The Everton match is here. I make no changes to the squad. I begin controlling. Their GK gifts us with an OG. Hughes corner to Barty scores for us in the 24th minute. Half time, keep it up. Wilshere runs past a defender and pushes the ball in. Great individual effort. They get a cross goal in the 58th minute. Sub the first – Battaglia for Cole. They power a strike in the 61st minute. I tell my guys to tackle more aggressively, since only one yellow has been given. Sub the second – Salku for Bakenga. They injure Maas. I put in Kalaitzis They get a goal in the 79th minute. Pepe gets a yellow. We don’t gather more and score so it’s a tie – 3-3. Maas out for two weeks. Hughes in Team of Week.


For Maas, Kalaitzis is in. No other changes to my team. I begin countering. Hughes injured early, nothing major for the rest of the half, but Nijland is in for him. Half. Barty gets a header from a Pepe corner and sinks it at the 51st. Kalaitzis is given a knock and I sent in Lansbury. Finally, Battaglia goes in for Cole. We hold them off, Barty is MOM. We win 1-0. After, Hughes out for about two weeks with a strained neck. Battaglia will start while he is out.

[Abe Sargent]

Iordache is back from his injury for the Tottenham match. Barty in Team of Week. This game was pushed back because it was moved to live TV. I begin countering - this is the club that stupidly sold me Hughes for 4 million. They had made 80 mill in purchases, but if they had just started what was already on their roster… They get a goal in the 16th minute. Nothing else save cards to Paramio. I sub in Salku, Wood and Gromstad for Iordache, Kalaitzis and Paramio. In the 86th minute, grace arrives. Cole booked. Salku scores from a Wood pass. We tie them 1-1.

[Abe Sargent]

We host Chelsea. Hughes and Maas are both back. Wilshere gets a goal past Courtois. Paramio gets a goal assist. Half. Meserdis in for Pepe. Subs Maas out for Wood. Final sub – Cole for Lansbury. We win game, Delle is MOM and in Team of the Week.


Man U is here. No changes to the roster. Alons y! Pepe grabs a yellow card. Nothing major, both sides have some time with the ball half. I move to control. They score in the 52nd minute. Subs 1 and 2. Meserdis for Pepe, Battaglia for Cole. They score again in the 80th minute. Final sub is Gromstad in for Lescott. Game, we lose 0-2.

[Abe Sargent]

Man City match is here and we are away – I begin countering. Hughes gets a booking. Sergio Aguero scores in the 39th. Half time. Half #2. They score in the 55th minute. Subs – Kalaitzis in for Maas. Lansbury in for Cole. Pepe is injured, so I put in Meserdis in the 78th. We lose 0-2. Pepe out for a month, so Meserdis will start for him. Delle was MOM in this game and in Team of Week.


Welcome to May – Paramio Young Player of Month, Hughes 2nd.


We made 1.38 mill last month

Joe Murphy complained that he wasn’t getting 1st team play and went to the media, poll was taken in the newspaper and they were over 90% against putting him in, and the rest undecided.

[Abe Sargent]

The Newcastle squad has arrived for our second to last match of the season. I begin standard. Newcastle score quickly. Bakenga bounces a shot off the top of the goal post and scores in the 15th minute. Bakenga gets another goal in the 36th minute. Lescott grabs a yellow. Gromstad in for Lescott, He gets a hat trick in the 67th minute. Last subs are the Greek wingers on the right and Cole for Lansbury Barty gets a header in the 78th minute from Paramio’s IFK. Game, we win 4-1,and Bakenga is MOM, obviously. Assists by Wilsherex2, Paramio. A good way to end the last home game of the season. One more game left. Both WIlshere and Bakenga in Team of Week

[Abe Sargent]

This will go down to the wire. We are in 3rd, but just one point up from Arsenal and two up from Chelsea. Any of us could wind up from 3rd to 5th after the final bout. We are away at West Ham. Same squad as before. It all comes down to this, but no matter what, we are in a Euro of some sort. I am countering. Cole with a yellow early. I like our black kits, we wear them a lot in his league. We get a goal just before half time, Barty gets a header off a Hughes corner. I sub out Cole for Battaglia. Next sub is Lansbury for an Injures Meserdis and then Salku for Bakenga. Then they score in the last 80s, and they win. Tie, 1-1.


Players called up to summer international squads include Barty for Poland, Maas for Holland, both of my Greek wingers for Greece among others.


We finish 4th in the league. That means we qualify for Champions. Chelsea lost and if they had won, we would be 5th. We just pulled an Ipswich, for getting into Euro in our first year in the league. We made 16.97 mill for our position. We are rolling in dough know. I hope I can get us to expand the stadium again or push the youth facilities some more.

[Abe Sargent]

Stats

We scored 54 goals, 10th best. We allowed 46, 7th fewest. Bakenga had 15 goals, tied with Robin van Persie for 6th most. Hughes was tied for 5th with 11 assists. Bakenga 8th highest percentage at 56% shots on target. Wilshere was 53%. Dele had 13 shut outs, 5th. Hughes 8th in cross completion ration, 34% 3rd in key passes with 36, Wilshere is tied for 12ht with 29. Barty led with key headers 98, and he was 11th in picks with 189. Hughes was 25th in rating at 7.18 ,our highest league rating.


Wilshere – 12 goals, 6 assists
Hughes – 5 and 11, 7.18
Bakenga – 15 and 2
Paramio – 3 and 7
Maas – 2 and 7
Pepe – 1 and 7
Cole – 0 and 4
Barty 3 and 0, 7.03
Salku – 4 goals, Wood – 2


Just two players with 7 rating or higher. We win no awards.

[Abe Sargent]

June is for the USA team, with a bunch of games.

My board announce the expansion of our stadium again – another 1391 seats – it will just take 2 months and costs 2 mill. I ask for a new contract due to what I’ve done for the club, and they agree. I take a contract at 43k/week for the next three years.

USA Matches:

June 4th - - Friendly vs Cuba
10th – Home vs Honduras, WC Qual
14th – Away vs Guatemala, WC Qual
September 2nd – Away vs Curacao, WC Qual
6th – Away vs Honduras, WC Qual
October 7th – Home vs Guatemala, WC Qua
11th – Hom v Curacao, WC Qual

I arrange some friendlies post October in November. I arrange friendlies with Uzbekistan and Ukraine.

Just a few games in June then to set us up. I’m sure it goes without saying that I’m expected to qualify.

Rumors float that Liverpool is interested in making a bid for Wilshere. I bump his contract to 11mil. – he’s worth 7.5, I have a handful of players I won’t sell cheaply in this order – Paramio, Iordache, Wilshere, Barty, Hughes - They are my five key youthers. I have faith that Paramio will get better, but I’m open. I’d like to hold onto to Bakenga and Paramio, but after that, I’m willing.

[Abe Sargent]

Players leaving –

Joe Cole, Bobby Shou Wood, David Murphy, Joe Murphy, Simone Pepe, Joleon Lescott, Tommy Smith, Pieter Mbemba.

So I want a star ML to be my guy. The new DC Im bringing in will replace Lescott, but I need a backup DC beyond him. I need a new striker option, maybe a stud. I need someone in Cole’s spot. I could Battaglia or Lansbury, but why? We’ll look later.


I’m also losing Cole, Smith, Murphy, Murphy, and Lescott – all homegrown. I may need to find some more HG players. My only HG players of note are Wilshere and Hughes, so I hope a starter or two can be it, or a good backup, such as another backup GK.

Youth players are released, so I look to see if any interest me. I make an offer to a Czech guy, but no English youth attract me. Our initial budget is set at 500k/week and 32.67 mil in transfer money.

[Abe Sargent]

USA – Freddy Adu is injured with knee tendonitis and out. Spetor out for few months with torn calf musle. Gonzalez has a fractured wrist and is out of a month. I put in – Chandler is back, 24 year old DC Gale Agbossoumonde, and I pull Fabian Johnson for Torres. This is my squad for June



Joe Cole is retiring at the end of this season, as is Landon Donovan.


Who was promoted and relegated

EPL – Man U won by one point over Man City. Relegated are Fulham, Southampton and Bolton

Championship – Won by Peterborough, Blackpool and QPR promoted – Huddersfield got second in the Cup and got Euro qualification when first was already in. Relegated are Sheff Wed, Tranmere and Bournemouth

1st League – Cardiff won, MK Dons and Carlisle promoted. Plymouth Swindon, AFC Wimbledon and Walsall are down.

2nd League – Southend won Northampton Brentfrd and Luton are up. Torquay and Cheltenham down.

Conference Premier – York and Grimsby up, Kettering, Wrexham, Bury and Gateshed down.

Kalaitzis got his 1st Greek Cap. Then Mesertis got his.

[Abe Sargent]

USA vs Cuba, Friendly

Starting - As before, with Chandler back in the lineup and I swap out Hedges for Gale Agbossoumonde. I begin controlling. Acuna nails the net in the 2nd minute. Assist by Bradley. Jozy grabs a goal in the 7th. Bradley feeds Altidore for another goal in the 23rd minute. Half time. Keep it up! Castillo injured, and I pull him for Pearce. Chandler finds Acuna with a lively pass an Acuna sinks it at the 56th minute. Subs – William Conde to get his first cap for AJ Soares. Williams for Torres. More subs – Pontius in for Dempsey, Bedoya for Bradley. Last sub – Wood in for Acuna. Cuba gets a consolation goal at the 88th minute. Jozy is MOM. A good win to get us to the next two matches.


At the age of 33, Conde picked up his first cap. It’s very emotional for the guy who was never capped by Colombia. There are some younger DCs now getting to the level of start ability, such as Agbossoumonde and a few others, so he won’t be here for long, and Hedges may be about to be cut as well.

[Abe Sargent]

Liverpool have made an offer of 11 million for Wilshere. Hold up. It’s just 2.2 mill now and 8.75 mill over 30 months. I don’t want that. Offer me the money up front. I negotiate 11 mill up front and 50% of next sale,not profit from next sale. Huh. They actually accepted it. Wow, I didn’t expect that. 11 mill now and 50% of the next deal. Wilshere is a great player for me, plus he counts as homegrown. I don’t actual need the money though. If I massage my budget, I can have anywhere from 38 mill in transfer and 386,000 in budget through 7 mill in transfer and 980k in budget - I can buy pretty much any player I want. That was not the case with Dongou, where he would have been unhappy not being allowed to go to an upper league. I also have Wilshere until 2019. Can I replace him? Why even bother? Sure, I make money on it, but this is not a sure thing. He was my second highest scorer on a team that needs more goals, a player I have long term, and homegrown slot. I decide to turn down Liverpool. Luckily, I didn’t get the normal, “Give my client more money” agent afterwards.

[Abe Sargent]

USA vs Honduras

We are expected to win 2-1 odds. I keep my starters on from the last game. That includes Agbossoumonde. I begin controlling. My guys aren’t getting good shots or pressure. Half. Shea runs down and scores in the 58th minute. When we needed a goal, the guy came through. Sub – Pontius for Altidore. Next sub – Torres in for Dempsey. They foul Acuna in the box and it’s a penalty. Shea buries it. I make my final sub - Edu in for Williams. Game. Shea is MOM. This was Castillo’s 50h cap. One more USA game this month.



USA vs Guatemala

I make no changes to the squad, and I begin standard. We are in really dark red kits, it looks weird. Not normal red but like brick red. It looks like I’m playing with Morocco again. Altidore with a goal in the 17th minute. Bradley gets zarked in the 30th,and I pull him for Torres. Acuna scores off a Jozzy pass in the 33rd. Half. I sub in Conde for Soares in the 67th. They get a red in the 72nd I made my final sub then – Pearce on for Shea. That’s game, we win 2-0. MOM is Acuna. USA stuff is over for now, and we have won the first two games of the six game qualifier.


Today I go look for more USA players. Who is out there of worth and merit? There is a really strong 20 year old Mexican/USA player who’s great fr he USA but without any Mexican youth caps still wants a Mexican call up, not one with us. I put im in our pool though. I add a few others.

[Abe Sargent]

I have added the Ukranian Premier League to my active leagues, in addition o America’s MLs and Britain.

I accept an invitation for French tour in friendlies. I cancel the Quorn link. On the 19th, France released a bunch of players today, and one on my shortlist, Valentin Petit was released. I make him a backup offer. Let’s see if he comes. A bunch of other folks make him an offer too.

Staff leaving in a week

Adie Stovell, Fitness Coach – 4 star fitness
Martin Taylor GK Coach – 4 tar GK
Ian Woen, Assistant Coach – 4 star defending

Can I find better?

I make an offer to a new GK Coach, A new fitness coach, and a new coach for defending. Then I offer a new assistant manager Mark Bowen the role. I don’t know why, but Bakenga is Player of the Year by the fans. I agree with a top half finish. Jiri Koubsky, a DC in my Slavia Prague dynasty era, is now my new coach. We are 150-1 to win. Koubsky is 4.5 stars defending, my new Fitness guy is 4.5 stars and finally my GK Coach, Fabio Bravetti is a 5 star coach.

[Abe Sargent]

Valentin Petit will join us as a backup middie I can rotate in. He is 20, French, 1.7 mill, 10.5k/week, till 2019, backup, 17/15 speed, 15 stamina, 14 cross, 15 pass, 17 first touch, 13 fin, 14 drib, 12 technique, mentals aren’t as good but still lower double digits. Ambitious. Plays AMC and MC, and I begin training for MR and to get his crossing up.

[Abe Sargent]

The 30t is here. Donovan is retired. Who is available? Any big names? Fernando Torres, Frank Lampard. A few smaller names. A tempting target is 25 year old middie Sergio Canales, Spanish midfielder who can play MC What about Italian Jacopo,23 years old who can play on the left. Actually, Lampard is retiring in a few days. I make an offer to GK Luke Steele to be my backup. I Still want a younger backup GK too if I can get one. Steele will count as homegrown, I hope.


Can I do better with transfers?

Perhaps James Milner, Man City, English. He’s 30, wouldn’t cost that much to get, and he’s alright. He’s just alright. He’ll meet my HG stuff though. Yeah, that works. I make an offer for Milner. I don’t know if he’ll say yes, but that meets my needs. Not a stud, just a guy, but he’ll work.

I promote GK Nathan Williams, 17, to my senior squad for the next couple of months to b my 3rd GK and a HG and club grown player for the C League. He is the U19 English starting GK.

I decide to offer Sergio Canales a spot. I make him a 74k a week offer.

We also have a problem. Stef Nijland is not playing well at this level. It’s time to move him. I decide to offer him for just 500k, to get rid of him.

[Abe Sargent]

July 1 – Our new signee arrives.

DC/R Jesus Briz, 19, Spanish, 6.5k/week, 4.6 mill, squad rotation, 13/14 speed, 19/16 jump/head, 11 pass, 16 tack, 13 mark, 16 sta, str, bal, 18 deter, 17 teamwork, work rate, this is my 3rd DC starter. I’m very happy to have gotten him off a free transfer. Described as Wonderkid, Model Professional. This is a pickup I suspect I’ll be quite proud of.


I need another rotation style DC, because I lost both Lescott and Mbemba. I wanted Titus Bramble, but he’s retiring. Can I find some DC to mentor Briz? I was hoping Bramble would fill that role. I like an older player or two for mentoring purposes generally. I make an offer to Nigel Reo-Coker. He’s 32, English, willing for a rotation, plays MC and DMC, Great mentasl, fine physcials for his age with 15 acceleration, 13 pace and such, and weaker technicals. Just a pass of 10 for instance. He can come in, rotate, and give me some older depth.

Leicester makes an offer for Nijland, and I accept. We sign backup GK Luke Steele.

[Abe Sargent]

Man City want way too much money for Milner. He’s worth 2.9, I bid, three, they rejected, I bid 4.5 and they answered with 11! Milner is not worth that. Clearly, they want to recoup some of his value, since they paid 30 mil for him from Aston Villa back in 2010 or 2011. I can get better. But better is not English. I have to have 25 players at most on my squad. 8 have to be HG. Right now, with Steele and Williams, I have five – my two aforementioned backup GKs, Hughes, Wilshere and Lansbury. Milner was to put me at 6, and then two youthers or backups here and there such as Reo-Coker and we are at my 8. I think I can do better at the ML, let’s see. I make an offer to a 21 year old Spanish left winger I’ve had my eye on for a while. He’s on my shortlist. I offer 4.5 mill first, which is what he’s worth. My scout says he won’t join my team. Ah well. Next choice. (I’ve seen those be wrong once or twice, so I’ll finish it). I make a random offer to another Man City player for a different role than ML. This one is transfer listed and can be a good mentor to my striker youth. I make an offer for 3 mill I also offer a Ukranian 22 year old ML to come join my team with an initial offer of 1.1 mill. Their board accept my offer automatically and I make an offer to Andriy Shevchuk. We agree to a deal. Can we get him a work permit?

[Abe Sargent]

I accept 3.2 mill from Man City for my 32 year old striker offer there and 9.5 mill from Real Madrid for my shortlist ML, just in case I can get him over the Ukraine guy. I checked and I have someone who speaks Russian – Dunauskas. We move Nijland, and I agree to pay him little extra weekly to move him. I move my S Korean guy to Deinze for a year. We sign Reo-Coker. My star ML, Juan Carlos, is as suspected, not interested in a move to my club from Real Madrid. As expected.

My 32 year old wants way too much salary. I can’t give him 200k. I can give him 75k. That’s it though. Ah well, we came that close to signing Carlos Tevez. That would have been something. Great mentor, and better striker. Man City accepted a 7.75 mill offer for Milner, but he doesn’t want to sign with me. Ah well.

[Abe Sargent]

It looks like Sergio Canales is going to sign elsewhere. Can I find someone else for the middle? Okay, I believe I found my target. I looked at a few folks. 19 yer old MC/DM MR Ralf Gutzeit, Austrian. I second a scout to see if he would sign, how much, etc He’s valued at 2 mill. My guess is that Salzburg will want a lot more for him. Others I like include Argentinian Alejandro Guirado, Icelandic Gunnar Finnbogason, I like the more defensive nature of Gutzeit. I make a 7 mill offer for him.

Shevchuk agrees to come to us. Work permit pending. It is denied at first, I appeal. I get negotiated up to 8.5 mill for Gutzeit and make him an offer. Canales officially signed with Racing. He signed for more than 50% less then he would have made with us – must’ve wanted to stay local.

[Abe Sargent]

Italy defeats England in the Euro Championship on penalties


A lot of national manager slots open – Bosnia and Herz. Croatia, England, Italy, Greece, Israel, Russia, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, and Slovakia. I don’t apply to any.

Gutzeit signs with us. We paid 8.5 mill, and he makes just 8.75k/week. I signed him through 2021 . 19 years old, Wonderkid, Determined. Plays MC, DMC, MR. Stats – 16/15 speed, 15 stamina, balance, 17 agility, 17 pass, corners, free kick, 18 first touch, 16 crossing, 15 techn, mark, head, 13 drib, penalty, 12 tack, long shot. 18 brave 19 determin, 17 work rate, 15 creative, 13 concentration, teamwork, position, 12 composure, 11 decisions, 10 off the ball. Only stats under 10 – 5 long throw, influence, 8 flair, aggression. Will start in the slot vacated by Cole. I’m sure you can see why I rated him so highly


I will begin with him having a defend central midfield role, but train his off the ball. I want to make him a deep-lying midfielder. I also have my lads train him for DC, s we can slip him there in an emergency.

My team, as of right now:

GK Joris Delle, Luke Steele , Nathan Williams
DC – Bartlomiej Szewczyk , Victor Iordache, Jesus Briz, Tor Marius Gromstad
ST – Juan Manuel Borrego Paramio, Mushaga Bakenga, Erjon Salku
M - Alan Hughes, Jack Wilshere, Ralf Gutzeit, Jacques Maas, Henri Lansbury, Rodrigo Battalia, Christos Kalaitzis, Angelos Meserdis


When I add my Ukrainian MR, my midfield is set and deep. I still need it up top and down bottom.

[Abe Sargent]

We have one of our French friendlies today, against Chateauroux. I start standard. Paramio scores in the 10th minute. Wilshere gets one two minutes later. They score five minutes after that, and then Bakenga finishes the scores at the 40th At half I tell them well done. Bakenga fed a score by Wilshere in the 51st. I make my normal subs and such. Game, 4-1 victoire! Bakenga MOM


Bonjour! Maintenant, nous guerrons les “Stade de Reims” dans vos estadium. “Standard” Bakenga scores in the 16th. Wilshere gets a score in the 37th. Gromstad booked - half. Keep it up. Paramio with a score at the 45:22 in the 2nd half. Score by Bobby Shou Wood, still on my team because he hasn’t left after the contract ended and I subbed him in for a tired Paramio. He gets another at the 84th minute. We win 5-0. Wilshere is MOM

[Abe Sargent]

Okay, time to find depth. ST, and DC ar needed. I find some youth to offer and a decent backup DC but no ST wants rotation or less and a decent salary, except for scrubs. For now, I rotate Dan Martin to my senior squad.


Expansion completed – we are now 14,000 in size


I lost my DC target, Kelvin Wilson – he moves to Bristol. I look for someone else. I make an offer to DC Mike Williamson instead. Maas is injured for a week or so in international play. We play Deinze away for a friendly, and I sim it. We win 4-0, MOM was Bakenga. I keep my pitch small. One of the youth I signed, Christoffer Rasmussen, came in nice. The rest sucked Williamson joins us.


After a long wait, we have signed my new winger for a fee of 1.1 mill:

Andriy Shevchuk, 22, 19k/week, 1.1 mill. Fairly Loyal, plays ML. Physicals in order – 17, 16, 13, 6, 16, 16, 16, 8. Technicals include 16 cross, 16 pass, first touch, 18 drib, 15 tech and mentals such as 16 brave, 15 teamwork and so forth.


He is my last major acquisition for the offseason.


Budget spending 309,000. Can have anywhere from 944k and no transfer money to 32 mill and 320k budget.

I sign a Barbados Scout, guy named Jon Nurse. Now I start scouting the Caribbean with him.

[Abe Sargent]

People in last year of contract:


Mike Williamson, Nigel Reo-Coker, Luke Steele, Rodrigo Battaglia, Joris Delle, Tor Marius Gromstad

Just one player of significance. Key players – just two – Wilshere and Delle. First teams – Hughes, Maas, Barty, Paramio, Bakenga, and Shevchuk.

I extend Jiri Papgua’s deal

I try to sell few of my youth I’m not interested in developing anymore. The first I try to sell is Karl Smith, but no offers. I can’t even get 100k for him. Ah well.

[Abe Sargent]

I give high bonuses across the board for my team – cup, continential and league. I get permission to hire some extra scouts. I want to hire some to finish my scouting radius. I have someone in every region of Africa, Europe, South America, etc. I want to have someone everywhere in Asia, rather than just East Asia. My first two targets are a Romanian and Colombian scout .

I turn down loan offers for Dan Martin since he’s my 4th striker right now. I send scouts to South Asia and Central Asia. I sign a Georgian scout and a Hungarian one. I add Southeast Asia and Oceania.


Carlos Tevez heads to New England and the MLS since we could not meet his salary demands. Newcastle offered me 1.1 mill for one of my youth – Claus Bonde and I agree, he moves. I accept an offer from Man City for another of my youth for 1.3 mill.

[Abe Sargent]

We get Villarreal in the Champions League. Rough. Rumors are that many want my Greek wingers, and I look and everyone from Arsenal to Man U are on one or the other. I issue a hands off warning and hack up their value to 5 mill each. Man City offers me 3.5 mill for Kalaitzis and I counter with 4.7 and they withdraw and now the agent wants an improved deal. We come to terms and I bump him to rotation and increase his salary from 6k to 14k and expend his deal through 2019. I have the money. I think my Greeks have really strong potential, as do my coaches. Rumors are Man City is interested in Meserdis.

I register the Champions Club squad. I am unable to get Gromstad and Petit on the squad. Joris Delle made my captain and Tor Marius remains my vice. We crush Nantwich 4-0 in our final friendly. Karl Smith signs for Burley for 100k. I hear rumors of a Portugeuse team, FCP, interested in Maas. I increase Maas’s asking price a little to 7.5 from his value of 5.25. I paid 3.5 for him, so I’d want double at least. I like Maas, but I’m not wedded to him.

[Abe Sargent]

We begin the season at Birmingham. Then I have Villarrael Swansea an Villarreal at home. Starting roster for the season – Delle, Briz, Barty, Iordache, Maas, Hughes, Wilshere, Gutzeit, Shevchuk, Paramio and Bakenga. This team is much better than last’s, and younger too. I begin countering. I forgot to do tactics such as set piece changes. I need to remember to do that. They score in the 9th,, but called offsides. They get pressure again. Maas injures a Birminghamian. Yellow to Iordache. Barty gets a gaol off an IFK. Half time. Sub the first – Gromstad for Iordache. Paramio nails goal in the 65th minute. In goes Palaitzis for Maas and Salku for Bakenga. We win 2-0 on the road, Briz is MOM. Shevchuk and Gutzeit each had 6.9 on debuts

[Abe Sargent]

We sold 7249 season tickets.

FCP offer 7.5 mill for Jacques Maas. I’m not wedded to Maas. Before I make the deal, I need to know that I can pick up the slack. Maas is 24, he has the 19 crossing but now an 11 passing, we got it up from 10 last year – an odd combination. Last year for us he played I 36 games, had 2 goals, 7 assists, and a 6.76 rating. This is not one of my core youthers, like Hughes, Wilshere, Paramio, Briz, Gutzeit, etc. Let’s look for immediate-ess

Maas vs Kalaitzis

24 vs 17

Maas is faster 17/16 vs 14/15
Maas - Worse jumping in 8, better stamina by 5 Therefore, Maas is better physically
Maas – 2 better crossing, 3 worse passing, 2 worse dribbling, 5 worse finish, 3 worse head, 6 better long throws, 3 better markng, 4 worse penalties, 5 worse tackling, 2 worse technique. Kalaitzis is better technically

Maas is 6 better aggression, 2 better anticipation, 7 worse brave, 4 better composure, 7 better concentration, 5 better creative, 5 better decsions an determination, 10 worse flu, 3 better off t. b. 3 better position, 4 worse teamwork, 5 better work rate. Better mentally.


So, Maas is the better wideout. But Kalaitzis is young and can grow. Now, can I find someone at or better than Maas’s level?


I’m sure no one is available on a free who is better. But what I can do is pop Wilshere over to the MR and bring in an AMC. My preference is to keep him there though. I look over my short list, and over everyone I can find. I can’t find a single player who can step up that I can afford. Therefore, I reject FCP. I bump Maas’s value up. Maas and Briz in Team of Week.

[Abe Sargent]

Crewe Alexandra vs Villarreal, Champions League 1st Leg, Best Placed Playoffs


We are here in Spain to play today’s game. I’m starting the same squad as last game vs Birmingham. Alons-y. A draw is predicted. I hope that’ true. Crewe’s first European game in heir history is underway! We open the scoring with a pass by Maas to Parami who strikes in the 12th minute. Then Bakenga breaks free from a counter in the 16th. They catch up and force him away and to pass it back. Bakenga gets back under the ball, shoots, scores, called back for offsides. He was too. Iordache finds Bakenga in the 21st in a counter, he drives, slides the ball to Paramio and Paramio finishes with a goal. Iordache is booked. Wilshire drives and they give us some corners in the 40s. Half time. 2nd half. We need to hold on. Briz and Bakenga get cards in the early 60s. I make two subs out goes Bakenga for Salku and Iordache for Williamson. Final sub at the 83rd minute, Meserdis for Shevchuk. Paramio gets his hat trick at the 87th minute . Wilshere had driven the ball on target from the right flank, and it ricocheted off their GK and fell to Paramio for the finish. My guys are still going for goals late and even more pressure is applied. Game – we win 3-0, and Paramio is MOM. We blew them away.

[Abe Sargent]

No changes to today’s Swansea game for my team. I begin controlling. We’re putting in pressure but they are keeping the ball out of the box. They keep us out at the half. I tell them to keep going. It will come. Still nothing. First sub – Kalaitzis in for Maas. I move to attacking and Salku comes in for Bakenga. Final sub – Lansbury for Hughes. Paramio crosses to Salku in the 84th minute and Salku hits the back of the net for goal. I pull back to Standard. Wilshere finds the net in the 91st minute. Nice pass by Kalaitzis. Game. MOM is Barty. This was Barty’s 125th appearance for the club.

[Abe Sargent]

Crewe Alexandra vs Villarreal, Champions League 2st Leg, Best Placed Playoffs


This is my 300th game for Crewe. I begin standard, because I suspect they may be very aggressive, and I don’t want to open myself up. I tll tehm to guard against complacency and 8 seem motivated and focused. Maas crosses to Paramio who finishes the score at the 9th. Now our foes have to get four goals to win. They hold on for a while, but the we open up a can of pressure in the 30s and 40s. Half. 45 minutes left. Sub the first – Nigel Reo-Coker goes in for Hughes. Next sub – Dan Martin for Bakenga. They nail a long shot in the 71st minute. They collect a second yellow in the 75th minute and get a red. I ordr my lads to tackle softer and sub in Meserdis for Shevchuk. Iordache collects a knock in the 84th and stays in Game. Maas is MOM. The goal they scored is the first goal Delle has allowed, including friendlies.


We made 7.1 mill for Champions Cup play. The group is drawn today and we are in a group with…Anderlecht, OM and Inter. We get Cambridge in the League Cup.

[Abe Sargent]

USA – Acuna, Guza and Altidore are all injured and out. I add ST Billy Shuler and Darlington Nagbe. I drop Conde and Michael Stephens. I add Jonathan Spector and Freddy Adu. Actually, nevermind. The 8 month injury to Adu has hurt him. I pull him back off. I put on 22 year old Massimo Bellato, MC, MR, AM RC.

Our last game of August is here – away vs West Ham. I start with a counter since we are on the road. We have some pressure early but survive, and get to the half all scoreless today. The next half begins. At the 59, I swap in new signee Valentin Petit for Wilshere. Petit turns around and gets a card. Calm down lad! Next sub is Lansbury for Maas. Lots of pressure from them still. Last sub in the 84, WIlliamson for Iordache. Game. Delle is MOM with 7.5 rating.

[Abe Sargent]

The transfer deadline passes.

Welcome to September – Jesus Briz won Young Player of the Month

Games:

10th – home vs Everton
13th – Away vs Anderlecht, Group B
17th – Away vs Man City
20th- Away vs Cambridge, League Cup
24th – Home vs Wolves
28th - Home vs OM, Group B

USA:

2nd – Away vs Curacao
6th – Away vs Honduras

[Abe Sargent]

Curacao vs USA


With our striker problems, I move Dempsey up from right wing. I start Pontius across from him. I start Chandler on the right wing and Spector at the right full back. I begin controlling. I’m going to skip most of this stuff. Williams with a yellow. The following scored in the first half – Shea, Agbossoumonde, Chandler, Agbossoumonde, Chandler. I tell them to tackle light. I toss in Torres for Williams. I pull Dempsey for Darlington Nagbe. Final sub – Bellato for Bradley. Nagbe gets a goal. Game. Shea is MOM with a goal and three assists.

[Abe Sargent]

Honduras vs USA

No changes to the starting roster, but I massage my backups a bit. I begin standard. This is the most difficult of the 6 games, we are on the road against the roughest of our foe s when both of my startin strikers are injured. Bradley gets a yellow. We allow a goal in the 35th We don’t score any. I move t control at the half. Castillo is booked. Spector booked too. Subs – Schiller for ontius, Pearce for Spector. Bellato for Bradley and I go attacking. Game. We lose. We got owned, just 5 shots, just one on target. I am swapping Brad Guzan for Tim Howard at GK.

[Abe Sargent]

Our game hosting Everton is here. I have made no changes to my starting squad, as they’ve had a break. It’s just three days until Anderlecht, so I’ll do my subs a bit earlier and protect fitness. I begin controlling, and I’ll pull back if I don’t see positive play early. I’m seeing corners and pressure. As of the 25, we’re good. To standard at the 32. Half.

[Abe Sargent]

Pokemon Black 2 has overcome my FM-ness. Maybe when I'm done playing that, I'll come back. Or not. No promises.

[Poli]

MORE FM!

[Abe Sargent]

I just finished the 8th gym in PB2