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Greyfriars Bobby · 04-19-2020, 10:16 PM

15 August 2015

The American Premier League season begins today, as we travel to Denver for a televised matchup with the Bighorns.

I've registered 25 players for the season, in keeping with league rules. Let's meet them now.

I've taken some managerial license this time. As my kids and I were looking for free agents from the "old" MLS to try to sign, we couldn't find Landon Donovan. It turns out that Donovan retired at the end of the 2014 season, only to return to the pitch in 2016. That meant he wasn't available as a player for 2015/16 in our world.

I have a copy of Football Manager 2014, so I fired it up, looked at Donovan's profile, and opened up the FM 2016 in-game editor. I found a random, imaginary free agent and transformed him into Donovan. To make things a bit more fair, I waited a week for him to discover that he was now, indeed, Donovan, and for the AI clubs to have a shot at sniffing him out, too.

Fortunately, he chose to sign for us.

We also thought we'd have some fun with a tragic figure from football history. Duncan Edwards died as a result of the injuries he suffered in a 1958 plane crash that took the lives of 23 of the 44 persons on board, including seven of Edwards' Manchester United teammates. Edwards, only 21 at the time, was already a star, and many who saw him play claim he would have been one of the greatest footballers of all time.

On the Steam workshop for FM 16, there's a mod that allowed me to add a 16-year-old Edwards into the game. I used the editor to add him to my team.

There are some "purists" who will say "YoU'vE rUiNeD yEr GaMe! YeR cHeAtInG!" I don't care. It's a game. We just think it will be fun to see how good Edwards becomes.

Boston began the year with a wage budget of just over $1.5 million/week (!!) and $97 million to spend on transfers...enough to bring in some outstanding players.

Goalkeepers

I immediately signed Bingham on a free transfer and he was going to be our number one 'keeper until my scouting staff recommended I take a good look at Cillessen, whom Ajax might be willing to sell for the right price. That price turned out to be $10 million.

Cillessen is tough and resilient, outstanding at organizing his defense, and comfortable and creative in his distribution. Holland's first choice will be ours, too.

We'd be just fine with Bingham between the posts, too. Signed on a free transfer, he is just about as good as Cillessen in every respect except his ability to communicate with his defense.

Homegrown youngster Foster has immense potential. He'll see a lot of action for our reserves.

Full Backs

Right back Goldberg is powerful and athletic, and he's technically sound enough to get forward and create an attacking threat. Friend, whom I bought from Middlesbrough for $6.75 million, is an even better example of this type of mobile wide defender. He'll start at left back.

Rosenberry is young and talented, and I'll find a way to get him onto the pitch. Winkel gives us depth, and he can play center back, too.

Keane, of course, will feature much more at center half. More on him in a bit. Same with Baldwin.

Center Backs

The "real" Keane has had an up-and-down career at Everton. Five years ago, he was 22, playing for Burnley, and many thought he'd be a future star for club and country. I'd like to see how much of his potential he can unlock in Boston, where he will be a fixture in the center of our defense. At $21 million, he didn't come cheaply.

Miazga will start alongside him. He's not as smooth on the ball as Keane, but he's just as rugged and imposing. And, he's only 20.

Free transfer Larentowicz is an affordable, versatile veteran who can play a variety of roles in the middle of the park. Baldwin and Winkel are decent backups.

Central Midfielders

The first big name I signed was Bradley, cast adrift like all the other MLS standouts. Tenacious, resolute, and a consummate team player, I originally envisioned him as our DM.

Then, I spotted de Jong. If I didn't pick him up, a rival club would, and I was able to lure him to John Quincy Adams Park. He's seen it all, turning out for Ajax, Hamburg, Manchester City, and AC Milan. His arrival enables me to move Bradley farther up the pitch; he's a bit more creative than de Jong.

For $8 million, I purchased talented teenage playmaker Hyndman from Fulham. He's a smooth passer with outstanding range and vision, and his professional attitude makes him a perfect fit for our team.

Until two weeks ago, those three fine players made up our midfield trio. Then, as I was looking at a list of free agents my scouting staff had compiled, I spotted one of the most iconic names in English football.

The "real" Frank Lampard signed with New York City FC in July 2014, planning to join the MLS club in 2015. Of course, there's no NYCFC in my world...so that made Lampard a free agent. He was considering retirement, but I decided to see if I could persuade him to sign for us. I promised him the captain's arm band--an honor he never regularly had at Chelsea. That, and a contract worth $84,000/week, was enough to convince him.

I enjoy building a team around a dominant midfield, and I might have the pieces in place for just such a combination. They're not young; Bradley is the most youthful at 28, while Lampard is 37. However, the trio boast 292 international appearances between them, and their skills should still be sufficient for them to excel at this level.

And, if they falter, there's wonderkid Edwards, who can literally play anywhere on the pitch except in goal.

Forwards

We have three good players who can all play any of the front three in our 4-1-2-3 DM Wide formation. You've already heard about Donovan, who missed much of the preseason with a minor knee injury.

I was surprised I could pry Kuyt from Feyenoord, but he signed a one-year deal with the possibility of a second year if (when) he plays 25 league matches. That's a safe bet, even if he is now 35 years old. Once a striker who moved out wide later in his career, I wouldn't hesitate to use him as the front man again.

My daughters were ecstatic when I paid $25 million to bring Pulisic back to the USA from Dortmund. That's a lot of cash to splash on him--he's 16 here, remember--but it will be fun to see if he becomes a world-class winger.

Morris is more of a natural striker, but he can play out wide, too. If both thirty-somethings are available and on song, he'll be a backup, but he clearly has a future in Boston.

I like Mereu, who can play on both wings and runs like the wind. He starred during the preseason, firing three goals while Donovan was sidelined.

Final Thoughts

The cast of characters I've assembled might not have a very long run together. Some of them--Lampard, Kuyt, Donovan, Larentowicz, even de Jong--are at the age when footballer's skills decline.

Some of the other big clubs in the APL are filling their rosters with outstanding players, too, and they have the money to keep doing it. Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York, in particular, are assembling very good sides. Denver, Houston, and Chicago don't seem far behind.

The top four finishers qualify for the North American Champions League. If the veterans can stay hale and hearty, we should contend for one of those spots.

04-19-2020, 10:16 PM	#3
Greyfriars Bobby College Prospect Join Date: Sep 2013	15 August 2015 The American Premier League season begins today, as we travel to Denver for a televised matchup with the Bighorns. I've registered 25 players for the season, in keeping with league rules. Let's meet them now. I've taken some managerial license this time. As my kids and I were looking for free agents from the "old" MLS to try to sign, we couldn't find Landon Donovan. It turns out that Donovan retired at the end of the 2014 season, only to return to the pitch in 2016. That meant he wasn't available as a player for 2015/16 in our world. I have a copy of Football Manager 2014, so I fired it up, looked at Donovan's profile, and opened up the FM 2016 in-game editor. I found a random, imaginary free agent and transformed him into Donovan. To make things a bit more fair, I waited a week for him to discover that he was now, indeed, Donovan, and for the AI clubs to have a shot at sniffing him out, too. Fortunately, he chose to sign for us. We also thought we'd have some fun with a tragic figure from football history. Duncan Edwards died as a result of the injuries he suffered in a 1958 plane crash that took the lives of 23 of the 44 persons on board, including seven of Edwards' Manchester United teammates. Edwards, only 21 at the time, was already a star, and many who saw him play claim he would have been one of the greatest footballers of all time. On the Steam workshop for FM 16, there's a mod that allowed me to add a 16-year-old Edwards into the game. I used the editor to add him to my team. There are some "purists" who will say "YoU'vE rUiNeD yEr GaMe! YeR cHeAtInG!" I don't care. It's a game. We just think it will be fun to see how good Edwards becomes. Boston began the year with a wage budget of just over $1.5 million/week (!!) and $97 million to spend on transfers...enough to bring in some outstanding players. Goalkeepers I immediately signed Bingham on a free transfer and he was going to be our number one 'keeper until my scouting staff recommended I take a good look at Cillessen, whom Ajax might be willing to sell for the right price. That price turned out to be $10 million. Cillessen is tough and resilient, outstanding at organizing his defense, and comfortable and creative in his distribution. Holland's first choice will be ours, too. We'd be just fine with Bingham between the posts, too. Signed on a free transfer, he is just about as good as Cillessen in every respect except his ability to communicate with his defense. Homegrown youngster Foster has immense potential. He'll see a lot of action for our reserves. Full Backs Right back Goldberg is powerful and athletic, and he's technically sound enough to get forward and create an attacking threat. Friend, whom I bought from Middlesbrough for $6.75 million, is an even better example of this type of mobile wide defender. He'll start at left back. Rosenberry is young and talented, and I'll find a way to get him onto the pitch. Winkel gives us depth, and he can play center back, too. Keane, of course, will feature much more at center half. More on him in a bit. Same with Baldwin. Center Backs The "real" Keane has had an up-and-down career at Everton. Five years ago, he was 22, playing for Burnley, and many thought he'd be a future star for club and country. I'd like to see how much of his potential he can unlock in Boston, where he will be a fixture in the center of our defense. At $21 million, he didn't come cheaply. Miazga will start alongside him. He's not as smooth on the ball as Keane, but he's just as rugged and imposing. And, he's only 20. Free transfer Larentowicz is an affordable, versatile veteran who can play a variety of roles in the middle of the park. Baldwin and Winkel are decent backups. Central Midfielders The first big name I signed was Bradley, cast adrift like all the other MLS standouts. Tenacious, resolute, and a consummate team player, I originally envisioned him as our DM. Then, I spotted de Jong. If I didn't pick him up, a rival club would, and I was able to lure him to John Quincy Adams Park. He's seen it all, turning out for Ajax, Hamburg, Manchester City, and AC Milan. His arrival enables me to move Bradley farther up the pitch; he's a bit more creative than de Jong. For $8 million, I purchased talented teenage playmaker Hyndman from Fulham. He's a smooth passer with outstanding range and vision, and his professional attitude makes him a perfect fit for our team. Until two weeks ago, those three fine players made up our midfield trio. Then, as I was looking at a list of free agents my scouting staff had compiled, I spotted one of the most iconic names in English football. The "real" Frank Lampard signed with New York City FC in July 2014, planning to join the MLS club in 2015. Of course, there's no NYCFC in my world...so that made Lampard a free agent. He was considering retirement, but I decided to see if I could persuade him to sign for us. I promised him the captain's arm band--an honor he never regularly had at Chelsea. That, and a contract worth $84,000/week, was enough to convince him. I enjoy building a team around a dominant midfield, and I might have the pieces in place for just such a combination. They're not young; Bradley is the most youthful at 28, while Lampard is 37. However, the trio boast 292 international appearances between them, and their skills should still be sufficient for them to excel at this level. And, if they falter, there's wonderkid Edwards, who can literally play anywhere on the pitch except in goal. Forwards We have three good players who can all play any of the front three in our 4-1-2-3 DM Wide formation. You've already heard about Donovan, who missed much of the preseason with a minor knee injury. I was surprised I could pry Kuyt from Feyenoord, but he signed a one-year deal with the possibility of a second year if (when) he plays 25 league matches. That's a safe bet, even if he is now 35 years old. Once a striker who moved out wide later in his career, I wouldn't hesitate to use him as the front man again. My daughters were ecstatic when I paid $25 million to bring Pulisic back to the USA from Dortmund. That's a lot of cash to splash on him--he's 16 here, remember--but it will be fun to see if he becomes a world-class winger. Morris is more of a natural striker, but he can play out wide, too. If both thirty-somethings are available and on song, he'll be a backup, but he clearly has a future in Boston. I like Mereu, who can play on both wings and runs like the wind. He starred during the preseason, firing three goals while Donovan was sidelined. Final Thoughts The cast of characters I've assembled might not have a very long run together. Some of them--Lampard, Kuyt, Donovan, Larentowicz, even de Jong--are at the age when footballer's skills decline. Some of the other big clubs in the APL are filling their rosters with outstanding players, too, and they have the money to keep doing it. Dallas, Los Angeles, and New York, in particular, are assembling very good sides. Denver, Houston, and Chicago don't seem far behind. The top four finishers qualify for the North American Champions League. If the veterans can stay hale and hearty, we should contend for one of those spots.