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#110708 The Italian Football Thread
Eric Portapotty
#110255 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
Eric Portapotty
#110254 The Night Thread Mk. IX
Eric Portapotty
#109938 Transfer Rumours 2013/14
Eric Portapotty
#109889 Transfer Rumours 2013/14
Eric Portapotty
#109844 North American Soccer Thread
Eric Portapotty
#109706 The Italian Football Thread
Eric Portapotty
#109685 [FM12] Pentagon
Eric Portapotty
If I'm honest this is now just messing about before FM14 comes out, but it wasn't supposed to be this way - was looking forward to getting promoted to the Ukrainian top flight only a few (ingame) months ago.
#109684 [FM12] Pentagon
Eric Portapotty
First off:
So it's pretty clear that we've choked our way to losing the title, but will we still get promoted?
No.
Forget Benitez, forget Keegan, we're the biggest chokers around.
Emphasis.
And if you ask me if I can handle going on a great unbeaten run - playing some exhilarating football in that run, then completely lose form when it mattered most, then see it happen again the next season:
No - last season was bad enough, but twice is ridiculous.
54% win ratio, make of that what you will.
#109581 [FM12] Pentagon
Eric Portapotty
2nd biggest team in China, 2nd biggest team in Guangzhou.... Tempting, especially with the money involved.
Finished 2nd in the league last season, so their start might seem slightly disappointing.
In any case I've delayed it for one week, very intriguing scenario this.
#109570 [FM12] Pentagon
Eric Portapotty
We managed to continue our unbeaten run after the winter 'break', but gradually our cohesion in attack eroded as we depended on clutch headers from set-pieces to salvage points.
And I knew that our run wouldn't last, but I certainly didn't expect to end so hilariously.
Our defence just went to bits, all 4 guys just switched off all at once, and of course we paid dearly for it - but I'm not even mad, our defending was really comical.
(What makes it even better was that the hat-trick hero (Batov) broke his leg in the same match and will be out for 5 months.)
Our lead was 9 points at one point, but it's been reduced to 4 since our slight dip.
But crucially, we're still 7 clear of the 3rd-placed team.
Squeaky-bum time, this.
#109540 The Night Thread Mk. IX
Eric Portapotty
#109407 [FM12] Pentagon
Eric Portapotty
Yes, another massive set of friendlies for the squad that doesn't go on a holiday.
Played quite a few more (Ukrainian) Premier League sides this time, the were (expected) losses to the Big Two of football around these parts (Shakhtar and Dynamo Kiev), but we managed some impressive wins against the other sides (Illichivets, Arsenal Kiev and Metalist Kharkiv).
Transfers
Couple of Bosmans on the way:
Deyneko will arrive on a permanent deal after his parent club transfer listed him then offered him a new deal.
I took advantage of this PR cock-up and signed him on.
Voronin adds quality to the centreback and DM positions, and he will in all likelihood replace Andreev, who has been very good this season, but will not likely return on loan should we get promoted (same league as parent club and all that).
As usual, couple of useful ones, but no world beaters from this lot.
#109336 PES 2014 BETA Code
Eric Portapotty
#109168 The Lower League Thread
Eric Portapotty
Honestly thought that Weir was still playing for Everton.
#109167 [FM12] Pentagon
Eric Portapotty
Yeah, it was quite unexpected really, but I'm playing a 4-2-3-1 for both teams.
I've found that there's more quality in DM than in CM, and it (theoretically) offers more cover to the defence.
#108894 [FM12] Pentagon
Eric Portapotty
(I seem to have forgetten to include a load of information in previous posts)
----------------------
League
The set of matches before the league heads into its hibernating months:
And rather incredibly, we head into it with our unbeaten run still intact!
As can be seen we went on a small 'big-win, tight-win' type of run, which does show that the attack is still somewhat a work in progress in terms of consistency.
Then 2 consecutive draws, and heading into the break with a thrashing and another nervous win.
7 points clear at the top, with the challengers closely packed, so if we falter we could be gazumped very quickly.
Cup
Went for a 442 DM set-up, scored an early goal, then decided to sit back.
Playing with 2 up front did mean numbers on the counter, but the chances created weren't converted, unfortunately.
They then pounced when our defence was absolutely knackered.
We were unlucky not to get the win, though with a more proactive approach I might have gotten something ore out of this tie.
Transfers
Offers quality backup in central defence, and when he was agreeable to sign a ($65) youth contract, I couldn't say no.
---------------------------------
China
Missed a few months of this, so here goes:
Things have to go down before they can go up; likewise with this team, whose nadir was to lose to Indonesia in a toothless performance.
We picked ourselves up after that, securing our 1st win under me, and a draw against the (supposedly) superior Israelis.
Then, it was off the to Asian Under-19s Championship Qualifiers:
A farcical start to the campaign, as we put in an insipid performance against the Thais.
It was the kick up the backside that we sorely needed though, as we secured a vital win against favourites Japan.
It was cruising all the way after that, no way back after the team started to click.
Could've been top if it wasn't for that blip, but it was a blip that was sorely needed, in hindsight.
#108867 The Armoury
Eric Portapotty
#108798 The Armoury
Eric Portapotty
#108675 The Armoury
Eric Portapotty
#108658 The Night Thread Mk. IX
Eric Portapotty
Does go down very often nowadays.
#108425 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
Eric Portapotty
Fair enough.
#108421 [FM12] Pentagon
Eric Portapotty
An unbeaten month, and nothing to be angry at for once.
We showed a superior attacking edge in these encounters, and managed to apply a clinical touch to 4 of them.
I can't even fault the team for the 5th - we were up against a goalkeeper with a man-of-the-match performance.
Brings us ever so closely to the promotion spots, a couple more wins and we can make it our own.
----------------
I've also a transfer that I failed to mention the last time:
17 with those attributes? Sign him up!
But there's a downside - precisely because he's 17, we will have to wait till he's 18 to get him officially.
#108415 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
Eric Portapotty
So from an overawed maverick to a rumoured egomaniac.
#108405 Fifa 14
Eric Portapotty
#108321 [FM12] Pentagon
Eric Portapotty
-----------------------
Pre-season
Bollocks - Parrado did far more, but didn't win probably because he was only on loan.
He's just earned himself a move to France too, good for him.
As can be seen, Parrado deserved the aforementioned award.
Minimum requirement there, no pressure then.
Due to my preoccupation with trying to plug the gaps in the team I neglected to organise a proper set of pre-season-fixtures.
Not the most encouraging set of results anyway.
-----------------------
Transfers
Wage budget freed up, ageing players released, the moron who wrecked both GKs last season was given the boot as well.
Offers cover at left-back, semi-reliable so far.
An option for the roles of Deep-Lying Playmaker AND Advanced Playmaker, what's not to like??
Another one for the future, though still a bit raw, which does beg the question of his slightly high wages.
-----------------------
League
(NB: rant below)
I doubt I've ever been as infuriated more by this team than any other (well maybe Fovu, but they were fatally ill-equipped anyway).
We start this season the way we ended last - against the team that barely managed to escape relegation last time round.
Different result though, as our sheer ineptitude causes us to suffer an opening home defeat, which does set the tone for this campaign.
We have a strikeforce that can score 10 goals in 2 games but fail to nick a winner in 4 close encounters, a defence which fucks up in the 1st half before stabilising in the 2nd period only for said strikeforce to show their incompetence, and a team with only 1 clean sheet to its name despite having only worked at defensive phases of play since the end of last season.
And yet:
We find ourselves in 6th, still in the promotion race (though 8 points off the lead).
And it is the defining sign of the utter randomness of this league that newly-promoted Lviv are cruising at the top.
-----------------------
Cup
Comfortable enough, though not without some jitters.
We meet Premier League side Metalurg Donetsk next.
-----------------------
Bitter Schadenfreude
(Basically, how the Eleven Wise Guys are doing)
Yes, the utter genius of my successor ripped the heart of this squad and sold it for a total of 4 million, without ever adequately replacing some of those guys - for instance, he once has to play 4 CBs on a back four.
As a result they tumbled out of the championship and the continental places.
Alas it is the lack of ambition of this club ("upper-midtable is fine, thanks"
They're still financially healthy (2nd richest in Ghana), but the lack of continental will prove to be a huge blow.
Now for some proper schadenfreude:
The reclusive Finnish billionaire has finally given up! After being in our shadow for so long, he couldn't even win the title after I left, so he can now bring his blood money away from Ghana.
#108234 Susie Fantasy Football
Eric Portapotty
So fuck it, wildcarded:
Might get rid of one of Mert or Jenks for a more reliable pointscorer, but no one's keeping clean sheets nowadays.
#108136 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
Eric Portapotty
#108134 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
Eric Portapotty
#108128 Barclays Premier League 2013/14
Eric Portapotty
On fire today hhehehehehehe