2017
Youth Cup / Shield Knock Out Format
As per last year but will be as follows.
Top 4 in each group go through to knock outs. Top 8 group winners get a bye and home tie in Youth Cup 3rd Round… Best 4 3rd places progress to Youth Cup.
Losers in Youth Cup 2nd Round will drop down to the Youth Shield.
Saturday 11th November and Wednesday 15th November will be sub days for any fixtures that need completing.
The Future 1st XI!
With an essay on “Renewable Energy in Cars” due for Monday, I thought now would be a good time to not do that, but to write a piece on our potential future 1st team at Espanyol. Having worked hard for 175 games over a year and a half on the squad, I have seen our 1st team improve from 87s around the pitch with a few 86s here and there and maybe the odd veteran 88 to a squad stocked with talent with 4 players rated 90, all of which are 30 or younger. However, for me its not all about the starting eleven and I have also tried to build a team with depth in risers and high potential youngsters. That said, this is my current future eleven who are 24-years-old or younger.
GK)
Andriy Lunin. 18. Zorya Luhansk. (£630k)
As a free agent signing, I really had nothing to lose in this deal. Lunin joined Zorya from Dnipro this summer after breaking into the first team in the 16/17 season. I expected him to face tough opposition for a 1st team spot at his new club who are a notably stronger team and also play in the Europa League. He has started off far better than I expected and has been the number 1 keeper in the side having missed only 4 games in all competitions. 11 league games, 3 Europa League starts and a cup match take his total to 15 starts, which at 18 is very promising. His European performances have also been strong with an average rating of 7.26 in a group featuring Athletic Bilbao and Hertha Berlin. He has also been outstanding in the youth cup for Fenerbahce where he is on loan in Top 100 where he has earned 4 man of the match awards in just 8 games. So far Lunin is looking set to have a very bright future and if he continues in his current form he may earn himself another move up. I’m hoping to keep him while he develops and hopefully he can work his way up into our 1st team.
CB)
Milos Veljkovic. 22. Bremen. (£2.7 million)
Since joining from Bremen at the start of season 6, I’ve been waiting for him to continue his rise. Having made 10 appearances for Bremen this season he is getting decent game time, however, the side are struggling and he has missed the last 2 games as the manager is trying to find new solidity in the team. However, following a 3-0 loss to Augsburg he may be given his chance again due to poor performances from his replacements. His average rating of 6.62 isn’t anything special but is not overly poor either. At 22 he still has time to progress further and is at a team which have the potential for him to grow. However, for him to reach his peak ability the team must also improve. I hope Bremen and Veljkovic can both pick up their performances and get back on track.
CB)
Stefan Posch. 20. Hoffenheim. (£270k)
After choosing to sign Florian Baak over Stefan Posch at the start of the season, I went back to pick up the 20-year-old in mid October. Joining for £599k, Posch is one I’m very excited about. He started the season in the Hoffenheim second team but following injuries he was promoted to the senior team. He has started 3 league games as well as two Europa League matches where he has averaged a rating of 6.83. At 20 years old he has made a good start and taken his opportunities well. I hope he can continue to play in and around the first team and if he can keep up his play he will develop quickly. I believe he has the potential to grow into a solid first team player in real life and in the game.
CB)
Nathan Ake. 22. Bournemouth. (£10.8 million)
As an already well developed and well known defender in the premier league, Ake is one the closest to being in our first team right now. He hasn’t yet joined us from Boca Juniors but will when his ban is up and will hopefully get a rise soon after. Despite Bournemouth currently sitting 19th in the league, Ake is still one clubs will be following. With an average of 6.81 in 10 games he is showing he still has a lot to give. At 22 his development is far from done and he was even able to pick up game time at Chelsea before he moved. I hope that the team turn their season around to climb to safety, but expect that if they are relegated he will secure a move to another premiere league side. I believe he could be in our first team as early as the next reviews but his teams position may limit his rise. Either way he will be a key player in the long term success of Espanyol.
RWB)
Nacho Vidal. 22. Valencia. (£270k)
With a number of other teams interested, I was lucky to sign Vidal for just £3.9 million. Having moved from Valencia B to the first team in the summer, it looked unlikely that he would make much of an impact, however, he featured in the first two games of the season and has played in three other matches for the team who sit 2nd in LaLiga. He offers the team an alternative option to Martin Montoya and has an average rating of 7.18 in his starts. At just 22 he still has a lot of time to progress and develop, and from early signs it looks as though he has a lot of potential and is already at a team who can help him build as a player. I’d like to see him pick up a bit more game time but considering he has only recently been promoted to the squad he is doing well. If he can remain grounded and avoid injury he will have a bright future.
LWB)
Ruben Aguilar. 24. Montpellier. (£810k)
Another free agent signing was Aguilar who cost just £1.2 million due to no other teams being interested. When I saw he was a free agent I was quite surprised, he has featured in 9 games this season for Montpellier and has filled three positions since joining from Auxerre in the summer. Despite the fact that he can’t play LB in game, I have him here as it’s the positon he has taken up more commonly with 4 of his games coming in this area. He has also featured at right back, right midfield and left midfield making him a versatile squad member. He has averaged a rating of 7.02 in his matches and an average of 7.69 while playing at left back. I expect Aguilar will continue to play in a versatile role, filling in where he is needed. He is at a decent side who can help his development but to really peak a move away may be needed at sometime in his career. His good start and consistent performances across a range of positions mean he is looking like a useful acquisition.
CDM)
Boubacar Kamara. 17. Marseille. (£540k)
One of the players that I’m most excited about in my squad is this young midfielder. At 17 he has already represented Marseille in senior games with 1 appearance in the league along with 3 full Europa league games in which he has averaged a rating of 7.3. He is also currently in the France U-19 squad having represented his nation at U-17 and U-18 levels also. Kamara will have to keep in good form if he wants to retain his spot with other exciting midfielders in the side such as Sanson, Lopez, and Zambo Anguissa all competing for positions also. However, at just 17 I am sure this players future is bright. Having broken into the 1st team of one of Europe’s top teams and playing two years up for the national side he is already showing his worth. A good rise is surely heading his way and hopefully he can continue to develop over the next few seasons and I’m sure he will be pushing for a 1st team spot at Espanyol.
CM)
Abdoulaye Doucoure. 24. Watford. (£5.4 million)
Back with us for his second spell at the club, Doucoure has always been one I wanted to bring back and luckily we picked him up just before the start of the 17/18 season where he is beginning to show his talent. He played 23 games last season for Watford but struggled to help the team who looked likely to dance with relegation. This season, however, the team and Doucoure look different. With 10 games gone Watford are 6th and Doucoure has been one of their standout performers with an average rating of 7.14 and 4 goals from his midfield role. I believe he will be able to maintain his good form and could be pushing for a 1st team spot for us very soon. His ability to play in an attacking or defensive role and physical presence makes him very useful in the midfield which could attract attention from bigger teams. I believe he has the potential to help Watford move to the next level or to help a slightly more successful side out if he gets a move.
CM)
Exequiel Palacios.19. River Plate. (£1.35 million)
Despite still being listed as a River Plate II player, Palacios has already represented the first team in 4 games. In these he has played in the centre of midfield as well as on the wing. His small build makes him nippy and agile which helps him more when he's on the wing but given time to adjust I believe he will be able to adapt it to a more central role. With a lot of time for him to develop I expect he could make an outstanding player, especially considering he is currently at a club which has shown it can produce top level players. I'm hoping he can claim a more solid 1st team spot and possibly earn himself a move to Europe where he can continue to progress.
AM)
Sofiane Boufal. 24. Southampton. (£13.5 million)
A risky selection here comes in the form of someone who has already picked up a handful of games for our 1st team, but is struggling in real life. Boufal showed his class in his 15/16 season with Lille where he earned himself comparisons to Eden Hazard, who had played for Lille a few seasons earlier. The Moroccan scored 11 and assisted 4 in the league which earned him a move to Southampton where he has struggled to replicate the form. He made 29 first team appearances in his first season scoring just twice and assisting one. This season he has struggled for a starting spot and has made 4 of his 6 appearances off the bench. He did show what he can do when he scored a great solo goal against West Brom after coming off the bench, however, his celebration left many questioning his attitude after he seemed to taunt his own manager. It's easy to see the talent that Boufal has but to develop further he must sort out his attitude and adapt to the premiere league. In my opinion it doesn't look like it's working out well at Southampton and a move away may be the correct option for him. More game time and a manager with whom he has a better relationship would be good for him as at the moment he seems to have stalled. I hope he can get back on track as he has a lot of potential and could be amazing if he sorts himself out.
CF)
Ezequiel Barco. 18. Independiente. (£5.85 million)
This is the player I see as my number one youth prospect. At 18 he is already a clear first team option and has had some big links to European clubs. In his 7 games this season he has scored once and assisted two more from roles ranging from left wing to central midfield. He has averaged a rating of 7.14 and is the highest valued player at Independiente. He has also represented Argentina at U-20 level and looks likely to push on to the next stage of his career. AC Milan were close to signing him this summer but Independiente wanted around £20 million for the teenager. Although he isn't a striker I have him in this position due to the lack of any real top forward option. I expect Barco will get a fairly good rise when his league is reviewed but I believe he has the potential to become one of the best players in the world if he remains injury free and works hard. He is one of the only players I have who is completely unavailable for a move.
Total Current Value - £42.12 million
Average Current Value - £3.83 million
What I like about this squad is the range of players I have put my faith in. They range from those who have just been promoted from a clubs youth team to those who have a few years of experience. Despite this it is some of the younger players who I expect to see the most from, while some who are slightly more developed already may potentially peak sooner than I expected. There are a few players I left out of this team such as Lees-Melou, Kobel, Muhl and Success who could all have been included but due to performance, injury or personal opinion they have been left out. It'll also be interesting to come and look at this post in a few seasons to see how the players are doing and whether they are still at this club.
A New Era Begins: Chopper Morris' Introductory Press Statement
A New Era Begins!
This week it was announced in the press that the managerial position at FC Basel had become vacant, due to the suprising resignation of the previous manager, Fred Dodger. It would not be long before the Swiss club promptly hired its new head man, long time SM manager, Matt "Chopper" Morris! An eleven year veteran of the sport, Morris was offered this opportunity with confidence from the chairman and board of the Swiss giants at Basel. The Englishman has never managed a Swiss club in all of his 11 year tenure in SM, and this will be his very first club in the prestigious, highly competitive Top 100 Football league.
Having now been chosen as the manager to lead FC Basel into the future, Chopper Morris has prepared an introductory speech for the media today. A huge group of Swiss media representatives have gathered in the press room at St Jakob park, all in anticipation of the opening statements from FCB's new manager...
Cameras flash as Matt Morris makes his way to his seat at the long conference table. A wall covered in FC Basel, Adidas, and Novartis logos stands behind him. Morris is clad in an all black buisiness suit, complete with a red and blue striped tie, and an FC Basel logo button. A smile with the sense of confidence and excitement beams from his face as he sits in front of the media. The Englishman has dreamt of a day like this for his whole life. With a clearance of his throat, he begins...
"I sit before you all today a very proud man, and manager. Its a job like this you aspire for during your career, and its a job like this I feel that I truly deserve. I am thrilled to now be the manager of FC Basel here in Switzerland. This is an amazing club, in a beautiful city, with aspirations matching that of my own. A club that competes in the fourth division of the best league in the world, the Top 100."
" It has been a long term goal of mine to one day manage in this great league, to stand alongside 99 of the greatest Football managers in the world. A spot in this league can only be earned, the competition here is that like no other, and I am very eager to embrace the challenge! I have finally arrived, and I will give one hundred and ten percent of dedication, to take FC Basel to success."
"When I met with the owners and the chairman of this club, I told them of my goals and my formula in building a squad for this club. I explained my tactical capabilities and regiment of intense, yet productive player training. We all could only agree completely! As I have said, my first task is to get to know my players, begin to bring in the players I want for this squad, and let go of those who are not in my plans. My objective is to construct a squad built of young, promising players, and to develop them in to very good Football players, world class even. "
"We have a very talented nucleus already here in lads like Mikael Cuisance, Lewis Cook, Trevoh Chalobah, and Kaziah Sterling. Also the talented Armindo Bruma, my Talisman, who at age 23 is so very important to this side. It is these players, along with more that I plan to bring in, who will guide us into the future, and project alot of brightness on the horizon. It is just as important that we have a solid mix of veteran players to teach these young lads, and lead them on. Players like our Captain, Jose Fonte, and Pablo Zabaleta, will be vital to the development of these young players."
"In closing, I speak to the great supporters of FC Basel. I am so honored to be here, to coach at the beautiful St Jakob park, with its iconic lights iluminating the night sky. Know this, I am with you. Together we stand as the heart of this club. Together, with hard work and determination, we will forge a beast of great strength and will. We will bring great days to this club, and I am here to usher them in. These are the days of the RotBlau! We will strive to achieve greatness!
Thank you, and goodnight."
Youth Cup Tables Round 9 and Final Round Preview
Here are the results from last night’s fixtures in the Youth Cup, along with updated tables, and what it means for the final round of group matches before the knockout Cup and Shield stages. Plus any manager updates and pre- and post-match press conferences comments.
Group1
Saturday 28 October
Saturday night was a washout for Youth Cup fans in Group 1. Basel and Berlin played their senior teams and goalkeeper respectively, so forfeiting their games 0-3, and losing a point each. This season's odds-on Youth Cup favourites and perennial losers Madrid, however, shocked the Game World earlier in the week with this announcement from their controversial manager 'Roy Keane':
In any case, the Madrid manager had previously cancelled the fixture in Hamburg claiming that he would rather stay at home and eat his own chorizo than travel to Germany for a hot dog, especially as he was '100% convinced' that Hamburger boss Marsden had earlier in the season served him a frankfurter without onions, but still charged him for the onions. Hamburger's press secretary denied these 'totally spurious' claims, adding that the club only ever served the finest pork and beef patties, and that perhaps Mr Keane may have been fantasising about a smothering his weiner with soft, warm fried onions after having enjoyed one too many glasses of sidra.
Back to the football, and that leaves Group 1 looking like this (although it is still to be determined what to do about Madrid's results - personally, I think it is fairer to remove them all together, as if they had not been played, as Hamburg's position is only by virtue of Madrid's forfeit):
Back to the football, and that leaves Group 1 looking like this (although it is still to be determined what to do about Madrid's results - personally, I think it is fairer to remove them all together, as if they had not been played, as Hamburg's position is only by virtue of Madrid's forfeit):
With Madrid and Basel both out of the competition, therefore, all four remaining teams presumably will qualify for the next stage.
Final round fixtures:
Saturday 4 November
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Group 2
Saturday 28 October
Athletic's draw with Kiev means they are out, while Benfica's victory over West Brom's seniors sends them through as group winners, as expected.
Standard Liege could now snatch second place from Sampdoria, if they can win in Spain next week, and Benfica win at home to Sampdoria.
Final round fixtures:
Saturday 4 November
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Group 3
Saturday 28 October
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-->Group 3 really is the Group of Death, and highly competitive right to the very end.
Barcelona's win at Dortmund looks to have sealed first place for them, and also a notable, if not entirely surprising, turnaround in form as they were joint fifth with eight points after six matches.
Sporting well and truly buried poor Palace's rigid corpse, and gave themselves a realistic shot at finishing third in the group, if they can overcome and leapfrog Swansea in Lisbon next Saturday.
Partizan will be looking anxiously over their shoulders, and listening to their radios for updates on that score, as they hope to avoid defeat at home to Dortmund in their final game, in order to guarantee qualification.
Final round fixtures:
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-->Group 4
Wednesday 25 October
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-->Twente played an overage team in their rearranged tie against Villarreal, thus forfeiting the match 0-3, and losing a point to boot.
Saturday 28 October
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Both Twente and Inter fielded their senior sides last night, so lose 0-3 and -1 points to each, although both were already out of the competition in any case.
The battle in Group 4 seems to be for second, with Monaco and Augsburg having equal records so far, and winnable fixtures at Twente and Inter respectively in the final group round. Augsburg have the better head-to-head record, though, which may yet prove decisive.
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Final round fixtures:
Saturday 4 November
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-->Group 5
Saturday 28 October
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-->Only Napoli and Juventus in Group 5 had the wherewithal to actually arrange their fixture for round 9, and many fans were left wishing they hadn't bothered as they ground out a nil-nil.
Still, the point is likely to be enough to seal top spot in the group for the Turin side, assuming they can match or better Napoli's result at Manchester City in th final round, when they travel to Besiktas.
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Final round fixtures:
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-->Note that the fixtures at Roma and Besiktas have yet to be arranged.
Group 6
Saturday 28 October
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-->Valencia's win in Verona means they can score a perfect ten if they beat Cruzeiro next weekend.
Sevilla sealed second in the group with their draw at Levante, ending any realistic hopes of qualification the Spanish club may have harboured.
Loko's draw with Cruzeiro means they are now favourites to take the fourth and final qualifying spot in this group.
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Final round fixtures:
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-->Group 7
Staurday 28 October
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-->Manchester United can also score a perfect ten next week, after their win at second placed Hoffenheim. The hosts were 4-1 down and looking dead and buried just after the hour mark, but fought back bravely to make it an exciting final ten minutes for the 7,346 fans packed into the Rhein Neckar Arena.
Bordeaux's defeat at Newcastle looks to have ended their hopes of qualification.
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Final round fixtures:
Saturday 4 November
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Group 8
Saturday 28 October
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Villa manager Justice sentenced his team to another 0-3 loss and one point penalty, which all but ensures the Claret and Blues are out of the competition, too.
That win for Southampton gives them an outside chance, however unlikely, of finishing top of the group, if they can beat Chelsea at home and leaders Everton crumble at last placed Lyon.
Upcoming fixtures:
Saturday 4 November
Milan led from the 2nd minute until the 88th, but had to settle for a draw at home to leaders Anderlecht.
Genoa, flush with newly acquired young talent, overcame Brugge to record their first win of the campaign. They will need to pull off a shock win at Anderlecht next time out to have any chance of qualifying, though.
Torino beat Monchengladbach with an overage team, and so lose the game 0-3 and sacrifice what could be a vital point. Torino will want to beat Brugge next weekend in order to prevent any chance of Genoa sneaking past them into the fourth and final qualifying spot.
Final round fixtures:
Saturday 4 November
Group 9
Saturday 28 October
Milan led from the 2nd minute until the 88th, but had to settle for a draw at home to leaders Anderlecht.
Genoa, flush with newly acquired young talent, overcame Brugge to record their first win of the campaign. They will need to pull off a shock win at Anderlecht next time out to have any chance of qualifying, though.
Torino beat Monchengladbach with an overage team, and so lose the game 0-3 and sacrifice what could be a vital point. Torino will want to beat Brugge next weekend in order to prevent any chance of Genoa sneaking past them into the fourth and final qualifying spot.
Final round fixtures:
Saturday 4 November
Group 10
Saturday 28 October
Arsenal and Fenerbahce failed to play their fixture.
Feyenoord crushed bottom club Atalanta 5-1, and if Fener fail to play the Arsenal game, that could be enough to see them qualify.
Wolfsburg's first team beat leaders Leverkusen, so Bayer get the victory and the points.
Final round fixtures:
Saturday 4 November
All or Nothing at Espanyol!
The inability of the team to take their chances seems to be a regular occurence with most of their defeats coming from games which they have completely dominated. Only one team in the top half of the table has conceded more goals this season than Espanyol have, which has lead to questions asked of the defence and keeper, however, their attacking play has also been underwhelming with just 25 goals in the league despite a huge number of chances created. As expected at the start of the season, Iago Aspas has led the team in goals, assists and performance rating. In his 19 league appearances he has assisted 5 goals and netted 10 of his own putting him 3rd in the goal scoring tables. Luis Pizzi and Eduardo Salvio have also shown their worth to the club picking up 7 goals and 7 assists between them. Another stand out performer, despite fairly poor defensive displays, has been Nicolas Pareja who has contributed 4 goals so far which makes him the 3rd top scorer in the squad.
Despite several strong individual seasons, it still seems that most of the players have been struggling. The club were knocked out of the Shield in Round 1 after suffering a 3-1 loss to PSG and lost to Chelsea in Round 2 of the Cup after a bye in the first round. Similarly, poor results saw them drop out of the World Club Cup at the group stages after just 1 win out of 6 games. There are two players, however, who are experiencing cup success this season. Andriy Lunin and Ezequiel Barco have both featured in the Youth Cup while loaned out. Barco has picked up 3 assists and a goal for Sporting in 8 appearances while Lunin has been a standout performer for the Fenerbahce youth team by earning 4 man of the match awards in his 8 games. Earle has praised the two teenagers for their performances and has said he believes they have the potential to be first team players soon.
Earle has been unusually quiet in the transfer market during the season and has held faith in the players he brought in at the start of the season to do their jobs. The only first team addition was Joshua Guilavogui who joined from Marseille in mid September. However, due to the disappointing standing of the team, Earle has now made some changes. Club captain Roque Mesa has been sold to Boca Juniors in a deal which will see Nathan Ake join the Spaniards later in the season. To fill the midfield Earle has swooped in to sign Roberto Pereyra from Division 1 side Valencia. French duo Aldo Kalulu and Alexandre Mendy both left in the other direction and will be followed by Nacho Gil at the end of the month. Fans were shocked that Earle was able to convince Pereyra to join the club who are 4 Divisions below his former side. Jimmy Durmaz was also confirmed to be joining Espanyol after growing concerned at Malaga. Free agent Ruben Aguilar has also arrived in Espanyol for contract talks and is expected to sign later today. Espanyol have also been strongly linked with Miguel Veloso and are believed to have made several bids for the midfielder although it now seems that a move is off. Thomas Delaney is another who Earle has been chasing but so far no offers have been accepted. With some of the younger players in the squad moving their way up, some of the older members have also been Transfer Listed. Robert Snodgrass, Pedro Leon, Edgar Barreto and Juraj Kucka have all been told they can leave if the correct offers come in. The club have said that there are still a few players that they are looking to bring in if possible but they may struggle to attain some of their targets.
Despite the lacklustre performances so far, Earle has stated that he still believes the club will gain promotion due to the quality within the squad. With 57 points on offer in the final 19 games, Earle has set the team a target of 40 which should see them move up the table. A personal target has also been set for Iago Aspas to beat Anthony Modeste's goal record of 17 last season, and with 10 already to his name, he should be able to. With the added creativity of Pereyra in the middle and several other players starting to push for first team places, it looks as though they may be on the up. If the defence can tighten up and more chances are taken by the forwards then there is no reason the team cant move up the league and into automatic promotion spots.
Half time report.
Well with half a season gone things are going better than planned.
With only 2 players surviving from the previous manager I was expecting a tough season with so many changes made.Things have been so much better than expected with us joint top of the league with mr Linder and is palace lads. Carlos Bacca and hazard were the 2 big signings for the club.and they have proved there pedigree as they have helped score just shy of half our goals this season.with 20 goals between then out of the 42 we have scored so far this season. Only Barcelona have scored more than us on 43.
Arguably the biggest problem at the moment is trying to hold onto out top defender in Christian lenglet. With many enquiries and bids it’s yet to be seen if we can hold onto him or if he will in fact move on to play for one of is many admirers.
So far so good in our quest to be promoted back to division 3. If hazard and Bacca can keep providing goals and assists im sure we can at least secure a play off place. But at this time a top 3 place should be the aim.
I’m well aware of how good the competition is in division 4 and will not let the boys take there foot of the gas. Just a couple of defeats could end up with us having to ride the luck in the play offs.and with my shocking record in the play offs I’d rather not take that route.
Youth Cup Tables Round 8 and Final Rounds Preview
Here are the updated Youth Cup tables after round 8’s games last night, and a few comments from me on each of the groups - where we all stand and what could happen in the final two rounds of matches, bearing in mind that the top four in each group qualify for the next stages.
Group 1
Saturday 21 October
Basel played an overage team, so Hamburg are awarded a 3-0 victory, and Basel get another -1 points to their total.
Madrid's victory over Flamengo means they have all but won the group as expected, barring the biggest of all upsets in their final two games.
Hamburg and Flamengo are also assured of qualifying, while Celtic appear to be favourites to snatch the final qualifying place from Berlin, assuming they overcome Basel next week.
Upcoming fixtures:
Saturday 28 October
Saturday 4 November
Group 2
Saturday 21 October
Both Athletic and West Brom played overage teams, so they each are awarded -1 points and a 0-3 defeat. West Brom are already out, and Athletic appear to have little chance of qualifying, as Kiev still have the Baggies to play in the final round.
Benfica look to have sealed first place with a point at draw specialists Standard Liege, especially as they are practically guaranteed three points next week at home to WBA.
Upcoming fixtures:
Saturday 28 October
Saturday 4 November
Group 3
Saturday 21 October
Dortmund return to the top of Group 3 after their win at Palace, who look completely out of it, and thanks to Barcelona's win at home to last week's surprise leaders Swansea City.
This is one of the tightest and most competitive of all the Youth Cup groups so far, with even Sporting in fifth place still having an outside chance of qualifying. Dortmund's home game against Barcelona next week will likely decide who wins the group.
Upcoming fixtures:
Saturday 28 October
Saturday 4 November
Group 4
Saturday 21 October
Augsburg pulled of the shock of the round, and possibly the tournament to date, with an extraordinary win at their giant local rivals Bayern. Boss Ivan Anic must have enjoyed a few glasses of wine with his opposite number Ruts, as the win seals their qualification.
Despite cannily switching their away game at Twente to the San Siro, Alex McLean's Inter could only manage a draw, and while they still have a mathematical chance of qualifying, they'll need an even bigger favour from Twente on Wednesday evening in their rearranged fixture with Villarreal.
Upcoming fixtures:
Wednesday 25 October
Saturday 28 October
Saturday 4 November
Group 5
Saturday 21 October
Besiktas and Roma both played overage players and so lose the fixtures 0-3 and lose a point each, and with it any last remote hopes of qualification.
Juventus could effectively seal first place in this group next Saturday if avoid defeat at second place Napoli.
Upcoming fixtures:
Saturday 28 October
Saturday 4 November
Group 6
Saturday 21 October
Sevilla all but ensured their safe passage into the the next stages of the competition with a win over Loko.
Levante will need to recover quickly from their thrashing at unstoppable Valencia, in order to beat Sevilla next week and retain any hope of qualifying.
Even defeat in Moscow next weekend may not stop Cruzeiro from qualifying, still.
Upcoming fixtures:
Saturday 28 October
Saturday 4 November
Group 7
Saturday 21 October
Bordeaux played an overage team, and so forfeited the game 0-3 to Hoffenheim, and lose a point, too. They will have to legitimately beat Newcastle next week to have nay chance of qualifying, now.
Upcoming fixtures:
Saturday 28 October
Saturday 4 November
Group 8
Saturday 21 October
Aston Villa played an overage team at Everton, so are awarded a 0-3 loss, and -1 point.
Under-performing Chelsea could win their last two games against the top two, but it's still unlikely to be quite enough to finish in first place and get a bye in the first round of the knock-out stages.
Villa and Lyon look to have blown their chances with too many administrative and team selection errors, and both will have to beat Atletico to have a chance of qualifying now.
Upcoming fixtures:
Saturday 28 October
Saturday 4 November
Group 9
Saturday 21 October
Gino Kinnear's Torino did Italian rivals Stephen Beddows' Milan a huge favour by holding group leaders Anderlecht on Saturday night. The draw sets up next week's game between second and first all the more significant.
Torino's point pretty much sees them through to the next stages, too, along with Monchegladbach.
Upcoming fixtures:
Saturday 28 October
Saturday 4 November
Group 10
Saturday 21 October
Feyenoord's win at Fenerbahce could prove crucial in the final reckoning for the last qualifying place in Group 10. A win at bottom team Atalanta next week would almost certainly put them through.
Upcoming fixtures:
Saturday 28 October
Saturday 4 November
Ireland appoint Scot for make or break run in with England
The Republic of Ireland have appointed PSV Manager Garry Crawford as their new Head Coach before next months crucial qualifying match at group leaders Bosnia Herzegovina following the sudden departure of Martin O'neill which left their world cup preperations in Chaos.
Reports that O'neill, who left his post on friday for personal reasons, had recommended Crawford to the FAI were confirmed as Crawford was revealed at a press conference in Dublin tonight.
'I'm obviously delighted to be given this chance to step up into International management and thank both the FAI for making my dream come true and also Martin Oneill for the trust he's shown in me by recommending me to take over his team that I know means a lot to him. He's left us in a fantastic position sitting in second place in the table with only four games remaining and i just hope I can finish the job that he started and take these incredible fans to the World Cup.
Ireland currently sit second behind Bosnia on goal difference with both teams on 9 points, two points ahead of third placed England who were favourites to top the group before last months 1-0 defeat to Bosnia.
'Oviously all the talk has been about the showdown with England on December 8th, especially now Ireland have appointed a Scottish Manager which turns up the heat even more, but we are totally focused on the Bosnia game at the moment, and wont even think about England until after the 10th of November'.
Both Ireland and England know the next two games are vital in the race to qualify for China and this appointment will no doubt add even more pressure to the already under fire England boss Heath Brown.
Youth Cup Tables Round 7
Quick roundup of the latest Youth Cup tables.
To see the full list of results, forfeits (columns marked C) and round by round tables look here: https://goo.gl/MgZ5aP (each group has its own worksheet tab at the bottom, feel free to add comments!).
Group 1
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Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
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Group 5
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Group 6
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Group 7
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Group 8
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Group 9
Group 10
PSV steal precious point in one sided Glasgow thriller
With Celtic sitting 3rd top and PSV sitting 3rd bottom in the current league standings, the Dutch cracks were going to need to be at their best to get anything from the game and avoid the type of defeat that the Celtic fans would no doubt be expecting
With the memory of last seasons 1-0 away win, in a result that kickstarted their sensational relegation avoiding run, PSV went into the match injury free and without the over riding fear that most visiting teams have when they face the Bhoys in front of their own fans.
Crawford knows the biggest factor in Glasgow is the incredible home support and told SMnews today that ‘the biggest factor facing away teams going to Celtic Park is that incredible 12th man and the amazing lift they give their team over the opposition, but this team have went their before and taken all 3 points from them when they were going for promotion, my players were fearless that day and i just had to make sure i had them in the same frame of mind before they crossed the line on saturday’
Celtic, playing their normal 4-2-3-1-B formation, started the brighter and had the visitors on the backfoot almost straightaway but despite the huge share of possession (65%), the Dutch side managed to keet the game at 0-0 as the teams went off at the break.
The second half started in much the same way as the first half did with the visitors under constant pressure from Celtic’s attractive pressinge game until a moment of magic stunned the Glasgow crowd into silence once again when Camara fired them into the lead in the 59th minute.
Celtic upped the tempo almost immediately and pressed relentlessly for the equaliser and were rewarded with a well taken goal in the 81st minute from Chadli who was on the recieving end of a world class through ball from Saponara.
Celtic continued to press as they looked for the second goal to claim the 3 points their attacking play deserved, but the Scottish giants were dealt a hammer blow in the 87th minute when a two footed tackle by Paulinho on Stanovik earned the Brazilian midfielder a red card which seemed to knock the stuffing out of the home side allowing PSV some well needed breathing space as they played out the remainder of the game.
This result sees Celtic fall out of the top 4 and takes PSV to within 2 points of Marsailles who they play next on wednesday.
Winshill Green U9 Comeback on a Par with 1999 ?
Whilst most of the Winshill Green team were born 10 years AFTER that famous night in the Nou Camp many of their hardcore fans and management team still take inspiration from that momentous night and in particular those 3 minutes which will leave long in to the memory of every football fan! (better than that comeback in Istanbul by some other football team). Today saw Winshill Green take inspiration from that famous night in an amazing comeback.
[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch
Following a couple of difficult defeats (1-9 v Newhall Lions) (0-5 v Albert Village Harriers) today marked a new beginning as the BJFL - who play non-competitive football - reallocate the leagues every 5 weeks - with top teams getting promoted and bottom teams relegated etc.
This meant that for the first time Winshill Green FC today were facing Doveridge in a league game for the first time - a side they had beaten in pre-season.
The starting line-up was Jakub, Dejaun, Zuzza, Maiciej, Natan, Persephone (c), Ben, Archie.
Winshill Green FC started brightly with Maiciej having a shot cleared of the line (goal-line technology would clearly have said in), Persephone coming close from an angle with the keeper making the save. Natan was brilliant on the right with awesome football and Zuzza (arguably our most improved player) solid at the back, she reads the game incredibly well and her positioning is excellent with very little getting passed her.
However despite largely dominating possession and Doveridge took the lead 1-0. Despite continued pressure from Winshill they couldn’t breakthrough and half-time 1-0 to Doveridge.
Winshill have by and large played some fantastic football in recent weeks but have struggled to convert chances into goal - but they did just after the break - a lovely through ball from Dejaun found Persephone who took on her marker and put the ball beyond the goalkeeper for her 3rd goal of the season.
1-1.
THEN disaster - one of the frustrating thing about managing a junior football team is that they “sometimes” don’t do what we practice in training and despite having 100 chances to clear the ball they kept trying to pass the ball clear in our own penalty area and disaster struck Doveridge took advantage and made it 2-1.
Persephone then struck the opposite post direct from a corner and it seemed like it just wasn’t going to be Winshill’s day! Then a speculative shot from Doveridge went in. :(
3-1 Doveridge.
Winshill though never give up and Jakub scored a great goal from a Persephone pass to make it 3-2 - then like in the Nou Camp Beddows (Ferguson) and Watson (Mclaren) used their last throw of the dice and brought Ben back on the pitch and pushed Dejaun further forward - 6 mins to go!
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| Beddows (left) and Watson (right) |
What happened next will live long in the memory of every Winshill Green fan as a long throw in from Persephone found Jakub to put it beyond the keeper for a late winner... and like the commentator in 1999 said... "and Jakub has won it!!!"
A hat-trick in 6 minutes isnt too bad for our 1st choice goalkeeper! :)
With Jakub being our goalkeeper the management team have some decisions to make next week.
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| Winshill Green U9 (left to right) Ben, Persephone (c), Dejaun, Natan, Zuzza, Archie, Jakub, Maiciej |
Player of the Match today was Maiciej for never giving up - always running and generally excellent hard work - he has improved massively over the last 4/5 weeks and is a proper team player now and the first player for sure on the teamsheet week in and week out.
Moment of the match went to Jakub for his finish for the winner - calm under pressure - makings of great winger!
From a managers perspective it was brilliant seeing the kids hugging each other at the end and jumping up and down like they'd won the European Cup! Dejaun and Natan made up a new celebration apparently and their smiles made it worth the while.
We will have our new kit "very soon" I'm led to believe and the "jackets" are to follow.
On a separate note the authorities are apparently not going to take any action against Winshill assistant Watson, who when Winshill were down 3-1 used several expletives about the man in charge and the fact that we should be winning this game :)
Safe to saw he was smiling at the end!
THE FORGOTTEN ONE
SM News have heard from a source close to Mr. Hirst that Schot Bruin may find himself back in a job should one come available.
INTER - NO MORE 'TINKERMAN'
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After 5 games without a win the tinkering ends. McLean knew the jib was up after a fan threw a Primark bag towards the dugout after the latest defeat at home to Sampdoria. Upon inspection he found a still steaming mound of foul smelling faeces, atop of which was a hastily scrawled note that said plainly 'Abbiamo dovuto ingoiarlo, ora è il tuo turno' (basically 'eat shit'). A change of action was immediately required. It was bad enough to have such a mutinous act from a die hard, but to then be ridiculed by his opposite number across the city - well that was too much to bear. Consequently we have gone back to basics. The tinkering is over. We will maintain our favourite shape of 4231B, but our assignments will be set in stone. At least for the next 10 games anyway, and then we will revisit the changes. As it stands, on the eve of our 14th league match, it is not all bad. the division is a tight affair and Inter are but 4 points from 2nd. Yet, conversely, we are 3pts from a relegation spot. The squad is the strongest, in terms of depth, since my 1st season in charge. Age remains an issue, but my hands are tied somewhat by walking the fine line of remaining competitive, having depth and waiting for ratings increases for players on the peripheral end. All in I believe I've done good work here at Inter, and if the City job indeed becomes available and I am asked to step in, it will be somewhat of a wrench to leave an unfinished project with bags of potential. Carrick, Pepe, Aduriz, Prieto, Ba and Kaka will need to be moved on sooner rather than later, although Ba and Kaka remain useful subs. That still leaves 4 1st team players to replace of high rating. Can anyone replace them? I've brought in Vela, Brahimi, Semedo and Dzagoev, alongside Wendt and Garcia. They all look very solid for retaining their current ratings, and of course Semedo is a real jewel ready for further ratings increases and a handy player to trade. What of my other stock? Let's have a look :-  JURGEN LOCADIA - The PSV hitman is finding his way back to resurgence after a period of injury. PSV sit atop the Eredivisie and look to be making a real go of it this season. With 5 in 7 Locadia looks well placed to earn a rise, and at just 23 he has plenty of years ahead.  ARNAUD SOUQUET - Solid as you like for Nice. First choice RB and due a plus 2 at least. A useful replacement for Semedo if Semedo gets traded for a replacement for Pepe or Carrick. After that rise of course.  LUCAS LIMA - The diminutive but brawly Lima had a solid but unspectacular season last out. He is very highly rated in France for his defensive duties, but also for his crossing ability. With Ranieri now at the helm at Nantes, and with them performing very well early doors, especially defensively, Lima looks to add to his plus 2 from May. Solid as a rock.  MIGUEL ALMIRON - People may think I have Paraguayan blood in me such is my recruitment of them. The fact is the players I have are all internationals and playing regularly for their teams. And scoring goals. Almiron, at 23, has had a marvellous 1st season at Atlanta. With 9 goals and 8 assists he has taken MLS by storm. the kid with a permanent smile on his face is a riser.  JOSEF MARTINEZ - He's only played in slightly over half of Atlanta's games BUT HE'S SCORED 18 FUCKING GOALS. 18 PLAYED, 18 SCORED! They adore him in Georgia. He's a loon, but he's my loon!  MARVELOUS NAKAMBA - Need a steady till in central midfield? Marvelous the name, Marvelous by nature. The former Vitesse man was the rock on which Lewis Baker built his goals from. An elegant, unfussy passer of the ball. Pass, pass, pass again. Now with Brugge, and Brugge looking to run away with the FDA Nakamba will be highly sought after. A certain riser, a handy left-footer and only 23. Marvelous!  MATHEW LECKIE - We picked up the Ozzy speedster with a face longer than a Black Friday queue at Currys as soon as he was off to Hertha. Which was early doors in the market (kudos me!). He hasn't disappointed. With 4 in 7 he looks for a solid season. Hertha look a good mid table side and are of the back of a 2-2 home draw against rudderless Bayern. I think he's up for a rise. Do you? NOTABLE MENTIONS ------------------------------- BRUNO VALDEZ - The Club America and Paraguay international has been solid at club form but let down at international level by either his defensive partner, his midfield cover or poor management - or a combination of those. I believe, with the recruitment of Columbian Uribe (Our player) that America have the potential to win Liga MX. They are but 4 pts behind undefeated Monterrey and have a great squad. I have held onto him because he can play with both feet and at RB and CB. He scores goals as well at club level. At just 24 he is a riser being that he plays regularly in his position at a top club in his league. CECILIO DOMINGUEZ - Yet another Paraguayan and team-mate to Valdez, Dominguez, as I knew he would, has been a revelation and become a superstar in Mexico for his goals and performances. 3 in 10 doesn't sound much, but 3 of those games were off the bench. It's more 3 in 7, and the winger bagged 19 goals for Cerro in the year they pushed for Copa Libertadores glory. Much more to come from the man and still just 23 and criminally underrated. CYLE LARIN - Orlando have been poor this year and are well out of the play-offs. The only shining light is Larin who has continued to bag goals despite an underperforming team. A move away seems likely and then we will really see what he is made of. JUNIOR ALONSO - The last of my Paraguayan's, Alonso has graduated to International level and was part of the Cerro team that surprised in the Copa. Now at Lille, playing regularly, albeit at CB instead of LB, he is at a club where much was expected with the new manager (Bielsa) and he is yet to deliver. I believe, unless there is a sudden turnaround, that Bielsa is headed for the sack. Where that will leave Alonso is up for debate, but I do feel I am not alone in thinking he is playing out of position at CB and should be playing LB. In terms of minutes he is due a rise, but at just 24 I feel the best is yet to come. FOR THE FUTURE .................................. PONTUS DAHLBERG - Our youth keeper is no.1 at Gothenburg is highly rated. Nuff said. A riser. PHIL FODEN - A superstar in the making. A sublime midfielder with vision and a great eye for a goal. NAHITAN NANDEZ - Finally loose from Penarol, the youngster is now playing at no less a club than Boca - and is starting to get games. The kid is a bundle of energy, strong in the tackle, determined, scores goals, box to box. The future is his - I just hope he doesn't burn out early, because Christ that kid can run for miles! MARCUS EDWARDS - A legend in the making or an overhyped donkey. Many feel it is the former and we're glad to have him. The question is, when will he finally get a game for Spurs? Plenty of time but the fans are waiting. ERDAL RAKIP - We were lucky to get Rakip early doors in a bidding war. He has played regularly for runaway Allsvenskan league leaders Malmo. Certain to get a rise after his 8 goals, but 1 assist is poor. Got 10 yrs of football in front of him to improve though, so not an issue as long as the goals keep coming. GIL DIAS - Jardim went for Rony Lopez over Diaz, and in truth, his hemming and hawing has much to do with the fact there is not much between them. A solitary goal in 8 appearances apiece tells you that. But Dias is playing in Italy. A superior league to Ligue 1, and he's playing for Fiorentina, a pretty solid outfit in Serie A. And he's already bagged a goal. A riser. A FINAL WORD ............................. If anyone believes I lack dedication to TOP 100 they should watch the video attached. I think it tells you all you need to know about how 'hard core' I am about this game. [youtube=[www.youtube.com/watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx6AfUwLbxg&w=320&h=266])
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D3 School Report
Following on from Dan’s review of D1 after 13 games, here’s my take on D3, and which managers are top of the class, who is having a fag behind the bike sheds, and who is going to get expelled by the end of the term if they carry on like this.
I thought it might be interesting to look at how teams are doing compared to Malcolm’s predictions to help me with this. Do bear in mind, however, that those predictions are for the season as a whole, so lots can change between now and then, still.
Starting at the top, as Malcolm pointed out, there’s ‘a wild variation in performance vs stats in D3 you could look down as far as Saint-Etienne for the eventual winners.’ Well, Josh McMillan is certainly the class swot so far, top of the class with 26 points, including just one defeat, and scoring 29 goals.
ASSE’s star man is undoubtedly their Hungarian forward Balázs DZSUDZSÁK, who is continuing his excellent overall record in Top 100 again this season, averaging one assist per game! Josh’s use of counter-attacking wingbacks clearly is paying dividends. They’ve had a little wobble recently and will hope that’s all it is as they aim to build on their playoff finish last season.
A* for Josh and ASSE - keep it up!
Newcastle are currently second in the table, 3 points behind Saint-Etienne, but with just 16 goals scored (and only 4 at St James’s Park!). Greg Bilboa’s side are clearly relying on their strength in defence this season with the second best defensive record in the division, conceding only 9 goals. In contrast, lone front man Andy Carroll has failed to score at all. Not the classic Geordie no. 9!
B for Greg and Newcastle - some good work, but capable of even better!
Celtic are behind Newcastle by virtue of having conceded one more goal, otherwise their record is identical. Similarly, the Bhoys under Sir Kevin Wallace are providing very little of what might be termed entertainment, although at least they possess a striker in Shane Long. ‘Injury free Celtic could also challenge for the top spot,’ said Malcolm. They will hope he stays fit.
B for Sir Kevin and Celtic - sitting next to Bilboa, almost identical work….
‘Sevilla have the most attacking options, but Sevilla have a weakness between the sticks’, prophesied Malcolm. Sounds like a problem familiar to many men over the age of 40. Perhaps that is why David Senior is relying on his star winger to do the business and get his side back up to D2 at the first attempt?
Machín VITOLO is giving ASSE’s DZSUDZSÁK a good run for his money so far as the division’s most valuable player, with 10 assists. As Malcolm put it, ‘arguably, Sevilla can put out the strongest starting 11’ and Senior’s team didn’t disappoint with a great start to life in D3, but have struggled to keep it up recently.
B for David and Sevilla - a good start, but must stay up longer at the top of the table!
In complete contrast, Swansea had a terrible start to life back in D3, but have totally turned their season around in the last couple of weeks, drawing level with Sevilla on 22 points. As Malcolm pointed out, ‘the adjusted stats show that Swansea may be more likely to drop, which is backed up by the first couple of games.’
A for Lee and Swansea - keep it up with Senior!
Three teams on 20 points sit in 6-8th places - Hoffenheim (with the best overall defence, and worst attack away from home), AZ (with the best away attack), and Hamburger (only ASSE have scored more at home).
Hoffenheim have a couple of early candidates for young player of the season in Nadiem AMIRI and Sebastián DRIUSSI, while Hamburger’s Vincent ABOUBAKAR leads the goalscoring charts.
B+ for Miguel and Hoffenheim
B for Béla and AZ
B+ for David and Hamburger
‘At the relegation end Chievo, Galatasaray and Cruzeiro look set for the drop. Galatasaray and Cruzeiro have a weak keeper, lack depth, Chievo are desperately weak up top and could find reinforcements in the open market.’ Along with Besiktas, who Malcolm felt had an outside chance at a playoff spot and fancied them for a good cup run, these teams take up 9-12th places, with only a point between them.
Cruzeiro have only lost two games, but have yet to win away from home, and have drawn more times than anyone. Chievo have won only once at home, while Besiktas have the best away defence. Gala winger Emiliano RIGONI is another like DZSUDZSÁK and VITOLO, producing a large number of assists.
A for Oran and Cruzeiro.
A for Gav and Chievo.
B- for Jamie and Besiktas - out of both cups!
B+ for RJ and Galatasaray.
‘Arguably Sevilla can put out the strongest starting 11, with Lyon not far behind.’
‘With a wild variation in performance vs stats in D3 you could look down as far as Saint-Etienne or even Marseille for the eventual winners.’
While Sevilla and Saint-Etienne are doing what was expected of them and more, the two Olympique sides are doing much worse, as are Shakhtar who are sandwiched between them in the table.
Marseille have the second worst defence, and while they’ve only lost one game at home, they’ve also only won one. Lyon have managed 3 of their 5 wins in the last four games, so there is some hope of an improvement there, and similarly, 2 of Shakhtar’s 3 wins have come in their last four games.
C- for Niall and Lyon - must try harder!
C- for Ashley and Shakhtar.
C for Walter and Marseille.
‘PSV and arguably Sevilla can put out the strongest starting 11.’
‘PSV would be challenging for a play off space [in D2], so this should be a relative doddle for them.’
‘Villa could be dark horses for a playoff run.’
‘The regular stats put Spartak in the 4th drop spot.’
At the back of the class we have the two Moscow teams Lokomotiv and Spartak, plus PSV and Villa, all separated by just one point.
Loko have the worst away defence in the league, closely followed by Spartak, who also have the joint worst home attack. PSV’s and Villa’s ineptitude is more evenly spread.
C- for Jay and Loko.
D for Garry and PSV - although breaking his back can’t have helped, and we all wish him a full recovery.
C- for Nick and Villa.
C- for Jason and Spartak.
Last, and least, are Verona. Lost all their home games, and gained just 4 points out of a possible 39. A sorry excuse of a team that finished a whisker away from automatic promotion last season. New boss Golden Bear has succeeded only in turning fine wine into vinegary piss, Hellas into Hell, and Verona into his old team Monaco.
E for GB - expect to be expelled!
Remember this is just a bit of fun, so please don’t take anything good or bad too personally. There’s still almost two thirds of the season to go!
Season 6 So Far - Division 1
As we’re now around 1/3 of the way through Season 6, I think it’s time for some reflection on the campaign so far. Starting with D1 & hopefully others can find time to recap their divisions for everyone on the news feed before we perhaps gather all posts as a collective for the blog.
A quick recap of the history in D1 of Winners; Bayern S5, Bayern S4, Barca S3, Barca S2, Man Utd S1 & Top 5 finishes; United x2, Real x5, Bayern x5, Barca x5, Juventus x4, FC Porto x1, Liverpool x1, SSC Napoli, Chelsea.
So now S6 in Division 1 after 12/13 games, things has gone as expected at the top within reason as the top 5 spots are contested by squads whom have all finished within the top 5 previously whilst also being first team squads that look to be somewhat a level above the rest of the division.
Chelsea are of noticeable improvement in recent seasons having for the first time in S5 finished in the Top 5. The Chelsea squad saw some major changes over the Post/Pre season between S5 & S6 as James Mckenzie appeared to take a similar approach to challenging the top spots to that of brother Scott.
Both Chelsea & Barca squads are now immensely strong in regards to major ratings however both are somewhat small on the side of depth at first team level with CFC having fourteen 88+ players, whilst Barca, notorious for their small but dominant squad have thirteen 88+ players.
Current back-to-back Champions, Bayern, under new management this season after the departure of Gursimran to Anderlecht & appointment of Ruts, have started well in their push to become the first team to win D1 on not only 3 occasions but back-to-back-to-back occasions & along with Scott’ Barca side are one of only 2 unbeaten teams remaining in the ever competitive D1.
Ironically these two ever competitive sides are not only both back-to-back winners in the past & joint record winners of D1 but additionally occupy #1 & #2 spots in the division currently. Bayern in contrast to Barca have seventeen 88+ players in their squad of which Ruts’ one major transfer came in the form of veteran Thiago Silva arriving whilst Kostas Manolas departed in a 3 rating CB swing.
In a final interesting comparison between these two title contenders, both were recently knocked out in the 2nd round of the T100 Shield as both appear to once again arguably be suffering from squad depth or debatably focussed D1 intentions.
D1s nearly-men, Real Madrid are once again flying high in D1, the 3rd & final team to have always finished within the Top 5 D1 spots every season thus far. Roy Keane’ side, who often fight on all fronts for glory, have as ever been competitive & active within the transfer market, seeing no less than 30 total transfers in & out of the club, most notably being arrivals of Bonucci & Muller whilst Ronaldo, Aguero & Modric have all departed.
Madrid’ eighteen 88+ players once again show intentions to challenge on all fronts & remain in all T100 competitions at this time. T100’s current Shield & Cup holders & debatably consistent league underachievers in eyes of some, Juventus, have the biggest number of 88+ players within the Top 5 in D1 this season with twenty-two.
Unsurprisingly, of the current Top 5 teams, the two squads with the biggest number of 88+ players are the only 2 teams to still be challenging on all fronts this season, however they additionally occupy 4th & 5th spots, Madrid some 5 points off of 1st placed Barca, who of course have the smallest 88+ squad, whilst Juventus actually look to be out of contention already at the 1/3 mark having amassed a 10 point gap.
The Top 5 spots, ever competitive & often seeing newcomers for 5th, season in, season out, are once again headed down that path. Arsenal, Spurs, Porto & Atletico are all currently just 1 point behind 5th placed Juventus in the battle for what already at this early stage looks to be challenge for 5th due to the gap opened up between those clubs in 4th & 5th spots.
Of the 4 on the heels of 5th spot, only Porto have ever finished in the Top 5 previously whilst previous Top 5 finishers; Liverpool, Manchester United & SSC Napoli find themselves having average seasons so far, all sitting within the 11-16th placed bracket in D1, SSC Napoli the debatably biggest underachievers so far having only achieved 11 points so far in Season 6.
Of the contenders for a Top 5 finish there is a vast difference in managerial approaches to the transfer market which as ever provides little concrete information as to the best approach within Top 100/SM.
At Arsenal, Michael Bowes as ever remains busy in the market. The one time, managerial stipulation failure is edging closer to a completely Premier League based first team which has seen 7 recent arrivals all within the domain. It’s with no surprise that Arsenal are contesting such a position within the league currently with their squad of twenty-one 88+ players. Perhaps we can expect to see Arsenal finishing within the Top 5 in the near future.
Spurs, under the management of David ‘The Fox’ Piero remain ever quiet, steady as ever & almost forgotten. Spurs, a contrast to their transfer happy North London rivals, have not yet stepped into the transfer market this season, neither buying nor selling any players from the squad. Spurs with a good eighteen 88+ players are another whom will not surprise too many to be in contention of a Top 5 finish at this stage.
The slightly more busy, André & his consistently well placed, FC Porto, are once again on the heels of the Top 5. An evidently content manager, André has yet to make any major changes to the first team squad this season, a squad which as ever is competitive with seventeen 88+ players.
The first surprise challenger to the Top 5 & last within a point at this stage is Doc’ Atletico side whom are now on mass moving towards peak ages within their careers in regards to making it as established world renowned players. The youth project at Atleti has seen both positive & negative remarks over the season having won the first ever Youth Cup in T100, been relegated to D2 & since returned to the big time.
Doc’ squad is now looking healthy as challengers to the Top 5 with a total of fifteen 88+ players. Quiet in the market since the early advances for ‘hot prospects’ Doc has seen one major deal completed in Madrid in S6 so far & that was the departure of Dele Alli to Barca, whilst Thomas Lemar & Aymeric Laporte arrived to provide good depth & continuously valued youth in the squad.
Overachievers to be competing for the Top 5 at this stage however debatably expected Top half competitors with a squad which has been treated well in ratings changes over the past 12 months in which they have been to D2 & back. Ever busy in the market, Paddy D fills the last of the Top 10 spots & still remains within just one fixture of a potential Top 5 finish in D1.
Manchester City have started the season in good goalscoring form, taking a +7 goal difference at this stage however have drawn too many games at this stage, the 3rd most in the division in fact with 5. Liverpool, on joint points with City & the last remaining side within one games results of a Top 5 place are under new management this season after Gordon departed, feeling he had achieved all he could with the side, including of course a previous Top 5 finish.
Wayne Bullough has looked to make changes to the side to make them his own & completed a major deal with AS Roma early in the season which saw the arrivals of De Rossi & Szczesny whilst Keylor Navas departed for the Italian capital. In no doubt what will be a middle of the row season for Liverpool & their squad of seventeen 88+ players, it’s early doors for Wayne & his task of putting Liverpool in contention at the top.
As the quantity of 88+ players seems to start dropping once more, Manchester United sit in a below par 12th position with their fifteen 88+ player squad which however contains five 93+ players, perhaps evidence for their believed below par positioning at this stage of S6. Rahul made plenty of changes in his time at United & put them back in contention in S5 by securing only their 2nd Top 5 finish.
United of course have been consistently poor by their reputable standards over seasons in Top 100 having actually won D1 in S1. Greg Owen now in charge has just this game week made his first major move in the market by sending top GK, De Gea, on his way to PSG whilst potential riser Areola comes into fill his spot between the sticks along with Angel Di Maria.
A side to keep an eye on in the 2nd third of the season, perhaps further moves in the market are in store as well as an improvement in league position. Fourteen 88+ players lineup within the newly promoted Wolfsburg squad in S6. Heath Brown, in this season after his time at PSV, actually replaces Greg whom departed for United.
Heath has clearly decided the squad has more than enough to stay up this season & nobody could argue with his perceptions so far as Wolfsburg sit in 13th. Debatably however there’s trouble afoot as the German outfit are actually only 1 point ahead of relegation spots in what’s as ever a tough fought battle towards the bottom of the table.
Arguably it’s time to make moves for Heath as with the likes of Roma, PSG & Napoli all sitting below Wolfsburg currently but expected to climb the table, things could soon be headed south. Speaking of Napoli, they sit in 14th currently, underachieving compared to Rob Ryan’ usual strong campaigns in Naples.
Rob has made moves this season, bringing in Walcott, Milner & Feghouli whilst departing players of weaker ratings would have suggested improved results. That however has evidently not been the case so far however it’s predicted that Napoli will soon climb into more familiar positions in the league, sixteen 88+ players in their ranks.
The forever climbing Villarreal have now summated the Top 100 pyramid having started in D5. Andrew has never been one for getting too involved, especially in the transfer market & now has thirteen 88+ players within his ranks. Sitting safe in 15th but only on goal difference, it’ll be interesting to see if those values might change over the season or into next season should Villarreal escape the drop or even sacking positions this season.
Michael H’ Dutch giants, Ajax, are another to have veered away from transfers between S5/S6 despite their flirting with relegation throughout the last campaign & it looks like they’re planning on fighting their way out again this season. Their seventeen 88+ player squad puts them in a healthy position statistically but with nothing changed from the last season, you wouldn’t be betting on the being safe currently.
Roma have changed hands a couple of times recently but are now under the stewardship of Beddows 2.0, otherwise known as Ryan Chisholm. Evidently what these two have in common is they don’t do well in D1 as Roma sit on the fence of relegation at this stage. Their 4 92+ players & star man Diego Costa will need to hit top form to rescue the otherwise small quantity of thirteen 88+ players from the abyss.
With a fairly good core squad a belief amongst many that Roma had underachieved last season by narrowly avoiding the drop, the pressure might well soon be on for Ryan to prove otherwise before Roma start to be accustomed with the reputation of fighting relegation within D1 season in, season out.
Feargal has taken charge of surprise D1 side Sunderland this season after the achievements of Wayne Bullough last season. The squad is contested by a surprising seventeen 88+ players which puts them in a strong position to be able to compete for points week in week out but may be short of 90+ players to take advantage in close contested fixtures.
The strength of having 2/3 of their 89+ players in forward positions could well see them score enough to survive this season but at this stage of the season with some big names still below them & presumably likely climbers, the task will remain a tough one & everyone will be surprised to see them survive despite the credentials of gaffer Mr. Hickey.
The divisions biggest underachievers thus far, PSG, have managed managed to attain only 6 points after 12 games with just the one win. A squad with fifteen 88+ players & plenty of 90+ talent would suggest that anything below a Top 10 finish even with the start they have had would be a poor season for Gary’ lads.
It would appear that Gary has identified the issue to be between the sticks & has decided to part with 2 players to bring in De Gea to stop the rot. The presence of Higuain & Reus whom provided 94 ratings in the final third will have no doubt harmed the team at the other end of the pitch however in Lukaku they have a strong forward to rely on.
A team that many have expected to push for a Top 5 finish in recent seasons is in transition currently but will Gary do as many expect & turn things around to see PSG claim the expected Top 10 finish? The -19 goal difference being fixed in the acquisition of De Gea could be a step in the right direction.
Propping up the table are Valencia, now under the management of once relegated from D1, Malcolm. Malcolm has made moves to strengthen the side at the back by acquiring the sturdy Ghoulam from Anderlecht whilst allowing Koziello & Mina to depart. The loss of midfield strength was quickly accounted for as the experienced Hutchinson arrived for cash in a very smart move.
The Spanish side however might well be missing the influence of one senior in particular as David Senior’ previous side whom are accustomed to middle of the table finishes are now some 6 points off of getting out of the relegation zone, let alone finishing mid table. With the Valencia side looking strong in attack but still a little weak at the back an intriguing decision on transfers might well be looming.
Winshill Green Under 9 Match Report
After having a rest last weekend following on from the opening day 6-2 defeat Winshill Green were back in action today facing Stretton Eagles Black in a 9am kick off.
Beddows and Watson were keen to get their first win under their belts and with an amazing plethora of talent under their tutelage it was surely only a matter of time before that inevitable would happen.
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| Watson putting the team through their pre-match warm up |
Winshill starting extremely brightly, Lucas bombing down the left wing, Persephone putting in a beautiful cross early on. Winshill then won a dubious free kick for pulling by Stretton - Persephone struck it but it went wide.
Stretton then arguably against the run of play took the lead, but Winshill struck back after a clearance by Stretton fell to Persephone just outside the penalty area who struck it first time and in went over the keeper's head 1-1!
The rest of the first half was largely dominated by Winshill. Maciej moved back to CM and came close, Archie should have perhaps scored Persephone put him through one on one with the keeper but he put it just wide.
In defence Zuzza and Ben were very effective making crucial interceptions as the half wore on and Jakub made an important stop late in the half to keep it at 1-1.
At half-time Beddows and Watson were full of praise for the kids - what an excellent effort from all of them. Lucas went in goal 2nd half with Jakub moving out to the wing.
Within 1 minute of the second half Stretton got through and made it 2-1! Could Winshill come back again?
The answer was yes, Dejaun intercepting in midfield and feeding the ball to Persephone who drove past the defender and only had the keeper to beat and she did! 2-2. Could she get a hat-trick something which has alluded her in her entire 3 season Winshill career?
Could Winshill win? Stretton were then massively unlucky as they hit the crossbar... then Persephone hit the post, Jakub came close, Maiciej tested their keeper who made a good save - but then... GOAL! Maciej picked up a loose ball from a Stretton player and drove at the Stretton goal and blasted it past the keeper! 3-2!
The last 5 minutes were tight with Stretton pressing for an equaliser but they couldn't break through the Zuzza and Dejaun brick wall - however Lucas in goals did have to make 2 brilliant stops late in the game to give Winshill the 3 points!
First 3 points for Winshill! :)
Player of the Match: Persephone - 2 great goals, great use of the ball when she had either driving down the wing or picking out a pass and was unlucky not to get a hat-trick.
Moment of the Match: Maciej - great individual goal for the winner - 1st of the season and 1st of many I imagine.
Player Ratings:
Jakub (9), Zuzza (9), Ben (9), Dejaun (9), Persephone (10), Lucas (9) Maciej (10), Archie (9)
Division 5 season 6 stats and facts
Division 5 Season 6 stats and fact , still the only way is up.
Monaco should go up, West Brom are rebuilding, what does the future hold for the foundation of the Top 100.
Monaco Twente and Espanyol sit head and shoulders above the opposition.
The presence of Cech obviously biases the stats of Twente somewhat. The alternative system takes account of this, and sees them as 5th overall.
However it will be hard for most teams to get past such a high rated keeper. Torino and Udinese have potent enough attacks, and that could be key in a division with weaker than average keepers if you exclude Cech.
The variation show maybe any team down to West Ham could get auto promotion , with Dnipro or Flamengo having a playoff chance.
With little to worry about other than the sack race lower down. West Brom are an unknown quantity, if they can rebuild then fine but can they give other teams a 9 ,12, or 15 point headstart, Augsburg potential the next weakest have had a decent start. 6 points in the bag is a premium in this league.
You need 87.2 average to survive D4 so that could be a target for the West Brom boss. 10 or more clubs have this , so any could aim for promotion.
| GK | DEF | MID | ATT | Top18 | Ave | Pr | ETOT | Epr | ||
| AS Monaco | 88.0 | 88.3 | 90.3 | 90.0 | 86.0 | 88.50 | 1.0 | 227.20 | 1.0 | |
| RCD Espanyol | 88.0 | 88.8 | 89.5 | 89.0 | 87.0 | 88.45 | 2.0 | 226.67 | 2.0 | |
| FC Twente | 92.0 | 87.3 | 88.0 | 89.0 | 85.0 | 88.25 | 3.0 | 224.42 | 5.0 | |
| Torino | 89.0 | 87.8 | 87.8 | 88.0 | 86.0 | 87.70 | 4.0 | 223.87 | 7.0 | |
| River Plate | 88.0 | 88.8 | 87.8 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.50 | 5.0 | 224.63 | 3.0 | |
| Udinese Calcio | 87.0 | 87.8 | 88.0 | 88.5 | 86.0 | 87.45 | 6.0 | 224.12 | 6.0 | |
| West Ham United | 88.0 | 88.3 | 89.0 | 87.5 | 84.0 | 87.35 | 7.0 | 224.51 | 4.0 | |
| Lille OSC | 89.0 | 87.0 | 87.5 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.30 | 8.0 | 222.83 | 12.0 | |
| Cologne | 87.0 | 87.5 | 87.8 | 88.0 | 86.0 | 87.25 | 9.0 | 223.38 | 9.0 | |
| Club Brugge KV | 88.0 | 87.3 | 88.0 | 87.5 | 85.0 | 87.15 | 10.0 | 222.97 | 11.0 | |
| Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk | 88.0 | 87.0 | 87.3 | 87.5 | 86.0 | 87.15 | 11.0 | 222.34 | 15.0 | |
| Independiente | 87.0 | 88.0 | 87.8 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.15 | 12.0 | 223.76 | 8.0 | |
| Flamengo | 87.0 | 87.8 | 87.8 | 87.0 | 86.0 | 87.10 | 13.0 | 222.98 | 10.0 | |
| RSC Anderlecht | 86.0 | 87.5 | 87.8 | 87.5 | 85.0 | 86.75 | 14.0 | 222.81 | 13.0 | |
| Rubin Kazan | 88.0 | 86.8 | 87.0 | 87.0 | 85.0 | 86.75 | 15.0 | 221.48 | 17.0 | |
| Montpellier HSC | 86.0 | 87.0 | 87.0 | 88.5 | 85.0 | 86.70 | 16.0 | 222.47 | 14.0 | |
| Bremen | 87.0 | 87.0 | 87.0 | 87.5 | 85.0 | 86.70 | 17.0 | 221.94 | 16.0 | |
| Santos FC | 87.0 | 86.0 | 87.8 | 87.0 | 85.0 | 86.55 | 18.0 | 221.11 | 18.0 | |
| Augsburg | 88.0 | 85.5 | 87.5 | 87.0 | 82.0 | 86.00 | 19.0 | 220.20 | 19.0 | |
| West Bromwich Albion | 87.0 | 83.0 | 84.0 | 87.0 | 77.0 | 83.60 | 20.0 | 214.67 | 20.0 |
Division 4 Season 6 stats and facts
Division 4 Season 6 stats and facts. Twice a win a away from Division 2, will Leicester bounce back or do Celta Vigo have a cunning plan?
89 Keeper , 89 front line, should be enough to push Leicester back from where they came, and early season form backs that up. Basel have much the same arrangement, but with a bit less depth , not such a good start for them , which they can't really afford as they may fade. Lowest placed team Liege should finish 3rd on the main rankings, although the alternate prediction system sees Olympiacos placing higher which is backed up early doors.
Looking up one division , you need around 87.3 to survive D3, which bodes well for the majority of teams , showing the gap between D4 an D3 is perhaps not that large. The deviation shows any team down to Crystal Palace has a realistic play off shout.
Celta Vigo have a midfield heavy side, this pushes them higher up in the alternative ranking system, although it isn't helping much at the moment.
At the trap door end despite a good keeper, Zagreb are the weakest team in the league statistically. Dynamo Moscow and Bordeaux have some strength in depth, which could help them as the season goes on. Again the huge deviations in this division see any team up to Atalanta at threat of relegation, and with only half a point average difference between teams from Sau Paulo to Atalanta it is too tight to call.
Malaga could be the type of team to put together a good cup run , should they wish, without changing their prospects in the league much.
| GK | DEF | MID | ATT | Top18 | Ave | Pr | ETOT | Epr | ||
| Leicester City | 89.0 | 88.3 | 88.3 | 89.5 | 86.0 | 88.20 | 1.0 | 225.67 | 1.0 | |
| FC Basel | 89.0 | 88.5 | 88.5 | 89.0 | 85.0 | 88.00 | 2.0 | 225.64 | 2.0 | |
| Standard Liège | 88.0 | 87.3 | 88.3 | 89.0 | 87.0 | 87.90 | 3.0 | 224.35 | 5.0 | |
| Boca Juniors | 88.0 | 88.0 | 88.0 | 88.0 | 87.0 | 87.80 | 4.0 | 224.28 | 8.0 | |
| Olympiacos | 89.0 | 88.0 | 88.3 | 88.5 | 85.0 | 87.75 | 5.0 | 224.65 | 3.0 | |
| FK Partizan | 88.0 | 88.3 | 88.3 | 87.0 | 87.0 | 87.70 | 6.0 | 224.05 | 9.0 | |
| H. Berlin | 88.0 | 87.5 | 88.0 | 89.0 | 86.0 | 87.70 | 7.0 | 224.31 | 7.0 | |
| Atalanta BC | 88.0 | 87.3 | 88.0 | 88.0 | 86.0 | 87.45 | 8.0 | 223.41 | 12.0 | |
| Stoke City | 88.0 | 87.3 | 89.0 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.45 | 9.0 | 223.95 | 11.0 | |
| Celta Vigo | 87.0 | 87.5 | 89.3 | 88.5 | 85.0 | 87.45 | 10.0 | 224.57 | 4.0 | |
| Crystal Palace | 87.0 | 88.0 | 88.0 | 88.0 | 86.0 | 87.40 | 11.0 | 224.04 | 10.0 | |
| Feyenoord | 88.0 | 87.5 | 87.8 | 87.5 | 86.0 | 87.35 | 12.0 | 223.17 | 15.0 | |
| Málaga CF | 87.0 | 88.0 | 87.3 | 87.5 | 87.0 | 87.35 | 13.0 | 223.34 | 14.0 | |
| Levante UD | 87.0 | 88.3 | 88.3 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.30 | 14.0 | 224.34 | 6.0 | |
| Dynamo Kyiv | 87.0 | 88.0 | 88.5 | 86.5 | 86.0 | 87.20 | 15.0 | 223.40 | 13.0 | |
| Stuttgart | 88.0 | 87.0 | 88.0 | 87.5 | 85.0 | 87.10 | 16.0 | 222.72 | 17.0 | |
| São Paulo FC | 88.0 | 87.3 | 87.3 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.10 | 17.0 | 222.80 | 16.0 | |
| Dynamo Moskva | 87.0 | 87.0 | 87.8 | 87.5 | 86.0 | 87.05 | 18.0 | 222.55 | 18.0 | |
| Girondins Bordeaux | 87.0 | 87.0 | 87.3 | 88.0 | 86.0 | 87.05 | 19.0 | 222.55 | 19.0 | |
| Dinamo Zagreb | 88.0 | 87.0 | 87.5 | 87.0 | 85.0 | 86.90 | 20.0 | 222.06 | 20.0 |
Winshill Green Under 9's MATCH REPORT
Winshill Green's Under 9's took to the field today for their 2nd pre-season friendly - following on from their 6-3 win in their debut match on Thursday.
Today in the lovely Horninglow sunshine their opponents were another who will be in their same division next season, Outwoods Hawks.
The team was: Jakub, Dejaun, Maciej, Archie, Hassan, Natan, Lucas, Harvey (borrowed from the golds)
Outwoods Hawks was a step up for the team - as they are an established team unlike their last opponents and on a smaller pitch which hadn't been cut recently both teams found it difficult.
The game ended as it started - 0-0 - With Winshill's best chances falling to Dejaun (from his own half), Lucas, Natan and a couple for Maciej - who could have won it with the last kick of the game - but a great performance against an established team.
Jakub made one super stop in the 1st third, Lucas likewise when he went in goal. Harvey was at his brilliant best breaking up play and putting passes together - Natan - again excellent - his work rate is second to none and was so unlucky at the end not to win it. Archie made some encouraging runs and did well when asked to play in the unfamiliar role of defence.
Next match is the Charity Cup on Sunday 3rd September.
Season 6 Division 3 stats and facts
The mad world of Division 3, stats and facts season 6.
Will PSV live up to expectations this season ?
PSV and argueably Sevilla can put out the strongest starting 11, with Olympic Lyon not far behind. Again looking up 1 division PSV would be challenging for a play off space , so this should be a relative doddle for them.
Lyon and Sevilla have the most attacking options, but Sevilla have a weakness between the sticks, which never helps long term.
Injury free Celtic could also challenge for the top spot. With a wild variation in performance vs stats in D3 you could look down as far as St Etienne or even Marseille for the eventual winners or even to Besitkas or Villa for a playoff spot.
The experimental ranking system indeed shows that Marseille or Villa could be dark horses for a play off run.
To survive in D2 you need around 88.10 which would put the cut off between Newcastle and Celtic , lower than that and you will be rejoining your long lost friends.
At the relegation end Chievo , Galatasary and Cruziero look set for the drop. Galatasary and Cruziero have a weak keeper, lack depth, Chievo are desperately weak up top and could find reinforcements in the open market.
While the regular stats put Spatak in the 4th drop spot, the adjusted stats show that Swansea may be more likely to drop, which is backed up by the first couple of games.
I fancy Besitkas for a good cup run, if that is what takes their fancy.
| GK | DEF | MID | ATT | Top18 | Ave | Pr | ETOT | Epr | ||
| PSV | 90.0 | 89.0 | 90.0 | 89.0 | 87.0 | 89.00 | 1.0 | 227.49 | 2.0 | |
| Hellas Verona | 89.0 | 88.3 | 89.3 | 89.5 | 87.0 | 88.60 | 2.0 | 226.45 | 5.0 | |
| Olympique Lyonnais | 90.0 | 88.5 | 89.0 | 90.0 | 85.0 | 88.50 | 3.0 | 226.74 | 3.0 | |
| Sevilla | 88.0 | 89.5 | 90.0 | 90.0 | 85.0 | 88.50 | 4.0 | 228.16 | 1.0 | |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | 90.0 | 88.0 | 88.3 | 88.0 | 87.0 | 88.25 | 5.0 | 224.69 | 8.0 | |
| Newcastle United | 88.0 | 88.8 | 88.8 | 88.5 | 87.0 | 88.20 | 6.0 | 225.85 | 6.0 | |
| Celtic | 88.0 | 89.0 | 89.3 | 89.0 | 85.0 | 88.05 | 7.0 | 226.52 | 4.0 | |
| AS Saint-Etienne | 89.0 | 87.5 | 88.0 | 88.5 | 86.0 | 87.80 | 8.0 | 224.11 | 10.0 | |
| Olympique Marseille | 87.0 | 88.3 | 89.0 | 88.5 | 86.0 | 87.75 | 9.0 | 225.28 | 7.0 | |
| AZ Alkmaar | 89.0 | 87.3 | 87.5 | 88.5 | 86.0 | 87.65 | 10.0 | 223.53 | 16.0 | |
| Beşiktaş JK | 87.0 | 87.0 | 88.8 | 88.5 | 87.0 | 87.65 | 11.0 | 223.98 | 11.0 | |
| Aston Villa | 88.0 | 88.3 | 88.3 | 87.5 | 86.0 | 87.60 | 12.0 | 224.25 | 9.0 | |
| Swansea City | 88.0 | 86.5 | 88.3 | 89.0 | 86.0 | 87.55 | 13.0 | 223.48 | 17.0 | |
| Hoffenheim | 88.0 | 87.5 | 88.5 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.40 | 14.0 | 223.87 | 12.0 | |
| Lokomotiv Moskva | 88.0 | 87.5 | 87.3 | 89.0 | 85.0 | 87.35 | 15.0 | 223.70 | 14.0 | |
| Hamburg | 88.0 | 88.3 | 87.8 | 87.5 | 85.0 | 87.30 | 16.0 | 223.80 | 13.0 | |
| Spartak Moskva | 87.0 | 87.8 | 88.0 | 88.0 | 85.0 | 87.15 | 17.0 | 223.67 | 15.0 | |
| Chievo Verona | 88.0 | 87.3 | 88.8 | 86.0 | 85.0 | 87.00 | 18.0 | 222.49 | 19.0 | |
| Galatasaray SK | 87.0 | 87.3 | 87.5 | 88.5 | 84.0 | 86.85 | 19.0 | 223.05 | 18.0 | |
| Cruzeiro | 87.0 | 86.7 | 87.0 | 87.0 | 85.0 | 86.54 | 20.0 | 221.31 | 20.0 |