After a balanced match and a 1-1 draw, the Cup Winners won on penalties
Porto did not miss and ended up lifting the trophy, adding one more title to the cabinet! That's the start we were looking for!
Very happy to win this tittle! Hellas went full force on this, which makes our win even more worthy! And more so as we still saved some players tonight in order to also field a competitive team in 2 days against Real Madrid in Division 1 opener!
Hopefully we can enjoy a good start this time.
André Guerra (FC Porto)
Porto Lose to Madrid
Gulacsi the Hero for Real
Not the start we were looking for, but we're used to it. Goalkeepers made the difference really, Ederson was very poor, Gulacsi was very good and MOTM. . . Charity Shield match 2 days ago also did not help us. . . Anyway, good game Rob and congratz on the win. We'll try to bounce back next match.
We have improved our defence massively, but we're still missing a stronger left-side attacking midfielder, a key position in my view. Additionally, competition is insanely strong, Hellas, Chelsea and Dortmund should be the main runners I believe.
André Guerra (FC Porto)
Benfica Stun Leverkusen
Evergreen Ronaldo shines
Even match settled by 2 CR7 goals. The guy is a legend.
Delighted with the start, long road ahead tho.
It’s been tough so far. Transfers hard, really hard. When you get offered under 75 rated players for CR7 it’s tough to read. But hey ho. We look like we go for one season with the ratings, but never say never that they won’t be sold.
Gregg Robinson (SL Benfica)
Dortmund Thrash Aston Villa
Vinicius Impresses as "false nine"
Nice start of the season with Vinicius getting MOTM in his new position as falso nueve.
Dario Saviano (Borussia Dortmund)
The gulf in class was far too great for us to compete really. Lost some big ratings in the pursuit of longer term success, it showed in this result. Lots of work to be done at Villa. Well done Dario.
Adam (Aston Villa)
Barcelona Beat Genoa
Mahrez steps up despite transfer specualtion
Despite intense speculation about Mahrez's future at Barca, he stepped up with two goals to help us secure an opening-day victory! A lovely start against strong opposition sent the Barca fans home happy.
It's back to basics now for Barca. D1 is packed at the top with high-rated squads, so we know, realistically, we won't be dining there this campaign. However, we will look to have fun, maybe push for a cup run if the wind is behind us, and seek one or two more players to come in at La Masia.
Dan Wallace (Barcelona)
Juventus Cruise Past Everton
Comfortable win in the end
At 1-0 for such a long time I was fearing a draw on cards. Happy with a 3 points start.
kevin mcgregor (Juventus)
Valencia Draw with Southampton
Zaha impresses on debut
Valencia took a point away to Southampton with the match finishing 2-2 in a very even game. Zaha scored and assisted on debut and was awarded MOM. Will take a point in any game in Div 1 so happy with the start.
Ash L (Valencia CF)
Harmer: "Bruno G Came Back to Haunt Us"
Atleti lose 2-1 to Chelsea
Bruno G came back to haunt us with a winning goal , Pickford had a nightmare in goal with a 4 rating!
Gav Harmer (Atlético Madrid)
Transfer News
West Bromwich Albion sign Riquelme
Youngster Novoa also joins, Doekhi goes to Olympiacos
Last week, we proposed holding a vote on a suggestion by some Top 100 managers for a new rule:
Players on Level 3 concerns MUST be sold to an external club.
Players must be sold for cash, and the selling team cannot bid on the player when he becomes available again.
We used StrawPoll for the first time (thanks to Beddows for his advice), and used the "unique token id" feature to ensure one manager one vote.
In less than three days, we had 92 votes out of 100.
One manager told me he couldn't decide which way to vote, and so didn't vote at all. Another tried to vote, but couldn't work out how to do it (sending the hyperlink isn't directly possible via SM private messages). Another quit (Partizan). Five didn't respond at all to any messages I sent them (one of those because he hasn't logged into SM during this time).
(Previously in TOP100 with Besiktas (seasons 13 (promoted)-14(play offs)) & Manchester United (seasons 15 (promoted)-17 (relegated))
MONCHENGLADBACH
SEASON 21 - (Division 3 - League position )
After having a short rest from TOP100, I spent two part seasons in TOP120, I was offered this second opportunity in TOP100 with Monchengladbach, and I accepted immediately.
Their recent history of the club is all in division 3 and is:
season 20 6th 14-15-9 57 points
19 9th 14-14-10 56 points
18 5th 16-11-11 59 points
The current 50 player squad have a “best starting 11” of “88”, so the previous manager Simon Thomas, seems to have continually over achieved.
I have spent the week looking at the transfer market but unless there are any player exchanges, I will need to sell first. I decided to make a space by selling Beni Makouana(78) 20yo to external as I don’t believe that he will get any rises this season. I have poked and prodded other managers for some deals but nothing doing and I have been offered some dross for my better players
A deal suddenly turned up with here I exchanged THAUVIN (87)30yo, who was on the Tfl, for a little cash and Jaouen Hadjam(81)20yo who plays regularly for FC Nantes. He will help our Youth team.
THE CHAIRMAN AND I BELIEVE THAT A REASONABLE TARGET FOR US THIS SEASON WILL BE TO “Finish mid table”
So we start the season with no new first team players from when I picked this club up so let’s see how we go.
…What can I say except that last season was a failure for Ajax and me? We started with promotion ambitions in div1 and up to 7/8 matches from the end of season we were fighting for the playoffs but then the light went out… We see the conditions for rejuvenating the squad and we seized them sacrificing two our great players, Eriksen and Luis Alberto, and the situation inexorably felt downwards ending with relegation and my dismissal as head coach… Finally it’s off again… it’s been a few weeks since Sunderland AFC offered me the technical lead of the squad and it’s been a hectic few weeks trying to shape the squad according to my needs… Many deals have been concluded, others may be in the pipeline but what matters is that we are still here trying to develop and carry on a project…
Note that this is purely for entertainment purposes. It does not take into account historical actions by the manager, though over time it could provide a bit of context to decisions. These severe changes are often a result of changing of the guard actions by the manager (youth to old or vice versa).
Top 5 Risers:
Independiente 85 to 49, Palace 75 to 40, Lazio 100 to 70, Dnipro 88 to 59, Bordeaux 64 to 53
Top 5 Fallers:
Ajax 19 to 86, Hamburg 35 to 100, Sassuolo 53 to 93, Espanyol 52 to 83, Partizan 74 to 98
The growth trajectory of Levante continues. After winning Div 3, the team is focused on climbing back to Div 1. With the lineup we have, our chances look promising. Yes, we faced two consecutive relegations, but there was a specific plan behind it all. The team we've built shows that the plan has been successful. I won't go into all the transfers, but we made some strategic bets that paid off. For example, we traded Dybala for Gavi, White, and Ramsey; swapped Luiz Felipe for Enzo Fernandez; and sold Eden Hazard to acquire two players rated at 89 and a young Rodrygo. These moves laid a strong foundation for the future. Further trades, like Gavi for Wirtz and Sancho, and Rodrygo for Vlahovic and Coman, along with the recent acquisition of Varane, have solidified our team. All this was possible because I've had the opportunity to work with this team for an extended period. So, the key to success is longevity. Success is measured not just by results, but also by the team one manages to build. Levante is poised to be a key player in Div 1 very soon.
As you can see from our second formation, we have excellent backup players ready to step in for those who will soon be part of Levante's history. In addition to these, we have exceptional talents like Doukoure, Buonanotte, Diaz, Bardghji, Belocian, Van Bommel, Romero, Bellingham, and Schjelderup. These players not only guarantee a promising future for the team but also make significant contributions in the present, particularly in the Youth Cup. Levante is one of the most successful teams in the history of the Top 100 in this competition. In conclusion, while we've faced challenging moments and made tough choices, it's all led to building this strong team. We're demonstrating that Levante can excel on multiple fronts, and we're ready to bring even more joy to our fans!
This will be the u21 line-up facing the Youth Cup this season
Lots of still soggy tissues, what looks like ripped up betting slips, some XXX-rated VHS tapes marked "JMcK - for Gav's eyes only", crates of empty beer bottles and empty bourbon bottles stacked against the walls, and a note scrawled in green crayon on the desk which says simply:
"Who ate all the pies?"
Day 2
Have finished tidying up. Notice a door that was previously hidden behind the crates of booze, but it's jammed shut. Something blocking it on the other side. Give it a few more shoves against something solid and then hear a groaning noise.
"48. 49. 51.... Coming! ready or not!"
"Beddows?"
"Stopping pushing that door against my head!"
"What are you doing in there?"
"Eh? Let me out!"
The door opens and a pale, haggard Beddows staggers out clutching handfuls of what look like toy bingo balls.
"What happened?"
Beddows collapses, his tiny numbered balls bouncing all over the place.
Day 3
"I went into the bathroom to do a practice draw for the Youth Cup," Beddows says when he comes round the next day.
"The next thing I remember is waking up next to a tin of Fray Bentos. There was a note attached to it which said, 'When'sa your Dolmio day?".
----------------------------
Ok, Ok. All of this may or may not be true, but it's not why we're here.
What Really Happened
Beddows handed ownership of the game world back to me (David M).
The old admin team - Mike T, Gav, Dan - have stepped down, by mutual agreement.
Gav has agreed to continue running the World Club Cup in his own inimitable style. Hurrah!
Beddows will continue to run the Youth Cup. Hurrah!
Beddows will continue as part of the new admin team in an advisory capacity (as he has done throughout Top 100's twenty season history). Haha!
The new Admin Team is Gyan, Chris M and Hugo, and me.
Chris M has taken ownership of Top 120 (our main recruitment source for new managers to Top 100) and will run that with Beddows.
We've got a list of suggestions and issues to look at and we're working our way through those.
So far, we've looked at some issues from our Suggestion Box:
how to improve the process of new appointments, and sackings, and the role of the "secret panel". We want to look at how we can use some more objective achievement and activity criteria to help make decisions on who gets jobs, and who gets sacked. But also to be kinder to those who want to stay with their club.
the possibility of changes to the squad cap.
the possibility of new rules to govern loans (for the Youth Cup, Playoffs, and more generally, and in realation to the squad cap).
the possibility of a new rule for selling players on level three concerns.
We haven't yet really talked about contracts, and I think, for now at least, there's no plan to bring them back in any form.
A couple of things we do want to try to do:
Be more transparent about any decision-making process. This won't always be possible.
Have a vote on any big changes.
With the above in mind, here's what we've already done, decided or propose to do:
Malaga, Fenerbahce and Gladbach jobs
We dispensed with the secret panel for these appointments. I wanted to trial using the admin team to discuss the merits of each applicant, using some objective criteria as well as more subjective criteria, too. Also, it was the end of the season and a bank holiday weekend (in the UK), and a brand new admin team.
Beddows had spent hours collating applications and emailing secret panels over the previous several days. He facilitated what certainly felt like the largest turnover of managers I can remember. It's a lot of extra work. No wonder he was looking tired.
In the past, especially when we've got to the last few jobs, we've often got to the stage where there are only one or two managers left who wanted a new job but didn't get one yet. And so we've just appointed whover was left and wanted it. So it's nothing new.
Anyway, we had four very strong applicants, plus one possible returning manager we considered. We chose Mike because he has the best track record by far of winning promotion. We felt Simon deserved a new club, too, and he was happy to take Mike's old job at Fenerbahce.
This meant that we didn't advertise the Fenerbahce job. I apologise to any managers who would have applied had we done so (and thanks to one who messaged me privately to point this out). That said, I don't think it would have changed our decision.
As a result of that, we needed someone to take Simon's old job at Gladbach. Eventually, it went to Ken, who was next in line from Top 120.
Squad Cap and Loans
We propose to have another vote on changes to the squad cap at the end of this season (S21).
Currently, we have a rule that prohibits managers from loaning new players for the knockout stages of the Youth Cup and Shield. I know there are some suggestions to ban loans all together (except to cover injuries, suspensions, youth goalkeepers or other specialist positions) or to ban new loans for the playoffs.
We also count all loan players twice as far as the squad cap goes - so club loaning out the players still counts them as part of its squad, as does the club loaning the players in.
Loans are a normal part of football, and getting the best players you can in on loan, agreeing to loan back a player you've sold, or loaning out players you want to prevent getting concerns, are all part of good management. It's also much harder now than it's ever been, it seems to me, to loan higher rated players, so any impact loaned players have is generally insignificant (and saying that, I know there have been one or two exceptions).
At this time, therefore, on balance, I don't see any reason to change or introduce any new loan rules.
Player Concerns
We propose to hold a vote on introducing a new rule:
Players on Level 3 concerns must be sold to an external club.
If this rule was voted in, then it would not come into force until the start of S22 at the earliest.
Youth Cup and Shield
There will be a new rule from this season (S21):
Any team playing an obviously and deliberately weakened team (e.g., to drop into the Shield) will be disqualified.
S20 winners will receive their free new player prizes as promised, and they will be able to choose a new player added to the database from 1 - 15 September, inclusive. This is half the amount of time usually given.
Sadly, it's become apparent that the offer of this kind of prize has contributed to managers exploiting loopholes in the game world rules to gain an unfair advantage.
There will be, therefore, no more free new player prizes for winning the youth competitions from S21.
If Beddows has a record of which managers arranged and played all their fixtures with eligible players, we will organise a random draw to choose one for a prize of a free new player.
We will expand the number of prizes given out to managers chosen at random who arrange and play all their fixtures with eligible players.
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below or you can message me privately.
With season 20 coming to an end and the end of season manager merry go round now complete, a statement was made in the Whatsapp group recently that posed an interesting debate and difference of opinion. - "Are the managers who stay in their clubs the longest more successful?"
Below is a list containing all the managers who have been at their current club continuously for at least 250 games. ('Continuously' means that they have not finished in the bottom 3 and have not been automatically sacked). I thought this would add an interesting element to the study.
James Mckenzie - Chelsea - Division 1 - 911
Andre Guerra - Porto - Division 1 - 872
Heath Brown - Arsenal - Division 1- 430
Bojan H - Bayern Munich - Division 1- 425
Joao Alves - Sporting Lisbon - Division 2 - 415
Andre Libras-Boas - Hellas Verona - Division 1 - 402
As we can see from the above list, 100% of the top 4 managers and 80% of the top 10 managers all manage clubs in Division 1. 56% of the total managers currently manage in Division 1. Only 25% in Division 2 and 13% in Division 3. Interestingly only 6% of managers manage a club in Division 4. Not a single manager manages a club in Division 5.
Which leads to the obvious question "Is the key to success............variety?" A staggering 84% of Top 100 have managed their clubs for less than 250 'continuous' games. Is the only way to be successful to move clubs?
The tightest divisional battle by far who will win?
Less than 6 points separate 1st to last in the stats. Probably will result in the most random results and least accurate predictions but let’s give it a go.
Flamengo have the most depth, best midfield and attack but just lack a quality keeper. Bordeaux in 2nd pack a punch up front and are solid enough in midfield. Malaga are well balanced except perhaps the keeper and should get auto promotion. Augsburg and Lille have the best keeper , forward combo and we know this works well in the lower divisions. Torino look set for a good cup run especially with a good keeper and good depth. Mid 218 is the cut off to survive D3 so Stuttgart and above should be aiming for promotion this year.
The relegation zone sits at 216.5 most seasons and only 4 teams sit below Dynamo Moscow. St-Etienne, Montpellier, Sevilla and Fiorentina have their main weakness in defence. St-Etienne have a fair attack, and the rest a reasonable keeper so with the right tactics all 4 could survive.
Division 4 is much stronger than last season with less difference between first and last.
There are 3 teams Inter, Schalke and Anderlecht who could easily win division 2. All 3 have 90 plus attack and Inter are straight 90 across the board. Schalke maybe lack depth but a potent attack must gain them promotion this year. Anderlecht likewise will terrorise lesser teams in D3.
Cruzeiro will be there if any of the top 3 slip up and must be guaranteed a playoff spot as they are 1.5 points above 5th spot. Then the gap narrows with Sunderland, Swansea. Zagreb , Palace and Galatasaray fighting out for the remaining spot. Swansea seem well placed with good depth and a strong attack. Twente maybe a good cup run bet from a lower division team, with Inter also being able to function in all competitions.
You need 220 to survive D2 so teams as far down as Koln or Sampdoria could look to make the playoffs without fear.
Showing how narrow the gap is between success and failure low 219s means relegation. As things stand Sassuolo look doomed weak midfield and defence won’t be enough. Ajax lack depth but are much stronger at the back. Zenit are more balanced, while Wolfsburg and Borussia have a relatively strong attack which could be enough to save them
Division 3 in marginally weaker than last season with a similar range between the strongest and weakest sides.
Now over at the temple Oh, they really pack 'em in The in-crowd say it's cool To dig this chanting thing But as the wind changed direction And the temple band took fire The crowd caught a whiff Of that crazy Casbah jive
So said The Clash in 1982 .... but what say us .... or more importantly to us Top100 managers .... what say the god of SM player ratings with this massive influx of top footballing talent in the Middle Eastern kingdoms. Not known to be destinations of top shelf talent who could still easily get contracts at the top European leagues, in the top six teams. Not known to offer the personal freedoms that many, if not all of these players, have enjoyed during their professional careers up to this point.
Of course, there is a rather large .... erm .... carrot being offered to help undecided footballers on whether the chance to play in the oasis that is Saudi Arabia is for them .....
A lot of money. A life changing sum, even for footballers, is being used to parachute significant top tier talent into the KSA, to potentially change this league, transform this league, for a number of years.
So who are The Wild Geese ...
I asked our SC Internacional player scouting group to put together a list of who has left the relative safety of established leagues and infrastructures to chase the sand dollar ... and paired them up with their SM ratings ...
Taken from transfermarkt.co.uk (27Aug23), SM ratings (20Aug23)
The grouping above is by league, by club, with the SM rating added into the last column. The KSA dominate, with a handful of players landing in Qatar (I would hazard a guess that at least two of them have since fired their agents, for not knowing the difference between the KSA and Qatar ... as in being separate countries). The three clubs with the most talent brought in, are the household names Al-Ahli, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr. I stopped at 88 rating, there are eleven (11) 87's and eleven (11) 86's as well. Some serious talent assembled at these clubs fellow managers ... some serious talent.
Share of SM Talent in KSA and Qatar
The chart below shows, by rating (x-axis), from 96 to 88 the counts of SM players in the KSA and Qatar. For example, of the seven (7) 95's in our game, two (2) are in the KSA now, Benzema and Neymar. The blue line is a cumulative plot of rating now plying their trade in Middle East, plotted against the second axis (%). For example, of all ... ALL ... players rated 90 and above, 5% now play in the KSA.
That is a HUGE percentage of players. Crazy times.
What does mean for SM ratings ?
I will defer that supremely talented footballer, known for his intellectualization of tactics, in game modifications and adjustments, a pure understanding of the game ...
Sorry ... not you Gareth Bale ....
I don't know what this means ... SM rating changes can be on point, or mostly on point. Sometimes it looks like that they asked a monkey to throw darts at a board whilst handing upside down. Perhaps, with such an influx of talent, SM will take a breath, and wait for at least a dozen matches to be played (their seasons have just kicked off), before jumping to conclusions that everyone listed is an automatic -2 in the next review. What I do think will happen is this league will get more than the once every eighteen months (1 in 18) review treatment of the past.
Some owners of these players will be a little nervous holding onto them, unsure of what the future holds. Others will not give a sheet. Some might have already sold them on not wanting to play the 'meet me at the Istanbul KSA Embassy for a visa and rating appointment' in the next several months. Just ask Eddie Howe about that playing ten man Liverpool for 62 minutes on Sunday ...
What I can tell you ... is that our US Fox Sports cable channels are showing Saudi Pro League match replays during the waking hours (sunrise to sunset) of the day. Which they never did before.
Who knows where this all goes ...
I have no idea where this all ends up. Does the Saudi Pro League win the ACC Champions Cup 10-0 against some unfortunate South Korean or Japanese side ? How many of these players see out their full contracts ? Do the 35 players listed find themselves rates -2 or -3 in our game in 12 months time ? How do the players feel about the double headers being discussed for matches at the end of season ... stonings at 6pm, kick-off at 8pm ?
This story has a lot more legs in it than Sports Illustrated Swim Suit calendar shoot ... and a little bit of cheek too ....
Straight 90 rated Levante seem set to gain promotion, the only real area of weakness is the depth. Stoke though in 2nd have a stronger attack and should be able to challenge them. Sao Paulo have the strongest midfield and are well balanced. Sporting perhaps a keeper short of promotion have a potent outfield and one of the strongest attacks. Liege go for the top and tail approach but do lack some depth. We then have SC Internacional who go out and out depth as the others falter they could well move up the table.
To survive D1 you will need a rating of 224 so Liverpool would also fancy their chance at promotion or play off success.
As for relegation anything under 220 leaves you in real risk of problems. Hamburg know that they will need strong tactics to finish anywhere other than last. Espanyol lack a strong attack and are weak in defence. Promoted Celta are much more potent up top but again do they have enough in defence to survive. Hoffenheim are also ok at the front but a weak keeper, defensive combination will be troublesome. AC Milan seem to be more balanced and have good depth,
Division 2 is substantially weaker than last season both on average and the highest / lowest side dropping around 2 points.
At the start of Season 20, I had a team half full of 89, 90, 91 and even 92 rated players.
Unfortunately, they had an average age of 93, and a tradeable value of about £94 each.
And even with their decent ratings, my side's average was still better than only four or five teams in Division Two.
My initial SOWT analysis
STICKY SITUATION I was in a sticky situation.
I could stick with what I had and maybe challenge for the playoffs (if I got my tactics right more times than not).
Or, if the SM gods were against me, I could spend the season fighting relegation.
Or I could make the most of what little player exchange value my players still had and rebuild.
TEA AND BISCUITS With the end of contracts thrust upon us, I felt that I had to be bold.
It was now or never.
If I didn't move them on now, my players would only decrease in value (and ratings).
They would cost a fortune in tea, biscuits and nappies, before retiring and leaving me with nothing.
To allow me to focus on some kind of rebuild, I brought in a previously unknown but extremely precocious tactical coach, Guglielmo Bardelli.
IMAGINARY FRIEND My imaginary friend would take over control of all match preparation, team selection, formation and tactical decisions for almost all of the season.
Bardelli's presentation to the board, which convinced them to appoint him as our new Head of Tactics
On the few occasions I intervened, we lost.
Bardelli pulled off some audacious wins - Sao Paulo home and away, Genoa in the Shield, Sporting away, Chelsea and Barcelona in the Youth Cup.
We topped the table early on.
But as the season progressed, I was selling ratings for youth and he had less and less to play with (except in the Youth Cup, of course, where he had more and more).
CLEAN SHEETS More importantly, perhaps, than a few big wins against big teams and big managers, Bardelli ensured victories over teams we knew we had to beat to have any hope of avoiding relegation - including double 1-0 wins over Zenit and River Plate.
Peter Gulacsi was a revelation in goal and between him and his replacement Kepa they kept 12 clean sheets.
We started the season with a 90 rated team of pensioners - Gulacsi, Clauss, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Alba, Naby Keita, Cabella, Luis Suarez, Ashley Young, Slimani, The Ox, Willian, and Enzo Perez.
ALL GONE They've all gone.
Gulacsi (somewhat unfairly I felt) got a -1 in the reviews, as did Vertonghen, Alba, and Luis Suarez.
Naby somewhow retained his 90 rating, but expect he will be at 88 next time.
In their place, I've got Kepa (who got a +1 and is now Real Madrid's new goalkeeper), Marcus Pedersen, Jaka Bijol (who somehow didn't get a rise this time despite being one of the best performing CBs in Serie A), Quentin Merlin, Sambi Lokonga, Jose Cifuentes, Angelo Stiller (to complete move next season), Emile Smith Rowe, Morgan Gibbs-White, Ander Barrenetxea, Georginio Rutter, Yann Karamoh and Cameron Archer, among others.
NO THOUGHT I also let go of Willian Pacho (for Smith Rowe), Savio and Ratkov (for Tom Krauss for the Youth Cup effort), and Asllani (for Turati, again for Youth Cup). When I let Pacho go, I had no thought of getting beyond the second round of the Youth Cup, but really did need to strengthen our midfield options for the first team.
My team now has an average rating of 87, which is a huge drop. Alessandro at Ajax tried something similar and unfortunately paid with relegation and his job.
TERRIFIC ACHIEVEMENT So I was over the moon to finish in 13th place for the second season running, with two more points than before.
We also finished third in the Youth Cup, which was a terrific achievement considering we started with a 67 rated goalkeeper, and a team average of 79 for the opening group game. We're well set for next season, too.
CRAZY TACTICS Next season in D2 is going to be very tough. I took over tactical operations again for the final few games of the season, as Guglielmo Bardelli started conceding huge amounts of goals with, frankly, some crazy tactics. He's now the Technical Director of Football.
Hopefully I can find the right combination to win enough points to stay up, and buy some time for my players to develop in real life and in SM ratings. I'm not saying we have world beaters, but I think the club overall is in a much better position for value and potential going forward than it was at the start of the season.
Can Chelsea overcome the champions as the stats predict.
A fairly narrow gap splits the top two teams. Hellas have greater depth and a superior defence than Chelsea and match them up top. Chelsea will be using their keeper and midfield to screen the opposing sides.
Dortmund are their closest rivals a well balanced side with a potent attack. Porto are a similar side to Chelsea with the same kind of balance with Juve another side that is balanced throughout.
Benfica have an obvious weakness in defence but are otherwise a tough side to crack, Bayern have greater depth than any side in the league and as the season goes on they should make greater progress. Everton are the wild card side for me, lacking in depth a weaker keeper but on their day could match anyone.
As for relegation 224 is a fair cut off. This leave 5 sides in obvious danger. Villa with less depth a relatively poor keeper and defence combo might be in more trouble than 17th suggests. Valencia have a strong attack but may struggle throughout as will Southampton. West Brom go for the top and tail technique. Hope your keeper saves you and the attack can punt in a few goals.
Division 1 is slightly stronger than last season but with less difference between the highest and lowest teams.
I personally do not believe these results were are legitimate (although I have no proof). The usual turnout is less than 50%. This time the turn out was 82% (supposedly). Therefore multiple voting 'may' have occurred which I believe is the case.
Therefore If somebody else wishes to compile the MOTS awards from next season please feel free- peace out.
Teams are rated using a formula which looks at the 4 main positions, GK,DEF,MID and FWD, along with the 18th ranked player ( the lowest ranked player likely to play ) and the Average.
This produced ETOT the ranking used to work out the final position. This formula is more or less unchanged from around season 4 onwards. There is human input in deciding the most likely team. In addition on occasions the 18th ranked player ( or less ) in much lower rated, I may choose to ignore that to not skew the stats.
Independiente have a really solid side, it should be a relatively easy ride into D4, they top and tail their team nicely and have good depth. Then perhaps much like the current seasons the rest of the placings will be hard fought by a large number of teams. Boca and Lazio also both top and tail their team with a strong GK, ATT combo. Lazio lack depth which will cost them. Santos have a good midfield but are weaker uptop.
Spartak need a good keeper as do Kyiv,. Kazan look well balanced again.
The cut off for survival in D4 isn’t that high at 216.5 so this rightly suggest all teams down to Athletic club could feature in the playoff and get promoted.
Lower down only the sack race to worry about. Basel, Lyon and Partizan lack any depth. Newcastle need a good rebuild with only rating above 87.
Division 5 is considerably stronger than last year up half a rating point from the previous season. This is probably due to rebuilds, no contracts and a particularly weak team gaining promotion.
The beginning of September will mark both one year in T100, at CSKA, and 100 games managed. It also coincides nicely with a season recap blog post.
A lot has happened in the year. We've gone through almost 2.5 seasons - making the playoffs with an unexpected run in the first half season, following up with a playoff loss in season 2, and gaining promotion season 3. It was disappointing slipping out of the leader position on the last day, though I think we'd all say Gursi had a superior team and (maybe) was more deserving of the title. The coach's lack of tactical acumen certainly played a role as well.
From a roster turnover standpoint, I believe we have 7 original players. We've undertaken an almost complete rebuild, especially within the youth team. One never knows how youth will pan out, but we've got a few top tier prospects and hopefully a few will break into the first team soon as we're papering over holes at the moment.
The team was also relocated to the United States due to economic sanctions forced upon Russia. The relocation came with a global rebrand. CSKA Moscow Texas now stands for "Chris' Soccer Kids Academy." Team colors are red, white, and blue in a nod to both the Russian, US, and Texan flags. The team mascot is a bull, symbolizing both aggression and the Texan cattle industry. Unfortunately, the rebrand has yet to resonate globally, and Eastern European new boys Szczesny and Brozovic were bitterly disappointed to learn they would be traveling to the US and not closer to home.
We're looking forward to Division 3 and hopefully many more years at CSKA.
Atalanta deserved leaders in the stats and they win the league.
Finishing 3 places above expected Atatlanta have +4 PVA. They sit just above fellow promoted team Montpellier who have a VA of +9. However the teams with the highest VA are Besitkas and Seville on +10 , both made the playoffs although only Seville survived the first round. Athletic club the opponents of Seville sit on +6 VA and Newcastle get an honourable mention on +6 VA
Poor performances though from 4 of the top 6 predicted sides see that at the wrong end of the stats. Kazan should have been 3rd but came 11th they have the joint lowest VA on -8 and lowest PVA on -0.64. Villareal should have made the playoffs but didn’t they also have -8 VA along with Marseille. Boca made the playoffs but their promotion hopes were blown out by Seville.
3 of the lowest 4 predicted teams finished in the lowest 4
The top 3 in the league are in the top 3 of the stats.
Koln will be celebrating like Rose Monday after they lead the stats and the league with +7 VA , 1st place and +8 PVA.
Third in the league but 2nd in the stats are Crystal Palace on +9 VA, CSKA 3rd place in the stats but 2nd in the league finished 5 places above expected. Olympiacos in 4th spot in the league have +11VA and qualify for the play off spots. Big notable +7 for Fiorentina who looked like relegation fodder but survived well to finish 12th.
Predicted 1 /2 in the league finish 20th and 19th in the stats one of 3 teams on -9 VA. AZ , Feynenoord and Partizan all fell below their expected finishing positions.
Celta Vigo +14 VA and + 7.5 PVA head the stats and get promoted, just above their Turkish rivals.
It isn’t very often that a +7 VA and auto promotion wouldn’t get you the team of the year in D3 but Fenerbache’s fantastic performance is eclipsed by their Galician rivals. Celtic third in the stats , also make the play offs with +8VA. Levante in 4th spot got promoted as they should have done as leaders. Have to give Beddows some credit for a +7 VA and avoiding relegation with Sampdoria, with Twente the other notable overperformers.
Augsburg on -12VA are heading in the wrong direction , relegated when playoffs were more than achievable, they sit lowest in the stats. Schalke miss out on playoff and promotion and a -5 VA leaves them 2nd lowest in the stats. Flamengo maybe the end of an era for the project side as they are relegated. Zagreb , Swansea , Galatasaray must also be disappointed with their seasons. Again I have the feeling that a number of sides feel more able to take risks and clearly rebuilds are in progress.
