Manchester United: The Beginning of the end?

[Eaglesfan27]

World Cup Match Qualifying Play (least my guys did well for someone, wish they had been with me.)

Cardozo played excellent on defense for Uruguay in their 2-0 win over Bolivia.

Adriano had 2 goals for Brazil in their 3-1 win over Colombia.

Carlos Godoy had 2 goals and 2 assists for Argentina in their 6-1 win over Venezuela. Matias Cahais played strong defense for Argentina.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 8, 2017 -

Bolton have won promotion to the EPL.

Sheffield United have won promotion to the English Championship.



April 9, 2017 -

Today we host Newcastle in an EPL Match. They are 5th in the EPL and they are thriving because of excellent play from left winger Kasper Lorentzen and right winger James Milner. Ignacio and Christian Giusti are playing well at striker. Craig Scott is playing suprisingly good defense. Michel Testerink continues to have a good year in goal.


We are 4-5 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the 53.

I'm resting Adriano and Rooney with a 11 point lead in the EPL and a BIG Champions League Match coming up.



GK: Adriano
DL: Trotta
DC: Kompany
DC: Salva
DR: Miller
ML: Barbosa
MC: Godoy
MC: Heller
MR: Ortega
SC: Oswald
SC: King

S1: Howard
S2: Schmidt
S3: Alfonso
S4: Flores (yep, time to get the kid some work on the big level. He has proven himself this year on the U18 and reserve teams and I don't want him to push himself any further with them for the last few matches.)
S5: Boogaart

[Eaglesfan27]

2 minute mark: Intricate series of passes from Trotta to Barbosa to Godoy to Heller to Godoy to Barbosa to Oswald in the left half of the box.. he shoots.. lower right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

20 minute mark: Trotta with a very good defensive play.

28 minute mark: Trotta passes to Oswald outside the box.. he draws two defenders.. fires a pass to King.. he shoots.. good save by the keeper.


42 minute mark: Oswald is tripped in the box.. Penalty. I have Salva take it.. he blasts it.. upper left corner.. the keeper tips it over the bar!



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




55 minute mark: Their defense stops a flurry of shots.

61 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles past two defenders.. crosses it long.. King heads it.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.

68 minute mark: Alfonso on for Godoy and Flores on for King. I slide Oswald over to the right striker position.

82 minute mark: Miller passes it into the box.. Flores heads it.. upper left corner.. The kepeer blocks it.



Game over. 2-0 win for us.

We outshot them 17-4 (10-1 on target)

Barbosa wins MoM, 10 for form, 12 of 19 passes, 1 key pass, 0 tackles, 2 of 7 headers, 19 runs, 6 fouls drawn, and 2 assists.


Flores had a 7 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Helder Barbosa injured his knee and will miss about a week.



April 12, 2017 -

Today we play at home against Porto in the second leg of the Champions League Quarterfinal. We are down 3-1 going into the match. A 2-0 or greater victory today would be nice.


We are 4-5 favorites.

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


GK: Adriano
DL: Schmidt
DC: Kompany
DC: Salva
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Godoy
MC: Heller
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Howard
S2: Cardozo
S3: Parker
S4: Oswald
S5: Trotta
S6: Schreurs
S7: King

[Eaglesfan27]

4 minute mark: Boogaart dribbles up the pitch.. past a defender.. centers it to Downing.. he heads it.. inches wide left.

13 minute mark: Ortega dribbles into the box.. the defense steals it and clears it.

36 minute mark: Downing crosses it towards Adriano.. the keeper punches it away.. Godoy gets it.. shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!!! 1-0.

39 minute mark: Downing dribbles past two defenders.. crosses it to the far post.. the keeper tries to intercept it.. it is over his head.. Adriano heads it.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.



Halftime: 2-0 lead. (3-3 on aggregate with the away goal advantage to us.) We have just over 70,000 fans here today.




54 minute mark: Adriano gets the ball from Kompany.. heads it to Rooney.. Rooney shoots from 25 yards out.. upper right corner.. nice save by the keeper.

75 minute mark: Flurry of shots.. their defense blocks them all.

85 minute mark: We have another flurry of shots towards goal but their defenders are blocking them.



Game over. 2-0 win. 3-3 aggregate, but away goal win for us!

We outshot them 16-1 (9-1 on target)

Downing wins MoM, 9 for form, 23 of 27 passes, 2 of 2 tackles, 7 of 9 headers, 15 runs, 3 fouls drawn, 1 assist.

Ortega had a 9 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info/other news:

Kevin Young had a hattrick for our reserves as they beat Everton 3-0.

We've been given 3.2 million dollars for advancing in the Champions League.


The other Champions League Semi-Finals:


Fulham beat Trabzonspor 1-0 on aggregate to advance!

Real Madrid beat VfB Stuttgart 2-2 on aggregate and 4-3 on penalties.

Fenerbahce beat Real Sociedad 3-0 on aggregate.



We will be playing Fulham in the semi-final of the Champions League.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 15, 2017 -

Bolton have won the English Championship Title.



April 19, 2017 -

Today we travel to play Liverpool in the English FA Cup Semi-Final. Liverpool is 4th in the EPL, but they are decimated by injuries right now. Lebohang Mokoena has 22 goals on the year but is injured. Nicky Platt has 16 goals but is injured. Antonio is a key defender who is injured. Nuno Ferro has been a good midfielder, but he is injured. They will be relying on midfielder Stephane Dalmat to play striker and score for them. Moke Jongerius has played well in limited time at left wing. Jorg Konig is playing strong defense from his centreback position. Nigel Reo-Coker might have one more big game left in him at the midfield position. Chris Kirkland still has some good skills in goal.

We are 5-4 favorites.

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



GK: Adriano
DL: Trotta
DC: Salva
DC: Miller
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Godoy
MC: Heller
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

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

[Eaglesfan27]

2 minute mark: Adriano collided with Konig.. Adriano is hurt.. he might be able to continue.

14 minute mark: Adriano with a pair of good saves.

15 minute mark: Williamson collides with Godoy.. Williamson is hurt. Reo-Coker comes on for him.

21 minute mark: Heller starts our counterattack with a steal.. passes it to Downing left of the box.. long cross to Ortega in the right side of the box.. he dribbles to the right corner of the 6 yard box.. shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!!! 1-0.

24 minute mark: Heller with a nice pass to Rooney just inside the box.. he shoots.. over the bar.

26 minute mark: Dalmat with a point blank shot.. Adriano saves it.

44 minute mark: Jongerius passes to Pete Collins in the box.. he shoots.. lower right corner.. Adriano misses it. GOAL. 1-1.



Halftime: 1-1 tie.




72 minute mark: Ortega passes to Adriano right of the box.. he crosses it to the far post.. Rooney heads it.. into the crossbar.

83 minute mark: Marcosa passes to Jara in the right side of the box.. he blasts a shot.. upper left corner.. Aldo Andres Jara has scored! GOAL. Down 2-1

84 minute mark: King on for Adriano and Oswald on for Godoy. I slide into an attacking 4-3-1-2.

89 minute mark: Downing overplays King and the pass sails out of bounds.

92 minute mark: Kirkland intercepts Downing's cross before it reaches King.



Game over. Liverpool wins 2-1. The chance for the Treble is gone.

They outshot us 19-9 (9-4 on target)

Mike Jongerius wins MoM, 9 for form, 26 of 32 passes, 4 key passes, 0 of 3 tackles, 8 of 9 headers, 1 interceptions, 7 runs, 2 fouls drawn, and 1 assist.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 19, 2017 -

Alan Watkins had a goal and an asisst to help our U18 team beat Everton 2-1. Our U18 team has won the League Title yet again (for the 6th consecutive time.)


April 23, 2017 -


Luca Trucchi has been sacked by AC Milan. Tottenham manager Djuradj Vasic is believed to be the favorite to take over at Milan.



April 23, 2017 -

Today we host West Ham in an EPL Match. West Ham are currently in 13th. Their star winger, Aaron Lennon is out injured. Roberto is their leading scorer at the striker position with 8 goals this year. Roberto is a 26 year old Spanish striker with blazing speed. Jason Brown has recently been playing more in goal for them, and the veteran has a decent skill set. Rafael van der Vaart has done well in the midfield for them despite being a shadow of his former greatness. Ryan Green has led their defense. Ryan is a 28 year old skilled right back who just lacks footspeed.

We are 4-7 favorites.

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


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

S1: Howard
S2: Alfonso
S3: Wood
S4: Flores
S5: Wright

[Eaglesfan27]

Both defenses completely dominated the first half with no truly good scoring opportunities for either side.



Halftime: 0-0 tie. We have over 83,000 fans here today.



64 minute mark: Boogaart dribbles up the right side of the pitch.. centers it.. Heller shoots from 20 yards out.. upper left corner.. the keeper dives.. tips it over the bar.

67 minute mark: Alfonso on for Barbosa and Flores on for Parker. I slide Oswald to Attacking midfielder and put Flores in at striker.

72 minute mark: Their defenders block a flurry of our shots.

75 minute mark: Flores steals it.. passes it to Heller.. he shoots from 25 yards out.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. catches it.

77 minute mark: Flores steals it from a defender.. dribbles past another.. shoots from 10 yards out.. the keeper saves it.

84 minute mark: Schreurs passes it to Flores.. he shoots from 15 yards out.. the keeper blocks it.. Flores gets to the rebound.. a defender blocks his shot.

88 minute mark: Schreurs passes it to King in the right side of the box.. he shoots.. lower left corner.. it curves away from the keeper.. into the goal! GOAL!!!! 1-0.

90 minute mark: Heller steals it.. passes it to Oswald.. he threads the ball between two defenders to Flores.. Flores spins away from his defender.. shoots.. lower right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0! That is Flores' first league goal!!!!


Game over. 2-0 win for us

We outshot them 13-1 (8-1 on target)

Schreurs wins MoM, 8 for form, 24 of 27 passes, 2 key passes, 2 of 3 tackles, 0 of 8 headers, 1 interception, 6 runs, 2 fouls drawn, and 1 assist.

Oswald, King, and Flores also had 8's for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 24, 2017 -

Boogaart was selected to the EPL Team of the Week.


April 26, 2017 -

Today we play Fulham in the first leg of the Semi Final of the Champions League. Fulham is currently 9th in the EPL and they are a very unhappy team now with many of the players being on the verge of mutiny. They also have several hurt players. They will be relying on star centreback Wayne Dunn. Collins John has 18 goals on the year and is a very good well rounded striker. David has become a very good partner for him. The 26 year old Spanish striker has 15 goals and 11 assists on the year. Michael Rensing is playing well in goal. Thomas Hitzlsperger continues to be the top midfielder for the team.


We are 4-6 favorites.

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


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

S1: Howard
S2: Cardozo
S3: Heller
S4: Oswald
S5: Boogaart
S6: Barbosa
S7: King

[Eaglesfan27]

3 minute mark: Rensing with a pair of acrobatic saves for Fulham.

4 minute mark: Stewart Downing is tripped by right winger Robbie Foy.. Downing gets up.. he KICKS FOY!!!! Downing gets a red card! That A-hole. How could he lose it like that?!?

I decide to go with a 3-4-2 sliding Trotta up to left wing.

5 minute mark: Godoy argues with the referee.. gets a warning.. he continues to argue.. Yellow card for Godoy.

13 minute mark: Godoy bodychecks Bennett.. Bennett is hurt.. Godoy gets away with a warning.

15 minute mark: Trotta dribbles past two defenders.. crosses to Rooney.. he shoots.. the keeper brilliantly parries it.

17 minute mark: Miller with a great defensive play.. long pass to Ortega who passes to Rooney in the box.. hard shot.. great save by the keeper.

32 minute mark: Their defense is intercepting Trotta's crosses.

They are keeping 8 men back.

36 minute mark: Miller with a great defensive play.. passes it very long.. too long as it rolls over the endline.

38 minute mark: Trotta dribbles past three defenders.. crosses it long.. Adriano heads it.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!!! 1-0. Trotta with a great assist!




Halftime: 1-0 lead for us. We have over 75,000 fans here today.



52 minute mark: Trotta steals it.. quick pass to Rooney who passes to Adriano.. he heads it.. the keeper with a great save.

61 minute mark: Trotta with a corner kick.. to the near post.. Kompany heads it.. the keeper barely tips it over the bar.

63 minute mark: Ortega steals the ball just outside the box... passes it to Trotta in the box.. he shoots.. the keeper blocks it.. Trotta shoots the rebound on the half-volley... upper left corner.. GOAL!!!!! 2-0! Trotta with a great goal.

71 minute mark: Heller on for Parker and Oswald on for Rooney.

87 minute mark: Trotta dribbles past two defenders.. fires a pass to Oswald in the left half of the box.. he shoots.. sharply angled shot.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-0! Our defense is playing great too.



Game over. 3-0 win

We outshot them 20-0 and totally dominated. 16-0 on target. This makes me seriously question if I should consider going to a 3-5-2. My defense seemed to play better than ever with just 3 centrebacks all communicating together back there.

Ortega is exhausted, but won MoM, 10 for form, 20 of 22 passes, 2 key passes, 0 of 2 tackles, 2 of 4 headers, 15 runs, 2 fouls drawn, 1 assist.


Kompany, Trotta, and Miller all had 9's for form. Salva had an 8.


I decide that I have to at least warn Downing for yet again losing his cool and getting ejected in an important match.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Stewart Downing has been given an automatic one match ban. Furthermore, a disciplinary committee is meeting to discuss if the ban should be longer.


I give Downing a formal warning for being sent off last match.



April 27, 2017 -

Stewart Downing told me that he feels the warning was harsh and unfair.


April 28, 2017-

Kevin Young has let me know that he expects to be in the first team as he is a quality striker.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 29, 2017 -

Today we travel to play Sheff Wed in an EPL Match. We are 13 points up with 5 games to play. If we win this match, we win the EPL Title! Sheff Wed is in 7th place. They are led by their lone star striker Michael Vickers who leads the team with 19 goals. Their defense has been very solid led by David Bowen, Sebastien Garcia, and Magnus Troest who are all playing well along the defensive line. Craig James is playing well in goal.


We are 1-2 favorites.

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



GK: Adriano
DL: Schmidt
DC: Cardozo
DC: Kompany
DR: Miller
ML: Barbosa
MC: Heller
MC: Godoy
MR: Schreurs
SC: Oswald
SC: King

S1: Howard
S2: Cahais
S3: Fletcher
S4: Flores
S5: Boogaart

[Eaglesfan27]

2 minute mark: Barbosa gets a yellow card for tripping their right back.

4 minute mark: Ooms slams into Schreurs.. yellow card for Ooms.. Schreurs has to be carried off the pitch. I put Boogaart on for him.

9 minute mark: Barbosa passes it to Oswald in the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. good save by the keeper.

16 minute mark: Flurry of shots.. their defense stops them.. King gets a rebound.. has some open net.. blasts it over the net.

27 minute mark: Vickers gets the ball in the box.. shoots.. upper right corner.. Adriano dives.. blocks it.

29 minute mark: Lee Lynch gets a yellow card for tripping Barbosa.

31 minute mark: Kompany gets a yellow card for a trip on Vickers.

35 minute mark: Their keeper with a pair of acrobatic saves.

38 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles past two defenders.. centers for Oswald.. he heads it.. upper right corner.. past the keeper.. GOAL!!!! 1-0. That is Oswald's 10th of the year.




Halftime: 1-0 lead for us.




64 minute mark: Flores on for King with Oswald sliding to King's position.

66 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles past two defenders.. crosses it short to Flores.. he outjumps two defenders.. heads it.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!!! 2-0. That is Flores' 5th goal of the year for the senior club in very limited action!

73 minute mark: Djemba tackles Barbosa hard.. Barbosa is hurt, but can continue.

Cahais on for Kompany.


89 minute mark: Cahais with a good defensive play.. starts the counterattack with a long pass down the length of the pitch.. Flores despite his lack of footspeed, beats two defenders to the ball.. shoots from 15 yards out... upper right corner.. GOAL!!!!! 3-0! Flores doubles his tally!



Game over. 3-0 win If my math is correct, we just won the EPL Title!

We outshot them 14-7 (10-2 on target)

Barbosa won MoM, 9 for form, 15 of 23 passes, 2 key passes, 3 of 4 tackles, 0 of 2 headers, 1 interception, 5 runs, 1 foul drawn, and 2 assists. All of my starters had an 8 except for Schreurs. Flores and Boogaart also both had 8's for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:


It is official! We've retained the EPL Title! The fans are going crazy outside Old Trafford!

[Eaglesfan27]

May 1, 2017 -

The board is thrilled by my management of the club.


Helder Barbosa has won the EPL Player of the Month Award. Wayne Worthington of Coventry came in 2nd, and Kasper Lorentzen of Newcastle came in 3rd.


The Wolves Simon Roberts has won the EPL Young Player of the Month. Alberto Flores came in 2nd despite limited action. Richard James of Arsenal came in 3rd.


I won the EPL Manager of the Month Award. Bruce Arena of Aston Villa came in 2nd, and Frank Rijkaard of Sunderland came in 3rd.



May 2, 2017 -

The Disciplinary Committee has decided to ban Stewart Downing for two addtional matches. This ban only applies to Champions League Matches.

[daedalus]

A 3-5-2 WOULD be tempting, if you have the personnel for it. Especially if you have someone who can play the defensive midfield slot to protect the centrebacks.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by daedalus

A 3-5-2 WOULD be tempting, if you have the personnel for it. Especially if you have someone who can play the defensive midfield slot to protect the centrebacks.

Parker is a natural DMC and I think he could potentially be dominating there. Same with Heller.

It's an idea that I've toyed with before. I ran a 3-5-2 exclusively with Manchester United in CM 03/04 as well.

I'll probably toy with it more in the future.

[daedalus]

Sounds good. Plus, Trotta and Kompany can fill in at the DMC slot in a pinch. I really wanted to see if that formation with 2 DMCs and 1 AMC to go along with the wingers would actually work. But, unfortunately, Arsenal's personnel did not fit well with that formation in the demo. Although both Tevez and Henry went nuts when I had Tevez in the AMC role in that formation.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by daedalus

Sounds good. Plus, Trotta and Kompany can fill in at the DMC slot in a pinch. I really wanted to see if that formation with 2 DMCs and 1 AMC to go along with the wingers would actually work. But, unfortunately, Arsenal's personnel did not fit well with that formation in the demo. Although both Tevez and Henry went nuts when I had Tevez in the AMC role in that formation.

I've made it work in past versions quite well. I want to see if it works for this team as well. If I fail to acquire a dominating left winger (which has been key to my 4-4-2 success along with Rooney's amazing ability) this upcoming season, I could switch to a 3-5-2 fairly soon to make my team's offense continue to work. Of course, I'm going to look for a good replacement left winger (although Trotta might be the answer there.)

[Eaglesfan27]

May 3, 2017 -

Today we travel to play Fulham in the second leg of the Champions League Semi Final. We are up 3-0 on aggregate.

We are 4-6 favorites.

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


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

S1: Howard
S2: Cardozo
S3: Oswald
S4: Flores
S5: Boogaart
S6: Heller
S7: King

[Eaglesfan27]

8 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles past two defenders.. nice cross to the far post.. Ortega heads it.. very acrobatic save by their keeper.

11 minute mark: Long kick from Adriano.. to Adriano.. he heads it ahead to Rooney.. Rooney in the left side of the box.. dribbles past a defender.. shoots.. upper right corner.. Great strike! GOAL!!!! 1-0.

21 minute mark: Kompany with a very good defensive play.

22 minute mark: Trotta passes to Barbosa left of the box.. he crosses it short.. Adriano and Dunn jump.. Dunn heads it.. back into the goal! Own goal for Dunn! 2-0.

32 minute mark: Nico with a point blank shot.. Adriano saves it.

43 minute mark: Another good shot for Nico.. Adriano saves it.


Halftime: 2-0 lead. 5-0 lead on aggregate.



48 minute mark: Their defense stops a flurry of shots.

62 minute mark: Flores on for Rooney and Heller on for Godoy.

75 minute mark: Adriano with a long kick to Adriano.. he heads it ahead to Flores.. he is tackled just before he can shoot.



Game over. 2-0 win for us. 5-0 win on aggregate.

10 shots for each of us. 5 shots on target for each of us.


Barbosa wins MoM, 9 for form, 18 of 26 passes, 5 key passes, 2 of 5 tackles, 1 of 6 headers, 10 runs, 1 foul drawn, and 1 assist.

Most of my starters had 8's for form.

Flores had a 7.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Real Madrid beat Fenerbahce 5-2 on aggregate. We will be playing Real Madrid in the Champions League Final!



May 6, 2017 -

Today we play Charlton in a meaningless EPL Match. We are in 1st and they are in 11th.


We are 1-6 favorites.

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


GK: Adriano
DL: Schmidt
DC: Carodozo
DC: Salva
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Heller
MC: Godoy
MR: Ortega
SC: Oswald
SC: King

S1: Howard
S2: Barbosa
S3: Kompany
S4: Adriano
S5: Flores

[Eaglesfan27]

22 minute mark: Downing dribbles past two defenders.. fires a cross back towards Godoy.. he shoots from 15 yards out.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

25 minute mark: Godoy steals the ball.. passes it to Heller.. Heller shoots from 20 yards out.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.

35 minute mark: Downing dribbles past a defender.. crosses it to King.. he passes it to the middle of the box to Godoy.. Godoy shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-0. That is Godoy's 10th of the year.



Halftime: 3-0 lead. We have just over 68,000 fans here today.




53 minute mark: Downing passes to Oswald just outside the box.. he shoots a strong curving shot.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. blocks it.

61 minute mark: Oswald slides to right striker and Flores on for King.



Game over. 3-0 win for us

We outshot them 20-1 (9-0 on target)

Downing wins MoM, 10 for form, 16 of 24 passes, 5 key passes, 0 tackles, 1 of 4 headers, 1 interception, 17 runs, 1 foul drawn, and 1 assist.

Godoy and Ortega both had 9's for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

With 3 EPL games to go, we are 6 goals short of 100!


May 7, 2017 -

Milan have hired Djuradj Vasic from Tottenham to be their new manager.


Plymouth have won promotion to the EPL!


The Wolves have been relegated from the EPL.


Boogaart, Godoy, and Downing were all selected to the EPL Team of the Week.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 8, 2017 -

Today we travel to play Arsenal in an EPL Match. They are in 3rd and we have won the Title. Lukas Podolski and Mauro Di Mauro are having big years at the striker positon. Hatem Ben Arfa has 14 goals from his left wing/striker position. Jaime Gavilan is playing world class defense. Nigel de Jong is also playing very good defense. Jesus is playing well in goal for them. Jose Antonio Reyes is still playing very effectively at left wing.


We are 6-4 favorites.

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



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

S1: Howard
S2: Wright
S3: Fletcher
S4: Alfonso
S5: Flores

[Eaglesfan27]

10 minute mark: Salva with a key defensive play against Podolski.

25 minute mark: Kalou with some very good defensive play on Barbosa.

26 minute mark: Smith trips Adriano in the box.. Penalty! Rooney steps up.. shoots.. lower left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

42 minute mark: Heller gets a yellow card for tripping Kalou.. Trotta argues the call.. gets a yellow card.

45 minute mark: Trotta dribbles past two defenders.. up the pitch.. crosses it the middle of the box.. Adriano heads it.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0. That is Adriano's 25th of the year.



Game over. 2-0 lead for us.




61 minute mark: Kompany starts the counterattack.. long pass to Barbosa.. he centers it to Rooney.. Rooney shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-0.

63 minute mark: Fletcher on for Heller.



Game over. 3-0 win for us.

We outshot them 14-9 (6-3 on target)

Barbosa wins MoM, 10 for form, 21 of 25 passes, 2 key passes, 4 of 5 tackles, 1 of 3 headers, 9 runs, 2 fouls drawn, and 1 assist.

Schreurs and Adriano both had 9's for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 10, 2017 -

Today we travel to play Everton. They are currently in 18th place and they are on the verge of falling completely apart. Also, two of their better players are out hurt. Ceiran Hutcheson is playing well in goal, but no one else is playing particularly well this year. Valery Mezague is doing ok in the midfield. Their leading scorer is Billy Edwards with 5 goals.


We are 4-7 favorites.

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


GK: Adriano
DL: Schmidt
DC: Cardozo
DC: Salva
DR: Miller
ML: Downing
MC: Heller
MC: Godoy
MR: Ortega
SC: Flores
SC: King

S1: Howard
S2: Trotta
S3: Barbosa
S4: Wright
S5: Wood

[Eaglesfan27]

12 minute mark: Downing with a corner kick.. Salva heads it.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

19 minute mark: Billy Edwards and Cardozo collide on a corner kick.. Cardozo is hurt. I slide Schmidt inside to DC and put Trotta on at left back.

30 minute mark: Hutcheson with a pair of acrobatic saves for them.

42 minute mark: Flores gets a yellow card for a hard tackle on Billy Edwards.



Halftime: 1-0 lead for us.



47 minute mark: Alain Gerard gets a yellow card for tripping Flores.. he argues the call.. Gerard is ejected!

61 minute mark: Downing dribbles past his man.. crosses it to the right half of the box.. King gets it.. knocks it down.. immediately shoots.. blazing shot.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!!! 2-0.

72 minute mark: Wright on for Flores and Wood on for Heller.

81 minute mark: Salva with a long pass to Downing left of the box.. he has a nice curving cross to King in the right half of the 6 yard box.. King hits it on the half-volley.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-0. That should be our 100th team EPL Goal of the Year!

90 minute mark: Godoy steals the ball.. dribbles past a defender.. crisp pass to Wright in the middle of the box.. Wright shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 4-0. That is Wright's 1st of the year.



Game over. 4-0 win for us

We outshot them 19-1 (10-0 on target)

Downing wins MoM, 10 for form, 21 of 27 passes, 2 key passes, 0 of 2 tackles, 0 of 3 headers, 8 runs, 3 fouls drawn, 3 assists.

Ortega and King each had 9's for form.

Flores had a 7 for form.

I decide to praise Downing to the media after the match (and hopefully assauge his sore feelings about being warned.)

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Downing's fans are in full support of my praise for him.

Cardozo strained his ankle and will miss a week.


Our reserves won their 4th consecutive Reserves Group 1 Title.


Everton have hired Andy Ritchie from Preston to be their new manager.




May 13, 2017 -

Everton have been relegated from the EPL.

[daedalus]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

If I fail to acquire a dominating left winger (which has been key to my 4-4-2 success along with Rooney's amazing ability) this upcoming season, I could switch to a 3-5-2 fairly soon to make my team's offense continue to work.

That's going to be huge. Too bad you got pipped for John Hall. Perhaps you can rescue him from there?

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

(although Trotta might be the answer there.)

I always love having guys like Trotta as my "everyday man," like a Tony Phillips.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by daedalus

That's going to be huge. Too bad you got pipped for John Hall. Perhaps you can rescue him from there?I always love having guys like Trotta as my "everyday man," like a Tony Phillips.

Perhaps, I will rescue Hall

Yeah, right now I'm thinking Trotta was a MUCH better acquisition than Kompany. Kompany hasn't been bad, he just has not been absolutely dominating like I expected, and I'm sure he has only 3 or 4 good years left in him.


By the way for all those that are interested, I'll probably be finishing up the season (i.e. the Champions League) tomorrow.

It should be a great final match.

[daedalus]

By the way, in your previous venture with 3-5-2, how did you do against good wingers? Did they present any extra problems to you? As dominant as left wingers can be in the engine, I'm kind of afraid of running into them without somebody to deal with them.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by daedalus

By the way, in your previous venture with 3-5-2, how did you do against good wingers? Did they present any extra problems to you? As dominant as left wingers can be in the engine, I'm kind of afraid of running into them without somebody to deal with them.

In my old venture with 3-5-2, I dominated defensively. Only the very best wingers gave me a problem. However, I feel like some under-the-hood engine changes make wingers more dangerous in this version. It will be interesting to see how it works when I eventually make the change.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 14, 2017 -

Today we travel to play Bristol C in an EPL match. They are in 18th and are in danger of being relegated. Even though we've won the EPL, I want to play my starters today to keep them sharp for the Champions League Match in about 10 days.


We are 1-4 favorites.

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



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

S1: Howard
S2: Trotta
S3: Cahais
S4: King
S5: Flores

[Eaglesfan27]

1st minute: American Gary Shultis, Jr. with a very good defensive play on Adriano.

30 minute mark: Barbosa passes to Rooney in the box.. good defensive play.

38 minute mark: Parker gets a yellow card for a trip on Petrescu.



Halftime: 0-0 tie.




61 minute mark: Flores on for Rooney, King on for Adriano, and Trotta on for Parker (let's see how Trotta plays in the midfielder slot.)

75 minute mark: Flores passes to Trotta.. he shoots from 15 yards out.. good save by the keeper.

89 minute mark: Schreurs crosses it to King in the middle of the box.. he heads it.. upper left corner.. Acrobatic save by the keeper.



Game over. 0-0 tie as they kept 8 men back all of the time.

We outshot them 11-0 (6-0 on target)

Barbosa wins MoM, 9 for form, 31 of 37 passes, 5 key passes, 3 of 4 tackles, 3 of 11 headers, 1 interception, 15 runs, 2 fouls drawn.

Boogaart also had a 9 for form.


Trotta and Flores both had 7's for form.

[Barkeep49]

Finally caught up on this and congrats on your continued success. I just hope you can match it internationally this year.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Bristol C have been relegated.

We've been given 21 million dollars for winning the EPL.


Let's take a look at the final standings:

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Barkeep49

Finally caught up on this and congrats on your continued success. I just hope you can match it internationally this year.

Thanks, I hope so too.

If I have to just repeat doubles, this is the double I want.

[Eaglesfan27]

General Season Stat Notes:

Our 101 EPL Goals is a team record and was 1st in the EPL by 39 goals (Newcastle 2nd with 62)

Our 25 EPL Goals allowed is 1st in the EPL.


Our GD of +76 is our best ever, I believe.




Individual Stats (EPL):


Average Form:


1. Stewart Downing - 9.00

2. Wayne Rooney - 8.36

3. Helder Barbosa - 8.30

4. Adriano (striker) - 8.04

5. Antonio Ortega - 7.93

6. Jaime Gavilan, Arsenal - 7.78

7. Kasper Lorentzen, Newcastle - 7.72

8. Wayne Worthington, Coventry - 7.70

8. Mark van den Boogaart - 7.70

10. Libis Andres Arenas - 7.67


Other Manchester Notables:

11. Michael Heller - 7.65

12. Jeroen Schreurs - 7.61

13. Chris Miller - 7.60

16. Carlos Godoy - 7.55

17. Barry Parker - 7.54

22. Craig King - 7.42

44. Salva - 7.33


League Goals:

1. Wayne Rooney - 26

2. Shane Paul, Leeds - 18

3. Wayne Worthington, Coventry - 17

4. Lebohang Mokoena, Liverpool - 16

4. Adriano - 16

6. Michael Vickers, Sheffield Wed - 15

6. Craig King - 15

8. Collins John, Fulham - 14

9. Ignacio, Newcastle - 13

9. James Milner, Newcastle - 13.


Other Manchester Notables:

17. Carlos Godoy - 8

25. Micahel Heller - 7

34. Barry Parker - 5



League Assists:

1. Kasper Lorentzen, Newcastle - 19

2. Stewart Downing - 15

3. Helder Barbosa - 12

4. Jeroen Schreurs - 11

4. Adriano - 11

6. Wayne Rooney - 10

7. Stephen Taylor, Leeds - 8

7. Ignacio, Newcastle - 8

7. Jose Ignacio Carreno, Sunderland - 8

10. 9 tied with 7.


Other Manchester Notables:

20. Craig King - 6

20. Barry Parker - 6

28. Carlos Godoy - 6

[Eaglesfan27]

May 17, 2017 -


Wayne Rooney has won the English Players' Player of the Year Award. Adriano came in 2nd, and Jaime Gavilan of Arsenal came in 3rd.


Steven Collins of Sheffield Wednesday won the English Player's Young Player of the Year Award. The 20 year old left winger is very fast. Villa of Arsenal came in 2nd, and Craig Gardner of Fulham came in 3rd.


I won the EPL Manager of the Year Award. Jose Luis Mendilibar of Chelsea came in 2nd, and Ray Wilkins of Sheffield Wednesday came in 3rd.


Wayne Rooney won the English Footballer of the Year Award. Adriano came in 2nd, and Jaime Gavilan of Arsenal came in 3rd.


Wayne Rooney won the EPL Top Goalscorer Award.


Wayne Rooney won the Goal of the Year for his goal on September 10th vs Tottenham.


The English Player's Team of the Year has been named:


GK: Libis Andres Arenas - Manchester City

DL: Jaime Gavilan - Arsenal

DC: Manu - Aston Villa

DC: Sebastien Garcia - Sheff Wed

DR: Stuart Parnaby, Tottenham

ML: Kasper Lorentzen, Newcastle

MC: Barry Parker

MC: Lebohang Mokoena, Newcastle

MR: Carlos Godoy

SC: Wayne Rooney

SC: Adriano


S1: Michael Rensing, Fulham

S2: Steven Taylor, Sunderland

S3: Aaron Lennon, West Ham

S4: Jose Ignacio Carreno, Sunderland

S5: Wayne Worthington, Coventry

[Eaglesfan27]

May 23, 2017 -

NO!!! Helder Barbosa suffered a groin strain today in practice! Since Stewart Downing is banned for this match, I need to start someone who hasn't played there much at left wing!

I could go with Alfonso, but I'm going to start Trotta I guess. I'll have Alfonso on the bench.


(OOC Note: I'm doing annual retraining today which just gave me a 2 1/2 hour lunch break, but have to head back to retraining for about 2 hours. I'll be playing the big Champions League match late this afternoon/early evening.)

[Eaglesfan27]

May 24, 2017 -

Today we play Real Madrid in the Champions League Final. Real Madrid has a highly talented team. Let's look at a detailed breakdown of their starting lineup:


They are using a 4-4-2.

GK: Iker Casillas - Still one of the best keepers in the world.

DL: Alan Thomas - 28 year old English Left back is quick, technically gifted, and a determined player.

DC: Daniel Schumacher - 21 year old centreback is strong, fast, and generally has good positioning. Not a very good leaper.

DC: Martin Munker - 19 year dolc centreback is a true liability except for great speed. I can't believe they are starting him in this game!

DR: Leo - 31 year old Brazilian right back is very talented but starting to lose his speed. He is a very heady player.

ML: Mark Gonzelez - 32 year old Chilean Left Winger is very fast with excellent acceleration, technically gifted, doesn't have great flair in his game.

MC: Horacio Peralta - 34 year old midfielder from Uruguay has lost most of his speed. He is a good technical player, but lacks many skills now.

MC: Dario Tamburini - A very promising 19 year old Italian midfielder. He is still raw technically, but is physically gifted.

MR: Victor - 25 year old Spanish right winger is very strong, has good speed, is technically gifted. Seems to lack determination on the pitch at times.

SC: Nilmar - 32 year old Brazilian Striker is still one of the better strikers in the world. He is still very fast with an excellent physical skill set. Technically, he isn't the best, but he always works very hard.

SC: Alejandro Sanchez Fernadez - 29 year old Spanish Striker has good speed, excellent mental attributes, and a lethal finishing touch.


We are 6-4 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the 60's here in Trondhelm.


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

S1: Howard
S2: Alfonso
S3: Oswald
S4: Godoy
S5: Miller
S6: Schreurs
S7: King

[Eaglesfan27]

1st minute: Boogaart stops a Gonzalez breakaway.

3 minute mark: Trotta passes to Ortega in the box.. he passes it to Adriano on his right.. Thomas knocks it away.

8 minute mark: Trotta dribbles past three defenders.. his speed is troubling them.. crosses it.. Adriano heads it.. the keeper saves it.

14 minute mark: Peralta passes it to Gonzalez.. he shoots from 20 yards out.. Adriano saves it easily.

16 minute mark: Trotta burns two defenders.. crosses it to the far post.. Adriano heads it.. the keeper barely tips it over the bar.

23 minute mark: Salva with a good defensive play on Victor in our box.

27 minute mark: Trotta starts our counterattack.. long pass to Rooney.. he dribbles into the box.. beats the keeper.. shoots.. a centreback dives.. blocks the shot wide of the net.

41 minute mark: Gonzalez with a long range shot.. Adriano saves it.



Halftime: 0-0 tie.




55 minute mark: Tamburini with a 25 yard shot.. strong shot.. upper left corner.. Adriano saves it.

57 minute mark: Trotta with a corner kick to the near post.. Adriano heads it.. wide left into the side netting.

64 minute mark: Fernando Cavenaghi comes on for Nilmar.

70 minute mark: Trotta passes to Rooney left of the box.. he dribbles past two defenders.. draws another defender over.. fires a pass to Trotta in the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper saves it.

74 minute mark: Kompany gets a whistle for pushing Cavenaghi... Trotta argues it.. Yellow card for Trotta.

92 minute mark: We get a flurry of shots on target, but their defenders and keeper stop them.



End of Regulation. 0-0 tie.



93 minute mark: Gonzalez misses Cavenaghi with his pass and it sails over the endline.

97 minute mark: Ortega dribbles past two defenders.. crosses it to for Rooney.. whistle.. Rooney pushed the centerback.



Halftime of extra time. 0-0 tie.

Schreurs on for Heller with Ortega sliding inside and Schreurs on at right wing. King on for Adriano.

106 minute mark: Trotta steals the ball.. passes it to Rooney left of the box.. he centers it for King.. King shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

108 minute mark: Gonzalez gets a yellow card for tripping Boogaart who was running by him.

114 minute mark: Salva stops a Cavenaghi breakaway.



Game over!!! 1-0 win for us!!!!

We outshot them 17-16 (9-6 on target)

Ortega wins MoM, 9 for form, 27 of 34 passes, 2 key passes, 3 of 6 tackles, 2 of 7 headers, 16 runs, 2 fouls drawn.

Adriano my keeper also had a 9 for form.

Great goal by King!

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

We've been awarded 8 million for winning the Champions League.

We've been awarded 24 million from Champions League Television Revenue.


I'm now being mentioned as one of the greatest managers of all time in England! I'm being compared to Sir Alex Ferguson!

[Eaglesfan27]

Some interesting Final Stats:


For the year, Downing had 5 goals, 23 assists, and 15 MoM awards in 34 starts. He is starting to slip at 32, but not much yet.

In 24 starts and 8 relief appearances, Barbosa has 5 goals, 18 assists, and 9 MoM awards.


Wayne Rooney had his best season EVER. 40 starts, 34 goals, 15 assists, 10 MoM awards.

In 35 starts, Adriano had 25 goals, 13 assists, and 5 MoM awards.

In 25 starts and 14 relief appearances, Craig King had 19 goals, 8 assists, and 1 MoM award.

In just 15 starts, and 9 relief appearances, Michael Oswald had 10 goals and 5 assists.


Of particular note, Alberto Flores had a monster year! In 21 starts (mostly reserve and U18 matches) he has 29 goals, 10 assists, and 9 MoM awards. He has 6 senior goals in 3 starts and 7 relief appearances.




In 36 starts, Antonio Ortega had 7 goals and 12 assists along with 6 MoM awards.

In 23 starts and 10 relief appearances, Jeroen Schreurs had 3 goals and 11 assists.



In 40 starts, Barry Parker had 10 goals and 10 assists along with 1 MoM award.

In 31 starts, Michael Heller had 10 goals and 8 assists.

In 42 starts, Carlos Godoy had 10 goals and 12 assists.



Salva lead the team among defensivemen in Headers.

Boogaart led the team with 2.82 tackles per game.

Vincent Kompany was second among defenders.



Adriano started 52 matches, had 34 clean sheets, and conceded 30 goals on the year.

He is 23 now, and he is developing nicely, however he has one or two significant holes in his game. He is not as acrobatic as I might like. However, he has great reflexes and is performing.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 27, 2017 -


Antonio Ortega has won the Champions League' Best Player Award. Jens Seifert of Sevilla came in 2nd, and Mark Gonzalez of Real Madrid came in 3rd.

Trabzonspor's Ozturk had 9 goals and won the Champions League Golden Boot Award. Jens Seifert came in 2nd, and Aksu Cafercan of Fenerbahce came in 3rd.



We had three players on the Champions League' Dream Team:


GK: Adriano (wow, can't believe he made it.)

DL: Mark Gonzalez, Real Madrid.

DC: Christian Ziegle, Fenerbahce

DC: Rui Sousa, Porto

DR: Coelho, Dortmund

ML: Fabinho, Atalanta

MC: Renan, Dortmund

MC: Javi, Real Sociedad (lots of one name guys made the list)

MR: Antonio Ortega

SC: Alejandro Sanchez Fernadez, Real Madrid

SC: Jens Seifert, Sevilla

S1: Ozcelik Ali Melih, Fenerbahce

S2: Mark van den Boogaart

S3: Fernando Graf, Real Sociedad

S4: Juan Manuel Ortega, Mallorca

S5: Cuneyt Adam, Fenerbahce

[Eaglesfan27]

May 27, 2017 -

Mark Hall my young forward had a goal and an assist for England's U19 team in their 3-0 win over Kazakhstan.


Liverpool have retained the English FA Cup with a 3-0 win over Aston Villa.



For the first time in a few years, Arsenal is back in the Champions League. Chelsea, Sunderland and us are the other qualifiers.



May 29, 2017 -


Birmingham have won promotion to the EPL.

Alberto Flores has been called up to Spain's U21 squad.



June 1, 2017 -

The board are thrilled with my performance as manager.

[Eaglesfan27]

June 3, 2017 -

Today we travel to play Israel in a World Cup Qualifying match. Isreael has a decent team, but we severely outclass them. They don't have any true stars.

We are 4-7 favorites.

It's sunny and in the 80's today.



GK: Chris Taylor
DL: Alan Thomas
DC: Ben Bennett
DC: David Evans
DR: Glen Johnson
ML: Stewart Downing
MC: Michael Wood
MC: Barry Parker
MR: Aaron Lennon
SC: Wayne Rooney
SC: Craig King


S1: Paul Lancaster
S2: Robert Morris
S3: Stephen Taylor
S4: Mark Tucker
S5: Wayne Dunn
S6: Christopher Eagles
S7: Wayne Worthington