Gendo
12 years ago
1 year ago
1,194
Premium
This season is turning out to be magical, SBR! I think I found the right tactics/players combo to make it work. Plus a little luck that other teams are having struggles early.

Thanks for the praise, Dan! It's been cracking to say the least.

October 2016

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/WvNu5XqkpGI4aKe12rhi8u3Rp7NAll1ZCtHf54im.png

Almost a perfect month again! Starting out with a great result versus Arsenal. They weren't at full strength, though, as Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, and Bernard were all injured for this match, and several others were being rested for fitness, I'm sure. I pounded their weakened side, as Lukaku scored a brace and Sami Khedhira got himself sent off in the second half. Great result here to keep us near the top.

However we had a little slip up against Fulham. We, ourselves, didn't have a full strength squad, as this was after the international break. A break that saw Seamus Coleman, Cédric, and Leighton Baines all go out for 2-3 weeks with injury. Lukaku continued his fine form, but Fulham equalized just before half time to knot the match up. We had some attacking chances int he second half, but the finishing failed us, and we dropped points.

The team were looking forward to this match against Steaua Bucharest, as they've given up a total of 13 goals in the Europa League group so far. Steaua were clearly in a down year this year, as we hammered them as well. Of course, though, we conceded a couple of goals to them, so far the only team that has let them score. To be fair though, we only had three center back available, so I had to tweak the tactics a bit to make it work. Fortunately, the attack was uber heavy, allowing us to shoot 9 past them; Aiden McGeady. Advancement is all but in the books.

We took the tip-top Europa League form back into the league, as we took out Crystal Palace, 3-0. Lukaku continues his consecutive matches scored run, after a brace here. Patrick Roberts had a fine day, netting goal himself and assisting on one of Lukaku's chances.

Charlton were up next in the Capital One Cup, and were dispatched with relative ease. Lukaku got us to a flying start after just 33 seconds, while Schär and Naismith collected a goal apiece to see them off.

The final match of the month saw us defeat Swansea in the league. "Gibbo" Darron Gibson opened up the scoreline, but Wilfried Bony answered back jsut a few minutes later. Then Lukaku extended his matches scored in streak to 6 as he nets a brace to put the team out ahead for good, even with Gylfi Sigurðsson getting one back in the 74th minute.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/vfksWPug57fo2Ql3FFQnwVBBh050g0RdJRluk051.png

Second place, undefeated so far, only behind Man United on goal difference. That is a great place to be early in the season. Fine form looks like it can continue too next month, injuries notwithstanding.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/tEdcQF9mho3gvosYywjQk9JVvsuTVwONslgz8itk.png

Captial One Cup quarterfinals see us taking on Tottenham next. Spurs have been known to score on us early and often, so that'll be a tricky tie in December.

The next update will be from 1/11 to 2/12, since the Europa League will end on the first of December. I want to give the final update from that group and see where everyone ends up. Until then, thanks again for reading, and I'll see you all in the next post!
Johno
17 years ago
2 weeks ago
2,643
Premium
Impressive win over Steaua
SBR
9 years ago
3 years ago
719
Ill second that johno.What a season so far mate and lukaku has been lethal.Hope for your sake he doesn't suffer another injury.You keep him fit and the league could be yours.In league cup quarters and you have no reason to fear spurs.
Dan
13 years ago
5 months ago
16,964
Typical the season your having a flyer man united are going toe to toe with you! superb though!
Gendo
12 years ago
1 year ago
1,194
Premium
I know, Johno. I rarely see those large goal scoring matches unless something is completely wrong with the tactics or personnel (like the Chelsea game two seasons ago )

@SBR: Can you believe he's played 16 matches so far and scored 18 times? Insane! He's been a very steady goal scorer this season.

And Man U are pretty pesky, Dan, but it's to be expected. They are making their comeback after finishing 9th the last two seasons under Van Gaal and Guardiola, both sacked.
Gendo
12 years ago
1 year ago
1,194
Premium
November 2016

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/jyQBYTOgMbHgHtlJrIGQeL97CHIErbBD1rK2tTyZ.png

Pretty good month here, except you can see a little spot of red up there. More on that later.

So we started off with the second half of Europa group stages, Steaua once again being our opponent. We took all three points away from home with a solid 3-1 victory after a possession heavy bombardment of their net. Gutiérrez, Roberts, and Rotariu all making noise throughout the game, as we secured qualification to the next round.

All good things have to come to an end at some point, right? Once again, Hull have our number, and I've still yet to beat them in regulation. We dropped all the points into their lap as they took this match, 4-5. Lukaku put forth a superb effort, above and beyond what was necessary with the hat trick, and Gerard Deulofeu even got into the scoring with his first goal this season, but it just wasn't to be. Hull's strikeforce of Abel Hernandez, Snodgrass, van Dijk, and Huddlestone proved to be the superior team on the day.

We didn't let the first league loss of the season drop our heads. The team immediately responded with a win over top 6 team Norwich. Patrick Roberts furthered his development as a quality ball striker with a hat trick, while Kevin Mirallas got off the schneid for the season, bagging his first.

Zenit came into Goodison looking to secure qualification to the next round of the Europa League themselves, but we denied that day, shutting them out 3-0. Mirallas, Barry and Deulofeu all contributing to the scoresheet, even with Jagielka deciding not to be a part of the match further, getting himself red carded in the 62nd minute.

We desperately needed points to stay close to the top of the table, but Stoke and Mame Diouf prevented that from happening, as we were only able to secure a 2-2 draw. Deulofeu and Roberts helped at least put us ahead, but Mame with the scorers just minutes after our goals just made me frustrated with our defending, an issue I thought we corrected for the most part. Oh and Lukaku is out for 3 weeks after a sprained hamstring.

Our final Europa League at Lokeren added the icing on the group cake, as notonly did we secure a shut out, but a complete undefeated streak in the group. Bainesy helped out as two free kicks turned into two free goals, and Patrick Roberts continues to boost his stats, netting his 9th of the season.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/A6BQEBD39c9pVdqQpvxCwapndibHSiUGCPZF2F6o.png

Loss and draw notwithstanding, we are still holding strong within the top 4, level on points with both Man U and Liverpool, but goal difference pushing us down the pole. Chelsea now sit on top, a mere 2 points higher than the rest.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/Qf6RKmorBQ2wfi9XNfY1RG5QyTXqSoxtVAzAnDhy.png

That goal difference for Steaua tho. Perfect group stage, can't wait to see who we'll face from this list
    Europa League qualifiers:
  • Zenit
  • Inter Milan
  • Lille
  • Man City
  • CSKA Moscow
  • Hannover
  • Braga
  • AC Milan
  • Réal Sociedad
  • Roma
  • Shakhtar Donetsk
  • Valencia
  • PSV
  • Dortmund
  • Dinamo Moscow
  • Lyon
  • Club Brugge
  • Manchester United
  • Dnipro
  • Metalist Kharkiv
  • Saint-Étienne
  • Schalke
  • Fenerbahçe
  • Champions League Third Place:
  • Real Madrid
  • Anderlecht
  • Athletic Bilbao
  • Olympiacos
  • Botev Plovdiv
  • Sporting Lisbon
  • Porto
  • Slovan Bratislava


Still holding strong this season. Will the run continue, with Man U, Liverpool, and Tottenham twice? Who knows! Anyway, thanks again for reading my story, and as always, I'll see you in the next post!
Dan
13 years ago
5 months ago
16,964
It's very tight in the league. Likewise with mine I've just finished January and the top three are separated by a couple points! Shame to see hull becoming your bogey side! Superb form in Europe though unlike steua!
SBR
9 years ago
3 years ago
719
Hull have been my bogey team in the past.Venegoor of hesselink used to terrorise my Newcastle defence every time we played.Still your doing a great job.Safe passagethrough to the knockouts of the Europa and performing very well in the league.Top 4 will be a good season I think but you could be looking at higher than that.
DP91
13 years ago
2 months ago
226
Caught up with your progress so far Gendo, brilliant successes with Everton so far and yet another demolition job in the Europa League group this year, alike to the first season. Great in depth posts by the way! The squad is really coming together, have picked up quite a few of your signings myself and I'm sure it won't be long before you find yourself both consistently in the top 4 and also challenging for the Premier League title
Gendo
12 years ago
1 year ago
1,194
Premium
Yeah, it's becoming tight at the top, Dan. Any slip up from those teams could result in chasing the leader throughout the rest of the season. And it really is a shame I can't get results against Hull in the league; I know how they play, and make changes accordingly against them, but they always seem to play hard and fast and screw with my changes.

Europa League knockouts have some teams I'd love to face straight up to advance against, SBR: Botev, Metalist, and Club Brugge to name a few.

And I rarely had any problems with the squad harmony, DP91. Just a couple whinges about playing time from Joel Robles and Cédric that were quickly sorted out. I think Kevin Mirallas was on the brink of having a row with me, since I had been starting Deulofeu more often, but I quickly realized he wasn't playing much and gave him some consecutive game; I think it calmed him down.
Gendo
12 years ago
1 year ago
1,194
Premium
December 2016

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/QIfT9accZvuzAIdZeckbcVlbVnRD0wPUHeA7kRNA.png

Another solid month of football, as we try to gain a permanent foothold in the top 4 and a potential push to a league title.

First up was an all important match versus Manchester United, and to be honest it didn't start out like we had planned it. Angel Di Maria and Juan Mata put United out ahead at the half hour mark. But the team didn't back down, and I had to make some offensive changes to get them back on track. Deulofeu, coming off a loan extension acceptance, helped the cause with a brace and eventual game winner, along with Patrick Roberts with a wonder strike from 25 yards out. He really is shaping up to be a star soon, and he's only 19! Very much deserved these 3 points.

Following the season-defining win so far, we took our show on the road to the Hawthorns, where we bested West Brom 2-0. Kevin Mirallas and Patrick Roberts capped some seriously inspiring attacking efforts in the first half, and the defensive playmaking helped keep the opponent shut out for the game.

Our quarterfinal match in the Capital One Cup saw us finally bow out to Tottenham. A possession heavy battle from both sides, Spurs got on attacking late in the match, and we were lucky quite a few times in the final minutes of regulation, as several balls went sailing just inches past the goal mouth. However, we were never to capitalize on our attacking chances. The match went to extra time, and it was much of the same thing. This time, however, Tottenham were able to score, off a short strike in from Chris Smalling in the 97th minute. Bright side, though, is that we couple less matches to play this season, I guess.

What better way than to turn a mediocre cup performance into a storming, dominating league performance. That's exactly what we did when QPR came to town. We laid an impressive 4-1 beatdown on them to claim first place in the league (at the time). Lukaku, coming off of injury recently, netted himself a brace, along with Rotariu and Jagielka capping a thunderous first half. Second half was rest time, and the defense held tall up until the end, but it didn't matter at that point.

Time to exact revenge on Spurs in the league! Except, not quite. After a strong 15 minutes with Mirallas and Roberts putting us on the board, the defense fell apart late to let in the tying two goals by Christen Eriksen. Oh well, need to address that defensive issue again.

Boxing Day fun day once again matched us against rivals Liverpool, and once again we end the holiday match in a draw. The entire attacking front put together a well orchestrated performance, and easily could've had 3 or goals. Patrick Roberts was the only breakthrough in the 57th minute. Liverpool counted just minutes later, and so the match ended in deadlock.

We ended the month, fittingly on New Year's Eve, with an encounter against Wigan. The Latics were brushed aside with a 2-1 finale. Baines gets on the board for only the second time this year, scoring from the penalty spot. Meanwhile, Deulofeu does it again, as he saves the team from another draw with a long crack from around 25 yards.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/bLOqBVHyHlTXQpXCoEnRRvDSx6vvYsHVNqzXue5L.png

As the previos year ends, a new one begins, and we were so close to starting if off in first place. Level with Liverpool on points, but just one measly goal back. Couldn't ask for a better position to start the second half of the season.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/MKGuYTr5K5pDEx0MkarDSuvFWmxwZTRePmuKlnK8.png

Midseason stats report above. Romelu Lukaku, of course, leads the team in goals with 23. He also has a 1+ goals per game average, which is outstanding! Dorin Rotariu leads the teams in assists with 10, and Patrick Roberts is just tearing up the competition week in and week out, fully deserving his team leading 8.02 average rating.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/dIOAWM0JAqxoKNnsbx0q6Jx5UFdzfLm0KYUmoiNy.png

As a result of his immensely awesome playing, Roberts collected the European Golden Boy award. The very same award that the likes of Rooney, Messi, Aguero, Fabregas, Balotelli, Gotze, and Pgba all won. To have him in the same conversation as all of those players speaks highly of how his future could develop.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/9lgcCSSvFiZoDjNMsaoB8RmACwYwL9zU2pdgjJaP.png

On to European competition, we drew up Shakhtar in the first Europa League knockout round. A tricky tie to say the least.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/D9AbZPzhXxBQxsylCacn7XANwP7nSRh6fGlEs1z7.png

But definitely not as tricky as the potential opponents of Real Madrid or Man City if we advance. Boy, the lottery balls did not fall my way this season.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/pT14vdn6NKE5fdFWGHUUMaOVfZXJw4n1JyzBAu9I.png

And finally, the FA Cup has us facing a familiar foe in Bradford first up. If you remember, we blew them away in the Fourth round last season. Will we have a repeat of the 5-0 scoreline in the FA Cup?

The league is ripe for the picking, but can we hold fast on our position? Who knows! Thanks again for reading, and as always, I'll see you in the next post.
Dan
13 years ago
5 months ago
16,964
A Merseyside title race it seems' superb work
SBR
9 years ago
3 years ago
719
unless arsenal and/or city go on a run I can only see any of the top 4 winning league. Good luck in Europa that's going to be very hard to get through
Gendo
12 years ago
1 year ago
1,194
Premium
Liverpool have certainly improved overall this season, Dan, and their form hasn't dropped since their season opening loss.

The Arsenal match will take place in February for me, SBR, so I'm hoping to pull points from them. Man City have shown flashes of brilliance here and there, but with 5 losses so far, it shows they can be beaten more so than in the past.
Ryan9
11 years ago
3 years ago
252
Premium
Just caught up with this! Superb cup double last season, and winning the Community Shield at the start of this season! Fantastic so far in the league! Great work!
DP91
13 years ago
2 months ago
226
Would expect a tough away game against Shakhtar having known very well home much of a fortress it can be to play at home in Ukraine! A good draw in the FA cup and fantastic form in the league. Looks to be shaping up to be a very good season Gendo!
Gendo
12 years ago
1 year ago
1,194
Premium
Thanks for the kind words, Wilc94! I'm trying to get a solid finish on the back half of this season.

Oh I fully expect Shakhtar is gonna kick me around a bit, DP91. And even if I do make it, Real Madrid is more than likely gonna kick me around.

January 2017

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A lot of good football played this month, as we experience another streak of undefeated play. We started off against Newcastle, where truth be told we weren't the more capable team, but we still were able to come out on top. Steve Naismith was exceptional this day, with his hat trick, but the team also garnered 5 yellow cards and 24 fouls total. Youssef El Arabi was able to score on a break just after Naismith's third, but the rest of their attacking chances fell short.

Bradford came to visit us for the FA Cup match, and I must say, we did run a rotated squad to pick up this victory; we started 3 players who made their debut in this match. The young attacking mid didn't hinder Lucas Boyé's day, as he started it off right with his first goal in 10 matches. Aiden McGeady assisted on that, as well as scored a goal of his own later on. That advanced us to the next round, where wouldn't luck have it, Hull was waiting for us.

Before that, though, we had two more league matches, the first of which was Southampton at home. A possession heavy affair with not a lot of attacking movement on either side, we did manage to score twice through their 5 back defense. Patrick Roberts continues to amaze as he rifled a shot through two defenders into the top left corner of the net, and Deulofeu put the game away from good, scoring an injury time goal after a beautiful cut inside.

Then came our turn to dominate a league team. We've seen this once already against Steaua, but now Middlesbrough felt the wrath of our offense, as we put seven past them. Deulofeu was clearly man of the match today, scoring a hat trick and assisting in two more goals. Rotariu, Gibson, and Barkley all put their names on the scoresheet as well, capping an excellently played match.

Then came the time of retribution against Hull in the FA Cup. Except it wasn't, as the match ended in a 1 all draw. Deulofeu put Everton out to a lying start in just the 2nd minute, but Hull answered back late in the second half to force the replay.

Apparently, drawing in the cup means that form comes to the league, as we drew our two very next matches. First versus Man City, once again, we got out to a great start as John Stones heads in a corner kick in the 9th minute. But City came storming back in the second half, with Sergio Aguero saving the points for them. Then against Aston Villa at Villa Park, a match we clearly need to be winning 10 times out of 10, we ended up drawing 2-2. Hell, Villa had a player sent off in the 8th damn minute; we should've jumped all over them. But it took so long to get any attacks together to confuse their keeper Guzan. The Belgian Bros. were the only scorers for us, however Villa answered not more than ten minutes later both times.

In the replay versus Hull at KC Stadium, in hostile territory, we came out victorious by the final of 4-3. Lukaku got himself another man of the match with his performance: a hat trick, no less. All of his goals, though, came on the heels of a Hull goal; we didn't lead in this match until Aiden McGeady clinched it for us in the 83rd minute, tapping in a rebounded shot. A win is awin, I'll take it.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/r98GUyIQ85ktlxMa9IOvViFG6WU1VSjsegyb3zbc.png

Those two draws in the league did hurt us in the short term, as Man United took the outright lead in the league. Hopefully, it's not a long term deal, but ith Arsenal and Chelsea coming up next month, we might have some problems.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/dmJ0TDgoSiY9QYKXgmWU7yG1JeQBagTeX224wWFj.png

The 5th round in the FA Cup saw a good mix of lower league teams advancing, Colchester from League 1 is still alive for now. But we had the fortune of drawing Tottenham this time. Spurs took us out in the League Cup, will they repeat in the FA Cup?

http://i.imgur.com/a7pPXj5.png

And finally, I did make one deal in the transfer window, a transfer to the club in the form of a goalkeeper by the name of Jack Butland. He came from Stoke, and it was down to him and Timo Horn as to who I would name the successor to Tim Howard once his contract is up at the end of next season. It all came down to finances, and Butland was going to cost significantly less than his Köln counterpart, both in the wages and the transfer budget. He started in 4 matches already this past month, and he faired pretty well. I think I made a good choice here.

February is going to be a big month for me. This is make or break time. Will I survive? Let's find out, shall we? Thanks again for reading, and as always, I'll see you in the next post!
SBR
9 years ago
3 years ago
719
unlucky with those draws mate. Though you beat man United recently they must of held their form to capitalise on those draws. Big month for you. Good luck mate
Dan
13 years ago
5 months ago
16,964
Another good month chief, the points from the draws always better than facing defeat! Still tight!
Gendo
12 years ago
1 year ago
1,194
Premium
That's the nature of the game, SBR. Man City, I could easily see as a team we have the potential of drawing against. Aston Villa, however, should've been a win through and through.

Points from draws do help, Dan, but like I said above, ASton Villa should've never been a draw to begin with, and that's what is keeping me behind Manchester United currently. Still tight, yes, but still chasing.
Gendo
12 years ago
1 year ago
1,194
Premium
February 2017

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/VIWmVehYSds9Re5rkQx3f9ZHKPXhJgRlzqXcTkVz.png

By all accounts a decent run of matches, where the league saw the best form out of all competitions. We started off against Arsenal, and during the first 15 minutes, we didn't have much success. In fact, we conceded a goal to Alan Dzagoev in that amount of time. But the turn around, especially in the second half, was a massive improvement.. Guti knotted the match up at 1 just before half time, then it was all Everton int he second half goal wise, as possession was firmly in the hands of Arsenal. We hit them on counter after counter, scoring twice there and securing a penalty during one of those breaks. By all rights, we should not have won, but Arsenal couldn't keep up with us breaking through against the run of play.

Up next was our trip to Donbas-Arena to face WAXTAP.....err Shakhtar in the Europa League. The result wasn't what I would've liked to see, but having two away goals in this competition goes a long way, I think. Wellington Nem, Ivan Ordets, and Douglas Costa all scored on break aways for the opponents. while Lukaku and Barkley slotted balls through the defense to keep the match close, and give us a good chance of making the next game fun at home.

In between these matches, though, we had the FA Cup tie with Tottenham. Our foes in the Capital One Cup once again took us out of another cup competition, defeating us 2-1. Harry Kane gave Spurs the early lead, but McGeady leveled the match late in the first half. It looked for sure like we were heading for another replay at Goodison, but Christen Eriksen nulled those thoughts in the 84th minute to advance Spurs to the next round.

On the back of two straight losses, the first time in a long time for this team, we wanted to go out with fury and exact revenge. We did exactly that against Shakhtar, thrashing them 6-1 at home to win the tie 8-4 on aggregate. Wellington Nem was their only goal scorer, but the Toffees loved to spread the ball around today, as Rotariu, Naismith, Jagielka, Lukaku, even Tielemans got on the board for the first time this season! A solid victory to advance us to the second knockout round, tying the furthest Everton have ever gone in this competition.

We carried that exciting win into the league with a convincing 3-0 victory over Fulham. While Patrick Roberts didn't score versus his former team, Rotariu and Lukaku did with some fancy footwork, shifting the ball through the defense and slotting it in no further than 10 yards out.

Sadly, Chelsea stomped that form right out with a 4-1 kick in the teeth. Lukaku opened the match off great, with a superb strike in the 2nd minute. But from there it was all Chelsea, as Costa, Hazard, and Aboubakar all scored for them in the first half, ramming the result down my throat. It didn't help that Man United have a game in hand at this point, and they are still in the lead.

Fortunately, we picked ourselves right back up against Crystal Palace as we shellac them 5-1. Lukaku and Boyé net braces, with Mirallas running cover on the 5th goal helped our league standing just a bit on the goal difference side.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/rSdNCxr7VlxNG2wMZMqlaRRH3SBXBnIwM7JK43eY.png

Man United not only are 3 points up, but they have a game in hand, which they more than likely will win and put the league just that much further out of reach. Not bad, though, that I'm still in second place after all of these results, level with Chelsea on points but bettering them on goal difference.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/6M4bzCf9vBdD7hT7kc12z6XJrlvj7oaWHiglmJiT.png

And my worst fears have been confirmed. Real Madrid are our opponents in the second knockout round in the Europa League. Joy, I get to see Ronaldo, James, Benzema, and Bale up close as they shove it down my throat.

Will I continue to stay top 4 in the league? Any chance I get a respectable result in Europe? Probably not, but let's ind out anyway!
Gendo
12 years ago
1 year ago
1,194
Premium
March 2017

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/aAU7EDNbdGYVAUagIibUkaMGVpelNYcRrb1SBoQW.png

A short month this time around, with the international break taking up the entire second half. We still were able to get 4 matches in, 2 in the Europa League and two in the Premier League.

Or first one up was a trip to the Bernabéu versus Real Madrid, and it wasn't a pretty match to say the least, culminating in a 4-1 loss. Gareth Bale put Los Blancos up in the 4th minute, which surprisingly was the only goal in that half. Not surprising, though, was the amount of pressure the entire team put on us throughout, giving us a measly 6 shot total. Deulodeu was fortunate on one attempt early in the second half to knot the game up, after receiving a cross in from Rotariu, but it was all downhill from there. Ronaldo with a brace within 8 minutes and Benzema late in the game to close it out capped our miserable performance. We had a gigantic mountain to climb once we went back home.

Back at Goodison, we were able to force a result that went our way, but only after Real had seemingly put the tie out of reach. Benzema hit a brace between the 19th and 22nd minutes to put the overall tie at 6-1 against, and they let off the gas. That's when we started to have a little more success in their third of the pitch, starting with a shot that ricocheted off the bar, then off the back of Sergio Ramos for an own goal. On the other side of half time, Lukaku and Deulofeu put in stellar efforts themselves to keep the aggregate score close. In the end, we may have won the battle, but the war was already taken by Real, and we were eliminated.

Turning our attention strictly to the league, we faced Swansea next up. A 3-2 victory was the result and it kept us within striking distance of the top of the league, even though Man U still had a game in hand. Deulofeu continued his fine form, while McGeady was able to find the net again after going quite a bit without scoring. Swansea didn't go down quietly, though, as they scored twice within the last 10 minutes to make me sweat a bit. Defense is still leaky, guess I can't find anything that can fix it currently.

Last match of the month fell to our mortal enemies Hull. However this time, the tables flipped on them, and we were the ones hitting the counterattacks. All of the attacking midfielders got on the action, as Naismith, Deulofeu, and Rotariu bagged goals to help seal the win.

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/bks7i5fpqzAeuuKQRvbNKXOJcYJhQmNhAZ7RbD73.png

Still just 3 points back, but now everyone is all level in matches played. It's gonna come down to the wire with just 8 matches left to play, and guess what? Man U and I have a date set in the middle of April that could, ultimately, decide who will take the league title this year. While I may have Tottenham and Liverpool left as well, Man U have Arsenal as well as their own Europa League matches to play. And funnily enough, my match with them sits in between the two legs of the Europa League trip. This could make things very interesting down the stretch.

Who will it be next time? Man U? Chelsea? My team in Everton? Who knows, but let's find out, as I round out to the season finale! Thanks again for reading, and as always, I'll see you in the next post!
SBR
9 years ago
3 years ago
719
well liverpools slumped down the table a bit and like you said it will be close. With you and United playing each other and having tough games left how are Chelseas league games looking?could be them yet. unlucky on the madrid result. Was always going to be tough. Looking forward to your next post mate
Dan
13 years ago
5 months ago
16,964
Well done beating Shakhtar but Madrid was just a step to far it seems. Its United title to lose thats for sure
Gendo
12 years ago
1 year ago
1,194
Premium
Chelsea have some matches against the mid-table teams, SBR, but they also have to face Man U, Tottenham, and Liverpool to end the season.

The Shakhtar result was amazing, Dan, especially the second leg of it. It's too bad I didn't draw Man City, as I felt I would've have some chance to advance on. Oh well, at least I was able to narrowly defeat them in one of the legs.
DP91
13 years ago
2 months ago
226
Huge home win over Shakhtar! Tough draw against Madrid and a frustrating defeat. Still keeping pace at the top of the Premier League though, great to see, hopefully you can pip United to the title or at the very least stay above the lingering Chelsea in second.
Gendo
12 years ago
1 year ago
1,194
Premium
It'll be tough to keep up with them, DP91. They needs to falter at least twice (or once more if we beat them).

April / May 2017
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An excellent string of results to keep the pressure on Manchester United at the end of the season. Or first match in the home stretch was against Norwich, and quite honestly they never stood a chance. We jumped out to a 3-0 lead before the half hour mark, thanks to Rotariu and Lukaku, and played possession football throughout the entire second half. They did manage to hit us on a break late in the second half due to a bad back pass, but the lead was not in doubt even after that.

Up next was perennial pain in the ass Stoke City, but this time, it was us that commenced the whoopin'. A solid 3-0 final, with all the goals scored again in the first half, sealed the Potters' fate, along with Jack Butland stopping all 2 shots on target that were taken by his former team.

Then came the date with destiny, the biggest match of the season for us, in the form of Manchester United. Beat them and we had a leg up on the title race. And beat them we did, but it was extremely close to being a bore draw. The two teams combined for only 11 shots total, 4 on target, and all 4 yellow cards were given to my side as we trying to maintain the ball long enough to get some attacking chances. It wasn't until the 86th minute that Romelu Lukaku broke through the defensive line and slotted a shot just past the right side of De Gea to give us the lead and the win. And thanks to a draw in their previous match, we now were two points up over Man U as table leaders.

Coming off the heels of that victory, we continued to stack wins with a 2-0 win over West Brom. Once again, it was Rotariu and Lukaku netting the goals for us, and even with Jagielka being sent off in the 60th minute, we held firm to prevent any goal to be scored against us.

We then had a little trouble versus QPR, as they try to usurp Stoke as the new thorn in my side. The Rangers jumped out in front early int he second half, and looked like the stronger up to that point. But after subbing him on, Lucas Boyé put the team on his back, scoring the tying and winning goals late in the game to keep our streak rolling, and giving me a semi heart attack in the process.

The only slip up for us this entire stretch so far was against Tottenham (of course), as we squeaked out of there with points in this 2-2 draw. Patrick Roberts started us out right with a wonder strike from 25+ yards out. Salomon Rondon then answered back 5 minutes later with a superb strike of his own. He also put Spurs ahead on the other side of half time, and we started to panic. Would this be the loss that would drop us back down to second? We keep grinding throughout the second half and in the dying minute, Youri Tielemans was the savior, netting a parried shot to force the match to end in a tie. It ultimately preserved out spot 2 points up, as Man U drew their match alongside us.

The penultimate match was another Merseyside derby, as we traveled to Anfield to face Liverpool. The score line was a lot closer than how the match was played out, as we defeated them 3-2. Patrick Roberts was in spectacular form as he grabbed himself a first half hat trick to seemingly put the game well out of reach. But the Reds showed some fight in the second half, as Raheem Sterling grabbed both of their goals off corner kicks around the hour mark. The defense didn't have many issues after that, and coming down to the final match, we still had the 2 point lead.

Going into Wigan, we knew a win would put us through, as would a draw given Man U didn't defeat Stoke by more than 3 goals. A loss, aside from being absolutely dreadful, would almost seal or fate, as we need to hope for a Man U loss as well. The final matchday went as follows:

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We had the best possible outcome! A wonderous dismantling of Wigan coupled with Stoke absolutely blowing out Man U put the final stamp on Everton winning the Premier League!

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https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/Zw9lNthpEF6ooq45qti2xtnIhx3SKGVPJoM6G3qC.png

Awards:
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https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/rze2yRsj0JlUMxad6JAHWBBCmM7v8kh5uxadDFNd.png

https://sortitoutsi.net/uploads/mirrored_images/arXI6SM4zr911SEIZ7MSGDc61Ih5IHR2vwLAtr8w.png


It took three years, but the squad I have created has melded together successfully, barely any qualms among them, and they all came together for a common goal. The off-season is going to be interesting, as the success is sure to bring in poachers to try and steal my squad. I do have a couple people in mind that I want to sell, but the big pieces like Lukaku, Rotariu, and Roberts I'm going to keep with all my might. Along with some developed players from my youth squads, I may not buy anyone this off-season, but plans may change, and I'll deal with them accordingly.

Thanks again for reading, and as always, I'll see you in the next post!
SBR
9 years ago
3 years ago
719
What an end to the season.A close one at times this season but you deserved the 5 point gap.Lukaku has been an absolute beast for you.
Jamie3
11 years ago
1 month ago
1,640
Premium
Well Done on League Title Gendo
DP91
13 years ago
2 months ago
226
An incredible end to the season Gendo what a run to finish with as well, deserved for sure! I couldn't believe United lost that game against Stoke though, talk about having their shooting boots on. Outplayed, destroyed in the possession game and stats across the board but clearly took their chances. An emphatic win for yourselves over Wigan to end the season was brilliant. Looking forward to seeing your transfer activity now in no doubt a bid to mount a serious challenge in Europe, keep it up!

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