Manchester United: The Beginning of the end?

[Eaglesfan27]

Just before the match started, I was informed that Alberto Flores had 3 assists in our U18's 3-0 win over Barnsley.


13 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles past two defenders.. pasts across and back to Parker.. he shoots from 25 yards out.. powerful curving shot.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

32 minute mark: Parker gets a yellow card for arguing an offside call against Adriano.



Halftime: 1-0 lead for us.


55 minute mark: Their keeper stops a pair of our shots.

69 minute mark: Adriano passes the ball into the box.. Rooney gets to it.. shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!! 2-0.

75 minute mark: Cardozo on for Schmidt and King on for Adriano.

89 minute mark: Kompany trips Morgan in the box.. Penalty.. Harrison takes the penalty shot.. upper left corner.. GOAL. 2-1.

92 minute mark: Porcellis steals the ball from Miller.. he centers it to Sissoko.. he heads it.. upper left corner.. GOAL! 2-2. What a terrible collapse!


Game over. 2-2 tie. Very disappointing ending.

They outshot us 10-7 (5-5 on target)

Barbosa wins MoM, 9 for form, 19 of 27 passes, 4 key passes, 2 of 6 tackles, 3 of 6 headers, 2 interceptions, 7 runs, 1 foul drawn, and 1 assist.

[Eaglesfan27]

Dec. 11, 2016 -

Arsenal has reportedly given Ernie Tippett an ultimatum. Rough, they have only fallen to 3rd place.


Dec 12, 2016 -

Rooney was selected to the EPL Team of the Week.



We will play Parramatta Power in the Club World Championship Semi Final on the 16th of December.



Dec. 15, 2016 -

Real Madrid have offered 25 million for Diego Cardozo. I tell them no thanks.


Dec. 16, 2016 -

We drew Mallorca in the 1st knockout round of the Champions League. Overall, I'm happy with that draw.

[Eaglesfan27]

Dec 16, 2016 -

Today we play Parramatta Power in the Club World Championship Semi Final. Parramatta Power are a good Australian team. They are led by star striker Alex Rawnsley who has 16 goals in 17 starts. Joseph Ghaleb is a good #2 striker with 8 goals in 17 starts. Alex Brosque is a good left winger who is planning on retiring after the game. Andrew Cooper is their best defender, but he isn't that good. Their defense is weak. Geoge Catalano is a 20 year old keeper who isn't that good, however, he will likely be starting for them.

We are 1-8 favorites.

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


GK: Adriano
DL: Schmidt
DC: Cardozo
DC: Salva
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Alfonso
MC: Parker
MR: Ortega
SC: Oswald
SC: King

S1: Howard
S2: Marchetti
S3: Fletcher
S4: Adriano
S5: Miller
S6: Schreurs
S7: Rooney

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: We are getting a large number of passes into the box, and their defense is batting them away before we get good opportunities on goal.

26 minute mark: Downing dribbles past two defenders.. crosses it to the near post.. Alfonso heads it.. over the bar.

40 minute mark: Alfonso passes to Oswald in the box.. he passes to Ortega in the middle of the box.. he shoots.. wide left.


Halftime: 0-0 tie.



King is having a horrible game with a 4 for rating. I'll give him 5 minutes to turn it around before I pull him.

46 minute mark: Downing dribbles by his man.. crosses it to king in the middle of the box.. he heads it.. upper right corner.. GO... he pushed the defender down.. the goal is disallowed.

55 minute mark: Adriano on for King who has a 5 for form.

58 minute mark: Schmidt throws it to Downing on the left sideline.. he crosses to Ortega just outside the box.. Ortega with a fancy dribble past two defenders.. weaving into the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0. That is Ortega's 5th of the year.

65 minute mark: Downing crosses it towards Adriano.. a defender heads it away.. Alfonso gets it.. he shoots from 20 yards out.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0. Nice strike from Alfonso.

70 minute mark: Marchetti on for Schmidt.

76 minute mark: Fletcher on for Parker.

93 minute mark: Alfonso passes to Fletcher in the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. it hits the crossbar.



Game over. 2-0 win for us.

We outshot them 27-1 (10-1 on target)

Ortega wins MoM, 10 for form, 15 of 18 passes, 1 key pass, 0 tackles, 2 of 2 headers, 2 interceptions, 20 runs, 1 goal.

Downing had a 9 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

We will play Santos in the Club World Championship Final on December 21st.

Santos is a good Brazilian team.

[Eaglesfan27]

Dec. 20, 2016 -

Stewart Downing is finally starting to show his age (32.) Today he strained his hamstring in practice. He is expected to miss 3-4 weeks.


Real Madrid have told the press that they are going to make an offer on Carlos Godoy. I told them to F' off.



Dec. 21, 2016 -

Today we play Santos in the Club World Championship Final. Santos is a good Brazilian team which is led by star striker Jussie. Jussie is 33 and starting to decline, but he has 16 goals in 24 starts this year. Nadson is their other striker. He is 34 and significantly declining, but still has 11 goals in 25 starts. Wallace leads the defense from his right fullback position. Ademir Nascimento is a good left winger. Jefferson is their keeper. Jefferson is 33, but he is a very good keeper who is on top of his game.

We are 4-6 favorites.

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


GK: Adriano
DL: Schmidt
DC: Cardozo
DC: Salva
DR: Miller
ML: Barbosa
MC: Godoy
MC: Parker
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Howard
S2: Alfonso
S3: Heller
S4: Oswald
S5: Cahais
S6: Ortega
S7: King

[Eaglesfan27]

12 minute mark: Godoy passes to Parker just outside the box.. he blasts a shot.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

20 minute mark: Barbosa passes to Schreurs outside the box.. he shoots from 25 yards out.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. fine save.

31 minute mark: Godoy passes it to Parker.. he shoots from 25 yards out.. strong curving shot.. curving the opposite way.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.



Halftime: 2-0 lead for us.



63 minute mark: Adriano is tripped by Ismael in the box.. penalty! Rooney takes the shot.. blasts it.. past the keeper.. into the crossbar! The defense clears the rebound.

65 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles past two defenders.. passes it to Rooney in the left side of the box.. Rooney weaves past two defenders.. shoots a sharply angled shot.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-0.

71 minute mark: Heller on for Godoy, Ortega on for Schreurs, and Cahais on for Schmidt.

88 minute mark: Heller passes to Parker who is outside the box.. he shoots a powerful shot.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 4-0. Parker has his hattrick.

91 minute mark: Heller passes to Parker who is 20 yards out.. he shoots.. powerful curving shot.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 5-0! Parker has 4 this game!



Game over. 5-0 win

We outshot them 35-1 (20-0 on target)

Parker wins MoM, 10 for form, 34 of 35 passes, 1 key pass, 1 of 1 tackles, 3 of 7 headers, 2 fouls drawn, 4 goals!

Barbosa also had a 10 for form. Rooney had a 9 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Dec. 21, 2016 -

Chelsea has won their last two games and has taken over 1st place by a point as of today.

We've won 9 million dollars for our repeat win in the Club World Championship! I love the money from this tournament.


Dec. 24, 2016 -

Real Madrid have signed Alan Thomas from Tottenham for 20 million dollars. Thomas is a very talented 27 year old left back and this was a nice acquisition by Real Madrid.

Deportivo have signed Jordi from Aston Villa for 14 million. The 26 year old right back is talented and this is a good acquisition from Deportivo.

[daedalus]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

89 minute mark: Kompany trips Morgan in the box.. Penalty.. Harrison takes the penalty shot.. upper left corner.. GOAL. 2-1.

92 minute mark: Porcellis steals the ball from Miller.. he centers it to Sissoko.. he heads it.. upper left corner.. GOAL! 2-2. What a terrible collapse!

Ugh. Another last minute collapse.

Oh, well. At least the team's been in great form, besides these two games.

It may be just me but I occasionally noticed Kompany giving away some silly penalties. I thought it may have been just being young in the demo, but perhaps it's just him. At least he's great otherwise.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by daedalus

Ugh. Another last minute collapse.

Oh, well. At least the team's been in great form, besides these two games.

It may be just me but I occasionally noticed Kompany giving away some silly penalties. I thought it may have been just being young in the demo, but perhaps it's just him. At least he's great otherwise.

I really hate the last minute collapses because they seem to be coming against weaker teams where my team just falls asleep.

I've seen Kompany make a few silly penalties, and I think it is just him (or at least how he is rated in the game.) However, overall I'm happy with him (except for the fact that he is becoming fatigued and needing games off.)

By the way, thanks for all of the feedback and please continue. I really appreciate any and all feedback

[MikeVick7]

Eaglesfan27 - Pardon me if this is listed elsewhere on your dynasty, but how many players do you have on your first team usually? I've always wanted to go with a smaller squad like 18-20 players and then put the rest on the reserve team but always fear them getting unhappy because of the demotion.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by MikeVick7

Eaglesfan27 - Pardon me if this is listed elsewhere on your dynasty, but how many players do you have on your first team usually? I've always wanted to go with a smaller squad like 18-20 players and then put the rest on the reserve team but always fear them getting unhappy because of the demotion.

I've always gone with bigger squads. I've been teased by a few friends on here who were helping me when I was first learning the game because I let one squad get bloated to about 40 players!

Generally, my optimal number right now is about 26-27. As soon as the game is open, I'll tell you how many I actually have at the moment (assuming that bad storms which are passing through don't knock out my electricity and internet access.)

My general goal is to have 2 clear players for each position and 1 additional backup from each of the groups (striker, midfielder, defender, and keeper.) Versatility is always a plus and can lower my optimal number a bit.

[Eaglesfan27]

Right now I'm at 26 players who regularly stay on my first team roster. Alberto Flores also pops up as you have seen. I also have several reserves I would gladly bring up if too many regulars went down at one position.

[Eaglesfan27]

Dec. 26, 2016 -

Today we host West Brom in an EPL Match. We are in 2nd and they are in 19th place. Their team has a substandard offense and defense. Their leading scorer is striker Mark Walsh who has 5 goals. Thomas Gaardsoe has been their leading centreback. Tom Huddlestone has played well in the midfield the last few weeks. Gary Baker has been bad in goal, and should be easy to score against.


We are 1-2 favorites.

It's raining with temperatures in the 30's.


GK: Adriano
DL: Trotta
DC: Kompany
DC: Salva
DR: Boogaart
ML: Barbosa
MC: Godoy
MC: Parker
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Howard
S2: Cardozo
S3: Schreurs
S4: Wright
S5: Oswald

[Eaglesfan27]

14 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles past his man.. past another man.. crosses to Parker.. he shoots from 15 yards out.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0. Parker is on fire right now.

35 minute mark: Barbosa crosses it.. Adriano heads it.. good save by their keeper.

They are keeping 8 men back most of the time thwarting my offense.



Halftime: 1-0 lead for us. WE have over 71,000 fans here today.



47 minute mark: Barbosa passes to Rooney in the box.. he spins away from a defender.. shoots.. upper right corner.. Baker dives.. tips it over the bar.

60 minute mark: Trotta starts the counterattack.. passes to Barbosa.. he passes to Rooney left of the box.. Rooney crosses it to Adriano in the right side of the box.. Adriano shoots.. lower left corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.

62 minute mark: Boogaart gets the ball deep in our turf.. he dribbles past a midfielder.. across the midline.. further down the pitch.. past another defender.. short cross.. Adriano traps it.. shoots.. upper right corner... GOAL!!!! 3-0! Boogaart with a great dribble and pass.

67 minute mark: Oswald on for Rooney.

83 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles past his man.. centers it to Oswald who is just inside the box.. Oswald shoots.. lower right corner.. GOAL!!!! 4-0.



Game over. 4-0 win for us.

We outshot them 26-0 (21-0 on target)

Ortega wins MoM, 10 for form, 18 of 25 passes, 3 key passes, 1 of 1 tackles, 0 of 2 headers, 14 runs, 4 fouls drawn.

Barbosa also had a 10 for form.

Parker and Adriano both 9's for form.

All of my other starters had an 8, except for Adriano (GK) who had a 7.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Adriano (the striker) suffered a groin strain and will miss about 2 weeks.

Chelsea tied Bristol C 0-0! We are back in 1st at the halfway point! (Picture of standings to follow.)

[Eaglesfan27]

A look at the midseason table as I turn on my computer this morning:

[Eaglesfan27]

Dec. 28, 2016 -

Vincent Kompany injured his back in training yesterday and will miss about 2 weeks including our big match against Chelsea today.


Today we travel to play Chelsea in an EPL Match that determined who will be in 1st place for the time being. Chelsea has a masterful team. They are led by star striker Adriano who has 8 goals in 21 starts. Despite being 34, Adriano remains a very good player who also has 6 assists. Freddy Adu is the second leading striker and he has 7 goals and 4 assists in 15 starts. Arjen Robben is playing very well at left wing. Glen Johnson is playing well at right back this year. Petr Cech is also playing very well this year.

We are 5-4 favorites.

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


GK: Adriano
DL: Schmidt
DC: Cardozo
DC: Salva
DR: Miller
ML: Barbosa
MC: Parker
MC: Heller
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: King

S1: Howard
S2: Trotta
S3: Ortega
S4: Wright
S5: Boogaart

[Eaglesfan27]

6 minute mark: Salva starts our counterattack.. long pass to Barbosa.. he passes to Rooney in the left edge of the box.. Rooney with a crossover dribble.. past Johnson.. fakes out Cech.. shoots.. into the open net! GOAL!!!! 1-0.

10 minute mark: Robben passes to Adu in the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. Adriano dives.. tips it over the bar!

13 minute mark: McFadden passes to Adu.. he passes to Robben.. Robben is tackled by Salva.. he clears the ball.

14 minute mark: We catch them on the counterattack.. long pass to Rooney.. he passes it to King right of the box.. King centers it to Schreurs in the middle of the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.

18 minute mark: McFadden dribbles into the box.. Salva steals it... passes it to Rooney.. he makes a long pass to the box.. King beats the defender to it.. dribbles around the keeper.. shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!!! 3-0!!!

35 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles past three defenders.. passes it to Rooney in the left side of the box.. Schreurs heads it back to Parker who hits it on the half-volley.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!!!!! What an artistic goal! 4-0. The announcer states that we are sending out our title announcement to Chelsea early!


Halftime: 4-0 lead! Their 42,000 fans are booing loudly!



55 minute mark: Cardozo with a good defensive play.. passes to Parker.. Parker passes to Rooney left of the box.. Rooney crosses it to the far post.. Heller outjumps two men.. heads it.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 5-0.

64 minute mark: Adu with a quick pair of shots.. Adriano blocks them both.. pounces on the second rebound.

67 minute mark: Trotta on for Barbosa and Wright on for King.

74 minute mark: Their crowd is leaving early!



Game over. My best 5-0 win ever!

We outshot them 16-8 (11-4 on target)

Rooney wins MoM, 10 for form, 12 of 16 passes, 1 key pass, 1 of 1 tackles, 3 of 13 headers, 1 inteception, 14 runs, 1 foul drawn, 2 assists, and 1 goal.

Schreurs with a 9 for form.

Everyone else with an 8 for form.

What a great win!

[Eaglesfan27]

Dec. 28, 2016 -

David Gill, my chairman, is delighted with our win over Chelsea.

Alberto Flores had a hattrick plus an assist in my U18's 4-0 win over Burnley.



Dec. 30, 2016 -

Real Sociedad have sent 27 million dollars to Liverpool for Markus Stadler.


Chris Miller suffered a twisted knee in practice yesterday that will keep him out of action for at least a week, including our big match against Liverpool on Jan 1, 2017.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan. 1, 2017 -

The board is "pleased" with my performance as manager.

Middlesbrough has sacked Tony Mowbray.


Helder Barbosa has won the EPL Player of the Month Award. Barry Parker came in 2nd, and Jaime Gavilan of Arsenal came in 3rd.


Arsenal's James Jenkins has won the EPL Young Player of the Month Award. Chris Miller came in 2nd, and Craig Gardner of Fulham came in 3rd.


Liverpool's Pako Ayestaran has won the EPL Manager of the Month Award. Frank Rikkaard came in 2nd, and Bruce Arena of Aston Villa came in 3rd.


Barry Parker came in 2nd and 3rd for the Goals of the Month.




Wayne Rooney won the World Footballer of the Year Award! Stewart Downing came in 2nd, and Adriano my striker came in 3rd!!!! We swept the award!


Adriano (my striker) has won the World Player of the Year Award! Wayne Rooney came in 2nd, and Antonio Ortega came in 3rd! How many more awards can we sweep?


Downing has won the European Footballer of the Year Award. Rooney came in 2nd, and Ortega came in 3rd.



WOW! My Adriano has won the European Goalkeeper of the Year Award!! Andreas Isaaksson of Milan came in 2nd, and Asier Riesgo of Real Sociedad came in 3rd.


Real Madrid's Mark Gonzalez has won the European Defender of the Year Award. Chris Miller (only 20 now) came in 2nd! Felipe of Milan came in 3rd.



Downing won the European Midfielder of the Year Award. Ortega came in 2nd, and Barry Parker came in 3rd! Another sweep!!!


Wayne Rooney won the European Striker of the Year Award. My Adriano came in 2nd, and Francesco Bilardo of Milan came in 3rd.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 1, 2017 -

Today we host Liverpool in the tail end of another tough set of back to back matches. We are in 1st with a 4 point lead. Liverpool is in 6th place. Liverpool is led by Lebohang Mokoena who has exploded onto the EPL Scene this year (I was only a year off on my prediction that he would do great.) He has 20 goals in 22 starts so far this year. Nicky Platt is a good complimentary striker with 9 goals in 22 starts. No one else on the team is really scoring much, but that is ok because their defense is playing great. Chris Kirkland is doing well in goal. Antonio and Jorg Konig are playing extremely well at the centreback positions. Stephane Dalmat is a dangerous midfielder who can score or set up others.


We are 5-4 favorites.

It's raining with temperatures in the 30's.


GK: Adriano
DL: Trotta
DC: Cardozo
DC: Salva
DR: Boogaart
ML: Barbosa (playing with a slight injury)
MC: Godoy
MC: Parker
MR: Ortega (also playing with a slight injury)
SC: Rooney
SC: King

S1: Howard
S2: Marchetti
S3: Schreurs
S4: Wright
S5: Schmidt

[Eaglesfan27]

4 minute mark: Parker passes to king right of the box.. king with a long cross to Barbosa in the left half of the box.. he shoots a sharpley angled shot.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

8 minute mark: Jordan Holmes trips Rooney just inside the box.. Holmes gets a yellow card.. Rooney takes the penalty.. he shoots.. lower left corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.

39 minute mark: Trotta with a good defensive play on Mokoena.. he steals it.. starts the counterattack.. passes to Ortega on the right wing.. Ortega passes to Rooney's feet.. he dribbles between two defenders.. around the keeper.. fires it into the open net! GOAL!!!! 3-0. That is Rooney's 20th of the year!



Halftime: 3-0 lead for us. We have over 91,000 fans here today.



50 minute mark: Boogaart is hurt and has to be carried off the pitch. It is unclear what happened to him. I put Marchetti on for him.

58 minute mark: Reo Coker passes to Platt in the box.. he heads it.. upper right corner.. Adriano dives.. saves it!

64 minute mark: Schmidt on for Barbosa. Schmidt is another player who shows remarkable versatility.

66 minute mark: Parker and Mokoena collided.. Mokoena has to be aided off the pitch.

88 minute mark: Parker passes to Schmidt in the left side of teh box.. he blasts a shot.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. barely blocks it.



Game over. 3-0 win

We outshot them 9-5 (8-1 on target)

Rooney wins MoM, 8 for form, 9 of 12 passes, 0 tackles, 6 of 12 headers, 3 runs, 1 foul drawn, and 2 goals.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Boogaart suffered a calf strain and will miss about 2 weeks. We are suddenly out of natural right backs.


Jan. 4, 2017 -

Schreurs, Kompany, and Adriano (the striker) were all named to the EPL Team of the Week.


I find myself looking at the list of players who might be available on Bosman contracts. Milan has been unable to come to terms with 18 year old star AM/F RC Jose Lopez Rodriguez. This kid is very talented for an 18 year old. He has 21 starts for Milan with 3 goals and 4 assists for them. He is talented and he will become available next month as a potential Bosman signing. I'll have to remember to approach him.

Aiden Hackworth is a very talented 29 year old striker who is unable to agree to a contract with Lecce, but I'm just not sure that I need any more strikers (unless they are young and full of potential.)

Anthony Petit wants a 3 year deal for 38,500/week. My AM doesn't think he is worth signing, but I think he is nice depth. Plus, I want to steal a player from Arsenal. He is playing quite a bit for them. I offer him 38,000/week plus 500,000 signing bonus.


No one else that is worth considering at this time.

Jose Lopez Rodriguez is the only one that I really want.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 4, 2017 -

Today we host Bristol C in an EPL Match. We are in 1st and they are in 15th. They are led by Tomi Perescu who is their leading scorer with 4 goals. Their offense is very weak with James Carter their other striker being second on the team with 2 goals. Fortunately for them, their defense is very good. American Gary Shultis, Jr. is playing very well for them. Justin Hoyte is also playing very well, but he is not that good of a defender. Philip Ifil is also playing good defense. My former player, Manu is starting in goal for them most games. Manu is good, but he really isn't an EPL Starting quality keeper.

We are 1-6 favorites.

It's raining with temperatures in the 30's.


GK: Adriano
DL: Trotta
DC: Cardozo
DC: Salva
DR: Schmidt
ML: Barbosa
MC: Godoy
MC: Parker
MR: Schreurs
SC: Oswald
SC: King

S1: Howard
S2: Cahais
S3: Heller
S4: Wright
S5: Marchetti

[Eaglesfan27]

2 minute mark: Schmidt starts our counterattack from the right fullback.. passes it to Parker.. Parker with a beautiful pass that curves sharply and drops just inside the box.. King gets to it.. beats Schultz.. shoots.. lower left corner.... GOAL!!!! 1-0.

19 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles past two defenders.. passes it to Parker.. Parker blazes a shot.. upper left corner.. over the bar.

33 minute mark: Barbosa with a corner kick.. to the near post.. King knocks it down.. uses his body to shield the defender.. turns.. shoots.. upper left corenr.. GOAL!!!! 2-0!

37 minute mark: Trotta dribbles past two defenders.. across midpitch.. past two more defenders.. to the corner.. long cross.. Oswald heads it.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-0! Oswald's 5th goal of the year. Great play by Trotta.



Halftime: 3-0 lead for us. We have over 71,000 fans here today.



63 minute mark: Salva gets a yellow card for a trip on Petrescu outside the box.

71 minute mark: Cahais on for Schmidt and Wright on for King.



Game over. 3-0 win for us

We outshot them 19-0 (6-0 on target)

Barbosa wins MoM, 10 for form, 18 of 24 passes, 1 key pass, 1 of 3 tackles, 6 of 14 headers, 2 interceptions, 15 runs, 3 fouls drawn, and 1 assist.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 6, 2017 -

Alfonso twisted his knee and will miss about a week.


Jan 7, 2017 -

Today we host Chelsea in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. Chelsea are a very talented team, but they are being hit hard by injuries right now. They will be relying on Freddy Adu at striker alongside Adriano. Arjen Robben at left wing is still a key player for them. Naldo will have to play at centreback. James McFadden will likely be playing at right wing for them! Petr Cech will be in goal.


We are even odd favorites.

It's raining with temperatures in the 30's.


GK: Adriano
DL: Trotta
DC: Cardozo
DC: Salva
DR: Schmidt
ML: Barbosa
MC: Parker
MC: Heller
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: King

S1: Howard
S2: Cahais
S3: Godoy
S4: Wright
S5: Marchetti

[Eaglesfan27]

4 minute mark: Schreurs steals it.. dribbles past two men.. crosses it to Rooney.. Rooney heads it.. Naldo heads it.. into his own goal! Own goal by Naldo! GOAL!!!! 1-0.

18 minute mark: Parker steals the ball from a midfielder.. passes it to Rooney.. Rooney fakes out Bon.. he dribbles into the left side of the box.. shoots a sharply angled shot.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0!

40 minute mark: Salva and Trotta with back to back good defensive plays.

43 minute mark: Robben dribbles past Schmidt.. crosses it to Diego in the middle of the box.. he heads it.. over Adriano's right shoulder.. GOAL. 2-1.

44 minute mark: King gets a yellow card for a trip on Naldo.



Halftime: 2-1 lead for us. We have over 91,000 fans here today.



48 minute mark: Barbosa passes to Rooney along the endline.. Rooney fakes out a defender.. shoots.. parallel to the endline.. it curves.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-1.

58 minute mark: Trotta passes to Rooney left of the box.. he passes to Barbosa to his right.. Barbosa shoots from 25 yards out.. strong curving shot.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 4-1. That is Barbosa's 5th of the year.

60 minute mark: Rooney gets a yellow card for pushing Naldo.

64 minute mark: Barbosa with a corner kick to the near post.. King heads it.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 5-1. King's 10th of the year.

65 minute mark: Wright on for King and Cahais on for Schmidt.

82 minute mark: Cardozo with a great defensive play on Adu... long pass to Wright.. he centers it to Parker.. Parker shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 6-1!



Game over. 6-1 win

we outshot them 15-5 (11-2 on target)

Rooney wins MoM, 10 for form, 16 of 18 passes, 1 of 1 tackles, 1 of 4 headers, 9 runs, 1 foul drawn, 1 assist, and 2 goals.

Barbosa and King both had 9's for form.

All of my other starters besides Adriano had 8's for form. Adriano had a 7 in goal.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Rushden & Diamonds upset Newcastle 2-1 in their FA Cup 3rd round match.


Jan 8, 2017 -

Valencia have sacked Rafa Benitez. Alexis is rumored to be the likely replacement.


Jan 9, 2017 -

Trotta was selected to the EPL Team of the Week.

We had a favorable draw for the next round of the FA Cup as we will be playing Rushden. We just need to make sure we don't fall prey to them like Newcastle did. They are currently 8th in League One. The match will be played on their pitch.

The match will occur on the 21st of January.


Jan. 10, 2017 -

West Brom have signed Jermain Defoe from Newcastle on a Bosman contract.

Jeroen Schruers injured his knee and will miss 2-3 weeks.

[daedalus]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Game over. My best 5-0 win ever!

Wow. Serious domination going on here.

Too bad Mourinho is no longer there . . . there are few I can think of more deserving to be on the wrong side of a post-domination gloating.

[daedalus]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Game over. 6-1 win

2 games, 2 wins, goal differential of +10. I like.

[Eaglesfan27]

I really liked it too


I just wish we didn't let up against the "weaker" teams in the EPL. However, I love how the guys play when they are "up" for a game.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 11, 2017 -

Today we travel to play Leeds in an EPL Match. We are in 1st and they are in 11th place. Shane Paul has been playing well for them (leads the team with 14 goals) but he is injured for this game. David Lynch will be their main striker threat today. The defense is strong with Nick Porter, Billy Jones, Paul Adams, and Steve Edwards all working well together along the defensive line. With the exception of Billy Jones at right back, none of them are very talented, but they work so well together. Richard McDonald has been inconsistent in goal the past few weeks.


We are 1-2 favorites.

GK: Adriano
DL: Trotta
DC: Cardozo
DC: Salva
DR: Miller
ML: Downing
MC: Godoy
MC: Parker
MR: Ortega
SC: Oswald
SC: King

S1: Howard
S2: Fletcher
S3: Heller
S4: Wright
S5: Marchetti

[Eaglesfan27]

13 minute mark: Their defense has already thwarted at least a half dozen passes into the box.

25 minute mark: Ortega dribbles past two defenders.. crosses it short.. Parker heads it from 10 yards out.. over the bar.

33 minute mark: They throw it into the box.. Taylor passes to Adams.. Downing intercepts it in the middle of our box.. he is slow to clear it. Paul Adams steals it! He shoots from 8 yards out.. upper right corner.. GOAL. Down 1-0. Terrible play by Downing not to clear it right away.

Leeds changes to a very defensive 5-3-2.



Halftime: Down 1-0. I'm suddenly wishing I had Rooney on the bench this game. We need to fire the guys up.


49 minute mark: Downing takes a free kick from 25 yards out.. it deflects off the wall.. and bounces into the left side of the net! GOAL!!!! 1-1.

51 minute mark: Miller is lucky to get away with a lecture after a hard tackle on Alexander.

55 minute mark: Godoy passes it to Oswald just outside the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. just over the bar.

62 minute mark: Godoy passes to Downing in the box.. Downing fakes out a defender.. shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-1. That is his 5th goal of the year.

73 minute mark: Cardozo gets a yellow card for handballing in their box. He prevented a good goal scoring opportunity off a corner kick for us.

75 minute mark: Roberts shoots from 20 yards out.. Cardozo blocks the shot.. into the right lower corner of our goal! Own goal on Cardozo! 2-2.

75 minute mark: Marchetti on for Cardozo and Heller on for Parker.



Game over. 2-2 tie.

We were outshot 14-8 (5-4 on target)

Downing wins MoM, 9 for form, 14 of 19 passes, 1 key pass, 2 of 4 tackles, 1 of 7 headers, 3 interceptions, 8 runs, 2 fouls drawn, 2 goals.


Adriano had a 5 for form in goal. Cardozo ended up with a 6.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 14, 2017 -

Today we travel to play Sunderland in an EPL Match. We are in 1st. They are in 6th place behind a very good offense and a good defense. Peter Williamson has become a star striker. The 28 year old striker has 17 goals and 5 assists on the year. Thomas Hassing Skjaerbaek remains one of the best offensive midfielders in the EPL and has 12 goals and 8 assists on the year. Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is a good rotation striker who has 5 goals in limited action. Luca Brunoni is having a very good month in goal. Vicente is playing centreback well.


We are 4-6 favorites.

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


GK: Adriano
DL: Trotta
DC: Kompany
DC: Salva
DR: Miller
ML: Barbosa
MC: Parker
MC: Heller
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Howard
S2: Schmidt
S3: Downing
S4: King
s5: Cardozo

[Eaglesfan27]

1st minute: Heller steaps the ball at midpitch.. passes it to Adriano.. he weaves past two defenders into the box.. shoots.. lower left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

10 minute mark: Barbosa with one of the prettiest 50 yard passes I've ever seen as it drops just over Rooney's shoulder and right to his feet.. he fakes out a defender.. shoots.. upper right corner.. nice save by their keeper.

15 minute mark: Kompany with a good defensive play.. long pass to Rooney.. he heads it to Adriano.. whistle.. Adriano was offside.

17 minute mark: Adriano collided with their centreback.. he looks hurt.. the physio thinks he can continue to play.

26 minute mark: Very nice series of passes around the box.. Heller to Parker to Barbosa to Rooney in the middle of the box.. he shoots.. lower left corner.. nice save by the keeper.

37 minute mark: Barbosa steals the ball.. passes it to Heller.. Heller passes it to Rooney.. he shoots from 25 yards out.. I've never seen him curve the ball that direction before.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.



Halftime: 2-0 lead for us.



65 minute mark: Schmidt on for Ortega. Schmidt to left back, Trotta to right wing.

82 minute mark: Clark passes into the box.. Heller deflects the pass.. backwards.. into the right side of our goal! Heller with an Own GOAL! 2-1.

89 minute mark: Heller steals the ball.. passes to Trotta just outside the box.. he threads a pass between two defenders.. Adriano has it.. shoots.. lower left corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-1. That is Adriano's 100th career league goal!



Game over. 3-1 win for us

We outshot them 17-7 (10-2 on target)

Rooney wins MoM, 10 for form, 22 of 22 passes, 3 key passes, 1 of 2 tackles, 3 of 6 headers, 2 interceptions, 5 runs, 3 fouls drawn, and 1 goal.

Salva, Heller, Barbosa, and Adriano all had 9's for form. Everyone else had 8's for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan. 15, 2017 -

Chelsea tied Leeds 1-1 at Leeds. This stretches my lead to 6 points with 14 games left.


Alberto Flores is back from his injury. He had 2 goals for my U18 team in their 3-1 win over Doncaster.


Jan 16, 2017 -

Anthony Petit rejected offers from Arsenal, Sunderland, Everton, and Newcastle. He chose to sign with us! I did tell him that he would be a rotation player for us, but he said he wants to be part of such a good club!


Downing and Rooney were selected to the EPL Team of the Week.


Adriano (GK) and Tim Howard have been called up to the North American Gold Cup.

I'm absolutely shocked that Adriano, my striker, wasn't called up to Brazil as well!

However, these two matches coming up are against much weaker teams, and perhaps they thought they didn't need Adriano for them?


Liverpool have paid 16 million to Roma to sign Alberto a 25 year old fullback.


January 18th, 2017 -

Chelsea and Liverpool tied 0-0 and therefore have given us the potential to further our lead in 1st place.


Ernie Tippett has been sacked by Arsenal since they have fallen into 4th place in the EPL. Rafa Benitez is being touted by the media as the most likely replacement.


Alberto Flores had a 10 for form, great passing, an assist, and a goal in our reserve's 4-0 win over Liverpool's reserves.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan. 20, 2017 -

Adriano played very well for Brazil, but they tied Honduras 0-0 in their North American Gold Cup Group Match.


Real Madrid have offered 24 million dollars plus Francisco for Diego Cardozo. Francisco is a promising 18 year old attacking midfielder/forward whose main flaws are a relative lack of footspeed. He has some speed, but not good speed for the position.

Cardozo is playing well for us and he is accepting this role well. I turn down the deal.



Real Madrid have offered 63 million dollars plus Dario Tamburini for Carlos Godoy. Carlos has mediocre stats this year, but I really think his dogged determination is at the heart of our success. He motivates the other guys. I turn down the offer.



Chelsea have offered a Bosman contract to my keeper David Harper.


Speaking of Harper, I've been trying him and Dani in goal all week in practice, since both Howard and ADriano are away on international duty. Harper has won the job to start while they are away.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 21, 2017 -

Today we travel to play Rushden in the FA Cup 4th round match. Rushden is currently 9th in League One and they have a very small squad that is probably exhausted. their main star is striker Matty Fryatt who has 15 goals in 27 starts. Matty is a decent striker, but he wouldn't start on any EPL team. Martin Collins is a good keeper for League One, but not against us. Their other big star is midfielder Danny Ford who is injured for this match.


We are 1-10 favorites.

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


GK: David Harper (Adriano and Howard are both away on International Duty)
DL: Trotta
DC: Cardozo
DC: Salva
DR: Miller
ML: Downing
MC: Godoy
MC: Parker
MR: Ortega
SC: Oswald
SC: King

S1: Dani
s2: Heller
S3: Barbosa
S4: Rooney
S5: Boogaart

[Eaglesfan27]

1st minute: Godoy passes to Parker inside the box.. he shoots.. GOa... Parker is whistled for pushing the defender.. he argues the call.. yellow card for Parker.

4 minute mark: Godoy steals it at midpitch.. nice crisp pass to Oswald just outside the box.. oswald dribbles past the defender.. shoots.. lower right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

12 minute mark: Ortega dribbles past a defender.. passes it to King who crosses it towards Godoy.. a defender jumps.. Godoy heads it.. to Parker just outside the box.. Parker with a vicious shot.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.

20 minute mark: Godoy steals the ball at midpitch.. dribbles past three defenders into the right side of the box.. he passes it back to Ortega who is just outside the box.. Ortega shoots.. lower left corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-0. That is Ortega's 5th of the year?

26 minute mark: Holland passes it to Fryatt in the box.. he shoots.. over the bar.

33 minute mark: Miller gets a yellow card for tripping their striker.

36 minute mark: King with a hard two footed tackle.. yellow card for King.

44 minute mark: Trotta throws it to Godoy.. he knocks it down.. fancy pass to King in the box.. he shoots.. lower right corner.. GOAL!!!! 4-0.

45 minute mark: King racing the defender to the ball.. King knocks the defender down.. he gets his second yellow card! He is ejected.

We switch to a 4-4-1.



Halftime: 4-0 lead for us.




55 minute mark: Boogaart on for Miller and Heller on for Parker.

60 minute mark: Ortega gets the ball from Heller.. long pass to Oswald just inside the box.. Oswald shoots from 18 yards out.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 5-0.

71 minute mark: Rushden's fans are leaving early.


90 minute mark: Downing with a corner kick.. the defense blocks it.. Godoy gets it.. passes to Cardozo in the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 6-0.



Game over. 6-0 win for us

We outshot them 19-3 (13-1 on target)

Oswald wins MoM, 10 for form, 12 of 14 passes, 0 of 1 tackles, 3 of 6 headers, 2 interceptions, 5 runs, 2 fouls drawn, and 2 goals.

Downing, Ortega, and Godoy also had 10's for form. Cardozo had a 9. All of my other starters (besides Harper) had an 8. Harper had a 7.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 21, 2017 -

Alberto Flores strained his hamstring and will miss about 2 weeks

Barry Parker picked up a ban for one match for too many yellow cards.

King received a ban for one match for being ejected.


Jan 22, 2017 -

Catanzaro, a team that is in 18th place in Italian Serie A, has signed American keeper Quentin Westberg for 1 million dollars from Aston Villa.

Adriano played well for Brazil in their 2-0 win over the Bahamas in their North American Gold Cup Match.


Mickael Schmidt injured his knee in training today and will miss about a week.


Jan. 24, 2017 -

Tim Howard played well for the USA in their 3-0 win over Saint Martin.

David Harper signed a Bosman deal with Chelsea.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 24, 2017 -

Arsenal have appointed 58 year old "Legendary" manager Joop Hiele as their new manager.


Juventus have offered 70 million dollars for Carlos Godoy! I turn them down.


Inter have offered 62 million for Godoy. I turn them down as well.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 25, 2017 -

Today we host Tottenham in an EPL Match. We are in 1st while they are in 13th. Tottenham is led by Michal Kowalik who has seized control of their starting keeper role with excellent play the last few months. Jesus is unhappy that he isn't being used. Jason Eaton is their best midfielder, but he is hurt and will miss this match. Carlton Cole and Mark Tucker are a good pair of strikers who each have 13 goals. Gary Cox and John carter lead their defense. Christophe Dembele is a midfielder to keep an eye on. He is a 22 year old French midfielder with excellent mental attributes and good passing ability.


We are 4-7 favorites.

It's overcast with temperatures in the 30's.


GK: David Harper (Adriano and Howard still both away.)
DL: Trotta
DC: Kompany
DC: Salva
DR: Miller
ML: Boogaart
MC: Godoy
MC: Heller
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Dani
S2: Cardozo
S3: Downing
S4: Wright
S5: Boogaart

[Eaglesfan27]

5 minute mark: Heller steals the ball.. passes it to Godoy.. he threads a pass between both centerbacks to Rooney in the middle of the box.. he shoots.. lower right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

12 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles past two defenders.. crosses it to Rooney.. he is tackled by a defender.. he is hurt! The physio thinks we should try to get him back on the pitch.

15 minute mark: Godoy dribbles into the box.. he is stopped a defender blocks it back to Barbosa.. he crosses it.. the keeper punches it.. to Heller.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.

29 minute mark: Barbosa with a corner kick.. to the near post.. Salva outjumps his man.. heads it.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-0.



Halftime: 3-0 lead for us. We have 66,000 fans here today.




46 minute mark: Kompany takes a free kick from midpitch.. perfect played ball.. Rooney gets to it in the box.. shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 4-0. That is Rooney's 300th career goal for us!!!

56 minute mark: Kompany gets a yellow card for tripping Tucker.

68 minute mark: Godoy steals the ball from a midfielder.. makes a nice pass to Rooney in the left side of the box.. Rooney immediately shoots.. sharply angled shot.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!! 5-0. Rooney has his hattrick!

75 minute mark: Cardozo on for Kompany, Boogaart on for Godoy (Boogaart is another player with good versatility), and Wright on for Adriano.

Godoy is given a standing ovation as he leaves.



Game over. 5-0 win for us

We outshot them 13-0 (8-0 on target)

Nice defensive game to protect our keeper.

Rooney wins MoM, 10 for form, 5 of 10 passing, 1 of 1 tackles, 1 of 7 headers, 15 runs, 1 foul drawn, and 3 goals.

Barbosa also had a 10. Ortega and Godoy both had 9's. Harper had a 7. Everyone else had 8's.


I decide to praise Rooney to the media in the post game press conference.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 25, 2017 -

Tim Howard played well for the USA in their 1-0 win over El Salvador.


Chelsea have offered 6 million dollars plus Jesus Moya for Chris Miller. Jesus doesn't look that good. They must be crazy. I don't even give that offer a second thought.


Liverpool have spent 53 million dollars to acquire Mike Jongerius from Real Madrid. Mike is a 26 year old Dutch left winger/midfielder who is very fast, a skilled dribbler, a skilled passer, and overall a highly skilled talent. A very nice pick-up from Liverpool albeit a costly one.


Liverpool have sent 7 million dollars to sign Bobby Hey, A dutch midfielder, from PSV. Bobby is a 25 year old who is slow, but talented. He is an excellent long range shooter and an excellent passer. He is also a very mentally tough player. He is another nice pickup for them.


The crowd agrees with my praise for Rooney.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 28, 2017 -

Today we travel to play Coventry in an EPL Match. We are in 1st while they are in 13th. We have an 8 point lead over 2nd placed Chelsea. Liverpool is 19 points behind us in 3rd.

Coventry is led by the strong scoring ability of Wayne Worthington who is a talented striker. Dalibor Glavina is a good midfielder who provides both offense and defense. Jeroen Drost is playing left back very well. Marco Tedeschi is a good keeper who has been bad the last week or two.


We are 4-7 favorites.

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


GK: Harper
DL: Cardozo
DC: Kompany
DC: Salva
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Parker
MC: Godoy
MR: Schreurs
SC: Oswald
SC: King

S1: Dani
S2: Miller
S3: Barbosa
s4: Adriano
S5: Trotta

[Eaglesfan27]

2 minute mark: Cardozo intercepts the ball.. long pass to Oswald just outside the box.. he dribbles into the box.. draws two defenders.. passes it between them.. to King by the far post.. he hits it on the half-volley.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

11 minute mark: Worthington with a 25 yard shot.. Harper saves it.

14 minute mark: Downing dribbles past two defenders.. centers it for Parker.. he shoots from 20 yards out.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.

17 minute mark: Drost starts their counterattack.. long pass to Higgins.. he centers it to Worthington.. he heads it.. upper right corner.. GOAL. 2-1.



Halftime: 2-1 lead for us



50 minute mark: Harper stops a point blank shot from Harvey, their midfielder.

59 minute mark: Trotta on for Schreurs who is very tired.

75 minute mark: Barbosa on for Parker who is exhausted.

78 minute mark: Harper stops a Worthington breakaway.

82 minute mark: Worthington passes to Nick Bailey.. Bailey evades our defender.. dribbles into the box.. evades Harper.. shoots.. lower left corner.. GOAL. 2-2

83 minute mark: Adriano on for King.

91 minute mark: Barbosa passes to Trotta.. he dribbles into the box.. he crosses it.. the defender heads it back over the bar.

92 minute mark: Downing passes it to Adriano.. he is in the 6 yard box.. he shoots.. the keeper blocks it.



Game over. 2-2 tie.

We outshot them 18-17 (10-8 on target)

Wayne Worthington won MoM, 9 for form, 19 of 22 passes, 2 key passes, 0 of 1 tackles, 4 of 7 headers, 8 runs, 3 fouls drawn, 1 assist, and 1 goal.

Downing had a 9 for us.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 28, 2017 -

Tim Howard played well for the USA in their 1-0 win over Canada in the Quarter Final of the North American Gold Cup.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 29, 2017 -

Liverpool have paid 17.5 million to Sunderland to acquire Peter Williamson. Peter is a 28 year old striker who is slow, but a very good shooter. I think they overpaid for him a bit, but he does have 19 goals for Sunderland this year.

Liverpool sent 24.5 million to Zaragoza to acquire Marcos. Marcos is a 27 year old Spanish defender who is highly skilled, but slow of foot. However, he is a strong defender and is a nice fit for them. However, I think they probably over paid for him a bit too.


Adriano played well in goal for Brazil in their 2-0 win over Costa Rica in the North American Gold Cup Quarter Final match.


Richard Money has been hired to take over Charlton's manager position.



Jan 31, 2017 -

Alexis has been named Rafa Benitez's successor at Valencia.


David Harper tore his groin muscle today in training and will miss at least a month.


Kompany, Ortega, and Downing were all named to the EPL Team of the Week.



Aston Villa have spent 33.5 million to sign John Hall from Liverpool. John is a talented 25 year old left winger who I was considering going after if Downing continues to decline.

[Eaglesfan27]

Jan 31, 2017 -

Arsenal have spent 22.5 million to sign Fran from Juventus. He is a 23 year old talented central defender. Unfortunately, I think this was a very good pickup for them.



Feb 1, 2017 -

The board is very pleased with my performance as manager.


Wayne Rooney has won the EPL Player of the Month Award. Helder Barbosa came in 2nd, and Sanli Tuncay of Everton came in 3rd.


Chris Miller has won the EPL Young Player of the Month Award. Steven Collins of Sheff Wed came in 2nd, and Gary Burke of Arsenal came in 3rd.


I won EPL Manager of the month. Pako Ayestaran of Liverpool came in 2nd, and Kunle Odetoyinbo of the Wolves came in 3rd.



Adriano played well for Brazil in their 2-0 win over Honduras in the North American Gold Cup Semi Final. They will play either the USA or Mexico in the Final.