time to say goodbye





a massive game for us this evening ended in a 1-0 loss to dynamo kyiv. its a great which pretty much told the tale of our season. we had more possession and more shots on target but yet again the players failed to put the ball in the back of the net.


its been a up and down season for us with many good points and bad points 2 seasons in the play off means we have consolidated our position in division 4 after a promotion under Alex.

this evening i spoke to the chairman and told him i would be leaving the club. arguably I've walked before being pushed as 2 chances in the play offs should of at least resulted in a play off final at the least.

 its now the right time to move on and hand over to someone new in the hope they can take the club one step further to division 3.

i move on to a new challenge and should be appointed within the next few hours.

Value added Season 5 division 1

Bayern top the PVA table with Napoli having the best raw score.

O.K. so this year I have sorted according to positional value added. This is the value added +1 / finishing position. 

The idea is that finishing higher up gets you more positive points.

So Bayern who finished top , with a raw VA of +2 get a PVA of +3. I thinking most would agree that the 3rd ranked team finishing top deserve the higest rating,
This puts Napoli with the highest raw score of + 8 in second spot, a fantastic performance  , 8 places higher than their predicted position.
Other notable performances came from Porto with +5 and Ajax +4 , Chelsea also get a mention for the 3rd PVA spot.

At the wrong end Juve on -6 raw score and -0.5 PVA get the wooden spoon,  Barca's fall from grace leaves them 2nd from the end.  Dortmund, Roma and Man City also fall at the end of the table.



GK DEF MID ATT Top18 Ave Pr Fin VA PVA
Bayern 92.0 92.5 93.5 96.5 88.0 92.5 3 1 2 3.00
SSC Napoli 90.0 90.5 91.0 91.5 85.0 89.6 15 7 8 1.29
Chelsea 93.0 91.3 92.3 93.0 85.0 90.9 6 4 2 0.75
FC Porto 90.0 90.3 89.5 91.5 86.0 89.5 16 11 5 0.55
Real Madrid 92.0 93.8 93.5 97.0 89.0 93.1 2 2 0 0.50
Paris Saint-Germain 89.0 91.3 92.5 94.5 85.0 90.5 8 6 2 0.50
Ajax 90.0 90.0 89.5 89.0 87.0 89.1 19 15 4 0.33
AC Milan 89.0 89.7 90.5 89.0 86.0 88.8 20 17 3 0.24
Manchester United 94.0 91.3 92.3 93.0 87.0 91.5 5 5 0 0.20
Tottenham Hotspur 91.0 90.7 92.5 90.0 87.0 90.2 9 9 0 0.11
Valencia CF 90.0 90.5 91.0 91.0 88.0 90.1 13 13 0 0.08
Liverpool 90.0 91.0 91.0 93.0 86.0 90.2 11 12 -1 0.00
Everton 89.0 89.5 91.0 89.5 87.0 89.2 18 19 -1 0.00
Arsenal 90.0 91.8 91.5 93.0 88.0 90.9 7 8 -1 0.00
Monchengladbach 90.0 89.0 90.3 91.0 86.0 89.3 17 20 -3 -0.10
Dortmund 89.0 90.5 91.0 91.0 88.0 89.9 14 18 -4 -0.17
AS Roma 92.0 90.0 91.0 91.0 87.0 90.2 12 16 -4 -0.19
Manchester City 89.0 89.5 91.7 94.0 87.0 90.2 10 14 -4 -0.21
Barcelona 96.0 94.0 94.3 97.5 85.0 93.4 1 3 -2 -0.33
Juventus 94.0 92.3 92.3 94.5 89.0 92.4 4 10 -6 -0.50

Little explains decision to Quit

Little explains his reason to leave SM



Afternoon guys, 

I just wanted to explain the reason's behind my decision to leave T100 and SoccerManager in full. 
For a while now I haven't been enjoying SM due to the ridiculous match engine which shows little sign of ever getting any better/realistic. Honestly it isn't me chucking toys out the pram,
I hit my season objective and still have the chance of promotion through the play offs(you never know SM may decide its my turn)

I used to love the game, the challenges of finding gems, bit scouting and putting together a good squad, these days transfers is all that the game has left to offer. The tactics/instructions are worthless by definition alone, they offer nothing to how a game is won or lost. The sheer number of times matches are won or lost by one team scoring with the only shots they have on target is ridiculous. I have found myself on both sides of this in the various game worlds I used to be in and its embarrassing when you win despite being totally outplayed and hugely annoying when you lose despite being in what seems complete control of a match. This happens once or twice a season in real life, every other game on SM. Then the ratings system is just as bad, I pointed out a few weeks ago My keeper Adrian got 6/10 rating despite conceding the only 2 shots he faced, the opposition keeper scored 5 despite saving 80% of shots faced. It's like someone just picks the numbers out of a hat for shits and giggles. 

SoccerManager have a good game, they just chose to pursue other ways of making money rather than listen to the concerns of long standing members of the game. How do we complain about our unhappiness? As paying customers(gold member) we should have a right to complain about the services paid for, seemingly gold membership is only to stay ad free. 

Stephen has asked me to stay till October, I will honour that request, T100 is easily the best set up in the game and amongst the reasons I haven't quit sooner. Last night I quit some set ups that I have been in for years, building some fine squads as I genuinely feel my time has come to an end here, maybe I could get the bug back, but I doubt it with my current concerns with the game. 

Sorry for the rant just thought I could get the message across better on here than the news feed.

Good luck to all in the future.

Norman.

squeaky bum time at olympiacos.





wow what a night it was on the final night of season 4 for us.with us 3 points clear of 8th and 3 goals clear of Bordeaux and and a further 7 goals in front of stoke city. i had a decision to make.

i felt with Bordeaux playing high scoring fc Basel that the 3 goal advantage would be enough.i expected to lose to stoke as they were in form.so looking ahead to the play offs i made 10 changes to the side.

the players were given a chance to prove to me they deserved to play in the play offs and that massively backfired as we got spanked 5-1 by stoke,thankfully for us Bordeaux did concede at Basel going down 2-1. and stoke coming within just 3 more goals of knocking us out of the play offs.


thankfully things payed of and we secured a second straight finish in the play offs since i took over at olympiacos. we now face a tricky game against dynamo kyiv in the play off semi final.



                                                             team news

i think with all things considered the whole first team will be replaced with my main players all coming back in. with us playing away in the first leg. more pressure is on dynamo kyiv with home advantage.with my players having extra rest i'm hoping that will be enough to take us through to the final. nothing is guaranteed in the play offs as we no.


reports have of course surfaced along with many others with the t100 merry go round of a possible move to manage elsewhere. my future as already been decided and will be made clear after the play offs. my focus is to get these bunch of guys promoted into the 3rd tier.


Greg Owen Unveiled as New United Manager in Shock Move!

Manchester United tonight unveiled their new manager, Greg Owen, in a move which shocked the football world.





Owen, who was expected to continue in his successful tenure as manager of Wolfsburg after successfully taking the team into Division 1 for the first time, was unexpectedly announced at a press conference at Old Trafford earlier today.


When asked about his decision to leave Wolfsburg, Owen replied: “Yes, it was a hard decision to make. I’d already turned down an approach from the champions, Bayern, but I didn’t feel that I could do that to the fans or the team at Wolfsburg. But when United came knocking, well, I have always loved this team and its history, and the opportunity was just too close to my heart to turn down!"


 Greg Owen also posed for photos win the gaffer’s seat in the dugout, where he was asked about his plans for the team.

“I want to take United back to the top. Look, this is the biggest brand in football and we should be on top, or at least challenging for the top spot. I think we’ve got a good squad, but it probably needs a little tweaking”.

When asked about his former charges at Wolfsburg, he added, “You have to look seriously at somebody like Cesc Fabregas. The guy is a leader and for me he was the standout in the division. He carried that team on many occasions and if the opportunity came up to have him in my team again, well I’d jump at it”.

Owen was somewhat cagey about his goals for the upcoming season, but did say that he was a big fan of managerial stipulations and would be once again committing to some serious targets in Season 6.






Beddows Statement on future!


Over recent days the FRANKBET odds on Beddows moving on from Milan have fallen faster than than Rahul's season at Man Utd - but where is the greatest manager in T100 destined to go - which of the big clubs is his preference?

Obviously as was completely expected Beddows has had call after call after call from Frank - 15 voicemail's asking for a decision as to which of the big clubs he fancies! So many emails that he has had to move Frank's email address to SPAM - even DP has championed his great rival in trying to convince him to take on the Bayern job!

It has been a decision which has completely torn at Beddows' heart and scenes across the city of Milan have resembled London during the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997 - mass outbreak of grief, inconsolable grown men standing looking desolate in front of the Duomo - children asking their parents what will happen if Beddows left - would there be a future?

And that is not half of it - the Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, has announced that if Beddows leaves a mass funeral will be held and the city will go into 26 days of mourning, businesses will close down, schools will shut and the city will remember the great work that Beddows has achieved.

But what of the great man himself.

Well this morning at 8am CET news broke from the official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts of AC Milan!

Within only a few hours this has been retweeted 19,959 times and liked an incredible 79,590 but what has led to this decision Beddows explained that it was another T100 who helped him make the decision as the two met recently for an important business meeting which yielded a historic deal who was that manager?
Brugge boss Davy Vandendriessche in his match day clothes
In late July 2017 in "real life" Beddows and his daughter travelled to Holland to watch the women's Euros and as part of the trip Beddows arranged an important business meeting on a Dutch beach to discuss future transfer arrangements between Milan and Brugge.


On Breskens beach in South Holland the two great managers make a great deal
After an hour of discussions the Treaty of Breskens Beach was agreed: (1) the two clubs shall share scouting knowledge (2) Brugge will have the pick of all AC Milan loans (3) AC Milan shall have the pick of ALL Brugge players (4) Brugge will take part in the Milan Cup for Season 6 and Season 7

The deal was agreed with a friendly football match between England/Italy (v) Belgium/Holland (Beddows' daughter is half Italian) and (Davy's children were born in Holland but go to school in Belgium)
Beddows and Vandendriessche children enjoyed playing football on the beach
The two great managers then decided to travel to Belgium where Beddows has a surprise for Davy as he felt the historic agreement (see above) was a little to one sided and Beddows' generosity is one that knows no bounds as he surprised Davy with a present - a new club bus for Brugge for season 6.
Beddows arrives in Belgium
Beddows can be seen below presenting Club Brugge with a new club bus for the sum of €20 - a man who is always keen to help!


The business meeting then ended in a Belgian beach resort of Blankenberge eating waffels, drinking beer and paddling in the sea - basically being a very British tourist!
Beddows in Blankenberge

What of the new season for Milan - well there might actually be some movement in the transfer market nothing major but we will wait until after the SMFA Shield final on Tuesday. Do we want to go down - staying up AGAIN will be a great achievement but building a team minus Barzagli and a few others in Division Two would be a nice project - in Division One we can't afford to sell our highest rated players as the standard across the division is just too high - in Division two we might be able to do that and not have to worry about the threat of being "sacked".

We would also like to try and play two up front and give game time to Andrea Petagna - but all of this for next season - ideal scenario we go down and win the cup final! But dont worry I will try my very best to stay up as I would love to relegate Michael H ;)

Youth Player of the Year Suggestions

CLICK READ MORE FOR THE SUGGESTIONS Division 1

Adama Traore
Andre Silva
Anthony Martial
Cristian Pavon
Jonathan Tah
Julian Weigl
Leroy Sane
Mahmoud Dahoud
Marco Asensio
Max Meyer
Thomas Lemar
Division 2
Dele Alli
Giovanni Simeone
Hugo Keto
Julian Brandt
Kyliann Mbappe
Mikel Oyarzabal
Timo Werner
Division 3
Clement Lenglet
Emre Mor
Godfred Donsah
Kieran Tierney
Lorenzo Pellegrini
Remi Walter
Division 4
Gabriel Jesus
Jesus Vallejo
Nadiem Amiri
Niklas Sule
Sebastian Driussi
Seko Fofana
Theo Bongonda
Division 5
Divock Origi
Florian Grillitsch
Leander Dendoncker
Marc Stendera
Predag Rajkovic
Silveira Clayotn
Youri Tielemans

D3: The Battle for 2nd and the Playoffs

It's the final round of matches in D3 on Thursday night, and it's pretty tight still at the top of the table. While CSKA are home and dry after a fantastic season under Fred Dodger's stewardship, five clubs separated by three points still have realistic hopes of automatic promotion, and another four with just two points between them will hope to claim the last playoff place.



Starting at the top, the big game is undoubtedly at the San Mames where arguably the two best teams in the division - on recent and current form - face off against against each other as Mike T's revitalised Athletic Club host Andre Libras-Boas's resurgent Hellas Verona. This one looks too close to call, and while either side could win, I'm going for a score draw, 2-2. Hell for Hellas, but will it be enough for the Bilbao side?


Third placed Sampdoria face what you might think would be a tricky task in Moscow at the home of the champions. But with CSKA having nothing to play for, and with a relatively poor home record to boot, I fancy Samp and Gareth Crisp to grab the three points that will guarantee them automatic promotion.

Another Moscow team, Lokomotiv, have slipped recently against the champions and Athletic, but should find a return to winning ways at The Linder's struggling Crystal Palace, who sadly look doomed. That win would put Loko on 60 points and crucially improve their goal difference to give Attila Olah's side the third and final automatic promotion place by a couple of goals!


In the remaining games, Josh McMillan's Saint Etienne are guaranteed a playoff place, but would need two or three of the four clubs currently above them to lose, for victory against Hamburg to give them automatic promotion. Do they go all out for victory on the off-chance of going up, or save their first team for the playoffs? At full strength, and with a strong home record, I fancy ASSE to hold on for a draw and crush Hamburg's hopes of sneaking into the final playoff place.

RJ Alston's Galatasaray, meanwhile, face local Istanbul rivals Besiktas. Even if Hamburg fail to win, Gala still need three points to guarantee the final playoff spot. While they have a great away record, I can't see anything other than a draw here, too!


That just leaves Bob 'Groucho' Sal's Sassuolo to beat Cruzeiro - the worst team in the division on current form - to snatch the final playoff spot right at the death! (I'd bet actual money on this result, which - unfortunately for Aston Villa - means even victory over Newcastle will not be enough for them.)

If results go as I predict (which is about as likely as Hamburg winning the league), the final table will look something like this:


One interesting scenario that could play out in this case, is a rerun of Thursday's big game between Athletic Club and Hellas Verona in the Playoff Final!

Best of luck to all involved.

Beddows' Emotional Moment with the Players And Fans

Tonight was more than just a semi-final - it has the sense of a goodbye, an ending, the final words that a manager speaks to his staff before departing for pastures new - but it turned out to be nothing of the sort or was it????





After destroying Chelsea, the most in form team since Preston North End in the 1880's, 1-0 to progress to a MAJOR final the SMFA Shield next week Beddows took to the field to address his adoring public.

"We are here today to celebrate a great moment in Milan history - we have reached a major final for the first time ever!"

CHEERS FROM THE CROWD...



"But alas all great things do not last and it is with a heavy heart that I share this news with my beloved public that this morning at exactly 10am BOTH the Bayern and Manchester United boards sent me text messages asking me to become their new manager in Season 6!"

STUNNED SILENCE IN THE STADIUM REMINISCENT OF THE MOMENT OF CHARLES I EXECUTION IN 1649...

"I know that you all adore me so much and this decision will be the most difficult in all the history of T100 history!"

"I have to tell you now that no response of any kind has been sent to either Munich or Manchester - but at this time, consequently it is possible that these are my final moments in charge of AC Milan!"

GASPS AND TEARS FILL THE STADIUM

"You can imagine what a difficult decision now awaits me and yet I respect that the long struggle to win safety and victory awaits prior to any major decision. Yet I cannot believe that there is anything more that I could have done and that would have made me more successful that I have already achieved at Milan."

"Up until the very last it might be quite possible that I depart for Munich or Manchester - but I will dedicate my honorable position of dedication to Milan! Even if Frank will not have it even if Munich and Manchester demand my immediate loyalty I will not have it - to Milan I am yours!"

"I give to you my heart and my complete commitment for the next 7 days at the very least.What will happen afterwards I do not know, I cannot foresee the future - but whatever will happen - whatever level of victory we shall achieve in the next 7 days we at Milan will strive to make you, our fans so proud! So grateful of the work of our players and your management team!"

MASS CHEERS AROUND THE SAN SIRO...

James Mckenzie was seen himself in tears!


Division 2 - The Final Round Scrap

Well, here we are. One more round of Top 100 in Season 5. So for those of you not directly involved – and therefore probably not following quite as closely as those of us in the thick of it – here’s a quick summary of the fixtures and implications in the final matches.



Top of the League


Barring an amazing turn of events, Villarreal look to have the division title sewn up. A great run through the second half of the season has seen them rise to the top and maintain that lead. Barring a loss to Zenit, and a big win by chasers Atletico Madrid to overcome a five goal difference, Villarreal will take the title and move up to Division 1 in Season 6.

Atletico Madrid will join them, but the race for 3rd place – and the final automatic promotion placing – is wide open. Two rounds ago, Inter Milan looked to have it sewn up, but a couple of poor results from Alex’s side opened the door to a late run from Wolfsburg – who defeated both Atletico Madrid and Villarreal to move back into 3rd with a 1 point lead over Inter. So winner takes all in the final round, with both teams facing sides battling relegation and desperate for the points to keep them in Division 2 – Wolfsburg at home to Swansea and Inter Milan hosting Sporting CP.

Prediction – Villarreal 1st, Atletico Madrid 2nd, Wolfsburg 3rd (What? You didn’t think I was going to back myself??)


Playoff Contention


Joining either Wolfsburg or Inter Milan in the playoffs will be Sunderland, and two out of Bayer Leverkusen, Genoa and Benfica. While Bayer Leverkusen and Genoa have the edge over Benfica (55 points vs 52 points), Genoa face a tough trip to Sunderland, while Benfica are away to bottom-placed Sevilla and already have a 1 goal advantage over Genoa which could prove crucial in a loss/win combination. Leverkusen meanwhile host 19th-placed Olympique Lyonnais who are already confirmed relegated, although they have caused a number of upsets during the season. So the pressure goes on Genoa manager Frank Hirst to make it into the playoffs, while Tom Parfitt may well back himself for a late charge into the top level of Top100.

Prediction – Inter Milan 4th, Sunderland 5th, Bayer Leverkusen 6th, Benfica 7th (with Frank Hirst’s team bottling it and coming 8th on goal difference in their current form slump with only 2 points in the last four games)


Bottom of the League


While three of the four relegation spots have been confirmed – Spartak Moskva, Olympique Lyonnais and Sevilla – the battle to stay up remains wide open with 17th-placed Schalke only 2 points behind four teams: Fiorentina, Fenerbache, Swansea and Sporting CP. Even Southampton, thinking they should be safe in 12th spot with 46 points, have a mathematical possibility of being dragged into relegation contention thanks to their very poor goal difference of -12!

But for any of that to be interesting, Schalke need a win as they host 9th-placed Lazio to bring the other permutations into play. The sides played out a 2-2 draw earlier in the season in a very even game, but if Schalke can create the number of chances that they did in that encounter they stand a chance of an upset and put real pressure on the five teams above them.

As already stated above, Swansea and Sporting CP face a tough battle against top four sides Wolfsburg and Inter Milan. In the event of a Schalke win against Lazio, it’s most likely that the fourth relegated side will come from these two, and Sporting are the most vulnerable with a -17 goal difference (vs -13 for Swansea), which might just be enough of a distinction to see them go down.

If the football gods are smiling on all of Schalke, Sporting and Swansea - and they all somehow win - then the match between Fenerbache and league leaders Villarreal becomes a survival struggle for the Turkish side. Fenerbache would need a win, with a draw most likely sending them down on goal difference with Schalke staying up.

In a similar vein of outside possibilities, Fiorentina and Southampton have an outside chance of being dragged into the relegation scrap, but only if all four of the sides below them win – with three of those matches being against top four sides in the division!

Prediction – Sporting CP 17th (sorry Mr Dinosaur!), Spartak Moskva 18th, Olympique Lyonnais 19th, Sevilla 20th with Schalke beating Lazio and staying up.


Conclusion


So some great games in the final round with a lot still riding on it for the managers involved. I have a “promotion or die” clause in his managerial stipulations, and that makes automatic promotion a real bonus for him; Alex McLean at Inter has been talking big all season and needs to back it up with a final round result or face the playoff scrap for the last promotion place. And at the other end of the spectrum Ian D is fighting for survival in Division 2 in a must-win for Schalke, whilst Mr Dinosaur and Lee Adams are looking over their shoulders to see what happens.


Time to Make a Name: The Next Generation


Image result for espanyol

Here at Espanyol I have worked hard to put together a strong starting XI with quality in depth too, however, to do that I had to start off small and build my way up. This is still a very useful tactic which I use, despite having the squad stronger than it has ever been. There’s nothing better than picking up a player for cheap or for cash for him to then develop into a first team player or attract interest from a far higher division. Having been here for a couple of seasons I’ve done this a few times already with the likes of Roque Mesa, Nathan Redmond, Onyinye Ndidi and a few others. We now have a new batch of “squad players” who I hope and expect (in some cases) to rise further and push for squad spots within the next few seasons. Most of the players in this list have recently moved or had a slight change in squad role which has led to me expecting a bit more out of them this season.




  • Andriy Lunin. 18. Gk. Rtd 77. 



Added to the game at the start of July, Lunin attracted less attention than I expected and we were able to pick him up beating two or three other clubs who had also bid. Costing less than £1 million I believe this could turn out to be a bargain. With Dnipro having a poor seasons and conceding 15 goals in their first ten games the side called upon their youth keeper to step in, and he shone. He started all 22 remaining games of the season conceding just 22 goals, keeping 8 clean sheets for a team which would eventually be relegated despite only losing 5 games since he came into the team. At the end of the season Zorya Luhansk came and picked him up and  he will now face tougher competition for a starting spot but will have the opportunity to prove himself in a better team and potentially even in the Europa League. With time on his side and his recent move I believe that within two years he will be far more known and may have earned himself a bigger move if he continues to impress.

  


  • Boubacar Kamara. 17. CB. Rtd 75.



At just 17, Kamara already stands at over 6'2" and has already shown very promising signs. He was acquired in the sale of Jota and is the only one of three players I received to remain. The defender has represented France at Under 17 and Under 18 levels and was the Marseille Under 19 captain. He has earned himself a senior contract at Marseille as well as a senior team spot next season. It is, however, being reported that he doesn't want to commit his long term future to the club having said he is "unsure about his next move". With clubs such as Arsenal, Man City, Chelsea, Dortmund and Bayern all rumoured to be interest him it is clear that if he chooses to leave he wont just disappear. Another one who is still very young but has already proven his ability. If he can keep his head together and avoid injury he will surely be a top defender.


  • Jordi Vanlerberghe. 21. CB. Rtd 82.



Having picked him up in the sale of Alex Galvez I was unsure of his worth and considered selling him a few times due to injury and a lack of play time. Thankfully I held out and he got a +4 for his role at KV Mechelen in the 16/17 season. However, it wasn't only Soccer Manager who saw his improvements and on the 1st of July he joined Club Brugge for £1.62 million. There he will face tougher competition against the likes of Bjorn Engels and Stefano Denswil but will certainly have the opportunity to show his ability in a better team. A very promising and physically able young Belgian is always one to look out for and I believe this move will suit him well in his climb to becoming a world class player.

  

  •  Milos Veljkovic. 21. CB. Rtd 83.



Another player who I acquired in the sale of an excess defender and another one who I am very excited about. Coming out of the Tottenham Academy, Milos Veljkovic had a lot of promise about him. Despite this he was unable to impress in England and joined Werder Bremen in February 2016 for just £255k. He is now valued at around 10x that amount and broke into the first team last season making a total of 26 appearances in the Bundesliga. With the 21-year-old hopefully playing regular football next season I would expect him to rise to a cup squad level of around 85/86 and if he impresses he could potential earn himself a move upwards.



  •  Jose Luis Palomino. 27. CB. 84.



Costing us just £2.5 million from Ludogorets, Palomino is one who I really hope pushes on. Having spent just one season in Bulgaria the defender made 40 appearances in all competitions (including 8 in European competitions) and scored two goals helping his side win the league. He has now moved to Atalanta where he will have the opportunity to re-appear in the Europa league. With current first team defenders being rated 87/88 he will also have the ability to reach that. To do this he will need to establish himself as a first team player and prove that he has what it takes to play in one of the top leagues in the world.


  •  Jordy Gaspar. 20. RB. Rtd 78.



When I was offered this youth defender along with Frederic Guilbert in exchange for Sergi Canos I was very quick to accept. Having come through the Lyon Academy and joining the first team last season he was always one to watch. He was mostly unused but did manage to make two league starts and one in the champions league for the senior team. He has now joined AS Monaco on a Free Transfer and has been loaned out to Belgian side Cercle Brugge. Here he should be given far more opportunities to play and develop in a more forgiving league. He is one I expect to have a very good future and who I hope can eventually be a 1st teamer for us.



  •  Yuri Berchiche. 27. LB. Rtd 88.



This signing has already turned out to be one of my best cheap pick ups giving Pablo Armero and £2 million for him. At the time both players were rated 87 but within a week Armero dropped by two and around a month late Yuri picked up a +1. So having already been one of my best bargains he has now gone one step further and been signed by PSG. Whether he can displace Layvin Kurzawa remains to be seen but when you consider that the Frenchman had three separate injuries last season alone and missed over half the seasons games in total then I expect Yuri to have the opportunity to show his worth. If he takes his chances then his potential could be far higher than his current 88 rating but at the moment it is all very open.



  •  Jean-Victor Makengo. 19. CM. Rtd 80.



Despite their amazing in-game youth squad, Benfica certainly let this one slip through their net after letting him join us at Espanyol for just £3.5 million. Makengo is another one of my French youngsters and another one I expect a lot from. Unlike the others he hasn't been developed by a top French side but instead has come through the ranks as SM Caen and has made 31 senior appearances for the club over the past two seasons. Despite being at a smaller club, he has still had a successful international career so far representing France at Under 16, 17, 18 and 19 levels. This summer he has joined OGC Nice, who last year had one of the most successful seasons in Europe and shocked many. The youngster will now play alongside fellow countrymen Wylan Cyprien and Vincent Koziello who will hopefully aid him in his development. If he can work his way into the team over the next few seasons then he will certainly be one of my best cash purchases.


  •  Roque Mesa. 28. CM. Rtd 89.



Like Yuri Berchiche, Mesa is already one of my most successful signings. Joining us from Las Palmas for around £2.5 million in September he has already raised from 85 to 89 and become one of my most used assets. Now in real life he has secured a move to Swansea City. Not one of the most glamourous clubs but certainly a good stepping stone and a move that will suit the Spaniard well. As an accurate passer, Mesa will be able to link well with new loan signing Tammy Abraham and would also benefit massively if Gylfi Sigurdsson was to stay. With that said if Mesa is able to perform well then a larger PL team could pick him up within the next few seasons.

  

  •  Ezequiel Barco. 18. AM. Rtd 82.



After signing him as a free agent for £1.7 million I made a mistake and let him go in exchange for Matt Phillips. Luckily I was able to get him back in a multi-deal and hope he is worth it. At 18, he is already in the Independiente senior team earning a total of 24 showings last season netting 3 times. He has also attracted interest from the big spending AC Milan but with the Argentine side asking for over £15 million he may have to stay one more season until he has just one season left on his contract which would make the club more inclined to sell. Either way, at such as young age and with his skill and potential Barco is one who I will be monitoring throughout the whole of next season and one I believe could become a first teamer for us eventually.



  •  Pierre Lees-Melou. 24. AM. Rtd 83.



We picked up Melou for just under £4 million beating several other clubs to the signing. Over the course of last season the 24-year-old saw his value increase from $425k to over £2.1 million. He solidified his place in the Dijon side and scored 7 goals in 32 games, he also assisted 3 more. As a result of this good season he has now joined OGC Nice where he will have the opportunity to display his talent at a bigger club. His toughest obstacle will be to pick up game time but with Younnes Belhanda not making a return he may be able to fill the gap left by the Moroccan. If he is able to pick up consistent game time then he can be expected to make some good rises and could soon be a cup player or maybe even a 1st team player by next season.

  

  •  Salgueiro Jason. 23. RW. Rtd 82.



Costing us the exchange of the disappointing Lukas Rupp, I consider this signing a pretty good pick up. Over the past few seasons Jason has been contending with the once highly rated Ruben Garcia for a staring spot at Levante. Last season Jason was able to become the more dominant option making 39 LaLiga2 appearances and netting 10 times to help his side win the league. Now that they are back in the top flight Levante will need to step up their game and so will Jason. With his record from last season its clear to see he has quality but whether he can produce the same against better opposition remains to be seen. If he does impress there is always the potential for a better move for the winger who is still young. 



  •  Vitor Bueno. 22. RW. Rtd 85.



Brought in along with Nathaniel Chalobah from Arsenal I think I got two great young players with high potential. Playing at Santos for a young Brazilian is always good and with a strong 15/16 season in which he scored 7 goals in 28 games he has now played 11 games of this season. He has missed a few games but is still in and around the team and has displayed his worth by scoring 3 goals. I believe if he starts picking up more game time he will surely be a cup player very soon.

  • Jorge Burgui. 23. LW. Rtd 84.
Jorge Burgui was a player I hadn't heard of when he joined as a Real Madrid player out on loan. He spent last season at Sporting Gijon where he made 34 appearances throughout the season. We were recently looking to offload Burgui after he left Real Madrid following his contract expiring, however, having now signed for Deportivo Alaves he may still have a lot to give. At just 23 he still has time to develop and has already shown he is capable in the league by scoring twice and providing four assists last season. At Alaves, Burgui will face competition from Ibai Gomez for a starting spot on the left wing and may look to the right if he has to. I expect he will be able to get into the 1st team and hopefully pick up a decent rise to around 86 making him a good depth player while still being young.



  • Aldo Kalulu. 21. CF. Rtd 80.


With the Frenchman joining us or just £3.5 million he was worth taking a risk on. After making 6 first team appearances for Lyon last season he was sent out on loan to Stade Rennais. There he played a further 11 games. He has now joined FC Sochaux in Ligue 2 where he will gain far more game time. I expect he will be a key member of the squad and will hopefully be able to utilise his pace well throughout the season. There is also always the potential with him for move out wide and occupy a wingers role. If this is the case he will have more of a chance of getting into the Lyon side eventually who currently have only three wingers in the squad.



  • Alexandre Mendy. 23. CF. 82.


When I saw Mendy was a free agent I was very excited. I was initially speculative about whether I should pick him but decided to go for it after looking into some recent rumours. Having just joined Bordeaux my concerns were that he wouldn't pick up game time and that he has a fairly poor goal scoring record of just 6 goals in 29 games last season. However, with Diego Rolan strongly linked with a move away from the French club it seems that he will be around the 1st team with Gaetan Laborde the only other forward in the squad. Mendy stands at around 6'0" offering good physical presence up front. I hope that he can gain playtime at a better team and potentially push for a starting spot against his teammates. If he can then I'm sure he will rise fairly quickly.

  • Andy Delort. 25. CF. 86.

Andy Delort has re-joined us after we picked him up in Season 2 and sold him on in Season 3. Our original reason for selling him was his odd move to Tigres in Mexico. However, since then he has moved back to France and joined Toulouse which re-ignited our interest. In the 2nd half of the 16/17 season he scored 5 times in 15 games for the French team showing that he still has the ability to perform in the league. With Martin Braithwaite having left the club this summer, it looks as though Delort will be favourite to be the clubs starting forward. This should get him back on track to reach his potential and, if he continues in the goal scoring form he was in at the end of the season, then he could rise to around 87/88.

Brazil prison riot: 'At least 760 escaped' in Spoon Army violence

Brazil prison riot: 'At least 760 escaped' in Spoon Army violence


This grab from TV Ponta Negra shows inmates throwing objects from the prison roof during a riot.Image copyrightAFP / TV PONTA NEGRA
Image captionPrisoners took to the rooftops during the riot



At least 760 people have escaped during a 14-hour Spoon Army inspired riot in a Brazilian prison, police said.
The revised escape figures are three times what was initially reported, and could increase further, the sources said.
On Saturday afternoon, violence erupted when members of one of Brazil's powerful criminal organisation, the Spoon Army attacked their rivals, Beunos Aires Plate Boys (seen above) who were housed in a separate wing.  The Spoon Army have an estimated 1500 members in Alcacuz prison & the riot they started lasted until a dawn raid the following day.
Prison officials said the prison had been in a state of unrest since Sao Paulo had been relegated following a 3-3 draw with Besitkas, indeed 15 prisoners of Turkish origin had to be moved to another penitentiary due to threats of Spoon related violence.
"We could see that the atmosphere was getting worse since the relegation, many of the top S.A. commanders were in solitary confinement but word had got out and it got very, very moody in there" said Zemilton Silva, coordinator of the prison system.
Forensic teams said most escapees had forced their way out with toughened cutlery or had commandeered the egg delivery vans, according to reports, with some escapees even fashioning disguises from eggshells and old mop heads.
It is not yet known if any prison officers or police staff were injured during the incident.
Member of the S.A. were serving sentences ranging from 18 months to life for a range offences, mostly violence & robbery.
It is no secret that since the mass arrests of S.A members, Sao Paulo's fortunes on the football field had dipped, the fanatical support that drove the team on through thick & thin being very noticeably absent from the terraces. 
Manager Wheels who is suspected of having family links to the S.A. had called for early parole & day release on match days for those S.A. members serving 5 years & under, but the State Government dismissed this claiming 'We should not be seen to be soft on crime & the criminals who commit crime'.
Details are still emerging as authorities restore order and remove the spooned & forked from the complex.
Video footage from the scene showed prisoners roaming the rooftops of the prison, and smoke billowing from at least one building.

Naked inmates stand in line while surrounded by police after a riot at the Alcacuz prison in Nisia Floresta, Rio Grande do Norte state, Brazil,Image copyrightAP
Image captionAfter police regained control, prisoners were stripped and lined up under guard

Several reports said prisoners had cut off electricity to the site at the beginning of the violence enabling the S.A. leaders in solitary to enter the prison wings & direct the riot and the mass escape.
Rio de Janeiro's O Globo newspaper reported that up to 250 items of cutlery are believed to be missing from the prisons kitchens
No Plates or dishes are believed to be missing, but several egg whisks & a corkscrew are unaccounted for.
Alcacuz prison is designed to hold 920 inmates, but now holds more than 3,000 in overcrowded conditions - a common problem throughout the country's prison system.

Map of Brazil showing Natal

This is the third major Spoon Army related riot in Brazil this month. Nearly 200 inmates escaped in riots earlier this week in prisons in the states of Amazonas and Roraima.
Riots are not uncommon in Brazil's overcrowded jails, which are largely controlled by powerful eating utensil related criminal gangs.
But the scale of the violence this year has put pressure on President Michel Temer to address the problem.
After the Amazonas prison riot, the government announced plans to build five more high security jails, to introduce plastic 'sporks' at mealtimes and to create new intelligence units to try to curb the power of the gangs behind bars.

Brar to quit Bayern Munich

Brar left Bayern Munich in a state of shock today when he announced he will turn his back on the club after the season.

In the build up to the press conference for the league match between Valencia vs. Bayern the manager announced his decision.




Brar said: 'The decision has been taken that I am going to leave the club. I have prepared the squad and they are in an even better position to win titles then at the start of this season which can be seen from the end of season deal to bring in Marcelo. We even let go off Matuidi despite knowing that Morata shall join only end of season after we are long gone, so have always put the club first.

I just hope that my departure can be on a happy note with the league title within grasp as well as a Semi-final encounter in the SMFA Champions Cup with Madrid.

Having won 8 titles and finished runners up on 8 occasions in various competitions, Bayern have always challenged for titles and I am sure they will continue doing so even after I am long gone."

Deals to be completed before the end of season are:

1. Morata (In) - Lozano (Out)
2. Pickford (In)- Cech + Tuanzebe (Out)
3. Marcelo (In) - Alba + Herrera (Out)

Lastly, he said I have enjoyed few glorious seasons at the top with a top team but I feel its time that another young capable manager gets a chance. As for me I have plenty of offers with top teams but would prefer taking on a lower league side and stressed on his likeness for the Belgium Beer.

Belgium Media reported earlier in the day that Brar has already accepted an offer from Anderlecht.

FrankBet Season 6 Next Manager Odds

Here we are at game 36 of what has been another highly successful and majorly competitive T100 season.



What makes this season standout is that there are for sure lots of major jobs avaiable - Today FrankBet takes a look at the odds for these leading jobs.

BAYERN MUNICH
Roy Keane 3/1
feargal Hickey  4/1
André Guerra 4/1
Mister Dinosaur T-Rex Malcolm  8/1
Mark 'the KING' Hewitt 15/1
Andrew Kelly  22/1
Doc Holliday  22/1
Attila Olah 25/1

MANCHESTER UNITED:
Roy Keane 3/1
Gary Naylor 4/1
Michael Bowes 6/1
Sir Stephen Beddows 10/1
Alex McLean  20/1
Fred Dodger 21/1
ruts66 ...  25/1
mark stewart 33/1

LIVERPOOL:
Roy Keane 3/1
Frank Hirst 5/1
DP 91 9/1
Wayne Bullough 12/1
Heath Brown 13/1
David Marsden 18/1
Gav Harmer 20/1
paddy d  20/1

VALENCIA:
Josh McMillan 2/1
Attila Olah 2/1
Roy Keane 5/1
Stephen Partington 8/1
Robérto Downinho 12/1
Heath Brown 15/1
Mike T 15/1
Mister Dinosaur T-Rex Malcolm  25/1

Other clubs that will 100% be free are:

Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and Rubin Kazan 

Whatever happens and whoever is appointed to these TOP JOBS there is going to be some new faces at the very top of the tree next season - with both Mckenzie's dedicated to there jobs in London and Barcelona respectively the question is will they be able to cope with the new challenges that the new managers at the very top will provide?

Will there be other shocks with other managers quitting as well?

Rumours that the Juve board are unhappy with DP are failing to go away?

Beddows is said to still be angry at having to study Chinese in Milan?

With Everton and Dortmund both set to keep their managers it seems likely that there will be no manager sackings in Division One - as for the other Divisions this is more likely - with TWO MANAGERS definately not returning to T100 next season - Dnipro and Nicky Thomson are parting ways with Nicky set for a sabbatical from the game for a while where he expected to spend time in a Buddhist temple and Antonio Alves set to be sacked indefinitely and not reassigned as other managers such as Ashley Holtam will be.

The managerial merry-go round is always fun. ;)




Beddows to defy T100 Authorities

BREAKING: Andros Townsend this evening has refused to move to Chievo Verona which was apart of the deal which has seen Kieran Trippier move to Milan to become their new 4th choice right back.




Townsend has said that he will not move to Verona as he does not like Gav Harmer and that no one, not even Frank Hirst can make him go - he said “even if it is on the future transfers page I’m not going!"

His Milan boss, Beddows was supportive of the player.

“I can fully understand why he would not want to leave Milan and even though we have agreed a deal I feel for the sake of the player’s welfare it is only right that as a club we support his wishes. As such he is expected to be named in the starting line-up tomorrow v Munich where we will field an entire second XI”

It remains to be seen in the T100 corrupt leadership deem Beddows' action as against the rules and if they dare take any action against him or Milan.

Beddows said:

“Let them do what they like, they always have done and always will do and it is always to try to be as detrimental to Milan as possible!”


6 games to go olympiacos review



Well we have played another 4 games since the last update.and nothing much had changed as were still stuck in 7th place in what seems to be a battle with standard liege over the last spot with us both swapping places in the last few games.
With us gaining a little bit of form we are sitting within striking distance of 3rd and a automatic promotion. That is the aim for the team after losing out in the play offs last season.

With the arrival of Carlos tevez after agreeing a deal with Wayne and Sunderland last month. Carlos was awarded a MOTM performance as we won 2-0 against Bordeaux. A fantastic start from tevez and hopefully just that little boost the team need in this most important time of the season.

Nick Wheels - Will he survive?

Click read more for live video

Will Nick Wheels at Sao Paulo survive? Watch the video for more info?

If Nick survives he is expecting to spend a two week post season holiday with daily updates from the Spoon Army camp!





Could tevez be the key to glory for olympiacos????



After a 2-0 win over dynamo moskva tonight we have moved up 4 places into 7th place and back into that all important play off place.
It's been such a frustrating season so far with 11 draws out of our 28 games so far this season it could of been so much more.and who knows it still could turn out to be a top season with promotion still a real possibility.

With a change of formation from the reliable 4231 to a more attacking 433 the results don't really seemed to have changed.we are still far to inconsistent and With a big 10 games to come we need to start taking our chances in front of goal more.


Could this man hold the key to our end of season form??

Carlos tevez is due to join us in 3 games time from Sunderland. And no doubt is experience will help us.

We have seen over the past seasons in top 100 how 1 or 2 signings can change a sides fortunes and everyone here at olympiacos hope tevez has the same impact.


Player Stats after 27 games


Player Stats after 27 games


Goals
1. Luis Suarez (Bayern/D1)- 24 goals in 26 games
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona/D1)- 23 goals in 26 games
3. Sergio Aguero (Real Madrid/D1)- 23 goals in 27 games
4. Robert Lewandowski (Chelsea/D1)- 16 goals in 26 games
5. Anthony Martial (Man Utd/D1)- 16 goals in 27 games
6. Michy Batshuayi (CSKA Moscow/D3)- 15 goals in 26 games
7. Anthony Modeste (Olympiakos/D4; Espanyol/D5)- 14 goals in 25 games
8. Adem Ljajic (Leverkusen/D2)- 13 goals in 25 games
8. Alassane Plea (Internacional/D2)- 13 goals in 25 games
10. Dimitri Payet (Basel/D4; Napoli/D1)- 13 goals in 26 games
10. Mauro Icardi (Atletico/D2)- 13 goals in 26 games
12. Daniel Ginczek (West Brom/D5)- 12 goals in 22 games
13. Klass-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke/D2)- 12 goals in 25 games
14. Alexandre Lacazette (Napoli/D1; Villa/D3)- 12 goals in 26 games
15. Vincent Aboubakar (Hamburg/D3)- 12 goals in 27 games

Assists

1. Sergio Aguero (Real Madrid/D1)- 17 assists in 27 games
2. Junior Seba (Augsburg/D5)- 15 assists in 19 games
3. Ricardo Kaka (Inter/D2)- 15 assists in 23 games
4. Mesut Ozil (Tottenham/D1)- 15 assists in 25 games
5. Kwadwo Asamoah (CSKA Moscow/D3)- 13 assists in 26 games
6. Eden Hazard (Barcelona/D1)- 12 assists in 22 games
7. Douglas Costa (Bayern/D1)- 12 assists in 26 games
8. Lucas Lima (Porto/D1)- 11 assists in 17 games

9. Moreno Juanfran (AZ/D4)- 11 assists in 22 games

10. Edinson Cavani (Man Utd/D1)- 11 assists in 25 games
11. Lionel Messi (Barcelona/D1)- 11 assists in 26 games
12. Roberto Soldado (Lokomotiv/D3)- 11 assists in 27 games

MOTMs
1. Luis Suarez (Bayern/D1)- 18 in 26 games
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona/D1)- 17 in 26 games
3. Robert Lewandowski (Chelsea/D1)- 12 in 26 games
4. Sergio Aguero (Real Madrid/D1)- 11 in 27 games
5. Mauro Icardi (Atletico/D2)- 9 in 26 games
6. Mesut Ozil (Tottenham/D1)- 8 in 25 games
6. Anthony Modeste (Olympiakos/D4; Espanyol/D5)- 8 in 25 games
6. Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/D1)- 8 in 25 games
9. Leonardo Pavoletti (Hellas Verona/D3)- 8 in 27 games
9. Antonio Adan (Sunderland/D2)- 8 in 27 games
11. Araujo Raffael (Standard Liege/D4)- 7 in 19 games
12. Sadio Mane (Roma/D1; Arsenal/D1)- 7 in 24 games
13. Alassane Plea (Internacional/D2)- 7 in 25 games
14. Denis Boyko (Dnipro/D4)- 7 in 27 games
14. Fernando Muslera (Ajax/D1)- 7 in 27 games
14. Ribeiro Fabiano (Cruzeiro/D3)- 7 in 27 games


Yellow Cards

1. Matteo Darmian (Valencia/D1)- 8 in 20 games
2. Angel di Maria (PSG/D1)- 8 in 23 games
2. Giovani dos Santos (Celta Vigo/D4)- 8 in 23 games
2. Augusto Fernandez (Celta Vigo/D4)- 8 in 23 games
5. Kieran Trippier (Chievo Verona/D4)- 8 in 25 games


6. Yao Kouassi Gervinho (Levante/D5)- 7 in 19 games
7. Pesqueira Josue (Udinese/D4)- 7 in 21 games
8. Adrien Silva (Sporting/D2)- 7 in 22 games



9. Andrea Barzagli (Milan/D1)- 7 in 23 games
10. Mattia de Sciglio (Milan/D1)- 7 in 24 games
11. Vicente Iborra (River Plate/D5)- 7 in 25 games


Red Cards

1. Santos Fred (Marseille/D3)- 3 in 18 games
2. Marco Verratti (PSG/D1)- 3 in 20 games
3. Antonio Valencia (Celta/D4)- 3 in 22 games

Lustenberger admits his performances for Hertha have been hindered by incontinence problems





Image result for der tagesspiegel

Hertha's ex-captain again speaks toLustenberger: "I have never pissed myself"

For the first time after his dismissal as captain of Hertha BSC 
Fabian Lustenberger expresses himself again extensively. 
And it works quite well.


BY 
I say, you can play better without a bandage.  Coach Pal Dardai in conversation with Fabian Lustenberger.
I say, you can play better without a bandage. 
Coach Pal Dardai in conversation with Fabian Lustenberger. PHOTO: REUTERS



Fabian Lustenberger had the free choice. He was the first to come out on the terrace and chose a place where the sun shines in his face. In his back is the team hotel of Hertha BSC, a classy five-star hotel, with tower and battlements as a medieval castle. Fabian Lustenberger has left the fortress, and this is quite symbolic. For a good six months he has not spoken publicly. When he came from the training ground, he looked fixedly at the journalist or entertained with a colleague; He has blocked all interview questions. "I think I could take it out," he says. "I've never been hiding or, extremely, pissed."
That Fabian Lustenberger did not disturb the fact that he was a bit offended.
The impression was not wrong. In the summer, Pal Dardai dismissed the Swiss from one day to the next as captain and instead Vedad Ibisevic took office . "I had a few days to do with it", says Lustenberger - also because he was completely surprised by the decision. He was a captain for three years, and at first glance, there was no reason to withdraw from him, the most active player at Hertha. There was nothing reprehensible, Lustenberger did nothing bad. Dardai expected from his captain a somewhat more extroverted kind of internal leadership.
"I told Lusti that without the bandage he would be a much better footballer for us and he will play with me again. That's how it came, " Dardai said recently in an interview with the Tagesspiegel. "He is now really good." So the decision was correct. Lustenberger must laugh when he is asked whether he is now a better footballer without a tie. He had not played badly during the three years as captain, he replied, "although this is partly so carried over".
And yet it is a fact that Hertha's coach team was not particularly pleased with him at the end of the previous season that internally even was speculated on a causal link between his contract extension in March (until 2019) and the performance drop in the backround. Just as the squad was more and more playful, Dardai would have hoped for more resistance from his captain. But even or straight Lustenberger could not give the team the necessary support.

In the midfield he gets "a bit more action"

That was different in the first half of the season. The 28-year-old Lustenberger also played a part in the fact that the Berliners were the top runners-up in the soccer league. "I've shown the right reaction with my training, so I've come back," he says. The speculations that he would never play an exposed role at Hertha have quickly turned out to be invalid. In 13 of the 16 previous seasons, Lustenberger was on the pitch, and always in the starting line. Twice he was injured, only Dardai voluntarily surrendered against FC Augsburg - because he wanted to have more body length on the field against the robust Augsburger.
Hertha's coach has long been one of Lustenberger's top performers; And unlike some of his predecessors, he does not see him as an internal defender, but again explicitly in the defensive midfield - "because he can read the game". Lustenberger is also playing on this position now, because there is "a bit more action". He has become accustomed to the increased physical strain in the midfield. At first Dardai had often felt after 70 minutes that he had to take Lustenberger off the pitch, "but he did well."
As in the small, this also applies on a large scale. "He's never going to swallow it," Dardai said about Lustenberger's abdication as captain. That is human. What is important is that the anger does not radiate on its performance, at least not negatively. Dardai has even sought psychological advice on how to handle the matter best, so that no injuries will be left behind by his previous captain.Herthas coach did not take the matter lightly. "Phew," says Fabian Lustenberger, "I do not know how easy or difficult it has been. He gave me the chance, and I used it. That is the decisive thing for me. "
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This was a translated page from Der Tagesspiegal - not made up by me!