How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

[10cabee]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Here I was, looking at your latest update and wondering how you will manage to take the layout of your updates a step further, and then you posted this! First of all, I can't believe you went through the effort of writing down our results and calculating percentages! Secondly, that is an amazing table, great work! Thirdly, it appears that you have only eight (or less) posts per page, since with the good old ten-per-page system we're only on page 1497 :P

Thanks It's very much an experiment as to what my capabilites are with photoshop and I appreciate what you've said a lot! I'm very much in a statistical mood at the moment and I really wish EA would include more interesting stats but that would be a lot of work for them so I have to settle with football manager to satisfy my need for tactics/formations and stats.

I recorded a few more thngs too so I'll be experimenting with different designs on those and I'll try not to miss-count yours this time! :P

I do have the good ol' ten-per-page but it was just a mishap from my brain once again xD

[10cabee]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

This just gave me an idea. Who would be up to doing a historical version of this where there's a graphic showing your career's to date and your records with the teams you've done over the years. Mine would be the shortest because I couldn't get a stable CM going in FIFA 16 and my longer CM's were in FIFA 15(Betis and Monaco) it'd take a while to do but I feel it'd give you guys some recognition for some older CM's that some people wouldn't have read because of how far back in the thread some CM's are.

I'd really want to do that but I only have the stats from my original Exeter series that I've been posting as I deleted all my other saves once I had no use for them anymore so mine wouldn't be very interesting :P

[Simppu12]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

We Try. We Fail. We Win.


2017-18 Squad Review


Starting XI

GK: Rune Jarstein, 33 years old, 77 ovr (-1), 8.5/10
32 clean sheets in 52 appearances

+ Made some very good saves
+ Most clean sheets in the league
+ Good reflexes and diving
- Should've saved some of the goals he conceded

RB: Felix Passlack, 20 years old, 76 ovr (+2), 7.5/10
28 appearances

+ Agile
+ Good ball control and dribbling
+ Good positioning
- Lacks strength
- Didn't get a single assist

CB: Sebastian Langkamp, 30 years old, 78 ovr, 7.5/10
1 goal in 38 appearances

+ Strong
+ Good tackler
+ Good in the air
- Rushes too much forwards at times
- Left his man unmarked at times

CB: John Anthony Brooks, 25 years old, 83 ovr (+2), 8/10
1 goal in 36 appearances

+ Strong
+ Good tackler
- Left his man unmarked at times

LB: Marvin Plattenhardt, 26 years old, 80 ovr (+1), 7.5/10
2 assists in 36 appearances

+ Good crossing
+ Puts a lot of effort into both attacking and defending
- Poor marking

CDM: Per Skjelbred, 31 years old, 78 ovr, 7.5/10
1 goal and 3 assists in 34 appearances

+ High work ethic
+ Strong on the ball
+ Good tackling
- Gets too much forwards
- Doesn't drop deep enough when defending

CDM: Salif Sané, 27 years old, 80 ovr, 7/10
2 goals in 17 appearances

+ Strong
+ Good tackling
- Attacks too much
- Doesn't drop deep enough to defend
- Poor in the air despite his height

RM: Mitchell Weiser, 24 years old, 82 ovr (+2), 9/10
2 goals and 9 assists in 37 appearances

+ Pacy
+ Very good dribbling
+ Good crossing
- Should've gotten more assists

LM: Genki Haraguchi, 27 years old, 78 ovr (+1), 7/10
1 goal and 7 assists in 35 appearances

+ Pacy
+ Agile
+ Good dribbling
- Barely gets involved in attack in many games
- Should've created more goals
- Very bad shooting

CAM: Vladimir Darida, 27 years old, 81 ovr (+1), 8/10
6 goals and 5 assists in 45 appearances

+ Very good stamina
+ Good passing & shooting
- Should've created more goals

ST: Vedad Ibisevic (C), 33 years old, 78 ovr, 8.5/10
21 goals and 5 assists in 31 appearances

+ Top scorer of the league
+ Good finishing and positioning
+ Strong on the ball
- Missed some easy chances

Notable Substitutes

RB: Peter Pekarik, 31 years old, 75 ovr (-1), 7/10
19 appearances

+ Well-rounded
+ Runs up and down the pitch
- Didn't create a single goal
- Slow

CB: Niklas Stark, 23 years old, 78 ovr (+1), 7/10
1 goal in 26 appearances

+ Strong and young
+ Good tackling
+ Can play in a couple of positions
- Poor marking
- Causes problems because of his contract

LB: Maximilian Mittelstädt, 21 years old, 76 ovr (+3), 7/10
2 assists in 21 appearances

+ Well-rounded
+ Works both in attack and defence
- Poor marking

CDM: Fabian Lustenberger, 30 years old, 76 ovr, 6/10
1 assist in 22 appearances

+ Reliable squad player
- Didn't drop deep enough to defend

CAM: Valentin Stocker, 29 years old, 77 ovr, 6.5/10
3 goals and 2 assists in 29 appearances

+ Good dribbling
+ Good passing
- Inefficient in attack
- Very poor statistics

RM: Alexander Esswein, 28 years old, 75 ovr, 6.5/10
3 goals and 5 assists in 41 appearances

+ Good squad player
+ Assisted and scored some important goals
+ Very pacy
- Poor dribbling
- Could've been more efficient in attackLM: Salomon Kalou, 32 years old, 76 ovr (-1), 6/10
8 goals in 28 appearances

+ Good dribbling
+ Good shooting
- Didn't get any assists
- Could've created more goals
- Slow

ST: Haris Seferovic, 26 years old, 79 ovr (+1), 8/10
8 goals and 3 assists in 21 appearances

+ Scored many important goals
+ Clinical
+ Strong on the ball
- Drops too deep to defend


Full Squad

Spoiler

Goalkeepers

Spoiler

Rune Jarstein #22, 33 years old, Norway, 77 ovr
Thomas Kraft #1, 29 years old, Germany, 76 ovr
Nils-Jonathan Körber #29, 20 years old, Germany, 61 ovr

Right Backs

Mitchell Weiser #23, 24 years old, Germany, 82 ovr
Felix Passlack, #4, 20 years old, Germany, 76 ovr
Peter Pekarik #2, 31 years old, Slovakia, 75 ovr

Left Backs

Marvin Plattenhardt #21, 26 years old, Germany, 80 ovr
Maximilian Mittelstädt #34, 21 years old, Germany, 76 ovr

Centre Backs

John Anthony Brooks, #25, 24 years old, USA, 83 ovr
Sebastian Langkamp #15, 30 years old, Germany, 78 ovr
Niklas Stark, #5, 23 years old, Germany, 78 ovr
Çağlar Söyüncü #27, 22 years old, Turkey, 77 ovr

Defensive Midfielders

Salif Sané #13, 27 years old, Senegal, 80 ovr
Per Ciljan Skjelbred #3, 31 years old, Norway, 78 ovr
Fabian Lustenberger #28, 30 years old, Switzerland, 76 ovr
Max Christiansen #17, 21 years old, Germany, 75 ovr
Niels Albrecht #36, 18 years old, Germany, 67 ovr* (exciting prospect)

Central Midfielders

Vladimir Darida #6, 27 years old, Czech Republic, 81 ovr
Allan Souza #20, 21 years old, Brazil, 75 ovr

Attacking Midfielders

Valentin Stocker #14, 29 years old, Switzerland, 77 ovr
Ondrej Duda #10, 22 years old, Slovakia, 78 ovr (loaned out to QPR)

Right Wingers

Alexander Esswein #7, 28 years old, Germany, 75 ovr

Left Wingers

Genki Haraguchi #24, 27 years old, Japan, 78 ovr
Salomon Kalou #8, 32 years old, Ivory Coast, 76 ovr
Sinan Kurt #18, 21 years old, Germany, 74 ovr
Samuel Montandon #35, 19 years old, Switzerland, 71 ovr* (exciting prospect)
Tom Lang #30, 17 years old, Germany, 70 ovr* (potential to be special) (loaned out to Arminia Bielefeld)

Strikers

Haris Seferovic #11, 26 years old, Switzerland, 79 ovr
Vedad Ibisevic #19, 33 years old, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 78 ovr (C)
Julian Schieber #16, 29 years old, Germany, 76 ovr

Thank you for reading this post! I hope you have enjoyed it! Any feedback or suggestions will be appreciated!

[indiblue]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Good afternoon, folks. It's been quite hectic on my end. I just don't have the time to put effort into making layouts into my posts anymore, so I'm going to stick with plain text updates. I just finished my first season with Brighton. Here are the highlights.

• Brighton & Hove Albion won the league with 105 points from 46 games.

• Newcastle finished second with 97 points and won the EFL Cup.

• Nottingham Forest won the play-offs against Aston Villa 5-4 on penalties.

• The Seagulls won their last seven games without conceding a single goal.

• Andre Gray netted 40 goals for Brighton, breaking Glenn Murray's record.

• Brighton's Vladimir Hernández registered the most assists with 16.

• Ben Amos of Cardiff City kept the most clean sheets with 21.

• Brighton signed Charlie Taylor of Leeds on a pre-contract in January.

• Liam Rosenior signed for Aston Villa on winter deadline day.

• Billy Evans made 7 appearances upon promotion from Brighton's academy.

• Indi Blue is undecided between building for 4-1-2-1-2 or 4-3-3.

• Niki Mäenpää, Uwe Hünemeier, Gaëtan Bong, Scott Parker, Richie Towell, Solly March, and Sam Baldock are all likely to depart the AmEx this summer.

• Regardless of the system, a top GK is the priority next season for Brighton.

• Brighton have been linked with a number of players attached to clubs relegated from the Premier League (Bournemouth, Hull, and Middlesbrough).

• Chelsea won the Premier League and FA Cup double.

• Manchester United came second and won the Europa League.

• Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 1-0 in the Champions League final.

• Villarreal got a shock win at Barcelona to win La Liga on the last day.

• Bayern romped to the Bundesliga title. Red Bull Leipzig finished dead last.

• Napoli ended Juventus' streak to win their first Scudetto since 1990.

• PSG did not feel Zlatan's absence as they comfortably won Ligue 1.

[10cabee]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

New CM Coming Soon

[Keano16]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

I know I said I'd do the Gijon career but I like the look of Schalke. I'll try and start it up this week!

[10cabee]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

I know I said I'd do the Gijon career but I like the look of Schalke. I'll try and start it up this week!

Don't worry. Do whatever suits you!

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

as overdue as I am to comment on your guys' CM's I find myself dangerously behind on my updates so I'm going to try to catch up a bit on that first.

[10cabee]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Ffs. The name glitch I had previously has happened again and I was actually quite far through the saves this time! Never again am I downloading another update for FIFA!

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Newport County A.F.C.

'20-'21 October Update

Spoiler

The Roster

Spoiler

Spoiler

GK:Jasper Cillessen (85 OVR)
GK: Hayato Matsuki (69 OVR)*
GK: Eiichi Suzuki (69 OVR)*

RB: Yasir Al Shahrani (80 OVR)
RB: Moses Odubajo (73 OVR)
RB: Willem Van Hout (67 OVR)*
RB: Atsushi Nagatsuka (67 OVR)*
RB: Márcio Souza (64 OVR)*
RB: Miguel De Mesquites (59 OVR)*
CB: Kurt Zouma (85 OVR)
CB: Ron Vlaar (79 OVR)
CB: Sebastián Vegas (76 OVR)
CB: Bondz Laslie (70 OVR)* (on loan at Dagenham)
CB: Tafari Hunt (69 OVR)*
CB: Tom Maguire (65 OVR)*
LB: Jordan Amavi (78 OVR)
LB: Elmir Nabiullin (76 OVR)
LB: Gregorio Miranda (72 OVR)*
LB: Jeff Cohen (63 OVR)*

CDM: Rohan Ince (77 OVR)
CDM: Cristiano Dall'Oglio (72 OVR)*
CDM: Doke Boëtius (72 OVR)*
CDM: Daniel Amaral (61 OVR)*
CM: Paul Pogba (90 OVR)
CM: Clark Gordon (79 OVR)*
CM: Joe Allen (78 OVR)*
CM: Gary Woods (69 OVR)* (on loan at Blackburn Rovers)
CM: Daniel Seager (69 OVR)* (on loan at Exeter City)
CM: Yoshi Ishinomori (62 OVR)*
RM: David Fox (72 OVR)*
LM: Raphaël Guerreiro (80 OVR)
LM: Ben Potter (74 OVR)*
CAM: Jefferson Farfán (79 OVR)
CAM: Andrea De Girolamo (72 OVR)* (on loan at Wolves)
CAM: Daniele Martella (71 OVR)*
CAM: Eduard Cardenas (58 OVR)*

RW: Jack Giles (72 OVR)*
LW: Bondz Moore (77 OVR)*
ST: Thierry Ambrose (79 OVR)
ST: Kjetil Ringdal Støvland (76 OVR)*
ST: Nicolas Gersbeck (74 OVR)
ST: Aaron Leya Iseka (71 OVR)
ST: Liam Taylor (64 OVR)*
ST: Sean Hugill (59 OVR)*
ST: Mikael Weilid (57 OVR)*
* Academy Graduate.

Starting XI (4-4-2 Diamond Wide)

Cillessen (85)

Al Shahrani (80)/Zouma (85)/Vegas (76)/Amavi (78)

Pogba (90)

Farfán (C, 79) ------------------ Guerreiro (80)

Gordon (79)

Ambrose (79) ------- Ringdal Støvland (76)
______________________________________

Euro League - Group Match 2
FC Zürich - Newport County (1-5)
Pogba 11' (Ringdal Støvland)
Faccioli 24'
Guerreiro 44' (Ringdal Støvland)
Odubajo 54' (Farfán)
Gersbeck 79' (Ringdal Støvland)
Ringdal Støvland 90+' (Miranda)
Koch 4'
Guerreiro 21' (broken toe, out 2 months)

FC Zürich's Philippe Koch made a late attempt on a tackle from behind that led to a very early red card. The Swiss hosts already faced a tall task in this game and the early personnel deficit proved too much to overcome as the visiting Exiles' rolled, led by their breakout star Kjetil Ringdal Støvland who notched three assists before finally scoring a goal on his own on a nifty header at the end of the game. Raphaël Guerreiro impressively played a full game after breaking his left small toe in the 21st minute, an injury that will make the Portguese midfielder miss a couple of months. Bondz Moore will be inserted into the starting lineup and Jack Giles will become an option off the bench during Guerreiro's absence.

League Match 8
Burnley - Newport County (0-2)
Farfán 71' (pen)
Farfán 85' (Ambrose)

The Clarets have always been a tough opponent for Marccelino and they were again on this day at Turf Moor. However, The Exiles' skipper flawlessly executed a penalty kick in the 71st minute to break the deadlock then finished a counterattack in the 85th minute to give Newport County yet another important victory on the road.

League Match 9
Newport County - Spurs (1-0)
Vegas 45+' (Gordon)

The match of the week had the undefeated league leaders visiting Rodney Parade, the best scoring team in the league visiting the best defensive team (per goals against) which came into the game at 3rd place in the standings. On what would turn out to be their only shot of the game, Sebastián Vegas headed a corner kick from Clark Gordon into the back of the net to give Marccelino's squad a marquee win. The Exiles' defense played a big role in the result as well, holding Tottenham to just 5 shots and only 2 on target.

Euro League - Group Match 3
Newport County - Real Sociedad (1-1)
Martinez 20'
Gordon 35' (Ringdal Støvland)

A draw was a fair result for what was a highly entertaining game that featured 20 shots (evenly split). Ringdal Støvland has scored or assisted in every game in the UEL this season.

League Match 10
Sunderland - Newport County (0-2)
Gersbeck 45+'
Gersbeck 90' (Giles)
Ince 10'

In a battle of B-squads Nicolas Gersbeck scored at the end of each half to give The Exiles yet another road victory to send them to the top of the league table. Both teams were coming of participating in European competition earlier in the week (Sunderland in the CL) and Newport County's depth proved to be better.

Capital One Cup - Round of 16
Newport County - QPR (2-3)
Moore 5' (Gersbeck)
Austin 26' (pen)
Horgan 37'
Horgan 65'
Fox 87' (Moore)

Marccelino gambled in this game by starting a mixture of his A, B, and C squads and but the result was a lack of chemistry that saw The Exiles exit the C.O.C. Third choice GK Eiichi Suzuki was hardly to blame for any of the QPR goals.






Top Scorers
T1. Rooney (Manchester Utd) - 7
T1. Lewandowski (Chelsea) - 7
T2. Jørgensen (Hull City) - 6
T2. Chadli (Spurs) - 6

Assists
T1. Tadić (Southampton) - 4
T1. Ki Sung Yueng (Swansea City) - 4
T2. Farfán (Newport County) - 3
T2. Gordon (Newport County) - 3
T2. Ambrose (Newport County) - 3
(3 others with 3 also)

Clean Sheets
T1. Enyeama (Manchester City) - 5
T1. Schmeichel (Leicester City) - 5
T2. Cillessen (Newport County) - 4
(4 others with 4 also)

Analysis: the cliche when a title-contending team exits the C.O.C. early is to say that it's better for the team in the long run because it allows them to focus on the league title, however the reality is Giovanni Marccelino has yet to forget losing in the C.O.C. final back in 2017 and won't probably ever get over it until he wins that tournament, so you know the Italia skipper was disappointed with the loss at home to QPR. That being said he's also probably elated about being at the top of the table in the BPL heading into week 11 after three wins in three games in October in which his side did not concede a goal. The Exiles boast the best defense in the league a quarter of the way through the season and it's no coincidence that they're doing so following the arrivals of Jasper Cillessen and Kurt Zouma. Cillessen has been as good as advertised since his arrival from Lyon this season while Zouma has raised the consistency in the defense's form since his arrival on pre-contract this season after Newport County had struggled to accomplish that with multiple signings in previous years. While it is far too early to refer to any one team as the favorite for the lead title, Newport County's recipe for success so far this season is definitely one that could lead to unprecedented success for the club that resided in League 2 five seasons ago.

Even though Ringdal Støvland went scoreless in the BPL this month he certainly made himself noticed in UEL play, netting a goal and four assists in two games. The Norwegian Tank continues to put together a fantastical season overall. Curiously enough his attacking partner, Thierry Ambrose, who is routinely a safe bet for goals is going through a bit of a dry spell, not having scored since early September and the press is starting to notice. However, Marccelino does not seem concerned: "Ambrose is a proven scorer no matter what competition he's playing in. He's still very much a positive presence in our attack and is among the team and league best in assists. I have no doubt his scoring ways will resume sooner than later because he's a lad destined to put balls at the back of opponents' nets".

The Academy
(listed by their ranking in it)

LW - Marcos Andrade (65 OVR, 89-94 POT): 16-year old GEM from Portugal, a physically-gifted player with a balanced game who is entrenched as the top prospect in the academy and one of the best overall prospects on the roster.

RB - Johan Sheriff (63 OVR, 85-91): 17-year old from Sweden who is the club's 2nd-ranked prospect in the youth squad. He possesses ideal size (6'2" 174lbs) to go along with excellent development of his physical skills (83 aggression, 78 strength, 75 jumping) and he has shown the ability to pick up the defensive game quickly so far in the academy.

CDM - Pierre Tägtström (53 OVR, 83-89): 15-year old from Sweden who is officially next in line in a great lineup of defensive midfielders developed by the club since Marccelino's arrival. Described as physically strong, Tägtström's exciting potential is undeniable and he displays excellent aggressiveness (83) towards the ball. At his age and with the club's depth at the position he should be able to spend time developing in the academy without any rush.

LW - Andre Domingues (52 OVR, 77-83): 15-year old from Portugal who is raw but exhibits great potential. His top attribute at this time is his pace (74acc/68spd).

CF - Jordan Davies (53 OVR, 73-79): 16-year old from England described as physically strong and measuring at 5'5", 154lbs. He may not be more than a backup in the future but he flashes a natural ability to play in the air (79 jumping) and fight for the ball (75 aggression) to go with solid stamina (74) and pace (75acc/74spd).
* Recent addition

2022 WC - UEFA Qualifying

Group Match 3
Hungary - Austria (3-1)
Barnes 40'
Gyurcsó 44' (Nagy)
Szalai 60' (Stieber)
Stieber 86' (Kleinheisler)

Marccelino's 3-4-3 diamond was a success once again as Hungary was able to bounce back from a late first half deficit to equalize before the midway point then take the game in the second half. Zoltán Stieber was the star of the game, setting up Ádám Szalai with a perfectly placed through pass in the 60th minute and then firing a thunderous shot in the 86th to seal the deal.

Group Match 4
Hungary - Italy (2-1)
Nikolić 8'
Nagy 50' (Steiber)
Insigne 69'

Claudio Marchisio committed on error on a pass from deep in his own box in the 8th minute that Nemanja Nikolić took advantage to give Hungary the early lead. The Hungarian defense frustrated the Italian attack for the remainder of the first half and early in the second half Ádám Nagy doubled Hungary's lead on a shot that probably should had been stopped by Vito Mannone. The win extends Hungary's improbable winning streak to start the WC qualifying, leaving Marccelino's side at the top of the table.

November Schedule
11/1: vs Newcastle Utd
11/5: vs FC Zürich (Euro League)
11/8: at Arsenal
11/14: at Turkey (WC Qualifying)
11/17: vs Belgium (WC Qualifying)
11/21: vs Everton
11/26: at Standard Liège (Euro League)
11/30: at Leicester City

November will provide The Exiles with an opportunity to prove they belong at the top of the table in the BPL as they'll face three top-10 teams, including a visit to the Emirates Stadium to face an Arsenal squad that is also battling to be at the top of the table. If Newport County can repeat the success they've had against FC Zürich and Standard Liège they will probably clinch a spot into the Round of 32 of the UEL. Marccelino will also face further tests at the helm of the Hungarian NT with a trip to Istanbul before hosting the always dangerous Belgium.

Thanks for reading!

^^^ previous update

Newport County A.F.C.

'20-'21 November Update

The Roster

Spoiler

GK:Jasper Cillessen (85 OVR)
GK: Hayato Matsuki (69 OVR)*
GK: Eiichi Suzuki (69 OVR)*

RB: Yasir Al Shahrani (80 OVR)
RB: Moses Odubajo (73 OVR)
RB: Atsushi Nagatsuka (68 OVR)*
RB: Willem Van Hout (67 OVR)*
RB: Johan Sheriff (64 OVR)*
RB: Márcio Souza (64 OVR)*
RB: Miguel De Mesquites (60 OVR)*
CB: Kurt Zouma (85 OVR)
CB: Ron Vlaar (79 OVR)
CB: Sebastián Vegas (77 OVR)
CB: Bondz Laslie (70 OVR)* (on loan at Dagenham)
CB: Tafari Hunt (69 OVR)*
CB: Tom Maguire (64 OVR)*
LB: Jordan Amavi (78 OVR)
LB: Elmir Nabiullin (76 OVR)
LB: Gregorio Miranda (73 OVR)*
LB: Jeff Cohen (64 OVR)*

CDM: Rohan Ince (77 OVR)
CDM: Cristiano Dall'Oglio (72 OVR)*
CDM: Doke Boëtius (72 OVR)*
CDM: Daniel Amaral (62 OVR)*
CM: Paul Pogba (90 OVR)
CM: Clark Gordon (79 OVR)*
CM: Joe Allen (79 OVR)*
CM: Gary Woods (70 OVR)* (on loan at Blackburn Rovers)
CM: Daniel Seager (70 OVR)* (on loan at Exeter City)
CM: Yoshi Ishinomori (63 OVR)*
RM: David Fox (72 OVR)*
LM: Raphaël Guerreiro (80 OVR)
LM: Ben Potter (74 OVR)*
CAM: Jefferson Farfán (79 OVR)
CAM: Andrea De Girolamo (73 OVR)* (on loan at Wolves)
CAM: Daniele Martella (71 OVR)*
CAM: Eduard Cardenas (59 OVR)*

RW: Jack Giles (72 OVR)*
LW: Bondz Moore (77 OVR)*
ST: Thierry Ambrose (80 OVR)
ST: Kjetil Ringdal Støvland (76 OVR)*
ST: Nicolas Gersbeck (74 OVR)
ST: Aaron Leya Iseka (71 OVR)
ST: Liam Taylor (64 OVR)*
ST: Sean Hugill (60 OVR)*
ST: Mikael Weilid (57 OVR)*
* Academy Graduate.

Starting XI (4-4-2 Diamond Wide)

Cillessen (85)

Al Shahrani (80)/Zouma (85)/Vegas (77)/Amavi (78)

Pogba (90)

Farfán (C, 79) ------------------ Guerreiro (80)

Gordon (79)

Ambrose (80) ------- Ringdal Støvland (76)
______________________________________

League Match 11
Newport County - Newcastle Utd (3-2)
Gordon 2' (Al Shahrani)
Cabella 45+'
Farfán 64' (Ambrose)
Ringdal Støvland 68' (Farfán)
Bojan 71'

Sometimes it's the little things that matter. Newcastle Utd poorly executed a throw-in in the 63rd minute, throwing the ball in towards their own side from near the Newport County box and to no player in particular. Thierry Ambrose recovered the ball near midfield and started a quick counter attack in which he assisted Jefferson Farfán for the 2-1 lead that would grow to 3-1 just a few minutes later as Farfán became the facilitator and assisted Kjetil Ringdal Støvland with a cross from the right wing. The Magpies, which had gone punch-for-punch with Marccelino's squad for about 60 minutes, were unable to fully recover from the mini-scoring outburst by the hosts as Newport County pulled off the victory to remain at the top of the table.

Euro League - Group Match 4
Newport County - FC Zürich (4-0)
Ringdal Støvland 12' (Ambrose)
Moore 65' (Ringdal Støvland)
Ringdal Støvland 80' (Gersbeck)
Pogba 87' (Ringdal Støvland)
Gordon 45+' (sprained knee, out 3 weeks)

The Norwegian Tank was FC Zürich's nightmare all game long, netting 2 goals and 2 assists to factor in every score of a dominating win to solidify The Exiles at the top of their group in the UEL. It was the latest breakout performance by the Newport County academy graduate who has taken both the BPL and UEL by storm so far this season.

League Match 12
Arsenal - Newport County (1-2)
Ambrose 31' (Farfán)
Ramsey 35'
Ringdal Støvland 72' (Farfán)

Thierry Ambrose broke out of a long scoring drought that went on for about two months and Ringdal Støvland scored once again as The Exiles pulled off a huge victory at the Emirates Stadium to put some distance between them and The Gunners at the top of the table. Newport County's defense should also get a lot of credit for the victory as they frustrated Arsenal's attack which took 8 shots but was only on target 3 times.


This shot by Ambrose opened up the scoring and ended the Frenchman's scoring drought.

League Match 13
Newport County - Everton (3-1)
Ringdal Støvland 48' (Farfán)
Stones 67'
Potter 89'
Ringdal Støvland 90+' (Ambrose)
Pogba 39' (sprained knee, out 3 weeks)

It's RS' world at this point of time, we're all just living in it. Only this kid, who is on absolute fire, could turn a game that had been so tightly contested throughout and turn it into a solid win for his club in the final minutes of the game. It was his strong shot from the left side of the box that bounced towards Potter in the 89th minute after being saved by Jack Butland which resulted in The Exiles taking the late lead, and it was Ringdal Støvland himself who sealed the deal in stoppage time off a nice feed from Ambrose.
The only bad news for Newport County was Pogba's injury - the Frenchman has quietly been the team's best player so far this season. On the other hand, Clark Gordon would be returning to the lineup from his injury for the next game.


Ringdal Støvland gave some extra effort to open up the scoring early in the second half.

Euro League - Group Match 5
Standard Liège - Newport County (2-0)
Dossevi 37'
Emond 75'
Ambrose 41' (bruised shoulder, out 5 days)

Les Rouches shocked The Exiles to stay alive in the UEL and put Newport County's chances to advance to the knockout rounds in danger. The Belgian club managed two firsts for a team facing Newport County in the UEL this season: scoring twice on them and holding them scoreless.

League Match 14
Leicester City - Newport County (3-1)
Al Shahrani 39' (Ince)
Vardy 54'
James 83'
Kramarić 90+'

The Foxes showed that they're for real this season by completing a shocking victory over The Exiles who looked far from the dominating club they have been for most of the season. Newport County was being lucky to manage a draw before Matty James finally broke the deadlock in the 83rd minute. Andrej Kramarić finished off the scoring for Leicester City to put them into the Top 5.






Barclays PL
Top Scorers
1. Rooney (Manchester Utd) - 9
T2. Ringdal Støvland (Newport County) - 8
T2. Lewandowski (Chelsea) - 8

Assists
1. Farfán (Newport County) - 6
2. Ambrose (Newport County) - 5
T3. Tadić (Southampton) - 4
(4 others with 4 also)

Clean Sheets
1. Schmeichel (Leicester City) - 6
T2. Enyeama (Manchester City) - 5
T2. Begović (Chelsea) - 5
T2. Butland (Everton) - 5
...
T3. Cillessen (Newport County) - 4

Euro League
Top Scorers
T1. Rooney (Manchester Utd) - 5
T1. Sánchez (Arsenal) - 5
T1. Slimani (1899 Hoffenheim) - 5
(5 others with 5 also)

Assists
1. Ringdal Støvland (Newport County) - 6
T2. Higuaín (Napoli) - 3
T2. Ziyech (FC Twente) - 3
(3 others with 3 also)

Clean Sheets
1. Benaglio (VfL Wolfsburg) - 5
T2. Berisha (Lazio) - 4
T2. Arrizabalaga (Athletic Bilbao) - 4

Analysis: The Exiles seemed on their way to breaking apart from the pack atop the BPL standings before the loss at Leicester City to end the month. That loss could very well be a reminder that the BPL is arguably the most competitive league in Europe and winning the league title will not be so easy. Tottenham continues to lurk right behind Newport County, boasting an equally impressive defense to go with the highest scoring attack in the league. Expect a lot to happen before this race is decided, with the handful of teams behind them also making some noise. More concerning for Marccelino has to be finishing November with back-to-back losses, both with his main squad. Coincidentally the mini losing streak comes following Pogba's absence from the lineup due to injury, perhaps strengthening the case for the Frenchman being the most valuable player for The Exiles so far this season. Pogba is likely to miss a couple more games before he's healed enough from his injury so Newport County better figure out their issues quickly before losing big opportunities. Despite their loss in Belgium they remain at the top of their group in the UEL but will need at least a draw when they travel to Spain to face Real Sociedad who themselves will be looking to win to assure their spot into the knockout rounds. The teams battled to a draw in their first meeting last month.

Individually the story of the month was once again Ringdal Støvland whose four-game scoring streak coincided with the club's four victories this month and who was held scoreless in the team's two defeats. We're running out of accolades to throw towards the Norwegian youngster short of exaggerating how valuable he has been for Marccelino's squad this season. His success continues to overshadow the struggles of his striking partner, Ambrose, who despite momentarily breaking his dry spell on the scoring sheet continues to be in an overall funk in the scoring department, even if he continues to be a facilitator for others scoring. Strikers are ultimately judged for putting the ball at the back of the net and Ambrose has struggled to do that consistently this season after being a bonafide scoring threat for Newport County since his arrival at the club almost three years ago. Marccelino needs Ambrose to snap out of his funk sooner than later, especially in games when RS is unable to score (he won't score in every game, right?).

The Academy
(listed by their ranking in it)

LW - Marcos Andrade (65 OVR, 89-94 POT): 16-year old GEM from Portugal, a physically-gifted player with a balanced game who is entrenched as the top prospect in the academy and one of the best overall prospects on the roster.

CDM - Pierre Tägtström (53 OVR, 83-89): 15-year old from Sweden who is officially next in line in a great lineup of defensive midfielders developed by the club since Marccelino's arrival. Described as physically strong, Tägtström's exciting potential is undeniable and he displays excellent aggressiveness (83) towards the ball. At his age and with the club's depth at the position he should be able to spend time developing in the academy without any rush.

LW - Andre Domingues (52 OVR, 77-83): 15-year old from Portugal who is raw but exhibits great potential. His top attribute at this time is his pace (75acc/68spd).

CF - Jordan Davies (54 OVR, 73-79): 16-year old from England described as physically strong and measuring at 5'5", 154lbs. He may not be more than a backup in the future but he flashes a natural ability to play in the air (80 jumping) and fight for the ball (75 aggression) to go with solid stamina (75) and pace (75acc/74spd).
* Recent addition

Johan Sheriff (RB, 64 OVR) was promoted to the senior roster following his 18th birthday. He's an exciting prospect who is likely to be brought along slowly, though he's expected to compete with Gregorio Miranda as a right-footed fullback coming off the bench for the B-squad.

2022 WC - UEFA Qualifying

Group Match 5
Turkey - Hungary (1-1)
Yokuşlu 15'
Szalai 41' (Nagy)
Kalmár 45+'

The script changed for the first time so far for Hungary in these qualifiers as they were not the ones to jump ahead on the scoreboard and their comeback attempt was hampered by Zsolt Kalmár's red card in stoppage time of the first half, more than deserved after a late tackle from behind. Kalmár's departure broke up Marccelino's 3-4-3 diamond as Hungary moved to a 4-4-1, a move that paid excellent dividends as the Hungarians were able to far out-shoot Turkey and hang steal a point on the road.

Group Match 6
Hungary - Belgium (0-2)
J. Lukaku 66'
Nainggolan 86'

Marccelino went back to the 5-3-2 that had had success in Brussels a couple of months ago but Belgium's superior talent proved too much to handle this time around as Hungary was handed its first loss of this WC qualifying. Hungary was able to create a good number of scoring opportunities (10 shots, 5 on target) but Thibaut Courtois was practically unbeatable on this night.

December Schedule
12/5: vs Southampton
12/10: at Real Sociedad (Euro League)
12/13: at Derby County
12/19: vs Hull City
12/26: at Chelsea
12/28: vs Norwich City
12/30: at West Ham

The Exiles' struggles will be tested in the earlier part of the month as they face an always difficult Southampton squad, travel to Spain for a very difficult match, then return to the Kingdom for a trip northeast to face a Derby County squad having an excellent season following their promotion from the Championship. A showdown at Chelsea is surrounded by winnable games against Hull, Norwich, and bottom-dwelling WHU but Newport County will need to have shaken off their struggles in order to succeed against these clubs. The schedule is likely to force an appearance from the B-squad against Norwich.

Thanks for reading!

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

as overdue as I am to comment on your guys' CM's I find myself dangerously behind on my updates so I'm going to try to catch up a bit on that first.

I already finished January in both CM's, not even close to caught up on here

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

the tragedy of Chapecoense has really hit worldwide

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

The Globetrotter CM

FC Twente
'20-'21 November Update

Spoiler

The Roster

Spoiler

Spoiler

GK: Agustín Marchesín (77 OVR)
GK: Bruno Varela (73 OVR)

RB: Kevin Diks (78 OVR)
RB: Felix Passlack (71 OVR)
CB: Lisandro López (81 OVR)
CB: Joachim Andersen (77 OVR)
CB: Peet Bijen (72 OVR)
CB: Phillipp Kübler (70 OVR)*
CB: Abdou Diallo (67 OVR)
CB: Manuel Kratz (64 OVR)* (on loan at Amkar Perm)
CB: Marcel Engels (59 OVR)*
LB: Nathan Aké (76 OVR)
LB: Joe Gomez (72 OVR)
LB: Timo Behrens (65 OVR)*

CDM: José Gómez Solà (72 OVR)
CM: Kyle Ebecilio (78 OVR)
CM: Renato Tapia (76 OVR)
RM: Derlis González (79 OVR)
RM: Issa Drost (65 OVR)*
LM: Lenny Nangis (81 OVR)
CAM: Wesley Sneijder (83 OVR)
CAM: Juan Pablo (Juanpi) Añor (77 OVR)
CAM: Jeroen Claes (69 OVR)*

RW: Luciano Wildschut (69 OVR)*
LW: Alessio Da Cruz (73 OVR)
ST: Lars Veldwijk (78 OVR)
ST: Torgeir Børven (74 OVR)
ST: Petter Karlsson (74 OVR) (on loan from Olym. Lyonnais)
ST: Michael Olaitan (72 OVR)
* Academy Graduate.

Starting XI (4-1-2-1-2)

Marchesín (77)

Diks (78)/Andersen (77)/López (81)/Aké (76)

Ebecilio (78)

Nangis (81) --------------- González (79)

Sneijder (C, 84)

Veldwijk (78) ------- Børven (74)
______________________________________

League Match 11
ADO Den Haag - FC Twente (0-1)
Børven 45+' (Nangis)

Torgeir Børven scored in stoppage time of the first half thanks to a great setup from Lenny Nangis but we suffered the rest of the way to hang on to the victory. ADO actually took more shots than us, including one by their goalkeeper Martin Hansen on the final play of the game as he came up to the box to try and score. His shot, however, missed wide.


Marvin Hansen had a good chance for a late equalizer but he rushed his shot and pushed it wide to his right.

Champions League - Group Match 4
FC Twente - Atlético Madrid (2-3)
Sneijder 8' (Veldwijk)
O. Torres 11'
J. Martinez 32'
Veldwijk 35'
Koke 90++

It's never fun to lose on the last play of the game, especially when we had looked like the better team during the whole second half. The first half was fun but dangerous with a couple of lead changes but we made some really good half time adjustments and I really thought we would score the go-ahead goal (we took 12 shots, 6 on goal). Ironically it was a very late counter attack by Atlético off a corner kick by us that resulted in Koke's goal, keeping the Spanish club alive in the hunt for a spot into the next round and bringing us down to 2nd place in the group.

League Match 12
FC Twente - Feyenoord (2-1)
Veldwijk 3' (Nangis)
Veldwijk 69' (Børven)
Schuurman 90+'
Ebecilio 81'

Our improved defense worked wonders for us by keeping Feyenoord off the board until stoppage time of the second half and Lars Veldwijk scored a brace to help us pick up 3 points against an opponent that gave us plenty of problems last season.


Lucas Woudenberg helped Feyenoord stay competitive with this crucial save in the first half.

League Match 13
Excelsior - FC Twente (1-2)
Claes 28' (Da Cruz)
Badjeck 37'
Da Cruz 45+' (Olaitan)

Alessio Da Cruz showed why he's regularly an asset off the bench by leading the B-squad to a road victory against the worst team in the league. Jeroen Claes, a Belgian academy product, got the start at CAM after Juanpi Añor suffered an injury during international competition and scored his first goal as a professional, turning in a strong game overall. Another academy product, Phillipp Kübler, had a solid game at CB although his deflection on Cedric Badjeck's shot helped the Cameroonian striker score Excelsior's only goal.

Champions League - Group Match 5
FC Twente - Manchester Utd (3-2)
Rodríguez 5'
Sneijder 26' (Diks)
Rodríguez 43'
Sneijder 73' (Veldwijk)
Sneijder 90+' (Ebecilio)

One of the best games I've been a part of of. Man U's James Rodríguez seemed intent on stealing the spotlight but Sneijder showed that he's retiring at the end of the season because he wants and not because he has to. The skills are still alive and well and he used all of them to score a hat-trick to give us a dramatic victory at De Grolsch Veste, making the home fans go CRAZY and booking our spot into the Round of 16.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tGFe_k82nCc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


We're going to miss this guy after this season.

League Match 14
PEC Zwolle - FC Twente (1-1)
Veldwijk 34' (Sneijder)
Nijland 74' (pen)

This was a disappointing draw against the second worst team in the league. I won't even blame it on the hangover from the exciting win against Man U, if anything I'll give some credit to Zwolle who gave a really good effort. I nearly played the B-squad against them, glad I didn't.







Eredivisie
Top Scorers
1. Castillo (FC Groningen) - 9
T2. Børven (FC Twente) - 8
T2. Marengo (ADO Den Haag) - 8
...
T3. Veldwijk (FC Twente) - 7

Assists
T1. Larsson (SC Heerenveen) - 5
T1. Rusnák (Ajax) - 5
T1. Rodríguez (Vitesse) - 5
...
T2. Sneijder (FC Twente) - 4
T2. Veldwijk (FC Twente) - 4

Clean Sheets
1. Kritciuk (SC Heerenveen) - 5
2. Marchesín (FC Twente) - 4
T3. Domínguez (Vitesse) - 3
(3 others with 3 also)

Champions League
Top Scorers
T1. Sneijder (FC Twente) - 6
T1. Sturridge (Liverpool) - 6
T1. De Bruyne (PSG) - 6
...
T2. Veldwijk (FC Twente) - 5

Assists
1. Pelkas (PAOK) - 4
T2. Veldwijk (FC Twente) - 3
T2. Fernandinho (Manchester City) - 3
T2. Strootman (Roma) - 3

Clean Sheets
T1. Neuer (FC Bayern) - 4
T1. Courtois (Chelsea) - 4
T2. De Gea (Manchester Utd) - 3
(3 others with 3 also)

Review: Another excellent month. A silver lining from the draw against Zwolle is that we've had such a great run in league play this season that we're still sitting solid in the first place. I was amazed by how dominant Ajax was in the Eredivisie last season but the scary thing is we're on pace to finish with more points (85) than they finished with (84) last season. I didn't expect us to be this dominant, especially early on, but the improved defensive performances are making a big difference and the offense is keeping the scoring pace we had last season (when we ranked 2nd best in that department). The loss against Atlético hurts a lot less due to our dramatic win against Man U which put us back in first place in the group. Atlético and Man U will face off in their last game of the group stage which means our worst case scenario, if we don't beat Basel, is finishing in 2nd place. In other words, we're through to the Round of 16 which I'm pretty happy about. We'll still shoot to finish at the top of the group as to avoid the other group winners in the next round.

Finally, what else can be said about Wesley Sneijder? We set out to win the league for him this season but he's the one leading the charge, plus he has made us a contender in the Champions as well. If he can stay healthy **knocks on wood** we could really accomplish some special things this season.

The Academy
(listed by their ranking in it)

LW - Roy Verrips (58 OVR, 82-88): 17-year old attacking winger from the Netherlands flashing pace (77acc/75spd) and agility (75). He checks in at 5'11" and 158lbs and is the top prospect in the academy. However, he could benefit from a stay in the academy until next summer.

CM - Vasco Granero (54 OVR, 81-87): 17-year old from Venezuela described as a playmaker who has more potential than we initially thought. He possesses good agility (77) although he needs to work hard in the academy to become useful for the senior roster.

CM - Miguel Varela (48 OVR, 81-87): 17-year old from Venezuela described as defensive minded. None of his skills jump out at you right now because he's still very raw despite his age. However, in our scouts' opinions his promise is undeniable, including his 6'2", 169lbs frame. Despite requesting and not receiving a promotion earlier this season he remains in the academy which is something we're happy about.

LB - Odisseas Ludwig (61 OVR, 80-86): 16-year old from Germany described as physically strong who possesses great potential according to the final assessment from our youth scouts. The jumping (79), strength (79), aggression (76), and pace (75spd/74acc) are noticeable and well advanced for his age so our youth scouts are working on developing his defensive game.

RM - Mohamed Mühren (60 OVR, 80-86): Now a 17-year old from the Netherlands, standing at 5'5", 141lbs and showing great potential. He has very good pace (74spd/73acc), agility (73) and balance (73), a combination our coaches will try to continue to develop as well as other aspects of his game in hopes of finding a true diamond in the rough.

RW - Mauro Pröpper (58 OVR, 80-86): 16-year old from the Netherlands who is displaying very good agility (76) at a very young age to go with promising pace (73acc/67spd). Already labeled by our scouts as someone showing great potential.

RW - Rick El Makrini (56 OVR, 80-86): 16-year old from the Netherlands with notable pace (76spd/73acc) and balance (74) who shows a lot of promise early on.

CB - Agustin Benitez (56 OVR, 80-86): 15-year old from Venezuela showing a lot of promise. Described as physically strong, Benitez displays excellent aggression (78) and jumping (72) for his age.

GK - Olivier Ofori (58 OVR, 79-85): Our top goalkeeper prospect just turned 17 years and the Belgian now stands at 6'5" and 165lbs, excellent for his position. He has been progressing well in the academy and if he can remain there for the rest of the season he could become our third GK as soon as next season.

CB - Rico Kehrer (62 OVR, 78-84): The 16-year old from Germany is part of a pipeline of centre backs from that country in our academy/roster. He currently stands at 5'5" and 152lbs and is considered physically strong. He's an aggressive (89) defender.

RM - Jens Schuermans (60 OVR, 76-82): 16-year old from Belgium described as a playmaker. He's only 4'11" and 123lbs at the moment but he's crazy agile (76) for someone his age. He flashes some nice potential.

CF - Gustavo Jimenez (45 OVR, 76-82): 17-year old from Venezuela signed to the squad in big part due to the position that he plays. He becomes the first striker/centre-forward to join the academy so he has that going for him, to go along with noticeable size (6'4", 176lbs), strength (78), speed (75), and jumping (74). He has the tools to be come a useful scorer for us in the future.

GK - Nill Oulare (59 OVR, 74-80): 16-year old from Belgium currently standing at 5'9" and 157lbs. He has been developing well in his time in the academy although he projects as more of backup GK since scouts have concluded he doesn't have starting potential.

CDM - Daniel Yabo (64 OVR, 73-79): The 16-year old from Germany described as defensive minded has defensive skills that are pretty advanced for someone his age and his stamina is already good enough to at least play in a backup role. I'm considering promoting him before the upcoming transfer window to give him a chance to land some playing time on loan elsewhere.
* Recent addition

2022 WC - CONMEBOL Qualifying

WC Qualifying - Match 11
Venezuela - Uruguay (2-1)
Vecino 50'
Martinez 68' (Juanpi)
Rondón 81' (Breitner)

My guys did not let Vecino's goal from an impossible angle bring them down and fought back to give us 3 BIG points capped off by a superb header from Salomón Rondón off a cross from Breitner. Uruguay created many more scoring opportunities but we were more efficient.

WC Qualifying - Match 12
Argentina - Venezuela (2-1)
Pereyra 11'
Correa 20'
Rondón 87' (Juanpi)
Juanpi 16' (sprained knee, out 3 weeks)

Giving up 2 goals in the first 20 minutes against a team that much more talented than us away from home is barely ever a recipe for success, and it certainly wasn't on this day. To our credit we dominated possession in the second half but Argentina did an excellent job of covering up all the spaces making it nearly impossible for us to get many good looks, and by the time Rondón scored in the 87th minute it was too late to complete the comeback.


______________________________________

December schedule
12/5: vs PSV
12/9: at FC Basel (Champions League)
12/13: at Willem II
12/17: vs SC Cambuur (KNVB Beker)
12/20: vs Vitesse

I would like nothing else than to get to the midway point of the season at the top of the league table and our CL group. We were one-and-done in the KNVB last season so I definitely want to win our first game even if the local cup won't be a priority for us this season. Then it'll be on to the winter transfer window for which our finish in the CL group stage will be key as we desperately need funds in order to make the kind of moves that will improve our roster.

Stay tuned!

Spoiler

Kayseripor have pulled off back-to-back wins in UEL play to jump up to 2nd place in their group although they're just one point ahead of Austria Wien with a difficult matchup against Athletic Bilbao to close out the group stage. Bilbao does have the top spot on the table locked up so it's possible they'll play a B-squad against my former club but that could go either way. Hopefully they can complete the comeback and move on to the next round. They have also bounced back in the Süper Lig, up to 4th place and now just 7 points behind Fenerbahçe at the top of the table. I'm very happy that my former club has continued to do well after my departure as I feel that proves I set them up well for success, though most of the credit for their current success absolutely must go to Yakubu (their current manager).

^^^ previous update

The Globetrotter CM



FC Twente
'20-'21 December Update

The Roster

Spoiler

GK: Agustín Marchesín (78 OVR)
GK: Bruno Varela (73 OVR)

RB: Kevin Diks (78 OVR)
RB: Felix Passlack (71 OVR)
CB: Lisandro López (81 OVR)
CB: Joachim Andersen (77 OVR)
CB: Peet Bijen (72 OVR)
CB: Phillipp Kübler (70 OVR)*
CB: Abdou Diallo (67 OVR)
CB: Manuel Kratz (65 OVR)* (on loan at Amkar Perm)
CB: Marcel Engels (60 OVR)*
LB: Nathan Aké (76 OVR)
LB: Joe Gomez (72 OVR)
LB: Timo Behrens (65 OVR)*

CDM: José Gómez Solà (72 OVR)
CDM: Daniel Yabo (64 OVR)*
CM: Kyle Ebecilio (78 OVR)
CM: Renato Tapia (76 OVR)
RM: Derlis González (79 OVR)
RM: Issa Drost (66 OVR)*
LM: Lenny Nangis (81 OVR)
CAM: Wesley Sneijder (84 OVR)
CAM: Juan Pablo (Juanpi) Añor (77 OVR)
CAM: Jeroen Claes (70 OVR)*

RW: Luciano Wildschut (70 OVR)*
LW: Alessio Da Cruz (73 OVR)
ST: Lars Veldwijk (79 OVR)
ST: Torgeir Børven (74 OVR)
ST: Petter Karlsson (74 OVR) (on loan from Olym. Lyonnais)
ST: Michael Olaitan (72 OVR)
* Academy Graduate.

Starting XI (4-1-2-1-2)

Marchesín (78)

Diks (78)/Andersen (77)/López (81)/Aké (76)

Ebecilio (78)

Nangis (81) --------------- González (79)

Sneijder (C, 84)

Veldwijk (79) ------- Børven (74)
______________________________________

League Match 15
FC Twente - PSV (1-1)
Guardado 54'
Sneijder 79' (pen)

Andrés Guardado, Just outside the box, passed the ball ahead to Luuk de Jong who lightly tapped it to his right to a teammate who passed the ball back to Guardado coming at full steam and firing a shot Agustín Marchesín had no chance against. Now go ahead and tell me de Jong wasn't offsides on the play:



Luckily we were able to win a penalty kick with just over 10 minutes left in the game to manage a draw but I definitely came away from this game irate at the non-call on what my opinion was a clear offsides by de Jong. At least we pushed our unbeaten streak in league play to 13.

Champions League - Group Match 6
FC Basel - FC Twente (0-3)
Børven 6' (Veldwijk)
Børven 60' (Nangis)
Sneijder 69' (Veldwijk)

We needed to win this game to lock up our spot at the top of the group and that's exactly what we did thanks to our attacking trio. Torgeir Børven's goal just 6 minutes in definitely made the game easier for us and then we wrapped it up in a 10-minute span in the second half.


Sneijder wrapping up the scoring in this game in the 69th minute.

League Match 16
Willem II - FC Twente (4-0)
Børven 8' (Sneijder)
González 42' (Sneijder)
González 59' (Børven)
González 90+' (Børven)

Derlis González, who hasn't been the MVP-caliber player he was for us last season, reminded us all that he's a difference-maker with a hat-trick to lead us to a comfortable road win. Børven also showed he can be an impact player with his passing as well as with his scoring. Definitely the type of win we're supposed to have against a team on the lower end of the table.



<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HaOJwQnOhPU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

KNVB Beker - Round of 16
FC Twente - SC Cambuur (2-1)
Børven 31' (Sneijder)
Schootstra 37'
Sneijder 84'

The Yellow-Blues put up a good fight, making us sweat it, but Sneijder showed his leadership in the 84th minute by hustling to a ball played back to the Cambuur goalkeeper and sliding to win the ball from the GK and then score the game-winning goal. Cup games are definitely a different type of challenge.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Am7LIzJky_I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

League Match 17
FC Twente - Vitesse (7-1)
González 6' (Børven)
Børven 24' (González)
Veldwijk 36' (Sneijder)
Juanpi 67' (Veldwijk)
Juanpit 77' (Børven)
Veldwijk 83' (González)
Dauda 87'
Veldwijk 90+' (Tapia)

Seven. SIETE. Possibly the most goals I've scored in a game in this career, I'd have to go back and check. We DESTROYED Vitesse, who aren't just another team getting by this season but actually a club contending for a spot into European competitions next season. Vitesse did not start our former GK, Alexander Domínguez, which was probably a mistake (he's among the league's best in clean sheets this season). Hard to reach the halfway point of the season in much better form.


Veldwijk's hat-trick vaulted him to the top of the scoring race in the Eredivisie.







Eredivisie
Top Scorers
T1. Veldwijk (FC Twente) - 10
T1. Børven (FC Twente) - 10
T2. Castillo (FC Groningen) - 9
T2. Santos (N.E.C.) - 9
T2. Nijland (PEC Zwolle) - 9

Assists
1. Sneijder (FC Twente) - 7
2. Børven (FC Twente) - 6
T2. Veldwijk (FC Twente) - 5
(4 others with 5 also)

Clean Sheets
T1. Marchesín (FC Twente) - 5
T1. Kritciuk (SC Heerenveen) - 5
T2. Olij (AZ) - 4
T2. Miazek (Feyenoord) - 4

Champions League
Top Scorers
1. Sturridge (Liverpool) - 8
T2. Sneijder (FC Twente) - 7
T2. De Bruyne (PSG) - 7

Assists
1. Veldwijk (FC Twente) - 5
T2. Pelkas (PAOK) - 4
T2. Boufal (Manchester City) - 4

Clean Sheets
T1. Neuer (FC Bayern) - 4
T1. Courtois (Chelsea) - 4
T1. De Gea (Manchester Utd) - 4
T1. Hart (Manchester City) - 4
T1. Demirel (Fenerbahçe) - 4

Review: At the halfway point of the season we lead the league by 7 points, we're in the quarter finals of the local cup, and we're competing as one of the 16 best teams in Europe after winning a group that Manchester United and Atlético Madrid were part of. Oh, and our players also lead the Eredivisie in the scoring, assists, and clean sheet categories. So yea, we're having a tremendous season so far. Can we sustain this form? That's no easy task, and there's still a lot of season left, and all the success we have had so far this season won't mean a thing if we don't have some hardware to show for at season's end. A treble seems like a possibility now but I'm not really setting my sights on that just yet. Our goal continues to be winning the Eredivisie and doing as best as we can in the CL with the Oranje Beker being more of a secondary competition for us this season. In order to be a true contender for a treble we need to have the kind of depth that allows us to run out a solid B-squad and while we have an improved roster compared to a season ago we're not quite there yet.

The beginning of a new year will bring with it the start of the winter transfer window and we have been able to put together a solid budget as we head into that. Over $12 million received as a result of our performance so far in the CL plus some additional funds received from the board, who are now much more behind me due to our current success, means our budget is currently hovering around $20 million - far from making us an elite contender in the transfer market but certainly enough to help us go after an impact player or two. Børven is the subject of a lot of rumors but look at what he has been able to do for us this season: is he an untouchable player at the moment or should we look at him as being at the highest value he'll ever have? Stay tuned for the next update to see how the transfer window plays out.

The Academy
(listed by their ranking in it)

LW - Roy Verrips (59 OVR, 82-88): 17-year old attacking winger from the Netherlands flashing pace (77acc/76spd) and agility (75). He checks in at 5'11" and 158lbs and is the top prospect in the academy. However, he could benefit from a stay in the academy until next summer.

CM - Vasco Granero (55 OVR, 81-87): 17-year old from Venezuela described as a playmaker who has more potential than we initially thought. He possesses good agility (77) although he needs to work hard in the academy to become useful for the senior roster.

CM - Miguel Varela (49 OVR, 81-87): 17-year old from Venezuela described as defensive minded. None of his skills jump out at you right now because he's still very raw despite his age. However, in our scouts' opinions his promise is undeniable, including his 6'2", 169lbs frame. Despite requesting and not receiving a promotion earlier this season he remains in the academy which is something we're happy about.

LB - Odisseas Ludwig (61 OVR, 80-86): 16-year old from Germany described as physically strong who possesses great potential according to the final assessment from our youth scouts. The jumping (79), strength (79), aggression (76), and pace (75spd/74acc) are noticeable and well advanced for his age so our youth scouts are working on developing his defensive game.

RM - Mohamed Mühren (60 OVR, 80-86): Now a 17-year old from the Netherlands, standing at 5'5", 141lbs and showing great potential. He has very good pace (74spd/73acc), agility (73) and balance (73), a combination our coaches will try to continue to develop as well as other aspects of his game in hopes of finding a true diamond in the rough.

RW - Mauro Pröpper (59 OVR, 80-86): 16-year old from the Netherlands who is displaying very good agility (76) at a very young age to go with promising pace (73acc/67spd). Already labeled by our scouts as someone showing great potential.

RW - Rick El Makrini (57 OVR, 80-86): 16-year old from the Netherlands with notable pace (77spd/73acc) and balance (74) who shows a lot of promise early on.

CB - Agustin Benitez (57 OVR, 80-86): 15-year old from Venezuela showing a lot of promise. Described as physically strong, Benitez displays excellent aggression (79) and jumping (72) for his age.

GK - Olivier Ofori (59 OVR, 79-85): Our top goalkeeper prospect just turned 17 years and the Belgian now stands at 6'5" and 165lbs, excellent for his position. He has been progressing well in the academy and if he can remain there for the rest of the season he could become our third GK as soon as next season.

CB - Rico Kehrer (63 OVR, 78-84): The 16-year old from Germany is part of a pipeline of centre backs from that country in our academy/roster. He currently stands at 5'5" and 152lbs and is considered physically strong. He's an aggressive (90) defender.

RM - Jens Schuermans (61 OVR, 76-82): 16-year old from Belgium described as a playmaker. He's only 4'11" and 123lbs at the moment but he's crazy agile (76) for someone his age. He flashes some nice potential.

CF - Gustavo Jimenez (46 OVR, 76-82): 17-year old from Venezuela signed to the squad in big part due to the position that he plays. He becomes the first striker/centre-forward to join the academy so he has that going for him, to go along with noticeable size (6'4", 176lbs), strength (78), speed (76), and jumping (75). He has the tools to be come a useful scorer for us in the future.

GK - Nill Oulare (60 OVR, 74-80): 16-year old from Belgium currently standing at 5'9" and 158lbs. He has been developing well in his time in the academy although he projects as more of backup GK since scouts have concluded he doesn't have starting potential.
* Recent addition

I promoted Daniel Yabo (CDM, 64 OVR) mostly with hopes we'll be able to get him a short loan for the rest of the season. He has developed well in the academy but at this point his development will be much better with real playing time.

January schedule
1/16: vs ADO Den Haag
1/20: at Ajax
1/23: vs De Graafschap
1/30: vs Willem II

January won't be heavy with games but hopefully it'll have a lot of heavy action in the transfer market. Outside of Ajax it also presents an opportunity to strengthen our lead in the Eredivisie, though don't think I don't want to also beat Ajax again since doing that may provide them a knockout blow. Also keep an eye on the fact a team being coached by me will once again face Napoli in European competition (though not till February), the team that eliminated my Kayserispor squad from the UEL a couple of seasons ago. I really can't seem to avoid Italian teams in the knockout rounds of Italian competitions (Napoli two seasons ago, Fiorentina and Lazio last season, Napoli again this season) but at least this time I'll have the best roster I've ever coached, so I have that going for me. Stay tuned!

[Cruzerr]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

In that Number
Southampton FC Career Mode
Season 1

Squad

Spoiler

Goalkeepers

GK - Koen Casteels - Age 24 - 78 OVR - Belgium
GK - Alex McCarthy - Age 26 - 76 OVR - England
GK - Stuart Taylor - Age 35 - 68 OVR - England
GK - Paulo Gazzaniga - Age 24 - 69 OVR - Argentina (On loan at Rayo Vallecano)

Defenders

RB - Cuco Martina - Age 26 - 72 OVR - Curacao
RB - Cedric - Age 24 - 78 OVR - Portugal
RB - Jeremy Pied - Age 27 - 75 OVR - French
RB - Richard Bakary - Age 18 - 60 OVR - Benin
RB - Jason McCarthy - Age 20 - 60 OVR - England (On loan at Walsall)
CB - Jose Fonte - Age 32 - 83 OVR - Portugal
CB - Virgil van Dijk - Age 26 - 80 OVR - Netherlands
CB - Jack Stephens - Age 22 - 65 OVR - England
CB - Maya Yoshida - Age 27 - 73 OVR - Japan
CB - Florin Gardos - Age 27 - 74 OVR - Romania
LB - Ryan Bertrand - Age 26 - 79 OVR - England
LB - Matt Targett - Age 20 - 68 OVR - England
LB - Will Wood - Age 19 - 59 OVR - England
LB - Sam McQueen - Age 21 - 62 OVR - England

Midfielders

CDM - Oriol Romeu - Age 24 - 75 OVR - Spain
CDM - Jordy Clasie - Age 25 - 77 OVR - Netherlands
CDM - Harrison Reed - Age 21 - 68 OVR - England
RM - Nathan Redmond - Age 22 - 75 OVR - England
RM - Tyreke Johnson - Age 17 - 59 OVR - England
RM - Lloyd Isgrove - Age 23 - 67 OVR - Wales
CM - Steven Davis - Age 31 - 77 OVR - Northern Ireland
CM - Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - Age 20 - 75 OVR - Denmark
CM - James Ward-Prowse - Age 21 - 76 OVR - England
CM - Dominic Gape - Age 21 - 61 OVR - England
LM - Dusan Tadic - Age 27 - 79 OVR - Serbia
LM - Jay Rodriguez - Age 26 - 77 OVR - England
CAM - Jake Hesketh - Age 20 - 63 OVR - England

Attackers

RW - Siph Mdlalose - Age 17 - 61 OVR - South Africa
ST - Charlie Austin - Age 26 - 78 OVR - England
ST - Shane Long - Age 29 - 77 OVR - Republic of Ireland
ST - Marcus Barnes - Age 19 - 58 OVR - England
ST - Sam Gallagher - Age 20 - 68 OVR - England (On loan at Blackburn Rovers)
LW - Sofiane Boufal - Age 22 - 80 OVR - Morocco

Goals

Spoiler

Youth Development

LONG TERM

Within 2 seasons, have at least 1 players from the Youth Academy signed in the first season play at least 50% of the games in the next season.

Brand Exposure

SHORT TERM

Gain €25.000.000 earnings from shirt sales within a season

Financial

LONG TERM

Within 2 season, increase the club worth of your club by 15%

Domestic Success

SHORT TERM

Premier League: Finish Mid Table

The Emirates FA Cup: Reach the Round of 16 Stage

LONG TERM

Within 2 seasons in Premier League: Finish in a Euro League spot

Continental Success

SHORT TERM

Euro League: Reach the Semi Final

August

Premier League
Matchday 1
Southampton 1-0 Watford
34' Bertrand (Davis)

FIFA MOTM: Fraser Forster
MY MOTM: Fraser Forster

Premier League
Matchday 2
Manchester United 1-2 Southampton
29' Depay (Ibrahimovic)
35' Austin (PEN)
90' Davis (Ward-Prowse)

FIFA MOTM: Steven Davis
MY MOTM: Fraser Forster

EFL Cup
Round 2
Accrington Stanley 0-2 Southampton
45' Hughes (OG)
59' Long

FIFA MOTM: Virgil van Dijk
MY MOTM: Shane Long

Premier League
Matchday 4
Southampton 1-1 Sunderland
34' Kone (Khazri)
45' Boufal

FIFA MOTM: Sofiane Boufal
MY MOTM: Sofiane Boufal

Pictures to Remember


Bertrand with a screamer - great way to start the season


Late scramble for a winner


Long showing the Accrington boys how it is done


Don't be fooled - it did go in

WRAP-UP

I AM BACK AND I AM STAYING I DON'T CARE - no point of explaining that one.

Why Southampton? - I LIVE HERE, I HAVE A SEASON TICKET, GO ON SAINTS (love it that I am writing this as they beat Arsenal).

Initial thoughts - Obviously, the team needs a ton of work to take that step up to glory, it isn't exactly with the same level of talent of a Everton or Stoke City(FIFA wise), but it has a lot of youth that can grow into big players.

We started off really well, I'd say. Huge win against ManU, into the next round of the Cup, nothing to complain about.

I wanted to make a POTM, and it was going to be Forster, but he decided to leave to Spurs, forced his move out. So, on the last day, I picked up Casteels, so we shall see how that will do.

If anybody is wondering - Forster got sold for €15.5 mil, Casteels got bought for €18 mil.

Next month? - Arsenal (A), Lille (EL, H), Bournemouth (EFL, H), West Ham (A), Swansea (H), Aberdeen (EL, A)

Also, realised that the pictures are WAAY too big, sorry!

I hope you enjoyed this first post, and many more to come!

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Newport County A.F.C.

'20-'21 November Update

Spoiler

The Roster

Spoiler

Spoiler

GK:Jasper Cillessen (85 OVR)
GK: Hayato Matsuki (69 OVR)*
GK: Eiichi Suzuki (69 OVR)*

RB: Yasir Al Shahrani (80 OVR)
RB: Moses Odubajo (73 OVR)
RB: Atsushi Nagatsuka (68 OVR)*
RB: Willem Van Hout (67 OVR)*
RB: Johan Sheriff (64 OVR)*
RB: Márcio Souza (64 OVR)*
RB: Miguel De Mesquites (60 OVR)*
CB: Kurt Zouma (85 OVR)
CB: Ron Vlaar (79 OVR)
CB: Sebastián Vegas (77 OVR)
CB: Bondz Laslie (70 OVR)* (on loan at Dagenham)
CB: Tafari Hunt (69 OVR)*
CB: Tom Maguire (64 OVR)*
LB: Jordan Amavi (78 OVR)
LB: Elmir Nabiullin (76 OVR)
LB: Gregorio Miranda (73 OVR)*
LB: Jeff Cohen (64 OVR)*

CDM: Rohan Ince (77 OVR)
CDM: Cristiano Dall'Oglio (72 OVR)*
CDM: Doke Boëtius (72 OVR)*
CDM: Daniel Amaral (62 OVR)*
CM: Paul Pogba (90 OVR)
CM: Clark Gordon (79 OVR)*
CM: Joe Allen (79 OVR)*
CM: Gary Woods (70 OVR)* (on loan at Blackburn Rovers)
CM: Daniel Seager (70 OVR)* (on loan at Exeter City)
CM: Yoshi Ishinomori (63 OVR)*
RM: David Fox (72 OVR)*
LM: Raphaël Guerreiro (80 OVR)
LM: Ben Potter (74 OVR)*
CAM: Jefferson Farfán (79 OVR)
CAM: Andrea De Girolamo (73 OVR)* (on loan at Wolves)
CAM: Daniele Martella (71 OVR)*
CAM: Eduard Cardenas (59 OVR)*

RW: Jack Giles (72 OVR)*
LW: Bondz Moore (77 OVR)*
ST: Thierry Ambrose (80 OVR)
ST: Kjetil Ringdal Støvland (76 OVR)*
ST: Nicolas Gersbeck (74 OVR)
ST: Aaron Leya Iseka (71 OVR)
ST: Liam Taylor (64 OVR)*
ST: Sean Hugill (60 OVR)*
ST: Mikael Weilid (57 OVR)*
* Academy Graduate.

Starting XI (4-4-2 Diamond Wide)

Cillessen (85)

Al Shahrani (80)/Zouma (85)/Vegas (77)/Amavi (78)

Pogba (90)

Farfán (C, 79) ------------------ Guerreiro (80)

Gordon (79)

Ambrose (80) ------- Ringdal Støvland (76)
______________________________________

League Match 11
Newport County - Newcastle Utd (3-2)
Gordon 2' (Al Shahrani)
Cabella 45+'
Farfán 64' (Ambrose)
Ringdal Støvland 68' (Farfán)
Bojan 71'

Sometimes it's the little things that matter. Newcastle Utd poorly executed a throw-in in the 63rd minute, throwing the ball in towards their own side from near the Newport County box and to no player in particular. Thierry Ambrose recovered the ball near midfield and started a quick counter attack in which he assisted Jefferson Farfán for the 2-1 lead that would grow to 3-1 just a few minutes later as Farfán became the facilitator and assisted Kjetil Ringdal Støvland with a cross from the right wing. The Magpies, which had gone punch-for-punch with Marccelino's squad for about 60 minutes, were unable to fully recover from the mini-scoring outburst by the hosts as Newport County pulled off the victory to remain at the top of the table.

Euro League - Group Match 4
Newport County - FC Zürich (4-0)
Ringdal Støvland 12' (Ambrose)
Moore 65' (Ringdal Støvland)
Ringdal Støvland 80' (Gersbeck)
Pogba 87' (Ringdal Støvland)
Gordon 45+' (sprained knee, out 3 weeks)

The Norwegian Tank was FC Zürich's nightmare all game long, netting 2 goals and 2 assists to factor in every score of a dominating win to solidify The Exiles at the top of their group in the UEL. It was the latest breakout performance by the Newport County academy graduate who has taken both the BPL and UEL by storm so far this season.

League Match 12
Arsenal - Newport County (1-2)
Ambrose 31' (Farfán)
Ramsey 35'
Ringdal Støvland 72' (Farfán)

Thierry Ambrose broke out of a long scoring drought that went on for about two months and Ringdal Støvland scored once again as The Exiles pulled off a huge victory at the Emirates Stadium to put some distance between them and The Gunners at the top of the table. Newport County's defense should also get a lot of credit for the victory as they frustrated Arsenal's attack which took 8 shots but was only on target 3 times.


This shot by Ambrose opened up the scoring and ended the Frenchman's scoring drought.

League Match 13
Newport County - Everton (3-1)
Ringdal Støvland 48' (Farfán)
Stones 67'
Potter 89'
Ringdal Støvland 90+' (Ambrose)
Pogba 39' (sprained knee, out 3 weeks)

It's RS' world at this point of time, we're all just living in it. Only this kid, who is on absolute fire, could turn a game that had been so tightly contested throughout and turn it into a solid win for his club in the final minutes of the game. It was his strong shot from the left side of the box that bounced towards Potter in the 89th minute after being saved by Jack Butland which resulted in The Exiles taking the late lead, and it was Ringdal Støvland himself who sealed the deal in stoppage time off a nice feed from Ambrose.
The only bad news for Newport County was Pogba's injury - the Frenchman has quietly been the team's best player so far this season. On the other hand, Clark Gordon would be returning to the lineup from his injury for the next game.


Ringdal Støvland gave some extra effort to open up the scoring early in the second half.

Euro League - Group Match 5
Standard Liège - Newport County (2-0)
Dossevi 37'
Emond 75'
Ambrose 41' (bruised shoulder, out 5 days)

Les Rouches shocked The Exiles to stay alive in the UEL and put Newport County's chances to advance to the knockout rounds in danger. The Belgian club managed two firsts for a team facing Newport County in the UEL this season: scoring twice on them and holding them scoreless.

League Match 14
Leicester City - Newport County (3-1)
Al Shahrani 39' (Ince)
Vardy 54'
James 83'
Kramarić 90+'

The Foxes showed that they're for real this season by completing a shocking victory over The Exiles who looked far from the dominating club they have been for most of the season. Newport County was being lucky to manage a draw before Matty James finally broke the deadlock in the 83rd minute. Andrej Kramarić finished off the scoring for Leicester City to put them into the Top 5.






Barclays PL
Top Scorers
1. Rooney (Manchester Utd) - 9
T2. Ringdal Støvland (Newport County) - 8
T2. Lewandowski (Chelsea) - 8

Assists
1. Farfán (Newport County) - 6
2. Ambrose (Newport County) - 5
T3. Tadić (Southampton) - 4
(4 others with 4 also)

Clean Sheets
1. Schmeichel (Leicester City) - 6
T2. Enyeama (Manchester City) - 5
T2. Begović (Chelsea) - 5
T2. Butland (Everton) - 5
...
T3. Cillessen (Newport County) - 4

Euro League
Top Scorers
T1. Rooney (Manchester Utd) - 5
T1. Sánchez (Arsenal) - 5
T1. Slimani (1899 Hoffenheim) - 5
(5 others with 5 also)

Assists
1. Ringdal Støvland (Newport County) - 6
T2. Higuaín (Napoli) - 3
T2. Ziyech (FC Twente) - 3
(3 others with 3 also)

Clean Sheets
1. Benaglio (VfL Wolfsburg) - 5
T2. Berisha (Lazio) - 4
T2. Arrizabalaga (Athletic Bilbao) - 4

Analysis: The Exiles seemed on their way to breaking apart from the pack atop the BPL standings before the loss at Leicester City to end the month. That loss could very well be a reminder that the BPL is arguably the most competitive league in Europe and winning the league title will not be so easy. Tottenham continues to lurk right behind Newport County, boasting an equally impressive defense to go with the highest scoring attack in the league. Expect a lot to happen before this race is decided, with the handful of teams behind them also making some noise. More concerning for Marccelino has to be finishing November with back-to-back losses, both with his main squad. Coincidentally the mini losing streak comes following Pogba's absence from the lineup due to injury, perhaps strengthening the case for the Frenchman being the most valuable player for The Exiles so far this season. Pogba is likely to miss a couple more games before he's healed enough from his injury so Newport County better figure out their issues quickly before losing big opportunities. Despite their loss in Belgium they remain at the top of their group in the UEL but will need at least a draw when they travel to Spain to face Real Sociedad who themselves will be looking to win to assure their spot into the knockout rounds. The teams battled to a draw in their first meeting last month.

Individually the story of the month was once again Ringdal Støvland whose four-game scoring streak coincided with the club's four victories this month and who was held scoreless in the team's two defeats. We're running out of accolades to throw towards the Norwegian youngster short of exaggerating how valuable he has been for Marccelino's squad this season. His success continues to overshadow the struggles of his striking partner, Ambrose, who despite momentarily breaking his dry spell on the scoring sheet continues to be in an overall funk in the scoring department, even if he continues to be a facilitator for others scoring. Strikers are ultimately judged for putting the ball at the back of the net and Ambrose has struggled to do that consistently this season after being a bonafide scoring threat for Newport County since his arrival at the club almost three years ago. Marccelino needs Ambrose to snap out of his funk sooner than later, especially in games when RS is unable to score (he won't score in every game, right?).

The Academy
(listed by their ranking in it)

LW - Marcos Andrade (65 OVR, 89-94 POT): 16-year old GEM from Portugal, a physically-gifted player with a balanced game who is entrenched as the top prospect in the academy and one of the best overall prospects on the roster.

CDM - Pierre Tägtström (53 OVR, 83-89): 15-year old from Sweden who is officially next in line in a great lineup of defensive midfielders developed by the club since Marccelino's arrival. Described as physically strong, Tägtström's exciting potential is undeniable and he displays excellent aggressiveness (83) towards the ball. At his age and with the club's depth at the position he should be able to spend time developing in the academy without any rush.

LW - Andre Domingues (52 OVR, 77-83): 15-year old from Portugal who is raw but exhibits great potential. His top attribute at this time is his pace (75acc/68spd).

CF - Jordan Davies (54 OVR, 73-79): 16-year old from England described as physically strong and measuring at 5'5", 154lbs. He may not be more than a backup in the future but he flashes a natural ability to play in the air (80 jumping) and fight for the ball (75 aggression) to go with solid stamina (75) and pace (75acc/74spd).
* Recent addition

Johan Sheriff (RB, 64 OVR) was promoted to the senior roster following his 18th birthday. He's an exciting prospect who is likely to be brought along slowly, though he's expected to compete with Gregorio Miranda as a right-footed fullback coming off the bench for the B-squad.

2022 WC - UEFA Qualifying

Group Match 5
Turkey - Hungary (1-1)
Yokuşlu 15'
Szalai 41' (Nagy)
Kalmár 45+'

The script changed for the first time so far for Hungary in these qualifiers as they were not the ones to jump ahead on the scoreboard and their comeback attempt was hampered by Zsolt Kalmár's red card in stoppage time of the first half, more than deserved after a late tackle from behind. Kalmár's departure broke up Marccelino's 3-4-3 diamond as Hungary moved to a 4-4-1, a move that paid excellent dividends as the Hungarians were able to far out-shoot Turkey and hang steal a point on the road.

Group Match 6
Hungary - Belgium (0-2)
J. Lukaku 66'
Nainggolan 86'

Marccelino went back to the 5-3-2 that had had success in Brussels a couple of months ago but Belgium's superior talent proved too much to handle this time around as Hungary was handed its first loss of this WC qualifying. Hungary was able to create a good number of scoring opportunities (10 shots, 5 on target) but Thibaut Courtois was practically unbeatable on this night.

December Schedule
12/5: vs Southampton
12/10: at Real Sociedad (Euro League)
12/13: at Derby County
12/19: vs Hull City
12/26: at Chelsea
12/28: vs Norwich City
12/30: at West Ham

The Exiles' struggles will be tested in the earlier part of the month as they face an always difficult Southampton squad, travel to Spain for a very difficult match, then return to the Kingdom for a trip northeast to face a Derby County squad having an excellent season following their promotion from the Championship. A showdown at Chelsea is surrounded by winnable games against Hull, Norwich, and bottom-dwelling WHU but Newport County will need to have shaken off their struggles in order to succeed against these clubs. The schedule is likely to force an appearance from the B-squad against Norwich.

Thanks for reading!

^^^ previous update

Newport County A.F.C.

'20-'21 December Update

The Roster

Spoiler

GK:Jasper Cillessen (85 OVR)
GK: Hayato Matsuki (70 OVR)*
GK: Eiichi Suzuki (69 OVR)*

RB: Yasir Al Shahrani (80 OVR)
RB: Moses Odubajo (73 OVR)
RB: Atsushi Nagatsuka (68 OVR)*
RB: Willem Van Hout (68 OVR)*
RB: Johan Sheriff (65 OVR)*
RB: Márcio Souza (64 OVR)*
RB: Miguel De Mesquites (61 OVR)*
CB: Kurt Zouma (85 OVR)
CB: Ron Vlaar (79 OVR)
CB: Sebastián Vegas (77 OVR)
CB: Bondz Laslie (70 OVR)* (on loan at Dagenham)
CB: Tafari Hunt (69 OVR)*
CB: Tom Maguire (64 OVR)*
LB: Jordan Amavi (78 OVR)
LB: Elmir Nabiullin (76 OVR)
LB: Gregorio Miranda (73 OVR)*
LB: Jeff Cohen (64 OVR)*

CDM: Rohan Ince (77 OVR)
CDM: Cristiano Dall'Oglio (72 OVR)*
CDM: Doke Boëtius (72 OVR)*
CDM: Daniel Amaral (62 OVR)*
CM: Paul Pogba (90 OVR)
CM: Clark Gordon (80 OVR)*
CM: Joe Allen (79 OVR)*
CM: Gary Woods (71 OVR)* (on loan at Blackburn Rovers)
CM: Daniel Seager (70 OVR)* (on loan at Exeter City)
CM: Yoshi Ishinomori (63 OVR)*
RM: David Fox (72 OVR)*
LM: Raphaël Guerreiro (80 OVR)
LM: Ben Potter (74 OVR)*
CAM: Jefferson Farfán (79 OVR)
CAM: Andrea De Girolamo (73 OVR)* (on loan at Wolves)
CAM: Daniele Martella (72 OVR)*
CAM: Eduard Cardenas (59 OVR)*

RW: Jack Giles (72 OVR)*
LW: Bondz Moore (77 OVR)*
ST: Thierry Ambrose (80 OVR)
ST: Kjetil Ringdal Støvland (77 OVR)*
ST: Nicolas Gersbeck (75 OVR)
ST: Aaron Leya Iseka (71 OVR)
ST: Liam Taylor (64 OVR)*
ST: Sean Hugill (60 OVR)*
ST: Mikael Weilid (57 OVR)*
* Academy Graduate.

Starting XI (4-4-2 Diamond Wide)

Cillessen (85)

Al Shahrani (80)/Zouma (85)/Vlaar (79)/Amavi (78)

Pogba (90)

Farfán (C, 79) ------------------ Guerreiro (80)

Gordon (80)

Ambrose (80) ------- Ringdal Støvland (77)
______________________________________

League Match 15
Newport County - Southampton (0-0)

The Exiles took 10 shots in this game, the majority of them on target, but Saints' goalkeeper Fraser Forster racked up 8 saves to keep a clean sheet and help his side steal a point at Rodney Parade, pushing Newport County's win-less streak to three games.

Euro League - Group Match 6
Real Sociedad - Newport County (1-1)
Farfán 15' (pen)
Canales 50'
Pogba 58' (bruised shoulder, out 9 days)

The Exiles left San Sebastián with a golden point to clinch a spot into the knockout round after yet another intense draw against Real Sociedad that could had been won by either team. Paul Pogba convinced coaches he was good enough to go for this game and was able to avoid further issues with his knee, and the shoulder bruise shouldn't keep him out for long.

League Match 16
Derby County - Newport County (1-1)
Farfán 27' (pen)
Camara 62'

A successful Jefferson Farfán penalty kick was once again all the scoring The Exiles could muster as they failed to win a game for the fifth consecutive time. The recently promoted Rams showed why they have been able to hang around the higher side of the standings up until this point of the season, extending Newport County's scoring struggles and being timely with their own scoring (they only had two shots on goal).

League Match 17
Newport County - Hull City (3-1)
Pogba 36' (Gordon)
Livermore 41'
Gordon 66'
Farfán 90++' (Guerreiro)

Paul Pogba scored a long-distance screamer in the first half, Clark Gordon's free kick in the 66th minute scored after a deflection off the wall, and Farfán extended his scoring streak to three games as The Exiles finally got back on the winning track after about a month. Former Exiles' GK Bill Hamid did not draw the start for Hull.

League Match 18
Chelsea - Newport County (0-1)
Pogba 26' (Amavi)

Pogba scored yet another long-ranger and The Exiles' defense showed they remain arguably the best in the BPL as Newport County earned a high-value road win at Stamford Bridge. Marccelino's squad controlled possession (56%) but The Blues created a lot more scoring opportunities (7 shots on goal), none of which came to fruition thanks to an excellent outing from Jasper Cillessen and the guys in front of him. Much like with their win against Arsenal last month, Newport County was able to widen the gap between them and another title-contending team lurking behind them in the standings.

League Match 19
Newport County - Norwich City (1-1)
King 28'
Leya Iseka 72' (Boëtius)

The Exiles' B-squad kept Newport County's undefeated streak this month intact thanks to a moment of brilliance by one of their academy graduates. Doke Boëtius flashed his great potential just after 70 minutes in, stealing the ball from a Norwich player near midfield then playing a through pass to Aaron Leya Iseka to give Marccelino's side their first goal by a striker since Kjetil Ringdal Støvland scored a brace against Everton more than a month ago.


League Match 20
West Ham - Newport County (0-2)
Guerreiro 6' (Pogba)
Moore 89' (Pogba)
Ambrose 83'

Even without scoring Paul Pogba played arguably his best game this season, earning a 9.9 game rating, as The Exiles completed a successful undefeated month to end the year. Aside from his two assists Pogba played a very complete game in the midfield, recovering the ball as well as passing it with great efficiency.






Barclays PL
Top Scorers
1. Rooney (Manchester Utd) - 12
2. Lewandowski (Chelsea) - 11
3. Kane (Spurs) - 10

Assists
T1. Farfán (Newport County) - 6
T1. Deulofeu (Everton) - 6
T2. Ambrose (Newport County) - 5
T2. Kane (Spurs) - 5
T2. Pritchard (Spurs) - 5

Clean Sheets
1. Schmeichel (Leicester City) - 8
2. Cillessen (Newport County) - 7
T3. Enyeama (Manchester City) - 6
T3. Begović (Chelsea) - 6
T2. Lloris (Spurs) - 6

Euro League
Top Scorers
T1. Finnbogason (Olympiakos CFP) - 6
T1. Gómez (Athletic Bilbao) - 6
T2. Rooney (Manchester Utd) - 5
(7 others with 5 also)

Assists
1. Ringdal Støvland (Newport County) - 6
2. Moutinho (AS Monaco) - 4
T3. Higuaín (Napoli) - 3
(9 others with 3 also)

Clean Sheets
1. Benaglio (VfL Wolfsburg) - 5
T2. Berisha (Lazio) - 4
T2. Arrizabalaga (Athletic Bilbao) - 4
(3 others with 4 also)

Analysis: For a team that went into this month struggling The Exiles were able to do a lot of damage control and achieved an undefeated month. Newport County reaches the halfway point of the season as part of what looks like a two-headed race for the league title so they have to be excited about that. However, their 3-3-0 record in the BPL didn't allow them to remain at the top of the table as Tottenham managed a 4-2-0 record of their own in December. Furthermore, if you noticed, Marccelino's main squad went the whole month without getting a score from either Ringdal Støvland or Thierry Ambrose. RS has had a really good season so we won't overreact to a quiet month by the youngster but Ambrose's struggles have been going on for the last few months now, and are becoming a serious cause for concern. The French striker's scoring resume is difficult to overlook but he's going through a deep dry spell in the scoring sheet and it's a tall order to ask ANY Premier League squad to win a title with one of their main scorers consistently failing to put the ball at the back of the net. Lack of scoring aside, Ambrose's overall form hasn't been a cause for concern but he may be exhausting the club's patience at a bad time with the winter transfer window about to begin.

Newport County's draw at Anoeta kept them above Real Sociedad in their UEL group but the shock was FC Zürich's win over Standard Liège to thwart the Belgian club's attempt to overtake Sociedad in the standings. The Exiles won their group and will now try to improve on their run into the quarter finals of the UEL last season, which will be a very tough task now that they find themselves competing for the BPL title. Their opponent in the UEL's Round of 32 will be Lech Poznań. Marccelino is likely to want to compete for the F.A. Cup as well.

The Academy
(listed by their ranking in it)

LW - Marcos Andrade (66 OVR, 89-94 POT): 16-year old GEM from Portugal, a physically-gifted player with a balanced game who is entrenched as the top prospect in the academy and one of the best overall prospects on the roster.

CDM - Pierre Tägtström (54 OVR, 83-89): 15-year old from Sweden who is next in a great lineup of defensive midfielders developed by the club since Marccelino's arrival. Described as physically strong, Tägtström's exciting potential is undeniable and he displays excellent aggressiveness (83) towards the ball. At his age and with the club's depth at the position he should be able to spend time developing in the academy without any rush.

LW - Andre Domingues (52 OVR, 77-83): 15-year old from Portugal who is raw but exhibits great potential. His top attribute at this time is his pace (75acc/69spd).

CF - Jordan Davies (55 OVR, 73-79): 16-year old from England described as physically strong and measuring at 5'5", 154lbs. He may not be more than a backup in the future but he flashes a natural ability to play in the air (81 jumping) and fight for the ball (76 aggression) to go with very good stamina (76) and pace (75acc/75spd).
* Recent addition

The Exiles have sent one of their scouts out to France in search of more speed to add to their academy.

January Schedule
1/3: vs Reading (F.A. Cup)
1/6: vs Watford
1/9: vs Chelsea
1/16: at Hull City
1/31: vs Arsenal

The Exiles' will kick off the new year with an F.A. Cup 3rd round match against Reading then play two teams from each the upper and lower half of the EPL standings. Newport County needs to demonstrate some urgency in shaking off their form if they want to remain in contention for a league title. The upcoming transfer window will be an intriguing one for Marccelino's squad as they may not be significant players in it despite having a good budget at the moment.

Thanks for reading!