My 10th season as a Football Manager (4th at Manchester United)

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan. 28, 2014 -

Ortega and Alfonso were selected to the EPL Team of the Week.


Craig King injured his groin in practice yesterday and he will miss about 2 weeks.


Jan 29, 2014 -

Today we host Arsenal in an EPL Match. We are in 1st while Arsenal is in 4th place. Arsenal has played well this year, but they are a tired injured group. Jose Antonio Reyes is out for this game. Nigel de Jong is doubtful, Javier Saviola is doubtful, MArio is doubtful. Jesus has become their keeper, and he is playing well now. Lukas Podolski is a dangerous goal scorer who has 15 goals on the year. Markus Stadler has 10 goals on the year. Salomon Kalou is playing superbly at right wing. Anthony Petit has become the leader of the defensive line. Mathieu Fernandes is playing well in the midfield.


We are 5-4 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the low 40's.


GK: Howard
DL: Cahais
DC: Salva
DC: Marchetti
DR: Brown
ML: Downing
MC: Fletcher
MC: Parker
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Ferdinand
S3: Cook
S4: Godoy
S5: Ortega

[Eaglesfan27]

10 minute mark: Jesus stops a flurry of shots by our midfielders and one by Rooney.

11 minute mark: Rooney dribbles into the left side of the box.. draws two defenders... passes to Fletcher in the middle of the box.. perfect pass between two defenders.. Fletcher one times it into the upper right corner... GOAL!!!! 1-0.

43 minute mark: Schreurs dribbles down the right sideline.. past two defenders.. crosses it short.. the near post.. Rooney with a powerful header.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.



Halftime: 2-0 lead for us. We have over 91,000 fans here today.



75 minute mark: Schreurs is tired, I put Ortega in for him. I put Ferdinand in for Brown, and I put Godoy in for Adriano.


78 minute mark: Rooney gets the ball in our own half.. dribbles past two midfielders.. dribbles past another midfielder.. dribbles past two defenders into the box... shoots.. lower left corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-0! That was an amazing goal from Rooney.


Game over. 3-0 win

We outshot them 11-2 (5-1 on target)

Downing wins MoM, 15 of 21 passes, 1 key pass, 1 of 1 tackles, 2 of 7 headers, 1 interception, 12 runs, 1 foul drawn.

Rooney had an 8 for form with his 2 goals.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Wayne Rooney had a heel injury and will miss about a week.


With 13 games to go, our record is 22 wins, 3 draws, 0 losses. We have a chance at 100 points in a season which I've never done as a manager (Actually, I did it once in CM 03/04 with Hull in League Two.)

We are currently 14 points ahead of 2nd place Liverpool

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 31, 2014 -

Liverpool has spent 25 million to sign Markus Stadler, a 22 year old German Striker, from Arsenal. Stradler isn't a top notch striker, and I doubt he ever will be. So, I think Liverpool overpaid by a bit.


Newcastle has sold Philippe Durand, a promising 22 year old midfielder, for 23.5 million dollars to Mallorca.


Managerial Legend Martin Jol has taken over as the manager at Arsenal. Sunderland will now be looking for a new manager.



Eric Djemba had a goal in Cameroon's 1-0 win Morocco. He has been playing well in the African Nations Cup.



Aston Villa has signed Steven Taylor, a very good 28 year old centreback, from Mallorca for 14.5 million dollars.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 1, 2014 -

The board is delighted with my performance as manager.


Stewart Downing has won EPL Player of the Month. Carlton Cole of Tottenham came in 2nd, and Gregory Maury of Leeds came in 3rd.


Antonio Ortega, my 19 year old right winger, has won the EPL Young Player of the Month. Sean Brady of Everton came in 2nd, and Lee Roberts of Middlesbrough came in 3rd.



I won Manager of the Month. Joe Roach of Leeds came in 2nd, and Tony Colbert of Liverpool came in 3rd.



Wayne Rooney's goal against Arsenal in which he ran from inside our own half won Goal of the Month.

[tucker342]

Great dynasty. Everytime I read your dynasty it makes me want to play FM. Unfortunately everytime I try to play FM, I can never really get into it. Since there is so much information presented and I have such limited knowledge about Soccer, I can never really get immersed in the game before I get frustrated and quit. Oh well, reading your dynasty today has given me the motivation to try again.

Oh, and you're having one hell of a season this year.

[tucker342]

dola-

Just remembered a question that I was going to ask, what is the Club World Championship anyways?

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by tucker342

Great dynasty. Everytime I read your dynasty it makes me want to play FM. Unfortunately everytime I try to play FM, I can never really get into it. Since there is so much information presented and I have such limited knowledge about Soccer, I can never really get immersed in the game before I get frustrated and quit. Oh well, reading your dynasty today has given me the motivation to try again.

Oh, and you're having one hell of a season this year.

Thanks

I can't believe how good we are doing this year. Godoy and Ortega are really shocking me. All of my role players are just playing great.

Hope you have fun playing today

As far as what is the World Club Championship? I'm not sure, but I think it is a small tournament matching the 4 premier champions from around the globe. Just based on the teams that were in it this season, I'm guessing it has the winners of the Champions League, The North American Cup, and 2 other tournaments (one in South America and one in Asia maybe?)

[Galaxy]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Thanks

I can't believe how good we are doing this year. Godoy and Ortega are really shocking me. All of my role players are just playing great.

Hope you have fun playing today

As far as what is the World Club Championship? I'm not sure, but I think it is a small tournament matching the 4 premier champions from around the globe. Just based on the teams that were in it this season, I'm guessing it has the winners of the Champions League, The North American Cup, and 2 other tournaments (one in South America and one in Asia maybe?)

Great to see the United still competitive. I am starting to get antsy to move to a big club in my dynasty, 13 games into the season with Cambridge City in my third season, we sit in 8th in League Two. We manage to Battle regelation both years to win promotion, so I am hoping to get an offer or two to atleast the Championship level.

As for the WCC, I asked the question in the general discussion. The response I got:
And the World Club Championship? Is that thing still alive?
(I think every continental association is allowed to sent one representative, as well as 1 hosting nation's club and an 8th team, which by memory I don't know how they are invited.)

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 1, 2014 -

Today we travel to play Coventry in an EPL match. We are in 1st while they are in 15th place. Wayne Worthington is a very good young striker, and he leads the team with 12 goals. However, no one else is really scoring. Part of that is due to Shola Ameobi being injured for the past month. He had 6 goals before going down with his injury. Nick Bailey needs to step up, but he only has 2 goals in 12 starts. Their defense is decent is led by Jay McEveley a 28 year old versatile defender who is very quick and strong. Richard Chaplow is a 28 year old midfielder who is a very good all around player. Marco Tedeschi is a good keeper, but he has been getting hammered this year by too many shots.


We are 4-7 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the high 40's.



GK: Adriano (time to give him another start)
DL: Schmidt
DC: Marchetti
DC: Salva
DR: Brown
ML: Alfonso
MC: Parker
MC: Cook
MR: Schreurs
SC: McFadden (Rooney is hurt)
SC: Adriano (King is hurt)

S1: Howard
S2: Cahais
S3: Godoy
S4: Smith
S5: Wood

[Eaglesfan27]

1st minute: Our midfielders pass it back and forth.. finally alfonso passes to Cook who shoots from 25 yards out.. blistering banana shot.. upper left corner.. excellent save by the keeper.

29 minute mark: Parker gets a yellow card for a trip on Worthington.

40 minute mark: Parker collides with Collado.. Parker has to leave the pitch as he is hurt.

I put Wood on for Parker.



Halftime: 0-0 tie. They have over 32,000 fans here today.



60 minute mark: I tell the guys to open up the offense and press the attack much more.

74 minute mark: Adriano gets the ball at midfield.. passes to McFadden in the box.. McFadden shoots.. upper left corner.. nice save by the keeper.

76 minute mark: Barrett takes a direct kick from 25 yards out.. he shoots.. over the wall.. into the upper right corner! GOAL. Down 1-0. Could our undefeated streak end?

I'm putting Godoy in for Adriano who is tired. I'm also putting Cahais in for Schmidt.

81 minute mark: Alfonso passes to Cook just inside the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. excellent save by the keeper.

89 minute mark: Schreurs passes to Godoy in the box.. he dribbles around a defender.. shoots.. lower right corner.. excellent save by the keeper.


Game over 1-0 loss. Our undefeated streak ends at 34 games.

We outshot them 8-2 (6-2 on target)

Their keeper, Marco Tedeschi, won MoM.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:


Barry Parker has fractured his arm and will miss 3-4 weeks.

[robbgmaier]

sorry about that streak, but at least it was lost in a competition that's all but locked up

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by robbgmaier

sorry about that streak, but at least it was lost in a competition that's all but locked up

I'm not too sure about that. Liverpool and Chelsea are only about 12 points back. I'll feel more confident once we get a few more EPL wins under our belt.

However, I'm glad that the loss didn't cost us our chance at the quadruple

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 5, 2014 -


International Roundup:

Wonderkid (when he did become one?!?) Antonio Ortega played well well for Spain with 2 assists in their 2-1 friendly win over Japan.

Gabriele Marchetti played well for Italy in their 0-0 tie with Morocco.




Eric Djemba injured multiple ligaments in his knee and will miss about a month...

Tim Howard played well for the USA in a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic in a friendly match.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb. 9, 2014 -

Today we host Blackburn in an EPL Match. Blackburn is in 19th place. Their defense has been horrific this year, and the offense has been well below average. Paul Gallagher is the leading scorer with 9 goals and his partner Jonathan Stead has chipped in 5 more, but no one else is scoring. Barry Ferguson is the only midfielder player well and Antonio is the only defender playing well. Samir Handovic has had a bad couple of weeks.

We are 1-2 favorites.


It's sunny with temperatures in the 40's.


GK: Howard
DL: Lucio
DC: Ferdinand
DR: Brown
ML: Downing
MC: Fletcher
MC: Cook
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Godoy
S3: Alfonso
S4: smith
S5: Marchetti

[Eaglesfan27]

28 minute mark: Downing blows a good opportunity when he sails a pass over Adriano's head.

31 minute mark: Downing with a long cross to Schreurs.. he shoots from right of the box.. upper right corner.. good save by the keeper.

37 minute mark: Downing dribbles past a defender.. to the left corner of the pitch... long cross... Adriano running up to meet it.. diving header.. upper left corner... GOAL!!!!! 1-0.

41 minute mark: Schreurs passes to Adriano in the right half of the box.. he centers it for Rooney.. right in the middle of the box.. Rooney blasts a shot.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!!! 2-0. I can't believe Rooney was that wide open.



Halftime: 2-0 lead. We have over 91,000 fans here today.



52 minute mark: Smith on for Adriano who has picked up a minor injury and is limping. Smith is really showing his age, and is slowing down. This might be one of his last appearances for us.

58 minute mark: Schreurs crosses it to the far post.. Rooney heads it.. wide of goal.

70 minute mark: Alfonso on for Downing.

85 minute mark: Fletcher passes to Cook just outside the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner... GOAL!!!! 3-0! That is Cook's 5th goal of the year.

89 minute mark: Alfonso passes it to Smith in the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner... GOAL!!!! 4-0! Maybe Smith can still contribute



Game over. 4-0 win.

We outshot them 11-1 (7-0 on target)

Fletcher wins MoM, 8 for form, 22 of 27 passes, 3 key passes, 0 of 1 tackles, 3 of 7 headers, 2 runs, 2 fouls drawn, and 1 assist.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 10, 2014 -

O'Shea and Lucio were selected to the EPL Team of the Week.

Bob Wright has stated that he wants to play first team football. He said he hopes to leave the club if he doesn't break into the first team soon.


I might give him a look soon to see if he can be a backup or rotator.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 12, 2014 -

I've sent Bob Wright on loan to Q.P.R. That should quiet him for a bit.


Today we travel to play Leicester which is currently 18th in the EPL. Leicester is led by star striker Dean Ashton who has 18 goals on the year. No other player has 5. Ashton seems to be becoming frustrated by the lack of support. Harvey Remy is a good midfielder who is the 2nd leading scorer with 4 goals. Benjamin Weigelt is a good left back. Rune Almenning Jarstein has become the keeper midseason and he haws done better than the old keeper Paul Gallacher.

We are 1-2 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the high 40's.


GK: Adriano (I didn't want to sit him long after a loss.)
DL: Schmidt
DC: Lucio
DC: Ferdinand
DR: Brown
ML: Alfonso
MC: Fletcher
MC: Cook
MR: Ortega
SC: McFadden
SC: King

S1: Howard
S2: Godoy
S3: Downing
S4: Adriano
S5: Marchetti

[Eaglesfan27]

7 minute mark: Brown gets a yellow card for a trip on Ashton.

Konchesky passes it to Ashton in the box.. he shoots from point blank range.. Adriano saves it!

25 minute mark: Lucio with an excellent defensive play on Ashton.

27 minute mark: Cook gets a yellow card for pulling Remy's jersey.

29 minute mark: Adriano saves a long shot from Ashton.

42 minute mark: King collides with their keeper.. King is hurt I put Adriano on for King.

44 minute mark: Cook passes it to McFadden in the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. barely tips it over the bar.

45 minute mark: Alfonso passes it to Adriano in the right side of the box.. he blasts a shot.. upper right corner.. excellent block by the keeper.


Halftime: 0-0 tie.


50 minute mark: I tell the offense to really press the attack.

52 minute mark: Brown with an amazing pass down the length of the pitch.. it bounces just outside the box.. McFadden races past two defenders to get to it.. he fakes out the keeper.. shoots.. center of the net! GOAL!!!! 1-0.

59 minute mark: Lucio starts the counter attack.. passes it to Alfonso at midfield.. he passes it to Adriano who is just a bit ahead of him.. Adriano speeds past one defender.. uses a stutter step to get past a second defender.. dribbles into the box... throws a shoulder fake at the keeper.. dribbles to his right.. shoots.. lower right corner... GOAL!!!! 2-0!

Brown nearly got his second yellow card a minute ago, so I put Marchetti in for Brown.

Also with a 2-0 lead, I tell the offense to be a bit more conservative and not so gung-ho attacking style.

82 minute mark: Dhonastan tries a 20 yard shot.. Adriano easily saves it.

93 minute mark: Ashton gets the ball just inside the box.. shoots.. upper left corner.. Adriano saves it cleanly.



Game over. 2-0 win

We outshot them 12-9 (9-4 on target)

Alfonso wins MoM, 9 for form, 24 of 33 passes, 6 key passes, 4 of 6 tackles, 3 of 5 headers, 1 interception, 4 runs, 1 foul drawn, and 1 assist.

Cook also had a 9 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Darn it, I went to the hospital and discovered that Craig King fractured his cheekbone. He will miss 3-4 weeks. That is a huge loss. Alan Smith really needs to step up his game now.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 15, 2014 -

Today we travel to play Manchester City in the 5th round of the FA Cup. Manchester City is having a good year and they are 5th in the EPL. They are led by a dynamic trio of scorers in striker Benjamin Lauth who leads the team with 15 goals, Deivid (a 34 year old Brazilian striker who still has game) who has 10 goals, and Said Boutahar (a 31 year old midfielder) who has 9 goals on the year. Owen Hargreaves is the leader of the defense and Wayne Dunn is playing very good defense as well. Libis Andres Arenas has been amazing in goal the last few weeks. This keeper will be tough to beat tonight.


We are 4-6 favorites.

It's overcast with temperatures in the low 40's.


GK: Howard
DL: O'Shea
DC: Lucio
DC: Salva
DR: Brown
ML: Downing
MC: Fletcher
MC: Godoy
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Ortega
S3: Wood
S4: Smith
S5: Marchetti

[Eaglesfan27]

12 minute mark: Downing passes to Rooney in the left side of the box.. Rooney with a crisp pass between two defenders to Adriano by the far post.. he shoots.. amazing save by the keeper.

17 minute mark: Wayne Dunn gets a yellow carrd for a trip on Rooney.

26 minute mark: Lescott trips Downing.. yellow card for Lescott.. Lescott argues the call.. that is John Lescott's second yellow! Good bye!

36 minute mark: Rooney dribbles up the left wing.. past a defender.. cuts it inside.. past another defender.. passes to Downing in the middle of the box.. Downing traps it.. shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

41 minute mark: Downing gets a yellow card for a trip on Delvid.

44 minute mark: Wayne Dunn with a goal saving tackle on Adriano who had beat the keeper.

44 minute mark: Brown with a long pass to Rooney just outside the box.. Rooney fakes out a defender.. spin move to fake out the keeper.. he shoots.. wide right!



Halftime: 1-0 lead. They have about 48,000 fans here today.



53 minute mark: Schreurs gets a yellow card for a trip on Hargreaves.

57 minute mark: Hargreaves gets a yellow card for a push on Downing.

63 minute mark: Wood on for Downing, Ortega on for Schreurs, and Smith on for Rooney.

70 minute mark: Smith gets a yellow card for obstructing Hargreaves.

77 minute mark: Boutahar passes to Lauth in the box.. he fakes out Lucio. .. shoots.. lower right corner.. Howard dives.. it's past him.. GOAL! 1-1 tie.

84 minute mark: Godoy with a 20 yard shot.. inches wide left.

89 minute mark: Smith steals a pass from the keeper to the defender.. fires it into the open net! Opportunistic play by Smith!!! What Timing! 2-1!

94 minute mark: Lauth passes to Miller in the box.. Miller fakes out Howard.. shoots.. lower left corner.. GOAL! DARN! 2-2 tie. I can't believe they are playing us this tough down a man.


Game over. 2-2 tie. We will be replaying this on our pitch.

We outshot them 12-7 (7-5 on target)

Fletcher wins MoM, 9 for form, 18 of 23 passes, 7 key passes, 5 of 7 tackles, 2 of 10 headers, 1 interception.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Darn, we are dropping like flies. Downing injured his groin and will miss about 2 weeks.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 17, 2014 -

Thierry Froger has been sacked by Marseille. According to the media, my keeper coach, Fabien Barthez, is the leading candidate for the job!


Zdenek Grygera has resumed full training.


Lucio, Alfonso, and Cook were selected to the EPL Team of the Week.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 19, 2014 -

Today we travel to play Benfica in the 1st leg of the 1st knockout round of the Champions League. They are the top team in Portugal this year, and they have a talented team. However, their best striker, Mantorras is injured for this game. Their best midfielder, Paulo Almedida is suspended for this game. Their second best centreback, Ricardo Rocha, is suspended for this game. Their third third best striker is also injured for this game. They will be relying on the relatively raw Humberto at striker. They also need Diogo to have one of his best games. Left winger Joao Eduardo is a raw player who has a great deal of potential. He will need to have the game of his career tonight. Bruno Goncalves is a 23 year old midfielder who is very skilled and he could give us problems. He does everything very well. Quim is a good keeper, and he will have to stop a lot of shots if they are going to beat us tonight.


We are even odd favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the 50's.


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Lucio
DC: Ferdinand
DR: Brown
ML: Alfonso (Downing is hurt)
MC: Fletcher
MC: Cook
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Taylor (Adriano, GK is ineligible)
S2: Salva
S3: Ortega
S4: Smith
S5: Cahais
S6: Godoy
S7: McFadden

[Eaglesfan27]

13 minute mark: Paulo Zorro trips Rooney just outside the box.. Zorro gets a yellow card.

15 minute mark: Zorro trips Rooney.. I think he threatened the ref with his sword, because he got away with a warning.

16 minute mark: Rooney gets the ball left of the box.. passes to Fletcher in the middle of the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. excellent save by the keeper.

20 minute mark: Rooney gets it left of the box.. he centers for Schreurs.. he heads it.. barely over the bar.

23 minute mark: Alfonso gets a yellow card for a trip on Humberto.

31 minute mark: Schreurs gets a yellow card for a trip on Eduardo.

39 minute mark: Alfonso dribbles past a defender.. to the left corner of the pitch.. he centers to the far post.. Adriano heads it.. over the bar.

44 minute mark: Cook gets called for a push on Marques... Schreurs argues with the ref.. he gets a warning.. Rooney argues with the ref.. Rooney gets a yellow card.


Halftime: 0-0 tie. They have over 65,000 fans here today.


Perhaps foolishly, I tell the offense to open it up.

48 minute mark: Lucio with an excellent defensive play.

48 minute mark: Rooney steals it left of the box.. he shoots from 25 yards out... strong curving shot.. parallel to the endline.. it curves.. curves... into the upper right corner! AMAZING strike! That is Rooney 25th goal of the year! 1-0 lead.

54 minute mark: Alfonso passes to Rooney inside the box.. Rooney with a shoulder fake.. the keeper isn't fooled.. Rooney tries to create space... shoots.. the keeper smothers it.

65 minute mark: Their keeper stops a flurry of shots.

67 minute mark: Salva on for Schmidt who is tired, Ortega on for Schreurs who is tired, and Smith on for Rooney who is tired.

70 minute mark: Alfonso crosses to Adriano in the middle of the box.. Adriano heads it.. over the bar. Adriano is having a poor game.

85 minute mark: Alfonso passes to Smith just outside the box.. Smith passes to Adriano in the right half of the box.. Adriano shoots.. blistering shot.. low and to the right.. GOAL!!!!! 2-0!


Game over. 2-0 win Very nice result for the away leg of this 1st round.


We outshot them 21-2 (14-1 on target)

Rooney wins MoM, 10 for form, 11 of 11 passes, 2 key passes, 3 of 6 tackles, 1 of 4 headers, 2 interceptions, 10 runs, 3 fouls drawn, and 1 goal.

Alfonso also had a 10 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 20, 2014 -

Souleymane Mamam has told the press that he wants to get out of the reserves and start plaing regularly in the 1st team. If he isn't going to play, he wants to be traded. I can't blame the guy. I feel bad, but he just didn't perform well enough when I gave him the chance.

Our next game is the English League Final against Fulham. I'm going to play Rooney and Adriano (among other starters) on short rest.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 22, 2014 -

James McFadden has told the press that he wants to be in the first team more Sheesh, I wish these guys would keep things in the locker room...

I really would like to play James a bit more, but this game isn't the time.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb. 23, 2013 -

Today we play Fulham in the English League Cup Final. Fulham has a solid team and is currently 6th in the EPL. They are led by the superb play of Thomas Hitzlsperger. He has had a very good month recently and is going to be dangerous today. Jonathan Woodgate has been their most consistent defender. Jonathan is an excellent leaper and he is great at keeping the ball away from his man. Joaquin is a dangerous midfielder. Helder Postiga and Milan Baros are the leading pair of strikers and they each have 12 goals to lead the team. Michael Rensing has been solid in goal all year and he has been good the last few weeks.


We are 4-6 favorites.

It's raining, windy, and in the low 40's.


GK: Howard
DL: O'Shea
DC: Lucio
DC: Salva
DR: Grygera
ML: Alfonso
MC: Fletcher
MC: Wood
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: McFadden
S3: Ortega
S4: Godoy
S5: Marchetti

[Eaglesfan27]

4 minute mark: Rooney gets the ball left of the box.. he passes to Salva!?!? Salva has come up to join the attack.. he shoots.. lower right corner.. excellent save by the keeper.

6 minute mark: Alfonso dribbles down the left sideline.. he centers to Rooney.. Rooney shoots.. the keeper blocks it.. the defender tries to clear to the right sideline.. Alfonso intercepts it.. passes to Rooney in the middle of the box.. Rooney shoots.. blistering shot.. upper left corner.. the keeper dives.. it's past him! GOAL!!!! 1-0.

15 minute mark: Grygera passes to Schreurs in the right corner of the pitch.. Schreurs crosses it.. over Adriano's head.. the keeper tries to catch it.. he bobbles it.. Adriano kicks the dropped ball.. GOAL!!!!! 2-0! That is Adriano's 15th of the year.

26 minute mark: Adriano gets a yellow card for holding Woodgate's jersey.

35 minute mark: Hitzlsperger with a 30 yard powerful banana shot.. upper left corner.. Howard dives.. catches it!

36 minute mark: Woodgate heads Howard's kick to Hitzlsperger.. he shoots from 30 yards out... powerful banana shot.. upper left corner.. Howard dives.. it is past him! GOAL. 2-1 game.

41 minute mark: Salva gets a yellow card for tripping Postiga outside the box.



Halftime: 2-1 lead for us. There are over 90,000 fans here for this game at Wembley.



46 minute mark: I let out a sigh of relief as a 30 yard shot from Postiga sails wide right by inches.

47 minute mark: Joaquin gets a yellow card for a trip on Fletcher.

51 mintue mark: Alfonso passes to Rooney left of the box.. Rooney centers to the middle of the box.. Adriano with a diving header.. into the upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-1!

60 minute mark: John passes between Salva and Lucio to Postiga in the box.. he shoots.. lower right corner.. excellent save by Howard.

63 minute mark: Rooney takes a corner kick.. curves it to the near post.. Adriano heads it.. it hits the left post.. bounces in! GOAL!!!! 4-1. That is Adriano's hattrick!

73 minute mark: McFadden on for Rooney, Godoy on for Adriano, and Marchetti on for Grygera.

Rooney and Adriano each get a standing ovation as they head off.



Game over. 4-1 win! That is 1 down and 3 to go for the quadruple

We outshot them 15-12 (10-5 on target)

Adriano wins MoM, 10 for form, 11 of 14 passes, 1 key pass, 2 of 6 tackles, 8 of 12 headers, 2 fouls drawn, and 3 goals.

Schreurs, Alfonso, and Rooney all had 9's for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

We were awarded 1.8 million dollars for winning the English League Cup.

The media acted surprised by how large our margin of victory was. Of course, the fans are thrilled with the margin of victory.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 26, 2014 -

Today we host Manchester City in the English FA Cup replay. See the initial matchup report for key players.


We are taking a chance by resting Rooney, but I will have him on the bench ready to go if needed.

We are 4-6 favorites.

It's raining with temperatures in the 40's.


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Marchetti
DC: Salva
DR: Brown
ML: Alfonso (Downing is still injured)
MC: Parker
MC: Cook
MR: Schreurs
SC: McFadden
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Cahais
S3: Rooney
S4: Godoy
S5: Ortega

[Eaglesfan27]

11 minute mark: Igor Burzanovic gets a yellow card for a trip on Alfonso.

20 minute mark: Deivid gets a yellow card for a push on Marchetti.

38 minute mark: McFadden gets it at midfield.. dribbles past a midfielder.. past a defender.. up the left sideline.. past another defender.. into teh left corner.. sharp cross.. to the far post.. Adriano heads it.. into the upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

42 minute mark: Rob Davis gets a yellow card for pushing Adriano.



Halftime: 1-0 lead for us. We have over 91,000 fans here today.


47 minute mark: Delaney takes a free kick from 25 yards out.. over the wall.. towards the upper left corner.. Howard dives.. catches it! Great save.


61 minute mark: Hargreaves takes a corner kick.. to Delaney by the near post.. he heads it.. into the upper right corner.. GOAL. 1-1 game.

70 minute mark: Rooney on for McFadden and Ortega on for Alfonso who is exhausted.

I also tell the offense to be more creative and aggressive.

83 minute mark: Long pass from Brown to the edge of the box.. Schreurs gets to it.. shoots.. upper left corner.. very good save by the keeper.


End of regulation. Manchester City is playing us tough.


100 minute mark: Their defenders stop a flurry of shots before they even reach goal. Wayne Dunn is playing great.


Halftime of extra time.

Godoy on for Parker who is exhausted.

107 minute mark: Godoy passes to Ortega in the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper saves it.

109 minute mark: Godoy gets called for being offside.. Cook argues the call.. Cook gets a yellow card.

110 minute mark: Ortega dribbles past a defender.. crosses from the left corner.. to the middle of the box.. Adriano heads it.. over the bar.

111 minute mark: Rob Davis trips Rooney.. yellow card.. that is his second! He is ejected!

116 minute mark: Schreurs with a long range shot.. the keeper saves it.


Extra time is over. This one is going to penalties.



I pick the following order:

Rooney (very good penalty shooter), Cook (great penalty shooter), Ortega (average penalty shooter), Godoy (below average penalty shooter), Adriano (bad penalty shooter - penalty shots are the only thing he does badly.)



Hargreaves steps up.. shoots... lower right corner.. it's out of Howard's reach.. GOAL. Down 1-0.



Rooney steps up... shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. Arenas pushes it wide!


Lee Croft steps up next... he shoots.. upper right corner.. Howard dives.. catches it!


Cook steps up.. blasts a shot into the upper right corner.. it's past the keeper! GOAL!!!! 1-1.

Boutahar steps up next... shoots a weak shot to Howard's left.. he easily saves it!


Ortega steps up.. he shoots to the keeper's left.. the keeper ran right and is out of position! GOAL!!!! 2-1.

Earnshaw steps up.. shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL. 2-2.


Godoy steps up.. shoots... upper left corner.. the keeper dives.. blocks it!


Borrowdale steps up... shoots to Howard's left.. he barely misses it. Down 3-2.

Adriano steps up.. he must score... he shoots.. lower left corner.. wide left! NO!!! NO!!!

Game over. We lost 3-2 on penalties. No quadruple. The best we can do is the treble.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mar. 1, 2014 -

Despite that recent disappointing showing, the board is still delighted with my performance as manager.



How odd! No player of the month or any other awards has been announced yet?


Today we travel to play southampton in an EPL match. They are in 10th while we are in 1st. Southampton is led by super striker Robbin Kieft who has 25 goals on the year. Star left winger Jorge Pina is injured and will not play this game. Jonathan Douglas will have to step up in the midfield. Christoph Preub is a creative right winger who is playing very well this year. Nicky Hunt is a 30 year old centreback who is having his best year in a few years. He is playing very well using his excellent speed to shut down opposing strikers this year. Iain Turner has been good in goal this year.


We are 4-6 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the high 50's.


GK: Howard
DL: O'Shea
DC: Lucio
DC: Ferdinand
DR: Grygera
ML: Alfonso
MC: Fletcher
MC: Wood
MR: Schreurs
SC: McFadden
SC: Smith

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Ortega
S3: Stevanovic
S4: Adriano
S5: Salva

[Eaglesfan27]

6 minute mark: McFadden is tripped just outside the box.. Wood shoots.. over the wall.. over the bar.

8 minute mark: Wood steals it at midpitch.. passes to Fletcher.. he threads the needle between two defenders.. McFadden has it in the right half of the box.. he shoots.. low and to the right corner.... the keeper dives.. it's past him! GOAL!!!! 1-0.

13 minute mark: Grygera gets a yellow card for a trip on Kieft.

34 minute mark: Howard stops a flurry of shots.

43 minute mark: Kieft passes to Preub in the box.. he chips it.. over Howard's head.. Howard races back.. catches up to it! Great save!



Halftime: 1-0 lead. Schreurs is very tired. I'm putting Ortega in for him.



54 minute mark: Alfonso gets a yellow card for a trip on Prueb.

65 minute mark: Salva on for Grygera who has a yellow card, and Stevanovic on for Wood.

86 minute mark: James Collins gets a yellow card for pushing Smith.

88 minute mark: Lucio is frustrating Kieft.. Kieft has been whistled twice for pushing Lucio in the last 5 minutes.


Game over. 1-0 win

We outshot them 10-8 (5-2 on target)

Fletcher wins MoM, 9 for form, 26 of 33 passes, 5 key passes, 0 tackles, 3 of 7 headers, 1 interception, 1 run, and 1 assist.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Salva twisted his knee and will miss about a week.



David Harper has come into my office to tell me that he demands first team football or he wants to be traded! Harper has some good qualities, but I can't see him being a long term answer for us. He is 24 and isn't likely to develop too much more. I decide to transfer list him.


March 3, 2014 -


O'Shea and Fletcher were selected to the EPL Team of the Week.


(OOC Note: Still no player of the month, manager of the month, etc! I'm imaging this is some wierd bug. I hope nothing else in this career is messed up.)

[Eaglesfan27]

March 5, 2014 -

Today we host Benfica in the 2nd leg of the 1st knockout round of the Champions Leagues. We are up 2-0 on aggregate.

We are 4-5 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the high 40's.


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Lucio
DC: Marchetti
DR: Brown
ML: Downing
MC: Fletcher
MC: Parker
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Taylor
S2: McFadden
S3: Cook
S4: Ortega
S5: Ferdinand
S6: Alfonso
S7: Godoy

[Eaglesfan27]

1st minute mark: Parker gets a yellow card for tripping Simao.

9 minute mark: Mantorras pushes Lucio.. Zorro argues the call.. Zorro gets a yellow card.

10 minute mark: Downing passes to Rooney left of the box.. Rooney draws two defenders.. sharp pass between them to the center of the box.. Schreurs has it.. he shoots.. wide left! Horrible shot.. should have been a goal.

25 minute mark: Rooney dribbles left of the box.. past a defender.. into the box.. draws two other defenders.. Rooney passes to Schreurs inside the 6 yard box... he shoots.. wide right!

45 minute mark: Downing dribbles into the left side of the box.. past a second defender.. crosses it to the far post.. Schreurs heads it.. into the upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.



Halftime: 1-0 lead. 3-0 on aggregate. Disappointing attendance: 67,000. I'd expect more for a Champions League Match.



46 minute mark: Schreurs tries a 40 yard shot! The keeper easily saves it.

48 minute mark: Downing passes to Rooney outside the box.. Rooney dribbles past one defender.. past a second defender.. deep into the box.. he shoots from 10 yards away.. low and to the left corner.. the keeper was playing the sharper angle.. it's past him! GOAL!!!!! 2-0.

55 minute mark: Parker dribbles it down the right side of the pitch.. quick long cross to Downing.. he heads it to Rooney in the box.. Rooney shoots.. upper right corner.. it's past the keeper before he can even react.. excellent strike! GOAL!!!! 3-0. 5-0 on aggregate.

57 minute mark: Marchetti starts the counter attack.. long pass to Downing.. he heads it to Rooney in the left side of the box.. Rooney shoots.. lower left corner.. it's past the keeper.. just inside the post! GOAL!!!! 4-0! That is Rooney's hattrick! I can remove him without feeling bad about pulling him with 2 goals now

60 minute mark: Godoy on for Rooney, Cook on for Parker, and Ferdinand on for Schmidt.

66 minute mark: Downing dribbles own the left side of the pitch.. centers for Cook.. he passes it to Schreurs who is just right of him, barely in the box.. Schreurs shoots.. it deflects off heavy traffic in front of the goal.. GOAL!!!! 5-0. That is Schreurs' second.

70 minute mark: Angelo gets the ball from Petit just inside the box.. Angelo shoots.. upper right corner.. Howard is slow to react.. it is past him. GOAL. 5-1 game.

78 minute mark: Schreurs passes to Adriano in the right corner of the pitch.. Adriano centers to Schreurs in the middle of the box (after holding it for 10 seconds.)... Schreurs shoots.. wide left.. he misses his opportunity for the hattrick.



Game over. 5-1 win 7-1 on aggregate.

We outshot them 16-3 (7-1 on target)

Rooney wins MoM, 10 for form, 8 of 9 passes, 2 key passes, 0 tackles, 2 of 3 headers, 1 interception, 6 runs, 1 foul drawn, and 3 goals.

Downing also had a 10 for form. Schreurs had a 9 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 8, 2014 -

We will play Chelsea in the Quarter Final of the Champions League. The first leg will be played at Stamford Bridge on April 2, 2014.


In the other quarterfinals:

Real Madrid will play Valencia.

Roma will play Inter.

Bordeaux will play Olympiakos.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 10, 2014 -

Liverpool's Hatem Ben Arfa is demanding an increase in salary through the media. Hopefully, Liverpool might trade him away.


March 13, 2014 -

Eric Djemba has resumed full training.


Christian Tiffert has demanded first team football. I can't blame the guy. I feel bad for him. Ortega and Godoy just developed much faster than I ever expected and left no PT for Tiffert. I'm going to transfer list him and see if anyone wants him.



Cristian Chivu has resumed full training. Chivu has lost quite a bit of speed, but he still has some good technical abilities. I'm not sure if he can play anymore or not, but I hope to find out soon. He is signed for one more year.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mar. 15, 2014 -

West Brom has sacked Richard Money.


Mar. 16, 2014 -

Today we host Bolton in an EPL match. Bolton is in 12th, while we are 1st by 13 points with 9 games to go. Bolton has three main scoring threads. However, their best scorer (striker Filipe Oliveira) is out for this game. Midfielder Kevin Nolan and new striker Igor de Camargo will have to step up and play like top scorers. However, they each only have 10 goals on the year. Achille Emana is a good very quick right winger who is excellent at setting up his teammates. Left back David Bowen is the leading defender this year. Alexandre Negri is having a decent year in goal, but nothing special. He has given up 57 goals in 32 starts.


We are 4-7 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the 50's.


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Lucio
DC: Cahais
DR: Grygera
ML: Downing
MC: Fletcher
MC: Parker
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Alfonso
S3: Marchetti
S4: King
S5: Cook

[Eaglesfan27]

20 minute mark: Downing dribbles down the left side of the box.. long crossto the far post.. Adriano heads it.. the keeper blocks it.

34 minute mark: Schreurs dribbles down the right side of the pitch.. crosses to the near post.. Rooney heads it.. barely wide right.

41 minute mark: de Camargo takes a free kick from 30 yards out.. it deflects off the wall... sails into the left side of the net as Howard can't gather the carom in time. GOAL. Down 1-0.


Halftime: Down 1-0. We have over 90,000 fans here today.



46 minute mark: Their keeper stops a flurry of shots.

56 minute mark: Rooney passes to Fletcher in the left corner of the box... Fletcher shoots from 25 yards out.. powerful blast.. upper left corner.. the keeper misplays it! GOAL!!!! 1-1.

65 minute mark: I tell the guys to go a quick creative aggressive attack.

74 minute mark: They hit us on the counterattack.. long pass from Grindhelm to de Camargo.. Camargo dribbles between Grygera and Marchetti into the box.. fakes out Howard.. shoots.. lower left corner.. GOAL. Down 2-1.

81 minute mark: Alfonso on for Downing, King on for Rooney, and Cook on for Parker.

92 minute mark: Alfonso dribbles past a defender.. deep into enemy turf.. he crosses to Fletcher just outside the box.. powerful shot.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. barely tips it wide of the bar.


Game over. 2-1 loss

We outshot them 23-5 (9-2 on target.)

Achille Emana won MoM, 8 for form, 23 of 28 passes, 2 key passes, 9 of 11 tackles, 3 of 7 headers, 5 interceptions, 3 runs, 2 fouls drawn. He frustrated my left wingers all match.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

With 8 games to go, we are now only 10 points ahead of 2nd place Chelsea. We still have a shot at 100 points, but it is dwindling.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mar. 22, 2014 -

Today we travel to play Everton. We have 78 points and are in 1st place. Everton is in 13th place. Most of the Everton team is unhappy and this should be an easier game than our last game which we lost. The main scoring threats are Scott McDonaldo and Neil Gibson at the two striker positions. Valery Mezague is a 30 year old midfielder who also is a very good scorer and has 9 on the year. Aleksandar Djuric is a good defender and he leads the defensive line along with the young Sean Brady who is becoming an elite defender. Ceiran Hutcheson has done well in goal this year thanks to the strong defense in front of him.


We are 4-6 favorites.

It's raining with temperatures in the high 50's.


GK: Howard
DL: Chivu
DC: Lucio
DC: Salva
DR: Brown
ML: Downing
MC: Fletcher
MC: Djemba
MR: Schreurs
SC: McFadden
SC: King

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Marchetti
S3: Alfonso
S4: Ortega
S5: O'Shea

[Eaglesfan27]

7 minute mark: Fletcher passes to McFadden in the left side of the box.. McFadden dribbles past a defender.. shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper pushes it over the bar.

10 minute mark: McFadden steals it at midfield.. passes it to Downing.. Downing passes it back to McFadden just left of the box.. McFadden fakes out a defender.. dribbles further into the box.. shoots.. lower right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

12 minute mark: Mezague shoots from 25 yards out.. Howard misplays it! He has played bad last game and this game. I should have started Adriano like I was considering.


Halftime: 1-1 game. Everton has over 40,000 fans here today.



48 minute mark: Howard stops a long range strike from Mezague.

60 minute mark: Their keeper stops a flurry of shots.


61 minute mark: Djuric catches McFadden from behind.

I put Ortega on for Schreurs, Alfonso on for Downing, and O'Shea on for Chivu (who played ok, but nothing like he used to play.)

I also tell the offense to be more aggressive.

67 minute mark: They catch us on the counterattack.. long pass from Henrik Lantz to Scott McDonald.. he beats Brown into the box.. he fakes out Howard.. shoots.. lower left corner.. GOAL. Down 2-1.

69 minute mark: Fletcher passes to McFadden.. McFadden passes to Ortega outside the box.. Ortega with a dribble between two defenders.. shoots from 20 yards out.. lower left corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-2.

72 minute mark: McFadden steals the ball at midfield.. plays an amazing pass to King just outside the box.. King beats a defender.. shoots a powerful blast.. lower left corner... GOAL!!!!! 3-2. Great strike from King.

75 minute mark: Ortega dribbles down the right sideline.. crosses it to the center of the box.. Fletcher outjumps two defenders.. heads it.. towards the right corner.. it deflects off a defender.. into the left side of the net! GOAL!!!! 4-2.

I tell the team to be more conservative and focus on defense.


Game over. 4-2 win.

We were outshot 17-12 (but 8-4 on target in our favor)

McFadden wins MoM, 9 for form, 25 of 30 passes, 1 key pass, 0 of 1 tackles, 3 of 7 headers, 1 interception, 11 runs, 1 foul drawn, 2 assists, and 1 goal.


Howard had another disappointing game. He gave up 2 goals on only 4 on target shots.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mar. 24, 2014 -

Brown, Fletcher, and McFadden were all selected to the EPL Team of the Week.


March 30, 2014 -

Leicester City has fired Jose Carlos Granero. They are rumored to be considering Micky Adams from Everton.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mar. 30, 2014 -

Today we host Aston Villa in an EPL match. Aston Villa is in 9th place. They have a dynamic scorer in Jhon Jairo Mosquera who is their new star player. He has 17 goals on the year. Luke Moore is still a very good striker and he has 14 goals for 2nd place on the team. Ciprian Marica is an excellent third striker. However, the defense has been bad this year and Chris Miller is the only defender playing well. Mourad Meghni has played very well in the midfield. They have gone through three keepers, and it appears that Quentin Westberg has replaced Leo Granco as their keeper, but I'm not sure which one will start.



We are 4-5 favorites.

It's overcast with temperatures in the high 40's.


GK: Adriano (Howard needs some rest I think)
DL: Marchetti
DC: Lucio
DC: Ferdinand
DR: Brown
ML: Downing
MC: Parker
MC: Djemba
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: King

S1: Taylor
S2: Cook
S3: Alfonso
S4: Godoy
S5: Wood

[Eaglesfan27]

Westberg did start in goal for them.

12 minute mark: Downing passes to Djemba just outside the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. excellent save by the keeper.

15 minute mark: Westberg stops a fluury of shots from King and Djemba.

17 minute mark: Parker gets a yellow card for a trip on Meghni.

18 minute mark: Mosquera gets a point blank shot on goal.. Adriano blocks it! Nice save.

29 minute mark: Ortega dribbles down the right sideline.. passe sback to Brown who is supportung the attack.. Brown passes to Parker who is just outside the box.. Parker shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0. That is Parker's 5th of the year.

41 minute mark: Djemba passes to Rooney who is 35 yards out.. he blasts a banana shot.. it is heading toward the right side of the net.. it hits a defender in the box.. and bounces into the left corner.. GOAL!!!!! 2-0! That is Rooney's 30th goal of the year!

44 minute mark: Downing passes to Rooney in the left corner of the pitch.. Rooney holds it.. holds it.. draws a defender over.. passes to Downing in the left side of the box.. Downing shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-0. That is Downing's 5th of the year!


Halftime: 3-0 lead. We have over 72,000 fans here today.



47 minute mark: Downing passes to Rooney in the left half of the box.. he dribbles to the endline.. he shoots.. parallel to the endline.. it curves.. into the upper right corner.. GOAL!!!!! 4-0. I'm always amazed when I see Rooney shoot that shot.

49 minute mark: Ortega dribbles down the right sideline.. passes it to Parker.. Parker passes to Downing in the left side of the box.. Downing takes two dribbles.. shoots from 8 yards out.. upper left corner.. the keeper flails as it sails by.. GOAL!!!! 5-0!


62 minute mark: Cook on for Parker, and Godoy on for King who is tired.

76 minute mark: Downing dribbles into the left side of the box.. crosses it to the far post.. Godoy with a header.. into the upper right corner! GOAL!!!! 6-0.

86 minute mark: Jenas with a bullet shot from 20 yards out.. Adriano saves it cleanly.

90 minute mark: Downing takes a corner kick.. to the near post.. Ferdinand outjumps his man.. heads it.. into the upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 7-0. I think Westberg might not be the starter for long


Game over. Convincing 7-0 win.

We outshot them 17-2 (15-2 on target)

Downing wins MoM, 10 for form, 22 of 26 passes, 5 key passes, 0 tackles, 0 of 1 headers, 1 interception, 17 runs, 2 fouls drawn, 3 assists, and 2 goals.

Ortega also had a 10 for form. Rooney and Parker both had 9's for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

That 7-0 win is a new league record win for our team!

Stewart Downing's 27 assists this season is a new team record.



March 31, 2014 -

Lucio, Ortega, and Downing were all selected to the EPL Team of the Week.



April 1, 2014 -

The Board is delighted with my performance as manager.


Stewart Downing has won the EPL Player of the Month (glad to see awards are back.) Jose Antonio Reyes came in 2nd, and Antonio Ortega came in 3rd!


Antonio Ortega has won the EPL Young Player of the Month. Sean Brady of Everton came in 2nd, and Alejandro Lozano of Blackburn came in 3rd.


Ruud Gullit of Bolton won Manager of the Month. I came in 2nd, and Mane of Chelsea came in 3rd.



Wayne Rooney's 35 yard shot against Aston Villa won goal of the month.